the sky's empty

[theotanaka]

[cismale and he/him] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [THEODORE TANAKA]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [DARREN BARNET]. You must be the [THIRTY-TWO] year old [BARTENDER AT THE REEF BAR]. Word is you’re [RELAXED] but can also be a bit [STUBBORN] and your favorite song is [UP ALL NIGHT BY KHALID]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [SEABROOK QUARTER]. I’m sure you’ll love it! @aurorabayaesthetic

pinterest + spotify

tw: drugs, fire, bipolar, death

stats

name: theodore tanaka

nicknames: theo, teddy (by family)

age: thirty-one

faceclaim: darren barnet

occupation: bartender @ the reef

gender: cis male

pronouns: he/him

sexuality: straight

birthday:  may 16 1992

sign: taurus sun, scorpio moon, gemini rising

ethnicity: japanese, cherokee, german

hometown: aurora bay

eye color: green/hazel

hair color: black

height: 5'10"

tattoos: coming soon

piercings: coming soon

likes-

dislikes-

headcanons-

biography:

Chaotic and huge is one way to describe Theo’s family life. His mother having bipolar disorder and his father being an alcoholic, left Theo to pick up the pieces most of the time especially when he was the eldest, but unfortunately for him, it seemed his mother was always pregnant, and always popping out children for him to look after. He loved his siblings, he truly did but the older he got the more he began to resent Aurora Bay. He craved a normal life, a normal childhood but he never got it. 

Without the structure he needed, his teen years were spent following in his parent's footsteps, he was just lucky enough to not get anyone pregnant while he indulged. His siblings followed suit, making it frustrating when he was trying to give everyone a good life. Theo was naturally good at everything, you name it he could ease through it, even if he’d never done it before. He quickly learned he could do anything, so he was never held back by anything aside from his home life. 

He didn’t qualify for college, and although he was good at most things, his grades were terrible due to endless family dramas. He spent most of his time working retail and hospitality jobs around town to keep himself and his family afloat, but this soon became tiring. At twenty-five, he decided everyone was old enough to look after themselves. He decided to move to LA. Somehow he wound himself up doing volunteer firefighting, it suited him well - it allowed him to feel like he was doing good again, without the pressure of it being his family.

Nine months after a one-night stand with some girl he met at a bar, he became a dad. Neither of them were ready and Theo didn't want to raise another child, but he had no choice. He wasn't going to abandon his child. They both spent their lives dedicated. to their child, but one night when he arrived to pick up his Amelie, he found her mother high as a kite. He tried to fix her, but she was just not interested. So he took Amalie and lost contact.

Things didn't end there for Theo, only a few months later he caught himself in another traumatic situation at work. After losing a best friend and co-worker in a bush fire, he lost his passion for it. He didn't want to go through that so he quit and started working at one of the local bars whilst he raised his daughter. Until he got the phone call to hear one of his sisters had been diagnosed with cancer at only 28. He knew he had to come home and care for her, so he did. He then picked up a job at The Reef Bar, juggling his time between his sister and Amalie, as well as the rest of his family who are older now so they could look after themselves. He found himself a place in Seabrook Quarter, something perfect for the three of them.

[thecelestexzhao]

"Trust me, I know all too well how it feels to grow up in a broken family, full of drama." Celeste didn't really talk about her past much with anyone, but she figured in a situation like this...it could be warranted. "I never knew my dad. He dipped on me and my mom when I was a baby, and she....I dunno, I at times felt like she blamed me for it. That I was the reason he left. So I'm telling you to just..keep your shit together. For your sake and your daughter's.....to not have her grow up feeling the way I did. Her mother leaving was her choice, and her fault. Not yours. and not Amalie's. And it's your job to make sure she knows that. So just do that..and you'll be doing enough. Trust me."

[theotanaka]

He gave Celeste a sympathetic smile, if anyone could relate to a chaotic upbringing it was certainly him. It was a wonder they both turned out so normal. "I will," he nodded his head, looking up at her. He hated that people had the same experience with him with their parents. "My mom she was kind of the same as your dad, never around. Dad was an alcoholic, I get it. I ended up basically raising my siblings." Theo had always done the best for Amalie, always. "I'll do anything to make sure she doesn't grow up knowing how we felt." @thecelestexzhao

[kaede-yamada]

He knew how difficult family dynamics could be. Kaede had navigated through his own ups and downs and while the downs had nearly taken him out he was still standing. He felt like he could handle anything and that extended to wanting to handle whatever his friends and colleagues were going through also. “ obviously we can’t have her here till 3 am. “ he noted. “ yeah with anything. Even if it’s not work related “ @theotanaka

[theotanaka]

"She really would turn the place into a unicorn wonderland if she was here until 3am," Theo joked, nodding. He really appreciated the words from his boss. "We're doing okay though, it's hit her hard of course cause like, she knows now that she's not coming back and her priorities lie elsewhere. She misses my sister too, might take a few days off in a couple of weeks and take her up to LA to see her." @kaede-yamada

[kodiakjackson]

"You're pitch isn't half bad, you might be in the wrong line of work. No interest in traditional sales?" Kodi asks out of sheer curiosity. He had never worked a bar in his life but logically it seemed like tips would bring in less extra money than commission did. "I can work with those."

@theotanaka

[theotanaka]

"Ha," Theo couldn't help but let out a laugh at the man's comment. "You know, I am in the wrong line of work, I was a firefighter prior to this." He was only telling him because he thought it was ironic he'd said it in the first place. "You own a company or something?" He asked out of sheer curiosity. With his sister gone and his daughter to look after, the hours probably would be easier. He loved working at The Reef though. "Perfect, you got a preference?" @kodiakjackson

[theotanaka]

𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐧 : are there any details from your muse's childhood that sticks with them - good or bad?

"I think I blocked most of my childhood out if I'm being totally honest."

[theotanaka]

What are you afraid of?

"The most cliche answer ever, but losing the people I love, naturally."

[theotanaka]

𝐢𝐯𝐲 : who or what has your muse clung to and why?

"Aside from Amalie, my siblings really. We're all really close with each other."

[theotanaka]

"Unfortunately they're all popular, if there's one thing about this town, it's that everyone loves to get shitfaced." Theo told him, a small chuckle following. "But, if you come to The Reef, at least I'll know to leave you alone. Plus, the regulars are usually too far gone to give a shit, so might be the perfect place?" @kodiakjackson

[kodiakjackson]

"I can't fault people for that when that's my aim too," Kodi jokes, the only difference he could discern was he always had and always would consider drowning his sorrows a solo endeavour. It had always felt like a more depressing use of time when done in company. "Sounds good to me. What's the top shelf quality there?"

@theotanaka

[theotanaka]

"That's true, also means I'm selling it pretty well I guess." Theo gave a soft laugh. It wasn't hard to remember what was on the top shelf at the reef, it wasn't ordered often, anyway. And after working there for so long he'd managed to memories most these things even if they weren't in his tax bracket. "Macallan, Lagavulin. Take your pick." @kodiakjackson

[kaede-yamada]

“ then I’m putting the bar in here name and going back to writing. I can’t imagine a more original idea for a bar. Unicorn wonderland is certainly something we don’t have here. It’ll bring in a whole new demographic “ Kaede replied in a serious tone but his expression said differently. He was clearly enjoying the joke. “ your job is safe and she’s more than welcome. She could sit in the office with my daughter. “ he noted being serious again.

“ shit really?” Kaede asked at the notion of Theo being in a bit of a bind with childcare. “ whatever you need. Let me and Layla know and I’ll figure something out for you. Even if it’s dropping her off at my place with my daughter’s sitter. “@theotanaka

[theotanaka]

It pulled a wide smile out of Theo, his daughter taking over the bar and turning it into a glitter-filled, rainbow, unicorn wonderland. "I might actually take you up on bringing her in. It might mean I need to shift to like, more afternoon hours rather than the later hours." He tells his boss with a half smile, shrugging his shoulders. "I know you have got my back." He felt very assured by Kaede, he knew he appreciated his employees greatly. @kaede-yamada

[themireyaxcardenas]

Now that Mireya was done cleaning herself off as best she could, she didn't really have anything else to distract her--which meant all her focus was now on Theo and the very real fact that he was here, in front of her and real for the first time in years.... The realizations of it made her breath lodge itself in her throat a bit, so much so that she was glad for his little attempt at a joke because it eased up the tension she felt coursing its way through her then.

"Messy together sounds good to me." She replied with a little smile, hoping the heat to her face wasn't as red as she felt. Theo assuring her he didn't have a date then made her relax somewhat too, if only so she didn't have to feel guilty for pulling him away from someone else. "I didn't, no. I mean, I came with my friend Gia? Or...well, more like she convinced me to come along, but she's got her own date so I'm....here." She ended lamely, even shrugging a bit before she looked to his jacket, hesitating on taking it, "Before bumping into you I was actually thinking of heading out for a walk...getting some fresh air and all. If.....if you maybe wanted to join?"

[theotanaka]

Theo's brows lifted slightly at the mention of a walk, truth be told he really needed it. He wasn't sure why he'd bothered to come tonight but clearly fate had plans on bringing him back to Mireya so perhaps that was the reason. He was definitely relieved to get out of there and not be around so many people. When she mentioned she hadn't come with anyone either, he didn't hesitate to pull his jacket off and drape it over her shoulders. "It's kind of starting to feel like prom, now." He let out a small chuckle at his gesture. "A walk sounds really good." He agreed as he headed for the door of the science lab, ready to head down the hallway. "That sucks, about your friend though?" He gave her a sympathetic smile, at least he'd come here somewhat willingly. It sounded like she was convinced by someone else and then ditched. Maybe another reason they were brought together. "What happened?" @themireyaxcardenas

[boysappetit]

Darren Barnet

[fletcher-bailey]

“I don’t even think mine had a theme.” Nothing outside of ‘don’t do anything dumb or kill each other’, and those were more heavily enforced guidelines than a theme. “My friends and I did sneak away, some of us got pinched, but the rest of us made it out to the football field to hide and hang there. Until they sent someone out for a sweep, and they caught us under the bleachers to drag us back in.” 

Then they were watched like hawks, he recalls. 

“It’s funny, though. We’re given more freedom to wander anywhere we want, but there’s a better chance this place will be left in shambles because of it. Hopefully someone doesn’t get too drunk and try to find the woodworking and shop classes. That could end bad.”

Fletch grimaces at the thought, but he thinks he doesn’t have to worry after himself or his friends. The only one he truly can’t predict is Reggie, but there is security there in that he wouldn’t get himself into too much trouble.

“But a cheating scandal — why do things get messier as people get older? I think I see it a lot more now than I did as a kid.”

@theotanaka

[theotanaka]

“You’ve jinxed it now, I was only thinking about the amount of people having sex in all these classrooms.” Now he was thinking about people injuring themselves in the woodwork classes or mixing up potions in the science labs.

Fletcher was right, whether it be one extreme or another they really shouldn’t have used the school for this. The town hall or something made a bit more sense. “And anyway, what does it say about us who attended? Are we all trying to relive our youth?” They were all in the same boat.

“I wonder if any cheating scandal will be happening tonight,” he thought out loud, nodding. There definitely would be, Theo was just glad he wasn’t part of it. “Adults do get worse as we get older, I suppose. Or maybe it was just our parents generation? Should we just go with that?” @fletcher-bailey

[themireyaxcardenas]

Mireya swallowed as the man's fingers circled her wrist but she followed along easily just the same, her mind still reeling a bit due to, well, everything. The touch only lasted a few moments though before he was letting go and soon enough they were out in the hall, the sounds of the party muffled behind them once the doors to the gym closed. And still she followed, the sound of her heels clicking against linoleum and the muffled music and voices following them as he led them to his destination--a classroom.

"No! No it's okay, I....god, I'm sorry.." Reya bit her lip, looking around the empty science lab even as her insides twisted a bit. "Trust me....I know all too well the feeling of being a mess right now.." She didn't quite meet his eyes at first as she said it too, instead just looking around for a few moments more before finally focusing back on Theo just as he grabbed some paper towels for her. "Thank you." She used them to dry the liquid still spilled on her arm and hand before dabbing it along her dress, frowning since she hoped it didn't stain. All the while she thought about how she hadn't seen Theo in so long--so of course this was how the universe decided to throw them back together. "Hopefully your date won't be too mad at me for stealing you away? And potentially ruining your outfit." She tacked on at the end as she offered him a paper towel as well to dry off his sleeve.

[theotanaka]

Theo knew he shouldn’t have been mildly happy that the brunette was equally as awkward and messy as he was, if just made the whole thing a little bit easier to know he wasn’t alone in being a total dumpster fire. He shouldn’t have come out tonight but the house was too quiet with his sister and his ex girlfriend now gone for good. So he’d hired a baby sitter but maybe fate had brought him here to her.

Theo breathed a small sigh of relief as she dried some of the mark off her dress, at this point he’d forgotten about his own arm. He just wanted to make sure her dress wasn’t ruined. “Maybe we can be messy together then,” it was supposed to be a joke but when he realised how it sounded, he scrunched his nose. “You know what I mean.” He let out a small awkward laugh whilst she handed him the paper towels, that instantly reminded him about his sleeve. “Oh I don’t have a date, I decided to come to this thing by myself.” He finally started dabbing the fabric of his black suit. “Uh. Did you come with one? Because you can have my jacket if you don’t and need it. It’ll still be wet on the sleeve but you can’t see it at least.” @themireyaxcardenas

[kaede-yamada]

“ We do love you here, but mini you? She’s gonna end up with your paycheck if you’re not careful “ he joked. He wouldn’t have minded if Theo had to bring his daughter in. Kaede had to do that a lot when he was trying to balance a business and raising his daughter. It was why there was plenty of stuff for kids to do at the Reef. “ I’m game. I know Layla always wanted a little sister. I don’t know how likely that is but at least she could always bond with your daughter “ @theotanaka

[theotanaka]

"Exactly my worry. What if she totally takes over? She might come for my job first then wanna buy you out of the bar next, turn it into a unicorn wonderland." The mocktails would be pink, filled with sparkles and fairy floss and the food would be chicken nuggets (shaped like unicorns) only. He could picture it as the words came out of his mouth. "Might be a reality now anyway," he admitted. "Her mom's gone again so it's just us. My sister moved to LA, so I don't have a baby sitter on hand all the time now either." @kaede-yamada

[peterbasara]

"Oh, man, I fuck with that -- that's inspired," Peter agrees with a bob of his head.

"And, you know, Meryl is the perfect kind of actress to pull that off -- she's not just gonna phone in a performance because she's surrounded by puppets."

He takes another hit from his vape and poses another question.

"Would you have Miss Piggy as the bitchy assistant? The British one?"

@theotanaka

[theotanaka]

“You read my mind,” Theo nodded his head. “You know, I bet it would be similar to her working with Steve Martin and Martin Short on Only Murders.”

The dark haired male lets out a laugh. “I couldn’t imagine Miss Piggy as anyone else, do we think Kermit is Anne Hathaway? Or Elmo?” @peterbasara

[thecelestexzhao]

The smile Celeste had on her face effectively fell away when Theo finally told her what'd been going on, changing her expression into a concerned frown as she even took a little step closer. "Shit, Theo, I....I'm so sorry..." She bit her lip, unsure really if she should hug him or offer any comfort at all really, since they weren't exactly friends....but she did spend a lot of her time with him at the bar. "Don't put the blame on yourself..it's on her. And you're not being dramatic, for the record. You were doing the best thing. For your kid, and..maybe even yourself?" Not like she could blame him for wanting to give his ex a second chance. "Are you okay? Is your daughter?"

[theotanaka]

He gave her a defeated smile, truth be told, Theo didn't know how or what to feel about the whole ordeal. He still felt like he was being dramatic only for trusting her in the first place. "Thanks,' he replied with a heavy sigh, leaning back into his chair. "Yeah, you're right I really did think that I was doing the best for both of us. I think, you know, growing up in a broken family full of drama, I just wanted different for Amalie." He shrugged. "She's...devastated. At least the first time, you know, she didn't know any different." @thecelestexzhao

[themireyaxcardenas]

Recognition hit her at the same moment it apparently did him, since Reya watched the way angry lines on his face faded away as their gazes met. She hadn't expected to have drink spilled all over her, and she definitely hadn't expected to have it happen to him. "Theo..I--hi." She echoed, face flushed still and only snapping out of it as she finally properly looked down at herself and nodded. "Okay. Yeah. You...know where to go in here?" She asked lamely, glancing to the doors but not knowing her way around the school. Shouldn't be too hard to find a bathroom or classroom with a sink though.

[theotanaka]

"If nothing's changed, yes." Theo answered with an awkward laugh. It had been a while since he was roaming the halls of Aurora Bay high school, but he figured it wasn't entirely easy to change where sinks specifically were, right? Without even really thinking, he'd reached for her wrist to make sure she would safely make it out into the hallway with him. But when it registered, he quickly let go. "Oh, sorry," he said with a sigh, he shouldn't have been so awkward around her - normally he wouldn't have been but with everything going on he was a little bit of a mess.

When they made it to the much quieter classroom, one of the science labs, Theo shoots her an apologetic look. "Sorry," he said again. "I'm kind of a little bit of a mess right now, as you can probably tell." He blurted out. He didn't want to trauma dump at all, but the last thing Theo wanted was her thinking it was anything to do with running into her unexpectedly. Running the tap and grabbing some paper towels. "Just know it's not a you thing." @themireyaxcardenas