Briar had been up since before sunrise, and there was still a faint dusting of flour across the sleeve of her cardigan where sheâd forgotten to brush it off. The morning rush had passed, leaving that soft late-morning lull where the bakery settled into something gentler. Sunlight pooled across the little tables near the windows. The display case still looked full enough to be tempting, but not so full that she wasnât quietly proud of how much had already sold.
She stepped out from behind the counter with a tray balanced carefully between her hands, pausing to adjust the chalkboard sign near the register where sheâd rewritten the specials twice already because the spacing hadnât looked quite right the first time. âOkay,â she murmured to herself, nudging the board half an inch to the left. âThatâs better.â
The scent of honey-glazed brioche and cinnamon still hung warm in the air, mixed with fresh coffee from the pot sheâd just brewed. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear and turned back toward the door just as the bell chimed. âHi,â she said, smiling as she set the tray down on the counter. âYou picked a very good time to come in. I just pulled these out a few minutes ago.â She leaned on the top of the glass case. âAre you stopping in for something specific today⌠or should I help you find trouble in the pastry case?â
The sun was coming up and August's body was naturally waking him up at the same time. He felt like he needed to get up and do something and so he went out for a run to get his day started. He sometimes needed to clear his head and running was the best way to do it. After deciding that he needed to slow down, he finished up his run and then he headed back home to shower.
In a pair of khaki's, August pulled on a polo shirt before walking towards the mirror to look at himself. He then got his bag ready so that he could head out for the day and then realized that he wanted to go and get himself some breakfast. As he headed towards Honeycomb Bakery, August got out of his car and then walked into the bakery so that he could get himself something to eat.
"They look phenomenal. I'm glad that you decided to just pull them out so that I could enjoy all of those smells and then looking at them I'm super happy." He mentioned to the woman as he looked at her and then laughed. "I didn't stop in for anything specific but now it seems like I did come here for something." August said as he looked at her and then smiled a bit.
"Honestly he's already gone for the night so you don't really have to worry about him..." Trenton let out a quiet laugh. He shifted his weight a little bit and rested one hand loosely on Pips' back as the dog puffed up at the attention.
At her comment about dogs, he smiled and nodded. "Yeah... people like things simple. Good dog, bad dog... something always has to be the enemy. I would have a pitbull in a second... if I didn't think managing a bigger dog would be too frustrating." He thought for a moment before asking, "Do you plan on auditioning for any of the future shows?"
"Oh good. I definitely don't want to scare him so him being gone for the night is quite alright." Lani mentioned to the man as she looked at him and smiled softly.
"Yeah and that's what makes you different. You know having a bigger dog is different. But you're not thinking about how they are worse than every other dog out there like so many other think." Leilani had explained as she looked down for a second. "I'm thinking about it actually, What about yourself?"
Trenton smiled softly and gave a small nod. "I will keep you safe from the mean ol' Malcolm Hargrove." Not that he believed Malcolm to be mean even at all. In fact, he was very attached to Malcolm but he knew he could be very skeptical about strangers lurking around after hours. She was fine though as long as Trenton was here. It had actually been in her best interest that Trent had stuck around.
"Oh?" When she said she liked his name, he smiled, "Thank you... And we have to be very specific about him being a Pomeranian. We get very offended when people call him a Chihuahua. It hurts us. I don't think a Chihuahua would be a good service dog." He looked down at Pips and offered a shrug. "I guess some people might not think a pom is a good service dog either. So who am I to judge?" He smiled when she explained that she was also a fellow theatre kid. "Good, I think everyone should be a theatre kid."
"Oh that's so kind of you to offer. I'm so lucky that you'll keep me safe." Lani said to Trenton as she replied back with a playful grin on her face. "I don't mind a little skeptic from Malcolm but we shall see how he actually reacts to me." She replied.
"I don't think a chihuahua dog would be a very good service dog either but sometimes I think society allows too many common misconceptions of dog breeds to run through our heads. Like they always say that pitbulls are mean but i've seen some mean ass dogs that are not pitbulls and sometimes they are the biggest babies in the world. To each their own and especially if they work for you, that's all that matters." She explained. "Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that way."
Saffron let out a soft laugh as Leilani moved the little seat over, watching her climb up like its mission impossible. âWell damn.â she grins âLook at you! problem solver and stunt performer all in one.âShe takes the item from her with a warm smile. âThank you, darlinâ. You just saved me from embarrassinâ myself in a very public, if I tried that, it wouldnât have been half as dignified.â She laughs. âFine arts.â she says, a small proud tilt to her chin. âSo, yâknow⌠paint, music, glitter, whatever keeps âem from eatinâ glue and fightinâ each other.â She shrugs.
âFirst year, I start in a few days. Iâm a bit nervous, if Iâm honest.â she adds, smoothing a hand over the front of her dress. âTryinâ to be all respectable anâ whatnot.â Then her eyes land on Leilani. âWhat about you? You always out here savinâ strangers in thrift stores or am I just todayâs lucky winner?â
"I try. I feel like I have struggled with my height for as long as I can remember so I have been able to come up with creative ways to reach up on shelves that I can't necessarily reach myself." Leilani replied to the woman as she looked at her and then smiled wide. "That's awesome. Fine arts. Not enough people want to go into the arts and I may be biased but it's absolutely underrated." Lani explained. "Gotta do what it takes to keep them from eating the glue because if you don't watch them then you're in big trouble."
"Oh, a first year? That's still awesome. I know it can be nerve-racking, but you just have to keep your confidence level up! I'm sure you'll be okay." Lani was trying to make the other feel better and more confident in what she was about to do. "I don't always come out here saving strangers in thrift stores, but when I see that I can help then I certainly will try. Usually during the day I am teaching dance classes over at Turning Pointe Dance."
As someone stepped out of the shadows and apologized, a small smirk tugged at Trenton's lips. "Oh, hey, Pips, look! The ghost is solid!" he teased a bit, reaching out for the dog as it climbed up on his knee. He shook his head. "No, no, don't apologize. It's beautiful in the dark. It's hard to pass up the opportunity to just sit and savor the peace..." He smiled softly, shrugging his shoulders. "Technically I am also not supposed to be here. Although, I do think Mr. Hargrove would make more exceptions for me than you... but I won't let him get too angry, I promise."
He sat up straighter and gave a wave. "Hi, I'm Trenton Macintosh and this strapping fellow on my knee is Pips. He is a Pomeranian, not a Chihuahua... Are you a fellow theatre kid or someone who just enjoyed an evening production?"
The woman couldn't help but send out a small laughter when the other man had stepped out and acknowledged her as a solid ghost. She looked at him and then shrugged her shoulders a bit. "Yeah.... I don't think many exceptions would get made for me so I mean you could totally just cover for me if it becomes a problem." She said.
"Nice to meet you Trenton. I like that name. I am a fellow theater kid. I used to dance a lot more but I was in theater when I was in school. But I also came here to enjoy an evening production so I guess you could say a little bit of both." She explained while looking at him. "Pips is a very cute looking Pomeranian. I love that you felt the need to emphasize that he is know a Chihuahua."
Marco thought about it for a minute, testing the idea in his head. "I know cilantro can be polarizing but I do love it." He agreed. He looked through the ingredients he had brought with him on the cart, finding the small container tucked in the back, popping the lid. He sprinkled a little over one of the remaining shrimp, gave it an extra squeeze of lemon over the top before handing it to the man. "Try that. Tell me if it's better."
Marco leaned his hip against the cart while August tasted again, enjoying that it felt more like a collaboration instead of a performance review. âAnd thank you,â he added with a smile. âThatâs exactly the kind of note I was hoping someone would give me today.â At the compliment about knowing what he was doing, Marcoâs smile grew. âIâm trying,â he said. âOpening a place in a town where everybody already has their favorite spots is a little like showing up late to a dinner party with your own casserole and hoping nobody asks who invited you.â He admitted with a laugh. "The closer we get to opening, the more nervous I get. I thought signing day with the real estate broker would be the worst day. I was naive."
August was happy to be hearing everything that Marco was saying They were having a good time where they weren't thinking about many other things than the other people could be talking about. August was not sure if he was going to have to put himself first of putting himself second. The world seemed to be too much for him. He heard the other and then decoded to try the flavor and he was happy.
"Well it does taste really good. I love it honestly." He mentioned to Marco as he looked at him while a smile showed up on his lips. "You seem to know what you realy want and what you want to do so I can't complain when it comes to what is working for you." He said as he looked at the man and then shook his head slowly. "I think you will be okay." August replied.
Marco watched him the way he watched anyone tasting something for the first time, with the quiet intensity of a man pretending not to hover while absolutely hovering. His hands settled on the edge of the cart like an anchor. First impressions mattered. Especially when your kitchen currently had wheels and a stubborn disagreement with sand. A small smile formed on his lips as the man sniffed it first. âOh good. Youâre doing the nose test. Thatâs promising. Most people just stab and commit.â He laughed softly, reaching for the tongs and flipping it on the grill. He could tell there was still something missing, he just couldnât figure out what it was.
âSo,â he said, watching Augustâs expression instead of the food now, âtell me if it tastes like something youâd want to come back for⌠or something you wish youâd never seen.â He motioned toward the other options. âThereâs blackened snapper sliders too. And the crab empanada Iâm currently arguing with on a philosophical level. It refuses to decide what it wants to be when it grows up.â
He put a finger on his chin as he thought about the thing that was missing. He knew the other was talking about what was going on with the dish and August wanted to make sure he was giving the best bet. As the shrimp was in his mouth, August was thinking about what could be missing that the other would be looking for. "Thank you. I like to smell something before I eat it and I have learned that from a young age." He explained.
"Honestly... If there's something missing when it comes to shrimp and a bit of the citrus.. I think I am missing the taste of cilantro. I know that there is something missing but that might actually be it." He admitted honestly as he looked at the other. "I would like to try any other food that you're willing to make, you seem to know what you're doing!"
Saffron stands halfway down the aisle, one hand on her hip, the other stretched just shy of reaching a box on the top shelf. Her cardigan sleeve slips down her wrist as she stretches again, huffing under her breath.
âOf course theyâd put the one thing I need all the way up in the damn cloudsâŚâ she mutters, glancing around before spotting someone nearby.
âHey.â she calls, easy and casual, a small smile tugging at her lips. âYeah, you. Mind givinâ me a hand? Either that or Iâm about two seconds from climbinâ these shelves and I donât think the nice PTA moms are ready for that kinda behavior.â she says with a soft laugh, smoothing a hand over the front of her modest dress still not entirely used to it herself. âTryinâ to start this whole ârespectable school teacherâ thing off on the right foot.â
Leilani loved to go to the clothing shop and thrift her way through things. She knew that there were so many different things that the shop had to offer, so she made sure to check in every once in a while to see if she could find something on sale. She was walking through the aisles but then saw that someone was having an issue with reaching on the top shelf.
Leilani giggled softly as she walked over to her and then looked around. Since she wasn't really much taller, she was going to have to become creative in how she helped her out. "I don't mind helping you out at all but I know that we are going to have to come up with something. "Alright, so." She said as she then looked to the side and saw one of the seats people sat on to try on shoes so she pulled it over and she hopped up on it and then she was able to get the item that the woman was looking for.
As she hopped off of the seat, Leilani smile and held out the item to the other. "Here ya go. It looks like you were able to get it. What kind of school teacher are you?"
The Harbourlight Theatre was quiet tonight. It was technically after hours, but Trenton couldnât bring himself to leave yet. There was just such a peace that stretched out tonight. The seats stretched out, row after row of red velvet fading into the shadows. Trenton sat on the very edge of the stage, legs hanging over the front.
âThereâs only usâŚ
Thereâs only this.
Forget, regret;
or life is yours to miss.
No other road.
No other way.
No day, but todayâŚ.â
Trenton sang softly. Nearby, sprawled across the dog bed, Pips lifted his head and began to thump his tail against the floor. He gave a small laugh, exhaling gently as he glanced toward the sound of the thumb. âThanks, PipsâŚâ There was just something about an empty, nearly dark theatre that seemed like a good place to have a private singing session.
Then he heard a creak, maybe the door, but it was hard to tell in the dark. âItâs just the ghosts, PipsâŚâ he said in a soft voice, trying to stop the dog from letting out a bark before he began. âUnless, there is actually someone hereâŚâ He called out a bit louder, letting his voice echo against the high ceilings.
Leilani had gone down to Harbourlight Theatre for a show tonight and something told her to stay. Something to her that she needed to spend a little bit more time here to really think about what she had just witnessed on the stage. She decided that she was going to hide out while the security teams cleaned up and had gone home for the night. When the coast seemed to be clear, she made her way back to the main area where she could just admire the stage.
As Leilani walked in, she realized that she wasn't alone. She gulped softly when she was listening to the voice that was speaking and she came out of the shadows so that the other could see her. "I'm sorry that I'm bothering you and kind of stayed here when I shouldn't have. I was hoping to just take in the ambiance."
The cart had wheels that absolutely did not belong in sand. Marco knew that now. Truthfully he had known that ten minutes ago but he was stubborn and was doing his best to keep pretending. Still, the view helped. The Beach stretched wide and bright in the afternoon sun as Marco adjusted the sign. THE TIDE TABLE. SAMPLE DAY. Tell me what you like. Tell me what you donât.
He lifted the lid from a shallow pan and checked the shrimp again, turning one carefully with a pair of tongs. Citrus. Char. A little smoked paprika. It wasnât perfect yet but hopefully today would help him figure out what was missing. A couple of small compostable cups sat lined up beside the pan, each with a toothpick stuck into a bite-sized portion like tiny flags waiting to be claimed. Next to them, a second tray of blackened snapper sliders, and a third an empanada he wasnât entirely convinced about yet but refused to give up on.
âAlright,â he called toward the nearest passerby, lifting a sample cup like a peace offering. âI need honest opinions. Brutally honest if possible. Free food included.â He smiled, hoping it would help draw them in. âI would really appreciate it.â
While August wasn't completely used to having sun like this all year around, he was certainly glad that he decided to move to Cypress where he could truly live his best life. He had a bag slung over his shoulder as he walked through the sand of the beach. He loved the feeling of the sand falling between the spaces of his toes.
August was still new to town so he didn't know much of what was going on in town and he figured he would learn some more things by visiting the beach. As he looked towards his right, he saw someone struggling to get a cart through the sand and over to where he was expecting to go. After the other seemed to get set up, August thought about going over. He set up his umbrella and chair so that he would be able to relax eventually but the smell of the food was amazing.
He made his way over to the cart and he looked at the man who was offering some food samples out. "I certainly can do that." He said as he chuckled a bit. He wasn't going to mention that he was a chef but he was going to give his true and honest opinion which seemed to be what was wanted. He took the cup from the man and he held it up to his nose to take a small sniff of it and then he decided to just pop it into his mouth.
CIS MAN, HE/HIM. Hey, is that NICHOLAS GALITZINE? No that is just AUGUST COLEMAN around Cypress Cove. I heard they are 28 years old, and their birthday is JUNE 4, 1997. They rest their head in the WESTSIDE but they can mainly be found working as SOUS CHEF. Some say they are CREATIVE, QUICK THINKING, & UNDERSTANDING but can be SECRETIVE, RESERVED, & SELF-CRITICAL. If they had a theme song, it would be CIGARETTES & SABOTAGE BY ALL TIME LOW. I hear they are  NEWCOMER either way Cypress Cove is home and welcomes you!
Basic Information:
Full Name: August Biff Coleman
Nicknames: Gus, Auggie
Gender: CIS Man
Pronouns: He/Him
Zodiac: Gemini
Date of Birth: June 4, 1997
Age: Twenty-Eight
Occupation: Sous Chef
Sexual Orientation: Homosexual
Relationship Status: Single
Celebrity Look-A-Like: Nicholas Galitzine
In town for: Since January 2026
Current Housing: The Westside
Family Information:
Mothers: Michael & Celeste Vanderbilt
Siblings: 4 Siblings
Children: None
Pets: Black Cat named Christina & Orange Cat Named Gordon
Favorites:
Alcoholic Beverage: Tequila Seltzer W/ A Splash Of Cranberry
Animated Adult TV Show: Bob's Burgers
Book: Ultimate Homecooking By Gordon Ramsay
Chicken Wing Sauce: Thai Sweet Chili
Color: Navy
Ice Cream Flavor: S'morez
Movie: Just Go With It
Non Alcoholic Beverage: Water with Lemon & Lime
Pie: Key Lime
TV Show: Masterchef
Biography: tw: illness, tw: parental death
August was born into a family where title and money was something that you were judged on. Because August was born to Michael & Linda Vanderbilt, he was expected to follow his father's foot steps in the medical field. Michael was a world renowned surgeon and he thought because of his knowledge, all of his kids would do that as well.
However August was closer with this mother who was a stay at home mom and she took care of everything. She knew that he was going to make something bigger of himself so that's why she ensured that she was teaching August every single thing she did. He then ended up showing what he could do in home and economic's class where he really made his mom proud.
He graduated college and then Celeste told him to go out in the world and experience things. So that's what he did. He went and traveled the world and even learned a few things from people that he had met along the way. However, a few years ago August decided that it was time to go back home and be with his family, especially his mother. He had some money left to him when his father had passed and he decided to find himself a place to live while he works because he is looking for someone to open a restaurant with him, someone to be the business side of things.
CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER Hey, is that ZENDAYA? No that is just LEILANI ORTIZ around Cypress Cove. I heard they are 29 years old, and their birthday is DECEMBER 24, 1996. They rest their head in the COAST but they can mainly be found working as INSTRUCTOR AT TURNING POINTE DANCE. Some say they are CHARISTMATIC, TALENTED, & ENERGETIC but can be INSECURE, REGRETFUL, & BITTER . If they had a theme song, it would be WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS BY ARIANA GRANDE. I hear they are NATIVE either way Cypress Cove is home and welcomes you!
Basic Information:
Full Name: Leilani Jules Ortiz
Nicknames: Lani, LJ
Gender: CIS Woman
Pronouns: She/Her
Zodiac: Capricorn
Date of Birth: December 24, 1996
Age: Twenty-Nine
Occupation: Instructor @ Turning Pointe Dance
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual
Relationship Status: Single
Celebrity Look-A-Like: Zendaya
In town for: Her Whole Life
Current Housing: The Coast
Family Information:
Mothers: Julia & Penelope Ortiz
Siblings: Younger Adopted Brother
Children: None
Pets: Golden Retriever named Maple
Favorites:
Alcoholic Beverage: Red Wine
Animated Adult TV Show: Rick & Morty
Book: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Chicken Wing Sauce: Buffalo Garlic Parm
Color: Maroon
Ice Cream Flavor: Strawberry Cheesecake
Movie: Girls Trip
Non Alcoholic Beverage: Sweet Tea
Pie: Lemon Meringue
TV Show: Love At First Sight
Biography:
Leilani is your typical local of Cypress. She has been raised here and honestly she wouldn't have it any other way. She didn't know her birth parents growing up because they had given her up shortly after she was born but maybe that was the best for her? Maybe that was what they needed and she of course thought about them through her childhood, but never reached out or tried to find them. She was adopted by two women who were lovely to her and her brother. of course they weren't blood related, but it didn't matter. They were raised together and she thought of him as her blood brother.Â
If you were ever looking for Leilani because you couldn't find her she would certainly be somewhere curled up with a book, whether it be in her childhood tree house, in a fort in her room, or in the janitor's closet at school where she was avoiding reading something that was below her ability. Leilani loved reading and she didn't really have a least favorite genre, but favored mystery and thriller more often than others.
As she was growing up, she was constantly dancing and she had even gone to Juliard in New York where she got her degree. She thought about going to Broadway and really living out her dream but then she had seen a child who wasn't able to learn what they wanted and needed some extra help so she decided tht what she could do was teach others how to dance. Leilani decided to come back home to Cypress and she now teaches kids to dance.
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