a tangible target

[rrsalie]

CUSTOM MADE FOR ⦂ @vivhaws LOCATION ⦂ SOMEWHERE IN THE SUBURBS.

Not every night was soaked in the bittersweet brine of her seventeen year old memories. The fact any of them happened to be would be completely attributed to her being back in her hometown, against every guardrail and fail safe and plan she'd ever set for herself. The suburbs sat comfortably in between her home and the heartbeat of downtown, the coast where she worked — to find Rosalie there wouldn't be entirely uncommon. And yet, while she's just finishing up talking with the friend of a patron down at Pint House, eyeing up their kitchen to see if their dream renos are doable or just dreams, Rosalie found herself feeling totally dumbstruck and out of place the second she walked past The Book Nook. With a perfect coinciding of its owner stepping out of the door, directly in her path. "Oh — shit," Rosalie swore, immediately in the way and almost bumping right into Vivienne. "Sorry." Their eyes locked, and she may as well have been thrown by her navel back to high school. "Hey," she said, a bit softer, enough to make the corners of her lips curl upward. "Good to see you."

[vivhaws]

Viv had spent her work day driving around some neighboring towns and purchasing out of their bookshops, which explained the small box of a few books in her hands as she stepped outside. It was a perk of having a small but trusted smattering of employees; she could leave her baby in their hands and go browse bookshops and estate sales and flea markets. Still, after work relaxation was something she was working on, so she was slightly antsy to go home and attempt to do just that.

It all happened so fast, but Vivienne somehow managed to hold onto the box while they crashed into each other. She didn't even clock who it was until she heard that voice, and her eyes snapped up a little too quick for her own liking. "All good," She responded, her voice it's typical deep timber, but still soft underneath the tiny bit of awkwardness that settled in her chest. She paused for a moment and quickly and gently looked Rosalie over--it was hard not to. Every time she happened to run into her (usually not this literally) that strange feeling of weird nostalgia roiled into her gut, and then she just felt really old. "I actually ran into someone earlier today, so...this was like, karma." A silly little smirk, small but there. She paused then, nodded slightly in response to Rosalie's words. "Yeah, you too. Been a while."

[avanguyen]

WHO: Open to everyone @windsorbaystarters

WHERE: The Book Nook

WHEN: January 2025

At least once a month, Ava would make a routine stop into The Book Nook to donate a handful of recently read books. She had more books than she knew what to do with between the ones she bought and all of her checkouts from the library. At least by donating them to The Book Nook, she knew someone would make good use out of them. Once she handed in her donations, she made her way deeper into the store to check out the selection. She figured since she just donated a good chunk, that freed up room on her shelves to bring home some more so the cycle could continue. As she perused, she noticed another customer skimming through the synopsis of a book she had just read not too long ago. "That one is really good, by the way," she couldn't help but to chime in. "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt but I had a hard time putting that one down. It just sucks you right in."

[vivhaws]

It was a decently slow day much to Viv's dismay, but she'd seen Ava in her shop often and recognized her immediately when she came to the counter to drop off her books. Not a lot of people visited a used book store that regularly, so Viv was thrilled every time she kept coming. Repeat customers at small businesses like The Book Nook were Viv's bread and butter. Once Ava moved into the store more, Vivienne glanced down at the books and started going through them to check their condition like she always did, lazily perched on the stool behind the counter. A few minutes later, she approached the younger woman and held out a worn bookmark. "Just me, but that's a good one. I read it last year and cried like a baby at the end. Think this is yours, though if you want it back?" She chuckled softly, her other hand falling to rest in the pocket of her jeans. "I've just been finding a lot of receipts and random papers in books, but losing a trusted bookmark is like, my personal version of hell."

[oatymilks]

lissa roa

[vivhaws]

FULL NAME: Vivienne Noelle Hawthorne

NICKNAME: Viv

GENDER: Cis woman

PRONOUNS: She/her

SEXUALITY: bisexual, biromantic

AGE + BIRTHDAY: 40 + October 28, 1984

LENGTH OF TIME IN WINDSOR BAY: Born and raised, left after high school, returned a few years ago.

HOUSING: Owns a home in the suburbs.

OCCUPATION: Owner of The Book Nook

The Hawthorne’s kept to themselves, which is probably why Vivienne never pictured Windsor Bay as anything but her hometown. It wasn’t exciting, or interesting, or anything special. It was boring to Vivienne. Keeping to themselves made them be a pretty close-knit- family; minus Theodore. Theodore Hawthorne, Vivienne’s father, was an elusive man. He was always in and out of their lives, taking what he needed as he went. Vivienne, who always wanted more for the family unit, helped her mother in whatever ways she could as the (if not one of the) oldest. She enjoyed it immensely, taking the big sister role to heart, but that didn’t mean Viv had any desire to stay. Windsor Bay was full of familiar, nostalgic memories, but it never felt like home.

Viv moved across the country to Massachusetts for college, and simply never really left. She graduated, met her (now ex) wife, and fully intended on never leaving Boston. There was always something to do in Boston, someone to see and talk to in Boston. It was so unlike Windsor Bay, and while she stayed in contact with her mother and siblings back home, there was never a reason to make her visits too long or frequent or focus too much on its shores.

After getting married and settling down with a cushy writing job at a local community organization, things went pretty well for Viv. She was living the type of life she always imagined she would, and having a life of her own away from the sprawling walls of the Hawthorne home was better than expected. Until the divorce.

It hit them like a slap in the face; they suddenly wanted different things. Namely, Vivienne realized she wasn’t going to settle with never being someone’s mother. And while it was the hardest moment of their lives, they amicably and sorrowfully divorced. A strangely quick process later to keep things as amicable as possible, and Vivienne was suddenly alone.

Boston didn’t feel like Boston anymore, and suddenly feeling like she was out of options even when she wasn’t, she ran back to the place she used to know. Once back in Oregon, she adopted her daughter and became a mother for the first time at 35. She adopted 16-year-old Mia from upstate Oregon, and since they both needed a fresh start, Windsor Bay was where they settled.

Mia’s been out of the house and away at college for a few years now, and suddenly not sure what to do with herself, Vivienne traded in her empty-nesting syndrome and office job for a used book store, anxious to put her time and energy into something new. The Book Nook becomes her baby while her 20-year-old baby is in the city that never sleeps, and she absolutely puts out a few extra books about witchcraft and magic just to keep people who still care about Hawthorne’s name and backstory on their toes.

Has maybe been on two (2) actual dates since she returned to Windsor Bay, not wanting to go down another path that ends up in total heartbreak. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t seek out companionship in other ways, though.

Has 2 cats, a bonded pair of black cats named Bonnie and Clyde that she couldn’t pass up on.

Hates being alone with her thoughts!!! Is busy 89 percent of the time.