rewind time

[winniegrant]

𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗱 "𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗲" 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁

B A S I C S –

Name: Winifred Helianne Grant. Nicknames: Winnie. Birthday: November 1st, 1985. Pronouns: She/Her. Gender/Sex: Cisgender/female. Sexuality: Bisexual. Occupation: Owner of Hidden Gems Thrift Store. Neighborhood: Fisher's Cove.

P E R S O N A L I T Y —

+ Resourceful, Uninhibited. - Brash, Obsessive. Winnie now is much different than Winnie then - her childhood, teenagedom, and adulthood all hold very different versions of herself. While her younger years were much more volatile, she's found more calm the past few years. She still struggles with getting angry - crazy woman disorder! - and she has very few close friendships, but she's given up her life of parties and people that do more harm than good.

A R R I V A L — ( 1985 / 2015 )

Winnie was born and raised in Aurora Bay, traveling between her father's house in Fisher's Cove and her mother's on Aurora Bay Drive. She left to go to college in San Francisco, lived a few lives, then returned ten years ago due to pressure from her father.

E X T R A B I T S —

- Winnie's years in and out of treatment have left her with a multitude of coping skills that have developed into real skills; most notably, she loves to cook. It's one of the only ways she can really calm herself down and find direct focus. For her, spending a few hours cooking a nice meal and then sitting down to enjoy it feels like a therapy session. She avoided recipes with cooking wines for a very long time, but in the last few years has been able to incorporate them successfully. - When Winnie was young, her and her father would bond through the power of video games - when she moved back in a decade ago, that was still true. His eyesight is much worse now, though, so they've transferred into board games and puzzle nights. - Although no longer actively practicing Judaism, some habits are hard to break, and she still loves to celebrate Hanukkah. Her dad always watches with rapt attention when she lights the candles. - Rolls and smokes her own cigarettes. Sometimes herbal, sometimes with tobacco, but she finds the ritual calming and always has a pack on her. Does she still also occasionally pick up a pack of Camels? Well yes! But rolling her own keeps her from over-indulging.

C O N N E C T I O N S —

seeking: - other ab natives who grew up with her, especially people from high school who would've seen her very slow descent into alcoholism - people she might've fooled around with in highschool during her partying

B A C K G R O U N D —

tw: murder, suicide attempt, alcohol abuse, abusive power dynamic

- mother and father divorced when she was really young so she grew up thinking it was normal to celebrate christmas with her dad and hanukkah with her mom. it wasn’t a nasty divorce but it wasn’t exactly amicable either. she often stayed at her dad’s out of desire when she became old enough to choose because her mom loved having boyfriends and winnie couldnt keep up with the drama. she still loved her, though, because when it was just the two of them, it was perfect - movie nights, shopping, laughing until both their faces were red…everything a mother/daughter relationship should be - when winnie was 16 her mother was killed by one of her disgusting boyfriends. what started as a drunk argument ended as a botched murder/suicide - instead of blowing his own brains out, he shot his ear off, and landed his ass in prison for the rest of his life. - this… obviously had a very dark effect on winnie. her father wasn’t exactly in a place to guide her through it, his own complicated feelings and grief sucking up most of his energy. winnie found herself alone more often than not. her friends didn’t know how to handle the weight of her situation; how could they? winnie couldn’t stand the idea of being othered, of being a strange target, so she put on a big personality and pretended like everything was fine. - alcohol helped with that. first sampled in a flask at a high school football game, alcohol - at first whatever she could get her hands on, and then more specifically vodka - became the lubricant for every situation she found herself in. nervous about an exam? take a quick shot in the bathroom. terrified about being asked to dance at prom? everyone had shoved shooters in their cleavage - it was fine! there was nothing alcohol couldn’t fix. nothing.

- winnie was smart so even with the burdgeoning alcohol problem in her life she got into school just fine, and even made it through the first two years without problem. junior year things got difficult - the coasting she was used to in school suddenly became a lot more difficult. classwork piled up but social events always took precedent - she couldn’t lose her image! - a beautiful rehab darling…<3 went once at 21 (absolutely ROTTING out of college, could not pull it together, took a semester off to go to rehab at her father’s request and then went back and finished her final semester the following autumn), once at 30, and once at 31 after a suicide attempt - slept with her main therapist during her second stint at rehab. teehee whoopsie!!! ahh!! are you seeing why she tried to kill herself? - yeah that “relationship” worked out about as best as you think it would. he was always so proud of her and she was always so desperate for his attention… she was released one week before her program officially ended on “good behavior” (against the recommendation of her doctor who COULD SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING) and then they started fucking like crazy and then a month later he dropped her and refused to contact her, saying their entire relationship had been unprofessional and he has a wife he’s dedicated to - well… she went to his wife lol. and of course his wife had already forgave him & was on the side of his “winnie is my crazy patient and i had a weak spot that she took advantage of” argument. gag. never pit women against women, ok!!!

- luckily winnie’s doctor was looking out for her and when winnie wasn’t answering phone calls she did a house check only to find winnie had overdosed. a few more hours alone and her story would’ve officially ended, but she was lucky (or maybe not, depending on how she twists things) that someone cared about her enough to check in - after her last stint in rehab, winnie moved home to live with her dad in the same house she grew up in. his dad’s longtime girlfriend (they live separately despite being basically married for 15 years)  got her a job at hidden gems and eventually handed over the ownership after winnie’s 3 year sobriety anniversary. she’s been running it successfully and soberly ever since - hasn’t relapsed at all and it’s been almost a full decade since her suicide attempt.  - definitely developed some anger issues, and finds her mood swings to be worse around the time of year that she attempted, though that has lessened with each passing year

PENNED BY MIGZ. ( @aurorabayaesthetic )

[winniegrant]

Five - Does your muse work towards improving their skills in what they do for a living? Do they manage to maintain a happy home life while doing so?

"For a living? No. My job will always only ever be my job. I don't need to get better at running a thrift store, I need to make triple the money with half the effort. I do try to work on my cooking skills because I actually care about those, and I'm happy to say I've improved a lot over the past decade. I suppose I maintain a happy home since my dad is usually pleased with what I make. Except when I experiment with cilantro."

[winniegrant]

nine of hearts

Nine - What is the one wish your muse wants to come true more than anything else in the world?

"I would love for that block of time from, say... 16 to 32 to disappear. Sure, yeah, all of the bullshit about learning from your mistakes and not being the person I am today without what I went through. What if I had the chance to become someone different? I don't want to go back and try again, I want it to evaporate completely. Know any genies?"

[winniegrant]

Jack of clubs

Jack - How far could the ones closest to them go before they decide to stand against them?

"It takes a lot to lose my friendship. These days, at least. When I was younger, yeah anything would set me off. I hated a lot of people in high school, even if I really didn't hate them. Right? Teenage bullshit. Then I went through, well. Everything. It's hard to turn your back on someone when you've dragged your own nose through rock bottom. There are certain non-negotiables... Trying to kill me feels difficult to forgive. Cheating is fine, as long as I'm not the one you're cheating on."

[winniegrant]

txt. -> camryn

Winnie: Any hot firemen you can send my way if I were to start a kitchen fire? @camryn-hendricks

[willxmeyers]

Will's mouth hung agape at how accurately she read him to filth, it only snapped shut after she revealed a sick and twisted grin. His mouth soon followed suit. "Well, when you say it like that, it sounds kind of juvenile."

He cast his gaze around the bowling alley, making direct eye contact with Bernard from Bowl-ageddon two lanes down right as Winnie commented on men taking it too seriously. "Yeah," Will agreed, his mind explicitly on Bernard and his league etiquette, or lack thereof. "It's meant to be a social league and yet some people demonstrate some textbook antisocial behaviours. Especially if they're losing."

Turning his attention back to Winnie who looked as though she was about to drop the ball on her foot instead of down the lane. "My pleasure," he smiled warmly. "You picked the worst guy on the team to show you how it's done so embarrassment isn't fully off the table yet. We're only getting started."

( @winniegrant )

[winniegrant]

"Sure. That's because it is. But juvenile doesn't mean bad - isn't that part of why you play? To connect to that... inner youth?"

Winnie considers his thoughts on the sore-losers of the league with a grin. Men? Getting angry when they're on the outs? No... Couldn't be. She keeps her mouth shut about it, though, because Will's doing her a solid by being here and throwing rocks at his clubhouse won't benefit anybody.

"Not you though, right? I'm sure you're the perfect picture of British composure."

Winnie waddles forward with the ball - she should really find a lighter one, she thinks - before rearing back to toss it down the glistening lane. It wobbles slowly towards the pins and even manages to knock two of them down before making its descent into the abyss.

"I tell you what, Will. I've done some pretty weird and fucked up shit in the darkest times of my life. You throwing gutter balls doesn't even rank as embarrassing to me."

[winniegrant]

closed starter for milo wray ( @milo-wray ) -> the pantry

For many, being sober means finding yourself. Winnie is no different. Alcohol turned her into some sort of mangled creature - a version of herself completely unrecognizable to those who might've known her at her youngest and purest. Unfortunately, alcohol did all of that changing at a very, very young age; her brain never had the chance to form without influences, which meant that when she did finally let go of the bottle, she had to do a whole new kind of soul-searching. She had to completely reinvent herself - starting over without any of the freedom or levity of youth.

Doing that in a small town where every corner turned meant more opportunities to run into the ghosts of her past? Torturous, to say the least.

It isn't embarrassing to be sober. This is something Winnie tells herself every day, still, even after a decade of recovery. Unfortunately she'll have to keep telling herself this, likely forever, because as of now she still doesn't believe it. It is something she tells herself right now, here in the boxed soup and canned bean aisle, because standing in front of the various broths (and looking incredibly confused) is a ghost she's been avoiding for... well. A very, very long time.

"Milo," Winnie says - unthinking. An impulse she couldn't swallow even if she tried. She's seen him around, of course, though always at a distance where she could dip into the throng of people and disappear. Now, though, it's just them, and the broths, and the muzak that plays through the tinny speakers at 8:30pm on a Tuesday.

"Wow. Shit, sorry. It's been a long time. It's been... Yeah, wow, a long time."

[theloganxwilde]

Logan had been working at the bistro for almost a month now, and she finally felt like she was getting a handle on everything, finally felt like she was doing well and that her decision to move here had been a good one. So that said, when one of the waitstaff came back to the kitchen saying someone wanted to speak to the chef, she immediately felt anxiety rise up in her like a tidal wave, a mix of nerves and imposter syndrome washing over her due to the fact that the waiter failed to mention all the good that'd come with the woman's request to meet her.

Trying not to look as nervous as she felt, Logan came out to the table a couple minutes later, a tentative little smile on her face. "Hi! I...think you asked to speak with me? I'm Logan, I'm the chef here. Newest chef." She tacked on at the end, hoping to ease a potential blow.

[winniegrant]

"Oh my God."

Winnie looks up at the girl - the woman - the chef - with blatant surprise. Pitched eyebrows work to release the shock as her face slowly morphs to something much closer to delight.

"I'm sorry, you are not what I was expecting at all. To be honest I thought they were going to send out some guy with a mustache? who's so old you can't see his eyes anymore and an insanely thick French accent. This is way better."

Winnie offers her hand for shake and introduces herself with a smile. "I'm Winnie. I know it's crazy to ask to see the chef after the meal but I couldn't stop myself - this was so delicious I felt morally obligated to thank you face-to-face. Please, sit down - if you have time I'd love to rack your brain."

[thelucexcaldwell]

"You also hired me 'cause I'm hot and happily flirt with the clientele to get them coming back for more sales." She replied without missing a beat, even playfully using her hand to flip her hair over her shoulder before just huffing out a laugh at herself. "But I won't say no to being treated. Especially by a boss like you whom I love oh so much." Luce told her with a grin- one that just grew by the second, "See? Best boss ever."

She barely even finished saying it before just putting the clothes she was organizing all on the same rack and dusting her hands off, "All ready when you are."

[winniegrant]

"That, yes, also that."

At least someone was flirting with them to push sales. Winnie can't find it in herself these days to "play the game"; customers exhaust her, no matter how short the interaction is, and leaning on the bright personalities in her staff has made it much easier to keep clientele.

Winnie snorts at the quickness with which Luce ditches the work she'd been doing. Carpe diem, right? She punches in the code to lock the register and grabs her coat knowing damn well she's going to be annoyed tomorrow when she has to fill out all the closing paperwork and the opening paperwork, but for an early evening, she'll take it.

"Lead the way, girlie. Did you drive to work? I can take us wherever if you don't mind that my car makes a super weird sound when the air conditioning is on."

Winnie heads to the door, her keys gently jingling as she walks.

[samucl-kane]

Sam only smiles when the expletive slips out, her frustration doesn't nothing to have his amicable demeanor slip. He stands by his suggestion, and he's delighted Winnie takes it.

"Sure thing, Miss Winnie. I promise it'll be a good addition to your meal, even if it isn't what you were looking for." He looks forward to any leftovers she might have, it only means he'll knock a few dollars off the kabocha.

As he weighs it, he keeps a bunch aside to write to price before stacking it together and bagging it up. "I'll make a note to keep a few aside. I'll be at the gardens during the week, my usual morning shifts, but otherwise, I'll be home until I'm back here next weekend."

@winniegrant

[winniegrant]

Winnie smiles, a little bashful at the polite honorific he bestows upon her. She always gets a Mrs despite never having been married and, in her opinion, looking fairly young for her age, so it's nice to hear Miss coming from Samuel.

"I'm starting to believe you might be a real angel. Do you get that a lot? You should."

Digging around in her brag brings success when she pulls out a time-weathered wallet, stuffed with receipts and coins and whatever business cards she's picked up along the last five years. A fold of bills is exchanged for the bag of produce, and Winnie makes sure to take a big step away before Sam realizes she's slipped him an extra ten.

"I'll stop by the garden in a few days so be ready. Whatever comes out of this kabocha will be your fault, good or bad," she teases. Winnie waves as best as she can with full hands. "Bye Sam, and thank you again!"

[winniegrant]

10. What energizes and drains them most?

"I wasted all of my energy as a teenager. I don't have shit left. I'm tired or pissed off all the time, no matter how many stupid vitamins I take. Now, the only thing that keeps me going is being able to go home and make something delicious for Dad. I guess that energizes me - making him happy. Can't fucking stand the idiots who come through my store, though. Zaps my energy faster than idiots at other places because I'm the one who has to deal with them."

[thelucexcaldwell]

Luce snorted, rolling her eyes at the other woman, "Listen, considering we just got over being broken into and the clean up post-blackout, I think my stubbornness alone will keep you from doing that. We didn't spend days cleaning up glass and chaos just to burn it all to the ground. Instead, how about I treat us both to drinks and dinner after shift?" She offered with a grin. "We can even head down to the beach and do a little makeshift bonfire and burn the donations instead of the place itself."

[winniegrant]

Luce is right. It's been a fucking hard few months. On top of her own personal struggles, she can't even use work as escapism anymore. At least she still has the nicest staff in the world to keep her sane.

"Ugh, I knew I hired you for a reason. You have the best ideas. I'm not letting you pay for shit, though; you earned that money fair and square and I'm not letting you waste it on your boss."

Winnie pulls herself up from the counter and checks the time on the register; they've still got an hour left of this never-ending nightmare.

"What do you say we ditch early? I won't tell if you don't."

[sebitorres]

Seb nods. He'd been through addiction too, he understands how ones perception of life can seemingly change once a persons external environment or habits changed. "I understand." He shifts his weight onto his other foot, "Well, no better way than testing your theory than giving it a go, eh?"

[winniegrant]

Winnie considers the man and his cryptic response before deciding not to dig any further. While she has no problem over-sharing, not everyone wanted to, especially when it comes to (as she suspects) their own journeys with substance abuse. She smiles, a small acknowledgement, before she takes note of their place in line.

"Looks like I'm in the next group. Time to find out if this shit works. Good luck out there - oh, and Happy Halloween!"

[winniegrant]

closed starter for luce caldwell ( @thelucexcaldwell ) -> hidden gems

"The only thing stopping me from burning this place down is the fact you'd be out of a job." Winnie leans over the counter, her head in her hands, and groans like a wounded animal. She lifts her head just enough to continue her woeful complaints. "Tell me why three separate people donated bags full of unwashed clothes this morning. Stains, weird smells, pieces of garbage in the pockets... I know we're a thrift store, but come on."

[winniegrant]

closed starter for logan wilde ( @theloganxwilde ) -> la vie en rose

Winnie sits, satiated and impressed, at her solo table full of empty plates. It's been a long time since she's been to La Vie en Rose; too many times she'd come for a nice meal and found herself disappointed in what they served her. It's not like she's always had an impressive palate, but years of cooking and treating herself to only the best has led her to a life of pretentiousness she can't shake. She'd heard rumors of a new (and talented) chef being hired, so she'd set aside the past and decided to give the French restaurant another go.

"Excuse me, hi," she says when the waiter approaches, check in hand and cutomer-forward smile on their face faltering. "Nothing bad, I promise. I was wondering if I could speak to the chef? This is... I mean, it's definitely one of the best meals I've had in years and I'd like to speak with them. Please."

Winnie bats her eyes as enticingly as she possibly can, silently thankful when the waiter agrees to fetch the chef with little pushback.

[samucl-kane]

Sam laughs softly, but not at Winnie’s frustration. It’s sympathetic, because he gets that sometimes things just don’t go as planned. He rests the bunch of leeks on the scale, glancing up at Winnie with warm eyes.

“Could be,” he agrees. “Or it could be throwing you a curveball telling you to improvise. There’s plenty of times something’s ripened too fast, or bolted early, and my plans have to change. Just something that comes along with growing your own food.”

He slides the leeks carefully into a paper bag, the sage thrown in without him considering the price tag on it in a silent apology. Sam then suggests, “How do you feel about kabocha instead? We picked plenty of those this week. He leans a little on the counter. “But I can make a note to set aside some delicata for you.”

@revvert

[winniegrant]

"Either way, I'm being tested. I fucking hate tests."

Sam's optimism about the whole situation would normally annoy Winnie, but today it's giving her the strength to persevere through the unexpected change.

"Yeah. Screw it. Give me the kabocha. We'll see what I can do - and if you're around this week, let me know, and I'll drop off some leftovers for you," Winnie says, already pulling out her wallet to leave him more than the product is worth. It's always a back and forth between them - he drops the price a little one week, and the next she overcompensates by giving him the equivalent of a ten dollar tip. "I will be asking for delicata next time, though, yes. I slice it up and broil it and eat it like french fries - try it, and if you're a sweethound, dip it in some maple syrup."

[thevaleriaxortiz]

Valeria couldn't stop the snort she'd let out, shaking her head in amusement, "I don't think sexy and three little pigs have ever been used in the same sentence together." It definitely gave her an...interesting mental image though. "I'll keep it in mind though." She tacked on, amusement still lacing the words.

"Oh! That'd actually be really cute! I always prefer a costume that people can readily identify. I feel like it takes the fun out of it if you're something that's so vague that you need spend half the night just explaining what you are to people? But I'm sure some people thrive off that and get to feel an air of niche pop culture superiority."

[winniegrant]

"Hit me up if you need a sexy brick-house pig. I really think I could do something with that concept."

Winnie tilts her head. She talks to strangers all the time, but something about the sincerity of this woman's words soothe the insecurity she'd been feeling about her costume. "You know what? So true! I think some people see it as a contest to win, even when no one gives a shit that they're dressed as Lance Armstrong's missing testicle. Fuck it. I'll be Jenna. And if people ask what I'm dressed as, I'll know to avoid them; they're clearly watching all the wrong movies."