WINSTON CLARKE. 35. CIS MALE. HE/HIM. is here! They’ve lived in Cascade for 35 YEARS and currently reside in OLD CASCADE (CHINATOWN). WYN is a CANDY MAKER AT SALTY’S and frequently hears that they look a lot like LAKEITH STANFIELD. Funny, huh? If ever caught by Letterboxd, they’d say FAST FIVE (2011) is in their Top 4 and the theme song to their life’s soundtrack would be BLINDING LIGHTS by THE WEEKND.
(tw: loss of parent)
basics:
full name: Winston Arthur Clarke
nicknames: wyn
pronouns: he/him
sexuality: heterosexual
age: 35
date of birth: december 27th
zodiac sign: capricorn
occupation: candy maker at salty's
personality type: TBD
face claim: lakeith stanfield
backstory:
Born and raised in Cascade, Winston Clarke is just as much a part of the town as it is a part of him. He's lived every day of his life walking the streets, shopping the local markets, and getting to know the kooky people who call this place home. Staying in Cascade hadn't always been the plan for Wyn. As a teenager, he dreamed of moving to a bigger city for college and ultimately finding work as a mechanical engineer. He'd always loved taking things apart to see how they worked. Clocks, radios, computers... anything with moving parts, he was fascinated by. Winston graduated high school with good enough grades to get into the college of his choice, and at eighteen years old he finally set foot outside of Cascade for longer than a vacation.
Halfway through his freshman year, his father suffered a disabling stroke. Winston had always been close to his family, and he knew he couldn't let his mom and younger siblings go through this alone. So, he quietly left school to help support his family. He took as many odd jobs as he could manage without burning himself out. One of them being a dish washer and candy wrapper at Salty's, the local and beloved candy shop. Unfortunately, while alive, his dad was never the same, and the lives of the Clarke family revolved around making the head of their family as comfortable as possible.
At Salty's, what started as a job he'd only taken for the money, turned into a genuine passion. Winston discovered candy-making was engineering in disguise. The temperatures had to be exact, timing mattered down to the second, and every batch was a puzzle waiting to be solved. Over the years he became Salty's master confectioner, known for creating flavors inspired by Cascade itself. He came up with honey lavender taffy, cedar-smoked caramel, blackberry cream fudge, and a slew of other flavors that quickly became local favorites.
Because his entire life revolved around working and taking care of his family, Winston became a more reserved version of the outgoing kid he'd always been. He was constantly tired and didn't have the energy for going out and making friends. He tried to form meaningful relationships with people, but his family always came first so things didn't last.
A few weeks before Winston's 28th birthday, his father suffered another stroke that ultimately took his life. While truly devastated, the family knew that their beloved father and husband's suffering had ended. Despite no longer needing to take care of his disabled father, Winston knew he wouldn't leave Cascade. His mother was getting older and had just lost her husband of many decades. He promised that as long as she was still around, he would be too. Plus, Winston really enjoyed the work he was doing at Salty's. His greatest weakness is that he's always putting other people first. Years spent caring for his family taught him responsibility but also left him hesitant to chase his own dreams. And now, he's convinced himself that chasing dreams is meant to be done by people much younger than he is.
For now, Winston is content where he's at. Making candy as local and tourist children press their noses against Salty's windows to watch him stretch shimmering ribbons of sugar, being the rock of his family so his mom and siblings don't have to worry and going out with the few friends he's made and managed to keep. He's still reserved, maybe even more now since losing his father, but he is less overworked so finds time to venture out of his shell sometimes.
