lizeth selene + she/they + genderfluid – have you seen xiomara cuervo around long beach? the twenty two year old can be spotted at the tall wall during their free time. word around the city is that they’re composed and alluring, yet, they can also be enigmatic and escapist, but you didn’t hear that from me. they’re currently a waiter at their family's restaurant, bandeja de josé and have been in the city for twenty two years. when i think of them, i think of remaining (mostly) stone-faced while powering though a slushie brain freeze, skirts torn from hastily hopping a fence, & tattoos dedicated to long-forgotten lovers. they’re typically seen walking the streets of long beach with yet another new piercing their parents will disprove of. let’s hope the city treats them well!
stats.
name: xiomara lupe cuervo
dob: june 26th (22 years old)
zodiac: cancer
face claim: lizeth selene
gender identity: genderfluid (she/they)
sexuality: bisexual
profession: waiter
family.
josé cuervo (father)
beatriz cuervo (mother)
josé cuervo jr. (brother, age 29)
camilo cuervo (brother, age 25)
gael cuervo (brother, age 25)
quick bio.
by the time xiomara was born, their mother, beatriz, had become desperate for a little princess. she loved her sons, of course, but ever since she'd been a young girl herself, she'd wanted a daughter of her own. ironically enough, however, the youngest cuervo wound up becoming quite possibly the most 'masculine' of the entire bunch. with a stubborn rebellious streak - one they still at least somewhat attempt to keep hidden from strict parents, xiomara has never managed to live up to the perfect little princess ideal that their mother craved. though she'd probably never say it out loud, she often wishes that she could simply be enough for her mother just the way she is. for now, however, she's stuck living a damn near double life, prim and proper around her parents, only letting loose the second she manages to sneak out a back door.
* status : open !
* location : literally anywhere outside tbh <333
looked like a scene out of a shitty heist movie … sunday sprawled out on the the hood of a stolen borrowed vehicle she could barely pronounce let alone afford, unbuttoned white dress shirt and silk vest of a uniform hanging off her body as if she’d just fast and furioused her way out of some car chase. elated by the california sun, she hadn’t realized her thirty minute break had ended well … sixty minutes ago; didn’t help that she’d been honed in on the exchange unfolding in the distance. even had a snack to mow down on to really elevate the experience, goo-filled gusher popping under a ravenous bite. it wasn’t until things appeared to get heated had she summoned the nearest spectator, “ quick —” a beat, “ you think they’re gonna start throwing punches or start swapping spit ? ”
"am i bad person if i kind of hope it's the first? don't get me wrong, i'm a believer in the love over war philosophy, but..." scrunching up their nose, xiomara reached into the package of gummies in sunday's hand, helping themselves to one of the sweets. "i don't really need to see all that. maybe if they were better looking, i guess." sure, it'd be better if they were able to resolve their spat peacefully, but maybe just in a more... private setting. "think we should get involved? pick sides? really make things juicy?"
she could see the moment that her little line worked, not that she had any doubt about it but it was always fun to catch someone off guard. "if you put that on the menu you better give me credit or at least a reward." she walks up closer to the other now that she knows xio is in a better mood. "exactly, they wouldn't fire someone who brings the costumers in." it wasn't like kairi was blind, everyone could clearly see that xio was very attractive and who was she to deny such a thing? "there's a hangout on the rooftop of the abandon building and i know how much you love flying and maybe i don't want to go alone."
"you'll have to take that up with my old man. but i'll warn you - he's not exactly open for feedback when it comes to his menu." or open for feedback on most things, really. her father was even more stubborn than she could be, and that was saying something. "well, that, and the whole... i'm their only daughter thing. i might not be employee of the month, but... i'm family. that's gotta count for something." even if some days -- like today, really, getting fired from her parents' restaurant didn't sound so terrible. "and i was your first choice for companion? ...or did you run out of options?"
"hey, you wanna do me a favor and distract that security guard for like... two minutes? the one that's been eyeing you since we came in? i'll totally give you half the of whatever i manage to swipe." shoplifting wasn't a hobby xio engaged in often - really only when her boredom levels became particularly high, but the prospect of getting the mayor's daughter to help her participate in a five-finger discount was especially intriguing, she had to admit. after all, the girl had to be like, basically untouchable, right? any trouble she got into, surely her dad could just get her - and hopefully, by association, xio as well - out of.
smile spread easily on her features as she earned laugh from the other. joining in with a laugh of her own, a soft, almost dopey sort of giggle " i'm a genius, you can say it. " lori mused happily as she reached for a handful of popcorn. she thought about it for a moment. you had to be pretty dedicated to a cover up to have twins, she thought. though, she supposed it's not like anyone planned for twins. " maybe, " she started, still in thought as she popped one of the kernels in her mouth. " or maybe they thought they could make it work. try to love each other, you know? and only came to the agreement later on. for the kids. " she placed a hand on her chest as she said 'the kids', as if it was especially heart warming. she didn't really know why she pitched that thought, but she looked to the other for their approval anyway. " kinda sweet, right? " or delusional, though that was lori's favoured state of mind. " in a fucked up kinda way. " she tacked on with a smile.
"never doubted it for a second, babe." sure, maybe their current topic of conversation wasn't exactly the deepest, but that didn't make lori any less perceptive. "huh. who woulda thought those two would have the greatest love story ever told? move over romeo and juliet." unconventional, maybe, but those were always the best ones anyway. and platonic love, at least in her experience, was more often than not the better option. stupid, sappy shit could only last so long before it inevitably crashed and burned. "definitely less tragic than chuckie's dad's situation."
lukas is, evidently, not the most outgoing person out there. he's booksmart, sure, but he's seriously lacking some social skills. the only good thing about this interaction was that it was just a one on one conversation, because the australian male couldn't even begin to imagine how he would feel if there was two people or more – his social battery simply wouldn't be able to take it. he raises a thick brow at her words, clearly confused about what she means, but he figures she must be referring to the line he had to make to get the drinks.
"oh, don't worry. there wasn't really a line when i got here. there was only about two people in front of me." he replies innocently, obviously not catching onto the fact that they were referring to a pick up line. "well, i'm not huge on astrology. i mean, it's interesting, but it lacks factual evidence." what a fucking loser. he clears his throat, and hands her the drink.
"...right." holding back a laugh wasn't easy, but they just barely managed, not wanting lukas to feel bad. his innocence was amusing, something that it felt like they hadn't encountered in a long time. "well, uh... thanks. for the drink, i mean. stop by my parent's place sometime when i'm on shift, and i'll slip you a free appetizer." and then- just because they couldn't resist the urge to mess with him once last time, xio's fingers danced over lukas' shoulders, leaning in closer, voice lowering to a whisper. "our little secret, yeah?"
"here i thought i could get the xio special, extra spicy right?" kairi smirked as she brushed her hair way from her face. the summer heat was finally rolling around and she took her chance to wear jean shorts and a t-shirt, skating around until she spotted the other. "i'm sure your parents wouldn't mind you sparing your bestie a few minutes. when do you get off?"
the xio special. despite her previously sour demeanor, kairi's joke managed to pull a smile from xio, allowing her to momentarily forget about her problems. "extra spicy. i like that." certainly felt fitting, at least. "well, technically? i could leave whenever. like, what are they gonna do? fire me?" even if that was a possibility, it didn't exactly sound like a bad one. it'd give xio free time to explore her passions... whatever those were. none of the way she typically spent her free time were exactly monetizable. "i think i'm on the clock until four-thirty. why? whatcha got in mind?"
" feminism sweater mom? " lori asked, head turning so she could look over at xio better. she considered it for a second. part in jest, part genuinely considering it. after a moment she came back with: " isn't she married? " she asked, a small chuckle following the question. " you know, the guy with the ... " she lifted her hands and pretended to pull her hair out from the sides of her head as if to resemble the infrequently seen howard deville. as she thought more on it, he was sort of ... fruity looking himself. but she much preferred the way xio had put it. " though, he seems kinda ... you know, too. maybe they've got an agreement. " she suggested, smirk resting on her lips as she raised a brow.
"that's the one." tossing a handful of popcorn into her mouth - and then nearly choking on it from the laughter that erupted upon seeing lori's howard deville impression, xio took a long few seconds to try and determine the true story behind the couple. "that makes... so much sense." holding the bowl out, she offered some of the snack to lori, simultaneously wiping crumbs from her shirt. "what about the kids, though? just another part of the cover-up?"
"blah, blah, blah." nick replies in a teasing tone, shooting them a smile. he watches with amusement as she unzips her bag, revealing plenty of lighters before she hands him one. "a lot of lighters you got there... ever consider opening up your own lighter shop?" he continues to poke fun, all in good nature. grabbing the lighter, he manages to light his joint after three flicks, handing it back to them. "i can share my joint with you. i mean, it's the least i could do for my wife, right?" their marriage at the playground during recess was a memorable one. that is, before they ran away from each other. it's nice to know they still know each other after all this time, and are still friends. he passes the joint to her, "it's good, try it."
"was more so thinking about getting into the arson business, but... who knows? could always use a side hustle." once she'd taken the lighter back from nick, it was returned to the backpack, slinging it over her shoulder once again. "...how good are we talking, here?" examining the joint between her fingers, xio gave an unusual moment of hesitation, actually taking the time to consider the consequences of their actions. "i've got a family dinner later, and i was kind of thinking of actually trying to be on my best behavior for once."
open to: @kairifms location: alley behind bandeja de josé
"if you're trying to order something, you're gonna have to go around front, princess." though they continued to flip through the magazine on their lap, xio's attention had been pulled to the intruder of their not-so-secret hideout. it was the quietest spot they could manage, really, without leaving the busy restaurant entirely. "i'm on break."
"okay, so like, full disclosure, this might just be the buzz talking, but..." leaning back against the side of lori's bed, xiomara let herself get comfortable, her hand lazily dangling over the bowl of popcorn seated on the floor beside her. "you know the mom from rugrats? the one of the twins? we're in agreement that she's... you know, right?"
lukas had ordered a large hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. today was his cheat day and he decided to try something that wasn’t a granola bar, so here he was. the only thing is that when he grabs his order, the lady hands him two drinks. when mentioning to her that he had ordered one drink, not two, she shrugs it off and tells him to keep it. truth be told, lukas can barely finish one of these things, let alone two. he isn't big on talking to people. in fact, he's as socially awkward as they come, but he doesn't want the drink to go to waste, so, he shyly approaches the nearest person around. "um, hi," he greets them, offering them a timid smile. "so the worker gave me two hot chocolates instead of one, do you um," a pause is taken, "do you maybe want the other one?" ah, talking to people, how nerve wrecking.
despite what some people might think of them, xiomara wasn't the shy type. often quiet? sure. bashful? not one bit. still, it was a trait that they found to be rather endearing - certainly more so than those that seemed to scream for attention, anyway. they often found themselves drawn towards a coy voice, either in a comforting way, or -- typically after a drink or two -- for the sake of entertainment. bringing a blush to someone's cheeks was something that they found to be incredibly amusing, and if it left the person with a little boost of self confidence at the end of the night, no harm was really done, right?
"was there actually a mistake, or is that just a line?" after a momentary pause, they accepted the drink with a shrug, relenting just a little. "eh. either way, a free hot chocolate is more appealing than being asked what my sign is. like, what is this, the seventies?"
status: open
location: outside of three layers deep
nick was outside the shop on his lunch break when he decided it would be a good idea to smoke a joint. grabbing the one he had tucked behind his ear, he places it between his lips and fishes through his pockets for a lighter. upon finding his tye dye one, he attempts to create a flame once, twice, three times, and even a fourth, with no luck. "shit." he mutters to himself, knowing his lighter was out of fluid. maybe it was odd just approaching the nearest bystander, but he wanted to smoke. "hey," he starts, placing the joint between his fingers, "do you have a lighter?"
"it's like you don't even know me at all. my own husband." with a scoff, xio removed the backpack from her shoulder and tugged open the zipper, retrieving one of several lighters from inside. sure, their 'marriage' wasn't exactly legally-binding - none of the other kids at recess at had been ordained, as far as she knew, but even now, as an adult, it was still fun to play pretend every once in awhile. to act as though she lived the life her parents had always wanted for her. "'course i got one. real question is... what are you gonna give me in return, huh?"
