jessie mei li & they/she / non-binary ‷ watch out , ziggy liu has crash-landed into roswell !! they look twenty four years old and celebrate their birthday on may 13th . they are from china, reside in greystone complex and are currently working as mechanic @ sanders’ autobody. one thing you should know about them is they sell their artworks online but never considered taking it seriously out of fear of failure.
As the youngest of two, and despite being raised exactly in the same way their older brother had been, Ziggy grew up to be vastly different from him. Instead of grasping at the idea of greatness pushed forward by their father, they felt pressured enough so that they took a complete opposite route. To lower Shen Liu’s expectations of them was better than to deal with the disappointment in case they would try and inevitably fail. That only caused them to grow insecure, deathly afraid of what would happen if they were to step out of their comfort zone, and so they settled. Which was even worse than failing, they supposed.
As a teenager, Ziggy became very reclusive, antisocial and often withdrawn. You’d have an easier time finding them under the bleachers with their headphones on sketching something than socializing with the rest of the students. Because they were quiet and often times considered the “weirdo”, they became the target of bullying. It never really fazed them, Ziggy couldn’t give less of a shit if people called them names or sometimes would write down rude things in the bathroom about them. It wasn’t until it became physical that they started pushing back — and given the history of the Liu family, they could hand their own pretty well. They would be sent to the principal’s office with someone’s hair still stuck in between their fingers and even was suspended for trashing a fellow student’s car.
Ziggy’s rebellious phase ( not that it was actively on purpose, anyways ) came to an end when they were nearly spelled from breaking someone’s nose and social services were contacted. Their parents then stepped in, threatening to send them away to a boarding school if they wouldn’t stop acting up. That threat riled up the fire inside of them but in spite of that, they calmed down long enough so that they could still graduate in Roswell.
Graduation rolled in and Ziggy had no actual plans for their future, unlike their much more ambitious older brother. That came as a huge disappointment for their parents but at that point in their life, they had learned how to not care. As independent as they were, they found their way around, getting a part-time job at the local auto shop so that they could move out of their parents’ residence but winding up doing it full-time as the years passed.
Ziggy’s an artist at heart, though they don’t really take it too seriously other than selling a few of their pieces online when they’re in need of some extra cash to help with the bills. It’s more of a hobby, their passion that they think will get ruined if one day they decide to follow a career in that path. So they don’t. Would rather be in limbo, working as a mechanic until their life figures itself out. They still keep a distaste towards their parents but they do still try to reconnect, only to be met with questions about their future and judgments about how they’re simply not living to their fullest potential which makes Ziggy push them away almost immediately. They’re lucky enough that their relationship with their brother is better, healthier even, and it’s something they’re very thankful for — to know that despite their differences, the two can still lean into each other for support.
I’m really smart. I just got unlucky in the family department. I don’t get any support. And sometimes I do the wrong thing. But I know I can be better.
“oh my god, same-” winter gasped, before her shoulders shrugged dismissively. “or, well, there were handcuffs and a biker involved, so like… almost but not quite the same? close enough for me, as far as i’m concerned.”
“not exactly, babe.” ziggy snorts. “i broke the law, you were... breaking other things that i do not need to be hearing about.” they shake their head. “sounds like it was pretty wild, though. i’ve never been with a biker. what’s that like?”
charming snorts a little, stifling a laugh and shaking her head as she takes a drag of her smoke and then a sip of a too-hot coffee. after wincing a little at the heat, she looks to ziggy and gives a small shrug. "nothing as interesting as that, i went to the gym to do laps after my weight training… picked up a cute gym bunny and extended my workout with a little cardio,“ a small laugh, a cheeky grin, "and then came home, and got a nice nine hours of sleep.”
“couldn’t be me—i hate the gym.” they say with their nose scrunched up. “the most work-out i get is from jumpin’ fences, which is what landed me in jail.” they shouldn’t be sharing that story with a firefighter of all people but, you know, it happened. the rest of charming’s night, however, causes them to chuckle. “still sounds pretty exciting to me. just in very different ways.”
The confession, so blasé in its delivery, did not go unnoticed. Camila’s interest was immediately piqued, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. She chose to ignore the question that had been posed to her because talking about how she had sat at home on a Sunday night binging Forensic Files was anything but exciting. “Where did you get the protein bar when you were in jail?”
“the lady i shared a cell with kind of threw this huge dramatic fit about how she was starving to death and they couldn’t treat her that way so the cop decided to buy her a protein bar so she’d shut the fuck up. and then she shared it with me.” they share this part very casually too, as if it was normal sunday night behavior for them.
“ nothing. but i did bail my friend out of jail on monday morning. ” he jokes as he cuts in on ziggy’s chat with someone else. just in time, it seems, as the other person didn’t exactly look thrilled to hear about their jail story. “ it still wonders me how you can talk about that so casually with strangers. ”
the stranger leaves, which isn’t all that surprising to them since they had just shared the fact they were basically a criminal and were hanging out with a criminal, but atticus’ comment causes them to chuckle. “i know you’re a real one because you woke up early in the mornin’ to bail me out of jail. and, well, bein’ gay and doin’ crimes is part of who i am. i feel like people need to know that.” they jokingly say.
“——— definitely nothing as exciting as that!” lunara can admit without shame that her life isn’t as interesting as it once was, side effects of growing up they assume. she looks at ziggy as they check on her bike, nothing was wrong with it that she was aware of, but she liked to get a general check-up on it every once in a while, it was her primary method of transportation after all. they’d be SCREWED if their lack of knowledge lead to their motocycle breaking down. “i pretty much just stayed at home and watched movies until i fell asleep, the usual. but that’s not important. why were you even in jail?”
the idea of leading a boring life was haunting to ziggy and what kept them actively seeking out after trouble, wanting to hold onto that thrilling part of their life as much as they could. they would have plenty of time to be old and boring, which is why they wanted to enjoy their youth as much as they could. “wouldn’t call it exciting—this wasn’t my first time.” a chuckle follows the admission, adverting their eyes from the bike and towards lunara for a few seconds. “trespassing. there’s a shit ton of abandoned places ‘round here, you know? but the cops insist on calling it private property or whatever.”
“i- you what?” tomas stuttered, his eyes going a bit wide as he did his best to hold back the snort that wanted to escape his lips as he looked at them. “i… did nothing close to that exciting. i sat my ass in a bar stool and stayed there until last call.” and ended up regretting it the next morning, when he had to rise with the sun.
“spent the night in jail.” they repeat, a playful grin on their lips. “what? don’t tell me you’re goin’ deaf already, old man.” it’s a tease, of course, ziggy can never help themself. his response brings a grimace to their face. “that’s... well, you gotta do what you gotta do. did you at least leave the bar with someone?”
“Not that, that’s for sure,” Yas responded, shaking her head the slightest bit. “What landed you in there? What did you do?” She had to admit she was curious, having spent several nights behind bars herself back in her Vegas days.
“broke into an abandoned house to paint some art on the walls. i didn’t get caught for that, though. got caught because i was trespassin’ on someone’s private property.” a shake of their head follows. “nobody has even been in that place for years. i was doin’ them a favor but, you know, the cops didn’t see it that way.”
Adam crossed his arms at her and raised a brow like an upset father, not like he had any right to be upset since he’s landed himself there once. “Not spending it in jail.” he responded. “what did you do to get yourself arrested?”
they see the look on his face and immediately regret ever sharing about their previous night. “trespassing...” the response comes in low volume, scrunching up their nose. “do not come at me with lectures, adam. that’s the reason why i didn’t share this with my actual brother.”
creased brows visibly shows the brunette’s disbelief - more over the fact ziggy was potentially befriending a criminal . and yeah , they were in jail too , so maybe they are as much of a criminal as the lady in question . but can you blame caroline for being soft for them ? “ god , ziggy . what if she murdered someone and you were there , just sharing a protein bar with a murderer ? ”
“well, my sweet caro, do you really think they’d make someone who’s in for a petty crime share a jail cell with a murderer?” ziggy stops to ponder for a few seconds, pursed lips as they hum. “i mean, that’s a possibility but don’t you worry, she was in there for a bar fight. bruised eye and all.” at least, that’s what she had told them—and they believed her, of course.
DARK BROWS FURROW TOGETHER, looking at the other waiting for them to say they’re joking. “sounds like a great bonding moment for you two,” they say, blinking. “i worked and studied, so considerably less… invigorating.” they figure that’s the most polite way of saying that.
“and it was. she told me i reminded her of a younger version of herself which definitely wasn’t a good thing. but it’s always nice to have someone on your side when you’re behind bars, you know?” there was a rush to being arrest but it was also scary as fuck. however, it wasn’t anything new to the youngest liu. “oooh, what were you studying for?”
“𝐈 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐉𝐀𝐈𝐋. what’d you do to land yourself there? …— and what kind of protein bar was it?”
“trespassing. could’ve been for vandalism too but luckily, i was able to hide the evidence quick enough.” they wiggle their brows. “the ones with chocolate in them. the best kind, obviously.”
“ wait – hang on , back up , “ a hand raised , eyes squinted , wondering what the hell their sibling was talking about , and why they were speaking of it like stating the weather or something they had seen on the news . he shouldn’t have been so surprised ; ziggy had always been the more unpredictable of the two , “ – you spent the night in jail and didn’t call ?? “
it’s clear in the way they press their lips that ziggy hadn’t mean to share about their latest adventure with their older brother but it so happened to slip out. cheeks flush red as their eyes raise to meet fletcher, shaking their head. “i didn’t want to bother you! and it wasn’t anythin’ too bad. you already worry too much about me, xin, seriously—i didn’t need to add more to the pile.”
“spent the night in jail yesterday. this lady and i shared a protein bar—she was so nice to me.” they casually comment, picking at loose strands from their ripped jeans. “but what did you do with your sunday night?”
she lets out a big breath and places her head in her hands with the dejection of a sulking martyr the very moment christmas music begins playing overhead. the brunette pouts like she’s had a court order documenting her absolute right to do it. she turns to the person next to her, head now rested comfortably in her palm. “ am i crazy or is it not november ? ”
“not a fan?” ziggy asks in between a bite from their lunch, cocking their head towards the speakers at the foodcourt. truth be told, they weren’t exactly thrilled about christmas either—the thought of how tense and awkward things would be at the dinner table between their family haunted them. “is november even a thing anymore, though? it’s like, as soon as halloween ends, people already start to prepare themselves for christmas. it’s just normal now, i guess.”
