an element of perfection in every action, the sound of familiar heels strutting down the hallway that insights fear, well-loved french cookbooks, hiding from her demons with every ounce of fight she can muster.
✦ WILLA FITZGARALD, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ✦ LAUREL JONES the THIRTY-ONE year old has been in Hidehill for THREE WEEKS (SINCE RETURN). Whispers on the streets are that the CHEF AT VERDURE CAFE who lives in HOVE LAKE are said to be WELL-MANNERED and SANCTIMONIOUS but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves. WRITTEN BY MEL
TRIGGER WARNING: mental health, physical violence, death, cancer
⸻ 𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘
Laurel Lee Jones was born third in a family of four, her younger sister Heather Jones joining the family a couple of years later. While some might say that Laurel suffered from middle child syndrome, due to her constant need for perfection that manifested from a very early age, she would disagree. She had simply always been that way.
The Jones siblings barely had to lift a finger, thanks to the bricks and mortar of their lives born from the cases their father continued to win, a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. Their mother, a former hairdresser had always been present in her childrens day to day as long as Laurel had been alive.
Some might say that Laurel was an odd child, the kind who would rather make friends in books in opposition to speaking with actual people and who proclaimed she wouldn't speak for a year when she was seven. However, her mind was constantly turning. Even when she was silent.
She discovered food at the age of twelve, when her mother christened her a sous chef in the Jones family kitchen. From then on, it was a love affair for the ages. She would check out cookbooks alongside her mysteries and fantasy novels and she would experiment for the entire family. After some successes and some failures, her talent was undeniable.
School was never really a problem for Laurel. Not because she excelled in any particular academic subject (she was adequate, got by with a mixture of A's and B's), but because she found herself keeping her head down -- focused on getting out of Hidehill for what she believed was bigger things.
Laurel especially took notice of Heather, and the way she seemed to move about the world with such grace, one that she believe had skipped a generation and had been given to her sister in spades. Was she jealous? Maybe a little. Did she admire her? Most certainly.
While Laurel remembers her early life in bits and pieces, there is one particular day that will stick out to her for the rest of her life. She was seventeen, and while things had gone on as normal -- she had come home to her mother and father waiting in the living room with the rest of her siblings. Amanda Jones had cancer. And there wasn't very much time left.
Following her mother's passing, Laurel tried to swallow the agony as much as she could. Move forward, chase her dreams as her mother would have always wanted. While her grief did not show itself on the outside as much as some might normally deem socially acceptable (even if it is not one's place to define such a poignant emotion), on the inside, she had never felt so overwhelmed. Tired. Broken.
Laurel isn't soulless -- rather stoic would be the better term. She isn't quite sure why she is the way she is, but she certainly has no intention of changing it. She cares deeply for the people around her, especially her siblings, even if she can't always find the words.
Perhaps one of the crowned jewels of Laurel's life was when she was accepted to Le Cordon Bleu in the heart of Paris, one of the most well-recognized hubs for French cooking. She caught the attention of many of her professors and was offered a high-ranking position following her graduation. Of course she accepted, without a second thought. Even if after all she had been through, she probably should have had many.
The loss of her mother that she made no hesitation to avoid. The pressure and expectations that come with being in one of the elite chef academies in the world. This was just the tip of the iceberg.
When the murder spree began in Hidehill -- Laurel had wondered for a time if she should put her career in france on pause. Her family was in danger. Nothing was more important than family. However, with a certain amount of reassurance, especially from her brother Harrison, Laurel stayed put. Checked the news. Went about her routine.
Three months ago, everything came to a head after a critic spoke ill of her work. He was an asshole, sure. A known one, someone who tended to speak very ill of women cooking in fine dining. Either way, Laurel took his words to heart. In a fit of rage she ended up throwing a pan, one that nearly missed a busboy. She was fired immediately, as expected. The greatest of them are far from invincible.
She stayed in Paris during this time, ashamed of her action and with no intention of heading back home. However, she never expected to wake up to one specific headline: Harrison Jones found dead. Her older brother had not only been brutally murdered, but was being pegged a killer.
Laurel had held onto a property of hers, one she stayed in to visit family in Hove Lake. Thank god she had, because it allowed her to pack up her things and rush home to be with her siblings.
Even if she feels like she's still catching up with everything that's happened and is aware of the evidence presented against her brother, Laurel finds herself looking back on her life -- wondering where everything went wrong and if there was something she could have done to stop it. Something she could have done to save him.
Not only is she trying to catch up with everything that she has missed, but she still feels like she is trying to catch up to herself. She began seeking therapy after the incident in France, and is continuing to do so since her arrival in Hidehill.
Being back in the kitchen, this time in Hidehill at Verdure seems like an entirely different speed. It is comforting, the faces of Hidehill that she serves being nothing but warm and appreciative. In a way, it is allowing her to heal.
⸻ 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒
A very buttoned-up, professional dresser. A common outfit formula is a button-down shirt, slack and a nice pair of heels. Despite the stench of Harlow Estates that comes with spending one's childhood there, she isn't drawn to labels and such, but owns clothing more so for its practicality.
She has kept what happened in France a secret from everyone, including her siblings. Her embarrassment seems to take precedent over telling the truth in that regard.
Some may consider her Hove Lake home rather quaint, with rustic furniture and a scenic overlook. However, it's no secret that Laurel has always preferred a simple, quiet life.
When it comes to her love life, Laurel is no stranger to no strings attached. It's easier that way, no one to burden. At least, that's what she believes.
MORE TO COME.
⸻ 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒
Siblings: Harrison Jones (deceased), one older sister, Heather Jones.
Friends: OPEN
Exes ( any gender - 1/3 ): OPEN
Hookups/FWB ( former or current ): OPEN
Love Interest: OPEN
Coworkers: OPEN
These are just ideas, I'm here and ready for all the plots!
