𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖛𝖊𝖎𝖓𝖘

✧ ˚ · . 𝒽𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎.

Lucia Ramirez learned early not to expect much from the people who were supposed to love her. Her father walked out before she turned five, and her mother, once vibrant and full of stories, slowly dissolved into addiction, drifting between pills, alcohol, and men who never stayed long. Some days her mother was halfway present, other days she didn’t come home at all. Lucia figured out fast how to make herself small and quiet, how to survive on cereal and canned food, how to fake her mum’s signature when needed. When the state finally stepped in, it wasn’t a dramatic rescue; just a quiet knock, a polite stranger, and a trash bag full of her things. She bounced between foster homes until she landed in a group placement in Coyote Valley at thirteen. She shared a room with two other girls and learned what it meant to fight for the shower in the morning and keep your secrets to yourself. Her foster siblings became the closest thing to real family she had, and she stayed in touch with a few of them even into adulthood. She hasn't seen her biological siblings in years, but the thought of them still lingers — a quiet ache, a maybe-one-day. Her foster father was a man who loved two things: whiskey and poker nights. At first it was just shuffling cards and calling out hands, but soon she was playing too, and winning more often than not. By eighteen she'd developed a taste for the high; not the money, but the rush. That itch never having fully gone away. Even now, she’ll sneak off to the tables on bad nights or good ones, telling herself she has it under control. Lucia became a nurse because she wanted to be the person she’d never had, someone who knew what to do in a crisis. Calm under pressure, quick with a suture, and sharper than she lets on, she’s known for her cool head and dark, dry humor. She doesn’t flinch at trauma but has a hard time letting people in emotionally. She tells herself she likes being independent, and mostly, she does, but part of her still wants someone to come home to. A family. The unit she never really had. That part got her into trouble once, years ago, when a Vegas bender turned into a spontaneous wedding with a stranger she barely knew. She chalked it up to bad decisions and never looked back, and has yet to learn that the marriage was never annulled. She's still legally married; and whether that’s going to be another disaster or the best mistake of her life? Remains to be seen.

✧ ˚ · . 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓎.

Lucia is fiercely independent and quietly resilient, shaped by a childhood that forced her to grow up fast. She carries a calm confidence that makes her seem unshakable, but beneath her composed exterior lies a complex mix of vulnerability and guardedness. Quick-witted with a dry sense of humor, she uses sarcasm as both a shield and a way to connect. Lucia values loyalty deeply but struggles to fully trust others, often keeping people at arm’s length to protect herself from getting hurt. Despite her tough façade, she craves genuine connection and secretly hopes for a sense of belonging—though admitting that feels like her biggest risk yet.

✧ ˚ · . 𝓅𝑒𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓃𝑒𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈.

foster siblings (0/3) — maybe she's still in touch with them, maybe she's not;

biological siblings (0/2) — she hasn't seen them in twenty two years. maybe they pop up in town, holding resentment towards her, or seeking her out;

the vegas marriage — the one she married 5 or so years ago on a drunken night out in vegas. maybe they're trying to get married to someone else but realized they're still legally married to her;

patients at the hospital — someone she has treated or regularly treats;

poker night crew — those she regularly goes to the casino with/plays with;

long time/high school friends — lucia has lived in coyote valley since she was thirteen. connections from high school/her teen years of all kinds;

neighbors/roommates — she lives in a tiny condo/house she can hardly afford.