TBD

( 1967 - 1984 — OUTSIDE OF COLUMBUS )

Marlowe grew up in little suburb a few miles outside of Columbus. Born to a mother who was fresh out of high school, and a man who was three years her senior. Neither were ready for a kid, but they did their best.

That’s not to say there was an absence of love in Marlowe’s upbringing. Their father worked at a manufacturing plant in Cincinnati. The commute made him fairly absent Monday through Friday, but he made up for it on the weekends.

Their mother worked three shifts a week at the local diner for a little extra spending cash, and Marlowe spent those mornings, until they were in school, hanging out in the back office.

They learned to function independently. Not overtly so, just enough to be able to alleviate any pressure from their mother and father. Marlowe became the capable one. The friend who organized the group projects, and the kid who could figure things out without asking for help. 

Music was a background noise more than a passion back then, something that filled rooms. There was an interest in various artists, Marlowe collected vinyls and 8-track tapes, and, once they were invented, cassette tapes anytime they had spare cash and tried to take some deep dives on musicians when information became available.

( 1984 to the start of the band — CINCINNATI TO COLOSSAL )

So, at eighteen, when their partner— older, confident and with a guitar slung over their shoulder—  talked about relocating to outside of Cincinnati, Marlowe followed.

It felt spontaneous, romantic, and it was proof they weren’t stuck.

Four months later, it was over.

It wasn’t a break up akin to that of a cataclysmic event. It was very clinical. “I need space.” “This isn’t working.” It was a break up that left Marlowe holding an apartment key with no plan. Their partner had connections and friends with a vision that no longer had them in it. Marlowe only had a lease and a bout of pride that had them refuse to crawl back to Columbus.

They ended up settling in an apartment right on the outskirts of a small town called Colossal.

Marlowe bounced around jobs and ended up working at a music shop, restringing guitars and organizing inventory. Teaching themselves new random things on slow days was more a hobby than a passion.

( 2nd Heaven’s origin to present day — COLOSSAL )

Boredom is also a powerful thing, and when a new band in small town Colossal was taking auditions, they gave it a shot. 

Marlowe wasn’t good enough. They gave the base a shot, but Julien came in, definitely more of a musical genius than them. Technically, Marlowe was fine, but not exceptional, or stage-ready. 

Instead of feeling embarrassed or rejected, Marlowe became more observant. For some reason or another, they hung around, and they caught onto anyone’s tardiness, or a slip of the memory with lyrics during practice. When there was a moment of overspending on unneeded gear and no expenses being tracked, Marlowe caught on.

That’s where it clicked. While the band was finding their footing, Marlowe stuck around to help with maintenance and behind the scenes work. 

They would start fixing cables before anyone asked and built rehearsal calendars. Once the band started performing publicly, they took over with venue inquiries and negotiated pay bumps through ticket sales when they saw the opening to do so. And they made sure every member got home safe.

Band management was never a goal of theirs prior, but when offered that responsibility ( before it could be called a job ), they had no issue taking it. 

Of course, outside of the band, they bounced around jobs in Colossal, and once the band really hit it off and gained traction, they began treating their jobs as disposable. That is, until the bills needed to be paid, then they’d fall back into an hourly job.

Currently, they’re a grocery store lead because it grants enough flexibility.

── personality.

+ discerning, charismatic, organized — impatient, controlling, hyper-independent

The ease at which Marlowe can walk, steadfast, into a disaster and leave it with a plan is something that was built with the confidence spurred on by a required independent streak. They are adaptable, shifting gears effortlessly, negotiating contracts to settling inner-band squabbles to having to reroute tour schedules at the drop of a dime. They handle curveballs thrown their way with an enviable grace, even if internally they might feel like they are crumbling.

The catch to that is that they rarely express it, and they won’t ask for help.

Marlowe is charismatic in a way that is magnetic, but definitely not loud. They can manage to pull strings when necessary to reach their goals. This does not mean they are inclined to schmooze, brown-nosing has never been something they leaned into, but they can talk their way into getting what they want, or at least finding a compromise that has even the slightest higher benefit to them.

Their organization doesn’t come in the form of color-coded spreadsheets or labels, but a planner with worn edges, and they’re (now treasured) Blackberry. When Marlowe sees a tool as beneficial, they will bury themselves into learning it. That is why aside from band management, they know plenty about instruments. Their adaptability and sponge-like mind means they can tune instruments, replace guitar and bass strings, and repair parts of the drum kit. Of course, there are limits, but it’s helpful during performances, and their eye for detail can catch rigging issues before they turn into an on-stage mishap mid-show.

However, this competence comes with edges. Marlowe has an impatience with incompetency as well as lapses in emotional maturity and— what they deem as— pointless arguments. Their charm can shift into a clipped tone when under stress, instructions given with tight smiles and a reminder that they don’t want to have to explain themselves twice.

( Who has time for that, anyway? )

They are also deeply avoidant when it comes to their own feelings. Handling crises for other people is easier for them to fix, and the habit of pushing their own needs aside might not be intentional, but it’s become habitual. There is also the subconscious belief that asking for help is the same as failing.

── headcanons.

— Sleep is not something that comes easy to Marlowe. Ever since their adolescence, they function with various naps and odd sleep hours. Working until three p.m.? Nap until 7, then asleep again at 4 a.m. — just an example.

— Their first concert was a show during Journey’s Escape tour in Cincinnati in 1981. Their favorite show was during The Police’s Synchronicity Tour in 1984.

— Absolutely hates bananas. This isn’t a euphemism.

— Unfortunately fell for the 90s tramp stamp trend. Has twin dragons as lineart — no color.

— Isn’t sure how they came across it, but they absolutely love Cowboy Beebop.  

— They collect old ticket stubs and laminate passes, but those stay tucked away. Their sentimentality isn’t openly shared.

— They fall asleep to ambient noise— late night radio, distant traffic, the sound of a fan humming all night. Silence makes their thoughts too loud.

— They don’t like being touched unexpectedly — but when they initiate contact, it’s intentional. A grounding hand at someone’s back while guiding them through a crowd, or their fingers squeezing someone’s shoulder before a show.

— Before big performances, Marlowe will always do a final walk-through of the stage alone. They aren’t checking equipment, they just stand there, making sure it feels right for them.

— They keep a running folder of candid photos of the band— but it’s not for anything promotional. It’s just because.

── wanted connections.

TBD.

── links.

does your muse have any short or long-term goals? what are they?

The only goal in Marlowe’s mind at this time is to continue to help with 2nd Heaven’s climb to success. They know it’s not forever, but not in the sense that they feel this is as temporary as a middle school garage band of teens fucking around with no real aspirations or talent, but that in a few years, the wants and desires of the members might change. Or maybe, touring will be something that might conflict with their life whenever they start on a new path. Either way, for the time being, short or long term, they intend on continuing their efforts in being an efficient manager for the band.

Maybe, they’ll have made enough they can quit the silly grocery store shift lead job.

what is holding your muse back in life? are they aware of this? are they doing anything about it?

Marlowe doesn’t think there is much of anything holding them back, though they know they will always have room to grow and be better. Don’t most people? Every day is faced with a refreshed and revitalized perspective and a mental list of things to get done as well as a vague projection of what they might see for themselves tomorrow, next week, next month, even next year, with plenty of room left for them to adapt.

what steps could your muse take to make headway on what’s holding them back?

n/a

where does your muse want to be in one year’s time? is is feasible?

Just as it says in the first answer, doing what they know how to do best. Not entirely unrealistic, but they’d like to get 2nd Heaven to sell out an arena in Cincinnati or Columbus. They don’t dream of sold out MSG shows yet, but it’s something they’ve thought about for the long term. Just because they aren’t the one on the stage doesn’t mean they won’t feel satisfied getting them there.

what is something that needs to happen to your muse before they can make any realistic growth?

Any sort of potential growth outside of their current aspirations would only take a major shift in their responsibilities and obligations. That would determine what they set their mind to accomplish after, how to do it, and even where they would like to do it.

does your muse surround themselves with people who help or hinder their growth?