rise and grind 🤙

► GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Simon Deshawn Henderson

NICKNAME(S): Si, Simon Says

AGE: 35

DATE OF BIRTH:  October 10

GENDER: cis male

NATIONALITY: american

HERITAGE: unspecified african-american descent

SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): english, and he’s trying to learn ASL

OCCUPATION: architect

RELIGION: unspecified christian

► APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: l eslie o dom jr

HEIGHT: 5′7″

WEIGHT: 170lbs

DOMINANT HAND: left

HAIR COLOR: black

EYE COLOR: brown

SCARS: various little scars here and there, from minor injuries over the years

TATTOOS: "make your own luck” on his arm

► BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Philadelphia, PA

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Humboldt Hills, Eureka CA

FINANCIAL STATUS: middle class/upper middle class

EDUCATION LEVEL: graduate degree

FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS: Dwayne Henderson (father), Denise Henderson (mother), Will Henderson (brother), Jennifer Henderson (sister), Amanda Henderson (wife)

► PAST

Simon grew up in a working-class neighborhood, with parents who worked themselves to the bone to make ends meet. Despite the financial stress their family faced, Simon’s parents were loving and supportive and often reminded their children how important a good education was in order to get ahead. His natural talent for math initially made Simon want to studying engineering; however, he found architecture a better fit. His skill at baseball, which he played with his younger brother, brought him a scholarship for college, and from there he went on to graduate school, where he met his best friend and eventual business partner Wyatt Hill. Although their personalities and backgrounds were different, they got along like a house on fire and grew super close in their graduate program. Upon graduating, Simon moved out to Eureka to start a firm with Wyatt and their different skillsets combined to make them a basically perfect team. They worked side-by-side, expanding their business, until the recall happened. When the rumors and mudslinging started, Simon panicked, worried that everything he’d worked so hard for could be taken away because of hearsay, and he stepped down from the firm and took several clients with him. He’s been freelancing since then, somewhat aimless in his professional life, and his social life lacking significantly without his best and oldest friend. 

► PERSONALITY

Regain full partnership at the firm, take on more of a workload and continue to the build the business, really. Maybe get some ice cream?

My dad, because he always worked so hard and always found time for us no matter how tired her was. And my sister, for always putting her son first and raising a kid without sacrificing her personality.

The most, out of everyone in the entire world? Amanda. And Mister Rogers.

Definitely Christmas. With Black Santa, as the Lord intended.

russ: wtf.

russ: thanks for ruining christmas

russ: does this mean i finally have to start recycling

simon: i wanted you to hear it from me and not one of your classmates!!

simon: do we need to talk about the easter bunny too

simon: i think it's time we had the talk

simon: santa isn't real, buddy. and he doesn't live in the north pole.

⊛

“Of course, there’s a ringleader,” Alex said with a knowing chuckle, amused, despite the amateurish nature of the hijinks. “You know, sometimes the simplest stuff works best. The old tricks work for a reason, and all that.” Of course, when he’d been the one playing the clown, Alex had more interested in the complex; things that no teacher would be able to pin on him, even while his classmates knew who was responsible. “And I’m glad, for her sake, that they’re not causing real trouble, too.” Surely it would be all the more difficult to deal with, if they were, for their young age. It was good that was a headache neither Amanda, nor Simon, as a result, seemed to have to worry about. “I’ll take care of that all, too,” Alex suggested, following Simon’s noise of agreement. Maybe whoever joined would have some stuff lying around, but it not, it would always be good to have information on where deals were, and if he could wrangle some kind of deal, maybe by pitching an article to his editor, or something. “More than good,” he agreed warmly, “I’m just glad you asked me to help with this craziness.” He let out another chuckle, and admitted, “I’ll keep you up to date as I learn stuff, but absolutely, we can check in again then.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m glad you wanted to go along with the craziness.” Simon wasn’t joking in the slightest -- it was incredibly hard to branch out and make new friends at this phase in his life, when his circle grew increasingly smaller with each passing year. The fact that Alex was willing to indulge his ideas at all was so encouraging that perhaps Simon had found someone who could be a friend. Amanda couldn’t be his everything, he’d learned that during his sabbatical from the firm. Depending on her to fill every role in his life had put a strain on their marriage. And Russ was so busy these days, and Simon was so used to being the older brother figure, that he couldn’t imagine unloading any sort of emotional burden on the younger man. 

“For real, man. It’s nice to have something to do with people that isn’t just going to a bar or playing chess like the old men in town. I’m not ready for that yet,” he joked, knowing it was only a matter of time before he became one of those people. Not for a good long while, though. “I look forward to this,” he added, gesturing vaguely as if he could point to the very concept itself. “Even if it ends up failing spectacularly.” 

Oh. This was embarrassing. And with each passing second ( which suddenly felt like they were days along as to mere grains in the sands of time ) Katie’s desire for the floor to open up underneath her and swallow her whole simply intensified. But finally, just as she was about to slink away in a soggy puddle of embarrassment, things seemed to click for Simon. And god, she’d never been more desperately grateful for his kindness because even if he hadn’t immediately got it, at least he wasn’t laughing at her. She could discern that much. His laugh was friendly, jovial, and just as quickly as she’d wished the floor could swallow her whole, so she found herself just glad it was Simon she’d run into, and not someone with a lot less tact. “Kind of threw it together” she admitted with a shrug. “I had another costume but you know how sometimes you look at things and they seemed like such a good thing at the time but then it’s just…not? Yeah that happened”.

Well that wasn’t entirely true. But telling Simon that the only reason she hadn’t gone through the planned trio costume had been down to her own cowardice was only succeed in bringing down the mood, and she had no intention of spelling those particular beans. “It has been a while” Katie agreed with a slow nod, trying to think when was the last time she’d seen Simon. It had to be one of those ghastly dinner and drinks parties that Wes had dragged her along to entirely unwillingly. But that had ben so long ago, back when Wyatt Hill’s name hadn’t been associated with scandal in quite the same way. “Things have been…interesting” she settled on after a long pause, trying to think what was the best word to summarise the chaos she’d been wading through for months now. “How have you been? You’re still at the firm? With…” she stopped herself, before glancing over at Simon to try and assess whether or not she should actually mention the town pariah. “Your name is still on the door right?”

“I completely do,” Simon said with a reassuring nod of his head. “I had my Obama costume ready to go and then Amanda vetoed it.” He had reluctantly accepted her terms that they no longer dress up as the former first family, but not without pouting. “Maybe next year I can get her to go as Hawkgirl and Hawkman with me. It takes a lot of coordination for that kind of costume though, which is why ....” he gestured to his old Fro-zone costume that he had donned instead. “’Manda dressed up with some teachers, so we are not even in the same group this year.” He leaned back and listened attentively as Katie gave him a light response to his question of how she had been. It was fair enough that she wouldn’t dive into the nitty-gritty of her personal life, as this was really neither the time nor the place, but Simon hoped she had been getting on well nonetheless. 

“I mean, hell, if nothing else the past few months have been eventful. Eureka’s got a new Mayor, it’s getting busier all the time it seems like ... is there a new restaurant opening or did I make that up?” It had never been a particularly sleepy town, but its pace had certainly gotten faster in the years since Simon had moved out here. He’d heard the term was urban sprawl, when suburbs became more and more like cities, but coming from a metropolitan area himself it had been hard to conceptualize. He snorted at the mention of Henderson and Hill, giving a weak laugh. So much drama had conspired, and for what? His ego? His fear of going broke again? Fortunately, it was seeming more and more like that was behind him. “Yeah, yeah my name is still on the door. Transitioning back into being there full-time again. I think the sabbatical was good, though. I haven’t had that much time to myself in years. It’s good to have a break, you know? We can’t wear ourselves down forever.” 

Sometimes, when he needed a little bit of inspiration or a reminder of why he went into architecture in the first place, Simon went by the Carson Mansion. Its Victorian style reminded Simon of the many Victorian homes he’d seen back in the Philly area, both still serving as homes and renovated to serve as businesses, the turrets and pointed domes always inspiring fascination for him. It was grounding, in a way, an unlikely reminder of home. 

He’d been thinking more of home lately, and of his family, especially as he and Amanda were considering expanding theirs. And it wasn’t that Simon wanted to move back by any means, but he felt a pang of nostalgia for having his entire family together, a pang of disappointment knowing his own father would never meet any of Simon’s children. It was something he thought he’d come to terms with long ago, but now t hat it seemed like fatherhood was well and truly in his future, Simon was revisiting that grief. 

“So,” he said, clearing his throat and turning to face Amanda. “If we have a baby.” When they had a baby. “Would you still want to stay in Eureka, in Humboldt? Or would you prefer to raise them somewhere else?” 

⊛

“Yeah, there’s open, and then there’s … that,” Alex finished weakly, trying to force lightness into his tone. He was honestly a little envious: it was clear that Simon’s relationship with his wife was a close one; that ( despite the jokes, ) they loved and trusted each other very much. Alex didn’t know if his own marriage would ever look like that. Hell, he didn’t know if his own marriage would last the year, a thought he wished he could un-think as soon as it crossed his mind. He swallowed, then added, “Honestly, I’ve seen more than enough of nightclubs, this is better all around.” He was able to smile much more sincerely as Simon spoke about Amanda, glad to hear she was doing well. “What kinds of pranks are her kids trying to pull?” he asked, immediately intrigued. He’d played the part of class clown, making others laugh to fit in, and had definitely pulled a prank or two … but he didn’t know what kinds of things kids were doing these days. “Excellent, sounds like a plan. I’d be happy to take care of that part, see how much notice they need to reserve, too … all those logistics. And aside from, well, bats and balls …” A rather obvious requirement, only followed by gloves, “… Catcher’s gear probably wouldn’t hurt. For whoever plays catcher.” 

It had been made clear to Simon and his siblings, fairly early on, that their key to success was through education. He hadn’t had the luxury to pull pranks or smart-talk his teachers the way some of his classmates did; he constantly had to think about doing well and studying hard. But he’d appreciated the effect of the jokes all the same. “Well, they’re pretty young still, so they’re not exactly geniuses,” he admitted, “but there was a kid who convinced the class to all hide under their desks when she left the room for a minute. Harmless, really, but I know they got her,” Simon said. “Even if it was just for a minute. I’m fully a fan of students razzing Amanda.” It kept the days interesting, he was sure, and as long as she didn’t come home from work in tears it didn’t seem like it was too much of a hindrance on her classroom. He made a noise of acknowledgment when Alex brought up the point about gear. It would probably be an expense that the players would have to absorb, since it was a rec league ... but it shouldn’t be too bad, should it? He supposed they would just find out. “Okay. Awesome. It sounds like we have something resembling a plan! That’s got to be good, right?” he asked. “Do you want to check back in in a few days and see if we’ve actually got everything we need for a team?”

She had not really committed to the costume look this year. But god, she was regretting it now. As crap as it would have been to dress up in a room full of families and couples, she surely would have stood out less than she did now as she waited for her takeout order, her head kept firmly down as she focussed on her phone screen in her hand, mindlessly scrolling and tapping randomly for things to do as she waited. So really it was inevitable that she would have run into someone. Wyatt’s (ex? God if she even knew) was a decent enough man. Happily married and clearly good at his job even if he did keep poor company. They’d only really met a few times, made small talk in groups whilst she waited for Wes but he was nice. And it wasn’t like she could blame him for being confused by her costume – or lack thereof.

“Uh…” she mumbled, glancing down at herself as she tried to think of something snappy and funny. “I went as the real nightmare, a quarter life crisis” she joked weakly with a shrug. “It’s meta…or something”

For a moment, Simon’s brow furrowed in confusion, as he took in her explanation and tried to make sense of it. He blinked once, and then twice, and as he made the connection and realization set in, Simon let out a bark of laughter. “Oh! Oh, my god. I get it. One of those truly scary Halloween costumes, I feel you,” he said jovially. His own “quarter life crisis” had set in around thirty, when he’d moved out to California and tried to find his footing on the west coast. Now, at thirty-five, with a wife he adored and a future he could reasonably depend on, it was a different story. He felt bad, for not comprehending Katie’s costume sooner. But it certainly was a witty concept. 

“Was it chosen with a group concept in mind, or is it a one-woman costume?” he asked curiously. Perhaps other friends had gone as other existential threats. He had opted for something more literal, of course, but he could appreciate any effort made for a costume. He wondered if he knew any of her other friends -- they travelled in similar circles and their acquaintances seemed to overlap. “How’ve you been, anyway, Katie Birch?” he asked. “Feels like it’s been a while.” Which, of course, it had. After the hubbub about the recall, and accusations of corruption, and Simon’s withdrawal from and eventual attempt to make up with Wyatt, much time had passed. Were the Hills even still legally married anymore? He couldn’t be sure. 

⊛

“You got me curious for a minute there,” Alex replied, amusement practically dripping from his voice. He hadn’t really suspected that kind of club, but he wouldn’t have anticipated one that played softball, either, from the little he knew of the other man. “Speaking of, though, how is your wife?” Alex hadn’t yet made the woman’s acquaintance, but even so, it didn’t take much to see how devoted Simon was to his other half. “But, yeah, alright, club sports, I can do.” He nodded confirmation at the other man’s assessment: “Not bad at all. Can be lots of fun, actually.” Not that baseball couldn’t, but the added ease certainly didn’t hurt any. “Hell yeah, I would! You’d be doing me a favor, man, I need to get out more.” Not out in the sense of going wild, but out of the house, meeting people who could become friends? Absolutely. That it would be something active, something sports related, was only a bonus. “No, I think this is a fantastic idea, you tell me if you need help convincing anyone, or with anything, really.” There was little he wouldn’t do to help this idea come to fruition, now that Simon had suggested it. “Recruitment’s probably gonna have to be your thing, but anything else …” Alex was unquestionably excited at the prospect.

“As open as Amanda says she is, I’m not willing to risk her wrath over leaving her at home for that kind of club,” Simon admitted with a chuckle. Truthfully he hadn’t much desire for it either, but he was no longer the reckless young man who wanted to see everything and too young to be an old man trying to recapture his golden years. “She’s great! School year is in full effect, she comes home telling me stories about the kids every day. My favorites are the ones who try to prank her.” He got a kick out of hearing the ways her students tried to pull one over on their older and wiser teacher. When Alex agreed to the idea of a softball team, Simon grinned, the excitement between the two of them palpable. He nodded his head when Alex suggested he be the one in charge of recruitment, happy to get started on the project. “Yeah, I can totally do that. Maybe you could check in with the parks and rec department to see how to register? There’s probably a fee to use the fields and all that .... can you think of anything else we might need?”

amanda: hey now i never said that and you know you're great i remind you of that like 4 times a week

amanda: are you suggesting we play hooky to work on our own project? 👀👀

amanda: which is why i'm trying to break thorugh those stereoypes si

simon: hey i wasn't gonna go that far but now that you mention it ....

simon: how do you get the peach emoji that's the one i'm trying to send

⌘

Talia groaned softly. She knew her costume, ( a rather staid outfit of white shirt, black tie, black pants, and short black, heeled boots, ) wasn’t particularly iconic on its own. It was when she stood next to her co-worker, who happened to be a tall blond guy, that context started to appear. But without her co-worker, and without the black ray-ban wayfarers currently tucked into her hair, she might as well be dressed as a waiter, as Agent M in the latest Men in Black movie. Of course, it didn’t help that the movie was a few years old at this point, either, but it was an easy costume, and it had been a hit at the office on Friday. Repeating it later in the weekend as a solo act, though … well, it hadn’t gone as well. 

“Don’t feel bad, I’ve had to explain it all day,” Talia waved off the apologies, pulling down her sunglasses over her eyes. “Does this help at all? I’m dressed as a Men in Black.”

Despite her assurance not to feel guilty, Simon had a feeling that she was a tad dismayed not to be recognized. And who wouldn’t be? He had utterly dropped the ball on any sort of cultural reference, which made him certain he needed to be watching more tv. Once she explained the look, though, understanding dawned on him and a grin spread across Simon’s face as he made the connection. “Oh, I see it now!” he exclaimed. “I haven’t seen Men in Black in a hot minute. It does fit, though,” he said, and nodded his head to emphasize his point. “Do you have the pen that erases your memories? I feel like that has to be a pretty critical element of the costume.”

Of course, Simon didn’t have much room to talk given that he was not currently hearing his Frozone visor or helmet, but it was a question borne of curiosity and not judgement. 

amanda: you did this when i told you we had to stop being the obamas

amanda: right now it's between a pumpkin, one of those cool tik tokers that do the roller skating but i vetoed that

amanda: or, my personal favorite "a ghost because i don't want to see you anymore"

amanda: my grade level wants to do scooby doo but they won't let me be fred

simon: yeah because you will not let me be great!!

simon: you should just ghost on your students and show them who the boss is