#bcfm.intro

full name : camila maria ramos. nickname(s) : cami, mila. age : fifty - six. date of birth : tba. place of birth : los angeles, california. gender : cis woman . pronouns : she or her. religion : lapsed catholic; believes in god but not in the church. romantic / sexual orientation : lesbian. languages : english, spanish. occupation : fire captain.

faceclaim : gina torres . hair : brown with blonde highlights, tight curls; changes her hair often. eyes : brown. distinguishable features : n/a. height : five foot and eleven or 180cm . build : slender. tattoos or piercings : ears are pierced twice.

mother : esmeralda ramos. father : luis ramos. sibling(s) : one older, one younger. spouse : vivienne huang. children : jasmine, rosaline.

camila is the middle child of immigrant parents in the busy, bustling los angeles. her parents did not have a lot, but what lacked in their home was made up by love and warmth and camila grew up knowing that she was cared for and adored, even when her mama would scream at her for burning the rice.

as wholesome as her growing up was, camila couldn't help but to feel a little aimless as she began teenagehood. she discovered early that she enjoyed a little thrill, and began to take advantage of that through her every move, be it joining the basketball team, skateboarding, climbing buildings to tag them or riding too fast cars.

it was during this rebellious phase that she got caught by the fire captain at station nine, after almost falling off a roof. the captain said that if she was so into this kind of thing, maybe she should do it as a profession – and so she did. right out of school, she joined the fire fighter academy and soon would find a house to call her own.

for most part, finding her purpose settled her down. in anything but when it came to women. she had an inkling even as a kid that she did not like men the way "she should", and that became a reality once she began to explore it. soon enough, she made a routine: work out, work at the firehouse, hunt for women in the evenings. sometimes, she was left with the memory of a good night, but more often than not she fell head on into an affair.

it was one of those that brought her to colorado. the woman of her life – the way she thought of them all – decided to return home and so camila went with her, only for the relationship to blow up in her face within six months. by then, she had already a place in station 24 though, so she resumed her routine of random hook ups, one of which would turn out to be the owner of riverrun stables. or, co-owner, because she was married at the time they had their night – but no matter because it wasn't camila who was married. who was she to judge?

it would take a couple more years for her to have a proper shot with vivienne. camila has never been patient, but she learns how to be and how to love properly with vivienne; they learn together how to build a home and they continue to welcome more people into it as time goes by and her roots to town become stronger.

nowadays, camila can barely remember what it is like to not be in bear creek. she's in the PTA (despite her children not being in school for years), HOA (despite living in an actual ranch), the diy club (despite being terrible at it) and every other group activity she can find. she's still a thrill seeker, but those thrills have become softer: family, her wife, a gossip. and, of course, the ocasional burning building because she can only change so much.

she's a coffee addict – and snob. hear her go on and on about her café cubano; probably because she takes way more than the recommended dose.

loves a good gossip. if she wasn't so attached to work and working, she would be happy to live her life on a rocking chair with a glass of wine in hand as she yaps about the couple down the road.

has a tendency to bring "strays" home – not only animals, but actual people.

is a great cook. before becoming captain, she was the designated cook for the fire house – she still does it nowadays, but has unwillingly passed the baton to one of the other firefighters.

𖤓  ⸻   BASICS.

full name: jasmine sienna huang-ramos nicknames: jas, jem, minnie ( don't you dare call her that ) age/date of birth: 35 / july 3rd zodiac sign: cancer gender identity: cis woman (she/her) hometown: bear creek, colorado current location: bear creek, colorado time in town: her entire life sexual orientation: pansexual religion: spiritual occupation: teacher @ little saplings

𖤓  ⸻   PERSONALITY.

labels: the helping hand , the luminary , the paradox positive traits: warm , caring , reliable , generous , nurturing negative traits: secretive , anxious , guarded , hesitant , misleading hobbies: horseback riding ( she loves helping out at her mom's stables and volunteering to help little kids learn to ride when she's off work in the summer ) , reading ( you will always catch a book peeking out of her bag, even if it's just a storybook that she's bringing into class from the library, they were a source of comfort when she was growing up and a habit she's never quite outgrown even though she does now own a kindle too ) , gardening ( has a little vegetable garden in her backyard and loves bringing fresh veggies to her friends to enjoy, has also implemented a life-lab at little saplings to teach her kids more about nature ) , TBA languages spoken: english , spanish, asl ( currently learning ) instruments played: guitar & ukulele ( has a pair that she brings out for morning greetings and sing-alongs with the kiddos ) favorite color: the soft pinks, purples, and oranges of a colorado sunrise

𖤓  ⸻   BIOGRAPHY.

tw: neglectful parenting bordering on abuse, food insecurity

there are parts of her childhood that jasmine doesn't care to remember - ones washed over with love and affection but that haven't entirely faded. it started like this: a run-down home, two people who weren't ready or willing to be parents, and a little girl - taught to raise herself. the days when they forgot she existed were the best, and while minor injuries were sustained by trying to cook rice or patch up a torn piece of clothing - at least she had her peace to keep her company. the ones where they remembered were somehow worse, cementing the fact that she wasn't wanted with blame and frustration and yells.

it's a miracle that no one noticed the cracks, that she was able to skirt past detection with baggy clothes to hide a malnourished frame, too many afternoons spent in the library trying to teach herself what her parents could not, and band-aids covering small scraps blamed on playing too exuberantly rather than the fact that she'd gotten them at home. she learned very early on that a smile could distract from anything and that people were more willing to see the good rather than the ugly - and at least a home that was under her control was better than the idea of a free-fall.

she kept up the lie all the way until she was ten when an observant teacher noticed the signs and contacted the authorities. what followed was fear - the ache of being placed in the system and pulled away from the place that had still been a home to her in spite of all the pain, being torn from the friends she'd made she considered family, her life uprooting without her having any say in it at all. after all, she'd done a good enough job raising herself for the past ten years - what was another eight?

but life has a funny way of surprising you - and for jasmine, that teacher's decision turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her. in place of a mother and a father who were never there, she was placed in the huang-ramos household and for the first time she experienced what it was like to be cared for instead of having to fend for yourself. dinners were made, lunches were packed, homework was checked over, and someone cared where she was and what she was doing and the little girl who had always been self-reliant was able to learn to be a child.

it was a revelation, to not have the world placed on her shoulders - and while she was grateful to her new moms, there was also the crestfallen realization that her parents had failed her, that for them she hadn't been enough and they'd left her marooned on her own. those first couple years were difficult, jasmine desperately trying to please camila and vivienne and prove that they'd made the right choice in keeping her, while they tried to teach her that she didn't need to do anything to belong.

it's a lesson that she's never fully learned, no matter how many years have passed there is still a reminder of the little girl she once was. it's what catapulted her into pursuing childhood education, wanting to help other children who might be in a similar situation and ensure that they have a better childhood than she ever did.

after college she settled into herself in bear creek, becoming a preschool teacher at little saplings. she loves her job, and is dedicated to teaching the students under her care to be curious, brave, and kind. but mostly, she wants them to experience a childhood that she never got to live, and wants to be the person who might notice if there's someone in her class that needs support in the way she needed it all those years ago.

although jasmine feels like she's grown into her life, there's a weight that she still carries with her to this day, a self-reliance that's stubborn and that she can't quite shake. afraid of not being enough, of being left, of being disappointed. it takes a long time for her to fully trust someone and let them into her orbit completely - but the ones that have entered it are hers for life.

eventually she wants to find her own person, someone who loves her as completely as her moms love each other, and find a family that belongs to herself, even if it's unconventional like the one she grew up in.

𖤓  ⸻   CONNECTIONS.

full name : kendra li. nickname(s) : kenny. age : thirty - five. date of birth : july 17th, 1991. place of birth : bear creek, colorado. gender : demi woman . pronouns : she or they. religion : none. romantic / sexual orientation : bisexual. languages : english, conversational spanish and mandarin. occupation : librarian and ghost writer.

faceclaim : kelsey asbille . hair : black, very straight, cropped short. eyes : brown. distinguishable features : n/a. height : five foot and seven or 170cm . build : slim. tattoos or piercings : nose piercing.

mother : michelle stevenson-li. father : steve li. sibling(s) : n/a. spouse : none. children : james "jamie" warren (10).

trigger warning for abusive childhood, abusive/neglectful parents, trauma, pregnancy.

kenny knows well what it's like to be from the wrong side of the tracks. to go to school empty bellied and return to bottles all around the place, to wake up in the middle of the night with screams from the people who were supposed to protect her – and always failed to.

by the time her mother dies – found on a car that smashed against a tree, on the way to freedom – kenny is already independent and stubborn and a very quiet child. it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt that her father takes off two weeks after receiving the life insurance, leaving her at her grandfather's doorstep. he doesn't say if he will come back – she knows he won't. she's almost glad for it.

her grandfather doesn't make her introspection any better. her mother's father, who one day had been hellbent against kenny's own existence, he lets the kid absorb his own routine and makes no motion to change it. they live paralel lives in a way with her going to school and working part-time in some place around town, until the night comes and they eat watching tv and on the weekends they hike and hunt and fish. the cacophony suddenly becomes a quiet that she takes some comfort in – even if she never fully gets settled to it.

going to college seems like something from someone else's life, but a teacher at school insists that she applies to the university of denver for a degree in english literature – reading and writing had been her way out of every dark spot in her life, so why not make it a career? still, she continues to take up odd jobs while making the trip to denver every day.

it's only when she's 22 that an advisor approaches her with the opportunity that would turn her life around: he'd been working as a ghost writer for decades, but he was retiring and a client wanted someone to write their next big thing. kenny didn't think twice. giving up having their name on a book – instead, someone else's – seemed small compared to the amount of money they would get. to be able to pay off loans and their grandfather's small debts would mean the world to them.

one book turns into two, which turns into five and it goes on and on. the time she isn't studying to get her masters, she's writing – and then, without her paying any attention to it, the pregnancy test comes back positive. the right thing would be to end it, but sebastian makes her feel like she can do it. she can be better. so she finishes her degree online and has a baby – with someone she knows she can never be with because love always ends in misery.

just not the one she has with jamie. jamie, whom she will never let feel like she always did, because he's altogether loved. jamie, who makes her laugh more than she's ever done, who becomes the center of her world as soon as he comes out of the womb. jamie, who she never lets stray too far, just in case. just in case.

kenny is very athletic. they were on the track team at school and spent most of their weekends out on the park with their grandfather; they can also horse ride and enjoy it from time to time. they take a run everyday in the mornings and in the evenings, and goes camping whenever they are able.

they still write, under several pen names, never their own. one of their books have become a tv movie – she's racking up the money to put to jamie and to get out of bear creek at some point.

they have poor eye sight, so they use lenses on the daily but at home and at work they still have glasses.

their grandfather died a few years ago, leaving them the house on maple trace. they try to keep it nice and have made it a proper home for jamie, but they are not the type to hang out with the HOA.

pretty bad at the people thing. she comes alive when talking about books and has tried to put an effort to socialization, but she's not very good at it and prefers to listen.

STATS.

full name:  daniel xavier boudreaux

nickname: goes by danny

age: 50

date of birth:  september 24th, 1976

place of birth: new york city

current location: bear creek

gender: cis man

pronouns: he & him

sexuality: gay

occupation:  celebrity chef

living arrangements: a 5 bedroom house; lives alone ( + a dog <3 ) 

financial status: wealthy

spoken languages: english, french

faceclaim: michael ealy 

hair color and style: black, cut short

eye color: blue

eyesight: wears contacts

height: 5’11 

positive traits:  kind, humble, reliable, charismatcic

negative traits: self-critical, overbearing, pedantic, fatalistic

astrology: libra sun, virgo moon, leo rising ( chart )

mother: regina odonnel, adoptive mother; amelia swanson , stepmother; jennifer roche, stepmother, stella boudreaux , stepmother

father: maurice boudreaux, adoptive father; harvey swanson, stepfather; solomon roche, stepfather

sibling(s): step-siblings: cole swanson, connor swanson; marie roche , kim roche-carter , henry roche ; bea holloway 

PERSONALITY.

loves routine. hates mess. moderately good at managing stress but prone to cracking under too much pressure. fatalistic. often fails to see the bigger picture. loves to entertain. doesn’t mind being in the spotlight. thinks his is the right way. fails to communicate feelings when things get too serious. doesn’t know how to be vulnerable. likes to prove people wrong. knows the right thing to say. tries to remain humble. insufferable perfectionist.

DETAILS.

tw: mention of alcohol addiction

when regina and maurice boudreaux found out they couldn't have biological children, they took it as an opportunity, rather than a tragedy and thanks to that, daniel made it into the family through adoption at two years old. it hardly mattered when he was a child but once danny hit his teens, it became apparent that as his parents’ only child, there was a path planned out for him long before he was born. the boudreaux were always well off as a result of their wine business, started by maurice’s father, and a growing chain of fine dining restaurants, maurice’s own idea for expansion. daniel was supposed to join the family business right after college and having no better option, he agreed to it. a business degree at columbia later he had a change of heart, though. he grew up pretty hands-on with the restaurants—his mother used to take him to work sometimes when he was a kid and while she sat in the office, he was allowed to hang out in the kitchen with the chefs; when the early afternoons were still somewhat slow, the kitchen staff made sure to entertain the boss’ son, let him help out with little things. the older he got, the more interested in food he became, but not in the way that his parents wanted him to. making it was what truly mattered to him, not just selling it.

the career change prompted a few fights between danny, his dad and his second step-mother but in the end, he put his foot down and got his way, even managed a blessing from his father in the form of the man covering another (very expensive) tuition fee at a culinary school of daniel’s choosing. the next few years, danny spent studying and working different restaurant jobs in new york to gain experience and figure out what he was good at. for a while, his father tried to convince him to start working at one of their family restaurants but at that point danny was already sold to the idea of doing everything his way.

shortly before turning thirty, daniel had the idea of opening his own place. sponsored by his father’s money but cut off from the family name, he got a restaurant in lower manhattan up and running only for it to flop not even two months later, mostly due to only a semi-successful opening night and a bunch of reviews that made it seem like the place left a lot to be desired (danny still refuses to agree with any of those reviews, especially the ones about the food being lackluster). with the dream he spent the previous year working towards dead, danny decided to give up and give in—the restaurant closed and he began working alongside his father, managing a branch of their business. he stayed away from the kitchen this time.

over the next couple of years, danny followed the same pattern over and over—he’d move to another capital, oversee the process of getting another boudreaux restaurant up and running, managing it for a few months and then rinse and repeat, just in a different place. looking back at it now, danny absolutely hated the whole thing; he worked like a robot, doing things on auto-pilot rather than actually caring about what he was doing but he still worked practically 24/7, too afraid of something going wrong and turning him into another huge disappointment. he never took any vacation time, barely made friends and had a brush with alcohol addiction that he nipped in the bud with what he called “a retreat”—meaning rehab but nobody was to know about it save for his assistant, who organized the whole thing for him. 

things changed in new orleans. it started off the same way it always did, danny was going to open up and manage another restaurant for his father. he felt a lot more comfortable doing that this time around, though, mostly because that’s where his mother lived; he always got along with her really well (much better than with his father) so he moved in with her for the first few months and she became danny’s rock & emotional support. it was easier to do the work he didn’t want to do with her in the corner. then, after the restaurant had been running for a few months and doing really well, he was approached by the producers of a popular food travel show, who wanted to do an episode on the boudreaux restaurant in nola. after consulting his father—as he had to, about everything—he agreed and they filmed the episode. the entire process was the most fun danny’s ever had doing anything connected to the restaurant and the episode itself did really well. there was an influx of interest, both in the restaurant and danny himself. he stayed on with the nola restaurant for longer than any of the previous ones—he’d never stuck around for longer than fourteen to sixteen months, always happy to pass the place over to someone else, but he had a harder time leaving this one behind. 

eventually, he did but it took almost three years this time around. and then to everyone’s surprise, he didn’t immediately pack up and leave to get started with another location. for the first time in his life, daniel allowed himself to take the long-needed and well-deserved break. he traveled around the world, reconnected with old friends and spent some time thinking about what he wants to do with his life; he wasn't due a mid-life crisis just yet but it sure felt like one at times. 

during his three-month stay in italy, he got contacted by a friend of a friend who was looking to pitch a culinary show to their network and wanted to know if danny would be willing to do it. they’d seen the episode on the restaurant in new orleans, said they liked danny’s passion and energy and told him that he would be a great fit for the show they had in mind—something with a high-end and luxurious feel to it, gourmet food in a minimalist kitchen but delivered in a charismatic and easy-going manner that would make the casual home cook intrigued and willing to try out the recipes. danny said yes almost immediately—he was looking to do something different and the timing of this offer was perfect. his father was rather disappointed but then eventually realized that danny’s involvement in the show, especially if it was going to be popular, would prove beneficial for the family chain.

and it did end up being a hit; the ratings for the first episode were higher than the producers even expected. while danny didn’t have total control over the content yet—the recipes weren’t his and most of the script was written by somebody else—he still had a lot of fun doing it. when they filmed the first episode, danny was still living in new orleans but when he realized that he was going to be involved in the show long-term, he moved to LA—he hated it at first, but he more time passed, the more used to the city he got and it kind of ended up feeling like home. 

after the first season of the show wrapped up, danny’s name became quite popular; he had hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, people suddenly knew who he was and there were people and brands wanting to work with him. he negotiated with his producers and for the second season of the show, he was allowed to be in charge of the themes and the recipes, which was something he’s been dreaming about ever since the first episode. the second season was an even bigger hit and danny’s name made it into the inner circle. his media presence grew and his status as a celebrity solidified. danny didn’t really realize it happened until pap pictures of him getting coffee in the morning ended up on the internet. 

sometime during the time the second season was airing, danny was offered a book deal; it was another thing on his bucket list so he immediately agreed and got to work. because the show was already a big success, so was the book, it sold insanely well and only bumped up the show’s ratings. danny signed a contract for two more seasons and toured around the country with the new cookbook—things were going well.

they’d just finished filming the fourth season and the burnout hit. brainstorming and scripting the show should’ve been a red flag, really—he struggled with new ideas and had to let the team help him out a lot more than usual. the filming went smoothly but only because danny was giving it his all. the second they’d wrap for the day, he’d go home completely drained, wallow in self-pity and sleep, leaving no room for anything else. there was a deadline for a rough draft of his second book on the horizon but all danny has been doing so far was dodging calls from his publisher because he had nothing to show off.

the fix to all his problems came about after a very long phone call with one of his stepmoms. danny poured his heart out to jennifer one night and she firmly suggested he ought to take a break; put his career on pause for a while so he can take a step back, reevaluate and regain the passion that he’s lost. with the suggestion of a hiatus came an invitation—jennifer’s been back in her hometown, bear creek, for a couple of years now and she figured that the change of scenery could do him some good, the very same way coming to new orleans did back in the day. 

danny accepted, all out of ideas for how to get back to normal. it’s worked better than he imagined—he’s been here for six months now and he’s already dreading the day he has to go back because he loves it here so much. he’s negotiated a long hiatus with his management, his network and his publisher so he doesn't have to worry about anything just yet but sooner or later he’ll have to—there’s a book he needs to work on and another season of his show he has to prep for before the year ends. but that’s something he tries to ignore for now and instead, tries to focus on what’s important—getting back to feeling like himself again.

PLOTS AND CONNECTIONS.

— accidental roommate : danny's moved into a large, five bedroom house six months ago and the emptiness has managed to get to him, especially that he still haven’t fully furnished the place and that there are still some boxes lying around. in an attempt to fill the space with some energy, he’s offered your muse a space at his apartment. it doesn’t have to be a permanent living situation for your muse but it could be ! maybe your muse lives in a full house and enjoys their peace and quiet—danny's willing to provide that, for a night, a weekend, however long your muse needs a place for. or maybe they’re currently moving in; danny could’ve said something about looking for a roommate early into their friendship, promised he doesn’t even care about rent money, he wants company more than anything else. 

— eat, pray, love but mostly eat : in a quest to regain his passion for the work he’s doing, danny's been dragging your muse around different spots both in and outside the city; fancy restaurants, street food festivals, pop-ups. family-owned bistros, anything and everything that would help him explore and gather some inspo. and it's never fun doing alone, isn’t it?

— a one-night stand turned something : danny's been very apprehensive about any sort of romantic relationships for a while and especially now; this is meant to be the danny boudreaux reinvents himself summer and there shouldn’t be a place here for a man…except there is. a bar meet-cute, a night spent together, breakfast in bed in the morning and that was meant to be it except that they’re still texting and still running into each other and definitely not planning a date. maybe. 

— instant ride or die : when danny moves to bear creek, he only knows his stepparents and stepsiblings here, which is sort of depressing so he quickly goes out on a mission to get some friends—he thrives around other people, he needs new connections to help him get back on his feet. he and your muse click instantly, it’s some sort of where have you been all my life type of thing because they just get each other so well. danny doesn;t usually overshare so early into a friendship but it;s been just a couple of months and it seems like your muse knows everything about him. 

— dinner party regulars : danny loves to host and entertain so it was essential for him to get a couple of friends willing to put up with him fussing over wine and food a couple nights a month. they’re still very much getting to know each other but he’s got a solid bunch here, always willing to try whatever he’s come up with in the kitchen.

Bio: ( tw; foster care, slight mention of drugs, military, injury, hospital, mental health )

James and his sibling was born to a mother that was much too young, whose only worry about who was her next hookup or where she was going to get her next hit from. Raising her kids were the last thing on her mind so it came to no surprise that by the time he was seven, James and his sibling were taken and placed into foster care.

For the first few years that they bounced from home to home, they were placed together until James was ten. The two of them were placed into separate cars and a promise they would see each other again. That was nearly twenty years ago.

After that his time in foster care was lonely and James turned to music at an early age to help him hope with things. He found his love in old music, jazz and swing, in the tempos and beats that brought him an odd comfort. And shortly after, James would drum on whatever he could get his hands on. Old pencils, pots, pans, anything he could make music with.

By the time he was twelve, James was placed in what would become his permanent home. Adopted by a couple who welcomed him into their family with open arms, who allowed him to truly feel safe for the first time in years. Not only that but they fostered his love for music and bought him his first drum set for his thirteenth birthday.

While he wasn't exactly the best in school, James found his place in jazz band along with playing soccer. However he kept the best grades that he could with his sights set on college in a big town once he'd graduate. So when he got accepted into college in Chicago for percussion and music composition, it hardly came to the surprise of anyone.

However, little did anyone know that in his first year away at college, James was questioning everything. He felt like he wasn't good enough to make music his career, doubted himself more than he would ever admit, and finally the fear of failure was too much and James dropped out without telling anyone. Returning home the summer he turned twenty to let his family and friends know that he wouldn't be returning to school, instead he would be joining the military.

While it was a very surprising turn of events, something no one, himself included, ever expected him to do, James turned out to enjoy serving. And what was supposed to only be three years in the Army, James found himself in it for nearly ten years. He exceeded at what he did, enjoyed the comradeship he had with his fellow soldiers, and thrived with traveling to foreign countries.

However, he knew his time was coming to an end in the Army and had plans to get out in the next year. However, just six months before he would be home for good, James' entire life would be turned upside down. An unexpected explosion would nearly take his life, leaving him fighting to hang on. And land with him spending over a month in an overseas hospital before he would be able to fly back home, where he would spend another six weeks recovering from the ordeal.

While some scars are visible from what he had been through, some are not, including the TBI that he had suffered. Which affects his memory quite a bit- he's awful at remembering dates, numbers, directions. Most of his memories of life before the accident are blurry at best while some are just completely gone. There are days where he feels beyond fuzzy and confused, where he can't make sense of things but he does his best to not let that bring him down.

Now James has been home since January, taking the last six months to try and figure out his new normal and how to navigate life and not let his injury define him.

Misc:

Basically lives in old flannels and shirts, isn't the most fashionable person that there is.

Recently took in a stray dog (maybe not his best idea) which he named Ringo.

Is an absolute sucker for The Beatles.

Hasn't gotten behind a drum set since his accident, afraid that he's forgotten how to play them completely.

Loves being outdoors- Always enjoyed going hiking, camping, kayaking, fishing, ect and would love to find his way back to doing those things again.

Can't cook to save his life, even before he was injured James lived off of frozen meals and left overs from friends and family.

Has some PTSD and anxiety from serving/his accident though he tries to keep it under wraps, not wanting to make those around him worry even more.

Despite everything, James is a very laid back and easy going kind of guy. Still laughs and jokes and sometimes uses it as a way to cope.

Connections:

Best friends

Ex friends

Exes (good or bad terms)

People he might have served with

His biological sibling he hasn't seen since he was ten

Adoptive parents/siblings

Ex bandmates

      ✤      ONE         ›         BASICS   .

name.     saba marjan kharazi.         nicknames.     kharazi.         age.     forty-one.         birthdate.     may 13th.         hometown.     new york city,  new york.         gender.     cis woman.         pronouns.     she & her.         sexual & romantic orientation.     lesbian.         occupation.     owner @ books and crannies.          time in bear creek.     nine months.         neighborhood.     evergreen.         positive   traits.     assertive,  industrious,  creative.         neutral   traits.     ambitious,  competitive,  self-exigent.         negative   traits.     chaotic,  temperamental,  headstrong.

      ✤      TWO         ›         STORY   .

(  !  )   CW:     implied mentions of alcohol.

born the third of five children,  chaos was something that characterized you from the moment you took your first breath.   you were loud and demanding from the first second of your existence,  and that didn’t subside as years went by.   

as the middle child,  independence was part of your character from the beginning,  a trait that more often than not got you in trouble.   you grew up chaotic,  always messing around,  always giving headaches to your parents and your older siblings who,  despite their reproachful looks,  watched over you like hawks.   this didn’t stop your reckless behavior,  a behavior that only became more prominent and harder to control as you grew older.

however,  you were raised in a house of scholars with two college professors as parents,  and it didn’t take long in your life for that same path to find you.   you were exceptional from day one,  even though it took you a bit to show it,  yet by the time high school came,  everyone could see it.   you had developed a love for reading long ago,  your nose deep in a book,  the only thing keeping yourself out of trouble.   soon enough,  too,  you also developed a love for history,  a love that quickly became a passion that followed you strongly and steadily until college came.

to everyone’s surprise  ( because,  let’s be real,  you were too chaotic and too irresponsible for anyone to believe too much in you ),  you made it into yale university,  and flew the nest freshly out of eighteen.   your college years were a mess,  of course they were,  but you managed to attend every class no matter how hungover you were,  and ace every test no matter how many parties you had attended during the week.   you were brilliant,  which made things easier for you,  which allowed you to take liberties others couldn’t,  and it didn’t take much for you to graduate summa cum laude as a historian.

however,  despite your passion for history,  you wanted more.   you wanted to see the world,  not only live it but experience it.   that’s how you ended up traveling the country after graduation,  moving from one state to the next,  taking odd jobs that didn’t have much to do with your degree,  but that allowed you to live the life you wanted.   

walking this path is how you came to learn how to bookbind,  a trade that held so much beauty in your eyes you fell head over heels for it.   you were stationed in san francisco when you discovered it,  by chance,  of course,  but you knew right then and there that you wanted to learn it and do something with it.   you took several courses that thought you how to assemble books,  how to repair them,  how to bring them back to life.   and when you felt ready,  your odd jobs stopped being odd and started having a purpose.   yo repaired books for small libraries in the beginning,  growing a reputation,  filling your resume with recommendations,  and every place you visited after san francisco had a spot where you could work your magic.

that’s how you ended up in bear creek nine months ago,  after a life of traveling.   until this day you don’t know what it was about the town that drew you in,  but it did,  and you stayed longer than you intended.   with the savings of a lifetime,  you bought a small library tucked in a corner of aspen glen,  fulfilling a dream you didn’t know you had,  but that filled your heart with joy.   there,  every day,  you repair old books that need saving;  you bring them back to life,  and you sell them to those who appreciate them for what they are:  little treasures resting on a shelf waiting for the right person to take them home.

      ✤      THREE         ›         HEADCANONS   .

     i.     saba is the thirdborn of two iranian parents who ran away from their home country when saba was only four months in her mother’s womb.   she was born in new york,  and grew up surrounded by bustling culture that characterizes the city.   the change that bear creek provided gave them a sense of calmness she didn’t know she needed.      ii.     she’s an expert hiker and climber,  and by this time she has clocked every good place to do this around bear creek.   she goes for a hike every saturday first thing in the morning,  and plans her climbs carefully twice a month.      iii.     has a tuxedo cat named humphrey who is a constant presence in books and crannies,  and is her adoration.   he’s very friendly,  especially with regular customers.      iv.     possesses an untamed sweet tooth,  loves everything sweet,  but mostly pastries.   she leaves the bookstore every day at mid-morning to have one with a double-espresso.      v.     chaotic lesbian !!!   she’s just a mess,  and loves to be a mess.   despite the years,  she still knows how  ( and likes )  to get in trouble.   say jump,  she’ll say how high.      vi.     looooves cheap wine and hates snobs who think cheap equals bad quality.   she often indulges in a glass of it every night while reading her book of the month.      vii.     she’s not a fan of cooking,  but she makes an exception for persian food and the recipes she learned from her parents.   at least once a week,  she takes her time to prepare a persian dish and share it with whoever is willing to try it.      viii.     she’s fluent in english,  spanish,  and farsi,  this last one being her mother tongue.   regarding this,  she’s big on farsi terms of endearment,  and they will slip out of her without her even noticing.   if you do,  though …  well,  that’s up to you.

      ✤      ONE         ›         BASICS   .

name.     cordelia louise van der rohe.         nicknames.     none,  don’t you dare.         age.     fifty-three.         birthdate.     january 7th.         hometown.     portland,  oregon.         gender.     cis woman.         pronouns.     she & her.         sexual & romantic orientation.     lesbian.         occupation.     owner @ the velvet brew.          time in bear creek.     seven years.         neighborhood.     wildflower way.         positive   traits.     assertive,  astute,  decisive.         neutral   traits.     daring,  outspoken,  questioning.         negative   traits.     abrasive,  curt,  driven.

      ✤      TWO         ›         STORY   .

(  !  )   CW:   hardcore daddy issues.   bits of parental emotional abuse,  although nothing explicit.   be careful nonetheless.

born into a family of surgeons,  it wasn’t truly a surprise when you became one.   but before that,  there was a childhood,  one full of love and happiness and a type of indulgence that lasted until everything started to slowly disappear under the crushing weight of expectations.

you were nine the first time it happened—the moment you realized there had been a weight upon your shoulders all this time,  but that it had never showed up its ugly face until failure came knocking on your door.   you were nine,  and you failed in a ballet concert when you saw disappointment in your father’s eyes for the first time.   it made your heart recoil between your lungs,  leaving you breathless,  with unshed tears gathered in the corner of your eyes because no,  you weren’t going to cry,  not in front of him,  not ever.   you learned about something you didn’t want to witness again that day,  and it changed you forever.

expectations didn’t subside;  of course they didn’t.   on the contrary,  they became bigger,  heavier,  more brutal.   and so did you.   by the time you entered adolescence,  you were a force to be reckoned with,  excelling in everything you did—gymnastics ?   medals hung on the walls of your father's study with pride.   ballet ?   you never failed a concert again. school ?   aced every test,  every homework.   you were brilliant,  yet it turned out  …   it was never enough.   there was always another expectation,  a higher one.   there was always another goal to achieve,  another record to beat.   you were relentless and so immersed in never seeing disappointment again in your father’s brown orbs that you never realized how tired you were.

you went to med school because it was expected of you,  of course,  but you learned to love it.   in the end,  everyone in your family was a doctor—neurosurgeons,  trauma surgeons,  cardiologists,  oncologists  …   you name them,  and you’d find someone in the family with the title and the degree.   so when you were next in line,  you faced your duty proudly,  yet you decided to,  at least,  do it your way.   you have decided to do things your way a long time ago.

you became a surgeon by thirty-four,  and there was disappointment in your father’s eyes for the first time in years when you decided to take pediatrics instead of something else,  anything else.   but you were tired,  tired of fighting to avoid disappointment,  tired of doing things for others and not yourself.   college had changed you;  you’d become something beyond expectations,  but still feral.   yet the exhaustion of your soul never left,  not until bear creek appeared on the map after years and years and years of working relentlessly in the only thing you ever knew,  in the thing that,  despite your own decisions,  was never a choice you could make.

so you didn’t think it twice. 

you were forty-six the day you left everything behind and moved to bear creek,  the day you arrived in the little town,  brought a coffee shop,  and decided to start a life so different from the one you’ve been living you almost had a meltdown when you realized what you’ve done.   but it was done;  you have decided for yourself,  for the first time in decades,  you were doing something you truly wanted,  living an experience you truly desired to have for the first time in ages.   so there was not coming back.

these days,  after seven years,  you thrive as the owner of the velvet brew.   you have learned to soften your sharp character  ( even though you aren’t very successful most of the time ),  take care of your employees who always come first,  and paint your countenance with a practiced sweet smile reserved particularly for your regular clients.

you live a quiet life,  even if lonely sometimes,  but what else could you ask for ?   yes,  you miss medicine sometimes;  you miss the recognition,  the challenges,  the thrill,  but you love your calmness more;  you love the little,  new life you’ve built for yourself,  by yourself.   and that’s something you’re not willing to give up.

      ✤      THREE         ›         HEADCANONS   .

     i.     cordelia’s character is a difficult,  harsh one.   she has very low tolerance and will call you on your bullshit without a second thought.   she doesn’t appreciate stupidity,  disrespect,  or overfamiliarity.   however,  she has a terribly soft side that can often be seen around kids or in private with those she cares about.       ii.     she hates reading,  used to have the hardest of times with it in school,  but she found a way of liking it through comics.   they are her guilty pleasure,  so almost nobody knows about this,  and if you do,  she will murder you if you ever say something about it.   her favorite characters are wonder woman,  poison ivy,  and the x-men.   she also has a special place in her heart for scott pilgrim’s comics.      iii.     an absolute workaholic,  she adores lending a hand at the coffee shop.   you will often find her behind the counter,  working along her employees.   however,  if she’s not there,  she’s probably seated in a corner doing administrative work.         iv.     hardcore wine enthusiast,  so much so that she took a sommelier course during her college years,  and is always reading about new developments in winemaking.   her favorite grapevine is pinot noir.      v.     despite having a quiet,  mostly lonely life,  she doesn’t lack company when she wants it.   she has a strong group of friends,  and a few,  regular booty calls she trusts completely.      vi.     she has a black cat who is as moody as her,  her name is amélie, and cordelia is almost the only person she trusts and likes.      vii.     she’s a mean cook,  loves to do it for herself and others;  it helps her relax and let go of the stress after a particularly harsh day.   also,  she loves to have taste testers,  people willing to try her food and give her honest feedback  ( hmu if you’re interested to fill this connection with your muse ! ).      viii.     hardcore, super proud lesbian,  especially because she grew up in a very conservative household,  and coming to terms with it and living her sexuality freely was an absolute challenge.   she loves women and is not afraid to say it or show it.

Hello everyone, please meet my disaster son. This is Victor, he's 47 and a wreck. He grew up in a large family with little space for privacy and little funding for activities as both his parents had to work to support all his siblings. He was parentified a lil bit as one of the oldest, so he never wanted to have kids in the early days then kinda changed his mind which was a huge part in why he's divorced and sad, but I will get to that.

Because he had to share a room and basically every other space in his home as a child and grew up unable to play sports or anything that wasn't free, Victor spent a ton of time in the library. He could sit there in the quite, read, get his homework done, and his parents couldn't really complain because it was a good thing. It made him smart but it also made him a wee bit pretentious. Pobody's nerfect, right?

So Victor, being well read and knowing all the classics followed the path that lead him to being a professor of English Lit in Bolder. He loved his job, loved to talk and be heard and loved to rub elbows with educated people. He made good money and he met his wife in those circles and together they got to be lil book snobs and host parties but eventually the time came where she wanted to talk about starting a family. Victor balked because he had taken care of kids enough in his life and although she wasn't thrilled, he loved him so his wife agreed.

Flash forward a few years and Victor is 40-something and feeling the fomo as all the people around them have children and stuff and he brings up trying to his wife, who is older, at a good position in her job, and a bunch of other things that basically pushed her over the edge because his timing sucks and she feels like he wasted her time.

So they divorce. He sad. he big sad. And of course this messes with his career and social life as all their friends were intertwined. He needed to get far away from in as possible, so Victor moved in with his sister and got a job teaching at the high school. He likes it well enough in spite of the kids not having a passion for it as much as college students.