#cageau1

If you’d like to change something, just let me know! I’m p flexible anyway. i only wrote things out because i still think they make this post look nicer. Also, if any of these connections don’t interest you, but you still want to plot, I’m down for anything else! 

— SUMMARY

cricket comes from a semi-rich household in new york with severely strict parents; she’s always been full of vitality, but they hoped for a well-behaved girl who stands straight and tall and smiled when she needs to, not when she wants to. they try to fix her - replace her selfishness with altruism, replace her vulgarity with tenderness - but she has sin-laced smiles and a rebellious ember in her heart, coughing up ashes in her eyes, and she refused.

she drops out of high school before she finishes it because of stress (or “just because”) and runs off to florida. she starts performing on street corners as a joke - the first time she does, she’s not performing so much as practicing a few magic tricks with random street goers, but they pay her for the entertainment, so she thinks, why the hell not. a couple months after she starts, she hops on board with a passing carnival troupe and travels across state lines to do cute little carnie things.

the next time the troupe come through miami, however - about a year later - she decides to stay because she wants to work on her own thing (and carnival life isn’t independent enough for her). nowadays, she usually performs on the beach or on the piers, and occasionally freelances for anyone wanting to hire her for their kid’s birthday party and the like, but she doesn’t make much; just enough to make rent on an apartment shared with two friends.

— CONNECTIONS

scarlet lennon. roommate and best friend. she first met scar when she returned from her carnival-going life, looking for books to help her figure out living on her own. she returned often enough that she and scarlet got to talking, and eventually she moved in with the girl to the apartment above the store. scar tries to get her into reading a lot, but cricket only agrees whenever the books have pictures in them.

artemis miller. roommate and best friend. cricket was introduced to artemis through scar, when cricket came to pick up a book from the store and artemis was hanging around. the two of them aren’t very similar, but somehow, they still get along excellently. cricket adores artemis, and she often makes art help her practice her acrobatic routines around the apartment - mostly by encouraging her to do silly dances and just loosening up.

— SUMMARY

apollo is florida born and bred, and hasn’t ever left. he comes from a family smack dab in the area for “average middle class” - his mother dies after his younger sister’s childbirth, and their father is hardly ever home from his job. he grows up being more of a big brother than an individual - isobel, his sister, is born prematurely and has weak lungs; he spends most of his childhood looking after her, but he doesn’t ever mind.

out of high school, the first thing he goes into is pharmaceutical sciences, because he’s convinced it’s a good investment; both financially and for isobel’s health. he’s on a partial scholarship and currently in his last year, but he still has to work part-time jobs to pay for fees and other things - he’s a tutor whenever he’s hired for it, an assistant librarian during academic hours, and a barista in the evening/on the weekends.

personality-wise, he’s much of the same, save for the fact that he’s probably more social and a little less gruff. he’s still got a sort of socially clumsy way about him, and he’s not the most polite sort, but he’s more open to meeting new people. he’s still wary about letting people in - because it’s always been just him and his sister, as far as he’s concerned - but once he does, he’s loving and still very fiercely loyal.

— CONNECTIONS

cora hale. girlfriend. they’ve been dating for a month or so, now. she likes to take pictures of poe and draw stuff on him; he likes to scrawl little limericks and haikus on her wrist or on the back of her palm. instead of bedtime stories, when they cuddle, he reads aloud from his pharmaceutical textbooks to lull her to sleep. their one month anniversary comes up around the day of the beach party.

eli hale. close friend. poe has what is possibly the shittiest car in all of florida, a cheap rundown thing, and he’s at eli’s garage practically three times a week to get something or other fixed. he’s been there so regularly that the two of them eventually became increasingly familiar, to the point where apollo can easily call eli one of his closest friends, if not the closest, despite the age difference between them.

remi wilson. good friend. due to running in the same circles, poe and remi are fairly close - and remi teaches at the same university where poe studies, so they see each other often. when their schedules coincide to allow it, they tend to have lunch together; and when apollo, once more lost in the vast maze that is their campus, wanders into remi’s class by accident, he usually stays just for the hell of it.

ABOUT SCAR.

in this modern day scarlet, you will find she is much less argumentative, but more so sarcastic. she had no scars besides those that happen with everyday life. scarlet in this universe is happy, still a thief, and sarcastic as hell.

she grew up in a high-class family, always hating the way things were proper. she rebelled like any teen, but at one point she took it too far, having posted something too scandalous on instagram at the age of 18 and her parents asked her to move out. no, they didn’t ask, they told. she got a job, lived with her grandparents until she could afford her own place, and attended university for business  at night while working during the day until she could move into the business she was building. second-hand books by scarlet. or, as she likes to call it, scarred books. it’s a slow business, and she does most of her sales online, but she gets by and lives in the apartment up top with two friends who helps with rent. if most of her books come from her stealing them as she walks past people on the tube or in the park, no one has to know.

since moving out she has not contacted her parents, though she seems them all over social media. she stays away from the toxic she once had in her life, and now focuses on the happiness her friends supply. 

CONNECTIONS.

artemis. scarlet one day tried to steal her novel that she knew a customer had asked for, but artemis had caught her and scarlet tried to play it off like nothing happened. scar went on the bus the same day everyday to sit next to art and try again until art one day slipped the book in her purse. they became fast friends after that and soon artemis was living with her and cricket.

cricket. she is the one who wanted the book scar stole from art. they’re rommates and scarlet reads to her at night most of the time.

roman. he owns the building that scarlet’s shop is in. she sasses him a lot.

eli. they’re really unlikely friends still, but it somehow works.

astrid. her shop is right next to scarlet’s, so it makes sense that scarlet and her and friends of sorts. scar buys her flowers and astrid promotes her without scar realizing.

jay. they may not run in the same circles a lot, but his love of reading and her shop brings them together.

addie. seeing as she is the younger cousin of roman and roman and scar are friends of sorts, scarlet spent a lot of time at the flower shop getting to know this girl. if she ever needs help, scar is only a text away.

cassie. as her shop is close to scar’s they see each other a lot. business partners where scar sells her cupcakes at her shop and cassie sells some of scar’s books.

nat. newly broken up, nat and scarlet dated for about a year. they met through art as nat is also a med student and scarlet fell right away for the girl. after a year things began to get more and more serious and scarlet, being afraid of ruining everything, decided it was time to break it off before she fell too deep in love with the other girl (lbr she already has). so without explanation she broke is off with nat and now im sad about them okay i’m so sad.

Astrid’s parents never would have died. She would grow up in a welcoming and loving home. Her and Merlin grew up very close and remained close. While she was growing up her parents made sure to teach her life lessons that wouldn’t turn her into a total brat. While she was raised with a bit of money behind her family’s name, Astrid learned how to save and work for her own cash.

Eventually she opened her own flower shop a the young age of twenty. She has always loved the study of plants, keeping a large notebook of the types of flowers she’s collected. In her spare time, she likes to design new ideas for bouquets. Her favourite colour combination is orange, white and silver. Even though she was born in the spring, Astrid loves the fall.

She goes to the gym every night for two hours straight. Exercise and staying in shape is really important to Astrid. She enrolled in a martial arts class to hone in her fighting skills. Astrid finds it as an anger management release. You can take the girl out of the anger situation, but you cannot take the anger situation out of the girl.

Her social life would be completely different. Astrid would be talkative and she would hoe around and own it. Being confident is something that she learned from having supporting parents to help her grow up. Her brother, a security guard, sneaks her into concerts where Astrid seduces the pop stars and gains trust in almost everyone she meets. 

She graduated with excellent grades, foregoing college/university since she didn’t really need it. She usually hangs out around the coffee shop, getting a drink after her morning/night run. Astrid still doesn’t drink alcohol, opting for water instead to keep herself fit and hydrated. Health is very important to her and if anything, Astrid is a wee bit of a nutritional nut.

Her first real boyfriend lasted for about a year (18-19 yrs old) during that time he abused her greatly (emotionally and mentally) into thinking that she wasn’t good enough for other people. So she went along with it, even after dumping him and seeking help from a women’s shelter. It’s what really brought on this health kick and she strives to look good while seeking love from other people. some people say she’s got a problem with her dieting/work out routines, but she thinks it’s working for her.

CONNECTIONS;;

merlin clarke -- brother. 

since merlin was never taken away from astrid, they remained close and by each others sides for a long time. they see each other every day and merlin even sneaks astrid into concerts (bless).

cyrus mckennon -- infatuation.

more of a challenge than anything, astrid first met cyrus in the coffee shop she usually goes to meet with her friend. they bantered a little before astrid invited cyrus to a party and since then she’s been trying to get with him without making it obvious. 

eli hale -- flirtationship.

they met at her gym and ever since meeting eli, astrid has grown to like being around the boy. they flirt and banter, not caring about who is around. astrid sees this as a fun time without actually touching someone.

remi wilson -- interest.

what can she say, astrid likes them older. remi came into her flower shop to buy some flowers for whatever reason, and she never fails to flirt with the older male, clearly a professor due to his tweed jackets. astrid, having a thing for being in control, likes knowing that remi is interested in playing her game.

scar lennon -- neighbours.

astrid’s shop is right next to scarlet’s and every day she comes in to scars book store with a coffee in her hand in hopes to make new friends. she takes some business cards from scar’s store and promotes her in her flower shop, wanting to get to know the girl.

artemis miller -- literal neighbours/sponsors.

astrid met artemis in the women’s shelter, and later on she found out that art lived in her building. after sharing each others stories, the two of them lean on each other for support and when times get rough they turn to each other to share their problems. 

adriel wentworth -- new enemies.

since meeting cyrus, astrid has become infatuated with the boy-- and she isn’t the only one. adriel used to date the author before astrid came into the picture and now that the truth has come out, the two of them dislike each other very strongly.

noah rhys -- friends older (annoying) brother.

she’s always had an older brother complex for as long as she could remember and her friends were no different. she liked to tease noah, annoy him to no end and he liked to do the same.