#derryintro

♡ born and raised in derry

♡ was kicked out when she was fifteen, taken in by her grandmother and still lives in her house even now that she has passed

♡ bills are likely a month late, but she’s always on time for happy hour 

♡ denim jackets and ripped jeans are a regular wardrobe 

♡ openly bisexual since 8th grade 

♡ teaches piano out of her home to make extra cash 

♡ works night shifts at the local gas station, thinks about quitting every day 

♡ in her final year of college, studying in hopes of getting a job at the inquirer

♡ has multiple DUIs; license is currently suspended -- local cops know her by name for reckless driving and shoplifting 

♡ blames herself for the death of her first girlfriend; ashley overdosed at a party and salem left to avoid getting busted because she was underage 

♡ spends more money on cigarettes than actual food

♡ cannot cook to save her life, lives on frozen meals and takeout

♡ is nicer when she drinks 

♡ sleeps around but has a bad habit of getting easily attached 

Hey hey! Here’s a lil bit about my new b, though I’m still working out all the details. He’s been in Derry since he was 10, so for 25 years, so I’m open to most plots/connections.

Gabe Knight was born to loving parents Virginia and William Knight in London, England. They were the perfect family. His mother was a school teacher, and his father owned the local book store. They were close knit, cookie cutter, and extremely loving towards one another. Virginia’s mother, Rose, also lived with the family after her husband passed away when Gabe was a toddler. They weren’t poor, but far from well-off. They lived simple lives and were more focused on their time together as a family than materialistic goods. Gabe is very close to all of his family, especially his parents and grandma.

When Gabe was 10, his parents were driving home from work (his father always dropped his mom off in the morning, due to only having one car) and they were t-boned. The crash killed them both instantly and nearly broke Gabe entirely. He was left in the care of his grandmother, and she made the decision to move them to the United States for a fresh start. It was just too painful to be in England anymore. (So yes, he still has an accent.)

Gabe has always been creative. He loves to build, fix, and restore things. He loves to write--poetry, songs, stories, etc--and is always carrying around a journal because he like the permanence of pen and paper. He’s a bit of a forward thinker, having no idea what he wanted to be when he was a kid- and is still figuring that out to this day.

One thing Gabe knew he always wanted to be was a husband and find a love that his parents shared. He dated casually in High School, but never found the time to commit to anyone due to how busy he was getting good grades to keep up his scholarships, playing sports (soccer is a big one), or extra circulars. It was a priority to him, but one he wanted to explore after graduating from College and becoming a teacher like his mom.

That all changed when his freshman orientation, he met who he thought was ‘the one’. Him and Autumn dated all through college and got married right after they graduated. They moved back to Gabe’s hometown of Derry (so he left for four years) and they both began teaching at the local high school. Gabe was the English and drama teacher, and his wife taught History. Their marriage wasn’t perfect--they were always buying into the ‘opposites attract stereotype’--but they were happy. Until they weren’t.

Gabe’s grandma, Rose, died suddenly and it sent Gabe spiralling. He quit his job at the school and these factors caused a bit riff between Autumn and Gabe and continued to push them further apart. Since Gabe had most week nights and weekends free, he tried to turn his grief into something tangible and opened SecondHand Rose as a way to remember his grandma by. She had always loved antiques and being in the store is a good way for him to remember her and also keep her memory alive. Everyone in town loved Gramma Rose, she was everyone’s grandma.

This in turn, however, took up a lot of Gabe’s free time and Autumn was less than pleased. She was glad her husband was healing from his grief, but she harboured resentment as well.

The strain on their marriage came to a head nearly a year after opening the store when Gabe went to the high school on his lunch break to surprise Autumn and he caught his wife sleeping with the principal of the school. He was heart broken and beyond devastated to lose his grandma and his wife in the short span of just over a year and a half.

He promptly moved out of the house and now lives in the apartment suite that is attached above his store. He fixed it up over time ever since he bought the place, planning to rent it out for extra income but was glad it was vacant when he needed it. He no longer talks to Autumn, and wants nothing to do with her. He’s putting all of his free time in continuing to make the store as good as it can be. Given how old the building is, it often needs repairs but thankfully, Gabe is a handyman so he’s happy to put in the elbow grease. He also has a lot of Gramma Rose’s things on display as a sort of museum of her incredible life. He misses her dearly and this store helps him cope with her loss.

He’s doing his best to keep a brave face but inside he is very broken. Gabe is a perfect English gentleman; very kind and caring. He’s charismatic and kind, but also can be reserved and jealous as a result of all of the things he’s been through over his life. He’s a great friend and would do anything to help someone, even if they were a stranger. He’s drinking more than usual now and also picked up smoking to cope with the stress (tsk tsk). Gabe is as selfless as they come and loves to make others smile, even if he barely does it himself anymore.