#jukeboxintro

so ,   pls    read    her    google    doc    bc    that    lays    out    her    whole    past  .    the    skinny    of    it    is    this   :      she    left    home    at    18    and    moved    out    to    san    fran    and    has    been    working    at    jukebox    as    a    clerk    &    occasional    musical    guest    at    the   bar    ever    since  .     her    older    brother    died    driving    to    the    hospital    when    she    was    being    born  ,   she    has    two    younger    sisters  .    she   grew    up   very   wealthy  ,    but    shunned    her    parents    life   style   when   she   left    new     york    for    california   .

she    helps    out   everywhere    that    she    can    at    jukebox  ,    including    the    time    when    they    really    needed    a    bartender    and    they    asked    her    in    desperation    and   ...    we    don’t    talk    about     how    that    went   .    

nowadays  ,   here’s    what    janey    is    like   :

  -     raised     to    behave    like    a    perfect    princess  ,    and    trained    as    a   professional    ballerina  ,   she    is    incredibly    poised    and   graceful  .    she’s    polite    to   a   fault  ,   and    can    conjure    a   very   convincing    sunshiny   smile    at    the    drop    of    a    hat   .   she’s    probably    the    best    at    dealing    with   difficult    customers    at    the    store   .

  -     she    was    often     to    to    be    seen    and    not    heard  ,   not    to   speak    unless    spoken    to  ,   so    unless    ur   very    close    she’s    likely    reticent    to   share    her    feelings   /   start   a   conversation  .   she    may    not    be    outspoken  ,    but    don’t    mistake    that    for    indifference  .    she’s    passionate   ,    just    reserved   .

  -    on    being    reserved  :    she    has    a    real    hard    time    expressing    herself    and    standing    up    for    herself    sometimes  .    she    has    since   leaving    home    mastered    the    art    of    the    withering    stare   .   

  -    saccharine    and    compassionate  .     she    is    the    wine    mom    of    all    wine    moms  .     always    has    advice  ,    always    has    some    spare    champagne    tucked    away   in    case    of    good    news  ,   always    has   whatever   u   need   stashed    at   jukebox   or    in    her   purse   .   

  -    similar   to    monica    geller    vibes  ,    her    apartment    is    immaculately    clean    and    infinitely    cosy  .     always    brings    baked    goods    down    to    work    on    mondays  ,    and    the   perfect    hostess    raised    by    a   manhattan    socialite   ,    she    always    has    people    over    for    parties    after    work  .   -    always    takes    new    people    in    under    her    wing    if    they’ll    let    her  .   -    always    has    a   positive    attitude    at    work    even    if    it’s    complete    bullshit  .     she’s   one    of    those    people    who    will   sob    in    the    bathroom    then    fix    her    makeup    and    be    little    miss    sunshine    again  .   -    she     handles    other    peoples    problems    to    avoid    handling    her    own  !   huge   caretaker   personality  !    quote   :    i    have    this    uncontrollable    need    to   please    people   .

  -    she    might    not    seem    like    it   bc   she   keeps   up   a    lot    of    pretense    until    you   get   to   know   her  ,    but    she’s    a   pretty    big    stoner   /   drinker   /   occasional    partier   .   when    she    rolls    her    own    flower    she    puts    in    dried    lavender    and    roses   ,   usually    gives    ppl    rlly    nice    joints   like    that   for    birthdays   .   -    she’s    AMAZING    at    scrabble  .    don’t    challenge    her    to    drunk   scrabble    because   it    gets    intense   .   -    speaks    fluent    french    and    italian    because    they    used    to    “   summer    ”    alternating    between    northern    italy    and    southern    france  .   -    still    plays    violin  ,    but    also    took    up   electric    bass    to    honor    her    brother    when    she    moved    out    to    cali  .    keeps    up    with    ballet    lessons    occasionally   for   cardio  .   -    she    never    leaves     the    house    without    lipstick    &   earrings   on  .    almost   always   wears    heels   .    NEVER    wears     her    hair    just    down  .    always    at   least    has    a    clip   or   a    braid  ,    almost    always   a    ribbon    and    more    often    than    not    a    silk    scarf   /   bandana   .     call    that    her    mother’s    voice    in    her    head  .   -    still    a    heaux    for    classic    rock    through    and    through  .    she    wears    a    lot     of    band    t  -  shirts    (   but    only    around    the    house    and    to   sleep   )    when    she   gets    to    pick    the    music   it’s    exclusively    grandpa    rock  .    sorry  .    aside    from   that    she    listens    to    classical   music    (    debussy  ,   satie   ,   chopin  ,   strauss    )    &    watches   a   lot    of    classic    movies   (   casablanca   ,   roman    holiday  ,    vertigo  ,     n   rear    window   are    her    favorites   &    ofc    breakfast   at    tiffanys   )    and    has   a    whole    lot    of    professional   ballets    recorded  .    

BASICS

given name: mason reid taylor

age: 21

orientation: pansexual

date of birth: august 3

place of birth: doncaster

modifications: tattoos; small hearts on middle fingers

height: 5′10″

star sign: leo

mbti: enfp

positive traits: passionate, optimistic, adventurous, valiant

negative traits: impulsive, naive, heedless, loud

BACKGROUND

originally from across the pond, out in doncaster to be exact.

only child to two rather young parents, which he would later learn became a strain on their relationship and eventually their lives.

otherwise, his early childhood was rather mundane.

it wasn’t until a bit later in life that the tension between his parents and the downward spiral his mother was on became unavoidable.

her excuse had always been that she “wasn’t feeling well” and his father would insist “go and play, let your mother be”, but as mason grew older and wiser, he learned what things like depression meant and how it manifested itself in those close to him.

when his parents ultimately split, mason wound up living with his father, whisking them off to san francisco in the man’s pursuit of a promising new job — in the meantime, his mum in an institution back home to receive the help she deserved. though he didn’t quite realize it at the time, being forced away and never seeing him mother since was something he would never really get past.

he was always on good terms with his father, but ever since, mason had a repressed sense of bitterness and jadedness that blew up from time to time. he felt crushed by the weight of the man’s expectations and restricted from living the uninhibited life his soul craved.

as a result, mason did what he’s always done best: whatever the hell he wanted. pushing his father to the limit, mason was on the cusp of being kicked from his home when he turned 18 and took it upon himself to pick up and head out on his own, ultimately landing in a shitty modest apartment ‘round the corner from jukebox records. sure, it was cramped — but it was the freest he’d felt in years. you see, mason has this knack for making the most out of anything.

in present day, mason is… well, if you ask him, he’s not entirely sure. he’s only dropped out of school more than once —- but it’s exactly how he prefers it. live fast and die young, and in the meantime, serve coffees. (maybe he has that painted on a sign somewhere in his crappy, little apartment? who knows).

he loves to skate (he was a sk8er boi she said see ya later boi), and make promises to himself that he’ll go home someday… all in the meantime constantly worrying that he might one day follow in the footsteps of his mother

PERSONALITY

i enjoy relating him to a happy dog who pants a lot.

but in all seriousness…

this one’s unapologetically loud and northern.

a literal and figurative big mouth tbh.

but overall, so Good and So Pure despite being often labeled as one of those ‘disruptive and delinquent children’.

thanks to this and other events in his life, he’s become a huge advocate for the underdog, and (like many things) wouldn’t think twice before jumping in to help anyone.

has some difficulty with being told what to do. in that respect, he’s still very much a child.

talks a lot and talks very fast.

moves very fast too, tbh. he seems to be in some sort of cast with another broken bone constantly.

seriously — that’s just mason naturally, no caffeine. he never even drinks coffee, but he takes great pride in the lil art.

guarantee he’s been chastised more than once for taking the time to ask each and every individual person all about their day and life as the line floods out the door.

his intentions are good, but often so thoughtless that it tends to be his biggest flaw.

Easily Distracted and Hyperactive.

momma’s boi.

enjoys crushing gender stereotypes — loves the color pink and ain’t afraid to sport some fresh painted nails.

he’s full of joy and smiles, give him some hugs and pats and he’ll love you for life~

CONNECTIONS

really, i would cry over any connection/plot. here are just a few !!

fast friends : someone he quickly bonded with after arriving in town, they may have shown him the ropes and some neato places around these parts.

best friend / ride or die : bonus points if they also skate !! let them wreak havoc on these streets.

unrequited crush : please just let him act a fool around this person, trying and failing to impress them time and time again.

neighbors : he’s loud, and he doesn’t know when to stop. guarantee he’s not on great terms with this person.

roommate(s) : i know this kid ain’t paying for his place on his own. he needs a roomie !!

clementine was born on august 4th, 1994 to james and melanie st. clair. she was a miracle child for her mother at age 37 and the only child to be born to her two parents. she’s always wanted a sister, but her parents never entertained that idea.

she grew up in a million different places. her father owns multiple apartment buildings all over the city and they’ve hopped from place to place, as he likes to be present amongst his tenants. it is less of a kind gesture and more of a Big Brother gesture—he craves control, which he exerts in every way possible over his only daughter.

clementine used to liken herself to a caged bird—always admired, but never allowed to fly. even now at 25, she feels like she is often trapped in her father’s iron grasp.

she was given everything she wanted, called “the little princess” and doted on by anyone who came into the house. it gave her a bit of a big head when she was younger, but made her restless as she got older. she’s used to getting what she wants, but doesn’t like to be doted on.

clem has tried to run away from home at least 10 times and been brought back each time. the longest she lasted was a week at a friend’s house when she was 16. her father sent her to an all girls’ boarding school for the last two years of high school and that was her last attempt.

when she’s stressed out, she puts on her headphones and goes to sit in the cafe for hours on end and re-reads pride and prejudice.

though the apartments above jukebox are the most popular amongst her dad’s properties, it’s his least favorite. which makes it clementine’s favorite property and the one she chose to live in when he gave her a choice of properties. it was the smallest amongst the apartments, but ensured her father would come around less and that’s what she wanted.

clementine has never had a real job. she’s worked at a few random places here and there for a few weeks at a time, but it interfered with her social calendar and she couldn’t put up with that for too long.

she wants desperately to be friends with the jukebox staff but often convinces herself that they won’t see her the way they see their coworkers and regulars because of her uptight father. this is especially true with the tenants of the apartment building who have experienced his temper flares.

clementine loves to paint. she wanted to go to school for studio art but her father wanted her to go for business management, so she compromised and went for business management. she spends a lot of her free time sitting at the park and practicing different mediums.

her favorite comfort foods are chinese takeout (orange chicken and chow mein or beef and broccoli) and homemade spaghetti. she’s tried a million ways to make it herself but she’s never been able to perfect it—she’s a terrible cook.

she has never been in a relationship longer than 3 months. she gets bored very easily, especially with boys. she loves to play.

(TW: alcohol) clementine often likes to drink herself silly. she’s not honest with herself nor the people around her and she’s found that drinking opens her up to her feelings and emotions more. when she feels she really needs to open up to someone, she’ll show up to their place with alcohol.

clem loves thrift shopping. her entire wardrobe is made up of recycled pieces, mostly from the 1970s, as that’s her favorite silhouette and color palette to work with.

STATISTICS.

full name : cruz joaquin de soto

occupation : works remotely for his step dad

orientation : panseuxal

height : 5′10

build : toned , muscular

BACKGROUND.

cruz was born in austin , tx. to a single mom.

ran away from home multiple times when he was a kid because he was a #rebel and his mom wasn’t able to give him a ton of attention.

failed the 9th grade because he would skip all the time. 

between 9th and 10th grade his mom met & got married to a wealthy man who she knew from high school. at first cruz hated him . . . immensely because he wanted cruz to change , but eventually the man grew on him.

he never really grew out of his rebellious phase , but his stepdad helped him stay in line with his life and actually graduate. 

for a while , he had an open like to his dad funds , but after cruz graduated high school , his dad wanted him to do more with his life.

cruz , however , just wanted to travel around on his own so they made a deal , he had to work remotely for him wherever he was , and he’d keep supporting him.

so , lil cruz was off with an online job he really didn’t mind and a heart for traveling.

ended up settling in california and enrolling in san fran. uni so he is currently a general studies college student

PERSONALITY.

as far as personality goes , cruz is spoiled. very much wants what he wants and will get it.

generally , though , he has a radiant personality. people like being around him.

he acts a little ... stupid but he’s actually pretty intelligent. most of the time.

lacks some basic manners but will apologize for his own impoliteness. 

basically like . . . a frat bro . . . who loves music 

HEADCANONS.

he speaks spanish and english fluently , spanish being his first language.

he can play the guitar and the keyboard/piano , two gifts to him when he was younger from his mom. 

he’s always been super connected to music and is a pretty skilled guitarist , but he’s dumb and hasn’t done anything with it. 

sometimes will post himself singing or playing an instrument on instagram and acts like he’s not really good

visits both record stores frequently

a big , big dumb 

CONNECTIONS.

( 0 / 2 ) exes

( 0 / ? ) hookups

( 0 / 1 ) best friend

( 0 / 1 ) frenemies 

( 0 / 1 ) polar opposite

( 0 / 1 ) good influence

( 0 / 1 ) bad influence

( 0 / ? ) college friends

background | past & present

julian was born julian tyler evans on march 28, 1996, in santa barbara, california, to claire evans and dylan porter. if you ask him, he’ll tell you he has one parent - his biggest inspiration and his role model, claire. julian inherited all his best traits from claire: his kindness, his determination, his passion, and his ability to care for everyone and anyone. as a pediatric nurse, claire worked long hours throughout the majority of julian’s childhood, but still managed to stay exceptionally present in her son’s life and parent him through a tumultuous relationship.

dylan is out of the picture. julian has a few happy memories with his dad prior to the age of six, but the majority of their relationship is mired in trauma. dylan always had problems with alcohol, even prior to having julian, but those issues worsened when he lost his job in the early 2000s. seemingly overnight, the dad that julian once knew vanished. what started as a loving father-son relationship turned into a twisted game of cat and mouse, and julian found himself walking on eggshells in his own home. more often than not, julian spent his nights covering the bruises and scratches dylan gave him earlier in the day. julian and claire quickly became ER regulars, and he learned to sew his own stitches before his fourteenth birthday.

the abuse julian endured forced him to turn his pain and doubts inward. the overly happy and energetic child version of julian disappeared, replaced by a cautious and quiet boy who didn’t dare rock the boat for fear of retaliation. throughout his difficult childhood, julian found solace in one thing - music. as the son of two musicians, julian learned guitar and piano before he learned to form proper sentences. a natural knack for the craft led julian to pick up bass, drums, and production at an early age (though guitar and piano are still his first loves). the majority of julian’s high school years were spent locked in his room, perfecting one beat for several hours or layering vocals late into the night.

his best friend, danny, is perhaps the only thing that kept julian’s head above water throughout his childhood. julian and danny met in the orchestra room in middle school when neither of them had friends to sit with at lunch. the two boys became best friends instantly and helped each other through their childhood struggles - danny helped julian survive his dad’s abuse and julian provided danny with a safe space after coming out to his homophobic parents.

julian and danny moved to san francisco for college. it was there that they met zoe and kevin through an on-campus a cappella group. the four bonded immediately through a cappella and now play together in a band (and live together as roommates). you can catch them playing gigs around town, and you’ll probably catch julian outside the venue two hours later having in-depth conversations with every person who showed up for their show. the stage is the one place where julian comes alive - he’s a natural performer and sheds his shy persona easily when he’s in his element.

outside of the band, julian works as a second grade teacher, and occasionally works in the stacks at the local library during the summers to make extra money. he adores children and spends most of his free time coming up with lesson plans and songs to teach his kids in an engaging way. adorable elementary school teacher by day, hot musician by night: the julian evans story.

personality

julian is the definition of the “beautiful cinnamon roll, too good, too pure for this world” meme. he cares deeply and intensely about the people he loves, and he’s the most loyal friend you’ll ever have. julian is the friend who will hold your hair back while you puke. he leaves granola bars in his roommates’ cars when he knows they’re not eating enough. he goes out of his way to care for everyone he meets without expecting anything in return.

with that being said, julian is a bit of a doormat. this largely stems from his history of abuse - he’s used to thinking that things are his fault, and that it’s easiest to accept the blame and not rock the boat, even when he’s in the right. he’s the guy who won’t mention that the waiter got his order wrong at a restaurant because he doesn’t want to make them uncomfortable. you could shoot julian in the heart and he would apologize for bleeding on your clothes.

julian prefers lyrics to discussions. he’s a producer and a songwriter above all else, and he finds it much easier to express his feelings through music than through conversation. when his back’s against the wall - when he’s experiencing intense ptsd or anxiety or sadness or anger - he locks himself in his room and writes music.

as someone who craves deep, lasting connections, he isn’t one to have lots of acquaintances or fair-weather friends. he can count the number of close friends he has on one hand and he likes it that way. it’s hard for julian to open up to people initially, but once you get through his quiet exterior, he’ll let his guard down and stick with you no matter what.

in terms of romantic relationships, julian is tragically heterosexual. like in his friendships, julian is the type of person who wants a long-term, stable relationship. since his childhood, julian has always been a hopeless romantic, constantly searching for the girl who will finally make him understand the love songs he’s listened to his whole life. he’s painfully shy, which means he has a hard time approaching girls he’s interested in, and most girls don’t take the time to crack through his quiet exterior. with that being said, the girl who does end up with him for the long haul is in for a very loving relationship.

headcanons

around his friends, julian is the quintessential chaotic aries. he WILL set the kitchen on fire because he moves too quickly while cooking and will try to do backflips in the living room just to prove he can.

julian is a fantastic cook and a terrible baker, because he gets too distracted to properly follow directions. he’s also been a vegetarian since he was 13. his favorite food is his mom’s eggplant parmesan.

he has a small garden on the balcony of his apartment, where he’s trying to grow vegetables and flowers. he says hi to the bees that show up every morning and has names for all of them, even though he can’t tell them apart.

julian loves his music more than anything and tries to form deep, lasting connections with the fans of his band. he remembers every person he’s met and always tries to connect with people, even though it’s a bit draining for him as an introvert. he’s terrible at social media and has no idea how to work instagram live, but tries to do it anyway to connect with the fans.

julian will listen to anything and everything - kpop, death metal, folk, rap, the works. he drives his roommates up the wall by blaring music at all hours of the day.

he has a pit bull named belle that he adopted from the shelter. she’s his best friend. he also has four aunts, and was basically raised in an intersectionally feminist sex-positive witch coven. yep.

producing is julian’s biggest passion, followed closely by songwriting. he produces all of his band’s songs and enjoys collaborating with others on production. it’s the one area where he feels confident enough to be himself.

for someone so shy, julian is super comfortable with his sexuality and won’t stand for toxic masculinity. he and danny used to do drag, but he hasn’t had a ton of time for it recently. he is also very confident in the bedroom, which surprises a lot of people. hehe.

julian is a boxer. what stemmed from a need to defend himself turned into a genuine passion - it’s easy for him to turn his brain off and focus when he’s working out. that being said, you’ll only find him at the gym in the wee hours of the morning, when he doesn’t have to be around too many people. he is an introvert, after all :)

Basics:

Name: Arlo Rafael Rosales

Age: 26

Career: Jukebox Records (Bartender)

Music Taste: Classic Rock

Personality:

Positive: Witty, charismatic, protective

Negative: Impulsive, aloof, disorganized

Biography:

September 13, 1993. Miami, Florida. Arlo was born to immigrant parents from Venezuela. The first of a new generation, a first generation American, a lot fell to him growing up. In Miami, Spanish was commonly spoken, but the farther north his family went, it became less frequent. As the oldest, and most fluent in both languages, he often played translator between his parents and sales clerks whenever they went out. The oldest of five kids, he was often the one left to wrangle them. With both his parents working to support their family, he took on the role of a third parent to his siblings, making dinner, helping them with their homework, and getting them ready for bed.

The family moved a lot growing up. His dad getting a promise of a new, better job brought them north. His mom’s mom getting sick brought them back down south. When his mom was too afraid of not being allowed back into the country to take care of her, Arlo went instead, having an American passport and the need to escape for a while. He was fifteen years old when he left and returned shortly after his sixteenth birthday, after his grandmother was in better health.

Upon his return, without school to keep him occupied, he started a band. It never really went anywhere and they spent most nights practicing in a friend’s garage after school. Other than that, he worked odd gigs wherever he could; burger joints and retail as a teen, the occasional janitorial gig once he turned eighteen. None of them ever really stuck and he often felt like he was stagnating, just wasting time waiting for his real life to start. Maybe all he needed was a change of pace.

He spent two years saving up money, working three jobs and countless hours a week. He never went out, never spent any money, and had his sights set on California. Eventually he managed to make enough money to fly across the country. The apartment he was renting for an exorbitant amount of money was cramped and infested but he found a job soon enough. It wasn’t a good job but it was better than nothing.

Once he found Jukebox and got a job there, he was twenty-three, far past ready to really be doing something that he loved. He worked as a store clerk while he trained to tend bar and got his license before immediately asking to switch positions. He was nocturnal at the best of times and worked best at night.

Headcanons:

He views anyone on staff younger than him as a little sibling and is ready to fight to protect them. He generally acts as a sibling to anyone who really needs it, which makes things difficult considering he’s very lonely romantically.

Music was one of the few things his parents could really afford for him to do growing up. The guitar he got for his thirteenth birthday was the guitar he carried with him everyday for eight years before the sound became too heavily distorted and he had to lay it to rest.

He’s very used to concealing his emotions and no one ever really knows just what he’s thinking, because his face is usually blank and neutral.

He dropped out of high school to care for his grandmother and only got his GED after his parents told him that they wanted him to make something of himself.

He never went to college.

He used to write the music and lyrics for his band when he was growing up and sometimes wishes he had stuck with it.

He found Jukebox Records while on a walk one day, high out of his mind, and couldn’t get over how excited he was. The second he stepped foot inside, he never wanted to leave.

He’s become a usual fixture at the store. Even when he’s not working, he’s at the bar drinking or he’s in the coffee shop writing.

BASICS

given name: annalee ava knight

age: 26

date of birth: september 18

place of birth: san francisco 

modifications: n/a

height: 5′8″

star sign: virgo

mbti: estj

orientation: bisexual

positive traits: valiant, pragmatic, spirited, ambitious

negative traits: assertive, brash, competitive, impatient

BACKGROUND

annalee never knew home. but as time passed, she learned that home wasn’t always with family nor was it a physical place, it was a feeling and state of being.

the realest home she knew was not with her foster parents, but rather the old, rundown bedroom with a single mattress on the floor that she called home when she was 18 — with a vintage 80s casio keyboard synth propped in the corner and golden hour rays that shined perfectly in the only window.

she might not have known her parents, but somehow, she could only imagine this wasn’t the life they dreamed of for her — if they even dreamed of one at all. in fact, it wasn’t the life for many, but for annalee, bouncing around between odd jobs and having just enough to get by in all corners of san francisco felt right, and in true annalee form, she’s only ever done the things that feel right in the moment.

in her series of odd jobs, she landed herself a nice little gig playing some keys for an assortment of local bands. it kept her busy more than anything, and even when she was hired as part of a touring band for a series of shows across the u.s., she never felt like she was doing anything more than standing on the outside, looking in. always the bridesmaid, never the bride — in a way. sure, she helped bring to life something bigger than herself, but she was never part of it. at the end of the day, what she craved was to be amongst friends — a family. perhaps a band of her own in which she could feel complete and worthwhile.

she hasn’t found that dream just yet, but in the meantime, jukebox records serves as the reminder to not stop seeking that calling.

PERSONALITY

the best way to describe her is: intense?

she’s quite outspoken about her thoughts, and probably loves to debate and argue a little too much. it isn’t unusual for her to make others feel uneasy with her direct and assertive approach to everything in life.

however, she isn’t a mean person. she simply has impatience for an abundance of small talk and likes to get straight to the point. not always the most gentle of people, tho she’s trying her best. she just gets easily bored.

if you’re her friend, midnight texts and phone calls to excitedly explain some new thought or idea are probably a common occurrence. honestly, she gets enthusiastic about the most random of things.

prolly a little tOO aggressive with her friends, physically and otherwise.

super passionate !! cares deeply about causes such as: prevention of animal cruelty, tree conservation, supporting arts in schools, and women’s rights. prolly gets in trouble frequently for getting a little too aggressive about such things.

on that note, she’s been a vegetarian for over five years :))

would talk to you about types of rocks for two hours if you’d let her. she’ll be bringing them into jukebox all the time to show them off and even lend her favorites.

there’s no denying she has a retro soul, and love love loveees all sorts of music.

expresses a sort of love and passion for everyone, but yet never wants to be tied down to one person ( perhaps, one day someone will change that ).

Basics: 

Name: Lennox Gage Harlowe

Age: 20

Career: Student (Art)

Music Taste: Rock

Personality:

Positive: Intuitive, creative, self sufficient

Negative: Reckless, brash, domineering

Biography:

February 29, 2000. Lennox Gage was born to Danielle and Ashton Darling. There are thousands of babies born out of love, after years of trying to parents who would put their child first over everything. This wasn’t one of those cases. Lennox had been born to save a marriage, to parents who were too young and ill prepared to handle and infant. Despite it all, it looked like things were going to be okay. Her parents were happy, the grandparents on both sides had forgotten their concern upon holding their granddaughter. A tentative peace had fallen over the household. 

Except that it broke within the six months of her life. Neither Danielle and Ashton had realized that a baby took a lot of work. Getting up in the middle of the night to feed her, change her diaper, just be with her. They began snapping at each other more and more, exhausted and fed up. No amount of nights with her grandparents were enough to reset the status quo and things began deteriorating fast. 

Her mother left five months after she was born, taking off in the middle of the night. Struggling with undiagnosed postpartum depression, she felt no connection to her baby and left her without a second thought. That only went to ruin her father’s plan to leave, since he wasn’t sure how much more of Lennox’s crying he could take. Angry and trying to redirect any sort of would-be violent tendencies elsewhere, he dropped Lennox off at a firehouse. He was free of his mistake. 

He was unaware of the laws that only allowed parents 72 hours to surrender a newborn. He ended up in jail while Lennox was bounced from foster home to foster home. Once her fourth birthday hit, she was adopted into the Harlowes. They’re the only family she remembers. A mom, a dad, an older brother and an older sister and a little brother. She fit in perfectly. 

Around age eight she first picked up a paint brush, even if it was used to attack her older sister in green paint, but eventually she managed to get it into a canvas. It started a love affair with art and she spent a lot of time covered in paint growing up. Her parents encouraged it, just wanting her to have an outlet. They always said they would tell her that she was adopted when she was old enough to handle it, but never found the right time. 

She grew up relatively normal. Never found much love for her dad’s classic rock or her mom’s Enya, but she was influenced by her sister’s heavy metal. Lennox herself was never quite into the screaming scene but she wanted to emulate her older sister as much as possible so she tried until she found out that not all heavy bands screamed and it devolved from there. She’s close with all her siblings and visits home a lot to spend time with her younger brother and her parents.

Headcanons:

Lennox is unaware that she’s adopted, even though she’s well aware she looks nothing like her siblings. 

Her older brother used to take her to Jukebox Records frequently while growing up and she fell in love with the place after one visit. It became their place to go together and whenever he’s in town, they go together because it’s tradition. 

She’s much smarter than she lets on and got accepted to several Ivy League colleges only to turn them all down for a degree in art.

Some people try to gatekeep the music scene she’s into and they think that she’s in it just to impress guys, so she tends to come off as defensive because she’s tired of people passing judgment on her.