#merrockintro

Born to a single mother, Cassidy came into this world with the cards dealt against her. A teenaged mother unfortunately left on her own in a town she didn't know, hooked on things she never intended to.

By the time she was one, she was shipped down to her grandmother's in Louisiana. But fate would have it that she'd bounce around again. After suffering a stroke, her grandmother was unable to care for her. Not even five years old and the foundations have shaken beneath her. 

At the age of three she was placed with the Dhingra family, a foster family that would finally build some stability in her life. 

Between the ages of three and Fourteen she lived with the Dhingra family, with visitation by her grandmother. 

Before high school, her mother got clean and finally regained custody of her, moving her back up north to Merrock. 

However, each summer she'd go down to Louisiana, visit her grandmother and the Dhingras, whom she considered her found family. 

She had always been creative, an outlet to help her. And she had always loved to draw and sketch. By the end of high school she knew she'd do it for a living. 

Opting to become a tattoo artist, she got an associates degree and then an apprenticeship. Now a successful artist in town, she has even traveled to conventions for her craft.

PERSONALITY

Rory is quietly observant, the kind of person who listens more than she speaks and remembers the small details others forget. She carries herself with an easy, grounded calm, preferring steadiness over attention, though there’s a restlessness beneath it that shows in the way she takes the long way home or says yes to things on impulse. She’s gentle without being fragile, practical but not closed-off, and has a habit of putting herself in the background even when she wants more. She's the kind of friend that will be there for you no matter what, but she has a terrible habit of bottling her own struggles up.

BACKGROUND / BIO

mentions of parental lose & death

Aurora Hawthorne has always been good at fitting herself into the spaces that need her. It started young, back when usefulness felt like a kind of safety net—something she could rely on when the ground felt uneven. She grew up in North Carolina in a house that never quite stayed still, held together by routine, quiet effort, and the steady presence of her father. Her mom juggled two jobs and her father was on the road more than at home. One a part-time waitress and CNA, the other a musician an a fairly decent band. Her father was the one who taught her how to hold a guitar properly, how to tune it by ear, how to play the same few songs over and over until muscle memory took over. When he passed, the guitar was packed away. She hasn't played it in ten years, though occasionally does take it out to clean and care for it.

If life had played out differently, Aurora would've perused a career in music like her father. But she dived into work the moment she found a job that stuck after high school, along with her studies. She became the person her mother leaned on most of all, and for a while, that was okay with Rory. Eventually her mother didn't need her either anymore and Aurora needed to find her place in this world. She came to Merrock in 2020 without much ceremony. No grand plan, no long list of expectations. Just the sense that she needed somewhere smaller, somewhere that didn’t demand too much of her all at once. The suburbs suited her well enough, especially once she adopted Toto, who quickly became part companion, part excuse to explore.

At Bardales Inc., Rory works as a receptionist and assistant, a role she slides into with practiced ease. She’s attentive without being intrusive, reliable without being rigid. She remembers names, birthdays, preferences, the unspoken rhythms of the office. It’s work that keeps her grounded, even if it sometimes feels like she’s standing just slightly offstage, watching things unfold. Being in the background has always felt safer than stepping into the light. Even though she's found a little place for herself in Merrock, Rory doesn’t know yet whether Merrock is permanent. Some nights, she sits on the porch with Toto at her feet and thinks about the guitar still tucked away in a closet, the places she hasn’t been yet, the versions of herself she hasn’t quite met. For now, she shows up, does her job well, and lets the days unfold as they will—quietly curious about what might happen if she ever stops holding herself back.

CONNECTIONS:

• Bardales Inc. — Familiar Face(s)

Someone (or a grou of people) who works at Bardales Inc. and interacts with Rory regularly. Maybe they’re the person who trained her when she first started, or the one who relies on her more than they admit. They’ve shared quiet conversations between calls, late afternoons when the office feels too still, or inside jokes that make the workday lighter. There’s comfort here—easy, unforced, a little balance for them both in their work place.

• The One Who Knows the Back Roads

A local (or longtime resident) who’s crossed paths with Rory during walks with Toto or while she’s wandering off the beaten path. They might exchange nods, small talk, or end up walking together more often than expected. This connection would've been very organic and unplanned, rooted in shared silence and a mutual appreciation for taking the long way around. Nature lover, dog owner, or simply two souls who just enjoy each other's company while on a walk.

• Almost, Not Quite

An ex, a short-lived fling, or someone she nearly let herself get serious with after moving to Merrock. Things ended gently, without drama, but there’s unfinished emotional business—things unsaid, feelings that never fully settled. Running into each other now carries a mix of familiarity and hesitation, the kind that lingers long after the interaction ends. Perhaps they talk things through and attempt the friendship thing, maybe their awkwardness is just a part of them co-existing in the same place.

• Late-Night Listener

Someone who stumbled into Rory’s life during a moment of quiet vulnerability—maybe a neighbor, a coworker, or a friend of a friend. They’ve had one or two unexpectedly deep conversations, the kind that happen late at night when defenses are down. There’s trust here, even if it hasn’t been named yet.

• The One Who Asks “Why Not?”

A person who gently challenges Rory’s habit of staying in the background. They invite her places she wouldn’t think to go on her own, encourage spontaneity, or nudge her toward experiences she’s been quietly curious about. This person doesn’t push too hard—just opens doors and waits to see if she’ll step through.

• Shared Space, Quiet Understanding

Overview

Name: Bailey Sloane Fisher

Nicknames: Bails, B, Bay, Spade (player alias)

Age: 29

Birthday: July 4, 1996

Zodiac: Sagittarius (sun), Capricorn (moon), Pisces (rising)

Sexuality: Queer

Nationality: American

Languages: English, ASL (conversational)

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Current Residence: Downtown, Merrock, Maine

Snapshot

Faceclaim: Madelyn Cline

Height: 5’5”

Weight: 120 lbs

Build: Slender with gentle curves; “Romantic” body type

Hair: Naturally brunette but regularly dyed hair honey blonde

Eyes: Brown

Scars: A line on her left shin from a bicycle injury when she was younger

Tattoo(s): A little spade behind her right ear

Clothing: Sun-faded denim rolled at the ankle, vintage T-shirts or neutral-colored tanks under flannel shirts, worn-in Chelsea boots with red rocks dust permanently glued to the soles.

Details: Messy ponytails, a simple delicate gold chain around her neck, two silver rings she seems to never take off - always looks like she just got off a motorcycle or out of a storm.

Scent: Woody amber with smoky floral undertones; sensual but not sweet.

Color palette: Charcoal, sand, cognac, burgundy, denim blue, metallic bronze tones

Makeup: No-makeup makeup; brown mascara and lightly lined eyeliner in brown paired with subtle lip gloss

Academics

Degree(s): Associates in Liberal Arts

Certificate(s): Veterinary Technology

Behavioral

Disorder(s): C-PTSD and OCD (undiagnosed)

Stability: Take a guess

Phobia(s): The pitch dark

Coping skill(s): Music for regulation, disassociation during stress, sensory anchors

Habit(s): Smokes cigarettes when stressed, sighs as a natural way to self-regulate, hums when conflicted or in thought

Favorites

Food: Chili cheese fries

Drink: Whiskey on the rocks

Place: In a diner after hours, where no one knows who she is

Sound: Shuffling of cards

Song: Creep by Radiohead

Show: Breaking Bad

Book: The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway

Movie: Thelma & Louise

Feeling: The rain on her skin, winning a hand after a long bluff

Aesthetic: Driving at dusk with the windows down and no destination

Biography

Triggers: Gambling addiction, alcoholism, child exploitation (used by parent to pay debts), emotional neglect and manipulation, parental abuse (psychological/emotional), financial abuse, addiction relapse, mentions of trauma and self-destructive behavior

Born beneath the neon haze of Las Vegas, Bailey Fisher grew up where luck was currency and love was conditional. Her father (a washed-up poker legend turned alcoholic) taught her how to bluff before he ever told her the truth. By ten, she was reading faces like open books; by twelve, she was sitting in backroom games to pay off his debts. Her father’s exploitation of her gift carved an early cynicism into her bones, a belief that everything, and everyone, could be gambled.

At eighteen, Bailey escaped Vegas with nothing but a worn deck of cards and the conviction she’d never become him. She built a quieter life, working as a vet tech, finding purpose in healing creatures that couldn’t lie or cheat. But the hum of the game lingered, an ache she couldn’t quite silence. When money got tight and the world started closing in, she resurrected her old alias, Spade, returning to poker’s dark pulse for quick cash and fleeting control.

Now 29, Bailey’s been in Merrock, Maine for five-ish months, drawn to its quiet waters and spiritual hush, hoping to outrun her own patterns. She splits her time between the clinic and the felt, pretending the two lives don’t bleed into each other. But the cards always call her back, and when her estranged father resurfaces with a new crisis, Bailey’s forced to reckon with the pieces of herself she thought she’d buried in the desert.

Haunted, brilliant, and untouchable in all the wrong ways, Bailey Fisher is a study in contradictions; a woman who rescues others but can’t quite save herself.

Personality

Bailey is ingenious, detached, and magnetic, a woman shaped by a childhood of exploitation, betrayal, and survival. She moves through the world with the poise of someone who’s learned to read every room, every person, masking vulnerability behind sharp observation and quiet confidence. She is calculated in her choices (whether at the poker table, in her job as a vet tech, or navigating relationships) yet beneath her control lies a persistent tension between desire and caution, connection and isolation.

She is fiercely independent, often pushing people away before they can hurt her, but deeply loyal to those she trusts. Her humor is dry and sometimes dark, a shield against intimacy she isn’t ready to risk. While she can seem emotionally detached, Bailey is highly empathetic in subtle ways; through her care for animals, her gestures of help, and the way she notices details others overlook.

Her core contradictions define her: she craves control yet is drawn to chaos, loves yet fears being hurt, and seeks redemption even as she flirts with self-destruction. Bailey is resilient and resourceful, but haunted by past trauma, addictive impulses, and the shadow of her father’s influence. In short, she is magnetic, dangerous, and quietly vulnerable all at once, a survivor who moves through life like it’s a high-stakes hand, always calculating, always watching, never fully revealing her hand.

Headcanons

Always carries a deck of cards in her jacket pocket; sometimes to play, other times to fidget

Collects matchbooks from every place she travels to and through

Annotates books

Has a mug she will never let anyone touch/use

Keeps her phone on airplane mode most of the time; hates being “reachable.”

Keeps a small notebook with random notes, odds, quotes, or observations.

Her lucky charm is her old beat-up leather jacket that was the first thing she’s ever purchased for herself at a flea market back in the day

PERSONALITY

she’s very kindhearted and warm towards anyone she meets. she’s very self-conscious of herself, and often a bit too forgiving, but will not hesitate to boost someone else up. she can be a little shy but it doesn’t take her long to warm up to someone.

BACKGROUND / BIO

triggering / sensitive content warning: bullying, harry potter

Esmeray was born to two loving parents, both of whom adored their daughter with everything they had. She was the only child of Zehar and Ömer Yildiz. Shortly before her arrival into this world the Yildiz’s moved from Turkey to Merrock, Maine. See even though moving to Merrock had been part of the plan for years, getting pregnant with Esmeray wasn’t. Regardless, her parents were delighted when they found out.

Growing up Esmeray was a happy child at home. She was so infectious with her laughter and smile that her family quickly nicknamed her “Sol,“ and the name was one she fell in love with from a young age. She tried her hardest to live up to it every day.

(bullying tw) Despite the loving household Esmeray had things at school were different for her. For some reason, one Esme couldn’t seem to understand, the kids in her grade always looked at her funny. The girls never wanted to talk to her about anything, no-one made an effort to sit with her at lunch, during gym she would always get picked last, and her locker usually had some sort of goop or slime smeared on it as ‘the prank of the day.’

She found her escape in books and gardening. One day she picked up a copy of ‘Harry Potter’ and the brunette was hooked since. It wasn’t long before she was trying to read as many books as possible, from all different genres. If she wasn’t reading, then she was listening to audiobooks while she gardened.

With a lot of hard work, she ended up graduating top of her class, and her parents were proud. After graduation Esmeray took some time to travel around Europe for a bit. She did some backpacking and, in her adventures, met many lovely, and not so lovely, people along the way. She went to places like Paris, Peru, Japan, China, Egypt, and Prague. She spent some time in Turkey but only when her parents would go visit family there.

PERSONALITY

Main traits; confident, stubborn, quiet, romantic,

A natural Leo, Hanna is confident with who she is. She’s stubborn and when she has made her mind up on something it’s nearly impossible to deter her. Although she has many friends, she has very few people whom she knows intimately, she prefers to keep people at arm’s length where they know as little about her as possible. Hanna enjoys luxury and is a wellness fanatic. She’s a romantic and loves old books and trashy movies, and when she isn’t working, she’ll be enjoying her solitude.

BACKGROUND:

Born in Merrock in 1989, Hanna was born into a large family of four children. She was a middle child, and although they were all close in age, they were all extremely different. In her childhood, Hanna was a sporty and outgoing child, and she loved swimming, running, football and anything she could get her hands on. But on the sports field is where she was the most comfortable, with her being quiet and introverted when she retreated home. She had excellent grades and received a sports scholarship to college.

Outside of academia, Hanna always found close relationships difficult, having a handful of romantic and platonic relationships across her life. She often felt like she was on the edges of friendship groups and never in the centre. Hanna met her best friend at college and the pair are now roommates in Merrock. Outside of their family, they are currently the only person that they fully trust. Hanna is still very close to her family with most of her three siblings still living inside Merrock.

After graduating with a medical science degree, Hanna trained as a paramedic and first responder. Although, not the most exciting job in a town like Merrock it is a job she thoroughly enjoys. It keeps her out and about and she is always on the road rather than chained to a desk. Hanna throws herself into her work most days and nearly never has time to sit back and enjoy herself.

But when she does get free time, Hanna enjoys yoga and exploring her spiritual side. You can often find her at the Azure spa, Breathe in or hiking along the cliff’s.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Parents: Both reside within Merrock

Siblings: Older sister, Older brother, Younger brother

Friendships: Roommate, the pair met in their late twenties and have lived together ever since.

Childhood friends: Hanna was born in Merrock so she has many friends from childhood clubs, or other children from the neighbourhood.

Colleagues: Working as a paramedic is emotionally tolling and your colleagues can end up like your family.

-You grew up loving games, and being able to enter other worlds where all the rules were entirely different. All the laughter and experiences gained from playing with friends and siblings in your home before it all became based on online play are things you truly cherish.

-That childhood of yours was pretty normal, a mom and dad who loved their children, worked hard for what they had but still managed to enjoy all the bounty that life had to offer. You couldn’t really complain, there was truly no need to.

-The love of games you carried with you throughout life made you quite peculiar to others, but you were never shunned, somehow it always made everybody giggle and feel safe around such a silly person. Silly man, with silly dreams, is what they always said, but they never thought you wouldn’t reach them.

-You met him, yes him, the man that made you fall head over heels when a friend introduced you two. It all began with a hello, but soon enough you found yourself wrapped around his finger, listening intently to his sweet nothings, and you fell for him, you fell hard and you fell fully.

-Not love at first sight, but something rather akin to it, and yet nothing could have prepared you for the heartbreak of the truth. That love that made you get on one knee, made you don a ring that you once wore so proudly, would be the thing that kept you restless.

-It had all been for a green card, at least that was the premise. To lure you into a false relationship all for his sake, cause he didn’t want to leave, and you were left heartbroken, still wishing nothing but happiness for him and guilt for not being the one to be able to give him just that.

-After the divorce, you fled as far away as possible, and now you start anew, unsure of anything else except your place here on earth. But that tiny voice still persists, doesn’t it? Telling you that if you had been enough, maybe he would have fallen for you as well, and perhaps that’s why you hold love at arm’s length.

PERSONALITY

Dorkier than Julian there could truly be no other, a man who could go on many tangents about his favorite superheroes, shows, comic books, and of course video games. He can often lose track of what he was saying from the sheer excitement that someone was listening to him. Clumsy, sweet, and falls all too easily for the men who show him kindness, but there is still that hurt in him from the lie that hurt him the most.

BACKGROUND / BIO

Delilah is a 38 year old baker who attempted a completely different career before.

The main points:

Delilah was born and raised in Merrock.

She was obsessed with putting on shows and performances for anyone that would watch them.

She lost a lot of her hearing due to meningitis when she was seven.

Delilah struggled with coping with her hearing loss and became a shell of herself.

Her grandmother taught her to bake and suddenly she had something to do to help process her thoughts.

After High School Delilah headed to LA to persue her dreams of being an actress.

She got a few commercials, and a couple of roles in the background of bigger shows.

After a year she landed a pilot as a secondary character but it didn’t get picked up.

She’s been a patient on General Hospital, a dead body on CSI and a small part on Days of Our Lives but nothing really of note.

She returned at the age of 22 broke and with her tail between her legs.

She returned to baking and began selling to neighbours and people she’d grown up with.

Over time she opened Flour Co and has been running it ever since, using a mixture of her grandmother’s old recipes and her own new creations.

In 2016 she met the love of her life and they married two years later.

Two years after the wedding they seperated and Delilah found it hard to move on. 

TLDR;

Delilah is a failed actress who is born and raised in Merrock. She’s very sociable and loves people and shows her love by gifting them baked goods.

Wanted Connections

Exes: Delilah is gay. It would be fun to have some pre-marriage exes but also since then. Since the separation it’d probably be more flings or ‘almost happened’.

Ex Wife: More details to come but please message me if you’re interested.

Childhood friends: Delilah has lived in Merrock her whole life so it’d be nice to have some friends that she’s known a long time.

Regulars: I’m sure there are people that pop in for their daily bread or treats.

Employees: pretty obvious.