thank you @sangled on picrew! you saved my life

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Valencia

Andy

Khalil

Kira

Spence

Chuck

Axel

Buzzy

Lavender

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“Don’t you understand, Khalil? You keep acting like you’re some sort of mastermind, like you have it all figured out, when... you just don’t get it! You’ll never get it! You’re not the one treating your best friend like a fucking toddler because they went on an exchange trip and never came all the way back! You’re not the one watching your friend group fall apart because of it! They don’t want to be around him, Khalil, and now I’m losing you too. And I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’ve got it all wrong, Valencia,” Khalil reassures her for the millionth time, “none of it is because of Andy. It’s Lavender, I think. She doesn’t understand how to—”

“It’s Lavender? She’s the one who’s been helping us out the most, not you, or Chuck— sorry, Claudia— or that fitness freak I used to call my friend and her stupid stoner boyfriend—”

“Chuck and Kira were her victims. You’ll be next if you keep letting her in.”

Valencia paused for a moment, “shit. Andy remembers her name more often than he remembers mine.”

“Retrograde amnesia’s a bitch, huh?”

“Anterograde.”

“Sounds like a mix of both,” Khalil replied, “but anyway—”

“Matt says it’s both. So do the medical records.”

“So then why are you—” Khalil took a deep breath.

“Go on.”

“It’s even more of a bitch when the person suffering from it is being taken advantage of because Lavender really, really wants to live in the spare bedroom.”

“Why would she—”

“She’s a parasite, Valencia. She saw how happy you were at work and wanted your life. The only reason we know what she’s doing is because of how thrown off she was when she met Andy. She didn’t know what to do with him.”

“But that’s... I’d feel that way too,” Valencia sighed, “it’s not like I haven’t felt that way before.”

“But you’re not a parasite, Valencia... you’re just trying to balance a very, very scary situation in the middle of your life and happened to be caught off guard. It happens.”

“It happens? I don’t know anyone who’s...” Valencia saw something shift in the corner of her eye and turned to see Andy’s face peeking out from behind the doorway, his hands balled into nervous fists inside his navy blue sweatshirt. She sighed and got up from the sofa.

“Didn’t know you’d be up this late,” she gently guided Andy to the living room. “Want orange juice or something?”

Andy nodded and then asked softly, “Khalil, you want any?”

ok if you’re new to Sleep it Off, basically:

Valencia and Andy were roommates (and they were roommates!). Andy is finishing up his last year of college by going away to St Petersburg for a semester. While he’s there, he gets hit by a truck and sustains a bit of brain damage. Isn’t that fun?? This leaves him unable to function on his own and with a giant hole in his memory. Basically he can’t form any new memories and has forgotten a lot of his life before the incident. When he recovers enough to go home, he stays with his parents for a few months but is still 23 and frustrated with himself for how he is (and misses his friends) so his parents move him back in with Valencia. They are still wonderful and help out a lot but really it’s all on Valencia to make sure nothing goes wrong. Anyway from there they end up figuring out a way to help Andy form new memories (orange juice!) and he ends up getting a lot better and helping Valencia and Khalil figure out what to do about Lavender (and Kira and Chuck).

3. I’m not really sure! idk why I named her Valencia I just did

1. Khalil has a really fat orange cat named Macho after the Katamari Damacy character

2. Andy wants to join Axel and Spence’s band full time but can’t because he can’t even be around loud music

Matt tells Valencia to shine a flashlight into Andy’s eyes just to see if anything has gotten better. He winces at the sudden light but his eyes don’t adjust.

Lavender starts leaving gifts for Andy - flowers, cookies, cozy blankets and plushies — he starts to remember her name more than his own

Khalil’s favorite corner of the library, a white couch with an iced matcha latte stain covered subtly by a dictionary

Valencia waking up to footsteps in the hallway and knowing that if she goes out to send them back to their room she won’t get any sleep that night

Kira’s pink skates, doodled on in sharpie by Chuck

these are the main characters of my WIP, Sleep It Off!

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Valencia Estrella Luces

Easily frustrated

Clingy and knows it but doesn’t do anything to change it

Deeply caring but doesn’t know how to express it

Trusts easily, sometimes too easily

Has a slight romantic interest in Andy

Works at the Monsoon Cafe with Khalil (and Lavender)

Kira Takahashi

Valencia’s best friend

Fitness freak, wants to be a model

Strong and athletic

Likes roller disco/roller derby

Often thought of as unintelligent, but her intelligence comes out in other ways than traditional academia

Beatrice/Buzzy Tackleton

Lesbian oracle

Mom friend

Surprisingly sweet and innocent for someone who seems so punk and badass

Plays bass in a local band

Moved from LA last year

Will beat some ass for her friends

Claudia/Chuck Lawrence

Valencia’s ex best friend

Woodsy, campy, goofy

Eclectic style and personality

Often put down by others for her interests

But then…

Suddenly a bleach blonde insta baddie

Desperately trying to hide/make up for something

Andreas/Andy Syslaski

Valencia’s roommate

Soft and caring, looks out for his friends

Has a bit of romantic interest in Valencia

Goes away for a semester in Russia

Gets hit by a truck in St Petersburg

Has a minor brain injury when he comes back and it’s hard for Valencia to deal with, as she feels he’s changed (memory issues)

Khalil Kelan

Valencia’s coworker at the Monsoon Cafe

Incredibly book-smart

Goofy and laidback

Can read people extremely well

Always knows the coolest new place in town

Best friend goals

Lavender Fraselli

Eclectic adventure girl

Loves plants

Insanely pretty but in a quirky way

Noncommittal and constantly running away to somewhere new

Gets hired at the Monsoon Cafe and slowly takes over Valencia’s life

Smaller, but just as important characters

Spence (no last name yet!)

Kira’s boyfriend

Skater

Best friends with Axel

Likes birds, has a few birds

Axel Chambers

Almost annoyingly laid back

Insanely charming

Extremely popular

A good person but it’s under a lot of ego

Absolute party animal

Spence’s best friend

Matt Lorsensky

Andy’s best friend

Stays with him in St Petersburg

Needs a hug

Lux

Andy/Valencia’s dog

Very cute

Bork bork

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