saundcrs

[saundcrs]

ALEXANDER SAUNDERS' outfit details for aurora bay's new years ball .

@aurorabayaesthetic

[saundcrs]

cis male & he/him Welcome to Aurora Bay, ALEXANDER SAUNDERS ! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like CHRIS HEMSWORTH. You must be the THIRTY-EIGHT year old HEAD CHEF AT NEPTUNE. Word is you’re DEDICATED but can also be a bit DOMINEERING and your favorite song is IT WILL COME BACK BY HOZIER. I also heard you’ll be staying in FISHER'S COVE. I’m sure you’ll love it! 

ʜᴏᴍᴇ . ᴀꜱᴋ . ɴᴀᴠɪɢᴀᴛᴇ . ʙᴏᴀʀᴅ .

@aurorabayaesthetic

STATS .

FULL NAME alexander marlin saunders

NICKNAMES xander (aus.) , alex (usa)

AGE thirty-eight

STAR SIGN virgo

HOMETOWN tathra, new south wales, australia

OCCUPATION head chef at neptune

GENDER cis male

PRONOUNS he/him

NEIGHBOURHOOD fisher's cove

BACKGROUND .

TW: death, alcoholism, gambling

alexander was born in tathra, new south wales, australia. the eldest son of the saunders family.

when alexander was young, he idolized his father, a rugged fisherman who seemed larger than life. fishing trips were their special bond—silent yet filled with unspoken affection. thomas would ruffle his hair after a good catch, and alexander would beam with pride.

when alexander turned four years old, a new addition to the family was announced; laurel saunders was born. during that time, thomas' fishing trips became longer and less fruitful. he turned to alcohol to drown his frustrations and feelings of inadequacy as the family's primary provider.

his drinking led to neglectful behaviour, and the once-joyful father-son fishing trips became somber or nonexistent. alexander started to shoulder responsibilities far beyond his years, filling the void left by his father’s emotional and physical absence.

the final straw came during one of thomas' last fishing trips when he returned empty-handed and drunk, berating a young alexander for failing to live up to his expectations.

once alexander turned 8, thomas disappeared at sea (pronounced dead a couple of days later) leaving the boy, his sister and his newborn baby brother, cameron, at the care of his mother.

ana saunders, newly single mother of three, was an artist. she loved to make seashell accessories and paintings inspired by the beach. earnings were humble but she could not see herself doing anything else.

around this time young alexander picked up cooking, mostly consisting of sandwiches, pasta and cereal. his main concern was that his family was fed.

by the time he turned 14, he was cooking slightly fancier and heartier meals for his family in addition to picking up a part time job as a line cook at sea you later, where he remained for the following 10 years.

within those years, he started to fall with the wrong crowd, line cooks were not the most proper. they taught him how to gamble, smoke and fight. whereas alexander always made sure that regardless of what he did, he was still able to provide for his family. there were times where his fierce loyalty and passion got the best of him and ended up in bar fights.

his absence from the family home did not go unnoticed by his siblings, notably cameron, who resented him for it and pushed back against alexander's authority.

alexander had to sometimes to work overtime because he had gambled his savings with the other line cooks and found himself in situations of the like. at the same time, martin, the chef at sea you later, became a mentor to him. seeing potential in the young cook, he taught him the fundamentals of seafood preparation, knife skills, and kitchen discipline.

a particularly low point came when alexander's bad habits caught up with him—showing up late after a night of drinking and nearly costing him his job. martin gave him a stern ultimatum: clean up his act or leave the kitchen.

from then on, he cut ties with the coworkers that helped him fall into those habits. whereas it made the kitchen tense at times, and (verbal) fights were not unheard of, alexander was finally "fighting for his future" as laurel liked to phrase it.

his sister also helped him with homework and assignments as academia did not come easy to him. but alexander was nothing if a hardworker, he acknowledged the importance of school but did not prioritize it since the choice he faced oftentimes was either enough food for the week or an A on the test. so he bribed laurel with homemade midnight snacks and he was able to graduate high school with an impressive B.

at the age of 24, not only had he grown out of the diner, alexander was hungry for more; more recipes & more challenges. with the assurance of a greater financial stability & laurel in law school, he saw fit to pursue this newfound culinary passion. martin bid him goodbye gifting him with an a well-worn chef’s knife, a symbol of how far he’d come.

laurel paid part of his culinary school as an act of gratitude for him providing for the family, he repaid her as fast as he could with interest of course.

after completing a four year course at the culinary school, he worked in a restaurant, triton, in tathra as a sous chef, through martin's recommendation. after 3 years he was named chef, where he worked for another four years.

aurora bay, california: alexander started to get restless, he had always dreamed of honing his craft in a vibrant culinary scene, and tathra was a small town with limited opportunities to achieve his culinary goals. additionally, whispers of his past mistakes made during his teenage years and early adulthood earned him a bad reputation even after cleaning up his act 10 years later. he was offered a position head chef at neptune, an opportunity he could not turn down. he wanted a clean slate, after all these years his siblings were more than able to take care of themselves. the town was a constant reminder of his father’s decline and the fractured family dynamics that he worked tirelessly to repair. he needed space to define himself outside of these experiences.

he has lived in aurora bay for the last three years. he has settled in nicely in fisher's cove, an ode to his hometown. he has made a name for himself and only stood out through his distinct autralian accent.

HCs .

has tattoo sleeve adorned with tattoos honouring his family and his growth.

his guilty pleasure is baking (especially anything lemon flavoured).

he has a strict morning routine that includes a walk by the water—it keeps him grounded and reminds him of home.

whereas he has been called xander, especially by loved ones, back in australia, in america he has adopted the nickname alex.

he enjoys running and working out more often than not. it as a way to maintain control and channel stress after his chaotic younger years. it also prevents him from lashing out in the kitchen when things go sideways.

he is a one drink man and rarely strays further. seeing his father gradual decline into alcoholism left a lasting impression on him. he saw firsthand how dependency could strip someone of their strength and dignity, and he vowed never to follow that path.

he grows herbs in a little garden, he likes fresh herbs in his home recipes and enjoys the process of growing things.

he gives cooking classes to younger kids and college students when the restaurant is not open. they remind him of his mentorship with martin and allow him to see glimpses of his younger self in his students.

his youngest sister, isobel, is from another man his mother did not bother to remember the name. she adopted the saunders last name to feel closer to her siblings.

laurel was more a partner in crime to him more than a younger sister. albeit there were times where she acted like it and he responded in kind.

chef personna: he is not a man of many words and will not yell at anyone for mistakes made. he is much more of a "i'm not mad, i'm dissapointed" when reprimanding. he speaks volumes with looks and gestures. he demands respect and cleanliness in his kitchen as any well-respected chef does. he is always open for innovation although he has a penchant for old family type recipes. his next career goal, earn a michelin star.