estrella soto is a twenty five year-old figure skater in new york, u.s.a. they were brought under richard’s care when they were only five years old. they are known as the lookalike because they are lithesome but also disillusioned.
𓂅 * ⋆ BASICS .
FULL NAME. estrella luciana soto.
MEANING. spanish , “ star. ”
NICKNAMES. ella , ellie , este , ells , she accepts any and all variations.
AGE. twenty five.
BIRTHDATE. seventh of march in the year nineteen eighty.
PLACE OF BIRTH. tuscon , arizona.
WESTERN ZODIAC. pisces.
GENDER IDENTITY. cis woman , she & her.
ORIENTATION. demisexual , biromantic.
NATIONALITY. american.
SPOKEN LANGUAGES. english and spanish.
OCCUPATION. professional figure skater.
CURRENT RESIDENCE. an apartment in greenwich village , nyc that she shares with her occasional skate partner turned roommate turned situationship , brando(n).
𓂅 * ⋆ PHYSICAL .
HEIGHT. five foot , one inch.
BUILD. petite , fit , lithe - particularly on an ice rink.
FACE CLAIM. jenna ortega.
HAIR. dark brown , an almost black that reaches below her shoulders with curtain bangs to frame her face. generally worn in loose curls and half up , half down styles that can be easily pinned up for skating.
EYES. big , round and warm brown… in a word , doe-like.
NOTABLE FEATURES. aforementioned doe-eyes , various scrapes and bruises from missteps on the ice , long lashes and a dark scattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.
SCENT. wild strawberry , pink jasmine , patchouli and amber , reminiscent of miss dior cherie.
TATTOOS. a little butterfly on her left shoulder blade.
PIERCINGS. two lobe piercings on each ear in addition to an orbital on her right.
DOMINANT HAND. ambidextrous but favours her right.
𓂅 * ⋆ PSYCHE .
MYERS - BRIGGS. enfj-t , the protagonist.
MORAL ALIGNMENT. neutral good.
TRAITS. balletic , disillusioned , driven , guarded , haunted , independent , keen , resilient , rueful , tender.
QUIRKS. remarkably flexible , she bites her lip in thought , toys with jewellery when uncomfortable , never fails to keep a neat manicure and rests in stances one might recognise to be ballet positions.
VICES. a true workaholic , she maintains a very healthy lifestyle but does occasionally drink and smoke socially.
𓂅 * ⋆ INTERESTS & HOBBIES .
INTERESTS. choreography and dance , theatre of every variety - lincoln centre is a favourite of hers for their opera & ballet seasons , classical music and most recently , the cold case of winifred woodrow.
HOBBIES. fitness , theatregoing , cabaret club nights and uploading free dance skating routines onto ( a newly launched ) youtube - brando choreographs and then they perform them together for funsies.
SPECIAL SKILLS. an accomplished dancer who still practises ballet to this day , remarkably high endurance and muscle memory due to her training and profession , uncanny ability to internalise her feelings.
𓂅 * ⋆ BECOMING A WARD .
tw : teenage pregnancy, child abandonment and implied endangerment.
it became a regional news story. statewide, people seemingly fascinated by how any parent could dream of abandoning their child, let alone in such a callous fashion.
estrella had only recently turned five when her not-much-older-than-teenage parents dropped her off at kindergarten one morning only to fail in picking her up again later that day. try as teachers and later, police sergeants might, there was no getting ahold of them. with little known and much speculated, many would soon arrive at the conclusion that the young couple had fled the country to start anew, leaving behind the small daughter they’d come to look upon as an unwanted burden.
one such person, who took immense pity on the girl, was a connection richard held at the newly-launched CNN. an attentive news reporter by the name of julian esparza was keenly aware of the philanthropist’s efforts to offer up his home to young individuals in need of safety and stability and recommended richard meet with little estrella as soon as he could. whatever it was that richard saw in the five year old girl that day ( likely the spirit and semblance of his long lost daughter ) caused the man’s heart to bleed and within a week the paperwork had been signed and estrella was on the way to her new home.
𓂅 * ⋆ LIFE AS A WARD .
being not only one of the earliest wards to arrive but also the very youngest of them all, estrella’s status as baby sister of the house never really strayed from the stereotypes. spoiled and resilient, she was a paradox amongst the wards in how she seemed to possess the least agency but carry the highest status.
it’s a unique sense of imposter syndrome, she summises — bearing the unfathomable weight of another’s lost girlhood. cursed princess with her whole life ahead of her, she was a little girl walking so unknowingly into the tall shadow of the daughter who’d come before. from the very beginning, richard had never been particularly shy in how he doted on young estrella. freely showering her in the paternal affection the past had robbed them both of and to a little girl who’d been abandoned by her own parents, being made to feel so wanted was all she could have dreamt of. he was her father in all but name.
outwardly, she was a precocious and spirited young girl, all pink cheeks and toothy grins, perpetually in awe of those she shared a home with, their varied and abundant talents drawing her wide-eyed wonder. until she took to the ice for the first time, you’d see her following fellow wards around, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was they were up to before being told she was too young or too small and relegated to sitting on the sidelines. it was a pattern of behaviour that, although adapted, would follow her until she left woodrow.
for try as she might, amidst the attention from richard she so enjoyed, the wards did not warm to estrella the way she hoped they would. their caretaker’s favouritism for the surrogate daughter he’d found in estrella had planted the seed of resentment and in turn, stifled and isolated her entirely. it was in this eventual seclusion that she learnt the value of independence and began throwing herself into skating completely, suddenly glad for the chance to thrive all on her own the way she’d watched the other wards do.
she grew reticent, internalising all she felt for the sake of whatever semblance of a family she still wanted to cling to. the same would eventually be said of the response estrella had to an equally crushing realisation… that she’d never quite compare to a dead girl.
the rosy retrospection of childhood had begun to fade. estrella can’t ever pinpoint a specific moment in which things changed for them but gradually, over time, when she would come to meet richard’s eye… her heart sank. in the midst of reminiscing, she could feel he wasn’t looking back at her at all but rather at winifred… or whatever semblance of his daughter he’d long been projecting onto estrella. it was an all too painful revelation, one that haunted her from that point on.
more than anything, estrella wanted to escape her own skin. flee from any part of herself tied to the woodrow daughter who had so mysteriously disappeared that bleak midwinter night. this striking resemblance that had changed her life and been the cause of all her woe. had anyone accepted her for who she truly was?
despite the fierce independence she’d adopted, estrella still found herself clinging to the father she’d once known him to be. looking on in rumination, she’d wonder ( at length ) if his love for her was at all genuine… never once risking the inevitable confrontation out of fear for the loss that would follow. instead, keeping it bottled up once again. distancing herself little by little until she was out and away in the world — determined to be known as more than ‘the substitute daughter’, ‘the favourite’ or ‘the lookalike.’ her own person, at last.
although she was never too far away… and when richard called, she could do nothing else but gladly answer.
𓂅 * ⋆ AESTHETIC .
distinctly feminine, very gabriella from high school musical core with her wrap cardigans and ballet flats. though as an athlete, she’s an athleisure girly through and through. leotards, leggings, matching sets. day-to-day, she really favours layers that she can easily take off and put back on during training. the odd tracksuit here and there. even if it’s warm outside, you’d usually see her with a puffer jacket on hand because the rink is so cold. on more formal occasions, she opts for mini dresses and heels to help give the illusion she’s taller ( weeps in 5’1” ) and accessorizes with a sweet bow or two in her hair.
you’ll always see her wearing her charm bracelet however. it was a present from richard when estrella first joined her skate club and each time she’d compete, he’d add a charm. they’re all stars, in honour of her name.
𓂅 * ⋆ EDUCATION .
estrella was homeschooled throughout all her time at woodrow. as figure skating became more and more of a serious pursuit, it seemed easier to contain her schooling to the house. less distractions that way. her coach was certainly in favour of it. perhaps it was the people pleaser in her, the ‘perfect daughter’ of it all but she also maintained straight a’s too. it came as no surprise when she applied to richard’s alma mater of kingsbury college and got in on a skating scholarship. the real twist being that she soon deferred in order to commit to her sport full time and has yet to return to kingsbury to finish said degree.
𓂅 * ⋆ EXTRACURRICULARS .
figure skating, also known as her entire world. estrella had been a baby ballerina prior to being taken into richard’s care and he quickly accommodated for that love of hers with a continuation in lessons. however by the second winter she spent at woodrow house, he was soon introducing her to the frozen pond on the grounds and she took to skating it like a duck to water.
other pursuits include literature, musical theatre and classical music. their occasional outings as a ‘family’ to see operas and ballets very much inspired her.
𓂅 * ⋆ THEIR LIFE NOW .
estrella only left woodrow house three years ago and even then, living in-state meant she was still a fairly regular visitor. she’d moved into the city in order to be closer to her skating club, other rinks she frequented and transport for national and international competitions. being only a three hour drive away however, meant most national holidays were spent there at richard’s side, the odd special occasion and long weekend too.
in nyc, she shares a modest apartment with brandon, better known as brando. they used to skate together at the same club before he recently retired to pursue choreography at a nearby dance studio. there’s always been lingering romantic tension there but most of all, he’s her biggest cheerleader and a helpful objective party regarding all things woodrow.
all the while, estrella’s been forging her own destiny. she’s been competing internationally at the top of her discipline for years at this point. ( a writing guide on figure skaters advised not to go into specifics about competitions bc it’s a lot so, i won’t but let’s just say she’s a pretty decorated athlete and represented team usa at the 2002 winter olympics in salt lake city and was in the midst of training for the 2006 games before richard’s death. ) what she loves most of all though is getting to step out as herself. on the ice, the only narrative being spun is the one she creates. it’s a level of control she enjoys ( and dreads giving up upon her return to woodrow house. ) whilst she came to woodrow house seeking a family, she left seeking visibility and acceptance and in skating, estrella truly found that.
8 notes
·
View notes