ruminantminds

[ruminantminds]

EVEN IF LEILA HAD BEEN AN ORACLE, and thus been able to foresee alec barlowe’s presence at the roecliff cafe, she wouldn’t necessarily have changed her plans; the anchor of awkwardness that weighed them down of late barely registered with the blithe trailblazer. perhaps it should, but empathy had never been the woman’s strong point; her strong point was being down for anything.

             ‘ what show is that ? ’ she asked, then dismissed the thought, because she likely wouldn’t know it anyway. she had watched plays because alec had been in them, and before . . . it happened they had been friends, not because she enjoyed the shows themselves.

( something told her he wouldn’t be inviting her to any of those any time soon, considering their positively icarian crash and burn. )

                                 ‘ just a latte, thanks. ’        [ she’ll put whiskey in it. ]

ALEC.

who: anyone

where: roecliff cafe

alec sat on the counter of the cafe, awaiting customers. he wasn’t really a barista here, but between rehearsals he didn’t mind helping out. they trusted him at this point, so much so that today he was covering a shift for someone. today was a very slow afternoon, and so he was practicing getting into character for his next show. and just as he wiped away his angry in-character tears he heard the bell chime on the door. ‘oh god, hi! hello. welcome! sorry, i was rehearsing. i need a second to clean up.’ he laughed nervously and wiped at his tears, putting the apron back on. ‘what can i get ya’?’

[ruminantminds]

AFTER LIVING IN A TOWN for forty-one years — minus their handful of years at yale, siobhan supposed — there were no more undiscovered hideaways to be found ; this had been an old place she used to meet alante, dodging the townspeople like troublesome teenagers rather than the twenty-somethings they really were, and now . . . those memories seemed so very far away.

       her fingers twist the wedding ring where it rests on her left hand. an anxious habit they picked up just as soon as they’d gotten engaged, and had for many years before their eventual marriage. and for a few moments, the mayor just watched the man she had seen grow up, with the all-too-familiar awe of how much time had passed. in a town like moorbrooke, everyone truly could feel like family. 

‘ seriously, jamie — i remember when you were small enough to watch that. way to make me feel ancient, ’ they chuckled, jokingly continuing, ‘ also, i’m afraid . . . as the mayor it’s my responsibility to stop you colonising this cove, so you’ll have to put up with me regardless. that okay? ’

OPEN STARTER.

Who: Anyone! Where: The beach

It was weird to James how he could live in a town for his entire life yet somehow still manage to find a spot that he’d never been to before. Granted, whenever he went to the beach he usually went to the same area but today he’d gone alone so he decided to wander for a bit and explore the nooks and crannies he hadn’t ventured in since he was a kid. At least he thought they were areas he hadn’t been in since he was a kid considering when he clambered around large rocks piled up hiding a little cove he didn’t think he’d ever seen before. It was PERFECT so he dumped his bag on the ground and lay down his towel, stripping down to his swimming trunks before he got too hot in the warm sun. 

The quiet only lasted a few minutes before he heard somebody else come into the area and his head shot up, a dopey smile on his lips. “Awww damn, I thought I’d found somewhere nobody else knew about. I felt like Dora the Explorer or something.” He laughed and then sat back up from where he was laying down, crossing his legs as his fingers traced circles in the sand beside him. “I SUPPOSE as I’m feeling nice, you can come join me. That’s if you have snacks you’re willing to share with me. Otherwise I’m afraid I’ll have to get you to leave this little cove that I’m colonising.” 

[ruminantminds]

ELLIE WAS HAUNTING the opposite end of the bookstore, earphones in & pen gently tapping against the desk while they battled the novelist’s worst foe: failing inspiration. it would be a short-lived battle, because she was just waiting for matty ( the only acceptable company, it seemed, today ) to finish work, but it was a battle nonetheless. and while matty was not willing to blatantly rush the customer — probably couldn’t — since ellie was notoriously blunt, did not work there & thus had no skin in the game, they were happy to help get them out of the store before the clock struck the hour.

       after all, places had closing times for a reason. they didn’t change, except for on special holidays, and they were on the door. the kind of routine that soothed ellie. why did people think they were above it? matty didn’t get paid enough to deal with these people.

she glanced over, pulling one earphone out so that the sound of kateryna pavlenko’s voice emanated vaguely into the store — but not both, they never removed both — and offered a reassuring smile to matty. 

                                                    it’d be okay.

OPEN STARTER.

Who: Anyone! Where: Driftwood Books

Don’t come over, don’t come over, don’t come over. Matty didn’t even turn around as he felt somebody approaching him because the last thing he wanted right now was somebody speaking to him – not that it was news considering that was always the last thing he wanted. Choosing to work in a SHOP probably wasn’t the smartest idea considering shops involved human interaction but he felt safe around books and most people who came in here were the same as he was. Plus he felt like he might actually develop some social skills here, although it had been two years now and his plan still wasn’t really working out as well as he’d thought. 

“If you’re looking for Red, White and Royal Blue, there’s a few copies out the back. We keep selling out before we can restock.” He assumed that was what the question was going to be considering it’s the one he’d heard most often today. Still without looking up, he glanced at his watch and then bit down on his bottom lip. “Also, we shut in ten minutes. Not to rush you.” He was definitely rushing them but he hated it when people outstayed closing time and he had to hover, waiting for them to leave. 

[ruminantminds]

AMUSEMENT DANCED over the mayor’s lips — amusement they glanced downward to try and stifle, but quickly gave up on trying — as they observed the scene ; it was a common enough occurrence at sandal. teddy’s restaurant was in constant high demand, and not everyone thought before they leapt. 

( she had no such worries. today, teddy had thought to send their regular ‘ it’s time for lunch, siobhan, ’ text, but they had apparently also decided it was high time she left the office. a fair assessment. )

     ‘ lori’s? ’  it was a common teddy-ism for people their own age , but under which category they seemed not to count. so what did it mean? 

when she continued , she nudged him teasingly in the side with her elbow, ‘ you mean there’s not an official mayoral table? this is scandalous new information. ’

‘ACTUALLY i am the owner, manager and head chef and my server wasn’t lying. we’re at capacity, we’re all booked up for this weekend and there’s no one else in a higher place of power to make magic happen. i highly suggest calling ahead next time, ma’am.’ teddy said in their nicest customer service voice and broke into a silly grin as she turned her back to go. ‘lori’s, right?’ he laughed, making way for the familiar person to come inside. ‘anyway, i don’t have like an official table for you but i’ve got a cool spot out back that we could eat at? i made lobster risotto and my own peach wine.’

[ruminantminds]

me, my dream, my desire, how it's killing me, like i laugh at it.

SIOBHAN BLAKE ( SHE / THEY ) is a NON-BINARY FORTY * year old TOWN MAYOR who has been living in Moorbrooke for THEIR ENTIRE LIFE. Right now, they are currently residing in ELMSETT GREEN. It has been said that they look suspiciously like ROSAMUND PIKE and if they had to choose a song to describe themselves, they would choose VOILA by BARBARA PRAVI.

                 * they were originally forty-one on the app but after working out the birth chart i have decided their forty-first birthday is the fourth of june ! just in case you want to plan birthday things for her <3

mun introduction ;

hi everyone ! i’m shannon, i’m a non-binary autistic lesbian, i’m twenty-one && i never fucking learned how to sleep ! 

BASICS —

NAME: siobhan adrienne louisa blake.

AGE: forty.

GENDER: non-binary.

BIRTH DATE: fourth of june, nineteen-eighty.

BIRTH PLACE: moorbrooke, maine, usa.

SEXUALITY: lesbian.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: married to alante patterson.

ZODIAC: gemini sun, aquarius moon, libra rising.

MBTI: enfp-a.

ENNEAGRAM: four, with a three wing.

HOGWARTS HOUSE: hufflepuff. 

THEME SONG: voila by barbara pravi.

FAVOURITE SONG: no plan by hozier.

OCCUPATION: mayor of moorbrooke ( 2020 - present. )

PAST CAREERS: english teacher at moorbrooke high school ( 2004 - 2020. )

EDUCATION: bachelor’s degree in literature at yale university, the only period of time they’ve spent not living in moorbrooke. 

DREAM JOB: senator for maine.

PARENTS: ciara & severin blake ( deceased. )

SIBLINGS: none.

SPOUSE: alante patterson ( m. 2015 ; together since )

PETS: two cats, vita && virginia.

PREDOMINANT TRAITS: wholesome, compassionate, ambitious, unconventional, humanitarian, self-critical, discerning, sociable, curious.

BACKSTORY —

apart from a few years at yale, siobhan has never lived away from moorbrooke. it’s where she was born, it’s where they were raised, it’s the place where she feels most at home. it’s filled with the people who watched them evolve into the who they now confidently are. but growing up with parents with massive expectations was never easy. 

because while they moved from new york, severin blake’s old money attitude never left him behind. 

( tw: fertility struggles ) and with old money, conservativism often follows. this is no exception. siobhan spent most of their childhood trying to be the golden child their parents wanted, even when it felt wrong. hopeful that some other sibling would come to take some of the weight off their shoulders, it never came to fruition, and she was their only child. severin blake — french-american businessman’s — only legacy.

siobhan was always more compassionate than their parents. when new people came to the town, she would always try to offer them a leg-up, no matter who they were, why they had come, or how long they were planning to stay. they had no issue playing chameleon to make others comfortable: wasn’t that what she’d always done, regardless? 

this rang true when alante patterson came to town. a few years younger than her, split from her siblings in the foster system, it just made sense for siobhan to try to be the other girl’s constant. the beginning of a close relationship that still runs stronger than ever, thirty years later. 

alante was always refreshingly honest, and always made siobhan feel safe to be . . . themselves, even if they were pretending to everyone else.

siobhan’s chameleonic tendencies made them highly popular as a teenager, her parents’ pride and joy, but the latter half began to fail when siobhan began to understand — began being operative, as it was a process that took them many years — their curiosity about their sexuality and gender. this relationship, and her parents’ desire for them to hide this evolving part of themselves, was a behind-closed-doors battle which led to anxiety & depression. 

a vicious cycle, because the attitude to mental health on severin’s part was also quite . . . medieval, and ciara certainly never intervened to stop him. 

( the blakes had always been protestant, though siobhan was reluctant to take part in any acknowledgement of such. siobhan has considered themselves agnostic since the age of thirteen, though she supports her wife in her faith as much as she can. )

siobhan came out when she went to yale at the age of eighteen, and her experience had been mixed. college took her away from her friends, estranging them from their high school friends and temporarily moving away from alante. when they returned from college studies and took up a job as an english teacher at the local highschool, her best friend was . . . married. 

which made feelings that began to blossom particularly problematic. especially when over the years that followed, no matter how hard they tried to let it go, those feelings persisted. and — eventually — became an affair so passionate that alante left her husband for siobhan some thirteen years ago. 

their relationship with alante is what made them truly decide to — and make them able to — exist fully as themselves. who they wanted to be. so now, they’re not quite as chameleonic, but she’s endearing to the people who are truly interested in her and that’s all that matters, isn’t it? ( isn’t it? they’re still learning, though they pretend the self-doubt is entirely gone. )

this part of their town-iconic relationship is not public knowledge, and thankfully never came to siobhan’s parents’ knowledge before their deaths five and seven years ago.

siobhan and alante married as soon as possible in 2015, but siobhan always had a dream of washington politics, buried for many years because the political climate of their youth would never take them. now... it’s possible, but alante likes this life, this town, their two cats, and wants to have children. 

as a compromise, siobhan ran for mayor of moorbrooke this recent cycle, and won. but here’s the kicker: will it be enough for them?

CONNECTIONS —

family: while she has no siblings, she does have cousins on ciara’s side, so if you’re interested in that then feel free to let me know & we’ll explore it! i love a good family tree, especially in town rps where i imagine it a bit more interconnected like broadchurch !

family-esque: if your muse has been living in moorbrooke a while, it’s likely siobhan knows them quite or very well. you know those people you call your aunt/uncle out of respect because they’ve been friends with your family as long as you can remember? a bit like that! it’s also a habit because siobhan has been . . . distant from her own family since she was a teenager. they never outright disowned them for what they were calling their ‘ ideas ’ — i.e. being non-gender conforming & lesbian — but their disapproval was... clear enough. she doesn’t want anyone else to feel like they’re without support. 

therapist friend: the thing about siobhan is that they are the ceo of telling other people to look after their mental health while letting their own degrade. ( see: she can’t help taking on other people’s problems & wanting to solve them. )

high school it squad: yes, this is my not-so-subtle way of pleading for more older muses here. these people were siobhan’s friends when they were trying to be who everyone wanted them to be, not who she herself wanted to be ; they were the popular clique, and she adjusted herself as necessary to ‘ ringlead ’ them. i’m thinking they split up when they all went to college, and the rest of them have only just come back to town. the siobhan blake they’re going to meet is . . . very different than the one they once knew. someone who is now comfortable ( at last ) unapologetically in their own skin.

ex-student: if your muse was in high school in moorbrooke anywhere during their tenure it’s likely that siobhan could have taught them! she was the emotional support english teacher. sapphics, you know what i am talking about. 

ingenue: someone interested in politics who siobhan is sharing their passion with !

neighbours: anyone who lives in elmsett court, who wants to live next to moorbrooke’s favourite sapphic it couple? it comes with invitations to dinner and two adventuring cats called vita & virginia that they might have to retrieve from your house.

TAKEN CONNECTIONS

confidante: the only person, aside from alante, who knows the truth. that siobhan and alante’s relationship first ignited in a blazing, letter-ridden extramarital affair, eventually resulting in alante leaving her husband all those years ago. the person siobhan confides her worries in, sometimes. [ alec barlowe. ] 

OTHER TRIVIA

owns a motorbike.

they can still write in anne lister code from letters to alante.

of course, she is a democrat. we do not fuck with republicans here.

watches vita and virginia three times in your average week.

has an eclectic music taste, but frequents the record store because there’s nothing like vinyl. 

( yes, they have hozier on vinyl. )

will only drink white wine. don’t ask them why. they don’t know. 

would have zero wardrobe sense if it wasn’t for alante. money just doesn’t equal style.

the only social network she knows how to use is twitter. please, someone, teach them how to use instagram. bestie needs a social media guru because the people who run the rest of her platforms don’t get it, either.

allergic to banana. but eats it anyway for the mouth tingles.

has kept a diary religiously since the age of twelve.

[ruminantminds]