strndeds

[strndeds]

❤️ for mali, 🔮 for clara & 🏹 for christian

❤️ RED HEART — what is/are your love language(s)? how do you use it/them to communicate your feelings about others?

"my love languages are gifts and words of affirmation. i know, because i took the official quiz!" she beamed. "plus, it totally makes sense. i like getting people i care for little gifts, like 'oh hey i thought of you' and stuff like that. plus who doesn't like words of affirmation?" mali shrugged as if it was obvious. "i like to hype up my friends and tell them often how gorgeous they are."

🔮 CRYSTAL BALL — what is a core memory from your childhood that you think defines you today?

clara crossed her arms, instantly on guard. there were plenty of bad memories she could connect to how she was today, but of course, she wasn't going to go spilling them to just anyone. the alternative? lie. "i can't really think of anything that defines me from childhood. that's crazy to me. maybe that i never got the pony that i wanted? that would ruin any little girl's view of the world," she sarcastically answered.

🏹 BOW AND ARROW — if there's something from your past that you'd give anything to go back in time and redo, what is it?

while he had one semi-recent fuck up that he was still trying to fix, there wasn't anything he'd give anything to go back and fix— at least not that he did. if he could change the past in general? that was a different story. but for now, "nothing. maybe things aren't ideal right now, but giving 'anything' to fix the past is a dangerous way of thinking. you have to move on and try to make things better."

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"because of this?" she lifted her cigarette, and there was actually the ghost of a smile that nearly showed at the tease. "you're funny. but hey, more for me." clara took another slow drag and was careful not to blow the smoke towards joey, though she kept her eyes on the other woman as she settled. the words were unexpected, causing a raised brow. "no, they got you too? i expected better from you, captain." but she didn't know the other woman to be a liar, so she ventured to ask, "what even makes you say that?"

"And see this is your place is always trying to burn down." Joey teased, lightly shaking her head a little bit. "I gave up smoking a long time ago." The redhead pointed out. Of course they went out there and tried to the roads, even if it wasn't apart of her job description. But it had been important to know or not. There was a small sigh that escaped her lips as she leaned against the wall next to her. Glancing over at Clara for a moment. "And what if I told you it wasn't bullshit?"

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clara didn't necessarily understand what her sister did for a living, funnily enough something to do with preservation as well, but she knew it involved being careful, so she followed her instruction and scooted away from the machine with a nod. "you got it. and no, surprisingly not." arms now crossed, her eyes scanned the materials on the table with a vague curiosity before finding esther once more. if she didn't know about the town drama, that meant clara was going to be the first one to tell her; she didn't know if she liked that or not. "just people being stupid. you know guy, right? the one who runs the auto place?" her eyes cut to the door to make sure there would be no additional audience. "according to him, the 'roads are leading no where.'" with air quotes and all, she scoffed. "at least that's what people are saying. which, whatever. if he wants to have a breakdown then he's free to. but people keep repeating it, and they're starting to say he's right, and it's driving me nuts. feels like i'm the only sane one around here anymore."

esther had been tucked away in the back of the library in the room where most couldn't access unless for employees to guide them there. gloved fingers were at work when she reached for the next bundle of letters wrapped in soft linen tape. the low hum of the dehumidifier tucked in the corner along with a blotting cloth sat upon the table, the parchment was brittle at the edges, using the first sheet to unroll as a corner flaked off onto her glove. she paused momentarily before she released a soft sigh in retort. "too dry," she murmured, narrowing her gaze as she reached for a small hygrometer beside of her to jot down the current humidity level before she heard the door open. her head lifted in time to see one of the employees and then came her sister, causing her to raise a brow at the first statement. what was she on about this time? she let out another soft sigh before she shook her head to answer at the question of her being busy, pointing toward the dehumidifier that sat on the corner on the table. "stay away from that and we should be fine." she resumed the task at hand, sliding the broken fragment into a labeled envelope for safekeeping. for the question at hand, her brows furrowed some as she had been busy for the most part and tucked away in this small room since this morning. "no - what's been going on? let me guess - someone's raided the attic again?"

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it was uncomfortable seeing oliver as anything other than upbeat and smiling, especially knowing he himself was the cause of the other acting so out of character. he had half a mind to leave, but that would be... more awkward? it would be like admitting defeat in a weird way, and really, he did miss oliver despite the messy way things ended. maybe they could have a conversation for once? it was a tall ask, he knew, but the alternative was avoidance forever, and he didn't like that option.

"yeah, i..." he rubbed the back of his neck before sighing, eyes moving down to the counter before back at oliver. "just a whisky and coke." christian wanted to talk things out, but also knew this probably wasn't the best setting, and especially not while the other man was working ( though to be fair, it wasn't very busy ). he went back and forth in his mind about what else to say, if anything, before settling on something simple but true: "it's good to see you."

hey? that was all he could say after all this time? after everything? oliver didn't know what else he expected the other man to say though. to be fair, he couldn't even think of a greeting that wouldn't make him upset. what was he even doing here anyway? he still remembered clearly practically begging christian to visit the bar, not to show off their not-really-a-relationship but to just see where he worked and hang out, and now here he was like nothing. oliver's stare turned into a glare once the surprise and initial flash of anger simmered down. "hey yourself," he replied flatly.

despite the storm brewing in his chest, he tried to act like nothing. maybe he could even act like he didn't know the other. "what do you want?" a pause. "to drink, i mean." not that christian would want to talk anything personal in a public place, anyway. this wasn't exactly the setting for apologies and realizations.

[strndeds]

to: @drcpflwcrs ( esther ) location: green pointe library

now, clara was just plain annoyed. she'd been at the diner the day before catching up on the town gossip, and everyone was just obsessed with guy's breakdown, with a person or two even claiming that it was true, having tried leaving themselves to no avail. but it was impossible, and she was severely judging those people as simply wanting attention. she'd meant to check in with esther since it had been a minute anyway, but she was also curious where her sister stood on the whole thing. surely, she'd heard about it by now? if not, maybe that was better. "esther?" she asked one of the familiar employees before being led to where she was working.

"can you believe it?" she blurted as soon as she saw the other. then, remembering her manners, clara huffed and waved a hand. "also, hi. i hope you're not too busy? just wanted to stop by and see where you stood on the lunacy taking over town."

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"yeah, i can't really argue that right now. but what's the alternative? being single forever? oof." or dating women? mali had thought about it, been ever-so curious, really, but was afraid to put herself out there when they seemed like such a more quality option; what if she herself couldn't stack up? but she wasn't about to put all that on a person she didn't know super well. she sighed a big, dramatic sigh and then went to sit next to iggy opposite the pizza box to avoid being close to the door. "the coffee's fine, but i do miss starbucks. being able to order pretty much a coffee milkshake at 6am was nice." she stretched her legs out in front of her and set her purse on her lap. "you should start the vegan revolution here. like, i know you're not a restauranteur, but how hard could it be to whip up some recipes and run a place?"

the fact that it was iggy who was in the way of anyone trying to walk down the sidewalk was completely lost on her, like most things were that happened to be her problem. "that's what you get for entertaining a man. they're pigs, every single one. you've gotta stop giving them the time of day." her own experiences had tainted her opinion beyond repair, though she was starting to think that it was people in general who were evil, even if men tended to be at the top of that nasty list. with a sigh, she dropped her slice of half eaten pizza down into the box and took to taking a long sip of beer. in her two weeks being in danville, mali had been one of the few people who hadn't annoyed the shit out of her, not to mention giving her a flawless wash and dry after neglecting her haircare for a couple days. "so far? coffee and cigarettes. you guys have decent espresso, i'll give you that."

[strndeds]

to: anyone (1/4) location: outside the spoon when: late night sunday

clara was tempted to check the roads herself to see if word of them 'not working' was actually true, not because she believed it, but to disprove it and finally shut up everyone who was regurgitating the same gossip; she knew that life in town was uneventful, but spreading such an obvious lie was not the way to go about finally getting some excitement going. she stood off to the side of the restaurant with a cigarette between the fingers of one hand, and a mug of coffee she snuck out with in the other.

when she heard the footsteps of someone approaching, she slowly turned her head and greeted them with an upward nod. "if you're out here fishing for a cigarette, you'll have to tell me if you believe this 'broken roads' bullshit too."

[strndeds]

to: @duotxnes location: two stags when: sunday night

he couldn't even remember how many times oliver insisted on him visiting the bar. christian always said no, making up some excuse, when in reality, he selfishly just didn't want people to get 'the wrong idea' about them. looking back, he couldn't help but cringe and mentally kick himself for being so stupid and close-minded. it was after a rather uneventful shift that he had the energy to visit— it was on a whim, really, when he was deciding what to do with the rest of his night after a quick shower and change of clothes. he knew oliver didn't work sundays, so it was a safe bet.

at least, he didn't usually. something must have changed, because he had raised his hand to grab one of the bartender's attention and suddenly found himself face to face with the man with no idea what to say across the counter. christian simply stared before clearing his throat and forcing a neutral expression, feeling caught, and offering a quiet "hey," barely audible over the music playing.

[strndeds]

"ohmygosh, i'm so sorry!" she responded hurriedly, seemingly unfazed by the tone and accompanying glare, or at the very least not having the heart the snap back when it was clearly her own fault. mali stepped away before looking down to check her shoes didn't have any pizza on them, and once she saw them clear, turned her gaze back to iggy with a wide smile as if there was no wrongdoing in the first place. "looks clear! sorry again, i was just in such a rush to leave. i finally gave this guy from work a chance, and he was just so darned rude to everyone the whole time. what a waste of time. ugh." finally, she stopped to really take in the scene and the other's words. "oh! right. cheese isn't vegan... i don't know how you survive here when it's a total grease spoon. i mean that lovingly, but yikes."

open for: anyone. place: outside contorno's. when: the night before the roads close off.

"dude, watch where you're going!" with one hand cradling a slice of pizza, all the cheese carefully peeled off to leave a tomato base with couple vegetables as a topping, the other holding a can of cheap beer, iggy gestured both up at the passer-by accompanied with a stern, heavy-lidded glare. "you almost stood on my fucking dinner. do you know how hard it is to find decent food around here? this town's vegan options are, like, severely lacking." she chastised and gestured the beer down towards the pizza box laid out beside her. truthfully, she hadn't looked very hard. most of her time since being in town had been spent in her motel room, in part because she hadn't had the energy to doll herself up to the level where she felt comfortable being seen in public, however, it was mostly because she hadn't found there to be much of interest around town to do. eating deconstructed pizza on the curb so she didn't have to retreat back to her room wasn't her highest moment, though she was betting on no one paying her enough attention to notice her self inflicted fall from grace.

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🪄 MAGIC WAND — would you describe yourself as a superstitious person (someone who believes in superstitions)? do you believe in luck? (for mali)

"definitely! like, i don't go under ladders and i'm extra careful with my mirrors. i wouldn't say it controls my life or anything," she explained, flipping her dark hair over one shoulder, "but it's something i'm aware of. the phone charm on my phone is actually my good luck charm! i have like three of them, just in case i lose one. my friend got them for me for my birthday, and it's the cutest little cat." mali paused to make sure she'd answered thoroughly and smiled. "it just makes life fun, i think. there's some whimsy to being superstitious as long as it doesn't go overboard and you're like, deathly afraid to step on a crack."

[strndeds]

✝️ LATIN CROSS — are you a religious person? did you grow up religious? does your faith mean anything to you today? (for christian)

"not necessarily, no." it was a lot of questions at once, and christian was not a fan of sharing his thoughts at random. however, he did like the chance to reflect on what was once an important part of his life. "i grew up catholic, but fell out of it around high school. no real reason, really, i just didn't believe in it and all the rules. i'm agnostic today, so i believe in something, but not exactly god in the traditional sense. more like... the universe, as a whole?" his mother hadn't approved, still being religious herself, but he was known to pray once in a blue moon.

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🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your favorite holiday and why? (for clara)

"halloween." that was the only answer clara was going to give— no explanation, even though the question asked for one. instead she shrugged and stayed quiet. the reality of it was that it was one of the very few holidays that wasn't family oriented, so there was no need to pretend that everything was fine to outsiders looking in. plus, who didn't love the chance to be someone else entirely for a night? there was no having to be introspective or getting caught up in one's own head when one were dressed up and pretending to be someone else for a little while.

[strndeds]

was that mali ayutthaya i just saw? could’ve sworn it was mookda narinrak. weird. anyway, they’ve been in town for five years and still haven’t left. must be because as a 26 year old hair stylist, they’re pretty oblivious + spoiled. but hey, i heard they can be chatty + creative as well. we’ll see them around haven apartments, for better or worse. they kind of remind me of lavender tinted sighs + the desperate search for love.

𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱

the only child of thai immigrants who moved to new york, the pressure was on young to be something great. not only did she have to make her parents' sacrifices worth it, but their success, as well. her mother is a well-off model, while her father worked his way up in a law firm to partner. mali was never wanting of anything material, and that's where the problem starts.

she barely finished high school. it's not that she's unintelligent, but she just... didn't care for it. she'd rather be off shopping with friends or hanging out somewhere fun than spending hours doing homework on a concept she already grasped. when her parents found out she barely skimmed by, they gave her an ultimatum: go to college, or get out.

and so off to college mali went, only to drop out after half a semester and then pretend she was still going to keep her parents happy. her real passion? cosmetology. she used some of her allowance to go to school for it in secret. while she did fine in makeup, hair is where she really shined.

when her parents found out a whopping three years later that she lied to them, they immediately kicked her out of the house and cut off her allowance. they actually stopped talking to her for a few weeks until she begged enough for them to give her another chance. they said no to letting her come back home, but let her keep some of her monthly allowance.

with no where to go, and her so-called friends turning their backs, mali went to the only other person she could at the time: her internet boyfriend. he lived in danville, and she decided to surprise him by not saying anything until the day before she flew out. he seemed enthusiastic! and then he never showed up at their meeting spot the next day, blocking her on everything.

she refused to go crawling back to her parents after that, too embarrassed at being catfished to recount the truth. she told them everything was fine, faking a breakup a few months later once she settled. she's now been in town for five years, happily cutting and coloring hair full time at shear innovations. she still wears designer clothes despite being out in the middle of the forest. it's just who she is.

𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

anyone can read her like a book. chatty, enthusiastic, and eager to please, mali is a social butterfly who loves to meet new people and learn new things... as long as they don't require too much exercise, or going into the woods. she's a good person, just predictable. her flaws are easy enough to predict as someone spoiled most of her life: oblivious and materialistic. but still, she does her best and has no hatred in her heart. she forgives easily ( after a little time with a grudge, but it never lasts ) and is quite softhearted and sensitive. she hates to cry in front of others, but will definitely do so in the salon employee closet if a client is mean. but for being so oblivious, she does know and feel like she's an outsider even after a solid five years in danville. she wants to go home, someday, but just not now.

𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀

full name: mali ayutthaya

nickname: mal

gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her

sexuality: questioning

status: single

height: 5'5"

𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱

neighbors

coworkers

a best friend ( wc on main )

general friends

recurring clients

exes ( m/nb )

current crush ( f/nb, can be unreciprocated if you prefer )

whatever else!

[strndeds]

was that clara anker i just saw? could’ve sworn it was january jones. weird. anyway, they’ve been in town for her whole life and still haven’t left. must be because as a 44 year old mortician / owner of sunset mortuary, they’re pretty defensive + blunt. but hey, i heard they can be protective + street smart as well. we’ll see them around hidden hills estates, for better or worse. they kind of remind me of the death of a hero + rust on gold.

𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 tw - abuse ( left vague ), parental death

the anker's have been in danville for generations. born the oldest of three, the household was a tumultuous one. the siblings' father seemed to, for reasons clara could only assume, focus his anger on the only son. clara felt it was her responsibility as the older sister to intervene, and so she eventually did... once. after that, she never dared to again.

she didn't want to leave him behind, but she just had to get out of that house and find her own way. right at eighteen, she packed up her things and moved in with a friend to get away from it all. they had big plans to leave danville, but for one reason or another, it never seemed to pan out.

once her younger brother was out on his own, clara surprisingly reconnected with their mother and younger sister, and tried to rebuild those bridges. her mother didn't blame her at all for leaving, and so she took clara under her wing to teach her about the family business of running sunset mortuary.

being a mortician wasn't exactly on her vision board for the future ( she wanted to get the hell out of town, remember? ), but having no other plans, she decided to go to school for it until she 'figured things out.'

apparently she never did, because she works in that funeral home / mortuary even today.

recently, her parents passed away. her father went first due to a heart attack, and her mother went not long after. those who didn't know them well say she died of a broken heart, but clara insists that she could finally rest without him around and just wanted to outlive the bastard, even if by a few weeks.

her life thus far has been relatively uneventful, minus a failed engagement that ended last year. it was mutual. they had different wants for the future and were just jumping to get married because of that 'biological clock' nonsense. clara is considering adopting on her own in the future, but is happy where she is for now.

with all the siblings back together in danville for their parents' end of life services, she wants to reconnect with everyone, but it may be easier said than done.

𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

no bullshit, tired, and yet constantly overthinking— those are the foundations of clara anker. she's the type of person who could use a little more tact, but will tell you to fuck off if you tell her such a thing to her face. her loyalties tend to change frequently depending on what she can get from people or who is currently annoying her the least, minus a few exceptions that she's rock solid with and would kill for. big on family, found or otherwise. she's sarcastic and will always have a quip at the ready if she doesn't choose to just throw a withering look and stay silently judging someone instead. the part that she doesn't show, pretending to never care what other people think, is that she hates being judged herself. she knows she's not perfect, and hates reminders of that fact.

𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀

full name: clara devyn anker

nickname: n/a

gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her

sexuality: bisexual, open about it

status: single

height: 5'6"

𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱

neighbors

employees

her ex fiancé(e)

a confidant and / or childhood best friend

anyone whose family she's helped with end of life things

hookups, maybe a fwb with no strings attached

exes from way back when, a high school sweetheart?

whatever else!

[strndeds]

was that christian park i just saw? could’ve sworn it was mark fischbach. weird. anyway, they’ve been in town for three years and still haven’t left. must be because as a 33 year old firefighter, they’re pretty stubborn + closed off. but hey, i heard they can be caring + honest as well. we’ll see them around the outskirts, for better or worse. they kind of remind me of a singular home atop a hill + childhood dying with thunderous applause.

𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 tw - infidelity, divorce, talk of being in the closet

born and raised in seattle, washington, christian's life was great for the first handful of years up until he was about five. it was then that his mother found out about his father's cheating— he had an entire other son with another woman somewhere far from seattle. the divorce was swift, with his mother gaining full custody and his dad somewhat trying to stay in his life afterwards.

it was around his teens that his dad stopped showing up. it worked out, in a warped way, because christian didn't really want to see him anyway. they were never able to connect, partially because he saw how the divorce put his mother emotionally through the wringer and made her bitter.

he always knew he wanted to help people for a living, so he went to school first for nursing. after realizing he hated that, he turned to fire sciences instead and thrived. his mother was proud and spoke animatedly about him finding the perfect wife now that his career was settled. it made christian... kind of uncomfortable? he knew she meant well, but there were a few implications he wasn't a fan of.

any time she asked about his dating life, he insisted that he was too busy working to bother, and that he'd get it in order eventually. it wasn't really a lie, considering the long, odd hours he worked as a fireman.

about three and a half years ago, he found his half-brother on social media. it wasn't intentional, really. he'd actually found his father first (who he hadn't spoken to in over ten years) and then went down a rabbit hole from curiosity. after exchanging messages for a while, he decided to visit the other in kentucky.

christian had never been outside seattle. luckily, the forest was reminiscent of home and he didn't feel too terribly out of place minus the new faces and places. the trip was only supposed to last three weeks, but one person changed that entirely.

they never called each other "boyfriends", but they were as close as they could get without actually being official. it was all christian's fault, to be honest. his mother had always imagined a wife and kids for him in seattle, and he had trouble breaking that version of her perfect son. they didn't hide, but they weren't exactly out, either, especially in the phone calls to home when he referred to the other as a good friend. he stayed in danville for that person, but they eventually broke it off when christian couldn't give him the commitment he wanted.

now it's been three years in kentucky, and what the hell is he still doing here? he says he's stayed for his half-brother, that he likes the area, his job, the people... but really, he just might be hoping and holding onto that not-really-a-relationship on top of it all. who knows, really, but he's here.

𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

truthfully, he has a guard up. if someone speaks to him a lot that he doesn't already know, he gets a little confused and wonders if they need something instead of just accepting that they might simply be friendly. he doesn't try to be rude with how blunt he can be, but it happens occasionally. at least on the positive, you'll always know where you stand with him. he's also incredibly protective once you're in his circle, lending a shoulder or a hand at any time of day when he's needed even if he has work in the early morning. humor is something earned as well; dad jokes make him laugh, and he has a surprisingly lame sense of humor for someone who always looks deep in thought or mildly annoyed, depending on the day.

𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀

full name: christian baekhyun park

nickname: n/a, doesn't like being called chris

gender & pronouns: cis man & he/him

sexuality: bisexual, not entirely "out" but to close friends

status: single

height: 5'11"

𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱

neighbors

fellow dog parents

someone always calling the fire department, yeesh

a drinking buddy or two

fellow coworkers

unlikely friends, maybe someone upbeat and super chatty?

a one night stand here and there ( f/nb )

a frienemy could be interesting?

whatever else!

[strndeds]

strndeds is a mumu for @danvilleky featuring the following muses written by aspen ( they/them, 30 ). dni if not part of the group !

christian park: intro, hc, visage, replies

clara anker: intro, hc, visage, replies

mali ayutthaya: intro, hc, visage, replies