#chq;intro

[tctteredwings]

if you’re hearing VOGUE by MADONNA playing, you have to know NATHAN YOUNG (HE/HIM; CIS MAN) is near by! the FORTY-ONE year old PHOTOGRAPHER has been in denver for, like, NINE YEARS. they’re known to be quite COCKY, but being FREETHINKING seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble RYAN GOSLING. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those DESK FULL OF EMPTY COFFEE CUPS, A CONSTANTLY BUZZING CELLPHONE, A PLAYFUL SMILE AND A WINK vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the RIVER NORTH ART DISTRICT long enough!

tw: adultery

ABOUT.

Name: Nathan Young Nicknames: Nate Age: Forty-one Date of Birth: 5th November 1981 Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, USA Current Location: Denver, Colorado, USA Occupation: Photographer Romantic/sexual orientation: Biromantic/bisexual

Nathan was born in Greenwich Village to Enid and Marc . They were big in the community, always doing charity work and volunteering. His father even ran for major at one point. He was expected to get involved, too, but he really wasn’t interested.

All he wanted was to take photos, so at 16 he got a part time job at Starbucks and bought all the equipment his parents refused to. The rest was history as they say.

Eventually drifted away from his parents, the relationship with his younger sisters also suffering as a result.

In his senior year he came out as bisexual and dated a guy from the hockey team for a little over six months, up until college pulled them apart anyway.

The New York Film Academy was his chosen college. He briefly dabbled in movies, but in the end decided to stick with photography, landing an internship at a major fashion magazine shadowing one of the photographers as soon as he graduated.

He worked his way up the ladder, starting with fetching coffee, basically doing everybody else's shit. It took a couple of years, but in the end he got where he wanted, finding himself being headhunted for Vogue, GQ and Vanity Fair.

At 24 he met his soon to be wife on a shoot, she was pretty new, majorly awkward and he fell for her in a big way.

It was proper whirlwind romance, in the space of a year and a half they were married and had a child. Within a couple more years their family of three became four... and then there was the dogs, too. Three of them in total. Fluffy Pomeranian's his wife was obsessed with. They set up home in the Upper East Side and could haven’t have been happier.

Up until Nathan cheated on her anyway.

Flirty in nature he was always chatting people up, just a way to get people to ‘fall in love with him’ for the benefit of the camera, but six years after he first got married, things went a little too far.

He confessed straight away and within a year they were divorced, his wife granted full custody of the children.

Deciding on a fresh start, he up and moved to Denver, setting up his own studio in the city a year later.

His daughters are Lyndsey ( 16 ) and Jessica ( 14 ), who he sees during the holidays for the most part now, the pair coming to stay in Denver with him ever since.

He’s still a flirt, something that will never change, but he’s failing pretty dramatically at getting back on the dating scene. His job is his life now, though, and a lot of his time is dedicated to that and spending time in his studio.

TIMELINE.

1984: Manhattan, New York 2005: Manhattan/Los Angeles 2014: Denver, CO

HEADCANONS.

Despite his protests in the debate over whether to get a dog or not with his ex-wife, he’s found he’s actually quite fond of them now. After spending six years having miniature breeds yapping at his heels, he chose to adopt a Doberman within a couple of months of moving to Denver.

Nathan is a keen reader and considers himself a bookworm. It’s a little known fact about him, but he adores the classics, and his favourite book is War and Peace. One day he hopes to write something himself, although knows it will probably only end up being a photography book or a pictorial of his years taking photos.

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

- two younger sisters; their relationship was strained when they were younger, but I imagine it’s something that’s improved over the years. - ex-wife;  they were together around 7 & a half years. a proper whirlwind romance that ended in disaster. - ‘the fling’; the person he cheated on his wife with. it would have been in la in 2013 with someone who works/worked in the arts industry. ( I’ve always head-canoned that they were male, but it’s not set in stone. ) - exes pre-2008; anyone he dated in nyc (possibly la for v.short term things too) before meeting his wife at 24. - failed dates since arriving in denver; he’s been on numerous & they’ve mostly been a disaster. - one night stands; before & after the wife. - people he’s photographed; either for a magazine in the past or since setting up his studio in the city. - jogging buddies; he jogs every day, so I imagine there’s a couple of people he chooses to go with. - good friends; those he’s close to and spends most of his time with. - confidant/closest friend; someone he can talk to about anything and always come to when there’s a problem. - fellow book nerds; he’s big on reading, so just people he can enthuse about literature with. - bar buddies; those he frequents the bars with.

[othcrwxrdly]

if you’re hearing SUMMER NIGHTS by SIAMES playing, you have to know MONIQUE LEE (SHE/HER; CIS FEMALE) is near by! the 51 year old WEDDNG PLANNER has been in denver for, like, 51 YEARS. they’re known to be quite SELFISH, but being RESOURCEFUL  seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble THANDIE NEWTON. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those DARK RED LIPSTICK, CONFIDENCE THAT COULD KILL, FLOWERS GROWING BACK AS THORNS  vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the CHERRY CREEK  long enough!

Love, what a concept. Monique has long since forgotten what love felt like,  the comfort of having someone to lean on through thick and thin, to trust in every aspect of life. Instead, she relies solely on herself to carry on forward. She doesn’t mind it anymore; what could a companion give her that she could not find elsewhere? 

 It wasn’t always like this. 

On a sunny Summer day, she was ready to get married to the man she thought was the love of her life. Her mother was ecstatic, whereas her father had seemed less inclined. The wedding planner had made sure every detail of this day would be perfect: food, flowers, music, everything  carefully selected to make this day as beautiful as possible. However, the groom was nowhere to be seen. 

Monique waited for hours, wearing her beautiful A-line wedding dress, make-up ruined by tears still staining her cheeks. He ignored her calls, and the coward instead settled for throwing six years of her life away through a text message:

 I’m sorry, I didn’t want it to be like this, but I can’t do this. I can’t pretend anymore. 

That was the last she heard of him. Now left to pick up the pieces of her life, Monique promised herself she’d never allow anyone that power over her. She spent months figuring out where they went wrong, what she did to push him to that decision, and how she could have been better.  The truth came in the form of a picture sent by a coworker. It was never her. She was not the one he loved. In the photo, he sat with her best friend, holding hands over a cafe table. That was the real reason he ran away. All the while letting her plan the wedding and pretending everything was fine. 

Her place of employment requires her to work with people as naive as she was that fateful day. Though she no longer believes it is possible to find love for herself, she’s happy to help those on the journey to join their lives… most of the time. Where she was once excited, lively, and empathetic, she feels those qualities have long since vanished from her repertoire. 

A few years later, Monique sat across from a couple, their excited chatter about wedding details filling the room. She nodded along, her professional demeanor unwavering as she discussed flower arrangements and seating plans. The couple's joy was infectious, but somewhere deep within, a flicker of something stirred—a memory she'd buried long ago.

As the couple shared their love story, laughter bubbling between them, Monique's facade faltered. She excused herself briefly, stepping into the quiet hallway. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes, trying to push away the flood of memories threatening to overwhelm her.

The words from her ill-fated wedding day echoed in her mind. I’m sorry, I can’t pretend anymore.

For a fleeting moment, Monique allowed herself to feel the pain she'd locked away. The betrayal, the heartache, and the sense of loss surged back with an intensity that caught her off guard. She blinked back tears, silently berating herself for letting her guard down.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened up, steeling herself to return. The couple's happiness was what mattered now. She plastered on a smile, reentering the room with a renewed professional demeanor. But the ghosts of her past lingered, a silent reminder of a heart that had once believed in love.

Nowadays, Mona tries her best to make it through life by enjoying solitude. Long gone are the questions from family members about when she’ll find someone to spend life with, along with her hopes for building a family. That betrayal no longer haunts her, though the wasted years of her life slowly make her regret the lonely path she chose for herself.

[deviloutofluck]

if you’re hearing UNWRITTEN by NATASHA BEDINGFIELD playing, you have to know FELIPE MENDOZA (HE/HIM; NONBINARY) is near by! the 32 year old THEATER OWNER has been in denver for, like, SINCE BIRTH. they’re known to be quite TIMID but being AMBITIOUS seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble HARVEY GUILLÉN personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those STAGE LIGHTS, INK ON PAPER AND COZY CARDIGANS vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the CHERRY CREEK DISTRICT long enough!

Felipe was born into a fairly big and rich family of four siblings, being in the middle of the bunch. The family has been in Denver for a good two generations and used to be known for running the local theatre named The Polymnia which offered much needed entertainment. The Mendoza's has, since then, tried to move on to bigger and better things as they mainly invest in other businesses and keep to themselves.

Everyone in the family get along well, even if the parents are your typical aloof rich people who have lost themselves a little along the way, and the siblings seems to be a mix of either that or being a bit more grounded. Felipe is one of the grounded ones and has his moments of trying to pull his other family members back down as well, with no luck thus far.

His childhood was rather straight forward, with the only bump in the road being at the age of 13 - in which he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis after a few years of feeling like something wasn't quite right with his joints. It hasn't stopped him from engaging with his hobbies, which is theatre, writing and art but it does make it harder for him whenever the symptoms flare up.

Felipe has basically been writing stories since he was able to write, playing them out with friends for fun and by the time high school was beginning to wrap up, he already knew he wanted to get his hands on The Polymnia before his parents decided to even the building with the ground.

Up until that point it had mainly been used for conferences or private events and the building was struggling to keep itself together, with loads needing to be fixed up and none of it was going to get cheap. Felipe decided to stay living at home to save on costs, working a good two jobs (sometimes more) to make the building acceptable for shows.

Today The Polymnia is a home for other theatre enthusiast and volunteers looking for some experience or those just looking for a place to hang out or to extend a helping hand. The place often ends up in the shadows next to other event places and one could say the place seems haunted by some unhappy spirits by the many accidents and happenings that fall over it, but the struggles are worth it by the end of the day.

Felipe himself spends his time managing the place, whilst also studying some art related topics at the University and writing scripts for his lovely actors to perform - always keeping himself busy. He is still on the fence with his parents about the theatre, as they still believe it to be a waste of time and would rather their child do something else with his life. Alas, he's unwilling to budge and believes everything will be alright with a bit more time and devotion.

[acefms]

if you’re hearing LOSER by BECK playing, you have to know ACE MILLER (HE/HIM; CIS MALE) is near by! the 31 year old ANIMATOR has been in denver for, like, FIVE YEARS. they’re known to be quite AVOIDANT , but being AMIABLE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble DREW STARKEY. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those LATE NIGHT DRIVES TO NOWHERE, SMUDGED INK AND PAINT SPLATTERS, WEARING SUNGLASSES INSIDE TO HIDE A HANGOVER, NEVER WALKING PAST A DOG WITHOUT SAYING HI vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the DOWNTOWN DISTRICT long enough!

NAME: ace miller AGE: thirty-one and oh so dumb ... HOMETOWN: philadelphia, pennsylvania BIRTHDAY: october 19th ZODIAC: libra GENDER: male PRONOUNS: he/him SEXUALITY: bi bi bi ( slight male lean ) RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single OCCUPATION: animator for tv shows/comics/movies — is currently working on his own comic (name tbd)

[ tw: gambling, addiction, abandonment, depression. ]

• Ace grew up in south Philadelphia with his mother and father until the age of seven, when after years of a toxic relationship his father left and never came back. Ace struggled with the abandonment throughout his life, but was lucky enough to have his grandfather who was more of a parent to him than anyone else could ever be. Through his grandfather he discovered his love and talent for art, and began to use it as his form of escapism. It was his saving grace during his turbulent teenage years. He would definitely derailed had it not been for art and the worlds he made in the comfort of his room.

• His mother was loving in her own way during his childhood, but was always driven by materialistic possessions that she couldn’t afford. Her job as bartender just wouldn’t cut it, and she began to gamble. But after a few wins, she found herself hooked on the feeling and soon developed an addiction that grew out of control. Ace had to take on two jobs before he was finished with high school just to help pay off her debts which left him drained to the point that he struggled to keep up. He sank into deep depression and found it hard to get out.

• Despite this, she continued to try and live lavishly behind his back while he was on the verge of a mental breakdown due to how many things he had to juggle at once. By the time he graduated high school, he’d grown to resent her completely and she continued to put her addiction, and boyfriends, above him. They have no relationship at this present time and he has no current desire to ever see her again.

• Leaving for college ( which his grandfather had paid for ), he gained a dual-degree in graphic design and animation and built his way up in the business, taking a good few hits before finally landing his dream job working in film and tv, online content as well as comics. He genuinely loves his job and it’s probably the one aspect of his life he’s completely happy with. He is very creative and has several little worlds inside his head.

• He travelled for years, moving at least every six months before finally settling in Denver in attempt to build some kind of solid life, but so far the only part he’s got right is raising a a crazy pup named charlie and gaining a lifelong best friend in the form of his roommate theodore.

HEADCANNONS

• he never sleeps before 2am and never wakes before 10am. he will literally be acting like it’s the middle of the day in the middle of the night.

• he’s a terrible cook. he can heat things up and make basic stuff, but overall he’s kinda hopeless. someone help him.

• he drinks way too much coffee, and too often occasionally too much whiskey and beer. randomly likes to get high a few times a month if he needs a little help falling asleep. will be seen with sunglasses on constantly to hide who zombie-like/hungover he is.

• before he realized his mothers addiction he would often take trips with her as a young boy to vegas or places alike ( most of, but not all, his time was spent waiting for her in hotel rooms ) so he’s actually really decent at playing poker because she taught him how to play. but ace hates to gamble.

• during his time travelling he’s spent a lot of time sleeping in his car ( when he wasn’t abroad ) and he actually really enjoys the outdoors. likes to hike with his pup. also is likely to end up with a million dogs.

• he has a small ace of spades tattoo on the inside of his middle finger on his left hand -- he got it as a dare when he was drunk at seventeen. he hates it, but he’ll never get rid of it. he also has a fingers crossed tattoo on his right forearm, and a melting smiley face on his right index finger. more tbh he has at least ten. random tattoo supremacy. i'll add more when i can think.

• aside from his cartoons, he also loves to paint, sketch, play around with pottery and just get as creative as possible with anything artistic whatsoever. it's his safe space, his own form of therapy in a way. though he doesn’t let many people see the results as somehow they feel a lot more personal than his cartoon/animation work.

POSSIBLE / WANTED CONNECTIONS

roommate/ best friend -- taken by theodore cohen.

past flings/hook-ups -- ashamed to say there's been many. ace struggles with emotional vulnerability and absolutely runs from things.

childhood friends -- god forbid anyone knew him when he was openly sad, haha. jokes to disguise emotional damage for the win.

people who don't like him -- he's annoying, it's so likely.

party pals -- you're his favourite people.

a cousin ? aunt, uncle -- there will probably be some tension as his family is a mess, but this could be fun to play out.

idk he's an idiot give me everything.

[fireliit]

LOGAN, THIRTY-ONE, CST; SHE/THEY. | if you’re hearing COMING HOME by BRIDGES playing, you have to know KAREEM SALAAM (HE/HIM; CIS MAN) is near by! the THIRTY-SEVEN year old MUSEUM CURATOR has been in denver for, like, SIX MONTHS. they’re known to be quite FICKLE, but being FREE-THINKING seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those PERFECTIONISM THAT IS ALWAYS BEING FINE-TUNED AND REWORKED LIKE A MOLD OF CLAY, A GLASS OF CURATED WINE WHILE READING CLIVE BELL FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME, FRENCH PRESS COFFEE WITH A SPLASH OF CONDENSED MILK vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the CHERRY CREEK long enough!

Full profile under the cut! APPLICABLE TRIGGER WARNINGS: brief mentions of death by helicopter accident and natural causes

STATS Full Name: Kareem Arash Salaam Nickname(s): None Occupation: Museum curator at Denver Art Museum Age: Thirty-seven Date of Birth: July 22nd, 1986 Ethnicity/Race: Black, West Indian, African-Caribbean Gender & Pronouns: Cis man | he/him Orientation: Bisexual Height: 193 cm / 6’3” Tattoo(s): None Piercing(s): None Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Current Residence: Denver, Colorado Languages: English (fluent), French (fluent) Social Class: Upper middle class Notable Family Members: Jahmal Salaam (father, deceased), Abigail Salaam (mother), Hamaad Salaam (paternal grandfather, deceased) Traits: Honorable, creative, free-thinking, philosophical, inventive, fickle, snooty and petty MBTI: ISTP - The Virtuoso Eanneatype: Type 3 - The Achiever Moral Alignment: True Neutral Temperament: Phlegmatic Intelligence Type: Spatial, existential Astrology: Cancer sun, Aquarius moon, Capricorn ascending Habits: Glancing at watch, tapping his foot, rubbing chin, tunes boring people out, over-organized, snores when sleeping, turns almost everything into a project, raising eyebrows, often stands with hands behind his back Hobbies: Metalcrafting, wood-working, resin molding, anything art-related, visiting wineries, art journaling, visiting restaurants and giving scorching reviews on social media, reading Likes: Charcuterie boards, cured meats, philosophical debate, questioning existence and other people's poor choices, candles, pastries Dislikes: The fog, cake that's too sweet, flying on airplanes, people trying to give him nicknames, being cold, clutter BIOGRAPHY His father was a hero. That’s what others would tell Kareem when they recounted how his father died in a helicopter accident as an EMSA pilot during a vicious hurricane.  

But Kareem wasn't ever interested in chasing after his father's legacy, in flying that close to the sun, keeping his feet planted firmly on the ground from a young age. 

As the result of his father passing and his mother being away from home a lot working, he was raised primarily by a no-nonsense paternal grandfather starting from the age of seven. His grandfather instilled in him high values and expectations and, as a result, Kareem always has held himself to high standards and views the world with a critical gaze. 

Through his observations from his youth, Kareem adopted his own code of conduct. He doesn’t just hold himself to this code, but also the people around him, and as a result, he has alienated more people than not. This suits Kareem just fine as he preferred to have a smaller, curated circle of friends. 

Incredibly cutthroat and unafraid to sever ties, Kareem spent most of his time exploring the world through nature, philosophy, and art. Often found with a book in hand, in a lot of ways, George Dickie, Walter Kaufmann, and Ted Cohen were his most steady companions growing up. 

While he finds plenty of faults in people and the world around him, Kareem also has a fascination with the beauty of the imperfections that exist in every corner, leading him to follow a passion for the arts. Graduating from high school in his hometown of New Orleans, Kareem went on to get his bachelor’s in Museum Studies from New York Univeristy.

It is during this time that he meets Kassandra Yung, his first love. After a period of pining, the two of them began to date, only calling it quits upon graduation. Kassandra was going back to her home, and Kareem needed to move onto graduate school, and the two of them split after deciding not to try and make the relationship work long distance. For awhile, they still exchanged letters until contact dwindled.

Career-focused, Kareem went to John Hopkins University for his graduate studies, and after he had completed the program, he served his internship at the Dallas Museum of Art.  

Kareem spent the better part of the next decade hopping around the southern United States and leaving his footprint in various museums with his hand-picked exhibits. During this time, it wasn’t only art pieces that he left behind, but also broken hearts. Never settling down for long. 

Kareem dabbles in creating art pieces of his own every now and then, preferring woodworking and metal crafting to any other art styles, but he mostly loves to pick art pieces to hang not just in his home, but in local museums as a museum curator. 

After the passing of his grandfather last year, Kareem decided to spread his wings and relocate to Denver, Colorado to help nurture the vibrantly growing art scene there.

Throughout all of his moves, Kareem never once has taken flight, traveling cross-country by car with a moving van following behind him. Accommodating to the cooler weather has been difficult for him and he dreads the upcoming summer, but it is a price he is willing to pay for the rich culture that he has found in Denver, specifically in the River North Art District where he works. 

[ofwishfulthinking]

if you’re hearing SUMMER CHILD by CONAN GRAY playing, you have to know CASSIDY SYDNEY (she/they; enby) is near by! the 26 year old STUDENT/PIANO TEACHER has been in denver for, like, 10 YEARS. they’re known to be quite TIMID, but being EMPATHETIC seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble JESSIE MEI LI. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those FINGERS FLYING ACROSS PIANA KEYS, FLOWERS WOVEN INTO BRAIDS, SUMMER DRESSES AND COMBAT BOOTS vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough!

details (tw suicide):

Cassidy never really knew her father. He was more a stranger than anything, a character in their story. Growing up, Cass had always heard that her father was a real estate tycoon or something of the sort who owned properties in various states. Truth be told, Cass didn't really know much about her mom either. She knew her of course, but she didn't know about her. All they knew was that their mother had been married before, that the marriage had ended, and she'd moved to the United States.

When Cass was young, her mother remarried. That was how Ryder Sydney entered her life. Between Ryder and Cass's older sibling, Cass felt safe -- something that was necessary as Ryder's dad was not a nice guy.

About ten years ago, Cass's mom secreted them away to Denver in the dead of night. They bought a small house and never looked back.

For a while, life seemed perfect, or as perfect as it had ever been, but then things fell apart. tw start Cass's mom had been dealing with more than the teenager could've imagined and one day, those demons won. tw end

To keep her from becoming another child lost in the system, their older sibling became their legal guardian. After all, Cass was only a few years away from being an adult themselves.

Cass currently resides in Lakeridge District, in an old broken down house they inherited from their mother and works as a piano tutor and picking up odd jobs where ever she can while attending college.

potential connections:

older sibling (will be a wc on the main)

best friend/friends (she’s lived in denver for over a decade now for their entire life)

flirtationships

enemies

clients (both for piano and babysitting)

any and everything

[flawsfatal]

if  you’re  hearing  SIX  by  I  WOULD  SET  MYSELF  ON  FIRE  FOR  YOU  playing,  you  have  to  know  HARRIER  “HAL”  BRENNAN  (HE/HIM;  CIS  MAN)  is  near  by!  the  35  year  old  AUTO  MECHANIC  has  been  in  denver  for,  like,  TWO  YEARS.  they’re  known  to  be  quite  IMPULSIVE,  but  being  ENDURING  seems  to  balance  that  out.  or  maybe  it’s  the  fact  that  they  resemble  MATT  BOMER.  personally,  i’d  love  to  know  more  about  them  seeing  as  how  they’ve  got  those  AXLE  GREASE  ON  WOOLEN  SWEATERS,  TORN  OUT�� PAGES  IN  OLD  JOURNALS,  MUD  CAKED  ON  SKIN  vibes.  and  maybe  i’ll  get  my  chance  if  i  hang  out  around  the  LAKERIDGE  DISTRICT  long  enough!

tw: heavy substance abuse, brief, undetailed mentions of sa.

it’s  nuclear  family  archetype—his  parents  are  loving,  his  needs  are  attended,  his  wants  are  indulged  when  reasonable,  his  elder  brother  and  he  are  close.  hal  grows  up  with  the  world  in  the  palm  of  his  hand.  he  is  bright,  wants  so  desperately  to  work  in  aircraft  engineering,  to  build  and  design  the  jets  his  brother  had  his  hand  in  flying.  

the  exact,  focal  moment  of  destruction  comes  when  he  is  seventeen.  it  comes  with  the  smell  of  cigarette  smoke,  the  feel  of  a  coarse  mattress  underneath  him,  regret,  loss  of  autonomy.  his  first  love,  his  first  crush,  and  he  is  far  too  drunk  to  do  anything  but  survive.  he  leaves  pieces  of  himself  there  that  he  has  yet  to  recover  in  full,  loses  the  ability  to  feel  anything  but  murk,  until—

euphoria,  dissolved  in  a  spoon,  in  the  rundown  kitchen  of  a  friend  of  a  friend’s  apartment.  strikes  a  match  in  his  veins  and  suddenly  the  discomfort,  the  overtightness  of  his  own  skin  fades.  it  was  an  off-switch  to  the  agony  he  could  not  put  words  to,  and  he  lost  himself  in  it,  lost  everything.

it  took  a  very  long  time  for  his  parents  to  cut  him  off  in  spite  of  his  obvious  descent.  his  brother—richard—was  much  quicker  to  stop  enabling  him,  drew  the  line  when  hal  refused  treatment,  but  he  was  their  baby  boy,  no  matter  how  volatile  and  sick  the  substance  abuse  made  him.

after  they  do,  hal  lives  on  the  streets  for  several  years,  struggling  to  get  back  on  his  feet,  not  entirely  convinced  being  sober  is  an  option  for  him.  he  tries  to  get  clean  on  his  own  a  few  times,  more  than  a  few,  but  the  numbness  that  comes  with  sobriety  eats  him  alive,  he  knows  no  other  way  to  feel.  

it  takes  time.  it  takes  hospital  visits,  it  takes  almost  dying.  it  takes  rehab,  relapse  and  then  rehab  again.  finally,  he  claws  himself  to  four  month  sober  and  catches  a  flight  to  denver,  to  start  anew,  perhaps  against  his  better  judgement.  

it’s  not  aeroplanes,  but  it  is  mechanics,  and  hal  proves  proficient  enough.  he  works  engines,  works  cars,  and  there’s  peace  in  that.  his  apartment  is  small  and  lived  in,  he’s  managed  to  keep  nearly  clean  in  the  past  two  years  since  coming  to  denver,  save  some  minor  scuffs  to  his  record  that  he  manages  to  wean  off  of  without  help.

[modestvm]

PENNY, 24, GMT; SHE/HER. | if you’re hearing VIENNA by BILLY JOEL playing, you have to know GABRIEL MOORE (HE/HIM; CIS MAN) is near by! the THIRTY-FOUR year old HISTORY PROFESSOR has been in denver for, like, THREE YEARS. they’re known to be quite OBSTINATE, but being ALLOCENTRIC seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble JACOB ANDERSON. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those WANDERING EMPTY MUSEUMS, THE GLOW FROM A LAPTOP SCREEN and ROLLED-UP SHIRT SLEEVES AND V-NECK JUMPERS vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the DOWNTOWN DISTRICT long enough! 

full name: gabriel isaac moore. nicknames: gabe, abe. gender and pronouns: cis man, he/him. age: thirty-four. sexuality: bisexual. date of birth: july 15th. zodiac sign: cancer ( loyal, creative, sensitive, insecure. ) place of birth:  bristol, england. occupation: assistant professor of history, university of denver.

born and raised in bristol, the youngest of three with two older sisters. as a diplomatic service officer their father was away more often than not, so gabe was raised by his mother and sisters.

his interest in writing, reading and history was a curveball. aside from his father, the rest of the family's interests were firmly rooted in stem. they were ( perhaps justifiably ) worried that gabriel's interests would not give him much success in life. but he was determined to pursue his passion and after graduating top of his class at bristol uni for undergrad, went on to get his master's and phd in history at st andrew's.

moved to london after graduation wondering what to do with himself and fell into teaching. completed his teaching qual and sought out a role teaching history whilst continuing to research and publish occasionally on the side to keep up with developments in the academic world.

( tw: car accident, injury, depression & ptsd ) was cycling to work as per usual one day when he was hit by a drunk driver at a crossing. he woke up just short of a week later to a shock. gabe had been lucky, really. at least, that's what everyone said -- at the time he couldn't only think that was a cruel thing to say. his right leg had been amputated, originally below the knee but complications did not go his way and so shortly after he became an above knee amputee. otherwise, he was pretty much unscathed - scars here and there the only thing to show of his ordeal now.

slightly reeling and with nothing to really do during his recovery, gabriel turned back to the work he loved. this was something of a relief to friends and family as, not unexpectedly, gabe was diagnosed with ptsd and depression immediately following the accident and suffered during much of his recovery. by no means have either of those things become a non-issue in his life, but they have dissipated and significantly and well, when all else fails… there’s always throwing yourself into work or looking after someone else. he wrote a monograph, a social history of black africans in renaissance england that was eventually published just under five years ago now.

riding on the back of the book's success, a desire to return to academia and for a change of scenery he began applying for jobs. the offer from the university of denver came through and he took it and uprooted to denver. this was where his family’s relief was dampened; they thought it was a rash decision ( they weren’t wrong, but gabe was never one to change his mind once it was set and they knew it ) 

gabe has been in denver for three years now, comfortable in his position at the university but also keen to engage with as many people as possible. he runs a sort of 'history 101' evening class at the community college for anyone to attend.

wanted connections page ! gimme literally everything pls.

[tctteredwings]

if you’re hearing GIVE YOURSELF A TRY by THE 1975 playing, you have to know NOAH KIDO-BELL (HE/HIM; CIS MAN) is near by! the THIRTY-ONE year old DELIVERY RIDER/GARDENER has been in denver for, like, TWO YEARS. they’re known to be quite RISK-TAKING, but being ASSERTIVE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble DARREN BARNET. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those CYCLING INSTEAD OF SLEEPING, DIRT UNDER THEIR FINGERNAILS, HAPHAZARDLY STACKED VINYLS vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough!

tw: accident, death

ABOUT.

Name: Noah Kido-BellAge: Thirty-one Date of Birth: 8th April 1992 Birthplace: Toronto, Canada Occupation: Delivery rider/gardener Romantic/sexual orientation: Heteroromantic/heterosexual

How Noah ended up in Denver exactly is still a mystery to him. He knows how ridiculous that sounds, but it’s the truth.

He grew up in Toronto and as a child was completely obsessed with winter weather. Whenever it snowed, he thrived, so naturally everyone thought he was weird. It was almost like a disaster gave him a burst of adrenaline.

Over the years he realised that was a bit of a thing with him and by his early twenties he’d started bungee jumping and cliff diving for fun.

But back to how he finally ended up in Denver…

He went through school and college making a lot of noise. There was never any doubt that Noah was in the room. He liked it that way.

Noah wasn’t one for clubs or sports, so he had to gain attention in any other way… which he succeeded in.

His time in college wasn’t the most productive. In the end he went there for the sake of going. Yes he gained a degree, but he didn’t end up doing anything with it. In fact, most probably would have called his couple of years there a waste of time.

To Noah it was anything but, it was life experience, it was a way forward. Just as soon as he graduated, he ended up getting a job working for the place he’d spent so much time. His days were spent attaching people to bungee ropes and zip lines.

The next six years or so were spent this way, days in-between with his friends camping out in the woods or doing much the same as he did for his job. Up until the night one of his friends went missing anyway. In the end it quickly became known there had been an accident where he’d fallen on a mountain and passed away a month later. 

It made Noah question things a little and several months later he’d hopped on a plane to do a little thinking, a little self-discovery. His travels soon led him to Colorado and in time he found himself in Denver, where he’s been ever since.

HEADCANONS.

Since the accident several years back Noah hasn’t been the best sleeper, part of the reason he took a job as a delivery rider (Uber Eats, etc.), meaning he could head out around the city in the middle of the night, earn some money and fight off the demons.

His place is tiny with no backyard, which is part of the reason he gardens for other people. He’s big on nature and missed getting his hands dirty.

Really doesn’t bother with tv, he’s just not into it. He’d rather listen to vinyls.

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

- roomies - friends - extreme sports buddies - fellow riders/drivers he knows - exes/entanglements

[erraticizms]

if you’re hearing SHOT AT THE NIGHT by THE KILLERS playing, you have to know EMILIO ROSSI (HE/HIM; CIS MAN) is nearby! the THIRTY-THREE year old CASHIER has been in denver for, like, SIX MONTHS. they’re known to be quite CAPRICIOUS, but being ADAPTABLE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble ADAM DIMARCO. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those A LIFETIME FADING IN YOUR REARVIEW MIRROR, FIVE SECOND SUNSHOWERS, and THE AUDIBLE GULP IN A LOONEY TUNES CARTOON vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough!

BASICS:

full name: emilio michele rossi nicknames: emi hometown: staten island, new york age + birthday: 33, born on August 27th, 1990 sexuality + gender: bisexual, cis man face claim: adam dimarco

BACKGROUND (tw mental illness, depression, self-harm, suicide attempt):

the days leading up to labor day weekend on the south shore of staten island were quiet and heavy with anticipation for The Last Hurrah of the summer; emilio michele rossi arrived into the world on monday, august 27th of 1990, just as quiet, and weighed with expectations he’d never live up to

the rossi’s were proud italian-americans, with the entire clan spread across staten island, long island, and spilling into jersey. his father, vinny, was a third generation mechanic and his mother was a hair stylist

emilio was the third of four children overall: two older fraternal twins (bruno & bianca, 38), and one younger brother (luca, 26). his parents also had a few siblings each with their own respective litters, so it was next to impossible not to trip over a rossi in a hundred mile radius of staten island.

emilio was always the black sheep of the family: quiet, melancholy, and spineless, a lifetime being the butt of the joke and too soft-spoken to be heard at the dinner table. they loved each other, sure, but the only time he ever felt like part of the clan was at a yankee game, booing the opposing team.

shit started hitting the fan around middle school, after his older siblings and cousins moved onto high school and emilio, already riddled with anxiety, became an easy target for bullying. he never said anything, afterall. he was the perfect punching bag, and he never really learned to speak up for himself, much less fight back. he got scrappy because he had to, but he wasn’t winning any points with the cool kids— in fact, his blooming erraticism solidified him as the weird kid.

it was like everyone around him was a prodigy. bruno took to the body shop like he was born with a wrench in hand, and bianca returned from university with a masters in business, joining her twin in taking over the family business. luca, 11 years old, had already skipped two grades and was the family’s crown jewel. his cousins were nurses, business owners, chefs, successful successful successful and emilio was nothing nothing nothing

he had a couple of friends, other fellow outcasts, and preferred hanging out around staten island with them after school rather than returning home to explain another detention, another shitty grade, another phone call from a disappointed teacher to his parents

whenever he was home, he often ended up holed up in his bedroom to avoid the constant lectures and borderline mean-spirited ribbing from the revolving door of family members, headphones on because a family as loud as his could still be heard from behind closed doors, wondering “whatever happened to emilio, he’s just so… different”

he spent so much time thinking that it turned to rumination, and one night he found himself standing on the edge of the verrazzano-narrows, wondering if it’d hurt if he jumped.

the overwhelming guilt at once again bringing shame to his family stopped him, and he shut down afterwards.

for a few years, he continued as he had before: a passenger in his own life, watching his body move through the motions. cowardice and grief morphed to apathy. suppressing his emotions, burying everything under his responsibilities and a debilitating nicotine addiction, was the only way he knew how to get by… until halfway through his junior year of college, after a particularly normal day, when he suddenly found himself in a stretcher with gauze wrapped around his wrists, the horrified and devastating faces of his family staring as he was wheeled away.

emilio finished out his semester from an in-patient program in upstate new york.

for the first time in his life, his family was quiet around him. they were anxious, they were nervous, they were soft-spoken, and he was the one with the power. he was listened to and heard. for the first time in his life, emilio rossi defended himself.

the relief of a voice gave way to exhilaration, as it was like nothing fucking mattered anymore. he could say whatever he wanted to, he could survive anything because he survived himself when he wanted nothing more than nonexistence. 

he was a stain on his family. he was the black sheep. he was the weird cousin, he was the fun uncle, he was himself.

PERSONALITY & PRESENT (tw drug use, continued mental illness):  

graduated with a degree in history, which got him nothing more than a glorified tour guide gig at the metropolitan museum of art. go fucking figure.

started going by emi once he moved out at 21 to a shitty apartment on the lower east side with some roommates he found craigslist. 

a cocktail of nihilism, freedom, ego, and mental illness led to spending his early to mid-20s a drugged out haze, filtering between nightlife and his job, through sexual experimentation, relationships, and a disproportionate amount of bad to good days.

terribly CAPRICIOUS— his mood changes unpredictably, and he oscillates between thrumming anxiety and over-confidence, a little too honest, a little too comfortable, yet entirely oblivious in other regards. sometimes, he feels like an a spaceman trying to blend in with humanity.

this also makes him extremely ADAPTABLE, making it easier for him to flit around friendships and places because he’s always willing to follow the night.

moved out of new york when he was 30 and spent a few years working seasonal jobs around the country, until he took his savings and moved to denver at age 33 once he heard the news that luca’s been nominated for a nobel prize. 

hasn’t seen any of his family in person since he was 29

has absolutely zero direction in life and is probably overdue for a nervous breakdown.

[deviloutofluck]

if you’re hearing LOSING MY RELIGION by REM playing, you have to know KAYAAN DHAWAN (HE/THEY; CIS MAN) is near by! the 35 year old UNEMPLOYEED has been in denver for, like, 2 YEARS. they’re known to be quite PESSIMISTIC, but being RELIABLE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble RAHUL KOHLI. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those WET PUPPY, TOO MANY DRINKS & NOT ENOUGH SLEEP, WILL BEEF WITH YOUR GRANDMOTHER vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough!

TW: crime, murder, childhood abuse/neglect, law enforcement & prison

Kayaan grew up with his mom, dad and three year younger sister. His mom was a scientist and the back-bone of the family, basically doing everything around the house whilst also working fulltime. The dad had some on-and-off type of jobs, often quicker gigs, but spent the majority of his time at home "looking after the kids" - as he so often framed it.

Life was neither bad nor good up until one fateful day when Kayaan was around the age of 10, in which his mom failed to come home from work. Their mother has always been vague about the type of job she had and the projects she took on, never sharing more than she had to to keep people from asking further. By the end of the day she paid the bills and kept her children happy, which was all that mattered.

A body was never found and the police themselves showed little interest in the case, forcing the otherwise aloof father of the house to step up in his role. Or, he should have, one would think. The dad became more agitated by the day, now forcing his children to care for the house while he got busy "working his butt off". The sister often became the outlet for the dad's anger and misfortune, with Kayaan doing his best to aid his sister when possible but sometimes it only seemed to make things worse.

School became a burden and once the basics were wrapped up and done, Kayaan and his then best friend Ricky dropped out to pursue other goals. Those goals quickly turned into a life of petty crimes, with the best friend putting together a small group of goons for hire. It didn't make anyone rich, but it was enough to keep them both afloat - and in the moment, that was all that mattered.

The peace was not to be, as Kayaan suddenly found himself smitten by Ricky's current girlfriend Faye. They did their best to stay in line, not wanting to stir up any trouble, but when he found out that she she felt the same about him... what was he to do? They both began to talk about the possibility of leaving, perhaps starting over somewhere quiet and nice. A second chance. However, they got caught by Ricky before they could discuss it any further and a few days later the girlfriend was found missing.

Kayaan thought she had perhaps left without him, he wouldn't blame her, but nothing could prepare him for the truth that would unveil a few weeks later - she was murdered.

To Kayaan it was obvious who had done it, but law enforcement thought otherwise, soon arresting him on the accounts of her murder. The papers were no later to soak up the story about a temperamental, jealous man who couldn't bear the thought of seeing his crush with another man and thus took the matters into their own hands. The case was basically settled before it even began and soon enough Kayaan found himself locked up in prison for a crime they hadn't committed.

It would be close to a decade before any justice would be brought to the table and sadly in the happenings of a second murder by the hands of Ricky. Thus, he was finally allowed to walk free once more and being cleared of any and all accusations - but it didn't wash off the now years wasted behind bars or the tarnish to his name and face as many would still associate them with the criminal case.

He decided to sue the government for wrongful conviction and won big and for the past year and a half, Kayaan has been staying on his sister's couch in Denver; drifting around, dwelling on his future and what to do with it. The money is keeping them going as of now, but it's bound to run out sooner or later.

[horrorscvpe]

﹙  🎮  ﹚   jung  chaeyeon.   she/her.   cis   woman.      »      if  you’re  hearing  i  blame  the  world  by  sasha  alex  sloan  playing,  you  have  to  know  HYEMI  ‘MIMI’  JONES  is  nearby!  the  TWENTY  THREE  year  old  INDIE  VIDEO  GAME  DESIGNER  &  STREAMER  has  been  in  denver  for,  like,  ONE  YEAR.  they’re  known  to  be  quite  FOOLHARDY,  but  being  HONEST  seems  to  balance  that  out.  personally,  i’d  love  to  know  more  about  them  seeing  as  how  they’ve  got  those  the  quiet  loneliness  felt  at  3am,  wishes  upon  shooting  stars,  &  early  morning  fog  concealing  the  ground  vibes.  &  maybe  i’ll  get  my  chance  if  i  hang  around  the  RIVER  NORTH  ART  DISTRICT  long  enough.

   ↝    pinterest   ╱   google  doc   ╱   connections   ╱   playlist.

[acefms]

if you’re hearing SEVEN DEVILS by FLORENCE + THE MACHINE playing, you have to know HENRIK OLSSON (HE/HIM; CIS MALE) is near by! the 32 year old CYBER SECURITY ANALYST/HACKER has been in denver for, like, 8 YEARS. they’re known to be quite CYNICAL, but being ASTUTE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble BILL SKARSGARD. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those DESTRUCTION AT THE CLICK OF A BUTTON, AVOIDING FAMILY REUNIONS, HALF HEAVEN HALF HELL, POLISHED APPEARANCE CHAOTIC MIND vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the RINO DISTRICT long enough!

NAME: henrik andres olsson AGE: thirty-two BIRTHDAY: february 2nd ZODIAC: aquarius OCCUPATION: cyber security analyst / hacker BIRTHPLACE: gothenburg, sweden. moved to the usa aged eleven. SEXUALITY: pansexual, panromantic SPOKEN LANGUAGES: fluent in swedish, english, spanish, french & mandarin POSITIVES: intellectual, adaptable, productive, confident, observant NEGATIVES: unpredictable, vengeful, aloof, calculated

background story.

tw: infidelity, emotional abuse/gaslighting, blackmail, hacking, drug use.

henrik was born and raised in in gothenburg, sweden. this time of his life was extremely happy, his relationship with his family the best it had ever been. they came from old money, every desire met within an instant. when henrik turned eleven he’d be told they were moving to New York City, where his father planned to expand the families well established pharmaceutical empire. it was after this move that his family's reality began to become clearer to a teenage boy in a new country.

he’d always assumed his parents to have a great marriage, but slowly more and more proof of infidelity began to arise from his fathers side of things, and with it came gaslighting and manipulation at his mothers expense. seeing this, resentment began to stir within a son who had once looked up to the head of his family and he began to act out of line.

things quickly became strained, the son who once fell in line now challenging everything. it was at this point henrik was shipped off to a fancy school far out of the way. he excelled in school, always the top of his class. while he held a certain level of popularity, his peers always seemed a little wary. always the observer, henrik always seemed to have something on everyone, and he'd been proven to be rather ruthless when pissed off, a trait unfortunately passed down from his father. it was during these years he began to dabble in hacking, harmless at first. he'd hack into the schools system, gaining access to test questions and answers which he'd then sell on to make a small profit. it was a small thrill, but it began the ascension into something deeper.

after high school henrik would go on to study at stanford, throwing himself fully into his education, graduating with honours. his communication with his family was very little at this point, but the point of no return would come when he finally went back home. he'd come to learn he had a younger, half-sibling that had been hidden for years, his fathers infidelity worse than ever before and his mother a shell of the person she used to be.

vengeful, henrik would use his skills to dig deeper into his fathers past, and the family that came before, uncovering years of corruption and deep-rooted decit that could ruin their stellar reputation. he'd go on to expose all of their secrets, a revelation that he was the one to do it making for an explosive family dinner he'd never forget ( though it was perhaps the most exhilarating time of his life ) . disowned by them all, he began to build a life for himself, leaving for denver. henrik would go on to start his own company, specializing in cyber security. he'd also come to be quite the ally to people with things they were desperate to uncover, or hide. for the right price, or cause, or purely out of boredom, henrik found himself in a world often questionable.

headcannons.

is the neatest person you will ever meet. he cannot stand mess in the slightest. every corner of his bedsheet is finely tucked in, every crumb swept up in an instant. a stark contrast to the mess inside of his mind.

will go on week-long benders and then suddenly remember that he can't stand most people and become recluse again for at least a month. he likes his own company.

it's often difficult to tell if he's joking or being serious, but most of the time he is actually joking. he has a rather dry, dark sense of humour.

is morally grey af. even he doesn't know which side he'll be on from one day to the next. he gets bored easily and desires thrill.

will insist he's not a relationship person yet has been in multiple, and still isn't sure how any of them happen.

can be charming when he wants to be but is a real fucking asshole when pissed off. he's working on it, but... it's not working.

more tba.

taken connections.

high school ex -- dov shapiro

former rival turned lover turned ex -- carleigha ortiz

desired connections.

sibling -- one younger brother, open to plotting out any dynamic. henrik definitely made things difficult for his family and tarnished their once untouched name.

fathers love child -- any gender, younger. henrik wouldn't have had much to do with them growing up as he was unaware of their existence.

a more current ex -- up for plotting. broken up for a year or so.

clients -- legitimate and illegitimate. he is good at what he does, and takes his legitimate business very seriously. this is one of the main things i want for him please ! keep a former rich boy in work i beg.

i detest you yet you keep ending up in my bed -- self explanatory, up for plotting.

unlikely friends, people who dislike him ( i imagine there is plenty ), people he has wronged, anything, anything, anything.

[windovvaving]

aileen ashild aodh.

triggers: ableism (towards an autistic individual; from school faculty), sensory overstimulation (mentions of it happening & how to combat it)

history / headcanons:

uses both neutral & feminine pronouns. tries to keep the usage of each about equal, but if someone just picks one & sticks with it, they won't get mad.

super into fixer-upper stuff, which explains why they live in lakeridge & drive a car older than them! the house they live in is going under remodel by her own hands! she plans to turn it into her dream home.

after four years, they’ve only finished two rooms: the main bedroom & the kitchen. this is because they’re trying to only use their own money on the renovations. & she wants it to be perfect, a dream home.

aileen comes from a pretty well-off family, which is how she can afford to live on her own in denver at 24 (parents pay the mortgage). they originate from castle rock, co, which is south of denver but north of the springs.

she grew up playing outside, never masking, & surrounded by family. even if said family was just her parents and older sibling.

their passion for music started young. see, both parents are in the music industry: mom’s an audio engineer & dad’s front man for an indie rock band. originally, aileen wanted to be a singer like their dad.

but they can’t carry a vocal tune to save their life. so they turned towards mixing like their mom.

which is how aileen landed her first dj job! a classmate (in her arts academy days, more on that below) was having a party & was in desperate need of someone to do the music. enter aileen, well-known to have music-inclined parents. she took the few mixing skills she had at that point to make a (pretty shitty) set.

seeing everyone enjoying the music they put together, even if it wasn’t their words or instrumentals, all of those people enjoying something they made unlocked a new passion.

their dj alias is “ASHE” (though this is the only time i’ll stylize it that way to keep an all lowercase aesthetic). it’s a play on their middle name “ashild.” also, phoenix imagery since their last name means “fire.”

won't get upset if you use her stage name instead of her real one in a convo. sometimes people know her better as ashe & who's she to care.

at twenty, after building rapport in castle rock, aileen set out for the big city. denver! why denver? why not los angeles or nashville or any city known for having a club scene? the sibling from bullet four is here! (i mean, not yet, but i plan on putting a wc out).

life hasn’t been all fun & games for aileen, though. it mostly has been, but being so openly autistic had consequences. school faculty brushed her off, rolling eyes at her “disruptiveness” aka stimming.

when it came to school, aileen made a conscious effort to not vocally stim & to keep other stims small (hair twirling, chewelry, leg bouncing, finger tapping, etc) to a minimum, but teachers didn’t work with her. it hurt her to not stim, but the school environment made i so she felt she had to.

not even an iep helped. this issue cumulated in the aodh parents pulling aileen out of public school & enrolling her in a charter arts academy. the faculty at this school were much better at working with aileen & the environment of a bunch of other public school rejects helped her flourish.

wears sound-cancelling headphones all the time to help with sensory overload. this is especially important when aileen's at the 303 since clubs are overstimulating environments.

being the one in control of the music (& the volume) helps combat that. it's why she can be in that environment for hours at a time.

wanted connections:

her older sibling! i’ll be submitting a wc to the main, but if anyone wants to discuss it already, hit me up. this is the only one that would need to be a brand new character.

fellow djs! not necessarily at the 303 or even professionals, but just someone aileen could talk about music & mixing with.

a best friend! someone they met in childhood*, or high school*, or maybe even during their time in denver. the two became fast friends over shared interests. thick as thieves ever since. (*if a childhood or hs best friend, they'd have to be from castle rock since that's where aileen originates from).

a rival! well, rival is a bit inaccurate. more like someone who just doesn't like her & who she doesn't like either. they'll get into word spars, but it doesn't ever really go too far. only a tiny bit of real heat behind hurled insults. could be a professional rival or a personal one or maybe even someone else obsessed w/ renovation who doesn't like aileen maximalist style.

romantic interest! i like cute romance threads, so a datemate (of any gender) for aileen would be awesome.

if you’re hearing THE RECORD PLAYER SONG by DAISY THE GREAT playing, you have to know AILEEN AODH (THEY/SHE; DEMIFEMALE) is near by! the TWENTY-FOUR year old DISK JOCKEY (DJ) AT CLUB 303 has been in denver for, like, FOUR YEARS. they’re known to be quite BOISTEROUS, but being INDOMITABLE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble CHLOÉ HAYDEN. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those THE SPARKLE YOUR EYES GET WHEN EXCITED, STAYING UP LATE LISTENING TO A SONG ON REPEAT, & NEON LIGHTS AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE long enough!

*please note that since chloé is autistic, has adhd, & has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (pots), aileen will have these traits as well!! she is being written by an autistic mun, but one w/o adhd or pots. aileen's portrayal is heavily influenced by my own experiences.

[fireliit]

LOGAN, THIRTY-ONE, CST; SHE/THEY. | if you’re hearing I MAKE MY OWN SUNSHINE by ALYSSA BONAGURA playing, you have to know SEONHO JONES (HE/HIM; CIS MAN) is near by! the TWENTY-SIX year old GIG WORKER (MULTIPLE JOBS) has been in denver for, like, ELEVEN YEARS. they’re known to be quite RESTLESS, but being BUOYANT seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble CHA EUNWOO. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those WARM HONEY EYES THAT ARE ALWAYS CRINKLING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF A SMILE, AN ELASTIC HEART THAT ENDURES AGAINST ALL ODDS, A VIBRATING ENERGIZER BUNNY THAT RUNS AROUND IN CIRCLES IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO MOVE FORWARD AND IS IN NEED OF REST vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough!

Full profile under the cut! APPLICABLE TRIGGER WARNINGS: non-descriptive mentions of abandonment, death by brain aneurysm, degenerative cognitive illness, homelessness

STATS Birth Name: Seonho Ryu ( 류선호 ) Legal Name: Seonho Jones Occupation: Uber driver / Maintenance worker at Empower Field / miscellaneous contract/manual work, etc. (if any part-time jobs are available at specific places, please let me know!) Age: Twenty-six Date of Birth: February 28th, 1997 Ethnicity/Race: Korean Gender & Pronouns: Cis man | he/him Orientation: Bisexual Social Class: Lower class Languages: English (fluent), Korean (fluent) Height: 183 cm / 6’0" Tattoo(s): musical notes on his right ankle with ‘keep moving forward’ written next to it, an arrow heart on his chest with birthdates of his family inside, purple and burgundy forget-me-nots on his shoulderblades, korean idiom across his spine which translates roughly to "at the end of hardship comes happiness" (고생 끝에 낙이 온다) Piercing(s): ears (double lobe, double helix, snug, conch), left eyebrow Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA Current Residence: Denver, Colorado, USA Parents: Mina Park-Jones (mother), Jalen Jones (step/adoptive father, deceased), Seongmin Ryu (biological father, absent) Siblings: Unnamed sister (younger sister, wc posted), Unnamed sister (younger sister, wc posted), Sam (younger gnc half sibling, age 17), Hana (younger half sister, age 14), and Melody (younger half sister, age 13) Traits: Buoyant, steadfast, enthusiastic, self-sacrificing, generous, escapist, humble, restless, stubborn MBTI: ENFP - The Campaigner Eanneatype: Type 2 - The Helper Moral Alignment: Neutral Good Temperament: Phlegmatic Intelligence Type: Musical / Intrapersonal Astrology: Pisces sun, Scorpio moon, Leo ascending Habits: Gesturing when speaking, pointing, wears mismatched socks, randomly bursts into song, nicotine addiction (vapes), in general poor self-care habits Hobbies: Listening to music, writing music, producing music, dancing, sending memes, playing musical instruments, scrapbooking, papercrafting Likes: Music, romantic comedies, socializing, sunflower seeds, humming, smiling, cuddling, tteokbokki, adult coloring books, thunderstorms, trying new things even if he’s bad at them Dislikes: Conflict, waking up early, traffic, most academic things, balancing a checkbook / anything financial-related, folding clothes, humidity, being overheated, wasting food, feeling like he’s not doing enough BIOGRAPHY

Seonho was born the eldest child to two immigrant parents, Seongmin Ryu and Mina Park, who moved to the United States of America from South Korea when Mina was pregnant with Seonho after she was disowned by her parents who disapproved of Seongmin. His biological father walked out on Seonho, his mother, and two of his younger siblings when he was five years old and Seonho has always believed that they were better off without him.

After being homeless and hopping between the streets and halfways houses after the abandonment, his mother remarried three years to Seonho’s stepfather, Jalen Jones, who would become the only Dad that Seonho acknowledged in his life. Jalen adopted the three eldest children upon his marriage to Mina and they all took on his last name. Three more children would enter the fold throughout the years.

Early on in his childhood, Seonho fell in love with music thanks to Jalen’s side-gig playing the saxophone in a jazz band. He would sing along to every Disney movie and musical and tried to groove to the beat. While he was initially clumsy on his feet, his mother fondly nicknaming him Bambi, he was determined to learn how to dance. He had a talented ear for music, picking up musical instruments and mastering them with an ease. His parents encouraged his passion as best they could, ensuring that they budgeted well enough to afford sending Seonho to his music lessons. While performing at the city market, he was scouted by a Korean entertainment agency at the age of thirteen.

However, he was still a trainee when he flew back home and prematurely ended his contract due to his stepfather dying suddenly of a ruptured brain aneurysm as a result of overworking. After losing their home to foreclosure, the fragmented family relocated to Denver, Colorado.

As the oldest child, he assumed a great deal of responsibility in the household. While he wanted to drop out of school, his mother insisted that he stay enrolled and graduate. He earned money any way that he could to help keep the household, mowing lawns during the summer and working manual labor in the evenings. Sometimes, he would resort to not-so-legal methods if need be.

His music became all the more dear to him, filling the gaping holes in his chest that were created from his dream continually slipping through his fingers. He could never catch a break after that.

A year before Seonho graduated from high school, his mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. After it came to the point that his mother could no longer properly take care of them or herself, she was admitted into a longterm care facility by order of the municipality. At that point, Seonho was eighteen and filed for guardianship of his siblings who had been sent to foster care, which he would eventually be granted after a months' long battle with the courts. He also became the conservator of his mother’s well-being.

It's been hard, yet Seonho kept going anyway. See, he’s a hopeful guy, despite everything, resilient at his core, and even if it meant that he had to work at least 80 hours a week and juggle too many bills and loans, he was going to do it with a smile. 

There have been hard days, of course. Days where he would visit his mother and she would call him by the name of a man best left forgotten. 

Seonho insists that he provide for his family and ensure that each of his siblings focus on their studies, graduate from school, and are afforded opportunities that he did not have.

Seonho often distracts himself by throwing himself into helping people as a by-product of measuring his self-worth by what he can do for other people (thanks, capitalism). This makes him a bit of a doormat, yet not a naïve, unaware one. He just has decided it’s not worth ruffling feathers, and he can’t take risks like he otherwise would out of fear of disrupting what little stability he has been able to achieve for his family.

[karina-dlc]

if you’re hearing PENTHOUSE by KELSEA BALLERINI playing, you have to know KARINA DE LA CRUZ (SHE/HER; CIS FEMALE) is near by! the 35 year old WEDDING PLANNER & OWNER OF FOREVER YOURS has been in denver for, like, TEN YEARS. they’re known to be quite GUARDED, but being OUTGOING seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble FRANCIA RAISA. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those RED LIPSTICK STAINED CUPS, CHEWED PEN CAPS, & POST IT NOTES STICKING OUT OF AN AGENDA vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough!

karina such a happy person. she loves everyone dearly and goes out of her way to make sure everyone is having a great time. she has always been optimistic about love, a bit of a hopeless romantic even. her idea of a fun friday night is sitting in front of the tv with a bucket of popcorn and watching romance movies. she is very adventurous and daring, never backing down from a challenge. even if she fails, she brushes it off with it being another lesson learned. she is very reliable and someone you can count on for anything. you want to try something new? definitely give her a call.

she moved to colorado right out of high school for college. she was a business major, convinced she had a way with people and would bring whatever company she came across to success. freshman year of college, she met the man that would change her life. it was a meeting straight out of a movie, she was running to class, girl bumps boy, books and sheets fly everywhere, he helps her out, you get the picture. she promised she was usually more organized than that and their meeting did not at all represent her as a person. he was determined to find out and the rest is history. they were so great together, helped each other out, grew together every day. two years after they met and what became a strong healthy relationship, he popped the question and they married soon after.

their marriage was all she hoped it would be for the first year. it reflected heavily on the beautiful relationship they created. going on year two though, things began to hit some speed bumps. their schedules got crazy, and for one reason or another they argued more than ever. still, they gave each other space and time in hopes that would repair the cracks that their marriage was enduring. unfortunately, instead of the time and space bringing them together again, it drifted them further apart until inevitably they divorced, ending their four year marriage. they were afraid they would come to hate one another if they kept trying and neither of them wanted that.

with a broken heart karina pushed through and graduated college, getting a job at a local bridal store to make ends meet. she fell in love again, but this time with the feeling she got after helping a bride to be pick out their dream wedding dress. she learned the wedding business, and grew quite passionate about it. once she felt she got everything she could out of that job, she gathered up her savings and moved herself to denver, where she purchased a cute little boutique for her wedding planning business and a cozy little home to set roots in.