#janessa is the name on her birth certificate.

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Greta Onieogou.

full name: Chloe Sonya Nwokobia.

nickname(s) / goes by: Chloe.

pronouns & gender: she/her, cis woman.

sexuality: bisexual.

birth date: June 24, 1991.

birth place: Alexandria, VA.

arrival to merrock: arrived one year ago in May, 2022.

housing: downtown.

occupation: youth program coordinator and organizer.

work place: Community Center.

family: Daniel (father), Henry (older brother).

relationship status: single.

PERSONALITY

There is no one in this world more sociable than Chloe Nwokobia, which is something she grew into as she has gotten older. She’s the kind of person who would make friends with a tree if you gave her the opportunity. She loves going out, having a good time and making new friends. One of the reason she loves meeting new people? She’s fascinated by them - where they come from, who they are, what they do, what their life story, all of it. She likes knowing everyone’s business but isn’t the type to pass it along. For the most part, she’s one of the most optimistic person you’ll ever come across. For her, life’s too short to be sad. When it comes to Chloe, it’s all or nothing. She’s there for you until the end, but the moment you turn your back on her, you’re on her list until further notice. There’s no boundaries when it comes to the people she cares for in her life. For Chloe, being around good people is all that matters. She’s not afraid to speak her mind or give her opinion. She likes thinking outside of the box and finding solutions to things. She’s trying to find herself and figure out what her next steps are in life. And honestly, if Merrock had superlatives for the residents, Chloe would most likely be known as the woman who smiles too much.

WRITTEN BY: Janessa (she/her) est.

BACKGROUND / BIO

TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of parental death, emotional parental neglect.

She was born on a summer night during June, in a town called Alexandria, Virginia. The town is nestled somewhere along the Potomac river and would never be anything other than a location on her birth certificate. She came into the world to two parents who couldn’t wait to welcome their daughter. However, she never got a chance to know her mother as she died due to complications during childbirth. Her father might not have blamed Chloe for her mother’s death but she could see something in his eyes as she grew to look more and more like the woman she saw in photographs. There was a sadness, a longing and an expectation. Almost like he was waiting to see if she would be worth the sacrifice. She could feel that pressure long before she could put into words what it was.

When Chloe was around eight years old, her family moved to the city of Berkeley, California as her father got a new job as a college professor. Chloe took solace in school – the hours away from a home that permanently felt sad. That never changed even if her reasoning did. Education offered her a chance to prove herself. That she was worth the sacrifice her mother made for her. She pushed herself to excel academically. Nothing but the best was good enough for her. No one was harder on Chloe than herself and it started to show. Chloe sacrificed a social life and those teen experiences that she saw her peers enjoying. That could all wait, she decided early on, even if she wavered a couple of times. But it was worth it when a combination of stellar grades and her performance on her SATs earned her a partial academic scholarship to Cornell University. She saw the pride on her father’s face when she told him, even if he told her that going to school in Berkeley was a more practical choice. If only he knew the real power he’d had over her growing up, how his lack of doting had created this tightly wound person fearing his disapproval. Chloe didn’t care about his opinion on this particular matter. She would deal with the consequences of loans later. She knew that she wanted to go to an out-of-state school more than she wanted anything else. So she went and got a real taste of freedom.

But college was like a blur – she studied and she studied, exams, extra work, and before long she graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University with a degree in environment and sustainability. It wasn’t long before she found herself applying to graduate school in New York City. Her master’s was in her grasp. Her aptitude for collaboration and passion for the environment impressed her professors. But more importantly, the progress reports she sent back to her father were what really mattered. The praise, the heralding of her having a bright future. It was all she could have hoped for. But still, she felt like something was missing.

She didn’t count on meeting Barry. He was a legacy from old money – legal and political connections in Chicago – studying law at Columbia and had hopes of a political future. He had big dreams, bigger than she had ever dared to dream. It was inspiring and being around him made her want to be better. Their relationship was one of mutual encouragement and lofty ambitions. They both knew what they wanted and their visions aligned. They wanted the same things. And he wanted her. They were still dating by the time she finished her program at Columbia and he asked her to stay with him while he finished school. She happily agreed and she spent a year bouncing between odd jobs before securing a position at Brown and Caldwell. She worked hard. She went above and beyond to prove that she was capable and that she had something that made her stand out from the other employees hoping to move ahead. It took up more time than she thought it would but she shined professionally.

Chloe’s relationship with Barry was much like it always was. He continued law school at Columbia and both of their demanding schedules didn’t leave much time for one another, but they figured that it was only temporary. She was comfortable even as the passion she once felt dimmed. It seemed like a side effect of getting older and being with him for three, four and then five years. He proposed on their five year anniversary. Of course, she accepted because that’s what you’re supposed to do after all that time, right? It only took a few weeks before the excitement started to wane. She started thinking about the life she would have with Barry and she felt… unsure. She couldn’t put it into words but she wasn’t rushing to plan her dream wedding. She kept claiming work was the reason, which was half the truth. The engineering firm was planning to expand and she hoped that it would lead to a promotion she had been working towards for years.

Spoiler alert: she didn’t get the promotion. Feeling defeated with her career and the lack of passion in her relationship, she decided she needed space from The Big Apple. She told Barry that she had gotten the job, telling him that the job was out-of-state, making up the little lie so she could get out of the city. Barry, equally as ambitious as she was, understood what it would mean for her. They agreed to break off the engagement, looking at the separation as a chance to find themselves again. She felt a sense of relief at the distance; at the chance to figure out what went wrong and why her engagement ring didn’t feel the way she thought it would.

Not wanting to hear those three words ‘I told you so’ from her father, she knew deep down that she couldn’t go back home until she figured out her next steps in life. After searching online for jobs that suited her interests, she stumbled upon The Vinyl Hub. She thought the timing worked out perfectly and she jumped at the opportunity, finding housing in a Brownstone within Merrock’s historical downtown. Moving to Merrock was the first time she wasn’t reliant on anyone else but herself and she welcomed the independence, despite the adjustment. It was the first time she felt truly in control of her own life.

Now, with Chloe truly finding herself and her footing in Merrock, she decided to quit her job as a sales clerk at the Vinyl Hub and pursued a full-time job in coordinating youth events and programs at the Community Center. Along with Merrock Earth Club, she assists and organizes other enrichment programs at the Community Center, encouraging the youth of Merrock to participate in recreational games, recreational sports and educational activities offered at the Community Center. These days, she's pretty content when she's spending time with her friends, hanging out with her cat, and educating those in Merrock about the environment.

[likevenomforu-blog]

Message from Heaven

A few weeks went by and my world was and still is a bit upside down. I had a visitor the other at JJ’s. Tinka Jones, a woman I had a one nighstand with 2 years ago and she came to me with big news. The birth control did not work out at our night and she got pregnant and gave birth to a little boy...my son Josh. At first I was shocked and was not ready to believe what she told me but after a DNA test I opened my eyes and I started to realize that I am a father now. And soon father of 2 children cause as I went to Janessa to tell her the news, she told me in anger that she is pregnant. We had a big fight because of the things that were not planned like that. We had a long talk with lot of emotions and tears but instead of breaking up, we decided that we will make it and that we are going through all of this together as a couple and that nothing and no one can destroy us.

I open my eyes and sit up in bed as I hear a knock on the door of my apartment. I look to the other side of the bed and notice that Janessa already left. Another knock was heard so I stand up and put my jeans and a shirt on and walk to the door. I open it and see a man in a suit standing right in front of me. “Uhm hello?” I say unsure cause I never saw this man before but he immediately answer with a smile. “Good morning Mr. Miller? I am sorry for the early disturbing but I have a message for you.” he starts to talk. “Yeah John Miller is my name and you are? And what kind of a message?” I ask and raise a brow. “Oh how rude of me. My name is Archer McGregor, sir. My father was the lawyer, notary and a good friend of your grandmother and after his death I took over his business and today I am here to hand out a message from your grandmother to you. We already tried to call you but never got an answer so I thought it would be good to come here personally. May I come in?” He explains and even shows me his notary license. I am just able to nod but I move aside to let him in. I lead him over to the living room. and point to a free chair for him and let myself sink to couch. He sits down, opens his briefcase and looks at me.

I take a deep breath and also look at him. “My grandmother already died some years ago so I am very surprised and confused that you came here all of a sudden to bring me a message from her...” I say with a frown on my face. “I can understand that but your grandmother arranged it that you receive the message when you have your first, own child. We do a research every year about you and 3 days ago we found out that you are offically the father of a little son now and that you were added as biological father to the birth certificate.” he tells me. I chuckle a bit knowing that this is not a joke or a fake cause my grandma was a crazy lady and that she always had her own ways to handle things. “Alright and what kind of a message do you have for me?” I ask and he hands out a box to me. “The box is sealed so I don’t know what is in there but it is offically yours now. You just have to sign this document here for me.” He hands it over to me together with a pen. I take it, place it on the table and without hesitation I sign it and giving it back to him. He checks the document and put it in his briefcase. “Alright my job is done now and it is time to go.” he stands up and holds out his hand to me. I do the same and shake his hand shortly. “Well then thanks for coming here and have a nice day.” I answer and lead him back to the door and he leaves. I slowly close the door and walk back to the living room and look at the box. “Hmm grandma what did you sent me there?” I mumble to myself, get a knife out of the kitchen and cut the seal around the box open. I lift up the cover and find a photo album, a little key, a little casket and a envelope with my name on it inside of the box. I get out the envelope and open it carefully and find a letter in it. I unfold it and start to read. “Dear John, my lovely grandson...when you read this letter I am sure a lot of years past by and unfortunately I am not able to see your happy face ever again. The doctor told me a few days ago that I only have some days left to live but I would never leave you without saying goodbye or without leaving something behind for you.“ I sigh as the image of my grandmother comes to my mind. I take a few deep breathes and continue to read. “I am sure you are very sad now, right darling? But believe me there is no reason to be sad. I lived my life to the fullest and had a lot of happy years while I raised you and I am sure you have grown into a handsome man even without me.” Tears start to fill my eyes as I read her caring words. “And I am sure you are very confused why you recieved the box right now. The reason is simple. I know exactly that you are now old and mature enough for this gift. That you have your own little family now and I am also very sure that your mother has no control over you anymore. That is why I told Mr. McGregor to wait until the day where you are the father of your first child. The key in the box is a key for a bank deposit box (you will find the address of the bank on a little piece of paper in the envelope) Your grandpa and me have saved a lot of money there for you. Use this money for your future John. Buy a house your child or children can call a home. Use the money to send your children on the best schools to lead them to a great future and also spend some money for yourself. You deserve every dollar of grandpa’s and my gift. You earned it darling.” I shake my head as tears of happiness run down my cheeks. “Believe me I would love to see you and my great-grandchild but I know for sure that you are the best father for her or him. But at this point you also have to promise me something, John. No matter how hard it is sometimes never give up on your child. Don’t make the same mistakes like your mother did. Show your child the good times of life and be there in the bad times. Always be supporter, friend and father. You got this darling. I believe in you and Grandpa and me are still in your heart and we will watch over you. Be happy John and live your life to the fullest like I did. I love you and someday we will see eachother again, Grandma. PS: Save the other little box for someone special.”

I fold the letter back together again and put it back in the envelope and lift up the little casket and open it. I wipe my tears and a smile appears on my face. “You always think about everything huh grandma?” I chuckle and close the little casket and put all things back into the box. I get out my phone and call Janessa while I slowly get ready for the day.

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Greta Onieogou.

full name: Chloe Sonya Nwokobia.

nickname(s) / goes by: Chloe.

pronouns & gender: she/her, cis woman.

sexuality: bisexual.

birth date: June 24, 1991.

birth place: Alexandria, VA.

arrival to merrock: arrived one year ago in May, 2022.

housing: downtown.

occupation: sales clerk.

work place: The Vinyl Hub.

family: Daniel (her father), an older brother.

relationship status: single.

PERSONALITY

There is no one in this world more sociable than Chloe Nwokobia, which is something she grew into as she has gotten older. She's the kind of person who would make friends with a tree if you gave her the opportunity. She loves going out, having a good time and making new friends. One of the reason she loves meeting new people? She's fascinated by them - where they come from, who they are, what they do, what their life story, all of it. She likes knowing everyone's business but isn't the type to pass it along. For the most part, she's one of the most optimistic person you'll ever come across. For her, life's too short to be sad. When it comes to Chloe, it's all or nothing. She's there for you until the end, but the moment you turn your back on her, you're on her list until further notice. There's no boundaries when it comes to the people she cares for in her life. For Chloe, being around good people is all that matters. She's not afraid to speak her mind or give her opinion. She likes thinking outside of the box and finding solutions to things. She's trying to find herself and figure out what her next steps are in life. And honestly, if Merrock had superlatives for the residents, Chloe would most likely be known as the woman who smiles too much.

WRITTEN BY: Janessa (she/her) est.

BACKGROUND / BIO

TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of parental death, emotional parental neglect.

She was born on a summer night during June, in a town called Alexandria, Virginia. The town is nestled somewhere along the Potomac river and would never be anything other than a location on her birth certificate. She came into the world to two parents who couldn’t wait to welcome their daughter. However, she never got a chance to know her mother as she died due to complications during childbirth. Her father might not have blamed Chloe for her mother’s death but she could see something in his eyes as she grew to look more and more like the woman she saw in photographs. There was a sadness, a longing and an expectation. Almost like he was waiting to see if she would be worth the sacrifice. She could feel that pressure long before she could put into words what it was.

When Chloe was around eight years old, her family moved to the city of Berkeley, California as her father got a new job as a college professor. Chloe took solace in school – the hours away from a home that permanently felt sad. That never changed even if her reasoning did. Education offered her a chance to prove herself. That she was worth the sacrifice her mother made for her. She pushed herself to excel academically. Nothing but the best was good enough for her. No one was harder on Chloe than herself and it started to show. Chloe sacrificed a social life and those teen experiences that she saw her peers enjoying. That could all wait, she decided early on, even if she wavered a couple of times. But it was worth it when a combination of stellar grades and her performance on her SATs earned her a partial academic scholarship to Cornell University. She saw the pride on her father’s face when she told him, even if he told her that going to school in Berkeley was a more practical choice. If only he knew the real power he’d had over her growing up, how his lack of doting had created this tightly wound person fearing his disapproval. Chloe didn’t care about his opinion on this particular matter. She would deal with the consequences of loans later. She knew that she wanted to go to an out-of-state school more than she wanted anything else. So she went and got a real taste of freedom.

But college was like a blur – she studied and she studied, exams, extra work, and before long she graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University with a degree in environment and sustainability. It wasn’t long before she found herself applying to graduate school in New York City. Her master’s was in her grasp. Her aptitude for collaboration and passion for the environment impressed her professors. But more importantly, the progress reports she sent back to her father were what really mattered. The praise, the heralding of her having a bright future. It was all she could have hoped for. But still, she felt like something was missing.

She didn’t count on meeting Barry. He was a legacy from old money – legal and political connections in Chicago – studying law at Columbia and had hopes of a political future. He had big dreams, bigger than she had ever dared to dream. It was inspiring and being around him made her want to be better. Their relationship was one of mutual encouragement and lofty ambitions. They both knew what they wanted and their visions aligned. They wanted the same things. And he wanted her. They were still dating by the time she finished her program at Columbia and he asked her to stay with him while he finished school. She happily agreed and she spent a year bouncing between odd jobs before securing a position at Brown and Caldwell. She worked hard. She went above and beyond to prove that she was capable and that she had something that made her stand out from the other employees hoping to move ahead. It took up more time than she thought it would but she shined professionally.

Chloe’s relationship with Barry was much like it always was. He continued law school at Columbia and both of their demanding schedules didn’t leave much time for one another, but they figured that it was only temporary. She was comfortable even as the passion she once felt dimmed. It seemed like a side effect of getting older and being with him for three, four and then five years. He proposed on their five year anniversary. Of course, she accepted because that’s what you’re supposed to do after all that time, right? It only took a few weeks before the excitement started to wane. She started thinking about the life she would have with Barry and she felt… unsure. She couldn’t put it into words but she wasn’t rushing to plan her dream wedding. She kept claiming work was the reason, which was half the truth. The engineering firm was planning to expand and she hoped that it would lead to a promotion she had been working towards for years.

Spoiler alert: she didn’t get the promotion. Feeling defeated with her career and the lack of passion in her relationship, she decided she needed space from The Big Apple. She told Barry that she had gotten the job, telling him that the job was out-of-state, making up the little lie so she could get out of the city. Barry, equally as ambitious as she was, understood what it would mean for her. They agreed to break off the engagement, looking at the separation as a chance to find themselves again. She felt a sense of relief at the distance; at the chance to figure out what went wrong and why her engagement ring didn’t feel the way she thought it would.

Not wanting to hear those three words ‘I told you so’ from her father, she knew deep down that she couldn’t go back home until she figured out her next steps in life. After searching online for jobs that suited her interests, she stumbled upon The Vinyl Hub. She thought the timing worked out perfectly and she jumped at the opportunity, finding housing in a Brownstone within Merrock’s historical downtown. Moving to Merrock was the first time she wasn’t reliant on anyone else but herself and she welcomed the independence, despite the adjustment. It was the first time she felt truly in control of her own life.