❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 pull mary from her thoughts . her gaze remains fixed on some distant point inside dolly's , a small detail she's pretending to care about rather than acknowledging him fully . his words don't do much to sway her , but there's something in his tone ; a quiet tension , a need to be taken seriously . that tells mary everything she needs to know . " maybe there isn't a demographic . " she says , her voice even . " maybe there' just doing it because they can . and they're smarter than the dunces in the sheriff's department . "
finally , mary looks at him . young . she can tell just by the set of his jaw and the way he carries himself . he didn't live through the first string of disappearances , through the whispers , the theories , and the absolute lack of answers . there was no demographic back then , either . no concrete lead . it was almost as if those charge were just waiting ; letting time wash over the horror until people stopped asking questions . mary had a feeling that was exactly what would happen again . " i'm not some monster , " she says after a pause , her voice carrying something tired beneath the edge . " i wouldn't capitalize on people's pain with cheap headlines . " she rolls her eyes , leaning back slightly . " it's not like i work at the register . "
1999 WAS QUITE THE YEAR, but what could bash possibly know? he was merely cooking in the womb by the time the legendary handful of disappearances and murders took place. he was no detective, but still, his link to the register made it quite impossible to try not to draw the connections. sure seemed like the sheriff's department wasn't getting any closer, but perhaps his own biases took over that opinion.
there wasn't much thought when walking passed the doors he was so used to breezing through. growing up in a shit town like red creek sure presented the opportunity for running on autopilot. coffee. sit. work. rinse. repeat. pushing the metal bar open with ease, a sigh drew out as hues landed on the local that seemingly matched his bitterness. the regret of approaching mary slowly seeped in at the accusation for his interruption in the first place.
❝ and what exactly is similar to '99 ? the demographics certainly don't line up . copy cat theory might as well be laced with a tin-foil hat , ❞ sebastian stated plainly, tone and expression stoic. as much as he enjoyed getting a read on others, he didn't desire for the favor to be returned. ❝ hope you're not planning to flip from romance to mystery . if you do , don't seek inspiration from this shit hole . it would inevitably lead to a dead end . ❞
✦ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗄𝗐𝗈𝗇 ( she/hers ) . fortythree . the cynical romantic . romance novel author . red creek native . ↳ 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗋𝗈𝖽𝗎𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 + 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 + 𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗎𝖺𝗅 + 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗌
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 mary's grip on the wheel was firm , her gaze rarely straying . but then she heard it . . . a small , uncertain voice cutting through her window . a plea for help . mary eased the car into park , stepping out with precision . her heels clicked against the frozen gravel , each step measured as she pulled her coat tighter against the bitter cold . she approached the stalled yellow beetle , taking in the scene with a practiced sort of detachment . a quiet sigh left her lips as she looked down the road behind them ; empty and barren , stretching into nothing . turning back to savannah , her voice was cool but even .
" let me guess — you hit the pothole ? " mary shook her head , " it's been there since i was your age , you're not the first and you won't be the last . " gaze flickered toward the flat tire , unimpressed but not surprised . of course it had to be tonight . with everything going on , the last thing anyone needed was to be stranded alone on the side of the road. mary pulled out her phone , glancing at the screen before looking back at savannah . " i can call someone , but if you're hoping i’ll be the one crawling under that thing , you’re out of luck . " then mary adds dryly , " i don’t do roadside rescues . "
location: side street near downtown
time: early evening, shortly before sunset
status: open ! (0/4 replies)
savannah had spent her evening at redcreek's local trailer park, catching up with her aunt gina and having dinner with her and some of her old neighbors. she didn't like to admit that that some time had gone by since she properly caught up with all of them. though it was only for a few hours, it was a great distraction to forget about all of the uncertainty that had come from the most recent killing. for just a few hours everything seemed almost normal again.
on her way back to her apartment, she had been looking forward to settling in for the night with her latest craft project and cuddles with her four legged roommate. only a few minutes away, she attempts to avoid the giant pothole that she knew was down this road. off by a few seconds, she hears the thud that is expected but what follows next is the sound of her tire going crazy. driving a twenty something year old yellow beetle was always a terrible idea once the seasons changed and the chuck holes increased.
managing to pull over on a side street, she gets out of her bug to inspect the damage. as expected, one of her front tires is as flat as a pancake. thank you michigan and your shitty winters and roads.
"please tell me you know how to put on a spare tire?" the girl questioned as a car approaches, rolling down their window.
❛ ⅋ 𝐢. 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 ━ setting description : dolly's diner !
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 . mary had spent most of her life waiting for the town to settle , for things to even out , and for the past to stay buried . but after kirby , it was clear — this town never let anything stay dead . mary sat at the counter of dolly's , stirring the spoon in her coffee long after the sugar had dissolved . the place was busy for a weekday , whispers of kirby's demise bleeding into every conversation around her . it was all the same — speculation , paranoia , bad theories . mary had heard it all before .
the door opened and a gust of winter air rushed in . mary barely glanced up , her fingers tightening around her mug as she listened to the footsteps approaching . " let me guess , " she started dryly , setting the spoon down with a soft clink . " you're about to tell me how it's just like '99 all over again . " finally , she lifted her gaze , arching her brow at the person beside her . " go on then , might as well get it over with . "
❛ ⅋ 𝐢. 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 ( @outc4sts ) ━ setting description : 02 / 15 @ 6:45 pm !
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 anymore , but it didn't matter — the names were burned into her mind now . none of them had any business being there , and yet , no one else seemed to be questioning it . simply accepting the futile excuses from the higher - ups in town . she turned to the person next to her , tilting her head slightly . " humor me , " she said , voice low but teasing , like she wasn't actually asking them for permission . “ let's say you woke up one day and found your name carved into stone with a bunch of other dead people . what's your next move ? ”
// ( seo ji hye . cis woman . hers ) . ⸻ mary kwon , a 43 year old , has survived another day in red creek where they have lived for all her life . the cynical romantic is known for being witty and self - sabotaging and is often associated with old love letters never sent , a half burned candle flickering in the dark , a lipstick stain left on a collar . in a small town where they work as a romance novel author word travels fast . it’s hard to keep a secret , and it looks like the boogeyman knows that [ redacted ]
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 ── statistics
━ basic information.
birthname : mary beth kwon
nickname ( s ) : -
date of birth, age : 08 / 06 / 1981 , 43
place of birth : ann arbor , michigan
nationality : american
ethnicity : korean
gender, pronouns : cis woman, she/hers
orientation : bisexual
religion : -
occupation : romance novel author
languages spoken : english , korean
━ physicality.
faceclaim : seo ji hye
hair color : brown
eye color : brown
height : five feet four inches
piercings : both ears
━ family tree.
parents : matthew kwon ( father, deceased ) brianna kwon ( mother )
siblings : -
spouse : daniel calloway
children : jia calloway ( daughter, four )
━ other.
label : the cynical romantic
positives : magnetic , career-driven , level-headed , honest
negatives : apathetic , brazen , fussy , pessimistic
hobbies : pilates , book club , crocheting
zodiac, western : leo
zodiac, chinese : the rooster
mbti : infj , the advocate
element : water
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘁𝘄𝗼 ── backstory
the kwons originally came from ann arbor , but when they were expecting their first child , mary’s father made the decision to relocate to red creek under the illusion that small - town life would grant him more time with his family . that illusion quickly shattered — working in the medical field was demanding no matter the town’s population . still , the kwons built a solid life for themselves . well - respected and moderately wealthy , they embodied the ideal nuclear family .
mary is a third - generation immigrant , growing up in a spacious two - story home with her parents and grandmother . as an only child , she was the kwons’ prized possession . her mother , in particular , was relentless in pushing mary toward excellence , enrolling her in every activity that would benefit her education and social standing . ballet , debate club , piano lessons — anything that could set her apart .
from the outside , mary was the quintessential gifted child. teachers , neighbors , even distant relatives all assumed her success came effortlessly . in reality , she poured everything into being the best , meticulously crafting herself into the perfect student , the perfect daughter . she never colored outside the lines , never strayed from the rigid expectations placed upon her . and she never questioned it — because the only time her parents showed her affection was when she excelled . from an early age , she learned to equate success with love . if she achieved , she was worthy . if she failed , she was invisible .
as she entered her teenage years , the pressure only grew heavier . college loomed on the horizon , and with it , the suffocating weight of expectation . she became deeply insecure , terrified that if she wasn’t exceptional , she would be nothing .
in high school , mary was known as the girl who always followed the rules . she was a straight - a student , the cheerleader , and the overachiever . every decision she made was calculated and her mother hand mapped out her future before she even understood she had a choice . mary never questioned it , then came cooper riley .
he was everything mary wasn't supposed to want . rough around the edges and charismatic in way that felt effortless . his manchester accent set him apart in their small michigan town and had a reputation that made fathers nervous . mary should have avoided him . but cooper was her first taste in rebellion , her first secret . her first kiss . her first . . . everything .
the reckless laughter they shared felt like freedom to mary . cooper had a way of making her forget the suffocating weight of expectation . with him , she wasn't mary kwon : the girl who always had to be the best . . . she was just mary . her parents disapproved ( of course ) cooper was the kind of boy who didn't fit into their vision of success . too tough and aimless , but that only made mary want him more .
mary spent most of her senior year wrapped up with cooper . it wasn't a perfect relationship — they fought , especially about their futures . mary refused to believe that they were on borrowed time and had to grow up . heartbreak came when cooper left town . no warning , no grand goodbye , just gone . one day he was hers and the next he was a ghost . she convinced herself it didn't matter . that she was too focused on her future to care , but it did matter . because for the first time in mary's life , she had let herself love something — and it left .
when the time came , mary left red creek for chicago , earning her degree in english and creative writing . it was supposed to be the start of something bigger , her long - awaited escape . but just as she was settling into life outside of red creek , her father passed away . mary returned home , intending to stay only long enough to help her mother and grandmother through their grief . but days turned into months , months into years , and before she knew it , red creek had claimed her again .
it was during those years of limbo that she began writing . what started as an escape — a way to create the love and devotion she had always chased — turned into something real . her romance novels found an audience , and before long , mary became a best selling author .
unlike her stories , mary struggled to connect with anyone romantically . she dated here and there but nothing felt right . part of her always compared them to cooper , the rest of her was too focused on maintaining appearances . her mother eventually arranged for her to marry daniel calloway . daniel is a life long red creek resident from a well - off family . he's the kind of man mary's mother would approve of : stable , respectable , and from " good stock . " he was the logical choice — financially secure , well-mannered , and eager to start a family .
mary agreed out of obligation , not passion . it felt like the next expected step in her life , something that would make her mom happy and cement her role as a proper wife and mother . she does care for dan — he's never been unkind to her , never given her a real reason to leave . he provides , he's reliable , and on paper , mary and dan make sense . deep down mary knows it is more of a partnership than a love story . she tells herself that's normal and that passion fades . in truth , mary is in denial about her marriage and doesn't let herself acknowledge that something is missing .
dan assumes mary is content , and mary never corrects him . he sees marriage as a commitment and not a grand romance . he admires mary's success but doesn't understand it . he supports her career , but he doesn't read her books . they don't talk about emotions , dreams , or regrets . their conversations are mostly about logistics , finances , their daughter , and social events .
on the surface , mary built a life she was always meant to have . a husband , a child , a career that afforded her the success she always craved . . . and yet , red creek still felt like a cage she couldn't escape .
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 ── personality
mary is sharp , observant , and difficult to impress . years of living in red creek have made her skeptical of people and their intentions . she is the kind of woman who can cut someone down with a single well - placed remark , who can see through empty pleasantries with a single glance . yet for all her cynicism , she is not entirely bitter . there's a quiet kindness to her that reveals itself in small ways . she loves deeply but cautiously and protects herself with wit and attachment . mary believes that she does not require love or devotion like in the love stories she writes about .
. . . and yet it lingers . she rereads the old love letters she never sent . in the way she pauses when she writes certain lines in her books , wondering if she still believes them . in the way her heart clenches just a little whenever she hears the name cooper riley . she is a woman who writes about love and human connection because she understands it better in fiction than in reality .
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 ── npcs
✧ CHOI DASOM . . . before dasom dropped out of college , they were mary's tutor . the two formed a close bond , with mary looking up to dasom as an older sibling figure . despite mary's strong belief that education was the key to success , she supported dasom when they decided to leave school . mary often defended them against the judgmental aunties at the town functions . however , their friendship took a sharp u-turn when mary discovered how close dasom had become with her boyfriend , cooper . mary allowed jealousy to fester and convinced herself that dasom was trying to steal him away . instead of standing by dasom's side as she once had , she began feeding into the town's rumors . when dasom disappeared , mary's world was thrown into chaos . to this day , she regrets letting her insecurities destroy their friendship .
✧ HEATHER VISSER . . . mary , by nature , was ( and still is ) fiercely competitive . throughout high school , she threw herself into numerous extracurricular activities , determined to build the perfect resume for college applications . in many ways , heather was her greatest challenge . heather was often the only person who could match mary's intensity ; they were both apart of the student government and on the cheerleading squad . their dynamic blurred the lines between admiration and resentment . they were good at pretending to be friends , but tension always lingered under the surface . if mary was honest , heather was not her friend and after she died she wondered what it be like if she treated her as a person rather than a rival .
✧ EZRA HASTINGS . . . mary was an intern at the register . she saw the internship as a stepping stone to build a stronger future for herself . ezra promised to help fund her college education and offered her hope for a life outside of red creek . but that promise was never fulfilled . mary never knew if ezra had no real intention of following through or simply never got around to it . either way , mary never saw a dime and she grew resentful of ezra feeling as though he had dangled a carrot in front of her only to snatch it way . when he died the answers to his broken promises died with him .
𝒲𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌 ⠀ ࣪ 🦢 ﹚
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