tw: alcoholism - uncensored but not graphic
[name_u]Dakota[/name_u] Jiéxīn Huang (19) is a childhood friend of Fiona’s who she got back in contact with following her successful application to university. The two met thanks to belonging to a specific support group their old elementary school set up, that focused on students with absentee fathers, although the reasons varied greatly. For [name_u]Dakota[/name_u] it was alcohol that took her father from her - what started as functional for an addiction spiralled shortly after she turned seven, when her father lost his job and her mom was forced to ask him to leave, as he was exposing [name_u]Dakota[/name_u] and her two siblings (her older brother who uses he/they pronouns and younger brother) to his erratic behaviour once he’d been drinking. Promises were made time and time again only to be broken: be it seeking treatment, trying to make agreed custody center visits or even sending birthday cards. Dakota’s father now lives in another state with her uncle, who managed to get him away from alcohol but by that point his children were exhausted and didn’t trust him, meaning they keep contact sparse and on their own personal terms.
For [name_u]Dakota[/name_u] it’s the broken promises she can’t get over, and she’s someone who’s become brutally honest as a failsafe to protect herself. While not as unintentionally scathing as she was known to be in middle school, [name_u]Dakota[/name_u] never minces her words and if you want advise she’ll be frank - but in return she’s exceptionally loyal once you get to know her better; which influenced her and [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] rekindling their friendship after years apart when Dakota’s mom had to move her and her siblings after being offered a job promising permanent financial security. Dance was never really her thing, gymnastics was, and she’s majoring in it alongside her chosen degree of theology. Dakota’s always been fascinated by religion - in spite of being agnostic herself - and she hopes to further study mythology as a next step, both tying into her own cultural heritage and gradually exploring more of [name_u]East[/name_u] Asia’s vast array of stories. She can be a bit of a smart mouth about what she knows - inherited from her mom, she’ll add - but Dakota’s always invested in helping her classmates and acknowledges everyone’s approach has merit, even with the differences you find.
Now she’s back in the area for university, she’s reconnected with several old friends but is making new one’s too. Among them is [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] Michaelson’s older sister who’s only just began opening up to her about the stalking she endured, and [name_u]Dakota[/name_u] is going out of her way to support her, admiring her strength greatly but not patronising her or walking on eggshells. She’s also friendlier with [name_f]Mara[/name_f] now as the age gap feels less extreme due to them both having matured more, although high school drama is absolutely not what Dakota’s comfortable being involved in, so it’s a relief [name_f]Mara[/name_f] doesn’t get sucked into this.
@CherryBomb50 [name_m]Just[/name_m] a second invite as your amazing posts are missed!