[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] " [name_u]Corey[/name_u] " [name_f]Michelle[/name_f] Hydes (17) is one of Isabella’s best friends and the knowledge holder when it comes to her crush. A no-nonsense, sarcastic person, [name_u]Corey[/name_u] can intimidate some people unintentionally…but sometimes she utilises her status to keep people away from picking on her younger sister, who has cerebral palsy. She’s careful to tread the line between looking out for her and not babying her, as she fully recognises her siblings strength of character and doesn’t want to mute this with her own personality; actually pointing things out to their parents when she feels they’re being smothering. It’s her older sister who [name_u]Corey[/name_u] goes to for advice when it comes to this, which is now a bit more complicated as she’s moved away to attend university.
Her teasing of [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] is good natured and really she just wants her to pursue happiness by being open about her feelings, suspecting their mutual friend might just feel the same way. Corey’s been with her boyfriend since they were only fourteen and jokes he can’t get rid of her no matter how hard he tries, but really she considers herself lucky to have met someone so compatible with her nature, and understanding of her family commitments. She’s certain she wants to enter the world of fashion journalism and has introduced this section to the school paper she works for, petitioning for less double standards for female students and successfully managed to get the cheerleaders uniforms altered at their requests to a better quality of fabric.
[name_f]Isla[/name_f] [name_u]Jade[/name_u] Cabello (17) is part of [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] and Corey’s friend group, and the person that [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] has a crush on. Put-together, ambitious, and no-nonsense, [name_f]Isla[/name_f] is considered the friend group’s parent and they often joke about how they’re the poor single parent of rowdy children.
Using they/she pronouns, [name_f]Isla[/name_f] recently discovered at she was nonbinary just a month ago. She considers herself incredibly lucky— both her mother and father identify as bisexual so coming out went extremely smoothly. They know others aren’t as lucky to have a support system as lovely as theirs, so [name_f]Isla[/name_f] takes it upon themselves to be that support others needs.
[name_f]Isla[/name_f] is also secretary of the student council and takes inventory of what the student body wants— and is helping [name_u]Corey[/name_u] in her pursuit of trying to remove as much of the double standards placed upon female students. They are also trying to make sure their school takes accountability for their wrongdoings, which can be difficult.
[name_u]Harley[/name_u] [name_f]Bethan[/name_f] Connors (17) is the junior captain of the school cheersquad and newfound friend/ally of [name_u]Corey[/name_u] and [name_f]Isla[/name_f]. Known for her bold, headstrong demeanor, Harley’s dedicated to the team and aspires to become a professional dancer, having been practicing since she was only a toddler. Some people assume this was a product of parental pressure, however Harley’s the first to make it clear these aspirations are entirely her own, as she feels her parents get a lot of flack due to one of her mom’s being a film producer: so the second she showed any interest performance, the rumours and assumptions were bound to ensue.
While she’s got a determined nature, [name_u]Harley[/name_u] always defers to the senior leader of the cheersquad and discusses business regarding competitions and events with her frequently. Being the child of a queer couple, Harley’s also staunchly against any kind of discrimination and fights it at every given opportunity, not wanting her mom’s to ever feel looked down upon. Recently she came out as pansexual herself, having initially thought she was bi until she met [name_f]Isla[/name_f] and recognised she had a bit of a crush (although by no means is [name_u]Harley[/name_u] going to pursue someone she’s just getting to know). Dating has never been Harley’s top priority and for now at least this isn’t going to be changing.
Some of her dance routines have been presentations of her emotions and beliefs too, although her older brother and sister love to joke about how subtly and surreal these are. She’s more than able to hold her own when it comes to sibling teasing.
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] " [name_u]Josie[/name_u] " [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] (18) is the senior captain of the cheersquad and a close friend of [name_u]Harley[/name_u]. [name_u]Josie[/name_u] rules the squad with a gentle iron fist— she’s stern when she has to be, but genuinely wants the team to succeed. She hopes that people don’t think of her as a mean girl— the squad knows that she’s one of the sweetest people they know who’d do anything for her school family.
[name_u]Josie[/name_u] comes from a family of dancers and is a professional dancer herself, being part of a dance team called Khoros. When she graduates and [name_u]Harley[/name_u] gets her position as senior captain, she plans on giving her a position on her dance team as an additional surprise.
While [name_u]Josie[/name_u] isn’t a mean-spirited person at all, she’s extremely unforgiving to those who have wronged her loved ones. One of her little sister’s ex-friends has earned the ire of [name_u]Josie[/name_u] (and thus the cheer squad), and she’s going to make sure that the girl has a very hard time joining the cheer squad, or hurting her little sister again. Some of her friends call her the scariest of all of them— after all, you’d need to have done something completely horrible to get [name_u]Josie[/name_u] to get that upset with you.
[name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] [name_f]Leandra[/name_f] " [name_f]Chandra[/name_f] " Jopson (18) is another part [name_u]Josie[/name_u] 's dance team Khoros.
Her father works in the entertainment industry nad has been trying to convince [name_f]Chandra[/name_f] to push Khoros towards mainstream media attention, however she doesn’t want that - in her own mind, it would make her a sellout and disappoint their fans. Not every member of the group agrees, which causes some conflict and frustration ocasionally, but one that can mostly be combated through good communication and training choreography together.
Because she grew up listening to rap artists like 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G and others, she pushes the group into more of a hip-hop dance direction rather than [name_u]Josie[/name_u] 's prefered direction of doing cheerleader-like, heavily synchroinzed choreographies. She , however, is the “mother” of the group and one ensuring that every member gets taken care of when it comes to their creative input into the choreographies. She appreciates the fact that even if different members of the group have different backgrounds when it comes to their preferred style of dance, they all try their hardest to make it work and try out new things in order to show versitility to their fans.
If she isn’t dancing, she’s probably walking her American Staffordshire Terrier , [name_f]Desdemona[/name_f] , reads classic [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u] novels while daydreaming about a relationship or crafts ever more lengthy spotify playlists for every occasion , from crazy party to intense workout session.
[name_f]Ashia[/name_f] " [name_u]Ash[/name_u] " Srivastava (19) is a new member of Khoros. They joined the dance team completely by accident— [name_u]Ash[/name_u] auditioned as a half-joke and they got in. She can’t bear the idea of telling her newfound friends that she never intended to go all the way with them, so she’s pretending to not know anything.
[name_u]Ash[/name_u] uses they/she pronouns, and although their parents did not understand at first, they’re slowly learning and decided that they love their child for the way that they are. She’s also an aspiring psychology major, although the dance career is tempting. They know that their parents would absolutely not support the dance career, which is ironic considering the pronouns.
At the moment, [name_u]Ash[/name_u] lives with their two best friends in a shared apartment near their college. They have three fish— one for each roommate— and Ash’s fish is named [name_m]Arjun[/name_m]. She’s not entirely sure of Arjun’s gender, but she decided [name_m]Arjun[/name_m] fits it, whatever it is.
[name_m]Pranav[/name_m] Yagnesh Malhotra (20) is [name_u]Ash[/name_u] 's boyfriend. The couple bonded because they both can relate to being [name_f]Indian[/name_f] and experiencing the cultural shock that comes with moving to [name_u]America[/name_u]. [name_m]Pranav[/name_m] really appreciates having [name_u]Ash[/name_u] as his partner. They always offer a listening ear and helped him feel better about his appearance , especially his darker skintone, which does not fit the beauty standard in [name_f]India[/name_f]. Now he feels a lot more comfortable taking selfies!
[name_m]Pranav[/name_m] met [name_u]Ash[/name_u] through one of their best friends that they live with. He lives in a college dorm room and doesn’t really have many friends at university , always having his nose in the books or learning new coding languages. He is a Computer [name_u]Science[/name_u] major and very passionate about cybersecurity. He thinks that it’s good [name_u]Ash[/name_u] has more interest in humanties like psychology or artistic pursuits like dance - this way, they have the famous opposites attract dynamics.
He thinks [name_u]Ash[/name_u] shouldn’t worry about not treating Khoros as seriously as other members of the group and just because she joined it doesn’t mean she has to give it her all. For him all that matters is that [name_u]Ash[/name_u] is happy and stays optimistic about her future. It annoyed him a little when she named her fish [name_m]Arjun[/name_m] - honestly , he thinks more seriously about her than he would like to admit and hoped that [name_m]Arjun[/name_m] could be a contender for the name of their future son.
Madison “Maddie” Rose Kennedy (21) is one of Ash’s best friends that live with her. She is an aspiring singer/songwriter. As someone who is really interested in the arts, she thought it was amazing that Ash got into the dance team. If that’s what she wants to pursue, Maddie supports her 110% percent.
Maddie is very outgoing and quite the party girl. She has a ton of friends and is always making more. but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t make time for her family and close friends! She is always the person to go to if you need a shoulder to cry on. Her pet fish is name Bowie, after her favourite artist, David Bowie!
( tw: discussions of substance abuse + child abuse )
[name_f]Audrey[/name_f] " [name_u]Audie[/name_u] " [name_u]Blair[/name_u] Cartwright (20) is one of Maddie’s party friends. She’s currently taking a break off of college due to mental health issues. Seemingly because of issues stemming from her verbally abusive father, [name_u]Audie[/name_u] ended up falling for the dangerous side of parties, engaging in illegal substances she would have never done back in high school, and nearly overdosed because of it. Because she didn’t like the person she was becoming, she has went home for treatment.
Through her trip home, [name_u]Audie[/name_u] has mended her relationship with her mother and her two younger sisters. She had to protect her siblings from her father’s rages when they were in their teens, leading [name_u]Audie[/name_u] to be the main protector of the family. She grew resentful of her mother and her two sisters for not only being passive and not protecting her, but also for making [name_u]Audie[/name_u] feel like she was alone in her struggles. Now that her parents are in the process of separating, [name_u]Audie[/name_u] feels as if she can breathe freely in the house she’s grown up in.
Other than her therapist, [name_u]Audie[/name_u] relies on her best friend to help her through her healing. She thinks she’s falling for the girl— although she’ll never admit it.
[name_f]Enya[/name_f] [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] McCoy (19) is the girl [name_u]Audie[/name_u] might just be falling for, and a fellow figure within the party scene who’s recently taken a step back. A makeup artist known for her distinctive style and love of experimental techniques, [name_f]Enya[/name_f] also works as a DJ for extra income, but the late nights and wild environment started to sap her of energy and majorly interfere with how much she loves perfecting her craft in the daytime. She doesn’t know if she’ll return to live performances, but continues to drop music online through her professional name ELF and is pleased with the positive feedback she gets, even if some people voice their disappointment at her unofficial retirement.
It took a long time for [name_f]Enya[/name_f] to amass her unapologetic confidence. She was born ‘into shame’ as some would say, being the product of an affair even her own mother was oblivious to, as her dad led a double life as an executive marketing manager for a prominent travel company: literally having a family in [name_u]Texas[/name_u], and then coming to play pretend with her mom in [name_u]Maine[/name_u]. When the truth came out - shortly after [name_f]Enya[/name_f] herself was born - all hell broke loose and her father immediately disowned her, claiming she wasn’t his daughter and only conceding to pay child support after a DNA test was issued by the courts.
She knows her half-siblings blame her mom for everything, especially her sister who’s only eight months older than her, and is very protective subsequently, not wanting the one person who’s always loved and cared for her to face more shame. [name_f]Enya[/name_f] covers this with her happy-go-lucky, dreamy personality and love of meeting new people, such as [name_u]Audie[/name_u] - who she admittedly thinks is super cute. Whenever possible she’s dashing off home though, where she helps her mom in her floristry business by picking up stock and has recommended her to peers at uni who’re looking for bouquets or arrangements. She often jokes to her best friend how ‘completely boring’ she is in spite of her mystical based appearance.
[name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] [name_f]Akane[/name_f] Yamamoto (19) is a friend of Enya’s who works at her mother’s flower business as a part-time job. [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] is a business major who has painstakingly cultivated an image of class and elegance— something that she uses as a shield to protect herself from anyone who could hurt her. Phoenix’s last relationship was both physically and psychologically abusive, and she knows she never wants to go through that again.
Once her last relationship was over, [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] moved in with her older brother, [name_u]Axel[/name_u]. [name_u]Axel[/name_u] is extremely protective of his little sister and isn’t going to stop at anything to make sure that she’s safe. This has become a point of conflict for the siblings, as [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] thinks that him enforcing a curfew on her is going a little too far, whilst [name_u]Axel[/name_u] is only doing so because he’s afraid her ex is going to do something bad to her late at night. [name_u]Axel[/name_u] has reached out to a lot of Phoenix’s friends, asking them to keep an eye on her.
[name_u]Axel[/name_u] Katsuro Yamamoto (24) is Phoenix’s older brother and somewhat over zealous protector. Working as a tattoo artist - who has some experience in piercing, albeit only ears - Axel’s boldness is tied to his creativity and love of challenging himself with his art. He and [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] lost their parents shortly after he turned eighteen, serving as her legal guardian almost immediately (following legal proceedings) and he’s felt a considerable sense of guilt in regards to her abusive relationship, thinking he was too wrapped up in his own depression and subsequent drive to open his own shop to intervene sooner.
To say thanks to Phoenix’s friends who’ve supported her during this time, [name_u]Axel[/name_u] has done a few flash tattoos for them for discount prices, fully appreciating how they’ve all come together to protect his sister and help her heal.
The main voice of reason for [name_u]Axel[/name_u] has always been his girlfriend. Having first dated between the ages of sixteen and seventeen - breaking up a few months before the car crash that took his parents lives - they got back together two years later, while she was at university and he was apprenticing as a tattooist, finding their bond only strengthened given time. She tries to stop [name_u]Axel[/name_u] fretting over [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] too much while understanding his reasoning, making sure she’s aware of any sign his sister’s ex will return. Axel’s considering asking her to move in but doesn’t want [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] to feel pushed out or overlooked by this decision, nor does he want to rush things between them.
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] " [name_u]Ash[/name_u] " Yang-Hak (23) is Axel’s girlfriend and she knew [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] before she knew [name_u]Axel[/name_u], as she tutored her for a bit before heading off for uni. She lives currently with 3 roommates, one of which is named [name_f]Fabiola[/name_f], and she is actually dating Phoenix’s ex at the moment, but [name_u]Ash[/name_u] is unaware of this. [name_u]Ash[/name_u] shares a love for piercings and tattoos, and a few of hers were done by [name_u]Axel[/name_u].
[name_f]Sienna[/name_f] [name_f]Viveca[/name_f] Clemensen (25) is [name_u]Ash[/name_u] 's roomate and they have found some common ground when it was revealed that they both love tatoos and piercings. She has a nose ring and a tiger tatoo on her left arm, being a rather sucessful instagram model due to her knowing how to do impressive make-up and keep her audience engaged with consistent uploads. She has some [name_m]Danish[/name_m] heritage and so treats [name_m]Danish[/name_m] as a secret code when speaking to her family on the phone in the apartament. She is absolutely crazy about her morning exercise routine and will alwys do it at 8 AM even if others may be bothered by it. But worry not - she also values breakfast as the most importnant meal of the day and often makes [name_m]Danish[/name_m] Æggekage - an omlet-like dish with bacon , chieves and cherry tomatoes - for her and her friends to have the energy for a busy morning.
[name_f]Ciara[/name_f] [name_f]Zadie[/name_f] Clemensen (22) is Sienna’s younger sister who frequently visits her and [name_u]Ash[/name_u] in their apartment. Although she technically lives in a shared student house, [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] often finds her roommates are wrapped up in relationships - something she really doesn’t relate to, being asexual-panromantic and she wants to finish her degree before dipping her toes into the world of dating. [name_m]Said[/name_m] degree is in Folklore, a unique course but one that’s always appealed to her - both on account of how she opts to connect with her [name_m]Danish[/name_m] heritage, and also due to having been obsessed with Greek mythology growing up, even having a tattoo of the three fats on her lower back.
Next to her sister, some consider [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] plain in how she dresses and presents herself but it never phases her, as she prefers fading into the background. The only thing she is truly proud of is achieving her motorcycle license and now having a bike of her own, saving up thanks to how she works as a Literature tutor for extra cash, primarily working with middle schoolers (as she feels she’s still too close in age to those in high school and honestly, the world of teenagers is something she’d rather forget).
[name_f]Fabiola[/name_f] [name_f]Isabela[/name_f] Rossi-Williams (24) is the 3rd roomate. She is close with [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] especially, even though she doesn’t live there, and occasionally goes to visit [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] on her own, as their bond is definitely a strong one. She is dating [name_m]Ralphie[/name_m] (Phoenix’s ex) at the moment, as she tends to get drawn to relationships that seem loving and fun, but turn out toxic. This is very ironic as she is currently training to teach PSHE to middle schoolers. She also has some tattoos, a trait that seems to be shared in their apartment.
Yoonho [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] " [name_m]Ralphie[/name_m] " [name_f]Cho[/name_f] (23) is Phoenix’s ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend of [name_f]Fabiola[/name_f]. A serial playboy, [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] is terrified of commitment and refuses to think about the long term.
[name_m]Rafael[/name_m] is unfortunately a product of his circumstances— his father was an alcoholic and beat his mother— and it was all he knew. His mother would often beg [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] to not call the police because they would split the family apart, and he hated that he was unable to stop his mother’s suffering. This went on all the way up until high school— he kept all of this behind locked doors. [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] would come to school with a shiny smile plastered on his face, but it was all a facade. When his father finally passed due to liver failure, [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] felt relieved— a sentiment that he still shares today. The only person who knows about any of his burdens is his best friend, [name_u]Juniper[/name_u], who is the only one who can say [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] “isn’t like that”.
Many girls (and some boys) fell for him, and every time he’d break their hearts. The cycle was a little too cookie-cutter— charm them, try to love them, freak out, and it ends. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though he tried so hard to do better in every relationship afterwards, [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] would get the sickening feeling that he’d become just like his dad, which started a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you were to ask him, he’d still say that he was 100% irrevocably in love with [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] Yamamoto— but he knows her brother would kill him if he was even a foot near her.
A recent conflict between [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] and [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] has been the idea of therapy— Rafael’s been ‘self-medicating’ with substances and [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] is practically begging him to talk to someone.
[name_u]Juniper[/name_u] [name_u]Elias[/name_u] McQuillan (23) is Rafael’s best friend and some would argue his moral compass. Growing up, [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] found the boy who lived across the street was the only person who’d listen to him talk about matters his social workers and foster parents tried to discourage. When he was only three, [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] was abandoned in a shopping center by his parents: an extremely immature and whim driven couple who’d never really wanted a child, only conceiving him thanks to the philosophy of a commune they briefly belonged to - a decision that gravely hurt him and led [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] down a path of serious self-esteem issues, self-loathing and he was diagnosed with depresssion when he was just thirteen, with his social worker [name_f]Alice[/name_f] believing [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] experienced PTSD as well.
This allowed him to quickly empathise with Rafael’s circumstances and they developed a genuine loyalty to each other, remaining side-by-side through thick and thin, even as [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] saw the other boy engage in more destructive behaviours. A lot of people considered him just a shadow to someone much more charismatic and chaotic, finding Juniper’s quiet, pensive approach to life quite strange - feeling he wouldn’t accomplish much.
In reality, [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] just isn’t one to rush and is now working towards becoming an art therapist himself, first having gained a degree in illustration and now working towards achieving his dream. He lives with his partner - one of the few people he’s truly opened up to about every stress and anxiety he’s faced - and doesn’t want to drag them into the ongoing situation with [name_m]Rafael[/name_m]. Although he was once a notable chainsmoker - using cigarettes to deal with his emotional turbulence - [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] has now overcome this and seeing even more serious addictions afflicting his friend hurts him gravely. He knows he’ll be in for a fight about this though, due to Rafael’s stubbornness and tendency to fall back on denial when confronted, a wall [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] has come up against a dozen times before but isn’t afraid to fight again thanks to how much he cares for his best friend.
(tw: Cigarettes , Violence)
Taylor Min-jun Kim (25) is the brother of Juniper 's partner and also knows Ralphie more or less because he , too, is part of the local Korean-American community.
Taylor may not be too intimidating due to his youthful appearance. Many people tell him that they don’t believe him when he tells them how old he is - then he actually pulls his ID card with a smug face where it is pretty blatantly stated that he was, indeed, born in 1996. As a teenager he aspired to be a K-pop star and even sucessfully reached out to some smaller companies for auditions, yet was not accepted because he was " not versatile enough " - his specialty being dance rather than rap, singing or performance. Taylor thought that taking care of his appearance and especially combating acne would help, but it unfortunately did not. However, the flawless skin stayed as it is due to regular care.
Having his dreams crushed, Taylor turned to cigarettes, alcohol and even physical violence, eventually fallling deep into the wrong crowd in high school. He stated it rather blatantly to Juniper more than once that if he were to hurt his little sister in any way, shape or form, it will get ugly. Rather than using his connections with the dangerous crowd of the city, he will take part in the physical altercation himself. It’s not like he stands no chance - looking certainly less “buff” than Juniper but having trained taekwondo back in middle and high school.
He currently studies at community college but doesn’t take it too seriously, only doing this so as not too worry his mom, Da-som " Dorothy " and not continue to destroy the reputation of the family among the higher-middle class crowd that his parents belong to. His mom works as a pediatric nurse and father is a dental hygenist. He goes to parties every weekend and likes his part-time job as a bellhop at the local hotel more than he does the community college. There , he has the opportunity to talk to tourists and travellers. He has huge wanderlust and his little sister is the only one who really knows about it. He wants to visit the land of his ancestors - South Korea - as well as South-East Asian countries like Thailand or Laos, while having nothing but one small backpack on his shoulders. He wants to know what real life in those countries is like rather than just paying for hotels and calling it a day. He is tired of being sheltered by well-off parents and just wants to have freedom, not having to rebel to feel like he has a small portion of it.
[name_f]Faith[/name_f] Si-Woo [name_u]Kim[/name_u] (22) is Taylor’s younger sister and Junipers girlfriend. [name_f]Faith[/name_f] is not aware of [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] threatening [name_u]Juniper[/name_u], but every time [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] and [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] are in the same room, [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] looks scared, intimidated and anxious, so [name_f]Faith[/name_f] has spoke to her brother about this. [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] has had a few girlfriends, but none he loves as much as [name_f]Faith[/name_f]. She takes care in her makeup and hair. Her deepest confidant is her maternal cousin, [name_f]Moon[/name_f].
