Realistic or Modern [Lore] Castle on the Hill -- 90s / Modern Time Skip

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I miss the way you make me feel
It’s real
We watched the sunset over the

Castle on the Hill

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Lore / Setting

Navigate:
Overview / Places / Faces / Headcanons
Links
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Overview [^]

Welcome to Dunswell, WA
Population: 8,000
We hope you enjoy your stay!
​

Living in a quiet, small town in the Pacific Northwest -- it sounds like a dream to a lot of people, as long as they don't mind rain five days a week. Dunswell fits the description well-enough -- and if the locals weren't so adamant about keeping to themselves, and scaring visitors away, the town might actually be a prime candidate for the next Instagram traveller's sweetheart.

The coastal town is picturesque in its own way. There is even a park with a playground at the heart of Dunswell, showing how much they love families and children. The shops in the City Center all have the same OPEN/CLOSE sign, the same OPEN/CLOSE schedule (i.e., the town is asleep by 6 PM), and the colours of their exteriors follow a coherent, possibly peer pressure-imposed palette. The main streets are clean and well-maintained, mostly as the townsfolk had figured out how to keep the trash contained in the southern neighbourhood, in a process locally known as The Clearing. And so the name of the southern neighbourhood came to be.

The people of Dunswell love their names and their categories -- most of all, the compartments that go along with them. Up in North Dunswell -- as far away from The Clearing as they could muster -- lay the residences of the old, upper-middle class retirees, and the towering mansions of the filthy rich celebrities and businessmen who come to visit at most once or twice a year.

The western area, which is closest to the coast, is the one most brimming with life -- as much life as a small town could muster, anyway. So-called the Fisherman's Wharf, most of Dunswell's income comes from this area -- whether through fishing, shipping, yacht maintenance, or, more rarely, catering to beach-deprived tourists who accidentally stumbled upon the town.

Completing the circuit is the eastern district, Crestwood, where people go when they need to feel better about themselves: Visiting their friends at the hospital, sending flowers to their loved ones' graves, going to church, feeling sorry for the orphans, etc. For this reason, some locals have started calling it Christwood -- rather apt, considering most of the buildings in the area are named after saints.

Helpful Links: [^] Interest Check / Sign-Ups / Lore / OOC / IC

 

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Places [^]

Navigate:
Fisherman’s Wharf / City Center / North Dunswell / Crestwood / Clearing
St. Isidore’s Child Home / “The Castle”​

Fisherman’s Wharf [^]

1. Tall, Dark and Brewding: Recently-opened (as of 2 years) coffee shop. Previously a family-owned bakery of 40 years. It was called “Not Wheaty Enough,” and predicted its own downfall.
2. Hook, Line and Sinker: Seafood grill and bar. Visitors love to eat here. Locals are sick of eating fish everyday, let alone overpriced fish.
3. Luke’s Arcade: Classic arcade that has been running since the late 70’s. Nearly out of business today, and mostly caters to old people trying to relive their youth as opposed to, you know, the youth.
4. Leia’s Comics: Also sells toys, board games, and other pop culture knick knacks. Yes, the arcade and the comic store are owned by the same couple. No, they are not related. Stop asking.
5. Residences: Mostly young / single middle-class people. No detached houses in the area -- only apartments and townhouses.
6. Lighthouse / Pier: Funding the main source of livelihood in town. Not even from fishing, but from maintaining The Avs’ many yachts.

City Center [^]

1. August Wilson Public Theatre: Features local plays, and the occasional talent show. Favourite hangout place of the local homemakers.
2. Bank: You can bank on them to have insufficient funds for the amount you want to withdraw. Get outta here, ya filthy Av.
3. Sheriff’s Department: Boasts a payroll of 10 people. About half of them also work for the fire department.
4. Town Hall: A place to air your complaints and then some.
5. Dunswell General Store: The one and only. Sells the essentials, and not much more.
6. Leaf Me Alone: Equal parts secondhand bookstore, and arts and crafts shop. Owner has a large tabby that follows you around to make sure you haven’t stolen anything.
7. Dunswell Post Office: Their only employee is a leather jacket-wearing man probably going through a midlife crisis.
8. Peter Fleming Public Park: Small park with a playground for kids. Pet-friendly.

North Dunswell [^]

1. Avondale Estates: Exclusive / Gated community. Mostly empty vacation houses of the rich and powerful. Many upper middle-class retirees also live here. Residents of the community are often (derogatively) called “The Avs” (as opposed to everyone else, “The Avnots”).
2. Residences: Detached houses for middle-class families and the like. Often smells like backyard BBQs and freshly-mowed grass.
3. Lazy Susan’s: Retro-themed diner. Specialises in Cajun cuisine. Mouthy owner. Family-friendly. Just try not to piss off the owner. Seriously.
4. Little Creek Elementary & Middle School: Where you first meet the people you’re stuck with for over 10 years.
5. Merryweather High: The place where dreams die. Equipped with a multipurpose gym, and a football field.
6. Dunswell Public Library: A heaven for those wanting to escape the dullness of the town. Or maybe just the bullies.

Crestwood [^]

1. St. Agatha General Hospital: Dunswell really loves their Saints.
2. St. Thomas Aquinas Holy Parish: I wasn’t kidding.
3. St. Isidore of Seville’s Child Home / The Cavendish Ghosthouse: Home sweet home. Now a tourist attraction.
4. St. Therese of Liseux Cemetery: Also a popular hangout spot for teenagers, especially those of the black nail polish variety.
5. Fire Department: Someone once campaigned to change their name to include the patron saint of arson, but they got fired.

The Clearing [^]

1. Let Me Inn: The only one in town. Owner looks and smells questionable. Probably watches you in your sleep. Rumours say he’s actually a vampire, but he’s not hunky enough for that.
2. Junkyard: Some kids like to hang out here, too, and god knows why.
3. Trailer Park: Just add Ricky, Bubbles and Julian, and you’re all set. Meth haven and biker paradise galore. If you’re smart, you’d avoid this place.
4. Uncle Jones’ Drive-In: A remnant of the 50’s, but still popular with the teenagers -- especially those looking to get lucky. The adjacent building features a regular cinema.
5. The Crossing: Dive bar. Mostly truckers and bikers. Not family-friendly. Or at all friendly. If you like wearing cardigans, don’t even think of coming inside.
6. Bus Station: Buses to and from Olympia twice a day (early morning / afternoon). Also has minibuses (arriving at 1.5-hour intervals per stop, from 7 AM to 7 PM) that take you around the city (Loop > Crestwood > ND > FW > CC > Loop. No stops elsewhere in The Clearing, because it's The Clearing.)
7. Gas Station / 7/11: Your last chance to turn back.

St. Isidore’s Child Home / The Cavendish Ghosthouse [^]

St. Isidore of Seville’s Child Home was formerly the Cavendish mansion -- an ancestral home of the richest founding family of Dunswell. The last known Cavendish to live there was Colin Cavendish, a recluse and an eccentric. Sickly ever since he was young, he died of a heart attack at 53. Cavendish had neither spouse nor child, and, in his will, bequeathed everything to his childhood friend and private caretaker, Eileen Shelby. With funds from Cavendish’s legacy, Shelby and her husband eventually repurposed the mansion into a foster home for children in 1980.

The mansion has three stories.

The first floor consists of a sitting room for guests, which leads to a much larger salon room. The salon room branches out into different recreational rooms including a library, a music room, and a repurposed nursery room. It also connects to the dining hall. The kitchen and the laundry room are at the very back of the house. There are two powder rooms for guests’ convenience.

The second floor contains ten separate bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom. A smaller recreational area and a breakfast room (since repurposed into a prayer room) can also be found on this level.

The third floor contains the attic.

Upkeep of the property was very high. As a result, the Shelbys were later unable to afford basic repair and maintenance of the century-and-a-half-old home. Leaks, infestations, and other hazards were common around the house. The older pipes and furnaces also meant that heating often became an issue during the colder months. Eileen Shelby was eventually forced to stop operations in May 1995.

The property was sold the following year, in March 1996, by a British aristocrat distantly related to Colin Cavendish. The property had since undergone minimal renovation. All structural hazards were addressed, although not much else. The marchioness went on to market the property as a “haunted history museum,” mostly featuring the various bizarre and often grotesque works and inventions of the late Colin Cavendish.

Today, the place -- rebranded “The Cavendish Ghosthouse” -- is a mildly successful tourist attraction. During Halloween season, it is converted into a full-blown haunted attraction, complete with actors and fake skeletons.

“The Castle” [^]​

Upon seeing a photo of The Castle, most people might assume that it was taken in Europe -- and never at all in the Pacific Northwest. Even the residents of Dunswell are inclined to agree; no one really knows why it's there, or when it was even built. Theories have ranged from rich, deluded men who dreamed of being king to claims of European settlement earlier than history could ever imagine. Unfortunately, neither Dunswell or The Castle are widely-known enough to warrant the attention of historical scholars. To date, there have been no official documents found that could shed a light on its origins.

This, of course, has only further fuelled the campfire stories surrounding the structure, which range anywhere from junkie haven to mutant bears, and the occasional tale about a reclusive, yet oddly alluring, vampire. Impressionable and endearingly clumsy teenage girls beware: In The Castle, you won't find true love -- only tetanus.

Locals generally try to stay away from the area -- a perfectly sensible idea, considering its walls appear to be crumbling little by little. Of course, this hasn't stopped many adventurous youths from daring each other to visit the place. Somehow, they always manage to return home unscathed, and always with a tale of a near encounter to come with it.

The Castle overlooks the town and the North Bay. It is only slightly bigger than the Cavendish mansion. The ground level is mostly paved in cobblestone, but a combination of various overgrown weeds and a consistently wet climate had assured its destruction. Similarly, the stone steps leading to the upper-levels appear unstable, making the second through fourth floor inaccessible through normal means. A kind stranger had gone through the trouble of installing rock climbing holds up The Castle's tallest tower, and this is the only known way to get to the castle peak. Miraculously, no one has died from attempting it yet.

Helpful Links: [^] Interest Check / Sign-Ups / Lore / OOC / IC

 

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Faces [^]

The Gang

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Bryce Arthur Parsons: The oldest of the group. Often in charge of looking after the kids when The Shelbys were away. In 1993, left for Seattle in order to pursue a career in music. Currently an audio engineer. [app]

Miguel Iker Espinosa: Better known as just Mike (or The Hair, if you're looking for a favour). Second oldest of the group, and probably the smartest. Brother of Maria. Wanting to become a public attorney specialising in defending juvenile delinquents, he studied Criminology at the University of Washington, but lost his scholarship and dropped out within his first year. Always dreamed of seeing the dawn of a new millennium, but was never able to after losing a long and painful battle against drug addiction.

Amy Jo Hart: Resident tomboy, and shameless lover of pink. Kept entire universes in her little notebook. Currently runs a restaurant in Massachussetts. [app]

Juno Carter Lee: The epitome of riches-to-rags if there ever was one. A former resident of Avondale Estates, Dunswell's exclusive community. Went straight to St. Isidore's after his parents split up. Currently an editor for a fashion magazine based in New York City. [app]

Michael Brooke Allen: Also known as Twitch (or Mike A., if you're looking to put him in a sour mood). Always seemed like the guy who'd stay a kid forever, except he ended up growing up too fast and too much for his own good. Currently Dunswell's Mayor. [app]

Lucas Alexander Moore: That guy who seemed perfectly content just going with the flow. More than anything, looked up to Mike, who was probably the only reason he didn't skip all of High School. Currently trying to help others as a rehab specialist, although the complicated situation with his kids has left him with problems of his own. [app]

The Locals
This section will be updated as the RP progresses.​

Navigate:
The Shelbys / The Unholy Trinity
The Avs / The Av-Nots​

Eileen and Russell Shelby are the “houseparents” of St. Isidore. Unable to have a child of their own, they initially planned to adopt. Plans changed when the late Colin Cavendish left his 10-bedroom manor in Eileen’s name.

Russell, also the local pastor, was well-loved for his secret-recipe meatloaf (“the secret is in the sauce,” as he would often say), and his uncanny ability to pull Bible quotes out of nowhere when giving advice.

Eileen, a trained nurse, was known to frequently knit ugly Christmas sweaters and beanies for the children. She was also infamous for her nonstop humming of songs from the 50’s; this often alerted the children to her presence, which was handy for whenever the latter were up to no good.
The couple, however, was also perhaps too much into the “turn the other cheek mentality,” and some members of the community had complained that they were not disciplining the foster children very well or at all.

Complaints grew as Russell’s failing health kept the couple from dedicating as much of their time to St. Isidore’s. Russell was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1990. Having to seek treatment in Seattle for extended periods of time, the home was forced to start hiring temporary social workers to attend to the children.

Russell eventually passed away in September 1994. Despite Eileen’s best efforts to keep the foster home running, she was eventually forced to stop operations in May 1995 due to lack of funds. She allegedly moved to Spokane the following year.

The Unholy Trinity[^]​

Tiffany Banks is the reason “Alpha Bitches” are a staple of every High School movie. In her defence, her brand of evil is less like Satan, and more like a lion on the prowl. It's just nature, isn't it? If, for some reason, you've done something to earn her wrath, you better just get out of town right out of the bat. If you don't, she can always make you. She has the resources for it, after all, being the Mayor's daughter... which, if you think about it, kind of makes her the Princess of Dunswell, doesn't it? No, you're not allowed to disagree.

Some people peak in High School, and if Tiffany becomes one of them, it's only because she was too much of an overachiever. Freshly graduated in 1993, Tiffany leaves behind her spot as the president of numerous clubs including, but not limited to: Student council, cheerleading, national honours society, choir, and theatre. She even graduated near the top of her class, although everyone in her inner circle knows she mostly just paid some kid named Twitch to do her assignments. Hey, it's not like everyone actually expects her to be able to do everything at once, right?

Amy had been on Tiffany's radar since seventh grade, when the former had the gall to wear a jacket that was vaguely similar to hers. It was a deep wound to the ego, to say the least, especially since Amy freakin' Hart is infamous for her (lack of) fashion sense. The animosity was quite mild to begin with -- a bit of bumping shoulders in the hallway, occasionally sneezing “barf bag” as they cross paths, or maybe that one time Tiff managed to stick a gum in Amy's hair -- but as rumours started about Tiff's boyfriend taking a liking to Amy, she realised she needed to raise the dials up a bit.

Sometime last year, Tiffany pretended to be a secret admirer, leaving love notes and little gifts in Amy's locker. It culminated in the non-existent secret admirer asking to meet Amy at the prom. Of course, no one came.

That was a long time ago, though (not really), and now that Tiffany's graduated High School, she wants to make amends.

Rumour has it that Tiffany was (is?) cheating on her boyfriend with some trailer trash from The Clearing. Thankfully, everyone forgot about it as soon as it came out Barbra Westcott's sister was jumping one of those orphan guys.

Barbra Westcott is, in fact, the correct way to spell it. No, the missing “a” isn't a typo. She was named after Barbra Streisand -- multi-award winning singer, songwriter, actress, and not to mention her mum's best friend. Being the child of a Broadway legend and a Wall Street executive has its perks, and why shouldn't Barbra take advantage of them if she could? Barbra's parents had sent her and her sister off to Dunswell in order to give them a more humble upbringing. More importantly, as far as pop stars are concerned, it's easier to market “an innocent small-town girl” over a “born-and-raised New York City socialite.”

It's worked so far. Barbra is an incoming senior, but she's probably only ever spent time at school as much as the average sophomore. She often has to travel to LA for her job as a teen model. Lately, she's been playing with the idea of going into Hollywood full blast. But sshh, nobody tell her: She's as good as tone-deaf, and has about the same three facial expressions at her disposal. (Hint: Her best one is the scowl)

Barbra's friends must all live in Avondale Estates -- with the exception of Leslie Novak, of course, but she sleeps over so often she might as well live there. In fact, Barbra was great pals with Juno once, even going so far to ask him to do a photoshoot with her, talking about how good their cheekbones look together or something like that. Not that any of that matters anymore, of course. If not even your parents want to have to do anything with you, a girl's got to take that as a sign, right?

Rumour has it that her frequent absences don't really have anything to do with her modelling gigs. Only a fool would dare mention this in front of her, though. Even her sister, with whom she isn't particularly close, tends to go berserk if the topic is brought up.

Leslie Novak is an honourary Av. She's not really kidding herself, though; the only reason the likes of Tiffany Banks and Barbra Westcott want to hang with her is because the sheriff is her dad, and the deputy her big brother. Not that she's complaining. They all know their relationship is very quid pro quo: Her friends give her access to all the cool toys and all the cool parties, and she keeps all of them from getting busted.

Leslie's always loved forging connections, and once upon a time, she wanted to forge connections with no one more than Juno. Unfortunately for her, it just never seemed like the interest was mutual. Fortunately for her, Juno ended up in St. Isidore's, and he's no longer anyone important. Even then, she tries to avoid him as much as she can, which is easier said than done. As an incoming junior, she's in the same class as Twitch and Juno.

Rumour has it that nowadays she's set her eyes on her brother's ex-best friend instead.

The Avs[^]​

Thatcher Bayfield once had someone praise him for “that awesome Thatchdown,” and he's been trying to make Thatchdown happen ever since. No luck on that front yet, but seeing as he was just named football captain, he's optimistic there's still time for the word to settle. The sad truth, of course, is that Thatcher is not as funny as he likes to think. Not that anyone's ever going to admit that, of course. Not to a 6'4" jacked-up quarterback with impulse issues.

The Bayfields moved to Dunswell two years ago, right after his folks -- both very successful cardiovascular surgeons -- decided to retire early. Formerly from Seattle, Thatcher deems himself a city kid, and thus much more enlightened than everyone else in town. More than anything, he likes to talk about the malls, and the stores, and the cafes, that Dunswell just doesn't have. As an incoming senior, it looks like he doesn't have to wait too long before he can get out of dodge.

Rumour has it that Thatcher has a thing for Amy, which is why Tiffany Banks -- his girlfriend -- has been upping her antics the past two years. There has yet to be any substance to these rumours, though. In fact, ever since word of it spread, Thatcher has made it a point to throw a snide comment or two whenever Amy passes his way.

Tania Westcott is the girl who takes herself way too seriously. She's in all the AP classes the school has to offer -- and if they're not offering something she really wants, her parents' donations can easily solve that problem. Of course, despite her perfect GPA and numerous science fair awards, her biggest passion is easily theatre. In fact, her intense dedication to the dramatic arts has led her to resent her sister, Barbra, who Tania believes is doing inane posing for Bop! and Teen Beat. On the flip side, Tania idolises her mother -- Broadway star Liza Verdon-Westcott -- and is set to go to Julliard right after High School.

The August Wilson Public Theatre -- which is, in fact, largely funded by the Westcotts -- often hosts elaborate stage shows whenever Tania's mother comes to visit Dunswell. It is, in fact, in one of these shows that Tania grew close to Bryce, who was then doing the guitar accompaniment for the musical. Tania and Bryce dated secretly for almost a year, before deciding to make their relationship public when Tania attended the senior prom as Bryce's date. They broke up shortly after.

She just finished her sophomore year in Dunswell High, and is in the same class as Twitch and Juno. She's neutral about the latter -- having never been friends even back when Juno lived in Avondale -- but her dislike of Twitch is more than obvious. After all, as far as she's concerned, he's competition.

Rumour has it that Tania and Bryce are back together again.

The Av-Nots[^]​

Bobby Delaware 's fifteen minutes of fame came in the middle of last year, when he was associated with not just an Av, but the Av. Tiffany Banks: If money and bitchery had a face, it would probably be hers. Bobby, then a senior at Dunswell High, had made a scene in the school cafeteria, getting into a shouting match with Tiffany, threatening to show everybody the pictures he has of “their time together.” Inevitably, a fight broke out between Bobby's group -- fellow biker kids, mostly -- and Thatcher Bayfield and his football teammates.

Besides the “Tiffany Banks Scandal,” the only time people ever talked about him was when he was caught selling meth at the senior prom. Bobby was subsequently expelled from the school. He never got to graduate. Not that he was going places in the classroom, of course. Bobby used to skip class a lot, and had at one point, formed a little ragtag group of similarly truant misfits. One of them was Luke, and Bobby often liked to order the kid around, asking the former to run various errands for him. Of course, their friendship -- if you could call it that -- came to an abrupt halt when one day, Bobby simply decided to act like Luke didn't exist.

Along with some of his friends, Bobby likes to hang out outside the foster home. This has once led to a strangely intense confrontation between him and Mike, although thankfully the other foster kids had arrived just in time to diffuse the situation.

Rumour has it that he's still very bitter about the affair with Tiffany Banks, and has been plotting his revenge all this time.

Marco Milano the Narco Pillano -- that's what all the edgy kids like to say. Fucking bullshit, of course. A) he's Italian, not some Latino guy, mille grazie; and B) he's obviously not a narc either, is he, considering the Dunswell Sheriff's Department is filled with two-faced assholes he wants nothing to do with? To say that Marco has some history with Deputy Connor Novak is an understatement. No, taking the fall for the guy, and spending 5 years in state pen does not constitute just “some” history.

But it's also true, though: Weed, crack, acid. You name it; he's got it. As a rule, he only sells the light stuff to the high school kids. Even then, it's a miracle he hasn't been caught yet. Or maybe gratitude is just a thing that exists.

Twitch is a regular customer, but then again the same thing could be said to pretty much every Dunswell High kid.

Rumour has it that he's been invited to the house party Barbra Westcott is throwing to celebrate Tiffany Banks' graduation. God knows why. Maybe they wanted the pill dispenser right by the dance floor.

Kaitlyn Murray is a temporary social worker assigned to look after the foster kids while The Shelbys are away. A Dunswell native herself, Kaitlyn went to college in Seattle, dropped out just before graduation, and came back to Dunswell immediately. “The hustle and bustle of the city just isn't for me” is her official reason. She's been back five years now, with this “babysitting gig,” as she likes to call it, as her first real job since college. Whatever gets her out of the basement -- her parents think.

On the job, she likes to watch TV or sleep on the couch. In particular, she's very fond of game shows, and can be often heard shouting answers and insults when Jeopardy is on. As long as it's not going to get her in trouble, she doesn't really care much what the kids do. She does appreciate it when they cook dinner. It's a fresh change from her mum's vegan dishes, at least.

Rumour has it that she actually misses Seattle more than she likes to admit.

Luke & Leah Knox are probably the most sensible lottery winners out there. It's true; the Knoxes could afford to buy property in Avondale if they really wanted to, but the most they've splurged their $7M prize on is the arcade and the comic store. Otherwise, they're content to live in their tiny townhouse in Fisherman's Wharf.

The pair are transplants from Portland, OR. After hitting the literal jackpot in '78, the young twentysomethings moved to Dunswell on a whim. The first Star Wars movie had come out just the year before, and the couple decided to cash in on the fame by naming their stores after the main characters of the movie. Return of the Jedi came out just five years later, and then the questions never stopped.

To this day, Luke still finds himself complaining about how Dunswell's brochures lied to him. None of them ever mentioned anything about petty small town politics or the prevalence of rain. Then again, Leah's always had enough pep to give him all the sunshine he's ever needed.

The pair have been friends since childhood. Well, at least Leah's brother and Luke were. Leah was just the poor little sister who got roped into the mess because they needed one more player for their board games and/or other geeky ventures. Eventually, hormones happened, but everything seemed to have worked out well enough. They have an eleven-year-old son (who currently holds the high score for both Space Invaders and Double Dragons -- anyone who can beat his high score is treated to a free pizza), a pair of seven-year-old twins, and another little devil on the way.

Luke and Leah occasionally like to go for day trips out-of-town, searching for that precious yet elusive alone time with each other. When it happens, Maria is usually the first person they call for babysitting duties, seeing as she's one of the few people whose energy could match that of Chester and the twins combined. Besides the regular pay, they often get her strange souvenirs and other knick knacks from their trips, including colourful fridge magnets and ketchup-flavoured potato chips. The most recent one was a talking, stuffed moose from Vancouver.

They have volunteered to check in on the foster kids from time to time, at least when Kaitlyn couldn't be bothered to come out of the house. “Practising for the future,” the Knoxes describe it.

Rumour has it that they're actually sib-- Juno. The word is in your name. No. Just ... no.

Helpful Links: [^] Interest Check / Sign-Ups / Lore / OOC / IC

 

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Headcanons [^]
Dunswell

• The closest city is Olympia, the state capital, which is 60 miles from Seattle.
• Though there is an airport in Olympia, flights are very limited. The closest major airport is in Seattle.
• It takes half a day to travel to/from Seattle by bus, but only six hours by car.

Pre-1993

• Juno had a huge crush on Mike, because he was Mike, i.e. the guy everyone loved, even the straight dudes. Juno did once try hurriedly kissing Mike or something which went to shit and is another reason he ended up growing apart from the rest of them, feeling too awkward about it. Also low-key had a thing for Bryce, but more in an 'I am secretly in awe of you' kind of way.
• Everyone knew, Juno. Everyone.
• Mike was a total closet-case.
• Mike graduated top of his class, and had earned scholarships from multiple post-secondary institutions. He eventually chose to go to University of Washington in Seattle so, in his own words, "home would just be right around the corner."
• Amy's favourite colour is pink. She is a hopeless romantic, and, following her parents' accident, has a phobia of thunderstorms.
• As much as Luke tried to be an edgelord, the truth was all his edges were more-or-less covered in bubble wrap and possibly other fluffy things. As much as he tried to seem like a "grown-up," he was always a child at heart. Back then, anyway.
• Luke was never really linked to anyone romantically back in High School.
• There is an recurring debate whether Juno or Twitch is the Shaggy of the group. This was nearly settled in Halloween '92, when the group decided to go as Scooby-Doo characters for Halloween. Unfortunately, there weren't enough characters for the whole gang, so the idea was dropped.

Post-1993

• In 1997, the singer of the opening act for Pearl Jam was too inebriated to perform. Then a roadie for the band, Bryce volunteered to sub for the singer. Eddie Vedder was impressed enough by his vocal chops that he referred him to a producer friend in Seattle. A year later, Bryce’s first and only single was released. Seattle Times called it “A nice Christian boy’s best attempt at edginess.” It sold less than 300 copies.
  
  
  School (1998) by Bryce Parsons^1,2
• Bryce never went to college. He spent much of his 20's as a roadie for different bands, eventually moving up as an audio technician, and then an audio engineer. He settled back down in Seattle in his mid 30's.
• Juno never did come out (that he remembers whilst sober anyway) to the rest of the #squad.
  
• At 18, Juno - i.e. Mr. Fuck Society down with all these pretentious shits - broke into the modelling industry and ended up as one of the male fashion models of his time. Considered 'famous' within the fashion world, and recognisable to the general public (at the time) as that guy in clothing ads and magazines, etc. Though his modelling career lasted unusually long for a model at the time (7 years) he eventually went into the magazine business and has since become editor for Haus.
• Amy graduated college with a B.A. in English. She lived in New York for a time, in pursuit of a career in fiction writing.
• After many luckless years, Amy moved to Massachusetts, opening a restaurant by the coast. It is called Rush.
• Twitch never left Dunswell. In 1995, he graduated salutatorian with a 4.2 GPA. The salutatorian, Tania Westcott, gained a 0.035 point lead over him after the school considered her extra credit, immersion trip in Athens.
• Twitch went to a local community college, and graduated with a bachelors in Business. His first job was as a garbage collector.
• Twitch is diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety, among other things.
• In 2005, when it was clear that the understaffed fire department wasn't going to make it in time, Twitch rushed into a burning house, saving the Mayor's godson and a few other children in the process. This earned him a job as the Mayor's secretary.
• In 2010, Twitch ran for mayor. He clinched the victory, and has been the town mayor for 8 years running now.
• Twitch divorced his ex-husband in 2012. The marriage lasted 8 months.
• Luke eventually married his college sweetheart, although they have long since divorced.
• Luke has a master's in Psychology, and specialises in counselling those dealing with substance abuse.

Height Differences

• Bryce was around 5'10" (that's around 1.77m for you, non-North Americans). He's probably grown at most an inch since then, but since The Burdens of Life™ are heavy indeed, his posture is very slouched, and he looks smaller nowadays.
• Amy was a quite petite 5'3" (1.60m) in '93. As for 2018, she hasn't grown much, much to her annoyance. Standing at about 5'5" (1.65m), she usually relies on high heels to compensate.
  
• From 5'1" to 6'2", Twitch has grown over a foot in twenty-five years! Good luck having some of the kids recognise you, Mr. Mayor!
• Juno has always been a street pole, being 6'0" in 1993 and only growing further to 6'3" 25 years later. Curse you and your model-worthy genes!
• From 5'1" to 5'11", Luke has also been a happy recipient of the mystical growth spurt. Bryce curses you all for having caught up. Except you, Amy. You're cool.
• In 1993, Mike was just under six feet. In 2018, he's six feet under.

¹Thanks fluticasone for the audio code. Source here.
²Original song is School by Dive Bella Dive



Helpful Links: [^] Interest Check / Sign-Ups / Lore / OOC / IC

 

[Awakening AKIRA]

Everyone knew, Juno. Everyone.

*gasp*

sad, but tru

(idk if we reply here or elsewhere but delete this if need be. I just needed to *gasp*)

 

[Error 420]

Wait, how did you find that second photo of my character? Who is he?

 

[Slade]

Wait, how did you find that second photo of my character? Who is he?

That's the kid from Casper, dude! XD This is what he looks like now:

Reminds me of that Welsh dude from The Mentalist.