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SHAY MITCHELL via Instagram

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"You know what's crazy?" A smirk formed on her lips. "How much I used to hate wine. Remember?" Lana's head shook at her younger self and those taste buds. "Whenever we'd steal it from our parents and as much as I tried to be a wine girl and I'd just frown and hate myself with every sip?" The sigh that slipped out was playful in nature. "I'm so glad I grew out of that." Fingers toyed with the stem of her wine glass while one of her oldest friends laid out her own incredulity and gratefulness all in one since Allie became a permanent resident in Briar Ridge once again. Lana, herself, had two years to reassimilate back into the flow of life here but she hadn't been sure she'd done a good job. Having Allie here would be a big help in this town feeling like home again. "We did," she confirmed of the cheese platter and began to search around with her expressive eyes for the service, "maybe they forgot about us."

"You're right, though," Lana agreed, "we took that for granted. Just being able to get together whenever we wanted. For whatever reason." Back then it was the boys and horses along with every other thing imaginable for teenage girls. "Then adulthood ruined everything." For a moment she poked out her bottom lip after a small huff that fell into a pout. "What a scam." Lana shook her head. "Growing up. What the hell was I thinking?" Since she was a preteen she'd planned her escape from Briar Ridge. She had big dreams. Then she ended up right back here anyway. What was it all for? Everything she went through. "At least now we don't have to sneak around with our boozing." It was the little things. Really.

WHO: @lanachap WHERE: Through the Grapevine Winery

Leaning back in her chair with a half empty glass of wine in her hand and a wide smile on her features, Allie turned to one of her best friends. "Isn't it kind of crazy how we can just... do this now?" She asked as quiet, nearly giddy laughter left her lips. She'd been back in Briar Ridge permanently for barely a month and at times it still felt unreal. Being able to call up her oldest friends and make a plan to see them that day was nearly unheard of for the last couple decades but now? Now she could call Lana or Abby or Shane or Nate and be in their presence within minutes if they were available. It was such a privilege, such a source of joy, that she couldn't contain it.

"Like, I know we've seen each other over the years but it's always needed so much planning. Being able to call you for lunch the same day? It's like we're 18 again." She mused, shaking her head with a soft chuckle. "Or, well, wine the same day. Did we already order that cheese plate? Because, as you well know, my tolerance has always been pretty crappy but it's only lessened over the years."

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closed starter: @finneganparker location: happy tails pet shop

It didn't matter that they were working animals and that their number one task around the horse ranch was their job, Lana liked to spoil them when she could. Rather than passing the pet store by while running errands she stopped inside deciding to grab some treats for the two guardian dogs and some spoils for the barn cats. Judge, the older retired Great Pyrenees, had kind of become her house dog and couch potato in the last couple of years since she'd moved back. Given his years of service it was well owed to him but she'd also enjoyed having him around as a companion animal. Especially since her home on the Chapman Ranch was located near the tree line. When she reached for a big bone that Judge was likely to crack apart within a few minutes her hand met with someone else's. Oh, great, one of the Parkers, aside from Wes, that she'd been avoiding for years. A smile quickly forced onto her lips as she peered at Finn. "One of us must be going for the wrong sized bone..." The size of the Border Collie at his side was a fraction of what Judge was. "I can appreciate her big goals, though," she tried on some genuine humor with someone that had become so estranged to her.

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closed starter: @vanna-huang location: the anchor

"I know it looks like a lot," Lana said of the two large bags of food on the counter where both she and Vanna were paying and likely heading out. The host really didn't have to sigh as she heaved the bags onto the counter. Not everyone liked to cook after a long day. Even if it was only late afternoon Lana's had started before the sun had come up. "I'm picking up for everybody." It was mostly for herself and she would share whatever she didn't eat. Thankfully if people hadn't been on the ranch or didn't know any better they were likely to assume that the family all lived in the same house. So, this made it possible for her to get away with such a lie. Chapman Ranch sprawled many acres and there were a few homes on the property. Hers was tucked away somewhere quiet, nestled near the trees. "Hard labor makes you ravenous—apparently," Lana continued, eventually offering a smile to Vanna. Growing up she was a bit older so they didn't necessarily run in the same circles, but small towns and all. Everyone technically knew everyone. "Anyway, how's things?"

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closed starter: @shanepcrker location: firefly brewery

I miss the sound of your voice Loudest thing in my head

With a quiet groan, only audible to her through the noise of the live music and busy atmosphere, Lana leaned back in her seat. She wasn't sure she could stomach much more of this. It'd been a long day. One that had started before sunrise so that she could make it to the airport for the check ride she'd had scheduled that morning, and ended with rearranging the feed storage.

Now the singer was after her broken heart. Crooning a song that reached it's hand into her chest and gave that beating thing inside an uncomfortable squeeze.

I miss the pull of your heart I taste the sparks on your tongue

The drink in front of her was finished, and while Lana had been tempted to order another to let the alcohol seep into all the sharp edges of her life and soften them up for a short reprieve—she'd seen him inside. Other than a glance here and there they were doing their usual avoidance. She'd lost sight of Shane some time ago. If only because Lana hadn't been keen on looking up. Her dark eyes had stayed on her drink, looking for answers in a place she'd never receive them, or they kept clocking the door. The bartender had thought she'd been waiting on someone, and maybe that was how it had appeared since the place was lively and most were socializing, but she'd kept plotting escape.

I see angels and devils And God, when you come on

That was it. Lana had cracked. The words sung over the bar at the exact moment she'd looked across it and had caught eyes with the one it had been meant to end up so differently with. It wasn't enough that he'd haunted her all around town since she'd moved back. Shane was in the back of her mind no matter where she'd moved or what she'd taken on in life. After she slipped off the seat and her boots hit the ground Lana pulled some cash from her pocket to pay for her beers and leave a tip, then she rushed for the door without another glance his way.

Outside she sucked in the cooling night as her legs slowly carried her in the vague direction of her truck. Tears stung at her eyes as Lana lolled her head back on her shoulders. Was her life meant to be in constant mourning of something? Always to be in a state of missing? She wasn't drunk, not even buzzed, but still she wasn't storming to her truck and racing off. With a pat of her fingers against the front pocket of her vintage Levi's she registered the location of her keys and faintly heard the sound of the brewery's door opening.

Just pull me down hard And drown me in love

The words were faint against the quiet of the night outside and with the more steps she put in-between herself and the entrance, but the lyrics still attempted to strangle her as the singer held that last line especially long. Maybe to twist the knife. "Why do you hate me?" Lana muttered under her breath, speaking to herself.

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Shay Mitchell for Maxim Magazine

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I want to sleep under a different piece of sky. I want to live a little bit before I die. I want to be so close to heaven I see angels. I could walk away and leave my family. Or get buried alive in this legacy.

  — full biography.

ABOUT

Full Name/Nickname: Milana Aquino Chapman / Lana, Mila, or Mia.

Age/DOB: 39 / April 10th, 1986.

Zodiac Sign: Aries.

Gender: Cis woman.

Place of Birth: Briar Ridge, South Carolina.

Neighborhood: Chapman Ranch.

Sexual/Romantic Orientations: Bisexual / Biromantic.

Religion: Christian.

Occupation: Private pilot & Chapman's Grocer heir.

PERSONALITY:

Goals/Desires: To make peace with what she can't change, to find definitive answers so that she can finally sleep at night, to make her family proud and not let the Chapman legacy fall.

Fears: Pieces of her forever being lost to the past.

Hobbies: DIY projects around the house and ranch, hiking, horseback riding, dancing, flying, writing the novel that she'll never publish, paint, cook/bake...

Likes & Dislikes: Likes moving her body and working with her hands, solving puzzles, when people look you in the eyes, those that open doors for others, manners, strong willed people, sunrises and sunsets, deep and meaningful conversations, philosophy, fresh baked bread with creamy butter and flaky salt. Dislikes being idle for too long, annoying repetitive beeping sounds like a microwave or washing machine/dryer, social media, small talk, negative people, secrets and lies, having to wait in a long line, coffee, the fantasy book genre, feeling limited.

FAMILY:

Parents: Garron Chapman & Denise Ochoa Aquino.

Sibling(s): Older brother & younger sister.

Pet(s): There's at least 10 horses on the ranch. Along with some other farm animals.

AN INTRODUCTION:

trigger warnings: brief mention of abusive relationship, plane crash, death, stroke

growing up in briar ridge with the surname of chapman meant there was a storied history built into her DNA. somewhere way back in the line of grandfathers the chapman ranch was settled around the time briar ridge was formed as a town. the ranch had always been about raising and training horses, and even if there's pretty good money in it now, the foundation still stands that the horses need to have the form and function to fulfill their demands as a working ranch animal.

it was her great grandfather who opened up the grocer store when the town had grown enough to need one. when it was no longer logical or convenient to travel to the next town over. in old age he passed the store down to her father, garron.

at only 20 her mother moved from the life she knew in the philippines to marry and live with her father here in briar ridge, south carolina. they'd met when her father was in the navy and quickly fell so in love that she gave up everything for america. lana's older brother came first, then it was her turn, and a couple of years later her younger sister was born.

each side of lana's DNA and the importance of her lineage was shared with her. on her father's, the chapmans, it was the ranch and the way of life as a horseman, and on her mother's, the aquinos, she just wanted her children to know about the culture and customs of the pampanga province she'd come from. in fact, a few times growing up lana's mother took her and her siblings to the philippines to see where she's from and to meet family.

ever since she was a little girl she'd been obsessed with two things; horses and flying. there wasn't much her father could do about the dream of flying when she was growing up but he definitely took her love for the equine and taught her everything he knew about the way around a horse. the basics like respect and reading body language to more complex things like how to ride and understand the animal, the best ways to guide them and work together.

that foundation did her wonders when she began competing in barrel racing and roping. each were an adrenaline rush that lana couldn't get enough of but it was roping where she truly shined. as a youth she won several roping championships. even a couple in barrel racing.

as a teenager lana had thought the future of her life had been set. the boy she'd grown up with, their parents having been friends and each with lineage to the origins of briar ridge, had changed their dynamic of best friends to sweethearts. growing up, maturing, and hormones took over from a pair of children who played and ran together since they could walk. not only did they find love in each other, saw a good life mapped out ahead of them, but their parents wishes had come true with them being together.

maybe it was foolish, that whole young, puppy love thing but lana and shane planned out going to the same university and getting out of their hometown. they talked of the day they'd get married and what their children's names could be. it was bliss and it was the life lana had wanted. until shane, the night before graduation and the start of their plans, decided he didn't want that anymore. shane stayed for his family and told lana to go. heartbreak practically rocked her to a standstill.

but then adulthood came, and with that, the part of growing up where she had to go off on her own and figure out who she was outside of her family. in many ways she'd been desperate for it and dreamed of it. now with that ache in her chest she needed it more than ever. after university had led her to southern california where she had her first big girl job working at a marketing firm.

in a few years time she'd done well and had begun to climb the corporate ladder but her mid twenties was also when she made her first huge mistake. lana got involved romantically with her boss. at first it was intoxicating and sexy but then the older man became controlling. eventually it became way too much so lana left it all with the drop of a hat.

outside of horses her only big dream had been to fly so lana lived off her savings and took lessons and studied to become a pilot. it was one of the best things she'd ever done for herself. once she had her license she began making a living as a private pilot and got to travel the country, and sometimes, the world. got to see it all from the windows of the cockpit of her own plane.

the day would come where she fell in love again, only that time it had been different, he was secure, emotionally available, and well balanced. not only that but he was patient as she healed and learned how to love all over again. he was a fellow pilot and they'd met at a small metropolitan airport.

after years together, no plans, just living and enjoying life together he would take off for a flight and never return. it was a flight from seattle up to fairbanks, alaska and his plane would have some trouble over the gulf of alaska. days later some of the debris was found but that was it. she went up there to search herself, fly the same path, sought out answers for what could have happened, and begged for officials to continue searching and to continue their investigations.

somewhere just after a year later her father would suffer a stroke that would leave him weak on his right side and incapable of running the store and ranch anymore. lana's mother called her and asked her to come home. it was time. she needed her family and her family needed her.

it's been two years now and lana thinks she has running the store down but she lets her sister mostly handle that. she was better with the business and management sense anyway. lana spends more of her time flying locally, using her income to help support and sustain both the store and the ranch when and where needed, and she also mostly takes care of the horses and the ranch. it's where she gets to spend more time with her father.

POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS:

OLD FRIENDS: with the chapmans being one of those generational and founding families of briar ridge, i would really love any and all longtime friends that could span back to early childhood. you know the type where their families were longtime friends so they grew up since babies just being apart of each other's lives? maybe they kept in touch after lana left briar ridge for uni or maybe they've been reconnecting since she moved back a couple of years ago.

HORSING AROUND: raised on a horse ranch and with her grandfather essentially thought of as a horse whisperer it was inevitable that she'd be involved in the world of horses and rodeo as well. growing up she competed it barrel racing and roping but truly excelled at the latter and won statewide championships in youth categories. she loved helping out on the small ranch her family had and learning from her grandfather and father. please, if your character is involved with horses or rodeo at all, this would be fun! especially with lana living on the ranch again these last 2 years and her reconnecting with who/what she used to be.

ZIP CODES: anyone that lana would've met when she was living in socal or in her travels somewhere. maybe even someone she met in alaska since she recently spent some significant time there before moving to back home to briar ridge. given that she's a private pilot i figure it's easy to place her most places so wherever your character might have traveled to we can work something out.

HIS BEST FRIEND: this might be an official wanted connection on the main at some point. maybe. it would likely require a completely new character but this connection would be HUGE so if you see a way please let's chat. the quick details are that he was her ex's best friend and since the tragic loss they've found comfort in each other as the two people that maybe knew him best and closest. this could go 100 different ways but i enjoy that at it's core it could very well just be two people deciding to stick together.

HUMANITARIANS UNITE: growing up she'd visited the philippines a few time to see where her mother had grown up and to meet her family on that side. she's always felt a connection there. once she started making good money as an adult and even more so when she became a pilot she got involved in humanitarian efforts. especially the devastating natural disasters when they've struck the philippines she's traveled out there. when she lived in socal she was involved and is in briar ridge locally as well now that she's moved back. maybe she and your character work together?

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I am tired of measure, control, doing the right thing. A part of me would like to tear something apart and howl like a wolf.

May Sarton, Recovering: A Journal 

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Happy Birthday Shay Mitchell - April 10, 1987.