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[letterfulls]

valentina's entire body froze. she knew what to expect when coming back home, which faces she would run into, which ones would be full of judgment, which mouths would be filled with hateful words, and those very few who would welcome her with open arms. she wouldn't fall into any hugs; a hug was just another way to hide your face, after all. she was ready for all of it, for all of them—but not for her. valentina had never been ready for the thunderstorm that was takana.

she stared at the insides of the car, broken pieces just like her own. she didn't dare close the hood and turn to face her. a beat. silence filled the room. what was there to say? could she even trust herself to open her mouth and speak in coherent sentences around her? what was she still doing here in this town? she was too big for a place like this; valentina had always told her that.

"you always expected too much of me." late nights spent tracing patterns on her back and whispers of promises that would never come true. all of that amounted to nothing now.

she tried not to have regrets. clinging to the ground like grave-dirt underneath her fingernails and the memory of something that once was always ended with her and a bottle of rye whiskey. she always tried to pretend that she enjoyed the burn but in the end, it was just her own path to self-flagellation. she doubted the priest would call drunkenness and tracing the phantom touch of someone else on her body holy. light crept from the garage windows leaking like spilled paint against the asphalt. she swallowed hard. this was a bad idea. grass crunched underneath her boots mud still caked from the warm afternoon rain. it wasn't like she cared what val was up to anymore. val had made it very clear when they'd broken up for the fourth time and she up and disappeared. she'd searched desperately for her absence, tried so hard to forget that her face, smell, and body seemed permanently etched into the back of her mind. but everywhere she looked in antioch val lingered. it was almost worse than death. disappearing. she wrapped her fingers around the door handle chipped blue nail polish glinting against the chrome. "no thanks." she said dryly letting the door clunk closed behind her. "my therapist gets enough of my money as is, don't need another one." naomi stilled and took in the sight of her; her tan arms gleaming and the familiar smell of motor oil and tobacco hanging in the garage. she felt sick. "you could have at least had the decency to tell me you were back in town. but i don't know what i expected from you."

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she froze the moment she heard the voice—her voice. it had been years, a decade, but it sounded the same. a wave of memories crashed against her: late-night conversations sitting by the trees, the first time they really talked and tried to understand each other. all of that felt like a lifetime ago. hell, it felt like a life that wasn't even hers.

val kept her focus on the mustang's engine, her hands working methodically as kalypso spoke. she could feel the coldness in kal's tone, the weight of years of unspoken words hanging in the air. "surprise," she said, her voice devoid of emotion as she closed the hood of the car. "can't stay away from this shithole for too long before it drags you back, it seems."

silence fell over them. val hadn't seen kal in years, but now, looking at her, she saw the same young girl she had left behind, it made her insides turn.

hands tucked into her pockets, kal regards valentina coldly. "i've done my time in therapy, thanks," she says, eyes sweeping briefly over the garage. she really knows how to choose them, doesn't she? this has to be the worst shop in town. maybe it's just that the people who come in don't tend to ask questions. kalypso, on the other hand? she's full of them. none of them are particularly nicely worded, either. "i just came by to see if it was true." the trickiest part is figuring out where to start. she's thought about this conversation a thousand times over the years, but she learned a long time ago that fantasy can never truly prepare you for reality. lo and behold, it hasn't. she's been expecting a rush of hot rage, not the ice she's experiencing. "that you were back in town. looks like it's not a rumor after all."

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val glanced up briefly from her work, her expression unapologetic. "noted," she replied simply. after a moment, she added, "i'm more into fixing cars than fortune-telling, but i'll take a rain check on the mystical experience." she gave a faint smirk, a hint of dry humor in her voice but she couldn't help it when one of the cards caught her eye. "what's that one?"

                            " it is disrespectful to both the cards and their owner , to touch without permission . so please refrain from doing such . " snippier than usual , dilon meticulously collects her deck from the oak desk . settling them into their proper casing and out of reach from curious hands . " there are mocks on display in the literature collection that you're more than welcome to look at . were you interested for tarot specifically or oracle as well ? " @letterfulls

[letterfulls]

open starter !

the garage was closed. val knew it because she had turned the sign herself and locked the doors at the end of the day. but here she was, long after closing time, elbows deep in the guts of a classic mustang. the familiar hum of the fluorescent lights and the scent of motor oil were comforting, a stark contrast to the turmoil that came with her return to town.

she wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, smearing a streak of grease across her forehead. it had been a long day, and all she wanted was to lose herself in the mechanical symphony of pistons and gears. the radio played softly in the background, a rock station she had always tuned into, a small piece of continuity in a life full of disruptions.

the creak of the garage door snapped her out of her focus. val straightened, eyes narrowing as she glanced towards the entrance. "we're closed. come back tomorrow." val's patience, already thin, began to fray. "if you’re here for a therapy session, my rate just tripled." she said as she wiped her hands on a rag.

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[ MELISSA BARRERA, 33, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER ] Welcome to Antioch, VALENTINA ROSAS ! Local sources report that you’ve been in town for 23 YEARS and are known to be CARING yet DISTANT. Others have dredged up rumors that you’re involved in CLASS OF 2008 as SURVIVOR, but most know you for your work as MECHANIC at BUSTER’S GARAGE. We’ll see you around town soon ! ⸻ played by ira.

BASICS

character name: valentina rosas nickname (s): val face claim: melisa barrera birthday: july 4th place of birth: antioch sexuality: pansexual zodiac: cancer mbti: enfj  moral alignment: chaotic neutral occupation: mechanic place of work: buster's garage subplot affiliation: class of 2008 3 positive traits: intelligent, bold and caring 3 negative traits: manipulative, cold and messy languages: spanish and english love language: acts of service

BIO

tw: mentions of death raised by her fiercely independent aunt after the untimely death of her parents, val grew up with a strong sense of self-reliance. her bold and cold demeanor became more pronounced after surviving a plane crash in her teens. the crash thrust her into an unwanted spotlight, and the constant pity and curiosity of her small town became unbearable. unable to stand the eyes constantly on her, val left town as soon as she could, seeking anonymity and peace far away from the whispers and glances. finding solace in the simplicity and precision of mechanics, val became a skilled mechanic, finding peace in the methodical work of fixing cars. her garage is her sanctuary, a place where she can drown out the noise of the world and lose herself in the intricacies of engines and machinery. recently, the death of her aunt has brought val back to her hometown, a place filled with painful memories and unresolved issues. she's here to take care of business, sell her aunt's house, and leave as quickly as possible. however, things aren't proving to be as straightforward as she hoped. old wounds are reopening, and val finds herself entangled in the very web of the past she tried to escape. she is fiercely independent, with a tough exterior that hides deep scars, both physical and emotional. she has a hard time letting anyone get close, often using her sharp tongue and quick wit to keep people at arm's length. her strength and resilience are undeniable, but so is her vulnerability, which she fiercely protects.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

FAMILIAL ⸻ VALENTINA ROSAS is looking for their COUSIN. According to rumors, they look oddly similar to ANY FITTING FC OR UTP (they can be adopted) and are around 25 - 38. ( they were very close growing up, your muse was pretty much the only person aside from her aunt who val trusted. after val left the town they tried to keep in contact but val never answered their calls. now they're meeting again after all these years ) . the mun DOES NOT require you to contact them at @letterfulls but can if you want to!

PLATONIC ⸻ VALENTINA ROSAS is looking for their BEST FRIEND/BAD INFLUENCE. According to rumors, they look oddly similar to UTP and are around UTP ( imagine ride or die but they aren't the most healthy dynamic since they encourage each other's self destructive habits, they deal with their issues in the same ways and have no idea how to talk about their feelings, so you know, let's go get wasted vibes ) . the mun DOES NOT require you to contact them at @letterfulls but can if you want to! ROMANTIC ⸻ VALENTINA ROSAS is looking for their ROMANTIC INTEREST. According to rumors, they look oddly similar to BEN BARNES, SANTIAGO CABRERA, OLIVIA COOKE, UTP and are around 30 - 42 ( they had something, it was messy because val doesn't know how to do relationships but she truly loved them. when val decided to leave town she cut all contact with everyone still in town and your muse was one of them. now she's back and there's still something between them ) . the mun DOES NOT require you to contact them at @letterfulls but can if you want to!

[letterfulls]

Sally Rooney, Beautiful World, Where Are You

[Text ID: To think of childhood gave her a funny queasy feeling, because it had been real life once and now it was something else.]

[letterfulls]