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[reedbriar]

❝ POPPY REED —

Closed Starter for @reedbriar​

Location: Briar’s house

“I have the take out!” Poppy yelled as she opened the door to Briar’s place, she carried the two heavy bags inside to the kitchen. Placing them down on the island as she started to unpack everything. “They didn’t give us forks again.” She complained loudly, continued to toss the contains onto the counter. “Ugh, I swear the server there hates me because she thinks I slept with her husband when we were in high school. Which just for curious minds who are wondering, I did not.” Clarifying to Briar once she came into view. “He did want to sleep with me though, just I turned him down repeatedly.” She remarked with a laugh, she reached up to her moon necklace and played aimlessly with the charm. Ever since getting back in town the two twins had made plans to have a secret dinner once a week that their mother would never be none the wiser about. “So should I even ask if mom is any better, or we still avoiding the whole topic of her and being the supreme?” Leaning against the counter top as she pulled off the lid to one of the containers. It wasn’t that she actually cared about their mother at this point, but she cared about how Alyssa was treating her siblings because of it. Alyssa had always wanted power in some way, first was Silas, then there was Miles, now she had it just not with a child that was useful to her. “If you’re up for avoiding that then we should probably talk about the other elephant in the room. Do you remember anything about our father?” She asked curiously. “I know mom said he left when we were babies but I wasn’t sure if you remember anything.” Trying to figure out if maybe just her memory had been tampered with because of something with her and not everyone else. She also wasn’t sure if Jasmine had made her rounds to Briar yet, while they were twins the last thing Poppy wanted to do was cause more issues or trauma for Briar. 

—

“I think the better question is who didn’t want to sleep with you back in high school,” Lips twisted with a smirk, Briar refrained (just barely) from rolling her eyes as she entered the room. “I think that list is a hell of a lot shorter, Pop. And the list of angry girlfriends a hell of a lot longer, too.” 

Despite all of their mother’s claims otherwise, a tiny part of her always felt sure it was her sister more destined to the limelight. She had that way about her - a presence that naturally captivated her audience - even when she wasn’t trying.

“And while you were off breaking hearts left and right,” she teased, fingers digging through a drawer to produce her own silverware, “I was trailing behind to pick up the pieces before things got too out of control. Especially where mom was concerned.”

Briar swallowed at the thought of Alyssa  If anything, things had gone from bad to worse where she was concerned. “She’s... mom.” Which pretty much said it all. “Half the time she’s too busy being furious with me to talk, and the other half of the time she’s trying to convince me we can still find a way to ‘fix’ this.” Now, her eyes truly did roll for the ceiling. “I'll keep her placated, though, so it’s nothing you need to worry about.”

But that’s where she stopped, halfway through setting the table. “What in the world got you thinking about him?” As far as elephants went, their father was so far off her mind he might as well be non-existent. Probably because for the entirely of their lives he had been. “I mean, there’s not really anything to remember, is there? We basically never even met the guy.” 

If Poppy was fishing for details and memories, she’d better off asking their brother. “Why? Are you thinking about trying to find him?”

[reedbriar]

❝ JAYMIT MEHTA —

Watching the woman closely as she contemplated their question, Jay’s head tilted slightly. It seemed as though she was taking longer to answer than most people typically would. They groaned internally, thinking they’d stumbled into somebody that didn’t like music. Those people were few and far between, but they did exist. Her answer, when it did finally come, wasn’t much of a surprise, based on first impressions. Something calm looked exactly like her vibe, but the rest of her sentence piqued his interest. She was open to trying something new, Jay could certainly help with that.

“Well, I’d really hate to scare you off and start you with something too heavy. I think it’s easier to get used to after being introduced to the classics.” Glancing around, Jay let out a soft sigh, deciding the chances of finding the record he was looking for was slim-to-none, and turned back to the woman with a warm smile. “Before you commit and purchase something you may regret, I do have a pretty extensive collection at home, if you’d like to come by and listen to a few things and decide from there?” Jay’s eyebrows knitted together momentarily before they shook their head, realizing their offer could have come across in a way they didn’t intend. “Not in some like, creepy, come over to my house type of way. I’m mostly normal, I realize this might sound like a strange offer. I really am just passionate about music and I’d love to share.”

—

“Do I look like the type of person to be scared off easily?” Amusement arched Briar’s brow, but all it took was a split second of contemplation before she raised a hand. An innocently bare, curl framed face, and a sundress whiter than winter’s first snow— “Actually. Don’t answer that,” she begged with another chiming laugh. “I’ve answered it myself in my head.”

And maybe, at another point in her life, they’d have been right. Not because she was too closeminded to appreciate something new, but because for far too long she’d lived in fear of what her mother might think. Or say. Or do.

Smoothing her hands against the cotton of her dress, and thinking on the suggestion, she inevitably nodded next. “But yeah, alright. I’d like that. Besides—” there, at the corner of her mouth, an almost impish grin came to life— “I’m pretty sure I can handle my own if necessary.”

Sparks danced over her fingertips in a playful display. “I don’t get that vibe from you, though. And I wasn’t lying when I said I could use any help I can get.” One moment longer she scanned the store, then her gaze returned to their face. “Did you need to check out first, or are we good to go from here?”

[reedbriar]

❝ CHAI RUNE —

Chai shouldn’t have come. The funeral processions happening inside must have seemed elegant and respectable to some, but for the bartender who had agreed to fill in for a friend who had been expected to work the dinner service that evening, the whole event couldn’t go by fast enough. He didn’t want to listen to the heart-wrenching speeches for Sandra Lynn Collymore or have to take in the forced nods from the residents in the room who had only shown up to save face. Chai had been actively trying not to dwell too much on death, but the entire scene before him was making that less than easy, so the moment it was time for his break, the man found his feet carrying him elsewhere.

Nabbing one of the half-poured bottles of wine, he made his way out into the cool summer night and down past the sandbank and tucked around the corner out of sight from any of the attendees inside. Or so he thought until about half an hour later when a blonde witch he vaguely recognized wandered over to where he had been slumped up against the back of the building. “Huh? Oh no. No worries,” Chai mumbled out, shooting the woman a short-lived smile as he tossed the cig he had just drawn a deep puff from onto the ground, attempting to quickly put it out with the tip of his shoe. “I’m not exactly against the company?” He offered up, even if the buzz under his skin, the numbness to his lips, and the haze in the eyes of a man who had snuck off to be alone said differently. But, the second his gaze locked onto Briar’s, he couldn’t help, but bring himself to ask, “Hey, hey, you okay?”, a momentary look of concern found its way to his face as he recognized the sigh of relief that broke from her lips even through the dark.

—

This far away from the party didn’t strike her as the ideal spot for attracting company, but— “If you’re sure you’re sure,” she hedged with a laugh. The idea of returning so soon after finally making an escape was unfathomable; if he was game to share the space so was she. 

So, slowly, she backed up toward the wall again, lip wedged between her teeth. “I’m fine, really.” By now she’d insisted it so many times she almost believed it, herself. “It’s just— have you ever been in the middle of a large crowd and felt like you were drowning?” Or was that exclusively a ‘her’ thing? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, she shrugged. “I just needed a bit of fresh air before throwing myself back into the gauntlet, I guess.”

Her eyes drifted to the no doubt pilfered bottle of wine, prompting a bit of a smirk and dually arched brows. “Someone came prepared. I take it you weren’t a huge fan of lingering in there any longer than necessary, either?”

[reedbriar]

❝ KEN MATSUI —

Having long exhausted his ‘I’m still new’ card, Ken had no excuses to not learn up of Lunar Cove’s history and the life of the person they were supposed to honour tonight, however brutal the past was, his attendance tonight was nothing more than a formality. That’s all this was. A requirement out of politeness. To show face and keep name, as he felt being an absentee wouldn’t bode well, but there was only so much small talk he could handle before the repetition of it began to vex him. Deciding it was not a disrespect to slip out into the night was an internal debate that lasted a few seconds, commemorations continued and his being there or not wouldn’t change it. The cool air offered a refreshing respite, but standing still and staring off into the night seemed rather silly which was reason enough for him to pull out a decade old vice. 

Pinching a cigarette between his lips only to take it out after a couple puffs, Ken slunk out from the half-shadowed wall, “Well well, if it isn’t the other Reed,” he said in a way of making himself known, “It’s not often I run into you, so I suppose I can excuse the disturbance. What brings out anyway, I’d have guessed you’d be in there making a speech.”

—

The other Reed.

Briar couldn’t recall a single moment in her life when she’d been relegated to little more than ‘the other Reed’. For a split second she almost barked a laugh of surprise. Then, the more she thought about it, the more she supposed one of them had to be. And why not her? Why not slink off to the background of everyone’s notice and let her name die, forgotten, on their lips?

Now that Poppy took Supreme and their mother was more concerned with lamenting what a failure she’d raised it’s not like she had to keep up appearances. In the most backwards, twisted sort of way she was finally free. Maybe that’s why his speculation was the second funniest thing she’d heard all evening.

“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t usually enjoy putting myself in the spotlight.” No— that character quirk was all Alyssa’s doing. Briar had just gone along with it her entire life because her mother left her little choice. “Which is exactly why I’m out here instead of in there, if you really must know.”  

Her eyes traversed the short space between them, falling curiously on the lit cherry at the end of his cigarette. “But since I’m here, and you’re here, and neither of us seem keen on leaving—” a smirk carved a home for itself at the corner of her mouth— “any chance you’ve got another one of those to spare?”

[reedbriar]

❝ ELIAS NEPTUNE —

“You know, there might be some baseball cards with me sporting a porn stache.” Elias teased, knowing that he did have one of those old baseball cards from the 70s locked away in a shoe box. He could recall every single picture of him over the past hundred years. His style consistently changing in order to fool the minds of others as he continued playing baseball and football. There were some really bad fashion choices during that as well. “Distinguished it was not with bell bottoms.” With that, Elias couldn’t help the laugh that came up. If he had to live for the rest of time, he certainly was going to enjoy making fun of all the time periods he had to live though. But, the moment Briar asked the question that was on everyone’s mind, things went somber. It was a rough subject. One that caused pain, fear, and guilt. “You know, asking that question is mean since if I ask you the same one you’d deflect.” Elias gave her a pointed look before taking a sip of his drink to settle his thoughts. “I’m okay, more so concerned with everything that is going on and everyone’s safety.” That’s really all he ever cared about. Lunar Cove was a safe haven for so many individuals and it was slowly turning out not to be any longer. 

—

Hand lifted, two fingers pointed up, Briar stopped him in his tracks. “One,” a finger ticked down, “proof or I don’t believe it.” She did, actually, but far be it from her to resist the chance to sneak a peak at those cards, regardless. “Two,” the other finger fell to join the first, “I feel like the 70′s are in the middle of a major comeback. Bell bottoms and a porn ‘stache might be exactly what everyone’s into these days. Besides—” with a roll of her wrist and a flick of her hand, she batted darkened lashes at Elias. “Aren’t we supposed to be all about being our own person no matter what anyone else thinks?”

Her lips curved with a private smirk, one she was certain he’d be able to read, before the laugh she’d been holding back finally broke free. Briar Reed was the last person in the universe, let alone Lunar Cove, to talk about asserting a bit of independent thinking. She knew it, too, which was what made it so funny.

But all that humor died off quickly enough when they were brought around full circle to reality. She couldn’t even fault him for the accusation, because Elias was right. “Maybe,” she drawled in a way that said ‘absolutely, yes’. “But my own hang ups don’t mean I don’t care about my friends.” And maybe, just maybe, she was letting herself off the hook for awhile. Letting herself embrace the freedom to actually refuse something, because what was the point in being so dutiful and obedient now? So no, she didn’t ever want to talk about it, but she could at least admit: “To be honest, I don’t know that I’m all that okay, but I will be.”

[reedbriar]

❝ at the stingray boathouse, for the celebration of life dinner   open - closed | @lunarcovestarters​​ 

'I was shocked, sweetie. Just shocked,’ one coven member murmured in Briar’s ear. ‘None of us expected you to fail the Trials, but I have to say you’ve handled it with such grace,’ another whispered in some ass-backwards form of praise. Cheeks were kissed, arms were opened for consolation, and all the while she felt the smile slowly chip and crack upon her face.

The night was supposed to be about honoring Sandra Lynn Collymore’s life and achievements, right? So why the hell, all these months later, were people still acting like she was the one who died? Even if she had to admit, in some ways, they might’ve been right.

But Briar didn’t want to think about that now— or ever if she could help it. 

Making a flimsy excuse to get away, she slipped out of the boathouse and into the night’s dark embrace. A gentle breeze kissed overheated skin, loosening a sigh of relief. For a second, anyway. As soon as she realized she wasn’t quite as alone as she thought, all her tension returned. “Shit. Sorry!” Fumbling, she pushed away from the wall. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I just.. needed a minute.” Or ten.

[reedbriar]

[reedbriar]

Briar Reed is a witch that currently resides in Celestial Hills and has been a Lunar Cove resident for 32 years though her identity crisis is a bit more recent.

THIS IS THE START

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cis Woman, She/Her AGE: 32 PLACE OF BIRTH: Boston, MA OCCUPATION: Real Estate Agent at Astor International Realty FACECLAIM: Emma Rigby 

OF HOW IT ENDS

SPECIES: Witch COVEN POSITION: Member  ABILITIES: Astral Projection, Audible Inundation, Electrokinesis, Catoptromancy

WELCOME TO LUNAR COVE, BRIAR REED

Trigger Warnings: Memory/Loss Manipulation, Parental Control

Expectations will cost you everything. 

It’s a lesson Briar Reed would’ve done well to learn… had she ever been given the chance. Unfortunately, that’s not how this story goes. In fact, this story doesn’t even start on the day of her birth.

No, it begins in the inky dark of somewhere past midnight, with a mother running for sanctuary, three small children in tow. It begins at age six, when Briar lost everything she’d ever known. Quite literally. Because her mother, Alyssa Reed, expected too much. Wanted too much. And in the end that ambition and craving was their downfall. 

She had high hopes for a union with Silas Chamberlain, a man rife with unmatched power, notoriety, and prestige. She had a clear vision for what her life would look like wearing the ring of the coven’s Supreme. What she didn’t anticipate anywhere within those plans was a mistress, a not-so-secret love child, an existence under constant scrutiny. And she sure as hell didn’t predict the man at her side would delve down such maniacal and twisted pathways. 

For years Alyssa bit her tongue and turned a blind eye, but eventually she reached a point of no return. Under the cloak of night, she abandoned Boston, ripped her children from their home, and then, upon reaching the safe haven of Lunar Cove, erased everything.

Their childhood. Their memories. Their true names.

Suddenly, she was Briar Reed, not Briar Chamberlain. Suddenly, she was the daughter of a wholly unimpressive man who simply couldn’t hack it, not one of the most power-hungry witches to that day. Not that she had any idea, of course. To this day she can’t recall anything more than vague impressions of what life was like before Lunar Cove. Thin, intangible wisps that disappear quicker than she could possibly grasp, hinting at the dismissive stories her mother always told.

And for the most part, Briar never once questioned it.

Always the dutiful and obedient child, she threw herself at the task of harnessing her own abilities, eager to please an impossible woman and receive a scant bit of praise. When her twin sister, Poppy, lashed out Briar was there to soothe. When Poppy later took off, she was there to step up to the plate. For years, for the entirety of life as she knew it, she let Alyssa groom her into the ideal daughter, the ideal witch, with nary a complaint. 

Her mother vowed she’d be destined for greatness, swore she’d someday take over as the next Supreme, and Briar had no reason to doubt it.

Until her step-father was found alongside the Supreme, murdered. Until they began the Trials.

One by one the witches of Lunar Cove tried to prove themselves best. One by one they failed. Even Briar, no matter how widely accepted she was as the presumed heir to the so-called leadership throne. 

But if people were shocked to see her, someone with such promise, strike out they were speechless when it was Poppy, the wayward daughter and permanent disappointment of one Alyssa Reed, who met and surpassed each challenge with ease.

Their mother was furious, going as far as demanding Poppy relinquish the role. Briar, for her part, was elated and distraught in equal measure. Because no matter Alyssa’s opinion, or how things panned out, she loved her sister. Had never bought into the poisonous commentary or supported her frigid cut of ties. Poppy deserved to be seen for how incredibly capable she truly was, but— if she accepted the Ancestors offer, if she took up the mantle of the new Supreme, where did that leave Briar?

Bound to the end of Alyssa’s leash, always within sight and under her thumb, she’d been raised to a set of standards. Taught to expect greatness and settle for nothing less. With Supreme ripped from her fingertips, she was cast adrift and left with empty, grasping hands.

She tried her best to be supportive and understanding. To encourage Poppy and silence any vitriol thrown her way. But as the months went on, and her twin stepped into her new right, Briar’s facade of content acceptance slowly began to break. Spiderweb fractures of confusion, grief, and guilt began to show their face. She had no idea who she was, or even what she wanted, without that identity Alyssa took such pains to craft. 

And the more she unravels at the seams, the more those pieces of her splinter and crack, Briar’s terrified she won’t like what’s revealed underneath.

[reedbriar]

❝ HAILEY HAHN —

Who: Hailey & Open @lunarcovestarters​ Where: The highway going into Lunar Cove When: Like, 3am

It had been a long trip. Nearly fifty hours without counting the breaks she took for some cat naps and to eat. But finally, she reached Lunar Cove. Hailey sighed, sitting just outside of the mirage for longer than she intended to. Why was entering the city so difficult? Her heart was pounding, she had no idea what to expect when she crossed the threshold. The sound of her blinker was finally starting to get on her nerves, though, and Hailey finally pulled away from the shoulder of the road and drove into Lunar Cove.

The moment she crossed through the mirage, everything suddenly felt lighter. This would go well, she was sure of it. Driving deeper into the city, Hailey’s eyes narrowed, noticing somebody stumbling along the side walk on their own. Slowing the car to a stop, she rolled the window down before shouting out. “Hey! Are you alright? Need a ride somewhere?”

—

With a heavy swallow, Briar turned at the sound of a slowing car. Instinct compelled her to promise everything was alright - to keep limping along, to grit her teeth and bear it - but another sharp twinge silenced that thought. Whether she wanted to accept it or not she needed to get off her ankle, and anything that helped her accomplish that sooner was a blessing. 

Still, when her lips twisted into some cross between smile and grimace, the first thing to slip through the tight seam was: “I’m fine.” Even if all signs said otherwise. “I just— it’s stupid, really.” She’d gone out on foot to cut a few stems of night-blooming jasmine, but forgot to grab a flashlight. One trip over gnarled roots later and her ankle was shot. 

Huffing a breath, and loathe to admit how much effort it’d taken to even make it that far into town, Briar stopped in her tracks to squint inside the dark car. She knew better than to trust even the kindest stranger... but that’s when it hit her. That riot of chocolate curls framing a square face— it’d been nine years, but recognition hit like it’d only been yesterday. Shock temporarily replaced the pain in her gaze. “Hailey?” 

[reedbriar]

❝ EFETOBO UMUKORO —

Open Starter @lunarcovestarters​ Location: Victory Lane If nothing else, he had always been genuinely good at this game. Even when his peers had begun to grow into their respective supernatural quirks and left Efe to weather the awkwardness of teenage life ungifted, he had discovered a natural knack for precision, for accuracy, for concentration. With a long breath, he approached the lane now, taking a steadying moment before pulling his arm back and stepping forward to let the ball go. It rolled, with focused force, down the center, colliding with the pins and hitting dead center. They clattered, but as they toppled, two stubborn holdouts stood still. Efe nodded gruffly, about a irritated as someone like him could look; resolving himself, he turned to move for the ball return. “Oh, uh, I’m sorry. Were you using that ball? Your turn. Go ahead, pal.” He sunk into a chair and stretched his arms over his head. “Kind of empty here, isn’t it? This not what the cool kids do anymore or what? I guess it’s still sort of early in the day for the leagues.” He sniffed, eyes trailing upward to see that his name was still among those on a “perfect game” hall of fame plaque displayed on a high wall. This notion made a funny expression cross his face. 

—

Tongue pressed to the inside of her cheek, Briar narrowed eyes at the collection of balls lined up at the return. “To be honest, Efe, I’m just using whatever I can lift and shove my fingers into without risk of needing them cut back out.” And even though amusement flashed in her gaze with those words, she wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest.

Growing up she didn’t get to go out with all the other kids and try things like bowling. She was always stuck inside, soldiering through Alyssa’s lessons and covering for wherever Poppy disappeared to again.

Maybe it was a bit late in life to start playing catch up now, but, no matter how vehemently her mother insisted they could still ‘fix this’ (whatever that meant), there was no denying simple fact: with her twin sister taking up the mantle of Supreme she had way more time on her hands. 

So much, she wasn’t even sure what to do with it. But old habits died hard, and deep down Briar still harbored a quiet competitive streak. That put bowling right up her alley. Hypothetically. “Is there some sort of trick to this?” Her attention snapped back to Efe. “Or is it just trial and error until you figure out which ball is right?”

[reedbriar]

❝ JAYMIT MEHTA —

Jay took a moment to give the woman a once-over, ensuring she was genuinely okay before pulling their arms away. The apologetic smile on their lips remained while listening to her speak, eyebrows raising slightly in interest. Jay’s taste in music wasn’t for everybody, and he wasn’t sure whether or not she’d be interested, but surely there was something he could help her out with. “Well, what sort of music are you in to?” They questioned, eyes glancing around the store at all the posters on to walls to try and gauge all of the genres offered. Jay usually only kept his eyes peeled for classic rock or metal albums, but seeing posters of ABBA, Bob Marley and The Beatles told him there was some variety available.

“For me, personally, I think the heavier, the better. But, based on first impressions, I’m not sure if that would be your style. Not that that’s a bad thing, of course! All music is important, whatever you like is fine.” Jay rambled, chuckling awkwardly.

—

‘What kind of music are you into?’

How could such a simple question come inspire such a complicated answer? Lips parted, but voice silent, Briar grappled with how to respond. “Well—” A quiet, uncertain sort of chuckle slipped out. She didn’t want to say she didn’t know, but... she didn’t know. For thirty-two years she’d simply gone with whatever she was told to like, told to take interest in, told to enjoy.

And maybe asking for help looked like the same thing on the surface, but that moment felt more like an opportunity for self discovery than blind acceptance. A way to take this perpetual identity crisis she’d been thrown into and, even in the smallest of ways, start figuring things out. “I’m tempted to say anything calm, anything that offers an escape—” because Goddess knew she could use a bit of that these days— “but I think something unfamiliar is what I’m actually after.”

Did that help? Not likely, but she turned up hopeful eyes all the same. “I mean, why not, right? Maybe ‘heavy’ is exactly what I like.”

[reedbriar]

❝ ELIAS NEPTUNE —

OPEN STARTER

where: some house or bar, you get to choose. is elias at your house? is your muse at his place? are they are some bar? with: @lunarcovestarters​ cap: 4 

Sitting across from the other with a mug full of his specialty, A positive blood with a splash of whiskey, Elias couldn’t help but smile. It had been awhile since he felt this care free and relaxed. It had been as though a weight had been lifted and he could just be. There was so much happening with the town since the murders happened. Now, all five of the original counsel members were dead and he was Second in Command within the Clan. If anything happened to Meena, it would be him that needed to step up. Despite being apart of the town since it was founded 210 years ago, he had no idea what he was doing. He was just an old, grumpy vampire that enjoyed playing sports. “You can’t be serious, I don’t look like that.” Elias playfully rolled his eyes. He hadn’t been able to see his reflection in centuries and the other was describing his new modern look. But, he was sure he didn’t have a mustache. He could feel it after all. 

—

A fingertip delicately traced around the rim of her glass while Briar regarded Elias with the hint of a smile. “Well,” she drawled after another silent moment, seeming ready to concede, “I may or may not have taken a few creative liberties.” It’d all started as a genuine observation, but had quickly turned to a game of sorts in her head. What would today’s Elias Neptune, the only one she’d ever known, look like with a Victorian Era waistcoat and neatly groomed mustache? Her imagination went wild.

“I think it’d look very distinguished. You know. Just in case you ever decide to give it a go.” But, assuming that wouldn’t happen any time soon, if at all, Briar settled for a sip of her drink. Another minute passed, each second becoming more subdued than the last, before her gaze drifted back. “How are you, though? Really?” Despite the fact that she loathed when anyone asked her. “Are you settling in okay after... everything?”

[reedbriar]

❝ JENNA PARKER —

Where: Tbh, anywhere! Open: To all. @lunarcovestarters​

“No, it’s — it’s fine, it’s not you.” Or maybe it was them, honestly, she hadn’t been paying enough attention to see if it had been or if it had just been some runt of a kid that had felt like particularly ruining her day on their way past. God, her Aunt was going to kill her. She’d had one job, just pack the goods in a box, take it to her aunts, drop it off and Bob’s your uncle, that was all she’d had to do for the stupid dinner she was supposed to go to tonight. Now, the cupcakes were crumbles of icing on the ground, the pie looked like it had been stomped on, and… whatever those little puffy things had been, well, they didn’t look so puffy anymore. “It’s just like, you know when you wake up and the universe is like: today’s not your day, Jen, just call in sick and go back to sleep already,” She mocked the voice of the universe. “It’s just that day for me, today. Fffff….” She tucked her teeth into her lip, the curse forming but never quite leaving her mouth. “I don’t even know how to bake, I can barely make toast, how am I gonna fix this? I’m literally dead. Ashes, I tell you.”

—

With an air of trepidation, Briar took full stock of the splattered desserts. Ruined cupcakes, a smashed pie, profiteroles that had seen far better days— guilt flickered and vanished from her face. She was so consumed by the thoughts in her head lately that she honestly couldn’t promise she wasn’t to blame, but if Jenna wanted to assume it fell on someone else’s shoulders she wouldn’t object. 

Still, someone had to do something to rectify the mess.

For a moment, the edge of her lip snagged between the pinch of teeth. “You could probably—” No. None of it was salvageable. “I mean, I’m sure Sucre has some really great options already baked for the day. We could maybe go see?” Except she’d probably lost out on money already, and might not feel keen to spend more. “Or— what about a peach galette? We could easily go back to my place and whip up a few.” If it helped fix the disaster she may or may not have caused, she’d do it gladly.

[reedbriar]

❝ JAYMIT MEHTA —

Who: Jay & Open @lunarcovestarters​ Where: Broken Record

Jay stood in the record store, fingers dragging across the top of each record as he flipped through them. They were looking for something specific, a Black Sabbath record from the early 70’s. It was the only one missing from his collection at home and he was determined to find it. Sure, it would be easy to buy it online, but there was something about finding the record in the store that made it feel a million times better. A groan fell from him as he finished flipping through the ’B’ section and coming out empty handed. Realizing that maybe it was put in the ’S’ section, Jay turned on their heel to head across the store - but not without bumping directly into somebody in the process. “Shit - sorry.” He laughed, hands coming up to steady the person he’d nearly knocked over. “Got excited and didn’t look where I was going - you alright?”

—

Lights overhead flickered and surged in time with Briar’s flinch. Because of course they did, right? Of course she lost control of the one ability she’d never quite managed to wrangle into submission now, over the smallest of things. Her throat bobbed with a tight swallow, quiet mortification tinting her cheeks pink, before she murmured, “No, no! You’re fine. It’s fine,” with the whisper of a smile. 

She couldn’t let him take full credit for the head on collision when she’d hardly been paying attention, herself. 

“I think I got a little distracted looking for... well—” brows pinched above a pair of cerulean eyes. “I’m not even sure what I’m looking for.” And she followed that little admission with a similarly tiny laugh. Despite twenty-six years in Lunar Cove, she’d never once stepped foot inside the record store before now. Never had a reason to. “I found this really cool victrola at Uncommon Objects last week, only to realize I don’t actually have anything to use it with. Except now I’m here and... definitely out of my element.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over each aisle. “Any recommendations?” 

[reedbriar]

❝ flushed cheeks and swollen lips, a mirror in every room; mortar and pestle, bundles of herbs, a sense of impending doom; spears of lightning, flickering lamps, a hundred voices in your head; late night wine to kill the time, twisted sheets on an empty bed; missing memories, forgotten names, one half to a fractured whole, sacrificed pawn in a losing game.

NAME: Briar Delphine Reed (Chamberlain)

NICKNAME(S): Bry, Bee

AGE: Thirty-two

NEIGHBORHOOD: Celestial Hills

OCCUPATION: Real Estate Agent at Astor International Realty

LENGTH OF TIME IN LUNAR COVE: 26 years

      BIOGRAPHY | CONNECTIONS | STATS | PINTEREST

basics.

BIRTHDAY: June 4th, 1990

ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini

PLACE OF BIRTH: Boston, MA

GENDER IDENTIFICATION: Cis Woman (she/her)

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single

POSITIVE TRAITS: Compassionate, Ambitious, Dependable, tbd.

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Resentful, Lost, Envious, tbd.

family.

MOTHER: Alyssa Reed

FATHER: Silas Chamberlain

SIBLINGS: Older brother (WC on the main), Poppy Reed (fraternal twin), Jasmine Chamberlain (half-sister; unknown)

OTHER: tbd

tldr.  (tw: manipulation and control, memory loss)

although she was born in boston, briar knows absolutely nothing about her life before lunar cove. upon escaping there with her children when briar was six, alyssa reed wiped them of their memories.

so she knows nothing of her true father, silas chamberlain, nor of the fact that she has a half sister, jasmine.

briar was always slotted as the perfect daughter, the saving grace, the golden child. alyssa groomed her almost from day one to fit the role without concern to whether or not briar really wanted it. 

after poppy ran off, alyssa’s schemes and tight leash of control only grew tenfold. briar was always under her thumb, coaxed and manipulated to fulfill her mother’s dreams.

for the most part, she never thought twice about it. never once imagined what life she could’ve led if not for the influence she was constantly under. alyssa vowed she was destined for great things, that she’d one day lead the coven as supreme, and briar bought into the fantasy.

so much so that her entire world shattered when, after failing the trials, it was her lost and found twin, poppy, who won the spot. she loves her sister fiercely, and felt an obvious measure of pride, but the entire situation left her lost and without a plan. everything she was, everything she’d worked for, was suddenly gone.

at this point, briar’s keeping up a brave face and supporting her sister as much as she possibly can, but beneath the surface a twisted cocktail of grief and resentment brews. she’s trying to keep it all in, keep it together, while figuring out who the hell she even is if not what alyssa always demanded. 

possible connections

childhood friends, co-workers and contacts from work, neighbors in celestial hills, tinder dates/ one night stands / fwbs / one or two past relationships, people who would’ve been in boston when she was a small child who feel like they recognize her for whatever reason, coven members, etc.

[reedbriar]

❝ tag dump —

❝ filed under — name here.

❝ interactions.

❝ closed starter.

❝ open starter.

❝ throwback.

❝ task.

❝ event post.

❝ social media.

❝ headcanon.

❝ aesthetic.

❝ playlist.

❝ quote here — inspiration.

❝ quote here — photographs.

❝ quote here — musings.

❝ quote here — inbox.

❝ quote here — name here.

❝ quote here — poppy reed.