✦ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗄𝗐𝗈𝗇 ( she/hers ) . fortythree . the
✦ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗄𝗐𝗈𝗇 ( she/hers ) . fortythree . the cynical romantic . romance novel author . red creek native . ↳ 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗋𝗈𝖽𝗎𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 + 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 + 𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗎𝖺𝗅 + 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗌
More Posts from F0rgetme and Others
❛ ⅋ 𝐢. 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 ( @outc4sts ) ━ setting description : 02 / 15 @ 6:45 pm !
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 anymore , but it didn't matter — the names were burned into her mind now . none of them had any business being there , and yet , no one else seemed to be questioning it . simply accepting the futile excuses from the higher - ups in town . she turned to the person next to her , tilting her head slightly . " humor me , " she said , voice low but teasing , like she wasn't actually asking them for permission . “ let's say you woke up one day and found your name carved into stone with a bunch of other dead people . what's your next move ? ”
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 mary's grip on the wheel was firm , her gaze rarely straying . but then she heard it . . . a small , uncertain voice cutting through her window . a plea for help . mary eased the car into park , stepping out with precision . her heels clicked against the frozen gravel , each step measured as she pulled her coat tighter against the bitter cold . she approached the stalled yellow beetle , taking in the scene with a practiced sort of detachment . a quiet sigh left her lips as she looked down the road behind them ; empty and barren , stretching into nothing . turning back to savannah , her voice was cool but even .
" let me guess — you hit the pothole ? " mary shook her head , " it's been there since i was your age , you're not the first and you won't be the last . " gaze flickered toward the flat tire , unimpressed but not surprised . of course it had to be tonight . with everything going on , the last thing anyone needed was to be stranded alone on the side of the road. mary pulled out her phone , glancing at the screen before looking back at savannah . " i can call someone , but if you're hoping i’ll be the one crawling under that thing , you’re out of luck . " then mary adds dryly , " i don’t do roadside rescues . "
location: side street near downtown
time: early evening, shortly before sunset
status: open ! (0/4 replies)
savannah had spent her evening at redcreek's local trailer park, catching up with her aunt gina and having dinner with her and some of her old neighbors. she didn't like to admit that that some time had gone by since she properly caught up with all of them. though it was only for a few hours, it was a great distraction to forget about all of the uncertainty that had come from the most recent killing. for just a few hours everything seemed almost normal again.
on her way back to her apartment, she had been looking forward to settling in for the night with her latest craft project and cuddles with her four legged roommate. only a few minutes away, she attempts to avoid the giant pothole that she knew was down this road. off by a few seconds, she hears the thud that is expected but what follows next is the sound of her tire going crazy. driving a twenty something year old yellow beetle was always a terrible idea once the seasons changed and the chuck holes increased.
managing to pull over on a side street, she gets out of her bug to inspect the damage. as expected, one of her front tires is as flat as a pancake. thank you michigan and your shitty winters and roads.
"please tell me you know how to put on a spare tire?" the girl questioned as a car approaches, rolling down their window.
// ( seo ji hye . cis woman . hers ) . ⸻ mary kwon , a 43 year old , has survived another day in red creek where they have lived for all her life . the cynical romantic is known for being witty and self - sabotaging and is often associated with old love letters never sent , a half burned candle flickering in the dark , a lipstick stain left on a collar . in a small town where they work as a romance novel author word travels fast . it’s hard to keep a secret , and it looks like the boogeyman knows that [ redacted ]
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 ── statistics
━ basic information.
birthname : mary beth kwon
nickname ( s ) : -
date of birth, age : 08 / 06 / 1981 , 43
place of birth : ann arbor , michigan
nationality : american
ethnicity : korean
gender, pronouns : cis woman, she/hers
orientation : bisexual
religion : -
occupation : romance novel author
languages spoken : english , korean
━ physicality.
faceclaim : seo ji hye
hair color : brown
eye color : brown
height : five feet four inches
piercings : both ears
━ family tree.
parents : matthew kwon ( father, deceased ) brianna kwon ( mother )
siblings : -
spouse : daniel calloway
children : jia calloway ( daughter, four )
━ other.
label : the cynical romantic
positives : magnetic , career-driven , level-headed , honest
negatives : apathetic , brazen , fussy , pessimistic
hobbies : pilates , book club , crocheting
zodiac, western : leo
zodiac, chinese : the rooster
mbti : infj , the advocate
element : water
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘁𝘄𝗼 ── backstory
the kwons originally came from ann arbor , but when they were expecting their first child , mary’s father made the decision to relocate to red creek under the illusion that small - town life would grant him more time with his family . that illusion quickly shattered — working in the medical field was demanding no matter the town’s population . still , the kwons built a solid life for themselves . well - respected and moderately wealthy , they embodied the ideal nuclear family .
mary is a third - generation immigrant , growing up in a spacious two - story home with her parents and grandmother . as an only child , she was the kwons’ prized possession . her mother , in particular , was relentless in pushing mary toward excellence , enrolling her in every activity that would benefit her education and social standing . ballet , debate club , piano lessons — anything that could set her apart .
from the outside , mary was the quintessential gifted child. teachers , neighbors , even distant relatives all assumed her success came effortlessly . in reality , she poured everything into being the best , meticulously crafting herself into the perfect student , the perfect daughter . she never colored outside the lines , never strayed from the rigid expectations placed upon her . and she never questioned it — because the only time her parents showed her affection was when she excelled . from an early age , she learned to equate success with love . if she achieved , she was worthy . if she failed , she was invisible .
as she entered her teenage years , the pressure only grew heavier . college loomed on the horizon , and with it , the suffocating weight of expectation . she became deeply insecure , terrified that if she wasn’t exceptional , she would be nothing .
in high school , mary was known as the girl who always followed the rules . she was a straight - a student , the cheerleader , and the overachiever . every decision she made was calculated and her mother hand mapped out her future before she even understood she had a choice . mary never questioned it , then came cooper riley .
he was everything mary wasn't supposed to want . rough around the edges and charismatic in way that felt effortless . his manchester accent set him apart in their small michigan town and had a reputation that made fathers nervous . mary should have avoided him . but cooper was her first taste in rebellion , her first secret . her first kiss . her first . . . everything .
the reckless laughter they shared felt like freedom to mary . cooper had a way of making her forget the suffocating weight of expectation . with him , she wasn't mary kwon : the girl who always had to be the best . . . she was just mary . her parents disapproved ( of course ) cooper was the kind of boy who didn't fit into their vision of success . too tough and aimless , but that only made mary want him more .
mary spent most of her senior year wrapped up with cooper . it wasn't a perfect relationship — they fought , especially about their futures . mary refused to believe that they were on borrowed time and had to grow up . heartbreak came when cooper left town . no warning , no grand goodbye , just gone . one day he was hers and the next he was a ghost . she convinced herself it didn't matter . that she was too focused on her future to care , but it did matter . because for the first time in mary's life , she had let herself love something — and it left .
when the time came , mary left red creek for chicago , earning her degree in english and creative writing . it was supposed to be the start of something bigger , her long - awaited escape . but just as she was settling into life outside of red creek , her father passed away . mary returned home , intending to stay only long enough to help her mother and grandmother through their grief . but days turned into months , months into years , and before she knew it , red creek had claimed her again .
it was during those years of limbo that she began writing . what started as an escape — a way to create the love and devotion she had always chased — turned into something real . her romance novels found an audience , and before long , mary became a best selling author .
unlike her stories , mary struggled to connect with anyone romantically . she dated here and there but nothing felt right . part of her always compared them to cooper , the rest of her was too focused on maintaining appearances . her mother eventually arranged for her to marry daniel calloway . daniel is a life long red creek resident from a well - off family . he's the kind of man mary's mother would approve of : stable , respectable , and from " good stock . " he was the logical choice — financially secure , well-mannered , and eager to start a family .
mary agreed out of obligation , not passion . it felt like the next expected step in her life , something that would make her mom happy and cement her role as a proper wife and mother . she does care for dan — he's never been unkind to her , never given her a real reason to leave . he provides , he's reliable , and on paper , mary and dan make sense . deep down mary knows it is more of a partnership than a love story . she tells herself that's normal and that passion fades . in truth , mary is in denial about her marriage and doesn't let herself acknowledge that something is missing .
dan assumes mary is content , and mary never corrects him . he sees marriage as a commitment and not a grand romance . he admires mary's success but doesn't understand it . he supports her career , but he doesn't read her books . they don't talk about emotions , dreams , or regrets . their conversations are mostly about logistics , finances , their daughter , and social events .
on the surface , mary built a life she was always meant to have . a husband , a child , a career that afforded her the success she always craved . . . and yet , red creek still felt like a cage she couldn't escape .
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 ── personality
mary is sharp , observant , and difficult to impress . years of living in red creek have made her skeptical of people and their intentions . she is the kind of woman who can cut someone down with a single well - placed remark , who can see through empty pleasantries with a single glance . yet for all her cynicism , she is not entirely bitter . there's a quiet kindness to her that reveals itself in small ways . she loves deeply but cautiously and protects herself with wit and attachment . mary believes that she does not require love or devotion like in the love stories she writes about .
. . . and yet it lingers . she rereads the old love letters she never sent . in the way she pauses when she writes certain lines in her books , wondering if she still believes them . in the way her heart clenches just a little whenever she hears the name cooper riley . she is a woman who writes about love and human connection because she understands it better in fiction than in reality .
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 ── npcs
✧ CHOI DASOM . . . before dasom dropped out of college , they were mary's tutor . the two formed a close bond , with mary looking up to dasom as an older sibling figure . despite mary's strong belief that education was the key to success , she supported dasom when they decided to leave school . mary often defended them against the judgmental aunties at the town functions . however , their friendship took a sharp u-turn when mary discovered how close dasom had become with her boyfriend , cooper . mary allowed jealousy to fester and convinced herself that dasom was trying to steal him away . instead of standing by dasom's side as she once had , she began feeding into the town's rumors . when dasom disappeared , mary's world was thrown into chaos . to this day , she regrets letting her insecurities destroy their friendship .
✧ HEATHER VISSER . . . mary , by nature , was ( and still is ) fiercely competitive . throughout high school , she threw herself into numerous extracurricular activities , determined to build the perfect resume for college applications . in many ways , heather was her greatest challenge . heather was often the only person who could match mary's intensity ; they were both apart of the student government and on the cheerleading squad . their dynamic blurred the lines between admiration and resentment . they were good at pretending to be friends , but tension always lingered under the surface . if mary was honest , heather was not her friend and after she died she wondered what it be like if she treated her as a person rather than a rival .
✧ EZRA HASTINGS . . . mary was an intern at the register . she saw the internship as a stepping stone to build a stronger future for herself . ezra promised to help fund her college education and offered her hope for a life outside of red creek . but that promise was never fulfilled . mary never knew if ezra had no real intention of following through or simply never got around to it . either way , mary never saw a dime and she grew resentful of ezra feeling as though he had dangled a carrot in front of her only to snatch it way . when he died the answers to his broken promises died with him .
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 , 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 fussing with the barrette clipped at her temple before swiping her thumb beneath her lower lip ; checking for smudged lipstick , a stray crumb from a muffin she barely remembered eating . then it hit her — what the hell am i doing ? she thought while straightening the hem of her sweater . she sat just a little taller , in an attempt that it would make her look more put together . more unaffected .
of course she knew cooper was back . everyone did . he wasn't as mysterious as he liked to think he was . red creek didn't get many six foot four , gravel voiced , british pieces of shit swaggering through town . . . especially not cooper fucking riley . she hates the effect he has on her , even after all these years . mary's hands curl into fists in her lap . her manicured nails press crescents into her palms as she reminds her self — he does not get to do this to you anymore . but it's hard to hold onto that anger , that resentment , when she looks at him .
she'd imagined this moment before , picturing through all the ways she might see him again . maybe older , maybe softer , maybe carrying a little more regret in the set of his mouth . but she never imagined this . the weight in his eyes , the scars that weren't there before , the way his face is both achingly familiar and completely foreign . it made mary's heart clench . her fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and trace the lines of whatever past he's carried with him . she wants to ask , demand to know where he's been , what's happened to him — why he never wrote to her .
mary waited , like some loyal desperate thing sitting by the mailbox waiting for any sign that he was okay . she wanted to know if cooper still thought about her , even if it was just a few scribbled words on a torn out piece of notebook paper . but he never sent anything . and then — little dove .
something inside mary shattered , splinters straight through her ribcage . the words settle over her like dust disturbed from an old , forgotten place in her chest . that special part of her that once belonged to him . if this was one of her books , this would be the moment where she'd break . melt into his embrace and say something cutting but laced with longing . instead of falling right back into him mary slaps him . it's a quick and sharp . the crack of her palm against his face louder than she expected . the diner goes silent for a moment , eyes darting towards them . mary doesn't care and she doesn't apologize either .
" don't you —— " her voice catches , it's about to break but she swallows it down . mary will not cry , not in front of him . easier said than done . " you don't get to call me that , " mary chided a tear falling down her cheek . her hand clenches , nails biting into her palm once more . she forces her breathing to steady but it doesn't sound any less wrecked . " say whatever you came to say , bea — " mary winced , " — cooper . " she corrected , her voice sharper than before . " and then leave . "
✱ 𝙲𝙾𝙾𝙿𝙴𝚁 𝙷𝙰𝙳 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚈𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚂 𝙻𝚈𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙾 himself , telling himself he’d made peace with it — leaving red creek , leaving her. that it had been the only choice , the right one. but now , sat inches away from mary kwon after all this time , he felt like he’d been kicked in the ribs. she was the only soft thing he’d ever let himself have , and he ruined it. ruined her. he told himself it was better that way , but christ , he must’ve been a right idiot if he ever believed that.
he wonders if she knows. if she knows about the picture he kept stuffed in his hat when he was off in some shithole overseas , the edges curled from how many times he’d traced his fingers over her face. if she knows about the letters — dozens of them , his messy scrawl pressed into whatever scraps of paper he could nick. words he never had the bottle to send.
mary , they always started. i don't know why i’m writing this.
some nights , he’d sit on his bunk , reading them over under the weak glow of a barracks lamp , pretending that maybe — just maybe — she’d still be waiting. that if he could just find the right words , the right way to say i never stopped loving you , then maybe he could fix it. but the letters always ended up in the same place — tucked away , crumpled up , gathering dust.
he thought about coming back. god , he thought about it. when he was halfway across the world , when he was soaked to the bone in the middle of nowhere , when the nights stretched on too long and all he could hear was the echo of her voice in his head. but how do you come back from something like this ? how do you look the girl you promised the moon to in the eye and tell her you never meant to break her heart ?
now , standing beside her , her name still thick on his tongue , cooper felt small. felt like that same reckless kid who never knew how to hold onto a good thing. and yet , after all these years , after all the miles and the regrets — he still wanted to try. finally , he sits , the stool creaking under his weight. “ little dove. ” it’s not a greeting , not a question — just her nickname , like maybe if he says it enough times , it’ll undo all the years between them.
𝒲𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌 ⠀ ࣪ 🦢 ﹚
31 posts