// ( seo ji hye . cis woman . hers ) . ⸻ mary kwon , a 43 year
// ( 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 .
More Posts from F0rgetme and Others
it's crazy that people can consume the same media yet come away with vastly different & wrong opinions. not me though because i'm always right
❛ ⅋ 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 ? ”
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 slap , the sting lingering longer than she expected . but it was nothing — nothing — compared to the ache in her chest when she saw that flicker of something in cooper’s eyes . the way he just stood there , took it , like he thought he deserved it . like he was waiting for her to hit him with more than just her palm .
and maybe she wanted to . maybe she wanted to hit him with every moment she’d spent waiting by the mailbox , every half - written letter she never had the nerve to send , every fucking dream where he came back to her only to disappear before she could reach him. her breath was uneven , her fists still curled tight , but she didn't tell him to walk . not yet .
she followed his gaze down to her left hand , to the diamond on her finger. it felt heavier now , suffocating . she could almost hear his thoughts , the bitter realization settling in his throat like glass shards . mary could’ve told him the truth . she could’ve told him that the ring didn’t mean what he thought it did . that it wasn’t love that bound her to another man , but duty , expectation , survival .
but wasn’t it easier this way ? she should have told him to go . should have let that final thread between them snap clean . but instead , she let her tongue dart out over her bottom lip , let the silence stretch until it was almost unbearable , until she felt like she might actually break under the weight of it .
“ you don’t get to do this , cooper . ” her voice was softer than she meant it to be , but there was steel beneath it . “ you don’t get to stand here and act like you had no choice . like i was just supposed to wait forever . ” she swallowed hard , forcing down everything she wanted to say — everything that ached to come out . but his last words hung between them , charged with something dangerous . mary closed her eyes for just a second , as if that would stop her from feeling the way she did . like that girl in her books — the one who always picked the reckless choice , who always let herself fall even when she knew it would end in ruin . her fingers twitched at her sides . her mouth opened . and yet — silence . mary wanted to tell him to leave . she needed to tell him to leave . it was the most logical thing to do , the right thing to do . but her mouth wouldn't form the words . her throat tightened around them like her body understood the truth before her mind would accept it . because the truth was ; after all these years , all the heartbreak and unanswered questions . . . she still loved him .
mary could like to herself and pretend that time had dulled the ache . but her heart was a liar and it betrayed her now , hammering against her ribs . desperate , like it was trying to remind her of everything she had spent years trying to forget . her bear bear . she used to whisper that name into the collar of his jacket when they were tangled up in each other , limbs intertwined , safe in the quiet of their love . she had convinced herself that cooper was her forever , that no matter what , they'd always find their way back to each other . but forever had come and gone . . . and cooper hadn't come back . and when months turned into years ; she had forced herself to accept it . she had learned to breathe through the ache . to pretend . but now here he was , standing in front of her like a ghost from a story she swore she'd never read again . like a wound ripped open just when she thought she had healed .
cooper's words cracked something inside her , the rawness in his voice digging into the tender parts of her soul . i never forgot about you , mary . not for a second . and fuck — she wanted to believe him . she wanted to believe that maybe , just maybe , the pain hadn’t been one - sided . that she hadn’t been the only one left bleeding . but love had never been her problem . it was trust . so when cooper asked her to decide , when she told her to give him a reason to stay or or to walk away for good — she chose silence . because ‘ stay ’ meant risking everything . and ‘ go ’ meant breaking her own heart all over again . and mary wasn't sure which hurt more .
✱ 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚂𝙻𝙰𝙿 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙳𝚂 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙳 , 𝚂𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙿. 𝙱𝚄𝚃 cooper doesn't move , doesn't even raise a hand to touch the sting blooming across his cheek. he just takes it , standing there as the diner falls silent around them , the weight of a dozen eyes pressing in. the sharp tang of coffee and fryer grease lingers in the air , but all he can focus on is mary — her shoulders are drawn tight , her breath coming uneven , her eyes shining with something dangerously close to heartbreak . his own heart gives a dull , heavy thud when he sees the tear slip down his cheek . " oh , don't waste those pretty tears on a bastard like me , " he grumbled while his fingers twitch , like he might reach out and wipe her tears away — but he doesn't.
the slap stings but it's nothing compared to the way cooper's chest tightened when he caught a glimpse of the diamond on her finger … a wedding band. his stomach twists , but he doesn't look away. he should. should step back , put that wall up again , pretend it doesn't hit as hard as it does — but he just stands there , staring at her clenched fist like if he looks long enough , the damn thing might disappear.
his jaw flexed , something bitter lodging itself in the back of his throat. mary's married. of course she is. years have passed , life went on. she went on. and he ? he got lost somewhere between warzones and whiskey bottles , never quite finding his way back. he shouldn't be surprised but fuck , it still hits him like a bullet to the ribs. he swallows hard , forcing down whatever's rising his chest , whatever reckless thing is clawing to get out. " alright , mary. " his voice is quieter now , the rough edge softened just enough to betray something deeper. something raw. it sounds more real than the nickname , like a warm blanket slung over your shoulders during the dead of night.
" you think it was easy for me ? " the words come rough and raw , scraping his throat like gravel. his voice is frayed at the edges , like something is unraveling. " leavin' you behind ? not writin' ? you think i didn't — " he stops short , exhales sharp through his nose like it'll force the words back down. because what's the point ? what good is saying it now she's got a whole other life , a whole other person waiting for her ?
but god , the way mary is looking at him like she's waiting. not for excuses — she doesn't want those. maybe not even for answers. but something. " i never forgot about you , mary. " his voice is scrape something raw on the way out. “ not for a second. ” he glances at her hand again , his throat working around something unspoken. " guess it don't matter much now , does it ? " there's a hollow kind of chuckle , but there's no humor in it . just something tired , something aching. still cooper doesn't move. doesn't leave. " you tell me to walk , i will. " his voice drops to a whisper , like it costs him to say it. " but if you got even the smallest part of you that wants to hear me out — " he swallows , his tongue pressing to the inside of his cheek. " i'll stay. "
❛ ⅋ 🐇 " 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 . " 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆'𝘀 mouth before she decided to speak . she wasn't sure what part of zeynep's rambling had drawn her in , the cracked glass , the name on the memorial , or the quiet — desperate edge to her voice , smoothed over by forced indifference . maybe it was all of it . either way , mary was now involved .
mary exhaled slow and steady , before leaning in slightly . " they just pretend not to until it's too late . " her eyes dropped to the remnants of the broken glass the sharp fractures catching in the dim light of the redstone . she could hear the crack in zeynep's voice — brief , it might've gone unnoticed if mary didn't recognize the sound of someone barely holding it together . " you're not just some myth waiting to happen . but if you keep talking like that , you'll make it easier for them . "
location: redstone bar
time & date: february 15 & 6:00pm
status: open to everyone !
“it was an accident, i swear!” the words rushed out in a furious whisper, she hadn't even noticed that she wasn't alone. zeynep pushed the empty glass she had been inspecting away from herself, before signaling the bartender for another around. “the glass was cracked when i picked it up, who knows how long it’s been defective...right?” she couldn't help but cringe at the sound of her voice, the brief crack felt foreign. no part of her wanted to admit that her name etched into the memorial had left her frightened. zeynep knew fear, it had plagued her nights. every red and blue flashing light had left her in a cold sweat for years. “anyways, apparently i'm on a hit list. they might not even notice before i become the next missing myth in town.” the words flowed so flippantly from her that zeynep could almost fool herself with the feigned nonchalance. “you don't think they'll notice, do you?”
❛ ⅋ 🐇 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗵𝗲 hadn't realized she was holding . she sets the spoon down carefully , the quiet tap of metal against porcelain the only sound between them for a moment . " because if no one talks about it , it happens again . " her voice is steady , though there's something distant about it , as if mary has already resigned herself to the vicious cycle . she finally looks at sienna , taking in the skeptical tilt of her brow and the way her fingers curl around her mug searching for warmth from wherever it came .
" people don't talk about it because they think they can stop it , " mary continues , voice even . " they talk about it because they need to feel like they have control . like if they name the next move , it won't take them by surprise . " her gaze flickers past sienna to the window , where the town outside keeps moving like it isn't rotting from the inside out . she lets out a soft , humorless chuckle . “ let them guess the ending . maybe this time , they'll actually be right . ”
sienna moves through dolly’s with a quiet purpose that comes from routine . the place is stitched into the fabric of her days , a constant in a town that keeps fraying at the edges . she barely glances around as she makes her way to her usual booth , the vinyl seat still warm from whoever sat there last . but as she slides in , her gaze flicks toward the counter , catching on a familiar profile — mary , stirring her coffee like she’s trying to unravel something in the swirl of her mug .
her voice cuts through the diner’s murmur , dry and knowing , and sienna exhales , setting her coffee down with a soft tap . “ if it’s just like ‘99 , ” she starts off , “ then what’s the point in talking about it ? ” she lifts a brow , something skeptical playing at the corner of her mouth . “ it's like everyone's waiting for the next bad thing to happen . ” she leans back , fingers curling around the warmth of her mug . “ people act like guessing the ending makes it hurt any less . ” her gaze lingers on mary for a second before she glances out the window where dead creek keeps moving like it isn’t still bleeding .
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𝒲𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌 ⠀ ࣪ 🦢 ﹚
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