Heart of the Problem | Rose305 and Yenni

[Remmy Rose]

| H E A R T O F T H E P R O B L E M |
@Rose305 and @Yenni

When two good friends find themselves on the short end of the stick of life, they end up becoming a lot closer.

A lot.

Duncan wasn't expecting that car to hit him that day and Arin certainly wasn't expecting to find a donor for her failing heart.

Life is just full of surprises and it just keeps getting better.

My Characters:

Duncan Norbert Amelia Rosalyn Parks

• 
  
  -:Character Name:-
  Duncan Norbert
  -:Gender:-
  Male
  -:Age:-
  21 Years Old
  -:Occupation:-
  The Book Cafe - Barista
  -:Sexuality:-
  Heterosexual
  
  -:Height:-
  5'9"
  -:Hair:-
  Dark Brown
  -:Eyes:-
  Amber
  -:Distinguishing Marks:-
  Lost his right eye, years an eye patch.
  -:Typical Clothing/Accessories/Equipment/Weapon:-
  Tends to wear nice attire, especially to work, but he does enjoy wearing casual clothes as well. When at work he wears dark colored trouser, usually gray, black, or dark brown, with a dress shirt or suspenders (goes with the theme of the cafe). When not at work Duncan will wear jeans, sweats, or khakis. Sneakers or other comfortable shoes work though he doesn't mind lofters. Duncan will wear an assortment of sweaters though he prefers pockets, therefore hoodies! Honestly, he's not all that picky! ^^
  -:Picture:-
  ^
  
  -:Skills/Talents:-
  Duncan is quite the chef and takes pride in mixing and making drinks for customers. He is rather humble and finds pleasure in the simple things in life. He is rather well articulated in literature and is good at research. The secret athlete, Duncan has a high level of endurance and excess at sports with his natural skills. He tends to enjoy soccer, football, and water polo over other sports but will participate when asked with the same about of enthusiasm. Beyond the physical and mental skills, Duncan has a few in the emotional field. He is extremely attuned to the mental state of his friends and will go out of his way to make them happy or help them with their problems. Some could say he is selfless and incredibly observant!
  -:Strengths:-
  Athletic (agility and good reaction time), cooking skills, observant, clever, academic.
  -:Weaknesses:-
  Sometimes overlooks the simplest of things, focuses too much on his friends and not himself, while good at controlling his emotions he does have a nasty temper when pushed. Get's overwhelmed easily when he has too much to handle (usually leads to him trying to balance a ton of things thus losing sleep and degrading health. Can be surprisingly oblivious to hints of any kind (usually in the social department).
  -:Fears:-
  Not making something of himself. Losing his friends, heights, has a secret fear of snakes, and tomatoes.
  
  -:Personality:-
  Duncan Norbert is a well-mannered fellow with a great personality and a good dose of humor. He loves to meet new people and gets excited when people want to discuss books with him. Rather quiet spoken and not one to really share his feelings with others (mostly not to bring them down or worry them) he tends to keep to himself on the emotional side of socializing. However, he thoroughly enjoys hanging out with his friends and would do just about anything for them (even going so far as to shoulder burdens). This quality, while good, has often lead him into tricky situations. However, he is hard pressed to learn from these mistakes. Some could say he is stubborn which may indeed be the case.
  
  -:Hisory:-
  When Duncan was 12 years old he climbed a tree to save a kitten for one of his classmates (moved by their distress he took it upon himself to save it rather than waiting for the firemen) and fell, losing his eye in the process. Since then he has a fear of heights, failure, and tends to dislike things so close to his only eye. He likes to live a nice quiet life surrounded by good people, books, and coffee.
• 
  
  
  
  -:Character Name:-
  Amelia Rosalyn Parks, Goes by Emmie
  -:Gender:-
  Female
  -:Age:-
  20 Years Old
  -:Occupation:-
  Sales Associate at a local store called "Le Rose Boutique"
  -:Sexuality:-
  Heterosexual
  
  -:Height:-
  5'4"
  -:Hair:-
  Blonde
  -:Eyes:-
  Bright Blue
  -:Distinguishing Marks:-
  She has big eyes (no tattoos)
  -:Typical Clothing/Accessories/Equipment/Weapon:-
  Emmie loves to wear cute, fashionable clothes. She likes to dress up all the time even if the situation calls for casual wear, however, she is good at picking out outfits that work with the occasion. For example, if she needs to be incognito she'll wear flexible clothes that look fabulous but low key. :)
  -:Picture:-
  ^
  
  -:Skills/Talents:-
  Fabulous at mixing and matching colors and styles. Good at decorating. Very observant, nothing misses her eyes. The gift of gab, she can talk to anyone. Good with her hands.
  -:Strengths:-
  Confidence, social situations/speeches, coming up with believable excuses/winging it, and while she looks like an airhead she is actually incredibly smart. She has a good throwing arm.
  -:Weaknesses:-
  She is not very strong though I still wouldn't underestimate her, she is loyal to a fault, she loves to gossip (even if all she does is suck it up like a sponge, rarely ever telling), sweets, secretly lazy, can't stand mismatched outfits, OCD, sucks at cooking.
  -:Fears:-
  Mismatched outfits, spiders (doesn't mind if they're outside, just not in her bathroom or bedroom), disappointing her parents, hurting/losing friends, and spiderwebs.
  
  -:Personality:-
  Amelia at first comes off as a typical blonde airhead but really that's just a forefront. It's also part of her airy, carefree attitude. She rarely loses her cool and manages to control her temper surprisingly well. She has thick skin and isn't really affected by jeers, jabs, and bullying (she plays innocent actually). However, if someone does get under her skin expect no mercy from Amelia. While she is quick to forgive and forget she will not stand for unacceptable behavior towards her friends and family. Even strangers.
  Kind hearted, compassionate, and surprisingly observant, especially when reading people, Amelia knows a lot, more than she lets on. Extremely bright and well versed in anatomy and health, she'll be the first to come to someone's aid if they are sick or injured (and whether they want it or not).
  She kind act motherly at times and then the next minute she's back to her airy, child-like self.
  Always optimistic and determined.
  
  -:History:-
  Attended the same school as Jackson, Arin, and Duncan, Amelia tended to be the one popular girl that everyone generally loved because of her friendly attitude. She excelled in school and with her gift of charisma lead a few clubs herself. Her parents are both wealthy people, maintaining full income careers; one in marketing and the other a judge. Because of her background and interaction life-style she managed to get into a good school and found herself a steady job on the side while she completes medical school. It is noted that she refuses to accept money from her parents and chose to get a job herself.
  

 

[Yenni]

My Characters:

I. II.

• 
  [fieldbox="Jackson Summers, #9dc5e8, solid, 0, Book Antiqua"]
  
  
  
  
  Character Name: Jackson Summers
  Gender: Male
  Age: 20
  Occupation: Waiter at Sunrise Diner
  Sexuality: Straight
  
  Height: 180cm, 5'9
  Hair: White-grey (natural hair colour is black)
  Eyes: Brown
  Distinguishing Marks: N/A
  Typical Clothing/Accessories/Equipment/Weapon:
  Anything that's comfortable, clean and smart. First appearances always go a long way.
  
  Hobbies/Skills/Talents:
  Jackson's talents lie in socialising, creating a good atmosphere and keeping the morale high. Likes to play sport matches with his friends – soccer and basketball are his favourite.
  Weaknesses:
  When it comes to the emotional side of things, Jackson tries his best but he can be a little tactless. He's also lazy and can struggle to do things that he has no interest or will in doing.
  Fears:
  Being abandoned and shunned by everyone, especially if by friends and family. He hates needles.
  
  Personality:
  Jackson is a carefree and light-hearted guy who loves a good laugh. His friends tend to know him as a happy-go-lucky risk taker who doesn't think through the consequences before he acts or speaks. Jackson is always down to having a good time – and if it's not happening then he usually takes it upon himself to make it a good time, sending himself straight to the middle of a party. Or rather, making the party surround him. With the many acquaintances that he makes, he can be a bit untrustworthy with secrets. He can also be a bit tactless at times, so emotional things aren't really his style. He has a knack for charming others with a simple smile, as well as hide his true feelings and emotions behind it. It is his best weapon and shield as well as his confidence booster.
  
  History:
  Jackson's parents are divorced, so he grew up splitting his time between each parent. Despite their sketchy relationship, both of his parents lived close, so Jackson would often walk over alone to visit the other and randomly stay over at each parents' homes on a regular basis. They were fine with this, as long as he made sure they knew where he was. As a result, this allowed him to grow up close to both his parents despite not growing up in a typical family. However, as he grew older and more independent, both parents remarried and had new families of their own. His relationship with each parent did not fade but it triggered a feeling of loneliness and a fear of being unwanted. In response, Jackson began to expand his social life and grew into the cheerful and light-hearted guy he is today. Although he can now realise that his fears are irrational, Jackson is still unable to completely shake off the feeling of being left behind or losing the people that he loves and cares for.
  [/fieldbox]
  
• 
  [fieldbox="Arin Merwood, #febb8e, solid, 0, Book Antiqua"]
  
  
  
  
  Character Name: Arin Merwood
  Gender: Female
  Age: 19
  Occupation: Barista at The Book Café
  Sexuality: Straight
  
  Height: 163cm
  Hair: Black
  Eyes: Brown
  Distinguishing Marks: N/A
  Typical Clothing/Accessories/Equipment/Weapon:
  Casual and practical. Arin usually prefers more neutral colours; nothing particularly flashy, but well put together. Rarely wears skirts or dresses as she prefers jeans/shorts.
  
  Hobbies/Skills/Talents:
  Arin is an avid hobbyist photographer with an eye for great photos and a knack for taking them. She is clever and memorises facts, information, details quickly. Great at multi-tasking.
  Weaknesses:
  Sometimes gets overambitious, is a bit of a perfectionist, and gets emotional too easily. Sometimes is a bit forgetful. Gets a little short-tempered if running too low on sleep.
  Fears:
  Being helpless and completely reliant on others. Having no purpose. Spiders and other creepy crawlies.
  
  Personality:
  Arin is a sweet and open girl who is friendly to all. Clever and independent, she is the person you would seek if you needed someone reliable – that is, if she remembered your request. Always a busy bee, it's no surprise that Arin can be forgetful, sometimes even a little oblivious to situations around her. As someone who loves to keep herself busy, Arin can find herself overwhelmed at times, not to mention the fact that her meticulous habits may only slow her down. But as she always tells herself, all work is better than none. Despite all this, Arin is passionate about the things she does (she wouldn't do it otherwise, unless she was asked of it), which really helps. While she may seem like the perfect person, she has a soft heart and tends to get emotional too easily, allowing her emotions and even her imagination to get the better of her at times.
  
  History:
  Arin had a happy childhood, growing up with loving parents who doted on their only child. Her parents worked hard to reach their current positions, so Arin too was taught to work hard from a young age. Life was good and all seemed like smooth sailing until the day Arin felt very ill. She was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and from there on, it seemed to all go downhill. As an independent young woman, she felt like she was unable to reach her previous standards she had set for herself. As far as life-changing events go, this must be the worst one yet.
  [/fieldbox]
  

​

 

[Yenni]

[fieldbox="Jackson Summers, #8ed1fe, solid, 0, Arial"]Jackson hummed as he cleared a cluttered table in the diner, stacking empty plates, wiping down the surface and disposing of any leftover food. Thankfully the guests who had sat here earlier were on the cleaner side and left little mess on the table, so the clean up was easy. Just the type of customer you'd want. With everything clear, Jackson lifted the pile of plates and sent them off to be washed, stopping only briefly to pick up the next order for their latest customer. It was a busy day, but just how he liked it. "Here you go ma'am, enjoy your meal! If you need anything just give me a wave" he said, smiling as he placed the meal in front of her. Right then, the entrance doorbell rang again, and he looked up to see a family leaving. "See you next time!" he waved, grinning as the children waved back.

Outside, fluffy white clouds decorated the beautiful blue skies. The sun was shining, peeking over the nearby buildings and pouring warm sunlight into the diner. It was the best time of the day, and the best time to be at work. Right now, there was nothing else Jackson could ask for.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Arin Merwood, #febb8e, solid, 0, Arial"]Arin was finally awake, though she was still struggling to open her bleary eyes. For a while, she was disorientated and woozy, but slowly she began to focus on her surroundings. It was obvious that Arin was in some sort of hospital room, but why she was there - she couldn't remember at all. What she could vaguely remember was having another attack, but otherwise her sleepy mind couldn't recall anything after that. Whatever it was, with the amount of tubes sticking everywhere, it must've been bad. At least I'm still alive, she thought wryly. In the silence of her private hospital room, it was difficult to stay awake and before long, Arin was asleep again.
[/fieldbox]

 

[Remmy Rose]

Duncan Norbert

Duncan tried to groan, but the sound seemed to only echo within his mind, like a strange, hollowed echo. It was so dark not even a single speck of light could be found behind his eyelids, they wouldn't even open. Actually, it seemed like the rest of his body wouldn't listen either; he felt so cold, so heavy, so stiff. And tense, like every muscle, was coiled, in the mists of bracing itself.

It was all so weird. Was he dreaming? One of those strange dreams where you couldn't move? He's had one once before... Ugh... he brain hurt as he struggled to remember what he was doing before this? Strange, flickering images of the sky flashed like a dying bulb on the backs of his eyelids. And was... was that screaming? Were his ears ringing maybe? So many voices... Where am I?

Amelia Parks

The short blonde skipped down the sidewalk with her usual pep, smiling brightly at any who caught her bright eye. She justed finished up one of her classes and decided to put off homework till later, more keen on visiting some friends then stuff her nose back into books. She spends enough time doing that already. Besides, it was such a nice day, it'd be a same to waste it staying inside.

As if without a care in the world, Amelia trotted around the corner, her eyes narrowing in like a bee eyeing a lushes flower towards a sign posted above a bustling restaurant. She grinned broadly, coming to a grace halt before the door where a family was just leaving. She waved, singing a greetings before she slipped in, instantly catching sight of a familiar ash colored head.

"Jackson!" She chirped, twirling daintily around tables and patrons to reach her friend, looking impossibly gleeful. "Hiya! Whatcha doin!?" She asked, looking totally innocent but her eyes glittered with friendly mischief. She winked in a teasing matter.

 

[Yenni]

[fieldbox="Jackson Summers, #8ed1fe, solid, 0, Arial"]Jackson was back to cleaning tables when he heard the familiar tinkle of the entrance bells again. Looking up, he saw none other than Amelia skipping in, with a huge grin on her face. "Hey Amelia" Jackson greeted her, sticking out his tongue in reply to her wink. "Just the usual, you know? Slaving away for the satisfaction of customers like you." He wrinkled his nose in mock disgust, but couldn't help but break into a smile back at her. "That is, if you're actually ordering food." He raised his eyebrows, glancing at the menu and back at her as he grinned. [/fieldbox]

 

[Remmy Rose]

[fieldbox="Amelia Parks, #eeb2c2, solid, 0, Book Antiqua"]Amelia projected a rather smug look and mockingly flipped her hair, "Maybe, maybe not. I might just be difficult today." She mused, drawing out the "i" in might with a devious gleam. She was amused by his childish response, this kind of humor was liberating after spending hours with stiff, overly professional professors. Not that all of them were like that, but when your whole family is super formal and all, ya get tired of it pretty quick. "Besides, without customers like me to slave for you won't have any work busboy." She teased back, playfully snatching the menu from him. Might as well get a coffee or cup of tea at least.

"Got anything new?" She asked, tone still playful but sincere. Her eyes scanned over the list of possible drinks, barely registering the sudden vibrating in her pocket. Amelia reached for her phone without paying much attention to the caller ID, clicking the green button and raising the smartphone to her ear. "Hello?" She answered, distracted. "Amelia!" Her mother gasped into the phone, causing the girl to freeze as lines appeared long in her face with worry. "Mom! What is it, what's-"

"Mrs. Merwood just called, Arin had another attack." Amelia froze, eyes darting to Jackson, the worry morphing into the beginnings of a panic. "Is she alright!?" Amelia's mother made a sound of assurance. "It was bad, her heart couldn't handle the stress. But the doctors were able to find a donor in time. It sounds like the surgery went well."

Relief flooded Amelia's face and a short, jagged breath escaped her pale lips. She gave Jackson a weak smile. "Oh thank goodness. I'll let Jackson know, did Mrs. Merwood call Duncan's family yet?"

Silence. Suddenly Amelia felt cold as the look of joy melted from her face. "H-honey, I... I don't know how to tell you this but...," Amelia decided she didn't want her mother to finish that sentence. Her eyes searched out Jackson, turning glossy, and she felt utterly helpless. "The donor was Duncan."

The menu slipped from her fingers.[/fieldbox]

 

[Yenni]

[fieldbox="Jackson Summers, #8ed1fe, solid, 0, Arial"]"Nothing new recently, but the smoothies are on special today" Jackson replied, switching back to work mode. Having now finished wiping the table, he looked up at her, preparing to move onto another table. "Just give me a yell when you're ready" he said, before realising that she was in a phone call. Trying to signal for her to wave when she was ready instead, Jackson was about to slip off when he caught the sight of her eyes widening and a look of worry appearing on her face. He froze, unsure of what to do. Hurriedly, he began to wipe the same table again, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. He hoped it wasn't a private one, but then he heard the name "Arin". It must've been another attack, and anything that Amelia was told would've been passed on to him anyway. Setting down the table cloth, he sat next to Amelia and leaned in so he could hear the rest of the conversation.

"It was bad, her heart couldn't handle the stress. But the doctors were able to find a donor in time. It sounds like the surgery went well." Jackson breathed out in relief, returning Amelia's weak smile. So, it seemed like all was well. Just a slight complication, but all was fine.

Jackson was about to stand back up and return to work again when he caught the beginning of Mrs Parks' next sentence. He froze again, glancing back at Aemlia as he caught her eyes, wide and suddenly moist. Then came the words - "the donor was Duncan."

There was a sharp intake of break, and Jackson blinked. "No way" he uttered softly, preparing for someone to appear and yell "PSYCH!". But nothing happened, the rest of the restarurant was still in its busy state, not knowing that someone - someone he knew and someone he held dear to his heaart was now gone. And another was so close to joining him as well. Jackson looked back at Amelia almost helplessly, unsure of what to do.[/fieldbox]

 

[Remmy Rose]

[fieldbox="Amelia Parks, #eeb2c2, solid, 0, Book Antiqua"]"W-where..., mmmom where's-." She whispered, swallowing hard.

"Shhh, it's going to be okay honey. We'll... we'll get through this." Amelia's mother spoke quickly into the phone. The blonde haired girl clenched her phone, trying her damnest to hold back the wave of grief that nearly swept her off her feet. How could anything possibly be okay?

"Just tell me where you are and I'll come get you."

Those blue eyes blinked back into focus, sliding to glance at Jackson. She was almost afraid too. Amelia saw the same look of grief on his face too. It made this more real. She took an unsteady breath, willing her voice to remain strong. "Um..., I'm at S-sunrise Diner." Amelia replied wetly, "I'm with Jackson." She heard her mother intake and could just imagine her pressing her hand to mouth. Is this what people did when a loved one died? Spending the entire day calling friends and family to deliver this horrible, life changing news?

Was the world always this cruel? Did they just see Duncan and Arin the other day for lunch and a movie? What the hell happened?

"Okay honey, just wait are there! I'm coming!" Her mother promised. She only hung up once Amelia mumbled once more into the phone. She ended the call and slumped into her seat, finally looking around the restaurant. It didn't seem any different. Everyone looked happy. Everyone was eating and spending time with the people they cared about it. Amelia looked at Jackson, unable to stop the tears as they flowed from her eyes.

She opened her mouth, but not much came out. It took her a few seconds to regain control of it, enough to squeeze out a sentence before her throat swelled again. "Got us a ride." She wheezed, "... can go see Arin..."
[/fieldbox]

 

[Yenni]

[fieldbox="Jackson Summers, #8ed1fe, solid, 0, Arial"] ((Jackson's co-worker is now called Sophie! Thought it was easier to give a name ^^))

Jackson took a deep breath. "Okay..." he whispered. "I-I'll just go let Sophie know I need to go. You... you'll be ok for a minute, right?" He looked at Amelia, who now had tears pouring down her face. It was very un-Amelia-like, and Jackson almost paused for a second to register what he had seen. But he too could feel the tears welling in his eyes, so he quickly looked away, trying to stay calm and keep his voice steady. "Give me a sec" he said, and hurried to find Sophie.

As he left, he gave a quick backward glance at Amelia. How do I comfort her? he thought, sighly softly. He looked down, and with his sleeve Jackson quickly wiped his tears away, hoping that no one saw. He took a deep breath and blinked a few times, trying to make himself a little more presentable. Sophie had just finished serving another customer, so he quickly approached her and pulled her aside. "Hey Sophie, I... I... I need to go, cover for me please? It's only 10 minutes until the end of my shift" Jackson asked, the tears already welling at his eyes again and threatening to fall. Wordlessly, Sophie looked at him and only nodded, a question forming at her lips. "Thanks" Jackson mumbled, and shuffled back to Amelia.

I want to go home, Jackson thought. I'm terrible at comforting people. I need time. "Let's go... oh, I mean we should wait for your mum..." He sighed, and plopped down onto a chair opposite Amelia. "I'm terrible" he whispered, looking down at his hands and burying his face in them as the tears finall began to fall. "I can't believe... Duncan..."[/fieldbox]

 

[Remmy Rose]

[fieldbox="Amelia Parks, #eeb2c2, solid, 0, Book Antiqua"]
((Welcome to the rp world Sophie! XD))
Amelia didn't even notice when Jackson moved off to talk to his coworkers, still unable to fully grasp the entire situation. It just didn't feel real. Everything was too perfect today. To beautiful. Why... how... just... why? The dripping colors of the restaurant shifted as Jackson suddenly settled into the seat in front of her, encouraging her eyelids to blink away the tears. Her phone sat on the table, a dead thing waiting to burst to life the moment Amelia's mother arrived.

Her petrified eyes lifted from the device at Jackson's sudden claim, her brows quirking slightly. Unsure of why her friend would say such a thing she reached out a trembling hand and shakily patted his hair. "It's... it's okay Jackson. Y-you're not terrible." She hiccuped, struggling to contain her own unraveling emotions.

"It's not like- we weren't there. S-so you can't b-blame yourself." Amelia claimed, trying to convince herself too. It was kinda hard to do though. Her hand clenched slightly and she removed it from Jackson's head before she could accidentally yank his hair. "We-," she swallowed hard, "we gotta make sure Arin is okay," Amelia said, trying to boost their mental states. "We gotta make sure we're there when she... when she...," new tears threatened to fall as her words failed her again. Fortunately, her phone buzzed, lighting up to reveal her mother's smiling face on the screen.

Amelia practically jumped, snatching the phone up and tugging Jackson's sleeve. "C-come on, mom's here." She said hoarsely, stepping quickly out of the restaurant and away from prying eyes.
[/fieldbox]