CASSANDRA SANTOS 22 FORMER CHILD STAR SHE/HER & we'll n e v e r be r o y a l s it don't run in our B L O O D that kind of L U X E just ain't for us we crave a D I F F E R E N T kind of B U Z Z let me be your RULER you can C A L L me Q U E E N B E E and b a b y , i'll R U L E let me L I V E that 𝖋𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖆𝖘𝖞
but yes hi im nicole ( pst , she/her , 25 ) !!!! and i haven’t been in a tumblr rp in like …. forever so im lowkey nervous lol but i’m gonna try and make this intro as short as i can because im a rambler and i want save yall TIME but pls like if you want to plot !!!!!!!!
alcohol tw , drug abuse tw , emotional manipulation from a parent tw for under the cut !!!
it was about the third time her cell service had tricked her into having enough bars to send out a text to see if a friend would come over when she decided it was time to give up and get out of her room and try to surround herself with other people in hopes that it’d calm her down. it was something about storms that always terrified her, whether it was small or large the girl was stuck in constant state of fear due to an accident that had happened when she was younger. she always wished that she’d grow out of it but even as an adult she was just as terrified as she had been when she was a child. she followed the crowd before the lights flickered again and novalee paused in the middle of the stairwell hearing just how empty it got when she walked backward until her back hit a wall causing her to slowly slide down and sit on the floor to avoid a panic. she doesn’t know how long she was sat their until she heard another voice and all she could do was shake her head, “it’s fine… i’m fine nothing to see here.”
cassie hated a lot of things : the cold , cats , the dark , being alone , etc etc . and today’s storm managed to tick more than a few boxes . but cassie would never say she was scared . she just wanted this all to end sooner rather than later . she followed the crowd , only falling behind once she saw a familiar face doing some less than familiar things . her eyes widened and she parted from the crowd to get closer to novalee .
“ sure doesn’t look like your fine , ” cassie replied , waving a hand at novalee’s body , which was currently sitting on the floor . “ are ya good ? ” she knew it was a dumb question , but she didn’t know how else to help . cassie usually solved all her problems by popping open a bottle , and sadly , she didn’t have anything on her . “ you’re gonna get squished in the stairwell . ” already cassie had been bumped enough just by standing around talking to novalee . “ if you gotta sit around , you should find somewhere more comfortable . ” and then she nodded to herself , because , wow , that was actually a good idea . she was basically a therapist now .
the last twenty four hours had been quite chaotic for hunter. the major weather warning had shocked him because it came out of no where and he wasn’t expecting for the city to received as much snow as it did. they were stuck in the hotel, authorities were coming but not anytime soon and the boy’s stress levels were rising very fast. there was so much for him to do, for him to check. as hunter was at the front desk checking to see if the phones were working yet he noticed someone almost slip on the wet floor. “oh my gosh” he said to hiimself before heading out to where the other was, “hey, please be very careful, the floor is very slippery still.” he said before literally standing where the puddle was and calling the maintenance team to come and sort this situation out. “are you okay?” hunter asked looking at the other. @arconiastarters
it was times like this that cassandra remembered why she missed the west coast . growing up in hollywood meant she never saw snow unless it was on a movie set , fake and created by a talented design team . so to say she was out of her element was an understatement . cassie shivered under three layers , hands tucked so deep in her pockets that she couldn’t even pull them out to catch herself when she slipped . thankfully , she didn’t fall . “ i almost died , hunter , ” she remarked , dramatically , teeth chattering so much , her words were choppy . “ i think this is my own personal version of hell . ” forget being cast down into hell’s fiery depths . the cold was her enemy , through and through . “ if i stop moving for even a second , i swear i’m gonna freeze to death . ” such was the reason she’d abandoned her lonesome , dark suite in the first place . she needed to be with people , if only so she didn’t go stir crazy .
who would’ve guessed that having no job , no responsibilities , no obligations would be …. boring ?? of course all of the above brought with it the kind of stress cassandra strived to avoid more than anything else in this world . but holy hell was she bored out of her mind . it didn’t help that she had interacted with so much of the arconia staff that she was starting to feel like she was missing out . they all had something to do with their time , a purpose . cassandra didn’t have jack shit .
she found herself at hunter’s office , big grin pasted on her face before she’d even tapped on his door . the knock was just a courtesy , however , she didn’t wait for a response before she let herself in . “ hey , hunter , i was wondering about something . ” cassie was typically shameless , bold , the type to never take no for an answer . she shocked even herself when she felt a bit … sheepish when she asked , “ what do you think about me as an employee for the arconia ?? ” she continued to hold her grin , maybe if it was bright enough it could daze hunter , confuse him enough to give her a job on the spot . she hadn’t exactly been a … model resident 100% of the time : parties that left her suite a complete mess , noise complaints from neighbors , the whole nine yards .
the second he heard the other’s voice he knew it was. it was cassie. the one person in this hotel who always seemed to wind him up just for the sake of it. “you can look for me at the bar like all the other residents who live at the arconia” he said looking at her as he walked over to her. “seriously you aren’t allowed to be back here. its for employees only and we don’t need any resident accidents back here. i don’t think charles or hunter would be too happy with either of us” the boy said before walking over to the door. “yes i’m done. lets go” he said looking at her. carter knew it was freezing out here and despite the girl annoying him. he didn’t want her getting sick.
“ i don’t feel like a boring , ole regular arconia resident though . i like to think i’m more special , ” cassie punctuated the sentence with a cheeky grin . the expression lightened though as carter continued , worried about resident safety and whatnot . blah blah blah . her eyes rolled of their own volition , not that she tried very hard to stop it . “ what’s so ‘ dangerous ’ back here ?? dumpster diving’s bout the worst that can happen . ” despite her defiance , she still followed after carter through the door back inside . the interior warmth was a relief . “ bet you could find real cool shit like that though . wonder what arconia residents have to dispose of … ” she trailed off , trying to seem cryptic . “ all the secrets they try to bury. “
PRYING MADE HIM DEEPLY UNCOMFORTABLE. it was certainly ironic since he wanted to become a journalist, but to him there was a difference between trying to find the truth rather than just trying to get some gossip. the entertainment section was NOT his favorite. having grown up under the spotlight of his mother, he knew a thing or two about the business and that was enough for him to know how toxic it was, but it was part of the public interest and part of his internship. he didn’t know a lot about cassandra santos, other than what he’d read in previous profiles of her and her wikipedia page. granted, he hadn’t watched any of her films which did make him wonder if he was the right person to try to convince her to do this interview. he’d seen her a few times on the lobby but so far he hadn’t said a word to her, but his boss was pressuring him and the time was limited so when he saw her on the lobby he approached her without giving himself time for any second guessing. “miss santos,” he says, a bit nervously at first before clearing his throat. “my name is beckett morgan, i work here at the hotel but i’m also doing an internship for the new york times,” he continues and he knows that he’s already way passed the time of the elevator pitch, so he goes straight to the point. “would you be interested in being interview for a profile?”
IT WASN’T LIKE CASSIE NEVER GOT RECOGNIZED . fans would approach her with shy familiarity , calling out her name ( a quick cassandra? or cassie? or cas? ) to be certain it was her before being encouraged when she turned , often with the barest hint of a forced smile if she wasn’t in the mood . but she put on a show . gave hugs , signed notebooks , took pictures . those kinds of people cared about her in some strange sort of parasocial way . it was the other type of people that she couldn’t stand . the ones that shouted her name , so unfamiliar , so cold . a miss santos look over here ! before she’s blinded by the paparazzi lights that struck her like lightning . so it’s no shock that the formal greeting has her on guard before the guy’s even fully on her radar . she sizes him up through narrowed eyes . “ you work here ? “ she asks , not even bothering to answer his question . “ never seen you before . ” not that she was the observant type . she just didn’t trust him . “ pretending to be an employee of the place i’m staying at . very , very devious of you , but i’ll admit quite original . ”
location: hotel lobby of the arconia. with: @santosnosaint
“Well if it isn’t miss disney channel in the flesh.” Luke said as he saw the girl enter the lobby as he was on his way out. “Isn’t it?” he checked the fake watch that would be attached to his wrist, the sleeve of his leather jacket raising as he did, exposing his tattoo’d skin. “Past your bedtime?” he cocked an eyebrow up at her. A tightlipped grin peaked the corner of his mouth, “Where are you coming from at his hour? Honestly..” he trailed leaning against the marble wall and shoving his hands into his pockets. “Listen I’m about to head out to check out this band for my label. Wanna tag along or something. If they suck I’m at least getting shitfaced to before my ears bleed.”
in the moment , partying felt like you were at the top of the world . so high that you soared over everything that had ever dragged you down . but , eventually it all came to an end . the bar cuts you off , the club closes , and then you’re left stumbling home alone feeling worse than when the night started . thank fuck for god’s small mercies : instead of a dull arconia doorman to greet her , she spotted luke . well , more accurately , luke spotted her . she rolled her eyes , forcing a dry chuckle at the nickname , “ oh , ha ha , very funny . ” cassie mimicked his movements and leaned against the marble wall . “ i don’t know if you can tell , but i’m kiiiinda already shit-faced . i’m definitely going out with you though . ” she poked at his leather-clad chest . “ you need to get on MY level . ASAP . ”
it had just been on of those days for carter. the bar had been busy, there was a combination of rude and arrogant guests and then the nice and polite ones. he still had a few more hours to go but he needed some fresh air so he decided to take the trash out. it was at the back of the hotel, secluded and just quiet enough for him to take a moment to himself before heading back inside to the chaos. he finished putting the trash in the garage bin when he heard someone behind him. “hey what are you doing back here. its for employee’s only” he said looking at the other.
“ jeez , carter , i’m just looking for my favorite bartender . ” she sent him a wide grin , an expression that exposed a bit too much mischief hidden in her dimpled cheeks . of course cassie knew how much carter couldn’t stand her . that didn’t mean the feeling was mutual . she loved carter … loved annoying him that is . it was like getting access to your favorite toy , a jack-in-the-box that she wound up until it exploded . ” so why you gotta shoo me ?? i’m just trying to have a good time tonight . ” a night in which the wind blew too strong and made her cross her arms to keep herself from shivering . “ now , are you done out here ?? i’m freezing !! “
