Eggs

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

yeyeyeyeyeyeyeye

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

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Finding herself stylishly late to the budding scene, Gabi furrowed her brow a bit when she saw just how many kids were heading into the old library. Sure, it wasn't weird for a library to be busy, but to attract so much attention so soon after the quarantine lifted? Shit, man, those late fees must've been brutal. She deftly avoided the pillars holding up the second floor balcony, slowing her bike down to a crawl once on the porch. Her first target was a bike rack that had been pretty haphazardly bolted into the floor near the main entrance. Gabi didn't have any books to return or DVDs to rent, and by all means could've just plopped on one of the seats and mooched the Wi-Fi from there, but part of her was curious. Maybe there had been some event announced at the library that she'd just happened to miss? Definitely worth checking, she thought. Not like there was much better to do if her call still wouldn't go through here.

Gabi secured her bike to the rack, nestling the front tire between two metal bars just barely wide enough to accommodate it. Her lock was a pretty cheap, number-locked belt that wouldn't stand up to a good pocket knife, but she felt better looping it through the wheel to keep it at least somewhat more secure than just dumping it out front. She doubted anyone would really want to steal her bike, given it was a bit schlubby, what with its flaking paint and function-over-form design. But damn if she really didn't want to lose it. It was hers.

Her cycle now "secured," Gabi let herself in and immediately plucked her phone from her pocket. Cracked lens and slightly scuffed screen protector aside, the thing worked as well as a phone a few generations behind could in the era of designed obsolescence. A spike of lag hit as it searched for open signals to connect to. Most of them were locked, naturally - a connection for library guests, one for the staff, some would-be comedian's poorly-named hotspot - but her card let her sign in to the first one. "Alright, alright, let's go," she mumbled to herself, watching the connection struggle to form. Just when it seemed like it was about to work, though, a sudden wave of cold hit her.

It was like someone had dumped an ice cube down the back of her shirt, and she uncomfortably squirmed in turn. "The fuck?" She asked, mostly to herself. A quick spin around proved nobody had actually been behind her to do anything of the sort. She knew the place had
pretty shitty airflow, but something like that was far too distinct to merely be the AC being wonky. Her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed uncomfortably. "So, uh," She spoke aloud, a bit more directly to the others. "Y'all feel that too, or..?" The atmosphere of the room already seemed disquieted. One of the kids - Will, she thought? - seemed to have already gone into full on white-guy-in-a-horror-movie mode, going down the needlessly creepy staircase on the other end of the room.

She checked her phone to see if the connection had gone through. To little surprise, it hadn't. "Fuck," She huffed, locking the screen and stuffing the thing back into her pocket. "So much for that. Sorry, grandpa." Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she made her way closer to the group and peeked down the stairs, not quite willing to take a step down just yet. Shit, if anywhere in Everbrook was haunted, the library was a good contender - and she wasn't about to have her afternoon ruined by a wayward spirit. Not when she still had Luigi's to go to.

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

that's lead character script writing, babey

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

gabi's bi just to have that on record

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

@Eggs

How are you eating cereal if it gets on your keyboard >.>

@Akayaofthemoon

vigorously

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

that's how ya get crumbs on ya keyboard tho

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

God, it felt like it had been ages since the quarantine began. With school out and society as good as dead, Gabi'd begun to get even more stir-crazy than usual. Sitting at home while her grandpa Yusuf wasted away in Portland ate at her already. Not being able to visit him during the duration of the lockdown only served to exaggerate her discomfort. The night before the quarantine was officially lifted, she'd barely slept. Promises were exchanged the night before, and finally having something to look forward to after the dreary state of half-existence she'd been floating through was elating.

"Hey, Gabs. Soon as all this is done, we'll go see him, alright?" Her father, Martín, had offered. Dozens of failed video calls and weeks of radio silence bored a hole through her heart, the guilt of abandoning Yusuf in some other city almost too much to bear. It wasn't really her fault, of course, but emotions rarely cared for the logical details. A cruel bit of coincidental timing or not, she felt like she could've been doing more. Fuck, even trying to give him a call had become next to impossible now. First it was the video chat constantly getting dropped, then an inconvenient dive off a table busting her phone's forward camera altogether. Finally being able to go and visit again was just about the only thing that could finally knock some of the built-up stress away.

It made the engine failure that struck the family van that morning even harder to accept.

The old thing had been on its last legs for the past six years. Between financial troubles and the constant pre-quarantine back-and-forth between Everbrook and Portland, the miles built up alongside the natural wear and tear it was already subject to. Something had apparently gone kaput in the engine, judging by the cloud of smoke flowing from the hood. Martín, as much as he was trying, couldn't just fix it by hand.

"Damn it," He mumbled under a defeated huff. "Something's gotta be wrong with the fuel line. Gonna need to take it into the shop to get that fixed..." The hood of the car slammed shut, and Martín returned to the driver's seat to mercy kill the engine. He sat the keys atop the dashboard and looked to Gabi, who silently seethed in the passenger seat. "I'm sorry, mija. Soon as this is fixed, we'll get out there, yeah?"

Gabi sniffed hard, rubbing the back of her wrist against her eye. "Yeah. Yeah, yeah, sure, alright," She answered, a slight but clear wobble under each word. A few quick blinks were supposed to disguise the tears beading up at the corners of her eyes, but one managed to escape. "Shit, shit, shit."

Martín reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a few pats. Though he could only offer small reassurances in place of an actual visit, he hoped that they could at least lessen the emotional burden. "It'll be alright, Gabi. You know he's not gonna blame you for not showing up, yeah? Between the lockdown an-"

"No, no, yeah. I know. Thanks, dad," Gabi interjected, forcing a smile. She glanced away for a moment, just in time to see another car drive by. "Fuck you," she thought, directing the insult more at the vehicle itself than whoever happened to be driving.

And then it clicked. Other people driving meant they were going somewhere. Now that quarantine was over, maybe she could at least go somewhere else in town. The internet at her house had been the best Xfinity plan they could afford (that is to say, awful), but the library had to have something better, right? Even if the speed was the same, it had to at least be more stable. "Hey, dad? I'm gonna head to the library for a while, yeah?" Gabi asked.

"Oh, yeah, 'course. When do ya think you'll be back?"

"I'unno. Later, not too late. Gonna try to see if I can get a call through to grandpa over there, though," Gabi answered. Martín nodded, taking a moment to retrieve his wallet. He procured a ten and a five and handed them to Gabi.

"Just in case you're not back in time for lunch. Be careful out there, ya never know if someone on the road'll be a little too excited to be back out there." Martín smiled to Gabi, who leaned in to give him a fuller hug. "See ya later, Gabs."

Gabi smiled, much more sincerely this time, as she tucked the bills into her pocket and got out of the malfunctioning van. "If anyone runs me over, let's sue 'em for a better car. Bye dad!" She said with a wave, slinking out of the van and onto the porch. Her bike was stored just inside the house for safety's sake. Once she had it, she walked it down the steps and mounted it, waving Martín off as she rode past him and down the street.

"Just look on the bright side," she thought. "Even if the library's a bust, least I can get something from Luigi's again."

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

ayyyyy

Everbrook: A Teenage Mystery RP

Name

Gabriela Mendez

Age

16

Place of Residence

144 Courtland Street

Personality Traits

Adventurous: Gabi has a zest for life that's undeniably a significant part of her personality. She's never one to sit something out if it sounds fun, especially something new. Though she of course exercises restraint in situations that are obviously and blatantly dangerous, she likes to get out and about and will do just about anything (within reason) once. An experience is nothing to miss out on, and even if it's not anything particularly meaningful, she doesn't consider anything fun to be a waste of time.

Energetic: Befitting someone who likes to be near-constantly doing things, Gabi has a lot of energy. Too much, depending on who you ask. Gabi would definitely be considered an extrovert, as spending time with her friends is a hell of a mood booster in and of itself. She's also decently athletic, and has fun with certain types of exertion like off-road bicycling, hiking, and swimming. Her energy extends to less physically-focused hobbies too. Once you get her talking about her favorite dinosaur, it's hard to get her to stop. God have mercy if you ask anything about alligators.

Affectionate: Gabi tends to be that friend who's very open with friendly affection, physical or otherwise. Whether it's a held hand, an arm draped over the shoulder, or even the occasional platonic smooch to the cheek, if Gabi cares for you and you're comfortable with it, you'll know. Outside of being physically doting, she isn't shy about telling her friends she loves them. She's definitely the type to blast someone with dozens of heart emojis when she's in a particularly good mood.

Superstitious: Nobody could tell you exactly what caused it, but Gabi is a firm believer in things beyond the normal human perception. Aliens? Most likely. Ghosts? Almost definitely. While the expedition turned out to be more a night of goofing off in the woods, Gabi has attended a bigfoot hunt more than once and was firmly determined to capture _something,_ at least before five hours of nothing in particular had passed. All the same, she maintains an interest in cryptozoology, whether local or foreign. It's not her primary hyperfixation, but it intrigues her enough to engage in.

Stubborn: Though she's generally nice and she does her best to be so, Gabi undeniably has something of a headstrong attitude too. She's not one to give up easily or drop a point when she feels it's worth arguing over, and she tends to judge a bit too quickly and hold fast to those perceptions. While not exactly a flagrant behavioral issue, she has a low tolerance for people who aren't outwardly kind and holds grudges for longer than is healthy. Unfortunately, her protectiveness of her little brother has caused him some issues with other kids his age that Gabi doesn't realize she's partially the root of, and when particularly upset, she has a tendency to lash out at people she has grievances with.

Family History/Backstory

Mother: Laura Mendez, née Anglana
Father: Martin Mendez
Brother: Jeffrey Mendez
Grandfather: Yusuf Anglana

Gabi is an Everbrook local. Her grandfather moved from Somalia to America with his daughter during her youth. Her father is of Costa Rican descent and has had family in the state for as far back as their records exist. Gabi's parents met in Everbrook after they had both moved there in the early 2000s, in the midst of a mass migration of Somali immigrants to Maine.

Gabi was born on April 4th, 2004. She was lucky enough to have a good childhood, full of formative interests that would last for years to come. She did, however, experience her fair share of bullying as a young kid, especially throughout middle school. Being of lower class, mixed ethnicity, and displaying signs of some budding mental illness created a rough environment, one that she eventually began to fight tooth and nail against. Gabi racked up a number of infractions, both for minor grievances in class and for engaging in a few full-on brawls.

Despite the trouble she got into, her grandpa supported her completely. It wasn't hard to recognize why some of the shit she got was coming her way in the first place. Gabi naturally grew very close to her grandpa, which made his health's decline all the more harsh on her. In Gabi's freshman year of high school, he became severely ill with intestinal cancer. The severity of his condition necessitated hospitalization out-of-town in Portland, and for the past year, Gabi's made it an effort to visit him as much as possible.

Lately though, that's gotten difficult. Whether it was car issues, road work, work scheduling, or inclement weather, Gabi and her family have been unable to leave the city limits of Everbrook to go and visit him. His antiquated experience with technology has even made so much as a video call near impossible, and the stress of not being able to see him has been getting to her.

Gabi believes something weird is going on. The amount of times her potential visits have been stopped short are starting to feel like more than a coincidence, but whatever it's related to, she has no idea.

Other Info

• Gabi has a lot of fun with off-road biking. She rides and maintains a hardtail mountain bike both for riding in the woods and in town.
• Gabi likes to dance and enjoys EDM. Her other favorite genre is 80's rock.
• Gabi loves both paleozoology and marine zoology. She's by no means encylopedic but she finds those types of animals the most interesting.
• Gabi's favorite animal is the alligator. She had a short obsession with Steve Irwin as a child, and she owns a life-sized alligator stuffed animal. Its name is Al E. Gator.
• Gabi is currently unemployed and believes herself far too stubborn to maintain a job in a retail setting. She's entertained taking a veterinary assistant course after high school or perhaps trying her luck as a zookeeper in a bigger city.