Post by Lori on Jul 18, 2017 23:42:55 GMT
Full Name
Monica Kimberly York
Nicknames
Mo. It's short and sweet, which she feels suits her better.
Age/Birthday
24/October 5
Zodiac
Libra
Job
Mo works full time at Kerry's Coffee House. She has been working there going on four years, since a bit after she decided to stick around Salem. A typical day for her is taking orders, bringing them to the customer and cleaning tables. Sometimes if it's quiet or slow, or if there were ever to be an open mic night of sorts Mo likes to sing covers of the Backstreet Boys. She might as well have some fun while she's working!
School
Mo spent her years of schooling in Chester, New Jersey, where she grew up. However Mo opted not to go to college, feeling as though it wasn't really for her. Rather than spend four years at school she took a year and a half to travel instead, which is how she ended up in Salem. Although since settling down she has taken a couple of online courses, specifically a computer course and a mythology class. She has yet to require any use from them professionally.
Friends
Friend might not be the exact word, but she is friendly with Callum Jenkins. He's a regular at the coffee house, always ordering tea. More often than not he comes around during slower hours and he overhears Mo singing. He's complimented her on her voice before and asked a few times to join an open mic night. While Mo wouldn't classify herself as a singer exactly, she knows Callum wouldn't have approached her unless he heard something. And she does respect the way he speaks his mind. Might not be such a bad idea to take him up on that offer.
Enemies
TBD
Interested in
Mo is pansexual. She has been in relationships with both men and women in the past, originally leading her to believe she was bi. She since came to the realization that, while she had found both attractive, it was always the person inside that mattered to her. As a result she is also open to dating someone trans or nonbinary, should they hit it off. Unfortunately she has a small habit of dating people who are not the person on the inside she thinks or feels they are. Mo has seen many a failed relationship.
Relationship Status
Mo is single and looking to hopefully settle down with Partner Right soon. It doesn't mean that she won't go out on one date with someone or avoid hooking up; she would just prefer to find something more long term.
Home
Mo has a cute apartment at Riverside. It appears bigger than it really is because she tends to not keep a lot of material possessions. With any luck, someone will come around and help her fill up that space!
Body
Mo is proud of her height, standing at 5'8 which she considers pretty tall. She is much more careful about maintaining a healthy weight since giving up being a vegan in high school. Last attending a yearly checkup she's pretty sure she was 130 something pounds. Her chest is on the smaller side but, although she doesn't personally think bigger boobs would suit her, sometimes she just can't help but compare them to other women's. She also calls her arms sticks. But her lower body, if she says so herself, is fantastic! Have you seen her legs?
Eye Color
Blue
Hair
Long, straight, strawberry blonde locks cover Mo's head and she could not be happier. She'll tie it back for work, doing whatever she'd feel most comfortable with that day, but other than that she wouldn't change it for anything.
Style
The best word to describe Mo's attire is hippie. Though how far out she'll go depends on how she's feeling when she wakes up. Some days she will keep it on the simple side, but most days she has no problem going all out with her wardrobe. Very few articles of clothing are off limits for her; blouses, skirts, sweaters, tanks, jeans - if it suits her, it's in her closet. Even though she considers herself tall already, she's perfectly fine with wearing heels that make her appear even taller. Her makeup preferences also depend on how she's feeling that day, but most days she'll at least use lipstick and foundation. Maybe nail polish, too. A must-have accessory is bracelets; one or five, wrist or ankle, Mo is more than likely wearing it every day. The trick is finding ones that fit her wrist just right.
Ethnicity
Canadian American
Playby
Sarah Fisher
Positives
Free spirited; Peacemaker; Calm; Gentle; Forgiving; Believer
Negatives
Quirky; Self conscience; Irreligious; Escapist; Offbeat; Forgiving; Pacifist
Likes
Nature; Mythology; Tarot cards; Yoga; M&Ms; Bandanas; Astrology; Skirts; Doctor Who; Gardening; Mozzarella sticks; Bracelets; Nature sounds; Backstreet Boys; Space; Heels; Alice in Wonderland; Sailor Moon
Dislikes
Natural disasters; Chili peppers; Animal abuse; Energy drinks; Marionettes; Paintball; Manipulators; Hunting; When people tell her she'll find a 'real' job; Greedy corporations; Littering; Drama; Loud noises; Negative energy; Being called a hypocrite
Family
Mother - Diedra Barnes, MIA - Mo doesn't really have any memories of Diedra, at least none she can actually remember in detail. Then again, it's probably for the best. Diedra was more than likely never meant to be a mother. She had a bit of a wild streak in college and more than likely wasn't prepared to settle down with anyone. It didn't help when she found out she was pregnant with Mo, especially after only short time of living together with Oliver. She didn't get excited feeling the baby kick. She wasn't overjoyed at the sonogram appointments. Oddly enough, she barely even felt any pain through the delivery. Somehow, Diedra just never built any kind of attachment with Mo. She ended up leaving when Mo was a toddler and hasn't been heard from since. While it isn't as though Mo has any 'mommy issues', it did kind of suck not having that one person to turn to for advice and girl talk. Would it even be so wrong that, should she end up with a girl, was kind of maternal towards her in a way her mother never was?
Father - Oliver Marlin York, Sanitation Worker - Oliver had always been a strong guy. He was tough, well-built, not to mention a little burly. It came as a bit of a surprise that a bulky guy like him was attracted to men and women. Although he had never personally leaned one way or the other, he thought he was settled when he became serious with Diedra. She grew up in Brooklyn and he in Queens, so getting their first apartment together in downtown NYC felt like the perfect fit. To say Mo came as a surprise to Oliver was a bit of a shock. They had only been living together for a year by the time she was born. Oliver had always been a great father. He did what he needed to do and made sure he provided. However, working in the sanitation department typically meant early hours for his shift so at times it was difficult to be in a similar time zone as Mo. It became increasingly difficult as she grew older. Biology aside, there was also the episode where she attempted to go vegan and it backfired on her miserably. Fortunately for Oliver he had found someone to turn to, a man named Ellison who had gone through health issues of his own in his youth. Finally feeling happy with his daughter in better health the next year and Ellison by his side, the two of them were married. And when Mo decided to travel instead of going to college, the men were faced with empty nest syndrome. They turned to a surrogate, welcoming twin girls into the world three years ago. Oliver is overall very happy with his life right now and knows Mo is in a great place as well. Though they have never been as close as they could be, he still wishes that they could work something out where Mo wouldn't live so far away and could get to know her sisters better.
Stepfather - Ellison Fitz-York, Electrician - Ellison had gone through a lot in his life. He'd lost his mother at a young age and his biological father didn't want anything to do with him. He'd been put in the foster care system until his maternal grandparents could get custody of him. Ellison never had the 'ideal' figure for a man, and while a lot of his classmates were growing muscles and growing hair Ellison found himself staying small, lanky and smooth like a baby's bottom. He ended up taking supplements to help him gain weight and become more masculine, resulting in him becoming addicted and thinking he needed them. He was sent to rehab which is where he met his first boyfriend. It was him who helped Ellison through the difficult time and ultimately get better. Unfortunately, there was still the matter of coming out to his grandparents who then proceeded to disown him when he was outed. Eventually Ellison put himself through trade school and became an electrician. By the time he was 30, even though he'd been through a lot and many failed relationships he felt happy with his life and body. That all changed when he met Oliver. They started out as friends, that is until Mo was having problems with her own body. Ellison related in a way; much like Mo felt she needed to be vegan to do the right thing, Ellison had felt he needed supplements to be the best man he could be. He became a very strong support system for Oliver in the process, which Mo was very thankful for. However afterward it was always about the two of them. While Ellison consistently attempted to make an effort with Mo, she couldn't help but feel like she was being replaced. For so long it had just been her and Oliver and suddenly Ellison was changing that. She never personally objected to their marriage; she had no problem with them being happy and wanted the best for her father. She simply didn't think it was a good fit. Things felt more awkward for her when the men announced they were expecting twins via surrogate. While Mo does not have anything against Ellison specifically, she very much now feels pushed out of the picture because of what he started. If things had been different, or maybe he came in at a different time, maybe things could have worked out.
Sisters - Aubrianna Laurent and Kennedy Giselle Fitz-York - Aubrianna and Kennedy are three years old currently and were welcomed into the world via surrogate. Though Oliver and Ellison both used their sperm in the IVF there is no way without a DNA test to be completely positive if both or just one fathered the girls. Neither Oliver nor Ellison seem interested in finding out for sure. Though they are small, both of their personalities are very much coming out. Aubrianna is a girlie girl and loves all things ponies and fairies. Though she can't vocalize it just yet, it feels strange to her that no one else in her house shares the same interests as her. Kennedy, on the other hand, somehow takes after both her fathers. She has no problem with getting dirty and is very much a tough girl. She is closer to her dads than Aubrianna, who on the other hand loves it when Mo Skypes with them. Mo has absolutely nothing against her sisters; they are family and she's happy they're here. She just wished it could have been under different circumstances.
Backstory
Diedra and Oliver were together less than a year when they decided to move in together. They were young, Diedra having just graduated college and Oliver beginning to establish something for himself in the sanitation field. They were in a committed relationship, but things quickly became serious when they found out they were pregnant. Oliver was very excited to have a child; he believed this meant it was something long term and it meant he and Diedra would be settling down together. Diedra, on the other hand, was very indifferent. She didn't enjoy being pregnant. She was not eagerly waiting the baby's arrival. She did not feel any motherly instincts kick in. What some women waited for a long while to do and who so desperately wanted to be pregnant and have a family, Diedra took completely for granted. But still, she stayed. The plan was to raise Mo together, maybe before starting school they would relocate out of downtown NYC.
But the plans changed. While Oliver was working early hours, Diedra found herself home alone with Mo. She found very little time to get out of the house. She didn't enjoy looking after someone or being a simple housewife. She would wake up next to Oliver and act as though everything would be fine; she'd do around the house what she had to and go to Mo when she couldn't handle the crying anymore; she'd do the shopping, the cleaning, the cooking, the works. But everyone has their breaking point. Diedra's came when Mo was about three years old. She started the day as normal, but retreated to her room while Mo watched TV or was napping. It had nothing to do with Mo acting out or that particular day being worse than any others. It was just the day that Diedra decided she didn't want to be there anymore. She waited until about two hours before Oliver would come home; Diedra put Mo in her playpen , distracting her with a bunch of toys. When Oliver came home, he was shocked to see Mo by herself and nothing of Diedra's left in the apartment. Neither of them had heard from her since.
Confused and heartbroken, Oliver found himself having to pick up the pieces of his now broken family. He had no idea what to do; all he knew was that he couldn't stay in the apartment. He took Mo and relocated to Chester, a town in Jersey. Houses and stores felt few and far in between at times, and some areas felt very rural to Oliver, which was the opposite of what he knew having lived in Queens and NYC. But it was different enough where Oliver would forget the heartache and, ultimately, it ended up being the best place for Mo. She quickly grew an affinity for nature and animals. When she was outside she could most often be seen gardening, doing yoga or merely watching the animals that lived nearby. It was her daily ritual, something that always appealed to her more than being cooped up inside.
Initially, and perhaps ironically, Mo was very into science. A huge factor in that was her interest in space, thanks to the anime Sailor Moon. When she eventually caught on that all of the characters and their powers reflected something to do with their planet - the symbols, the personalities, the elements - she became interested in astrology and zodiacs. She was mesmerized by how much those could factor into a person. Maybe sometimes a reason a person acted the way they did, or had the interests that they did was because of their zodiac. Those kinds of things could indirectly shape a person's life or point them in the direction of a career! Slowly but surely, Mo began to shift away from the logic and expansion of science and more towards the possibilities of the unknown, and space and the world itself. She believed that everything happened for a reason and that astrology in some way or another had to play a part. She began watching her classmates closely, observing how they acted and reacted. She took note of their interests, their hobbies, what they thought about certain things; she paid close attention to their personalities in general. She then compared what she saw to what their zodiacs said, to see how much was from that and what actually came from her classmates.
Although very mellow in general and easily distracted by her interests, growing up without a mother around did present disadvantages. With Oliver continuing to work early hours and going to bed shortly after dinner, the familial situation wasn't exactly ideal for Mo. As much as she knew her father loved and cared about her, she sought and desired companionship from more than just him. She found herself giving into people very easily and taking the topic of forgiveness very lightly when someone did or was wrong. Although sometimes looks played a factor as well, Mo always thought there was more to a person than just that and was positive that there were good people deep inside. One such case was the boyfriend she had when she was fifteen, a boy in her class named Zaire. They shared many similarities and both were into nature; it seemed like a good fit. However Zaire was a vegan. He wasn't crazy about Mo not being one as well and took her to a couple of protests. One was a major riot; it was against a company testing their products on animals. Mo absolutely hated it and decided she wanted to do something. Not only did she become active in animal rights, but was convinced by Zaire to go vegan. She cut out all things meat, including fish, which meant she was cutting out a huge portion of her diet. Mo could not get into tofu and relied mostly on fruits and vegetables. She took no supplements or anything to make up for the nutrition and vitamins she was missing out from meat, which ultimately took a toll on her body. At first it was just losing some weight, but the lack of food expanded to continual lightheadedness and mood swings. It got so bad that one day, Mo just collapsed.
It was a bit of a difficult time for Mo and Oliver. She had to be convinced to going back to meat and to giving her body the strength back that it had been missing. Mo put up a fight at first and attempted to continue going vegan. During that time, Oliver felt a bit helpless. He went to a support group about how to deal with body issues. It was a rather large group, with everyone having a specific point of view about something. One participant he met was a man named Ellison, who had suffered from body issues in his youth. His story was unique in that he had always tried to gain weight and became addicted as a result. Although it was not the same as what Mo was going through, Ellison was able to give Oliver some insight on how to help. When Mo argued about her eating habits, Oliver knew how to turn it around thanks to Ellison. It took that next summer, but it wasn't until Mo saw Oliver break down for her own eyes that she knew something had to change. She returned to school the next year the girl she once was, swearing to never go vegan - or even vegetarian - again. Unfortunately, Zaire didn't see it the same way. When Mo told him she couldn't keep it up, he looked at her as though she were betraying him. He ended things with Mo, which broke her heart. After all the trouble she'd gone through because of him, not to mention the effort she at least tried to put in, it wasn't good enough.
As if things didn't seem bad enough for her, some months later Oliver revealed that he was dating Ellison. It confused Mo, though not because her father was with a man. She had no understanding of how it happened. Oliver explained it as Ellison helping him through a difficult time, even going so far as to feeling like he saved Mo's life. Mo was grateful to the support Ellison offered her father, naturally, but the two of them were so different. She was perplexed at how they could end up together. Their zodiac signs weren't compatible. They didn't share a lot of the same interests. Ellison was nothing like the partner Oliver had gone for in the past - at least not that Mo knew of. They really only bonded because of health reasons. The answer should have been simple; they fell in love. Somehow, to Mo, it didn't seem like it should have been that easy.
The two men made it official and were married shortly before Mo graduated high school. Mo didn't object, but she did feel weird living under the same roof as them. Oliver preferred he'd have someone while Mo was away at college. Except that Mo didn't see herself continuing her education. She kind of wanted to travel and explore. She felt like she'd gain so much more knowledge from taking a road trip across the country rather than stay at school in one place for four years. It was difficult at first; what parent wasn't afraid to let their child go off into the world on their own? Evidently, they agreed and Mo was off.
Some places Mo stayed in longer than others, but hardly for more than a month at a time. She'd gone through North Carolina and Tennessee. She drove through Louisiana in time for Mardi Gras. She drove through the Midwest and, consequently, a few towns in the middle of nowhere. Admittedly, it would have been nice to find a place to settle down in. She wanted her own space, away from her dad and his husband; a place to call her own where she felt would be good for her. Don't get her wrong, there were a few mishaps along the way. Her worst boyfriend was Zaire; her worst girlfriend was one she met in her travels, a woman named Candida. She wasn't interested in pursuing a monogamous relationship. She was couch hopping, in a way, but never didn't have somewhere to go. Between that and Mo's traveling, she basically used their 'homelessness' as a meal ticket for support and pity. Most of the pity money she did somehow get went to weed; Candida never went long without it from somewhere or in something. It was too much for Mo to handle, and one of the first times she had to be strong enough to end something on her own and for her.
Eventually her travels took her completely on the other side of the country to California. Mo fell in love with the weather and atmosphere. Oh sure, some parts were definitely more expensive than Jersey and don't get her started on some of the mudslide areas she'd looked at. But to her, it felt kind of right. The tricky part was finding somewhere she'd want to stay. She had just turned twenty when she found herself driving through the town of Salem. She happened to see a sign in the coffee shop that said they were hiring. Mo took a chance and applied. She admitted her past jobs didn't last very long due her traveling, but was hoping that her seeing the country and doing different things would be enough to convince the owner. They liked her enough to hire her, at least for part time work. Mo lived out of her car the next several months, in hopes of saving up for an apartment somewhere not too far away. It was also during that time when Oliver and Ellison revealed they were going to try to expand their family. They had gone to a clinic and met with a professional to talk about an IVF process, even going so far as to meet with women who were surrogates. When Mo asked why, it was essentially the empty nest syndrome talking. But she knew it was more than that; Oliver wanted to have a full family again. He hadn't had anything like that since Diedra left. Mo had confessed at first that she wasn't thrilled with it; it wouldn't be so terrible to be an older sister, but now living on the West Coast would mean her hardly being around. There was the suggestion of her returning, which she quickly shut down. Mo didn't want to go back. Even if she didn't technically have a home at that point, she felt like she was home. And if this was a thing Oliver and Ellison wanted, she wasn't going to stand in their way.
A little over a year later, Mo got the call that her sisters Kennedy and Aubrianna were born. Of course she flew back to Jersey to meet them; she stayed there for a little over two weeks. Admittedly, it wasn't so bad. She felt awkward in a way, but nowhere near as bad as she was expecting. She returned to Salem with the promise to keep in touch and Skype. The next year, she moved out of the tiny studio apartment in downtown Salem and into the Riverside Apartment Complex. Since then she's continued to work at the coffee house, eventually becoming a full time employee, been in and out of a couple of short relationships, and kept in contact with the parents and sisters. Supposedly they plan to fly out to Salem within the next year. Mo's life may not be completely ideal at the moment; she'd like a partner, maybe to take another trip with her car before turning it in, maybe earn a little more money, not to mention travel abroad to countries like London and Greece. Overall, she's content with her life as is right now. She believes when the time is right something will come along the way and point her in the right direction. In the meantime, she can always binge Sailor Moon and Doctor Who!
Random
♎She finds it easiest to fall asleep listening to nature sounds.
♎Mo considers herself atheist, although she's not a religious person in general.
♎After graduating high school, Mo leased a 2011 Mazda, which she eventually decided to keep for herself. She hopes at some point in the future it'll take another road trip with her.
♎She is very interested in tarot cards, although is extremely basic with reading herself. She could never do it professionally! She would love to get a reading for herself though.
♎She first became interested in mythology when she watched the movie Hercules on video at age five. And, honestly, she kind of likes the idea of there being multiple gods instead of just 'one big guy'.
♎Mo has not had the best of luck with relationships and always seems to go for the ones who don't commit or aren't a good fit for her. She's attempting to look into her zodiac to see if there's a sign or reasoning behind it. Presumably she'd be most compatible with a Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius or Aquarius. But it's not like she's picky!
♎She attempted to go vegan in high school. It did not affect her health or body positively. Although she is very much against animal abuse and cruelty, Mo does not like it when people look down on her for eating meat.
♎Mo is very much a morning person. Unless she's been up late or isn't feeling well, she is typically awake bright and early and ready for the day!
♎If her car had a name she'd choose Humphrey but...well, you could see why that would be a bad idea!
Music
♎Backstreet Boys
♎Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
♎Power of Love - Celine Dion
♎Life is a Highway - Rascal Flats
♎Brighter Than the Sun - Colbie Caillat
♎Give Your Heart a Break - Demi Lovato
♎Do You Believe in Magic - The Lovin' Spoonful