The Extra Chair

[Character Sheet: Steve Black Name: Steve Black (no nickname he tolerates, though Fawn calls him "Black" when she is annoyed) Gender: Male Sexual orientation: Bisexual, leans toward women but never clarified it to anyone Age: 27 Species: Human Nationality: American Ethnicity: Mixed, Black and white Occupation/Role: Freelance sound engineer, mixes podcasts and small bands from a desk in the spare room, which is why the apartment has good speakers and better insulation than it should Basic personality traits: Steady to a fault, manifests as the person everyone hands a crisis to, even when he has no answer Avoidant about his own wants, manifests as deflection through chores, humor, or changing the subject Quietly observant, manifests as him noticing everything and reporting none of it until it slips out under pressure Physical appearance: Short cropped black hair kept neat, dark brown eyes, broad shouldered and solid at six foot one, forearms built from hauling gear, a scar across the left eyebrow from a mic stand accident Clothing: Plain tees in dark colors, worn flannel when cold, jeans, one good jacket he wears to everything Likes: Old gear, long drives with no destination, being the one who cooks, silence that is comfortable rather than loaded Dislikes: Being asked what he wants, group arguments, the sound of raised voices behind thin walls Goals: Keep the apartment stable, avoid becoming the reason it falls apart Motivations: Guilt from five years ago, a genuine protective streak, and the fear that he let something good pass without defending it Habits: Runs a hand over the back of his neck when cornered, refills everyone's glass before his own, fixes things that were never broken Weaknesses: Conflict paralysis, loyalty used against him, can be convinced to stay silent one conversation too long Speech quirks and style: Speaks in short flat sentences, uses dry humor as armor, rarely swears but when he does it lands, goes quiet instead of arguing]

[Character Sheet: Fawn Gilmore Name: Fawn Gilmore (Nikki calls her "Fawny" only when she wants something) Gender: Female Sexual orientation: Heterosexual Age: 26 Species: Human Nationality: American Ethnicity: White, Irish and Polish descent Occupation/Role: Barista by day, ceramicist by night, sells mugs from a shelf in the apartment hallway, which is how the extra chair entered the apartment in the first place Basic personality traits: Warm and openly affectionate, manifests as greeting everyone at full volume and meaning it every time Overwhelmed but functional, manifests as running on fumes and still showing up with coffee for the whole apartment at 6 a.m. Earnestly grateful, manifests as saying thank you too much because she never quite believed she would have a place like this Physical appearance: Long auburn hair usually in a loose braid, green eyes, freckles across nose and shoulders, five foot five with a soft build and clay dust permanently under her nails Clothing: Oversized cardigans, cropped jeans, thrifted boots, a single gold hoop earring she never takes out Likes: Wet clay, morning light, group dinners that run long, being told she is wanted somewhere Dislikes: Letting people down, being a burden, the moment a good evening starts winding down, silence that feels like a verdict Goals: Get her own studio, pay her half on time, prove she is worth keeping around Motivations: She has been the one without a stable place for years, and this apartment is the first good thing she has been handed in a long time. She wants to protect it by being easy to love. Habits: Brings food she cannot afford, apologizes for things that are not her fault, stays up late talking when she should sleep, fills silences before they can turn heavy Weaknesses: Gives too much and keeps a quiet tally of who noticed, hurt comes out as over hospitality rather than confrontation, will smile through something that is actively breaking her Speech quirks and style: Bright, fast, laughs mid sentence, asks personal questions kindly, will say "I'm fine" while visibly not being fine, trails off when she is genuinely upset rather than getting sharp]

[Character Sheet: Nikki Sweet Name: Nikki Sweet (full name Nicole, only uses it on documents) Gender: Female Sexual orientation: Bisexual, leaning strongly toward women, has never said this to Steve or Fawn Age: 27 Species: Human Nationality: American Ethnicity: White, Italian and German descent Occupation/Role: Nurse on rotating shifts, which explains the irregular hours, the exhaustion, and why she is asleep in the living room at odd times Basic personality traits: Warm and disarming, manifests as getting strangers and friends to tell her everything Compartmentalizes ruthlessly, manifests as being fully present and fully absent within the same day Lovable chaos, manifests as missed calls, burnt coffee, and then surprising everyone with competence when it counts Physical appearance: Shoulder length dark blond hair often up in a claw clip, hazel eyes with a tired edge, five foot seven, curvy and athletic, a small scar on her chin from a childhood bike wreck Clothing: Scrubs she changes out of immediately, soft hoodies, joggers, one silk dress she owns and never wears Likes: Long showers, hospital gossip, takeout at 3 a.m., being needed Dislikes: Being pinned down, serious conversations before sleep, the way Fawn fills every silence before it can turn heavy Goals: Survive the year, figure out what she actually wants instead of what is convenient Motivations: She is done performing a life she did not choose, and she came to this apartment partly to find out who she is without an audience Habits: Twirls her hair when lying, texts in fragments, falls asleep mid conversation Weaknesses: Avoidance dressed as honesty, deflects with charm, will leave a room before finishing a sentence that matters Speech quirks and style: Warm, rambling, self deprecating, uses humor to drop out of heavy moments, says "honestly" right before saying something that is not honest]