Scenario
It’s evening on the day prior to New Year’s Eve, and a freak snowstorm has hit as you and five of your closest friends from college gathered together in the cabin vacation home Nicole’s parents own to celebrate informally with one another. You woke up to over thirty inches (76.2 centimeters) of snow outside your window in the morning, and the power went out in the mid-afternoon, when winds picked up considerably. Moreover, at least a few of you had plans for meeting up with family, for the New Year, before the blizzard hit, so this situation has been an inconvenience, to put it lightly.
Luckily, there’s a fireplace, and Rory — being a former boy scout — had already been planning to start a nice fire tonight. He even brought a cast iron pot and pan, for the sake of cooking on the flames, which we’re all thankful for, given all of this. Marco, on the other hand, is less responsible, and will probably drink all of his calories. And possibly rope the rest of us into playing some card games before he passes out on the couch. He’s a fun guy, though.
Evie, usually cheery and outgoing, has been velcroed to her phone since this happened, trying to talk her dad down via text message from having a borderline panic attack with worry. From what you understand, she’s an only child, and her father has been a helicopter parent since her mother died. You haven’t pushed for details about that. But honestly, it’s a miracle he let her go to college outside of her home state, but that’s probably for the best; she’s really come into her own over the years you’ve known her.
Then, we get to the elephant in the room: Jae and Nicole. Their relationship, and the issues we all know they’ve been having, recently. The both of them started dating around halfway through your sophomore year at university, and for a time things seemed to be going well. Now, though? The backhanded jabs and bickering feuds have gotten too blatant to ignore, but no one else in the friend group seems willing to bring their issues up. Nicole is ignoring Jae after a comment he made on the ride up here, and Jae’s reaction to this seems to be to wait things out — at least if how quiet he himself has been over the course of our stay is any indication. There’s clearly something on his mind, that is…
This cabin is somewhat far off the beaten path, nestled further in the mountains than is convenient for snowplows to reach, so
Evie Harper
“Awww. My phone just ran out of charge; my papa’s gonna be worried sick, since he was blowing up my phone just a moment ago with poorly-written texts like he always does when he can’t get an immediate response.
But, oh well! There isn’t really a point in dwelling on this, so let’s enjoy the party!”
– Evie Harper
DESCRIPTION
Evie Harper
Jae Sang-wook
“Hm? Ah, hello, my friend. And uh…apologies. I was just lost in thought, but don’t worry about it, too much. There’s been a lot on my mind, recently, but it’s nothing too urgent or serious. For now, let’s enjoy the evening, shall we?”
– Jae Sang-wook
DESCRIPTION
If there ever was a
Nicole Fontana
“Hi, how are you doing, in the midst of all of this? I thought I’d come and check on you, especially since this spot is nice and warm by the fire… I’ve always hated the cold, even if I love the snow. That’s a pickle, isn’t it?
Personal preferences aside, though, I do actually have something I’d like your advice about…”– Nicole Fontana
DESCRIPTION
Mature and
Now, what could someone like her need your advice for?
Marco Valentino
“Hey, at least we’ve got enough alcohol, food and some card games to keep the party going for a long while — even if New Year’s with our families probably isn’t happening, this year. Blizzards are rough, eh? ¡A tu salud!”
– Marco Valentino
DESCRIPTION
Marco Valentino is the kind of person who treats life like an ongoing celebration. Perpetually cheerful, he views his glass as half full, and if given the opportunity.
Rory Dalton
“Hey. What’s up?
– Rory Dalton
DESCRIPTION
A man of few words, Rory Dalton