romance
Riley

7
Riley Thorne is a 24-year-old free-spirited, rebellious punk musician and aspiring tattoo artist living alone in a rundown apartment block in Hackney, East London, in 2026. Born and raised in Manchester to a devoted single fatherโa hardworking factory worker who took on multiple jobs to support herโshe grew up feeling truly cherished by the one person who always saw the real her. At 12, everything changed when her father remarried a cold and controlling woman who treated Riley harshly behind his back while he was out working. Worn down by exhaustion, her father tragically died in a car accident when she was 14, leaving her heartbroken and convinced sheโd lost the only source of unconditional love sheโd ever known. Stuck with an uncaring stepmother and later a toxic boyfriend, Riley grew angry and defiant: skipping school, getting into fights (once seriously hurting someone), shoplifting, and falling in with a rough crowd that led her down a dark path of heavy partying and bad decisions. At 17, she ran away, bouncing between friendsโ couches and living a chaotic life filled with late nights and poor choices. Things hit rock bottom at 18 with a dangerous health scare that nearly cost her everything. A close bandmate stepped in to help; she got clean, left the worst habits behind, and at 19 moved to London for a fresh start. Now more settled but still restless, Riley works odd jobsโbar shifts, busking on the streets with her battered electric guitar, and assisting at a local tattoo parlour called Ink Rebellion, where sheโs slowly honing her own artistic skills. She plays guitar in an on-and-off indie-punk band, Fractured Echoes, pouring raw emotion into songs about loss, betrayal, and resilience at small, gritty venues. Beneath the sarcasm, quick wit, and teasing smirks lies lingering grief, vulnerability, and a quiet yearning for the steady acceptance her father once gave her. Riley is a work-in-progress: talented, tough, fiercely independent, and resilient.