City Overview

Metro/Downtown

Brighton Heights is one of the oldest cities in the Skye Moon Universe — a metro-dense, fast-moving community built on grit, family, and the kind of loyalty that doesn’t come easy. The city pulses with history: red brick rowhouses and decades-old fire stations stand shoulder to shoulder with new high-rises and gentrified cafés.

Generations of firefighters, musicians, nurses, and hustlers have come through this city. The kind of place where you either make something of yourself or get swallowed by the very streets that raised you. Brighton Heights doesn’t offer easy lives, but it does offer real ones — filled with heartbreak and healing, fire and forgiveness.

What sets this city apart isn’t just its skyline or sports teams — it’s the people. Blue-collar and brilliant, stubborn and soft in all the right places. They love hard, hold grudges longer, and show up when it counts. You’ll find community cookouts at Station 32, secrets whispered over fried chicken at Lucielle’s, and bonds forged in smoke, sweat, and soul.

Brighton Heights is where the past collides with the present, and love—complicated, beautiful, Black love—burns bright at the center of it all.

Schools

Colleges:

• Brighton Heights A&M (HBCU, Tigers)

High Schools:

• Brighton Heights School of Arts

Middle Schools:

• P.S. 14

Fire Department:

• House 32 (Truck 57, Squad 3)

  • Annual Family & Friends Cookout

  • Annual basketball game vs. local youth

  • 24-hour shifts, 2 days off in between

Police Department:

• 7th Precinct

Hospitals:

• Mercy West

Jail:

• Edgewood Correctional Facility

Lucielle’s

• Vibe: Family-owned, welcoming, deeply Southern

• Known for: Smothered pork chops, peach cobbler, gospel brunch on Sundays

Melvin’s

• Vibe: Upscale and lowkey dangerous

• Known for: Blackened catfish, bourbon bread pudding, hush-hush high-stakes gambling in the back

Calypso

• Vibe: Artsy, colorful, always playing neo-soul

• Known for: Rum-soaked French toast, jerk shrimp & grits

• Tidbit: A favorite for Brighton Heights A&M students nursing a hangover or a heartbreak

Sasha’s

• Vibe: Elegant brunch lounge

• Known for: Mimosa towers, loaded croissant sandwiches

• Tidbit: Often doubles as a date spot and a meetup for young professionals

Henry’s

• Vibe: No-frills, always packed

• Known for: Legendary fried chicken, sweet tea that’ll rot your teeth

• Tidbit: They say if you haven’t been to Henry’s, you’re not really from Brighton Heights

Amaze ‘n Bagel

• Vibe: 24/7 diner energy with a quirky twist

• Known for: Custom bagel sandwiches, “moonlight mimosas”

• Tidbit: Popular overnight spot for first responders coming off shift

Expresso Love

• Vibe: Cozy, indie, warm-toned and eclectic

• Known for: Honey cinnamon lattes, poetry nights, vegan pastries

Tiny Tavern Bistro

• Vibe: Hidden gem, rustic-modern design

• Known for: Gourmet flatbreads, craft cocktails, and housemade bitters

• Tidbit: Hosts “Vinyl and Vibes” every Thursday night with rare DJ sets

Letty’s

• Vibe: The neighborhood dive with an edge

• Known for: Spiked lemonade, wings with names like “Caution” and “Death Wish”

• Tidbit: Where cops and criminals occasionally drink at opposite ends of the same bar

G Shotz Juice Bar

• Type: Juice & smoothie bar

• Location: Near the Brighton Heights School of Arts

• Known for: Detox blends, green smoothies, and influencer sightings

• Tidbit: A frequent spot for younger characters — and a safe neutral ground for meetings no one wants to be seen having elsewhere.

Key Places

BH Observatory

• Type: Civic science landmark & local attraction

• Location: High hill near Oak Grove

• Known for: Stargazing events and school trips

Billy’s Pool Hall

• Type: Dive bar & old-school pool hall

• Location: Parkview, tucked behind an old laundromat

• Known for: 8-ball tournaments and underground betting

• Tidbit: Mob ties are whispered about but never confirmed. If you know the right person, the back room opens for more than just billiards.

Russo’s Men’s Warehouse

• Type: Formalwear emporium

• Location: Commercial strip in East Village

• Known for: Tailored suits, silk ties, and unspoken allegiances

• Tidbit: The owner, Mr. Russo, has fit everyone from mayors to mobsters. He keeps no records but remembers every name.

B Rich Records

• Type: Independent record label

• Location: Warehouse-style building in East Village

• Known for: Discovering raw talent from the streets of BH

• Owner: Brian Rich

• Tidbit: The label’s success hides its tangled history with shady funding and fierce rivalries. Industry eyes are always watching — or copying.

Golden Gloves Gym

• Type: Boxing gym and training facility

• Location: Edge of Pinewood Gardens

• Known for: Producing underground champions and giving second chances

• Tidbit: Owned by former boxer Casimir White, the gym is part sanctuary, part proving ground. Young fighters come to make a name — or lose one.

Sports Teams

Brighton Heights Blaze

Sport: Basketball
Colors: Crimson, gold, and jet black
Mascot: A flaming phoenix
Arena: The Pit — a gritty indoor stadium known for its deafening crowd
Vibe: Fast-paced, unforgiving, relentless

Born from the city’s firehouse legacy and streetball roots, the Blaze is more than a team — it's a statement. They're explosive, cocky, and known for dramatic comebacks that light the crowd up. Players are local heroes and walking scandals. One wrong look in the locker room could cost a season.

City Tie-Ins:

• Station 32 hosts annual Blaze fundraisers

• Several characters may be former players or involved in the team through family or media

Brighton Heights Rooks

Sport: Baseball
Colors: Charcoal, royal blue, and white
Mascot: A chess rook fused with a baseball bat
Stadium: Rookfield Park — an older stadium tucked between East Village and Parkview
Vibe: Strategic, underestimated, legacy-driven

The Rooks don’t win through flash — they win with precision. Known for their disciplined plays and unexpected rookies from the Heights themselves, the team has a reputation for building talent from nothing. To play for the Rooks means you outthink, outlast, and outgrow.

City Tie-Ins:

• Known to support youth leagues in Pinewood Gardens and Oak Grove

• Rumors say a few characters’ fathers or uncles once played in the minor league system

Brighton Heights Red Wolves

Sport: Football
Colors: Blood red and silver
Mascot: A snarling wolf with glowing red eyes
Stadium: Wolf Den — massive, rowdy, and always sold out
Vibe: Gritty, emotional, hard-hitting

The Red Wolves are a source of pride and pain. With their aggressive play style and underdog mentality, they’ve built a reputation for upsets — and brutal losses. The Heights shows up every Sunday, win or lose, because for them, it’s more than football — it’s faith.

City Tie-Ins:

• Many Brighton Heights characters grew up as die-hard Wolves fans

The Neighborhoods

Oak Grove

Old money meets deep roots.

One of the oldest neighborhoods in Brighton Heights, Oak Grove is full of historic brownstones, iron-wrought fences, and families who’ve lived on the same block for three generations. It’s the kind of place where neighbors check on each other and every elder has a key to somebody else’s house. You’ll find church hats, secret family recipes, and plenty of “we don’t talk about that side of the family” energy.

• Danica White lives here

• Vibe: Generational pride, Black excellence, hushed family drama

Fallwood

Working-class warmth with fire in its bones.

Fallwood is the heartbeat of the city — a neighborhood full of firefighters, nurses, teachers, and folks who hustle because they have to, not because they want to be rich. The houses are modest, the bonds are strong, and front porch conversations often turn into cookouts. Loyalty matters more than money here.

• Keaghan Tucker and Cece Griffin live here

• Vibe: Blue-collar, ride-or-die energy, found family

East Village

College vibes, creatives, and controlled ambition.

Home to BH A&M and surrounded by bookstores, cafés, and corner apartments, East Village is full of students, professors, and the kind of young professionals trying to “make it.” It’s gentrifying fast, but still holds on to its roots — especially around the block parties, step shows, and art collectives.

• Miesha White lives here

• Vibe: Intellectual hustle, old meets new, career-first relationships

Parkview

Quiet privilege tucked in plain sight.

Tree-lined and carefully manicured, Parkview is where the money doesn’t brag — but it shows. Think two-car garages, HOA meetings, and discreet security systems. On the surface, it’s calm and clean. But behind those curtain-drawn windows? Emotional distance, buried tension, and families holding it together for appearances.

• Pierce “Will” Williams lives here

• Vibe: Controlled elegance, slow-burning tension, legacy expectations

Pinewood Gardens

Old-school roughness turned reluctant cool.

Once considered one of the rougher parts of Brighton Heights, Pinewood Gardens has undergone a quiet transformation. It’s still a bit rugged, but you’ll find young creatives moving in, aunties with thriving gardens, and front yards that double as sermon space. It’s real, and it’s rising.

• Casimir White lives here

• Vibe: Reformed toughness, family-run side hustles, slow-gentrifying

Ivory Towers

Run-down, overlooked, and forgotten by design.

Despite the name, Ivory Towers is anything but pristine. It's a collection of low-income high-rise buildings known more for broken elevators and police tape than luxury. But within its worn-down walls, families survive, dream, and fight to rise — even if the world keeps pushing them down.

• Vibe: Survival mode, community under pressure, realness without romanticizing

Central Oaks

The heart of the city — caught between who it was and what it’s becoming.

Central Oaks is the city’s crossroads. It’s where people from every background mingle, clash, and coexist. There are corner stores that know your name, aging brick buildings next to new storefronts, and a rhythm that keeps everyone moving. It's not flashy, but it's undeniably alive.

• Vibe: Transitional energy, layered stories, a mix of old and new

• Characters from any background could easily pass through here

Characters

The White Siblings

Parents: Harold & Leanne White
Neighborhood: Oak Grove (Danica), East Village (Miesha), Pinewood Gardens (Casimir)

• Miesha White (Ignited) – Eldest; admissions counselor at BH A&M; in love with Will

• Danica White (Ember) – Middle child; middle school teacher at P.S. 14; engaged to Keaghan.

• Casimir White (Compulsive) – Youngest; former boxer, now owns Golden Gloves gym; romantically connected to Iniko Paolucci

Station 32 Firehouse Circle

Location: Fallwood
Notable Events: Annual friends & family cookout, community basketball game

• Keaghan Tucker (Ember) – Lieutenant; ex-fiancée Monae Butcher; Danica’s fiance

• Cecilia “Cece” Griffin (TBD) – Paramedic; Will’s ex situationship; lives in Fallwood

• Olivia “Allie” Allison – Paramedic; on maternity leave

• Donald “Charlie” Charles – Firefighter

• Brian Wade – Firefighter; Allie’s partner

• Raleek Alexander (Soul Ties) – Firefighter; has a daughter with Camila Griffin; love interest: Shaianne

• Christian Snow – Fire chief

• Zuri Hicks – Paramedic filling in for Allie

BHPD & Law Enforcement

Precinct: 7th
Notable: Officers often walk a moral gray line; crime is layered

• Aesir Matthews (Ten/Twenty) – Violent crimes detective; Anne Holloway was his mother figure

• Eva Headley – Officer with unnamed partner

• Evan Taylor – Sergeant

• Tina Erwin – Desk sergeant

• Lucas Dennis – Aesir’s deceased partner

The Williams Siblings & Ties

Neighborhood: Parkview (Will), mixed (others)

• Pierce “Will” Williams (Ignited) – Squad lieutenant; Miesha’s love interest; Cece’s ex

• Brooke Williams (Ten/Twenty) – Will’s half-sister; ex-stripper; Aesir’s love interest; college senior

• Lisa Williams – Willl’s mother

Ten/Twenty Extended Circle

• Artemis Hudson (Compulsive) – Nurse practitioner; Aesir’s best friend; Casimir’s love interest

• Natasha Matthews – Aesir’s mother; responsible for Anne’s death

• Anne Holloway – Deceased; mother figure to both Brooke and Aesir

Soul Ties Network

• Raleek Alexander – Firefighter; father to Melody

• Camila Griffin – Nail tech; Melody’s mother

• Shaianne Barnes – Photographer; Raleek’s love interest

• Kenyon Alexander – Raleek’s cousin; hitman; estranged from family

• Iniko Paolucci – Influencer; daughter of crime boss Marquise; Casimir’s former flame

• Marquise Paolucci – Crime boss

• Jermaine Ennis – Former right-hand man; betrayed Marquise

• Jin – Rival Korean crime boss; mistress was killed by Kenyon

• Fredrick “Rock” Moss – Iniko’s bodyguard

• Chessie – Housekeeper for the Paoluccis

Skin Circle

• Kaisa McCoy – Aspiring campaign manager; cousin to Sakari

• Milo Young – Programmer and engineer; Kaisa’s best friend-turned-love

Community + Background Characters

• Nancy Joseph – Advertising agent

• DJ B (Patrick Brown) – Radio host

• Kentson Bunch – Cook at Lucielle’s

• Sophia Hernandez – Waitress at Lucielle’s

• Shawn Yard – Mayor of Brighton Heights

Crossover/Extended Universe Characters

• Dylan Parker (formally Gray) – Artemis’ best friend, skincare entrepreneur (Dylightful Glow), Nixon’s wife.

• Rowan Gray – Dylan’s twin sister; vlogger

• Gwen & Charlie Gray – Parents; father is a musician

• Eddie Monroe – Grandfather

• Nixon Parker – Casimir’s best friend; husband to Dylan

• Aurora & Legend Parker – Nixon’s siblings

• Anisa Parker – Nixon’s mother