Sophie Dlamini

Zoey Dlamini (Sister)

Sophie Dlamini is a teen residing in Sunset Ridge, Colorado. She is a close friend of August Thrombey and Thomas Strode.

She is an outspoken lesbian, along with being a clear-headed, honest, and fearless woman, that has no qualms in talking to people in a real sense. Others find it grating and rude, but her friends appreciate her POV and understand why she is the way she is.

In the first story, she is introduced as the fearless black lesbian friend of the group. She quickly turns into a survival-driven woman and is one of four survivors of the Sunset Ridge Massacre.

She reappears in the sequel, where she has moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in becoming an artist. She lives with her girlfriend, Alanda Laurent, and is reunited with August when he comes to visit Thomas and her. But his arrival ignites a new string of killings that puts Sophie in the crosshairs.

## Biography

### Early life

Sophie was born in 2001, to Korinne and Joseph Dlamini, in Sunset Ridge, Colorado. When she was younger, Sophie met Lily Mason, with the two becoming childhood best friends. Sophie confided in Lily as she was questioning her sexuality, and Lily was supportive, promising to be there for whenever Sophie was ready. Before they started Sunset Ridge High School, Sophie finally came out to her family and to Lily. This damaged her relationship with her father, who could never accept her completely.

Sometime in 2011, Sophie's parents welcomed in a new child, Zoey. Sophie and Zoey quickly bonded, with Sophie vowing to protect her little sister no matter what. In 2015, Sophie began attending Sunset Ridge High School, where she was introduced to August Thrombey and Thomas Strode, their friendship group beginning to form.

### The Sunset Ridge Murders

Sophie is sat with her friends Lily Mason and Marcus Winters, with her listening intently to Lily share details, courtesy of her mother. When August, Freddie Blackwell, and Thomas join them, she asks August if he's okay, since he and Michael had a fling together. She then suggests that the police may have an interest in Thomas since Michael tried calling him shortly before he was killed last night. The bell rings and August and Thomas go off to their Biology class together, and Sophie jumps at the chance to urge Freddie to take the leap and make a move on August, as they're all tired off being suffocated with their sexual tension. She notices Quentin Vaughn coming over and excuses herself and Lily in order for them to talk privately.

At lunch, she joins Thomas, August, and Lily in the cafeteria. They talk about the upcoming assembly and what they're expecting to hear from the cops and the faculty. Sophie notices Quentin and Marcus talking in the distance, and gives Lily a heads up, noticing the look on her face. The group then head to the assembly, where Sophie isn't too bothered by the new rules being enforced. She watches in discreet amusement when Paul Beauregard tries acting up with Thomas and Quentin, low-key enjoying the drama unfold.

The next day and Sophie is in Mrs. Baker's class along with Freddie, talking about how she drove past Paul's house on the way to school and saw how devastated his parents were. None of them liked the Beauregards all too much, but Sophie still found it gutwrenching watching them breakdown they way they had. Her mood is uplifted when Freddie reveals he finally asked August out. Mrs. Baker then halts the class, informing them that school is suspended until further notice. Sophie is thrilled and isn't shy in showing it either, much to Freddie's dismay.

Reuniting with her friends outside, Sophie is one of the first to agree to Lily's impromptu gathering later that night. She helps persuade Freddie into coming. She gives an excuse to Lily when she asks if any of them want to help her with setting up, claiming she's going to work on some assignments.

She is next seen driving herself and her friends to Lily's house, while being escorted by the sheriff, Sarah Abbott, and deputy Paul Waitts. Once inside, she finds August and Freddie stealing a moment and tells them to quit giving each other handjobs in the hallway and come join the rest of them. After a while, she is talking with Thomas, who's encouraging her to ask out a girl she likes, but Sophie isn't sure she'd get the answer she'd want. When August and Freddie excuse themselves, she watches as an argument quickly transpires between Lily and Thomas. It results in Thomas storming outside, and Sophie tells Lily that while he may be an asshole at times, he isn't completely wrong.

A knock at the door pulls Lily away and when she returns, Sophie is unsettled and annoyed to see Quentin behind her. She claims that they agreed to not invite him, so it causes paranoia in her mind when Quentin reveals that Thomas had supposedly invited him anyways. He excuses himself to grab a beer from the kitchen and is left alone in the living room when Lily goes out to greet Marcus.

A short while later, and after a few more beers, Sophie is still alone in the living room when she begins to suspect the house is too quiet. Wondering where everyone is, she begins investigating the house while calling out for her friends. She is startled by August, who is coming in from the back door. He claims he went looking for Thomas, but couldn't find him. Sophie remains cautious of him, but when Quentin comes in through the front door, she isn't afraid to accuse him of being the killer. As August convinces them all to get outside, Blank Face sprints up the porch steps and chases Sophie and Quentin through to the living room.

After attacking Quentin, Blank Face stabs Sophie in the leg before chokeslamming her into the ground. While winded, she watches as Quentin pulls the killer into a bookshelf. Blank Face flips Quentin over their shoulder and smashes him through the coffee table. Sophie, still winded, tries to help but is easily knocked down. She is then forced to watch helplessly as Quentin is stabbed to death in front of her.

She tries running away, but Blank Face is quick to catch up, throwing her throw a window and leaving her for head.

Sophie reappears a little later, still alive, as she tries to pull a crazed Freddie off of August, but she's once more easily knocked to the ground. As August and Thomas manage to kill Freddie, Sophie lets out a long groan, confirming her survival alongside August, Thomas, and Sarah.

### The Los Angeles Murders

In 2021, three years later, Sophie, now living in Los Angeles to focus on her art career, finishes smoking a cigarette as she waits for August, Thomas, and David Evans. She's anxious to see them, specifically August as she is yet to have tell him what her first piece is. Nichole Peterson, another artist, and her assistant, Ivan Cascella, stops by as their walking into the art gallery; Sophie briefly entertains Nichole and avoids the topic surrounding August when Nichole brings him up. The other artist makes Sophie promise to introduce the two before heading inside. Ivan apologises on behalf of her and Sophie tells him to find a better employer. She heads inside herself and is stopped by Tyler Montoya, the gallery manager. He tries to fill her with confidence but she isn't so sure of his words. Her own assistant, Carly Blake, joins them and agrees with Tyler's hypemanning. The two women are then left and Sophie teases Carly over her attraction to Tyler.

They're then joined by Luis Dominguez, a friend of Sophie's who is an aspiring journalist. Sophie warns him of Nichole's presence. When Luis asks Sophie if she's told August about the painting, she confirms she hasn't and ends up being reprimanded by Luis for not having done so. She becomes tense upon hearing a Grindr notification and peers into Luis's phone to find its from someone at the event.

From behind comes Alanda Laurent, her girlfriend, and Chai Hardin, another artist and inspiration for Sophie. After settling down, Sophie receives some support from Chai, who shares a bit of his own first show jitters with her and reminding her they're all proud. Chai then leaves to mingle while Sophie and Alanda wander over to where her painting is beneath a vinyl sheet and Sophie begins to worry when Alanda eludes to her distaste for August. She makes her girlfriend promise to be good and Alanda agrees, but only until he says something and then its on.

A little while later and Sophie sends Carly away to get them a drink as she waits with Alanda and Luis; Tyler was with them but dismissed himself to handle something, and Sophie points out how miserable Ivan looks. Nichole's arrival shakes things up and Sophie decides to keep herself out of it, knowing its not got anything to do with her. She is invited to attend an event by Nichole, but when she catches a brief glimpse of the Blank Face costume, she reaces over only to find no one had been standing there. Alanda checks on her, but Sophie brushes it off, promising she's fine.

She then spies August, Thomas, and David entering the gallery and wastes no time in rushing over, pulling her two fellow survivors into a hug. She then introduces August to her friends and girlfriend, keeping an eye on how August and Alanda interact. August asks to see the painting and Alanda pulls Sophie to the side, telling her he isn't going to like it and it's going to be messy. Sophie ignores her and leads August to her painting, knowing him to instantly recognise it. August expresses his dislike for it, believing it to be exploitative, but Sophie stands her ground, stating it helped heal her own trauma.

They're interrupted by Chai, who Sophie invites out for drinks that night, but he declines. Chai then leaves and when Thomas asks if Chai is always so flirty, Sophie playfully teases him over his and August's situationship. August asks if Sophie is happy and she answers with yes, hoping that that will be enough for August to try and put his own trauma beind him.

A few hours later and Sophie has went to the Mudhole with August, Thomas, David, Carly, and Luis. She is expecting Alanda to come but hasn't heard from her in a while. August makes a playful joke regarding high school and Sophie tries passing off the next round of drinks to him, but is displeased when Thomas offers. She notices the dispute happening between Thomas and Reese Rivers at the bar, signalling David and Luis. When they bring Thomas back, she checks on him before calling Reese a weasel. After a few more drinks, she and Luis are cackling in the back of the booth when they spot Tyler joining them. She leans over and asks if he's seen Alanda; he reveals she offered to finish up, much to Sophie's annoyance. She pulls out her phone and begins calling Alanda, while excusing herself.

At her apartment the following morning, she wakes and heads into the kitchen after hearing Alanda making breakfast. She's still pissed with her for bailing last night and makes that clear by giving her the silent treatment. Alanda attempts to apologise but Sophie remains distant and focused on her phone. Carly reads her texts but doesn't respons, leading to Sophie to ring her, who then tells Sophie to turn on the TV. When Sophie does, she and Alanda learn of Reese's murder.

Sophie gets dressed and immediately rushes over to Thomas's apartment, reuniting with August and Thomas outside on the sidewalk. August begins expressing his doubts over it being merely a coinicidence, leading to Sophie to claim he is fearmongering and stating she doesn't want to live a life in fear. She invites them to come with her to her studio, so long as they don't bring up the topic of another killer.

At the studio, Sophie tells them its a bit of a rundown space which is why it's so barren and quiet. As she leads them through, they collide with Alanda and Carly, startling all of them. Sophie, after calming down, still isn't too happy with Alanda but is grateful when Alanda seems genuinely apologetic and sincere when addressing August. She gets a text from Luis, who is at the studio to see her, and dismisses herself to let him in. Upon unlocking the front door, she and Luis walk back through the warehouse, briefly mentioning Thomas's questioning with the police earlier that morning. They return to the others to find August and Thomas gone; Sophie is quick to find out the reason, becoming angered with Alanda after learning the argument. The boys rejoin and Sophie apologises as they explain they're headed out to do their own thing. Sophie confronts Alanda, who defends that it was out of worry for Sophie; Sophie warns her to stop making things difficult and tense, and that she hasn't got the right to do such things.

Sophie attends an event hosted by another artist that night. She is talking with Luis when Chai joins them, checking on if she's doing okay, to her appreciation. She notices him to be busy with Grindr and encourages him to have fun. When Chai promises to talk about a collaboration, Sophie enthuastically agrees, wanting to work with him.

A few hours later, following Chai's murder and Thomas's attack, Sophie is quick to get to Thomas's apartment and is relieved to find her friends safe. The boys update her on what the police said and Sophie is quick to suggest that they come and stay with her, thinking it'll be safer for them to be together. But things quickly become tense when August brings up Alanda with suspicion, just as Alanda arrives. The two begin bickering as August calls her timing convenient; Sophie warns them both to stop and tells Alanda to wait with David. Upon being left with just her friends, Sophie scolds August for lightly accusing her of being a murderer and August claims that they can only really trust each other. Sophie's denial is obvious and so Thomas tells her about how the killer texted his actual phone number, meaning they probably have Sophie's too. This causes Sophie to fall silent as the reveal settles in, realising that it is happening again.

Two days pass by and Sophie is trying her best to go about her life as normally as possible. She is called down to the LAPD precinct, along with August and Thomas, to talk with Detective Brad Mayfield. She does her best to cooperate but picks up on the impatience and hostility between the survivors and him, leaving her distrusting of him. Mayfield asks about their friends and such, and Sophie continues to be adamant that Alanda is to be trusted. Following the ending of the questioning, she finds a text from Carly, reminding her of another event she is to attend tonight. She mentions it to the boys, but August is critical of going out again. Sophie, exhausted as is, snaps at August and calls him out for simply wanting to disappear and stop living. She stops herself, as they both know things are heightened, and invites them to the event before heading to the studio.

When she gets to the studio, she finds Alanda and Carly, who both immediately demand to know what was said. Not in the mood for more questions, Sophie tells them it wasn't anything special before starting to prepare herself for the evening. Alanda attempts to comfort her but mistakenly brings up August, causing some friction between Sophie and her. When Alanda's phone rings, Sophie tells Alanda to answer it as she's got stuff to take care of anyways.

Sophie arrives to the event with Carly and Alanda a few hours later, where they're greeted by Demi, the main attraction of the evening. Sophie is thankful when Carly offers to get them a drink, just as Tyler joins them. He mentions August and Thomas, and Sophie picks up on the way his face twists when bringing up August. He further admits his distrust towards him, causing Sophie to defend August. But Tyler is firm in his own point, bringing up Chai and the idea that if August hadn't of come, Chai would still be alive. Carly returns and Tyler bluntly dismisses himself, leaving Sophie feeling angry, guilty and overwhelmed. She's beginning to understand why August is the way he is. Nichole tries butting into the conversation and Alanda is there to fend her off. Sophie spies Mayfield arriving at the event, concerning her.

She doesn't want to focus on that and so tries distracting herself by mingling with people there. But her plan is short-lived when Mayfield beelines straight for her; she beats around the bush and ask him what he's doing at an art event. He reminds her of the investigation underway, wanting to be there to keep an eye on things in case any more bodies drop. He point blank tells her that he thinks they have something to do with it. Before he leaves, he tells her to give the boys his regards. Sophie then throws back a shot angrily and races for the exit, her studio on the mind. She notices Carly following and at first demands her to stop, but eventually gives in and lets her come with her.

At the studio, Sophie has been taking shots as Carly attempts to comfort her, although Sophie isn't in the mood to really hear it. She expresses her feelings of deflation, starting to agree with how people look at her and the other survivors like they're to blame. She tries to find her phone but becomes angered when she realises it to be missing and tosses the whiskey bottle. Carly orders her to sit down and take a breath. Her assistant then wanders off to collect a broom and a glass of water when Sophie looks up to see Carly having stopped in her tracks.

She gets up and finds Ivan awkwardly standing there, revealing he thought he was meant to meet David here but ended up getting ghosted by him. Sophie instantly recognises something off and tugs Carly back when suddenly the killer steps out from behind Ivan and stabs him. Both girls scream, watching the killer twirl their knife before making chase after them. Sophie leads her and Carly through the warehouse, using anything in her path to fend off the killer. They find a supply room and try sneaking through the maze-like shelves as Carly tries calling the police. The killer interrupts them and causes Sophie to trip as a shelf falls onto Carly, pinning her. Sophie struggles to get her self together after hitting her head, being made to watch as the killer makes quick work of Carly, slitting her throat in an instance. Sophie tries to tackle the killer but gets a knife to the gut and falls to the ground, where the killer stabs her for a second time. Her eyes fall closed as she goes unconscious.

She is later discovered by August after coming to. They help each other to run until they're stopped by Ivan, now having been revealed as one of two killers. The masked one circles them and Sophie begins to think Alanda is the second killer, but is horrified to find Nichole under the mask. She presses the knife to Sophie's neck and Sophie is forced to hear why she did it, becoming sick to the stomach over her fame motive. Sophie gets her licks in and berates Nichole before the psychopaths bring in a bound and gagged Alanda, who they plan to frame alongside David. Sophie notices August discreetly grabbing a stapler and catches on to his crazy thinking. August attacks Ivan and Sophie tries helping but she's stabbed by Nichole who then throws her into a stack of plywood, collapsing onto her.

After August manages to kill both Ivan and Nichole, Sophie helps free Alanda and together they rejoin August, who is ecstatic to see them both alive. As Sophie wonders about Thomas, Alanda decides to ask and when August simply breaks down in tears, Sophie is quick to realise Thomas didn't make it and breaks down alongside. The sun comes up and she and Alanda are both tended to by paramedics, as Sophie watches on at August standing alone in solitude, more guilt seeping into her.

## Relationships

#### Family

* **Korinne Dlamini** - Mother
* **Joseph Dlamini** - Father
* **Zoey Dlamini** - Sister

#### Allies

* **August Thrombey** - Friend
* **Thomas Strode** **†** - Former friend
* **Sarah Abbott** - Friend
* **Alanda Laurent** - Girlfriend
* **Lily Mason** **†** - Former friend
* **Marcus Winters**
* **Quentin Vaughn** **†** - Former friend
* **Erica Rhodes †**
* **Brad Mayfield** - Reluctant ally

##### Los Angeles, CA:

* **Carly Blake †** - Former friend & assistant
* **David Evans †** - Former friend
* **Chai Hardin** **† -** Former friend
* **Tyler Montoya**

#### Enemies

* **Freddie Blackwell** **†** - Former friend and attempted killer
* **Paul Beauregard** **†**
* **Ivan Cascella †** - Attempted killer
* **Nichole Peterson †** - Former rival and attempted killer

## Appearances

* ***Grinded - Appears in 13 of 31 Chapters***
* ***Grinded Part II***

## Quotes

* *"Like August said, we have to be respectful. I don't want it on my conscience."*