dark as midnight sun, smoke as black as charcoal fills into our fragile lungs.
cause when our demons come, dancing in the shadows, to a game that can't be won.
cameron bishop; 35 yrs | owner of Paradise point resort
TW: child death, parental neglect, parental death, burn out
After inheriting a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company from his father, Cameron burned himself out working to turn the company around and get rid of all of the corruption and shady business his father was involved in. After having reaching his absolute limit, Cam's psychiatrist ordered him to leave New York and to stop working on Gem Pharmaceuticals for at least a year. He set off for Briar Ridge where he's having a hard time leaving work behind completely, but is excited to get to spend this time getting closer to his child.
Jeremiah and Somone Bishop were very much on track to living the American dream. Somone was a oncologist and Jeremiah had inherited a small pharmaceutical company from his father. When they had their first child, Gemma, their dreams seemed to have come true and they were ready to be the perfect, happy family
That dream was shattered a year later when Gemma was diagnosed with an incredibly aggressive and rare disease. The next four years of hospital stays, medical trials, and other treatments tore Somone and Jeremiah apart. When Gemma finally passed away at the age of 5, there was little love left between the couple
Somone couldn’t bear the thought that she hadn’t been able to save their daughter. She buried herself into research on the disease that took Gemma away from them. Jeremiah threw himself into getting investors and investments to grow the company so that he could finance his wife’s research, eventually growing Gem Pharmaceuticals (newly rebranded and renamed after their deceased daughter) into a multibillion dollar pharmaceutical company
What started with such good intentions though, quickly turned… not so good. Jeremiah was determined to grow the company, no matter the cost. He made a lot of shady deals, paid off politicians, etc. The company was mostly successful because of these dealings
Cameron was born three years after his sister died, with parents who were more concerned about having a child to carry on the family name than anything else. Sure, it was almost a defense mechanism after all the heartache they went through with his sister’s death, but that didn’t excuse the lack of attention or warmth towards their son
While Cameron grew up with what many would consider a silver spoon, his sister’s death was constantly held over him, and Cameron knew he had to do good by his older sister, he couldn’t waste the opportunity she didn’t get to have
He studied hard, went to business school at MIT, all with the intention of taking over the family business, of which he knew nothing about his father’s less than reputable dealings
After graduating from business school, Cam started returning to Briar Ridge once a year. It was during these vacations that he and Genesis ___ built up their friendship again after she broke Cam's heart by falling for someone else when they were kids
Eventually, the two fell in love and were married. Cam moved to Briar Ridge to be with her, they even had a child together a few years after they were married. Everything was perfect. Until it wasn't.
While living in Briar Ridge, Cameron still worked for Gem Pharmaceuticals back in New York. He travelled back and forth constantly and even when he was home, he buried himself in his work. This was obviously incredibly unfair to Genesis and their child.
Eventually, Genesis asked for a divorce, and Cameron, so taken aback that he could have taken for granted the two people he loved most in this world, agreed to sign the papers.
Shortly after the divorce was finalized, Cameron's father passed away. Since Gem Pharmaceuticals was passed down to him, it became necessary for Cameron to move back to New York so that he could run the company full time.
Very quickly after he took over, Cameron finally realized the truth behind Gem Pharmaceuticals success. He threw himself into legitimizing the business in an effort to bury the pain and shame he felt over his divorce. He was good at it though and soon, things started going so well that they didn't need his father's shady dealings anymore to succeed.
He absolutely refused to uphold any of his father's under the table agreements and pissed a loooooooooooot of very powerful people off.
He was obsessed with making a name for himself, with legitimizing the business, he literally dropped everything else in his life
It got to the point where a year and a half ago, he completely burned out
His psychiatrist put him on a mandatory leave of absence and told him to leave New York, leave anything to do with his family’s business behind for the foreseeable future
His family owned a beach house in Briar Ridge Hills, where he often spent summers as a kid growing up, so Cameron came here, looking to find himself outside of his newly created legacy. And to finally build a real relationship with his child.
He bought Paradise Point to try something new and hopefully keep himself busy
Included: lots of cheap holiday themed chocolates and snacks, a Christmas coloring and activity book with glitter crayons, ugly Christmas reindeer socks, a copy of a few classic Christmas movies on DVD, and a bottle of Bailey's for his hot chocolate.
Merry Christmas Boss Man,
If your childhood was anything like mine, you might've missed out on some of the cliché holiday spirit that is cheap chocolate and commercialism. Consider it a peace offering?
-Nia.
She knew realistically that even if she and Marcus had broken up for a different reason, she probably would've still lost Cameron as well but maybe it wouldn't quite be the additional wound that it was. Reminding herself again that it was Marcus' family that had pushed the break up onto her ex, Kira's jaw tightened slightly. "Seems so." Her voice was a little clipped and it was almost like the little reminder had removed the awkwardness from her body and had just replaced it with tension. "Has a sneaky way of creeping up on you, doesn't it?"
She knew realistically that Cameron wasn't the one she was truly angry at, or who her anger should be directed to but the part of her who had seen him as a brother, as her friend, just wanted to stamp on his foot and walk away. "Well, it seems you two still compete against each other the same." Brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, Kira shook her head. "I'm not doing this here anymore, Cameron, I can't. Let's just stop acting like we're friends, okay? We were, no we're not, I can't do this."
"That it does." he answered with a shake of his head, "That. It. Does." Life had snuck up on him in so many ways over the last few years. From suddenly and unexpectedly inheriting his father's company, to the discovery of his father's less than upright business practices, to burning out and having to move to Briar Ridge, to finding his ex had moved there to - life had been one gigantic curve ball for several years straight and Cameron couldn't help but wonder if it was ever going to straighten out.
Shaking his head and bringing himself back to the conversation at hand, he couldn't help the frown that came to his lips as she quickly squashed any hope that this could turn into a friendly catch up. "Come on, Kira-" he stopped himself, chewing on the inside of his cheek, knowing full well he didn't have the right to ask that of her anymore. Like she said, they weren't friends anymore. He couldn't ask anything of her. "Okay, fine," he raised his hands as if in surrender. "We don't have to do this now, but I do hope we get the chance to maybe start over some time, since I'm living down here, now." he said quietly, hoping she saw the sincerity in his eyes, heard it in his voice. "We can talk about the past, or we can not talk about it, it's up to you." With that, he pulled his grocery cart back a bit, preparing to turn around and give her space, to show her he really was leaving it up to her and what she wanted, but he paused, looking up to meet her gaze once again. "But please know, Kira, I never would have done anything to get in the way of your happiness." With that, he turned his cart around and began heading down a different aisle.
Marcus jumped the moment he saw Cam's text to come shoot a game. The last few weeks had been hell and he needed to let off some steam. He trusted his cousin with everything, so he knew that he could let a lot off his chest and hopefully lighten the load a little. "Yo, you call that shooting?" He yelled out to the other man, smirking. "Throw that over here and let me show you what a real baller can do." Instant relief washed over him. The presence of Cameron brought a joy to Marcus that couldn't be explained. It was home, comfort. Marcus caught the ball with ease and from the three point zone sunk a shot, "nothing but net, brother."
Cam instantly rolled his eyes as he heard his cousin's jab. Although, truthfully, he was shooting like crap, his mind too focused on other things to give his shots his all. "I heard you coming so I wanted to start practicing sucking, so you wouldn't feel too bad today." he quipped right back. Grinning at the verbal sparring that always came with the territory when Marcus was around. He passed the ball to his cousin as he wiped some sweat off his brow, watching as Marcus easily shot it into the net. "Get it!" he laughed. "How you been, bro?"
🤷♀️ how does your muse approach strangers? how does this compare to how they interact with close friends or lovers?
Cameron maintains a pretty warm, but professional demeanor when he's approaching strangers, ever the business owner looking to make connections. When he's interacting with truly close friends or people he has romantic ties to, a lot of that professionalism is stripped away and he gets to just be himself. Something he felt like he never got to do back in New York, always having to be on for Gem Pharmaceuticals.
⚰️ what are your muse’s greatest regrets? what would flash before their eyes when they’re on their deathbed?
His biggest regret would be the lack of emotional care he put into himself while he was running his family's company. He knows that he could have not only succeeded at legitimizing Gem Pharmaceuticals, but continue to make it incredibly, legally successful. But he threw himself into everything with zero to no boundaries, no thoughts for taking care of himself or his mental health, and burnt out far too quickly. He regrets not being more intentional about how he went into that whole situation.
🧸 does your muse keep anything sentimental? if so, what do they keep and why?
When Cameron was five years old, he stumbled upon a box of keep sakes his mother had kept from his older sister before she died. Cameron was born after Gemma passed away, so Cameron never got to meet her, but he grew up feeling the remnants of her ghost in their family. Before his mother snatched the box away, five-year old Cameron managed to grab a locket with a picture of Gemma in it. He's kept it to this day and carries it with him all the time in his wallet.
What is your muse’s relationship with their parents like? Was it always this way?
Sheesh! Now that's a loaded question! Cameron always felt like the only reason his parents actually had him was to carry on the family name, not out of any real desire to parent. They were so closed off after the death of his older sister, before Cameron was even born, that neither one of them really put much love or emotion into their relationship with their son. He was raised mostly by a series of nannies and, during his summers in Briar Ridge, his aunt and uncle. When his father died a couple years ago, Cameron's mother withdrew even more, no longer wanting to be involved in Gem Pharmaceuticals. With that method of connecting gone, Cameron rarely, if ever, hears from his mother.
While Ashvi's friendship with Cameron had initially been strategic, the more time she spent with the man--the more she found herself growing fond of him. She did notice his reaction to her drink of choice and quickly shook her head, not wanting him to think that she was being rude or judgemental towards him. "I'm only not having a proper drink because I have to drive. If I didn't...you best believe that you'd be treating me to the finest gin and tonic right now," she told him with a grin before shaking her head at his words. "You're going to boost my ego Cam, and then you'll be stuck with giving me a raise. I bet you don't want that to happen." Ashvi said with a chuckle before taking a sip from her drink. "So you planning on staying here awhile still? When does your job officially end? I'm just curious."
"Okay, next time then." he promised. Relief eased the tension in his shoulders as he let out a chuckle at her explanation. If he thought other people were noticing his workaholic tendencies, he'd have to admit them to himself. Which would negate the whole point of moving here in the first place. He was supposed to be forcing himself to relax, to recuperate after the extreme burn out he'd experienced back in New York. But Cameron was finding it harder and harder to not bury himself in his work, especially with the shit show that had been his personal life lately. With a shrug, he cleared away his own thoughts though, and returned to the present. "I mean, if that's what it'll take to enable you to continue killing it like you did with Santa on the Sands, I wouldn't be that opposed." he admitted. As a business owner, he knew he probably shouldn't be saying that to her, but Ashvi was becoming more than just a colleague or employee, and he wanted to be transparent with her. He trusted her not to take advantage of his honesty.
Letting out a sigh at her question, he replied, "I think the right question is more like 'does it ever end?'" Cameron knew he was getting dangerously close to overworking himself. He was just barely toeing the line between a healthy work life balance and tipping over the edge and being swallowed up by his work. He knew this. But taking an active step away from that ledge was easier said than done when there was just so much to be done. Glancing up to meet her gaze, he cocked an embarrassed smile at her. "I have a hard time turning off when it comes to work."
It had been a couple weeks since the Santa on the Sands event, and while Cameron had genuinely been too busy for just about anything leading up to the event, he had nothing but his own preoccupation with his imploding love life to blame for having not seen Cali since the event. But he was putting an end to that today. It wasn't fair for her to always be the one to come check in on him, he needed to return the favor once in a while. So, taking a page from her book, he showed up at her door, without even a text to let her know he was coming. As soon as the door opened, he spoke. "Alright, come on. Let's go for a walk."
For the first time since Cameron had sat beside her, a laugh escaped Nia - side eyeing him with skeptical amusement. "Damn I didn't know that was an option. Grilling the boss. Perhaps there are perks to this whole family rivalry routine." She teased, but the humor in her tone vanished as soon as she recalled why her family had issues with Cameron's. Perhaps it was a bit hypocritical, to have such a strong desire to be better then her own family while having a hard time not equating Cameron to his. Arguably, it was a very different situation, at worst her parents were guilty of neglect and infidelity - not... anything that impacted people's lives besides themselves and their children.
"No, I am not trying to interrogate." She assured a half-minute later. A sigh nestled in her chest. "You can ask whatever you like in return, it's only fair." Belatedly, she had tilted her head aside. "As for how embarrassing I'll warn you now, I'm a bit forward." That was an understatement. As Nia admitted to him a few moments ago, she hadn't always been - having needed a mask in the city... but in the past few years in Briar Ridge she'd been able to fully embrace her more blunt nature.
God, it felt good to hear a genuine laugh escape her, instead of one tinged with sarcasm or disdain. Maybe there was a chance at them having a normal conversation? Maybe? "Shiiiiit, I should've known better than to put that out there as an option, shouldn't I?" he laughed at his own expense, though he noticed how quickly her expression seemed to change again. He really shouldn't allow himself to get his hopes up.
"Sounds good to me." he agreed with a nod of his head, though he knew if he wanted to ever make progress with her, he didn't really have much choice in the matter. "That's the whole point of something like this though, right? To strip away any pretenses? I'm down if you are, Nia." He was feigning more confidence than he actually felt, but again, he knew that shying away from the absolute truth would do nothing for his cause. His cause being getting the woman seated beside him to no longer think he was a total ass. By that time, the bartender had returned with their drinks. Nodding his thanks, he picked up his own and raised it in a cheers motion to Nia, a smirk on his lips. "Let the games begin."
There was a time, a fair few years ago, that Kira probably would've been one of the first people to know that Cameron was moving and settling in Briars Ridge. That was the time that she probably would've gone up to New York with Marcus to help him pack and help him move, maybe they'd even road-tripped it with Halime. Now, she barely knew him. It had been a long time since she had even seen Cameron, let alone spent time with him and even now, nearly a decade later she could feel her heart yearning for what they used to have. They had built such a strong connection but even the thought that Cameron had been part of the Bishop family that had pushed for Marcus to break up with her, ripped her apart. "Well, I guess so. Never thought you'd move down here properly."
It really was a week of Kira's past coming back to standing in front of her and all she could picture was how many times she had sat on a couch with Cameron, laughing at something they had seen on television before her brain cut to her lying on her childhood bed, crying her heart out as she lost her boyfriend and one of her close friends, so soon after she had lost her sister. She had ignored so many calls and texts and even though she did doubt somewhat that Cameron was involved in the family's push, he was just so tied to what was now a painful part of her life. "Fine, can't complain too much." Shrugging her shoulders, Kira blew out a breath as she glanced around the aisle, the awkwardness starting to get to her. "You?"
Moving her cart out of the way as someone else walked down the aisle, she glanced after them before looking back to Cameron. "Marcus must be happy you're down here now."
As he waited for a response that he wasn't entirely sure would come, Cam couldn't help but cringe inwardly at how strained their dynamic had become. Not only because of Kira & Marcus's breakup, but also because of the role she believed he had played in said breakup. The time that the four of them had spent together when they were younger made up some of Cameron's happiest memories. And he hated that with the dissolution of the two romantic relationships in their group, that everything else had fallen apart too. "Yeah, I didn't really either." he replied truthfully, offering up a shrug. "Life just had other plans for me, I guess."
As she moved her cart, he glanced around them, reminding himself that they were having this very awkward conversation in a grocery store of all places. "Doing ok, just adjusting to a slower pace of life. Which is good for me." he admitted with another shrug. "Yeah, well, I dunno how happy he is to have someone whooping his ass at basketball again." he quipped, a smile coming to his lips. That was how his and Marcus' relationship had always been. Constantly trying to one up each other.
Ashvi had finished up what she would deem a successful day seeing as she'd caught up on all her paperwork for the last couple of days and replied to a dozen or so emails. This was the not-so-fun side to event planning that most people never really had to see or would assume comes with this job. She'd just stepped out of her office and was heading towards the parking when she'd heard a voice call out to her. She chuckled at his words and nodded, "I will have a drink on you, but you don't need to say it's for appreciation. You had a vision and I ran with it--that's my job," she grinned before taking her place next to him--deciding that she'd probably have to Uber it home if she had anything that could be deemed as hard liquor--choosing instead to go for a sparkling water with lime. "But you know I'm right Cam--you had the idea, I just made it happen."
"Well, consider it appreciation for a job well done!" He chuckled, feeling a little self conscious now that he was drinking. He spent so much time at the resort, it didn't even occur to him to not drink at his workplace. Maybe she felt uncomfortable drinking here, or even with her boss? He shook his head at her insistence. "An idea can only get you so far though. So seriously, thanks for making it happen and doing so pretty damn near perfectly." he added with a grin.
Hugging Cameron felt a little bit like stepping back in time, like she was that young girl all over again as she felt his arms around her body. With a blush on her cheeks she'd pass off from being from her run, she pulled back from their hug to look at him. It was annoying really, just how much of a crush she still held for him after all these years and according to the butterflies in her stomach, it was still as strong as ever. "Wow, I can't believe you actually moved here, how long were you planning on keeping this little secret?" Her tone was playful, but there was a slight ripple of something akin to hurt that he hadn't let her know he was moving down to her hometown, a place they'd spent so much time together.
"Uh, I hadn't decided actually. You choose, you know I'll eat anything. But if you want to really bribe me, you can throw a berry smoothie into the mix?" Winking at him, Wyatt nodded to one of the tables in the back of the bakery, squeezing his wrist gently before she made her way over to the booth, slipping onto one of the seats to reserve it before it got too busy.
He winced at her words. Cameron had let Marcus know that he was coming, but that was about it. His move to Briar Ridge had been a rushed decision. But if he were being truthful, the reality was he had been so consumed with everything going on in his life, that he hadn't given much thought to anything else. "Sorry, Wyatt. Things were just a little... crazy there for a while." he explained, pulling her in for another quick hug, as if to try and make up for it, before he let her go.
"Maximum bribery Is in effect." he replied, reaching up and saluting her as if she were a captain. He watched as she headed over to grab a booth, unable once again to stop the smile from coming to his lips before he turned around and approached the counter to make their order. A little while later, and a box of six donuts and two berry smoothies in hand, he finally slid into the booth across from Wyatt. "I swear I can't get tired of this place." He opened the box of donuts before rubbing his hands together in excitement. "So, what took you away from Briar Ridge all this time?" he asked as he reached into the bo and picked out his favorite, a chocolate glazed donut.
Though Nia had separated herself from her family, aide from calls to her brothers, there were still a few things that felt as if they were hard wired into her. She was a perfectionist, an overachiever who didn't know how to accept the genuine kindness of others, and lastly a bit... judgmental. If quietly so.
She looked at Cameron fairly skeptically, an unimpressed eyebrow quirked at his plea. Reluctantly, Nia realized that she was inclined to not immediately scoff at the idea. He was steadily earning some brownie points, it helped that he didn't try to discredit her father. "Well, a line like that is pretty cheap." She offered, brows furrowed as she looked down at the drink nestled in her clutch that was left to nothing but faintly copper looking ice. "We do seem to have a bit of a problem though, I'll admit." Normally she'd probably just encourage that they carry on and pretend one another didn't exist, minding their own business - but with their work situation at the resort that was not as easy a fix. "So... how about this." She'd pose, "You're here. Drinkless. We could fix that, and, I don't know... indulge in a few rounds of Never Have I Ever?" Nia shrugged, "Alcohol tends to make people a bit more honest, so if you can withstand a few embarrassing questions I might be able to improve my opinion of you... some." It wasn't exactly a white flag of surrender, but it was a small attempt to offer him some of her time and consideration.
When she finally replied, Cameron let out a sigh. Wellp, he had tried, right? He was just about to push himself up and off of the barstool when she continued and he turned to face her, surprise evident on his features. As he listened to her proposal, a grin slowly began to tug at his lips. Normally, a drinking game wouldn't be exactly up his alley, but he wasn't about to pass up an olive branch when he was extended one. He nodded his head a few times, "Seems fair enough." he replied with a shrug. Reaching up to get the bartender's attention, he indicated for Nia to order a replacement drink, on him, before ordering his own. As they waited for their drinks to be prepared, he turned back to face her, "So, how embarrassing are we talking? And do I get to ask questions too? Or is this just a one-way sorta deal?" He honestly wasn't in a position to refuse even if she was the only one who got to ask questions. He needed the manager of the resort's restaurant to be on his side, even if she still didn't necessarily like him. Nia held a lot of respect from her employees, and she was a crucial cog in the machine that was Paradise Point.
starter for: @marcusbishop
location: briar ridge rec center
With everything going on at work and his love life, Cameron needed something to get out his pent up... whatever those emotions were. Basketball had always been a great relaxer for him. He remembered playing at the indoor court in the rec center every summer, but his parents never allowed him to play on the team at school because they wanted him to focus on his grades. It was nice to get lost in the movements again; dribbling the ball and shooting free throws. But it would also be nice to catch up with his cousin. It had been a while since Marcus and Cam had gotten to hang out, and he had heard some rumblings around town that seemed to indicate that Marcus might have something going on in his life that he needed to talk about to. So Cam threw the basketball at the hoop, moving to various distances around the court, as he waited for his cousin to arrive.
starter for: @ashvixx
location: paradise point bar
It was after work hours, so Cameron considered stopping by the bar, at the resort before he went home, an 'after' work drink. But then again, for a recovering workaholic like Cameron, were there ever really work hours to begin with? As he plopped down on one of the barstools, he quickly ordered a jack and coke as he pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his emails. He had just taken a sip when he spotted Ashvi walking past the bar and heading towards the exit. "If it isn't Paradise Point's most successful event manager." he greeted with a grin as he turned his body to face her. "Here, wanna drink? On me, of course. Just a tiny token of appreciation for how you pulled of the Santa on the Sands event." To most, getting a drink with their boss at their place of work, probably wasn't much of an appreciation gift, but sometimes Cameron forgot that the average didn't like spending their off hours at their job.
