ââthis is it,ââ marlow spoke up, rising from her seat to hover over the two fish bowls presenting on the table, both of them filled to the rim with moscato wine, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple juice and sprite all mixed together into a lovely blue mixture topped with lemon, lime and orange slices. in other words: half a gallon of pure fucking poison. ââfirst one to down this bowl gets not one but two prices, one ... they get to keep their dignity ... secondly, they get to strip down one piece of the loserâs clothing and receive a lapdance. so the question is ... whoâs in? this could be your moment. a victory that could be yours, if you win from the champion, that is...!ââ
â and i told her, i said it straight to her face, this is n o t possible, but did she fucking listen to me? no! so now iâm running around every local church in - which is a fuck ton, can i just add - trying to track down one christening certificate. â deep breath, girl. jules slammed down her cocktail glass, probably splashing her conversation partner with vodka as she does. â and that was just tuesday. i donât even want to go in on monday. â
â god iâm sorry, this is boring, right ? what is it you do again ?â
ââah, come on, donât stop! iâm invested, you canât just stop there and wonder about my life! iâm just a hair stylist, thereâs nothing that comes to mind thatâs more interesting than that. â then what, hm? whatâs gonna happen next? donât leave me hanging here!ââ not even caring one bit of the vodka spillage, lillian would even order her a new one without doubt. ââwhat are you gonna do? what are you gonna say to her? do you perhaps need a little assistance from a local hair stylist? i got connections iâm willing to use, god youâre so powerful, you radiate fierceness and iâm getting addictedââ
   Esther crossed her legs, tapping her heel against the ground. Adolescence and adulthood had been crammed with the glittering drinks and silk garb, intellectuals bartering back and forth, duck roasted to a perfect medium rare.
   That being said, Esther had grown humble, trekking through the rocky peaks and twisted rain forests of Asia. The delicacy of caviar was nothing compared to cracking open a roast sheepâs head in Kazakhstan. These polished floors were no longer her element. The large crowd made her frustrated, and her collar all the more itchy. She tugged on it as she sunk into a cushioned seat in the corner of the room, an Earhart in her hand.
   The doctor took a much needed sip, glancing at her watch for the soonest, most acceptable time to bail, âIf you needed medical advice, you should have made an appointment. Canât you see Iâm enjoying myself to the fullest?â
lillian wasnât sure if showing at the bar was a good idea, but the invite had sat there in between bills at the hair salon and who was she to not accept that invitation? to be fair ... the invite had been gnawing at her consciousness all day, knowing fully well thereâd be a chance to run into winona and yet she was chatting it up at the bar with the bartender. not one to seek drama or a provoked reaction, though the invitation made it seem to be.Â
somehow she had ended up with two michelle obamaâs in her hands and no longer a bartender to talk to by the amount of customers coming in, which was a good timing for lillian to get out of the spotlight and hide in a corner somewhere. avoid winona at all costs. ending up near another single soul. figuring itâd be nice to share a drink with a stranger. parting lips, she was silenced right away, leaving lillian to stammer for a bit. ââoh ... oh no, i wasnât ...ââ holding up drinks, she offered a peace treat. ââjust hiding in a corner, with the rest of the professionals that like to people-watch and dream about the gossip girl marathon i have to miss out on right now.ââ lillian put down the drink, ââi somehow ended up with two drinks instead of one, i didnât see a âtwo for the price of oneâ sign at the bar, but maybe i did something right? so ... i was hoping you would help me out with one and let me sit here?ââ like the spontaneous woman she was, she beamed a snickering laugh. ââgood thing youâre off the clock! would be a little awkward to give out medical advice in a bar ... at ladies night, of all nights. just like itâd be weird if i started cutting peopleâs hair at the bar. imagine that.ââ
ââfinally i get to meet the famous photographer sterling has told me all about.ââ not leaving the brunette waiting, marlow showed her face the voice belonged to by coming up from behind. taking up the entire shot with a wide smile, all teeth, she brushed her wavy strands impersonating a real photoshoot. ââthe dinosaur pics were really cute, but i bet i can do that impression waaay better.ââ there was nothing wrong with a little competitiveness, though it wasnât serious. not right now. sheâd much rather take away the one thing violet was hiding behind. ââ... although i appreciate you staring at my face, iâd rather see yours. staring at a lens is so boring, donât you think?ââ taking the opportunity to rest her fingertips on top of violetâs, she tried to ease the camera down. ââthere we go ... thatâs much better. such sweet eyes, soft lips, what a shame to keep that pretty face hidden away from the world.ââ
a free woman sheâd be tonight. so sheâd live like one and leave no single chance of getting it just lying around. with a drink in hand, inspired by the great frida kahlo, the spices left her lips tingling. just what she needed as blue curious eyes trailed along the room, settling on a glamorous outfit that she could no longer take her eyes off of. ââwell ... fuck,ââ she ran the words along her glass, teeth clenched into the rim before she put the glass down and ordered just what she thought would be perfect to offer the other.Â
âârosa parks,ââ she gracefully set the drinks down on the table, slid into the booth across the stranger, ââyou must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.ââ marlow eased the quote from her lips, ââcorrect me if iâm wrong, but you seem very fun to spend the night with and i see no one volunteering but me.ââ
the meeting had been planned for months. arrange the best chef there was in the city, order the finest wine and a specific red and white marlow had never heard of before. but then again, sheâd always been the type to rather get into smoking than anything else. wine tasted all the same to her, no matter the price difference. for all that time sheâd only known the address, so like the curious little minx she was, sheâd googled it right away. what the mansion was actually for had been a mystery ever since kat booked the vague appointment, but marlow knew better than to ask. today she was told to be there, with the keys handed to her as if it was nothing and wear a pretty dress. which meant a lot to the blonde, knowing fully well she had to show up in one that katherine had gifted her over the years sheâs worked for her. multiple scenarios had popped into her head, she knew it was a two people meeting only, so the chef knew what to prepare and how much resources were needed.Â
one hour in advance before the clock would hit 8pm she pulled up to the gorgeous mansion. much time to check out the architecture she didnât have, instead she spent the next few minutes trying to find the kitchen for the chef and prepare the dinner table nicely with the bottles of wine sheâd brought. still having no idea what sheâd been thrown into, expecting katherine to show up in less than half an hour with someone that wasnât evie and she tried to swallow the mild anxiety down. after double checking with the chef in the open kitchen that had a sight upon the dinner table, she wandered off into the next room attached to the dinner one. she couldnât help herself, being pulled by curiosity, bambi eyes gracefully and carefully landed upon everything in the room, eventually finding a safe haven upon the grand parlor piano in the middle of the space. like magnets attracted to each other, marlowâs feet brought her right to it. fingers gliding over the keys, though not pressing them, afraid to actually do so. and in the end, she was glad she hadnât, turning on her heel at the slightest noise.
an unbelievable smile showing up on her lips, though disbelief written in blue eyes. ââ... wait. this isnât a blind date, is it?ââ
  always one for a celebration,  even TAME ones.  nothing illegal on her person meansâŠÂ tonight will have a different tune than the norm. head finishing on pillow, not booth cushion. the goods brought to her auntieâs door are homemadeâ mostly,  &. entirely touched with love. her heartâs tender enough for the array of gifts to be planted in weaved basket, white ribbon curling around the handle like growing vines. sprouting out: flower bouquet atop wrapped homemade-tiramisu. it should probably go back in the fridge before they pig out, but that isnât why her knuckles are so quick to knock.
      &. to the open door,  there beams iris &. her wide eyes, smile thatâs all teeth.       â happy motherâs day ! â
motherâs day was never truly celebrated at home, there was a simple reason for that; every day was motherâs day to lillian and her fathers. there was no excuse needed to be a little extra, show more love than any other day, so ever since iris had moved into her household, she was surprised by her lovely niece each and every year with gifts and a shower of love. it was a date she never kept track of, so this time she stood there, again, in awe of her niece showing up without calling or texting first. ââiris...ââ she merely brought out, eyes wandering off to the beautiful basket she was holding onto and the smile she was given, a positive energy that beamed right off to lillian and she couldnât help but almost shyly smile too. ââcome in, come in! oh love ... you shouldnât have!ââ her reaction was no different either, like a welcomed new tradition in lillianâs routine. ââthe flowers are so gorgeous,ââ she softly gasped, closing the door behind the younger dear, wrapping her arms around her in the process. hand sneaking down to meet irisâ that was still tenderly clinging onto the handle and lillian took over. ââcome, letâs give these flowers some love in the kitchen, shall we?ââ she said after pulling back, her other hand coming to rest on irisâ shoulder, ââyou really shouldnât have, itâs too much for your auntâs heart, dear! what if i start crying before the chick flick marathon? thatâs a crime, you know!ââ
&. *  â  a warm welcome to  MARLOW TREMBLAY ,  the  TWENTY EIGHT  year old  CIS FEMALE  born in  BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA .  as a local  KATHERINE'S ASSISTANT  residing in  MANHATTAN ,  SHE  is loved for their LOYAL,  DARING,  HARDWORKING .  but behind their back,  theyâre described as  COMPETITIVE, PROUD,  STRONG-WILLED .  still not impressed ?  what if i told you they looked exactly like  SAMARA WEAVING  ?  that should do it.
HER LIFE SO FAR.
marlow never lacked in wealth, she got anything her heart desired that was affordable in money, even play dates were arranged through financial support. something marlow had no insight of, she was a kid after all. a kid that grew up not feeling much parental love, it was always business.Â
as soon she was practically able to walk, they forced her behind the piano and scheduled daily lessons for the blonde to practice a skill that could increase their wealth in the future.
though donât let that mislead you, the tremblay family own a cruise ship and invested in a casino in the heart of british columbia, so they easily make millions a year, theyâve made so much over the years that they could even retire if they wanted, but the tremblays were money making hungry wolves that always wanted more.Â
so they put their daughter to work from a young age, learn how to play piano every single day until her fingers bled. but it didnât stop there, singing lessons worked her vocal chords, pushed them to the limit and if she was doing neither, she got home schooled until bed time, only for it all to repeat again the next day.
because of her parentsâ wealth and endless connections, she soon landed herself her first role ever in a local broadway show. she was a talented kid, showed promise to the directors and both audience, so it didnât take long for marlow to get the script of the lead pushed inside her still tiny hands.
if you think thatâs impressive - itâs only just the beginning. what others thought was a big achievement for the girl, her parents were never satisfied enough. they hired more vocal coaches that didnât just teach her to sing, but in different languages too. they put a lot of pressure on top of the blondeâs shoulders, without her realizing much of it. she felt like a star, having the spotlight on her so much.
around the age of twelve her parents thought it was time to branch out, find fame outside of their home city and as she landed herself roles in different musicals, she picked up guitar lessons aside just for the fun of it. school became less important as her popularity grew and marlow cannot remember how exactly she built a gigantic fanbase, it was like waking up to a nuclear explosion one day and instead of running away, she got dragged towards it.
multiple agents were reaching out to her from all over the world, they needed her on tv, record labels needed her like air, even disney breathed in her neck, and because of marlowâs age, it wasnât her choice to make. she left the broadway world, she loved so much, behind her and got thrown into multiple studios until her parents found the right one that promised more than one brilliant hit, an okay album and for marlow to never be seen again after a flopping music video.
making music was her life, pour her hard-working yet naive heart out day in day out, play instruments with fingertips that were no longer showing a print, because it was all marlow knew how to do perfectly. to make her parents proud of her and make tons of money, though the girl never got to read the actual contracts she signed. it was money that went straight into her parents bank account and she never saw again.
she was a hit all over the world, such a young thing that attracted a lot of people from her own age and then some. it was her life, performing, seeing all those excited faces, fall in love with every single one of her fans and giving them everything every time she was on stage. a stage that grew bigger and wider each year. for a total of eight years, until one day her life changed a complete 180.
it was the final show in france of her europe tour, a few weeks spending time with a summer fling in italy before marlow had to fly back to prepare for a new album in her home country. there was a tight schedule for marlow to follow, or actually her agent who stuck by her side at all times outside of summer breaks. they had a long flight in the private jet from italy to canada, one of marlow final good flights for a long time. back in canada, as usual, they took the helicopter to get from place to place to avoid traffic. that day the weather had been announced as foggy and however it was advised not to fly, the pilot still took the risk and during the flight, the fog became thicker ... resulting in a crash marlow cannot remember.
three days later she woke up in a hospital bed, unable to talk and traumatized for life. her vocal chords had been damaged, some ribs broken and hit with a concussion. her agent was still on life support, whereas the pilot hadnât survived the crash. she was lucky to be alive, claimed by doctors. but all her parents showed was disappointment, as if sheâd been the one behind the steering wheel. she could no longer sing, too damaged by trauma and practically left for dead in bed at home for weeks upon weeks.
she was useless now her one talent was taken away from her and she really believed that for about a year. all that time sheâd been locking herself up in the mansion they owned, in order not to face media, or anyone she knew. the only people she faced were the housekeepers sheâd known all her life, her parents were never around anyways. and she started picking up books to read from the many they owned. and another, and another. until she couldnât stop disappearing into books and read about anything. politics, religion, math, everything sheâd missed out on during her childhood.
and thatâs when she told herself something ... she would become a politician in order to get her life and herself back in order. to have a purpose and somehow make her parents proud again. sheâd study her ass off, if she couldnât use her voice for singing, sheâd use it to become an example for the people in a different way. she was smart as hell, that she knew, she knew a lot and would dive deep into politics as a start.
for the first time in a long one she felt alive again, it wasnât much but it was there. lurking around a corner, taking her more serious as she grew out of her previous life. she grew pride for herself, knew what it meant to love herself more than before and she held tight onto that feeling. she was growing up and dared to show herself among people again, face them as if the crash hadnât affected her mental state at all. in fact, it had opened her eyes more than ever. sheâd seen a side of her parents that made her disgust them, see them for what they really were. and hate them for what theyâve turned her into as well. she was almost as money hungry as they were, owned a pride that could be written off as heartless, if marlow wasnât so self-aware unlike them. she was their offspring, but she evolved.Â
she landed herself a job without their support for the first time in her life that fed into her ego more she could possibly express in words. marlow was more than proud to work for katherine michaels, a well known and respected politician. and soon she was set on pleasing the redhead, seek the kind of validation she never received from her parents. she was finally given a purpose again and made sure as hell to not lose that dignity. sheâd do anything for katherine, jump into fire if she had to, only to forget about her past.
marlow doesnât talk about her past, in fact she gets uncomfortable when anyone brings up any of her hits, world tours and anything that was out in the media, she chose to leave that life behind five years ago and can only wish for fans to do the same and move on.
WANTED CONNECTIONS.
summer fling(s) she had over the years she went on world tours, they couldâve been nothing more than a fling or actually had feelings, but separated by fate marlowâs parents because there was no room in her life for such nonsense.
her #1 fan that mightâve even been borderline obsessive and stalked her across europe and america.
best friend she shares her house with, said friend doesnât even have to pay rent and mostly has the house to themselves because marlowâs often out to help her boss out.
anything you think of iâm open to a whole lot and so is marlow !
âiâm serious!â violet insisted. and she was. she knew a good photo opportunity when she saw one â she spent the majority of her time nowadays peering down a lens. âcâmon! ⊠the lighting is perfect. if you hate it, iâll delete it. pinky promise.â now, violet was a woman of her word, but she doubted she would end up having to delete it. she was too good, and they looked too nice. carting that heavy camera of hers around everywhere had its perks.
ââperfect, hm?ââ lillian wondered, taking a peek over her shoulder at the sunset that graced the city of new york and its beauty. ââi love the golden hour, isnât that what they call it?ââ she did question this time, holding her pinkie out for the promise that was to be made. ââevery professional shoot i've had the photographer did a pinkie promise for the sake of choosing my best side, it must be a business thing?ââ her features very serious, as serious she could be â which was like ... impossible for lillian, her laughter lines deepened the next. ââso, miss photographer,ââ she paused a second for intensity â then raising her cup of coffee to show, ââwould you want this charming addiction in the picture, or no?ââ
   lillian bailey sounded rich. by now, sterling could spot the ones with a bit of money from a mile away. every delivery driver at her job fought over the runs, hoping to score a big tip. but honestly? in her experience, it was the less wealthy that tipped more. probably because they knew what it meant to live paycheck to paycheck.Â
   so when sterling landed the ârich customer,â she didnât see it as a big deal. sure, the address and building, itself, was nice. in fact, it was very nice. when sterling pulled up outside, she had to stare for a second, thinking of how warm it seemed - even from the outside. it was easy to forget, as a woman making ends meet for her siblings, that people had it better. she wasnât jealous. she figured sheâd get there someday. mere motivation.Â
    âhey there! itâs lillian, right?â sterling called out when the door opened. an automatic greeting sheâd learned since taking the job years ago when sheâd first joined university. now she had a phd in astrophysics and what the hell was she doing with it? âthatâll be-â immediately, she paused, catching sight of the woman. while definitely attractive, lillian bailey looked like a goddamn mess. fuck. âuhâŠare you alright?âÂ
@lcvingnessâ
the smell of cigarette smoke twisted her stomach. her neighbor claimed not to smoke, yet lillian caught the man doing so behind his well-tended hedges in the backyard. one of many times, as shown on the miniaturized version of the chalkboard that hung on her fridge. instead of writing down necessities, lillian kept score on how many times the guy held a lit cig between his wrinkled digits, it made her rolling eyes sting as trembling fingers shut the kitchen window. however she usually didnât tear up from the smoke, she liked to put the blame on it anyway. never-minding the email that showed on an unlocked phone, resting on the kitchen counter. a confirmation to the horror her dear friend had told her at the salon. henry the pitbull had ran out the door by accident, had set his eyes on a cat and tracked it down across the street ... only to end up at the vet in an emergency surgery, her friend dinah hoping for the best in the waiting room, eventually needing a break after hours awaiting news, sheâd showed up at lillianâs business, knowing sheâd be there to comfort her. and lillian had done nothing else but held her hand, wishing her nothing but strength and positivity for henry, heâd survive, she told her.
but the email told her the opposite.
and suddenly everything came crashing down, just like her knees and she sat against the kitchen cabinet, staring at the vacuum dancing across the floor. a blurry silver object moving through all the other colors that stood still. sheâd taken her glasses off, wiped the rolling tears off her stained cheeks with her sleeve. minutes passed by before the ringing in her ears died and so did the silence. the soft melody of dolly partonâs âjoleneâ rang through the house and she wasnât exactly sure anymore if anyone was coming over, whoâd be on the other side of the door but when she opened â it was quite the surprise. ââhi ... um hey?ââ her first response wasnât as cheery, confused even. and she put her glasses back on, to read what was on the box she caught the other carrying. ââa pizza my heart?ââ she questioned the woman, only to realize a split second later sheâd ordered one right before the email came in. ââoh ... oh no! i havenât even taken my wallet out yet, i just ... some heavy news came in, which is completely not your fault, iâm so sorry. iâll get it right now!ââ turning on her heel right away, her hair twirled along. ââyou can come in, if you like? i wonât bite, itâs just me.ââ
&. *  â  a warm welcome to  LILLIAN BAILEY ,  the  FIFTY FOUR  year old  CIS FEMALE  born in  THE BRONX, NEW YORK .  as a local  HAIR STYLIST  residing in  BROOKLYN ,  SHE  is loved for their LOVING,  OPEN MINDED,  CURIOUS .  but behind their back,  theyâre described as  TOUCHY,  FANATICAL,  FUSSY .  still not impressed ?  what if i told you they looked exactly like  MARISA TOMEI  ?  that should do it. Â
hey hi, first of all ... iâm andromeda and always a mess with intros, with both introducing myself and my muse so uhh here goes nothing, cause second of all youâre the ones who are going to have to suffer with me around !
HER LIFE SO FAR.
lillian grew up with one mom and funnily enough two fathers, not that they were entirely a poly amorous couple but at the time her mother made the mistake; or in lillianâs eyes miracle, to get laid with two guys at the time who both loved the woman equally and so did they love the little baby.
in 1987 she majored in cosmetology and moved from the bronx to brooklyn the second one of her father's connections checked up on them about a store going out of business and it was the perfect business opportunity to open a hair salon there.
so she packed her bags and had her parents help her move, restore the now sold property to lillian and funded all the equipment with a loan she eventually paid off. she was twenty-six when she opened her salon named âmirror, mirrorâ for business.
if you didnât catch it from the name of her business, snow white was her favorite fairy tale good night story and movie to watch right after school. her school friends also quickly learned the ins and outs of the story all cause of her and honestly, the nickname âsnow whiteâ drifted around for a while throughout the years until high school.
sheâs a big fan of queen and dolly parton so after closing time youâd most likely catch her jamming around to those songs from her time.
she loves to prepare and eat lunch together with both her colleagues and store owners next door.
it started out as simply a hair salon but over the years it changed into a beauty salon with added nail care where nail stylists became part of the business.
â9 to 5â by dolly parton is her alarm song and she never tires of it cause itâs literally her favorite song and movie ever.
she loves to arrange weekly game nights with friends and family, blood-related or not blood-related, lillian loves everyone just as much.
lillian will always help anyone in any way she can, either with advice or try her best to help them out physically if necessary. which brings us to the following: she is definitely the mom friend.
though sheâs not just a mom friend, she became a mother figure at the age of forty six, eight years ago iris moved in with her. her dear niece came flying over all the way from sydney, australia. a girl thatâs been through hell and lillian welcomed her with open arms. always gave her the freedom she needed, made her pick her own college, therapy if necessary and even helped her move out when the time came. though iris isnât officially adopted by her, she does feel like sheâs her mother and responsible for her.
lillianâs not just a hair stylist, sheâs also semi famous for doing celebritiesâ hair for photoshoots, premieres or other events, which also attracted more customers and honestly, business has never been better !
sheâs been featured in a couple beauty magazines over the years, as shown at the bottom.
WANTED CONNECTIONS.
childhood friend who pretty much managed to deal with her all their life.
store owners next to her beauty salon.
colleagues even though sheâs the boss of em, she sees em as friends & equal.
regular customer(s) who surely must be a friend of hers too. lbr, this darling loves everyone.
(best) friend(s).
queen/dolly parton fanatics cause thatâs goals to have as either online or irl friends.
pen pal from a whole another country she wrote during her high school years.
anything you think of iâm open to a whole lot and so is lillian !