THE STRAIGHT HAIR FELL ALONG SIDE HER FACE. ivy accepted the compliment from the t a n g o m a u r e e n ’ s manager. there was a small break from performing so she would be able to hydrate and not strain her voice. the cool water was refreshing after spending time under the stage lights. the kink club had quickly filled up on the friday night. while many of the exhibitionists were in the back, a large crowd stayed in the front room. the dark eyes caught someone and ivy walked up to them, leaning against the table. ❝ any requests ? ❞ a smile followed the question.
Betty was expecting a little more drama after her clumsiness but she was pleasantly surprised by the brunette. She watched her finish the rest of the drink and smiled at the slight grimace that came over the smaller woman’s face. A new drink was the least she could do to make up for the situation, even if she was considering herself lucky in the matter.
“Something strong and fruity.” She said with a guileful grin before nodding over towards the bar. “It’s the least I can do after being such a klutz.” After hopping over the spilled drink, Betty left a tactful touch on the woman’s arm before heading through the crowd with a swish of her long hair.
SHE FELT AN EXCITED JUMP IN HER CHEST. ❝ i’ll have what you’re having, can’t be any worse than what i got, ❞ katalina watched at the other walked off, goosebumps raising on her skin where the other made contact. she stood there, alone, for a brief moment before deciding to follow the other to the bar. her finger tips lightly grazed the other’s back. ❝ i can’t believe you’d leave me stranded on the dance floor, ❞ she teased. katalina’s hand traced around the other’s back before landing on the bar top. ❝ we’ve gotta hurry, my favorite song is on. ❞
writing music had always been therapeutic for emilia. it was a satisfying way to get out all of her feelings, positive or negative, and turn them into art; like turning an unrefined, jagged piece of glass into a smooth, beautiful piece of glass. a new addition that made these creation sessions even better was ivy. the pair essentially bore their souls every time they sat down to write and emilia was thankful to have the brunette to lean on, she could only hope that she offered the same comfort to ivy. “okay,” she said upon re-entering the room with a charcuterie board. “we officially have snacks.” she gently placed the board onto the coffee table before meeting ivy’s eyes once again. “some of your favourites, some of my favourites, a lot of our favourites.”
eager not to waste any time, she reached for a macaron and took a bite. not only was the sound deeply satisfying but the sweet treat hit the right spot and helped put the brunette at ease. “—how are we feeling about water infusions today?” she asked once she finished the macaron, “mint and berry, or maybe mint and cucumber, or should we be fun and flirty and go citrus?”
closed starter for @neoneycs
FEET KICKED UP ON THE HARD SURFACE IN FRONT OF HER. it was one of ivy’s favorite pass times — song writing ( especially when it involved emilia ). ever since the two met it was like ivy’s soul was waiting for the other. she helped open her eyes to music and w o w did it light up her life. ❝ snacks !! the best part about this whole process, ❞ she beamed as her fingers went to grab a piece of food, plopping it in her mouth. an audible moan of satisfaction. ❝ it’s so yummy. you know the way to my heart, ❞ she laughed. ❝ mint and berry, ❞ it seemed like the obvious choice until the last option. ❝ but you do know i like fun and flirty. citrus it is then, ❞ ivy concluded as she whipped out her colored pens. ❝ what has life been like since we were last together ? ❞ she asked curiously, leaning forward as if she were on the edge of her seat.
“no. that was the first time someone’s just blatantly tried to force me to do something. others have tried to sweet talk me into things, but never physically tried. this guy’s never coming back,” she said. “i’m an escort — i’m basically a hooker, but i do it legally, it’s a lot safer, and cleaner. appointments are booked and these rooms are our performance areas. we pretty much do whatever our clients want if we’re comfortable with it. and we’re allowed to cut the appointment short for any reason. like that guy — he’ll get charged for emotional distress, which is probably gonna be more than what the appointment was going to cost, so it’s not like i’m out anything. and we have a decent payroll,” jazmyn explained.
SHE NODDED HER HEAD ACCORDINGLY. ivy had heard of escorts, but she was never truly educated on their line of work — her fault for not educating herself. ❝ it’s really cool you’re able to do that and know you can keep yourself safe. so is it like an independent type of thing or are you apart of something like an agency ? ❞ she felt as if she was annoying the other with all her questions. ❝ you must be pretty strong having to go through this, the uncertainty of it all. ❞
“I won’t preach at you, hell, I would have left home a lot sooner if I thought I had a choice.” Stevie pulled at her lower lip absentmindedly as she considered what to say. She wasn’t the kind to try and give advice, not when her own life had already been quite the roller-coaster, though something told her that Katalina could use a little bit of comfort. “There’s a reason so many people flock here, dunno what it is but you’re not the first person I’ve heard with a story like that. Gotta be for something, a purpose or, I don’t know… there’s something to it.”
IT WAS COMFORTING. how many people showed up here, similar to her. she shouldn’t need the comforting though. ❝ i’ve never been to a place like this. i was around the world my entire life, but here, it’s different from any other place, ❞ katalina reminisced on her past, trying to only hold on to the good times. ❝ do you ever want to leave ? is your heart set on some of life ? a different place ? ❞
Spencer scoffed in between swigs of liquor, “Me? Put you in handcuffs? Honey, no. That would make me have to get too close. I’ll just watch while the cops whisk you away. Sad day that one will be.” She pretended to wipe a tear away, the alcohol turning some of her earlier anger into amusement at trying to get a rise out of the younger girl. She chuckled dryly, “But mom, I pay full rent to be able to be wherever I fucking want.” More drinking. Sheesh, the vodka was flowing like water into Spencer’s system. But whatever it took to be able to withstand freaking Katalina. A very dramatic set of coughs escaped Spencer’s lips as Katalina walked by, and she glared at her in annoyance. The room was starting to spin a little, the older woman’s skin starting to feel the uncomfortable heat that came from vodka. “What’s it to you, sweetheart? What I do or what I don’t do?” Oops, there it was, creeping into Spencer’s voice; that insatiable urge of wanting to take more drastic measures to shut the younger girl up for good. She licked her lips and shrugged off her jacket, shoulders and cleavage exposed as she leaned over the kitchen island, closing the distance between her and Kat. “You don’t seem to have anything particularly riveting going on either. Why are your friends hanging out without you?”
HANDS GRIPPED THE COLD COUNTER TOP. ❝ not to worry, no one will be putting me in handcuffs, i’m sure you’d know about that, ❞ katalina refused to bring up the secret r e n d e z v o u s that took place in this very apartment. what happened between the tattered walls was to never be brought up — like an unspoken rule. the younger only ever hinted at their past once under the influence. she had never hated someone so much, but on nights like these it was hard to separate the pair. ❝ i suggest you hold off on your complaining then, it’s a bore, ❞ dark eyes watched as alcohol consumed the other and it was a tempting fate. ❝ i’m just trying not to have the world’s most boring roommate, but i doubt anyone would be able to take that crown from you, grandma, ❞ she sneered. katalina always got on spencer about her age, even though it was only a handful of years ahead of her. ❝ i wanted the night to relax. to smoke and drink and listen to music, but you had to ruin that didn’t you ? ❞ her gaze dropped down as the article of clothing was removed, lingering just a little too long before their eyes met again. ❝ you shouldn’t be too quick to call me out; you’re home earlier than usual. did they send you home early ? did you not satisfy anyone’s needs ? ❞ she mocked a pout, lower lip jutting out, eyes soft, but it didn’t last long as she stole spencer’s vodka and drank some. only the island separated the two.
THE CLOCK SLOWLY TICKED ON. it seemed as though the seconds went on forever at the end of the day. magnolia only released a sigh of relief as she had met her daily hours. she had taken the next several days off to finish settling in and take a breather before welcoming new clients. she rushed home, letting down her hair, and changing into clothes more suitable for going out in. by the time she had stepped out of her apartment, the dark sky had been lit up by the neon lights. magnolia felt engulfed by the life the lights brought — t h e a v e n u e was completely different now than in sunlight. the blonde hair fell over her shoulders as she entered a n g e l ’ s. back home magnolia would have always turned away from a strip club, but she was intrigued. it wasn’t long before someone had offered to by her a drink and she happily accepted, free was free. typically she would focus on the man buying her drinks, but her gaze quickly landed on one of the performers. her breathing stopped momentarily as their eyes locked. quickly her eyes shot down. magnolia was embarrassed to have been caught staring at the other, but she couldn’t help herself from focusing in that direction again. there was something about the woman that drew her in, something she hadn’t felt in the pit of her stomach before. she had to excuse herself from the man in front of her, moving closer to the stage the dancer occupied.
LEAP OF FAITH was almost entirely empty , aside from the few employees that were slowly working on little things that needed to be fixed before tonight’s performance . river had his usual feelings of anxiety flowing through his body as he sat at the piano , his chest rising and falling slightly faster than usual while he sang along to the music he played . tiny dancer wasn’t usually on his set list - it wasn’t on tonight’s - but as he knew the song so well , he always liked to play it during soundcheck . he was just finishing the first chorus when he noticed someone walking into the performance space , throwing him off his groove completely , causing him to stop singing and to stop playing the piano . “ can i help you ? we’re not actually open yet . it’s just soundcheck . ” he smiled a friendly smile , wanting them to know that they weren’t in trouble , but that he was simply just curious to know why they now stood beside the stage . @avenuestart
LAST CLIENT LEAVING FOR THE DAY. magnolia was thankful for the early end to the day. music hummed low throughout her office as she finished out the paper work until the end of the work day. she logged off and locked the door behind her, unable to take the risk of leaving the door unlocked as there were so many confidential files. the psychologist was still new to the area and lived alone, so she hadn’t met many people, and she certainly didn’t understand all the ins and outs of t h e a v e n u e quite yet. she wandered into a building, though it seemed empty upon entrance. ❝ oh sorry, i’m still learning everything around here, ❞ the blonde flashed a sheepish smile. ❝ are you performing tonight then ? you sound good, ❞ she complimented, attempting to ease the fact she walked in before the business opened.
Betty didn’t let herself go out much outside of work, she danced for a living so why would she want to spend all her free time in among a sweaty crowd? However, her shift had been switched without her knowledge and considering she was already dressed up, she thought it a waste to head home and wash away all her effort. That was how she’d found herself dancing as though there was no one watching, or as if no one was around― which was fine until she caught herself bumping into a body on her left.
“Oh― shit, sorry!” She pushed her hair out from her face and laughed, giggly from a few cocktails she’d gotten free at the bar after flashing a little cleavage. “Didn’t catch you too hard, did I?”
THE CROWD FLOODED IN. bitch bite bar seemed to be the place tonight, though katalina wasn’t one to complain about it. she was pleased on the dance floor, alcohol running through her system as she was four shots deep, another drink in hand. the drink had halfway spilled onto the floor. just as the dark - haired girl was about to complain, she saw the pretty face that came along with the incident. a smile played on her lips. ❝ my drink took the hardest hit, but nothing that can’t be refilled, ❞ she downed the rest, a slight distaste for what went into her mouth. ❝ alright, maybe something other than that, ❞ she laughed. ❝ what’re you drinking ? ❞
“can’t hurt ‘em too much, i can’t lose my job,” she said. she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize her job. a large percentage of the world looked down on those in her profession, but it paid a lot and she had fun doing it — most of the time. “i took jujitsu growing up. i was also a cheerleader, a dancer, and a gymnast, so i have the strength.”
SHE COULDN’T IMAGINE WORKING WITH CLIENTS LIKE THAT. ❝ that’s true. i’m assuming many of your clients don’t behave like that then ? ❞ ivy was pleased to hear the defenses the other had on her side. ❝ what do you do ? ❞ she was curious in the line of work, mostly because she had never been truly educated. all she was was a performer, unlike many living the fast life here.
THE KITCHEN BELL RANG INDICATING ANOTHER ORDER READY TO BE SERVED. a small huff escaped between naomi’s lips. it was supposed to be her night off, but one of her coworkers needed someone to cover their shift and naomi couldn’t exactly say no to some extra cash. the night hadn’t been particularly eventful and for that she was thankful. as the final hours of her shift approached, she was hopeful the rest of the evening could continue just as smoothly as it had started. in a careful motion she placed the freshly made dish onto her try and carried it to one of the tables she was waiting on. aside from obviously staring at her chest, the interaction with her customer was quick and easy. ❝ you have someone at table 12, ❞ the hostess informed as she passed her by. naomi adjusted her tightly fitted uniform and made her way over to the table, a faux smile now present on her features. ❝ hi, welcome to knockers i’ll be your – ❞ her words got stuck in her throat once she saw those same brown eyes that hurt her all those months ago. the waitress quickly averted her eyes and grabbed her notepad. ❝ what can i get you to drink ? ❞ she’s sure her words came out much harsher than they were intended, but she couldn’t really bring herself to care. ivy had ruined many of naomi’s nights and she’ll be damned if she lets her ruin another.
HEART BEGAN POUNDING. it must have been loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear. breath hitched as she waited for the moment of truth. maybe this naomi was someone new, but that outcome was highly unlikely. the anxiety was slowly taking over before that all - too - familiar voice brought her back. ivy knew the pair had ended on bad terms, but hearing the coldness from the another was like another slap to the face. it wasn’t her intention to hurt the other, but she couldn’t find herself vulnerable with someone. ❝ water and whatever your beer of the day is, ❞ the taste of beer repulsed ivy, but it was more appealing than the constant awkwardness the two had to deal with. the feeling of alcohol in her system might just make the night more bearable. initially, her dark eyes darted away from the other, but she finally caught a glimpse of eye contact. ❝ busy night ? ❞ she felt embarrassed. her usual cool and calm attitude had hit a bump in the road and it made her uncomfortable. gaze shifted back to the menu to order food and get out of k n o c k e r s as quickly as possible.
“It wasn’t really my gig.” Stevie shrugged. She wasn’t about to suggest that staying in school would have been the brighter move, she knew nothing about the brunette’s life and if someone had said the same to her at that age, she would have spit in their face. For a moment she pondered on the other’s question, she didn’t consider herself to be completely forthright but in the hopes of getting something in return… “Needed work, simple as. I was probably around your age, willing to do anything people asked me for a dollar.”
SHE SEEMED FULL OF SILENT WISDOM. ❝ i get that. it’s not really my thing either, ❞ katalina attempted to relate to the other, regardless of how they both ended up in this position. ❝ i’ve met a couple others that had similar meetings with this place. i don’t know, i would like to go back to school, but something keeps me drawn here, ❞ she felt fortunate enough to never have been in such a financial struggle like many others, but she felt guilty for the p r i v i l e g e she held against others and thought maybe going to her old life would be best.
“meh, just part of a hard day’s work.” claudia can’t help but laugh. it’s hard for most people to keep up with her banter, but katalina not only meets her level of intensity, but exceeds it. it’s refreshing, especially from a stranger like this. “nah. only the special newbies get special treatment.” claudia moves along to the beat of the music ever so slightly; a soft tapping of her fingers, nodding of her head. nothing that would get her written up, though with how much her manager loves her, she’s not sure what could ever get her canned at this point. “i’m a sweets gal myself, but it’s so pretty, i can forgive it.” carefree & lighthearted, claudia rests an elbow on the cool oak of the bar. “moved here a few years ago, needed a job, anastasia’s was hiring, i love kink - it was a match made in heaven. no way i couldn’t apply.” the brunette smiles. “what drew you to anastasia’s, dollface?”
THE VIBRATIONS OF THE THUMPING BASS FELT THROUGH THE FLOOR. ❝ extra special coming from a pretty face like yours, ❞ katalina leaned over the bar, closing the space between the two ever so slightly. ❝ you like this song ? ❞ she watched to other in pure enjoyment. typically, she felt tense meeting someone new, but the bartender wasn’t pushing any type of personal agenda. it was refreshing to have the company of someone that didn’t try to get into her head and question her life choices. ❝ you should make me your favorite drink. just so i can get a better taste of you, ❞ claudia’s answer was sweet and short, but left space for anything to fill the holes of her past. she decided not to push. ❝ well, tonight i just needed to be somewhere my roommate wasn’t. the first time i walked into a n a t a s i a ’ s, i was approached outside and brought in and the rest is history, ❞ katalina released an airy laugh.
hey look, it’s MAGNOLIA MENKEN! she’s THIRTY years old and originally from EUGENE, OREGON. now she’s in new york, working as a PSYCHOLOGIST at THE PERKINS CLINIC. i heard she’s pretty HIGH STRUNG, but i think she’s so INTELLIGENT at the same time. have they found their calling on the avenue ?
tw ; abuse, eating disorder
basic info ↷
full name: magnolia fallon menken.
nicknames: mae
age: thirty
dob: august thirty - first
zodiac sign: virgo
education: doctorate in psychology
occupation: psychologist at the perkins clinic
sexual orientation: closeted lesbian
physical appearance ↷
faceclaim: melissa benoist
eye color: blue - green
hair color: light brown / blonde
tattoos/scars: “breathe” in script on right side ribs.
clothing style: light and neutral colors.
personality ↷
hogwarts house: hufflepuff.
positive traits: hard working, loyal, intelligent.
life was easy going for magnolia growing up.— at first. she was the middle child of two brothers. the trio, shockingly, was inseparable. they were always there for each other every moment they needed, and it baffled many families around them. the friends their parents kept company always struggled with keeping their kids civil, so magnolia and her siblings were constantly praised by those around them. beginning school, magnolia became insecure about her name, everyone else seemed to have such cool names, but her’s felt like it belonged in a book from the seventeenth century. as each school year started, she introduced herself as mae, and it stuck.
school was something that came natural to magnolia, excelling in all departments of academics. she seemed to have a gift, but her teachers would never know the real reason behind her determination for the best marks. starting in middle school, her mother had started to drink. the previous years she had dabbled in trying alcohol, but during magnolia’s sixth grade year it took a turn for the worse. her mother’s abuse started slow and small, always aimed towards her precious little girl. it started out with snide remarks about her appearance, how her grades weren’t high enough. all magnolia wanted was to make her mother proud, so that’s what she worked for. the hurtful words subsided, until perfect grades were no longer enough. magnolia’s mother began to complain how her daughter would amount to nothing in the real world because ❝ book smarts only get you so far. ❞
magnolia wanted to be perfect for her mother, like a barbie doll that had it all. she changed her hair color from brunette to blonde. she started working out — 7 days a week. things quickly escalated to the girl going to the gym several times a day. though she made all the changes that she thought would let her mom finally love her, the criticism kept flying in. she would never be pretty enough, smart enough, fit enough for her mother’s image. but that didn’t stop growing magnolia from developing an eating disorder. the triumphant feeling she had when going to her mother begging for smaller clothes because the previous ones were far too big, it was an indescribable feeling.
things began to look up for magnolia as she was about to graduate from high school, getting accepted into her dream college, until her father filed for divorce. he had been so mentally absent from life since his wife had gone down the path of alcoholism that he didn’t notice what was happening to magnolia until it was almost too late. he sent her to treatment, forfeiting her scholarship to her dream school. it was a long road to recovery, and it took years for magnolia to acknowledge that she would always be in recovery.
after treatment she applied to several more schools, but her dream school had contacted her again. the weight of the world had seemed to disappear as they asked her back into her program, scholarship fully intact. tears swelled in her eyes as she accepted the offer. college flew by, undergraduate into graduate school — where she met maxwell. they had seemed to fall in love at first sight. the one boy that made magnolia feel safe besides her brothers, but that was it. she didn’t know real love, but she thought she did. maxwell proposed and the pair quickly married. it was beautiful, on the outside, but inside it was a daily struggle. magnolia would wake up everyday and go through the motions, slowly her old mindset kicked in.
two years after their marriage, she filed for divorce. maxwell had done nothing wrong, it was magnolia’s fault for lying to him. she never loved him, not like a wife should love her husband. once finalized, she packed up what little belongings she desired to keep and applied for a job opening on t h e a v e n u e. new york was on the opposite side of the country, a fresh start.
“i’m fine. it’s him that should be worried,” she said, crossing her arms. “tried to talk me into asphyxiation and put his hands on my throat after i said no, so i canceled his appointment. he won’t be back,” jazzy said. there were clients that tried to talk her into things before, but this was the first time one had tried to force a fetish on her. “happens sometimes.”
SHE ALMOST RELEASED AN AUDIBLE GASP. ❝ shit. that’s fucked up. you definitely gave it to him easy, ❞ ivy’s blood boiled at the mention of the man’s actions. it was infuriating. ❝ i don’t think i would’ve been able to hold myself back from crushing his skull in, ❞ she scoffed thinking about it. ❝ it’s fucked. but obviously you know how to handle yourself against pigs like them. ❞
