✦ ADRIA ARJONA, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ✦ OLIVIA MARSEILLE the TWENTY-SEVEN year old has been in Hidehill for For TWO YEARS. Whispers on the streets are that the SELF-DEFENSE TRAINER/HITWOMAN who lives in HOVE LAKE are said to be CREATIVE and SNEAKY but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves.
✦ ADRIA ARJONA, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ✦ OLIVIA MARSEILLE the TWENTY-SEVEN year old has been in Hidehill for For TWO YEARS. Whispers on the streets are that the SELF-DEFENSE TRAINER/HITWOMAN who lives in HOVE LAKE are said to be CREATIVE and SNEAKY but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves.
well, let’s put this as simple as we possibly could now, shall we? olivia marseille, a writer, widow turned into hitwoman for hire. you would think as someone who only had revenge in her mind would someone be unstoppable, wanting only payback for the death of her fiancé. it was very much unlike any kind of movies where the protagonist is almost invincible. that wasn’t the for olivia, where...you see…didn’t work out so well for her in the beginning…so let’s start it off where things have changed for the worse.
olivia and her fiancé were just on their way home that late night from their date night, a little tradition she held near and dear to her heart even though it would such be a common thing. back at mexico, and her older sister, natalia were expected to fit a mold that their mother, maria marseille has set for the both of them. she looked up to her, admired the bravery she had fighting against what their mother wished for them. though, when natalia left to pursue the life she wanted for herself, away from where it felt like their identities felt like stripped from themselves to become someone their mother perceived them to be, the attention was now solely poured on olivia, and from there, she understood how natalia felt. it didn’t take long for her to follow the footsteps of her older sister, and fortunately, she had help from the woman herself, and in a blink of an eye, both natalia and olivia were now gone from the watchful eyes of their mother and were simply free, or at least, that’s how olivia thought for herself.
as she was walking back home with her fiancé from dinner, they come across something that they shouldn’t, or at least that’s how it was made to look like. they got caught on the crossfire of apparently this drug deal between a few people she distinctly remembers, she knew them from back home, they worked under her mother, and pulled the trigger without hesitation on the person she loved most, felt like the best version of herself. even though she gave them the very revenge they deserved, probably sent them to their very place in hell. her fiancé didn’t make it, not a thing would ever make her come back, and she almost just followed. but for some fucking reason, she didn’t.
it was supposed to be a one-time thing with these people who took the love of her life away from her but then she starts getting these payments along with the information of people these anonymous clients wanted to take out. well, it would be such a shame to put her skills to use only once, right?
years after, she’s turned into someone she’d be, never expecting what she was only going to do for revenge is now her way of living. something she’s put in so much anger into turned into what she does for fun, well…until two years ago, authorities have put their attention on olivia, and she knew she needed to leave. again, she went were there was help, where natalia was, and now she had no choice but to start over in this small town, looked for a job, not that far away from what she knows what to do, and became a self-defense trainer. not that she was planning to give up her previous profession though, until unexplainable deaths started in town, she knew she had to lay low now, with the authorities’ eyes are focused on everyone, she has to be good. for now.
another slam on the mat. it was another day of class for billie and olivia. she has been lecturing, providing the singer pointers so far with every scenario she could think of that the other could potentially be in, with the shadow getting bolder by each kill, she knew everything was possible. that had been in her mind for days now, well, add that to the things that she was thinking about, the fact that billie is basically a popstar, a member of the group she's heard for the longest time, unaware of who they are, and...the moment they've shared back at the masquerade. she is great at hiding it, but she couldn't stop thinking about it, about the girl she's got pinned on her mat right now. "you're here, but you're not really here, billie..." olivia murmurs as she catches her breath.
Sienna had been so preoccupied with learning the ins and outs of feeding Greer Farm's horses and chickens, in trying not to murder the well cultivated garden and the fields of wheat, that she hadn't cooked properly for herself since she'd come to town. It was all frozen food and pizza, trips to the restaurants where she ordered extra and boxed half up to nibble later. Two months in and she was just now finally finding herself in Ormond's with a little grocery basket hanging from her elbow as she perused the produce. Deciding a box of strawberries would add perfectly to her purchases, she whirled around intending to head towards the cereal aisle, and met a wall of interference in the shape of another person. "Oh..." The sound came out of her, surprised but soft, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she swiftly stepped back. "Sorry...I'm so sorry...kind of lost sense of the space around me...I...are you...I'm sorry."
olivia knew the peace had been too good to be true, and with the deaths picking up again, the shadow getting braver with every kill they make, the latest one was pretty bold, and she knew more people are going to contact her for a job to just find who the shadow is, if they were just one person or more the one, as it was before. she didn't have any kinds of lead if she was even going to take the job in the first place, not that she didn't want to do anything, but...for the first time, without a clue, the woman didn't actually know where to start with it. as she was trying to go through the missed calls and messages on her phone, whilst picking up a few groceries for herself, she unexpectedly bumps into someone. "shit--" she fumbles on her phone for a moment before sliding it in her pocket. she eyes the blonde standing before her from head to toe. "shit happens--hold up, you're...new in town, kind of, right?"
❛ it's not just a party. ❜ the more melancholic undertone is not meant to come out in such a preeminent way, but there are some things she can't disguise as well as she'd like. she can't blame the trainer to think otherwise, however. while it hasn't been advertised as such, looking around makes it difficult to act like this isn't just another excuse to get drunk on somebody else's tab. but billie is taking tonight as it was intended ; honoring their latest losses. and looking out for the ones affected by them. ❛ i just had to talk to a few people . . ❜ explanations cut short, and she's grateful for the fabric that falls barely long enough to cover the apple of her cheeks. between holding olivia's gaze and hearing the command — she can feel them warming up, silently thanking whatever fashion gods that put that mask on her path tonight. executing directives in the confinement of a training room is expected, demanded even. this is something different, something that takes billie a beat too long to react. yet, complying comes easier than she thought it would, letting the witty response melt away on her tongue as a tentative bite is taken off the fruit. ❛ what are you waiting to take me on the dance floor, then. —— to, to the dance floor. ❜ tries to catch herself from putting her foot in her mouth, also being careful to not choke on her own words.
there was a hint of sadness in billie's voice that even olivia couldn't miss, and now her eyes possessed it too. she didn't exactly knew who these people were, of course she's heard about tiffany, given that it was the conrads who organized this masquerade ball. but at the same time, she didn't know the others much, not even their names, not that she was ignorant, but she avoids seeing the news as much as she could. before she knows it though, olivia already has her lips in billie's forehead, as an effort to comfort her, something that she hasn't done in so long, not since... "what's important is you're now here, i guess." she says in response as she pulls away, her mask thankfully concealing the confusion in her expression. her eyes has not left the other's as she slowly obeyed her command, taking a bite of the strawberry she offered. "good girl." olivia gives billie a slight smirk, then pops the rest of it in her mouth, immediately noticing the effect of what she just did to her. "mhmm, let's go." she takes the glass of champagne from the woman's hand, downing the rest of it and putting it down to the closest table, before leading them to the dance floor.
"Yeah, and I'll fuckin' do it if you keep on with that tone," Natalia bit back, her sister (as usual) getting a rise out of the older dancer. It was a little easier than usual though, given that the topic in question was Traci. "The shadow era? Be so fucking for real right now you did not just say our town is in its serial killer era," Nat rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "I need another fucking drink after hearing that," she stood up, knowing Olivia would just follow her seeing as they clearly weren't done having this little back and forth. "There's no look in my eye when I talk about her, Liv. You're delusional... People can hit on her if they want, she's not my property."
olivia couldn't help but be amused of how easy it was to get a rise of her sister, knowing so well that there's just something, someone that makes it easy to do so. she's known natalia her whole life, so it was...weird, in a way, seeing her be this person with traci. of course, the trainer wouldn't question whatever it is that was going on between the two women, but she couldn't help but rile her up. "now, am i wrong about the times we're in? listen, i don't know what to call it, it's the first thing that came to mind!" she says as she followed behind the older woman towards the bar. "i may be that but i'm not blind, natalia, and you know what i fuckin' mean." she rolls her eyes in return at her sister's denial. "but whatever helps you sleep at night. so...you're not gonna be mad if i asked her out, or at least ask her for a dance right now?"
"You'd know all about crazy, Liv," Natalia quipped with a smirk as she lifted her drink up, taking a sip of the cocktail through the little black straw. If people knew what they'd been through, there would be no blaming the Marseille siblings for their craziness. But, in just the way Natalia liked, no one really knew anything about where they came from, or who their family really was. As long as she could, she'd keep it that way. "The whole dagger and cloak thing was so pre-shadow," she waved off the fact that she had well and truly lost those beautiful, beautiful heels to her sister. Nat couldn't help but chuckle when the other protested her observation. "Oh please. I might be a bitch but I ain't a fucking dumb one. I know that look in your eyes when I see it," she grinned.
"oh please, you were going to choke me out the other day because of traci, don't act like you don't know it, nat." olivia playfully rolls her eyes at her sister. if one were to ask her, she'd rather not remember her past back in mexico, the life she and natalia had there that they both had to fight for their lives just to live it how the way wanted it to be, not under the control of their mother, not according to the mold she's set of them, and even thinking about her makes the woman's blood boil. "and it fits now, shadow era, whatever you call it, the heels just likes me better." she gives her a smug look, flaunting the shoes that are now hers. "listen, billie pays me to slam her on the mat three...four times a week, it's a thing." she rolls her eyes at her sister once more. "we're all wearing masks, that's why you're just seeing things, i don't know what you're talking about, nat. i see the look in your eyes when you're watching traci, though, especially whenever someone dares to hit on her, so..."
"Watch your tone," Natalia bit back, though it was all in jest between the two sisters. Though she rarely actually showed it, anyone who knew Nat would know that she would lay down her life for Olivia or anyone she considered family - blood or not. If there was one word to describe the dancer it was fiercely loyal. It was why she had paid for the younger Marseille to move out of Mexico, and then funded whatever move she decided to do next in the States even though she knew the other could absolutely afford to cover the costs herself. When it came to that, Nat didn't take no for an answer. Her eyes narrowed when Olivia said probably never, glancing down at the heels once more and letting out a hum. "They suit you better anyway, I never wear them. But you better fucking look after them," she caved, as she always did with the other. Nat's expression softened at the mention of her date, eyes scanning the venue and not finding the other dancer. "She's probably gone for a smoke with some of the other girls," she said as she crossed her legs. "And you? What's going on with you and Billie, hmm?" She smirked.
"perra está loca..." olivia rolls her eyes at the older woman, before sitting down beside her. if it wasn't for natalia, olivia wouldn't be able to leave mexico and the shackles their mother has put on them almost their whole lives. natalia hasn't been away of how it eventually had made olivia snap though, it a way that she's got blood in her hands and have been consistently washed it clean, knowing how her sister would not like how she's really ended up living her life after her fiancé died. "in my defense, i've only seen you wear these dagger heels once or twice. i can put them to better use, i promise." she chuckles at natalia narrowing her eyes at her, taking a sip of her drink. "i'll just wait here then, i know she wouldn't want to miss how good i look tonight." she gives her sister a smug look. it has become part of their little banter, with her just knowing how to push the head dancer's buttons. "what do you mean me and billie?" she chuckles in response, if olivia was being honest, she doesn't really know the game she was playing with the other right now. "she didn't have a date, so i stepped in. it came up during one of our training sessions days ago." she gives her a shrug.
voice above a whisper to not disrupt the gentleness of the reunion, trying to carry home her chances at absolution from the slight negligence she's shown in the last few days. she's had good reasons to be distracted, but she's trying to not let them keep her from keeping her word. ❛ i've had a few things to attend to. ❜ and a few more on the back burner. but those can wait now, and she has to stop neglecting the time she promises to liv before the only one she'll want to allocate her again is on the clock where punches can legally be swung without repercussions. it's a contrasting touch to the sharp padded hands she's used to in the training room that finds its way on the low of her back, however. unexpected, but far from unwelcomed. ❛ will you forgive me if i offer you the next dance ? my only focus will be you, promise. ❜ olivia's hand makes it natural for billie to step in closer. her hand finds movement, but to retrieve the glass from olivia, usurping it from her hold to bring to her own lips for a shared drink.
"a few things to attend to, at a party, come on, billie..." olivia responds, with her voice still hushed as she stared at billie in the eyes through her mask, glancing back down for a moment at her lips. the pair always plays this kind of banter where one says a thing, and the other retaliates. tonight surely felt difference, as they were now dancing to a song obviously unfamiliar for both of them. but whatever it was, olivia was truly enjoying it. it wasn't unlike their usual dance, where someone gets thrown into the mat a couple of times and they call it a day, and that feeling was immediately confirm when billie entered olivia's bubble, and instead of pulling back, she feels herself getting drawn even more. "now we're talking..." she says as she watched billie take a sip of her champagne. and as billie previously mentioned, strawberry appetizers were being handed around. without looking away, olivia grabs on one for herself to take a bite, before bringing it closer to billie's lips this time. "eat..." she murmurs, her tone commanding, but hushed. "i won't forget about the dance, billie..." she closes the distance between their bodies and leans to whisper on her ear. "you know how much i don't like false promises."
masking how one truly feels is a taught skill made easier to display with a proper mask decorating her features. hiding behind it is cowardly, definitely easy, but she deserves a more paved path tonight, she thinks. it's not obligations that brings her here — while she does have an engagement to fulfil later, half of her is excited and wants to be there, barely trumping the one that dreads the moment anytime her gaze falls onto the memorial table. ❛ can i interest you in something better than the distributed champagne and strawberries ? ❜ her date, as loosely as the term goes for tonight, is impossible yet to place in either half. she can't decide if the way her lingering eyes on olivia is a good or bad omen for tonight. billie's been reprimanded focus before, now's a good time as any to apologize for it.
olivia had only been lingering around the start of the night as she lets her date off to socialize, a drink in her hand whilst she was just served appetizers here and there. of course, she's kept her attention on a few people, with the shadow still around, she tries to pick up on any suspicious movements around her. everyone has been having a pretty good time so far, innocent fun, having drinks, chitchatting, anything one would do at a ball like this. perhaps she had gotten a little bit too deep in her own thoughts that billie had snapped her out of it. "i was starting to think you've forgotten about your date, nakano..." she says in a hushed tone only for the both of them to hear, her free hand finding its way to the small of billie's back, as she sips on her drink. "you looked like you were having the best time so far..."
"Oi, puta!" Natalia called after her sister with a devilish smirk as she spotted her passing by. "Come here," she followed, hand coming up and fingers giving her the come hither gesture. When Olivia came up to her, she looked down at the heels on her feet, eyebrow-raising as her eyes slowly came up to Olivia's. "Nice heels, babe," Nat said knowing full well they were hers. "Are you going to get your big sister a drink?" She asked, a smirk returning to her features for a moment before turning into a bit of a sadistic smile as she speaks, "You ruin those and I'll skin you alive by the way."
"now...watch your mouth." olivia rolls her eyes at the other woman, walking up to her with a drink in her hand. the sisters have their own respective dates for the night, and of course, olivia has borrowed a pair of heels from natalia that screamed to her, the daggers being just a nice touch to them. it was very olivia, in a way, but of course, he sister doesn't know that. "i'll return them tomorrow morning....or probably never...since of what you just called me..." she rolls her eyes playfully at the other, muttering the last part under her breath. "where's your date? where's trace? i gotta say hi to her."
❛ ——— huh ? ❜ gosh, did she zone out again ? the one thing more irritating than the constant buzzing of her phone in her pocket is when she doesn't let it go for what could be hours if she isn't stopped. ❛ hey, it's not stupid, i am fighting for every single inch of my life. ❜ and losing, might she add. so yeah, she looks insanely stupid. but liv doesn't need to know, if she can still save face since apparently it's been more than the few seconds she'd promised it would take. all billie needs is to finish this one tex— ❛ no, no, no, no. don't take that, i'll take it, thank you ! you're right, i'm sorry, no more of this. ❜ phone faces the table in a swift move, just in time to take the glass before olivia puts her threat to action, taking it to her mouth for a much needed drink. there's a displeased hum offered as an answer to her trainer's last question. ❛ throwing hands once for this is more than enough. you can beat my ass over literally anything else next session. ❜ she can only handle one loss at a time. which comes right back vibrating against the table they share, brown eyes leaving her company for a quick glance towards the device. ❛ oh fuck me, this can't be that serious . . okay, one last text i swear, bear with me pretty please ? ❜ her fingers itch for the slightest look of approval from olivia so she can finish this annoying business.
"that sounds like an overstatement, but looking at your eyebrows the whole time..." olivia trails off, referring to billie's furrowed eyebrows as she's deeply focused into typing, talking to whoever it was she was texting. it seemed serious, she won't lie, but it was none of her business, that doesn't mean she's not going to mess with the other, though. the trainer pretends to grab the drink she's gotten for billie, before she was able to take it for herself. "it is not your day, you're having a losing streak, and i'd say i'm having fun with it, and i am, actually, but..." she pauses to take a sip of her drink. "wait--anything? that compromise sounds good, i get to kick your butt, and..." and before she could even continue her sentence, the woman's phone buzzed, which makes olivia roll her eyes. she chuckles to herself, but she couldn't help but watch this little fight for her life billie was having. "if that phone isn't any close to important to you, it would've been already gone, if you ask me." she gives her a shrug. "go on, as long as i get my little compromise for tomorrow, then you're safe in my books." olivia gives her a teasing smirk. "but after that, you're going to focus on anything but that."
closed to: brody martinez! ( @brodymartinez )
location: envy
"that was an impressive set." olivia says in greeting to the other, joining brody by the bar. she arrived just in time as his set started. she actually has company, a date, whatever they're called, and have been their company. and she tried to see what is it that's entertaining about them, but eventually, she finds herself just ignoring them and instead, now her full attention is on the dj. he'd been one of the few tolerable people in town, as troublesome he could seem like. somehow, trouble gravitates to trouble. "so...you have somewhere else to be after this?"
