Escort Anthea
You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
You both like Mythea, Sherstrade, Mystrade, and Johncroft.
You: Mr. Holmes? I apologize for bothering you but I have to cancel our appointments indefinitely. I am happy to send another girl, should you wish.-A (Escort AU. TW: Abuse, can play without, just let me know!)
Stranger: No, don't worry about sending anyone else. I'm sorry to hear that, I hope everything is well. I would like to see you again should you become available, of course. -M
You: I'm not sure when that will be, sir. I don't want to keep you waiting.-A
Stranger: It's not waiting, really. I'm sure you hear this from a lot of clients, and I in no way think I'm unique or even a priority, I'm under no illusions - but I feel I connected with you well, and I'm not much interested in attempting to go to the trouble with someone else. It's quite honestly less hassle, unless you have another you can recommend who would be good for social-only engagements in the same vein as yourself. Intelligent, well-read, clever and witty. Otherwise I shall go it alone for the time being -M
You: You are very unique, Mr. Holmes, it's part of what's so charming and alluring about you. Sarah would be perfect a perfect date for you to take to your social engagements. I'll have her profile sent to you this evening. I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience. I will miss our time together a great deal.-A
Stranger: Thank you, Anthea. I shall, as well. I don't want to pry, but if there's anything I can do, anything at all - now or in the future - please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm absolutely serious. -M
You: No, sir, there's nothing. You have much better things to do than solve my problems for me.-A
Stranger: It would be my privilege, but I won't press you. Take care of yourself, dear girl -M
You: [A few weeks later. They saw each other at an event, but Anthea wasn't allowed to speak with Mycroft.] You looked handsome in your new suit.-A
Stranger: Your dress was beautiful, but I admit concern over how thin you've become and the proprietary attitude of your companion. -M
You: I needed to lose the weight.-A Charles wasn't having a very good day. It was a long evening for him.-A
Stranger: Nonsense, you were fine the way you were. -M
Stranger: I've had long evenings, but I haven't acted like that, I hope. Are you sure there's nothing I can do? -M
You: Thank you, Mr. Holmes, that's very sweet of you.-A And no, you were nothing but a gentleman any time we were together. My favorite politician.-A
You: [Delayed] Things have simply been stressful for everyone. Charles is the man who runs the company I work for. He's changed a few things.-A
Stranger: Perhaps it's time to find a new service to contract with, my dear. -M
Stranger: Sarah has been a lovely date for social occasions but she doesn't have your spark -M
You: She'll learn what you like soon.-A
You: I don't have the option to leave.-A
Stranger: What do you mean, you don't have the option to leave? -M
You: Charles has taken me for his. He can be..jealous.-A
Stranger: You do realize that's no longer equitable employment or contract work but abusive and best and slavery at worst -M
Stranger: [delayed] Apologies if I've made things worse. I can help, if you feel it would be safe. -M
You: No, it wasn't your fault, Mr. Holmes. It was mine. I broke the rules and was punished accordingly. It's nothing you need to get involved in.-A Especially not for a woman like me.-A
Stranger: A woman like you? You mean a caring, intelligent woman who makes her trade caring for the emotions and needs of others? I don't think it would be difficult to find things on your employer that would put him away for a good long time -M
You: I would not have put it so eloquently, no, but thank you.-A What does it matter what happens now? Even if I did leave him, Charles would make sure I could never work in the industry again.-A That's what started this whole thing. I told him I wanted out because I'd met someone I cared for.-A
Stranger: I know it's a lucrative industry but surely the talents and skills you've honed can be used in other professions -M
You: I would have to find someone willing to overlook my past. There aren't many employers who would do such a thing.-A
Stranger: What an utter ass. That is the behaviour of a child - M
Stranger: Well, I would certainly keep you. I don't mean for that to be patronizing. I realize it probably is. -M
You: There's a difference in your wanting to keep me and Charles' wanting to. You believe you have feelings for me. Charles simply doesn't want to share.-A
Stranger: I want you to be happy and free to do as you like. -M
Stranger: I care for you, in what capacity beyond that of a good friend, I do not know. I haven't allowed myself to contemplate beyond that - but I do want what you feel is best for you, not what I feel is best. -M
You: [Delayed] He forbid me from seeing you.-A
Stranger: I have snipers. -M
You: That's a bit much, sir.-A
Stranger: I have a black site in London and several outside of it? -M
You: Mr. Holmes, I can't let you get involved. I've said too much as it is.-A [Delayed] I have to go. I'm sorry.-A
Stranger: Take care of yourself, Anthea. You know where I am. -M
You: [Early the next morning.] Mr. Holmes, I won't be able to contact you again. I'm sorry for any inconvenience my absence will cause you. Your next three sessions with Sarah are free and Mr. Elliot hopes you'll accept his sincere apologies for my unacceptable behavior. Should you need anything, please contact him directly.-A
Stranger: Well, that was fine and dandy, Mycroft supposed, but he didn't want sessions with Sarah, free or otherwise. Oh, she was a nice girl, smart enough, but she lacked whatever it was that Anthea had. And her behavior hadn't been unacceptable, so there was no need to apologize. He texted back as much, then sent a message to Charles saying the same, that he was sure it was all just a misunderstanding. And then, he went to work. He'd find something on Charles Elliot - no matter how clever he thought he was, Mycroft was more so and had more resources at his disposal. A sniper wasn't sounding like a bad idea at the moment, to be honest.
You: Anthea had sent the message to Mycroft after a rather eventful night with Charles. They'd gone to dinner, then gone home where Charles reminded Anthea who she belonged to. It wasn't until she was caught texting Mycroft (and forgetting to clear the messages) that Anthea was truly punished for stepping out of line with her boss. The early morning message to her former client was written in an attempt to calm Charles down and for Anthea to receive medical attention. She knew her left arm was broken and she knew a few ribs were at least broken. She could feel her lip swelling from the split at the corner from where Charles had backhanded her after an off the cuff remark. She didn't know how many other bruises littered her body and she didn't care to count them as she sat on the exam table being asked repeatedly who hurt her.
Stranger: The first thing Mycroft had done was put a flag on Anthea's name so if anything came up, he'd know. And when his assistant brought to his attention that she'd landed in A&E later that morning with serious injuries, he cursed himself for not going ahead with the investigation sooner. He had connections at the hospital and he hoped she would forgive him for being just as much of an manipulative ass as Charles, but with different motivations, when he sent the request for her to be kept overnight on a regular ward, where all visitors would be forced to leave promptly at eight and not return until early the next morning. He had no doubt she could actually use the healing time and rest, but it also gave him some wiggle room in which to work. He had discreet plainclothes guards assigned to that corridor with instructions to check badges and identification of anyone attempting to access her room, and started digging for dirt on Mr Elliot.
You: She lost count of the number of times she told the doctor that she was fine and just needed her arm put in a cast so that she could go home. No one believed her, of course, but it hardly stopped her from trying. "I don't need to stay over night for a broken arm and a few bruised ribs." she complained to the nurse who was getting her room set up. "There has to be some mistake." she said. "I'm perfectly fine, see? Charles is my partner, please let him take me home." The nurse shook her head. "Just a precaution, Ms. Jones. I'm sure your partner will understand." It took Charles being physically pulled out of her room and escorted off the hospital premises that night for Anthea to realize what was going on. She picked up the hospital phone next to her bed and dialed Mycroft's number (her phone destroyed in the fight). "Does the eight o'clock restriction extend to you too, Mr. Holmes?"
Stranger: "Good evening to you as well, Anthea," Mycroft said dryly, "And that depends on if you would like it to or not. Otherwise, I do think I've found some rather gruesome things on Mr Elliot that I'm preparing to allow to find their way to the proper authorities. Unless you would like me to engage the sniper, of course."
You: Anthea couldn't help but chuckle at Mycroft's tone and offer to kill her abuser. She shook her head, knowing he couldn't see her, and reminded him not to do anything he'd regret. "The doctor's and nurses have urged me to file charges against him." she began. "He...Charles broke my arm in two places. They think I may have to have surgery if the cast doesn't fix things." she sighed, looking down at her arm. "I shouldn't have bothered you last night." she whispered, feeling the tears at the corner of her eyes. "I just couldn't..." her voice cracked and she stopped. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Holmes. Thank you for your help. Good day."
Stranger: "No, Anthea, please. You should have bothered me last night. It's not a bother, I mean. You aren't a bother. I'm happy, as always, to help you," he assured her. "I'm terribly sorry about your arm, and I hope you can avoid surgery. I'd like to find you somewhere safe to stay. There's going to be a good deal of people going into a witness protection scheme because of this. You can be one of them. You probably ought to be. The list of charges... it's long. It's not something he'll be granted bail for. And it implicates most of his underlings, but I've kept the escorts out of it, as most of them had no idea and have done a good job of publicly listing completely legal work - exotic entertaining and the like," Mycroft said, hoping she wouldn't hang up. "Even if you never want to speak to me again for how I've commandeered the situation, I'd do it again to attempt to prevent you from going through any more horrors."
You: Anthea was getting ready to hang up the phone because she didn't want Mycroft to hear her breakdown, but stopped as he began hurriedly explaining everything to her. She couldn't believe he'd taken everything so seriously. She couldn't believe that he'd followed through on his promise to her. She covered her mouth as she listened to him, tears falling down her cheeks in crooked lines. "T-the reason I-I'm even in this mess is because I-I couldn't st-stay away from y-you...." she stammered into the phone. A sob escaped as she continued. "I b-broke the ru-rules and fell fo-for y-you." she explained. "Because y-you treated me better th-than anyone I'd e-ever serviced. Y-you were my best cl-client."
Stranger: "Darling girl," Mycroft said softly, "treating someone with basic human dignity no matter their profession is what should be aspired to, and I'm so terribly sorry that hasn't been your experience. You're under no obligation to me, I need you to understand that. I am ridiculously fond of you, as I said before, I haven't allowed myself to contemplate further. I just want your happiness and safety. If that means you go into a protection scheme and I never see you again, yes, of course I shall miss you, but you being safe is more important. Getting Charles off the streets is going to make a lot of people safer, and preventing others from filling the vacuum will help, as well."
You: Anthea shook her head again, trying to wipe her cheeks off as she held the phone. "I-it's not about obligation." she sniffled. "Y-you aren't the first person I-I've felt this way about." Embarrassed she took a moment to try (and fail) to calm herself down. Anthea didn't want to go into hiding. Anthea didn't want to leave London or her friends or Mycroft. She wanted to go home and sleep in her own bed. She wanted to make sure that Charles didn't hurt anyone else. "I-I don't expect this t-to change anything be-between us, Mr. H-holmes." she said quietly. "I just wanted you t-to know. I don't want to leave L-London or go into h-hiding. I just want things to be l-like they used to be."
Stranger: "I'm releasing the information to the authorities presently, and I've had Charles tailed since he left the hospital. He'll be in custody within the hour. Would you like me to come and see you, or would you rather just get the good drugs and get some rest?" Mycroft asked, gently. Of course he wanted to see her, but realized that she'd been through a great deal, and might not be feeling up to it. "It doesn't need to change anything unless we decide it does, together. I would like to see you for social events once you're feeling up to it. They're so much more fun with you, as you know my coworkers and the important players by now. We do make a good team."
You: Anthea thought about what she wanted for a few moments, smiling when he complimented her. "Can't I h-have it all?" She asked, finally beginning to calm down. "You and the medication? I-I know I won't be a-able to rest tonight. These beds are horribly un-uncomfortable." She took a few steadying breaths, reaching up to wipe her eyes again. "I'll attend anything y-you want me to, Mr. Holmes. Y-you deserve to be repaid for the work you've put in on my case. I don't know how to thank you." She confessed. "But I'll start b-by trying to clean m-myself up for you today."
Stranger: Mycroft laughed softly at her asking if she could have it all. It wasn't unkind laughter, just genuine amusement. "You can have whatever you like, up to and including chocolate ice cream before bed, because you've had a hell of a few weeks. Don't worry about repaying me. It's not necessary. Nor about cleaning yourself up. You've been through the wringer today, my dear. If it will make YOU feel better, then do so - but not on my account. I should be there shortly. Twenty minutes or so."
You: Anthea hummed a thank you to the man before she hung up the phone. He knew her so well it frightened her. He'd never been shy about the amount of information he had obtained and Anthea had grown used to it. Mycroft had a difficult career, with many different facets that he was forced to keep spinning in harmony. It was his job to ensure those around him were truthful, safe for him and others to be around. It was his job to stay twelve steps ahead of everyone else. Anthea had been swept along in his charm and mystery, falling for him after a few months of seeing him, and she'd never been able to restrain herself. When the nurse came in, Anthea asked for help making herself look presentable. "A special visitor?" the woman asked, brushing her hair. "Mr. Holmes advised he'd be stopping by later tonight." the woman explained. "You look just fine, Ms. Jones. I'll be back around ten for your next dosage." Anthea nodded, thanking the woman for her help and settled back into the pillows on her bed to wait for Mycroft.
Stranger: Flowers were what one brought for a convalescent. Well, that and fruit, but flowers seemed more appropriate at the moment. He managed to find an florist that was still open on his way and bought a small arrangement, nothing ostentatious, but of flowers he'd heard her reference as her favourites before. Thus, Mycroft arrived at the hosptial, dutifully showed his identification to his own plainclothes agents, and knocked on the doorframe of Anthea's room before stepping in. She looked exhausted, and bruised, but she was alive, and that was enough to be thankful for. "I have to say I much prefer you in ballgowns to hospital gowns," he said, by way of greeting, setting the flowers down on her bedside table. "They suit you better."
You: "I knew I forgot to pack something before I left the house this morning." She teased. She looked over at the small arrangement of flowers. "You never cease to amaze me with the details you remember." she said, glancing back up to him. "I don't think I ever told you my favorite flowers were carnations. At least not directly anyway." she patted her bed so that he could rest with her. "I hope the army of people you have outside didn't give you any fuss." she said, shifting so that there was room for him to sit down. "That doctor of yours is just as stubborn as you, you know? I hope you didn't threaten him too much when you advised I was required to stay over night."
Stranger: "I recommended. He merely agreed with me. They're worried about your arm," he replied, sitting next to her. "I was informed on the way over that Charles in in custody and will remain there until his trial can take place. The state is pursuing a list of charges as long as your arm. But enough about him, and that. I've missed your companionship, it's wonderful to see you, even if I wish it were better circumstances."
You: "It will heal." she said, wiggling her nearly covered fingers. "Surgery or not." She nodded, sighing in relief when Mycroft explained that her abuser was in custody. She knew, with Mycroft's hard work, that she was finally safe...finally free of him. She owed the man sitting next to her a great deal for all he'd done for her. She smiled at him, reaching with her free hand to find his own. "I can't tell you how much I've missed you, Mr. Holmes. The dinners, the events, the conversation." She brushed a thumb over his knuckles. "The circumstances hardly make a difference. This..." she said, referencing all that had happened to her. "has happened before, you know?"
Stranger: "Occupational hazard?" he asked, holding her hand between both of his. "You ought to think of going into business for yourself. I would wager you'd have quite a few girls who would be willing to work for you. Sarah thinks the world of you, she's said as much. Then you could do the kind of vetting that ought to be done, and less worries about unscrupulous men running the show. Or you pursue the life of a trophy wife with a besotted, indulgent husband," he said, winking.
You: Anthea couldn't help the wave of relief that washed over her as Mycroft sat with her, joking to lift her spirits. She blushed slightly at his wink. She was always a bit powerless with his charming ways. "I don't know about being a trophy anything, but being the wife of a besotted, indulgent husband sounds like an awfully good retirement plan, don't you think?" she asked. "I could finally put this life behind me. Focus on my own interests, my own hobbies. I could find a quiet little job in a shop some where. I could spoil said husband with home cooked meals, massages and lazy Sunday mornings."
Stranger: "That sounds absolutely lovely, what a lucky sod he would be," Mycroft agreed, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. "And an excellent retirement plan."
