Alec frowns deeply, glaring at the fae up and down for a long moment. What aRUDE question, && certainly implies his lack of leadership skills apparently. He shifts his quiver, gripping his bow a little too tightly.
❝ Both of us. Jace && I work TOGETHER. Neither of us controls the other. ❞
The fae had been sitting in the shadows, watching the discussion between Alec and another man -- which, she finally figured out as Jace. Her attention was half on the males voices, and half on her sketch that she was scrawling over her arm with a sharpie.
“Calm yourself,” she said with a small smirk. “In any partnership, each holds control at some point or another. It was simply a question after your rather heated discussion with him. I didn’t mean to insult you, Alec.”
She had told him to go visit her and he had told her to mind her own business, it was the first time Sean have ever been quite so short with his sister. He should have known Shay wouldn't let up on him, it was the very reason he was standing and staring at the elevator. So many different scenarios ran through his head, none of the outcomes had seemed very appealing but like his sister had told him, Hatta earned at least his attempt to regain their friendship. An attempt he was trying to make.
Hatta had been frank with Shay when they spoke. The hatter’s usual patience was beyond expired, and she was tired. It was a tired that sleep couldn’t fix. This was an exhaustion that had been building for weeks, months – maybe even longer. Hatta couldn’t – no, she wouldn’t count the times, the days – the worries. She had been through a lot in a short span of time, and she was near her breaking point.
That spot no one seemed to believe she had.
On that day, she had been out delivering packages to the different members of the resistance. There had been some Suits, but Hatta handled them. She hated having to do that. Thankfully, there were only two, so she was able to separate them by running through the ruins – taking care of them each, individually. That still left her dirty, a little bruised, and a busted lip. Probably a black eye – she’d had worse.
Walking up to the door of the White Rabbit, she stopped for a moment, swallowing hard to clear the lump that formed in her throat seeing him. Hatta pulled the brim of her fedora low – allowing it to rest over her brows so that it shaded her face some. She didn’t want a big deal made of her injuries. Hatta knew what price she risked paying helping the less fortunate in her section of Wonderland.
Opening the door, she stopped a few steps from him. “What brings you here today?” She asked, pressing the button for the lift. “Sean -- “
Tagging → Quinn Fabray & Mercedes Jones [with Shae Newton]
Time Frame → Late Monday Evening | February 23 , 2015
Location → Helios Records | Manhattan, NYC
General Notes → A little melody-makin'.
Quinn shifted in her seat and reached for the still-warm cappuccino sitting on the small coffee table in front of them. It was late, and her day had been a long one, but she was still full of energy. She hadn't expected Shae's enthusiasm, but then again, considering how passionate the woman was, be it with art or music, it shouldn't have been a surprise. As soon as she settled into the towncar, she was talking songs, rambling excitedly before they even left JFK. That vibe carried them to Helios, where they met with Mercedes, and Quinn was happy that the two were finally able to sit down and toss a few ideas. She had a feeling Mercedes was still a little overwhelmed with everything, and she hoped meeting Shae and soaking in the other woman's laidback vibe would ease her mind a little. They met in Quinn's office, resting comfortably on the couches in the small seating area while Shae perched an iPad on her lap, scrolling through files. Quinn's own tablet was clutched in her fingers, a lazy instrumental playing from the speakers while Shae, sitting beside Quinn nodded along. "This beat is really hot, Q. I think...I might have the perfect lyrics." Shae offered Mercedes a smile. "Quinn's been telling me a lot about you, and your style. She wanted something really different for you, lyric-wise. I wouldn't have made the trip for corny shit, and Q wouldn't have asked me if she didn't think we could work something out, you know? So what are you into, music-wise? What's the last five songs you listened to?"
Mercedes had gotten to Helios earlier than intended, but when she finished freshening up, she saw no reason why should couldn't just get comfortable in Quinn's office before meeting the woman she'd heard so much about in such a short time. Even so, she had no idea what to expect, though as soon as she shook hands with Shae, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was no reason for her to be tense. She was easy, in the way she spoke and gestured, as if she already knew Mercedes, which only made her react the same way. "She's definitely a good judge of that," she responded, smiling briefly at her friend before meeting Shae's gaze again. "As for what I'm into, it varies with the mood. Sometimes I feel like Drake, sometimes I listen to Hole for days straight and sometimes I'm feeling mindless and I just wanna hear good pop. But when it comes to my own style, I guess I gravitate more towards the mellow, alt side of R&B as well as some indie and," she used her fingers to quote "adult contemporary." She pursed her lips at the question, tucking her hair behind her ear as she thought for a moment before simply pulling out her phone to check. "Fuck Em Only We Know, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, Criminal -- the Britney Spears one, and Sex With Strangers." She smiled wide, sucking her lips in and feeling the small embarrassment that came with sharing her cab ride music.
Quinn kept the volume low on the track while the two spoke, and she couldn't help but smile at Mercedes' music choices. "I told you, she's eclectic. But it works so well, right?" Shae nodded at that, her smile growing wider and Quinn could practically see the gears turning behind those dark eyes. "It definitely does. You're all over the place, but there's a core focus. Good beats and lyrics with an edge. Adult contemporary...I can rock with that. It's a popular sound out right now. Deep chillwave R&B. Baby-makin' music for the millenials. Like Chaka meets the Weeknd." Quinn chuckled at that analogy and scooted to the edge of the couch. "Exactly. So what have you got?" Slender sienna fingers moved across the touch screen of the iPad, stopping briefly when she found what she was looking for. "This is something I wrote a while back. Never could find someone it fit, but I think it might be what you're looking for." Shae pressed 'play' and set the tablet on the table. The beat was reminiscent of a 90s R&B song, with a sluggish and heavy contemporary bass that immediately caught Quinn's attention. Shae's voice crooned the opening stanza, rough on the demo but still rather enjoyable and she glanced over at Quinn, whose brow was furrowed while she listened. It was barely three minutes, just enough for three verses and a single chorus, but the blonde was hooked. "It's giving me serious 'end of the night' vibes. You know? When the house party's winding down, and everyone's drunk and feeling good. Those last songs get a little slower, enough for you to press up on someone and just...ride the beat." She laughed then, and pushed a hand through her hair. "I like that part equating love to a good smoke. It rides the line of cheesy but with the right vocals...it can definitely be sultry. And if there's one thing my girl can do, it's give me sultry." Quinn offered Mercedes a smile. "What do you think, cherie?"
Mercedes couldn't help but chuckle at their descriptions, especially Quinn's. Sometimes it was as though she knew what the blonde was going to say in reaction to something, or the gist of it at the very least. It made her smile and shake her head a little, specifically the last part. "Yes, I can give her sultry. In the studio. It's what my late crowd at Fontana's love about my set," she half-joked. Licking her lips, she fell quiet for a few moments, really allowing herself to listen to the song. "I love this," she said finally, humming slightly. "Like, I want to try it on, which is the perfect sign. When I hear something and I want to put my voice on it, cause it'll feel good." She paused, thinking she might not be making any sense. "It's like seeing a dress in a department store and dying to see what it'll look like on your curves."
Quinn looked to Shae, who laughed softly at Mercedes' vivid imagery. "That's perfect, Mercedes. That's exactly what a song should make you want as an artist. You wanna sing it. Take it, and make it yours. Hop into the booth and test it out. This is your sound, you know? And you gotta be in complete control with it. That's my rule for anybody I work with." Quinn nodded at that, looking completely pleased. "You're in charge of your work, Mercy. Shae's a wonderful writer. And if you're comfortable, I can see you two working together quite well. Also if you really wanted to lay down a demo of the song, that's not a problem. We could head to the studio now, if you wanted."
Mercedes grinned and bit her lip, leaning on her fist as she listened to Shae. The woman was reassuring, and it made her antsy, like she wanted to experiment right away and see if it was a real fit. "God, if one more person tells me I'm in control, it's gonna go to my head. Not being able to snag leftover studio time feels like yesterday, so being in charge of my work will still get an eyebrow raise or two." She looked at Quinn, her grin returning. "Well yeah, just for a little bit. Just to see how it flows."
Quinn gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Please. A diva fit with you would probably be a glare if someone messed up your tea order. I think we'll be alright. This is all a learning experience for you. And as new artist, it's important you're heavily involved in your own style and sound. You learn the business that way." Quinn stood up and Shae followed, grabbing her iPad and small messenger bag. "Listen to your girl, Mercedes. Q knows her shit. My cousin's blowing up charts now, because of her." The blonde's cheeks reddened at the praise but she shook off Shae's words and the faint blush with a wave of her hand, ushering the pair out of her office. "Please. Dizzy's a genius. I just gave him the card and set up a meeting." The studio was only an elevator ride down, and it was empty, thankfully. Quinn and Shae took their places in the board ops room, with Mercedes in the studio along with the lyrics. Quinn was well-versed in handling the board, setting the right levels and hooking everything into place. It was easy to pull up the instrumental version of the song and she hit the intercom button to get Mercedes' attention in the booth. "This is super rough, cherie. We're not laying anything down unless you want to. Take some time, listen, get a feel for the lyrics. If you need playback, let us know. Get to know the song. We're not going anywhere." Quinn hit play, and cued up the instrumental.
Mercedes was officially warming up to the idea of being in control. It was comforting to know she didn't have a set of rules to follow. And she was excited to be in the studios at Helios, having only seen them in her tours and meetings. But to be inside, even goofing off, just gave her a good feeling. Having just heard Shae's song, she decided she wasn't going to overthink it or continuously ask herself if she was doing it right. She'd just go with it. When Quinn gave her the go-ahead, she nodded, smiling and giving them a thumbs up before closing her eyes so she could focus on the beat and try to remember the flow of the words on Shae's recording. With the lyrics in front of her, she finally began singing, freestyling the parts she didn't remember from the run-through. It was just...fun, something she'd stopped associating with recording studios for a short period.
Quinn's gaze slid to Shae, who watched Mercedes in the booth with something akin to awe. It was rough, very much so. But Quinn expected that. Still, it was wonderful, seeing Mercedes take the reins. There were no backup singers, no instruments, just the beat and a tablet, and she was still captivating. Quinn found herself nodding along, her fingers adjusting the levels and at one point she dropped the beat, isolating Mercedes' vocals so that all they heard was her. Smooth voice slinking over the chorus and versus with the ease of a professional, adding her own lyrics when her gaze fell from the iPad. "Damn," Shae breathed and she turned to Quinn, who simply smiled. "I told you, she's wonderful." That made the other woman laugh, and she leaned over, slim dark fingers brushing Quinn's while she gently brought the instrumental back in. "It's something you gotta hear for yourself. She's gonna be big, Q. This is great." Quinn nodded as the song faded out, hitting pause on the recording. "She really is, if I can help it." Pressing the intercom, the blonde offered Mercedes a wide grin. "That was awesome, Mercy. How do you feel?"
Mercedes smiled at the compliment. "Well thank you very much," she replied. "I liked playing with it, but I really wanna record this." She clasped her hands together and turned her gaze to Shae. "Holy crap you are really good. I mean, I knew that, but now I experienced it. If possible, I'm more excited. Dammit." She grinned and held the pad against her chest.
Quinn loved the excitement, glad to see Mercedes so enthused and she could tell with Shae, the feeling was mutual. "See? We told you. You just had to make the song your own." Shae grinned and hit the playback button, and the room was filled with the sound of the song and Mercedes' voice. "That right there? I was digging the little freestyle moment. Definitely more of that. Play around with the song. You know, see how it fits over of those curves of yours." Quinn chuckled while pausing the music. "We can record it, if you want. I need more demos from you, anyway. We've got all night, if you want. Let's take it from the top." With that, she hit play and turned up Mercedes' mic, letting her take over while she sat back, her smile giddy.
Giselle: -can't help but groan as she reads over the script, her coffee in hand as she mumbles to herself- I can't believe I'm working with that idiot again.
Phil sat in the living room, alone, leaning his head against the window. Everybody seemed to somewhere else today, so he took the opportunity to come out of the basement. If anybody showed up here, he would leave because Havok had started making herself known inside him again, fighting to get control again. Until this morning, he hadn't felt Havok since Chris had thrown the bible at him. He felt like there was a battle going on inside of him between himself and Havok, and she was starting to gain more control. Phil let out a frustrated sigh, running his hand over his face, and closed his eyes.
Just to Lose Control, Just Once. || Chimaera & Abaddon.
All this talk of remembering and forgetting...it was tempting. Oh how tempting the thought had been, to go out and find someone, anyone, who was...willing to be his plaything for the night. The mind was a shameful thing to waste, and what better way to put it to use than to let it be abused? To let it be touched, shared, destroyed, even...oh, how very tempting it sounded. After a while, and after much deliberation and thought, he finally decided that tonight was the night he would finally go out and have some fun. After all, what was life without a bit of fun every now and then? He changed into his costume (which he hadn't touched in...a couple months? Yeah, he figured that was right.), and went out into the dark Chicago night, keeping to the shadows as he walked. It was a strange, almost euphoric feeling that took over on nights like these...nights when he was in command of things, nights where he could go out and do what he wished with little to no consequences...yeah, the thought of being almost a god of sorts was one that he had taken a liking to rather quickly.
As he walked, he listened, he observed...he studied. This city wasn't too intricate, but the humans who inhabited it had already proved on more than one occasion that they could tend to be rather unpredictable and confusing...he didn't want to be surprised or taken off guard by any unexpected company. Which, sadly, was exactly what happened when he thought he saw movement from further up the street.
"Hello? Want to come out and play?" he drew the first word out just slightly, a laugh that could only be described as demented escaping him after the open invitation to whoever was out with him at almost midnight on a Wednesday.
While waiting to hear news about Neal's condition in the hospital Raquel had started talking to a small girl named Jaime. Jaime was eleven years and had been dealing with stage three cancer for three years. It wasn't so much her story that had stood out in Quel's mind as cruel as that may sound it was the last thing that Jaime had told her before walking in to see her doctor. The words Jaime had told her had very little to do with what they had been talking about, but they were the exact words Raquel needed to hear. "Life's too short, Raquel". It was then that she had received Alexander's first message. She could still hear Jaime's words ringing in her ears as she answered the message. It was then in that hospital waiting room when she decided to try to build a relationship with someone that shared a blood relation to her.
When she got Alexander's text saying that it was okay for her to pick her up it all became real for her. Sure they had met before but this was now on different terms. She paced up and down her room for seven minutes before she grabbed her purse and car keys to head out of the door. She reached her car and was happy to see that the it was still clean after the detailing she had gotten done a day before the masquerade. Her car might not have been as luxurious as her mother's mercedes, but when she had chosen her toyota camry she thought that it was perfect for her first car. Sure she could afford another car, but she had gotten it a could of weeks before her father had died and had grown rather attatched to it.
Once she reached the McNamara building she took her phone from the center divider and sent Alex a quick "I'm outside, in the dark gray toyota camry" text. She waited for the girl to come down all the while feeling her stomach in nervousness.
This had been something that Rosie had forgotten all about from a while ago. A threesome with Finn and Ari. Now, it was going to happen. She kind of figured that this was the natural thing to do since they were the two that she had hooked up with the most here. Not thinking of that, she made her way to her and Finn's room. Since he wasn't in yet, she shimmed her way out of her clothes and stripped down to her bra and panties. It wasn't like neither wasn't going to come off anyway and she figured she might as well be there for easier access. Now, she just had to wait until they both got here and then the real fun would begin.
