It didn’t take long for Ollie to land at the precise address Quinn had given him. And, the truth was, he didn’t really need the address to begin with. The moment he’d stepped foot in New York on a more permanent basis, he’d made the effort to look Quinn Fabray up. Since doing so, he had been aware of her success, and the location of her theater, though he hadn’t quite been able to bring himself to tell her that. He told himself it wasn’t creepy, not when his intentions were good, and it wasn’t like he was hanging out behind the bushes at all hours of the night- in fact, this was the first time he had visited in person. Heading up the steps and through the large entryway, neck turning this way and that to take in the ambiance of the place. “Hey, Q!” He called, his voice echoing. “I’m here, just waiting for that grand, personalized tour you promised!”
Despite her unfamiliarity with the majority of the city, the one place Stacey had been certain to learn the immediate location of was the Starbucks nearest her apartment. Coffee was incredibly crucial to her daily functioning, and she had learned long ago that the best thing to do was not to deny herself. Placing her order, she made her way to a free table outside the shop, crossing her legs and pulling her cell phone from her designer MK bag as she began scrolling, awaiting Mercedes’ arrival patiently. When the other woman approached, she smiled, placing her cell phone on the table next to her drink and stood, opening her arms to hug the other woman. “”Oh my gosh Mercedes! Look at you! You look good, girl! How the hell have you been?”
Following her phone’s GPS, Lili arrived at the restaurant to meet Mike right on time. Glancing around, she searched for him in the crowd, double-checking that she’d put in the correct address when she spotted him hanging back, in a corner booth nearby. “Hey, Mike!” She called, waving as she wove through the bodies of other patrons. Discarding her purse in the seat next to her, she made herself comfortable as she gazed at him. “Oh my gosh, we were just saying it had been so long since we’ve seen each other, but you still look exactly like I remember! How’s the city treating you? Normally I say I know it’s a change, but you said you were in Chicago before, right? So, you’re probably pretty used to this kind of energy.”
Curled in a corner of Jamie’s couch, Campbell rested her temple against her fist, watching as the Submissive moved around his kitchen, working diligently on their dinner. Over the time they’d spent together, Jamie had managed to assist in Campbell’s progression and recovery more than she’d ever imagined possible. He’d given her more than she’d expected, and still encouraged her to take more. Everything about him seemed unfamiliar, and although she was hesitant, his steadiness and persistence had earned him her trust. In him, she’d been able to safely tiptoe towards her Domme headspace, and the fact that he not only nurtured that part of her, but allowed her to both be and work through the befuddled mess she’d become in that regard only made her open herself to him more. Slowly, Campbell was finding her way back to herself, and she recognized that while she owed her progress to several amazing people, she couldn’t deny that if Jamie had chosen to let go of her at any point, she probably would have backslid once again. Recently, those thoughts had come to her more and more, and before she’d even realized it herself...Something was there. What that was, she wasn’t sure. And it terrified her to no end, thinking that it even existed, and even more so considering the very real possibility that Jamie wouldn’t feel the same.
These were the thoughts Campbell considered, her eyes continuing to scan and follow the man’s figure. The war occurring within herself, peppered with nerves and sprinkled with uncertainty, was enough to shut her down, though thus far she’d made the active choice to not. Still, it occurred to her that she couldn’t remain here, frozen in stasis, forever. Standing, she bit into the corner of her lip as she made her way slowly towards him his back still to her. Allowing herself no pause or hesitation, she stood behind him, her chest flush with his back as she pressed into him. Resting her head on the back of his shoulder, she placed her palms on either side of his rib cage, sliding them down slowly, her touch light as her hands rested on his hips before wrapping fully around his waist. “Jamie...” Campbell near-whispered, anxious about what reaction, if any, he might have.
As soon as she heard the knocks at her suite’s door, Campbell made her way over, knowing she’d find Lucy and her escorts on the other side, and she was certainly not disappointed. Nodding her thanks, she dismissed the security, stepping aside so that Lucy could enter before closing and locking the door behind her. “Put your bag down, then kneel.” She ordered coolly, stepping further into her suite and pointing a finger at the pillow she’d placed next to her bed, for the Submissive to kneel on. Cammie waited for the girl to get settled, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail before crossing her arms. Once Lucy was in position, Cam made her way towards her, dropping an arm to tilt the Submissive’s chin up, connecting their eyes. “It is good to see you, sweet girl. First, tell me about your day. Did anything significant happen? How are you feeling?”
Adjusting his necktie, Colin made his way towards Marley’s cabin. Stepping up to the door, he straightened his blazer once more before lifting a fist to knock. Stepping back, he shifted the bouquet he’d purchased before heading over, hiding it behind his back as he waited for Marley to open the door. They’d spent a good amount of time together, getting to know each other. She was different than others he’d gone out with, though he only rarely entertained romantic notions. Things were going well, and he was genuine in his desire to spend even more time with the woman.
@roseamongthorns
Gaudy. Tacky. Unfinished. Trashy. The words swam circles through Campbell’s mind as she stared blankly at the ceiling of her trailer. The aging, dingy ceiling. Her mother’s voice ricocheted from every nook and cranny, filling her with even more overwhelming anxiety. Disappointment. Failure. Disgrace. Embarrassment. The words kept coming, growing in number and showing no signs of relenting. A cold sweat broke out across Campbell’s forehead, and she lifted an ivory wrist to wipe it swiftly away. Turning onto her side, she drew her knees to her chest and closed her eyes, doing her best to convince herself that she was fine. After all, it had only been 7 hours since she’d last righted herself- last given in to temptation; given in to release. Her stomach lurched as the seemingly never ending loop in her brain shifted into a new backdrop. This time, instead of hyper-focusing on the downfalls of her new environment, she found herself staring down the man who had upended her entire life- the man who had stolen everything from her, and then some.
Screams filled Campbell’s ears, fogging her mind and only further tightening the ever-present knot in her body’s core. She could feel herself struggling against now invisible restraints, her own choked screams devolving into sobs as she fought the against the thought that there was nothing she could do. Clasping a hand over her mouth, She did her best to muffle a wail, knowing the walls of the trailer surrounding her were only paper-thin. Taking in a breath, Campbell had only a moment to lean herself over the side of her bed before emptying the meager contents of her stomach into the wastebasket beside her. Spitting, she ran the back of her hand across her lips, panting as she reached for the bottle of water resting beside her. “Goddamn it!” She screamed, her voice echoing in the silence around her.
Shaking hands reached for the top drawer of her nightstand, fumbling through the mostly-empty space until her fingers landed on the cool silk of a small, zippered purple bag. Pulling the parcel from its previous home, Campbell attempted to steady herself enough to open it, succeeding with a smile before pulling an unlabeled bottle from the small darkness. Twisting the cap, she closed one eye, peeking into the small circular opening, counting her stock. “Shit...” She muttered, tipping the remaining contents into an open palm. Two pills. Placing the pills as carefully as possible onto her nightstand, she pulled a knife from the still-open drawer, trembling as she placed one flattened side against the pills. In a small dance of twisting pressure until they were crushed into nothing more than powder, Using the knife’s sharpened edge, she guided the loose particles expertly into two glittering white lines, she deposited the knife back into the drawer before plugging one nostril and leaning forward.
Inhaling the powder provided a delicious, near-instant rush. Almost immediately, her hands ceased their trembling, and her stomach finally began to relax. Tipping her head back, Campbell sighed contentedly, shaking her head before closing the pouch and returning it to its home, slamming the drawer shut after. Standing, she ran her fingers through her hair and her hands over her top, attempting to collect herself before reaching into her purse. Pulling a crisp $50 bill from its front pocket, Cam slipped her feet quickly into a pair of flip-flops and made her way out of her trailer, heading towards the trailer of one Reg, the concessions guy.
Protecting Mutual Interests || Aiden/Abby || Text Para
Tagging: Aiden Anderson & Abby Bennett
Notes: Abby is Eli’s best friend from Ohio. This is a text message para
Summary: Aiden tells Abby what's been going on with Eli.
Time Frame: Thursday, May 30
Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse
Status: Complete
Abby: whats goin' on w/ ur bro?
Abby: & hi i guess.
Aiden: I imagine he's breathing and living and stuff. Hi to you, too, Ms. Charmer.
Abby: hes avoiding me. y?
Aiden: Don't take it personally. He's going through some stuff.
Abby: what stuff?
Aiden: Mason stuff.
Abby: mason stuff?
Aiden: Yeah. The fuckface showed up on campus.
Abby: he did what?!?!? he bother eli?
Aiden: Uhm. Yeah, but I'm taking care of it.
Abby: what did the fucker do?
Aiden: Don't worry about it.
Abby: good try. why dont u tell me what happened.
Aiden: It's none of your concern.
Abby: hes my best friend jackass. it's been my concern for longer than it's been yours.
Aiden: Doesn't mean it's your concern now. He just scared him.
Abby: still my concern. always my concern. scared him how?
Aiden: Said some stuff. followed him around.
Abby: and? he wouldnt avoid me if that was it
Aiden: Hit him.
Abby: fucker! i'll kill him.
Abby: how’s eli?
Aiden: I'm taking care of Mason, don't interfere. He's fine now. I'm forcing him into therapy.
Abby: fine now? but not before? if i get 2 him 1st u cant stop me from killin him.
Aiden: No, and he still isn't completely okay but he's better. don't. just give it a week.
Abby: how bad was it? u better end that fucker. im serious!
Aiden: It wasn't... bad-bad but it wasn't good. I will.
Abby: how not good? i need 2 know.
Aiden: Like. I don't know. punches. There was something about his wrist but I don't know what it's from.
Abby: damnit!
Aiden: I've got it. Don't worry about it.
Abby: i worry. it's my job.
Aiden: well. it's being taken care of.
Abby: good.
Aiden: So. You not gonna do anything, right?
Abby: if i run into him i make no promises.
Aiden: Ignore him.
Abby: no promises. he hurt my peach again.
Aiden: i said I'm taking care of it. ignore him
Abby: and i said no promises. unless he comes to columbus u don't have 2 worry
Aiden: right. i'll keep you updated on his therapy, alright?
Abby: yea. he gone to a session yet?
Aiden: Yeah. Im forcin him to more. Don't tell him I told you, though.
Abby: i won't. u didn't tell him about me telling you about fucker so ya'know. howd it go? he ok?
Aiden: Good. Uhm. He was a little shaken up. I didn't want to ask too many questions.
Abby: right. yea. ok. to the point where he stopped talking?
Aiden: I guess. I didn't make him talk, so.
Abby: so u don't know. just look out 4 him. ok?
Aiden: I always do.
Abby: hug him for me. and tell him 2 stop avoiding me!
Aiden: I will don't worry
Abby: good. see u in july 4 color run. but i better talk 2 u b4 that.
Aiden: you wiiil don't worry
Abby: alright. talk 2 u soon!
