elenamcrgan

[elenamcrgan]

"Have you been here a long time?" She asked, with the you in question indicating the shop, as she strode to take a seat in Julie's chair. The salon was thankfully quiet, less prying eyes to make her squirm. Strange how she had once thrived under and strived for attention, and now she wanted nothing more than to avoid it.

"I'm from New York," she supplied, getting comfortable in the chair. "As to where I'm going..." She shrugged, meeting Julie's eyes in the mirror and offering a faint smile. "I'm not sure. I think I like it here, though. It's a good change of pace from what I was always used to."

The woman in her salon looked very aristocratic. It was the perfect shape of her golden blonde hair and general bone structure. Julie tended to always notice the uniqueness of every person in town -- it was difficult not to as you stood up close to their reflections all day. "We'd be a poor excuse for a salon if a wash and cut was trouble," Julie reassured; she had been joking about being lonely, but her customer didn't seem to be joking despite her polite smile.

She strode over to her station and swiveled the chair around. "Thank you, we try to keep this place from looking dated. If you're looking for something cute, you'll have to visit 'Just a Prick,' it's eclectic but in that thrift flip sort of way and the flowers are always pretty," Julie said. She was always trying to plug the local businesses to the newcomers so they could see there was charm in the town beyond the new and polished Obsidian places. "So, while I take a look, why don't you tell me some more about yourself? You're new to town, so where did you come from and where do you want to go?"

[elenamcrgan]

"Dana," she echoed, a warmth there between them. "Likewise, naturally." Dana was friendlier than most, a face from Obsidian that didn't drive her into dread. (Of course, that might have been intentional, a friendly face to pull her in.)

The thoughts were hastily shaken away as she took some time to look at the fringe jacket. "Well, I don't know your mother, but I suppose it might be nice for the fall." She studied it. "I would lean to leather, perhaps, but that's only my taste. I'm still getting myself used to the smaller-town sort of style. Something different than a scarf might be nice. Does she like jewelry?" She glanced across the way. "I saw a few lovely turquoise pieces."

"Elena!" Dana's smile brightened once she'd placed the face. Not Dana's deal, but she supervised all account managers. Knowing the local faces associated with Obsidian's work was bare minimum knowledge. "It's always a treat to see you." Genuine, that. Elena was lovely and always presented well.

"My darling, I'm trying to decide on a gift for my mother. She loved a scarf, but I've also given her dozens. Denim layering is back this season, so I was also looking at this jazzy little fringe number." Dana shot the woman a helpless smile. "Indecision strikes so rarely, but please don't go telling anyone."

[elenamcrgan]

"If I know anything about his type, he probably deserves it," Elena mused aloud, glancing over at Edgar. Perhaps she was biased, considering none of her relations with men had gone well, but she could tell even from this distance that the man in question was a tense sort. "He's probably making it a difficult evening for both of them." Fiddling with her glass of wine, she turned her attention back to Edgar. "Inveterate people-watcher, aren't you? Reading peoples' deepest darkest secrets?"

who: open ​ where: anywhere public that works for your muse

People watching was a skill which required precision, a skill which Edgar had honed since his childhood days. He could sit still for hours, so perfectly calm that he was nearly imperceptible, which was quite a feat considering his physical presence. He’d learned to document every facial expression, every movement believing that they were indications of feelings and thoughts which bubbled under the surface.

So, when the man seated just a few spots over suddenly developed a tick in the jaw, Edgar couldn’t help but cock his head in the direction of the stranger. He couldn’t hear exactly what was happening but he could tell that the person seated across from him was certainly not pleased with the man. “I can’t decide if I’m amused or feel sorry for the poor guy,” he said, turning his attention to the person beside him. There was a slight pause as he considered; then, Edgar spoke again. “Okay, scratch that. I’m definitely amused.”

[elenamcrgan]

"That makes two of us." Despite all, Elena smiled, enough grace left in her to carry herself with dignity. She had grown painfully lax on all of the little pieces of self care since she had come to Paxton, and it showed in the split ends of her long blonde hair. "I don't want to trouble you much. A wash and a cut would be perfect." She shifted, purse heavy as she set it down on the counter. "This is a lovely little place.. I haven't lived here long, so I'm finding new spots around every corner."

Starter for @elenamcrgan

Where: Shear Beauty

When: Present

The beginning of the school year always correlated with last minute schedule changes. With some of the women having kids in pre-K and kindergarten, Julie correctly predicted a flood of phone calls from school nurses and panicked workers. As a result, Shear Beauty’s last hour of the day throughout the first month of school usually consisted of Julie and an apprentice. Her apprentice that day had an exam, so the salon was basically empty. Julie was content to check the tablet behind the counter, leafing through the appointments for the next day when the bell tolled. She looked up with a friendly smile at the walk-in customer. There was technically an hour left in the day and a tip was always welcome. “You must have sensed I was lonely,” Julie joked and walked out from behind the counter. “What’ll it be? The world’s your oyster here.”

[elenamcrgan]

Who ever would have thought that Elena would be caught anywhere near a clearance rack? It wasn't a thought that had ever even crossed her mind until recently. After all, she had an image to uphold. But even so, the idea of a bit of shopping had seemed like a way to chase away some of her woes, and so here she stood, eyeing blouses like there was any hope one might appeal to her.

The familiar voice caught her off guard and Elena glanced up, blinking as her eyes landed on Dana. There was a funny pit that always seemed to open up in her stomach when she encountered people from Obsidian unexpectedly, but the blow seemed softened by the fact that the face was, at least, familiar. "You know clothes are the one place I can give advice," she mused with a little bit of a smile. "What are we looking at?"

What: Open Starter @ Trailblazer Threads

When: The Clearance Clear-out Sale, early October

Sales shopping was a nostalgic sort of treat for Dana. Trailblazer had an online presence, and no doubt her parents would find the gifts a cute souvenir. Dad would likely wear the Paxton: Limited Edition button for a bit of brag flair. Mom's gift was trickier. Scarves were always pretty, but the sight of fringed denim jackets summoned her stylist's voice to remind Dana that layering denim was going to be in for Fall.

Not for Dana. She'd just have to be a little less on point that season. But for her mother? The lady that she was could make any outfit work, trending or not. Tempting, then. But the scarves looked handmade...

"Sorry," she started, trying to nab the attention of another browsing customer, "Do you have a moment? I need a second opinion." Not something she'd have done back home, but Dana was adapting to Paxton ways more quickly than expected.

[elenamcrgan]

"Which Character" Personality Quiz

Shannon Rutherford (Lost) Daisy Buchanan (The Great Gatsby) Jenny Humphrey (Gossip Girl) Aria Montgomery (Pretty Little Liars) Cheryl Tunt (Archer) Mia Wallace (Pulp Fiction) Lindsey Bluth Funke (Arrested Development) David Rose (Schitt's Creek)

[elenamcrgan]

elena morgan, the blighted. penned by bonnie for paxtonrp

[tw for implied homophobia and alcoholism in bio]

statistics.

name. elena morgan. title/occupation. disgraced socialite / donor to obsidian holdings. age. thirty-four years old. date of birth. 27 june. zodiac sign. cancer. gender. female. pronouns. she/her/hers. orientation. lesbian. status. unmarried. allegiance. obsidian holdings ??? traits. independent, refined, openminded, tenacious, sensitive, insecure, weak-willed, vulnerable.

background.

tw for implied homophobia and alcoholism

They say money can't buy happiness, and Elena Morgan knows it's a fact. After all, she had it all, once, and has never been more miserable. Her family came from old New York real estate money, but there was never any real belief that she would be anything more than a pretty face. A beautiful little fool, in Fitzgerald terms. 

The youngest daughter of a family that valued its male members most, she wasn't the favorite. Her coming out as a lesbian when she was a teen didn't exactly help matters, either. She spent her teens and early twenties sort of floating through life, detached from the demands of the family business by design. 

It came to her only through a series of tragedy, leaving her the last Morgan standing. She didn't know much about business, but she did have a chip on her shoulder and a desire to prove herself. Leaving much of the work to others, it was all too easy for her to be misled. Looking back, she thinks maybe she should have sold while she still could.

Instead she ran west, exploring until she found Paxton, where she could simply lay low. It was a refreshing change of pace, and a relief for Elena to have somewhere she could reinvent herself. Her full bank account helped, as did the many opportunities in the wide open landscape. Perhaps it was finally a way to prove she could learn from her mistakes.

It turned out that getting involved with Obsidian was just another in a line of mistaken investments. It had seemed promising - a chance to help survive, making money off the undeveloped land out west. It's just turned out to be another mess, like pouring money into a black hole. The more she's learned about their true intentions, the more she loathes it. But she's pot committed, in too deep to pull out without ruining herself in the process.

It's one failure too many for a fragile woman to bear. She had relied on Alicia to keep her tethered, the friend who had guided her through her new lease on life. Now that she's gone, Elena is starting to feel unmoored, loose at the seams. No matter where she looks, she feels absolutely alone, abandoned. Her fresh start is starting to feel like it might be her undoing instead.

Lately, she spends most of her nights holed up in a corner at the Glass Cactus, trying not to be noticed in the crowd. The drinks and music help to drown out her sorrows, or to make them worse, depending on her mood. She knows eventually she has to do something, but she's been nursing her wounds thus far, trying to find her footing before she realizes she has nothing left to lose.

plot arc.

They took everything from her. Once Obsidian Holdings had their teeth into her there was no turning back. There isn't much in the way of resistance, but every where she looks there's damage. Now, her good friend Alicia is missing, and it feels like the final straw. She feel like she's going crazy and she's one drink away from opening her loose lips to anyone who will listen.

[elenamcrgan]

it's been one of those weeks pass me the thinness of my life quote

[elenamcrgan]

ELIZABETH DEBICKI. Madame Figaro.