laurelbelliveau

[laurelbelliveau]

@averyharringtcn​ 

The Society (2019—) Created by Christopher Keyser

[laurelbelliveau]

[laurelbelliveau]

🎵 name 5 songs you love at the moment

Lady Gaga - John Wayne

Dolly Parton - 9 to 5

Zella Day - You Sexy Thing

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Dirty Deeds

Bonnie McKee & Eden xo - Bad Girls Go to Heaven

[laurelbelliveau]

🍋👑🐻

🍋 do you consider yourself an emotional person?

“I wanna say no, but Lord knows I cry over menial stuff at least twice a week. I don’t really tend to cry about heavy-hitting stuff, though. I just tend to go into defense mode, I guess? Yes, but I try to tough it out until the smallest thing happens and I explode… so really, double yes.”

👑 who are your favorite celebrities and why?

“I’ve been obsessed with Lady Gaga since I first laid eyes on one of her crazy outfits. I’m not completely sure, but I think it was when she walked around wearing a frock with stuffed animals or Muppets on it? And her Bad Romance video changed my ever-lovin’ life. In general, I love performance-based artists who take a lot of care in creating what they put into the world, like Beyoncé, Cher and Tina Turner. Everything they do is meant to envelop the senses and I try to keep that same mindset when creating my own work.”

🐻 what’s stopping you from chasing your dreams?

“Nothing, sugar. I didn’t come this far just to come this far. I’m riding this thing ‘til the wheels fall off.”

[laurelbelliveau]

“Hey, don’t knock it before you try it. The kind of pull I have would surprise you.” She laughed softly at her own joke, trying to see if she could pull him out of his visible funk. “What’s on your mind there, champ?” Her smile grew a little wider, gaze softening to match her attempt at an amiable demeanor. “Seems like you’ve got a lot going on upstairs. I’m thinking smoke’s gonna come out of your ears like in those old cartoons.”

[laurelbelliveau]

Her grin grew wider once she had succeeded in piquing Summer’s curiosity; perhaps she wasn’t interested in getting involved, but Laurel seemed to have her full attention regardless. “We’re a burlesque troupe that performs around the area with the occasional touring! Think less Pussycat Dolls and more Cabaret. The classic stuff. We’ve got a full show’s worth of dances and skits we do to poke at gender roles and outdated societal norms. After a few rehearsals, you’ll be golden.”

[laurelbelliveau]

“I absolutely could,” she said, a playful tone in her voice as he inserted himself into the conversation. It was just as well, the other ‘participant’ seemed hardly interested in doing so. “One of those are for me, right? A way to sweeten the deal?”

[laurelbelliveau]

Happy Wednesday all! Hope you know what that means! It’s Miami Memes! Below is our meme post of the week. If you’d like to participate please reblog this post with your ask box open! While reblogging this for yourself we also ask that you share the love and send asks to others who have also reblogged the post so that way everyone can join in on the fun! You may reblog this multiple times throughout the day but please only stick to the memes posted on the main! And if you have any suggestions please send them over! Enjoy!

🐰 what is one secret that you’ve never told anyone?

💗 if you could hug anyone, who would it be?

🐹 what are some of your favourite Pokémon and why?

🌠 if you were in charge of the world, what would the world look like?

👀 what was the most recent vivid dream that you had?

☀️ what do you like the most about your best friend?

😘 talk about your crush or partner

💁 if someone was rude to you, would you be rude back?

🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!)

🐾 what are you scared of most? how will you overcome it?

🎁 what never fails to make you happy?

💙 what annoys you about some people?

😤 do you get angry easily?

🐇 what do you always daydream about?

🌻 if you could change 3 things about the world what would you change?

🍓 send me 4 names: kiss, befriend, kill or marry?

✈️ what is your dream city and why?

☕️ talk about your ideal day

🌸 are you an introvert, ambivert or extrovert?

💧 when was the last time you cried?

🎵 name 5 songs you love at the moment

⚡️ if you had any superpower, what would it be and why?

💛 if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?

💚 who are you jealous of and why?

💎 which one would you rather have more of: intelligence, beauty, kindness, wealth or bravery? why?

🙊 what are you ashamed of?

🌺 which languages do you know? which do you want to learn?

🍀 if you could be any fictional character’s best friend/lover, which fictional character would you be?

☁️ talk about your dream universe.

💜 which acts of kindness are you going to do today?

🐬 if you could transform into any animal/magical creature, what would you be and why?

🍄 talk about someone/something you really dislike

😣 talk about some things that have been making you depressed/angry/anxious lately

🍪 what did you want to be as a kid, and what do you want to be now?

🍰 what are some of your favourite sugary foods?

🍑 what are you obsessed with?

💘 what happens to you when you’re stressed?

😪 what are you sick of?

🙀 are you an adrenaline seeker?

💥 what are some unpopular opinions that you have?

☔️ would you consider yourself a good person?

😊 what do you like to do as hobbies?

🎤 what’s the last song you hummed or sang by yourself?

🐝 what’s your worst trait? how are you planning to improve it?

🎨 what do you always doodle when you’re bored?

🐻 what’s stopping you from chasing your dreams?

🌷 what’s your mbti personality and why do you think it suits you?

🐶 send me 3 fictional people and I’ll choose my favourite!

👑 who are your favourite celebrities and why?

🐴 opinion on __?

🍋 do you consider yourself an emotional person?

📚 share 3 books that you love and your favourite quote from them.

😔 what do you always do when you feel sad? does it help?

😌 what thoughts keep you going when you’re sad?

🌍 which country do you live in?

🐧 describe yourself in 3 words

🐵 which quotes changed you?

💭 do you keep a diary?

💫 who inspires you?

👻 do you believe in ghosts and why?

🎀 what’s your fashion sense like?

🎬 what are some of your favourite films?

🍦 what is one treasured childhood memory?

🐼 if you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?

Credit from here.

[laurelbelliveau]

She chuckled to herself as she heard the pet name attached to the end of her first statement, reminiscent of her childhood in New Orleans. “Well, if you ever have a change of heart, you know where to find me. Those legs of yours are absolutely killer but that’s probably not news to you.” Laurel nodded her head, mulling the thought over. “I might take you up on that. I’m sure you’ve got a great Rolodex to pull from.”

[laurelbelliveau]

Laurel threw her head back and laughed when June made her ‘announcement,’ folding her arms across her chest as a snort or two left her nose, smiling as wide as her cheeks would allow. “You’ve got great rhythm, what’re you talking about? I’ve seen you onstage, don’t play me for a fool.” She giggled to herself again, feeling the side effects of her fifth glass of Merlot. But, more than anything, being around June always made her feel more relaxed. It never failed, and Laurel couldn’t be more grateful. “Ha, eat the rich. I love it, and you. You can only eat the rich if you keep me in mind when redistributing their wealth.”

[laurelbelliveau]

“I’d slide you twenty bucks for the spectacle alone.” She swirled her drink in her hand before taking a drink. “Tell me about it. Could’ve made some nights behind the bar a little more interesting. You know what they say, better late than never.”

[laurelbelliveau]

Laurel raised her eyebrows with a broad smile on her lips as she listened, cheeks flushed as a consequence of the wine that made her more than eager to play along. “See, that’s the spirit. We don’t invite celebrity guests to perform very often so I appreciate you considering my offer. I’m fully convinced that we can make a Nicole Scherzinger out of you yet.” The notion itself was enough for her to laugh softly to herself -- not that she didn’t think he could do it, but because of the buzz his involvement would create. “It’s a charity event but I think I could wrangle some cash for you. I’ve got a hefty savings right now, all you’ve gotta do is name your price.”

[laurelbelliveau]

Laurel threw her head back and gave a single laugh when Christina Aguilera was mentioned, big smile plastered on her face. “Trust me, none of us are Christina Aguilera. Truthfully, I’m probably the one that gets pregnant and has to be replaced. The shiny props make up for it if you give ‘em enough feathers and sequins.” She was quick to shake her head, taking a drink from her glass before nodding toward Maia’s. “If I wanted to get you loaded, I’d be waiting all night at that rate.”

[laurelbelliveau]

Laurel shrugged, unbothered by the ease of dismissal. “Destiny works down at the docks around a bunch of sweaty guys all day before coming to rehearsals. You wouldn’t catch her dead in makeup offstage, but she likes the performance aspect of burlesque. Girl’s got some of the best comedy routines I’ve ever seen. It’s all about variety, you never know what you can get out of it.” She took a sip of her drink, smile not budging from her face. “It’s nice to meet you, though. I’m Laurel.”

[laurelbelliveau]

Her free hand wafted the smoke away from her face, as if second nature at this point. “Come on now, you never know until you try. I’ve got some bony guys in the group and they still look amazing,” she said, tone nearing motivational coach territory. “To answer your question, we’re a group of burlesque performers who come together for shows every now and then. We moreorless work the same circuit, but not everyone takes their clothes off. Some wear pasties, others might... I don’t know, do a poi performance, for example. The world’s your oyster.”

[laurelbelliveau]

Laurel’s smile grew even bigger, feeling a slight sense of relief that she hadn’t driven this perfect stranger away with her niche sense of humor. “The peak of your career?” Her tone dripped of faux incredulity, turning her seated body in his direction. “Come on now, I’m sure you’ve still got some mileage in you. You know what they say, no one ever really hangs their wig up for good.”

[laurelbelliveau]

––– meghann fahy, 29, cis female, she/her/hers // in DOWNTOWN, you’ll find LAUREL BELLIVEAU who’s lived there for ELEVEN YEARS and they spend their days working as a BURLESQUE DANCER. They’ve been described as GLITTER STUCK TO EVERY CREVICE, MARQUEE BOARDS, AND SPOTLIGHTS POINTING CENTER STAGE by the people that know them. Which makes sense when you consider that they can be SPIRITED + DARING but also EXTRAVAGANT + SELF-INDULGENT. 

BIOGRAPHY

TRIGGER WARNINGS: deportation, drug abuse, foster care

It was said that Laurel Guinevere Belliveau knew how to command a room from birth. She had always been a scrappy thing, both traits passed down from her larger-than-life mother, Colette, a French Canadian from Quebec who had fallen in love with New Orleans’ culture and decided to stay awhile. Colette never quite knew who Laurel’s father was, but it didn’t matter as the pair had each other. They were thicker than thieves during the younger years of Laurel’s childhood; ironic considering Colette put food on the table in a myriad of ways, all of which started with occasional pick-pocketing of drunk tourists on Bourbon Street, sometimes bringing Laurel along as an extra set of hands. When push came to shove, she wound up falling in with a drug ring and picking up an addiction to cocaine before the group was caught in a sting operation. This left Colette in a difficult predicament: her daughter was considered a US citizen, but she was not.

Colette’s crimes resulted in deportation, causing Laurel to enter the foster care system at the age of 8. It was then that she found a home with the Charlestons, a later-middle-aged couple who had notably fostered over 125 children and counting over the last 30 years. It was their goal to help every child in their care find their “thing” – the hobby or skill that gets them out of bed and motivated to tackle the day ahead. After pursuing every athletic endeavor at her disposal (soccer, softball, volleyball, basketball, even venturing into ultimate Frisbee) and only maintaining interest in her dance classes, she finally had the opportunity to pursue the performing arts by auditioning for the community theater’s holiday rendition of Annie at age 11. Though she didn’t get the titular role, she was instead cast as Duffy, the loudest and most confident of Annie’s orphan peers. Laurel deeply related to the character’s desire to leave her street-urchin life behind in favor of fame and fortune, going from a tattered existence to a life of luxury.

Laurel continued to pursue acting through middle school and high school, sometimes even assisting with set and costume design as a means to experience all of the moving parts that get a production to opening night. It felt like an escape of sorts; she would be the first to say that her life story wasn’t nearly as devastating as what some of her foster siblings had endured, but getting out of her own mind and slipping into someone else’s for a change was always an incredibly welcome experience. When she was 17, she managed to sneak into a jazz-themed music bar with some friends after the closing night of a school theater production. Fate had it that the bar was hosting a burlesque showcase that evening, highlighting several performers from across the country performing in comedy acts, cabaret renditions, and stripteases, all dripping with eye-popping extravagance and sheen.

To the surprise of no one, Laurel was hooked. The dazzling, glamorous display paired together with men and women claiming their sexuality and empowering themselves, all while challenging the status quo and breaking down expectations of what femininity is meant to be.

Upon graduating from high school, Laurel moved to Miami to with the intention of pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Miami. All the while, she pursued burlesque as a way to supplement her income, taking on the moniker Indigo Wilde; however, burlesque didn’t earn the handsome take-home pay in tips that other forms of stripping might as her performances were sporadic in nature, and many vendors paid up-front. Laurel soon began to put more effort into her burlesque and dropped out of school because of the cost, freeing her schedule to take more performances across the region. She has continued to stay in Miami, building her notoriety by performing at showcases across North America. Laurel has started up a troupe called The Trixies and is working on opening up a lounge for them to perform at.