#bdrpmelody

[gothedistance-herc]

Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend ⚡ [Hercelody]

@melody-the-unwritten​

Hercules had invited Melody to the Next Town Over for a very specific reason. One that he hadn’t told her, because he had this weird idea that if he told her, she would laugh in his face. Well, it wasn’t such a weird idea. He kind of wanted to laugh in his own face. 

Still, even more badly than he wanted to laugh in his own face, he wanted this ridiculous idea that he had concocted. Nothing else made sense to him at this point. He loved Georgette and by some miracle: she loved him too. This was the next logical step, wasn’t it? It was what normal people did.

Even if Hercules wasn’t normal. He wasn’t even a people, really. Georgette wasn’t really either...anymore. 

Hercules had always secretly dreamed of it. Now he had saved the money for it. The time had come to just...do it.

When they got to the Next Town Over, Hercules immediately angled them towards a jewelry shoppe. It was a hole in the wall, nothing like one of the big fancy stores like you might find in New York, but Hercules liked it. He thought it made it unique. Just like Georgette.

He didn’t say anything to Melody as they entered the store, not immediately anyway. He just kind of glanced at her and offered her a sheepish smile before meandering towards all the glittering jewels. 

[perfectisme-georgette]

Sending Out An S.O.S || Pageant Mermaid

@melody-the-unwritten

Georgette was in Mad Hatter’s cafe waiting for her order of coffee to be completed. While in the midst of this waiting, her eyes were casually looking over the far end corner of the cafe by the window sills where a familiar brunette was seated.

This poor brunette had painful awkward misery crossing over her eys and with good reason. 

What Georgette was watching was dreadful. Seriously, who the fuck taught this guy how to date? 

Melody had texted her not too long ago asking for an emergency favor that the blonde simply couldn’t pass up and thank the heavens that she wouldn’t because this date that she was about to crash should have already died hours ago. Melody was far too nice, if it had been Georgette in her situation she would’ve gotten up and left without even so much as an explanation. 

Alas, Melody wasn’t Georgette. Her coffee order was finally done as the blonde took a hold of it, offering her thanks. She then walked herself over to where Melody was seated sliding herself right into the seat beside her friend with the most angelic of smiles. 

Georgette now directed her attention to the ‘date’ in front of her. “Hi, a pleasure to meet you.” Not really, Georgette didn’t care. “I’m so terribly sorry for interrupting this... well what I supposed should be a date.” More like a horror story. “But I am going to have to steal Melody from you as there is an emergency she’s currently needed for, see, my nail appointment has been pushed up.”   

Completely disregarding Melody’s date now, Georgette turned to brunette with a bright and proud smirk on her lips. “Ready?” 

[flopsy-the-copsy-blog]

Morning Swim :: Meludy

@moodswithamelody 

It was one of Judy’s first days off in the town. Her work days hadn’t been much better in terms of dull though. She hated how boring the town was. There was no underlying prejudice anymore which was nice, it provided her a sense of comfort but she wanted action.

All week she had been filing paperwork and spending hours trying to pull pranks on Raj (he was more experienced than her though so generally they failed). She was still a little too nervous to pull one on Copper, though. He seemed too serious, he wouldn’t enjoy it the way Raj or she did.

Breathing deeply she ran around the lake, headphones in as she slowed to a stop standing in front of the water, the cool depths calling her. Judy was hot and sweaty after the run in the hot summer day, she could use the swim. Pulling off her shirt, socks and shoes she raced into the water in shorts and a sports bra. Ready for the break from the heat.

[attina-the-responsible]

How to Tell Your Family You’re Moving Across the World According to Mermaids ~*~ [Merfam]

In which Attina and Panic make a big announcement...[takes place at the beginning of the summer.]

@arista-the-musical​, @aquata-the-champ​, @alana-the-brilliant​, @melody-the-unwritten​, @panicked-nights​

[tw -- none]

ATTINA: Attina had cooked a nice salmon and tofu (for the veggies) dinner for everyone. It was almost easier to wrangle everyone now, because there were so few of them. Andrina and Adella were such big presences that dinners felt so small without them. But, she’d already called them both and told them that she was moving. It had been nice to slide into it that way, but they were also the oldest. She had no idea how the rest of her sisters were going to react.

It was nice to have Panic there for moral support. And her dad, of course. Who was aware that tonight was going to be the night.

Attina was not nervous that they were going to be angry with her. She was actually nervous of the opposite. That people would want her to leave. That they would tell her that why did it matter, why was she making a big deal of this?

She waited until the dinner was winding down. One of the sisters actually got up to put her plate up because Attina was procrastinating.

“Wait—“ she barked, when the sister stood. “Uh, please, sit. I, er—we—“ she glanced at Panic. “Have something to tell you.”

Attina took another breath. “PanicandIaremovingtoAustralia.”

AQUATA: Aquata almost choked on her salmon. “Australia?” she repeated.

This was the thing: Aquata was learning to let go of the idea that all of her sisters would stay in the same place forever. Especially after talking to her at the wedding, Aquata now understood that this wasn’t just a phase for Andy and she probably wasn’t coming back. And even though Adella had gotten the brunt of Aquata’s crisis about the family splitting up, Aquata had eventually made her peace with it.

She maybe expected Tina to leave, eventually, especially since she didn’t have her wedding in Swynlake. But Australia?

She coughed and cleared her throat, her expression going neutral. “That’s a long bloody plane ride.”

ARISTA: Arista chewed on her tofu, happy to just sit among her family. Dinner nights were always so lovely. It was how they all caught up on things. (Well, at least the ones who were still in town).

Her brows shot up, Aquata had a point. It was a long plane ride. “Australia? Like forever?” Australia seemed pretty permanently away from Swynlake. But she trusted her sister to not make decisions unless she had already thought it over like a million times. “You think you’ll be near where Jake’s from? Maybe he can give you some pointers or teach you slang.” She tilted her head, trying to think back to all the weird things she’d heard her sister’s boyfriend say over the years.

ALANA: "Australia?!"

To be honest, Alana had a moment of fear. It struck her suddenly and she looked at the dinner table, at the empty seats where Andrina and Adella once sat. She felt something twist in her gut, but then she looked at Tina and that twisting feeling transformed into a swell of pride.

"Ohmigosh that's so great!" she exclaimed. "Wow, more excuses for me to visit."

MELODY: Well, that was far. Was the first thought as Melody digested the news. She wasn't all that surprised though. Each of the girls were moving on in their own way she wondered who would be next truly.

But this wasn't supposed to be sad. Not at all. "When are you planning on moving?"

PANIC: Panic watched everyone's reactions grimacing ahead of time almost expecting for it to go terribly. Though it wasn't that bad not yet. "It's a long plane ride for sure but we're planning on getting a big enough place you guys can all visit whenever." Panic offered leaving Tina to answer Arista because really who knew especially with school. 

"Toward the end of summer, we need to be there by Late August so we want to settle in a bit."

ATTINA: Attina hadn't announced something like this since...well, since her pregnancy. And she'd done that one on one, because as much as she insisted on these dinners and everyone sharing their lives with each other, she always found it a little overwhelming to be the focus of the attention.

It was nice to have Panic there to help her, because she was trying to untangle her tongue while all her sisters and cousin stared at her. She knew it must be shocking and probably felt like it was coming out of left field and she felt herself about to word vomit everywhere a bunch of excuses.

Panic corralled everyone first and Attina shot him a grateful look before nodding.

"Yes, late summer. I will, uhm, I'm--I accepted an PhD studies offer at the National Australia University in Canberra for Marine Biology. It's not near Jake's, unfortunately." She had already looked that up, because of course she knew where her sister's boyfriend was from. "But, I'm sure he can give us plenty of pointers."

AQUATA: Aquata was stunned.

Andy had always been a loose cannon. Adella had always wanted to get out of Swynlake from the beginning. But Tina? Tina, who basically ran Whosits and Whatsits, who went to every community event, who had a house here and friends and, okay, probably a lot of bad memories too, but who seemed more a part of Swynlake than anyone else?

It was like one of those moments when you were a kid and realized the teacher didn’t sleep at school. Attina had her own life. But.... Australia was really far.

Aquata didn’t really know what to say. She didn’t want to make a scene, or be the unsupportive one (again). But for someone who liked plans and routines, who liked being able to keep track of everyone, it was a lot to process.

“Congrats, Tina, that’s cool,” Aquata said flatly. She needed to go for a swim. She looked at Panic and smirked. Humor was a little easier than being sincere. “Better be a mansion. I’m not getting on a twenty-hour flight for any old cottage. Or maybe I’ll just swim there. Probably faster.”

Aquata made a face to show she was joking, because she didn’t want to freak Attina out, but honestly, it did sound like a fun idea.

ALANA: Alana was still processing this. First Andrina had left, which seemed like a given and honestly, Lana had been surprised it hadn't happened sooner. She missed Andrina so much, her absence like a loose tooth she kept on prodding with her tongue. Adella had left second, which hadn't been a surprise either; she'd already left once the first time and she'd never wanted to stay in Swynlake. She had big dreams and a little town in England didn't exactly lend itself to them.

And now Attina --

Maybe this had been coming from the beginning. Maybe Attina dreamed of things too, dreamed of the ocean and helping save it. Maybe it was obligation that had kept her trapped in Swynlake, that obligation growing into fear and spreading across the rest of them. Maybe that's why Andrina had broken away, why Adella had always dreamed of bigger things. Maybe it all went back to Attina and the fact that she had stayed in the first place, instead of leaving.

Alana always wondered why she was working in a shoppe when she had a Master's degree.

Alana didn't know what she'd do without her big sister. It was one thing for Andrina and Adella to go off -- but Attina?

She wasn't sure where to look. Looking at Attina might make her cry. Looking at Aquata might make her scared. So she looked at Arista, who was soft and smiling and with a deep breath, Lana tried to relax herself.

(She wondered, briefly, if she would ever leave Swynlake; she'd thought about it a lot as a teenager but now... well with her own place and her own life separate from the legacy of her family, it didn't really bother her as much. She wondered, out of all of them, who would go and who would remain).

"Oh my gosh, do you have a new place picked out already?" asked Alana. "Is it by the beach? Please tell me it's by the beach."

ARISTA: Arista, of course, was sad to see any of her sisters go. But she knew they all had to do some exploring of their own some time. She had left for a time to find perspective and where her music came from. Andy had left to grow and spread herself far and wide so she could experience everything the world had to offer. Adella had dreams that were outside of Swynlake. And so while she had been sad for those instances, she was happy for them because she knew they were becoming who they wanted to be most in the world.

And though the sadness over Tina hit her heart particularly hard as Tina had been the most patient and the most kind to her growing up (they of course were not without their fights as seen over the last couple years) but Arista knew that Tina had put a lot on hold and been through so much in town that it only made sense that she too at some point would want to find something different out there. And that didn’t mean they were losing her. They were just gaining distance while she became an even brighter version of herself.

She looked between her sisters, they all has their respective reactions but one thing was clear, they loved their sister and wanted to see her happy in their own ways.

She smiled softly, her voice matched her smile as she looked at her eldest sister, “I think you really deserve this, Teens.”

MELODY: Melody sighed softly but nodded, this was good. The degree was amazing. And it would be good for Attina and Panic, she was sure of it. Or at least she hoped. Just like she hoped all the others girls were happier doing whatever it was they were doing right now.

It felt lonely in a way, seeing everyone move on but making her life more steady here. Would she be like them too one day? Would the rest of the Triton's be like that?

"Congrats Tina. That's going to be such a cool program. " None the less Melody would take each day by day and today was Tina and Panic's day.

PANIC: Panic nodded giving the girls all a smile, a brief glance over to JEFF too. "We'll be near the water and no little cottage don't worry. Though maybe not a mansion big." Panic grinned with a raised eyebrow in Aquata's direction.

"Enough room and good scenery, it'll be worth the flight." Reaching over Panic gave Tina's hand a small squeeze. This was going a lot better than expected and part of him wondered if it was because some of the others girls had left. Strangely enough this was more common than you would first think.

ATTINA: No one was yelling. Everyone was smiling--some more reserved than others. The air was a little stilted, awkward, and nervous, but...no one was yelling. That let Attina know, more than anything else, that this was the right decision. She had let out the breath she was holding and managed a tentative smile herself.

There were little tears shining in the corner of her eyes, but she nodded, squeezing Panic's hand back when he reached for her.

"Yes, of course. You are all welcome to visit, at any time. And we'll all FaceTime and text. It will be like I'm not really gone at all."

"We'll miss you too, Tiny, but don't worry. You're going to do brilliantly," Daddy said, reaching over to squeeze Attina's shoulder. She smiled over at him. "Your mum would be proud."

"Daddy," Attina said, those tears trembling--much more closer to falling. "You must promise to keep me informed of everything. I'll miss you all so much."

[gothedistance-herc]

Zero to...10 Digits? ⚡ [Hercelody]

@melody-the-unwritten

The club is pulsing like blood through Hercules’ heart.

Now, how did he get here—to a club—a place that Hercules never, ever goes?

You see, it all started with an innocent complaint from Melody while Georgette and Hercules were over at her place for dinner. She’d scrunched her nose up at one of their kisses. Georgette had decided that Melody needed a new partner and Hercules needed a friend. And Georgette could not accompany them because she was too hot and too friendly and would be the one who wound up doing the talking. Which was true, but that was why Hercules liked going out with her places and he was sure that was why Melody liked it too. Georgette ordered drinks (nonalcoholic for herself), yelling over the music. Hercules job was usually to—stand there.

But, no.

They had to go and make friends. Get people’s numbers. Have a good time.

Hercules was doubtful of any of these things actually happening. He was okay at making friends…sort of, but not friends that went to clubs. He wanted friends that went to bookshops and Hatter’s. Or the farmer’s market which was starting soon, but Georgette had had too good of a time dressing both him and Melody up and then sending them on their way. Telling them to have fun but not too much fun because then she would pout about it. He wished that Georgette was coming.

Not that he didn’t like spending time with Melody. He loved Melody, really. She was a calm, soft presence to Georgette’s frenetic, sharp energy. (Which, he loved, of course, because he loved his girlfriend and thought she was wonderful, if not a bit bossy and sometimes rude.) She was still his girlfriend and that was what mattered.

Melody would be fun. She would! Hercules believed that. The two of them always had a good time together, even if their idea of a good time was doing puzzles or hanging out after work. Which—really they just hung out at work a lot. It would be super nice to spend some time with her not in InterPride’s gigantic tower, where they only caught glimpses of each other unless they made plans to eat in the cafeteria together (which they usually did, unless one of them had a meeting or something like that. It was all very Adult. As Georgette often teased—Melody was basically Hercules’ work wife.) Hercules really enjoyed it. He actually loved his job a lot and it was nice to have a friend there. Plus, everyone who came in and out of InterPride was very nice.

But, that meant he saw Melody quite often.

And going to a club just seemed so weird to him. He couldn’t even really drink! That was part of the reason this was so ridiculous, though, it might be kind of funny to see Melody get drunk. He’d always liked teasing his friends back in college when he inevitably had to carry them home and tuck them into bed. He never minded much. Just because he couldn’t get drunk didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun—except he really didn’t like clubs for how noisy they were and how many people were in them.

Still, they had a goal. That helped. Both of them had to return with at least one number—Georgette’s orders. Hercules had tried to tell her that people didn’t go to clubs to make friends, but she had told him this round was more for Melody. Which made Hercules go: round?! There would be more than one of these? But, he’d already sold his soul to Georgette a long time ago, which meant that he would do whatever she asked. Yeah, yeah, he was whipped, but he didn’t really mind.

Unless his girlfriend felt like torturing him with formalities. Which, apparently she did. Ugh. Annoying.

Anyway, here they were—at the club. At the bar. Hercules was looking doubtfully around, wondering if there was even anyone in here worth talking to. Someone he could pick out for Melody. She did deserve someone. Probably better than someone she could find in a club, but Hercules wasn’t going to judge. Well, not much anyway.

So, he looked around—saw a blonde girl sitting at one end of the bar, and tilted his head.

“What about her?” he asked, as the girl smiled at the bartender. She looked nice and she had a cute nose. Hercules thought she was pretty—even if he immediately felt kinda bad for thinking that. Obviously, she wasn’t as pretty as Georgette!!

“She seems like she could be nice, yeah?” Hercules gave Melody a little nudge, feeling like a total tosser. He was so not a wingman! Why had Georgette signed him up for this?! She should be the one sitting here if she actually wanted Melody to get anyone’s number.

[attina-the-responsible]

How to Get Over A Princess, According to Mermaids ~*~ [Attellody]

@adella-the-idyllic, @melody-the-unwritten

Melody had been dumped.

This sucked--and, if Tina was honest, this was in part because she was the only Triton dating now (yes, Melody was an Oceana, technically, but she counted as a Triton, keep up.) This sucked because Attina had been looking forward to double dates and not feeling as guilty talking about her super-amazing-mega-awesome-foxy-hot boyfriend. (She did not really let this guilt stop her, but it did curb it, just a little.) 

But! 

Melody was single. And that sucked.

So, Adella and Attina had decided to take Melody out.

“Okay! So! We’re gonna deal with this the best way us Tritons know how! And that’s by getting very drunk on tequila shots and dancing it out and making Percy take us all home! Cheers! Woo!” 

Attina raised her glass and clinked it against Adella’s, then the lady of the hour’s, before tossing it back. 

[perfectisme-georgette]

The Right Fix || Pageant Mermaid

@melody-the-unwritten

Georgette had gotten a rather odd text message from Melody that didn’t really divulge into much detail. That being said, the blonde decided to make a surprise pop-up visit to her friend’s place. It wasn’t too hard, they lived in the same complex after all. It was also far easier for Georgette to merely speak face to face then continue a conversation through text messages. Who knew the pad of a cell phone could be so fragile? 

Thankfully, Melody had been home. 

It was a good idea Georgette decided to just sweep by, Melody looked plain awful. She stepped into the apartment space, eyeing the brunette, studying her and wondering what in the world had happened to make her look down.

“I’m going to skip the ‘are you okay’ part and just tell you that you look horrible.”

It probably wasn’t the best thing to say at this precise moment, but it was out there already and it was also the truth.

“What’s wrong?”     

[gothedistance-herc]

SOS ⚡  [Hercelody Texts]

Hercules: SOooooooooooo

Hercules: Are you available for ice cream and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?

[perfectisme-georgette]

Should I go with the Blue One or Pink One? || Pageant Mermaid

@melody-the-unwritten

Georgette was in her room, a suitcase splayed wide open as her eyes were avidly scouring her walk-in closet. She had to make a quick and short trip, hopefully, two to three days top, to New York City. She had received a phone call from Cassandra a couple of days ago in regards to her rapist. 

This wasn’t exactly a trip she wanted to be making, but it was one where a choice wasn’t much of an option, so here she was. 

“An appeal. They are going after an appeal! And now I have to go to New York and figure out what I’m going to do if they win.” 

Which, knowing the situation, they probably will as the person behind this appeal, the one paying off the extraordinary good and super expensive lawyers to get this win, was the ex-boyfriend that had planned and paid for her rape.

This was the wrong time for it all. There had been too much going on, and far too many things she was dealing with personally that to add this on top of it all? She was going to fall apart, thankfully Melody was here to help pack. 

“I-I can’t do this right now! Not right now. I can’t even focus on my clothes.”

[perfectisme-georgette]

You Got A Friend In Me || Pageant Mermaid

@melody-the-unwritten

So, Georgette was on a mission and one that she hasn’t exactly been on before. This was all new waters for the blonde, but the last time she had seen her friend, she had practically been ready to bite Melody’s head off, and so, she decided an apology was in order.

Again, not something Georgette was very used to. 

In the past, someone got her mad and they were just cut off. Simple, point and blank. But, Georgette wasn’t trying to relive her past, and Melody was a true friend to her, not someone she wanted to dispense. 

It was why she was currently knocking on her friend’s door, with a couple of things on her hands. Thankfully, they both lived in the same complex, not that it would’ve been difficult to carry it all (super strength and all) but it would’ve been an annoying hassle.

The door opened, and Georgette greeted Melody with a smile.

“I have gifts! Because I well... I wanted to apologize for practically biting your head off really. I’m not exactly great at this. I was taught that apologizing is for the weak... but I have sweets and chocolate.” All of her favorites. “And I know how you love stars, so I saw this beautiful cashmere throw that looked exactly like you.” It was decorated like the night sky full of stars. 

“Plus, a very comfortable, super soft and warm hoodie.” Name brand and in her favorite color. “I truly am sorry... I get angry when defensive, it’s not the best but...”   

[perfectisme-georgette]

Therapeutic Guidance || Pageant Mermaid

@melody-the-unwritten

Georgette had recently finished with her therapy session. Yes, she was still going to therapy, especially after this Titanic bullshit that had befallen the town. She had gotten triggered (and placed in a pissy mood) from certain events that had happened to her in that dream world that a session was needed. 

And her therapist tasked her with spending some time with people and not the walls of her flat. 

Aurora was busy with her shoppe and so the blonde ended up heading over to Melody’s place, of course after assuring that the woman would be okay with the visit. Once arriving, Georgette made sure to be extra, extra careful knocking on the door. The last thing she wanted to do was to form a hole on the brunette’s entrance door. 

Melody appeared not too long after as Georgette smiled cordially at her and entered in. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time?” 

[perfectisme-georgette]

Empire State Of Mind || Pageant Mermaid

Summary: Georgette is forced to make a trip to New York City and meet with her old lawyer to learn of some new developments. Melody came along as wonderful support for her friend. 

Trigger Warnings: None. The word rape is mentioned a few times but there are no details written about it at all. 

Date: Early July 2019

@melody-the-unwritten

GEORGETTE:

New York City was buzzing alive: cars honking, people milling, kids shouting, and stray cats and dogs stalking about. It was early, a bright eight am morning, but this is “the city that never sleeps,” it will always be brimming with life. Countless of tall buildings were being passed by the screen of the tainted car glass window as Georgette turned in her seat to face Melody.

She wondered if her friend was feeling the weight of jet-lag. The blonde often used to in red-eye trips such as this one, but now… well, she didn’t have the need for any sleep, so jet-lag was a thing of the past for her. 

“All of our luggage is being sent straight to the hotel room. I was hoping to make that our first stop, but Cassandra was urgent with the fact of having her office our first stop once landing.”

She figured she would allow Melody to get some rest while she went out and did business matters so that her poor friend didn’t have to stick around for all that. Then they would visit Cassandra and do all the tourist things after the lawyer visit. Of course, that wasn’t going to be the plan, but the blonde had hoped.

“She wanted me there before the media got wind that I’m in the city because they will find out soon enough.”

It hadn’t become public knowledge of when Georgette was going to be here. It was done purposely as the blonde took precise and careful measures to make sure her date of arrival would not leak out to the public. She wanted to keep it that way for as long as she could so that Melody wouldn’t get too bombarded with everything all at once. Paparazzi wasn’t a thing most people were familiar with.

“Are you tired?”  

MELODY:

Melody was wide awake.

Really.

No Melody was crashing even in the car but the city was so lively and noisy and it was wonderful in a lot of ways. The thing was Melody didn’t want to sleep. But it didn’t help that it was a lot later then it was here.

“I am not used to traveling, or at least it’s been awhile since I have and wow everything is so.. Loud.” Melody whispered turning to face Georgette. “But I’m good with just following. I’m not about to fall asleep on you any time soon.”

GEORGETTE:

Georgette couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing the description used of Melody about the city. It was spot on and the blonde couldn’t have said it better herself. 

“And it’s like this twenty-four hours a day. This is the city that never sleeps.”

The blonde was relieved to hear though that Melody was doing well for the most part and that she’ll be able to stick it out. It would be best for her in the long run anyway. Jetlagged weans itself off faster if one was able to remain awake until it was time to sleep on the day of landing.

The car soon came to a full stop and Georgette knew they had arrived at their destination. Thankfully, the meeting was taking place at Cassandra’s office and not the precinct. It would’ve been dreadful for Melody to have to follow her into a police station. There was a knock on the car door and Georgette knew that was security signaling an okay to step out of the vehicle.

The blonde looked at Melody while slipping on some sunglasses.

“It shouldn’t be too horrible right now.” And she was referring to paparazzi. “My trip hasn’t been released to anyone, but I still have security around because well… the paparazzi eventually finds out about everything so I can’t guarantee how it will be once we are out of the office.” 

As Georgette finished with her warning statement she stepped out of the car and as promised the trip into the building was a smooth one. 

MELODY:

Melody had nearly forgotten the pair of sunglasses on her head but she blamed that on the lack of sleep. She would blame a lot of that including the tightness of her chest since she didn't know what she was getting herself into. 

Still, Melody was always there for her friends. So with a nod, she placed her sunglasses on to protect from the glare of the sun and slipped into the building beside Georgie. 

"I don't get it really. What's the point of following you around. What do they even think they are going to gain from it?"

GEORGETTE:

“A good picture.” Georgette began to explain as they both entered into the building and was lead in the direction of Cassandra’s office.

“If they can get a good picture, especially of one of me now entering a lawyer’s building, that would be juicy news. They can then sell the picture at high rates to magazine publishers.”

It was always about the money in the end. Soon both girls had entered the office, Georgette’s eyes falling over the two women that were already present. One had long dark locks, which was Cassandra seated behind the desk. The other had platinum blonde curls with red swollen eyes seated on one of the chairs present: Tiffany.

Tiffany had been crying when her gaze shifted over to Georgette and then to Melody with a questioning look. Georgette paid her no mind. If she had headed to her warning long ago Tiffany would have never been involved in this mess. 

“It’s a pleasure to see you once again, Ms. Midler.” 

Cassandra removed herself from behind her desk to step towards Georgette with an extended hand for which the blonde very gently and carefully took. Her vision then landed over Melody with the same questioning look Tiffany had. 

“This is Melody, a dear friend of mine and who I would like present.” 

Georgette explained. Tiffany quirked a brow at the announcement shooting Georgette a glare but Cassandra merely nodded her head and returned back to her desk.

“Very well. All that will be stated here will not be a private matter, so it is nice meeting you, Ms. Melody. Please, take a seat and make yourselves comfortable. Would anyone like some water before we begin?”

MELODY:

A good picture. That still didn't make sense to her. Sure Melody understood paparazzi and that they made money on this. But she was a woman dealing with something and meeting a lawyer. Which was completely the right thing to do. 

They needed to just leave her alone.

Melody, however, knew she could yell and scream until the cows came home. That wouldn't fix anything. She was here for support and not to make anything worse.

Instead, she took a deep breath offering a smile to each woman in turn and shook Cassandra's hand. If anything melody was a business professional that could do this and she looked over to Georgie to offer a smile. Not only could melody handle this. She knew Georgie could too. 

Taking a seat Melody thanked the lawyer but refused the water. (Bad move for a mermaid who just got off a red-eye flight but hey she never said she was smart). "I'm truly here just to offer support and help if I can so please let me know if I can help in any way."

GEORGETTE:

Georgette took her seat, very glad to see Melody standing her ground. It brought a satisfying grin to the blonde’s lips even as Casandra began to speak and say words which would certainly change the environment of everything.

“As I am sure everyone is aware in this room, Howard’s lawyers have been at work to receive a date so that they may be able to gain an appeal.”

The re-telling of this news went and got Tiffany more upset as she started sniffling, eyes swelling up with a fresh set of tears and disgusting snot dripping off her nose. Georgette, however, remained stoic. There were no emotions on her features. She was indifferent and quiet.

“I have gained news that they have received their date. It’s set for the end of July. What this means presently is that both parties, myself and Howard’s lawyers have to complete written briefs. They will be trying to explain that the legal court committed legal errors that had an impact on the case’s decision and I will be doing the opposite.”

Those words did cause a flare of a sting to Georgette. She knew her ex, Ryan, was running all of this, even if Cassandra may not know, and he would certainly go after her witness as evidence to win this appeal. It sounded like him, even if she wasn’t aware of the written details.

“An oral argument before a panel of three judges may be required if the written briefs were not enough and after that, a decision will be made.”

Cassandra allowed for a brief pause of silence for which Tiffany broke down into even more tears. The woman was looking so pathetic. It took every ounce of self-control Georgette had not to roll her eyes at the moment.

“If the judges were to rule in favor of an appeal, my suggestion at this point will be to gain a restriction order, but I assure you that my office and I will do everything possible to assure that they will not win this appeal.”

MELODY:

When Melody was seated and figured she could give a look to the blonde she did. She tried to look at Tiffany and see anything about her that could be good? Melody after all already had that conversation with Georgette on whether or not they liked the girl.

Melody just truly hated the fact this conversation was even happening. She went through one trial with her cousin and now had to watch this one too.

“What is the timeline on something like this? How long would it be that Georgette is needed here or when is it appropriate to look into a restraining order.”

GEORGETTE:

Georgette couldn’t help but smile as she listened to the questions Melody was asking. Her friend kept surprising her. The blonde had assumed that she would’ve been a quiet figure in all of this, just a presence she should be able to have for support. This surprise, however, delighted the blonde.

Cassandra took a moment to place together an answer sweeping a look over all the women present in the room.

“We have the date set for the appeal our written briefs and if needed, oral arguments will occur on that day. The judges will then deliberate on the ruling. I cannot give a definitive timeline for the deliberation but once the ruling has been spoken, I would then push for a restraining order if the ruling was not in our favor. If we have reached that bridge I will then need Ms. Midler present to begin those proceedings.”

“I’m not exactly sure if I will incline towards getting a restraining order,” Georgette announced leaving a flabbergasted Tiffany staring at her in shock.

See, Georgette had done her research regarding a restraining order. “I feel that it’s counterintuitive. I will have to give my address of residency and all the areas I frequent on a daily basis. I understand that’s needed so that the other party knows where not to go, but that’s also basically handing them a detailed road map to myself.”

And Georgette has taken great care not to share where she lived to the public. She never had her location setting on in her phone and always rejected questions concerning her whereabouts. She would never feel safe if Howard knew her address, she would NEVER feel safe if Ryan found out too. 

Besides, she lived in Swynlake. Hopefully, neither men would never have a reason to travel there. Her location truly was the one thing Georgette had that Ryan didn’t and there was no way in hell she was willing to hand that over.

MELODY:

Melody was trying to remember everything that she could when it came to restraining orders though admittedly it wasn't much. She knew what she knew about law from one class and suits. That's was it.

But if Georgie didn't want one there had to be a reason outside of the fact that she was now basically physically indestructible. The mind wasn't as easy to protect.

Thankfully she didn't have to think about it for long. "If he doesn't know where you live right now I'd say we're still off to a good start. My accent might give it away a little but England is a large place it could be anywhere in there. And I can just not speak while we're around them to avoid any clues. Oh, I wonder if I can manage an American accent." Melody probably wouldn't be good enough to keep it up the entire time. Then she blushed because she had gotten off-topic.

GEORGETTE:

Georgette simply smiled as she listened to Melody ramble off and figure out ways as to not give clues to their current residency. It was so sweet of her to worry, and Georgette was grateful for that because she didn’t have many people in her life who truly cared about her.

What the blonde wasn’t saying though was how she would never allow Melody to get close to either of the men. Georgette would rather face what she had to face alone then have either men anywhere near her.

Tiffany well ... the blonde really didn’t care about what she would do, or if she got close to those men again. She had placed herself into this mess even against all the warnings Georgette had given her previously.

And Georgette knew Tiffany was getting the sense of that. 

Cassandra at this point was looking at Georgette with an arched brow before dismissing the look and simply going with a nod of her head instead.

“Very well, there will be time to think about your choice while we await the appeal date and then the concluding judgment. As of now, I simply wanted to make the information available to both of you so that both will be well informed about what is going on and what can be done moving forward. Are there any questions I can answer at this time?” 

MELODY:

Melody blushed once she realized she had been rambling. She had been trying to seem as professional as possible but the thing was Georgie was more than capable of handling everything and that put Melody as ease. At ease enough that she was rambling. 

Fun.

No matter what she was going to be there for Georgie if she needed her and heaven help them if Melody ever called in the help of the town. Ask her cousins. Ask Simba and potentially they could have all of Swynlake's help.  

Turning her attention back from her friend melody looked at Cassandra with a smile. "Not for me no. Georgette?"

GEORGETTE:

Georgette stood up at this point giving a shake of her head. “No, I think I have heard all that was needed to be heard. I assume you will notify us once you get word of the judges ruling?”

Cassandra nodded looking at both Georgette and Tiffany now. “You two will be the first to be notified by my office.”

Once Georgette got confirmation from Cassandra she gestured towards Melody so that both may leave the office. She no longer wanted to be stuck inside those four walls. She wanted out. She wanted to be away from all of this even in her own thoughts. This rape has tormented her far enough already and she could care less about waving formal goodbyes to Tiffany.

When the office door opened, the blonde's security team once again took their positions moving ahead of the two girls and walking towards the exit. 

“You might want to slip on some glasses,” Georgette warned Melody before heading outside. She herself wasn’t going to bother, there wouldn’t be much of any point. 

Soon enough, the pair of them were out of the doors to the building. There were hoards of paparazzi already mounding around snapping pictures and yelling out questions hoping that Georgette would answer. Had she heard about the appeal? How was she feeling? When did she get in? What was she going to do about this new development? And on and on it went. Georgette didn’t answer any of the thrown questions. Instead, she made sure to keep walking straight and keeping to herself. She knew one slip up could cause severe damage and she was not ready to have that all go wildly public.

Thankfully, with tremendous aid from security, both girls were able to reach their ride. 

“Well, that was fun.”

MELODY:

Standing Melody brushed off her dress and offered a smile to Cassandra but not Tiffany. She had asked Georgie earlier if they liked her. And no the girls did not like her. Even if Melody had empathy toward her that didn’t mean she had to be nice to her.

She did listen though she pulled on her sunglasses and stayed close to Georgie and one of the security guards. Taking hold of one of their arms because the last thing Melody needed to do was to trip over her own two feet and fall down.

And by holding onto them she could hide her nerves from the shouting and all the voices around them.

She was more than thankful to escape to the car and slide in. “Damn girl. That was crazy.” Melody mumbled looking out the dark windows. “They don’t stop.”

GEORGETTE:

Georgette got herself settled on her seat offering a bit of a chuckle as she nodded her head at Melody. 

“I’m very sorry about that. I probably should have prepared you a little more.”

In all honesty, the blonde had thought about doing so, but she figured it would’ve made Melody more nervous than anything else. The best way to experience the hecticness that surrounded a socialite was simply to jump right in. 

It made Georgette momentarily wonder how Hercules would feel about all of that.

“But no they don’t, especially if they are able to gain a juicy story. It’s something I like a lot about Swynlake, I don’t have to deal with any of this.”

The car was off moving through the crowded roads of the city.

“Are you hungry? We can stop somewhere to eat first if you’d like. If not we can stop by the hotel to drop off our things and then eat. Afterward, I’ll take you around the city so that you can get to know it. Don’t worry all the places we go to are reserved and off for the public so that we don’t get harassed by paparazzi.”

MELODY:

"Are these pictures really going to end up in newspapers? Spouting headlines like Georgette back in town. Etc etc." Would she be front-page news and what would that be like. Melody didn't think she would like it. 

"Can we stop at the hotel first? I think I want to at least get out of these clothes." Melody requested tugging through her brunette hair. What did she look like to all those people? 

Did she care? She would say that she didn't but she wasn't quite sure how true that would be.

GEORGETTE:

“Most likely,” Georgette answered very matter of factly. “The title will probably sound far more ridiculous than that, but they’ll manage to get something out of this visit in the front page.” 

In a distant past, Georgette used to adore seeing herself in the flashing lights of the front page. It meant people were talking about her, that she was the main center of publicity. She was who everyone was adoring and wishing to be. Georgette lived for that sort of attention and back in that distant past, everything was perfect.

There had been nothing wrong with her glamorous and luxurious life. 

Now, the tables have drastically turned. She didn’t care half as much if she made it to the front page because she never knew what opinion would be spoken of her. Her reputation had gotten tarnished with all the rumors falsely spread about her rape. Even with Howard being found guilty, and her reputation mending because of those turn of events,  people still spoke ill of Georgette. 

Georgette took great care to knock extra gently on the glass pane that separated the driver from herself and Melody. She was successful in not causing it to break into a dozen pieces and had gotten the attention of their driver. 

“To the hotel please.” She directed, now turning her attention back to Melody. “We can rest for a bit as I’m sure you must be jet-lagged and then we can enjoy the city and all it has to offer.”

[perfectisme-georgette]

Lost In The Store || Pageant Mermaid

@melody-the-unwritten

Georgette was on her way to Whosit. It wasn’t exactly her type of store, but she was in dire need for some dishes, any kind really wouldn’t matter, it was only until her shipment came in. She was constantly breaking those, which was odd considering she really didn’t eat these days. 

In any case, she needed some back up for the time being. She couldn’t have an apartment without it’s proper human fixings people would find that odd. 

The blonde entered the store, being extra careful and mindful on the force used to open the door. 

She was inside, eyes scanning and feeling very unfamiliar with the whole place. She didn’t even know where to start! And before, that wouldn’t be a problem she would simply walk everywhere, but with her new gained abilities, she didn’t want to wander off if she didn’t have to. Thankfully, she spotted some woman who appeared to be someone who worked here. She got her attention, smiling cordially. 

“Excuse me. I’m looking for some dishes, any chance I can find some here?” 

[attina-the-responsible]

Welcome to Swynlake! You are Guaranteed to Witness One (1) Traumatic Thing a Year! ~*~ [Melina]

@melody-the-unwritten

So, Attina had been shaken by everything that had happened, for sure, but no one was more shaken than Ariel and Melody. 

Of course, Ariel had Jim, but Melody--she didn’t really have anyone, except her cousins. And Attina would be damned if she didn’t feel like she was one of their sisters. While she was here with her parents, she might as well be one. As soon as she had caught her breath, she’d gone looking for Melody. Percy and Attina found her standing with Thomas and Aquata, visibly shaken and giving a stuttered statement to the police.

Attina had shut that down, snarling at the police to leave her alone before she’d turned and offered (told) Melody to come home with them and that there were plenty of beds. 

She hadn’t stopped worrying about her little cousin in the days that followed. Attina had seen a lot of horrible shit in her life, but someone crushed by a chandelier (and almost being crushed by a chandelier) was not one of them. She could (thankfully) only imagine it. 

In the evening on Saturday, the day after everything, while dinner was first starting to be prepared, Attina had gone to Ariel’s room, which was occupied by Melody for the time being with Ariel gone.

“Hey,” she said softly when Melody had opened the door, “you wanna go for a swim, maybe? Just down to our pool, not out at the lake--obviously. I brought cocktails!” She held up the two rum and Cokes in her hand and wiggled them a bit enticingly. 

[attina-the-responsible]

You’ve Been Served ~*~ [Merfamily]

In which Attina is served a summons to court...

@andrina-the-amazingsupergenius, @ariel-the-rebellious, @melody-the-unwritten, and featuring Daddy.

[tw -- none really?]

Attina Dinner was always a busy time for the Triton clan. It was extra busy these days, with Melody (and sometimes her parents, though never at the same time. Tonight was Melody night) included in the foray. Attina liked it, though. Each day the tight restriction around her chest grew less and less as nothing happened and Paul stayed far, far away. She was still paranoid, but little by little, she felt like she could breathe again. Attina was glad for it, because she loved June. It was her favorite month of the year. School was out, which normally meant a trip down to the seaside to see their cousins. Not to mention it was just nice having everyone not as busy with school--so they could spend more time together. And it was her birthday.

This year there was even a prom! And, she had a date! (A friend date...probably. Maybe?)

Things were going swimmingly and beginning to look up.

The ringing doorbell was lost under the sounds of laughter and ten people all chatting over each other, as well as the clattering of cutlery and dining ware as the table was set and the food distributed. The person at the door had to ring it several times before someone heard.

"I'll get it!" Benjamin called, flouncing through the crowd to go to the living room and open the door.

Attina hardly paid attention as she scooped noodles onto everyone's plates as they came her way (it was pasta night tonight, with a buffet of different sauces to choose from.) She heard her name though.

"Tina! It's for you!"

Attina furrowed her brow and passed her ladle off to one of her sisters before heading towards the door. The person on the doorstep wasn't familiar. She furrowed her brow and stood, hugging herself around her waist, feeling unsure.

"Attina Triton?"

She nodded.

"You've been summoned."

"I--what?" she asked, her breath no more than a whisper, as she felt her entire organ system crash down into itself.

"Summoned to a court hearing. All the information is in this envelope. Have a good night." The man tipped his hat and scurried away.

Attina stood there with the door open on the whole wide world and looked down at the letter in her hands. They were shaking so hard she couldn't even read her name on the front, tears blurring in her eyes. She slammed the door shut hard and a tear, and then another, leaked out of her eyes. She stumbled back towards the island counter and stood in the middle of the crowd of people, feeling faint.

It was her father who spotted her first. "Teeny, what's wrong?"

She handed him the letter, lips trembling, breath caught in her throat.

Attina knew who it was. She knew what it was.

As JEFF read silently, the rest of the group quieted, sensing the storm brewing on the horizon. Once he was finished, he looked up, face drawn and serious. Looking at each of his daughters in turn.

"We are being sued," he said, voice carefully controlled, "for assault and battery."

Attina felt her knees buckle.

Andrina Things /were/ looking up, here in ol' Tritonland. It seemed like the worst of the damage had passed in terms of recent sister scandals. Tina was more and more herself these days, poking her head out of her little hermit-crab shell at least twice a day now so she could come chat with her sisters. And hey, there was a lot to look forward to, too-- prom, end of the year, even the play, which Andy was plotting to convince Tina to play her harp for. Of course, Andrina also knew her sisters better to think the happy-go-lucky days would last. Something was gonna happen. Maybe Ris and Dell would get in another fight or Lana would slip up and miss curfew-- who knew, who cared. She was trying to enjoy it while it lasted.

When the knock on the door came, Andrina barely heard it. She was busy pouring parmesan on her noodles.

When everything quieted, Andy was the last one to look up, busy spinning those noodles around.

But when Daddy spoke-- Andy was the first to react.

Her carefully spun noodles slipped off her fork and landed in slump on her plate. "Wait, /what?/" she blurted. "Who the hell--is /Paul/ suing us?!" She looked up and around, like she always did, looking for the one person who she always looked to first: Tina. And when she found Attina she was still by the door, and she looked white as foam. "Shit, Tina," Andy said, and she scrambled up from her seat to go to her sister's side.

Melody Melody almost always still felt like she was on edge waiting for the ball to drop in any form. She had come here after shit hit the fan for the Triton and she had comes after shit had hit the fan for herself. It almost felt foolish to assume everything would keep working out so well. But she hoped. She hoped from the bottom of her heart after all who wouldn't love the noisy and fun dinners she had gotten so used to coming to.

But as everything quieted Melody had to be one of the first to look up. Glancing over Attina, glancing over her uncle and suddenly her heart squeezed uncomfortably. Her fork full of food went back down to the plate as she stood up straighter as if she could go fight for this 'new' part of her family even if she didn't know what she was fighting.

Sued.

It rang in her ears and she wasn't sure if she was the one that should have felt that. Not to the extent of everyone else. Holding her breath for a second she opened her mouth multiple times as if she had something to say but couldn't word it. She did stand though because even in her confusion she needed to do something and she found herself walking over to her uncle to look over the papers. God did she know anyone in law that could help fight this. How did she help.

Ariel Everything was not back to how it had been before February. Ariel didn't know if it ever could be the same, after what she'd done, and after what Tina and the rest of the family were facing at the moment. However, everything was slowly improving. There'd been no word from Paul, and Ariel honestly, truly believed he was a good enough person that he would realize why Attina did what she did. That he might be mad at her or hate her, but not threaten their safety. She believed that, because it was easy for Ariel to have faith in people.

Even if she was struggling to have faith in herself. Having moved back home (although she still essentially lived with Jim part time, much to her father's annoyance and disapproval) she was trying her hardest to repair the relationships she had splintered with her sisters. Were things made a bit awkward with Melody's presence? Perhaps. (Ariel didn't know what to say to her. She hadn't been able to say much of anything to Melody before. Where did she start now that she could say everything?) However, she was trying her best at everything: School, therapy, mending relationships, and moving forward.

So she was enjoying the night when there was a knock on the door. She'd even smiled as she tried to see who'd come to visit Tina - a friend, maybe? - though that had quickly fallen into an expression of confusion, and then, shock.

Sued? They were being /sued/? "W-Wait. What do you mean 'we're' being sued? We're /all/ being sued? /All/ of us? By who? It can't be Paul, i-it- he's been so distant, I-" Ariel looked over at Attina, at the paleness of her features and the way she swayed on her feet. She rose from her chair. It was Paul. It had to be Paul. And he had to be suing- "Attina- he can't- he can't sue you. He wouldn't. This has to be something else. It has to be."

Attina

Attina's ears rang, and rang and rang and rang--like a phone in a house where everyone was too preoccupied to pick it up. She felt her knees buckle, but there was Andrina, propping her up. Her sisters called out--one after another, each more indignant than the last. Melody's soft voice ringing out too. All of it was just sonar to her ears. Too low or too high a frequency for her to understand. All she knew was the fact of the matter, the simple kernel of truth:

Paul wanted his revenge.

And he knew this was the best way to get it. Everyone in town would know that Attina had been sued, they'd all wonder why. They'd whisper about her. They'd make assumptions--that she was crazy, that she had done something to him.

She collapsed partially against Andrina with a sob choking her, her hand slapping out against the door frame. Her eyes sought the only steady thing that they could think to find.

JEFF Triton stood among the throng of his daughters, his face dark and thunderous. "Paul Patts--" he spat the name like he'd be sick if he swallowed any of it "--is suing our Attina, for assault and battery." He said the words again like he didn't believe them. And she knew he was in shock too. It was why he hadn't moved towards her. He did, after another moment, like he had been jolted--prodded from behind. He strode right up to his oldest daughter--looking taller and broader than a god.

Attina reached out for him and pressed her head against his chest. "What--what do I do, Daddy?"

"We get a lawyer and we go to court," he declared, as if it was a call to war, not a summons to the small Town Hall courtroom.

Andrina Andrina caught her sister. She was always there to catch her sister. And as Attina's weight shifted against her, she felt the weight of this news too, like a spontaneous mudslide smashing into their house.

It felt like they'd finally gotten back to normal, or as close as a house full of dramatic, secret mermaids could get to normal. After literal months of bullshit-- spells, dreams, Ariel treating her own family like a pack of sharks out for her blood-- they'd been on the road to okay.

But here was another shark. Another whirlpool, sucking the Tritons in. And all Andrina could do was try to hold onto Attina, until Daddy walked over and took that burden from Andrina too. His words thundered as they always did. They were strong, aggressive, certain. Andrina, though, wasn't so certain. She glanced up at her father, her thoughts gathering. It'd be best if they settled this, not went to court, right? They couldn't take this to a trial. A trial could expose everyone and then Attina would never come out from under the covers again.

But that was a conversation to have later; Andrina would slip into her father's office, calling his name sweetly, and she'd voice those concerns and more. She had learned from watching her mother how to soothe the particular beast that was her father; Andy liked to think she did it best out of her sisters. She got away with the most so far, hadn't she?

For now, she just nodded and looked at the rest of her sisters. A united front was what was best. "Right-- yeah. We'll kick his ass, that's what we'll do. It'll be okay," she said, confidently. She reached forward to squeeze Attina's arm and she said it again. "It'll be okay, Attina. We're gonna get through this."

[attina-the-responsible]

Stress Baking ~*~ [Melina]

@melody-the-unwritten

Attina had left the house on Sunday to attend the rebranding of InterPride. It felt like the first time she’d left the house in decades and was only done because Andrina had taken pity on her and smuggled her a joint and then, she’d gotten proper drunk. (Both to handle being out of the house and the fact that she was basically attending a memorial service for Mufasa, who had been like an uncle to her growing up.) 

This combination meant she’d near thrown up on Daddy’s shoes at the end of the night (just managed to run to the loo, though the look on her father’s face meant she might as well have) and spent most of Monday in recovery. 

Which meant Tuesday, Attina was baking. She was hungry and restless, finally beginning to feel like herself. So, apology cookies it was. A batch for each sister--chocolate chip for Ariel and lemon squares for Arista and some healthy concoction with extra protein for Aquata and literally-everything-you-could-think-of cookies for Andrina. 

It was a bit of a clusterfuck--loud with Vanessa Carlton playing and the sound of the mixer going, which meant she didn’t hear when Benjamin let Melody in the house. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and jumped a little, before realizing it was just her little cousin.

Then, she smiled wide and turned off the mixer. “Melody!” she said, putting a hand to her chest, “gosh, you scared me! How are you, love? I’d give you a hug but--” she wiggled her gooey, flour-covered fingers.