Let's Be Free • •

[Odette Morgana Neville]

Before work every day Ettie took a stroll through Central Park with her morning cup of coffee. Unless it was raining of course. Then she usually sulked that the weather was being as terrible as the weather she grew up with and dug out her waterproofs so she could drive her moped to work without arriving looking like a drowned rat. Helmet hair she could shake out at her desk, frizzy hair she could not. Most days it was a pleasant way to start the day and Ettie enjoyed watching the seasons change before her very eyes over whatever hot beverage had attracted her attention at Starbucks that morning. It was something of a daily ritual before throwing herself into the chaotic world of a PA. Not that she minded that lifestyle. Ettie seemed to thrive in the chaos and she did her best work when she was doing an almost uncanny impression of a tornado hurtling down the corridors with papers that needed to be scanned or faxed or just dropped off from one place to another.

And she figured she must have been good at it because she was still employed. There was a method to her madness, even if no one else could understand why she multitasked eight jobs at once and often had her cell on speaker rather than just picking the damn thing up like any normal person. She had her quirks, there was no denying it, but those quirks got her through the day to day without her losing her happy-go-lucky outlook or the big smile that sometimes got her an extra few sweet treats from the guys who worked at the studio. Plus, she had a feeling it helped her cut corners when she was in a rush and flashed it at the right security guards or runners. If only they knew her innocent smile was the biggest lie she had going for her. Ettie was about as devilish as they came, whilst looking the part of the angel. Her weekends were full of dancing, harmless flirting and falling into her bed as the sun was coming up and the room was starting to rock back and forth after seven too many cocktails. She was young though, and life was meant to be lived.

She glanced at the time on her phone and realised she was ahead of schedule for a change. Not wanting to appear too eager to get to work, Ettie crossed off the path to one of the benches and took a seat, smoothing out the skirt of her dress before crossing her legs. She sipped at her vanilla latte and smiled to herself as she watched the early spring morning unfold before her. A few runners crossed the path, and she checked out the male, scrunching her nose as she decided he was a little overly muscular for her own preferences. She liked to pretend she was regularly keeping fit, but her T’ai Chi classes were about as close as she got after all the running around she did for work, and the weekends dancing until her feet felt like they were on fire. She felt a presence beside her and turned her head to see someone occupying the seat next to her. Ettie wasn’t shy in the slightest, and she was the type to speak to just about anyone she met. It didn’t always end well, but that never stopped her from trying again with someone else. “Lovely morning, isn’t it?” She asked, lifting her coffee again.

• • •

TAGGED! Carson Monroe Barrett
WORDS! 591!
OUTFIT! Mischievous Moll!
LYRICS! Sparkly Touch - - - Twin Atlantic
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Carson Monroe Barrett]

Carson didn’t usually stop by the park right before he headed into the office to write up his assignments or get to the meetings scheduled for that day. They had decent enough coffee at the magazine and the someone always brought in pastries from the bakery down the block. Of course, the days when he didn’t actually need to be at the magazine were a different story. He habitually did his work outside of the office because the noise levels were incredible there. Plus, he had always done better work outside the usual places than he’d ever done in a classroom or the offices. And then there were actually days like today, when he wasn’t at the magazine at all. He had a night shoot that night and needed to do some running around beforehand because once the clock struck, he needed to be at the warehouse and that would be when the real fun began. He enjoyed writing, wanted to do that for a living but the money, experience and insight that came from modeling was just too good to pass up.

He might not have actually needed the money but in a city like New York, it helped to have some. The experience and the insight however, he could never get enough of. Carson was one of those guys who always wanted to know more, learn more. He could be a fountain of useless information but he was intrigued by the way the industry worked. It had been the world he’d wanted to be in practically his entire life, of course he would be curious about it! Even after all these years in the business, Carson still wasn’t bored of it. It was how he’d worked his way through college, paying for the things he didn’t want to bother his parents for. They’d paid for enough in his life, they didn’t need to fork out the cash for the little things that Carson had felt he’d needed as a college kid; most of which were not things he genuinely needed anyway. And the fact that his mother would have asked for reasons and details was enough to deter him from asking in the first place. He had wanted to be independent when he’d moved away for school and calling back home every couple of weeks for money wasn’t what he’d had in mind.

Thankfully, he had that look about him that a lot of people wanted so he only ever called home to catch up and make plans for trips back to visit. Now, Carson liked the work enough to keep at it and probably would until he really couldn’t anymore. Winter in New York was great and absolutely nothing like they were back in North Dakota. And that was the real reason he liked walking through the park when the snow was on the ground. It wasn’t half as bad in New York as it got in Steele. Carson barely felt the winters in New York so he spent a lot more time than most people in the city. He was also bundled up because he liked the accessories and not because he actually needed all the extras. Grabbing coffee at a cart, he took the steaming cup over to a bench a sat down to check his messages and send a few back before he needed to be on his way again. Carson’s head lifted at the voice. He hadn’t noticed someone sitting at the other end of the bench but he occasionally zoned out like that. “Yeah, it’s going to be a good day.” He agreed, looking over at the girl who’d spoken to him.

Tag || Odette Morgana Neville
Words || 652
Clothes || Handsome Heartbreaker
Music || Hell Raisin' Good Time --Tim Hicks
Notes || <3!

[Odette Morgana Neville]

Ettie liked to be busy. She liked waking up most mornings knowing that she had something to do. Even on the days off she had plans, even if they were simple things like shopping, picking up a parcel she hadn’t been home for the first time, or simply cleaning up her apartment. Ettie had always kept herself busy; something she believed she picked up from the hustle and bustle of the small town she had come from. Stratford-upon-Avon boasted such a history that they never had a quiet period, not really. There was always a coach full of school kids, Shakespeare lovers, and people passing through for the day on their way to somewhere else. It was how most of the locals made their money. Ettie’s family hadn’t been much different. Her mother would love for her to come home and settle into a sleepier way of life, but how could she? She had grown up amongst excitement and stories of worldly adventures! Ettie had wanted that for herself and had taken it for herself after her university graduation.

It was how she had come to find herself in New York. And the city suited her, if she did say so. Her outward innocence won people over, and then she could twist it to reveal her true colours – that devilish side she hid under the big eyes and the butter wouldn’t melt smile – and draw even more people in. It made her job easier. There were a few people in the business who thought they could walk all over the darling English PA, only to have her turn at the last moment and unleash a tirade that had them signing what needed to be signed, or showing up when they needed to show up. Never judge a book by its cover, an Ettie was a prime example of that, and then some more. Her book had teeth and wasn’t afraid to clamp down and wrestle with someone until they behaved or learnt their lesson; whichever Ettie was setting out to do in that particular moment.

She wasn’t some fire breathing she-devil though. Most of the time Ettie was nice. She liked talking to people, making temporary friends who she might never see again. It perked her days up, even if they didn’t need any more perk. It was why she spoke to strangers, complimented people in queues, and generally went through her life chattering to just about everyone. “Ooh, an optimist! I like you!” She smiled, veering off with a small chuckle at herself. She took a quick gulp of her coffee as her eyes fell on his scarf. “And I like this. Do you mind?” Ettie didn’t actually give him chance to answer. She tugged the scarf off in one quick movement and draped it over her own shoulders and tossed it around her bare neck. “What do we think?” She asked, turning her head back and forth to try and get better look at herself. There were times when Ettie missed the concept of boundaries or personal space, but to those who knew her they knew it was just Ettie, to complete strangers it could be something quite different.

• • •

TAGGED! Carson Monroe Barrett
WORDS! 537!
OUTFIT! Mischievous Moll!
LYRICS! Sparkly Touch - - - Twin Atlantic
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Carson Monroe Barrett]

No one had thought Carson would stick around North Dakota, least of all his parents. They knew how much the family business meant to him but they also knew he was meant for something else entirely. They had hoped he would get so home sick that he just couldn't stay away but that hadn't happened. In fact, Carson fell head over heels for his new city and didn't want to leave. Besides, he knew his family was taking care of the family business expertly. And he knew no one really expected him to return home permanently. It was a nice place to visit, and he went home every October for a couple weeks but there was no way in hell he would be able to cope in the small town of Steele for longer than that. His family meant the world to him but they also knew that Steele, North Dakota was not the place for him. He was too ahead of his time in the small, country town. And even though he'd loved creating creepy, scary costumes for the hay rides, the haunted house and the trail walks, he could do that from New York.

And he did, emailing his ideas and things to his sister to sort out at the end of August. Halloween was the family business and it was something they all thought about all year round. It was never something they did half assed. Even now when Carson wasn't home, his costumes were still the best around. He worked tirelessly on them, creating them himself. He could sew before he'd reached double digits because his family was that into making their own costumes. His mother had always helped but it was the kids that did it all themselves. It really made all sorta of sense that Carson became so into fashion. His had always been so detailed while his brother's costumes had been basic things, more thrown together than anything else. But he had also realized he liked writing about it all more than he had ever liked designing the costume pieces.

Carson certainly couldn't grab a coffee in the park back in his hometown! It was the little things that seemed so insignificant to those who'd had that all their lives that had Carson sticking around. The work, he could do just about anywhere, in any major fashion oriented city but the fact that it was New York and there were so many quirks were the reasons he stuck around the big apple. There was always something else to see or do and he didn't think he would ever get bored of it. "You say optimist, I say I've not let the city corrupt me yet." He teased with a chuckle. It seemed to him that the people who could manage a smile on the city weren't actually from the city and those that hurried on by like they were about to be picked off by a sniper any second were born and raised; with no appreciation for what was surrounding them. Carson had been lifting his drink to his lips when this complete stranger unwrapped his scarf and rewrapped it around her own neck, barely giving him a second to blink never mind respond to the question she'd asked him seconds before she'd jumped to action! Carson was left sputtering for a couple seconds, the coffee in his hand forgotten along with his pinch of thirst. Finally, Carson just chuckled, shaking his head. "Gorgeous." He told her. And then after a moment's consideration, whilst watching this strange woman wearing his scarf, he continued. "So, do you make a habit of stealing stranger's belongings or is my scarf special?"

Tag || Odette Morgana Neville
Words || 615
Clothes || Handsome Heartbreaker
Music || Hell Raisin' Good Time --Tim Hicks
Notes || <3!

[Odette Morgana Neville]

Leaving Stratford-Upon-Avon was the thing that caused the rift between Ettie and her mother. Bianca Neville had never been able to understand why her daughter could be so free-spirited and want to spend so much time travelling the world, let alone settle down in a city that was practically across the globe from all she had ever known! That was the problem between mother and daughter, they were so strikingly different while being similarly stubborn. They fought because they cared, and stood their ground because they had both been raised to be strong. Bianca wanted Ettie to be happy, but she just couldn't understand why she couldn't be happy at home where she had spent eighteen years of her life. In truth, Ettie loved the thriving little town, but she had wanted to spread her wings and see what else was out there for her. She knew what her life would be if she had stayed at home and while it was enough, it was never something that could surprise her. Everyone knew her, they knew what she was like and the things she could get up to. Back home Ettie had to reel her personality in or be the gossip of the town. At least anywhere else she could run wild and no one would be whispering back to her siblings or parents about her antics in the local pubs.

It wasn’t that Ettie had ever been ashamed or embarrassed by the things she did - she was too comfortable with herself for that – but she could do without the eyes upon her, or the lecture from her mother who sometimes still acted like Ettie was the little girl who had danced through the street carnivals and spoke about being a million different things when she grew up. Oddly, none of the things she ever mentioned had included PA in a movie studio. Still, she adored life and all its little surprises. Being bored made her unbearable company, so she tried her best to keep some spice in her life, though with her personality and lifestyle that was usually pretty easy; especially in a city like New York. She really felt like she could belong here, unless something came up to whisk her way to another city or country again. Travelling after university had been amazing, but Ettie didn’t think it was something she could do for years like some people. Vacations, sure, even long vacations across the summer where a few places became scratched off that destination list, but she had come home with more dreams and ambitions and just not the money or energy to keep up with them. That was really what had annoyed her most. Ettie was a ‘go and do it’ kind of girl, not the ‘sit around and wait a bit’ type.

She smiled mischievously, cocking her head to the side and putting on a thoughtful face. “And what if it never corrupts you? Are you still going to be waiting for it to happen, or are you an optimist then?” She asked. She had lived in New York for a year now and she didn’t think she had changed too much. If anything her personality had grown even more because she wasn’t worried about stories turning into local gossip. She wasn’t sure such a thing could exist in a city so crowded and where so many people were just blank faces in a crowd. Ettie twisted to look at the scarf, smiling to herself in approval. She really did like it, even though she probably owned maybe one of her own that was hidden in the depths of her wardrobe now. “Thank you, kind sir.” She said playfully, dipping her head as a sort of bow since it was all she could manage whilst still sitting on the bench. She sipped at her coffee and then grinned wickedly, looking up at the stranger through long black lashes. “When there’s something I want I tend to make a move for it.” She said coyly, but honestly. Ettie had never been the type to play shy. Tilting her head back she arched her eyebrow ever so slightly. “I think that jacket would really pull a look together though…” She was joking, but she wanted to see just how much fun this handsome stranger could be.

• • •

TAGGED! Carson Monroe Barrett
WORDS! 729!
OUTFIT! Mischievous Moll!
LYRICS! Sparkly Touch - - - Twin Atlantic
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Carson Monroe Barrett]

Carson’s parents had always known he would leave their small town in his rear view mirror and not bother looking back at it as it grew smaller and smaller. Most of that was true, but he did look back. Steele was where everything had happened for him before he’d gotten accepted to university. It was where he’d had his first well, everything, from the sweet first steps and first words to the awkward first time, the sad first break up. It was where he’d gotten into more fights about how he dressed than he could possibly count and where he had the best friends in the entire world to stick up for him when he got into those fights. But Steele was small town and Carson was meant for bigger and brighter things. At least for the time being. After he’d finished school, he could have gone anywhere, written for any magazine but he’d bagged the best internship he could have dreamed off.

And that was a big part of the reason he was still in New York. He’d been a rare find and had only been an intern for a few short months before they were offering him a position. He was awestruck but not in the ways most people thought when they heard what he did for a living. And really, he’d stumbled upon his current position because the original writer had been out with a severe cold or flu or something that had him unable to be in the office. Carson had been up until that point, just been writing fashion pieces, which were nice and great and he loved it but this curve ball had him interviewing designers and models and faces of the industry. In the three years he’s held the position, Carson had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with so many people; all of whom were so down to earth, it was completely unbelievable that they were such world famous celebrities.

But even he still had his pieces that were more fluff than anything else. And that was good, it helped to keep him grounded. Not that he needed help in that department. He wasn’t like a lot of the transplants in the city, Carson could never forget where he came from. His start in life was directly linked to how he was in the big apple. He considered this woman’s question, tilting his head slightly to the left to really think about it. “I suppose then I could be considered an optimist.” He decided with a quick grin. Carson wasn’t the type to sit around and wait for the other shoe to drop but it was interesting to see what other people said when he worded things differently. He was a wonderful wordsmith, even if he used his talents to weave tales of celebrity lives or designers visions and not for his own amusement. He could if he so chose to but being good with words just meant his thoughts didn’t get completely jumbled around before they rushed past his lips! “Carson.” He said, introducing himself. Sir was such an old fashioned term and at twenty six, he wasn’t interested in hearing it; not even for the intern who now worked for him! In his eyes, his parents gave him a name, what was the point in not using it? “I know.” He smirked, lifting his coffee cup to his lips. “That’s why I wore it.” He continued before taking a sip of the warm liquid. He was what his mother would call saucy. She’d always said there was too much sass in her second son to ever stick around such a dull place like Steele.

Tag || Odette Morgana Neville
Words || 655
Clothes || Handsome Heartbreaker
Music || Hell Raisin' Good Time --Tim Hicks
Notes || <3!

[Odette Morgana Neville]

Ettie hadn’t left Stratford-Upon-Avon because she wanted to escape the small town. In fact, she loved the place she came from and hated leaving the bustling little town when she did go home for the holidays or for birthdays. Ettie had just wanted to experience the world. So many tourists came to her hometown, and they came with stories and tales of their own homes and the places they had been. It had enchanted Ettie from a young age and she had wanted to see it all for herself. It was nothing against her own little town, but rather a personal thing. She needed to spread her wings and fly, to see the world and the colourful characters that it had to offer to the likes of her. At this point she didn’t think she’d ever go back home to settle down, but that was purely because she had a whole life going for her in New York City. If that fell apart and she couldn’t pick herself up for whatever reason then maybe she would reconsider, but Ettie wasn’t the type to walk through life with a safety net. She was more likely to run through it and worry later.

She was still in her young years, still on the good side of twenty-five, and Ettie had no intentions of living like she was close to thirty. She didn’t want to worry about the type of things she heard about when she went to get her hair done, or overheard when she was in line at the grocery store. Her weekends were for dancing until her feet wanted to drop off, not for making plans with family and having a break from the long slog at the office. Ettie enjoyed her job. She liked getting up each morning for a day at the studio, even on the days when she was so frantically busy she was glad to be home at the end of it. She had the energy to keep going on those days and not get bogged down in the work that came her way, or the things that cropped up unexpectedly.

She could handle it, and handle it she did. If she didn’t then she wouldn’t still have her job and life would be very different from what it was now. Ettie didn’t think she liked that idea very much at all. She had temped before she had ended up as Fallon’s PA and some of those gigs were excruciating and she had wanted to stab so many people in the face with the stapler when she had been there. She barely held herself in check, and even that had only been so she could keep her contract with the agency and hope the next place would be better. “There’s always a bright side.” Ettie smirked, knowing her personality and habit to think like that annoyed at least one of the security guards at the studio. Ettie smile at Carson, now she knew his name, and then offered up her own. “Ettie.” She never gave out Odette since no one called her it. Her parents only used it during an argument, or when she said something shocking, but that she didn’t count. Smirking mischievously at his response, she stepped up her game. Ettie was never one to shy away or back down. “How about we see if it goes well with this dress? You can let me know what you think.” She said, with just a hint of flirtation in her idea. Ettie was of the opinion that life was too short to play it safe.

• • •

TAGGED! Carson Monroe Barrett
WORDS! 606!
OUTFIT! Mischievous Moll!
LYRICS! Sparkly Touch - - - Twin Atlantic
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Carson Monroe Barrett]

Carson had always known that his little hometown wouldn't be able to keep him satisfied. It did it's job and held it's purpose until he was old enough to finally spread his wings. His parents also knew there was no way their son would ever find peace and contentment in Steele. It was too small town North Dakota for such a big city personality. Really, he'd had two choices, New York or Los Angeles. The little fact that New York was roughly a hundred miles closer was what made the choice between the two that much easier. He loved going home to visit. But only to visit. It would always be his hometown, where he'd grown up and where he began trying to figure out who he was but it wasn't where he was going to find himself. The pumpkin patch would still be his favourite place in the entire world, the place he would run to when he really needed the space to breathe and center himself again. He went back every October like clockwork only he couldn't always stay the full month away, especially when he'd been in school. With his job now though, he could theoretically spend the month away and come up with different things for the next few magazines.

He was pretty damn creative and being around the family farm was inspiring enough to give him enough ideas to drop some in throughout the entire year. The one year, he'd gotten the go ahead to write an article about the pumpkin patch and it made their popularity soar through the roof. Of course, it led to other showcases for various things around the country and more locally as well. It was his small contribution to the magazine that hadn't really been about showcases in any way unless it was a designer or makeup collection. They weren't just about the next big thing anymore and that was Carson's doing. He could continue on happily thanks to that. But he was never just happy with the things he'd already accomplished when it came to work. Carson was only as safe and set as his next pitch. "Yes, it could take years for corruption to settle in well." He pointed out though he couldn't deny that sounded more and more like optimism in disguise. He could just admit to being an optimist, which he obviously was, but keeping up the ridiculous conversation was far less boring than the dreamland he'd been shaken out of.

The city had yet to give Carson a dull moment and he didn't think it ever would. There was always trouble to be found and he knew exactly where to find it. "Pleasure to meet you." Carson wondered if this girl always went around stealing things off people as she passed them or if he was just lucky to have snagged such a lovely scarf from work. He might have been a straight man but he was just as much a fashionista as anyone else in his industry. New York was certainly never dull and this random conversation with this random woman proved that much. Carson couldn't hide the knowing smile that spread over his lips. "I think it would look very good on your but you're not getting my coat. I have to draw the line at warmth."

Tag || Odette Morgana Neville
Words || 555
Clothes || Handsome Heartbreaker
Music || Hell Raisin' Good Time --Tim Hicks
Notes || <3!

[Odette Morgana Neville]

Ettie liked opening doors and sticking her head inside to see what was there. Not every door beckoned to her curious nature, or encouraged her to put her foot inside after she had peeked around the solid wood, but she often needed to look, to know. Some she slammed shut and ran away from laughing as she tossed away the key and vowed never to look into again, but others were fun to dance in for a while. She was young, and she wanted to grow old with stories she couldn’t possibly tell her children. Ettie wanted to live her life with memories and photographs that made her laugh and cringe. She was determined to reach her thirties having fully exhausted her twenties in every way she could possibly imagine. She took chances, and she walked a little on the wild side from time to time, just so she could feel a rush, or so she could indulge in her own Wonderland curiosity. It wasn’t going to go away, and she needed to embrace it or it was going to cause nothing but trouble for her. At least if she indulged in it, escaping any trouble was more of a game and added to the excitement.

Thankfully, she kept any kind of troublesome excitement away from work. Or she tried. Thankfully, Fallon was as much a friend as she was a boss, and laughed when Ettie came in applying fresh mascara and trying to make her clubbing outfit look passable for a day at her desk. It had only ever happened a handful of times since Ettie had worked for the blonde, since she was actually something of a professional when she put her mind to it. She was just also fun and bubbly, and sometimes had a bad habit of losing track of the time. She was doing so right now, but Ettie had yet to realise the minutes that were ticking by. She was too caught up in her silly conversation with the handsome man she had just met. “If at all.” She reminded him in a cheery sing song voice as she raised the coffee cup to her smiling lips. She could never be negative for longer than a short while, and even then it came after something screwed with her enough to frustrate and annoy her.

Sometimes the city made magic, but other times Ettie believed people made their own. This morning, Ettie believed she had a role in waving her own magic wand. “You, too. It’s been a refreshing change of pace.” She smiled, sighing contently. Not everyone appreciated Ettie’s bold personality of sunshine. They brushed her off, or tried to be rude and were then surprised when this sweet little thing could be just as vulgar and as rude back. She pouted playfully with her disappointment, and her phone chimed in her bag with a message letting her know that an item she had ordered was out for delivery that day. It was as she glanced at it that she noticed the time, and just how much she had wasted sitting next to Carson. “Shit, I’m going to be late!” She jumped up, tossing her phone into her bag, the near empty coffee into the trash and started jogging as best as she could in her chunky booties, forgetting all about Carson’s scarf still around her neck and shoulders.

• • •

TAGGED! Carson Monroe Barrett
WORDS! 571!
OUTFIT! Mischievous Moll!
LYRICS! Sparkly Touch - - - Twin Atlantic
NOTES! <3 <3 <3