melinaxcampbell

[melinaxcampbell]

roanmontague·:

it was no secret that esma was the breadwinner in their family, and contrary to popular belief, roan was okay with that. he had known when they were teenagers that she was always going to be better than him, and he was more than happy just to be with her in whatever way that meant. and in some strange, fairy-tailesque miracle, that way meant a cute little house in a cute little town with two cute little rings on their fingers and he couldn’t have possibly imagined how happy they’d have ended up, given how life has insisted their romance not be easy. esme’s passion for helping people and razor-sharp brain made medicine the best career for her, and the financial stability that being a doctor provided her allowed roan the chance to pursue his own dreams of teaching, like his mother. but, of course, his days were empty since they’d relocated to maple creek. it made sense, neither of them could stomach living in their old home after what happened, and this place was a beautiful place for a clean slate. 

he had taken up jogging every day, as a way to keep himself in shape, but he was lazier than he’d have liked to be, so they usually just ended up as long walks. he’d spend hours just walking, learning the area, and trying not to miss his wife. or the overgrown, scraggly exit to the trail he was on, which was leading him out by the rail tracks. he ducked under a large branch, turning the corner from the trail to the railway embankment. he didn’t get far, though, as he walked face-first into a much shorter person. he reached out a hand to steady them, offering her a small smile in apology. “my bad, dude. blind corner, i wasn’t paying attention.” he sighed, picking leaves and other debris from his shirt. “you good, though? did i do any major damage?“

Melina blinked as the man in front of her helped her steady, her cheeks blushing a bit in embarassment. "Thank you. Think that might've been my fault, though," she admitted, offering up a small smile to the stranger. "I wasn't really looking at where I was going." She looked him over before deciding she didn't know who he was, an odd occurence for her in this tiny town. maybe she'd been away so long she'd started to forget faces. somehow, given her memory & skill with reading people, she doubted that was the case, but she could never be too sure. "Erm, I don't think I know you, though. Are you new here?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side slightly before immediately realizing that he could've moved here while she was gone. How embarassing. Clearing her throat, she stuck out a hand to him, figuring confidence was key in any situation. "I'm Melina Campbell," she introduced herself, offering a polite smile.

[melinaxcampbell]

ohxalex·:

Alex tilted her head, taking in the features of the woman opposite her. Truth be told the name didn’t ring a bell exactly but she smiled and reached out to touch her shoulder. “Hey! Yeah of course. I’m Alex in case you’ve forgotten” She smiled, shifting her bag on her shoulder. She was polite enough not to embarrass her. “Moved back to town? Visiting your folks? How have you been?” 

Melina shook her head, smiling. "I didn't forget. I remember thinking you were all so cool back in the day," she admitted, laughing softly as Alex touched her shoulder. "I've moved back to town-for the time being. Erm, I'm a lawyer now, so I'm usually stressed out." The last part was only half a joke. Since she'd moved back, she'd found that work had been especially taxing. But a job was a job, right? "How about you?" she asked, genuinely curious. "Did you end up traveling to a lot of places? I remember that being a big deal at the time. I thought it was really rad."

[melinaxcampbell]

jonahxmaple·:

Jonah gave her a soft smile, he could almost sense how anxious she was, taking in her body language for a moment. “Oh yes, of course. The camp. I remember Melina. It’s good to see you again.” He managed to keep up the smile, despite the mixed feelings he had about the camp currently. And the fact the fire had happened ten years ago. “Yeah, the camp,” he repeated, wondering if she was thinking the same. “I’m not bad. Keeping busy. You know me. Always helping people out. And you, how are you? You look so much older.”

It felt like all she could do was think about the camp. It hadn't exactly been a fun experience at the end of the day, so she definitely did not want to talk about it. Listening to Jonah repeat 'camp' only served as a reminder of just how much she wanted to push the memories out from her mind. "Keeping busy is good," she remarked, tugging again at the ends of one of her braids. "I remember you wanting to help everyone, um, back then." She almost felt herself bring up the camp this time. "I'm doing alright. I'm a lawyer now. I feel a lot older than I was then," she laughed, only half-needing to force it. "A lot of things have changed for me. But it sounds like the town's been treating you well. Have you stayed put this entire time?"

[melinaxcampbell]

jonahxmaple·:

Jonah didn’t really know what he was doing. He’d found himself wandering, breathing in the air and letting his thoughts wander. He often wondered if he was doing the right thing. He beat himself up over it. How could he not? Maybe he should’ve held onto that campsite. It had been his grandfathers… and something in his gut kept telling him that… something about it wasn’t right. He’d felt that way for years. Since the fire. But he selfishly wanted to cut ties with it. 

Lost in his thoughts, he looked up at the other, eyes glancing at her. “No, no. I was totally in my own head,” Jonah laughed a little. “Are you okay? Wait… I know you?”

Melina swallowed, immediately recognizing Jonah. She fiddled with the ends of her jacket in a more anxious manner, averting her eyes a moment before looking up & nodding. "I'm okay. & yeah, you gave me a job when I was younger," she admitted sheepishly, offering up a small smile. "Melina Campbell? Used to work at the, uh, camp." She coughed awkwardly at the last part, wondering briefly if her thoughts had somehow summoned Jonah before immediately dismissing the train of thinking. Coincidences happened quite often. "Um, how've you been, Jonah?"

[melinaxcampbell]

hxalex·:

“Hey-” Alex sighed, about to go off of it when someone walked into her. But laying eyes on the individual, she calmed a little. Her eyes flicked over them. They were well dressed and certainly looked different to most people she saw around Maple Creek at this time of day. “actually don’t mention it. Have we met?” She tilted her head. “People say something about never forgetting a face. But i literally think i forget everyone i’ve ever met after like… two weeks of not seeing them.” 

Melina swallowed, recognizing the woman in front of her. It was Alex, seven years her former but the town was small enough that she'd known her growing up. or at least of her. She'd never really known if the other woman had been aware of her, but it seemed to somewhat be the case. "Er, yeah, but you probably don't remember me since it's been so long," she rushed out as she took a step back, hand reaching up to play with the ends of a braid. "I'm Melina Campbell. Used to go by Mel, if that better rings a bell."

[melinaxcampbell]

open starter

location: the rail trail

Melina hopped off her bike, hiding it in the bushes that crowded amongst the maple trees. She'd grown up here, & nobody had bothered to steal it then. Somehow, she doubted that things had changed all that much. Maybe it was a gamble, but she didn't mind. She wanted to walk along the railroad tracks, just as she had as a teenager when she wanted to escape prying eyes. Both before & after the camp incidence she was constantly striving to push from her mind. Clearing her throat, she pushed back a curl that had come loose from her french braids & began to walk along the tracks. Leaves crackled underneath her chunky black boots, & she tugged at the end of her left sleeve, contemplating things. She hadn't ever thought she'd end up back here. Figured she'd escaped the little town & the majority of her family, many of whom had seemed unwillingly to stay in touch. Which was fine with her. She hadn't made an effort, either. Not with them, nor her old friends. Melina had been happy to make her way in a big city, making it through law school on her own merit with partial scholarships & hard work. Things were fine. That is, until she'd gotten a very attractive job offer from Medulla back home. She was hesitant to take the job, but they'd offered her more money than she could've dreamed of. So, instead of fighting for people's rights against big companies, she'd sold out, promising herself it would only be until she could pay off the loans she'd taken out & made enough to save up to work for some kind of nonprofit. Still, she felt guilty, & it was hard not to feel the stares from people as she made her way through town. They haunted her, especially her mind; she was so preoccupied she didn't notice the person in front of her until it was too late & she had bumped into them. "Shoot; I'm so sorry, man."

[melinaxcampbell]

ZENDAYA As Marie Jones In “Malcom & Marie” (2021)

[melinaxcampbell]

Beauty Is As Beauty Does