devil in a red dress

( emeraude toubia, twenty-eight, cisefemale, she/her ) Was that MARIANA LOPEZ ? I heard a rumor they work for the FAUST family, but who knows for sure ? they can be a bit MANIPULATIVE  &  CONTROLLING, but I also heard they can be CALCULATED & LOYAL. you’ll usually find them at WOLVES in their spare time, when they’re not being a SOLDIER. you may want to keep an eye on that one ! 

guess who’s back w/ a brand new muse!! this gal!! hmu for plots uwu

─ It was perhaps already too late, James was, as she said, put off. While there was nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed of, he knew that. Yet, that was exactly how he felt. Truly, he hadn’t a clue as to why. He just didn’t want people to know, and that was that. While he’ll deny an involvement when his work was ever discovered, in this current situation there was no chance to be believed. He was caught red handed .

“Not an artist.” He was anything but. His work was nothing short of mediocre, at least he deemed so. “No?” He answered, questioningly as if he was unsure. For what, he didn’t know. “Just when ─ Your work is a lot better than my own.”

“DON’T BE SILLY!” the petite brunette protests, taking a closer interest in james’ work. “this looks AMAZING. a little darker on the shading AROUND HERE,” she gestures to an area of his sketch that could do with, in her opinion, a little more depth, “AND YOU’RE GOLDEN.”

his palm lands square in his chest as his mouth drops open in a mock indignation. “ me ? a creep ? all women are queens, esme, don’t think i’m just saying that to get in your pants. ” he pulls another deep drag, relishes the burn that works its way to his lungs, and if it weren’t for the mist swelling his chest he would have protested at her reclaiming of the spliff. “ you sure you really want to waste your night drilling into my psyche? you’re not going to get very far, here’s your forewarning. but if you’re buying, i could go for a big mac. ”

Smoking was one of the many vices Kat had acquired over the years, tobacco mostly but since meeting Esme she had found herself actually enjoying sharing a joint with the girls, though her landlady always complained the next day about their girlish giggling. Taking a long drag, she let herself carefully lean on the wall as well while the other spoke, trying her hardest not to blush when she commented on the jacket wrapped around her scantily clad form, “Mmm, just something I got..I mean had lying around.” Her grin couldn’t be stopped, shaking her head with the knowledge that her attempts to pretend she was emotionless and couldn’t hold feelings for anyone had been quickly seen right through, “How’s work today? No more assholes trying to pay for your epic work with dick pics I hope?” She had thought many times about getting another tattoo and now she had the perfect excuse, someone had to be a guinea pig for Esme’s beautiful art.

─ It had been a while since James found the time to spend at the park. Something that became a daily routine in his life since moving to the states. It quickly became one of his favourite, if his only, spots in the city. While he knew about the dark things that occurred after hours, some he even took part in, there was still a sort of peacefulness to it. Perhaps, it was only James who thought that. 

He pressed his pencil to the empty page of sketchbook, starting the outline of the scenery before him. A shadow passed over him, causing him to pause in his work, glance over his shoulder. “Did you need somethin’?”

ESME WAS NEVER REALLY GOOD AT MINDING HER OWN BUSINESS, so when she saw a familiar face perched on a bench in the park she made a beeline for james. she was slightly taken aback to see him sketching, but she knew far better than to MAKE JUDGEMENTS OF PEOPLE. she blinked a few times, realising he was talking to her. “need? no, no... SORRY. i don’t wanna put you off.” 

—. A little sleep deprived, Elara made her way to work. She knew she should have left when she had the chance but also she wasn’t about to say no to patching someone up. Not to mention her having this job at the hospital was a good thing as it was a good way for her to get supplies for what was needed. “God I need a large espresso or something stronger.” She murmured a little too loudly not noticing there was someone else besides the blonde.

they’re on the right side of town for once.  night time on safer territory, cool autumn air coming in.  his skateboard’s kicked over on the stained concrete and his eyes are watching the smoke fogging up against the orange light from a lampost.  with a slow blink and a gleaming smile, he shifts upright on his palms and takes the joint, never one to say no to a toke.  “people even know how to do that anymore? anywhere —— not just chicago. need a summer of love or something again, free pot, fuck. need something.”  he exhales and now he’s watching his own clouds.  limbs all loose, lids heavy.  

the skin of his collarbone stretches tight over muscle when he hands the joint back, sticky and tacky with sweat and old glue.  “damn, ‘sme.  shit still itches.”  when his hands are free, jovi pulls at the baggy collar of his old white t-shirt to poke at the bandage taped to the chest.  it’s one of her pieces.  pretty floral piece slapped right over the heart and bones all colorful and shit.  he hadn’t cried on the table when she dug the needles in —— something he’s goddamn proud of —— but healing’s been a bitch.  the worst so far.  “how long it’s like this for?”

SEEING JOVI LIKE A KNIGHT on a shining, well, SKATEBOARD, a smile creeps onto her plump lips once more. “maybe not people, maybe ALIENS.” es conspires with him, joined by a small laugh. “maybe not a summer of love, but maybe an AUTUMN OF TOLERANCE?” that definitely seemed a lot more plausible in such a LAND OF DIVIDE. 

cigarettes usually mute the caffeine crash jitters, but they’re just not cutting it now as he kills the light under his sneaker. he could use something stronger, something pungent that he can almost smell if he concentrates hard enough, and—wait—no, that’s definitely weed. teddy follows it like a dog, wandering the alleyways until its presence becomes stronger and stronger, and he almost lets out a sigh of relief at the birdlike frame who cradles it between her fingers. looks like the plan of kicking her in the shin and running off with the joint is needless as she’s offering it to him with a half laden gaze and a lazy grin. “ should be careful who you offer shit to, ” he chides, though he plucks the roach from between her digits and slots it between his lips without a second thought, “ could be giving weed to a creep or somethin’. not me, i just need a good stress reliever. ”

effie didn’t have to think twice before sitting next to her friend, more than ready to find a little relief from what was constantly bugging her. her mind had been a dark hellish pit since what had transpired a couple weeks ago; not that it wasn’t pretty dark regardless. only now it was a fucking terror zone. maybe to be around someone uninvolved was just what she needed, even if she couldn’t entirely trust anyone who wasn’t blood right now.

“of course,” she muttered, plucking the joint from the other’s fingers before taking a drag, ended with a sigh. “chilling out is literally the only thing i want to do right now, and maybe ever. i haven’t decided yet.”

HER BROWS FURROWED, her eyes darted over effie’s form; trying to decipher what was on the other girl’s mind. she didn’t know why she bothered. effie was sometimes UNREADABLE. “chilling out is SELF-CARE, baby girl. it’s important and good for you.” 

It wasn’t unusual to find Caleb perched on one of the many bar stools inside Eden. After all, it was one of the few bars he could sit in without worrying about being jumped by an O'Shea; looking over his shoulder every 5 seconds for a potential threat coming at him from any and every angle. It was late and his system was already overloaded with booze and pills so he’d stepped out back to get some fresh air. God knows he needed it and then some.

He’d been propped up against the red brick of the wall, making idle small talk with a few people he didn’t know or care to know either and after about fifteen minutes, he’d spied Esme a couple of feet away. Caleb approached the girl, a slow grin forming over his mouth as he met her eyes; only briefly flicking them downward to glance at the spliff she offered. “You’re speaking my language.” His gaze rose to meet hers once more, grin never faltering from his lips as he took joint between the pads of his fingertips. “Bold of you to assume I’m not chilled already,” he countered, taking a drag before holding the spliff toward the brunette. “Didn’t expect to see you around tonight.”

Kat hadn’t expected to see anyone she actually spent time with at the club, other than Cassie of course, the ones who did come by were few and far between so when she stepped out for a cigarette, wrapped up in a leather jacket that was clearly not hers, and saw Esme her smile started to grow quickly. “Do you even have to ask, mon cherí?” Leaning across, she pressed a kiss to the shorter girls cheek, flicking the ends of her ponytail in the way she did almost every time the girl wore one, “What’re you doing here? Is your world so boring without me you just can’t stay away?!”

perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to roam chicago’s streets late at night alone, but alex didn’t care. she was feeling particularly overwhelmed for the past two weeks & was in desperate need of some alone time.. or some distraction, to be frank. anyhting to get her mind off recent events. the o’shea hadn’t noticed who exactly she settled down next to, until the familiar voice broke the silence & she recognized the girl. just perfect. while alex would love to have a smoke & take the edge off, esme wasn’t exactly the one person she’d do that with. especially not now. “ thanks for the offer. but as you can see, i’m already completely chill. “