Esmeralda Stryker.

“sounds like a dream. too good to be true though.” he spared her a rare smile, small though it was. they had their lives to live, their successes to front - ambition left no room for whims. “no need for an apartment - you know the door is always open for you at mine.” his house was large, and perfectly decorated, and empty most of the time. well, at least it was for now, until the poor baptiste boy inevitably moved in and co-haunted the halls. “you’ve never annoyed me, esme. though i suppose we shall be putting that to the test if you do ever come to stay.” he said with a wry smile, taking a slow sip of his drink and letting his eye slip over the other attendants of the gala idly. 

“Sadly” Esmeralda sighed, wouldn’t it be nice to suddenly not be so ambitious? To not care what the world says or expects from you? Esmeralda doubted she’d ever know what that feels like. “Awww you are too cute you know that?” she cooed, of course she knew was welcome to stay but she would never force him to put up with her. Even she knew she could be a little too much sometimes. “Sounds like a challenge Et”

Esmeralda represented the United Kingdom in 2003 at the Eurovision Song Contest in Riga, Latvia. She was 23 years old at the time. She wowed the audience with her true to style Punk Rock performance, winning the competition and sweeping the floor clean with the competition. A week later she was outed to the public after letting her guard down and sleeping with a woman during the after parties who was chasing just one thing, money.

blanche could not believe the sight before their eyes. they knew the society was big time, but they didn’t know just how big time it was until they came face-to-face with one of their idols.  ❛  oh my goodness,  ❜  they say, their voice a soft exhale.  ❛  it looks so good on you !  ❜  they’re almost gushing now, but what did they care about propriety and appearances when this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.   ❛  i cannot believe i’m actually meeting you !  ❜  they say.  ❛  i’m such a big fan !  ❜

“Thank you!” A fan, oh these were always Esmeralda’s absolute favourite meetings. Getting to meet people who actually liked her and her music? Hearing their stories? Not much topped that in her book. “Hi Darling. It’s a pleasure to meet you” She grinned, “You can call me Esme if you like. What’s your name?”

He peeked at the delicate little tattoo and couldn’t help with express his admiration with a soft whine. “That’s so beautiful! I think it’s a brilliant idea. I actually really love those old fashioned, American traditional roses. They’re so big and bright and it draws your attention in instantly. In another life I would be covered in tattoos– but I suppose in the other life I probably have higher pain tolerance and a wicked cool personality to go with it.” Esmeralda Stryker did ring a familiar bell in his mind, but Milo hadn’t made a connection from the name with a stored memory quite yet. “Esmeralda! That’s so pretty. What field do you occupy that allows this sort of personal freedom? I can already hear my agent’s anxiety filled ranting if I’m even a few milimeters off of my written proportion.”

“They don’t hurt that much! Just get a little itty bitty one to start with and if you love it, you’ll never stop getting them! I have seven so far and want more” Esmeralda explained cheerfully, “Thank you! About the only decent thing my father has ever given me. I’m a musician, you can get away with most thing in the punk rock genre it’s one of the reasons I love it so much” The complete and utter freedom to express herself through clothing and her hair wasn’t something she was ever going to give up again. “And what field are you in to warrant such removal of freedom? It’s something in the entertainment industry?”

replies :  1 x 4  = 4 points starters : 2 x 5 =  10 points developments:  1  x 5 = 5 points Intro: 1 x 15 = 15 points

total : 34 points

“does it ever?” étienne chuckled. his friend was predictable to him, at least, if not to others. “i wouldn’t be complaining if you did, considering how infrequently i get to see you these days. paris would suit you, i think. you’d be unstoppable, though i’m sure your hoards of fans across the channel would be less than happy about being so far from you.” 

“Probably not as often as it should” Esmeralda commented, “I figured you wouldn’t complain but I can think of an handful of people that might. My agent for example and moving the label sounds like a too much of a chore to even bother.” And moving Emerald Records from the UK would ruin any chance she even had of knocking her father off the top spot. “I’ll just have to buy a pretty apartment here and visit often. Whine about the English weather every time I’m here and spend days annoying you. Sounds like fun doesn’t it?”

“I think roses would always be a wonderful addition, just like if it were tattoos. I have a fondness for florals that’s sort of ridiculous; you should see my closet, you’d be disgusted.” Even now in his suit with soft, sunflower yellow flowers Milo didn’t seem to get enough. “It does take a powerful woman to pull off such a hairstyle, though. May you remind me of your name, please? I’m Milo, by the way. Milo Baptiste.”

“Oh that’s a wonderful idea! I might just have to pinch that idea from you. It would match the Flower on my wrist” Esmeralda said, holding up the inside of her left wrist for Milo to see her tattoo. A simple rose going across her wrist. It had been her very first tattoo and certainly wasn’t her last. “Fingers crossed I fit that bill.” She said with a little giggle,”Esmeralda Stryker. It’s a pleasure to meet you”

“I think that’s really super awesome! I tried to shave a heart onto the side of my head when I was a kid and it ended up just looking like I took a chunk out for fun,” Milo tilted his head and inspected the cut with an admirable grin, “Does it feel a lot colder on this side of your head? Maybe when you start regrowing a bit of hair you can embed a pattern into it.”

“Aw that’s adorable” Esmeralda cooed, she couldn’t even imagine the trouble she would have been in if she did the same. “It does, yes. It’s the only downside I’ve found so far. That’s a fantastic idea! Any suggestions on what I should get done?”

it was a breath of fresh air to have his best friend back by his side - texts dodged in between time-zones and busy schedules just weren’t the same. for all the society was something étienne rarely participated in anymore, he was grateful to it for giving him esme’s friendship, and for giving them excuses to show up to things together in stride, dressed impeccably. “you are so easily pleased, bien-aimé.” he joked, in his usual wry deadpan. “though i suppose every city, even the shit ones that aren’t paris, seem incredible when you’re used to gloomy, damp london, no?”

“So clearly nothings changed?” Esmeralda laughed, she considered the fact she was so easily placed a personality flaw but she couldn’t help it. What more could a person want in a city? “I should just move here, get away from all that. It would be so much nicer”