Joleigh Raina Moreau

Jensen looked up from his phone and shut it off. “Oh… I’m just playing a game.” He told them. “What about you?” 

“A game? Outside at this hour?” One thin eyebrow raised in question but a shrug followed when he questioned her. “When I need a breather, I find my way here. It is very beautiful at night.”

                    “I suppose I should ask you the same question,” Angelica replied with a hint of playfulness lacing her words. “It’s a little late to be walking all alone,” she continued, growing a little cheekier. The investment broker glanced at the thermos the petite woman had in hand and then down the pier. She’d just had some wine and hors d'oeuvres with friends while listening to some decent jazz. “I was thinking about taking one of the boats down river to head home. How about yourself?”

“Should you?” Joleigh shot back, her own playfulness mixing with her ever-prevalent French accent. “Is it? I did not notice.” Her shoulders rose and fell in the slightest shrug as she took a step closer to the woman. “That sounds delightful. I am just on a walk to... how do you say? ... clear my head.” Joleigh’s last two weeks had been quite the experience and she found nothing soothed her more than a walk to her favorite place in London.

Chris had been out walking for the past hour and a half, not wanting to go home and sleep. Her therapist had explained how dangerous lack of sleep could be, uselessly since she knew well enough, but that lecture didn’t make her jump for joy at the thought of sleep. Sleep wasn’t bad - the nightmares were awful. So, she’d taken to nightly walks in the hopes that it would tire her enough to succeed in falling alseep faster and with less dreams than normal. She hadn’t been the only person with the same idea apparently. “What am I doing?” She asked rhetorically, glancing over and meeting pretty brown eyes. Pursing her lips, she shrugged. “Contemplating human existence, how cold that water really is this time of year, and whether I want pizza right now or Chinese food; you know, the usual.”

“The water is freezing.” Joleigh replied with a shake of her head. “As for the humans and the type of food.. it is hard to know.” Her eyes took in the woman before her with an appreciative glance. Joleigh had never met a woman she didn’t find beautiful, and Christian Winnick was no different. “I am Joleigh.” She offered, releasing one hand from her nearly-empty thermos of tea to extend toward the woman. “You seem troubled.”

It was a figure he’d grown to recognise even in the dimmest of lights. A welcome shadow in darkness, a friend he’d been known to rely on in his loneliest of hours. “Joleigh Moreau, my dearest friend…” Kaleb announced with fondness laced in his tone. It was a welcome sight, especially with the changes that had been happening in his life as of late. “I was thinking and my legs led me to this very spot, I forgot how much you loved it.” He told her with a lighthearted chuckle, “I was hoping I’d run into you.”

A familiar voice caught her ear as she moved closer, eyes watching as the bit of lamp light that illuminated the Festival Pier revealed the other person to her. A loving smile crossed her features at the sight of her best friend in her favorite spot. They hadn’t been able to catch up in recent weeks due to conflicting schedules, but she knew that when the time was right they would meet up again. “Kaleb!” She moved in to throw her arms around his neck in a welcoming embrace. “You make me nervous, being here in the dark.” She chided him gently with a shake of her head. “I am glad it is you. We have weeks to discuss, mon enclume. What weighs on your mind?” 

“Hm? Not at all.” Mickey shook her head briefly to punctuate the comment, swiping idly at the locks of soft red hair that fell into her eyes with the motion. “I managed not to get even a drop of it on me which is probably a minor miracle, but I’d have dealt with it if that hadn’t been the case. As long as you’re alright I’m satisfied this wasn’t as disastrous as I thought, though it might get there if I can’t stop talking.” The archaeologist paused to take a breath, taking a moment to toss the wet napkins into the rubbish bin before she returned to her seat and glanced at Joleigh curiously, “What are you reading?”

Joleigh had to stifle the slight giggle that threatened to escape as the girl rambled. In all her years in London she had never tired of listening to the way people prattled on about things. “You are okay, ma cherie.” She offered a smile, “It is called Me Before You. Miss Jojo Moyes is a new friend and mentioned a book she had wrote - I figure I should check out.” The brunette paused before offering her hand. “My apologies - Joleigh.” The woman with the red hair had distracted Joleigh and she’d nearly forgotten her manners. “It is nice to meet you.”

Behind Joleigh: Musical Inspiration

“Sous le noir de mes longs cheveux. Derrière la couleur de mes yeux. Il y a juste quelqu'un qui veut. Etre une femme, une femme. Et sur le dessin de ma bouche. Tu as cette peau que tu touches. Il y a juste quelqu'un qui peut. Etre une femme, une femme.” [Etre Une Femme; Anggun]

“J'ai demandé à la lune, Si tu voulais encore de moi. Elle m'a dit "J'ai pas l'habitude de m'occuper des cas comme ça". Et toi et moi on était tellement sûr, et on se disait quelques fois. Que c'était juste une aventure, et que ça ne durerait pas“ [J'ai Demandé à la Lune; Indochine]

“On se perd, on s'espère. Quelque part, on s'égare. Un jour au-delà on se retrouvera. In my dreams, in my dreams.. In my heart, in my mind, I see you and I, there is you and I“ [Echo (You and I); Anggun]

“The charm that I possess will put you to the test, to satisfy my interest, Come over be my guest. I'll show you to my nest, you're under arrest. The others may be jealous cause you're the one who's blessed! Yeah! Baby baby you're so fine. Be my, be my Valentine“ [Be My Valentine (Anti-Crisis Girl); Svetlana Loboda]

“Miss kiss kiss bang, come and let us sing! Miss kiss kiss bang, now let us swing! Shake your sweet, sweet, sweet little thing, Mrs kiss kiss bang, come let us swing! When I look into her eyes the flames grow higher, I know this is a kiss of fire. Imagination feeds my hungry heart. Give me your love before we part. And i’m on the way of no return, Ooh baby, just burn, burn, burn“ [Miss Kiss Kiss Bang; Alex Swings Oscar Swings]

“You and me, can't you see we're playing with fire? Tell me now, do you feel this burning desire? Don't stop, make it rock, It's taking us higher. Could it be just a dream? Are you running away?“ [Playing With Fire; Paula Seling & Ovi]

“I can see it in your eyes, It doesn't come as a surprise. I see you dancing like a star, no matter how different we are. For all this time I've been loving you, don't even know your name. For just one night, we could be the same, no matter what they say“ [We Could Be the Same; maNga]

Emily: You're sweet

Emily: To be out from the microscope? Oh yeah... I felt free when I left home. Even if I had to hurt so many when I did leave

Emily: I don't...

Emily: i don't know where I would be if I hadn't left. Things got very bad and I stopped seeing the good in things, if that makes sense.

Jo: People do not understand the desire to leave until they feel it themself.

Monica: i trusted you when you recommended that one crazy dildo didn't i?

Monica: whichever M15 agent monitoring my phone just read that, i'm single ;))

Monica: [...]

Monica: well, there's evidence of how lonely i am.

Jo: Ah but that is the different, mon sucre, I am well versed in dildos but not the romance.

Grinning, Emily nodded and knew that it was true. She’d always been giving by nature, generous and tried to be as kind as possible. It was harder when she was a teenager, when she was around her parents and their influence, but college had proven to be rewarding in many aspects; she’d found herself there and knew who she was. She was the girl who did anything for a good cause, who sacrificed herself for her sister whenever she needed it, and she was the one who took in the strays who had no one and no home. And she did those things without asking for anything in return because wanted for nothing and wouldn’t dare ask someone who had nothing for anything.

And she was the woman who would break the law for an immigrant child who lived in a home that she wasn’t welcome in anymore. She was the person who blackmailed her father out of hundreds of millions of dollars because she could and because she knew she needed that money to fund the organization and get herself established. Emily was the woman who could be counted on but she had her flaws just like everyone else - number one being that she wouldn’t let a ‘no’ or a law stand in the way of helping someone else.

Paying close attention to the words spoken, apparently Joleigh had a warning for her, Emily only glanced away from the brunette when her dark eyes left hers. Glancing up to see a pretty girl in a black dress, Emily stalled for a moment as she tried to find the designer, she could feel a familiar tightening low in her abdomen at the familiar way she said hello to Joleigh. She knew that she looked intense - face emotionless but her eyes giving her away no doubt - she couldn’t help but take in the long legs on the other woman, picking out key details to compare to herself. Satisfied, she disregarded the woman entirely and turned her attention back to her friend who was sliding a note her way, her phone written down on it.

“Thank you,” she nodded at Joleigh, taking the note and holding it in her hands. “I’ll see you later,” she promised, knowing without a doubt that she would. She watched Joleigh walk away, eyes lingering, before she turned her attention to the note and took out her phone. She wondered how long they had known one another and if this was a first date or if the woman had been seeing her for quite awhile.

 - END -

Emily: I think so

Emily: Could you picture me seven months pregnant and miserable? Because I can.

Emily: God... it's so weird - growing up. You wants change and suddenly you start thinking about all of these weird "grown-up" things

Jo: I can. You would be beautiful, more than usual, even when complaining of swollen ankles.

Emily: I love babies - what can I say but that?

Emily: It's a new little life with so much potential and I know that he's being very well taken care of

Jo: It is that.. instinct maternel, no?

Emily: I will! She's so excited!

Emily: Facetiming with Estella. Do you remember Estella? She was the woman who looked after me - the one who was basically my mother while Victoria was off... doing whatever it was Victoria was doing? We share a home now - she moved with me and works for me - but she's back in New York! She just had a grandson!