Esme had come to terms with the fact that life had a way of putting distance between people whether they wanted it to or not. It was why she tried her best to keep up with people despite how many demands work tended to put on her time. She was guilty of almost dropping everything to snatch some time with a friend, even though there'd been countless people over the years who hadn't done the same for her. But that wasn't the case with Corinne. Their regular catch ups were always in the diary weeks before they happened and she was grateful for the security that it brought. Even though this time it had been her choice, she knew that the restaurant was a favourite of Cory's and in all honesty she would be happy wherever they went simply because they were spending time together. While she was almost always early to things, with Valentine's Day looming she'd been a few minutes behind schedule and was just taking her seat when her friend arrived. "Hey, look at us with the perfect timing." Warm smile was sent the strawberry blonde's way as she settled in her seat, question posed as a round about way of asking how she's been. "Has it been a wine kind of week or do we need something else?"
Danny was a social butterfly — and while yes, he spent a lot of his free time with Maggie or Adam, he did have a roster of good friends that he maintained diligently. He cared about his friends, and typically made time for them when his assistance was needed. If wanted he could give was his time, then he gave it willingly. Seeing Esme ahead on the sidewalk, Danny sported a smile as he apporached. "Hey — oh, shit. Fuck yeah!" He accepted the box, opening it to peak inside. He loved tres leches. Particularly from CJ's abuelita, but it didn't seem like he'd be tasting that any time soon, or ever, potentially. "You don't have to thank me. You know I love this shit." He replied, gesturing towards the thrift shop. "I might own a closet full of the same exact thing in triplicate, but I still like to look. And I'm happy to be of assistance."
The smile that has settled onto her features glowed a little brighter knowing at Danny's reaction to pastry, pleased she'd gotten it right. "Even so, I appreciate it. You know I can get lost in these places." A little laugh at her own expense left her lips before she schools her expression into something more sincere. "I think that kind of dedication to a look is something to be admired." The moment of sincerity is quickly broken by the grin she flashed him, before holding out her phone so he could see the instructions she'd been given for himself. "So he's been purposefully vague other than it's a 'classic Hollywood' vibe and I should dress 'nice'. I've tried to get more information about it but it's supposed to be a surprise so we're kind of going in blind." At this point she was almost wondering if it was worth still going but she'd convinced herself there was something romantic about the secrecy. Or at least it had the potential to be a night that she'd remember.
"Okay chocolates. Noted. Hope you like giant teddy bears, too," Sebastian said with a nod as if he was mentally taking note of it for the future. Despite that, Sebastian tended to have a somewhat short attention span so it was a fifty-fifty chance he'd actually remember it or not. As Esme began about her current dating life, Sebastian leaned against the counter and gave her a pointed look, "Alright well it sounds like this guy's definitely not the one," He decided, only somewhat jokingly. "From a guy's perspective, if he's into you, you'll know it. It's really just that simple," Shrugging his shoulders, Sebastian was speaking from experience. After all, he had dated quite a few people and if he really liked someone he made sure she didn't have any doubts about where he stood. If he wasn't that into someone then he didn't put in as much effort and certainly didn't make his intentions very clear.
"A giant teddy bear? Now you're really spoiling me." Laughter fell easily from her lips before she paused slightly, knowing that he was right but still reluctant to admit it. "He could have just had something come up, life happens." Even as the words leave her lips she knows that they're unconvincing, nose wrinkling at the sound of her own insistence to try to give others the benefit of the doubt. She wasn't sure why she'd been so keen to defend the man when she knew that realistically it's nothing more than another failed attempt at a relationship. But she'd never been able to see the worst in people, always searching for ways to see a silver lining or find a redeeming trait. A little shake of her head is given before she chose to smile instead of letting the situation get her down, tone light as she replied. "You say it's simple but in my experience it's nothing but complicated. You'll have to teach me your ways." Grin was flashed at him before she turned the attention back to him. "But I'm guessing by the fact that you're almost resorting to Hinge, I won't be making you up any bouquets any time soon? The one eluding you too?"
There was a line of people that Ramses knew he had let down or hurt in some sort of way when it came to handling his illness. It caused him an internal dialogue with himself. Part of him felt like he should come clean and explain why he had done the things he had but another, the one driven by his ego, denied such an option. He hadn’t even thought he would even come back. When the doctors had sat him down they had delivered him a death sentence. Telling him to say his goodbyes and create his last will. Perhaps that was why he still felt so strange when seeing old faces again. He had come to terms that this would never happen. Somehow when he had accepted his fate the treatments started to work and once again the man upstairs decided to make a mockery of his life. To make it even better his mother kept pleading with him to come back home, finally pulling the ultimate UNO reverse card and using his baby sister as the reasoning. If anyone knew what I felt to crumble underneath the pressure of his family’s name it was Ray himself. This lead him to the front door of someone that he knew he had let down, and though it did cause him to feel some kind of way it wasn’t enough to let her know the why. It was his business, it was not his fault he didn’t sign up for this culture of oversharing and putting everything out there. Once the door was open he did a slight nod before walking in past her, “Does that mean that everything is ready? I just dig in?” He commented, hoping they could bypass the initial awkwardness of the past three years. “Henrik stayed with my sister — apparently she wants to move in with me. You can imagine how that is playing over with the parentals.” Not well at all. “Eh — three-hour mediation with a couple that kept fighting over two hundred dollars — yours?”
For a moment she was taken aback and irrational guilt rose that she should have had it ready for him. But she takes a breath and privately reassured herself that he wouldn't have to wait long. "Not quite but almost, just make yourself at home in the meantime." The space was open plan enough that it didn't matter if he chose to sit at the counter or make himself more comfortable on one of the couches. "It'll just take me fifteen minutes or so, though. There's a bit of bruschetta for now and I can get you a drink to tide you over?" She moved towards the kitchen, intending to resume cooking. "Oh that's a shame, he could have met Calla - do you mind if I let her out?" While she knew Ramses had a dog of his own, she'd tucked her new puppy away with her toys just in case he didn't want to have to deal with her excitable nature. Eyes flickered over his face as he talked about his family, watching carefully for any emotions that might alter her own response. Hum of acknowledgement was given to his reference to his parents, understanding from memory what they could be like about things. Ray wasn't always the most forthcoming but over the years she'd been able to piece together bits of the family dynamic, knowing it was far from easy at times. It prompted her to pose a question about how he was feeling ( privately wondering if anyone else had yet ) though her tone is kept somewhat light to disguise her concern. "How's it going over with you though?" She fidgeted with some of the dishes she had lined up, already worrying she might end up saying something wrong and he'd disappear for years again. "That sounds -" Esme couldn't think of anything worse than being trapped in a room with an arguing couple not no words seemed to do that feeling justice. "- rough." There was a sense of irony that their days had been so different and she makes sure her tone is light and joking so it doesn't seem as though she's rubbing it in that hers was much more pleasant. "I actually spent the day doing some arrangements for a 25th wedding anniversary celebration. So definitely a different end of the marital spectrum from what you had to deal with."
February was always a busy month for her and as the Valentine's orders kept coming in thick and fast, Esme knew she had to manage her time. But as much as she adored her work, she'd always been someone who worked hard to achieve that perfect life-work balance. After checking in with herself and realising that she was feeling a little worn out from a day of arrangements and all the admin it took to ensure that everything would go off without a hitch, she knew that she needed something to take her mind off it all for a few hours. Spending time with others was almost always her preferred way of unwinding and no one's company was more refreshing to her than Eden's. She'd arrived slightly earlier than their arranged time so she'd gotten settled and ordered them both a drink ( a vodka soda for Eden and a cosmopolitan for herself ) before flicking through a magazine as she waited. Warm smile lit up her features even before she looked up to see Eden and she's quick to put the magazine back in her bag so that her friend could have her full attention. "I thought you'd want to start off with your classic. But some of their specials look so good that I might even branch out." She tended to stick to her tried and true favourites but every now and again something tempted her to step a little outside of her comfort zone. "How are you?"
The feeling of being left behind or forgotten about one was one she knew a little too intimately. For practically her whole life she'd had to get used to the feelings that came as the side effect of others putting themselves before her and while she knew that sometimes people had to be a little selfish to make the best decisions for themselves, it never made the ache of their absence any less. Even though she'd experienced what felt like a constant stream of people leaving her life, Esme had never hesitated in letting people in and opening herself up again. Maybe just because she never stopped hoping that they would stay. Having known Ray for years before he disappeared on her, she'd allowed herself to believe that he wouldn't follow the trend - until he did. His departure had stung and then ached. And then she'd just missed him. Missed him enough that when he had reappeared in Philadelphia again she'd welcomed him back with open arms and very few questions. There might have been a part of her that wanted some kind of explanation but the why's and what's were vastly outweighed by her joy ( and relief ) at having him back again. So when he'd texted to say he was free that evening she'd been quick to invite him over for dinner and was just about finished with preparations when she heard the knock at the door. Opening it with a grin, she quickly stood to one side to let him in. "Hi, your timing is just about perfect. Did you bring Henrik? How was your day?"
"Do you think there's such a thing as a binary moral system?" Clementine asks. "I mean, in any context, you know? Can something or someone be inherently good or bad?"
Eyes widened in surprise at Clementine's chosen topic of conversation and she continues working pulling the flowers in front of her into a bouquet. "I think a lot of people vastly more qualified than me have tried to answer this. But personally I'd like to believe that everything has the potential for good, even if that isn't really the reality." She wasn't naïve, just hopeful. But her own thoughts are set to one side so she can focus more on the blonde, concern in the tone as she wonders about the cause of it. "Has something brought this on or is it just a philosophical kind of day."
Sebastian's first music lesson of the day had been cancelled so he took the opportunity to get his caffeine fix and perhaps stop by to see a friend around Rittenhouse since he was already in the area. Heading into the flower shop, Sebastian went straight to the front counter; he leaned against it and flashed Esme a charming smile, "You know it's really hard to buy you flowers when you work at a flower shop..." The words came out in a sing-songy tone as mostly teased her. After all, they were somewhat friends and Sebastian wouldn't be Sebastian if he didn't throw some good-natured dalliance their way every now and again, "But seriously, you got any Valentine's day plans yet? Because at this point I'm thinking about going on Hinge and hoping for the best."
The arrangement she'd been focused on had been set to one side when she'd heard the bell chime, her brightest smile on her features to welcome the prospective customer. It doesn't dim when she recognises Sebastian but she does relax her stance into something less professional, leaning on the counter to join him. "Chocolates would be just as appreciated." The words were playful when she knew not to put too much stock into his words. But she'd never be one to reject attention and in truth she still enjoyed it. "I thought I might have but I'm not so sure now. I had a couple of dates with a guy and I'd hope that we might have spent Valentines together but-" She shrugged slightly to finish her sentence, a little too used to something promising suddenly turning into nothing. For some it might have been unexpected but Esme had started to expect the worst even though she never stopped hoping for the best. Snatching at a silver lining she injected some lightness back into her tone. "I'm usually run off my feet anyway so it's maybe for the best."
An eye for beautiful things wasn't something that she was lacking but she also struggled with being able to find some kind of redeeming feature in almost anything. It didn't matter how much others might have deemed something ugly or tacky, Esme had a way of seeing something unique or eye-catching. Or sometimes she just felt badly for the piece and couldn't help but feel as though it needed some love and she'd buy them out of almost pity. It meant that shopping for her could at times be a difficult task. It was fine if she was simply browsing with no set goal in mind, she had time to wind her way through the stores and reason with herself about whether things were really worth buying. But with a date looming and a specific dress code that had been given to her. Esme knew she didn't have time to while away and so she'd sent a text to Danny to see if he could help keep her on task. Even if their trip proved fruitless she was certain that he would make the time even more entertaining. "I didn't had time to bake last night so these are not mine but - " She held out a small box containing the tres leches cake he knew he was partial to that she'd picked up on the way in along with her coffee. "- I did get your favourite to keep you going through this. And just as a little token of my thanks for coming to my rescue."
open to: anyone! @philly-starters
where: dottie's donuts
“Hear me out.” Nothing good ever comes from those three words, but considering ‘sorry’ isn't and has never been in Mikayla's vocabulary, it’s the best she’s got. “I know this... isn’t what you ordered, but this is better. I call it the Mikayla Special of the Hour." She pushes the bag closer to the customer. "Do you want me to tell you what kind of donut it is, or do you want to be adventurous and try it?”
Adventurous wasn't a word that she was quick to associate with herself when she much preferred known quantities and familiar ground. But despite her hesitancy she tried to keep her expression neutral when the last thing she wanted was to make the blonde feel badly about her offer. "Um, okay so -" There was a slight pause as she searched for the right words. "-it's not really a no but is the Mikayla Special anything like what I ordered? If you really want it to be a surprise or a mystery then maybe just some clues about the flavours in it?"
With his hands clasped behind his back, Lucky peered at the painting on display before him with innate interest. He had been told he needed to see the Matisse exhibition before it's conclusion, but now he was there he wasn't altogether sure what he was supposed to be seeing.
"Do you get it?" He asked the person beside him after a few more seconds had passed, voice low as if he didn't want to admit that it was going directly over his head.
Gaze was pulled away from the painting she had been focused on to glance in surprise at the man beside her. "Well, I understand the intention behind it. in theory, but that's what a degree in Art History will get you." Light laughter left her lips, partially to do with her own hesitance but also in the hope that he didn't think she took herself too seriously. The mention of her degree hadn't been anything close to a humble brag but rather a way of reassuring him that there was a reason that she had more knowledge than him. "But maybe instead of trying to figure it out you could think about how it make you feel? At least, I always feel like that's the most important part anyway. Art is just about communicating really but I don't think that there's always a right answer about what it's saying."
Sometimes I wonder how people find their happy endings so quickly
FULL NAME: Esme Irena Joseph
NICKNAME(S): Es. Essie
PREFERRED NAME(S): Esme in general but if someone has come up with a nickname for her it’s always welcome
BIRTH DATE: 30th June,1990
AGE: 32
ZODIAC: Cancer ☀, Libra ☽ , Pisces ↑
OCCUPATION: florist & owner of Flowers & Company
GENDER: Cis Woman
PRONOUNS: She/Her
NATIONALITY: British
ETHNICITY: Nigerian & White
NEIGHBORHOOD: Rittenhouse
BIRTH PLACE: Edinburgh, UK
HOMETOWN: San Francisco
SOCIAL CLASS: upper class
EDUCATION LEVEL: Bachelors degree in Art History from UPenn
FATHER: Ikena Joseph
MOTHER: Larisa Joseph née Milova
SIBLING(S): an older sister, Katrina
BIRTH ORDER: Katrina, Esme
CHILDREN: n/a
OTHER: Lois Campbell (mentor & business partner), step siblings
PET: a rehomed cockerpoo called Calla
Biography:
tw parental abandonment
After her mother left her family when Esme was just two weeks old, leaving her father to raise his two daughters on his own. They were never really alone though when the whole community rallied around them and formed a family.
When she was seven her father’s tech ideas took off and the family of three relocated to San Francisco, leaving behind the friends and new family they’d found in Edinburgh. Esme found the adjustment overwhelming, even more so when her mother returned on the scene and claimed to want to try again.
Esme was desperate to connect with her mother and desperate for her to stay this time. So she went along with Larisa’s plans for her, attended various dance classes before getting involved in pageants. She became isolated from her peers and it only left her all the more devastated when her mother inevitably left again.
Things improved for her in college and she finally found herself a new network of people that she found she could count on. But as she was beginning to find herself her father got remarried and determined to find someone of her own, she began throwing herself into countless relationships hoping that one would work out.
They never did and after a particularly bad break up years later she decided to focus on herself and indulge in a little self love. This took the form of her starting to buy herself flowers and built up a relationship with the owner of Flowers & Co. Eventually this resulted in her working there and a while later she was able to become a part owner when the previous owner retired.
This was the tl;dr version, her full bio can be found here
Personality:
Esme is someone who feels things very deeply but tends to hide her feelings out of a fear that it might push others away. A sense of family is important to her and so she’s always focused on caring for and being there for those that she’s close to. Kind, sensitive and nurturing she’s sometimes a little too desperate to please others and will act the way that she thinks they want her to instead of following her emotions. Generally has a balanced view of the world but she can be very indecisive and will usually just given in to whatever the popular opinion is. She has an eye for beauty but also manages to find something beautiful or redeemable in almost everyone.
Wanted Connections:
Close friends: she has been in Philadelphia since she moved from college so I’d love some people she could be close to! She’ll honestly do anything for her friends (maybe even a little too much) and it’d be nice to have people who’d do the same for her.
College friends: anyone she met during her time at UPenn, whether they’ve stayed close or not can be plotted but Esme would have at least tried to keep up with them over the years.
Found family: she’s constantly searching for people that she can call hers, in any kind of way, and having had such a patchy relationship with her own family she definitely looks for it in others. She’s the type to hold a ‘family’ dinner every other week and try to keep people together.
Fellow aesthetes: she likes pretty things and going to see pretty things. Museums, art exhibitions, photography trips - she’d be up for it all. Someone who appreciates it just as much as she does or is just happy to share it with her.
Hobby connections: over the years she’s started countless hobbies, mostly while trying to be whatever her exes wanted from her. There’s been a range of them so anything goes here really!
Exes: her relationships have varied from weeks to months to years and the scenarios for them are pretty endless other than them not working out. Whether they just fizzled or there was something worse or it was just a string of dates that ended up coming to nothing, again there’s a range to be plotted.
Bonus:
Pinterest (x)
Tag (x)
Please feel free to dm me here for any and all plots but discord is probably the easiest place to reach me - andromache#9873
