Spencer
Valio stands awkwardly in the middle of the first floor hallway. She stood in a rather classy outfit compared to her usual tank top and baggy pants. She didn't know how it happens but Valio always feels as though she isn't wearing anything to Esme's standards all the time. Always getting a little nervous and endlessly talking until Esme looks at Valio and whatever word in the larger woman's throat falls to her stomach. She's just very pretty and it makes Valio want to keep her words to herself. It's like stepping on eggshells and Valio is on her way to tripping on them. 

The air was stifling, she has never been self conscious like this before. Does she look bad? Lord if Valio could rip off the scars that stain and move like an infection on her, she absolutely would. But, that's just what she looks like. That's what everything on her body looks like, a mess. And her mind? Even moreso. She has a gloved hand plastered over her chest which is slightly exposed due to the white button down she is wearing (with tucked up sleeves mind you) that's tucked into black pants and some rather classy dress shoes. 
There's no under armour and she's reluctantly showing off her mared and disgusting skin that almost feels as though it's boiling magma. We'll probably not be that hot considering her clothes aren't being set on fire again. Valio doesn't want a repeat of that.

.

Her spiky hair is brushed from her eye patch into a half ponytail, the lower half gleefully set free and looking as wild as ever. She looks like she tried but Valio, bless her heart, doesn't know how to present herself. Give her a break it's almost been a year since she got out of prison. Valio looks uncomfortable and tense. She doesn't know how Esme brings that out of her like this. She almost looks like a kicked puppy with how she's pretty sure burning a hole into the floor.
Annika would laugh at her and Valio is pretty sure she did. She's just jumbled and scattered! Don't blame her. 

Valio also wants to give Esme something but she's too much of a nervous mess. Valio is pretty sure she melted the metal. 
She raises one large hand and knocks on Esme's door. 
She almost stumbles over herself while standing still. Valio schools herself while she stands in the hallway. Or at least tries to.

*She thinks people are staring at her. Valio wants to Sob.*
Mike
Esmeralda Baltimore loved anything shiny, pretty, or fluttery. Her mother had taught her to take care in anything of her appearance from a young age, and meeting up with girls she thought were particularly beautiful was no time for exceptions. A knee-length, soft, buttery yellow dress hung around her hips and shoulders, her curls freshly cared for and set loose around her head, little golden hoops sitting close to her earlobes. She kept refreshing her phone, setting it down, standing up in front of her mirror, adjusting her dress, and sitting back down.

Esmeralda Baltimore was a little nervous.

She argued to herself that it wasn't entirely her fault. Valio was tall, strong, beautiful, chalked up with scars that Esme thought were more interesting and telling of her strength and power rather than some sort of grotesqueness. It wasn't entirely fair, Esme argued, for anyone to ask her to function in the face of such a person. She adored Valio, the kindness just under the surface of her exterior, her goofy smile, the way she spun around drinks and conversations with ease, the gentleness of her spirit a contradiction of the power living in her bones. She was admirable, she was powerful, she was wonderful - and Esme had fallen a bit like a rock.

And as soon as the door clacked with a knock, she jumped up to her feet and scurried to the door. She paused before opening it, at first to take a deep breath, but then to notice the door had somehow... Melted in one particular spot. Most definitely Valio, then.

She opened it, gently, a grin pulling her face wide. "Valio! Hello! I'm so glad you made it - You look wonderful - Can I get you anything? Water? Soda? I've got some local fare - but I'm sure there's other stuff around here somewhere."
Spencer
Problem is with Valio she wasn't told anything about how to be anything at all. The most she learned was from prison and you see how well that got her. She doesn't know how to properly act at all. It's so inconvenient. The door opened and Valio, poor girl, was immediately floored. Valio opened her mouth before shutting it, her lips pursing immediately. There wasn't any background noise and this seemed all too important. Valio's hands seemed to fidget as they raised to crack her knuckles before they folded neatly together in front of her. Valio just took a minute to look at Esme. 

Valio didn't even know how Esme tolerated her! She was so pretty and so, Valio didn't know how to put it, everything? She was so nice and Valio didn't know how to handle it. She was funny, Charming, and an extremely good listener. At least Valio thinks so. She hides no malice or backstabbing tendencies, which automatically makes her a ten. If there wasn't any background noise of people talking at the bar where she works, Valio was sure she'd hit her head on the counter in front of Esme. She thinks Esme is so strong dealing with everything, she's so confident with everything she does. Esme is all too real where Valio is faint. 

Every time Esme talks to her Valio's soul seems to twist unnaturally. Valio doesn't know what it means and she's about to burst into tears over it. God save her! She's about to make a fool of herself! She doesn't know anything. Valio's left hand moved on its neat hold, the leather groaning under a tight fit. It raises to the back of her neck toying with the small baby hairs at the back of her neck. Her eye seems complacent on looking directly at her feet for a moment. Then she looks to Esme which causes her breath to stifle. 
Valio wants to curl into herself, she feels a little nauseous and they haven't even properly talked yet!

.

Valio noticed she melted the door a little and grimaced. She needs to get her act together! She's falling apart! She needs to say something!!! Quickly!
"H-ghuh?" Valio blurts. 

Real smooth you giant idiot. 

Valio coughs loudly, her right hand clenched into a fist. She takes in a heavy breath. Esme's smile settles her frying nerves a little, yet they're flaring again. She's so lucky they're already burned to hell. 
"Esme. I don't need anything. I'm sorry, I look like a mess don't I?" Valio speaks and shifts a little Balancing on the heels of her shoes for a moment. 
Valio registers her hands and folds them quickly again right in front of her. Like a good sumerian should, right? 
"Are we staying here? Are we- I should be quiet." Valio mumbles the last bit. 
She already feels like a massive fool. 
It's getting extremely awkward just standing stupidly in the hallway.
Mike
"You look lovely!" Esme chirped. She reached out and clasped the front of Valio's hands, giving them a little squeeze. "I'm so glad we're going. You don't have to be quiet around me, I promise! I love hearing you talk."

She gave Valio's hands one more squeeze and stepped to the side to let her in fully, gesturing to a chair that the girl can sit in while she finishes getting ready.

"I'm so sorry to make you wait - but I just need one more moment to finish up my makeup. Do you mind waiting?"

Esme stepped out of the room, poking her head back in from the bathroom vanity, a large, fluffy makeup brush in hand - perhaps for some sort of highlight? She seemed to be just in the middle of it when Valio came by, a streak of rogue glitter up one cheekbone. Or, maybe, she hadn't been, and had just become too nervous - who could tell, really?

"Oh - there's cans of sparkling water just underneath the coffee table - in that little bucket, yes! Do you like limoncello? It's to die for, I think - but that's just me! I promise I'll be ready in just a quick moment."
Spencer
Valio frowned slightly at the squeeze. Her awkward look wavering to a somber stare slightly. She forgot that Esme didn't realize know that her nerves were completely gone. Valio's hands seemed to clench and strain to at least feel something against Esmes gentle touch but, it was futile. 

"Uh. Yeah- yeah. Okay."
Valio again mumbles her void oddly shifting lower. 

Valio dosent realize Esme has left her hands empty till the woman in question says something. Valio's head snaps up with a wince and she hastily enters Esmes room, closing the door with a soft click. It was a rather comfortable looking room, everything a girl like Esme could need. Though perhaps a little less. Valio found herself smiling just a little, it seemed just too Esme and it was funny and charming. Ah, she could stay here for hours just... Waiting. She's done that many times before, but this time it would be comfortable. 

"That's alright Esme. I'm not asking you to rush, we have the time and I don't want you uh... Going when you're not really ready?" Valio's fingers twist. The tips of the gloves flush against eachother as they work to intertwine. "You know what I mean, Right? I- I don't mind waiting!"
She blurts.

.

Valio smiles at Esme. I mean she could literally watch her do the most mundane things for hours, she has no idea what she means by that, everything Esme does is just... Worth watching. She's worth everything... Even with every scar everything that she considers a flaw, Valio considers perfect with an unwavering smile. Valio realizes she's been staring too long and seems to shut into herself on command. Her hands are taken apart and clenched on her knees where she now took a seat on the chair Esme gestured her too. 
It took her a second. 

Valio points to the bucket under the table and Esme nods and says that's it. She doesn't touch it though. 
"I don't really know what that is. I've never had a thing, only really water because that's really all of what I knew. I don't think I'd try it though because I'm okay right now. Really! I am don't worry." Valio shuts up for a second looking back to Esme. "Oh, don't fret, I think you have good taste in drinks from what you order at the bar. One time while you weren't there I made what you usually order and it tastes nice! So I'm correct." She rambles and then cuts to something else. 

"Aoh! You can take your time! I want you to y'kno, what do they say? Feel yourself? I think?"
Mike
"You're so kind," Esme called, light, upbeat music trickling in from the bathroom, something airy to match the spritzes of citrus and flowery perfume fluttering in. She slipped into her shoes and teetered back into the room on heels, grinning at Valio. Even her awkwardness and refusal to stare and tenacity with the entire situation was somewhat endearing.

She paused, smiling at Valio from the corner. Valio was a blessing. She didn't expect things that other people did - Esme was no fool. She knew some people only spoke to her for her money, or what they thought she could offer them. The illusion of a person was often more appealing than the person themself - and she only prayed Valio wasn't fooled.

As she finished up her highlight, she said a silent prayer to a saint or two. 

She stood, and left the bathroom. A smile fell across her face when she looked at Valio.
"Are you ready, darling?"
Spencer
"No no. That's not right considering you're too nice for even letting me see you."
Valio mumbles to herself. The upbeat music did little to quell her nerves infact it made them burn worse. Her slightly uncovered arms looked as though they were pulsing, thrumming with a sort of bouncing energy. She looks around the room again and again just trying to focus on something that isn't the fact she's nervous out of her mind. She felt electric to the touch. 

Valio pressed her fingers closer and closer together unknowingly trying to cut of their blood flow. She already looked messed up why not add missing fingers to it! She didn't really know what Esme went through and in turn Esme knew nothing of Valio. Nothing of her bloody fault and mistakes. Would Esme still take her hand with such care as she did a second before if she knew those hands broke bodies within their hold. Valio punches bags till her hands came way bloody, sticky and raw, much like with those- nevermind Valio moved past those prison days. But, it still didn't help that Valio scrubs her hands raw, yet she still sees blood wandering down her fingers. 

She didn't want to stain Esme with her mistakes, she shone too brightly for somebody like Valio. A guiding star of sorts that Valio willingly stands beneath to guide her home.

*But, she has no home.*

Valio jumps slightly, her body tensing as Esme speaks. 
The one eyed woman once again too inside her head to comprehend that others need her. She didn't know anything did she?
"Yeah. I am, I'm always ready when you are."
She says to hopefully ease whatever concerns that she unintentionally rose within Esme. 
Valio carefully rises inside the room, looking at Esme. 
Esme... She always looked amazing. Valio feels just a bit meek beneath the woman's stare.