#also it's up to you whether your character was at bateau lavoir or not

[mademoisellepoitiers]

Edith walked the narrow streets of Montmartre, the humble facade of Le Bateau-Lavoir melting into the background as her steady pace quickened. She had just given a perfomance, perhaps the peformance of her life thus far, but it failed to inspire her. She knew she was expected to entertain her audience post-performance, to receive their compliments with grace, to mingle amongst them with a drink in hand. That was precisely why she had slunk out of the side door shortly after leaving the stage. She wished to experience some sense of joy, of accomplishment, when she mulled over how much her means had improved in little more than twelve months, but was able to conjure up little pleasure. No matter who she impressed with her compositions, with her performances, and no matter what doors were opened for her as a consequence... it meant little, knowing that her parents - biological or adoptive - would never deign to see her play. What did praise mean, truly, when delivered by those from whom she did not seek it? Perhaps that was part of the art - the cold woman behind the keys offering up so much emotion that she herself could never express, barely seeming to care how her music was received - after all, why would she? It was her catharsis, it just so happened that it was a public performance piece that had attracted itself an audience.

As she walked, she tried to banish the familiar discontent. This was her lot in life, and at least now, finally, it was by her own design. No longer was she required to converse with and impress those who thought her so inferior, to practice her accomplishments only to secure a proposal from a match for her who did not exist. No. Edith owed nothing to anyone but herself.

As she walked, she became acutely aware of the soft footfalls behind her. When she turned, she met the eye of her follower, and arched a questioning eyebrow. She studied their face for a moment, taking in the lines and planes that made it unique - had they been at Le Bateau-Lavoir? She couldn’t be sure. “Oui? Qu’est-ce que vous voulez?” she prompted.

[madamemoreau]

Wanted Plots and Connections

More plots will be added as the occur to me!

All plots that are marked with a strikethrough are taken.

✺ Frequent Haunts: Bateau Lavoir: Though Vivienne certainly doesn’t claim to be any great scholar of visual art, she does enjoy the odd purchase, and a great deal of gossip can be picked up in the process of admiring a pretty painting near somebody else. Which, of course, is an opportunity she would never turn down.

Palais Garnier: You didn’t really expect one of Paris’s most lavish theatres not to be a frequent haunt of a former actress, did you? Vivienne moonlights on all sorts of boards these days, but even when she isn’t working, it’s not uncommon to see her in the Palaias‘s seats, eagerly dragging a companion along – only some of whom seem to be as enthused as she is.

Paris’ Clubs: They may be unusual choices for a woman of her stature, I’ll grant you. But before you race to ring the gossip pages and the tabloids, rest assured that Vivienne Moreau doesn’t frequent the Moulin, Le Ciel or Delices for the usual reasons. Over the years, so many of their performers have spent a night on her sofa that she feels the need to swing by: to say hello, to clap at the end of a routine, to check up on their wellbeing. So far, she just enjoys the thrill of being in such unusual places –   these habits haven’t gotten her into trouble yet, but anything could happen.

✺ POTENTIAL PLOTS

Any chance to explore what Vivienne’s stage career is currently like might be fun. These days, she’s much more likely to be in the papers for parties than for having her name or a marquee, but she still dabbles occasionally, and so it might be fun to see how the theatrical world might fit into things for her still, if she has anyone with dramatic aspirations to interact with. She certainly has stories, if there are willing ears.

I would love to see one (or more!) of her multitudinous husbands reappear in Paris, just to shake things up. Her relationships with each are quite distinct, and I would love to see how other now middle aged stars of the 19th an early 20th century gossip pages might choose to paint the town, either with Vivienne or in parallel to her. Will a returning ex spark a classic comedy of remarriage? Or, perhaps something much, much more awkward?

Vivienne moves in multiple worlds within Paris, but how might she be different in each of them? She is a born performer, after all. I’d be curious to see if one part of society is where she settles or not.

✺ WANTED CONNECTIONS

GUESTS OF PAST AND PRESENT An obvious one, for sure, but let’s have some younger buddies who she’s housed for a night or twelve – performers and artists of all stripes and talent levels. Who has she kept in touch with, from years ago? Who’s become a friend, and who is just a recurring annoyance? Is there anyone who’s risen to fame? Or perhaps a character who just simply keeps making bad choices, who she’s growing worried about or impatient with.

STUFFED SHIRTS I would love to see some less free-and-easy, possibly more erudite figures that Vivienne might try to induct into the livelier areas of her life, since she’s benefited so much from casting aside her society shackles. Basically, give me people who’d never touch a nightclub in their wildest dreams for her to drag along to things. Perhaps this would be with mixed success, perhaps ending with both of them letting  loose for once and discovering a new side to their relationship with one another. THE AGELASTIC or THE GALLERIST could be great for this!

FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES Vivienne prides herself on being non-judgemental, but I would love to see what some drawbacks to that might be. Maybe THE BAWD or some other unsavory person is an old friend – good company as long as they don’t talk business –  or maybe one night another Rogue comes knocking on her door, over their head and needing a hand.

ENEMIES Give me people Vivienne can’t stand, whether that’s old society frenemies, or even just a neighbor who’s bothered by the noise at her soirées. Bonus points if they’re also impeccably polite, leading both your muse and Viv to reach for ever-sharper, more thinly disguised jibes.

SHIP(S) I’m generally pretty chemistry dependent when it comes to ships, but nevertheless, if we like writing together and our characters have an interesting dynamic, please hit me with ship thoughts, if you have them! No need for anything to be endgame, as unrequited love and   angst-filled failures are just as good as something more harmonious.

I’d love to see something where Vivienne is at least partially unaware of someone’s affections, or if she knows but the relationship in question would be far more stable than she’s used to if it happened, as I think that could lead to some really interesting character development. Anything like this would likely be open to muses who are 35+ at the absolute youngest, any gender.