. achilles heel

[dominic vinten cuvo]

Looking around the car, Dominic briefly wondered the tally of friends he had pissed off tonight. At Calvin’s rejection he scoffs, half tempted to rifle through his pockets anyway but resisting such an uncouth urge, dipping into his own for his beloved vial and inhaling a hit of powdered clarity. What an idea food was with someone who tried not to eat carbs, two girls with disordered eating, and Calvin who might drown in his own saliva let alone burger grease. But any complaints leave him as soon as the scent of food wafts through the car, almost violating in its reach, ordering extra just to spite Kitty. Dominic gingerly sucked the salt off a French fry, shoestring held in his fingers like a cigarette. Getting everyone into Calvin’s house was like herding cats, not that he was helpful either as everything pooled in his system and slogged through his blood. But that didn’t mean the night should be ending so soon. “Calvin, you really ought to have a bartender on standby,” he tutted, wondering if his friend was secretly poor as he selected a bottle at random and nearly forgot about the glasses. “This pairs very well with Sprite,” Dominic smirked at Kitty, pouring some into the cup she foolishly left un-lidded around him. Of course he couldn’t leave out Violet, she’d already fallen off the wagon and rock bottom was still a ways away. “Shall we play a game?”

[violet spencer]

She opts for a small fry, looking to Cal who was constantly insisting she ate potatoes during her post-rehab recovery. Violet quietly picked at the fries, as she watches her best friend sip on the one item she'd requested - a sprite. The ride back to Cal's feels much longer with the liquor heavily in her system. The group stumbles into Cal's house, a sight to be behold she's sure. She lets out a chuckle at  Dom's annoyance of at the lack of a bartender. Kitty's sprite is diluted with the alcohol Dom chooses, pouring it in her cup and showing that no one was safe. "Thanks for drink, Bartender." Violet holds out the glass he had also retrieved, smiling as he gives a generous amount. The few bites of french fries and a break from the drinking had let her mind sober up a tiny bit. But she grateful for the fullness of a glass and she sips at it immediately. "You decide on a game, we'll be back. Come to the bathroom with me, Kitty." She loops her arm, tugging her along to the bathroom she remembered from being at Cal's many of times. "Tell me everything. Why the fuck was Henry there?" Violet begins, curious of the encounter of her two worlds colliding. She felt safe to ask with the two of them locked away from the world momentarily.

[calvin keller]

It feels infinitely better to be in home territory. Cal's rapidly beating heart immediately starts to settle, relief flooding his veins as he pops another french fry into his mouth. Lights flicker on in motion-sensed memory, the house flooding with warm light and familiarity. He knows the floor plan here in more depth than he swears he knows the people in front of him, twirling a rocks glass around on the smooth surface of his bar as Dom fiddled behind it. It's the comfort, and the disappearance of the girls that lets exhaustion finally settle in, unsure when he'd ever fall asleep tonight but craving some solace as he realized his phone was on the counter next to him. Pocketing it he stretches back to full height, grabbing Dom's hand and smacking a kiss to the top of it. "I'm going to bed," he announces, turning away before his friend can beg and persuade. If he listened he knew he'd be in for a long one and he was out of his wits, bowing out before things took a turn for the worse.

[kitty smith-sato]

It takes a good dose of Kitty's usually plentiful self control not to reach over and snatch the fries out of Dom's smug fingers. To close her hand around all that salty, fatty deliciousness, to squeeze until mashed potato seeped through, until she felt the crunch of bone. The smell is overwhelming, repugnant and tantalizing in equal measure, making her empty stomach ache and churn. She sucks hard on the straw, willing the carbonation to do its job, for the liquid to slosh and mimic a feeling of fullness. When they arrive, she's the first to get out, pulling the lid off her drink with the intention of sucking on ice when an anonymous liquid is splashed into it instead. Fine. Desperate to feel something, she downs what's left, alcohol burning her throat. She's weightless when she's pulled towards the bathroom, rag dolling from the alcohol and the apathy, easily towed even by someone as slight as Violet. A surprising surge of anxiety overtakes her, fear at what Violet might say to her, might let slip... but she just wants to talk. For not the first time tonight, Kitty reminds herself that they were best friends once. Breathing a sigh of relief, she shrugs, putting her clutch on the ornate sink and fishing out her necklace once more. "Hanging out with lacrosse rapists," she says, snorting another hefty bump of cocaine and checking her nostrils in the mirror. "Honestly, I think he's like, obsessed with me? First Venice and now this. You need to watch Cal tonight, by the way. If he's that fucked and he drinks too much water his brain will swell and he'll die. Apparently it's a painful way to go."

[dominic vinten cuvo]

His mind explodes with game ideas, most of which involving consequences of humiliation or further consumption. Perhaps strip poker, truth or drink, dirty charades? But Calvin is the first to tap out before Dom can even announce his choice, and the girls had just disappeared to the bathroom, probably to purge together. “But you’ll miss Russian roulette!” Dominic slurred in complaint to his friend’s stumbling figure, half a mind to race him to his own bedroom. He makes an exasperated, guttural sound fit for a spoiled toddler being told no, throwing himself on the nearest love seat, hand blocking the overhead light. “First thing in the morning, my friend rankings will reflect this,” he threatens out loud, taking to his phone to dazzle his attention with his Instagram feed. People he wished were here now instead of these dullards. He’s been left alone, nobody having bothered to turn on music yet, blood uncomfortably loud in his ears and thoughts darkly vignetting. Tipping back the rest of his drink and hoping the downers would start avalanching, Dominic appeared at the bathroom, arms pinned across the door frame. “I’m going to the guest room if anyone wants to make out,” he announced before dragging himself in the direction.

[violet spencer]

Violet watches as Kitty digs through the contents of the clutch. Going for what Violet can only assume is her necklace. Coke was its usual contents, from what she remembers. Violet hadn't let go of her glass so as her friend goes for another bump, she takes a good sip to pretend like it's not affecting her to watch Kitty dabble in her other vice. "Ew, gross." She finds the words, shaking her head at the new act of 'fraternity bro' that Henry was partaking in. It was so weird that Henry happened to be in the same place, at the same time. What were the odds? "Just be careful. That's really strange." While she knew their little secret, Violet had seen Kitty upset over the ending of their relationship. Henry wasn't like their group, but it didn't mean Violet trusted him. Sending her friend all the caution when it came to her supposed husband. "Ugh, fine. I was just going to go home but I'll watch him. Can't let him die." Outside the girls can hear Dom yelling of his location, willing anyone for a make out session. Finishing the rest of the drink, she leaves the empty glass on the bathroom counter as they exit together. She takes the steps to a familiar bed, to attempt to watch over her friend. Unsure of how much help she'll be, as her eyes begin to feel heavy as she slides next to him in bed.

[kitty smith-sato]

Being warned to be wary of Henry feels ridiculous, a cheshire cat grin spreading across Kitty's face at the mere suggestion. Looking hard at her reflection, she blots her skin with a tissue, reapplying lip gloss and then blotting that off too for a more lived in look. Safe behind the bathroom door, she takes Dom's yelling as a sign that the immediate coast is clear, taking her phone out and whipping out a quick address to Henry. Promises that she'll be there in twenty minutes. Just as Violet is about to take her instructions and leave, Kitty grabs her by the minute wrist, pulling her in for a quick squeeze. "Be safe." Phone hidden away, she stops by what she assumes is the guest room, popping her head around the door. "Oh darling," she pouts, corners of her lips still tugging into a smirk, "I'm sure Calvin has a lovely cuck chair you can sit in. Probably imported." She lifts her fingertips to her lips in a kiss, waving them at him. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Call me when you're back in the city and not a minute before."