. murder on the dancefloor

[dominic vinten cuvo]

“Because you want me to win,” he answers simply, mouth twisting with a knowing smile. No more excuses or biding time, no more pretending that she was waiting for marriage. So committed to this narrative of theirs for years that, unbeknownst to him, had been a fool’s errand all along. “I am going to carve my initials into your skin with a dull, rusty blade and then enjoy your body in ways you’ve never even dreamed of,” he elaborated from his stream of consciousness, features shifting between smug self-satisfaction and an almost drugging anticipation. “It’s going to be the single best day of your life,” he continued, leaning in closer to where the horse head bobbed up and down, up and down. With his knuckles he gingerly touched the glossy finish of the horse’s face, its wild, contorted expression and inanimate eyes. He clicked his tongue, a sound of pity for the animal which, if real, would have been taken from the wild only to be tamed and broken in. His eyes drag back up to Kitty’s, his hands sent to the pole directly above and below her own, inheriting the motion. “Because I will know you, Kitty. Fully, completely, deeply know you. You will have nowhere left to hide.” Peeling away to check his watch, Dominic offered a lazy shrug to remember him by. “Daddy has to go now. Remember, don’t interfere again or there will be consequences,” Dom reminded, blowing a kiss before he skipped off the platform and made his way back up the beach path. In dire need of another drink, he harassed a waiter for a flute of champagne that lasted him until he arrived back at the yard's edge. Checking his reflection in a passing mirror, he made sure his shirt fell open and laid just right on his bronzed skin, searching the crowd for Mirren—or more easily, her cronies. There they were, perfectly placed at the bar, right where he needed them. However in the time he had been gone the air had turned sour, like he was about to walk into something that did not belong to him. Perfect, he thought, nursing another flute he’d skimmed off a passing tray before approaching as cautiously as he could manage to look. “Is everything ok here…?”

[mirren hewitt]

& WITH A KISS, CONSUMES

CAL FIT

Cal feels the brief vibration in his pocket, dipping under the length of Violet's legs draped over his lap to retrieve it and quickly deciphering the message. With a long sigh he extracts himself from the couch he'd found her on, scanning the grounds for his latest casualty before spotting him close to some...commotion from the other group. Deftly he intercepts Henry from the radius of the tension, curling him back toward the door. "Best not to get involved in that...Kitty's requesting you get out of here anyway. Figured I'd do you a favor after what you've given me." After he dispatches him with a small wave he texts her back, considering his good deeds accomplished as he returned to Violet. Je l'ai fait sortir. Il y a une bagarre ici avec votre ami.

& Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?

Mirren Outfit

The ocean's roaring in Mirren's ears. It's all she can really focus on, watching the scene in front of her play out in slow motion. The devastation that morphed to rage on Ruby's face, the slosh of the drink on Sasha's tank top, the weird look of triumph Sasha somehow managed to keep composed. The weak response of Colt's. Everything builds and builds and builds until realization splashes colt and cruel over her mind, betrayal quick to follow in the way her body shook. And then she watches as Ruby has the audacity to walk away. Mirren's incredulous as she storms down the beach behind her, blowing past Dominic completely to wrench her 'friend' back around to face her. “No,” she snarls, voice cold as she regarded her. A deep part of her wants to comfort the Ruby she knew but this wasn't her. Hadn't been for a long time, god knows how many secrets buried inside her body as the way she'd treated Mirren the past year came up with conviction. “You don't get to be a terrible friend and walk away. Honestly, it's a joke that you tried. I don't feel bad for you, Ruby! I'm not chasing you out of pity!” Her arms reach wide, fury taking over. “So you can wipe your tears and go back there. You three deserve each other. Clearly. Enjoy the party!” She feels hysterical, briefly looking over her shoulder at her other so called 'friend' before resuming Ruby's path back to Dunmere, stopping only once to take her shoes off and sling them over her shoulder before the sand.

[dominic vinten cuvo]

Ah, a squabble between friends. How many nights had their quartet enjoyed like this, ending in salty tears and hoarse voices and permanently shifted dynamics? Well, not many that he remembered anyway, having barely just recovered from the fallout of Violet’s return party and that hideous night featuring Henry. In fact, if Dom truly thought about it, he would realize that peace was a rarity in their friend group these days. But he had to wonder what was going on here between the new kids: an awkward threesome, a foiled assassination attempt, a secret pregnancy? His guesses verged on the soap operatic, the coke reinvigorating his blood as he watched his favorite production: someone else’s misery and destruction. However, this did not help his progress with Mirren. Rolling his eyes as she blew past him, her fury practically radiated from her. His mind struggled to keep up, panicked for ideas that continued to fall apart until Kitty’s wicked voice sounded in his head, taunting him. He could not lose this. Trailing behind her as the rest of the group split apart and braced for the aftershocks, Dominic narrowly avoided Ruby’s eyes before picking up his pace behind Mirren’s footprints left in the sand. He shouted her name, the sound consumed by the rolling of the waves. Quickening his pace, he tried once more, reaching out a hand as to not startle her once he registered her face. “Forgive me, I don’t mean to follow you like a creep. I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said, catching his breath. This must have been the stretch of beach back to Dunmere; it was now or never to stop her from leaving the party altogether. “The carousel can get swept away, not you,” he followed up, scratching at the back of his head like this was a pain to get out. "Whatever that was back there... Your friends suck. I'm sorry."

[ruby anderson]

AND EVERYTHING COMES OUT, TEENAGE PETULANCE.

R U B Y OUTFIT

She's still in shock, each step not feeling like it's connected to her body as she begins the trek back to the house. Her throat feeling more closed with each swallow and tears trying to break the surface. She fights back though, still too close, so many eyes could see them fall at any given second. Mirren follows and it's the last thing she wanted. Ruby's mind was set on marching right up to Dunmere and confessing everything to her mother. Begging Mel for Sasha to leave their once perfect home, and never return. And breaking everything valuable in Sasha's room. The destruction her nemesis caused tonight would be felt for a while. It cut way worse than she even anticipated. Would they ever recover? While Sasha played a huge role in the fight this evening, there's more behind Mirren's words. A year of a bad friend building up to a huge blow out fight. Mirren's arm pulls her back, grabbing at her and bringing the two now face to face. "I didn't run off for you to chase me!! I'm not asking for pity!!" Ruby speaks, before letting Mirren run the show. She wanted to be alone, to be far away from this place as the whole world came crashing down. But she doesn't say anything else after that. As she spews everything so coldly at Ruby. The yelling, the names she's calling her. Ruby listened, not saying a word as Mirren plunged the deserved knife right in Ruby's back. She's quiet, seeing the hurt in her friend's eyes as she screamed 'you three deserve each other!'   Stealing a glance at Colton, as Sasha still had a smirk slopped all over her face. Her middle fingers comes up, flashing it at Sasha and watching the smirk grow larger. Ruby heads down the beach in the opposite direction, walking a good distance until she spies a rock to sit down on. Tears finally exploding as she composes a message, before shoving the phone back into the black purse.  Crying into the knees she pulled close to her body and listening to the ocean waves crash along the shore. Mom. Sasha has to go. Please. I've also messed up badly. I'm so sorry.

[mirren hewitt]

& Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?

Mirren Outfit

“Yes you are, Ruby!” She can't help herself, digging out everything she wished she could have said over time. “You wanted someone to follow you even if you didn't say it! You were more upset that he apparently slept with Sasha too than you are for lying to me for however long. God forbid you aren't the center of attention for one second! This isn't Sasha's fucking fault, it's you and Colt's.” It's cruel but it unfortunately feels honest, not braving any words for Colt because it seemed he, too, lacked respect for her. Or their friendship, or the pact that now was buried under the sand she kicked under her feet. Mirren almost shakes off whoever tries to grab her next, surprised when Dominic's face is the one that comes into focus. Whether it be a combination of the low tone of his voice or her finally stopping moving or the truth registering another time she didn't know, but before long the tears were upon her and she couldn't stop her face from crumbling. Dark mascara and glitter dripped steadily onto her hands, planting herself into the sand because she didn't know what else to do. She'd go home and what? Derail everyone's evening? She'd rather them have to sell themselves out to the moms, a strange flicker of vindictiveness that she wanted to tamp down immediately as she wept. “Sorry, I'm sorry,” Mirren apologizes when she remembers she has company, gasping out the words on the hitches of the deep breaths she can pull. Divulging things to a stranger because at this point, who else did she have? “I've known them my whole life...and now it's like I don't know them at all. ”

[dominic vinten cuvo]

Although briefly enticed by the sounds of the girls screaming at one another, Dominic had to hope that Ruby wouldn’t come back and no one else would infringe on this impromptu stroll toward Dunmere. He takes inventory of what has transpired, a surprising reach of his short-term memory in order to best take advantage of this moment. A girl upset with her friends, heartbroken in a different way, and finally all on her own. Like a lion spotting a limping gazelle, Dominic felt his primal instincts kicking in at the sight of this shattered girl. He shakes his head, dropping down into the sand with her, next to her, so they can both survey the blackening sky as she cried. She’s a mess of tears and choking breaths, sounds he would relish in other scenarios but now is clearly not in the same context. “Hey, let it out. Just breathe,” he offers, scrambling to practice some of that empathy he would occasionally joke about. If he didn’t experience it then he couldn’t fathom relating to it, and other peoples’ problems were usually so boring. “The people we think we know best can surprise us in the worst ways,” he found himself saying, startled by the uncomfortable sobriety of it. The palm devoid of a drink goes to gently cup her shoulder in reassurance, finding her bare skin moist with sea spray and sweat. “Are you cold? Maybe we should get you inside, drink some water?”

[kitty smith-sato]

LORD, WHAT FOOLS THESE MORTALS BE.                                                        

k a t h e r i n e        outfit

Was anyone else even on this ride? It doesn't feel like it. Dom elaborates on her motivations and for once she isn't able to tune him out or wave him off. Subconsciously she inches forward on the glossy perch of the horse, pressing herself against the pole as her breath hitches in her throat, murky images flitting through her mind and filling her with dread and, unfortunately for her, slight desperation. She's quiet, her face a picture of impassivity, but inside every alarm bell is going off; danger, danger, danger. This must be like what it feels like to be a hitchhiker when your kindly older male driver doesn't take the left you told him to. To be a Seaworld trainer when the orca holds you under the water for what you both know to be ten seconds too long. To be a girl backed into a corner by a boy, out of moves and hoping that some miracle distracts him and gives you a chance to get out of there. Except, when the distraction comes she feels relief, yes, but something else, too. Would she have felt disappointed if she was a hitchhiker and she was delivered safely home, the missed turning an honest mistake? For a moment she wonders just how fucked up she truly was, before she also realizes Dom's been and gone without her so much as uttering a word. Breathing a sigh of what exactly she did not know, she distracts herself with her phone, a stirring of glee at the response. No Henry, check. Drama? Double check. She slips off the horse and starts heading back towards the party, catching Mirren passing by, in obvious distress. By the time she makes it back to Cal and Violet, she can't help the Cheshire cat grin that's splitting her face in two. "Seems I took the wrong moment for a carousel ride," she says to her friends, running her fingers down Violet's smooth cheek. "You look really pretty V," she adds, and it's the first honest compliment she's given all night. Well, why not.

WE'LL NEVER BE AS YOUNG AS WE ARE TONIGHT.                                                        

C O L T O N      outfit

What happens next feels like something he's watching on TV, not experiencing himself. Not having had a direct hand in causing. As soon as the secret is out he feels like an idiot, the inevitability of this eventuality suddenly as clear as day. As if he could trust Sasha not to say anything, as if Ruby could evade being volatile enough to keep things hidden... no, it wasn't their faults, not really. As the truth unfolds he can only look at Mirren, stomach twisted with guilt as he sees realization bloom on her beautiful face, followed by obvious betrayal. Even as Ruby reacts to the truth of his and Sasha's reality, he still looks to Mira, wanting tor reach out and pull her in for a hug. But he stays still. Even feels a flash of sympathy for Sasha as sticky champagne drips from her eyelashes, though it evaporates the minute he sees how satisfied she is with her destruction. Had she only slept with him to do this? He'd been such a fool. Ruby's the first to leave and Colt goes to grab Mirren's arm, but it's too late. Following them back down towards the beach, Colton stops in his tracks as he sees the girls confront each other further up ahead, out of earshot but he could guess the gist. Feeling like this had less to do with him than it might seem on the surface, he hung back, turning away and finding that Sasha was trailing behind him. "Can you fuck off?" he says, her smile only briefly wavering. He steps closer, his voice a low growl, the poor girl his only available outlet for the overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame and fury he was currently feeling. "There's a party back there, maybe you could work on making one singular friend this summer. Wouldn't that be something? You having a friend. Hard to imagine. Probably you wouldn't be able to, probably they'd all think you're poor and desperate and weird, hanging around us like you belong when no one wants you here. Maybe you could go for plan B, and offer yourself up to someone as easily as you did to me. That'll make them like you, right? Except it won't, will it, because you can't even do that right." She's looking at him with naked horror now, smirk ancient history, though he can't stop himself from going on. "Your parents didn't want you, no one here wants you, and I wouldn't fuck you again if you were the last person on Earth. In fact, here's an idea— go back to Dunmere and tell Mel you want to go home. Do not speak a word of this to her. Tell her it's been a great summer but you're ready to go home, try to salvage a morsel of dignity out of all this. Because if you don't, I'll tell everyone you took advantage of me when I was drunk, and you'll be sent home anyway. Am I clear? Go home. Now."

[violet spencer]

AND EVERYTHING COMES OUT, TEENAGE PETULANCE.

R U B Y OUTFIT

Platform shoes were discarded onto another rock close by, Ruby freed herself of them the minute she sat down. Crying into her knees, she's realizing how badly she's reacted. Choosing the group emotions to feel once her secrets were released to the public. Especially to Mirren. How wrong she was for running off and thinking of anyone but herself. She was selfish, wanted the attention on her always. Mirren was right to scream those words in her face. They all were true. She pulls on her legs and feels the sobs coming out faster, all the uncertainty that now surrounded her friends. Or former friends? If she could do it again, Ruby would've tried harder in not being overcome by the betrayal of Sasha and Colt. Mirren was her lifeline sometime ago, when had it all changed? Why couldn't Ruby stop to let her friend know more how sorry she was? To let her know she was there for her, that she loved her so much. Wiping what feels like swollen eyes, black mascara falling on her fingertips. Ruby stands up and walks closer to the water. Feeling the chill of the ocean oddly made her feel better. Things were about to change, in what ways she wasn't sure. But she took a few deep breathes, inhaling the salty air. Grabbing her phone out of the black purse she writes in her notes back, this time not her diary. An apology message to Mirren. Her plan to take accountability, profusely apologize and give her the space she needed. With a few thoughts written down, she shoves the phone back into her purse and wipes more at her face. More tears had fallen as she typed from the heart. It wasn't finished,  but she goes back to the water to let her mind think some more. "I've messed up so badly this time." Her feet kick in the waves and the sand.

THE R I S E & THE F A L L

s a s h a

The fires she started slowly burn into a large flame. Quicker than she intended, with just a little bit of questioning, was all it took for their little friend group to combust. She's satisfied to say the least, watching the realization strike Ruby in devastation. Mirren coming into the conversation. A domino effect.  Ruby leaves first, that was predictable. Her throwing the drink on Sasha was not though. The drink is sticky and cold as it covers her face and drips onto her white t-shirt. Sasha briefly looks down at the shirts color turning a pink hue at the top. Mirren chases after Ruby and a fight takes places with the two of the girls. Her smirk still present on her face as she listens in, Mirren berating her friend. Holding back a laugh as she's called out for not being the center of attention. Mirren stomps off back to Dunmere, and Ruby glances up at them. Giving her middle finger, and running off in the opposite direction. God this felt so satisfying.  She opens her mouth to speak but is stopped by the wrath of Colton. He starts off with a simple Fuck Off before further laying in to her. The smirk that was on her face? Slowly does it disappear as his words tear into parts that do actually sting. No one wanting her, being poor, her parents abandoning her. She's silent, nose scrunching up as he continues without even taking a breath. Instructing her to leave. He was so serious, this was the end of her time at Dunmere. The phone in her pocket buzzes with a message from Mel anyways - stating that she needed to speak to Sasha. Now. "Aw. Sounds like one of your little girlfriends already got to her. Ruby, I’m guessing." She chuckles, walking away from this interaction. "So. Who will you run after Colton? Good luck with that." Are her final words before embarking on her journey back to their summer house.

V I O L E T

Violet loved a good party. New and old people were scattered all throughout the house and the backyard. Her gold dress feels looser than she'd like, but that's all she was working with these days. She greets Cal first, kissing his cheeks before she pops over to speak with former friends of their boarding school. Her arms were coated in roll on glitter and in every light, they looked different. She notices it more when she was goes for her second champagne glass. The shine almost blinding as she mumbles a Thanks to the waiter. Violet chose to stay mostly inside, promising Dom that she'd eventually go see his beloved carousel. Violet was feeling courageous tonight, the four champagnes now easing her nervousness to indulge in her past life. Just a few more drinks and she'd forget all about the overdose and the caution she'd been partaking in when it came to these sort of events. Tonight would be the night she got to feel the rush of feeling high again. Lounging on the couch with Cal, her legs thrown across his lap she's happy to see Kitty join. "Hi you." She smiles at her best friend, watching the longing look she gives to Calvin. "Thank you, babes. Back at you." A compliment from Kitty, she'd take that. Further lighting up the smile on her face. "What's been going on outside? Anything fun?"

[mirren hewitt]

& WITH A KISS, CONSUMES

CAL FIT

This party had already panned out way better than he expected. Often unable to place one from another, Cal knew this one would remain stamped into his mind way past when the sun went down, Kitty's shimmering skin a preview of the way the moon would likely skip off the water as she finally joined them inside. "Quick to strike, quick to burn," he adds in regards to the fight, having watched all of them disperse as furiously as...well, whatever had happened, happened. Not worth his time or effort, giving Violet's leg a light squeeze when Kitty's compliment hits. It sounds warmer than normal, still so in tune with the variance of her voice even when he lived so very far away. Likely getting her way in some specific fashion, choosing to hold his hand for another day as he settled further into the cushions. "Join us, KitKat. Get off your feet for a minute."

& Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?

Mirren Outfit

This all feels like some wild dream, though her fingernails digging into her palms only steady her in its reality. Questions appear and disappear in her mind like the swelling tide she stared blankly out to, the mist taking shape behind her eyes, over her skin. Dominic's hand on her shoulder is suddenly the only thing that grounds her, suddenly so grateful for someone to be there. Everyone else was too close to home or directly involved, chest locking at how deeply her world had been turned upside down. Her two best friends, choosing secrecy and sex (or more?) with her none the wiser. It's only when Dom's question registers that she realizes her predicament. She didn't want to go back to the party, she felt like she couldn't go home; eventually Ruby and Colt would walk back through those doors and she couldn't bear to think about them trying to come find her. Couldn't even pull her thoughts together amidst the deep, settling loneliness she faced. Even Matt had fallen completely out of her mind, sniffling as she wiped at her eyes. “I don't know w-where I can go. i don't...want to go back and g-going home would eventually be a n-..nightmare.”

[kitty smith-sato]

LORD, WHAT FOOLS THESE MORTALS BE.                                                        

k a t h e r i n e        outfit

"Thanks," she says to Violet's return of the compliment. It was funny how easy it was to co-exist with Violet when she had other things to focus on, namely the bet and its many consequences. "Just the usual casual betrayal between friends, nothing we'd know anything about, of course." Kitty chooses to stretch across the back of the couch they are sat on, craving the space to lie down after an exhausting evening of being conniving. Once there she settles on her side, her eyes running over the partygoers mingling inside, many of whom are still gossiping about the events they had just seen unfold before them. "Drinks and a show, we do spoil everyone. Speaking of," she reaches across the couch to a passing waiter, snapping her fingers together for his attention, her nails clicking against each other. She's reached across Calvin's shoulder, resting her other hand on it as she retrieves a flute of champagne, missing the buzz she'd had on earlier. "I assume Dom's taking advantage of the open goal?"

WE'LL NEVER BE AS YOUNG AS WE ARE TONIGHT.                                                        

C O L T O N      outfit

Colt doesn't care that he's being cruel. If he were in a more sensible frame of mind he might have considered that Sasha's only crime committed against him was the dire one of sleeping with him and then telling the truth about it, since he had been the one spending the whole summer letting his lies pile up and propagate. If he was being honest with himself he would have to acknowledge that he was a net negative to Mirren and Ruby, the two sharing a closeness that was unique to them, a feminine friendship forged through the decades and fortified by shared time at NYU, something he had eschewed. The whole thing had been a powder keg from the start and it's a wonder it took this long to blow. "Whatever," he says to Sasha, though the thought of Mel reaching out first fills him with dread. So soon? What had she heard? The question of where to go hangs heavy in Sasha's absence. Without dwelling on it for too long, Colton starts to walk towards the house and with it, Mirren, feeling he owed her something... his feet slow as he sees her up ahead, head bowed and talking to someone he vaguely recognizes. It's another gut punch. Sighing, he opts to head back towards the party, hoping he can track Henry down and go back to his to hide out for a while.

[dominic vinten cuvo]

It's his most challenging role yet: the sympathetic listener. Dom bites his tongue of its silver and banishes his reactionary thoughts, feeling like a symphonic production that way he schooled his features and softened his voice to appear as needed. An amusing thought passed through his filters: act like white knight Calvin. His greatest inspiration yet. He felt his brows droop, the corner of his lips curl down—what his Botox would allow for, anyway. He pictured the serious and pivotal moments of films he could remember off the top of his head, taking in a measured breath and preparing for this role of a lifetime. Comfort her, touch her (figuratively) with his kindness and healing words, she would be putty in his hands. Like a doe freshly birthed and barely able to stand on its own, Mirren makes her predicament known. “It’s ok,” Dominic cooed, internally celebrating the distress of his new damsel. “I might have an idea,” he conjured next, standing to rise and uselessly dust himself of sand, proffering a hand to help her up. To avoid the partygoers, he led Mirren up a path on the edge abutting the neighboring house, chuckling as they slipped behind hedges and ducked out of sight like witless burglars. He tugged her toward the front of the same house as the party, the music muffled from so far off. The house was massive, practically two joined together. “Everyone is outside, so we can be inside,” he pointed out with a grin, making way toward the kitchen, staff parting around them as to remain unacknowledged. Collections of bottles and trays of hors d'oeuvres littered the island, Dominic grabbing another drink, worried that all this faux sympathy was taxing his buzz. “I’m sure there are guest rooms upstairs. I’ll see to it that no one bothers you. In fact, I can end this party right now if you'd like.”

[mirren hewitt]

& WITH A KISS, CONSUMES

CAL FIT

Kitty stretches out much like her namesake, Calvin's eyes lingering momentarily on the languid elongation of her legs before she snapped back to her side. He'd thought Kitty's magic would shatter the moment he'd confirmed her lies but the trance seemed to remain, a concoction of desire both carnally and in a way that could destroy her. His favorite tightrope to walk, leaning into her touch in acknowledgment before grabbing a glass of his own, tipping some of it into Violet's half full goblet. "Haven't the faintest idea where he went," Cal says honestly, convinced Dom would be swimming with the carousel by now, upset he didn't choose sea creatures as the waves tugged it away. Cal's gaze travels over his shoulder, brow quirked at her pretty face. "Missing him already?"

& Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?

Mirren Outfit

In normal circumstances these roles would usually be reversed. Mirren would be solving the problems, dousing the fires, running damage control or holding her friend's wits about them until someone calmed down enough to move on. But now she's the one lost, and instead of her best friends there to help step in her shoes for once they're the ones who caused the damage. Leaving her now in the hands of a stranger, led down a winding path with barely a thought in her mind. Only registering the feeling of shock when a hedge branch snagged against his shirt and snapped back against her arm, breaking out of her trance enough to figure out where they were going. Mirren almost dragged her feet at the realization but the entrance they snuck in from was quiet, led through corridors to a bustling kitchen. It felt nice for the energy around her to be busier than she felt, eyes tracing the trays being picked up swiftly, the endless pours occupying space on reflective trays. In one second she takes a glass and down the entirety of it, finally reaching for water as it burned down her throat. Probably for the best. “You don't have to do that,”Mirren promises, finding the offer a tiny bit endearing as she reached for a potato chip loaded with caviar and creme fraîche. It was the perfect mix of salty and creamy, two more disappearing before she realized he was still there. “Thank you...you can go back to your friends, if you want. I can figure it out.” Because she'd have to, either way.

[kitty smith-sato]

LORD, WHAT FOOLS THESE MORTALS BE.                                                                

k a t h e r i n e        outfit

Another sip of champagne, a taste as familiar as her beloved Vichy Catalan sparkling water. It tastes all the more crisp for its adjacency to carnage. Calvin seems particularly louche this evening, practically melting into the couch, Kitty glancing at Violet's bronze legs draped across him. Matchsticks. She downs another hefty gulp of wine, her once coke fuelled buzz dying down and leaving her almost sleepy, limbs heavy. "Well I would be able to tell you exactly where he is, but someone - who shall for the moment remain nameless - ruined my fun and got him to remove me from his location updates." She has half a mind to be annoyed at Cal for this, but then foiling each other's ruses was a sport between the two. All being fair in love and war. She lies back down on the plush back of the sofa, a feat made possible by her diminutive size and the fact she was wedged against the wall, enjoying the cooling effect of the plastered brick against her skin. Staring up at the ceiling, she congratulates herself for ensuring it would be projected with subtle swirling storm clouds. "Always. But beau gosse, we've taken a leaf out of your book. We have a little wager at play so I need to keep a close eye on him."

[dominic vinten cuvo]

Normally Dominic would avoid a place like this, enough to shatter the illusion of his fantasy by pointing out the reality at work behind it. Breaking the fourth wall, seeing the lowly people who existed behind the production—only to temporarily invade their space and enjoy their anonymity. He drinks a sigh away before it could bubble over, popping something flaky and creamy into his mouth and willing it to be made of anything but carbs. His drink is quickly replenished, gathering a plate of goodies for them when he caught Mirren grazing. “Just say the words,” he teased anyway, a delight of power to briefly be able to flex. “Let me show you the way, at least,” he offered, popping a chip into his mouth as well, watching a crumb escape down his shirt. It’s when he discovers the weeping sliver of a wound where the branch must have caught him, having snagged the fabric of his shirt. “Oh dear,” he said at the sight of blood, tamping down his excitement at the color of it against his sun-kissed skin. Tempted to reach out and lick it from his finger, putting on a mild display of disgust instead. “It looks like I could use a change of clothes,” he realized with delight, snatching a bottle to accompany them and their plate of finger food. “I’m sure I might have something for you, too. Unless you're in the habit of sleeping in dresses,” he jested, leading the way up the stairs, realizing this might be his house after all. Down a hallway past many doors he shouldered into the room he’d claimed before the party started with a couch and table (because why not?) off to the side of the en suite and bedroom itself. "You're welcome to stay the night. Your friends don't deserve you right now."

[mirren hewitt]

& WITH A KISS, CONSUMES

CAL FIT

Cal simply smiles into his drink, forever playing along. "What a dick, I wonder who that was." Their lives were more thrilling never knowing one another's next move anyway, forever in the dark if needed about whereabouts. He'd even eliminated those he'd collected over time, the catch and release as much of his current MO as bets and currencies that didn't take the form of money. It's what piques his interest immediately, tipping his head further back and realizing he was level with where her slim thigh disappeared under her dress. One shift left and he'd have access further but he stayed steadfast, eyes climbing to find hers. "Do tell."

& Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?

Mirren Outfit

“Oh...is this your house?.”She honestly thought he'd been kidding when he mentioned someone in that group owning it, but the confidence with which he spoke made sense somehow. She knew she was well off but this seemed to be next level, unaware of real estate that blended in on itself, opulent catering bills, endless champagne...it escaped her, but she was grateful at the moment for a hideaway. Finally feeling something other than despair bubble at the sight of the blood, lips turning down in concern. “Will we pass a bathroom on the way?” He points one out on the way up the back stairwell, Mirren ducking in to both dig for rubbing alcohol and to fix the wild streaks of make-up that bled down her face. Luckily (or maybe not) it was stocked to the brim with every imaginable need, tossing the make-up wipe and finding him in the lone open door. The rush of the champagne she'd chugged suddenly makes her a little more brazen, barely thinking twice before dousing the cotton swab and placing it against his chest to stop the bleeding. “Umm..this might sting,”she says after the fact, surprised when she's able to laugh under her breath. Maybe it's a reaction to his offer of safety, surveying the room and its solace, before her eyes landed back on the tray. “You know what sounds good right about now,”Mirren admits, staring at the tiny bites. “A grilled cheese.”