[IC] Legends of Carnation Island (SHELVED)

[Venus]

After the impromptu tennis session, Charlotte had decided to take a little walk around the island, and was surprised to see most of the other guests already dressed up and mingling. She tried her best to sneak her way back to her cabin then- there was no way she wanted the pool of potential partners to see her in such a disheveled state. Thankfully, she succeeded, and was able to reach her temporary accommodation without any incident.

When she opened the cabin door and noticed someone else’s belongings on the other side of the bed, the young woman’s face lit up with a smile. Her bad bitch was here! Finally!

“Didi I’m hereeeeeeee~!” Lottie called out to Indira, plopping herself down right in the middle of the California King bed. Her arm collided with something as it fell, bringing the blonde’s attention to the mysterious item. It was a hot pink gift box decorated with a rose gold bow, and an envelope with the name Charlotte scribbled with gold ink in neat calligraphy sitting in top. Frowning, Lottie picked up the envelope, pulled out the card and was surprised to find herself staring at Rachel’s handwriting.

Tulip,

I'm really sorry about you and Luca. I know how much you loved him, and he was a complete idiot to let you go! I know how much breakups hurt, and I know that with how much you love him you must be down in the dumps. But I don't want my sissy from another missy feeling miserable! That's why I want you to have these goodies- I promise they will make your sweet heart feel just a little better.

Love you lots,
Rachel

Now curious and excited, Lottie removed the lid from the gift box, and immediately let out a delighted squeal and clapped her hands at the sight. A dozen chocolate-covered strawberries, a box of Godiva chocolates and a bottle of rosé were neatly arranged inside the box, nestled safely in a bed of rose petals: the signature post-breakup Rachel Ashford Care Package. Grinning, the blonde opened the box of strawberries, plucked the biggest, juiciest-looking one and took a bite out of it. A moan of satisfaction escaped her lips as the sweet and rich taste of dark chocolate hit her taste buds, effectively numbing the sting in her heart for a few delicious seconds.

The blonde was too busy marvelling over the chocolate covered strawberries (rightfully so!) to notice the shower tap turning off and a fresher looking Indira stepping out in new clothes. A model couldn't walk around in the same clothes all the time, right?

She briefly glanced at Lottie sucking her chocolate-covered fingers before screaming at the smaller girl, rushing over to give her a hug, even if it meant accidentally jumping on her bed. Luckily the strawberries survived the attack. "Lottieeee!" Indie whined, forgetting about her earlier hesitation. "Where were you? I thought you'd be here when I arrived!"

Charlotte was swallowing the rest of her strawberry when she was tackled by the taller, darker frame of her best friend. Her girlish giggles filled the room while she wrapped her arms around Indie. “Sorry, babe!” she apologized, bottom lip sticking out in a pout. “I was blowing off some steam at the tennis courts. Figured it was better than sitting here crying while you got here.”

"Girl! I told you to forget about that guy! You're a bad bitch that don't need a guy, okay? If you need someone to remind you that you’re a bad bitch, you come to me." Indie did her best to hype up her bestie. There was absolutely no way Lottie was leaving the cabana still upset. It was then when Indie remembered her past reservation. She quickly clambered off the blonde to stand by her bed instead. "Hey, have you spoken to Michel since our yacht trip?"

For a second, Lottie was taken aback by the way Indie suddenly jumped off her body as if she’d gotten stung or burnt. These types of physical expression and closeness between the two had been a part of their friendship for as long as the two could remember. So why was Indie suddenly acting as if their closeness was weird? But the curious frown soon turned into an understanding expression when the Indian girl voiced her question.

“Nope,” the girl answered nonchalantly with a shrug. “I haven’t spoken to either of you since it happened.”

Indie didn't know what to make of the answer. Was it a relief? Was it not? Even she didn't know. "Do... do you think we should talk about what happened?" She asked.

And there it was… The elephant in the room.

Charlotte let out a nervous chuckle. “I mean, what else is there to talk about? We had a few too many drinks and ended up hooking up with Michel on his dad’s yacht like the big, happy family we are. I’m not fazed by it, and I sure as fuck don’t regret it. It was a cool experience.” She said with another shrug, taking up a seating position on the bed. "Why? You still embarrassed that your best friend ate you out like a freshly-baked cupcake at a birthday party?" Lottie teased, playfully tickling Indie's sides.

Indie’s face warmed up after Lottie’s comment and she made a sputtering noise that was a healthy mix of indignation and shock. After successfully batting away Lottie’s arm, she finally managed to speak. “Shut up! I saw you taking Michel’s dick like a champ at the same time so you clearly enjoyed it!” That was probably her worst comeback… Good lord.

Lottie roared with laughter, letting herself fall backwards onto the bed again. "Hell yeah I did! I felt like Piper Perry in that one video where she has the six dudes standing around her while she's sitting on the couch knowing she’s about to get fucked up," she told Indie in between giggles before ultimately succumbing to a fit of laughter.

“I was legit worried this totally ruined our friendship. I don't want things to be awkward between us.” She then let out another over dramatic sigh. “Do you know how much that two week silence scared me? Woman, I have dark circles under my eyes from the stress!” Indie let out in a huff.

"And here I was: thinking you were ignoring me because I didn't do the job right…You break my heart, Indira, you break my heart..." the shorter girl replied cheekily, winking at Indie before laughing again.

“I think you did the job too well if you ask me. You sure you haven’t been with another girl before?” Indie struggled to keep the amusement off her face.

“Nope. But thank you so much for the compliments, Miss. If you ever want to try again, just let me know. You know where to find me,” Lottie clapped back, grabbing the nearest pillow and smacking her friend with it.

Indie laughed, climbing back on Lottie’s bed. That was when she noticed the chocolate strawberries. “Oh my God! That looks so lush! Can I have one?” She asked- no, pleaded. It included the infamous pout. “If you gimme a piece, I can tell you about this article I read while on the cruise!” She winked.

That certainly caught Lottie’s attention- enough to roll onto her stomach to pay more attention to her friend. “An article, you say? Is it gossip?” she asked Indie curiously, picking one of the strawberries from the box and handing it over to her friend. “Here’s your payment. Now spill it!”

Yes! Victory! Indie grinned as she picked one of the strawberries and took a bite. “Okay, so...” She spoke as she finished chewing. “They finally released the engagement photos of Baroness Marissa and Yousef Tarhan! Fucking finally!” Indie squealed in delight. She climbed off Lottie’s bed briefly to pick up her phone that was still charging by her own bed before showing her the images.

“You’re kidding?!” Lottie cried out, covering her gaping mouth with both hands. Baroness Marissa Guerrero de Massy and her boyfriend Yousef Tarhan were the best friend duo’s favorite celebrity couple. Their love story was something out of a fairy tale, and to know they were finally engaged after the many obstacles they had to overcome convinced Charlotte that maybe love wasn’t dead after all. “OhmyGodletmesee!!!!” she shrieked, jumping up into a seating position next to Indie in order to see the pictures better.

There were multiple pictures of the couple together, some included the couple smiling at the camera in formal wear, and some were more ‘personalised’ photos of the Baroness and her new fiancé holding matching coffee cups, her ring prominently on display for all the world to swoon over. “How cute are they?!” Indie let out another unholy squeal. “I've waited for this for so long!”

"Right?! Ugh, I want a love like that..." Charlotte whined, swooning along with Indie for another minute before letting out a sigh and dragging herself out of bed. "Alright, as fun as this has been, I have to take a much-needed shower," the short girl declared, making a beeline towards the bathroom but stopping at the doorway. "Wanna come with?" she asked Indie, shooting her friend a mischievous wink paired up with a playful laugh. She was joking, of course, but she wouldn’t mind if the dark-haired girl actually joined her. An extra dose of dessert never hurt anybody.

“Oi! You keep playing with fire, you lose your strawberries. Tread carefully.” Indie threatened, picking up the box of chocolate strawberries as insurance.

Lottie glared at her best friend, pointing an accusing finger at her. "If you eat my strawberries I swear you'll have to sleep with one eye open…" she warned the olive-skinned girl, keeping the mean mug for a few more seconds before laughing again. "You can eat three more, but that's it! I don't want to hear you complaining about your skin breaking out!"

“Love you too!” Indira laughed. “Now go for your shower! Bad bitches don't stink of sweat!” The party was going to start soon, and if Lottie doesn't start getting ready now, she’ll be late.

"I hear that! See ya in a few, then. Love ya more, you slut!" Lottie called out to her friend, blowing Indira a kiss before disappearing behind the bathroom door, her last giggle still echoing across the room.

[spooner]

“Read em’ and weep boys!” Theo exclaimed with joy as he laid his winning hand down on the table in front of the rest of the band a wide smile plastered on his face. Cards where thrown and taunts where flung but in the end they all went back to taking shots together. This was a tradition for the gang before every party they went to. Playing cards and drinking until they were drunk enough for anything to matter.

Theo slammed one last shot before stretching his body with a satisfied groan. His whole body feeling warm with that feeling being inebriated he always craved. His usual face of indifferent replaced with the confident smile his family was known for. He turned to his friend sitting next to him looking uncomfortable “How are you holding up Zeke?” he asked putting an arm around his shoulder giving the guy a little shake. “I know parties isn’t your scene but… Don’t worry we’ve got your back!” Theo gestured around the room letting out a small laugh “Well at least I do!” he winked at Zeke before jumping to his feet.

“Well?! Shall we?” he asked as he made his way to the front door not even waiting for an answer.

As the group arrived at the beach the party was in full swing. Music that was making the sand shake was pouring out from huge speakers surrounding a guy with a backwards turned cap enthralled in whatever he was doing on his laptop huge headphones covering his ears. Everywhere there where people dancing and cheering around the huge pile of wood that had been set ablaze. As they moved through the crowd members of the group dropped of to do their own thing, finally Theo stood in front of a red rope that was hung at one of the white linen tents. Of course Rachel had to have VIP section at a beach party.

“THEODORE!” a screeching voice came ringing from the back of the tent before the petite girl came sprinting out jumping over the rope to fling her arms around his neck, violently embracing him. “You’re finally here! Come, come, come!” she said excitedly lifting the rope and letting him through. She grabbed a little stamp from one of the staff and stamped it on his hand leaving a black VIP mark on it. As they walked deeper into the tent Theo recognized a few faces. He said hello to some but ignored most as Rachel dragged him to where she was sitting. “So this area is for the cream of the crop Teddy! Only the best of the best gets in here. We even have a personal open bar with the best bartenders on the island just for us! I know you’ll like that!” she squealed like an overexcited child showing of her toys. “And of course there is other party favors if you are so inclined…” she said sheepishly as she flopped down in a cushioned lounge chair. Theo’s eyes traveled to the small glass table next to her spotting the lines of white powder.

“Classy Rach…” Theo huffed rolling his eyes. “No, like you said the bar is my favorite place. You know where to find me.” he said as he left her scream laughing at something someone had said. Shaking his head he made his way over to the makeshift bar in the corner of the tent. It was impressive what the staff had been able to do in just one afternoon, the bar looked like it belonged in a classy hotel but it had for sure not been here before. “Can I get a gin and tonic? Thank you.” he said as he sat down in the lush bar chair.

He turned around to look at the loud party wondering where his cousin was in all of this. He hadn’t seen Lottie since the boat. But she was a big girl, she could take care of herself right? Right?

[Ejected]

_{an @Ejected and @ineffable Collaboration
Featuring Matthew Young and Valentina Castro}

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Matt was just about to head out of the bathroom when he heard the sing songy voice of his best friend ring out into the room. Instantly, a smile broke onto his face as he walked out into the room and made his way to Valentina’s bed, where she was currently sprawled out. Taking a seat on the comfy mattress next to her, Matt used his hand to roll her over so she was facing him. “I decided not to go on the party bus, or whatever Rachel wants to call that monstrous occasion.” He shook his head as he let out a snort. “I took a horrible boat ride here, which just served to make me nostalgic and bloody sea sick, both of which obviously does not bode well for me.”

He looked out to the side for a second before he made a face, watching Valentina describe the drinks at the bar.

“Tiny, you know that’s not my style man. Fruity drinks are a bit too…” Matt made a vague gesture with his hands, mimicking a small explosion before he shifted so that he was practically scooching her off the bed.

"Hey, quit it! I'll have you laid out on this floor, dude." Valentina said with a loud chuckle as she scooted over, nudging her friend back over so that she took up the majority of the mattress space. "And the party bus was not so bad. Probably not nearly as bad as your little boat ride. And as for the fruity drink thing, it's not my style either, you know. But we're in fuckin' paradise right now, man. Might as well try something new while we're here, right? Shake things up a bit."

“Well, what do you want to do? I’d be more than happy just to sit on the sand and enjoy the nice summer breeze but I know that that’s not in our agenda.”

"You know me well," Valentina said with a wide grin as her mind began to wander. Fortunately for them, the very first official event wouldn't start for another couple of hours, which gave them more than enough time to either explore the island or do whatever they wanted in the meantime. But the more Valentina thought about it, the more appealing the idea of hanging out on the beach became. At least, it did once she finally remembered what she'd brought along for the trip.

"You know what, Matty? I think you had the right idea all along," Tina said as she suddenly sat up in bed and reached for her nearest suitcase. "Sitting in the sand... enjoying the breeze... and..." But before she even bothered finishing her sentence, she produced two Super Soaker water guns from her bag. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Matt grinned widely as he snatched one of the water guns from her and took off running out of the door, pounding onto the wooden walkway leading to the cabanas and dropping off onto the sandy shoreline near the makeshift bar that sat in the corner of the tent. He knew he looked like an idiot but looking like an idiot was a small price to pay in order to stir up some long awaited fun.

Peeking over his shoulder, he gave the bar idlers and other bonfire attendees a wink and a smile before he dashed out of sight of the trail leading to the cabanas, choosing instead to hide behind a bush and wait for Valentina to come looking for him.

Momentarily caught off guard, it took Valentina a couple of seconds to grab her own water gun, as well as a couple of others, and go sprinting out of the cabana in pursuit of Matt. "Wait!!" She screamed before realizing that the boy had already disappeared. Soon, she found herself passing by the bar, and she simply dropped the spare guns on the floor and made a beckoning arm motion to whomever wanted to join the two of them. She then turned on her heel and began her search for the elusive Matthew Young. With her finger on the trigger and her hand on the pump, Tina slowly made her way down away from the bar. It wasn't until after she was being sprayed with water that she realized where her friend had been hiding out.

”GOTCHA!” Matt shouted out gleefully as he emerged from behind the bush, pushing as hard as he could on the water gun trigger and watching as it spouted out fountains of water on his dear friend. As he pumped the water gun a final, fatal time he watched as it depleted a tiny spurt of water. Looks like he’d have to reload….

Matt gestured to his water gun with one hand and shrugged at Valentina as he raced off towards the beach, intent on filling his water gun with the salty seawater so it added for an extra kick when it hit someone’s face. Sure, it was nasty and mean but he knew that Valentina would like the competition.

”Do you want to catch up…Tiny?”

Still a bit shaken up from the unexpected blast of cold water, it took Tina a few moments to get herself together and chase after Matt. "I'm gonna fucking kill you, Matty!" The girl shouted playfully as she shot her own water gun, only barely hitting the young man on his back. It wasn't long before her own gun had run low and she had stop to do the same as her friend. As she approached the water and stooped down to refill, she couldn't help but wonder if any of the other bonfire attendees would bother joining in on their antics. But a quick glance in the distance after filling her gun gave her the answer to this question.

"Oh shit, Matt. Run!"

[Aewin]

_{aka that weirdo that's talking to herself at the bar}
Nate @Melo and Theo @spooner mentioned

“Hey Blake, how're you doing on this absolutely wonderful evening?” Indie crooned, her head bobbing to the sound of the music playing nearby. Sitting alone at the bar was totally not how Indie thought she wanted the evening to go, but she couldn't help it once the urge kicked in as she noticed a seat by the bar available to everyone at the party. She had her hand carefully holding her phone, angled to show her best assets: her face, body and personality.

Instead of mingling at the VIP tent like anyone would expect the sociable girl to do, Indie was busy entertaining her followers on Instagram live while downing a couple shots. Why not take advantage of being at the great Rachel Ashford's party while you can? She was clearly gaining the attention of Rachel's avid followers, especially those that couldn't attend for whatever reason. Taking advantage of people's FOMO was totally a great idea, because her usual hundred or so viewers had since skyrocketed to over five hundred.

Indie squinted, her eyes catching a comment flying past her screen in the midst of everyone trying to capture her attention. “Where's Natey? No clue. Haven't seen him since the party started.” Indie looked around briefly, perhaps the man was around- nope. Nate was such a frequent guest on Indira's social media that most of her followers had come to expect the duo to be together, much like her first post on the Island implied. “Hey, didja know that Natey helped me get dressed? All this is his creation, baby~” She took a moment to extend her (annoyingly short) arms out to show her audience the full outfit. “Totally had to plug, you can't blame me, looks totally cute right?”

She wore a cropped wrap top, paired with a flattering black skirt and appropriate shoes for a beach party. The top itself was from Nate's charitable project, and as a great friend of his, why not do a bit of modelling? Plus, the cut of the top allowed her to entice a few people into buying her drinks... So, win/win!

“Omigosh, I got a good idea you guys would love. How about I show you the inside of the VIP section? My treat.” Indie winked as she downed the last shot in front of her. After seeing a chorus of encouragement, Indie's plan was set in motion.

First, the bouncer. The line into the VIP tent was long, but it was moving at a quick enough pace for her to continue with the plan. She kept her followers entertained with chit chat, even pulling people around her for some fun to pass the time until Indie's hand was stamped as well. It wasn't long before Indie finally had access to the cool part of the party.

“Look around guys, this is a Rachel Ashford party!” Indie exclaimed, giving her followers a quick look around inside. She was careful not to show too much, nobody wanted a drug scandal now did they? During her little twirl, she noticed a familiar figure at the VIP bar. “Theoooooooo! Say hi to everyone!” She laughed as she quickly snatched the bar seat beside him, waiting a brief moment to make sure he was okay with being recorded before showing his face to her Live. As Lottie's best friend™, there was no way for Theo to escape Indie's antics.

[Hero]

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Having to bust her ass to hurry up and set up wasn't the hard part; at this point the employees were well versed in getting their shit done quickly and quietly. What was difficult was trying not to trip or run into people.

Farah lost count of how many times she had nearly gotten hit with any props, focusing more on getting herself ready. Apparently the old stereotype of hard-drinking party animals still rung true, moreso for the people that Rachel had invited. No judgment, just an observation, but it wasn't really any of her business anyway.

What she did make her business, however, was the same hot guy from before sitting nearby.

The blonde raised an eyebrow--a happy coincidence. They called him Theo if she remembered correctly, though she put down the glass she was cleaning to watch him for a second. He was talking to Rachel Ashford herself, though he seemed a little exasperated. Farah didn't notice she had been staring, though she managed to snap back to attention in time. When she dared herself to look again, she thanked whatever luck she had to see him walking to the bar. Alright, then, time to see if she could get to know him a little more.

"If you spend too much time at the bar alone, people are gonna get the wrong idea," She teased him lightly as she placed her elbows on the bar, perching her chin on her hands as she looked at him.

---

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_{Interacting with: @spooner}

[Melo]

_{Seriously wtf is this guy doing}

Tonight was a night for a party, but not for Nate. Nate had run for the hills. He had found himself a nice, cosy bench, surrounded by some soothingly aromatic flora, that overlooked the fire-lit beach beautifully. Indeed, it was quite a sight. Perhaps it would be even better if that blasting VIP tent wasn’t covering half of his view. Who had a freaking VIP tent on a party that was just about 99% inhabited by their own invited friends? Apparently Rachel flipping Ashford was too amazing to be among her own people.

Pre-ten-tious.

Did that surprise anyone, though? Did it? Alas, not all was lost! Indeed, there were enough ways to make your own fun on a beautiful island like this. Contrary to popular belief, you didn’t have to kiss Rachel flaming(ha!) Ashford’s undoubtedly pretty ass to have fun here. Nate was never without his own means of enjoyment, and only half of them involved work! Huh, maybe his secretary was right. Good ol’ Patty had been telling him for the last two years to go to therapy. And that was before that… accident… at Indie’s 19th birthday party.

But how did Nate make his own fun, you might ask. Well, the answer was quite simple. Nate always had a plan B. And tonight that plan involved a high spot and his trusty violin. Add a bit of imagination and… voila. Now he was the conclusive emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Well, the tale that Nero fiddled while Rome burned in the great fires were a total myth, but that didn’t make it any less fun to act out. His imagination did not project a view of the island burning, of course. Not even Nate was that far gone. He wished the people down there a jolly good time with their blazing(ha ha!) party.

Nate was just going to fiddle… well… playing a violin wasn’t really the same as fiddling but it came close enough. He enjoyed playing the instrument (definitely more than he would attending that party), and he didn’t want to get sloppy. Somehow he always played at his best when his imagination was running wild. And right now his mind was playing Beethoven’s ninth sonata as the decadent Nero from the great palace’s balcony.

Would Rachel let him build a statue of himself on the beach if he asked nicely? Probably not.

He wondered if - fuming hell, that was so out of tune they probably heard him at the party, teaches him for wondering – if Theo and Indie were having fun down there. They probably were. They were in the zone here. Maybe he’d just shadow one of them tomorrow. Maybe, just maybe, he’d find out what enthused them so about Rachel fracking Ashford. Probably not, but they couldn’t fault Nate for not trying!

God, somebody end his loneliness right here. He would kill for a small audience. Was he the only one who wasn’t drawn like a moth to the flame? Could nobody appreciate the peacefulness of a beautiful view over the hubbub of the noise down below? Nay, for now his music was simply gone with the wind.

[AlteredTundra]

_{Location The Beach ♦ Interactions Michel and Bartender @Hero}

Drea left the cabana a little earlier than the others. After such an eventful afternoon of hanging out with Zay and the others (though mainly she stuck close to Jade unsurprisingly), she wanted to get an early start to the bonfire in the evening. So she showered first, got dressed first, and said her goodbyes first. Part of her reasoning for being the first one out was to getting ahead of the curve so she could see just how great of a display Rachel’s first official party was. She had known that woman to be on the same level as a grand showman. Her need to go big every time was astonishing at the least and incredible at most.

As the blonde walked closer to the beach in a light blue, strapless top and light pink jean shorts, what she saw was certainly quite the setup. Of course, per the original advertisement, there was a gigantic bonfire Rachel had to have gigantic speakers on the beach of all places. Drea didn’t know why she was surprised by this, but the fact that she had even an ounce of shock in her initial reaction showed how Drea underestimated her dear friend.

“It’s quite the display, isn’t it?” A male’s voice said as he approached Drea from the left, causing the blonde to momentarily jump a couple of inches.

Drea sighed, relieved somewhat that it wasn’t Zayden sneaking up on her. “Michel, how many times have I told you never to startle me like that.” She rolled her eyes at him, looking up due to the astronomical height difference between them.

“Sorry, shorty.” He cackled, eyes returning to the bonfire and the not-so-subtle VIP tent not far away from it. “Absolutely ridiculous, isn’t it?” He mused aloud, shaking his head.

“I forgot you’re not a fan of these sort of parties.”

“I can be if the company is right.”

That was a sentiment that she could agree with, probably more than she was letting on. And just as Michel seemed to be scanning the area for someone specific, Drea was also doing the same. After almost a minute of silently searching through the crowds of people, the one person she was trying to find didn’t seem to be around. And Michel’s search was about the same as he broke the silence with an exaggerated sigh.

“Well, I suppose we shouldn’t put this off any longer, then.” Michel spoke as he walked forward. “I’ll be seeing you, Lil D.” He left her with a small wink.

That one comment was enough to get under her skin but she didn’t let it bother -- at least, not until Michel was out of range where she could fully fume to herself about how much she hated being called by any name that poked fun at her height. She knew she was short, so why did everyone around her feel the need to remind her of that? It was easily the one thing that was a guaranteed success to get under her skin. Some people did it playfully and she usually clapped back at them in good spirits, but there were others -- not Michel -- who did it with the intent of insulting her.

And that was something she couldn’t stand.

“You’re good, Drea. You’re good. Just walk and be fabulous!”

Drea repeated those words a few times so she was calm by the time she had reached the VIP tent. She wouldn’t stop to greet anyone. She saw Michel finally make his way to the tent but she avoided him. She didn’t want to risk it, so she avoided him. Instead, she took a seat at the bar, collapsing her head and arms onto the countertop, sighing somewhat dramatically. Maybe she made the mistake of coming first and not leaving with Jade and the others. It would have been a lot less stressful after running into Michel for those few minutes she spent talking to him.

After a minute of feeling sorry for herself (again), she propped her head onto one of her hands and waved her other at the bartender. “Pina colada.” She said half-interested in whatever the bartender said in return. She instead turned around, brandishing half of a smile as she spotted a few familiar faces.

Yeah, Drea Banks sure had a great start to this party. It can only go up from here, right?

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_{Location: Everywhere but eventually the Bonfire Party ♦ Interactions: Indira @Aewin, Theo (he’s nearby) @spooner}

When he had ventured away from the short blonde, Michel took his time to appreciate the sights. First, he was keen on taking in the sights of the beach. With the light from the bonfire illuminating some of the darkness that partial night had created, he was able to spot the oranges and reds reflecting in the shallow portion of the ocean and continuously creating an almost holographic effect every time the waves had washed against the sandy shores.

This was probably the part of this trip that Michel was going to enjoy most. He didn’t have a particular lean to parties, but the elaborate rich people parties where over the top booze was sold and even more over the top people were present, the luxury rebel Michel Russo preferred to appreciate the scenery. He also liked the bonfire and the crackling sounds of thick wood burning slowly. It was a tower that would last for hours, which only meant the sole reason as to why he procrastinated from joining the others in the VIP tent remained.

After all, solace was peaceful when it wasn’t contaminated by fuckboys and their girlfriends.

“Just a few more minutes.” He said to himself.

Michel would keep his promise. After a few more minutes of smiling into the transitioning darkness of the ocean, he turned away and soon went into the tent. The bouncer gave him no trouble and he was soon mingling with those who appeared to be like him. He was dressed in something quite comfortable. He wore a black T that was made from such thin materials that it didn’t even feel like he was wearing a shirt and his shorts were simply silver. He had slip-on slippers as well because as much as he took care of himself, Michel was insecure about his feet.

As he roamed the spacious tent, he didn’t engage in deep conversation with anyone. If he was approached, he smiled, talked to that person for a bit, but mainly, Michel just kept to his own devices. He ordered a drink from a waiter, which happened to be a glass of Jack on the Rocks. It wasn’t that he was antisocial. Michel could be the life of the party if he wanted to. He could be someone that talked to someone for hours if he felt like it, but that was the thing: Michel didn’t feel like talking to anyone. And more importantly, he didn’t see anyone of interest that would remove him from his bubble of solace.

...At least, that wasn’t until he saw her. Indira Kashyap, the best friend of someone that Michel got to know very well a couple of weeks ago. The three of them had a lot of fun on that yacht. Some of that fun too mature to mention to anyone who wasn’t part of that particular threesome. Michel still had very fond memories about it, but he lamented of the time that went between them not speaking. It wasn’t that he blamed either of them from avoiding him. He was, of course, too busy to think about how they ghosted him, but now that he wasn’t, it was about time he ended the silence between at least one of them.

So, soon Michel had found himself approaching the bar where a few others were hanging about. Drea was near but not near enough to be a concern of his, though he did give her a wave when he saw her. He saw Theodore, who was the target of whatever Indira was doing.

He snuck up behind her, something that Michel apparently liked doing today. “So this is what it’s like being on the other end of one of your videos.” He said, looking directly into the camera as he hovered over Indira’s shoulder, smiling at both those who were watching her live feed and at Indira herself. “Yo, I'm Michel Russo, a dear friend of Indie here.” Michel gave her followers a peace sign with his right hand. He had to keep up appearances, ya know?

[Prosaic]

@hero

It was in full force, the night full of laughter and shouting. He could see people chasing each other across the sand, he could hear talking beneath the hum of the music. It was just as extravagantly extra as he had come to expect from Rachel and he let himself take it in. This was his favorite kind of atmosphere, when the air was heavy with excitement and people couldn't keep their voices down. He settled himself to enjoy it for a moment longer as a spectator and not a participant. At least, he thought. Not until I've finished my cigarette.

He lit a cigarette, he inhaled deeply and he exhaled smoke into the warm air of the night. Smoke swirled off into the darkness, lost from where the light no longer touched it and he shut his eyes for a moment. He listened to the music, relaxed into the familiarity that was as good as home for him. A few more drags, a moment more of relaxing and he was in the swing of things. He flicked the cigarette down, ground it out beneath his sneaker, and headed to the tent.

It didn't take much to get in but he gave the bouncer a little shit anyway, mostly for the sake of appearance. He didn't want anyone to go thinking he'd lost his terrible sense of humor. He entered the tent with a confident stride, taking in what it had to offer. He could see that the space was already pretty full but that was fine, Quinn loved company, whether he knew them all or not. The point of parties was mingling and nobody liked a guy who couldn't mingle.

"Now this is where it's all happening," he said enthusiastically as he made his way forward. He greeted the people he knew, fist-bumps and big grins. He hugged a girl or two, people he didn't spend time with outside of parties but he knew by face enough that he couldn't shake them off without acknowledging them. He got dragged into sharing a joint with one of his party friends, topping off the soaring feeling that he was already wandering through.

A joke here and there, some laughter that went on too long. He was in his element and he was loving it. He was starting to crave a drink though and he knew the bar would be good. So, waving off his "friends", he eventually found his way to the bar. There was a small group there already and he offered a grin in place of a greeting.

He made his way to a seat, leaning across the counter. "Mind if I get a whiskey sour?" He took in the bartender a moment, resisting the urge to lay on one of his famously awful pick-up lines. He could only imagine that his pick-up lines would be even worse while he was high as a kite. No, probably best to keep his mouth shut, or, mostly shut. Quinn wasn't good at shutting up entirely, "Good party, crowded as all hell though."

@Melo

Zeke was floundering.
All the mental preparation in the world couldn't have possibly prepared him for the grandiose display of Rachel Ashford's party. He liked Rachel with coffee and the quiet murmur of people in a cafe, he liked her with the clinking of mugs and the clicking of hipsters with their laptops. He liked Rachel when they were one on one and he had no social expectations aside from asking for the orders of contrived cafe-goers. He liked Rachel when he didn't feel so crowded that he was pulling his shoulders in to avoid people hurrying around him.

Zeke was floundering in this environment and he didn't want to spend his whole night trailing Theodore like a lost puppy. So, after Rachel had ushered Theodore into the VIP tent, Zeke had unceremoniously ditched the main event. He had grabbed himself a beer and he had wiggled his way through the crowd to get away from it all. So, sue him, he wasn't really a party person anymore. He would ask Theodore how his night went later and he'd write about that in his journal because it would assuredly be better than anything he planned to do.

He didn't know where he wanted to go, he wasn't ready to turn in for the night and he didn't want to wander around awkwardly until the night ended. It was by chance entirely that he wound up hearing the sound of violin on the night air. It put him off a little because he wasn't prepared for it but he recognized the talent behind it. So, he did what any sane and terribly socially awkward person would do, he followed the noise to the cove where the guy was playing.

Brunette, blue eyes, looked friendly enough from a cursory glance and- oh fuck, he's probably alone for a reason. Anxiety shot through Zeke and he awkwardly raised a hand in greeting to the stranger. "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt." His voice betrayed the awkwardness, one hand clenching tightly over the can in it. "You're good at that."

[NeoAJ]

Location:

_{VIP Lounge, Bonfire Area}

Interactions With:

_{Drea @Altered Tundra}

It didn't take long for Jade to get ready for the beach. She was as good as her word. The problem was she spent so much time getting to know her new roommates, particularly Drea, that she spaced out and lost track of time. When Drea said she was already going to the bonfire, it caught Jade off guard. Probably just like the bite of the Crown Royal sneaking up on her after another couple of shots.

Content that Missy had won the war between the upstairs and downstairs speaker systems, she quickly set about getting prepared. The master bathroom was pretty freaking gorgeous, and it even had a sauna. It was possible to get lost in there, it was that vast. Once she had everything figured out though, it was nothing to get ready. It was almost fun, like pampering herself. It had been a while.

Once she cleaned the ocean and diesel spray off her body, Jade was ready. She pulled out the cute dress she had picked up at Je T'Aime yesterday, a sheer floral print that was humble enough to not steal attention away from Rachel, because honestly, nothing was going to do that, yet stood out enough so people knew she was embracing this event in all facets and was going to look good doing it. Paired with a hanging topaz pendant, the stone of her star sign, her DK sunglasses, and a pair of jade green-colored sandals and she was set. Why no jade pendant? Too obvious. That's why the color is in the footwear.

Either way, Jade casually made her way towards the beach as indicated by the giant signs that the staff had clearly hung up to guide pre-drunken revelers. They were appreciated. The giant speakers that were literally making the ground vibrate were not, as were the plebs already drunkenly dancing around the pyre like pagan worshipers of old. Not Jade's scene. The red carpet that led to the VIP tent, that was more like it.

Of course Jade Scott was on the list. How could she not? She entered the cordoned-off area and spotted the hostess with the mostess, laughing it up with some women that Jade didn't recognize. They were cleaning the glass table with their faces though, which was a great sign, and offered an answer for how Rachel got all her energy. Jade didn't need that right now. Plus, Jade never got a response to the text that she now regretted.

Especially when she spotted the person who made her actually happy to have roommates on this vacation. Drea was sitting at the bar, seemingly by herself for the moment. So naturally this was the time for Jade to show off how glamorous an athlete could be when they wanted.

"Well now," she said as she walked up where Drea was sitting. "I didn't realize you had to leave early to stake out the top stool at the counter. I mean, you could have had help with that." Jade looked around. "Unless you were saving these spots for other people at this party?"

[AlteredTundra]

_{Location • Bonfire Party — VIP Lounge/Bar Interactions • Jade @NeoAJ; Bartender @Hero}

As she had slowly sipped the pina colada that was watered down on a coaster in front of her just as fast, Andrea seemed to be deep in her own thoughts. If someone had approached her, she wouldn’t have heard them. Truth be told, the more she thought about this island and the parties that may or may not be had, the more she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to her mother. At the time, sure it was a triumphant moment to tell her off and get in the last word, but when she was alone and actually had time to reflect, she felt horrible about how she treated her. Even though she knew her mother came from the right place, the two of them being nearly the exact same meant that they were prone to verbal arguments that put Presidential debates to shame.

And now she was alone, barely even focused on the fun she could be having with all the cute boys and girls who tried to approach her. At least five seemed to try and get her attention, but Drea wasn’t having any of it. Usually, she would literally be on top of them in some fashion. Maybe her mind wasn’t in it or maybe she did make the mistake of not reconciling with her mother before boarding her plane. It wouldn’t have taken long to apologize, but again, Andrea was Viola Banks’ daughter through and through. Too stubborn to apologize and too proud to admit when she was wrong. Always had to be right.

“Sometimes I hate being a Banks.” Drea murmured to herself, downing whatever remained in her cup and snapped her fingers for another.

As the refill came, she was out of her own head and it was just in time because she had turned around to see Jade just a few paces away from her. She turned her frown upside down if not to save face. She didn’t if time could slow down, but seeing her waltz in that dress sure made whatever sour mood she had been in turn surprisingly sweet.

“No, they’re not taken at all.” She sweetly smiled at Jade, gesturing towards the seat to her left. “A Crown Whiskey. Neat.” Andrea said to the bartender, taking full control of the situation as only she could when she flipped that particular switch on. "So, I didn't see you stroll in with Dax and Zay. SEems like I wasn't the only one who decided to come solo."

[Melo]

Ah, but a visitor ended his domain! And suddenly the dimly lit hill was not so lonely anymore. The tone of Nate’s music changed slightly when he sensed the stranger approaching. The tones shifted towards something warmer, something inviting. He was like a sailor luring the sailor with a song. But Nate sought no prey, just company. What was a musical performance without an audience! Even though Nate enjoyed playing by himself. There was something magical to playing around others. Yes, there was something Nate adored about the silent appreciation of others for his work-

"Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt."

And so the music came to a sudden and abrupt halt. For the love of baby Christ. If this mystery man didn’t mean to do what he just did. Then why was that the first thing he had decided to do? WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM.

’No.’ Nate thought. ’No, it’s fine. You should have expected this sort of barbarism from the friends of Rachel Ashford.’ What was he expecting of these people, really? Well, a lot more social competency than this, for one. Indie and Theo were quite a pair of social butterflies, after all. What else was there to be expected of a crowd which only partied. This poor bugger probably was just trying to escape the noise. Yes, his lack of social awareness did seem to imply that mode of action to be feasible. Nate felt a bit of pity.

"You're good at that."

At least the guy had an ear for music, it seemed. Though he would’ve preferred if he had kept his praises until after the performance. It was quite hard to judge a musician when you’ve literally heard only a few minutes of play. His compliment, as a result, was really quite moot. But perhaps Nate should stop that pessimistic train of thought. The poor sod was just trying to be nice, to reach out. Nate had been so… jaded ever since he arrived on this island. What this place was and embodied just didn’t sit well with him. But that was no reason to mentally tear every person to shreds that he met.

Yes, he had to try and be nice. That wasn’t so hard, was it? He did it in daily life, somehow. People did think of him as kind and charismatic. He had somehow managed to be nice to even the most thick-headed customers he had met in his life as an entrepreneur. Why couldn’t he be nice to a bunch of spoiled rich kids for a few days? Oh, he did it again. Bad Nate.

”Thank you, you’re very kind.” He answered to the man. See, it wasn’t that hard to be nice! Maybe he could keep it up and not go crazy. Now that the stranger was closer, he could somewhat make out what he looked like. Fairly tall, quite broad and rather handsome. He probably would be a hit with the ladies once he figured out how to string together more than five words at a time. He seemed to wear the latest fashions. Were those clothes from his brand? He couldn’t quite make out. The light of the fire below wasn’t quite bright enough. He figured it was unlikely that anyone besides Indie even knew of Amity at this point. It was gaining popularity for sure. But he couldn’t quite call it mainstream yet.

”Well, since you’re my only audience right now. Care to make a request?” He asked with a charismatic smile. Nate was confident in his skill that he could at least try to play whatever was thrown at him (and otherwise he had his phone to look up the score, if he didn’t know the song, anyway). Of course, Nate assumed he would pick something of some musical complexity. Nate had explicitly forbidden Indie from making any requests after she proposed he played Ariana Grande. Like, really? He had been inclined to hit her over the head with his instrument then and there. That said, he did have fun teasing her with it after the fact. He adored Indie, but in this moment Nate fervently prayed that not all of Rachel’s invitees were such philistines.

Well, he braced himself for disappointment.

[Prosaic]

@Melo

"Thank you, you’re very kind." His response was amiable enough but it did little to qualm Zeke's growing anxiety. He wasn't bad with people, not really, he had a social bone or two in his body but something about the atmosphere was oppressive. He didn't blame his newfound companion, he was more inclined to blame how crazy things were back at the bonfire. He had once liked parties, he had frequented quite a lot of them with Theodore during his highschool years but that was a long time ago. He was much more at home amidst cafés and pretention.

In a way, he sort of wondered if this young man was similar. Most people didn't choose to spend their party playing the violin in a hidden cove unless they weren't enjoying the festivities. There was something kind of elegant about the choice in instrument, it was better than the acoustic guitar that he expected of aspiring musicians at parties. Can anyone say Wonderwall? "Well, since you’re my only audience right now. Care to make a request?" His smile was charismatic, his voice was confident. It was the kind of kind of quality that made a person likeable, confidence without blatant arrogance.

"I'm a little afraid I'm going to disappoint you," responded Zeke with a laugh. The laugh didn't reek of the nervous energy that his body language had been showing, it was a step in the right direction. He was slowly but surely screwing his head on straight, getting a grip on the situation. This guy wasn't so scary, at least not on his own, it might have been worse if there had been a small crowd. He was sort of glad he'd wound up here first. He decided to relay a bit of what he taken back from music class over the years. Sometimes having a crazy good memory had it's perks. "I'm partial to Amy Beach's Violin Sonata. Traditionalism makes me shudder and her style is very romantic, it's a shame that her work is so often neglected. Beautiful violinist, probably one of the few that I actually listen to."

He paused a moment to let all of this sink in before a smile threatened to overcome him. "I assume you would prefer that over something by The Front Bottoms, which was my other choice." His tone was a touch playful at that, steadily more comfortable. He found it easier to feel like he was in his place when his place wasn't terribly crowded. He set the can down, didn't bother opening it and took a seat. He hoped he was making a good impression but he had stopped caring as much. "I'm Zeke, by the way."

He was interested to hear the other guy's take on Amy Beach, curious if he'd do her justice. He appreciated music even if he considered himself someone who lacked any sort of basic talent in music. He knew talent when he heard it but he couldn't imagine how any of it was done. He was entirely incapable of picturing how any of those notes came to be, he preferred to just close his eyes and listen. Any person could be an enjoyer of music but he respected the actual ability to play it.

His only creative venture was writing and he didn't even do that for other people.

[Venus]

_{Interacting With: Cousin Theo @spooner, Darling Didi @Aewin, Marvelous Michel @Altered Tundra}

A warm bath, a dozen strawberries and a bottle of pink moscato later, Charlotte was in peak tipsy condition. When you were 5’2” and light as a feather, your alcohol tolerance was definitely less than that of your peers. But heartbreak had a funny way of changing people, and Lottie had downed most of the bottle of wine Rachel had given her like it was a fucking Capri Sun in a sweltering summer day. The end result was something out of a YouTube challenge: with the slightly intoxicated blonde struggling to complete the most menial of tasks, stumbling upon invisible objects and non-stop giggling all the while. Picking an outfit made her giggle like she’d been listening to a good joke, and the makeup application had her laughing as if she was being tickled every few minutes. What normally would have taken an hour and a half to complete turned into three, and by the time Lottie was ready for the bonfire, it had long since started.

The afternoon had given way to dusk, with the moon shining brightly across a star-studded, clear night sky. She could feel the chill of the salty ocean breeze on her bare back, letting way for goosebumps to cover the rest of the exposed skin. Her legs and feet were spared the cold thanks to her frayed, light wash skinny jeans and trusty pair of Adidas sneakers, but not her upper torso. Was the backless, deep V-neck, silver sequin top a little too revealing? Her father and Luca would certainly think so. But, hey! Father Dearest was thousands of miles away, Luca was no longer in the picture, and Lottie was feeling fucking rebellious. How else was she supposed to snag herself a new guy to mess around with at a place like this? By covering up like she lived right in the middle of Amish county? Not in a million years. The revealing, risqué top was sure to produce the desired results in the end: Lottie was sure of it.

It was easy enough to find the location of the bonfire: just follow the raging music and find the crowd. The short blonde soon found herself right in the middle of the action, and she took a few minutes to drink in the scene and dance along to the blasting music before heading to the VIP area. Her brown eyes scanned the significantly less crowded location, and it wasn’t long until they fell on the face of a tall, handsome, wild-haired young man sitting at the bar.

“Theoooooooooooo~!” the short girl cried out, running to her big cousin, plopping herself in his lap. “I’ve missed you, T! How are you?” she told him a little more loudly than she normally would, her words slurring a little.

Her alcohol-contaminated brain was giving her tunnel vision, and it was taking more than the usual few seconds to process her surroundings. That’s why it was some time later that she finally noticed the other two people in her immediate vicinity. But as soon as she did and put a name to the faces, Charlotte had jumped up from Theo’s lap and was letting out an excited squeal.

“Indiiiiieeeeee~! Micheeeeeellllll~! Man, it’s so good to see both of you again! I can’t wait to be in the middle of this sex sandwich again!” she blurted out excitedly, wrapping one of her slender arms around each of her friends and bringing them together for a tight group hug.