nothin' better to do

"i think you might need to." she smirks, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face, admiring the matching blonde strands to hers. "i think there's some things we can sneak away for. enjoy our last bit of company together." her fingers lingers against charlie's skin, before she leans in to press a soft, almost delicate, kiss to her cheek, pulling back with a smirk. "you good with that?"

a wicked grin spread across her face - finally, something fun at this dumb party. "why don't you come find me in a little bit? i'd be more than happy to jog your memory." she drained her champagne flute and set it on a passing waiter's tray, engaged now that she had something to do. "pretend it's hide and seek." because wasn't everything a bit more fun when it was a game? "come find me."

it wasn't an quiet acceptance, but a pleading and groveling and waitlisted sort of acceptance. but like everything, it worked out in her favor. ida always made sure of that. to get her way. "shhh, have to pretend like i don't have a big head." she laughs, leaning back into nova's space, eyes tracing over his face. it's fun to pretend, to act like they're more connected than they are, ida just pulling nova into her life to spite link, because frankly link didn't deserve to be followed around and loved by someone like nova. "good, and if you aren't having fun. just do something i would do, or come find me." she laughs, leaning in to whisper the words before pulling away again. "it's always a pleasure to see you nova dodson."

"And for whose sake would you ever do that?" She leans into their orbit and it's clear they're latched onto the bait, perhaps too content to have her so close. "Do something you would do." A repetition of the words as if they need considering, as if Nova wasn't capable of that and possibly more. Dark orbs remained trained on her, noting the distance beginning to divide them and before she can drift away, before she can disappear entirely, his hand grasps her hip and tug her back, shamelessly colliding his lips with her own. He doesn't care about the faculty, the parents, the families talking and moving in the space around them. Do something I would do; it's not long, a moment, sustained enough to make a point, to assert he'll do just that, but quick enough to not draw too many eyes. Then he released her again, expression proclaiming he was satisfied. "Always a pleasure to see you...Ida Clarke."

For as wolfish as her grin was, Monty found himself returning it, equal parts reflexive and truly feeling it, too, unable to take Ida's namedrop of G all that seriously. Not now. Not when they were surrounded by the oblivious relatives of perhaps even more so oblivious students. It was weird to think how many people in this room were only shook by what was revealed in the headlines; Greer missing for nearly a year and Penny's unfortunate accident. But they'd made it. The year was ending and they'd survived.

"why not monty? i think they could be cute." she laughs, shaking her head at him. thinking logically, made sense why monty wouldn't want kids. better yet it was way too early for any of them to be making those sort of decisions. at least they shouldn't. she can't help but laugh, tapping his arm in a friendly manner. "that's exactly my plan, i think the world could benefit from a few more me's." she teases, raising her eyebrows at him. it was true, she wanted a lasting legacy, and that meant having others there to carry it on for her. finish things that maybe she couldn't. "i don't think either of us are babe." she sighs, "but doesn't mean we can't find god's favor." there's some quote out there about lucifer being an angel too, but it feels overdone and overrated. "continue havin' fun for me aight?"

would she? it was true that she had probably fifteen other blondes in her phone who would pick up a 3am call from her, and she couldn't lie about it. and yet there was something special about ida, something she had a feeling she'd be looking for in a lot of other women. "well, you know me," charlie smiled enigmatically. yes, ida knew her. "oh, i don't know," she teased. "you can't use your imagination? or do i need to... stimulate it?"

"i think you might need to." she smirks, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face, admiring the matching blonde strands to hers. "i think there's some things we can sneak away for. enjoy our last bit of company together." her fingers lingers against charlie's skin, before she leans in to press a soft, almost delicate, kiss to her cheek, pulling back with a smirk. "you good with that?"

It's a lie, they both know it, the likelihood of Ida ever gracing their life again resting at a painfully low percentage. It doesn't mean they both can't enjoy it; the idea, the teasing, the way she dances a mere finger into his space only to pull away again. There's the urge to catch her hand, to pull her close, to make more out of what may be their last encounter but the words that come from her catch him short. "New Haven?" A lift of dark brows, dazzled by what she's implying. "Ida Clarke quietly getting accepted into Yale?" And he wouldn't be so sure of it if she wasn't being so coy, if she were anyone else. "You are full of mysteries and I am impressed." Like a dog that couldn't quite catch a bone, wanting to chase until he got all the answers. "I promise you that I will always have a little fun."

it wasn't an quiet acceptance, but a pleading and groveling and waitlisted sort of acceptance. but like everything, it worked out in her favor. ida always made sure of that. to get her way. "shhh, have to pretend like i don't have a big head." she laughs, leaning back into nova's space, eyes tracing over his face. it's fun to pretend, to act like they're more connected than they are, ida just pulling nova into her life to spite link, because frankly link didn't deserve to be followed around and loved by someone like nova. "good, and if you aren't having fun. just do something i would do, or come find me." she laughs, leaning in to whisper the words before pulling away again. "it's always a pleasure to see you nova dodson."

His gaze shifted, sliding from the gleaming Gucci belt to the next victims Ida had set her sights on. He nodded without having to put much thought into it. "I think you're right again," Monty agreed, a teasing little quirk working at the corner of his mouth, eyes cutting to the blonde. He was starting to wonder if her estimations of wealth could only be applied to people, or if her scope went wider than that, but before he could ask, Ida's question hit hard: What are we?

she watches him carefully as her gaze pulls from the crowd. she caught him off-guard. because someone like monty wasn't supposed to be here. someone like her isn't either, but ida has made it sure that she did belong there. there at ogden and more. "i'm glad you are here though, makes it more exciting." she teases, barely moving as he shifts, taking her arm away from him and now crossing over her chest. "to life? to ogden? to g?" she smiles, teeth baring as she looked over at him. a small joke, but he's right. they are spectators. and ida doesn't want to be a spectator anymore, she is determined not to be. "you gonna come back when your kids graduate here? show off your new found wealth?" she will, she'll be invited back just like that god-awful donovan hart. and she'll be hotter.

Monty grinned, wide and self-satisfied to have an opponent for the evening. Even more so, he was looking forward to finding out how Ida saw the room, rocking on his heels briefly before sidling up closer to her, gaze tracing after her subtle gestures. First the mother, then the son -- he let out a snort without meaning to, watching as the guy smelled his breath again, as if on cue, just for them to observe. "Oooh," he cooed, impressed while his head angled back in Ida's direction, eyebrows lifting. "We're going geographical, too? I might have to rethink my scoring system… Why d'you think Dallas? Caught their accent?" Monty glanced away, eyes bouncing around the room in thought, trying to pick a target for himself. What appeared to be a mother and daughter entered the room in tandem, neatly put together, but he zeroed in on one detail. "Gucci belt." He outright pointed at the girl who must've been a senior, looking to Ida again. "Way dated, too influencer." It looked brand new, too, which seemed like a try-hard move, or potentially even a long-awaited graduation gift. "Not oil money. Probably a scholarship student," he declared. If Monty could recognize the label, then it wasn't worth the inflated price tag.

"dallas people are never shy about their money. check the blatant louis purse, and the teases hair and just the...you know dallas when you see dallas monty." she teases, lightly shoving his shoulder as she followed his eyes to their new victims. ah yes, new money, fake money, pretending money. always easy to tell. "ohhh i see what you're getting at." she nods. "for sure, new england money? they whisper scream." she points out, the elegance in which they move, the way that everything they own is expensive but you couldn't always tell right away. it all was exhausting. and where ida wanted to be. "and then there's us monty...what are we here?" she sighs, elbow now on his shoulder as she leaned against him.

"ogden couldn't lose us both the same year. they're having me take a victory lap." she delivered this with a practiced, smooth smile, and hardly grit her teeth at all. this was fine. fine! "but i should be out by christmas, and then we can gallivant wherever we so choose," she slung her arms around ida's waist. "i have no idea what i am going to do without you, but i know it's not going to be fun." she wasn't sentimental, and she hadn't banked on this, how much it sucked to realize ida just wasn't going to be around next fall. "so... maybe we should focus on fun before you run out on me."

"oh, they just couldn't get enough of you." she beams, leaning into charlie's touch. how funny, the sadness that threatened to overwhelm her when thinking about leaving charlie. but it wasn't leaving, she was sure the two would find ways to gossip and cause havoc and admire their reflections together. "oh please, you'll replace with me with another hot blonde. i know your type." ida teases, reaching up to lightly pinch her cheeks. "of course, of course, we're always fun together." which is true, ida always has a great time with charlie. narcissists at their finest. "what kind of fun are you lookin' for missy?" she questions through her southern drawl.

"What?" Ollie said, eyes brightening a little at the news, "no shit? Girl I would have been bragging about that literally all year," yale was a pretty big fucking deal, "congratulations. And good luck to them when you show up on their doorstep." His mouth quirked into a grin, and gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "I'll manage to survive just fine, don't worry about me. But…" Ollie paused a moment. No, he wouldn't miss Ida when she was gone, but there was something that would be missing without her here. He did love to have someone to have petty backhanded banter with, after all. "I'll have too easy of a time without you here. Kinda sad." He glanced over his shoulder catching sight of the Dean and ducking his head a little. "I should bounce. Don't miss me too much when you're gone, okay? I know I will not."

"i can be humble, despite what others say." ida smirks, leaving out that she had been waitlisted and it took major convincing and groveling to be allowed into the program because of...well everything happening at ogden. "oh, i'm sure there's someone who will give you a good run for you money ollie. there always is." she teases, patting his shoulder as he turns, ducking away from the sight of the dean. "i won't miss you at all ollie. but thanks for missing me."

as much as ida liked to pursue others, to be the convincer, it was just as exhilarating to be the one pursued. she let her eyes trail over anya, not shy, but they weren't either. making the most out of a rather boring and stressful night if ida was being honest. "i think we're on the same page." she smiles, leaning in as an arm hooks around their waist, the other hand reaching up to lightly cup her chin and meet them for a kiss. one that started soft, but ida was no soft person so it didn't stay there as she deepened in, ignoring everything else for this moment.

"Good." They break apart from her for a moment then, using her thumb to brush a stray lock of hair out of Ida's face. It's only a fraction of a second that they are apart, but it feels like it stretches on for eternity. And before she can talk herself out of it, they let themself melt into the other anew.

Anya takes a step towards them then, closing what little personal space had separated the two. "I get the sense I might already be one." Maybe it's the drinks. Maybe it's a spur-of-the-moment thing. Or maybe it's the undeniable little spark of something every time they speak. But what did it matter - the end result was the same: Anya, with their hand in Ida's hair, pulling her in for a kiss. "But I also think we've done enough talking, don't you think?"

as much as ida liked to pursue others, to be the convincer, it was just as exhilarating to be the one pursued. she let her eyes trail over anya, not shy, but they weren't either. making the most out of a rather boring and stressful night if ida was being honest. "i think we're on the same page." she smiles, leaning in as an arm hooks around their waist, the other hand reaching up to lightly cup her chin and meet them for a kiss. one that started soft, but ida was no soft person so it didn't stay there as she deepened in, ignoring everything else for this moment.

"My, my...aren't you a sight for sore eyes." A statement he doesn't hesitate to make clear he stands by in action as well, turning to more properly face her, allowing his dark orbs to shamelessly trace down the entirety of her frame, slowly and purposefully, before back up again. How and why did she always look so good? "Miss you?" Their tone implies offence, but not for the reasons one might suspect. "And here I was foolishly thinking you wouldn't allow me the chance to miss you — stop by unannounced, invite me to visit you on whatever exhilarating endeavors you're embarking on." A tsk of disappointment, head shaking as he leans back in defeat. "A future at Ogden without Ida Clarke is a dreadfully, dreadfully boring future indeed."

"oh, you're right." ida corrects herself, shamelessly batting her eyelashes at him. "i'll come visit you every chance i get, make this trip just for you and your only." she reaches out to tap his nose lightly, the soft wave of sadness brushing over her. maybe there will be people here she will miss, people that made her life better. "you're welcome anytime down to new haven, where i will be." she pretends like she's not bragging, but she is. "i'm sure you'll have your hands full without me next year, but make sure you have a lil fun mmk?"

charlie was in a uncharacteristically sour mood - parents, graduation, and faculty-sponsored parties were three of her least favorite things at the moment, constant reminders of failure. "oh, you haven't heard? graduation is so out." she had a hunch by this time next year, it might be back in again. "but i'm sure you'll give us in the audience a good show anyways," she purred. "don't know what we're gonna do without you here."

"are you fuckin' kiddin' me?" ida stepped back, mouth open with shall and very clearly appalled. "you're not graduatin' with me and we're not runnin' off together?" she should have known, but per usual ida had been caught up with own graduation she just assumed charlie was the same way. "wow, if i'd known that i would've done the first year of my program here or somethin'." she shakes her head, stepping back closer to her fellow blonde. "you're gonna have an awful year without me, i can already tell you that." she teases, leaning in to admire charlie briefly. "just say you'll miss me too mkay?"

Would the Dean even want him here? No, probably not, but as long as he didn't see him Ollie would go in and eat his food, and use his bathroom. He was stocking up on handfuls of food when Ida came over, turning to look at her and blinking a few times. "God, I fucking hope so," he muttered, "I do not want to spend any extra years here if I can help it." He might have joked with Monty at the beginning of the year how maybe he will fail so they end up in the same class. But his feelings at the beginning of the year, and his feels now were completely different about this place. "You're lucky, getting out of this place intact," he said, holding up his hand stuffed with cheese puffs offering one to Ida. "What's the plans next? Off to take over the world?"

"lucky? or have i just made the right choices?" ida smirks, looking down at his hand and slipping out a cheese puff. she delicately puts it in her mouth, as if she had more class and sense and elegance than she really did. she could learn it, had learned it, would learn it. "of course i'm taking over the world ollie, it's been my plan since i was seven." she joked with a chuckle, brushing her hands together. but that was partially true. "off to a phd program actually, yale." she acts as if it's nothing. a small swish of her hand. "in some weird way, i'll miss this place." she offers, but it's not weird. she knows she will. and she'll miss it desperately though she'll spend time pretending she doesn't. "you gonna survive and thrive without me then?"

Excluding the whole anonymous blackmailer who held their secrets over their heads for their own gain? But that went without saying, so she didn't. Instead, she shrugged a shoulder demurely. Tonight, she would put Ollie's advice to good use. She would just pretend she was the girl she wanted to be. More so than she already did. Tonight, she was confident, she was flirty, she was unpredictable. If G was trying to take something from her— her secrets, her comfort, her safety— then she'd take something of her own in return. "Hmm. A dance with the prettiest girl in the room would probably be a good start." She paused as her lips curled into a smile. "I think you could help me with that, yeah."

a small snort left ida as nat laid on the cheesy line. but still, she was vain so of course she adored compliments like that. she didn't care if people thought they were true (though they would be wrong to think otherwise), it tickled her ego in just the right way to hear them. "why, charmin' and hot? nat you're just checkin' all the right boxes tonight." she teases, arm moving to wrap around her waist as ida pulled her closer, leading the two toward the dance floor. "you've got moves that could put a man in a coma don'tcha?"