paradise players.

he slowly sat forward. "...what do you mean you locked him on a roof? like a metaphorical roof? or a real, actual, physical roof?" the second her expression answered the question, he threw his head back and laughed. "no, why does every single person in this villa keeps escalating this game. first we had a vip birthday cheater, second we had arson, now we've got unlawful rooftop imprisonment." he ran his hand through his hair. "i was expecting stories about drunk texts and toxic rebounds. you people are confessing crimes." he grin remained. "also, let's talk about the fact that you said i let him off easy with your whole chest. odessa, that's the sentence a bond villain says before feeding somebody to sharks. and the blackmail material? now we're getting somewhere. normal people get cheated on and move on. you got cheated on and decided to create a classified archive. i don't know whether to be impressed or terrified. actually, i do. i'm terrified."

"I can't give it any more energy than I already have, but I do appreciate your anger and frustration for it." It took her a while to get over the whole ordeal, but she released that relationship to the ether and promised herself that the next time she'd do anything of that magnitude for someone else, she would need a ring on her finger. Even that wasn't foolproof. "Jett, I can't give someone my time, emotion, and energy who clearly did not give a fuck about me in the first place. Why would I ruminate on it? What good does that do?" Perhaps that's why Jett struggled with relationships, or the man was just truly headstrong and a spitfire when unnerved. "Ah, a motorcycle boy...that breeds its own set of problems. Did they key it cause you loved your bike more than them?" she smirks, trying to rile him up a bit more. She appreciated his energy towards her hurt, but she didn't need him to burst his blood cells for it. "That lady is my cousin, and she'd do anything for me, but yes."

"that's annoyingly healthy." he laughed. "no seriously, you're right." his shoulders lifted. "ruminating doesn't change the outcome. doesn't make him less of a dick, but i get what you're saying. at some point you either let people keep taking up space in your head rent-free, or you decide they don't deserve the real estate." that sounded suspiciously wise for jett sterling. then came the motorcycle comment. "absolutely not. this is the stereotype that's ruining lives. people hear motorcycle and suddenly i'm some emotionally unavailable dude named tyler who only communicates through revving an engine. she keyed it because she found out i was dating someone else, after we'd been broken up for six months. and she was seeing somebody too. so either she was deeply in love with me or she just really hated that motorcycle."

"The last three minutes of our conversation didn't happen. Not that label, nor my misjudgment about a certain woman in the villa who may smother me in my sleep," he confirms. Swiftly as the suggestion rolled off his tongue, the concept became obsolete. "Agree, agree, and damn, your assessment is on target. I don't know if I want to know what you really think about me, T." Clearly, the woman was far more observant than he took at face value, but if nothing romantically came out of whatever relationship they built here, Cam made a note to have her do a psychoanalysis on some people back home. "Just out of curiosity, what do you do for work?" As her gaze narrowed towards him, he felt like he was under a microscope. "You know you're lowkey scary. In the best of ways," he starts before admitting his own thoughts. "Feel like Candy and Sutton may be best friends or rivals. King will probably be the first guy to make a move, and all the Florida people know each other but won't admit to it."

"nope, too late." she laughed. "you put america's sweetheart into the universe. that's between you and god now." the grin on her face got bigger when he started agreeing with her observations. "oh, so now i'm on target? interesting. very interesting." when he called her scary, she gasped. "me? scary? cameron, i literally made everyone write predictions on sticky notes. okay, maybe that's a little scary." his question about work pulled a smile from her. "i'm a florist. i own a flower shop back in san francisco. which is why i spend all day watching people. folks buying flowers tell you everything. who forgot an anniversary, who's apologizing, who's in love, who's trying to get laid." the last part came with a laugh. "but enough about me, what about you?"

"i still stand by answer, but now i'm going to add to it to say that i think the villain edit will also be for whoever gets a no match in the truth booth but will still continue to be with them. i know my sisters were aggravated by that one couple in the previous season, because really, how hard is it to just follow the team? it's not like you can't keep exploring that after the whole thing is over and the fact that the one guy who actively wanted to win was being made out to be the bad guy in that whole situation? ridiculous." king said, shrugging slightly before holding his hands up. "alright, alright, you caught me. first kiss... i think that depends." he murmured, his eyes flicking towards her, staying there for a beat too long. "still brad and candy, if i'm being serious but if we're taking those two off the table... i probably wouldn't make a huge thing out of it, so i guess i'm going to say me?" king said, his laugh playful but coming with that easy confidence. "by the end of this, i bet we all would have kissed each other." he added. "i also think people overcomplicate it. i think it's easy to just look at someone..." king murmured, reaching out to hold her hand and to put the pen down, before moving his hand up to push a strand of her hair away from her face. "to tell them they're so beautiful." he said, leaning in slightly, his voice low. "to lean in and ask... 'do you want me to'?" a breath as his eyes moved down to look at her lips before moving back up to meet her eyes and smiling as he stepped back like he hadn't done anything. "see? smooth. respectful. efficient."

for a second, she completely forgot what they were talking about. the sticky note she'd been holding nearly slipped from her fingers. then he stepped back, and suddenly she remembered how to breathe again. "kingston ryder." she pointed the pen at him. "that was cheating." a smile was already threatening to break across her face. "you can't answer a hypothetical question by turning it into a live demonstration. that's not how this game works." still, the pink creeping into her cheeks wasn't exactly helping her argument. "and for the record, that wasn't smooth, respectful, and efficient, it was annoyingly effective. oh, i hate that i just said that." she laughed as she covered part of her face with one hand. "you know what? i'm revising my predictions. kingston ryder is now officially on my list of people most likely to get away with absolute bullshit this season. if that's what you're doing on day one, i fear for the rest of us."

candy was already laughing before he finished, shoulders shaking as she pointed at him. "see? this is why i said you didn’t wanna play with me." she said, snorting out a laugh. "you know what's even worse? some people who are no longer my friends told me i was being dramatic for going so far as to get him arrested, as if he literally didn't just burn part of our house down." candy rolled her eyes. "yes, he started with my closet! with my shoes! i mourn them everyday." she muttered, shaking her head. "the motorcycle thing still counts. that's still destruction of property and also, like, c'mon, after six months? you still want to take time out of you day just to do that? like, that’s enough time to get over someone, start therapy, learn pottery, anything else. and the fact she specifically waited until she found out you moved on? that's so sus." candy added, letting out another laugh. "but let's be clear here. i'm still the scary one in relationships. no arson, no theft, but i know myself well enough to say that my toxic trait is leaving things as soon as it starts to get real and i can move on just like that." she said, snapping her fingers. "not exactly something to be proud of but hey, apparently, for some people, that's worse than a whole crime."

"THANK YOU. that's what i'm saying." he sat forward in his chair. "the man committed a felony and somehow you were the dramatic one? people will really look at a burning closet and be like, 'okay, but let's hear both sides.' and your shoes, not the shoes. now i'm mad all over again." when she mentioned his ex, he snorted. "right? six months!" his hands flew up. "at that point you're not heartbroken anymore, you're doing a side quest. like girl, please find a hobby. learn a language, start crocheting. why are you outside my apartment conducting forensic investigations into my dating life?" but it was her last confession that caught him. "ah. see, now that sounds familiar. the whole 'leave before it gets real' thing. that's way scarier than people think. everyone expects the trainwreck, nobody expects the person who's already emotionally halfway out the door before the relationship even has a chance." he looked down at his drink before shaking his head. "that's kind of my thing too. damn." he pointed between them. "we might actually be the problem. that's sick. i liked it better when we were blaming the arsonist."

"again, self-awareness. that means you're not completely hopeless." kaan said, the corner of his mouth pulling up slightly. "but... you noticing the pattern doesn’t automatically mean you get points for it, because i think there’s a difference between self-awareness and accountability for being a selfish asshole. so, is this it then? are you on national tv for your repentance? or are you just trying to save face? or are you actually here to meet someone, knowing you can't run away until after the show's over?" kaan asked bluntly, his no-nonsense approach to things taking over, which probably is for the best. jett doesn't seem the type to listen to a talk that's erring more on the emotional end. "no excuse here. i'm literally here to try to see if i can find a wife. i think dating apps are useless and a waste of time, and i also don't get enough opportunities to just organically meet someone outside of work. i don't mix business and pleasure so that completely erases pretty much everybody i talk to outside of friends, and i figured, why not? it's crazy, but maybe i need crazy, you know?" kaan muttered before shrugging. "you got your eye on anybody here yet? and no, bullshit. i genuinely want to know."

"you really don't let people get away with shit, do you? you're right, self-awareness is cheap. i've known i'm a problem for years, didn't exactly stop me from being one. so no, i'm not here for some grand redemption arc. and if i was, i'd probably fail. reality tv doesn't exactly scream personal growth." he grinned. "but i am tired. tired of doing the same shit, tired of meeting someone great and immediately looking for the exit sign the second it starts getting real. so maybe i'm here because i ran out of excuses, or maybe barcelona was free and i'm full of shit. jury's still out." when kaan answered, he let out a laugh. "that's somehow crazier than my reason. you really showed up like, yes, hello, i'd like one wife please." his impression of kaan was terrible on purpose. "efficient, respectable, slightly terrifying." then came kaan's question, and his gaze drifted across the villa. "yeah, couple people. valentina's impossible not to notice, that's just objective fact. lex caught me off guard. she's got this whole hopeless romantic thing going on that should annoy the fuck out of me, but somehow it doesn't." he looked back at kaan. "there, i answered. now you tell me who you're looking at before i start assuming you're secretly in love with your spreadsheet."

lex grinned as she also leaned back against the headboard, feeling more comfortable. "don't tell me you're a modest man, jett." she teased him before letting out a laugh. "as someone who actually writes romance books, a story is exactly what you would want, though. like, i don’t think people necessarily want crazy stories, but i do think they want stories that feel intentional. they want things that'll make them believe in fate being real." lex murmured, pulling both knees up to her chest as she turned towards him. "like… nobody really dreams about meeting someone in a grocery store aisle or on a dating app, but then things like that happen, people fall in love and they retell it like fate was involved, because i think there's a comfort in thinking that everything happens the way it's supposed to, and all the past shit would have been worth it.” she said, smiling slightly. "so maybe it’s less about where you meet and more about whether somebody makes the story worth telling. that being said... i think the show itself can be romantic. boom boom room? maybe not so much, but... there's still romance in saying there was a time you had to find your perfect match. imagine ending up with your perfect match? or, think about this, falling in love with someone who's not your perfect match? going through adversity and still coming out of it stronger and together? now, that's romance."

he was quiet when she finished, which for him, was rare. his eyes stayed on her, the usual joke already sitting on the tip of his tongue, but somehow it didn't make it out. "that's the kind of shit that gets people hurt." he rubbed a hand over his jaw. "that's exactly how people end up convincing themselves to stay. they tell themselves the story matters, that the struggle means something, that if they can just get through one more bad chapter, it'll all be worth it because fate or destiny or whatever the hell finally brought them to the right person. meanwhile, i'm over here sounding like the world's most cynical hallmark movie." but he wasn't dismissing what she'd said. "you know what's funny? i don't think I've ever thought about it that way. the idea that people rewrite the story afterward. you're right. nobody tells their friends they met the love of their life because they accidentally reached for the same carton of milk, but give it twenty years and suddenly it's the universe brought us together in aisle seven." he grinned. "jesus, you really do write romance novels. that being said, if my future wife tells people we met in the boom boom room, i'm filing for divorce on principle."

"Honestly, the villain music would just make you that more alluring, I'm not gonna lie." A part of him hoped they would slice this conversation and give said edit whenever they showed it to the public. Cam couldn't help but stifle a laugh as Tala gave her opinion on his take on what may occur in the villa. "Maybe I'll have to scrap the latter. Don't think I want to sleep with one eye open." He couldn't help but throw his hands up in defense at the visceral reaction to the suggested title. "Hey, hey, hey! Fine, I take it back. We don't need pressure, we're in a beautiful villa in Spain where we get to relax, play, and have fun." It was just an observation, and he would be shocked if she didn't get called something similarly. "I may be the social butterfly of my friend group, so that fits," he laughs. "Any other observations about our fellow villa mates?"

"i tell you i'm terrified of being america's sweetheart and your response is basically, okay, let's not manifest that shit. that's very social butterfly of you." at his question, her eyes drifted around the villa. "hmm." the sound left her thoughtfully. "i think kaan is nicer than people think he is. i think jett is exactly as much of a disaster as he claims to be. i think lex is going to get her heart broken if we're not careful with her. she's the kind of person that makes you want to put a helmet on her before she starts dating. and i think brad is either going to accidentally become the main character of the season or accidentally burn the villa down trying to make toast. no in between." she narrowed her eyes at him. "but you're avoiding giving me your observations, which means you've already got them and you're trying not to be messy. c'mon, social butterfly, give me the gossip."

"phew," he released a breath at the comment, glad it probably was the least embarrassing thing he could do on live television in hindsight compared to what else the season most likely has in store. "well, what bad decisions do you have on the bingo card for the season? it doesn't have to be yours, just something wild that you think may or may not happen."

"oh, that's easy. someone is one hundred percent going to convince themselves they're in love after, like, forty-eight hours. not a crush, not infatuation, full-on i've never felt this way before energy. someone's going to leave their perfect match for someone they're wildly attracted to and regret it immediately. and at least one person in this villa is going to ignore every red flag known to mankind because the other person is hot. actually, scratch that, that's probably going to be multiple people." the grin she gave him was unapologetic. "we're trapped in a villa in barcelona with unlimited alcohol and a bunch of people who literally got cast because they suck at relationships. the odds aren't exactly in our favor. my personal favorite prediction? somebody's going to swear they hate someone during week one and then end up making out with them by week four. that's reality television law, it happens every season."

"Yes. He was a bit irritated that I didn't want to sleep with him that night, so that's what he resorted to." Months of planning this surprise event, and just because she didn't want to put out, she was cheated on. Valentina was more than used to this reaction when sharing this story. "Everyone was so blindly loyal to him, I even was for so long...they just brush away his wrongs because of the access and wealth he had." It was a glamorous life. They weren't celebrities by any means, but he was well known around Miami and the music industry. She should have seen the darkness that warped his world, but she stupidly thought herself to be in love. "Guess you can't top that, huh?" she asks, reaching for her glass. "If you have any more inquiries, you can contact my lawyer."

"yeah, no. every additional detail somehow makes it worse. the fact that this man threw away a vip birthday weekend because you didn't want to sleep with him that night is actually fucking insane. and the people around him defending it because he had money? that's the part that pisses me off the most, honestly. people will excuse damn near anything when somebody's rich enough, famous enough, or useful enough to them." his jaw tightened briefly before he looked back at her. "you know what's wild? the way you're telling this story. i can tell you've had to explain it so many times that you've reached the stage where you're almost casual about it, and that's bullshit." he smiled again in an attempt to lighten the mood. "but no, i definitely can't top that." he held his hands up in surrender. "my ex story was gonna be about a motorcycle and some property damage. compared to yours, i sound like i got cheated on by a disney channel character." when she mentioned her lawyer, he laughed. "oh, your lawyer is exhausted, isn't he? that man sees your number pop up and immediately pours himself a drink."

he stared at her, blinking once, twice, then slowly lowering his drink. "...candy, your ex committed arson. you didn't win this game, you ended the game." he looked around at the people nearby. "guys, pack it up. we're done here. nobody's topping my ex burned down my fucking house." a hand ran down his face. "and he started with your closet? that's some supervillain shit. no, because that's actually insane. that's not an ex story, that's a dateline episode." he pointed at her. "getting him arrested wasn't toxic. that's called being a responsible member of society." he shook his head. "i was about to tell a funny story about an ex keying my motorcycle because she found out i was seeing someone else after we'd been broken up for six months, now i sound like i got a parking ticket. jesus christ. remind me never to piss off whoever you're dating next."

"at least you're self-aware?" kaan said after a moment of silence as he made a face. "and let me guess, you're here because... what? you got dared to?"

he laughed into his drink. "that's probably the nicest way anyone's ever responded to that answer. most people hear selfish asshole and immediately start backing away slowly." he smiled faintly. "and no, i didn't get dared to. i came because every relationship i've ever had follows the exact same pattern. i meet someone, things are great, they get attached, i panic, i blow it up, then i spend six months pretending i don't care before realizing i absolutely did. rinse and repeat. so i figured maybe the problem isn't that i keep meeting the wrong people, maybe the problem is me." he fully smiled before it got too serious. "plus, a free trip to barcelona felt like a pretty solid bonus. what's your excuse, billionaire batman?"

"oh, i wouldn't tell anybody i know in real life that at all. i'm going to try to pretend this room doesn't even exist." lex said with a laugh. "figured i should explore it now before it gets used." she added before showing jett a small smile. "but telling your kids you met their dad on a dating show doesn't sound... as bad? some people might even find it romantic, you know."

"that's where you and I are different." he leaned back against the headboard, stretching his legs out in front of him. "if i met my wife on a dating show, i'd never shut the fuck up about it. i'd make it everybody's problem. first date? dating show. wedding speech? dating show. kids ask how we met? sit down, because dad's got eight seasons of lore to explain. the boom boom room part, though? yeah, we're taking that shit to the grave." he paused. "actually, no. knowing me, it'd accidentally slip out at thanksgiving twenty years later." he looked over at lex. "but i don't know, i think people like the idea of meeting someone in a crazy way. everybody's always chasing some story worth telling. if my soulmate is in this house though, i'd prefer our story starts somewhere slightly more romantic than a room named after a middle school euphemism."

"mm, would you fault me if i said it seems a bit of a...pretentious choice?" she followed it with a considering look at his posture, as if she could consider the answer based on his demeanor. "maybe you're trying to be mysterious, at ease and comfortable in this setting, with an 'i don't care attitude', but i have a feeling there's more that meets the eye."

he laughed. "jesus, pretentious? here i was thinking i sounded rugged and masculine. no, that's fair. i'd probably think the same thing if some guy walked up to me and ordered whiskey neat while standing around a villa in barcelona, but i think you've got me backwards. i'm not trying to look like i don't care. i care way too fucking much, that's usually the problem. the mysterious thing is mostly an accident. turns out when you're honest about the messy parts of yourself, people either get attached real quick or run for the hills." his eyes narrowed playfully and he took a step closer, pointing at her drink. "you psychoanalyzed mine, now let's hear yours. let's see if the doctor can survive her own diagnosis."

she lost it at eye fucking. "oh my god, king." she laughed so hard she nearly dropped the sticky notes she'd been organizing. "and this is why i started this game, nobody is giving me normal answers." she glanced over toward the pair in question before looking back at him. "honestly? that's not even a bad prediction, but kaan getting the villain edit is interesting." a thoughtful hum escaped her. "i don't actually think he's a villain, i think he's one of those people who's super blunt and says the thing everyone else is thinking, which reality tv audiences either love or absolutely hate." she pointed the pen at him. "and don't think i didn't notice you dodging the first kiss question. that's the juicy one." leaning against the counter, she tilted her head. "come on, kingston. put your money where your mouth is. who's kissing who first?" the grin that followed was pure trouble. "if you say brad and candy again, that's cheating."

"This sounds like an awful idea coming from," you she smirks, helping herself to the lounge chair next to the man. He screamed, black sheep with a mixture of mama’s boy. Either way, she was planning to have fun with one if she could. "I'm not the problem," she corrects quickly, putting her hand out. "I know when I've overstepped, but the issue is boys pretending to be men." At least in her circumstance.

he was halfway through taking a sip of his drink when she finished her story. he almost spit it back out. "WHAAAT?" his voice echoed loud enough that a few nearby people turned to look. he sat up straighter in the chair, staring at her in genuine disbelief. "no, hold on, hold on. you're telling me you planned this man a whole ass dream birthday, got him courtside, vip treatment, private suite, flew out friends and family and he repaid you by hooking up with his ex in the pool house? and her husband was on the trip?" his jaw dropped. "forget are you the one, what the fuck kind of reality show were they filming?" a laugh escaped him. "and they called you dramatic?" he looked around as if searching for backup from the villa. "guys, am I losing my mind? that's like the one scenario where waking everybody up is the correct response." he shook his head. "nah, i'd have turned that birthday weekend into the hunger games. actually, scratch that, you're a better person than me because somebody would've been swimming home."

"Oh...please tell me you're not some producer plant?" It was a pretty interesting suggestion. He was totally down for this idea. Besides, who could say no with the aura that she carries, unless they were truly having an off day or were simply just an unpleasant individual? "I feel like Valentina may be the first to cry...may be first kiss too," he chuckles as he writes it down. "Think you could be America's sweetheart."

"cameron, if i'm a producer plant, they're not paying me nearly enough. i'd at least need a secret earpiece and villain music every time i walked into a room." a laugh escaped her as she peeked over at what he'd written. "valentina being first kiss is actually a solid prediction. first to cry is wild, though. she'd beat your ass if she heard that." when he mentioned america's sweetheart, she groaned. "no." her face disappeared into her hands for a second. "do you know how much pressure comes with that title? america's sweetheart gets cheated on in week six and everybody starts writing think pieces." she smiled when she looked back at him. "you're giving off strong 'accidentally becomes everyone's favorite guy in the house' energy."