* 𝕃𝕆𝕊𝕋   /  𝕊𝕆ℕ𝔾 .

⏤⏤   “Well what can I say?” Miko laughs, “I’m a man of the classics. You look stunning, too.” Miko can always find himself comfortable anywhere, but it’s a different sense of comfort when he’s with Rom, a breath of fresh air from conversing with new people, he’s glad he found him.  At the question raised regarding his date, Miko finds himself grimacing as his shoulders come up in a shrug. “You know, that’s a question I would love to be answered too.” He jokes. “Kidding, they texted me a while ago saying they’re sorry and found the guy they liked here. And you know what, that happens sometimes! I’m good though, I got the number of this… I don’t know exactly what they do but they have fans apparently.” Where he’s always a natural when it comes to parties, Miko knows that Rom isn’t so much for it. He moves his hand so it’s massaging the back of Rom’s neck with slight pressure, a gesture of comfort that he hopes will translate well. “How about you? Are you doing good? Where’s your date?” 

           HE  CAN’T  HELP  BUT  chuckle  a   bit,  eyebrows  quirking  up  in  surprise.  “ really?  better  than  you? ”  one  thing  he’s  not  surprised  about  is  miko  seeming  to  get  along  well  with  other  attendees ——  that’s  exactly  the  kind  of  guy  he  is.  rom  doesn’t  mind  parties  like  this,  and  he  rarely  has  unpleasant  experiences,  but  that  doesn’t  mean  that  it  doesn’t  make  him  a  little  nervous  to  know  that  so  many  eyes  are  on  him.  always  so  consumed  by  how  others  perceive  him,  it’s  bound  to  have  a  small  effect  on  him ——  miko,  however?  not  so  much,  he’d  guess. “ oh,  wow.  at  this  rate  you’re  going  to  leave  here  being  famous,  too.  the  hot  mystery  guy  everyone  has  their  eyes  on. ”   the  touch  on  his  neck  makes  him  grimace  playfully, but  he  finds  solace  in  the  familiarity  that  it  brings  upon.  he  gives  miko’s  waist  a  small  squeeze,  lightly  bringing  him  closer.  “ somewhere  around  here——  i  didn’t  want  to  suffocate  her, ”   he  explains  with  a  shrug,  looking  over  at  him.  “  spending  all  night  with  me  when  harry  styles  and  normani  are  lurking  around  sounds  like  a  punishment. ”  and  then  another  thought  comes  to  mind,  so  he  follows  up  quickly.  “ what’re  you  doing  after  this? ”

that’s just the game, babe   /  @solitaried··  .

⁺ 𝑶    ›  he was in a good mood.  a superb mood,  if he actually had to put a word to it.  (  whether it had to do with the quick fuck with sunny or the fact that he was fairly inebriated,  ozzy didn’t take the time to theorize  )  because fact of the matter was,  he had pushed his mind of any and all possible pessimisms that could encroach on his night and instead let himself go.  (  in more ways than one  )  he could be seen, ascending from one of the hallways,  gearing to go back into the ballroom once more  ;  hand pushing his hair back, running them through the musings she had made in the moment  ;  fixing his appearance to what it once had been least he wanted serena to murder him on the spot.  now that would have been a real downer.  just as the doors open for him to re-enter,  his focus dies on the appearance on romeo from the corner of his eye and he does a double-take.  waving off the men by the door to instead, turn back around and capture his friend’s shoulders in one swoop of his arm.  “  and just where do you think you’re escaping to, rom?  don’t think you can leave me here with these wolves.  ”

          REALITY  HAS  CAUGHT  UP  WITH  HIM,  something  he  wasn’t  fully  prepared  for ——   as  always,  though,  he’ll  cope  with  it  by  pushing  it  off  as  much  as  he  can,  perhaps  until  it  all  goes  away.  (  and  it  won’t. )  the  night  is  dying  down,  and  people  have  already  begun  gossiping  about  the  event’s  happenings,  as  anyone  would  after  the  hype  it  received.  the  air  is  suddenly  much  more  suffocating  than  usual,  though,  so  the  nearest  exit  begins  to  entice  him  until  he  can’t  think  of  anything  else.  fresh  air  should  do  it,  he  thinks  to  himself,  do  away  with  how  overwhelmed  he’s  pretending  not  to  feel  and  relax  his  mind.  despite  it  all,  he  walks  with  his  usual  calm  strides,  as  though  he’s  done  this  every  night  for  years,  so  full  of  charisma  even  when  he’s  on  his  own.  his  gaze  is  set  in  front  of  him,  managing  to  avoid  making  eye  contact  with  anyone  who  could  be  looking  his  way.  lost  in  thought,  he  jumps  slightly  at  the  tug  on  his  shoulders,  eyes  widening  for  a  brief  moment  before  they  relax  once  recognition  hits.  “ you’re  going  to  hold  me  hostage,  aren’t  you? ”  he  replies  with  a  grin  tugging  at  his  lips.  “  i  almost  got  away  with  it.  ”  rom  looks  ozzy  over  curiously,  observing.  “  you  look  happy.  ”

& ( broooooooooo … ) & … @solitaried· …

⏤⏤   Champagne flute in one hand, a semi-famous celebrity’s phone number in the other… safe to say that Miko’s having a pretty splendid night despite his circumstances. Maybe losing his date so early on into the night wasn’t so bad after all. He’s making all these connections, brushed elbows with someone who looked like Harry Styles and now, maybe luck truly is on his side tonight because what better way to make his night even greater than seeing a familiar face? He throws back the last of his champagne and hands over the glass to a passing waiter as Miko makes his way to Rom. “Hey cutie,” he greets, draping an arm over his shoulders, “you come here often?” 

           IT’S  HARD  TO  TELL  whether  it’s  his  upbringing  or  the  charisma  that  everyone  admires  him  for  that  makes  navigating  an  event  like  this  only  half  as  hard  as  it  could  be.  it  has  to  be  a  combination  of  both,  but  rom  goes  with  the  former ──  even  if  there  have  been  times  in  which  he  realizes  that  he  doesn’t  necessarily  relate  to  half  of  the  people  here.  like  a  sign  of  sorts,  he  finally  comes  across  miko,  one  of  the  only  people  who  can  make  him  feel  at  home  at  a  place  like  this.  he  sets  his  own  glass  down  as  the  boy  approaches  him,  settling  for  wrapping  his  arm  around  his  waist  once  he’s  being  embraced.  “  really?  that’s  the  pick  up  line  i’m  worth?  ”  he  teases,  looking  around  them  for  a  brief  moment.  “  you  look  good.  where’s  your  date? ”    

she grins once rom realizes it’s her. “we’re sneaking in of course!” she says in a matter-of-fact way. “didn’t you miss me!” she beams. “kevin! stop! just wait over there! i’m talking to rom! ugh! you’re so annoying!!!!!” kicking kevin to give her some space. “we were trying to find the bathrooms so we can join the party, but we keep getting lost! kevin made the worst blueprints acting like he knows what he’s doing! what an idiot! this is what i get trusting an incel!” she vents ( pun intended ). “soooo how’s the party so far! probably not as fun without me, right!”

         HE  SHOULDN’T  BE  SURPRISED,  given  who  this  is,  but  compared  to  everything  he’s  seen  her  pull  before  this,  this  is  next - level,  so  it  takes  him  an  extra  moment  to  process  it  all.  still,  rom  manages  to  mask  the  panic  in  his  eyes  quite  well.  “  sneaking  in,  ”  he  repeats,  remaining  aware  of  his  surroundings.  “  with  kevin?  this  was  kevin’s  idea?  ”  the  last  bit  of  champagne  in  his  glass  is  downed  soon  after,  and  he  suddenly  finds  that  he’s  in  need  of  something  stronger.  “  it’s  okay,  not  worth  getting  arrested,  though ...  what’re  you  guys  wearing? ”

                                          **   ♕  &.  ──  ‧  ¨   ❛   sean   was   in   his   element.   sort   of.   after   arriving   at   this   new   years  party,   he   quickly   took   notice   of   the   guest   list.  one   face   in   particular   captured   his   attention      (   which   was   something   that   rarely   every   happened.      )    the   face   was   a   little   different   now.   but,   that   was   to   be   expected   after   all   this   time.   older   wasn’t   really   the   most   appropriate   way   to   describe   it.   perhaps,   more   mature.     although,      has      romeo   ever   been   mature?    he   hopes   so   as   he   ducks   behind   someone   at   the   next  table,   to   hide   behind   while   the   male   passes  by.   just   because  the   other   male   could   be   more   mature,   it   doesn’t   mean   that   he   is.   because:   he   isn’t.   in    the    slightest.

for @solitaried·

           HE  TRIES  NOT  TO  THINK  ABOUT  the  implications  of  all  of  this,  like  how  many  people  have  their  eyes  on  him,  or  the  fact  that  it’s  all  so  much  bigger  than  just  an  app  he  initially  downloaded  for  fun.  despite  what  people  may  expect  of  him,  he’s  never  been  one  to  crave  attention,  not  at  a  scale  like  this.  maybe  it’s  not  all  that  bad,  though  ;   he’s  settled  into  the  event  decently  so  far,  having  had  a  grand  total  of  zero  awkward  encounters  up  until  this  point.  then  as  he  makes  his  way  towards  his  table comes  a  brief  glimpse  of  someone  eerily  familiar,  a  reminder  of  everything  he’s  always  so  careful  to  avoid,  and  initially  high  spirits  dampen.  now’s  not  the  time  to  unpack  the  rush  of  emotions  that  come  with  it,  not  when  he’s  already  accidentally  made  eye  contact  with  sean  for  a  second  too  long  and  they’re  only  inches  away  from  one  another.  he  casts  a  tight - lipped  smile  in  his  direction,  nodding  once.  “  hey.  ”

                                             ☾  ╱  ᶜˡᵒˢᵉᵈ ˢᵗᵃʳᵗᵉʳ ᶠᵒʳ  𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐.

                    the  night  had  barely  even  begun  ,  and  violet  was  already  sure  it  would  go  down  in  history  as  one  of  her  dumbest  decisions  of  the  year.  there  was  nothing  inherently  wrong  with  attending  an  exclusive  love  alarm  badge  club  new  year’s  eve  party.  there  wasn’t  even  anything  wrong  with  going  as  someone’s  date  –––––  unless  said  date  was  the  one  guy  in  all  of  toronto  she  happened  to   share  a  long  and  complicated  past  with.  when  rom  had  invited  her ,  she’d  promised  herself  she  wouldn’t  overthink  it.  the  word  date  obviously  meant  nothing  more  than  companion  for  the  night.  they  were  just  old  friends  trying  to  remember  how  to  be  friends  again ,  really  ,  it  didn’t  have  to  be  harder  than  that.  but  one glimpse  at  him  all  dressed  up  and  she  could  feel  the  logic  exit  her  brain ,  like  it  was  oozing  out  through  her  ears  then  evaporating  into  a  little  heart  shaped  cloud  above  her  head.  to  say  she  was  feeling  stupid  would  be  an  understatement.  violet  felt  about  as  savvy  as  a  seven  year  old  ,  or   maybe  exactly  how  she  used  to  feel  when  they  were  in  high  school  and  he’d  laugh  at  one  of  her  jokes  that  really  weren’t  even  all  that  funny.  

                    she’s  hyper  aware  of  the  little  things  when  she’s  with  him  ,  like  how  the  backless  black  dress  she’d  opted  to  wear  was  just  a  scrap  of  fabric  too  long  for  her  tiny  frame  even  in  her  heels  ,  or  how  it  felt  like  every  other  person  was  staring  at  her  as  if  to  say  how  are  you  here  with  him  ?  she  hated  it  ,  how  completely  ridiculous  her  thoughts  could  get.  this  having  feelings  bullshit  was  definitely  overrated.  focus  ,  vi.  there  was  no  point  in  ruining  something  before  it  even  started  just  because  she  was  too  in  her  head  to  act  normal.  we’re  friends.  she  could  do  friends.  “  this  is  like  …  private  school  in  manhattan  prom  on  steroids, ”  she  finally  muses,  leaning  closer  like  what  she  was  saying  was  grounds  for  conspiring.  and  in  a  way  it  was  natural,  gossiping  like  this  was  just  another  fancy  event  in  a  long  line  of  charity  galas  and  cotillions  they’d  attended  together  ,  except  this  time  she  didn’t  belong  to  that  world  anymore.  “  so  tell  me  the  truth  — is  harry  styles  really  performing  or  is  that  just  a  lie  to  make  the  badge  club  look  way  cooler  than  it is  ?  ”   violet  teases  ,  a  grin  chasing  her  words. 

            IT  SHOULD  BE  A  SIMPLE  TASK,  repairing  a  friendship  with  such  a  longevity  that’s  rarely  achieved,  but  that  would  mean  knowing  how  to  do  so,  and  despite  the  image  of  perfection  that  he  has  managed  to  sell,  that’s  one  area  rom  will  always  lack  in.  (  among  others,  many  of  which  are  applicable  here  as  well.  )  guilt  weighs  down  on  him  every  time  they  see  one  another,   a  reminder  of  his  cowardice  and  how  easily  he  succumbs  to  pressure  from  those  who  now  rarely  offer  him  so  much  as  a  text  on  evenings  like  this.  he  likes  to  think  that  he’s  changed,  but  in  a  way,  his  interactions  with  violet  thus  far  prove  that  he  has  a  long  way  to  go.  instead  of  facing  the  root  of  their  falling  out,  he  opted  to  ask  her  to  this  instead,  a  metaphorical  band - aid  that  barely  covers  a  third  of  the  wound’s  surface.  maybe  if  they  go  on  like  this,  everything  that  he  did  wrong  will  become  undone,  and  his  method  of  avoiding  will  once  again  prove  itself  as  a  perfectly  viable  way  of  approaching  things.  he’s  running  his  fingers  over  the  necklace  that  sits  neatly  on  his  collarbone,  toying  with  it  out  of  habit.  when  violet  breaks  the  brief  moment  of  silence  between  them,  his  hand  drops  to  his  side,  eventually  being  shoved  in  the  pocket  of  his  pants.  “  lots  of  steroids,  yeah,  ”  rom  mutters  in  response.  he  leans  in  in  a  similar  manner,  gaze  still  set  on  the  scene  in  front  of  them,  a  solid  attempt  at  being  discreet.  her  added   comment  makes  him  grin,  stifling  a  laugh  that  makes  itself  known  as  a  short - lived  exhale.  a  pause  follows  then,  as  though  he’s  carefully  considering  her  question,  hesitating.  “  i  hope  he  is,  for  my  sake... ”  he  sucks  in  air  through  his  teeth,  a  performance  of  his  own.  “  i  can’t  have you  going  home  thinking  i’m  not  cool. ”  then  comes  another  warm  smile,  eyes  glancing  over  at  her  and  settling  onto  her  features.  “  what  do  we  think  so  far?  try  not  to  make  me  too  sad,  ”  he  adds  playfully,  words  as  light  as  always. 

“psst–” it’s a miracle rue is able to detect rom’s silhouette from anywhere and it’s a miracle rom just so happens to be standing near a vent. “psst!” attempting to grab his attention. “rom!” she rattles the vent. “kevin – stop pushing! oh, my god – kevin! are you touching my butt? stop! this is harassment!!!!” —— @solitaried·

           GLASS  IN  HAND,  the  boy  takes  a break  from  small  talk  with  the  other  attendees  to  check  his  phone.  a  whisper  is  heard  nearby,  and  he  looks  around  to  find  no  one,  eyes  returning  to  his  phone  until  the  sound  of  rattling  brings  his  attention  towards  the  correct  place  (  the  last  place  he  expected  anyone  to  be  ).   then  the  girl  speaks  further,  and  recognition  hits,  face  paling  and  hands  gripping  the  glass  in  his  hand  tighter  than  before.  he  moves  closer,  visibly  tense.  “  rue?   uh ...  hi???  what   are  you  guys  doing?   ”

this is obvious but hey. a date. rom would have asked them as like. a platonic date (so probably limited to non-badge club members he offered to bring along, he would bring anyone as long as they’re his friend tbh) but if they took it as something more then that could be a fun mess too SDFKJJD

someone who isn’t badge club and got into the event, maybe knows about him so they try n stir up a convo and rom is a surprisingly nice person OR they know each other outside of the event and rom is like haha hey wyd here... (especially fun if they snuck in)

ur muse is being extra nice to rom but it’s only bc they saw him speaking to [insert random celebrity in attendance] and want him to introduce them. turns out they’re actually a huge asshole so rom is hesitant and tries to save them from having their dreams shattered

rom is being very suave with ur muse, could easily be mistaken for being flirty but he doesn’t even realize it so they think they have something going but then they see rom hanging out with his date later on and they’re “?!??!??”

a casual friend who he grows closer to bc they end up gossiping together about the other attendees

rom is a BAD drunk and he knows it but somehow he and ur muse got carried away and now they’re both 2 drinks away from being very fcked up whoops

she likes the attention she attracts when being seen with rom. how everyone wants to be her and how jealous they are of her. wanting to be in her position so badly, but rom is way out of their league! “really?!” she beams, any type of compliment from him, is the best kind of compliment. “dinner and a movie!” she squeals. “i think ronnie and i need a break from each other, he’s probably tired of me.” she responds quickly. “right, ronnie?” as she turns to face him, he’s already walking the other way. she closes the door behind her, locking it before holding onto rom’s arm. “kevin is going to be soooo jealous!” she snickers. knowing the boy likes her, but he’d rather die than admit that fact. “do you think he’ll cry?” the question could come off sarcastic, but she’s genuinely curious if he’ll cry at the fact they’re hanging out without him. “i planned this whole prank i’m going to pull on him!” 

            HE  KNEW  WHAT  SHE’D  CHOOSE,  but  he  still  smiles  when  she  confirms  his  stance.  “  mmkay,  whatever  you  want,  ”  he  says  with  a  nod,  and  for  such  a  light  comment,  there’s  a  lot  of  truth  behind  it.  put  simply,  rom  likes  it  when  rue’s  happy  ;   who  wouldn’t  when  this  is  how  she  is?  her  question  about  kevin  brings  about  a  bit  of  concern,  and  he  takes  an  extra  second  to  think  it  over.  “  do  you  think  he’ll  cry?  ”  rom  loves  them  both,  but  like  anyone  else,  they  have  their  quirks.  one  of  kevin’s  is  the  fact  that  he  doesn’t  like  being  left  out  in  situations  like  this,  and  sometimes  rom  thinks  that  he’ll  grow  to  resent  him  for  planning  outings  with  rue  alone.  “  i  guess  i’ll  take  him  out  another  day  if  he  does,  ”  he  decides  after  a  moment.  “  you  won’t  cry  then,  will  you?  ”  rom  adds  on  with  a  teasing  tone,  looking  over  at  her  with  his  head  tilted  to  the  side.  “  you  should  be  nicer  to  him,  he’s  a  good  kid.  ”  he  knows  she  won’t  be,  but  he  only  wants  to  see  how  she’d  respond  to  the  suggestion.  part  of  her  charm  is  her  reaction  to  things,  and  rom  doesn’t  miss  out  on  it.  once  they’re  outside,  he  unlocks  the  car  from  a  few  steps  away  and  then  opens  the  passenger  door  for  her  to  enter. 

all  sunny  wanted  was  to  take  her  caramel  frappe  and  go  back  to  the  bakery,  finish  the  cake  she’d  been  working  on  -  but  as  soon  as  she  reaches  a  hand  out  for  her  order,  a  larger  hand  beats  her  to  it.     her  eyes  widen  and  she  turns  to  the  person,  apology  sitting  on  the  tip  of  her  tongue.    then  she  realizes  who  it  is,  the  apology  dies  out  and  her  brows  furrow  slightly.     “ why  are  you  stealing  my  caramel  frappe?    i  was  here  first. ”    it’s  almost  childlike,  the  annoyed  pout  on  her  lips  before  she’s  peeling  his  fingers  back  and  taking  it  for  herself.    she  holds  the  cup  close  to  her  chest,  as  if  he’s  going  to  steal  it  again,  and  fixes  him  with a  glare.

@solitaried·

          IT  SHOULD  BE  A  BUSY  DAY,  so  he  decided  to  treat  himself  to  fresh  coffee  this  time  around,  since  he  swears  he  can  taste  the  difference.  if  he  had  known  that  sunny  would  be  here,  there’s  a  chance  that  he  wouldn’t  have,  but  now  it’s  too  late.  of  course  they  have  the  same  order,  and  of  course  the  girl  gets  snappy  with  him  about  it  immediately.   he  scoffs  lightly,  more  in  confusion  than  anger.  when  she  begins  to  put  her  fingers  on  his,  he  instinctively  pulls  his  hand  away,  as  though  he’s  touched  something  that  makes  his  stomach  churn.  “  i  was  here  first,  actually.  i  was  in  the  bathroom,  ”  he  counters,  staring  at  her  in  disbelief.  (  there’s  only  a  hint  of  it,  though  ;  this  is  the  exact  kind  of  dramatics  he’d  expect  from  her.  needless  to  say,  he  doesn’t  understand  the  praise  the  girl  constantly  receives.  )  when  she  holds  the  cup  closer  towards  her,  he  fights  the  urge  to  roll  his  eyes.  “  i’m  not  going  to  take  it  from  your  hands,  sunny.  that  would  be  rude. ”

she knows it’s not his fault that she can’t seem to behave normally in the presence of a boy that’s even remotely attractive. still though, when she thinks about it she can feel the familiar sensation of heat creeping up her neck, ready to spread to her cheeks, making it very obvious to anyone looking that he had an effect on her. and she really, really, couldn’t have that. she’d like to keep her cool facade in tact, thank you very much.

but every once in a while, when pushed, she feels just an inkling of remorse, of kindness, maybe a little bit of pity too. she supposes it would be fair, to give him five minutes at least. “ oh, ” she huffs, frowning slightly while considering the potential downsides to this deal, “ fine. five minutes!!! you’re treating me to ice cream later. ” 

for a moment, she wonders if maybe it would be easier if she cut some holes in the bag, for his eyes, but realises that might make the whole thing less weird and lean more towards creepy. no, he’d just have to deal with the paper bag until either of the two following things happened: a) he becomes ugly, or b) she’s somehow able to get over her thing, her weakness for pretty boys. 

(she doubts either of those things will happen, but one can always dream, can’t they?)

          A  SIGH  OF  RELIEF   comes  shortly  after,  followed  by  fingers  carefully  fumbling  with  the  paper  bag.  once  that’s  off,   he  takes  a  deep  breath,  eyes  blinking  repeatedly  as  they  adjust  to  the  light.  “  am  i  going  to  have  to  walk  into  the  ice  cream  shop  with  that  thing  on?  ”  he  asks,  rubbing  his  eyes  for  a  moment.  (  he  can’t  believe  he  really  agreed  to  all  of  this,  but  at  the  same  time,  if  anyone  would  ever  go  to  such  lengths  just  to  prove  a  point,  it’d  be  rom.  maybe  he   just  can’t  believe  francesca  is  making  him  do  this.  )  rom  uses  his  hand  to  cover  the  side  of  his  face,  the  only  thing  visible  beneath  it  being  his  jawline  and  just  a  bit  of  his  lips.  the  main  thing  he’s  trying  to  keep  hidden  is  his  eyes,   which  are  focused  on  his  laptop  screen  in  front  of  him,  a  single  hand  typing  away  at  his  keyboard.  one  look  in  the  wrong  direction  and  it  could  all  be  over  for  him,  with  how  dramatic  francesca  gets  about  this,  so  he’s  especially  attentive. (   she  takes  it  all  so  seriously,  he  can’t  help  but  be  amused  from  time  to  time,  in  between  spurts  of  light  frustration.  )   it’s  harder  to  type  this  way,  so  he  decides  to  focus  on  editing  their  powerpoint  instead,  beginning  to  adjust  the  color  scheme  to  his  liking.  that’ll  still  take  longer  than  typing  up  his  part,  but  this  feels  less  painfully  slow.  he’ll  do  the  rest  at  home.  “  see,  this  isn’t  so  bad,  right?  we’re  improving.  ”