#nycs.start

𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ╱ an upscale bar in manhattan.

The night was young, the drinks were flowing and Rosamund was in dire need of a distraction. After a rather explosive argument with her husband, the dark-haired woman was desperate for a drink, deciding to stop by her favourite bar to drown her sorrows in fine liquor — in hopes that it’d ease her stresses and help her forget about her less than perfect marriage.

Bringing her martini to her lips, she savoured the sip, her deep brown eyes glancing around her vicinity before landing on the person next to her. “What are you having? I’ll get the next round if you can keep me company. I need a distraction from thinking about my marriage.”

Considering this was only Karmen's third time on the rink, she had finally gotten this skating thing down. Gone were the days of inching along the edge, clinging to the rail or desperately holding her friends' hands. Now, she was totally in her element; dressed to impress as an '80s Glam Roller Disco Queen. She’d nailed the theme with a vibrant neon pink bodysuit decked out in sequins and orange accents along the cuffs and neckline. The detachable, sheer orange sleeves were dotted with tiny glitter stars, making her shimmer under the rink lights as she rolled along. Her look wouldn’t be complete without accessories, of course; a chunky orange belt with silver chains draping off one side, fingerless pink gloves, oversized hoop earrings, and layered choker necklaces. Glittery face stickers added to the vibe, and her makeup pulled it all together with neon pink and orange eyeshadow in a fierce cat-eye flick, glitter on her cheekbones, bold orange lipstick, and rhinestones near her temples. Her hair was styled in voluminous curls with neon pink and orange extensions flowing through it. But the best part? Her custom-made pink and orange skates with glitter wheels, which she’d designed just for tonight. Hearing her name, Karmen looked back, giggling as she spotted her friend skating over. “Finally! I was starting to think I’d be dazzling this whole crowd alone!” she laughed, reaching out and grabbing their hand. “I was about to start doing a one-woman show,” she added with a wink, grinning as they locked arms and rolled forward, practically lighting up the rink together.

The fact that she was now 45, recently divorced, and sitting alone at a bar on her birthday was not lost on her. It was her first birthday spent solo in over twenty-five years. Even during the years when her husband was working late or her kids were off doing their own thing, she’d always had one of them around to make the day feel a little less… empty. This time, though, her children’s well-meaning calls had only highlighted their absence, leaving her to sit with the quiet reminder of what she no longer had. She glanced sideways at a person in costume who’d just plopped down beside her, clearly here for the Halloween festivities, unlike herself. Vesper sighed and looked down at her nearly empty glass, a bitter weight settling in her chest. She wasn’t used to this feeling; this loneliness. It echoed too much of the home and childhood she’d spent a lifetime distancing herself from. Toying with the cat ears perched on top of her head, she frowned and waved down the bartender for a refill. Maybe another drink would help? When her new drink arrived, she swirled it thoughtfully and leaned a little closer to the costumed person, breaking the silence. She lifted her glass in a half-hearted toast. “To the perks of getting older: the drinks are stronger, but the company’s… optional.”

teddy couldn't decide if they loved or hated this part of the night. on one hand, they were basking in attention. the rocky horror picture show as a halloween tradition, but it seemed as though the crowd of people that liked to fill the park each october had quadrupled in size since they first joined the shadow cast all those years ago. plus, rocky - being the titular character and all - was the one most people wanted a picture with, so the blond was truly the center of attention; at least, in their own world.

on the other hand, the people pushing towards the stage for the meet & greet meant show was over for the night. there was only one more weekend until halloween, which meant only two more shows to bask in all this glory and then it would be back to normal. granted, their normal was a little bit more attention getting than average, but that didn't mean they couldn't always go for more. still, they thought to themself as the next person approached them to speak, it would be nice to get out of this itchy thing. i'll have to see about getting a new corset, maybe something a little more high-end.

a bright smile stretched across their features, lighting up the green in their eyes behind the faded white face paint as they greeted the newcomer. ❝ hello!, ❞ teddy chirped happily. ❝ hope you liked the show. ❞