mid afternoon,   valmont studios,   𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺

❝ you make a decent case. ❞   sebastian thrived pulling the strings from behind the camera but wasn't opposed to stepping onto the other side. might be his father's son in many regard, his charm, however, a blade he'd secretly crafted in contrast to patriarch's ever present thunder.  ❝ but timing isn't entirely on your side. maybe when my next film is further along. ❞

(  Ꮺ  )   “  are  we  going  to  the  family  barbecue  or  should  we  ditch  ?  ”  asia  didn't  care  much  either  way,  but  if  lucas  wasn't  going  then  she  was  going  to  lie  and  come  up  with  a  scheduling  conflict.  “  i  want  to  see  how  drunk  they  get,  but  i  don't  want  to  play  referee  this  year.  ”   closed  starter, @theydivine

❝ is it this weekend? ❞   selfishly, he hoped so. his mother found enough ways to drag him to events that reeked of an empty attempt at playing happy family. but his family was back in italy.  ❝ because i'll be in montreal. i'm sure ferrari would let you watch from our garage if you want an excuse to skip. ❞

"I'm not expecting anyone if you would like to join me."

head turned, gaze parting from his phone screen, company matters demanding his attention even during his moments away, and drifting in the voice's direction. a smile naturally slid into place. he found a familiar visage. eyes glanced back down, this time to his watch, mind weighing the day's schedule.  ❝ i can spare a few minutes. ❞   pulling out the chair across from rhea, sebastian took a seat.  ❝ enjoying your day off? ❞

a  single  red  line  ghosts  over  her  vision.    she  sees  it  over  sebastian’s  face,  over  the  smile  he  gives  her,  innocent  of  the  fire  she  had  to  deal  with.    she  places  a  hand  on  his  shoulder  for  support  and  a  quick  peck  on  his  cheek  in  greeting.    “  nothing  fancy,  i  hope  you  don’t  mind.    i reserved us a table at le pavillon.  did  you get  a  thank  you  text from nana for the mother's day gifts?  ”  she  starts  towards  the  elevators,  walking alongside seb.  “  we  should  all  still  be  expecting  cards. mom says nana’s  not  giving  that  up  yet.  ”

a flicker, easily missed and quickly vanished, in sapphire hues, taking a moment to observe eyes that mirrored his. further questions filed away for when they're away from the office and its employees.  ❝ le pavillon has never disappointed. ❞   he pressed the button for the elevator and nodded.  ❝ feels like only yesterday she still insisted on calls over texts no matter how small the message. ❞   card would be dutifully read before being discarded rather than displayed to collect dust.

christine is grateful that sebastian has a lighter because she needs something to take the edge off that won't destroy her life. at least, not destroy her life immediately. and plus, she looked hot when she smoked a cigarette. not that she needed any help in that department, if you asked her, but it didn't hurt. at least she wasn't vaping, looking like a baby sucking on their bottle. she muttered a thank you to the other before taking a drag. when he mentions the show going smoothly tonight, she nods. " yeah, it's not like i have a lot to mess up. you should've seen how smoothly my performance of miss hannigan went when i was in annie... " she sighs, reminiscing on the days of her past broadway career. " oh, and not to brag but i was mama rose on gypsy. talk about needing to be a triple threat. almost gave ethel merman a run for her money. " she does use the word almost because she reveres the departed broadway star but she also sort of believes that she did give ethel a run for her money.

he slid the lighter back in his pocket. habit might've been a staple of the old movies, reflection of the times, made more appealing by the actors who'd gifted them class, but sebastian found the allure nonexistent in person. brow furrowed slightly.  ❝ you'd be surprised, ❞   he began, memories awakening,  ❝ i've seen and heard of newscasters fumbling the lines, not realizing they're still on air, or poorly handling a moment of improv or banter with their co-host. ❞   might not be accompanied by the applause she was accustomed to, but many had failed to cut it as news anchors.  ❝ you'll see once you're on air for longer. ❞   seb had watched many newcomers stick to the teleprompter until they deemed their legs steady beneath them.

›     𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁   𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚂   : open to @theydivine, @cherriblcsscms, @lovedsme

features contorted as he recoiled slightly.  ❝ that looks worse than mushy peas. ❞   a staple of british cuisine he'd never understood, forever thankful his father had prioritized italian dishes over english ones. he picked up one of the menus and held it out.  ❝ order something new. no point in punishing yourself. ❞

 ❝   i  can  live  with  that.   ❞  coquettish smile,  plump  lips  curved  just  so  as  she  reaches  free  hand  to  settle  on  his  chest - trailing the patterns.  ❝   juliet  might  have  an  issue  with  it,  though.  it's  her  night,  after  all.  and  i'd  hate  to  upset  her  more  than  i  already  will.   ❞  for  how  she  fears  fashion's  own  decider  will  find  her  outfit  lacking  in  more  ways  than  one.  it's  thought  out,  it's  motivations  drawn  from  icarus's  anatomy  painted,  but  it's  still  so  bare.  ❝   hmm,  i  think  we  could  get  away  with  missing  at  least  one  of  the  after  parties.   ❞

valmont didn't bow to the whims of others but understood the advantages he'd gain by remaining on certain people's good side. venus' best friend one of them. he nodded.  ❝ the after party then. we'll pose for the cameras, talk to those we care to, then make our departure. and for the record, ❞  sapphire hues glanced down, drinking in how her outfit clung to her frame.  ❝ you're going to be the source of everyone's envy tonight. ❞   and he was the only one who'd have her on their arm — not only for tonight but every night thereafter.

his glare sharpened and foot gave the chair a firm shove — if he nicked the side of the other's shin then he'd claim an accident due to the chair being yanked so rudely. no manners these yankees.  ❝ you have a reputation that doesn't leech off of someone better? ❞   his head tilted but there was no curiosity in his voice, only knives. words were the truth in his eyes. he'd only heard of the american in connection to jamie. he might not bother following america's fake football but had still heard of a few players in passing. none of them were aristos creed. lucas scoffed, lips twisting into a mocking smirk.  ❝ so you say. but you and i both know how fickle sports can be. new guy brings trouble to the team? yeah, he doesn't last long. ❞

𖥻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱.  𝖺𝖼𝖼𝖾𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗋𝖾𝗉𝗅𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆‚  @theydivine.

❝ wouldn't it be simplest to ignore them entirely? if the people being written about pay it no mind then others would follow. ❞   or so he imagined. minho also couldn't remember the last time he'd read a robin hood post that wasn't shown to him by another.

“  isn't  that  what  they  all  say  ?  ”  brow  quirked,  hint  of  mirth  lining  features.  while  grace  not  something  she  gave  often,  a  one  time  exception  had  been  made  for  yujin,  her  work  ethic  and  otherwise  timeliness  something  nazlı  could  appreciate.  she  took  a  drink  of  her  coffee,  subtle,  soft  brown  lipstick  stains  marking  the  white  porcelain.  “  i  have  about  an  hour  until  i  need  to  start  prepping  for  surgery.  ”  a  much  needed  coffee  break  taken  while  awaiting  on  the  arrival  of  a  heart  from  boston. 

❝ are you calling me a liar ? ❞  her head tilted. more curious than offended; latter dependent on femme's answer, feathers not so easily ruffled like some.  ❝ hopefully they'll have my order ready soon then. ❞  yujin cast a glance at the counter. aware of the tight schedules doctors, particularly surgeons, lived by and own distaste for waiting in line, she'd developed a habit of ordering ahead whenever possible.

  ›     𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁   𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚂   : open to @commonpeoplcs, @opulentics, @cherriblcsscms, @theydivine

❝ cookies over seasonings. ❞   the latter wouldn't be the worst gift basket he'd seen, but arthur didn't think it'd be useful for anything but a regift if one didn't cook.  ❝ you can't go wrong with anything sweet. if anything, they'll put it in some break or waiting room where they work. ❞   rarely did a week go by when someone at the lab didn't bring a platter of food to share. a lifesaver when he was there late or forgot to bring lunch.

  mid morning,   lower manhattan,   𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺

❝ it was. as disappointing as it was that some didn't follow the theme, ❞   to put it lightly,  ❝ the outfits that were and the rest of the night outshone them. including you. ❞   no question what list the bianchi's outfit had put her on. juliet's gaze briefly pulled away from actress, shaking her head at the fabric being reached for and pointing toward another.

        she  lingered  in  the  doorway  for  a  moment  ,  unsure  if  she  should  enter  or  not  .  “  with  that  type  of  reaction  i'll  go  about  my  merry  way  .  ”  she  understood  being  busy  ,  but  haliya  had  always  felt  that  yujin  was  someone  that  spent  too  much  time  in  her  books  and  not  enough  socializing  .  “  i  was  coming  to  see  if  you  wanted  to  get  lunch  ,  but  never  mind  .  ”    

yujin blinked up at her, couldn't imagine she'd be thrilled if interrupted when solitude was requested, at work or any other time. harping on the matter would only cause delay.  ❝ if your sensibilities aren't too wounded, ❞  a ghosting glimmer of teasing behind words,  ❝ i have time for lunch. ❞  she began gathering her belongings, documents still needing her review set aside.

❝   thanks.   ❞  when  he'd  opened  the  door,  jedi  robes  in  place  and  lightsaber  in  hand,  she'd  instinctually  called  him  a  nerd.  it  would  have  been more effective,  of  course,  were  she  not  in  custom  star  wars  pajamas  and  carrying  a  grogu  plush.  now,  she's  cozied  up  ready  to  start  their  long  honoured  tradition.  ❝   thinking  to  order  a  pizza  later.   ❞  dark  eyes  glued  to  the  screen  even  as  she  grabs  the  offered  bowl,  reading  through  the  long  memorized  words  as  the  fly  across  the  screen.  ❝   would  pair  well  with  the  blue  milk,  i  think.   ❞

tips of his ears had turned red when she'd called him that, never heard as an insult when spoken by a friend, and replied with a 'greetings, fellow nerd', which, upon reflection, had only proven her correct. as did him mouthing along to the opening scrawl, lips curled into a relaxed smile.  ❝ yeah, pizza and blue milk sounds great. ❞   themed treats was a must.  ❝ the bakery made their normal assortment of star wars cookies along with grogu and wookie themed cupcakes. ❞

“  there  is  and  i’m  bored.  ” subtle pout  and  dark  gaze  turned  towards  them.  she  never  had  been  well  adept  at  the  whole  waiting  around  thing,  and  now  that  she  was  done  with  hair  and  makeup  she  needed  something  else  to  occupy  her  time.  “  save  me  ,  kieran  ,  save  me.  ”  dramatic  sigh  falling  into  the  space  between  before  she  gracefully  dropped  to  the  couch.  scarlett  may  have  never  been  a  professional  but  once  a  dancer  .  .  . 

his shoulders shook when he laughed. it was fun winning over people, some enough to cross their self-imposed lines and end up back at his place, but being on set became twice as enjoyable when they found people cut from a similar cloth.  ❝ that's unacceptable. ❞   waiting around his least favorite part of acting. reaching out, he playfully twirled a strand of her hair.  ❝ feels a touch too close to method acting if i'm your hero on and off screen but for you, i'll bend my rules. ❞

tries   to   be   subtle   but   knows   that   understated   prose   won't   be   enough   for   sibling   -   like   stratton,   back   of   fingers   ghosting   five   o'clock   shadow   as   he   makes   intentions   more   and   more   clear   until   it   was   plain   obvious.   "   not   entirely,   i'm   just   trying   to   get   you   a   plus   one   for   that   dinner   my   mother   is   hosting   in   a   few   weeks   -   you   know   you're   invited   as   usual.  "

van rensselaers were a second family, two households tightly intwined since long before arthur was born, threads showing no signs of fraying. golden glamor that'd once surrounded attorney not so blinding as in youth, every word once hung on and obeyed without question, but a brother's guidance carried weight.  ❝ i guess i could meet them, but is a plus one required ? i've been to plenty of your mother's dinners solo. ❞