𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚

@ollieinoue​

STATUS: closed​ ​ LOCATION: illicit house party TIME: 1h into the party

❝ should I be singing happy birthday? or would that be a little too over the top?  ❞    the brunette started as she strode over to her friend with a beaming smile. birthday’s were her favorite occasion, what with all the undivided attention and outpoor of lavish gifts. even though this evening was not about her, it felt nice to spread a little joy and spoil on of the few friends she felt she had at ogden.  ❝ so, how’s it going? looks like quite the night!  ❞

         he  nodded   ,    playing  it  cool  despite  the  judgmental  voice  in  his  head  listing  all  the  ways  he  was  screwed  if  valentina  decided  to  expose  his  interest  in  seedy  bars   .   or  onion  rings   .   there  was  something  incredibly  dangerous  about  people  realizing  harding  morrison  was  ,   god  forbid   ,   a  regular  guy   .  but  in  a  moment  of  ‘   i  don’t  give  a  shit   ’  desperation   ,   and  an  unparalleled  confidence  in  his  ability  to  read  people   ,   the  young  man  was  sure  he  was  reaching  out  to  the  correct  audience   .   a  politician’s  daughter   ?    he  could  practically  write  a  book  about  why  she  was  the  perfect  person  to  help  disappear   .   figuratively  speaking   ,   of  course   .   “  poor  choice  of  words  given  the  circumstances   .   who  was  your  father  again   ?   ”   he  tilted  his  head   ,   his  eyes  sparked  with  something  akin  to  mischief   .   using  the  words  dead  and  man  around  a  student  who  was  not  only  connected  to  a  recent  murder  victim   ,   but  also  the  brother  of  a  missing  young  adult   ,   lacked  a  certain  finesse  that  was  expected  from  something  of  her  stature   .   “   that  was  a  rhetorical  question   .   i  don’t  give  a  shit  who  he  is  and  neither  does  anyone  here   .   it’s  like  disneyland   …   with  people  who  regularly  forget  that  news  channels  exist   .   so  yes   ,   i  like  to  escape  .   i  figured  i  would  extend  you  the  same  opportunity  .   ”

valentina. 

her eyes settled into a pointed glare, though it wasn’t nearly as striking as it would have been if she actually felt any ill will within his light jab. afterall, if it were anyone else, she probably wouldn’t have made the joke in light of the current circumstances. but for reasons unknown, there was an understanding between the two that her words were not to be taken seriously and quite frankly, she couldn’t harm him even if she wanted to, what with the reputation on the line.  ❝  WOW... i didn’t think there was a place like that left unearthed. you’ve really monopolized nirvana here, now haven’t you? i’ll take the invite as the highest honor.    ❞ valentina didn’t just take his word for it, though she could have. it was apparent, how peacefull the chaotic surroundings were. not a lingering stare or snide comment had been passed ever since she’d stepped into the seedy underground haven, and while it wouldn’t have been her first choice for a relaxing evening, her body seemed to welcome the lack of attention, evidenced by the way her posture adjusted from it’s normally rigid and regal stiffness to a more relaxed, laidback stance.  ❝  so,  ❞ she started, her attention directed to him and him alone.  ❝ how have you been?  ❞

        the  bar  didn’t  scream  ‘   harding   ’   .   in  fact   ,   some  people  might  say  it  screamed   ‘   harding  would  rather  get  an  enema  than  step  foot  inside    ’    .   those  people  would  be  his  parents   ,   classmates   ,   and  a  large  portion  of  his  friends   .   but  who  gave  a  shit   ?   the  bar  had  a  vintage  juke  box   ,   a  pool  table   ,   and  the  greasiest   ,   most  dangerous  onion  rings  in  100  miles   .   he  loved  it   .    “   this  is  definitely  the  place   ,   ”   he  said  as  he  approached  valentina   ,   quickly  taking  note  of  her  confused  expression  as  she  waited  at  the  bar  .   to  further  emphasize  his  point   ,   the  bartender  greeted  harding  by  name  and  asked  if  he  wanted  the  usual   .   with  a  head  nod  and  a  thank  you   ,   he  sat  beside  the  brunette   .   “  i’m  sorry   ,   you  didn’t  think  i  wanted  to  go  to  a  club   ,   did  you   ?   ”   // @tinimoreno​

valentina. 

it should have been surprising, walking into the room that could only be appropriately described as... gritty. for those that might have had a brief encounter with harding morrison, or heard of him through the grape vine or recognized him off of page six, they wouldn’t dare pin him for the type of person that flourished in some obscure, hole in the wall bar. but from what valentina could gather with a fleeting glance in his direction was that he seemed more at home there than he ever did in the presence of his parents, or any of their peers for that matter. 

as for her,  a girl that had been polished to shine in the most luxurious of atmosphere’s and nothing short of that, her current surroundings were definitely jarring to say the least, but not in an uncomfortable way. if anything, as she ventured further through the curtains of cigarette smoke and beer soaked floors to settle into her seat, a soft albeit tentative smile spread across her rose tinted lips.  ❝ i knew you’d surprise me somehow but i have to admit this was not what i was expecting. color me pleasantly surprised, in a weird fever dream sort of way - but if i get food poisoning from their beer, consider yourself a deadman. so, you clearly come here often. in regular need of an escape hatch, huh?   ❞

      link’s lips curled into a grin at her response. he was definitely attracted to her, despite not having any real feelings towards her — so comments like that, moments like this when they’re close and touching each other, and the times they spent behind closed doors… was not a bad part of the deal. it was definitely horrible, with link’s knowledge of valentina being all in with this relationship while they were… not. but if link stopped to think about the feelings of other people before their actions, then they definitely wouldn’t be where they were now, and they definitely wouldn’t have gotten so close to greer. 

     “ then maybe you and i can sneak off later and you can help me get rid of it. though, i do like you in this dress… i might like you more out of it. ”  it was really easy to flirt with valentina. but they weren’t in this relationship just to flirt and have a good time, were they ? “ you know, speaking of the gala… how do you think i did on my first impression with your mom ? ” he asks with a small grin, posing it as an inquiring boyfriend meeting the parents question, when in reality he wanted to see how the conversation looked from a third perspective. 

valentina.  

while ordinarily valentina would have been tempted to scurry off into the closest available room and receive his undivided attentions, that night she couldn’t seem to muster the usual gusto to return her boyfriends affection. something about the evening, the charade she had to play with her parents paired with the bizarre circumstances that led to their party being reduced to meak phone speakers and dim candlelight, it didn’t add up to romance. but for the moment, she didn’t let her striking features betray her thoughts, instead her eyes sparkled with anticipation as her index finger twirled around a stray lock of his luscious hair.  ❝ i have been known to be helpful every now and then, who would i be if i didn’t help you get out of your get up ?  ❞ she apeased, throwing in a quick wink for good measure. 

it took everything in her to bite back the cruel chuckle that threaten to burst past her innocent smile, the exact moment her mother met him replaying in her mind. marisol was venemous on a good day, but they were set on a public stage so her pr persona was on full display and link had eaten the performance up, as far as valentina could tell. it wasn’t like valentina didn’t appreciate her mother and the effort it must have taken to play nice with her daughters latest conquest, she just knew better than to believe she approved in the slightest.  ❝ oh you were absolutely SPLENDID, baby. she’s just a little.. difficult to win over at first. but from where i was standing, you made a great first impression!  ❞

STATUS: closed - @aletheapierce​ LOCATION: outside of the library  TIME: morning

❝ papá, cálmate.❞ valentina hurriedly whispered at her phone, her eyes darting around as she stepped away from the library entrance to take temprary solace behind one of the columns, just in case someone could hear the roar of manuel’s rage. she knew better than to have left home before her father allowed her to, his constant ranting about how the press could spin her arrival at ogden as ‘ parental neglect in the face of dire circumstances ’ still ringing in her ears.

❝ no one saw me, i promise ! and even if they did ask, which i doubt they will, couldn’t you just say i needed to be around my peers to support them through these dark times? it’s not like they actually care. ❞ she pleaded, her eye sight blurring slightly as tears pooled foolishly. she wasn’t one to shy away from confrontation but with her father? he was one beast she couldn’t quite face without activating the waterworks. the volume of her fathers reprimanding continued to get louder but valentina’s attention quickly shifted to the footsteps that crept closer in her direction, prompting her to beg her father to continue the verbal laceration later. ❝ so how much of that did you actually catch... ❞

-

A small chime of laughter left Mari’s lips, her head tipping to one side as her eyes stayed on Valentina. “I think we’ve all had one too many,” she said, slumping back slightly into the corner of the chair she was in. A shoulder shrugged up, Mari finally blinking away from the other brunette as she looked down, fiddling with a loose yarn in her sweater. “Not not a fan. Just think it would be more fun with someone whose body head I actually wanted, you know?” she admitted. And it’s not like there was anyone here who she did want. Not really. And certainly not publicly. Glancing back up at Valentina from under her lashes, Mari offered a small smile. “I might be doing my best to be cozy, but I wouldn’t turn down more heat, no. It’s fucking cold in here,” she said with a laugh, even though it definitely could be worse, considering.

valentina. 

❝ and here i was hoping you’d throw in an ‘ i’d never judge you, tini’  ❞ valentina teased in return, the corner of her lips slowly tilting upwards as she watched the smile spread across mari’s lips. tentatively, the girl inched forward, hoping to catch her gaze once more as they toyed around the question lingering unspoken between them. suddenly, being isolated from everyone else wasn’t all that troublesome, and if her source of warmth happened to be in the arms of mari, the last person to complain would be her. ❝ well, how about i come up with a solution that works for both of us. clearly, i’m an icicle in the making and you look like you could use a little more warmth... do you think your sweater can fit another ?  ❞

-

“ i suppose you have a point, ” lola concedes, though nothing about their present circumstances scream romance to her. it’s too dark, too cold, too wet. and penny is too insistent on barking out orders for everyone to follow. but perchance she’d be in need of a paradigm shift what that was concerned too. “but you make it sound so easy.” there’s a slight emphasis on the word easy, in the hopes of indicating that lola found the idea anything but. “like, i can’t exactly walk up to someone and just expect them to want to kiss me, can i?” and she didn’t know what she’d do if she put herself on the market only to be brushed off. perhaps it was best to shelve the entire thing for now. until the lights came back on. 

valentina. 

while she would jump at any chance to boast of her many abilities, valentina had to concede that even her wildest ideations were best in theory and not exactly the easiest to carry out, even though her intentions were kind. in all fairness, the situation seemed ripped right out of a stephen king novel and the idea of prince charming floating in around the corner was a reach at best. with their look, they’d bump into kreuger himself if valentina actually set about carrying out her elaborate ruse. ❝ hmmm, easy might be a stretch but DOABLE? i can work with doable. but hey, i’m a romantic at heart, i’d do anything to help a girl get her fairy tale love story. plus, you’re a catch, they just don’t know it yet. ❞ she continued, gesturing towards the living quarters where the bulk of their peers were off scurrying to complete the tasks penny divided. ❝ are you sure NO ONE has caught your eye? ❞ 

          Being away from their sister was hard enough, but being away from her when the power was out and she was trapped in a storm? That was too much. There wasn’t anything anyone could do to help them though and Holland felt like they were already a burden on the people that were surrounding them. Of course, there weren’t that many people that were as concerned as Holland was. “Yeah, I guess. And people are actually trying to get the power back on.” They shrugged. This was really not an ideal time to be stuck in the dark and she hated that it made her feel like a little kid. But it wasn’t necessarily the dark that was bothering her, it was the feeling of being trapped.

          Holland’s family was weird and she knew it. They were closer to their siblings than most people were, but that was because their siblings were all they had. As far as everyone was aware, Holland’s parents were not around. “Oh, I don’t know any politicians. I, um, don’t know that I’ve ever really been raised on that idea. We always worry about stuff. That’s what keeps you vigilant.” She was like that on purpose. “Um, yeah.” 

valentina. 

though she couldn’t offer anymore to them beyond soft comforting words and a gentle smile, valentina hoped what she was saying was at least enough to help them ease their nerves while someone worked on getting the power back on, even though the odds of that actually happening seemed to be getting slimmer and slimmer with each passing second. rather than linger on the negatives though, the brunette opted for the more practical solution, speaking about things that would distract them both, like how insufferable politicians were, especially since it seemed to keep them talking and hopefully their thoughts away from the present situation. ❝ consider yourself lucky in that regard. they’re not a pleasant bunch to be around, to be honest. but i guess one benefit of growing up around them is being eerily calm in certain situations. i can see how it’s important to be vigilant though, so maybe what you have is a just an insane survival skill. ❞

    when you’re dating someone without actually being emotionally involved, and when you’ve got other people that you’re sleeping with behind their back… it should feel off, right ? even for someone like link, something so scummy and gross should feel off. yet, it felt quite natural for reasons beyond him — at first he thought it had to do with valentina, but he actually liked spending time with her. though, he wasn’t about to question it, or question why cheating was seemed so okay with him in this situation. his intuition hasn’t led him astray so far, and so he didn’t question it. he just continued kissing his girlfriend back, flashing her a smile that he tried his best to make seem so genuine, and eyes full of adoration for the girl sitting in front of him. what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt, right ? 

     “ yeah, i can’t lie, i probably would have run for the hills if you weren’t making fun of me at least once a day. isn’t it healthy for couples to absolutely shit on each other every now and then ? ” he teases with a small grin, his finger now tracing small circles softly on her thigh as he spoke to her. he played the boyfriend role so well, he just had no idea how to execute it in real life. it was easy, so long as he was treating it as a stage. “ me ? i’ve been an angel all night, v. ” nevermind slinking out of his ex’s room. “ i am a bit grateful that whole gala thing is over. is that just me ? i can’t wait to get out of this later — ” he says with a small scoff, looking down at the messy suit he currently had on, with his tie undone, the first few buttons open, dress shirt untucked. 

valentina. 

even though there was a lengthy list of things (or people) valentina would rather be doing than entertaining her boyfriend, the brunette couldn’t help but relish the attention the boy gave her every now and then, often enough to keep her ego delighted. while she didn’t believe their relationship had any sort of longterm success, she was more than willing to play the role she’d been assigned if it meant reaping the benefits.  ❝ i think dr. phil said that at some point, we have to be doing something right at least. ❞ and she firmly believed that. in fact, she hardly ever thought about the boy, until he was in view, which made their relationship function beautifully. no room for arguments, passion, heated entanglements... it was the key to success.

which was why she was so inclined to believe him, ignorant to the fact that he had most definitely not been a perfect angel in her absence and quite frankly, apathetic towards the nagging thought that this was a new years eve party for christ’s sake - who in their right mind would actually behave when there were drinks, enthusiastic young adults and god knows what else within reach?! yet still she shrugged the passing thought away in favor of her delusions and the opportunity for some entertainment.  ❝ i think everyone here would agree, it was excruciating but at least you looked the part.  ❞ she commented, her fingers trailing down the small sliver of exposed skin at the base of his neck. ❝ if you’re really dying to get out of your little monkey suit, who’s stopping you from giving us all a little show ? i certainly wouldn’t mind. ❞

Mari was already bundled up, perennially running cold, in a thick sweater and wool socks when she approached Valentina. “I think most people pulled them out already - a lot of people crashed here last night,” she pointed out, curling herself into an armchair that was near the cabinets, watching the other girl continue to rifle through them. “Heard a couple people suggest body heat though - you could probably still get in on that,” she said a moment later, this time unable to hold back the rolling her eyes. 

valentina.

rather than give into her stubborn nature that urged her to continue to rummage through the visibly empty cupboards, valentina succumbed to resignation instead, turning towards mari with a sullen look crossing her features. ❝ i honestly didn’t think about that when i started digging through these. don’t judge me, i might have had one too many... ❞ she let her words die out, perfering not to mention the particular substance she’d been fond of that evening, in fear that it’s name might make her sick. ❝ it’s certainly not the worst suggestion in the world, to be fair. why, are you not a fan? you definitely look cozy so i can imagine you wouldn’t need it right now, huh?❞ she teased lightly, hoping her friendly tone would coax the brunette into smiling.