{ Event 006} - Blog Posts

monty-santos‌:

“Well to start, I like to think that I make a lot less stupid decisions,” Monty chuckled before sighing a little, “but I actually got arrested around this time last year because I was drunk and high and a whole lot of other things that I really don’t want to talk about, but you’re free to read on Gossip Girl if you want because she posted all about it.  But this at least keeps it from happening again,” he explained, figuring that talking about that party once was enough per day and Bishop had already claimed that topic.  “Yeah, I’m glad that she did it.  She’s a really good person, and she moved here pretty recently so I think she’s still trying to find her place around here.”

He couldn’t relate at all. All he did was make stupid decisions. “Shit,” He wanted to say he knew how Monty felt but he didn’t. Ben was able to have Quinn take the fall for him. “That sucks. I believe you, I won’t read up on it. Gossip Girl isn’t on my radar unless she’s talking about me.” It was true, he only was interested if he saw himself on the blog. He would’ve warned this woman to stay away from here if he saw her first. The Upper East Side eats people up and spits them out. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s nice to see someone who wants to help out around here.” 

quinnxarchibald‌:

A small part of Quinn felt happy when he saw the sad look in Ben’s eyes as the words best friends were said. That mean part of him liked knowing that the other male was suffering too. A bigger part of him though hated seeing his former friend so upset and wanted to do something to make things right. Smiling, Quinn nodded. “Even if I did want to punch you, Chessie would have my head if I did. She’d probably kill me and throw my body in a snow bank.” He half joked, knowing, deep down, that if Chessie were to kill him it would be a lot worse tha that. “I could definitely go for a truce shot though, now that you mention it.” Quinn replied. He knew he probably shouldn’t drink more but the thought of having some sort of connection to Ben made him want to follow along with whatever plan the brunet might have.

The problem was, if Quinn were to punch him again, he’d punch back. Between the mixture of alcohol and pride, he’d always keep defending himself. It didn’t matter that he loved Quinn like a brother. So he was relieved Quinn wasn’t going to go at him again. He still wanted to keep his distance for now. This was too easy, and he knew everything wasn’t going to be resolved but for an hour or two, he’d feel less guilty. He asked the bartender for two shots of vodka before returning his attention towards Quinn. “To punching each other in the face.” He toasted. 

arlovasquez‌:

“Oh my god, the Looney Toons movie. I honestly forgot that existed. Or maybe I just thought it was some type of fever dream I had as a kid.” Arlo shrugged at Ben’s question, taking another sip. “They used polished metals and shit like that before mirrors were actually around. I don’t think they’re as good as what we have now, but I guess people would make do?”

"That movie was definitely made by people who were high,” he said with a chuckle. Thank God he didn’t live back then. Yeah, he’s one of those hipsters who thinks he could live without technology but not without a mirror. He needed to see himself when he put his hair into a bun. He had a hard time doing it without a mirror. “That’s weird. I’m glad we live in the present rather than the Rennaissance. I would’ve hated having no mirror.”

monty-santos‌:

“I’ve been back since the day after Freya’s funeral, I couldn’t be a ticket back in time,” Monty sighed, a shadow passing over his face as he had yet another reminder of all the death that had decided to come for his family this year.  And while he tried to push the unexpected pangs of grief back tot he back of his head, Monty knew that it was still probably written all over his face.  “I actually don’t really drink anymore, to be honest. I mean, I’m still working on completely stopping, but I actually converted to Buddhism and it’s greatly looked down upon since you’re supposed to abstain from things that can cloud the mind. But I will take any other recommendations that you’ve got.  Are you planning on going to France at some point soon?” he asked, mostly out of curiosity.  “I’ve gotten the word out and a few people have.  Sheridan, I don’t know if you’ve met her yet, actually donated what I’m pretty sure was about half a Target.  So it helps, there’s just also need for more.”

He had heard things, heard about people dying but they could’ve been just rumors. Unfortunately, they weren’t. “Shit, you’re really a Buddhist now? What do you do if you don’t drink now?” He asked, thoroughly confused. “I don’t know if I can recommend anything else since that counts out everything else,” Ben was always into clouding his judgment, “I’m not sure when we’re going to go back. I have some things to do here and then hopefully that’ll be one of the first stops.” He was optimistic that they wouldn’t be here for too long. “Nope, I haven’t met her yet,” He actually didn’t mind being out of the loop abroad but now that he was home, he was curious about everything. “At least someone’s helping out that’s got the money.”

chessieabernathy‌:

“Quinn didn’t hit you so hard you forgot why everyone stayed over last night, right?“ She pointed out the obvious, nodding to the snow piled up on the terrace. Chessie paused for a moment, before grumbling as she sat her mug on the counter with a dramatic thud. “Fine,” Her resolve didn’t last long.The desire to smoke easily outweighed the desire to stay inside. “I’ll go put on pants,” she grumbled as she walked away, leaving him to return to her room and change. It only took a moment – Swapping her robe for a pair of sweats and an old Yale sweatshirt, pack of cigarettes and lighter in hand. Holding them up for him to see, Chessie gave him a smirk. “Happy now?”

Was that anyone that didn’t hear about that? “I know why everyone had to stay over, I remember most of the night,” He knew there were some fuzzy moments but for the most part, he remembered the big details like getting punched in the face. Ben poured himself a cup of coffee as he waited for her to come back out, changed appropriately for the weather. He took a sip before she returned and then greeted her with a nod. “As happy as I’ll ever be,” He teased, before heading towards the door. It was a lot colder than he expected but he figured he’d warm up soon as soon as his cigarette was lit. “So did anything eventful happen last night? Besides Quinn taking a sucker punch at me?” It wasn’t an Upper East Side party without shit happening. 

kirbcy‌:

“Then don’t,” Bishop said with a jerk of his head. The word help ground under Bishop’s skin and he laughed, shaking his head, his hand splaying as he gestured. “I don’t want or need your help, Vanderbilt. I’ll say it again, just because you married a blood relative of him, that doesn’t mean anything. Water is thicker than blood for you two, that’s clear. I don’t want it. I don’t need it. I don’t trust either of you, so just save me the bullshit. You want to small talk, fine, but don’t pretend like you give a shit about me.” Bishop was tired of the fake friends and fake shit, at least when people unbridledly hated him he knew that it was real.

He was right to not trust Ben. Ben wasn’t trustworthy, he knew that. He wished that life was too short to hold grudges because he knew people had plenty of them against him. And now, Bishop was one of them. “Look, I’m not here to be all buddy-buddy with you,” So maybe at first he was but not now. “I mean I’m not pretending. You are King’s little brother whether you acknowledge it or not,” And he did care about family, “I give plenty of shits about you.” How did Ben even express that he cared? “I know shit is fucked right now and we were never really close but let me hear about your problems. Hell, take all your problems out on me.”

chessieabernathy‌:

In the short time King and Ben had lived with O and Chessie, the latter had become decently close to Ben. And after O was jetted off to international meetings and shows for two weeks, she had grown more fond of their visitors-turned-roommates, feeling as though the four were building a sibling-esque relationship. She’d begun to look forward to her morning coffee and cigarette with Ben, and while this morning was motivated by the inability to sleep, it was no exception to a rule. His words provoked an eye roll, though she didn’t fight his request – Her own headache was in full swing, as well. “I’m not sure,” Chessie responded quietly, glancing out the large balcony windows before continuing. “I’m not sure my nicotine addiction is bad enough to make me trek through snow, though.” She spoke bitterly, another eye roll following. “And going to change sounds like too much work.” Chessie couldn’t help but whine, slumping against the counter. “This coffee is so warm, I don’t know if I can move.”

He sighed at her hesitation. He’d probably go out and smoke by himself then. He was going to get a little stir crazy with all of these people in here. “Don’t be so dramatic,” He responded, which was ironic considering his own tendencies. “I’m sure it’s only a little cold out. I think you’ll be fine out there,” He gestured towards the window. “You mean your milk with a little dash of coffee.” Ever since he moved to Europe, he drank his coffee black. Everything else seemed way too weak to him now. “Put pants on and the smoke will keep you warm. I’ve needed a drag ever since I got pummeled in the face yesterday.”

taterodriguez‌:

Tate wanted nothing more than to travel and given the amount of success they’ve had in their life, most people would assume that they’ve gotten the chance to but in all honesty, they haven’t.  Not in the way they want to.  Most of their travelling had been for business meetings and publicity events regarding their book.  Those types of trips didn’t leave much time for leisure.  It was typically all work and no play.  “I tend to avoid those types of event,” Tate admitted.  “Crowds can get a little overwhelming.”

“Did something happen?”  Tate asked, genuinely curious.  “I can’t imagine travelling Europe got boring.”  The last word came out more bitter than intended.  “I mean, c’mon… Europe.  Compared to the Upper East Side?  You couldn’t pay me to come home.”  Tate chuckled, wishing it was something they had truly been able to do.  “Eugh!  Raspberry flavored vodka tastes like paint thinner.”

“As native New Yorkers, I feel like it’s only natural to hate crowds. I always avoided using any sort of public transit,” Well because there were a lot of people and because he never had to. He had people to literally drive him around. 

“No,” The word almost came out defensively. “It has just been a while since I’ve been home. We’ll go back because honestly, I still have more than enough places I want to go to. Have you ever been?” He knew how to lie, thankfully. He did it most of his life here thanks to the virtual double life he was leading. Don’t explain more than you have to. Ben then tilted his head at them. That was a very specific comparison. “Have you had a bad experience with raspberry flavored?” He was the same way with Bacardi rum in particular. 

oatanas‌:

O’s facial expression slipped to one of amusement and disbelief momentarily but she recovered quickly. “Yeah, I mean, that’s what happens when you go off and do your own thing for a few years, anyway.” She didn’t mention the fact that people more or less thought of him as a ghost these days. Someone they thought was gone forever and who had magically shown up out of the blue again. Not that it mattered to her, anyway. She knew that there was history between him and Quinn but the details were unknown and truth be told she barely knew him before he left. “I do say so. Now what you guys do owe me for is not inviting me to the wedding, and especially for not letting me design my best friend’s wedding dress.” While O is joking and more or less over the fact, that wasn’t going to stop her from being dramatic about it until the day she died. “Another drink would be great.” How many was that now? Didn’t matter, did it? “What about you?” 

Going to Europe meant that the expectations for him were thrown out of the window. He was free. There was no looking back for him. Well, if it wasn’t for Quinn and his own wrongdoing to the poor man. “It was amazing. Not going abroad because I had to or for a family vacation was exactly what I needed. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” Would he really leave Quinn high and dry like that again? “In our defense, we were pretty much the only two people there,” He liked that they pretty much eloped. He liked the spontaneity that their relationship had. “And the goat farmer, but that’s because he officiated it,” Who even knew a goat farmer could officiate a wedding? “It wasn’t like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding or anything.” In fact, he thought it was way more intimate and special than that. The least he could do for O was get her another drink. “Trust me, I could always use another drink. I’m just trying to get used to these parties again.” He admitted. 

arlovasquez‌:

“I mean I’m sure someone could smell it on me, but because it’s Europe, no one really cared,” he said with a smirk. “I think he did have a beard later on in life. Well, there’s a self portrait oh him with a long white beard and I assume that’s what he actually looked like at the time? But yeah, there’s a theory that the Mona Lisa is actually just da Vinci in a dress. Maybe that’s why it’s so famous? Cause I honestly don’t know either.” 

“Yeah, they also smoke like chimneys over there. No one can probably smell anything.” Being European was its own culture for sure, especially being French. “I always think of that movie with the Looney Tunes because of that painting. At least I think that was a movie, I’m pretty sure I was a little out of it the first time I watched it.” He figured Arlo would know what he was insinuating. “Did they even have mirrors back then? How was he able to know what he looked like?”

wrenabernathy‌:

“Well, it’s healthy. For your bones, and stuff.” Wren didn’t mess about when it came to his health regime, but regardless, he smiled faintly as he spoke. Wren knew that when they were younger, Ben and Quinn had been close, and after that confusing blast from Gossip Girl Wren had been left with more questions than he liked to admit - but it had all paled next to his break up with Quinn. And so, Wren was fine being polite to the returned Ben, but it feel weird to talk to him, as if too much was still unclear to him. “Oh, yes, she wouldn’t be an Abernathy if she wasn’t,” Wren replied to Ben’s last comment with a smile, though it would sound slightly bitter if Chessie could hear him. Keeping up appearances, that was all that mattered to the Abernathy dynasty - being a good host certainly came with that. “So .. why did you decide to come back?” Wren tried tentatively, not sure where that question would lead them.

“So is kale but you don’t see me downing it every day,” He replied jokingly. Fuck, he really should watch what he put into his body more. There was a lot of shit he put into it. “Yeah, she lets me have some coffee in the morning which y’know, I’m a simple guy. Give me some coffee and I’m set,” The smile completely faded from Ben’s face as Wren asked the question. It seemed like the big elephant in the room. What was he doing back? He hadn’t revealed to anyone that he was here to make amends with Quinn even if Gossip Girl had outed him. As far as he was concerned, it was no one’s business besides his and Quinn’s. Ben then gave a slight shrug, “I guess I felt like it was time for a visit. It’s been a few years,” He tried to sound composed while he answered Wren, “It’s nice to see that not much has changed. I feel like I’m right at home,” That was a lie as well, “How about you? How have you been?”

monty-santos‌:

“Yeah, I should. The problem is that any job that would actually pay me is one that I can’t really see myself doing,” Monty admitted, even though he knew exactly how strange that sounded.  He didn’t mind that he didn’t have money, at least most of the time, and he’d figured out ways to really survive without it.  And while there were times that he really missed the luxury of being able to do whatever he wanted, for the most part, Monty was content with the fact that his life was never going to really be that way.  Which was just another reason he didn’t fit in the upper east side.  “I want to go back someday.  Coming back to the city was always a temporary thing, I just haven’t gotten back to the point where I can yet.  But I’m sure that it’ll happen someday,” Monty replied, though the longer that he stayed in the city the farther away someday felt.  “And to be honest, there’s not,” he sighed as he looked out the window, “the winter is actually the most dangerous time to be homeless because the shelters are always at capacity and if you don’t get there in time there might not be room. And if you get turned away from multiple you don’t have a choice but to sleep outside.  It’s a good part of the reason that I’ve been working on the clothes drive with the shelter that I volunteer for because at least it gives them clothes that might be able to help them survive the night.”

To him, this made no sense. Why would Monty not want to get paid while doing a job? That was volunteering and he was not here for it. “I don’t know if it can be considered a job then,” He pointed out to the other male. “How long have you been back for?” Ben didn’t know much about the people he left behind, their whereabouts, or who kept up with whom. “If you go back to France, at least let me show you the best places to get a drink around there.” He added, looking for an excuse to see the male again. As long as it was in a different country. “That’s pretty fucked up,” He said honestly. He never thought much of homeless people, except for those late nights he’d come back high as fuck and see them sleeping on the street. “You should make everyone in here give away at least half of the closets. You’d end up with a bunch of clothes.” He was chuckling but it was probably true. 

duchessb‌:

   “They might let them believe in Santa longer then. Beer is more accessible to most father’s sitting around wrapping presents for kids. And to be honest let’s think about this… children with dads did have a Santa Klaus if you think about it because it’s some man who drinks and shows up to give you presents and acts like he’s owed something for it.” A shrug lifts Beau’s shoulders as she glances over to Ben, pursing her lips for a moment. She wasn’t sure what caused her to go off on that tangent, but she could blame Chessie’s plying her with Champagne, if nothing else.

“Or their father might just tell them the truth.” That’s what Ben’s dad did after he moped one too many times about not being able to see Santa deliver gifts. “Good for them for still being able to wrap nicely. Maybe we should just be getting rid of the Santa myth and giving the load of work to dads. ” Were all dads that fucked up? “Yeah, that’s the difference between milk and beer. Milk makes Santa seem so pure, I guess and beer makes me think he has an alcohol problem.” Ben said with a shrug. “At least if he was having champagne, it’d make me think he was a man of superior taste.”

quinnxarchibald‌:

Quinn shook his head at the brunet, not sure what to say. He wanted to punch Ben again, this time for being so Ben. Leave it to his former friend to drain all the fight out of him. The way Ben was looking at him, like Quinn had kicked his child or told him that Christmas was canceled, made Quinn start to feel bad for him. He didn’t want  to feel bad for Ben though. This was the man who had left Quinn to face the world on his own. He should still be furious. “I don’t know what happened either.” Quinn finally replied, looking down at the other man. “I shouldn’t have punched you though. I’m sorry.”

This wasn’t going to be easy. Here he was face to face with Quinn and he wasn’t making any effort to apologize. After years of torture, this was an opportunity to at least open the conversation up. Ben winced when he apologized before he tensed his shoulders. It showed how easy it was to do such a thing. However, he felt like he had to show Quinn he was sorry too which was easier said than done. “It’s fine. I punched back too, it’s probably the alcohol. Let’s just forget about it, alright?”

 chessieabernathy‌:

Somewhere past the sunrise, Chessie hadn’t woken with feeling a common feeling of being both groggy and mildly hungover. The combination always warranted a warm cup of coffee to ease her into the day – Even with plenty of party guests sleeping all over her home thanks to the blizzard, she didn’t miss a beat. Having changed in a short robe, pulled close, she brewed a pot, leaning against the kitchen counter as she scanned the room. “Morning, sunshine,” she comments quietly, giving the new addition an arched brow. “Help yourself.” Chessie offers, nodding to the pot next to her.

Ben started feeling more comfortable around the apartment that he was intruding in. It had been a few weeks and he finally was deciding he could take most things without asking. The one problem was that Ben wasn’t a morning person. He’d much rather sleep in than have to get up. But for some reason, he was up. It took him at least an hour to wake up, another thirty minutes to be open to conversation, it was a whole process. Add in the fact that he was hungover and his face fucking hurt. Not to mention that getting to sleep was a whole process. Maybe it was all of the guilt that he had to live with. It had to be cold and he had to sleep in just his boxers. However, he always made sure he was decent when he went outside of the room that he and King shared. After he rubbed his eyes, adjusting to some light, he trekked to the kitchen. He looked at Chessie, giving her a hand to at least acknowledge her. “Stop being so loud,” He told her in a whisper. “It’s hurting my head.” Since when did he get hangovers? It was this American shit. He took some coffee before he looked back at her, “Do you think we can get out to the terrace for a quick smoke?” He asked, not knowing the extent of the snow from the blizzard.

monty-santos‌:

“Well it depends if you’re planning on paying for me, because if you aren’t there’s no way that I can afford it,” Monty chuckled, despite the fact that he was completely serious about it.  “When I was in France I was working a lot with building houses for the homeless, pretty similar to habitat for humanity.  And then since I’ve gotten back here I’ve been working with one of the local homeless shelters.”

Ben wasn’t generous with his money or time by any means. He used to be pretty careless with his money, he still was. But now he made sure that exclusively applied to him. “Maybe you have to start getting paid for all your work,” Ben knew that he wouldn’t be okay with not getting paid or just volunteering. That wasn’t his forte at all. “Do you know if you’re going to go back?” Most of the time, he ignored homeless people on the streets. It was an unspoken rule for New Yorkers to just ignore them. It didn’t mean it was right by any means but that’s what he was always taught to do. “Is there enough space for all of them when it’s snowing like this?” It was an ignorant question for sure, but Ben had no idea.

arlovasquez‌:

“It wasn’t too busy when I was there. Or if it was, I don’t think anyone was going to push me around because I must have looked really deep in thought.” He chuckled. “I’m a firm believer that the Mona Lisa was actually da Vinci on drag. I don’t know why I believe that, but I do.”

They probably really thought you were taking a good review of the painting. Little did they know you were just high as fuck,” He joked. “What did he even look like? I always pictured him with a really long beard.” Ben said with a shrug, not that he thought of da Vinci a lot in the first place. “Is that a real theory? Honestly, I don’t even know why a portrait’s so famous.” 

oatanas‌:

“Oh my God,” O groaned through a laugh, shaking her head at Ben. “Are you gonna be that guy who reminds us all how well traveled and cultured he is all the time?” This time she really was joking, and both the grin on her face and the light tone she carried made that evident. The hand not currently clutching her drink lifted to wave away Ben’s thanks. “It’s nothing. Seriously.” As far as she was concerned they didn’t owe her anything. While things may have been weird between her and King for a brief moment, that didn’t change the fact that she was practically family. Which now made Ben practically family, even if she didn’t really know him. “I’m glad to have you guys. Although when you and King do decide to run away for a break again, make sure she says bye this time.”

“Am I that guy? I had no idea people think of me as cultured now.” He said proudly. This was something to him. The fact that she took them in with a minimal amount of questions was pretty impressive. “If you say so,” He guessed it didn’t make sense to argue about something that seemed like no big deal to her. Ben would make it up to O somehow. Maybe he could send O and King somewhere nice. However, that would require money and not reaching out to his parents meant he was on a tight budget. He’d figure out something. It was the least he could do to show his thanks while he was here to get his shit together. He tried to be as low maintenance as possible, never intruding anywhere in the house. Except when it came to coffee. He wasn’t sure how long they’d be staying, especially since they were here for Ben to make amends. However, he nodded, “I’ll make sure she does,” Maybe they would visit more often now that they ripped the band-aid off. “Can I get you another drink or something?”

taterodriguez‌:

“Actually, I haven’t.”  Tate admitted and gave a shake of their head as a chuckle passed through their lips.  They heard stories about SantaCon, but could never bring their self to attend knowing full well that there was more excitement in the Upper East Side.  “I think people were just surprised to see you’ve finally made a reappearance,” Tate said casually.  “Honestly, I never thought I’d see you again when you disappeared.  –  Kind of makes me wonder what was so important that made you come home,” Tate gave a shrug of their shoulders and they figured it was safe to assume it had something to do with Quinn.  “You’ll have to call in advance, but I’ll do my best.”

The only reason Tate remembered who Ben was, was due to the turmoil it caused Quinn.  It was hard for Tate to bother remembering people that clearly wanted nothing to do with the Upper East Side.  “Bishop’s sister, right.  The disappearing Kirbey.”  Tate didn’t have a face to the name but vaguely remembered another Kirbey being around.  “Shots sound great, it’s the only thing that is going to get me through this night.”

He really had just disappeared. It wasn’t like he was planning on leaving, it just all happened so fast. “It’s fun but I’m not sure it beats Oktoberfest,” He pointed out. Nothing could beat being in Munich during Oktoberfest.“Honestly, same here. But you know what they say. You always find your way back home.” He was only here to finally let go of the guilt he had been carrying around. 

“Yes, both I and the disappearing Kirbey have returned,” Ben confirmed. He wondered why they needed shots to get through the night but knew it was none of his business. If only he didn’t leave, he probably would’ve known Tate pretty well because of Quinn. “Vodka keeps me humble,” He hated the taste but would down it anyways. “And I don’t trust people who like raspberry flavored vodka. That shit tastes like medicine.”

kirbcy‌:

“Perhaps,” Bishop said with a lilt of his voice, “people wouldn’t be ‘at your throats’ if the choices that you both made were the ones that didn’t fuck over the people that loved you both. Sorry for holding both of you accountable for your shit actions when you decided to fuck family right in the ass.” Bishop decided that he didn’t like him. He used to worship his sister, in a weird way – a way where it was the two of them against the world, where he could count on her to take him into consideration. It turned out that she had zero issue burning him like everyone and disappearing into the void without a care in the world. He bristled against the other man attempting to do what he wasn’t sure. “Don’t presume you know even an ounce of my feelings toward my sister. Those don’t include you. But here’s a food for thought, maybe if she really loved me, she would have reached out. I’m glad she found someone to indulge in cowardice with, though.”

“I”m not here to argue with you,” He understood that Bishop was hurting, he understood that completely. “I think it speaks volumes that we came back,” He insisted. “You’re hurt, I get it. But don’t take it out on me. Or her. Both of us are human, I’ve made plenty of mistakes before,” He felt like he was walking on eggshells around the younger Kirbey, not wanting to them to argue. He couldn’t do that to King. “And I’m sorry that you’re hurt. But I can’t help if you at least don’t let me reach out. I think small talk’s better than nothing.”

kingkirbey‌:

King watched Ben work himself into a state, hating how helpless she felt. As much as she wanted to tell him that Quinn would eventually forgive him — that he had to — she knew her words would be empty. Quinn was practically a stranger to her, she knew only as much about him as Ben had told her, and she definitely didn’t know how quick he would be to forgive something that had taken such a toll on his life. “Being here is trying. And if he doesn’t see that you’re doing what you can to make it right, maybe his friendship isn’t meant to be.” King hated to be so blunt about the situation, but in her eyes it was the truth. If Quinn couldn’t see the obvious effort Ben was making to make things right, then screw him. “As much as I would really, really love that, I think it would be rude of us to ditch this party when the hostess’ are letting us crash in their guest room and drink all of their coffee for free. But we could take shots out here until your face doesn’t hurt anymore?” Moving to the counter, she plucked a bottle of tequila from the mess of half empty alcohol bottles held it up with a triumphant smile. “Isolating ourselves in the kitchen doesn’t technically count as ditching.”

Out of everyone he’s ever known, King could always cheer him right up and get him out of his own funk. Who knows where he’d be now if she didn’t find him in some shit bar in Italy? Having to accept the loss of such a close friendship wasn’t something Ben could swallow. This wasn’t supposed to end like this. Then again, what happy ending ever happened to him? “You’re right,” He admitted, at least he was offering Quinn an olive branch. It just sucked that this wasn’t going to work out. He slid off of the stool he was on and dragged his feet as he walked, “Damn us for being so polite,” He joked, “And for having a coffee addiction,” He rubbed his hands together in excitement at the mention of shots. “If we were in Germany, we’d be having Cinnamon with these shots, I miss tequila oro,” He pointed out. No one would probably miss them in here anyway. “Here’s to getting punched in the face.”

monty-santos‌:

“That sounds beautiful, I’ll have to make sure to go there sometime,” Monty smiled, even though he had no idea how he would ever be able to afford it.  Though it still was on his list.  “See I don’t know if the idea of being a third wheel is super appealing, but thanks for the kinda offer,” he chuckled, “plus I didn’t really have the money to just go off and travel.  The volunteer work I did gave a little bit of a stipend, but it was mostly just for clothes and food and basic living expenses.”

“I’m really surprised you haven’t been. I feel like it’s on everyone’s bucket list,” Ben said with a shrug, “Are you sure? We’re a lot of fun. One minute we’re in Portugal and the next, we’re in Spain,” Ben exclaimed. He liked traveling and not being tied down to one city. “They should give you a nice vacation for helping out. What sort of volunteer work is it anyway?”

kirbcy‌:

Bishop was supposed to be nice, but the feeling of even being a little tongue in cheek had long since left his demeanor. Something about Ben, standing there, pretending to even give a little of a shit fundamentally irritated the shit out of him. “Then why are you talking to me? Because here’s the way I see it, Vanderbilt. You’re attempting to do whatever this is in attempt to smooth over the fact that you married my sister without so much as a thought to her brother who may want to fucking attend. Further, I doubt you even pushed her to talk to me, or say anything, or come the fuck home. No. You don’t get to slither into my life pretending to be a friend when you’d rather remind everyone how much you’d rather be in Europe or some bullshit. Go back then. Or at least save me the act.”

“I’m not talking to you out of guilt, trust me,” Honestly, he didn’t feel bad about not pushing King to come home. Not when he didn’t want to come home in the first place. Was New York even considered home anymore? “If it makes you feel better, no one is invited,” It was a spur of the moment thing. Ben wouldn’t have wanted a wedding with family members in attendance anyway, he liked the spontaneity. “I get it, you’re pissed at her, but she really does love you,” He reminded Bishop, “I’m talking to you because you look like you could use some company, Bishop. This party’s supposed to be fun,” This was ironic considering Ben was usually the one who was being miserable. “Oh we’ll be going back, I just have to take care of a few things first. It’s nice over there since we don’t have people at our throats all the time.” If Bishop wanted to push him away, he was going to go along with it. At least he could tell King he tried.

quinnxarchibald‌:

Not knowing what to say, Quinn shook his head. There were so many emotions running through his head but no real words were forming. It was all just angerbetrayalfear mixing together into something dangerous. “How could you think it wouldn’t fuck things up Ben? It was me for god’s sake. The Archibald golden boy.” Quinn let out an angry sigh, resisting the urge to stomp his foot in frustration. “So you left. You ran away and let me face my parents, the media, the courts, and rehab all on my own. How kind of you.”

Ben furrowed his brows, the anger inside of him building up. He was only mad at himself. He only had a right to be mad at himself. He felt like there wouldn’t have been as many consequences if Quinn took the fall. They’d both escape unscathed. He was extremely wrong, however. “I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking straight,” He admitted. Quinn had a squeaky clean reputation compared to him. Had was the keyword. “I didn’t want to leave you to do all that shit on your own. I just didn’t know what else to do,” The guilt that Ben had after watching a man OD in front of him, unable to help, was something that was incomparable. He watched a human life leave a body. “I know it sounds bad, but...” His voice faded, realizing he shouldn’t turn this onto himself. “I should’ve just had your back,” Why couldn’t he just tell Quinn he was sorry? Why was this so hard? “I don’t know what happened.”

chessieabernathy‌:

“I guess that’s one way of seeing it,” she grumbles, silently wishing Gossip Girl didn’t have such an effect on her. Truthfully, ever since the FREYA board told her to clean up her act, the anonymous blog has become a consistent place she visits, terrified that she’ll find a secret of hers posted. She had too many things to hide, too much to lose. “I appreciate the solidarity, thanks,” Chessie chuckled, rolling her eyes at him, happy to keep the subject moving. The mention of the bartender brings another laugh, a shoulder shrugged soon after. “Oh, well. It’ll give me a story to tell about the time he met Francesca Abernathy,” she teased, putting on her best ‘high society’ voice as she said her own name. “King may be into this –” she gestured to him, laughing lightly. “Greaser-esque look. But you just look ridiculous to me.”

Gossip Girl wasn’t really a constant in his life for the past few years, so he wasn’t going to start reading it religiously now. “I’m just looking for an excuse to do it. It’d only be acceptable if you were doing it too,” He admitted as he looked at the brunette. “People will probably melt in their boots from jealousy when they hear about you.” Ben teased. "This is the European look, not a Danny Zuko one,” He replied, motioning towards his face. “You’d know that if you lived there for as long as I did.” Ben was going to remind everyone that he was abroad at least once a day. 

arlovasquez‌:

He smirked at the question, thinking for a moment. “It was a surreal experience seeing the Mona Lisa like that. You know how when you’re high, you see all the little details of things and you get lost in the picture? That happened for about an hour. I stood there and observed every curve and every line. I spent a long time thinking about that little smile she’s showing us. I kept asking myself ‘why is she smirking? What is she hiding,’ ya know?”

“Shit, that’s a perfect idea,” He was mad that he didn’t think about doing that himself. “Did you go at a good hour when people weren’t pushing and shoving?” The Louvre got busy. He would know since he visited a ton of European museums. “Isn’t there something about that painting? An effect or something? She’s probably hiding that she’s seen da Vinci naked?”

buffy-seymour‌:

“Unfortunately you’re SOL there. Unless you decide to fly somewhere else. I don’t think Florida or LA are getting a white Christmas this year.” Not that the thought had crossed her mind. Snow didn’t bother her… as long as she was home and it wasn’t keeping her trapped.

“It wouldn’t have been snowing in Greece,” He pointed out, “But I guess that’s what we get for being in New York in December,” Ben hated being able to see his breath outside and having to wear gloves. “How long do you think we’re going to be stuck here for?”

kirbcy‌:

The sound of his voice drew a slow look from Bishop. It was hard to not recognize him, despite the fact that the man had aged some. This was the man that his sister decided to marry. It seemed to fit, just in that moment, that they were together. Granted, Bishop didn’t know Ben and he didn’t know King anymore either. Bishop stiffened against the smooth tone Ben had, like they had known each other all their lives, like he had been invited to the wedding, or even knew about it when it happened. Bishop had to bite his tongue as to not let fly a completely scathing remark. “Why does that even matter to you? You’re an in-law by title only.” 

He heard about what happened, Bishop had been through a lot recently. The least Ben could do was cheer him up. And if King cared about him so much, that meant Ben cared about him as well. “I’m not just talking to you because you’re my brother-in-law now,” He stated. “This party’s supposed to be a fun time. Can I get you another drink? Or two?” Ben offered. 

chessieabernathy‌:

“You’ll be lucky if we can get the terrace door open in the morning,” A certain bitterness found Chessie’s tone, eyes rolling as she recalled their current situation. The mention of wandering without pants on brought a loud bark of laughter. “Haven’t you read any of those Gossip Girl blasts? If I started wandering around pantsless tonight, I don’t think anyone would be surprised.” What was meant to be a joke, brought on an eye roll. Not because of him, but the thought of what Gossip Girl would be posting about tonight. Thank god she decided not to keep her phone on her. Chessie shrugged at the mention of the bartender. “I gave him my exes number,” She comments with a snicker, “Some poor idiot in California’s gonna be woken up to a booty call,” Chessie can’t help but laugh at her own words, “Don’t worry, B. I’m sure caveman isn’t his type.”

“Someone has to do it, you have to take one for the team,” Ben knew about the blasts, he even found himself the subject of two so far, “I don’t pay attention to those unless I see my name,” He said with a shrug, “But if you’re going pantless I get to go pantless too so choose wisely.” He threatened, “He’s never gonna bartend another party after he finds out you lied to him,” He snickered, “I just let my hair and beard do whatever,” He admitted to the brunette, “If it looks like a caveman then so be it. It’s better than putting all this hair up in a man bun. Don’t be jealous.”

monty-santos‌:

“I never made it down to Greece, but I’ve heard that it’s amazing,” Monty nodded with a smile, “But it’s really not surprising if you look at how big all of Europe was, not to mention we probably were in very different places if we did happen to be around the same area,” he pointed out with a shrug, “But that’s good, King’s pretty great. Did you two travel together after that?”

“It’s one of my favorite places in the world. The ocean’s so damn blue there, especially compared to the crappy Hudson. But you can’t flush toilet paper cause their piping system is too old. That was something that was hard to remember when I was drunk,” Ben disclosed to the other man. “You could’ve been the third wheel if you wanted,” He proposed, “Pretty much, yeah. She somehow was able to put up with me for that long.” He let a slight chuckle out but it was true. Ben was honestly a mess when he ran into her.