{ Event 006} - Blog Posts

taterodriguez‌:

“Parties in the Upper East Side are the only good thing about Manhattan,” Tate had grown to detest Manhattan and everything it had stood for.  The drama and politics of it all had grown to be too much and sometimes they wish they had been able to abandon it all and leave the way Monty and Ben had done, but they had unfortunately set roots here.  “Honestly, don’t let them get to you.  They feed off of drama so just don’t give it to them.”  Tate gave a shrug of their shoulders before sipping their vodka.  “Don’t be a stranger, I’ve heard the food is pretty good.”  Tate boasted playfully.  “Only since you haven’t had the chance to taste my food.”

“King?”  Tate hadn’t been able to keep track of people these days especially if they hadn’t been around since their days of Nightingale Prep.  “Why does that name sound familiar? – Anyway, congratulations.  I’ll drink to that,” Tate chuckled before finishing their vodka.  “Please, I’ll never say no to that.”

"Have you been to SantaCon? That comes in a close second,” He had never been but he heard about it. People dressed in Christmas gear while drinking. Now that sounded like a good time. Tate was giving some good advice, advice that Ben should probably listen to. However, most of the time, information went in one ear and out the other for him. “It’s hard not to when I guess I’m this drama filled apparently,” He confessed to them. “I’m sure it is,” Was it as good as the food he had abroad, though? That was the real test. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“King Kirbey, she’s the hot blonde at this party,” He pointed out, shocked they didn’t know exactly who she was. “And she’s Bishop’s sister,” He added, seeing if it would ring any bells. “Thanks, I’ll drink to that too,” He decided. “How about we skip the chaser and go right for some shots?” Ben suggested. 

finnsmythe‌:

“I don’t doubt that. You seem pretty scrappy to me,” he grinned a little. At the suggestion of a shotgun competition, Finn laughed. “Oh my god, yes! I used to do that all the time with the guys! And I did that in college before I dropped out. You’re on. If this fucking blizzard wasn’t happening, and we’d be able to get a case of beer, we’d definitely do that!” Finn was competitive as hell, and he would do all he could to win that challenge. “Yeah, we’re a thing,” he nodded. “I’ll ask O about it. See if she’d be down.”

He wasn’t scrappy. Only he was allowed to call himself that. Or King. That was about it. “I gotta compensate for the height somehow,” He wasn’t ignorant, he knew he was pretty small. “There should always be a case of beer around or a keg. I really need to show Chessie and O how Europeans party,” He thought he was better than everyone because he spent so much time abroad. It was pretty pathetic. “Maybe we could do a bar crawl.” He considered that pretty romantic. See, romance isn’t dead. 

oatanas‌:

O laughed, loudly, at Ben’s comment and shook her head. “What a way to spend the night that would be. I think King would be pretty lonely without you around though, so you’re off the hook for your generous offer of rug security.” While O had initially been skeptical of taking in King and Ben (the latter especially given she didn’t know him) they had been ideal guests. So much so that half the time she didn’t even realize they were there. “It was good. I mean, it was work so it wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad,” she commented, one shoulder lifting in a shrug. “You guys been settling in okay?”

“Probably, but I take my job very seriously. It’s the least I can do,” He teased, “I remember when I used to take trips,” He said reminiscing back to a month or two ago. Ben missed Europe. “I think working as hard as you do is pretty admirable,” He admitted. He never really had the unfortunate task of having to work. He wasn’t sure he could do it. “Yeah, I think so,” Was it okay to admit that he didn’t want to be back here? “Thanks for taking us in, by the way,” Who knows where they would’ve ended up if O didn’t agree to let them stay. He was grateful for the favor, it was about time he showed some gratitude instead of just hanging around. 

 quinnxarchibald‌:

“You could have done it and you know it.” Quinn responded, crossing his arms over his chest. As Ben spoke, Quinn felt a wall around himself begin to crumble. Something about the look in Ben’s eyes made him want to stop everything and comfort the brunet. He was still mad, so incredibly mad, but seeing Ben so upset always made Quinn sad. “Ben…” Quinn paused, shaking his head. “Listen. You asked me to do it but I said yes. I agreed to it. I’m not mad about that.” Quinn admitted, shaking his head. “I’m mad that you left. I was ready to deal with the aftermath but not without you.”

He shook his head, trying to convince himself that he couldn’t have reached out to Quinn. It just wouldn’t have been possible, right? “I knew shit was gonna be bad but not that bad that it’d really fuck shit up,” For once, he should’ve been thinking about Quinn too, not just himself. “I had to leave,” He knew that it didn’t make sense nor could he even explain why but he had to. “I had to. I couldn’t stay here. I needed to leave.”

buffy-seymour‌:

Buffy didn’t check the weather before leaving for the party, but judging by the all-encompassing white outside the window and the severe weather alert currently overtaking her phone, she should have. With a sigh she turned from the window and crossed her arms. This was not a hiccup she planned for. There wasn’t even any dry shampoo in the small bag she brought for essentials (make up wipes, powder, blush, mascara, lipstick). Looking over at her companion, Buffy chuckled. “I wasn’t dreaming of a white Christmas party. Were you?”

He sipped on his Gin Fizz, as he watched Buffy turn towards him. Either way, he would’ve been here tonight. It wasn’t like he really minded staying here anyways. He was enjoying himself at O and Chessie’s place in general. Well, when he wasn’t moping around and dreaming about Europe. “Not really, I wouldn’t have minded a green Christmas,” He said with a shrug. “The City seems to recover pretty quickly even after the most horrible blizzards. Soon it’ll look like it didn’t even snow.”

monty-santos‌:

“Yeah, I guess.  If you say so,” Monty shrugged, even though he didn’t really feel like he was really that strong of a person. And while he knew that others would probably protest, it didn’t change the feeling.  “So clearly you went to France, anywhere else exciting you went while you were gone?” he asked, trying to get the subject off of him. 

“Oh yeah, I was all over the place. One of my favorite countries was Greece. Everything’s so modern yet not modern there,” He said, trying to sound like he was cultured. “I went all around the EU, I’m surprised we didn’t run into each other. I ran into King in Italy, like what were the odds of that? I really think that being abroad changes you, in a good way, of course.”

arlovasquez‌:

“I’d have a hard time not taking a dog home and making my roommates upset by not asking them,” Arlo said with a chuckle. “I’ve never been piss drunk anywhere. I don’t get drunk all that often. High, though? Oh I’ve been stoned out of my mind at the Louvre once. That was a trip.” 

“I would’ve if we didn’t move around a lot, that wouldn’t have been fun for the dog. Trust me, though, it was very tempting,” Ben knew about being stoned all too well. He’s been way more than stoned at a lot of points in his life. “Getting crossfaded is the best. I highly recommend it. Shit, did you see the Mona Lisa high? That’s amazing.”

quinnxarchibald‌:

“I dunno, called me? Sent me a facebook message? Something!” Quinn replied, throwing his hands in the air in frustration and surrender. “Why? Why did you come back for me? Wasn’t leaving bad enough?” He snapped. “You had your life over in Europe, why throw that away?” He then asked, hating that Ben wasn’t looking at him. Hating that this was what their relationship had become. He needed answers though and couldn’t wait for Ben to be ready to talk.

“I don’t use social media and I didn’t know if your number was the same,” It was a lame excuse but he figured it was also better to talk to him in person. “Because I screwed you over, Quinn. That’s why. I fucked your life up,” He admitted, “That night... what I asked you to do, it’s all I can think about.” It was eating him up inside. It took months and months of convincing. He knew that talking to Quinn was eventually going to happen. He just didn’t want to do it at a party.

kingkirbey‌:

The second she saw Ben, King gravitated toward him, taking in his bloodied face and stained shirt. She hadn’t seen the fight but she’d heard about it immediately, the news traveling fast through the penthouse. “Jesus.” It was all she could manage to get out as she pushed him back into the kitchen and onto a bar stool. Wordlessly, she went to grab a rag and wet it in the sink, coming back to press it to Ben’s nose. She worked in silence for a few moments, tending to the crusted blood on his face before she took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. “This was still a good idea. You know it was.” It was hard to look at him and believe her own words, but she knew the guilt he carried with him would end up hurting him much more than any punch Quinn could throw. “This obviously isn’t a great start to the conversation. But.. it’ll get better with him. At least you’re trying.”

These parties never ended well. Shit always went down. Here he was thinking he was past all that drama, thinking he was way too mature for this shit. “I don’t know if I’m even trying. I couldn’t say anything to him. It was hard to even look at him. I just froze like an idiot and asked him how things were,” Ben just wanted to disappear. No, fuck that, he wanted to run. His face hurt, his hands hurt, everything fucking hurt. “What if it doesn’t? I fucked up. Quinn still seems pretty damn mad,” He just wanted to go back with King to Italy or Greece, hell even Lithuania. But part of him was doing this for her. He didn’t want her having to deal with his guilt all their lives. “I’d rather just back to our room and drink with you for the rest of the night.” That would really make him forget about the whole fight. 

taterodriguez‌:

Tate was sure that when he spoke of unfinished business to attend to that it had something to do with Quinn and that Tate would get some type of earful about it later this evening.  “That doesn’t sound fun,” Tate said simply.  “You should come to a party because you want to, not because you feel like you have to.  It’s an opportunity to have fun and let loose,” Tate sipped from their glass again.  “Honestly.  Not a whole lot.  Running a restaurant, writing books, you know… nothing too exciting.”

“Wife?  You’re married?”  Tate gave a raise of their brow.  The last thing Tate would’ve expected Ben to return home with was a wife, if at all.  “I mean, O has a pretty big heart, so that doesn’t surprise me at all.  It’s good that you had somewhere to stay when you got back, though.”  Tate should get an award for the amount of civility they’ve been able to maintain because they’d imagined the day that Ben had the gall to return and what would happen.  But, they’d leave that to their brother.  “I’m sure she’ll find me somewhere,” Tate chuckled.  “I don’t mind.  You’re more than welcome to stay.”

“I haven’t been in the partying mood since I’ve been back here,” He admitted, “I’ll make a real appearance when I’m ready. I’m not prepared for all of the questions that people are going to ask,” They were so accomplished compared to Ben. All he did was travel, meanwhile, they had been doing actual shit. “Good for you. I’ll have to try out the restaurant one of these days. Although, I’m expecting some sort of special treatment when I’m there,” He was fully joking, he figured no one around here would ever give him special treatment again. Especially if Tate knew what he did to Quinn. 

He forgot that not everyone knew that. “Yeah, thanks to the dude that officiated it in Greece, he married me and King,” They arrived in New York without securing a place to live so it was really lucky that O took both of them in. “Thank you, I appreciate that. Do you want another drink?”

finnsmythe‌:

“Rum gives me a headache,” he explained. “Though it is a classic combination. Oh… that was you fighting? I heard the commotion and decided to stay out of it. God knows I don’t need to get into any more fights,” he shrugged. “No beer? That’s kind of bullshit. But maybe I just think so because I’m used to being around guys who could down pitchers by themselves. We should Postmates beer or something,” he laughed. “It’s good, yeah. I’m glad I can be here for O.”

“I would’ve gotten a lot more punches in if Monty didn’t break it up. I normally do more damage,” Ben had his fair share of fights in bars, while he was high, basically anywhere and everywhere. Nowadays he was a bit calmer and looked towards his wife to keep his impulse control in check. “Fuck yeah. I’d like to see you try to beat me in a shotgun competition,” Ben challenged, the competitive side taking over a bit. “Oh yeah, you guys are a thing or something,” He remembered hearing about that, “We should do a double date. It’s not really my thing but maybe O will enjoy it.”

quinnxarchibald‌:

Quinn shook his head as he continued to pull Ben to the side, into an empty area of the house. “Nope. You’re not getting out of this. Don’t worry. I got the punching out of my system. Sorry about that by the way.” He replied, nodding toward the brunet’s face. Pausing for a moment to recollect his thoughts, Quinn continued, glaring at Ben as he did. “I’m still so fucking pissed at you. I had to hear from Gossip Girl that you were back. Do you know how shitty that is? You didn’t reach out to me once. Not even when you were back in New York. What the fuck?”

It was a shitty thing to do. Ben knew that. “What did you want me to do? Just show up at wherever you’re living and surprise you?” He asked rhetorically. “I came back. And I came back for you, okay?” Ben needed to do this on his own terms. “But seeing you and saying what I want to say and need to say is a lot harder than practicing in the fucking mirror.” He admitted, looking past Quinn. He couldn’t look him in the eyes right now. He wasn’t ready for this. 

taterodriguez‌:

Tate sipped at their vodka soda, crossing their legs as they allowed their self to get comfortable in their current location, knowing full well it would take a lot to pry Tate from the kitchen.  It was quiet, it was away from the typical crowd that swarmed Upper East Side parties, and there was free alcohol.  As Ben Vanderbilt came into their view, it had been like seeing a ghost.  It took a lot out of Tate to offer pleasantries but they had been unsure if Ben had been fully aware of Tate’s knowledge on his situation with Quinn.

“Honestly, never thought I’d see your face again after you left.”  Tate tried to remain civil, because it was clear he didn’t have bad intentions.  “You’re staying here with O?  Why?  I didn’t know you guys were that close,” Tate gave a raise of their brow.  O hadn’t mentioned that Ben Vanderbilt had been staying in their home.  “Honestly,” Tate chuckled before admitting.  “Hiding.  I came for the free booze and to see O because I feel like I haven’t seen her in ages.”  Tate sipped their vodka soda again.  “I mean, it’s a free world.  I’m not one to stop you.”

He was a runner. If something wasn’t going his way, he’d leave. If he was on the verge of getting in major trouble, he’d board the next flight to Europe. It just who he was. “Yeah, well, I had to come. Not because I wanted to,” He wanted to make sure that was clear, “But because I had to. I guess I just have some unfinished business. How about you? What have you been up to?” He asked in an effort to make small talk. 

Ben then nodded at them, “You’re not wrong, we really aren’t close. My wife’s pretty close to her so she’s letting us stay here for a bit. This place is pretty nice compared to where I’ve been living these past few years,” He admitted. “O’s not in here if that narrows down your rooms to find her in,” There was a bit of joking in his voice. “This is the part where you’re supposed to tell me, of course, you wouldn’t mind. But, uh, I get it.”

monty-santos‌:

“Yeah, just talk to my father, or Buffy Seymour and you’ll find that I’m really not that popular of a person,” Monty shrugged, shaking his head a little ad the idea, “Yeah, I guess that I was? I mean I was mostly doing volunteer work, so it’s hard to be mad at someone doing that.”

“I’ll pass on both of those people, thanks though,” He couldn’t imagine ever disliking Monty. Monty showed that there was actually a chance that good people could be raised around here. He wasn’t one of those good people, but it was nice to know that there was at least one. “I don’t wanna be too presumptuous but I also feel like you had to have been a responsible nice guy out there. I think the French like that in a person. It shows you have a strong character.” Maybe it was the buzz that was making Ben turn into Dr. Phil.

quinnxarchibald‌:

@benvanderbilt

While the night had started out quite poorly, Quinn couldn’t help but feel that things were looking up. He felt like he could rule the world, like he could do anything. Rationally, he knew that was the coke running though his veins but it didn’t stop him from still feeling invincible. Meandering through the halls, not caring who saw his bruised face, Quinn explored. He wasn’t sure why he’d been so worried before about everything. It seemed so small, so insignificant. Quinn could take on anything, including Ben. 

As he thought this, Quinn stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening before he turned on his heels and made his way back through the apartment. After a few minutes he found who he was looking for. Ben. Not caring about who the other male was talking to, Quinn grabbed the brunet’s arm and pulled him aside. “We need to talk.” He demanded.

Ben’s attention moved towards Quinn as he pulled Ben away. Fuck, he hoped he wasn’t going to hit him again. He didn’t want to fight him again. The last thing Ben wanted to do was hurt Quinn even more. He looked up at the other man, studying everything about his demeanor. 

Why did that need to talk? He had nothing to say to Quinn. He had nothing he could actually say to Quinn. “Do you really think that’s a good idea to do here?” He asked, wanting to delay their conversation to another day.

finnsmythe‌:

“Well, that would make sense if he starts there because of time zones and all that,” he shrugged. “My drink? It’s good. Chessie and O always get top shelf shit, so it’s really great whiskey to ruin with Coca Cola,” he laughed and took another sip. “Enjoying the party so far?” 

“I’m surprised it’s not rum and coke.” He knew that was an American favorite. “I’m not sure I’d say I’m enjoying it. I already got into one fight, already had one gin and tonic because they have no beer here.” He said with a shrug, “How about you? I hope it’s been better than mine.”

chessieabernathy‌:

“I’ll save it for tomorrow morning during the hangover breakfast,” She held up her hands to show she meant no harm. “Not trying to have a bad time? You could’a fooled me, B. All you’ve done since got here is mop.” She rolled her eyes at him, finishing off her champagne before abandoning it on the end table. “Now you’re speaking my language,” Chessie perked up at the mention of gin and tonic, her go to drink. She didn’t wait for him to follow along, instead – Chessie began her way to the bar. “C’mon, the bartender asked for my number, so I think I can charm him into pouring heavy.”

"As long as I still can get my morning smoke in, do whatever you want,” He insisted. “It is your place after all. If I were you, I’d be walking around here pantsless always,” He chuckled, “Hey, I have not just moped around here. I’ve done more than that. I’ve looked out the window a few times,” He really should get out more. He just didn’t want to. 

Alcohol tasted pretty damn bad to him. Beer was an acquired taste but gin was not his favorite liquor out there. “Fine,” He agreed as he followed her, “Wait, did you give it to him? If he asks for my phone number, I’m gonna tell him I don’t have a phone.”

quinnxarchibald‌:

monty-santos‌:

Monty knew from what Quinn had told him at the lockin that things with Ben were going to be tense. That much was given and understandable considering the situation.  However, the last thing that he had expected to see was for Quinn to punch the other man.  And as soon as he did, he started making his way over, just not getting there fast enough to keep Ben from punching Quinn back. “Hey, both of you need to break it up, take a deep breath, and calm down,” Monty snapped as he gave Quinn a look, getting between them in hopes that he wouldn’t get hit. 

As shocked as Quinn was by the fact that he’d punched Ben, he was even more shocked when the brunet punched him back. He should have known it was coming, Ben had never been the type to go down without a fight but still, the action sent Quinn stumbling back. He let out a dry laugh at Ben’s words, trying not to start crying right then and there. Of course Ben would ask if he was alright, it was just so Ben of him. It reminded Quinn of simpler times, back before the arrest and before Ben had up and left. 

Opening his mouth to speak, Quinn was interrupted by a familiar face stepping in between them. “Monty.” He replied, suddenly feeling a bit stunned. Part of him knew that he should listen to his friend but a larger part of him wanted to go right back at it, to walk up to Ben and punch him again, to make him feel exactly how Quinn felt. Taking a step back though, Quinn raised his hands in surrender, glaring at Ben before looking back at his friend.

Monty keeping himself in between the two of them led to Ben having a realization of what he was doing. He wasn’t supposed to touch his best friend. Or ex-best friend. Whatever. Ben wanted to always protect Quinn and now he was doing the opposite. He couldn’t make eye contact with Quinn or even Monty. Instead, he just stood there soaking in what just happened. 

CLOSED.

monty-santos‌:

“It’s just a mass-produced postcard type thing that the post office makes, so it’s nothing fancy,” Monty pointed out with a little shrug, “But I think it depends on what you’re doing there.  I actually lived mostly in France for nine years after high school and I found that if you tried speak the language and learn the customs and don’t just do the tourist thing they weren’t as ugh it’s an American.”

“Well, of course, they liked you. You’re Monty Santos. I can’t imagine anyone not liking you,” He admitted. Who could ever say something bad about Monty? Not him. “It probably didn’t help that I was inebriated most of the time. I wasn’t sober enough to understand their customs. Not to mention I never really paid attention in French. I just know how to tell them that I don’t know. You, on the other hand, you must’ve been very popular there.”

 taterodriguez‌:

With everything that had been going on in Tate’s life in the last few weeks, any excuse to drink was welcomed in fact encouraged so they weren’t spending their evening alone with a bottle of vodka at Howl.  When they received their invitation from O, it was a hard offer to turn down.  So, Tate slipped into a simple but elegant jumpsuit and threw on their favourite pair of Stuart Weitzman booties before they made their way to O’s apartment.

Upon their arrival, Tate made a beeline to the kitchen to prepare their self a double vodka soda, skipping the wine this evening and shooting straight for the hard stuff.  They were unsure of what events would unravel this evening, but Tate honestly couldn’t care less since there was free alcohol and many places for them to hide.

Instead of seeking an immediate place of refuge, Tate hoisted their self onto the counter of the island in the centre of the kitchen in attempt to remain close to the free booze.  As Tate sipped on their vodka soda, the sound of approaching footsteps went unnoticed until they heard a voice beside them.  “Oh,” Tate exclaimed.  “Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

Living with Chessie and O for the past few weeks meant that Ben was pretty familiar with the kitchen. And since he had to throw away a napkin, he figured he could do it himself. Ben stopped in his tracks when he saw Tate. He was caught off guard that someone else was in the kitchen. Nevertheless, he gave them a slight smile. 

"Surprisingly, you’re not the first person who has said that to me tonight,” Ben added with a shrug. “I’ve been crashing with O and Chessie so I know where a lot of things around here are. I even know which toilet is the best to use in the house,” He joked. “What are you doing in here? I’m honestly thinking about copying you and staying here for the rest of the party. Do you mind if I join you?”

@kingkirbey

Being here just made the knot in his stomach worse than it had been at overseas. He’d much rather be in Greece right now, having a Piraiki than stupid liquor. He was supposed to be tying up lose ends and potentially making amends with Quinn. That shit didn’t work. Now he just felt like a spineless asshole. And when shit hit the fan, he just needed King. Ben spit onto his shirt, trying to get the blood out once he found her for the dramatic effect. “That didn’t go well,” He admitted as he looked at his wife, “I just got pummeled by Quinn. I didn’t even know he was capable of doing that,” Ben sighed as he looked past her, “Can you please tell me again why this was a good idea?” His question was geniune, the purpose of their arrival blurred over the fact that his friendship with Quinn seemed broken beyond repair.

arlovasquez‌:

“I’ve travelled quite a bit, actually. Did some before I turned twenty-one and it was one of the best decisions of my life.” Arlo paused, looking around the room a moment before bringing his attention back. “I mean I still travel when I get the chance to, but it’s less frequent now.”

“Same. Out of all the places, I have to say Greece was the best out of all the places I’ve visited. It was warm there,” which he was a huge fan of, “I married my wife there, and there were stray dogs everywhere. Do you know how many times I wanted to take home a dog?” He asked rhetorically. “Have you ever been piss drunk in the middle of Venice before? It’s pretty dangerous.”

quinnxarchibald‌:

Quinn couldn’t believe that this was happening, that this was his life. If it had been any other day or any other event, he might have played it cool, acted like none of this bothered him. Tonight though, with alcohol running through his veins, Quinn didn’t care about the consequences. As soon as Ben spoke, as soon as he tried to act as if nothing had happened, as if the past two years were nothing, Quinn saw red. Before he knew it, he’d already drawn his his fist back before letting it connect with Ben’s face. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He practically yelled as he took a step back from Ben, mind still reeling. He couldn’t believe that Ben would walk in here acting like he hadn’t ruined Quinn’s life, like he hadn’t just disappeared and left Quinn to fight on his own.

He knew Quinn pretty well. Ben thought his own face was safe. “Fuck,” He said, cupping his face as soon as he felt the skin split open. He wasn’t sure what the hell to do now. Ben wasn’t going to hit him back, not when he deserved it. However, a part of him felt his fists tensing up. They were supposed to be talking this out, not using their fists. 

Ben wiped off the blood on his white cuffs, not caring if he ruined them or not. He should’ve blended in with the damn walls as soon as he spotted Quinn. He always pinned Quinn as a lover and not a fighter. That shows how much he knew about him now. He wanted to egg Quinn on more, knowing that he deserved it. A part of him hoped he’d feel less guilty once Quinn was done. But what was a good fight without Ben at least hitting him once? As soon as Benjamin made contact with Quinn’s, he immediately regretted it. “Shit, are you alright?”

monty-santos‌:

“I don’t know, not all mall Santas are that way.  Or I”m assuming, I don’t actually know,” Monty shrugged, though he couldn’t really imagine places hiring drunks for a job that required them to be around children all day, “I don’t think so, it’s jsut for the donkey.  Though any kid who sends letters to Santa gets a response, which I think is pretty cool.” 

He was just going by the reputation that mall Santas had. They were always a version of a bum. “Who the hell is writing all of those letters back to those kids?” Someone had way too much time on their hands. “I think France should be focusing on other things, if it were up to me,” Then again he wasn’t in the French Parliament. “I spent some time there, I would know. They also aren’t huge fans of Americans, especially when I told them that I was from the City.” 

kirbcy‌:

The moment Blur burned down was the moment that Bishop went missing. Well, in spirit. His body was present at every meeting, his mind spewing nothing but business, curbing any condolences with a glance that kept it business. His phone was a log of unanswered messages and emails from friends and family. The only hope they had was to turn it into business and he may answer, but only in regard to business. This holiday was the first time he had been to a social event since Celia’s death, and bitterness was on his tongue just like the scotch. This was an attempt to get some bearing back on his life, despite the fact that he was not ready to face any of it. 

Benjamin found himself loosening his tie a bit before stretching out the kinks in his neck. He did not miss all of these people, but he sort of did miss the partying. Once he spotted Bishop, he walked right on over to him. He had a soft spot for the Kirbey’s for some reason.“Hey, Bishop,” He said nonchalantly. Ben didn’t want to sound like he was sucking up to his brother-in-law. Even if he was. Sue him for wanting to be liked. Wait, no, don’t sue him. “Are you enjoying yourself so far?”

monty-santos‌:

“That actually sounds pretty dangerous, but considering the magic involved I’m sure that if Santa were real there’d be some sort of spell that kept him from blacking out,” Monty shrugged, “though in France the kids fill their shoes with carrots because Santa has a donkey instead of reindeer. Which I guess is a lot healthier than the options they give everywhere else.”

"It wouldn’t be much of a stretch from mall Santa’s,” Ben added, “I feel sorry for whoever’s forced to sit on their laps,” One of the perks of growing up wealthy was never having to sit on a sketchy man’s lap. “Do you know what they give Santa or does just his donkey get stuff?” He asked.

quinnxarchibald‌:

Quinn was starting to feel thoroughly overwhelmed as he walked through the unfamiliar rooms, making small talk with people he really wanted to avoid. He had no idea how he’d ended up on the guest list, or how he’d been convinced to go to the party in the first place but here he was, trying not to sulk in a corner. He’d already seen Wren and had been busy trying to stay out of his way. Seeing the other male made his stomach twist in painful ways that made him want to drown himself in whatever the closest alcohol was.

After another near run in with his ex, Quinn was on his way to the bar when he ran into someone he felt stupid for forgetting. Ben. Of course Ben was here. Chessie had told him that the brunet was living with her and here Quinn was, being an idiot and walking right into the house. 

It took a moment for everything to sink in, for Ben’s words to really register, but once they did, Quinn’s eyes narrowed and he scoffed. “Yeah, it does. Are you gonna runaway this time too?” He asked coldly.

He felt like Quinn was closer to him than his own brother at one point. Until Ben fucked it all up. When he was a damsel in distress, Quinn swooped in and saved him. He literally risked his reputation for Ben and Ben paid it back by leaving the country. It was something that seemed right at the time to him. Now looking at Quinn, he knew it was all wrong. He tarnished their friendship. 

He nodded at Quinn’s comment, knowing that he deserved it at the very least. Ben deserved a lot more than that. Honestly, he would’ve run away if there was any room to. However, he felt virtually trapped. 

“No, I’m not,” He replied as he wiped his hand down his cheek nervously. Ben should have told him that he was back in town. Now here they were and he was feeling as tense as ever. Ben wanted to tell him how he should’ve mentioned he was back in town but he was too much of a coward. Instead, he’d continue with the small talk. “How has the city been treating you?”

chessieabernathy‌:

Ben didn’t pry, and Chessie gave him the same respect – It’s what made her enjoy their banter, knowing he wasn’t going to bother her about who she’d slept with recently, nor would she ask him about Quinn. She gave him an eye roll, a scoff following, as if he’d insinuated something beneath her. “I can name a few things I’d rather do than drink an ‘ice cold beer’, but I don’t want to scare the rest of the guests with graphics,” Chessie poked, before gesturing to the bar they had set up in the corner of the living room. “If you stopped your moping for half a second, you wouldn’t have missed one important detail.”

“Please don’t. Let's keep this party PG-13. It’s fine, no one around here could even come close to making the beer they had in Greece. It was amazing,” Ben was always reminiscing. “Hey, I am not moping. That’d mean that I’m trying to have a bad time and I’m not trying to have a bad time at all. I’m just waiting for the drama because I know it’s inevitable,” He considered himself above drama and all of the Upper East Side antics at this point in his life. “I guess I’m going to have to have a gin and tonic like a barbarian.” He was teasing her completely, only because he liked the wisecracks they were both able to deliver. 

wrenabernathy‌:

Wren knew the appropriate response was to say he’d prefer beer, but he didn’t. And, when he was feeling fine he could easily just agree with what he should like best and leave it at that, but when he was stressed he slid into type A personality overdrive and he followed his daily schedule even tighter than usual. “I’d have to go with the milk, actually,” he said, but then gave an apologetic smile to the other - letting him know non-verbally that he wasn’t trying to be a buzzkill on purpose. “Anyway, uhm - Chessie told me you’ve been holed up here for the past few weeks. How’s that going? Did she and Ophelia drive you crazy yet?”

What was with no one around here liking beer? He just figured that he was extremely cultured compared to the rest of them. “You’d voluntarily drink milk? Only nutcases do that,” He added. “Are they supposed to be driving me crazy? I’ve tried to not be too much of an intrusion on them since this is their place.” Ben tried to be as respectful as he could in their penthouse. He felt like an intrusion less now but O still scared him a bit. He was getting along with Chessie pretty well. “I’m just thankful for a bed and some coffee in the morning. Your sister’s a pretty good house host.”

arlovasquez‌:

Arlo stood at the sidelines, watching the other guests laughing and drinking. Not that he was having a bad time by any means, but he just needed a moment to step to the side and be a watcher, not a participant. 

He turned to the person beside him and listened for a moment, a small smile on his face. “The legal drinking age over there is 18 and the man is ancient. I’m sure they think he’ll be fine.”

Wow, that smile was pretty contagious. Ben looked down as he caught himself smiling back. He always found it better to conceal any emotion, even if it was just a friendly one. “Every other place has a lower drinking age than here,” However that never stopped Ben from having his first drink as a young teenager. Having alcohol at events just seemed like part of growing up. “Have you ever been abroad before?”