Dancing On My Own

multi-muse | pantheonhq

[dxncingonmyown]

multi-muse | pantehon-hqs dependent

maddox hope (damson idris fc) - the mob - lawyer/assistant district attorney

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amelia dreyer (marisa abela fc) - the reserve - journalist at channel 212

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[cleofms]

Eyes narrow like a cat’s as she stretches her neck. “When did you date Selin?” Cleo is momentarily distracted by the revelation. Her thumb runs absently through the condensation on the glass of fresh juice as she watches dust swirl in the sunlight filtering through sheer curtains. “Because I could’ve been like her,” she starts, deep eyes blinking back at him. “except I gave them 50 thousand dollars so...” Cleo trails off with a shrug, stare suddenly averted as she busies herself with raking her wet hair into a neat braid. “Coward’s way out. But he who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day. Oliver Goldsmith,” she quotes, though the exact work it belongs to is lost among an ocean of Post-it notes in her brain. “I’m okay, really. It’s sorted. I just wanted to tell you.” For a moment, the spectre of a smile haunts her lips. Though at the realization that he may ask the pivotal question of what they have on her, Cleo’s amusement swiftly arrests, pronounced dead on the table at 9:14 AM. She does not want to tell Maddox about her father. She does not want him to know any of it.

[dxncingonmyown]

"A year ago." It's not exactly the most groundbreaking of revelations. Maddox's dating list is almost as long as his indiscretions. The only difference is there remains a lingering care for his ex, who never evolved into much more than a budding romance. Besides, that's not what he and Cleo are here to talk about. "Alright." He doesn't react, doesn't let the knee-jerk reaction of asking why get to him. Instead, he keeps his wits about him, absorbing the information like a confession. "Well, the fight is coming. Soon. And in the process, you have given them more ammunition." Maddox abandons his typical, devil-may-care response and leans into the prosecutor in him. "It will come back, Cleo. With interest." Not a threat, but a warning, from one friend to another. He doesn't need to know what she's done. Maybe he doesn't want to know. Because to know is to be an accomplice, where he would much rather be her friend.

[dadivosos]

he wanted the fight , he wanted the argument it was always easier than whatever she was attempting to do. he was unsure on how to proceed , unsure on what to make of what she was actually saying to him. instead he doesn't react , dark eyes remain on her as she speaks , about why she couldn't continue with him and a part of it did make sense but for the life of him , he couldn't believe the cop out she thought she deserved. everyone had issues and she wanted to ruminate in it all on her own , not letting him into what she was actually feeling. she let him go crazy , thinking the worst when it had been her doing.

he finally gets up , dusting himself off as a way to distract himself from what she was actually insinuating. " it doesn't , " he said , firmly , attention lying back onto her. " why are you telling me this ? why now ? " he said , tone a bit more harsh than he intended. he couldn't let her back in , he just couldn't go through it again.

[dxncingonmyown]

The question of timing lingers in the air. All the years that have gone by since she broke her own heart, and his, in the process. The answer is simple, and Amelia doesn't flinch even at the harshness of his tone. "It would have been earlier, if you had picked up the phone." Amelia did try, even after pictures of Alfie and his super models plagued the papers. Fresh off the break up, there were calls and texts. Ones that died down by the time Channel 212 turned up the notch on its publication, and work consumed her. "And now... I think you ought to hear it." Maybe he will never forgive her. But at least Amelia can know that he knows, live in some peace with that.

[dadivosos]

" you're right it does , but i was always the third wheel , " he had come to notice. if alfie wanted her attention but she had to do something at work , he would always have to wait. if he had planned a dinner , she would always show up late or cancel while he was already waiting. he had grown tired , exhausted so all he could do when she wanted to end things was leave. in a way , alfie knew his worth. he knew he had done nothing wrong. yes , they argued and yes they fought but at the end of the day it always ended the same , in each other's arms muttering sweet nothings until the sun rose. something had shifted --- the sigh of time wasted that he could not get back. it angered him -- he was still angry. " please , enlighten me on how i'm wrong because i don't feel wrong , " he hated being wrong.

there was barley a twitch , nothing he felt could move him --- except for that. the tone which indicated she was over it , tired -- a tone he had often catered to even if she never wanted to. he had learned her quirks , he had learned almost everything there was to know about how she function but no matter what he learned he also felt like it didn't matter. so why should it matter now ? " are you ? " he questioned , long pause before he finally turned his attention back onto her. his own tone shifting into one much more relax , subdued than what it was seconds ago , " not that it matters , " he added , because it didn't. she had made her decision that afternoon in what was supposed to be their apartment.

[dxncingonmyown]

Enlightening him on how he's wrong? A recipe for another fight. But Amelia and Alfie always stirred into the slipstream of chaos and disagreement. She bites her tongue, just for a moment. Then, she unclenches, offering the most honest answer she has; "It wasn't just about my career." Amelia exhales, the context that she was never able to give him, because he left the next day and was on the arm of a Swedish super model within twenty-four hours. "It was about me; my issues, my history." All the things she was scared to tell him; the trauma inflicted by her father, the secrecy that came with her birth. All the fears and anxieties that scared her away from his love, that caused her to hurt him. "All the secrets." And Alfie had some of his own, clearly. A con-man, a Harrigan... They both had them.

He turns to look at her, and Amelia does her best not to look away. To stare the vulnerability of the moment in the face, instead of starting a fight or walking away. It's the least she could do; own up to her own lies. "With everything I have." She answers quietly. The proof in the way she stays behind; Amelia can fight being near him all she wants, it's a losing battle. "It shouldn't matter." Amelia agrees with him. But it does. She can tell it does.

[nanxschaefer]

Nan couldn't help but laugh with her full chest at that fact, because of course he did. "You have not told me that. But obviously you would, you would have been such a good hot bombshell entering the villa." He was charming, gorgeous, and those ridiculous slo-mo videos of the men doing all the different poses would have all the viewers at home eating out of the palm of his hand. "But, you're like also super smart so I feel like they would have downplayed that on the show." Nan shrugs a little as she grins at his reaction to her comment about not seeing him at the White Party. She hummed at his comment. "Well, if you insist. For at least now you will be able to see it when I put the photos on Instagram." Nan teases back as she felt like she was playing with fire, but it felt like it wasn't a dangerous flame whatsoever. On the contrary, it was nice and warm and felt like the type of fire that you want in the dead of winter.

Watching Maddox's every move as he takes one of the Dirty Shirleys, she is intrigued to know what he'll think. "French Bordeauxs and Scottish whiskeys for children. Start them young. Or were you just sneaking sips?" Nan had a feeling it was the latter, knowing the public image of his family she doubted that would have been allowed. She had to bite her tongue to keep from snickering at his reaction to the drink. "Don't mind if I do." She said as he slid it over and she starts to drink it herself. "I give you full credit for at least trying, you were a brave boy." Nan assured as she puts a hand on his knee, giving a nod at the Old Fashioned, feeling like that tracked for him. "A classic, see I am nuanced I like Old Fashioned too. Is it my go to? No. But if someone ordered it I'd drink it." She takes another sip of her Dirty Shirley before asking. "Did you at least have some fun at the White Party?"

[dxncingonmyown]

"Those fuckers are lucky I didn't. I'd win the whole thing, easy." He laughs along, good natured and bemused. Maddox could be silly, flirtatious, and wild enough to win it all. What Nan says next, however, is the sort of thing that allows a light burning in his cheeks. "Really? You don't think I'm a hot fuck boy with a bottomless bank account?" He knows Nan thinks better of him, than he does of himself. Just as Maddox suspects he sees more of the thorns that make up her rosy disposition. It seems he and Nan carve out a place, where light and darkness make good friends. Still, hearing it is something else entirely, and Maddox takes a sip of his drink to wash away the sudden moment of vulnerability. Far more comfortable with teasing and banter, as he lightly nods at the black straps of her purple dress. "Or I just take a moment and appreciate what's right in front of me." A light hand reaches over, pushing aside a strand of blonde hair against her strap.

"Sneaking bottles, really. Your parents ever give you a hard time?" It felt as if no one was as strict or rigorous as the Hope's when it came to the panel of public opinion. His nose crinkles, reaching for a glass of water to wash it away for good measure. "Nan, you're a classic, even I know that." Something old world and whimsical about her, from her flower shop to her sentimentality. "But even though I'm a bad gentleman, I won't order you another drink - yet." She already has two, and tonight isn't the night for a black out. He wants to enjoy what he has. "You know me. Always having fun. Don't remember much of it, in fact. But I saw it didn't end well." The Pantheon's texts looming over two important people in his life. "Did you go with a date?" He asks curiously, letting his knee linger against hers. No jealousy, but instead, curiosity.

[alixharrigan]

The response earned a brighter smile on Alix's part, ocean hues lit with pure joy. "I so agree." The beaches and sunshine of California remained unparalleled. Hamptons shamptons, if you were to ask Alix. The east coast ceased to equate with anything remotely near the views of the west. The I heart New York daily affirmations Alix performed in the mirror did nothing to grow a personal penchant for the rats, snow, traffic, garbage, the Hudson - any of it.

The urge to ask if Amelia was serious nearly slipped out before she caught it. "How's Friday morning?" The tote bag was shrugged free from her shoulders, allowing it to fall onto one of the kitchen island stools before glancing back over her shoulder. "One's yours already. Unless you want two?" One of the four was always allocated for Amelia. "There's an extra in the chance anyone was over or someone wanted to throw it in the fridge for later. Or, hey, you want to take it with you for Selin?" After the text exposure she'd finally viewed yesterday morning, Alix had been grappling with an approach to soothe the burn. "Please. You don't have to say thank you." A hand rose to wave in the air between them, dismissing the thanks. "I liked having you here." A nonchalant shrug followed as neared Amelia, working to extract one of the lattes from the tray. "Have you talked to her, by the way? Selin?"

[dxncingonmyown]

One of the things she's come to like about Alix Harrigan; her easy ability to go about the world as if it isn't filled with hurt. It's something Amelia used to be pessimistic about when it came to people. After recent events, however, she's learned to recognize that sometimes warmth and kindness is only that - and it's her own trauma that often gets in the way. Too introspective for the morning, however, and Amelia takes a def sip. "Before 9, preferably. I like to be in the office before then." Amelia commits, doubling down on her offer before her own reservations can stop her. "Don't think I've changed too much, though. You might still hear a fair amount of bitching, see a few eye rolls." She's no saint yet, and fortunately Alix doesn't expect her to be.

"Thanks, I'll bring it to her." She can't speak for Selin since the Pantheon's texts. Surely not in a position to explain the how's and why's. But they are pulling for the same Reserve team, which counts for something. "No, I do. I mean - I was public enemy number one for awhile." At least, where Lottie was concerned. The two women might have killed each other before the truth came out. And now? They bickered over her generic milk choices and how Lottie has no clue where her garbage chute is. "And you guys welcomed me in after everything. So, thanks." She takes another sip, a small nod in Alix's direction. "A little, yes. You can imagine it's not been easy on her." Amelia doesn't make comment on the information itself. Alix knows well enough; everyone has their skeletons in a closet.

[selinagha]

𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 ever got to see this side of amelia: the version of her who made selin’s coffee exactly the way she liked it without ever having to ask. the version after the fires at the hospital who adjusted selin’s pillow. selin was learning that amelia could be thoughtful, even nurturing, in a way that never demanded gratitude or felt performative. though selin suspected that, if you asked anyone else to describe amelia, nurturing would not be the first word that would come to mind. “therapy’s kind of like being interviewed by a talk show host for an hour straight. so naturally, i love going.” her expression softened as amelia explained. selin listened without interrupting, grateful for the distraction at first and then genuinely concerned. “okay, first of all, hate is usually not as simple as hate.” she pulled the blanket more securely around her shoulders. “and i don’t know enough about the situation to lie convincingly and say none of it was your fault, but from experience, breakups are usually a group project.” she was certain that whoever this man was, he was not entirely innocent. “yeah, well.” she swallowed. “what i did wasn’t to survive. it was to fit in.” the admission came quiet and thick with shame. “the text is true. all of it.”

[dxncingonmyown]

Her lips purse into a small, knowing smile. Selin never gave herself enough credit. She may embody all the soft traits people mistake for frivolity. Some might hear her answer and think it shallow. But Amelia is adept enough to say, "I think you're just as good as listening." Observant as anything, capable of reading people in ways even her most astute journalists could not. Present company included. "No, it's hardly simple." Amelia admits in earnest, a shallow breathe into her own cup of coffee. "But I was the one who made the first blow." The one to let go, to pick her career and her reservations. "I guess we're co-authors of our terrible estrangement, then." A sad smile, but the trivial nature of romance comes second to what Amelia means to say. What's communicated in the heavy breath Selin takes. So it's true. Amelia takes a moment, doesn't conceal the way the gears shift in her head, how she considers where morality and forgiveness ought to meet.

Finally, she nods, understanding the gravitas of it. "Was there a part of it that was intentional?" One thing to make a terrible decision for the sake of fitting in, another to act with malice to take another down. "You would not be the first." Nor would she be the last.

[cleofms]

Cleo opens the door, wet hair clinging to her cheeks like Rachel McAdams in The Notebook, only there is no insufferably cliché love story, just the lingering aftermath of a hungover shower now dripping down her back. “No, I didn’t even get laid last night, how fucked up is that?” She leads him into the kitchen, pointing to the espresso machine as a response to his coffee request. He can help himself. Maddox knows his way around her kitchen like the back of his hand; at this point, he hardly qualifies as a guest in her home. “Did you see Pantheon’s text?” Cleo inquires, taking a sip from a glass of grapefruit juice. Her breakfast consists primarily of a hydration committee - an Americano with honey, a shot of goat milk kefir, a mug of yuzu tea. She takes a drink from each in irregular rotation, no singular beverage trusted enough to restore her. “They really aren’t messing around. I know that girl. Kind of hard to believe she had the guts to, I assume, resist Pantheon’s blackmail when…” I didn’t, almost slips out.

[dxncingonmyown]

"No one bats a thousand." Maddox answers with ease, making his way to the espresso maker with casual familiarity. Working the machine just so, while eyeing the levels of her rotation of drinks. True to form, Cleo's worked her way past necessity (Americano) to rehydration (kefir). But the absence of any hair of the dog is proof she's kept her wits about her long enough. "I saw." It was fucked up, and with his own history with Selin, Maddox frowns. "We dated for a minute. I never thought she was capable of that..." Never thought she could do such a thing. But the Pantheon is proof that anyone can do anything to stay afloat. "Why are we talking about Selin?" He doesn't need to ask the question, but he lets it hang in the air anyway. Because it's clear as day - Cleo received her own text, and decided to do something about it.

[nanxschaefer]

Nan looked at him for a moment, grinning at his words and giving a small shake of her head. "You're right, I was contemplating on whether I was going to crochet or embroider tonight while I watched Love Island UK, so I mean really you're lucky you got me." She teased as she gave him a small wink. Nan was a sociable person, but also she loved some good alone time. But to say that she had options was a little more of an exaggeration, but she wouldn't let him know that. "Why thank you, Maddox. You look amazing yourself. You know you really always missed out at the White Party, now this is a nice dress...that was an amazing dress." She didn't have any other good reason to show off the dress other than she looked good in it, but why she wanted to show it off to Maddox? That was a question she wasn't sure she could answer. She swivels in her chair to face him and grins at his response. "It's okay, it isn't a very sophisticated drink." Nan laughed softly as he not only shares her order but orders one for himself. "Never have I ever thought Dirty Shirley would be in your vocab. In solidarity, of course. I'll have yours if you don't like it. Did you ever have a Shirley Temple as a kid?" She felt like for her it was one of those drinks that was the epitome of summer. "What's your typical drink here?"

[dxncingonmyown]

"Did I ever tell you that I almost went on Love Island?" Back in his early twenties, when Maddox was determined to live down his family name with any obscenity imaginable. Including but not limited to reality stardom. Fortunately, saner heads prevailed, "I'd clean up, don't you think?" He teases Nan, just to see if she'd agree. For research purposes only, of course. "Fuck, way to make a man feel bad." He says, hand on his heart. But he's quick, immediately tilting his head. "Guess that means I'll just need to take you somewhere worthy of a dress like that." Maddox can hear himself flirting, leaning into the parts of himself that carry charisma and charm like a muscle. With Nan, however, it's always done with tentative care. As if there's more to lose than any of the girls he matches with on Hinge.

Like a good sport, he reaches for the Dirty Shirley, peering at Nan from behind the fruity drink. "Nah, the Hope's were very strict, very posh. It was either French Bordeauxs or Scottish whiskeys." No room for the crassness of fun, fruity drinks. Although, upon taking a sip, Maddox can't help but cough. "Jesus Christ--" Too sweet, even for him, and he laughs in good nature as he slides it over to her. "Give me credit for trying." Catching the bartender, he nods for his usual, answering her question when an Old Fashioned appears.

[dadivosos]

an answer sits at the tip of his tongue , something outlandish surely to cause an even bigger rift between then and yet , it stays there. not daring to mutter anything further than what they usually go for. " well if you're counting yourself in the equation then yeah , i'd say not a bloody chance. " his mother had wondered what had happened to amelia , the pair never meeting but alfie had of course spoken about her in great detail. something he never told amelia because , well , he didn't know why. after their break up he never mentioned her again , his life resuming to how it was before she had arrived and before he thought he knew what love was. " for your career , " he corrected.

he doesn't answer her question but he does allow his eyes to follow her movements as she does what she said she would. the water is cold , borderline freezing despite the warming temperatures. any other time he would have gone along with her ploy , anything to get him out of the water and he to get closer to her but he refused. the pit in his stomach grows further as she smiles , a smile he had seen hundreds of times , " fuck off , amelia. " tone could've been harsher but it wasn't , instead he turned his expression to the ocean once again , anything to avoid looking at her.

[dxncingonmyown]

"Takes at least two to make an equation." She mutters, her voice lower and almost somber amidst the salt-lined air. Alfie and Amelia could fight and trade witticisms until sunrise. But something about the ocean and the peaking sunrise keep her at bay. In the four AM silence, all she feels is the sad nostalgia of it all. "You're right." She hums, looking out at the ocean. "But you're also, at least a little bit, wrong." Amelia is relentless about her career. But Alfie hasn't been in her life in years, hasn't seen the gradual change that's come about. And while the fault lies with her, the facts remain the same.

The water lands on the fine muscles of his face. Some movement, but Alfie is as stubborn as she is relentless. A strong object and an immovable force - it's how they summed up their relationship. She should say something sharp in turn, give into the habit of crude fighting they get into. Instead, she stares at Alfie for a long time, her eyes lingering in silence. "Believe me, Alfie. I'm trying." She admits quietly; trying to move on, trying to fuck off since seeing him again. Sadly, she remains as she is, unmoved from her place, unable to truly let go.

[dadivosos]

" me ? " he points at himself , fully opening the door to allow the other man to enter especially with food. he had just gotten back from his obligated training session so maddox was lucky to have caught him and not at lottie's place. he rolls his eyes knowing the other was bound to bring it up , " prosecutor or not i think you're just nosy. "

[dxncingonmyown]

"Try concerned. You, my friend, have a tendency to pine and perish." Maddox teases, even as an air of truth echoes as he places the food on his kitchen counter. They are best friends, friends in arms, brothers in all but blood. So he's had a sense about the things even Santi won't talk about, such as the longstanding affection for a certain woman of myth and fear. "You're really gonna play it like this?"

[dadivosos]

he notices it immediately , the way she react anytime someone else is mentioned. he would probably do the same though in all fairness once he left to england he vowed to get her out of his head. the one and only time a relationship had gotten as serious as it did and it ended in a truly idiotic way. he was willing to do so much for amelia , he had already done so much and yet --- she couldn't bare to accept the fact that he would have been with her despite it all. through the sleepless nights , the long day , the ramblings -- all of it and she threw it all away over her ego. he couldn't go back to square one. " no but i can blame a woman who rather throw something decent away , " he swore it hadn't gotten to him , but every time she comes near all the feelings come crawling back up and he can't help it.

alfie blinked , long and hard opening she was just a figment of the coke cleo had given him but she was still there when his eyes opened. " well aren't you relentless when you shouldn't be , " he did his best not to sound bitter but there was a bit of a tone. an unavoidable one at that. he looked at the water that was nearing then back at her as if he were deciding which was worse , he certainly didn't want her near him nor did he want contact made. " it's a room with a very lovely view. "

[dxncingonmyown]

Like her, Alfie fights to win. No punches held, no words minced. The bitter assessment is the latest hit, but Amelia's jaw slacks at the accusation. "We were a lot of things. Decent?" She lets the rhetorical question hang in the air, as pointed and sharp as the salt air. Alfie and Amelia were tumultuous, argumentative, passionate... And in love. The regret sits in her throat, yet a bitterness also lingers in her stomach. She may have left, but he made sure to close the door. The weight of guilt may tip in her favor, just about. "I'm relentless always." She fought for everything, except the man in front of her.

His non-answer, said with as much distance as he can muster, is all she needs. "You're impossible, you know that?" It's a stubborn she loves and hates with equal fervor. After an impatient beat, Amelia drops her heels on the sand. Stepping her feet in the water, letting the tension linger in the air... And just when the impulse to start another fight rises in her throat, her finger reach into the water and make good on her promise. Right onto Alfie's serious and stubborn features. "What?" She smiles with a challenge. "I told you - these are your options."

[dadivosos]

he often said things just to get under her skin , he knew very little things got to her but his proclivity for women was one thing though he thought it was unfair. he thought she was being unfair. " pamela anderson or -- ? " he left the question open to see if she dared to answer. it'd been some time since they , since she , ended things surely it shouldn't bother her and yet , he could practically see the way she tensed but he refused to fully acknowledge her. his drug use wasn't new , not even when they were together though the reasons were different.

" i think medusa's a much better term , hair's half way there. " an obvious tease , though she wouldn't know any better. his eyes remain fixated on the water in front of him before she decides to step in front of him. he's almost forced to finally acknowledge her , look down and finally see her eye to eye. something he had been refusing to do since their last encounter. " what if i am staying here ? " he said cocking his head , before returning his attention to the water. " you can go. "

[dxncingonmyown]

She lets out a light scoff. He wins this point. Amelia could be positively green with envy when it came to Alfie. The sort of thunderous possessiveness that made for something passionate, before it evolved into something hideous. Even now, it still rears its head, and she kisses the roof of her teeth. "You make that sound like a bad thing. Medusa's rage is epic, and born from bad men who do bad things." She looks out into the distance, something distracted and haunting in her eyes. "You can't fully blame a woman who does what it takes to survive." In this case, Alfie's right - she's Medusa, and the man who wronged her is a ghost that never leaves.

Sighing, she looks down at him again, not breaking their moment of eye contact. Then, she smirks, "No, you're not." Amelia says, relentless. "You're getting your ass up and getting in a cab with me." She isn't asking, and she's certainly not relenting. "It's that or I shove you in the ocean to sober you up." And judging by his comfortable spot, it's doubtful Alfie would suffer through the cold water to get rid of her. Then again... He might just hate her enough to do it.

[selinagha]

𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬, 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝. no, mortified was an understatement. she didn’t have a word in her admittedly expansive english vocabulary that came close to describing whatever this feeling was. as she emerged from her bedroom, she wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from amelia. they had only just moved in together, after all. would she judge her? shame her? decide selin was too much of a liability to have around? maybe that was why, at the offer of coffee and bagels, her heart fluttered with relief, body relaxing slightly. “coffee is good. i, um, don’t really have an appetite right now. i’m on two different anxiety meds, so.” she gave a small shrug, then pulled a blanket from the couch around her shoulders even though it wasn’t cold. “i know you probably have questions. um, about the text.” her fingers tightened around the edge. “but i can’t get into that before i finish my coffee, so…can you humor me for a little while and tell me how your night went first?” it comes out soft, a small plea for a few more moments of normalcy.

[dxncingonmyown]

She's made a career out of snuffing out harsh truths from good and bad people alike. But whether it's her affection for Selin, or the change that's overcome her in the last few months... Well, she doesn't want to do that. Instead, she makes her a coffee, mixed the way she observed she takes it. "Good on you." She hums, genuine in her assessment. "I should probably but... Therapy." A shudder; an exercise in failure and obfuscation for the young woman. Fortunately, Selin's better than her in that regard. Noticing Selin's need to delay - not avoid, but simply take a breathe - Amelia nods. "Wasn't much of a night. I was back at the office, working late. But I turned up just in time to go another round with my ex." Taking a sip of her drink, Amelia resists the urge to be private. That's how trust works, right? You have to give it to get it. "He hates me. I resent him. It's proper, terrible misery - and it's my fault." She admits, because Selin is good at that, at letting her be herself and express herself along the way. "We've all done things to survive, Sel." And only a higher power can judge them for it.

[dadivosos]

" do you recon they'll send pamela anderson ? " question was meant to be more rhetorical though he knew it might hit a nerve with the woman. or maybe she never cared at all. it was all a bit confusing in the man's head but he never got the closure though he swore he didn't need it. he had known from the beginning how amelia functioned and what she wanted most in life. she got it , he was just collateral. alfie was a mix of things between the substance cleo gave him and the alcohol his state was a bit apparent though he attempted not to show it too much because amelia had a habit of pointing things out he did not exactly want to talk about. his gaze was turned to her momentarily before looking back out at the sea , " sea monster ? now who said such a thing ? " certainly not him of course.

[dxncingonmyown]

It's lucky Alfie isn't looking at her, because Amelia has never had an emotion that didn't pass through her face. Somewhere between irritation and jealousy, as she hums; "Well, that's certainly on brand for you." Before her, and even after her, she's seen Alfie with the types of gorgeous women Amelia would never be. Fun, free, and certainly not as serious or damaged as she. "But I think she's busy, so you'll have to settle for me." It's early to the point that the sun is creeping up. And by the looks of it, Alfies' on one thing or another, avoiding her just to avoid it altogether.

"You're right. A little too witty for you." She baits him out, waiting until somewhere in her barbed words, he might actually look at her. Finally, she sighs, looking around the hotel. Everyone's gone now, and the morning shifts clearly begun by the looks of the new staff arriving. "Let's go." Not a question or a suggestion. Amelia is firm as she moves, standing in front of him, the wave of the water just touching her exposed feet as she holds her heels in her hand. "I'll call you a cab."

[cleofms]

For most of the night, Cleo has been perfecting the art of forgetting. Pantheon sits at the edge of every thought, waiting for the slightest lapse in concentration to crawl back in. She, like Maddox, has spent the night flitting around here, there, and everywhere - a bee in the glitzy hive. When he finds her, she is still buzzing. Though she softens instantly beneath the familiar weight of him, one hand lifting to settle over his forearm where it crosses her shoulders. “Poor thing,” she murmurs, tilting her head back just enough to look up at him. “The crushing burden of being adored. I don’t know how you endure it.” His presence is easy in a way very few people’s are. “I did shrooms earlier,” she admits, casual as reporting what she ate for dinner. “But I’m starting to come down.” A fleeting frown. Then, she instantly perks up. “Are you on your good-boy behavior tonight because your siblings are here?”

[dxncingonmyown]

Time Skip at Cleo's apartment!

A text from his best girl friend on any weeknight at three in the morning? Indisputable booty call. But a text from Cleo to turn up at her place 9AM on a Sunday? Well, that's something else entirely. Call it intuition, or years spent cleaning up each other's messes. But Maddox feels it in his stomach; something's wrong. He breezes past the doorman (he's well known in these parts), and gives her apartment door two solid knocks. "You better have some fucking coffee." He says, by way of greeting. He loves Cleo, would ride and die with her... But he's no morning person (especially when he's out at bars until four in the morning), and rolling awake early for anything other than a Hope family brunch is a tall ask. "What's going on? You need me to kick out some one night stand?" It's said as a joke, because one look at her and Maddox knows; it's far more serious than that.

[nanxschaefer]

When Maddox said he wanted to go out for drinks and told her where to meet her, after saying yes without any hesitation she looked up the spot and was glad to have a summer dress that was perfect for the occasion. Spotting the man at the end of the bar she smiled as she made her way over. "Oh my gosh, you do not have to thank me that's so sweet though!" Nan let out a small laugh happily accepting his touch. Wrapping her arms around him hugging him, she grinned a little as he gave her a peck on the cheek. Pulling away a little she gave him a mischievous look, "Will you judge me if I say a Dirty Shirley, because if yes then Espresso Martini." She moved to the seat next to his she looked over to him, realizing this was really the first time they were hanging outside of her flower shop where she actually got to wear what she wanted and not be in work mode.

[dxncingonmyown]

"You kidding? A woman like you's got a dozen options on a Thursday night in New York." Maddox says, quick and certain, suave and easy as anything. And yet despite its flattering prose, he means it, too. Nan has that energy and spark that attracts anyone; friends, interested parties, and everything in between. "Nice dress." He hums, the color reminding him of one of her floral arrangements. "A little." He teases. "But if I start judging you, then you get to start judging me." And Nan has way more to judge in the Hope's youngest son than he does her. "So in solidarity, I'll try it, too." Things he does for a pretty girl; even if, by the looks of it, it'll be sweet as anything as the bartender begins making two.