Lucas Baizen

The Filthy and Reckless

[effy-baizen]

Effy knew how easy it could be to fall from grace. She had seen Carter do it. And many others had fallen down the same path. That wouldn't be her, no matter what she had to do. "Thank you, I do have much more experience at this game."

She nodded her head as she drank. "Good, I was hoping you would be able to handle it." She would get involved, especially if Lucas' reputation started to affect her own. "I can do that. Dating Nilay would be a good cover. Maybe a little boring.”

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Lucas rolled his eyes so hard at Effy it was a wonder they returned to orbit at all. "I'm well aware, Elizabeth." When Carter surrendered his chance at the crown to The Baizen Project it was quite obvious that Effy would be next in line. Little had ever been said about it, but it seemed to Lucas that if his sister wanted it when the time came, she would have it, and that thought alone was something he'd had to compartmentalise for his own sanity, and their family.

"Yeah, no worries." The champagne emptied into him without his awareness. He'd do good to take a page out of his sister's book and slow down, but frankly, he'd need a lot more if the ghost of Caisson and Sapphire were going to continue to haunt him. "Exactly, and boring is safe. She's also totally oblivious to everyone around her so I can still have my fun."

[n-ilaylevent]

Nilay had been so enthralled with the various cheeses and one particularly handsome artist that she hadn't noticed when Lucas had approached her. Hearing his voice at her side, she did a little jump, almost dropping her cracker and getting camembert smooshed into her hand. "Oh, heavens." A soft laugh escaped her and she turned to him. "Lucas!" She beamed, popping the remains of the cracker into her mouth. Much to her dismay, there were no napkins near them, so she brought her hand to her mouth and very delicately attempted to lick the cheese from her fingers–not the best look for her!

"Oh, I'm sure you're not a novice at anything." Still though, she turned her attention to the spread before them and prepared him a cracker. "Here, try this. It's manchego. It's a little similar to cheddar. We can start here and build up to the blue cheese." She laughed again and held the cracker out to him. His smile was infectious and she simply couldn't help but smile back at him. "It's great to see you too. Is Elizabeth here with you?"

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Luke's eyebrow raised ever so slightly at her reaction to him, irking higher as she licked creamy camembert off her soft fingers. "Pardon me, I didn't mean to startle." It struck him that if she knew what she was doing she'd have a lot more in common with her sister. Thankfully, for his purposes, that was not the case. Good behaviour was mostly play-pretend on the UES - his sister was the poster-child, and Lucas wasn't far behind. It was strange in a way that was both peculiar and dull, to have someone like Nilay in the middle who wasn't pretending. She was just that good by nature. There wasn't motive behind her lick - none that he could see - nor her follow up statement that could've flustered any common man if they'd read more into it than the surface blandness she confidently delivered.

"I would never lie to you Nilay." He lied, holding the manchego cracker timidly as he studied it with all the interest he could muster. He bit into the cracker with some sense of curiosity, as if this was his first ever meeting with goddamn cheese. He nodded enthusiastically, "oh, it's quite nice. A strong start." He finished off the rest of the cracker with confidence, a good thing too as it stifled a laugh at the prospect of Effy being here. "Unfortunately she couldn't make it. She's at the Vanderbilt Hampton's party, believe it or not. She didn't want to offend by turning down the invite, but I worry, you know? It's not her scene at all." His face portrayed concern, which was about the only genuine emotion he'd felt all evening. "Actually, I was about to go check in on her but then I saw you here."

[effy-baizen]

Effy had come to this party to mix things up, even if she couldn't enjoy it like everyone else was, so far. She had her ways of making fun. She looked around the party, allowing Lucas to hand her the flute. She took a sip. "Maybe in the hands of someone else, Elizabeth Baizen would never drink." She looked across the party, Jake in one of the hot tubs, Jesse Walker being hit on by another girl, Sapphire and Juliette doing shots. All the attendees were having their fun. "Me? What would I be doing? I would be worried about myself, especially with those two around." She pointed at Caisson, then at Sapphire. "Gossip Girl mentioned you twice with them."

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

"Effy," Lucas started, "you could be Mary herself, but the press wouldn't care." You could be a saint of the UES and still get dragged through the mud by the elite, much less the media. "But I trust you."

Lucas scoffed as she turned the tables on him in classic sibling fashion. "That's in hand, don't worry." He sipped his champagne, which he still fucking hated but at least it dulled the senses, and more importantly it wasn't apple cider. "On that note, if you speak to your good friend Nilay tonight, please do put in a good word."

[l-atifelevent]

Latife was sat across from Lucas Baizen and her sister in the car that was taking them to the Hamptons and she was suss! There wasn't anything being explicitly said- as if there'd ever been anything explicit happening with the likes of Lucas Baizen- but there was a vibe. Yeah, there was totally a vibe right now. Why was Nilay touching his arm for the third time? They were distracting her from touching up her lip liner! Closing her compact, Latife looked over at them both, raising her eyebrows.

"Is there something going on here?" @n-ilaylevent

[n-ilaylevent]

Nilay had been laughing at something Lucas was saying when Latife very swiftly changed the subject, sounding very accusatory. "What do you mean?" Her brow furrowed in confusion, but even as she appeared to have no idea what her sister was talking about, her hand slowly retracted from Lucas' arm. Nothing was going on–not in the way that Latife undoubtedly meant it! This was Elizabeth's little brother, something would be scandalous! Nilay's wide eyes shifted to Lucas as a blush crept on to her cheeks. Were the three of them not simply having a nice time?

@lucasbaizen-tfr

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Lucas was caught slightly off-guard by Latife and her astute observation. Frankly, Latife had never been part of the plan, and neither was this damn taxi. He straightened himself out as Nilay removed her hand, damn near admiring how effortlessly she turned the question back on her own sister via her innocence. He raise his eyebrows in agreement, "I apologise, maybe I got to invested in the talk of art, but I do truthfully think we saw some great potential tonight." Lucas said, trying his best to fucking blush but not sure he captured it considering how dreadfully bored he'd been. The thing was, Lucas knew girls like Latife - like Georgina - and what they could do, and what they liked. "You're looking forward to the party?"

@l-atifelevent

[c-aissonandrews]

"Can't say that I blame him." Caisson said with a grin, his eyes scanning the room to see just how many of them were in attendance. So far, he had only seen Scarlett, Sapphire, and Layla, but he supposed it was possible for Alex, Aaron and Sophia to show face. Jake couldn't be blamed for flitting between them–the family were stunning. The stupid grin on his face only grew wider at his fleeting thought of Sapphire and the room intended for one of the matches that they thoroughly destroyed. Lucas' words abruptly pulled his attention back to his devious friend, and his eyebrow arched. "I haven't heard anything directly, but I highly doubt it. The last time she signed up to anything with pairings was that Heaven and Hell party like three years ago. You thinking it's time that changed?"

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

"You do like flashy," Lucas concurred, hiding his disdain behind facts that couldn't be argued. If there was nothing more to the family of Vandervorts than fortunate genetics Luke didn't think it would matter to his friend at all. Superficial, he thought, and that was somewhat comforting. "Three years... Tragic. Well, I think fortune favours the bold, and Scarlett needs to be privy to that." He scribbled Scarlett's name in his neatest cursive on the top of the card, "and the bold like?" He pondered, brainstorming, "Covens? Guache? Both may be true, and tragic, but they don't quite fit the bill."

[s-carlettvandervort]

There was nothing Scarlett would have liked more than to turn her head to look at Lucas–sweet, charming Lucas–but she simply couldn't look away from the horror that was Sapphire and Caisson. "That can't be hygienic." There were literal rooms above their heads, why were they insisting on eating each other in front of the bar? "I was under the impression that cupid would be working his magic behind closed doors."

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Lucas nearly contained his chuckle, but there was little hope when he knew what Sapphire had in store later tonight. "Oh, he is working his magic, I'm sure." As much as her, he still struggled to take his eyes off the pair. His best friend, her sister. "Do you feel devious at all tonight, Scarlett?" Lucas asked, a simple plan forming for a simple situation, and neither of them really had to be caught in the crossfire.

[a-lexvandervort]

It had been well over a year since Alex had drank even a sip of alcohol and now it was going straight to her head. With El–Jesse's mom–watching Lexa, her intention had been to have the best time at this party, but with every drink her mood seemed to drop and she couldn't quite place her finger on why. Maybe it was still the hormones?

Zoning back into her surrounding, she sighed at the presence of yet another person looking for her best friend. "For the hundredth time, no, I have no idea where Jesse is!" How many people was Sapphire trying to set him up with!?

@tfrstarters

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

There was one Vandervort that Lucas had once found... fine, and that was Alex. That is, before she revealed herself to be quite monumentally irresponsible. The whole pregnancy thing was, for a lack of a better word or care, disappointing. And the name? Lexa? Entirely unforgivable. He had, however, heard through the grapevine that the child was to all intents and purposes quite adorable. Hopefully not something he would need to bear witness to in person anytime soon.

There was just something, though, about the way Alex was seemingly getting more and more miserable with every sip and every question, that didn't sit with him. Perhaps he'd had too much to drink himself, or cheese. Either way, he found himself feeling helpful. "He's by the pool admiring some flamingos," Lucas intercepted, watching the hopeful scurry off before leaning in to Alex to add a hushed "hard to do amongst the vultures."

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Lucas had intended to avoid the Vanderbilt party by attending the gallery instead, but with news of his sister being there, and him being here, that suddenly got awfully convoluted. He had to leave. He knew he had to leave. In the process of doing just that, however, he'd spotted someone utterly insignificant. Nilay Levent, nibbling on cheese.

He'd thought about her a lot since Logan's party - nay, he'd schemed. She was so innocent in life that he'd be immune to Gossip Girl's limelight with her wrapped around his arm. Those little mentions in her obnoxious blasts would seize - Nilay was way too boring for GG to try to spin a story out of. She suited Luke's agenda perfectly. Her astounding naivety would singlehandedly keep his façade up, and he could afford to loosen up when the time was right.

He knew he'd have to work slowly to seem genuine in his pursuit. Cater to her romanticized ideals. This, however, was as good a place as any to start. She seemed awfully preoccupied with assorted cheeses, and, annoyingly, some of the artists in attendance, but Lucas could work with that. He always could. "You're a lot braver than I am, Nilay. I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to fine cheeses. Which one would you recommend?" He nodded to the plate before meeting her eye with a sweet-as-can-be smile, "it's great to see you again."

@n-ilaylevent

[effy-baizen]

@tfrstarters

Elizabeth had been invited by Juliette and Sapphire, both of whom had a clue about her wild side. She wasn't sure whether they wanted her to bring out the wild side in Jesse or if her good-girl act was supposed to be a match. But who was she to turn down a party in the Hamptons? She didn't have to want Jesse to join in.

"No, I am good. Just water for now."

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Lucas had never intended to be here. He'd been contented to make appearances at the art gallery and calling it there, but people weren't playing by his rules tonight, and that could so easily include his darling sister. He knew he'd have to keep an eye on her, not for her sake, really - but for his. He knew Effy's act as well as she knew his. They were both incredible at their craft. "Please," he responded as he handed her a flute. "It's just apple cider, but it looks the part. The water... well, rumours have been started from less." He glanced over the crowd, surveying for trouble and opportunity, as always, "you'll be careful, won't you?"

[jcohan]

He was bored. That was the main reason why Jackson found himself sitting here watching beautiful people in... clothes he wasn't sure he understood. This event was clearly made for people who understood these things better than him. He turned towards Lucas, snorting under his breath at his comment. Maybe he wasn't so wrong in thinking that some of the fashion he watched strut the stage was far too unique for his understanding. "I applaud the effort of these designers. It takes a lot of confidence to put your work out there." That was as nice as he could sound. "I don't think I'm the person for these things. Fashion really isn't my thing. Don't know if my judgement weighs anything compared to the Baizens."

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

"They've certainly worked hard to be here," Lucas concurred, mirroring Jackson's neat little observations. Jackson was admirable in his way with words, with a charm so real Lucas couldn't quite believe the man didn't feel the same constant distain that came with his own. It would have been simpler if he could actually be sincere in the manner Jackson made seem so easy. So natural. "It is an education, but I don't hold a candle to my sister, nor my father. That's were the judgement truly matters. You're safe for now, Cohan." That wasn't true, Lucas was going to judge him fiercely. Constantly.

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette had agreed to help a designer friend who wanted to show off her designs at the fashion show. She was honestly regretting it because most of what she had seen so far reminded her of why she bought couture only. "I think that I have dressed better than most of these models since I was a toddler."

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Lucas couldn't help but snicker at Juliette's remark. He did enjoy others' freedom in speaking their mind. "That's a low bar, no need to sell yourself so short, Juliette." He wasn't necessarily happy to admit it, but Juliette Vanderbilt had never let him down when it came to fashion. Morally? Sure. Ethically? Of course. Juliette was a spectacle best admired from afar, safe from getting himself swept up in the madness, willingly or not. "Did I see you talk to one of the designers?"

[robbie-baizen]

Unfortunately for everyone involved, Robbie had read up on the recent debauchery from Logan Hunter's birthday party. It would have been all fine and good, really, if it weren't for Lucas' continued insistence on this 'friendship' with Caisson Andrews. Robbie had a plan for it, of course, but he just got here. He could wait a little longer before cleaning up this mess. Robbie smirked to himself as he heard Lucas, polite as ever for the sake of appearances. He doubted very much he found this inspired. Robbie sure as shit didn't. He turned dramatically to face him, pushing his sunglasses up onto his head before answering, "I think there are about a million other things we could be doing right now to celebrate my triumphant return."

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Lucas feigned surprise at such an egregious outburst from his dearest cousin as if he didn't wholeheartedly agree that this was the grand epic of the dullest New York could possibly offer. "What could possibly be more riveting?" Lucas quickly surveyed the nearby crowd to ensure their company was unnoteworthy before continuing, "it's usually not a good omen to see you back here, Rob. However, if you're putting business on hold for the day then I'm sure I could be persuaded to celebrate. In style, too, which is more than I can say for this display of desperation."

[shysmitchell]

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Recent postings had made it quite apparent that it was important for Lucas to be seen in a context that didn't involve his best friend ferociously licking salt off a high class slut's clavicle, and thus, he found himself in Central Park. A place, granted, he wouldn't normally venture, but fashion was important to the Baizens, and there happened to be a very public showcase of some truly average high couture. "Inspired," he commented with conviction despite feeling nothing but from the wannabe on stage. His attention turned to the person occupying his left with a curious expression, knowing there was much to learn from another's opinion on simple matters such as these; "what do you think?"

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

[ TEXT FROM ANONYMOUS ] Oh, Lucas... I have a request for you. Are you willing to throw formerly not-so sweet Georgina under the bus? I want dirt. Whatever you can find, whatever you can trace back to her. And if you do, I'll destroy all evidence I ever found of your little tryst in Miami XOXO

Willing? Of course. Shouldn't exactly be hard, you opportunist leech.

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

Interesting? Good luck stirring your pot of fuck all.

[princexx-layla]

Good god. Was this man always so miserable? She'd have to ask his brother later. Even Jason Walker was capable of cracking a smile and genuinely complimenting a woman. Not whatever that half assed 'iT's A fLaTtErInG dReSs' was. If he wanted to be thorny and barely conceal his contempt for her and this entire situation- truly why would he put a card in if he was going to act this way?- she could match that energy.

"I'm going to assume for your poor mother's sake that this isn't usually the way you treat women who grace you with their presence." She flashed a sarcastic grin before sipping her champagne. "If it is, yikes."

Her gaze followed his around the room, taking in the assortment of activities. Body paint, massage oil, twister. None of that was even remotely appealing given her current company, but she wasn't about to give up a perfectly acceptable suite and a bottle of Dom Perignon. He could leave if he wanted to. "Pass." She said with a dismissive wave towards the pile of activities as she settled herself in the remaining chair, intentionally angling her body towards him and leaning into his space under the guise of putting her champagne glass down on the small table between them. If he didn't want to be here, she would make him leave.

[lucasbaizen-tfr]

"You assume correctly," Luke's words were quicker than his mind, and he bit his cheek to reprimand himself for such a foolish outburst. There was nowhere to hide his disdain in this limited company.

Women like her weren't high on his agenda whether grace was present or not. Not anymore. He had ample reason to end that segment of his life with Georgina - scandal wasn't going to become him like it had become his brother. He accepted that his attempts to remain somewhat amenable through this slow torture were quickly failing them both. Layla wasn't participating, unwilling to bend around his false niceties. Plan B - He didn't have to feign intrigue. There was a lot about Layla and the Vandervorts that puzzled him, and eventually he'd find a topic she would simply have to refuse.

His eyes locked onto Layla as she sat, relieved that she'd chosen to spend her time in a sparring match with him rather than force upon him some sexually laden ice-breaker activities. "How would you like to be treated?" Not with respect, he decided, but perhaps with awe. This hunch was affirmed to him by the way she postured herself, leaning close enough for her perfume to overwhelm his senses. Extravagant or nauseating? Who could tell the difference with a price tag that high? He placed the card that had been given to him next to her glass. "'Money'," he noted, tapping the card as his eyes were drawn to her jewellery, sure it could pay off someone's mortgage. "You must surely have more than you know what to do with?"