vox populi

all truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.

[sparkbinn]

for: phoenix | @phoenixxreyes location: spotlight bar

-

Somehow, Sebinn had found herself at yet another bar, the third one of the night. While she had prided herself in reigning in her tendencies for drinking whenever things got even a speck too difficult, she had thought that tonight, of all nights, a drink or two were deserved. After the first seven shots, the first two bars she'd crawled to had all but kicked her out.

She was idly watching the television at the bar, taking in the 10 o'clock news update with mild disinterest. The figure at the bar beside her is quiet, or at least not paying her any mind. But she gets chatty when she's this deep in the Cosmos and the Old Fashions, and turns to them with a sigh.

"I hope they're not working you like a dog," she sighed, downing her drink in one fell swoop, "otherwise you'll end up like me. Wrinkly and sad before 30."

[sparkbinn]

for: aparta | @parbhandari location: coffee shop owo

-

At this point in her career, Sebinn was sure that 99.999% of her total blood cell count was made up of coffee and daily multi-vitamins. Not that she was complaining, but the constant adrenaline rushing through her at every waking moment was not conducive to a proper sleep schedule. Or proper social etiquette, it seemed.

Seated across from what she could only call God's gift to humanity, is Sebinn, twiddling her thumbs on the rim of her tepid Americano, the ice having melted and condensation running down her fingers.

She knew she was staring, and god bless the woman, because she hadn't noticed, or was too nice to speak anything of her nervous demeanor. To be fair, it was highly uncharacteristic of Sebinn to be so giddy, and yet... here she was.

Clearing her throat, Sebinn blinked up at the woman with a small smile that felt more like a grimace.

"So..." she started, "the weather is getting colder..?"

[parbhandariarchive]

     where: meduza party      when: halloweeny      with: open

     Aparna had made this mistake so many times before: Halloween would fastly approach and she’d be caught that same day with nothing to wear, trying to find scraps of ideas in the back of her mind and usable items of clothing in the back of her closet. It’s this same way that she’d come up with her past four costumes, too: witch ( very original ), Jasmine ( was there anything easier to pull off? ), some animal she couldn’t remember, and that one time she dressed up as Katniss Everdeen… A night she truly would want to forget. But she digressed – she always did this, left the costume for the last possible minute, and ended up needing to borrow most of the necessary pieces for it. 

     Regardless, she thought this was the best she’d done in a long time. And pirates were back in, weren’t they? She’d counted at least another three at this party, though granted she was wearing a more conservative approach and no bandana on her head. That was one way to stand out. 

     Her preferred poison of choice – a cold beer, thank you very much – was impatiently swirled in its glass as she studied the crowd and wondered how many of these people were waiting for the clock to strike a reasonable time to leave without being judged like herself. She liked Halloween to an extent, but she had work to do in the morning and she could only imagine what the office conversations would be like the following day. Still, in her daydream, a figure caught her eye. “Excuse me,” though her words were gentle, she had to scream them over the music to be heard. “I think there’s someone else wearing your exact same outfit.” Hey, they deserved to know.

[sparkbinn]

-

Sebinn had no idea what was going on any more.

One minute, she was being swept away by a group of reporters, gossiping and relaying their notes to each other, and the next, she was crawling away to the edges of the room in the hopes of evading a dance partner that was, quite frankly, too demanding. Nights like this made Sebinn wish that she was more of a recluse, that she had the courage to decline invitations to such events. They were more taxing than having to run around the city looking for intel.

She's about to take her leave, finally fed up with the night after having gotten little to nothing to add to her notes, when she hears the voice. Lifting her head, she eyes the other woman, dressed as a pirate and beautiful enough that she finds herself stopping in her tracks. At the following comment, she looks down, and well... it was fair. It wasn't a very original idea anyway.

She edges even closer, mindful of the space she's taking up as she does so. Upon further notice, she realizes she's met the woman a couple of times. Well, met is such an understatement. Sebinn had literally almost fell over herself the first time they met. The other woman was just... snapping out of her thoughts, Sebinn let out a small laugh.

"I'm not surprised," she said, "It's not a very original idea." She looked around again before eyeing the woman again. "You look nice."

[davestoll]

OPEN STARTER !! LOCATION: meduza party

Parties like this were difficult for Dave, seeing as he couldn’t actually party. Appearing too drunk had gotten him burned by the press before, and he didn’t intend to go through that again. With the resignation still fresh, the population was primed to pick apart the government in any way possible; he had to be on his best behavior. To ensure that, he stuck mainly to his private table and the area around it. 

In comparison to the lively, drunken crowd, David looked even wearier than usual. He scanned the room and was startled to come across someone staring at him. It was then he realized that it must have been at least ten minutes since he’d uttered a single word. “I’m enjoying myself, I swear.” Luckily, he was good at fake smiles. Dave pointed at a tray of drinks on a nearby table. “Could do without the themed drinks, though. Don’t know if you’ve tried one yet, but they’re lethal.”

[sparkbinn]

-

"I'm glad at least one of us is having fun." Sebinn joked, rolling her eyes before scanning the crowd. From the corner of her eye, she could see that the man looked more for wear than he had let on. But then again, he wasn't really doing that well in hiding his misery at having to be here, if his tone was anything to go by. She knew it all too well, having had to do so herself at these sorts of events. It was a nightmare, having to grit her teeth through parties that dragged, with people that were twice as bad as the music they played.

"No, I haven't," she added. She was not one for casual drinking, much less having themed drinks to boot. They were notorious for being rather dangerous: they tasted like nothing, but packed too solid a punch. A perfect equation equalling into a horrible morning after. "They look rather lethal too. I don't trust that the amount of food coloring thrown into those drinks are even considered legally safe anymore."

[sparkbinn]

hstarke​:

Open to: All  (literally anybody, doesn’t matter if they know each other at all; Hans is a cat and he’ll bring home just about anything)  Setting: After party at Hans’s; High-rise pretentious apartment in Manhattan

It nears four-am, and all clubs had come to a close — but he’s not done partying yet.  

It’s obsessive, especially in a subsequent coming-down of his own birthday, that inherent need to be awake for as long as possible, avoiding the threat of a brand new day — as though that single twenty-four hour shift can really stretch for so long, that dates no longer change. Thus the vast living room lit only by odd lights and the city beyond the windows, bottles and other treats displayed onto the coffee table.

All the way back in the fridge, too, far too much left-over cake from the night before. Although his stomach is tricked into fullness, he still considers getting himself a slice. Faint music echoes through living room speakers. Hans himself picks up on only half the beats.

“What’s on your mind?” He asks then, poking his companion across the distance with his foot. Some known implications between the lines: D’you wanna talk, option one, Or forget?, two. Either way, he’s game — and has a tight grip on resources for both. “I’m here ‘til sunrise.” 

-

The little jab from the man's foot had Sebinn startled out of her thoughts. Or well, her lack thereof. It was the first time in a long time that she had come up on a blank, even in her own mind. Maybe it was the drinks she'd had earlier, or maybe it was because her mind had finally decided to call it quits. Whatever it was, it was weird. If she wasn't running at a full one-hundred percent, it felt like she wasn't running period.

How she had managed to get here was even lost on her. One minute, she was standing around the bar, and the next, she was sitting in some man's apartment. She remembered bits and pieces, but not enough to fully comprehend how or even why she was there.

Shaking her head, she finally turned to the man. She'd never met him before... no, that wasn't quite right. They had, but she'd thrown that memory so far in the recesses of her mind that it was as though it'd never happened.

"Nothing, if I'm being honest." She let her gaze roam around the room for a moment. "Just wondering why I'm here."

[mirelacarter]

Event: 2021 MEDUZA Halloween Party at Cipriani Wall St.

Staying at home and watch some trash horror film in a streaming and invite someone in. That was Mirela’s first plan for the holiday if the morning sickness was still bothering her down, and some of not so great perks of being pregnant on the first trimester. But now that those first twelve weeks were over, and her baby was growning strong and healthy, the invitation her friend delivered from that exclusive party looked more appealing as the sickness was over. In less than twenty four hours she managed to assemble the gothic personifcation of Persephone, and she was more than happier to find the perfect Dolce & Gabbana heels that wouldn’t kill her by the end of the event. She was on the last day of her thirteenth week, and at this point she wasn’t trying too hard to hide her pregnancy, even though she kept the daddy’s identity a mystery to everyone, even from her family. She didn’t need any more drama in her life than the ones she was already dealing with, and her mom facing Nikolai was the last thing she needed right now… Or ever. 

With her non-alcoholic drink in hand, she made rounds around the party, met the hoster and then like the social butterfly she was raised to be, she greeted more people, lied a couple of times about how their costumes weren’t that slutty when in fact she wouldn’t wear it even in her wildest years in university. After a hour or so, she went back to the bar to refill her drink, and sighed heavily, “Don’t you get tired of how shallow these gatherings feel sometimes?”, she asked out loud. Carrying a child, becoming a mom was changing her perspective on things, like these high society parties. It made her realize how much alike she was to her mom in that aspect, and she was determinated to not make the same mistakes her mom did.

[sparkbinn]

-

The word tired did little to encompass just how exhausted Sebinn had found herself as she watched the crowds of people mingling and chattering. She had forgone trying to get any work done for the night (information, while flowing freely from the lips of the inebriated, was more often than not, rather useless).

Her attempts at making small talk were more forced than anything, and after a while, she had given up, managing to nab a spot near the corner edge of the bar, far enough away from the rest of the crowd to offer a small sense of comfort.

Though she felt more unmotivated than ever to even try and socialize, the sound of the somewhat familiar voice had had her head perking up ever so slightly. Turning to the woman she'd met in the cafe all those weeks ago, and remembering her blunder with her spilled cup, she flushed. Not only that, but the woman had a charm about her that made conversation easy, easy enough that Sebinn could not help but smile.

"It's the worst," Sebinn moaned begrudgingly, eyes flitting toward the crowd, "though it must be exhausting for you, given..." she waved a hand around vaguely, "you know." That she was a socialite? That people fawned over her and begged for her attention constantly? It must have been stifling for the woman, to say the very least. "I don't know how anyone could do this. And for so long, nonetheless."

[daxcobane-deactivated20211102]

Open Starter For: Anyone 

Where: Meduza Party

Time stood still for Dax. 

Parties weren’t exactly her forte, nor did she know how to act around those who were intoxicated, unless she was arresting them for a DUI or anything under that category. Dax’s eyes fell upon the person staring back at her from the balcony. She raised her glass to them as a greeting without the face-to-face contact. Her eyes screamed, ’help me”.’ 

She was stuck in a conversation she did not want to be in. 

[sparkbinn]

-

Sebinn was not one for parties, soirées, nothing of the sort. Not that she was a bummer or anything of the sort, but she had a tendency of starting fights that ended up with one or both parties battered and worse for wear in some dingy back alley.

Her temper was never helped by alcohol, hence, why she found it better to either stay at home or stay as far away from these gatherings as often as she could. But these parties were usually good for gathering intel, scouting out potential stories... whatever it was that could help her later down the line. She was a hoarder, obsessing over information and gathering as much as she could.

Plus, she had decided one party wouldn't hurt, it was Halloween after all, and she hadn't had a calm moment following the departure of the head of police all those months ago.

Being so observant, she had immediately caught the eye of some hapless victim from her place hovering near the balcony. It was a cry for help if she'd ever seen one, as subtle as it was. And seeing who their speaking partner was, Sebinn had barely had a second to think before her legs carried her down the stairs.

Nearing the other, she let a small smile creep on her face. The drink in her hand was disgusting as it was anyways, and didn't feel too bad for what was soon to come.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, picking up the pace as she trudged through the crowd, "it's been so long since I--oops!" She bumped into the man standing across from her target, spilling the contents of her glass all over his suit. "Oh god, look at me, getting all clumsy!"

[sparkbinn]

𝐒𝐄𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 as 𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐃 // halloween 2021 the primordial god of love and desire

In the classical world, erotic love was generally referred to as a kind of madness or theia mania ("madness from the gods"). This love passion was described through an elaborate metaphoric and mythological schema involving "love's arrows" or "love darts", the source of which was often the personified figure of Eros. At times the source of the arrows was said to be the image of the beautiful love object itself. If these arrows were to arrive at the lover's eyes, they would then travel to and 'pierce' or 'wound' their heart and overwhelm them with desire and longing (lovesickness).

[sparkbinn]

🔪

maureen @maureenkeaton from Sebinn <3

🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊 personally, i'd be worried for the killer/zombies/ghost

"If even a single hair gets messed up on that girl's head, I'm fucking blowing this place up, arson charges be damned." #hittersformaureen2k21

send me a 🔪 !

[luckyc]

location: a public park somewhere closed to @sparkbinn​

“It’s been awhile,” He says, as if he wasn’t the one who called her out of the blue and out to the park. The truth is that things have been a little too quiet for his taste, and although that usually is a good thing, considering their business has been running without a hitch and everyone has, more or less, stayed in their lane. But even he can’t help the little itch under his skin when all he sense is peace, and the best way to scratch the itch is, well, this. 

“I got you a present,” and he’s handing her an iced Frappuccino (apple crisp, his favorite). With his other hand, he holds up a thin file, a small CONFIDENTIAL stamp pressed into the front. “Got something else for you, too, but I wouldn’t call this a present. Think of it as a…favor, if you will. Meaning you’ll owe me one if you take it.” 

[sparkbinn]

“Speak of the devil, I guess.” Sebinn had been thinking about her... strange source earlier in the day, thinking begrudgingly back to him as she met up with a different source of hers that hadn’t set her off to wander listlessly through a goddamn Chuck E. Cheese. Imagine her surprise when, after what was seemingly a momentary respite from the usual aura of chaos and danger surrounding the city, she’d gotten a call from him.

“A present?” She trailed off, staring down at the drink now in her hand. Momentarily distracted by the sweet treat and the almost niceness of the gesture, her focus was redirected back to the file in his hand as he spoke.

Her brows immediately narrowed as she stared at the object in question. “A favor,” she repeated quietly, mostly to herself, “what sort of favor are we talking about? You know I’ll only do so much.” 

“And besides, don’t think I’ll just blindly take you up on your offer, especially not after the whole Chuck E. Cheese fiasco.” 

[sparkbinn]

for: maureen | @maureenkeaton​ location: anywhere

“God, you don’t understand how happy I am to see you.” With a sigh, she sank down into her chair, almost drooping over the sides as though she were made of slime. Her eyes instinctively shut in her momentary respite, and carelessly slipped off her heels.  “The editors have been breathing down my neck about the piece I’m working on.”

“But that’s tomorrow’s problem.” Another sigh escaped her as she finally blinked her eyes open, throwing the blonde a small smile. “It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you. How have you been?” 

The news about her father must have been devastating. Sebinn felt the sharp sting of sympathy shooting down her back as she recalled all that had happened after the article had come out. 

[sparkbinn]

for: jack | @jacknln location: lyrical ballad bookstore 

Some would say that Sebinn always needed something to fix. Others would call her out for having “girl boss” tendencies. Whatever the case may be, all Sebinn knew was that she was slowly but surely getting into Jack’s good graces. Or she hoped, at the very least. He didn’t seem to hate being in her presence, and that was the best she could hope for, honestly. But he also never responded to her texts, or the occasional emails she’d thrown his way. 

She debated this quietly as she listlessly scrolled through her phone, staring at her empty email inbox. After days without contact from someone she could cautiously call a friend, something like desperation had drawn her to his place of business. He hadn’t responded to her in days, and she had been getting antsy. So--

So she found herself, idly wandering the aisles, hoping to catch a glimpse of the older man somewhere in the depths of the store. She tried her very best to not get caught up in the vast selection of periodicals the store had on display. 

Through the space between the bookshelves, she finally caught sight of the man in question, and loudly, in the otherwise quiet establishment, called out to him.

“You haven’t responded to any of my emails, you know!”

[sparkbinn]

mirelacarter·:

Mirela let a ltitle gasp out when the girl knocked the glass over the table, clearly she wasn’t expecting that Mirela would speak to her. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you”, she said after swallowing her small bite of food, her shoulders sinking a bit and her lips pursed. She couldn’t blame her for reacting that way, since she’d be the same if someone in a crowded restaurant would speak to her like that.

“Yes, I am. At my last appointment, I was couting the seconds to this moment”, she chuckled, glacing at her table, she noticed that the girl was working, and the last thing she wanted was to disturb her any longer. “I highly recommend it, you know, if you haven’t had lunch yet, and be starving after you’re done”, she suggested with a soft smile.

“No,” Sebinn said, letting out a small laugh, it sounded a bit nervous around the edges, but at least she tried,·“it’s my bad, I’m just a little out of it today, is all.”·

To be honest, Sebinn had been procrastinating. Her piece wasn’t coming together the way she’d planned, and this was a small reprieve from all the frustration she was keeping pent up inside. With a sigh, she righted her cup and turned back to the other woman.·

“Lucky you; everyone needs something to look forward to.”·She laughed again, this time a little more relaxed. Sebinn nodded.·“I was planning on it, but maybe sooner is better than later. Nothing seems to be going as planned.” Sebinn motioned vaguely at the work space she’d made of her table.·

[fakecapricorn]

IU // Lilac

[rcmvngucrrv]

Stuck in line for who knows how long, he was nearing the end of his rope, impatience clear as day on his features despite the smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he chatted to his colleague on his phone. The cafe was usually short-staffed but they were the only ones he knew who could get do their coffee right in this godforsaken city. He idled momentarily, fixing his gaze down towards a selection that would no doubt be hard as nails by the time he reached the front.

“No, no. Still in line,” he noted, casting a begrudging look towards the front of the queue. “Some idiot in front of me can’t make up their mind. Start the meeting without me. I’ll be here for the rest of the day it seems.”

[sparkbinn]

Equally as irritated, Sebinn let out a small huff. The guy in front of her was right, the idiot holding up the line was going to make her late for her own meeting. It was a high profile source, claiming to have highly-coveted intel on a piece she was working on. She couldn’t just leave them waiting, but she also desperately needed the energy to keep going, especially with the day she’s been having.

“Fucking god,” she whimpered, glancing down at her watch. Should she just leave? She still had another thirty minutes to spare, but with the way things were going now, and knowing New York traffic, she would more likely than not be late. “Can someone just order for him? Or kick him out?” Both were unreasonable requests, but her desperation got the best of her. 

[sparkbinn]

mirelacarter·:

The morning passed like a blur, and Mirela barely had time for herself. The sickness became stronger a few day ago, and she couldn’t even bare to feel the scent of her own parfum without feeling nauseous. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. She visited her mom and sister, and finally told them the good news. Of course her sister was thrilled with the idea of becoming an aunt, but her mother. Well, not only she was complaining about already becoming a grandmother, she made like it was the end of the world that she was going to have a baby out of a wedlock.

Not that she cared much about her reaction, she was already expecting it. She was vague about who the father was, thinking it was not the time to talk about Nik to her family. After the family drama, she headed straight to the museum where she had almost no time to stop and eat, only a snack and her vitamins. When she finally had a break, Mirela went straight to the closest restaurant, and glad that the sickness was gone for the moment, she ordered a big plate of salads and carbs. She finally had some time for her personal things, and made some plans for after the work. She defintely need a new parfum, and maybe some new clothes since her belly was starting to grow. She was thinking of the stores she could go without having the risk of facing any paparazzi when her food was served.

“Seriously, you have no idea how much I craved this meal”, she said to the person near her.

Of all people she had expected to see in the discreet little restaurant Sebinn had decided to work in, Mirela Carter of the New York elite was... the last person that had come to mind. That, plus the fact that the woman was actively speaking to her, startled Sebinn enough to the point of accidentally knocking her--thankfully empty--glass over. 

She spared a glance at the woman, then down at the plate before her. Baffled still, Sebinn could only muster out a mere hum of agreement. “It looks like you’re enjoying yourself,” Sebinn commented, giving the other a polite smile. 

[hstarke]

Open to: All Setting: Sunset; Some bar near Wall Street

He’d left work early just for this. Of course, Hans could watch the press conference back at his office, or even at home — but not unlike a baseball match or election night, the programming is only as interesting as the reactions of people who are following it. 

There’s a small flatscreen in a corner of the bar, and several heads turned to it as (now former) Chief Aaron Keaton announces his leave. When the ball drops, Hans is studying closer all those around him, than the TV. 

Then—

“Oh, fuck off. Is he leaving?” Hans sets his glass down with a clink against the counter. As reporters practically chant his name in begging for a comment, Keaton steps out of the room, paying them no mind. Disappointment doesn’t begin to cut it. Like any good shark, Hans had smelt blood — and so he’d expected to see it. “Even Clinton answered questions after doing an intern, but Keaton can’t bullshit his way around a few reporters? If he really ‘cared about New Yorkers’, he’d care about their need for a circus.”

[sparkbinn]

What an unlikely turn of events.

There’s not a single eye that isn’t glued to the screen, all staring, near captivated by the frenzy on the screens. Sebinn is not unlike the rest of them, barely blinking as she reels in light of the news. She’s heard things, whispers in the vines, but still… a figurehead, one as powerful as the Chief of Police, leaving, would cause an uproar. As poloarizing as the position itself was—is, what with the world going on, the event unfolding right before their eyes was—is still controversial.

The man next to her seems… expressive, to say the least. His words are cutting, as though the man behind the glass could hear it if he spoke harshly enough. The need for a circus... She has no feelings toward the situation at hand, at least, not ones she could express without ousting herself as biased, but the statement still manages to irk her. Quietly, she reminds herself to reel it back, to not forget that all sides matter, especially at times like this.

“Maybe,” it’s hesitant, but it’s a start, “there’s just some things that aren’t meant to be said.”