Who: Open to anyone || @pantheonhqstarters When: Late afternoon Where: The White Party
If there was one thing Darcy had already learned within the first twenty minutes of arriving at Villa Aurelia, it was that she had grossly underestimated just how intimidating New York's elite could be. Dressed in white like everyone else and somehow still convinced she stuck out like a tea stain on presteen white, she'd already managed to lose the one coworker who had looked almost as desperate as she had to have a familiar face while navigating unfamiliar waters. It left her lingering near the bar, caught in an internal debate between making herself stick out even more by being one of the first people brave enough to attempt dancing to the mellow music or risking an even greater embarrassment by trying one of the elegantly garnished cocktails lining silver trays. Dry January had, more often than not, lasted almost entire year for her.
When a waiter stopped beside her with another tray and smoothly began listing off the ingredients of a particularly beautiful drink that looked almost like art, she blinked twice before offering him the least convincing smile she'd probably ever produced. "Ah," she nodded with a facade of confidence, reaching for the glass. "One of my favorites." -- The waiter moved on and left Darcy staring at the drink in her hand for a long, thoughtful beat before quietly muttering to herself, "...I have absolutely no idea what this is." With a cautious sniff and an expression somewhere between scientific curiosity and impending regret, she lifted the glass toward her lips. It was only then that she noticed someone nearby, to whom she offering an awkward smile that all but admitted she'd just been caught bluffing.