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Realistic or Modern 𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐚.

Characters
Here
Lore
Here

sox

محبت









aphrodisia
.


don't try to fight the storm, you'll tumble overboard ♡





























ok!


nct u






















































the opening ceremony

...



past the point of rescuing, why'd i keep pushing my luck?
the hole i wore into your soul has got too big to overlook.

karina looked on from her lofty balcony seat, gazing down at the swirling mass of young bachelors and bachelorettes slow waltzing to the haunting tune performed by a world-class live band, and took a swig from her wine glass. "tell me, watanabe, when you peer over this railing at our lovely guests tonight, what do you see?"

one day, the only butterflies left will be in our chests,
as we march towards our death, breathing our last breath.

she didn't spare her silent companion a single glance, continuing on with her train of thought before he could ponder her rhetorical question too deeply. "personally, i see a room brimming with untapped potential, yet schooled into a practiced artificiality bred for survival in a world of psychological warfare."

i thought we had a future, but we ain't got a chance in hell.

"lust. longing. admiration. jealousy. scorn. rage. such emotions rule every decision we make— the career path we choose, the music we enjoy, the people we fall in love with, the people we leave in our past. and yet, these young nobles are taught that they must be protected from such temptations, that they are dangerous, a mark of weakness."

so tell me, how is it gonna feel
without my arms wrapped around, wrapped around you?

narrowing her eyes, she savored another swig of her pinot noir in contemplation. "yes, it is not difficult to identify the danger. these emotions can become our most merciless enemy should they be left unchecked. should they bubble over into an unstoppable flood, it becomes far too easy to lose yourself amidst the current. the body follows the mind, after all, wouldn't you say, watanabe?"

bet it feels pretty real when your skin
starts to peel from the bone.

"i cannot subscribe to the idea, however, that they denote an inherent weakness within our psyches. the ability to manage such a volatile typhoon, to harness that power into a motivating force that pushes us in a direction parallel to our core principles— this is more than a skill, is it not? this is an art. the art of not being at the mercy of my emotions, but rather dominating them, using them to maximize my enjoyment in this fleeting lifetime."

you were dead to the world, now i'm dead to you,
haunting your own house, nothing to lose.

"feelings are something we have, not something we are; what feels like soul-crushing torment at dusk may be nothing more than a tender ache in the chest by dawn." the host sat back in her seat, a dramatic sigh leaving her cherry red lips as she swirled her glass with a smirk. "as such, i can only pray that our humble guests do not make any permanent decisions based on a fleeting emotion. we never know when our karmic debt might catch up to us, our history laid bare for all to see."

i let you sink your fangs so deep, ah—
you know you can't breathe on your own.

watanabe's head jerked to face the unreadable woman beside him, bewilderment filling his gaze at this cryptic omen. "miss finn, by that, could you mean that the true identities of the guests—"

"秘密だから,"
karina responded without missing a beat, "誰にも言うなよ." a seemingly innocuous utterance in and of itself— 'it's a secret, so don't tell anyone'— her saccharine tone did little to hide the gentle threat behind her words.

the sun is setting on our love, i fear,
letting our loneliness out into the atmosphere

not needing a second warning to back off from his line of questioning, watanabe busied himself with pouring another glass for himself, a slight shakiness of the hands in his otherwise relaxed posture giving away his discomfort with the subject matter. if karina's hint really did foreshadow what he had interpreted it to, this aphrodisia would be the last of its kind, one final straw to break the camel's back before the world of geopolitics and international business descended into a state of chaos and reparations.

the tides have turned in on our chance to turn it 'round.
i never thought i'd see my fingernails fall out.

this was exactly what karina finn was hoping for; a social experiment that would not end once the final jet left its shores, but rather continue on to destroy the meritocracy that governed their wicked little planet. love and lust, heartbreak and betrayal; such emotions played vital roles in her game, the human vessels before her merely naive pawns in the chess board she'd created of the world. it was only a matter of time before she could pull that last trigger, and everything would fall into its rightful place.

love isn't in the air.






with the final performance coming to a close and the banquet hall of tipsy nobles savoring the last bites of their gourmet desserts, each guest was handed a small golden box. inside, they found a hand-blown glass flower attached to either a brooch or a cuff link and a small notecard explaining the rules to a game called "two-lips", which involved finding the other guest with the same flower and stealing it off their person without being noticed.

the lights dimmed significantly for a moment while each guest attached their flower in a location of their choosing, and then it was game time. within no more than thirty seconds, a chorus of giggles and cheers erupted as several guests already had their pins snatched off their lapels, inspiring the rest of the crowd to make haste in finding their partners. in one corner of the dance floor, the heiress of a smartphone corporation attempted to steal the cuff link off a tall, unsuspecting underboss, but was instantly spotted and pinned to the wall behind her. the security guard standing watch near them tensed at the sudden altercation, only to look away in disinterest upon catching a full view of the underboss' lips attaching themselves to the stretch of skin beneath the heiress' jaw in a show of dominance.

as the game continued on and the players continued to fall deeper out of sobriety, the stakes increased along with the intensity of their interactions. the range of challenges posed by partners who spotted each other at the same moment spanned from suspenseful rounds of rock, paper, scissors to classical dance-offs to on-the-spot fencing duels. the opening ceremony was unfolding exactly how karina finn knew it would, but the night had yet to reach its peak fervor.

this part, well, it was merely an appetizer.










♡coded by uxie♡

location: great banquet hall
date + time: july 23rd, 10pm (UTC+8)
weather: 26°C/78°F, warm with a breeze and moderate humidity

———————————————​

past the point of rescuing, why'd i keep pushing my luck?
the hole i wore into your soul has got too big to overlook.

karina looked on from her lofty balcony seat, gazing down at the swirling mass of young bachelors and bachelorettes slow waltzing to the haunting tune performed by a world-class live band, and took a swig from her wine glass. "tell me, watanabe, when you peer over this railing at our lovely guests tonight, what do you see?"

one day, the only butterflies left will be in our chests,
as we march towards our death, breathing our last breath.

she didn't spare her silent companion a single glance, continuing on with her train of thought before he could ponder her rhetorical question too deeply. "personally, i see a room brimming with untapped potential, yet schooled into a practiced artificiality bred for survival in a world of psychological warfare."

i thought we had a future, but we ain't got a chance in hell.

"lust. longing. admiration. jealousy. scorn. rage. such emotions rule every decision we make— the career path we choose, the music we enjoy, the people we fall in love with, the people we leave in our past. and yet, these young nobles are taught that they must be protected from such temptations, that they are dangerous, a mark of weakness."

so tell me, how is it gonna feel
without my arms wrapped around, wrapped around you?

narrowing her eyes, she savored another swig of her pinot noir in contemplation. "yes, it is not difficult to identify the danger. these emotions can become our most merciless enemy should they be left unchecked. should they bubble over into an unstoppable flood, it becomes far too easy to lose yourself amidst the current. the body follows the mind, after all, wouldn't you say, watanabe?"

bet it feels pretty real when your skin
starts to peel from the bone.

"i cannot subscribe to the idea, however, that they denote an inherent weakness within our psyches. the ability to manage such a volatile typhoon, to harness that power into a motivating force that pushes us in a direction parallel to our core principles— this is more than a skill, is it not? this is an art. the art of not being at the mercy of my emotions, but rather dominating them, using them to maximize my enjoyment in this fleeting lifetime."

you were dead to the world, now i'm dead to you,
haunting your own house, nothing to lose.

"feelings are something we have, not something we are; what feels like soul-crushing torment at dusk may be nothing more than a tender ache in the chest by dawn." the host sat back in her seat, a dramatic sigh leaving her cherry red lips as she swirled her glass with a smirk. "as such, i can only pray that our humble guests do not make any permanent decisions based on a fleeting emotion. we never know when our karmic debt might catch up to us, our history laid bare for all to see."

i let you sink your fangs so deep, ah—
you know you can't breathe on your own.

watanabe's head jerked to face the unreadable woman beside him, bewilderment filling his gaze at this cryptic omen. "miss finn, by that, could you mean that the true identities of the guests—"

"秘密だから,"
karina responded without missing a beat, "誰にも言うなよ." a seemingly innocuous utterance in and of itself— 'it's a secret, so don't tell anyone'— her saccharine tone did little to hide the gentle threat behind her words.

the sun is setting on our love, i fear,
letting our loneliness out into the atmosphere

not needing a second warning to back off from his line of questioning, watanabe busied himself with pouring another glass for himself, a slight shakiness of the hands in his otherwise relaxed posture giving away his discomfort with the subject matter. if karina's hint really did foreshadow what he had interpreted it to, this aphrodisia would be the last of its kind, one final straw to break the camel's back before the world of geopolitics and international business descended into a state of chaos and reparations.

the tides have turned in on our chance to turn it 'round.
i never thought i'd see my fingernails fall out.

this was exactly what karina finn was hoping for; a social experiment that would not end once the final jet left its shores, but rather continue on to destroy the meritocracy that governed their wicked little planet. love and lust, heartbreak and betrayal; such emotions played vital roles in her game, the human vessels before her merely naive pawns in the chess board she'd created of the world. it was only a matter of time before she could pull that last trigger, and everything would fall into its rightful place.

love isn't in the air.

———————————————​

with the final performance coming to a close and the banquet hall of tipsy nobles savoring the last bites of their gourmet desserts, each guest was handed a small golden box. inside, they found a hand-blown glass flower attached to either a brooch or a cuff link and a small notecard explaining the rules to a game called "two-lips", which involved finding the other guest with the same flower and stealing it off their person without being noticed.

the lights dimmed significantly for a moment while each guest attached their flower in a location of their choosing, and then it was game time. within no more than thirty seconds, a chorus of giggles and cheers erupted as several guests already had their pins snatched off their lapels, inspiring the rest of the crowd to make haste in finding their partners. in one corner of the dance floor, the heiress of a smartphone corporation attempted to steal the cuff link off a tall, unsuspecting underboss, but was instantly spotted and pinned to the wall behind her. the security guard standing watch near them tensed at the sudden altercation, only to look away in disinterest upon catching a full view of the underboss' lips attaching themselves to the stretch of skin beneath the heiress' jaw in a show of dominance.

as the game continued on and the players continued to fall deeper out of sobriety, the stakes increased along with the intensity of their interactions. the range of challenges posed by partners who spotted each other at the same moment spanned from suspenseful rounds of rock, paper, scissors to classical dance-offs to on-the-spot fencing duels. the opening ceremony was unfolding exactly how karina finn knew it would, but the night had yet to reach its peak fervor.

this part, well, it was merely an appetizer.
 
Last edited:








["how was your trip, mr. knox? not too arduous, i hope."]

[a courteous laugh. "please, just call me knox. and no, not arduous at all. the jet was nearly empty aside from my staff, so i was able to rest leisurely on the journey without any disturbances. this venue is just jaw-dropping, isn't it?"]

["you can say that again! before we properly get to know each other, what do you say we grab some cocktails?"]

["that would be lovely."]



donning an emerald green sleeveless jumpsuit embellished with intricate golden embroidery and a mesh cloak fastened to the collar, jaejun min— going by the alias 'knox'— arrived at the banquet hall as the picture of contained elegeance with a hefty price tag. the gold armor adorning his fingers glistened in the spotlight as he crossed the threshold and the throng of paparazzi cameras turned to capture his entrance.

not to fret, the white dots swimming across his vision were a regular part of his routine. he was long used to such intense press attention, having rapidly risen to national fame after a life of miserable obscurity in the slums outside of busan. the magnifying glass only crept closer and closer with age; no matter how ceaselessly it burned the young man under its lens, knox endured in solitary silence.


["knox! a few of us are going to check out the gardens down the river tomorrow morning. would you like to join us?"]

["i'd love to. when are you going? i have a meeting with another guest in the morning, so i may or may not be able to make it."]

["around 10 in the morning, most likely. why don't you come along after your meeting, or bring them along?"]

["alright, i'll do that, since it's you asking. where should i meet you?"]



socializing with dolled-up bachelorettes attempting to win his favor, offering a toast over the bountiful meal before him, detailing the unique notes of the aged cabernet sauvignon in his glass to the son of so-and-so seated beside him— such motions came second nature to knox, who employed his intrinsic charisma to manipulate the people around him without hardly lifting a finger.

his world was one of politics and mind games, after all. he was young compared to his colleagues at the blue house, but he never gave that fact the power to become a weakness; on the contrary, his age helped to lower most people's guards far easier and quicker than he thought it would when he initially moved to seoul.


["is it time to waltz already? i'd better get back to my table before my new friends think i've ditched them for a man this early in the night." a flustered giggle. a twirl of a blonde lock of hair. a cold hand on his bicep. "listen, it was lovely getting to know you. i'm so glad i bumped into such a gentleman."]

["it was an honor to speak with you too, corinne. what better way to start the evening than a conversation with such a captivating lady?"]

["oh, stop— i'll look for you at the afterparty, then!"]



if knox mentally breathed a sigh of relief at the commencement of the scheduled events of the night marking the end of small talk to fill the silence, he didn't let it show on his ever-so-composed expression. by that point, he had already downed three glasses of wine out of social obligation, and he'd never been so grateful for being a relative heavyweight in regards to alcohol tolerance.

the president's son took this rare opportunity to scan the masked faces of the dancing nobles around him, taking note of the diversity in this year's crop compared to the previous runs. it seemed that karina finn had surely outdone herself, as the turnout had nearly doubled into a truly international festival.

towards the end of the second to last song, knox felt the familiar prickling sensation of being watched, the hairs on his neck standing on end by the unnerving intensity of someone's stare. a quick, subtle scan of the space behind him away from the dance floor revealed a woman whose gaze was locked onto his swaying form, unwavering even as he made eye contact and cocked his head to the side out of curiosity.

bidding his current dance partner farewell with a courteous kiss on their cheek, knox made his way over to the lady shamelessly staring him down. as he approached her relaxed figure and got a closer look, she gave the impression of being eastern asian from what features he could scan around her mask, most likely chinese if he was making an educated guess based on sheer probability.

the polite smile that usually only tugged at knox's lips on most occasions reached his warm eyes, glimmering in the dim light as he offered his left hand to his newfound stalker.

"would you grace me with a dance?"

it was in this manner that knox secured his final partner for the night, a dignified woman who did, in fact, speak mandarin and extended him an invitation to a brief rendezvous of sorts to the gazebo overlooking a manmade lake on the island before the afterparty began that night. their short yet insightful conversation during the waltz stood rather perpendicular to what he expected going in; he would have been nothing short of a fool to decline such a prospective networking opportunity.

now, with a golden box resting open in his palm after parting ways yet again, the korean noble gazed down at the delicate yellow lily melded to a gold cuff link. 'it matches my jewelry, at least. quite considerate of them.' as the lights dimmed to allow the guests a moment of secrecy while attaching their flowers, he settled with pinning it on the patch of golden embroidery above his collarbone, where it blended in rather well if only given a cursory glance.

if he was being perfectly honest with himself, knox did not give a damn about this exhibitionist snogfest disguised as an innocent icebreaker. there were far more efficient ways of getting to know the various interesting characters attending the aphrodisia, in his opinion, especially as they transitioned to the afterparty. in light of keeping up appearances, however, he resigned himself to playing along, half-assedly glancing around at the other wary guests in search of a similarly vibrant yellow and gold lily.







the president's son



knox.













♡coded by uxie♡
 
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Léonie had been prepped and quite drained from her fathers training. For the 2 weeks prior to the exclusive event where underbosses, royalty and heirs all would gather for what Léonie was programmed to see as business, Don Luis Phillipe Batista drilled Leo with questions and if he deemed her answers unfit he would resort to rather . . . traditional punishments that left Leo with bruises and welts scattered on her body. It didn’t take her too long to adjust and correct herself so by the second week the only bruises she had on her body came from practicing rugby with her personal advisor - former coach - Antonio Figuerido. Thanks to him, she was able to have some excitement for the upcoming event. Her father wouldn't be able to keep any tabs on her over there so the privacy means the Léonie could relax and destress by any means necessary.

The trip to the island felt like one of the longest trips to Leo. The anticipation had kept her up the night before as scenario after scenario kept popping up in her mind. Business would be a priority, the Batistas did not have the most successful and infamous Art and Artifact Syndicate in the world by just laying around. They had to use the most cunning tactics and manipulate others to deem the value of their work to be worth billions of dollars instead of looked down upon with disdain. Sure, the majority of their clients kept their connections to the Batistas confidential, it was protocol after all, but they were sought after by all kinds of backgrounds for their exclusive listings.

Leo's forehead was resting on the interior of the jet as she was getting a manicure done, a mahogany red on somewhat long stiletto shaped nails with gold embellishment right above her cuticles. Her father might not show any love or sympathy to Léonie but he provided what was necessary to keep up appearances. It was really one of the few perks about her life but she grew so accustomed to it that she was not at all grateful for having the opportunity to glam up her vessel. Antonio was also in the jet with them, curating a list of potential clients that her father wanted Leo to secure.

"Leo, I know I'm about to hand you papers for work, but do not forget to remind yourself that you deserve to have some fun and to indulge yourself in things you want to do, ok querida?."
said sir Figuerido. Leveling the papers by tapping them on the small table he was working on, Antonio placed them in a folder and placed them on Leos lap as her hands were occupied.

Léonie didn’t move her head from the jets smooth interior when she responded,
" Meu deus do ceu, Antonio I know, you don’t have to tell me this every other minute."
Even though she sounded rather grumpy in tone, Antonio knew that the girl was just stressing herself out about the event. The results would bring some sort of impact to her and her fathers relationship after all.

Finally landing on the island, Leo had followed all procedures necessary to become anonymous within the event and to disappear from the rest of the world's radar as Aphrodisia was a tight little box only for the elite to peek into. Léonie’s first set of garments for the event was a dress embedded with a mixture of 22k and 24k gold. The bodice clenched in her waist making it appear abnormally small to perfect the hourglass figure, tight enough to allow her bosom to pour out a bit from the sleeveless top. The slit of the dress reached up to right below her left hip and seemed to wrap into a fold where the dress began to part. The sparkles from her dress were reflections of micro crystals, creating the illusion of a golden diamond dress that would glimmer whenever the light would hit. The mask that she wore matched the gold and diamonds on her body, the right of her mask extending out into the wing of a butterfly. Her lips were the same red as her nails and her cheeks would gradually flush as the drinks kept pouring.

The opening ceremony seemed to go by in a haze, the waltzing, the announcements, the food, the drinks, all being consumed at once. It wasn’t until the two-lips game was announced that Léonie began to be more present and was actually quite intrigued. She would certainly poke some fun while challenging her other half. Holding the box with the flower pin inside, Leo simply placed her hand on top of the box and slowly sipped on her 1929 Massandra Collection White Muscat. She wanted everyone to funnel into their next location before she adorned her flower and became an open target. Observing and patience was her key to coming out on top of the two-lips game.








the art thief



Léonie.








  • filler tab!





♡coded by uxie♡
 











phoenix

underboss brat baby

































  • mood


    i am drunk and i am a mess









    location


    he honestly has no idea where he is




































Wasn’t Red Bull supposed to kick in within twenty minutes of finishing the can? It had been thirty and Phoenix had yet to feel a single effect. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Deciding there was nothing to lose, he cracked open another can and chugged its contents down in one go.

It was probably in his best interest to sleep during this flight back to Shanghai from France where he’d spent the weekend competing at Chamonix. He’d barely gotten any sleep, his body hurt from snowboarding long hours and what was he doing? Drinking Red Bull and not sleeping. After pacing up and down the galley of the jet for an hour (yes, it did kick in, but not for long), he finally passed out on one of the couches and didn’t wake up until Xiaoyu and Xiaoran boarded the jet, the former punching him until he woke up.

Well, now that his sisters were on board, it was time to hound them with questions. Mainly Xiaoran, since Xiaoyu put earbuds in and seemed intent on drowning everything out. “How long do we have to keep the damn masks on?” he started, looking at them.

“It depends per person. If you are already familiar with one another, you could let those masks off in private. Though, I have noted that most of the masks stayed on during the whole stay.” answered Xiaoran, at which Nix repressed a shudder. The entire time? What if they wanted to swim?

“What if we want to swim? Will they ever get to come off?” he wondered.

“Yes it is a choice… but again, it’s best for you to keep your mask on. If you wish to act a hedonistic fool, better be an anonymous one."

Most would feel bashful or be embarrassed about that comment but Phoenix didn’t even bat an eye. Yes he was a hedonistic fool, so what? Everyone already knew that. But fine, whatever, he’d keep the damn mask on as long as possible.

“Will I be able to tell peoples identities even with their masks on?”

“You? I don’t know Nix. How perceptive are you drunk?”
Xiaoran looked at him, raising a brow.

And the answer to that was very. Most of his seduction games and escapades happened when he was drunk. It didn’t take much to get him drunk, but yes he was very perceptive, so identifying people he knew shouldn’t be a problem. “I’ll be fine. What about the alcohol. Is it decent? And are the rooms nice?”

“The alcohol is as good as it can be at these types of social events, and the rooms are well furnished. The host does have a flair for opulence.”


Sensing that Xiaoran was done with this conversation, Phoenix ceased the question bombardment and headed to the bar. After drinking pretty much their entire stock, the family pilot announced they were landing in twenty. Great. Nix hauled his ass into the jets bedroom where he changed into a loose, light blue sparkly sheer dress shirt and tight leather pants. Cringing at his reflection in the mirror, he lined his eyes with heavy eyeliner and eyeshadow, dusted his cheeks with a little glitter and stained his lips a deep blood red.

Screw this fucking mask, Nix thought as the siblings made their way to the banquet hall. It was tight, uncomfortable and kind of itchy. How he was going to make it through the night and the rest of the time, he wasn’t sure. Alcohol, maybe. And lots of it. He could feel the buzz of this one starting to kick in and knew he’d be trashed by the time they crossed the threshold.

Yep. Assumptions were correct. He was pretty damn drunk if the way he threw open the doors of the banquet hall were any indication. He absolutely would’ve shouted “now the party don’t start till I walk in” if it hadn’t been for Xiaoyu slapping her hand over his mouth the second his lips parted, Yu knowing her brother all too well. But that was the last he saw of his sisters that night, taking the time to remove Yu’s hand before darting down the stairs giggling and disappearing into the dancing crowd.

Though there was a delicious banquet, Phoenix barely touched it. He took one bite of some fancy sandwich before setting it down and skipping over to someone he thought he recognized. And then over to another person, and another. Never before had he been so thankful to know all of the languages he did, conversing with one person in Cantonese and then another in Italian, the next two in Spanish and Mandarin and then someone else in English. The more he talked, the more he drank. The more he drank, the drunker he got, obviously. And the drunker he was, the louder he became until almost everyone could hear his drunken giggles.

Because he did not dance unless he was at a nightclub, he was one of the first people to receive his flower for the game. Nix looked at the black rose laced with blue and attached it to the cuff of his right sleeve. It blended well with his pants and shirt and if he just kept his arm low, it would be very hard to see. Good.

Now that everyone had their flowers and the lights were back on, he looked up and around, dark eyes locking onto someone he recognized and knew very well. Setting his drink down upon the first table he came across, he began to rush over to her. In his haste to get there, Phoenix didn’t pay attention to where he was going and knocked right into someone. “Oops, sorry,” he said with a laugh before continuing on, not bothering to see whether or not he’d done any damage by bumping into them.

When his target was near, he practically launched himself into her arms with a squeal. “Hi hi!” Then he took a step back, releasing Myeong as he did so. “You ready?”





♡coded by uxie♡

 
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tonight, in one of the pointless and worthless daydreams that constituted a large portion of his inner world, he imagined being free of the suffocating collar around his neck. monotonous and necessary, the reality of it all, and such was the reality of banal existence as he had always experienced it as he walked onward through the teeming crowd. camera flashes blinded him all the while he gave a gleaming smile, tender and soft in his perceived nature, and suddenly it became apparent to him that the crowd represented the banality of life. the crowd reflected everything, externally speaking, due to him understanding life as something utterly external and thus material, and if the assembled flood of paparazzi represented life for him, the banquet hall expanding before his feet represented art for him. art happened to reside on the very same street as life and yet it dwelled in a completely different place. art, which had always given him relief from life without relieving him of living, being as monotonous as life itself, only in a different place. in that moment, the aphrodisia banquet hall contained the meaning of everything and the answers to all riddles, imperious and inscrutable as it appeared to him upon his immediate entrance.

carrying himself with the likeness of a regal king, brilliant amber eyes shooting daggers of severity above a gleaming smile, the concepts of life and art seemed to collide, suddenly formed in his spitting image as though his presence had brought them together. he knew this well, and he knew himself to be in control amidst a moving chessboard of talking figures and unspoken rules. elegant as well as poised, he was still capable of violent and consuming impulses, good and bad, noble and vile, but never of a sentiment that endured and never of an emotion that continued. everything seemed to interest him and yet nothing ever held him captive. he attended to everything with a smile, dreaming all the while to be released from the suffocating collar dragging him from the presence of one person to the next.

he noted the slightest facial movements of the people he was talking to and he recorded the slightest inflections of his own utterances, ❝it's pleasant to make your acquaintance❞, but he heard without listening, ❝your dress is absolutely stunning to behold❞, but he saw without watching, ❝it's an honor to attend this year's event❞, but he was thinking of tonight's favored choice of wine, and what he least caught in the conversations was the sense of what had been said, by him or the other person.

often had he considered to free his own existence from a set of the circumstances that continued to oppress his freedom, and whenever he attempted to do so, he was instantly surrounded by other circumstances of the very same order as though the inscrutable web of creation was irrevocably at odds with him. the gleaming smile on his soft countenance occasionally drooped, amber eyes meticulously scanning the immense banquet, hands kept behind his back with royal statuesqueness. in his occupied mind, he yanked from his neck a hand that was choking him, and he would then see that his own hand was holding a collar that fell around his neck as soon as he freed it from the stranger's hand, and when he removed the damnable collar at last, it was with his own hands that he nearly strangled himself. he imagined all of this within the blink of an eye, his hand outheld to receive a glass of red wine as he had hoped for all along.

there he stood, cupido of the heavens, dressed in the luxurious resemblance of a medieval ruler, mysterious and severe in spite of the occasional captivating smile gifted to those around him. granting himself a constrained sip from his glass, he remained relatively secluded from the dancing crowd of nobles, believing himself above such trivial expressions of foolish enjoyment. he experienced no such emotion, be it for the suffocating collar or the many uninvited advances towards him which he knew how to kindly reject without causing an outrageous scene. he took a bolder sip after long consideration, narrowed eyes trained on the male guest who had, indeed, caused a far greater scene than he, himself, had ever dreaded to suffer if he were to let loose in the presence of countless spectators. such openly presented action happened to evoke both pity and ridicule inside of him. shouting and laughing accompanied by the spilling of alcoholic drinks, it certainly threatened to tickle a chuckle out of him in spite of his regal stance. tilting his head to one side, he merely watched the embarrassing scene on the other side of the lively banquet. yet the longer he observed the short lived object of his attention, the more aware did he grow of the dreadful fact that he, himself, was no stranger to the assumed stranger of his amusement. widened amber eyes stared shamelessly at the exposed tattoo stretching across the male guest's see-through back. a lightning strike.

he took in a sharp breath. ❝fuck me.

it barely even registered in his occupied mind that someone had decided to place a golden box in his inattentive grasp. eyebrows furrowed and lips slightly parted in equally experienced disbelief and resentment, he let out a scoff which then turned into a mean spirited chuckle. shifting his glance towards the golden object in his right hand after he had opened it absentmindedly, he beheld the sight of a blossoming hollyhock attached to a velvet cuff link. he studied the petite flower with a severe expression, be it not for the occupation of his mind regarding the beloathed arrival of someone whom he did not wish to encounter for the sake of his own remaining crumbs of sanity. attaching the hollyhock to his finely embellished garment, he allowed his stern gaze to wander through the dancing crowd, one person at a time, widely flowing gowns and twirling bodies in perfectly unified rhythm. one guest in particular stood out to him as he observed the ongoing event, his amber eyes following each swaying step of the elegantly and equally boldly dressed stranger in his rabbit mask. a shared gaze for a moment of unspoken observation, followed up by the curly haired crown prince lifting his wine glass in a reticent gesture of short greeting towards the nameless guest. he then proceeded to chase after his only solution to the monotonous banality of life, and such solution manifested itself in the seductive form of a mega pint of red wine, enticing as the provocative sight of the dancing rabbit may have been to his observing eye.

oops sorry!

he nearly tripped over his feet in the flash of a millisecond, eyes widened in surprise, barely able to process the fleeting collision which had taken place between him and another guest rushing past his figure. a considerably small amount of champagne had been spilled on his regal cape, the pungent fragrance clinging to its midnight black fibers. the nearby guests came to his aid, their handkerchiefs brushing over his ravashing garment in attempt to minimize the wetness, and all the while the sudden incident was countered with a myriad of meaningless words of affirmation, he merely gave one of his gleaming smiles in feigned gratitude to those who had come to attend to him, contradictingly ominous gaze wandering through the immense banquet hall to spot the fucking asshole responsible. ❝it's nothing. accidents happen.

























the spanish crown prince










amadeo.




























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♡coded by uxie♡

 






myeong




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hwasa



maria








It felt like an eternity had passed since the invitation to Aphrodisia had arrived. This was the first Aphrodisia since her brother's death, and as the new heir to the Song family business, she would be taking his place in yet another thing she'd always wanted. Fate had a funny way of being a complete dick, giving her everything she'd begged her father for and taking Jae-Hwa as payment.

It was hard to enjoy a party with the guilt of events she couldn't change weighing down on her like a thick fog, so Myeong did what Myeong did best. Drink.

Four shots later and Myeong felt ready to take on the world. Or at least this little corner of it. Hyonu had prepped his daughter from the moment she'd told him about her invitation, grilling into her the importance of making connections for the family and brokering deals, especially when everyone was under the influence of alcohol. Aphrodisia could make or break the Song crime family, since Jae-Hwa's death people had begun to doubt the future of their business, especially with Hyonu's fuck-up of a daughter taking over.

"Do not fuck this up, Myeong."
Her father's parting words echoed until the moment she stepped off the plane, because all Myeong did was fuck things up. It was perhaps the thing she excelled at the most, despite being fluent in six languages and having top of the line schooling, nothing came more natural to the Song heiress than disruption.

But things had changed with Jae-Hwa's death, and now it was her turn to be the dutiful child. Her father just made it so incredibly hard to want to follow his orders. How did you devote your life to a man that you barely knew? Myeong was supposed to be willing to lay down her life for a father who hadn't even bothered to send her a birthday card most years. But family was everything, duty was everything.

So, Myeong would try to make her father proud for once in her life. That didn't mean she wouldn't partake in copious amounts of alcohol and shenanigans, but Myeong would walk away from Aphrodisia with new business and prospects for the Song family, even if she had to kill blackmail someone to get it.

With her head held high, Myeong walked into the ballroom ready to climb her way to the top of this self-indulgent pissing contest. Dinner and dancing was easy enough, despite her typically unconventional behavior, she knew how to contain herself and act like a proper lady when the situation called for it.

However, all prim and proper behaviors went out the window when Myeong spotted Nix across the room. Despite the mask, the underbosses knew each other too well to be fooled by a flimsy disguise. She'd known that the Zhu siblings would all be in attendance because of Xiaoyu's big mouth, but that didn't help calm her excitement as Nix flung himself at her like a puppy who's owner had just come home.

"Nini!"
Myeong squealed, hugging him tightly out of happiness and concern that he might fall over if she didn't steady him. She couldn't blame Nix for drinking, but it did make her plan to use him as a distraction for her opponent harder. Or did it....

"Zhuǎnyí (distract)."
Was all Myeong said before 'accidentally' shoving her inebriated friend into the man she'd spotted with a matching flower a few minutes before Nix had come barreling over.

Myeong had placed the hollyhock broach directly over her breast, right where her nipple was barely hidden beneath the sheer fabric of her dress. Whoever tried to take her broach was going to have to be very brave, and Myeong would either win with ease or be truly impressed by the boldness of her challenger.

With her sights locked on her target, Myeong coiled like a snake, ready to pounce. The moment Nix stumbled into the man, the heiress rushed forward to steady him, slipping her hand lightly over his sleeve to swipe the cufflink off.

"Are you okay?"
Saccharine sweet and doe-eyed, Myeong made a show of fretting over Nix after he untangled himself from the poor man she'd just stolen from,






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maja




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yung lean



ginseng strip 2002








plane rides were never Maja's preferred mode of transport, but at times like this they were the most convenient. Slouched in her luxiours leather seat, sipping tonic water with a pair of designer shades on her face as if concealing a big night of going out. The truth was she used them as some sort of makeshift sleep mask, an expensive one at that. A subconscious frown possessed her face as the air crew would come occasionally with trays of the finest foods and drinks, the truth was Maja had hoped for company on the plane, she'd have to make friends with the occasional bumps from turbulence and whirs from the engines.

the landing was as eventful as the flight, with a few bumps and what felt like an eternity of taxiing. A sigh of relief left her as the pilots announced she could unbuckle and depart, her luggage had already taken the same trip as her weeks prior, her only possessions with her being a small suitcase with her outfit for the night. She felt like a ghost wandering through the airport, not because she was invisible but because she felt empty. Her ride to her temporary accommodation would be by some stranger in a nice suit and car waiting on the curb at the airport exit.

dressing up and doing her make-up, whilst feeling like a chore, was something Maja had always enjoyed doing. Gentle brush strokes on her cheek as she properly faded all of her make-up together, she imagined she was a piece of art and her hands were actually some famous artist's working on her. Once she was satisfied with the end product it was time to get into costume, her choice of dress was a recommendation of a friend, and it was the best she could've asked for. She also adorned her mask which was mandatory for the event, the realisation had just hit that all makeup she had done of her nose up was fairly pointless now.

the ballroom had a similar atmosphere to any other she'd been to, the naive would share dances, the rough ones would get drunk at their tables, and the people like her would simply float around and see what happens. She glided around the room like a jellyfish, stopping and going, she had gotten used to the stares and overglances men would give her, deep down she actually liked it, a sort of affirmation of her beauty. The jokes she made were always met with a chuckle from the people around her, she knew they weren't funny, in fact, she purposefully started telling the most empty brained jokes that sometimes don't even have a punchline, being beautiful had its perks.

the night was going like any other, she'd meet a guy, flirt with him a bit, then just as he thinks he'll get a dance she simply walks. Walks right over to the next guy, she wasn't interested in networking or making connections. The superficial compliments and eagerness from various men were enough to keep her going through these sorts of functions. Admittedly it did start to bore her, when that realisation hit her she immediately broke conversation with who she was talking with, a german man, the heir to some tech company, Alex Wagner, no, Alexis? To be honest, she wasn't quite listening despite how charming the man was, and she didn't see his frown as she made a 180 and resigned her back to her seat.

thankfully for Maja a cure for her boredom was being handed out to guests, a sort of game to play with an anonymous partner. She had received a gold and yellow hairpin, slotting it into the back of her hair, the hunt was on. The game was easy enough, and the prospect of her partner having to complete a challenge for her when she won filled her with motivation, oh the things she could do.

it took Maja a few laps of the ballroom before she caught sight of a similar gold and yellow lily accessory, a man was wearing it on his collar, and she knew exactly how to get it off him. Adjusting her posture to exert confidence and also elegance she made her way to the unsuspecting Knox, an admirably charming man, but she wasn't here for his looks, though it would make the next part marginally easier.

"You can call me May, and what's the name of the fine man who's not dancing?" taking charge of the interaction would put the unsuspecting man in the palm of her hands.

"Knox. Lovely to meet you, Miss May. You flatter me." his eyes did a once overscan of Maja, something she was all too familiar with.

She'd meet his eyes as he gets to her eyes, looking away for a second and giving a cute smirk to emulate shyness, "Your attire flatters you enough as is, fair prince Knox"

"You have a way with words. though, if they are coming from such an exquisite beauty as yourself, they must hold some merit. you are stunning, my lady." He'd lightly kiss her knuckles and give his lil prince smile before giving her a twirl.

Maja's cheeks would be rosy red from blushing after the twirl, "People like us know words only share so much of what we think, so why doesn't the pretty prince show this pretty princess how he dances?" At this point she'd relinquish control over to Knox to lead the dance, letting the dance go on for a while, guiltily enjoying it slightly. Though she'd have to adjust Knox's hands to be properly placed on her hips, looking up at him before biting the bottom half of her lip.

While dancing, he'd murmur small compliments in her ear every now and then about her form, her perfume, the colour of her eyes, etc. every time he leans in to do so, he makes sure to lean in with the side that the flower is on away from her, just to make her life a little more difficult if she really is after that. His right thumb rubs delicate circles on her hip while they dance, playing with the fabric there, "You must have learned to dance at a very young age, miss may, or you're simply a natural. either way, my hats off to you."

"Everything about me is natural, all the way down to my talents and bones" As the music slowed she'd place her hands behind Knox's neck, positioning herself and Knox so they stood adjacent to each other, "Ever kissed a princess before?" Maja smirked. Before letting him answer she slid her hands from behind his neck to his collar, pulling down on them so Knox's face met hers, she held the kiss for what felt like a bit too long, but she didn't care, she was here to have fun after all. "Now, you learn to kiss like that or are you simply a natural?" She reflected his earlier question back at him. "And I just love your yellow lily pin" She presented the pin to him in her hand, no longer on his collar, to tease him further she stuck it on her own dress near the collarbone.

He'd give a genuine laugh at her wordplay, eyebrow raised in amusement upon seeing the flower pin in her hand. "My, I was sure you'd approached me with no ulterior motives, but you dare to play with my heart," he'd tease dramatically, still swaying and keeping her close even after losing the game. "well, you've bested me fair and square; what would you like from me, Miss May?" He'd whisper the last part closer to her ear, tightening his grip on her hips just slightly but enough to give the indication that he was up to whatever challenge she posed.

"My challenge for my dear Knox..." she let her sentence trail, leaving the air in suspense as she took a breath, her demeanour changing to that akin of a mourning woman, "I want you to hold me, close, like a brother would hold his sister at their mother's funeral" she moved Knox's hands up to her waist as she buried her head into his chest, "Just like that..." she sniffled, Knox would be quick to figure out she was crying. After what felt like an awkward eternity she lifted her head from his chest, wiping her tears as her demeanour changed back to her former self, giving a fun smirk she reached up, patting Knox on the head, "Now, that was fun, no?" No indication of previous grief or sadness in her voice, her tears hadn't even had an effect on her makeup.

The only indication of Knox being taken aback by her request would be a slight raise of his eyebrows, but he'd let her shift into position regardless. After realizing she was crying, he'd turn so she's blocked from view from most of the others around them and place a hand on the back of her hair as she leaned on his chest. He had lost his own mother during his most formative years, so he would take her request very seriously, maybe more seriously than he needed to.

When she pulls away and pats his head, showing no sign of her previous grief, he'd tilt his head to the side quizzically but not question it further; he had no intention of getting too involved in anyone else's baggage. "Truly an insightful experience, dear sister," he'd half-tease, still playing along but facing her more straight on as he tried to gauge what her deal is, "though I must admit, unexpected. do seek me out if you ever wish to play some more." the implication would betray some of his sensitivity towards the subject matter; if he didn't want to get involved, why was he offering to comfort her in the future should she need company? curse his bleeding heart for empathizing with every stray dog he encountered.

Playing with her hair Maja was very impressed by the game she'd played on the unsuspecting man, "mhmm" she'd consider Knox's offer to 'play some more,' her left hand picking at her lower lip impulsively, "you make an enticing offer, trust me, you are a fine piece of meat, and you obviously know how to dance, and everyone in Europe knows that good dancer also dance well elsewhere" she gave a sly wink, easily missed by someone not paying attention to her face, "If my planner runs dry or I truly find myself starved for attention in this..." she gave a glance around the room, "hormone riddled test tube, I'll come running to you, one word of advice tho, don't be shy to hold the hips, I'm not your mother, nor sister, it truly does get tiresome guiding men to where to hold." Her remark would come out as unconsciously hostile as if she was a teacher lecturing a student.

She got a bit closer to Knox one last time, slowly trickling her hand up from his chest to his cheek, "Nawww, you are so cute when you think" she'd make the educated guess Knox was still processing what just happened. "Alas, I do bid you farewell, and well," she couldn't help but giggle a little, "if you ever need someone to cry on just look for the lady with the yellow lily pin" she quickly gave him a peck on the lips before distancing herself again, her face held a smug grin, "Until we play again" her posture was sown with an obvious look of pride as she curtseyed, much like a performer concluding their act.

He'd chuckle just slightly, moreso a sharp exhale than anything, at her cheeky dialogue, just toeing the line of being condescending but not enough to get under his skin. "Much obliged, Miss May. until we play again," he echoed, bowing his head respectfully before watching her leave with narrowed eyes. she was an interesting one, albeit unpredictable; he'd have to keep a close eye on her lest she proves to be more of a hassle than the payoff was worth.

---------------------------------

Maja made her way back to her previous seat, a full glass of sparkling tonic water, silently observing the occasion, hoping she'd be able to recognise someone past the masks.






♡coded by uxie♡
 











xiaoran

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  • mood


    let's get this crown









    location


    the great banquet hall





































It was truly an unfortunate miracle that this underboss found herself here again; underneath the brilliant diamond chandeliers, where colours twirled, lights flashed and masks spoke. Back on this island for people with too much wealth and too little love. Once more in this hedonistic hell as she deemed it to be after her first and, then decided, last attendance.

Xiaoran had never intended to be back, but this time, there was no choice in the matter – not if she wished to keep those people with pretty smiles and ugly intentions away from her precious sister who, regrettably, wished to come again. Xiaoyu might not mind the perils behind those temptations in suits fine and dresses grand, but Xiaoran definitely did. And if the underboss wasn’t able to keep her away from them, she’d certainly try to keep them away from her. For in her opinion, no one was worth the love and attention someone as sacred as Xiaoyu could give.

"You know the sign."
she’d whispered in her sister’s ear, just before they separated at the opening ceremony, her hand squeezing hers.
"And try to watch your brother too, please."
she added, because her troublesome brother was there too and he was never up to something good. Phoenix was no stranger to these kinds of indulgences, often being as drunk on lust as he was on alcohol. Being here was probably as close to heaven as he’d come. Maybe that’s why Xiaoran, against her better judgments, let him come here too. She was probably going to regret it, seeing as he was already drunk before they had arrived.

Ah, well let that be a headache for later.

For now, the underboss found herself on the edge of the ballroom, eyes watching as the masquerade revelers were pulled into a trance where faces and identities blurred into a wired haze. She watched carefully as people waltzed on the edges of reality, tip-toeing on lines between fractured truth and woven lies as they got drunk on alcohol and words. Aphrodisia was an event where the heirs, royals and underbosses alike put on a second mask, one of fabric and gems, and pretended the ones made of skin weren't the real facades they paraded around.

Pretending like their eyes alone didn’t tell stories and betrayed emotions like no other.

It was no different this time; they still twinkled under those lights with excitement, burned with lust, deepened with longing, desperation, and sharpened like predator on prey. All these masks meant to hide the identity of the wearer, and yet, they framed those desires so vividly — it showed everything and all. Exhibited just how far all of them would go for a little bit of love. Or even just the illusion of it.

His, though. His were different—

Different and oh so interesting.

On the dance floor, a man waltzed. Someone Xiaoran could not help but watch for a longer period of time than needed. His eyes weren’t like those tangled in the stars of love or tethered to the cosmic planes of lust; they were a bit too void to spark with genuine interest, a bit too monochrome to reflect those hues sinfully bright. It was a gaze speaking of something else… could it be a want not too far away from hers?

Xiaoran did not intend on stealing a dancing partner from someone else, but it happened nonetheless. The stranger she’d been watching had approached her with a polite smile and kind eyes, the request of a dance on his lips. And well, who was she to say no?

"It would be my pleasure,"
she responded with a smile of her own, before following him onto the dance floor. It was there when another waltz began, the orchestra commencing a song that sounded like it was the final one. Face closer to the stranger, Xiaoran obtained two critical observations; for one, he looked korean. for two, he looked very familiar – dare she say too familiar. A suspicion of his identity seeped into her mind, one she had no trouble voicing;

"You look quite like someone i've seen before, could it be the news? You do have an air of...foreign politics about you..."


"Only as foreign as you make me out to be.”
was his response, remarkably evasive. It seemed he had guards up taller than himself. Good. Her figure twirled under his guidance, before drawing close again.

“You’re a first timer are you not? What has brought you here? You don’t look like someone who’d have trouble finding pleasures”
she continued to ask, earning a chuckle from her dance partner.

"sure, let's say it's foreign politician knox's first time"
Ah, so that was his alias. Her eyebrow quirked up lightly, not missing the amused tone behind it. So he was not a first timer. Interesting.

"though you're not entirely off base, i'm sure you're aware that there are far greater treasures to find at the aphrodisia than simple pleasure. i am merely here to .... collect, per se." Ah, so she was right about one thing at least. Her lips curved up into a smile; maybe their goals did align after all. It was too soon to determine though, and with them both being on borrowed time as the song neared its end, the underboss wrapped up their conversation with an invitation.

“Let’s meet again, just before the afterparty. I’ll be at the gazebo by the lake”
were her words whispered into his ear. He was clever enough to pick up the meaning of it.

Come and let’s see how useful we can be to one another.

And with that, the two departed from each other.

Xiaoran made her way towards the bar and while waiting for her red wine to appear, the golden box was handed to her. She opened it, taking a peek at her flower – a white gardenia – before attaching it to her waist in the dark. It was when the lights flickered on again that her gaze swept across the room once more. This time, searching for something else entirely.

Her victory.





♡coded by uxie♡

 









scroll








Artist



Manuel.













mood

on the prowl.











outfit

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location

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He fell into the night with practiced ease. The atmosphere grew hazy in a way that served to lower the ambitions of each guest. Though he was not so far gone as to become sloppy, the wine offered to him had left him feeling aware but relaxed. A warm feeling slowly began at the center of his stomach and before long, his body seemed to radiate heat. A full belly had always made him somewhat pliant, especially when offered by adoring hands. The haze, he realized, was also a product of the scents that surrounded him. They smelled of flowers, of strong wood and a forest after a thunderstorm.

There was cooing in one ear. The other was filled with a deeper tone, whispering promises to come if he dared to indulge. Emmanuel smiled, full lips deeper with the color of the wine he’d been drinking. He wondered for a moment, if this feeling was what Dionysus felt amongst a crowd of his followers. A grape was pressed against his lips and he readily accepted it, tongue slipping against the finger before it pulled away.

It was so good to be home.

A chorus of whines followed him when the group finally parted for him. The bold gripped onto his clothes in hopes of pulling them back into their embrace. They urged him to stay, to continue to feast. It had been tempting but the night had only just begun. There were games to be played after all.

Emmanuel looked down at the glass Pansy that had been given to him. He didn’t bother to hide the sly smile on his face. Just his luck, that he’d been given a flower to match his attire. The lights dimmed and Emmanuel made quick work of attaching the brooch to the purple fabric draped across him. The colors were nearly a perfect match.

Keen eyes scanned the crowd yet his steps were unhurried. In his opinion the fun was in the hunt, the rising anticipation that sent the senses into a near frenzy as time went on. He looked around the room, guests were beginning to pair off. His eyes landed on a rather brazen couple against the wall. There was no judgment, he had been in the same situation many times while attending in the past.

Emmanuel was suddenly stopped by someone, tilting his head he searched for a purple Pansy. Alas, he had only spotted a red rose placed on their wrist. Having spotted no sign of red on his person, they let him go. And the game continued, Emmanuel stopped and was stopped by others. He could feel his own anticipation rising now.


♡coded by uxie♡
 
mood :
'It's so hot here!'

location :
Aphrodisa Island
outfit :
mentions :
erzulie erzulie neon reverie neon reverie macheath . macheath .

interactions :
Amadeo, Xiaoyu, Xiaoran and Manuel.
Alcott
Heidi
The journey for love a long one, quite literally. 14 hours ago retail heiress Heidi Alcott left the comfort of her London mansion and took to the skies. This journey however had started long before she stepped foot onto any plane. It was Spring time, the scent of daffodils and cherry blossoms filled the streets of London but their scent was quickly dampened by the scent of pollution. The young heiress had just returned home from a set of business meetings and awaiting her at home was an invitation, an invitation that would excite Heidi beyond belief. "Miss Alcott" Her most loyal and esteemed butler called for her as soon as she stepped through the marble threshold "A rather interesting letter has arrived for you today." He spoke with a tone of mystery and a slight hint of concern. Heidi smiled widely "Oh Alfred, How exciting!" She beamed as the butler handed over the letter along with a sterling silver letter knife. With one kick slice Heidi's fate was sealed, she'd be attending Aphrodisa, the glorified Love Island!

"Madame, Take this flower. One of our other esteemed guests holds one identical to this. You must search them out and steal their flower without them noticing." The game was explained to her as she took the delicate glass flower and slipped it into her upper arm band. Heidi was a fan of parlour games, well actually she was more a fan of winning and with the prospect of being a winner on the first night it melted away at all the nerves she felt. "Thank you." Heidi spoke softly as she nodded her head and walked towards the grand banquet hall.

The night complimented Heidi, it caressed her every feature like a gentle lover but upon walking through the entrance of the banquet hall the moon light disappeared and was replaced by the soft glow of candlelight. She was absolutely taken by the grandness of the building as her eyes were glued to the ceiling admiring the architecture and how well the host had complimented the harsh stone walls with the softness of large bouquets of flowers, it was a truly mesmerising scene. Heidi walked forward taking a flute of champagne from one of the waiters silver trays, she took a small sip and let the bubbles burst on her tongue before swallowing it down. It seemed that multiple guests had already arrived and as she looked around at their masked faces and the differing flowers they wore she also remembered the glass flower seated on her arm. 'Where are you?' she thought to herself scanning the crowd once more but upon scanning each guest she saw no flower that matched her own "How disappointing, perhaps they haven't arrived yet." Heidi thought as she took another sip of her drink but unbeknownst to Heidi her rival had arrived but he'd skilfully hidden his pansy amongst his attire.

Heidi observed the room once again, each guest looked absolutely stunning in Heidi's opinion. They each shone in their own way but there were guests who caught her attention more than the others. They seemed familiar, wait was that Xiao Ran and Xiao Yu? Was that Amadeo? Their faces were obscured by the masks but Heidi could've been sure that it was them. Swinging the rest of the bubbles in her glass down her throat she built up the confidence to approach the person who she believed to be Amadeo. Her footsteps echoed on the marble floor as she made her approach to her favourite cash cow but she stopped halfway "it can't be him." her self doubt had caused her to linger on the edge of the dance floor. She stood against the wall looking out onto the crowd and that's when she spotted it, the matching flower! A man who looked so regal that he could be crowned king of the ball, that sneaky man had nestled the glass pansy so closely into her outfit that it appeared also invisible. "What a sneak!" she thought to herself. She wasn't going to loose to him and with a confidence that had appeared from no where she began walking towards him.

"Pleasant evening is it not?" Heidi spoke as she approached him. "Rather chilly though." Heidi was not cold, in fact she was boiling but it was the only thing she could think of to bring attention to the glass flower settled upon her arm as she gently rubbed below the golden band pretending to warm herself. "I must say, you seemed to have struck luck with your outfit." She spoke referencing to how the flower seemed invisible amongst the fabric "But not lucky enough." she said as a small smile spread across her face.




coded by reveriee.
 
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Artist



Manuel.













mood

smug











outfit

1 2 3











location

banquet hall.











interactions

heidi




















Emmanuel could see her approach from his peripheral vision. A shock of white heading straight for him with determination in each step. He had no idea if she was truly his match but he pretended as if he hadn’t noticed her either way. “Yes, I agree. It’s rather cold but I prefer it to the warmth outside. We wouldn’t want to start sweating so early into the night now would we?” His lips stretched into a smile that boarded on salacious.

His eyes trailed over slowly, unhurried as he searched for the familiar purple. It was rather easy to find really. The white of her dress made the glass blossom stand out all the more. Her choice in color was interesting, surely she had known that it would give her away before choosing. Or perhaps, she had wanted it to be found. Emmanuel took a slow step forward, gaze locked onto her eyes. It was a trick that he had learned during his days of thievery. Direct eye contact with a target could leave them none the wiser while they were being stolen from. Emmanuel had stolen many watches and the like that way.

“And you…” He spoke slowly, quietly as if it were a secret for their ears only. A hand trailed up her arm lightly, his touch barely there. “…are far too slow.” A chuckle escaped then. Emmanuel untucked the glass flower with nimble fingers. With a single step back he broke the closeness between them. “Perhaps you’re wrong. I feel rather lucky now.” He looked over the object before turning his gaze back to her.

“Let’s find each other again at a later time. I believe that a simple dance will satisfy me. But…if you’d like to engage in another…a form of tango if you will, you can find me within the atrium amongst the tulips.” With that he slipped past. Emmanuel smirked, he really did enjoy games.


♡coded by uxie♡
 











xiaoyu

a.k.a. hebe

































  • mood


    silly & goofy x









    location


    the banquet hall




































xiaoyu loved aphrodisia. the atmosphere, the drinks, the random finely-dressed gentlemen being dragged out of the venue? it was amazing! it was so exciting! she was on her fifth dance and sixth glass of champagne at this point, and though she was no lightweight, it never took much to remove what little inhibitions she might have at a mirthful event such as this. a partner always on her arm, and a constant string of giggles slipping from her lips; she was having the time of her life.

she'd long lost sight of her siblings, her last words to xiaoran having been
"remember to have fun!"
before she'd run off in search of a person to share her first drink with. the performances were finally drawing to a close, and it had been a while since she'd even caught a glimpse of either of them.

"you are a fine dancer, hebe."

"as are you! it was a joy being your partner."


her brother, she was sure, was very alright and likely being a nuisance to some unfortunate soul; it was her sister she was more concerned about, who had made her contempt for aphrodisia very known from the moment they'd decided to come. was she faring alright? not losing her mind, hopefully?

"the pleasure was all mine."

perhaps it was time she check on her!

"will... will i get to see you at the after—"

xiaoyu was gone before he could finish his sentence, disappearing into the crowd as she attempted to identify her sister among the myriad of partygoers. and (though futile) it was a thoroughly concerted effort, considering she managed to spot several all-black outfits before she had her attention swiftly stolen by the small, golden box placed into her hands. she wasted no time in opening it; the notecard, of course, was dismissed after barely a skim— a game of stealing flowers, how hard could it be?— in favour of the real star of the show.

nestled within the box was a delicate baby-blue hydrangea flower attached to a small pin, and it was far too clear to the socialite where it should go. her gaze flitted down to her dress, a gorgeous ensemble of exquisite tulle conveniently decorated with so, so many tiny flowers. (the shade wasn't quite right, but who would look that closely, anyways?) she'd at least pin it somewhat closer to her waist, to give whoever her partner was a fair fighting chance!

now, where was her partner?

keen eyes continued to roam the increasingly rowdy crowd even as she flitted from person to person with the passing (and occasionally lingering) touch on her arms from another searching for their partner, but the constant distractions would do little to deter her from noticing the flash of light blue. she let out a delighted gasp before hoisting up her skirts and making a beeline for them, shrugging off any that threatened to stand between her and her sure victory.

arriving by her unsuspecting target, her gaze immediately zeroed in on his flower, attached conveniently to the cuff of his sleeve. so ripe for the picking, and pick she would! he had just turned towards her when she snatched up the flower with a deft swipe.

"got you!"
xiaoyu exclaimed triumphantly,
"now i... well..."


she hadn't a challenge in mind yet, since she hadn't expected it to be nearly this easy. her fingers toyed with the pin as she contemplated her options, her eyes inspecting the flower for inspiration. the flowers were certainly very pretty and intricate, weren't they? this one, in particular, was such a perfect shade of...

white...?

the smile waned, giving way into a look of perplexity.
"ah, it's... hm."


she brought it down to her skirt, where her own flower was pinned. it was close, but certainly not the right one— she must have been fooled by the lighting, or betrayed by those six glasses of champagne. or both, probably.

hm. hmmmmm.

"it seems,"
xiaoyu began slowly,
"that i may have made a mistake, so you may have your flower back! terribly, terribly sorry,"
batting her eyelashes and plastering on her sweetest smile as she continued,
"could i help you pin it back, maybe?"






♡coded by uxie♡

 
Last edited:
































Bashi didn't like parties. He didn't like people, he didn't like useless chatter, or annoying voices. He didn't really like alcohol and he sure as hell didn't like being the only one he knew.


When Bashi's mother had said he was attending the aphrodisia this year, he had spent the rest of the day throwing knives at a picture of his highschool bully. And when she saw him off onto the four stop, two day flight, he'd waved and told her if he dies because he accidentally killed someone, Chris could have Atlas and Ascalapha. Tío Api said "less talking, more walking" at the three minute mark of complaining.


And the paparazzi were dreadful. All asking questions and flashing their cameras and asking who he was wearing. Which, last he checked, he wasn't the guy from Silence of the Lambs. Not Hannibal, the other one. The one who made the skin suit? Yeah. That one.


Anyways.


Sitting at an unattended table, Bashi held his little plate of snacks and people watched. He hated them. All of them. They were the bane of his existence. His left leg bounced up and down in the chair and his right hand thumbed the empty knife holster on his thigh. He wished the security hadn't taken his knives. He needed them. Well, not really. But they'd be nice to have.


Tío Api had fucked off somewhere unknown, his motives and plans always obscured like that and Bashi knew no one. And it sucked. Because everyone was so fucking friendly and acted like they were all long lost friends who had just found each other. Which was stupid because they were masked. No one knew who anyone was. It was all aliases and masks. So yeah, Bashi wanted his knives.


And he missed his dog and his horse and god he wished Fenny was here. Phoenix would make everything better. He was the partier, not Bashi. He always took the lead in these situations and Bashi was his dutiful little sidekick. Plus he was like Bashi's only friend besides Chris. Who was a four stop, two day flight away.


It was the most boring night of his life. But at least the snacks were good. And the champagne. But other than that it sucked and he wanted to go home. But he'd promised his mother he would at least try. She was always saying that. 'At least try'. So he sighed, stood up, squared his shoulders, and put that little kind, friendly smile that got him what he wanted. He walked through the throngs of people, making nice with them. He answered pointless questions, looked shy when people fawned over his chosen alias, laughed sweetly when people mentioned his empty holster.


He felt so fake. It wasn't like it was with Fenny, his sisters, and Myeong. Or like it was with Vero. Those were his friends. He was truly docile around them. This was just some ruse and he felt more like an angler fish luring people in with a pretty light. Just wait until they see his ugly reality. Right before he tore them all up. But he tried nonetheless. When he started to get frustrated with endless questions, simpering sycophants, or those trying to parse out his identity, he moved on. Walking from one group to his next, Bashi caught the eye of a man in a dark mask. The man raised his glass in a greeting. The man was drunk. Bashi rolled his eyes. Entertaining men, however handsome they may be, was not his goal.































the drug empress' son












bashi.
































  • filler tab!




















♡coded by uxie♡
 












  • filler

















celestine was too quick to leave her all-too-posh, all-too-quiet room in the palace to her estate in windsor when her brother had messaged her about mail arriving at the doorstep. the clemonte family never had mail, or at least never had it arrive at their address. not unless it was the invitation. so maybe she was a bit fervent to drop everything, get her head maid margaret to pack her a couple of luggage, and fly privately with her brother to a familiar island where her family had no way of contacting her. normally, she'd request a familiar face to fly with her for the event, keep her company while they flew across the globe, however she decided against it for the essence of... surprise. this wasn't the princess' first rodeo but it sure was her brother's and she wanted to witness how her social circle would react to his presence.

it sure was one way to keep herself engaged if the festivities this year weren't cutting it.

but perhaps she was disparaging as she quickly found that aphrodisia never ceased to bring out the bolder side of young nobles. whatever spirit lurked within the remote island or whatever drug they laced in the liquor, it all seemed to possess all guests with reckless abandon. the quiet became loud and the loud became boisterous. even when she sat for a gourmet dinner, she caught the lustful gazes of confident onlookers. she'd admire their valor for even trying if they didn't make fools out of themselves trying to seduce her as they attempted to nibble on their caviar-spread toast. a condescending giggle would have been her cruel way of rejection if it hadn't been for the final performance coming to a close and the sudden dimming of the lights.

"how exciting."

by the time the first game was announced, celestine's lips quirked. in her hands was a little trinket she then neatly pinned against the side of her hip. a pretty little thing she would have adorned on her chest if it wasn't already showered in sterling silver and gems. though in the spirit of the game, the placement could work to her benefit as celestine was well-versed in the feeling of a lurking hand on her hips. though, when the room lit up again, celestine didn't waste her time evaluating the flowers worn by the rest of the guests—no. celestine clemonte does not hunt for her food, she waits for them to fall into her like an insect does a venus flytrap.

so instead the princess made herself a moving target. allowing a forgettable face of who she assumed to be an heir of some kind to sweep her off her feet for a single dance. his form was poor, and she didn't need to look at him to take the lead, instead, she began looking above his broad shoulders, scoping for at least a trace of entertainment to bare her through the dance. and luckily enough, she found some.

a familiar face that even a gaudy mask couldn't hide from celestine's precise eyes. only the brave (or an imbecelle) would make the mistake of playing with princess maja of sweden. and from the quick glances she caught as her dance partner attempted to spin her, the poor man was already in the belly of the beast. it was only a few moments more when she spat him out and possessed the flower pin as proof. as always, the ferocious monster of a woman never ceased to impress celestine, with her eyes constantly on the prize. it was a shame her dance partner tried to bring back her attention before she could see what maja had in plan for her competitor.

"enjoying yourself?"

"not at all," looking past the once prideful look she shattered, she followed her friend's direction towards an empty table with a glass of victory in her hand. in all degrees of measurement, going over to her maja outweighed staying with an ego-broken stranger softly gripping her waist. "so, if you excuse me, i'd like to find company elsewhere." not having to be told twice, he let her go. it would be as good as suicide to not follow the orders of celestine, even if they're merely implied.

there was an essence of regality celestine summoned whenever she walked, one that commanded attention from wandering eyes, like she never tried to hide—because she wasn't. it was always more fun reuniting with others in aphrodisia when they could see her coming. "i'm sorry to bother you, but you just remind me of a snow bunny i have back in sweden." for the first time since she arrived, her lips formed a genuine smile. "you have the same devious look in your eyes too."

as if someone opened a window in a dark room, maja’s eyes caught what seemed to be a ray of light, adorned in a black dress that encompassed the void, and a rather horny mask, “that’s funny, I know only one person who calls me their snow bunny,” her fingers traced the rim of her cocktail glass, “so either you’re some crazy journalist who’s been stalking me and my friends for quite some time,” a smile as genuine as celestine’s cropped up on her face, “or you’re celes, princesses of windsor, my beloved, and if that’s so, please, take a seat, join me.”

she didn't have to be told twice, signaling the nearest server for a glass of her own. "the one and only." after the mediocre dance she had, the seat cushion felt like what celestine imagined paradise to be. and the tonic was ambrosia from the gods. "it's so good to finally see a familiar face, this place seems to invite the oddest people every year, i can barely keep up." the friendly smile quickly morphed to teasing simply by the way her eyes crinkled under her mask. "but i saw that you have no issue with them. quite the opposite." her hand gestured to the pin. "barely a moment passed and you have already caught yourself the prize. i expected no less from you." always the perfectionist, just as celestine remembered her to be. and she was all too curious to hear the details of the event.

“no issue doesn’t imply i enjoyed it” maja fidgeted with the yellow and gold pin, its sharp and bright edges reflecting the room’s light, “as for this shiny trophy? nothing more than a reminder of how easy men are when you show a twinge of interest.” she scoffed, her face took on a prideful smirk, leaning forward in her seat, she had this almost giddy childlike demeanor about her, “let me tell you about this one, his name was knox, and you know men, all too quick with the compliments, but I must give him points for knowing how to dance. It was a quick sleight of hand as I pulled him down to kiss me, grab his collar and unpin his pin, he enjoys the kiss and I enjoy the rewards.” she was all too eager to tell stories of how she toyed and manipulated men, something that wasn’t foreign for celes to hear, ”and you know how you get to request something of the loser? get this, i just asked him to hold me as i cried into his chest!” maja just about burst into tears laughing, ”crocodile tears, celes! crocodile tears!” she leaned back in her seat, a sigh of accomplishment as she recounted her story, finally being able to bask in her glory with someone else.

an amused hum rang from her lips as celestine leaned in herself, like two sisters catching up on humorous drama. it was the stories maja told that kept celes invested for so long. "knox, hm? glad to know that you at least gave that poor boy a chance to say his alias. destined to fail since the beginning." her mask covered the eyebrow that raised ever so slightly when maja mentioned the special favor she reaped from the loser. not all of the swedish princess' actions made sense to her, but they didn't need to, she did things for chaos, and it was something celestine could get behind. and the image of the masked man she saw dancing with her friend stiffening his posture in discomfort brought a wicked grin on her face. "you did good, splendid even. i only wish my little partner will be as fun to toy with."

maja’s cheeks showed a noticeable blush following celes’ comments on her performance, maja knew she did good, but hearing it from someone like celes somehow made it more real. ”trust me, you’ll find a way to make it fun, you always do.” she’d shoot a quick wink at celes teasingly, “do tell me though, how’s your night been? how was the trip here? and where’s that brother of yours? finally managed to drag him along to one of these events?” she inquired, much more interested in the answer to some questions over others.

"actually, a familiar face joined me on my flight today. a face that recently, left that little hollywood twerp you know we both hated," her eyes lingered on the drink in her hand for dramatic flair before looking at maja to gauge her reaction as she said, "my little brother is playing with the big boys now. he's around here somewhere, exciting, no?"








celestine clemonte.




the princess.











maja.

















♡coded by uxie♡
 









scroll








casino heir



raye.













mood

competitive











outfit











location

the banquet hall











interactions

xiaoyu, xiaoran



















He watched the champagne bubbles dance underneath the dim light, letting their quiet motions hypnotize him for a moment longer before taking a slow sip. Standing in a darker corner of the vast hall, observing the swirling colors and swaying figures from what felt like a distance, Raye felt wonderfully alone.

There were more participants than he had expected, all hiding their stories under gilded masks, reveling in the thrill of a playful secret. How many identities would unravel by the end of this glorified vacation? More than a handful, he imagined. Another sip, a slight smile played at the corners of his lips. If he had a friend around, he'd have bet on it.

His own identity was quite poorly hidden. Kit, he had introduced himself as to anyone who asked, and it was barely an alias, much less a good one. But who would recognize him here, in a crowd where each masked figure was more notorious and beloved than the one before? Not many, he was sure.

Did those sound like famous last words, in retrospect? Yes. But, no matter.

Raye was more concerned with the man in all-black approaching him, something gold hidden within gloved hands. Curious, he accepted the small box that he was wordlessly handed and, after holding onto the suspense for a little more, he cracked it open. A flower sat within — gardenia, perhaps — its white material gaining an azure tint from the lighting of the hall.

Subtly, he glanced around, possessed by that natural paranoia that animals gain when they learn of a hunter. Nobody was around that seemed to have the same flower as him, for now. The buzz was getting louder now, the people increasingly excitable. Another sip. Raye pinned the delicate item onto the cuff of his sleeve.

Finishing off his drink, he stepped into the masked masses and silently weaved through it, gait unhurried despite his building interest in finding this mystery partner. Not even a dozen steps into his search, though, Raye was faced with an obstacle. Namely, a purple blur, whose flower he was quite certain didn't match his from the up-close glimpse he got of her dress, but who seemed determined to attack him regardless.

"Got you!"
She proclaimed before going quiet, and Raye watched her in a mix of amusement and confusion as she studied what she'd actually got.

"Ah, it's...hm,"
The woman seemed quite perplexed. He could almost imagine the face underneath, furrowed brows and all.
"It seems that I may have made a mistake, so you may have your flower back! Terribly, terribly sorry,"
she continued, rather shamelessly beaming at him,
"could I help you pin it back, maybe?"
. If Raye were any less polite, he might have laughed at her.

"Go ahead,"
he obliged, offering up his arm,
"but..."
He trailed off, hit with a sudden sense of déjà vu. Who was this? She was familiar. Even this inexplicable trashing of simple game rules was horribly familiar.

"Your tattoo,"
she abruptly mentioned, and he glanced down to realize that she'd been staring at it for a second too long. She looked up, and their eyes met as she broke into another, different smile,
"It's pretty, huh?"


"Yes, well,"
he laughed it off, though a greater certainty set that they must know each other,
"that's why I got it."
A pause. He spied the pin on his sleeve and thought that maybe it was too easy a spot. Raye liked a challenge, not a losing game.

"By the way, I believe the rule was that you lose if your partner sees you taking the flower,"
he spoke again, slipping without warning into Mandarin. He waited for a beat, looking for confusion in her eyes and seeing none. Raye sent her his own wry smile.
"Good luck, with your real partner."


"Oh! Really?"
She giggled, a lilting note,
"You too, then."
With those short words, they ended their little encounter, and Raye watched her figure be obscured by the crowd before continuing his hunt.

Ten seconds passed. He plucked the crystal gardenia from his cuffs and pinned it onto the lapel of his jacket, having learnt from his mistake. A minute. He grabbed a glass of wine off a waiter. His third glass already. Or, in comparison to the rest of the party-goers, only his third one. He pitied any lightweights on this island.

Two whole minutes had gone by. Still no white flower in sight. Perhaps, he thought, his partner was more of a loner sort. Raye removed himself from the dizzying mess of people, heading towards the quiet edge of the hall. And that's when he saw it.

A flash of white, which his alert gaze follows. A tall, monochrome figure, draped in a black dress, dripping in elegance and intimidation. Raye arched a brow slightly; how could he not have found her already? She was more than noticeable. As if sensing his stare, she turned to face him. The flower was attached to her waist, in a place that he would have a difficult time touching without permission or getting slapped.

Their gazes locked, and he could tell she'd seen his unfortunate — that is, for her — placement of the pin. What a conundrum, he thought. It was hard to be a thief. Still, if he could just spend enough time near her, Raye was confident in the speed of his hands that he could claim the victory. A plan formed in his head as he strolled nonchalantly towards her.

"Hello,"
he greeted lightly, stopping beside her so that they were both looking out onto the dance floor.
"I've been looking for you,"
he informed the mystery woman with some mirth. Draining the last of his wine, he continued with a laugh,
"I guess now all that's left for us to do is snatch the pin, hm?"


Another waiter passed, and the alcohol glimmered at him. He mulled over the urge to take one more, but decided against it. He shouldn't. Tipsiness always strengthened Raye's sleeping sense of mischief. He took another step towards his partner, so they were just within whispering distance.
"That's no fun, don't you think?"


♡coded by uxie♡
 
Last edited:
mood :
Annoyed.

location :
Aphrodisa Island
outfit :
mentions :


interactions :
Open
Alcott
Heidi
Oh, Heidi thought she had this in the bag. The crystal flower was in her sights and it would be hers before the night was out, it wasn't like Heidi was going to ask him to doing anything ridiculous if she won, perhaps she'd ask him for a dance. She was so focused on her victory that she didn't possibly think she could be beaten but of course there was one way to stop Heidi in her tracks and that was making her feel desired. The way his eyes locked with hers at such an intensity that Heidi could feel her cheeks burning. His words we're whispered so softly, so sweetly that Heidi didn't comprehend them at all but she did comprehend the feeling of the crystal pansy being plucked from the golden arm band and her face instantly fell.

His smugness was what caused her to roll her eyes "I am not slow." She said but her tone was one of complete defeat "I'm just very easily charmed." she added like that was any better. His swift exit left Heidi sulking in the corner of ballroom and while normally she'd take a man as beautiful as he on his offer of a 'different form of tango' Heidi really wasn't feeling it anymore. The quick and crushing defeat by him had hurt both her ego and her pride and so the young British woman decided to turn to something that always perked her spirits up. Alcohol and Cigarettes!

The young heiress opened the small purse she carried and pulled out the multicoloured cigarettes, she placed the purple cigarette between her lips and walked towards one of the side exits and as she walked she swiftly picked up a glass of bubbles before heading into the warm night air. To try and keep herself cool she leant on the wall and it did keep her cool but it also sent goosebumps crawling up her back. From her purse she pulled a limited edition YSL lighter than had been bought for her by Amadeo, she light the cigarette and let the harsh smoke fill her lungs before letting it out. Had she made the right decision coming out here? Her brain had already gone to overthinking mode and so the young woman simply took a rather large swig of her alcoholic drink and and harsh drag of the cigarette that was balancing between her fingers. Heidi always found it easier to be drunk then let her brain overthink itself.




coded by reveriee.
 











phoenix

underboss brat baby

































  • mood


    is this really happening or am i just drunk









    location


    he still has no idea where he is




































Phoenix barely had a chance to react to the distraction command before he was shoved. Hard. Like. . . way harder than necessary. Or maybe it was just his drunk ass self thinking that and in reality he was barely pushed. Who knew (not him). Either way, he was stumbling backwards, and fast. He completely expected Myeong’s aim to suck and for his back to meet the marble floors instead of her flower partner, so to say he was surprised when it instead met a warm chest would be an understatement. Strong arms wrapped around his waist, completely engulfing his tiny frame within their embrace.

Thoughts such as ’Wow he smells good’ and ’What the hell are these weird little tingle things I’m feeling?’ and ’Damn I can’t break out of this hold even if I wanted to’ ran through his mind as he remained in the unsuspecting victims arms. Then he seemed to come to his senses as Myeong rushed over and he shook his head to clear the remainder of the thoughts.

”I’m fine, Mia,” he assured her, finally extracting himself from the embrace and brushing off her “concerned” hands. Phoenix raised a brow shortly thereafter, asking the unspoken question; did you get the flower? And a quick glance down to her closed fist answered that—yes, the flower was now hers. Damn was he good at making plans.

Since the game was up, it was now time to turn and apologize to whomever he was shoved into, and by apologize he meant bullshitting his way through the first words that came to mind and pray that his half-assed attempt at an apology was taken as a sincere one. Yeah, good luck with that. The fake apology was ready, was on the tip of his tongue as he turned to face the subject of his bullshitting. Yet the words completely died in his throat when he saw exactly who it was, or who he thought it was, eyes now wide as saucers. No fucking way. Absolutely no fucking way was this happening. But apparently it was happening and he was at the epicenter of all of this mess.

Of all the people at this party, why did Myeong’s partner have to be the dreaded Spanish prince? Why was he even here? Didn’t he have more people to preach his lies to, webs to spin? Last time Nix checked, this was his element, not the other way around. So what the hell was going on?

And the second the ’oh my God he’s the one that caught me, he’s the one I thought smelled good and whose embrace I wanted to remain in all day’ realization kicked in, absolute unadulterated panic swept through him. Phoenix quickly looked away, swallowing audibly as he tried to force down the fear that threatened to overtake him from the inside out.

’Get it together idiot,’ he chastised himself, taking a deep breath before speaking. ”Sorry about that, Count Dracula,” he started, unable to believe he was actually apologizing to Ama. But if he was going the “I don’t know you and definitely have never seen you or talked to you at any of my snowboarding competitions” route, it was best to play up the niceness. ”Must’ve slipped on something on the floor and fell into you.”

Well, that was a stupid thing to say considering the act would be up the second the flower was discovered missing. He didn’t have to wait very long until it went down, Nix making a point to keep his mouth shut and look around the room as if it were the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. When he finally looked back at the two next to him, he was filled with both instant regret and dread. The look in Myeong’s eyes screamed mischief and he had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what she was going to make the loser of the two-lips game do.

”Please no.” was all he said, praying to the high heavens that his assumptions were false but pretty much knowing that there was no way in hell they were.





♡coded by uxie♡

 






myeong




filler



filler



filler



filler



filler



filler






  • home (filler tab)



































hwasa



maria








Watching Phoenix tumble into the unsuspecting arms of her target, Myeong felt a little but. Not that bad, though, as she held up the flower triumphantly, grinning madly as she admired the way it sparkled in the chandelier's light.

She was almost too distracted by the endorphins from her win to notice her usually suave companion fumbling for words. Almost.

Seeing Nix flustered was a rarity and there was no chance in hell Myeong would ever pass up an opportunity to make her friend squirm. Consider it payback for the time he'd practically sent her through the windshield of his car after slamming on the brakes at 90 mph. She hadn't let him drive since.

Myeong didn't bother to hide the light laugh that escaped her at Nix's less than subtle Dracula comment. Oh, she could most definitely not let this go.

Despite his desperate attempt, it was easy to see how incredibly flustered her fellow underboss was. As she surveyed the two clearly rattled men, she began to scheme just what her request would be. It had to involve Phoenix, there was no way she could just let him walk away after such a show, but she didn't want to push things too far. Though with Nix, she wasn't sure there was such thing as too far.

With a gleeful clap of her hands, both to grab their attention and to celebrate her absolute genius plan, Myeong began to announce her request.
"Since I won with Adonis' help, its only fair that I include him in my reward."
The devious smile on her lips indicated that this was more of a punishment than a reward, but her partner didn't need to know that.

"You have to kiss Adonis for at least 2 full minutes. Plus, you have to take him on a date in the next twenty-four hours."
Myeong addressed her fellow hollyhock wearer with a grin, absolutely beaming at how well this had all worked out. Her competitor couldn't say no, and she doubted Nix would really run away.

"Do we have a deal?"







♡coded by uxie♡
 

mood
so exciting!
outfit
location
ballroom
interactions
none
tags
none

Lien Xuan Phan
From the first moment that Lien arrived in Aphrodisia, she was mesmerized by the views and the eccentricities of the island. It almost felt like a place taken out of a book that the girl almost felt surreal, that such a place existed. No wonder it was kept so secretive and only a selected group of people could partake in this kind of event.

But for her first time in aphrodisia, the excitement couldn’t leave her body. The idea of mesmerizing balls and breathtaking outfits was enough to make Lien’s heart skip a beat from the eagerness to be part of everything that aphrodisia offered. Perhaps she had too many expectations? Maybe she did, but that was mostly her reasoning for coming here in the first place to embrace the person she desired to be.

Maybe it was a stretch to have a self-searching journey here from all places, but it was the only place where she wasn’t under the strict regime of fulfilling her father’s expectations, and the opportunity to keep who she was a mystery was a thrilling experience that she desired.

And for the perfect mystery came a masquerade ball. What a joyous start to this experience! Were the thoughts that run through Lien’s mind as she made her arrival. With gorgeous scenarios in front of her, she realized this was a once in a lifetime experience; but just as she was lost in her own thoughts, she was given a small containing a flower and the instructions for the so-called game “two lips.”

Now she had not only to worry about her identity being known and she was sure that the alias “spring” was one of the worst she could think of, the main reason she opted to use the meaning of her middle name. She just hoped no one was knowledgeable in Vietnamese, otherwise, her identity was just giving her name right away, but now she also had to worry about not getting the flower stolen, pining it on her waist that it almost seemed like that the dress had it originally. Everything was getting so intricate that she started thinking about what kind of challenge her partner would decide. She just hoped it wasn’t something too embarrassing.

But even if the odds were most likely against Lien, she had the resolution to try her best, and who knows, maybe she would be the one that would be victorious at the end of the night. But maybe that courage would start after a glass of rosé.
Code by Stardust Galaxy
 




















scroll
amadeo










banquet hall










phoenix myeong




























the unavowed warmth of another enveloped him completely, sweet bliss, amber eyes as big as the moon upon the moment he shifted in his movement. strong arms wrapped around his counterpart's small waist, his grasp tight and steady, slender fingers brushing against the assumed stranger's clothing. he leaned into the sensation with no further consideration, angel song, their awfully heated bodies attracted to one another like tethered strings. it had happened out of nowhere, this fleeting collision, and quite suddenly, each former thought of brooding nature had been utterly eradicated and replaced with the only sensation of temporal importance to him. tired eyes softened for a moment of serenity. the other man's ambrosial fragrance filled his senses to the brink, sweet talked him, caressed him, made him less severe of heart. he yearned for more and cursed the moment of withdrawal. his hands only reluctantly let go of the enticingly slender waist, thinking them too perfect to not remain in his controlling touch, until he realized whom he had caught and spared from a fate of deserved embarrassment.

peering down at his nightmarish reminder of a wet dream, the worst of all assholes he could've possibly stumped into during any time of the day, he merely blinked, scarcely able to form a coherent thought. amber eyes studied the male underboss like one might observe a pesky little insect right before squashing it under the weight of one's thumb, and then, quite suddenly, all former sign of severity was quickly replaced with a feigned expression of worry. he leaned in slightly, amber eyes wide like those of an innocent puppy all the while they glanced down at the one he resented most. ❝are you hurt? i should've paid more attention❞, his voice was utmost tender of sound, ❝sometimes i get too caught up in conversations❞, he fixed the other man's see-through top with meticulous care and attention, ❝better.

his lips curled into a benign smile before he withdrew from the well known cockroach, eventually shifting his stirred attention upon the lovely dressed woman whose daring presence he had scarcely noticed until she had raised her demanding voice. he cocked his eyebrow, merely listening to her ridiculous request, or more so command due to his unexpected loss. he gave her a tender smile, tints of murder gleaming in his eyes, ❝you play quite dirty but you beat me nonetheless❞, cursing her for such decided fate of his evening, ❝it's a deal. besides,❞, amber eyes shifted back to the insufferable demon by her side, ❝it'd be my pleasure.❞ he withheld a low scoff as he said this, dreading the mere idea of a date with phoenix, let alone a kiss of such long duration. considering the possibility of flight, he merely stood there for what seemed like an eternity, and then, having made up his mind at last for the sake of his pretense, he gripped the small waist he had held so tenderly before. ❝mind if i do?

he pulled phoenix in as quickly as he could, closing the small gap between them hurriedly and pressing their lips together in a perfect seal. his slender fingers knotted into the light brown strands of hair, merely tilting the smaller man's head to guide him closer in one abrupt movement, locking their burning lips tighter with forceful manner. a low groan rose from the depths of his stomach into the merciless kiss, a power struggle of the most primal kind, now sending a myriad of tingling vibrations against their lips and down their throats. everything moved as if in a blur, his mind too hazed by the thick fog of primal hunt. cruel and yet all too hungry, their lips connected and fell apart, over and over, hurriedly returning to each other so forcefully in their destructive embrace. there was simply no fucking way in hell that he would ever let himself get overpowered by the little cockroach in his grasp. he yearned to crush him, devour him, obliterate him, and most above all, he wanted to let him know that he could very well do so if he only so pleased.

his fingers had slid right beneath phoenix's see-through top to demonstrate the point at hand, brushing painfully slowly over the bold lightning strike upon his counterpart's smooth back. repeated bursts of energy pulsed addictively through his veins in a hypnotizing rhythm with each greedy swallow taken from the other man's lips, plump and swollen with the cruel rapture of touch, bites and lashes of the tongue. a smug grin revealed itself throughout their fierce fight, taunting the underboss in a most shameless manner which said ❛i know that you know.❜






♡coded by uxie♡
 











xiaoran

underboss

































  • mood


    game on









    location


    the great banquet hall





































And so the game had begun.

Flowers seek flowers as easily as desires seek desires; even in this fabricated world of love and lust, there was no move without motive – no present without strings. Aphrodisia was a masquerade itself in that regard, seeping with deception and sealed with a charming veil. All these whispered wishes, but little did they know, those left unsaid always screamed the loudest. Xiaoran could see why the host devised these kind of games; what else could be more entertaining than watching these hearts of the beautiful, the rich and the wicked, bleed and ache so openly.

To watch them give themselves to others like martyrs do to the skies.

Xiaoran harbored no excitement in these games orchestrated by someone who, undoubtedly, held as much secrets as she held aphrodisias. Karina was not one to be underestimated or lose sight of, despite these distractions dazzling and indulgent. Xiaoran knew, sensed, nothing was ever so simple. People could pretend it was, could lose themselves in all these supposed splendor of fancified hedonism— but they should know, out of all, it was never just a party.

Somewhere, a clock was ticking.

And it wasn’t just about the today’s game.

Heart uninterested but mind competitive, there was a certain indifference yet vigilant air about her. Xiaoran could not care much about gaining a wish, but she certainly didn’t want to give someone else the opportunity of one either. It made it so that her stature kept close to the room’s edges, back strategically against the wall so a surprise attack from behind was close to nihil and gaze surveying the crowd, waiting until her opponent entered the scene.

And enter, he did, flower placed in an equally strategical place as hers.

Eyes deep and dark meet each other and they watch, attentively, guardedly— seek, past mask and skin, for the materials their souls were made of. He looked handsome, just like most troublesome beings were. His demeanor felt a bit too soft to be an underboss, though too scheming to not be capable of doing something dirty. Nonchalance and charm seemed to be his go-to approach, presenting a front of mystery and mischief. His words, interesting but so intent on weaving a situation in his favor, did not tempt the underboss. She did let him win though, or at least think he did. Because, in the end, there were no odds she could not beat; she, too, had faith in her reflexes to conquer his should he try something funny.

“And what would you be proposing to do instead?”
she responded, eyebrow raised.

“how about we make a bet?”

Ahah, so that was the plan. Xiaoran lived long enough to know bets in these kind of circles are never based on just luck. What kind of sleeved tricks he could have, was the question -- how much she could weave of her own to counter them, the answer. But was it worth all the play? In all honesty, she wished to be done with this as fast as possible, the idea of dragging on this whole silly activity for the sake of show not being something enjoyable. Xiaoran still had a precious sister to get back to after all. And, it still stood to question; what kind of bet was this about?

Her opponent, as if reading her thoughts or silence, answered her

“-- have someone else do the snatching for us.”

Hmmm…Her gaze returned upon the masquerade in front of them, examining the good, the bad and the drunk once again. It would be an interesting spin on this game, and with the right strategy, Xiaoran felt confident that she could make this quick and easy.. A small smile formed on her lips, eyes looking into his for a second time.

“Very well, let's bet. But I think it to be only fair that I pick our lovely couple. ”







♡coded by uxie♡

 



Tadashi.





































  • mood



    this is how i'm feeling right now!
















Can you blame the creationist who does not believe in the words of his father’s fabrication, fed what was all alleged truths that now come to expose themselves as anything but? No, certainly not. Could Tadashi have been blamed for the onslaught of behaviors following the doubt? Yes, you can. Most see the hubris, the arrogance, that is very well what he is and he had done nothing to reflect on the issue—no, he lay in it bare, with little conscience. An invitation had sat spread amongst the things on his desk, little attention paid to it, yet little hesitation towards it. He considers it this: an opportunity amongst other things. Get away from his father, the foul bastard; get away from the woman he hated so—poor girl knew not what she’d get herself into when it came to the acceptance of his family’s offer; and get away from the mundanity of what life is.

Aphrodisia, as much as it was a display of power and wealth veiled over with glamor and party, seemed far more than just that. While flooded with the chatter and promise of drinks, what then clung was the inevitable thought of bumping into people he knew he shouldn’t. Or was it the fear of facing the consequences of the past?

Rosey liquid twinkled, caught his eye in nearly an instant despite the pondering. Nevermind the overthinking, nevermind the worry—a drink could stave it off, but for how long was the opposite of predictable. The first sip was gratifying, like a wire cutting through clay, and his pulse—it fluttered and rose with the next.

Eyes gloss over the room, the figures of people standing before him sporadically on tile; far from chess pieces, but it was something to work with. They swayed, waltz, little care tended towards the spaces of another. Some seemed to rub elbows, others flung themselves at each other—or so, that’s what Tadashi would call it. He was no different, only, in settings like these, composure was the most important thing. Call it publicity training, first impressions among the esteemed are the most important; fuck the seedy clubs and bars he’d hang out in—with those, nobody knew who he was.

“And look what we have here—”

He cut the unwelcomed voice off, not even a flicker of the eyes in their direction. A glass of Rose stood between them, then a singular that implicated this: who said you could talk to me? “Next.” Maybe it was the suit that got to his head; some designer he didn’t remember the name of, but damn did he look good in it. Falling against his body, nothing too loose or too tight, subtle and ornate details spread throughout—meticulously hand stitched—it welcomed anyone’s eyes, but never their words.

Small talk is nothing more than bullshit chewed up and spat out, lacking substance, lacking everything interesting. Tadashi thought himself too highly of that, in fact, his response was tamer than what would’ve come out of his mouth had this not been the occasion that it was. A sigh of defeat accompanied rushed footsteps, dark brown eyes following the figure away but not without analyses. “Eh, those shoes with that dress? She really thought,” a chuckle contained itself as he pulled the drink back to his lips, taking another sip.

Darkness fell only mere moments after the gold box touched his fingers.

A blue hydrangea, nestled in the box, found itself pinned against his chest—an easy place, but only harder to take given the care he’d taken to pin it through layers of fabric. Whoever his partner was, they would have to pry it off of his cold dead body. If it had to come to that.

The game was more than just a game—it was something that Tadashi had taken upon himself to ensure that the opponent had no taste of victory. So he watches, looks for the matching flower until the realization hits: she’d played it better than him. A gown covered with flowers, she very well looked like a patch in the fields behind his grandmother’s home. With this is the overwhelming annoyance, not only was he going to have to search, but he’d have to make sure that she couldn’t get her grubby little hands on his piece.

With every movement she made, he matched its pace—hoping that she would catch no glimpse of him. And in between the bodies of people, he weaves, darts his way closer and closer with subtlety.

































cry for love



백현










♡coded by uxie♡
 






hasan




filler



filler



filler



filler



filler



filler






  • home (filler tab)



































bryce fox



golden boy








Aphrodisia. A drunken festival of beauty, sexuality, and pleasure of all kinds. It was paradise on Earth for a hedonist like Hasan.

Though Hasan had attended years prior, he had either been too drunk, high, or preoccupied to remember any of it. He did remember coming home with one hell of a hangover and an itching to return though.

The event was just as grand as he remembered it, in the few moments he had been lucid the last time around. It was all too easy to get lost in the hypnosis of sparkling champagne, swinging chandeliers, and swirling dresses on the dance floor, and get lost he did. By the hour mark, Hasan felt like a deity sipping on ambrosia in his heavenly seat. Another hour and several drinks more, and the prince was convinced that no one and nothing could ruin his good time as he floated through the crowd.

Or, maybe more so stumbled and stepped on people's toes than glided. Tripping over something that certainly hadn't been there two seconds ago, Hasan found himself sat on a rather soft throne. No, wait that was a pair of thighs.

"Ex-cuse me, you are in my chair."
Hasan managed to sound partially coherent as he pointed an accusatory finger in the man's face, gently booping his nose as he surveyed the man who's lap he was sat upon. After a visual inspection that more than crossed into the man's personal space, the prince forgot all about his gripe with the man who had so rudely stolen his chair.

"You-ou have to dance w'me."
The royal declared, looking rather pleased with his decision as he tried (and failed) to stand into an upright position. Landing back on the man's lap with a thump, Hasan reassessed his situation before making another (this time successful) attempt at standing.

Turning back to the man he'd just groped, Hasan placed his hands on either sides of his cheeks to pull him up from his seat.
"C'mon. Show me your best moves."
Hasan challenged, practically dragging the man out to the dance floor. There was no way Hasan was taking no for an answer, his arms wrapped tightly, but not uncomfortably, around the man's slender waist and began leading in a less than graceful waltz.

Surprisingly, Hasan was able to hold onto his poor dance partner for a full song, only stepping on his toes once. Maybe twice. As the song came to an end, Hasan released his grip on his partner and began swaying in place slowly.
"You are...quite a good dancer."
The prince tried to be suave as he took the man's hand and planted a kiss slightly more on his wrist than his hand.

"You are almost as good a dancer as me!"
Hasan laughed, hiccuping as he did. When he wasn't entirely trashed, Hasan was actually quite a talented dancer. Just not after two full bottles of wine.

As he was about to make a more suggestive offer to his dance partner, they were both handed a box and shortly after the lights went out. Miraculously, Hasan managed to pin the flower onto himself without stabbing anyone in the process. Now that there was a challenge afoot, Hasan had forgotten all about the man he'd stolen a dance with in favor of wandering off to search for his match.

"Who has my flower!?"
He shouted, grabbing everyone near him to search for the matching flower to the one haphazardly pinned on his shirt.






♡coded by uxie♡
 











xiaoyu

a.k.a. hebe

































  • mood


    heyyyy









    location


    the banquet hall




































"you too, then."
whether it was the alcohol (it was most certainly the alcohol) or the intoxicating atmosphere, xiaoyu remained blissfully unaware that the conversation had even slipped into mandarin. as she left his side, skirts in hand, the image of his tattoo lingered in her mind. a delicate butterfly; it was familiar— he was familiar— but where had she seen it before...?

well, maybe it'd come to her later! she had more important things to worry about.

she wandered the banquet hall, alert eyes still waiting to catch a glimpse of her flower (a correct one this time, hopefully), downing another glass of champagne before she finally spied something that made her pause. her gaze fixed onto the matching baby-blue hydrangea before it shifted up to its owner, meeting his eye. xiaoyu held it for a lingering yet transient beat before she turned away, her lips spreading into a discreet, bemused smile.

so i was a step behind.

her hand reached for the first arm it could find, pulling them into a giggling embrace as she continued to watch him from her periphery; his lurking advances that seemed to inch closer. had he noticed she noticed? perhaps not. bit by bit, he approached silently, surely biding his time for the perfect strike.

and if there was anything xiaoyu loved, it was derailing others' plans.

"twirl me,"
she whispered, leaning close to her temporary dance partner, and it was with a most dramatic twirl that she released her hold on them and launched herself right into him; one fumbling arm found his shoulder while the other slid down his suited chest to come to grab the fabric of her own dress. the action produced ambivalent emotions— a nice physique, but the flower pinned to his chest hadn't budged in the least. had this madman glued on his flower? and she thought her sister was competitive. yeesh!

"oh, i'm so sorry,"
she said, untangling herself from him and taking just a brief step back. her flower-pinned dress skirt swished away from him with subtle caution, and she beamed up at him.
"are you okay?"


"do i look okay?" his features were twisted into an ill-disguised grimace. "ever heard of personal space?"

she blinked in mild surprise, then let out a soft laugh. what a cranky man! he was very irritated for someone who'd watched his partner waltz right into his arms, no? and a pretty one like her! unless, her smile widened, he didn't know yet?

"no, actually. would you care to introduce me?"


now that she looked at him, there was something familiar about him, too! it was a night of vague familiarities, it seemed, because his grouchy demeanour was setting off a dusty memory somewhere within her mind, too.





♡coded by uxie♡

 
Last edited:









aphrodisia
.


tides will bring me back to you ♡





























acapulco


jason derulo






















































the after party

...



"that fucker didn't even ask me to dance! he just ripped the flower off my dress and tossed it out the window like it was personally offending him. fucking bitch. he even ripped the strap!"

georgina howard was no stranger to hiding out in the bar bathroom while the beat to some bass-heavy party song reverberated in the tiles beneath her feet. for the bastard child, nights where she ended up drunk and alone at some seedy establishment, regretting having ever stepped foot outside of her personal study under the guise of networking with the other elites, were not lacking in the slightest. while her older sister stood in the spotlight, soaking up the attention and adoration of the elders with the practiced ease of a favored child, the bastard child was left to collect the scraps left behind, forcing open her own doors to create opportunities for herself.

but tonight, georgina howard was not huddled over the toilet with only her tears and a lukewarm cosmo to keep herself company. prickling with jealousy and bitterness towards the privileged heiresses frolicking without a care around her, the german lady reapplied her lip gloss and smirked at herself in the mirror, strategizing in her tipsy brain a method to embarrass the other women in the hopes of making herself the most eligible bachelorette of the night.

"now let's see..." georgina pondered out loud, eyes narrowing as a sinister smile tugged at her lips. "that swedish princess is annoying as fuck; i guess she'll do for a practice run. do i spill wine on her dress first or bourbon? or maybe i should just cut off half of her hair before she can stop me. hm..." she stuffed her items back in her purse and began to make her way back down the hall to the main party room.

on her way, a larger male figure bumped into georgina's petite frame, causing her to stumble backwards a couple steps and nearly lose her footing. before she could take the plunge for real, however, an arm snaked around her waist to catch her, righting her stance and lingering for a moment longer while making sure she wasn't harmed. georgina nearly began to curse the offender out before meeting his eyes and recognizing the man before her.

"knox," she breathed, plastering on an award-worthy smile. from her silky chocolate locks to her almond-shaped doe eyes and sloping curves, she was breathtaking and she knew it. there wasn't even a fraction of a possibility he wasn't attracted to her; this was her chance to snag a high-ranking dick appointment for the night, and she wasn't one to pass such an opportunity up.

the regal man smiled once he recognized the woman in his arms, eyes darkening as he took in her thigh-hugging cocktail dress. "my, if it isn't the stunning miss corinne," he greeted, referring to the alias she'd supplied earlier in the night when they'd initially spoken. "my apologies for startling you. i noticed you disappeared for a while and took the liberty of ordering you a drink, if you'll accept it. feel free to say no; i will take no offense."

georgina's gaze honed in on the manhattan held delicately between his fingers, the dark liquor barely rippling due to his steady hand. she wasn't unaware of the rules surrounding accepting drinks from strangers, but this party was monitored, no? an easily-subdued gentleman like knox seemed too naive for any sort of nasty tricks, anyways, far too eager for a body to warm his bed and a dominant woman to fall in lust with. surely there was no harm in accepting a drink from a man like that.

it wasn't until half an hour later, when the flashing lights became blurrier and blurrier and the music became a warbled cacophany of noise, that georgina realized far too late that the korean prince was not the naive little rabbit she'd pegged him as at all.

"what the hell... i'm not... i..."

before she could call for help or move to alert the security guard posted by the exit, her feet gave out from underneath her and a faceless man dragged her off the dance floor and deeper into the mansion, darkness enveloping her fading vision before she lost the last of her consciousness.

georgina howard was not to be seen again that night.





the opening ceremony ended swiftly and sweetly with the conclusion of two-lips, and the guests returned to their villas to prepare for the first night's after-party. between the candy store of drugs, the gleaming stripper poles, and the rainbow of top-shelf liquors occupying every surface in the party mansion, karina's distinguished guests were up for a night of unruliness at worst, unspeakable sin at best.

the largest room in the mansion, directly past the foyer with an expansive dance floor, a crowded bar, and an ear-shattering dj booth, housed the majority of the guests once the party was in full swing, strangers grinding on each other while occasionally having the coordination to make out as cleanly as their crossfaded bodies would allow them. the next several rooms adjacent to the dance floor were reserved for a variety of activities, primarily gambling, drinking games, poolside havoc, and various romantic spots for the guests who'd found themselves an impromptu date for the night.

in one corner across from a group struggling to conduct a pong league amidst their tipsiness, a large group of guests gathered to play a variation of spin the bottle, in which the person who spun would kiss whoever it landed on, and then the receiver of said kiss would go on to kiss whoever they thought was the most attractive in the circle. if that third person was not the same person who originally spun, then they would be forced to take a shot. the third person would then proceed to spin, and so on, until everyone was shitfaced and inhibitions were lowered just enough to snog one's nameless neighbor.

by the blackjack tables, a particular few cliques exerted dominance over each other with each round won, exuberant bets representing mere chump change for the variety of tycoons, heirs, and underbosses laying their prides on the line in the name of a quick headrush. the white powder staining the tablecloth raised no eyebrows among the security guards watching the scene diligently, only daring to look away when the pda became too obscene to bear any longer.

out back by the fire pit and hot tub, a certain canadian heiress had drunkenly decided to perform a striptease for the growing crowd before a sneaky guest burned her dress in the flames, leaving her beet red as she was forced to spend the rest of night in her hot pink lingerie.

and if an occasional mask came off here and there, well, all the merrier.









♡coded by uxie♡

location: the party mansion
date + time: july 23rd, 1am (UTC+8)
weather: 24°C/75°F, warm with a breeze and moderate humidity

———————————————​

"that fucker didn't even ask me to dance! he just ripped the flower off my dress and tossed it out the window like it was personally offending him. fucking bitch. he even ripped the strap!"

georgina howard was no stranger to hiding out in the bar bathroom while the beat to some bass-heavy party song reverberated in the tiles beneath her feet. for the bastard child, nights where she ended up drunk and alone at some seedy establishment, regretting having ever stepped foot outside of her personal study under the guise of networking with the other elites, were not lacking in the slightest. while her older sister stood in the spotlight, soaking up the attention and adoration of the elders with the practiced ease of a favored child, the bastard child was left to collect the scraps left behind, forcing open her own doors to create opportunities for herself.

but tonight, georgina howard was not huddled over the toilet with only her tears and a lukewarm cosmo to keep herself company. prickling with jealousy and bitterness towards the privileged heiresses frolicking without a care around her, the german lady reapplied her lip gloss and smirked at herself in the mirror, strategizing in her tipsy brain a method to embarrass the other women in the hopes of making herself the most eligible bachelorette of the night.

"now let's see..." georgina pondered out loud, eyes narrowing as a sinister smile tugged at her lips. "that swedish princess is annoying as fuck; i guess she'll do for a practice run. do i spill wine on her dress first or bourbon? or maybe i should just cut off half of her hair before she can stop me. hm..." she stuffed her items back in her purse and began to make her way back down the hall to the main party room.

on her way, a larger male figure bumped into georgina's petite frame, causing her to stumble backwards a couple steps and nearly lose her footing. before she could take the plunge for real, however, an arm snaked around her waist to catch her, righting her stance and lingering for a moment longer while making sure she wasn't harmed. georgina nearly began to curse the offender out before meeting his eyes and recognizing the man before her.

"knox," she breathed, plastering on an award-worthy smile. from her silky chocolate locks to her almond-shaped doe eyes and sloping curves, she was breathtaking and she knew it. there wasn't even a fraction of a possibility he wasn't attracted to her; this was her chance to snag a high-ranking dick appointment for the night, and she wasn't one to pass such an opportunity up.

the regal man smiled once he recognized the woman in his arms, eyes darkening as he took in her thigh-hugging cocktail dress. "my, if it isn't the stunning miss corinne," he greeted, referring to the alias she'd supplied earlier in the night when they'd initially spoken. "my apologies for startling you. i noticed you disappeared for a while and took the liberty of ordering you a drink, if you'll accept it. feel free to say no; i will take no offense."

georgina's gaze honed in on the manhattan held delicately between his fingers, the dark liquor barely rippling due to his steady hand. she wasn't unaware of the rules surrounding accepting drinks from strangers, but this party was monitored, no? an easily-subdued gentleman like knox seemed too naive for any sort of nasty tricks, anyways, far too eager for a body to warm his bed and a dominant woman to fall in lust with. surely there was no harm in accepting a drink from a man like that.

it wasn't until half an hour later, when the flashing lights became blurrier and blurrier and the music became a warbled cacophany of noise, that georgina realized far too late that the korean prince was not the naive little rabbit she'd pegged him as at all.

"what the hell... i'm not... i..."

before she could call for help or move to alert the security guard posted by the exit, her feet gave out from underneath her and a faceless man dragged her off the dance floor and deeper into the mansion, darkness enveloping her fading vision before she lost the last of her consciousness.

georgina howard was not to be seen again that night.

———————————————​

the opening ceremony ended swiftly and sweetly with the conclusion of two-lips, and the guests returned to their villas to prepare for the first night's after-party. between the candy store of drugs, the gleaming stripper poles, and the rainbow of top-shelf liquors occupying every surface in the party mansion, karina's distinguished guests were up for a night of unruliness at worst, unspeakable sin at best.

the largest room in the mansion, directly past the foyer with an expansive dance floor, a crowded bar, and an ear-shattering dj booth, housed the majority of the guests once the party was in full swing, strangers grinding on each other while occasionally having the coordination to make out as cleanly as their crossfaded bodies would allow them. the next several rooms adjacent to the dance floor were reserved for a variety of activities, primarily gambling, drinking games, poolside havoc, and various romantic spots for the guests who'd found themselves an impromptu date for the night.

in one corner across from a group struggling to conduct a pong league amidst their tipsiness, a large group of guests gathered to play a variation of spin the bottle, in which the person who spun would kiss whoever it landed on, and then the receiver of said kiss would go on to kiss whoever they thought was the most attractive in the circle. if that third person was not the same person who originally spun, then they would be forced to take a shot. the third person would then proceed to spin, and so on, until everyone was shitfaced and inhibitions were lowered just enough to snog one's nameless neighbor.

by the blackjack tables, a particular few cliques exerted dominance over each other with each round won, exuberant bets representing mere chump change for the variety of tycoons, heirs, and underbosses laying their prides on the line in the name of a quick headrush. the white powder staining the tablecloth raised no eyebrows among the security guards watching the scene diligently, only daring to look away when the pda became too obscene to bear any longer.

out back by the fire pit and hot tub, a certain canadian heiress had drunkenly decided to perform a striptease for the growing crowd before a sneaky guest burned her dress in the flames, leaving her beet red as she was forced to spend the rest of night in her hot pink lingerie.

and if an occasional mask came off here and there, well, all the merrier.
 
Last edited:

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