bishopkirbcy‌:

Shit’s fucked. Which was why Ben was spending so muchctime away from O’s place. He knew King was upset with him. He should’ve known what vices he’d get into as soon as he stepped on the dirty concrete for the first time in two years. Now, he was right near Central Park, a place he hadn’t been to in years, looking at The Pond. Ben was extremely neurotic but sometimes watching water calmed him down to a certain extent. His impulsiveness pretty much trumped everything else. 

“Is it acceptable to go skinny dipping in January?” The lake looked a bit gross, but he’d do it. “I’ll give these tourists something that they’ll really remember.” Due to global warming, the body of water was pretty peaceful looking right now with no signs of ice. “I’d suggest going ice skating but I don’t think that’d work.” 

taterodriguez‌:

Tate wanted nothing more than to travel and given the amount of success they’ve had in their life, most people would assume that they’ve gotten the chance to but in all honesty, they haven’t.  Not in the way they want to.  Most of their travelling had been for business meetings and publicity events regarding their book.  Those types of trips didn’t leave much time for leisure.  It was typically all work and no play.  “I tend to avoid those types of event,” Tate admitted.  “Crowds can get a little overwhelming.”

“Did something happen?”  Tate asked, genuinely curious.  “I can’t imagine travelling Europe got boring.”  The last word came out more bitter than intended.  “I mean, c’mon… Europe.  Compared to the Upper East Side?  You couldn’t pay me to come home.”  Tate chuckled, wishing it was something they had truly been able to do.  “Eugh!  Raspberry flavored vodka tastes like paint thinner.”

“As native New Yorkers, I feel like it’s only natural to hate crowds. I always avoided using any sort of public transit,” Well because there were a lot of people and because he never had to. He had people to literally drive him around. 

“No,” The word almost came out defensively. “It has just been a while since I’ve been home. We’ll go back because honestly, I still have more than enough places I want to go to. Have you ever been?” He knew how to lie, thankfully. He did it most of his life here thanks to the virtual double life he was leading. Don’t explain more than you have to. Ben then tilted his head at them. That was a very specific comparison. “Have you had a bad experience with raspberry flavored?” He was the same way with Bacardi rum in particular. 

taterodriguez‌:

“Parties in the Upper East Side are the only good thing about Manhattan,” Tate had grown to detest Manhattan and everything it had stood for.  The drama and politics of it all had grown to be too much and sometimes they wish they had been able to abandon it all and leave the way Monty and Ben had done, but they had unfortunately set roots here.  “Honestly, don’t let them get to you.  They feed off of drama so just don’t give it to them.”  Tate gave a shrug of their shoulders before sipping their vodka.  “Don’t be a stranger, I’ve heard the food is pretty good.”  Tate boasted playfully.  “Only since you haven’t had the chance to taste my food.”

“King?”  Tate hadn’t been able to keep track of people these days especially if they hadn’t been around since their days of Nightingale Prep.  “Why does that name sound familiar? – Anyway, congratulations.  I’ll drink to that,” Tate chuckled before finishing their vodka.  “Please, I’ll never say no to that.”

"Have you been to SantaCon? That comes in a close second,” He had never been but he heard about it. People dressed in Christmas gear while drinking. Now that sounded like a good time. Tate was giving some good advice, advice that Ben should probably listen to. However, most of the time, information went in one ear and out the other for him. “It’s hard not to when I guess I’m this drama filled apparently,” He confessed to them. “I’m sure it is,” Was it as good as the food he had abroad, though? That was the real test. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“King Kirbey, she’s the hot blonde at this party,” He pointed out, shocked they didn’t know exactly who she was. “And she’s Bishop’s sister,” He added, seeing if it would ring any bells. “Thanks, I’ll drink to that too,” He decided. “How about we skip the chaser and go right for some shots?” Ben suggested. 

duchessb‌:

   “They might let them believe in Santa longer then. Beer is more accessible to most father’s sitting around wrapping presents for kids. And to be honest let’s think about this… children with dads did have a Santa Klaus if you think about it because it’s some man who drinks and shows up to give you presents and acts like he’s owed something for it.” A shrug lifts Beau’s shoulders as she glances over to Ben, pursing her lips for a moment. She wasn’t sure what caused her to go off on that tangent, but she could blame Chessie’s plying her with Champagne, if nothing else.

“Or their father might just tell them the truth.” That’s what Ben’s dad did after he moped one too many times about not being able to see Santa deliver gifts. “Good for them for still being able to wrap nicely. Maybe we should just be getting rid of the Santa myth and giving the load of work to dads. ” Were all dads that fucked up? “Yeah, that’s the difference between milk and beer. Milk makes Santa seem so pure, I guess and beer makes me think he has an alcohol problem.” Ben said with a shrug. “At least if he was having champagne, it’d make me think he was a man of superior taste.”

chessieabernathy‌:

In the short time King and Ben had lived with O and Chessie, the latter had become decently close to Ben. And after O was jetted off to international meetings and shows for two weeks, she had grown more fond of their visitors-turned-roommates, feeling as though the four were building a sibling-esque relationship. She’d begun to look forward to her morning coffee and cigarette with Ben, and while this morning was motivated by the inability to sleep, it was no exception to a rule. His words provoked an eye roll, though she didn’t fight his request – Her own headache was in full swing, as well. “I’m not sure,” Chessie responded quietly, glancing out the large balcony windows before continuing. “I’m not sure my nicotine addiction is bad enough to make me trek through snow, though.” She spoke bitterly, another eye roll following. “And going to change sounds like too much work.” Chessie couldn’t help but whine, slumping against the counter. “This coffee is so warm, I don’t know if I can move.”

He sighed at her hesitation. He’d probably go out and smoke by himself then. He was going to get a little stir crazy with all of these people in here. “Don’t be so dramatic,” He responded, which was ironic considering his own tendencies. “I’m sure it’s only a little cold out. I think you’ll be fine out there,” He gestured towards the window. “You mean your milk with a little dash of coffee.” Ever since he moved to Europe, he drank his coffee black. Everything else seemed way too weak to him now. “Put pants on and the smoke will keep you warm. I’ve needed a drag ever since I got pummeled in the face yesterday.”

monty-santos‌:

“That actually sounds pretty dangerous, but considering the magic involved I’m sure that if Santa were real there’d be some sort of spell that kept him from blacking out,” Monty shrugged, “though in France the kids fill their shoes with carrots because Santa has a donkey instead of reindeer. Which I guess is a lot healthier than the options they give everywhere else.”

"It wouldn’t be much of a stretch from mall Santa’s,” Ben added, “I feel sorry for whoever’s forced to sit on their laps,” One of the perks of growing up wealthy was never having to sit on a sketchy man’s lap. “Do you know what they give Santa or does just his donkey get stuff?” He asked.

monty-santos‌:

“Well it depends if you’re planning on paying for me, because if you aren’t there’s no way that I can afford it,” Monty chuckled, despite the fact that he was completely serious about it.  “When I was in France I was working a lot with building houses for the homeless, pretty similar to habitat for humanity.  And then since I’ve gotten back here I’ve been working with one of the local homeless shelters.”

Ben wasn’t generous with his money or time by any means. He used to be pretty careless with his money, he still was. But now he made sure that exclusively applied to him. “Maybe you have to start getting paid for all your work,” Ben knew that he wouldn’t be okay with not getting paid or just volunteering. That wasn’t his forte at all. “Do you know if you’re going to go back?” Most of the time, he ignored homeless people on the streets. It was an unspoken rule for New Yorkers to just ignore them. It didn’t mean it was right by any means but that’s what he was always taught to do. “Is there enough space for all of them when it’s snowing like this?” It was an ignorant question for sure, but Ben had no idea.

chessieabernathy‌:

There was no way for them to go about this conversation without any tension, or the obligatory awkwardness. How could they? At least he wasn’t trying to bring up New Years, wasn’t tryin to make her talk to him about the hospital, rehab, or anything in between. A shoulder shrugged as he questioned her, not bothering to give him an actual, complete answer. She’s quite for another moment as he speaks, taking another inhale. Chessie remains quiet for a moment too long, but doesn’t dawn on it – Instead, she wordlessly pulls a cigarette from the pack, handing it to him without turning to him. “I think s’the first good idea you’ve had in a while.” She finds herself say, glancing over to him as she exhales. 

Are you coming back soon? Chessie looks away as he questions her, a sad look finding her face. “No,” She isn’t happy about the answer – Living with O, King, and Ben had been fun, and she’d come to enjoy the mornings where she and Ben shared a pack of cigarettes and sipped on coffee. Moving in with Wren, however, felt like a decent enough idea – Surely one that would make it a bit easier to stay sober, given that he barely even touches wine. “The movers took everything to my brother’s, I’m going to be staying there for a while.”

Good ideas. Yeah, he wasn’t full of very many good ideas. Now bad ideas, that’s where he flourished. Ben took the lighter out and quickly lit the cigarette. Smoking was a habit he had especially when he felt nervous or uncomfortable. It occupied his mouth, giving it something to do. “Something you should know about me is that I never really have good ideas. If I suggest something in the future, it’s always best to say no to me.” He said with a shrug. It was something he just accepted at this point. Or maybe he just had bad luck. That could be a possibility too. 

His lips formed a frown as he listened to her explain. Was she ever going to be coming back? Who even knew if he’d still be here by the time she got back. “It’s different without you there,” He admitted,  “And I’m not sure if it’s just because King is really mad at me or because you were the reason we all got along without any hiccups.” He exhaled some smoke, before looking at her. “I’m sure you’ve heard this from just about everyone but I’m glad you’re okay. It’s good to see you.” 

quinnxarchibald‌:

Quinn was starting to feel thoroughly overwhelmed as he walked through the unfamiliar rooms, making small talk with people he really wanted to avoid. He had no idea how he’d ended up on the guest list, or how he’d been convinced to go to the party in the first place but here he was, trying not to sulk in a corner. He’d already seen Wren and had been busy trying to stay out of his way. Seeing the other male made his stomach twist in painful ways that made him want to drown himself in whatever the closest alcohol was.

After another near run in with his ex, Quinn was on his way to the bar when he ran into someone he felt stupid for forgetting. Ben. Of course Ben was here. Chessie had told him that the brunet was living with her and here Quinn was, being an idiot and walking right into the house. 

It took a moment for everything to sink in, for Ben’s words to really register, but once they did, Quinn’s eyes narrowed and he scoffed. “Yeah, it does. Are you gonna runaway this time too?” He asked coldly.

He felt like Quinn was closer to him than his own brother at one point. Until Ben fucked it all up. When he was a damsel in distress, Quinn swooped in and saved him. He literally risked his reputation for Ben and Ben paid it back by leaving the country. It was something that seemed right at the time to him. Now looking at Quinn, he knew it was all wrong. He tarnished their friendship. 

He nodded at Quinn’s comment, knowing that he deserved it at the very least. Ben deserved a lot more than that. Honestly, he would’ve run away if there was any room to. However, he felt virtually trapped. 

“No, I’m not,” He replied as he wiped his hand down his cheek nervously. Ben should have told him that he was back in town. Now here they were and he was feeling as tense as ever. Ben wanted to tell him how he should’ve mentioned he was back in town but he was too much of a coward. Instead, he’d continue with the small talk. “How has the city been treating you?”

quinnxarchibald‌:

Quinn looked over at Ben for a moment before shaking his head. “Yeah, you make a very good point. Most people here kind of suck don’t they?” He sighed, thinking of how much time he’d spent hating how fake people were. Despite hating the facade, he couldn’t imagine leaving the way Ben or Monty had. “I dunno about screens though, it’s not the same as face to face.”

He could go on and pretend as if everything was normal. Nothing was normal between them. Nothing was normal for Ben right now anyways. Maybe this would be a good segway into what had happened and the apology that he owed Quinn. But that meant actually talking about things and Ben was not a fan of that action. “I’m assuming you heard what happened.” He blurted. Shit. “I mean what happened at the party. Not with me, particularly,” It wasn’t a big deal what had happened to him or anything. Possession was a big deal but he wanted to minimize that as much as possible around Quinn. Because Quinn seemed to have been through so much because of him already. He should’ve just apologized to Quinn. Instead, he continued to talk about phones. “I honestly think screens are taking over everyone’s lives. Have you ever seen those videos of New York back in the 80′s? No one was on their phone.”