ccxcorioni

[ccxcorioni]

"But look how fun that bottle of wine was." The grin on her face was crafted into something triumphant, as though she was still lording over her win rather than attaching the word fun to the closeness and contact between them that night. Acting as though she hadn't spent more time than she would ever admit ( a low bar when she'd denying any ) about what it might have been like if he hadn't stopped it. Instead of showing any sign of that lingering feeling, she reached for the irritated exasperation that always came so freely and so easily when it came to him. "It is not spoiled if you've earned it. And I have, you're no fucking picnic, Fitzpatrick." Hardly news to his ears, something she was quick to cut off any arguments about. "Said it before but it bears repeating, since you haven't taken the damn hint." Disgruntled tone is soon set aside, his almost warning causing a softening in her expression as she looked at him through her lashes. "Maybe." Playful smirk danced over her lips as her gaze was drawn to his and the grin she swore she caught on them. They remained fixated there for heartbeats, convincing herself she was searching for a sign she'd been right rather than about how she'd dared him to show her what else they could be used for and how part of her still wanted to know. She broke herself from the brief reverie, eyes flicking back up to his with a teasing glint back in place. "Or maybe I'm just doing a public service. Think it's a loosing battle though."

Dig about her habit of picking back up her smoking habit was ignored, choosing to accept his terms with effortless certainty. "Deal. It's gonna happen." For some reason, maybe just the delivery, the comment about his brother startled a laugh out of her, head thrown back slightly. Hand reached out to rest on his shoulder to steady herself. "Fuck me that's sad." The hand that had lingered on his shoulder gave it a few reassuring pats, as though she'd been providing him comfort all along and not seizing another opportunity to poke fun. "Well maybe you should work on that. Start fostering a more positive fraternal relationship." She shrugged, as though it was obvious. "Take up one of his interests, find some common ground. I know I said a boat was lame and a mid-life crisis but a motorbike totally wouldn't be."

The scoff was like ice to the vague feeling of warmness between them, comfortable familiarity quickly replaced with a feeling of she should have known better. Skin prickled at the words he used, feeling ridiculed. "If I wanna let a low-life show me the high life I'll do it without a side of judgement from you." Eyes and tone were sharp as she straightened up, forcing space between them. "Actin' like you're holier than thou. Asshole." Glare stayed in place for a moment, this time her slamming down some kind of boundary on their conversation. She was quiet for a moment, wondering if it'd make any difference before she spoke again. "Oh yeah? Called in a favour with a client, huh."

"Pretty sure I've gotten you enough drinks to last me the rest of the fuckin' year." He remarked, words finally crossing that boundary they'd been teetering for some time now, an acknowledgement on his part of the night they'd shared that had ended in a lot of alcohol and close encounters. She’d claimed her victory more times than he cared to count, but until now, it had been nothing more than a loose nod to a game well won. Any other commentary had stayed stuck at the back of his throat. But they weren’t in the office now, were they? Plenty of room to fall into familiar traps. And while Nolan was somewhat determined not to, his own stubbornness still inched him closer to the edge. "For what? Showing up to work and doing your damn job? Don't make me put 'spoiled' in front of that 'brat' accusation, C." Though he knew she was anything but, even if she liked to test him the majority of the time. The truth was that CC went above and beyond every day, doing far more than what was expected of her, impressing a man who'd made it an unconscious point to—more often than not—be an incredibly difficult employer to work for. It was no easy feat, even if she did it with an attitude. Brows arched at the comment about him being good, a short scoff falling from his lips then.“Careful now,” he warned lightly, “‘else I’m gonna start thinkin’ you’re really flirtin’ with me, Corioni.” The grin that tugged at his lips betrayed him, though, and he masked it with a slow drag from his cigarette—whether from her or from himself, he wasn’t sure.

He waved her off with a dismissive flick of his hand, looking away as he exhaled a thick plume of smoke. “I’ll start when you manage to quit for more than six months at a time.” He wouldn’t, of course, but it wasn’t a bet he’d ever have to cash in. Case in point—he’d just started to take another drag when her fingers curled around his wrist again. His jaw tightened, annoyance flickering there, but he let her use him like her personal cigarette holder. “Oh, you thought that, huh? Sorry to burst your bubble, lass, but my brother likes a lot of people more than he likes me.” For whatever reason, he humored her—until she mentioned making friends with a very handsome man. That, he noticed too late, had his shoulders tensing.

The stiffness was quickly covered with a scoff as he tapped the ash from his cigarette. “Whatever low-life you wanna shack up with to force your way into the auction is your business,” he tossed back, rolling his shoulders in an easy shrug, as if his words were just a joke and not laced with any real bite. "I've already got my 'in' covered."

[ccxcorioni]

"Have I ever seen Captain America?" Tongue clicked as she shook her head. "Please, you think I'd miss an opportunity to have Chris Evans on my screen?" The notion brought laughter bubbling up before she tugged on his arm, bringing him closer to her as though she was some damsel in distress. "But you'll protect me, right?" Eyes were made wide with a fear she didn't possess, batting her eyelashes outlandishly to fit the helpless tone she'd adopted only moments earlier. The act was dropped seconds later, humming in acknowledgement. "So cannolis are the way to your heart, good to know." Not that she planned on ever asking him for too much when she was certain there were already plenty placing demands on him. Kian had always been willing to go along with whatever she pitched to him, there was no need to tarnish their relationship by extorting that bond. "I thought I was gonna have to call 911. I swear nothing short-circuits him as fast. You're like his kryptonite or whatever."

at the assumption, kian gave a solemn nod of his head. like there was a necessity for him to play into some persona. " 'ave you ever seen captain america? " he questioned after a moment. of her proclaiming that what settled behind the doors mattered little, and only getting through them was the goal. " there building super soldiers back there. goin' to be an all out war on these streets. " the words were spoken in as serious a tone as kian could muster. before the wide grin cracked his lips. and then his attention was brought back, to the trade off. " aye, you had me at cannolis. but pissin' off nol is the fuckin' cherry on top. " and kian could only imagine the response she'd received upon her calling him the better looking of them. " go on, then. tell me how many blood vessels he popped? "

[ccxcorioni]

"Oh yeah. Long distance was never my thing." She didn't have the patience for it nor the attention span. The grin that had sparked up quickly dimmed at her friend's words, replaced by curiosity and confusion. "That to stave off any protests I might have about you deserting me?" Brow raised, taking a sip of her drink in a vain attempt to stave off the questions that would undoubtedly follow. "Why the early exit? No way I can convince you to stay?" Maybe if she'd been smarter she'd join Dee but the truth was she was far too interested in seeing how the night would pan out. Always one to want to see things first-hand rather than have to hear about them from someone else.

"Well, I try." she joked lightly, returning a similar smile of her own. Her attention continuing to remain on the portrait in front of them. She was sure she hadn't seen so many paintings before in her life, though it made sense when her interest stuck to the technological world. "Uh-huh," she nods, "I'd say the smallpox would be a bitch too." to why it wasn't going to last. She chuckled, however, glancing towards her friend, "Peace offering," she raised her glass a little, as if to mean the drink, "I'm heading home soon."

[ccxcorioni]

There was no attempt made to hide the way her face wanted to scrunch up at the defence of the lawyer. Not when it had her wondering whether he acted like a whole other person in front of this woman. "Not that bad? You sure we're talking about the same Nolan?" Though the idea of her knowing something she didn't was one she doubted, even the notion of it is uncomfortable. That someone might have access to a sphere of him that she didn't. "You underestimate how much he likes the sound of his own voice." Words were dry, shedding some light on just how long-suffering she considered herself to be. As though listening to him all day was a burden she'd been cursed to bear rather than something she grudgingly enjoyed. The other woman earned herself a smile ( well closer to a smirk ) when she applied the word stunning to her. "I know." Almost a reflex, self-confidence always high enough that she'd never relied on validation from anyone else. Still, she tacked on the response she knew one was supposed to give after a compliment. "Thanks." Call it an olive branch. "CC. So what do you do? You got a boss we can talk about instead of mine?" Maybe she'd feel more inclined to play nice if they shifted away from the one topic that was proving to be a sore point.

"Aw, well come on, he's not that bad of a guy!" Rachel exclaims with an amused laugh, not really sure what exactly the dynamic was between the woman and Nolan. Perhaps it had been a mistake to have tried to start a conversation. There was certainly a brashness when she tried to write her off as not being mentioned. "I mean, I don't see why he would mention it." Rachel shared with a small furrow of her eyebrows and quirk of her smile. It didn't upset her that Nolan wasn't just talking about her, in fact she would be more surprised if he was. However, it felt like the other woman was making it known she wasn't notable. She was quite alright with that, it wasn't like she minded much. She highly doubted that the other woman would perceive her as a threat of any kind, if her intuition of what was happening in this moment was true. Rachel smiled softly as she nodded along with the other woman's boasting. "Yes, well I mean I definitely can see that, you're stunning." Perhaps the compliment would soften the sharp edges in the other's tone; if she showed herself as kind and soft, she'd be believed. "I hadn't yet, actually. I'm Rachel. And yours?"

[ccxcorioni]

"You said brat like it's a bad thing - I'm only sharing my thoughts." Wholly unapologetic as always, if there was one thing her grandmother had impressed upon her it was the fact that you couldn't please everyone so you might as well please yourself. "If you've got such an issue with it maybe you should be getting me the drink." Instead of a pointed look she aimed a smile filled with a sweetness she didn't possess, feigning innocence as though that would make her all the more difficult to refuse. "Mhm, I think I'm owed a freebie. Or several." Although she wasn't certain if her bravado would hold given how things were currently feeling between the two of them. She'd long prided herself at being immune to whatever he might have said but she wouldn't bet on that holding true now. "If you're good I'll do a little twirl for you later. Get that 360 view." Dark tresses were flicked over her shoulder to expose more of the bodice that already left so little to the imagination, as though it would incentivise him to mind his manners. Even if she liked it better when he didn't.

Gaze sharpened at his comment, eyes quick to roll at the accusation. "No, it's for my health, you asshole. Maybe you should start looking after yourself a little better too." As though his drinking or smoking had ever really bothered her. But it was fun to tease, even if it meant playing the hypocrite. "Has the added bonus of being able to look down on everyone from your high horse." With a grin she waited for him take another drag before slim fingers pressed against the inside of his wrist, tugging to bring the cigarette back in her direction. Another drag was snatched, blowing the smoke out slowly just to build up the suspense before she answered him. "Just thought it might hurt you to know your brother likes me more than you." Shoulders rolled into a lazy shrug, another pause before she started to hover near that line she dangerously wanted to cross. "'Cause I don't think me making friends with a very handsome man would be of any concern to you."

"You know, you're real fuckin' brat when your sober. Maybe you should go back inside and fix that." He tossed back, wry grin still unmistakably present. He took another drag from his cigarette, eyes rolling at her half-assed attempt at a compliment—or maybe her poor attempt at pretending it wasn’t one. He always chose to take it as the former. “Mhm, I’ll let him know,” he added, smoke curling out from the corner of his mouth as he turned his head to blow the rest into the crisp night air. When he looked back, his brows lifted, catching the way her hands ran slow down her hips. Like she didn’t know exactly what she was doing. But then again, they were sober now—so he chalked the heat crawling up his neck to his own dumb imagination. "Y'know, people pay good money for my pretty, clever words. And here you want me to toss 'em at you for free?" He gestured vaguely in her direction, lips tugging into a smirk. "Nah, I'll just take a mental picture and let that get me through the work week."

A scoff pulled from Nolan’s lips. “Don’t blame me for your lack of self-control.” Watched as she didn’t take the cigarette from his fingers—of course not. Instead, she leaned in, lips brushing dangerously close to his knuckles as she drew a drag from it. He didn’t flinch, but his brow lifted, feigning impatience, and shook his head. “I think the only reason you want to quit is just so you can brag about it.”The theory would surely get him a dirty look at minimum, but that was half the reason he could be such an asshole to her in the first place.

After a long moment, he brought the cigarette back to his lips, doing his best not to linger on the fact her mouth had just been on it. "That so?" he mused. "Hurt my feelings? The fuck’s that supposed to mean?"

[ccxcorioni]

Heritage Vault with Kelly Royce @kellyroyce

"So yeah, I think it's totally her problem that she -" Sentence was abandoned midway through, attention suddenly and almost violently caught by the outfit on the person moving by them. It was a car crash but she couldn't look away, jaw dropping slightly as she took it in. Mind whirled for some kind of quip but none came to her, for once stunned into silence. "You know it's bad when I'm speechless." A small effort was made to move closer to Kelly, an attempt made at making sure the comment was just between them, but volume control had never been her strong suit - her hushed whisper likely still audible.

[ccxcorioni]

Heritage Vault with Rafe Liu @aqxatofana

Boredom had crept in after a couple of hours, already having socialised with the people she knew and a couple more on top of that. The only solution seemed to be another drink, navigating through the crowds towards the bar. As she claimed her spot, eyes drifted to the man next to her and decided she'd just found the perfect person to have a little fun with. Elbows propped on the bar she rested her chin on her hand, head tilted slightly as though she considering her next words carefully. She wasn't, she never did. "So the art isn't just on the walls, huh?" Appreciative once over was given just in case she hadn't made herself clear enough.

[ccxcorioni]

"Something top secret." Shoulders rolled into a shrug, to a certain point hardly caring what was actually behind the doors. All that mattered was it was a mystery to her and she was determined to change that. "What really matters is, I can't get in so obviously now I have to." It didn't matter that he was seemingly going with her willingly, she still played their little game. Pretending that he still needed convincing instead of being willing to do it anyway for her, just because she'd asked. Well, demanded. "My eternal gratitude? And I'll maybe throw in some cannoli too." More than a fair deal though just in case he needed it sweetened she added the option of a little sibling rivalry. "But if you're driving a tougher bargain then I think it'd piss your brother off. Just a hunch. But if his reaction to me calling you 'the better looking Fitz' is anything to go by..."

the night had not only been about priceless works of art, loaned to the museum for a short period of time. for any individual who found themselves linked intricately within one of the gangs, would know what settled behind the double doors at the end of one hallway. behind those housed an entirely different sort of event. one that not many had the luxury of truly knowing about. so when he suddenly felt the presence of cc beside him, kian knew immediately what her game plan had been.

" and what do you think they've got behind those doors? " he feigned ignorance, like he hadn't known precisely what was taking place. or would be soon enough. the items would be on display, giving all a chance to know what would be up for auction. from the paintings to the jewelry, to the weaponry that kian was most interested in. " well, what's in it for me? " he questioned, even as he allowed himself to be steered towards the doors.

[ccxcorioni]

Having developed a healthy buzz earlier in the night, she wasn't exactly needing another drink and yet when Dee appeared by her side with champagne in hand it was easily one of the best things she'd seen all night. Artwork included. "I've said it before and I'll say it again and probably again but you, Diana Riley, are an angel." The flute was plucked from her friend's hand with a grin, using it to motion to the painting in front of them. "Oh this guy? Yeah I think he's pretty fetching. A bit stoic though, not sure if it's gonna last."

@ccxcorioni

After mingling with familiar faces and soaking in the full atmosphere of the exhibition, she finally made her way toward her friend as soon as she spotted her. In one hand, she carried two champagne flutes, offering one to CC with a warm smile. "Nice date," she teased, raising an eyebrow playfully before taking a small sip from her own glass, allowing her attention to fall onto the 15th century piece that was currently displayed in front of the pair.

[ccxcorioni]

The statement prompted a laugh from her, sharp with faked disbelief. "Sorry, I just didn't know Nolan had any friends." She wasn't sure if the joke was at Nolan or this woman's expense, nor did she know why she was being so prickly about the whole thing. Maybe on account of the fact she'd been doing such a good job of avoiding thoughts of her boss and their recent evening together that she resented being confronted with the thought of him. "Oh yeah? He's never mentioned it." She'd never been good at keep her feelings to herself, even less so when she made no attempt at neutrality, vague judgement showing through her words at how they supposedly spent their time. Though maybe he was right to have said nothing when she'd have undoubtedly had plenty to say in response. "Probably, the camera loves me." Modesty had never been a trait she'd nurtured, seeing little point in pretending she didn't know just how good she looked. Part of her mind was still studying the woman in front of her, trying to decide if she had heard anything about her or not. "What did you say your name was?" A demand for the information she wanted.

It was a valid enough initial question, though she wasn't someone who showed her skepticism Rachel could understand that she was a stranger. She shook her head at the first guess of who could she be. She wondered to herself if someone was to guess what type of crime she would have done, what would it be? She laughed softly at the second guess but shook her head again. "I'm neither, just a friend." It was certainly a flirtatious friendship, but it wasn't like they had dated. "I like to pick his brain about his cases and he likes to pick my brain on how I would report on his cases and other cases. But, I feel like I've seen you when there's a high profile case when they have the end of day press coverage." Rachel offered, hoping that didn't make her sound like an oddball for watching that type of news often.

[ccxcorioni]

Lipstick paused halfway up to her lips but she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised when she'd always valued her friend's bluntness. They were a matched pair that way. "Why can't it be both?" Brow raised, deflecting but still giving enough of an answer that she knew Sami could, and would, read between the lines. "Says the woman giving diamonds a run for their money. If your subscribers don't double after this little number it's because they're already one." Lips were smacked together after she finished applying, grinning at the other brunette as she fluffed her hair slightly. "Pretty sure that's the best offer I'm gonna get all night. Does it have an expiration or can I cash it in later?"

WHO: sami + @ccxcorioni WHERE: the bathroom at the exhibition bc girls go in pairs obvs

Standing in front of the full length mirror in the elegant restroom, Sami's hands gently ran a few fingers through her curls, twirling a few strands of her hair around her fingers to add definition to some that had already begun to fall— she knew she should have used more hair spray. "So are you trying to give every man who sees you tonight a semi or are you just trying to get one man with that dress?" She smirked, releasing the curl and reaching into her small clutch for her lipstick, ready to reapply the deep red hue— her favorite. "Because either way... mission accomplished. Even I'm thinking of taking you home looking like that." She teased.

[ccxcorioni]

"Couture, sure, but still boring. Not scared of fashion are you, Fitz?" Brow raised, vaguely challenging before eyes flickered over it once more. She supposed it wasn't awful, just not as bold as it could have been. "Your tailor didn't do you completely dirty, it fits nice." Before the sincerity could linger too long she scoffed at his next remark, choosing to ignore his claim that she was only there because of him when they both knew he wasn't her only connection. "I fail to see how the office would benefit from all this." His look hadn't been missed, knowing smirk curling at the corner of her lips as she gestured to her dress to pull his attention once more, hands running over her hips. She was pushing them dangerously close to the line again, some kind of morbid fascination as to just how close things would go before he dug his heels in and called a halt to it all. Or maybe she just wanted to see if he'd stop it at all. "But if you can provide me with a convincing argument I'll consider it. Put all those pretty, clever words of yours to good use for once."

"I mean probably but he's not here so I'll slum it with yours." There was something about beggars not being choosers, after all. Even if she hadn't learned not to bite the hand that fed her, quips still coming despite the gratitude she felt for him sharing. "You're a bad influence. I'd quit, y'know." But it didn't stop her leaning in to take a drag, leaving the cigarette between his fingers rather than taking it. Eyes locked with him from under her lashes for a moment, lids fluttering closed as the smoke hit the back of her throat, hum of appreciation almost unconscious. "God I missed that." She was quick to steal another drag, head dipping again before he could change his mind and deprive her of it. With the information she was about to dangle in front of him she wouldn't have blamed him if he withheld anymore nicotine fixes from her. Or at least, she would if the roles were reversed. "I have a couple of options." Coy smile flickered over her lips. "I made a new friend. The other one might hurt your feelings though."

He couldn't help but laugh at her assessment of his outfit, arms casually spread as she gave him a pointed once over. "You're tellin' me satin lapels ain't couture? I'm gonna need to have a discussion with me tailor." If he were being honest, he had to have a lot of guidance when it came to the theme. Dressing expensive was one thing, keeping it to an era was another—but avant garde? He could practically hear his father's uproarious laughter echoing out from six feet under and then some. "If I tell you how much I spent on this fuckin' thing, you wouldn't call it just all black. Y'know maybe you should be a little more grateful to me for gettin' you a invitation into these things in the first place. 'Stead of spending all your energy trying to pretend I don't pull the look off." Even in his every day life, the transition into wearing a suit every day had not been without its growing pains. And, even know, he'd always found himself a bit itchy under the collar. Another vague reminder, perhaps, that he would always be a foreigner in this world, no matter how much he liked to pretend he wasn't.

He brought the cigarette to his lips for another long drag, eyes looming over the dress once more—the length, the way it hugged her curves, the corset that left little to the imagination, and back up to her face, smoke curling out from the corner of his mouth. "For the office." He emphasized, preventing his thoughts from going there when it came to how he'd have her dress for him if he had the choice. It was a non-subject after all, one he wasn't willing to entertain. In his mind, a line had already been crossed once, he wasn't keen to make it again. At least while he was still sober. "Oh, right, the better looking Fitzpatrick." A scoff fell from his lips, shaking his head. "I dunno, C. You sure his cigarettes don't taste better than mine?"

Still, it didn't take long for him to relent, another quick puff and then the white stick was extended lazily between his pointer and ring fingers. "Any leads finding a way into the back room?"

[ccxcorioni]

The fact that she had been disappointed in her victory rather than elated would have been enough to send her spiralling into questioning. But coupled with a whole spectrum of emotions tumbling around inside her fighting for dominance, she'd been left feeling nothing but confused in the aftermath of their drinking. With everything inside her feeling so tumultuous she'd felt like she'd had no choice but to cling to their normal. There was no way she had processed it all enough to even consider a conversation and so she'd grasped on to their usual banter, gloated about her win ( even if it felt like a hollow victory when she just might have been happy to lose ) and shoved away any thought of him that suggested he was anything more than her boss. Ignoring the way her gaze had started to linger, quickly averting it every time. Paying no attention to how she suddenly, subconsciously, found herself looking for a way to put them just as close again. It was all nothing. Just residual tension from their drunken game of chicken.

Restless nature had sparked and she'd wondered if a moment outside might clear the feeling enough that she could go back and enjoy the night. But before she had time to test her theory, a familiar ( too familiar ) voice caught her. "And you forgot anything that might make your outfit interesting." Pointed once over was given to him, head shaking as though she didn't like what she saw. On principle she didn't but another part couldn't help but admit he looked good. Much to her chagrin. "All the excuses to be a little bold or try something new and you just go for all black? Thought you were more exciting than that." The challenge was delivered as she closed the distance between them, shoulder leaning carefully against the wall as she angled her hip to keep her dress off it. "Please, that'd be a premium service. You couldn't pay me enough to dress like this for you on the daily." Though she did get a kick out of knowing he appreciated the looks she put together. Useful information to have in case they decided to wage war with each other again. "No, I've already done the rounds. Talked to the better looking Fitzpatrick and everything."

"You gonna share?" The demand seeming perfectly reasonable to her, even if she had spent the last couple of minutes seeking out any way to insult him or push his buttons.

where: the heritage vault art exhibition who: @ccxcorioni and nolan fitzpatrick

Things had been odd since their night out the week prior — which was to say, ultimately, that things had actually been normal at the law firm. Too normal, in a way that Nolan, admittedly, had been a bit surprised about that next Monday morning, his hangover long gone but with certain memories surely remaining. Ones that included the subtle smell of her perfume, the soft skin of her cheek against his fingertips—but none of that followed them through the doors aside from the occasional joke or jab about him losing. And so, Nolan did what he always did best and filed the whole thing away and pretended it hadn’t rattled something in him. Just some drunken nonsense, he told himself. A few flirtatious missteps that didn’t mean anything. Nothing that needed dissecting. So he kept it all at face value and leaned into routine, business as usual. That was the safe play. The smart one. Because why the hell would he want anything more than that with CC anyway?

Still, it was hard to ignore the flutter in his chest when she came into view. He took a slow drag from his cigarette, letting the burn distract him, smoke curling between his fingers. "Think half of your dress went missing," he joked, a smug grin twitching at the corners of his lips. He hadn’t put much thought into the exhibition’s theme himself, maybe nudged the edge of his usual, but nothing dramatic. Clearly, she’d gone the extra mile and of course, he noticed. Too easily. "I dunno, Corioni. Between this and that outfit you wore to the yacht party, I'm startin' to think we need to revise the office dress code." He exhaled, smoke spilling into the cool night air. "Been here for a bit, didn't see you inside. You just get here?"

[ccxcorioni]

There was only so long she could spend staring at things on the wall before she'd end up looking for something else to quell the growing restlessness. She was just about to look for that something, or someone, to entertain her when a voice volunteered for her. "Depends who's asking." A quick glance at the woman told her she didn't recognise her and while that made her curious, it also made her wary. Though the quips that followed did little to ere on the side of caution. "If you're a disgruntled client then no." Though she didn't think so, unless they'd only spoken over the phone, her knowledge of who they'd had on their books extensive. "If you're an ex then also no." She had no inclination to deal with any crazy that might bring, though she did offer up some lighter words as a kind of olive branch. Almost an apology for dodging the innocent question for no reason other than she felt like it. "Unless you want to share embarrassing stories about him and then yeah, maybe I do."

character: Catalina Corioni @ccxcorioni

location: The Heritage Vault Event

As she roamed through the gallery of artwork, she was both intrigued by the art on the walls and the art that everyone seemed to be wearing in the room. It was truly a spectacle to see, in the best way possible of course. Everyone looked stunning and she didn't quite know what to do with her hands, so she had them awkwardly by her sides at the moment. She didn't feel as out of place in this setting as she had on the yacht. Her eyes caught on a woman that was standing near her. "Hi, so sorry to bother you and potentially weird question, do you work with Nolan?" The lawyer was a friend of hers, and also she happened to follow his cases in the news, mostly to text him about what she thought about the case and she had been pretty sure she'd seen the other woman in the photos and videos she'd watched. Or at least it had been someone who looked like her.

[ccxcorioni]

Heritage Vault with Charlie Windsor @charliewindsor

A few drinks in and she'd stopped paying attention to what was going on around her. Maybe a dumb choice given how the last gathering had gone but the buzz she had going on did nothing but dull her sense. As she turned to head to the bar once more her shoulder collided with someone. "Shit, sorry." But laughter bubbled up immediately at the irony of him having a helmet, maybe to protect himself from any unexpected collisions. "At least you had your protective gear - is this one of those 'I've got an art show at seven and a race at eight' kinda deals? Or are you just really in to cranial safety?" She took a step back, humming slightly as she considered his motivations for the choice, one she liked despite what her line of questioning might have suggested. "Oh no, I got it. You feel like it's all gonna go to shit so you've got your bike parked out front, or back, ready for a quick getaway."

[ccxcorioni]

Heritage Vault with Kian Fitzpatrick @staincdvermillion

She'd sidled up to Kian quietly, allowing him a couple more moments of silence before she began to plead her case. "You know these are cool and all but you know what I bet will be even cooler?" The nonchalance in her tone was betrayed by the firmness that she linked her arm through his with, spinning them both in the direction of the room she'd so far not been allowed into. "Whatever they've got behind those doors." Subtlety had never been a trait she'd cared to develop, making her point perfectly clear when she spoke again. "Fancy making a girl's night and getting her in?"

[ccxcorioni]