#† Mrs. Reynolds Is Gonna Kill Us For This ... † ( Carol & Swift. )

[her-hell]

“Slurred words” for both or either gals pls

Errybody In The Club Gettin’ Tipsy ( Meme ) || Accepting !!! 

( Feat. Carmilla & Bruce ) 

“ Carol, please - - - it’s not like my opinion matters. I know the man, not his soul. “ 

She’d long since given up on pouring glasses of Rosé for herself, and the bottle currently resided in her firm grasp. She’d learned this trick from Rennie on one of her rare visits to the hell house. The pale pink bottle had been drawn halfway to her lips before Carol’s frantic interjection had given her pause. 

“ You act like he’s the reason you don’t, er, can’t trust people anymore. That isn’t Mr. Swift’s fault & you know it. I just don’t see why you’re so damned mean to us !!! We aren’t like Da - - - him. “

Carol’s cheeks had begun to show the flush of an intoxicated stupor. Her eyes almost dewy with the next round of unshed emotion. Their hosts, Carmilla & Bruce, carefully coaxed the younger journalist away from her elder & toward the table laden with an assortment of food. 

 “ Carol, love - - - I think you need to have something on your stomach. You’re getting a bit out of hand now. “ Carmilla’s hand was firmly planted around the girl’s waist to guide her away from the situation … a de-escalation no one knew they needed. She hadn’t realized she and Bruce’s detective had been such a source of contention between the two reporters. 

Carol craned her neck to see Bruce, the silent figure by her other side - until he stopped abruptly. 

“ She’s so damned stubborn !!! He isn’t so bad … is he, Lord Foxley ??? “

The vampire shrugged non-committally as if he could not take a stance for sure: 

“ He’s an acquired taste … that’s for sure, Ms. Wyatt. Off with you now, go eat. You need it. “ 

Kate watched the scene unfold with a scowl. She herself did not particularly care for Carol’s brand of confrontation, but she could respect the way she stood her ground. She shrugs to herself and goes to take a sip - the bottle drained. In only a second, a pale hand offers her a fresh one - this she takes gratefully. 

“ Thank you, Bruce. I don’t see why my opinion matters to her so much. She’s always on my case about Swift. I can’t get through to her, can’t make her understand my … “ 

“ … Apprehension for the unknown ??? I understand that you can’t read him like the guests on your show … ( smashing exposé on the recent rise in drug crime, by the way !!! ) At any rate, Mrs. Reynolds - You can’t explain Mr. Swift & it gets to you. I can respect that after your … ordeal, but the girl is right. At least a little. “ 

Kate could not stop her eyes from rolling or the scoff in her voice: 

“ Carol clearly has a case of ‘ daddy issues ‘ she thinks he could work out for her. She isn’t capable of making a solid & stable judgement !!! I won’t be talked down too by the likes of an intern !!! “ 

Bruce had taken the pipe from his pocket, and was in the final stages of puffing it to life when her aggression took him by surprise. He thought for a moment before shrugging: 

“ Does slandering a kind & fragile heart make you the better person, Mrs. Reynolds ??? … and does crucifying a decent man’s character on your unique bias make you feel as omnipotent as God ??? “ 

She had not meant to come across so abrasively & physically bristles at her host’s gentle reprimand. Maybe, silently - she could conceded that on some level, perhaps U. X. Swift was not as awful as she had worked herself into believing, but even she had to admit the fear of not knowing his real intentions terrified her. Letting her guard down would be a mistake, but maybe not giving him a chance to prove her wrong would be the more serious error ???

“ … I just don’t think we can get along. More over, I think we both like it that way. ”

She turns in time to see the empty space the vampire had once occupied. Of course he would not care about her unspoken motives … 

Grudgingly she takes another sip of the wine & watches the other attendees of the party having fun. ( Even Carol had settled into a groove, dancing first with Bruce, then a blonde gentleman, then Carmilla - only to shift between dance partners with ease … oblivious to Kate’s misery.

She might as well do something to ease her mind a little.

                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Constantine [ Text ]: You aren’t so bad, okay. I just wanted to remind you that I do, in fact, like you as another human living on this festering shithole we call a planet. Thanks for that - it means a lot to me & Carol. Mostly Carol. 

[her-hell]

@diicktective -> Carol: 👀👌😉😏

[her-hell]

👭

Who Could It Be ??? ( Meme ) || Accepting !!!

“ Kate said I don’t have to listen to you & I never intended to anyway. I don’t know why Jack volunteered you to help me. I’ve already finished the final revised draft of the epilogue … Your services, as far as I’m concerned - are unnecessary. “ 

Her voice is an octave higher and far more defensive than usual as she throws the folder into the desk drawer & slams it shut. The office is far smaller than she realizes and the sound carries. 

“ I don’t give a good goddamn what that ditzy crumpet says. I am Jack’s publicist & I want to look it over. Do you know that I will never understand why you detest me so much ??? I hardly know you, Ms. Wyatt … and I’m not sure what you know about me, but I can almost assure you that you’re wrong. “

Carol’s head shifts toward Anna until the unhinged gleam in her eyes catch the light. Without hesitation, she picks up the heavy glass globe paperweight and relishes the weight of it in her hand. 

“ If you ever talk about my friend like that again, so help me God, I’ll … I’ll - - - “

“ You’ll what ? Hit me ?? You know, I don’t care much for Kate Reynolds. She’s wrong for Jack … but, he’s wrong for her too. Do you know what I mea - !!! “ 

While Anna’s tone is crisp and snarky - there’s an underlying honesty too. She was surprised and alarmed when the globe leaves Carol’s hand and shatters through a glass door in the bookcase, to break against a line of encyclopedias.  

“ You’ll get the damned manuscript after I give it back to Jack; Not a moment before, Anna … Now, do yourself a favor and get the hell out of my office !!! “

It’s not often Carol swears, nor is often she dislikes someone as much as Mrs. Brompton … but she’s no one to be trifled with anymore & her anger was enough to force a perplexed compliance from the target & since she was well away from her now, she could relax again. 

Her chest rose and fell quickly as she grabs the bin by her desk. She hadn’t meant to sling the globe. It was simply a reflex … she sinks to her knees and begins cleaning up the pieces of sharp glass, cutting her fingers several times as she started tossing them in the trash. Maybe, if she’d steadied her nerves, she’d have heard Swift’s arrival before hand ???