Tyler Lockwood (firstsuccess) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-04-07 12:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, thalia grace, tyler lockwood |
Who: Tyler and Thalia
What: Meeting at a political party
When: End of March
Where: The Lockwood mansion
Rating/Warnings: Low/none
Status: Complete
Tyer never was a big fan of his parent’s political fundraisers. The food they had catered was always good, and there was always enough drinks. It was warm enough tonight that it was being hosted outside, in their large gardens, but that didn’t make them any less dull. Less dull when he could bring Blossom, but she hadn’t been able to attend this one, which just meant it was him, his parents, and all their dull politician friends.
At least now he could actually drink at these things in front of his parents. He hadn’t actually done one of these parties completely sober since middle school, but now at least he could drink beer in front of them, and make a show of what a perfect family they were. And he had to admit, it was nice to spend time with his mother after she’d been murdered in his dreams. They weren’t as close in the real world as they had been in the dreams, no doubt owing to the fact that his father was still alive, but even with all her snide comments, it was nice to be with her.
“Ah, Tyler, my have you grown,” Congressman Somethingoranother said, approaching Tyler, who was standing in front of their fountain. “You’re still going to school?”
“Yes sir,” Tyler said, plastering a smile on his face. “Graduating this summer.”
***
On the other side of the fountain, near the wall that separated the lush garden of the Lockwood estate from the rest of world, Thalia lurked. At the moment, she looked very different from the pouty rebel portrayed in the gossip rags. Without makeup, and with her short, dark hair scraped back, she looked quite respectable.
Unfortunately, she also looked quite young and innocent, which was drawing attention from the supposedly respectable politicians she didn't want in normal circumstances, let alone when she was crashing a party she was most definitely invited to. Which meant that punching the senator who was currently leering at her in the face wasn't a viable solution.
She settled for slipping behind the fountain and continuing to look around for signs of her father.
***
“Keep up the good work, Tyler. We all expect great things from you,” the man said, patting Tyler on the shoulder. Tyler resisted the urge to frown. He didn’t know what kind of things people were expecting of him, but he was sure that his father didn’t share those sentiments. Besides, Tyler was pretty sure great things weren’t in his future. He had no intention of following his father into politics.
Tyler took a glance around, and caught sight of a girl that he didn’t recognize. He thought he recognized most of the people his own age who usually came to these things, but he knew that new people did occasionally show up. Part of him wondered who she was here with, but whoever it was wasn’t nearby.
“Hey,” Tyler said, approaching the girl. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. I’m Tyler.”
***
Crap. Spotted.
Thalia had a go-to response for these kinds of situations, though, and that involved bullshitting her way through any issues until she was clear of them.
Rather than run away or try to hide, she brazened it out with a giant smile. “Oh hi!” she chirped. “Wow, what a coincidence. I’m Taylor.” It really wasn’t, but that was a super popular name around this crowd. Somebody on the guest list had to be a Taylor. “That’s like, Tyler, only with an a.”
She fluttered her lashes at him. Somehow she got the feeling that this dark-haired, serious-looking young man wasn’t the sort who had a lot of patience with airheaded bimbos, so she was going to bimbo it up until he left in annoyance.
***
There had been a time when he loved airheaded bimbos, even if he’d never really been friends with them. But he’d been dating Blossom for nearly a year now. He didn’t really have the patience anymore.
Still, there wasn’t any way it could be any worse than talking to his dad’s friends. Might as well humour her. “That is a weird coincidence, Taylor,” he agreed, humouring her. “Hey, have you checked out the champagne tower yet?”
***
Oh, great. He was going to be nice. On the other hand, he was obviously not a party crasher, so maybe hanging out with him would give her presence some legitimacy.
“No!” she said, opening her eyes really wide. “What’s it made of?”
Okay, maybe that was laying it a little thick, but she couldn’t help herself. Thalia was a ham.
***
Tyler opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. There was no doubt in his mind that his parents would not be happy if he managed to upset one of their guests. “Champagne glasses,” he said instead, once the tower came into view. The coupe glasses were stacked on top of one another, nine high, like a shimmering golden tower. His mother had, of course, made sure to light the tower perfectly from underneath. The only thing that could have made the scene more gaudy would be an ice swan.
He leaned sideways toward Thalia, and from the corner of his mouth said “Is it wrong if I’m kind of hoping that someone gets too drunk and knocks it over?”
***
“Oh, it’d be glorious,” Thalia said, forgetting her character for the moment and letting her own mischievous self show. “Imagine, all those Armanis and Diors soaked in glass and champagne.”
Yeah, she wasn’t a big fan of the people who hobnobbed at these affairs either, although the boy next to her wasn’t so bad.
***
He grinned. “My mom would flip. Who do you think it’d be? Congressman Johnson over there,” Tyler said, gesturing with his chin toward a heavyset, balding man in his fifties, who was wearing an ill fitting suit, “got so drunk at our Christmas party that he passed out in our bathroom. My money’s on him. You want one?”
***
“Huh.” Thalia took the opportunity to scan the crowd, looking for her father. He was supposed to be here - she’d heard he was here - but he was nowhere to be seen. Probably in a bathroom shtupping the maid or something like that.
“What about Zeus Messina?” she asked with as much casualness as she could. “I hear he gets up to way naughtier stuff than he claims.”
***
“Messina?” Tyler asked, raising his eyebrows. The man had a persona of being clean cut, but Tyler’s own father’s public perception painted him as a loving family man, and Tyler knew better than that. “I don’t think he made it tonight. I mean, it’s not like I’ve been keeping an eye on the guest list, but I haven’t seen him.”
***
“Oh.” Thalia wasn't quite able to hide her disappointment. Leave it to her father to find some new way to let her down. If she was going to crash a party to see him, the least he could do was show up. But hey, her entire life was being let down by this man, so what was once more?
She quickly gathered herself. “In that case, I don't think Blondie over there is going to last much longer on her four inch heels, and she's in prime position to fall into the fountain.”
***
Tyler didn’t miss the disappointment, and he frowned to himself in confusion, wondering why. He’d heard rumours that he wasn’t opposed to extramarital affairs, and he wondered if Thalia was one of his sidechicks. “You know him?” he asked casually.
He snorted. “Oh, that would be perfect. Though, she’d probably try to sue us for putting a fountain in her way or something.”
***
“Nah, just heard about him,” Thalia said, just as casually. She could play that game too. But while she could (sort of) hide her reason for being here, she couldn't hide the brilliant blue of her eyes, the exact shade Zeus was known for, and how he'd so easily gotten partners in his extramarital flings.
She turned back to the woman they'd been watching. “You didn't invite any lawyers to this shindig? I thought that was why they got invited anywhere.”
***
“Uh huh,” Tyler said slowly, not entirely buying it. After a brief consideration, he decided to let it drop. It wasn’t any of his business anyway. “Anywho, I’m pretty sure most people here were lawyers at some point. Isn’t that the way of things? Once they get sick of screwing over their clients, they decide to screw over their constituents instead?”
***
Thalia pointed at him. “Wise words.”
But since her father wasn't actually there, her interest in this party disappeared. If she left now, she could probably still watch a few episodes of Game of Thrones before she passed out.
“Well, it was nice talking to you, Trevor,” she chirped. “Hope you don't get sued.”
***
“Tyler,” Tyler corrected her, not exactly bothering to conceal the annoyance in his voice. “But we’ve avoided it so far. Are you taking off?”
***
Thalia batted big bimbo eyes at him. “I’m so sorry, Tyler,” she cooed. “Yeah, I gotta go, but it’s been a great party, loved the food, loved the drinks, love your tie. Kbai!”
And she scuttled off before security could find her.