[color=ea5d83][center][indent][indent][img]https://i.imgur.com/zozUo8l.png[/img]
[sub][color=eac55d][b]Location[/b][/color]	The Beach	♦	[color=eac55d][b]Interactions[/b][/color]	Michel and Bartender [@Hero][/sub][/indent][/indent][/center]
[indent][indent]Drea left the cabana a little earlier than the others. After such an eventful afternoon of hanging out with Zay and the others (though mainly she stuck close to Jade unsurprisingly), she wanted to get an early start to the bonfire in the evening. So she showered first, got dressed first, and said her goodbyes first. Part of her reasoning for being the first one out was to getting ahead of the curve so she could see just how great of a display Rachel’s first official party was. She had known that woman to be on the same level as a grand showman. Her need to go big every time was astonishing at the least and incredible at most.

As the blonde walked closer to the beach in a light blue, strapless top and light pink jean shorts, what she saw was certainly quite the setup. Of course, per the original advertisement, there was a gigantic bonfire Rachel had to have gigantic speakers on the beach of all places. Drea didn’t know why she was surprised by this, but the fact that she had even an ounce of shock in her initial reaction showed how Drea underestimated her dear friend. 

[color=008060]“It’s quite the display, isn’t it?”[/color] A male’s voice said as he approached Drea from the left, causing the blonde to momentarily jump a couple of inches.

Drea sighed, relieved somewhat that it wasn’t Zayden sneaking up on her. [color=eac55d]“Michel, how many times have I told you never to startle me like that.”[/color] She rolled her eyes at him, looking up due to the astronomical height difference between them.

[color=008060]“Sorry, shorty.”[/color] He cackled, eyes returning to the bonfire and the not-so-subtle VIP tent not far away from it. [color=008060]“Absolutely ridiculous, isn’t it?”[/color] He mused aloud, shaking his head.

[color=eac55d]“I forgot you’re not a fan of these sort of parties.”[/color]

[color=008060]“I can be if the company is right.”[/color] 

That was a sentiment that she could agree with, probably more than she was letting on. And just as Michel seemed to be scanning the area for someone specific, Drea was also doing the same. After almost a minute of silently searching through the crowds of people, the one person she was trying to find didn’t seem to be around. And Michel’s search was about the same as he broke the silence with an exaggerated sigh.

[color=008060]“Well, I suppose we shouldn’t put this off any longer, then.”[/color] Michel spoke as he walked forward. [color=008060]“I’ll be seeing you, Lil D.”[/color] He left her with a small wink.

That one comment was enough to get under her skin but she didn’t let it bother -- at least, not until Michel was out of range where she could fully fume to herself about how much she hated being called by any name that poked fun at her height. She knew she was short, so why did everyone around her feel the need to remind her of that? It was easily the one thing that was a guaranteed success to get under her skin. Some people did it playfully and she usually clapped back at them in good spirits, but there were others -- not Michel -- who did it with the intent of insulting her.

And that was something she couldn’t stand.

[color=eac55d]“You’re good, Drea. You’re good. Just walk and be fabulous!”[/color] 

Drea repeated those words a few times so she was calm by the time she had reached the VIP tent. She wouldn’t stop to greet anyone. She saw Michel finally make his way to the tent but she avoided him. She didn’t want to risk it, so she avoided him. Instead, she took a seat at the bar, collapsing her head and arms onto the countertop, sighing somewhat dramatically. Maybe she made the mistake of coming first and not leaving with Jade and the others. It would have been a lot less stressful after running into Michel for those few minutes she spent talking to him.

After a minute of feeling sorry for herself (again), she propped her head onto one of her hands and waved her other at the bartender. [color=eac55d]“Pina colada.”[/color] She said half-interested in whatever the bartender said in return. She instead turned around, brandishing half of a smile as she spotted a few familiar faces. 

Yeah, Drea Banks sure had a [i]great[/i] start to this party. It can only go up from here, right?[/indent][/indent][/color]
[hr]
[color=708090][center][indent][indent][img]https://i.imgur.com/Z9AgjXR.png[/img]   
[sub][color=008060][b]Location:[/b][/color]   Everywhere but eventually the Bonfire Party	♦	[color=008060][b]Interactions:[/b][/color]   Indira [@Aewin], Theo (he’s nearby) [@spooner] [/sub]
[/indent][/indent][/center]
[indent][indent]When he had ventured away from the short blonde, Michel took his time to appreciate the sights. First, he was keen on taking in the sights of the beach. With the light from the bonfire illuminating some of the darkness that partial night had created, he was able to spot the oranges and reds reflecting in the shallow portion of the ocean and continuously creating an almost holographic effect every time the waves had washed against the sandy shores. 

This was probably the part of this trip that Michel was going to enjoy most. He didn’t have a particular lean to parties, but the elaborate rich people parties where over the top booze was sold and even more over the top people were present, the luxury rebel Michel Russo preferred to appreciate the scenery. He also liked the bonfire and the crackling sounds of thick wood burning slowly. It was a tower that would last for hours, which only meant the sole reason as to why he procrastinated from joining the others in the VIP tent remained.

After all, solace was peaceful when it wasn’t contaminated by fuckboys and their girlfriends.

[color=008060]“Just a few more minutes.”[/color] He said to himself. 

Michel would keep his promise. After a few more minutes of smiling into the transitioning darkness of the ocean, he turned away and soon went into the tent. The bouncer gave him no trouble and he was soon mingling with those who appeared to be like him. He was dressed in something quite comfortable. He wore a black T that was made from such thin materials that it didn’t even feel like he was wearing a shirt and his shorts were simply silver. He had slip-on slippers as well because as much as he took care of himself, Michel was insecure about his feet.

As he roamed the spacious tent, he didn’t engage in deep conversation with anyone. If he was approached, he smiled, talked to that person for a bit, but mainly, Michel just kept to his own devices. He ordered a drink from a waiter, which happened to be a glass of Jack on the Rocks. It wasn’t that he was antisocial. Michel could be the life of the party if he wanted to. He could be someone that talked to someone for hours if he felt like it, but that was the thing: Michel didn’t [i]feel[/i] like talking to anyone. And more importantly, he didn’t see anyone of interest that would remove him from his bubble of solace.

...At least, that wasn’t until he saw [i]her[/i]. Indira Kashyap, the best friend of someone that Michel got to know [i]very[/i] well a couple of weeks ago. The three of them had a lot of fun on that yacht. Some of that fun too mature to mention to anyone who wasn’t part of that particular threesome. Michel still had very fond memories about it, but he lamented of the time that went between them [i]not[/i] speaking. It wasn’t that he blamed either of them from avoiding him. He was, of course, too busy to think about how they ghosted him, but now that he wasn’t, it was about time he ended the silence between at least one of them.

So, soon Michel had found himself approaching the bar where a few others were hanging about. Drea was near but not near enough to be a concern of his, though he did give her a wave when he saw her. He saw Theodore, who was the target of whatever Indira was doing. 

He snuck up behind her, something that Michel apparently liked doing today. [color=008060]“So this is what it’s like being on the other end of one of your videos.”[/color] He said, looking directly into the camera as he hovered over Indira’s shoulder, smiling at both those who were watching her live feed and at Indira herself. [color=008060]“Yo, I'm Michel Russo, a [i]dear[/i] friend of Indie here.”[/color] Michel gave her followers a peace sign with his right hand. He had to keep up appearances, ya know?[/indent][/indent][/color]