NAOMI.

starter for kenny ( @mvggedoff​ )

time : afternoon, day 22

location :lawn

– “MAYBE IF YOU GET ON MY SHOULDERS, you can get a good look at romi and the bombshell in the hideaway, ” naomi says, making a pair of binoculars with her hands as she stands on her tiptoes, eyes trained on the tops of their heads. it’s about all she can make out from where she’s standing. “ think he’s cute ? or that they’ll hit it off ? ” 

     ❝ YOU SERIOUS ? BECAUSE I ABSOLUTELY will if you are. ❞ surely it beats comically hopping up and down on her feet trying to make up for the 7 inches naomi’s got on her. ❝ eh, if only we could be so feckin’ lucky, ❞ kenny grumbles. she adores romi, don’t get her wrong, but she’s also sick of this being the romarcus show and not afraid to show it. ❝ trust me though, babe’s head is in a vice lock. it’s not turnin’ for no one. ❞ if anyone’s going to know that much, it’s kenny.

ROMI.

@mvggedoff​

“As your former partner and as your friend, I gotta say, I’m really rooting for Callie and you.” Everyone watching at home has to be feeling the same way as well, with the two of them practically melting over each other. “A little less bold than you’re used to, I’m sure, but I can tell you like her.” 

     ❝ AW, THE EX’S SEAL OF approval, ❞ she coos. ❝ love that. but yeah, i do like her. i mean, she’s pretty, spunky, actually laughs at my jokes, ❞ as she counts off callie’s winning traits one by one on her fingers, she shoots romi a playfully pointed look. ❝ even called me bleedin’ hilarious just the other day ! good thing someone appreciates my comedic genius around here. ❞ she doesn’t really want to ask what comes out of her mouth next, but it’s only polite. ❝ bet you and marcus are stoked to be back together. how much do cal and i gotta worry about the two of you getting frisky next to us tonight ? ❞

DEJAN.

to: everyone 

where: anywhere 

when: midday, day 22, after his date with romi and marcus ( in which he might not bring up much cus they’re still ongoing lol so he’s gonna live in the moment baby )

getting to know everyone by simply talking to them sounded like a bore. that’s why he was suggesting playing a game of never have i ever with anyone willing to participate. only this game, instead of putting a finger down, they were taking drinks of whatever alcoholic drink they had on hand.. this way at least, dejan hoped he could get a proper buzz from it. he offers a grin,  “ thank you for indulging me on this. to be honest, i just wanted to get to know you a little. ”

     ❝ LIKE I WAS GONNA SAY no to a free excuse to get hammered, please. ❞ she lets out a snort, opening the tab of her beer with a satisfying hiss. his attempt at flattery goes in one ear and out the other. the last thing kenny's going to do is believe he’s not using that line on every poor sap in the villa. if he wants her to think she’s actually on his radar, he’s going to have to really sell it. still, she grins. ❝ make sure not to go easy on me, yeah ? won’t lie, you’re gonna be hard pressed to find something i haven't done. ❞ it's spoken like a challenge, one she fully expects a bombshell this late in the game to meet.

RHYS.

time : afternoon, day 22

location : kitchen

there’s safety in repetition. comfort in the familiarity, relief in the mindlessness of allowing muscle memory to take over and give you a break from a constant stream of thought. his hands worked methodically, reaching for the sugar and syrups only hesitating when reaching for the liquor — a break in routine — before pulling a basic heart in the latte. he had given himself the morning to sit, to think, to attempt not to feel. and now he was done, his longevity and success on this show hung onto his ability to find someone he liked, that could like him, or at least tolerate him and be convincing enough to win. looking up, he caught someone else’s eye and attempted to give them a smile, praying it wasn’t as pathetic as it felt. the upturn of his lips gradually turns more genuine, though, as the teasing question leaves his lips.  “ should i make it a double and try to get to know more people in the villa? ” oof! pointed phrasing. 

     SHE'S ALWAYS LOVED WATCHING ARTISTS, mesmerized by the way a musician tunes their guitar or a painter mixes paint. it's the same feeling she gets watching rhys now, jaw cupped between her palms and elbows on the bar as her gaze follows his every move and careful motion. he seems so focused, so in the zone. has he even noticed her yet ? kenny wonders what it'd be like to live inside his head right now ; to have something he can be so passionate about that he doesn't even notice the change in his surroundings, too focused on that one perfect cup. a green feeling overtakes her at the thought, clawing at her insides and demanding to be indulged. she abides, letting one of her elbows "slip" from beneath her and knock over a nearby salt shaker to draw him from his trance. when their eyes meet, they're both hoping the smile on their face is more genuine than they actually feel. setting the shaker upright, she arches a brow at his question — trouble in paradise ? — before letting out a considering, sing - songy hum. ❝ i mean, i won't say no to a cuppa, but only if you show me how to do that little heart thing you did. ❞

NAOMI.

– NAOMI GRINS, “YEAH, YEAH, I’M OFFERING.” there’s a roll of her eyes, but it’s not truly annoyed, more like playful exasperation. whatever animosity existed between them from first impressions has faded. “ i do like being the hero, after all – and i never want to look at that nastiness again, ” she adds, turning toward the dressing room and beckoning kenny to come with her : “ c’mon, let’s go. ” she could use the moment to get away from everyone else anyway. 

     ❝ THAT NASTINESS, ❞ KENNY ECHOES WITH a grin, reaching forward to give the back of naomi’s shoulder a light, playful push as she follows after her. ❝ keep up the dirty talk on top of the heroism and i might just have to pick you in another surprise recoupling tonight. ❞ it’s a joke, of course. she doesn’t have first pick priority anymore. if she did, well ... maybe then it’d be a bit more of a threat.

You said you like my eyes and you like to make ‘em roll

DYLAN.

“Christ. You would not survive under Australian sun, Kenny…” He shakes his head, laughing. “How long did you spend on that lounger? I hope you’ve put aloe vera on that.”

     ❝ AND YOU’D WITHER AWAY LIKE a wilted plant under ireland clouds, dylan, ❞ she retorts, turning back and lifting her leg in a fake - out kick to his shin. the motion alone makes her wince. ❝ i was out there for maybe an hour ? hard to tell in here. probably would’a been longer if not for the couple’s spat in the kitchen earlier. ❞ she knows she doesn’t have to specify that it was naomi and josh. even if dylan didn’t witness it firsthand, she’s sure rhys or his sister would have told him. ❝ but i’m all good. naomi and callie made sure i was taken care of. i’m just gonna be real squirmy at the recoupling tonight. ❞

CALLIE.

CALLIE GRIMACES AT THE SIGHT, though she can’t help but laugh.   “ you really are the stereotype of all irish burn, huh ? ”   she shakes her head.   “ does it hurt ?   i think there’s some aloe inside. ”

     IT COULD BE WORSE ; she could be like her brother, nicky, freckled from the tip of his nose to the balls of his elbows with hair more strawberry than it is blonde. two minutes here and he’d be getting wheeled out on a stretcher, meanwhile all kenny has to worry about is how she’s gonna sit on the toilet. ❝ nah, nams gave me some earlier, but you’re sweet. just means i’m playing big spoon tonight. ❞ she tosses her head over her shoulder and shoots callie a wink, trying to remain confident in spite of a looming recoupling and the nagging reminder that neither of them are getting to pick first tonight. ❝ anyway, ah, totally unrelated to anything, but how’d your date go last night ? i haven’t had a chance to ask yet. ❞ please say terrible, please say terrible, please say terrible.

NAOMI.

– “I WAS GOING TO SAY NO, I DEFINITELY DO NOT,” naomi points out, arms crossed over her chest as she assesses the damage. she’s not sure if she’s pissed or refreshed by the fact that kenny can act so normal today. “ is this your weirdo way of asking me if i have any aloe vera ? ” 

     NAOMI’S REACTION HAS KENNY SNICKERING, expression turned away in a turned table from their last one on one interaction. the dayglo party already feels like a lifetime ago. ❝ is this your weirdo way of offering me some ? ❞ she responds quick, adjusting the line of her bikini against her ass before turning back to face naomi. ❝ if so, i’d say you’re my hero. i just used up the last of mine. ❞ and right when she was finally getting used to the chafing issue, too.

status : open ! setting : somewhere in the villa, morning of day 21

     ❝ OY, WANNA SEE SOMETHIN’ GHASTLY ? ❞ the blonde doesn’t wait for an answer, spinning round to reveal a splotchy mass of bright scarlet burned into the backs of her legs. ❝ one kip on a lounger and i’m already a damn tomato ! ❞ 

CALLIE.

CALLIE CAN TELL THE EXACT MOMENT KENNY FOLLOWS HER GAZE. she had thought the guys out-broing each other was funny, but it’s kenny’s reaction that makes callie burst out into laughter too, a hand covering her own mouth so it doesn’t carry throughout the rest of the villa. the blonde leans into her and she doesn’t resist wrapping her arm around kenny’s waist, in an attempt to keep her upright and, shamelessly, keep her a little close.   “ oh my god, ”   she laughs as the smaller girl continues to laugh, shaking her head with a grin.   “ you are bloody hilarious, you know that ? ”   and she means it in the best way, but callie’s attention is no longer on the guys in the gym—though they might looking up at the two of them now, because kenny’s laugh is one that could be heard around the world.   “ good thing last night wasn’t the last night of your life, it would’ve been a shame to spend it in a platonic hideaway, ”   she shakes her head. there’s no shame about romi, and it looks like things between them and kenny are good now, but there’s no denying that’s be an anticlimactic  ( no pun intended )  ending.   “ or that your last kiss was with my brother, ”   she makes a face.

     ❝ ONLY WHEN I’M IN GOOD COMPANY, ❞ kenny corrects, pushing even more of her weight into callie in what would be an indicative nudge were the two of them not already glued at the hip. she thinks all summers should be like this : laughter in her throat, sea salt in the air, a girl at her side reminding her of candy necklaces and fresh - cut peaches. don’t get her wrong ; she enjoys the drama in the villa just as much as any at - home viewer — believes the righteously angry callie that stormed in on mimi in the dressing room just as much of a babe as the more laid - back one that sits beside her now, but kenny’s a selfish creature at heart. were it a choice, she’d much sooner take the summer of wet - hot kisses and a pretty girl’s hand at her waist than anything else. at the reminder of her hannigan - michaels sandwich, kenny chuckles and raises her open palms in a less than apologetic surrender. ❝ sorry, sorry. i just felt so bad neglecting him that whole time ! and you’re the one who insisted that being here with him couldn't be weird. ❞ she tuts once, hating to say i told you so. ❝ if it makes you feel any better though— ❞ it’s then she finally peels away from callie’s side, turning to face her head on as she plops back onto the terrace cushions. ❝ —you can totally rub it in dylan’s face that you were more fun to kiss. ❞

MARCUS.

he didn’t really expect an apology — if he did, it’s a bit late now anyways — but given her actions in the villa already, he doubts she’s apologetic at all. he can’t even really be mad about it, given he knows how lucky he’s been to stay with romi this long and she’s one hell of a worldie, and of course everyone deserves to shoot their shot… but he’s definitely bitter. “ if you wanted to speak to me you could’ve. ” maybe before everything, too. then he’d have had a heads-up at least. he’ll just nod silently as she comes back at that, rolling his eyes briefly at her giggle. it takes everything in him to not imitate it like a child. every time someone comments on his pro-cuddling ways, he can’t help but feel like he might be in the wrong for it… but it’s not like they’re shagging or anything, he doesn’t see the harm in getting a good comfortable night’s sleep. though after nana said he was her first pick… he feels a bit bad, like he shouldn’t entertain something he’s just not really into. still, he’s not explaining that to kenny who frankly couldn’t give a shit, so he’ll just shrug.  “ she is, actually. and if you’re that interested, i don’t mind swapping. ” he suggests, obviously not joking.

     NO, SHE’S NOT GOING TO apologize. why should she when, at the time of the recoupling, she’d only known these people, like, a day ? she didn’t owe them anything, and it’s certainly not her job to babysit their feelings and force herself through conversations that would have ultimately boiled down to “i’m doing a thing” / “i don’t want you to do that thing” / “too bad, i’m doing it anyway”. like ... that’s dull. that’s pointless. there’s absolutely no way in hell she would have wasted her time on something like that. so, yeah, sure, marcus is generally correct about her not giving a shit. however, he is wrong about her not giving a shit about nana. if there’s one thing about kenny, it’s that she’s not going to sit by while a girl she thinks is perfectly nice has her time wasted by a guy just biding his. ❝ yerra. i came out here for a biscuit, marcus, not a cock off, ❞ which is likely a more antagonizing thing to say than anything else she possibly could have. ❝ but if you’re not interested, you should tell her that. 'cause i get the feeling she genuinely likes you and i’m way too tired after the hideaway to play gossipmonger for you today. ❞ that doesn't mean anything more than her and romi staying up a bit too late shooting the shit, but if marcus is going to poke at her while futzing around with nana’s feelings, he doesn’t need to know how innocent of a statement that actually is. 

ROMI.

@mvggedoff​

She already knows that after this people are going to tell her that they had been right and all Romi needed was to give Kenny a chance. They’d only be partially correct and although it certainly wasn’t like the night they’d shared with Marcus at the hideaway, they had enjoyed themselves plenty. It’d almost made them feel as if they were back home with their friends. “I think they’re going to break their necks trying to stare at us.” She comments in regards to the few people who are already up once they make their way out. Their arms are looped together as the two of them make their way toward the dressing room to get ready for the day, walking almost completely in sync. 

     WHAT ROMI AND KENNY GOT up to in the hideaway is anyone’s guess and no one’s business. that’s the whole point. walking back into the villa arm in arm, all that should matter to anyone else is that the two of them are hot, solid, and have absolutely no plans on pursuing each other any further. it’s fine, really. consider kenny’s curiosity sated. if nothing else, she’s just glad to have a friend to hit up when she finally decides to get a tattoo. ❝ betcha fifty - k josh starts directing a porno in his head, ❞ she tosses romi a sidelong glance before rolling her eyes. not that she has any room to judge ; she’d do the exact same thing if she were him. ❝ i didn’t see marcus in the beds. think he got thanos - snapped into oblivion the second he realized he wouldn’t be able to make kissy faces at you for an entire night ? ❞ the shock, the horror.

sabrinacarpenter: don’t say i never did shit for promo <3 9/9!

CALLIE.

HER HEART BEATS A LITTLE FASTER when kenny leans into her, reminiscent of the last time the blonde was that close to her, but callie only offers the other girl a grin, shaking her head.   “ there’s a lot worse things luke could’ve whipped out, ”   she points out, before grabbing kenny’s wrist and tugging her towards the stairs.   “ it’s funny, trust me. ”   callie lets go of her only so they didn’t have to awkwardly run up the stairs together, but once they’re up on the terrance she takes a seat and motions for kenny to follow, turning to lean her arms on the railing. it’s the perfect view of villa, complete with marcus and romi laying together on a day bed, some of the girls cooking breakfast, and…   “ there, ”   she points to the gym area, where josh and maddox are both working out.   “ listen, you gotta watch these two. it’s the biggest alpha-male energy ever. every time maddox picks up a weight, josh waits five seconds and then picks up a heavier one to do the same thing— look !   he’s doing it now, ”   she snickers, crouching low so they don’t notice her looking. 

     AT FIRST, SHE’S NOT SURE what she’s meant to be looking at. surely not romi and marcus, right ? callie doesn’t seem the type to try and rub salt in a possible wound — not that this is one ; while romi and kenny had quashed their beef in the hideaway, coming back into the villa proper like two peas in a pod, it became quite clear quite fast that there wasn’t much in the way of romantic chemistry between them, and that meant even less room for jealousy. if anything, it’s the wasted opportunity she’s given them that has kenny pulling a face at the sight. however, it’s quick to fall away when callie clarifies the pair she was actually referring to, and god, even if she had been jealous, this sight would have made it all worth it. ❝ oh my god. look at his face ! it’s too heavy ! he’s gonna shit his feckin’ shorts ! ❞ that’s what does it, discretion thrown to the wind. she has to slap a hand over her mouth and lean her weight into callie’s side as her body shakes with uncontrollable fits of laughter. in terms of not making a commotion, she’s failing miserably, but she frankly doesn’t care enough about anyone else’s ego to even try. she’d much rather live in her own head, focused solely on this light, fluttery feeling in her chest and the warmth of callie’s shoulder against her cheek. when her earthquaking laughter has died down to a tremor, she swipes a few pinprick tears from her eyes with the back of a hand and turns them up to peer at callie. ❝ good thing last night wasn’t actually the last day of my life, yeah ? i’d’ve hate to miss this. ❞

NANA.

“That’s because I’m not petty and childish like the others.” Which is true, everyone was just acting like a bunch of children after the recoupling. Boohoo, cry her a fucking river and get over yourselves! She stopped patting on her facial toner, smiling at their reflections. “Yeah, I am actually,” Nana said. “Sad to say but I’m just happy that I have a shot with anyone, I got lucky with Marcus.” 

     OH, SHE COULD KISS THIS GIRL. not that that’s a particularly difficult feat, but the sentiment remains. ❝ hand to god, that alone makes the whole thing worth it. ❞ and she means it. frankly, kenny couldn’t give less of a damn if things go well for her on the show — she’s just here for a feel good time and to hopefully smooch someone she finds relatively attractive. if her reckless moves make it so that someone who honestly deserves to be here more than her gets a genuine shot with someone they genuinely like, she’s got no regrets. ❝ yeah, yer man’s a good one. here’s hoping he's not a pussy and actually gives the two of you a real chance. ❞

SEBASTIEN.

“lucky girl, getting into the hideaway right off.” he hands the blonde a drink as an offering, giving her a winning smile. “unfortunate it was with someone who you yourself said you would break up with, though, no? who else have you got an eye on?”

with @mvggedoff​ !

     KENNY'S BUZZING. IT’S NOT NEW for her to come out of a pile of shit with a diamond in her mouth, but to come out of a less than ideal recoupling ( or at least the reaction to it ) with a hideaway trip in her very first week ? yeah, she’s a happy little bee. taking the drink from seb, she snorts out a laugh at his pointed words. ❝ ah, yeah, wasn’t much of a leap that the public doesn’t have a lot of faith in us. i’m a bit shocked though. like, obviously the winners were going to get a date or somethin’, and i was just faffin’ about up there doing shite. romi easily could have thrown, so ... i don’t know. might be too early to throw in the towel. a lot can happen when the cameras are away. ❞ wishful thinking maybe, but she’s a betting woman, and that trait has worked out for her well so far.