(Untitled)

[filmstarbeauty]

"There's nothing there," Blair said fingering the double strand of pearls around her neck. Hair slicked back into a low knot at the base of her neck, she touched the coffee table. Not much, but what could one expect from a man who lived alone? It didn't matter really, he could be such a dear when he wanted to be

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[abrams_vanessa]

As soon as she entered the Waldorf Prison (as she liked to think of it) that old 'I don't belong here' instinct kicked in. She'd been here quite a few times by now, usually at parties she'd crashed, but the feeling never quite went away. With Dan now preoccupied with Serena - and boy, she had never been so glad not to be Serena van der Woodsen in her life - there was nothing for her to do but wait awkwardly.

Obviously Blair must be here but V valued her life enough not to go looking for her. What about Nate and Chuck, did they come back? Or are they like Dan, unhappily clueless?

Where was Dorota when a girl needed someone to talk to?

[throw_it_off]

It didn't take a genius to figure that Vanessa would be uncomfortable here, or that the only reason she'd be here at all without a video camera was because she was from the island too. So Nate headed over to her side without hesitation, wanting to give her some company and support. Kate couldn't blame him for that, not after what he'd gone through in her home with Eli.

"Hey," he said with an easy, friendly smile. "Really weird, huh? Back home and more than a year in the past."

[abrams_vanessa]

"Hey!" Vanessa answered, returning his smile. "This is beyond weird. I'm not even sure we know each other yet, back then." Even if that were true, she wasn't going to pretend she and Nate were near-strangers. It seemed like pretty much everyone here was also from the island, except one. "Dan is completely convinced I've dropped acid or something. He's doing that thing where he acts like he's humoring you but he's really thinking you're insane."

[throw_it_off]

Nate had to stop and think about that for a second, but the truth was he couldn't remember. His life from more than a year ago, his life from nine months ago, his life on the island-- it was too much to organize and keep straight.

He shook his head, then raised an eyebrow in a knowing sort of look. "Oh yeah. The 'I'm not judging you, but I sort of am' act?" Nate grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I can't really blame him. It's kind of ridiculous when you lay it all out in a penthouse."

[abrams_vanessa]

"I guess. I feel kind of bad for him. Not only are we all talking crazy, but he just got accidentally burned by Serena," she added. She looked around the room, trying to find him. "And he is apparently recovering quickly, as evidenced by the fact he's hitting on your girlfriend," Vanessa laughed.

[throw_it_off]

He'd been in the middle of a sympathetic grimace when Vanessa pointed out what Dan was up to. Nate stopped and glanced over his shoulder, eyes a little wide, but once the surprise faded he was grinning in amusement.

"Man, I hope he doesn't actually try anything," Nate said with a little laugh. "That could be painful."

[abrams_vanessa]

Vanessa watched Dan and Kate with a look of bemusement on her face. "We could sell tickets to this. A variation of Ultimate Fighting, only where Dan gets his ass handed to him."

A thought occurred to her and her eyes widened slightly. "I hope we hadn't started dating yet. If Kate mentions she's with you, Dan might try to punch you to defend my honor . . but uh, then Kate would punch him, and we're right back to selling tickets."

"What's with the tagalongs?" Vanessa asked, gesturing to Kate and Beat. She was a little confused as to why people who weren't from here had followed them home.

[throw_it_off]

"Oh, no way," Nate assured her, shaking his head. "My dad still thinks I was engaged to Blair like, last week. So no tickets sold for that fight," he said, more amused than disappointed.

"But I don't know." Nate offered a little shrug. "Kate and I woke up... or fell asleep? Whatever. We were in her New York like, two weeks ago. I showed up to that one too, along with nearly a dozen people. It just happens."