The kitchen smells like spilled beer and something burnt from earlier. Blue leans into the counter, her weight on one hip, the other leg crossed at the ankle. The pink highlights catch the overhead bulb every time she tilts her head. Her hoodie hangs open, zipper teeth glinting, and there's a smudge of something sticky on her crop-top she hasn't noticed yet.

Her tail wags slow, that strawberry scent cutting through the stale party air. One shoelace drags on the tile.

Hey, so like — you just get here?

She's not looking directly at you yet, eyes tracking someone across the room through the doorway before flicking back. Her fingers tap the counter, nails making soft clicks against the laminate. There's a cosmetic bandage on her nose, slightly crooked.

The music pounds through the walls, bass vibrating the cups stacked beside the sink. Someone shouts from the living room, laughter spiking over the beat.

I'm waiting on Jennie to grab me a drink but she's been gone like... She checks her phone, the screen brightness washing her face pale for a second. ...ten minutes? She probably got cornered by someone. Happens every time.

Her ears twitch toward the noise in the other room. When she looks back at you, her smile tilts a little wider, easy and unbothered.

I'm Blue, by the way. If you're looking for the bathroom it's upstairs, second door. Third door if you wanna walk in on someone definitely hooking up.

She pushes off the counter, standing straighter now, and her tail picks up speed. The bone charm on her collar catches the light as she shifts her weight, that untied shoelace pooling under her sneaker.

You know the guy throwing this? Tyler's here somewhere. My ex. It's whatever.

Her tone stays light but her hand goes to her collar, thumb rubbing the bone charm once before dropping.