#Mendoza made his choice

[phantomrose96]

Obsessed with the death imagery around Sampson btw. Smelling like a dead rat, skulking like a ghost. The last survivor of a dead world, only he's barely surviving, certainly not living. The idea of these cultural ascetics is super cool but feels unfathomably sad to me.

(938 Seconds Per Second)

-slams hands on the table- YES.

YES.

Sampson is a detached limb of a dead body. He's a lopped-off finger dropped in formaldehyde and declared "See! The flesh persists!" of a body that has perished.

There are many ways to be tragically and beautifully dead in metaphor. Sampson is not that. Sampson rots. He's off-putting. He disgusts. He's isolated and alone and just... exists half-dead and half-rotten, has to exist, no one is allowing him the dignity to deboard the ship, and live the rest of his human life, and die a human death as the last death of his culture.

He dies more, rots more, when Carson steals and destroys his tome, because Sampson is nothing but the aimless vestige of his culture, alive only to keep it alive... and what is alive? No one is learning the culture. It's not spreading. It's not growing. It's not being studied and remembered and appreciated. ...It's just Sampson, whose only duty is to persist, and persist as long as long as long as possible... as if infinite persistence is the same as life...

Carson was not joking when he said Sampson would kill himself in the wake of the cargo getting ransacked. Carson was dead-fucking correct to think Sampson would kill himself. Those cultural artifacts are all that Sampson stays half-alive for. They're all he is. If they were stolen on his watch, ostensibly by his own fault... Carson was dead-fucking correct.

[middle-name-queer]

A great thing about the good place is how all four of the main crew are actually self-centered

We commonly identify forms of self-centered behavior such as selfishness that is exemplified by Elenor. (aka "a Bad Person"), but then you have Chidi and Tehani. These two are far less classical in their self-centered behavior but are still self-centered, nevertheless.

The show makes Tehani's folly pretty clear, despite all her philanthropic acts she still centers herself in every situation. How she ended up there is actually parallel to Elenor's upbringing, the only real difference is the glitz and the glamour. They both had parents that were withholding for one reason or another, neither felt seen nor wanted and so one shut down to protect herself, the other made her entire existence a performance, either way they are deeply, deeply self-centered people.

But Chidi is my favorite, for the obvious reason that his self-centered behavior is the least obvious. Now of course it's made pretty clear to us as viewers but as a character within the world, for nearly all situations most people would judge Chidi as a good (albeit, sometimes annoying) person. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would out right call him self-centered... yet he is!

Chidi acts as though the world rests squarely on his shoulders, that each little choice he makes carries the weight to change the trajectory of humanity. Putting this into words pretty clearly illustrates the ridiculousness of it. It simply isn't reality, and it shows how, even though Chidi is a "good person" (vs Elenor and Jason) he is still susceptible to the very human condition of not looking past yourself. Another way to state it (as I'm sure many have before) he basically suffers from thinking he's a main character. (lol) Now, lucky for him he actually is one but translating this to real life you can see how people fall prey to this way of thinking, convoluting their lives due to the faulty belief that they, and they alone, can make or break the world around them.

This rolls around my brain like a marble because, I did this! For an embarrassingly long time in my youth, I truly felt the grief and horror that comes with thinking you, and you alone, can fix the world's problems. And I think this sort of thing isn't talked about enough because there isn't an obvious red flag of being a "bad person". Chidi is "good" and so there is a smoke screen effect hiding how poor his behavior actually is. (Can you tell I deeply identify with his character? 🤔)

Jason is an interesting case in his own right, because he's self-centered almost in the same way as a small child. I assume Donkey Doug was simply unequipped to help Jason develop past that stage in his upbringing, in tandem with say... other lifestyle choices, Jason's overall mental development is limited. He's an interesting example of how not all self-centered behavior is motivated by innate "selfishness". Jason is very much capable of empathy, generosity, and comradery, as shown by his relationship to Janet, lifelong friendships, and his participation and organization of a 60-person dance crew. This is in opposition to Elenor, a selfishly self-centered person who could not form meaningful or lasting relationships.

Jason Mendoza's behavior is more of a big kid who acts on impulse, this can obviously be perceived as "hurtful" and when done by a grown adult it may be judged as "he's a bad person". But when looking at his overall character it's clear that he doesn't make a single move with any ill intent or malice. You can easily reason with him in nearly all situations, even when he chooses to throw a molotov at a train, all it takes is grabbing him by the arm and telling him to knock it off. He doesn't argue or get defensive, unlike versions of Elenor who would tell you to "go fork yourself". Jason is only self-centered because he struggles to see the big picture, but when it's shown to him, more often than not he accepts it with a little guidance.

I have no end point here other than watching these characters exude self-centeredness in four distinctly different ways, only to then learn and better themselves, is a delight!

[el-moscorrofio-y-el-mercachifle]

I just finished watching Betty and finding your blog is godsend I love love all your Armando character analysis and all the armetty content, not only that but all the insight you have about the rest of the cast. One of the things I noticed while I was watching was that, Marcela and Armando absolutely don't like each other at ALL, even in recent episodes you can see how Marcela just barely tolerates Armando snsjdjfjjdj.

I find this so funny because certain parts of the fandom consider Betty a homewrecker?? There was never a home to wreck?? I mean all characters are morally grey but if we see Marcela in despair in later episodes I don't think it was out of heartbreak like Armando for Betty. I was wondering what you think about what Marcela felt for Armando and their relationship in general.

Once again I love scrolling through your blog and I also think Armando and Betty were the most logical endgame, they made each other worse they made each other better literally soulmates.

[sorry for the long question, I have these two in the brain]

Awww thank you!!! I'm glad you are enjoying my blog🥰

Oh, no, not the homewreaking thing! Even Armando says it once: "no one can steal me if I don't let myself be stolen". The novela made it so clear that it was a choice that ARMANDO made, and somehow my girlie Betty gets all the blame, as if we all didn't see ARMANDO pursuing her and begging her not to leave him all the time. Sure, Betty should have said NO, it IS morally wrong what she did, but Armando himself says that he wanted to leave Marcela for himself, not for Betty. We all know that, if Armando and Marcela had married, regardless of whether Betty or any other woman had appeared in their lives, they would have ended up divorcing. Some people simply have a super skewed perception and think that just because Armando and Marcela had an active sex life at the beginning of the show and that sometimes you got to see them happy, their relationship was fine. It wasn't, it never was. Armando was always cheating and Marcela was always spying and tracking his moves. There was no love, commitment, sincerity, or selflessness. It was all conditional. There was simply no home to wreak, like you say!

I definitely agree that Marcela and Armando don't like each other at all. They aren't compatible in any sense. They had fights for even the most mudane things, like what to do on a friday night or one of Armando's nightmares.

Marcela was not in love with Armando. She never was, or at the very least, not in any moment that we see her onscreen. Perhaps she was in the past, but from all we've seen, Marcela is mostly in love with the idea of Armando and is constantly angry and frustrated because he isn't what she pictures. She is mostly just obsessed with this idea she has of him. She wants to marry Armando but not really marry him like he is. We've seen she doesn't like his temper, his ego, his treatment of her, his interests, the people he gets along with, etc. I can't think of a single thing they like to do together or have in common except their high sex drive. She doesn't like anything about Armando's personality.

Armando and Marcela unfortunately share a very deep and old relationship, and I'm not talking about their romantic one. They're tied like a family. Margarita and Roberto are, in Marcela's eyes, practically her parents. Marcela herself says that all of the Mendoza and Valencia children were raised like siblings. This creates a very unfortunate dynamic in which no one really understands their place. Marcela and Armando are both like step siblings and also a couple, which, honestly, doesn't seem psychologically right. I can't really say, but I'm willing to bet this has to be bad for a person's development and view on relationships.

On top of that, Margarita says that it was Julio and Susana's dream to see Marcela and Armando marry. Both Margarita and Roberto make it very clear that they also want that relationship. Marcela and Armando are constantly encouraged to ignore all the obvious clues that the relationship is disastrous (like how Margarita tells Marcela she needs to be patient and wait for Armando to calm down and stop cheating, or how Roberto says they would never forgive Armando if he were to cancel the wedding). They are practically being encouraged by their parents (Roberto and Margarita, biological parents for Armando and practically adoptive parents for Marcela) to continue their relationship. In Marcela's case, she is unconsciously trying to fulfill her bio parents' last dream and also her new parents' hopes.

((This is speculation, but I'm also willing to bet that Marcela and Armando probably hesrd a lot of insinuations of them eventually becoming a couple since very young. I can't confirm that, but I wouldn't be surprised of this at all.))

So Marcela basically develops an obsession with having Armando. She doesn't love him, because she doesn't like anything that he is. She just has this idea that has probably been ingrained in her head throughout her life that they belong together, and if she clings to that relationship, it will eventually become as beautiful and amazing as her parents (all 4 of them) thought it would.

Additionally, having Armando is a prize. It's, in her eyes, her deserved prize after such a long time "fighting" for him. For having tolerated his lies and cheating, for getting all of his lovers away. Armando is not a partner for her, he's her reward. She sees herself as a martyr who desrves to earn him.

When the relationship breaks she is in dispair because she genuinely wanted a future with him, but not out of love but rather out of ego and obsession. Out of a desire to say "after all of this I finally won", which is why she is willing to take him back all the time even when it's obvious he can't stand her, there is no trust, and there is no love. They just cling to each other because of all the wrong reasons: ego, conformity, their parents, the business, expectations, etc. But not love. We never saw love.

It's an overall sad situation for both of them, which is why I genuinely pity both of them in this aspect even if they were both, objectively speaking, big POS to each other!

Thank you for this lovely ask! Sorry for the long reponse too😂🥰

[jerzwriter]

Consequences

Book:                   Open Heart

Pairing:                Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey MacTavish)

Featuring:           Ethan Ramsey, Vivian Carrick, Jordan Carrick, and introducing Eva Mendoza

Rating:                 Teen

Category:            Light Angst

Summary:           Ethan is being a wonderful friend but fails to make a good impression on a new doctor. A displeased Vivian confronts her youngest son.  Casey makes a new friend, and Jordan wants to make amends, but is Tobias ready?

Words:                 3500 (sorry! But there was a lot to cover)

A/N:                     A little drabble that takes place just a week after their wedding.

   @choices-november2022 - Day 15 - Conversations       

CHARACTERS BELONG TO PIXELBERRY STUDIOS.

Wedding & Baby Stories Masterlist Tobias & Casey Complete Masterlist My Full Masterlist

This is a follow-up to Best Men and a lead-up to Tobias & Casey’s wedding fic. You can read it as a stand-alone, but knowing the story in Best Men gives it more color.

It was the morning after, and Ethan was concerned about his friends. He invited Casey and Tobias to join him for breakfast in the cafeteria under the guise of discussing wedding items he was working on with Sienna, but he really wanted to see how they were after Tobias’s encounter with Jordan the night before.

Casey seemed fine, but as a diagnostician, he knew overcompensation when he saw it. Tobias was not himself, but Ethan was happy to see their conversation perked him up a little before Tobias was paged and needed to excuse himself.

Casey watched her fiance until he was no longer in the room, letting out a soft sigh once he was gone. Lost in thought, she was startled when Ethan spoke again.

“How is he doing?”

“He’s all right, but not great,” Casey shrugged, “It was… a lot.”

“It was. I’m surprised Jordan still has teeth.”

“Well, that wouldn’t have made anything better. Would it?”

“I guess not. How are you doing?”

“You mean other than being an unscrupulous golddigger tricking poor Tobias into marriage?”

Ethan chuckled ruefully. “Well, that should leave you exhausted in and of itself. But it can’t be fun to know someone spoke of you that way.”

“It’s not, and it hurts because it came from someone who means so much to Tobias. But I keep reminding myself that Jordan doesn’t know me. We’ve met three times, and I know I never did anything deserving of his tirade. That little outburst says much more about him than it does me.”

“That’s a very mature approach.”

“It’s the best I can do. What matters to me is Tobias. This should be a happy time for him, for both of us, and if I let my emotions get the best of me, it will only worsen it.”

“But you’re entitled to your feelings.” 

“I know. I’m just keeping them in check. It sucks that he won’t be at the wedding. With Tobias’s dad gone, he really wanted his mother and brother there.”

“Yes! Vivian. Is she aware yet?”

“Tobias didn’t mention if he told her, and I didn’t want to push.”

“If I had to guess, I’d say he didn’t. After all, we would have had mass casualties in the ER due to the explosion.”

“You make a good point,” Casey laughed. “She won’t be pleased. But on an up note, that’s one less handsome single man at the wedding. Your chances have been upped, Ramsey.”

“Oh, yeah,” he said sarcastically. “That was weighing on my mind!”

“It should be! Since you’re not bringing a guest.”

“I don’t need to bring a guest. I know almost everyone attending; it’s not necessary.”

“Ethan….”

“Casey, don’t play matchmaker. We know it doesn’t work.”

“What? I tried and failed once! If I gave up on everything that quickly, do you think I’d be sitting here at Edenbrook?”

“Mmm, but that was bettering yourself,” he said, beginning to stand, “not meddling in my life. Now, look at the time. What a shame, we have to go to our meeting.”

“Fine, but we’re not done with this conversation, buster.”

“Oh yes,” he assured. “We are.”

~~~~~ 

Across town, Jordan sat in his hotel room, staring at the phone ringing on the dresser. There was no need to look at the name flashing across the screen; he knew who was calling. Dragging his hands down the front of his face with a grimace, he considered letting it go to voicemail. But he knew how tenacious his mother was; there was no avoidance. He put the phone to his ear. 

“I’ve been expecting you.”

“Oh, have you?” Vivian snapped. “That’s good to know because it tells me you haven’t taken leave all your senses, just most of them!”

“Mom, before you start….”

“Oh no, young man. You have forfeited any right to call the shots. And we are not doing this by phone. I’m in your hotel lobby, and I strongly suggest you give me your room number. If not, I will make a scene worthy of a Tony award!”

“Wait.. what hotel are you in? I never told you where I was staying.”

“You know I have my sources. Now, will you give me a room number, or do I have to go and ruin our family's name?”

After a brief pause and a heavy sigh, Jordan mumbled, “604.”

Moments later, Jordan braced himself when he heard the first knock at his door. Vivian barreled in, barely glancing at her youngest son. Still, the second she did was enough for him to see the fury burning in her eyes. He instinctively rubbed his cheek, shocked that he had yet to feel the sting of her hand across his face. Certain it would be forthcoming, he locked the door and turned to face her wrath.

“Ma, I know what….”

“You don’t know a damn thing!” she interrupted. “If what your brother told me is true, then the only thing stopping me from slapping you into next year is if you tell me you suffered a psychotic break. Outside of that, young man, nothing will spare you. So tell me, have you suffered a psychotic break?”

“I haven’t.”

Without a word, Vivian marched across the room, and with a flick of her wrist, a loud slapping noise reverberated off the walls. There it was.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Your brother invites you to his home to share the most important news of his life, and what do you do?”

“Ma, I… know I overreacted….”

“Overreacted? The flinch you just made over that baby slap you got was overreacting. What you did last night was just cruel.”

“Mom… there are things you don’t know….”

“Really,” Vivian scoffed. Sitting in an antique chair, she placed her hands neatly atop her crossed legs. “Then you better clear your calendar because you’re going to tell me all I need to know. Are you going to tell me you have some sort of proof of the allegations you made?”

“No. But….”

“There are no buts!”

“Yes!” He insisted, “there are. I didn’t handle things well, but why are you, Kerry, and everyone so wrapped up in this… has one of you even stopped to consider I could be right?”

“Do you take me for a fool? If Casey were some gold-digging trollop, I would have sensed that a hundred miles away.”

“Would you?” he asked with raised eyes.

“Yes, I would.”

“Mom, do you remember Madison?”

“Who the hell is Madison?”

“The girl I brought to your garden party last spring.”

“Oh, yes. I remember her. Now there was your definition of a gold digger.”

“Well, gee, Mom! It might have been nice if you had told me that!”

“Why? Most of the women you’ve been with have been gold diggers, and you didn’t seem to care since you never had plans of settling down with any of them. But I fail to see how this is relevant to our conversation now.”

“Because,” he said, throwing his hands up in frustration. “I never told anyone because I wanted to be sure, but things became serious between us. I was planning to bring her home for the holidays and tell you then. I was crazy about her, Mom. I was even considering proposing.”

“You, what?”

“Don’t worry. Only one of your eternal bachelor sons is being taken off the market. We’re not together anymore.”

“I have a feeling there is more to this story.”

“There is.” Jordan let out a deep sigh, then sat on the edge of the bed, facing his mother. “Last week, I went to surprise her at work, flowers in hand and everything… I was about to go into her studio when I heard her talking about me with a co-worker. I decided to listen in. Like some idiot, I’m grinning, waiting to hear her gushing over how crazy she is about me…because I was that crazy about her.”

“And?”

“She seemed to be for a moment, then her friend asked if I had a brother, and Madison said he does. Then she said she should hook them up so neither of them would have to work again. I left, hoping it was a joke, giving her the benefit of the doubt. So I started digging and found out she’s been with her ex the entire time we were together. He knew but didn’t care. The plan was to stay with me just long enough that she could make out well in a divorce, then the two of them ride off into the sunset. They even said if we had a kid, it would be a lifelong meal ticket.”

Seeing the pain on her son’s face, she moved to sit next to him on the bed, gently placing a hand on his knee.

“Jordan…”

“It was the first time I ever cared about someone, Ma. And I was taken for a fool. So when Tobias told me he was getting married… it felt so out of the blue. Then he says they're expecting a child, and that’s where my mind went.”

“Son, I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through, but I assure you Casey isn’t Madison. She loves Tobias with all her heart, and he loves her back. This baby isn’t a trap; it’s a child conceived in love. One they both want very much.”

“Are you sure of that?”

“I am. I’ve spent ample time with them, and I know they have the real thing.”

“So I just made a giant ass out of myself.”

“Yes, an enormous one. You said some vile things about a lovely woman just weeks away from being my daughter-in-law. A woman who is carrying your brother’s child! She is already family in my eyes, and she would have been in your father's too. You know how important family was to him, and he would not have taken kindly to this.”

“I understand that you like her. I did too. But… wouldn’t you feel more comfortable if… I don’t know… if it were someone like Kerry. Someone that is in the same circles as us. Just to be sure….”

“Stop right there. You seem to forget that when I wed your father, I was not of his class. Are you saying I was beneath him? Exploiting him for his wealth?”

“Of course not.”

“Well, it sure sounds like you were saying that. If someone isn’t fortunate enough to be born into the upper echelon, they’re to be considered suspect? My family and my background are your legacy, too, son, every bit as much as the Carrick name is, and don’t you forget it! I didn’t raise you to be a snob!”

Knowing she was right, Jordan hung his head.  “I know, Ma.”

“Now you need to make amends.  You owe your brother and his future wife an apology.”

“I was pretty awful.  I wouldn’t even take the call if I were in his shoes.”

“And he may not.  But there’s only one way to find out, and that’s to call.  I suggest you do so.”

“I will.  I promise.”

“Good, son,” she said, taking his hand.  “Now, why don’t you tell me all about what happened with Madison.”

~~~~~

Back at Edenbrook, Casey was in the team’s office, eager to wrap up her day in the team’s office, when she heard the voice of someone she needed to speak with outside. Springing to her feet, she rushed to the door as the voice faded down the hall.

“Dr. Mendoza!” She yelled down the hallway. “Dr. Mendoza!”

A statuesque woman with brown hair pinned into a loose bun turned around, smiling broadly when she saw it was Casey.  “Dr. MacTavish, how are you?”

“I’m good,” Casey said, catching her breath as she caught up to her.  “You look relieved.” 

“I am. Let’s just say not all of the doctors at Edenbrook have been as… polite… as you.” 

“Uh, oh. You’ve only been here a week, and people are giving you grief already? You need to give me a list of names so I can reprimand them!” 

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m pretty tough,” she winked. “I can take them on.” 

“Of that, I have no doubt. But I stopped you because Dr. Chong said I should consult with you about that patient we discussed. Her case is still a mystery, but I still think an auto-immune issue is the culprit. Since she’s had infertility issues too….” 

“I finally had a chance to look over her charts, and I agree with you. Most of her infertility testing was done at Brigham, but I think we should start from scratch. I feel like they missed something.” 

“I agree! If you have a few moments, the DT office is empty.  We can go brainstorm, and I’ll even give you coffee from the good coffee machine.” 

“The good machine?” Dr. Mendoza asked. 

“It’s a long story.” 

Twenty minutes later, the two women had a plan of action, and Casey vowed to help her fast friend get quality coffee whenever she needed it.  

“This has to be the best-kept secret in the hospital,” Dr. Mendoza laughed. “I’m honored you let me in on it.” 

“I’ve got a good feeling about you, Dr. Mendoza.” 

“Oh, please. If we’re going to be friends, it’s Eva.” 

“Then Eva it is….” 

“Baby, are you almost ready? I’m going to get the car….” Tobias looked up from his chart, startled to see someone else in the office. “Oh… I’m sorry…” his face fell slightly as he nodded curtly. “Mendoza.” 

“Carrick,” Eva repeated in the same manner. 

“You two have met?” Casey asked. “Wait! He wasn’t one of the doctors giving you trouble. Was he?” 

“At Edenbrook? No. But I’ve had my run-ins with Dr. Carrick in the past.” 

“Really?” 

“What can I say, dear. Eva was one of the few people who wasn’t susceptible to my charms.” 

“Oh, for the love of God,” Casey groaned. “Tell me this isn’t another woman you tried to put the moves on before me.”   

Eva broke into a fit of laughter. “Oh, I wish he had. I would have loved the opportunity to reject him.” 

“Too bad you never got it,” Tobias smirked. 

“OK, are one of you going to tell me how you know each other?” 

“Boston University,” Eva offered. “He taught two of my med school courses, and he didn’t like that I challenged him.” 

“Challenged me? You were an impossible pain-in-the-ass who held the class up needlessly to think of things from a hundred angles when only ten were necessary.” 

“You’re just pissed that sometimes I proved you wrong!” 

“But most of the time, I proved you wrong.  Casey, can you tell her that when….” 

“Oh, no!” Casey laughed. “I am not getting in the middle of an ancient grudge match between this brilliant woman who is my newly minted friend and my beloved fiance.” 

“Fiance?” Eva blurted. “He’s responsible for that massive rock on your finger.” 

“What can I say?” Tobias grinned, “I have impeccable taste.” 

“If you proposed to Casey, then yes. You definitely do,” turning to Casey, she continued, “You, on the other hand….” 

“OK. Let’s be nice to my future husband,” Casey scolded playfully. 

“Sorry,” she said jokingly. “There is no way I’m going to be nice to Carrick.” 

“In that case, I may have to rethink my opinion of you,” Ethan grumbled as he entered the room. 

Eva rolled her eyes, “Oh, you too. This is my lucky day!” 

“OK, he’s definitely of the doctors giving you a hard time?” 

“Bingo!” Eva chimed. 

“Casey,” Ethan complained. “As your best man, I resent that you were so fast to assume it was me.” 

“Ethan, please. I love you, but my initial assessment of you was that you were an asshole.” 

“She’s an excellent judge of character,” Tobias injected as Ethan shot him a dirty look. 

“Did I ask you’re opinion?” 

“Ethan,” Casey said, bringing the attention back to the point. “You need to be nice. Eva will be working with us on Mrs. Sosa’s case, and she’s officially my new friend.” 

“You have enough friends, MacTavish. Must you add more?” 

“You can never have enough friends,” Casey grinned. 

“As much as I hate to break this little party up,” Tobias interrupted, “our shifts ended an hour ago, and we….” “I know,”  Casey agreed.  “We have wedding stuff to do.” 

“Well, if you’re leaving, so am I. I’m not going to be alone with Dr. Grumpy Pants, no matter how good of a coffee machine he has.” 

Ethan looked at Casey with an incredulous look on his face. “You told her about my coffee machine?!” 

“Oh, look at the time, gotta run….” Casey grinned as she and Tobias rushed to the elevator. 

Once alone inside, Casey gave him a quick hug. “What’s going on? We don’t have wedding stuff tonight.” 

“You’re perceptive,” he smiled. “Thanks for getting us out of there. I got a call from Jordan, and he wants to speak.” 

“Oh, so are you going to?" 

“I don’t know.”

“I suppose you should hear what he has to say.” 

“After what he said about you last night? I really don’t give a damn about what he has to say.” 

“I understand that,” she said, taking his hand, “this has to be your choice. But I’ll support you regardless of what you decide.” 

“I appreciate that, but right now, all I want to do is get my pregnant fiance home to rest.” 

“I’m fine, Tobias, I can….” 

“Uh, uh, uh. Do you want me to bring Ethan into this?” 

“Nope. Let me just get home and get off my feet!” 

~~~~~

 Several hours later, Casey was asleep in their bedroom while Tobias worked in his office down the hall.  He played his voice messages on speaker mode as he checked his e-mails. 

“… Hi, it’s Ethan.  I just wanted to let you know Sienna, and I finalized the plans for the joint bachelor/bachelorette party. Call me when you have a chance to discuss….” 

He deleted and listened to the next. 

“… Hey, bro.  It’s me again.  Look, I get that you probably don’t want to talk to me, and I understand why.  But if you could give me just five minutes, I’d like to….” 

He hit delete before hearing the whole message and resumed his work.  Still, he couldn’t stay focused, no matter how hard he tried.  His phone rang again, and Jordan’s picture flashed on the screen.  He muted the ringer, then, warring with himself, he picked up the phone. 

“You have exactly five minutes starting right now,” Tobias scowled. 

“Hey, T. Thanks for answering….” 

“The clock is ticking.” 

“Look, I’d love to see you so we could do this in person….” 

“Not happening.” 

“OK, so I’ll do it here.  I owe you an apology.” 

“You owe me nothing.  You owe my pregnant fiancee, the woman I love more than anything in this world, an apology.” 

“And I’d… I’d be happy to give it to her if….” 

“Well, you’re not.  Not now.  She’s in her first trimester, and it’s my job to make her life as stress-free as possible.  You’re going nowhere near her.” 

“I understand.  But then, can I meet with you? I want to explain….” 

“I don’t want to hear an explanation, Jordan.  It sounds too much like an excuse, and there is no excuse for you disparaging Casey and mocking us for expecting a child together.  There is no excuse for that, and I’m under no obligation to forgive you.” 

“I… I understand, but… can we just talk? There are things you don’t know that….” 

“Not now.  I can’t.  I’m furious, and I’m not ready to make nice.  You’re on my schedule now, and I’ll call you when and if I’m ready to hear what you have to say.” 

“OK, that’s fair.  It’s just that your wedding is just weeks away, and….” 

“Yes, it is.  And this is supposed to be one of the happiest times of our lives, and I’m ensuring it will be by keeping you away.  Am I clear?” 

“Crystal.” 

“Good.  Now don’t call me. The next move is mine.” 

He hung up the phone, then removed his glasses to rub his eyes. Standing up to walk across the moonlit room, a framed photo caught his eye.  A much younger Tobias playing on the beach with his father.  He took the frame in his hand and smiled.  He waited too long to repair the damage with his dad, and he learned the hard way that time waits for no one.  But his dad never insulted the woman he loved.  His dad never mocked the biggest blessing that ever happened to him.  

Tobias put the photo back in its spot and continued to the window.  Staring out into the night sky, he considered began thinking of what his father would want him to do.  But he wasn’t ready.  

“Tobias?” Casey called from down the hall.  He knew the tone in her voice, she was probably having a nightmare, and he rushed to be with her. 

“Coming, baby.” 

He knew what mattered: Casey and their child.  Everything else would have to wait.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @choices-november2022

[aces-and-angels]

Hi! I was wondering what exactly the windverse is lol I’ve seen it loads recently and i am just lost😂

dear anon- you are my favorite person

@oh-so-youre-a-nerd explains it pretty well here, but i'll take a crack at guiding you through everything too lol

wind velez- the wonderful oc owned by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd- is at the center of it all (hence the title into the windverse). their story is a reimagining of events following the end of book 1 of laws of attraction + incorporates characters from other choices stories (ex. crimes of passion, it lives anthology)

why do this at all? well it essentially boils down to us thinking martin deserved a better portrayal than what he got in book 2. gabe, a senior partner, being able to easily leave mcgraw byrne and essentially run them into the ground with his new startup also made no sense to me personally. (the actual case surrounding book 2 w/ the conservatorship scheme was p interesting tho, imo)

anyways...

sadie's untimely "retirement" from the firm leaves everyone else up to their necks in casework. that's where @saibug1022's oc, magnus bishop, comes in. he is mcgraw byrne's latest hire (recommended by wind)- along with joaquin morales (recommended by martin)- both brought in essentially to ease the burden on the rest of the staff

while mcgraw byrne attempts to stay afloat under the less than stellar leadership of eli byrne- there's another competitor surfacing. old friends turned rivals who've patiently waited for the day the great sadie mcgraw falls: agnes park and jina davis aka the founding partners of park & davis. and with them- is my blorbo, enid mendoza.

there's a lot left to be told; betrayals to uncover, traumas to unearth, romances to blossom, merges to be made~ it's all very exciting (to us at least lol)

here's the masterlist of into the windverse if you're interested- it's an ongoing list of fics/art for our lil au 🖤; there are also some miscellaneous hcs floating between all three of our blogs (@oh-so-youre-a-nerd, @saibug1022, and mine) that would take forever to link one by one but do exist lol

[walker-extended-universe]

Walkerverse Hiatus Creations

Week 3- Favorite Episode

Walker Submission- 1x18 "Drive"

While there is a lot to love about 1x18 “Drive”, I have to say my favorite element is the wild twist we got that revealed Stan Morrison, long-time Walker family friend, was the man who killed Emily Walker. This twist reveal, and how well it was done, is part of why I was so disappointed with the shoddy twists and turns we were given in season 2. I want to talk a little about why this twist worked so well.

Set up and Pay off

If you’re going to have a good, shocking twist that leaves the audience satisfied instead of scratching their heads, you need to lay the groundwork for it. Leaving behind little clues and foreshadowing details that leave the audience wondering and create an “A-ha!” moment when the reveal comes is a hallmark of good writing

The buildup to this reveal was subtle but satisfying on two fronts: Stan’s character and Emily’s Murder investigation.

Stan’s character reveal was slow. Initially, he was just a family friend. Then, he was Liam’s competition for the District Attorney race and one that we’re led to believe wouldn’t be the best choice. Towards the end of the series, we got to see more of Stan’s politician side, the smooth-talking guy who’s there to protect the old guard and keep the status quo. It’s not hard to believe that this was the kind of guy who would cover up the murder of someone he professed to care about just to save his own skin.

The way Emily’s murder case was handled also lays the groundwork for this. From what we learn in exposition conversations and flashbacks, Carlos Mendoza’s paid confession was accepted very quickly and he was sent to jail. But then we learn that Carlos had a medical condition that meant he literally couldn’t have committed the murder. Isn’t that something that should’ve been caught in the initial investigation? And what about the fact that he was bed bound in the hospital until hours after Emily’s death? And did no one even bother to check into the poker chip???

All these questions about how the investigation was handled- or rather, mishandled- leads the audience to the conclusion that there must have been someone on the inside covering things up. Finding out that Stan Morrison, a person with a lot of influence in the DPS and the Rangers, had a hand in this fills in those plot holes nicely.

Closure and intimacy

The initial answer to the question “Who killed Emily Walker?” was Carlos Mendoza, a man that had no face for 5 episodes and confessed out of nowhere prior to the start of the series. 

After it was revealed that he was actually paid off to confess and had nothing to do with the murder, we were led on a hunt for a new killer, who turned out to be an NSN member named Cali. Cali was found very quickly and the reveal was a bit lacking as a result. Emily was killed for no reason by a woman who felt no remorse, and Cordell didn’t even get to make the killing shot that took her out of the picture. For me, this made Cali an unsatisfying antagonist.

Stan Morrison’s reveal felt so much more real. Not only was there proper set up for his involvement in the murder, thus giving us better closure than “random lady #5”, but there’s an added layer of betrayal and heartbreak that someone so close to this family would do something like this.

The scene where Stan confesses his crime to the entire Walker family at the scene of Emily’s murder is one of the most heart wrenching things of the series. Watching the Walker family realize that this man, who they trusted for as long as they knew him, would do something so horrible and cover it up with a smile on his face is nearly as heartbreaking for us as it must have been for them.

Resolution and Peace

Quite possibly the best part of this storyline is that Cordell has some level of agency. For both Carlos and Cali, Cordell’s agency was taken away from him. With Carlos, everyone around him refused to listen to his (in hindsight) reasonable concerns about how the case was handled and treated him like he was looking for answers where there were none. With Cali, James and Geri did a lot of the legwork for the investigation and ultimately it was Geri that made the killing shot.

For Stan, Cordell got to be actively involved with the case and make the final call on how justice would be served. It was his decision to apologize to Carlos Mendoza and, thus, learn about Stan’s involvement. It was his decision to aim for a confession out of Stan instead of just killing him. It was his decision to gather everyone at the site of Emily’s death. He was in control every step of the way.

This level of agency, I think, gave Cordell a measure of closure. He finally got the answers he deserved, he got the satisfaction of knowing he was right all along, and he got the pleasure of making sure Stan got what he deserved. The parting shot of Emily smiling as she watches over her family is a fitting conclusion to this story.

This is just one of the reasons why I love this episode so much but it's one that I think deserves special attention. Truly a great example of what the Walker writers are capable of. I can only hope they can continue to meet that standard.

[qvarrelsome]

╰ ┈ [ ewan mcgregor , fifty , cis male , he/his ] in the time of dragons , MATARYS MARTELL NEE TARGARYEN is entering the game of thrones . said to be compassionate + vivacious , we can only hope that is the case as regrettably they are also well known to be absent-minded + garrulous . when asked about them , people are always reminded of a kind smile & a twinkle in his eyes; a vacant expression, a clear sign that one's mind is elsewhere and long, restless nights of little sleep . though they are the RULING PRINCE OF THE TOWER OF JOY , their true loyalties lie with houses targaryen & martell and rumour has it that if given the choice they would support THE PEACE TREATY above all else . those of us in the shadows wish them luck and can only hope they will survive what is to come .

basics

name: matarys martell nee targaryen

age: fifty

title: ruling prince of the tower of joy

allegiance: houses targaryen & martell

gender, pronouns: cis male & he/his

sexuality: bisexual, biromantic

martial status: happily married

familial

father: king jaehaerys iii targaryen

mother: gwaenn belaerys

siblings: lucerys targaryen

extended family: there are a lot of them

spouse: the ruling princess of the tower of joy

children: tbd.

dragon

name: joffrey (many people tried to convince him to change this, unfortunately it stuck)

coloring: color palette.

characteristics: as far as dragon's go, joffrey is considerably friendly. he'll allow people to approach, event pet him, along as matarys is present. he is also incredibly loyal to his rider.

physical

hair color: brown

eye color: blue

height: 5'10''

build: athletic

personality

traits: absent-minded, garrulous, compassionate, vivacious

mbti: enfp

temperament: sanguine

moral alignment: lawful neutral

character parallels: scott lang (ant-man), theodore laurence (little women), jason mendoza (the good place), click here for characters quiz results.

biography -

the younger of the sons born to king jaehaerys iii and his wife gwaenn belaerys, the spare as some would say. and while it was true, no one ever expected matarys to ascend the throne he wasn't treated any differently.

he was never jealous of his older brother either, he saw the pressures placed on lucerys and found himself feeling quite relieved he'd never have to experience them.

on top of this, he was a remarkably well-behaved child, doing everything that was expected of him and more. it wasn't long before his parents started using him for "diplomatic" purposes, sending him to visit the houses of westeros.

matarys absolutely loved getting to travel the continent, meeting new people and representing his house. he quickly discovered just how much he enjoyed being away from king's landing. but it was his home, and he loved his family so he always made a point of returning.

he made his first visit to essos at the age of twenty - visiting braavos, lys, pentos and volantis before returning home. he's returned several times over the years, always returning with new luxuries and stories.

MORE DETAILS TBD. sometime around his twenty fifth birthday, matarys married the princess of the tower of joy. it was arranged, but he didn't mind, and he came to love his wife very much. he took her last name.

they would go on to adopt three children. being a husband & dad is his absolute favorite thing in the world ! he loves to brag about his children !

fun facts -

being a husband & a dad are literally his favorite things in the world. he loves to brag about his wife & kids and could easily talk about them for hours.

i have no doubt in my mind this man would be a swiftie.

he's honestly not that smart, but he doesn't let it affect him. granted this hasn't been much of a problem considering he's a prince. it's also possible he has some sort of learning disability.

this man has an incredibly short attention span.

he's never been much of a fighter, per say, but he's not a pacifist. he just doesn't enjoy participating in tourneys. though he does enjoy watching them.

he is incredibly politically savvy, but he doesn't care much for politics.

he's somewhat of a collector, collecting art and trinkets from around the world. there's no particular rhyme or reason to any of the items he collects, he just finds them to be neat !

wanted connections -

his wife & children.

friends. i want him to have all the friends okay ! he's just incredibly friendly, i feel like it would make sense for him to have a lot of friends.

exes. from his youth ! seeing as he spent a considerable amount of time traveling the continent, i think it'd make sense that he has more than a few exes. because he knew he'd never be staying in one place for too long, i'd like to imagine they ended on good terms !

possibly a paramour. this one will have to wait until after we get his wife, but it's a possibility !

honestly any type of wanted connection is welcome !

[naoko-world]

The good place final review

Last Saturday the wonderful @thecrazyashley-blog casually mentioned The good place in my DMs, telling me I may definitely love it, and she was so right! I literally couldn't stop, I started to check it out a bit on Saturday, started season 2 on Sunday, and finished it today Thursday (at least at the moment I’m writing that)!

Synopsis:

After her death, Eleanor is sent to the good place...But by mistake. And it's up to Chidi, the only one who knows it, to save her from being sent to the bad place.

Of course, a lot of spoilers incoming!

Overturning the cliches:

I love how I expected a lot of things that never were revealed true. Like I feel I've often been taken for an idiot! And the first revelation to make me feel that way is the Taiwanese monk being actually Jason Mendoza, a man from Jacksonville, FL, of Philippines origin who did robberies on earth with his dad and his best friend.

Another one of them is the judge actually being not so sensible and all-knowing and more like a stubborn, hard to convince, series addict.

Also how you expect things like the characters having their life improved when they're send back to earth to actually become way worse. Or worse: Trevor who doesn't stay long in the end when you expected him to be a pain in the ass for many episodes.

And, of course, the mass of revelations like how they're actually all in the bad place, or how the bad place didn't do anything bad that would have sent everyone to the bad place.

I feel like an idiot but I love it lol!

The characters:

Now I'll be talking about the characters! 

I love how they're all so different and somehow so perfect for each other to improve.

As some examples: Chidi needed Jason to learn how to be more spontaneous, Tahani needed Eleanor to become more humble, and Eleanor needed Tahani to trust people more.

My favorite character is Tahani because she's like an incredible woman who was doing good deeds on earth like donating to charity, but whose only motivation was to be more popular than her sister Kamila. What I find the most meaningful regarding her problem is that her jealousy literally killed her! She was so driven by it that she pulled a statue of Kamila toward her, which crushed her to death in front of a whole crowd.

But then, she realized what the real problem was: the pressure her parents put on both of them, and Kamila was also suffering from it!

And the four main human characters are living about the same thing through the 4 seasons for their own problems.

I love Michael & Janet’s too, how they are slowly becoming more human, literally for Michael.

The main villain is pretty neat too, he has a kind of evil in him he can't even control but makes him so interesting.

The philosophy in the series:

The heart of the series is the philosophy. To save Eleanor, then Jason, then Tahani, then Michael, then a bit everyone, Chidi is using philosophy as a way to make you think about the concepts of good and bad.

Like it could have been made in a boring way, so we would feel we're in a classroom instead of watching a comedic series, but it actually blends perfectly with the tone of the series! It's so fun to watch Chidi move before his board and explain the concept to his students.

I love too how it shows how useful, but also how complicated it can be!

I'll give the trolley problem as an example! First, the series talks about the base: a group of people on a railroad, a single one on another. Then, the single person is someone we know. Then, it's about who to save between patients in an hospital, to end with how to tell the family they're dead and why. It's not that obvious to understand the good choices to make to be a good person in these cases.

Life is complicated:

But they're even more complicated nowadays, and we start to understand it from season 3, when the four humans are sent back to earth to prove they could have changed there too.

But a lot of disappointment ensue. When acting for good causes, Eleanor gets in exchange a miserable life, Chidi learns that eating a muffin he loves will participate in children's work and it makes him hesitate on everything again, Tahani is living for fame again while she tried to live a more humble life, and Jason lost too many dances competitions not to finally give up on earning an honest life.

That aspect though is perfectly summarized when talking to the judge of the afterlife afterwards: if you want to buy a tomato it's very complicated not to buy a tomato that'll cost you points because of some consequences it'll provoke, even with the access to Internet. The judge tried, and when looking for a tomato exactly like she wanted she found porn.

Even Dough Forcett! That man found out about the reality of the afterlife and got so obsessed by it he lived a miserable life! Even he will not be able to reach the good place!

And that's true! Why the afterlife will need to change, and I love how they changed it! In the bad place...And in the good place too. It was a surprise to discover what actually happens there, but actually pretty logical.

The end:

Then you have the end of the series: how do we resolve these issues?

Season 4 is basically about these questions, and the answers are so satisfying! Like eating chocolate after a bad day (or after the end of a series that made you cry...)! I love too how they convince the judge, but then the judge wants to reboot humanity so they must find another solution very quickly.

Then they go the The good place and there people basically became zombies because they just live their eternal life because they don't have any other choice.

But what is even more satisfying is each main character's fate! I won't spoil them there just in case but it was so perfect for them, especially Tahani! I mean, she was made for this fate!

Also I think Chidi and Eleanor's is what made me cry too...Though I'm so happy they ended up as a happy couple! They're the best couple I love them.

If I had to talk about every aspect of that series that review would go way too long! So I'll end it there, and with a promise to myself I'll watch it again because it's totally worth it!

[vaqro-a]

PREFACE : ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤi would like to state that i do not acknowledge the name that was formerly attributed to cole cassidy,ㅤ the one most often referred to as "the cowboy's dead / old name." ㅤㅤi don’t believe that the choice made by blizzard provides even the bare minimum in terms of restitution to their employees, ㅤnor do i believe that it takes sufficient measures against that terrible man. ㅤㅤhowever, ㅤi am aware that the former name connotes a recognition that he does not require ; ㅤfor this reason,ㅤ i have refrained from using it at any point in this or any of my pieces regarding this character, ㅤand i have no intention to use it. ㅤㅤin my canon, ㅤCOLE CASSIDY,ㅤwhile not the name he was born with, ㅤis the name he adopts and becomes his most recognizable alias throughout his life. ㅤㅤwith that out of the way, ㅤlet us begin dissecting the many identities of one cowboy.

carlos josé mendoza cárdenas was a boy that came from a joyful and complete home.ㅤㅤ he spent his childhood on his family's ranch, ㅤwhere he was responsible for the care of the sheep and cattle, ㅤrode horses, ㅤmade friends with the farm dogs, ㅤgot into trouble with his siblings, ㅤand received cuddles from his father. ㅤㅤon more than one occasion, ㅤhe slept off while resting his head on his mother's deep blue serape. ㅤㅤup until the age of twelve, ㅤthe sky appeared to be boundless, ㅤand each daybreak heralded a fresh opportunity for him to embark on an exciting new journey. ㅤㅤcarlos cárdenas died alongside his family.

what walked out of that massacre made his way to texas, ㅤand much like the case of many other orphaned children following the crisis,ㅤ no one really paid attention to just another abandoned brown child on the streets.ㅤㅤ soon enough, ㅤhe found himself working in a pork meat plant as a waste collector. ㅤㅤcassidy was the one he decided to go with when he needed a name. ㅤㅤcole came after, ㅤonce he was fired from the pork factory, ㅤwhen he signed theㅤ[  equally phony  ]ㅤdocuments required to get a job on the megafarm which he would work a few more years. ㅤㅤcole cassidy emerged through this process as a young man who was rough around the edges yet kind, ㅤwith fire in his eyes and a keen aim. ㅤㅤa sunset chaser, ㅤa leader of a criminal organization, ㅤa firearms dearler. ㅤㅤa rebel without a cause.

a blackwatch agent. 

cole developed a remarkable aptitude for performing undercover work as time passed. ㅤㅤthe cowboy was a true chameleon when it came to adopting new identities, ㅤinfiltrating new areas, ㅤand obtaining information from a diverse range of individuals, ㅤdespite what appeared to be his natural inclination for being loud and brash. ㅤㅤin the same way that he was one of the best marksmen on the ground, ㅤgabriel reyes relied on him as his eyes on the field for the purposes of reconnaissance and surveillance.ㅤㅤ this kind of operation certainly required a lot of different fabricated identities, ㅤand for a man who already had to craft himself anew, ㅤit was simple to develop something that held traces of himself but was yet far enough from the baseline to avoid being compromised. ㅤㅤit also gave cole the opportunity to write and perform other stories,ㅤ experience different lives, ㅤand a way for him to get a glimpse into what the small kid who lives inside of him may have grown up to be.

among other names, ㅤcole cassidy is also known as :

JOEL MORRICONE ㅤㅤdenotes himself as a coffee drinker, white hat wearer, and pundit for hire, ㅤwho was born in mexico but raised in the united kingdom. ㅤㅤhe takes a deep interest in both criminal activity and political matters ; ㅤㅤhe maintains his own blog with weekly updatesㅤ[  whenever feasible  ],ㅤ  and he also contributes columns and thoughts to an independent newspaper.ㅤㅤ joel had been in what seemed to be an endless relationship with bernard baldwin, ㅤa much older baker from los angeles ;ㅤ nevertheless, ㅤafter joel lost his arm, ㅤbernard broke up their relationship. ㅤㅤsingle and recovered from the physical and emotional trauma, ㅤjoel now is doing a significant amount of travelling throughout the world to report on the proliferation of the null sector and many other unsavory activities.

BRUNO LEONE ㅤㅤis a single, ㅤitalian young man. ㅤas a result of his brother enzo's untimely death in vienna while closing his photography studio,ㅤ bruno was unable to complete his education and so never received his diploma.ㅤ bruno was forced to abandon his studies as a result of the impact of the loss of his brother,ㅤ who represented everything he had to offer in the way of a familyㅤ[  mother being an addict who overdosed when they were eighteen, father having walked out when the twins were two  ]. ㅤㅤbecause he is now saddled with debt,ㅤ bruno is forced to take odd jobs in order to make ends meet and continue living his life.ㅤㅤa memorable occasion was eight years ago, ㅤwhen bruno was fire from his job as a waiter for mouthing off against his manager ; ㅤhe had only got the job a month prior but had no patience for pushy employers and the snob clientele of the establishment.

MAVERICK LOGANN ㅤㅤis a bounty hunter and contract killer, ㅤand his place of birth is unknown. ㅤㅤa man who appears to care about very little, ㅤif anything at all, ㅤother than the amount of money in his pocket. ㅤㅤas a hired assassin, ㅤit would appear that he specializes in sniper and long - distance kills. ㅤㅤa vicious individual who does not like to have his boundaries tested yet appreciates a job well done when he sees it.

JEROME MCGINNISㅤㅤ is a skilled tradesman who is married to courtney and is a father to a beautiful daughter called alicia.ㅤㅤ a canadian citizen who resides in quebec with his wife and daughter, although the the majority of his time these days is spent away from home due to job obligations.

CARSON REEVES ㅤㅤis a fitness trainer and is currently single.ㅤㅤ grew up in wales as the son of a mexican immigrant mother and a welsh guy for a father.ㅤㅤ his parents got a divorce when he was a child.ㅤㅤ although he never attended college, ㅤhe did participate in badminton and rugby while he was in high school but was never good enough to play professionally.ㅤㅤ possesses a vicious temper and spends entirely too much time on the couch watching television and drinking beer on the weekends.

JEFF WAYNE ㅤㅤis a prominent american socialite. ㅤㅤbecause of the omnic crisis, ㅤjeffrey "jeff" wayne was an orphan and had to go through a number of different foster homes before finally settling down with carmen and reagan wayne. ㅤㅤafterwards, ㅤhe was raised in a life of plenty and luxury by his adoptive parents, ㅤwho provided him with everything but the love and attention he so desperately craved as a child. ㅤㅤmet his girlfriend, ㅤbrianna, ㅤwhile he was in college studying economics and philosophy. ㅤㅤshe passed away in a tragic accident not long ago.

[badassbutterfly1987]

Day 2: Chance

Fandom: Dresden Files

Group: Susan Rodriguez + Maggie Dresden

Tags: Changes AU

Summary: Susan gets a second chance with her daughter.

They'd won the battle. The Red Court was destroyed. Martin, who'd betrayed her then played the willing sacrifice, was dead. She was fully human again. Her daughter was safe. 

Harry would never forgive her for what she did. Martin's blood was on her hands. She'd committed genocide. Most of the rest of the Fellowship, colleagues she had at least gotten along with, had aged into dust. The Mendozas were dead and her daughter, the sweet girl she had just wanted to keep safe, was traumatized. 

Maggie was sleeping now at least, resting safely in her arms. 

She'd been selfish and scared and these were the consequences. Putting Maggie with Marta and Julio Mendoza, normal humans that she had trusted and believed could give her daughter a normal safe childhood, had seemed the safest decision at the time; she still believed that but she should have told Harry. 

But Susan had kept finding excuses not to. It wasn't safe to travel when pregnant, not with how many enemies she had. Not safe to travel with a newborn either. There was a war going on and any nearby Wardens might identify her as the enemy, or part of the problem that started the war. Wasn't the kind of thing to tell an ex about over phone or letter either. 

The longer she delayed, the easier it was to just... not say anything. 

Susan had managed to convince herself that Harry wouldn't like the news. Maybe he would be angry that his ex was still causing him problems. Maybe he would alert the Wardens; there was no telling what the child of a half-turned Red Court vampire would be like. Maybe he would want to raise their daughter alone. Maybe he would insist they would be better parents if they were a couple again and want her to stay in Chicago with him; she'd probably have to stop directly helping the Fellowship in South America, giving up on the mission that had sustained her.

Most likely he would have just wanted to meet his daughter, try to find a place for her in his crazy magic-filled life. But Susan had taken that choice from him. 

She heard footsteps. Looking up, she saw Karrin Murphy approaching. She was tired after everything but there was still a sliver of unease; it was ridiculous to think that Maggie would be taken from her, but she was also the woman who had put her child in danger because of poor choices so it was hard to say. Besides, it wasn't as if Murphy had ever seemed fond of her.

But Murphy didn't do that, just sat beside her, looking as exhausted as Susan felt. 

"How is everyone else?" she asked to fill the silence. 

"Molly and a couple others were injured but no deaths. That's something at least."

"That's good," Susan replied. 

She should formulate a plan, find something to do. But she still had her sleeping daughter in her arms and Harry definitely wouldn't appreciate them wandering off. She just hated the waiting and not knowing what would come next. 

"I talked to Michael," Murphy said suddenly. "The Carpenters would be willing to take Maggie in."

Susan took a moment to think about it. The Carpenters seemed like good people, although she had only met them in passing a few times. They would keep her safe, like the Mendozas had tried to. Still, she hesitated. 

Another foster family, people that would be strangers to Maggie. Giving her up again seemed the easy way out. She'd made a mistake and now she had to make up for the damage she caused. Besides, she had the chance to be a proper mother. She needed Maggie, just as much as Maggie needed her. She didn't have anything else left.

"She's my daughter," Susan stated firmly. "I should be around for her. Maggie's my responsibility."

If Murphy thought her a hypocrite for denying Harry that options, she chose not to voice it. 

"All right, then you two can stay at my place." With that, Murphy walked away, probably to talk to Harry.

Susan sat with that for a bit. It was unexpected and might not go well. 

But she could work with it, and then she could figure out where she stood with Harry.

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

READY TO GET LUCKY?!Second Time Lucky by Maddie Taylor is now live everywhere!

Universal: https://geni.us/SecondTimeLucky BLURB:

Mara Westbrook knows precisely what it's like to have no one to rely on. It's one of the many life experiences that makes her such a wonderful nurse. Tending to the wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center gives her purpose, and one very irresistible patient constantly reminds her that someday, when she's finally made peace with her past, she wants nothing more than to experience real love.

The only light in Master Sergeant Sean O'Brien's dark days is his night nurse, Mara. Her humor, tender smiles, and endless kindness ease the pain of his wounds, and the sight of her shapely form in scrubs helps him appreciate that he survived the gruesome realities of combat.

As they begin to let each other in, the sparks between them quickly ignite. But the past is never far behind, and evil men are intent on catching up with Mara. Hopelessly caught in a wicked web of deceit with her happiness on the line, she makes an unthinkable choice. Yet no matter how far she runs, there is no escape from her shameful secrets or the danger bearing down on her.

Fate intervenes and forces Mara to trust Sean and the Rossi Security team for protection if she intends to survive. As Sean learns the shocking truth about Mara's past and discovers she is the key to bringing down the Mendoza cartel once and for all, he's faced with a choice of his own. Can he forgive Mara's betrayal and give their once-in-a-lifetime love the second chance it deserves?#releaseblast #rerelease #contemporaryromance #romanticsuspense #romanticthriller #bdsmromance #darkromance #secondtimelucky #clubdecadence #kissingbooks #steamyreads #romancenovels #romancebooks #romance #reading #readers #booklovers #bookbuzz

About Maddie:

A USA Today and #1 international bestselling author, Maddie is a lifelong reader who became a romance junkie as a teen with her first romance novel, The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen Woodiwiss. From then on, she was hooked, and gobbled up everything she could get her hands on, whether contemporary, historical, paranormal or sci-fi. If there was romance to be found between a strong alpha male, and a sassy, adventurous and ofttimes defiant yet loving woman, Maddie was all over it. As an author, she stays true to those themes writing steamy erotic romance, with a side of kink, and adding elements of intrigue, danger and suspense to her plots.

Maddie started writing as a hobby. Her stories stayed private while she raised a family and worked full time as a registered nurse. It wasn't until 2012 that she decided to take the plunge and submit her first book for publication: Captain My Captain. She went on to publish eleven novels the first year.

Follow Maddie Online!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BDc1Cd

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2E38Lpi

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Fwu1kd

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2DNtY35

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2rGaskn

TikTok: https://bit.ly/3AxZX7y

Website: https://www.romancebymaddietaylor.com

[phantomrose96]

ohhh the noise of glee i made when Mendoza went back for that ladder. Carson fucked up the second he tried to make "you'll never have to see me again" part of his salespitch, 'cos there was a far faster and easier way of pulling that one off.

(938 Seconds Per Second)

Yup yup yup.

Carson fucked up the second he -gestures at everything-. But he truly fucked up with the very last thing he said about Sampson. Because that took the two "I never have to see Garret Carson again" options and narrowed them down to one clear choice.

[yosemiteweddingphotographers]

There is no doubt that Ken Mendoza is the best Yosemite wedding photographer. My attention to detail and ability to capture the perfect moment have made him one of the most sought after photographers in the area. My passion for photography and love for the outdoors makes him the perfect choice for couples looking to capture their special day in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I have been photographing weddings in Yosemite for over 10 years and his experience shows in his stunning images. From intimate moments between the bride and groom to sweeping landscapes of the valley, I am able to capture it all with his unique vision. If you are looking for a Yosemite wedding photographer who will create beautiful, lasting memories of your big day, then look no further than Ken Mendoza

[jerzwriter]

Meet My OC - Evdoxia (Eva) Mendoza

Dr. Eva Mendoza

You'll be meeting her very soon in my Tobias & Casey world, so you deserve a proper introduction.

Book: Open Heart

Face claim: Maria Luiza Mendez

Full Name: Evdoxia Maria Mendoza

Nicknames: Eva (pretty much everyone); Koukla (her mom & mom's family); Mija (her dad)

Age/DOB: May 30th/ (She is 31 at time of introduction, Ethan is 39)

Born & Raised: Teaneck, NJ

Heritage: Cuban and Greek.

LI: Ethan Ramsey - Eva will be a potential LI for Ethan in the Tobias/Casey world.

Parents: Alejandro (Alex) Mendoza, 57, and Erini Papanikolaou, 55. Her father is a businessman, he owns several restaurants and a small grocery store in New Jeresy. Her mother was a homemaker most of Eva's life, but she also worked in the family business and did some work as a seamstress/tailor. With Eva's encouragement, she went back to school in her forties and became a paralegal. Eva is close with both parents, but especially her father. While she grew up in two families that took very traditional approaches toward gender roles (and those were thrust upon Eva) her father was always her champion who told her she could do and be whatever she wanted.

Siblings: Brother, Vassilis (Basil) is a year and a half younger than Eva, sister, Elisabet (Lisa) is five years younger. Basil was always her partner in crime. He enjoyed privileges his sisters didn't get, and he used them to help Eva and get her in trouble at times. Basil is gay, and Eva was the only one in the family who knew until very recently. They're very close. Lisa was the baby and doted on, she got away with a lot. She resented Eva, who was an overachiever, because she felt she couldn't live up to her and she had family who reminded her daily. Basil went to community college, but decided to work with his father in the family businesses. Lisa dropped out of college after getting engaged. Part of her family applauded this, others were appalled. When we meet Eva, Lisa is 26, she was married three years ago and has a two year old daughter, Sophia. She's mostly a stay-at-home-mom, but she also works at her familiy's businesses on occasion. She and Eva love each other, but their relationship is strained.

College: Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ B.S. Biology. She wanted to go away to college, but it was frowned on by most of her family. Her father encouraged her to go, but her mother was fearful of the idea and, influenced by her family, fought that decision. Eva's parents were fighting so much that she told them she decided to go to FDU (right in her hometown), even though that wasn't her true choice. She started as a nursing major (her family saw that as appropriate for a girl), but she changed her major to Biology with a pre-med minor sophomore year, telling only Basil and later her father.

Med School: Boston University, Boston, Graduated top in her class Her grades and resume were impeccable, but since her undergrad was not at a top tier school, it put a lot of the very best med schools out of her reach. But she got an excellent offer from Boston University, and she was not staying close to home, so that made her decision.

Basic Background (there will be more if her character 'sticks'): Eva always felt confined by her extended families. They were loving, perhaps too involved, both her maternal and paternal grandparents lived less than 5-blocks away most of her life. They were not bad people, but they were just locked in old ways and too stuborn to change; but this put a lot of demands on Eva. Her Greek side was even more traditional, they would have rather she married a nice Greek doctor than become one herself. Her Cuban family supported her education, but still felt she should stay close to home and that her career should be secondary to having a family.

Eva knew that life wasn't for her from a young age and worked very hard in school, seeing education as her way out. She was rebellious, but usually quietly so her parents didn't know. Her brother, though younger, had more freedom than she did, and he utilized that to sneak her out of the house. The two of them would sometimes get in trouble together. They were/are very, very close. He covered for Eva, and Eva covered for him; especially when he told her he was gay. Eva was very supportive, but kept his secret until he was ready. SHe covered for him all the time, including pretend one of his boyfriends was hers so they could spend more time together. As stated above, she wasn't as close with her sister, Lisa. Lisa wanted to be liked by everyone, so she didn't rock the boat. She also couldn't compete with Eva academically, and all Basil had to do was be a boy, so she was the "good girl" following whatever the family wanted her to. She got married young and had children soon-after, quitting college to do so. While both of Eva's parents were not happy with this decision, her grandparents and other extended family applauded it.

Eva loves her family very much, but harbors resentment. She never wants to live near them again, except for her Dad and Brother who she adores. She loves her mother very much too, but their relationship only gets better when her maternal grandmother passes.

Her family (except her Dad and Basil) are horrified that she's 31 and unmarried. What they don't know is, she never wants to get married. She dates, she has relationships, but she's very happy with her career and (though she doesn't see it) she's still rebelling against the life her family had planed for her. As a result, marriage and children are not on her bucket list.

She did her residency at Boston Medical Center, and she is now at Fellow in Women's Health, with a concentration in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

Other past relationships: (I will develop this later.)

Traits: She is brilliant, but she works at it, it's not a natural gift. She is determined and will do what she sets out to do. While she's very serious at work, she has a funny side and is a known practical joker. She's also very flirtatioius outside of work, and dates frequently. She's had long term relationships, but they're honestly not her preference. She is still trying to figure out how to balance the fact that she loves her family so much, yet she resents them. She speaks five languages: English, Spanish, Greek, Italian and Portuguese. Hobbys & activities? That's a problem. She's always been all work and no play, and she's tried to make changes, but she's still trying to find what she loves.

Physical: She is 5'8" and has blue eyes. Her natural hair color is brown, but she likes to change it up, so it may be various shades of brown, blonde, or red at times. She's always been a little on the plus size, and she struggled with self-esteem issues for years. But she's gotten past that and now encourages body positivity for women. Beauty is not a number, and she finally knows she's beautiful.

@choicesficwriterscreations

[phercynoya]

We’re Alone in This Together

Some spoilers for the play The Reconciliation Dinner.

The last national elections felt like it drove a divisive wedge between our intimate connections. Ties were severed. Walls were raised. Those happen as the ego tries to keep itself safe in a social environment where hostility is encouraged and monetized.

The one-act play “The Reconciliation Dinner” written by Floy Quintos revolves around these themes. The bond between two families slowly eroded as their political positions placed them in two separate sides. Dina (Stella Cañete-Mendoza) tries her best to reconnect with her best friend Susan (Frances Makil-Ignacio) and her husband Fred (Jojo Cayabyab) after a tense exchange over dinner left a sour taste in their mouths and the ensuing cold war of words and unexpressed frustrations drove them apart.

The scenario is all too familiar. Quintos pretty much covers how middle class families socialize during a period of tense political turmoil. Everyone tries to play nice to keep the peace and keep a semblance of social order.

Bert, (Randy Medel Villarama) Dina’s husband, captures the toxic masculinity enabled by the popular Rodrigo Duterte and emulated to some degree by Isko Moreno (he bears some resemblance to the latter). Akin to his strongman idols, he tends to escalate conversations and take things personally. It would be nice if more depth is given towards his reasons for voting BBM. He felt more like a caricature throughout the play. Dina is generally on the fence, just there to support her husband all the way, while acting as referee when tensions rise. Fred and Susan try to be polite (partly to continue currying favors from their wealthier friends and avoid conflict) but they do not simply back down from an argument when they hear something they don’t agree with. Each exchange always ends in a pissing contest where the goal is to feel comfort and vindication for their personal choice.

It is great to see that the underlying dependencies (besides their friendship) between Dina and Susan are made clear, making it difficult for them to simply call it quits. Susan’s business relies on keeping good relations with generous clients. Dina gets much needed emotional support from Susan that she can’t find from her husband and do not want to demand from her daughter, especially given her current struggle. They are also the godparents of each other’s child. My favorite interactions are between Dina and Susan, because the actors are fantastic at portraying old life-long friends.

The younger generation are clearly bolder and have more polarized views than their parents. Phi Palmos’ Norby owned the stage whenever he is given the spotlight. He fits the role of a youthful Kakampink quite well. Mica (Hariette Mozelle) suffers from the same fate as his father. Her character as a scheming and aggressive BBM supporter lacks nuance. This can be attributed more on the material, not the actor.

(As an aside, I personally find it distasteful whenever the queer character is playfully flirting with a married man in a work of fiction, usually for comedic and/or dramatic effect. This feels like an unintended reinforcing of dangerous stereotypes that do not really add much value to the play.)

And then there’s the wildcard Ely (Reb Atadero). He has the most hilarious lines and his chaotic ideology captures that shitposter account you follow who is neck-deep into the meme-ry of Reddit and Twitter that no one else in the room fully gets him.

I like the portrayal of social media banters and snide remarks between the first and last dinners, a quick battle of wits between people who want to express their support, and the satisfaction of feeling right about their choices. This sequence, along with each character’s monologue generally works well.

Quintos’ politics is clear throughout the play. I guess what I would have wanted is a perspective outside the middle class. I, as a middle class citizen with generally liberal views, feel like this is portraying a segment of the internet that I am already seeing online. The conversations are all too familiar, and sure this makes it easy to empathize and relate with the story and characters. But in the end, I am hearing stories that I have already heard over and over thanks to a sinisterly designed algorithm that seeks to make me happy in doomscrolling late at night.

I would also relate this concern to how BBM supporters are portrayed in this setting. There is constraint in depth if conversations are kept within a single class.

The play in itself, is an echo chamber. Or perhaps it is the point after all?

As the play winds down, I really felt bad for everyone, especially for Dina. She is stuck, like all of us. We have to deal with the emotional toll of an unforgiving system, and we are left to fend for ourselves. The short-term highs of personal victories, milestones, and won confrontations cannot mask the shittiness of our current state, and the best thing we can do is hold on to our closest forms of support.

In the end, she had to settle with what’s left.

[amstories]

S03E06: The Most Precious Thing

Characters: Quatro (Thea, Nico, Bela, Migo) from 576 Hours With You (MedTech on Duty, #2)

Prompt: The list of eligible applicants in St. Luke's is out

Quatro is back at their Discord server to study for their upcoming summative exams for their most dreaded subject, SEM2. While the rest of them are busy studying, Bela was a little bit distracted because of the news she's receiving from the officers group chat.

Apparently, lumabas na ang list of eligible applicants for admission sa St. Luke's Medical Center College of Medicine. Aside from UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, this is one of Migo's top choices for his medical school. The rest of Quatro knew how much he wanted to be admitted to that school. Talagang pinaglaban niya ang application process niya doon kaya nang malaman ni Bela na mayroon nang listahan ay agad siyang nag-unmute ng mic para tawagin ang kaibigan.

"Migo, the results are out!" she exclaimed.

Migo remained silent while still studying. Turns out he also enabled the deafen feature in Discord. Bela cursed herself for being so talkative during their study sessions. Natuto tuloy si Migo na i-block lahat ng pwedeng maka-istorbo sa kanya.

He was very concentrated in what he was memorizing even if Bela was pointing her phone already. She also tried messaging in their text channel para lang mapansin siya ni Migo. Much to her dismay, his status was set to Do Not Disturb, blocking all notifications in Discord.

Instead of Migo, Bela caught the attention of Thea and Nico kaya napatigil sila sa pag-aaral. Both of them undeafened and unmuted themselves to celebrate.

"Hoy, tulungan niyo nga akong magpapansin kay Migo!" Bela requested.

Since Migo also muted his Messenger notifications, there was no way he could see the messages of Bela, Thea, and Nico there.

"Hindi rin pinapansin yung tawag ko sa Messenger eh," Thea said defeatedly. "Nico, do you have load? Baka makita niya kapag text message or phone call."

Wala nang nagawa si Nico kung hindi ay sundin ang bilin ni Thea. After several rings, Migo finally picked up his phone to see who was calling. Agad na napatigil si Migo sa pag-aaral nang makita niya kung sino ang tumatawag sa kanya. For a moment, he was stunned by the name he saw on the screen. Ni hindi niya alam kung anong una niyang gagawin.

Fortunately, hindi sinagot ni Migo ang tawag kung hindi ay paniguradong mababawasan ng load si Nico. Instead of answering the call, Migo immediately opened his Discord app and undeafened himself.

Right after he pressed the undefean button, Bela announced loudly, "List of eligible applicants in St. Luke's is already out!"

Nico was quick to share the screen for them to look at the results altogether. Kahit walang sinasabi si Migo ay ramdam nilang kinakabahan ito. If Migo was feeling nervous, the rest of Quatro was feeling confident in him. Si Migo pa ba?

Nico scrolled down to the letter M as they look for Migo's last name, Mendoza. And there it was...

89 Mendoza Grant Miguel Martinez

Seeing his name in the list felt surreal for Migo. He's aware that people consider him as one of the brightest people among his class but he's having a hard time finding the right words to describe what he's feeling.

While the rest of Quatro were already celebrating and congratulating him, he's still at the state of shock as of the moment. The fact that his dream is slowly becoming a reality really felt overwhelming for him. Even if it was nowhere near to the finish line, it was still a significant milestone for him.

Napansin ni Thea na tahimik pa rin si Migo. "Hey, are you alright?" Walang nasagot si Migo sa tanong ni Thea. "Hey, Migo. I know it's overwhelming but you'll be fine."

"That's true! We'll be here for you kahit hindi na kami ang kaklase mo," dagdag pa ni Bela.

Nico agreed. "What they said, man. We're really proud of you!"

Migo smiled at his friends. Yes, reaching this milestone is important for him but it was only made precious because of the people around him who celebrated his success with him. He'll never admit this to Quatro but he's really glad to find friends in them. He will never trade them for anything in this world.