[dadivosos]

dadivosos --- depending muse blog for

francis schaefer - chief of staff at city hall & assassin for the cavalry santiago del castillo - congress member for ny's 13th district harold cho - director of developmental design and strategy for cho industries & contacts manager for the contingency alfred ambani - con-artist for the reserve & hacker

[nanxschaefer]

character: Judy Francis Schaefer @dadivosos

location: Nan's apartment

Nan had invited her brother over for a good old fashioned cereal hang out. It was something she was nostalgic for pretty consistently and eating a bowl of cereal with her brother reminded her of mornings before school. And sometimes you just needed that and little TV for background noise more than anything else. Her Frosted Flakes were a perfect amount of still crunchy but soaked with the milk but her stomach was a little bit in knots over what she needed to talk to Francis about. "I feel like I could live a good life off of Frosted Flakes alone. Speaking of flakes...Frank somehow found my number and texted me. Do you need more cereal?"

[dadivosos]

despite the differences in their lives francis had always made an attempt to be an active participant in nan's life --- mainly to see that she was keeping out of trouble. to him she had a certain penchant for randomly getting into trouble and while he wanted to butt out , he simply couldn't. so their little cereal dates were nothing out of the ordinary. he was having a good time , actually having the courage to muster out the words --- i proposed to romy before nan dropped her own bombshell. francis seemed to inhale the last spoonful before coughing , almost choking before finally composing himself. " well --- did you block him ? what the fuck did he want ? " frank attempting to be in her life was no good , plus , he knew better than to even contact or even think about him. " when was this ? "

[lottiesaab]

She could count the number of times she'd asked for help from someone and not be worried about their reactions, or how the other person would see her after it with the fingers in one of her hands. Two of those times had been recent and the people had both been del Castillo's. Their responses hadn't surprised her, and yet relief flooded her senses when Santiago's only question after her request was when. She didn't have it in her to explain to anyone why she felt the need to do what she was doing where her mother was concerned - as she still was figuring that out herself.

She nodded at his words and then after a few seconds began pulling herself away from his embrace, her gaze meeting his. "I'll let you know. I need to talk to some people before I leave, make sure everything's covered." She still had an organization that had lost two people during the fires, and with so much going on, she had some catching up to do. A part of her just knew though, she needed to work on herself to truly be at her best. After a beat, Lottie looked around them, to his cow, back to Santiago. "I'll admit it - this place isn't as bad as I thought it'd be." The ranch, that was. Farm animals included. Her words were merely her own way of admitting that she was grateful that she'd basically kidnapped her here. She didn't know if anything could make her feel better, but she felt a bit lighter, somehow.

[dadivosos]

physical contact with lottie had been far and few when they first met but it seemed to be more ocurring and a part of him didn't want it to stop. the way his heart seemed to be begging to be close to the woman could almost seem pathetic by most standards but he didn't let it show. it might be cowardly but a part of him just rather not take that chance if it meant losing her entirely -- so he played it safe however being there for her the instant she called even if it ruined relationships -- relationships that he frankly should have never entered. even now , she wasn't telling him the full story but that didn't matter to him as long as she was taking whatever she needed.

the embrace was broken , his left hand twitched -- he'd attribute it to the injury not the fact that he was already missing how she felt in his arms. " right -- yeah , the fires. " he nodded , a sore subject for most. especially her given her proximity to some of the deceased and now having to avenge their deaths in a way. however --- he still felt like ellie could and should take the reigns while she had time to decompress. " just let me know when , " even if she wanted to do something impromptu , he would be okay with whatever she wanted. anything for her. his hands retreated to his side before shoving them into his pockets as if to create a barrier to avoid reaching for her again. " did you think it was dirty or something ? " lips curled into a smile before shaking his head. " is that your way of saying you want a farm animal ? i can make that happen -- just say the word. " though he knew what she meant , her words being acknowledged with a single nod. " you want to head back ? it's a bit of a long drive and you have things to do. "

[cleofms]

She drags on her cigarette and says nothing, watching Santiago with something that is starting to look like amusement. “Ah, Lenin. ‘There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience’,” she quotes back to him, because Cleo knows that Santiago knows Lenin. Santiago went to Yale. Unlike the M-named guy standing across from her, who used his father’s connections to attend some sunny party school in California. At his comment about having his pie and eating it too, Cleo plucks her champagne glass from where it balances precariously on the balcony ledge. “Spoken like a true politician.” This is a compliment, coming from her. She raises her drink in a toast before continuing on. “And speaking of,” Cleo turns slightly, angling her body in such a precise way that it quietly ices — Mark? Matt? — out of the conversation. “How goes the campaign?” she inquires. Michael(?) lingers for one brave, unfortunate second before slinking into the crowd, pretending to recognize someone. Only once he is gone does Cleo drop pretenses and let out an exhale. “My God, do you know him?” She questions, incredulous. “The guy would not leave me alone. I don’t think he’s had a single original thought in his life, it’s a bit sad. He’s like an amalgamation of anything he’s ever heard in an intro college course and thought sounded pseudo-intellectual. I don’t mind arrogance, obviously, but it should at least come with a little flavor, don’t you you think? Anyway,” She waves smoke away with two fingers, lips whispering a vague smile. “When are you going to let me throw one of these for you?” A fundraising event, she means.

[dadivosos]

he nodded his head at her words , the other person obviously not thinking she knew what she was talking about. however , as much as santiago hated to admit it yale really did make well rounded individuals --- that and they were both fairly influential and knew better than not not catch up on their wordly endeavors. lips curled into a small grin at the woman's compliment , cleo did always have a way with words. at the mention of his campaign the other looked shocked --- almost shocked he didn't recognize him. he could have just asked but he knew the moment had left and so had their little friend. " i think that's your fault for being too inviting , " he nodded , lips curled against his cigarette , quickly lighting it and blowing the smoke away from the two. " and to think every single harvard graduate i've met is like that and don't get me started on princeton. i like to think we have a little something to offer rather than regurgitating whatever professors say during lecture. " though he had to wonder how many times cleo had actually attended lectures , but it didn't matter they seemed to be doing fairly well for themselves. " for me ? " he pointed to himself with his free hand before shrugging. " can i play coy and say --- no cleo , you don't have to do that ? or will it be too obvious that you can do whatever you want ? "

[dadivosos]

" we've never gotten into the semantics of family or anything but --- you have any family back in california ? " the question seemed to come out of left field but he swore he had a question at the tip of his tongue and for some reason he trusted cash enough to be the recipient. the two were not the closest , francis always did prefer to keep people at a bit of a distance but the words romy had given him a couple of days ago were ringing through his head. no one knew what he did beyond those in the cavalry and those in the cavalry knew very little about who he was but he wondered if he could trust cash as much as he trusted romy. " i'm also assuming nan told you why frank was off limits. "

@criminaltypes ( cash )

[dadivosos]

little by little , santiago had slowly been infiltrating breslin's life , not necessarily with anything malicious in mind but he knew where her loyalties other than to herself should lie. he wanted nothing but prosperity for breslin but even she knew with pantheon on the loose , there was only so much she could do. bureaucracy was a bitch when you wanted your agenda to prevail. so when the occasional invite to dinner at her house occurred he did not hesitate to attend , slowly becoming more casual to show he was trusting of her influence on him , remembering things she and her wife liked -- flowers , wine , treats and arguably he liked the attention the older women gave him , a sort of comfort he lacked since the death of his grandmother. knuckled tapped on the door , lips curling into a grin as her wife opened the door and breslin approached -- she didn't look the best but all santiago said before her wife walked away was , " are you okay ? " before stepping inside.

@noxmourners ( breslin )

[dadivosos]

santiago had never really been allowed in celestina's office and he didn't know why ( yes , he did he just didn't want to get into it ) but he was feeling bold and wanted to test his theory on celestina. mainly , he wanted to see how cool she was with him and wanted to see if she would throw her pen at him --- he assumed she was just as stabby as her life long partner that she refused to marry , but that wasn't his concern. surprisingly he caught her on a free hour and was let in , as soon as he opened the door his jaw dropped , " why have you never invited me here ? " he never doubted her taste --- well , only once but he never told her. " i'm not offended, " he definitely was. " you could basically live here. " he said , putting one of her favorite beverages on a napkin , because he wasn't an animal.

@celestinadelcastillo

[junghaerin]

𝐫𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞, faint embarrassment twisting her features for a microsecond despite herself. “okay,” she said, too quickly. then, because that sounded insane, she added, “well. good for her.” good for her? jesus christ. “also, you should not be bending down like that. you have a head injury.” she pointed at him, grateful for the change in subject, even if she had invented it herself. “and writing emails is working. that’s literally one of the main forms work takes in the modern age. what, do you think it only counts if you’re in a little coal mine with a pickaxe?” she rolled her eyes, but it came from a place of concern. “jealous?” rin repeated, brows lifting. “what are we, sixteen?” she said it like the idea was ridiculous. like she had not, moments ago, stood downstairs holding takeout and quietly decided she hated a woman for opening harry’s door. “anyway, why would i immediately assume cousin?” she asked, moving farther into the room. “for all i know, she could’ve been an ex.” rin set the bag down on a dresser, letting it rest for a moment. “or whatever. someone from your past. i don’t know your whole life.” that was the problem, maybe. she knew pieces of him. the work version. the version that bickered with her and pushed back and knew exactly how to get under her skin. she did not know the women who let themselves into his house, or got called when he was injured. she assumed she was the only one, but was she wrong to? technically, they weren’t anything official. “not that i care,” she added, too late to make it believable. “speaking of,” she said, tone shifting. “i saw gwen at the hospital.” she watched him carefully, trying to make it look casual and failing by maybe half an inch. “did she mention that?”

[dadivosos]

he saw the way her face contorted into something he had never seen before --- though easily recognizable throughout media --- embarrassment. " good for her ? " he said with a small chuckle , though it was a bad idea to chuckle , the tenderness of his injury making itself blatantly aware. " i well i think it's the same as doom scrolling , i am doom scrolling through my emails and clicking reply and leaving a comment. it's all the same. " though you didn't need to use your brain to write a tik tok comment or so he thought. " to be fair , you almost act the same way as when you were sixteen , except you actually want to talk to me now and aren't forced to. " though in the past he just thought of her like anyone else , taking in her attributes as he did for a study but now -- something had shifted since the hospital. " i look more like her than i do you , " he pointed out , remembering what she had mentioned at the hospital. " plus , i only really talk to gwen and even then very little , " knowing that was where the conversation was going to inevitably land on. he nodded at her comment , " you can say you care --- you already did at the hospital or are you going to blame my head ? " she could or she could pretend he was imagining things , he would believe her. " yes , she also mentioned you tried to make amends by mentioning my family ? " he questioned as if looking for confirmation. " horrible way to make amends by the way , she barley knows about them. "

[gwenxhope]

Gwen took that as a way for him to say that he was fine for her to stay until whenever this 'later' was. She knew that Harry was correct about how she should feel more free to speak up to her siblings. "I do tell them how I feel about their actions, but unfortunately as much as I wish my feelings were taken into account that is not top of mind for them." It was the whole problem to begin with and though Gwen wouldn't say it necessarily hurt her feelings, it was just selfish. But she was a broken record when it came to speaking to Maddox especially about it. And it felt like it was ten times worse since they lost their cousin. There was no accusation in Gwen's tone, what Harry did was his business. "Right, she tried make amends with me and use you as an excuse as to why I should make amends and tried to guilt me by mentioning your family." She was only saying this to show him who he was choosing to affiliate himself with and nothing more. He deserved all of the facts and what he chose to do with them was his own making. Whether she approved or not.

[dadivosos]

" take my words with a grain of salt , always , gwen. " he meant it. her family was better equipped to handle the human aspect of things no matter how formal gwen was -- they taught her about humanity --- harry learned about humanity through science , consciousness and morality only helping dampen what science could truly be. he knew it wasn't totally a complete picture even as a child and now -- how this fire consumed , it gave people one common enemy. " i do not know the first thing about family , my brother does not talk to me , my parents have never talked to me unless it pertains to work and keeping the image of their devoted attention alive. " she knew that , at least he told her very minimally about how his family worked , he didn't feel the need to then but now ? well , it would help. he sighed , knowing it wasn't a typical topic for either of them , "unfortunately we both know the nature of her job. whether you want to make amends or not it is completely up to you. i have never once told you what to do. " she'd always been her own person and he always respected it.

[dadivosos]

" just so you know if you dance how you did in the hospital , i will get a headache --- don't do it again. " but it was only because he was attempting not to laugh , but in now laughing he coughed too hard that he passed out. though it was hilarious how she was prancing in about five feet of space while he was reliving the terrors of being stuck until the firefighters got him out. he attempted to stifle the smile that threatened to reach his lips but he couldn't -- not around her at least. " you said it was important --- you're lucky i'm not working right now. what did you need ? "

@alixharrigan

[dadivosos]

" so when's the family packing up and going back to malibu because i fear i am going pale and that almost seemed impossible. " he said with a grin holding out some flowers he got her on his way up to her office. " i think these might convince you because i know alix is dying and beggin' to go back to the og erewhon and now whatever nyc has to offer. " lips curled into a small smile before settling down into one of her extremely plush chairs. " so why don't we assign it a pretty pink color for your planner so you can even consider it. "

@eleanorharrigan

[dadivosos]

" hey cuz , " he called out to alix waiving her over. " do you think i have caterpillar eyebrows ? " he wondered knowing alix would rather offer solutions than actually just say what was wrong , or maybe she would just book him a wax appointment right there on the spot. he closed his eyes hoping to avoid the the obvious blow to his ego before putting his hand up in between them. " nevermind , i know what you'll say and i won't like it and somehow you'll end up crying. "

@alixharrigan

[cesar-flores]

"something tells me that you have a mediocre time most places you go," he replied with a laugh, a genuine one which felt good. "yeah but it wont be like that slushie machine. nothing ever stays the same. which is good but also sometimes just...really hard for me to deal with," he admitted. his life was surely different than it had been even a year ago. it made him think about his daughter, how fast she was growing, how for her own safety it was better for him to stay here. it tugged at something in the center of his chest and he was just staring at the water for a moment before remembering he was with someone. "people are shit most of the times. that's why you can't trust anyone. not even me," he replied with a slight smirk. "what is trust anyway really?"

[dadivosos]

" and something tells me you need to raise your standards a bit more , " lips curled into a small grin. " you're hangin' out with me now -- i have to show you the creme of the crop , my friend. " he made mental note to drag cesar everywhere that felt too ridiculous to go alone -- feeling the need to expose the other how he was supposed to live his life. " problem with change ? " he wondered with a shrug. " most people do. " his whole life had been one big whirlwind he had just learned how to adjust his sails. alfie blinked before taking out his phone , typing and reciting , " trust is -- firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. dunno what to tell ya , it's all right there. "

[cleofms]

Location: a fundraiser thingy at the Yale Club. For: @dadivosos (Santiago)

It’s not entirely clear what they are fundraising for tonight. Something about children. Empowering them, perhaps. Though the specifics of what that actually means, Cleo can’t be sure. She just knows that she’s drunk at The Yale Club, debating politics with some guy whose name begins with an M and ends, in her mind, almost immediately after that. She is barefoot, in a gray Versace dress on the balcony of the rooftop, smoking a cigarette and engaging in a disappointingly tepid conversation regarding virtue in politics. Somewhere under some table, her heels sit. And somewhere under her skin, the last of her patience circles the drain as she taps two fingers against her chin, feigning deep thought until she can’t possibly twist her mouth into another shape. Frankly, this man is an idiot. Not even an interesting idiot, which is especially cruel. Her eyes drift, briefly scanning the crowd until they settle on a familiar face. “Santiago,” she calls out, beckoning him over with the wave of a hand. “Help me settle a debate, would you? Is political idealism a foolish endeavor in Washington? I mean, does the political machine inevitably disillusion everyone in the end?”

[dadivosos]

santiago was beginning to despise networking , his whole life just felt like one big fucked up networking evening with alumni up his ass asking him for opportunities if they were straight out of yale or the class of '76 asking him what his thoughts were on the rising toll of artificial intelligence and if they should implement and cost everyone their jobs. the whiskey in his hand had gotten awfully warm as he smiled his way through discourse he could pretty much care less about. at some point he excused himself to get some fresh air where some hedge fund investor patted his back and told him good job and offered him his card. he gladly took the card and rushed out before they asked him how the president was. he took the final sip from his glass and placed it on some random table while he reached in his blazer pocket for a cigarette. head whipped around at the sound of a familiar voice , he almost sighed in relief at the familiar face that accompanied it. he made his way over , removing a cigarette from the pack -- the man she was with recognized him but tried to make it seem like he was being a nuisance for joining in. " i think if you're a political idealist you best keep your idealism during election time , politics unfortunately makes you compromise on certain ideals which to the public makes you seem like a traitor but there is no such thing as disillusionment if you truly think you can convince people. shit , lenin thought he was doing well for his people and he had support. i'm not disillusioned , " he said with a small smile as he put the cigarette in his mouth , " we can all eat --- i just rather have my pie and eat it too. "

[noxmourners]

The space between them, the tension, it was never something she'd ever experienced with him, and she was more than aware it was partially her own fault. A muscle in her jaw feathered as she folded her arms across her chest as though it could protect her from that feeling of loss, whether she had a right to it or not. She never understood the fallout and certainly didn't feel as though she could ask about it--she'd simply done as Emil and Nico asked. He had to know that this was survival for her, that whatever loyalty she felt was true but would always come from somewhere self-serving and afraid. Just business was a cop-out and perhaps cruel, but losing any sort of safety net was something she wasn't sure she could weather.

"It's superficial," she assured him, lips quirking into a quick grin. "No concussion, just discomfort and a brand new flavor of night terrors to add to the collection." One arm uncoiled from around her torso in order to pick up her drink to take a sip, something to occupy her hands and her mind for a brief moment. "Hey, at least you can play the sympathy card for the next election, right? A shining endorsement from the mayor and that whole tough survivor thing." A half-joke, of course--she'd do exactly that if she were the one managing his image for such a thing. After a pause, she sighed and canted her head to the side. "We're not okay, are we," she said quietly.

[dadivosos]

santiago truthfully didn't understand alliances to some point but he had to remove himself from that situation because he was boring into one in a way. despite not being employed by his brother , sister or even nico he would still attempt to help like he had in the past. his alliance had been set in stone since before he could even walk but elena's situation was different. she needed the stability , the safety net that the mob provided. in a way it was selfish of him to think she'd avoid it all. the two had put on a relationship that he quite frankly treasured and the moment he had heard about certain things , well , he was hurt. he'd gone no contact with plenty of people , though it had been a wake up call to get his shit together when it came to dealing with the grief he had allowed to swell in his chest until it all came rushing out.

dark eyes watched her as he would any other person , since his grandmother encouraged him to look beyond the family business he had been observing , watching , taking note about how people were around him. it wasn't perfect by any means , many things slipped behind the cracks but he could see her discomfort in how things were between them. his usual chatty self now sat someone who was very reminiscent to his siblings. " you should try therapy , heard it works. " any other time he would've told her he started his own journey with therapy but he offered nothing of the sort. " i'll keep that in mind , " knowing she probably had ideas on how she would spin the story. at her question , he thought about it before shaking his head. " no , we're not. " but didn't mention how that could easily change depending on her.

[sullivanriley]

@dadivosos (santiago)

location: Idk sully’s home gym

Why he had agreed to be there so early was anyone’s guess. While Sullivan had always been an early riser. He was a man of habit. Preferring to enjoy his coffee while he read over the morning newspaper, over wasting all of his energy before the sun came up. He stood by the dumbbell rack, a towel draped over his shoulder, watching Santiago wrestle with the barbell. “You know." He began casually as he reached for his weights, the crisp while of his Tshirt a stark contrast to his usual tailored suits. “There was a time I could deadlift a body out of a marsh without breaking a sweat. These days, I find it far more efficient to bribe a man with a forklift.”

[dadivosos]

the progress with santiago's hand had been slow , maybe a bit too slow and a part of him wondered if a prosthetic would be better than dealing with whatever issues he had lined up in the future. the weight was unfortunately being held primarily by his right , his left baring more of the weight on the palm , the grip completely wrong but it was what felt comfortable to him. when the man spoke , santiago groaned -- not at him but at losing his concentration , propping the weight back onto the rack while he sat up listening to the other speak. " you're getting old , sully. " it was a matter of fact. " i could do a lot more until your boss decided he was suddenly into knife play , " shoulders rose in a shrug , not thinking the other man will think much of it. " i think you should've bribed the man with the forklift regardless , have someone else do the work for you and you don't throw out your back. "

[champagnehcney]

Just when she thinks she has him, completely convinced by the time he seemingly takes to really dig deep.. his facial expressions somewhat telling a story in itself. Just when she thinks she's going to get some serious tea as she leans in to listen, he hits her with... the dark. Solana's face, which admittedly was being pulled into a devious smile, immediately drops, completely devoid of all emotion as she leans back to blink at him. "Are you fucking serious?" She studies his features, then, waiting for his answer, having half a mind to call security and get his ass kicked out.

[dadivosos]

unfortunately for solana , santiago had been media trained since he could remember plus having lottie also feed into it definitely didn't help with whatever solana was attempting to accomplish. the woman who thrived on gossip and drama was seemingly at a dead end when it came to him --- he hadn't even spoke to those closest to him , surprisingly enough , he even struggled telling his therapist , luisa. santiago couldn't help the grin that threatened to grace his features as her own expression drops. " what ? " he said , acting confused at the turn of events. " have you ever tried being in a dark room , all by yourself ? aboslutely no light -- i think you'd shit your pants. " though maybe she liked the dark , " i think you have to stop being insensitive to people's fears -- not very nice of you , " lips finally gave in and curled into a grin , taking a sip of his drink.