rich against the poor.

valeria mercado. 45. journalist for the washington post.

[mvrcados]

mxddce‌:

the words coming out of the other’s mouth was a surprise, well, somewhat. she wasn’t really expecting a motherly reply or even a journalist. hell, she wasn’t even expecting a journalist from the post, public enemy number one at that point. because of her blunt nature, the girl wanted to answer her question simply, tell her how her mother wouldn’t even notice or give a damn, but she knew she had to keep some face. “why do you care? is this going to turn into some huge story? oh no giorgia crawford’s youngest is caught drinking after a national tragedy just months before she’s of age.” with a roll of her eyes she downed what was in the glass in front of her before placing a fifty on the bar. “nice try, but i’m not your new replacement story for mason.”

               the reaction was of no surprise to the woman but it was frustrating when nothing had come from her end. “i’m speaking to you as a mother.” this was the thing that irked her about the children of those in the white house; they were always so entitled to a story, even if they didn’t enjoy it. the girl had assumed that she wanted to write something on her. “i can’t speak for my colleagues but i’m a serious journalists. what you kids to is for o.k magazine to write about. i wouldn’t waste my time. besides, i wouldn’t want anyone writing about my kids in a newspaper so i don’t do it. you can quote me on that. you won’t find anything from my end.” stressed didn’t even cover it and her frustration was beginning to seep into her voice. it had been a strange time because she had known them both. investigators were still sweeping the office hoping to recover something different and it did have her on edge. “i just really need a drink, your highness.”

[madamsecretaryadams]

Leah needed a moment. Everything was stifling. The interviews, the endless threats, the questioning of her qualifications. Turning off her phone she dipped it into the pocket of her winter coat, grabbed her guilty pleasure, a pack of Marlboros and headed down to the monuments. There was no denying the magic feeling DC had, and, especially at night when all the monuments were lit up. She’d worked so hard and accomplished so much to be where she was. Though all of that was under scrutiny due to her relationship with Giorgia. She was no longer part of their family. The naked ring finger told that story without her having to say anything. Tugging on a winter cap and scarf she hoped she’d go unnoticed. Stopping off to get a hot toddie disguised as a coffee she made her way to the steps of the Lincoln memorial. She liked to think there. Taking a sip of her drink she tugged out the cigarettes and lit one. With any luck someone would snap a picture of this. Secretary of Education Adams enjoying a smoke with another assassinated president. Lost in thought she didn’t hear the person coming down the steps. “I know, I know, no smoking I’ll put it out,” she waved her hand off assuming it was a parks ranger. Glancing up she offered a slight smile, “This is just…the only place I can really clear my head, you know?”

[mvrcados]

                everything had changed and that was down to the actions of her colleagues. both the president and vice president were dead and the journalist in her wanted to know why. had they snapped or were they pushed too far personally? valeria certainly didn’t think that they were murderers, she had known them for a long time but now she felt like her judgement was off... walking down the steps of the lincoln memorial, the woman turned to the blonde figure only to realise moments later that it was the secretary of education. “i’m a journalist, not a police officer.” letting out a slight chuckle, she raised her eyebrows. “i’m off the clock, no questions from me.” tensions were running high in washington, d.c and the last thing she wanted to do was to be caught in the middle of it; she had her family to consider and wasn’t about to get caught up in something DANGEROUS. politics could be on either end of the spectrum but there were many powerful individuals in government abusing it. “you should probably put it out before someone else captures you though. it’s bad press and i’m a firm believer in not all press is good press.” valeria wasn’t looking for a story from the other, nor did she want one. the white house would not consume her, she wouldn’t let it...

[mcgicaldream]

maddie needed out of the house, the air felt extra heavy since the funeral and she really needed to get away. away from all the drama and the negative energy. with that in mind, sneaking away, she found herself at a quiet bar a few blocks away. luckily with it being a weekday, she had the whole place to herself and she could sit at the end of the bar, quietly toss back some shots from time to time and attempt to look at her homework. after staring at her notebook for what felt like hours, she knew it wasn’t happening at all, her world was a mess right now and it was officially taking over. when someone joined her at the bar, the girl turned to face them, suddenly thankful that she wasn’t alone. “oh thank god, i thought i was going to be here alone all night. want a shot? i’m buying.”

[mvrcados]

          the bar wasn’t really valeria’s scene, not when her life was so busy as she juggled work and her family. however, after recent events she found herself wanting some extra time to herself. she found herself in a dangerous game and was unsure about what this meant for her. the post was under scrutiny now as the assassinations lead back to them; what was she supposed to do with that. the woman was a little surprised to see the current second daughter in the bar. although she was a journalist, she was most importantly a mother and that caused her to raise her eyebrows with disdain. “you’re not even legal so i can’t see that happening. what would your mom think to all of this?” it wasn’t meant to be a leading question but the answer would be useful if the other mentioned their dynamic.

[handcs]

shaky  hands  were  gripping  her  coffee  cup  ,  eyes  reading  through  her  most  recent  articles  on  washington  post  .  unfortunately  ,  trying  to  scroll  down  a  screen  with  one  hand  &  holding  the  cup  with  the  other  ,  while  rushing  through  the  busy  streets  proved  to  be  quite  the  bad  idea  .  all  it  took  was  the  slightest  shove  from  someone  &  the  plastic  cup  slipped  from  her  grasp  ,  gabriella  watching  the  scene  unfold  almost  in  slow  motion  as  her  iced  coffee  splashed  over  her  beloved  gadget  ,  but  ultimately missing  the  person  who  happened  to  pass  by  beside  her  .  “  holy  hell  !  my  apologies  .  i  didn’t  get  you  ,  did  i  ?  “

[mvrcados]

                  “close call.” valeria pushed her lips together and nodded. the woman was used to such a fast paced environment, both at work and at home so it didn’t take her by surprise. things were a little odd at the moment and she didn’t know where she stood. the authorities were still searching their workplace for any answers that they could muster and she was struggling to wrap her head around the fact that her colleagues were killers, not to mention family destroyers. what on earth had pushed them to commit such a terrible act. “don’t worry about it. it’s a frantic time for everyone.” the other’s face did seem familiar but val had seen so many faces over the past few months that she was unable to place the younger woman.

[dishonoredson]

          Esmat had been sent on a mission – one he wasn’t particularly excited about. The office he’d been given when he assumed his new role in the White House had been bare since he’d moved in, save for the black desk and chair that had been there before. That, combined with the dark beige of the walls and no windows, made for a gloomy interior. He didn’t mind so much, but he’d been ganged up on by the interns (that often scurried in and out, and often commented on how boring his office was) during his lunch and forced to go find some decorations to liven up the place. 

          After about two hours of searching for anything that could call itself a decoration, he found himself with two potted plants and a lamp on the metro – stuffed into a corner seat as much as possible. He was mostly hidden behind the plants, which was nice, but it was just busy enough for him to feel obnoxious for taking up so much space. He started to try and shift his findings away from the seat next to him, clumsily at best. “Sorry, this wasn’t my idea, I swear –”

[mvrcados]

           none of it made any sense to her. she had worked with the two of them, had seen them more than her FAMILY so how could she have gotten them so wrong? they had been great reporters and respectful colleagues, ones that valeria had been some sort of mentor for but something had gone terribly wrong and they took things to new extremes. they had killed two people; what did that mean for her and the paper? they had been like the rest of them but valeria was trying to rerun her interactions with them a few days before the assassinations look place, trying to remember whether they were acting out of the ordinary but nothing seemed to jump out at her. 

             her attention was diverted to the strange scene that was taking place to the side of her. “is this some sort of sixty minute makeover or are you trying to kill those plants by planting them at the wrong time of year? one year, my girls insisted on planting some flowers; they learnt the hard way as they didn’t grow and i had to deal with their sobbing for a good fifteen minutes before they went back to coloring. i hope for your sake it’s the interior makeover.” valeria did find it easy to talk to strangers, to blending in when she had to and that’s what made her a great reporter. “if this wasn’t your idea, whose was it?”

[amdrcws-blog]

with the funeral of the former president, the past few days had been a whirlwind for d.c. ( that was saying something considering what a time the past couple of a months had been ) so, as a way to relax, drew decided to treat himself to a meal. it wasn’t anything huge, just a small restaurant in the business district that had the absolute best indian food one could imagine. making his way inside, he smiled at the familiar face of the owner behind the counter. “ hey man. “ he grinned, reaching for his wallet, before turning, his shoulder bumping into another. “ i’m sorry, “ drew began, shaking his head. “ didn’t see ya there. “

[mvrcados]

              the initial shock of what her coworkers had done. they were dedicated to their cause but she didn’t think that they would go as far as murder. once covering the stories, they now WERE them and valeria didn’t know to feel about that. they had been her friends, they got on well, she had never seen this side of them and that made her worry that they got in far too deep with whatever they were pursuing. there was a lot of work to be done in terms of reporting and recent events had only fired up the woman further. she was rushing to make a reservation for her and her wife but she must have stepped out a little too early as she collided with the male in front. “no, it was my fault.” looking up at him, valeria recognised him, from where? she wasn’t yet certain.