sink or swim

representative nathan landry || 35 || maine's 2nd congressional district || independent || pawn

[rep-natelandry]

silassanford‌:

It’s too early to go to his dinner reservation and too little time to go back to his home and just come back, so instead he was just killing time until then. The city was buzzing with the security leak, though in his mind the scandal was fairly lukewarm. Disappointingly, there was nothing too juicy in the emails that had been leaked, except for perhaps Senator Li being passed over. He got a little bit of silent delight in that, but not because it was her in particular, but just in general to see someone else’s misery. And a Democrat’s, to boot. While he’s still displeased with his own party for what had happened with the gun bill, he knew that the well being of the party of the whole was more important than his petty feelings. He’s on his phone, typing out an email when he was address by the young man next to him. He lifted his gaze from the screen, putting on a friendly smile. “I’d love one,” he said graciously, not one to turn down a free drink. Given that Silas was a senator, he doesn’t recognize the man before him, as first-termers tended not to be on his radar. “You having a good day or a bad day?” He asked, as that was usually what led people to drink. Though, some people didn’t need an excuse at all. Politics bred alcoholics. He couldn’t blame them, really; it took a lot to be able to bear the idiots that he had to deal with.

“Great.” Nathan beamed. He put in his order to the bartender for another jack and coke and whatever his new companion was having, and then he turned on his stool. Nathan had spent hours trying to memorize his fellow Congressmen and women, and he knew the man was a senator and Republican. Southern? He was pretty sure. Nathan used to pride himself on being able to get along with almost everyone he met. This would be no different, right?

He tried to ignore the nerves that nagged at him whenever he talked to someone more important than he was.

“Eh, so-so day. Was pretty good until a typo ruined my invitation. It’s no matter. Just wanted to do something nice for everyone in the office, yeah?”

Their drinks arrived, and Nathan slipped the bartender a twenty. “How about yourself? Been a pretty crazy couple of weeks so far,” he said, sliding his fingers along the rim of his glass.

[rep-natelandry]

adamconnelly‌:

Two years in, and Adam still couldn’t say he knew all of the other members of the House perfectly. But he could at least recognize faces, and two Congressmen ending up in the same bar near the House Office buildings wasn’t a shock. He wasn’t a big drinker, but the stress in the wake of the gun bill’s passage had worn him a little thin, and he’d decided stopping for some food and a beer on his way home seemed like fair stress relief.

He had been trying to place the face to his left when he watched him slump over the bar in evident disappointment over something, and he was about to ask when he was offered the refill. “I…” He looked down at his half-full glass and considered the question, shaking his head. “Nah - I think I’m alright.” He paused a moment, then pushed the basket of fries in front of him toward Nathan in a wordless offer. “….Maine, right?” He was tentative, still only half confident of his placement. “I don’t think we’ve actually had a chance to talk outside the Capitol.” Another pause, and he went for a sip of his beer. “You alright? Get stood up, or…?”

Looking over and seeing one of his colleagues was a welcome surprise - Nathan hadn’t yet made many friendships at work. Maybe it was the way people here tended to stick closer to their party lines than they did in Maine, or maybe it was Nathan himself. Maybe he just needed more time. Either way, he was glad it was a welcome face a few seats away, and he smiled half-heartedly in response.

“Ayuh, Maine’s second. Good memory.” He tipped his glass towards the man and took a sip. “Uh, don’t tell me - West Virginia? I feel like I got that wrong.”

“Sort of - I mean, not really. It was my fault. All water under the bridge now. Just frustratin’.” Another sip of his drink, and he took a fry with a grateful nod. “If memory serves right, you’re probably not too pleased about that gun bill, nah?”

[rep-natelandry]

D.C. was busy - far busier than life had been in Lewiston or Augusta.  Nathan hadn’t tapped into the city’s rhythm yet, and he still felt like an outsider whenever he tried to go out or talk to anyone outside of his work sphere. That wasn’t going to stop him from trying, though, and he’d invited everyone in his office to drinks after work at a place reviewed highly on yelp. What could go wrong? It had seemed perfect. But then again, it was hard to escape Murphy’s Law, and it was only when he re-examined the email he’d sent that he realized that one keystroke had turned his invitation from “all” to “qll”.

“Aw, damn,” he groaned, leaning forward over the bartop in defeat. “I can’t believe...ugh.” He squinted, scowled, and drained the rest of his drink. At least that explained why no one had shown up, right?

The bartender looked vaguely concerned and stopped over.

“Oh, yeah, I’d uh really, really like another one right now. Just keep ‘em coming.” Then, to the person next to him. “Hey, do you need a refill? It’s on me, I promise.”

[rep-natelandry]

mmcarsn‌:

The new thing is coffee. Coffee by the cup, by the pot, by the barrel. Iced or hot, Nitro, espresso, single origin, blends, burned, stale, whatever. If it contains caffeine and tastes bitter enough to bite she’ll drink it. She’s not sleeping these days. No one would prescribe her sleeping pills now. 

So, she’s sitting in a corner of the coffee shop – still officially on leave but how couldn’t she work with the emails. Granted, it’s mostly petty gossip but the Vivian Li stuff, that got her to raise her eyebrows, at least. She’s got her laptop out, a notebook.

Reaches for her cup to take another sip of her Red Eye and immediately the lid snaps and it falls into her lap – just as the door opens and they stride intently in her direction. “Ffffuck me,” Vitriol aimed at her lap and then sees them and sighs. “Hi. Sorry. I have a situation.” That situation being that there’s 16oz of coffee seeping into her crotch. “Can you pass me a couple napkins? I don’t want to track this everywhere.” She sloughs a little off the top and splashes onto the floor. “Wouldn’t happen to have a spare pair of pants, would you?”

Nathan had always been a morning person, but today he felt rushed and harried. He’d spent too much time the previous night deciphering part of a bill proposal so he’d be ready to talk about it with the rest of National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands committee. But that meant he’d missed his alarm and slept in a little past his alarm. His shower had been rushed, he’d almost missed his taxi, and worst of all, he’d missed breakfast. The talks over the bill hadn’t happened, with the other representatives not even showing up. Nathan had waited about an hour before leaving himself and deciding to get some caffeine in his system. Food could wait until lunch, but he needed something better than the junk in the Keurig machine.

The beeline for the counter had turned into a disaster, as it turned out. Some poor woman had spilled coffee all over herself, and while Nathan was unsure if it had actually been his fault (he hadn’t been paying attention), he still instantly felt guilty.

“Oh damn! Here, let me grab some...” He went to snatch a thick handful of napkins from the  counter quickly. “I’m so sorry,” Nathan said as he returned. Had it been his fault? Better safe than sorry. “I wish. I’m beginning to think it’s a good idea, though. Never know when a coffee crisis is about to happen.” He shrugged apologetically, biting his lip.

[aseaofquotes]

Ned Vizzini, It’s Kind of a Funny Story

[90sagony]

#21 Summertime movie: Only God Forgives (2013)