#corpatrem

[neonatals]

it was pete that had possessed her to do it. take some time away from the practice, do something that matters. help people. he'd told her it would enlighten her. and so here she is, overseas in an overcrowded hospital, tending to the wounded all day every day. it's exhausting, it's demanding, it has absolutely nothing to do with her specialty, but somehow ... in its own way ... it has been rewarding. she won't say she isn't more than ready to get back to real life in the next month, back to her office and her own bed, but this has been an experience she wouldn't trade.

she doesn't register him fully at first as she pulls back the curtain. he's asleep. she's looking at his chart. bad leg wound. it isn't until she starts fussing with the bandaging, blood - soaked from the last time it had been changed, that he startles awake. " i'm sorry, i know it's late. i was hoping i could get it done without waking you. " her gaze lifts then, and she stops cutting through the old bandage all together as she registers his face. gapes at it, more like — as though she's seen a ghost. " dom? "

@corpatrem <3

[vitalphenomena]

@corpatrem // vitto said: come closer. there's no need to be afraid of me.

TO EVEN BRING UP MARYANNE'S CAPACITY TO FEEL FEAR IN THIS MOMENT FEELS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD INDICATION THAT SHE SHOULD BE AFRAID.

That's not the sort of thing you can admit to on the floor, though. You can't even let it show up in your eyes. Maryanne smiles and dutifully pretends like Vito and his shitty, creepy friend Joe don't make her want to call it all quits (which she rationally knows she cannot do).

"If you want a closer look," Maryanne-as-Celeste suggests, all coy and provocative, "There are front row seats with your names on them."

[yourdisco]

i'm very grateful.- robert to Violet 😬

PROMPTS FROM MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION / accepting .

she's almost aghast , perhaps the governess did teach robert a thing or two about appreciation . the dowager leant against her cane , pale marine eyes watch him closely as she almost takes off from the ground in delight . withered features lighten as her son , the earl of grantham , finally sees the work she has been doing for decades .

the family had always been the centre at what she did , and despite cora and robert's reservations , they always saw her as meddling . but when it came to the girls , she'd do anything to ensure the survival of the estate and the family , for their sake .

she looks past him , pretending to look for one of the servants . . . where was carson when you required his trusting services ? thirty years of managing downton was at stake and finally , robert came to his senses . ❛ forgive me , i was looking for a pot of ink and a quill .   ❜ she said flippantly , chuckling to herself . she takes a few steps forward , her cane echoing against exposed wood . robert was her legacy by linear lines , but it was mary would would carry her spirit .

❛ my dear , one day . . . someone will write that down .  ❜ she smiles , her wit and her charm was notorious amongst the aristocracy , she hadn't met her match until isobel crawley step foot into downton . she'd never admit that part aloud , she'd rather walk on hot coals in the village . ❛ i would be very grateful for a drink .   ❜

[piperafterdark]

@corpatrem - Callahan Dinner & Diatribes

Fingers on a piano, lips parted for a song. This isn't her standard gig, her standard place, but the talent on display makes it easy to overlook the subtle things that are wrong about her, things that make it clear she doesn't belong in a place like this. A clearly borrowed men's jacket might cover her tattoos, but the tells are there all the same.

It's those eyes, those green eyes rimmed with dark makeup and heavy lashes that watch the crowd too closely. She watches the wealthy dine, talk, indulge -- watches their hands move, the way waiters and servers drift in and out of their orbits; specters filling cups.

She watches him for a while, as she sings songs that feel like heart break and long fingers kiss keys. Why him? She couldn't say. Maybe his face is just interesting, maybe it's his posture, maybe maybe maybe.

Her set is over for now. The bar where she lurks is apart from the sitting area of the restaurant but not far off. It's not busy, most people prefer having their drinks just delivered to the table it seems, so it's only natural that her gaze lifts from her glass when she hears someone order.

And she's watching him again.

"Seeking refuge?" She doesn't hesitate in speaking up. "Can't blame you, your table looked boring."

Doesn't hesitate to speak her mind, either.

[murkyhazed]

@corpatrem cont. from here.

               olivia   had   a   long   day   in   court,   and   the   unfortunate   thing   is   the   trial   only   just   started.      tomorrow   was   another   day   sitting   around,   waiting   to   be   called   for   her   testimony.      carisi   had   told   her   they   were   going   to   call   her   today,   but   apparently   the   first   witness   was   late   and   pushed   everything   back.      so   her   time   in   the   hot   seat   wasn’t   until   tomorrow   now,   and   when   she   finally   got   home   she   ensured   her   ten   year   old   son   was   okay   and   got   him   settled   into   bed.

               now   she   was   on   the   couch,   the   television   on,   but   more   of   a   background   noise   as   she   sipped   on   a   glass   of   red   wine.      the   bottle   ben   had   gifted   her   a   few   weeks   ago.      she   had   planned   on   thanking   him   over   text,   but   she   couldn’t   resist   sending   him   something   a   little   more   flirty   instead.      she   saw   him   rushing   out   of   the   courthouse,   looking   busy   as   ever.      still   hot   though,   and   still   made   her   wish   she   could   have   approached   him.

               olivia   smiles   when   the   message   is   replied   to,   unable   to   control   the   breathy   chuckle   that   leaves   her   before   she   begins   her   own   response.

               [   TXT   :   ben   ]      end   up   with?      you   already   have   one.

               [   TXT   :   ben   ]      where   to   tonight?      do   i   get   a   souvenier?

               the   promise   of   a   date   has   her   feeling   giddy.      she   doesn’t   know   how   she   would   define   whatever   this   relationship   was,   but   she   was   having   fun   which   she   hadn’t   had   in   some   time.      it   was   also   very   hush   hush,   because   olivia   wasn’t   the   biggest   fan   of   people   knowing   her   business   or   who   she   spent   her   time   with.      especially   when   it   was   a   lawyer…

               [   TXT   :   ben   ]      you   let   me   know   so   i   can   arrange   for   my   son   to   spend   the   night   somewhere.

               [   TXT   :   ben   ]      unless   you’ll   be   too   busy   for   dessert.

[gordiacea]

-; for @corpatrem - continued from here. Beeya had told him to give him a shot. Well. That hadn't exactly been her words, it had been something more along the lines of, 'Harold needs to talk to more than just me. Broaden his horizons, maybe?' and Ben had agreed, because Beeya had been a friend in college, and Beeya really liked this guy, and --... "I assure you Dr. Ong, I am listening." a half smile, but true to Ben's word, he had been. But trying to eat his dinner while listening to Harold go on about horsehair worms and parasites --... does something to curb an appetite on a man who doesn't eat much to begin with. A boys night. That's what Beeya had wanted, said that Ben owed her for that one time she helped him write a paper twenty years ago. " -- you want some more fries?" Ben asks, offering the basket to the researcher as Ben sits back to take a sip of his beer with his free hand. But he's nothing if not stubborn and he nods, " --- What uh --...what made you get into this field, anyways?" He asks, because if he keeps the conversation off on him, it's easier. Ben is charming, used to conversing with all sorts of people, a sort of... gravitational pull that he doesn't even realize he has, even if the only thing he wants in life after work is to go home and sit on his couch with a scotch. " -- Beeya says the two of you are making a lot of progress?"

          BEN SELFLESSLY PROFESSES his share of fries - Dr. Ong makes a face as if he's just been offered a dead rat. ❝ No. ❞ He forces himself to try again: ❝ no, thanks. ❞

          BEN COULD MAKE friends with a stop sign. Eeeeveryone liked him - sporty people, smart people, artsy people, everyone ! Maybe he can give you some pointers, Beeya had teased. Harold's best defense mechanism is to insist - sometimes to the point of delusion - that everyone is beneath him. Despite his efforts to cling to this, reality is becoming too obvious to ignore: Ben makes him outright radioactive with envy. He tries to get to him, pulling out every trick he can think of: mile-long species taxonomies, overcomplicated scientific jargon, vicious attempts to illicit disgust - but Ben's cool does not break. His smile even seems genuine. It makes Harold seethe.

          ❝ I PICKED PARASITOLOGY because it's a field overlooked by narrow minded idiots who'd rather barrel towards what'll get them more money or attention. ❞ Harold is actually quite hungry - the fries do look good - but he still refuses to take them.

          HE VISIBLY PRICKLES at Beeya's name. It comes with a reminder of a promise: I haven't seen Ben in ages. Please, for me, just try to play nice. ❝ Yeah. We are. That's the only reason we're in New York, because Beeya got invited to present our research. They told me, ❞ Harold struggles, each word forced like he's coughing up broken glass. They told me you couldn't pass an entry level biology class without their help. A bit aggressive. They told me you just opened your first office in London. Fuck if Harold will ever acknowledge that a career in law warrants any praise. ❝ Beeya told me that you, um ... grew up here, ❞ he settles lamely, visibly deflating. Look at you, you never left, he wants to spit, but he throttles it back down. ❝ I'm from overseas. The only thing I know about New York is from movies. ❞

[coanchor]

i'm going to fuck it up a little . me too .

bradley jackson & cory ellison : the mix tape .

[morninganchor]

❝     well,   okay,   if  you  say  it  then  i  guess  it  must  be  true,     ❞    there's  a  hint  of  bitterness  beneath  the  words  as  alex  pushes  a  strand  of  hair  out  of  her  face,   a  forced  smile  taking  up  residence  on  her  lips   —   even  though  she's  sort  of  concerned  it  makes  her  look  like  she'd  just  spent  an  hour  sucking  on  an  especially  sour  lemon.    ❝    martin  levy's  never  been  wrong,   has  he?    i  really  don't  think  i've  ever  won  an  argument  with  you,   you  know,   so  why  try  to  start  now,   right?   i'm  just  not  engaging,   i'm  refusing  to  engage,   absolutely  refusing  to  take  the  bait,   dad!    ❞

»    i'm  your  father.  i  know  you.  i  know  you're  up  to  something.   /   @corpatrem.