mind // matter

thomas 'tommy' maddox | 35 | dectective for nypd

[tommymaddoxx]

audroux‌:

He felt red flags start earlier that day when one of the soldiers had been acting slightly odd. However, he didn’t press at the time instead he decided to delegate the task of watching the person with a crew leader. Audric would follow both closely. A meeting he set up slightly faux planned. There was no real information being exchanged, but it was a test. The hair on the back of his neck stands he swears he’s being watched. However he pitches it up to paranoia, and knew that the conversation they were having would lead to a dead end that was conviently dead.

After the split from the mob members below him he had started to walk away. He could spot the shadow of someone else from the dim lights that flickered weakly.  Now being followed was something he had recognized, especially when he had to dodge Andrea a few times before she figured out the truth. There were many ways this could go. Was it a cop? A narc? A shadow soldier coming to assassinate him? Another faction coming to square him up in the streets? The reasons were endless. It was when he made the swift turn around the corner, and spun around to confront the person that he was met with a familiar suprise.

Tommy had been his best man at his wedding. Sometimes, Andy would joke with him that the man liked him better than Andy herself. There was an instant carefree click. Honestly, he really didn’t know who could even hate the other a smidge. It was problematic that he worked with the NYPD in homicide, but he supposed it worked both ways. It was problematic he was the underboss of the Shadow Mob. 

The words he spoke made no sense, but since when did Tommy make sense?  Audric stared at Tommy and blinked a bit taken aback. Andrea had to have told him everything? Why was he still calling him Cole? For a second he considered that Andrea wouldn’t stoop that low to sabotage him, but considering their last encounter he wasn’t too sure. This was one of the oddest encounters he has had in the past few days. For a couple of minutes he’s speechless, but then can’t help but chuckle sardonically. 

“Hey, look man. I didn’t answer because I figured you  wouldn’t want anything to do with me. You do choose her side, right?  It’s okay, you don’t have to call me Cole anymore. I’m sure Andy brought you up to speed. Just call me Audric or Aud if you prefer.”

With the exception of Christian of course, Cole had been one of Tommy’s closest friends. Close enough to be the best man at his wedding, close enough to spend countless of hours with him at his own house. Ever since the divorce he had been gone— just like a shadow in the dead of night. He figured that his friend just needed some time to get everything sorted out. He didn’t blame him for separating himself during that time, that didn’t mean he had to understand it though. The sudden lack of communication between them should’ve been the first sign that the divorce was for a much bigger reason that he ever thought.

His brows still were stitched together in confusion as he started talking nonsense. Why would Tommy just stop talking to Cole after all of that time that he spent with him? They were friends, were they not? Sure the divorce would make things a little more awkward considering he would find himself in the middle of it. But choosing her side? What did that even mean? Tommy had so many questions and the man hadn’t even finished his sentence yet. What on earth had he been talking about? Surely he had to know that he was always better friends with him than he had ever been with Andy. Why would he just choose her side? Tommy wasn’t even sure what the divorce was about fully, evidently the both of them left him in the completely in the dark.

“Why would I call you Audri—“ It took him a moment to process what the guy had been saying. To call him Audric? As in Roux, the underboss of the Shadow mob? That very Audric he had been tailing that night? That’s who Cole was? He stared blankly at him almost in utter shock as the gears in his head were desperately trying to turn. He blinked a few times still trying to figure out. “Are you fucking with me,” he finally spoke up, eyes thinning as he gave a once over to his friend. “Is this your way of pranking me? Where are the cameras?” He asked looking around at the people on the streets. “Is Ashton Kutcher going to pop out of retirement and tell me that I’ve been punk’d?”

[tommymaddoxx]

teddyxmuller‌:

“Grilled shrimp.” He echoed with a nod. As the other continued speaking, he let out a laugh. “From calling me lieutenant to wanting to eat lunch, look how far we’ve come. I may not be able to eat lunch but I could grab a cup of coffee before I head out. I certainly have time for that. If not that, there’s always a rain check.”

“Well, you were the one who told me to call you Teddy, even if it feels so very wrong,” he admitted sheepishly. Lieutenant still felt like the right thing to call him considering that was all he ever called him. The man’s name sat weird upon his tongue and he didn’t like it. Much how he didn’t like truffles he supposed. It all just felt wrong. “I’d hardly say that’s progress, it’s still weird to see you not in uniform. But if you want to grab some coffee while we eat, I suppose that wouldn’t be too bad,” he shrugged. “Unless you’re busy. It’s my day off so I don’t really know what’s happening at the precinct.”

[tommymaddoxx]

tylermaddoxx‌:

“When has that ever, ever, stopped you before?” Thomas Maddox was a detective. Asking invasive questions was part of Tyler’s life growing up. As far as older brothers go, Tyler knew he lucked out with Tommy. As if he had any say, but given the circumstances, he was fortunate. Even with their age difference, it didn’t really matter, although at the end of it Tommy raised him just as much as his aunt or their parents did. A responsibility no twenty-year-old should have to take up, not when they were already settled into college and preparing for the world. Tyler tried, he tried his best to not make Tommy worry. He was only eight years old, a month shy of being nine, when they lost their parents. Being an innocent child after that wasn’t allowed, especially when it really felt like all he had left in his life was his older brother.

Tyler tore his eyes away from the frame, falling backward to take a seat on his bed. “I was waiting for the day I was asked to drag you back here, kicking and screaming. Dais’s been asking about the last time you had a homecooked meal, which is dumb because you were the only one that really knew how to cook in the house.” He turned his head, cocking an eyebrow as he finally looked at his brother. “Evie’s fine.” He answered small upturn in his voice not unnoticed. “Work is good. I mean it isn’t good that I have to take photos because there’s crime, but y’know. I’m being paid.”

Thomas chuckled at his brother’s assessment of him. “Well, you got me there. I have to admit, I was only trying to find the right time to interject,” he noted. Tommy and Tyler’s relationship was unique, he didn’t know many other people who shared the kind of relationship that the brother’s did. He wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world though, even if all of the events in their life that lead them to this point were riddled with misfortune. How the pair interacted was always at the top of Tommy’s list. As long as Tyler was happy that’s all that Tommy could hope for. He truly tried his best to make sure his brother was on the right path in life. He knew that he couldn’t do that on his own, not when he was so young. He was just glad that they had their aunt to help the both of them when their world was torn apart right in front of their eyes.

Tommy took his brother sitting down on his bed as a cue to join him. He figured once Daisy got back that they could start cooking. Until then, it would be nice to just talk to his brother and catch up. As Tyler started to become an adult, Tommy felt more and more of an outsider on his life, despite Tyler being at the precinct the majority of the days that Tommy was there too. “Well, it’s been quite awhile since I’ve had a home cooked meal,” he tried to think back to when he last cooked for himself. He had just gotten so busy that he couldn’t ever take the time to cook for himself, let alone go grocery shopping for the things he needed. Maybe it was a good thing that he came here. “At least tonight you’ll have a good meal. I love Daisy, I really do. But the woman’s cooking is just… Not there. I’m surprised that you’re not orange from all of the Kraft mac and cheese she made when you were growing up,” he teased his brother slightly.

Tommy just nodded his head, never really knowing the dynamic between Tyler and his roommate. Based on all of his social media that Tommy tried his best to keep up with, she seemed to be the center of attention in all of his photos. “That’s good to hear. Living with her has been easy? It’s always nice when you get a roommate that you can coexist with,” he added, trying his best to pry without prying. “You’re getting paid and you’re damn good at it. Sometimes on my cases I get photos you took and then others I get some from other photographers and they just aren’t… All the way there that yours are,” trying to give his brother a compliment in the best way that he could. “Anyone giving you a hard time at the station? Do I have to beat anyone up?”

[tommymaddoxx]

vnyvs‌:

Good food changed lives. That was a principle Anya had grown up with from birth, and lived with every day as she watched her mother cook for their large family and make every single day better and brighter with her meals. When Anya was sad, all her mother needed to do was bring her a slice of homemade honey cake and her worries would dissolve at once. Breakfast blinis were a fool-proof cure for pre-school day nerves, while pelmeni for dinner could soothe the aches and pains of the day in an instant.

It was with this mindset that Anya found herself becoming immediately invested in helping the stranger next to her have an excellent meal. He seemed to be in a good mood already, and very kind judging by his tone and smile, but that wasn’t enough. Food was an art, and every culture’s food had its own special kind of magic. Anya was determined to help a newcomer to her beloved cuisine experience the kind of magic she’d tasted daily growing up, and now tried to produce daily even in her current circumstances.

“Is okay!” she replied, waving her hands excitedly. “Is good, you are having big range of taste!” In her eagerness, she didn’t even notice that her usual embarrassment over her poor English had evaporated. “So, kogda nachat’? Mmmm…” Anya thought for a moment, trying to analyze her everyday meals growing up as though looking at them from an outsider’s perspective. “Well, is being summer now, yes? All Russian lunches in summer are starting with cold soup. Maybe this is erm, little strange for America, but is perfect for cooling down and building appetite! After that, I am thinking… beef stroganoff! Many people know stroganoff, and for good reason!”

Anya paused for a moment. Perhaps that was too tame. Not that she wanted to overwhelm the nice gentleman, but he did say he was willing to try anything. “You are… adventurous, yes? Maybe stroganoff is too ordinary. Baba’s is having big meat platter, many different things, including,” she lowered her voice to a whisper so only he could hear, “beef tongue. And if is too adventurous, I say try shashlik karski! Spiced lamb kebab. I hear is house specialty!” Another pause overcame her as she realized she’d been babbling, and a flush spread across her cheeks. “I’m hoping this is not too much. Is nice meeting someone willing to try Russian food.”

Tommy couldn’t help but smile. There was something about food and how it brought people together. It was quite obvious that the woman he was talking to wasn’t from America, just from her accent alone. Though her willingness to help him out was a strong indicator that she wasn’t from New York, even before she started speaking. It warmed his heart to see her so passionate over the simple question of helping for a recommendation. It was only a plus that he had managed to ask a girl who seemed to be straight from Russia herself. Any recommendation that she would offer him, he would take her word for it over the word of anyone else in this place. Especially because she was so keen to help.

“Cold soup?” he asked, raising his brow. In all of his life he hadn’t even thought to have cold soup, but maybe it was because none of the soups in America were particularly meant to be served cold. None that he had yet to have in his life anyways. “Huh, well if you say that cold soup is good for building appetite than I suppose we’ll have to get the cold soup. I want this to be the most authentic experience I can get,” he looked down at the menu to see what she had been talking about. It sounded good, nothing that he would’ve ever thought to put together, but that was the whole reason he was here right? To try something new.

Thomas nodded at the girl after a brief pause. It was true, he had stroganoff before and he loved it. And if he didn’t have her guidance it probably would have been the thing that he ordered figuring that it would be the meal that reminded him most of a home cooked meal that he could get at a restaurant. It had that feeling of pure comfort food. “Beef tongue?” He asked, eyes lighting up. That was the sort of recommendation that he had been looking for. He shook his head, feeling slightly embarrassed himself when he saw the slight blush across her features. He was so enthralled with what she had been telling him that he wasn’t talking as much as he normally would have. 

“No no,” he urged her shaking his head. “This is perfect. It’s nice meeting someone so knowledgable about Russian food,” he tried to reassure her. “So it sounds like we’re going to have an order of cold soup for the both of us and then we can have a big meat platter that we can split? With the beef tongue and whatever else you like,” he offered her a smile. “Don’t worry about the price or anything, since you were so willing to help me out, this one is on me,” the smile never faltering. “You can even pick a dessert if you’re feeling adventurous yourself.”

[tommymaddoxx]

@audroux // nobody ever said i was smart, in fact i’m the dumbest person i know

An anonymous tip, that’s all that had rolled into his inbox. A tip of the whereabouts of Audric Roux, the underboss of the Shadow mob. This wasn’t his job, he shouldn’t have been involving himself with the mobs. But there were too many homicide cases that were connected to the mobs of the city. Too many people were being senselessly killed. And for what? For some petty turf war that the mob bosses couldn’t settle civilly? He was growing tired of all of the senseless violence and there was only so much he could physically do himself. When the tip rolled in, he should’ve handed it off to someone else, someone more capable for the job. But with Emmaline still missing he felt like it was his duty to pursue it. Even if the Shadow mob had nothing to do with her disappearance at least he could narrow down his list.

It was rare that he found himself scoping out back alleys in the dead of night to seek someone out. In fact, it felt wrong for him to be doing it. Sure, he had his fair share of involving himself in places he shouldn’t be, but tonight felt different. The air was thick and heavy as the humidity slowly laid itself over the muggy city. Something about it made his stomach churn, perhaps it was the air or it was what he was doing. Sticking his head in places he shouldn’t have been, getting too close to his work was bound to get him killed— surprised it hadn’t already honestly.

When he came to the location, there was only a few people around. He could see the underboss from where he stood, though he didn’t have a clear view of his face. He could tell it just from the way he held himself, a strong silhouette among others who clearly had been working for him. How he seemed like the type to command a room. Tommy was close, close enough to confront the underboss if he was given the chance. He wouldn’t of course, just follow him from a distance for now seeing what exactly he was going to do, where he was going to go, who he was going to see.

Audric started to move, slipping out of the alleyway and turning a corner. Thomas followed suit, making sure he stayed a good distance away before he turned the corner himself. Much to his surprise though, he ran right into someone— something he should’ve expected considering New York hadn’t ever really be a place where people were paying attention to anyone but themselves. It only took Tommy a moment to realize exactly who he had run into. “Cole?” He asked looking over at his friend with his brows stitched together. He reached out to give his friend a small pinch, “sorry, just have to make sure you’re real since you’ve seemed to have picked up the nasty habit of ghosting your friends,” he held back a smile for a moment before hitting his friend’s shoulder. “Where the hell have you been and why haven’t you been answering my calls?”

[tommymaddoxx]

a-shepherd‌:

“Please Maddox, if I ever call you a pussy, it means I think you can take a pounding.” Ever knee-d someone in the dick? There’s no way a cunt was the weak one. “I’m insinuating that there’s no backing out now. You asked for my recommendation so now you have to eat it.”

Squint, and one might even say her words had the cantor of banter. Actually, Andy was beginning to open up slowly - or as open as someone like her got. And then there was his comment about it coming out more difficult. That got an eyebrow raise. What were they? 12? She pulled the paper wrapping off his straw and flicked it at him. Kinda like she used to do with her brother. She wondered what Tommy was like with his brother. She’d seen them around the water cooler at work of course, whenever she had to leave her office in the courthouse and visit the precinct. Both of them, just a step behind the other. Twins, in their own way, just like she’d once been.

Anyway.

She was bad at trying food these days, used to be better at it. When it was just her and her mother, Alice brought so much more culture to her existence. She was determined to find all the nooks and crannies to bring art to Andy’s life in. They’d go through the paintings, find a food to pair them with, usually the subject of the piece, and then Alice would dissected the work. A lot of their summer days, when Andy was away from school, bored out of her mind because her father and her brother were in Odessa, were spent like this. They’d enjoyed pancakes and syrup while looking at Ruscha, cake while examining Thiebaud, skipped meat and Bacon because her mother thought Figure with Meat to be too morbid for Andy but she’d gone back and looked at it anyway, and they even scarfed down some shitty french fries for Van Gogh.

But all of that culture had seeped out of Andy’s life with Alice’s passing. She had her house now of course, but that meant very little. Gone was the MOMA art curator, gone was the woman who actually put the art in that space. Some time after that, somewhere along the way Andy became more cop than woman, more whiskey than blood, and yeah - Andy couldn’t remember the last time she sat down for food here.

She wished she had some cool story to share with Tommy on why specifically this dish and what its history meant to her and here was it’s significance - in all the ways her mother would. None of that now, she’d picked the items because they were the best thing on the menu. She always went for the chef’s speciality. It had been a while since she’d been here but her memory was sharp. She remembered that.

“You’re the one who picked this place. I thought you came here all the time.”

Bad, bad, bad. She was bad at small talk.

Tommy couldn’t help but raise his brow. “In all of the time that you have known me, have you ever seen me back out of anything? Especially concerning food?” Curious to see if the woman could think of a time where he had because he honestly couldn’t pinpoint one. They had shared a lot of meals together over the years that they had known each other. Dinners with Andy, Cole, and of course Tyler because he had been dragged along with Tommy to most of the things he did. Even in cases where it wasn’t dinner, Tommy and Cole would do just about everything presented to them as if it were a challenge they were committed to follow through with.

Though he wouldn’t blame her if she couldn’t think of anything in particular. Despite working closely with her from her days in the homicide department, Thomas had always been more of a friend to Cole than Andy. But with their divorce still fresh in the air, he didn’t want to lose whatever semblance of a friendship he had with Andy. Hence the lunch, an attempt on Tommy’s end to maintain a relationship with the woman. He genuinely liked Andy though. There was a small part of him that was upset over their divorce, but he wasn’t going to be someone who would meddle. While they seemed fine on the outside, he didn’t want to get tangled up in the web of affairs between the pair of them. He cherished both of their friendships and so long as he had them both post divorce, he figured it wouldn’t be so bad.

Well if he had to be honest, Andy wasn’t his first choice for his lunch endeavor. He had tried to call Cole first, hoping that his friend would finally stop ghosting him with whatever the hell he had been doing since the divorce. Tommy wasn’t even sure where Cole was at this point, figuring he just needed some space from it all. He tried to put himself in Cole’s shoes, figuring that he too would distance himself after something like that had happened. But Andy had answered his call, and maybe that was a sign that she was willing to try and keep their friendship going. Tommy of course wasn’t the one who had gotten divorced, but he couldn’t help but feel a little thrown off by it all trying to do his best to stay out of it, while also trying to figure out what the hell had happened.

“No,” he shook his head before shrugging softly. “I hardly have time to do things like this, actually go out and sit down to eat somewhere,” if anyone knew how chaotic his lifestyle was it would be Andy. She had worked with him for many years in the Homicide department, she knew the caseloads they would get every week. “Actually, Cole brought this place up, he wanted to try it out and it sounded good,” he casually said before realizing his mistake. A horrified look painted itself across his features only to be pulled out by the waitress dropping off their waters. He quickly reached for his glass taking a sip before recomposing himself. Hopefully he would be able to turn the conversation into a complete 180, but he couldn’t be sure of it. He cleared his throat. “How’s the Marshal life treating you? I’m envious of the fancy new office you get. Meanwhile I’ve been at the same desk for years now. A change of scene sounds like the perfect thing to rejuvenate my passion for the job.”

[tommymaddoxx]

claireortega‌:

It wasn’t a surprise that Claire Ortega  was stalking into the NYPD, hair sleeked back in a bun and her glasses low on her nose. Her eyes beneath the frames looked as if she might shoot lasers out of them. She’d thought about it before. More than once, if she was being quite obvious. The feeling was ever present, and the company of Thomas didn’t make much of a difference. 

“I only get the scoop because you don’t, Maddox.” She told him in a sweetly sick voice, fingers switching around the dollar store composition notebook at her side. Theories, information, notes. It would have some more entries today, if she got her way. “You know. Since you like to sit here and twiddle pens, or check how you look with a badge in the bathroom mirror.” She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. At least wasn’t Thomas wasn’t as infuriating as Cordova. “I just have a few questions. Humor me?”

Even if he didn’t? It hadn’t exactly stopped her before.

He couldn’t help the scoff that escaped from his lips as she retorted to him. He was sure she was only getting the scoop because she didn’t have to follow all of the steps that Tommy did. Investigative journalists didn’t have to face the repercussions detectives did if their procedures weren’t clearly documented and followed to a tee. They had a lot more freedom in that respect, though he was sure she had dipped her hand in some illegal activities just to get the answers she had wanted. Claire was nothing short of determined to get the truth, and while detective Maddox was not a fan of her work, Tommy on the other hand admired her grit.

“I’ll have you know twiddling pens is a high class of art that can only be refined with hours of practice,” giving in to her joke. Though he never quite had the leisure time she was referring to. And if there was ever a moment he appeared to not be doing work, he was simply mulling over the details of a case in his head. He was truthfully working all of the time, never stopping to ever let his mind rest. Not when there was so much to do and only so fast that he could proceed with it. He leaned back in his chair, picking up a pen to begin twiddling with it between his fingers. “I’ll humor you, I suppose. It’s not like I have anything better to do than twiddle my pen. Just so long as you don’t ask any questions that could invalidate a case and you keep my name as far away from your piece as possible.” Those were his hard and fast terms, and even then he didn’t have to tell her everything she wanted to hear. “But before we begin, tell me the badge at least looks good. Spent all morning trying to get it to sit just right.”

[tommymaddoxx]

teddyxmuller‌:

“You like what you like. I personally love truffles. I feel they make the flavor profile that much better.” He offered up. “Pesto with a healthy helping of pine nuts and parmesan topped off with some freshly grilled shrimp. I’m full and the thought of that plate is already making me hungry again.”

Tommy stuck his tongue out at the thought of eating truffles. He never understood the craze for it. He had tried them of course, because Thomas was willing to try anything at least once. Perhaps it was because he wasn’t a big fan of mushrooms to start, and the fact that everyone was just adding truffles to things had been annoying for his own personal palette. “Grilled shrimp? You should have started off with that and I wouldn’t have even considered anything else. Pesto is the perfect,” he paused giving a chef’s kiss before starting again, “its the perfect combination of flavors. The pine nuts and the basil, don’t even get me started on the garlic. So much more superior than the other pasta sauces, not that I like those any less, but the pesto,” he shook his head salivating for a moment. “Ah, I caught you while you were on your way out? I was hoping that we could eat the lunch together.”

[tommymaddoxx]

rowanjaxson‌:

What, like it’s hard? Oh, she was absolutely not being Warner Huntington III in this. Not today. Rowan gave him her best withering stare - the one that was usually reserved for when people annoyed her, before looking down at herself to straighten her purple scrubs and grab the green scrunchie she had used to tie back her hair. It was too late to change back into her normal clothes, and anyway, it wasn’t worth it if she was just going to get wet walking to to the parking garage eventually. Rowan sat back down as he did, covering her mouth with a tired yawn. 

“That’s a bad mentality,” Rowan said, automatically. “You can’t catch criminals if you’re exhausted or if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Chronic exhaustion has bad side effects such as fatigue, heart disease, high blood pressure, low sex drive, among others.” She examined him, really examined him a moment. Tommy looked run down, though a little happier to be having actual human contact. Rowan gave him a wry smile, though, despite her lecture. “I suppose I should also be practicing what I preach as well - I’m still here waiting on that damn test…” Rowan shot a dirty look to the machine, as if that would make it go faster, and for a moment, she really wished it would. 

Rowan thought back to his actual question - she’d been busy trying to remember all he side effects of sleep deprivation to register he had actually asked her something. Rowan perked up. He was asking about her cases, using the words interesting. “I think someone was killed with a bowling ball,” she said, remembering Heather Koble. She reached through the case files and picked one out, opening it. “Well, technically speaking, she drowned. But the blunt-force trauma to the side of her head had that distinction, and the residue that didn’t wash out of Ms. Koble’s hair tested for the chemical compound found in the paint used to make cheap bowling balls… Or motorcycle helmets. And I had another one that had the first signs of necrotizing fasciitis - uh, flesh eating bacteria - which oddly didn’t kill him.”

Tommy’s brows stitched together as Rowan got on her little soap box about chronic exhaustion. Sure, he knew what she had been saying was true, but he also knew she was quite the hypocrite for giving unsolicited advice that she wasn’t even following. They were from the same ilk, notorious over-workers who dedicated most of their time to to work rather than committing to a good mental health routine. Though Tommy feared if he wasn’t distracted with work 24/7 that his mind would deteriorate faster than him choosing not to get as much sleep as he should have.

“You can’t catch criminals if you’re exhausted,” Tommy mocked, mimicking that Spongebob meme while trying his best to keep a straight face. “At this rate, I’ll only get to sleep when I’m dead,” while mostly a joke, there was a small part of him that hadn’t been joking and was completely serious. Though he wanted sleep, he really wished he could have just closed his eyes and drifted away. To have a day with no responsibilities and not a care in the world. That would be the dream. A very unrealistic dream, but at least he could pretend it could happen to him one day. That was the important part of it all.

Tommy adjusted himself on the stool, reaching his hands out to take a look over the case. There were times where he wished that he had the mental capacity to do some of the work Rowan was doing. Or even the work Tyler had gotten himself involved in. But sometimes even being at the crime scene analyzing every last detail of the body was overwhelming. That’s why he was glad he had people like Rowan and Tyler who would do all of that work for him. That would at least allow Tommy to focus in on motive and the suspects. He flipped through the pictures making a sour look on his face before handing the case back to her. “Necrotizing fasciitis?” His features twisted and he pretended too shiver. “He.. He…. You’re telling me he didn’t die from that?” He was shocked. “Well then what on Earth did he die from?!”

[dailydcheroes]

[tommymaddoxx]

@christianvbennet

[tommymaddoxx]

navaretteluna‌:

She liked the way he said her name. If it had been said in a different context it could have easily been mistaken as him claiming her. Like when someone says “eres mia” she feels a flash of something at the thought. What would it be like? She wondered, to be claimed by him? Woah. Stop. That’s too much, she just met the man, and she’s already thinking like this? Something is seriously wrong with her. Perhaps her mother has a point and she’s been single longer than she needs to be. Grateful that her thoughts aren’t being broadcasted to the world she forces herself to return to reality. 

Shaking her head a little, acting like it would be the perfect refresh button for her mind, she refocuses on what he is saying, her eyes locking with his and it’s amazing how that grounds her. It accomplishes what she had been trying to do, returning to the now and because of that she is delighted to learn that this whitey had taste! “Right? For the life of me I could never understand people who don’t like seafood!” Mia threw her hands up in exasperation, her hands often moving with the words she said, it was like she had too much energy to ever be still, even when speaking. Her hands were simply an extension of her vocabulary. “Except of course people who could legitimately get sick and die because of it, they are forgiven but ultimately cursed to be denied the greatness of all seafood.” Mia sighs tragically, a little heartbroken at the thought of not being able to enjoy fish or shrimp, or crabs or lobster! What a sad existence. 

When Tommy essentially hands over the executive power to decide everything for him…Mia’s eyebrows rise, the astonishment obvious at the thought of being given so much power. He doesn’t know her one bit and she should feel overwhelmed, he was a stranger after all, it’s a lot of responsibility to pick something for someone she doesn’t even know. And yet, she doesn’t feel overwhelmed at all. The astonishment fades away and in its place comes her her confident smile. He doesn’t know her but he must have magnificent instincts because she knows exactly what to do and better yet, she knows that no matter what she orders, mariscos de mar will not disappoint him. 

So she grins a little devilishly, “Brave of you to trust me so completely, I quite like having this much power over the outcome of your meal.” She laughs a little, biting her lip before putting her hand up and over her heart. Looking at him with eyes shining in amusement, “ I promise I won’t let you regret it and I’ll use such power responsibly..” Mia picks up the menu and flips it so she can read it, taking a second look at items she had tried long ago before sticking to her usuals. “Ok, so here is how we are going to do this Tommy, I don’t know about you but I can eat a lot of seafood, and I think to get the best of all our choices we should share our food. Think of it as having multiple courses but all at once.” Mia smiles excitedly at the idea of having a little bit of everything. The last time she did such a thing was back home with all her brothers. “So we are going to order a ceviche de camaron appetizer, and ostiones preparadas con chile y limón. Both are light, acidic and the right amount of spicy, perfect for wetting the appetite and absolutely delicious. I’ll also order el pescado zarandeado, which is just grilled fish over and open fire that had been seasoned with various spices but the smokiness of the fire transforms it into something magical. I swear it. The fish comes with handmade corn tortillas so obviously makeshift tacos are totally gonna happen here. And you absolutely cannot leave this place without trying the empanadas de camaron. They are to die for, so soft and warm and when you squeeze fresh lime over it?” Mia moans just remembering how delicious everything is. “It is heavenly. And finally we can finish it off with some churros or ice cream for dessert because there is always room for dessert.” Mia puts down the mention and looks at Tommy with complete and utter excitement. “You sir, are in for the best meal of all time and I feel honored to be the one who has ruined all other seafood locations for you from now and to forever.” She grins smugly. 

Who knew that a simple question could have lead to this? Of course, the question hadn’t been directed at her at all, but Tommy was thankful she chimed in. There was a kind of ease he couldn’t seem to place. It wasn’t to say that Tommy wasn’t an outgoing person. It could have been any random stranger popping up to give him a suggestion and the conversation could have stopped there. But Mia interjected herself, and he valued the gall it took for her to do that. Perhaps it was out of spite for the waitress he had been sat with, but still. She could have let him order a taco salad and be none the wiser. Of all of the restaurants he could’ve picked that day to go to lunch, he was glad it had been here with her.

He nodded for a moment before speaking up to agree with her. “I know right?! I mean alright, I can sort of see where they could come from. Seafood is one of those things where it has to be prepared correctly or it can be so very wrong. People who don’t like seafood are usually the same people who aren’t willing to spend the proper money to get really good seafood,” and that was the truth. In all of his time of meeting people, the ones who had a problem with seafood had one bad experience and they just wrote it off for the rest of their life. What would they have expected from getting sushi made at a gas station? The only possible outcome to come from that would end up poorly, at that point they would have just been playing themselves.

There is a smile that graces his features, a genuine one in fact reflecting the one that played across hers. “As stated before, you seem like you’re someone with good taste. And it’s almost exhilarating having someone pick out something for you. In my opinion, it’s the fastest way to get to know someone. There is something to be said about what a person eats for themselves, but when a person orders something for someone else, that’s where you really see their true character,” he pointed out before clearing his throat.

For a moment, he was nervous. The moment was very quickly fleeting though as she began to describe all of the different items they were going to get. He could feel his mouth practically salivating from the descriptions. And the way she was describing them, it must’ve been how passionate she seemed about this place. Mentioning the full flavor profiles of each dish they were going to share and planning out each thing for the both of them. Sure this might’ve been a hole in the wall restaurant, but he felt as if he was at a high scale one where the chef had personally picked out items before hand and prepared the menu just for him. Thank god, he thought to himself, thank god he had met Mia.

“I just want you to know that we haven’t even ordered it yet and I already want to keep you around for all of my restaurant endeavors. We don’t even have the food yet and I’m very certain you’re correct in your statement,” he wanted to reassure her that he wasn’t going to back down on his previous statement of being sure he would like whatever she picked for him. “But one thing, why limit ourselves when we can get churros and ice cream?” His brow arched, smile tugging the corner of his mouth for a moment. “We’re already here, right? Might as well go the extra mile,” he would insist on picking up the entire tab later. For all of the effort she had gone through and just how nice she was letting a total stranger sit with her at her table and demand she pick something for him to eat. It would be his treat for all of the good food she exposed him to.

The server came back to take the order, Mia ordering it in perfect Spanish very quickly before she had her attention turned back on Tommy. “So Mia,” he started, folding his hands together on the table. “Tell me about yourself. You’ve piqued my interest with all of this. Are you a chef yourself? Or just a self proclaimed foodie with immaculate taste?”

[tommymaddoxx]

teddyxmuller‌:

“Outside of work, just call me Teddy. Lieutenant seems far too formal in this situation.” He said with a laugh. “Alright then… there’s the pesto then you really can’t go wrong with the spaghetti but personally I love the truffle pasta. Truffle makes everything better.”

Tommy could feel the grimace spread across his features. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know many of his coworkers by a first name basis, but it almost felt wrong considering calling the Lieutenant anything other than that. He was his superior and he couldn’t seem to wrap his mind around the fact that perhaps he had a life outside of all of this. That his life wasn’t just dedicated to the precinct like he had always assumed. “Alright, Teddy,” he spoke hesitantly, still unsure of whether or not this had been a test or something. 

“Truffles hmm…” He raised his brown briefly thinking about it for a moment. “You know, I’m not entirely sure where I stand in the truffle debate. Part of me wants to say they’re overrated, but the other part is screaming at me for not being more into them,” he let out a sigh, “it’s quite the conundrum I face.” Thomas still thought for a moment, scanning over the menu one last time. “I think maybe I’ll go for the pesto. There’s nothing quite like homemade pesto, not even truffles can get in the way of that.”

[basketcasemp3]

[tommymaddoxx]

@a-shepherd

[tommymaddoxx]

a-shepherd‌:

The only reason she was here suffering through a social interaction was because she’d opened her cupboards to find all her gummy bear bags empty and all her flasks dry and Andy, a woman determined to push herself to the limits, knew to some degree if she didn’t get some real food in her soon, she’d probably just drop dead on the spot. 

She’d happened to be on the phone with Tommy at the time of this  realization, about to bother him about some case she was waiting to hear back on, and it was the intersection of the two phenomenas that landed her here. 

When was the last time she’d sat down some place to eat? She certainly couldn’t remember. Perhaps with her ex-husband - and what a fucking depressing thought that was. She kept her lips pressed into a thin line as Tommy beamed up at the server with a 1000 kilowatt smile. It nearly made her squint at the sight, kind of like staring into the sun. Small price to pay though.  The one upside to this whole situation was that Tommy was considerably nicer to most people than she was and that meant he had to do all the emotional labor that came with being a ray of sunshine and she could just tag along for the ride.

The waiter asked for their drinks order. Andy considered for a moment, asking for the hardest liquored they served - make it two of those, oh no, just for me, thanks - but decided against it. While she more or less was hooked up to an IV drip of whiskey most hours of the day, it would be good to keep a clear head for the rest of the work day. Drinking on the job, not really her speed. Drinking after the job, before the job and everywhere in between - absolutely her speed.  

“Yeah, just a water for me.” 

She was almost startled at Tommy’s sudden request to pick for him. Just about blind-sided her, really. What? He wanted to her to pick for him?? How did he not know exactly what he wanted? What was she supposed to do? Guess what his taste was? She knew Tommy, might even go so far to call the colleague a friend - but of all the things - 

She inhaled deeply. Whatever. 

“Make that two waters. Two tom yum kungs and two Gaeng Tai Pla.” 

She handed her menu back. “Hope you can handle spice, Maddox.”

While it had been his day off, Tommy was still answering calls from whoever from the precinct was calling. On call was considered the only time he had off. He sighed when Andy had called him, probably about to give him an earful on a case that she needed help on. Of course he would be happy to help, but still. There was that small part of him that absolutely hated the fact that he had to answer it in the first place. But before she could even speak to him about anything, he suggested they talk about it over lunch. He hadn’t had anything in his stomach and his brain was nowhere in the state for answering case related questions.

Thankfully, thankfully she agreed and they met up at the designated restaurant. Hopefully she would wait until they got the food before she started talking his ear off about anything and everything. If he got food in his system he’d be able to provide her with better responses that weren’t ‘hm’ or ‘interesting’. Until that point though, that could probably be the only thing she could rope out of him. Even if he had been tied down to the chair he would’ve never been able to give her help.

Amused, he looked over to Andy who looked quite shocked that he even asked her the question in the first place. If there was anything that Tommy loved more than making the food himself, it was about being surprised about the food that he was getting. It was the closest joy in his life that he could compare to Christmas morning as a child (yet those were always a little less exciting since his parents had been killed that day). There was something so exciting about taking that first bite having absolutely no idea what he was about to be in for.

He didn’t even have a chance to look back down to the menu before she blurted out an order for the both of them. A smile played across his features, happy that she had made the decision for him. It was probably better that way anyways because he probably could’ve taken a full twenty minutes on deciding what to order, especially because his brain was on the lowest setting. “Spice? I’m not some pussy if that’s what you’re insinuating,” he raised his brow before shaking his head. “If the spice level is up to ten, my tastebuds can take it. Going in is always the easier part. I can’t say how well I handle it going out,” he nervously chuckled before the waitress brought back two waters. “What did you order anyways? Actually no wait, don’t tell me. I want to be surprised. As long as it’s good, I’ll eat it.”

[tommymaddoxx]

tylermaddoxx‌:

» . ( @tommymaddoxx )

between the two brothers, tyler was the one that always made it to dinner with their aunt. it was nothing on tommy though, as tyler actually grew up in the walls of this spacious astoria home, where the doors were open to him when all seemed lost and uncertain. tommy was already entering his adult life and as much as both bothers loved their aunt, she was more of a mother to tyler, raising him from a scared and confused eight-year-old boy to the man that he was now. 

tyler never planned on moving out. the house he grew up in was wonderful, with more than enough space for the two of them. more room than an average new york apartment that’s for sure, but moving out was the right call. even if he was hesitant at the time, tyler knew he needed to move on. it was just the idea of leaving his aunt by her lonesome after so many years… well even that wasn’t enough of a lie that tyler could pretend to believe to argue to stay. he was glad he moved, to not be stuck in the past as he sat in his old bed with all of his high school things surrounding him in his room. it wasn’t as messy as it was back then, but there was a lot that tyler wouldn’t just tossing into the garbage. no item truly held sentimental value, it was just the memories that were associated with it. the only thing that tyler would never throw out would be the boxes upon boxes of photos he’s developed, and the canisters of film that still littered his desk. 

none of them were as important as the one frame he had on the wall, though. situated next to a framed photo of him with his brother and aunt at his high school graduation, was the last photo of the maddox family. tyler kept a copy of it at his current place in the city, but this was the original, mildly yellowed with age, only salvaged by the archival glass that tyler shelled out the money for when he was in middle school at the first sign of age. it was hard to take his eyes off of it, to look at himself as an eight-year-old boy and to wrap his mind around the fact that he was once that small and that innocent. a little boy that still had both of his parents. 

“you know you could knock,” tyler said upon feeling a presence, lounging in the doorframe. he had come early to help out around the house before dinner but end up getting lost in a maze of memories looking through stuff in his room. not the most ideal situation for him to want his brother to find him in. “haven’t seen you at dinner in a while. glad you could make it.”

Thomas had always tried to make an effort to make it to dinner. For the first year after the incident, he moved back with them and stayed with Tyler and their aunt. He wanted to make sure that he was there for Tyler after everything happened. Two years after that, when everything seemed to settle is when Tommy decided that it was time for him to go out on his own again. His attendance to the dinners shifted dramatically from every night, to twice a week and so forth until he had gotten so busy that whenever he could swing by was good enough for his aunt. And while there were some months where it was hard to find time, he would go out of his way to make time.

Crime had admittedly been up, the amount of homicide cases had been piling on his desk at an exponential rate and there seemed to be no sign of stopping. He looked over at his desk, the files begging to be searched through, the victims to be brought to justice. Tommy almost picked up the phone to call his aunt to let her know that he wasn’t going to be able to make it. Almost. But as he started dialing the numbers he realized that he had bailed on them the last time he promised to come over. It was just dinner after all, and food was something that Tommy hadn’t had anything of the entire day. The cases could wait until the morning— his family couldn’t.

He quickly gathered his things to make his way to them, shoving a single case file into his bag to look at after dinner. He was a sucker for working even when he wasn’t getting paid for it. The subway ride from Manhattan to Astoria was a bit long, but he should make it just before 6:30, which would have given him plenty of time to even help his aunt with the cooking. That was his passion after all, set on the back burner for him to take up a life of uncovering the truths of crime in the city of New York.

Arriving just before 6:15, he was amazed at how quickly he had managed to get there. He was only lucky of course that the subway system had been working in his favor that day rather than against it. He let himself in, of course having keys for himself in case of any emergency and looked around trying to find any source of life besides the TV that had been running. It didn’t seem like their aunt was there, perhaps running a few last minute errands before they got dinner rolling. Tommy made his way to Tyler’s room, seeing his brother among all of his old stuff just watching him engrossed in the photo he was looking at.

When Tyler called him out for not knocking, he chuckled slightly. “Ah, you seemed to be in your head, didn’t want to barge in on your thoughts,” he smiled before setting his bag down onto the ground outside of Tyler’s room. “Eh, I figured it was time to make it. Plus, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you and I was really craving enchiladas tonight. How’ve you been?” he asked letting himself into the room before sitting down on the bed. “Everything with Evie going smoothly? What about with the precinct?”

[daily-men]

Jake Gyllenhaal photographed for L'Uomo Vogue (2019)

[tommymaddoxx]

julian-hayes‌:

It wasn’t often that Julian had a free day, and if he was honest he’d spent most of said day still working but just at home, and messaging people asking how things were back at the station but still it was his free day and so he figured he’d eat somewhere nice, wich meant anything better than  take out. Finally he found a place he liked and he had barely been escorted to his table when he noticed the familiar face. “I don’t think I can help you, it’s been a while since I’ve been here, but wel nice to know this is the to go place for the police department.”

There was something about seeing coworkers outside of work that was jarring to him. Especially on his day off. Of course, that is where most of his friends were and he spent the most time with them. But he was always surprised to see them out of uniform and just living their lives. It was almost refreshing honestly. He smiled briefly before shaking his head. “Well I mean, I’ve never personally been here, but people at the precinct always talk about it so I figured why not. Now it’s just a matter of deciding exactly what I want, you know?” he started saying before glancing back down at the menu. “What did you get last time, if you can remember of course.”