#the rys family

[jerzwriter]

One Night in Cordonia Chapter 8: All's Well That Ends Well

Series: One Night in Cordonia, a @choicesprompts a Round Robin Event. Fandom: TRR, with some OH introduced here Pairings: You'll See lol Word count: 2.2k (I went over a little - sorry!) Rating: Mature Warnings: talks about sex, innuendos, language Prompt: Cocktails, Gala - @choicesjunechallenge A/N: Every now and then, it's fun to just take your characters and put them in different surroundings. This lil' crack fic allowed me to do just that. I was going to say it's not really "my" Ethan and Tobias here, but, to be honest, it could be them in my Ethan/Kaycee world. Thanks for putting this together and including me Angela!

Next author: ??? @angelasscribbles ???

Summary: It's Leo's social season. The day is Beaumont bash after the formal dinner is done and the royal couple has left. Anton sends his second in command, Claudius, to spread a fog, "Death Smash," that would leave the guests paralyzed and he would attack. But the gas delivered was Shagging smog 2.0 by mistake, leading to a sexual frenzy amongst guests. Anton himself goes to check and falls prey to the gas. The only unaffected members are Max (immune), Leo (because he was in the gardens), and Olivia (partially affected, trying to fight the effects).

The pretty brunette flight attendant was shaky on her feet, and for once, turbulence nor the ridiculously high heels Constantine insisted his flight attendants wear was the cause. No, this time, the mesmerizing aqua-blue eyes of her passenger were the culprit. She hadn’t dared to look at them directly for fear of what they could do to her, but she could feel them raking over as she attempted to pour his bourbon. She only hoped he didn’t notice how she trembled.  

“That’s good right there, darlin’,’ he droned, his husky voice rolling off his tongue like honey. “Any more than that, and I’ll have to wonder if you’re trying to take advantage of me.”

A blush settled on her cheeks as she attempted to come up with a reply. Luckily, the other, equally aesthetically pleasing passenger spared her when he sighed with disgust.

“For Christ’s sake, Tobias, could you maybe have just an ounce of decorum?”

“You know Ethan, decorum is overrated,” he winked. “I prefer fun. You may want to try it sometime.”

“I know how to have fun, and it’s not harassing our flight attendant.” 

Ethan looked over to the young woman, who could not look away before his sapphire orbs met hers. Fuck! She thought because those eyes would render her equally as helpless.

“I apologize for my colleague. Apparently, he was raised by wolves.”

“Hey!” Tobias jumped in. “My mom would kick your ass if she heard you say that!”

“Really? Well, I’m sure she’d love to hear how you are treating this young woman,” Ethan pulled out his phone. “Shall I dial her?”

Tobias threw both hands up in surrender. “Nope! Truce! Truce!”

A satisfied smirk crossed Ethan’s face. “I think you’ll be left in peace for the remainder of the flight,” he smiled. Completely oblivious to the look of disappointment on the woman’s face as she exited the cabin.

Tobias sipped the amber liquor and let out a slow moan. “Mmmm.  This is amazing,” he growled. “Have you tried yours yet? I know you’re a total snob, but I swear, this shit will make you weak in the knees.”

Ethan eyed his untouched beverage and shut his eyes.

“I’ll get to it,” he grumbled. “This whole thing, it’s just… it’s obscene!”

Tobias leaned over and took the papers his companion was reading out of his hands, shoving them into the attaché at his side.

“Hey, what are you….”

“Shut up,” Tobias spat. “Seriously, Ethan. The hospital insisted we go, so just sit back and enjoy the ride. We’re on one of the most luxurious private jets on the planet on someone else’s dime. Our every need is expected to be catered to, and if you hadn’t interrupted… that might have included the beautiful Ashley.”

“Ashley?” He asked.

“The flight attendant…”

“Her name is Amber, you idiot. And sexual harassment isn’t something I wish to add to our resume on this trip.”

“Ethan, relax. I was joking!”

“I’m sorry, I just hate this whole thing. The wealthiest people in the world summoning us across the damn Atlantic to take care of their potential PR disaster is not what I went into medicine for.”

“I don’t disagree,” Tobias shrugged. “But what they’re paying us for two days’ work will fund our department for the next year. So look at the bright side for a change Mr. Sour Pants.”

“You have a point,” Ethan grumbled. “Let’s just make this quick, get in and get out…”

“That was my plan with Am….”

“SHUT UP!” Ethan hollered as Tobias adjusted his sleep mask and drifted off, pleased he had accomplished his goal of getting under his boss’s skin.

~~~~

Upon landing, a heavily guarded motorcade awaited the two doctors and drove them to the Beaumont estate. 

“Is this still fun for you?” Ethan asked.

“Fuck yes! I’m living out some major James Bond fantasies right now.”

Ethan fought the genuine smile that attempted to spread on his lips; maybe there was something to Tobias’s constant glass-half-full approach, but he wasn’t about to admit it.

When they arrived at the scene, Constantine and a Lieutenant from the King’s Guard greeted them at once. The Lieutenant handed each man a gas mask.

“Gentlemen,” Constantine enthused. “We are so happy to have you here! It’s not our first incident with shag smog in Cordonia, but this one is not responding to the normal antidote. That’s why we called in the experts.”

Ethan quickly adjusted his mask, but Tobias made no effort to put his on, earning him a questioning glare.

“No need,” Tobias smiled. “I’ve been exposed in the past, so I’m immune.”

“Of course you have,” Ethan groused. “How bad is the situation?”

“Worse than you could imagine!” The Lieutenant began. “There are only a handful of people present who weren’t affected, reasons unclear at this time. Some may have had prior exposure, some, well… this could be their natural state of being; it’s hard to tell.”

“OK, so we have a handful of people who haven’t turned into sex-crazed lunatics,” Tobias assessed. “But how many have? Do you know how many were in attendance?”

“Several hundred,” a woman’s voice rang out from behind, and Tobias’s body went rigid. He’d know that voice anywhere. “Anyone who is anyone in Cordonian society is here, plus a few plebeians from other nations who are delusional enough to imagine they can fit in with us.”

Tobias turned slowly toward the red-haired beauty, salacious grin in place.

“You say plebeians with such disdain, Duchess. From what I recall, you haven’t always minded rolling around in the dirt with at least… some of us.”

Olivia’s eyes narrowed, her icy gaze meeting Tobias’s heated stare. “You!” she hissed.

Ethan clapped his friend on the back. “It’s so good to see you have fans everywhere. Please tell me you made her acquaintance at a Cordonian History seminar.”

“Yeah,” Tobias chuckled. “Something like that. It’s been a long time, Duchess.”

“I’d prefer it if you called me Olivia,” she seethed.

“Heh! That’s not what you wanted to be called last time we were together.”

Constantine turned to Ethan with a look of distress. “Are you sure the sex pollen isn’t impacting him?”

“No,” Ethan sighed wearily, “Sadly, that’s just him.”

“Tobias?” a naked Maxwell hollered as he approached the group. “Is that you?”

Ethan turned to Constantine, aghast. “I thought you said all the impacted were contained!”

“They are! But that’s Maxwell and… sadly, that’s just… him.”

“It’s me,” Tobias nodded, averting his eyes. He removed his lab coat and tossed it in Max’s direction. “Would you put this on, for Christ’s sake! No one needs to see that damn hippo tattoo.”

“Oh, yeah…” Ethan rolled his eyes. “That’s what we don’t need to see!”

“So, what do we do, gentlemen?” The Lieutenant asked. “Normally, pumping in the antidote smog does the trick.”

“Not with this new variant,” Tobias interrupted. “It’s essentially a concentrated form of GHB in vaporized form.”

“So, how do we reverse this?” Constantine asked.

“There’s been some success with the administration of diclofenac and NSAIDS,” Ethan advised. “But that would require injecting each of the infected individually. There is no way to ‘gas’ everyone back to normal.”

“Well, that could take hours! Days!” A voice called out.

“This is my son, Leo, the crown prince.” Constantine chimed in.  “And I agree with him. We need to get this display of debauchery under control before it’s a scandal!”

“Forgive me if I’m more concerned about the people who were poisoned, not your Palace’s reputation.”

“Dr. Ramsey, I believe I’m paying you quite handsomely to take care of both,” Constantine reminded.

“Going room to room won’t be the fastest way,” Tobias agreed. “But it is the best way. Not only can we ensure it’s administered properly, but you can send someone in with us to confiscate everyone’s mobile devices. That will give you time to destroy any embarrassing pictures you wouldn’t want out there.”

Olivia spat out a laugh behind him. “Yes, Dr. Carrick. Because you, of all people, know about embarrassing blackmail photos. Don’t you?”  

Tobias shot her a knowing look. “We’ll talk after… Duchess. Right now, I have work to do.”

~~~~~

Tobias and Ethan ran up the ornate marble staircase; the team Constantine assembled to assist them quick on their heels.

“So, dare I ask what the deal is with you and Olivia?” Ethan asked.

A blissful look came over Tobias’s face, and Ethan momentarily wondered if his friend was being impacted by the gas.

“You know I’ve always had a thing for redheads. Plus, have you ever had a woman pull a switchblade out of her stilettos and threaten you in the middle of some of the most mind-blowing sex you’ve ever had in your life?”  

Ethan looked at Tobias in horror. “No! I can’t say I have.”

Tobias reached over and tapped his friend’s shoulder. “Well, add it to your bucket list, buddy. I promise you, it’s a rush.”

“Gentleman,” Leo interrupted, “if you wouldn’t mind visiting this room first. My brother, Liam, is in here.”

When the men entered, Liam immediately rushed toward them.

“What the…”

“Thank God you’re here!” Liam squealed. “This is shag smog… isn’t it?”

“It is,” Leo frowned. “But… you’re coherent… weren’t you impacted? Do you want to screw any of us right now?”

Liam calmly looked over the three men and shrugged. “I mean, you’re all cute… but not my type… and you’re my brother!”

“But if you weren’t impacted, why are you locked in here?” Leo asked.

“Madeline locked me in here. That woman has been dying to have her way with me and thought she believed this was her big chance.”

“Wait…” Tobias interrupted. “I’m not up on all of the societal gossip, and I know you people have your own little… proclivities… but,” he turned to Leo, “isn’t Madeline your fiance?”

“Technically,” Leo sighed.

“OK, then,” Tobias simpered. “Well, how about we leave you two to sort this out while we go administer the antidote to others.”

Leo nodded at Tobias, “Excellent idea. We’ll meet up again outside.”

~~~~~

Several hours later, Tobias joined a team of King’s Guards assigned to delete all incriminating images from guests' phones. He was having too much fun helping, chuckling repeatedly before hitting delete. He turned to Ethan with a grin.

“You know, if we want to retire early, all I need to do is forward some of these to our phones. Our offspring’s offspring could live off of the blackmail money.”

He heard what sounded like the knuckles cracking behind him and found Oliva glaring his way. “I assure you, that would be ill-advised.”

“Relax, sweetheart. Don’t you know a joke when you hear one?”

Ethan looked between the two and shook his head ruefully. “I know I’m going to live to regret this… but you mentioned blackmail photos before… what were you talking about?”  

Tobias howled with laughter. “She took some photos of me and planned on using them against me. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t factor in that I have no shame. So, she got nothing.”

“Oh dear God,” Ethan groaned. “What the hell was on… you know what… no… I don’t want to know.”

“Why?” Tobias asked. “They were just pictures of me… in various states of undress… some may have involved latex… and a couple had switchblades….”

“OK, STOP!”

“In one,” Tobias said, standing up with dramatic flair, “I was kind of bent over like this….”

“I SAID STOP!” Ethan yelled as he rushed away, muttering under his breath.

Amused, Olivia slid up next to Tobias and gently caressed his forearm.

“He’s a bit squeamish, no?”

“Hey, they can’t all be me,” he laughed. “You’re looking good, Dutchess… you know, I wouldn’t exactly turn down the opportunity to … engage… again….”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Tobias, you’re a terribly handsome man. And as much as I can appreciate someone who eagerly follows my orders and calls me Duchess throughout, I must admit… I rather get off on the fear in my companion's eyes when I unexpectedly pull a sharp object in the heat of the moment… the fact that you kind of got off on that… it takes the fun out of it for me.”

“Hey!” Tobias protested. “Fear? Is that what you’re looking for. Listen, gorgeous, I had four years in drama club in college, and I can feign fear like the best of them. I think you should give me another shot.”

Olivia’s eyes raked over him, slowly taking him in from head to toe, a fiendish grin growing.

“You’re willing to wear a harness?”

Tobias scoffed. “When have I ever said no to that?”

“OK,” she smiled, rising to her feet. “The Beumont’s armory is in the basement. Go down the staircase, make a left, and it’s the last door at the end of the hallway. Meet me there in fifteen minutes. Oh, and get your lab coat back from Maxwell. Make sure you’re wearing that… and nothing else… when I enter,” she winked. “That’s the main course. The harness will be dessert.”

Tobias looked at her with darkened eyes. “At your command, my Duchess.”

Anxioulsy hopping to his, Tobias yelled to Ethan as he made his way to the door.

“Hey, buddy! I’ve got .. uh.. some things to do. Keep yourself occupied… look around for Bertrand… you both love boring things. He’ll know what to do.”

Liam and Leo leaned against the wall, shaking their heads at what they had just witnessed. 

“And that’s without the shag pollen,” Leo sighed. “Could you imagine them under the influence?”

Liam shook his head vigorously. “It would be the demise of Cordonia.  Perhaps the demise of civilization.”

@choicesficwriterscreations Tagging others in RB.

#choices fanfic #the royal romance #trr #open heart #open heart choices #playchoices #choicesprompts #choices fic writers creations #ethan ramsey #tobias carrick #olivia nevrakis #the rys family #trr au #round robin

[khoicesbyk]

My OTP. I LOVE them. I miss Shanelle and Marquise. I miss TRR. I'm going to bed now.

#khoicesbyk #choices #choices stories you play #pixelberry #king marquise #queen shanelle #king and queen of cordonia #king of cordonia #queen of cordonia #my loves #my babies #my OTP #my otp forever #Shanelle and Marquise #The Rys Family

[eddiebabygirldiaz]

eddie turning to buck for help when chris starts dating. chris being old enough to date. buck and eddie trying to handle it like the stellar co-parents they are. SOMEBODY SEDATE ME.

#911 #911 abc #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #buckley diaz family #911 spoilers #ry rambles

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

The Color Wheel (Alex Ross Perry, 2011)

#films watched in 2024 #The Color Wheel #Alex Ross Perry #quote #2011 #Carlen Altman #Ry Russo-Young #metaphor #black comedy #The Shining #black and white #seis #comedy #road movie #mumblecore #independent cinema #bible #cats #feet #shoes #makeup #family

[lovingdabeessss]

You think Taiyang has a favorite child?

💖If it isn’t my favorite tagger back again💖

Thank you for asking this, this is actually something I’ve been desperately wishing for an excuse to talk about because my defense for it isn’t great

Anyway back to the question sorry

Yes I do 100% believe he has a favorite

There’s no doubt in my mind it’s ruby

I think he loves them both of course obviously but he FOR SURE favors Ruby

We know from his interactions with Yang he tends to project onto her things about Raven that aren’t necessarily true for her the way he talks when they spar like her whole thing is anger and strength and that focusing on that is her biggest weakness, which is true for Raven, however yangs problem is her self sacrificing nature and obviously he sees Raven in her even more cause they look similar and it’s just.. she’s not someone tai has purely positive feelings for considering all the betrayal and abandonment not that he doesn’t still love her at all but you know

He definitely projects things about himself onto her as well and considering NONE of the fucking STQR family likes themselves ESPECIALLY not taiyang “11 year long depression nap” xiao long and so he’s got that against her and then she got herself abandoned putting more fuel to that particular fire

And I think while they were dealing with the death of summer when Yang started taking on roles she was too young to take he just… let her… and then eventually those things were just her job as the oldest and a lot of things became her job and he kinda slipped into seeing her as more help with Ruby then someone he was supposed to be raising

And like even when he recovers he had to get back into parenting which is hard so he probably started out just doing stuff that were already needed, and Ruby was her own problem cause she needed stuff but only really accepted getting help from Yang at least emotionally depending on how bad you believe tai’s shut down to be and otherwise she’d get things from qrow whenever he wasn’t on missions from Oz so she was just hard to get to accept anything from him

Yang despite being very supportive of the idea of him recovering and finally someone helping her out a lot and having a parent at all again… she is incredibly independent and doesn’t really seem to need anything that he knows how to give and she also genuinely probably just doesn’t know how to have a parent anymore, she’s so used to being the parent and she doesn’t remember getting to really be the kid

So she’s just kinda reduced to third parent

There’s also the fact that Ruby looks exactly like summer who he did leave off with good positive feelings for and then she’s all that’s left of her

AND Ruby’s the youngest speaks for itself possibly got that “guest in the house” treatment youngest sometimes get where they aren’t treated as much as part of the family and more of a guest which is nice but isolating even if she tried to help Yang with chores Yang would get in trouble for having her do it kinda thing

However I do think that tai would’ve wanted Yang to back off of raising Ruby so much so he could be her dad and she would maybe accept him as that more hence like the Ruby queendom things of how she won’t be there for her forever but Ruby doesn’t want him to and Yang doesn’t fully trust him to

IDK THO just messy unorganised family dynamic thoughts

IN SUMMARY!!!:

I think Ruby’s his favorite I think he loves them both but is struggling to parent in wake of the lose of his wife and struggling to relearn how to do it after his recovery and Yang struggles to even be parented and they speak NONE of these emotions to each other cause they’re allergic to talking about their feelings ever

#rwby #yang xiao long #ruby rose #STRQ #Team STRQ #STRQ family #STRQ-RY #rwby taiyang #taiyang xiao long #summer rose #qrow branwen #raven branwen

[dogwholivesontheinternet]

Blood, Gore warning

Art dump

#cw bl0od #cw: gore #cw blood #tw blo0d #heather total drama #island of the slaughtered #beth total drama #eavee ry made iots btw not me go follow them they are cool #td aleheather family au thing

[ilovejevsjeans]

2018- Abu Dhabi- Vladimir Rys Part 2

#daniel ricciardo #joe ricciardo #dan #vladimir rys #grace ricciardo #abu dhabi 2018 #10 years of dan #10 years of dan: 2018 #ricciardo family #max verstappen #max #christian horner

[kiisaes]

a room in the house, through time

#this was a class assignment!!!!! and i wanted to DIE DRAWING IT!!!!!!!!! #consider this backstory/part of a prequel of chimera kingdom focused on kimberly+ry and their family #there are aspects of this i wish i did differently but ultimately i'm just glad i got it done on time LOL #original #original characters #ocs #original art #comic #becki draws stuff n stuff #becki's ocs #chimera kingdom #kids in the world

[owengrose]

wait im actually obsessed with this. he could go to the companion support group graham organized. he could stay connected to all his friends who are still on earth. he could have a HUGE family all in one place

#im so emotional #doctor who #he has a home and a family and im gonan CUH-RY #adri rants

[jt1674]

#john hiatt #ry cooder #jim keltner #nick lowe #bring the family #alone in the dark

[problemswithbooks]

Do you think Cat was being genuine when she told Violet that Xaden is incapable of love? Maybe her gift let her see Xaden’s truest feelings? I think that was such an interesting part of the fight, and it seems to be overlooked by most of the fandom.

It's likely the author didn't mean it to be genuine, and only having it be Cat being an asshole. That or from Cat's PoV she does believe it, but that's because Xaden never loved her because she's a bitch.

The thing is, I always had an issue with how RY wrote Cat and Xaden's past relationship. I've come to realize that while a lot of men enjoy the trope of a virgin love interest, so they have no sexual competition, a lot of woman enjoy the idea of a man whose never loved anyone he was involved with before, so they never have romantic competition.

And, honestly, if that's what RY wants, fine, but I think she over did it quite a bit. It was really gross to me that Xaden said he was fine watching Violet kill Cat and stopped her only because it'd make Violet sad. I know Yarros has said Xaden's not the hero, but it makes Violet look stupid to not be concerned that he's so willing to watch her kill a woman who he spent nine months with and possibly knew as a child during the rebellion. He doesn't have to love her, but it's crazy that he doesn't even seem to like her at all. To me it's a huge red flag that he's so okay with his ex being killed. Sure, he loves Violet now, but if they broke up and he moved on would he be similarly alright with her being chocked to death?

As far as my own headcanon, I say she did see his lack of care through her ability. I don't think she said what she did to warn or out of concern for Violet. I still think she was trying to get under her skin. But her knowing that Xaden never even cared anything for her despite months in a relationship and possibly at least meeting years before as young teens makes her actions make a lot of sense.

You could argue that she should be able to read him currently and see his love for Violet but I counter that he has really good shields, where he didn't before. So, unlike in the past, when Xaden was still homing the technique, she can't tell he loves Violet. If that's the case, it feels way easier to get him back--just be sexy and competent and he might decide she's a better choice.

Or if you want to be a bit less charitable to Xaden, you could argue how he feels about Violet doesn't look like love to Cat's Gift. In many ways you could say Xaden is not in love with Violet--he's obsessed with her. He does not love her, he needs her. He has said he'd let the world burn to keep safe--pretty much damn everyone, including all the Marked Ones who love him, just for her. And that's what he does in a way at the end of IF by turning Venin. It's love, sure, but it's a pretty over the top version of it.

So, in a way you could see Cat as correct--Xaden can't love anyone, at least not in a healthy way.

#fourth wing #catriona cordella #iron flame #xaden riorson #violet sorrengail #ask #thanks for the ask! #I know a lot of the fandom loves Xaden #and he's a fun character #but the man's a creep #I liked him in Fourth Wing #cuz he was presented as a guy who acted like he was a villain and did questionable things #but did them for his friends and to help the innocent people in Poromiel #so actually a really good man #but then RY has him become Violet obsessed #and pretty much throw all his principles away because of that #like dude has friends--he even has family with Bohdi #but screw them--this woman I've known for a year and a half #and only liked/loved for six or seven months #is way more my priority then the people I grew up with and who I risked my life to save #like idk why she wrote him that way

[quinn-of-aebradore]

Downloaded some CC mods and naturally had to create a new Tav. Introducing Ari Ashbloom, a monk of noble heritage who's very confused about everything going on but she gets to punch people and the wizard and cleric are cute so she's making do.

And her guardian, taking the appearance of her older sister Lillia, a cleric of Lathander. This will definitely not make certain things were and complicated for her later on. Not at all.

#baldurs gate 3 #ari ashbloom #lillia ashbloom #im also rotating halsin romance for ari in addition to gale & shadowheart but we'll see #i just had to reject him as Ry yesterday and i felt so badddddd #need to romance him with SOMEONE but he just doesn't fit with any of my existing characters XD #ari though. he and ari could be cute #i imagine she's got a fairly big family and idk the image of her returning home to them with 3 partners in tow is REALLY amusing to me #(ngl wyll is also a tempting romance for her but i WONT I WONT. three is enough and i GOTTA do a non-god gale romance all the way though an #i really want to romance shadowheart and halsin. three for one playthrough is ENOUGH) #(i say non-god galemance bc i plan to romance him as Echo as well but to go the god route there. since Echo's run is meant to be the dark #/evil/bad decision run lmao) #ANYWAY all that to say. ari is the cutest thing on faerun and she deserves to get all the kisses

[eddiebabygirldiaz]

buckley diaz family trauma save me. save me buckley diaz family trauma.

#911 #911 spoilers #<-i guess???? asdfghjkl #ry rambles #911 abc #buckley diaz family

[rolloroberson]

John Hiatt - Lipstick Sunset

#john hiatt #ry cooder #nick lowe #jim keltner #bring the family #Youtube

[tessa-liam]

King Liam Appreciation Week

Day 4: Childhood/Family

When I commisioned @bayleedrawsx with this idea, I was blown away on how perfectly she showcased Liam's love for his Princess as he dances with Eleanor in the ballroom. Thank you again, Baylee for your beautiful artwork and attention to detail!

⚜️"She's perfect, Riley."

"I can't believe that just happened! This moment...it's just so amazing. I'm just so happy to be here with you right now...and with our baby!"

"A little girl...It's been a long time since we had a princess running around the palace. I'm going to give you the world, my little princess."⚜️

Thank you @sazanes & @lizzybeth1986 for hosting 🤎🤎🥂!

@kingliamappreciationweek @choicesficwriterscreations

#Klaw day 4: Family/Childhood #liam rys #king liam rys #king liam #kingliamappreciationweek #the royal romance #choices fic writers creations

[venturismcdonald]

Forgive me for the angst, I just watched the Succession finale and it got me thinking (as most things do) about Life With Derek and the cycles of marriage and divorce.

The cycle continues, it never really ends, does it? We can presume Nora grew up with a dad who wasn't really there for her or her sisters (I don't remember ever hearing of or seeing him but could be wrong), married and had kids with a man who neglected her and the girls and then married a man who was either over involved or not involved enough in his children's lives. Dennis is her father, but with money. George is more involved, equally to Nora, but he's still very meh. (I say this as someone who likes George, he's a deeply flawed character and that's what makes him interesting.) He's not a bad father, necessarily, but still has this form of distance with his kids that isn't the healthiest.

Nora, for her own life, becomes her mother in a way: she devotes herself so wholly to a career that sometimes, things like childcare and cleaning and emotional labor fall to the wayside. (Which also doesn't make her a bad character, it makes her an interesting one.) She has Casey and Lizzie (and the Venturi's) in their own distinct boxes and when they step out of them, she falls apart. If Casey wasn't practically running the McTuri household, it would've fallen apart. When Casey's rebelling with Truman and goes through an identity crisis (which she'd been having the entire show), Nora loses her mind a little bit because that's not supposed to happen, that's not who Casey is supposed to be.

Abby, who abandons her children to see them rarely and not really form a relationship with them once she moves out, is still a huge figure in all of their lives.

Casey is forced to pick up a lot of the slack as far as things around the house go as a child because of everything. She cleans, she organizes, she cranks everything up to 12 in the hopes it'll make Dennis love her and Nora doesn't notice. Lizzie is too young and Nora is too stressed to notice. When they move in with the Venturi's, that only changes because she slowly warms up to the idea that she doesn't need to be perfect to be loved. It's a very gradual process and one we can presume doesn't last long. By Life with Luca, she's cranked everything up even higher than it was before, made herself be held to ridiculous standards in the hopes of making things look like they're fine when they're not because Peter's gone all the time and Casey has three kids she's raising all on her own and Luca's acting out and she is drowning. If she can be perfect enough, the perfect lawyer, perfect wife, perfect mom, perfect everything, then Peter will be home more and love her. It makes sense to Casey's mind. If she's perfect, she won't have to go through a divorce and do to her kids what happened to her. If she's perfect, she won't have married her father and she won't be her mother.

Derek took on a decent amount of emotional labor as a kid; did he ever do any physical labor? Haha, no. That's what Edwin's there for. But he has a very significant role in keeping his siblings emotionally healthy and stable. Marti seeks him out, not the parents, for comfort, which is telling: she's the youngest, probably a year old when the divorce happened. George might have buried himself in work or something, but whatever it is, Derek became her safe space. And he's there for Edwin, with mediocre advice most of the time, but Derek tries. Only once he's slowly taught the lesson that it's okay to show emotions and be attached does he actually start to grow as a person. But again, in Life With Luca, we don't necessarily see that. Derek hasn't dated in around 14 years, he lives alone with a whole ocean between him and the family (presumably), his best friend is his kid and he's denying emotions like he's 17 again. Derek procreated with his mother and in his efforts to not become his father, lost a lot of what made him Derek.

The irony is that the only time the cycle seems to break is when Derek and Casey are around each other. They're allowing themselves to seek comfort, even when they "hate" each other, because they're the only ones who know what they're going through so well. Time and time again, they save each other, in more ways than one. It's the consistent presence of each other that makes them realize they can look for better than what they have.

If Life With Luca becomes a show (which I hope it does), it better explore this concept. Derek and Casey can break the cycle (getting together and being normally involved parents who love each other and constantly show the kids they do) but it'd take time.

#ry rambles #dasey #life with derek #casey mcdonald #derek venturi #this is very angsty but it is two am and i do not have my migraine meds and i watched succession so. take it. #cycle breaking generational trauma etc etc the power of true love etc etc #please feel free to talk about dysfunctional families with me i am fascinated by those dynamics if you cant tell