motion sickness.

"Yeah, that's crazy." Words murmured in response. Though truthfully, she hadn't heard nor looked up long enough to comprehend what Ramon was referencing. If there was a photo demonstrating not listening in the dictionary it would depict Bianca in this very moment—eyes downcast at the iPhone screen while growing visibly annoyed. It wasn't until that scoff that her head snapped up at Ramon. "Huh? Who's going to the hospital?"

Ramon couldn't help but scoff, an amused grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "You are such a little shit." He remarked playfully, giving his friend a quick once over. "Not to mention absolutely shameless. We're literally at the town's horniest event of the year, who the hell could you possibly be so distracted by?" Without giving Bianca time to respond, he reached for her phone and yanked it from her hand, desperate to see who this mystery -- or not so mystery -- person was. "Oh my god, Bi. I should have known."

event starter: open to all ! location: much, much later into the night at scorpion.

Listen, Ramy was all for getting shit-faced and making a fool of yourself -- hell, he'd done it more times than he could count, especially during those rare weeks where he had multiple days off and not enough to do. Better to take advantage of being young while you could, right? Only difference was, being a paramedic, he'd learned the difference between being drunk and being dangerous, and the second he spotted the familiar blonde nearing the end of a bottle on the basement-level of the Scorpions, alarm bells started going off. A bit tipsy himself, part of him just wanted to leave well-enough alone and let her have her night, but something told him that maybe -- just maybe -- he needed to check in. "Woah, woah -- slow down, pretty lady. Save some of that wine for the rest of the party, yeah?" The paramedic offered Peyton a friendly grin, resting a hand on her shoulder as if to notify her of his presence. "You havin' fun? The Weeknd getting you in your V-Day groove?"

featuring: cássia & ramon

"Hey -- Leonard, drop it. Alright?" Ramy gave the older man a knowing look, giving a quick shake of his head before sliding his drink over. He'd played this same song and dance with this very same guy for months now, and while Leonard was mostly harmless, that didn't mean he didn't act like a nuisance. "I don't wanna keep havin' this same conversation with you, buddy. Remember; if they're out of my league, then they're definitely out of your league." That, at least, garnered some hefty laughter from the man and his friends, and his lips curled into a smirk as he turned his attention towards Càssia.

location; taylor's apartment

Ramon flinched the moment he heard the door slam open, turning slowly on his heel to face her. "Mornin' sunshine!" He said cheekily, a a nervous yet cheerful expression on his face as he met her less-than-amused gaze. "You're ruining the surprise, Tay." The paramedic held up a bag containing fresh bagels. "Got 'em from that one place down the street -- fresh this time, none of that day old Dunkin' crap. I remembered what you said last time." Or was it him that complained about those bagels? Honestly,. with how much Ramon sometimes talked for the both of them, he wouldn't be surprised.

“Good — wait until she perfects her right hook, be screwed then.” Whether he should or not, he didn’t see anything wrong with it, in fact he thought it was better Izzy knew how to defend herself than not. “Apparently so, lost cause huh?” Waiting hadn’t been so bad, the only time he’d have said fuck it was if the show was trenching that suspense line. With his brows lightly creased he looked towards Ramy, “Really?” There was that hint of judgement in his tone as he chuckled, figuring his friend was being dramatic - though he was right about the comedy take, he’d silently give him that. With his attention back onto the now-paused show his gaze landed back on Ramon, listening his heart sank a little, not because Izzy was curious about her mom, but because Nate thought the questions and responses would get better for him over time, yet actually it varied and only served as a reminder to him that two years ago on a Wednesday afternoon he had to tell his daughter her mommy was dead. “Yeah she is,” he washed a hand across his face as he looked away, “Think some girl at school has been asking her questions —“ he sighed, “I don’t know, when I put her to bed last week she was crying and asking a lot.” His brows furrowed. “Never know if I’m saying the right things, you know?”

"Listen, the day your daughter punches me in the face over a game of Pretty Pretty Princess is the day we start to have bigger problems." Ramon laughed, honestly finding the visual incredibly amusing. "Right there with you buddy. Just ask all of my exes. We could form the world's saddest club." It was no secret that both he and Nate had some issues when it came to dating, commitment, but they were justified in their own respective ways. Probably. "Hm, okay, not really. But still." His tongue poked at the inside of his cheek, propping his elbow up on the pillow and resting the side of his head on his hand as he listened to his friend. "Asking her, like -- what, making fun of her?" The thought alone made his blood boil, and for someone like Ramy who hardly got angry, that was saying a lot. "What do you say when she asks?" He wondered aloud, knowing that he could have these types of tough conversations with his friend. They'd each been through a lot, helped one another get on the other side of it all -- hell, he still remembered the day Nate called him to tell him that Amelia had passed. His heart still ached thinking about it. "Don't know if there is a right thing. I mean, shit, the fact that you're even there for her is huge. " He remembered growing up without one a dad, those earlier years full of questions, a sense of emptiness that gnawed at his chest as he tried to understand. Of course, his mother always made it her mission to provide him with the love and care that he needed, enough to fill in for two parents, something he was grateful for as he got older. "You're doing the best you can, man."

"Are you trying to win employee of the month?" Dilan didn't have that. Maybe she'd shit on him less if he won, or perhaps she wouldn't schedule him the worst shifts, but that was as far as favoritism went. Overtime was a bit of a given but it wasn't as lucrative outside of the tips, mainly because, her clocking in system was shit so she was generally the one putting in the numbers herself. "There's a pot of coffee in the backroom. I don't know how long it's been there but I had a cup a few hours ago and it was palatable." A little strong, maybe burnt, but nothing that couldn't be consumed with a bit of determination. "Okay, can you put the box up on the counter and we'll both tackle it?"

"Is it even a competition at this point? Come on, Dil, you know the two shifts a week you got me here are worth at least five when it comes to work ethic," he pointed out, mostly teasing. For all he liked to joke, he wasn't the type to let an ego take over -- he worked hard, yes, but he knew that went for most of the staff. It helped that they had a boss they respected. "You had a cup of coffee and you didn't know how long it'd been sitting there? Jeez, didn't even check for mold or nothin'?" Though, frankly, that wouldn't have stopped him either. "I will take you up on that, just as long as I'm allowed to make a new pot later. Don't tell me you're getting stingy with your grounds now." With a nod, he moved over to the box in question, hoisting it up and over onto the counter. "So, what'd I miss over the last few days, huh? Anything exciting?"

Mexican food did sound appealing to her in that moment. She paused, silently weighing the options, before his voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Can't." She said as she shook her head. "I told Martha I'd cover her shift so she could go to her kid's graduation. Monday?" She nodded and gestured toward the patients room as the nurse taking over her shift headed in their direction, Tori handed off the clipboard as she passed them. In truth, she couldn't tell if they were in the on again or off again phase of their relationship. All that concerned her in that moment was avoid the idea of eating dinner alone, though it appeared that was exactly what she'd be doing that night. "Fine," She sighed, half-teasing. "Leave me to be the sad girl eating alone while you keep your obligations."

"Damn, how many kids does Martha got that they're all graduating every three weeks?" He jested, though part of him definitely had his suspicions. "Monday's fine as long as you're cool with eating after ten. Picked up an extra shift at the bar -- you could always swing by, and we can grab some grub from the place down the street." Brows quirked, he gave Tori a look as if to say I know you want to, before his lips curled into a smirk. "Come on, don't be like that. I'm pullin' a double, and then I gotta handle some club shit." Ramy explained, glancing around the nearly empty hallway of the hospital before lightly pinching the fabric of her scrubs, tugging her closer. "Promise I'll make it up to you. With interest."

“Back pain from living in a real life funhouse can’t be the way you go out. At least one motorcycle needs to be involved somehow.” Her voice held a teasing tone, as the smile on her lips only grew with his response. One by one, she’d raised pieces of popcorn to her mouth while nodding sarcastically. The deflection on his end fully perceived. "The endless voice memos not enough for you? You wanna hear from her more? She’s on those things at the crack of dawn yelling at Tori like a fucking drill sergeant. Bring lucky charms for breakfast, OVER. Plus, they’re not exactly military grade walkie’s, my love, they won’t connect further than a few feet. But... I bet Tori will share with ya’.” One of the popcorn kernels was raised between two of her fingers before she launched it towards his face. “Would you bail me out for my takeout crimes?”

"Hey -- don't put that shit out into the universe, B. My bike and I got a sacred bond, she would never put me in harm's way. Nah, if my back gets fucked up it's gonna be from all the piggy back rides that I give all the young'uns in my life," He tossed back. By this point in his life, Ramon was starting to think he was probably past the point of having any kids of his own, so he figured he'd make up for it by being the fun uncle to all his friends' kids. "'Course I do. It's hilarious. It's like the world's most nonsensical little podcast." His nose scrunched slightly when Bianca throw a kernel at his face. "That felt pointed. Tori and I are just hanging out, that's all. You can put all your conspiracy theories to rest -- otherwise I got plenty of my own that you ain't gonna wanna hear." A smirk. "Depends on the takeout, honestly. Also how much money your bail is, 'cause you know I'm broke as shit."

“Don’t worry about it, brother. Seriously.” And he meant it. There was very little he wouldn’t do for his friends, and when it came to the Sons that sentiment was magnified tenfold. They’d become his family after a relatively lonely childhood, provided solace and companionship to himself and his mother coming off of years of hardships — they were everything, and so letting Liam crash with him for a few nights felt like nothing in comparison. Plus, he didn’t mind the company. “You see why I keep the air blasting well into winter now, right? It’s for protection — those claws can only pierce so many layers.” He smirked, making a mental note to leave a couple of treats out for the cat before his friend was due to come over. Paolo was a relatively friendly feline, but he didn’t exactly like his space being intruded. Or his favorite spot on the couch. “Sorry, sorry, I know. Bad juju and all, I’ll throw some salt over my shoulder later.” The Grangers really did have shit luck, didn’t they? Keeping up with that family was like watching a never ending barrage of slow-motion car crashes. “Yeah? What was it?” Brow arched, unable to help his curiosity. “You know what? I always wished for brothers and sisters growing up, but hearing your stories makes me thank my lucky fucking stars my mom only got knocked up once.” A laugh escaped him, attempting to keep his cheerful expression stagnant when Liam asked how the woman was doing. “She’s — you know. Good days and bad days.” That had sort of become his blanket statement whenever the topic came up. People really didn’t want to hear anything negative, right? Especially not from him. “Mornings are still her best time of day, so I try to get over there early as I can while she’s, y’know, mostly there. After lunch it’s kind of…a crapshoot. I know she’d love to see you — actually, I was showin’ her some pictures recently, she pointed right at you and told me to invite you over after school. She, uh — was thinking back to high school, I think.” A somber chuckle escaped him, and Ramy cleared his throat. “You can meet me over there later this week before one of my shifts if you want. That is, if you can get your lazy ass out of bed before nine in the morning.”

CLOSED FOR: @ramymendez

“It’s like — you know that bar that’s connected to the back wheel? It’s that thing. I think Liam’s told me it’s supposed to keep your ass vibrating too much?” Ramon couldn’t help but smirk at his own remark, eyes scanning the aisles even as he spoke to his friend. Admittedly, he didn’t know much about bikes other than how to ride one and the base rules of maintenance, but his friendship with Liam and the other members of the Sons definitely supplemented a few gaps in his knowledge. “Acting up like — what, needing a new battery? Or do you buy a new car every time you need a goddamn oil change?” He tossed an amused look in Gigi’s direction. “Blood orange chocolate truffle…hm. I’ve never been a super big fan of chocolate and citrus, but you have piqued my interest with talk of a mystery ingredient. Let me guess, is it rum? Please tell me it’s rum,” he predicted, waging a guess even though the other male already told him he wouldn’t be getting any answers. “But yeah, I’m always down for a little taste test, you know that. Oh! That reminds me, let me get some salted caramel chocolate things, too. Tori’s pissed at me, so I gotta find a way to make nice.”

“You looked cute though.” Nate had successfully and perhaps slyly managed to miss out on the moment Izzy pulled her clip-ons out, something he would forever not be envious about - the fucking grip on the ears was enough for him to be thankful of the break. Thanks that always extended to his best friend, someone at this point in his life he was sure he couldn’t actually live without. “Fuck you’re good to me,” he began as he scooped up his daughter’s pencils, pens, glitter pens - something that was a wild concept to Nate when he was first asked to get them, now he was more clued up. “Might even be adorable and back on ya real nice.” He returned his joke, putting the last remaining bits away he finally sat down on the couch, feeling himself sink in with relief. “Movie, or we finish The Bear because I’m still fucking waiting.”

"I always look cute. And, by the way, your kid plays dirty, just thought you should know." He joked, though more often than not he was also encouraging a little bit of light cheating when it came to playing board games -- it made things interesting, and he figured a little boost to a little girl's self-esteem never hurt. "Music to my ears, baby." Ramon grinned, extending an arm and grabbing the remote off of the coffee table. "Waiting for who? For me? Shit, I thought you would've just pulled the plug by now -- you really love me that much?" If there was one thing that the paramedic was bad at, it was actually committing to and finishing shows, even if he liked them. "Alright, alright, let's do it before I change my mind and wanna start fresh with something else. Still don't get why they keep calling it a 'comedy', though -- my heart races faster each episode than it does on a bad day at work." Ramon flipped through the streaming platforms, finally landing on the show. "Not to, uh, derail things but -- thought you should know," he clicked in and then immediately pressed paused, eyes flickering to Nate, "Izzy was askin' me about her Ma when we were playing. Stuff like if she liked to wear tiaras and dress up and shit -- nothin' real heavy, but...she's getting real curious."

FOR › @ramymendez  LOCATION › ramy's house

"I was thinking the same thing. Hell, maybe I'll even get rid of the rest of my furniture and replace it with all pillows. Make a quick buck along the way -- only downside is that my back will fuckin' hate me for it." Ramon smirked, taking the bowl of popcorn and placing it on his lap as his friend settled in next to him. Brows arched as soon as he noticed Bianca's tone shift, and he shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth to cover for the slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Y'know, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. It really hurts my feelings that I'm not the only one with walkie privileges -- I thought I was special." Ramon deflected, tilting the bowl towards her to help her reach. "It's nothing. We both had just gotten off of long shifts and got Thai food. Is ordering takeout a crime now, Bi? 'Cause I know for sure then that your ass is going to jail."

availability: open starter for anyone

"Okay -- but I do get bonus points for coming in a little early, yeah? And possibly some of that sweet, sweet overtime?" Ramon teased, setting his jacket on one of the tables nearby before heading towards the brunette. He'd only managed to get in a quick shower and a protein bar in between his paramedic shift and getting over to the tavern, so he was running a bit on empty at the moment -- still, he figured his energy would pick up more once he got moving. "Y'know, I'd actually take a couple of coffees instead if you can spare it. Feels like me and liquor ain't gonna mix very well tonight -- not unless you want your best bartender fast asleep on the counter during happy hour."

TO: @ramymendez

Ramy's eyes flickered to meet his friend's, an immediately nod following as soon as the question fell from Liam's lips. "'Course, brother. You don't even have to ask -- mi casa es su casa." He assured, having done this song and dance countless times with the male before -- plus, at the end of the day, they were pretty much family even aside from their ties through the club. "Might have to battle it out with Paolo for a spot on the couch, though, and he's got claws -- so, be strategic. What's going on with the fam now, huh? Long lost uncle get out of prison, looking for a place to crash?" Ramy wagered a guess, knowing the possibilities were usually endless with the Grangers. "Careful what you wish for, been spending a lotta time with my goddaughter this week. Lotta my new bits are Bluey-related. You sure you want that smoke?"