#text: damon rutherford

[nora-berkeley]

@damonrutherford [text]

Nora: Feel like looking stupid for a good cause? Nora: You will have my eternal gratitude, and also enough sweets that nobody will ever be able call you a salty bitch behind your back ever again. 😊 Nora: Not that anyone here has done that. Nora: ...yet. Nora: Can't make promises it won't change if you reject me.

[spencerberkeley]

@damonrutherford [text]

Spencer: We need to get your brother laid. Spencer: He's moping more than I am and I literally almost died. It isn't right. Spencer: Starting a google docs list of potential candidates. xx

[jordana-velasquez]

text | @damonrutherford

Jordana: Nevra will be there to pick you up. Jordana: I have to handle a different situation.

[lararutherford]

@damonrutherford [text]

Lara: Where are you? Lara: Please tell me you're not in Central London.

[ayda--demir]

Text | Ayda & Damon

Ayda: I'm really sorry about your loss Damon.

Ayda: If you need anything, let me know.

[cassandra-acton]

@Damon. [text]

Cassie: Happy birthday.

Cassie: Hope you don't drink so much you die of liver failure or whatever.

Cassie: Have a good day.

[drrutherford]

@damonrutherford

[amescastaignede]

Is there anybody you want to know better?

@yvonne-rutherford @ayda--demir @berat-yalaz

Yvonne: Every interaction she's had with Yvonne has been rather pleasant, so far and she can't deny that she enjoys the woman's presence. Sometimes making new friends doesn't seem all that daunting. And maybe it's because she wants to know more about the Rutherford family due to her connections with Gideon, of course, Damon whom she's already met.

Ayda: A few times now the practical stranger has been there for Amélie, whether that be her freaking out over her brother before she burst into tears, or when she smashed her camera, and the woman has been nothing but friendly, and someone who could become a good friend, if she got to know her better.

Berat: They seem unlikely friends, but yet, every time they meet she seems to want to know more about the man. Amélie enjoys his company, and unlike most of the people she's got to know, they fell into an easy conversation pretty much straight away in a bar. Ever since then she looks forward to talking with him, even if he has just dropped off the radar since the event. She still wonders about what he said in those text messages.

[damonrutherford]

Tagged: @yvonne-rutherford

Location: Yvonne's home

Was it an abuse of his status as older brother to drop in on her so suddenly? Sure.

Was it also an abuse of her status as baby sister to give major news whilst he was abroad to avoid a heavy conversation? Damon certainly thought so.

Avoidance couldn't be relied upon forever and since returning to London without so much as a call ––surprises were notoriously difficult to pull off in this family–– he figured it was best to make rounds before they all found out via tabloid. Gideon first of course, then Yvonne, and Lara for last... Not because he wished to see her least, but rather there were tendrils of mutual loss between them that he'd rather not begin his day with.

As soon as the housekeeper opened the door, Damon practically oozed charm just to skirt around her and find the youngest of the bunch. "Oh good, you haven't given birth yet. I was afraid I might hear about that over text message, too." His voice rang out cheerfully as he entered the room, the best he could do in terms of arrival announcements. Hi, I'm back felt a little on the nose anyway. "It's nice to see you, Yvie."

[drrutherford]

He could count the number of times Cecelia Hathaway had texted him on one hand.

The Hathaways, the Berkeleys, the Rutherfords — although there was a near-inevitable mingling of such Vieux Riche when social function and opportunity called in London, this did not often extend to any real intimacy beyond the brief and superficial greetings snapped by the ever-eager paparazzi that trailed their pursuits. Of course, there were always the exceptions. Damon had been friends and business partners with Edward Hathaway. He himself had been best friends with Spencer and Nora Berkeley.

But the rule remained. And apart from such exceptions, the families tended to keep to their molds; holding on to past rivalries and petty offenses in that way the upper class often did, when they had too much time and money and not enough places to invest it.

Which begged the question — what on God's green earth did Cecelia Hathaway want, texting him out of the blue like that?

Fleetingly, maybe even pathetically, he wondered whether this was her making good on her promise to help him back into Spencer's good graces. But it'd been a year and a half since that friendship had splintered, and no one – not Yvonne, not Cassandra, not even Adriana – had been able to talk him back to his senses. And so he'd moved on.

... Or else told himself he had.

And maybe that was for the best, Gideon reasoned as he entered the shabby little bar and looked around for her. The last thing he needed was to be in a Hathaway's debt.

He found her with little difficulty, and after exchanging customary pleasantries, the surgeon addressed the elephant in the room. "What—..." Oh no. He cleared his throat, gesturing to her crop top while trying hard to get rid of the amusement in his voice. It didn't work. "What are you wearing?"

It wasn't that a mid-life crisis looked particularly bad on Cecelia, but between an invitation to a dive bar in Haringey and the creased crop top she was sporting, the surgeon was beginning to wonder whether a brief delirium screen wouldn't be remiss.

'I hope you're an IPA, man.'

Bemused, Gideon reached for the beer. He was an 'everything' man after a long day of work followed by a cryptic text from Lady Vixen herself, but knew better than to put it that way. "IPA's fine... Does Adam know you're here??"

@drrutherford Event: A favour Dated: 19th of March, 2024 Location: Some complete dive of a place, Hackney

She was going to need a Tetanus shot. "Oh, hi. Yes.. a table--" No? She watched as the man gave her a bit of side-eye before walking back over to his group of friends. Okay, so he wasn't a waiter and this was one of those sit down wherever the heck you want kind of bars. Right-o. Here goes. The blonde, currently supporting one of her daughter's crop tops (assimilate or they'll eat you alive, Hathaway), made her way to the back of the bar, and situated herself in front of a small candle and plastic menu. Heavens! What the hell was a deep fried Snickers!? No, no she'd stick to beer tonight. Yes, beer. Believe it or not, Cece (at least back in her College days) used to be a regular at places just like this back in the States. Of course it had been years since she'd brought a glass without a stem to her mouth in public, but whatever.. she'd rather do that than risk the chance of one of her friend's seeing her with Gideon Rutherford.

Truth be told, if she hadn't been on her own personal penitence journey, she probably wouldn't have sent a text to a number she still wasn't quite sure why she hadn't deleted yet. Not that she held any animosity for the man who didn't seem to carry a piece of clothing outside of the navy, olive, grey rainbow. It was just Rutherford wasn't a name she wanted too many dealings with. Of course, she did know Gideon. They were, uh? Acquaintances? Yeah, that was a name that could work. It wasn't like she was stretching out her hand to just any old Rutherford. Plus this wasn't really about Gideon, but his child. Save the Children and all that jazz.

She took up her hand bag, getting ready to pay the barkeep who'd place the pint in front her (one for Gideon too), but he waved her away. Oh, a tab... how homey. Taking a sip she savoured the taste of hops, before she settled her cold glass back down on the table and started to sway softly to the music. This wasn't too bad. There was even a row of pool tables just a few feet away. She'd always been good at pool. Something about posture, delicate precision and uh, ruthless ambition, yes that was it. Lifting her head at the sight of Gideon's ruffled hair (God did he really not own a single hair brush?), Cece waved him over to her table, "I hope you're an IPA, man."

[spencerberkeley]

@Damon. [text]

Spencer: Hypothetically, as a newly single man, how long would you stop talking to me for if I happened to accidentally bang Adriana?

[amirdawar]

@Damon. [text]

Amir: Lara told me what happened.

Amir: I'm sorry for what I said.

[amaroadriana]

@yvonne-rutherford​

In all honesty, Adriana was surprised to get the text, especially that kind of text. The tension was there for them, ever since she visited her sister and her daughter at the hospital, and it would have been a lie to say that what she heard didn’t hurt her feelings. She meant it when she texted her that she understood. After all, Yvonne had it hardest when it came to family. Adriana had Lara, Gideon had Damon - they were always in twos and it would have been ignorant of her to say she didn’t recognise the sadness in Yvonne’s eyes throughout her childhood. But in her head, she thought she always tried, but perhaps she didn’t try to understand enough. 

The least she could do was try to understand and talk to her. 

After grabbing the food she made her way to Yvonne’s flat. “Stay, I’m sure the place is secure enough.” She said to her bodyguard and knocked on the door. 

[drrutherford]

Text @ Gideon

Jess: I get 'angel' and 'model' and -by one particularly bold man- 'sexy mami'

Jess: Don't be jealous. If you want to hear nice comments about you, just come to a bar afterwork one of these times and listen to the nurses talk about you.

Jess: I get embarrassed for you sometimes.

Jess: You could play the 'safer' version where you drink when your family member wins? Seems like the 'kiddy' version of mine when you look at the odds.

Jess: Why? Need someone to hold those locks back when you puke at the after party? I gotchu babes 😘

Jess: I am only finishing my first year and you are already trying to poach me for your team?! Way to be non-bias Dr. Rutherford.

Gideon: Sexy mami. Well if that doesn't bring back memories from Porto....

Gideon: Time to change your name in my contacts.

Gideon: I'm kidding. HR would be all over me faster than ants out of a burning anthill.

Gideon: I'll pass. Already embarrassed for myself enough that I'm not sure I could handle second-hand embarrassment on top.

Gideon: Would you really?? Hold my hair back? That's usually Damon's job but he's ditched me this year 🤧 Are you kidding, though... My sisters raked in so many awards this year, my liver wouldn't fare much better if I took shots on their wins either.

Gideon: In my defense, I've never pretended to be non-biased a single day in my life, Nurse Reyes. 😌

[cassandra-acton]

@Damon. [text]

Cassie: Nora's out tonight.

Cassie: Joining us?

Cassie: Invite only applies if you bring attractive male company, tho. Fair warning.

[drrutherford]

LOCATION — Unmentionable Club, Camden. DATE —September 20th, 2024. STARTER — closed for @giordirossi

"In other news... The Olympics Committee has yet to answer my humble request that 'Brooding' be added as a competing category for the 2028 games."

"Oh, sod off, you— "

" — WHICH MEANS! You've got no excuse but to come out tonight. Seriously, Gid. I'm not taking no for an answer this time."

... Which hadn't deterred the eldest Rutherford sibling from growling 'no', several more times in that conversation, but no one knew how to twist his arm quite like Damon.

Even though he'd only just finished a fourteen-hour day divided between brain surgery in the morning and a busy, overrun clinic in the afternoon and evening. Even though he hadn't been planning to brood (fyi, Damon) — not just because work left little time for it, but because he'd been hoping to go over some new documents his lawyer had sent regarding his son's pending custody appeal.

... Even though he had heaps better things to do with his night than go gallivanting after Damon and Co. to some club that rang exactly no bells, despite boasting rare liquor and authentic tapas options for the hungry.

... Or maybe that was just part of the arm-twisting.

[text]: Where the hell are you??

In lieu of his brother, who has very typically stopped responding to his texts, he's found half a dozen back rooms in the, supposedly, VIP section of the club. Not a patient man on a good day, the surgeon gives up on his cell and opens the nearest door, hoping to see a familiar face. Instead, he spies three strangers pawing at each other in various states of undress — too inebriated (or worse) to notice the interruption. Gideon shuts the door and moves on to the next, cursing his brother inwardly.

Three tries and he's out.

Except the second door is (very reasonably) locked. Two strikes, he thinks, walking a couple of steps towards the last private room he'll try, hoping to find it locked as well.

The sooner to put an end to th— ... "What the fuck?!"