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Lia Valencia | Aphrodite ([info]philommeides) wrote in [info]paxletalelogs,
@ 2010-08-09 14:25:00

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Entry tags:aphrodite, morrigan

Neighborly
Who: Riley and Lia
What: Two lovely ladies meet as one of said ladies is carting groceries up to her apartment!
Where: The lobby and beyond, I imagine! :D
When: Mid-morning to early afternoon, I suppose! It's bright and pretty out!
Warnings: Who knows? Girly things?



Lia loved the grocery store.

This was especially true of grocery stores like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and the local co-op, because all their items were sort of the luxury items of food. No cheap or sub-standard ingredients; everything fresh and new, never stale or dated; and everything always looked appealing. Not to say that aesthetics were the first priority in food purchases for Lia, but they helped.

Now, though Lia loved the grocery store(s), this was not to say that she loved cooking. In fact, quite the opposite was true; if Lia knew how to cook anything at all, she never let on to this fact, and more than one disaster had been witnessed either in her own kitchen, or more often, the kitchen of a companion who thought it might be a nice idea to make a meal together. Lia was entirely unashamed and remorseless about this fact: some people were good at cooking, some people were good at other things. Lia put herself solidly in the latter category with little concern for the former.

Even so, another one of the nice things about the grocers she patronized was that they had all manner of prepared or easy-to-prepare foods that made her life easier. The problem, of course, was being spoiled for choice - and then getting all her choices back up to her apartment, which was much farther away from her tiny little sports car than she might have liked. It reminded her of New York, and not necessarily in the good way - while there were many advantages to living in a high-rise rather than a house or town-home, as she'd occupied in Manhattan Beach, grocery management was not one of them.

So, with too many bags to count hanging off of each arm, her body visibly drooping from the weight of fresh fruit and salad, organic chips and salsa, frozen organic lasagna, goat's milk ice cream, paraben-free hand soap, and innumerable other delicious (and inordinately heavy) grocery items, Lia moved into the lobby of the building with most of her usual grace but far less of her usual speed, and prayed the elevator was working properly today.



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[info]philommeides
2010-08-10 10:49 pm UTC (link)
Nodding as the elevator reached the deluxe floor, Lia bit the inside of the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, I can see being stressed out by the elevator thing. I'm from New York, originally, so I'm kind of used to them, but you don't get as many out here, I know. I mean, you'd think in a brand new building, there wouldn't be any issues with the elevator..." She stepped off the elevator almost gratefully then, holding the door open for Riley.

"So where are you from originally, Riley?" She smiled as she somehow managed to deftly fish her keys out of her purse. "Around here?"

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[info]punchout
2010-08-11 12:26 am UTC (link)
As they exited the elevator, Riley let out a small sigh of relief. It was nice to be on solid ground again, even if she tried to convince herself that elevators were nothing to be afraid of. "Thanks," she said as Lia held the door for her. "Yeah, it shouldn't be weird...but that's the way things go, I guess." She shrugged. Nothing you could do about it.

At the question, she laughed. "Well, a few places. But I did most of my growing up in Massachusetts. I've been to New York a few times, it's really nice. The city, or out in the country area?"

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[info]philommeides
2010-08-11 01:01 am UTC (link)
"Oh, the city; Manhattan," she replied, leading her new neighbor to her front door. "Lots of tall buildings, lots of elevators," she grinned. "I really like Massachusetts though - it's beautiful up there."

She opened the door to the apartment, bright sunlight and cool air welcomed them, the white and aqua color scheme of the living room chic but inviting. "The kitchen's right over here," she told Riley, leading her into a generous space done with brushed stainless steel appliances, light wood, and granite counter tops.

"Can I get you a drink?" she asked. "Juice, soda, beer?"

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[info]punchout
2010-08-11 01:40 am UTC (link)
The mention of elevators made her laugh. "Nice ones, I hope!" she chirped as the door opened and Lia lead her into the apartment.

She looked around with appreciation. "Wow. You have a really nice apartment!" she said, following Lia into the kitchen. It looked like something out of a magazine, and she couldn't help staring. It took her a few moments to realize that she was just standing there, holding the groceries. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she set them down with a sheepish smile.

At the offer, she paused. Would it be rude to stay? Dismissing the notion, she nodded. "Actually, juice would be great. If you don't mind."

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[info]philommeides
2010-08-11 02:41 am UTC (link)
"Sometimes nice," Lia grinned. "Sometimes not-so. None quite like the one we've got, though."

She smiled and curtsied at Riley's compliment genuinely, and as the redhead set the bags down, she grinned. "I have guava, cranberry, blueberry pomegranate, and rose green tea - which I guess really isn't juice, but I like it a lot," she confided.

"Thank you, by the way," she replied. "About the apartment. I actually got a floor plan before I moved in so I could plan things out a little better; decorating is one of my hobbies."

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[info]punchout
2010-08-11 01:33 pm UTC (link)
The juice list almost bowled her over. "Wow!" she exclaimed, laughing slightly. "I'm really lucky I caught you just after going to the store!" With a bright smile, she leaned casually against the counter. "Uhhhhhh, the blueberry pomegranate sounds interesting, can I try that?"

She listened as Lia spoke, impressed by her hobby. Riley's hobbies included getting sweaty in public places and being better than other people at doing just that. Home decorating was a much cleaner way to pass your time. "Really? Well you're really good at it! Everything looks really nice, it like...it goes together." She held her hands out, waving them absently through the air before bringing them together. "Harmony, I think, is the word."

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[info]philommeides
2010-08-11 03:54 pm UTC (link)
Lia grinned. "I like juice. It's delicious and good for you. Who can beat that?" With a nod and a smile, Lia opened a cabinet and pulled out a tall, slender highball glass, then retrieved the blueberry-pomegranate juice from the fridge.

"And thank you," she said, pouring the dark blue-purple liquid into the glass with a smile. "I like for things to look nice and work well if they can." Once she'd handed Riley her glass, Lia looked around at the apartment, whose floor plan was largely open. With a little grin, she started putting her groceries away - groceries that consisted of absolutely nothing that needed to be overly prepared. Crumbled feta, organic greens (already washed and in a plastic bin), pre-cooked free-range organic chicken breast (already cut into strips), fresh-made soup, fruit, veggies, dip, pretzels, guacamole, and various other items that spoke to someone who ate healthy, but wasn't at all interested in cooking.

As she put her frozen foods away, she asked, "So what do you do, Riley? Besides good deeds for your neighbors and have awesome hair?"

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[info]punchout
2010-08-11 04:04 pm UTC (link)
"Nobody," she admitted. You really couldn't beat good juice, it was a line you never crossed. As Lia handed her the glass, she nodded. "Well they do. This place looks amazing." She thought back with some embarrassment to her own apartment. It still looked like a college kid's dorm, with a bunch of bold and random colors that didn't have any business being together.

At the question, she laughed. "You think it's awesome?" she asked, gesturing to it with a finger. "I'm glad! My dad was so upset when I dyed it. I'm a natural blonde, and he saw it as a tragedy. But he's gotten used to it, I think." She chuckled, taking a sip from her drink. "I'm a boxer." She smiled. "It's pretty much the best job in the world."

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[info]philommeides
2010-08-11 05:07 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, it's gorgeous," Lia nodded as she crossed to the refrigerator with a handful of greens. "The tone is perfect; it complements your skin beautifully." As she opened her crisper, she said with a grin, "It can be hard for parents to deal with radical style changes in their kids. I remember this period where I had these two platinum blonde chunks," she closed the fridge and took two thick locks of hair, maybe an inch and a half across, framing her face, "right here. My mother loved it; my dad, I think, wanted to cut them off in my sleep." She laughed.

Her eyes widened at the revelation that Riley was a boxer, and she smiled broadly. "Get out! A boxer?" she asked, throwing the feta into its proper drawer. She turned around again, facing Riley, taking in her build and shape. "Well, obviously, you're in amazing condition, but - that's fantastic! How long have you been boxing?"

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[info]punchout
2010-08-11 05:26 pm UTC (link)
Though Riley wasn't the most feminine girl - she liked whiskey without the sour and sweating in the gym - she loved a good compliment. Letting out a little coo, she flushed slightly in embarrassment. "You think so?" she asked, pushing a fringe of hair from her face like an awkward high schooler. "Well I trust your opinion, so thanks." At the mention of Lia's old hairstyle, she laughed. "Oh my God, really? I bet it looked awesome, though." Lia looked like the sort of woman that could carry any look beautifully.

Her surprise made her laugh, swallowing a gulp of juice. "Mmmhmmm," she murmured as she swallowed, putting the glass down with a grin. "Uhhhhhh four years?" she asked, scratching her head. "That sounds right...yeah, four years." Laughing, she shook her head. "Time really flies, sometimes I don't even know when I am." With another giggle, she took a sip of her drink.

"What about you? What is it you do?" The woman looked familiar for some reason, but Riley just couldn't place her.

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[info]philommeides
2010-08-17 07:12 pm UTC (link)
Lia grinned at Riley's response to her compliment, then reached out to brush her hair back from her face in a repeat of the other girl's gesture. "I do think so - you're a classic, Riley. Beautiful. You've got your own style, for sure, but don't ever let all that boxing make you forget that you're stunning." She smiled then leaned back against the counter, taking a break from putting things away. "And really! I have pictures to prove it; though those stay in the vault." She winked with a grin.

Pushing herself away from the counter, she took some whole-grain crackers out of the bag they were in, then put them away in a cabinet. "Four years - that's fantastic," she said with a smile over her shoulder. "You're probably great. I'd love to see you in the ring," Lia said.

When Riley asked her what she did, she smiled up at her, leaning down to reach into a bag. "Oh, me? I have a radio show out of LA, and a weekly column in the Times," she replied. It was a point of just a little pride for Lia; she'd worked hard to get where she was, hadn't accepted favors that would have been easy to take. "It's a lot of fun," she said, grabbing the cheese and guacamole and putting them in a drawer in the fridge.

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[info]punchout
2010-08-17 08:57 pm UTC (link)
The thick compliments stunned Riley for a moment. It was weird, being called "classic," "beautiful," and "stunning" all in the space of five or so seconds. However, she didn't let punches knock her off her feet, and words couldn't hit any harder. Keeping her poise, she merely smiled. "Thanks," she said lamely. What else could she say?

She took a sip of her juice as Lia mentioned her career in boxing, smiling back at her. "Yeah?" she asked, perking up slightly. "Well I can get you free tickets! I had a fight a few weeks ago and was able to get a few of our neighbors in for free. For my next one, I'll save a spot for you."

As Lia casually put things away while talking, Riley was hit with a sack of bricks. She knew the woman had looked familiar, and this was why. Face flushing with slight embarrassment, she couldn't help the slight outburst that followed. "Oh my God!" she breathed, reaching up to clap a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, but...you're Lia Valencia, aren't you? The Lia Valencia? I knew you looked familiar, I read your column!"

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[info]philommeides
2010-08-18 03:10 am UTC (link)
Lia winked at Riley, sensing maybe she wasn't the type who was used to such compliments. Which was a terrible shame, in Lia's mind, since every girl deserved to be told she was beautiful now and then, especially if it was so obvious! But either way, Lia found her modesty completely endearing.

And Lia lit up at the mention of tickets to one of Riley's fights, smiling broadly. "I would really, really love that, Riley," she said earnestly. "I've never been to a boxing match, and I'd love for my first to be one of yours!"

Lia paused, blinking, at Riley's first exclamation; then, once she'd put some snacks in the cabinet, she turned to face the redhead, a smile blooming on her face.

"I am!" she beamed. Lia knew she had listeners and readers - the numbers didn't lie. But she wasn't yet so jaded for the pleasure of being recognized to have been diminished. It was still exciting and flattering, especially when someone she genuinely liked enjoyed her work. "Thank you so much! For reading, I mean. We're not nationally syndicated yet, but we get around SoCal, and --" she laughed. "I'm like a little kid. Thank you." She grinned at Riley. "I mean, I can't always get people free seats to things, but I really like my job, so that's a big bonus."

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[info]punchout
2010-08-20 09:26 pm UTC (link)
The way Lia seemed so open to the idea of going to a boxing match made Riley grin like a little fool. "Okay!" she chirped, already beginning to bounce slightly in place. "I'll be sure to get you a seat then. Front row, if I can. If you've never seen a match before, then I want you to see your first one the right way." It didn't seem to even occur to her that she was cheerfully inviting this other woman to watch her savagely beat another person to a pulp.

As Lia thanked her for her readership, Riley shook her head. "It's my pleasure, seriously. I love what you write, you always seem to say the right thing, and it's just...it's awesome, it really is." Riley knew she wasn't particularly articulate, especially when playing the fan to a minor celebrity. But it was the thought that counted, right?

She laughed at the mention of free seats, grinning. "I'm sure that before too long, you'll be able to get free things eventually. You're really talented, and talented people get recognized." She blindly believed that, naive as it was.

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[info]philommeides
2010-08-24 01:13 pm UTC (link)
Lia's smile was bright and warm as she finished putting the last of her groceries away, then turned around to face Riley. "Now you're just trying to turn my head," she laughed, wagging her finger at the redhead. "Though I do accept all forms of flattery and compliments, so I'll thank you. I really like what I do, and sometimes all anyone needs is a little bit of a different perspective, you know? So I'm happy enough to give that." She winked at Riley.

"Front row?" Lia beamed. The technical details of the beating escaped Lia as well - it just seemed like a fun event to go to, and she was more than interested in seeing Riley in action. "Fantastic! I am super excited about the prospect of coming to see you fight. How often are your matches?"

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[info]punchout
2010-08-25 12:59 am UTC (link)
Starting to relax, Riley leaned back casually against the kitchen counter as she continued to sip her juice. It was strange how a professional boxer that was used to dealing with people so much could still be rendered shy around a minor celebrity, but Riley never claimed to not be strange. "Yeah, it's nice to hear about what other people have to say about some things. Sometimes you don't even realize you're stuck in a rut until you hear another opinion."

As she drained the last of the juice from its glass, she walked over to the sink and placed it inside. After a moment of awkward hesitation, she turned on the faucet and filled it with water. She couldn't just leave juice in the glass - what if it left a residue? After dumping the water rinse out, she felt better about just leaving it be, looking to Lia casually.

"Of course front row!" she exclaimed, grinning. "I can usually get the good seats if I ask nicely." Which was true. "And I usually fight...every other month?" She scratched her head, wrinkling her nose as she thought. "That sounds right. Yeah, my trainer likes me to have some time in between to train and rest."

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