Lily Ryker (lilryker) wrote in the_dome, @ 2013-09-22 20:02:00 |
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Entry tags: | 04-11-2017, lily, lily and lochlan, lochlan |
Running From Problems And Falling Into Each Other
Who: Lochlan and Lily
Where: The park then Lily's house
When: Late morning to late, late noon
Lily had been laying in bed wide awake, staring at the ceiling for a solid hour. Her head was pounding, though she doubted it was strictly a result from her hangover. The morning after her little binge surprisingly didn't have her feeling like complete shit, or maybe hangovers had become such a common theme in her mornings that she didn't pay much attention to the pains it brought on. What kept her clinging to her bed today was her recollection of last night's talk with Mickey and the fuck show that was fixing to happen tonight with the full moon. There was no way that whole shifting into a werewolf business was going to go smoothly for her brother, or anyone involved.
She sighed, finally throwing her covers off of herself and climbing out of her sleep sanctuary. She got herself a glass of water from the kitchen, pacing around the silent house with a frown. She couldn't do this all day.. she would lose her mind. Rushing to her room, she quickly changed into a pair of shorts, a tank, and threw her hair into a messy ponytail. There was nothing glamorous about her appearance right now, she just needed to get out. If she couldn't stop the nagging worries, maybe she could at least run away from them for a bit.
She was out of her house in a matter of minutes, taking off towards the park. A change of scenery would be nice today. Upon arrival, she did a brief set of stretches before taking off, starting with a steady jog.
Lochlan's sleep had been restless at best. Non-existent at worst. In spite of having had a half-way decent day, the looming full moon was giving him a nervous stomach. The best way to combat that was a run. He hid out in his room for a bit, having foregone the couch because, in spite of the fact he somehow preferred it to the concreteness of a bedroom, he didn't want another run in with happy-fresh-from-Ben Eily. He wasn't sure he could handle that today. And he'd promised to stay there so he couldn't very well stay at the pub.
As quietly as he could, unsure of where his cousin was at the moment, he slid out of the house in his running shorts and headed toward the park at a slow trot to warm up his muscles a bit in the slightly chilly air. He did his own stretches and focused on the stretch and burn instead of his thoughts. He so needed to clear his head with endorphins and exercise.
He started off on his least favorite path, planning to work himself through to his most favorite. He'd been going five minutes without seeing another person when up ahead he caught sight of a figure with rather distinctive hair running up ahead. If it was Lily that would be great and if not, he'd simply pass and pretend he hadn't been trying to catch up. As it turned out it was Lily and Lochlan caught her eye, grinned at her and waved.
Lily had been too caught up in her own business to hear the sound of fast footsteps approaching, so when she glanced to the side after catching a side view of someone next to her, she was caught by complete surprise to see it was Lochlan. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she lifted her hand to wave, taking a few extra steps to catch herself as she slowed down. So graceful. "Hey you!" She tried to laugh off her blunder, immediately remembering the lack of care she had used when pulling her hair back. Casually, she brought her hands up to undo the mess that it was, about ready to book it the other way after that morning show she put on for him. "Fancy meeting you here." She winked, hoping that if she pretended none of that had happened, that it would make it so it didn't in reality.
Lochlan's eyes went wide as she began to stumble but he was moving too fast to help her without causing a worse problem. He jogged around back toward her in time to see her undo her hair. He tried not to grin but she was very cute though he made no mention of her tripping. "Hey yourself. Didn't expect to see you but it's nice that I am. How's the hangover?" he asked with a chuckle. He, surprisingly, hadn't had one but maybe it was because his body had processed the alcohol a lot faster than usual. He'd been sober before their fries arrived.
Lily knew Lochlan saw her fumble, and she was eternally grateful that he didn't say a word about it. His saying that it was nice to see her though made her smile because she was actually really glad to see him too, even after embarrassing herself. "I expected it to be a lot worse.. I went after some moonshine when I got home last night." She laughed softly, glancing down at herself to make sure the rest of her was presentable. She was wearing considerably less than she had been last night, a good majority of her tattoos being on display, including the art on her legs. "But it's really not that bad. How about you?"
Lochlan's brows raised and he let out a breath of a laugh. "Moonshine, eh? I've heard that stuff will burn clean through you." Probably very like the concoction in his hazard bottle which had done its job but only after quite a bit of burning ingestion. When she glanced down, he automatically glanced down too and caught himself after a beat. But not before he'd begun an appreciative smile for not only her ink but her physique which was rather appealing if he did say so. He grinned sheepishly, hoping he hadn't appeared to be crass in checking her out but she was very eye-catching and colorful on top of it all. "Not a hangover in sight," he said. "But I didn't sleep very well. Must be the weather."
“Oh, I have plenty at home if you’re ever feeling brave.” Lily glanced up just in time to catch Lochlan’s wandering eye, unable to hide her smirk. She didn’t mind him looking even in the slightest, it was actually just the thing she needed to bring her up and away from her worries for the time being. In the back of her mind, she knew that this morning run was probably going to be the highlight of her day, so she was going to have to soak it up while she could. “You know why that is, right?” She leaned in to whisper, “your body’s not going to let you sleep right until Phase Two of our science experiment.” Despite her being well under the influence at that point in the evening, she still could recall their conversations quite clearly.
"I'm a pretty brave guy," he replied though it was partially a lie. Not where alcohol was concerned but in other areas. Like the whole maybe being a scary monster in a few hours and possibly hurting people. He wondered if she'd smile at him if she knew what he really was. It was one thing to love a family member but it was another thing when the person was just an acquaintance. A cute and funny acquaintance on the way toward being a lab partner, but acquaintance just the same. "I might just take you up on that offer sometime."
Lochlan knew his body wasn't going to let him sleep but it wasn't because of the unfinished science experiment. And now that he thought about that science experiment he was a little embarrassed. Though he couldn't quite pin down why. Maybe it was because snuggling seemed so mundane and she didn't seem like a mundane girl. It had seemed like a brilliant idea at the time though and he wouldn't back out. Not a chance. He chuckled at her whisper and nodded. "I'm pretty sure you're right about that. We should schedule phase two commencement sometime very soon. You know… for scientific purposes."
“I don’t doubt it, not for a second.” Lily offered him a friendly smile. “You’re welcome over anytime!” There were times she realized inviting people she didn’t know super well over to her house probably wasn’t the brightest idea, especially with all the odd happenings, but she just couldn’t see Lochlan as being that dangerous guy to stay away from. From the second they had started talking, she immediately felt comfortable with him.. enough so to even share some raw emotions with.
“I’m pretty sure the fate of mankind depends on it. It’s pretty serious, so.. the sooner the better.” She lifted a hand, running her fingers through her hair as she tried to hide the goofy grin that was threatening to come out and expose her as the giddy girl she was on the inside. Sensing the need for a change of topic, she shifted her focus on solely him. “Any plans for today?”
He laughed, liking her more each time she followed him through the banter. "We can't let mankind down, can we? Suppose our self-sacrifice and some moonshine shenanigans could coincide?" he asked because what better way to follow up getting wasted than a good cuddle for the sake of science?
Plans for today. Run into the woods, get locked in a cage, and become a scary monster with fangs that howls at the moon. Check, check, and check. He swallowed thickly and his smile wavered but he did his best to keep it steady. "Well, I've got family stuff tonight but mostly no. Was just out running around, trying to clear my head. You know how that goes, right? What about you?"
Lily acted as though she needed a minute to contemplate Lochlan’s question on drinking and cuddling, though she knew the answer as soon as it came out of his mouth. “I believe that could work!” Part of her wondered if she shouldn’t be having this conversation with how things had started to go with Mickey last night, but on the other hand, she had no idea where she could even really stand on fact he was still in the process of moving on from someone else. Why couldn’t she have some innocent fun?
She watched Lochlan’s expression waiver as she asked what his plans were for the evening, and she couldn’t help but flash a look of concern. “I definitely know how that goes.. doing the same, really.” She hesitated, lightly scuffing her shoe along the ground for a moment. “I know we don’t know each other super well yet, but you can talk me.. you know that, right?” She reached out and rested a hand on his arm, sincerity heavy in her voice.
Lochlan wasn't even sure any of this would happen but it was fun to play at it. In a few hours he might not remember any of it, might not be human ever again. Might not survive. He shuddered and covered by rolling his shoulders as though trying to keep warmed up for a continuation of jogging at some point. He grinned at her answer though but quickly calmed his expression to very serious as he nodded. "Good, good. Mankind will thank us, I'm sure."
Damn, he had such a terrible poker face. Her look of concern made his brows knit together slightly. "Yeah? I hope it goes well for you. Family stuff tonight, that is." He glanced down at her shoe suddenly, hearing the scuff magnified as though someone had struck a match in his ear. He nodded again at her, this time genuinely serious. "You too, you know? I know whatever's happening tonight is going to be hard. Maybe a little scary. But tomorrow will be better. We can always hope, right?"
Lily’s eyes immediately sparked with curiosity. She hadn’t put the puzzle pieces together like Lochlan had, possibly because she was too intoxicated to really pay attention, but it sounded to her like he really knew where she was coming from. “So..” Despite being the only two people out on this particular path at the moment, she took a step closer to him. “Is it the full moon that’s got you worried too?” She kept her eyes on him, afraid that if she glanced away for even a brief second, that she’d miss any type of indicator he’d send. There was always the chance he’d speak up a little more on the subject, but she didn’t want to risk it.
Lochlan's mouth pursed slightly as she stepped closer. Not that he minded but he wasn't sure what had prompted him to say all of what he'd just said other than the fact he felt like he needed to encourage her somehow. Explain she wasn't alone. But he'd obviously given too much away. He tried to play it off with a laugh. "Is it a full moon tonight? All the crazies will be out I guess. And with family stuff who wouldn't be scared?" But, as previously seen, had a crap poker face. He glanced sideways and around, hoping no one was overhearing this conversation. He felt like an ass for deflecting her with such a thin, crappy statement and looked down at his feet then.
A flash of disappointment flickered over Lily's face, followed by frustration. She knew she couldn't get mad at him for not opening up and sharing, this was only the second time they had really interacted, but she still had a sincere desire to know just how much he understood and knew. The only reason she hadn't come right out and said anything was because it wasn't exactly her place to talk about her brothers' business for him. Still, by not saying anything, she was risking a possible opportunity to get some more knowledge than what they had. It was more than evident she had been waging an internal war as they stood there and in that moment, the words she was thinking just all blurted out at once. "My brother might be a werewolf." Immediately, her hands flew up to cover her mouth and she froze, unable to believe she just spoke it aloud to Lochlan.
Well that had been unexpected. Lochlan's eyes flicked directly to her face. He'd sort of expected the next words out of her mouth to be something along the lines of a, "Well, it was good seeing you, better be off again," kind of thing. Because really that was what he deserved for half opening up and then completely clamming up. Her brother was a werewolf. He'd suspected. He wondered if it was one of the guys he'd met at the meeting or if it was someone who hadn't shown up. He was betting on the latter because none of those dunderheads seemed likely to have a sister like Lily. He made a split decision then. If she was willing to put that card on the table, she deserved the truth after his stupid blow off a moment ago. "My cousin might be." He took a long breath, looked out at the path as he ran a hand up the back of his hair, and said even more quietly. "And me."
Then Lochlan prayed he hadn't just taken bait and outed their family to someone who would turn around and hurt them.
Sheer relief washed over Lily when he confirmed what she had suspected. She raised her arms to pull Lochlan in for a hug, both as a means of comfort and as a show of appreciation for his honesty. Then, once the relief over the fact that they were both in the same boat, more or less, and that he wouldn't think she was insane faded, a frown pushed its way forward. Now she had another person to worry about, and she wasn't sure how to handle that. She looked around quickly to ensure no one was coming up, pulling away just slightly from the hug to look Lochlan in the eye. "It's going to be okay." She wasn't completely sure if that was the truth, but it's what Jack had told her and she desperately wanted to believe it. She moved her hands to lightly rub up and down his arms, hesitating to ask the question on her mind. "What do you know about what's going to happen tonight?"
Lochlan hesitated to hug her back, knowing he was a bit sweaty but that didn't seem to bother her so he gave her a squeeze. He almost chuckled as she tried to reassure him since that's what he'd been trying to do for her for a little while now. Ever since he'd seen her on the verge of tears back at the pub. She was probably one of the sweetest people he'd met and he almost kissed her for it. Not sure how that impulse would go over, he was glad she kept talking. "The only thing I really know for sure is that there are pens being built in the woods. Should be done by tonight. And there's a doctor who has tailor-made serums to knock us out if something goes wrong. Other than that, it's all playing it by ear, I think. But you're right. It's going to be okay." Whether it would be or not, he didn't know, but he needed to say it.
Lily nodded thoughtfully at the mention of pens being built, the idea pretty solid if they were built strong enough. She couldn't remember if Jack had mentioned it the night he told her what had happened, she was a little too overwhelmed with the information to retain anything other than he was possibly going to be shifting into an animal during the full moon. The idea of knock out serums made her uncomfortable, though. Who was to say this doctor could be trusted? What if it was sone conspiracy to wipe them out during their shift? "No, I don't like that." Remembering Lochlan wasn't a mind reader, she explained herself. "How does anyone even know what's in the serums? What if it does more than just tranquilize?" She sighed, resting her hand on the back of her neck. "Do you know if my brother's going to be there? Jack? He has dark hair, kind of curly.. blue eyes. About this tall." She lifted her hand to where Jack typically reached in comparison to her, looking at Lochlan expectantly.
"Well, the good doc is supposed to be one of us so I'm guessing he wouldn't want to get rid of us. But I did register my thoughts on that being a very creepy thing since he went through our medical records to synthesize something that would work with each of our unique physiologies or something like that." He rubbed his hand against the scruff on his chin that was almost to the point of being a real beard. "To be honest, I just don't want to hurt anyone. I'd rather be dead." When she mentioned Jack, his eyes dulled slightly. That mouthy bastard? How was she his sister? "Yeah, I think he might. He was at the meeting we all went to and I think I saw him when I was helping with the pens." He looked at her oddly though, wondering why she didn't know this if she did know about him being a werewolf.
Lily still wasn't crazy about the idea, but it did make her feel slightly better knowing he was apparently dealing with the same thjng they were. "So, if he's going to be busy shifting too, who's going to have control of the.. guns? Blow darts? Whatever the shit is being shot from." Her attention quickly shifted to his saying he'd rather be dead than hurt someone, her brows furrowing as she shook her head quickly. "Don't say that. You wouldn't hurt anyone." It was assuming a lot, but she was hopeful that Lochlan and Jack would still be somewhere within their wolf forms. The idea of them slipping into somewherr else scared her too much to think about. She realized she was bombarding him with questions and didn't want to come off as rude. "I'm sorry.. Jack didn't have a lot of answers. Or maybe he did and he didn’t tell me everything." It wouldn't be the first time he had tried being selective with sharing information to save her some worry, after all. "You probably want to think about something else for a while, right?" She reached and took his hand with a soft, reassuring smile. If he was out here, trying to not think like she had been intending originally, she wanted to help. To make him feel better as best she could.
Lochlan shook his head because he didn't know the answer to her question. It hadn't even occurred to him to ask and he felt a little foolish admitting that. "I don't know. There were people who weren't werewolves helping out too so I'm guessing maybe they will. And they're all people that are trusted by at least one or more of the rest of us." Jack must not have told Lily much at all and Lochlan wished he could give her more information but he didn't have a whole lot. He'd kept his head down in mild denial for a while now, trusting Patrick would take care of stuff. He was the alpha of the O'Reilly pack after all.
He looked at her quizzically for a moment when she told him he wouldn't hurt anyone. She obviously hadn't seen two possible werewolves go at it yet. Or see what could happen when a human got in the middle. "Yeah, I might," he said quietly. "Those pens had better work, that's all I'm saying." He gave her hand a squeeze, grateful for the touch. It spoke volumes about her to him. She wasn't afraid of him or disgusted. He did want to think about other things. That had been his purpose when he'd started out but purposes shifted sometimes. "I do, but I know you're trying to understand. If I can help, ask me, okay?"
Lily nodded her head at Lochlan's words about the pens, but still refused to think in that mind frame. Part of her wondered if she should sneak there tonight to make sure things would be okay. If they weren't, she didn't know what the hell she could really do, but it'd be better than sitting there and wondering. On the other hand, if she did and Jack or Mannix ever found out, she was sure they would lock her away in some tower somewhere and she’d have to go Rapunzel status if she ever dreamed of getting out.
Lily smiled appreciatively to him, but wasn't sure she could think of any other questions that there would be a definite answer for. "I think that's all I have.. for now." She looked around, surprised there wasn't anyone around them still. "Okay, I'm all yours. Name whatever you want to do and we'll do it."
Had he really thought about it, Lochlan might not have insisted when she refused to believe he'd hurt someone. She might have been hoping that her brother wouldn't hurt anyone. But, for as much as he was trying to be other-centered and help her, he was a little stuck in his own head right then. He felt protective of her. Two encounters wither deeper than average conversations kind of did that to him. He nodded when she said she didn't have any more questions just then. Now that things were pretty much out in the open, he wouldn't have as many qualms about talking about it later if she needed to. "All mine, hey?" he said and couldn't help but grin then. "Normally I'd challenge you to a race but I think I'd probably win with my unfair advantage. Hm. Let's take a walk and you tell me all about you. The stuff I didn't learn last night."
Lily grinned with surprise when he said he wanted to hear all about her. "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I'm the most boring person in Delphi now." Being suddenly surrounded by the Supernatural had a funny way of making a person feel pretty plain, no matter who they were. Still, she liked that Lochlan actually seemed to care and actively engaged with her. She liked it and the way he made her feel a lot, actually.
She took a step in the direction they had originally been moving in, wondering where to start, wondering what exactly to share. Her life hadn't always been peaches, some aspects were just downright dark.. but, he was honest with her. She wanted to be honest too. "Hmm.. I'm twenty-three. Birthday is October 10th. I'm from a pretty big family.. not really anyone worth mentioning other than Jack, Mannix," She hesitated, continuing."and Miranda." She took a breath. "Jack's my younger brother, Mannix is older, and Miranda was my older sister." She cleared her throat, her jaw tightening for a moment. "She died when we were all young." She looked down to the ground, forcing her mind to keep moving. "I left home right after I turned 18..." She glanced up to him, wondering if she was putting him to sleep.
Well that was worth it all, her smile. Lochlan smiled back at her and nodded. "I'm sure. Believe me, you're far from boring so far." And he didn't think she really needed to be more interesting considering werewolves were a thing on top of zombies on the outside of the dome.
He walked alongside of her, listening and looking ahead until she started talking about Miranda. Then his eyes flicked over to her and he sort of slowed his pace a little. "I'm so sorry for your loss," he said, not sure what else to say when she looked at him. He wasn't sure what he would feel if his sister died. Probably anger and deep sadness. And he wasn't sure that would really go away even if years had passed. "What did you do after you left home?"
Lochlan's words meant a lot to her. She offered a smile, a sad tinge to it, but an appreciative smile nonetheless. "Thanks." She drifted back to the topic on hand, glancing up towards the sky as if the answers to his questions woukd be there. "I just traveled around for a while. It was fun..I'd do it again if I could." Traveling now as opposed to pre-zombies would be completely different, though. Nightmarishly so.
She reached out and wrapped her arm around Lochlan's with a grin, resting her other hand on the same arm. He even made just walking and talking fun, or maybe it was just that he made her way more giddy than she was inclined to admit. "I have a kitten, her name is Princess because whatever she says goes." She narrowed her eyes, trying to think of what else there was to say about herself. "I really miss the beach..?" She laughed. "I'm terrible at talking about myself. Was there anything specifically you'd like to know?" She turned her head to look at him.
He nodded at her thanks and chewed his lower lip thoughtfully as he listened to her continue. When she wrapped her arm around his he gave her a light poke in the side with his elbow for the fun of it and grinned back at her. He felt like a gentleman escorting a lady out on a Sunday walk in those old impressionist paintings his grandmother had on her walls. They were just missing the top hat and long dress. "Pushy kitten. Does she say a lot?" he asked with a chuckle. "I miss the beach too, honestly. I used to surf sometimes."
Her story was very general for the most part. Except the details about her sister and her cat. But he understood it somewhat. She'd mentioned that her family was a stabbing and shooting type family. Maybe she wasn't interested in remembering those things let alone talk about them. So he didn't pry below the surface of that. If they continued to have these heart-to-heart encounters he figured she might tell him eventually. For now he was content with the finished product of her past because she was amazing company. He'd never have expected it last night when she'd sat down but he was really glad she had.
"I have been very interested in knowing maybe a story or two behind your ink. It's beautiful."
Lily let out a giggle when Lochlan elbow poked her. "She will if you don't pay enough attention to her. I've told her how cute she is so many times that she pretty much expects attention from everybody." She noted about Princess. "Surfing, hm? I wish I could have seen you." She leaned in towards him, "I bet you looked so cute."
She looked down at herself then back up to Lochlan with a grin, "these old things? Thank you." She really could probably go on all day about her tattoos, she certainly had enough of them. "Picking just a few is so hard!" She moved her hand that had been resting on his arm towards her stomach, lifting the bottom of her shirt to expose her hips and the two sparrows tattooed there, one on each. "This was my first tattoo. I was 16, so I had to make sure my parents wouldn't see it. My best friend was dating this 27 year old tattoo artist, which at the time we thought was super cool. Now, I realize how fucking creepy it was. My friend got the same birds so we'd match." She lifted her left arm to show a tattoo reading "Ray IV" on her inner arm, glancing back to Lochlan. "And this is a reminder why you never get someone you're dating's name on your arm. I got it for my first serious boyfriend, and then found out the next day that he had a wife and couple of kids at home." She realized none of these stories were very positive, deciding to switch things up. She ran her left hand along just over her chest and under her collar bone, the tattoo there reading, "this too shall pass." There was an anchor with some roses in the middle if the phrase. "This is one of the most meaningful to me.. it reminds me that no matter how bad things get, I'll get through. I have to." Next, her hand moved to point down at her leg, where a cherry blossom was running down it. "Cherry Blossoms, I've always loved. They only blossom for a short period of time before they die, so they're really symbolic in the message to live life to the fullest. It's so short, you know?" She took a breath and looked at him with a smile. "Are you completely bored yet?"
Lochlan shook his head with a half smile. "You know, you keep spoiling her like that she won't grow up to be a productive member of society." He laughed when she said he must have looked cute. "Heck no, I looked like a bum! I was a bum back then." And he still kind of was in some ways these days but he wasn't letting on about that right now.
His eyes followed her hands and her descriptions, listening to her stories. Sometimes the ink spoke more about her than she'd said in summarizing her life. Which, for some reason, he sort of liked. Tattoos were supposed to be representative of facets of self or things you wanted to remember forever - if you did them right and didn't just pick random things - and hers certainly did just that. Although he did have to ask her, "So was it only creepy because of the age difference or because of the age difference and the fact she was 16?" He grinned sideways at her and continued listening and appreciating the detailed art on her skin. When she asked if he was bored he smiled and shook his head. "Not in the least."
Lily paused to think on the question, slowly shaking her head. "No, the age difference itself isn't weird. Honestly, it's kind of nice to date an older guy." She resumed her previous strolling stance, arm linked with Lochlan's. "Just the fact she was so young. Sixteen, you're still a baby!" She scrunched her nose. "It's things like that that make me terrified of having kids. All the shit I've done, I wouldn't trust any child of mine for a second."
She was glad to hear that he wasn't bored because if she could have it her way, this is how the entire day would be. No stress, no worry. Only having nice conversation and being close like this. She especially liked being close to him. The full moon wouldn't even be a concern, it'd just be a perfect day in the park. Unfortunately, she just didn't have a say in manners like these. "Your turn. Tell me all about you. One of the O'Reilly clan, hm?"
"My sister is only a year older and I would definitely murder any 27 year old who had ideas about dating her. Especially if he tattooed her!" He could just imagine what sort of tattoo Avery would decide on. He shuddered at the idea of Avery tattooing a guy's name on her. "Having a younger sister in this place is sort of like having a kid in some ways. They sort of figure out that they don't want to be anything like you at an early age and do exactly the opposite as best they can."
Lochlan was quickly losing track of time and not caring. He liked listening to her and not thinking about all of the worries and stresses that would be on him in a matter of hours. It was like the calm before the storm and it was nice to share it with Lily.
"Ah me. Well. I'm 33 and a Leo. According to that I'm supposed to be majestic but I'm really more of a screw up with a heart of gold. I was born one of five million O'Reillys and we all sort of lived together haphazardly on top of and around each other. Aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, grams, and grand-da and anyone else who happened to include themselves. So I had the worst middle-child syndrome ever. I sort of slipped through the cracks a lot too, did my own thing and nobody paid me much mind. Even when I flaked on work schedules and family gatherings. Spent a lot of time doing nothing or unproductive things but never really left the sphere of the family. Got roped into bar tending at about 21 and found I was really good at it. Loved the regulars and the new people too. Especially when they were as fun as you were. Are." He grinned at her and elbowed her ribs lightly again.
Lily was thankful that she didn't have any siblings that young here. She wasn't a good role model now, and she seriously questioned that she'd ever be. No matter, she was off the hook and able to make all the fun choices, which was the important thing.
She listened to him speak about himself and his family, quietly watching him so as to not get caught staring. He was hard not to look at, even with his baby beard that was starting to grow. She liked a man with scruff. Just when she thought she was being smooth, however, her ribs were nudged again and she let out a laugh. "So are you saying you make a habit of taking your regulars on romantic strolls through the park?" She faked a pout. "Here I was thinking I was special."
He wondered what she was thinking as he prattled on about his life before the zombies and Delphi and werewolf stuff. What would it have been like had she walked into the family pub before all of that. Would he have noticed her among the other crowds that seemed to rush by over and over each shift without end? He had a feeling they would have passed each other by completely if it hadn't been for being stuck in this place. What a pity that would have been.
Romantic? He glanced around and then down at himself, the salty layer of dried sweat pungent on his skin thanks to his heightened senses. Then he looked back at her and how they were walking almost formally arm in arm. In their running gear. Was this romantic? He'd have to ask Avery later if she was poking fun but for now he honestly said, "Oh you are. Special, that is. The first patron to ever almost cry on me over something that wasn't inconsequential."
Lily laughed, turning to bury her face in Lochlan's arm. Thankfully for her, she didn't have the problem with heightened senses so she didn't find anything offensive about his smell. Even though she had a legitimate reason to be upset last night, she still didn't like the fact that she almost lost her shit in a group of people, a surrounding of strangers trying to have a good time.
She turned her head to face forward, not needing to have another tripping incident. She kept her head resting against him, however. "A leo? So you're supposed to be really stubborn too, right?" She was surprised when he said he was 33, but she actually really liked it. Maybe he didn't come with all the headaches that guys closer to her age seemed to bring. "Well, just so you know.. I wouldn't let you slip through the cracks." She looked up to him with a grin before her eyes sparked with interest. "I have an idea. You said you can kind of run faster, right?"
Lochlan looked over at her as she pressed her face against his arm and he chuckled lightly. "Hey, I was pretty honored to be included. Nothing to be embarrassed about if you ask me considering you had a pretty good reason." And they were back at werewolves and stress again but he was glossing over it and trying not to dwell and it seemed to be working.
"Stubborn. Yes, that can be a thing for me sometimes. Not usually though." He was pretty pliant at times. He gave her arm a squeeze against his side with his own at her statement about not letting him slip through the cracks. It was one of those sweet things he was coming to really appreciate about her. She felt very important. Like a piece he'd needed in his life that had just settled in at the most needed moment. What shape her piece was, he wasn't sure, but he was glad she was here.
He was somehow relieved when she didn't ask him to continue the story of his life. Not that he had anything to hide but the person he'd been, and still sometimes was, wasn't exactly someone he wanted to talk about. He liked that she knew him in a positive light and wished, without much hope, that she wouldn't be introduced to who he really was. The flighty scatterbrain who managed to damage just about every relationship outside of family that he had by neglecting it. Freed from talking about that version of himself, at least for now, he lifted one brow tentatively. "Yeah, I said that. Why do I worry now?" he asked in amusement.
Lily appreciated how Lochlan seemed to always know the right things to say to not make her feel so ridiculous. She found his entire presence to be rather calming, and it was quickly something she was becoming addicted to. The feelings that were quickly developing within her towards him were somewhat confusing for her, but she didn't want to overly think it right now. For the moment, she just needed to be and he seemed like he was okay with that sentiment too.
A smile immediately curled at her lips when he admitted times of being stubborn. She rarely backed down from anything and was very much set in het own ways. She wondered if they'd ever duel it out over something trivial, something she at times had a tendency to do. Blinking, she pushed the thought away for the time being. Thinking that much into the future seemed like a big leap for the second day of knowing each other.
"Because you're a smart smart man." She answered matter of factly. She slowed even more than they had been going previously, releasing his arm to maneuver towards his back. "Can you give me a piggyback ride and run as fast as you can?" It didn't particularly make sense, but she was feeling playful and was curious what it'd feel like to move quicker than the typical human.
Lochlan sort of felt she had the worse end of all this. It was one thing to be going through this himself with all of the fear and unknown, but he couldn't imagine having to watch someone he loved go through it and not be able to do a damn thing for them. So if he'd known he was consistently hitting the mark with her, saying the right things, he'd have been pleased he could be a calming presence for her. Especially when his whole life was the total opposite right now.
A piggyback ride. He wasn't sure why but that sounded like a fun idea. To test out what he could do in a positive way. He wasn't exactly a big guy, but he did know he was stronger than he had been before the wolf attack and faster with a greater stamina. He didn't have anything near what he'd call superpowers in either area but the enhancement was enough to be noticeable. He sized her up over his shoulder and didn't figure her slender frame would add much burden to him than he was already carrying with his own body weight. She'd probably be light as feather to him at this point. He assumed the position with his arms out behind his back. "Hop on," he said with a grin. "And hold on tight."
Lily had a genuine smile of anticipation on while she waited for Lochlan's answer, the smile growing when he looked back at her. She clapped happily when he leaned over for her, no hesitation in her as she hopped onto his back. The thought had crossed her mind when she pushed off of her toes to land on his back that she probably should have chosen the polite climbing option instead. It was too late now, though. Grasping his shoulders, she just hoped that he had been prepared enough for her that he would be able to adjust accordingly to save them both a fall.
He'd been right. When she hopped on, he hardly felt it. He felt her exuberance though and that was like coal on the fire. He wrapped his arms back around her legs and really hoped she held on. He pushed up on the balls of his feet. Then he took off at a sprint down the path, glad that nobody was or had been around the entire time they'd been hanging out in that portion of the park. He breathed in and it felt like he could do anything as he exhaled with a laugh as trees and bushes flashed by. He wasn't overly abnormally fast but he wasn't nearly encumbered as he would have been before the wolf attack. Any second he'd push off and fly.
Lily wrapped her arms loosely around Lochlan's neck, avoiding the possibility of choking him by trying to hang tight with her legs. She lowered her head to rest on his shoulder, a small yelp coming from her as they took off, the sprint itself being faster than she'd been expecting. She really had no idea what to expect in the first place, so just about any kind of speed would have surprised her, but this? This was incredible! She let out a laugh with him, biting her lip for just a second before she pushed herself up slightly on his back and reached far enough with her lips to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. As soon as she did, a bright shade of red played across her cheeks and she froze, trying to read his express from where she sat upon his back.
He might have been fast, but Lochlan wasn't exactly the most coordinated werewolf on the block. When she kissed his cheek, he was immediately distracted, caught off guard at the affectionate gesture. His face turned to look at her but didn't have time to form any sort of expression before his foot caught on a partially raised section of the path. And just like something out of a blooper reel, his arms flailed, and he began to tumble. His instinct to protect her seemed to trump the laws of gravity for he was turning as he fell, bringing himself around quickly below her, his arms circling her so that they rolled fairly gracefully together with him taking the brunt and collapsing into laughter by the end of it all. "I am so sorry," he laughed, breathless as he released her. He didn't even try to get up yet.
Lily wasn't even sure what was happening until they were settled on the ground, her puzzled expression turning into one of pure hilarity as the recap flashed through her mind. Did that really just happen? She didn't move, resting quite comfortably on top of him as she buried her face in his chest, her sides starting to hurt from laughing so much. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd laugh so much, it was such a nice change of pace from how things had been lately. "I am so sorry." She looked up to him, propping herself up just slightly on one elbow. It was a very conscious decision on her part to make sure there was still contact between them, though. "Are you okay? Did you just save me?"
Lochlan could just imagine what his face must have looked like if she'd had a chance to see it in the moment he realized he was falling. Wide eyed, wide mouthed, goober expression. He couldn't quite catch his breath all the way because he couldn't stop laughing. "Yeah, I'm fine, I think." He tried to look at himself but she was propped on him and so he ended up mostly looking at her anyway. "Are you okay? I'm pretty sure I did just save you but you wouldn't have needed it if I knew how to run properly!" He rubbed the back of his head gingerly because it had hit the ground a bit when he'd come to a stop but it wasn't worse than a hangover and he'd had plenty of those and survived.
Lily shook her head, finally being able to get somewhat of a grasp on her laughter. "No judgements, I struggle with it when it's just me." She lifted a hand to lightly rub at the back of his head where he had been rubbing at, a grin settling in on her lips as their hands brushed. "My hero." Her eyes settled on his blues. She knew they must have looked a bit odd laying together on the ground right now, but she was too happy give a damn. Honestly, the things that had given her such a start out of the house earlier had nearly slipped her mind all together.
"Your endangerer, more like," he said, his eyelashes fluttering as he blinked out the sunlight and looked over at her again. He also began to get control of himself though he was still breathing a bit faster than usual. He could hear her heart beating and the sound was soothing. "Your heart sounds like a hummingbird," he said after a moment. He wasn't sure what prompted him to say it out loud but there it was. He breathed a chuckle and propped himself up on his elbows without dislodging her much. "And don't turn to look too fast but there is a rabbit staring at us over under that bush to your left." He couldn't see it but he could smell it and hear its tiny heart beating as well. For a moment he wondered if it wouldn't be tasty and made a disgusted face at the thought.
Lily smiled to him and nodded, feeling how fast her heart was fluttering. If he asked why it was that way, she'd most likely blame it on the adrenaline from the fall, but she knew better as to the real cause. Secretly, she hoped he would too.
It was incredibly difficult for her not to snap her head to the left at the mention of a rabbit joining the party, but she managed to contain her excitement and slowly look to the left. Her eyes widened in wonder as her dark gaze settled on the adorable animal, and she tried to remain as still as possible so as to not scare it away. "Were you able to hear or smell him or something?" She whispered, glancing back towards Lochlan curiously.
Lochlan figured her heart was fast from the piggyback run and his fall. His was pounding too from it. Even faster than hers it seemed, and sounded much louder as blood rushed his ears, until it started to finally slow again. He did wonder though why she hadn't rolled off of him. Not that he minded. They had decided to be cuddle lab partners after all. He looked at her curiously. He didn't imagine hanging out on the ground was anywhere near comfortable for her.
He grinned as he watched her look around for the rabbit. He'd half guessed what it was but he knew he'd been right when she asked him if he'd been able to hear or smell it. "Both," he said. "I also thought I might like eating it for a second there too. Thank goodness I can still control my impulses where that is concerned." He wondered if he'd be able to control it later tonight. He hoped for the millionth time that the pens would hold. That all the work that had gone into them wouldn't be for nothing. He didn't want to hurt anyone.
Lily turned her head to look at him fully. "You're amazing." The werewolf thing was certainly scary as fuck, but when it came down to it.. there were some really amazing things that could possibly come out of it, too. If things went well tonight, she would make sure she started communicating that to him. But, they had to get through tonight first.
She pushed herself up more, letting out a soft laugh. "I hope you'd cook it first." She got up on her feet, offering her hand to help him up. While she could deal with the hard ground all day if he was there with her, she imagined it wasn't as comfortable for him.. especially, considering he had taken the brunt of the fall for her. The whole cause of the fall crossed her mind, curious as to if it was an act that was unwelcome. She really hadn't seen any expression on him saying one thing or the other, so she wasn't comfortable guessing what he thought about it. She chewed lightly on her lip for a moment, trying to think of something to say about it. "So..." She looked around casually, trying to act like his answer wouldn't be a big deal either way. "Should I not kiss you on the cheek again?" Was that obvious? The blush playing at her cheeks once the question was out there may have given her away. She was so off her typical game with him, she didn't even know how to play around with the subject.
Lochlan chuckled and brushed a hand through his hair which, at this point, contained an assortment of twigs and grass. "Well thanks, you're not so bad yourself, you know." It was strange seeing a positive side to this whole werewolf thing. He supposed he'd have expected that to come after the initial freak out period. But even this small taste of it, with Lily, was just a continuation of the whole theme that seemed to run through their interactions. Calming fears and worries.
He took her hand but, as he would have pulled her back down if he'd actually used it, he stood up quickly on his own, brushing dirt off his rear. "I don't think cooking was anywhere in that thought, unfortunately." He made the same grossed out face he had when he'd first thought of it a moment ago. He guessed he'd have to get used to it. popping into his head occasionally.
Offhandedly, he answered her question. "Well, at least not while I'm running with you on my back." He laughed lightly but watched her cheeks flush, something he might have attributed to the exercise they'd been getting if it hadn't happened right as she was asking him about kissing his cheek. He realized an offhanded answer hadn't really been what she was looking for so he smiled, looking sideways at her. "Definitely not unwelcome otherwise, lab partner."
Lily had taken a moment to dust herself off as well once he was up, feeling around her hair to see if any brush had nestled it’s way in there. She turned her arm to look at her elbow as she felt a slight sting, taking note there was a little bit of a scrape. She’d had much worse before, it wasn’t anything she was going to worry about.
She nodded her head and fought the urge to let out a sigh of relief, opting to lean forward and rest her hands on her knees instead. She could pass it off as stretching, maybe. “For the record, I think that was phase two.” She pointed out, standing up straight again. “And I think we’re making beautiful progress. Dance floor and outdoors are checked off the list, next would be something more comfortable, I think.” She winked at him with a grin.
Lochlan looked her over, deftly plucking a dandelion fluff from her hair that she'd missed. He frowned at her scrape. He hated knowing that she'd been hurt because of his carelessness. "I'm sorry about that," he repeated. "We should get that cleaned and patched up for you."
He watched her stretch and hoped she wasn't feeling bruised or strained in some way she wasn't letting on about. Why exactly had her kiss distracted him to such an epic fail? It hadn't been expected but it hadn't been shocking either. He was distracted from his bemusement by her statement about phase two. He couldn't help but crack up at that. "A piggyback ride ending in an embarrassing fall was phase two? I'm a little terrified of entering phase three if that's the case! Or is this a system of experimentation where things actually get less intense as it progresses?"
Lily bent her arm at the elbow to look at the scrape again, eyes flicking upwards to him as she gave a shake of her head. “I’m not a dainty little flower, I’ll be okay.” She grinned, taking a few slow steps backwards. “You’d better guide me, hero. I might trip over my own feet again and fall on my ass.” She lifted up her hands, wiggling her fingers at him.
She hesitated on his questions about phase two, chuckling. “I don’t think it matters how we got there, but we definitely had a cuddle session.” She nodded her head to reassure him that’s exactly what it was. “But, I promise I’m better when I’m not surprised with a little ground tumble.” She wanted him to whisk her away for an all day cuddle session, but she figured he probably had others things to do. Things to prepare for. She fought the urge to frown at the thought and the sinking feeling that accompanied it.
Lochlan rolled his eyes good-naturedly at her. Dainty flower. He chuckled, trying to let go of his embarrassment for hurting her even a little. "I think that should be my line seeing as I'm the one who trips over his own feet and falls down. But, we wouldn't want you hurting your ass. Maybe I'd better carry you out of the park just to be sure."
He lifted a brow and nodded, taking on that ultra serious, scientific expression he'd had last night when talking about their experiments. "You're probably right about that. I'm sure that when the variables are correctly maintained and in the right proportion you're a fantastic cuddler, Doctor…" And he realized then that he'd never gotten her last name. Her digits, almost tears, a kiss, an awkwardly timed and unconventional cuddle, and even her cat's name, but not her last name. Hm. Could one really feel as comfortable and at home with a person who's last name one didn't know? It must be possible. Since he did.
"We both know I was the one to kick off our graceful morning. We should be ballerinas." Without skipping a beat, Lily nodded whole heartedly at his suggestion of carrying her out of the park. "I don't trust myself otherwise. There are a lot of steps between here." She pointed down to where they were standing, then off into the distance. "And there."
She hesitated at his pause, it taking a moment to realize he was searching for a last name. "Ryker." She paused dramatically. "Delilah Ryker." A smile broke through her soap opera-like act. "I guess my full name would have been something to include in my story about me, huh?" She laughed softly. She apparently sucked at speaking about herself. No guy had really been interested in knowing her history up until this point, not genuinely anyway. "I can't remember the last time someone has called me Delilah, though." It was always odd to remember there was a full name she had that didn't start with a L, she really kind of neglected her birth name.
Lochlan laughed. "You will never get me in tights. Sorry. Uh-uh. Not happening." He shook his head vehemently. "Of course, you wouldn't, would you? Well, better hop up then." He laughed again and held out his arms, not really believing she she'd insist, even playfully, on being carried.
He mouthed her name. "Delilah." From a delicate, fragrant flower to a dangerous temptress who brought about the downfall of one of the strongest men. He wondered how he would have thought of her had she always been Delilah and never Lily. Names did something to the way you thought about people. At least for him. Clementine would always be a fresh, sparkling memory. Chiri was just that, cheery. He looked at her bemused again and wasn't sure he'd be able to call her Lily, knowing she wasn't entirely. "Why Lily? Why not Del or Lie or Lalala?" he asked, having a little fun with the end of her given name.
Lily had no shame when it came to the art of flirtation. Okay, maybe she had some as made evident by her blushing fits, but sometimes being a little over the top was necessary. On the other hand, she also didn't want to come across as high maintenance. Sometimes the science behind actually liking someone was too much. She moved closer to him with a grin, but hesitated. "You don't have to carry me. But, you should just give tights a try." She teased, "you would look great in them, and you might love them!"
She let out a laugh at his other name suggestions, lightly shrugging her shoulders. "My family called me Lil for short. It made sense, I was small as a kid and it was technically in my name. Then, my sister started calling me Lily flower and it just.. stuck. Delilah just sounds so.. I don't know." She wasn't really opposed to being called by her first name, but she supposed she just clung so tightly to Lily because it was from Miranda. "Maybe I should start going my Lalala though. It would sound like everyone was singing to me."
Lochlan liked Lily. A lot actually but he wasn't sure, thanks to the full moon and possibility of become a hairy, bitey beasty, that he should even consider her beyond that. Or give her reason to either. He was definitely up for the banter, which was such a part of him that he didn't consider it flirting, but if he was maybe giving her mixed signals, he wasn't fully aware of it or doing it on purpose. She didn't seem to be deterred though. He wondered if he should really put the kibosh on it or if it was just harmless because she flirted the way he bantered - with everyone. Again it came down to not wanting to hurt anyone - this time emotionally.
He shook his head again with a laugh. "The day I love tights is the day I turn in my man card. Nothing doing, sister." He nodded when she explained where Lily had come from. It made sense she'd want to hang on to that considering it had come from her sister. He liked the way she looked when she talked about things that were important to her. He wasn't sure if it was vulnerability or just a daydreamy quality but she was somehow more beautiful then. He might tell her that one day. If he survived the night. "Lalala it is. But only on special occasions. Such as being introduced as champion at our fight club. Or whilst doing karaoke ... in tights." He grinned over at her.
Unfortunately for Lochlan, Lily was flirting just as much as she was playfully bantering and she fully considered him to be doing the same. They'd somehow connected quickly enough that she thought much more of him than just a cute guy to flirt with for drinks.. or you know, just for giggles. She wasn't sure if there was any potential for anything more, but she'd be lying if she were to say she wouldn't ever want to try. Werewolf or not, the boy had her hooked.
She couldn't fight the laugh that came up from her newest nickname, nodding with approval. "Sounds perfect. I think it really stirs up the warrior inside me." She glanced to the side as she heard footsteps approaching from just a little down the way, catching a glimpse of an older couple strolling in their direction. It must have been getting a later. She looked to the ground, pushing her bangs out of her eyes as the realization that the later it got, the closer they were to tonight really happening. It was probably one of the worst feelings she had ever felt before. "Hey, I'm sorry to bring it up again but.." She lowered her voice, making sure to avoid using any words that would raise awareness with the possibility of others starting to wander around. "Where is that camp exactly?"
Lochlan was pretty sure he was suffering a case of the 'undefinable relationship' sort of thing here. They had connected very quickly over a subject that was extremely sensitive to him. In some ways she was almost family, a sister or close cousin, and he felt protective of her as though she were part of the O'Reilly pack. And in other ways she was very much not family. He wasn't exactly analyzing it at the moment though, but it would occur to him later to wonder if he hadn't just jumped at the closest girl who wasn't a family member to give his affection to and assuage any wrongness he felt.
"Lalala, the warrior. Mmhm, makes perfect sense to me. Though it does make me picture you in some kind of colorful anime get up, your hair in pigtails, with a very large lollipop as a weapon." He laughed at the mental picture, imagining also his own chibi character going a little gleefully cross-eyed at it. Yeah, he may as well put on the tights now.
And just as easily as it came, the laughter went. "I don't know if I should tell you that. Because you're going to go tonight if I do, aren't you?"
The second his laughter died down, Lily felt her stomach drop and hated herself. All she wanted to do was make him happy for as long as she could. Yeah, they'd have to face reality again at some point, but she didn't want to be the reason for that. "I don't know, Lochlan." She didn't sound like the happier side he had probably grown used to, her voice trembling under the incredible stress of the situation. "Jack told me not to. I know Mannix would say the same." She lifted her hands and rested them on her head. "But really? I need to be there for my brother. He's tough as fuck and so brave, I know that.. but if he has even the smallest thought that he wished I was there for him when shit starts to go down, I'd never forgive myself." She looked up towards the sky, shaking her head. She couldn't say for sure she would or wouldn't go in that moment, but deep down in her heart, the answer was clearly settled there. "Or, if something were to happen?” She looked down to Lochlan, chewing lightly on her lip. “Do you understand?"
Lochlan heard the tremor in her voice and wanted to hug her but he stood still, not wanting to stop the flow her speech. His brows furrowed as he fought indecision inside. He really didn't want her to be in danger. Couldn't even begin to know how to forgive himself if something happened to her because he'd told her what her brothers hadn't wanted her to know. "I don't know, Lily. I mean, I do understand. I'd want to be there too if it were my sister or cousin. But I wouldn't… don't want them there for me. It's so dangerous and if anything happened to you because I told…" He shook his head slowly and looked away from her. Part of him thought maybe it would be good to have her there because of the conversation they'd had about the tranquilizers the doctor was going to have. Who knew if they were safe? It would be good to know there was someone on the outside he trusted who was also skeptical. It seemed like his family all accepted the validity of everything happening and might not be as vigilant. He just couldn't bring himself to put Lily in danger.
Lily couldn’t say she was surprised that Lochlan wasn’t willing to give her the location of the encampment. She knew it was a big risk, so she was actually kind of glad he chose to opt out of sharing that information for the simple fact that if she did choose to go and something did happen, she wouldn’t want that to be on his conscience. “I understand.” She couldn’t stop her mind from working to figure out an alternative way, though. When she realized she had been silent for a few minutes, she placed her hands on her hips and shuffled her feet. She wasn’t sure what exactly to say from here, other than she didn’t want him to go. Once he did, she would be left with her thoughts again.. even more than before, and she wasn’t sure how she would be able to handle them through the day. “French. Fries.” She finally managed to get out the one thing she could think to say to break the silence, remaining strangely serious despite the absolute randomness of the sentiment.
"I hope so," he replied. He really did hope she understood. He wandered to a nearby bench and sat, not ready to go but not interested in standing in the middle of the path as people began to happen by more frequently now. He was sure his family was about, making preparations or whatever, and wondering where he was, but he wasn't ready for that yet. For any of this monster bullshit. When she said french fries he really wished that he could rewind the time back to last night when they'd been pleasantly intoxicated and on their way to the best french fries he'd had since the last drive-thru stop at McDonald's. It had been so much fun just hanging out with her, talking and laughing. But always the negative anticipation had been there like a pink elephant in the room they were obviously ignoring. "I hope when all of this is over, the anticipation and worry about the unknown," he began, swallowing thickly around his anxiety, knowing there would never be a time when it was over. You didn't get cured of being a werewolf, did you? "Well, I hope you and I can have a proper time together without dark clouds hanging over every second of it."
Lily followed along behind him, appreciating the idea of sitting on a bench instead of having to constantly adjust where she was standing to avoid being in people’s immediate way. She turned to face him as she sat, hanging an arm over the back of the bench and resting her cheek against it. “You don’t even know how amazing that sounds.” With the amount of fun they had together despite the sense of pending doom, she couldn’t imagine how much more fun they could have if they were relatively carefree. She only had one more question for him in regards to the uncomfortable topic of the day, and after that she swore to herself there would be no more for him. “Can you let me know you’re okay after?” She couldn’t bring herself to say after his change, his transformation, his whatever. Just after seemed to explain the thought enough, and she was fine with that. “You can even come over. I’m not going to be sleeping tonight.” She had a feeling that coffee was going to play a big role in her life for the next few days.