Getting Drunk and Protecting Families Who: Patrick & Riley Where: The Pub When: Afternoon
Riley had finished running a few errands, making a few new appointments around town. He didn’t have a whole lot as there were only a few establishments that required his meat and then the market as well. His mind kept turning on the beer he’d wanted earlier and so he was wandering into the pub for some lunch and a beer or two. The business end of running the ranch wasn’t his favorite thing but it was part of the job and he did enjoy talking to the people. In Delphi there was the benefit of the feel of a small town system like he’d been part of back in Australia. What he wouldn’t give for a good cold West End or Cascade Special but Australian tastes weren’t to be found in the States anymore. So he settled for whatever O’Reilly’s cooked up which was pretty damned good if he were honest. One of these days he’d have to shake hands with the brewmaster.
He sat at the bar, opened a tab, and started with a beer as he looked over the menu of whatever was to be had for lunch. He also decided to ask if either Patrick of Eily were around in order to touch base with business and make sure the current contract was sufficient. He’d tried to push the thoughts stewing in the back of his mind completely out but they kept tugging at him each chance he had a moment to himself. He hoped at least, if neither owner was about, that he’d find distracting conversation with someone else.
It had been too long since Patrick had spent time in the pub and he missed it. He missed the books, the contracts, the business, and he found himself back in his office before he knew it. He'd been there a couple of hours and ventured out now to get himself a beer before heading back, but he saw a familiar sight at the bar and it made him smile. "Well, Riley, as I live and breathe…Nice to see you again," He said, bringing out his best businessman smile as he put a hand forth for Riley to shake.
Riley smiled at the other man’s words and put out his own hand. His shake firm and maybe almost too tight. “It has been a while, hasn’t it, Patrick?” He’d always liked the guy and was kind of glad he was running into Patrick instead of Eily. Not that he disliked Eily but he connected more with Patrick - man to man. “How’s business? I know things have gotten a little hairy lately thanks to recent events but your tables seem to be as full as expected.”
Hairy? Oh, you have no idea…, Patrick thought, but still smiled back at Riley. “Business is still doing all right. Things did get a little strange there but you can’t keep the O’Reilly’s down,” He said, shrugging as he leaned against the counter. “And business for you?”
Riley inwardly rolled his eyes at himself, using the word "hairy" again when talking about events in the dome. It was like a Freudian slip or something. "Glad to hear it, mate," he said with a grin at the unsinkable nature of the O'Reillys. There seemed to be a lot of them around so it was pretty obvious they were too stubborn to be kept down! "Business is what it usually is, thank goodness. But then supply and demand is what keeps this place floating, isn't it? Speaking of supply, who is your brewmaster? Because this is good." He indicated his mug which he finished with a satisfied sigh.
"That would be Aidan. I can pass on your compliments if you want or I can tell him to come find you himself," He said, shrugging a little more. "Whatever floats your boat, really. Speaking of business, it's about that time when you stop in to make sure we're all set at the pub. Is it that time again?"
Riley waved a hand dismissively though with a smile. “Oh no, you don’t have to disturb him but if you do think of it and want to pass it on, my best compliments to Aidan. Might I have another?” he asked and pushed his mug forward more for the server than for Patrick really. “Yes, it is that time. Though I do know what’s been going on can mean uncertainty so I’m here mostly informally. Nothing need be set in stone today.”
Patrick still took the mug and started for the beer, pouring a generous refill before bringing it back to Riley. He didn't usually give away free beers, but Riley was an important contact and straining their relationship could be detrimental to Patrick's business. "Informally or not, I appreciate you stopping by. I hope it helps ease your worries when I tell you that I've been nothing but happy with your products. No matter what's going on in the dome right now, I don't see it messing with our business practices too much."
"Cheers," he said, thanking Patrick for the second round as he sipped it. He'd be more than willing to pay for it along with his meal. He wasn't in the habit of assuming anything was free. He almost grinned at Patrick's statement that he was pleased with his product. There wasn't another choice now that the dome was shut but it was still really good to hear that his cattle were holding up to good standards. He took a lot of pride in his work and he was really grateful to be able to do what he would have been doing had he still been in Australia and the world was business as usual. It gave him a sense of normalcy in the chaos. "Glad to hear it, mate. Wish I could bring you more variety but I was supposed to have a two new herds but they're stuck out there on the stock route. Or, well, they've probably gone back by now but you know what I mean."
“I can understand that,” Patrick said, wishing he had more variety for Aidan to use in the beers, but he didn’t. He was lucky they were still able to make beer at all. He filled a mug for himself and began sipping at it, looking back at Riley after a moment. “How are things with your cattle? They’ll be all right now that the doors aren’t opening?” It did make him worry slightly at the rate with which he was ordering beef from them. Would there be enough to last?
Riley nodded and took a swallow or two from his mug. He probably should order food soon or the emptiness of his stomach was going to have him feeling a buzz from the alcohol soon. “Yeah, should be okay for a little while. I’ve implemented an aggressive breeding program my father used when the other cattle ranches in our area were cut down by disease. Ours were the only cattle providing for the meatworks which supplied our entire district. But we had to keep up sales to keep the temporary contracts. It worked. So I’ve begun it here and we should have enough so long as nothing happens to my livestock.” Which he wasn’t worried about at this point. He had plenty of people working on his ranch ensuring the safety and quality of the cattle. And he had bigger worries. Like Lia and their daughter. Werewolves. And that doctor.
Patrick made a mental note to figure out how to make sure he and the other werewolves didn't go straight for Riley's cattle farm. That was a probable concern, wasn't it? The werewolves trying to hunt. He'd need to talk to Lochlan about it. "Well, I'm glad you have a plan in mind. Being prepared never hurt anyone."
"Yeah, things around this place have taken a turn for the purely bizarre lately. I only lost 2 head when the wolves first attacked but I can't imagine they're gone seeing as the doors are shut." He knew that some of the O'Reillys had become werewolves. Or he at least suspected, having seen Patrick and Lochlan in their shared room on one of his visits to Lia in the hospital. He couldn't remember if it had been Patrick or Lochlan who'd been trying to proposition a nurse for a sponge bath and he almost laughed at the memory but coughed instead and finished his beer. He could feel the tingling of a buzz beginning and honestly, he didn't care anymore. "I meant to ask how you and your cousin were doing. I'd glimpsed you both in the hospital around the time of the attacks. You look remarkably well."
It was this kind of conversation he wasn't prepared for, and he didn't think anyone else in the family was prepared for either. Where did they stand on this issue? Was this something that they could safely explain to people outside of the family, outside of the change even? "We're both doing just fine. We were lucky," He said, surprised that he felt that way about the change now when he was so concerned with it earlier. But it made him feel solid again and he liked that. "Not everyone was as lucky as we were."
No, that was true and Riley knew it. Some people had died as a result of the wolf attacks. He wasn’t going to press further to talk about werewolves as he’d done with Justin because Patrick didn’t seem to be as forthcoming and probably didn’t know his wife Lia had also been attacked. “One has to wonder what’s happening in here and why the doors aren’t opening. I was remarking earlier today that abnormal seems to be the new normal in here. How does one protect one’s family and livelihood when things come out of the blue from every corner.” Perhaps his tongue was a little more loose thanks to the beer which was settling in for a nice buzz already and he took another long sip.
Patrick watched Riley for a moment before he nodded and shrugged a little. "You have something there. It's hard to protect your family when everything is going crazy. Do you…Does your family need protecting?" He ended up asking Riley, leaning a little closer to him so that he spoke quietly to Riley only. Pride was just as important as knowing when to ask for, or offer, help.
Riley nodded affirmatively at what Patrick said. "It is going crazy. You saw the ghosts before the eclipse when the doors shut, right? The bats. Those wolves. Who knows what other things are running around in here with us. Why would they allow those things inside Delphi in the first place?" He shook his head then, finishing his mug of beer, still not having decided on what to eat. The beer on the empty stomach was making him warm and he was enjoying it for the moment. "No, I don't think so. I'm a military man, trained and capable and I have a few strong men boarding at the ranch as well." No, if his family needed protecting from anything it was whatever kept driving Lia straight to Micah every damned time something new happened with her werewolf abilities. "Are you and yours set for that?" he asked only out of politeness. He figured they were more than capable of taking care of themselves.
Patrick was surprised that Riley was so intensively talking about this out here in the open. He still somehow felt like these types of conversations were better left hidden, behind closed doors, or in hushed tones like Patrick had first attempted. But he just leaned closer and nodded a little. “We’re set for it. We’re safe.” It was a conversation he was definitely going to have with Lochlan when he saw him next, but for now Patrick considered them safe. “But if you ever need assistance, you can always call on the O’Reillys, you know that right?”
It was mostly the alcohol that was swirling around his system now that was doing this talking. He’d managed to have a quieter conversation with Justin earlier but some part of him needed to talk normally about it right then. Patrick might not have been the right person for that which was fine. Not everyone was Jake with talking out in the open about the strange things happening in the dome. Even if he’d stuck with just the verifiable things that everyone knew about. He smiled at the other man and nodded. “Right-o,” he said, his tone friendly and accepting. “I’m sure that in your numbers, that’s a great assurance.”
Patrick wasn’t sure what more he could offer. He wasn’t going to come right out and tell Riley that he was a werewolf and so were some of his family, but he wasn’t going to let Riley think he was out in this alone either. Not when Patrick had a need to keep Riley alive. “I like to think so, yeah,” He said with a nod. “Another beer?”
Riley nodded, feeling a little like a bobble-head so he stopped with a slight laugh. “I think I would like another, yeah. Thanks, mate.” Probably not the conversation he should have been having with a customer anyway. He’d realize that later when he was nursing his hangover. And he’d have to come back and apologize which he would do.