A Strong Man • •

[reilly halina blake gordon]

It was her day off, which meant the night before Reilly had stayed up late finishing up work after her shift at Planet Hollywood. It wasn’t that she needed to meet deadlines or catch up on class assignments; she was ahead in every one of her classes. Reilly just never knew when she would suffer a setback, so when her head was clear and the only thing she had to contend with was idiots in New York City thinking they could pull a “hey, babe” line and she would swoon all over them, she liked to get ahead. When the weekend came, she could drink her buddies under the table, let them slur words at her while she propped them up against the wall and laughed at their hangovers the following morning. It made for good fun, reminding Reilly that her youth and alcohol didn’t always have to come with awful memories.

However, crawling into bed as the sun was pushing away the darkness meant that Reilly didn’t appreciate the sound of her phone buzzing next to her head so early in the day. She groaned and rolled over with every intention of ignoring it. Then she thought about who it might be, who might need her and with a very loud string of swear words tumbling from her dry mouth, she reached out for the black phone and squinted her tired eyes at the message on the screen. Penny’s name stared back at her and she looked down at the message, groaning at the thought of boy drama. Reilly wasn’t typically a girly girl, or the person many would turn to for this sort of thing. However, if Penny was texting her at this hour for help with this kind of problem then she knew it had to be bad. She fumbled with her phone, texting back a quick response about meeting up later.

It was already closer to lunch than breakfast. Reilly forced herself from her bed and moved through her usual routine. She fed Billy and Stu before herself, and then slipped into a hot shower. She took her time to get ready, still half asleep until the moment she was pulling on her second boot. Snatching her bag up from where she had dumped it at the foot of her bed, Reilly tossed everything into it, grabbing her jacket on the way out. She didn’t live further than a short walk from O’Malley’s bar which is where she arranged to meet Penny, hopefully with a drink and a side of cheesy fries because that was exactly what Reilly was craving that winter afternoon. Stepping inside the bar, she glanced around, spying her boss and friend in a booth just a little further down from the bar itself. Striding through, pausing only to greet the staff she knew so well from her usual visits here, Reilly took a seat opposite Penny and discarded her bag and jacket in the spot next to her. “Sparing the gory details, but with a large cider, what’s the problem?”

• • •

TAGGED! Penny Michaela Kendall
WORDS! 510!
OUTFIT! Rough Russian!
LYRICS! No One Looks As Good As You In That - - Evans Blue
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Penny Michaela Kendall]

It wasn’t Penny’s first rodeo but it was the first time Penny actually cared enough to fight back. Every other guy in Penny’s past hadn’t left her with anything all that memorable. In fact, there were a couple dates she couldn’t remember the names of, which was probably why those didn’t go past date number one. Penny spent most of her life hating herself more than anyone could know and despite the fact that her very own version of the Ugly Duckling tale turned for the better, she was still insecure. She had built up her walls and defenses so she wouldn’t find herself ripped apart once again. But now she was feeling the tightness of those feelings again. Ever since they returned to New York, Chase had been getting even more distant than before. Before it was cute because he was oblivious but he wasn’t that same man anymore. And yet, he was still clueless about relationships it would seem.

Penny knew she needed to tell Chase, remind him that they were together and he didn’t need to keep everything bottled up and internalised; that he could go to her, even if he just needed to rant something to work it out. She would be there for him, no matter what. She cared deeply for him, maybe even close to using that four letter word; though even if she were, she wouldn’t since she thought it was too soon. It was driving her crazy though that he was cancelling dates and taking up extra hours at work. She knew he cared for his patients and wanted to give them the best possible care but even he needed a break every now and then. She knew he wasn’t eating properly. It didn’t take a genius to know that much. Penny would even put money on the fact that his little rubbish bin under his desk was filled to the brim with those silly energy drinks and popcorn bags.

It was early, too early and yet she was wide awake with the fear that Chase would drift so far away from her that they would eventually say goodbye without ever saying the words. Just be there one day and not the next. Reilly would hate her later but Penny needed a sound board and the blonde was the best person for the job. She didn’t know Chase as well as Lexi did and could usually keep herself unbiased when she told Penny the blunt truth. Penny waited to call Reilly until she thought it was late enough; unfortunately, she hadn’t waited long enough and ended up waking her friend up. Still, they made plans and Penny went back to cleaning up the mess that was Frankie’s cage until it was time to go. She didn’t live as close to the bar Reilly picked as Reilly but she needed to talk to someone and as she’d learned before, they had excellent food. As usual, she beat Reilly there and took a seat in a booth, out of the way of the usual traffic. She didn’t bother with a hello and just barrelled through what she had to say. “I’m afraid Chase is cheating on me.” She stated voicing the words she hadn’t wanted to think at all. But there they were, popping up from the back of her mind where her worst thoughts slept.

Tag || reilly halina blake gordon
Words || 562
Clothes || Frazzled Lady
Music || Even Angels Fall --Jessica Riddle
Notes || <3

[reilly halina blake gordon]

Reilly hadn’t cared about anyone herself in a couple of years now. It was a deliberate choice and one that the blonde Russian didn’t regret. Caring about people caused pain eventually and Reilly had experienced enough of that in her life. It was why she didn’t spare any sympathy for those weeping girls who sobbed over bar tops when their boyfriends chose their best friends over them. In her opinion it only made them look more like a fool than they already were. She knew she could be harsh. She knew her words could cut deep and cost her friendships, but she would rather be who she was than hide behind half meant words and false apologies spoken entirely for show. She had never been a woman of sentiment, and she doubted anything would happen in her life to change that.

The only really she indulged Penny was because she knew the brunette took a chance on her. Reilly probably upset more customers than anyone else at the restaurant. It was her nature and working with the public was not something she most likely ought to be doing. She wasn’t a people-person and she was far from sociable even when she was in one of her better moods. Reilly was always just better off when she was in her own company, or at least the company of people who knew how to handle her. It would be better one day, when she wouldn’t have to deal with customers, but with the stars instead; stars didn’t complain or demand things. Until then though, Reilly suspected that she would continue to upset people, and they would continue to piss her off.

Whatever Penny had called her up for, Reilly figured it would turn out to be a mountain out of a molehill situation. Life had taught her that it often was with women and with girls. Sometimes she wondered why she even got involved with them, but a doctor had once said that she was drawn into trouble of every shape and size. Reilly hadn’t paid much attention to that man, favouring his student instead. He had made much more sense and she had given him more of the answers they had wanted to hear. That seemed like a memory from a dream now, though Reilly knew it was very, very real. She just liked to pretend sometimes that it was a silly hallucination that came to her after one hell of a nasty binge. When Penny spoke, Reilly couldn’t hold back her laughter. It burst from her lips and she only managed to control it when she noticed that her friend wasn’t looking quite as amused as she felt. “Oh, boy. Hey, Sammy! Drinks and fries over here. You know what I like.” She hollered at the bartender who was cleaning glasses, but who quickly switched it up to serve the regular Russian. “Chase? Cheating? I don’t think the man knows what the word means let alone is he capable of it.” Reilly lowered her voice again to talk to Penny, though the chuckle still rested on her voice again.

• • •

TAGGED! Penny Michaela Kendall
WORDS! 523!
OUTFIT! Rough Russian!
LYRICS! No One Looks As Good As You In That - - Evans Blue
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Penny Michaela Kendall]

Penny hadn’t always had any sort of confidence with members of the opposite sex. It wasn’t until she hit college, moving away from home did she really find her footing. And even then she hadn’t been that girl who found herself waking up in a new conquest’s bed every morning. He had a couple boyfriends in university, one not so serious, the other had potential. But at the time she had been young and loved to go out dancing with her friends and while one hadn’t given two damns what she did when they weren’t together, the other was a little too overbearing for her liking. There had been potential but Penny could see into the future with that relationship and it would have ended badly for her. After that, she stuck to casual dates but eventually just gave up completely. She figured if she continued to do good things, Karma would eventually reward her. And she thought it had with Chase. He was sweet and caring and so thoughtful. He thought he was constantly messing up but he wasn’t and that little insecurity had made him even cuter.

But then their trip to DC rolled around and the whole fiasco with his parents and his biological parents and Penny was left a little confused and very worried for the young doctor. But aside from taking calls when he normally wouldn’t and not spending nearly as much time with her as he used to, Chase seemed like Chase; which was why Penny was only going to Reilly with her concerns now. She hadn’t want to seem rash in turning to her friend for advice too soon, when things really did look like he was just working more. That was pretty normal for Chase. He was often forgetting they had plans and working through them quite often. It wasn’t until Penny showed up, knocking on the office door did he realise he’d worked so late, he’d missed their plans. And Penny didn’t actually mind, so usually had back up plans made just in case his forgetful nature kept him away.

"If it's strong make it two." She called with a sigh. Penny had thought quite a bit about this situation before she called Reilly that morning. She hadn’t wanted to call her at all but the blonde was the only one that would tell her straight, even after she said all that she needed to and proved what she thought was happening wrong. Penny wasn’t a porcelain doll. She wouldn’t break because her thoughts and fears were reality. She would be pissed at herself more than him for thinking herself so naive. “I wouldn’t have thought so either. But ever since we came back from DC he’s been acting so strange. Saying he’s busy, staying late at the office, whatever.” Penny said with a sigh stopping for a second to collect her next words. “We had a bit of a row in Indiana. I can’t even tell you what it was about anyone.” Penny said with a chuckle. “But it was apparently enough.”

Tag || reilly halina blake gordon
Words || 558
Clothes || Frazzled Lady
Music || Even Angels Fall --Jessica Riddle
Notes || <3

[reilly halina blake gordon]

Reilly had never had any trouble with the opposite sex, but then she had never really worried about it too much either. She had other problems in her life it turned out, and by the time she actually realised it she was too far gone to care about finding a boyfriend to cuddle up to in the evenings. She didn’t care about what other people got up to, and she didn’t want other people to pry into how she lived her life. If she woke up next to a strange guy after a rough week, then so be it. Reilly was far from being okay, even now, but she was better than she had been. She could give with a few slip ups, and a whole lot of personal issues over the volatile mess she had been when the PTSD had been in full swing and dominating every corner of her life. She had thought it all so ridiculous when the doctors had first diagnosed her erratic behaviour all those years ago, but thinking back and knowing what she did now, it all made so much sense now. Still, Reilly didn’t like admitting her weaknesses, so she kept them bottled up inside and acted like there was nothing wrong with her.

However, she had come out of the whole ordeal a little better at noticing when there was something wrong with someone else. Reilly rarely interfered when she did have her suspicions, but that was mainly because she often didn’t care enough to get involved. She also didn’t want to be another pawn in someone else’s game, or find herself caught up in unnecessary drama in someone else’s life. She had a million better things she would rather be doing rather than dealing with the issues and problems of others. She was studying to be an astrophysicist after all, not a shrink. The only reason she was here now for Penny was because she knew the brunette had covered for her a few times too many when her hostile nature had taken hold, or when she had needed to get out of the city for the sake of her own mental health.

“You know that’s the only way I take my drinks.” Reilly smirked, lowering herself back into the booth, knowing Sammy would bring the drinks over once they were ready. She cared not for fruity cocktails and alcopops, but went straight for spirits and hard liquor. Reilly didn’t see the point in touching alcohol otherwise. Resting her chin on her hands, she thanked Sammy with a wave of her hand when he came to the table with the drinks and then let out a soft sigh before reaching for her cool glass. “He did come back with two black eyes and his nose barely in the right place. That sort of thing does screw with a guy.” She had been in similar places, though not for the exact same reasons, and while she didn’t know or care about Chase enough to defend him, Reilly still didn’t have him pegged as being the cheating type. “You’re probably just overreacting and he’s probably just being a guy. Doctors can be the worst asses of them all.” That much she knew could be true, and had first-hand experience of being locked away with only their kind for company. It wasn’t enjoyable, and it wasn’t something she ever hoped to repeat. “But if you’re so worried then just ask him.” She shrugged like it was no big deal, but it was the kind of thing Reilly would do if she were in Penny’s shoes.

• • •

TAGGED! Penny Michaela Kendall
WORDS! 609!
OUTFIT! Rough Russian!
LYRICS! No One Looks As Good As You In That - - Evans Blue
NOTES! <3 <3 <3