Erin Leahy

37. Lawyer. Dog Mom to Juno. Merrockite.

[erin-leahy]

ERIN MEILIN LEAHY (cis-female, she/her). Merrock native, born on July 12, 1988, to Mr. Henry Leahy & Mrs. Diana Wu Leahy. Dog Mom to Juno. Lawyer at Bardales Inc. Resident of the Historical Downtown. Penned by Hope.

BIOGRAPHY || STATISTICS || TIMELINE || CONNECTIONS || NAVIGATION

[kennedyxwarren]

"Me? 'Naw, pretty sure you've done the same for me one time or another," she grinned at the comment, as the brunette opened the door for her, stepping into her place. Erin had done a lot of work at the firm, so she knew the beginning of the weekend would be the best time to catch her. Just as busy reviewing legal work, as Kennedy was rifling through vendor contracts, or meeting with clients, she knew she could use a reprieve. "I brought wine, if you feel like indulging with me- have any glasses?" She rested her tote on the living room coffee table, pulling out the various goodies she'd brought with her. The bottle from Handpick'd to start, chilled before bringing it over to her place. "And you can catch me up, how has everything been, darlin'?"

[erin-leahy]

"Yeah, but it's always nice to have someone else do it for me," Erin remarked with a shrug, her wide smile not fading from her lips as she shut the door and followed her friend towards the living room. After an entire day of reviewing contracts, meeting with clients and attending a brief adoption hearing at the courthouse, it was safe to say that she had wanted nothing more than to unwind and go into the weekend with a clearer head. A night of drinking, snacking and spending time with one of her closest friends seemed to be the perfect way to end this rather busy week. "Oh, yes! You know me. Everything is better with a glass of wine!" Erin stepped over to the kitchen and grabbed a pair of wine glasses. "Let me grab some ice too, while I'm at it." She set the glasses down on the counter before rummaging through the cabinets in search of her ice bucket. Once she found it, she opened the freezer and filled it up with some ice. "Honestly, it's been busy. I closed about four real estate deals this week. Between being left on hold with insurance companies and the mayor's office to make sure the paperwork's up to date and having the clients come in to sign off on documents, it's just been one thing after another. I think tonight's the first night in a while that I haven't brought work home with me, and for good reason. If I had to think about sale and purchase agreements or title insurance for another second, I'm pretty sure my head might explode." She let out a laugh before returning to the living room with the ice and wine glasses, setting them down on the coffee table. "How about you? Are things getting now that it's wedding season?"

[jmiemagvans]

"That is.... fair," Jamie nodded. He could relate. Sometimes one just had to take those extra cautions. He knew from experience that there were some dishes that one needed to avoid, especially at certain hours of the day. But he hadn't had any bad luck in Merrock. "Okay, I think you've twisted my arm. What are you getting? I might go with the peach green tea with pearls. That sounds quite tasty for this weather."

[erin-leahy]

"It was a long time ago, but some hard-earned lessons just stay with you no matter what." Erin let out a soft laugh before shaking her head. "I think I'm going to go with the mango green tea, actually. With popping boba instead of the pearls. I'm not a big fan of the chewy texture." She nodded and stepped forward to place the order, glancing over her shoulder. "Do you want anything else, Jamie? It's on me."

[chetang]

"You can have both, that's the true way to go here," Che said confidently. "And then I will feel less bad about getting two things as well. Hell, maybe I'll get three." He mused for a moment. "I was gonna get a bunch of the little dumplings, but you're making a good point about hot food."

[erin-leahy]

Erin could not help but let out a laugh as the other admitted to wanting to order multiple items on the menu. "Hey, that's not a bad idea either. Get as many things as you want. I'm not going to judge you. I think trying to order just one thing when there are so many options to choose from is never going to be easy. I'm sticking to just one thing for now, because I have to get back to the courthouse soon. I'm not going to lie, though. I might come back when I'm done for the day and pick a few things up for tonight's dinner." She was not going to lie. She very much intended to try everything on this menu. "Don't let my choices deter you, Chetan. My choices are mine to make, and yours are yours. Just get whatever you want."

[jordyn-carrington]

“I had an allergic reaction once and it was actually an off duty paramedic that stepped in and helped out. I was also volunteering at the fire house in high school so it just felt like a natural fit to do as a job.” She answered with a soft smile. It wasn’t the easiest job but it was the best job for her. “I could never see myself sitting behind a desk so I like the rush of the unexpected because no call is ever the same. Getting to help the community in any way has always been the goal in some capacity.” She glanced at the menu looking for any appealing appetizers to try. As she listened to Erin’s own journey of being a lawyer, she was always amazed by her former classmate that went on to be successful. “My schedule is too busy for a pet and I would feel bad about leaving it for that long you know? I always hypothetically wanted a cat but even if they are independent, I know I’ll actually feel bad.” Maybe she had a soft spot. “It’s one of those times where I need an escape to distract myself from the tough calls or just to shut my brain off. I need to read about something good and calming. So, it has truly been so long since I’ve done this whole dating thing. I am absolutely rusty but what are you currently I guess looking for in your life right now?”

[erin-leahy]

As Jordyn explained the reason behind her career choice, Erin listened intently and nodded along. "That makes sense. I had a similar experience too. Back in high school, my dad... You know, he is a history teacher. I don't know if you've had him. But he was running the mock trial team, and he asked me to join. I only did it because he asked me to, but I really loved getting to work on a case as if I were a real lawyer." At her comment about sitting behind a desk, Erin could not help but let out a laugh. "Well, as someone who sits behind a desk every day, I understand that it's not something everyone enjoys. I, on the other hand, spent most of my life with my face buried inside a book, so sitting at a desk comes quite naturally to me." She could not imagine having a job where every single day was filled with that kind of rush. She admired the other for what she did, and made a mental note to never take the comfort of working at her desk for granted ever again. "Yeah, that's understandable. I live within walking distance of the office, so I try to stop by my place a few times to check on him. But I guess I do have the advantage of not having such an unpredictable schedule." She shrugged, taking a sip of her drink. "When I get stressed out about work, I like binge-watching something. I spend most of my days drafting contracts, so the last thing I want to do when I'm trying to turn off my brain is stare at words on a page. I'd rather just let something play on the TV until I doze off." She gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, I... I've been career-oriented for most of my life, and I haven't really focused on my personal life all that much. I haven't found a reason to. Right now, my life is in a really good place. I love my job. I bought my own condo last year. I have my dog. Things are going well, but... I don't know, I guess seeing all of my friends get married and have families has made me feel like I've fallen behind somehow."

[andersonxfisher]

"It is." Andy laughed, shaking his head as he looked at the other. "I guess in a nutshell I'm a pretty basic guy." Andy laughed. Truthfully, he was known to be kind of picky; it had been a hot topic when he'd been married and the discussion of dinner was something he often dreaded. Not because he didn't want to share dinner with his family, but because Andy was a simple man. Meat and potatoes was often enough a valid meal in his eyes, not to mention it was usually something he'd eat at the diner anyways as that's where ninety percent of his free time landed him anyways; enjoying a meal in the corner booth of the diner in between shifts. Yet, as the other explained that you couldn't go wrong with a spicy California roll, Andy felt his smile widen. "You know, that's exactly why I said it." he laughed with a shrug. It hadn't been at all, it was just exactly what he liked. The raised eyebrow of the other made him smile, shrugging before he spoke. "I can't say I live on the adventurous side when it comes to food." he admitted. "The only thing I like in my drinks is extra ice, so, the idea of Boba has always made me a little queasy." he spoke. "But lucky for you I have time off today and the desire to be adventurous." he laughed. "What type should I get?" The question was one he was asking more to himself than to anyone else, really. Sometimes having a lot of options overwhelmed him; but he guessed he'd have to get over that hurdle to enjoy his adventure today.

[erin-leahy]

"I mean, there's nothing wrong with that." Erin shrugged before she glanced over at the menu once again to check if there was anything else she wanted. Once she had made up her mind, she turned back to the other and nodded. "So, are you just going to go for a spicy California roll? Or are you going to try something else too?" She asked, curiously. "I swear, I had you pinned down as someone who would be more adventurous with food. Perhaps it's s because you own a diner. I think I simply assumed that you would be more experimental with your cooking. Most of the chefs I know are like that. They like trying out new flavours and getting creative. Although I do know that they all prefer to enjoy simpler meals when they're cooking for themselves at home. Is that the case for you too?" In Erin's case, she rarely cooked for herself. Her culinary skills were not up to par, so she avoided stepping into the kitchen as much as she could. Truth be told, she only survived on take-out and frozen meals on most days. Thankfully, Merrock's food scene was quite diverse, so she always had options. "Texturally speaking, I'm not a big fan of tapioca pearls, because you really have to chew them. I prefer the popping boba. No chewing. They just burst in your mouth, and they're very sweet," she explained, glancing over at the drink menu. "I like the mango green tea with the mango popping boba, but you can't go wrong with anything fruity if you're not that much of a tea person."

[samuelxkwon]

WHERE: Summer Carnival, downtown WHO: Sam and OPEN (0/4)

"I feel like I should apologize to you for…something," Sam said with a chuckle as he approached the other, having just did his turn at the dunk tank and had now changed so he was dry, mostly. His hair still needed some time. "I mean, I'm not sure what I did but felt like you were quite determined there earlier when I was at the tank. So, I gotta ask, what did I do?" he asked with a grin to say that he was just joking. "Cotton candy on me?"

[erin-leahy]

"Wait... Why?" Erin raised her eyebrow at the other as he approached her. She sipped the last of her frozen lemonade before tossing the cup into one of the bins. Hearing his response caused her cheeks to turn pink, and she looked down at her feet in slight embarrassment. "Oh... That," she paused for a moment, nodding as she looked up to meet his gaze. "Well, every year, I come out to the dunk tank to watch all of the hunky, shirtless men get dunked. The park ranger who went before you, he and I kind of had this eye-to-eye thing going on, and then this kid dunked him, and he had to go. Then, you came on, and I guess I took all of my anger out on you," she explained with a shrug. "I'm afraid cotton candy's not better than eye candy, Samuel. Do you think you could get me that park ranger's number instead?"

[panwanarats]

ఇ Pan's stare glazes over the minute curfews are mentioned. It throws them back to a time of being a teenager and told to be home by nine. (They never were. They could not stand it.) They give a low whistle in the middle of her explanation, his hands up in a mocking shake and already grimacing. "Jesus, are beach fireworks also on private property and somebody rich just said yeah go ahead? I ain't trying to go cow-tippin', juuust have fun with a sparkler or two." Would that convince her? Granted he had been looking at the bigger and colorful one but Pan is nothing but not adaptable. They can't believe they suddenly weren't thinking of getting into any trouble at all! "You gonna ... cuff me?" They make a wrinkled-nose face.

[erin-leahy]

Seeing the way Pan's eyes changed caused her smile to falter for a brief moment, and she nodded. "Well, there's a little technicality with that. Beach fireworks are allowed... If you set them off in the part of the beach that's on private property. Let's say the backyard of someone's beach house, that's allowed if the owner has given consent. If you want to set them off on the public beach, though, then that's a big no. You'll need a permit for that from the mayor's office beforehand," she explained with a shrug. "But if you're planning on setting off a sparkler or two in your own backyard during the specified curfew hours, then you should be good to go." She gave them a thumbs up, laughing softly before she rolled her eyes in response to their question. "Pan, I'm a lawyer. I can only give legal advice or bail you out if you get yourself in trouble with the law."

[cheonseungbins]

WHO: Seungbin & Erin @erin-leahy

WHERE: carnival

WHAT: near the dunk tank

ఇ "Surely being a lawyer counts as being in emergency services. Go on." Seungbin intends this to tease as he gestures towards the dunk tank. One of the park rangers was currently getting ready to have a go. He had his wallet out and was filtering through dollar bills to give to the land purchase donation jar. On this day he brought LeeLee who was secured on her bright pink fluorescent leash and currently basking in the shade under a nearby vendor's awning. "Isn't triple-dog daring what we used to say in school? I thought it was funny so ... I used it all the time." He grimaces. How much money would be too much to put in the donation jar?

[erin-leahy]

"No!" Erin laughed as she shook her head. "It absolutely does not count. Lawyers are not part of the emergency services, and Bardales Inc. is not benefiting from the carnival in any way," she added, turning towards the dunk tank and watching as a bunch of kids lined up to try their hand at dunking one of the park rangers into the dunk tank. "Besides, I prefer to watch the dunk tank rather than participate," she admitted, biting her lip as she met the eyes of the shirtless park ranger and fanned herself dramatically. He shot her a wink in response, making her laugh as her cheeks turned pink. "Hm?" She turned back over to Seungbin, raising her eyebrow. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

[joshlane]

While carnival games weren't necessarily his strongest suit, or where he chose to use his athletic prowess (or what was left of it), Josh didn't think that he was too bad at tossing darts at balloons. At least not until he was standing there trying it and realized that it wasn't really as easy as it looked. "Well, I might be able to do a smidge better than you are, but that's... really not saying much, I always go into this game overconfident and end up getting my butt kicked," Josh admitted with a laugh and a shake of his head. He handed over a five dollar bill and accepted the darts that were passed his way, taking a breath before tossing one that hit the balloon right away, pausing in actual surprise at himself. "Maybe you're a good luck charm, come to think of it."

[erin-leahy]

Erin would never describe herself as someone skilled in carnival games, let alone anything remotely athletic. However, that did not stop her from trying her hand at every single one of those games. If, by any fluke, she did win, she got a stuffed animal out of it. If she lost, then at least her money had gone to a good cause. "Well, why don't you take a shot and see if you have better luck than I did?" She suggested, shrugging as she watched him hand his money over to the attendant for the darts. Erin stood still, tight-lipped and brows furrowed as she watched Josh toss a dart towards the balloon. Hearing it pop, she gasped. "What?!" She exclaimed, her jaw dropping as she met his gaze. "That's... How?" She could not help but playfully roll her eyes at his comment, shaking her head. "If that's the case, then you should be able to hit the rest of them, right?"

[allisonbennett]

"I think at some point, everything will end up in a deep fryer. People love to experiment when they are cooking." Alli laughed and looked at the plate between them. She always stuck to recipes, but she wasn't talented in the kitchen. She could make something that tastes good, but it would never impress like some dishes she's had in her life. "It's cornmeal? I always thought it would be a sweeter batter, like a funnel cake or one of those pancakes on a stick?" She looked at the plate and took the smallest of the pieces. "It isn't... bad? But it isn't what I thought it would be." She laughed and looked at the piece she had bitten into. "I think you're right."

[erin-leahy]

"Yeah, but there has to be a limit, right? Oreos, chocolate bars, cookie dough... These things are all perfectly good on their own. There's no need to deep-fry them." Erin pointed out, laughing. "Although I do respect the Mexicans for finding a way to deep-fry ice cream. That's actually kind of genius." She let out another laugh, nodding. "I think so? I mean, it tastes a little sweet to me. I don't know." She picked up a piece of the fried batter and took another bite. "Yeah, I think I'll just stick to the funnel cake, if I'm being honest. I don't think I'm adventurous enough for deep-fried anything other than corndogs."

[stellylee]

"All for the love of one unicorn," they agreed with their own laugh. There were far worse things that they could do to help raise money for a good cause, and if they were going to get a unicorn out of the deal... well, it was hard to see that as anything but good. "Yeah, see, and that's just... not good. Hot dogs are great, don't get me wrong, but I don't want one that's fried with bits of batter sticking to it all haphazardly," they wrinkled their nose playfully. That would be one of those things chalked up as being best for you to eat while you had the chance to get it at a carnival. "I think that's part of the charm, the atmosphere that you have those foods in." Otherwise, you were just eating a funnel cake in your pajamas at home on the couch, and it wasn't nearly as fun as going out. "Okay!" Grabbing the first ball, their tongue poked out from between their teeth as they rolled it up the incline, watching it hop into the the ring just outside the center. "So close!"

[erin-leahy]

"Worth it!" Erin laughed softly as she nodded. When she was a child, she loved coming to the carnival for the rides and the sugary treats alone. But as an adult, she came to the carnival with the intention of spending as much money as she possibly could to benefit the various emergency services in this town. Nowadays, the treats were just an added bonus. "Let's just say that my cooking skills are only good for grilled cheese and noodles. I don't have the skills to make corn dogs from scratch, unfortunately." Perhaps some things were just better left to the professionals. "Definitely! They just taste better when you're having them at the carnival. You can't recreate this feeling when you're at home," Erin admitted with another laugh as she turned her attention towards the skee-ball machine, watching as Stelly grabbed the first ball and rolled it up the incline. "Come on, come on, come on... Oh, so close!" She groaned when the ball dropped into the ring outside of the center. "It's fine. It's fine. You can go again!"

[xandertaylor]

Xander's expression softened as Erin continued to speak and he nodded in response to pretty much everything she'd said. "Funnel cake sounds like a good idea," he admitted. "I could do that. Definitely." He took a step back closer to the Ferris wheel, glancing to the attendant as he invited them both on. "Do you want to go first?" he asked Erin, letting her lead the way, and then thanking the attendant.

[erin-leahy]

"I've been eating a lot of food since I got here a few hours ago... And hydrating, of course. As much as I like to go on the rides and play all of the games, win prizes, the only reason I come to the carnival every year is to eat all of the treats. It's my favourite thing to do." She let out a laugh, nodding as she walked past the attendant. "Thank you." Reaching the passenger car, she climbed into it and took a seat. "Alright, let's do this."

[cherry-bishop]

"That, or I'm just incredibly stubborn and a sore loser." Cherry pushed her plate toward the other woman, offering up some of her funnel cake. "So I'm not, like, into blobfishes, but I'm also not not into blobfishes you know?" She shrugged. "I think I've just got a thing for all those animals so ugly they wrap back around to being cute." Maybe it was part and parcel of growing up on a farm. There was very little that grossed her out when it came to animals. Even the most naked, wrinkliest, little thing scratched her cuteness aggression. She looked back out at the lights of the carnival. "Well, I was thinking of hitting up some rides, but it won't be so fun if I'm riding solo. You care to join?"

[erin-leahy]

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that either. Perseverance is a quality that we should all have. You should be proud of yourself," Erin pointed out, offering the younger woman a smile. She tore off some of the funnel cake she was offered before she slid her own plate of French fries towards the other. "Or animals in general, I would presume?" She asked, knowing that Cherry had grown up on a farm. "Now that I've settled into eating every kind of hot sausage they offer, I don't want to overdo it on the rides. I was on the swings earlier, and my stomach couldn't handle it. But I wouldn't be opposed to having another go on the teacups, though."

[dominicdasilva]

"I've been avoiding the rides mostly, unless the kids want to go on," was Dom's response as Erin approached him from where she'd presumably been on the swinging chairs. "You're not looking like you had the best time," he added with a light laugh, brows raised. "That's why I'm avoiding it... for now." Perhaps he'd had a little too much cotton candy, courtesy of Cat.

[erin-leahy]

"Smart man," Erin remarked with a laugh, shaking his head. "Well, I wouldn't describe it as the best time, but it also wasn't the worst time either. Let's just say... The swing ride isn't meant to be taken on a full stomach. I don't blame you for avoiding it, though. I probably should have," she admitted, sighing for a moment before she found her bearings. "Are your kids around?"

[cherry-bishop]

Location: Carnival Fairgrounds Date: July 3rd OPEN

"Two hours!" Cherry leaned back against the picnic benches on the edge of the fairgrounds. She'd taken to them with some funnel cake needing a reprieve and some space to brag. "Two hours at the ring toss! I was going to go insane. But I saw this," she lifted the stuffed animal from her lap and tossed it over. (The ugliest, and somehow cutest, blobfish stuffy.) "And I knew I had to have it." She tipped a piece of funnel cake into her mouth. "Now the fun can really begin."

[erin-leahy]

"That sounds like quite the commitment!" Erin laughed softly as she looked up from the hot sausage that she had been nibbling on, her gaze narrowing on the stuffed animal that the other tossed over. She picked it up to take a better look. "Not bad," she commented with an approving nod. "I didn't know you were into blobfishes." Another laugh escaped her lips as she picked up her frozen lemonade and took a sip. "What are you planning on doing next?"

[alicezhaox]

Alice laughed. "I signed up for this," she grinned at her. Well, she did love her job. She probably loved her job more than most people. And the paper needed someone to pick up a story about the celebrations happening in town. Since she was the lead writer, she took that responsibility. "And I will personally take care of that part," she nodded at her friend. "The booth is over there, I think," Alice pointed towards the section across from them. "Speaking of work, how're things going with you? Raf's not working you too hard is he? I may have to bully him otherwise."

[erin-leahy]

Erin laughed along with her friend. "Of course, you did," she remarked, shaking her head. "I'm not going to lie. I would have volunteered, too, if I were getting paid to attend the carnival and then write an article about it. I'm not even jealous that you have to spend the whole day taking notes." She was well aware that her friend adored her job, which was something that they both had in common. "Really? What are you offering?" She asked, grinning as they made their way over to the caricature booth. "Work is as busy as it can be. While I prefer to work more in family law, most of the clients we get at the firm require my expertise in real estate law. But I don't mind that, though. Work is work." At Alice's offer to bully her boss, Erin let out another laugh. "Oh, no... That won't be necessary. Raf's a good boss. He doesn't work me too hard. I just work myself too hard sometimes, but I am trying to get better at the whole work-life balance thing."