It's just business, Princess

Lidia Farahani. Too old to die young but too young to live slow. Orlando ain't so bad.

[lidiafarahani-blog]

cassidycarterxo:

Cassidy wasn’t sure how to deal with the incoming hurricane. Stores were sold out of everything on the shelves, gas was sparse, and everything around the town was shutting down. Part of her was sure she needed to evacuate, but she didn’t even know where she would go. Fighting through the rain, Cassidy stepped into the next grocery store to try and find something that would keep her alive if things got bad there in town. Most of the aisles, again, were barren, and the feeling of dread was sinking in the pit of her stomach. “Well, I’m fucked…” Cassidy mumbled to whoever was listening as she took a nervous, shaky breath. 

Lidia was accustomed to storms. She’d ventured in to dangerous weather and exposed herself to the elements willingly but it didn’t mean that panic didn’t follow the threat of intense weather. For most of the morning she had watched rain lash against the windows of her apartment until eventually she’d found a heavy coat from the back of her wardrobe and ventured out. She knew that Florida was feeling the heat to get its residents to safety but it certainly wasn’t the heat they were accustomed to. Yet, the warmth of the grocery store enticed her and she sighed quietly as she pushed her hood back off her head and shook the dampness that pressed her hair. She was scanning the cold metal of the shelves when she heard a voice she instantly recognised. “Aren’t we all, kid? Ain’t seen you in a while.”

[lidiafarahani-blog]

danimaz:

“It’s not for everyone, though if you’ve not been around at the parks recently, I’d recommend visiting. They’re pretty amazing, even if Disney isn’t your thing generally.” Daniela suggested, head inclining towards the woman. She didn’t mean to pitch the parks, but the businesswoman in her always would try and sell her product. “How much, indeed. I spend my day running my ass around all the properties, I don’t know how I’m going to deal with all the new things coming along. It’ll be…a hell of a busy year or two.” There was a tiredness to her voice at the thought of all the work she had ahead of her, even if she was admittedly excited for it all.  “You’ve come to the right place, though, for that. The drinks here are great and the company even better.”

“A day full of screaming kids and families who have planned for this trip their entire lives? What more could I want in a destination?” She joked, running her finger around the rim of her glass. Absently she wished that she could truly appreciate somewhere like the happiest place on earth because it was a far cry from the dregs of society she spent her time with daily. “Well here’s hoping that you survive and someone slips some extra zeros on to the end of your salary.” She remarked before smiling broadly at the other. “Are you suggesting your company? Or am I being complimented on my own?”

[lidiafarahani-blog]

sage-durand:

“Never,” she sighed, rolling her eyes, “I make it a habit not to bring up women’s ages. I’ve heard it’s tacky.” She didn’t really have any idea how old Lidia was, she’d just been assuming she was older than her. “Since college,” Sage sighed, a frown pinching her forehead. It made her sound like a shitty person, she was sure, and she’d picked up on the shift in Lidia’s voice. Granted, she wasn’t perceptive enough to really understand what that shift meant. She liked to hope that it wasn’t Lidia judging her, and she had a nagging feeling that was, in fact, the case. “I don’t know, I’ve just…I don’t like to take the holidays for myself, I guess.” She shrugged, running a hand across the back of her neck. “I mean, people have families, you know? People have kids and husbands and wives that they want to spend holidays with. I don’t. I mean, I’ve got River and Grace here, but my parents are still over in Tennessee. So I don’t see why I shouldn’t be the one taking the shifts because like…I don’t have kids.” It had seemed a selfless thing to do at the time, but now that Sage thought about it, the more it seemed like she was neglecting her own family. She felt another sudden flash of regret race through her chest, and she brought her right hand up nervously to rub at it. “You don’t have to,” Sage assured her, brow still pinched in thought, “I mean, they’re not your parents, you know? It should probably be my responsibility.” She tried to speak to them when she could, at the very least. She’d call them often, and they’d have phone and facetime conversations, but she knew they’d like to have her home at some point. “Somehow, I doubt that happening. People live off coffee,” she said, laughing for perhaps the first time throughout the exchange.

She felt herself swell, shoulders rolling back and lungs filling with air before she abruptly deflated. “You know…fair. I couldn’t do it. I could try, but I couldn’t do it.” Lidia was shorter than her, sure, but that didn’t mean anything. With zero training, Sage couldn’t make anyone but maybe a kid go somewhere they didn’t want to. And it would have to be a toddler at that. “I’m not –” she began, before she felt herself cut off with a sigh. “I’m not trying to be high and mighty. I’m not. That’s not who I am. I’m just saying you need to tell me if something hurts. Because…because…” She tried hard to think of a reason, any reason that Lidia should tell her. The obvious, of course, being that she was a doctor, but that excuse felt vapid and stupid. “I don’t know why, okay? Because I want you to.” That was the truth,at least. If Lidia was hurting, Sage wanted to help. Not only because she was a doctor, but because she considered Lidia a friend. She felt her cheeks flush with color again, and Sage cleared her throat uncomfortably, ducking her head. “I’m not – I don’t…” She fumbled with her words, giving up with a small, helpless groan as she tossed her hands up. “You’re probably just teasing me but I don’t – I won’t just do things so I can see you…see you naked.” She ground out the last part of her sentence with obvious effort, the bright red flush spreading down her chest. “No, that’s okay,” she sighed, shooting a glance to her kitchen, “I’ve got leftover stuff here. But uh…if you wanna eat meat, you’ll have to order something. I actually don’t eat it.” She waited for the stifled laughter or the incredulous glance. People reacted differently to her vegetarianism. Stifling a yawn in the crook of her arm,Sage shot the other woman a glance, shrugging her shoulders. “Okay, up to you. I’m good though, I don’t take up much space.” She gestured to the corner of the couch she was currently curled in, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “But if you wanna get comfortable, offer still stands.” She stayed silent then, taking in the documentary, relatively rapt with attention. “Hm?” she said, once she realized she was being spoken to, “Oh! Oh, uh…well. I watch a lot of this, stuff about space. Um…I’ll watch some documentaries about space, some about crime, some about old stuff about America. Uh…anything, really. I don’t know. Uh…I like Breaking Bad too. I’ll watch that. It just kinda depends on what I’m in the mood for.” She stretched her shoulders, her arms going above her head as she stifled a groan. “What…else do you wanna know? I don’t…I mean. I don’t really know where to start…talking about myself. I’m not really that interesting.”

“Your parents have kids though. You’re their kid.” She remarked softly, smiling tightly once more at the other. She wasn’t trying to imply that Sage’s actions were inherently bad but Lidia just felt for the other and her work focus. Lidia would have given anything to return to two parents that longed to see her. She would have made so many plans to ensure she saw them but perhaps she could only acknowledge that because of the shitty parenthood she’d experienced. “It should probably be your responsibility but I’m not all war wounds and death glares. I never had any siblings. Never had much of a family in the way that I’m sure you do.” She admitted, realising that she was talking about herself but she’d put that down to the relaxed environment and blood loss. There were so many memories of her childhood where she wouldn’t see her parents for days. Not by choice. Her father was never there and when he was he was a whirlwind of self-loathing and clenched fists. Her mother may have been physically present in the home but the light in her eyes died long before Lidia was born. Just once she would have enjoyed knowing what a hug felt like without the sound of her mother sobbing or the stink of liquor on her breath. Just once she’d have prayed for her father to call her his little girl but he’d just deemed her as a mistake. 

“I get it. It’s because you’re a medical professional and you feel a lot about people who are injured because we both know how committed you are to your job. I will tell you if shit gets really bad.” She sighed and tilted her head a little, letting her eyes close for just a moment or two. “I wanna say that I promise. But I ain’t much for promises.” But the entire moment was salvaged by the heat creeping along Sage’s skin. It made Lidia smile even wider, knowing that she could still have quite a fun effect on the other. It wasn’t like she tried to wind Sage up but ever since they’d met it seemed like she was pretty talented at it. “I don’t look that bad naked. Don’t get so worried about it.” She continued to tease before settling back. “Oh you’re a vegetarian. I too like to lick lettuces every now and then.” She was entirely joking and had no prejudice about Sage’s chosen dietary lifestyle but Lidia loved steak too much. Only good steak though. “Space. Able to make you feel quite small while also feel like you’re educating yourself to feel close to whatever is out there and crime documentaries are often sensationalised from the one’s I’ve experienced.” It wasn’t like she was speaking from experience or anything on the topic. “Breaking Bad is the guy in underwear that makes drugs right? I’m sure it’s more than that but I’m not much of a television person. I don’t get much time to just kick back and relax so maybe this is a blessing in disguise.” She tilted her head back and lazily watched the movement of Sage’s body. She sort of wanted to copy the stretch but knew that Sage would ruin her for disturbing her shoulder. She’d take medical advice just once. “Your own opinion on yourself is subjective, Sage. You’d be surprised how much interest people find in other people’s stories. You’re a doctor. A sister. A daughter. A friend to a lot of people I assume. You’ve probably been someone or multiple people’s lovers. Each day you live has its own narrative. So....you’ve gotta answer the real questions here and in response you get to ask me one question. That’s fair right?” She offered before rubbing her hand on her stomach. “What’s one thing in your life you couldn’t live without?” 

[lidiafarahani-blog]

v-ginaxtonics:

“Maybe to you but I’m not keen on having eyes on me the entire night. I don’t want to deal with anything tonight,” Gina murmured quietly as she glanced around and sighed. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to wrestle with her thoughts of paranoia. She hated feeling eyes on the back of her head, it was a feeling she knew too well but didn’t particularly like having. 

“I would assume they would understand the fact that I’m wearing a turquoise scrub shirt that I work at a hospital. I do have an ID if they want to check,” Gina added as an afterthought, taking another sip of her beer. Perhaps, being home alone and drinking didn’t seem too bad anymore, now that she thought of it. 

Lidia could easily see how uncomfortable the younger blonde was. She wondered how she’d come to be sat in such a place with a beer without realising she was still carrying her work with her. It must have been a bit of a messy day on the job to be sporting someone else’s blood but then it probably wasn’t that abnormal either. “I know it’s hard but try and ignore them. If they make any comments then I’ll shut them up.” She told her with a small smile before raising her eyebrows. “I’m assuming you had an incredibly long day and you were trying to get over it but work follows you everywhere?”

[lidiafarahani-blog]

lex-burke:

Lex looked towards the sound of the voice, grinning at the serious looking woman standing in front of her. Tilting her head, she nodded, “Well, you’re not wrong, I suppose, but I feel like it’s doing me more good now than not in this particular moment.” She said with a shrug. “I mean, what are the odds that you would have stopped if I hadn’t impressed you with my amazing clumsiness-recovery skills?” Lex asked with a toothy grin. “See? It was all part of my ingenuous plan all along.”

Taking the extended hand, Lex bounced back to her feet. “I have to admit, so far this is seeming like a pretty advantageous situation for me.” Lex gave the woman a once over, before continuing. “I mean, you’re basically my saviour, so clearly it’s only right that I offer to buy you a coffee to show my thanks. Not to mention, I feel like anyone awake this early without a coffee in their hand really could use one and I know a good place around the corner.” She finished before proffering her hand. “I’m Lex, by the way.”

Lidia huffed quietly and rolled her eyes at the hypothetical musing. “Absolutely none to be quite honest. I ain’t even sure I’d have given you a second look if you weren’t tripping over air.” Lidia stated simply but still offered a wink in response to the toothy grin Lex shot her way. She may have been grumpy and tired but she wasn’t naturally awful. “You can drop the saviour label right now. It doesn’t suit me I assure you. And the last thing I need is a coffee. I should be going back to bed and a coffee will just keep me going all - oh fuck it, why not. Who needs sleep anyway?” She sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose, peering over her fingers at Lex’s hand. She took it slowly and squeezed. “Lidia. Not the ideal way to make your acquaintance but I suppose we can both take it. Coffee then?” 

[lidiafarahani-blog]

harper-lacroix:

Harper laughter lightly at the other woman’s quip. “I wish I could say I was having a deep, philosophical internal debate about eggs, but to be honest, I was kind of zoning out, there. But I have to ask, how long exactly does it take for a chicken to lay an egg? I must admit I didn’t peg you as a chicken farmer.” She joked, grabbing a container and flipping it open to check for any broken eggs. 

For whatever reason, there was something about the other woman that put Harper at ease, and she found it easier to fall into a more natural flow of conversation. “While eggs certainly have a lot of to them, I don’t think I have any more interest in them than any other animal product. Honestly, I’m more of a potato kind of person, so if you want any trivia about potatoes, you’ve come to the right place.”

Lidia instantly found herself raising her eyebrows at the other. She was curious. First, she’d been zoning out next to eggs and now...well now this was whatever it was. “I have absolutely no idea. And you didn’t peg me as a chicken farmer? I thought my entire look screamed chicken farmer. Guess I’ll have to go home and change.” She joked, rubbing her shoulder absently. 

“Wait. Wait. We need to rewind for just one second.” She said slowly, the lines of confusion more than evident on her features. “Why the fuck do you know anything about potatoes? Is that....who am I even talking to right now? Are you okay? Do I need to take you back somewhere?” 

[lidiafarahani-blog]

lynnpelletier:

Though the woman was proving to be more of a challenge than most people she’d faced off against, the size difference between them wasn’t doing Lidia any favors. Lynn had a lot more reach and was able to mostly batter away any punches that came her way without too much of a sting. Her attention was focused in on every little movement Lidia was making, so when her facial expression changed Lynn took a step back ready to deal with whatever was going to come at her next. When she saw Lidia getting low, Lynn knew she couldn’t exactly get out of the tackle. The other woman had a far lower center of mass and had a slight advantage in bringing her down with the rush. Sinking down and back as low as she could, Lynn rolled backwards with the tackle, trying to use her momentum to flip her body back, kicking out at Lidia’s frame with her legs to attempt to launch her over her back as she went down.

Lidia shouldn’t have closed her eyes upon impact because when they opened again she was caught in a world of rushing air and striking limbs. She attempted to catch herself as she was thrown but the floor hit her before she managed to react. Had something popped? Fuck. She quickly scrambled fully on to her front, flexing her fingers out as stiffness and discomfort spread through them. “Not fucking bad.” She growled through clenched teeth, easing herself on to her knees before she stood up straight. Lynn would be faster. That was apparent but still Lidia wouldn’t be giving up. It was actually a rush. The violence. The pain. It was her method of sick, twisted satisfaction. “Do you wanna just give in and fuck yet? It’ll be easier for you.” She asked hoarsely, a dark smirk spreading across her lips. 

[lidiafarahani-blog]

sage-durand:

The compliments were starting to work, if Sage were being honest with herself. With everything calming down, and the adrenalin rush fading, the nice words were starting to take effect. Her cheeks glowed bright red, and she ducked her head to hide the small smile threatening to break through. “Thank you,” she said earnestly. “I think I just…maybe I’ve always had it. Bedside manner, I mean. I used to fix my sister up all the time when we were kids. I’m sure that helped when I got older too. The kids like me more than the adults do, but I do alright with the older crowd.” She was simply too positive for many of her older patients, who were grumpy about even having to be at the hospital. She got it, but she wished people would respond to her better. With a laugh, Sage nodded, not actually believing it would happen, but willing to indulge nonetheless. “Sure, why not. My parents have been badgering me to come home since I started working anyway. I always miss Christmas. I pick up people’s shifts, but I always try to facetime in. They miss me though.” She knew they missed her. Grace and River always made the trek back, but Sage always wanted to give the doctors with families time to be with them. She was single, with no pets, and no kids, so there was no need to demand time off when people had wives and husbands and children to be with on holidays. “I haven’t been back since college, actually,” she said with a small frown. It was rough when she put it like that, and she felt a stab of guilt at the admission. “It’s okay,” Sage said genuinely, nodding her head, “I really don’t mind. I mean…I think this kind of took precedence over coffee.” She glanced over at the bandages on her shoulder, making sure no blood was seeping through just yet. “We can do it again some other day. Coffee shops aren’t going anywhere, yeah?” She was trying to reassure her…but Sage didn’t know how well she was doing.

“Some of them have bedside manner,” Sage sighed, rolling her eyes. “But I can’t make you go. Well. I might be able to like pick you up and force you into my car, but that just seems creepy for one, and a lot of work for two. I am not strong.” She tried her best, and her arms had some semblance of definition, but she certainly couldn’t lift a lot of weight, much less the weight of an entire person all the way down to the garage. It just wasn’t feasible. “Uh, you will be asking for help again though,” Sage said, a sharpness to her tone that didn’t really fall in line with her normal personality. “It’s what I’m here for. I’m here to help people who are hurt. I did it today, and I’ll do it again if something happens. You can’t just sit there and not have any idea what’s wrong if something does go wrong.” A cold weight of unease settled in her stomach, and she felt it roll, a wave of nausea washing over her. She really hoped nothing would further go wrong. “I can at least somewhat have an idea.” The sharp command of her voice dulled as she let out an exasperated sigh, shooting Lidia a look. “Oh my gosh. I would not be looking for…for that reason. It would be strictly medical, thank you.” Her cheeks flared with heat at the thought, and not for the first time, she cursed her pale complexion. “If something hurts…you need to tell me,” she said simply, shrugging her shoulders. She couldn’t force her to be honest, but she wanted to try at the very least. “Even if it means I have to see you topless.” She cleaned herself off some using the simple rag, but the stickiness remained. “I mean…I guess, yeah. No one was coming over. Or, well…so I thought.” She followed Lidia to the sofa, leaning against the arm of it. “So, sure, it was a solo evening. I was going to make food and watch stuff, basically.” With a snort, Sage shook her head. “Nooo, it’s just stuff about space. I like space. I watch a lot of stuff about it.” Looking down at herself, she took in her half naked state, and she bit the inside of her cheek. “Stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.” She turned her back to her, moving down the hall, the splash of color from her tattoo catching the light. She made quick work of washing her face, and the remaining blood from her skin, changing into something more presentable. Wandering back in, fully clothed, she sank next to Lidia on the couch, tucking her feet up under herself and leaning against the back of the couch. “You can get comfortable,” she assured, knowing she must be exhausted after everything, “Use my lap as a pillow if you want, I don’t care.”

“I hope you weren’t making an implication that I was old there, Miss Durand.” She teased, knowing that probably hadn’t even touched the realm of Sage’s mind but she wasn’t going to miss a beat to pick up on it. She was injured physically but her mind would persist long after her body would. These days she was feeling worse than ever though. These days she’d much rather be pouring her time and effort back in to the community. She liked the praise she got for helping people and although she knew her job was often in the name of a corrupt kind of ‘good’ - it was weighing on her more than ever. She had been dancing the line of the law for two decades after all. Some days she wondered how long she could keep running before the bars of a cell or the lid of a coffin marked her end. Tonight she’d got lucky. She could have collapsed beneath the rubble that night and let the light take her but she’d come here....to this little ray of sunshines house and she’d been fixed up. She’d been given a chance to keep going. Not the first and probably not the last but lucky nonetheless. “Since college? Wow.” There was a slight twinge in her voice. She wondered how it felt to have parents want to see you. To want you home for the holidays so they could shower you with festivity and Christmas cheer. The only thing that would have been under Lidia’s tree at Christmas - if they’d had one - would probably have been empty liquor bottles. “I’m not going to tell you how to live your life at any point because that’s not something you should do but if you’re lucky enough to have parents that wanna see you....we’ll make the time to get you up there and back to them for a bit. I can try and do that. Really.” She sighed quietly to herself and looked at her lap. She was talking too much. Maybe she’d lost more blood than she’d thought. Shit. “But yeah, coffee. Unless they all up and quite tomorrow, we’re safe.” 

When Sage implied she could force Lidia to the hospital it actually made her laugh out loud. Sage may have been taller but Lidia wouldn’t just let herself be taken. “Let’s go with the creepy part and let you and your arms have a slight ego boost. You could totally do it.” Her tone was dry but her smile was amused. “Hey.” She spoke softly as the sharpness cut through Sage’s tone. Her eyes instantly went a little wider but not from shock. She was trying to look sincere. Reassuring. Insisting to the younger woman that she was okay. “I don’t know whether you’re just being all high and mighty life saver and I do respect that and I’m totally not saying it in a bad way but....I trust what you’ve done. And I’m fine. Look at me.” She said tenderly, a much more affectionate smile on her lips than she usually wore. To try and counter the moment she leant back and winked at her. “You’d only have to ask. Nicely. And not because you wanted to check my body out for injuries. Just because you wanted to check me out.” It was actually quite fun to tease the other but she was mainly trying to do it to ensure she acted like her normal self. So Sage could see the injury wasn’t making her different. “I’ll order you food if you like. While we watch....space. And planets. And shit. But sure I’ll just stay here and watch while you...” She wasn’t trying to look as Sage walked away but she did. It was instinctual and a smile crept over her face when she saw her skin. Damn. In Sage’s absence she easily relaxed. She let herself wince a little more as she moved and adjusted cushions but the programme was somewhat soothing. She didn’t get a lot of it but she still watched. In fact she didn’t even hear Sage return until she felt her movement. “Use your lap as a -?” She mouthed before smiling tightly. “No it’s uh....I’m quite comfortable. I don’t wanna take up too much space if you wanna spread out too....so just...” She didn’t really do lost for words but it was happening. Stupid blood loss obviously. Yet, she still sunk a little more in to the sofa, body slightly slouched in Sage’s direction as her eyes stayed on the television. “What other nerdy tv programmes do you curl up to, Sage? You could just...use now to tell me stuff about yourself. It’s not like I can go anywhere, right?” 

[lidiafarahani-blog]

jemmaham:

Jemma figured it was the never ending thunderstorms, interrupting her body clock. It wasn’t as if she had to be at her work location most days since it was easy enough to work from home. Communication was mostly done over Skype and e-mail. Just as long as the work was done, the company hardly cared. “Work, mostly. Eight pages due by Friday next week,” Jemma said as if that would explain everything, like the other woman knew the going ons of her projects. But at least she seemed interested, though Jemma didn’t want to go off on big tangents in case she was merely being polite. Picking up a colored pencil, she twirled it around in her fingers to give them something to do. “That told you nothing. Sorry,” she apologized meekly. “I work for an independent comic book publisher and there’s almost no money involved, but we’re trying to win a grant so we can put more into all of… this. But some of it is for fun too, like the Wonder Woman stuff.”

"You don’t have to apologise.” She stated curtly, raising her eyebrows at the other as she watched the pencil spin. “It told me what you were doing so. But a comic book publisher, huh? Can’t say I’m familiar with anything to do with comic books and I only know about Wonder Woman because I think she’s gorgeous but apart from that I’m not much of a person for the superhero scene. Never much saw the point in them. Besides, aren’t the villains more fun?” She was pondering slightly to herself but she still smiled softly at the other to show whatever approval she could of the effort she put in to her work. “I don’t have a creative inch in my body so even if it doesn’t pay you well....at least you’re doing something you really like, right? No one can question that. Even if you really do need to get more sleep. Anyone can see that.”

[lidiafarahani-blog]

gracedurand:

“Uh, no.” Grace responded shortly, nose wrinkling in disgust at the prospect. “They sell out because apparently they’ve got zero fucking sense of honor like…at all. I don’t know, whatever. I’m not ever going to become a crooked cop, I really don’t think it’s possible.” The thought made her blood boil, and she wasn’t sure what her reaction would be if she met one. She might actually punch them, if she were being honest with herself. “Hah, bar’s already sticky.” She pressed her hand to the wood, feeling the various amounts of crystallized sugar clinging to her hand as she pulled it off. “Not a good place to nap though, I agree.” With a snort, Grace grinned over at Lidia, shaking her head. “Ah, if only. Hell no, I’m in all kinds of shit all the time. I got punched in the face in this very bar not too long ago, actually. Popped my nose pretty good.” She ran her fingers down the bridge with a frown, shaking her head. “Can’t just write those speeding tickets, I’m afraid.” With a snort that almost made water spew through her nose, Grace clasped a hand to her mouth, coughing for a moment as she laughed. “Oh my god. Me? Noble? Lord no. I’m too shitty to be called noble. But I mean, yeah, I agree. Too many people are in fucked up situations. I just want to get the shitty people off the street.” She laughed, shrugging, “I don’t fucking know, man. I wouldn’t say I’m the embodiment of anything, and I’m certainly not noble, but fuck. I guess I want to protect people, yeah.”

“Make sure you don’t become crooked. Who’s gonna do shots with me when they’re team nails it if you go down for being a corrupt piece of shit?” The hypocrisy was almost fucking painful on Lidia’s end. She could hardly preach to a saint when she was the embodiment of a sin. If only Grace knew who she was talking to. Lidia wondered how quickly the other would react if words slipped through her lips by mistake. Except she didn’t make a habit of mistakes. Ever. “You got punched in the face? You got punched in the face? Did you punch them back? Take them down for assaulting an officer? I fucking hope you did.” She chuckled and narrowed her eyes a little as Grace examined her own nose. It looked fine. Probably about as straight as her pride flags had been in the bar the first time. “Well I think, and I don’t know your work, you’re doing the right thing but don’t get yourself in to trouble. I hear those people are fucking assholes. Ruthless.” Murderers. Wastes of life. Corrupt. Selfish. Any negative word could be applied. “Well I think...” She waved to the bartender and requested two more shots. “To protecting people? Noble or not. Getting beaten up in bars or not. Any way we want.” 

[lidiafarahani-blog]

danimaz:

“Nothing wrong with that, as long as you’re happy with it.” Daniela herself preferred to have people around to celebrate important occasions such as birthdays, but it wasn’t for everyone. Part of it was just her ego enjoying having people gush over her for no reason other than the fact that she was born. “It’s essentially just a giant conference for all the Disney branches to come together for the public to announce what is planned for the next year or two out. A lot of movies get announced and discussed, new additions to the parks, just…everything you could think of.” She explained quickly, hands moving rapidly along with her words. “Lidia it is, then. That sounds like a chore, though..”

“Part of me wishes I could take more of an interest but I also know I’d never be able to keep up. I’ve never seen more than two of the films and I can’t say I’ve heard any news about Disney since....well I don’t know if I’ve ever heard any news about Disney.” She admitted with a bashful smile but nodded along with apparent interest. “It sounds really busy though. And progressive. But how much more does Disney need? This place is fucking huge.” At the comment about work being a chore, Lidia just shrugged. “Most things are. Got no choice though. Gotta keep everything running smooth then wind-down when I can. With fine company and a good drink.”

[lidiafarahani-blog]

sage-durand:

“They train us for it in doctor school,” she joked, shaking her head, “You know, that whole keeping the patient calm thing. It’s just that most doctors can’t do it.” She sighed as she said it, clear irritations seeping into her movements. “Some people just shouldn’t become doctors, is all. If they can’t stop the panic, or at least be empathetic then – well. It doesn’t matter.” She didn’t need to gripe about her job to the clearly hurt woman in front of her. She didn’t need to gripe about her job to anyone, really. “That…really is something,” Sage said softly, feeling a sudden pang of longing to go see it. “We’ve got the leaves that change in Tennessee too. Fall was may favorite season just for that reason. I like all the colors, you know?” She missed the seasons, she hadn’t experienced them for a long time now. There weren’t any, really, in California either. “People do get injuries worse than this, yes,” Sage sighed, peering closely at the wound again, “But that doesn’t mean this one isn’t bad.” She heaved a sigh, pressing her now bare hands against her face. The insistence with which Lidia was pressing the compliments surprised Sage, and she glanced up, quirking her eyebrow. She wasn’t sure why she was pressing it so hard, but Sage was just…bad at things such as this. She cleared her throat, brow furrowed as she tried to respond. Thankfully, she didn’t have to as Lidia kept speaking. “Please, I think you get a free pass for not showing up. Trying to deal with a shredded shoulder kind of trumps coming to get coffee.” She’d absolutely forgiven her for it already, even without these circumstances, but this certainly helped.

She let out a small bark of laughter at Lidia’s next words, rolling her eyes. “No, we cannot say it’s just because I touched you. There’s no way me touching you caused this. I was all over the hurt area, that couldn’t have even remotely felt any type of good.” She pressed her hand to Lidia’s stomach as she looked her over, making sure there wasn’t anything she’d missed. “Raised heart rate could mean anything,” she murmured, “Adrenalin high’s a good theory, but I’d feel better if we went in.” A single glance at the other woman told her that probably wasn’t going to happen, and Sage let out a sigh in response. “I can’t make you do what you don’t want, but just know you’re definitely going against my advice here.” She wasn’t sure it would make much of a difference, people didn’t seem to respect her opinion overmuch, but she still felt the need to say it. It would protect her from getting sued…probably, if it came to that. “Mm,” she hummed out, quirking an eyebrow, “You don’t want me to look?” She’d feel better if she saw it herself, but this wasn’t the hospital. She wasn’t at work, she couldn’t make people do things the way she could there. Here, she was relatively powerless, and just had to do what she could to help. “Hm?” she asked, looking down at herself and nearly immediately laughing. “Oh. God, yeah, no. This is nothing. I’ve been covered in far worse stuff than this, that’s for sure. You definitely wouldn’t want to see me at work.” She stood then, snagging the damp towel from Lidia’s shoulder and wiping it over her arms. The touch to her shoulder made her jump, and she glanced around and let out a sharp exhalation of breath. “Okay,” she said, ducking low so Lidia could lean against her as heavily as she needed to. “You’re welcome, but let’s just…let’s just go sit down.” She nodded toward her living room, where she noted with some annoyance, that her documentary was still playing.

“Bedside manner. You’ve got it in every part of your life it seems. Maybe you took it from everyone else as well so there was nothing left for them. I know that I definitely lack it. I wouldn’t have the patience.” She mused quietly, intent on watching the way the other spoke about her job. Lidia had been raised to detest those in positions of public power. Police officers had taken away so many people she cared about. She’d met doctors who pried much deeper than the wounds in her skin. Except medical people scared her more than police officers. Medical people could see stories behind injuries before a lie could be formed. As a teenage girl bleeding in hospital beds, they’d tried to reach out, tried to promise they could protect her but no one could make sure she was safe. She’d be hiding injuries and stories from people until the day she was finally killed. “Maybe I’ll have to take a drive up to Tennessee when the seasons change then. If you fancy a road trip and a few days off work. I’ll try not to fuck up again.” She smiled to herself and let herself bask in a moment of innocence. A brief heartbeat of memories from Chicago that didn’t smell like iron or sweat. Nice days in Orlando reminded her that the world wasn’t completely dark. The people she’d met here reminded her than the world wasn’t going to descend in to hellfire. Sage’s smile reminded her that there was good in everyone. Even her. “Well I’m still sorry for myself that I wasn’t able to be there.”

It was, as usual, Sage’s responses about Lidia’s low-key compliments and charming words that had the older woman grinning ridiculously. So what if her excuses didn’t work? Some things in life were hit and miss. Going to hospital was definitely a miss and no matter how much Sage pressed and commented, Lidia knew she was going to refuse stubbornly. “I hate to have it perceived as going against you advice. Let’s just say I have a personal thing about hospitals. Besides, you said none of them have bedside manner so I’ve got you. But, don’t worry, if I realise there’s a further problem I won’t be asking for help again and I won’t be blaming you because this is me. Being stubborn. I don’t wanna show too much skin either, do I? I haven’t even properly got you that drink yet, we can’t rush in to things.” Simple. Subtle. Rebuttal. In fact seeing Sage clean herself off was actually a reassurance. It helped her feel better. “I will go sit down. I will take that bit of professional advice.” She admitted dramatically, placed her hand on her bandaged shoulder. Casting one last look at Sage she wandered toward the living room. It seemed so surreal that she’d been marched through the front door some time ago. “What are you watching? Did I....interrupt a solo evening?” She was joking this time as she used her good arm to ease herself down on to the sofa. It hurt but it was manageable. “These must be those smart people programmes I ain’t got the brains to keep up with. But you do...obviously.”

[lidiafarahani-blog]

lynnpelletier:

It was an easy transition for Lynn to move from smirking and toying around with the woman to clicking into fight mode. Her instinct in any situation where there was conflict was to get prepared and be ready for anything. This was no different.  Her movements were smooth, easy, and it was clear that she was beyond even most elite levels of training. She gave a simple shrug of recognition at the compliment, her mind too focused to pay any great attention to it otherwise. When she was in a fight, her mind shut off, focusing in on only what was important to winning. Her eyes flickered quickly towards the incoming punch, her arm lifting up to deflect the first shot before she swerved out of the way of the second, following up immediately with a quick uppercut of her own towards the woman’s frame.

She knew that her punches would probably never find their way. Lynn was clearly the more experienced of the two when it came to hand to hand contact and this fucking height difference was really not helping. Lidia’s weight was a little displaced as she stepped out of the way of the potentially damaging undercut. Her forearms raised, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the blonde. She wondered if she knew how to fight dirty. More punches. Little contact that stuck enough to hurt the other. Lidia was gradually learning this wasn’t going to go her way. Lynn seemed to be able to dodge and expect everything. So Lidia stooped with a smirk and launched at the woman, going for a tackle around the waist to drag her down. 

[lidiafarahani-blog]

lynnpelletier:

Looking at the woman, she didn’t seem like much at first glance, but Lynn wasn’t the type to underestimate any opponent. She’d been in the business of getting in fights for too long to make that mistake. “Mm, you can talk yourself up all you want, but you gotta prove yourself,” Lynn commented, holding her hands up in a shrug. She’d believe the hype if the woman could back it up, but certainly not before then. Her eyes rolled again as the woman kept speaking, not thinking any of it worth her time to respond to. Cracking her knuckles in front of her, Lynn took a half step back to get herself in a fighting stance before she started to circle around the ring. She didn’t exactly want to throw the first punch, she felt it put you at a disadvantage every time, so she went in slowly, sending a few searching jabs towards the woman just to draw her out more.

Prove herself? Lidia almost sneered. How many people had told her she had to prove herself in her life? Lynn was just a hot blonde in a gym telling her it so what could it really mean? The lack of response to anything she said only made Lidia smirk wider. She really wasn’t a woman of words. She could respect that even more. But what she did respect was the willingness to start and instantly Lidia’s mind flipped. She didn’t know how much of a chance she stood but she wasn’t weak. Even though this woman was fucking a lot bigger...she’d dealt with bulky men well over six foot. “You’re smart.” She commented sharply as she watched each motion of Lynn’s arms, stepping when she needed to. She knew what she was doing....and she’d bite. For the sake of it. So she pushed her weight forward, rocking it through her arm as she swung the first punch, following in quick succession with a lower hit from her right.

[lidiafarahani-blog]

gracedurand:

“No, you can ask. It’s not really a secret,” Grace laughed. She pushed her water aside, turning to face Lidia more fully. “I’ve never actually dealt with crooked cops before? I mean, you know, prosecuting them or whatever else. In theory, they’d be just like everyone else. You pop them for being crooked, they’re stripped of their title and badge and they become just like everyone else. But…somehow I doubt it’d be like that. There’s that whole blue wall of silence thing that’s like…mildly fucked up.” With a startled laugh, Grace shook her head, wrinkling her nose. “Trust me, you don’t want to listen to me ramble on. Shit’s interesting if you’re into it, but if not it’s a real snoozefest.” She didn’t know Lidia well enough to make a call about whether or not she’d even be interested in learning about the mental attitudes behind crime. “Fuck, you’re not wrong. It might put me out of a job though. My entire profession is rooted around people being idiots,” she laughed, “Not as much as a paramedic or doctor, but even still.” With a snort, Grace rolled her eyes. “Sage? No. You have to really piss her off to get her being nasty. She’ll just smile and tell me no, that she works just enough and people need her.” She paused at the next question, shifting uncomfortably. “That’s…complicated. Bottom line was that I wanted to help people, and get shitty people away from good people. Or at least decent people.”

When Grace turned to face her, Lidia propped her elbow on the bar and placed her chin in her hand. She was all ears but it didn’t mean she couldn’t be comfy. “I suppose you’re kinda lucky then? Never got any temptation to mingle with those lowlives.” Lidia wondered absently if she knew people that Grace knew or worked with. Shit. This could be closer than she though but she wouldn’t let it phase her. “Well I’ll take your word for it then as I don’t think I can take a nap right here. Bar might get sticky.” She joked before moving back and placing her hands behind her head. “You’re right. Besides, speed tickets keep you away from trouble because I’d hate to see you messed up in that. Protect and serve yourself too.” She smiled at her then began to nod. Of course the woman was committed to every part of being a medical professional. No shock there. “So you are the embodiment of wanting to protect? That’s noble I think. Too many people experience fucked up shit in this world.”

[lidiafarahani-blog]

sage-durand:

“You’d be surprised,” Sage said, shooting a small, tight smile Lidia’s way, “I talk a lot. It get boring to some people – most people, actually.” She knew her limitations quite well, and she watched people’s eyes glaze over when she spoke. Even people she cared about it did it, but Sage just couldn’t stop, she didn’t know why. “They just kind of drift off, eyes glaze over. I’m sure I could put people to sleep if I tried hard enough, without the aid of drugs, of course.” IVs would do the work for her, but she was fully confident that her voice could do the same with a little more time. “The bay, huh?” she asked, eager to keep the conversation going, “Is it anything like the lake downtown? Sage had grown up in the land of mountains, she wasn’t as familiar with various bodies of water as she should be. In her mind, a bay would look more like the ocean than the lake, but making Lidia explain it seemed like a good idea right now. Her eyes snapped up to Lidia’s face at the mention of tough, and curiosity almost made her blurt out and ask just what had happened. She didn’t though, and just let out a small sigh, fingers still working at the wound. “Well, you grew up tough alright. You’re not even flinching,” she said as she tugged out another small piece of shrapnel. The compliments would normally make her cheeks flood with heat, but she was thankful she was so focused on the task at hand that she was relatively unaffected. “Thank you,” she said, glancing up toward Lidia’s face again, voice softening back to its normal cadence. “I appreciate that you think I look at least somewhat decent when I really don’t…at all. Gutter water wasn’t a good look.” Her eyes widened a little and she steadied her the best she could as the coughing fit ran through her. She let out a small sound of worry from deep within her throat, but she didn’t have her stethoscope. It was in her locker back at work. 

“I’m sure you look much better when not steadily bleeding, yes. Settle back now.” She pressed her fingers to Lidia’s wrist, brow furrowing as she counted the beats of her heart. “Elevated heart rate,” she murmured, mostly to herself, glancing at the bloody mess of her shoulder again. “Listen, I can patch you up here, but we need to go into the hospital. I don’t have anything here. The cough I can’t listen to, I don’t know if there’s liquid in your lungs, I don’t know about things I can’t see without the aid of the machines at the hospital. I will stop the bleeding, which will help, but I can’t do everything here.” The panic was starting to set in now, especially considering she had no way of knowing just how bad this situation was. Her voice was edged with it, and she sternly reminded herself to remain calm. People could pick up on panic, and when the doctor started freaking out, it was never a good sign. She just felt hopelessly out of her element without any of her normal tools at her disposal. She tied off a piece of cloth at the joint of her shoulder, pressing down and applying pressure until the blood flow either stopped or slowed. Once she was satisfied, she smeared disinfectant over the wound before wrapping it up as securely as she could. “Okay…well. That should hold okay for now.” She pulled the bloody gloves off her hands, pressing her hands to her eyes. “You don’t owe me anything,” she said with a brisk shake of her head. “This is just what I do. Maybe not…not under these particular circumstances, exactly, but this is what I do.” She sat back, flopping to the floor of her kitchen and giving herself a once over. Blood was smeared up her arms, which was to be expected, but somehow it had managed to find its way across her stomach, and there was a splotch on her chest as well. “You don’t have to repay me at all. Really. Ever.”

“Hey. I’m quite happy to listen but if your voice can be perceived as soothing too, and not just this boring you speak of, then it’s quite a talent for people that need help. Its definitely helped me to stay calm.” She told her honestly, trying to ensure in her own way that Sage didn’t look down on herself. She’d hate to see that. She hated to see it in most people. “Is the bay like the crummy little lake you’ve got here in Orlando? Not in the slightest. This thing is special. You can gaze across on a clear day and see the skyline practically opposite. And you can take boats up and down it. Goes all the way up to the top of Michigan and the national parks. In the fall all the trees go orange and you can just sit in a boat and see the beautiful red and orange reflected in the water. It’s....really something.” Lidia trailed off, wondering if she was catching Sage’s ability to talk. She wasn’t a woman of vast words, especially not about damn trees in Michigan. Yet, she didn’t expect Sage to react badly to her talking a lot. If it would make Sage think she was okay then she’d tell her anything she wanted. “People get injuries worse than this. I’m sure you’ve seen them. Besides, my doctor has a careful touch so it doesn’t hurt.” She said, turning her head just slightly to look at the mess her shoulder had become. The sight of blood and messy flesh no longer bothered her. She’d seen so much worse. “Well as long as you appreciate it. I think it’s bullshit that you don’t see it but hey...I can’t force you to take on too many things for me tonight. I did interrupt your evening after all....and not turn up to our meeting today.” Maybe it was the slight guilt that caused the coughing, desperately trying to make her mind go elsewhere. She did feel bad, despite everything. 

“Can we just say my elevated heart rate was because you touched me and be over with it? I’m not trying to be smooth but...it’s not an issue I’m sure. I am on an adrenaline high right? Because my body is in shock or whatever. You know science better than me.” She attempted hopefully but the hospital was still mentioned and she sighed heavily. She wasn’t going. She would refuse. The change in Sage’s voice caused her chest to convulse uncomfortably and despite the fact she was the one in trouble, she wanted to reach out and reassure her so desperately. “Sage. I’ve been in worse scrapes than this.” She offered, knowing she was maybe saying too much. “I’m always fine. I’m Chicago tough, remember? There’s no strange feelings and I checked in a dirty bathroom earlier, there’s no darker patches on my skin where there may be excessive blood.” She told her matter of factly, not sure if she was even getting it right. But Sage seemed to continue with her work and Lidia was sure once the bleeding stopped, she could try to reassure her again. “Hey now, even if it’s something small that you want. You’ve done me a massive tonight.” She bit her lip slightly as she looked at her wrapped shoulder, distantly hearing Sage’s movements as she flopped down. The sight of her didn’t shock her until now. That was her blood on that pretty soft skin. “I’d thoroughly remember a shower, Doc. It’s...distressing to see blood on your skin. Glad I don’t have to really see you at work.” She was trying to sound soft despite the irony of her stumbling in coated in blood. But someone like Sage shouldn’t be tainted by such unclean blood. She couldn’t do this again. This was the only time she could make the girl help her. Clasping her shoulder she rose to her feet, unsure whether it was recommended or not. It hurt but she needed to speak. With a wince she crouched beside the other and rested her ‘clean’ hand on her shoulder. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.”

[lidiafarahani-blog]

danimaz:

“Sounds like a lonely birthday. Unusual for a woman as gorgeous as yourself.” Daniela pointed out with a curious raise of her eyebrow. She could see the woman being a bit of a loner in some ways, but to spend a birthday alone drinking was entirely different. Flashing a smile at her comment, Daniela nodded towards the bartender to ensure he knew to put it on her personal tab. It was all charged to the company, anyway. “I’ve been well, though. Busy, of course. We’ve just had the huge Disney Expo, so I’ve been just..slammed trying to get everything ready to roll out for all the big new announcements. What about yourself, Miss Lidia?” 

“Oh please, I’m not the type to attract company or festivities. It was one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had in fact.” She said honestly with an overly happy smile. She’d never celebrated her birthday as a child so she didn’t see why she had to make a big deal of it as a result. There was no point. When Dani made the exchange with the bartender, Lidia nodded her head too and placed her hand on her pocket. “A Disney Expo? What’s that? Loads of disney characters in one place?” She asked curiously, watching the bartender for a second. “It’s Miss Farahani if it’s gotta be Miss but Lidia will do just fine. But I’ve not been up to much. Just trying to keep everyone in line at work.”