An Underwater Thing

Lulu Ballard. 31. Social worker with Havenoaks Memorial. Former New Yorker, lover of the arts, and proud LGBT ally. [RP Account]

[lulu-ballard]

The Morning After

Some part of Lulu had expected to wake up to an empty bed, just her and a tangle of blankets where she'd imagined Nathan to be. The night before had been surprising, and it could've just been a hallucination brought on by too much Dr. Pepper and rum. But it wasn't a hallucination, and Lulu didn't feel hungover. She hadn't had enough to drink to make her start seeing things she wanted to see, and Nathan was there, a little rumpled from his long trek through God knew what to arrive at her door.

She studied him for a moment, a hand resting against the bare skin of his back as she smiled softly to herself. He loved her. She'd suspected as much, but he'd admitted it. And it wasn't just the whole friendship idea they'd always clung to. This was the kind of love she felt for him, the love she'd figured had passed her by after years of pretending it wasn't the case. He'd said it and he wanted to try something more real with her now, something he'd been incapable of not all that long before. Inhaling deeply, she curled up beside him, arm draped across him as she closed her eyes, awake and content with the thought of every new thing they'd be experiencing together.

[lulu-ballard]

ariotchloeprice:

Neither, I just needed their internet. Chloe. Guess you’re spoiling me, just tell me when and where.

The Grind, Saturday afternoon?

[lulu-ballard]

ariotchloeprice:

For once I need the library, so I’ll try not to set it aflame. For now. Can’t say I don’t, not like I know anyone who gives a shit, everyone that I now just kinda fucked off and forgot I existed. I’d be a dumbass if I said no to free coffee.

Are you a student or do you work there? Okay, cool... I’m Lulu. And I’m free around lunch time most days, and on Friday after five. My hours are all over the place, but I’ll spring for coffee and even a pastry. Maybe a candle you can blow out too.

[lulu-ballard]

ariotchloeprice:

Didn’t have one. Plus if I took out my lighter in the library, I think I’d be kicked out faster than I can even say the word ‘cake’.

Good point... Probably wouldn’t have welcomed the open flame there. So much paper around. Do you wish you’d been able to do something more for the day? We could grab coffee or something... Like a belated birthday coffee.

Or you can say no, because it’s probably a pretty weird offer coming from a stranger.

[lulu-ballard]

ariotchloeprice:

I spent my birthday yesterday getting weird looks from librarians. My birthday cake was a vending machine Big Texas bun.

Happy belated birthday. Did you stick a candle in it?

[lulu-ballard]

Lulu -> Landon

Landon: Didn't think of that. I'll see what zamboni guy can make happen. A lot of bribing will need to take place. I'll feel like some hot shot waving these twenties around.

Landon: What's gonna happen now?

Landon: Life does that, you know. You make these decisions because that's what you thought was good at the time and then later, after you experience the downfall from such choices, is when you realize that the right one was always there. I'm happy for the two of you, Lucy! Better make up for lost time. ;)

Lulu: He's a cheap date... No need for more than one twenty. Just flash a little cleavage and you're in.

Lulu: Now... we'll see, I guess. Nathan and I have always lived a bit like a couple without actually being one. I think... I don't know. We're probably going to be fumbling our way through this a bit. Just while we figure out what we're doing with each other.

Lulu: I was sure that door was closed with him. I really was, but I think this is the right choice right now.

[lulu-ballard]

Lulu -> Landon

Landon: Hey now. What if I happen to be the type of person who likes to own two brooms? Think we've seen the last of the freezing temps until late this year so in order to make this happen I'll need to go to the ice rink. Doubt my brooms are welcome.

Landon: What did you tell him?

Lulu: Slip the zamboni guy a 20, I think brooms are completely allowed. It's easy to bribe the ice rink guy. I've gotten him to let me in at 2 AM, and all I had to do was flirt a little.

Lulu: I said yes... and that I love him too. I've loved him since college, and I don't even know why I married another man when I knew somewhere deep down that I was in love with him. I think he thinks he was the only one in denial, but I know that isn't so.

Lulu: So long story short... I have a boyfriend.

[lulu-ballard]

ariotchloeprice:

Fifteen isn’t enough, unless people want to see me hella cranky while doing the grind. 

What’s the perfect nap time for you?

[lulu-ballard]

nurse-ian:

“I still managed to wash the indestructible ones,” Ian said with a laugh. “Man, that was a bad day…” He should his head. “I had no idea why I couldn’t find it. It wasn’t until I tossed my jacket into the dryer that I found it.” The joke in Ian’s voice fell and he bowed his head. “It’s the worst when it’s kids,” he said somberly. He could handle most adults. It was easy to look at an adult and feel bad but know they had a life and they lived it. When you were looking at a seven-year-old knowing they would never have a life… “Were you able to help them?”

"Oh man... I did that all the time. And putting them in rice to dry them out only worked about half the time." She'd tried all the tricks for fixing a washed up phone. The number of cell phones she'd gone through was pretty epic. She offered him a small smile at the mention of the kids, thinking about how difficult it could be to interact with their families, but how it must be so much harder to do the work he did with the patients themselves. "Yeah, I was. They want to take their boy home... I put everything in motion." Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she hugged herself a little as she said, "He loves the lake. That's what they were saying. They have a room with a big window overlooking it... They're going to set a bed up in there."

[lulu-ballard]

Lulu -> Landon

Landon: No broken leg for this guy. And I'm offended. Of course I have a broom. I have two thank you very much.

Landon: All that makes for a plot to a movie. One I would actually check out and not tune in and out because I'm busy multitasking.

Landon: What happened when he got there?

Lulu: Two brooms? Okay, big spender. You just need to get someone else over there to compete against you. Make it a proper game.

Lulu: It's a little batty, right? I was expecting pizza, and then he shows up at my door, looking like a total mess. And he told me he loved me. Just laid it all out there... Every feeling he's apparently had for forever, but couldn't ever admit to himself. He loves me and he wants to try us, like a proper relationship-type us.

[lulu-ballard]

Lulu -> Landon

Landon: This third beer has helped me get real into it. Makes me want to get up and ice my driveway and try moving garbage lids around.

Landon: That’s as close as I can get to the sport with what I’ve got.

Landon: FwB Nathan?

Lulu: Please invite me over if you do that. You'll want my help getting to the hospital when you've broken a leg.

Lulu: Please tell me you have a broom.

Lulu: The very same. FwB Nathan who was dating this guy named Oliver. Whose arms I pushed him into. But they broke up awhile ago, and Nathan had an epiphany.

Lulu: He sat in traffic so long his car ran out of gas, and then he walked to my place. FOUR MILES. And he picked flowers for me. In one of his work suits. He was an absolute mess when he got to my door.

[lulu-ballard]

Lulu -> Landon

Landon: Currently laying in a hammock I set up in the living room and drinking a beer while curling is on tv. Don’t get this damn sport but I can’t change the channel.

Landon: The remote is by the TV.

Landon: There a twist or turn you want to talk about?

Lulu: Oh, I love curling. It's like shuffleboard, but bigger and with brooms. It's one of the only Olympic sports I can bring myself to care about.

Lulu: The dream sounds pretty damned delightful.

Lulu: Have I ever told you the saga of me and Nathan?

[lulu-ballard]

Lulu -> Landon

Landon: He’s living the dream.

Landon: How’s the world treating you?

Lulu: He deserves the dream, I think.

Lulu: What's the dream look like, anyway?

Lulu: The world is... an interesting place. Twists and turns you'll never see coming.

[lulu-ballard]

Lulu -> Landon

Lulu: How's my favorite salesman?

[thenathanmccall]

Make It Holy || McBall

[lulu-ballard]

NATHAN

Nathan’s heart began to flutter when Lulu confirmed that she’d loved him back. His eyes were fixed on hers the entire time she explained her piece.  He was so in love with Lulu and felt so free. Admitting his true feelings to her was probably the best thing Nathan had done in a very long time, and he didn’t regret it. Finally, he could be in touch with his feelings, and it never felt more rewarding than it did in that moment.

“I loved you in college, I loved you after that. I was so jealous when Jamie came into the picture, I just… It’s why we lost contact. For the longest time I told myself it was because I thought he was taking my best friend away. But really, he was taking the woman I was in love with away from me.” Nathan responded. “You were the one that got away, and it was all because I allowed it to happen.” He sighed, still peering into Lulu’s eyes. They moved from her orbs to her lips and then back to her eyes once more. “I don’t think Ollie was right or wrong… It happened, and he was what helped me realize I was in love with you.” Nathan explained. “But it’s not about him or anyone else anymore. It’s about us. You and I. I want us too.. So badly, Lulu.”

With that, Nathan surged forward. His lips immediately reached Lulu’s and he began kissing her passionately, as if it were their last kiss they would share. “Thank you.” He whispered in between kisses. “Thank you for loving me even though I’ve been so hard to love for all of these years…”

LULU

Of course it had been why they’d lost contact. Lulu had known that on some level, but to have it confirmed... The marriage to Jamie had been a mistake, and not just for the loss of time with Nathan, but that hadn’t helped things, and she’d always known on some level that she’d caused that. But that was in the past, and she didn’t want to dwell on it, certainly not in this moment when things were heading in what was so obviously the right direction.

She kissed him back with as much passion as she could muster, a promise that she was just as invested in this as he was, that she wanted him as badly as he seemed to want her. She felt tears well behind closed eyes and she sighed into the kiss a little, pleased to be feeling happy tears after months of crying exclusively sad ones. Resting a hand on his cheek as they separated, she frowned a little at his next remark. “Stop that... You’ve never been hard to love. Not even when I hated you a tiny bit.”

[lulu-ballard]

nurse-ian:

Ian made a face and sucked in a deep breath at the idea of her backing her car over the phone. That wouldn’t bee such a painful image if the phone itself wasn’t at least a grand to replace. That was why he had a case on his. He broke everything because he moved at the speed of sound after three rock stars and a large coffee. It was a wonder his heart didn’t jump out of his chest and do a fucking jig on his grave. “Always,” he admitted. “I just got done with a 12-hour mid-shift in the juvenal terminal ward. It was always hard dealing with dying patients, but dying kids were the worst.  

“Ha! Yes... that face right there is the one my ex-husband used to wear when I broke things. That’s the face.” She’d gotten so used to it over the last few years, though cell phones were too expense for her to be able to replace anymore. “Remember when phones were indestructible? They only did two things, but you weren’t ever gonna break them.” Lulu wanted to say she missed those days, but she wasn’t sure she’d make it through a lunch break without being able to play Words With Friends. Frowning a little at the shift he’d just had to endure, she thought again about the case that had been on her mind when she’d dropped her phone in the first place. “I got one of the families tonight... The juvenile ward... Parents wanting to talk about palliative care at home. I think they just wanted a safe place to cry for a bit. My office is good for that.” Sighing softly, she thought about how terrified they’d seemed. Seeing people in that state never got any easier.

[lulu-ballard]

elijah-mathews:

When was the last time you had a break from work?

Wish I can give tips. I stay awake but it’s due to a crying baby. You could set an alarm to go off at random of baby cries. 

Oh God... seems like we’re always short staffed, so I haven’t had more than one day off here and there since... September? Early September?

Only problem with that is that I come home so tired some nights, I’d probably start hallucinating that I had a baby. And then I’d think I lost him or her, which I guess would wake me up. The sheer terror of that would be very wakeful. How’s the baby?