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Post by Sastre Quicksilver on Nov 16, 2010 17:21:00 GMT -5
Lily's stomach was tied in knots as she and Brennan stood outside the shop.
She clung to Brennan's hand, knowing that it was stupid to be feeling so nervous, but unable to really help herself. Lily had been in a lot of relationships in the past, but none of them had ever lasted long enough to make it to this point. The truth was, she was a bit terrified of meeting Brennan's mother, even though she didn't have a real reason to be. Brennan had assured Lily that her mother was completely aware of her... preferences, and that bringing a girl home to meet her would be fine.
Lily still wasn't so sure.
She knew at this point that she was in love with Brennan, though she still found it a bit strange that she'd seemingly become a lesbian over night. The weeks they'd spent together had been the best weeks in Lily's life, and she felt more comfortable and safe with Brennan than she ever had with anyone else. Still, Lily couldn't be certain what the witch's mother would actually think of their relationship. If it was true that the woman had been keeping tabs on her all this time, then surely she knew that Lily wasn't exactly the greatest person for her daughter to get involved with.
Well, there was nothing for it now. Lily began to bite her nails nervously, one hand still clutching tightly to Brennan's.
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Post by Abigail Faraday-Brennan on Nov 17, 2010 3:25:02 GMT -5
Brennan grinned affectionately at Lily and squeezed her hand in reassurance.
She found it amusing to no end that the hunter could, and would, face down ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and all other manner of snarling creatures without batting an eyelash, but was utterly terrified of meeting Brennan’s mother. It was true that Lillian Brennan could have quite the prolific temper, but for all that Sastre painted her to be a belligerent tyrant, the elder witch truly had a heart of gold. She fought only on others’ behalf and for what she thought was right, although the old hunter did possess an uncanny knack for pushing her buttons. Hell, sometimes she would swear that the two enjoyed having it out with each other on occasion. Kept them sharp, and all that.
But in truth, Brennan had little fear of Lillian’s reaction to the young hunter.
Lily wasn’t the first sweetheart Brennan had brought home over the years, though there had been precious few. She wasn’t even the first girlfriend. But she was the only one Brennan could truly see herself spending the rest of her life with. From the first, Lily had sparked something in Brennan that she had been afraid to feel for a long time. It was difficult to let yourself love someone when a good number of the people you encountered on the job were trying to kill you. But Brennan found she didn’t have to be afraid for Lily, and having someone there beside her, sharing the burden and dealing with the same things she was, had been a new and wonderful experience for the witch. For the first time, Brennan was with someone she felt she could share all of herself with.
Smiling warmly, Brennan turned to the young hunter and wrapped her in a firm embrace.
“There’s nothing to be worried about,” she reassured her, holding her close a moment and letting her chin rest on Lily’s shoulder. “I’ve never been so happy. She’ll see that, and she’s gonna love you as much as I do.”
The witch drew back and rubbed her hands bracingly up and down Lily’s arms. “You’ll be fine.”
With a last grin for the nervous hunter, Brennan firmly took her hand and reached out to pull open the door.
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Post by Sastre Quicksilver on Nov 17, 2010 21:23:54 GMT -5
As they entered, Lily's mind was too occupied by worry to take note of anything.
After being basically dragged in by Brennan, Lily halted just within the door, squeezing the witch's hand tightly, her own hands clammy with nervous sweat. She couldn't believe that she was so worried about this! After all the things she'd faced, all the demons and monsters that she'd taken out, Lily was shocked to find that meeting her girlfriend's mother was the single most nerve-wracking experience of her life.
"Brennan?" she whispered nervously, reaching up with her other hand to bite her nails again. "I... I've never really had to do this before, the whole meeting-of-the-folks thing... I mean, what happens if she doesn't like me, if she doesn't approve?" A panic-stricken look overtook her features as she continued. "Will we have to break up?"
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Post by Abigail Faraday-Brennan on Nov 19, 2010 20:20:09 GMT -5
Brennan relaxed and grinned contentedly as the pair crossed the threshold into the shop. She felt a familiar, comfortable tingling as the wards protecting the building recognized her and resonated to her personal energy signature. There was no feeling in the world like walking in that door and knowing that here, at least, she was safe and could let her guard down. She paused a moment, a warm smile playing over her features as she reveled in the scent of herbs and incense, letting warmth wash through her and chase away the early spring chill lingering from outside. Taking a step forward, Brennan started and grinned wryly as she was jerked unexpectedly backward by Lily’s death grip on her hand.
Turning again to face the hunter, she smiled at her and met her eyes, gently reaching up to pull Lily’s hand away from her mouth, enclosing it in her own. Giving both hands a squeeze, she grinned impishly.
“Sorry, Lil, you don’t get off that easy. You’re gonna be stuck with me for awhile.”
She leaned forward to kiss Lily, then, still smiling in amusement, she slowly backed into the shop, drawing Lily with her by both hands. Giving her one last reassuring smile, she released one hand and turned, walking forward. Turning at a sound from off to her right, she stopped as her mother emerged from the archway leading to the adjacent room. Brennan pulled her hand free of Lily’s and stepped forward into Lillian Brennan’s welcoming embrace. She gave her mother an affectionate squeeze before stepping back and catching Lily’s hand once more, beaming.
“Mom, I think you already know Lily Faraday. Lily, meet Lillian.”
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Post by Lillian Brennan on Nov 19, 2010 23:06:45 GMT -5
Lillian Brennan paced fitfully around “The Light Within,” straightening displays that were already straight, rearranging items that didn’t need rearranging, and checking the order of books that were already perfectly alphabetized. Every few moments, she would pause in her task, and her eyes would flick briefly to the front door. Each time, her brow would furrow ever so slightly, and she would mentally chastise herself before moving off to the next unnecessary chore. The girls were only half an hour later than expected, and all this fretting and worrying wasn’t going to get them here any sooner. Pressing her lips together, Lillian took one last glance at the door and stepped into the next room.
"You're makin' me nervous, woman," her assistant, Izzy, teased her as she restocked a display.
”I know, I’m sorry,” Lillian apologized with a sigh and a tired smile. “I just worry about them, that’s all.”
“Girl can take care of herself,” Izzy insisted, flashing a reassuring smile toward the elder witch.
Relenting, Lillian relaxed and smiled at the dark-skinned woman. ”Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
As if her thoughts had summoned them, Lillian heard the chime of the front door opening and felt the welcome glow of her daughter’s power as she entered the wards. With a sigh of relief, she turned and strolled toward the main room, only to freeze in the archway at the sight of Lily, her hand going to her chest. No matter how many times she saw the girl, her resemblance to Solphi always struck her like a physical blow. It was true that it had been decades since her best friend had been brutally murdered, but once in awhile, something would spark her memory and rip the wound open again.
Shaking her head to clear away the ghosts of the past, she smiled to herself and leaned against the archway, not wanting to interrupt the moment. As Abigail dragged the young hunter forward, Lillian pushed away from the archway and cleared her throat, opening her arms to her daughter. She held the young witch close for a long moment and squeezed her eyes closed, silently thanking the Goddess for returning her safely one more time. Finally breaking the embrace, she turned to her daughter’s companion.
“Oh, Lily. Just look at you,” she said around the lump lodged in her throat, her eyes sparkling. “All grown up now.” Pulling the young woman in close, she embraced her tightly. “I am so proud of you,” she whispered in her ear, stepping back to hold her at arms length. “And I know Solphi would be too.”
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Post by Sastre Quicksilver on Nov 21, 2010 13:15:17 GMT -5
Lily let out the breath she'd been holding, closing her eyes and squeezing Brennan's hand tighter still.
She didn't know what to say, or if she could even talk if she wanted to. Lily wasn't one to just trust people right off the bat, it usually took her a long, long time to do that, especially with complete strangers. But this woman seemed to glow with an aura of honesty and compassion, and when she spoke to the young hunter, her words her so filled with acceptance and pride that Lily nearly wept.
Keeping a tight rein on her emotions, Lily smiled a bit, nodding once at Lillian managing somehow to clutch even tighter to Brennan's hand. She was relieved that the older woman seemed to accept her, but at the same time, she wasn't entirely sure that Lillian knew the entire situation. It was one thing to accept a person like her as simply a close friend of her daughter's, but to know that Lily was intimately involved with Brennan? Deep down inside, she just couldn't believe that Lillian would be so accepting, not of her.
Brennan deserved better. That's what it really came down to, and Lily knew it. She was not a good person. With all the things she'd done in her relatively short life, all the people who had died because of her, all the hearts she'd more than likely broken? What mother could possibly want someone like that with their child?
So, even though Lillian seemed alright with the situation now, Lily wondered what would happen when the truth really came out.
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Post by Lillian Brennan on Nov 25, 2010 3:19:26 GMT -5
Lillian smiled reassuringly back at Lily, giving the young woman’s shoulders a gentle squeeze before letting her go. She had been a little afraid of how the hunter would take the confirmation that Lillian had been keeping an eye on her, and she was somewhat relieved that she seemed to be taking things in stride. The girl still seemed terribly uncomfortable, however, and Lillian didn’t want to push her too far all at once. The hunter was putting on a brave front, and a fine one at that, but she could see that her words had affected Lily deeply. Stepping back, the witch intentionally put some distance between herself and the girl, giving her some space while she worked things out. If she knew Sastre and Solphi, the best thing to do would be to let Lily take things at her own pace.
That decided, it was time for a change of subject.
“Are your things still out in the taxi?” she asked, leaning to the side so she could see out through the glass panes in the front door.
“Yeah,” Abigail answered quickly. It didn’t surprise her that Abbie had also picked up on Lily’s nervousness, and she smiled and nodded almost imperceptibly to her daughter’s subtle look of gratitude. “But the driver should have them all unloaded by now. Speaking of which, I bet he’d like his money.”
“Well, why don’t you girls go unpack, then, and then you can show Lily around?”
“Sounds good,” Brennan said, raising her eyebrows at Lily. “Shall we?”
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Post by Sastre Quicksilver on Nov 27, 2010 23:57:15 GMT -5
Lily felt a bit nauseous, truth be told.
Her nerves were worn terribly thin, and she could only nod agreement as Brennan led her outside to collect their things. It was a shame that what was supposed to be a relaxing visit had turned into a worrisome haze for Lily, but she really couldn't believe that anyone would ever be quite as accepting of her as Lillian apparently was. Obviously Brennan's mother didn't know, couldn't possibly know just how close the girls were. If she did, she would have blown her top for sure...
The entire process of picking up their luggage, trudging back through the store and up the stairs, and into Brennan's room seemed hazy and indistinct to Lily, and she wondered if maybe she was having a panic attack. God, why hadn't she just stayed in Atlanta? She could have been back there hunting things, killing things, and making the world a safer place... She could have been far, far away when Brennan broke the news to Lillian, but now she was here, and no doubt she'd have to deal with the fallout that was sure to follow.
Lily sat down on the edge of the bed, arms wrapped around herself and shaking hands rubbing her shoulders as a sudden, dread cold seemed to creep in. She was in love with Brennan. She knew she was, beyond a shadow of a doubt. And she hoped that Brennan would stay with her no matter what Lillian thought of their relationship, but at the same time Lily didn't want to be responsible for any sort of rift in the relationship between mother and daughter.
Hanging her head, Lily just sat there, lost in her own thoughts and worries, oblivious to the goings on around her.
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Post by Abigail Faraday-Brennan on Dec 3, 2010 16:03:09 GMT -5
Brennan kept an eye on Lily as she and her mother spoke, excitement warring with nervousness. She stifled a wince as the hunter squeezed her hand painfully tight, leaning her shoulder discreetly against Lily’s in support and trying to keep her own expression under control. The meeting was going at least as well as Brennan had hoped, but she could tell that it was taking its toll on her companion. Well, Lillian could certainly be a bit overwhelming at times, even when she was on her best behavior. Thankfully, her mother also seemed to sense the young woman’s discomfort, and after a moment, she stepped back, releasing the two. Brennan gratefully pulled Lily away, hoping a little distance would restore Lily’s confidence.
After several minutes, however, the hunter still showed no signs of calming down, and Brennan was starting to worry.
Lillian had reacted even better than Brennan had hoped, but Lily still seemed distant and panicky. For a fleeting instant, Brennan entertained the gut-wrenching fear that Lily wasn’t afraid that she’d disappoint Lillian, but because of the serious new step this signified in their relationship. The hunter had already admitted that none of her other relationships had lasted nearly this long. Was Lily having second thoughts? Brennan froze and glanced at the young woman in momentary panic, but dismissed her irrational fears almost immediately. Not that long ago, Lily had sounded just as terrified at the prospect of breaking up with Brennan should Lillian react badly to the pairing.
Which meant this was probably because of something Lillian had said. Brennan knew how touchy the hunter could be about her past and her birth parents. She supposed she should have been expecting something like this. It was one thing to look at old, unmoving photographs of Sastre and Solphi. It was another thing entirely to be slammed in the face with it by her dead mother’s best friend as soon as she walked in the door. Leave it to Lillian to know how to get someone all flustered and upset after only two minutes in her company.
Laying aside the jeans she’d been folding, Brennan sighed and crossed to the hunter. Crawling onto the bed, she settled herself cross-legged behind Lily and wrapped her arms around her, laying her chin on her shoulder. Brennan sat there for a long while, not saying anything, content to hold the hunter close and lend whatever support she could.
“What’s wrong,” she finally murmured quietly, turning her head to Lily’s ear. “She loved you.” She paused again, then asked more quietly, “Is this because of what she said about Solphi? I’m sorry if it upset you.”
Continuing to hold the young woman close, Brennan waited patiently for Lily to speak.
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Post by Sastre Quicksilver on Dec 4, 2010 20:41:25 GMT -5
Lily sighed and leaned into Brennan, taking what comfort she could from her.
Turning around, Lily wrapped her arms around Brennan and buried her face against the witch's neck, sighing heavily and clinging to her as if her life depended on it. Again that worry that Brennan would leave her if Lillian didn't approve had caught hold of Lily, and she was determined to hold onto the other woman for as long as possible. Deep down, she realized that this was an irrational fear, but she couldn't help herself. It was there, and nothing she told herself--nothing that even Brennan told her--could make it go away.
Brennan's words had done little to calm her. It was easy to think that Lillian would love her, of course, for she'd been the daughter of her very best friend. Lily assumed that that meant the older woman would feel some sort of kinship with her, some bond that connected her to her dead mother across all the long years since she'd been murdered. But to think that Lillian would still feel that way, knowing that Brennan and Lily were together, was impossible...
When Brennan asked about Lillian's comment about Solphi, Lily shook her head a bit.
"No, its fine," she said, her voice muffled as her face was still hidden against the witch's neck. "It didn't bother me, don't worry about it..." Swallowing hard, Lily let a shudder pass through her as she thought about her next words, half-fearing the answer. "Hey Brennan? Um... when are you gonna tell her? About... About us, I mean..."
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