Eula
_"Shit shit shit"_

Curses fell from Lily's lips as she spun on her heels and promptly started walking back the way they just came from. Dimitra, who would have recognized her as Rose, was in Briar Ridge. What were the odds? Lily came to the town to escape the NYC criminal networks, not to have them follow her here. They had planned to exploit her connections, obviously, but not like this. Not now. 

Her first attempt at a partnership with the more unlawful aspects of Briar Ridge had turned out to be a dead end. Arthur had skipped town, God knows why. And now Dimitra was _here_? Did she know what had happened? Had she heard of the raids, of the backstabbing? Had she been involved? Was she here to cash in the money for Lily's arrest? Whatever it was, Lily was not looking forward to finding out. All they could hope for was that the direct eye contact she'd made with Dimitra had somehow been one-sided and that Dimitra had not recognized them. A very unlikely scenario, but Lily was a fan of beating bad odds.
Hugh
Unfortunately for Lily, or *Rose* In Dimitra's case, this was an unlikely thing indeed. Dimitra was too friendly for her own good at times; once they'd locked eyes, it was over and done for. 

"Rose!" She said, clear as day in the town square, taking ten quick steps and throwing her arm around her shoulder from behind. "Well, I didn't expect to see you here!" She stopped them from walking and turned her around to face properly. 

"Small world, isn't it?" In honesty, Dimitra kept her nose out of things where she knew it didn't belong. Sure, she'd definitely canoodled with a few gangsters in her life, but she never ever messed around in a dangerous situation unless she absolutely had to. She had no idea about any of Lily's problems— she'd only met the woman a handful of times, anyhow. 

"How long have you been in town? I mean, couldn't have been too long, since I've been here for a long while now," She cracked a grin. "Beautiful place, innit? Better than the city, in my opinion— though I miss it sometimes. But the folks here are great," She rattled on, like it was just any regular afternoon. To her, it was.
Eula
Their face contorted with annoyance and frustration. _Fuck..._ Dimitra had seen them, judging from their old name, the alias belonging to an actively wanted criminal, ringing across the town square. Right where everyone could hear. _God damn it._ Their reunion truly could not have taken place at a more inopportune location. She flinched when Dimitra's arm was flung over their shoulder, instinctively ducking out of the way. "Dimitra! Oh my, hello, didn't see you there!"

Dimitra and her goddamned upbeat and friendly nature. Lily slid on a mask of good-naturedness, pretending like she was as happy to see Dimitra as she seemed to be to see them. Pretending like she wasn't freaking out on the inside. She was planning on steering them firmly away from the square and into a less crowded street to fill Dimitra in on all that had changed, but the woman had other plans. She'd stopped right in front of Lily, blocking her path. "Yes, yes it has been a long time since I've last seen you doing business up in the city. Almost got afraid you'd been, _you know._" She gestured, placing her wrists together in a movement mimicking handcuffs, before quickly dropping them to a normal position again. _Caught._ She wouldn't have been the first bootlegger to be tossed into a cell, a risk that came with the territory. "But what a coincidence, running into you here of all places!"
_ _

Was it naivety or simply the fact that Lily couldn't have someone who knew her old (or true maybe) self, running around spewing secrets she'd tried to bury? Who knows, but Lily decided there and then that Dimitra was someone who could be trusted with the truth, after all, Lily knew that Dimitra's time as a bootlegger had been quite prolific as well. The woman was very good at her job. _I swear to God if you get me caught somehow I am taking you down with me._ "Speaking of-" They made the same handcuff motion again. "-I may or may not have a few folks back in the city who would _love_ to see me again." Their tone matched the words, to passersby it would sound like the two were engaged in pleasant conversation. They gave Dimitra a look that said most that remained unspoken. _Keep it down, I'm on the run, don't fuck me over here._ "In-_laws_, you know the type." She laughed and swung an arm over Dimitra's shoulder, attempting to get both of them walking again. "How about we catch up somewhere more private, shall we?" Urgency was much more audible in her voice now, it wasn't so much a request as it was a gentle form of an order. An order Dimitra could of course refuse. "Plenty of cute little empty streets around here, no?"
Hugh
As much as Dimitra was friendly and goofy, she was not stupid. In fact, she could see the panic flare up on Lily's face for a moment and she found it curious; then again, she supposed, if Lily was running from something... Briar Ridge was the perfect place to hide. No one thought to look for anybody up here, did they? This place was tucked back, hidden from the eyes of the city folk who didn't want to waste their time heading so far out just to catch a simple bootlegger. 

"You know me, I'm slippery," She said. "They haven't caught me yet. Besides..." She tilted her head. "You know, I've managed to weasel my way out of being caught quite a few times." She had a mischievous look in her eye; using her feminine wiles to convince someone to not snitch on her? She'd done it a dozen times, maybe more. "Now I've got a lover of my own, I won't be able to use that excuse anymore, sad to say..." She sighed and tucked hair behind her ear. 

"But don't worry about it too much," She said, following Lily with ease, like two friends catching up on gossip. "In-laws don't take kindly to the path to Briar Ridge. Too many bumps, too long to travel just to have a *Reunion.*" She snickered. 

Dimitra nodded down the road, towards one of the emptier streets Lily spoke of. As soon as they'd walked far enough away from the rest of the people in the square, she lifted an eyebrow. "Don't act so skittish with me, I'm not a snitch. You should know that much— then again, trust no one, am I right?" She winked.
Eula
"Having a lover never stopped me from that particular ruse." Lily winked at Dimitra. They understood what Dimitra had spoken of, had done the same a good number of times, even while they'd been with Ada. It had been an understanding between the two, none of that was real so it didn't affect their relationship. Now that she'd been betrayed, Lily found herself wondering how much of their relationship had been real to begin with. 

They felt a heavy load lifted from their shoulders, Dimitra wouldn't sell them out, they were safe here. As safe as anyone could be in a place where people apparently turned into monsters each moon. They'd rather face monsters than angry and doublecrossed mobsters, at least monsters had a level of predictability. Only during the full moon, outside of that period, Lily didn't feel too worried about the wolves. They'd passed right by her room last moon, they might just do the same again next time. And if they didn't, Lily would show them just how skilled she was with her revolver.

"I hope to God that you are right Dimitra." Nobody here knew she'd done, not all of it, not the most gruesome of it. They were hoping to keep it that way. "Tell me about it, getting here was a damned nightmare." 

The moment they were out of earshot of the others something in Lily snapped. They could trust Dimitra, they knew that. It had been at least a month where Lily did nothing other than lying and trusting nobody. They were used to lying, to conning, to spreading half-truths and twisted stories, but it had taken a toll on them to have nobody they were fully honest with. She'd never expected it to affect them. Having to quietly mourn the betrayal of the woman she'd once called the love of her life had been devastating. Dimitra could be an exception. Maybe. _Trust no one, right?_
_ _

Their voice was low. "First order of business, I go by Lily now." Second order of business, I killed three men and am on the run from the law in a way I've never been before. "I'm in _deep_ shit this time." They didn't know how deep, would there be an extensive investigation in the murder of three known criminals? Maybe not. Would Ada try to stab her in the back again? It was a possibility that would forever haunt Lily. "I-" I got played for a fool, for months at least, if not longer. Ada knew everything there was to know about Lily. _Everything._ Grief, anger and fear, all flashed across her face in rapid succession. 

They looked at the street again, afraid someone would hear. "I don't know if I can ever go back there, that's how much trouble I'm in." They wanted to tell Dimitra, desperately wanted to tell her, but the fear of being used, of being betrayed, of not having full control over her own information, it was stopping her. At least in the moment. There was a hole in their walls, a small bootlegger shaped hole. But the wall stood firm. Was it truly a wall? Or was it a cage? She looked at Dimitra again, _can I truly trust you?_ her eyes seemed to say.
Hugh
She had come here for similar reasons; she'd gotten too comfortable in New York. The prospect of being caught was higher than she'd prefer it, and she was much too pretty to go to jail. In fact, she *Had* Been caught— slipped right out of those cuffs and headed out of town as fast as she possibly could. She knew a thing or two about running from the law, but *Lily's* Problem seemed a little more... Dire. 

"Rose and then Lily— I like the theme," She commented to them, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her skirt. "Don't you ever go back there," Dimitra said, shaking her head. "I only duck in and out. Don't overstay my welcome too long anymore. The pigs might still know my face, after all... It's a hard one to forget." She fluttered her lashes a little. "And like I said, my fella wouldn't take too kindly to me using my old tactics to evade the law." The downfalls of loving a by-the-book pastor. 

They locked eyes and she could see the shifting looks, the way she was trying to size up if Dimitra was trustworthy or not. "I don't have anything to gain by ratting you out," She told her. "I love my life here. Briar Ridge is my home. I'm not going to tell a soul," She mimed locking her mouth with a key and throwing it away, before gesturing wordlessly for Lily to continue.
Eula
The name Lily came from one of two things her mom left her when they were dropped on the steps of the orphanage they grew up in; a note in broken English asking to take care of the child and a lily flower pin. There had been no name on the paper and thus she was simply named Lily. She'd found it fitting to give that child a second chance here in Briar Ridge. "Thanks, I've got to stay at least somewhat on theme, right? I've got a gentle image to uphold and all." They winked. The image was just that, a façade. Lily pretended to be gentle, looked the part too, in reality she was anything but.

_Don't you ever go back there._ But then what could she do? All she'd ever been good at was stealing, running and smuggling. She'd already been caught doing the former once and quickly figured out that this place wasn't big enough to generate crowds into which she could disappear. All they had were her connections in the city, however tainted those may have become. Had this been a more lighthearted conversation Lily would have noted that Dimitra's face was indeed a memorable one, quite the pleasant memory indeed. And if Dimitra hadn't been with a man who seemed, in line with Lily's quite free opinion on what was and wasn't okay, possessive. "You'll have to tell me about that _fella_ of yours some time. Never thought I'd see the day where you'd willingly lose those ways." 
_ _

Dimitra wouldn't tell a soul, and Lily believed her. Then why was it still so hard to open up? "It's not just the pigs." They admitted. _Screw it._ "Did you hear about the raids during the end of January? The main speakeasy of the people I worked with got hit, and it got hit hard. Ada, my lover-" ~~The woman I once called the love of my life.~~ "Well, _ex_ lover I suppose, we somehow escaped. I don't know about the others, I fear they're behind bars." They looked towards the street again, clearly very nervous about the next bit. "Someone must've talked. We packed up everything and fled. She was all sweet, talking about starting a new life together somewhere else. We'd been planning it for ages." Lies, it had all been lies. They looked down, swallowing down the tears that threatened to form. She would not cry. Not for Ada. Certainly not for anyone to see. Lily Brooks didn't cry. "She sold me out Dimitra. Struck some kind of deal with a rival, one whose pockets I had previously lightened significantly. That _devil_, she just-" She looked up again. "She just walked out, pocket full of cash, left me there. As if she'd just delivered a crate of moonshine instead of **Me**." There was anger in her eyes, mixed in with despair. The face of a betrayed lover.

"I killed them." It was said matter-of-factly. It was the first time she'd said it aloud. It had been well over a month and a half ago. It was as if by saying it out loud the deed finally turned real. Now that someone else had bore witness to their admission of the crime, to the blood on their hands, now it was true, now it was real. Lily was a murderer. She'd wounded before, but never killed. "The men who took me. They're dead, I had no other choice. And now all my aliases, _everything_ I worked for, it's all out there."

_I have nowhere else to go._ She'd spoken those words to Victorine a few weeks back. They echoed through her mind, they'd been a lie then. They were the harsh truth now. Their words hung in the air, the heaviness of their meaning weighing heavily on Lily. If you play with fire, you get burned, and New York City had been set ablaze.
Hugh
She stayed quiet as she walked along the path, hands tucked into the pockets of her long skirt. She kicked a rock, eyes downcast on the dirt road they meandered down. To anyone else, perhaps, they'd look just like any normal friends out for a stroll. Their hushed voices would be mistaken for two gossiping church ladies; talking about who was kissing who and if they'd heard about so-and-so getting a divorce. God knows, half this town would lose their minds if they heard what these two spoke of. 

"Ada," She repeated the name on her tongue. "Never trusted her anyhow. She always seemed like a snake in the grass." Then again, when it came down to it, Dimitra wasn't sure she trusted many people fully. She trusted Abel, because what did he have to gain or lose? He lost more being with her than he could ever begin to gain— and besides, maybe she could be a little blind for love. 

But she truly had sympathy for Lily and their plight. It was a cruel world to live in; she knew that well. "You're safe here," She said to Lily. "From the cops, that is." She turned her face, flashing Lily the one big difference on her face; a big white scar that spanned from the corner of her eye and down, carving a ravine in her beautiful tanned skin. 

"Can you believe I got this here and not from one of those pigs?" She sighed and shook her head. "Werewolves, Lily Brooks. Put those skills you have to good use; disappear on the full moon or bring out the guns and use them for something useful." She whistled. 

"Here... People are worried a lot more about all that than a little moonshine and bloodshed. I promise you," She reached out and squeezed Lily's arm. "You're safe here from the past. This place... Is a fresh start. Hell, look at me!" She released her to do a little twirl. "I'm on the track to be a pastor's wife. Can you picture that? Me? A pastor's wife?" She laughed aloud.
John
"Well you were right, that bitch was a snake." It still felt wrong to call Ada a bitch, to call her anything other than loving terms. Somehow Lily still found it in herself to feel love for Ada, it clung to her heart like a sticky residue, resistant to even the fiercest scrubbing. But it was wearing down, eroding away slowly and one day it would be fully gone. 

There it was again, _werewolves_. Lily remained skeptical, but they couldn't argue with the large scar that ran across Dimitra's face. She'd believe the stories when she saw these supposed werewolves in person. "People keep mentioning these werewolves, it seems everyone but me has seen them. What are they like?" If they're even real to begin with. She'd slept peacefully through the full moon in February, no wolves, no nothing. "I hope you got that werewolf back for doing that to you."

_Safe._ A weight had been lifted from her, they were safe here, nobody would know about her past, nobody would come for her, they could start over. She looked at Dimitra _thank you_ her eyes said. They smiled watching Dimitra twirl, her happiness was contagious. A laugh erupted from Lily. "A _pastor's wife_? What are they feeding you here?" Dimitra Florakis, bootlegger extraordinaire, married to a pastor? They couldn't believe her ears. "Are you telling me you've left your bootlegging ways behind you, Briar Ridge got you walking the righteous path?" She grinned, taking on a joking tone. "You know me, I'm more than capable of changing my ways to blend in, but I applaud you Dimitra, you've outshined my cons in ways I could only ever dream of." They fully believed Dimitra was in love, that it wasn't a con at all.
Hugh
Her eyebrows lifted and she laughed aloud. "You'll see them soon enough," She promised her, stopping short in their walk and grabbing her arm, turning her. She lowered her sleeve a little, flashing her two giant scars on her arm and shoulder. "Can't use this arm as well as I used to," She said. The scars were mangled, twisted, lightning bolts on her skin. "This and this are what I've got to show for that attack. You should've seen me in December. I was laid up for weeks. I almost died, that thing jumped on me before I could even shoot." 

What a horrifying night that had been. "Someone else got a few shots in. I was too busy havin' my face and arm ripped off." Dimitra did manage to smile anyway, despite it all. 

"But y'see, there's a silver lining. I was laid up at the pastor's house for all them weeks, having him take care of me and all..." She sighed wistfully. "But if you think I'm leaving my bootlegging in the past— hah! You're dead wrong." She shook her head. 

"Abel is a good man. He loves me even though everything I am goes against everything he is." Dimitra chewed her lip a moment and sighed. "And in exchange, I don't change who he is. We don't get up to any hanky-panky before marriage and I try and keep my swearing to a minimum when I'm in church." She fluttered her lashes. "The sacrifices we make for love." 

Dimitra pulled her sleeve up fully and adjusted her shirt. "This place... Is beyond what you can imagine. Start believing in everything and anything." She paused. "You're staying with Carina Templeton... Aren't you?"
John
"I'm not sure if I should say I look forward to seeing them or not, talk in town has given them quite the reputation." Dimitra's impressive battle scars further added to that reputation. Maybe Lily should start taking the wolfmen more seriously. "I'm glad it didn't kill you, and I hope those shots taught it a lesson." 

It was straight out of a romance novel, injured in bed with a no doubt handsome man taking care of her, Dimi. Lily chuckled. "Oh so while you were all laid up you worked your charms on him? Very smooth, Dimitra, I'm impressed." She winked. _Silver lining_, fitting.

"Waiting until marriage? Rather you than me, you must really love him. I wish nothing but the best for you two, and I mean that." Love was something precious, especially in their line of work. If a priest of all people had fallen for her, and she for him, then it had to real. Lily wasn't fully sure where she stood on love. She couldn't imagine having to wait until marriage for sex. Then again, Lily wasn't the marrying type, nor was her type legally allowed to get married to her, on account of them being women. Any time she'd been with a man it had been because she stood to gain something from it; power, money, information. They'd vouched to leave those days behind her, Briar Ridge was much too small for those particular schemes. Any thieving from the bedroom would no doubt be noticed quite fast, and few people seemed rich enough to thief from anyways. No, Lily had decided that if she was to enter anyone's bed it would be because of mutual attraction, not for ulterior motives. One could almost say she was becoming a better person by being in the holler. _Almost._
_ _

"Well I sure am glad to hear that, you think your contacts could use another smuggler or is their roster all filled up?" She was itching to get back into what she was good at, even if her main skills were of the thieving variety. "I tried to get myself involved in that courier business, but the guy running it just up and left. I'm trying to not take that personally." They laughed. "You're welcome for taking out the competition, I think." Assuming Dimitra didn't also work for Arthur. 

"Anything and everything? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the concept of wolfmen, are you saying there's more?" There couldn't be, werewolves were already a stretch, it had to stop at that, surely. "I am, she's a real piece of work that one." It was an understatement, Lily couldn't stand Carina. Her dislike had lessened somewhat, but nowhere near enough to consider her anything but an ass. "Thinks she is hilarious, I say she's just immature. But hey, I managed to knock a full dollar off of the rent so I'm not complaining."

|| remember when I said Lily only gets short replies, yeah so that was a lie
Hugh
She let out a laugh. "Be glad you didn't get yourself caught up in Maldorano's bullshit. He's shit at his job, and he does sloppy work. I usually work independently but the Coopers have me running their shine for them." She winked at her. "But... I've got a few plans up my sleeve that I'll keep you in on the loop for. Been debating on starting my own courier business now that Arthur's hit the road." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled wider. 

"I'll bet the Coopers could use another hand, with the Mayor gone and went all wolf man on us." She whistled. "There's a lot of wolf men among us, Lily, gotta keep yourself on guard. Can't trust nearly anybody on account of it." 

She stopped in the road and gave her a look over. "Carina's a good friend of mine," She said. "She's temperamental but she's... Lovely." There was a fondness in her voice and she cleared her throat. "She lets me take candy from the general store sometimes. She might look cold and sour but she's as warm as hot cider under it all, I promise you that!" 

She cracked a grin. "Immature? That's hilarious. She's about the most mature woman I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."
John
"Well, in that case, good riddance to him." They raised two fingers to her temple and flicked them outwards as she clicked her tongue, a salute to a gladly lost business partner. They prided themselves in the work they did. It was a craft she had honed over the course of many years. Sloppy work didn't cut it for Lily and she wouldn't associate herself with those for whom it did.

"Oh? Starting your own business? Do count me in if that does happen, I trust you a lot more than most people in this town." As it stood, they trusted Dimitra the most out of everyone in Briar Ridge. "You'd do a fine job." 

The Coopers, the name didn't ring a bell but the mayor certainly did, the mayor had been a Cooper then. Lorelai had said something about him being a wolfman. "The _mayor's_ family deals in shine? This town just keeps getting better and better." Maybe they had picked the right place to vanish into. If figures of authority not only turned a blind eye to moonshine but were actively involved, that made running the stuff a lot simpler and less risky. "How does the local law feel about moonshine? Is the sheriff as stuck up about it as the cops back in New York?" 

As for keeping herself on guard, that had become her natural state of being. "I am always on guard, anyone specific I should be looking out for?" If there were many of these wolfmen, it stood to reason that some of them should be known right? "What **Does** This town do with wolfmen?" Kill them? That seemed a logical choice, but then it did sound like it was some type of transformation, that there were people inside the wolves. People who couldn't help themselves, who were forced to do things they didn't want to do. Maybe they just weren't strong enough to fight it. Lily wondered if there were those who were able to control their wolf. ~~Leave it to her to think she could.~~
_ _

"The most mature?" They laughed in disbelief. "We must not have met the same Carina Templeton then. Temperamental, that she is. She pretended she wasn't the one renting out the room, set up a meeting at a later time in her stead and everything. Imagine my surprise when I show up and see her sitting there with a self-satisfied grin on her face." Truth be told, Lily and Carina were very similar and that is exactly what made Lily dislike her. They couldn't read Carina properly, they couldn't manipulate her and if they were honest, they would've pulled a very similar scheme had she been in Carina's shoes. The fact that she'd fallen for it lay at the root of her dislike for Carina. Lily had been bested, and she was an exceptionally sore loser.
Hugh
"Know that if I do get this all up and running, you'll be the first person to know about it. Believe me, I think you're the exact person who would know what to do for me; you're slippery, you're tricky, and you know how to get things done!" She clapped her hands together. "And besides the running business, imagine us actually getting into all the things of making the damn stuff ourselves!" She whistled. "Could you imagine? Having our own little set up, making shine ourselves? I bet we could do it, too. Can't be too hard, right?" She winked at Lily as she fiddled with the ruffles of her skirt. 

The Coopers. They were good people. Mayor Cooper had been good people, too. Shame what went and happened to him. "That's right. Welcome to shine country, darling!" She laughed and tossed her head back. "Where the moonshine runs through the veins of the people of this town! And the sheriff... Don't you worry too much about him or any of the *Law* Around here. They're more interested in keeping people from coming at each other than they are of the shine. A blind eye..." She whistled. "They're some of our best customers, after all." 

Wolfmen. Ah... Always a question. "Speaking of sheriffs and mayors..." She trailed off. "Most of them that we know, the wolfmen that is, get blasted all to hell. Can't imagine anyone in this town would spare one if they met one." She shook her head and shrugged. "But let's focus on the lighter things, yeah? Like..." She flashed her a grin. "My dearest Carina Templeton... That does sound like her." She said wistfully. "I think she's lovely. You just don't know how to appreciate a fine woman quite like I do." She fluttered her lashes a bit and snickered. "She's an acquired taste."
John
Transporting the shine wouldn't be the problem, the two of them had that covered. Making the stuff was something else. Lily had seen it done, they knew how to do it, in theory. How hard could it really be? "Florakis moonshine, it does have a nice ring to it." She smiled, an ambitious glint forming in her eyes. "You sure the Coopers wouldn't mind you ditching them in favor of your own operation? I've seen people get hurt over less."

Briar Ridge killed its own for something they couldn't control? That didn't seem entirely right, but then again, few things in life were. Maybe staying out of this wolfmen business was in her best interest after all. They didn't want to get killed because some beast had decided that she looked like a tasty snack, Lily was not someone who willingly took the blame for the actions of others.

"Oh I know perfectly well how to appreciate a fine woman." That and more. "I fear you've been charmed by her in a way I have not." Maybe one day the two would move past their grievances and become acquaintances, _friends_ even. Lily didn't think it was likely. "But you may be right, she may grow on me yet."
Hugh
She chewed her lip and kicked a rock as she thought it over. "I'm sure they'd get over it. Besides... I think they're a little more preoccupied right now with wolf men things and elections to worry about little old me. They had to find different runners when I was laid up from my attack, they'll do it again." 

Dimitra was already making plans. Who was she supposed to contact to buy the building? She had quite a chunk of change saved up, she could probably do it easy. And then she could fix up the place and make it look real nice, Lily could work there, and Abel would be so damned prop of her too. It was almost something like an honest business! 

She cut herself from her daydream and glanced over at her companion with a laugh. "Oh, do you know how to appreciate a fine woman?" She questioned. "Clearly not. Carina is like a fine wine. Expensive and dry but the best of the best," She snickered. Though there was an odd pang of jealousy at the idea of them growing closer. "Maybe so. Or maybe she'll put spiders in your bed," She joked. "You'll be pleased to know that there's quite a few... People in this town of our particular *Persuasion*," Dimitra winked. Briar Ridge seemed to be teeming with people of all sorts of walks of life with their own particular brand of romantic interest. It was fascinating, really.
John
"_Spiders?_" She shivered at the thought, Lily was not a fan of creepy crawling creatures. "I'd like to see her try, she'd live to regret that." They would _not_, in fact, like to see her try. Spiders in her bed would be more than enough reason for Lily to promptly find alternative housing.

"You know, I could almost believe you may have _sampled_ some of that dry and expensive wine." Or least wanted to. Her tone was teasing, but friendly. Lily wasn't going to judge Dimitra for having bad taste in women, it couldn't be helped. After all, this was the woman who'd somehow fallen for a priest of all people. She was allowed some bad opinions. On second thought maybe she _was_ going to judge Dimitra for those views. "Better you than me," They grinned.

An eyebrow rose at the mention of people of their _particular persuasion._ "Oh?" It was a most welcome fact, even if Lily wasn't actively looking for love. They felt relieved at the prospect that she might not be judged as harshly as they feared if she did find themselves allowing another woman that close to her. "And the rest of town," She asked. "They're fine with that _persuasion_?"

|| this reply took so long for no reason but it's here now, uhhh bonne appetite I suppose
Hugh
Dimitra had never been more glad to not be drinking something; because if she had been, she would've promptly inhaled it into her lungs at Lily's sudden accusation. Dimitra wasn't one to fluster, but her cheeks had turned quite red, and she coughed and kicked her foot in the dust. "Ha! Ah..." She looked away. "I may have sampled the wine. Once." She murmured, eyes casting over towards Lily and back. "But I've got communion wine to sip now." 

She was glad for the turn of subject to something a little broader, and she looked to the sky. "I don't think people rightly notice too much. Sure, there's people here who might kick up a fuss, but..." She shrugged her shoulders. 

"It's different here. People seem to really mind their own. I won't say people are walking the streets holding hands and kissing, but everyone just seems to... *Know* And not care all that much," She admitted. 

Sure, people still had reservations. There would always be fear. But Dimitra had little of that fear in her; she would dare anyone to look at her and shame her for her admiration of the feminine body.
John
_I knew it._ They thought. _Blinded by past infatuation, poor woman._ Lily smiled knowingly at the sudden reddening of Dimitra's cheeks. It was cute. "Nothing wrong with a little sampling, you can hardly expect to find your favorite drink in one go."

A quiet acceptance, Lily could work with that. More and more signs pointed towards Briar Ridge being a fine place for Lily to stay, maybe even settle. _Settle?_ They were getting wistfully ahead of themself, but for a split second they had allowed herself to picture it: falling in love, sharing secrets, no fear of being judged or used or attacked for who they were, spending evenings together with her lover talking about whatever they wished with no fear of the law barging down their doors. Building a life together with someone, a _real_ life, a life that did not need to be mobile, did not need to be capable of uprooting at a moment's notice. She might build a life that wasn't filled with lies and back-stabbing, a life that didn't require constant hypervigilance, a life where instead of having one hand on a weapon and the other occupied with wrapping unsuspecting victims around its fingers, both hands could be free, _she_ could be free. Lily could have a life that didn't involve using her body in ways she had long since stopped enjoying. It all seemed like an unattainable dream, but in that moment it felt closer than it had ever been. Moving out of the Templeton house was a pleasant bonus that came with that dream, of course.

"Well, I am a huge fan of people not caring. One of my favorite characteristics in a place, in fact."
_ _

"How about you let me buy you a round at the speakeasy one of these days? You know, scope out the competition, see how we can do better than them?" Of course, it wasn't just about business, Lily was using that as a thinly veiled cover for her real intentions: friendship. They'd come to find out that it was actually quite pleasant to have people one trusted for more than personal gain. She was rather new to it, before it had just been Ada and her. That woman had convinced Lily that she was all they needed, that friends would inevitably betray her. Now they knew better. Letting people in still scared Lily, but Dimitra could hardly be described as terrifying.