[Ellen]

[notfaking_it]

After spending most of the day at the dance studio, Lily had returned to the Compound to shower, change and eat before she found herself standing on the boardwalk, her gaze drifting from the Hub, back to the Compound and then down the path in the direction of the Winchester. It wasn't often she felt at a loss for what to do, her time most often

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[shewaswarned]

The last night she'd been here, things had gone slightly more different than she'd originally planned. Ellen isn't one to complain, though, not when it gives her the ability to forget about things like David, the memories that haunt her during the day without the power of sex or alcohol to blur them. Unlike last time, she's not wearing the infamous black dress, the one that landed her so many compliments, but that's probably because she hasn't found anything like it in the clothes box since. Tonight, she's dressed more casually, a pair of khaki shorts and a spaghetti-strap blouse, crimson silk stark against her slightly tanned skin

[notfaking_it]

It's as much of an invitation as Lily needs and she picks up her drink off the bar, then weaves around the few people standing between them to come to a stop near the woman whose gaze she's met. Her hair is still a little damp and she sets her drink down on the bar to twist it up before she fishes an elastic out of her pocket to secure it into a bun

[shewaswarned]

She's definitely a dancer if her first instinct is to secure her hair up like that, in a bun so precise and yet so effortless that it doesn't even look like she's done much to get it to look that way - which she hasn't, at least not this time, and Ellen's witnessed it for herself.

She looks down into the contents of her drink when the other woman speaks and shrugs one shoulder, lifting the glass to her lips and taking a brief sniff before she sips just enough to wet her lips. "It's not terrible, but it does the job, and it's definitely strong. I'm trying to pace myself tonight," she adds. "Last week, things got a little interesting after one too many martinis."

[notfaking_it]

Lily can't help her smile at that, unable to count the number of times things have gotten a little interesting -- both here and back home -- after a few drinks. Or a few pills. Whatever the case, she understands that moment when one finds themselves in a situation they hadn't necessarily intended on being in when they'd set out that evening. As far as her experience goes, that isn't always a bad thing. If not for situations like that, she likely wouldn't have met Gwaine at all, and she's certain that Nina would never have gone home with her if the rave hadn't happened.

"The good thing about the island is that there's nowhere to be in the morning, so you can nurse that hangover for as long as you need," she points out, then offers her hand. "I'm Lily."

[shewaswarned]

Ellen takes the offered hand in her own, noting its slender quality but unable to ignore the strength in the handshake as Lily clasps her hand.

"Ellen. And I guess I wouldn't say I had any regrets," she confesses, with a slight tilt of her head, dropping her hand after a moment to curl it around the small tumbler. "It was interesting in a good sense, but not one I'm eager to repeat so soon afterwards. Not right away, at least."

[notfaking_it]

"Trust me when I say there will be plenty of chances on this island," Lily answers with a grin, then leans her forearms against the bar, her hands wrapped around her drink. "Are you new?" She doesn't look familiar and Lily does spend a good portion of her time watching people, if not always meeting them. There are times when she's wrapped up in herself, as with most people, but she's far more perceptive than others usually think and she hasn't seen Ellen around before.

"If you're not, then you already know what I'm talking about," she says. "But if you are, then you'll find the population here loves it parties." And Lily finds no reason to complain about that. She's met some interesting people at those parties and has a chance to dress up, when the island climate doesn't call for pretty dresses and high heels on most days.

[shewaswarned]

"Fairly," Ellen replies, her own position relaxing a little when Lily's does, though she doesn't quite lean over the bar. It occurs mostly in her shoulders, as she allows them to slump slightly, unconsciously giving herself permission. "Probably relatively new, compared to most of the people here."

The fact that there are parties to go to is something of a relief, though Ellen imagines there aren't many ways for the people here to really get together in large groups aside from those kinds of events. It breaks up the doldrums of the day-to-day, and it gives everyone on the island a chance to get to know each other in a place that isn't related to classes. "I guess I'll just have to make an appearance at the next one," she decides.

[notfaking_it]

"The next one will be... probably after the elections," Lily said, after a pause, thinking back to the schedule of the parties she'd seen in her time. Unless, of course, there was another rave before then, but those were different from the parties that the entire island seemed to attend. "But then there will be New Year's Eve, I'm sure, and Mardis Gras and countless others. There's always reason for a party, it seems."

And when there wasn't, there was the Hub or the Winchester or even the club. All sorts of places to go for entertainment. "So where are you from?" Lily asked. "Prior to your extended island vacation."

[shewaswarned]

"I'm sure there'll be a party long before that," Ellen counters, reaching for her drink. She doesn't take a sip right away, though, instead allowing her fingers to curl around the small tumbler for a beat or two, holding, and then she finally lifts it to her lips.

"Manhattan," she adds, looking over at Lily. "And yourself?"

[notfaking_it]

"I'd just moved to Manhattan," Lily answered, pleased that there seemed to be so many people who had come from the same area. Although she wasn't a born New Yorker, she'd loved it there, fell into living there with ease. "I'm originally from California, though. San Francisco."

Which was another place she'd loved. There was nowhere in the world she'd been that was anything like San Francisco and as much as she'd loved New York, the two were very different. She couldn't have picked one over the other.

[shewaswarned]

"Really," Ellen murmurs, raising an eyebrow in interest. "That must've been something of an abrupt change."

She's never been to California, personally, but it definitely sounds like a drastic move to make, and people that do wind up doing that usually move for one of only a few reasons. "So, which was it? New job or old ex?"

[notfaking_it]

Lily laughed, because that was certainly to the point and she liked that about people. "New job," she answered. She wasn't the type of woman to move for a man, any man, new or old, but the job had been a very different story. "A ballet company, actually. So great new job, not the kind you want to pass up if you're a dancer."

And she was still very glad she hadn't balked at the opportunity. Doing so wouldn't have been like her, but there were plenty of people who didn't want to move across the country for anything.

[shewaswarned]

"Most people only move for either one of those reasons," Ellen explains, smiling slowly. "But you didn't really seem like the type to move for a guy, anyway, so I'm glad you proved me right."

She's suspected as much about Lily's occupation, too, especially given the way she had spotted her moving across the bar earlier. It wasn't walking so much as floating effortlessly, as if she barely weighed anything at all - and truth be told, she probably does. "Especially not in New York," she agrees. "You must have made a good impression."

[notfaking_it]

"I would say that I hope so, but to be honest, it doesn't matter much here," Lily said with a grin. She'd been Nina's alternate and after only a short period of time at a new company, that was a fairly big step, but as long as she was on the island -- and Thomas wasn't -- she wasn't going to have to worry about being anyone's alternate.

Thomas was the only person who might have even tried to put together a performance. Now that he was gone, Lily was sure most of her dancing would be done on her own.

"What about you?" she asked. "What did you do back home?"

[shewaswarned]

"Well, there's the studio, isn't there?" Ellen points out, reaching for her drink to steal a small sip. She's seen it on one of her many walks exploring the island, even if it's a long ways from the hut she's finally claimed as her own. Lily's question has her smiling wryly, glancing into the contents of her glass as she tilts it slightly, listening to the ice clink against the inside.

"I was a lawyer. Key word being 'was'," she replies. "I'd actually just made up my mind to take a break, for a little while, before I showed up here."

[notfaking_it]

No matter where she turned on the island, it seemed like she just kept on meeting lawyers. Not that Lily minded at all. So far, the lawyers she'd met tended to be some of the people whose company she enjoyed the most. Maybe she'd find that good luck streak continuing with Ellen.

"Why the break?" she asked, tipping her head slightly. "I mean, hell, if that's way too personal, I get it." But she was curious. There was no sense denying that. People tended to find the thing they loved, Lily thought, especially when it was the type of career that took a lot of work.