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Drowning Kittens Started by: Lillian on May 22, '15 19:28
Lillian shrugged out of her barely dry dress and peeled off her silk slip and stockings. Although she'd lost one of her heels with the pearl button straps, she had miraculously managed to keep her small, pearl encrusted clutch. "Thank God for wrist straps."

Swimming to shore had been a chore with her fur capelet, so with a great deal of remorse she had undone the silk knot clasp and let the sodden ermine sink into the bay. It was a cold, miserable swim back and with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the sinking of the luxury yacht, Lillian had chosen to avoid the dock entirely and had come ashore east of the other boats, finally sneaking around in the dark, one shoe in hand.

She hoofed it until she found a dank little bar still open and asked to use their phone to call a cab. She knew her driver would be asleep, waiting to pick her up the next afternoon.

After the cab had dropped her off at home she boiled a pot of coffee on the stove and emptied her diminutive handbag. Her powder was ruined, as was the little tufted applicator it came with. Her lipstick seemed to have survived but Lillian was struck with an urge to wash it off with soapy water. Finally she came to her derringer and cursed. The inlay had swollen in the water and already the sand had filled nooks and crannies she'd never be able to get into. It would take a professional to clean it all out. With a sigh she put it next to her ruined compact.

Even though she'd just spent the lion's share of her evening in the water, she still felt a chill and the need to get clean. Lillian drew a bath and poured sweet oils into the warm water. A pleasantly scented cloud of steam rose up to meet her as she took out her hairpins and slipped into the claw foot tub.


"Murphy owes me for this. She owes me big time."
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Murphy was more than exhausted by the time she made it to her small flat. The door protested loudly as it creaked open and she grimaced at the sound so early in the morning. Dottie Lovejoy would no doubt put a note on her door reminding her to "oil the hinges lest her unsavory nightly forays cause other residents to awaken suddenly and accuse her of something awful such as being the town harlot." It wouldn't be the first time to be honest. 

Her cat mewled at her, climbing up on the counter as she made her way into the kitchen to boil a kettle of water. Soon the kettle was singing and she made herself a cup of breakfast tea before heading towards the back of her house where her bed was. She knew she should clean up but she was too tired to do much more than finish her tea, pull off her damp clothes, yank on a worn pair of pajamas that had once been her dads, and fall onto the bed for a long rest. It wasn't until her phone rang several hours later that she awoke, fumbling for the receiver. 

"Mmm y'ello?" She mumbled into the phone, eye widening as she heard the voice of her friend Lillian on the other line. Lil had made it safely to shore without the rest of them and Murphy couldn't help but feel relieved. It was a feeling that wouldn't last too long though as she could hear her friends chiding tone. She knew the whole affair the night before had been a huge bust so it was all she could do to hear out her friend. 

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"What happened to 'A fun filled evening with the Godfather?' or 'Lots of champagne and cute guys?' or even 'Let me borrow your extra pair of silk stockings Lillian?'"  Lillian's voice was pitched higher and higher with each question and part of her felt bad for Murphy, since there was no way her best friend could have know that several of the guests on the yacht would get killed before the huge explosion that sunk the luxury ship.  But still, she was irritated and Murphy seemed as good a target as any to get out her frustrations.  

"And anyhow, if I'm doing my calculations right you owe me a new pair of shoes, TWO pairs of stockings, a pressed powder compact, and a new fur stole."  She winced at the gasp on the other end, but knew her best friend was in no financial slouch.  

"Oh don't fuss like that Murph. I know you can replace all of that with no worries.  But my gun on the other hand... it was a present from my father.  I don't like the idea of it being permanently ruined because of this.  What do you say we go out together and find someone willing to fix it?"  After a few more minutes of chatting with Murphy and setting up a date to go get the gun looked at Lillian finally hung up and poured a dash of whiskey in her coffee and say down in her favorite chair.  

"I hope I can get my gun fixed up.  It'd be a pity if the gun I got from my father got ruined before I get a chance to shoot him with it." 

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Murphy held the phone away from her ear a little as Lillian chewed her out over the whole affair. She knew her best friend was upset over the evening where dancing and drinking had turned into murder and nearly drowning. Lillian listed all the things Murphy 'owed' her and she couldn't help but gasp at the demand of a new mink stole. Those were outrageously expensive and SHE was being held to blame for it? Her frown turned to an outright scowl at the receiver and the voice on the other side at the thought of having to dole out money for something she didn't cause. 

"Oh don't fuss like that Murph" Lillian said, as though she could see the incredulous look on Murphy's face. Her mouth hung open as though to say something but she couldn't bring herself to, instead listening to the rest of what Lil was saying about the gun. That gun, which Murphy had only seen once, was a very special one. It, like her own browning passed down from her mother, held a deep sentimental value for Lillian. Hearing that it had been water logged was just awful and she agreed to go out with Lillian later that day to get it looked at and hopefully repaired. After hanging up the phone she paced the floor of her tiny apartment, still angry over the ship sinking and being held to blame. Someone was to blame for that damnable yacht sinking and it wasn't her. 

To top it all off she'd be out a couple hundred alone for the stole, especially one made of mink or ermine and then there was the cost of the hose, powder, and shoes. $500 out and that was a conservative estimate not counting her own things that needed replacing. If she ever found out the lout that set that bomb was still alive she'd run him over with her Packard and go fishing for sharks with him. 

She stormed around the house a bit more, raging to her uninterested cat before she flopped uselessly down on her sofa and pulled out her crochet basket. The mindless task of crocheting the doily that hung limp on her hook was enough to calm her down so that she could go about her day without blowing up at Lillian or anyone else for that matter. 

Glancing at her clock she could see an hour had gone by and slowly she peeled herself up from the couch and walked into her back room so she could get dressed and ready to go out with her friend. They were going to meet in a coffee shop for lunch and then head out to get her gun checked out and fixed up. Once dressed she locked up and made her way downstairs, choosing to take a taxi instead of driving her own car. 

Opening the door she climbed in, adjusting her skirt before closing the door. "Would you take me to Star's cafe please?" She said politely as the driver nodded and drove away from the curb. 

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Samuel was prompt and picked Lillian up twenty minutes early, knowing how much the young woman detested being late.  Lillian looked tense, so he tried to smile wide and act extra cheerful.  There were so many times he wanted to close the door and drive her as far and as fast as he could, away from this city and away from her father, but he knew that the man's reach was long, and as brave a face she put on, Lillian was not quite ready to escape the life afforded to her by her father's business. He silently pondered all this as Lillian adjusted her felted cloche on her perfectly waved hair and then fussed with her lipstick.  She had just put her compact away when he pulled up to Star's Cafe and let the young lady out of the back seat. 

"Have a good time miss, don't let that friend of yours get you into too much trouble."  He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.  He worried that Lillian was falling prey to raucous people in the wrong crowd, and with her father's expectations looming over her, she was eager to escape into a fantasy world.  That type of fantasy only lead to heartache. 

Lillian grinned up at Samuel as she slid out of the backseat.  "Oh Sam, don't be so serious all of them time!  Murphy is swell and I love her like a sister!"  She handed her driver a tip.  "Go have the afternoon off!" 

Lillian danced into the cafe and ordered two glasses of water, knowing she was early enough it would take Murphy a while to show up.  She slowly sipped the drink after squeezing in a slice of lemon, and read the days headlines, finally looking up when she smelled a familiar perfume.  She leapt to her feet and hugged her friend. 

"Murph!  What kind of trouble are we going to get into today? 

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Murphy was used to New York city and its cab drivers. They were the worst but they could get you anywhere you needed in record time. Philadelphia cab drivers were tame by comparison, taking corners at a normal tic, stopping for pedestrians, NOT aiming for innocent bystanders gawking at all the old relics of the city...it was downright boring. She didn't even have to hold tightly onto the door handle once. 

She stepped out of the cab once it had stopped in front of Star's and handed the gent her fair plus a decent tip. He'd gotten her to her destination in one piece, the man deserved to be compensated fairly for it. With that she stepped up onto the curb, fixed her skirt, and turned on her heel headed straight for the door. Her heels clicked softly, her right heel dragging just a bit. She'd always been a klutz as a little girl and even as an adult, she found once in a while her foot would catch the ground and her foot would drag. She didn't trip as often as she had as a girl with bruises and banged up hands and knees, but once in a while it gave off an appearance of being less than sober. Tsking softly she made conscious thought to pick up both feet as she reached the door of the cafe and pushed it open. 

Lil jumped up to greet her and give her a large hug which Murphy found both delightful and offputting. Only a few hours before Lil had been chewing her out over the gun and stockings and shoes and stole, and now she was acting as though nothing had happened. Least she didn't have to pay for a new dress or she'd really balk at her friend, didn't matter how old of a friend she was. 

She she sat down she picked up the small menu in front of her and browsed through it. Without looking up from the listings she replied dryly to Lillian. "I think we've had enough trouble for a week. Lets focus on getting your dad's heirloom fixed up first and then maybe we'll head over to Macy's to look at the fur stoles. I still can't believe you're making me buy you a new one."

She pouted as the waiter came by to take their orders. "I'll have the Earl Grey tea please and a slice of lemon pie." 

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Lillian ordered a slice of pie and a cup of coffee and then hit Murphy in the arm with the fancy menu before she handed it back to the waiter. 

"Oh for God's sake Murphy, stop being such a flat tire.  You know I'm not going to make you pay for anything, let alone my favorite pair of stockings.  Father doesn't even bother to look at what I spend my allowance on."  She frowned and finished off her seltzer water.  "Are you running low on funds or something?  You've been a real piker lately and that's not like you.  You're usually so generous, and lately I've noticed you're all balled up.  It's not like you."  

The pie and hot drinks arrived and each girl dug in to the delicious pastries, but neither of them made eye contact.  Finally Lillian put her fork down. 

"What's really bothering you Murph?  I know you could replace all the things I lost in a heartbeat, hell, I know you could replace them and buy yourself matching duds!  So what's really eating at you?  You know you can tell me.  Unless it's me.  Is it me? Did I do something to make you mad?  I don't care at all what happened to my glad rags, you know that?  I was teasing you on the phone."  Finally Lillian lapsed into a miserable silence as she tried to figure out why her best friend had been acting so cold towards her. 

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"Ouch!" Murphy jumped as the menu smacked her in the arm, bringing her out of the thought she'd been lost in. She rubbed at the spot as she hung her head in defeat over Lillian's chastisement. 

"Oh Lil, I'm sorry! It's just..." She trailed off, trying to stop her eyes from welling up with telltale tears. "It's just the night turned out to be one big huge drag and I feel responsible for it somehow. I know we could go out to Macy's right now and I could buy you a whole new wardrobe and I wouldn't even make a dent in my pocketbook but it's not you or even the stockings or the stole. I got a call this morning from Sirius who offered to take me in but everything has to change again. I guess I'm just disappointed that your one week in New York to have a grand old time started with a bang and a drink and not the good kind."

She laughed at her joke, spluttering tea over the side of her teacup as she attempted to take a sip. "I just feel like I disappointed you even though I had nothing to do with it other than invite you on board for the party. I guess I have been a bit of a sad sack haven't I?"

She sniffed, wiping tea off her face and dress before setting the napkin back down on the table. "I'm sorry for taking out my disappointment and worry on you. I'd be glad to take you out to Macy's and buy you the whole department if you want."

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"Murph, you did your best.  What can you do when someone literally blows up your party?  At least *most* of the guests made it off the boat alive!"  Lillian grinned.  "I guess I should have been more sensitive to you once I made it home, I was just cold and not drunk enough to appreciate the absurdity of the evening."  

She paid the check and got up, taking her best friend's hand.  

"Why don't we go to Macy's?  Even if we just window shop it'll be better than sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves." 

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"Macy's it is but, let's finish our food first, my tea has gotten cold." She gave a sideways frown before finishing her tea in one swallow. Setting the teacup down on its saucer, she grabbed her fork and dug into the last of her lemon pie. The two girls finished their meal and paid their tab as they stood up and made their way out the door. 

Hailing a taxi they took it up town to the Macy's department store. It was cool inside and fairly quiet though the occasional old lady rifling through racks of clothing or the small child hiding in the coat racks could be heard. 

"Where to first Lil? Shoes? Lingerie? The fancy coat section?"

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"Ooooh, let's go the fancy coat section first.  I have to admit, I was loathe to drop my stole into the bay, but it was that or drown fabulously!" After a few hours of touring the store Lillian pulled Murphy aside into a cafe inside the store and ordered a bowl of soup with bread on the side and a cup of black coffee.  After the order arrived she stretched her legs and arms and patted Murphy's arm. 

"Now isn't this just what we needed?  An exhausting day shopping instead of shooting things.  Although, shooting things is more your bag anyhow.  Speaking of shooting things, I called up a gunsmith outside the city and he seemed sure that he could repair the damage to my ruined piece."  She grinned at the cute boy who brought them their order and crossed herself before grabbing a spoon.  

"You could come with me if you want, but I hear he's kind of a crusty old soul.  But I mean, you know how to handle people like that better than I do.  I still seem to exude some sort of silly flapper vibe to people."  She reveled in the flavour of the soup and bread together as she dipped the crusty slice into her bowl and took a bite.  After chewing she took a sip of her coffee and set the cup down on the edge of the table.  

"Anyhow, I'd like to visit you more often, it seems like it'll be easier once I get my present from my father."  She watched Murphy's eyes widen in question and took another bite of bread. 

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Murphy had a blast as they wandered all around the coat section at Macy's and tried different ones on. She couldn't help herself from trying on different styles, oohing and ahhing over the thick wool and creamy satin. "Look Lil don't I look amazing in the ermine?" She asked, twirling around in a calf length woolen coat that had a thick ruff of soft ermine fur on the collar and sleeves. It fit like a dream and felt like a million bucks as she whirled around in it for a few more turns, knocking over her purse accidentally. She stooped over to pick up the clutch, not noticing the black tube of tangee lipstick that had rolled out under a clothing rack. 

After trying a few more coats on she and Lillian took Lil's new fur stole to the counter to pay for it before heading out for a delightful lunch of soup and hearty bread. She found that she was hungrier than she had originally thought and dug into the soft warm loaf of bread with gusto before even touching her soup. "Look crusty or not I'm going with you to get your gun fixed. You of all people know how important a piece is, mine came from my uncle who passed it down to my mom and eventually to me. This browning has seen some action and it still shoots like a dream. I'd do anything to keep it that way and I'm pretty sure you feel the same way about yours. It's sad it got dunked in the drink like that."

Her eyes traced sideways at the retreating form of the waiter who was taking an order at another table and she grinned out of the corner of her mouth as she saw Lillian's doe eyed look. "Stop gawking at that pip or you're gonna have to propose Lillian." She chuckled as she took a sip of her steaming hot soup, pausing over Lillian's announcement that they'd be seeing more of each other more. "What'd he get you an airplane?" 

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Gollum was still taking orders from the two women. He could sense that Lillian thought he was attractive. Maybe it was because he overheard murphy say something pretty loudly. He did his best flexing motion so he could show his muscles off. It looked more like he was in pain. His big beautiful eyes just loomed around the restaurant. Gollum slowly approached the table trying to be as suave as possible but ended up bumping into an elderly women who knocked the table over and spilling a boiling hot soup over her husband.

OHH NO IM SO SORRY! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!! I CAN HELP!

Looking at the husband Gollum grabbed a napkin and threw it at the larger man. He looked more frightened at Gollum than concerned that his wife, the mother of his children was still on the floor. 

HELP her you stupid fat man! 

Any chance of Gollum being able to talk to Lillian was pretty much screwed over. His features grew in disdain at this realization and stormed out of the coffee shop wearing a new blue coat he found on the rack.

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"Murph! I think that waiter just stole my new coat!"  Lillian leapt up from the table, not finishing her thought about her present.  "Oh rats!  What am I going to do now?"  She sat back down as several waiters came to help the hapless couple at the table next to the two girls.  After a few more bites they paid their bill and Lillian huffed back into the main store, insistent on replacing her coat as soon as possible.  She picked out the exact same coat she had JUST purchased and said a few choice words under her breath, turning the air bluer than the wool.  

"Who the deuce steals a coat, a woman's coat no less?"  She continued to huff until she and Murphy were out of the store and on the sidewalk.  "Should we flag down a taxi?  I gave my driver the day off and I'm not sure how much walking I'm up to in these cute little heels of mine."  She grinned at her friend, the upset of her stolen coat wearing off as the late afternoon sun began to play hide and seek between the buildings of the city.  

"If we stop by your place and change I've heard of this great club with some of the most amazing jazz.  Of course we're single girls and all, and I hear the boys there can get a little rowdy.  But still, I haven't danced in ages!"  She gave her best friend a kewpie doll smile and tilted her head to the side.  She knew it was impossible to sway Murphy if she didn't want to do something, but her friend didn't look too opposed to the idea of an evening out.

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