#dilara ⸻ ft. aileen murphy

[hvneymelons]

Closed Starter: @aileenmurphy

"You wouldn't believe the ending! The book it utter chaos." Dee continued spewing words out faster than anybody should be able to process but she was determined to explain and overly passionate. The Three Body Program was a book that she'd first read while in college and to this day hadn't thought it possible for anybody to be able to portrait such a evolved and complicated tale on modern television. The level of physics used, the evolution of life itself and the unknown future that foretold a chaotic and quite likely future. "But, alright." she said with a laugh after taking a deep breath, "Enough of my craziness. What's your recommendation for the week?"

[hvneymelons]

Dee smiled up at Aileen, nodding in acknowledgment as she explained. It was obvious the discomfort her simple gesture had arose in her friend. She could tell in her quick dismissal which only made Dee wonder if Aileen’s been to get checked. “And you thought hiking was the way to test your theory?” She asked with a grin to disguise her concern. If she’d known, Dee would have offered a less straining route. The one they currently followed getting steeper as they walked. “There’s a nice small meadow over to the left we can rest at.” She offered pointing towards the direction. It wasn’t for another five or so minutes, but it was better than having to make their way up the remainder of the hike. Dilara pressed her lips a moment, a blush covering her face at the insinuation behind the question. She didn’t know how to answer for a moment mostly wondering what she should say. One of the many things she lacked in friendships was her ability to fully be transparent with personal or private information. Maintaining a level of professionalism at all times to prevent herself from fully connecting. It was a grand flaw of hers. “Um,” she began glancing towards Aileen’s not so subtle facial expression before chuckling and turning away, “Whatever do you mean?” Aside from her countless encounters with Saul, Dee’s life was pretty bland in that department. It was a reality that she was comfortable with. Getting to know someone new and looking for more wasn’t in her agenda. “I don’t mean to disappoint, but my life is as dry as the wood on your stick.” Dee motioned towards the same stick she’d passed over moments prior.

Aileen's smile slightly dimmed, but then she shook her head and smiled earnestly again. She didn't like burdening people, especially making people worry about her. She wasn't being unrealistic, she knew there were times were she needed help, or needed some form of adaptation to get through life, but making people go out of their way to provide it for her always made her feel like she had failed somehow. Still, she knew there were times when accepting a helping hand was necessary, even beneficial for both parties, so she nodded and took the proffered stick Dee held for her. "Yes, thank you!" she was quick to reassure, waving the problem away with her free hand. "My knee has been a bit mean to me these past few weeks, but I think it is back on track now. I'm just trying to be careful not put a lot of stress on it. The usual." she shrugged nonchalantly, by now used to the constant cycle of swelling her joints took her through.

In a final effort to distract Dilara from turning on her medical eyes on her, she gently bumped her shoulder against hers, her grin turning mischievous. "Anything fun going on with you? And by fun, I mean fun." she wiggled her eyebrows, which Aileen is certain from her it looked comical rather than cool, but she needed some gossip to live vicariously through, considering the state of her own love life. She could deal with a little ridiculousness if that's what got Dee to both switch topics and entertain Aileen with some juicy story.

@hvneymelons

[hvneymelons]

Dee chuckled at the obvious excitement in Aileen's voice. Much like she got with her own books - although those were nothing like Bridgerton, which only made her want to reconsider her distaste for television in order to see what the other woman did. She did her best to avoid most things that related to romance. It was probably why she hadn't actually read the books prior, despite having had purchased them when the hype had first struck. Romance books were hard to get through as it was, but every once in a while she'd give in to the need to remember how it all felt. To feel breathlessly and happily filled with love, only to have it all go away the moment she closed the book. It felt cruel. "I think I just might. You're rather convincing" she admitted with a grin as she took hold of a thick branch and testing its strength against the ground as she walked. "I noticed you seemed a bit cautious." Dilara said, holding nature's cane out to the teacher, "Maybe use this to help take pressure off?" She didn't know if anything was wrong with Aileen's legs, but the doctor in her couldn't help but pick up little signals in her walk which Dee had never noticed before during their hikes. "Are you alright?"

Aileen's eyes widened as she nodded, unable to quell her own reaction. It had become one of her comfort shows, often binging through a season if she was feeling blue, a glass of wine or a tub of ice cream depending on the mood. "It's become such a guilty pleasure of mine. I thought I wasn't going to enjoy this season as much as the last one, and again I was giggling like a little girl by the last episode." she confessed, eyes alight with excitement. She was probably overreacting, it was just a show after all, but the idea of true love the show portrayed always gave her the butterflies.

Her fingers twitched with the need to fiddle with the ends of her ponytail but she stopped herself, aware of needing her hands in case her knee failed on her. Instead, she shily offered a smile to Dee, facing ahead on the trail. "You should give the books a go. It's not a literary masterpiece, but it is definitely a cosy read." she offered, slightly nervous over her recommendation. "Do you have any graveyard shift this week? I think this would be a top choice for that." Aileen would be completely unable to read them in public, as her blush would be seen from the other side of the country, but an empty on-call room seemed like a safe space to give the racier books a go.

@deexkaplan

[hvneymelons]

Dilara grinned at the other woman - she was right for sure. Chaos and science all in one book was just what drove her wild. Right up her alley. But there was something more about that book that intrigued her. The similarities between the plot and what the world had been doing for eons not worried about the consequences. The book put into perspective an outcome that no one would want, but was at the end of the day quite possible. She maneuvered herway around the bit of rough terrain that formed as they traveled, doing her best to keep her feet from getting caught between rocks and wines. Grabbing onto the tree limbs along the way in case of any immediate help. "Not at all! I hear it's super enthralling." she said with a head nod, "I personally haven't watched the series, but I do own the books. Did it meet your expectations?" Spending time at home simply watching television wasn't something she cared for. Television made her space out too much. Think too much, and she preferred to not dwell in the heavy thoughts that lied in there. Reading made it easier to focus on the plot and everything going on with the series.

Aileen was happy to listen to Dee ramble to her heart's content. She liked listening to other people, it gave her time to order her thoughts and just be present, not having to think what to say. Especially when it was something so far from her comfort zone. She loved reading, but she had never been mathematically inclined, so she had shamefully skipped on The Three Body Problem, not wanting to have to put down the book every time she missed a scientific detail relevant to the plot. Listening to Dee's passion was a much healthier alternative.

"It sounds like you had a blast reading it, so a little chaos sounds right up your alley." she smiled, focusing on the ground so her feet wouldn't slip on any loose pebbles. They were trying a new route today, which she loved discovering, but she was cautious not to mess with her knees.

She took a minute, trying to think of what she'd been watching lately, and when she realised there was only one answer, she felt the heat rise up her cheeks. "Is it too obvious to say Bridgerton here? I haven't had the mental energy for anything more plot heavy." And she found the lead hot. But she wasn't going to say that out loud. She let out a slightly embarrassed laugh, shaking her head to dispel the thought.

@deexkaplan