When Lorelei woke up the next morning in her own room and to the sound of screaming coming from down the hall, she realized that Jon Snow was in fact real and here to stay. The scream turned into a woman shouting, and a man's voice quickly joined before she finally heard Ghost's barking adding to the noise. Lorelei sighed loudly, willing herself to get out of bed and heading for Maggy's bedroom.
Jon was cowering in bed still, the sheets pulled up to his neck as if he were ashamed of Maggy seeing his bare chest. One hand was held up, shielding himself from the things Maggy was throwing at him. She was dressed in a short, black dress and strappy heels, clearly still dressed from what was probably a wild night out. "You disgusting, sneaky bastard!" Maggy screeched, throwing a brush directly for Jon's head. "What are you doing in my bed?! What are you doing in my apartment?!"
Lorelei jumped to stand in front of her roommate, her hands waving wildly. "Maggy! Calm down! This is Jon! He's my friend!" this seemed to appease Maggy, if only a little. She looked between Lorelei and Jon, her eyes wide and wild and her breathing heavy. "I'm sorry," Lorelei continued. "I thought you wouldn't be home for another few days. I should've told you."
"That thing was on my bed!" Maggy finally said, jabbing a finger in Ghost's direction. Jon frowned. "What if he has fleas? What if-" she was cut short when Maggy finally saw her reflection in her vanity mirror. A hand flew up to her red hair, combing through it furiously and rushing over to the mirror and completely forgetting about both Jon and Ghost. "I look awful." she groaned. Jon looked at Lorelei slowly, clearly still afraid of her friend. Ghost however was not phased, and quickly jumped back onto the bed to settle next to Jon.
And just as if nothing had happened, Maggy spun around and clearly pleased with her appearance, smiled sweetly at the trio. "Sorry...I didn't mean to startle you. You just surprised me." Jon truly seemed at a loss for words.
"I should be the one apologizing...Lorelei said it would be alright." Lorelei glared at him.
Maggy looked over at her friend, tilting her head. "Where exactly did you two meet? I've never seen him before...and I think I'd definitely remember meeting him," Lorelei's glare shifted to Maggy, before suddenly softening. What was there to be mad at Maggy about?
Jon took the two women having their staredown as an opportunity to sneak out of bed before they noticed. But of course, it didn't work. Maggy looked over at the Jon's movement, her eyes growing wide. "Wow." Lorelei looked over, eyebrows furrowed, to see just what had Maggy so amazed. Jon was staring at the gaping girls like a deer in headlights, stark naked and suddenly remembering himself that he was undressed. His hands shot up to shield himself yet again, his face turning bright red. "He's a shy one, huh? Seriously, Lor, where did you meet him?"
Lorelei blinked rapidly, looking away from Jon. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she could think of her answer. "Er...from work! He's new. Just transferred from a museum back home." Jon smiled and nodded along with Lorelei's explanation.
"I see...where are you from, Jon?"
"The North." Jon said, Lorelei wincing.
"Oh, you mean like Canada? ...With an accent like that?" Lorelei decided to cut in before Jon dug himself in even deeper.
"He's from...British Columbia!" she said. This seemed to please Maggy (sadly) and she simply shrugged. "Let's let him get dressed huh? Come on Maggy!" she grabbed her friend by the wrist, pulling her and out of the room. She let out a loud sigh of relief when they made it to the living room.
"Lor, he's gorgeous. You said he's just a friend? He's not seeing anyone is he? He can't be. He's so fit...and that accent! Sure, he seems a bit shy, but he'd warm up to me eventually wouldn't he?" Lorelei was growing more and more annoyed with her roommate's rambling. She was trying her best to drown her questions out as she rummaged through the kitchen to find their coffee maker. "Lor? Do you think he'd be interested?" what a silly question that was. Of course Jon would be. He wasn't blind. All men fell for Maggy eventually.
It wasn't that Maggy's looks far surpassed her own. Lorelei knew she was attractive enough. But since she buried herself in her work, she just didn't have the time to go out and meet anyone. She didn't enjoy going out on weekends nearly as much as her friend. And Maggy's charismatic attitude paired along with cheekbones to die for was enough to lure a man in like moths to a flame.
But of course it didn't bother her that Maggy was interested in Jon...necessarily. She wasn't jealous, she had no reason to be. In all good conscience, Lorelei couldn't let Maggy start a relationship of any kind with a man that had travelled centuries through time and could very well go back as soon as the next day. That was all. Thankfully before she had to come up with yet another lie, Jon emerged from the hall, finally fully dressed.
She decided it was probably best to forget the coffee. The more time the two spent around Maggy the more likely one of them would slip up on a lie. "Come on, Jon! I promised we would go shopping, remember? We can grab breakfast while we're out. We'll see you later, won't we Maggy? Wonderful!" she grabbed Jon's hand, all but dragging him out of their apartment and into the safety of the hallway.
"Seven hells, woman!" Jon huffed, stumbling after Lorelei into the elevator. "Can't we ever just walk out of a room? You almost pulled my arm off!" he crossed his arms defensively, noticeably scooting away from Lorelei. She gave him a thin smile in apology, not bothering to give him an explanation. "Shouldn't we be finding a way to send me back to Castle Black instead of shopping?" he asked.
"We're gonna find a way," Lorelei reassured. "But I don't know how long that might take. And even in New York you'll be sticking out like a sore thumb in an outfit like that. This is all part of laying low," she explained. "Just trust me. I have a great eye for detail. You're gonna look great."
"I look ridiculous." Jon muttered, turning in a full circle in front of the full length mirrors that sat outside the dressing rooms of what had to have been the tenth store they'd been in. Lorelei rolled her eyes. For someone that was technically a few centuries old, Jon sure was picky when it came to fashion.
"You don't. This is what men wear now, honest. It's not like those pants you were wearing before weren't as tight as those jeans." she offered. Jon looked down at the pair of black jeans he wore, frowning and clearly uncomfortable.
"They're not very practical are they? How would I ride? How would I fight? How would I...walk?"
"You'll get used to them. And there aren't many dragons and horses in the city. I think you'll be just fine. Honestly, Jon. We've been at this all morning. You look great. Can't you just trust me on this? It's much more inconspicuous," Jon scoffed. "I'm overruling you on this decision," Jon noticeably bristled, but said nothing. He knew she wouldn't let him win this fight. "Now, time for breakfast? ...Or I guess lunch?" she smiled widely and headed off to the front of the store, not waiting for Jon's answer.
She was infuriating, this Lorelei. Always telling him what to do. The idea of it was almost funny to Jon. A small blonde woman with an iron grip on the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He was sure the men back home would have a fit if they saw it, much less if they saw the ridiculous clothes she was dressing him in like he was some sort of doll. But Lorelei was helping him return home, and so Jon would do what she wanted him to. Even if that meant wearing tight jeans.
It didn't take long on their journey to lunch (walking, because Jon did not like the subway) for Jon to catch a few looks. It didn't go unnoticed to Lorelei that this too made Jon uncomfortable. "Aren't girls falling over each other to get a chance with you back home?" she asked with a chuckle. He seemed to be thrown off by her question.
"Me? No. Once we take the Black we vow not to own land, have children...why are you looking at me like that?"
Lorelei shook her head. "Sorry...I just didn't realize. That's...sad." she frowned. While she could easily figure out why Jon would so willingly join the Night's Watch, she herself couldn't imagine feeling so alone to willingly give up the chance at having a fulfilling life the way he had. She realized there had to be much more to Jon than she'd ever realized.
Just as they reached the small cafe she'd chosen for lunch, she decided to change the subject before she ruined the meal by upsetting Jon. "Maggy didn't scare you did she? Maybe I should have warned you about her...she can fly off the handle pretty quickly."
Jon chuckled and shook his head. "It's alright. I imagine I would be pretty startled as well if I saw a stranger in my bed." Lorelei laughed at the idea. She could picture it easily, Jon all red faced and stuttering at the sight of a woman in his bed. "To be honest, she reminds me quite a lot of my sister, Sansa, when she was younger." she perked up. So she wouldn't have to worry about keeping the two apart after all. That was a load off of her shoulders.
"Oh? Is she your only sibling?"
"I have five all together. Three brothers, two sisters," while Jon had seemed happy to mention his sister, something about the talk of siblings had brought back that sad look, and Lorelei regretted asking him at all. But instead of offering any more information about his family, he frowned down at his menu. "...I don't know what any of this is."
Lorelei smiled, waving a hand at him. "Don't worry, I'll order for you." Jon sat back, taking in the small cafe around him until the waitress came by the table. Lorelei ordered two burgers and a milkshake, laughing at Jon's uneasy expression. While Jon clearly wasn't thrilled with all of the changes, she had to admit he was taking it all in stride with minimal complaints...aside from the skinny jeans. "So, I've been thinking about what we can do to get you back home. I can't make any promises of course, but my boss might be able to help...at least in some capacity. He's a bit odd but even he might think I'm insane if we tell him the truth..." she began.
"Do you really think he can? I don't reckon you have many witches or wizards around that could send me back?" he sighed at Lorelei's silence. "I appreciate you helping me, I do. But I think we both need to acknowledge that there is a great chance I won't ever go back."
Lorelei sighed. "Jon, we'll find a way. There has to be something. This can't just be a one way trip. What if Melisandre is trying to find a way right now?" Jon let out a snort. "I mean it! You said that she saw you dying. She somehow sent you through time. I know you said that you don't believe she has powers, but clearly she does. What if she really did see your death?" it sounded crazy. Lorelei herself didn't believe in psychics and witchcraft, but Jon was here. He had somehow travelled through time without any sort of explanation. So now Lorelei was inclined to start believing in the unknown.
"And why would that matter? I swore on my life to protect the realm. Dying sometimes comes with that, it's not a surprise. Why would it matter to Melisandre or anyone else if I died? What could possibly be so important about me?"
"Jon…" she reached forward, setting her hand over his. She jerked her hand away when the waitress arrived with their food, grumbling to herself when she gave Jon an overly friendly smile before she left. Way to ruin the moment, lady.
Jon eyed his food for a few minutes before finally taking a small sip of his milkshake. He noticed Lorelei watching him with an expectant look. He chuckled, nodding in approval. "It's good." Lorelei smiled back widely, proud that finally she'd found a change that made Jon happy.
