[PRP] a path for courage to follow (fox & jeremiah)

[azuredreams]

Ashdown Police Department was not large, not like Boston or other metropolitan cities, but it was not small either. Still, Jeremiah prided himself on knowing the people that worked that and having interviewed or spoken with almost all of them.

Though sometimes his interviewing could get a little rigorous but that was because Ashdown had an unprecedented magic population which mean that the people who worked had to be able to handle that.

He certainly did not hope he was wrong about his instincts in regard to a certain employee.

It was why, not long after lunch, the Chief of Police was making his way through the small collection of desks that belonged to those that weren't actually detectives.

"Officer Bliskiss," he said in a polite voice, head tilting slightly, his British accent always evident even after all the years not in England, "I hope you won't mind if I steal you away for a moment?"

demonxpachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

The fact that Ashdown Police Department was on the relatively small side of what she'd been used to was actually something Fox enjoyed. It meant that after a week she'd pointedly gotten everybody's name down and was about three-fourths of the way through figuring out coffee orders between answering calls, redirecting calls, and radioing out dispatch instructions. Definitely easier to nail names down when you had to tell people where an incident had been called in from.

Fox had been wrapping up some paperwork at her desk between bites of a BLT when she'd heard her name and looked up attentively. She took a minute to swallow, nodding. "Of course, Chief. It won't be a problem at all," she smiled brightly, wrapping up the other half of her sandwich and placing it where it wouldn't try to ooze all over anything important (because tomatoes in any sandwich tried to do that, sigh).

"Lead the way," part of her was nervous. Being called into the big man's office was stressful in any job, but she didn't feel she'd been slacking in any way so she swallowed that feeling down. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

It would turn out that the Chief of Police did not drink coffee. The only hot beverage the Chief of Police was found drinking was tea (no sugar, a touch of cream to barely lighten it) and, seemingly, had no issue drinking it immediately while it appeared to be piping hot.

Jeremiah's shoulders rolled out of reflex, as if he was perpetually trying to ease an ache in them, before they settled back into the same posture they were in before. Despite the fact that he was Chief of Police, he held his office door open for her to come inside and sit down. Besides his desk, which was actually quite organized and barely had any paperwork on it (everything was in the OUT bin; Jeremiah was known for being ridiculously efficient and quick at getting paperwork handled among other things), there was a black couch immediately to the left of the door and shelving that ran the length of the wall behind his desk with a window separating it).

"Have a seat, Officer Bliskiss, and relax." As most were naturally nervous. "I am simply wanting to check in with you and see how you're adjusting." His hand flicked towards one of the two chairs in front of his desk before he went to sit down himself.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Fox nodded to Jeremiah as she stepped through the door, standing just a little taller and a little bit more nervously than perhaps she had intended. Taking a moment to take the office in, Fox categorized everything with a certain loose organization inside her head.

As instructed, she pulled one of the seats out in front of the desk, sitting down as primly and professionally as she could. Which basically meant she looked extremely formal.

"Of course, I feel like I'm settling in well. Just enough work for any given day without drowning in, getting to know my fellow officers. Nothing out of the ordinary thus far." Except she was sure that wasn't the limit of what Jeremiah wanted to know.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah carried himself as if he was more than just the Chief of Police, posture perfect and professional. He leaned forward, fingers pressed together for a moment before he sat back once more. For the time being, he wasn't telling Officer Bliskiss to relax- not like he normally would.

There was a reason for everything.

"That's good to hear," he said pleasantly. "You're adjusting to the workload easily enough then?" Since she had mentioned not drowning in it.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Despite the pressure that she felt like exuded from how put together Jeremiah was (categorize that under her list of working goals, would want to be, thnx), Fox maintained her positive smile. Leaning back in her chair, she nodded.

"Yes, sir! It's nothing too new from Boston so it has been easy enough to adjust," the only major difference was there was nobody giving her leering stares of judgement and contempt. Not that maintaining a calm manner when panicked or stressed on the phone was exactly easy.

Azuredreams

I am sorry for the shortest post ;;

 

[azuredreams]

"I'm glad for that." Jeremiah was reaching for his teacup on his desk to take a drink. It was hot enough that it steamed but he took a drink anyway after his finger tapped the side of the cup once and the steam disappeared.

"Ashdown, and it's police department, have something of a reputation because there's so many magically talented individuals in it." The police force did, in fact, have it's own collection of people who had magic, himself included but his eyes often gave that way. "So it can sometimes not be easy to adapt to working here. It's a tight knit group, the last new hire to the force was Detective Lieutenant Kuroda, and I want to make sure you're doing well."

demon_pachabel

it okay! short posts are as good as long posts!

 

[demon_pachabel]

Fox tried really hard to not stare too long at the cup of tea. 'Be observant' was a great trait for a cop to have. In Ashdown, however, there was a lot to observe and okay she kind of knew magic was going on but that seemed really useful. It wasn't an obvious lingering look, but she'd watched the cup for a whole extra 7 seconds before Fox's attention turned back to Jeremiah's face as he spoke.

"I was born and raised in Ashdown. Our reputation got brought up anytime someone heard that fact," and every time she said she was heading back home. She'd been reminded no less than 13 times that she was likely going to have a more difficult time here because of all of the magic. Spooked Fox going back to Spooky Ashdown.

"Yes, I actually spent some time with Detective Kuroda at the practice range a few days ago. It..." it was a very quiet experience. "it was humbling." For both of us. But I won't tell you that. "I'm starting to get a decent feel for everybody, though."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Honestly," Jeremiah spoke once more after he took another sip of his tea, "I once returned back to England and was completely taken off guard because they had even heard about Ashdown. Mind, this was years ago but it was still a touch unsettling."

He shook his head, passive expression twitching upwards in wry amusement before he raised an eyebrow at the mention of the practice range.

"I'm sure it was. Detective Lieutenant Kuroda is still in the process of recertification after an incident here after New Years but he's a good man and an excellent marksman." Though Jeremiah himself still held status as best marksman but he was, to be frank, cheaty. "If you can get along with him, Officer Bliskiss, you'll be able to get along with anyone in the department."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"He wasn't that bad to get along with. There's a clay shooting range a little ways out of Ashdown that I think we'd both do well to visit when we get an opportunity." What went unsaid was that they mostly just watched each other not shoot all that well and were frustrated. But perhaps that was a stepping stone to start at least a camaraderie with.

"Even that far? I find it hard to believe that Ashdown is the only..." Fox wasn't sure of the word she was looking for, "there aren't other concentrations on our level in other countries?" She was aware they were a very unique situation and it wasn't like Ashdown was ever compared to any other city that perhaps also had a high concentration, but she found it hard to believe that there wasn't something in even China or India or-

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I know which one you're talking about," Jeremiah replied, nodding in agreement. "He'd probably enjoy it. It can be incredibly satisfying to do some shooting like that." Though most of the satisfaction of it was gone for him for one reason or another (see: magic).

"Even that far." While moving he was actually pulling out what was a small container with tiny, tiny muffins. They smelled amazing and tasted equally amazing- the container was held out towards Fox to have. (... as she had probably already heard about the Chief of Police's cooking. As in he was amazing and tended to leave baked goods in the break room to be eaten by the officers.)

"There are not, to my knowledge, any other places with such a high concentration. You could have an entire career in the police force in some place like New York City and never encounter magic but here?" His lips twitched sardonically, eyes alight with wry amusement. "They've even made a television show that's based on Ashdown because of the uniqueness of the situation."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Based on my limited interactions, I think he'd find that kind of practice more...satisfying?" was that the word she was looking for? "Useful." There it was. "More useful."

Fox was considering the logistics of just a city on the east coast having their level of magical concentration when - muffins. Muffins that had no business being that tiny look at them. She'd definitely heard the rumors (only rumors because most baked goods in the break room tended to have vanished before she ever had any) and as the container was offered out to her, she took one. "Thank you."

"Well, I know that even in Boston," which was close enough that she knew a handful of people from Ashdown commuted there for work a few times a week, "magic was like a...side note. A passing 'Maybe, but most likely not' sort of thing." Why had that never struck her as extremely strange before? "A TV show? Is it any good?" she asked, as though he had seen it.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Both satisfying and useful apply, I believe." Jeremiah's expression finally shifted, more of himself seen beyond the neutral expression he had for most of this meeting. Especially because she did not hesitate to take a muffin.

This was important because not taking muffins could be detrimental. Seriously, who turned down free baked goods? No one that was good, that's who.

"You could almost say we're not talked about despite being talked about because sometimes people think that the city might just be able to curse another city to be just like it ..." This was said in a way that implied he had heard it before. It was very stupid. The question about the show, however, had him rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "Inaccurate at it's best, complete rubbish at it's worst. It's a Law and Order spin-off."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"That's a shame. I guess to be expected when the people writing it probably have avoided Ashdown as though we're next to the Hellmouth." She'd always imagined such a place would have been in Turkmenistan. They did have that forever burning hole of fire after all. So much fire.

"So we're being treated like the fair folk. Don't believe in the fair folk but respect the hell out of them because they'll mess up your existence." Because fairies and spirits were hardcore. She'd never met either, of course, but there was enough evidence.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Officer Bliskiss," Jeremiah's tone was serious but his eyes were glinting (with amusement), "we are not next to the Hellmouth- we are the Hellmouth."

Take from that as one would but he was already slightly amused by that when she spoke about the fair folk.

"Absolutely," he replied, entirely nonchalant, "because you could be dealing with the fair folk at any given point within Ashdown and not know it." Jeremiah Mercer, Chief of Police, was amazing at saying stuff like this with a completely straight face.

demon_pachabel