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Post by MP on Apr 25, 2018 13:27:35 GMT -6
The boy stood looking down at the floor, his arms straight at his sides, his face a sullen mask as the adults spoke over his head. He did not look at the man or at the desk between them, which smelled like polish and had a severe, flawless shine. He tried not to hear his mother’s words either, which had a note of apology beneath the pleasantries. But his brow furrowed a little as he pretended not to listen, his ears reddening the barest shade. He stared hard at his shoes instead, the toes still scuffed and torn from Wednesday’s argument.
He knew he was in Trouble. His mother was using the polite, in-public voice that had the “and behave for Agent Lonan” implicit in its tone and threatened a full scolding later if he didn’t. Maybe even if he did. But he still wasn’t sorry. He wasn’t, and all the scolding in the world couldn’t make him, even if they did punish him with a babysitter for it. If he saw that boy or anyone else doing it again, he’d knock them over just as soon, and twice as hard. He wasn’t sorry, he thought again, and the helpless anger and injustice of it all knotted in his small frame, curling his hands into momentary fists when he thought no one was looking.
His name again. An expectant pause. He nodded at his mother’s prompting, a single reluctant bob. Her disappointment in him was an almost physical thing, and for a moment he considered relenting - at least enough to give a proper ‘yes.’ He wasn’t angry with her, after all. Not her. But the thought came to him too late. By the time he looked up, she was already gone, and her disapproval and embarrassment hung like a cloud in her absence. There would be a scolding later. But it was too late to take it back, or to change her mind, even if he was a little bit sorry. Now he was alone with this stranger.
The silence stretched between them. Aaron scuffed one shoe uncomfortably over the ground, not quite looking at the man. He wondered if he was going to be lectured. It wouldn’t be the first time, but it seemed especially unfair coming from an agent, whom he was almost positive it was the law to listen to. Not knowing what else to do, he pushed a bit of lint over the floor with the toe of his sneaker and simply stood there.
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Post by Sharei on May 2, 2018 11:50:09 GMT -6
Isaac stared at the door Lizzie had disappeared through as though the force of his will could make her appear and think better of this entire idea. When she didn't, the frown creeping across his face like the steady and unavoidable march of the night only deepened. It was miles away from the sure, not a problem, whatever you needs that had fallen from his lips only moments ago. He'd agreed almost automatically, and been okay with it, right until he'd thought it through and realized what he'd got himself into. He was glad to help in most cases, but this...
Babysitting? Isaac did not babysit children. He had no time for them - no interest in finding the time for them, even. In fact, he avoided children wherever possible. He always seemed to say the wrong thing or take the wrong approach. How did one even deal with children? Did you treat them like tiny adults? But they were not, in fact, tiny adults. They could not reason like adults and had petty, unsophisticated emotions that could rarely be controlled. Children on the verge of puberty were even worse.
It didn't help that Isaac had little experience with this particular child. Aside from being a part of the team that had saved his mother, Isaac hadn't seen much of him. From what Lizzie had told him Aaron was a troublesome boy with quite the temper. This was no doubt going to be disastrous.
Isaac smothered the awkward distaste and forced the frown from his brow. He put on the best reassuring smile he had - get over it, Isaac, you've already agreed - and leaned over the side of his desk. People in the room were watching them discreetly, checking to see how the vampire would deal with having to watch a human child. Isaac ignored them.
"So... I guess you are with me for the afternoon," he said cheerily. "I hope you do not mind boring cop work."
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Post by MP on May 2, 2018 12:59:08 GMT -6
When the agent leaned over his desk, Aaron had to resist the urge to fidget. He wasn’t sure what to think about the man yet, but he disliked the frown and the feeling of being examined and was sure that a lecture was coming. He’d never been lectured by an actual agent before. The thought sent an uncomfortable little squirm through his gut as he returned the man’s stare. Instead Agent Lonan smiled, features clearing with a smoothness that left Aaron even more unsure.
"So... I guess you're with me for the afternoon. I hope you don't mind boring cop work.”
Aaron considered this, small brow furrowing slightly in thought. The glow of those words, “cop work,” wrestled with his inclination to be wary. He looked up at the agent, unable to fully hide the flicker of interest.
“No sir,” he said carefully. Honestly. And then he stood there uncomfortably, his knowledge of etiquette and conversation exhausted. He would’ve sat down, or gone somewhere out of the man’s way, but Agent Lonan hadn’t given his permission. Lost, still wondering whether this would lead into a lecture somehow, Aaron stood there waiting for instructions.
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Post by Sharei on May 2, 2018 13:24:11 GMT -6
They stared wordlessly at each other over the neatly organized desk until the silence stretched uncomfortably.
Alright, he thought blankly as he turned back to his paperwork. Now what?
Isaac spun his pen between his fingers and flicked a glance at Aaron. The boy was still standing at the side of his desk like some sort of marionette. What was he waiting for, permission? Instead of being excited by the obedience, it left him feeling a bit queasy. Was he going to have to monitor this kid's every action?
There was a seat in front of his desk, as there was in front of everyone's desk when it came to field agents. They were there for suspects, guests, and their boss when he decided to make his rounds and stopped to chat. Isaac hated the man. He was infuriatingly inefficient and spent more time harping about the old days and the old ways than was probably wise. Isaac huffed under his breath and was about to gesture to the chair when he thought better of it.
Kid's been through a lot, he thought with an internal sigh. Lizzie won't appreciate me making him feel like the odd man out.
Decision made, Isaac got up and pulled the chair around so that it was next to his.
"You can sit here," he said and gestured at the chair as he took his own. "How good is your handwriting?"
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Post by MP on May 7, 2018 14:27:10 GMT -6
Aaron stepped back as the agent came around the desk, giving him room to pass. Maybe a little more so than was necessary, but his expression at least was neutral. He followed the chair’s relocation, unsure now whether he wanted the other side of the desk or not. This might not be allowed. He might, Aaron thought with mixed guilt and excitement, see something Top Secret. But if Agent Lonan said so...
He snapped to attention as the agent addressed him, only just catching the question. Again a slight pause as he considered. He seemed to think every answer through, and honestly.
“Good,” Aaron answered uncomfortably, feeling there was a more polite way to put it and unable to think of it.
He seated himself on the chair he’d been given and glanced over at the desk, wondering if he’d really be allowed to help with police work. This didn’t seem like a punishment at all, and the thought was beginning to show in the loosening lines of his shoulders.
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Post by Sharei on May 22, 2018 18:28:10 GMT -6
"Good to know."
Isaac slid a notebook across the desk until it was resting in front of the young man. He put a pen down beside it, perfectly parallel to the edge of the paper. Inside were pages and pages of notes, all work related, all in a smooth cursive handwriting.
"You can take notes for me. I have to compile this report and hand it in, then we're off on patrol. My partner, Cassius, is out at the moment so it'll be just us."
He slid another paper across the table. This one was full of checkboxes in rows and columns.
"Can you tick those off as yes or no as I tell you?" he said, reaching for another page and a separate notebook. "It will go faster that way."
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Post by MP on Jun 9, 2018 20:27:32 GMT -6
A fractional widening of the eyes. The faintest forward posture as Aaron sat up in his chair. He was unable to hide the flash of interest at the mention of a patrol. We, Agent Lonan had said. Did that mean he'd get to come along? That didn't seem like something that would be allowed - especially not for a punishment. He tried not to get his hopes up. He didn't dare to ask. Still, he couldn't see another meaning, no matter how he turned the words over.
He considered the possibility, the furtive excitement, for another few moments. Then he shelved them. Picked up the pen. Held it poised above the paper while he waited for Isaac's word. Maybe Agent Lonan would take him on patrol. Maybe he wouldn't. But if Aaron paid attention here, listened perfectly, showed the man the perfect picture of responsibility, he thought it couldn't hurt his chances.
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Post by Sharei on Jun 18, 2018 15:37:17 GMT -6
They read through the report together, Isaac dictating while Aaron checked boxes and wrote things down. Date of the incident? June 17th, 1998. Time of arrival? 04:04 am. Time cleared? 04:25 am. Zone 005. Reporting Officers: Isaac Lonan and Cassius Lucidus, Fireteam Valkyrie. Type of incident: Break and entry. Were there witnesses? Yes. Were there injured? Yes. Was medical treatment provided? Yes. Check 'on site.' Check 'non-critical.' Was an arrest made? Check yes. Weapons used? Check firearm.
Isaac's red eyes flickered to the boy as he rattled off the make and model and was surprised to find the handwriting was every bit as neat and tidy as Aaron had said it would be. The blocky, small script was worlds away from his flowing cursive, but you could hardly tell a child had written it.
When the last of the little details and boxes had been checked in, Isaac gently pulled the paper back and began filling in the description of the event. A sideways look at Aaron, who was trying very hard not to look curious, made him roll his eyes and read it out loud as he wrote it down.
At 04:00 hours a male identified as John Quinn broke into the home of Stacey and Daniel Jansen, of 2785 Branchley, North Wathais. Daniel heard him and called WDSA Law. Officers Lonan and Lucidus arrived at 04:05 hours, where they discovered Jansen and Quinn in a struggle. Lucidus separated the two and Lonan subdued the subject. Treatment for blunt force trauma to the arm and chest was administered on site by officer Lucidus. Quinn was taken into custody and given Miranda Rights without incident.
Isaac finished the report with a last signature and pushed back from his desk. "Right, that is done. You ready?"
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Post by MP on Jun 21, 2018 8:19:36 GMT -6
Aaron hung carefully to every word, trying to put the picture together in his head. He wasn’t a very imaginative child, and he didn’t wonder about the why of the break-in or the specifics of the fight. The struggle played vaguely out in his mind, and the thing that stood out to him was how...normal it sounded. Like cop shows on TV. He thought they were supposed to be supernatural.
He risked a sideways glance at the man beside him, his expression flat and puzzled. Wasn’t Agent Lonan a supernatural too? He didn’t look magic either. None of them did. While he tried to decide how he felt about this, a voice broke into his thoughts.
“Right, that’s done. You ready?”
Aaron did not jump up immediately. He hesitated, torn between wariness - stranger danger - and the first rush of real interest in weeks. Even if it was safe to go with the agent, was it allowed? He almost looked to the surrounding desks, wanting some source of permission. But in that moment, a greater fear came over him - that the agent would get impatient and change his mind. That he would take it back. And Aaron would never get another chance.
So he nodded instead and stood up, ready to follow. Some of the defensive hunch to his shoulders fell away as he decided.
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Post by Sharei on Jul 12, 2018 18:23:54 GMT -6
Isaac disregarded the gazes that lingered on him when he led Aaron from the room, distrustful and malicious in their intent. He'd probably come back to find something rude scribbled on the back of some report, but then, they hardly needed any reason at all to target him. It was hard, he lamented, to be just a silver badge. He briefly let himself daydream of the day he made Assistant Director and made them all pay for their irritating behavior. Or Deputy Director - that'd be nice.
But Isaac knew himself and knew that he wouldn't be satisfied unless he went all the way to the top.
They went down to the parking garage where the cruisers were kept. They were all unmarked vehicles, all in varying shades of colors, but they were all equipped with the standard equipment inside. The lights were hidden as a second set of headlights and behind the windshield. Isaac snagged a set of keys from the key box near the entrance, signed them out, and then pointed at a sleek, all-black car near them. "We will be riding in that one, the charger."
He looked at Aaron as they approached the car, studying his face. "Do you want to try the lights?"
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Post by MP on Jul 15, 2018 2:42:36 GMT -6
By the time they reached the parking garage, not even the gleaming rows of cruisers were enough to quiet Aaron's doubt. He looked up at the offer, wistful, but the look of flat reserve had returned to his eyes. In the days since their recovery, he'd learned to be acutely aware of outside stares, and he was thinking about how the other agents had watched them. Frowning. Disapproving. It occurred to him that the things Agent Lonan was letting him do - reading reports, going on patrols, trying the lights - probably weren't allowed. Afraid to say yes, unable to say no, he hunched his shoulders and lowered his eyes.
"I don't know."
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Post by Sharei on Jul 15, 2018 8:12:25 GMT -6
Something had clearly turned the kid off going on patrol, and as they walked over to the car in silence, he wondered what it could have been. The possible danger? Isaac didn't intend to take the kid into any sort of actual trouble - Lizzie would never forgive him, and Isaac didn't want to be responsible for a screaming and crying child. The boy would hardly know that, though, so perhaps he was getting cold feet.
Yet, Aaron didn't seem afraid. More - ashamed? No, humiliated, reserved, withdrawn. Isaac knew.
"They were not staring because of you," Isaac muttered as he opened the passenger side door. "A lot of them do not like me very much, that is all."
Probably not something to tell a kid in his care, but Isaac wasn't going to treat the boy like he was an infant with no brain cells to rub together.
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Post by MP on Jul 16, 2018 18:12:45 GMT -6
He took in the explanation with the same passive expression. Now that Aaron had withdrawn, the brief glimmers of interest and excitement were not quick to show themselves again. He seated himself in the passenger side, but he kept his posture straight against the backrest and his hands planted on the seat. He watched the agent come around to the driver's side with careful eyes. It wasn't specific wariness - only the kind of general caution he seemed to carry with him everywhere. After a moment, he risked a question.
"Because you're a vampire?"
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Post by Sharei on Jul 16, 2018 18:38:26 GMT -6
Isaac's gaze drifted to the young man as he slid into the driver's seat and closed the door with a heavy thunk. The leather was cool from the shade of the parking garage and the evening's drop in temperature, but it was still supple, having seen the use of years. He dropped both hands onto the steering wheel.
"Yes," he said, not bothering to sugar-coat the truth of it. One hand moved to the ignition and slid the key in.
"Truth is," Isaac said and drummed his fingers on the wheel, "People do a lot of talking and not a lot of listening, around here. They decide how I am and how I should feel, and how I should behave before they even get a chance to know me or my situation. They reckon they have me all figured out."
He glanced aside at the boy with a raised eyebrow. "Do the grown-ups do that with you, too?"
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Post by MP on Jul 16, 2018 19:47:46 GMT -6
Aaron watched the drumming fingers, one after the next over the wheel. He was not an imaginative child, and he didn't wonder about supernatural reputations or where they stood in the department or even relate these ideas to himself. He accepted the words at face value. These were grown-up things, agent things, foreign and far away from him. It was only when Isaac turned the question to him that he considered.
Aaron looked down at his lap, fingers tracing the stitching of the seat. His expression closed off a little, his earlier scolding running through his mind. He didn’t answer, didn’t even nod, but there was something sullen behind his expression that spoke the words for him, no matter how he tried to hide it.
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