Pestering seismic_sense

[allbedestroyed]

It takes a while to scour the compy pen for any escape routes, and then another while to check all the others since Muldoon can't help but be thorough. Then there are people to needle (metaphorically, of course, he's not the metalbender), and a change up in security measures to oversee. All before he does anything to step outside his workplace.

Thankfully Lin Beifong is as dedicated to her work as he is to his, so he's not too concerned about how late he arrives. It doesn't make it any less strange coming into a police station with a metal cage in hand. He can't quite tell if it reminds him of dealing with pest control or whether it makes him feel like one. In this case he supposes he is acting like pest control. Even if he would fight anyone who tried to hurt the silly creature.

After being directed to the appropriate door, Muldoon takes a moment to clear his head and remind himself to stay focused. Then he knocks on the door.

Comments

[seismic_sense]

"Come in," she says, with her usual irritable tone - it could, after all, be one of the many things that are, at current, getting on her nerves. From city councillors questioning her budget, to the latest round of Triad lawyers insisting that their precious little angels are innocent of the massive bevy of crimes ascribed to them.

Or possibly the Avatar has blown something up again. Or her friends. Always a distinct possibility.

The Compy is in a nearby cage, and if anything look far more content than when it arrived. The weird animal has drawn a lot of attention and, as a result, has been conspicuously well fed by her officers.

[allbedestroyed]

Usually he's the one being irritable when people disturb him while he's doing paperwork, so he certainly won't take it personally. On the contrary, he smothers a smile as he steps inside, sure that the police chief would be more welcoming if she realised it was someone coming to pick-up the compy.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting, chief Beifong," he starts with. His gaze hones in on the runaway dinosaur looking a lot happier than he'd expected. "But I'd thought you'd want me to take her off your hands."

[seismic_sense]

She relaxes visibly when she's sees who it is, though it'd take an expert student to catch that.

"No, you're right on time. And I'm glad - the precinct has named her. Azula, as it happens, in case you're curious. Cunning and bitey - it fits, from what I remember of the stories."

She sits down behind her desk, fishing open a drawer.

"Though she's leaving behind quite a story."

[allbedestroyed]

Muldoon isn't an expert on reading Lin (yet), but he takes it as a good sign that she's not immediately irritated with him. Much like he would with a wild animal, he takes that as permission to approach his runaway.

"That's a very good name," he admits, bending over to give her a visual inspection for any sign of injury. "If you're not careful my boss will suggest the precinct adopt her and make a big publicity stunt out of it."

Straightening, he perks up at the mention of a story. "Did she get into a lot of trouble?"

[seismic_sense]

"No, just being well-fed by every curious cop in the place," she replied with a sigh.

She passes a folder across the table to him.

"And others got in plenty of trouble on her behalf. Turns out there was significant preparation for an exotic animals market. Made some pretty big busts - and turns out the local Triad behind it had bigger plans than just trafficking illegal animals."

[allbedestroyed]

Of course she got pampered and fed plenty. If compys were pets they'd all end up much rounder than they're naturally meant to be.

The sight of a folder grabs his attention, however, and he turns to face Lin properly as he starts to flick through it. Soon enough his characteristic frown returns.

"When I inspected the grounds there was no obvious sign of a break in. Either it was earthbenders who tidy up after themselves, or an inside job to grab her. I've changed the patrols to exclude anyone who was on duty five days ago while I'm looking into it."

Raising an eyebrow, he looks over the folder. "What were their bigger plans?"

[seismic_sense]

"Oh, it was an inside job - that's page eight. They bribed a handler and two of your dock personnel. I've got their names for you."

Efficiency, thy name is Lin Beifong.

"And they were - if you'll credit it - hoping to steal the cloning technology, set up their own lab and then - no word of a lie - host dinosaur fights."

[allbedestroyed]

As soon as she confirms his suspicions, he flies through the papers to get to page eight. Wide eyed, he scans through the details, putting those names to memory even as the rest of her words sink in.

Immediately his head snaps to Lin, fury already ramped up to eleven. "They what?"

His hands tighten, struggling not to crumple the file in his hands until he exhales slowly, forcing him to calm. Or at least postpone his anger. "Did you arrest them?"

[seismic_sense]

There's a bit of a pleased look on her face at the last question. Though the entire thing has been a theatre of the absurd from start to finish.

"Please, I arrested every last person it was within my jurisdiction to arrest - one's still on your, uh, island and that'll be your responsibility. The others are all in my cells."

She shakes her head.

"It's an impossible scheme, from top to bottom - but these last few years have made them seem suddenly possible."

[allbedestroyed]

Muldoon pressed his lips into a thin line, though the corner of his mouth quirks into a wry smile. "Thanks for leaving me one."

And he means it. At least this way he gets to channel some of that pure indignation into catching someone. The very thought that someone dared to steal an animal from him riles him up no end.

He sympathises with that frustration. Lin's right. The world is going mad. It's always going mad. "Never underestimate what people will do. They'll find a way to surprise you anyway. You might as be expecting it."

[seismic_sense]

"Have to leave something for the hunter," she quipped. She knew him well enough to know he enjoyed a good chase as much as she did. And it helped him stamp his authority on the place a little harder. Given events, that hardly seemed a bad thing.

"Around here that's practically prophetic - but still, it was unlikely they'd ever succeed. Dreams in smoke, most of it - but the smaller plans, like selling your little, er, Comp-sog-nathus..." (carefully sounded out) "as exotic pets? That would've been doable."

[allbedestroyed]

All in all, it's sound logic and a sensible move. Not one everyone would have gone with, so he's grateful it's Lin he's dealing with and not someone so hot-headed as to be blind to any repercussions.

He squashes a smile at the careful pronunciation lest she think he was amused by her attempt instead of appreciative of it. She doesn't need to know what the animal is, after all, but that makes her bothering to learn its name all the more respectful.

As she speaks, he nods his head. Things could have gotten out of control fast. "I owe you one. I doubt you'll ever need expertise like mine, but if you do ever find yourself in need of a 'hunter', I'd be more than happy to help."

[seismic_sense]

"If I do, I know who to call. Assuming one day I can't lure you away to join up as a detective," she quipped, leaning back in her chair.

She genuinely believes his talents are being wasted working for that rich Hammond. He does at least aim to hire the best, but...ah, so much possibility.

And, to be fair, she can always use those same talents. The only detective she has right now worth his salt is Mako, and half the time he's off helping the Avatar. The rest are what you'd get if you founded a school for the thick-headed and gave it a good shake.

[allbedestroyed]

'Detective Muldoon' doesn't sound half bad, to be fair. Plus, he'd get to work under Lin.

For.

He'd get to work for Lin.

Clearing his suddenly dry throat, he shakes his head. "I'm much better at animal behaviour than human. Besides, I'd hate to end up frustrating you as much as I do my current boss."

[seismic_sense]

"He hires for money. I hire for talent. We're all paid crap here."

Said with a chuckle as she reaches into a drawer, fishing out a bottle.

"Join me? I'm officially off the clock as of now," he says, nodding towards the office clock, which has just hit the hour.

[allbedestroyed]

Muldoon's brow twitches up and he pauses to flick through the file again, looking for that one remaining culprit. Once he remembers the man, he relaxes. The person is a follower, not a mastermind. It's unlikely he'll manage to get off the island, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

"Let me make a phone call and I'm all yours."

The call doesn't take long. He just needed to make sure the culprit wasn't let off the island, and that someone kept an eye on him. With that all sorted out, he sighs and sinks into a chair.

"I didn't know you ever got off the clock," he admits with a small smile.

[seismic_sense]

"Upside of being the boss - I get to decide when the clock says 'time off.' Or whatever I want it to say."

She smiles, pouring out two glasses.

"Besides, I like to reward actual competence."

[allbedestroyed]

"In this case that would be your own." The corner of his mouth pulls unhappily as he watches the glasses fill. "I let this one slip by me."

Turning his gaze back to her, he pushes away that melancholy thought. "Really I should be the one pouring you a drink."

[seismic_sense]

"Hardly," she replied - "you've never dealt with our triads before. They manage to sneak into anything."

She passes the glass over to him, and without thinking:

"Well that'll be for next time."

Is that a slight reddening of her cheeks when she hides it with a glass? Maybe. She ain't telling.

[allbedestroyed]

For someone who can be so strict, Lin is also very reasonable. Muldoon can't help but be grateful for her understanding. He's not sure he'll be able to go as easy on himself, but her words help.

As for the mention of more drinks? He catches that, and though he doesn't say anything his eyebrow does twitch curiously even if he does try to hide it behind a sip of his drink.

"It's good." He eyes the glass to regain his composure before he looks at her again. "Is this how you wind down every day?"

[seismic_sense]

He's more like her than she'd like to admit - she can recognize things in him that she'd see in herself.

"Almost never," she replies. "Usually I hit the gym and get a good workout in."

[allbedestroyed]

Muldoon snorts before he can help himself. "Keeping on top of this city isn't enough of a workout?"

"I've seen what you and your team do." He shakes his head. "If I had to take down triads in full armour every day I doubt there would be anything in the gym which could push me further."

[seismic_sense]

"If they were all this city tended to get, I might agree with you. But in the past few years? Warlords, revolutionaries, counter-revolutionaries - we've gotten the works."

She takes another sip of her drink.

"If I don't push me, someone else will."

[allbedestroyed]

Muldoon watches her thoughtfully, sympathetically. It's not pity, but understanding. Though as hard as he can be on himself and his own work, he doubts it comes close to Lin. He takes pride in his work, he knows its importance, but in the grand scheme of things Chief Beifong simply does more. Saves more people, fights bigger threats, protects against more impressive dangers.

"But you do rest as well, don't you?" Adding a more practical slant to it he adds, "Taking care of tools is important, and in our case, especially yours, our bodies are the tool we use the most. Put through the most, too."

[seismic_sense]

The phrase 'our bodies' plucks at something, and she hides it behind another sip. It's been...a while. A very long while. Since she's been with anybody, and the sudden greedily intrusive thought runs as such: he understands, he is handsome, life is short.

For the moment at least, it gets ruthlessly beaten down.

"I've never been good at being still," she replies.