Diana is a wonder (whipoftruth) wrote in doorslogs, @ 2014-02-13 22:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | barbara gordon, wonder woman |
WHO: Aaron Tighe and Matt O'Malley
WHERE: The LVPD office
WHEN: A bit ago when Aaron was still pretty new!
WHAT: New co-workers meet and chat.
RATING: Light!
STATUS: log; complete
Aaron stared at the stack of paperwork on his desk and wondered how. How had it come to this. How had it already started. How had he only been there at the precinct for a few days and there was already paperwork to fill out. He would have thought this little stereotype becoming true was hilarious if it wasn’t his life now. Some time later he was only halfway through, and he ran his hands over his eyes to wake himself up. He reminded himself that this is what he wanted. He wanted something quieter, something different, and this was it. Now he just had to remind his brain that so it would stop wandering and his eyes that so they’d stop going cross-eyed. Setting them aside he pushed away from his desk, heading toward the coffee machine and hoping for a pick me up. As he passed the others in the precinct, he gave them perfunctory nods. Most everyone had had already been introduced to and he filed their names away, but as far as knowing anyone, he hadn’t gotten his feet wet that far. When he sidled up to the machine to pour himself a freshly brewed cup, he only inclined his head slightly to see who had come in. Matt was at home at his desk, but that's because it often doubled as an actual home. He'd been there many times after hours, sleeping at his desk or trying to ignore sleep while he worked on a case. He took on extra paperwork and left the coworkers with actual lives the chance to go home at reasonable hours, like his partner Luke who had a wife and kids to worry about. He liked the office. His desk was orderly and he had a stash of snacks in the drawer, but he wasn't worried about people stealing his food. Matt liked fresh fruit and vegetables, and people were more likely to ask what the hell was in his tupperware than try to snatch it. He'd been there for years now, and that meant he carried his experience on his shoulders like it was a suit of armor. It wasn't until recently he really started to come out of his own shell, having worked in a polite but distant way for awhile now. He never thought losing his damn mind to some crazy ass magical hotel would lead to meeting new people. But now he had Luke and Jenny, and he talked to the faceless often nameless people on the network. It worked for him, better than meet and greets. He knew Aaron; everyone knew about new cops. They watched curiously to see how they'd fit in, what kind of worker they'd be, if they could be counted on. Matt was more observant than most, his background training meant he saw things others didn't, made notes in his head. He wasn't planning on running into the guy when he came toward the coffee machine, but they made eye contact, so guess it was time. He had a teabag in his mug, preferring herbal refreshments. "Hey. We met before, for all of ten seconds. I'm Matt O'Malley. Welcome to the daily grind." Aaron’s lips came up briefly in the barest hint of a smile, more of a polite attempt at a facsimile at that. He wasn’t rude by nature; simply not gregarious enough to go through the motions. But he met the greeting with a polite nod as he poured his coffee. “Aaron Tighe,” he said though he knew that his name was easier to remember. Recalling one fresh one over remembering a whole precinct of new ones? No contest. Stepping away from the machine, he moved to the side instead of heading back to his desk. He would do himself no favors from avoiding anyone (or everyone) and he turned to look at O’Malley. “Tea?” It wasn’t the mildly interesting train of conversation he had planned (or thought he might wing) but when his eyes fell upon the small string curved out from the man’s mug, he had been too surprised not to comment. “I’m sorry. That--was unexpected.” To say the least. The name was easy to remember. Matt's less so, since O'Malley was a common Irish name, and Matthew was even more so. Normally people remembered his bright red hair and slight Jersey accent long before his name. He wasn't going to take it personally if it took the guy a few months. "Good to meet you again, Tighe." It was common cop procedure to go by last name instead of first. Made things easier. Jenny and Luke were Simms and Henry, even off duty. Matt smiled and shook his head lightly. "Don't worry about it, you're just getting started early." He filled up the mug with hot water while they talked. "I went organic a few years back. No caffeine or meat. I had a detox liquid diet for a week, but the boss required me to get off it, since I threatened to shoot people." Only somewhat joking on that, but it was funny at the time. They were a normal precinct; people talked smack occasionally. "If you see green sludge in the fridge, that's usually mine." “Same to you, O’Malley,” he said with another nod, committing the name to the face as best he could. The red hair helped matters and the accent was filed away as well. Hair. Accent. Tea. O’Malley wasn’t altogether forgettable at least. “Any suggestions on who I should be remembering? Besides everyone.” Prioritizing would make things a bit easier. He couldn’t help, however, making a slight face at the talk of dieting. To each their own but no meat? No coffee? It didn’t sound like much of a life. “More for me then,” he quipped easily, taking a sip of his black coffee. “You don’t miss it? Any of it?” It was certainly possible of course, but why choosing it as the better alternative to some life’s pleasures was still strange enough to talk about. "Higher ups, as usual." Matt hesitated. He'd seen Tighe's name on the community, but they weren't exactly the types to talk about it in public. That was what good code was for. "I think you'll find you have some specific things in common with Luke Henry, Abby Simms, Carmen Torres, and Abby Kenealy." He probably saw the names on there, unless he hadn't made the comparisons, but they occasionally locked to the LVPD to discuss general things. It was a strange little club. It wasn't helpful to see people on there discussing law breaking though. "I don't, most of the time. I worked overseas and internationally for a time, with the Peace Corps and other organizations, we occasionally were in places when food options were limited. And caffeine didn't exist. I got into the habit." He ate meat back then too, when it was the only thing offered, but it was more difficult to cook and get a hold of in some places. That was more or less Matt's cover story with a grain of truth to it. He was recruited into the CIA right out of college. Once a spy always a spy. "But if you ever need tofu recipes, I've got it covered." Aaron had seen the names before, but getting confirmation was always good. Knowing that someone else was seeing the same things as he was, made the secret of having fictional personas beating around your head easier to bear. Not that he would ever get used to the idea of walking through a door and switching places with a young, redheaded, superheroine. He supposed there were worst lots in life. “I traveled a fair bit too. Sometimes in cities, sometimes more remote,” he admitted. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. It’s not like he was blatantly saying he worked for the CIA. “Had to eat what was available, no matter what it was. That doesn’t mean I’d go back to it willing.” It was a small jibe, but said with a faint smirk, lifting the corner of his mouth. How small of a gesture could change his stony profile. “No meat? No thanks.” Matt didn't know how his mind would've taken it if he went through the door alone. He'd probably suck it up, because he wasn't exactly going to break now, but it was better to share with his partner. And then with his co-workers. They were becoming a team of sorts, although it was all informal since not all of them worked the same hours. But they knew something about the city no one else did. The more the merrier at this point, or at least the more there was to share, the less they all felt crazy and alone. "Did you?" Blue eyes crinkled a little deeper at the corners thoughtfully, but his smile remained even. Of course what he was saying could mean anything. The CIA spoke in codes, but they didn't use them often in public. He'd have to test that out another time, and if Aaron didn't respond, he meant it when he said travel. This wasn't the place. "To each their own, but it's not all sludge. I have fruit at my desk. Only a few people know about it, but it's better than you'd think. I go to the farmer's market every week." Simms and Henry were able to steal some during their shifts. Matt went out of his way now to make sure it had extras. "I think I'm officially the office weirdo all things considered, so you might want to watch how much we talk." It was joking, in truth, but Matt's sense of humor was dry so it came off more serious than it was. Aaron seemed like the type of person who saw through it. “Farmer’s markets, I can get behind,” Aaron replied with a slight shrug, his countenance easing by the second. Slightly, and slowly, but it was happening. “Organic fruits, jams, that sort of thing. But supplementing.” But as Matt said, to each his own. A soft rumble of a laugh was Aarons immediate answer. Right. Matt O’Malley, the weirdo. Like he hadn’t seen the exact opposite from his little time in the precinct. But he appreciated the effort and he nodded along. “I’ll make sure this is a quick chat, so no one gets the right idea. Have to make sure I win all the popularity contests now.” The small smirk widened as he took a sip of his coffee "Organic fruits and jams, also a fan. There's an excellent honey maker there, I'll give you the name some time." Matt didn't expect others to fall in line with his strange way of green living. It started out as a phase that just kept going for months and then years. It was what he focused on after picking up his life and moving away from everything. A new approach to everything. "Smart man. You'll do well here." Matt would keep an eye on him, watch his back with the others, because he was good with gut feelings. Whether they knew it or not, they were all starting to have a pack mentality, the journal experience bringing them closer together. And Tighe was one of them now. Lucky him? "Stop by my desk if you need anything." |