leo fights for her rights. (yeahriot) wrote in mnhttnprjct, @ 2010-04-05 18:06:00 |
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CODY: For all the televised bluster of hunch-chasing, freethinking police dramas, the truth behind most procedure is that it is firmly entrenched in simple routine. For example, an incident of domestic terrorism - for example, an exploding city bus or two - and a note to put the standard amount of pressure on any neighbourhood red flag hotspots gets dropped into the daily dispatch. So it was that Officer Williams was told to make an appearance at Tome Raids on this fine day; his sergeant's instructions were thoroughly vague, and even as he stepped through the front door of the small bookstore he hadn't the faintest clue of what he might be looking for. Truth be told, he'd half expected to enter the shop and find a small posse of hardened, chain-smoking criminals hunched over a craps game, or something to that accord. Finding instead a thoroughly benign-looking bookstore left the large uniformed officer standing awkwardly in the doorway, looking as though he were suffering a particularly bad bout of indigestion. He really wished someone at the precinct would take the time to explain this sort of stuff better to him, really he did. LEO: The phone had been ringing off the hook that morning, and with good reason, as Leo's recent plans for her book shop included the organization of a private printing for recently-censored authors. Of course Officer Williams would not know that this was precisely what Leo spoke about on the phone as she said with an annoyed glance at the figure who had just entered: "Yes, we will discuss shipment orders on Friday." She hung up then and stalked toward the policeman with her wild hair cast over her shoulder and a hand on her hip as she scowled. "Hello, Officer. What may I do for you?" CODY: A distinct shiver ran up and down the length on Cody's spine at the overheard phrase, his mind immediately drafting up all sorts of exciting scenarios of clandestine smuggling operations while simultaneously congratulating itself for its own attentiveness. In fact, he was so busy lost in said thoughts that the brusque woman appearing before him caught the officer largely off guard, his eyes widening in a decidedly unauthoritative deer-in-the-headlights expression. "Oh, ah, well..." He mumbled evasively, his hands coming together to grip his utility belt in what he thought would be a more assertive stance. "I was just... there were reports, in the neighbourhood I mean... I wanted to check..." He drew in a sharp breath and tried to set his gaze into something less flaily and more steely, "Have you noticed anything unusual or suspicious lately, ma'am?" LEO: Leonora Oakley cast a look around the shop at the old grandfatherly man enjoying his coffee while he read a book in a leather chair, at the twin teenage girls who were clearly skipping school to be there, at the young woman who held a toddler on her hip as she peered closely at the spines of countless books, and then she turned back to the officer and fixed him with a prickly and judgmental stare. "No." Her eyes narrowed at him. "Have you noticed anything unusual or suspicious, Officer?" CODY: Cody's gaze followed Leo's as it swept around the room, taking in each distinctly unsuspicious patron with an increasing air of bemusement. His brow furrowed quite thoroughly, and the officer looked unusually helpless for someone with an automatic firearm strapped to his hip. "Well, that depends on your definition of-- This is Tome Raids, right?" Halfway through his sentence he switched tacks abruptly, his body twisting to doublecheck the business name writ across the front window. LEO: "That's what the sign says," she quipped and it was obvious from the tone of her voice that she was annoyed, bored and becoming a little angry. "It's lucky we're so fortunate to have a boy in blue that can actually read. I mean, from what I hear you guys are too busy kicking people out of their homes and arresting innocent people, there's no time to do such a dreadful thing as read. And here you are. Do you want something in particular, officer, or do you just want to waste more of my time?" CODY: In his short time as a New York City police officer Cody has suffered a fair bit of slander and criticism in the line of duty, but his thicker skin was still coming in painfully slow. Furthermore he was a bit more used to suffering the slings and arrows of degenerates and bored hipsters; not otherwise pleasant-seeming small bookstore owners. He received the barbed sentences as though slapped, his jaw slacking and his mouth hanging partially open with hurt and surprise. In the back of his mind, an image formed with absolute certitude of a dispatch captain back at the precinct house having a good snicker at his expense. His lips moved silently for a moment, before he managed the lame defense of, "We don't arrest innocent people." Yeah, that's all he got - but to his credit he said so quite emphatically, without a trace of irony. LEO: That answer was met with a derisive scoff and the crossing of her arms over her chest as Leo scowled at Cody Williams once again. "Unless I'm under arrest or you're here to buy something, you have no business here and I'm gonna to have to ask you to leave before you scare away my customers," she said as she cast an eye at the two teenaged girls who snuck out the front door behind Officer Cody. CODY: Judging by Officer Williams' expression, he might as well have just been told that Koetke had some the country to Russia. A through line of indignation mixed in with his wounded visage, and his lips worked open and shut like an angry fish out of water. "Ma'am, I am an officer of the law-- You can't just-- There's no call for that sort of--" he blustered, trying - and failing - to muster up the obstinate authority that most of his peers would have used to take command of the situation. Instead he released a long, slow exhalation, while seeming to accept her legitimate right to ask him to leave. He hitched his belt one more time and cast a beleaguered glare at Leo. "You know, I'm on your side." He said pointedly, before tipping his hat - now with irony. "Good day, ma'am." And with that he turned to push through the door, possibly with a more firm understanding of why Tome Raids was a red flag in the precinct's database. |