InsaneJournal

Who: Will Graham and Hua Mulan (with a bit of Lara Croft)
What: Comparing notes
When: 1/30
Where: A gun range in Irvine
Rating/Warnings: PG
Status: Complete



Will rationally knew that he might not be the best person to have a gun in his hand right now, but it always calmed him down and helped him focus to visit the gun range. He’d spent a good hour here now, just trying to breathe, zero in on the target and get his grouping under control. He’d had limited success.

There was a woman in the next section of the range. She had a pistol that was a bit too big for her, with a hell of a kick on it. It was frustrating, but in the dreams Lara was running on adrenaline, and awake she wasn't so she noticed the weight and the kick more. She still put most of her bullets in a tight circle in the chest of the target, but it left her sore and her arms trembling. "Shit, I need something lighter for practice."

She checked the clip and the chamber, then started to put it back in the case. Sam was okay with weapons, she knew. Maybe she could get them hers and hers 9mms. Maybe it would help Sam understand Lara's issues a bit better, and help Lara get over them if she thought Sam could handle a weapon safely if she needed to.

She paused to look at Will's form as she passed. It looked good but he looked like he was having control issues. "Put your left foot back a bit and shoot when you exhale." It worked when she was on the archery range and had helped her tighten up today, too.

Will blinked, looking over at the woman, and his first instinct was to snap. “I am a cop.” But he shook his head. “Sorry.” How utterly unlike him. “Sorry. Been a rough few days.” He thought he might recognize her from the network - wasn’t she the one who thought a gun would make her feel safe? - but talk about not being in the mood to continue that date. “My apologies. I’ll try to focus a bit more. Usually the isoceles stance comes like autopilot.”

The Brit shook her head too, "None taken... I was out of line to suggest anything." She tilted her head and then tugged on her ponytail, "Before I leave you be, since you're a police officer, is there any sort of 9mm you could recommend? I want to teach my fiance but she's rather slight, and I need a lighter weapon for practice anyway."

Mulan had walked up to Will's left, and overheard that. Her accent was much less obvious than Lara's. "A glock is a good starter weapon, but if you want something with performance you'll want just about any CZ model. I carried an older one as my personal side-arm when I was in the Royal Army."

Will blinked again, raising an eyebrow - what was it with people interrupting or talking over him? - but he stayed polite. “I’d agree with this lady. A CZ gives a lot of bang for the proverbial buck. As long as you can handle the kick - I speak generally; I didn’t mean you personally.”

"Uhm. Thank you. I'll leave you to your shooting." She nodded and tucked her gun case under her arm, then slipped past. She had been kind of rude and was annoyed with herself over that.

Mulan watched her go, eyebrow raised. She thought that the other woman had seen combat too. She wasn't sure where, but she had.

She glanced at Will. "I do not think I could imagine my...friend holding a pistol."

“I can, but only because a lot of my friends are police officers, like myself. Did I hear you say you were in the Army?” He stuck out a slightly awkward hand. “If so, I’d like to thank you for your service, ma’am.”

She took his hand and shook it. “Allied, at least. I grew up in London, but served in the Middle East for so long that going back to a place with rain and random bouts of cold weather when you least expect it was a shock.” She smiled easily, though it was the polite sort of smile of someone who reserved her real smiles for a select few.

“I imagine.” Will understood; he was one of those smilers himself. One could be polite without opening up entirely - after all, one did tend to regret opening up entirely. People took advantage. “May I ask what brings you to California?”

“My brother. He’s going to university here and I took the excuse to live abroad for awhile to keep an eye on him. I find the weather agreeable and the company more so.” She didn’t make friends easily.

“That’s good. Some people find this place a culture shock.” Will inclined his head. “I grew up in Maine, but I’ve lived here for quite some time, so I’m used to it. And my dogs prefer it here.” He sometimes missed training them, even if he loved his job now.

“It’s certainly loud,” Mulan said. “What kind of dogs do you have?” She had her own dog, of course, but was still very very new to this whole pet thing.

“I have four - I used to train them, but then I got a new job. I have two mutts, a dachshund and a cocker spaniel.” Will managed a slightly wider smile. He loved talking about his dogs. “I have quite a bit of yard, so they can run.”

“I just have a little mutt. I think part spaniel but I don’t really know for sure. I found her on the streets during the snows,” Mulan replied. “I try to take her to the park every day.”

“It’s good of you to take one in,” Will replied a little more warmly. “So many people are very careless with their animals. They deserve to be treated better than being dumped like garbage.” He didn’t go into his long discussion of such habits, if only because Lilo had helped him learn the facial signs that someone wouldn’t be interested.

"I don't know if she was abandoned or lost, but she's safe and warm in my flat." Mulan's face was hard to read in general. When she had a reason to smile she smiled big, but otherwise she was the definition of stoic.

“You deserve thanks for that.” Will nodded. “Obviously, I’ve no idea if it’s true for you or not - and it isn’t my business - but I’ve read that veterans very often adopt animals, as sometimes they need a nonjudgmental ear to listen to them.”

"I hadn't thought of that," she admitted, leaning against the wall. "That's...actually a really good idea. I was mostly just lonely, I think. I didn't leave the army because I wanted to, so I miss being around a bunch of rowdy people. Having a dog around helps."

Will nodded. “And they don’t judge.” Ever. “All they require is food and companionship, really. I’m sorry that you didn’t get to stay in the army, if it isn’t too intrusive to say. Sometimes life throws us the proverbial curve ball.”

Mulan patted her knee. “Medical discharge. Not enough to really be disabled, but enough to make some things more of a pain in the ass than they need to be. But I can ignore it and soldier on.”

“I would expect no less,” Will said. He wasn’t mocking; it just seemed like the right thing to say. Soldiers soldiered on. This woman came off like a soldier to her core. It must have pained her to leave the service.

"We all do what we have to do to make it day to day. Some things are just easier than others. Other things are harder." She ran a hand up and down her arm as she spoke. "It was easier in the military. You knew where you stood then."

“Easier in the military?” Will echoed. “I suppose that makes sense. Anthropological rules tend to go by the wayside in a highly rigid environment. All the little social twitches and niceties we’re supposed to know by rote don’t necessarily apply.”

“It’s follow orders when you need to, otherwise we’re all equals,” she replied. “At least that was how it was in my unit. There was a pecking order but when you’re all playing cards no one really cared.”

“That’s basically how being a policeman works.” Will nodded. “I’m a homicide detective, and I obey orders when I’m given a direct one. Otherwise, I have an amount of freedom I find refreshing.” He didn’t need some dictator standing over him. He got that in the dreams, and found it chafing sometimes.

Mulan chewed her lip. That sounded rather appealing, actually. "Do you think my injury might preclude me from applying for the police? I make ends meet teaching kids football but that can only stretch so far. And I ... miss the camaraderie."

Will thought before answering. “As a detective, I think you would do very well. I work with someone who respects me - a woman - and while there’s the assorted sexist name-calling in the bullpen, they all respect her as well. I would simply wonder about being a beat cop. That’s a very physical job. What I might suggest is to contact the chief of police - or, if nothing else, I think my partner would be good to talk to. Her name is Kirsty Cotton - well. Kirsty Cotton Babcock, I think, she may be using her married name - but she works out of the Irvine HQ. As do I.”

Mulan nodded at him, thinking about that. "I'll ask your partner what she thinks, first. It may be that I'll wash out in training, which would hurt my pride but be understandable.”

“She would know better than I would.” Will had no problem deferring to a higher or more appropriate authority. “I got my job in a somewhat unorthodox way.” He figured he had nothing to lose by asking this woman. “Have you heard about the Orange County dreams yet?”

"I have. It's brave of you to ask," Mulan said. "Especially here, surrounded by people with weapons. But I have heard of these dreams, and had some myself."

“I have my own,” Will replied, not without amusement. “But let’s just leave it that I dream of being a gifted profiler.” Though that gift didn’t apparently come without curses. “I’d met Kirsty beforehand, and she recommended me to the Chief of Police. I was never a beat cop in this life. Though I was in the dreams.”

“Your dreams are more useful.” Mulan laughed softly. “Mine, I am a warrior. I disguised myself as a man in my empire’s army for many years, before I ended up washed ashore in a far away land.”

“Yours sound much more interesting.” Will smiled. His were exciting, maybe, but they reeked of blood and death. Hers didn’t necessarily have to. He stuck a hand out. “I’m Will, by the way. Will Graham.”

“Mulan Hua,” she replied, taking his hand. “And they’re very interesting. A little heartbreaking, but not as bad as most peoples’, so I don’t feel like complaining.”

“Well, it’s permissible to complain, should it ever become necessary.” Will shook her hand briefly, but for no longer than necessary. He never wanted to seem over-familiar. “I had to learn that lesson the hard way.”

"Mayhaps I'll complain at Ming-na, my little dog. She can listen and not judge." Mulan was proud, but not so proud that she couldn't take his advice and run with it. "And sometimes our best confidants are the ones that don't talk back."

“Fair. I wish you luck with everything, though. And please, don’t hesitate to talk to my partner. I’m sure there’s something on the force that would suit you well.” Will smiled, turning back to his targets.