Judy Hopps (fluffy_cop) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2018-07-29 17:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !partner thread, ilia amitola, judy hopps |
Who: Ilia & Judy
What: Helping Out a New Friend
When: Recently
Where: Downtown Irvine
Rating: Just some everyday racism
Status: Complete | Partner Thread
It had been a quiet patrol, for the most part. Judy had a few parking tickets to hand out, but it was still the middle of the month; she didn’t have to start cracking down for another week or so. Besides, her numbers were good! She prided herself on her stern, but fair ticket writing abilities. It wasn’t her favorite part of patrol, but it had to get done every now and then.
Judy had gotten a call about a suspicious loiter that had been outside a local store downtown. Based off the description, Judy thought it best she go out on her own, leaving Will at the desk with the paperwork. She gave him an apologetic shrug and promised to bring him back some coffee and a good lunch, not just one from the vending machine at the department.
When she arrived at the store, she spoke with the owner and and asked them to point out the suspect. She glanced towards the young woman and frowned. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, but she had to at least check it out.
“Excuse me, miss? It’s illegal to loiter around here.” It was such a lame statement and Judy felt ridiculous, but the job always came first.
Ilia knew exactly where there were loitering signs and she knew what constituted as loitering. She’d been homeless, she’d had to stay extremely observant and aware of such things. Which meant she knew that what she was doing? Shouldn’t count as loitering. So while Logan had made sure to get rid of the hornets, Ilia was still avoiding the house when possible just in case and currently was waiting for Chloe.
Having finished her tea, Ilia had been sitting on a bench on the sidewalk in the shopping district and was going through her phone when she heard a voice and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. She knew that tone of voice.
Looking up, she was at least relieved it wasn’t some white cop. But she was still wary of law enforcement.
“So now benches are just for show?” Because really. There were benches and it wasn’t attached to a bus stop. People were supposed to sit on benches.
Judy shifted uncomfortably, realizing she might get a little bit of push back from this girl. “Of course not,” she said. “Someone just made a call in that said there was a…” She had to swallow a lump that was rising in her throat. “Suspicious person loitering around the businesses.” It was almost like she could feel the eyes on her and she shook her head.
“Are you waiting for someone?” Even if she wasn’t, Judy was giving her an easy out and hoped she caught on.
Of course she was going to get pushback, it was clear that this entire thing was ridiculous. She was sitting on a public bench minding her own business and yet she was somehow a threat to the businesses? She even knew that she held herself differently these days thanks to what had happened in Russia, but she wasn’t doing anything.
“Suspicious because I exist most likely.”
The comment was muttered under her breath. Because a black woman with colored hair was just so threatening. She could also tell that the cop who took the call was feeling uncomfortable and probably had been able to figure out what was going on. So she would at least try to be a semblance of nice.
“Yeah. I’m waiting for a friend.” While Judy was trying to give her an out, it was also true.
Judy frowned because she knew what she had said wasn’t far from the truth. Judy had felt her own kind of prejudice being a woman of color in a police department. Tensions were already high between the general public and the police that Judy didn’t want to be apart of it at all.
“Good. I’m sorry to have disturbed you.” She glanced back at the shop owner and shook her head, turning back to the young woman before she could see or hear a response. “Hopefully this isn’t something that you experience very often.”
It was because Judy was a woman of color that had Ilia at least more at ease than she might have been with any other police officer who took the call about her. But she could certainly see how that would have its own problems. Though at least she wasn’t just being complicit and part of the problem and seemed to at least try. Ilia could give her that at least.
The apology was met with a shrug, “Not your fault that people are racist assholes who freak out about people who are different than them being in their line of vision.”
She might be trying to be polite and at least as non confrontational as she ever would get in a situation like this, but Ilia was also who she was, which was blunt. She did scoff at the second part of the comment - all the answer that was needed. This sort of bullshit was all too common for Ilia. Take the blame for the gang back in Arkansas, take the focus off them while they committed the crime. Just struggling to get by. Then the dreams and being a Faunus and even though she passed for human…. Well, she was all too familiar with this sort of behavior.
Judy had to hand it to her, she wasn’t wrong. She had been so hopeful coming to LA, to come to a place that was more accepting and open on things like this. She didn’t necessarily think there wouldn’t be any situations like this, but she was still surprised at the amount of discrimination she saw around here. Better than Kansas though, she had to give Orange County that.
She was about to make a comment on her snort when the store owner was suddenly standing next to her, his hands on his hips.
“Well Officier? Are you going to do anything about this?” He made it a point to glare at Ilia, making Judy purse her lips.
“There’s nothing to do here sir.” Judy made sure to step between Ilia and the gentleman; she hoped it would be one of those out of sight, out of mind tricks. “This citizen is just waiting for a friend. As soon as they arrive, they’ll be on their way.”
The shop owner scoffed. “Right, a “friend” who will never show! Do you duty officer and arrest this woman!”
Well it was nice while it lasted. Rolling her eyes, Ilia just watched the two and shook her head. Because again. She was on a public bench. So even if she wasn’t waiting for a friend, there was nothing illegal about what she was doing.
The urge to retort and call him an asshole was big but she was still trying to behave.
“One, I actually do have a friend on the way, and two? It’s a public bench and there’s nothing illegal about sitting on it.”
Watching the man bluster and get red in the face was hilarious because really. If he thought she wouldn’t know that? Well he was an idiot on top of being a bigot. Though the two did go hand in hand.
Well, she had to admire the girl for keeping her cool. She could barely withstand listening to this man go on and she was in uniform. But it seemed Ilia’s way was the best, as it had successfully shut him up. “Alright sir, it seems it would be best if you went back to your business as well.” She may have had to take his arm and push him back towards his store, but he only gave them a glare before moving his feet on his own accord.
“Sorry again,” she said, turning back to Ilia. She hesitated for a moment before opening a flap and producing a business card. “I’m Judy,” she said. “Just in case...you know, if you need anything.”
It was taking all of Ilia’s self control not to lash out in a more violent way. She could feel it prickling in the back of her mind, her senses alert. She’d always been quick to anger, the dreams made her more ready to fight and everything that had happened in Russia made her more lethal. But she knew she couldn’t give into those instincts. Not here. She’d need some serious distracting once she and Chloe met up but that wouldn’t be too hard to manage.
Watching as he finally headed back to his shop, Ilia let out a slow breath. Immediate threat was out of the way. For now at any rate. She shrugged at Judy’s apology.
“Whatever. It’s just another day that ends in Y.” And then she was being given a card. Ilia was still wary of cops but...it might not hurt so she took it. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Judy opened her mouth to ask her name, but stopped. She was sure she would find the girl again, maybe even on the network. She hoped she knew she could be an ally in this, but Judy had done what she could by providing her information. “Well, see ya around.” She gave her a smile and a small nod of the head before heading back to her car. This was such a ridiculous situation, but the paperwork still waited on her desk.