Making the best of it, playing the hand you get...

[andwhosearmy]

Casey is off-duty for the first time in a week, and kind of hoping she can get through the day without something exploding. Just today, that's all she's asking for - things aren't allowed to explode on her day off. She's jogging in the park, hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, sweating a little despite the chill. It's good to be out in her city

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[leosarecynical]

Gray is also out for a jog. City like this? It's necessary sometimes for the sake of keeping your sanity.. Despite the fact that most people wouldn't believe for a second that Gray even has sanity to keep.

And Casey's an old friend, so what better way to greet old friends by jogging up beside them and casually remarking, "You know, Case', one of these days you gotta consider leavin' this city and runnin' away with me."

We're sorry, Casey.

[andwhosearmy]

"Normal people," Casey says simply, without looking over at him, "say hello. Hello, Gray." Like she expects Gray to ever act like a normal person, but maybe if she keeps telling him these things... No, no that won't help at all.

"If I were going to run away, I would have done it when I was a teenager. It's kind of gone out of fashion at this point." She's sticking with this city for life.

[leosarecynical]

It's very easy to look moderately hurt without breaking your stride while jogging. See? Gray is doing that now. "Normal? Who said anything about bein' normal? I'm insulted."

Nope. Telling him these things will not work.

"Well, it was a lot quieter when you were a teenager, I bet. That coffee shop didn't explode every month when I first came here, I know that much. But hey, keeps things interestin', although I could do with a little less chaos than what we've had here lately. Did the whole city just decide to go nuts overnight or I've just not been paying enough attention?"

[andwhosearmy]

Casey considers elbowing him in the ribs, but decides that if he goes down, she'd be close enough that he could take her with him. And that would just be embarrassing. "I'm sure you'll survive the insult. You're resilient."

She shakes her head a little. "This is the first time City Hall has blown up. And... don't talk to me about the coffee shop. Just. Don't." She and James get dragged in to deal with it when that one more often than not. "Though I'm pretty sure you haven't been paying attention either. That might have something to do with it."

[leosarecynical]

"Yep," he drawls. Elbowing him in the ribs would be a declaration of war and Gray takes such declarations very seriously... Or as seriously as Gray takes most things that don't involve surgery.

"What coffee shop?" He spares a glance in her direction and a tiny, innocent smirk, before focusing on the path. He doesn't really trust himself not to trip over something and hit the pavement if he gets too distracted being himself to notice sticks on the sidewalk. "So how's the investigation going these days? Or am I not cleared for that information?"

[andwhosearmy]

She snorts a little, grinning at his response. Well, at least it's not impossible to get him to listen - he's just like a big, dumb puppy. It's a good thing she's a dog person.

"I'm pretty sure I can't talk about that in detail. To put it simply, slow. Painful. I haven't resorted to hitting my head against walls just yet..."

[leosarecynical]

Gray makes a face and nods. It's... Surprisingly very hard to nod when you're running. Or at least nod in a way that looks like you're nodding as opposed to just running along and bobbing your head. "That's good. You have a very attractive head, Case. Also, as a doctor, I advise against self-inflicted head trauma. It's very nasty."

He considers something for a moment. "'Least we've been gettin' fewer people in the ER from this. I'd say it was windin' down, but then City Hall happened and now I don't know what to think."

Especially since the last attack involved a casualty. Maybe they're just not interested in leaving people alive anymore... Oh, that is a line of thought Gray DOES NOT WANT.

[andwhosearmy]

"You get a lot of self-inflicted head trauma in your ER, do you? Well, if anything's going to induce people to concuss themselves, it would be this city." She loves this city, which gives her the right to talk about it like that. It makes sense to her.

Her steps slow down, just a little, at his last comment - she speeds up again after a second. "We're taking care of it. I swear to God we are. You just enjoy the lull in random accidents and violent trauma, will you?"

[leosarecynical]

Gray makes a sound that sounds like pffft. "Oh yeah, all the time. Tragic, really. Of course, if I were a lesser man who wasn't used to this place, some of the things people come in with would drive me to beat my head against my desk. People comin' in with animal bites and holes bored into 'em like they just got gored by a goddamn deer and they're sayin' it was a rabbit with antlers that did it." Luckily, he likes it a bit weird and gets that this place does the weirdest shit, but you try dealing with the other doctors in that sort of situation. It's hard.

He slows his pace to meet hers, doing a bit of a hop-skip as he holds up his hands in a defensive posture. "Hey, I'm not complainin' that much. If there weren't a lull, I'd be stuck in the ER right now." He speeds up again to catch up to her. "And you wouldn't be reaping the benefit of my company. Win-win situtation, that."

[andwhosearmy]

"Are you j- No, don't tell me if you're joking or not. I'll feel better if I don't know there are jackalopes running around here." Animal control is not her job. The people who fall through the Rift are her problem.

She laughs a little at his comment, shaking her head. "Yes. I don't know what I'd ever do without the pleasure of your company, Dr. Raines." She nudges him lightly with her elbow. She actually does enjoy his company, but she can't allow his ego to get overinflated or anything...

[leosarecynical]

Gray just shrugs, snickering. "The nurses at Stroger all think there's just something in the water in this city, it's gotten so bad, honestly." The sad part is that half the hospital is supernaturally aware to some extent- they've got Healing angels on staff and everything.

He doesn't even pretend for a second that her words aren't a compliment. "You'd have a life devoid of somethin' special, that's what. Embrace your good fortune and bask in my warm and illustrious glow, Casey." He nudges her right back and then speeds up a bit.

Yeah, he's twelve years old and a horrible tease. Amazing how this man got through med school.

[andwhosearmy]

"Your warm and illu- who actually says that sort of thing?" Besides, of course, him, but she kind of has to put up with him. Because if she doesn't supervise him, God only knows what will happen. She could shove him, but that would just end up in one of them - probably him - falling and injuring himself. Instead...

"I parked my car up there, by the corner. Race you there." She takes off without waiting for his response. ...It's possible being around him reduces her to his level. She doesn't want to examine that too closely.

[leosarecynical]

Gray starts laughing. "Oh, you are so very on. Just so you know, I am as limber as a cheetah and I will.." Okay, she's already running and he got distracted being an arrogant ass. Good one, Gray. He speeds up to chase after her, not quite being nearly as limber as a cheetah as he claims... More like an overeager dog who might fall head over heels at any moment.

She'll probably beat him. He will claim that he let her win... That or blame the fact that she has all that nifty police training. Or something.

[andwhosearmy]

Casey, for all that she's a good deal smaller than Gray, has the aforementioned nifty police training. Gray has nothing of the sort... and she got a good head start. It's not hard to do the math on that, and she taps the car several seconds before Gray can reach it, and then leans against it, breathing hard, but not panting or out of breath.

"So. I think there was mention of you being limber as a something or other. What happened to that?"

[leosarecynical]

Gray arrives a few seconds later, panting and resting his hands on his knees to brace himself. "I'll tell you when my lungs catch up to the rest of me," he wheezes. He shakes it off as soon as he manages to catch his breath.

"Guess it's not every day I have to race spry, attractive, young policewomen to their cars." Insert flirtatious wink here. Gray would probably be considered a chauvinist or an insufferable flirt if it wasn't so obvious that ninety percent of what he says and does is bullshit.

[andwhosearmy]

Casey rolls her eyes, fishes for keys to unlock the car, and reaches in to grab a bottle of water. She takes a long drink, and then holds it out to him, smirking a little. "Drink something before you fall over. And consider yourself lucky that you look pathetic enough at the moment, so I don't have to hit you for that."

That's a lie. She's never actually seriously hit him - she just can't bring herself to take him seriously enough for that, and... well, he's good-natured enough that she doesn't mind the occasional ridiculousness.