Night Owlslieu_murphySeptember 2 2009, 22:06:09 UTC
“Are you two going to stay all night?”
Murphy looked up from the crime scene photos she was reviewing and blinked at Chief Vick. Her CO was standing a few feet from her desk, her daemon sitting by her side and looking at them with the same sort of disapproving amusement.
“It’s only a matter of time before he kidnaps another girl,” Lassiter spoke up from his desk, head still buried in paperwork and witness statements. “I’ll sleep when he’s behind bars.”
Dixie clapped her beak together a few times in agreement with his statement. The osprey was perched on the files cabinets behind Lassiter’s desk, still looking alert even though it was late and ospreys were diurnal birds.
“And you’ll be staying too, I suppose?”
Murphy shrugged. Aeron was tucked under her desk and looked to be sleeping except the tip of his tail was twitching back and forth every now and then. He was restless because she was restless. The Box Cutter Killer, as the media called their latest case, was nagging at her and going home when he was still out there seemed wrong.
“There’s still plenty of coffee left.”
Chief Vick frowned deeply at both of them.
Choices: 01. Chief Vick orders them both to go home. 02. Chief Vick is cut off by Lassiter’s phone ringing. 03. Before Chief Vick can say anything, Lassiter tries to get Murphy to go home.
Night Owlslieu_murphySeptember 3 2009, 22:02:18 UTC
“You’re done for the day.” Chief Vick’s tone told them both not to argue, but Lassiter didn’t listen.
“Chief, there’s still…”
She raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest, “I’m not suggesting, detective, I’m ordering. You’re both going home. Now.”
Her daemon added in a snort to emphasize the order. Murphy ran a hand through her hair and looked underneath her desk. Aeron opened an eye and looked at her, “Best to do what your CO says.”
“Fine. You’re answering the phone if we get a call.”
“You’re really going home?” Lassiter asked, looking surprised when she started to put her files away.
“I’m not arguing with my CO,” she explained.
“You’re going to sleep when they guy is out there?”
“Who said anything about sleep?” She put on her jacket and then picked up her files, tucking them underneath her arm.
Choices: 01. “You coming with?” 02. “It’ll be more comfortable than this chair.” 03. “She just said we had to go home.”
Night Owlslieu_murphySeptember 4 2009, 13:37:49 UTC
“You coming with?” she asked. Part of her expected Lassiter to defy the Chief and stay. He had one hell of a stubborn streak.
Dixie stepped in, well, flew in. She took off from the file cabinets and landed on Lassiter’s desk, scattering files and blocking the few that didn’t fall to the floor with her wings. Cocking her head she fixed Lassiter with a stare.
“He’s coming with,” the osprey said firmly.
Lassiter glared back at his daemon, but the osprey had the more intimidating stare. “Fine,” he snapped after a few seconds long staring contest.
Murphy looked down at Aeron who had emerged from under her desk and now sat patiently by her side.
“Yes, I would have ordered you home had you argued,” the tiger said without looking at her. “Daemons know best sometimes.”
Dixie moved off the files so Lassiter could pick them up and neatly organize them. Before long, they were walking out of the police station together, Dixie perched on Lassiter’s shoulder while Aeron padded beside her. The parking lot was dark and she frowned at the street lights that were out.
“When are they going to fix those?” she asked, trying to make small talk.
“Some of us have no trouble seeing in these conditions.”
“Lucky cat,” Dixie muttered. The bird was not made for night.
Suddenly, Lassiter’s hand shot out and grabbed her arm. She looked at him, frowning in confusion.
Choices: 01. There’s a mysterious noise in the distance. 02. Lassiter asks if Murphy wants to come over. 03. One of the remaining street lights gets shot out.
Night Owlslieu_murphySeptember 4 2009, 14:27:56 UTC
Murphy was about to ask what was going on when there was a pop and a nearby light shattered, sending a rain of sparks down. Dixie let out a startled screech and took the air while she and Lassiter went for their guns, running for the nearest car.
“What the hell was that?” she asked, looking around the back end of an unmarked.
“Someone shot out the lights.” Lassiter pressed against her, looking over the top of the trunk. “I got a good look at one of the others. Someone set an ambush.”
“Son of a bitch. Do you think it’s him?”
Lassiter shrugged. “Guns aren’t his usual MO, but we might have pissed him off just enough.”
Another light bulb exploded and then both drew back. When the sparks died down, Murphy brushed glass shards from her hair and took a deep breath. “Aeron, take a look around.”
“Wait, you have no idea where this guy is shooting from, he could be anywhere.”
“Yeah and if we want to figure that out, Aeron’s got to find him. Dixie can’t see well in the dark and the more lights he shoots the harder it gets for her.”
“He could have night vision…”
“Do you want to just sit here or do something about it?”
Choices: 01. Lassiter reluctantly agrees to her plan. 02. Lassiter offers himself up as a distraction. 03. Aeron has already slunk away while they were arguing.
Re: Night Owlslieu_murphySeptember 4 2009, 17:34:57 UTC
“I don’t think it matters at this point,” Dixie said as she landed where Aeron was supposed to be. Murphy looked around, trying to figure out where her daemon had gotten off to.
“You weren’t going to listen to anything I was going to suggest anywhere, were you?” Lassiter said, glaring at her.
She glared back, rather embarrassed that Aeron had given her away. “Look, let’s argue about this later okay? Just keep your eyes open, maybe we can spot him.”
“Spot him? He’s a Siberian tiger, they’re ambush hunters. How do you think we’re supposed to see him?”
“Oh, shut up.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Dixie said. “Only it applies to both of you.”
“If he shoots her daemon, it’ll be as good as shooting her.” Lassiter sounded worried though it was buried under a lot of anger.
“Aeron’s aware of that. He’ll be careful.”
“He better be,” Murphy muttered underneath her breath. She trusted her daemon, but she didn’t like him out on his own. He couldn’t wander that far, but she could feel the bond between them and the distance growing.
“He’s at the limit,” she said, feeling the tug somewhere in the middle of her chest.
Choices: 01. Aeron begins to make his way back. 02. Lassiter tells Dixie to look around. 03. The shooter’s daemon finds them.
Re: Night Owlslieu_murphySeptember 5 2009, 14:10:12 UTC
“As are you.”
They both turned with their guns drawn and focused on the voice that came from the car next to them. It rocked as a lynx leapt onto the hood, hissed at them and leapt down.
“Dixie, move!” Lassiter yelled, but it was too late. As Dixie tried to take off, the lynx daemon grabbed her and clamped her jaws around a wing. Lassiter and Dixie screamed and Murphy swore. She couldn’t take a shot without potentially hitting Dixie as well. She hoped the screams would bring Aeron.
“Put your weapons away or I’ll break her neck,” the lynx said around a mouthful of wing. She put a paw on Dixie’s head, holding the osprey down and staying out of the reach of her talons. “Now!”
Murphy holstered her weapon. Lassiter’s hands shook as he did the same. He was feeling his daemon’s pain like it was his own. It was amazing he could move both arms at all.
“Good, good, now stay where you are. My master wants to talk to you. Especially you.” The lynx looked at her and then started to drag Dixie away.
“Carlton!” Dixie screamed in panic. “Carlton!”
“It’s okay, Dixie, it’s okay!” Lassiter reached out towards his daemon, “Just go with her, let her take you. It’ll be okay!”
“No! Stop her! You have to stop her!”
Choices: 01. Lassiter makes a desperate lunge for the lynx daemon. 02. Murphy stops him before he can do anything. 03. Lassiter lets Dixie get dragged away.
Re: Night Owlslieu_murphySeptember 5 2009, 15:12:34 UTC
“Dixie…” Lassiter sounded pained. She could see him struggling with this, as Dixie got farther away and the lynx dragged her farther under the car across from them.
“Carlton! Help me!”
With a yell, Lassiter lunged forward and made a grab for his daemon. A lot of things happened at once after that. Another light bulb exploded, Dixie and Lassiter cried out together and there was a huge roar as Aeron bounded in, swiping a paw at the lynx.
She grabbed the back of Lassiter’s shirt and yanked him back. He came away with Dixie in his arms, but she could see the wing that the lynx had in her mouth was badly broken. Aeron couldn’t fit under the car, but he had the lynx in his paws and dragged the cat out. He didn’t wait for any orders. His jaws closed around the lynx’s neck, there was a snap and then a shower of golden dust and the daemon died.
Murphy sat there in shock, staring at Aeron as he sneezed over the dust. Her daemon had killed another daemon. It meant the man who the daemon had called Master was dead too. She looked over at Lassiter, but he was too busy talking comfortingly to Dixie.
“Aeron,” she said softly.
Her daemon padded over to her, looked her in the eyes. “It’s what you wanted. Call for backup. We need to search the area for a body.”
Choices: 01. Lassiter hears that comment. 02. Murphy calls for backup. 03. Murphy argues with Aeron.
Re: Night Owlslieu_murphySeptember 5 2009, 20:32:43 UTC
“A body?”
Of course that was the part that Lassiter hears. Murphy sighed and reached out for Aeron, pulling the tiger close to her side as if to protect him.
“Murphy… where’s the lynx?” Lassiter looked at her, then look at Aeron. “Murphy.”
“Aeron didn’t have a choice,” she said. “The lynx tried to kill Dixie. He was acting in defense of another life.”
“I had…”
“He was trying to protect me,” Dixie said, rubbing her head underneath Lassiter’s chin. “She was trying to protect us.”
Murphy was grateful that Dixie realized it. It meant somewhere, deep down, Lassiter realized it too. It wasn’t a terrifying as the realization that deep down in her soul she had wanted to kill the guy who shot at them. Daemons were useful, but also could reveal too much.
“I’m sorry,” Murphy said softly, looking away.
Choices: 01. “We’ll handle it.” 02. “I’ll call for backup.” 03. “Let’s just get inside.”
Murphy looked up from the crime scene photos she was reviewing and blinked at Chief Vick. Her CO was standing a few feet from her desk, her daemon sitting by her side and looking at them with the same sort of disapproving amusement.
“It’s only a matter of time before he kidnaps another girl,” Lassiter spoke up from his desk, head still buried in paperwork and witness statements. “I’ll sleep when he’s behind bars.”
Dixie clapped her beak together a few times in agreement with his statement. The osprey was perched on the files cabinets behind Lassiter’s desk, still looking alert even though it was late and ospreys were diurnal birds.
“And you’ll be staying too, I suppose?”
Murphy shrugged. Aeron was tucked under her desk and looked to be sleeping except the tip of his tail was twitching back and forth every now and then. He was restless because she was restless. The Box Cutter Killer, as the media called their latest case, was nagging at her and going home when he was still out there seemed wrong.
“There’s still plenty of coffee left.”
Chief Vick frowned deeply at both of them.
Choices:
01. Chief Vick orders them both to go home.
02. Chief Vick is cut off by Lassiter’s phone ringing.
03. Before Chief Vick can say anything, Lassiter tries to get Murphy to go home.
Reply
01. Chief Vick orders them both to go home.
Reply
“Chief, there’s still…”
She raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest, “I’m not suggesting, detective, I’m ordering. You’re both going home. Now.”
Her daemon added in a snort to emphasize the order. Murphy ran a hand through her hair and looked underneath her desk. Aeron opened an eye and looked at her, “Best to do what your CO says.”
“Fine. You’re answering the phone if we get a call.”
“You’re really going home?” Lassiter asked, looking surprised when she started to put her files away.
“I’m not arguing with my CO,” she explained.
“You’re going to sleep when they guy is out there?”
“Who said anything about sleep?” She put on her jacket and then picked up her files, tucking them underneath her arm.
Choices:
01. “You coming with?”
02. “It’ll be more comfortable than this chair.”
03. “She just said we had to go home.”
Reply
Reply
Dixie stepped in, well, flew in. She took off from the file cabinets and landed on Lassiter’s desk, scattering files and blocking the few that didn’t fall to the floor with her wings. Cocking her head she fixed Lassiter with a stare.
“He’s coming with,” the osprey said firmly.
Lassiter glared back at his daemon, but the osprey had the more intimidating stare. “Fine,” he snapped after a few seconds long staring contest.
Murphy looked down at Aeron who had emerged from under her desk and now sat patiently by her side.
“Yes, I would have ordered you home had you argued,” the tiger said without looking at her. “Daemons know best sometimes.”
Dixie moved off the files so Lassiter could pick them up and neatly organize them. Before long, they were walking out of the police station together, Dixie perched on Lassiter’s shoulder while Aeron padded beside her. The parking lot was dark and she frowned at the street lights that were out.
“When are they going to fix those?” she asked, trying to make small talk.
“Some of us have no trouble seeing in these conditions.”
“Lucky cat,” Dixie muttered. The bird was not made for night.
Suddenly, Lassiter’s hand shot out and grabbed her arm. She looked at him, frowning in confusion.
Choices:
01. There’s a mysterious noise in the distance.
02. Lassiter asks if Murphy wants to come over.
03. One of the remaining street lights gets shot out.
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“What the hell was that?” she asked, looking around the back end of an unmarked.
“Someone shot out the lights.” Lassiter pressed against her, looking over the top of the trunk. “I got a good look at one of the others. Someone set an ambush.”
“Son of a bitch. Do you think it’s him?”
Lassiter shrugged. “Guns aren’t his usual MO, but we might have pissed him off just enough.”
Another light bulb exploded and then both drew back. When the sparks died down, Murphy brushed glass shards from her hair and took a deep breath. “Aeron, take a look around.”
“Wait, you have no idea where this guy is shooting from, he could be anywhere.”
“Yeah and if we want to figure that out, Aeron’s got to find him. Dixie can’t see well in the dark and the more lights he shoots the harder it gets for her.”
“He could have night vision…”
“Do you want to just sit here or do something about it?”
Choices:
01. Lassiter reluctantly agrees to her plan.
02. Lassiter offers himself up as a distraction.
03. Aeron has already slunk away while they were arguing.
Reply
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“You weren’t going to listen to anything I was going to suggest anywhere, were you?” Lassiter said, glaring at her.
She glared back, rather embarrassed that Aeron had given her away. “Look, let’s argue about this later okay? Just keep your eyes open, maybe we can spot him.”
“Spot him? He’s a Siberian tiger, they’re ambush hunters. How do you think we’re supposed to see him?”
“Oh, shut up.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Dixie said. “Only it applies to both of you.”
“If he shoots her daemon, it’ll be as good as shooting her.” Lassiter sounded worried though it was buried under a lot of anger.
“Aeron’s aware of that. He’ll be careful.”
“He better be,” Murphy muttered underneath her breath. She trusted her daemon, but she didn’t like him out on his own. He couldn’t wander that far, but she could feel the bond between them and the distance growing.
“He’s at the limit,” she said, feeling the tug somewhere in the middle of her chest.
Choices:
01. Aeron begins to make his way back.
02. Lassiter tells Dixie to look around.
03. The shooter’s daemon finds them.
Reply
Reply
They both turned with their guns drawn and focused on the voice that came from the car next to them. It rocked as a lynx leapt onto the hood, hissed at them and leapt down.
“Dixie, move!” Lassiter yelled, but it was too late. As Dixie tried to take off, the lynx daemon grabbed her and clamped her jaws around a wing. Lassiter and Dixie screamed and Murphy swore. She couldn’t take a shot without potentially hitting Dixie as well. She hoped the screams would bring Aeron.
“Put your weapons away or I’ll break her neck,” the lynx said around a mouthful of wing. She put a paw on Dixie’s head, holding the osprey down and staying out of the reach of her talons. “Now!”
Murphy holstered her weapon. Lassiter’s hands shook as he did the same. He was feeling his daemon’s pain like it was his own. It was amazing he could move both arms at all.
“Good, good, now stay where you are. My master wants to talk to you. Especially you.” The lynx looked at her and then started to drag Dixie away.
“Carlton!” Dixie screamed in panic. “Carlton!”
“It’s okay, Dixie, it’s okay!” Lassiter reached out towards his daemon, “Just go with her, let her take you. It’ll be okay!”
“No! Stop her! You have to stop her!”
Choices:
01. Lassiter makes a desperate lunge for the lynx daemon.
02. Murphy stops him before he can do anything.
03. Lassiter lets Dixie get dragged away.
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Reply
“Carlton! Help me!”
With a yell, Lassiter lunged forward and made a grab for his daemon. A lot of things happened at once after that. Another light bulb exploded, Dixie and Lassiter cried out together and there was a huge roar as Aeron bounded in, swiping a paw at the lynx.
She grabbed the back of Lassiter’s shirt and yanked him back. He came away with Dixie in his arms, but she could see the wing that the lynx had in her mouth was badly broken. Aeron couldn’t fit under the car, but he had the lynx in his paws and dragged the cat out. He didn’t wait for any orders. His jaws closed around the lynx’s neck, there was a snap and then a shower of golden dust and the daemon died.
Murphy sat there in shock, staring at Aeron as he sneezed over the dust. Her daemon had killed another daemon. It meant the man who the daemon had called Master was dead too. She looked over at Lassiter, but he was too busy talking comfortingly to Dixie.
“Aeron,” she said softly.
Her daemon padded over to her, looked her in the eyes. “It’s what you wanted. Call for backup. We need to search the area for a body.”
Choices:
01. Lassiter hears that comment.
02. Murphy calls for backup.
03. Murphy argues with Aeron.
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1
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Of course that was the part that Lassiter hears. Murphy sighed and reached out for Aeron, pulling the tiger close to her side as if to protect him.
“Murphy… where’s the lynx?” Lassiter looked at her, then look at Aeron. “Murphy.”
“Aeron didn’t have a choice,” she said. “The lynx tried to kill Dixie. He was acting in defense of another life.”
“I had…”
“He was trying to protect me,” Dixie said, rubbing her head underneath Lassiter’s chin. “She was trying to protect us.”
Murphy was grateful that Dixie realized it. It meant somewhere, deep down, Lassiter realized it too. It wasn’t a terrifying as the realization that deep down in her soul she had wanted to kill the guy who shot at them. Daemons were useful, but also could reveal too much.
“I’m sorry,” Murphy said softly, looking away.
Choices:
01. “We’ll handle it.”
02. “I’ll call for backup.”
03. “Let’s just get inside.”
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