First EP

[flickedmethevs]

The door opens to a plume of smoke, admitting one average bloke in a cheap suit sporting a rather impressive set of sideboards. He's been here before -- there was that fight a while back, and the nice pair of tits a week after that -- but he's still not sure what this is all about

Comments

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy comes over to the bar, with his young son. The little boy climbs up on the barstool next to Ray, and while his father is ordering, glances at Ray's newspaper.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"That man has the evil newspaper with the uny-corn on."

Guppy goes red and leans towards his son.

"Fry, don't say that to someone reading it, it's rude."

[flickedmethevs]

Ray frowns at the child.

"All right, lad? There's nothin' evil abou' it."

He presents one of the colorful photos for inspection.

"That's Man United."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Mummy says they don't like mig-rats. Or gay people." Fry says, thinking. "Or... or sannyty."

Not actually sure what any of those are, he looks at the paper. Ew, red shirts.

"Why is he called Man?"

"No, Man isn't the name of that man, Manchester United is a football team." Guppy explains.

[flickedmethevs]

"Too right. Mommy's a smart bird."

Save for that last bit, which sounds a tad suspect anyway.

Glancing at Guppy, he nods once at the boy.

"He's a bit twitchy."

You might want to look into that, mate.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy frowns slightly.

"He's just at an age where he likes to ask questions." He offers a hand. "I'm Guppy, this is Fry."

"What's twitchy mean?" Fry asks, eying Ray.

[flickedmethevs]

"Plenty old enough t' know about Man United, mate."

He pinches his cigarette between his fingers and eyes the offered hand. "Ray Carling," he says with a nod, reaching for the shake. "DS."

His eyes drop to Fry.

"Wha's it sound like it means?"

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy shakes the hand. "Sorry, he's not really into football."

"Like a twit?" Fry guesses. "What's a DS?" he asks, before coughing slightly at the smoke.

"Type of police officer. Do you want your inhaler?" Guppy asks Fry, feeling in his pockets.

"Is that below a DCI?" Fry asks.

[flickedmethevs]

Ray snorts. Twit, twitchy. Not a bad guess.

"Aye, lad. Below DCI, and DI." He doesn't sound too concerned about the former, but the latter makes him frown. "Stands for 'Detective Sergeant'. Know much about policin', do you?"

But doesn't like football? Madness! What sort of parenting is this bloke doing?

[guppy_sandhu]

"Yes." Fry says. "I'm a junior cadet and the guv says I'm not allowed to arrest anyone. Even if they're a twat."

"If you swear again, you're going on the naughty step." Guppy says sternly.

"Okay." Fry says, having worked out by now that if he only swears once in a conversation it goes more or less unpunished.

[flickedmethevs]

Ray cackles, shaking his head.

"He's all right," he grins. "Are you, now? Mighty big boots t' fill."

[guppy_sandhu]

Fry considers this.

"I'm size four, what size is Gene?"

"Well he's a big bloke, but he's probably an adult ten." Guppy says.

[flickedmethevs]

"Gene?"

Does that word ever feel weird on the tongue.

Ray screws his face up, and looks at Guppy.

"You mean the Guv th' lad's talking abou' is Gene Hunt?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"Yes." Guppy says. "Do you know him?"

"Credit to the force." Fry says, in a passable impression of Gene, albeit in the higher pitched tones of a two year old.