Graffixation Stories and Artwork #14
Artist: aletter2elise
The Assignment by cmk418
“You sure about this assignment?”
“It’ll be fine. I go in, infiltrate the Brotherhood, find out what I can about their activities at Oswald and get out.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It’s what I trained for. Tomorrow I’ll become Tobias Beecher, the lawyer that hit hard times, got drunk and killed a kid. Tomorrow.” He looked up at the man sitting next to him. “Tonight…”
“Tonight?”
“It is my last night as a free man.” He batted his eyes. “And from what I hear, the Governor will be outlawing conjugals pretty soon.”
“Maybe I’ll have to go undercover myself. Keep you company.”
“I need you out here, Ell. You’re what I have to look forward to.”
At First Sight by ozsaur
Title: At First Sight
Author: ozsaur
Rating: PG
Summary: Toby sees something he wants...
Notes: I want to humbly apologize for the serious lateness of this entry, especially to aletter2elise. I kept her updated, and she was very patient and understanding. Still, there are no excuses.
More Notes: There is a much (MUCH) longer story for this piece of artwork. trillingstar suggested that I write a complete scene and post it with the artwork, while I finish up the longer story. aletter2elise agreed -- two stories for the price of one! :) There will be more coming for this artwork.
One More Note: Thank you dustandroses for the beta, as well as the encouragement. You're a peach!
Apparently, the cops in this town didn't have anything better to do on a Tuesday afternoon than jack-up some guy just standing around on a street corner. That the street corner in question was a notorious haunt for hookers, drug dealers, and other sundry lowlifes was beside the point. Toby hadn't been doing a damn thing when the cops showed up and hustled him and two hookers into the back of a couple of cop cars. The hookers had already been cut loose, and they had teased Toby mercilessly as they tottered out in their high heels, swishing their asses at all the bored cops.
He was the new face in town, and when the cops looked up his rapsheet, they decided that he needed a good hassle. Except they weren't good at it, or maybe Tuesday happened to be Apathy Day. The cop who'd been questioning him had wandered off, probably to find a box of donuts, and left Toby handcuffed to the chair next to his desk.
Instead of tearing into the fat ass detective who was supposed to be jerking Toby around, he was stuck in a nearly empty office, bored half out of his mind and looking around to see if he could find something to keep him from falling asleep.
There wasn't. Toby began to poke around at the papers on the cop's desk, found an ink pen that he put into the pocket of his jacket. A brand new pack of gum went into the other pocket. A few other odds and ends were stashed away for later. There was an infinite number of uses for a box of matches.
He lost interest in the desk soon enough, except the case folders sitting in a pile on the other side. If he tried to reach for them, he'd have to stand in an awkward position that most people would notice.
Looking around, he made a note of where everyone was. A guy, probably someone waiting for information on a case, was sacked out on a wooden bench near the open doorway leading into the hall. Things looked much busier out there, but nobody gave a second look at the bullpen where Toby sat handcuffed.
At the far end of the room, a couple of plain clothes cops stood next to a filing cabinet, talking. Their conversation was pretty intense, and by the way the man kept touching the woman's arm, it was doubtful that they were talking about anything work related. One cop was actually doing his job, sitting hunched over his keyboard, pecking away at it with his index fingers, squinting at the monitor for a minute, cursing to himself, then viciously hitting the backspace.
Considering it was a cop shop, it was possibly the most boring place on the planet. The institutional tan walls were broken up by institutional gray file cabinets and shelving units. The desks were also institutional gray, and probably looked battered when they were brand new.
It was funny how every police station Toby had ever been in had their windows high on the walls, too high for a view. God forbid, someone see an actual tree or piece of sky. The windows were always frosted and covered in wire, anyway, so he didn't know why it bothered him so much. Maybe because he was stuck at this desk, pocketing stuff he really didn't need. Nobody would ever know if he leaned across the desk and snagged a file. Maybe he'd even find some information he could use.
He was just about to get up when a door off to the side opened and a group of people in well-tailored suits drifted out. After a round of shaking hands and vague congratulatory noises, most of the group wandered into the hall and disappeared. The man left behind was gorgeous. Toby could feel the irritation of the day melt away as he sank back in his chair to admire the view, now that he had one.
A lot of sins could be hidden by an expensive suit - pot bellies, flat asses - but that wasn't the case with this guy. The long, lean thighs, broad shoulders, and tapered waist made the suit look good rather than the suit improving the man. There would be no disappointment once he was peeled out of his suit.
He was so caught up cataloging every detail of this fine specimen, that it took him a moment to notice the woman he was with. She was much older, and all she wore added together, along with whatever cash she had in her purse, wouldn't pay for the man's tastefully patterned silk tie. The tie, the briefcase, the watch, all shouted lawyer to Toby, though the only other thing he could be in this shabby bureaucratic hell was a criminal. A very successful criminal.
The woman told a different story. Her dark face was lined with old grief, and her current distress gave Toby a twinge. The lawyer seemed to have everything well in hand as he spoke to the woman earnestly, lightly rubbing her upper arm as he reassured her.
Suddenly, she just seemed to sag in on herself, and the lawyer automatically put his arms around her as she pressed her face into his shoulder. He stood there, half holding her up as he patted her back and murmured into her ear.
Huh. Maybe this guy was different. Most of the lawyers Toby knew, and he'd met every type through working summers at his dad's law firm during high school, would cringe if one of their client's tried to touch them. Toby snorted, imagining the look on his dad's face if old man Parsons, one of the firms oldest and most prestigious clients, tried to hug him. Then again, he couldn't imagine Parson's touching anyone but his hot, blond wife-of-the-month; that thought made Toby gag a little.
As lawyers go, this one seemed a little less slimy than the norm. The kindness, coupled with the rather fine physique, made him doubly interesting to Toby.
That is, until Toby saw him tip his wrist behind the woman's back so he could see his watch. The lawyer rolled his eyes, and went back to patting the woman, visibly bracing himself for the long haul.
Toby almost laughed. Mr. Slick almost had Toby fooled. If he had just held his mask for another second, Toby would never have guessed he was anything but genuinely caring and sympathetic. But he must have thought no one was watching, because he now stood there, bored and going through the motions of comforting his client.
Then the most unexpected thing happened. The fake pats on the back stopped and he took the woman in a real embrace, hugging her tight. She seemed to feel the change because she burrowed closer and went still and quiet. After a moment, his eyes started to close, then he leaned down and rested his cheek against the top of the woman's head.
They stood that way for several minutes, seeming to take strength from each other. He just looked so peaceful, so unguarded, that Toby couldn't stop staring. Toby got a sense of weariness and loneliness from him. The embrace, this simple touch, was obviously something the man rarely allowed himself. He'd fought it, but now that he'd allowed himself to have physical comfort, he wasn't going to let it go any time soon.
A door slammed somewhere in the building, and the man jumped. The woman extricated herself, then groped around in her purse for a tissue. The lawyer blinked dazedly before his mask of cool professionalism closed over his features. He still looked vaguely sympathetic, but now that Toby had seen the real thing, he knew it for what it was.
The woman mopped her face with a tissue, then straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin and marched out of the room, the lawyer at her heels. As he rounded a desk to head toward the hallway, Toby leaned out of his chair to keep that fine ass in his line of sight.
He hadn't even noticed Toby, a criminal being too far beneath his notice. But that was to Toby's benefit. It wouldn't be too hard finding out who the guy was, and Toby wouldn't even have to call any of his contacts. Ghosting around Mr. Slick Lawyer's life would be a fun side project while he worked his latest job.
Toby watched as the detective waddled into the room, a danish in one hand, and a steaming Styrofoam cup in the other. Yeah, it looked like he would have plenty of opportunities to spy on the lawyer since it was evident he would be spending way too much of his free time at the police station.
The Assignment by cmk418
“You sure about this assignment?”
“It’ll be fine. I go in, infiltrate the Brotherhood, find out what I can about their activities at Oswald and get out.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It’s what I trained for. Tomorrow I’ll become Tobias Beecher, the lawyer that hit hard times, got drunk and killed a kid. Tomorrow.” He looked up at the man sitting next to him. “Tonight…”
“Tonight?”
“It is my last night as a free man.” He batted his eyes. “And from what I hear, the Governor will be outlawing conjugals pretty soon.”
“Maybe I’ll have to go undercover myself. Keep you company.”
“I need you out here, Ell. You’re what I have to look forward to.”
At First Sight by ozsaur
Title: At First Sight
Author: ozsaur
Rating: PG
Summary: Toby sees something he wants...
Notes: I want to humbly apologize for the serious lateness of this entry, especially to aletter2elise. I kept her updated, and she was very patient and understanding. Still, there are no excuses.
More Notes: There is a much (MUCH) longer story for this piece of artwork. trillingstar suggested that I write a complete scene and post it with the artwork, while I finish up the longer story. aletter2elise agreed -- two stories for the price of one! :) There will be more coming for this artwork.
One More Note: Thank you dustandroses for the beta, as well as the encouragement. You're a peach!
Apparently, the cops in this town didn't have anything better to do on a Tuesday afternoon than jack-up some guy just standing around on a street corner. That the street corner in question was a notorious haunt for hookers, drug dealers, and other sundry lowlifes was beside the point. Toby hadn't been doing a damn thing when the cops showed up and hustled him and two hookers into the back of a couple of cop cars. The hookers had already been cut loose, and they had teased Toby mercilessly as they tottered out in their high heels, swishing their asses at all the bored cops.
He was the new face in town, and when the cops looked up his rapsheet, they decided that he needed a good hassle. Except they weren't good at it, or maybe Tuesday happened to be Apathy Day. The cop who'd been questioning him had wandered off, probably to find a box of donuts, and left Toby handcuffed to the chair next to his desk.
Instead of tearing into the fat ass detective who was supposed to be jerking Toby around, he was stuck in a nearly empty office, bored half out of his mind and looking around to see if he could find something to keep him from falling asleep.
There wasn't. Toby began to poke around at the papers on the cop's desk, found an ink pen that he put into the pocket of his jacket. A brand new pack of gum went into the other pocket. A few other odds and ends were stashed away for later. There was an infinite number of uses for a box of matches.
He lost interest in the desk soon enough, except the case folders sitting in a pile on the other side. If he tried to reach for them, he'd have to stand in an awkward position that most people would notice.
Looking around, he made a note of where everyone was. A guy, probably someone waiting for information on a case, was sacked out on a wooden bench near the open doorway leading into the hall. Things looked much busier out there, but nobody gave a second look at the bullpen where Toby sat handcuffed.
At the far end of the room, a couple of plain clothes cops stood next to a filing cabinet, talking. Their conversation was pretty intense, and by the way the man kept touching the woman's arm, it was doubtful that they were talking about anything work related. One cop was actually doing his job, sitting hunched over his keyboard, pecking away at it with his index fingers, squinting at the monitor for a minute, cursing to himself, then viciously hitting the backspace.
Considering it was a cop shop, it was possibly the most boring place on the planet. The institutional tan walls were broken up by institutional gray file cabinets and shelving units. The desks were also institutional gray, and probably looked battered when they were brand new.
It was funny how every police station Toby had ever been in had their windows high on the walls, too high for a view. God forbid, someone see an actual tree or piece of sky. The windows were always frosted and covered in wire, anyway, so he didn't know why it bothered him so much. Maybe because he was stuck at this desk, pocketing stuff he really didn't need. Nobody would ever know if he leaned across the desk and snagged a file. Maybe he'd even find some information he could use.
He was just about to get up when a door off to the side opened and a group of people in well-tailored suits drifted out. After a round of shaking hands and vague congratulatory noises, most of the group wandered into the hall and disappeared. The man left behind was gorgeous. Toby could feel the irritation of the day melt away as he sank back in his chair to admire the view, now that he had one.
A lot of sins could be hidden by an expensive suit - pot bellies, flat asses - but that wasn't the case with this guy. The long, lean thighs, broad shoulders, and tapered waist made the suit look good rather than the suit improving the man. There would be no disappointment once he was peeled out of his suit.
He was so caught up cataloging every detail of this fine specimen, that it took him a moment to notice the woman he was with. She was much older, and all she wore added together, along with whatever cash she had in her purse, wouldn't pay for the man's tastefully patterned silk tie. The tie, the briefcase, the watch, all shouted lawyer to Toby, though the only other thing he could be in this shabby bureaucratic hell was a criminal. A very successful criminal.
The woman told a different story. Her dark face was lined with old grief, and her current distress gave Toby a twinge. The lawyer seemed to have everything well in hand as he spoke to the woman earnestly, lightly rubbing her upper arm as he reassured her.
Suddenly, she just seemed to sag in on herself, and the lawyer automatically put his arms around her as she pressed her face into his shoulder. He stood there, half holding her up as he patted her back and murmured into her ear.
Huh. Maybe this guy was different. Most of the lawyers Toby knew, and he'd met every type through working summers at his dad's law firm during high school, would cringe if one of their client's tried to touch them. Toby snorted, imagining the look on his dad's face if old man Parsons, one of the firms oldest and most prestigious clients, tried to hug him. Then again, he couldn't imagine Parson's touching anyone but his hot, blond wife-of-the-month; that thought made Toby gag a little.
As lawyers go, this one seemed a little less slimy than the norm. The kindness, coupled with the rather fine physique, made him doubly interesting to Toby.
That is, until Toby saw him tip his wrist behind the woman's back so he could see his watch. The lawyer rolled his eyes, and went back to patting the woman, visibly bracing himself for the long haul.
Toby almost laughed. Mr. Slick almost had Toby fooled. If he had just held his mask for another second, Toby would never have guessed he was anything but genuinely caring and sympathetic. But he must have thought no one was watching, because he now stood there, bored and going through the motions of comforting his client.
Then the most unexpected thing happened. The fake pats on the back stopped and he took the woman in a real embrace, hugging her tight. She seemed to feel the change because she burrowed closer and went still and quiet. After a moment, his eyes started to close, then he leaned down and rested his cheek against the top of the woman's head.
They stood that way for several minutes, seeming to take strength from each other. He just looked so peaceful, so unguarded, that Toby couldn't stop staring. Toby got a sense of weariness and loneliness from him. The embrace, this simple touch, was obviously something the man rarely allowed himself. He'd fought it, but now that he'd allowed himself to have physical comfort, he wasn't going to let it go any time soon.
A door slammed somewhere in the building, and the man jumped. The woman extricated herself, then groped around in her purse for a tissue. The lawyer blinked dazedly before his mask of cool professionalism closed over his features. He still looked vaguely sympathetic, but now that Toby had seen the real thing, he knew it for what it was.
The woman mopped her face with a tissue, then straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin and marched out of the room, the lawyer at her heels. As he rounded a desk to head toward the hallway, Toby leaned out of his chair to keep that fine ass in his line of sight.
He hadn't even noticed Toby, a criminal being too far beneath his notice. But that was to Toby's benefit. It wouldn't be too hard finding out who the guy was, and Toby wouldn't even have to call any of his contacts. Ghosting around Mr. Slick Lawyer's life would be a fun side project while he worked his latest job.
Toby watched as the detective waddled into the room, a danish in one hand, and a steaming Styrofoam cup in the other. Yeah, it looked like he would have plenty of opportunities to spy on the lawyer since it was evident he would be spending way too much of his free time at the police station.