Application: Ray Kowalski, "Due South"

[shake_bad_guys]

Fraser got the bad guy, no surprise there, and even if he'd had to fall down an abandoned mineshaft to do it, well, he was Fraser, so of course when Ray yelled down after him he yelled back up that he was fine, just fine, Ray

Comments

[una_harlequin]

"They never ask about the guns, for some reason," Una says, strolling into the entrance plaza. She extends her hand in greeting. "Una Persson. You're a bit overdressed, Mr Kowalski."

((*is gleeful*))

[una_harlequin]

"Well, there's something here that tosses people into fountains if they try and kill someone. Or lets them down gently if they fall from a great height. Presumably it's the same something that engineers those inconvenient days when everything you say comes out as pirate slang, or when you conceive an overwhelming passion for your worst enemy."

[shake_bad_guys]

"When you...? What kinda something are we talking about? Fountains?"

((I apologize for the way Ray's interrogating Una on all the Dizzy 101 stuff. He's just...he's a cop, he's trying to get a grip on the situation.))

[una_harlequin]

Una considered; she wasn't sure how much of the Master's Celestial Toymaker theory she ought to lay on the poor man, who (she was beginning to think) probably came from a world short on magic and sufficiently-advanced-science. "Well ... I've not witnessed it myself, but I have it from reliable sources that if someone attempts to use lethal force on someone else, the perpetrator will be seized by some invisible force and tossed into one of the park fountains. Which, I'm afraid, is far from the only hint that some sort of entity has its eye on the place. Food and things in the stores restock themselves; damaged structures are instantly repaired; and then there are the aforementioned practical jokes," she grimaced slightly, "that seem engineered for personal humiliation." She gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry; have I completely overwhelmed you yet? I'd offer you a drink if I had anything on hand."

((Not to worry. Una's a patient girl and understands completely. At least he didn't get the Rani...))

[shake_bad_guys]

"Yeah, a drink would be nice. Appreciate it, theoretically. Damn." Okay, Ray wasn't even going to try to understand the invisible thingamagigs bit. Really, he was pretty good at dealing with weird crap beyond the ken of ordinary mortals, which was a good skill to have around Fraser. The trick, he found, was not to break your brain on the stuff you just obviously weren't going to get. Leave that to the Mountie.

(It also helps when you're briefed by a goodlooking woman who's being nice to you. He wasn't sure he trusted her - the guns crack and the 'pftt, police' thing had set off some warning bells, but Ray did have eyes - she was hot. And she didn't seem like she was lying or anything, not exactly.)

"So has anyone tried going out that way?" he asked, pointing at the Nothing.

[una_harlequin]

Una chuckled. "Might be able to fix you up, once you get sorted," she said. "There's a flash bastard named Crowley holed up in Club 33 and hoarding the main source of alcohol, but some of us have other sources." She grinned.

"Go too far out there and you'll get sick. I haven't attempted it myself, but everyone I know who has swears up and down that you shouldn't; massive, crippling nausea. Some have tried to fly out-and I should tell you right now, there are non-human beings here who can, in fact, fly-and it seems that once you get too far up, it's the same thing. I'm also told that there was an attempt to dig out, but that it hit an impenetrable barrier six feet down."

[shake_bad_guys]

"Yeah? Cool." (In reference to the alcohol, obviously.)

"Uh," he held one finger up, "hang on a minute, okay?"

And strode over to the exit, swinging a leg over the turnstile's bar.

[una_harlequin]

"Ah." She trailed after him at a short distance. "Quite sure you want to try that?"

[shake_bad_guys]

"'I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble,'" he quoted at her absentmindedly. Mostly he was concentrating on the emptiness, as he stepped out into it. A couple steps, and he was queasy but mostly okay. Another, not feeling so good. Spinny, like being way too drunk, wanting to throw up but somehow it seemed like the worst thing in the world to actually have to give in to it. One, two, and he was doubling over - there was too much nothing, ahead of him and on both sides, he felt like he was doing somersaults, but he shuffled forward a step or two. Until he couldn't.

Ray landed on his ass, and it was a long moment before he could manage to move and get his hands under him enough to push backwards. Pushing against...nothing, there was nothing under him. He still managed to scoot back, a foot or two at a time, feeling better as he went, till at last he was just inside the gates, flopped on his back and looking up at Una where she stood.

"Well. That sucked," he observed.

[una_harlequin]

Una just missed catching Ray as he fell and bent to help him up.

"Looked nasty," she said, not unkindly. She got her arm under his shoulders and gently levered him to a sitting position. "The truth is, I've never tried it myself because I can't bloody look out there, much less take a step. It feels like my brain's twisting in on itself."

[shake_bad_guys]

"It's not that bad, not for me anyway," he asserted in a manly fashion, despite still being pale and kind of floppy. He was plainly gratified at having her fuss over him - he hadn't had that kind of thing in years. (Stella hadn't been big on the hurt-comfort, at least not after the first time he got shot bad and she freaked out on him, and Fraser...you got hit by a car around Fraser, he'd just be, 'Do you think you have significant internal injuries? No? Come Ray, they went that way, if we run we can still catch them!') "No brain to twist, maybe."

"Then I get out there, it's like I'm fifteen and I drank a whole bottle of Christian Bros. But I'm fine." He struggled to get back to his feet.

[una_harlequin]

"Careful." She did the best she could to help him get back to his feet. "Most people wait until they've had a chance to stew a few days before they try that."

[shake_bad_guys]

He wobbled a little, but he stood, finally, looking pleased. "There. See?" No problem.

"I had to check it out for myself," he explained, in case she was going to go on to scold him, or something. Women and superior officers did that. "Hearsay's no good." Quirky smile. "Five'll get you ten when Fraser gets here, he won't take my word for it, either."

[una_harlequin]

The list of people to whom Una was willing to give out scoldings was actually relatively short, and she hadn't known Ray long enough to add him to the list. So no worries there.

"Fair enough," she said, the corner of her mouth quirking up slightly. "Who's Fraser, then?"

[shake_bad_guys]

"Constable Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian Mounted Police," recited Ray. "He first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of his father, and...uh, it's a long story, but he stuck around. Works at the Consulate now. He's my partner. And my friend."

Ray appeared unaware of how completely goopy that last bit sounded.

[una_harlequin]

Una caught the goopiness, however, and it made her smile. She got it under control (she hoped) before it looked like she might be laughing at him. She really wasn't; it was just sort of ... sweet.

Of course, that led more or less to the bad news part...

"I should warn you," she said slowly, "there's no real guarantee your friend will show up here. Of course, he might-there are a lot of people here along with friends or ... acquaintances from their local time-streams. It could go either way."