2018.06.23: Sergeant Donahue

Sergeant Donahue
Lleutrim meets Sergeant Donahue with Internal Affairs at the PPD. He's too dumb to be intimidated by her status with IA and instead he finds that he rather likes her.
IC Date	Sat Jun 23rd, 2018
IC Time	18:56:40 2018, PDT.
Players	Lleutrim,Faith
Location	Prospect Police Department - Patrol Desks (and others)
Spheres	Mortal, Mortal+

Prospect Police Department - Patrol Desks

The bullpen. Clusters of desks with computer terminals and phones on them fill the room, interspersed with a few large printers and copiers, a large shredder, and metal cabinets here and there with various office supplies, forms, procedures manuals, police magazines, and the impedimentia of a modern police department. Officers come here to fill out paperwork after a call, trade information, do research, scan files and the myriad other duties of a patrol officer that require office support. A coffee station at one end of the room has a couple of keurig machines. There's a small snack bar next to it, and a refrigerator and microwave.

---

Holding the coffee pot up in one hand, she swirls some of the day-old crud from the bottom up into the mix before pouring it into a a chipped PPD mug. "I don't really think it's relevant.. nothing in the policy states you can or can not have a tattoo. What it says is that you have to present professionally. So.. you could have a tramp-stamped dick on your back.. and it wouldn't matter. But I Heart Cops on your forehead would get you canned. Or at least sent to a tattoo removal session - at your own cost - if it was up to me." She puts the coffee pot back in, with about two cups left before the rookie she was chatting with is getting called away to take a phone call. Saturday afternoon, and for once, the station is pretty quiet. But don't you DARE say the Q-Word out loud.

A fella steps into the room carrying a folder with paperwork in it. He's a new face she's not seen before. About 6'3" tall and reasonably fit with his hair buzzed very short, some neatly kept beard stubble that probably gets shaved regularly. Lleu is wearing a Patrolman's new uniform for the Prospect PD with shiny brand new black shoes that just came out of a box.

Donnachaidhe looks around, "Hey, where am I supposed to drop this off? Last of my orientation paperwork. Letter from my Dead Mother, several blood and urine samples, all in triplicate of course." At sight of the coffee pot she's just emptied, he puts out a hand, "I'll make a fresh pot."

Sergeant Donahue turns to look at the man's throat, then raises her eyes to catch sight of his face with a somewhat amused smile ticking across her lips. The way it curls at the corner causes the scar to spread a bit - lending a bit of a creepy touch to the expression. "You will huh?" She sticks her own hand out toward the folders in an offered trade. "If you can make it strong enough to cut through the red tape, I'll trade you tasks and get you out of the hamster wheel and out on the beat."

The coffee pot is accepted if she lets him have it but he holds onto the paperwork until he's dropped his gaze from her face, that caught him a little by surprise at her scars, to her badge and ID. /Then/ Lleu'll allow her to take the folder. "Chief already told me I start on Monday. Until then I'm to run all over town like a hamster on crack and learn my way around a bit." He smiles and glances around for the coffee maker, "If you can drink the coffee as strong as -I- make it, we'll get along just fine." But first, he steps over to look at what kind of coffee they have in the office and he grimaces, "Keurig's a waste. Is there a real coffee maker around here?"

"I'd say in my office, but I gave my office up to the new Junior Cadets. So.. the trunk of my car?" She doesn't make any comment about the expression on his face, perhaps used to it since she carries those everywhere. "The detectives use an old Bunn they don't know I already pegged as confiscated from the property room. Will that do?" She continues to hold onto the files without opening them up as she gestures toward the Detectives Section. "I'm afraid your end of this Faustian bargain is going to be harder than a strong cup of coffee. Getting along with me means knowing every policy and procedure better than I do."

Lleutrim gives a nod, "Yeah, anything I can dump more coffee into without having to use these premeasured units. Then we can dump in two at a time. I'll pick up some good French Roast later." If she will lead the way, he will follow to the coffee maker! A soft laugh then, "Yes, ma'am. Though I'm sure you are way ahead of me there. I was with the Atlanta PD for two years or so but everything'll be different here."

"It's really less about knowing them, and more about caring to follow them." Faith answers as she's leading the way toward the bull pen, but she pauses the flag down the secretary ass she's bustling through. "Hey Susan, can you please expedite this personnel filing? Chief wants Officer Donnachaidhe squared and ready before Monday morning.. I know it's a stretch but, I'll make it up to you with some of those cheesecake brownies?" The woman warms up considerably when the 'payment arrangement' are laid out and snatches the folder up. "Of course Sergeant!" Then Faith pauses to turn back toward Lleu, "Great, now I want some cheesecake brownies and dark french roast. You up for a drive over to the local coffee shop instead?"

The fella pipes up after Faith speaks to Susan, "If it needs to be finished up on Monday, that's probably all right. I think the Chief just wanted me out of his face at least until then." He gives Susan a wink. Here he was about to catch up with that introducing himself thing but Faith's already picked his name off of the folder. "Sure. Part of my learning where everything in town is. My car, yours, or follow? Call me Lleu if you like."

"Yours.. I brought the bike in and I don't think you want fraternizing with IA on your unofficial jacket before you get out of the building." She does look up over her shoulder with a quick smile to add, "If you don't mind Lleu, we'll be going to the Prospect Roasters. Best coffee in the city." She doesn't offer an introduction herself.. and decidedly not a shortening of her name.

"Internal Affairs doesn't scare me." He grins, "You ride? I was a motorcycle cop but they put me in a car to start." He pulls out his keys as they head out of the building. "Sounds good to me, Sergeant." Once they get outside he leads the way to the newly issued Dodge Charger in it's black and white wrapper with the gold lettering and seal on the side doors. "Give me directions and I'll learn the way."

---

Prospect Roasters - Patio

The patio is spacious, sprawled out, leaving plenty of room between the tables so that well behaved doggies and their owners can enjoy a nice cup of coffee. There is a wooden fence around the place with an open gate and three steps that lead up. There is a wheelchair ramp off to one side that allows easy access for all. The chairs and tables spill over onto the sidewalk. Each table has its own little umbrella stuck through it. The umbrellas rotate and can be lifted or lowered for a custom sun preference. Off to one side there is a small stage, not more than 10 x 5 where a couple of people could set up to play music. There are outlets where someone could run a mic and an amp if they choose. There are even a couple of waiters that move back and forth to serve and bus tables.

The menu is written in English with smaller Spanish subtitled and overwritten in Braille, and there is a large phone just to the side of the menu that rings straight through to the kitchen when it's picked up, for use by those who don't have phones or are visually impaired.

---

"Good, because the people it scares don't last long.. and I like not being the tallest mother fucker in the building anymore." She walks around to the passenger side and she'll be pretty quiet for the ride. After you park and she joins you on the patio, the young woman uses her radio to call in off-duty, and pockets her badge. It's then she offers her hand. "You can call me Faith off duty. And I insist on picking up the tab. I make more, and I invited you."

"I'm not tall. My /father/ was the tall one in our family." Lleu looks around the place as they come in, checking out exits, what sort of clientle they have, the decor, what the food looks like others have if any, as they make their way to the patio. He draws out a chair to sit at an angle he can keep a good eye on what's going on around them without, ideally. He's still in uniform himself and watches how she conducts himself before he accepts the hand, "Should I remove my badge too? In Atlanta we didn't if we are in uniform, even off duty." A nod to the rest and one side of his mouth curls with amusement. "So... being the new guy in town, anything you can tell me that I should know? Places in town that are especially dangerous, current scuttlebutt I should be aware of, anything? I assume I'll be briefed in on Monday."

"No, you don't need to." Faith takes a seat after Lleu finds his comfort-spot for the watch. "I just don't like advertising my department when I'm with other officers in Uniform unless I'm on duty. There's a lot of yellow-news around here, and the photo with ensuing rumors could ruin your reputation in the community before you even have a chance to show yourself." She taps her fingers a bit on the table, not bothering with the menu. "We've had a lot of trouble in the last several months with internal issues. Officers on the take mostly. The job pays for shit, the gangs are better armed than we are, and community support is pretty low after we busted in on a mosque and arrested a few dozen innocent Muslims in the middle of prayers, based on a rumor, and using unauthorized force and personnel." She them taps her pocketed badge. "Make more sense now?"

Lleutrim turns his head back to listen to her and then nods, and makes no comment as she continues. Once she's finished he nods, "Yeah, that's ugly. I met Detective Tenebrau and had a long chat with him. He also told me ... about an incident with an officer killed back in May. What sort of gangs exactly are we dealing wit here in Prospect? I assume plenty of drugs and guns up from Mexico?"

"I don't work in that division any longer.. except as backup for SWAT when the tactical teams are stretched thin," answers Faith after she puts in an order for a double espresso dark roast and cheesecake brownies, then waits for LLeu to order as well. "When I was, we had a few different issues. The drugs and guns are classic, but we get a lot of flesh trade. Specifically underage girls being trafficked across the board to the south, and brought up from Central American countries. The girls are a better turn key business than most of the drugs, and frankly, easier to do time for." She frowns as she gestures toward the Chinatown district, "And we have the Asian Gangs. So far they're quieter than the Hispanics, and we have a fairly small Motorcycle Club presence."

Lleutrim orders a plain French Roast, strong, black without sugar. "I'm familiar with the flesh trade. Had that issue in Atlanta too, even without being near to the border. Kids, both sexes, teens, and young women. I was told anything that came over the border that wasn't adult male was probably flesh trade, that it was that bad." A slow nod to the rest. "I should get a list of gangs on Monday and their dispersement. Anything particular I should be watching out for?" It doesn't take long for their drinks and her brownies to be brought out. Donnachaidh quietly thanks their server and he's been keeping his baritone low so not to carry. For his size, he's not a loud guy.

The server is thanked by Faith as well and paid, with a generous tip. The young woman likewise keeps her voice at a conversational level. "Well, don't get outside of the Prospect Boundaries.. know when you're running into the Sheriff's territory. Don't step on the detective's toes. Coastgaurd has everything from the low tideline out. The University PD is a sub unit of ours, so they handle school related issues unless is gets assigned to a detective.. basically, get out of basic patrol as soon as possible because you're nothing but an underpaid, over worked unit." She gives a little shrug as she lifts her eyes, and manages a slight smile. "And don't jump to my defense when someone starts talking about that fucking IA cunt unless you dig the lone wolf role. Shackleford is just getting herself out of that rut."

He listens to the juristiction boundaries and cautiously sips his hot black coffee. Lleutrim laughs softly again, "Got it. I used to be a Captain in the Marine Corps. I know Patrol is bottom of the barrel. I intend to work my way up. Maybe I'll try for Detective in time. Meanwhile, Patrol is a great way to learn the city while I'm new and somebody's got to do it." Officer in the military means he's a lot better educated than only a GED. He lifts a brow at her, "You're that popular, are you?"

"Immensely." Faith answers as she finally lifts her cup and takes a drink of the creamed and sugared bounty that was delivered as such. Must be an incredible regular. "I hit Sergeant strait from patrol. Bypassed the detective's desks on the heels of our Mosque issue." She lifts a hand to push a piece of loose hair out of her face. "It's not unheard of - and with your background, it's probably not a bad idea to keep your eyes on the prize. We're gonna need a new LT before the end of this fiscal year I'd be willing to bet. Not, that I said that." She glances over your shoulder before turning her attention back to your face. "You getting settled in otherwise?"

"I'll need a little time to learn the idiosyncrasies of this particular Department and city, but I'm not opposed to it." Another sip of his coffee. Lleu watches Faith and her glance off over his shoulder is noted and he restrains the urge to look over his shoulder to see what she glanced at. If it's important, she'll look again. "I'm still at the hotel. I need to find a place to live. Looks like the waterfront is the posh high end of town so I'll avoid that. I think I saw there's some apartments not far from the station. You know anything about them?"

Sitting with Lleu, Donahue shakes her head. "They're not bad - but apartments have all the standard problems.. getting up at odd hours, neighbors who work variable schedules, dealing with the crush of domestic disputes during your off hours... A lot of us live in the Glenhurst Subdivision. The rent's not horrible, and the single family homes at least have a garage to park ther patrol car in so it doesn't get vandalized nightly." She doesn't look back over his shoulder a second time, whatever it was having passed.

"I like that idea a lot better than an apartment." Lleutrim leans over a little to pull out his iphone and key it up. "Glenhurst Subdivision." In a moment it brings up a map location for him so he can go check it out. "I appreciate that. I especially hate people messing with my bike. Great way to piss me off." Or get him killed. "Appreciate the tip, if I can afford the rates." Soon as he has noted it, he turns off his phone and puts it back away. Donnachaidh isn't one of those people who likes to have his phone out on the table and using it constantly. Instead he picks up his coffee and drinks a little more ere he asks, "So, do you like working Internal Affairs?"

If she has a phone with her, it hasn't yet made an appearance. "You're welcome. If you want to see the inside of one, you're welcome to drop in some time. I'm actually looking at moving out soon - and I moved in on a patrol paycheck so I know it's cheap." She smirks a little before looking down at the top of her cup. "Sure, Love it. Way better than getting shot at, chasing perps, and being in the thick of things."

He watches her as he listens, but Donnachaidh also keeps an eye on what's going on around them. People coming and going, things going on out on the street. Not in a distracted manner but as a matter of habit. He drinks more coffee, then sets his cup down. "I don't need to barge in on your place. I imagine management can give me a tour. Long as it's clean and everything works, I don't need much." Lleu cocks his head, "It's good of you to take some of your personal off duty time to fill me in on a few things."

"It's an honor to serve, I don't really ever go off-duty in that way." She rolls her shoulders before she looks up from the cup in front of her. "Besides, it's nice to sit in public with someone else who'll keep watch for a few minutes. Haven't had a break like this in ..I don't remember when." Faith then moves her hand over the cup and lifts it up. "Have to admit there's an ulterior motive or two for offering to show you my place. I'd like to get out of the lease, and I made security upgrades while I've been there."

That's a curious thing or two for her to say and she certainly has his attention, pulling his gaze back from glancing at someone who just came onto the Patio. Faith gets no immediate reply from him as Lleu mulls over each part she said, thinking about it for a few seconds. "You feel ... threatened in public?" It is asked cautiously lest she take the question the wrong way. Donnachaidh fingers his cup idly but it's mostly empty now. "I admit you have perked my curiousity. About this house. You want to tell me about it or should we just go have a look?"

"I feel.. guarded, because threats exist." She doesn;t seem to have taken offense to the question. Lifting the cup from the table she taps the edge of it with her finger. "Tell you what. How about we break here.. meet back up at my place in about an hour. If you bring your bike, we can go for a ride? Haven't had a partner to ride with in ages plus eons. I'd love a run out to the desert or up the coast if you're down?"

"True. Though one gets used to the idea. I mean, I've been in combat situations a few times. You learn to stay vigiliant but you also to relax while you are doing it." He certainly wasn't thinking about it until she drew his attention to it. "I'm not used to running into a civilian who thinks about it, even among cops. Unless something has happened recently to spook them." He says that even as he's watching her scarred face.

Lleutrim finishes off the dregs of his cup and leans back in his chair, "Sure, but I haven't bought a personal bike yet and I didn't bring my old one out with me. You think they'd check me one out at the station while I'm off duty for the weekend?" A slight hesitation ere he adds, "I -would- like to see where there are good places to ride." Might be a hell of a view if they can get up to a higher elevation.

"I'll get you a weekend pass on one of the training bikes.. they're not marked as PPD and they don't have the sirens." She does indeed have a smart phone witrh her, evidenced as she pulls it free to shoot off a text. "Want to run up Palomar to the observatory?" She pauses a moment before she texts again, "Fine - motherfucker, TWO pans of cheesy bread. I swear this whole fucking department runs on food bribes."

Scars or no scars, Faith is still pretty and if there wasn't this thing called fraternization with a higher ranking officer in his CoC, Lleutrim might hit on her. So it takes him a little by surprise to hear her suddenly start cussing!

The expression on his face is him struggling to not laugh out loud. Lleu rubs his mouth and prickly jaw and then skims a hand over his shorn head to keep his composure before he says, "I'd love to, thanks. I can ride any kind of bike, I'm not picky. I'll need a helmet though." Do they even have a helmet law in California? Doesn't matter, he wants one. "An hour is good. Gives me time to hit the hotel and change clothes. Here, let's exchange phone numbers and you can text me if you need to, or if I can't find you." He produces a pen and writes his number down on a napkin to tear off the edge and give it to her. "I'll meet you if you tell me where."

"I'll text you my address so you have my number and the link." She smiles with more ease than she's shown to this point. "I have an extra that will fit you, I hope you don't mind a full face Arai? I'm kind of picky about my gear.. and yeah we do have a helmet law. I'd have given you shit even if we didn't. My brother's call me the Gear Nazi.. no disrespect intended." She texts him the address, at 2202 Hanson. Her own number is from the LA area, several hundred miles north. "See you in an hour."

---

Glenhurst - 2202 Hanson(#13127RA)

This relatively snug two bedroom home has about 1400 square feet of space. The living room is sparsely decorated with an eight foot long leather couch that is as oversized in height and depth as it is length. It's matching chair squats beside it - splitting the difference between throne and loveseat in size. The coffee table is solid oak, and looks to have been around the block a few times. There is a similar but not matching bookcase with a flat screen TV on it pushed against the wall. Dozens of photos of a blonde headed family in a rural location are on one of the walls.

A sandy carpet covers the floor of the living room wall to wall, which connects to the kitchen area through a small doorway placed next to an open bar, making up for the lack of dining room with a rather clever use of space. Within the kitchen is an older model of stove, as well as a standard white fridge, The space for a dishwasher has been taken up by an extra rolling counter that serves as a working space for prep, or serving. Off the kitchen is a door, leading to a small addition to the back of the home which houses a freezer, washer, and dryer. Another door leading from this room comes out the back of the home into an expectedly small back yard.

The hallway leads to a master bedroom, as well as a second bedroom and a seperate full bathroom, also off the hall. The master itself features a somewhat larger and renovated master bath, with a large tub and the traditional white style of bathroom tile and light blue wallpaper.

The front door is accompanied by a storm door made of clear acrylic security glass, as are the patio doors.

---

She answers the door after you ring the bell, within moments. She's dressed down, and her leather motorcycle jacket complete with some light armor plates and mesh venting, is laying over the back of the couch. The Aria she mentioned is sitting next to a smaller one on the coffee table.. and one boot is only partially buckled. "Come on in Lleu.. I saw you pull up on the monitor." She gestures to the kitchen through the archway where a monitor is mounted under the counter. "It's also got motion sensors in the back that engage the monitor, and small cameras in the main hall. I don't have them turned on right now.. but they feed to my phone when I'm away." The house smells like.. fresh baking bread. There's also a few things on the dining room table, including a cheese block, some summer sausage, crackers, and grapes.

Lleutrim arrives in a dark Under Armor shirt, black leather motorcycle jacket over one arm as it's too warm to wear until they get moving, khakie pants with well used black combat boots. A skulls ball cap he strips off of his head as he steps in, then he removes his ballistic shades. "Nice. I'm a fan of security, even though I've never particularly felt like I needed it myself outside of combat zones." Biker ball cap gets shoved into a pocket of his jacket which he finds a place to set aside near to the door, shades into the other pocket.

Donnachaidh glances over her attire and makes a point not to make her uncomfortable with anything more than a glance. Then he's looking around at her place. "Smells good. You making bread?" Rather than pay too much attention to her personal things in the house, Lleu's interested in the layout.

"Yeah.. I'm a freak. I don't like processed food.. specifically I hate pizza." She turns for the kitchen as she answers, "Feel free to look around, ignore the illegal maid I keep locked in my bedroom closet." Faith picks up a knife next to the chopping block and offers, "My first night here some tweakers tried to steal parts off the AC unit in the back yard. Haven't had any problems since I showed up with my Mossberg but it cuts down on the insurance costs a lot." She starts to cub some of the aged cheddar as she adds, "Thought I'll pack us a bite for the ride. Nothing too heavy - but it's a long ways up there and I don't know if Mother's will still be open.. you wanna grab me some bottled water from the garage? First door on the left in the hallway there."

After walking around into her main room and looking over her kitchen, Lleu turns his head as he listens. "I think we have a lot in common. Except that I like pizza, but I dislike fast food. I like to cook when I have time and I make bread too. King Arthur flour for the win - bromide free." Bromides being bad for your thyroid, a frequently added anti-caking agent. "I'm a little bit of a health food guy, but not to any weird extremes. Grew up in the mountains with home grown vegies and hunted our own meat."

The tale about the AC unit is amusing, "Mossberg's a decent brand. You shoot clays?" Lleu gives a nod and goes to looking for the bottled water. "I brought some bottled water too, out in the car. But nothing else." He comes back a moment later and sets them on the counter. A grape he snags ere Donnachaidh takes her up on the offer to looking around the rest of her flat while she finishes the food prep. Nope, no comment about illegal maids in the closets. "What's the subdivision rules about shooting pigs of the farmyard variety and digging your own BBQ pit in the backyard?"

The cheese is cubed, and everything being packed in neat little re-usable hard plastic containers. "I was actually raised in the mountains too - though it was a commune. We grew, raised, and hunted everything we consumed." She's laughing as she holds up a bag of the flour Lleu was referencing when he returns from the jaunt about. "No firearms, but I actually do have a garden in the back. I didn't dig the pit.. but I don't think they'd notice?" She sets the bag down on the counter and opens the blinds to the back yard, exposing the small private yard with a nice ten by twenty foot garden - several of the vegetables already starting to fully produce. "I was gonna pull it out and sod over it, I didn't think it would be much of a selling point for anyone but me."

Lleutrim wanders back from the other end of the small house and comes to look where she indicates, "I like tomatoes and lots of hot peppers. I'd think they'd notice the BBQ pit roasting smell and the crazy wackjob Special Forces guys I'd invite over to drink all my beer." He grins, "If I could get any of them to actually show up." It's California though - lots of training centers and even SEAL teams out that way.

He leaves the window to see what all needs to be gathered up and packed into the saddle bags or hard cases on the bikes, picking up the water bottles. "You have any other security here? Door or window trips, silent alarm, giant stone balls right out of Indiana Jones to roll down the hallway and spice up the morning before coffee?"

"I prefer to murder my drunk neighbors with my bare hands," she answers with a grin that likely looks a little bit savage given those scars. "Especially when they're Spec Ops, Captain.. more of a challenge." Faith gathers up whats left for the leather saddle bags on the bike in the garage. It's a flat black street fighter built from a FJ1100, with enough cutomization that there's very little left to 'recognize.' "You want to ride the PD granny or you wanna take my baby for a ride? I'm good either way - just figure you're probably jonesing for a decent run."

Makes him laugh even if she didn't answer the rest about her security measures, "I'd pay to watch that." Then Donnachaidh adds, "Don't call me Captain though. I left that behind." Maybe a little regret there but he doesn't elaborate. Lleu'll gather up anything else she wants them to take, snag his jacket on the way and follow Faith to the garage.

When he sees her own bike he gives a low whistle, "Holy mother of God. Sweeeet." Don't tempt a man, Sergeant. Donnachaidh takes a stroll around her bike. Faith's close enough to his own height that he probably could ride her bike without his knees being all scruntched. "I can take the spare bike. I'll enjoy watching you ride /that/." Wait, did he say that? To cover, he quickly adds, "Maybe another time. I hate to borrow someone else's ride and then worry about dinging it up. Last bike I had I put so many miles on it, it looked like it was right out of Mad Max by the time I was done with it."

She slides her hand over the seat and right up the tank as she smiles down at the bike. "Fine, I'll lead - but when we get to the top, you owe me a story. Cause.. you are entirely too interesting to be Officer Donnachaidhe long enough to get those shoes broke in." Faith slides her leg over the bike and then touches a button on the phone to lift the garage door before she dons her helmet and flips the visor up. She'll get studded gloves out of the pockets of her jacket. "Unless you can beat me up the mountain on the granny bike - then I owe you. Deal?"

There might be a flicker of something in his eyes at mention of a story owed. No comment though. Things stowed on the bikes, Lleu checks that he has ear buds to put in, in the event the pipes are Cobras or something else really loud like on his old bike. Once he gets the helmet fitted and adjusted, he puts a leg over, pulls the choke and starts it up. See how it sounds and feels even if they are still in the garage.

Over the noise he lifts his baritone, "Probably not the best idea to race on unfamiliar roads. Not before I know my way around." Tempting though. She's a bad influence! It makes him smile and feathering the clutch, easing off the brakes, Donnachaidh gives it a little throttle and comes on out into the sunlight.

She fires up the beast between her thighs and there's nothing short of a rumble that teases up against the residential sound restrictions. Sliding down the drive, she lets the garage close behind then before she leans over and speaks just loud enough to be heard over the bikes, "You picked your ride. I think you're just scared of getting beat by a girl. How about I promise not to break the speed limit? Fair?"

Lleutrim laughs, "Getting beat by a girl can be sexy, Sergeant. But for professional working reasons I need to be keeping my head. Just lead on and show me the scenery. There'll be time for hijinx another time." Especially once he has his own bike. He lowers the face visor and adjusts the straps on his gloves, then he's ready to roll and get a look at this country out here in the desert.

Faith looks like she's going to respond.. but she doesn't, at least not at first. When she doesn she finally says "I'm not in uniform.. it's Faith." She rolls out ahead, a careful rider indeed. She'll show the way to the highway out of town avoiding the main drags where traffic can tangle up a bike, and she keeps the pace nice and steady. Not only is she an excellent rider, she's a great lead. It's a good fourty five minute ride to get to the foothills, then starts the climb. Slow, sweeping curves, sexy hairpins, wide and well paved lanes. Even traveling the speed limit you get opportunity to scrap those knees if you've got pucks. The landscape is just as incredible. High pine trees, grand cliffs, and hardly a car on the road as the sun begins to wide down out of the sky.

Donnachaidh falls into the traditional position off of her flank, behind by several bike lengths or more so if she has to stop fast, he has time to react - and off to the side. When she comes to stops, he pulls up beside her. Once the road is more wide open he may cruise beside her if it's not curvy.

The route she chooses is great - for the lack of traffic as much as possible. Lleu finally gets to really relax some himself as they ride. No demands, nobody talking to him or asking questions, no expectations. Just the bikes and the road, and a gorgeous landscape that's a lot different from Georgia and the Appalachians. And a /whole lot of sky/ out here when you get out into the desert before the land rises up to the moutains and trees resume once more. The dry air isn't as dry as Iraq but the quality of the light is similar.

Up and up the winding roads. While he's never scraped a knee while riding, Lleu certainly has scraped a lot of pegs, especially back on the Dragon. But then he's a classic bike rider, not a sport bike enthusiast.

Once they get well up and come to a grand vista with a long, wide view, Lleutrim stops his borrowed bike and kills the engine at a good pull off. He puts up his visor and a moment later removes the helmet to feel the breeze coming up the bluff from below. The evening air is cooling and the lowering sun makes for richer colors with less glaring over bright light. Donnachaidh is silent, soaking up the view.

The woman doesn't interrupt the moment with a lot of chatter. Her bike is pulled off a little distance away and she's unfastened the bags to toss them over her shoulder. While her companion takes a moment for himself, she walks down a thin trail about six yards from the vista to a broad flat rock. It's almost like a table.. and there's plenty of evidence that others have been here before. A few broken beer bottles get tossed into the leather bags after she starts unpacking the light fare and the water. The rock looks out over the valley floor, which is in turn lit up by the sparkle of fireflies glinting in and out of the greet tree tops. Above, it's an open sky with a blanket of stars and the moon beginning to reveal herself with the setting of the sun.

Wow, what a beautiful evening it's turned into, and a hell of a ride. Far, far better than he was expecting this weekend. With the sun bedding down and the stars starting to come out, and even a few scatttered fireflies below, it's amazing. Donnachaidh glances up at the moon rising all golden but soon to silver as it climbs the sky.

After a couple of minutes he steps off to the tinking of his engine and pipes cooling. Lleu stows the helmet with the bike but keeps his jacket, unzipping it. He quietly walks over to join Faith after he snagged the water bottles, one of which he hands to her. When he speaks, his baritone is pitched real low so to disrupt the peacefulness as little as he may. "You sure picked a beautiful spot."

She accepts the water with a soft smile, having seated herself on the rock, so she's now looking up at him over her shoulder. "It's one of my quiet spots. I like to come here and be alone.. you struck me as someone who could appreciate it." Faith dribbles a little bit of the water into her hand and wipes her face with it, then slicks the loose pieces of hair back from her eyes. "The work we do demands a special kind of solitude for reflection now and again that I just haven't been able to get in the city."

Lleu settles to take a seat on the stone by her and can feel the residual heat still ebbing from the ground after the day's hot sun. The temperature in the desert is likely to drop like a rock and he'll be glad of the jacket later, maybe. He uncaps his own water bottle and takes a long drink of it before he'll pause. "I do. I like to get out alone. Strange line of work to get into when you don't like crowds, isn't it?" One side of his mouth quirks into a lopsided grin as he glances at her, then back out at the view. "I really like hiking and camping. Wanted to go to Iceland and do that, but haven't yet."

After a moment he asks low, "That cheeze you brought. Is is sharp?" For the moment Lleu takes off his jacket to get comfortable. "How long you been out here in Prospect?"

"I actually put the cheddar back after you went into the garage. I packed the smoked gouda instead. Hope I didn't make a mistake?" Faith sets the bottled water down between her knees so she can start opening some of the plastic containers. "Iceland.. I've never been. My Grandparents were from Norway, I'd like to visit some time.. they're they ones who nurtured my love of stories." She tops the top off the gouda and gestures up at the moon. "Like Mani and Sol.. the Moon and the Sun, the Vikings had some interesting theories about them." She sets the lid under the container then picks up another. "I've only been here about a year. I transferred in from LAPD after the incident."

"Doesn't matter. I like all kinds of cheese as long as it's not bad smelling French stuff." Lleu smirks faintly, "I like gouda, especially smoked." That and the grapes will be a welcome snack as they enjoy the marvelous view. "I've been lots of places. Mostly Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and the Philippines, but also Eqypt, Jerusalem, China, Saudi Arabia, stopped over in Turkey and Europe lots but never spent time there - except in Germany." A brow is lifted, "Mani? I'm not sure I've heard that one, though I have read all the sagas I could find. Things like Burnt Njal, the Heimskringla, the Edda, etc."

He eats some of the cheese and grapes. Somewhere a desert night bird starts to call. Lleu continues to keep his voice real low, "Incident?" Wait, she told him of an incident earlier.

"Then you've read about Svalinn, who holds the shield between Sol's chariot and the earth to shield the world and seas from the heat.. you probably just don't remember it from the Edda, because Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda sucks ass.." She smiles once more and breaks open the seal on the venison summer sausage. "Made this myself." It's offered before she looks back out over the edge of the rock to the valley. "You'll hear the rumors soon enough. It was a bad scene. My partner died, but all anyone ever talks about is the medal. It's a story for a different kind of night, yeah?"

"I think I can remember that story. I need to go back and reread the Sagas. Been so busy the last few years since I left the service that there's been no time." Lleutrim looks a little shocked to hear Faith bad mouth /Snorri Sturluson/. He eyes her but like a wise man, keeps his thoughts to himself and his mouth shut. But he -might- have to ask her about that sometime. Until then, grapes, cheese, and oooh, venison summer sausage. If he had a tail he'd wag or thump it.

A slice of sausage is tried. "Nice. I bet you can make a mean, spicy sausage. I think I'll have to dare you - use lots of habaneros but none of those new ghost or scorpion peppers. I'm an old fashioned guy."

He listens and is quiet a moment, eating before he speaks again. "Sure. But it sounds like it's worth hearing some day. Your side of it." Lleu looks off at the night, "I've lost people too. That's never easy on anybody."

"It's not. Us survivors are a tribe unto ourselves, even within the Family, so to speak." She looks back over at you with a thin little smile. "Come on.. Sturluson was a crackpot." She leans over and elbows you lightly in the side. "Prove me wrong and I'll chew a raw scotch bonnet while I make you those spicy sausages." Faith reaches up and fusses with the bun at the nape of her neck as she looks back out toward the valley.

Lleutrim takes the poking stolidly but says, "I don't think Sturluson was a crackpot." He eyes Faith, "You tempt me to try, just to see the look on your face with a Scotch Bonnet pepper in your mouth." Oh boy. He totally should /not/ have said that. It evokes an image that is far more sexual than he ever intended, then he suddenly laughs. "Sorry, that was horrible. Please do not encourage me to be an ass because I'm way too good at it and I like it too much. I need to behave myself and have a chance to make a decent impression with my new job before all of my Jarhead humor falls into daylight and ruins my rep forever."

He smirks and uncaps his water bottle to finish it off. "I suppose we should be heading back soon. I stay out too late, I turn into a pumpkin, you know."

"Uh huh.. and you flirt with your superior.. then risk her flirting back." She clambers back to her feet and bends over to start sweeping the containers back into the leather bags. Faith shoots a quick smirk in your direction - completely unmindful of the scarring that contorts her face. "Don't sweat it Lleu, seriously. I'm just giving you shit. But it was nice to get out for a ride. See you at the precinct on Monday?"

Donnachaidh gets to his feet and helps to tidy up - leave no trace. And pick up other people's trash as necessary to keep it that way. "I like people giving me shit and I /love/ giving them shit back. No worries." He shakes out his jacket (scorpions in your arm pit are not a lot of fun - but it makes for a hilarious story) and then Lleu shrugs it on. "Yep, I'll be on duty Monday, assuming your bribes are good and the Chief doesn't change his mind." He dusts off his arse and will help carry the saddle bags back if she'll let him.

"It was nice to get out for the ride, thanks. Soon as things get settled and I can afford it, I'll be bike shopping."

"Sounds like a plan. If you need a hand cobbling something together, I've got the tools.. we can frankenbike it in a weekend, and you can always trade up from there - it's how I made mine." She smiles as she helps secure the saddle bags back on the bike, indeed working as a team. "My bribes are always good. If you bake even half as good as you ride though, you'll probably give me a run for the rep. But your ass is mine at the chili cook off."

That stops him, "Chili cookoff?" Lleutrim grins, "That might be fun." He picks up his helmet but doesn't put it on yet, "You did your custom work on your bike yourself? Damn. I can maybe change the oil but ... beyond that and I have to Youtube it." Not very mechanically minded. "I suspect you could teach me a few things." Once all is set, he throws a leg over and gets the bike set up, "Lady's first. You give good tours, Faith." There, he finally used her first name.

"You might be surprised what you'd learn on a tour with me." She answers with a wink before she dons her helmet and snaps the visor shut. The FJ1100 rumbles to life to drown out any chance of a reply then and she gives it a revving just to be certain of it.