[ open ] i cannot get it right, the emptiness i feel

[thevulnerability]

WHO: Chloe Decker & You
WHERE: De Chima & Jeopardy
WHEN: After September's Swear-In
WHAT: Chloe is preparing for the written and physical police exam
WARNINGS: None

DE CHIMA: A LIBRARY

Although Chloe managed to avoid being spotted after getting involved with the corner store robbery the month before, the risk it posed for someone Unsettled was not lost on her. As she'd told Lilith as the time, she couldn't help but get involved, and it was only a matter of time before she ended up getting busted trying to be a hero.

So, as a knee-jerk decision at the Swear-In party, she went ahead and registered. And, with that, she figured she might as well take up all the other perks that came with putting her name in the hands of the government - mainly, finding a new job already.

In a library in De Chima, Chloe can be found digging through some of the more boring, law-oriented sections of the stacks before setting up with a pile of books and her laptop at the table. She's determined to pass the written test for the police so she can avoid going to the academy again, but this is a different world from her own and the same laws don't necessarily apply. So, while it might be overboard, she's doing her best to make sure she's well educated on the differences before she makes the jump.

Her intentions are good, but all of this isn't exactly riveting literature, and it isn't long before her eyes have closed and she's taking a full-fledged nap on her pile of notes, snoring loud enough to disturb most of the library.

JEOPARDY: A PARK

It turns out, the physical part of the police test is probably going to be the hard part. Sure, Chloe is in halfway decent shape; however, she had joined the LAPD almost fifteen years prior and, since then, she's gotten older, had a baby, and spent less time working out and more time enjoying lemon bars and wine.

For the last week or so, she's taken up jogging around one of the sparse parks near her housing development. It's hot and she's generally miserable, but seeing her plod along trying to best her fourteen-minute mile and a half is a daily sight for anyone who might patronize the area regularly.

This specific day, however, is a particularly off-day for Chloe. She only makes it about six minutes in before she's gasping for breath and she finally just gives up, dropping onto a park bench and letting her head fall back, closing her eyes against the beating sun.

"What am I even doing?" she mutters, a little louder than she intended.

Comments

Jeopardy

[reborningreen]

"Chloe?" Oliver is there, having been checking out the municipal services in different cities, so as to see what was needed, and where. It's Jeopardy's turn today, and he is not sad as he sees his friend.

He is dressed in casual slacks and shirt, which still looks very neatly pressed, despite being... not as formal or expensive as some of his clothes. He's got a backpack and puts away the camera he was using to take pictures of the park and grass and the like. Just in case he needs it, he has a paper he acquired from the local business license division explaining what he was doing.

"How are you doing?" he definitely approves of working out.

[thevulnerability]

Chloe lifts her head, pausing for a moment before she realizes who is talking to her and looking a little relieved. The last thing she wants to do is deal with strangers right now, but seeing a friend of hers is never unwelcome.

"I'm... okay." She tilts her head, her expression betraying that she is a lot of things, but probably a little less than 'okay.' "How are you... What are you doing?" She nods her head towards where he's placed the camera.

[reborningreen]

Oliver smiles as he comes a little closer, and nods to her, waving at the camera. "Surveying the area. I'm working on a project to see what services are needed where, how well the parks, and other services, are being provided by cities."

He shrugs.

"Its a chance to maybe give back some." Other than his 'other' job.

"What brings you here?"

[thevulnerability]

"Surveying? You know, coming from you? That sounds kind of shady."

She offers it in a jovial tone because, while she's sure he isn't up to anything malicious, superheroes do kind of do their own thing sometimes.

"I figured I'd go for a run. You know, for fun." There's people who do this kind of torture for fun, right?

[reborningreen]

Oliver snerks. "For once, I am utterly above board." He pulls out the notice and permit he got from City Hall, and shows it to her.

"I am running in two worlds. and I try to make both better."

Oliver blinks at the idea, and nods, slowly. "For fun. Hmm. I never tried that." He runs, but for purpose, to stay in shape. For fun? really? Wow.

"That's more than I do."

[thevulnerability]

"You know you don't have to prove that to me, right? I know you're not lying."

She still glances at the permit, though. Old habits and all.

"I'm not running for fun. I'm trying to get back into the police and I have to pass the physical."

[reborningreen]

"I do, but I respect you, and I want you to know I've got nothing to hide."
Not anymore, anyway.

"Oh yes? That is a hard one. Do you want or need any help?" Oliver was immediately focused on her. He had trained... a lot of people, by this point.

"Training others is something of a hobby of mine."

Jeopardy

[goodtobebad]

Crowley is lounging on a park bench, a couple of shopping bags at his feet from local businesses in Jeopardy. Bookstores, mostly. He's been buying a lot of books for the angel. He likes the way Aziraphale's face lights up when he gives him something.

He tilts his sunglasses down a bit to watch Chloe, with an idle sort of curiosity. "I dunno, what are you doing?"

[thevulnerability]

Crowley is a total sap, and one of these days Chloe is going to call him on it. Not today though, probably, mostly because she's too exhausted to entirely register the bags next to his feet. His casual lounging is not overlooked, though, and she looks him over, a bit jealous at how relaxed he seems.

"I'm working out," she says, although that is either a) Incredibly obvious due to how much she is sweating, or b) Not obvious at all due to the fact that she's currently collapsed on a bench. "I have to pass a physical to join the police here, and it's been a really long time since I've done anything to stay in shape."

[goodtobebad]

To be fair, Crowley has only the vaguest notion of "working out". And it doesn't sound pleasant. Which might explain why he sort of wrinkles his nose at her.

"Why would you want to do a thing like that?" he asks. "Seems like a lot of work, and for what?"

[thevulnerability]

"So I don't have to go to the Academy again. If I pass the test, I get to skip the part I've already done."

It's totally reasonable, Crowley. And some people actually like having jobs.

[goodtobebad]

"...Because you want to go around, catching thieves and whatnot?" Crowley suggests, quirking an eyebrow. "Seems a bit pointless to me, there will always be thieves."

[thevulnerability]

"But there will be fewer thieves if someone is out catching them."

She shoots him a frown. Crowley probably isn't the best person to understand the point of law enforcement, so she's not sure if she'll actually be able to explain it to him. Granted, she's not sure he still hasn't entirely grasped the point of having a job to begin with.

De Chima

[hisfavoriteson]

He's not here for the books. It's not that he doesn't read; he just has his own personal library, and libraries like this one don't usually have the books he's looking for. The books he reads are usually a lot older, and a lot more obscure. He's here because Chloe had left a note that she would be here, and indeed, here she is.

Sleeping.

He pulls out one of the chairs across the table from hers and settles himself in it, the chair turned at an angle to the table and one arm flung casually over the back, with the other arm resting on the table. "I don't think this is what you're meant to do in libraries."

[thevulnerability]

He's being less than delicate about it and Chloe wakes up with a start, instinctively slapping his arm away before she realizes who is sitting next to her. Clearing her throat sheepishly, she sinks down into the chair and glares at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep. All of this is just, it's just..." She gestures. "At the risk of sounding like you, it's boring."

[hisfavoriteson]

He wasn't exactly trying to be delicate, but he didn't want to bother her too much, either. He's more amused by the situation than anything right now.

He pulls one of the books closer to look at it. Oh yes. Rules. No wonder it's boring. "What do you even need this for? They'd be lucky to have you."

[thevulnerability]

"Because I have to pass the test unless I want to go back to the academy. And I've done all this, Lucifer. I don't even want to start over, but this place is different and the laws are different and I..."

She sighs, resting her hands on the book in front of her.

"I just need to figure out where I belong in all of this."

[hisfavoriteson]

"You're the best detective in Los Angeles." Which should count for something, at least in his opinion. But even if it doesn't, it means she's done it before, and she can do it again.

Ugh. He can't believe he's about to make this offer. "If you want some help, I'd be happy to give it."

What happened to his life?

[thevulnerability]

"But I always had you to back me up. I'm not sure I'll get away with that here."

Lucifer doesn't have the same pull as he did back home. Which likely means she'll be working without him. Besides, he has a pretty sweet gig as it is.

"You know, I was thinking, too..." She tilts her head up at him. "Maybe I should be a cop in De Chima. You know, instead of Jeopardy."

After all, it's where he lives.

jeopardy

[sathan]

She comes for the peace, for the quiet-- to be able to think away from others. It was a nice walk, slow and giving Lilith a chance the opportunity to just be with nature. She didn't come every day, at least not at the same time but often enough that she noticed some patterns. Such as Chloe.

Though rather than the woman running past her she was the one walking past her, seeing the woman slumped back on it. And not seeming to have a good day.

"Not running."

Obviously but wasn't that what she usually did?

[thevulnerability]

Of all the people she could bump into at the park, Lilith isn't exactly at the top of her list of welcome visitors. Nothing with the other woman comes easy, and talking to her has consistently resulted in awkwardness or, at the worst, full-on antagonism. And Chloe isn't really in the mood for either.

"Thanks. I'm glad you pointed that out. That's useful." She sits up, though, eying Lilith thoughtfully. "What are you even doing here?"

[sathan]

Excuse you, Chloe, she doesn't have to answer that. As if she's not meant to be here.

Lilith does at least answer it. And politely.

"I live here."

Not the park itself but in Jeopardy. She'll also go one further and add a little context.

"I come here to think."

[thevulnerability]

Of course, Lilith lives in Jeopardy. It's a big city, but it does explain the convenient ways in which they keep running into each other.

"It's a good place to think," Chloe offers. "I've been doing that a lot lately, too."

[sathan]

"About?"

She doesn't expect the woman to answer, she's also not certain if she really does want to know but the question is there. Just in case.

[thevulnerability]

Chloe raises her eyebrows, a little shocked that Lilith even asked. For two people who could barely stand each other, they did end up talking an awful lot.

Granted, that is how most of Chloe's friendships start out. She just tries not to think about it.

"What I'm doing here, I guess. Or what I want to do. Pretty sure the first step is getting out of Jeopardy."