savetheearth | [closed] a meeting of the minds

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[closed] a meeting of the minds

Who: Karl Aurion, Kotetsu Kaburagi
When: Oct 8, afternoon
Where: The police station
What: Picking up from where a fun drunk texting conversation left off.

[Part of being a dog of the police force is the lovely little perk of being sent out to fetch various things on short notice. Having to drive to pick up some innocent, not at all involving corruption (haaaaa) documents right after getting off his undercover work and suffering through his first day of super enhanced senses in the school setting? Yup, that had to be done, too.

Karl, simply put, appears bored as he steps inside the station with documents in hand. The person at front almost asks to see an id until recognizing the who this person is. Not surprising of an reaction considering he's at the station as infrequently as possible. Soon enough, he arrives at the superior's office and spends the next 20 minutes listening to mindless, irksome babble of a wonderfully corrupt cop. Half the time gets spent counting all the blackheads on the man's face; the other half gets spent picturing him in various, if silly attire (a crab suit with top hat and evil cartoon villain mustache had been the personal favorite today).

Needless to say, no small amount of happiness fills Karl upon exiting that office. Even the door closing brings some comfort because it means he won't get suddenly dragged back in there for more chatting. All that's left now is to finish off some paperwork while he's here and then go home to... grade tests primarily written in chicken scratch. No rest for the wicked, huh? A small sigh leaves him as he starts walking without paying attention the other officers around him.]

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[Unluckily(?) for Karl, another officer is coming back in just as he's stepping out, and he has to pivot around on his heel to avoid a literal head-on collision.

Kotetsu doesn't even really get around to mentally grouching about the other man not watching where he was going when recognition kicks in, and hoooo boy, is it a doozy. It might have been awkward enough if their only previous communication had been the whole deal with the cafe, but there had to be that incident from the bender he'd gone on a couple months back. After the initial apology, Kotetsu would have been perfectly content to pretty much avoid him forever, but alas, fate is not so kind.

The sergeant pulls on a perfectly awkward grin, eyeing the door behind Karl as if unsure he should attempt to continue on (thus engaging him), or simply flee and regroup, possibly go in through the back entrance.]

...Yo. [Beat] Nice...uh...weather we're having?

[...

He should have gone with fleeing]

[The near collision had gotten paid about as much attention as whatever fly might be buzzing around in the building. It's another cop; who cares? Or at least, that had been his thought process right up until the familiar 'Yo'. Karl stops in his tracks and glances over his shoulder. Ah, Kotetsu. It's been a while, hasn't it? Did he need something?

Oh wait, he'd just said something, didn't he? Uhh... Something about the weather?? Going off probability, it had likely been general commentary. Good? Bad? You know what, going with a reply to either scenario sounds best.]

Indeed.

[And there. Sounds as though he'd been paying attention despite not doing so in the least. Feels like high school all over again.

So what did he want? Karl is just not going to say anything and stare until the man speaks again. Or at least that had been the plan up until his phone vibrates. A quick look at it reveals a text from the same superior he'd just spoken to.

I see you're talking with Kaburagi. Tell him to either do his goddamn paperwork or that he's switching places with the janitor!

Karl glances back at the office he had just come from with an irritated glare before sighing. A messenger boy's work is never done.]

You haven't been doing your paperwork as of late?

Edited 2013-10-16 21:14 (UTC)

[At first, it appears as if he may be in luck--the other officer doesn’t seem any more inclined toward conversation than he does, and he’s about to quietly shoulder past the captain and make his way inside when the man’s cellphone beeps--and suddenly makes him look irritated.

He blinks at the question, looking confused for a moment.]

E-eh? ‘Course I’ve been--

[....aaand then it hits him, the small stack of papers on his desk that were finished but never filed. He can’t remember offhand if he’d been on-call and distracted by some incident that needed to be seen to or something network-related or if he’d simply forgotten to leave them on his superior’s desk, but whatever it was, they’d never made it to their intended destination.]

...Oops…

[The OOPS serves as a very clear answer. It's enough to gain another sigh from Karl. Time to give a lecture on handing in things, only this time to a fellow cop instead of a teenager.]

I'll take that to mean that no, you haven't.

[Not a question; just a statement.]

Completing and turning in paperwork in a timely manner is part of the job.

[Read: if he has to do it, everyone else damn well will, too. Filling out forms and the like is the least pleasant part of the job, but it needs to get done.]

Well, I did it, I just....kindaforgottoturnitin.

[Because he's skilled like that.]

[Well, at least it's done, but that knowledge doesn't do much brighten his mood. Paperwork, done or not, doesn't mean anything until it's in the boss' hands.]

Then remember next time. Done but not turned in still amounts to not done.

[Sorry, Karl's gonna be a hardass on this. Been a long day.]

Yeah, yeah, I hear ya....

[He's going to huff and grumble a bit, because geez, it's not like he never does his shit, it's just been busy and stressful and there's been all the network crap going on...]

Did someone really just tell you to give me shit about paperwork just now, what the hell....

[Ugh he hates passive-aggressive bullshit why couldn't the guy just ream him out personally? Bothering another officer about it was really just uncalled for, Karl wasn't even his unit's supervisor...]

[Kotetsu can grumble all he wants but will gain no sympathy from Karl. Older and more work to do and still gets it done.]

Better it be from me than from someone likely to chew your head off for it.

[The commanding officer tends to be a prick more often than not, especially when annoyed. It's something best avoided, if possible. Hmm...]

If you have it completed, I can turn it in for you to fully reprieve you of that.

[He's actually grumbling somewhat on Karl's behalf, too, because he hates imposing on other people or causing them to be inconvenienced, and he's really irritated that whoever it was bothered the other officer just because they happened to randomly cross paths.]

Yeah, but I mean, I'm the one who screwed up. And you're not even my direct superior or anything. If they gotta hassle somebody that's not me, they could at least pick someone who's actually responsible for dealing with my screw-ups.

...Anyway, you don't have to. Weren't you just leaving? I wouldn't wanna keep ya.

Edited (derp) 2013-11-15 09:37 (UTC)

[Kotetsu's willingness to accept responsibility is admirable, Karl has to admit. It only increases the amount of respect held for the man, honestly. Good cops are nice to come across and seeing to it that one such good cop didn't get a pointless lecture? Karl doesn't particularly mind doing that.]

I'm already here and remaining so for another 5 minutes won't make much difference.

[He frowns for a moment, still hesitant, and then concedes with a small sigh, rubbing his neck.]

...Well, if you’re really sure, I guess. Aa, lemme make it up to ya sometime.

Be more mindful of your paper in the future and we'll call it even.

[Not having to deal with their superiors more than necessary is the best thing Kotetsu could give him.]

Your paperwork is on your desk?

Sorry. And yeah. I can go grab it for you, at least?

[He knows that's sort of a pointless gesture. He just feels bad oops.]

If you wouldn't mind then please.

[Better Kotetsu go through his own belongings than have Karl make a mess while searching around, honestly.]

[Aaalright then, brb. Kotetsu plods off to his desk, digs out a small sheaf of papers from under some other papers (and probably accidentally drops them and gets them all out of order at one point, from the sudden Japanese swearing that comes from that direction....), and finally makes his way back to Karl some minutes later.]

Thanks again.

[The wait had gotten spent watching two squirrels chase the other outside a window. It had been either that or just look around the office and two squirrels going at it felt the more pleasant choice.

It's only at the sudden Japanese that Karl turns his attention back over at Kotetsu's desk. Whatever had just gotten said had to have been colorful. Ah, and here comes the speaker of those words now.]

Not at all.

[With that he takes the paper and starts back to the happiest place on earth. Though maybe adding some balloons and a churro stand would make it more pleasant.

Just as he enters the room, another officer walks by Kotetsu. The guy gives a snort, obviously not being a fan of the Captain.]

Huh, Aurion's getting called in more and more often. Shame what happened to his family, but guess that frees him up for more ass kissing.

[Shame what happened to his family.

It’s a strange sensation when one is suddenly reminded of something that had long been forgotten. (Not quite unlike an echo, now that Kotetsu has that point of reference)

Aurion. Kotetsu had been idly thinking for some time that that name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d heard it. But things were always coming up, work or network-related, and usually it didn’t linger in his mind long enough for him to go look it up. Now, though, he remembers with a rather sudden clarity: that had been the case all over the news when he’d first graduated from the police academy. He’d lost both his wife and child...had been injured himself, hadn’t he?

Kotetsu had lost family before too...and it had nearly broken him both times. To hear someone making light of someone else’s pain like that…

He stiffens, jaw tightening, and he all but snarls at the other officer:]

Shut the hell up.

[Perhaps luckily for both of them, that’s about the time that Karl comes back. And Kotetsu just...stares at him a little, not sure what to say. There’s an oddly sad look in his eyes as he does, too.]

[Any comment by the officer gets cut off at the sight of Karl approaching. A small 'oh shit' look crosses his face before he hurries off.

Judging by the small leer directed at the retreating officer's back, that little comment? Yeah, Karl heard it. Superhearing: both a blessing and a curse. The annoyance vanishes quickly enough. Something like this isn't worth getting upset over. Everyone at the station could think whatever they damn like about him. He didn't particularly care.

Though, maybe Kotetsu standing up for him had felt nice. Unnecessary, but nice. That sad look in the other man's eyes, however, manages to make him uncomfortable. Pity or whatever else, he doesn't need or want it. His present had been carved by his own hand.]

Everything's sorted out, though I've been told to mention to not let it happen again.

[Unfortunately for Karl, that sad look isn’t going anywhere, though he does at least manage to stop staring after a moment or two.]

Aa, thanks again for taking care of it.

[This should be the part where they separate and go about the rest of their days as normal, right? But Kotetsu can’t quite bring himself to walk away, despite wanting nothing more than to avoid the man not fifteen minutes prior.]

...So, um. I, um. I got this buy-one-get-one-free coupon thing for pizza in the mail, and Nick and Yuji are busy and I can’t possibly eat that much by myself, sssssso. Uh. Would you, uh. Be interested?

[To give an order to make the look sounds tempted, but get resisted. Getting pitied, well, he doesn't deserve that no want it.]

Not at all.

[Before Karl could get back to work and away from that expression, Kotetsu suddenly pops that unexpected question. He blinks, surprise plainly visible on his face. Where had that even come from? To invite him, of all people, to go somewhere? Yeah, did not see that coming.]

Why are you asking me?

[Craaaaaaap. Kotetsu blinks once, twice, tries to find decent excuse for why he’d like to hang out with him (which, honestly, he doesn’t have a clear reason for in his head himself, he just wanted to, felt weird about just going about his day like nothing had happened), aaaand...comes up completely empty.]

Uhh--

...Why...wouldn’t I be asking you?

[Yes. That is actually what he’s going with.]

[Terrible. Very terrible. Karl eyes Kotetsu, almost as if trying to determine how serious that reply had been. After a moment, it's determined to really be serious. Maybe it's the terribleness of it or maybe it's the fact he hasn't eaten yet but, for whatever reason, the offer doesn't get declined.]

All right. I'll go.

[Kotetsu blinks a couple times, as if he's not quite sure he heard right, and then his expression all but lights up and he beams. That actually worked holy shit.]

Awesome!

[Hey, not even Karl's gonna pass up free food that easily. Not to mention, he's not nearly as big a stick in the mud as he looks. Almost as big, but not completely.]

After you, then.

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[closed] a meeting of the minds

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huff huff short tag sorry

no worries! getting sick on my end so mine's short too.

oh no 8( wraps in blanket and feeds soup...

ty!! <3

<333

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