Lucky or Unlucky? [Ambriel, Open]

[Azrael]

<Well, fuck.>

Feet pounding against the pavement, Michael gasped for air. His lungs felt like they were on fire, unable to take in enough oxygen as he dashed around the corner of a building. Behind him, he could hear the shouts from the two Pluses he'd tangled with as they closed in on him. If there was one thing his other form wasn't famous for, it was speed, but his pursuers were too well armed for him to stop and shift back.

A gunshot rang out, smashing a window just behind his head. Mike ducked instinctively and rounded another corner, hearing shrieks coming from the inside of the building. <I can't outrun them...> he thought, cursing his stupidity. Why did he go after a pair that had to have guns on them?

Deciding to change tact, Mike leapt upward and snatched a hand-hold on the side of the building. Gasping, he hauled himself upward and reached up again, pulling himself up onto the rooftop. Mike lay there, breathing heavily as he began to shift back, willing his panting to be quiet as he heard shouts continue down below. "Where did that bastard go?" one of them swore. To Michael's relief, the pair squabbled for a moment before continuing to run down the alleyway.

Now fully demorphed, Mike waited a few seconds before slowly making his way down the side of the industrial building. Keenly aware that he was completely exposed and buck naked, he darted back in the direction he came, keeping to the back of the storehouses. "Thank god there's no one else around here at this time of night," he muttered.

When he finally reached the place he'd stashed his stuff, he groaned. Some asshole had stolen most of his stuff; at least they were nice enough to leave his pants behind. He quickly slid them on and checked his other, separate spot to find his handgun, which was thankfully still there. Sliding it into his waistband, he sat down on the pavement and put his head in his hands.

<What a total fucking disaster. Just my luck...>

[Ambriel]

The Knight of Diligence had been on patrol, having heard some disturbances in the area, when she'd heard the gunshots.

Maybe it was a futile effort to try to stamp out crime and violence in Chicago. It was the third largest city in the nation, after all, even after the war started. Still, no one would ever say Bri was the type to give up once she'd set her mind to a task. And she wasn't going to rest until Chicago was either a haven of peace or was destroyed due to extenuating circumstances. Of course, in either of those event, she'd just move somewhere else and try to do the same thing there. Taking a day off and giving up were both out of the question.

So, even on this, her scheduled day off, Ambriel had taken to working off the clock and doing things without expecting pay. That was how she ended up across the alley from two gun-toting individuals who, according to Bri's quick scan of their minds, were looking for someone else with the intent of killing him.

"Sorry, kids," she said, shaking her head with a gun pointed at the two of them, "I think this is the end of the line."

There had been someone else not so far away that stopped by to pick them up, and when that was done, Bri went out looking to see if they'd had any victims. It didn't take her all that long to find a harrowed-looking man between some warehouses.

"Hey, buddy," she started off, softly. Humans liked soft voices, right? She put away her gun. "You alright? If you were worried about those two with guns, they're behind bars now, so you're safe." She wasn't really sure what to say after that, and she didn't really want to read this guy's mind to get a look at what the right answer was. That'd be too easy, and an invasion of privacy when it was unnecessary. Humans didn't like invasions of privacy, especially when they were unnecessary.

"If you, uh, if you need some help getting some clothes, I can do that." Well, this was awkward.

words ;; 360;;
notes ;; none ;;
outfit ;; standard cpd uniform ;;
tagged ;; Azrael ;;
mood ;; curious, satisfied with herself ;;
credits ;; bridges by courage my love ;;

[Azrael]

At the sound of the woman's voice, Mike jumped. Startled, he scrambled back a little as he took in who was speaking to him. His panic at getting clothed had made him careless; he couldn't let people sneak up on him, especially an armed officer. He stayed silent for a moment, mulling over what he could possibly say to the woman who probably had an open case file on him back at the station. Michael had to act normal, or things would take a turn for the worst. The only problem was he sucked at acting normal.

"Hi..." he stammered. "That's, um, good to know. They were, uh, chasing me because, um, I'm a... a shifter." Mike could already tell that his body wasn't going to cooperate as he shook a little, and he was still sweaty from his dash through the alley. The shifter's breathing was also still heavy, and there was something else: when he got nervous, it always became harder to keep his sharpened teeth hidden. Mike had to shut his mouth for a moment and really concentrate before he got them under control. All of it was a recipe for looking guilty of something.

"Some dude, uh, stole the rest of my stuff, so I... I'd appreciate that," he continued, his voice still trembling. "I, uh, should probably tell you that I, um, am armed, but I'm not going to use it or anything. I'm... respectful of the law and, uh, y'know. Just thought it would... be good to let you know first." Michael wasn't sure if this woman was a Plus, a human, or something else, but he was pretty sure he couldn't just take her on, not in the state he was in. If one thing was for sure, though, he absolutely couldn't end up at a police station. There were too many prying eyes, and someone might somehow recognize him, even if he'd already been very careful.

[Ambriel]

Bri could tell from looking at him that the man in front of her was scared, probably left over from the chase that had just ensued. "Oh, that's terrible." It actually kind of was terrible, given that as far as she knew he hadn't done anything wrong. Even if he had, shooting at him wasn't the way to handle it, and that was why they weren't here now. "Both things, I mean. It's okay, though. My car's around the corner. If you're injured or anything, just let me know. Even if it's as small as a sprained wrist or something."

Ambriel nodded slightly, smiling. "I appreciate you telling me that. I... can understand why someone would want to be armed around these parts, even if they've only got self-defense in mind." She pulled off the blue shirt of her uniform, revealing a plain white tank top underneath. "I'm not technically on the clock right now, so I don't feel bad taking you somewhere that we can get you some stuff. My treat." She was far from having money problems, after all, and doing what was obviously right was always something that made her feel good. Like it wasn't as hard as it sometimes seemed to make the world stop being as bad as it was.

"Since you already told me you're a shifter, I'm gonna let you know. I'm not exactly human either, but an alleyway isn't the best place to compare notes on the supernatural, especially not here. But if you want to come back to my apartment once we're done getting you clothes or something, I'd be happy to show you. Maybe it'll give you a little faith in other people back, who knows." Okay, so it was a lame joke, but those were just about the only kind that Bri ever made. "If you want to talk about stuff, or watch a movie, or whatever, I'm cool. Just want to make sure you're okay after that business." She folded the shirt and tucked it under her arm. "Or I can just get you some clothes and drive you home, if you'd rather do that." Yeah, she'd like to hang out and get to know people--especially shifters, she wasn't sure she'd ever met one before--but if he just wanted to go home and forget this whole thing happened, she couldn't really blame him.

words ;; 395 ;;
notes ;; this will either go very well or very badly ;;
outfit ;; standard cpd pants, white tank top ;;
tagged ;; Azrael ;;
mood ;; pretty chill ;;
credits ;; bridges by courage my love ;;

[Azrael]

Michael wasn't sure what to do. His first instinct was to throw up his defenses, especially considering this woman was an officer, off the clock or not. She seemed nice, but so did most people before they found out exactly who Mike was and what he had been up to in Chicago. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he would also be at her mercy if things did take a turn for the worst. Her mention of being 'not exactly human' only added to that sense of being far more powerful than she might be letting on.

On the other hand... Michael was still craving that personal connection that had eluded him all his life. His brief encounter with Winter in the alleyway had given him a taste of that, and against his best judgement he wanted more. Even sharks were social creatures some of the time, and the shifter wouldn't deny that he was growing tired of being alone all the time, killing Pluses and laying low.

With both of those points weighing heavily on his mind, Michael decided that he would keep his walls up until he found out what exactly this woman was and what her end goal was. He was still skeptical that this was all in good faith, but for now trusting her was all he could actually do. "Thanks, I... I wouldn't mind getting a ride somewhere," Mike started, his tone a little rough. "I, uh, I'm not used to that sort of kindness, especially in... in Chicago. Um, haven't had the best experience with cops though..."

Michael looked down at the ground, thinking over his next words carefully. "I don't think they hurt me, thank goodness... We can compare notes on what we are once we're out of here, I guess," he said, trying to force a smile. "My name is Mike. It's... nice to meet you, officer."

[Ambriel]

Bri shrugged, jerking her head in the direction of her car and starting to walk toward it. "Some police are less suited for the job than others, I think. I wish all of us were hardworking and noble and were only trying to protect others and uphold the law, but some of them aren't. Kinda pisses me off that I have to work with people like that, and that there's nothing I can do about it. Oh. My name's Bri, by the way, you don't need to call me 'officer.' Think I forgot to mention that, though." Bri's car was a white Accord, a magnetic siren perched on the top and a pastel pink rosary hanging from the rearview mirror. She slid the siren off as she walked over to the driver's side, unlocking the doors and gesturing to the passenger side. "It's good that you're not hurt. Fuckin' sucks when somebody gets hurt."

With a sigh, she tossed the siren from hand to hand. "Especially with the other types like us, you know? Like, God gives you these abilities and you use them to steal and shit? I just don't get it. Wait--sorry, not trying to be forceful about religion or anything. 'S just what I think, it's cool if you don't." Ambriel gnawed on her nails. There were less following her Father in the world now than there were long ago, and she was still getting used to not assuming that everyone did. "Uh. Anyway. I can pop into a store and grab you a shirt or something, or if you want to borrow some of my clothes and pick them out yourself, we can stop by my house first. I don't mind either way, so it's up to you." With that, she opened the door and sat down, putting the keys in the ignition and buckling up as she waited for Mike to do the same.

words ;; 320 ;;
notes ;; wopps ;;
outfit ;; standard cpd pants, white tank top ;;
tagged ;; Azrael ;;
mood ;; chiller than chill ;;
credits ;; bridges by courage my love ;;