Checking the news (open)
Trayce sat in the bookstore bistro at a little table near the windows. On the table top two books were stacked neatly and were both historical guides of the city. There were also three different types of nonsense magazines. His suit was exspensive and monochromatic, as if straight from the pages of the Regis Philbin style book. Trayce took care to sip his coffee and eat the cheese danish without making a mess all over his fancy threads. Reaching over the hot liquid in the recycled paper cup, Trayce snapped open the Inquirer and scanned the pages nonchalantly.
Tommy Lee Jones had it right in the movie Men in Black. You never knew what kind of valuable information you could find in it's pages. Sure most of it was humorous garbage but every now and then the werewolve sightings were real. Minus the frothing at the mouth and walking on two legs parts. Most of it wasn't his job to take care of, actually most of it wasn't, but he still liked to know. The locations of the sightings were key to him, as long as they weren't close to his mark he was fine and dandy. It was when the sightings began popping up closer to home that he had to take action.
Thankfully, werewolves weren't all that interested in fame and being caught on tape. Few strayed and caused a stir.
Trayce came across an article of interest, one that involved the recent murders in town. According to it's source, a three legged four horned wild man boar was responsible. A smile crept across his face.
If anything the magazines were a great source of amuesment.
As a result, she desperately needed coffee. Sure, she could have gone to a Starbucks but she wanted to pick up a book as well. Besides, the bookstore was both closer to home and less likely to be crowded. Reign shuffled up to the counter ordered super sweet frothy caffeine and a random pastry and flopped, hard, down in a chair with a massive stretch and yawn. She tossed her glasses on the table and rubbed her eyes while groping around to see what had been left around to read.
She probably looked rumpled, an old (Marc Grace old) Cubs jersey open over a bright blue tank, cargos and skate shoes she'd had since she couldn't remember when. The two blue streaks in her hair didn't help matters, but whatever.
Maybe he had been reading one too many magazines today, but there was a woman in a rumpled state of mess at the table diagonal to him and he watched in amuesment as her hand flopped around with a life of its own. His eye's wandered over her form taking her in. It was obvious she was in serious need of...something, whether it was sleep or coffee or even both he wasn't sure. She looked older than your usual college kid who stayed out all night partying. Although that was subjective, age didn't really matter for schooling anymore. All in all she had that "hot mess" look about her.
He did like her hair though. It spoke of spunk.
Closing his National Inquirer he leaned across the way and tossed the magazine onto her table.
"I've finished with this one, if you'd like."
Giving up on the reading for the moment she yawned and let her head fall back and closed her eyes. Maybe a quick nap, five minutes couldn't hurt anything. Well it wouldn't have until someone started talking to her. The nerve.
Sitting back up she blinked and refocused.
"Huh what? Oh."Â?
Wow. Just wow. Reign saw what the big guy had been reading and almost laughed. Granted she'd been looking for something that didn't take much brain power, but this was in a league of its own.
"I didn't think people read these outside of the supermarket checkout line."Â?
But she took it anyway.
"Grocery stores and now, bookstore cafe's."
He noted that she didn't out right refuse the magazine and as it made contact with her fingers, he tapped the two in front of him with his pointer.
"Your welcome to these two as soon as I finish with them."
She didn't look especially in the mood to read Pride and Prejudice this A.M. and he was happy to recycle the mags anyway he could.
He went back to reading The Globe but glanced back over at her from behind the pages. Slowly he looked around to try and see if other 'locals' were dressed the same. The place had a mixed crowd, all of whom dressed different so there was no real clues to go on. Maybe she was from out of town like him. Looking at her steaming coffee and the sugary pastry, he glanced back down to his simular set up. It could be the case. Or maybe neither of them had better sense to start the day right.
"Nope I can't do it. I can't read them and live with myself."Â?
A little more awake she studied the big guy. He sure didn't look like the sort to read this trash. And he wasn't dressed like someone who took them seriously. But here he was with a stack of them.
Men in Black was one of her favorite movies and she couldn't help but touch on that image. He didn't look much like Tommy Lee or Will Smith though.
"What are you looking for in them?"Â?
Her expression made it clear she wasn't going to believe he was reading them for fun. Well he might be, it was possible people were weird, but she didn't think so.
"Come on, they aren't that bad. Well maybe they are but you have to admit reading about Al Gore specifically wanting his abductor muscles massaged is a riot. Don't forget the story on page thirty four about the woman who gave birth to a three headed baby."
Actually the articles were enough to give you the heebee geebees one way or another. From slimey politicians, who he had met a few in his days, to the nuclear accident kids who he also had a few chances to meet. Sometimes these magazines were more depressing than the news.
When she asked him what he was looking for he gave pause. Exactly what did one answer to that without sounding like a fruit cake? He did have some what of a reputation to uphold and being caught looking for real life monsters would most definately show up in the next issue of the very same papers he now held. Which, just gave him an idea...
"Well I am looking for myself. You never know what tabloid gossip has brewed up. That and I look for fantastic stories of half people half animals. Those are my favorite."
One of his beliefs was to hide behind the truth, especially if it was outlandish. Folding the magazine on the table, Trayce leaned over and stuck out his hand for a shake.
"Trayce Mott, and it's nice to meet you."
"It is the same reason people slow down on the freeway to look at a car accident."Â?
She declared.
Gradually waking up she got a good look at him. Huh, not bad. Not bad at all. A way different look than the boy, or Bas or Vince for that matter. Let it not be said Reign type cast. Although, if she thought about it the boy, Bas and Vince had all been on the darker side. Oh, who cared. It wasn't like she was looking to get laid. At least the boy kept her from thinking with her libido.
Reign raised an eyebrow at that comment. Just before she took his had and gave it a firm professional shake, stronger than one might think for a woman.
"Reign Sorensen. Nice to meet you. So who exactly are you Mr. Mott that you're looking for yourself in the tabloids."Â?
It made Reign glad for her own strange brand of fame. Not many people followed professional billiards. Even of those, unless she was standing next to a pool table, most never recognized her.
Trayce was pleased when the woman returned his hand shake. Not knowing what to expect from the people of Nachton, he was glad they weren't like New Yorkers. What was a surprise was the firmness to her grip. It said 'I dare you to think me weak' and Trayce caught himself before he raised a brow. The wild inside of him felt the challenge and the man appreciated her subtle defiance.
"I'm no one too exciting. I work for the Mayor, just a lowley politician, but you never know who's trying to catch a scandal. Just look at Detroit; although nothing that shady is going on here. I have no blood relation to the Mayor and I got my job based on my qualifications."
That was mostly true. He was qualified for the position, in more ways than normal.
"I haven't been in one of these magazines yet and neither has the Mayor. I plan to keep it that way."
Which reminded him of future issues he was stalling on.
A thought occured to him, maybe she knew more of the city ins and outs and could help him.
"Are you familiar with the city, Ms. Sorensen is it?" He wanted to be sure he used the right prefix.
"Sure. The heck you say. Even if you aren't cousins you could belong to the same fraternity or secret society or what ever it is you suites get up to."Â?
She grinned, and lightened her words further with a shrug. Honestly, she didn't care if they were twins, let the reporters and conspiracy theory nuts work it out. She'd just vote people out of office if it became appropriate.
"An admirable goal. Good luck with that."Â?
Privately Reign thought the man was doomed to wind up in one of these rags sooner or later, but that's how fame and power worked.
Taking a swallow of her coffee-esque beverage, she burnt her tongue and made a face. Ouch.
Oh good they were going to play manners here. Well she'd never stood on formality, well maybe she could. Reign couldn't help grinning as she deiced to flaunt her title. She'd never done it before but if he was going to play then so was she.
"Doctor actually. But just Reign works for me."Â?
Let him make of that what he would.
"I see you've got a knack for journalism."
Trayce grinned, Reign already knew what it took to fabricate a whole world of deceit based on speculation. One thing was for sure, he wouldn't need luck in keeping the long nosed public out of the private affairs of his office. That's what he had brains and brawn for, more so the later of the two.
Trayce shifted in his seat so that his body faced Reign, giving her his fullest attention. Resting his ankle on his opposite knee he leaned back and took her in one more time. A doctor eh? She surely didn't look like a cardio vascular surgeon but maybe she moonlighted as bookie at a casino.
"Well just Reign, I will admit my first impression of you were incorrect. I appologize for the...miscalculation. College frat groupie you are not."
That'll teach him to assume. He wasn't above pointing out his faults though and momma had taught him to be polite.
"Fiction, journalism some days it is all the same isn't it?"Â?
And it was part of the reason Reign was so damned finicky about how she got her news. Too much of it was about ratings and drama and not enough had anything to do with facts.
Apparently, she'd gotten his attention. Probably not her best move coming off an all nighter and slightly groggy, but it was early enough in the day and he looked like he was going to work so how much trouble could she possibly get in? Especially considering that hardly counted as flirting, very little she decided.
Of course, she felt a little bad about that. He hadn't miscalculated she'd played a game. At least she had the grace to grin a little sheepishly.
"Actually I just got my PhD not too long ago, I thought I'd try the whole doctor thing out see how it flowed. It sounds weird. Especially as its sort of a part time gig."Â?
Although, she was thinking about teaching. Her Pop had for years, was still in fact. She wondered if the Chief might need a substitute from time to time. She could maybe try it and see how she liked it.
"You thought you'd 'try the whole doctor thing out'? You must have some stamina in you to go that far."
He had only gotten his Masters, electing to only torture himself for a shorter time span. That wasn't to say he was a quiter either. There had just been a greater need for him to do other things than schooling.
Now was when he debated taking the conversation from light discussion with a stranger to getting to know her as more than the smart woman at the bookstore. Fancy that. Deciding it couldn't hurt to actually have contact outside of the job, Trayce figured it was alright to ask more questions. Besides it's not as if he was questioning her to see if she was viable mate material. Those ideas were distractions waiting to happen.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your PhD in? You say it's a part time gig so I'll go out on a limb and say you aren't the head of the pediatrics wing at the hospital."
If it hadn't been for her advisor retiring she probably never would have done it. But Reign couldn't bear to let the man down. He was a friend of her father's and he'd been so supportive. That and she didn't want to break in a new advisor at the last minute.
She smiled cheerfully at him. Reign didn't mind admitting how much of a challenge it had been to finish that damned degree.
"Nope, no pediatrics, geriatrics, or any other kind of atrics. I got a highly useful PhD in literature. I'll probably teach some day."Â?
She sipped at her coffee again, and finally decided she wasn't going to eat the pastry and shoved it away, sorry she ordered it.
The teaching thing, well that always had been her plan. She'd sucked at it when she was younger, but maybe not she was older and more settled she'd do better. Well that and she'd be teaching at a higher level.
"Not glamorous at all. Not like politics and wrangling yellow journalists and the paparazzi."Â?
"So it's been a journey."
Maybe it was the way she had said it that felt so amusing. Suddenly it was all clear when she told him her avenue of study. He could definitely picture her as an eccentric teacher at a university or high school. Although she might not get away with the blue hair in secondary schools.
Bringing his now cold cup of coffee to his lips once more he cringed. Coffee needed to be hot and black and the stuff in his cup had gone from delicious to tar in shorter time than he would have liked. This is he had a Kuerig machine in his office. Too bad he wouldn't be back to that lovely machines sweet gurgling embrace until tomorrow morning. Pushing the cup away with the back of two fingers he thought about politicics being glamorous. It was directly the opposite. All dirt and power struggles and back stabbing, and that was all on a good day. Unlike movie stars if your picture was being taken there was a slim chance it was for any good. Absently he shrugged his shoulders.
"If by glamorous you mean cut throat than sure. No one would ask me to go on Jeopardy if you know what I mean. I am sitting here reading trash mags and Nachton city history books."
She'd probably kill on the popular tv game show. Trayce wasn't dumb by any means, he was just selective in his education and skills. If he wasn't interested he wasn't paying attention. Speaking of which, he was much too interested in carry on a conversation with this woman than he should be. He had things to do and daylight was burning.
"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you Reign but I have to head out. I have to get out to a veterinary clinic on the outside of the city and I don't want to show up during lunch time when they are closed."
Trayce stood and reached inside his jacket for a bussiness card. Reaching out he placed the small off white card on her table. Centered in a bold neat font was his name, title, and bussiness number.
"If you should ever find me in the magazines feel free to give me a call and a heads up." he joked.
She grinned, not at all offended by his laughter. It was funny. Funnier perhaps if you knew the whole story.
Apparently his coffee was cold, that or it suddenly held as much fascination as her pastry did. Reign wasn't worried about it. It was his five bucks.
Cut throat she could relate to. God could she relate to that. But she didn't often mention her line of work, not unless directly asked. But she was a competitor and none of the ladies on the circuit gave any ground to the others. She didn't stay number one by being all touchy feely.
He needed to get to the vet? Picking up the mayor's poodle maybe? It didn't sound like the Doc's clinic though, he wasn't on the outskirts.
"Have a good time with that."Â?
She smiled half teasing half flirting with those few words. Taking the card she studied it, before neatly sliding it into her wallet.
"I'll do that. If you need any term papers forged for the mayor's kids you can usually find me at a place called C'est La Vie."Â?
Reign gave the name of her favorite pool hall. She was there every other day if not more. It wasn't unusual for the bar tenders to take messages for her.
"It'll be the first place I go. Enjoy the rest of your day."
Giving her his best charming smile, he walked away with a nod.
He felt a part of him flicker with interest at the possibility of speaking with Reign again. It wasn't often he ran into real women with brains. Well ones that didn't look exactly like old dour men anyways. Reminding himself that he hadn't come to Nachton in search of a female, he stepped in his low profile black Ford Fusion and went back to work. It was time to check up on a lead that had the potential to be detrimental to those he protected.
( ooc : Trayce out)
"Have a good one."Â?
Reign said amiably.
Finishing her coffee she hauled herself up and ambled through the stacks for a few minutes. It wouldn't hurt to see if there was a decent book lying about. It was a book store after all. Still tired, wiped out really, she gave up and found her way back to her Magnum and then home.
At least the mutt would be happy to see her, and maybe the boy would wander by before he went to work.
((OOC...Reign out))