"Don't you ever sleep?" A voice chided as the office began to fill with people after a few hours of near hallowed silence. The only people who had filled it's interior during the time most in the department were laying in bed next to loved ones and trying to dream about things not involving death had been a lone female working at her computer and the custodial crew.
"Sure I do," the female in question replied with a slight upturn of her lips as she reluctantly tore her eyes from the screen to stare at the middle-aged woman holding two cups of coffee in her hand and dressed in 'business casual'. Or as Michelle liked to call her, 'Soccer Mom Executive.'
"You were there at the computer when I left at five yesternight, have you moved at all? Have you eaten?" The older of the two harped with her now free hand on her hip and eyes glowering down at the Asian woman sitting at her desk.
"I moved..a little." Michelle replied meekly as she sipped her coffee and inwardly sighed with relief. Caffeine was a gift from the Gods in her opinion and she'd been in sore need of some. But that's why she adored Marjorie so much. Always knowing who needed a refill on coffee, a bite to eat or even a kind word when nerves were worn thin. Michelle had seen her tackle a grieving family in the deepest pits of despair and five minutes later, talk a hostile ex-husband out of doing something extremely stupid.
"Moving fingers while typing doesn't count," Majorie said, shaking her head. "You know if Sanderson knew you had been here all night, he'd blow an artery. Go outside, get some air. The case will still be here when you get back. I'm the one who has to listen to that man bitch when I file all the hours away to payroll."
Michelle huffed in mock annoyance, pulling the chair out and pointing to the office door. Slowly, Michelle got up out of her chair and skittered towards the door and was greeted by a blast of cold air and early morning sun.
Tristan would likely be arriving soon, and maybe then she could sneak back in and get back to work. The latest case to come across their desk stumped her and she hated hitting the proverbial wall. Two murders, the victims were members of Humans for Humanity, a hate group that lobbied against vampire owned businesses and urged to reinstate 'Varmint' laws, which would give any citizen legal right to hunt lycanthropes.
According to the report, the victims were killed by vampires and though they showed signs of bite marks and draining, the wounds seemed wrong. Far too messy even for a new vampire and yet, where did all the extra blood go if not in a vampire's belly? And the Master of the City's decree that any members of HH that were found near his residence would be dealt with severely only made things worse.
The sight of the sun rising made all of those hours she'd spent reading and reviewing tapes and pictures all come to a head and she finally wilted a yawn before sipping her coffee. "I was feeling fine until I came out here.."She groused to herself, glancing at her reflection in the office window and trying to straighten out her hair.
Even though she looked like something that stepped out of Seven Samurai, Michelle considered herself more American than anything else. Even if she hadn't come to the states until she was a small girl. Her mother had wanted her to be a doctor or a housewife, but even as an infant, she followed in her father's direction and showed more interest in playing cops and robbers than dolls growing up. Now that she was pushing twenty-eight, her mother feared that she'd never receive grandchildren from her oldest.
Another yawn and she shook her head while stamping her feet to get the blood moving through her body once more. Maybe she'd shock her partner and suggest an early lunch as she took another sip of her coffee.<|im_end|>
Tristan yawned as he entered the double doors at the entrance of the building's lobby. Sleep had been something scarce lately, but it was to be expected with this job. At least he had more energy than that of his human days. As he mused that thought, a small flash of white showed with a toothy grin, inhuman fangs flashing briefly. Inhuman mahogany eyes were weak and weary. Dark black hair was tied back, reaching just between his shoulder-blades. A few shorter strands fell in his face, giving his eyes a small level of intimacy that he couldn't possibly achieve otherwise, as weary as he was. Caffeine was a common commodity in the office, but his damned metabolism needed an abundance of it. Between Michelle and Tristan the amount of caffeine intake daily was scary. He took his black too. Highest of concentration. No sugar.
As he headed up to Michelle's office, he realized he was sort of on autopilot today. Though, he knew it wasn't going to be an issue once he was in Michelle's company. She had enough energy and was active enough to keep him on his feet. Luckily Tristan himself had an active personality and could keep up with the most prestigious detective in the agency. It did, however, take far more effort than he liked to put forth. More so than he would have liked to admit.
Michelle seemed a bit caught up in her reflection when he first started watching her. She was a lovely little number, he couldn't help but notice. Instinctively his gaze seemed to flare to life as soon as his eyes rested upon her image. The Lycan placed a gentle knock on the door as he drew in his last leisurely breath. The rest of the day would be dedicated to his partner, murders, and homicides.
"You're just wasting company time trying to look pretty." he teased as he watched her play with her hair. He was still, almost eerily so. The wolf in him often poked through his human facade and did things the normal human body wasn't capable of doing.
Watching her body language for a few moments, he realized she was probably trying to become warm. "I have a few propositions for you, you know? To get you all nice and warm." He couldn't help but flash her a handsome grin.
Crossing the room, breaking his still stance, he loomed over her. He took a sip of his coffee and waited for her to propose the day's agenda. Walking closer to her, he glanced over her shoulder scoping her desk for any sign of paperwork. Standing at 6'3", it was pretty easy to do as his lean, muscled body towered over her.<|im_end|>