a stranger

Ana Ruiz appears 32 (actually 36)Detective with Astoria PDVampire

[detectiveanaruiz]

laurel ↔ ana; message.

Laurel: Hey! I don't know if you remember me, though I'm pretty memorable. It's Laurel, aka your hero.

Laurel: I was wondering if we could set up that meet for a coffee anytime soon! 😊

Ana: Hey, hero! I'm happy to hear from you.

Ana: Name the time and place and I'll be there. ;)

[detectiveanaruiz]

@zomartinez​:

           “Yes well, his sense of humor has always been questionable so ― you can take that for what it is,” she replied with a warm smile, rolling her eyes at the thought of the two of them laughing at their own jokes that no one else thought were funny. At least they had each other, when Zoey was certain that she’d never find someone that got her as well as they got each other. “Good thing I am the boss then or else this would be a fire-able offense, grabbing a drink while on the job.” They were lucky that she had capable employees as well as trust that they would be able to close up without her watching them like a hawk as the other pulled her in close and head them both towards the doors. “Somehow that feels like I can’t say no to it when you put it like that, where we’re giving back to the community by going out to grab a drink.”

“Yes, yes it has.” And Ana was part of the reason for it. The two of them were joined at the hip as children, and had grown up on each other’s humor. Ana was pretty sure there were plenty of things that she and Tiago did that didn’t make sense to a lot of  others, but she didn’t mind. It’d made some of her younger years a lot less lonely, knowing he and James were there. And eventually Zoey. “Perks of being in charge, now come on.” It wasn’t like she or Zoey could really get drunk, not without practically drinking half the bar, but she knew both of them could use the break. “Tell me about the latest pack scandal, or who is beating whom in the ring. Really I’ll take anything that doesn’t have to deal with my own work right now.”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@sbodden​​:

location: stakeout apartment on main street.

when: june 24th, 9pm.

status: closed | @detectiveanaruiz​

          — With no new leads to the disappearances in Astoria, and the leads they did have growing colder every day, it was almost impossible for Santiago no to blame himself for the lack of news to give these families. Granted, he knew it wasn’t his fault and that he was doing his best, but it was still a pain in his ass that he couldn’t go home to good news to give Zoey or the other two Alphas that had wolves vanishing after the full moon. The thing that worried Tiago the most, was knowing that the chances of these wolves still be alive were close to none.

But, another hot lead regarding a gang related to drug trafficking had resurfaced, so their chief had Santiago and Ana step out from their taskforce duties for a bit and focus on this case instead, which was why they were at this shitty apartment across the street from where these gang’s hideout, just waiting to see if they could spot George Pazzini, the leader of said gang with tight relations with the Italian mafia. 

“I really want us to catch this guy.” He sighed, tossing a bag of gummy bears he’d brought in, on Ana’s lap and taking his spot by the window to keep an eye on the movement across the street. “I need a win, Ana.”

Ana had always enjoyed stakeouts. There was something about the endless hours and the monotony that drove a lot of other detectives to distraction, but Ana had always enjoyed the stillness of it. That didn’t make it any easier to have to deal with countless cold leads and all she’d done all night was go over every piece of evidence in her head, still coming back to the same empty conclusions.

Ana’s reflexes reacted before she’d even noticed Santiago move, grabbing the bag of gummies out of the air without taking her eyes off the monitor that was trained on the other side of the street. She spared him a quick glance, lips twisting in the same frustration he felt as she opened the bag and popped a gummy into her mouth. “Yeah...yeah me too, Tiago.” Turning to him, she offered the opened bag, “And we will, because we’re the two best damn detectives they’ve got, right? If we can’t figure it out, who will? Just...they’ll slip up, they always do.”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@zakary-prashad​​:

Confrontation || Ana & Zakary

“I don’t recall,” he answered, not as dismissive as before, but still rather reluctant. “Probably something they said that rubbed me the wrong way,” he added. At least he was being truthful in that case, right? That it was on him, even if… technically it was on them, because they had attacked him, he had just defended himself. 

Ana let out a long sigh and couldn’t stop herself from pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Right. You don’t remember what pissed you off so much you decided to clock this guy and make him curl up in the fetal position.” The man seemed to have stopped moaning and was looking up at the standing man with something like fear in his eyes. “Either figure out a way to make this right, or I’m going to take you both into the station for questioning. So, I don’t know, say you’re sorry?”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@jameshorton​​:

set: june 20th, at night location: litha bonfire availability: closed | @detectiveanaruiz​

He had been there earlier because his job would demand that from him; a brief speech, a toast, talking to others with a smile on his face. Sometimes it seemed like he was playing a part, but deep down he adored it. The attention, the feedback, even when people would look at him with disdain, he’d accept it all in. And while he could still go through it all, he wanted to spend some time of his day with friends and family, and the latter was the one he was aiming for at the moment.

Searching for Ana and Maya, the moment he was able to find them in the midst of the crowd, he moved closer, approaching both of them. “My favorite girls,” he stated, leaning to kiss Maya’s forehead, sharing a wide smile with Ana. “Sorry that it got me longer than expected to get here, you know,” they probably did, specially Maya. “But I’m here now and I’m hungry, so lay it on me. What will we have tonight?”

Ana thought she had lost moments like these, in the darkest moments after she was turned, she’d thought it was all gone. That she would lose James and Maya and Tiago, and every one else she cared about, now that she was a vampire. But thankfully that hadn’t been the case. She’d fueled that frustration and that anger into channeling her new cravings and abilities, and did everything she could so she could be back in the lives of her loved ones. So she could come to festivals like these and be able to watch James in his natural element with their daughter by her side.

They’d found the perfect spot, able to see James, but out of the way of the majority of the crowd, so when he finally found them he could have a little semblance of peace. Returning his smile, she gave him a small clap, “Not a bad speech, Mr. Mayor. How long did you have to practice that in the mirror this time. Did Maya help any?” She shared a quick grin with their daughter, and then moved to start uncovering the food they’d brought. “Sandwiches, mostly. But we made sure to make a little of all of our favorites. Not often we get to picnic anymore, so we decided to make it a little special.”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@minxsara​​:

“I would never!” Sara smiled, practically giggling at Ana’s words as she moved her hand to press it over her heart, then drew an ‘x’ over that same spot, making a silent promise. The main reason why she would never tell Detective Bodden was, well… she didn’t exactly talk to him, so… Ana’s secret was safe. “But then again, I bet he googles things up too. No one is really that smart. And google is for everyone! From detectives to serial killers.” Another giggle escaped her lips. Was she getting drunk already? Gosh, she couldn’t! Sara had never been a lightweight when it came to alcohol, so maybe–maybe she was just happy. “I know… I’m trying to change that.” She replied rather sheepishly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “One day at a time, right? By the way, you look really pretty today. I wouldn’t believe it for a second that you were having a rough one.”

Ana grinned at Sara’s actions, “Knew I could count on you.” Ana would never tire of teasing Santiago, the benefit of practically growing up together. “And as much as I know you’re right, it’s scary to think of serial killers using google.” Ana laughed along with Sara, happy to see the younger woman so open and almost carefree. It wasn’t a sight she saw very often, and it made her happy to know that Sara was relaxed enough right then to let free. She blinked in surprise at the compliment and smiled, “I know you’re just flattering me, but I appreciate it.” Ana may not show fatigue like she once did after she was turned, but she still felt it in her bones. “And you look way cuter than I ever could. You interested in having a wing woman tonight? See if there’s anyone here that catches your eye?”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@topher-romijn​​:

Damp || Ana & Topher

Topher bit their lip, they weren’t sure if they liked pie, they never ate a lot of pie. Yet, they couldn’t help but respond to the blueberry one. Couldn’t be worse than coffee. “Blueberry sounds good,” they said, bringing their shoulders a little more in. Topher had the capability of looking like a scowled school-child if they wanted to, just disappear completely in their now damp jacket. They almost wanted to say something about the coffee, but they would drink it if someone else got it for them. “Sometimes, the food is really cheap and there is a lot of it,” they explained. “I’ve never been here for the pie.”

“Well, hopefully you’ll like this one. I don’t think I’ve had a pie here I didn’t like.” Even before Ana had turned into a vampire, this diner had been one of her favorite places to go. Now, even though she didn’t need to eat, there was a comfort in trying the different pies from time to time. Watching Topher, there was something about them that made the protective instincts in Ana rear their ugly head and she found herself wanting to know more about the. She’d seen Topher around the precinct, but she only knew the few things she’d overhead Santiago saying about them. “You couldn’t have found a better place to wait out the storm, honestly.” The waitress chose that moment to come over with their coffees and two slices of pies, and Ana gave her a grateful smile and a thank you before turning to Topher and gesturing for them to try a bite. “Trust me, it’s good.”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@laurelgavaris​​:

“It’s nice to meet you, Ana. Oh… you don’t have to, truly!” Laurel replied, after all, she was just doing something that should be an usual action from others, the young witch could imagine the amount of things she lost and people kept to themselves. “But, I wouldn’t be oppose to finding some free time to grab coffee with you, of course. When are you free?” She questioned, sharing a brief smile with the other woman.

Ana smiled softly with a shrug, and pulled out her wallet, “Alright, then here.” She pulled out a business card with her station number and her cell number and held it out to Laurel. “Feel free to give me a ring when you’re free and we can get that coffee. I’m free most mornings before ten, and sporadically in the afternoons. It all depends on how much crime is happening in the city at the time.” Grinning she slid her wallet back into her pocket and gave her small wave. “Thank you again, but I need to be heading back to the precinct. Hopefully I’ll hear from you soon?”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@miles-easton​​:

Miles had to smile at her comments. The level of obliteration she referred to sometimes was relatable. He preferred the rowdy nights. But the overall frustration, loneliness, despair that often sat across the bar from Miles on quieter nights like this one suited him better. He rested his palms on the bar in front of her. “This isn’t a rager at frat house. So we’ll be fresh out of grain alcohol until students return to uni. However...” 

There was almost always a however from Miles. Dark eyes glanced to her glass and back up again. “Tell me what you like and I’ll mix up something strong. With whiskey, gin– whatever you like.” He might have a stash of stronger booze in a back room for friends. They weren’t friends yet. “If you need to talk it out, I can pretend I’m not listening. Or I can listen. Fair warning though: my advice will suck and be absolutely not helpful in the slightest. I’ll leave it up to you.”

Ana found herself leaning closer to him, a matching smile on her face as he seemed to be on her joking wavelength. “Those pesky college kids, always hoarding the best booze.” Ana wasn’t the biggest drinker, even before she’d been turned, but she could honestly say that she’d had trashcan punch a time or two in her college days.

“Do you always offer advice, and then undercut it saying it’s terrible?” Not that Ana really had a leg to stand on. She offered advice herself from time to time, but she understood that there were so many different options people could take. That she could scream what she felt was right from the top of her lungs, but that didn’t mean people would listen. It was one of the hardest lessons she’d had to learn as a cop, and she felt she was still learning. “But alright, I’ll bite. I like whiskey, and if you’re offering--what advice would you give to an insomniac detective who can’t get drunk and can’t sleep because her body metabolizes too quickly for any sort of sleeping medication to help. I’m all ears.”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@adriangwon​​:

He nodded in agreement. “It is why I tend to bring a book to most places,” he chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. “And why I don’t really hang around at the bar once I’m done with my drinks.” The only exception to that being if he was with other company. “Reading is never work. Well I’m reading American Sherlock, though I’m not if that’s much of a recommendation since you deal with crime for a living. Though I think we got a few new copies of things today. I’ll leave them aside if I think you’d be interested.” Or he’d end up reading them first before handing them off. “So are you also having one of those days? Because that’s why I’m here. Well that and I was getting bored of the inside of my apartment.” 

“I should do that.” The thought of bringing a book wherever she went was appealing, but she knew she’d never have the chance to read while working. And she only ever thought about how much she’d want to read and simply not have to focus until she was already where she was. “American Sherlock, huh? I’d be interested to see how much of it they got correct.” Ana stayed away from most crime dramas, because they were either too ridiculous to take seriously, or had the details so correct that it felt more like work than fun to read them. She did enjoy hearing Adrian’s take on certain novels from time to time. “Things are a little more...chaotic right now, so I might just have to wait to see what you think of the new ones. Narrow them down to the ones you think I might like best?” She gave Adrian a small smile and shrugged as she took another sip of her drink, “You could say that. Today wasn’t  as bad as some others, but there’s definitely been a lot more activity lately and it just--none of it makes sense. It’s made things a bit more stressful at work. And what about you? What’s got you so antsy to get out of your apartment for some people watching?”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@loganlancaster​​:

“alright, awesome.” he nods once to the bartender, holds up two fingers and takes the seat next to her. more often than not, logan drinks for the taste and not for effect. a rather peculiar and… useful? trait of the wolf. it burns through alcohol at an alarming rate. “someone paid for my coffee at a cafe this morning,” he admits with a shrug. “figured i should pay it forward.”

Ana let out a soft laugh and shook her head, “Seriously? You do realize that alcohol costs more than coffee right? Or is that part of the pay it forward thing. You pay for bigger and bigger things until people are giving away free cars on TV shows?” Ana could see the benefit of simply doing something nice for someone, because there was a person who did that for you. If more people had that thought process, there’d be a lot less hardship in the world. “Would it count to pay it forward if I bought your next round, or should I buy it for that guy down at the end of the bar?”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@zakary-prashad​​:

Confrontation || Ana & Zakary

Zakary swallowed. He really didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t India though, this wasn’t Maga, where police officers were a very different thing altogether, and fighting wasn’t always seen as bad as long as the fighters cleaned up after themselves. Though this was different, this felt different. He knew it was probably his fault that he had gotten into a fight in the first place. He was wary, frustrated. He smiled. “We got into an argument. A verbal one, and it got out of hand,” he said, but his tone was dismissive. 

Ana tried to keep her disbelief off her face, but she was fairly certain her eyebrows were nearly at her hairline, “Y’don’t say?” She gave a rather pointed look towards the man still curled into the fetal position on the ground, and then back at the man before him. “Would you mind sharing with me what your verbal argument was about that lead to it becoming a non-verbal argument?”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@zomartinez​​:

           “It’s great that you think you’re hilarious ‘cause I’m not sure that many others would think so too,” she shot back with a roll of her shoulders that were feeling tighter than usual even with business as usual. There were plenty of people in the gym, plenty more that were taking what they learned out there with them but it didn’t change the worry that had found a place in the pit of her chest. It wouldn’t go away that easily. Though she knew the other was only seeking to lighten that tension that was running through her constantly, keeping her tightly wound in spite of the earlier workout. “What would the boss think if I took off while we’re still open? Oh wait, that’s me.” Zoey grinned over at the other with a knowing look before she nodded. “You owe me a drink anyways and I think today is the day that I plan to collect.”

“Tiago thinks I’m funny.” Or more like, Tiago had to think she was funny or she would find ways to make his life miserable, in the nicest way possible.Which shouldn’t be that surprising, considering the two of them had practically been raised together and often could be considered to share one brain. It made them an amazing detective partnership, but a nightmare to be around if you didn’t understand their relationship. “Yes, yes it is you.” Ana’s answering grin was wicked, and she moved to sling an arm around Zoey’s shoulder and pull her around towards the entrance to the gym. “You’ve had a long and arduous day. I’m doing my civic duty in getting you out of here and letting you get some well-deserves TLC.”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@sunmiyeo​​:

Yeah, they all had those days. There was no visible judgement in her eyes. Hell, with the amount of times you could’ve found her passed out behind the bar with worst staining her shirt in New York, there’s no way she’s judging. “Don’t sweat it.” She reassured, picking at the fries sitting in front of her. She’d gotten hungry on the way home, and had stopped shortly for a bite to grab since she’d conveniently forgotten to do her groceries. Exciting. “I could use the good karma. Do you need me to call you a taxi, or an Uber? Or a cup of coffee?”

Ana chuckled softly, and shook her head, “Nah, I don’t need a taxi. I’m just tired, not drunk.” It would take Ana probably drinking the entire bar to feel any sort of drunk, and she didn’t have that memory right then, if ever. “But thank you, I do appreciate it.” But she appreciated more the opportunity of company, and a chance to get away from her thoughts for a time. “You look like you might be in the same boat, anything you need to get off your chest. I’m not a bartender, but I’ve heard I’m a good listener.”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@choileon​​:

Leon shrugged in a sly way, raising his hands in a defensive manner while leaning away. It was true he didn’t expect people to miss him. This little facade, the alter persona he had made up for himself, that was the cocky one. It was a good way of pretending like he didn’t care how easily disposable he could be. Not that Ana or anyone needed to know anyway. “You’d be fooling yourself if you weren’t expecting it. And you, Detective Ruiz… are no fool.” He smirked, reaching for his drink as well and taking a sip from it. When she mentioned him coming up at four, he almost choked on his drink–for real. Fourth place? Huh. He was expecting worse. “What? That’s nonsense. I’m a second place, minimum. What is it? Is it because I’m not working there? Damn, that’s low, Ana.”

“You’re damn straight, Lab Tech Choi.” Ana grinned, and took her drink, toasting Leon with a wink and knocking it back. Not like it would really do much for her considering her changed metabolism, but she liked the residual of it--made her feel more like herself. “Minimum?” Ana let out a bright laugh, enjoying the playful back and forth. This was what she missed the most about him being gone from the labs, and why she still found ways to find him and bother him even now he was a barista and nothing to do with the precinct. “Hey, you’re the one that left. How am I supposed to rank you higher when you’re not there every day bothering me. I start to forget your face, and then down the list you go. I can’t help it.”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@zomartinez​​:

location: rio’s boxing club who: open / @astoriastarter​

           “Sometimes I wonder what people think when they first walk in here compared to what they think when they walk out,” she mused out loud, carefully watching some of the newer members struggle with their feet placement and follow through as she felt the urge to go up and help them. It wasn’t her main job so much anymore, not since she hired a few employees to train the ones that needed it the most while she kept the place running as a whole. Still, it amused her to see the ones that thought they couldn’t amount to much learn that they were stronger than they believed and left her with an itch to join them. “If they could see themselves the way I see them, then they’d never question what they’re capable of ― you know?”

Ana was on the floor of the studio near Zoey’s feet, stretching out muscles that never seemed to get the same amount of soreness of fatigue as they once did. At the soft question, Ana felt her mouth running away with her thoughts, “That it smells like people who work out on a regular basis, and as they leave they realize that, oh hey--that’s me!” Chuckling softly, she looked up at Zoey before shifting to stretch out her other leg. Though her words seemed joking, there was more meaning underneath it. There was something about the gym that seemed almost...off-putting at first, like a lot of people who had trauma of some sort they carried with them wherever they went. But as soon as you took the chance to go in, and get to know the gym and the people inside, you realized that they were the family you never knew you needed. “Yeah, I think I know exactly what you’re saying.” Pushing to her feet, finished with her stretch, she grabbed for the insulated thermos she’d brought with her that held her meal for the day. “You ready to get out of here for the day, or you got something else you need to take care of?”

[detectiveanaruiz]

@zakary-prashad​​:

Confrontation || Ana & Zakary

Location: street in North Valley @detectiveanaruiz​

Zakary could honestly not remember why he had gotten into trouble with the two people in front of him in the first place. He knew he was to blame for it in some way, part of his body still thought he was protected by the power of the Spirit, even though his brain knew that that void had left him many months ago. 

He dodged another fist and took a step back, holding two hands in the air. Smiled when the one to throw a punch grew frustrated. But Zakary has been trained to fight, from the moment the Spirit choose him to extract its revenge, he had been told to train. The Spirit could not always protect him, and he needed to be an example. The three all looked around when a police car drove up the street. The first fighter quickly threw a punch, which caught Zakary in the face, before he went down when Zakary kicked him between the legs. The other fled the scene. “Everything is alright here, officer,” he was quick to say when he saw the cop walk up to them. 

Ana was supposed to be on her lunch break. That’s what she told Tiago when she left the precinct to go pick up a meal from the Bank, but then she just had to catch sight of a few men on the side of the street in an intense conversation. She’d almost hoped it would stay that way, just another angry shouting match that would end with one party storming away, but today was just not her day.

She was already pulling over the cruiser when the first fist flew, but she needn’t have really worried, because by the time that she reached the trio, one was on the ground hugging his knees to his chest, and the other was gone. Ana could’ve chased the man down, but she really wasn’t in the mood, and the third man seemed to be non-combative. Having assessed the scene, she turned to the first man who had spoken and raised a brow at his words, giving the moaning man on the ground a pointed look, “It doesn’t seem like everything’s alright. You want to tell me what’s going on here, or would you like me to guess?”