fear is what holds us back from being who we should be

patty spivot for central city's finest

[detectivexspivot]

spicyxlinda​:

”I’ll make sure I have coffee and donuts ready when you do.” Linda mused in response, mirroring the grin that Patty was giving her. When she mentioned a colleague that she could bug into helping, the brunette’s mind instantly began to race. She herself wanted to contribute as much as she possibly could, so now Linda was trying to think of her own coworkers, anyone who might be up for helping with the bake sale. “I might have some coworkers I can sucker into helping too. And there’s of course always Iris. I mean, not that we should allow her to go anywhere near the kitchen, but she can still help out with other things.”

“Iris skills are... best left out of the kitchen.” Patty agreed with a sympathetic laugh. Maybe one day they could help show Iris the ropes of baking, but throwing her into a bake sale would be a big ask for her current skill level. “She’s good at convincing people though - I have no doubt she’d be good in our marketing team.”

[detectivexspivot]

medicinexforxthexsoul​:

Perenna reflected a smile back, giving Patty a silent nod in thanks. “Yes to the nightmares, or flashbacks? Both aren’t ideal, but I’d like to help give you some coping strategies so you can continue to move forward, if that’s alright with you.” As she took shorthand notes, she was acutely aware of the way Patty sat in the chair opposite, seemingly ready to get up and flee at a moment’s notice. “Have these… let’s call them episodes. Have these episodes inhibited day-to-day activities, whether work or otherwise?”

Patty pressed her lips together in a thin line, thoroughly regretting opening her mouth as she gave a stiff nod. “Both - nightmares, mostly. The flashbacks only happened a handful of times.” She clarified. They hadn’t been triggered in some time now - not since Max sneaking up on her in her apartment had activated her fight or flight for a moment. “No, it... it’s only happened when I’m at home. It doesn’t impact anything.” She muttered, giving a half-hearted shrug. “So I’m not sure coping methods are necessary - like I said, nothing I can’t handle.”

[detectivexspivot]

detective-stone​:

“Touché.” Max admitted as he glanced up to her under the brim of his baseball cap, unable to mask the admiration for the woman across from him. He let out a breath as she assumed responsibility for her actions, running his thumb over the back of her hand absentmindedly as he came to terms that she wasn’t going anywhere. Maybe if he hadn’t visited her that night but he couldn’t help it. He had to see her.

“…No. I had my suspicions but I’m back on square one unfortunately.” He sighed, feeling the familiar frustration begin to bubble to the surface. Who benefited from him being blacklisted? “I’ve looked through all my old case files and nothing stands out. And I can’t find motive…”

“Suspicions might still help.” Patty shrugged. It could be the only lead they had to follow. If Max’s past cases weren’t anything to go on they probably had to rely on personal grudges. But she couldn’t think who would have it out so badly for Max to arrange this level of deception. Then again, it struck her she didn’t know a whole lot about him before he had arrived in Central City. “We’ll figure it out.” She promised him. No matter what she was determined to fix this, and get Max back where he belonged.

[detectivexspivot]

spicyxlinda​:

”Let’s share the spotlight with that one. Besides, I have a feeling it’ll be amazing and that more of these badass teamups are in our future.” Linda was already trying to go over a bunch of recipes in her head now, wanting to give this bake sale her very best and come up with original things. There were many options, but she’d set out to go all out for this one and make things that people couldn’t just buy at the supermarket - what would be the point otherwise, right? It needed to be unique and with Patty by her side as her teammate, Linda didn’t think much could go wrong. It also served as a great distraction. “I’ll design something at work and show it to you when it’s done. Maybe we can spread the flyers around together once the design has your approval.”

“The perfect detective-reporter duo. Which reminds me, now that I’m on the field I’m definitely coming to you next time I’m stumped on a lead.” Patty offered with a grin before nodding at Linda’s suggestion. “Perfect. I already have a few places in mind good for canvassing. And at least one colleague I know I can bug into helping.” She fully intended on making Christian a lackey in this, whether he liked it or not.

[detectivexspivot]

detectivechucklxs​:

“I ain’t all thorns..” he fired back with a mumbling retort. Christian didn’t mind Patty’s tickling sarcasm because he knew it came from a very special place. The station seemed to fall dimmer without her sunny brilliance and Max’s golden boy shine. Christian beg and battled for normalcy every single day he adorned his badge. Those days seemed to be long gone; yet, he held onto hope that if enough hustle and hope all would be right again. How could he turn his back on such a change when he had experienced it. His relationship with Patty sat as a testament to differences and rough starts could be resolved with a little understanding. “It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. He left in a hurry but didn’t mind showing us his hand..” the pun floated between them as Christian tried his best to mask his amusement. 

“That’s what I first thought by the indents but they’re featherlight. Hopefully we can lift something from the card that can confirm who I think they belong to. Which is why I am equally as happy to see you and your nerdy science kit.” 

“I know. But you have to admit you’re pricklier than most.” Patty chuckled at his retort. She stifled a snort at his pun, shaking her head as she carefully bagged up samples for evidence. “It’s a gamble, that’s for sure.” She smirked as she picked up one of the cards in question, handling the material carefully as she eyed it. “Firmer than regular cards, for sure. But you’re right, not a standard metal. Maybe carbon fibre... we’ll need it in the lab to know for sure.” She sighed. “Hopefully it’s something rare enough that we can find a source.” She cocked her head at Christian’s words as she did, raising an eyebrow at him. “You got a theory as to who it is?”

[detectivexspivot]

spicyxlinda​:

Linda hadn’t anticipated the embrace, though she naturally returned it because she felt a certain kinship with Patty. Besides, it was nice to have a friend who seemed to enjoy baking and cooking about as much as she herself did. “That’s good. You seem to be doing well from the looks of it.” the reporter complimented and the moment Patty informed her about the bake sale, she felt her excitement skyrocket instantly. “Really? That’s amazing, Patty. You rock.” she did love making pastries, but what made her feel good about it was mainly helping the city out after its destruction. Linda was only human and a reporter, she couldn’t really fight, but this was her way to help out and she felt good about it. “I’ve been doing better. And now I’m really excited about that bake sale we’re about to team up for. I need to start making flyers and spread them around to get the word out.”

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Patty smiled. She was healed, back doing what she loved. And fighting every step of the way for the people she cared about. It was progress, almost like the last few months hadn’t happened and pulled her down. “You’re the one that came up with the idea! Wouldn’t have happened without you.” Patty shrugged off the compliment with one of her own at Linda’s praise, before regarding the woman with a small smile. “I’m glad you’re doing better. And let me know if I can help on flyer duty.”

[detectivexspivot]

detective-stone​:

“I would hope years of training paid off,” he noted as she assured him that he hadn’t been the easiest to track down. He probably needed to step up his safety measures just in case, but he was sure no one was tailing Spivot. They had no reason to be at least, unless they believed she was tied to him but Christian was a more likely target. “Still impressed you found me.”

He chuckled, expelling his apprehension as she complimented him. She was sweet but he knew there was some lying involved. His usual put together appearance was much more haggard and unkempt in effort to keep a low profile. Longer, un-gelled hair with full facial hair wasn’t his usual go-to, but he knew what she meant. He looked alive. “…but it’s dangerous for you to be here. If people see you with me, whether it be whoever framed me or other cops.” he leaned forward to make sure his words stayed between them.

“I just don’t want you to get into any trouble because of me.”

“Well you’re not the only detective here.” Patty noted with a small smile, the praise still nice even in the rather dire situations they found themselves in. “Any danger I risk is on me, not you, Max. I wanted to be here. To see you.” She told him with a slightly exasperated sigh at his words. She knew he was only trying to look out for her - for everyone, in keeping far away from them. But she worried in doing so he was leaving himself vulnerable to whoever it was that tried to frame him, without anyone there to back him up.

“Do you have any idea who was behind it?” She questioned lowly. There were a lot of options for people who would want to target the police, but Max specifically... Patty couldn’t be sure. They all had people from their pasts who had it out for them, there was always the concern that someone you sent down would return for payback.

[charli-xcx]

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) dir. Nicholas Ray

[detectivexspivot]

carriexkelley​:

carrie tilted her head - she couldn’t have been able to tell at all that the detective had been injured before. “maybe i could go on a ride along with you?” she asked a little hopefully, undeterred by the detective’s admission that she’d been injured at all. her excitement doubled when she went on tell her the department sometimes needed consultants, nearly even jumped on the balls of her feet as she rushed to take her up on the offer before it could possibly be rescinded, “i would love that! what do i do? is there a form i can fill out?”

“I could arrange for that - there’s a lot of paperwork involved and I have to warn you the civilian ride-alongs are kept to specific calls so you might not get as much ‘excitement’ as you expect.” Patty joked. They allowed it usually for reporters and camera crews, but it wasn’t unheard of to let someone else in a squad car. “There’s not so much an application, but if you let the precinct know you’re interested then next time we need that expertise we would be in touch - just a few NDAs to fill out whenever you work on a case.” She told her, laughing a little at the clear enthusiasm the woman showed. It was sort of a shame she wasn’t involved in law enforcement - too many people joined for the wrong reasons and not out of a genuine desire to serve and protect. 

[detectivexspivot]

detective-stone​:​​

Max knew better than to stick to a routine — year of undercover work and stakeouts had him well trained — but he had to admit this coffee shop was his guilty pleasure so he found himself detouring to it every couple of days. It also didn’t help than Alicia loved the lemon bars they sold here and he struggled enough just saying no to her tagging along, he couldn’t deny her them altogether. This was certainly one of those moments his brother would scold him for being soft and warn him that it would be his undoing and he was just pushing away these thoughts when he caught sight of an achingly familiar face waving at him from a table across the way.

Excusing himself from the line leading to the cashier, he approached her in surprise but she began to explain before he could even ask what she was doing here. He couldn’t help but smile at her mention of the last time they saw each other and chuckled a bit at her rambling — typical Spivot. “….I should have known you’d track me down “ he replied, more so admitting his own underestimation of her than a dismay that she found him. Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his and flashed a welcoming smile from under his baseball cap although everything about his body language remained on edge and alert.

“Hi Spivot. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to see you.”

Patty felt her anxiety lessen a little at the smile he shot her way. He wasn’t mad, or afraid. That was a good sign. “It wasn’t easy.” She assured him with a small laugh. And it really hadn’t been - a fact she was incredibly grateful for. Max knew how to cover his tracks, he was being careful. Someone could unpick the traces inevitably left in his wake like she did, but maybe she could help with that too. Make it even more difficult for the next person who might try to track him down.

She squeezed his hand lightly in her own, grateful for the gesture but all too aware of the tension that still sat in his shoulders. “I sense a ‘but’ there.” She noted, trying to keep her tone light even as she observed him with concern. “I’m happy to see you too.” She admitted. “You look good.”

[detectivexspivot]

spicyxlinda​:

”And here I was thinking you’d be out there helping me make those recipes.” Linda commented with a smirk, teasing the other woman. “Unless that’s exactly what you meant. In which case, I said absolutely nothing.” she added with a small laugh escaping her. “How’ve you been, Patty? We still good with that bake sale to raise funds to repair some of the damage to the city like we discussed a while ago?”

“I can do both. I’ll happily take on the role of taste-tester through all stages.” Patty chuckled, enveloping Linda in a hug with little preamble. She was a tactile person, and was feeling more comfortable embracing it again after everything. “I’m... good, actually. Being back to work fully has really helped get my head on straight.” She nodded. Admittedly, her mood might also have been buoyed by other factors - but until Max could safely step out of the shadows she couldn’t exactly disclose anything about that. “And yes. I got it cleared with the Captain, some officers that are due to be off-duty agreed they can help with set up and getting people in to buy stuff.” She beamed at the thought, glad that even out of something horrible they might be able to do some good. “What about you, how have you been?”

[foxyxgrace]

detectivexspivot​:

“Not that I can think of.” Patty admitted with a small shrug as she surveyed the scene, hands in her pockets. “A second pair of eyes never hurts though - if you have the time to go over the case file once your credentials are all sorted I’d appreciate any insight you can offer.”

”Sure thing.” Grace responded with a confirming nod of her head. She was already going over a dozen things inside of her mind and it seemed like she’d exhausted Patty’s knowledge for the time being. Now it was time to make a break for it - smoothly, of course. The last thing that Grace wanted was to raise any suspicions here. It had to be subtle or it wouldn’t work. “I’ll head back to the station and get us some lunch. I’ll meet you there once you’re done here, yeah?”

[spicyxlinda]

“Is it bad that I’m already excited for Thanksgiving? There are a ton of recipes that I’m dying to try out.” Linda loved baking, a hobby she’d picked up a long time ago and something that distracted her from life when she needed an escape. In the past, she’d done it whenever she felt stressed, but that wasn’t really the case anymore now. Sure, the brunette still did it, but baking had become so much more to her now and she missed having Thanksgiving with family and friends. This would be her very first one after returning to Central City and guilty, she was ever so excited for it.

( @ccfstarter​ )

[detectivexspivot]

“No, never feel bad to be excited for food!” Patty refuted immediately with a laugh at Linda’s words. “I for one am dying to try those recipes.”

[theloisxlane]

@ccfstarter​

OPEN

The coffee shop air swirls with aromatic dreams; little wonder it is a place where writers are drawn to. This haven of white cups and black coffee, of small jugs filled with cream, has that ambience of friendly chatter. Here any could have their own seat, gain the feeling of being social, yet have the confidence that they could enjoy their own contemplations at leisure. The glaze of the mug placed in front of Lois appeared as a rainbow set free from the bounds of physics, swirling and blending. That riot of colour somehow brought more beauty to the hot beverage within, the gregarious and the homely belonging together. 

Lois really wanted to claim, in beautiful articulate lyrical prose that the jasmine tea brought out her sense of grace, bringing her into the blessed moment. And that the moment of this tea was a sweet serenity, a chance to let her soul fill with the song of the birds. And with those birds she was ever daydreaming of a secret garden, of how the flowers grow so wild and free. Instead, the only semi articulated sentence she could muster was the following:

“If I don’t get some proper caffeine soon I’m going to commit a felony and I’ve watched just enough crime documentaries to get away with it”

7 months. 

7 months. 29 weeks and 3 days since her last cup of coffee. The reporter was just hormonal enough to dramatically equate the majority of her prenatal grievances to the absence of her old morning staple. One of the things that had been ingrained in her daily rhythm, another anchor in routine that comforted and provided a feeling of normalcy and purpose. Instead of the coffee shop establishing a sense of calm, Lois only found herself alternating between pouting and gazing longingly at all the patrons with their delicious, frothy lattes. Suddenly Lois became aware of the concerned expression of her companion and forced a smile, an awkward chuckle escaping her as she tried to get comfortable in her seat. 

“I’m kidding, obviously” she assured them as she forcefully spooned sugar into her drink. “I don’t even miss it, this is so much better for me,” but her claim came out in a huff and was closely followed by a narrowed gaze at her rounded belly. “This is all your fault” she cooed without real heat behind her accusation. It took two people to make a baby after all. Stupid, gorgeous, chiseled farm boy and his extraterrestrial spe– “I’m fine, this is fine”

[detectivexspivot]

Patty’s eyebrows rose into her hairline at the threat that slipped all too easily from the lips of the woman sitting in the seat next to her. Hyperbolic as it was, she could tell it was coming from a genuine source of frustration - looking at her sidelong, it didn’t take long to put everything together. She had to be into the third trimester of her pregnancy now, by the looks of it, and none too pleased with the drink she was pouring copious amounts of sugar into - whether to mask the taste or substitute for a caffeine boost or both, Patty wasn’t sure.

“Obviously.” Patty agreed with a small laugh at the woman’s quick attempt to assure her she wasn’t actually about to attempt something drastic in the middle of the coffee shop. “Though the rest of that didn’t sound very convincing.” She noted, feeling just a little guilty as she cradled her own unhealthy coffee with a double shot of espresso and two pumps of caramel syrup for flavour. And while the remnants of it had long melted into the remainder of her cup, she had opted for the whipped cream to be added. “At least it can’t be too long now before you can go back to the unhealthy options, right?” She tried to paint the woman a silver lining in it all. She didn’t know first hand the struggles of pregnancy, but given her own difficulties with resisting any minor craving, she doubted she would do well with the dietary restrictions required to make sure everything ran smoothly.

[detectivexspivot]

foxyxgrace​:

Leave it up to Grace to get into something like this, lying about who she was just to obtain information she could use as her vigilante persona. Needless to say that she knew this would end up biting her in the ass - she’d always been a troublemaker and trouble consistently followed the brunette around, no matter where she went. She was just waiting for that moment to come, but until then, she might as well make the best of her little undercover operation with the other woman providing her with the details she needed. Sneak into CCPD and check the database for those partial prints, got it. It would be dangerous, but Grace was willing to take that risk if it meant that she could bring these bastards to justice - it was the reason why the metahuman was paying such close attention right now. “Alright, anything else I need to know? Or anything you need to show me?”

“Not that I can think of.” Patty admitted with a small shrug as she surveyed the scene, hands in her pockets. “A second pair of eyes never hurts though - if you have the time to go over the case file once your credentials are all sorted I’d appreciate any insight you can offer.”

[detectivexspivot]

He’s going to freak out. I really shouldn’t have done this. Patty scolded herself as she sat in the coffee shop, her knee bouncing nervously under the table as she cradled her hands around her now lukewarm mug. She had been nursing her latte for the better part of two hours and felt a little bad for the barista who kept glancing over at her table expectantly for her to either finish and leave or order something else. She was tempted to grab another coffee just to be polite even if it went to waste, when the bell over the door chimed softly and the familiar figure stepped through the door.

The fact that Patty had been able to find Max here probably wasn’t a good sign. She was a good detective, but still. If she could find him then eventually someone else could, and so she’d been worried. Worried enough to see him and make sure he was okay, especially after everything. She briefly hoped he wouldn’t be observant enough to spot her, but she also knew he was a better cop than that. And smart enough to keep his wits about him.

She gave a hesitant wave from her table, waiting for him to approach before pressing her lips together sheepishly. “Okay, I know this is weird but I’ve been keeping an eye out for any sign of you since... well since you came to my apartment.” She admitted with a soft laugh. “And I didn’t want to be like overbearing by showing right up on your door but I also really didn’t know what to do just sitting on the fact I knew where you were and... I’m really coming off like a stalker right now aren’t I? Oh God.”

@detective-stone​​

[detectivexspivot]

foxyxgrace​:

Eyes scanned the crime scene thoroughly, paying close attention to the information that Patty was giving her. Grace needed to remember all of it if she was gonna do anything about this monstrous crime. What she heard next made a wave of anger rise inside of her body, not towards the other woman, but towards the lead detective she was talking about. Grace’s eyes momentarily flashed a bright blue, which she was able to cover up by glancing down at the crime scene rather than her companion. “This isn’t gonna end up being a cold case.” she stated in a determined tone, unaware of her now clenched fists or her nails practically engraving themselves in her palms. “Did anyone find any more evidence? Traces of DNA, shoe or fingerprints, camera footage, that sorta stuff?”

Patty eyed the woman curiously for a moment at her statement, before a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “That’s the kind of attitude I like. I think me and you are gonna get along just fine, Detective Ryder.” She muttered with a small nod, glad that she would have another tenacious person joining the team. “Samples are still being tested at the lab for any DNA flags but it didn’t look promising that we’d find anything. Partial prints were picked up so hopefully whoever was here is in the database.” She shrugged. “Camera footage is scrambled. Another reason I can’t help but think this isn’t what it looks like.”