curse you perry

A Winter Chill || Perry & Errol

@perry-flynn

Perry stuffs the last bit of his pastry into his mouth when Errol stands, and the Irishman is hard pressed not to snort at the look of him. He pockets another - because he's well-liked enough, apparently, to earn that privilege from the owner, and isn't that adorable, weird twinge in his chest at the notion notwithstanding? - before he, too, gets up.

Errol starts walking again once Perry is alongside him, Dublin shifted to his outside hip, leash tucked into his hand, then that tucked into his pocket.

"Park, I figure. Tire 'er out, catch up on t' shite from town. Figure out if t' business 's burnt down yet," he hums, a smirk lacing the tone and curling around his face. "Might do t' dampers fer ye if yer nice."

"You're expecting me to catch you up?" Perry shakes his head as he falls into step besides the other man, "office is still standing and so is every other business that was here before you left, as far as I'm aware. And I managed not to burn down the agency for years before you came into the frame, thank-you very much."

He had idly- and not at all seriously- considered whether or not he was smart enough to pull off that kind of insurance fraud, but mostly for the sake of getting into the midset of someone he thought actually had done that for a case he was working.

Perry huffs, almost a laugh, "and just where has this idea that I'm incompetent come from lately, eh? I bought them, I know what I'm doing." This was mostly true- as it usually was when Perry said it. He'd figured out how to do a lot of things.

@hngrylikethewoolf

Passing Game || Perimus

Maximus let out a laugh built purely on commiseration. It was strange to bond with someone over trouble ordering ink, but the number of times Shera had walked back with that stern expression on her face telling him they were out of something and he had managed to fill out the paperwork wrong yet again were nearly uncountable. Especially since every time he mastered it, something changed.

Still, the laugh faded with Perry's words and he nodded at the truth to them. It was the most difficult part of the job. He could prepare for everything he wanted, and yet it was just as likely that magic would sweep through and turn him into another knight trapped in a suit of armor or into an animal that couldn't speak or some other disaster.

And those were just the examples since he'd gotten back.

"True enough. Well. If there's anything you need help with, you can always give me a call. We'll see what we can do about preparing for the unpreparable."

@perry-flynn

#awkward buddies love em #i feel like we coukld do somethin new tho #maximus

Part of him resented being in charge of himself, because it only happened as the result of a law he'd never agreed with in the first place, but it wasn't something he could change alone and the anger was only a driving force for so long before it became a knot of tension at the back of your skull. He'd had to let it go-- had to keep letting it go.

"And I'll be around when it happens- if you need another pair of hands." He returns with a more solem nod, "I sort of tend to default to crowd control if things get out of hand during the chaos, anyway." In those moments the current job title didn't matter, with Perry's experience enough to make him more useful than someone flailing about without any training.

He took another gulp from his water bottle, doing a couple of calf stretches to shake off the seriousness, "think things are gearing up again," Perry nods to the field, "you feeling ready?"

@trackedbymaximus

Lucky Break Inn | Perry & Basil

Perry made it sound so simple, as if you could simply step into Wales and start asking and someone would point you in the right direction. Basil wanted more, he wanted to know about the details, where had he started - how had he tracked down people who might have known the man in the first place or known of a man who had disappeared? How had he been able to verify that it was the right one when he did have a name-

He itched to ask the questions, his fingers twitching a little as he did so.

Toby whined softly, nosing his muzzle into his master's anxious hand. Basil absent-mindedly stroked the dog, fondling the soft silky ears as the brown eyes stared up at him lovingly.

"Mm. Silly idea if you ask me, knife crime is no joke." As, therefore, were sentences for being caught carrying one. He himself preferred a blunt instrument, a good stick or something along those lines that one could plausibly claim to have only turned to in desperate self-defence.

"Yes, I hear you have the occasional magical mayhem. Should I be worried?"

@perry-flynn

"I know, I don't like it either." Actually, Perry found teenagers in general a bit annoying, and her especially so, but she was Errol's niece so he had swallowed a few comments on that front, and he let it drop the same way now.

"Aha- pig faced demons, vampires, portals to hell, a vengeful forrest..." He shifts, the cigarette almost forgotten in his hand brought back to his mouth again, "townsfolk are pretty used to pulling together in a crisis, but sometimes things can get very serious." He speaks through clenched teeth, then blows the smoke out the window, "and people can be sensitive about it-- the dreams are easy enough to brush off, but the things that happen in reality can linger longer. People get hurt, buildings fall apart."

He gives Basil a look, knowing and cautionary, "so if things go a big haywire while you're here, be careful about prodding for information." Perry tries to bit less dour, managing a bit of a smile, "especially if you're gonna tell them you know me."

@basil-of-benbow

A Winter Chill || Perry & Errol

@perry-flynn

All was right in the world if he could get Perry to huff at him like that.

It was a bit strange, really, that it's axis could be tipped so far a single way by being gone for some time. He'd felt off-kilter, but couldn't figure out why until he'd given Perry a ring and heard that the man nor the agency were up in flames.

The grin on his face is wide, white, and cheeky as Errol laughs, nudging the man witt a foot. Or, well, attempting to.

There was a dog and a bag in the way.

Ducking his head down to see the bag contents, Errol's brows rose when he saw what was inside. "Finally got t' dampers, eh? Jus' in time tae get 'elp wif 'em," he drawls, still amused, still grinning. There's a teasing to his tone, a grin still crinkling the edges of his eyes.

He stands, taking his cup with him, and clicks his tongue for Dublin to stand. She does, and he hooks her leash again before nudging Perry in the shoulder with his hip. "C'mon 's walk an' talk. Bring yer shite."

Seeing Errol get up, Perry stuffs the last of his crossiant into his mouth and pockets another pastry-- Cass always gives him extras since he helped find her keys- shuffling about to grab his coffee and bags. "Where are we going?" He asks, catching up with the other man.

He's not entirely opposed to a walk-- maybe the better question would be what are we talking about, but he knows if Errol has an agenda the man will get to it soon enough.

@hngrylikethewoolf

Passing Game || Perimus

"It was a tough adjustment," Maximus nodded. His father could have taken an early retirement. Gotten into some hobby like woodworking or become a movie reviewer or something like that. But he hadn't been ready to walk away from the job. If desk work was all he could do, it was what he would take. But he had plenty of bad days along with the good since.

But he did chuckle at that. "The paperwork is neverending isn't it? I thought I was ready for how much there would be in the new job but I wasn't close." Of course, that was also the difference between being a Sheriff and being a plain officer.

"So, anything interesting I should keep an eye on?"

@perry-flynn

"Police to private detective was a bit of a funny move, too. Took me a bit longer than I'm proud to admit to realise if htere was no brass to clash with I had to be the one telling myself when it was time to reign it in." He chuckled.

"Jesus, I underestimated the paperwork- the amount of hoops I have to jump through just to order printer ink is a nightmare." Perry rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. There had been some element of it that was fascinating in the begining- the intricacies of being his own boss, the supply chain and all that. These days it was more headache inducing than anything else. Shipment delayes, the endless invoices. Errol was helpful at times, though there was also double the amount of stuff to find room for.

He surveys the pitch for a moment, humming softly, "things have been on the quiet side, I suppose. Honestly, I think the thing to always be prepared for around here is the type of trouble we can't handle in the normal ways. The stuff that seems to come out of nowhere- I don't have to tell you what Swynlake can be like. A safe haven is good, but it's also a beacon."

@trackedbymaximus

#maximus

Lucky Break Inn | Perry & Basil

Hm. Perry sounded like one of those damn editors at the newspaper, so ready to chide him for not being more careful. Worse, he sounded like the journalist, sitting up gingerly from a hospital bed.

Basil's jaw twitched. Toby looked up at him with soft brown eyes.

Perry, thankfully, went on talking about his cases. Dull, for the most part, Basil couldn't help but think. Tracking down books like some glorified librarian? Cursed trinkets that were nothing more than gift shop curious with no actual curse involved? Things were truly dire indeed if that was the best Perry had to offer. How on earth did he cope, Basil thought to himself. How could he stomach it?

A counterfeiting ring was at least something but then-

"So how on earth did you get started? Checking births, marriages and deaths, I suppose?" Basil said, his eyebrows creasing as they always did when thinking about a puzzle. "Presumably she was able to give you a reasonable date range to work from in terms of his age which would help narrow things down." Still, a lot of legwork that way... Hmm.

"Plenty of ways you can get a taser if you really wanted," he mused, absent-mindedly waving the thought away as his brain started working on the puzzle. Where to begin? Where would you begin with that?

@perry-flynn

Yes, the work had changed. But a lot of people were surprised when Perry told them he was a former police officer- hell, people had been surprised when he'd told them he wanted to be a police officer when he was younger. Really, his main investments had always been the people and the puzzles, so maybe this stuff wasn't right for Basil, but it worked for him.

"Yeah. Travelled up to wales, asked around. Followed a few stories, checked some archives... He was a little older than I thought he'd be, but once I figured that out it was easier to track things down."

He snorted a laugh at Basil's suggestion and shook his head, "oh, I know." Perry rolled his eyes, "I mean, Errol's niece carries a damn pocket knife.." He kissed his teeth, "too much of it about these days, or maybe I'm getting old and paranoid." Of course, paranoid had kind of been the case for a long time. "There's not so much violence around here to warrant it anyway- and frankly, if we do get violence it's not the kind a taser would be much good against."

@basil-of-benbow

A Winter Chill || Perry & Errol

@perry-flynn

"Aye, can be, 'specially when they're far away, or ye got a stubborn niece," he mutters, shaking his head. A ghost of a grin, however, crinkles the edges of his eyes, though, as he looks the other man over.

A month hadn't changed him, not truly. But it had been wholly strange to not wake up and come to the office, to see the man across from him. It'd become his normal to be around Perry, and Errol knew he'd been off kilter for it.

"Lillian was given strict orders if 'ey did come this way she 'ad tae ring us first," he continues, reaching forward for his drink and pulling it close again. The wolf tunes out everything around them but the dog at their feet and the man across from them, a pleasant feeling of being where we a best for them unspooling in Errol's chest.

He ignores it and takes a drink.

"Finglas 's always been...more dangerous 'en nae. Made 'at point when ye came wif me last time. An' Mam ain't gettin' younger; give us bof peace o' mind if she moved closer," he murmurs, tone softer, fingers toying with the sleeve around the takeaway mug. Then, he sighs and shakes his head, rolling out a shoulder.

The offer of help, if they moved here, ping-pongs around Errol's brain like the blue ball on an old telly set, and his grin widens, gaze dragging down the other man for a moment before he snorts, gently, a look on his face that told Perry he was going to be a mensce as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Aye, s'pose ye could. Wouldna want ye hurtin' yerself though. Bit delicate these days."

It was more than strange animals that had invaded his life these last couple of years. Swynlake had a way of getting under your skin. Perry wasn't even sure he'd end up staying when he set up the agency, figuring there was a decent chance he'd end up totally broke and back in his childhood bedroom after a year or so of trying to make things work.

But, here he was. Friends, hobbies, offering to help people move. Meeting people for a coffee instead of rotating between his office and his home, a habbit that had been ingrained long before any big threats came along to isolate him.

"Oi." Perry huffs, looking away a moment and taking a sip of his drink, "I'm fit as a fiddle old mank, thank-you very much." He stubs out the end of his cigarette and takes another bitre out of his pastry, "Delicate... Rubbish."

@hngrylikethewoolf

Passing Game || Perimus

Maximus nodded at that. Sometimes it was enough to know that a Private Detective was available ot handle the smaller cases. But having another trained emergency responder was always good in a town like Swynlake. He didn't have nearly enough ego to turn down the help he could get. As long as it was competent.

He listend to the story, nodding sympathetically at one point. "My father was an officer here in Swynlake until he took an injury on the job. After that he switched to NTO's force so he could run the desk there. Swynlake's office isn't big enough to have an officer on the desk like that."

Of course, his mother followed to NTO not long after, and their influence on the Swynlake office faded. Maybe Maximus could have come back then. But he hadn't. Now years later, he was starting brand new for hte Keatons.

@perry-flynn

Family legacy... Yeah, it was interesting. Perry's job was nothing like what his parents had done- they'd both been proud, but his mother worried herself half to death over him, even before the worst of it had happened. He was sure she'd rather he'd gone into teaching or something. And he'd never have kids of his own, either, so there wasn't anybody to mirror or clash with him there. Maybe it was best Perry the platypus lived and died as one man.

"Ah, for sure. It's good he was able to keep on-- the deskwork wouldn't have suited me." And his curse didn't suit the department, but Max didn't need to know that. "...Even if the amount of time I spend in my office now might make the hard to believe." The difference was slight, but just enough. "I guess because I'm the only one to blame if my paperwork is late now."

@trackedbymaximus

#max

Lucky Break Inn | Perry & Basil

"A Sheriff?" Basil murmured to himself as Perry started to explain the situation, suppressing a snort to try and disguise his amazement. He was aware that some counties still had Sheriffs in a ceremonial sense, but an honest-to-god working one? That was something of a first for him. His interest was far more taken with the idea of an off the books case that had needed Perry's help. That made him lean closer and lift an eyebrow in interest, wanting his old acquaintance to go further and explain.

But Perry kept talking about the other things. Basil let out a large bark of laughter - which had Toby looking up and around in puzzlement - before he grinned. "Oh come on Flynn, you know you'd love to be involved in just a little scandal," he teased. Who wouldn't?!

Not that he expected much of the mayor. Yet, who was to say!

"Fun ancient texts at least?" Basil fished gently, although he wasn't convinced that any of what Perry was describing was actually grabbing his attention. Still, he would not be here long, so he had little to worry about in regards to getting work done.

"What's the best case you've had since you've been here?" He asked, keen to hear more and to think of something that gave him hope.

@perry-flynn

Scandal... Well, Perry couldn't argue he'd been free and clear of it all his career. His first big arrest had been news enough to get around a few stations, and he was sure the mans consequent escape even moreso. His former captain had done what he could to contain the facts of the mans dogged persuit of Perry, but he was too logical to believe absolutely no rumors had gotten out. He had fallen entirely off the grid for a good few years, after all.

Still, he'd also been known to clash with the brass plenty, that was probably what Basil knew more about. "There's such a thing as too much scandal, y'know." He chuckled, "maybe you could sniff out something strange in one of the neighbouring towns rather than causing comotion here, though.."

He tipped his shoulders in a bit of a shrug, "depends what you find fun. The last remaining text available on a creature little is known about... Cursed artefacts..." Perry nods a head over to his desk, "I mean, that thing isn't really cursed anymore- and it's just from a local shop, but the point stands." Magic was a bigger part of everything here, but the adjustment had been easier for Perry; magic was a bigger part of him too now.

"The best, though... There was a man convinced his wife was cheating on him- she waas running a counterfeiting ring. There was a young woman not long back, local girl, helped her learn about her dads life, locate his grave.. only had a hand drawn picture and a name.." He nodded, sipping his coffee, "certainly not as high octane as it was when I had the badge... But I also can't get a taser anymore, so."

@basil-of-benbow

Passing Game || Perimus

He surpressed a snort of laughter at that- being sherrif of a town like Swynlake sure wasn't like working anywhere else. Perry imagined his cases wouldn't be half as intersting either. It had certainly been a bit more miserable to be a detetctive on the force; tracking down an ancient old book certainly wouldn't have been on the carsd then.

"Good- not that I imagine its the people that give you the most trouble around here." Certainly, the town itself had a way of being enough trouble, he'd imagine even if it were deserted there would still be noise somehow.

"Me? Oh, sure. There's always mysteries to be solved in this town- I get a little business from the surrounding areas too. Mostly locals with smaller or more niche cases, though. I'm not one for stepping on any toes. Used to be on the force myself so I know how it works." It could be a good or a bad thing- that lingering idea of authority, Perry did have a habit of trying to control a situation even if he wasn't technically the one in charge. "You're from here originally, right? What took you away?"

@trackedbymaximus

"Perk of being a local, I at least got to skip the period of time when the streets are moving around. Not everyone on the force is that lucky." Of course, he'd never had trouble with that from the town. His magic ensured that he could track down where he was going when he wanted it. But he was hardly going ot mention that.

Maximus nodded at that. He kneww some cops had problems with private detectives, but he didn't. As long as they weren't asshole about it, which Perry wasn't. "We're a small force, there's room for the both of us."

He glanced around, but everyone was still chatting, so Maximus let himself relax. "Mainly being 18 and full of grand ideas. My parents worked on the force here in town, and I wanted to prove myself and not just be 'that Keaton kid'. I was good at my job, but I wasn't any good at the politics so I didn't move up much. Eventually I realized it was time to come back."

@perry-flynn

"'Hah, sure threw me off kilter when I first got to town, too, but I've been here long enough get past that phase." Honestly, it had been equal parts alarming and fascinating. After so long nacigating unfamiliar streets on the run it had been a nightmare to be in the same place finally but not feel like it. Still, hell of an interesting quirk.

He was grateful for the allowance- he never planned to make an enemy of anyone, but of course, he wouldn't even be here if he wasn't capable of shoving his foot right in his mouth. "And hopefully you never need the help, but if you do, I never miss a phone call." In times of chaos he tended to do his best to try and help anyway, at least assist with a little informal crowd control and offer up the little first aid training he had.

Perry nods along with the story, his mouth quirking up at a certain point, "ah, I never had much of a taste for that side of things either. Always wanted to be a detective, but the formalities didn't suit me. After an... Injury, I felt like it was time to move on, ended up settling here." He waved a hand, trying not to invite questions on that in particular.

Of course, there was information on the reality of that somewhere in the chain of his old files if Max was the shady enough type to go snooping, but Perry didn't think he was. "It's definitly a good place to keep your mind sharp."

@trackedbymaximus

#maximus

A Winter Chill || Perry & Errol

@perry-flynn

Errol finally takss pity on the man across from him and calls Dublin off his lap, figuring if he's fidgeting as much as he is that he wants his lap to himself. Dublin goes, albeit reluctantly, and settles her head on her paws once she tucks herself by Errol's feet, her leash beneath the chair leg.

Though it is courteous of him to take the smoke away from her, Errol figures that she's so used to the old smell of it by now from them both that the dog barely registers it.

As he speaks, Perry turns over the information being presented to him. His face does something Errol can't quite interpret - a little twist and a wrinkle between his eyes that is neither confused nor hurt but something different altogether - but he leaves it be. It isn't his business, even if Errol wonders at it.

His comment about Meara makes Errol huff a laugh, teeth sharp and white in his smile, and he nods. "Oh aye, harder head 'en a rock. Unfortunately, though, she knows 'm right. Lisbeth works fer tech companies, so she could take up a position with Deavor's place in NTO. Lilian jus' wants tae go wherever. Meara's jus' worried 'bout mum."

"Right, right..." Perry's parents are starting to get on a bit, but hge doesn't really have anyone else to worry too much about in terms of family; no siblings, a couple aunts and uncles he doesn't really have much contact with. When you stop showing up to family events because you're on the run and can't explain it to anyone, those connections can be hard to put back together.

He sips his coffee, "family can be hard." He says in summary, not sure what he has to offer in the way of advice. "I'm sure they'll figure out whats best for them- let me know if they end up needing any help with a move." He has a car and a sturdy enough back to shift some boxes, "I'm sure the lot of them will end up invading the agency if they're close enough, anyway."

@hngrylikethewoolf

Lucky Break Inn | Perry & Basil

Basil listened in interest to Perry's attempts at explaining that the town did keep him busy. The individual cases, solved no doubt, gave him little interest. He did, however watch with interest as Perry seemed to argue with the desk ... he was not entirely ruling out Perry having lost his mind, but was hoping there was another explanation.

More indicative of the state of business, on the other hand was the assistant. Errol. Not a name you heard often anymore.

"And where did you find Errol, then?" Basil asked, politely intrigued. He didn't plan on being here long enough to actually be og any use, but you never knew, right? He could always come and make himself a nuisance if they ran out of daytime tv in the hotel or something? "Are you working on anything juicy at the moment?"

Surely not, but already, like an addict, Basil wanted to hear something, wanted to set his mind to a task. The coffee was obviously having something of an effect.

@perry-flynn

"He was working as a sherrif-- actually, I believe we first met on board the titanic... That's another fun Swynlake feature to be aware of, your dreams could end up taking you all kinds of places..." Perry trails off with another puff of his cigarette, "anyway, back in reality he ended up needing a little off the books help with a case his department was working on, tracking... Well, some kind of beast. Long story." He chuckles, "he was getting towards retirement but decided he wasn't ready to hang up his thinking cap all the way, I s'pose. Started hanging around here after we worked that case and sort of just... Never left. We work mose cases seperately, but I've been able to expand to a few bigger mysteries since he joined the team, too."

He tipped his head towards Basil with a knowing look, kissing his teeth, "so you can expose the local mayor for something or other and see me and my business driven out of town?" Perry teases, "slim chance, pal. Nah, smaller stuff right now. Someone trying to track down a long lost lover, a couple more 'find this ancient text' cases too."

It wasn't often the high octane stuff he'd seen on the force, but Perry didn't find the satisfaction of a job well done was dimmed any by the fact that the stakes were technically a little lower. "I'll keep you posted, though. Things can change in a blink around here.."

@basil-of-benbow

Passing Game || Perimus

Right, yeah. He knew who Perry was. That was fine- probably better, honestly, if he wasn't about to start getting admonished for what might be percieved as odd habits if you didn't know what he did for a living.

The police weren't always his friends, and sometimes that had more to do with lingering bitterness than was fair, but he was smart enough to be polite when necessary and he knew the law well enough to opperate within it. Most of the time.

"The determination of a ten year old can outrival a lot of grown men." Perry reasons with a shrug and a small upward quirk of his mouth. Not really banter- not his specialty- but not not a joke. "How're you finding things as Sherrif, anyway?" He's not great at small talk either, but it is a question he cares about, things were different when you were in charge. "Being at the top of the chain can take some settling into."

@trackedbymaximus

Maximus took another swig from his water bottle before he rolled out his shoulders. He did keep in shape. Regular time at the gym was important for staying fit for the job as well as being a necessary stress release valve for him. But running around for a couple hours was leaving him surprisingly winded.

"It has its challenges." After all, it wasn't like he'd stepped into the position in the easiest circumstances. It felt like he had more to prove and higher standards to meet because of it.

"The rest of the team is great. I think Shera knows more about police work and how this town runs than the rest of us combined. I can always count on her to keep us on track." The fearless receptionist was unphased by anything that came through the doors, which was lucky. "Are you keeping busy?"

@perry-flynn

He surpressed a snort of laughter at that- being sherrif of a town like Swynlake sure wasn't like working anywhere else. Perry imagined his cases wouldn't be half as intersting either. It had certainly been a bit more miserable to be a detetctive on the force; tracking down an ancient old book certainly wouldn't have been on the carsd then.

"Good- not that I imagine its the people that give you the most trouble around here." Certainly, the town itself had a way of being enough trouble, he'd imagine even if it were deserted there would still be noise somehow.

"Me? Oh, sure. There's always mysteries to be solved in this town- I get a little business from the surrounding areas too. Mostly locals with smaller or more niche cases, though. I'm not one for stepping on any toes. Used to be on the force myself so I know how it works." It could be a good or a bad thing- that lingering idea of authority, Perry did have a habit of trying to control a situation even if he wasn't technically the one in charge. "You're from here originally, right? What took you away?"

@trackedbymaximus

#max

Lucky Break Inn | Perry & Basil

A dog too? God, Perry was hosting a whole damn menagerie here, wasn't he? Basil was glad none of them had come to bother him in the night and make life difficult for him, because that would have been deeply unwelcome after all of the issues he'd had getting to Swynlake in the first place.

"Right, well, I'll check in there tonight then," Basil yawned. At least he could bank on that, rather than having to scrounge up another place to stay for the night. Swynlake had a few things to recommend it, at the very least. The mention of a bakery, however, was almost enough to curdle his stomach. That last several doubles of vodka outside the station in London might have been a mistake. "Maybe later," he mumbled quietly, momentarily humbled by the sudden swirl of nausea.

"So you ... you set up business here, then?" Basil asked, sipping his coffee again in the hopes that might settle him. "There can't be that many cases in a small town, can there?"

@perry-flynn

#the desk used to be cursed so sometimes its weird ok #basil

It was true, Perry was on the edge of declaring himself the local zoo, the ammount of animals that tracked through here. He wasn't sure how it had happened. Crept up on him, and he didn't have the heart to turn down a duck that hated the rain. Perry hated the rain, too.

He chuckled a bit at his old pals agony, though quietly hopeful he wouldn't be left with a mess to clean up. Eventually, he crossed the room to his desk and cracked the window behind it open, opening drawers until he found the one his cigarettes were in, and then going few a through more for his files for the day. "Now if you'd just give me back the one with the key for the storage locker..." He mumbled under his breath, rattling a few more open before seeming to give up.

"Yeah, yeah." He answers, tuning back into the actual conversation, "hey, there's more going on around here than meets the eye. Even some of the smaller stuff is interesting- I tracked down the single remaining copy of a book on rare curses a while ago. I get a few mundane things from the surrounding towns too, consoult people on home security from time to time..."

Perry waves a hand, not sure how much the other knows about why he ended up here at all. "It's good. I like the variety, control over my schedule. Got another detective now, Errol. He'll probably be in some time today." He shrugs, lighting a cigarette and leaning towards the open window, "if you fancy keeping your brain busy while you're here, you could always swing by once you're more cognizant."

@basil-of-benbow

A Winter Chill || Perry & Errol

@perry-flynn

The easy acceptance of Errol's response – and, he supposes, the familiarity of it – doesn't seem to register for Perry. It does Errol, though, and he ponders how he hadn't realized that he'd learned that about the man long enough ago now for him not even to question it.

Instead of poking at it until it bled, Errol tucks the thought away and refocuses on the man, and dog, in front of him. Dublin still has her head and half her upper body in Perry's lap. "Ah. Makes sense," he murmurs, nodding slightly.

It makes the curls on top of his head sway. Errol needed a trim, really, but he'd been half arsed about it for the last few weeks, at least on top, where they were now spilling over the tips of his ears alongside the rough beard he was sporting.

At the comment about his wayward niece, Errol laughs outright, shaking his head as he takes another drink. He sits up a few moments later and sets his takeaway cup on the table. "Believe me, I 'ad t' conversation when Meara confirmed it. Fought I knew when we were down 'ere fer 'at case," he admits, tone soft still, almost sheepish.

The wolf had known before he had.

"But, ah, 'm tryin' tae get 'em tae move this way. It'd be easier. She works fer t' county like I did, means less o' a commute, an' I can 'elp wif t' wee one when 's born, if needed. Lizzie can work anywhere, so - jus' a matter o' convincin'."