[open - BLACKOUT - SCPD / Patrolling]

[jamesthorn]

Halloween. 

SCPD's worst night of the year. It's busy. It's exhausting, and it makes James want to quit being a cop. It isn't just the people that wander out into the woods every single freaking year, looking for God only knows what out there near Old Attwater Chapel, getting lost, and needing rescue. It isn't the pranks and the tricks and the toilet paper. Or the stupid tricks by the witches. Or even the costumes. 

It's the Grimhildes. 

Sometimes they don't do anything, but you never know that. You have to plan for the worst, and this year comes in over-the-top, face-palming fashion. At 7pm sharp, the entire town loses power, electricity, the whole shebang. The sky goes black, and a few minutes later once it's certain that yes it is the entire town, the chief comes out of his office and tells everyone they aren't going anywhere until this shit is over. 

James is sitting at his desk. With all the power out, work is pointless now. He sighs, pinching his nose. It's going to be a long night. 

Comments

[grantmiddleton]

Grant is on his way to James' desk, two cups of coffee in hand and ready for their night full of fun patrol, just as the lights cut off and the hum of electricity powers down. He loses his bearings and smacks a knee into the corner of a desk, spilling the coffee everywhere. "OW DAMNIT! What the hell??" His tantrum is cut short though with their chief storms out of his office and demands everyone get to work on this.

"James? James?? Marco?" he calls, trying to hear his way to his partner's desk.

[jamesthorn]

James turns on his flashlight, rolling his eyes in the darkness at his fumbling partner. Someone probably just got drenched in hot coffee. "Over here," he calls back, turning on the flashlight he kept in his desk. He needed it anyway if they were going on patrol. "Every year it's something. Let's go," he says. "Maybe we should check on Alex? You think?"

[grantmiddleton]

He finds his way to James' desk, brushing a few splashes of coffee off his slacks with a frown. "Dude, she and Michaela are probably all honeymoon mode right now. She's fine." With a nod toward the direction of his own desk, he has James lead the way with the flashlight so he can grab his own supplies--a flashlight, fresh batteries, a notepad, and his gun. A fleeting thought about Val crosses his mind before he brushes it off, mostly because if anyone's going to be okay during a blackout, it'll be Val and her sister.

"I guess we'll need to encourage people back into their homes. Freaking kids are going to be a nightmare tonight."

[jamesthorn]

He considers Grant's assessment about Alex. He's probably right, and that's one less person to worry about for now. They grab all their supplies and head out to the patrol car behind the station. Tossing Grant the keys on the way over, he smiles. "Your turn to drive tonight. I already have a headache from this," he says.

[under_the_radar]

"So this is fun." Daniel said from the doorway, bag of food hanging from one hand, flashlight in the other. He walked over to James's desk and dropped the bag of burgers and fries on his paperwork and flopped down in the chair across from him. "Eat. I bet you forgot."

[jamesthorn]

His brother's voice pulls him out of his mood, and he scoots away from his chair a little, surprised to see Daniel here. with food no less. It is usually June or Demetri pulling this type of thing on him, but he accepts the bag because he is hungry...

"Fun? Not really," he says, stuffing a fry into his mouth. "Grant and I just got dumped on patrol for the rest of the night until this is over."

[under_the_radar]

"Patrolling? In this? Not on foot, though, right? It's not..." Daniel fished for the words. "everything feels wrong." He finished lamely, stealing a couple of fries for himself. James would know what he meant.

[jamesthorn]

"Everything feels wrong?" James makes a face, but then he smiles. "You are practically a detective with those deduction skills, little brother." He munches through a few more fries. "You wanna come with us? Grant won't mind..."

[under_the_radar]

Daniel throws a fry at his brother. "Just wait til you spend some time in the dark outside. Then tell me it doesn't feel weird." He said but he shrugged. "I'll go with you. I've got no power at my place and painting in the dark isn't any kind of fun."

[jamesthorn]

"Well. Protect and serve, that's the job," he says, tossing the empty fry carton aside. He pulls the burger Daniel brought with him out of the paper bag. "Hey, I'll go find Middleton. Meet us out front. We'll pull the car around. You get to ride in the back." He stands up from his desk putting his burger down in order to put on his jacket. "I wish I knew where your sister was...we'll just do a drive-by on her place. That's not creepy right?"

[under_the_radar]

"I think it'd be creepier if we weren't her brothers." Daniel said but in truth he was worried about her too. The girl had gone hermit recently. "You wanna check on Moira?"

[jamesthorn]

"No need. Moira's out of town," James says, picking back up his food. "But we should go swing by and see if June is ok."

[under_the_radar]

Daniel nodded. "And the baby? Everythings okay, right?" He asked following James out.