FSE

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~ The bakery that Bell operated carried along with a daily routine that diverged only slightly during the weekends. As much as he hated the stereotype, the place ran like clockwork. Unless Detective Clip arrived home, or was in town, or needed a place to think. As the Synth worked on transferring bagels into serving racks, he could clearly hear that this morning was one of those times. The jackalope had apparently arrived home and decided to sleep at one of his tables. Bell chuckled, setting the last serving tray into place behind the glass. He checked the progress of the rolls as the strode over to investigate the sounds of snoring.

~ "You know, you could always sleep in that room you rent upstairs. It's got a bed and an office.", softly chiding the detective.

~ Clip's first reply was a muffled stirring and groggly sounds, before blinking awake over to the Synth who was setting up the coffee maker. "It was so close to morning, I decided to just wait for coffee.", she explained, reaching out with a hand as though to grab a mug.

~ His tone more forceful now what she was properly awake, Bell let out a deep chuckle. "It'll be a bit, while the machine warms up.", gently patting her hand as he slipped back into the kitchen.

~ Some time later, with most of the bagels and about half of the rolls sold and a jacklope containing coffee to balance the disheveled state of her uniform, Clip decided to invoke the Synth's part time job as her secretary. "What's up, kind record keeper? I assume I've got some messages?"

~ Settling down onto the stool behind the register, Bell glanced around to make sure no customers were around. "You've got two messages that matter at the moment, and a bunch of small things you usually ignore anyway. Want `em now?"

~ With a somber gaze into the bottom of her now empty coffee mug, Detective Clip admitted, "Yeah. I'll need to figure when I need to wake up."

~ Bell reclined into his typical recital pose, and began. "First relevant message is that Doctor Rust has some concerns about the time you've been spending on stations, and has put in a request that you be checked over for adverse consequences from all the travel. The department has obliged; you're on medical leave for two weeks. First checkup is tomorrow, then follow ups in seven and twelve days. I've put it on your calendar already."

~ The jackalope groaned, but didn't really disagree with the caution. She waited for the next message.

~ "Second relevant message. That foundry owner who helped you identify that alloy a couple years back was hoping you could do him a favor. His son plans to sign up into The Fleet when he turns seventeen in a couple months, and reckons you could tell the kid what it's like to travel. The father doesn't seem confident that the kid really wants what he's looking to get in for."

~ Rising to her feet with a bit of a stiff shake, "Thanks for the relay. I still got an open tab, right?", as she somewhat limped her way towards the display case full of the less desirable bagels. Regarding the several that were cabbage themed on display, "You got the hots for another kobold?", grinning up to Bell as she pulled one out to hang on her antler.

~ His facial display indicated a blushing expression, Bell confessed, "I think I've got a chance with this one. I'm playing it cool and patient.", holding up a hand, "And the bagels remain on the house, I'm still paying you back for what you did out in that factory on Roxana colony."

~ The detective shrugged, but did not disagree with a free bagel. "I'm going to bed. I'll probably wake up in time to hit one of the clubs up for some leads on the kid.", lumbering her way to the back, somewhat hobbling up the stairs.

~ [Scene Break]

~ With the slightly stale bagel consumed, Detective Clip slipped into the library under the cover of the evening sun. She gave a wave to the librarian who was tending to the front desk, calling out with a soft "Hey. Nice to be back.", before slipping away over to the searching terminals. Knowing the kid must be graduating soon, she set herself to combing through the occurences of his name in the archives of school papers before settling on a handful of articles to delve into with more vigor.

~ Now equiped with a slip of paper bearing the cartridge and page numbers, her hands fell into the familiar pattern of navigating the microfiche reader first to the entry of his sister winning the science fair two years prior. Something about metals and smelting, the details vague. Behind the first place trophy in the picture stood a beaming daughter, herself flanked by mother, father, and brother. Detective Clip commented to herself, "Metal's in the family...", before sliding the viewing window over to the second article of science fairs. In this case, the kid had only a few months back gotten second place with some project about growing flowers in some goop chamber of sorts for over a year. As with the older entry, this article presented a photo of the families of everyone who got a trophy, the jackalope noting an omission.

~ With these thoughts in mind, her next stops were of a more digital nature. The archives of marriage licenses and business registry being properly digitized and available from one of the searching terminals.

~ "Oh.", commented Detective Clip to herself softly.

~ It was on her way home, with a bit of sweet talking to the groundskeeper, that the jackalope stood over the stone marker that confirmed her conclusion.

~ [Scene Break]

~ The business card was already on the table, out in plain sight, when the kid arrived to seek the counsel of the well travelled Detective Clip. She smiled at his approach, waving the raccoon over to her table. He obliged, though the card caught his attention almost immediately.

~ The detective liked this kid.

~ "You want to sign up for The Fleet and travel, I've heard?"

~ The raccoon nodded confidently, "Yes, ma'am."

~ "I've travelled a lot, and met a lot of folk. I've got simple advice, that should work out well for you, even if I'm wrong and you're right, or if you're wrong and I'm right.", with a pause, "Though, mercy upon your soul with we're both wrong.", trying to break the tension with a bit of a smile.

~ The raccoon's focus was, for the moment, on her antlers. He'd likely only heard the jist of what she'd said. She jumped to the part that all teenagers hear more than they need to.

~ "You're wrong."

~ The raccoon seemed a bit stunned out of his gaze, "Huh?", with the eloquence of youth.

~ "At least, I think you are. If I may be blunt, from what I read last night and asked around this morning, I think you've lost what kept you to this place and think the urge to not be here is an urge to travel."

~ The kid sat down to listen. The detective's fondness for the kid grew.

~ "Sorry to be blunt, but there's no one left in your life who shares your passion for plants since your mother died and you don't want to dredge everything up by opening her business without her."

~ The raccoon nodded quietly. She wasn't wrong, in this much at least.

~ "I think you want to be somewhere else; moreso than actually travelling. Sign on for that ship there.", sliding the card closer to him, "Three months probation, then you get a chance for a year's contract. They need dock hands, and run a clean ship.", fixing the teenager with a soft glare, "I know about such things."

~ "Why a hauler?", the eloquence of youth overflowing.

~ "Kicks the can. Travel for a year; it's a shorter stint. You can get out of it, if you find your feet soaked in regret.", with a stern nod.

~ "Thanks, Ma'am...", taking the card with him as he slipped off to consider.