2019-10-18 - Persistence Sometimes Works

The Autumn sun is just beginning to set, leaving enough light to see by for now, even through the grey clouds hanging above. A faint drizzle falls lightly enough for people to still be out wandering about without too much worry, with puddles not even forming just yet. The boardwalk isn't too crowded at the moment; only a few people meandering about outside, with several others perusing the shops and food stands still. As for Jericho, he's already had his fill of the fried fair provided, instead choosing to forsake the crowds to lean back against the railing at the end of the pier. A denim jacket thrown over a plain grey tee, faded black jeans and a pair of motorcycle boots are the only things protecting him from the slight bit of water falling from the sky. He doesn't seem too bothered by it in the least, as he drags on the cigarette between his lips and continues watching the people pass by.

There has been really nothing but work recently, and while this might be the sort of place someone wanders when they are free of work, out exploring life. Not so much for Charlie, not today. Instead she's moving through the Boardwalk with a thoughtful expression on her face, her hands tucked into the satiny members only jacket that she wears against the chill in the air, uncaring for the drizzle falling on it's own as she heads down towards the end of the peer.

The thing about people watching is.. Not everyone usually all the interesting to watch for long, that's why it's mostly done in places where there are many people instead of a select few. Sure there might be some who spark amusement or something else, but only for a brief moment and then they melt back into the blur that makes up the rest of the masses around them. Then there are those, who for some reason draw your attention, catching your gaze and forcing you to continue watching, even as they go about the most mundane of things.

Sighing, Jericho takes another drag from his cigarette and taps a bit of ash to the grow, which is then snuffed beneath a booted heel. Having closed his eyes during that split second, he opens them again only to be faced with the sight of the blonde woman heading directly toward the end of the pier where he currently resides. Curiosity overcomes him and his sights fixate upon her, waiting for her to get closer and then, "A penny for your thoughts?" he says, and in the same moment a penny flips from his hand and in Charlie's general direction. All the while, pale blue eyes watch her features carefully, with an amused smirk upon his own.

Penny for her thoughts? Such an unusual question causes Charlie to come to a sudden stop, catching that penny flipped towards her, brows lifting upwards at him, "I'm not sure my thoughts come that cheap."

It's a thoughtful observation, like she's honestly considering the worth of her thoughts, and finding that an actual penny really is lower than what she'd value them at. Not that she looks quick to value them higher, either. Or to share them at all. Instead she moves over to where he's at, stepping up wind of the cigarette smoke, the penny then held out towards him between her two fingers, "In addition, pretty sure that's a really cheap bribe."

"It's an expression," Jericho muses, smirk still fixed in place as he takes another drag of the cigarette. Being sure to exhale away from her, since she's sticking around for the time being it would seem. "But, now you have me curious," He states, free hand reaching to take back the penny, before moving down toward a back pocket. "Would a twenty get me any of what happens to be on your mind?" A mischievous glimmer appears in those pale blue as he continues to gauge her reaction.

Though, with his attention fixated upon her, a brief change overcomes his features; a curiosity that goes as quickly as it came. "Have we met?" He questions, while scouring his mind for any recollection of the woman before him. Recognition dawns upon his features and in that same moment a memory springs forth from Jericho's perspective, the moment being shared with her as well: Highschool, nineteen years ago.. He's skipping class and hiding under the bleachers near the track, smoking a cigarette while watching the girls track team practice. His focus upon one in peculiar; blonde, ponytail, school colors emblazoned upon the outfit. It's the same girl standing before him now in the present time. Curious.

"Detective Charlie Morgan." It's an actual name to go with that face, and that memory. Just in case all he remembered was her face from all those years ago, and not who she actually is. Or was. "But a twenty wouldn't buy my thoughts either. Afraid that no amount of money will get me to crack on what I'm thinking. Business, you understand." She doesn't look ruffled by anything that is happening, although she does tend to look more focused about it.

"So you are...?" It's a careful prompt, made somewhat politely. But there is a sense that she is highly unlikely to actually accept anything but an honest answer from him.

A faint chuckle manages to escape from between his lips after her response. "Well, it was worth a shot." Shrugging slightly in a 'what can you do', type of manner, Jericho snuffs the last of the cigarette upon the bottom of his boot and then reaches up to brush slightly damp hair backward from his face. "Jericho Morrison," he offers, along with a hand to shake. "I believe we had third period science together, and one other class that I probably ditched more often than not."

There doesn't appear to be any outward sense of recognition to the name, nor even the addition of what class it was from. Instead there is just a nod, and she's still trying to match who the man is now, to who was in that class with her as a kid. There is a quick smile, mostly embarrassed about her own inability to the fact she's not nearly as good at remembering as she is, "With Mrs. Washington?"

Drawing his hand back from where it was left to hang, Jericho's expression is one of pure amusement, as the hand goes right back into a jacket pocket. "Exactly," He muses with a faint nod. "I sat one row back and two to the left of you, if I'm remembering correctly." A shake of the head is given, though the smirk remains upon his features at the embarrassed smile. "Perhaps you'd have a better time remembering the kid who was always getting into fights, bullied, and ended up bringing a knife to school one day?" An eyebrow arches in her direction, waiting for her response to that. Surely that should jog some sort of memory.

"There was a lot of kids that got picked on." Which is true. But there is probably not more than one or two that got busted for bringing a knife to school, and it does seem to joke some sort of memory loose for her. "Right.." She lifts a hand up to scratch her nails across her chin for a split second, then she drops her hand back down to tuck into the pocket of her jacket, "Yeah, I think I might remember you. Scrawny, right?"

Isn't everyone at that age?

Noting the unsurety in her reply of 'Right..', Jericho slowly draws both hands out of his pockets and splays them out for a moment, before resting them at his sides. Right where she can see them, as if to say 'I am no harm at all'. Expression quite serious now. "I'm past all that, though." He states plainly, "You can look into my files, I'm sure, detective. You'll only find a few overnight states down at the PD for barfights, that witnesses will even say I didn't start." A moment passes and then the smirk is back, with nod. "Mhmm. Quite so, in fact." A pause and then, "Result of a poor diet at home, Mommy Morrison preferred spending everything on drugs for her and the revolving door of boyfriends instead."

There is a slight wince when he mentions his mother, and her proclivities. "Sorry, that really sounds like a shit position." She then shakes her head at him, and the offer that it's all behind him, "I'm sure that it is, Mister Morrison." She lets her attention wander away from him, looking over the pier and those brave souls that have ventured out in the crappy weather, "What has you sitting around out here?"

A dismissive wave is given in response to her apology for his mother's actions. "Like I said, I'm past all that." When her attention shifts, Jericho's remains upon her for a moment longer and then follows suit. "You can call me Jericho, Detective." He says, before responding to her question. "Just watching life at work, Detective." A pause. "It helps clear my head and be able to think properly; watching others go about their lives, paying little to no mind to what's happening around them. It puts things in perspective, I suppose." Blue eyes turn back to her as he asks, "And what about you? What was it that brought you out here, to the exact spot where I happened to be?"

There is no return on what he can call her, evidently for the moment it looks like Detective is just fine. Amusing, but fine.

"I was just checking to see if we could see the spot for the Casino construction from here." Charlie moves down to the edge of the pier, then points down to where the docks are, and the floating Casino that's in the works. She then shrugs her shoulders just a bit, that smile widening a bit at him as she moves back closer to where he's posted up, "Which brings me back to the idea that my thoughts don't come cheap, and probably should remain inside my head. But that seems harmless enough."

Jericho follows the pointing finger with those pale blues, allowing his gaze to be drawn to the site of the future Casino being built out on the water. It seems inconsequential enough of a reason to come out to the pier, even despite the slight drizzle. That is until she retreats back to her earlier comment about her thoughts not being cheap, and especially the one about how sharing that much seemed harmless enough. Well then, he thinks to himself, a mischievous glimmer flashing in those eyes of his as he lays his attention upon her once more.

"Harmless?" he muses quietly, before continuing in his regular volume. "Does this new casino have something to do with a case then?" She might have intuition from working as a detective to tell if someone is lying, but he, he has other ways of knowing. And so affixes his gaze upon her and waits to see how she reacts. "You might think keeping your thoughts to yourself is all well and dandy, Detective, but I can tell you with certainty that it's quite a lonely way to live. Guarding what's going on in your head so closely... I spent years doing the same; keeping my thoughts to myself and doing my best to keep others and their thoughts away from me and my own." A moments pause before he continues, "But, then... then I learned that having someone to share such things with could be beautiful and freeing. Something much needed at times."

"When your thoughts are your own, maybe. But when my thoughts aren't mine to share, and the sharing of can lose me my job, through which I keep food on my table?" Charlie just gives him a bland look, "Seriously? No. Fancy words and prying or not....the answer is now." She leans back against the railing, her arms crossing over her chest, "It's hardly a lonely way to live, not with these thoughts."

It's not that she looks stubborn, just that she looks like she's not going to budge. Wait, that is the same thing! Nope. Not a bit about this shows that she's at all going to share her thoughts with him. "So what're you doing these days, Jeri?" He did say she could call him Jericho, she's just clearly going a step further.

"Very well, Detective," Jericho says in a deferential tone. "I won't pry anymore on the subject..." Not now anyway, there's bound to be other times he can try and figure out what makes her tick. At the stubbornness that's apparent upon her features, he smirks before taking a breath and letting it out slowly, as he says, "So why don't you relax those defenses of yours and try not to be so stubborn, hmm?" Once he's certain of whether or not she'll actually do so, he lifts a singular shoulder in a slight shrug. "Staying out of trouble as best I can. Although, now that I know you're working at the PD, I might have to reconsider." A faint chuckle follows the words as he continues, "It's been such fun catching up after all." There's a pause as his left hand retreats back into one of the jacket pockets. "I was just hired at a new job, actually. Working over at The Pourhouse, down on Spruce, as their new bouncer." Blues eyes meet hers as he asks, "And what of yourself? You seem to have come a long way from the girl you were in school."

"I relax just fine."

She probably doesn't relax that much, to be honest. But she pulls herself up onto the railing, tucking her feet onto it before she returns her hands to her pockets, glancing out towards the water for a while as she thinks about the question, "Long way, yeah." She agrees after a while before glancing back towards Jericho, "Started working for the PD soon as I could, followed in Mom's footsteps, not sure if she'd be happy or pissed...got married, adopted a kid. You know how it goes. Got divorced, embraced my job." She leans forward, shifting her weight so that she doesn't fall into the ocean, "Congratulations on your job."

"Do you now?" Jericho questions with a wry grin, "For some reason I don't believe you when you say that." Not one bit, in fact. After she hops up to perch on the railing, he moves the slightest bit closer, but keeps all parts to himself while listening to the response given to his question. Stifling a sigh, he gives the Detective a sympathetic look, but doesn't say anything immediately. Not until the hand closer to hers glides along the railing, and comes to rest with two of his fingers atop her own. "I'm sure she'd be proud of you; based upon what you've just told me, she'd be a fool not to be." His own mom wasn't always around, and even when she was.. she wasn't much of a mother, so he isn't the best when it comes to that subject, but it's what he would have wanted to hear himself if put in her position. "Thanks," He replies with a dip of the head. "It's one of what feels like hundreds at this point, but at least it's something where I can be somewhat helpful and keep others safe." Another shrug of the shoulders as he adds, "Maybe it'll make up for some of the bad karma I gained when I was younger. We'll see.."

"I do relax." Now she's marginally defensive about it, in a relaxed sort of way. But not stubborn, though. Just relaxedly firm....it's a real thing. Scout's honor. Up until she feels his fingers against her hand, and she glances down at her hand before she looks back up towards him, a brow lifting upwards. It's clear that she's not sure if he's trying to be sympathetic, or something else.

"You know...if you're wanting to make up for bad karma..."

At her further claims of being able to relax, Jericho hides a faint rolling of his eyes, by trying to shake a fallen strand of hair from his eyes. Not that it was really bothering him. "Alright, I believe you." Maybe. He replies, looking back just moments before she glances down at their hands and back up at him, serving up that arched brow. "I mean no harm, Detective. I genuinely believe she would be proud of where you've ended up." Of course, with him, emotions flicker in such speed that it's hard to tell if that earlier sympathy, despite his having truly felt it, was real or not, as a mischievous look slowly overcomes his features. "I'm all ears, Detective. Do continue.."

"You could always start volunteering with those big brother, big sister programs...get yourself a little brother or sister, keep them off the street, off drugs." It might not be the sort of answer he was wanting to hear, but that doesn't mean that she's not going to give him an honest answer to everything. "Soup kitchens, food pantries....always take the time to give back to the community, not for the purpose of balancing but just because it is the right thing to do."

It has nothing at all to do with her dad, or fingers on her hand. But at least she's not slapping him for it.

After each word that passes her lips, Jericho's mischievousness fades bit by bit, until he's left staring blankly at the woman beside him. A moment passes in silence, and then laughter barks it's way out from his throat and into the night air. It's a pleasant and truly amused laughter at that. Sobering up afterward with a shake of the head and a deep breath, he returns his attention back to her and says, "You amuse me, Detective. Really." while giving her hand a faint squeeze, moments before pushing himself away from the railing, to stand a few feet away from and turns to face her with a hand outstretched. "Walk with me? There's a place further down the pier where we can get onto the beach, where there's rocks we can sit on to watch the tides." A pause and then, "Unless you have other places to be, what with your child and all? In which case I can walk you to your house, or car, whichever is closest."

"I'm not kidding." Charlie points out before she slides down from where she's sitting, then she lifts her wrist so that she can look down at her watch, "I'd like to say that I'd be able to go wandering along the beaches with you, but I can't. I do have to get home soon." She drops her hand, tucking it back into the pocket of her jacket, "But my car is right over there if you're really wanting to walk me anywhere, it's the closest." She doesn't force him into the mundane of walking her to her car, letting him choose if he's going to bail or not.

Shrugging his shoulders at her reply of not being able to wander the beaches with him, Jericho muses, "That's why I asked, Detective." fixing a smile into place upon his lips. When her hands go back into the pockets of her jacket, he wanders up beside her, and unless stopped, links an arm through hers and continues walking in the direction she began. "I did say I would walk you, and I meant it. But I do appreciate the chance to back out." As they're walking he asks, "If you don't mind my asking; how old is your little one?"

The linked arm gets a look, amusement warring with incredulity, and amusement at least seems to be winning at the moment, "Georgie? She's six....be seven in February." Charlie turns her attention forward once more, taking her sweet time about heading for the car where she's parked it, "So why are you wanting to walk me down a beach, or too my car...and asking probing questions?" She gives him a dubious look, and the voice of experience pops back up, "You're not about to ask me to get you out of any tickets, are you? Because I can't actually do that."

Amusement works. He can definitely handle amusement. Feigning a shocked expression and tone, Jericho stops the both of them and looks at her. "Detective!" He exclaims, "You really can't do that? Well then..." Almost sounding disappointed as he says it, before an exaggerated sigh escapes from his lips. "If you can't get me out of my tickets, then what am I doing?" He asks, sarcasm heavily lining his voice for a time, before returning to it's normal tone as he begins them walking once more. "I suppose I'm just curious? And perhaps I've been enjoying having spent time with you, whether or not you believe me on that." A sideways glance and a smirk are flashed her way. "Six, huh?" he muses aloud. "That's crazy. How do you manage a six year old, while working full time with the PD?"

"I really can't do that." Charlie replies with a shake of her head, coming to a stop when he pulls her to a stop, but then she resumes walking when he does. "Six...and it's a lot of babysitters, or dropping her off with Mags if I can." She glances over at him, pondering for a moment if he'd even have any idea who Magnolia was. "She's the daughter of my mother's partner."

"I know, Detective. I was being facetious." Jericho replies with a hint of amusement to his tone. "Nor would I want you to. I own my mistakes, and expect to pay the consequences of them." At the explanation of how she juggles work and home life, in relation to the Georgie, he arches an eyebrow in question. "Mags?" His features scrunch up for a brief moment as he tries to figure out who that might be. But, alas, no luck and he just looks to her for the answer. "Must be expensive with all those babysitters, I imagine." When the last bit is said about the mother's partner, he looks at her curiously. "So Georgie is almost, kind of like your sisters.. in a way.. interesting."

"Par..." Charlie frowns a bit, "My mom was a cop, Magnolia's dad was her partner...a cop." She clarifies, frowning just a fraction, "Magnolia has a kid about the same age, so something Georgie can go over there and stay." Which might save on the babysitter cost.

"I did say, kind of, Detective." Jericho smirks, "Although I suppose cousin would have been a better term, my mistake." A wave of his free hand is given to dismiss the mistake in question as he continues, "I know how partners work within the Force. All I meant was that such bonds can grow to be almost familial in manner." Shrugging, he looks to her and says, "Now stop that frowning, will you?" before reaching with that free hand to tap lightly upon her nose. "It doesn't do you any favors." A few more steps in their walk and then. "It's good that Georgie has something around her age to grow with. You know.." He begins to say, "I'm actually quite good with kids, funnily enough. Considering my youthful years after all."

"Alright, you did say kind of." Charlie replies with a roll of her eyes, reaching into her pocket to pull a set of keys out of them, letting them dangle on one finger as they continues to walk. There is a slight crossing of her eyes when he taps her on the nose, "Stop that." She reaches a hand up to rub at her nose, frowning even harder at him, then she shrugs her shoulders, "Yeah, Mags is younger, so I guess she might be like a younger sister." She gives him an incredulous look when he mentions that he's good with kids, then she laughs, "Are you suggesting being a babysitter?"

At her stop that, Jericho dawns a smug look for a short while. "You're doing it again," he notes when she starts frowning at him once more. "You're such a whirlwind when it comes to your reactions with me, Detective. Calm, stubbornness, frowning, intrigue, and more..." A smirk is the response the frown gets from him. "I'm flattered. You don't quite know what to do with me, do you?" Nodding along to the explanation of Magnolia's child, the laughter from her in reply to his earlier statement catches him off guard. But only for a moment, before he composes himself once more and shrugs with both his free hand and shoulder in a well, why not manner. "Of course, only possibly after spending more time re-getting to know me, Detective. But I can assure you I'd be very affordable, if we do reach that point." Grinning he adds, "All I would ask is your company. After all I think we both can tell that, that's something we both seem to want..." A pause as he looks to her with a wry smirk. ".. unless I'm mistaken, of course?"

"I know one thing to do with you." Charlie mutters quietly under her breath, pulling her phone out of her pocket after she shakes her arm loose from his, then she unlocks the phone and pulls up the contact list before she holds it out towards him, "Put your number in, and maybe I'll see about calling you sometime." She continues walking, even after holding the phone out to him, only coming to a stop once she reaches her car. "But I'm not making any promises about calling you, so...don't get your hopes up."

"I'm sorry... what was that?" Jericho muses, amusement lying heavily upon his tone at her muttering. Then her arm is shaken loose and he's left walking along beside her, but any reaction is quickly replaced with interest as the phone gets handed to him. "Gladly," he states plainly, and does just as he's told, inputting his name and number into her contacts. Although he doesn't stop there, seeing as how she keeps on walking to the car, leaving him with the phone in hand still. "Right, no promises. And you can consider my hopes to be stagnant, Detective." He replies, while typing something further into her phone, which becomes apparent only after he hands the phone back to her and an alert can be heard from his own, causing him to fish it out from a pocket. An impish grin touches upon his features as he looks at whatever it is on the screen. "Of course, Detective, dinner tomorrow night sounds wonderful if you aren't working too late. And you even signed it with hugs and kisses!" He says, turning the screen of his phone for her to look, at which reads; Would you consider dinner tomorrow? As long as I'm not at the precinct all night, Jeri? xoxo, Detective Morgan.. "How thoughtful of you to ask, but aren't you moving things a bit fast? Not that I mind, or would say no to grabbing a bite."

"You know I know how to block numbers." Charlie points out when he holds the phone out towards her, and she looks down at her own phone, starting to go through the motions like she might actually start to block his number. The car that she leans against is at least half as old as she is, and is probably in the shop more often than not, but it's clearly kept clean and as well taken care of as possible. "In addition to blocking the number, I know a guy that can get me a great hook-up on a restraining order."

Frowning, Jericho gives a slight eyeroll. "Fine, no dinner tomorrow." He huffs with mock disappointment. "But, you have to eat sometime. And when you do, well..." A hand reaches up to the side of his head in the universal shape of a telephone as he mouths, call me. "There's no need for a restraining order, Detective." A pause brings about that signature smirk of his. "Not yet anyway. Besides, by the looks of those wheels," a gesture it made to indicate the car she's leaning against. ".. you might need me before you even get home. I am good with my hands after all; though in terms of mechanic, I work more so on bikes, but have plenty of experience with cars as well."

That seems to at least get her attention, and she glances down at the car, then back up towards him, "I'll keep that in mind." And it really does sound like Charlie might actually keep that in mind, the phone in her hand it quietly tapped against her hand, "Sure, I'll keep you in mind the next time I need car work done. And you're right, Jeri. I do need to eat...I find that I'm pretty fond of the fish place...and the Firehouse. Great burgers there."

Nodding, Jericho tucks both his hands back into the pockets of his jacket. "I'll be sure to keep those in mind," He states, after her mentioning of places she enjoys eating at. As for the car, well.. "I'm just a call away, Detective. For whatever you might need.." A smirk, another nod, and then he's turning back the way they came and wandering off into the night. "Goodnight, Detective, and drive safe. The roads are still wet after all."

"Night, Jeri." Charlie replies as she starts to unlock the car door, getting inside to start pulling out of the parking lot. Where ever she might be going, she seems to be going slow enough that the wet streets are no worries!