2019-11-06 - Coffee, Cars, And Deathly Humor

Just stepping out of line with his cup of coffee, Yule pauses briefly at the magazine racks, picking up today's newspaper, of all things. He's dressed in a pair of dark slacks, black leather ankle high dress boots and a light blue dress shirt that's tucked in. It's the dark navy blue coat that serves to ward off the autumn chill for him, and with his cup and reading material in hand? He heads towards one of the tables by the front windows.

He settles down there, the cup put down to let it cool just a touch from its steaming hot temperature, while he sets about refolding the paper to make it more maneagable while he lounges. Around his neck dangles his city ID.

Gabriel makes his way on into Espresso Yourself, wearing what might be called the Homicide Cop uniform. A blue blazer, a white button-down dress shirt, and gray slacks. "Hey, Doc!" says Gabe to Yule, raising a hand to him. "How're the patients?" Stupid homicide detective humor. It's the same everywhere. He orders a coffee with milk and sugar, digging out cash to pay.

It's a single finger that pulls down the top of Yule's paper when the door opens to let through a brisk burst of fall morning air, and there is the faintest of smile that curls to the corners of his mouth. "Not a one of them has complained. Can't beat that, right?" The medical examiner clearly has a similar sense of humor about their morbid line of work, and around that paper is flipped. His left foot reaches out, pushing out a chair across from him at that window side table in open invitation. "They keeping you busy?"

It's a little colder out so Shauna has on a pair of faded jeans with boots and a plain white t-shirt beneath a open zippered hoodie. It's to the counter she goes, leaning a hip against a wall while she awaits her turn to order. Green eyes survey those already present and if there's any recognition for either of them it would be in the lip twitch she gives as her eyes rake over them. Or maybe that's just the topic of conversation.

"It's just a mark of your bedside manor, Doc," says Gabriel as he takes his newly paid-for coffee and heads for the table, lifting his cup at the medical examiner. "And yeah. Never lacking for business, unfortunately. Hoping to put down the Kruger case." Yule would have heard of it. Husband and wife. Shot dead execution style at the Sea View Motel. People saying it's a professional hit. "Along with all of the other calls that come up." He meets Shauna's eyes and flashes her a grin as he settles down at the table with Yule.

"Yeah. I know how to deal with all those cold, stiff sorts." Comes the drab touch of humor about his bedside manner, before Yule's head dips into a nod of recognition for the case. "Left this place for twenty years. Hadn't thought it possible, but it went from bad to worse." His dark brown eyes flicker from Gabriel to Shauna when the other man looks her way, and one corner of his mouth tucks up into an intrigued expression. "Friend of yours, detective? Or one of those other calls."

Shauna arches her brow at the mention of the Kruger case. She happens to live at the Sea View Motel too, and she's heard of it, but she offers nothing. Collecting her drink, she slides money to the barista along with a tip before turning towards the tables to find a seat. It's not at the same table of course, but pretty close, she slides out a chair with her booted foot and slides down gracefully to sit in it. "Good morning," she greets the both of them.

"Sure. Friend. We've met once, at least," says Gabriel with a grin when Yule asks about Shauna. "Come on over. You're way prettier than both of us combined." He then makes introductions. "Doc Duchannes, this is Shauna Carrick, general unemployed layabout." (He kids.) "Shauna, this is Doc Duchannes. Our newest medical examiner here in Gray Harbor. Professional colleague."

There is a lazy study by Yule of Shauna as introductions are made, and his fingers curl about his coffee cup to lift it up in a polite salute cast her way. "He's right. So you might as well come join us. You can call me Yule." This draws a glimmer of a smile from the man, before a longer sip of his drink is taken. He manages to hold his scoff in until after he's done for how Gabriel describes her profession, "Just general layabout, huh? Your young. Plenty of time to specialize later on in life."

"You've got a great memory. Indeed, Shauna Carrick." The Irish accent is very much attempted to be hidden whether she succeeds or not. "A medical examiner and a murder cop. Somewhere there's a joke in there but in Gray Harbor it probably hits too close to home for everyone so I'm sure it'd fall flat." Taking him up on the invitation since the Doc doesn't voice an objection, she gathers her coffee in hand and scoots her chair back in with a hip. "Yule. I kind of was taking a liking to Doc." Amusement sparkles in her eyes and she pulls out another chair, this time at their table, before seating herself again. "General layabout. Can't find a job to save my life here. Just a couple of shops I'm interested in, but none hiring or the boss inaccessible to ask." A slow roll of her shoulders before she's sipping her coffee.

"You're a memorable character," says Gabriel with a grin as he lifts the coffee to his lips when Shauna comes over to join them. "And it's fine, we've heard 'em all. If you can't have a grim sense of humor about the job, you're not going to last long in it." The homicide detective sighs. "But yeah. Well. Keep at it, and you might get good at a specialized form of layabout. You know, couch surfing or videogame playing."

"I'll answer to Doc Yule as well. But the first Christmas joke you make? You'll be calling me something entirely different." It's the sly smile, full of mischief, that shows Yule's not serious in the least about that, before he nods in agreement with Gabriel's suggestions for where she might find her layabout niche. "Hear work is hard here. Nat took over the family job of running the trailer park. Noelle?" Sisters, apparently, all with that same wintery theme. "She's out doing delivery for Thai food. At least this month." His head just shakes a touch in amusement, before a finger extends to point to the detective. "Yup. See enough dead bodies, you either break or find a way to deal with it. Morbid jokes included."

"Christmas," Shauna muses over that one. "Funny enough the first thing I thought of was Yul Brynner." A few fingers tap on the table top as she considers the doc a moment. "You know, you make it awfully tempting though. I have to admit I stay in trouble most of the time and now you've gone and issued a challenge." Her lips twitch as she looks between them, "I can handle morbid jokes. But I do like the themed names. I guess there's room for a Holly and an Ivy?" Amused eyes land on the detective. "Couch surfing? Isn't that crashing at someone news house every night or something? I stay with my brother Ryan for now. He showed up from home to get me out of a bit of trouble I'd found."

"Well. All right. Maybe not couch surfing as a specialization, then," says Gabriel, cheerily, when Shauna points out the the problem with that particular suggestion. "Still." He then looks over at Yule, smirking a little bit. "Well, if we were rich men." He sort of hum sings the words. "We definitely would not be working for Gray Harbor. And yet here we are. Dedication to the craft, I suppose."

"Aren't you a little young to be waxing poetically about mid 19th century movie stars?" Yule's gaze narrows a bit, giving Shauna an inspecting lookover that from most would just be pondering, but given his profession? One has to wonder if he's considering what is literally on her insides. "We have a Winter. And a Snow, too." Up his shoulders lift into a hapless shrug, and he leans over a bit closer towards Gabriel as he talks about dedication to the craft. His voice lowers to a conspiratorial whisper, though it's still loud enough to be heard by the red haired woman at their table. "Nah. I just like getting to use the saw to crack open the skulls." It's all spoken with that morbid humor, before back he leans, a finger jutting out to point towards the woman. "A challenge? Yeah, sure. But then you have to figure out if what you come up with is something I've heard a hundred times already or not. You'd hate to be unoriginal, now wouldn't you?"

"I learned how to work on cars from several of my brothers, growing up. No one around here much needs any help with that. I've tried though. Itzhak isn't hiring, Bodies by Jack? The dude is inaccessible and Fox Automotive, can't get a return on that one either. I guess there's only so many places to look for that kind of work." A smirk follows Gabe's suggestion of if they were rich men. "If you were rich men we wouldn't be having this conversation. You'd be sitting on a yacht somewhere sipping coffee served by some honey in a barely there bikini." Of course she's just joking around. "Hey, I grew up in a proper Irish home and we've all seen The Ten Commandments. I recognize a Yul Brynner when I see him. I didn't turn bad till I turned 18. Nothing to do for me now, too late." Her lips twitch. "Just another lost cause." Again, her the pads of her fingers tap on the table before she laughs and shakes her head. "Now you sound like Steve Martin in Roxanne."

"Now that's a job you can get. Yacht waitress in a barely there bikini." Gabriel laughs as Shauna explains her job-hunting woes. "But maybe that casino will open up soon. Bet there will be a whole lot of jobs coming out of that." He taps lightly on the table. And then he doubles back to something Yule said earlier. "Wait. Thai food? That place in the strip mall? Is it any good? I've been meaning to order from there."

"Yeah?" This has a rather serious expression creasing Yule's features, his lips pursing, fingers tapping against his coffee cup. "What sorts of cars did you work on, back then? We talking mid nineties pieces of shit, or some of the classics?" But that moment of straight forward interest ends in a warm bit of laughter from him, and up one hand lifts in a gesture of mock surrender. "All right, all right. You clearly know your movies." The examiner's head turns to focus on Gabriel, and his head tips in an affirmation of that question. "It's good. I've been enjoying getting a few home cooked meals now, though, with sisters. When I was living in New York City? It was take out all the time. Hardly got to spend much time in my little shoebox of an apartment with work."

Twin brows shoot up and Shaune waggles them a little. "I think I'm being objectified." Holding up her hand, thumb and forefinger less than an inch apart. "Just a little bit." Her lips quirk again into a semblance of a smile. "It seems important to you that I get a job." She takes another few drinks of her coffee before responding, "I love the classics, but there's not a lot to them. Basic engine block without all the computers. I could rebuild one of them now with my eyes closed. The computers aren't as challenging because you just get the code from the troubleshooter. As with every field though, there's always something new to learn. So that's what I like, learning the new things and the Classics. Muscle cars in particular."

When Shauna protests that she is being objectified, Gabriel dips his head in acquiescence. "Sorry. You're right. Didn't mean to go that route." And he backs off the conversation in that area, lest he stick his foot in his mouth again. "Good to have family up here, Doc. All of my folks and siblings are still down in San Fransisco. This is where work took me, but definitely miss Madre's cooking sometimes."

"Not a lot to them, because they focused on what was good: driving a damn car, not hooking up your nintendo to the big screen in the middle of your dashboard." After Yule's moment of going all old man, a hand lifting to rake through his hair to pull strands back out of his face. "It is," He conceeds to Gabriel, a warm smile curling to the corners of his mouth as he considers his siblings. "It's the reason I'm back after so many years, honestly. Visited them about a year ago, and I dunno. Just felt like it was time." After a long drink from his coffee, his other hand reaches down to his coat, pulling out his phone. "I'm actually looking for someone that knows their way around a car. It's not going to be a steady job, but it also won't require a bikini," Yeah, Gabriel might back off, but Yule will have no problem offering an amused smile about it all. "but, prove you won't fuck up my ride? And I'll pay."

Shauna laughs. shaking her head. "Not quite the reaction I expected. No worries, I'm not a card carrying member of the Me Too movement." A roll of her eyes at that whole debacle. "Oh I agree, that's why there's still so many on the roads today, they were made to last." The coffee is given her attention as she listens about family and all, and she finds herself nodding. "I have so many brothers and sisters back home. It's always nice knowing they are there. Family is pretty cool." Realizing there was a part time job offer on the table, Shauna sits up a little, looking eager, and amused at the reference. "I won't fuck up your ride. I respect that."

"I've just got a shitty Civic that needs oil changes and maintenance from time to time. But I guess if you avoid the overhead of the garage ..." Gabriel reflects on his own automotive maintenance needs. He quirks a little grin at that, waiting to see just what needs Yule might have.

It's one last peering look to Shauna, Yule weighing back in fourth in his mind if he'll trust her with his baby that is his prized posession, but finally he clicks a couple buttons to start up a new contact before sliding it over to the red head. "All right." While she's hopefully just typing in her information rather than rummaging around his phone, the man puts the brunt of his attention back to Gabriel, offering a wry smile. "New York paid pretty well... and, you know? Coming from a trailer park, I guess it was just sock shit away for a rainy day. Hell, I'm /back/ in the trailer park now, right next to Nat and Noelle. Might as well have one thing I like. You going back down to San Fran for the holidays, then? Assuming that case is wrapped up. Keep hearing it's been a hard one to crack."

KarmaBum throws a pose in so I get nudged. 🙂

"That wouldn't be a hard one for maintenance and all. Did I give you my .. yeah I did, I think." Shauna reaches for the doc's phone and types in her name and number. She doesn't sift through the phone or the photos. However, she does snap a photo of herself, cheesing a smile and puts it as the face associated with the phone number before offering his phone back over to him. "There you go, all added." For the moment, she just listens to them talking about family and home life.

"Yeah. I want to get down for Thanksgiving and see everyone, but if I can't get the investi --" Speaking of which. Gabriel is in the middle of a sentence when his phone buzzes. "Shit. I need to take this. Doc. Good seeing you! Shauna! Good seeing you again, too!" He hops up to his feet, firing off a text before then looking down at the ringing phone to take it.

Speaking of Natalia, in she walks, dressed as if she were doing something that involved mud. She's wearing a pair of spattered jeans and a flannel with colorful rain boots on. She steps up to the counter, not looking around as she orders her coffee. "Black, please. Two sugars." She puts down a five, jumping when her phone makes a noise. She pulls it out of her pocket and taps the screen, sending off a text, then another one.

That's about when she spots her brother, drinking coffee with a friend. She picks up her cup and drifts toward the occupied table, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, how are things?" She nods to Shauna. "Afternoon."

Yule's fingers curl around the phone as it is handed back, and he gives a sidelong glance towards that picture that is taken. He pushes a few buttons, and soon enough Shauna's phone will buzz so she has his, as well. "I'll reach out soon." It finally earns one of those brief if warm smiles from the man, and then those eyes shift towards the door as a quite familiar face is spied. "Hey sis. Just enjoying my morning coffee. How are you? This? Is Shauna. Shauna? This is my sister Nat I was telling you about."

"Oh hey." How had Shauna missed the new arrival? "Good afternoon." Her coffee is finished now but she watches while Yule saves the contact information, grinning at the sidelong glance towards the picture. As soon as her phone buzzes in return, she unpockets it and holds it up. "Say cheese." Snapping a pic before she finishes the directive and saving the pic for his contact info. "All set!" Climbing to her feet, she gives the sister a smile. "Hi, I'm Shauna Carrick. I was just exiting stage left. It's nice to meet you, Nat. Hopefully I'll get to stay longer next time." A quick wave off and she heads for the exit.

Natalia watches Shauna take the picture and take off, eyes lingering as she exits. "One of those mornings?" She asks Yule, settling into a seat, not giving two shits about her appearance. She sets her coffee down and reaches for another sugar, adding it to the cup before she stirs it with one of the little brown straws. "Is this how you work? Schmoozing in the coffee shop?"

Her phone buzzes again, but for now it gets ignored. "I was going to text you, but serendipity had me find you right here. You might regret that though."

It's that sly smile, one that says the coroner knows things you don't that he flashes towards Shauna as she snaps his pic, "Good to meet you." His own cup is still half full, his time taken in savoring it, before his sisters question has a humorous quip at the ready from Yule. "Yeah. You know, I like to meet the potential bodies that will hit my slab. Just seems the friendly thing to do."

Down his gaze flickers to her phone, and then back up, before a smirk curls to the corners of his mouth. "Yeah? What is up, sis? Noelle hasn't done something, has she?"

"Gross." On the meeting dead people before they're dead. "Noelle hasn't.. no, I'm not even going to lie, even if it's unwitting, she probably did do something and I just don't know about it. I was going to see if you were interested in a brief trip to Seattle with us next week. We've got to go shopping for a few things, we're taking the truck so there will be room."

She pauses, smirking at Yule. "I mean, you seem settled in, but I'm sure there are some things that you still need to pick up for your place, right?"

"Yeah. Long as it is on my day off when I'm not on call." It's just that sweet brotherly smile that Yule flashes her on her gross comment, the sort of an older brother who has done his job well. "A few small things I could pick up for the trailer to make it a bit more... me, that I can't find around here." In he leans, forearms pressing to the tabletop, both hands curling around his coffee cup as he watches his sister. "Just you, me and Noelle? Or you bringing that guy she was gushing about from the trailer park get together." Those words are ever so sweet and teasing, matching that charming smile upon his features.

"Does that happen often?" Nat just figured that Yule worked when dead bodies turned up. She ignores the sweet, brotherly smile because if she doesn't, she might get tempted to smack it off his face. "Okay, good. I'm getting a new bed I think. I've had mine since we lived in the big house. I'm sure Noelle will talk me into something new for her too, we'll see." She holds up a finger, adding. "She might not want to go at all, we'll see when I start the truck."

His words make her features go flat and she rolls her eyes. "She was not gushing. I just baked him a birthday cake, I didn't propose marriage." She flips Yule the bird.

"Never know when it will. Anyone who dies, just about, comes through the examiners office." He doesn't elaborate on the sources of those potential deaths, leaving it ever so vague for his sister. "She always does, doesn't she... if she goes. Speaking of her and trouble," Yule pauses to let that thought linger as he sips from his coffee, taking longer than he needs to. "I'm getting a deck added out on the front side of the airstream. Just a small thing. Make sure she doesn't distract the workers too much, yeah? It shouldn't take long. Promise." A flutter of those eyes come.

Back he leans into his chair, laughter coming from the man in a small, brief spurt. "So you know his birthday already, huh? And baked a cake. You wear a Marilyn Monroe white dress, too?"

"Yeah well, I hope they're not going anywhere else." Though this is Gray Harbor, strange things happen. Natalia ignores the talk of Noelle as she sips from her coffee, almost choking in surprise at the news of a deck being added to his trailer. "Okay." She gives him a wary look before she shrugs. "If she distracts them, she distracts them. It's not summer so it isn't like she's going to be sunbathing on the roof.. again."

"He mentioned his Halloween birthday, big brother. I was wearing something like this. Cute huh?" If the mud was still flingy, Yule might have some on his fancy clothes.

"What. I just want someplace I can /breath/. It'll be small. Promise!" It's an ever so sweet smile he flashes her, before one brow arches upwards at the mention of what Noelle had been doing in the summer. Surprise? Not in the least. "Yeah. I'm just saying, if they don't finish it on time? I'm making her do it." Good luck with that, Yule. Another drink of his coffee is taken, even as he scoots his chair a bit to the side, trying to avoid getting any of that dried mud splattered on him.

It's when she emphasizes 'brother' that a lazy expression takes over, "Oh, right. Do I need to go threaten him to stay away from my little sis? Go have the /conversation/ with him? What trailer is he in? Wait, nevermind. Noelle will know." And up his phone is picked from the tabletop, as if that might be what he's texting about right this second.

"Make sure you get two deck chairs because I could use a little room to breathe." Nat quips, rolling her eyes when he says Noelle will finish the project. "If you want to be able to walk on it, I don't think that's wise. I could probably make a go at it, she would just create a health hazard." She makes a put upon face, resting her cheek on her palm as she stares across the table. "Go ahead, I dare you. Scare him off before he even gets interested. It's fine, been down that road and it wasn't all that fun."

When he picks up his phone, Nat glowers at him, baring her teeth for a moment. "If you get her on a kick where she starts making fun of me because of this, I will lock you out of your trailer and live there. Let you deal with her."

"Maybe he is a risk taker. He might be banging down your door minutes after I leave," That teasing pauses for a moment, a touch of sincerity and brotherly love flashed her way, "Yeah. Just a deck on the ground... a few lounging chairs, and one of those raised gas fire pit things so we can still be out there in the evening when it's chilly. And Noelle can roast marshmellows." Whatever that exchange is, his phone is tucked back away into the interior pocket of his coat, before a small snort of disbelief comes from him.

"I'd just get her to pick the lock, cause she wouldn't like living with me for more than five minutes." The last of his coffee is drained off, and his eyes lingering upon it, weighing if he wants to grab another or not.

"Sounds nice, and sounds like you put a lot of planning into it. I can't wait to see how it turns out." Natalia gets to her feet, helping her brother make the decision about his coffee. "I'm going to head back and get back to work. Stop by once you get done.. working." She aims a look at him that seems amused.

"As if I wouldn't have things piled in front of the door, come on." She takes her cup, nodding at Yule. "Let me know if you need anything, I'll be around."

"I'm slaving away over here," Comes Yule's quip back, a look of mischief gracing his features before he too rises to his feet. It's on the side of that's enough coffee, his cup tossed away in the trash. "Let me know what time you are leaving, and I'll work on my shopping list." He's all of a few paces behind her, but they each turn to go their separate ways after a brief, "Take care, sis."