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JAMROCK, MORNING - The sunlight reflects off of the fog; it paints the day with a beige and yellow cast. It’s settled on the world with frost and dew. It is 08:17 and your partner has only just barely made his merry way into your Kineema at an almost-unbearable 08:03. The precinct is not so far away, but the roads are icy and you need to drive slow.
YOUR COUPRIS KINEEMA - Speed up, why don’t you?
MATHÉMATIQUES [Medium: Success] - If you don’t go faster, you’ll surely be late.
YOUR COUPRIS KINEEMA - And it won’t be as fun, either. You know better than anyone how fast I can go. You are so lucky to drive me, and yet you neglect me. Why?
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - You have never, not even once, neglected your Kineema. It is simply not something that happens.
LAW-ABIDING CITIZENSHIP - Safe driving is not neglectful.
YOUTHFUL PREOCCUPATIONS - You are a better driver than anyone. Than *anyone.* Harry knows it, Precinct 57 knows it, and even Precinct 41 knows it, now. If there is anyone who should *speed up* on this road, it is you.
YOUTHFUL PREOCCUPATIONS [Challenging: Failure] - Plus, it’s not your fault that the roads are un-salted. Auto-Route 28 has never been known for its good infrastructure, has it?
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - “Sorry about being late. I won’t do it again – I was trying on outfits, and then I found this book in my flat… Well, the time got away from me.”
HOMO-SEXUAL FASHION SENSE - Today he has gone with blue flared pants, some sort of blouse, and a dark brown blazer. He’s wearing a necklace with some sort of stone (likely fake). He is wearing his green snakeskin shoes. It is not a good outfit for being a cop. It is, however, a good outfit.
- “You look nice today.”
- “I need you to stop apologizing every time anything goes wrong. You cannot possibly control the weather. It’s winter. There’s snow on the ground, and it’s formed ice. We will be a little late, and the C-Wing will forget about it by lunch.”
- “I think I can get us there on time.” (Speed up)
- "*Sigh.* In these conditions, we would have been late regardless.” (Continue driving at 40 mph)
- Say nothing. (Remain stoic)
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - “Do you think–”
-5.75 DIOPTER BIFOCALS [Godly: Failure] - Wait, was that–
TORQUE DORK [Godly: Failure] - Uh oh.
VISUAL CALCULUS - Your Kineema buckles under your hands.
ENDURANCE [Challenging: Success] - You tighten your grip on the wheel as the body of the motor-carriage shakes and shudders. You did not hear the tire pop, but you can feel it careening you and Harry and your Kineema to the side of the road.
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - He puts on his seatbelt. “Oh my god, Kim. What do we do?”
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - Harry, who did not get his driver’s license back, and does not remember motor-carriage problems, has no idea what he, as a passenger, is supposed to do in this situation.
- “Shit.”
- “Shit. Stay calm. I’ll pull over.”
- Say nothing. (Remain stoic)
TORQUE DORK [Medium: Success] - You focus on slowing down; you let off the gas pedal, transition to the brake, and slowly, slowly pull your Kineema to the side of A28.
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - He’s breathing funny beside you. “It’s all over, isn’t it?”
YOU - “What?”
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - “Something’s gone terribly wrong with the car. They’ve hurt her. There’s no recovering from this.”
DRAMA [Medium: FAILURE] - Pay him no mind. Harry’s just being Harry.
EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - He’s freaking out a bit.
YOU - You bring the motor-carriage to a full stop, shift into PARK, and exit your Kineema. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. We hit just hit a pothole. It’s probably a flat tire.”
TORQUE DORK [Challenging: Success] - Your Kineema is tottering on three working wheels. You glance towards your tires: front left, back left, back right… front right. There. It is crumpled and frustrated, its body pressed into the pavement.
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - He has made his way out of his seat and is standing next to you solemnly. “I’m so sorry.”
TORQUE DORK - There’s no need for theatrics. She will recover. She has a flat tire.
- “Khm. I have a spare tire in the back.”
- “Shit. The spare tire in the back cost an awful lot of reál. And in my first year at a new precinct, too.”
- AUTHORITY [Easy] “Could you grab the spare from the back?”
- "It's just a flat tire." (Go get the tire yourself)
-5.75 DIOPTER BIFOCALS - You wipe the fog from your glasses.
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - Somehow, Harry has managed to collect tare in the 30 seconds it has taken him to locate and walk over your spare tire. You don’t question it as he places it beside you. “Here you go. Should I grab some tools from the car?”
YOU - “Yes, please. I’ll need the lug wrench, which should be in the glove compartment. I’ll get the jack and the rest from the back.”
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - He puts his hands on his hips. “No need, Kimball! I can get it all. You stay there and make sure something terrible doesn’t happen to the tire.”
STOICISM [Medium: Success] - There is nothing that could possibly happen to this tire that would change the situation in the slightest, but you don’t mention it. If he wants to get to jack, the lug wrench, the jack stool, and the torque wrench, he’s welcome to.
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - He’s trying to impress you.
YOU - By bringing me my own tools?
EMPATHY - Yes.
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - He scampers back to you with everything you’ll need. He’s slung the jack over one shoulder and grins down at you. “How can I help?”
STOICISM [Challenging: Failure] - You feel a smile dance at the corners of your mouth.
EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - Give him something to do. Anything.
TORQUE DORK [Medium: Success] - There’s no way he knows how to change a tire. Don’t let him get too close.
AUTHORITY - Let him help. He wants to be useful.
YOU - “I’ll loosen the lug nuts, and then you can use the jack to lift the car. Okay?”
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - He salutes to you as you position the spare and get to work on the lug nuts. “Left-y loose-y,” he says helpfully.
YOU - “Yes. Left-y loose-y.” You motion for him to get to work on the jack.
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - He looks as if he’s about to struggle with the jack, but he tightens his grip and slowly, the motor-carriage lifts up. “Kim?”
YOU - The tire comes free. “Yes?”
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - “I’m sorry we’re going to be late. If I hadn’t spent so much time on my outfit, we could’ve left earlier, and maybe then we wouldn’t have gotten a flat.”
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - He’s blamed himself for it.
- “Khm. It’s not your fault. I should have seen the pothole.”
- "I'm glad you took the time. You look nice today."
- Say nothing. (Remain stoic)
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - “It’s the fog,” he says as you line up the spare. “I didn’t see it, either.”
STOICISM - You say nothing.
TORQUE DORK - The spare tire will fare you well. As long as you drive slowly, *even slower than before*, you should be able to make it to Precinct 41 with no trouble.
YOU - “Okay. You can lower the Kineema, now.”
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - It goes quicker than the ascent. He’s getting the hang of it.
YOUR COUPRIS KINEEMA - One day, he might make a good torque dork, you know. He pays attention.
ENDURANCE [Easy: Success] - You sigh as you get up, and Harry dutifully puts the tools right back where they were. You slide back into the driver’s seat.
YOU - “You look nice today, Harry.”
LIEUTENANT DOUBLE-YEFREITOR HARRIER "HARRY" DU BOIS - “Woah.” He’s silent for a moment, then says: “Thank you. You also – You also look nice today, too.”
YOU - You laugh, and you start up the car.