Coal Mine Street Police House

[Nicholas Wright]

Wright chuckled to himself a little, before realising that was a one way ticket to The Look.

"Nice idea." He remarked. "But we don't have the money. One silver baton's gonna break our bank, let alone any more." It didn't quite click with Wright that Hadrian's family could easily cover the costs. He wasn't used to anybody offering him, well, anything. It didn't happen where he'd grown up, and so it never crossed his mind.

"We could make use of you optimising our equipment a little perhaps, but we don't have a budget. No money spent, and it'd be a temporary thing. Can't guarantee we can afford to keep you." He explained, giving his terms before Eleri got in there with what he was sure she'd feel was the 'moral' thing to do.

[Eleri Mortymer]

((Yay, I'm Miss Eleri now. ))

Eleri considered the offer. It was a good offer, and she had a feeling that the Beaumonts wouldn't hesitate to put up the money to carry it out. Problem was, she would feel awkard asking.

She thought quietly as Wright gave his opinion, and then replied to Hadrian herself.

"Like the captain said, it's a good idea, but we're short on funds. I have a bit, and I don't mind contributing it, but I doubt it'd be anywhere near enough for what you're proposing. If we could find the funds, I'd say yes straight away but I'm afraid we just can't afford it."

[Hadrian Beaumont]

Hadrian shrugged a shoulder, "If mum can toss half a million to Charity I think she can donate enough to sort this place up. Especially since you guys are working to keep us and everyone else safe. Only reason she hasn't donated to the Circle is because they don't need it, plus, there's that Cindy woman who helps them out. Mum... doesn't like her all that much." He admitted smirking in amusement.

[Eleri Mortymer]

Eleri laughed.
"Are you sure she wouldn't mind?" She asked. "It'd be a great help."

She looked around the room, mentally making changes. First things on the list: a phone, a decent filing system and a kettle. With teabags.

And a new desk for Wright. Made of plexiglass.

[Hadrian Beaumont]

"Sure. If she doesn't then I'll cover the costs. Dad set up a trust fund for me and my sisters, only, none of us have touched it. I figure the money isn't going anywhere, might as well use it for something that needs it." he admitted. He didn't care all that much if he came across snobby or arrogant, he had money, he knew it, he just didn't have much need for it, so why not save it until it is needed. Isn't that what everyone does?

[Nicholas Wright]

((You're still Corporal Mortymer to me ))

Wright was numb with shock for a moment. Half a million was...

Well, it was a lot. With that, they could begin to do things. Change things. But...he'd actually have to be responsible. He'd have to make the effort. They could start to fight back again...

That ended badly last time. He sighed. Maybe it was time for a new oath.

"Okay, you two listen up." He decided, leaning forwards, adopting his best 'serious' face. Which wasn't very, given that he was still quite drunk. "Say we do this, we put the EHPD back on the map, you guys realise it isn't gonna be a walk in the park. Last time we nearly got somewhere, we..." He paused. He wasn't sure how to put this. "We were knocked back to this. It isn't gonna be safe, so, you might wanna reconsider." It was a warning to Hadrian. He might have done computer hacking, but he was still son of a ridiculously rich woman. Wright somehow imagined he hadn't quite had the prepartion for something like this.

"Oh, and," Suddenly Wright went completely casual, "The Circle have their own rich member too? What!? No way!" He sulked like a little child. "That's not fair! They get all the breaks!"

"On the bright side, you can tell your mum, I don't think I like this girl either."

[Hadrian Beaumont]

Hadrian grinned, "I'm sure I'll pass along your opinions Captain Wright and, you can bet your ass that I'm sticking with you guys till the end. When you guys get back on your feet you're going to need someone with Science smarts rather than street-smarts to get you the evidence to get your criminals convicted. Not to mention if the way you were fighting earlier is any indication, I'm going to have my work cut out for me keeping all your equipment in working order." He pointed out with a smirk.

[Nicholas Wright]

"Hey," Wright began defensively, "I didn't damage any police equipment in that fight." He wasn't sure if he liked this kid assuming he could solve crimes better than him either, but what he liked and what the Force needed were very very different.

He blinked hard, trying to accept the fact that he'd got two new Force members working for him in the period of a day. If you'd told him that this morning he'd of, well, lay in a dumpster, groaning.

"Okay, here's the deal. You're in, with a few conditions. 1), nobody touches my desk." He gave Eleri a glare. It wasn't a Look, but it was enough to say Wright knew what she was thinking. "B), that pile of papers by the far wall stays where it is." Wright didn't tell them why, but that was because he figured they probably wouldn't respond kindly to him explaining it was where he usually slept. "And thirdly, you take the oath, and remember that I'm the captain around here, no matter how broke I am." It was another subtle hint of Wright's bad feelings about letting someone with money into the Force. He had to make him remember that he was in charge, no matter how he acted.

"Got it?"

[Hadrian Beaumont]

Hadrian frowned, "What Oath?" He asked in slight confusion, looking between Eleri and the Captain. "And I don't give a flying rats whether you have money or not Captain, most people with money I know don't have two brain-cells to rub together so as of right now, You're getting more respect than they ever have."

[Nicholas Wright]

Wright, who was in no way used to getting respect, went a little cross-eyed at this, before getting back to the matter at hand.

"The oath." He stated firmly. "It's...well, it's a little...urm...sort of...out of date." He explained. "But it's important. It helps seperate us from them." No real need to say who 'they' were, he felt.

"Hang on. Dammit, I had it lying around here somewhere..." Wright found the scrap of paper he'd read out to Eleri earlier. "Right, how did we do this? Repeat after me?"

"I, [recruit's name], do solemnly swear by [recruit's deity of choice] to uphold the Laws and Ordinances of the city of Edgehaven, serve the public trust, and defend the subjects of His/Her [delete whichever is inappropriate] Majesty [name of reigning monarch] without fear, favor, or thought of personal safety; to pursue evil-doers and protect the innocent, laying down my life if necessary in the cause of said duty, so help me [aforesaid deity]. God Save the King/Queen [delete which is inappropriate]."

Hadrian just recieved the lesson that Eleri had recieved earlier that day, that Wright was one of those people who couldn't read and think at the same time. Hence why, when he recieved the inevitable Look, he just let out an innocent;
"What?"

[Eleri Mortymer]

((Aww... not Hurricane Eleri then? ))

"You don't really need to understand it, just... repeat it." Eleri advised Hadrian quietly, smiling at his comment about the equipment. "I think its more... the saying of it than what it actually means, if you understand."

She looked innocently at Wright. "Wouldn't dream of touching your desk, sir." Gods know when it was cleaned last. I'll get someone to move it for me. She added mentally.

She wondered what had happened to reduce the force to just three of them. And the 'bad times' Wright had mentioned... She tried to think back to when she was a child - Wright wasn't much older than her by her reckoning, so he would have joined up when she was maybe 6 or 8. She didn't remember much except her mother telling her to come away from the window, hold her hand in the street, be nice to her brother and share her toys.

A childs view of the world... She thought.How simple life was then... It's all so complicated now.

"Looks like you're going to need to order new uniforms in, sir." She remarked to Wright.

Look's like I'm going to have to order new uniforms. She translated to hersef.

[Nicholas Wright]

((Not to your face ))

"Hm. You're right." Wright remarked to Eleri's suggestion. "Corporal Mortymer, order us some new uniforms in." He said entirely predictably.

"For now, we've got some out the back. One must fit you." Wright decided to neglect to point out that they probably wouldn't be clean this time. He was sure Eleri would fill in for him anyway and point out that little problem.

"And no new uniform for me, I like mine!" He added.

[Hadrian Beaumont]

Hadrian eyed it but wisely refrained from commenting, at least he wasn't wearing those retarded hardhats and florescent jackets that other police officers wore.

With a small sigh he shrugged a shoulder and repeated the Oat, even going as far as raising one hand and placing the other over his heart. Alright, he may have put 'Ishkabibble' as his diety/god of choice but as an Aethiest who hated organised religion, Ishkabibble - some random god a few of his crazy friends in America invented and tossed a whole bunch of beliefs and philosophies together to reprisent - was as close as anyone was getting him to religion.

Harsh as it may seem.

Ishkabibble was actually a good god in his opinion. One, you had to respect the beliefs and religions of others and let them get on with their own thing. Two, racism, sexism and all sorts of other -isms were considered rude and frankly if you liked Ishkabibble, you didn't -ism in any way shape or fashion. Three, you don't pray, since Ishkabibble is just an ideal, there's no reason to pray as long as you follow the beliefs. Four, treat others how you would like to be treated, but within reason. You don't go to a stranger and tie them up and spank them with a paddle just because you want to be tied up and spanked with a paddle.

Oh god, he needed mental help. He was actually taking it seriously.

[Eleri Mortymer]

((Fair point, I don't think she'd find it too funny))

"Of course, sir." Said Eleri in a somewhat weary voice. "And I'll order you a new uniform, sir. Yours is missing a shirt."

She raised an eyebrow at Hadrian's deity of choice, but didn't say anything.

"I don't suppose there's been any progress on finding the phone, has there?" She asked casually when he'd finished.

[Nicholas Wright]

Wright had forgotten his shirt was an ex-shirt. It was no longer among the living shirts. He frowned.
"No, no, I've got a spare. I don't wear the same shirt every day, you know." He changed at least once a month.

"Well, I mean, the phone is..." Wright looked around hopelessly. "...the first assignment for our newest recruit, Lance Corporal Beaumont! After he's gone and found Sergeant Nolan..." Who, with perfect timing, popped his head around the corner. "Ah. Right. Nolan. Another new recruit."
"Sorry?" Nolan blinked.
"Another new recruit." Wright repeated with a glazed 'I don't believe it either' look.
"...I might need one of your drinks..." Nolan grumbled, signalling to Hadrian to follow him.
"Probably shouldn't give him a uniform with blood on it either!" Wright yelled after him. "He looks like a whiner!"