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[betterthansubpoenas]

Who: Kalinda Sharma and various. Could be you!
What: A week in the life of an investigator doing surveillance.
Where: All over the city.
When: Any time!
Notes: I've got thread starters for Arthur and Steph, but all are welcome! The settings are flexible, so feel free to come up with whatever. I will roll with it!
Warnings: None as of yet.

Kalinda hasn't been getting near as much extra work as she would like. Rather, she isn't making as much money from her extra work as she would like. Money isn't tight, exactly, but it isn't as abundant as she's used to it being. So much of what she does is built on her image, and that image requires maintenance, that maintenance requires cash. She has a feeling her current assignment, which has had her running from one end of the city to the other, isn't going to result in her being paid the previously agreed upon amount, being as how it's not producing the result her client hoped for.

Fortunately, she took half up front.

Comments

[controlledvariable]

Steph doesn't take that irritation to heart - she knows it's not directed at her, and she gives a consenting nod at the suggestion they leave this subject alone. Steph has some experience with people who don't like to talk about themselves and she knows that letting them open up at their own pace is the best bet.

And then Kalinda starts laughing and while Steph rarely startles noticably, her eyes do widen slightly in surprise. Not to mention concern, until Kalinda explains the random laughter and then Steph just looks wryly amused.

"You never know. But I'd bet their company isn't as good," The smugness in her voice is faked.

[betterthansubpoenas]

There's no play at considering whether or not that assertion is true or not, Kalinda just shrugs. "Doesn't hold a candle," she promises, finally reaching for the last shot, then she takes out her wallet and starts counting bills. "I should probably think about heading home soon. I said I'd put in some hours at the office." She leaves her money on the bar and turns in her seat. "You planning to hang around a while? Or should we see if we can share a cab?"

[controlledvariable]

"That's going to be fun," Steph has an afternoon shift, so she's got time to recover before she has to be a functioning human being but --

"Let's share a cab. I shouldn't drink alone," Addiction runs in the family, and she feels better when she's drinking with company (someone can keep an eye on her and stop her if she starts going too far).

So her drink gets finished quickly and she takes enough cash out of her pocket to pay for her drinks and adds that to Kalinda's pile of money.

[betterthansubpoenas]

When they've both stood up from their seats, Kalinda loops an arm around Steph's shoulders. It isn't really out of affection, or even a need for stability (emotional or physical), but it just feels like what she needs right now. Maybe what both of them need.

"Sometimes," Kalinda admits in a quiet voice that still lacks in any real emotion that might be expected with such words, "I think this place isn't so bad after all."

[controlledvariable]

Well. Steph wasn't expecting that - Kalinda doesn't seem like the touchy-feely type - but she's nothing if not adaptable and so she moves her hand to the small of Kalinda's back in response. (It'd feel weird not to do anything.)

And it takes her a moment to respond, unsure how Kalinda meant that statement to be taken, "I've found some upsides." Seems like a safe enough response.