just like everybody else does. [ psl ]

[aggrandize]

WHO Chris Halliwell (aggrandize), Nicholas Rush (waxwingedflight).
WHAT MAGICOPS
WHEN Late 2020s according to Charmed timeline.
WHERE Victim's apartment.
WHY because Leo is a terrible dad wait what

I'll fill this in later, let's just transfer our comments for now.

Comments

[waxwingedflight]

"While you may be content to orb wherever you please, some of us do that have that option," Rush said calmly. The worst part of Rush's neutrality had been the loss of his blinking and after thirty-five years of having it and using it whenever possible, the fifteen years without had been a struggle for him. He still to this day kept trying to blink to get places only to be cruelly reminded that he had lost that power when he had become neutral. "And there is the fact that my car is still at the crime scene. We'll be orbing there and then driving back to the precinct. And you'll be driving, if you have your driver's license."

Rush looked almost amused by Chris' response. There was a method to his apparent madness and it looked like he was going to have to explain it. "When I look through a magical being's eyes, not only do I remember them, but if I try to use them again, I can find them instantly. It's more difficult for me to do with mortals, but that's not a problem I have to contend with at the moment."

[aggrandize]

Giving Rush a tight smile, Chris said, "And you know what else is probably back at the scene with your car? That demon. Your car is going to have to wait." He didn't even bother dignifying the license thing with a response. He was a cop now, of course he was going to be carrying ID on him even if he wasn't used to driving around anywhere except for novelty and hanging out with nonmagical friends.

That response about side-effects of Rush's power got a thoughtful narrowing of eyes, then a quick indignant look. "No way," Chris said. "You want to put a magical tracker on me by using your power?"

[waxwingedflight]

"The demon isn't going to be there. I doubt he was expecting me to have someone else there with any magical capability to back me up and if he's still there, we're prepared," Rush said, not looking all that bothered by potentially once again meeting a demon who threw him into a wall. After all, he'd dealt with worse over his lifetime and will probably meet more after this. "For the moment, I prefer driving to orbing because despite the convenience, it's a bit too disorienting for me."

He honestly didn't expect Chris to say yes to it, but he wanted to be polite and ask even though he was going to do it with or without his consent. "I've done the same to everyone in the precinct that has magic. We have a dangerous job and it's always a good idea to have a backup in case of emergencies."

[aggrandize]

"You'd get used to it," Chris said offhand. Especially if they were going to be working together as partners on the force and were being open about their own magical abilities with each other. It was just way too convenient to ignore in favor of trying to do things normally when there were peoples' lives and safety on the line. "But yeah, we'll get your car if you can think of a spell to get rid of our friend if he's still there."

That was a bit... odd. The idea that someone might be keeping an eye on him not because of distrust but for his own safety. Sure, it was pretty obvious if one looked at it objectively, but Chris had his own problems with assuming the best of people right off the bat. "Usually, I'm that backup. You know, answering when called and all that?"

[waxwingedflight]

Rush merely gave Chris a look at the idea of becoming accustomed to orbing. The whole concept of it didn't sit well with him and he preferred the simplicity of blinking, even if that ability was lost to him. Not that he'd ever tell Chris this, but still. "Annoying demon who threw me into a wall, Why don't you go be a bouncy ball. I hope that's acceptable enough for me to return to my car without issue."

Well, Chris was gonna have to get used to somebody keeping an eye on him for his own safety. At the way he worded things, Rush snorted in amusement. Of course everything had to be brought back to that. It really was quite amusing. "When you're working on the force, you're not a whitelighter anymore, but instead my partner. We need to look out for each other, which is why I want to use my power on you, so that I can."

[aggrandize]

Although Chris had heard much worse in his time, he couldn't help but start to laugh at the spell that Rush had improvised on the spot. Bouncy ball? That was the sort of thing Paige would have come up with, not his stern and mysterious detective partner who was definitely not a habitual jokester. However, he knew the spell was solid enough to have an effect depending on the level of power between Rush and the demon, so he couldn't really hold them there until Rush thought of something better. Gaining more control of himself, Chris held out his hand. "Yup, that oughta work. Is that the kind of stuff you write all the time?"

"You gonna let me put you on my speeddial if you do that? So I can sense you?" Not that Chris could help being somewhat obsessed with his whitelighter half. All through academy and even in his years growing up before that, the Elders had been very insistent that Chris follow the calling of his genetics and help them help innocents in their way. It wasn't enough for Chris, nor was it really what he felt called to do, but it sure did keep everything at the forefront of his mind.

[waxwingedflight]

It wasn't much of a surprise that Chris laughed at the quick spell he had thought up. It was a childish sort, something he knew most people would frown upon for not being a proper spell, but it was good to see that Chris didn't have a problem with it. That would be helpful in the long run. Looking at his hand, Rush sighed and took it, definitely not pleased to be orbing. "Only when I don't feel like putting in the effort to make something sound proper."

The thought of being put on Chris' whitelighter speeddial wasn't exactly what Rush wanted. He was doing perfectly fine without somebody watching him and he didn't need Chris to be able to find him wherever he went. Plus, would that even work for a warlock? He didn't exactly want to find out. "I see no problems with it, as long as you inform my whitelighter first," Rush said calmly. That would definitely distract Chris for a while, scrambling to find a whitelighter that didn't exist.

[aggrandize]

There was no reason to be a dick over a spell that would work. Mostly what Chris found funny was that it was Rush. Maybe he really couldn't judge a book by its cover, but he certainly had thought himself at least a few pages in, to boot. At having his offer accepted, Chris orbed them again without another word, placing them about a block away from the house just to be safe. Orbing right inside was a terrible idea and Rush only wanted to retrieve his car besides.

"Great, I'll let 'em know," Chris said with a cheery grin. If that was all it took, Rush was about to be surprised by how well whitelighters shared. They were generally predisposed to accepting help and lessening the burden on each other where possible due to the personality types that led to becoming a whitelighter in the first place. All Chris needed to do was spend some time Up There finding whoever was assigned to deal with a pain in the butt like Nicholas Rush. "There's your car."

[waxwingedflight]

Rush might be grouchy and a pain in the ass, but that didn't mean he was going to waste his time making up a spell that sounded a certain over something simple and would work. He still didn't like orbing and wobbled a little bit as he placed himself in the neighborhood and walked back to his car. They were definitely going to have to end up talking about orbing being used only in emergency situations.

There was no response about talking to his whitelighter beyond a soft snort. Chris can go looking all he wants, but he won't find anything as far as he knows. That should keep him from the nonsense of keeping track of him while Rush did the same thing. When he saw his car, he stopped, noticing that somebody was sitting on the hood and someone else leaning against the driver's side of the car. Walking over, he recognized the two man standing there and sighed as they noticed him.

"Nick, it's been a while since we've had the pleasure of your company," one said as he moved from his spot on the hood and stood up to walk over to Rush. "Kiva sends her regards."

"I'm sure she does," Rush responded dryly as he paid more attention to pulling his keys out of his pocket than to the two men very clearly trying to intimidate him. "What brings you here, Simeon? Is the Alliance lacking in so much entertainment that you have to come harass me instead of harassing whatever demon that you've decided has wronged you?"

[aggrandize]

When they arrived at the house and Chris noticed the figures making themselves at home on Rush's car, his gait stuttered for just a step. Of all the things he had expected to confront him from a lifetime lost, the Lucian Alliance was not one of them. They generally kept to their own devices and were more than content to deal with things in their own sectors than anything so grand scale as to attract the attention of the Halliwells. On the other hand... when it had been the most powerful of the Halliwells to catch the Alliance's attention, they had certainly gotten in the way time and again for Chris and his allies. They'd been a huge pain in the ass, really.

However, that was all in a time long denied right to exist and Chris placed his hands in his pockets and looked between Simeon and Rush. It was not a good thing that his partner was on first name basis with the Lucian Alliance no matter the reason for it. "Who're your friends?" he asked casually, as if he couldn't read the tension thick in the air. As notorious as the Alliance liked to be, they liked even better to be hidden from anyone they were directly involved with which meant it would be easier to feign ignorance than show his knowledge.

[waxwingedflight]

"They're not my friends," Rush responded sharply as Simeon's attention turned from Rush and onto Chris, finally noticing him for the first time. They might have only been here for Rush, but any companion of his was definitely going to be of interest to the Alliance as someone to look out for. As Simeon walked over, Rush turned around to stop him, but was stopped himself by a hand on his shoulder belonging to the other Alliance member.

"Don't mind, Nick. He doesn't like talking about our mutual history," Simeon said easily as he eyes stayed on Chris and studied him for a long moment. His face was unreadable, so who knew exactly what the warlock was thinking. "You must be his new partner. Been a while since he's had somebody to tag along. But I'm being rude. Name's Simeon and I'm one of the lieutenants under the command of Second Kiva of the Lucian Alliance."

[aggrandize]

This was definitely going to be trouble. The fact that the Lucian Alliance had been watching Rush at least since he had last been forced to deal with a partner put something of a time frame on their interaction, but it didn't give him a reason for the relationship nor did he feel very relieved about the new knowledge. His eyes flickered briefly to Rush before he focused on Simeon.

"Chris," he said by way of introduction. Simeon may have been unreadable, but Chris was simply hiding the one fact he didn't want them to know: he knew exactly who this was in front of him and what he was dealing with. The confusion of Rush's involvement and wariness for their current presence was all there. "I'm gonna have to second my partner's question. Why are you here?"