A Moment of Courtesies (Peter, Casual) FIN

[LING LING DONGFENG]

Ling Ling had always been perfectly aware of the fact that she liked to take walks at midnight strange. It was peculiar, and considered dangerous really, for a young woman such as her to wanders aimlessly in the dark. "Nobody will hear your screams if you get raped!" A less-than-modest patrol officer had once warned her. "A big man like me could easily get you at night like this, see?" He'd driven off laughing, but Ling Ling hadn't much paid him attention. Though, his warnings had made her slightly nervous once she thought about it later, and so she kept a whistle in her pocket now. Just in case. Thankfully she'd never had to use it.

Perhaps it was from all those years when she was a teenager, when she didn't want to be seen looking for perfectly edible foodstuffs in the local restaurants' bin. Or maybe it was from when she was younger, when she was upset about her parents' attitude towards her and she had sat alone on that roof, imagining better times. It could even have been from the times she could barely remember - fleeting images, noises, the innocence of childhood - when Mama would take her out to get the groceries as late as she could before the market closed, because less people would be around then. The food was cheeper when it was nearly bad, and the impatient-to-go-home vendors were easier to negotiate prices with. That, and the fact that nobody was there to tease Mama; she'd tried to hide the fact that they were shunned from Ling Ling as long as she possibly could.

Whatever the cause was, she still often went out on walks at night when she needed muse, or felt the need to get some exercise after a day of sitting at a desk, or simply wanted to walk. Nighttime had always seemed more peaceful for her, and though she didn't mind walking when it was day and other people were going about their own business there, when it was just her it was her park and she liked that idea, for some reason.

Tonight, she was walking around Central Park simply because she was awake, and what else was there to do? The straight, paved walkway, trees on either side, framed a long bridge up ahead; she could hear the fast but gently rushing water hit consistently against the rocks in the river bellow it. This was her favourite place in the park, that bridge. It was so beautiful, and reminders of both human and natural creation were all around. It often gave her muse to paint, whether she was looking for it or not.

Standing on the bridge now, she leaned in the railway, arms crossed and hunched over. Her head was bowed, staring at the black water moving in and out. A small smile played on her face; it was so peaceful. And then, all of the sudden, there was a dog barking and it wasn't so quiet anymore, because the dog was coming closer and Ling Ling failed in holding back a bit of a squeak of surprise.

[DETECTIVE PETER ARAMIS]

Central Park at night was officially Peter’s favorite place in the whole city. Things quieted down enough so that nature had the chance to make a little noise. After growing up in Montana, Peter didn’t consider Central Park to be all that wild, but it was the best he could do in this city. Back when he was a mounted patrolman, he always volunteered for the after midnight shift so he’d have the opportunity to soak up the peace and quiet. He used to ride a big brute of a horse named Ben, lazy though he was, who seemed to enjoy the night hours, as well. Peter honestly missed the simple joy of sitting a horse.

Now that he was a detective, he had to make excuses to be in the park. Walking along beside Baze, he figured he had a pretty good excuse. The dog was cooped up in his apartment all day, sometimes longer with his crazy schedule. He got bored, and when he got bored, he was destructive. Peter couldn’t count how many news papers had been shredded for that very reason.

The boredom also had the side effect of making the mutt as excitable as a puppy. Peter chuckled as Baze darted to and fro, chasing anything that moved. Sometimes he’d bring back a stick and Peter would throw it as hard as he could, knowing the dog would always bring it back. Tonight he was particularly vocal as he darted around, barking as loud as he could. While Peter thought it was amusing, he knew other people didn’t.

“Good God, dog! You’re going to wake the entire island up,” he laughed, watching a flash of the dog’s white fur disappear into the bushes. “If you get covered in brambles again, I’m not picking them out.”

All he got for his trouble was a bark, immediately followed by a squirrel running from under the brush and up a tree. Baze pranced after it, clearly pleased with himself. He barked at the squirrel for a minute before running over to where Peter was standing, leaning heavily against his legs. When the dog outweighed you, it was less than cute, but it did give Peter the opportunity to clip the least back onto his collar, figuring the dog would waste more energy tugging him along.

When they got close to the bridge, Baze started barking and lunging forward. Peter dug his heels in and pulled back on the leash, trying to spare the girl who was standing on the bridge from an over-excited greeting. Still, Baze pulled forward, jumping around the girl excitedly.

“Baze,” Peter groaned, finally getting the dog to sit. “Sorry, Miss. We don’t usually run into people this late. He’s just a big puppy and forgets his manners. “

Baze leaned his head back against Peter, big doggie smile on his face, as if to say ‘who, me?’ to which Peter resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. Instead he smiled over at the girl Baze had probably frightened to death.

“I’m Peter, and this big lug is Baze.”

[LING LING DONGFENG]

Ling Ling managed not to completely freak out, because it was simply a man walking his dog at some ungodly hour. Then again, this was New York; the city never sleeps, as they say. Or was that Los Vagas? She couldn't really remember, but wherever it was, the term certainly applied perfectly to the busier parts of town. The man drew closer, looking apologetic.

“Sorry, Miss. We don’t usually run into people this late. He’s just a big puppy and forgets his manners," the man with the dog sighed, getting his excited dog to heel. The guy sounded really American, how Ling Ling had thought all Americans sounded like when she'd first come to this country. She now knew that it was simply a Southern-only accent, but she still considered it a 'real' American accent in her head sometimes. Ling Ling's expression grew more cheerful, amused at the little dog as he cutely cocked his  head to the side as dogs do, eternally innocent.

“I’m Peter, and this big lug is Baze," the man introduced himself. Now, any normal person who assumed they were totally alone would be frightened if a dog was suddenly right in front of them barking like mad, she knew her initial fright wasn't unfounded and perfectly excusable, but Ling Ling loved dogs, and she wasn't scared of them.

She smiled, nodding at Peter and then looking back at the dog. Still wagging his tail. She laughed softly; though the silence was broken, it still seemed wrong to make too much noise here in the middle of the night.

"Ling Ling," she offered in return, though sensibility told her not to shake the stranger-in-the-night's hand, at least not just yet. But the guy had a trusting air about him, and while maybe some serial rapists and murderers had it, she wasn't really suspecting that this man was one. "There is no need to apologise, I just was startled," she said. Then she kneeled, sitting on her heals and looking back at the little animal at her feet. Glancing up at Peter, she asked tentatively, "May I pet him?" 

[DETECTIVE PETER ARAMIS]

Peter was relieved when the girl didn't look too terribly startled. The sight of a 190 pound dog running at you could be pretty terrifying, especially when he looked more lupine than canine.

Peter grinned when she introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you, Ling Ling."

He would guess the name was Chinese. He was terrible when it came to sorting out Asian names, though, so it was possible she wasn't from China at all. But from her accent, it was clear she wasn't long for the country.

When she squatted down and tentatively asked to pet Baze, Peter nodded. "Sure. He's friendly enough."

Peter reached down and rucked behind Baze's ear, hoping the dog would stay calm and not knock the girl over. If she weighed ninety pounds soaking wet, he'd be surprised.

"So, Ling Ling, what brings you out at this time of night?" Peter asked.

Call him old fashioned, but someone of her size and age shouldn't have been wandering the park all alone at night. However, he wasn't her brother, and with how calm she was, he was sure that she could probably handle herself. Still, it made him curious.

[LING LING DONGFENG]

The older man (though not by much, if her fairly good eyesight in the dark could be trusted) answered in the affirmative and Ling Ling patted the big baby affectionately, first on the head and then softer, caressing behind his ears. The dog whined happily, and Ling Ling laughed at him, muttering soft praise in Chinese. She figured that since dogs couldn’t really understand humans anyway, it didn’t matter what language she spoke to them. After all, you could, in the kindest voice possible, swear profusely at a dog and they would think it’s praise; it’s all in the tone.

“So, Ling Ling, what brings you out at this time of night?” Peter asked, and she knew it was for good reason. What was a young girl, slight as she, doing out alone in the dark? It was sketchy at best, she was sure. She patted the dog once more before standing and looking at Peter.

“I like taking walks,” she admitted truthfully. Not that she had a clever lie tucked away, but even if she had, she didn’t think she would need it. “It helps me to think.” She looked Peter over better for a second. Fairly tall he was – probably a bit more than half a foot taller really – and very handsome. She couldn’t see his eyes very well in the dark, but they looked nice. Ling Ling was one to judge people by their eyes, most of the time. After all, as they say, “the mirrors to the soul,” can reveal a lot.

She opened her mouth to ask, ‘And you?’ as was polite, but then realized the answer was patently obvious and that the question would be far too redundant. Instead she said, “What kind of dog is he? He’s very cute.” She remembered then that most men didn’t exactly want their dogs to appear “cute,” but she’d already said the words, and so she couldn’t take them back. Still, she wanted to know.

[DETECTIVE PETER ARAMIS]

Peter felt like rolling his eyes when Baze melted into the embrace. The mook would probably go home with her if she produced a treat right about then. He had to admit, the dog was a chick magnet. They all found him "cute".

"I like to take walks. They help me to think," Ling Ling finally answered after muttering terms of affection in Chinese to his dog. Well, he sure hoped that it was affection.

"You know, I take walks so I won't have to think," Peter admitted. "The fresh air clears my head."

It was true. After all the awful things that took root in his head, he didn't if he didn't have to. Walking with Baze gave him the chance to just forget there was anything bad in the world. Sure, he still walked with his badge in his pocket, and he still had his gun around his ankle, but he felt safe enough with Baze that he forgot they were there. He could have been a frail old man with a walker and no one would have touched him with the mutt running around. His walks were most definitely his sanctuary.

When she asked what breed his "cute" dog was, Peter resisted the urge to laugh. Cute was not the word he would have picked.

"Well, as near as we can figure, he's about half Husky, and half German Shepard," Peter offered, scratching under the dog's collar. "He got the Husky size and the the Shepard features. I've had to produce his license a few times because folks think he's wild."

Peter shrugged a bit, smiling sheepishly at the girl. She was probably a foot shorter than he was, and she was definitely younger, but it was hard to tell in this light. Peter half-admired her for not being intimidated. Having a big guy and a big dog come stumbling through the brush at this time of night would have put some women in hysterics. Clearly, she was going to be fine.

"Well, sorry we disturbed you," Peter said, taking a firmer grip on the leash. "We should let you get back to your walk."

[LING LING DONGFENG]

“You know, I take walks so I won’t have to think. The fresh air clears my head,” Peter said sheepishly. Well, thinking and not-thinking were rather similar states for her, because with a clear head, she could think clearly. And when she was thinking, it was full of everything. She was trying to walk so that she, like Peter had said, could ‘Clear her head,’ but it was to think. She decided to just nod in agreement, putting the confusion down to difference in definition of words.

Ling Ling smiled when Peter told her what kind of dog Baze was. She didn’t know much at all about dog breeds really, nothing at all, but knowing still made her happy for some reason. It was that sort of night, she supposed; it was a nice night. It was a good day.

“I’ve had to produce his license a few times because folks thinks he’s wild,” Peter said, smiling. His smile made her even happier than she had been; euphoria was a rare feeling that when she managed to capture it, she held on to it as long as possible. She laughed softly, and the sound surprised her, for some reason, like she hadn’t been expecting to.

She clicked her tongue, “Oh, he doesn’t look that bad, do you boy?” She looked at the dog expectantly, as if waiting for him to answer back for some strange reason.

“Well, sorry we disturbed you,” Peter finally said, gripping the leash tighter, indicating that he was ready to leave. While Ling Ling would have loved to stop and chat longer with this man and his adorable dog, she was sure he had things to do, as did she, and it wouldn’t be very logical for the two of them to stand in the middle of the sidewalk in the dark for much longer. “We should let you get back to your walk.” It was a kind dismissal, and she’d heard much worse; she shrugged back, keeping her honest smile playing across her lips.

“Right, of course,” she said, and patted Baze one the side once more before bidding Peter, “Goodbye,” and going on her way, assuming that he would do that same and go his.

[DETECTIVE PETER ARAMIS]

Peter couldn’t help but grinning when Ling Ling laughed. Usually his joke fell flat, even though it wasn’t a joke. Still, her giggles were warm and Peter didn’t mind the noise.

She clicked her tongue, “Oh, he doesn’t look that bad, do you boy?”

It was Peter’s turn to laugh. “You try living with him and see just how bad he can be. The dog practically owns the bed with how much of it he takes up.”

Baze huffed. Peter rubbed his ears. Yeah, the dog had him whipped. He wished Ling Ling good bye, feeling like he’d intruded on her thinking time.

“Right, of course,” she said, and patted Baze on the side once more.

Peter tugged Baze’s leash towards the way they had come and the dog whined, giving him the doggie eyes on maximum power. Peter sighed a bit, thinking the dog was a huge manipulator. That or Peter was going crazy.

“Hey, listen – we’re here pretty often. Maybe if we run into you again, we could stroll the park together a little?” Peter asked, feeling like maybe he was over stepping things, but Ling Ling seemed friendly enough, and if he had someone to talk to when he was on these late night walks, maybe they’d both enjoy the company.

"I know you come to think, but maybe we'll share some interesting thoughts."

Peter grinned a bit at the idea, knowing most of the thinking would be on her part, but it could still be the start of a nice friendship.

[LING LING DONGFENG]

“Hey, listen,” Ling Ling heard Peter say when they thought they were going their own ways. She turned to look back at the man in the dark, “We’re here pretty often. Maybe if we run into you again, we could stroll the park together a little? I know you come to think, but maybe we’ll share some interesting thoughts.” Peter grinned, and Ling Ling smiled back. It was an interesting idea, certainly strange in all its unique circumstances, but it was a chance that she would rather like to take.

She might enjoy her alone time in the nights, but sometimes she enjoyed being social. If they met in the dark – in the anonymity of the night – then it wouldn’t be forced. It would be different. She barely knew Peter, and yet the way she perceived him intrigued her. He was a kind man, kinder than most she knew, and looked forward to seeing him again sometime soon.

“Of course,” she replied warmly, nodding. Turning around to leave, she paused and said final words: “I’ll see you, then,” she chuckled, and left the man in the dark alone.

[DETECTIVE PETER ARAMIS]

“Of course. I’ll see you, then,” she chuckled.

When she turned away, Peter smirked after her, surprised that she was the one leaving him alone on the bridge. She had been there first, after all. But then, nothing about this girl should have been left to assumptions when you took into consideration where she went for her time to think.

"I have no idea what I'm getting into, do I?" Peter asked, earning a doggie smile from Baze. "What do you know? You're a dog."

Baze sneezed, pulling in the direction of their usual path. It would lead them back towards the edge of the park and then they could head towards home. Of course, it also went buy some dense brush where all the little animals liked to sleep. Peter chuckled and unhooked his leash, knowing if he didn't his shoulder would be dislocated.

Baze took off barking once again, not caring about how loud he was. Peter rolled his eyes and jogged after him, wondering what other things the dog was going to find in the dark of the park.