![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bantha_fodderevery household filled with joy by pen
East West 101, Lim, gen
I don't own. Thanks to copracat for the betatasticness.
CNYE <3
***
She's halfway out the door, oranges clasped in her hand, when the phone rings and her stomach drops. She thinks about keeping on walking, but she pauses, watches as Callas picks up the phone, beckons her back in.
"Yeah, sure," Lim murmurs as she nods absently. Nobody's listening. "No worries."
It's a body in a ditch halfway across town, and she knows it will take a while. She picks up the phone and dials, anticipates the conversation.
"Don't they know it's Chinese New Year?" her mother calls down the phone, over the sounds of the wok on the stove.
Lim shakes her head, gives a little grin. "No," she says, "they don't."
They'd make her stay even if they did know, so she supposes it's okay.
She hopes it's nothing messy.
**
She gets changed out of her new clothes though, just in case.
**
It's some Chinese guy with his license still in his pocket, and the way Wright looks at her, Lim knows, she just fucking knows, she's going to be breaking the news in the middle of someone's reunion dinner.
**
It's just as bad as thinks, and behind the frowning mother, the crumpled face of the father, she sees a room full of uncles and aunties and a table covered in red, laden with food.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Callas says, and the mother starts to cry, pushes the door shut.
"Sorry," Lim says to the closed door. "新年快乐."*
Callas looks at her funny, but she just shakes her head and slides into the car.
**
The light's fading rapidly, and Lim looks out the window, watches the lights come on across the city. "I don't think we're going to get much more done tonight," Callas says.
"Yeah, it's a bit late to be dropping in and questioning people."
"Let's hope Wright sees it that way," Callas grumbles, and as they turn the corner the sound of drums floats into the car. Lim taps the familiar beat out softly on the window frame, and Callas frowns.
At the lights, Callas looks across at Lim, still tapping to the faint drums. "You should have said something," she says, pointedly.
Lim shrugs. "What is there to say? It's just a party."
"It's like missing out on Christmas!"
"You know we do Christmas too, right?"
"You know what I mean!" Callas snaps. "It's big, and it's family, and you should have just kept walking. I could have coped without you. Wright would have understood"
"Yeah, maybe. But it's not too late, I'll get there in time for something delicious and a scolding for working too hard." Lim grins, and Callas looks back at the road. "But thanks for the offer anyway."
The lights reflect on her face, and when she looks out the window, she thinks she sees a lion.
Maybe two.
**
At her desk, she fills in the visitation report, makes sure she remembered everything. She pauses, and eyes the oranges; picks them up from her desk, weighs them in her hand.
"You got enough there?" Lim looks up, and Wright's leaning against the door to her office.
"Yeah," Lim replies. "Only need the two for tonight."
"Well you better be off then." Wright nods at her, and Lim knows permission when she hears it.
**
She presses the oranges into baba's hands, kisses her mother and her aunties and picks up a lucky lolly on her way to the table. It's littered in bones and stains and clumps of rice, but she picks through what remains and nods when an auntie scolds her for being late.
They'd call her in even if they knew, and she'd go.
She supposes it's okay.
END
* Happy New Year (OBVS)
East West 101, Lim, gen
I don't own. Thanks to copracat for the betatasticness.
CNYE <3
***
She's halfway out the door, oranges clasped in her hand, when the phone rings and her stomach drops. She thinks about keeping on walking, but she pauses, watches as Callas picks up the phone, beckons her back in.
"Yeah, sure," Lim murmurs as she nods absently. Nobody's listening. "No worries."
It's a body in a ditch halfway across town, and she knows it will take a while. She picks up the phone and dials, anticipates the conversation.
"Don't they know it's Chinese New Year?" her mother calls down the phone, over the sounds of the wok on the stove.
Lim shakes her head, gives a little grin. "No," she says, "they don't."
They'd make her stay even if they did know, so she supposes it's okay.
She hopes it's nothing messy.
**
She gets changed out of her new clothes though, just in case.
**
It's some Chinese guy with his license still in his pocket, and the way Wright looks at her, Lim knows, she just fucking knows, she's going to be breaking the news in the middle of someone's reunion dinner.
**
It's just as bad as thinks, and behind the frowning mother, the crumpled face of the father, she sees a room full of uncles and aunties and a table covered in red, laden with food.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Callas says, and the mother starts to cry, pushes the door shut.
"Sorry," Lim says to the closed door. "新年快乐."*
Callas looks at her funny, but she just shakes her head and slides into the car.
**
The light's fading rapidly, and Lim looks out the window, watches the lights come on across the city. "I don't think we're going to get much more done tonight," Callas says.
"Yeah, it's a bit late to be dropping in and questioning people."
"Let's hope Wright sees it that way," Callas grumbles, and as they turn the corner the sound of drums floats into the car. Lim taps the familiar beat out softly on the window frame, and Callas frowns.
At the lights, Callas looks across at Lim, still tapping to the faint drums. "You should have said something," she says, pointedly.
Lim shrugs. "What is there to say? It's just a party."
"It's like missing out on Christmas!"
"You know we do Christmas too, right?"
"You know what I mean!" Callas snaps. "It's big, and it's family, and you should have just kept walking. I could have coped without you. Wright would have understood"
"Yeah, maybe. But it's not too late, I'll get there in time for something delicious and a scolding for working too hard." Lim grins, and Callas looks back at the road. "But thanks for the offer anyway."
The lights reflect on her face, and when she looks out the window, she thinks she sees a lion.
Maybe two.
**
At her desk, she fills in the visitation report, makes sure she remembered everything. She pauses, and eyes the oranges; picks them up from her desk, weighs them in her hand.
"You got enough there?" Lim looks up, and Wright's leaning against the door to her office.
"Yeah," Lim replies. "Only need the two for tonight."
"Well you better be off then." Wright nods at her, and Lim knows permission when she hears it.
**
She presses the oranges into baba's hands, kisses her mother and her aunties and picks up a lucky lolly on her way to the table. It's littered in bones and stains and clumps of rice, but she picks through what remains and nods when an auntie scolds her for being late.
They'd call her in even if they knew, and she'd go.
She supposes it's okay.
END
* Happy New Year (OBVS)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 01:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 11:14 pm (UTC)*glomps*
Date: 2010-02-15 03:13 am (UTC)!Yes!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 12:40 am (UTC)Have you thought to post it to
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-16 09:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-15 03:12 am (UTC)I enjoyed this very much.
(and loved how Callas called an early end to the investigation that night - trying to be considerate)
>"You know we do Christmas too, right?"
Callas is probably thinking "there's no way I can win, is there?"
>They'd call her in even if they knew, and she'd go.
it's what she signed up for (or a possibility therein)
this is a very enjoyable and fun to read East West 101 story. thank you for writing and sharing it.
and Happy New Year!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-16 09:33 am (UTC)