cop_an_attitude | 01 | [Voice/Action]

[For a moment, nothing happens. The camera is focused on a patch of grass. There are rustling sounds and a woman's voice mutters indistinguishably to herself, and eventually the journal is righted so that the camera focuses on Sally's face. There is a leaf in her hair. She does not look happy.]

Right, I think I've worked out what this thing does, and I just want to say that if this is someone's idea of a joke, I'm not laughing. See this? [She lifts up a police badge containing her ID.] This is a police badge. It's my police badge, yeah? It says I'm Sergeant Sally Donovan of London PD, which means that when I find out who's responsible for this, for...this [She gestures down the length of her body, at the dress that isn't hers] and for this [She turns the journal to take in the unfamiliar surroundings] and I don't even know how to start about this [She jerks her thumb over her shoulder at the pair of dark brown wings that definitely aren't supposed to be there] that person or persons are in a world of trouble.

My advice to you, whoever you are, is to come forward immediately. That's less trouble on my part and a lighter sentence for you, so it's in everyone's best interest. Do not make me find you.

[Sally fumes silently for a moment, and when she decides her point has been made, the recording ends.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She decides it's best not to dwell on that.] Do you like it all right? You know, considering everything.

[it's a loaded question, and she takes a minute to answer it]

If you mean the place itself...no. Day to day, it's fine. It's even nice. But I can't just accept a place or a people that kidnap and use people at will. There's no excuse for a lot of what happens, here.

But I don't regret being here, either. And if I had a choice to go back home tomorrow...

[she hesitates] I'd go back. I have promises to keep there. But I have people I care about here, too, and responsibilities to them. It wouldn't be an easy choice.

...I guess it'd have to be a hard choice. You get to know people, you form attachments, just like everywhere else.

Sorry. Didn't mean for the conversation to take a turn like that. [Not that it was altogether pleasant before, but nonetheless.]

[she's quick to shake her head, her smile reappearing. Around them, the forest is starting to thin as they get closer to the village]

Don't be. Really, there are questions you'll need to ask eventually and I don't mind answering.

And I don't want to make it seem worse than it is. For some people, this is a second chance. Flaws and all. For some, it's better than where they've come from. It's one of the reasons I wouldn't want to just walk away. The good here is worth fighting for.

[a small laugh] Now it's my turn to apologize. Your first day here isn't really the time to worry about righting wrongs.

[At that, Sally smiles.] Righting wrongs is a daily occurrence for me, if I'm doing my job right. Don't worry about that.

[It seems the trees are thinning out, so she glances around expectantly.] Not far now, then?

[she laughs] Well, I'd think you deserve at least a day's vacation, finding yourself here. At least until you have a place to stay and you can meet up with your boss to see a familiar face.

[she motions ahead] You'll see the lights, soon. I'll take you to the welcome center tonight. New feathers...new people tend to arrive all at once, so they've got plenty of beds. And tomorrow, you can have your pick of housing. If no one's living in it, it's free for the taking.

There might be a price. There probably is. But as far as I know, it's a price we'll pay whether we take advantage of the things here or not. Even if we wanted to earn our way, there's no money here. [it's not a fact she's particularly happy about. She doesn't like writing blank checks]

[Sally laughs back.] I haven't had a holiday in ages, so it's about time. [It's nice, for a moment, albeit a little weird, to be able to joke about it.]

New feathers? [She glosses over the bit about the price, although it's nice to know she won't need money here, considering she didn't find her wallet in her clothes.] That's a little twee, isn't it? ...I wonder why it is we all show up at once. I guess they pick us in batches.

[a quick smile. She's used to colloquialisms, but that's one she didn't know] Twee?

Hmm? Oh, erm... [Sally's been to America all of once in her life and didn't manage to absorb much, so she scours her brain for references from American films.] "Cutesy"?

Oh! [she laughs] It's definitely not the most original. But apt enough.

I have to say I like it better than "fresh meat".

01 | [Voice/Action]

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