a Knock on the Door - Frogman's Lilypad

She smiled.

"Good story."

Shauna nodded. "And he tells it the same every time too." She grinned.

She turned to Shauna.

"You're turn."

Shauna got thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm Let's see." She smiled. "Did you know we really do on occasion help get cats out of trees? And it's always the probie that gets to go up the ladder and do the dirty deed."


"In this case the probie was me and the tree was a 40 foot Oak. I was given a rash of shit being the only girl on the department in that area of town. Heck we were only a few and the sleeping was rough to say the least. But it was decided I weighed the least and would likely be sweeter than most to get poor Thorne Down from the tree. There was a sweet girl and her Mother that called us and in this case with the wires from the poles hanging in the tree too it was a hairy job. Back then trees were not trimmed away like they are now.

The Lieutenant gave me the gear and I started up the long white ladder that hung me over the hard concrete even as the second part was hyper extending up into the tree. It was going to be short. I didn't know that but they did. If I needed to be rescued too... they won."

She nodded.

"So it got stopped and Mr Puss in Boots was about another 10 feet up. I took off my helmet. It was leather lined back then and really wouldn't do shit if I fell from that height. I took off the turn out coat and laid it out over the ladders end then stepped up on it to reach the tree. I extended the helmet out and made it slightly higher than the cat. I'm a pretty tall girl so I had good reach but Kitty had to be convinced. Fortunately I had the right lure in the pocket of my jacket. A tuna sandwich. It was not in the hat. but from below it look like I magically called the cat into the helmet."

She smiled at the magic part and stuck her tongue out at Jim.

"Pulling it in to me I scooped out the cat wrapping him in the turn out coat but the helmet on my head and headed back down." I opened the jacket and gave Thorne back to the girl and woman and they thanked me for it. The sandwich was still in the pocket of the turn out coat..."

A laugh. "The guys stopped giving me such a hard time for a while. They didn't want to find themselves with a black cat crossing their path."

She chuckled.

"And all that before you learned to talk to them."

She nodded. "Poor cat was up there for days before the call. Back then people didn't realize the curled claws go up well but not so much on the down swing."

She nodded.

"Yeah."

"Your turn." Shauna said with a grin.

She took a sip of her wine.

"I don't know that any of my stories would work. You guys seem so worried about how much I embrace the inner monster."

"I suspect you have a funny story in there somewhere..." Jim said with a finger pointed in the direction of her head.. "I left out the bloody parts of mine really and what we did to the lovers..."

Shauna chuckled. "Mortal days remember."

She smiled.

"The ones that come to mind are revenge filled. Not so much on the funny. However, very much on the satisfaction. I've lived a hell of a life. Foster care is hell."

"No worries... I can tell a revenge one too. Its even funny..." Jim replied. "I know not all childhoods are good, Raz. I think of all those I call friend, I was fairly lucky as a mountain boy. I'm not a bastard."

"And the houses between can be rough. I was a street kid and ran the numbers hon. Funny shit happens too." She smiled. "You set it up now...give."

She snorted.

"Do yours include de-manning a guy who was raping your housemate at the age of 14? Proudest moment of my life. And probably what led to my Meth habit."

"That's not funny Razor. You know it I know it." Shuana shook her head. "OK so much for stories. You still owe us one."

She looked at the Ventrue.

"You think I'm kidding?"

"Nope, I think you're serious. We were not discussing proud or anything like that we went for funny like getting in the shit with your team. Or in Jim's case weird shit happens at weird times funny." She shrugged. "Usually with these things there is a link in the stories. Its a part of the telling is all."

She frowned.

"Funny. You know? I don't actually have any of those? Not that really come to mind. I've lived a pretty serious life. Damn."

What? you mean to tell me you never fleeced anyone or caused lighthearted havoc living the life you had. Hell, I was a good kid but even I did shit stuck potatoes in the exhaust of old Man Monty's Stepside.... " He said. Nothing funny... Now that's harsh..."

She shrugged.

"I get most of my money from the rich ad powerful. But that's hardly funny. They've never even come close to catching me at it."

No creative way you did it?' Jim asked