[All it takes is 'I have' and Ocean is locked on. While Caitlyn is scrunching up her nose and considering her words, he's pulling a small pad of paper and a pen out of his pocket. He holds it there, poised. There's nothing to write yet.]
[—Oh, hello. Typically she’s the one taking out the notepad. The surprise on her face is immediate and extremely readable, for the split second it lasts, and her hands drop loosely as she tames her expression back to something more or less neutral.]
Nothing to be sorry for. [Stalling, slightly. Quick glance aside. Does he want to sit down? It doesn’t have to be prolonged;] It was just, ah…
I witnessed what appeared to be people’s… [a hand absently waves, rises;] essences? Taken from their bodies, physically—as though, er…
[She places fingertips across her face in what could be an exasperated gesture, though the wrist-led lift that follows, upwards, is anything but conventional. Her expression is lopsided again. There seems to be some attempt at words, but… none materialize.]
Sorry. [Eyes back to him, and other arm folded again.] I’m aware this is unhelpful.
[“It’s incredible,” he says, while she feels ridiculous as the hand-above-head gesture must look—up to a point.
[This is common???]
Ask away, [with a small nod,] please. [Approving. Seems they both have much to discover.]
Afterward… [The raised hand closes lightly, and she props it by her chin.] Truth be told, I was preoccupied. But they certainly didn’t get up again. [Delivered with a similar “that, inexplicably, happened” tone, with no particular weight. Perhaps that’s callous. She had—has—other priorities.]
[Does she know. If her hunch is right… it answers some questions, and raises many, many others. But if it’s something else…]
It’s beyond me. [After pausing a bit too long for that to be convincing. Ultimately, that part of the story isn’t hers to tell.] What entity did you mean?
Well, I certainly wouldn’t call him a demon. [Flat, if ever so slightly defensive. On his behalf, really.] But I do think he’s corporeal. And… [a walking corpse;] more or less alive.
How do you know so much about these topics, anywho? [Not doubtful or hostile. Curious....]
[What about a trumpet with a string accent? What then?]
For a living? [Genuine question! Local individual with a conspiracy theory board, tended to in painstaking detail until very recently, is not going to judge a fellow investigator. No matter his, erm, subject matter.]
[“High school.” Those words together sound specific in a way Caitlyn can’t quite pinpoint. “School” and “not yet” connect clearly enough, at least, to not delay much:]
Is that a substantial imposition? Payment aside, [to be clear,] your tenacity is apparent. [This is a compliment.]
[They're communicating on two different wavelengths, which is often a problem for people who can't spit out what they're actually trying to say. It's the imposition he's wondering about. He knows the words' definitions, but what is she actually asking? He shakes his head a bit.]
Sorry. Is...what a substantial imposition? [High school? Investigating? Is that meant to be a good thing? A bad thing?]
I...would rather be hunting all the time, if...that's what you're asking.
You’ve always got a choice. [Immediate. On some level, she should know better; on another, this is what she’s always known.
[Rounding back, before that can settle:] I don’t suppose you’ve learned all you have about the hunt in high school. [The emphasis isn’t pronounced, but if he catches some disdain in high school, he wouldn’t be mistaken.]
[His mouth falls open at 'You've always got a choice,' as if to retort, though he can't think quick enough. He can't help but feel a little judged, catching that disdain. It makes him shrink a little, but the way his brows knit together looks more like a glare than a pout.]
No. That's not the sort of thing you learn at school. You learn things like...math, science, reading...?
Which all have their merits. [Still without hesitation, but a touch softer. Something hit a nerve, it seems.] But I’d wager you at least know reading, and maths and science would follow for an investigator. [A small nod accompanies this, a sort of “you agree, right?” gesture.]
[That funny way Ocean's brows are pinched together looks stranger when they raise up, now looking a little incredulous. He's curious too, though. This woman must come from a very, very different place.
[So, he should be patient like she is, and try to explain too.]
That's a nice thing to say. It's true, but...
[But what? Everyone does it? Well, that isn't true. His parents want him to? They wouldn't blame him if he had to drop out - they've discussed as much before, in fact. It's not illegal. It's not immoral.
[Suddenly, he's frowning, focused on the floor. He readjusts his mask on his face, anxious.]
I told my friend I'd be there so long as he is. It's important to him that he graduates.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pantheraliam) wrote2030-03-12 03:03 pm
no subject
What was it? What was it like? What--
[Slow down. Take a breath, clear your throat.]
Sorry. Sorry.
Please, tell me everything.
no subject
[—Oh, hello. Typically she’s the one taking out the notepad. The surprise on her face is immediate and extremely readable, for the split second it lasts, and her hands drop loosely as she tames her expression back to something more or less neutral.]
Nothing to be sorry for. [Stalling, slightly. Quick glance aside. Does he want to sit down? It doesn’t have to be prolonged;] It was just, ah…
I witnessed what appeared to be people’s… [a hand absently waves, rises;] essences? Taken from their bodies, physically—as though, er…
[She places fingertips across her face in what could be an exasperated gesture, though the wrist-led lift that follows, upwards, is anything but conventional. Her expression is lopsided again. There seems to be some attempt at words, but… none materialize.]
Sorry. [Eyes back to him, and other arm folded again.] I’m aware this is unhelpful.
no subject
It's incredible. And I believe you! [She's done nothing to let on that she worries otherwise, but just in case.]
It sounds like something pulled their spiritual energy right out of them. The eyes and mouth are a common location.
What happened afterward? Were--
[His voice chokes off. Rude. He shakes his head a bit and clears his throat.]
Sorry. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, [That's what people are supposed to say. He doesn't necessarily mean it.] but...
Were they okay?
no subject
[“It’s incredible,” he says, while she feels ridiculous as the hand-above-head gesture must look—up to a point.
[This is common???]
Ask away, [with a small nod,] please. [Approving. Seems they both have much to discover.]
Afterward… [The raised hand closes lightly, and she props it by her chin.] Truth be told, I was preoccupied. But they certainly didn’t get up again. [Delivered with a similar “that, inexplicably, happened” tone, with no particular weight. Perhaps that’s callous. She had—has—other priorities.]
no subject
You mean they....died? Or...
They just didn't get up again?
[She said she was preoccupied. Maybe she hasn't had time to follow up...]
The dying is...less common.
no subject
It’s admittedly conjectural. [or: She didn’t linger in the aftermath.] But I believe that must have killed them.
[Unclear if she caught the halt. He’s asking, she’s answering, and there’s minimal hesitation on her end.]
Spiritually, if not physically.
no subject
That makes more sense. There are reports of people falling into comas and never waking up. Things like that...
Do you know what caused it? An entity?
no subject
[She is almost certain that field is not full of coma-addled non-corpses. But he’s not asking, so that detail is kept to herself.
[…Actually, has his demeanor shifted? A bit hard to tell, between the usual thoughts and that. bobbing. nod.
[Caitlyn follows it with her eyes for a handful of bobs, and then blinks and carries on:] An entity, yes. A person, most likely. [Synonymous? Not?]
He’d been known as a “miracle worker.” [Some doubt in her tone, despite… well, everything else.]
no subject
Eh...Well, when I said entity, I didn't really mean--
[Someone who harnesses spiritual energy, maybe? Like a witch...? Not really Ocean's thing normally, but...]
You don't happen to know where he gets that power, do you? Or...how he's able to access it? I guess?
no subject
[Does she know. If her hunch is right… it answers some questions, and raises many, many others. But if it’s something else…]
It’s beyond me. [After pausing a bit too long for that to be convincing. Ultimately, that part of the story isn’t hers to tell.] What entity did you mean?
no subject
Well. Some sort of...spiritual entity - non-corporeal. Not a human, but...a ghost, or a demon - something like that...?
no subject
Well, I certainly wouldn’t call him a demon. [Flat, if ever so slightly defensive. On his behalf, really.] But I do think he’s corporeal. And… [a walking corpse;] more or less alive.
How do you know so much about these topics, anywho? [Not doubtful or hostile. Curious....]
no subject
[It's funny how he hasn't stammered once since they started talking about this in earnest.]
I'm a paranormal investigator.
[Imagine a little trumpet sound effect. Maybe a violin shriek instead?]
no subject
[What about a trumpet with a string accent? What then?]
For a living? [Genuine question! Local individual with a
conspiracytheory board, tended to in painstaking detail until very recently, is not going to judge a fellow investigator. No matter his, erm, subject matter.]no subject
Oh. Uh. Well, no. Not yet, I mean...
I'm still in high school right now.
no subject
[“High school.” Those words together sound specific in a way Caitlyn can’t quite pinpoint. “School” and “not yet” connect clearly enough, at least, to not delay much:]
Is that a substantial imposition? Payment aside, [to be clear,] your tenacity is apparent. [This is a compliment.]
no subject
What do you mean?
no subject
Large. Significant. Potentially burdensome.
no subject
[In complete fairness:]
Yes.
You...didn't have to go?
no subject
[Why are they on high school again? She was defining “substantial”—oh.]
I… did have schooling. [A beat.] Not the [a glance up at his clothing, entirely unlike hers] same kind as you, though. No.
no subject
Sorry. Is...what a substantial imposition? [High school? Investigating? Is that meant to be a good thing? A bad thing?]
I...would rather be hunting all the time, if...that's what you're asking.
I just don't have much of a choice.
no subject
You’ve always got a choice. [Immediate. On some level, she should know better; on another, this is what she’s always known.
[Rounding back, before that can settle:] I don’t suppose you’ve learned all you have about the hunt in high school. [The emphasis isn’t pronounced, but if he catches some disdain in high school, he wouldn’t be mistaken.]
no subject
No. That's not the sort of thing you learn at school. You learn things like...math, science, reading...?
no subject
Which all have their merits. [Still without hesitation, but a touch softer. Something hit a nerve, it seems.] But I’d wager you at least know reading, and maths and science would follow for an investigator. [A small nod accompanies this, a sort of “you agree, right?” gesture.]
Your life is yours. Not any institution’s.
no subject
[So, he should be patient like she is, and try to explain too.]
That's a nice thing to say. It's true, but...
[But what? Everyone does it? Well, that isn't true. His parents want him to? They wouldn't blame him if he had to drop out - they've discussed as much before, in fact. It's not illegal. It's not immoral.
[Suddenly, he's frowning, focused on the floor. He readjusts his mask on his face, anxious.]
I told my friend I'd be there so long as he is. It's important to him that he graduates.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
the meaningful icons (I assume)
sometimes I just don’t want or have the face. but also yes
(no subject)