( why this? | insidious )

[delving]

What part of "no" are you not understanding? I —okay, I know you. I know what it is you do. Don't say that I don't, because I'm not Tucker. I just so happen to have a very deep and cohesive understanding of the way people (yes, even you) work.

—Sometimes. Occasionally.

Look, don't turn this around on me. I'm looking out for my best interests here. And my best interests just so happen to ... not align with yours. It's all very simple.

Now, if you'll just —let me get back to my work; it's October, remember? I'm expecting a few phone calls from some very paranoid families.

Comments

[acasta]

You're not going to find much cooperation around here, whether you think you're being reasonable or not.

[delving]

[ Wow, okay —helpful. He adjusts his glasses, not liking the sound of, well, any of this. ]

So, what you're essentially saying is "abandon hope, all ye who enter here"? [ Hands on his hips. ] That's always easier to swallow in text.

[acasta]

Most things are, [ Jessica says, though the agreement is made more in passing than in any serious capacity. ] But we're hardly so lucky.

Chin up, maybe you'll go somewhere nice.

[delving]

So much for the 'glass-half-full' approach. Then again, it was a futile effort from the start. Listening has never really been her area.

[ There's a brief wince that makes itself present behind his glasses. ] So far, the only options are both a) bad and b) worse. There's also the occasional c) nonsensical, which I'm more in favor of than the previous two. But, uh— you didn't actually hear me say that.

[acasta]

[ Her stoicism breaks for just the smallest bit of skepticism, expressed through the arch of a single eyebrow. ]

So long as you didn't pick the second option, I suppose.

[delving]

[ He folds his arms. Specs is attempting to look casual, but he looks more uncomfortable than anything else. ]

There's a distinct possibility. Sometimes I think they enjoy watching us suffer.

—What about you? Any whacky misadventures?

holy shit a specs.

[evilhandissues]

[Lindsey just kind of stares.] What, you make halloween costumes?

surprise!

[delving]

[ Specs laughs. Specs laughs a lot. It takes a few quick seconds for this to subside and his face goes blank. He quickly reaches up to fix his glasses on the crook of his nose. ]

—Oh, you're serious. [ He backtracks, regains his composure. ] No. God, no. No. Nothing like that. No, see —my partner and I, we're paranormal investigators. [ The job itself is said with some kind of pride, as if this doesn't always earn him daily eyerolls and doors slammed in his face. Try, try again — and they do. Often. If you ask him, it's the greatest job in the world. ]

I HAVE THE PERFECT GAME FOR HIM IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR GAMES

[evilhandissues]

[Lindsey raises an eyebrow] Paranormal Investigator.

...I'm not following.

you have my full attention.

[delving]

[ Okay, not quite the reaction he was anticipating. Still, it's easier to handle than The Usual. And, well, selfishly, he leaps at any opportunity to better explain what it is he spends his time doing. ]

No? Ah —well. It's simple. What I do — what we do — is, through the use of special equipment, essentially hunt the paranormal. We sometimes receive phone calls, uh, letters, YouTube comments, of people looking to find out whether they're either being, you know, haunted, or if it's something else altogether.

Typically, what people deem as a haunting is really triggered by, uh, loose wiring, electrical shorts, atmospheric dysfunction. There's a number of possibilities, but we're here to weed out the illogical from the logical. Given just a minimal period of time, we can tell you whether or not you are, in fact, being haunted.

Ten to one, that would be a negatory, Ghost Rider. But there have been instances — several, in fact — where we find something, for lack of a better word? Extraordinary.

[ He inhales through his nose, blinking as he pushes up his spectacles. ] Does that, uh, does that help? If not, I have a pamphlet for your viewing pleasure. It's probably more cohesive if that's what you're into.

It's called boxmods? well, the box. And it needs specs like woah.

[evilhandissues]

[Lindsey listens to this, folding his arms over his chest - blinks at the "cohesive" comment before.] so demons, ghosts, spirits, magic. That sort of thing.

oddly enough, it's one of my options for him. SUPER tempted.

[delving]

[ He purses his lips, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. One of his shoulders shrugs and he avoids rolling his own eyes. When you put it that way, Lindsey, it all sounds so contrived. ] I mean, —yeah. In layman's terms, maybe.

[/tempts further]

[evilhandissues]

...What're the professional terms?

that's just plain rude.

[delving]

I would say —'essences of the supernatural' is a good place to start. Getting into specifics might lead us to a completely different conversational topic.

:( but want.

[evilhandissues]

And?

:| yes well.

[delving]

[ He opens his mouth, prepared to say something else, but gets caught short with a quick: ] Wait, what?