D A Y 9

[founds]

CHAPTER 2

NOV 08TH | 47℉☂

▸ --*CHSKSSS--*-Breaking News! In the light of yesterday's hunt on Black Rock Lake, a body has been found. It has not ye--*CHSKSSS--*-n identified, but has been confirmed to not be either of the missing children.

▸ Another fall storm is roaming through today,--*CHSKSSS--*ed to pick up after dark so stay safe or stay insi--*CHSKSSS--*-

▸ Blackwell's First Methodist Church is holding its annual Thanksgiving food drive from now until Thanksgiving. Donate now! Anything but turkey,--*CHSKSSS--*-pped over on the interstate the other day and donated hundred--*CHSKSSS--*-urkeys to feed people for the holidays. What luck!

▸ Back to our regular--*CHSKSSS--*-uled programming

HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT

Comments

[eternalboy]

[ you old people. and he would never even try to enroll to the army no way. fuck no. he'd be the worst soldier. ]

Alright, dad. [ you started it. ] I'll let you know if it was someone off our list. [ the lake body. ]

[ knocks his knuckles against the cubicle as a goodbye and goes his way. ]

[bluecode]

[watches him go with a vaguely distracted head tilt before approaching the dreaded oliver box. it's like a little frozen barren wasteland in the middle of the rest of the desks. abandon hope all ye who enter etc]

[even worse when you're going for a favor]

Hey. [leans over the edge. hello. he doesn't mind this buffer between them. it's a nice cubicle wall.] Got a minute?

[avers]

[ a frozen barren wasteland with smoke already coming up; he has just lit a cigarette. he's typing some other things, doing researches. he's an asshole, but at least he's a workaholic asshole. at first he doesn't even look up, even if he recognizes adam's voice, but eventually he stops typing, pulling the cigarette from between his lips to tap the ash to the ashtray. he blows the smoke in his general direction as he turns on his chair ]

Ain't got even a second. [ but he did stop typing. there's your chance. ]

[bluecode]

[to beat him with the keyboard?]

[scratches at his eyebrow and regards him for a second too long as though he's still trying to make up his mind whether he even wants to do this]

My paid suspension is coming up this weekend. [as in, it will then be an unpaid suspension. as in, bills. he's hoping he'll just take the hint and finish the thought for him, but knows this will probably be as drawn out and difficult as possible for him as oliver can make it. he takes comfort in the fact that he's setting himself up for failure and probably won't actually have to owe him one]

Your dad declined my reinstatement. [do you see where he's going with this. your dad. your]

[avers]

[ only oliver loves when people owe him one. it gives him control over others and there's nothing that gives him a bigger ego boost than a power trip. he reclines in his chair, it creaks a little, and he crosses his arms over his chest, letting the silence grow to uncomfortable lengths. ]

I reckon he ain't happy with your lil' sigogglin' investigatin'. [ he takes a hit of the cigarette, exhaling the smoke out his nose. with it between his fingers he points to adam ]

My old man and I ain't gettin' along so well. [ and adam knows that, surely. most everyone that works around the office does, even if they keep it in the down low. ] But suppose I talk to him. What's in it for me?

[bluecode]

[inhales in a way that clearly communicates he's hoping jesus will give him the strength to get through this conversation and sets his hands at his hips, tilting his head back]

I'm just asking for a favor. [points between himself and oliver to indicate their fellow copliness. no? it's good enough for every other cop what makes you special] If it doesn't fly, it doesn't fly.

[not expecting miracles, just an attempt. he's really good at halfassed attempts]

[avers]

[ everything makes him special. especially the part where he is better than all of them. all of them. i mean do you see anyone else working like this? no. you don't. not even his shit eating dad. he hates him so much.

he tilts his head and clicks his tongue for a minute. he enjoys seeing him frustrated; for a man such as adam's, annoying him kind of gives him a happy feeling in his tummy. ]

Ain't no nothin' free in this world. [ he turns around in his chair again to face the computer ] I'll talk to him. [ but u know ur gonna owe him one right ]

[bluecode]

[wat. this went so much better than he thought. which means worse. it went so much worse]

Yeah. [uh. sounds about as stupid as he seems. in this moment.] Okay. [cool. not really cool. you could have just said no like he expected. there is no thank you anywhere in that yeah or okay]

[avers]

[ the worst is yet to come, dear boy. ]

A thank you would do it, Gage. Wouldn't want people thinkin you've gone rude, now. [ he isn't looking at him anymore, typing away at the computer. he checks a file from the pile, colour coded and so neatly organized. she pulls it out and opens it; the symbol that was carved on bela's flesh right there in a close up. oops, sorry. haha. not sorry at all.

he looks over to him ]

You free tonight?

[bluecode]

[free to set himself on fire. he hates that he's become so desensitized to the pictures that it takes him a second to even register that it should be a problem that he's whipping them out while talking to the grieving father. staring at them day in day out since the night she was murdered has almost distanced him from it, in a weird way, like it's just a case, but it's not. he's never worked just a case so hard in his life, not even when he gave a damn about his casework]

Depends on what you say to the Sheriff, I suppose. [after a beat]

[avers]

[ he's working. he's not going to stop working just because adam is there and it's the decent thing to do. he's an asshole, let's not forget (as if anyone could forget). he rests the cigarette on the ashtray and blows the smoke, slowly looking at him ]

Oh, don't you get your bloomers twisted. [ he smirks in that arrogant, confident way ] I still got my ways.

[ he's probably going to get him the worst shifts. ]

[bluecode]

[yes yes such asshole very bad]

[gives him a squinty look as criticism for the usage of bloomers in a modern day sentence]

If it's dinner I'm gonna have to respectfully decline. [lil joke. jokey joke. no seriously what do you want]

[avers]

[ he's an old school hillbilly. runs in the family. they keep the tradition alive. it's a very traditional, republican family. there's no sucking of dicks. they are dignified. no homos allowed. goodness gracious. ]

I ain't buying you dinner, Gage. [ he arches his eyebrows and gives him a pointed look. ] Who knows, maybe I'll be in a good mood.

[ heh. ]

[bluecode]

[simmer down naw]

[continues to squint at him this time with less judgment and more confusion. please stop being obtuse and just tell the man what you want.]

Should I be concerned about your mood? [oblivious head shake. whatever man. whatever you say. im just gonna tell you right now this is not a blowjob worthy favor, let's take that off the table right na]

[points over his shoulder to indicate he's going to be excusing himself from further conversation unless there is something else.]

[avers]

[ no, it's so much more fun being obtuse because it makes people frustrated. he scribbles down something on a notepad and grabs another file with a bunch of look a like symbols ]

Goodbye, Gage. [ he doesn't look up from his file, but you can practically hear the smirk in his voice. he picks up the cigarette again and takes a drag ]

Actually-- Wait. [ he doodles the symbol on a piece of paper and holds it up to him ] Where've you done saw this here doodle round Blackwell? [ he has found microscopic evidence but maybe adam knows something given as he's a born and bred blackweller ]

[bluecode]

[he knows what it's going to be before he looks, feigns a blank look of ignorance and throws both hands up in an exasperated shrug.]

You asked before, answer hasn't changed. [not sure if he should be relieved or frustrated that he's still spinning his wheels over the same details he was stuck on when they first met about it. we'll go with relieved for now because having to deal with an enlightened oliver would be a fucking hassle.]