IC Inbox - Mask Or Menace

[holisticallydetecting]

 Hello? Right - yes - sorry, you've reached my voicemail. I'm not here at the moment. Or I am here, but am very busy. If this is about a case, please leave all your details and I will get back to you as soon as possible, though I might be there already.




beep!

Comments

[h2no]

[archie yelps loudly for about two second and it's very fortunate he is no longer near that knife, god damn.]

D--Dirk?! Oh, fuck! Sorry! Uh-- this wasn't on purpose! I swear!

[holisticallydetecting]

[Archie yelping causes Dirk to yelp in return, but he's already reaching out with his arms as if making a weird motion with them might calm Archie down.]

It's okay! It's alright! It's not your fault I get dragged everywhere -- did something happen, did you--

You're bleeding!

[h2no]

W--Well, still!

[he frowns, then remembers-- ah.]

Uh... I was just choppin' something and caught myself. It's not bad... ugh. I was wondering where the band-aids are. Is that why you're...?

[holisticallydetecting]

Oh dear. [He steps over, reaching out to just put his finger tips on Archie's wrist as if to stabilise it while he got a look.]

I think the Porter might have a very strange idea of what a detective does? But I can help. Do you have an idea of where they might be? I can find them.

[h2no]

...Bottom drawer.

[he nods towards a cabinet.]

Good solve?

[holisticallydetecting]

Not totally sure this counts as solving anything, since technically you solved it? But.

[He pads over to the cabinet (with bare feet), and rumages around until he finds the box, and then stands straight up with a pleased grin.] Found it! Success!

[He pulls a bandaid out, puts the box back, and then walks back over to Archie.]

We should probably try that off, first.

[h2no]

[he shrugs, pulling a towel off one of the racks to squeeze his hand with, drying it off. the blood flow, what little of it there was, has pretty much stopped.]

Thanks. You want a tea or anything? Seeing as I know how to make it for you now. Coffee? Food?

[holisticallydetecting]

Oh, no. That is very kind, but to be honest, I was asleep before I got here. I think I should probably just--

[A look of realisation crossed his face. Weary, weary realisation.]

... Oh. Getting home is not going to be fun.

[h2no]

...Right.

[that's right, people sleep at night, right? who'da thunk.]

Uh... you can stay, if you want. I have a spare room.

[holisticallydetecting]

[Dirk just sort of looks at Archie for a long, confused moment.]


That's---




That's extremely kind of you? That's very kind. I don't know what happened with this universe, but apparently it has a very very high ratio of kind people versus normal people. [And he sounds like he has no idea how to deal with that.]

[h2no]

I mean... it's technically my fault you're here, right? It only seems right.

[holisticallydetecting]

Well, then I happily accept, thank you.

[He smiled broadly but then just sort of stood their awkwardly, clearly having no idea what he was supposed to do next.]

[h2no]

....

[okay, fair.]

Uh... the spare room's upstairs to the left. Unless you want some food or a drink first?