maskormenace | video; spooky halloween psa

[Crane's staring into the camera with an intensity that doesn't dwell well under his skin. Though the clean suit he wears does a good job of hiding it well, nothing can conceal the irritation he feels under it. He clasps his hands together under the table then rests them imperiously on his desk.]

Why do you celebrate Halloween?

I'm just curious.

[He kicks back against his chair and plonks his feet on the wood. Whatever he was irritated by - rather, what he was disregarding - seems to have taken on better shape. He feels it draped over his face, coarse but warm and intimately familiar. It takes most of his energy to play a weak smile for the gallery.]

Don't worry about tainted candy, by the way. Razer bladed taffy apples? Lye-coated bubblegum? Cyanide-laced Pixy Stixs? They're just legends. Informal whisperings of unsubstantiated reports of contaminated sweets picked up in the course of trick-or-treating. Now, for clarification; I don't intend to claim poisonings never happen. A father laced his own son's candy with cyanide in order to reap the benefits of his life insurance, yes, but it certainly isn't a problem. As a matter of fact, the absence of personal stories highlights that clearly.

[He scratches under his chin.]

Here, of course, the bogeyman isn't even cyanide or toxic chocolate - though Hershey's deserves labelling as poison, honestly - but collective fear of a different sort.

[That's a topic he isn't acknowledging right now. He has every intention of discussing it with the class, but carries on.]

Has anyone here been poisoned by Halloween candy? I doubt it. And if you're scared of the possibility? Well, take it from an expert, October 31st is the most extraordinary day of the year you can be terrified of. You'll never experience another one like it till the next cycles round. So dare yourselves and do something special - be bold, knock on some doors when the day arrives. Eat some candy and-

[He tips his chin.]

Enjoy yourselves.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If it were, detective, you'd never know it.

[Bitch. Please.]

Good news, though! That isn't what I meant at all.

You really need to stop underestimating me.

[ Seriously, everyone needed to stop doing that! ]

Why do I not believe you?

Oh wait.

That's right.

You have a track record of this kind of thing.

[He shrugs.]

Oh, I'm sorry, should I do what's expected of me?

[Hey if you want him to gas you just say it, man.]

Uh... no? Just you post something like this, what the hell else would anyone that's dealt with you think?

That I was referring to a state of affairs specific to our community?

So say so instead of being cryptic?

And dumb myself down to the level of a neanderthal? I hardly think so.

No, just talk so other people can understand you without having to put together a puzzle.

[ He gave him a bland look. ]

It's not hard. I promise you won't lose braincells doing it.

[He simply stares blandly at the camera - till he rests his face in his palm. You must be joking.]

[ ...this guy is too smart for his own stupid good. ]

Oh what?

It's not as simple as you make it seem. You have your way of saying things. I have mine.

But what's the point? What is the point of not trying to be understandable? Is it just to troll? To prove your imagined superiority?

Oh, you wouldn't understand the reason if I told you. It requires a good amount of professional explanation.

...so, translation, 'Yes; I don't want people to think I'm not as good as the image I put out.'

Did I say that?

[ Adachi just shrugged. ]

Sounds like it to me, so that's just what I'm going with.

Ah. Don't let facts get in the way of opinion, then.

Welp, that's what you get for not spitting out what you mean, then.

Yes, I suppose that's what I get. Well, I hope you appreciate the irony.

Irony?

The reversal. You're clearly enjoying it.

[Not that he thinks of it as such.]

Not really. I just find it kinda sad.

[ He shrugged again. ]

People are a pain, I get it. Don't get me wrong, I don't like being around people in general. It's hard to be social, but at the same time? People are interesting. It doesn't really hurt to put yourself on their level to get a taste of how interesting they can get.

[Wow. Sad. Much pity. Much anger. Fortunately, he keeps his tone calm and polite.]

People are useful, detective. That's different from interesting.

Not everyone gets put on this earth to be used, Crane.

Everyone's a manipulator. You're hardly no different.

(no subject)

sleight_of_hand - 2017-10-04 00:53 (UTC) - Expand

restingstitchface - 2017-10-04 00:56 (UTC) - Expand

sleight_of_hand - 2017-10-04 00:58 (UTC) - Expand

restingstitchface - 2017-10-04 01:03 (UTC) - Expand

sleight_of_hand - 2017-10-04 02:00 (UTC) - Expand

restingstitchface - 2017-10-04 02:01 (UTC) - Expand

sleight_of_hand - 2017-10-04 02:02 (UTC) - Expand

restingstitchface - 2017-10-04 02:06 (UTC) - Expand

sleight_of_hand - 2017-10-04 02:09 (UTC) - Expand

restingstitchface - 2017-10-04 02:10 (UTC) - Expand