video; spooky halloween psa

[restingstitchface]

[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.

Comments

[restingstitchface]

The reversal. You're clearly enjoying it.

[Not that he thinks of it as such.]

[sleight_of_hand]

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.

[restingstitchface]

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

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

[sleight_of_hand]

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

[restingstitchface]

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

[sleight_of_hand]

I haven't claimed to be innocent of that. [ Recently anyway. ] It doesn't make it any less true.

[restingstitchface]

Right. What makes you say nobody's here to be used, anyway?

[sleight_of_hand]

Well... not going to deny we're being used by the government. That's obvious. I don't think that... may have been in the plan for who ever was actually behind the porter though.

[restingstitchface]

I see. Then I certainly hope I won't hear you deny we're all manipulating each other. Our status as imports hardly makes a difference.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi snorted again. ]

Now you're starting to sound paranoid.

[ Not that Dooku isn't doing exactly that. ]

[restingstitchface]

Am I? I hadn't noticed.

[Yes. Yes he had.]

[sleight_of_hand]

Careful, Crane, people are going to start thinking you're scared.

[ He can't help it sometimes. ]

[restingstitchface]

Bored, detective. There's a difference. Not that I expect you to understand emotional complexity.

[sleight_of_hand]

Well, I do understand bored, so you can at least give me that much credit.

[restingstitchface]

I suppose so.