He shouldn't have been sneaking around. He shouldn't at all have been sneaking around what he know is now a crime scene when he's a tourist and not even one here scheduled to be for a very long time. And he doubts there's any insurance on his 'trip around the world' which had seemed all right, but now that the one guy keeps looking at him...
Dirk and crime scenes went together like... well, like things that probably shouldn't go together but somehow, inexplicably did. For a detective that declared himself unbothered by such things as fingerprints and pieces of fluff, he still knew the benefit of occasionally looking at a crime scene when he was working on a case. In this instance, the whim that had lead him here apparently had a different meaning - a curious stranger who kept drawing his attention.
As soon as he was able, he sidled over to the young man.
Don't jump! Don't startle! That just looks guilty.
And he certainly wasn't guilty.
"C-Clark Kent, sir. Just... just visiting the city right now. I'm on vacation."
But this was right next to his accomodations. And someone had been hurt. He knew he could see things that the scientists might not see or couldn't see if they couldn't get cleared for a certain budget. So he wanted to possibly help.
"Is that so? And you have just happened to stumble across this crime scene?" he didn't sound accusatory, just interested, like he was trying to figure something out.
"Do you have any other connection or is this just..." he looked excited "a coincidence?"
He glances over at the crime scene then back at the man talking to him and his shoulders hunch a little.
"It kind of is. I'm staying just across the street. I just" he looks at him and then the police tape, "I figured I'd see if I could figure out anything I might have heard or saw that could help."
"So, this crime scene that just happened to occur right outside where you staying, just happened to draw you to it in case you could help..." suddenly his hand was thrust forward, a card offered between two fingers.
"Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective. I'm working on a case and I think you can help."
Why would he just- That's completely insane. This guy doesn't know him from Adam. It's one thing for the sheriff to ask for his help occasionally but this?
"Well, I guess. I mean, I've helped the sheriff in my town some sometimes. I'm-" he glances towards the crime scene, "good at noticing things most people don't."
"Is that so?" Dirk asks "I'm very good at... noticing things that most people don't as well. That's why I found you." he doesn't seem remotely bothered by Clark's reluctance, or remotely inclined to accept it, and continues chattering on happily.
"What about this crime scene did you notice? Please, tell me everything, even something that appears totally bizarre and inconsequential. Especially anything bizarre and inconsequential. Everything is connected."
Clark frowns and looks over at the crime scene, specifically at, well... the hand sitting there without, er, the rest of the person that should be attached. Anyone else would probably be unable to really get much detail considering the distance that the police are keeping people at but for Clark-
"The book. It's on one of those old children's books. The ones with the gold edge? I didn't even know you had them over here."
"Where are you-" Dirk leans slightly to peer over at the crime scene and try and see where he's looking, he manages to spot the book but there's no way he could read the title from here, and he's pretty impressed his new assistant (because in Dirk's mind, that's what he is now) can make it out.
"Is it now? A fairytale book about a big bad wolf at a crime scene where somebody looks as though they've been ripped apart... yes, yes I thought this would be my kind of case."
"That's... kind of why it caught my attention?" he admits with a bit of a blush. "I mean," he ducks back, "it's a hand. And it's awful. Terrible. But I don't have a fingerprint database or anything. The book seems important."
"Fingerprint database? Ha," Dirk waved a dismissive hand "I laugh at such things. Mostly because I don't have access to them, but then I don't need access to them, because I work in a more... well, holistic way."
"Oh, yes, the kind of cases I end up on tend not to get solved if I don't get involved, because they're usually a little bit... other. Have you noticed any other strange coincidences or curious happenings lately?"
"You know... Other," Dirk pronounced grandly, waving a hand and staring off into the middle distance. It's only a moment before he realises he hasn't properly explained it and continues "Strange. Bizarre, outside of the normal... normalness."
"No," Dirk says very firmly "I'm not psychic and I don't work for the CIA anymore. I'm just... intuitive. I have... hunches. Good hunches. Feelings, about things, lots of feelings that are not usually wrong. But often not quite right either. The important thing is that I am experienced in strange cases and I am very good at solving them. Eventually."
He's looking a little wary but for someone like Dirk, he might notice that it has nothing to do with disbelieving that the man is functional at his job. Instead, it's much more like a fear of having that talent work very well on him. It's not a big worry, obviously, but it's there.
Instead of focusing on it, though, Clark nods firmly.
"Okay so. Is there anything else I can help you with? Since, uh, I've got such good eyes?"
Dirk didn't appear to notice any wariness at all. He was so used to people being uncertain of him, or put off by him, that he was well practiced at ignoring it until it went away. If it went away.
"I'm so glad you asked," he perks up immediately, particularly pleased, it wasn't every day that somebody offered help. "Can you see any other details on the book, the author or publisher perhaps?"
He nods quickly before turning back to the book. And the hand, yeah, but he's looking at the book.
"The author's Mabel Watts. There's six blackbirds on the cover with Red Riding hood. Two bunnies. And... I think it's a weasel? The pointer is on the weasel, if that helps."
"That's a remarkable amount of detail," Dirk seems surprised that Clark could see all that, but not so much that he's going to pry - yet.
"I think that's all we can find out from here, and also the policeman is looking at us suspiciously so we should probably move along. Ooh, let's go and look up Mabel Watts and see if she is significant, or maybe we could find some blackbirds. Oh! Or a weasel. What do you think?" his chief method of detecting was to follow someone who looked like they knew what they were doing, after all.
"Oh I wouldn't worry about that, we'll probably find the weasel if it's important. Or he... or even she, I suppose there's nothing to say the weasel is male." Dirk nodded, and he's already edging away from the crime scene because the policeman in question is definitely heading in their direction
"She might not even be alive at this point," he points out as he follows along, because he doesn't really want to be anywhere the police are checking either. He's very much not in his state, after all, nowhere near Smallville where they might know him and give him the benefit of the doubt. And the last thing he wants is for them to figure out that they can't say, get a blood sample from him.
"Those books were written a long time ago, I think."
"Very good point," Dirk says delightedly "You're such a good assistant, I'm so glad I chose you." Well, technically the universe did, but Dirk's not going to split hairs about who gets the credit
"First order of business then, finding out if Mabel Watts is alive."
"Okay well," and yes, he's just going along with it, mostly because... to be honest? He wants this murder solved. He doesn't want anyone else to get hurt.
"I've got my laptop at my hotel room if we want to do some research."
"What a good idea! Yes, let's go there." he doesn't seem to have any issue with just inviting himself into somebody else's hotel room, and starts marching off purposefully before realising the slight flaw in his eagerness and turning to Clark.
Clark points over to the building not twenty feet away from where they're standing.
"I'm staying here. Mostly because it's cheap."
Look, that flight around the world that he'd won had not only crashed, it also hadn't covered hotel expenses. JUST the flying. Which was funny, if he thought about it.
"Oh, do you have money problems? You'll probably find that they go away if you're helping me, the universe usually has a way of providing." he paused, considering this for a moment and then frowning "Or they'll get worse. I feel like it's important to let you know that, sometimes the universe is funny like that."
"I'd really prefer they didn't get worse," he says as he gestures for the other man to follow him to his hotel room. His laptop is in there and they can do this thing, if they're doing it. After all, someone was murdered. That needed to be answered.
"But I guess the universe is funny like that. I won a trip around the world... and had the plan crash land in New Jersey waters, of all places."
It's Christmas. Having already done his parent time that morning, that left him free to come see Lisa for the afternoon. Of course, he wasn't quite sure how he was going to explain to her how he was able to get there from Kansas but...
Maybe it was time.
After all, he... well, he couldn't imagine anyone half as wonderful as her. Certainly hadn't met them at school. His whole town knew. Maybe they could have Christmas and he could tell her about... everything. Not just let her assume he was a metahuman because he could.
He made sure to pick up flowers for her, and he was careful with her present. Then it was just a matter of dressing nice and ringing the doorbell, one hand pushing the Santa hat puff out of his eyes.
Lisa'd suspected there was something... not quite human about Clark from the beginning, though it was true she assumed metahuman, and it didn't really bother her too much that she didn't know the details. Usually. It generally worked out well in her favor, so she didn't pry too much... though she admittedly might have occasionally timed his supposed travel and wondered how the hell.
Christmas was never really a big deal to her. Lately, it was more the time of year she could count on a bigger payload, one way or another. But she was staying in this year, planning on a quiet, Die Hard marathon kind of Christmas.
The doorbell ringing is a surprise, and she's apprehensive at first. Until she sees who it is and laughs as she opens the door.
She grins, and has half a mind to get her hands on those shoulders, but he effectively distracts her with the flowers and she takes them delicately and gives him another quick kiss in thanks.
"Mind the door jamb with those shoulders," she tells him as she gestures him inside.
"Just me and John McClane," she assures him, still smiling. "But we're flexible," she adds, turning to find something resembling a vase to put the flowers in.
She laughs again, twirling on the spot to give him a wink before continuing into the kitchen to retrieve that vase.
"Thought you might be able to keep up," she calls back to him, just as much teasing. It only takes a moment to fill a vase with some water and get the flowers arranged.
"Not yet," is her answer to his question, so she opens the fridge-- and shakes her head. "Hope you have that under your jacket somewhere, too."
She leans back against him without even thinking about it, hands settled over his, and she cranes her neck to turn and look up at him. That grin of his was in every bit of his posture, and his voice, and she grins right back at him.
It surprises Lisa how quickly she might have assured him she already trusted him. But it's the way he asks that makes her pause. Her smile never falters, but she's unsure, now. If only for a moment.
"Of course," she replies, attempting to turn in his arms to get a better look at him. Historically, someone feeling the need to ask her to trust them hasn't gone well.
But she's always been a fan of taking the risk, anyway.
He gives her a squeeze and it's very clearly... well, it's not someone who's planning something nefarious. It's not to reassure her. It's someone who's scared. Someone who's not sure if this is the last time he'll be able to touch her. Or if she'll want to touch him. He leans in and kisses her hair before he lets her turn and the worry is on his face. Worry, edged with hope and like always, all that affection he has for her, right in his eyes. He reads very easily, a real open book this one.
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agoodyarn2016-12-26 03:16 pm
@dirk
Re: @dirk
In this instance, the whim that had lead him here apparently had a different meaning - a curious stranger who kept drawing his attention.
As soon as he was able, he sidled over to the young man.
"Hello," he beamed brightly "Who are you?"
no subject
And he certainly wasn't guilty.
"C-Clark Kent, sir. Just... just visiting the city right now. I'm on vacation."
But this was right next to his accomodations. And someone had been hurt. He knew he could see things that the scientists might not see or couldn't see if they couldn't get cleared for a certain budget. So he wanted to possibly help.
no subject
"Is that so? And you have just happened to stumble across this crime scene?" he didn't sound accusatory, just interested, like he was trying to figure something out.
"Do you have any other connection or is this just..." he looked excited "a coincidence?"
no subject
"It kind of is. I'm staying just across the street. I just" he looks at him and then the police tape, "I figured I'd see if I could figure out anything I might have heard or saw that could help."
no subject
"So, this crime scene that just happened to occur right outside where you staying, just happened to draw you to it in case you could help..." suddenly his hand was thrust forward, a card offered between two fingers.
"Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective. I'm working on a case and I think you can help."
no subject
"You... think so?"
no subject
"Yes. You see I think the universe has brought you here for just that purpose. You're here to be my assistant," he announced with a satisfied smile.
no subject
"Your assistant?"
Why would he just- That's completely insane. This guy doesn't know him from Adam. It's one thing for the sheriff to ask for his help occasionally but this?
"Well, I guess. I mean, I've helped the sheriff in my town some sometimes. I'm-" he glances towards the crime scene, "good at noticing things most people don't."
no subject
"Is that so?" Dirk asks "I'm very good at... noticing things that most people don't as well. That's why I found you." he doesn't seem remotely bothered by Clark's reluctance, or remotely inclined to accept it, and continues chattering on happily.
"What about this crime scene did you notice? Please, tell me everything, even something that appears totally bizarre and inconsequential. Especially anything bizarre and inconsequential. Everything is connected."
no subject
"The book. It's on one of those old children's books. The ones with the gold edge? I didn't even know you had them over here."
A pause before he continues.
"It's little red riding hood."
no subject
"Where are you-" Dirk leans slightly to peer over at the crime scene and try and see where he's looking, he manages to spot the book but there's no way he could read the title from here, and he's pretty impressed his new assistant (because in Dirk's mind, that's what he is now) can make it out.
"Is it now? A fairytale book about a big bad wolf at a crime scene where somebody looks as though they've been ripped apart... yes, yes I thought this would be my kind of case."
no subject
Beat.
"Your kind of case?"
no subject
"Fingerprint database? Ha," Dirk waved a dismissive hand "I laugh at such things. Mostly because I don't have access to them, but then I don't need access to them, because I work in a more... well, holistic way."
"Oh, yes, the kind of cases I end up on tend not to get solved if I don't get involved, because they're usually a little bit... other. Have you noticed any other strange coincidences or curious happenings lately?"
no subject
"Other? Other, how?"
He'll answer the other question in a moment, but this is kind of important to him.
no subject
"You know... Other," Dirk pronounced grandly, waving a hand and staring off into the middle distance. It's only a moment before he realises he hasn't properly explained it and continues "Strange. Bizarre, outside of the normal... normalness."
no subject
Might as well ask. At least he doesn't have antennae?
"Aliens and government conspiracies?"
no subject
"No," Dirk says very firmly "I'm not psychic and I don't work for the CIA anymore. I'm just... intuitive. I have... hunches. Good hunches. Feelings, about things, lots of feelings that are not usually wrong. But often not quite right either. The important thing is that I am experienced in strange cases and I am very good at solving them. Eventually."
no subject
He's looking a little wary but for someone like Dirk, he might notice that it has nothing to do with disbelieving that the man is functional at his job. Instead, it's much more like a fear of having that talent work very well on him. It's not a big worry, obviously, but it's there.
Instead of focusing on it, though, Clark nods firmly.
"Okay so. Is there anything else I can help you with? Since, uh, I've got such good eyes?"
no subject
Dirk didn't appear to notice any wariness at all. He was so used to people being uncertain of him, or put off by him, that he was well practiced at ignoring it until it went away. If it went away.
"I'm so glad you asked," he perks up immediately, particularly pleased, it wasn't every day that somebody offered help. "Can you see any other details on the book, the author or publisher perhaps?"
no subject
"The author's Mabel Watts. There's six blackbirds on the cover with Red Riding hood. Two bunnies. And... I think it's a weasel? The pointer is on the weasel, if that helps."
no subject
"That's a remarkable amount of detail," Dirk seems surprised that Clark could see all that, but not so much that he's going to pry - yet.
"I think that's all we can find out from here, and also the policeman is looking at us suspiciously so we should probably move along. Ooh, let's go and look up Mabel Watts and see if she is significant, or maybe we could find some blackbirds. Oh! Or a weasel. What do you think?" his chief method of detecting was to follow someone who looked like they knew what they were doing, after all.
no subject
"...how do we, uh, look up a weasel? I mean, they're not exactly in the phone book..."
Or they usually aren't? Who knows how it is over here.
no subject
"Oh I wouldn't worry about that, we'll probably find the weasel if it's important. Or he... or even she, I suppose there's nothing to say the weasel is male." Dirk nodded, and he's already edging away from the crime scene because the policeman in question is definitely heading in their direction
"We should find this Mabel Watts. Come along."
no subject
"Those books were written a long time ago, I think."
...also why is he coming along? Who is this guy?
no subject
"Very good point," Dirk says delightedly "You're such a good assistant, I'm so glad I chose you." Well, technically the universe did, but Dirk's not going to split hairs about who gets the credit
"First order of business then, finding out if Mabel Watts is alive."
no subject
"I've got my laptop at my hotel room if we want to do some research."
no subject
"What a good idea! Yes, let's go there." he doesn't seem to have any issue with just inviting himself into somebody else's hotel room, and starts marching off purposefully before realising the slight flaw in his eagerness and turning to Clark.
"Where is there?"
no subject
"I'm staying here. Mostly because it's cheap."
Look, that flight around the world that he'd won had not only crashed, it also hadn't covered hotel expenses. JUST the flying. Which was funny, if he thought about it.
no subject
"Oh, do you have money problems? You'll probably find that they go away if you're helping me, the universe usually has a way of providing." he paused, considering this for a moment and then frowning "Or they'll get worse. I feel like it's important to let you know that, sometimes the universe is funny like that."
no subject
"But I guess the universe is funny like that. I won a trip around the world... and had the plan crash land in New Jersey waters, of all places."
@lisa
Maybe it was time.
After all, he... well, he couldn't imagine anyone half as wonderful as her. Certainly hadn't met them at school. His whole town knew. Maybe they could have Christmas and he could tell her about... everything. Not just let her assume he was a metahuman because he could.
He made sure to pick up flowers for her, and he was careful with her present. Then it was just a matter of dressing nice and ringing the doorbell, one hand pushing the Santa hat puff out of his eyes.
♥!
Christmas was never really a big deal to her. Lately, it was more the time of year she could count on a bigger payload, one way or another. But she was staying in this year, planning on a quiet, Die Hard marathon kind of Christmas.
The doorbell ringing is a surprise, and she's apprehensive at first. Until she sees who it is and laughs as she opens the door.
"Couldn't find the chimney?"
no subject
"I could but these shoulders, man..." he shrugs them just for her before holding out the flowers. The gift he holds onto, mostly because it's small.
"Were you doing family stuff or... well, I finished up with mine. I thought we could spend some of the holiday together?"
no subject
"Mind the door jamb with those shoulders," she tells him as she gestures him inside.
"Just me and John McClane," she assures him, still smiling. "But we're flexible," she adds, turning to find something resembling a vase to put the flowers in.
no subject
"Threesome with John McClane? I think I can do that," he teases before following her in and closing the door behind her.
"Did you eat yet?"
no subject
"Thought you might be able to keep up," she calls back to him, just as much teasing. It only takes a moment to fill a vase with some water and get the flowers arranged.
"Not yet," is her answer to his question, so she opens the fridge-- and shakes her head. "Hope you have that under your jacket somewhere, too."
no subject
"Nope. It's set up someplace else."
He tilts his head.
"If you'll come with me."
no subject
She gestures to her sad, sad fridge.
"Going to take me away from all this?"
no subject
And that's a deep breath in. Because he's going to be asking a lot of her here.
"Can you trust me?"
no subject
"Of course," she replies, attempting to turn in his arms to get a better look at him. Historically, someone feeling the need to ask her to trust them hasn't gone well.
But she's always been a fan of taking the risk, anyway.
no subject
"Okay. Then... close your eyes?"