[ it starts like this: a big abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of london, strange sounds at night, reports made, real, living people sent to investigate it missing. it's a ghost whose house is near the warehouse who comes to make the request — disturbing my peace, it is, all them lights at night, the shouts, a terrible racket! can't a fella live their afterlife in peace? you'll take it, won't you, and it's exactly the kind of job for them —
them. him and who? it's an agency, for sure, and yet when he tries to remember who it is that was there with him, taking the case, the details slip from his grasp like slippery fish. all he knows that it is them, now, him and root (his friend, his big sister in spirit, tough and quicksilver and bullet-smart, he'd trust her with his afterlife), standing here in front of the warehouse, intent on interrogating the ghosts there for details. ]
Right, ready?
[ he doesn't think there might be a chance root wouldn't see them — she sees him, doesn't she? that's enough. ]
[ Of course Root would go on a mission with Charles. In her mind this is a number, and maybe the Machine isn't speaking to her directly at the moment -- too dangerous with Samaritan around -- but she's found way to get them numbers before. Or maybe it's not a number at all, and she's just trailing along with Charles on one of his cases. Root is far too curious, and too protective, to let him go alone.
It doesn't feel like the details matter to her, either. She's dressed in her favorite black leather moto jacket and has her customary two pistols hidden at the small of her back tucked into the waistband of her pants.
She tosses her hair back over her shoulder like she's getting into character. ] To solve mysteries with my bestest ghost bud? Always. I'll follow your lead.
[ the gesture makes him grin brightly at her as he reaches into his inner coat pocket and pulls out a pair of glasses — once he puts them on, he suddenly looks completely different, of an age to her, white instead of mixed race, with light brown hair and nondescript features, dressed in jeans and a bomber jacket. ]
Let's go, then. [ yes, even his voice sounds different like this.
though, as they start towards the door, he glances down at himself. ]
Think I should've been a girl, too? Oh, well. Maybe next time.
[ in any case — in they go, the warehouse empty and dusty around them... but there is some movement at the back, a ghost barely visible there, lingering. sounds like a good starting point to him. ]
Did you really just do that? [ she hisses at him excitedly under her breath as they walk, mind immediately going a hundred miles an hour. ] Have you had magical disguise glasses this entire time?
[ Because, wow, the things she could do with that. The things they could do with that. Root is perfectly confident in her ability to play a part without the cheat code, but having someone with her that is completely malleable opens up her range of options drastically.
She won't interrupt the mission or slow them down to go over it, but her eyes are sharp and bright like she has a lot of plans for after it's done. ]
[ in response, he just winks at her — and though it looks slightly off on the face he's wearing, right now, it's a certified charles expression. ]
Well, got to have something in my pocket, don't I? [ quite literally, in this case, as he usually has the glasses in his pocket at all times... and yeah, he can see that she's excited about it, and mentally prepares for questions — but later.
because now is for approaching the ghost, a small girl dressed in what seems like a nightgown, the style vaguely like from the 1940s. ]
Hi, [ charles says, friendly and yet soft as he looks at the girl, ] Sorry to bother you, but think you could answer a few questions for us? My sister here and I, we're looking into the disappearance of our aunt. [ he scratches his neck, almost sheepishly. ] And Mirabelle here says she used to come round here to walk her dog, but I told her no way, this is too far out of the way... anyway, have you seen anyone around here?
[ Oh, she's playing his sister? How cute. Root is so up for that. She hadn't realized investigating ghost mysteries involves quite so much lying to other ghosts. Charles has really been holding out on her -- she has many questions for later. But Root always gets the job done no matter what else is going on for her, and this isn't any different.
She instantly mimics Charles's accent, expression nervous; she fidgets and looks around as she speaks. ]
I'm worried something happened to her. I told her not to come here -- there's all those weird reports -- it's been on the telly and everything.
[ She also wants to find out if anyone has been bothering this little ghost for its own sake. Root will totally take care of anyone who is hassling a young girl, ghost or not. ]
[ yes, apparently so! and root, — mirabelle, now — settles into the role like the pro she is, and charles barely bites back the impressed grin that's threatening to break through.
but no, he's a pro, too, and offers a small, sincere smile at the girl. the girl, meanwhile, glances from one to the other, fiddling with her skirt with her fingers. ]
If she came during the day, it... it should be fine, [ she says, looking down. and then, quietly, ] The pilot's only round here at night.
[ charles glances at root, then, because this is definitely new information... as much as there's a niggling feeling at the back of his mind he's lived through this once before. but no, that's certainly not true, right? right. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dream-melding;
them. him and who? it's an agency, for sure, and yet when he tries to remember who it is that was there with him, taking the case, the details slip from his grasp like slippery fish. all he knows that it is them, now, him and root (his friend, his big sister in spirit, tough and quicksilver and bullet-smart, he'd trust her with his afterlife), standing here in front of the warehouse, intent on interrogating the ghosts there for details. ]
Right, ready?
[ he doesn't think there might be a chance root wouldn't see them — she sees him, doesn't she? that's enough. ]
no subject
It doesn't feel like the details matter to her, either. She's dressed in her favorite black leather moto jacket and has her customary two pistols hidden at the small of her back tucked into the waistband of her pants.
She tosses her hair back over her shoulder like she's getting into character. ] To solve mysteries with my bestest ghost bud? Always. I'll follow your lead.
no subject
Let's go, then. [ yes, even his voice sounds different like this.
though, as they start towards the door, he glances down at himself. ]
Think I should've been a girl, too? Oh, well. Maybe next time.
[ in any case — in they go, the warehouse empty and dusty around them... but there is some movement at the back, a ghost barely visible there, lingering. sounds like a good starting point to him. ]
no subject
[ Because, wow, the things she could do with that. The things they could do with that. Root is perfectly confident in her ability to play a part without the cheat code, but having someone with her that is completely malleable opens up her range of options drastically.
She won't interrupt the mission or slow them down to go over it, but her eyes are sharp and bright like she has a lot of plans for after it's done. ]
no subject
Well, got to have something in my pocket, don't I? [ quite literally, in this case, as he usually has the glasses in his pocket at all times... and yeah, he can see that she's excited about it, and mentally prepares for questions — but later.
because now is for approaching the ghost, a small girl dressed in what seems like a nightgown, the style vaguely like from the 1940s. ]
Hi, [ charles says, friendly and yet soft as he looks at the girl, ] Sorry to bother you, but think you could answer a few questions for us? My sister here and I, we're looking into the disappearance of our aunt. [ he scratches his neck, almost sheepishly. ] And Mirabelle here says she used to come round here to walk her dog, but I told her no way, this is too far out of the way... anyway, have you seen anyone around here?
no subject
She instantly mimics Charles's accent, expression nervous; she fidgets and looks around as she speaks. ]
I'm worried something happened to her. I told her not to come here -- there's all those weird reports -- it's been on the telly and everything.
[ She also wants to find out if anyone has been bothering this little ghost for its own sake. Root will totally take care of anyone who is hassling a young girl, ghost or not. ]
no subject
but no, he's a pro, too, and offers a small, sincere smile at the girl. the girl, meanwhile, glances from one to the other, fiddling with her skirt with her fingers. ]
If she came during the day, it... it should be fine, [ she says, looking down. and then, quietly, ] The pilot's only round here at night.
[ charles glances at root, then, because this is definitely new information... as much as there's a niggling feeling at the back of his mind he's lived through this once before. but no, that's certainly not true, right? right. ]