SEBASTIAN SHOULD HAVE FIGURED that he'd see him . he knew it was a forseeable potential consequence of going to the animal shelter . but , his work overtakes everything else for him -- as it always did -- and so he had come over anyway . when he heard about the break-in in the building next to the shelter , he had decided to investigate . while he had ran the news breaking of the initial story , part of figuring out more on the break-in meant visiting the neighbouring businesses .
IT STILL DOESN’T ACTUALLY PREPARE him at all , though . and sebastian hates that small part of him that is relieved to see that he's okay , knows that that break-in could have easily been in the shelter instead . but sebastian keeps a blank face before turning to adrien .
SEBASTIAN FORCES HIMSELF TO focus , compartamentalise and do his job . he keeps the initial greeting brief with a , “ hey , adrien , ” before delving into why he's here . it's better this way than wasting both of their time . “ so two nights ago , there was a break-in at the place next door . were you working that night ? ”
VANITAS IS TIRED , EXHAUSTED , really . but when is that something new ? this constant dull ache that hangs onto them like a virus . tonight is a busy night , at least . they had taken on two shifts , someone else called out earlier in the day , and well . vanitas was getting paid for it , so it's not like they can entirely complain . but fuck , are they tired . their body is going to hate them tomorrow when they can barely stand given that they’ve been standing for hours already .
WHEN SOMEONE SITS DOWN in front of the bar counter , they put down the pint glass they’re polishing for the past five minutes while listening to someone else crying about their lives , the typical ‘ my partner left me ’ drama . they internalise the sigh of irritation they want to give . before finally they’re speaking , keeping their voice even , “ what are you going to be drinking ? ”
WORK HAS ALWAYS COME the easiest to benoit . not for nothing short of the fact that when it came down to it : his job when taking out all the frills and intensities -- was simply the act of observation . that's truly the prime of what he does , and it’s never quite been something he’s ever been able to turn off . so , when he spots a familiar scene : an act of pickpocketing ... there’s really no other way he can see it as . a slight of hand , a slip of movement . benoit could let it go . or , his morals could step in .
ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY ? it appears his morals are stepping in . he walks over to the individuals in question , the victim and the thief , as he frowns , “ now , pardon me , but i saw what i saw . and what i saw ? a theft . ” gesturing with his hand , “ i'd say you should give the individual their belonging back . ”
WILL LOVES HIS KIDS , there’s no doubt or question in his mind about it . sure , he never really thought he’d ever be a parent . but after being one , he can’t imagine his life ever not being one . the paternal instinct in him feels like it’s so strong that it’s had to always have been there in him . so even if it hadn’t been in the cards for him , and even if it had been a struggle , he means it when he says there’s nothing about his life that he'd ever change .
THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT ... well ... that he doesn’t get exasperated with them sometimes . even fond exasperation . being a single dad had been a challenge , especially considering richie being richie always caused harry to become ... stabby . but they’ve grown up now , all of his kids now adults . and while he’s done his best to raise them to independence , he made sure they always knew the doors were always open for them if they ever needed him .
SO WHEN WILL HEARS the front door open , he barely startles from where he’s been filleting a fish that he caught . there are only a select few options that it could be possibly be after all . and the footsteps ? are too familiar for will to go on the defensive . “ harry , ” will greets , only looking up when he can feel the presence by the doorway . “ you staying for dinner ? ” if there’s something wrong , he’s sure his son will more than let him know .
IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE FORCE to call in some consultants . they’re a small island , after all , and any help that they can get ? is appreciated . and with the rise in crime , it’s increasingly important for them to solve crimes just as quickly as they’re coming in . there’s been one case that has been ... stressful . one that they’ve been struggling with . and while he could ask for detective graham’s insight , there’s just too many cases he’s already pushed onto the man’s plate , including the active kidnapping case . taking him off the case would be disastrous . but , their medical examiner is at their wit's end , and their forensic team is no different . enter : john watson .
JOHN HAS BEEN A HUGE HELP in the past . and it’s his assistance that he’s counting on now . he had called the man to look at some of the pictures and to read on about the case and hopes that the doctor can provide his insight some more . when the man of the hour walks into his office , he looks up from his papers , “ doctor watson , welcome . thank you for coming in . ”
HE STANDS , PLACING THE REPORTS down to shake the man’s hand , “ i'm sorry for the last minute call , but we could really use your medical knowledge for this case . ”
RHODEY DOESN'T TRY TO BE A WORKAHOLIC . but sometimes : it really does end up happening . to be fair , he knows he’s had a rougher time at work than usual . par for the course , with the rise of crime , truthfully . he knows there's not much that can be done on that front . and he figures it’s better now when eddie’s already older rather than when the kid was still growing up for rhodey to be doing long hours like this . but even with the crime rising , it does put into perspective what matters most .
WHILE HIS SON IS OFF IN COLLEGE , rhodey cherishes the time he does get to see him . after raising him since he was just a baby , he’s always been overprotective over his son . and the idea that something could potentially happen to him while he can no longer keep him safe ? terrifies him . but he trusts eddie and knows he has a good head on his shoulders .
RHODEY DOES HIS BEST TO MAKE HIMSELF as available as possible for if there's ever a time eddie needs him or even just wishes to see him . he does his best to have lunch with his son when he can , to make sure he’s doing well . so when he hears the front door open , he steps over and greets him with a ruffle of his hair , “ hey kiddo . has everything been okay ? good day ? ”
ONE WOULD THINK THAT BEING at the university wouldn't result in a lot of injuries . but it shouldn't be a surprise with the rise in crime lately that not even the university would leave harry being completely safe . there had been an attack on the law department when harry just so happened to be there weeks ago that had still left him shaken . while the attack hadn't left him with much more than a couple of scrapes and bruises , his shoulder that had hit the wall hadn't particularly healed well . or , it had healed over but incorrectly . he had been trying really hard to ignore it , but now ?
HE WOULDN’T HAVE EVEN GONE to the hospital had it not been for the fact that his professors had noticed harry wincing and flinching in pain one too many times . he’s just about to go schedule his appointment when he spots the one person he really didn't want to see at the hospital : his dad . who , this entire time , he had been attempting to avoid in hopes he wouldn't be questioned about why he was here . because of course , harry hadn't told his dad that he ... just so happened ... to have gotten hurt . it hadn't been easy hiding even the bruises and scrapes from his dad given that he hates lying to him , but he hadn't wanted to worry him . but , with his dad right here ? it looks like the truth is coming out . he just hopes ... well . he hopes he's not too upset .
APOLOGETIC SMILE ON HIS FACE , he hunches his shoulders in a bit instinctively making himself smaller only to wince when he feels an ache bloom in his shoulder again . his voice a bit strangled as he greets him , “ hey , dad , ” and after the pain lets up for him to grimace no longer , he adds , sheepishly , still trying to dodge the elephant in the waiting room , “ how’s work going today ? ”
Mulan smiled to herself as her favorite song filtered through her neon green ear buds as she ran through the neighborhood. She was sprinting midday for practice. Definitely not for fun. Who runs for fun? She kept her breathing controlled. She could pass the endurance test no problem, but she did not want to just pass it. She wanted to be at the absolute top of the class. She didn’t want to do it to beat the others at the police academy or set some record, but to prove herself. Make her father proud.
She felt herself slow down. She could take it easy just this one, right? Not gonna undo all her training if she-
danced?
With a quick look around, Mulan started what she liked to call dance fighting. It’s a mix of karate, ballet, and fun.
She twirled around with a high kick, the world swirled around her but. “Oh crap,” she gasped as she saw a blurred figure and tried to stop herself, ending up toppling over onto the hard pavement.
What she pictures:
What she probably looks like:
VANITAS IS ADMITTEDLY JUST NOT even really in the mood . they've been focusing on just staying in their apartment or going to work -- after all , there’s no real reason for the alternative . they’ve never been one for venturing out their apartment without a purpose . it just so happens that today , unfortunately , of all days , they can no longer stay inside given the fact that ( as of last night ) they officially ran out of all of the food in their apartment .
SO THEY’VE GOT THEIR USUAL PLAN : just go in and out , a simple trip to the store , and then they can go home without having to worry about anything else before work starts at ten . they just hate having to cross through the park to get to the marketplace to get the sustenance they need . somehow , by some fucked up nature , things just always seem to be happening in the park . from people busking to walking their pets to doing fucking tightrope walking between trees , things always get in their way .
IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE , IT APPEARS that that notion is quite literal this time as someone actually falls and tumbles in front of them . great . while they probably should go forth and ask if she’s okay , well ... vanitas never claimed to be a kind person . so , instead , they find themselves having sidestepped the toppled figure and walks around them .
FINALLY A RARE DAY THAT HARRY’S not going to be spending his hours at the university for once , taking the time off to rest for once . it does say a lot , however , that he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself even during his break . he's so used to pushing himself as much as he can that when he finally gets the chance to relax , he doesn’t know what to do with that chance . regardless , he had decided to take a walk , clear his head .
IT DOESN’T TAKE HIM LONG TO REALISE that he’s walked himself around the island for hours at this point before he’s finally stopped by where adam works as a barista at . a tiny , fond smile on his face grows into a bigger one when he realises , too , that he’s visiting right as his boyfriend’s shift should be ending .
HE WALKS INSIDE AS THE BELL CHIMES his entry as some of the staff who recognise him nod at him in acknowledgement before he’s sitting down at a table . when adam is close enough to see him , harry greets him , “ hey , i thought i’d visit you . i was thinking we could go out to dinner once your shift finishes ? ”
HARRY’S FORTUNATE , OF COURSE , to have a good support system for when he's overworking himself . it's as if peter has a sixth sense for when he's distressed , really , because he's always there for him . and while harry hasn't been entirely transparent with peter , is still hiding the fact that things have been off with him , but he doesn't want to worry and weigh his best friend down with all of his issues . so , instead , he's throwing himself into his work . at least ... this way , he can't lie if peter has no opportunity to ask him if he's okay . it's so incredibly hard enough just to lie to adam that he's okay . to peter ? he doesn't know if he'd sound even remotely convincing .
BUT WHEN HE SEES PETER walk over , he doesn't resist the smile that finds its way on his face . “ hey pete , ” he runs a tired hand through his hair , “ please tell me that you've had a better day than me . ” and after a beat as well , “ and that you haven't had lunch , so we can grab something together . ”
IT COULD BE A WORSE DAY , sebastian's sure , but frankly : the bar has always been low . keeping your expectations at ground zero stops any level of disappointment he'll feel for how shitty the day will -- because it will -- get . he still has to wait for approval on his article regarding the girl who went missing since the festival which was supposed to come sooner , but his boss was out yesterday .
HE’S NOT BOTHERED BY IT . seriously .
REGARDLESS , HE CAN PUSH aside his work for an hour . he's sitting at the place where he was expected to meet up with draco for lunch . the other has yet to arrive , and he's just about to check his phone before he can see the other out of the corner of his eye . “ so . ” he offers a small smile , “ everything all good ? ”
“ you can’t … loiter , ” she lamented . it felt awkward to approach someone with such news , but the rules were the rules . to be fair , it was specifically warned against in the shape of signs decorating the street down which the shop could be found . to sit & mooch off of the wifi & space that she paid for without paying what underpriced sum of money juliet asked for was anti - productive for both parties . plenty of students came through & studied at her tables , but at least one or two of them tended to buy something in order to placate her — not to mention that the caffeine was necessary to keep themselves working during the late hours . “ i’m sorry , — i hope you understand . ”
CHRIS HAS BEEN SO FOCUSED ON FINISHING his assignment before the deadline that he doesn't realise he's been sitting in the cafe for almost an hour without drinking or buying anything . it doesn't help that everything's been going wrong , with him having to restart the assignment after it hadn't saved correctly -- hell , to him having to go to the cafe to begin with because the wifi in the apartments was particularly shit . but this assignment is so much of his grade , and he's unwilling to ruin his gpa over a general education course . he refuses that , frankly . he pauses when he hears a woman talking to him , glancing up and at the time . fuck . he's got twenty five minutes left before he has to turn it in . “ look , i am so , so sorry , really -- but i have a paper worth thirty percent of my grade due in less than an hour -- i'll buy twelve drinks if i have to to make up for this , but i really just need to finish this . ”
It was already rare that Maleficent left her shop, rarer still that she left for anything that wasn’t terribly necessary. Yet, something in the florist compelled her to throw on a simple outfit and make her way down to the beach. Though she preferred the feeling of dirt between her toes instead of sand, she could not deny how wonderful that salty breeze felt. It was just light enough for her dark tendrils to twirl and billow around her sharp face. She’d decided to stop her stroll when her ears detected footsteps fairly close behind her. “Lovely day for a walk…” she started, turning to face the other as she continued, “Isn’t it?”
BENOIT TENDS TO PREFER THE RUSTLING OF TREES to the crashing of the ocean . truly a matter of personal preference of course . but that doesn't mean that he doesn't enjoy a peaceful walk down the beach every now and then . it's a nice way to clear his head , to do a mental reset . especially after some of the long cases he's been doing along with the force , it helps to take a step back and get some perspective . working on overworked mind never helped anyone , after all . he's just enjoying the tranquility of the scenery and the silence before it's broken by a woman's voice . he smiles before nodding in agreement , “ quite so . it's always good to get some fresh air , especially on a day as nice as this . ”
❝ be honest . ❞ when he’s sure he has their attention , richie raises his arms and lets the outdated , fringe-addled sleeves of his jacket fall into the empty space . it’s gaudy , it’s awful , and the worn black suede clashes miserably with the loud print of the shirt he wore so proudly . his questionable taste is something cruelly innate , it seems . ❝ ya think stevie nicks would approve ? hell , do you ? ❞
WILL IS HAPPY WHENEVER HIS SONS VISIT HIM . he swears he is , he knows they’re all grown and off at school or work , and he's glad to see them when he can especially given all the things that's have been happening on the island . still though . they drive him insane sometimes . he finally glances up from where he's reading a case file to see ... well ... whatever richie has on . “ richie ... what are you wearing ? ” he doesn't stop the exasperated but amused tone his voice takes on , “ where did you even get that ? ”
Marta was at a complete loss for what to pick out. She’d been in the antique shop for close to half an hour and had still not settled on what to bring home. Having lived in her little space for so long, she figured it was time for her to update her decor a bit. However, nothing really inspired her. As she walked, she paused at a painting that was sitting off towards the back. Staring intently at it for a moment, she summoned the courage to tap the shoulder of the person nearby. “Excuse me, umm…I’m so sorry, but I-I need a second opinion.” she said, pointing to the painting at the back of the room, “Can you tell me what you think of this painting? It…makes me feel something, but I’m not sure what.”
AFTER GROWING UP IN A HOUSEHOLD hyperfocused on presentation , sebastian has always been lectured on the importance of a good decor piece . and while he definitely wants to put everything about his life prior to the past several years away , he's getting sick of seeing how plain his apartment is for once . which says a lot because he's so rarely inside it . just goes to show how much he actually does happen to despise the monotony in his apartment . he's just looking at a couple of things to put in his bookshelf when he feels a tap on the shoulder . “ uh ... okay , alright , ” he turns fully to look at the painting in reference , shrugging at a beat or two . he knows what the writer in him would describe the painting as , but the realist in him says otherwise . “ i mean ... it's a nice painting of a spring meadow ... not really my kind of thing , but it could be yours . ”
to say harry is paying attention would absolutely be the opposite of the truth. as always he’s staring off, pen on paper with small doodles of mindless thought. none of it made sense but neither did his thought process. “i’m sorry– what?” he asked when addressed, “i didn’t hear anything you said.”
CHRIS REALLY NEEDS TO PASS THIS CLASS . it’s one of the last general education classes he has left for his upper division to graduate , so he knows he has to buckle down , focus and do well . but knowing is different than doing . at the very least , it appears he isn’t the only one . “ ... i don’t suppose you have the notes for the past ten slides ? ”
* NOW PLAYING : WHO WE ARE by IMAGINE DRAGONS . don’t look now, but there’s BENOIT BLANC over there with their GLASSES ! they’re never seen without it . rumours say they hail from KNIVES OUT , but that just doesn’t sound right … after all , the FIFTY year old PRIVATE DETECTIVE has lived their whole life here ! if they didn’t , surely they’d remember SOLVING THE THROMBEY CASE . either way , i hope they enjoy their time in somnilia ! / daniel craig , cis male , he / him .
CLARABELLE : hi benoit ! thank you for coming to meet with me . this is just going to be a fun little interview . so let’s start easy ! just for the record : what’s your name , age , gender , and pronouns ?
thank you for having me , ms . cruz . my name is benoit blanc , i am fifty years old ... ah , and i am cis male , so masculine pronouns if you'd please .
CLARABELLE : nice ! so what’s your birthday ? we can add it to the town calendar , so that residents can celebrate the day if you’d like !
december twenty eighth , but -- oh , as kind as that is , there's really no need for any celebration ...
CLARABELLE : do i look like an astrology person ? because i absolutely am -- what do you think your astrology sign says about you ?
well ... as far as i know i'm a capricorn ... but i can't say that i know quite much on what that entails . [ capricorns are known for being hardworking and patient , practical -- and not to mention , responsible . ]
CLARABELLE : ah , i see . i heard you have something that you always bring everywhere with you . could you tell me what it is and it’s significance to you ?
[ he laughs a little . ] oh ? they're just my glasses . not quite deserving to be shrouded in such mystique . [ they're brown tortoise round glasses . they are not so close to his being that he can't have them around him ... however , it's useful having them around . after all , when he's not wearing them , it gives him something to fiddle with . he always was one of those people who had to mess around something to keep his mind from running away from him , and his glasses provide that for him . it was , in ways , helpful to ground himself with . ]
CLARABELLE : that’s fair ! so what has life been like for you in somnilia ? what was your childhood like, have you enjoyed your life here ? is there anything you’d change about your life here ?
my life has been perfectly fine . i grew up in a good home , started my own private investigation services . i have my wonderful , wonderful daughter . there's truly not much i would do to change my life here when i already have everything i need in my life as i have it . [ it hasn't exactly been the easiest life , of course . oh , he had great parents , and his father was the one who inspired him to be a private detective . maybe things would have been better had clarke's mother stayed , but he had stepped in to take full care of his daughter , and he never regretted that . but even with all the highs and lows , there was nothing in his life that he would change . sometimes bad things just had to happen for the good to come out . and in his life ... there was plenty of good that he would never give anything up for . ]
CLARABELLE : what do you have to say about those that say life here isn’t what they seem ? if … hypothetically speaking , all of this was fake , what would your real life be like ?
well , i cannot quite discount what others have said since i wouldn't quite know . certainly , the idea of alternate universes isn't something new ... but still . i don't quite know what my “ real life ” would be like , but i'm certain that not too much could be changed . [ a detective's eye was never one that someone could just give up . becoming a private detective was something he always knew he was gonna do . having all of the puzzle pieces lined out for him while he tried to analyse every part of the board ? it came as natural to him as breathing . oh sure , maybe there were some cases that he hadn't taken on , maybe some cases that he had . but the idea that this life wasn't truly his ? not something that he could accept so easily , regardless of how openminded he was when it came to seeing the big picture . ]
CLARABELLE : so now here are some fun little questions .. what is your favourite place here in somnilia ?
how fun -- now i quite like the island’s park ... i know it can be quite energetic sometimes , but it’s always been quite enjoyable to people watch .
CLARABELLE : do you think people are inherently good or inherently bad ?
i think people are just people . no conditionals about it . not everyone is a kind person , but then there are those that are . perhaps no one is born kind , but i do not believe that people are born bad either . i think people get affected by the way that they live . and that's what determines their nature .
CLARABELLE : if you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be ?
perhaps thomas pynchon ? he wrote gravity's rainbow . now i personally never read it , but the title ? fascinating . the path of a projectile determined by natural law .
CLARABELLE : if you could learn any skill , what would it be ?
i would love to pick up learning the viola . what a gorgeous instrument , so underrated , but such a delight to listen to .
CLARABELLE : who or what do you aspire to be ?
i aspire to be a good role model for my daughter , of course .
CLARABELLE : well ! thank you so much for all of that , and i’m so happy to have had this interview with you . i hope to see you around somnilia more in the future !
