#* ribslit .

[laughshe]

   ‘i thought i wouldn’t see you again unless you were in trouble.’ @ribslit​

                         there was a smile lingering on her lips . the potential of its’ proportions was tremendous . harleen kopski was just doing her best to stay in character while standing in that parking lot . there she was ; THE GOOD DOCTOR ! so professional , so proper ! oh , so hard to perform these days .   “   well , i’ve got some bad news for you , detective .   ”   harley looked at jim and saw herself only a few months back , dying to fit in , dying to be perceived as someone to be taken SERIOUSLY . she pursed her lips together , trying to hold back the sudden urge to laugh in detective james’ face . the poor man had done nothing wrong . just another fella trying to keep things balanced , trying to do what he thought was right . there was something noble in that , surely ! if only harleen could SHOW HIM how futile that all was   (   the suit , the badge , the gun , the morality   )   ! how could he think he would even the score if he didn’t realize he wasn’t PLAYING THE GAME ? 

                              “   i don’t get into trouble . trouble gets into don’t i .  ”  there was a pause then . blue eyes squinted ever so slightly as members of the police force got into their vehicles , ready to begin their well-deserved journey home  (  glorified hounds , the lot of them ! spoiling everyone’s fun just because they got to wear a uniform !  )  . harley’s controlled façade fell apart as she realized her mistake . the psychiatrist pouted and quickly pulled back , tugging her blonde hair behind both ears .    “   ah shit . that wasn’t ... sorry , can we start this again ? just repeat that cool thing you just said and i’ll fo               “    suddenly , the earth shook ! a loud sound caused everyone in the parking lot to shriek and jump . BRIGHT ORANGE FIRE BROKE THROUGH A CAR’S WINDOWS . detective jim james’ car , to be exact . glass and small car parts had been sent flying . it was a miracle no one got hit ! but despite the momentary shock in dr. kopski’s eyes , her expression quickly melted into something more subdued .   “   yikes .   ” harleen wrinkled her nose .   “   guess i really blew it , huh , jim ?  ”

[detectiev]

@ribslit​ / starter call thread

                    ━━━     rust had arrived early . there were a few detectives slouched over their desks already , but they all seemed sluggish , distant . all hoping for the the fumes of their coffee cups to deliver them COURAGE . he examined the room with an arched eyebrow . cohle was supposed to be meeting another detective there . one that would guide him through the folders of a particular case . both of their jurisdictions had became linked ; a series of grizzly murders had stained both states in blood . same scenarios , same profiles on all the victims ... the monster rust was looking for could be more FEROCIOUS than he had initially thought . he checked his watch . his colleague ought to show up thirty minutes from now . JIM JAMES JR . the name had rang a bell in the depths of cohle’s subconscious , but he couldn’t quite remember why .

                                      he slowly walked through the desks sprinkled across the room , letting his heavily-lidded blue eyes drag themselves over phones and piles of unread documents . sometimes they’d catch a wedding picture , other times a family one . either way , rust always had to pull his gaze away from them .      ━━━     that job only became dangerous when you had something to lose . all those pictures CELEBRATED WHAT WAS AT STAKE ; all of them reminded the men and women working in that department of just how many victims a single slip up could create . something bitter and metallic latched onto the roof of rust’s mouth . he needed to STEP OUT of that familiar mind space . find a way to distance himself from all the gazes in those family portraits . they were too similar to his own daughter’s and to the gaze of countless other kids , hidden in the depths of the louisiana state police’s headquarters , laying in piles of crime scene photos , lifeless , still , quiet . rustin felt his jaw tighten . 

                                     it was in his search for anything that would aid him to not drown in nostalgia that his eyes landed on a newspaper clipping . it was laying abandoned upon a rather empty desk . detective cohle squinted his eyes ever so slightly when finding the title . big bold letters read “CUMBERLAND KILLER STRIKES” . slowly the thoughts of dead children began to dissipate . his memory was clawing at something else . rust grabbed the newspaper clipping reading through it carefully . OFFICER JIM JAMES JR . was mentioned there . not as a hero but as a lucky victim . the only survivor left by the cumberland killer to this day . rustin fluttered his lashes in quiet disbelief .