#oriomn

[whywhitby]

THE THING ┊ starter for @oriomn

whitby perches on the very edge of his seat, practically hovering mid - air from the sheer intensity of his focus. it was a gamble, really. he wasn't sure this tactic would work with missouri. the man is sharp. and yet, there it is: whitby's opening.

the long days must be getting to him. with a carefully controlled expression, whitby presses his next move into the keyboard... and hits enter just a bit too enthusiastically.

❛ fool's mate, ❜ he crows over the tinny beeps that come from the computer. a sultry, feminine voice pipes up from the device:

bishop to g-6. check.

with the first real smile he's given missouri all day -- no, all week -- whitby sprawls back in his chair, king, if only for a moment.

[cranetm]

The warehouse is a dark, dank place. Massive industrial kettles and tanks stand still in the dim light, though an acrid smell lingers in the air from earlier in the day, when they were operational. The Scarecrow is a busy man, and his work demands increasing amounts of product. The sound of trickling water can be heard from nearby, where an aqueduct runs through the space, under a grate, save for a few yards, where Crane's men sometimes dump waste.

Whole segments of the massive space are divided by strips of vinyl. Though not sufficiently sheer to be seen through, they are just translucent enough for one to discern vague shapes -- movement.

It is right as Missouri has begun to busy himself with the contents of a storage cabinet that he hears one of the doors click open, somewhere on the other side of the room. The sound of the door shutting echoes... followed by slow, measured steps.

Perhaps they haven't caught on to Missouri's presence, just yet.

@oriomn

[whywhitby]

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖕𝖊𝖓𝖌𝖚𝖎𝖓 𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘

╰┈➤ @oriomn :: ❛ you don’t seem surprised to see me. ❜

❛ should i be? ❜ whitby's voice remains oddly steady for how violently his pulse rushes.

❛ i'm only― ❜ ...disappointed? whitby lets out a shuddering, frustrated breath. he's cornered and exposed. and maybe that's fine. playing dumb was never particularly appealing to whitby. should missouri decide to do something about it, he could easily eliminate two birds with one stone: extinguish the threat while disposing of his irritating junior detective. whitby's survival rides on the hope that their bond is unbreakable. the rational part of him knows very well that this is not the case.

❛ ..there's no need to put on an act, kite. this could be convenient for you. ❜

[whywhitby]

◤ @oriomn ◢ ➥ looked back.

whitby awakens to the sound of the ocean and the gentle rock of a boat against the waves. that isn't right. opening his eyes reveals that nothing but ocean stretches out before him, and in the boat, sitting right across from him, is none other than...

whitby sits up violently enough to rock the vessel, clutching at the side like a madman. his head swerves, and, before saying a single word, he attempts to make sense of their surroundings, aggressively disregarding the way his heart races. his instinct was to be alarmed at what missouri did, as far as he last remembers, but― central has strange rituals. could drugging really be that much worse than, or different from, hypnosis?

massive stone pillars stand in the water behind them, but it's difficult to make out much else through the fog. ❛ is this..? ❜ he looks back in utter confusion at missouri. ❛ is this it ― ? ❜

but something feels off. whitby is beginning to wonder if he made a terrible mistake.

[whywhitby]

BODILY HORROR PROMPTS.

╰┈➤ @oriomn said :: ❛ you fed it again, didn't you? ❜

whitby spends a good five seconds opening and shutting his mouth, struggling and failing to come up with a lie that might satisfy missouri. the look on his face makes it clear that it's already too late for that.

❛ her. i fed her. ❜ the words spill out of him with an air of defensiveness, regardless of whether he has any right to it. already, whitby can feel his face growing warm with embarrassment. his gaze drops away from missouri's face. that makes it all a bit more tolerable, at least. ❛ she's helping us, actually. ❜ crazy. you sound crazy. still, he drives on, utterly single - minded. ❛ so, really-- we owe her. in a way. ❜

[cranetm]

◤ @oriomn ◢ ➥ entered the fray.

it isn't often that crane summons his men to arkham. today, however, he had to make a point. in any case, the presence of cops is far from unusual in his institution. no one would bat an eye. ❛ sit down. ❜ crane sits at his desk, spindly fingers interlaced atop a closed file. there is something expectant in the way he stares at missouri. attention from the good doctor is never good.

❛ flass gave me a call, this morning, ❜ he starts, deathly calm. almost unnaturally so. he finds flass repulsive. but a rat is still a rat, regardless of how disgusting he may be. informants are necessary in gotham. crane continues to steer the conversation, each word uttered softly. the lead up before the bomb finally goes off.

❛ he was concerned, kite. do you know why? ❜