[Squinting a little at the notion, he actually took a moment to consider it.]
I’m not... sure how to answer that. Would I actually know if they weren’t really there without attempting to interact with them directly?
[He waves a hand at the suggestion of a medic, Llewellyn wasn’t really used to people fussing over him. It was usually the other way around, and so he tended to be rather confused and dismissive of such things. Were it Cassian with the potential head injury, he likely would have dragged the other man to see a medic while he was still out cold.]
Hmm? Oh- Uh, no. I’m sure that there probably isn’t any lasting damage. I did wake up, after all.
If you're sure. [ Derroc doesn't press the point; he seldom does, being (by design) the sort of person who abhors rocking the boat. He shrugs it off, in favor of sliding a credit chit across the counter while the vendor puts Watts's order together. ] Anyway, I just dragged you into a cab and then dumped you on your bed. No problem.
I don’t say things without a degree of certainty, Derroc. It would be foolhardy of a detective to be prone to such a thing.
[He’s very preoccupied by the food being prepared, anyway. So at least that much was normal, and it probably meant that Watts was right. It was nothing serious, and what ever symptoms remained would likely clear up without incident.
A rueful smile crossed his face at the explanation of what Derroc had done post-punching, though. Even he knew that he was mostly an awkward amalgamation of long arms and legs, that had probably been a bit of a complicated mess to drag and toss around. Probably like moving a tall corpse, if he had to hazard a guess.]
Well, all the same I definitely owe you a drink or two for the aid. It was a pleasant surprise to wake up in bed instead of at the bar or in an alleyway.
Well, it's not like I was gonna leave you there. [ Another quick, easy grin. ] But I'll take you up on that anyway. Unless you'll be too busy detecting later.
[ Food arrives in flimsy, conical reed baskets, smelling rather better than it looks, and the vendor gives them a friendly three-fingered wave as they move off. ]
Well it wouldn’t be the first time I woke up in a strange place.
[His next words are a tad absent-minded. The smell of food is more than distracting as he scooped up his basket and followed Derroc away from the vendor with a quick word of thanks.]
Well, I’m not working on anything particularly interesting this week, I’m afraid. Currently I’m stuck with a routine ‘background check.’
[A one handed air quote makes an appearance as he studied the dumpling and tried to decide where to start from. There wasn’t much puzzle work to satisfying a nosy persons interest in someone else, but some times you had to take a boring case to pay the bills.]
So depending on your own schedule, I could probably fit it in.
[His expression pulls into something slightly pained, though it has nothing to do with his head.]
Uh- well... Yup. That would describe this on almost exactly, despite the phrasing they used when hiring me.
[Llewellyn’s mood bounces back fairly quickly, though. A curious bite of a dumpling revealing that it was actually pretty good, and just what he needed to push the less than ideal state of his cases out of his mind for a moment.
[ If he notices the expression he gives no sign. His tone is rueful. ] Except when they're not, yeah. Then I get to pull all-nighters, and not the fun kind.
[ On that plaintive note he embarks on his own dumpling, chewing meditatively. It is pretty good, if a bit briny. ]
I would argue there is no fun in being kept awake all night.
[Watts valued his sleep, as scarce as it was sometimes.
He lapsed into silence for a few minutes while he continued to eat away at the dumpling until it was broken by Derroc’s hum, almost missed when a passing group distracted him.]
Your tone and expression suggest you have some particular thoughts on your mind?
Not by work, no. [ With a flash of a sidelong grin - not that he's ever shown that sort of interest in Watts, but Derroc flirts halfheartedly with almost everyone, the nervous reflex of a man who wants to be liked a little more than he values his dignity.
He looks up again, blinking, when Watts breaks the awkward pause that follows. ] Oh. Just trying to figure out the mystery eggs. Maybe that should be your next case, yeah?
I can’t imagine a reason to enjoy it, aside from perhaps a good book.
[Was his vaguely distracted response, followed by a puzzled silence for a moment or two. Watts was not a stupid man, but there were some things that took him a little longer to catch on to. Flirting generally went over his head, made a few circles, then landed.
One second... Two seconds...
Then his brows rows comically and the most awkward expression crossed his face as the comment finally settled properly across the tracks to derail his original train of thought.]
Oh.
You uh— Yep. Point taken, Derroc.
[Derroc got a front row seat to the embarrassed stuttering babble, followed by a noise that was a cross between a cough and clearing his throat. At the same time, he didn’t particularly have to worry about Watts taking him seriously either. Not because he wasn’t attractive or anything (though Watts still tended to follow up compliments with critiques on some fashion choice), but more because the detective usually lived by the assumption that others didn’t seriously think of him that way. Flirts were offered as a joke, or he mistook it to be about someone else. Maybe that was a bit sad in respect to how he viewed himself, but it was simply the way of it.
Plus, Derroc was a good friend. Occasional penchant for getting him flustered aside, Watts liked having him around and would endeavour to not chase him away by making what he considered unlikely assumptions.
Of course, bringing his attention back to food generally worked to smooth things back into the natural flow of conversation. Watts hummed a little, before taking another bite of his dumpling and considering the flavour more closely himself. Satisfied, he shrugged lightly.]
Actually I think it’s fairly simple, but I generally avoid food related cases if I can. Sometimes you would rather not know what you’re eating, otherwise you may not look at your favourite dish the same way again.
[Spoken from experience, Watts had once learned the hard way when you looked into what went into what and the unsanitary conditions that they were prepared in. There were several vendors he couldn’t quite look at the same way, even if he did end up still eating there despite the health risks.
Despite his apparent thoughts on what sort of eggs were used in the dumpling, he also failed to elaborate. Either to save the meal or he really did think it was obvious enough that he didn’t need to say.]
That sounds ominous. [ Not that it deters him, either - Cassian doesn't waste food once he's got it, an instinct he sometimes has to suppress. He decides Derroc doesn't either, at least not on so slight a pretext.
Gossip, on the other hand. ]
As long as it doesn't kill us. [ Then, as if reminded: ] What ever happened with that guy, anyway? The, you know, the poisoned wife guy?
[ The Imperial garrison commander, that is. Whose name Cassian knows quite well, along with a few other key details, and whose case was giving Watts a headache the last time Cassian was actually here. ]
[Watts’ expression shifted to something decidedly describable as a scowl. The case had been frustrating enough as it was, and Derroc had already gotten quite the earful last time he’d been on planet about it while the detective had been in the middle of the investigation. Now that it was behind him, he was honestly even more annoyed by the whole matter.
Taking another large bite of his dumpling with some obvious agitation, he responded a minute or two later.]
Ah, yes. The imperial garrison commander’s wife.
[Another small grimace, as though the matter left a bad taste in his mouth.]
That was a mess, and not my finest work if I’m being honest. Not that you can wrap a case up in a satisfying manner when someone is unreasonable, lacks human decency and is really quite spectacularly stupid.
[Watts didn’t tend to harbour animosity for his clients, but when angry enough he certainly didn’t hold back.]
As it turns out... the entire case was a sham. The entire time I was running around investigating, wasting resources and the time of my consultants for nothing, she wasn’t poisoned at all. Just wanted to make a stir, garner some attention and attempt to lead the investigation in a direction that would benefit the both of them.
I suspect when he hired me, he was under the impression that my being fired from the police meant that I wasn’t particularly good at my job. That I wouldn’t figure out what was actually going on and that he could cast doubt and build a case against someone that was standing in his way.
... For a promotion of all things!
[He stopped long enough to finish off the rest of his dumpling, clearing his throat a little he continued with a huff.]
He was uh— quite mad when I confronted him about it, demanded my files and that was apparently that! Wouldn’t even pay the full sum for my services... rude on top of everything else.
[With a small tug to straighten his jacket sleeves, he glanced sidelong with a slightly more relaxed expression. Perhaps even a bit conspiratorial, as he tended to trust Derroc when he had something under his hat that he was working on.]
What he doesn’t know, is that I keep backups of all my casework.
Mm... And that I might have started a file on him and his wife. I have reasons to suspect that a man so keen to victimize others for status alone has more than one secret, the sort that could use a little light being shed on them once enough pieces of the puzzle get sorted together.
[It wasn’t that he was petty or vindictive, Watts was simply dogged in his pursuit of the truth. He had a hard time letting something go once he sunk his teeth into it. It tended to get him in trouble more often than not; but he hadn’t died yet, so it was trouble that was well worth it in his books.]
Edited (Words I’m picky) Date: 2020-01-31 04:19 am (UTC)
[ A sputter of laughter. ] You've gotta be kidding me. How was fake-poisoning his wife supposed to get him promoted? Was she in on it or something? That's wild.
[ He sobers, though, as Watts continues, his expression shading from sympathetic indignation to downright concern. Glances around them, his dark eyes a little too wide to be convincingly casual. ]
Is that - I mean, what are you gonna do? If he does?
Oh she was definitely in on it. It was an uh— ill-conceived attempt at framing someone else that would have been considered for promotion first.
[Watts actually stops walking, head tilting slightly at both Derroc’s expression and his question. His own expression was vaguely perplexed, brow furrowed as if he thought the answer was so obvious.
Straightening his posture a little, he waved a hand vaguely as he answered.]
I’m... going to do the right thing, Derroc. I’ll expose him for what he is and make sure he’s stopped.
[Had he really thought through what the consequences of blowing the whistle on powerful individuals could mean for him? Had he considered the possibility of retaliation or an attempt to silence him? Perhaps... Though it was far more likely that he hadn’t taken the time to, the man was often blinded by the need to make things right.
He squints a bit, trying to work out the wide-eyed expression his friend currently wore.]
Mm... I can’t help but note that you seem surprised by this?
[ He did not, admittedly, plan for this. He knows Llewellyn to be a canny observer, conscientious, well-intentioned, honest by his lights. He hadn't realized until now that he's also blisteringly naive.
Under other circumstances Cassian would inform him of the fact without wasting words, would pin him down with pointed questions until he spontaneously came up with a less stupid idea - but. Well.
He cuts another look over his shoulder, free hand rising to scratch nervously at the back of his neck. ] I just - [ An uncertain half-laugh. ] Don't want to see you in trouble I can't get you out of, you know?
I would never just expect you to get me out of that kind of trouble, that’s uh— a rather awkward position to put a friend in. Potentially dangerous, even...?
[And... He’s honestly missing the point entirely. Not surprising if you knew the man at all, he’s not used to people watching out for him if his surprise at waking up in his own bed were anything to go by.]
Mm... Besides, I’ll only be in trouble if they find out the information leak came from me.
[He’s... still working out that detail. So he sounded less confident than he would have liked to on the matter, but it isn’t like he could just pretend that he didn’t know anything and move on. Llewellyn couldn’t simply collect all these files and then sweep them under a rug because the person was powerful or important in some way, that’s what everyone had wanted him to do when he worked on the local force. It was why they finally fired him.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t afraid of the consequences of pursuing these sorts of cases, Llewellyn knew what it was like to be in danger of various kinds and he certainly didn’t enjoy it. Unfortunately, afraid or not, he was usually driven to see things through to the end.]
You and I both know that I can’t uh— I can’t just not do anything about it. People like that— the whole system... it can’t be allowed to continue as it is.
[ Derroc winces, direct hit to a bystander's uneasy conscience. ] Yeah, okay, okay, just-- just be careful. [ He reaches over, pressing his knuckles against Llewellyn's sleeve for a moment, and his tone softens. ] Okay? Be careful.
[ In the back of his head, he's calculating rapidly. He's seen Watts on a vindicated tear before now. There's no stopping him, but maybe if Cassian can slow him down, keep a rein on the situation, he can salvage this. Throw the weight of Derroc's cowardice behind his concern. Divert some of that righteous energy into winning him over, enlisting his technical aid. Let Watts convince his friend, and get his own hands on these files in the process. Maybe. Maybe. ]
[The tone, and the gesture, go a long way for softening Llewellyn up. It always does when someone expresses their concern for his well-being considering how unused to it he was. It’s a very smart move on Cassian’s part. It would slow the detective down, or at least keep him a little more mindful for a time. How long that would be for was anyone’s guess, probably only as long as it took for him to find something that blew the case open and prompted him to act quickly.
Still, it would stall him somewhat.
But he finally nodded and tried to put on a confident smile. It’s still a tad awkward, but he thinks it should do the trick to settle Derroc’s nerves on the matter.]
You have my word, I’ll do my best to be careful. After all, It won’t do anyone any good if this information gets buried.
Yeah. [ He relaxes visibly, smiling back - reassured, if not wholly relieved - and gives Watts's shoulder a good-natured nudge. ] Yeah, you're right. No point borrowing trouble, right? [ And then, hurriedly changing the subject: ] How's the head? I've got a couple painkillers if you need them.
[He smiles, a little more at ease and glad that he’d apparently settled his friends mood. Even if it was only a touch less concerned than before, it was a win.
Turning his attention to the question, he offered an awkward expression.]
Well, uh— I did get knocked out by a Wookiee, so it could be better? [They pack quite a lot of force behind their punches.] I did take something before I left to meet you though, Derroc. So! I should be fine. I’ll be sure to take you up on the offer if what I took doesn’t work.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rosecarmine
TFLN December 16th, 2019 Cont. - Watts & Cassian in spaaaaace
Date: 2019-12-16 11:36 pm (UTC)[Squinting a little at the notion, he actually took a moment to consider it.]
I’m not... sure how to answer that. Would I actually know if they weren’t really there without attempting to interact with them directly?
[He waves a hand at the suggestion of a medic, Llewellyn wasn’t really used to people fussing over him. It was usually the other way around, and so he tended to be rather confused and dismissive of such things. Were it Cassian with the potential head injury, he likely would have dragged the other man to see a medic while he was still out cold.]
Hmm? Oh- Uh, no. I’m sure that there probably isn’t any lasting damage. I did wake up, after all.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-12-17 04:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-12-17 03:17 pm (UTC)[He’s very preoccupied by the food being prepared, anyway. So at least that much was normal, and it probably meant that Watts was right. It was nothing serious, and what ever symptoms remained would likely clear up without incident.
A rueful smile crossed his face at the explanation of what Derroc had done post-punching, though. Even he knew that he was mostly an awkward amalgamation of long arms and legs, that had probably been a bit of a complicated mess to drag and toss around. Probably like moving a tall corpse, if he had to hazard a guess.]
Well, all the same I definitely owe you a drink or two for the aid. It was a pleasant surprise to wake up in bed instead of at the bar or in an alleyway.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-12-26 04:48 pm (UTC)[ Food arrives in flimsy, conical reed baskets, smelling rather better than it looks, and the vendor gives them a friendly three-fingered wave as they move off. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2019-12-26 08:05 pm (UTC)[His next words are a tad absent-minded. The smell of food is more than distracting as he scooped up his basket and followed Derroc away from the vendor with a quick word of thanks.]
Well, I’m not working on anything particularly interesting this week, I’m afraid. Currently I’m stuck with a routine ‘background check.’
[A one handed air quote makes an appearance as he studied the dumpling and tried to decide where to start from. There wasn’t much puzzle work to satisfying a nosy persons interest in someone else, but some times you had to take a boring case to pay the bills.]
So depending on your own schedule, I could probably fit it in.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-12-29 05:32 am (UTC)[ He shrugs again, offers a deprecating smile. ] You know me, I'm pretty flexible.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-12-30 02:18 pm (UTC)Uh- well... Yup. That would describe this on almost exactly, despite the phrasing they used when hiring me.
[Llewellyn’s mood bounces back fairly quickly, though. A curious bite of a dumpling revealing that it was actually pretty good, and just what he needed to push the less than ideal state of his cases out of his mind for a moment.
The magic of food, it seemed.]
Mm... These are actually not bad.
[His brow raised with a slightly thoughtful ark,]
That you are, or at least your hours are.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-01-09 08:06 pm (UTC)[ On that plaintive note he embarks on his own dumpling, chewing meditatively. It is pretty good, if a bit briny. ]
Hmm.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-01-10 03:38 pm (UTC)[Watts valued his sleep, as scarce as it was sometimes.
He lapsed into silence for a few minutes while he continued to eat away at the dumpling until it was broken by Derroc’s hum, almost missed when a passing group distracted him.]
Your tone and expression suggest you have some particular thoughts on your mind?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-01-22 04:11 am (UTC)He looks up again, blinking, when Watts breaks the awkward pause that follows. ] Oh. Just trying to figure out the mystery eggs. Maybe that should be your next case, yeah?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-01-24 07:20 pm (UTC)[Was his vaguely distracted response, followed by a puzzled silence for a moment or two. Watts was not a stupid man, but there were some things that took him a little longer to catch on to. Flirting generally went over his head, made a few circles, then landed.
One second... Two seconds...
Then his brows rows comically and the most awkward expression crossed his face as the comment finally settled properly across the tracks to derail his original train of thought.]
Oh.
You uh— Yep. Point taken, Derroc.
[Derroc got a front row seat to the embarrassed stuttering babble, followed by a noise that was a cross between a cough and clearing his throat. At the same time, he didn’t particularly have to worry about Watts taking him seriously either. Not because he wasn’t attractive or anything (though Watts still tended to follow up compliments with critiques on some fashion choice), but more because the detective usually lived by the assumption that others didn’t seriously think of him that way. Flirts were offered as a joke, or he mistook it to be about someone else. Maybe that was a bit sad in respect to how he viewed himself, but it was simply the way of it.
Plus, Derroc was a good friend. Occasional penchant for getting him flustered aside, Watts liked having him around and would endeavour to not chase him away by making what he considered unlikely assumptions.
Of course, bringing his attention back to food generally worked to smooth things back into the natural flow of conversation. Watts hummed a little, before taking another bite of his dumpling and considering the flavour more closely himself. Satisfied, he shrugged lightly.]
Actually I think it’s fairly simple, but I generally avoid food related cases if I can. Sometimes you would rather not know what you’re eating, otherwise you may not look at your favourite dish the same way again.
[Spoken from experience, Watts had once learned the hard way when you looked into what went into what and the unsanitary conditions that they were prepared in. There were several vendors he couldn’t quite look at the same way, even if he did end up still eating there despite the health risks.
Despite his apparent thoughts on what sort of eggs were used in the dumpling, he also failed to elaborate. Either to save the meal or he really did think it was obvious enough that he didn’t need to say.]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-01-29 02:53 am (UTC)Gossip, on the other hand. ]
As long as it doesn't kill us. [ Then, as if reminded: ] What ever happened with that guy, anyway? The, you know, the poisoned wife guy?
[ The Imperial garrison commander, that is. Whose name Cassian knows quite well, along with a few other key details, and whose case was giving Watts a headache the last time Cassian was actually here. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-01-31 04:17 am (UTC)Taking another large bite of his dumpling with some obvious agitation, he responded a minute or two later.]
Ah, yes. The imperial garrison commander’s wife.
[Another small grimace, as though the matter left a bad taste in his mouth.]
That was a mess, and not my finest work if I’m being honest. Not that you can wrap a case up in a satisfying manner when someone is unreasonable, lacks human decency and is really quite spectacularly stupid.
[Watts didn’t tend to harbour animosity for his clients, but when angry enough he certainly didn’t hold back.]
As it turns out... the entire case was a sham. The entire time I was running around investigating, wasting resources and the time of my consultants for nothing, she wasn’t poisoned at all. Just wanted to make a stir, garner some attention and attempt to lead the investigation in a direction that would benefit the both of them.
I suspect when he hired me, he was under the impression that my being fired from the police meant that I wasn’t particularly good at my job. That I wouldn’t figure out what was actually going on and that he could cast doubt and build a case against someone that was standing in his way.
... For a promotion of all things!
[He stopped long enough to finish off the rest of his dumpling, clearing his throat a little he continued with a huff.]
He was uh— quite mad when I confronted him about it, demanded my files and that was apparently that! Wouldn’t even pay the full sum for my services... rude on top of everything else.
[With a small tug to straighten his jacket sleeves, he glanced sidelong with a slightly more relaxed expression. Perhaps even a bit conspiratorial, as he tended to trust Derroc when he had something under his hat that he was working on.]
What he doesn’t know, is that I keep backups of all my casework.
Mm... And that I might have started a file on him and his wife. I have reasons to suspect that a man so keen to victimize others for status alone has more than one secret, the sort that could use a little light being shed on them once enough pieces of the puzzle get sorted together.
[It wasn’t that he was petty or vindictive, Watts was simply dogged in his pursuit of the truth. He had a hard time letting something go once he sunk his teeth into it. It tended to get him in trouble more often than not; but he hadn’t died yet, so it was trouble that was well worth it in his books.]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-04-18 04:29 am (UTC)[ He sobers, though, as Watts continues, his expression shading from sympathetic indignation to downright concern. Glances around them, his dark eyes a little too wide to be convincingly casual. ]
Is that - I mean, what are you gonna do? If he does?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-04-18 02:08 pm (UTC)[Watts actually stops walking, head tilting slightly at both Derroc’s expression and his question. His own expression was vaguely perplexed, brow furrowed as if he thought the answer was so obvious.
Straightening his posture a little, he waved a hand vaguely as he answered.]
I’m... going to do the right thing, Derroc. I’ll expose him for what he is and make sure he’s stopped.
[Had he really thought through what the consequences of blowing the whistle on powerful individuals could mean for him? Had he considered the possibility of retaliation or an attempt to silence him? Perhaps... Though it was far more likely that he hadn’t taken the time to, the man was often blinded by the need to make things right.
He squints a bit, trying to work out the wide-eyed expression his friend currently wore.]
Mm... I can’t help but note that you seem surprised by this?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-04-25 10:34 pm (UTC)Under other circumstances Cassian would inform him of the fact without wasting words, would pin him down with pointed questions until he spontaneously came up with a less stupid idea - but. Well.
He cuts another look over his shoulder, free hand rising to scratch nervously at the back of his neck. ] I just - [ An uncertain half-laugh. ] Don't want to see you in trouble I can't get you out of, you know?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-04-26 05:29 am (UTC)[And... He’s honestly missing the point entirely. Not surprising if you knew the man at all, he’s not used to people watching out for him if his surprise at waking up in his own bed were anything to go by.]
Mm... Besides, I’ll only be in trouble if they find out the information leak came from me.
[He’s... still working out that detail. So he sounded less confident than he would have liked to on the matter, but it isn’t like he could just pretend that he didn’t know anything and move on. Llewellyn couldn’t simply collect all these files and then sweep them under a rug because the person was powerful or important in some way, that’s what everyone had wanted him to do when he worked on the local force. It was why they finally fired him.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t afraid of the consequences of pursuing these sorts of cases, Llewellyn knew what it was like to be in danger of various kinds and he certainly didn’t enjoy it. Unfortunately, afraid or not, he was usually driven to see things through to the end.]
You and I both know that I can’t uh— I can’t just not do anything about it. People like that— the whole system... it can’t be allowed to continue as it is.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-05-21 10:50 pm (UTC)[ In the back of his head, he's calculating rapidly. He's seen Watts on a vindicated tear before now. There's no stopping him, but maybe if Cassian can slow him down, keep a rein on the situation, he can salvage this. Throw the weight of Derroc's cowardice behind his concern. Divert some of that righteous energy into winning him over, enlisting his technical aid. Let Watts convince his friend, and get his own hands on these files in the process. Maybe. Maybe. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-05-22 05:26 pm (UTC)Still, it would stall him somewhat.
But he finally nodded and tried to put on a confident smile. It’s still a tad awkward, but he thinks it should do the trick to settle Derroc’s nerves on the matter.]
You have my word, I’ll do my best to be careful. After all, It won’t do anyone any good if this information gets buried.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-05-23 04:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-05-23 01:35 pm (UTC)[He smiles, a little more at ease and glad that he’d apparently settled his friends mood. Even if it was only a touch less concerned than before, it was a win.
Turning his attention to the question, he offered an awkward expression.]
Well, uh— I did get knocked out by a Wookiee, so it could be better? [They pack quite a lot of force behind their punches.] I did take something before I left to meet you though, Derroc. So! I should be fine. I’ll be sure to take you up on the offer if what I took doesn’t work.