Lois gives him a look. “Well, yeah.” What did he think would happen?
She leans back against the booth, appraising him for a moment. “I’ve asked enough questions.” If she digs any more, whatever she uncovers probably won’t endear him any further to her. “Do you have any questions for me?”
He was hoping that because it was an empty parking lot they might be a bit more lenient for his missed days but that wasn't the case. But it's not like he wanted to miss the shifts, he just couldn't do them because of the full moon and his boss wouldn't listen.
Her sudden shift makes him blink and he takes a second, looking at her quietly for a moment before speaking.
"Do you ever get scared? Like real, full on terrified?"
[Richard shrugs off the old beaten up leather bomber jacket he's wearing and hangs it up before standing in the kitchen archway to watch Richard work in the kitchen.]
Do you always leave your doors unlocked? That's a good way to killed you know.
That’s an interesting question. Lois’s face doesn’t betray any surprise though.
“I have been, a few times when working on stories. You don’t expose corruption without making the people that are doing the corrupting pissed off. I’ve received threats before.”
"It is about a detective. He's not solving a proper case so much as he's digging into the history of his family, trying to root out the eldritch in it and discover more about who he is."
He doesn't tell Richard that the novel's practically an autobiography. He hasn't told anyone. Why would he? They say write what you know indeed, which is why Claurant hasn't been itching to write a second novel. He's told his story. So long as nothing else major happens, he's content with that.
"So it's like a Lovecraftian noir? Very cool." Richard says with a smile, "I played an 8-bit horror video game last year that kind of had the same idea."
His plate practically licked clean he pushes the dish away from him and leans back a little in his seat.
"So how does it end? Does he go mad or does it have a slightly happier ending?"
"That's exactly the way to describe it, yes." And exactly how to describe his life. In between his work he weaves an adventure into the depths of magic and mayhem, into the abyss time and time again. It's left its scars, on his hands and in his mind, and Claurant runs his fingers over a few of them as he thinks.
"I went for a bit of both. It ends overall well enough, but the protagonist is forever scarred and it's obvious." Was he predicting his own fate? Perhaps. "My agent said the original ending was a touch too grim."
He inclines his head towards the empty plate, still wringing his hands about each other. "I can fetch seconds for you if you want."
“I tell myself that I’m doing my job to help people tell their stories to the world. To hopefully help them get justice. I turn threats over to the police. I’ve learned self-defense. I keep a bat by my front door. I tell myself that the discomfort and fear is temporary, that it will be worth it in the end.”
Lois laughs a little at that. “I don’t think most Americans carry guns. I’m not current on the stats… a lot have them, but not many actually carry them around.”
She sips her beer. “I thought about it. I know how to shoot. That doesn’t mean that I like guns though, and I’d rather not have one in my house unless some psychopath decides to take one of my articles really personally. Then I’ll have to rethink my decision to just rely on the bat and my fists.”
"If it's any consolation I think that you have such a dominant and strong personality that you probably wouldn't need to bust out the bat if someone popped by to complain about your articles." He says with a smirk, "You'd probably scare the shit out of 95% of those weirdos."
"Right! Yeah!" He says, his eyes lighting up from both her little admission and the topic of music. It's one of his passions and as he speaks he leans forward excitedly.
"I've seen a ton of really good ones, but probably one of the best was Siouxsie and the Banshees. They almost never tour in Canada and it was in a medium sized venue so I could get really close to the stage."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 03:10 am (UTC)"Fuck no! No one would pay me for that kind of stuff."
He leans forward enough to signal to the bartender that they want another round.
"Let's see....I was a security guard at an empty parking lot for a while. That was pretty odd."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 03:36 am (UTC)Their next round of beers come out and Lois takes a sip of hers.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 03:55 am (UTC)"I missed a couple of shifts in a row and they fired me."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 04:20 am (UTC)She leans back against the booth, appraising him for a moment. “I’ve asked enough questions.” If she digs any more, whatever she uncovers probably won’t endear him any further to her. “Do you have any questions for me?”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 04:35 am (UTC)Her sudden shift makes him blink and he takes a second, looking at her quietly for a moment before speaking.
"Do you ever get scared? Like real, full on terrified?"
no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 04:49 am (UTC)"No shit, really? What's it about? A case?"
Don't they say to write what you know?
for @soicantlose (tfln continued)
Date: 2026-01-02 05:13 pm (UTC)[Richard shrugs off the old beaten up leather bomber jacket he's wearing and hangs it up before standing in the kitchen archway to watch Richard work in the kitchen.]
Do you always leave your doors unlocked? That's a good way to killed you know.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-03 02:15 am (UTC)“I have been, a few times when working on stories. You don’t expose corruption without making the people that are doing the corrupting pissed off. I’ve received threats before.”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-03 08:34 am (UTC)"How do you get past it?"
no subject
Date: 2026-01-03 03:19 pm (UTC)He doesn't tell Richard that the novel's practically an autobiography. He hasn't told anyone. Why would he? They say write what you know indeed, which is why Claurant hasn't been itching to write a second novel. He's told his story. So long as nothing else major happens, he's content with that.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-03 06:27 pm (UTC)His plate practically licked clean he pushes the dish away from him and leans back a little in his seat.
"So how does it end? Does he go mad or does it have a slightly happier ending?"
no subject
Date: 2026-01-03 07:34 pm (UTC)"I went for a bit of both. It ends overall well enough, but the protagonist is forever scarred and it's obvious." Was he predicting his own fate? Perhaps. "My agent said the original ending was a touch too grim."
He inclines his head towards the empty plate, still wringing his hands about each other. "I can fetch seconds for you if you want."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-04 02:58 am (UTC)“I tell myself that I’m doing my job to help people tell their stories to the world. To hopefully help them get justice. I turn threats over to the police. I’ve learned self-defense. I keep a bat by my front door. I tell myself that the discomfort and fear is temporary, that it will be worth it in the end.”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-04 11:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-05 03:00 am (UTC)She sips her beer. “I thought about it. I know how to shoot. That doesn’t mean that I like guns though, and I’d rather not have one in my house unless some psychopath decides to take one of my articles really personally. Then I’ll have to rethink my decision to just rely on the bat and my fists.”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-05 03:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-05 03:48 am (UTC)It was pretty obvious during their sexting that he likes her dominant personality. Lois has no problem leaning into that with him.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-05 04:19 am (UTC)"Yeah, guilty as charged on both accounts."
He lifts his eyes to meet hers.
"I think you like that as well though."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-06 02:24 am (UTC)“I do,” she confirms. “You were going to tell me about the best concert you ever went to.”
That was one of the things they had decided they would talk about when he asked her for drinks.
ooc: his laugh really is like a big giggle XD
Date: 2026-01-06 04:23 am (UTC)"I've seen a ton of really good ones, but probably one of the best was Siouxsie and the Banshees. They almost never tour in Canada and it was in a medium sized venue so I could get really close to the stage."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-06 06:51 am (UTC)"No thanks, any more and I'll have to unbutton my pants and you probably don't want to see that."
he’s adorable
Date: 2026-01-07 01:52 am (UTC)Lois groans. “I’m so jealous! I never got to see them perform, though I’ve seen Siouxsie on her own a few times. She’s so cool.”
He is 💙 and such a dork
Date: 2026-01-07 04:23 am (UTC)Which means she has great taste.
"Another great one was when I saw Peaches in this tiny dive bar, she poured a beer on my head during it. It was great!"
no subject
Date: 2026-01-08 01:51 am (UTC)“It took balls for you to ask me here tonight.” Honestly, Lois wasn’t sure if Richard had it in him.
for @superjournalist (tfln jail continued)
Date: 2026-01-08 02:44 am (UTC)Just the satisfaction in knowing I'm making this up to you.
They don't usually but you'd be surprised at how forgetful cops can be when dealing with a naked guy, they didn't notice that I snuck my cellphone.