ataraxion | ( 01 ) video ♧ and if we don’t live to be old and faint

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( 01 ) video ♧ and if we don’t live to be old and faint

[ oh hello, giant creepy spaceship. have a shiny, shiny smile directed your way. said shiny smile is attached to a freakishly put together looking gentleman. dapper, one might call him. ]

So... space, huh? [ neal adjusts his cuffs-- he's wearing a suit (a real suit: classic, 50's style devore, for any suit buffs) because fuck that jumpsuit crap right in the ear-- fussily, smile dropping wattage just a tiny bit. ] Does anyone want to catch me up a little more on that, out of curiosity? Because I have to admit, other than the bits and pieces I caught wandering around the first day I have no idea what's going on.

Anyway, come on. Help a new guy out, anybody? [ smile ratcheting up another few notches. aaaaaand HOLY CHARM BATMAN. doesn't everyone watching just want to drop everything and help? (yes. your answer is yes.) ] I'll owe you one.

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{ He knows how Con Artists smile Mr. Caffrey; you are not very convincing hiding the fact you reek of dodgy. He identifies people like you for a living and you just have him all alert. He notes the fact you have yet to give a name, or state what you know already. Considerable less amount of panic or spite then the other prattling on the network. He notes the taste in fashion and the way you're trying to get people to trust you. ]

To avoid the repeat of information, what do you already know?

[ 'reek', really? neal much prefers his metaphors with less implied bad personal hygiene. and for his part, neal knows faces like sherlock's-- the careful eyes, the way he stands. in response, neal adjusts himself; lets a few signs of nerves slip through before masking them again. maybe his instincts are off, but he'd lay good money they're not. ]

Space, no way out, don't eat the blue goo. Just the basics.

[ He's willing to do this dance, Neal. He's been needing stimulation like this for months. A good classy criminal will do all the fixing. He notes the slip in action, puts it under scrutiny. He examines him but if most are an open book; Neal reads to him like a trilogy in a second language. He goes head first, rethinking about how Neil adjusted his cuffs and what he could deduce from those hands. ]

You can eat the blue goo, it's surprisingly salty. More that 5 ml sends you to the medbay.

[ He filters through his hard drive of a brain, trying to take note of what he knows in summary ]

The year is 938 After Earth. We're on board the Tranquility. The first batch that came here, found that the crew was missing save for Ward and Resnik. Ward is the ships captain. Basics. Did you want anything in specific?

[ it's a trap, Neal. ]

Edited 2012-01-18 10:42 (UTC)

[ the dance is the best part, in neal's opinion. his fatal flaw (...one of them) is he loves attention too damn much to slip away from the chase while he still can. so he ruthlessly keeps any hint of smile from his face and flexes his right hand, gingerly, then shoves it in a pocket before pulling it out again and smoothing down his shirt. after that satisfyingly fun cocktail of mixed signals, he almost grins-- sherlock's move. ]

A good friend of mine is always reminding me that 'can' isn't always a synonym for 'should'. I stand by the original statement.

[ neal takes all that in, his attention sharpening as he combs through the facts, trying to decide what to believe before just mentally filing it all away for later. ]

Where would I even start on specifics? [ his chuckle is wry and self-depreciating and one hundred percent fake. ] I'm not used to alien abduction taking place outside my TV... and the front page of the Post, once and a while.

[ guess who shares that flaw? But no curiousity is his strongest asset and biggest weakness. Sherlock is all about the chase; regardless of the catch. He knows where your getting at it, the way your doing it on purpose. Tease, he thinks but does not say out loud. He leans over, fingers press against each other and hover briefly on the tip of his nose before he brings them down. ]

Should. Wise words. [ The kind you probably ignore, by the sounds of it ]

[ close proximity with a man like a Neal, what a picture that paints. he's trying to discern where exactly on the spectrum you stand Neal ]

It would be a questionable world if that was an every day occurrence.

[ neal's a showman at heart; crime's not just a way to make money, it's a means to feed his various interpersonal addictions. it's also probably part of why the world at large knows the name neal caffrey, and in his adult life mozzie's never seen the inside of a police station, let alone a jail cell. the thought of mozzie makes neal's hand twitch-- once, unbidden-- reflexive movement like after kate. ]

If he's here, I think I'll keep you saying so to myself. He gets kind of smug, you understand how it is. [ there's genuine fondness there, and the air of an old joke-- 'still caught you, caffrey. twice.' 'is that ever going to get old?' 'not really, no.'-- that's so well worn in it's barely a joke at all anymore. ]

'We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.' [ neal throws out the quote idly, without emphasis. god, testing the waters is the fun part-- he'd almost forgotten the rush of a good con shaping up. ] Mulder and Scully dealt with it-- and people in glass houses, as the saying goes. [ he gestures around his room, shrugging a little. aliens aren't quite so ridiculous right now, honestly. ]

Edited 2012-01-18 11:32 (UTC)

[ Reflection? Exhibiting signs of missing people, not entirely uncommon for those fresh out of the stasis tube. He leans forward. he partly wished Neal and he would have met in person. ]

As do you, surely.

[ A quote? He searches momentarily. Familiar, something Mycroft probably read, sounded like Thich Nhat Hanh if he was being honest, but he wasn't entirely sure. Quoted from memory, Sherlock observes. He decides on Shaw ] The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.

[ He's going to let that pop culture refrence slide, mostly because he doesn't know it ]

Introductions are well due, or should I simply try to refer to you by the crimes I'm about to deduce you've committed? We do need more of the criminal classes on board - I was beginning to get bored.

[ neal likes the communicators. they add another element of control; i shift this way, the play of light over my face changes just enough to help build a lie. lying to a camera is harder, in certain ways. ]

Well, I wouldn't say smug... I usually go with confident.

[ but smug fits nicely. they taught a class on how really fucking awesome he is at crime, come on. who wouldn't be smug?

neal quirks one eyebrow at the shaw-- and the entirely spot-on assessment-- pursing his lips and returning with some emerson instead of replying right off. ] Everyone hides his real character, and reveals it by hiding.

Speaking of: who said I was a criminal? I know the recession has a lot of people in trouble, but hedge fund managers are still operating on the technical right side of the law.

[ neal was a hedge fund manager once for real, trufax.

...he robbed all his clients blind, right. never mind then. ]

[ The words were synonymous. Sherlock is trying to pick apart every lie or indication of one. He deduces Neal's time period, and location from the accent and the tones. He guesses con artist from the smile and he is leaning forward. Curious for the most part. ]

Appearance blinds, whereas words reveal.

[ In the video, Sherlock gets comfy, like he wants to be here a while. He can tell Neal is going to easily be one of the more interesting people on the ship. ]

Yes, the tip of the iceburg. Con Artist, I would think from that body. The video grain between the communicators do blur the details so. It's easy to operate on the technical 'right side'; but let's remove technicalities and see how much you define as right.

[ that curiosity seals the deal-- it means if he wants to stay off the radar, he should stop talking. but neal is at his happiest keeping six balls in the air, not two, and he's a consummate showman. sherlock's laser eyed attention plays right into that need to be someone's focus. he's the best at what he does-- but he needs someone to play his brilliance off, or everything feels a little duller. ]

And misused words generate misleading thoughts.

[ settling in himself, neal arranges his face in a look of the most sincere hurt. how could you suspect him like this, sherlock? his heart bleeds. ]

I didn't know con artists had a specific body type. Learn something new everyday, I guess. [ now he furrows his brow, sincere enough to fool anyone else watching but with enough labor put in sherlock should see through it in a second. ] The same way everyone else does. The usual thou shalt nots, following the law... I think you might have the wrong guy, sorry.

[ 'following the law'. LULZ. ]

[ This is why he likes urging Neal to go on. The world is your stage and Sherlock is in the front row of the audience, transfixed by your performance. He's trying to break where character meets actor. Lay it out and study everything in depth. ]

One great use of words is to hide our thoughts.

[ There are edges of a smile at Neal's feigned hurt. Cry more, Neal, not buying it nope. ]

Specific types do. One's that do a lot of - physical work. [ He raises an eyebrow, have the wrong guy? Doubt it. ] - Then enlighten me, what sort of 'guy' do I have then?

Edited 2012-01-25 04:24 (UTC)

[ this is such a bad idea. but this is the best neal's felt since the disorientation wore off, and he found himself stuck in an empty, echoing space, far from any touchstones. ]

Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings- always darker, emptier and simpler.

[ tears are a step too far. only an amateur pulls out tears as their first line of defense. now, a bit of a glimmer? that can work. not here, but it can. ]

You seem to know a lot about con artists. [ EYEBROW RAISING MATCH: ON. ] Maybe I should be asking you what kind of guy I have.

As it should be. To start of introductions - you're a con artist, middle class upbringing. Undoubtably American, quite possibly New York. Also, forgery. As a mild deduction to your specific field. Perhaps, art - but without concrete evidence to that; apart from the fact you know your quotes and have that flair.

[ Oh hit a weakness. He's a big fan of Neitzche and he was trying to work his way into quoting it. You beat him to it, he's mildly impressed. Well charmed is the better word, but he's not going to admit to that, ever. He decides on an old favourite ]

The game is afoot. I'm a Consulting Detective, the only one in the world. Would you want my name or a convincing pseudonym?

[ Oh god, what is he doing. he'll regret this in the morning. He knows it. Oh okay. Yes, he's grinning. ]

Edited (OKAY PFFT. I WILL STOP EDITING. sdlaksld;) 2012-01-25 05:23 (UTC)

[ ...four out of five. peter's known him for years and he's around there still. neal's impressed, in spite of himself-- and a little gratified that his careful erasure of anything that indicated he grew up poor still holds up. ]

I'll give you everything but the con artist and forgery. Okay, no. One time I copied my mom's signature to get out of telling her about detention.

[ that would be george devore speaking-- the alias seems appropriate for the moment, and nick halden's a little too showy to just slip him on mid-sentence. no, george is enough like neal that neal can read his lines without needing to adjust his body language first. ]

He pleaded still not guilty. [ a smirk tilts his mouth. that was a good return on the serve, even for him. ] And that depends. Which one do you want from me?

[ just ooooooone more shot, bb. come dance topless on the crime bar. ]

Edited 2012-01-25 07:11 (UTC)

[ God jeez Neal, stop playing hard to get and let Sherlock analyze youuu. ]

Everything else was obvious.

[ He's copied Mycroft's signature to get out of parking tickets and lawsuits. But he doesn't wanna go there either. Everyone's capable of a little forgery and he just wants to discuss it with you. He takes in Neal's example and starts shifting through his aliases; but he's also played his piece. He's not going to go back from consulting detective. ]

I would say truth but that's dull.

[ Truth or Lie, Neal. He studies you for a beat before he makes his introductions. ]

And the name is Holmes. Sherlock Holmes.

[ but that would be boring. someday, maybe neal will put on one of his aliases and let sherlock analyze him, see if he picks up on nick halden's old knee injury or the way steve tabernacle really needs glasses but is too vain to admit it. ]

I'll take that as a compliment. Like the song says, it's a hell of a town.

[ neal purses his lips, thoughtfully. einstein could work here, but why not close out with a little emerson. ]

Truth is beautiful, without doubt. [ if sherlock's as well read as neal is, he'll know the rest of the quote. ] Caffrey. Neal Caffrey.

[ He's pretty sure he'd get on pretty well with Steve Tabernackle and George Danvary sounds like a douche. Sherlock wants to see if Neal can catch when he's acting and brings on the crocodile tears and misplaces his tenses to illicit a reaction. The quotation catches him off guard; mostly because Neal doesn't finish it. He indexes the brain for the latter half and resists every urge to chuckle. ]

I must say, I was expecting a pseudonym. Are you going to go on pleading not guilty, Neal?

[ Have an eyeroll ]

[ steve was a great alias, he really was-- it's a shame he's one of the ones peter burned. nick halden's good, but he's no steve. ]

I'd swear it in front of a judge. [ his grin grows at that eyeroll; oh, sherlock. can he take you home and keep you? he'll feed you, honest. ] But then again, you're not a judge. You're a-- consulting detective, right? Impressive.

[ the reason for the smugness: he usually just goes by 'consultant', but neal's a consulting agent. more or less. look, he has a badge and it's very shiny. ]

[ The consulting criminal, and a none lethal one. He would have been able to pick that up in person - possibly. Damn video was so limiting. The Camera shakes for a bit as if Sherlock is tilting it trying to get a better view. Oh whoops that was caught on camera, uh yeah he's going to steady that and not bother explaining. ]

So the swear would be meaningless. Quite so, when the police are out of their depths - which as you should know - they often are, they ask me for - advice. How do you get by, what was it? Managing hedges?

[ Totally calling you on that ]

[ neal watches the camera shake and after it steadies, moves half out of frame on the pretext of grabbing something-- he does want his sketchbook, but more than that he wants to keep sherlock paying attention. it's harder to read half a face-- hardly impossible, but it makes for more work. ]

Not necessarily. I said I'd swear in front of a judge, but that doesn't count out other options. [ neal's worldviews on legality: summed up and put in practice. ] Sounds like your careers a lot more meaningful than mine. I just shuffle around rich men's money to make them even richer.

[ Oh Sherlock's been pulled in attention. He's been focused on nothing else but this conversation, which is to say a lot. Since Sherlock rarely gives anything his full attention. He questions why Neal's made half of his face available; and his mind becomes a string of: 'What is he getting?' and shifts to 'what is he playing at'? - He doesn't make a move to attempt to try to adjust his comms device yet. ]

Hardly. I do it to keep me entertained, while you make sure people keep their pensions and I'm sure you have a jolly good time calculating returns on investments. Obviously, you have the nobler pursuit.

[ Voice is a bit dry. Y U P. COME AT ME NEAL, GO AHEAD WITH YOUR HEDGE FUND LIEEES ]

Edited 2012-01-25 08:45 (UTC)

[ neal makes the right sounds to keep up the act of searching for a few more moments before grabbing his sketchpad and a pencil and settling on his bed, back in frame. he doesn't look back up, however, instead staring down at the blank page before beginning to draw. ]

And I do it to make even more money for myself. Noble isn't the word for it.

[ he continues to draw, stopping every so often to tilt his his and consider, then beginning again. ]

[ He uses ample time that your not in frame to fully asses Neal's surroundings. Noticing the way Neal's body and the way he walks out of frame, using the time to study his mannerisms. He reassess what he knows about Neal. ]

Clearly our definitions of noble should be put up reconsideration.

[ He'll let Neal draw, watching his eyes drift from the paper to the video. He let's the man continue for a few moments; before deciding to speak. He would hit himself over the head, but he wanted to study Neal up close and Neal wanted to draw. NO ATTRACTION TO THE PRETTY SUITED MAN AT ALL. ]

- Would you want a better view?

[ It's meant to come of as dry. But it's half meant ]

Edited 2012-01-25 09:13 (UTC)

[ neal's happiest being watched, and he doesn't bother to hide the easy way he moves from sherlock. gymnastics, yoga, running, some light weight lifting-- neal's built to twist and turn and move, not to overpower. as dispassionate as it sounds, bodies are just another tool. he uses his face to his best advantage-- why not the rest of him? ]

I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

[ sharp lines, is sherlock. all angles and planes. this would be better with color, but it's just a sketch. next time. he looks up at the question. ]

A better view of what? [ now to see if he can get sherlock to ask. ]

[ Sherlock's keen on watching. He has considerably less movement. He's holding stiller for Neal to draw. He's never been one for art unless it's being stolen or had been stolen, to which his knowledge was somewhat in-depth. ]

Of your subject. [ Matter of fact-ly; he's going to hide his fascination with nonchalance. Totally no big deal, nope. ] The quality the images produce is something severely lacking. Details are important and some subjects are meant to be better captured up close.

( 01 ) video ♧ and if we don’t live to be old and faint

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VIDEO - Aaaah. I haven't had internet in a while, ily bby.

VIDEO - YOU'RE BACK NOW THOUGH /leaps on this tag

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VIDEO | neal is like three seconds from the crime flirting full monty

VIDEO | NEAL STOP CHARMING HIM. ITS WORKING

VIDEO | N O P E . G I F

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VIDEO | WHY NEAL WHY, SHERLOCK LIEKS YOUR FACE.

VIDEO | THAT'S THE POINT, BRO. ALWAYS KEEP 'EM WANTING MORE.

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