#veritas odit moras / ic:abe.

[multiimadness]

cont. / @alwayshorrible

One hour . After months of work , one hour without Murdock was the last push he needed to find the answer , the truth he was so desperately searching for . Part of him wishes he'd never found it . He'd intercepted his partner the murderer in the parking lot . Pulled out his gun and announced that he was under arrest , that he would shoot if he didn't listen . Thank God Murdock had complied . Abe doesn't know if he would've been able to follow through on his threats .

Though his grip remains tight , entire body freezes for a second too long at the other's words . He forces his hands to knock it off as he takes a deep breath , but his exhale is audibly shakey . ❝ I'm not fucking nervous . ❞ Abe manages to get out , moving one hand to keep him pinned while the other haphazardly pats him down . He only frowns at the last question posed , and a huff escapes him as he snatches weapons off of Murdock and tosses them aside . ❝ You're not gonna talk your way out of this , PAL . ❞ Question is left unanswered , but he's almost certain they both know the answer .

Of course I do . You know that . You know that better than I do .

Eventually he eases up , grip immediately going back to Murdock's wrists , allowing him to stand . ❝ You have the right to remain silent . ❞ He states , eyes focusing in on his face , despite clearly not wanting to . ❝ Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law . Do you understand ? ❞

[multiimadness]

△ I heard you’ve met the famous Illinois Jones, Detective. Initial impressions? / Anonymous

Truth Triangle / always accepting

❝ Four . ❞

❝ First impressions , huh ? Well , in order , ❛ This guy is fucking hot , ❜ ❛ He seems arrogant as shit , ❜ ❛ I can tolerate it for this case . ❜ The usual , you know . ❞

❝ Then I , uh . . . ❞ He clears his throat . ❝ I got back to ❛ damn , this guy is gorgeous . ❜ You can't blame me for that . ❞

[multiimadness]

There's a pressure on Abe's shoulder as he sits on the couch. To no surprise, it's Wilford, resting his head there. However, he doesn't seem like his active, bubbly self. One might be forgiven for thinking something was wrong... but he looks as though he has dozed off while colouring in his crossword. (rosetintedgunman. :3c ) / @rosetintedgunman

Abe pays Wilford no mind when he first sits next to him , absorbed in his own newspaper and a hot cup of coffee . The reporter is always hanging around somewhere , and Abe had stopped minding it long ago . He could only assume Wilford had popped in for a break ( his show must've taken the energy out of him , for once ) - honestly though , he didn't care about the reason .

❝ Long day ? ❞ He asks when he feels Wilford's head land on his shoulder , only half paying attention to the tired groan he gets in response . An arm shifts from behind the gunman and drapes itself over his shoulders , hand absent-mindedly playing with his hair .

❝ Yeah , I get that , ❞ Abe hums , now making sure to keep his voice down as the other seems to get more comfortable . He leans over for a moment , and presses a kiss to his temple , before going back to his newspaper . ❝ Stay as long as you like . ❞

[multiimadness]

💋 for Abe~ (if you feel so inspired, no pressure) / @pleasuretomeetme

smooch time !! / accepting

They had both noticed the sound of stone cracking , but the roof of the cave was crumbling before Abe could get a coherent thought in . He'd barely managed to move out of the way in time , instinctively stumbling back ( and managing to trip over himself ) - but in that moment , that was the last thing on his mind .

Of course Abe had assumed the worst . It was like a curse , losing partner after partner to unforseen disasters - he hardly thought this would be any different . Maybe Illinois had assumed the worst , too .

When the dust settles and the detective stands himself back up , a wave of relief washes over him at the sight of Illinois doing the same . ❝ Oh , thank fucking God -! ❞ He had exclaimed as they rushed over rubble and back to each other ( Abe with a bit less grace than Illinois )

Whatever it is the adventurer tries to say is interrupted by a panicked pair of lips against his own . Kiss held for longer than Abe intends , and his heart is beating out of his chest , pounding at his ears .

Then , he realizes what he's doing .

❝ Shit - I - I'm sorry , I didn't - I wasn't thinking - ❞ Apologies fall from his mouth after pulling himself away , the other's gaze burning holes into him . ❝ I'm just , um . . . ❞ A beat .

❝ I'm glad you're okay . ❞

[multiimadness]

❛ you owe me a dinner. a very nice dinner. ❜ — alwayshorrible for aaaaabe because i like them a lot :] / @alwayshorrible

❝ I'm gonna assume that this is your way of accepting my offer , because there is no coming back from this decision . ❞ Abe states , glancing over to meet ever-present shades . ❝ It's a dangerous game you're playing , you know . Every one of my partners died a horrible , painful death in the line of duty , each more gruesome than the last . ❞ He warns . Then , after a moment , he smiles . ❝ Glad to see you're up to the challenge . ❞ Not that he has much of a choice . Abe needs someone with knowledge on this god-forsaken town , and Murdock seems that much more competent than the rest of the folks that reside here . It's strange how incomplete it all feels , like an unfinished story in a place completely severed from the rest of reality . But that's ridiculous , Abe's brain reasons - he's here , after all . He shakes his head and the thought dissipates soon enough .

❝ You'll get your dinner , don't you worry . ❞ A hand claps Murdock's shoulder . ❝ But for now , we've got work to do . I can tell you all about it back at my office , partner . ❞

[multiimadness]

Wilford is here! Sorry Abe. Whatever brooding you were doing will need to be put aside. "Thought I'd find ya cooped up in here. Break time!" He's got a bottle of water that he passes to the Detective, then pulls out a small vase of pink roses out of his trouser pocket that will take pride of place on the desk. They look beautiful, despite the odd hiding place. "I was just thinkin', ah... d'ya wanna maybe go on a walk? Together? It's a beautiful day out there. Or, y'know, we could, uh, stay in here. either." / @rosetintedgunman

❝ FUCKING HELL - you ever heard of KNOCKING ? ❞ Perhaps not the kindest of Abe's greetings , but Wilford did scare the shit out of him , to be fair . He barely catches the water thrown his way , dropping whatever it was he was working on ( pinning photographs to the various different corkboards around the room , red string and all . He really wasn't kidding when he called himself obsessive . )

The roses , beautiful as they are , stand out like a bright pink thumb on the monotony of Abe's office , much like Warfstache himself ( Abe swears the room gets brighter around him ) , but it finds it's place soon enough - or mayhaps , the room finds it's place around it . Mayhaps they find their place among each other , both changing to accommodate one another . It's always hard to tell .

❝ Is it ? ❞ Abe wouldn't know . He's been in here since . . . how long has he been in here ? Doesn't matter . He heaves out a sigh as his eyes glance to the mounds of evidence he's yet to sort through - but he knows better than to ignore Wilford's declarations of break time . He'd throw the detective over his shoulder and carry him out , if he had to . Even so , he always finds it difficult to drag himself away from his work , especially when there's this much . Eventually , he gives a half-nod , gaze flitting back to the gunman .

❝ Yeah , I , uh . . . that sounds alright . I gotta clear my head , anyway . ❞ He sounds more tired than he looks . ❝ Quick question , though - what's with the flowers ? Is it a special occasion , or . . ? ❞

[multiimadness]

△ "Why couldn't you have been honest with us about your investigations?" (Damien, blueheartedmayor, for Abe) / @blueheartedmayor

Truth Triangle / always accepting

❝ Four . ❞

❝ Be honest ? You wanted me to be honest ? ❞ He sounds almost offended at the thought , letting out a chuckle as he shakes his head . ❝ Alright , wise-guy . You want me to be honest about knowing every little thing about each one of you before you even showed up ? You want me to be honest about Mark hiring me to keep tabs on the Colonel and Celine for years ? You want me to be honest about being almost CERTAIN the Colonel did it , and only needing evidence to back myself up ? You wanted me to tell you all that , and guarantee my own death by the Colonel's hands ? ❞ He's raising his voice as he speaks , taking single steps towards Damien until he's in the other man's face .

❝ I was doing my goddamn job , mister mayor . ❞ He says . ❝ Maybe you should stick to doing yours . ❞

[multiimadness]

△ you think there's anything suspicious about that partner of yours, abe? that murdock guy? / Anonymous

Truth Triangle / always accepting

❝ . . . nine . ❞

❝ As much as I want to tell you off for insulting my partner , it'd be a lie to say I haven't thought about it . ❞ He lets out a heavy sigh . ❝ But I don't . . . I don't think it's him . Maybe I just don't want to . But I , um . . . ❞ I trust him . I love him . I'm horrified I'm wrong . He shakes his head .

❝ I wish I could dismiss it completely , but I can't . ❞

[multiimadness]

△ so detective….. any leads on that crossed out killer? / Anonymous

Truth Triangle / always accepting

❝ Ten , because this isn't shit I'm supposed to share . ❞

❝ We don't have much - not nearly as much as anyone would like . But that son of a bitch been leaving clues behind since I took the case . Notes , addressed to me - like they think they know me . ❞ The Detective mutters , shuffling through a few papers on his desk .

❝ They're toying with me . But I have a theory . ❞ Notes are picked up , and he takes a sip of his whiskey before standing . ❝ They're handing clues to me . But none of them make any sense . I've looked at them from every angle , and they don't mean anything . And I think this guy knows that . ❞ He idly begins pacing across his office as he thinks out loud . ❝ They're handing me dead ends , because they know how obsessive I am . I think . . . ❞ He pauses .

❝ They're trying to distract me . And whoever it is , they're close . ❞

[multiimadness]

(for abe) Even knowing what Wilford's done, you still vouch for him? So much for standing for justice or avenging your partner. He killed your friends. He's a dangerous fool, and you're even more so for trusting him again so easily. / Anonymous

make my muse upset / accepting

❝ First of all , if you think I gave him my trust easily , the only goddamn idiot here is YOU . ❞ The detective scowls . ❝ Second of all -- justice ? I wasted years of my life on his case , only to find out that none of it actually mattered . That everything I knew was a LIE . That this . . . spiral of vengeance and hate was only given to me to make my story interesting . And it's the same FUCKING spiral that caused all of this shit to begin with ! ❞

❝ You think that's justice ? An endless loop of getting back at each other ? Hurting everyone around you just so you can feel like you've won something ? Letting your little revenges get more and more extreme , until one of you either gives up or dies ? Because newsflash , asshole ; you're never gonna be satisfied with anything if you think that's justice . ❞ He huffs .

❝ Yes , he hurt people that I cared about . He hurt me . I can't forgive him for that . But I can still move forward . ❞ Abe takes a moment to calm himself down , taking in a deep breath . ❝ Maybe it's best you do , too . ❞

[multiimadness]

cont. / @dcntwannabefree

Abe wishes he could tell him anything else in that moment .

He wishes he could say that Mark was mistaken . Wishes he could say that Celine and William were only friends , or that it was all just coincidence . But Abe wasn't hired to feed into his denial - nor is he the type of friend to lie to his face . They've known each other long enough for Mark to know that .

The Detective always found comfort in answers . Hard facts . Still , it's difficult , breaking the news ; perhaps because this isn't just any other client . Sure , he's being paid all the same - but he actor is his friend . Has been for quite some time . He passes the manilla folder he's holding between his hands a few times , a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth .

❝ Do you want me to say it , or do you want to see for yourself ? ❞ Answer is blunt as ever , and he holds the folder up for Mark to see , pocketing his other hand . ( If opened , Mark would find various pages of evidence , stapled together - from photos ( nothing inappropriate , of course ) to notes about every little thing Abe had caught them doing together . ) Call him what you will , but he's nothing if not good at his job . Mark wanted answers , so Abe has them .

❝ I , uh . . . ❞ He swallows . ❝ I'm sorry . ❞

[multiimadness]

💋 — @alwayshorrible, for abe >:) / @alwayshorrible

smooch time !! / accepting

It's a painfully common occurrence , falling for his partners .

But who could blame him ? Spending as much time as he did with them , you get to know them much more quickly than the average co-worker . You have to know each other for the job , have to know how your other half fits , have to care . The caring was always the worst part . Or rather , the aftermath . He's been to his fair share of funerals .

But Murdock is different , he thinks ( but doesn't he always think that ? ) He doesn't know why , if not because this is his first partner in quite some time . Perhaps its just wishful thinking .

Abe isn't sure when exactly he zoned out . It isn't intentional , that much he knows , but whatever it is Murdock is saying is entirely tuned out , brain opting instead to just stare at him , quietly taking in his features . It's only when Murdock addresses him that he's brought back to reality - a comment about staring , he thinks he hears .

❝ It's not my fault you're handsome . ❞ Voice is quiet , as if it weren't just them alone in his office , sitting on the floor together . He's moved forward slightly , though he doesn't seem to notice it . Not nearly as much as Murdock does , anyway . ❝ Gorgeous , even . ❞ Abe murmurs . A smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth at the light shade of red that dusts his partner's cheeks . He leans closer , intentionally this time , and the space between them is closed only for a few seconds . One fleeting moment that Abe wishes he hadn't ended .

Then , he cracks a smile .

❝ But I'm sure you knew that already . ❞

[multiimadness]

"Heard that you were in love with some of your past partners, detective. You wanna tell me something?" (he is being. a little shit) / @alwayshorrible

send a rumor / accepting

Immediately , his face goes hot . ❝ Who the hell told you about that ? ❞ is his first reaction , and he regrets opening his mouth at all . He clears his throat and glances away . It was most of his partners , thank you very much .

❝ So what if I was ? That - uh . That isn't . Um . ❞ Goddamnit , Abe , think ! ❝ That's all coincidence , obviously . ❞

[multiimadness]

I heard that you can tear up the dance floor when the mood strikes you (for Abe because I love him) / @xshatteredreflectionsx

send a rumor / accepting

Cue a chuckle , a smile appearing on his face . ❝ I , uh , wouldn't say ❛ tear up ❜ , but ah . . . ❞ Abe shakes his head and shrugs . ❝ Spending any amount of time with Warfstache'll do that to ya , I s'pose . ❞

[multiimadness]

to abe: [ i heard a rumor that you're a dumb fuck ]( DJDJHDYS hare leave him Alone ) / @splittinghares

send a rumor / accepting

❝ FIRST OF ALL , that is completely uncalled for . ❞ He huffs . ❝ I'll have you know that I have a perfect Goddamn track record , and I'll thank you to take that back . ❞ The fucking nerve .

[multiimadness]

△, to abe: [ how much did you know about mark's plans for the party before it happened? ] / @splittinghares

Truth Triangle / always accepting

❝ Ten , only because legally I'm not supposed to talk about this kind of shit , so you'd better keep your mouth shut . ❞

❝ Put short , I didn't know a damn thing . As far as I was concerned , Mark wanted background checks on everyone . Generally , though , he told me he wanted to reconnect with old friends . Repair the bridges they burned . ❞ Abe takes a long drag from a cigarette , a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth . ❝ Said he wanted me there as a precaution , if worst came to worst . I got distracted that night , though . Maybe if I had focused more . . . ❞ A beat . He runs a hand down the side of his face and heaves out a sigh . ❝ Maybe I could've stopped it . ❞