Downpour (A Haunted Phonograph Crossover)

I

"You seem tense, Miss Berrycloth."

Dahlia jolted with a start, so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she hardly even realized how strangely quiet had been in the carriage. Normally, the detective would be talking her ear off the whole time, rambling on and on about random assorted knowledge to tame his excitement for their next investigation. Perhaps, like her, the gloomy London rain made it difficult to muster any energy. Or maybe, for once, he shared in her reluctance towards this particular case. "Oh, r-really?" she finally replied, "sorry, I-...I'm fine."

"Hm." Felix began, leaning forward on his closed umbrella. Dahlia could feel his eyes on her, picking out every little minute detail, as he did best. "You're getting better, but your lies still need work." He finally said, leaning back against the seat. "You're picking at the skin on your fingers, see?" he gestured towards her, "A common sign of anxiety and one I've come to expect from you. Stiff shoulders, lack of eye contact, the slight stutter in your voice, the evasiveness-"

"Right, right, you've proven your point, sir..." Dahlia sighed, her shoulders finally relaxing as she did so.

"It was just an observation; I meant no offense by it!" he defended himself. It was always conversations like this where Dahlia couldn't tell if Felix's 'observations' were malicious, or just a result of him being ignorant. There was an awkward silence amongst them now, filled by the sound of rolling wheels and the clopping of hooves against wet cobblestone. "...You know," he finally spoke up, "if you believe this'll be, er, too much to handle, I can ask the coachman to take you straight home once I'm dropped off."

"Oh- no, there's no need for that! I've seen my share of maimed corpses, I assure you." she replied with a nervous chuckle, suddenly more conscious of her fingers as they scraped away at her self-inflicted calluses. She did her best to control herself. "But...well from what the constable described, this one sounded..."

"Particularly graphic?" Felix concluded, following up with an amused chuckle. "Well, I would be lying if I said I didn't have my own reservations about this as well. Though I'd very likely get away with it!" He swung a leg over the other, very nearly kicking Dahlia in the process. "I try not to dwell on it too much. After all, we're all made of the same material. Bone, skin, organs and viscera, et cetera. If we're so easily disgusted by natural parts of our bodies, we may as well jump out of our own skin and live life as formless spirits!"

Dahlia cocked an eyebrow at him. "You know, it's this sort of talk that makes it hard for anyone to take you seriously, Mr. Fletcher." she said, "if you were able to see yourself the way others do, you'd accuse yourself of insanity!"

"Not insanity, my dear, just a means of doing my job efficiently." he retorted with a smile. "But, well, I suppose I can see your point of view. Surprisingly, these sorts of things aren't a common occurrence for most people. It can be a strong blow to inexperienced stomachs." he shifted in his seat, the two leaning to the side as the carriage took a turn. "I promise, Miss Berrycloth, I'll be right there with you."

Dahlia gave him an uncertain smile, lips parting to speak again before the carriage jolted to a halt. She drew back the curtain of this little window, peering through the strong downpour at the house next to them. A couple stories up, clearly on the wealthier side. Had the entrance not been swarmed by the authorities, this would have been a lovely place to live. She could see Inspector O'Malley amongst the crowd of police and nosey passersby. He seemed stern and focused, as he usually did. Though there was a look of what could only be described as disgust in his expression as he discussed something with his fellow officers. It didn't sit well with Miss Berrycloth, not one bit.

"Last chance." Felix warned her, delicately placing his hat on his head and prepping his umbrella. It wasn't condescending, as she had expected from his insight just a few minutes earlier, but it felt like real genuine concern. Somehow, that made her feel a little better about this whole ordeal. She flashed him another nervous smile, before the door was opened and Felix climbed out, opening the umbrella and offering his hand for her.