[DAY :043]

[nirsighted]

[Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Late in the evening, the pervasive thrum of Nirad's mental presence returns to Bearings. It winds higher - unwrapping, lengthening, widening: small flashes of silver, memories like the scales of so many fish glimpsed through the lapping water of some distance, unfamiliar water. A wet street reflects the glow of neon signs above it; a doorway, rain drizzling off the landing above it; a stream of traffic glittering through the half light--]

( Hi. We're back from following that Ahtaliah Ven guy. Aoba's head is hurting him so he's going to take a break I think but I guess I can tell you what we saw? )

[He doesn't sound hesitant so much as he does distracted.]

( Honestly I didn't see anything very interesting, but maybe it was a bad day for him? Maybe you can't be a bad guy every day of the week, right? Anyway, he worked pretty late then me and Aoba followed his car to a place where he got dinner. It's a nice car. He met with someone there. A lady. A friend, I think, but I don't really know. Maybe we should have followed her instead though because after they had dinner, Ven went home. So we have his address and how to get access to his building and I know which apartment he lives in and if we wanted to get in it seems like it might be pretty easy because he spends so much time at work, you know? I'm sure he's got some super high tech security at home but it's not like he owns the building so it's probably just inside his penthouse or whatever. Uh. Yeah. )

[BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ.]

Comments

[vocalis]

We did ask. Sort of.

[ Aoba comes in late, mental voice a bit frail. His head still hurts, and the pain he's in carries over the connection with his answers. If Pidge wants to hear any more, she'll have to deal. ]

[greentech]

How so?

[ Ow. Pidge winces on the other end. What happened?

[nirsighted]

( Aoba went poking around in his brain. )

[Neat, right?]

[greentech]

( Uh. That's. Kinda weird. )

[ Not really neat so much as horrifying. ]

( Did it work? )

[vocalis]

It's not as messy as that sounds... I just projected my consciousness into his for a little while.

[ So poked around in his brain. Accurate. ]

Even that way, I couldn't find anything about H+H1. Either he's not associated, or I failed to find out what his company is hiding.

[greentech]

Too bad. We could've use some sort of break...

[ More dead ends. Frustrating. ]

Are you feeling OK?

[vocalis]

Sorry... yeah, I'm fine. Or I will be, soon...

[ His connection drifts off there, like he's falling asleep... except it snaps back like a rubber band, focus suddenly sharp on Pidge. ]

What does it matter to you anyway?

[ Same voice, but with an edge that wasn't there before. ]

[greentech]

Uh, because I care? What's eating you?

[ That's not normal. Pidge frowns. What's going on with Aoba? ]

Are you sure you're OK?

[vocalis]

Nothing is eating me... though maybe Petre would like to try.

[ A mental chuckle. That could be a good time. He thinks he's funny. ]

I've never been better.

[ The pain is still there, throbbing in his head and shared openly through the connection. A moment ago he was struggling against it, but now... it's like he feeds off it. Takes in every beat gratefully like it's music to his ears, enjoying it. ]

Now get out of my head. I have matters to attend with Nirad that aren't for little girls.

[greentech]

( What the Hell, Aoba? I know you have a headache, but you don't have to take it out on me! )

[vocalis]

[ The mental chuckling grows to a full laugh, cruel and cold. When it comes back down he has no apology to make, no sense of empathy to respond with. ]

That's right. I am Aoba. Don't let him ever tell you otherwise.

[ With that and one more stab of migraine from him to her, he closes their line of connection like a dropped coil call. ]