thefoundation | Opinions without 3.1415 are just Onions (Week1 post trial)

[He leans forward with crossed arms on the table as he listens to Hikage explain. It's a role he's used to, whether it's in an investigative or interrogative capacity, and the information gets the gears in his mind turning.]

So it was like some sort of mutual interference, and you're suffering from the aftereffects. [Hm...] Sounds like our circumstances are pretty different.

[ Hikage looks up when Date leans forward, blinking once but not shying away any. ]

Mmhmm, it seems that way. [ Tilting his head slightly. ] "Our" circumstances?

Yeah. [...] Sorry, it's not like I was trying to hide it, but it doesn't usually come up in casual conversation.

[Most of the people he knew back at home were either already aware or never got enough details about his life to make the connection. After a pause, he continues.]

But I'm missing memories too. I don't remember anything beyond the last 6 years of my life, outside of certain flashbacks I've been getting. I didn't think our cases were related, but I was wondering about it all, I guess. I don't get to meet many people with the same issues.

Ah, so that's why you seem so knowledgeable on the subject. No apologies needed, I don't usually speak of my circumstances as freely as I have been, but given our current situation it would be foolish of me to ignore the parallels.

[ He offers a small smile. ] I could try to help you remember, if you like. I'm not sure how deep I'll be able to dive, so I might just see flashes of your life here, but I'm willing to try.

[He's about to respond with some sort of acknowledgement about their current situation, but that offer gets him to stop. It's not really something he had considered for himself even when Hikage talked about it, but having the option right in the open like this... he has to admit he's a little tempted, even if only to check certain things for himself.

...]

Are you sure? You might see some unpleasant things in my head.

I've seen a lot of things in the past and here, already. And it's the least I could do for not being entirely truthful earlier.

[ It could be bad, but also pride and the fact that he figures it won't be as bad as a Sho explosion, so. After a beat he offers his left hand. ]

You don't owe me anything for that.

[...Still. He looks down at the hand before he takes Hikage's left hand in his own, grasping it like he would for a handshake.]

Do I need to do anything?

Thinking about what you want to recall might help, but aside from that no. You shouldn't really feel anything either. [ With that said his right eye flares bright red and Date will feel something—it's akin to a fluttering in his mind, the sensation not altogether unpleasant but odd for sure.

So, what horrors await Hikage on this trip down memory lane? ]

[It is a strange sensation, but he also got miasma'd a week ago and that was awful, so this is nothing. And while he does gather his thoughts to focus on what he wants to remember, what Hikage gets is this:

In a windowless office decorated with a colorful hodge-podge of miscellaneous objects, a woman sits on the desk in front of him as they talk. It's clear they're already in the middle of a conversation about a case involving someone named Shoko Nadami. However, there are points where a separate, somewhat mechanical female voice chimes in with additional details about the victim and her relationship with Date and various other persons of interest in the case, although it's clear that the voice isn't heard by the other woman in the room. Regardless, when they get to the matter of who reported the murder, something kind of fucking weird happens.

The memory cuts off shortly after the hamster(?) jumps onto the desk.]

[ Hikage had been prepared to view something distressing—his memory read with Ango had been far from a pleasant journey, and given Date's occupation the likelihood of viewing a crime scene was just about as likely as... life here, actually. What he hadn't been prepared for was a relatively mundane experience to turn into that.

The experience of having your eyeball hop out of your socket with an apparent life of its own is one he never considered before this very moment. As soon as the memory ends he stumbles back a few steps blinking, his right eye still red and his mouth agape. ]

Your eye is it— Is your eye a gerbil!? Some kind of talking gerbil!? [ Probably not the things he should be asking but lacking context and also being terrible with technology means yolo assumptions are the best he's got. ]

[Aw shit.

He probably should have expected that something like this could happen considering how imprecise Hikage made it sound, but damn. This was not something he had been planning to explain to people in the first place because it honestly was a pain in the ass. It simply brought up too many questions and Aiba was technically confidential, so he usually brushed it off with other excuses and explanations.

But in this case, he must've seen Aiba directly, so he can't really escape this one. But maybe he can still salvage something...?]

Uhh... sure, let's go with that. [...] Also she's a hamster, not a gerbil.

[we're doing great]

Edited 2020-04-29 05:30 (UTC)

[ What a riveting explanation Date, one Hikage mulls over for about .5 seconds before he narrows his eyes. But on the plus side he no longer looks like he's going to jump out of his skin, so there's that at least. ]

Hamsters and gerbils can't talk. [ Wait hold on a second because there's a talking cat here. ] And she didn't have a collar either.

Edited 2020-04-29 05:56 (UTC)

[Okay fine. It really would've been too good to be true if that kind of excuse worked on him, but alas. Horrors of horrors, he might actually have to open himself up to questions about this.

So he begins with a sigh.]

Alright, you got me. ...Her name's Aiba, and she's an artificial intelligence that's programmed into my left eye. I received her about 5 years ago when I was working for the MPD, and she runs support for me when I'm investigating cases. She stays in my eye most of the time, but every now and then, she pops out and takes that hamster form. I'm guessing she must've done something like that in the memory you saw.

[ Blink, blink. Artificial intelligence? Programmed? Hamster form? He has so many questions but let's them mostly go unasked because he doesn't want to look like he's inept when it comes to technology. Which he totally is.

After a few seconds tick by he manages a reasonable response, though "wtf" is still written very clearly on his face. Also at this point, both his eyes are once again purple. ]

Yeah, you were discussing a case that involved someone named Nadami Shoko. Wait, can Aiba hear us right now?

[Yup, that's just about what he expected when it came to this. The world just wasn't ready for Aiba... Interesting point about the eyes though, even if he won't say anything about it right now.

But as for that question.]

...No, I don't think so. She hasn't been working right since I got here, and I didn't tell any of the Foundation's agents about her either. I don't know if she's broken or something else.

Ah—I'm sorry. [ Is that what you're supposed to say in a situation like this? ]

Then does that mean your eye...? [ He taps a finger under his left eye between the two beauty marks he has there. ]

[It's kind of weird to have Hikage apologeyezing for this but he shakes his head.]

I can still see through it, if that's what you're asking. She can't talk though, and she can't leave my eye on her own.

[ Look he has no idea how to console a man over a potentially dead virtual hamster that lives in his eye, but it turns out he doesn't need to. Phew. He nods. ]

Then it could be worse. Maybe she's just sleeping...no, hibernating? [ You know because you put computers to sleep and bears which are animals also sleep (hibernate)—really all that's happening here is mental flailing. ]

[Your sympathies are much appreciated either way!! Even if he would probably phrase it differently.]

Uhh... maybe? She doesn't really do that unless she's out of power, though. [jiiiis at this whole suggestion]

Oh. [ God he is so out of his league here but it's too late now. Maybe he can just— ]

How's the tea?

[What a subtle change in topic!! Although it's a reminder that he's barely had a sip since Hikage served it to him, so he'll take a sip from it now.]

It's good. Thanks. [Honestly though, it could taste like whatever and he'd probably be okay with it because he's no tea connoisseur.]

Anyway, we got a little sidetracked by that. Here's your phone back. [Holds it out to him.]

No problem. [ It's actually pretty good for crappy tea! Hikage cares about his tea experience, though not as much as a certain boxstar. With a nod he takes his phone back, slipping it into his pocket. ]

Thanks for looking, I haven't been giving my amnesia much thought lately and...that's not going to fix anything. [ Or more like remembering you have a twin and then murder happening is pretty distracting but blaming yourself is easy to do regardless. ]

Opinions without 3.1415 are just Onions (Week1 post trial)

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