Opinions without 3.1415 are just Onions (Week1 post trial)

[ghostricked]

After everything, the house seems almost too still and too mundane. At least as long as the doors to that room remain closed. One by one those covered in what was once their teammate are lead to the showers or change in silence. There is no warm meal waiting for them. No words of encouragement.

Life goes on, regardless.

Comments

[eyeforai]

[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]

[kaliedoscopes]

[ 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.

[eyeforai]

[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.

[kaliedoscopes]

[ 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?

[eyeforai]

[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.

[kaliedoscopes]

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. ]

[eyeforai]

[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.

[kaliedoscopes]

[ 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. ]

[eyeforai]

[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]

[kaliedoscopes]

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

How's the tea?

[eyeforai]

[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.]

[kaliedoscopes]

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. ]