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[recitations]

140 - 1907

Aria Forzane. Leave a message after the tone.

( voice ● text )

CODE

Comments

jan event, while in acreage

[soulshard]

Aria.
The thing with the smoke is happening again.

[ After Ardbert's run-in with the Midnight Skinner, he'd contacted Aria about a strange incident with inky black smoke emitting from a wound at his neck. Odd as it had been, both of them had suspected that it was the killer's involvement that had caused it.

This time, though? Ardbert has no such excuse.

Is it a bad idea to dump this on her after what happened on the train? Maybe. But she would be even more upset if he didn't tell her, so here they are. ]

[recitations]

[ Immediately: ]

Duration, location, prior events, any other details that are different from the last time.

[soulshard]

[ All business, fair enough. Ardbert knows how Aria is when she has a mystery to solve. ]

About twenty seconds, the field where the bubble ball matches are happening, in the middle of a match with Alisaie and Alphinaud, and it isn't blood this time. The smoke started coming out of my ears and nostrils.

It seems to be done now.

[recitations]

[ Well, panicking and asking if he's alright wasn't going to solve anything. If he wasn't alright, he wouldn't be texting her like this. Therefore—

This time, there's a pause before her next response. ]

Ear and nostrils? Like a train? [ Dude seriously ]

[soulshard]

[ So that's how it's going to be? He should have known. ]

Did you immediately jump to that because we were just on one?

[recitations]

[ Touche. ] Recency bias is a bitch

Pain? Discomfort?

[soulshard]

[ Please, why are you talking to this jock about things like "recency bias." ]

No, not really. I didn't even realize what was happening until the twins said something about it.

[recitations]

[ Sorry for having FAITH IN YOUR INTELLECT, ARDBERT

Anyway, the next response takes a second longer than the others; it does come though. ]

Do you want to get to the bottom of this? No matter what?

[soulshard]

That's ominous. What do you mean?

[recitations]

I'm trying a new thing where I think before I start digging for answers. [ Pursuit of discovery vs the horrors that await them, and all. It's not as though their time in the Diadem have all been sunshine and rainbows. ]

[soulshard]

In that case, should I be proud of you?

That being said, I'm willing to take the necessary risks to get to the bottom of this. Ignoring it as it progresses could lead to something even worse.

[recitations]

Not if you're going to drag me into hell anyway.

I'll take some blood samples the next time you're back. I don't think it's anything aetherical, but we'll rule out the possibility for certain. Eliminate any relation to the Flood.

[soulshard]

That seems like a good place to start. We can deal with it once we're back in Panorama, then.

I don't mean to drag you anywhere, though. I just also figured you'd rather know than not.

[recitations]

I do.

I'm just saying you don't need to feel proud of me. Just because I exercised caution it doesn't mean I wasn't going to do it.

[soulshard]

Hah. Fair enough, then.

How are you liking things here, by the way? Enjoying the slower pace?

[ He knows she isn't. ]

[recitations]

You're fucking with me. [ She can hear it in your text, Ardbert. ]

[soulshard]

Come now, Aria, whatever could you mean?

[ Is this their way of not talking about the fact that his blood is spoiled with darkness and that they had some sort of moment on the train?

Yes. ]


How about this, then. How would you say it compares to Kolliery?

[recitations]

[ She'll take every overt attempt at changing the subject. At least he's on the same page.

That said: ]

I would say it's all answers you know already. [ Adventurer or no, she's a city girl. Neither are cities as she has experienced them, steps away from a dock with the vast ocean in front of her. ]

[soulshard]

[ One large way in which they differ, although both of them do prefer to be near the sea. Ardbert couldn't stay here long-term anymore, he's seen too much of the world for that, but he doesn't mind the interlude. ]

The Cube must have your interest, at least. I'm half-expecting it to unfold, open up, and release an entire horde of monsters.

[ Is that just him. He doesn't think so. ]

[recitations]

[ She's not going to tell him she's expecting the same. Twelve forbid she makes this easy. ]

So you want another calamity on your hands? What have these people done to deserve that?

[soulshard]

[ Now she's trying to wind him up. Turnabout is fair play, it seems. ]

"Expect" and "want" are two different things.

[ There's no chasing away his concern about it, though. ]

With it so far up, there isn't much we can do about it, is there? Not for the first time I find myself wishing Seto were here.

[recitations]

[ From the other side, she laughs. ] Oh talk more vocabulary to me, darling.

Just a chocobo would do. Seto deserves better than the smog from the city.

[soulshard]

[ Not the flirtatious teasing.

Although wanting better for Seto does immediately earn her some points, as she no doubt knows. ]

You're right.
I do wonder if we'll ever come across a chocobo or something else familiar from home. A cactuar, maybe? Or even a morbol?

[recitations]

[ A warrior told a scholar the meaning behind words. It's the funniest thing that's happened to her in here ( which sort of sums up her feelings on Acreage ). Let her live. ]

Again with the monsters. You really do have something against these people, don't you?

Maybe that's what'll fall out of the cube. Hundreds of Morbols.

[soulshard]

[ Listen. Listen. ]

I meant in Diadem in general! In some random diffusion zone or something!

[ But he realizes she's teasing him, and that at least makes things feel more normal. ]

Now you're the one wishing the worst on them. Gods, can you imagine?