002 ♫ VIDEO

[assonant]

[ From the perspective, someone's got his communicator propped up on a shelf or a windowsill.

The view encompasses Aoba, his desk, and the remains of four computers, four tablets, three smart phones, three remotes of nebulous origin, and a...toaster oven? From the organized chaos of metal, plastic, casing, wires, tools, and junk food, someone's been working at this a while. ]

Okay, I just have a quick request. If you have any computers or electronic devices that you don't want or that you're going to throw away, can I have them?

I need them for something.

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[gevurah]

Are they just as noisy?

[ Birds are nice, but she could never keep one herself. She needs her sleep whenever she can get it in between jobs. ]

Are you over twenty-one? I've got beer.

[ There seem to be a couple of portable pantries around. They look untouched, but definitely out of place. Kate's been meaning to get rid of the extras.

She steps into the kitchen and pulls open the fridge door, ducking her head to look for the drinks. ]

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[assonant]

Depends on the bird. Some are really, uh, stoic? But All Mates tend to take after their owners after a while, so if you're a loud person, your All Mate ends up being loud, too.

[ The houses definitely look very similar on the inside, aside from personal items. Another sign of government funding, he supposes.

He takes a seat at the table, putting his bag down by his feet. ] I'm twenty-three.

[ He says it, and then makes a mildly surprised noise, as if remembering something. ] I'll be twenty-four in a few days, actually.

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[gevurah]

They say that about pets, too.

[ Her arm's midway between the shelves when he mentions that fact. She peers over her shoulder with a small smile. ]

Consider it an early birthday treat, then. [ She takes out two bottles, popping the cap off one and sliding it before Aoba. It's not fancy beer, being from a convenient store, but it's not terrible either. ] I'll be right back to get the iPod.

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[assonant]

Thanks. [ Someone's going to try and fail to smother a pleased smile. As soon as he thought of it, it was hard not to miss home, but -

He's not so bad off, when he thinks about it. ] Sure, I'll wait here.

[ He'll find himself a kitchen chair to swing around and straddle, taking a drink - it's not so bad; definitely a brand he's never tried, but that's a given, all things considered - and wondering where her housemates are.

Does everybody else's house feel as deserted as his does? ]

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[gevurah]

[ She's not accustomed to living with so many people and has developed a distaste for it. Nill knows her secrets; Troy, Hans, and Chilton do not and there's no doubt in the back of her mind if Chilton did he would use it against her.

Plus, they're two women living with men who can't get along. Well, Hans and Chilton.

She disappears for about half a minute down the hall and returns with an iPod, even bringing the headphones with it. As she lays it out on the table, it's evident it was smashed at some point in the past. The screen is cracked as its side and it's a bit dirty. ]

Guess it's time to get a new one.

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[assonant]

Whoa, what -

[ He takes it, setting aside his beer for the moment and turning the ipod over in his head. ] What happened to it? Did somebody step on it?

[ Without looking, he fishes in his bag with his other hand, pulling out a small folded case. Flipping it open reveals a row of tools tucked neatly into cloth slots. ]

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[gevurah]

[ She looks from the tools to the iPod, glancing at their images reflection through the cracked screen before tearing her eyes away.

She had been listening to music when Dent showed up. After she had dropped it she hadn't cared what happened to it, violently preoccupied at the time. ]

I lost it for a while.