[ voice - forward-dated to morning ]

[underachieves]

[He sounds hoarse, like he just woke up. Or maybe a little worse than that.]

I'm here, um, if anyone...

[- cares, he means, but he doesn't finish the thought. There's some shifting of sheets, because he's in bed still, and he sniffles like he has a cold.]

...

Is the power out?

[He's at his factory loft, not the boarding house.]

Comments

[voice]

[mentis_reae]

[A long, long pause, and then, softly:]

...Nara?

[underachieves]

[There's a sharp intake of breath and a long pause on this end as well. Then:]

Edgeworth?

[mentis_reae]

[He swallows. Softly:]

Indeed. I returned while you were...out.

[underachieves]

Oh.

That's...

[There must be some word for whatever that makes him feel, but he can't find it. He clears his throat and wipes his palm across his eyes.]

[mentis_reae]

I'm...going to switch this over to private.

[underachieves]

Okay.

[private, moderate difficulty]

[mentis_reae]

Right -

[He fumbles a moment, then...]

This seems...right, I believe. It's always hard to figure out how to check.

[private, moderate difficulty]

[underachieves]

It's fine.

[private, moderate difficulty]

[mentis_reae]

Oh. Good.

[He clears his throat.]

[private, moderate difficulty]

[underachieves]

[He doesn't say anything.]

[private, moderate difficulty]

[mentis_reae]

I, ah...Where were you?

[private, moderate difficulty]

[underachieves]

SERO.

[private, moderate difficulty]

[mentis_reae]

...Ah. So you...indeed did not return home.

[private, moderate difficulty]

[underachieves]

[That gets a humorless laugh out of him.]

[private, moderate difficulty]

[mentis_reae]

It was what most people I talked to thought.

[private, moderate difficulty]

[underachieves]

I wonder how often that happens.