voice;

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The priorities of this city astound me, sometimes.

[Re-l's voice is rigid and unemotional, surprisingly, kept in check with every ounce of control that she has.]There's a killer on the loose and instead of putting their best people on the case, they're taking any volunteers. No one wants to get their hands dirty and no one wants to go against

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[gaveherwings]

[Daedalus has been...the forced picture of not-overbearing and harrowingly patient, this morning.

He didn't call her first second this morning, when he'd first seen the newsfeed. Or hurry home- he'd just kept a patient, steady eye on his NV, watched the time tick past eight, and waited for the nurses who'd been kind enough to carpool him.

In situations like these, Re-l would always come to him eventually.

After she'd gone as far as she could go on her own, when she decided she'd had enough- she would call him, and he would pick up straight away. The only true worry was that she was also targeted. That was less of a worry because of the way that Daisuke was murdered, apart from the office. But he didn't want to call in another check-in, not while she was probably rightfully upset, but determined, as he knew Re-l to be.

Or maybe she would tough it out the whole day, and come home miserable and worn out and in need of reassurances. For that, he was determined to get what sleep he could, so he could be ready and at his best and open giving, call in for the evening if necessary, but that just turned into a few hours laying down with his hand at ready to pick up-

Edgeworth had called first.

And she eventually calls in, not to him, but the entire network for consolation. That's alright. He'll pretend it doesn't bother him- Re-l is more important than the earned bruises on his ego, and he's relieved to hear her alive, angry, but...safe, somewhere.

He'd just feel better if it were the apartment.]

There you are.

I'm sorry...it sounds like your office is full of idiots whose first priorities are balancing payroll, not newcomer safety.

...how are you, Re-l?

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[Quietly:] Yes, I'm here.

[And then, louder, more sobered:] I don't know what they're thinking sometimes. Budget cuts are ruining things, I suppose.

...I'm fine. You should be sleeping.

[gaveherwings]

There've been whispers that, come January, we're all going to be asked to pull voluntary unpaid overtime. I guess we'll see at staff meeting with Dr. Pyke next week.

...but they probably they also sent you home because it's policy, when someone working that close-

Don't worry about what I should be- I'm awake. I'm here...if you want to come home.

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They could at least pay you, even if it's not the raised rate of overtime. It's only courtesy for people who work so hard like you and the other doctors do.

[I know what the goddamn policy is, but I wasn't being- I don't want to come home. I don't want you to see me like this.]

I'll be home soon. You've been up all night and you should rest.

[gaveherwings]

The fact is, the hospital either cuts back on us, or on the money that goes to providing patient care-

Soon?

I can't- Look, I'm in bed, but- So who are they passing the investigation off to now, do you know yet? Or do they think they can just throw it on hold for a week's time?

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I suppose the only option is to short-change the doctors. Hopefully the repercussions of such aren't so bad.

[She sighs.]

Yes, soon.

[Re-l laughs softly, bitterly.]

I'm not the one heading the investigation, nor am I the only one working on it. There's a whole team. I'm just the only newcomer on it for now.

[gaveherwings]

I have some savings. And the straight salary's still so much more than most are making.

[Resigned- that's frustrating, but really he's more worried about the hospital going under than the total on his paycheck. At least Dr. Pyke isn't the kind of idiot to send people home because he can't pay them. (just because the press and companies are baying at the door, but- don't be bitter about that again, Daedalus, it's over now.)]

At least there is a team- Do you have any trusted colleagues on it, someone who will keep you up to date?

I'm sorry, Re-l. Maybe they're hoping you'll pursue it off the books. At least- [And it is a very small consolation, if that, but a soft memory of disgust nonetheless.] ...no one's twisting my arm to sign off on ridiculous lies to keep you from working on things anymore.

Come home, try to relax. I know it's...probably been a terrible morning. I thought about calling- [halfway to dialing more times than you want to know] but I didn't want to interrupt anything critical.

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I have money too, if you ever need it. I know your paycheck's more than mine, but it's not like we spend anywhere near what we make together.

[She shakes her head; he can't see it, so she just makes a noise of indifference.]

No, no one that I trust, to be honest. They're all volunteers or forced to be on the case, no one that's...probably reliable. Just there for the publicity of handling the case.

And why would they want me to pursue it on my own? So they won't have to pay me? So I'll wander down a dark alleyway and be thrown in a trash compactor, or worse?

[She almost wishes Daedalus could write her off as a mental case, or better, pretend she's dead once more.]

I appreciate it. I wouldn't have wanted you to hear what happened.

[gaveherwings]

I'm not worried about our immediate finances. It's the telling facts of city dysfunction and instability that's the chief concern. Widespread, into all primary civic services.

[There's a thousand rational-irrational reasons. Daedalus is up and pulling on his warm robe and pacing out to the kitchen to put on some tea. Sleep is clearly not priority right now.]

To deny accountability, if the lengths you go to aren't done in uniform with police code- I don't know. Probably because the people here are prone to being affected messes regardless of duty, and given the courtesy to grieve when someone working close to them is brutally murdered.

And please. [Wincing, because that's one death report he never want to fill about again.] Don't joke about things like that.

Re-l, no matter what happened, you know that wouldn't change a wink of my support.

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I know. It's... I know.

[To deny accountability if she dies. To pass it off as the poor judgment of a woman too driven to care about herself should she stumble across the wrong information, or another body.]

It doesn't matter if it's a newcomer to some of them. It's just another leech out of the city.

[She rolls her eyes.]

I know. I just...still wouldn't have wanted you to see me.

[gaveherwings]

A leech. [A scoff.] They're blind, and ungrateful! They don't have the slightest clue! You're more of a treasure to this city then they will ever be able to fathom, Re-l, ever!

[A hesitation, because he's getting indignant for her, and angry- Mental check. Softening tone, compassionate, the tension diffusing from him slowly. He goes to fill the kettle, setting the NV down on the counter.]

And so was your partner. I didn't realize he had taken in children, until I read the news this morning.

[It's foolish, sometimes, when he's only hearing her voice, that when he's home alone he picks up the NV gentle in his hands with her pictures on the screen anyway, and treats the object itself with all the tenderness that he would invest in her.]

Me? Of all people? But Re-l...we've seen each other at our worst, haven't we?

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I didn't say that that's how they felt about me, but- [Please don't say those things so publicly.

When he continues with Daisuke, she finally responds, slowly, gently.]

He worked with them and I worked with adults. He was a very nice guy. It's... He didn't need this to happen to him.

[She sighs.]

I know, but even then.

[gaveherwings]

If that's really how they intend to write off every newcomer-

I don't trust the message they left this time. Either they're completely mad, or- I don't know what this killer's getting at, but there must be some additional meaning behind it...

But even then- don't hide from me because you're ashamed of having a natural reaction. You have...every good reason to be short on patience and upset right now. Please, I'm right here! I'm here for you. When you're ready...I'll be waiting.

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I might just be speaking in anger.

That they liked him, but still killed him? It's disgusting. At the very least, they could have gone after someone that hated this city. They could have gone after someone nastier and crueler than Daisuke.

[But she doesn't want him to see her so angry, so distressed over a man she knew for two months.]

I know. I never... I just would be embarrassed and ashamed.

[gaveherwings]

That wouldn't have made it any less of a crime against newcomers as a whole- which is the killer's clear intent.

He was your partner. He was there in the office with you since September, a constant. You shouldn't have to hide your feelings- listen to be now, I sound just like Raul. No one is going to think any less of you for being under stress. Especially not me. I could never think less of you over this. You've done nothing wrong; you've given the police force your best- your time, you full attention, you've sacrificed so many hours at the station.

You want to be taken seriously, you want us to all be taken seriously, for Daisuke Aurora and Mitsuru Kirijo's murders- all of the murders, to be handled with full resources and all of your passion for the investigation...but they've got so many other stupid things they're putting at priority.

Of course that's terribly frustrating! Of course it is, and you don't need to feel ashamed, not with me.

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[It's painful, just listening to Daedalus. She knows he's right but she wants to rebuke everything he says, turn it back, tell him how she thinks she and Edgeworth were the targets and not Daisuke or Mitsuru, how convenient it would be for these two to be glossed over if they didn't work beside two very important people.]

I know, Daedalus. I know.