( o1 - AUDIO )

[halves]

[Deep breaths, Lou, deep breaths.

He's still practicing this exercise about a split second before the recording begins, shifting his focus to it immediately, superficially ready to laugh and quip at this silly challenge someone has proposed (forced) him to take part in.

It's nothing but pure nerves, he assures you.]

This is really fucked up. Just thought I should let you know.

[There's an exhale, not quite a laugh. See? Nothing but nerves.]

I guess I'm supposed to say hi now.

Hi. I'm the new guy.

I'd like to know what the fuck you've done to my cat.

Comments

[halves]

[It isn't the quickest answer - Lou actually has to think for a moment to remember the name.]

She's a Russian Blue. Do you know what those are?

[He didn't, not before he had one in his hands.]

[boutant]

If I don't, my roommate probably does. [ Yusuf and his affinity for cats is sometimes a bit frightening. ]

They're the really pretty dark gray ones, right?

[halves]

That'd be her.

[boutant]

I haven't seen any, but you might check at the shelter? And I can keep an eye out.

What's her name?

[halves]

I don't know where it is. [There's a hint of frustration in that - of course he doesn't know where anything is.]

Blue. [Not... the most imaginative name. Lou wasn't really trying at the time.]

[boutant]

[ Here have an address. ]

Is she fully grown or is she a kitten?

[halves]

No, she's a couple of years old. [a beat--] She has brown eyes.

Do you work there? At the shelter.

[boutant]

What about a collar? Or one of those microchips?

Hm? Oh, no. One of my roommates got his dog from there, though.

[halves]

[He shakes his head behind the device.]

No. [Pause. His tone changes slightly:] If I could just call home, or someone I know...

[boutant]

We can't. Not that anyone's been able to figure out, anyway.

[ Pause. ] I'm sorry. [ She really is, too. ] My name's Ariadne -- I've been in the City for nine months now.

[halves]

Nine months. [There's a kind of breathlessness in that echo, and Lou goes silent for a moment. He doesn't really care about the cat as much as people seem to think, and the interlude to what plaguing his mind before is broken by another round of growing anxiety.] Why is this happening?

[boutant]

[ It's been years for some, but she keeps that to herself. ] Nobody knows that, either. Most people think the deities did it, and that they're in charge of the curses, too. Nobody knows if they're actually gods, though.

[halves]

[The pause is brief.]

This is about gods.

[And that almost sounds like a question.]