CONTENT WARNING: So... I usually prefer to give warnings on things that are flat-out nasty instead of just baseline strange, but I am definitely pushing some creep-factor and weird sexual themes in this part. It's not the most unpleasant thing I've ever written, but I know people here appreciate authors/artists acknowledging that there might be some squick-factor happening in regards to multiple themes, so I'm just letting you guys know that this could hit some rough chords.

Again: it's not nasty, or horrifying, or exceptionally gross, it just touched on several topics that can have some raw nerves attached, and I made it a point to use more visceral language for it.

[ 11 :: Interlude = {The World Eats Bodies} ]

Tela had always told herself she'd come back here one day- not a stroll down memory lane, but an actual trip to what she had officially called the monument to smug superiority and self-entitlement.

Hard to call the view anything but fantastic, when the matriarch who'd owned the tower had made it a point to construct it in the center of Nos Astra's busiest commercial district. Only took a single glance downwards to see the open sprawl of towers that glistened in a soft fire of countless colored lights. Wasn't a single purpose the upwardly-mobile metropolis didn't serve: there were hotbeds of commerce, corporate headquarters, shopping centers, even community suburbs fit with schools, courthouses, civic centers, fabricated parks, and terraced gardens, all of it interconnected by the swarms of endless traffic prowling the skyways. It was a wide-angle view that made it easy to forget that there was a blood-and-shit-stained underbelly to the city; brought her out of the poisonous, narrow perspective that was easy to get jacked into after so many years of fucking around with bureaucratic red tape.

That wasn't the point of its construction, though. 'Above it all' wasn't just spatial positioning for the tower's former owner: it was a way of life, a conviction that anything, done to anyone, could be covered over with a few clever credit transfers. It was dumb luck that had any of it had been tracked, even luckier that Tela had clawed and scraped her way on to the task force after outing it in the first place, but all the handwringing and cage-rattling had at least gone somewhere. It'd sure as hell been worth it, too; for Tela, there was no greater satisfaction than knowing that she was the one standing at the top of the corporate juggernaut's headquarters, a working-class detective that the self-righteous harpy they'd dragged hissing and spitting out of the too-pristine office wouldn't have considered worthy of being pissed on by vagrants.

Might have paid good money to see it given the long, sordid track record; not really something Tela cared to put much thought into, though.

Coming back didn't quite have the thrill it did the first time, but that was expected; wasn't what made it worthwhile, besides. It was the woman alongside her that made it count. They could be standing in silence, barely giving each other the time of day, and it wouldn't have mattered- giving Tevos, a respected councilor, a view worthy of her role, did.

The elder matron even looked like she belonged here; 'dressed to the nines' was one phrase she'd heard for it, and the term sure as hell applied. The ensemble was one Tela had always taken to, had only seen worn at the most high-profile political galas the councilor attended: a glossy, subtly embroidered black dress with fetching off-the-shoulder straps; an ornate necklace, the kind that branched off into slim cords of intricate beadwork, casting a pattern- black and silver- against a bare swath of skin; fancy, polished heels, and a collection of silver bracelets around wrists adorned by silk, fingerless dinner gloves that came up past the elbow. It all played off the councilor's natural features, brought out the elaborate markings that splayed over Tevos' shoulders and trailed down to her elbows, pale and striking against slate blue skin, and coal-black fabric.

Flattering that she'd gone to all the trouble to make a show of her appearance- but, then, Tela'd done the same, though she couldn't quite remember where she got the idea to throw on a corporate monkey suit, herself, even if the all-black, white-tie ensemble didn't look half bad on her. Returning the compliment, maybe; making a show of formality where, normally, she couldn't have given less of a shit about it.

Seemed worth it, at the time she'd thought about it. Hell, aside from clearing the air a little, this would've been the perfect evening- if it weren't for the sound of voices wafting in from the open office, sounds of a full-on cocktail party. The curtains, black smoke and sheer, billowing in the wind like some aimless, panicked bird, distorting the shapes of the individuals inside, muffled the sounds of banal chit-chat, but the sliding glass door was open, allowing anyone who damn well wanted to a view of the two asari standing quietly together. She took a glance at it, ignoring the unremarkable procession of elbow-rubbing socialites to look it over. The interior of the office was just like she'd remembered it: opalescent tiling with smooth obsidian patterning on the floors, high-contrast paintings on the walls, and decorative plants, all centered around a too-big ivory desk in front of an abstract painting that probably costed too much money.

Police barriers were still up, too; bright green strips of light running between magnetized posts set up at the balcony entrance, the elevators, the hallways- made her wonder how the hell the celebrants got here in the first place. But there they were- walking, talking parasites that looked back at her witlessly when they saw her watching them, fixing her with the kinds of stares that felt like hands making a grab at her. Meant that if she wanted to get this over with, really talk about what she'd intended to after treating the councilor to the finest view of Nos Astra in existence, she had to do it quickly; preserve the evening before she missed her chance. Chance for what, though, she had to wonder; being nice was one thing, but what she'd intended on, she didn't even have the words for.

The windchime jingle of thin silver bracelets brought her out of her train of thought, shifted her attention to what it should've been on from the beginning- away from stunted ruminations, and the mix of dead-eyed social climbers.

"You're usually pretty hands-off when it comes to things like this," she said, as the councilor's hand raised to fidget with the beads of the necklace; restless, letting it show in ways that could never stay hidden. "What changed?"

"I wish I could place what it was," Tevos said, looking down into the high, white canyon of corporate towers over the railing. "But aside from what I've already said, I don't know what else I can add to lend clarity to it."

The words, that look... both made for a good reminder that this was important, that spouting off half-cocked like some dreamy-eyed maiden would be a mistake. Left her to shrug her response in the meantime- take in some of scenery around her, turn her eyes away from faded amber irises before she fired off something that'd turn a pleasant moment into a colossal fuck-up.

Plenty to look at, at least. The balcony's sitting area had a tiled floor, covered in a smeared, shadow-blurred arabesque. To either side of them, synthetic ferns, chlorophyll green on cold grey, the kind rich assholes liked to inject with bioluminescent gel, thin white tendrils spreading up the branches and leaves to match the ivory tablecloths. It was fashionable on Illium- accessorizing everything to match, no matter how pretentious it made you look.

She never could understand that; martini-swilling, elitist snobs coughing up credits to stylize everything around them, like the self-administered butt-pat was some amazing boost to their already overblown status. Almost remarked on it, but the words to say it weren't there; took only one glance at Tevos to tell herself that it wasn't worth mentioning, anyway. Watched for a moment; saw that amber gaze focused on Nos Astra's horizon, without any real interest in seeing it.

"You know I'm the one who'll be taking the fall for it, right?" Tela said, a fumbling attempt at levity.

Shouldn't have surprised her when it didn't work; didn't, really, but she still felt her muscles tense a little at the reaction. The councilor's expression had turned somber, eyes remaining on the faultless gloss of the metropolis, on the cold shadow it threw...

Following the trajectory of Tevos's gaze to gather her thoughts, Tela found herself stopped short by what came into view; couldn't even really place why. Something about the way the steam and fog at the base of the towers caught her attention, the haze quivering under a blinking red shower of sodium lights like a scared animal. Made that twist in her gut deepen for a moment; made her want to ignore the flintlock shot of urgency it gave her.

Couldn't remember it ever being that dark before, spattered black and shifting around anxiously, as if it was waiting for something. Not scared, then; hungry.

The world eats bodies-

She frowned, furrowing her brow, staring hard at the shifting fog like it'd done her some grave insult. She supposed it had, in a way; she wasn't fond of being unsettled by scenery, of all damn things- or some backwards phrases that sounded like wisdom, but only amounted to a fat load of fuck-all, so far as she was concerned.

"I don't know what you expected me to do," Tevos said, her voice like the view- bleak, and unfamiliar- snapping Tela out of the one-way staring contest as it came in time with another light jingle of the bracelets.

"It's a frightening thing, isn't it?" a voice said from behind them- familiar, the hiss-catch tense-release of a rebreather coming with it. "Worse, in unfamiliar environments."

Tela's shoulders tightened, a sharp look shot over her shoulder; stared like some indignant, angry guard dog at the newcomers, both of them. Something in her was saying too soon, not enough time, rebelling at the idea that she'd wasted her chances with a few stupid remarks and idle chatter; made it easier to think the lapse was their fault, not hers. Didn't even need to look to know who was on approach- she'd recognize the cabbie's voice anywhere, recognize the dapper suit and confident walk- but it was a good thing she did. Selex, she saw, was behind him, smiling like a mechanical toy, fingers fidgeting with a small, silver band.

One of Tevos's bracelets.

"This is different," she heard Tevos say, her attention pulled away from the band, and back to the councilor's face. "This is-"

"Crazy," Tela interrupted firmly. "Don't take crazy personally."

"She has reason to be curious," Selex said, looking up with that slow, idiot smile, "and concerned."

He was looking at Tevos; met a resigned gaze, and a dim smile, the flickering halo of the balcony lights giving her eyes a glassy sheen. "Yes, well... either way," she said, letting her hand drop from the beads she fidgeted with, "we should get started."

"I'll play the minutes from the last meeting," the cabbie said, keying in a sequence on his omnitool.

Selex stepped up to Tevos as a holographic image flickered to life, never once losing that smile, eyes cold and grey, entitled hands resting against the councilor's sides, smoothing over them. Tevos didn't flinch; merely smiled and gave her thanks as the salarian lifted her up onto the railing; didn't release her until she'd gotten her balance, her back to the chasm between the towers. Her bracelets shimmered like dry blue crystals, catching the light of the 'minutes' as they played, the reflection a stark contrast to the pools of amber cast against the balcony tiling. Tela turned her head absently to look, and was stopped short by the projected image that occupied the center table.

There she was; in front of her own eyes, she saw herself lying on her back like some obedient pet, legs spread, knees bent, toes splayed on the white satin, digging into the fabric as she panted, groaned, growled and snapped. No sign of her partner but disembodied hands, letting her squirming and bucking play out like she was trying out to be the galaxy's next pornographic sweetheart.

Looking at it was like passing through a nitrous haze, the whiplash shift of standing upright, to looking upside down at her own dumb-fuck, invalid stare tearing at her equilibrium. Her senses were hit with the tell-tale hum of sex, the wet-snap clutch of muscle and excited nerves. It was all duplicated to perfection, through holographic skin of liquid crystal, deep blue, coagulated to vague solidity under a translucent silver cage of simulated mesh; kept dogging her until a hangover headrush made her eyes ache and her stomach lurch, a split second of disorientation that snapped her back to her senses.

To the body that stood, not the one that worked her hips and made the kinds of sounds she'd expect to hear in some blood and cum stained strip bar.

It all played out right in front of the damn doors, partygoers that milled around inside the office watching with all the slack-jawed enthusiasm of an insect hive, pure nervous system without a flicker of cognition, roving stares with no perception. Aside from them, no one else seemed to notice. In fact- no one else seemed to have moved, or even looked at her save for the cabbie, the squat volus affording her a moment of clinical scrutiny.

Just keep your eyes off it, she told herself, whatever the fuck it is, turning her head away as a gloss of slick moisture was smeared by slender fingers over her projection's cheek. Don't let it happen again.

"I don't know if I can control this," Tela said, like her only goal was to contradict herself, to erase any attempts she made to calm down, "and it scares the hell out of me that it's even a question."

"It will flicker out, in time," the cabbie said, "extinguish itself, when there's no more fuel to offer." She watched him for a moment- saw him glance at the two that were with them, before returning his attention to her. Inclining his head, he said, "Are you listening?"

"Have been since I left the 7th," she said, keeping a close watch as Tevos began to remove the bracelets, one by one, each of them handed to Selex's grasping fingers; heard her own damn voice like it was reacting to that first touch of scaled skin on polished metal. "You've seen this before?" she asked, glancing down at him; saw him look up, small white eyes surveying the scene.

"Many times, yes," he said, nodding.

Tela's attention drifted after that; didn't care what he had to say, if he said anything at all. Let his voice blend into the background, along with her own fuck-me whimpering. The bracelets were still coming off; were still being handed over to be stroked and coveted by the attentive salarian. Tevos was yielding every step of the way, obedience automatic, all while the salarian stood by to receive everything she offered, staring like some juvenile voyeur, fingers fumbling in excitement over the bracelets.

"Starting to think it was a fucking mistake to let you in here in the first place," Tela said under her breath, hard-pressed to describe the whole dispassionate ritual as anything other than flat-out obscene.

"Please, Tela," Tevos said, looking up at her with listless eyes- like every removed piece of jewelry was emptying her out. "I only wanted to make sure you were alright."

Their gazes stayed locked for a few moments of dead silence; only sound that Tela could hear was that pathetic oh, oh, uhh! of the projected footage. Was that it, she wondered? Had the 'minutes' been what made it feel like a door had closed between them? Something else? Or had she always been locked out, too stupid to notice until now?

No.

No, not yet. For the first time since the ritual started, Tevos had stopped; was looking at her like she could say, or do something to put an end to all of this. She didn't; opened her mouth to speak but got overruled by a pitiful begging and faint static, staring back at that flicker of expectance in the councilor's eyes for long enough to see it fade.

"Just talking to you like this could end my career permanently," she said, hearing herself speak with no recollection of summoning the words, "you know that."

"I understand," Tevos said, tugging off another slender bracelet, "If you want me to leave, I'll-"

"'Want' has nothing to do with it."

Tevos went quiet after that; gave a shake of her bowed head, that wrist-slap brand of disappointment she was only too good at communicating. Tela didn't bother to keep talking; just watched Tevos handing off the next bracelet to Selex. Like the councilor, he was locked in the ritual nature of it, every twitch of his smile and brush of his fingers repeated, over and over.

The shift of the silver band caught the edge of the projection's blue twilight flicker, a bright sheen lined white, the sound of Tevos's voice, "Do you happen to recall the first time I asked to speak to you in my office, privately?" lost like some distant signal.

That light pulled at her, tugged at her insides like it wanted to pull them out of her, "I don't know," said around a thick knot in her throat, a shuddered breath brought in with a cold sweat shiver. "I can't-"

Robbed of her tongue again; robbed of everything but the poison shocks of cold fingertips igniting raw nerves, the staring contest between her unoccupied body and her superior seen upside-down against the backdrop of a sky painted like shifting walls of iron, blistered and spotted black. Just the sight of it brought the memory of a dead, grey smell, ozone and stale sweat mixing with a charnel house reek of broken, suppurating scars. It came and went, overpowered by the sharp scent of venereal excess, but lingered long enough to make saliva pool in her mouth, the kind you could see smeared over the lips of a drunk-sick vagrant seconds before-

"This began as a lapse in judgement, on my part." Tevos's voice. "Makes it difficult to maintain a healthy distance."

Swallowing hard, she strained her eyes to watch the exchange, ignoring the red, tidal burst of primordial gratification clawing its way through her, projected body too obedient and ineffectual to let her maintain a focus.

A hand caught the back of her neck in the same second she got a read on the sound of her own voice, "This, coming from the woman who took me aside and told me not to get emotionally involved in my work," from the physical body she'd been torn from; felt the pinch of manicured nails at her nape, a throwback to the petty torments of sneering, half-century-old brats trying to one-up each other, same as the kind she grew up with.

This wasn't petty, though; this was control. One false shift could cause a paralyzing shot of pain; made everything but her begging hips go still, allowing her head to be jerked upwards, her gaze fixing on a smoldering black stare, on eyes as blank as obsidian mirrors, pure energy without a trace of warmth, or lust. The reconstruction of the woman that sat passively on the railing, covered in the same nightmare halflight of high tension wires.

Tevos's reflection smiled, tightened the grip on Tela's nape while the other played between her thighs, and said, "She worked on her material substance vainly, because she did not know the truth..."

"Will you get in touch if you need anything?" Tevos again- the quiet one behind her, not the manufactured, sex-kitten temptress that stared down at her, toyed with her. "You're burning up."

Her nape was released abruptly, long enough to see herself, see a reflection still capable of articulating when all she could do was moan and whine like a 'sand-blasted whore, just nod dumbly. Watched herself accept the last silver bracelet taken into her hands, and draw her fingers over it, a stark contrast to Selex's fevered stroking.

"She assumed a fashioned figure while she was preparing," the sex kitten overhead purred into her ear, "in power and in beauty, the substitute for truth." The fingers paused there, poised against the heartbeat pulse in her stiffened clit, and that calm voice made silken, sultry, said, "Pay attention."

She was so damn obedient, like some part of her was aching to be, biting down on her lower lip to keep herself quiet, fingers grabbing at the tablecloth like that'd keep her from squirming. Tevos's hands were raising to the clasp of the necklace, head bowed, the eagerness in Selex's rheumy eyes as he watched its removal hitting a fever pitch. He was as anxious as the black smoke below the towers; hungered.

"Done?" her reflection asked as the necklace came away, and was placed into the salarian's free hand to join the other jewelry; made that sick feeling amplify, suddenly.

She knew what was happening, knew what Tevos's slow, affirmative nod meant; what the tense raise of Selex's shoulders, and the appreciative wordless murmur he gave implied; was helpless to do a fucking thing about it but lay there.

"It appears so, yes," Tevos said, whimsical smile carrying an undercurrent of resignation. "Though I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever be."

"This, then," the sex-kitten murmured, "was not a humiliation for the illimitable, inconceivable one."

"Shut up," Tela said through gritted teeth, the firm rhythm of the finger against her clit picking up again, forced her to bite back another round of sniveling whimpers.

The first words she could say, on her own, and no one around them had heard it. Even the cabbie had his back to her, gaze shifting from the gratified salarian to the distant, but... fond exchange going on between the two asari.

And to all that, her idiot reflection just asked, "I didn't miss anything, did I?"

"For they were as nothing," the sex-kitten continued, as Tevos shook her head, hands settling back on the railing, "this terror and this forgetfulness and this figure of falsehood-"

"Are you going to be alright?" Tevos asked.

"-whereas established truth is unchanging, unperturbed-"

"You get used to doing what you have to," Tela's reflection replied listlessly.

"-and completely beautiful." The sex-kitten's second hand join the one that worked Tela's clit in earnest, two fingers plunging deep inside of her. "Pay attention..."

Seemed a sick joke that the tetanus clutch of an anxious muscle contraction hit hard with the sight of Selex's hands closing tight around the bracelets. Brought out a groan, disgust defied by a shrill chorus of disembodied lust in her nerves; made it harder to pay attention, but there was no denying she had to. Selex's possessive grasping, his thin, awkward smiles and reptile hunger weren't her point of focus- Tevos was.

"Well," Tevos was saying gently, attention on Tela's blank-eyed double. "Keep me updated on what you find, and-" -fuck- she knew that tone, remembered that pause, knew the innocent gesture that followed because she'd played it in her fucking head like it'd been a moment of pure gold- "-thank you, Tela..." the councilor said, all soft smiles and muted affection, punctuated with a brush of her hand over the shoulder of Tela's reflection, "as always."

That was the goodbye, before. That was it. But there was no putting a halt to what was happening, no casual statement to stick around from her double, her own limbs paralyzed by the depraved script it was running on.

"For this reason," the apparition murmured, as Tevos's hands began to release the railing, body leaning backwards, "do not take error too seriously," the certainty of what was coming was greeted with a calm, quiet serenity that had no business being there, the councilor's eyes meeting hers- not her double's- with a faint smile on white and slate blue lips, like an apology.

"Fuck you," Tela spat, raising her inert hands to start shoving at the sex kitten's shoulders, too limp and weak to make good of the effort, no matter how much adrenaline shot through her-

-and everything eaten in the world dies-

-too slow to do anything more than stare as gravity made a grab for the woman she'd served for nearly a century, a palpable force that meant to drag its acquisition down to the earth to be devoured.

All that was left was the flutter of black, silken skirts, and a shimmering, broken glass shower of silver bracelets, tossed over the railing with a casual flick of Selex's wrist- played out to the atonal rhythm of a shrill, electric beep.

[...]

Tela woke in that moment of panic, jerking bolt upright out of bed to the sound of her terminal's alarm blaring in her ears, the breaths she pulled in sharp, shuddered. Disoriented, the bright glow of the terminal making her eyes ache, the heel of her palm pressed to her forehead as she forcibly slowed her breathing. Reaching out blindly with her free hand to smack what doubled as a snooze button, she rubbed her hands against her face- and felt her heart lurch as the sound of a calm voice came from her terminal.

"Ms. Vasir. I've been trying to reach you."

Fuck. Fuck. Looking up at the screen, she saw the string of nonsensical letters and numbers she'd assigned to Barla Von's voice line. It wasn't the alarm, it was a damn call-

"Right," she said, trying to get her harsh breathing under control. "Yeah... sorry about that."

There was a pause; even from a distance, his bemusement was notable. "Is this a bad time?" he asked.

Yes, was all she wanted to say to that, but didn't know what good it'd do to end the call, and dwell on the sick games her subconscious had just played with her. "No," she said. "It's fine. I'm- I just got back from a jog."

He could probably tell it was a lie, but he didn't bother to press for details. "Well... I hope it was a pleasant one, at least."

"Thrilling as always," she said, wincing slightly as she shifted in the bed, the light ache in her thighs and- between them giving her a stern reminder of just how... enthusiastic she'd gotten on the previous night. "What's this about, anyway?"

"I was just checking in to see if you had any updates for me."

"Would've called if I had any," she said, rubbing her eyes; had less of a headache than she'd expected to, all things considered, but every muscle felt like it'd been put through a meat grinder. "Got a ton of leads... little short on answers."

"Is there anything I can assist with?"

Her first inclination was to say 'no,' but- Von had resources at his disposal that she didn't, at the moment. Brought her attention to the sealed envelope the cabbie had handed to her the night before, the one she'd left next to the terminal.

"Maybe," she said, reaching for it, "just give me one second..."

"Take your time."

Opening the envelope, she pulled out a small slip of paper, thick, with a decorative, embossed rose in the corner. The message was written out plainly, with an attention to penmanship she thought had gone extinct a long time ago: Yirell Noir Velvet Rose. Dress nicely, carry unmarked credits. Observe caution, do not make purchases, ask your questions, and leave.

Fighting the urge to palm her face at the idea of tracking down another denizen of the 7th, Tela said, "You got anything on a 'Yirell,' uh-" She squinted at the note for a moment. "I'm not even going to try and pronounce this."

"How is it spelled?"

"N-o-i-r."

"No-warr, then."

"Heard it before?"

"The name and the word, yes."

"Word?"

"Yes. From a human dialect. French, I believe."

Human. Tela squared her jaw slightly, looking at the note a little more hatefully than was warranted. Either everyone in the 7th had a human fetish, or this was another thread tied to Selex. Chances were good it was the latter, but- she wasn't looking to get her hopes up on that.

"Any idea what that's about?" she asked, setting the envelop aside and raising to her feet, glad he wasn't on the vid screen to see the mouthed 'ow' she gave in response to her legs complaining. "Aside from the fact that it sounds about as 'art house pretentious' as you can get?"

"Well... her establishment does cater to human clients. Enough that they've given her a nickname: 'the White Tigress.'"

Stooping to pick up a clean pair of pants, she said, "That supposed to mean something to me?"

"It may be of some importance, I suppose," he said, "but only in respects to her appearance. She's quite pale. I hear many suspect her of having albinism in her family line."

"So she's pureblood."

"Yes. And decorated with black markings that mimic your own, to some capacity, which- well. I'm sure I don't need to explain the significance of that."

"Oh, good," Tela said under her breath, "just what I need," pulling the BDUs on over her hips. "Another malcontent." Fastening the fly, she said, "Anything else you can tell me about her? Anything about the place she runs?"

"Her personal records are extremely difficult to track down," Von said. "Actually, I might not even be aware of her existence if she hadn't raised some suspicions with locals in the 7th."

"Which locals?"

"Unless it's urgent, it's better I didn't say."

"Fair enough," she said, pausing to pull her shirt on, reasoning that she'd be better off not getting any more involved than she was already. "What can you tell me about the venue?"

"It's been described as everything from an opium den to a brothel," Von said, "and was given clearance to go into operation by Oma Caris. Caters to exotic tastes in alcohol and- 'adult' entertainment, as it were. Meant to cater to all species, though humans and asari appear to be the most frequent clientele."

"Out of towners, I'm guessing," she said, moving over to the terminal to check through her received messages; she'd nearly forgotten about the request she'd put in with the census bureau. "Is she the type to look for big spenders?"

"Oh, most certainly," Von said, as Tela clicked on the response she'd received. "She has a habit of turning down clients that don't meet her aesthetic standards, though she does make exceptions, in some cases."

"Oh yeah?" Tela said absently. "To whom?"

"Others of her own kind," Von said, "though I suspect it's not an act of charity."

"The black tattoos are proof of that," she said under her breath, brow furrowing slightly as she scanned the information in front of her.

Twenty three asari registered in the 7th- not a lot, but enough that she should have seen more than a couple wandering around. The district wasn't that large.

"By the way," she said, making a grab for her jacket, the letter she'd received from the cabbie stuffed into her pants pocket, "that name 'Caris' keeps coming up. There anything you can tell me about him?"

"Plenty," Von said, "though most what I can tell you isn't likely to be true. Easier to say that he- or, she, potentially, shares a great deal of traits with our mutual associate."

"Only heard him referred to as a 'he,'" Tela said.

"And he, or she, has also been salarian, turian, volus- even asari, from time to time. Some think Caris is a work of fiction, little more; a tall tale brought in by mercenaries with the intent to scare the locals."

"Sure seems to be working," she said, tugging the jacket on over her shoulders, "especially if people have to get 'approved' to set up shop there." Beat. "Look, just- send any files you've got on him and Yirell to my omnitool when you get a chance. Already had a late start to the morning, and I've gotta get out of here."

"Of course. Let me know if you find anything, or need anything else."

"I will," Tela said, "thanks."

The line went dead after that, leaving her to take note of at least two calls from Tevos's office received that morning.

Lead her to pause for a moment, looking at the screen a little blankly. That dream hadn't vanished, and neither had the deep sense of unease it evoked- made part of her want to place the call to the councilor's office just to see for herself that everything was alright. She shrugged it off in the end, telling herself that she was already late in getting started for the day; that she needed to get back to Selex's apartment, no matter how much the idea turned her stomach.

She shook her head, yanking on her boots and lacing them up. Hell with that. Bad enough to be shaken up by a damn dream, but by a paranoid murderer who practically fell apart under pressure? There was only so much humiliation she was willing to weather over the last couple days; being even remotely affected by the sadistic bullshit spat out by a subconscious that had been fed nothing but hormones and stress for well over six hours was out of the damn question.

Calling the councilor, though- no matter how much she wanted to, their brief run-in in the hotel room made her think otherwise. Going from shaken, to angry, to awkward in the span of a few minutes, with a headache she could only hope would go away after a few glasses of water, was not a worthwhile way to start what was promising to be yet another irritating day. Made her settle on writing out a quick note to the councilor to make assurances that she was alright, and confirm that she'd be making contact after her meeting with Selex.

Only one addendum was added: I'll avoid the water this time.

With that out of the way, she started towards the door- to get some food, find proper attire, move funds into some unmarked chits, and a whole host of other tasks that needed to be completed before seeing Selex- ignoring the incoming call announced by another round of beeping from her terminal.

[...]

"Something the matter?" Sparatus asked, as Tevos stepped back into the private conference room.

He, Valern, and Udina were looking at her curiously; she didn't doubt that they'd seen her distraction throughout the morning.

Still, she offered a faint smile, and said, "No. Just a simple matter that Ms. Tinos wanted to clarify about some of the decorations."

"Ah, yes," Sparatus grumbled. "The 'teal' thing."

Valern canted his head slightly. "The what?"

"Nothing that requires nearly as much attention as she's putting into it," Udina said, as Tevos seated herself at the conference table. "She has bigger problems to manage, at the moment."

"Ms. Tinos is concerned the decor might ruffle some feathers," Sparatus said, for clarity's sake. "Something about the colors on the banquet's centerpiece being-" Noting the wince on Tevos's face, he paused, canted his head, and said, "What?"

"You might want to avoid using the phrase 'ruffled feathers,'" Tevos said. "All things considered."

"Ah. Right. I suppose that might not be taken too well, would it?"

"On par with your ambassador being asked if turian mandibles are anything like an ant's, yes," Valern said mildly. "Now... can we move on with the agenda?"

"Of course," Tevos said. "My apologies for the interruption. What was our next point of discussion?"

Dutifully, Udina gave a rundown of other various diplomatic disasters laying in wait, Korlack's activities among them- and while Tevos resolved herself to pay attention to what was being said, she found that the same sense of unease she'd been subject to the day before hadn't abated. It seemed absurd, in and of itself; she could trust Tela's message, trust that the younger asari had recovered enough to continue the assignment- and do her best not to take the lack of contact personally... even as she felt herself slipping further and further from the lofty platform of non-involvement