A/N: can we all just give a cheer for pansexual Link? B)
Chapter 4: Can't Nap, Must Spy
The next day, Tuesday, 9:02am
Location: Farore Dorms Common Room
Status: Being lectured by Vaati
"What's the point of getting out of bed if you're just going to nap here?!"
The said napping figure just grunted and rolled over on the couch, ignoring Vaati's exasperated words. Eventually, though, she turned her head to look at him. "I don't have class till two. And shouldn't you be happy I'm not bugging you?"
"You're so lazy, it bugs me just to look at you," Vaati replied flatly.
Link blinked several times at him and said in a hurt voice, "You could at least try to sound nice to me."
Her roommate sighed and turned back to reading his textbook, shifting slightly in his chair so that Link wasn't in his field of vision. At least he stopped nagging. Link shut her eyes again and resumed what she'd been doing, which was pretending to nap. As much as she did love sleep, even she knew there were more important things to be doing. Such as devising her plan for the day.
Her first priorities were Tiv and Zelda. The second girl she would see in class later that day; she intended to ask her about their brief encounter in the cafeteria yesterday. It was strange, how serious Zelda had seemed about her question, and yet how quickly she had decided not to ask it. Link hadn't the faintest clue as to what Zelda could have wanted from her, seeing as they had never even spoken before. As for Tiv, Link intended to follow the Yiga throughout the day and gather what clues she could as to her purpose at the academy.
With this plan in mind, Link pushed herself up off the couch and stretched her arms. Vaati glanced at her briefly. "I'm going for a walk," she explained with a yawn.
Time: 10:00am
Location: Rhoam Study Hall
Link's walk took her all the way to the Rhoam Study Hall. She assumed that Vaati would study before his eleven o'clock class, in a place near his classroom, and she was right. He sat in a quiet corner of the study hall, skimming through his textbook. He didn't notice his roommate watching him. She was by one of the walls, pretending to play on her Slate, but she kept her attention on the purple-haired student. Perhaps he felt her gaze because he looked up from his textbook and glanced around, frowning slightly. Link didn't worry when his eyes flickered over to her. All Vaati saw was a red-headed girl with glasses, not his blonde male roommate. Disguise: success.
At last, the person she was waiting for showed her face. Tiv strode confidently into the study hall, bobbing her head as though listening to music. She seemed to catch sight of Vaati because she abruptly turned her steps to his corner of the hall.
"Hi, Vaati!" Tiv greeted him cheerfully. Link picked up her voice through her earbuds, which were modified to amplify the sounds around her for easy eavesdropping.
He looked up at the brown-haired girl and frowned. After a moment's hesitation, he relaxed slightly and replied, "Tiv, right?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yup! Hey, do you mind if I study here, too?"
"If you really want to." Vaati returned a tiny polite smile. Link resisted rolling her eyes; he was probably scowling inside for having his space invaded, but he was always barely polite on the outside to everyone and hid his annoyance—that is, for everyone but Link. He made no attempt to hide his contempt around her. "I have class in an hour, though, so I will be leaving before too long," he added as Tiv set down her bag by the table and settled herself into the seat across from him. IT was a subtle attempt to discourage her, Link knew, but the brown-haired girl didn't seem to notice.
"Oh, what class? Ancient history?" Tiv asked in an excited voice.
"Actually, yes," Vaati looked surprised. "Why? Are you taking that class, too?"
"I am! That's so cool, we have two classes together!" Link frowned; she knew it couldn't be a coincidence that the Yiga was in more than one class with Vaati, further confirming her suspicions that Vaati was Tiv's target.
But what for? The Yiga Clan's motives usually weren't that sophisticated: they either wanted to kill you or recruit you. From the brief profile she had received on Vaati, Link couldn't find anything that would attract their attention for either purpose. By now, she had enough evidence to confidently label Tiv as a Yiga spy and turn her in to the Sheikah for questioning, but her curiosity got the better of her. Why would a Yiga of Tiv's skill level be assigned to Vaati? Did it have a connection with the Yiga clan's overall purpose in infiltrating the academy? Link didn't want to risk taking Tiv out of the picture and cutting off any leads she might gain from her.
She fiddled with her earbuds. There wasn't any way for her to keep an eye on Tiv during their Ancient History class. Link would have to hide a recording device on Vaati next time, then.
Tiv and Vaati didn't chat much after that, instead turning to their books. Link stayed where she was the whole time, though after a while she grew tired of using her Slate and put it away, resting her head and arms on the table in front of her as though taking a nap. She kept her attention fixed on the two students in the corner of the hall. Around 10:45 they both headed into their classroom.
Link lingered a few minutes, then pushed herself off the table and stretched. She sighed lightly. As wonderful as a nap did sound, she didn't have time to be idle. Every minute she spent at the academy was for the purpose of uncovering the Yiga and any plans they were devising. Even her playful bantering with Vaati was part of the job. Link gathered up her things and walked out of the study hall. On to the next suspect.
Report: Tuesday 8-16 23:18
Member: Link
Suspect Tiv is in two classes with Vaati Enlil. My suspicions are that she is targeting him. Purpose unknown as yet, will place a bug on Enlil to gain further data. Further information on Enlil requested.
Suspect under the name Oliver Milligan, professor of Contemporary Mathematics, cannot at this time be conclusively identified as a Yiga spy or not. I will continue observation.
Lastly, Zelda Nohansen, after approaching me yesterday as mentioned in my previous report, appeared to avoid me today in math class. Gaining information from her was unsuccessful. On the other hand, gaining Vaati Enlil's trust has been easy. I will learn more about him and attempt to uncover what it is that the Yiga want from him.
Link sent the report from her specially encrypted Sheikah Slate. Her dorm room was dark save for the glow from her tablet's screen. Vaati liked to go to bed precisely at 10:00, conveniently giving Link the time she needed to send her daily reports without being seen. She wasn't sure if she could call the day successful or not. Any progress she had made was tiny compared to the long list of unanswered questions she had surrounding the Yiga, Zelda, and Vaati.
She heard a grumble from across the room, and then the rustle of blankets. "Can you turn that off already?" Vaati complained. "I can't sleep with you shining that all over. Do you have it on the brightest setting or something?"
"Maaaaybe," Link smirked, but she shut off the tablet and slipped it under her pillow. "Sorry, I'll let you get your beauty sleep."
There was another grumble, and then a few moments of silences before Vaati sighed. "Why're you even at the Academy, Link? You don't take your studies seriously at all, you stay up late and sleep in and nap all the time…"
Link chuckled, unoffended by his harsh words, and rolled onto her back. It was the first time he'd ever inquired about her in a personal way, though the way he went about it was rough as usual. "Maybe I just wanted to see what it's like here."
"What do you mean, 'maybe?'"
She continued, "Or maybe it's because there's a girl here that I like. Or maybe because I'm actually a spy sent here to watch you." The last comment was partly the truth, but Vaati perceived it as just another joke, sighing in exasperation. Link smiled to herself. She knew he wouldn't believe her, so it didn't harm her cover to say that kind of thing. "I'm here to find something," she said after a moment's pause, in a more serious tone. "Just like you. But I can't tell you what it is."
Her roommate didn't answer, just sighed quietly. Link settled more comfortably in her bed and closed her eyes. She was on the edge of sleep when she barely heard Vaati murmur, "I hope we both find what we're looking for."
