Unforgettable
A record player spins as Airi's body moves to match the rhythm, humming along and dancing around the room somewhat awkwardly due to the lack of space. It was just a humble little study, after all. A large amount of the room's floor space was taken up by a desk, a few shelves, and a fancy-looking globe which she'd quickly figured out was a minibar and proceeded to liberate the alcohol from. Even so, she could see indents in the floor that suggested she wasn't the first one to use the space as an impromptu ballroom.
"You have great taste, Mister. These songs are so sweet! There must be someone you love a lot then, right~?"
Sitting slumped over at the desk was — Who was he again? It had been a little while since she lost herself dancing and the drinks weren't doing her memory in favors. She pauses her dancing and draws closer to the desk so that she lean over and tilt their head up by the chin. Empty blue eyes stare back at her through shattered glasses as she tries to put a name to the face. It was a Caucasian man who looked to be around his forties with short pale blond hair. Despite the blood dribbling out from multiple orifices, he looked rather well put together in her opinion. It made sense with what she was starting to remember
Julius Hudson, better known as Domino, was some sort of Thinker. The specifics didn't really matter now that he was in no condition to use his power. From her experience, Airi knew that Thinkers were either put together or complete wrecks. The put-together ones usually got into more trouble. The kind that makes someone want to hire her to get rid of them.
Her eyes flick to something else and she gingerly pulls her hand away. She grabs a photo sitting on the desk and curiously looks it over.
"Ha! Looks like I was right. She's "unforgettable" to you~"
She shoves the picture forward and taps on it repeatedly with her finger while giggling. Within the frame is the image of a brown-haired woman. His wife, if she had to guess. Her mind conjures up images of the pair dancing to the song as her body seems to move on its own to retrace their steps and she begins to sing along. Unforgettable. There was something irresistible about the notion to her. Drinking, dancing, and embracing one another — she was sure they must have done it all here. With each passing second it felt like it was radiating with their love. Yet, the more she thought about them, the colder she begins to feel. Eventually, she stops again and stares quietly at the floor.
"Do you think I can be like that? Unforgettable?"
This time, she wasn't speaking to Domino. The question was for it, the spirit that had granted her a voice. A series of notes sound off in her head. It was like birdsong, but stranger and infinitely more complex. It was even less so meant for humans than birdsong or any other creature's vocalizations. Yet, Airi found that she could just about make out the song's meaning thanks to its gift.
"Ah, maybe spirits don't do that? That's fine! I'll find someone lovely for us eventually."
Her arms wrap around herself as she dances with her spirit and lets time slip away again. She gets so carried away that she misses the car rolling into the driveway. The footsteps do break her out of her trance, though. Two sets, one lighter than the other, navigate around the house beyond the study. The lighter ones steadily grow closer. Airi dampens the sounds in the room and flicks the lights off as she rushes to squeeze herself into a corner.
In walks a girl who looks striking similar to the woman in the photo, though she's quite a bit younger. The deafening silence confused her since she was certain she heard music playing, and that confusion only grew when she saw her father slumped against the desk. What's happened doesn't fully settle in at first. A bottle and an empty glass lying by him make it seem like he's drunk himself to sleep. When her lips part to speak, Airi rectifies her mistake and allows sound in the room again while slinking around to stop the record player so the girl doesn't notice the change.
"Daddy?"
Airi looms behind the girl, watching and wondering what to do. What was certain was that she would have to leave sooner rather than later, but she wasn't sure if she should leave things as they were. The job was done and it wasn't her problem if her target's daughter stumbled on him afterwards. However, it could be annoying if someone who mattered was alerted while she was still nearby. Even if part of her still felt like dancing, it could bring trouble to her client if she caused too much of a stir. It might be good to silence her.
Her gloved hand reaches for the girl's neck but stops just a hair's width short. The girl gives up on waking her father and spins around, prompting Airi to slide behind her and do her best impression of a shadow. She continues to shadow the girl as she puts the bottle away, turns the light off, and exits the study into the hallway. She nearly forgets herself again as she wonders how long she can keep this up, trailing Domino's daughter to a staircase that presumably leads to her room before she remembers that she needs to leave. She breaks away and instead makes her way to the nearest window to slip out.
A slight bit of relief fills her. It wouldn't be quite right to say she had a soft spot. She did like children, but there was something more to it. Maybe it was the drinks or the music, but she just didn't feel like it. Maybe, it was just a little too boring.
"I think that we did really good! Did you like them? Because I think I like them. I hope we get more jobs from her."
Airi's feet kick in the air as she lies on a couch playing with her hair. She had another job she had to get to at some point, but right now she was feeling so giddy she knew she needed some time to wind down first. Her little birdy chirps in response and earns a giggle from her.
"The pretty crystal man was funny. Do you want to see him more? He worries too much, but I get it. I wonder how he sings?"
She didn't understand it entirely, but she thought her spirit must like sharing its song with other spirits. It made sense — birds sang for other birds, after all. Though, as interesting as he was, Airi was even more interested in her client. A warm, fuzzy feeling spreads through her stomach as she thinks about what had transpired just a short while ago.
"I really liked Miss Fractal. She seemed to really like our singing and was so nice to me!"
A sudden urge strikes and, without thinking, she begins to hum while looking herself over as if hoping to find something. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she found her mind wandering back to the picture of Domino's wife. She doubted that woman had so many scars covering her and she considered Domino himself rather easy to look at. Was she on his mind when he died? She thought it must have been so, just as she thought his widow must still be thinking of him.
No one had ever thought much about Airi, but now plenty of people thought about Babel. That wasn't enough, though. She needed them to remember. To know she'd been here even after she's long gone. Even if it was only to one person, she wanted to be unforgettable.