Timaeus

I mean, they look like sunglasses to me… Are your eyes just really sensitive?

Aoi

Yeah, it’s just a side effect of my albinism. Not enough pigment in the eyes, so too much light gets in and I get a migraine. If that makes sense?

Timaeus

Albinism? But your hair–

Aoi

–is dyed, of course. I can show you if you don’t believe me?

Timaeus

No, I believe you! But I am kinda curious…

They lifted the visor up for a moment, holding a hand over their eyes to shield them from the lights in the ceiling. I only saw them for a moment, but they were a strange soft grey I’d never seen before…

Timaeus

Huh.

Aoi

Yeah.

Aoi

…Did you really think I didn’t have eyes?

Timaeus

I don’t know!! I don’t know what I thought!

Aoi snickered and picked their book up again. I didn’t stay too much longer after that– just a couple more efforts at small talk, then we said our goodbyes and I wandered off back to my room.

Small talk didn’t really seem to be their thing… It was tough to keep a conversation going without it turning towards the terrifying new reality of our situation. I guess a calm, frank disposition helps, though, if you work around disease and death every day. How would you get anything done otherwise?

I just hope their actual talent doesn’t become relevant anytime soon…