Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. 

Silence.

Two missed calls.

The phone beside Niko’s bed buzzes. It is not Niko’s phone, but another phone entirely. An older phone, one that Niko would not recognize as one belonging to anyone else. A burner phone, planted by the caller, no doubt. There’s equally no doubt who that person is, either.

Niko: Ngh… Shut up! (she rolls over in her bed, reaching out an arm and grasping at the whatever to the right in the hope she’ll accidentally grab onto the phone and make it pipe down without having to get up) I gotta ask Shinju how you can make it so the alarm doesn’t go off on Sundays… 

No such luck. The phone continues vibrating with an unconvincing, but highly grating metallic whirr. When her fingers finally manage to brush something that could at least realistically pass for a phone, Niko still has to stretch her arm far further than she’s comfortable with to grasp it in any way that wouldn’t end with her knocking it off the nightstand altogether. Whatever she has managed to get a hold of, however, doesn’t feel like the perfectly smooth and flat, glass and rose gold aluminum slab she expected to find next to her bed. It is smaller, curvier and bulkier — like a flip phone, and as far as Niko is aware, these haven’t been in fashion for quite a while now.

Niko: What the f— 

Okay, so there’s a phone no person under the age of thirty would want to be found dead with, like, right here in her room. Where she sleeps. Who put it there? Is this a prank? Did she forget about winning one of these at the arcade? No, that’s impossible. She never wins at the arcade.

This realization is enough to make her jolt up, pulling in the antiquated device to give it a closer look. It’s desperate to be seen as aluminum, but Niko recognizes cheap plastic when she sees it, and that’s about anything she can say about this perfectly dull piece of kit. All the numbers in it probably belonged to insurance agents and brothers-in-law. Whose phone was this? Has her dad accidentally flipped his with hers, or something? No, wait, her phone is right there, plugged in and charging. And besides, Dad has one of those expensive ones that you can unlock with your fingerprint. So how did this thing end up here?

Before Niko can spare the mystery any more thought, the phone buzzes again. Someone clearly needs whoever they think they’re calling, like, stat. The best she can do is tell them they won’t find what theft’re looking for here, right? With a sigh, she clears her throat and fixes her hair — as if whoever’s on the other end of the line is going to see her — before she picks up.

Niko: This… This is Segawa speaking. I-I apologize, but I believe there’s been a mistake.

Diana: Has there? (The sound of a cigarette being lit is heard, alongside the metallic opening and closing of a lighter giving enough of a beat to let the voice sink in) The only mistake, as far as I can tell, is that I let our game stagnate from the beginning. 

Niko: … This isn’t my phone. I just found it, so the person you’re trying to reach is… not here.

Diana: <Christ, this is what I get for trading Yui in so soon… man, I need to learn when to not jump the fucking gun.> Niko Segawa. The Diva of the Conductors. The one from whom I stole the Soul Lantern. Does that sound more accurate?

Niko: What the— Why are you calling me? You don’t just call your enemies on the phone!

Diana: Why not? Hell, how do you think you got this burner phone in the first place?

Niko: Gosh, can’t you guys just leave us alone? The last thing I need is a hotline you can call to tell me how much I suck. I’m aware, yes, thank you. You have the Lantern and I am a dumb stupid nincompoop. What even do you still need me for? (she sighs) Whatever. I am not playing your stupid game, I don’t care about your motives or your sad backstory or your philosophy or your insane ramblings. 

While she is ranting on the burner phone, Niko grabs her own phone and boots up the Internet browser, frantically typing “how to track mobile phone number” into the search bar.

Niko: If you need someone to talk to, go visit a host club or something. At least there they will pretend to care. I’ve got nothing to say to you. Good day, ma’am.

Diana: So, you don’t want the Lantern back, then?

Niko: Tsk. As if you’re gonna give it back just like that. I’m not stupid.

When her search yields no usable results, she switches over to her messaging app, starting to compose a message to Koharu with the same question she asked the search engine, though she struggles to phrase it in a way she thinks Koharu would understand.

Diana: You didn’t answer my question.

Niko: You think I’m gonna fall for that kinda tough guy junk? Of course I’m not answering your questions! I… I should be the one asking you questions!

Diana: Go ahead.

Niko: … Who do you want to bring back to life?

Diana: Huh. <You’re quick when you wanna be, I guess.> Fine, as an incentive to play my game, you get a name. … (She hesitates) Fiora Everest.

Niko: Bullshit. You’re a friggin’ serial killer. You don’t care about anyone.

Diana: I’m not a serial killer. I kill indiscriminately. There’s a difference.

Niko: Yeah, you’re worse!

Diana: Hey, you asked.

Niko: (she scoffs, indignantly) … You know what, I am so tired of people like you. You call me up just to taunt me, to challenge me to a “game”, as if I have any actual shot at outwitting you. If I don’t play along with your stupid game, you find some way to turn the tables, and if I actually do talk back to you, you just lie so you can go back to gloating.

Diana: I don’t lie.

Niko: You think that makes you special? That you pretend to give your victims a shot? You’re no different from any other smug asshole I’ve had to deal with. I can’t win your shitty game because you’ve already convinced yourself you’re the coolest person in the room. You never lose because you’ve already determined that you always win. You think you’re hot shit because you “kill indiscriminately”? 

Diana: Not really.

Niko: Bitch, I know exactly how people like you do things, and I’m not falling for it anymore. Fuck your game. I’m gonna hunt your sorry ass down, and I don’t need you to feed me your oh-so-clever clues and string me along in your web of bullcrap. 

Diana: Please, do. That’s the game I have set out for you—

Niko: Eat shit! (she hangs up)