#threadwithzakir

As a rapper - and up-and-coming star - Zakir found it much easier to roam between the neighbourhoods of New Jakarta without getting the wrong kind of attention - even if he still worried about it. Now that Sora was no longer under a curfew, Zakir had made sure to visit Nexos the first night he didn't have a show.

He showed his face here constantly, among the city's partying elite. Either he'd get some shows out of it, some clout, or he'd pick up conversations that would serve his employer from the Golden Tears well.

Zakir knew the situation was dire. Though he was glad Santi was still alive, the fact that there were few hints as to who ordered the shot, meant there were too many possible shooters. He hadn't been anywhere near the conference - not his scene - but he'd made his way to the Slums as the news hit the channels. He wasn't going to entertain the idea that he'd be in any way as juicy a target at Santi, but he couldn't lie and say he didn't feel at least a bit worried.

The situation - and the rumours - would suggest it was probably the Skeleton Crew getting back at the CEO for trying to hide that it had been an X location getting stolen from. But given that they were already on the down-low after that heist, made that not make sense.

And Zakir hadn't picked up on anything either. Not that he had when it came to the heist either. He was being a very bad informant, that was for sure.

Finding the politician was easy, and given his secondary job as a translator, it wasn't very hard to find reasonable doubt as to why he hung out with Cesar Vicente as much.

Zakir could get away with coming to X ACADEMY mostly because of his augmentation, even if most didn't know about it, far fewer knew of his role as an informant for the Golden Tears. And he liked to keep it that way, it wasn't necessarily something he was proud of, just something he felt was needed. For his own benefit mostly. Something he felt ensnared in, caught up in, unable to get free off that easily. And perhaps he didn't have to.

So far nothing bad had happened.

Today he'd been called in mostly to do translation work. X was huge, a company of a size that he couldn't so quickly compare. And there was plenty of work for someone who knew enough languages. Even more so in New Jakarta.

He nodded in Santi's direction when the last of the clients walked out of the office. The work always filled him with exhaustion, but the good kind. "I'd say that went well... right?"

Zakir could safely say he was neither up-to-date nor in the loop on current affairs. There were times when his language skills made him one of the few to understand the full picture, but other times he was the one left out. As an informant, it was the safest route. 

He found himself in the Slums around midday, glad to be out of the transportation chaos in Mawar even though he knew he’d have to return by nightfall. 

Zakir walked into the first shop on the Bartori he could find and settled down to order lunch. He made it look natural as he entered the place, as if he’d happened upon it. 

And nodded in the direction of the underboss as if the other was simply a patron, before ordering. "One coffee and... the lunch special looks good, I'd have two of those. Terima Kasih."