Voice | Unseelie Lockets | All H. Compasses

[raavashing]

[Late in the evening of the 14th day of May, Wan's voice comes over the networks very briefly. It is haggard, quiet, almost dead sounding. It sat at the edge of being numb to everything.]

I'm sorry.

Comments

Voice

[raavashing]

[Wan's grief over the Pyrii's loss was not enough to prevent him from speaking on the matter. He was able to face it, it was just painful. And his own role in it made it worse for him. But it didn't mean he'd clam up entirely.]

We moved the mountain. But we weren't able to move it far enough and keep it intact long enough to save the Pyrii. It-

[There was sharp intake of breath before he could continue.]

It broke apart on us. This morning. I didn't see it fall. I tried to hold it together but I blacked out. I was told that as soon as I did, or near enough not to matter, it came down.

Video

[notavirtue]

[The fact that they even moved the mountain is astounding enough, even if Javik ought be used to such tales by now.]

Then you accomplished more than I expected. If the Pyrii could not be saved, it is time to consider what else has a better chance of survival.

Video

[raavashing]

[The words feel harsh, but there is truth to them and Wan can't deny it.]

I know. And I will. I don't want to be too late for the next one.

[notavirtue]

I do not know if we can save an entire island, and I do not know if the Void moves in against the coast at equal speeds, but... You moved an entire mountain, even if it was lost. There is more we can do.

[This is surprisingly optimistic, by Javik's usual standards.]

[raavashing]

There's more than one island to save. Ubathas is probably at equal risk to Leathann. I don't know. I'll have to check.

[He really wished he'd spent more time in the last year looking into lore about the Void. If only he'd known sooner...]

[notavirtue]

[Which was why he wonders if the Void is some uniform force, creeping in at the same pace in all places. Verla seemed to have gone a lot faster than Leathann might, at least.]

We will save what we can. [And leave the rest, is the unspoken part.] Let me know what you discover.

[raavashing]

I will and... Thank you, Javik.

[A pause and he almost hung up, but something else was just a little pressing since he never actually heard back from any of those letters he sent...]

Did you get the tea set?

[notavirtue]

[Javik expected the conversation to end there, and for a moment was left without words.]

The... yes. I do not understand the point of it.

[Aside from the whole 'make tea' thing, anyways.]

[raavashing]

To make tea.

[That was the only point of a tea set.]

Good tea. Tea that isn't overcooked or seeped too long the way most of the people of this world do. Part of making good tea is having a proper pot for it. One that will heat up evenly and hold the heat once it's off the fire so the leaves aren't over-boiled.

...do you not drink tea?

[notavirtue]

[If he'd ever had tea, it was probably out of a packet that got stuck in an automated machine on Normandy and spat out some terrible tasting liquid that used to be perfectly good water. The future was probably tea hell.]

Not that I can recall.

[Wan had left instructions, but...]