(no subject)

[paladont]

[Dragonmail: Rayu Barozu]

Are you all right?

[The first letter he sends upon waking up Sunday morning. He needs to know if Rayu's okay. Ravi getting out doesn't mean Rayu pulled through, though he's hopeful it does. So hopeful, in fact, that he doesn't even consider Rayu being dead as a real possibility.]

[It's sobering when the dragon refuses to take the letter.]

[A couple hours of desperate panic ensue as he tries to find someone who can tell him what happened. He comes up short, and then remembers...]


[Dragonmail: The Ahura]

[Rayu's player.]

Victor. What happened to him?


[And then a few hours after that, once he's had time to settle and realizes there are other people he needs to get in touch with. Early Sunday afternoon, by this point.]

[Dragonmail: Alexander Varista]

Are you all right?

Why did you leave us?


[Dragonmail: Reilanin]

[please let this letter send, please do not tell him that the god-organ changed hands and she died in the process]

I don't know if Alex told you about the mission on Friday night, but I survived it.

What happened with the Asha?

[OH THANK GOD the dragon took it]

[there are probably other people he should write but he just does not have the energy right now. Later. Tomorrow, maybe, if he's feeling better enough for it then.]

Comments

[winterwhite]

Friday night?

[ that's a long time from now. she's been waiting for someone to say something, too worried to send something herself. ]

I haven't heard anything from anyone. You're all right? Did it all work out?

The Asha- he's there now. I didn't come back with him. Alex wanted me to stay away from the fighting.

[paladont]

We were able to complete our objective.

I'm fi [No, he's not. But he doesn't want to talk about Rayu, so he'll stick with half-honesty.] I have mana-burn, but I'm not hurt.

It's a new Asha? You're all right?

[winterwhite]

That's good. So it's over?

Mana burn. Be careful with that. I don't think

[ the letter takes a little while to come back because of this pause, it's a few teabags from theresa's kitchen (sorry gunnar) ]

Rest a lot. This tea smells very good. You should try some.

Yes. Yes, it is. He said he was going to check up on all the other golems. I'm fine. He separated us. I'm fine. How is Alex?

[paladont]

[aw rei he appreciates, the tea gets a smile out of him]

I'll try it. Thank you.

It's over for now. It's not the end of the fight, but we rescued the Spenta and Vahishta. We intend to retake Everea, but that will take time. I won't be fighting again any time soon, I think.

I'm glad to hear that. [writing it like that sounds insincere, but he is, he really is overjoyed that she survived the transfer and that the new Asha freed her from her connection to the Lungs. it sounds like Best Possible Outcome for her and he's happy for it.]

I don't know. Alex left before we got out. I only woke up this morning.

[winterwhite]

So there's more? [ does that mean... she can't go back yet? why hasn't alex said anything? she reads the rest of the letter. he doesn't know how alex is. he hasn't seen him. he's been out for over a day. so does ravi just not know? ]

What do you mean, he left before you got out? What does that mean?

[paladont]

Yes.

On our way out, he ran off after something. I didn't see him again before I passed out.

[winterwhite]

Oh. And he's

not there?

[ where is he, then? ]

Where are you?

[paladont]

Omghan. At the paladins' infirmary.

I don't know where Alex is. He's responding to my letters, at least.

[winterwhite]

Omghan. Where Nova lives?

[ but she can't go back until she knows it's safe to. she's sat back down, unaware of gunnar giving her puppy dog eyes over the teabags from his spot on the couch. ]

I'm sorry. I'll visit when I can. But I don't know when that will be.

[ there are other questions, other things to ask after, but she can't bring herself to. she's worried now. why isn't alex with ravi? why did he leave? why hasn't he spoken to her?

...is it because he can't? ]

All right. That's good. I'll. I'll send him something. [ it doesn't seem like enough. maybe she can- maybe she can just. go home.

it should be okay, for just a little bit. if no one sees. and he should be home, right? she can just go home. ]

Do you need anything? Can I get you anything?

[brokencrescendo]

[Ravindra. It would be better if they were in person so Ravi could punch him in the face. Ezra never deserved that, but Rhys does.]

[He stares at the parchment a few minutes, wondering if there's any better way to say this.]

Victor was brought back to us dead.

I'm sorry.

[paladont]

I know he's dead. You think I didn't write to him first?

What happened?

[Sorry Rhys, player + upset + irritable bc he feels like shit = not going to be nice about this]

[brokencrescendo]

I was told they found his body floating in the river, still carrying yours.

Blood loss, they said. Not drowning.

[paladont]

[blood loss.]

[blood loss.]

[the fact that Rayu died to carry him out of the city doesn't matter. what matters is that Rayu is dead because Ravi couldn't heal him right.]

[the one thing he's good at, the only skill he has in his life that is of use to others, and he failed at it.]

[Rayu is dead because Ravi wasn't good enough.]

I see.

Thank you.

[brokencrescendo]

We have his body still, if you'd like to see it.
[That sounds like a terrible offer, but it's all he has. He still needs to contact Zach. It's the kin who should get the first opportunity to decide funeral plans...]

[paladont]

[he debates this for a while. does he need the finality? does he want the finality?]

In the Undertow?

[brokencrescendo]

Yes.

[He gives directions to where the body is being kept.]

I'll give the guard your name in case you decide to come.

[paladont]

[long delay before this letter. does he need to see the body? could he manage a trip to the Undertow in this state? even getting out of bed to track down information felt like an ordeal, he still has a fever, his body feels like lead]

[but it is the last time he will be able to see victor.]

['get back in bed, savarna.' omg f u orderly this is important >:( ]

Will there be a funeral?

[socarnivorously]

[ Better answer this, Red. ]

The mage.

[paladont]

What mage?

[you will have to cut him some slack here, he is not running on all cylinders atm]

[socarnivorously]

Jordan's.

[paladont]

[Jordan. Jordan's mage? Jordan has a mage? She wouldn't be controlling them right now, so why--? Has the mage tried to kill Alex, is that a part of how they were written?]

[omg too many holes, he does not understand what the situation even is and he feels awful and can't think straight, so Alex's terseness is frustrating, compounded with Ravi feeling stupid and being frustrated with himself for not understanding when he obviously should.]

[normally he would just pretend to understand and go on being confused, but he feels so bad right now that he's not even willing to put up with his own bullshit.]

Alex, explain it to me like I don't understand anything. I'm not in any state to make inferences right now.

[socarnivorously]

[ he has a knife pinning his hand to the table and a splitting headache from being shot in the temple to prove that he's a molavvas to be used on aerveas' side -- not that it really matters because upas, bless(?) them, care for their own -- making the very act of reading his letter a task.

a good family will discipline, too. ]

Later.

[ crumpled and tossed. I'd take this a li-ttle more seriously, Red.

he's probably surrounded by paladins, like fuck he's going to explain it to him. ]

We have a connection. It was instinct. [ that's the best substitute for the truth that he can think of at the moment. ] I'm sorry. Did you succeed?

[ maybe it's a little sad that he doesn't feel relieved at receiving ravi's letter. he doesn't feel relieved at all. ]

[paladont]

Ah.

[molavvas instinct? he'll ask about it later, when he's in any state to understand the explanation. it's good enough for now for him to understand Alex wasn't maliciously leaving them to die.]

Yes. [but maybe rayu wouldn't have had to die if you hadn't run off]

[alex would probably be thrilled about it, anyway]

[too upsetting, too close to the heart right now, he doesn't even want to mention it because he doesn't want to see how Alex reacts to the news. it won't be sympathetically, or if it is, it'll be fake.]

[suddenly he doesn't want to talk to Alex anymore.]

[socarnivorously]

[ Hmmm. Curt. Doesn't sound like he cares much, does he? You, of all people, should know better by now...

'I'll talk to you later.' ]

I'll talk to you later.

[paladont]

[no, he does want to talk to alex. he doesn't, but he does. he's upset that alex would be thrilled about rayu's death, but he also wants comfort and isn't that a reasonable thing to desire from a significant other?]

[he doesn't want to end the conversation, but it's easier to let it go. he doesn't know what to do with his feelings right now.]

Alright.

I don't mean to be short with you. I'm just not feeling very well right now.

[It isn't a test in the way Akhi gives them. He's not dropping a hint to judge the response to hold it against Alex if he answers undesirably. In fact, he's not even doing it consciously.]

[but he wants Alex to ask what's wrong, and if he doesn't, Ravi's natural inclination is not to assume Alex is busy, but to assume Alex doesn't have time for him]