tushanshu | 004 | voice, tw: references to psychological torture

[The post is the first word from anyone in Team 7 since a few days before the 13th, and unusual for Temeraire in more than a few ways: the feed is audio only, for one, and when he speaks, for another, his voice is hesitant, slow, and clearly shaken.]

This is--

This is hardly the best time to say this, in light of all our recent difficulties, with these creatures, and I do not know where to begin--I must beg your pardon, but--

--it came for us.

[He falls silent. An astute listener might notice significantly less trilling coming from the feed than most broadcasts on the network: he has been taking out his frustration on the tribbles, and his apartment is, for the moment, mostly tribble-free. Well, mostly free of living tribbles. Pity, really, since it sounds like he might have needed the calming effect.

He takes a deep breath, and tries again.]

We were in the palace--there were interrogations to be conducted, on behalf of Evandau--and it came for us. It took us--

[Silence again. Clearly he is choosing all the wrong places to begin, and it is some time before he resumes with:] Annabeth spoke of a realm of Death, in her last post, and what I saw, for a moment, was very like her description. In any case--there is no question that is its country; that it may do whatever it likes to whomever is unfortunate enough to enter it; and that what occurs in that realm, however fleeting the event, feels as real and vivid as if it had occurred in this reality.

I know that we must fight it regardless, but I fear I cannot imagine how.

[And this time there is only a moment of silence before he lets out a quavering breath, and cuts the feed. Any responses to the post come several hours later.]

[Private to Team 7, standard encryption, French text:]
Pray respond at once; I must know if you have come to harm.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There are so many things she could and wants to ask right now, but for once in her life, Annabeth remembers tact and remembers to hold back.]

Are you okay, Temeraire? [She might not have seen the Malicant himself, but she experienced the realm, and there's a level of understanding in her tone for that much. The pressure, the fear more intense than anything she'd ever felt. She's suddenly more than grateful her team managed to get in and out without getting more than just Malicant's distant attention.] How long were you there?

I am--okay. [Annabeth should understand a little, at least, if she has been there herself, and for that she gets a little more out of Temeraire.] You saw the realm of Death, as well? The markings in the palace? They must have been connected, somehow--they may have been how it got inside to begin with--

[He is distantly aware that he has begun to babble, and he shakes his head.] I am not sure. I awoke in my apartment this morning, but when he was there time did not seem to flow as reliably as I thought it might.

['Actually okay' and 'alive okay' are two very different things that Annabeth is very familiar with, and she's pretty sure she can figure out which one applies in Temeraire's reply right now. But she doesn't address it.] I was there, yeah. Did you - did you mean the blood markings, where the palace was in the Death plane? Percy wiped them clean.

[She frowns, holds in a silent sigh.] Time didn't seem to pass any different for us. But we didn't - we didn't encounter the creature physically.

The palace was where we found it--or rather, where it came to us. [Difficult as it is to speak of, it is almost reassuring to look at it analytically--it is easier to focus when he thinks he might have answers.] I wondered, when I awoke, why it was he let us go--do you think it might have been because Percy erased the markings?

[Annabeth of all people understands clinging to the analytical.] I'm not sure. Wouldn't that mean we were there at the same time? We... would have seen you, I think. Unless that's part of this thing's power, too. And Percy erased the markings several days ago.

Edited 2013-07-23 03:28 (UTC)

I do not know. We were only in that realm's palace for a short time, I think, and then it took us somewhere else entirely. It stands to reason your team might have come in after we had been moved elsewhere.

Nor do I know if we were there all those days: I woke up this morning in my apartment, and for all I know I might have been asleep since last week.

Somewhere else...? Still in the Death plane? [If they were there at the same time, just in different locations, it would explain why Malicant didn't come for them when they began erasing the markings. He was busy. But she won't bring this up right now.]

Have you heard from the rest of your team? I mean, just, if they had a similar time loss experience - it might be possible to figure out more from multiple sources.

If I were to venture a guess, I would say so: but it was very different from the palace, and it was difficult for me to tell.

They have sent word, but they are reluctant to discuss the matter openly, as, it must be said, am I. I beg your pardon--it is still a little too near, for my liking.

No. No, I understand. I'm sorry if you've felt I've been pushing too much, but I am glad you've heard from them by now.

[She hesitates for a moment.] But I think it's important, so when you're ready, and if you're willing, I would like to maybe speak to you further.

Of course it is important: I am simply not sure I have all the answers, yet. [Nor is he in any fit condition to pursue them: but even admitting he cannot speak about it took enough of his pride, and he leaves the rest implied.]

When I do, you shall be the first to know.

I don't think anyone does. I'm not even sure we'll get all of them. We need time to regroup first, collectively, now that the turtle's health is on the rise, too. [She picks up on it, but she won't address it. Not directly.]

Thank you. I appreciate it. [A pause.] Please take care of yourself. [If the lingering fears she has over only just feeling it are any indication, Temeraire is in a much more worse state.]

004 | voice, tw: references to psychological torture

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