004 | voice, tw: references to psychological torture

[dracobin]

[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.

Comments

[dracobin]

[It might grow uncomfortably warm for Enjolras after a point: Temeraire, like all dragons in his world, is a veritable furnace, and the summer swelter has yet to fade from Keeliai.]

It is enough to know my crew is here--is alive. The rest, I think, will come with time.

[solo_patria]

You make a good point, Temeraire. [That probably IS true after a bit, but Enjolras is a bit reluctant to move right now, so he just shifts a little.] Knowing that Combeferre and the rest of you survived...yes, it is quite enough.

[dracobin]

[He would say more, but the exhaustion of the last few days is finally catching up to him. Instead he loosens his hold, a little, and noses Enjolras's hair gently, as if to reassure himself that he is still there.]

[solo_patria]

[Which he very much is, yes.]

We are all safe. None of your crew shall leave you.

[Enjolras finds himself trying to offer words of comfort that feel fairly hollow, but he DOES hope that they can help somehow. That touch on his hair is nice really, much as he fights relaxing into it just now.]