Vatheon Voicemail.

[rebull]

"Heeeey, Lysunder's voicemail here, and if you weren't looking for me, well then lucky you, leave a message anyway and maybe it will be the start of something revolutionary. Beep."

For the record, that first beep was him just saying beep. The real beep is in a few seconds.

-Beep.-

Comments

[withoutasign]

IF YOU DON'T FEEL THE SAME WAY, I CAN RESPECT THAT. AND I'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE.

BUT I'D REALLY LIKE TO BE FRIENDS AGAIN.

[rebull]

nO, 1 WANT THAT TOO,
tHAT'S JUST NOT REALLY WHAT 1 WANTED TO HEAR YOU SAY, 1S ALL.

[withoutasign]

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE PREFERRED?

[rebull]

uNDERSTAND1NG.

[withoutasign]

[A pause.]

CAN I TELL YOU A STORY, LYSUNDER?

[rebull]

1F 1T'S GO1NG TO BE ABOUT REVENGE NOT BE1NG WORTH 1T OR UH, aNYTH1NG L1KE THAT,
nO.
oTHERW1SE SURE.

[withoutasign]

NO, IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT. THIS IS A STORY ABOUT ME.

[A pause, and some fumbling as Signless switches to audio.]

In many ways, I was a very lucky troll. I had a surrogate lusus who cared for me very well and met my every need when I was small, and then I had one of the greatest friends any troll has ever known, and then I met my love. We all traveled together, and we were never separated... until the end.

But in our travels, we saw trolls who had lost quadrant partners, trolls whose matesprits or kismesises had been culled, and there was nothing that could be done. Those trolls were always sad, and often lonely, but given enough time, they would find another matesprit, another kismesis. The truly pitiable trolls were the ones who had lost their moirail. Those trolls were truly broken, truly abandoned, and if we ever visited that area again, they were never still alive. They always died not long after their moirail did.

And I... I never understood that. I didn't understand how they could just give up, how they could just stop living over losing someone.

I was a fool. I'd never felt that kind of loss; I couldn't relate to it. I'd been sheltered, protected, and even when the end comes for me, I know I'll never be separated from those I love.

This isn't an excuse for how I treated you, so please don't think I'm trying to make one. I'm only trying to explain why I reacted the way I did, and why I treated you so shamefully.

Audio;

[rebull]

[He's never had a moirail himself so he can't really understand what Signless is saying, especially not here. Not where people just revive after they've died. It's not the same as any death Summoner's known. But, he understands enough.]

[He stays quiet for a bit before finally speaking.]

Okay, I understand. I still- [...]

audio forever until Signless changes it again

[withoutasign]

[Well, he's still here. That is a good sign!]

[When Signless speaks again, his voice is soft and gentle.]

Can you please humor me and explain why one more time? No posturing, no trying to prove yourself, no being defensive. I'll listen this time, and I think, with one more explanation, I'll understand.

[rebull]

I was trying to teach Dualscar something about honor and balance. Despite it being an accident, he needed to feel the full power of guilt, to really... to really care. And at the same time realize how unfair treatment like that is.

[withoutasign]

Aaaaah... so, without ever having had a loss like that, a friend or a loved one killed for no reason, Dualscar had no perspective. And when it happened here, in a place where I would simply revive five days later, it still wasn't real. He needed to lose himself to really understand. Is that right?

[rebull]

Yeah, full guilt. You dying had to mean something, and not just be this inconvenience.

[withoutasign]

[There's a long pause.]

I understand now.

[rebull]

...You do?

[withoutasign]

I do. I might disagree with some of your methods, but I understand the point you were trying to make. Moreover, Dualscar does as well, which is the important thing here.

[rebull]

I was getting the feeling he, uh, understood. Which is good. It was for him anyway.

[withoutasign]

Can I just request that you please not torture anyone in the future? Some of the humans got upset over it, and we need to remember that we're not the dominant culture here.

[rebull]

A few things, that was strictly troll business so they need to lay off, and second, I-

I didn't know he would be that [Easy.] susceptible. Apparently he knew barely anything of my capabilities and most likely had low expectations. I was prepared for a very different reaction from him.

[withoutasign]

Of course he didn't, Summoner; he'll have been dead for sweeps before you are even hatched. And yes, I know it's troll business, but we can't just think of this world as "troll" and "not-troll" any longer. We're all connected now, and it would do us well to keep human ideas of justice in mind.

[rebull]

Just because we live in the same place doesn't mean we are the same kind of people. Different species are still different, even if they share the same environment.

[withoutasign]

I know, I know. But I've got humans talking to me about justice and trials and these things called juries. I can make them understand troll justice to a point, but they're concerned about what happens if a troll and a human ever come into conflict. Can you see why that might be a problem?

[rebull]

Well sure, but this was a troll and a troll, it's distinctly different. And still, humans and trolls are just really different. We can't expect them to understand everything we do, uh, without extensive observation. We might act similar but that doesn't mean anything. [A scoff.] Personality wise you could never tell the different between a front hooked praying plate beast and a unihorned hulking plate beast, but they're extremely different creatures.

[withoutasign]

[Signless is just going to take his word on that one, having never conversed with either kind of beast.]

Until I can convince the humans of that, can we all try and get along? Please?

[rebull]

I'm not going to purposely get along if I don't agree with something. That is lying. I really don't feel comfortable with it.

[withoutasign]

[Wow, is he talking to Summoner or the Grand Highblood here?]

Summoner. All I'm asking right now is that you not kill or torture anyone for awhile. Dualscar has learned his lesson, and I trust you have enough sense to avoid the Grand Highblood or to keep your fights at a reasonable level. I talked the humans down this time, but I don't know how much they'll listen if it happens again, especially soon. So please get along?