[Author's Note: Ethiopia pictures (cw nasty scarring on one of them); Dallol pictures.]
And so with one thing and another, the investigators meet up in an office to prepare to leave New York.
When they finish for the night, Lev says, "I want. To go to the Halls. Because-- he left a note here, he could have-- he could have written--"
He could have said goodbye to me, Lev does not say. He looks pleadingly at Oswald and Mordred who might be able to finish that sentence.
"He said that his mouth was now shut. There might not be anything. But -- I understand why you need to know. I don't -- it's more dangerous. For the rest of us. But you really shouldn't go alone."
"I think getting mail out of here would be difficult, I'm not sure he could have written."
This, he knows, is not really the point.
“I still do not think it is a good idea. I am—concerned that the heat is not the only, or the worst, danger.” Araari is speaking slowly, haltingly, clearly unsure of what she should say.
"I--" if he tells Lev he really doesn't want to die in the Dream-Scourged Halls they might avoid the next available horrible fate but it will be deeply manipulative and he will hate himself forever.
Quick prayer that she’s making the right choice. She never was good at secrets. “George Ayers is alive there. If you go you’re endangering him.”
This is such a facial expression. It is disbelief and hope and suspicion because hope never, ever, ever works out for him and the desperate wish that this time it might.
“I didn’t want to say because then you might want to go see him— but if you want to go anyway—“
Nuns are not allowed to lie but he still feels half-convinced this one is lying because what the fuck kind of massive update. It is easier to decide she's lying.
Zoe wonders if maybe them going there would make it harder for George to... keep his mouth shut.
Apparently despite all common sense they might live in a world where Samson is dead and Ayers is alive! What the fuck!
“The Order taught him to stay alive and keep the mouth closed but—it is hard, the state of mind involved is fragile, he has to pray and fast constantly and— if it goes wrong, ever, the mouth opens again and he dies—I’m sorry for not telling you sooner while you were grieving but I’m not sorry for trying to protect Ayers as best I could from that which might put him in danger.”
What the fuck that is a thing that happens.
He-- doesn't know what to think about that happening to George.
He curls up and pulls his legs to his chest.