thirteen. voice. your blood, your bones, your voice, & your ghost.

[indispensible]

[This worked last time. Vin isn't even sure if she liked it, but the temptation is too great to pass up a second time.]

If you're not dead or on the Barge already, I want to hear you. I'm here. I'm not dead.

[For the moment.]

Comments

[wasing]

Yes, my Lady. [And his smile becomes a bit playful -- he's almost as giddy as she is. The idea of actually getting to show Elendel to Vin... He laughs and gets up from the table in his room, going to open the window. Now that he's on his feet, she can see that he's got a Mistborn cloak draped around his shoulders.]

Of the waiting the hope would be pleasing, but of the looking most so.

[indispensible]

Shut up! Just show me.

[She leans forward, trying to peer out the window through the screen. It isn't going well.]

[wasing]

I am. Still so impatient, Lady Heir. [And he jumps lightly out the window, just as she and Elend and Zane might, Pushing and Pulling his way to the top of his Keep. He perches atop the highest tower and turns the scroll -- for that's what she appeared in -- outward.

From there, the Eight Octants of Elendel are spread out before them. Or, at least, what will one day be the Eight Octants. It's a work in progress as yet, but Vin can see the foundations: broad, clean streets, new buildings of stone and wood... and all intersected by eight crystalline rivers and dotted with lush green grass and thick brown earth, trees, flowers.]

[indispensible]

[It's beautiful. It's impossible. She presses her hand to her mouth and watches with wide eyes as the city spreads out beneath him. Beneath them.]

[It's so neat. Clean. Not perfect, but green, and she trembles with the possibilities. Maybe - one day - she can go back. But it's enough for now to know it exists.]

Where do you live? Where's your home?

[wasing]

Here. In the city.

[He keeps the scroll turned so she can see it, moving it carefully back and forth to give her a panoramic view. He's silent for a moment, then:]

We wanted to call it Elendel.

[indispensible]

Elendel.

[She doesn't know what to say to that. Except--]

Yes. That seems . . . right.

I can't believe it's real.

[wasing]

[There's a part of him that knows how he should feel about the Church of the Survivor, and especially about Vin's role in it. After all, he knew Kelsier. He knew-- knows Vin.

But for all that, it's hard not to feel somehow blessed when she says that feels right, whether its her approval as his friend and Elendel's wife, or as the Lady Heir to the Survivor himself.]

It's going to be, at least. I'm making sure of it.

[indispensible]

Spook, I -

Someday, I want to come home.

[wasing]

You do?

You will?

[indispensible]

I want to. I'm trying.

I want to be there. [She sounds viciously determined, like she would raze another city to get home again.]

[wasing]

And Elend? Will he come back, too?

[indispensible]

Yes. [This she's sure of.] Even if I don't come, he will.

[wasing]

There will... there will always be a place for you here. In this city, in my-- our city. You must know that?

[And not that he has no love for Elend, but he'd much rather see her returned than him, if he has to pick only one.]

For both of you, I mean.

[But especially Vin.]

[indispensible]

I know that.

[She does, really. But it's been so long, and she misses everyone so much, she doesn't want to take anything for granted.]

I can help build, too. I don't know if Elend can. He's good at other things.

[wasing]

[He laughs.] You two are heroes. We've got plenty of builders.

Besides... [He sniffs, feigning smugness.] It turns out I'm not so bad with the Pushing and Pulling, myself.

[indispensible]

Heroes can still build. I'm not going to sit around and do nothing.

[A slight quirk around her lips.] You probably still need a lot of practice.

[wasing]

I didn't say do nothing. For the people to see you here, in the flesh, reborn again... Vin, you have no idea what it would mean to them, do you?

[indispensible]

I don't want to be a symbol, Spook!