You laugh, but even with a thousand different pieces, you never stopped being the same to me.

[ The words are meant as a sort of comfort, a reassurance that even when the pieces change, the whole stays the same. But even to Rutile those words are hollow. Phosphophyllite hasn’t been the same in years. ]

You’ve given me much to think about, Padparadscha, which I suppose was the purpose of asking you here to begin with. Thank you for that.