Ever since Vanya moved in with Cedric and Mobius, he's done the impression of a man incapable of seeing a lyrium kit capably; that he doesn't react to one is, presumably, no longer worth mentioning.

(It is the small hours, though, Vanya is sure. Even underground, he is fairly certain of his internal clock. The Grand Necropolis at least lacks the stomach-churning disorientation of the Crossroads, at least.)

Still, he wasn't asleep either or was only very lightly so. It's not groggy when he says, "I think it means they believe they won, or that they're close enough to press their advantage. If they can entrench themselves in the city, it will become harder to pry them out the longer their here, if the Van Markhams are inclined to try." A beat. "But I don't think it's decisive enough, to be frank. It feels like a lull to me." Granted, he would be the first to admit that he doesn't have any special knowledge. And if the Mortalitasi are united, that could be decisive. Still, he'll believe the Mortalitasi are unanimous when he sees it, and maybe not even then. Too much politics for something so clean to come out of it without a lot of legwork, and they were busy with the undead.