[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Truth be told, Val did fight a little bit as Umbrosus pulled her close. She stopped soon, however, because he was listening. And when he spoke again, for the first time, he sounded as if he had heard her.

She recoiled slightly when he took the dagger. But even before she could ask him not to hurt her, he had gently placed her hand on the crystal, and then everything changed. It didn't last long -- nowhere near long enough -- but what she felt in that moment was the sort of confirmation for which she hungered. She could tell, at the same time, that there was a sort of two-way feedback, and that now perhaps she didn't have to try quite so hard to explain the emptiness inside her.

When he kissed her, she kissed him back. She kissed him back surprisingly hard -- as much as he wanted and needed her, she wanted and needed him back. He had her attention, and for one of the very few times recently, she wasn't giving it to him because she wanted to accuse him of something or ask him questions that didn't have answers. Perhaps surprisingly, he would be able to feel her love for him...love that was often buried beneath an avalanche of anger and uncertainty and despair, but that was real enough for all of that.

When he pulled back and spoke again, she reflexively ran her hands through her hair. "I used to hide it -- in...in my world, it's a mark of shame," she said sorrowfully. Then, trying to respond to his emotions, she added, "But if you...if you like it, that's good enough for me."

There was a pause. "Thanks," Val said. "If...if you...if you care...then I'll care. For you." A smile came over her face, one that was tender and quiet, but real. "I have the Cornerstone, Umbrosus. The...the Krevion's Cornerstone. I don't...don't exactly know what to...to do with it yet -- I'm a mystic, not a bard, and I...I can't make it work myself. And I don't know where...where to put it. But I have it. After all the...all the bad news, maybe you should have some good news."

She squeezed his hand -- their time was ending, it was ending too soon. Why always so soon? "I love you," she said, and as the tears came again, she buried her face in his shoulder. "I will...will see you again. For real. Not here...outside. I promise, and for...for your love, I'll keep...keep that promise."