[ he listens. it's all he can do. and he gets it, being flustered at having to talk about your dead wife again. it isn't like roland's eager to do it either, and in fact, he'd like to avoid the topic altogether if he can help it.

there's no telling of everyone's safety inside this vault if he dwells on this for far too long. ]

...Okay. If it isn't enough, then...

[ he takes a deep breath. now it's his turn. he can't regale his fellow companion the entire story either because it's just as fucked up. but for now: ]

Angelica... was a strong woman, one of the most powerful Fixers in the business. She showed me the way to cope from all the suffering we go through in the City on the daily basis, and helped me come out of my shell. She was the one who I'd gotten that poem from.

In other words, she was my entire world. And now she's gone.

[ Ah! I realize it: your beauty lies in the force of your being.

he lowers his head, as if hiding his tear-streaked face again.

then, a loud creak comes from the vault doors. it opens with a slight crack, narrow enough for most people to slip through. ]