[ 'Merely', he says. ]

Mm. [ In truth she may never find it, but as for the evening? The now? To that, she'll swirl the brandy in her glass and take another sip with a little nod. ] Fleeting.

[ But still relevant. With the evils of world the at her back, and the ashes that await ahead, how can Vanessa not seize opportunity when it presents herself? It's the very reason she prefers dessert for breakfast. Vanessa never knows if she'll make it to supper, so every second must count. Especially in this emptiness calling itself a city. For all its illusion, the moments they experience now are the only truths.

Thinking to Wordsworth, she murmurs while glancing back to the crowd and how they make merry. Her smile has lessened, but the memory of the experience is enough to sustain her. ]

Now, while the birds thus sing a joyous song, and while the young lambs bound, as to the tabor's sound... To me alone there came a thought of grief: a timely utterance gave that thought relief.

[ Momentarily, her eyes slip shut, and she whispers the next line with a bittersweet sigh. ]

And I again am strong.