"Indeed," Falcon murmurs, if only not to let the dead air hang too long. He feels horribly vulnerable- almost just as bad as he had back in the dungeon. It's stupid; Magpie won't be there when- if he ever returns to his own world. Whatever they have won't make a damn difference, and Falcon will still be just as lonely, just as isolated.

Hereward chides him gently, and Falcon huffs.

"Sentimentality on its own doesn't save anyone," Falcon says lowly, "but... losing our- bond," because that's what it is, just the same as what Phoenix showed him, "I can't deny that it accelerated my mental deterioration."

One less thing to keep him going. His grip on his legs tightens.

"... I don't know how to fix this," he admits, practically feeling every word clawing at his tongue. "It's broken, and I-" Go on, say it, Hereward encourages, "-miss it."