"Hey, Fletch. How you doing?"

Valkyrie hadn't seen Fletcher since Stephanie had died. Their first meeting was in the dining hall of the Sanctuary, where Fletcher had just returned from a mission with the Monster Hunters. Valkyrie sat down next to him as he was about to tuck into a well earned meal.

"I'm... I guess I'm okay," he responded, not looking at her. "What about you? I heard they got Darquesse out, trapped her in that soul catcher thingy?"

"Nah, she broke out of that," Valkyrie sighed. "She's free again, just flitting around somewhere like a bad smell."

"Still," said Fletcher, "it's better than her being inside you."

"Yeah."

Valkyrie stared at her hands in her lap. It was harder, talking to Fletcher after what had happened, than she imagined it would be.

"Listen, Fletcher, I really am sorry," she said quietly. "I mean, Stephanie and me had... Our ups and downs, you could say... We were- what I mean is, I'm sorry she's gone. Genuinely."

"Me too."

Fletcher hadn't touched his meal.
When he looked to at Valkyrie, there tears in his eyes.

"Why is it like this, Val? Why does everyone have to bloody die? Ghastly, Tanith- well, she's as good as dead- Shudder, Kenspeckle, countless others, plenty I wanted to get to know better... And now Stephanie. I mean... It just seems so unfair. She was a person!" His fists were clenched, his cheeks wet with tears and his face crumpled in anguish. "She was an actual person, just like the others."

Valkyrie took his shaking hands hers.

"I know," she said, blinking rapidly to stop the prick of tears. "I know she was. But listen to me Fletcher, look at me," and she made sure he did before continuing. "You've got to be able to deal with the problem at hand. After Darquesse is gone, we'll mourn. We'll bury our dead and say our goodbyes with respect. But we can't do that until the main problem is dealt with, no matter how hard. Do first, feel later. So right now all you can do is push all that sadness deep down inside you, plaster on a smile, and let's get on with Tuesday." Valkyrie finished.

Bless him, after Fletcher had processed what she had to say, he did exactly that.

"You're right," he said, and shoved the most fake grin Valkyrie had ever seen onto his face. Then he took a huge bite out of a chunk of bread, and promptly choked to death on the poisen Darquesse had previously laced his food with.

***

"We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of Fletcher Renn, the last teleporter. If only he didn't have to bloody die!..."