[Friends. Coworkers. Comrades. All of the above.]

Exactly! Even if we don't see them right now, we'll see them again eventually. There's no reason to dwell on what we cannot change.

[Unless... Unless they can some how affect the well and what it brings in. That's for another time. For now he's got this mirror version of himself to deal with.

"I miss them right now," again, a much softer voice than the one Val normally uses. "I don't want to wait. We've been alone for so long..." He whines.]