Private Revelations of the Heart

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Everest Vale

Reina's gaze stared outside the window of her room, a frown evident on her face as her head throbbed. Everything about her currently ached, even with the treatment she had been given. Her leg throbbed where the prosthesis was missing from, her face throbbed from the dozens of cuts covering it and her ears throbbed as her eardrums had slowly but surely been healing. That's all she could do right now. Sit back and wait to heal. It wasn't like how she used to be, where she'd go out training against the better judgement of others. That's what kept getting her into these messes. Go against the better judgement.

It was who she was as a person though. She didn't think first. She rushed into things. It was always what caused her to end up like this. And she always had someone else saving her. Or letting her get away. She wasn't as capable as she wished to be. Reina needed to get stronger. But there was no rush for it. Not anymore. She could take her time. Reina didn't want to rush towards her death like she nearly had. There were still things she needed to say after all as she turned her attention towards her hands for a moment.

She still needed to see Colette and Issar. Thank them for what they've been doing for her. What they have been teaching. They had faith in her when she thought she was broken. Perhaps she was still broken. But that wasn't what was the most important thing Reina had to do. There was something far more important. She needed to talk to Everest...but for now? Reina was just going to take...a nap. Closing her eyes as she rested against her pillow, letting the sun of Tython shine in for a moment.
​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

The hospital smelled like antiseptic and sun-warmed durasteel. Eve’s boots hit the floor harder than usual, her pace brisk, almost frantic, silver hair flapping behind her with each step. She barely registered the medics she passed in the corridor. Her mind was ringing, fragments of conversations, whispers of what happened. Just enough to know:

Reina. Hurt. Badly.

Her eye was already stinging, and not just from the hospital lights. She couldn’t cry yet. Not until she saw her. Not until she knew. The fear, though—it wrapped around her lungs like a vice, making it hard to breathe.

She turned a corner. Another. Her hand dragged along the wall briefly, just to steady herself. Isari ran behind her as quickly as she could Each room she passed felt like a weight pressing down on her ribs.

Then she saw it.

Reina's room. The nurse had said that was the one.

She stood outside the door, her fingers trembling slightly as they hovered near the control pad. For a few seconds, she didn’t move. Her throat felt tight. Her eye squeezed shut.

You have to be calm. For her.

Eve set down her satchel and pressed both palms against the cool metal of the doorframe, steadying her breath.

Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.

She repeated the motion twice more, until her shoulders stopped shaking.

Then — quietly, gently — she lifted her hand and gave a soft, almost hesitant knock.

Tap, tap.

She waited a second. No sound from inside. Maybe Reina was asleep. Still, she slowly opened the door, just enough to slip through.

The room was filled with soft light. Sun pooled through the window across the bed, where Reina lay resting. Even in the warmth, her face looked pale, cut and bruised. Her leg was missing. Bandages covered her. Eve felt her breath hitch.

She didn’t say a word.

She just stepped inside, gently closed the door behind her, and stood there. Watching. Hurting. Grateful. Terrified.

"R-Reina..." she said, voice barely a whisper.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Everest Vale

Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of the door being opened, turning her head in the bed, looking over towards Everest. A small smile almost instantly lighting up Reina's face, even after all of the pain she had been through. She hadn't expected Everest to come by so fast...but the more she thought about it, the more obvious it should have been that her friend would be here. Reina had done the same when she had heard about the Echani's injuries. Unlike Everest's though, Reina's injuries weren't nearly as debilitating in Reina's eyes.

"...Hey...Everest...Sorry...if I'm not...super talkative...Kinda lost...my hearing a little..."

An awkward and pained chuckle escaped Reina's mouth at that, as she pointed at her ear. It was the exact reason why Reina hadn't heard Everest at the door. If Reina was being honest, she could barely hear herself right now but she didn't want to be yelling the walls down. Either way, Reina pushed herself up from her laying position, trying to sit up to talk to Everest. It was amusing in a way. In the past, when Everest had been the one hurt and Reina was visiting, Everest had to be strong for Reina. Whereas in this moment, Reina was the one being strong for Everest.

"If you think I'm bad, you should look at the other person...Well...not really. They didn't get hurt as badly as I did."

More chuckling. Reina just raised her hand up into the air to give Everest a thumbs up before leaning against the head of her bed, letting her eyes travel up towards the ceiling for a moment. As much as she had wanted to see Everest and tell her things...Reina couldn't figure out how exactly to say it all.
​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

The second she heard Reina’s voice — soft, strained, trying to make light of everything — Eve’s breath caught in her throat.

She moved without thinking.

Crossing the room in a few swift steps, she reached Reina’s bedside just as the other girl managed a thumbs-up. But before Reina could lower her hand, Eve was already there, folding her arms around her, gently, carefully, as if afraid to break her.

She said nothing at first. Just held her, her body trembling with the emotion she’d been forcing down ever since she’d heard the news.

Her face pressed into Reina’s shoulder, the scent of sterile linens and medicated skin clinging to her. Her silver hair spilled loose around them, catching the late sun through the window like strands of light.

Eventually, her voice found her.

"…Are you okay?" she whispered, barely louder than breath, but close enough to her ear that she hoped she could ear despite the damage.

She pulled back just enough to see her face. Studied it. Every bruise. Every cut. The weariness in her eyes.

A silence passed between them.

Then: "What happened?"

Her voice didn’t shake that time, but her eye did. Just a little.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Everest Vale

Reina was caught off guard by the sudden embrace, even as she felt a burst of warmth radiate through her chest. She knew what the warmth was for once so she didn't try to push it away, nor did she try to push Everest away as Reina lifted her arms to weakly wrap them back around Everest in response. Her strength was faltering slightly, at the pain in Everest's voice. She sounded more hurt than Reina was herself as the redhead let out an awkward chuckle.

"...You know how it is...You have a little nudging from the Force to go a certain location...and it turns out...to be your evil ex-friend...but I'm okay...Minus...y'know...Cutting my prosthesis off...and blowing up my eardrums"

She'd be fine. Reina knew that. She was still alive. The fact her heart was beating away beneath her chest made her even more aware of that. There was a part of her that wondered if saying what she wanted to say was a good idea...if Everest was in this state...but Reina knew that if she didn't, it was never going to happen.

"But...don't worry about Everest...Not right now...I have...something I needed to tell you...It was one of the thoughts i had...when I thought...I was about to die."

​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

Eve's body stilled the moment Reina said it.

Evil ex-friend… cut my prosthesis off… blew out my eardrums.

She didn’t need the name. She knew.

The truth sank into her like ice, and then, like fire. It bloomed behind her ribs, coiled in her gut, then surged up like a rising storm, hot and sharp and blinding.

Serina.

Her name burned across Eve’s mind.

Suddenly, everything inside her twisted. Her breath shortened. Her eye darkened as if the very air around her thickened. She saw red, not metaphorically, but vividly, like a veil falling over her vision. An echo of something dark and ancient within her stirred to life.

It's her.
It's always her.
Ruin her.
Make her hurt.
Make her suffer.

Her hands clenched at her sides. The air felt tight. A tremor of the Force shifted with her anger, curling inward like claws ready to strike. She could feel it. The power. The invitation.

But—

There was a small yap from Isari.

And then Reina spoke again.

Her voice was soft. Fractured. Still real.

Eve blinked.

It was like coming up from underwater. The tension broke. Her hands unclenched. The swell of something dark receded, leaving her breathless in its wake.

She swallowed hard. Then looked at Reina. Really looked at her. The broken skin. The missing prosthesis. The quiet courage.

"I’m sorry," she whispered, more to herself than to Reina.

Her voice steadied.

"What did you want to tell me?" she said, brushing Reina’s tangled hair back from her face with careful fingers. "I’m here, Reina... Always."

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Everest Vale

She could feel the anger radiating off Eve. It wasn't a surprise to Reina. She had always been so angry herself. It was just... a shock that she felt these emotions coming from Everest. It both warmed Reina's heart but also worried it. She didn't want to have this kind of effect on Everest. Of course, it was hypocritical of her. If Everest had been hurt by Serina, Reina would have been on the warpath...but that wasn't a path she wanted Eve to go down, as Reina reached down to grab her friend's hands to snap her out of the anger.

"No. First off, you breathe Everest. In. Out. Let that anger out. Don't...let it crawl back inside of you. It's not good."

Her eyes darted over towards Isaro for a moment. This had been Reina's first time meeting the creature, and there was a part of him that wondered if he was hallucinating all of this. When did Everest get a pet? She shook her head, trying not to focus on that. It wasn't important. Once Reina was sure that Everest had taken a moment to breathe, Reina took in a deep breath of her own, trying to figure out how to word what she wanted to say.

"...I was...ready to die...when I fighting Serina...She had my hands at my throat as she was restricting my breathing...but I realised...there's stuff I need to get off...my chest. Regrets I'd have...if I didn't tell people things. My Masters...and you."

Reina reached her hand up to her neck for a moment, fighting the urge to scratch at it as she recalled the moment. A hesitant look on her face as she just knew this story would give Everest more of a reason to hate Serina...

"I haven't told my masters what I wanted to tell...them yet...but...I can tell you what I wanted to say...It's just...this harder than I thought it would be..."

A lot harder. It was just something she needed to get off her chest. But her tongue kept feeling like it was getting twisted. Her voice getting caught in her throat as she tried to just come out and say it...

"...I can't die...without telling you...I love you Everest...Not...as a friend...You make me feel...valued. Important. Protected. I've...always wanted to be a shield for the Galaxy. Make the weak feel protected...and...well...you're my Shield."

Okay. That was...it. She had gotten it off her chest...but she quickly lifted her hands up into the air almost defensively.

"Bu-But...That...doesn't mean...I want...to ruin what you have...with Tigris. I...see how happy she makes you. I...probably shouldn't have even told you this...but..."

​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

The room was quiet for a moment—so quiet Eve could hear her own heartbeat, thudding behind her ribs like it was trying to catch up with the words Reina had just spoken.

Love.

Not as a friend.

Her breath caught. It was as if time had slowed around her, like the Force itself was holding its breath. For a moment, her mind simply couldn’t form thoughts. A thousand flickered through her: memories, guilt, gratitude, wonder. She just looked at Reina, her expression unreadable at first, caught between surprise and the weight of something deeper. Something aching and beautiful.

Finally, Eve’s eye softened.

She reached out with one hand and gently cupped Reina’s cheek, brushing her thumb along the skin just below her eye. The gesture was tender. Reverent. Filled with a love that went beyond romance.

"Oh, Reina..." she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

She leaned in, resting her forehead briefly against Reina’s, allowing the warmth of the moment to speak where words still faltered. When she pulled back, her voice was steady, but full of gentleness and love.

"You are… one of the most important people in my life. And you always will be." She gave a quiet, almost tearful laugh. "You’ve saved me more times than I can count, just by being yourself."

Eve paused, searching Reina’s gaze.

"I do love you. Just… not in the way you want me to. And I’m so sorry for that."

She shook her head gently, reassuringly.

"But that doesn’t make what you feel wrong. Or make it less precious to me. Thank you for telling me. Thank you for trusting me."

Then, more softly—

"You will find someone, Reina. Someone who looks at you and sees their whole world. Just like I see mine when I look at Tigris. And when that happens… you’ll know it was worth waiting for."

She smiled through the shimmer of a tear in her eye. And then, with a soft breath, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to Reina’s forehead. Gentle. Grateful. Loving in its own way.

When she pulled back, she didn’t move far. She stayed close, her hand still resting at Reina’s cheek.

"I’m here. Always, Reina."

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Everest Vale

Well. At least it hadn't been as obvious as Reina had worried about. It was evident by Eve's reaction. An expression of surprise. Shock even. Reina couldn't help but break out into a small grin at it that faded away as Everest brushed her thumb beneath Reina's eye. It had caught Reina off guard, as she felt a blush coming to her cheeks for a moment.

"...I don't think I've saved you at all. That anger you were experiencing...was because of me...and what's so funny?"

She kept the grin on her face, teasing Everest over her tearful laugh. There was a part of her that hurt when Everest said she loved her. Just not in the wya Reina wanted to. Reina took in a steady breath at that, trying her hardest not to let any tears start building up behind her own eyes. She couldn't help but disagree with Everest as well. Reina didn't feel like she'd ever find someone. Mostly because she felt like she wouldn't be around long enough. She was far too self destructive. It was lucky enough that she managed to meet Everest...

"...You better always be here. You're the only...reason I'm still with the Jedi..."

That was technically a lie. She was also with the Jedi, because Reina felt like she'd be too dangerous without them now. She knew too much of the Force and with how volatile her emotions could be, she was prime picking for some kind of Dark Sider to grab her without the protection of the Jedi. At the very least, if she stayed with the Order and got captured, there was a slim chance in her eyes that someone would notice she was missing and try to find her. If she was by herself...Reina felt like no-one would notice she was gone.

"Just...know...you don't need to be sorry...for anything Everest. Not with me. Not ever..."

​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

Eve let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding as Reina spoke. She smiled softly at the teasing, at the little grin tugging at Reina’s bruised lips despite everything. The fact that Reina could still smile — still joke — after what she’d been through… that said more about her strength than anything else.

And yet Eve could feel the ache behind it. The way Reina held her breath after the confession, the way she seemingly fought not to cry. It pierced her.

Without a word, Eve leaned in again and wrapped her arms around Reina, gently, as if cradling something both fierce and fragile. She tucked her head into Reina’s shoulder and held her, letting the silence stretch for a while. Not awkward. Not heavy. Just… full.

"You have saved me," she whispered, her voice muffled slightly against Reina’s hospital gown. "More than you know. And that... anger... isn't because of you. It's because... I don't want to lose you, and every time she..."

No. She wouldn't sully this moment with thoughts of her anymore.

Eve sighed, shook her head, and held Reina just a little tighter.

"I meant it. I’m always going to be here."

Slowly, Eve pulled back just enough to meet Reina’s eyes again, her silver gaze steady and sincere.

"But I need something from you now."

She took Reina’s hand between both of hers, her expression softening into something more vulnerable, something raw with love.

"Promise me, Reina… that whatever happens, however you feel… you’ll try to love yourself too. Even just a little. Because you deserve that. Not just from others. From you."

Her thumb brushed lightly along the back of Reina’s hand.

"You are so much more than your pain. More than what anyone’s done to you. You’re you. And that’s enough."

A small silence followed.

Then Eve smiled again, tender, luminous.

"Will... you try?"

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Everest Vale

Reina shook her head at that. She still didn't believe she had ever saved Everest. She was no saviour. No Hero. She was just herself. It was an impossible belief for the Redhead, even as she leaned into the embrace Everest was giving her. Closing her eyes for a moment to just let the warmth wash over her. Reina had said what she had needed to say to Everest and it had felt...freeing in a way. Like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It made it feel like it would be so much easier for her to heal now.

Yet all of that weight came screeching back in when Eve asked for that promise. She didn't make promises that she couldn't keep. And this was most definitely one that Reina was hesitant on. How could she love herself? She didn't necessarily see herself as a good person. She didn't think she deserved to be here in this moment. Reina's eyes fell down to the ground for a moment. She had been taking a while to come up with a response. To say anything to Eve's request. Because Reina didn't want to lie to her but at the same time...what could she say?

"I...don't know Everest...I can't...promise something I'm not sure about...I can tell you I will try...but I can't promise you that. Because...I don't think I'm that deserving of it all...I'm not like you. I'm not like Valery...or Azurine. I don't deserve...love."

She sighed to herself, as Reina leaned back to pick at the sides of the bed. Like she said. She'd be able to try at the very least, but Reina couldn't promise that she could love herself.

​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

Eve didn’t interrupt. She just listened. Felt the ache in Reina’s words settle like a stone in her chest. When Reina finally looked away, picking at the bed, Eve leaned forward lightly, voice quiet as rain.

"Trying is enough."

There was no judgment in her tone. No disappointment. Just something fiercely soft, like the light of a candle that wouldn’t go out.

"You don’t have to be like me. Or Master Valery. Or Azzie. You just have to be... you. And I know it’s hard to see yourself the way we do. But I promise you…" She cupped Reina’s face again, guiding her gaze back with care. "You are so deserving of love, Reina. I see it. In everything you do. Every time you show up, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts."

Her thumb brushed softly across Reina’s cheekbone.

"And if loving yourself feels impossible right now, then let me… just for a while. Let me believe in you until you can believe in yourself."

She leaned forward then, and and rested her hand against her heart.

"I won’t let you be alone in this. Ever."

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Everest Vale

"In the past...I'd have told you trying isn't enough. That either you do something...or you don't. I'm not so sure anymore..."

She kept fiddling away with the blanket for a moment, trying not to look up at Everest but unfortunately or perhaps fortunately for Reina, Everest wasn't giving her a choice as her best friend turned Reina to look her in the face. Her eyes were finally starting to shimmer for a moment, as tears were building up.

This was all wrong. She hadn't expected Eve to react like this. Honestly...she wasn't sure how she expected Eve to react. But to be so accepting of how Reina felt...to be trying to make her happy and believe that she deserved to be loved. It was what made Everest so luminous in Reina's eyes. So bright. It was what always brought Reina's eyes in Everest's direction...

"...I've always tried to believe in the version of me that you believe in...but...I just...I don't know anymore...I'm...so different to who I used to be...I feel...so fragile. So weak...but at the same time..."​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

Eve’s eye glimmered with something gentle and understanding, like moonlight touching a bruised tide. She didn’t rush to answer. Instead, she simply nodded, thumb brushing beneath Reina’s eye again where tears had begun to gather.

"I know that feeling," she said softly. "I’ve been there. More than once."

Her voice held no dramatic weight, just the quiet truth of someone who had carried her own brokenness like glass in her hands.

"I’ve felt fragile. Weak. Like I wasn’t enough for anyone or anything. I mean, you saw it, on Jedha, when we first met." It was strange thinking back to that little girl now, and everything she had been through since. "And it got worse after that day. For a long time, I thought it just made me less."

She paused, her voice catching just slightly, then steadied.

"But it doesn’t. Being fragile doesn’t mean you're broken. It means you’re human. And sometimes… sometimes the breaking is part of how we grow."

Her hand settled gently over Reina’s where it fidgeted with the blanket.

"You’re not the same as you used to be. That’s okay. We’re supposed to change. You’re surviving, adapting, learning. You’re becoming more you, even if it feels like losing pieces along the way."

She leaned a little closer, so their foreheads nearly touched again.

"And you don’t have to believe in yourself right now. Like I said, I’ll do that for you. For as long as you need, and then some."

There was a small smile then, fragile and warm. She gave Reina’s hand the lightest squeeze.

"You’re still here, Reina. That matters."

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Everest Vale

"You've grown stronger. I feel like I'm...growing weaker. I'm getting more weaknesses. More vulnerabilities for people to take advantage of..."

It was the downside of her letting her guard down. Letting all those walls down meant it was so much easier for someone to slip a knife in. For someone to get to Reina's heart and stab her in the back. It had already happened. The knife had already been twisted as well. She didn't want to feel like this. Reina wanted to put her walls back up, to harden her heart once more but it was...near impossible for her now.

"I just...I don't know Everest...Am I still here? Do I deserve to be here? When all I've been is lucky...I haven't done anything to be deserving to be here..."

She knew that Everest believed in her. In the past, that would have been enough but that was starting to change for Reina now. She knew she had to believe in herself but she hadn't been able to find a reason to believe in herself. She hadn't achieved anything in her eyes. She was just...the aggressive redhead Padawan that couldn't even be a real Jedi. No matter how much she was trying to change, she just couldn't do it.​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

Eve sat quietly as Reina spoke, her breath soft, her expression drawn and listening, not just to Reina’s words, but the ache underneath them. When she finally did speak, her voice was low, steady, and without any edge of pity. Just warmth. Just presence.

"You have every right to be here, Reina, and I'm so glad you are."

She leaned in, resting her hand lightly on Reina’s forearm. Not squeezing, not trying to fix, just being an anchor.

"You haven’t been lucky. You’ve survived things that would’ve broken most people. You’ve kept going. Even when it hurts like hell." Eve’s silver eye shimmered, her voice threading through the still air like water over stone. "That’s not weakness. That’s strength. Real strength. That's why you deserve to be here, Reina."

She let a pause settle, gaze holding steady.

"I believe in you. But I know that’s not always enough. So until you find your own reason… let me be the one who reminds you, again and again, that you deserve to be here. Not just because of what you’ve done—" she shook her head, gentle "—but because of who you are."

A beat.

"And I’m not going anywhere."

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Everest Vale

"Do I deserve to be here? I can't forgive people...when I need to anymore."

Reina wasn't sure how much she could believe Everest. It was helpful at least. Everest was being an anchor for Reina, after she had lost her previous leg. She helped to keep Reina focused in place. And from the sounds of it, that's something Everest was always going to do. That's why Everest meant so much to Reina. She let out a sigh to herself, turning her attention ahead of herself.

"...I don't get why you believe in me. I don't get why anyone believes in me...but I'll do my best."

It was still something that Reina couldn't understand. Why anyone could believe in a mess like her? She sighed to herself at that thought, turning her attention over towards the window, watching the light coming in for a moment. Some of the light that was coming in the darkness. Reina just rested her head against Everest's shoulder for a moment, not saying anything in the moment.
​