[The others are out, blessedly enough, which means no one has an audience to Temenos' screaming efforts to pick up some French from Lobelia. Seeing as there are a few folks on the island who speak the same language, it may prove beneficial for him.
Sat on the porch in their respective lounge chairs, Lobelia waves a hand through the air.]
What is it you have an interest in learning? Just the basics?
[they're on the porch lobelia people are gonna hear
Temenos sits in his usual prim and proper manner, serene as always. But if Lobelia can dig a little bit deeper, he'll be able to tell that Temenos' guard is all the way up.]
May as well start with them, yes? I'll let you decide if I'm taking to them well enough to go beyond that.
[conveniently, the powers that be didn't nerf lobelia's ability to isolate sound........... no one will hear temenos' embarrassing french unless lobelia wills it
It doesn't elude his notice that Temenos is... uncomfortable, perhaps? He's definitely on guard, but Lobelia doesn't mind one bit. He'd urge him to relax and focus on his lessons, but Lobelia knows that's no mean feat around someone like himself. And as for himself, he's comfortably sprawled in his lounger and sipping on a fruity cocktail. Mmm~]
Très bien! Let's begin with introductions then, shall we?
[Demonstrations are clearly in order, so Lobelia sits up, sets his drink aside, and dips into a seated bow with one hand over his heart.]
However on guard Temenos is, he doesn't appear to have any difficulty concentrating. He's...concentrating a little too much, honestly. A hand at his chin, the stare he gives Lobelia as he listens to the phrase is borderline vacant.
But just as quickly as that expression appears, he's back.]
Very well.
[He clears his throat, then lowers his hand to his chest to mimic Lobelia.]
Je m'appelle Temenos.
[The pronunciation isn't perfect, but it's clear that he was listening very closely to Lobelia's one pass at the phrase. He knew there'd be no repeats, after all.]
[So Temenos is the type to put effort into his studies, is he? Good to know. That'll have Lobelia being a little more lenient should corrections be necessary, because if he hates anything, it's having to explain himself to people who can't possibly understand. Seems he won't be having that problem with Temenos.]
Très bien! Very good! You're quite observant, aren't you? Still, your delivery could use a little refinement. Put some heart into it! Some romance!
[He'll repeat the phrase for Temenos with Maximum Oomph just in case it isn't clear what he's asking for. Given how dramatically Lobelia tends to deliver his lines, it's probably a good thing no one can hear them.]
[Channeling the tone he puts on when charming his way into the good graces of those he wants information from, Temenos repeats the phrase once more. There's a calmness to it that won't ever quite reach Lobelia's volume, but it's a far cry from the dry delivery of Temenos' first pass.]
[Lobelia's endured the pain as long as he can, enjoying it just as long, but even he has sense enough to know that wandering around in his injured state will only draw attention. That runs counter to Lobelia's plans of enjoying his peaceful murder vacation, so after staking out Temenos' cabana from the bushes like a sane person and waiting for all his roomies to leave, Lobelia comes knocking.
Unusually, he's in his robes as opposed to his trusty fuckboy summer outfit. That's strange. When Temenos answers, Lobelia is all smiles as usual... but his smile is not quite as bright as usual, his breaths ragged and labored. Hm.]
Bonjour, Temenos! I'm in need of your priestly services. May I come in?
[Temenos is the last to leave the cabana this morning, having opted to take advantage of the peace and quiet to do some reading. Said peace and quiet doesn't last very long, of course. He curiously lifts his gaze to the door once the knocking starts. Huh. A visitor...?]
One moment, please.
[His voice rings out from inside as he makes his way for the door...
Ah.
Well, he may as well consider his day ruined before it even really started.
He very noticeably takes note of Lobelia's appearance and demeanor...]
[Alas, the face of salvation is fleeting, but Lobelia isn't one to give up easily. Before Temenos can completely shut the door in his face, Lobelia wedges his foot in between it and the frame.]
Are you truly so disillusioned that you would ignore un enfant de dieu?! This is your job! Your calling
[Come on, Satan Lite. Do him a solid and shower him in your piety or whatever.]
[If Lobelia is going to be persistent, then so is Temenos. He reaches somewhere beyond the doorway. His staff then comes into view...and is pushed into Lobelia's foot. Not enough to cause further pain, but with the intent to do it if this continues.]
This has nothing to do with my disillusionment. I simply reserve my healing abilities for those who both need and deserve them.
[Lobelia clicks his tongue when that staff comes into view, teased with the idea of aid but gleefully denied it. Tenemos is having fun, isn't he? What a bad man, expecting him to grovel... No, maybe if he just asks nicely, the good priest will come to his senses and do his goddamned job. Surely!]
Now now, Père, I am both severely injured and more than deserving of your aid! Will it take another kiss to convince you? Perhaps a hug?
[Once again, a dreadfully dour mood has settled over the island, but it's not as if Lobelia doesn't understand why. Rather, he can't imagine why any of them care so much about a murderer paying their dues for the crime they've committed. Why should they? Should they not simply be thankful to be alive?
In any case, Lobelia is taking advantage of having the beach all to himself, sprawled out on a lounger with a drink in hand, his worldly cares ebbing away with the tide. When a familiar shadow looms over him, Lobelia tips up his sun hat to greet Temenos with a bright, sunshiny smile that hardly fits the island's somber mood.]
[Honestly, Temenos is in a better mood than might be expected of him. While some parts of of the trial were trying, it ultimately ended with the true culprit being found and judged accordingly.
After freshening up and changing back into his cleric garb, he's wandered out onto the beach for some fresh air. He's not at all surprised to find that Lobelia had a similar idea. Instead of turning on his heel and walking away, however, he actually approaches.]
We made it through another day, so there is something to celebrate, I suppose.
[Perhaps surprisingly, he takes a seat on a lounger beside Lobelia's.]
You certainly enjoyed yourself today. How often do you get to play the one investigating a murder instead of the other way around?
[The two of them have never openly discussed what Lobelia does in his free time, but it's become so painfully obvious to Temenos at this point.]
[Hm...? No scoldings from Daddy today? Lobelia's surprise doesn't lingerβ he knows Temenos well enough now to understand why he's in something of a good mood. It pleases him to play the role of detective in much the same way that it pleases Lobelia to witness someone's utter destruction after a failed attempt at getting away with murder. Come tomorrow's trial, he won't be surprised if the two of them are sat side by side in the front row.]
Heh-ahaha! Just what are you accusing me of now? Do you take me for some sort of madman?
[There's no hiding the truth nowβ not from Temenos, someone who has sussed out his true nature, but he may regret having asked. Playing with fire is dangerous, but if he insists on learning the hard way, Lobelia won't spare him any mercy.]
Mm, I feel a bit envieux! My crimes have long been chalked up to natural disaster and uncontrollable forces of nature. No one would suspect a single man was capable of the destruction I've caused. A little credit where credit is due wouldn't hurt.
[That ought to clue Temenos in on how powerful Lobelia truly is... you know, if he believes his lofty claims.]
[Temenos would not have asked if he wasn't prepared for the answer. It would do well of Lobelia to stop underestimating him.
That said...there really is a noticeable shift in the air when the confirmation comes directly from Lobelia's lips. Just to have it out there that Temenos has been fraternizing with a supposed mass murderer leaves him...
Well, he ought to be disgusted, both toward Lobelia and toward himself. And part of him certainly is. But there's something about the disconnect of them from being from different worldsβthe fact that Lobelia is admitting these things and Temenos can do nothing to resolve themβthat keeps Temenos coming back to this strange relationship they have.
That's how he'd like to explain it, anyway. Maybe he just doesn't want to admit that he enjoys how he and Lobelia can speak of these morbid subjects in a way that most people could never understand.
Worse, no amount of revelations have deterred him.
He meet Lobelia's confession with a smirk.]
You're envious that no one has caught onto you, hm? How do you suppose it would make you feel to discover that finally, someone was beginning to put the pieces together and that you might have a real confrontation on your hands?
["If someone like me were to make you face justice for the first time?"]
[He's used to being met with looks of shock and disgust, often for lesser reasons, so it comes as some surprise that Temenos' visage doesn't shrivel in disgust at the bare, unfiltered truth revealed to him.
Ah... He's thought this for a while now, but they really are two sides of the same blade, aren't they? Temenos flirts with fire, but he's just as potent, burning with an intensity all his own. If Temenos is like a moth circling a flame, Lobelia is truly no better.
In its own way, that smirk is a tempting flame of its own. Lobelia eases into a grin to match.]
Mm, for one thing, I can hardly imagine being caught! How could I when I've gotten away with every crime I've committed?
[Lobelia's eyes narrow, grin pulling even wider.]
I can more easily imagine how you would feel bringing a man like me to justice. That sourireβ Were you to bring me to heel, I can imagine you would be grinning all the more maliciously.
[Temenos doesn't quite grin, but his smirk doesn't waver either as he tips his head thoughtfully.]
You say you can't imagine it, yet you seem to be putting a great deal of thought into how I would behave upon capturing you.
[Just putting that out there.]
That said, I won't be modest about it: I would find great satisfaction in removing someone like you from the human population, if you truly are as big of a threat as you claim to be. It would certainly be a case unlike any other that I've taken on.
[Lobelia would probably find some fun in the Moonshade Order's ranks, honestly...]
[The doors that have emerged all along the "island" are curious, warranting investigation even when most of the memories within are such sad, bitter things. Every so often, Lobelia steps through a door and finds not only memories awaiting him, but the person to whom those memories belong to. Thus far, the people waiting on the other side have all been other occupants of the graveyard.
Today, he happens across Temenos... and upon seeing him, Lobelia instinctively glances back the way he came, but the door that led him here has already vanished. Oh well! So much for avoiding Temenos.
Lobelia greets him with the usual cheer, but something about him is... different. A touch more subdued.]
Salut, Temenos! I hadn't expected to see you here. Don't tell me you finally flew too close to the sun and caught your own death?
[This is unlike any of the other strange moments that Temenos has experienced this week. He's been pulled into memories, only to be deposited back where he was right after. This is the first time that he has found himself in some sort of space...along with one of the dead, no less.
Temenos would have been content to never see Lobelia again after what happened last week, and yet here the man is right in front of him. Rage is all too quick to bubble up in his chest, crying out for vengeance. But he carefully snuffs it out. This man is no longer a threat, if Vergilius is to be believed. The way that Lobelia seems to seek an out to this confrontation supports that, strange as it is to witness.]
Hm. For your sake, let's hope that is not the case.
[His tone is pleasant and his smile ever-present, but all of it is ice cold. No matter of reassurance is going to completely convince him that death has somehow changed Lobelia. Not until he sees it for himself.]
But I did not expect our paths to cross in this manner either. The island is full of more mysteries than ever this week, it seems.
[In the most practical terms, there's nothing to be gained from their interaction here. Lobelia burned bridges knowing full well he'd never be able to cross them again, and even now, can he truly say he regrets that decision? He may have no reason to harm anyone for his own self-interests again, but that doesn't mean he would take back every decision made to reach enlightenment.
Naturally, he expects Temenos to be angry. Furious. If he desired to kill him now, Lobelia wouldn't resist. What point would there be? Lobelia has found his happiness, and just as all people do, Temenos deserves to find his. Still, after what he witnessed at trial, he can't imagine killing him would bring Temenos much satisfaction at all. At the very least, it shouldn't.
His comment garners a laugh, but little more than that. Where Lobelia might normally delight in such cutting commentary, there's little by way of excitement in his tone now.]
If you feel so inclined, take your revanche! I never did have an opportunity to repay your favor. If that would make you happy, Temenos, I won't stop you.
[He exhales as the remaining embers of anger begin to flicker away into the darkness. While resentment remains, he can't bring himself to raise a hand against Lobelia.]
It wouldn't. Even if things turned out differently and you had taken Beelzebub with you, exacting revenge on you wouldn't make me happy.
[He knows this, because the grief remained even when he put an end to the person who killed his loved ones back home. There was no satisfaction to be found.]
Finding change within myself hasn't come as swiftly as it apparently did for you, but I would prefer not to undo any progress that I have made.
[Lobelia smiles with no particular mirth. All the same, this one is genuine. So few of them are.]
Then it appears we've learned the same lesson. Still, the path that led me here was not as straightforward as you seem to think. I believe you were saved much sooner than I.
[Giving into temptation can only end one way. Indulgence means taking from others for the benefit of oneself. As much as they are two sides of the same blade, Temenos stopped before severing something irreplaceable to him while Lobelia kept hacking away. That alone should make him happy. Satisfied. Fulfilled.
Does it?
Turning his back on Temenos, Lobelia stares at the inky blackness that surrounds them. His hearing is such that he can differentiate between one "path" and the other, and by clicking his tongue, he gauges the distance between, after which he gazes at Temenos over his shoulder.]
There is only one path out of here, and that path lies ahead of us. Que ferez-vous? Allez-vous me suivre?
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WEEK ONE: tuesday afternoon, seagull cabana.
screamingefforts to pick up some French from Lobelia. Seeing as there are a few folks on the island who speak the same language, it may prove beneficial for him.Sat on the porch in their respective lounge chairs, Lobelia waves a hand through the air.]
What is it you have an interest in learning? Just the basics?
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they're on the porch lobelia people are gonna hearTemenos sits in his usual prim and proper manner, serene as always. But if Lobelia can dig a little bit deeper, he'll be able to tell that Temenos' guard is all the way up.]
May as well start with them, yes? I'll let you decide if I'm taking to them well enough to go beyond that.
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conveniently, the powers that be didn't nerf lobelia's ability to isolate sound........... no one will hear temenos' embarrassing french unless lobelia wills itIt doesn't elude his notice that Temenos is... uncomfortable, perhaps? He's definitely on guard, but Lobelia doesn't mind one bit. He'd urge him to relax and focus on his lessons, but Lobelia knows that's no mean feat around someone like himself. And as for himself, he's comfortably sprawled in his lounger and sipping on a fruity cocktail. Mmm~]
Très bien! Let's begin with introductions then, shall we?
[Demonstrations are clearly in order, so Lobelia sits up, sets his drink aside, and dips into a seated bow with one hand over his heart.]
Je m'appelle LobΓ©lia. In other words, "I am Lobelia." It goes without saying, but you'll be replacing my name in this sentence with yours. Give it your best!
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how wonderful for everyoneHowever on guard Temenos is, he doesn't appear to have any difficulty concentrating. He's...concentrating a little too much, honestly. A hand at his chin, the stare he gives Lobelia as he listens to the phrase is borderline vacant.
But just as quickly as that expression appears, he's back.]
Very well.
[He clears his throat, then lowers his hand to his chest to mimic Lobelia.]
Je m'appelle Temenos.
[The pronunciation isn't perfect, but it's clear that he was listening very closely to Lobelia's one pass at the phrase. He knew there'd be no repeats, after all.]
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Très bien! Very good! You're quite observant, aren't you? Still, your delivery could use a little refinement. Put some heart into it! Some romance!
[He'll repeat the phrase for Temenos with Maximum Oomph just in case it isn't clear what he's asking for. Given how dramatically Lobelia tends to deliver his lines, it's probably a good thing no one can hear them.]
1/2
[Temenos repeats, eyebrows quirked. Does Lobelia really think his dramatics sound romantic? Well, whatever. He'll play along.]
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WEEK TWO: thursday morning, pelican cabana.
Unusually, he's in his robes as opposed to his trusty fuckboy summer outfit. That's strange. When Temenos answers, Lobelia is all smiles as usual... but his smile is not quite as bright as usual, his breaths ragged and labored. Hm.]
Bonjour, Temenos! I'm in need of your priestly services. May I come in?
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One moment, please.
[His voice rings out from inside as he makes his way for the door...
Ah.
Well, he may as well consider his day ruined before it even really started.
He very noticeably takes note of Lobelia's appearance and demeanor...]
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Whatever has happened to you, I am sure it was well-earned.
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[Alas, the face of salvation is fleeting, but Lobelia isn't one to give up easily. Before Temenos can completely shut the door in his face, Lobelia wedges his foot in between it and the frame.]
Are you truly so disillusioned that you would ignore un enfant de dieu?! This is your job! Your calling
[Come on, Satan Lite. Do him a solid and shower him in your piety or whatever.]
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This has nothing to do with my disillusionment. I simply reserve my healing abilities for those who both need and deserve them.
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Now now, Père, I am both severely injured and more than deserving of your aid! Will it take another kiss to convince you? Perhaps a hug?
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[The pressure of Temenos' staff on Lobelia's foot increases.]
The fact remains that I am not interested. Not in your "affection", nor your pleas. There are other healers here. See if you can convince them.
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WEEK TWO: saturday, post-trial.
In any case, Lobelia is taking advantage of having the beach all to himself, sprawled out on a lounger with a drink in hand, his worldly cares ebbing away with the tide. When a familiar shadow looms over him, Lobelia tips up his sun hat to greet Temenos with a bright, sunshiny smile that hardly fits the island's somber mood.]
Salut, Père! You're looking well!
[But is he?]
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After freshening up and changing back into his cleric garb, he's wandered out onto the beach for some fresh air. He's not at all surprised to find that Lobelia had a similar idea. Instead of turning on his heel and walking away, however, he actually approaches.]
We made it through another day, so there is something to celebrate, I suppose.
[Perhaps surprisingly, he takes a seat on a lounger beside Lobelia's.]
You certainly enjoyed yourself today. How often do you get to play the one investigating a murder instead of the other way around?
[The two of them have never openly discussed what Lobelia does in his free time, but it's become so painfully obvious to Temenos at this point.]
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Heh-ahaha! Just what are you accusing me of now? Do you take me for some sort of madman?
[There's no hiding the truth nowβ not from Temenos, someone who has sussed out his true nature, but he may regret having asked. Playing with fire is dangerous, but if he insists on learning the hard way, Lobelia won't spare him any mercy.]
Mm, I feel a bit envieux! My crimes have long been chalked up to natural disaster and uncontrollable forces of nature. No one would suspect a single man was capable of the destruction I've caused. A little credit where credit is due wouldn't hurt.
[That ought to clue Temenos in on how powerful Lobelia truly is... you know, if he believes his lofty claims.]
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That said...there really is a noticeable shift in the air when the confirmation comes directly from Lobelia's lips. Just to have it out there that Temenos has been fraternizing with a supposed mass murderer leaves him...
Well, he ought to be disgusted, both toward Lobelia and toward himself. And part of him certainly is. But there's something about the disconnect of them from being from different worldsβthe fact that Lobelia is admitting these things and Temenos can do nothing to resolve themβthat keeps Temenos coming back to this strange relationship they have.
That's how he'd like to explain it, anyway. Maybe he just doesn't want to admit that he enjoys how he and Lobelia can speak of these morbid subjects in a way that most people could never understand.
Worse, no amount of revelations have deterred him.
He meet Lobelia's confession with a smirk.]
You're envious that no one has caught onto you, hm? How do you suppose it would make you feel to discover that finally, someone was beginning to put the pieces together and that you might have a real confrontation on your hands?
["If someone like me were to make you face justice for the first time?"]
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Ah... He's thought this for a while now, but they really are two sides of the same blade, aren't they? Temenos flirts with fire, but he's just as potent, burning with an intensity all his own. If Temenos is like a moth circling a flame, Lobelia is truly no better.
In its own way, that smirk is a tempting flame of its own. Lobelia eases into a grin to match.]
Mm, for one thing, I can hardly imagine being caught! How could I when I've gotten away with every crime I've committed?
[Lobelia's eyes narrow, grin pulling even wider.]
I can more easily imagine how you would feel bringing a man like me to justice. That sourireβ Were you to bring me to heel, I can imagine you would be grinning all the more maliciously.
How does it feel, imagining such a scenario? Does it fill you with voluptΓ©?
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You say you can't imagine it, yet you seem to be putting a great deal of thought into how I would behave upon capturing you.
[Just putting that out there.]
That said, I won't be modest about it: I would find great satisfaction in removing someone like you from the human population, if you truly are as big of a threat as you claim to be. It would certainly be a case unlike any other that I've taken on.
[Lobelia would probably find some fun in the Moonshade Order's ranks, honestly...]
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WEEK FIVE: ???, someplace between the living and the dead.
Today, he happens across Temenos... and upon seeing him, Lobelia instinctively glances back the way he came, but the door that led him here has already vanished. Oh well! So much for avoiding Temenos.
Lobelia greets him with the usual cheer, but something about him is... different. A touch more subdued.]
Salut, Temenos! I hadn't expected to see you here. Don't tell me you finally flew too close to the sun and caught your own death?
[Apparently, Lobelia saw what happened at trial.]
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Temenos would have been content to never see Lobelia again after what happened last week, and yet here the man is right in front of him. Rage is all too quick to bubble up in his chest, crying out for vengeance. But he carefully snuffs it out. This man is no longer a threat, if Vergilius is to be believed. The way that Lobelia seems to seek an out to this confrontation supports that, strange as it is to witness.]
Hm. For your sake, let's hope that is not the case.
[His tone is pleasant and his smile ever-present, but all of it is ice cold. No matter of reassurance is going to completely convince him that death has somehow changed Lobelia. Not until he sees it for himself.]
But I did not expect our paths to cross in this manner either. The island is full of more mysteries than ever this week, it seems.
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Naturally, he expects Temenos to be angry. Furious. If he desired to kill him now, Lobelia wouldn't resist. What point would there be? Lobelia has found his happiness, and just as all people do, Temenos deserves to find his. Still, after what he witnessed at trial, he can't imagine killing him would bring Temenos much satisfaction at all. At the very least, it shouldn't.
His comment garners a laugh, but little more than that. Where Lobelia might normally delight in such cutting commentary, there's little by way of excitement in his tone now.]
If you feel so inclined, take your revanche! I never did have an opportunity to repay your favor. If that would make you happy, Temenos, I won't stop you.
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[He exhales as the remaining embers of anger begin to flicker away into the darkness. While resentment remains, he can't bring himself to raise a hand against Lobelia.]
It wouldn't. Even if things turned out differently and you had taken Beelzebub with you, exacting revenge on you wouldn't make me happy.
[He knows this, because the grief remained even when he put an end to the person who killed his loved ones back home. There was no satisfaction to be found.]
Finding change within myself hasn't come as swiftly as it apparently did for you, but I would prefer not to undo any progress that I have made.
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Then it appears we've learned the same lesson. Still, the path that led me here was not as straightforward as you seem to think. I believe you were saved much sooner than I.
[Giving into temptation can only end one way. Indulgence means taking from others for the benefit of oneself. As much as they are two sides of the same blade, Temenos stopped before severing something irreplaceable to him while Lobelia kept hacking away. That alone should make him happy. Satisfied. Fulfilled.
Does it?
Turning his back on Temenos, Lobelia stares at the inky blackness that surrounds them. His hearing is such that he can differentiate between one "path" and the other, and by clicking his tongue, he gauges the distance between, after which he gazes at Temenos over his shoulder.]
There is only one path out of here, and that path lies ahead of us. Que ferez-vous? Allez-vous me suivre?
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sorry for the wait on this!!
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