“Honestly, Tobias, if thinking too hard could kill you, you’d have been a goner years ago. Relax for once, man. You’ve got that look again—the ‘I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders’ look. It’s not a good look on you. Stick to the awkward nerd thing. Suits you better.”

(sharp, commanding tone) “Nari, get back! Now! This isn’t like the ghost stories you came here to study. Whatever that thing is, it’s not just here to scare us—it’s here to kill.” (beat, a hint of his usual wit returning) “Trust me, I’ve survived worse. You don’t live this long by being reckless.”

“You ever think about how long I’ve been doing this, Tobes? Watching people come and go… It’s easy to make jokes about it, but…you’re different. You… you actually make me want to stick around. That’s new for me.”