[19:59] A Deacon catches a brief glimpse of... A Priest! One that she'd not seen before. As such, she peels out of that conversation as quickly as politeness allows and damn near trips as she rushes to catch up with him.

The graceful, youthful Deacon bears in one hand a new, up-to-date version of the Codex Cosmic, a star-shaped symbol of The Faith worn around her neck, and a symbol upon her right palm. Two parallel lines, paired with a horizontal mark that connects the two at the top. The symbol of Yiel.

Looking to the sickly other, she calls out to him in a soft, gentle tone as she approaches;

"Ah- Good sir priest!"

Once she arrives, that Deacon grants a small smile, taking a few breaths to recover from her sprint over!

"I've not seen you before! I apologize if I'm interrupting your rounds, but I wish to say hello and perhaps speak with you for a time. My name is Yiel, a Deacon within The Faith. I've taken the name of the star I feel closest to. Might I ask your name? And are you alright?"
(Yiel)
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[20:10]
Whoever the stranger was, he seemed distinctly unwell. The sort that makes it seem like his time for this world is particularly scarce. His hands are bony, knuckles practically protruding through the skin. Grayed hair interspersed with black - salt and pepper, if leaning towards the former.

One hand is situated in his cowl, resting over his abdomen. There's a slight frown edged at his features, though it seems drooping and more from exhaustion than actual sorrow. His eyes turn towards Yiel, and the man's head inclines to the left; and he peers down at Yiel, as if look at an alien.

"Afraid I'm not doing much of any rounds."

There's a rattling cough short to follow: it feels like his ribs would be black and blue from the force of it. "But you may have my name, miss. al-Aziz. I'm scarcely a priest anymo-..." and he's interrupted again by a fit of wheezing, like finding breath is difficult. Notably, his clothing is caked with mud: soggy with water and debris from a long journey home.

If he could view Osrona as a home. Not so much, these days.

(al-Aziz)
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[20:15] The young Celestialist most definitely appears worried for the older! She'll look him up and down for a moment, considering his weary, battered form. Her response is given gently towards the other;

"May I escort you home, al-Aziz? Would you like for me to send for a doctor?"

Worried, normally she'd give a more vicarious welcome to the 'Tobbi' that opted to sleep on her on the bench! Instead, though, she welcomes her with a soft, brief smile due to the situation!

"Hello, Tobbi."
(Yiel)
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[20:15] Kelsa says, "Hey~"
[20:15] A white-hooded figure passed by the three posted in front of the lion statue. The sounds of coughs and wheezes attracted his eyes only to settle on al-Aziz.

Hands clapped together and whispers accompanied a slouched state as he continued on.
(Demiier)
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[20:24]
"Don't have a home. Haven't in years."

While he speaks, his eyes are shut. They feel heavy as lead: he doesn't fight it, preferring to get what few moments of rest can be found. One spindly hand drifts to adjust the collar of his coat, and he offers an amenable but haggard shrug. "I was hoping to find some old disciples."

"But I don't think I'm going to be able to."

There's a crestfallen quality to his voice, as if he finds it sad: but not unexpected, perhaps. Long fingers wring through his hair, draining out excess water. Tredging out the muck would be much more of a challenge: and not one he cared to tend to. Not now, at the least.

"As for a doctor..."

His head shakes. It's clear he's reticent to accept that offer, though there's a moment of consideration. "Wouldn't be able to do anything. Not worth the struggle. Should rest, if anything." There's a faint smile on his face for the slightest moment.

"But I suppose there's a reason why you found me at this hour. The only thing I have to ask of you is how I might help you, miss." There's another brief cough into a crooked elbow. It's not as violent as before, but there's a trace of blood mixed with the phlegm left as residue on his cloak's arm.
(al-Aziz)
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[20:32] This Deacon is quiet as the other speaks, listening to his entire thought. A small, understanding look is had in her eyes. Definitely a bit sad, herself. Still, the youth works to remain cool, calm, and composed. After the other ceases to speak with his question, she gathers her own words, strict rules of etiquette seemingly a part of when she chooses to speak!

"Maybe me and Tobbi can bring you to sit upon a park bench? Or perhaps you'd like to rest within the Church itself?"

Still a bit over-worried about the older, despite his telling her not to be! She'll answer his question afterwards, shaking her head gently;

"The stars have provided all that I need. I'd be happy to talk, though, know more about yourself, as most of the other Clergy have grown a bit more reclusive due to the Moonfall situation. Looking to the great libraries and asking the stars for guidance..."
(Yiel)
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[20:42]
"The church..."

His head inclines to the tight. On the backs of his eyes, there's long-since forgotten memories; the tedium of day-to-day life, and an abbey teeming with young clerics. Those times had been long since forgotten. It does little to shake the frown that marred his cold and ashen face.

"That would be nice. It's been a very long time since I've been home."

He adjusts the dress-collar of his robes. "I... apologize for the others. Several of them died to the Occultists in Moonfall, back when-... when I still lived in Osrona. We never truly recovered from what happened. Nor did I."

Scarred fingers, thin, occasionally fiddle with his hair. He's hesitant to say much more, but the thought of returning to the chapel fills him with no small deal of worry. He expects to see people he hadn't in years: people he was meant to protect and help. The reality would likely be far more desolate.

But the not-quite-ancient but terribly weary chaplain turns to join Yiel. He offers a few words; each harder on him than the last, met with coughing fits and all the signs of exhaustion. "Books tell great tales, but little of the stars. One cannot discern the meaning of the divine from another's eyes; only their interpretation. Come, girl: take me there. It's been too many years."

(al-Aziz)
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[20:45] The blonde listens, giving a small nod afterwards to the other's request! She'll move to escort him, taking an arm and helping to walk with the other - a bit overly doting. He probably doesn't need help walking!

"May I ask if Tobbi can come with us?" She inquires as she heads onwards, considering the words of the other!
(Yiel)
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[20:45] Kelsa says, "Gladly."
[20:45] al-Aziz says, "Tobbi?..."
[20:46] al-Aziz looks around. His eyes are only half open.
(al-Aziz)
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[20:46] Kelsa says, "I'm Tobbi Hempurr - nice to meet you."
[20:48] al-Aziz says, "Oh. It's.. good to meet you."
[20:58] The Deacon comes to lead the others to the kitchen of the church! Such a place preparing meals for Sudbury twice a day, at afternoon and evening. It's part of Yiel's master plan, however, as she leads the others to a table, moving to the busier kitchen herself for a moment, and returning with a few bowls of chicken and rice soup. A bowl is placed before each of the three.

It's highly likely she intended to try to get Aziz some soup but she couldn't do so without making Tobbi feel left out, and it would be weird if they both had a bowl and she didn't-

Oh well. She's only given herself a little bit.

Regardless, sitting up straight, she looks to both of them, concern and that same welcomingness projected. Aziz would probably note that a lot of the Clergy are absent. It is fairly empty, compared to what he may have seen in the past. Many of the priesthood may have head out to different bastions and monasteries to look for obtained during the Witch Trials of eld, to grant an edge against the resurgent Witches.

"I understand. May I ask what happened in relation to the church? I have only recently arrived. I hail from the convent of the Sisters of Saint Niles of Astya."

That question asked, she follows it up with a second question -

"May I also ask which star you look to for guidance? If you have a singular one you have a connection with, as I know some clergy foster a relationship with several."

Attention going to Tobbi, now, she gives her a gentle, small smile - dimmed due to worry, still.

"I hope you're having a good day, Tobbi. Thank you for accompanying us."
(Yiel)
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[21:16]
Did he miss this place? It was his heart; where he'd spent years-upon-years of his life, each feeling shorter than the last. At a time, he had all he'd ever known within these four humble walls. One by one, afterwards, most everyone he'd cared for died: and now there were two or three faces left. There were very few people left who had known him.

Truth be told, it was the only reason he hadn't crawled off into a dark hole and died. A great portion of him had longed for death: and that lack of a fight, perhaps, was what had made this infection manifest so violently. There's a wet and bloody cough again, and that pulls him from his deep reverie of thoughts.

He missed the old days, but he hated himself far more for his failures.

"My patron has been Geist since I was a boy. It's a strange relationship: abstracts, strange memories - visions of things that happened long ago or won't happen for quite some time. Best, I've found, to find correlation rather than literal meanings."

He leans into the table, elbows folded beneath him. It felt good to be out of the cold and somewhere familiar; and it made the faint hint of a smile play across ashen lips. If he closed his eyes, he could see all the old faces: all the people he'd lost. In fact, he does: and he'd almost appear dead.

Eyes faintly shut, chest unmoving.

But he speaks again.

"A sequence of things happened. Osric took ill. Myrra died. Sain was kidnapped. One after another after another. Couldn't protect any of them. It was my duty." He sighs, leaning his head into his hands. "Jasper. My sweet boy- like a son to me. Stolen. Eaten. Turned into a puppet."
(al-Aziz)
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[21:23] * You have been awarded 4 Roleplay Points! *
[21:46] Despite the haze of memory, this young Deacon bears with her an optimism and a font of starlit positivity. Obviously, she's concerned, but there's also unencumbered youth and hopefulness that floats around her idly.

A soft nod is given at the notion of that mystic star and its relation to him. Strange memories and abstract understandings.

Listening patiently, her presence is unobtrusive and quiet, posture upright and sienna eyes focused upon those of the other. Patiently waiting for the completion of the other's thoughts, she grows a touch contemplative at the news of the what precipitated the decline of many of the Church's public face in Osrona.

Her Codex Cosmic rests upon the table, her hands atop it. After a pause, she responds to the other's words with her calm, softened tone;

"No one man needs bear that weight by themselves. You tried, Aziz. The stars understand even if your journey leads you and those close to you into a valley of darkness, pain, and loss. They'll always watch over you - and those who did not emerge from that valley, and had to lay down their burdens and return to the origin-light above."

Such words come with a sense of surety, a bit different from the more worried girl of a few minutes ago. Aziz can surely tell that Yiel is likely a true believer, someone with a deep reservoir of faith! Only natural, given her connection with Yiel, the essence of that faith.

"It's okay if you need to lay down your burdens and rest. May I ask you what Geist has imparted to you, during these trials? Perhaps we can talk what you've seen over, and that can give you a measure of absolution."
(Yiel)
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[22:03]

"I do not doubt that the stars would find my deeds within their purview; but they are merciful and ever-lenient. Anything short of barbarity is to be forgiven. But I could not hope to forgive myself so lightly. I failed everyone I had ever known: and I suffered for it. Every time I closed my eyes, I remembered their faces."

Her words did not assuage the broken heart: he had said them a thousand times, to men more or less fortunate than himself. They felt hollow. They felt like a sweet lie: a placation for a man who would not otherwise be able to forgive himself. al-Aziz would not shirk that burden so easily under any context, should he live much longer.

That seemed unlikely, though.

"That wasn't what bothered me, though. It was the silence. Being alone here felt like a knife in the stomach."

His head tilts back, and he stares at the roof of the room. There are a number of old constellations etched across the wood, artfully carved the better part of a decade prior. A little side-project: something he very much loved to do, when he had energy and passion. It felt like it was a lifetime ago. In reality, it was ten years: back when he was twenty-something, as opposed to pushing towards his late thirties.

Things had certainly changed.

"What have I seen?"

"Flashes of light. Fire on the horizon. Burning, burning: the days before the witches re-emerged, I felt something awry. People dancing. Distant hills and lone flags hanging low. The meaning... anyone's guess."

His throat felt raw. It sounded raw.
(al-Aziz)
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[22:19] A lack of experience bars more effective words from the young Deacon, though her expression is softened and understanding, though sympathetic. Aziz had to suffer the decline of a full Church and watching people be lost, while Yiel had only just arrived to this place, and is working to make the most of what she's found left here.

She listens as she considers the words of the other, patient and quiet for a few moments, even after the other finishes speaking;

"I understand, Aziz. I've been listening to a few people, and a friend of mine told me a bit of a few of the Witches - a Witch named 'Jingle' killing most of the population of Moonfall in order to make herself stronger, and one named 'Baba' who maims children and leaves them for dead. They're sound to be monstrous tyrants who wield fell magic. I understand why many of the clergy are scared and turn to the ancient lore and celestial wisdom for help."

Though, when she does speak, her hands moving in those subtle gestures, continuing after a small pause.

"Would you believe it to help if you talked more about yourself - your time here, and tell of those you knew that are now passed on? I'd like to hear more, if that's alright. Afterwards, I can lead us in a prayer for them, too. If you'd rather not talk about them, though, we can pray instead."

Sienna eyes focused on him, offering a gentle few alternatives and options lightly to the other! Her hands come to rest before her, atop her Codex.
(Yiel)
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[22:32]
His teeth trail across his tongue, biting back thoughts. al-Aziz tries to recollect his thoughts and his focus. He knows there's a part of himself that's meant to be better than this. The part that once upon a time had brought him to assemble his huntsmen: to do something about the black-magick'd plague that had rotted away the base of what he once loved as home.

But he was much too sick to cough up much vim and vigor. All that is found when he looks inwards is physical agony. But al-Aziz musters what he can, trying to present himself as more of a functional man than he truthfully was. The priest brushes off his ornate collar, and the detritus that'd stained the white cloth: globs of mud flicked from his fingers.

"I knew their names. Their faces. Their conspirators."

He looks off to the wall.

"But I failed to do anything with it. A few have died, but many more still live. Baba... Jingle. Fresh ones. Haven't seen them at work. Marisol probably knows far more than I do, for better or worse." Messy fingers rub at his scalp, and at pained temples. For a moment, it eases the pain. But he strives to keep his attention upon Yiel for the time being.

"I have said as many prayers as there are stars in the sky. I know my failures and my past. My concern, dear... is and has always been the others. Forgive me my misering. I … like all men, can become a victim of my own self-pity."

"Should toughen up. Die with dignity; or at least meet my last few friends with an ounce thereof. So tell me, miss Yiel: what is it it you would like to hear?"
(al-Aziz)
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[22:55] The young Deacon's focus is on the other, listening and giving a small nod to the words presented. Sympathy is had, but the youth truly doesn't know a method to help the older Priest. It's the smallest bit distressing to see him in such a state, but the blonde remains positive and focused, regardless, considering his words as he speaks to the other.

Like many of the Clergy, his mind dwells heavily on the Moonfall threat, that much is apparent to the Faithful. Such that a plan comes to mind - to take his thoughts to another time.

As he finishes speaking, she nods, speaking her piece!

"It's okay, Aziz. Please, speak freely with me. I don't have the opportunity to speak to an older member of the Clergy often, and I appreciate anything you've to share with me. May I ask about yourself, though? What lead your path towards the Priesthood, and when you learned about or formed your connection with Geist?"
(Yiel)
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[23:05]
"I'm a son of Baptiste Duran. A noble, once upon a time."

His eyes are hazy, half-shut: focus is hard to find. But he fixes his attention to Yiel, out of courtesy and a mild fascination. It was alien to find much of anyone interested in Leonaus' works: and a part of him wishes he were still well enough to be a proper mentor. The things that could've been done...

But gray-hazel eyes remain steady, and his expression is somewhere near thoughtful if not precisely ponderous. Words edge across his tongue, but finding what is proper to explain this grim story feels hard. Harder than it ought to be, with all the strife elsewhere. One hand folds into the fabric of his vest.

"My father perished; slew by brigands. My uncle took control of the house and had me sent off to the church; leaving the inheritance to Soma, a brother of mine. Long-since dead - stolen too soon by the Syndicate. It wasn't easyto wrap my head around that."

His tongue is bit into for a moment; fierce enough to unintentionally stain it red, though the pain presents itself as little more than a malfeasance. A small benefit of his time away: a certain level of numbness in the extremities and muscle from over-familiarization. It was efficient at cutting pain, if at the cost of the senses.

"I was young, then. Thirteen when I first joined the church. Twenty four when Soma died. Geist chose me by ritual, as all Acolytes go through. The visions... they came with time. I'm no great mage, fiddling with the cosmos: just a man."

When was the last time he'd used that staff as anything more than a cane?

A tired exhale follows, but he seems to have warmed up. As much as he can.

"Afraid I'm not as wise as my years: least, as far as the practical elements of the church go. When Osric vanished, I was left to clean the mess as leader alone: wasn't easy. Struggled. You see how it ended. Wandering off to meditate in the mountains like a madman in the middle of a harsh winter."
(al-Aziz)
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[23:20] As the Deacon listens anew, her hands fold and come to rest before herself. She sits up straight and true, obvious etiquette drilled into her, likely even from a young age. A story heard isn't one that's particularly upbeat. Such conveying that Aziz has faced much in terms of hardship, even from a young age.

Thoughtful, the blonde's fingers just idly run over the eighteen stylized little depictions of the stars of Leonaus upon the cover of her Codex. There's little born by her - no weapon, no armor. Just a dark, conservative dress, a mark of The Faith, and the mark of Yiel upon her right palm.

In terms of Yiel's plan, insights were gained, but it didn't help the older as much as she hoped. She shakes her head gently at his assertion of being unwise.

"Don't worry, Aziz. There's only so much a person can bear. You don't need to stress over possibilities. Thank you for sharing the story of your life with me. May I ask if there was any goals or projects the magi within here Church was working on, before the troubles came? Do you have any wish for the future, as well? Even something small."

Working to shift the focus to the future as the past didn't really help the Priest feel a touch better - and to gain more knowledge about what was occurring at the time!
(Yiel)
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[23:32]
"Osric's charity drive."

That was all he could remember. Those frail hands interlock, and his face scrunches with thought. The myriad of tattoos inked upon his pale, almost-so-lifelessly gray skin shift and twist with the twitches of facial muscles. They move like constellations of their own. Peculiar, but of no particular importance.

"Not sure. Frankly, dear..."

"I came back to Osrona to die. I wanted to say goodbye to Lion and Avin, but they're both grown up now. Married, living happy lives and doing whatever it is they set their hearts to. Even little Marisol's found her place in life."

His eyes close. Should the march of time and the distance of those he'd viewed like his children sadden him? The question was internally debated, but it was made clear in the wistful smile that crosses his lips and softens his gaze. "I wish for nothing but my flock to survive and to live happy. They have-... so I suppose I am content. Even got to see Sina before I pass."

"So I don't know, my dear. I'm no font of guidance or helpful ideas as for footwork. Even if I were healthy... I don't think I have it in me anymore. A warm drink and a few friends're preferable to weight on the shoulders and the foreknowledge of suffering to come."

al-Aziz leans his chin into his hands. "But something important had been forgotten, long ago. We became so preoccupied with charity and study that we forgot why we existed. Why we are a church, and not just a charity: and that's spreading the faith."


(al-Aziz)
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[23:46] There's a nod at the notion of the charity drive- though, as the Priest makes mention of how others have lived on and grown happy, providing that wistful little smile, the graceful, soft-spoken Deacon grants her own smile towards him.

At least there he has found a level of absolution and inner peace, seeing that many of those he cared for have grown up and helped forge a future for themselves and others.

The other's thoughts of spreading the faith are measured, confirmed with another, small nod of the Deacon's own! She responds gently to those words, however, her hands moving in subtle, gentle motions.

"Do not worry about that, Aziz. I'm slowly working to bring The Faith back to the people. To ensure they know that the starlight that illuminates their path is unfaltering and unrelenting. I aim to extend celestial council to prisoners, to meet with members of the community to give them an ear, and as I progress on my path towards the position of Priestess, I'll work to warm the hearts of the Knights - many having been alleged to have grown jaded and cold due to the recent turmoil, as well as organizing gatherings in which all may meet and relax with one another."

Those don't really sound very proselytize-y. She explains such in a moment or two;

"I work to have the virtues of the Church stand on their own, by doing my best to exemplify them and represent us in discussions and works. I assisted in the cleansing of the Occult arts from a young woman, and I aimed to befriend her, and soothe the inner turmoil that would lead someone to taking up that magic. Eventually, if others are interested, I'll recruit and lead some Acolytes through the proper rites and rituals, and give them purpose and a goal."

Another gentle smile, as the teen - someone who has a sort of sureness and calm maturity to them, despite their age - concludes her explanation;

"Soplease, rest easy, even if you lay yourself down and return to the origin-light above. I'll do my best to represent our Faith to the people."
(Yiel)
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[23:56]
His head shakes. Her words leave a foul taste on the tip of his tongue.

"Half measures and kindness did not save us. Friendship did not save us. The Knights were the ones who released that evil upon the rest of us; they were the ones who released the coven's leader after my men had imprisoned her. Do not trust them without reservation. Do not hinge the legacy of his place on their name, if you'd heed a miser."

Those hands remain folded under the cusp of his jaw, thumbs pressed into the soft underbelly of his jaw. There is a simmering sort of anger behind his words. Resentment freshly awakened after years away: and it made his expression ugly and uglier still. He had loathed the state of Osrona in life.

Should he die, that much would not change.

"I will never rest easy, but I will leave this world knowing that at least a few of the things I loved as a boy were spared from desolation. Good, perhaps, that my life was one spent alone: for all those who were within arms' reach of me perished. There's a comedy in tragedy."

He ruminates on years past, and the question he faced once upon a time. Pursuing greater heights and glory in the faith, or resolving to settle down somewhere nice and quiet: somewhere out of reach, and to make his own family. That dream seemed black and bleaker by association with the present, as if that seed had been rotten.

How would it have ended?

al-Aziz sighs, but he tries to restore his smile. It looks awkward and distinctly forced. "But I'm glad you have drive. Marisol... she's a good woman, but she's never been more than that - in making her as much, I fear I might have failed. Enthusiasm and energy are the key ingredients to bearing the fruit of faith."

"Not that the church has seen much of either." A dire chuckle that ends in a wheeze follow.

(al-Aziz)
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[00:11] The Deacon's a little surprised at the other's words. She'll have to learn more about such as time goes on. Still, her resolve is very clearly unbent. As soft-spoken and gentle as this blonde is, it's clear that she likely already has her path visualized and set out for herself.

She listens, as before, until the other finishes his full thought! The Faithful responds only then;

"I'll heed your warnings, Aziz. Thank you for telling me about them. I will continue to try to keep aloft those around me, however, as I don't see it as part of my path to be a fighter. I received a dream of a blazing star when I lived at the convent of the Sisters of Saint Niles of Astya - Yiel. My powers were discovered soon after - the ability to brush with the perceptions of those around me. I knew that Yiel had given me the gift of Illusion not to obfuscate or make hidden, but instead, to connect with those around myself. To bring the Faith to all.My methods may be gentle, but I have faith that they will work, in time and with Ios' tenacity and Phos' determination."

His ratification of her drive is paired with that notion that he won't rest easy, but he's relieved that there's some of what he sought to protect still around.

"I hope you focus on yourself for a time, Aziz, that you relax within the Church and see to your health. I'll offer prayers for you. Thank you again for speaking with me."
(Yiel)
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[00:18]
His stare is vacant.

"I long for the day it's over."

"I do not envy you, nor the work that has to be done in the coming years. I wish you all the blessings and guidance the stars in the sky afford; but even they are scarcely enough. If I recover..." His shoulders rise and fall. "If I'm lucky- or unlucky, perhaps, I'll be overjoyed to see how you progress."

The man reaches for his half-staff half-cane, and leans his weight into it. He's not very heavyset anymore: more waifish and skeletal than ever, in fact. But he's able to move, if with some difficulty: occasionally stumbling or tripping, struggling to find firm ground beneath staggered footsteps.

"Perhaps I will have something offer you before I die. These meetings... I have found them rarely to be coincidence. Everything happens for a reason; even if it is arcane and intangible, Fate's hand guides all as much as the stars."

What would he do? Where would he go?

He'd figure it out.
(al-Aziz)
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[00:25] That blonde gives a small nod - though she does rise in a gentle attempt to assist the other to his feet! Not bearing any bother with doing such!

She'll withdraw back to the table as he stands, gathering up her Codex and granting a soft, gentle smile towards him.

"Fate absolutely plays a role, Aziz. I do hope I can see you another time in the future. Know that there's always a place for you here."

She'll walk with him to the door!

"Stars bless you, good Priest."
(Yiel)
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[00:28]
Aziz had nothing else to say.

He'd need to think. Maybe rest a night or two in a poor-house, look around for the last few people he wanted to see. It begged the question of if they'd even want to reciprocate the thought. If they still lived, even...

(al-Aziz)
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