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Probably not.

I know what I’m doing.

I know that you do, but I-- I still.. worry. The Beholding isn't exactly, um.. dangerous in the usual way of things, but I'm still going to fret about you.

Did the Lonely choose you because you’re so kind?

I think the Lonely chose me because I'm scared of everything and I'm extremely difficult to love. It's sort of a winning combination, I suppose.

Wait.

Why do you say you’re difficult to love?

I barely know anything about mortal love and I know that isn’t true.

[ a startled, slightly nervous pause. ] That's.. just how it is.

Who told you that?

[If it was Jon, Nick will curse him again.]

I.. It's-- It's not really important, is it? [ he clears his throat. ] Anyway, it's um.. for the best it's that way. Given things back home. [ it would be hard to leave if there were going to be people that missed him. ]

You'll let me know, won't you? If you're able to work something out for Jon?

If I didn’t think it was important I wouldn’t have asked, Martin.

[He goes silent in a complicated way.]

He might not like it.

No, I expect he won't. And I-- I'm not saying.. that is, I'd like to know. If it can be done. If.. he has an option. If the Beholding can even be stopped from interacting with its Avatar that way.

If nothing else, he ought to know if he has a chance.

There are always ways to block the human parts from the non human parts. Even the Devouring Worm can’t take all of its host until almost the end.

[ martin.. doesn't know. but then, that's why he'd gone to nick, after all. if anyone would have ideas here..

and maybe if there's a chance that the beholding won't.. fight it. because he's most worried about jon getting caught between the eye and nick's solution.

but there's something else that catches his attention. ] .. Devouring Worm?