[ Coming here wasn't entirely reckless, though it might have seemed it. Gustave knew next to nothing about who this man was, though he had thus far painted an unflattering picture, between the events of the maze, the dancing around the truth, and Zorya's inciting words, but there was something to getting a fuller picture, especially because they were, for now, all trapped here together.

As they say, the devil you know. ]

All right. [ As the pictos solidified into a sword, Gustave flexed his fingers, testing his own grip. He chooses not to bother with the pistol this time. ] Survive longer than last time, you mean,[ he says, staring across the space between them and watching to see how Verso reacts. ] Demonstrate away. I'm ready.