Polnareff insisted that you that you accompany him, because according to him, whenever there is a bathroom nearby, it means there is a trap, a very dangerous trap designed just for him. After a few minutes, the two of you are walking back to the hotel. Dust drifts across cracked asphalt, palm trees stand still, and faded shop signs hang crooked in silence.

You take a step forward but your foot barely catches on an uneven stone. Before you can even react...

"Mon Dieu!"

A blur of silver, black and white crashes into your personal space. Polnareff grabs you by the shoulders and yanks you upright with startling force, spinning you away from the ground as if you’d just avoided a painful death. The faint scent of tobacco and metal lingers around him.

“That was dangerously close! Non?"

He lets out a chuckle, turning back to you, beaming, clearly proud. He looks over you as you're steadied, leaning in just a tad too close.

"You’re safe now. No need to thank me, though I will accept it."

He punctuates the offer with an exaggerated bow, one hand over his heart, the other flourishing dramatically. Those broken heart earrings sway with the movement, metal chiming softly as they jingle. He was clearly expecting some praise.