Sleep wasn't brought by my collapse. I was plagued by a lingering restlessness, a prickling bit of caution that blocked my eyes from fully closing. Instead, I used my granted time to keep watch of the door whilst against a desk, an arm slung over my knee.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBmIaUhphO
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLm34TCrwW
“Ya look like a sorry sort. More like a midget than a kid.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Vm1SN1Y85
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pKjMFXblY
Juke joined me in my resting. The both of us eyed the door, keeping careful watch for any sudden enemies. It probably wasn’t the best course of action, I realized, as that dean was likely to get in trouble. But he was out of sight, and thus, for the time being, out of mind.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNT0IkakfM
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiMnC2fA7s
Besides, I had a verbal jab I needed to address.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVELZPgLsC
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“There are thousands of better ways to say I have a sullen or exhausted face. Take your helmet off; I’m certain you aren’t faring any better.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVIKsPM4Sk
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLHmFSZLjY
“Y’know, that ain’t a bad idea.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDsHGVYSia
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He did just as I suggested, laboriously lifting his laden helmet and setting it aside. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡza2RceqBNT
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtQiEtCi6n
“Well?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTakjfH6xaS
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMR8zSHKHIk
“...It’s about what I expected. At least your facial hair looks clean.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1CVprHqSI
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcln8ogzpGc
“Really? That thing’s messy all the time.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbd7qPKffrD
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Pd9m08Ctj
“Maybe exertion has a reverse effect. I’ve heard of things like that happening.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGezFG6uHRu
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDRalwa5l1
He stroked his lengthy stubble in contemplation. I let him do that and continued glaring at the entrance, waiting but hoping not for something to pop out.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FVqmYMG2X
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gVwHOJWJ6
“I’m surprised either of us are still standing here. I didn’t even bleed from that fight.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyuch106wa
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiDGDR7IqA
“I ain't bleedin’ either. But that bastard scratched my helmet. ‘Least he didn’t dent it.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2KMM5H7CJ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtUzTPGSPj
He grabbed it and rotated it to spot the marks left by the Bringer’s blade. They were very obvious once he pointed them out, making me feel dumb for not noticing them.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmIlchQcFP
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2twoIMXsp
“I’m glad, cuz it means I ain’t gotta get a new one. And if I had ta, I can’t, since I’m stuck in this crazy place. And ta think I still got another tower to fight…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyQGCw5Pck
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnM1YtN69Qb
I tried to empathize with him, but my state inclined me to be backhanded.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRznNna5LG
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsY52vpXIxf
“You only have yourself to blame. You and I could’ve left if we stopped caring about the letter.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYD7CWlj1e
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsfgnuWeMm
He sighed and shrugged. That gesture indicated that he heard my point, but he still had a retort.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPJSyYeWJE
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJQh2VYXDj
“C’mon, kid. We agreed on somethin’ back in that alleyway. ‘Specially in times like these, ya gotta keep yer word.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJwGtj1qA4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMMlN0FfbW
“...Yeah.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOclLfk8uJK
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qvZz4ZYPx
Though I had my frustrations, he was right. I was convinced, not just by Juke, but by my own distorted feelings to go back and fight. I was as to blame as he was. Still–170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPaMUv1XoW
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYD8xffK7vC
“It’s so stupid. I don’t like any of it”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcruBay7lpe
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGx2YnMPH0
“I ain’t liking any of this either.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLv3yy1mkgM
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fG0mMAOLm
“I know! I know you aren’t; you’d be a maniac if you did. But still”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSCd54FJFb
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp24maa58Vr
Juke chuckled a little. I rolled my eyes and clicked my tongue. Little gestures like that dulled my festering feelings. He returned to his resting face. But when I looked at it closer, it was more rigid and fierce than the face of a resting man.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5D4tEDnNv
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Z9ZVZRTBO
“I’ll tell ya what, though. I wanted no part of fighting for this damn Pillar.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLqjPbFxnH
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMGKhN5V4c
“Y-Yeah. That I agree with.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTaZMBAtLw
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkuzVLYl4n
“It ain’t amountin’ to anything either, is it?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcQgpjOR2O
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“...?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBc62jOsO54
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At that, I had to tilt my head.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXtYyJ1V85
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“It’s a detour, certainly, but this furthers our goals, doesn’t it? The Retaliation Crowd are going to help us with our goal after this.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjNQC9UKoI
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauLYoCuTFk
“...I guess yer right. But it doesn’t feel like it.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WPIYtiDRQ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9wAfb2THz
He adjusted his posture a little, rolling his shoulders and releasing a lengthy sigh.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlAUZy30k3
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vOhUfpOtp
“Dennis still ain’t here.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAdfC0IA4R
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“...”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2utdEc4YY
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZtIeCXsvI
The bubbling fumes within me died down immediately. It was difficult to stay mad when I saw Juke’s forlorn face. But at the same time, I struggled to see it justified.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjElLgjqeWA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWt2eawXY3q
“I don’t really get it. I mean, I understand wanting to help an acquaintance, but you make it out as if he’s a lifelong friend–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VVaUh9Twx
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZaXSd66PO
“I get what yer sayin’ kid. Ya ain’t entirely wrong, but it’s more complicated than that. I know ya well enough to make it click. Gimme a second.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLDV6F8MZA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOP1dUjNFxz
He scooched across the floor and sat with his front facing me, holding both his hands out to help himself explain.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSbL6I9kuc
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8CrGHad5t
“Think of it this way, kid: let’s say I got an apple, and that I need to eat it within twenny minutes, and if I don’t eat the apple in twenny minutes then I should jump off a buildin’.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlccReDYN0u
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopVU0ITNsJ
“--!? W-What!?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiAhZfywVd
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPpUA0DDS6
Such an analogy was one thing, but that extreme turn made it seem like a joke.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SQLDjL1R8
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJrvyyrPOP
“Hold on, Kenny. Ya gotta think about it more. Why would any sound man kill themselves cuz they didn’t eat an apple?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEB0LPTcPg
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBxqykH1fq
“...You aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xI5SWnuJ6
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23hkKIquwG
“Do ya see my hands on ya? Nah, I’m serious, kid.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37ocBwiAYg
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyj8IhAN7Ae
Though I still had my eyebrows raised, I did what was told of me. I pinched my chin and stared at the ceiling, wracking my brain and hoping an answer would fall for me to grab. It didn’t come to me very easily, and I looked at Juke with a slight plea in my eyes. He read it immediately and urged me to keep thinking. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpzrPd2f4a
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Gw66ITonl
I sighed. At the same time though, I figured it was a good use of time, and I knew that playing by his rules would make me understand him better. So I ruminated away. I thought of it from Juke’s perspective at first and realized that wouldn’t lead me anywhere. Then I thought about it regarding recent events– aside from the fighting, that argument we had came up, and a shudder from my shoulders urged me to stop that train of thought. Then, taking how he said it would click for me into account, I thought about it as if I was the Kenneth Juke knew.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mK3QEXaGq
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYP2vASixCh
That didn’t really work either, but the idea of a different Kenneth gave me what I was looking for.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wXy9Jkv8k
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBIkElOw8K
“If you’d kill yourself over an apple… that must mean it has a lot of sentimental value. But it isn’t just a sentiment that makes it that way.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPJ7SEBHuG
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1EkLpduZg
Juke nodded along, and I took it as an okay to continue.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAeadzxpXX
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFZQc59dEw
“It’s like the shape of a grant. Because you said that the apple meant something, that apple became a symbol. Because you made the terms that this apple’s consumption is correlated with your life, you’re putting stock into it. You’re giving it something greater than sentimental value; you’re making it a wager. Either I’m good enough to eat this apple, or I’m not good enough to live.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTmvgjUMZf
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZwTrbgpcf
“...”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgs6Ax5jkh
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ITmepsWdB
I looked at Juke for a response, but what I thought would be a satisfied face just looked a little lost. My face must’ve looked really surprised.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51ASt3eGxA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSb9HIQYFT
“Ya ain’t wrong, but I wouldn’t call it a wager. It’s more like a checklist. One that ya just have to fill.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1icerPLyC
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpgq4c1vNG
“I-I see…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLIvbLLRbY
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbwI4jz1wO
My analogy must have gone too off the rails. Or maybe I wasn’t thinking like Juke enough. Either way, the side effect of going on such a thought train made itself prominent. The sparks of my earlier declaration rekindled, and I grew proud– but only slightly –for making it to this top floor.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9ngvFCDSG
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcjwV3WAkD
“Seein’ Dennis safe n’ sound is one of those checks. I got a few other ones, but they’re too private to tell ya. And others, I don’t really get.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgQGdeZkez
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rOMsBondb
“You don’t, ‘get?’”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6dZ82C1UC
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“Y’know, when–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LVekyo0QQ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5SXNs2BbA
“No no no, I understand you. I do.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd41riGSucr
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95RCSZpVKn
My muscles loosened a little. I felt awfully warm about the words I would spit.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vHCIwXwHr
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLR48mokztW
“I just know that feeling a little too well sometimes–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNAxiQZwuh
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LQAR0Agfk
**SLAM**170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NYvIMM4pT
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3IPy25ueC
A loud, thundering sound rang through the dusty room, startling Juke and me and putting our senses on high alert. Juke put one hand on his handle, and I already called the tendril forth and aimed it at the sound. It came from the door; now it was opened all the way, but the figure responsible wasn’t behind the other side.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfS9EKFIL1
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8OFhQv5bZ
That is until I saw a head peer from the frame.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl86KQetGQl
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zTw5fszIg
“Oh, thank goodness. You two are safe.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IOMlfa7B0
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGTYmoC4qK
The head belonged to the dean of the Pillar. He waltzed in haphazardly taking little steps and checking every inch of the room. When his eyes landed on the Bringer, he squeled for a moment, but quieted down once he noticed all the blood.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWOvUBE8Hu
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“Phew. For a moment I thought I came at a bad time.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8syfRv0Qqu
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJLToCDj5A
“M-Mister Dean.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJlcWVAghY
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLs4PgexcKt
I decided to speak up, as the present situation was too absurd for silence.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0B4sWV5fJ
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“Yes, child?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3i5DWHxneo
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNw3CEnDzZz
“Uh– well, first of all, are you alright?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65nRbpsKVH
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ7zISbaA2
“Yes, quite alright. My shoulder is still in pain, but the bleeding stopped long ago. And again, I must thank you for releasing me.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQz5JVYfjhR
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuclTmMUAVv
“R-Right.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNYdTlSbT4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoDZwMYXuK
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, and looking at Juke revealed he was in a similar boat.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmC42oiA1z
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXl9zYKfsJL
“But, enough about me. I came here bringing good news, and a friendly face.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLorh8hTVnL
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSTOs7F6mU
“--Please worry not about explaining it, Sir Dean. I wouldn’t want my duty as a leader stolen as such.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1Lto8ZCtS
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkCNGtPzII
From behind the Dean came a soft voice. A voice of confidence and care, a voice I’ve grown fond of over the past day. And seeing the holder of that voice cross the threshold made me retract my tendril, and put a hand on my chest in relief.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVyZTXyM3F
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWHEsBrszG
“Hello, you two,” said Lola, “by the looks of things, your side was a complete success.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhknMARZ1t
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmZbGr3ASb
–
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–
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–
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With the arrival of Lola came the confirmation I was desperately needing. We had won.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMsHynaJBN
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkobDuBik19
Though it wasn’t without casualties, the foreign pillar was rid of pesky Bringers. Its control was seized by the Retaliation crowd, and the Dean still being alive was a great relief.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYzLX3QIvV
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYFoihUN9b
“I was afraid of something like this,” the Dean explained, “but I couldn’t halt the mechanisms of this city because of premonition…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaXqizJq2w
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAE8cOfGxUw
Either way, we had what I was assured was an invaluable asset. I didn’t see how in the moment, but as I was taken to the answer, Lola elucidated me about the status.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2WgWTtfsv
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlLik6Rz4U
A majority of the crowd hunkered town at the top. One floor with wide windows served as an excellent watch tower, and ranged specialists were tasked with observing the parameters. The floors above were converted into restrooms or hospital rooms. A few crowd members ventured to the lower floors to gather all the food and water available, of which there was a grand amount. It made sense, as all of those supplies belonged to the Bringers beforehand. Half a dozen of the healthiest and uninjured watched the first floor and the surrounding city, both defending from infiltrators and–170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LEXrWyzRi
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmn4SRFV4Iv
“They’re looking for recruits. If fighters see that we have the most important building under control, they’re more likely to join the effort.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJIWozWgEK
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXEzDrivhY
“Haven’t you explained that already?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IlSpMFJSQ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM30Ah2H2yE
“Yes, but… there is a slight problem we’ve run into.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPDe2iIa1v
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKRhtfXsvs
“What’s that?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzx9xqxDj3
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6KE9TPj8H
Lola turned around and crossed her arms. She nudged her head to Dave who was beside her, and with a sigh, he stepped forth and spoke.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLp67ozH7R
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAavBWuaYL
“Everything is done in two ways here. Either letters or signals. Old man Jackson was always responsible for the latter. We do not have Jackson anymore, so unless we make a lot of noise, we can only commune with letters.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZY3Mxz79Qs
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpCEUmASzk
I realized the implications immediately. Even if fighters were available, everyone was in hiding. Nobody knew the state of the central Pillar, and I doubted that the crowd’s existence was well-known either. But then I remembered the prowling Pars and Dave from yesterday and asked:170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDyJDPo1to
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNIQG0Aj8p
“I know I wasn’t asked, but I think making a signal would be effective.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUa3bY9ElK8
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQ4fnGpFj6
“We thought so too. But we don’t want mages to waste their mana on mere fireworks, so we thought of something better. Since Hard-Bringer miraculously hasn’t set the city ablaze, it’s very quiet out.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6841YJcGX
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewiBxjI3LZ
“...Ah, so that’s where you’re heading. But how will it be done?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2g83a6fdj
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUrCYFYanh
A smirk found itself on his face. He turned around and continued leading me.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGYhWB7Ssf
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTaYQcvode
“We have our methods. This place has been around too long for it not to.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmYHAdpYgj
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNMZoh8m6n
I followed them further, in a location past the Dean’s office. Hidden by a camouflaging door, the room I entered was lit and energetic but smelled foul.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpVqVNMviB
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56N71TWKDi
“Oh, goodness. And I was wondering why the office was so small.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrIb1Tk902
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVL3VeFhsKx
The room itself was decently spacious, but that detail didn’t attract me. Rather, it was the presence of wooden walls and fences, the hallmark infrastructure of a city stable. Only, it was far tidier and metallic than most.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZcQKLRfIu
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“Here is your answer, Kenny,” Lola said, standing beside a stall. I peeped inside and–170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJnwoHZZc7
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“GAH! W-Why is this here?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rd8wlcpro
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A creature resided within the stall. One with reins around its beak, and one with a stature I’ve seen deceased more often than alive. The Communication City’s signature raptor.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMv4eLZGkae
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“It’s the Dean’s private delivery bird. It’s specially trained to traverse the city walls, as its tight curves and winding streets are difficult for the average one.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgRXsbgM2q
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HM4aCAGHo
“I wouldn’t call any curves ‘tight,’ but I guess when you’re as fast as these things, then they can be.” 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaiVYIecDh
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizvdtZjPpY
The raptor leaned its head over the gated fence, staring at me with wide, occasionally blinking eyes. I didn’t know what to do. I was never in close proximity to one, and I never had one look at me like I was some kind of puzzle.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV7hA426Oj
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“I think it likes you, child.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXLjrHDjjl
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqFGYybhS6
“Please, call me Kenneth or Kenny, Mister Dean. And, uh, are you sure– certain?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnYVe723Ru
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nHicE2q1S
The Raptor’s gaze grew more intense. It appeared that he was trying to see into my soul, and I felt like an ant under its wide eyes.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO511Lw09E
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And then, it leaned its head down even further and… sniffed my hair.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpt1aGWuNYO
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“Hah?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1sVYrc63g
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“I hear these animals love ta smell flowers. Ya do have that kind of aroma, so thats why it likes ya.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXROjveXOF
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivgEXJjeNo
“I… smell like flowers?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZp7SgAp8R
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I looked around the room for an answer, and everybody present nodded simultaneously. I was completely taken aback, more because of the shock than anything else.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVi332Dv2v
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9wJu3emgY
“Why am I just figuring this out !? I don’t smell– well, I don’t think I smell like flowers?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDP7hLHqVS
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CA5DGHD7p
I even sniffed my hands and arms to make sure, and nothing of the scent reminded me of flowers.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGEPq2cz0S
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL95PerpHIN
“Well, ya get used to the way ya smell to the point ya can’t tell. That’s just how yer nose works.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWN7ywM5pf
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiESUUkU3y7
“Really? I didn’t know that…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpeD2Qrtba
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“Ahem, moving on–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKQ6MxsiHc
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Dave interjected with a cough. I turned my attention back to him, anticipating his oncoming words.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAu7WSrRfYn
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“The plan of action is quite simple. We’ll have someone riding this beast, sprinting around the town, and yelling about our victory. The Raptor’s speed can be easily modulated, so escape from any roaming bringers is easy.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcphyqZXJrg
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuY8tIQkfq
I understood what he was saying. I even agreed with it. Though shaky, it was a great and efficient plan with the resources we had. What clogged my throat, however, wasn’t the plan itself, but the subtle insinuation of telling me this plan. So, I had to ask:170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPn7Qa3F9f
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQwpqzmPhn
“May I know why I’m being told this?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9BcHxMWzy
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“If you think it’s because we’ll make you do that, don’t you even worry. We’re not so cruel to put a child in such danger, are we, Dave?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkQyeXbzpb
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDigwiSHAG
Lola seized all my worries immediately, causing me to let out a happy sigh. I wasn’t even bothered by her mentioning of me being a child, as I welcomed this discrimination just this once.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvQJ7l9oQY
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“But if you need to know why,” she continued, “it’s because we need your help in facilitating it.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BjScxMiMI
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“My help, you say…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoPXS66lqr
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It wasn’t such a terrible request, though I had no idea how I could. I waited for elaboration, since they looked eager to hand it.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPODOtZfMrS
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“I’ve heard that you’re a prolific, experienced alchemist. At such a young age too no less–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdziX9mpOvK
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“Please, don’t mention it. I don’t want my achievements embellished, especially because of something like age.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlz8Tv4dyL
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡer36EpGgyc
“--Anyhow, your skills are most needed. A single raptor can’t traverse every corner of this city without some help, so I was wondering: do you happen to know how to make energizing potions?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddZEOedOWV
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“...Energizing potions?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBNXd8OJF1
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I knew how to do that, naturally, but Lola was off the mark somewhat.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImwjbBbBeq
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“Wouldn’t endurance be more useful? When you’re running both a marathon and a race, just finishing it is most important.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFyE6430qP
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKVpyiVDD8
Lola had her eyes wide and her head slowly nodding.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJk68BNYPo
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXY6JmuKZP
“You’re correct. Do you think you can do it?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48dinHHeSp
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7rUnwfNEY
“I definitely can. I can use some of the empty flasks in my bag. That is, if they aren’t broken.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUJ1kWgWY2
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVZ95b2X7o
I turned my head at Juke and stoutly narrowed my eyes. He didn’t notice until a few seconds passed, and he jolted when he saw me.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAkjF7g35b
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“T-There’re few good ones. One’s unopen, so ya can juts pour it out if ya hafta.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKyvVY4bjn
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHrVibeboI
“Phew. That’s good. The potency wouldn’t be right if I was just using random cups.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaz2HrKOQV
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I turned around and marched to the exit of the room. I stopped myself before leaving, because I noticed only my footsteps were echoing.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGycO2q3ROl
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“Is something wrong?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4u9gyahZx
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Lola and Dave looked at eachother. For being such well-spoken people, it was strange for them to fail finding the words. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlM3f2ZEluX
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“Well, kid–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWedT31fz8
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Then Juke suddenly spoke out, and I diverted my attention to him.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjsGG1tk3I
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzX20FVsmw
“Ya just look a lot more comfortable than I’m used ta.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpEQ8McpZQ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGi1fyg3W1f
After a moment of droning silence, Lola and Dave looked at me, nodding in agreement with Juke. I didn’t know what to say, but I had complete composure to react. Nothing within me flared up, only a single sentence popped into my mind.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8DUwq08Cn
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtXhRSzHxD
“Comfortable? I haven’t heard that one before.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzLD5kL3KA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNaPXBwZdO
Whether it was good or not, I didn’t care. I had a special duty to perform, and that duty took prescedence. Before leaving the room, I asked Lola where supplies were stored, and once I was told I began moseying through the Dean’s room.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPlpIJf2ul
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUCSCuMWR8
Their perplexed looks didn’t slip by me. I had never seen such a face before, but I knew what it was. I knew it because I’ve made it, albeit a much harsher version. It was the face of a witness to the breaking of boundaries, the erasure of an image of the person one knows. I wasn’t bothered by it– If anything, being looked at that in that way was oddly relieving. But I still couldn’t stand it.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9uHr3o5b3
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“...Comfortable.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLU5xmD66kf
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I mouthed that word a couple of times. Juke always had a fascinating way of phrasing things. Comfortable. I spoke it, I whispered it, I thought it and I chewed it. Comfortable.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZde9y6n33r
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Yeah. When it came to alchemy, comfortable was just right.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPfoAzS83T
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This process… wasn’t quite nostalgic. I didn’t know what nostalgia even felt like, but I knew that if I was just five years older, I would be sorely missing performing this.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZN202q18aC
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Scratch that, I missed it even as I did it. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65hnucuD6e
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Even with all my experience, I wasn’t afforded time to let my thoughts stray and frolic into useless concepts. All my focus was directedto the task at hand, the busy method of making an endurance potion. Oh, how I missed it.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwtmMhtKgY
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcAGdm1GZc
“...A little bit here.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVlrTvpD45
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpROaRM9IV
It took a moment for me to shake of my rust, but as it was only a little over a week since I last did this, I felt good as new afterward. I was performing mana suspension with utmost precision. I’ve made this particular potion so many times, I could just let my hands take it away. Still, as I was going through the process and remembering the materials, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my throat that told me something was off. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4IfID7RWJ
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And it wasn’t until near completion that I realized what it was.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgMpYIOZMl
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“Of course. Goodness, how could I forget the most important part?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeE1uCxrGBN
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRXSmFwDZC
As I stood in a little booth, there was one natural ingredient from the heap of materials that I was missing: fat. There wasn’t an ounce of raw fat anywhere.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2DDVjDWYK
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I sighed and rubbed my head. I knew that I didn’t look hard enough, but having to descend to another floor to pick up something I already should have was a complete hassle.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCbvlKBlUQ
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“No time to waste, though.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYkqW0uCIK
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuAXEVRXoN
So I stood up and exited. The booth was one of several in a particular room. Every booth was an office space repurposed into whatever the circumstances demanded, and I was lucky enough to get one for myself. There were a couple of crowd members up here chatting, and I made sure to wave and grant small greetings as I passed by.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKulle1ufKK
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I reached the stairs shortly after, and while descending them, I thought of how exactly I was going to acquire any fat. I’m sure there was meat as part of the rations, but from the few sparing glances I took, they all seemed dry. The only wild animal in here had a mission to complete, and I didn’t fancy the idea of killing an animal just for a potion. I reached the floor amidst my thinking and figured that I would figure it all out once I got there.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3Lvc6Il1c
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I walked through, waved at those who waved at me, waltzed to the mock-up kitchen organized by a couple of members, and inspected. Indeed, I found out that I did not figure it out once I got there.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLdQTcUbL0
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“...Crap.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGNPwXZx5q
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My index and thumb were on my chin, and the arm that held them rested on my other. But looking like a philosopher didn’t manifest what I needed, and I eventually dropped the pose and sighed.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjX8i460y3
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“Is there something you’re lookin’ for?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX78mRuHs9G
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Who was essentially the lunch lady noticed my plight.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzN8oQckma
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“Yes. Um, do you happen to have anything with fat on it? And I mean raw fat.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcGyPmsKg6
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJCciQWDbw
“Fat? Fat, hmm… well, there might be some in the trash.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJnAdnyu1K
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“Excuse me? Oh, sorry. Can I ask where the trash is?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXl6dKWAsm
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“You sure can. It’s in one of those buckets right there.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEUaULLNGR
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She pointed with a spoon to the corner of the floor. In that corner, small, lidded buckets were clustered together. They looked to be made of wood. But, those details aside, what I noticed was how nobody was within ten meters of them.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljgw1yVhDM
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“M-May I ask, what kind of fat is in those?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9AbdtB4VF
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And she responded with confirmation of my immediate fears.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qQ0WHon7h
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“It’s from spoiled meat. We didn’t have salt or ice or nothing to keep it preserved, so it’s already home to the bugs. Crazy how it turns to junk so quick, isn’t it?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH85TcRjmhp
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLTMBfiTPn
“Crazy indeed, ma’am.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcshOb3qHP6
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With my back slumped over, I hobbled to the corner with a profound frown. I thought of maybe taking my tendril and producing some kind of flower, but none of their aromas were strong enough to suppress that stench.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6NveJeQXy
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“Mind if I ask what you need fat for?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eXUukijRX
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZeW3UrH1H
“Oh, yes. It’s for a potion I’m making, you see–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpE1PsabGwl
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXP8E6txo0g
I cut my sentence short because, unlike the feminine voice of the lunch lady, the one I heard had the sound of a gentleman. What’s more, I recognized its timbre.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfB9Ds9LT8m
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulwiBCQhh5
“N-Nigel!?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmW48HypscZ
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“Correct! I’m honored that you remember me. It’s swell to see you in good health, Kenny.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoYD0nb8ti
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJiCz06sjP
“Y-You as well. Also, please, don’t sneak up on me like that.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHrM2hDcN6
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7InYykzxPM
He lightly shrugged in response. I clicked my tongue at his insouciant attitude but dropped my grudge quickly.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWBm9d8uhu
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHeJylkiKs
“It’s good to see you healthy as well, Nigel. How was your time at the battle?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ot81QPXDe
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTs5m8kywY
“Ah… well, first, let me offer you a hand.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TVMVhE6xn
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“A hand,” I asked, confused as to what he insinuated.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjP6sjgbQyn
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntWtztIDXI
“You said you need fat for your potion, and I just so happen to have a knife.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZPkzLj2f9
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlItjv1ajg
He pulled the knife in question out of its sheath and headed towards the buckets, but not before tossing me something.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCLsZIYhkH
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“Is this… a clamper?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3L3hOpyzbR
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PG1Efu8nk
“It is. I’m sure you know to put it over your nose, right? Anyway, let’s chat while we work.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDRi8FcPTV
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–
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Nigel’s presence was a lucky blessing. Another pair of hands was one thing, the knife was another, and the clamper was nice, but what I was truly thankful for, was having someone to talk to while I groped and tore stale, smelly, stonymeat.
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“So,” Nigel started as he made his cuts, “what is it that you asked me?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsCPJH4cMQ
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“That I asked you?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNFdOOgvVn
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I thought about it, and it seemed to have slipped even my mind, but I remembered my earlier inquiry quickly.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsdbKCtXUk
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“Right. It was about the battle. How was it? I mean, I know it was rough for everyone, but…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4aDVlD401
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0vK6stlcb
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I might as well tell you.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzPtPtuIsP
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3weW9HzEM
He stopped rotating the meat on his knife and looked down at it.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7yHU2Pjok
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDP8hp6lN4j
“...Was it, did you lose your friend?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhckiCa8rxn
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16LKyyIPJu
He jolted when I asked, raising his head with widened eyes.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBtOViTb7i
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKyAvoZXDy
“How did you–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1joUBPOZE
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“I was behind the crowd the whole time. I had everyone’s backs in front of me, so I started keeping track of the members, seeing who was there and who left by the kind of hair or weapons you all had. And, well… at some point, I noticed the head you were with changed at some point.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkRfilW0FE
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kHmAYGPk0
“...Hah. You’re a sharp boy with a keen eye.” 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGQn4MU2uA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuRNN1V07L
He continued cutting as he spoke.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fQLgfmX4x
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KzwCzHRwf
“Yeah. Damon died during the big ambush. One of the six casualties we suffered. I was left without a partner for the rest of the raid.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKBFIv9dSP
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbVc5xBKkE
He looked at his hand. I stopped my own cutting, and my limbs twitched, urging me to reach out and do something. But the only thing I could muster was a few consoling words.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1Pjt2hL36
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzVcEdJ9KN
“I’m, so sorry to hear that. He must’ve been a good friend.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZeBzF9aNY
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLPZEGzb6t
“...Do you think so? He and I fought a lot, I wouldn’t call him a good friend. Just a colleague. Besides, things like these happen in the field.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivfqseI8ED
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5dd43EVgI
He said those words. He said those words coolly, without wavering hands or trembling lips. His cutting paused, and his eyes seemed to stare off into nowhere, but I couldn’t read anything from his profile. A part of it relieved me, and another made me want to scamper away.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuG8jtXg6E
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymfDtv9l5W
“You saw me at a bad time, truly. Sorry, I’ll continue helping.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYUP0xEYgJ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcl9oid0roT
“Don’t… don’t you worry about it.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjlhMvVFXl
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDvWysaXHg
“Enough about me. Tell me, how was it on your end?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dVkVOf2wd
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhn9deYU6Iw
His switching of the topic was decisive, so I decided to halt my scary thinking. I sighed and paused my motions, reaching for stored memories I preferred to forget. However, the deeper I dug, I had to wonder:170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXvyq2VX2p
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37EeBr4or7
“Is that really something you want to hear? Are all crowd members like this, just talking about unpleasant fights?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrl6YWTjgL
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfrVwTHQNv
“That’s not fair of you. You asked first, right?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwugZ9Jwa0L
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkad3A4BbcZ
“I… darn it, you got me there.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwopk9aXB4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aySlfnhB9
I continued peeling and let my mouth run.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Xq0FKJerq
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHZWiRUTqU
“It was me and Juke. He and I were partnered, and for the most part, we just whizzed by the rooms. The one we had to tackle was that of the Dean’s, and for what it’s worth, our fight went smoothly. No major injuries, we weren’t too tired, nothing.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg605aoAnWK
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwbAWBp3BE
Though my right hand would be painfully sore in the morning.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABnn0zUICo
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIRDpWptsf
“Excellent to hear. You must be a proficient fighter for it to have gone so well.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0UvSEDoas
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlqheGH63e
“Not really. I’m just somewhat competent with magic, and my partner had an incredibly useful endowment. We got lucky, that’s all.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweod4s1Jjz
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzB98LbNDjz
“I don’t know about that, Kenny.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvejizpnpID
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡew6ydX5kzN
I looked at him with pursed lips.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZfpNau4kU
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuK2RlEgbE
“Why not?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtU69Zvx9Q
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmFdlmVc5r
“Lady fortunate dictates only half the battle, and it's never the half that’ll be the coup de grace. She is the roof of the house, and man is the foundation; without you, she would simply collapse.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ofqweuVjI
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjIveo8O8s
“That’s… an interesting way of looking at it. But I’m not convinced. I mean, we even ran into an opponent we already beat.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfz0xAJwUVv
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp50DenJEwg
He raised and wagged his finger, going “tsk tsk” with his lips.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPSzGYKSfV
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj69AIcMrD8
“And who is it that managed to beat that enemy in the first place?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgwiZEUu1T
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AuEl2dc5q
“--!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsHtbVSvxH
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfL9TmohIXQ
Though my gut still told me something was awry, my mind was convinced by his words. I took it with a grain of salt, and taking it with such a sully still loosened my facial muscles. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRACBuVJIrd
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSS1tZ0mcB
“Did anything else happen?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DKgOqNbd4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81fYWSl9vE
“Anything else? Well… Oh!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlePXiiyB5N
I perked up and yelled all a sudden, startling Nigel and making him ask “What?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIezUFPNTO
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ObFpxo4ZY
“I forgot to tell Lola and Dave about some information we learned. Juke might’ve already said it, but I still want to make sure.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8KdbyK10s
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2stNwKhhdZ
“Some information? Would you like me to relay it while you make the potion?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDIupAuDrZ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfak7Eco8Yz
“Uh…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNoO8nHTt2
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzZcEbIxcB
I hesitated, but when I realized how silly that was, I spoke.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQT2h6Wk2MS
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNAlYnHPc1
“I don’t see why not. The gist of it is that Hard-Bringer has a grade-zero mana spinner, so it’s prodigalto let enemies slip away.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBW3z3dNs1
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN10Ctqpv5s
“...That is quite a concern. It means we need to confirm all our kills as well.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoucyy29La
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3q9L0cAKYY
My face retracted and my eyes widened, shocked by our utter differences in derivatives from the information.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KQdXq28PN
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZ8sA6Wb1A
“Being together with just Juke must’ve been irritating.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhq6SJdpnl
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0qxyIbKaC
“Hm? Why’s that? We were split into pairs, weren’t we?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFasLXVUZe
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GWNdUINal
He tilted his head and raised his brow, which made me inclined to do the same.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjvn6ciz6X
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXPCGzipfp
“That’s precisely it. It was just you and Juke, meaning that you couldn’t work with your other partner, Rover, right?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgFF4FM76a
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtN4IL1gzat
“...O-Oh.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eXkiPnieC
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipO1d6YRah
I realized then that there was a great misunderstanding. I didn’t quite know how to address it, but I decided to take a swing anyway.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomWjdAiKfx
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppXkdjP2mh
“See, Rover and I– and Juke, I suppose –we had a falling out. She’s been evasivefor the most part, and we’re likewise.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqd0uP9Oc9
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mDHcNGTF9
“I see… she’s been avoiding you? That makes a lot of sense.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0vTaQzpKr
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlW1jJ5huYD
I tilted my head at his assessment, as I couldn’t imagine how such a conclusion could be drawn.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97zG8ubCay
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNkm24jc0M
“Make sense? How?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwd2e1BgEg
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nKmHGj9dv
He adjusted his sitting posture by slacking his muscles and raising his legs, holding his arms over his knees.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8440nPcXQ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGPchz7sAJ
“When Damon died, I had to make a quick adjustment. My intuition told me to stick to our agreed formation, and I was advised by a buddy there to group up with her. I did, and we spoke for a minute, but when–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdStGxTRR0
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0VBqNXb5w
“Ah, so you were her partner? I figured.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KybdjQuOb
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWi1fzqd6IR
Nigel looked surprised as I finished his retelling for him. I could tell he needed elaboration, so I handed it.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUO9JAr6NvZ
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“I was the last to leave the room. You left right before me. I gave her a look, and I think she understood it. I’m very particular with my messaging faces.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaKznRkGzw
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2089dKfwh
“So she still fought alone, eh?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGL44DQxVS5
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR69D7ScBrY
“...Yeah. She did. I heard she’s alive, though. I’m relieved.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehaMlrPXlB
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wwH8pvP0h
“Relieved? How come?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRv2MRQ0Pmb
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxjPLPQnKQ
I jumped at his stupid question, contorting my face as if it offended me.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVI7thVfTu3
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9uW7KrWb0
“You just said you fought. Ah, who am I kidding, I know what it is.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7D8Strt7E2
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ059io9SCF4
He pulled his arms closer to his chest and continued peeling.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgx1gAnqKFs
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZ8eiARsEK
“You’re probably good friends with her.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3601FiMlk
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBxMwU4wHd
“F-Friends? W-Well, I don’t know about–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8WgWbtJPC
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCFQxzHU2k
“You’re friends, man. Don’t kid yourself. You wouldn’t have given her that check if you weren’t.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrA2zAfrzb
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QZBkBPZpW
He continued his peeling without care while I sat still, shaking and stupified. An outrageous conclusion, an unbelievable string of words, worming its way into my ears and trapping the nerves that signaled my limbs, the engine that ran my thoughts.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYvo09jLOl
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshimockvCg
“I hear she’s hurt,” Nigel continued, snapping me out of my trance, “Hurt very badly.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeu6FlbEeqJ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdT7Mxfa7w0
“H-Hurt? What happened?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWQIEeiPJW
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiY56jxf4Jb
“I don’t know the details, but she couldn’t walk when I saw her. She was making one hell of an uproar though, so it’s nothing permanent.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTtArhwpVu
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2wMMvfVR4
“That’s– that’s good to hear.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcDMZeaYzK
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk03wvtQ8Mq
“I got a suggestion for you. I know your relationship is shaky with her, but believe me, what I’m about to advise is good for your health.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbRdyw8CLB
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8O3YyS4go
A moment later, he put down his knife and slapped a gelatinous mass of yellow onto the floor before me.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOXIESMlH1
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09hsXMwBka
“Here’s all the fat I could get. Take this and make your potion, then give her a patch-up.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT086cIZJKR
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWMrYQJzZc
“A patch-up… you mean, a healing potion?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHYKe6e48R
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTXCpLSkqt
He shrugged.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWixYkPRt8
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2x4IIZElU5
“I’m not the alchemist, am I?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcS5jVj0SyW
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLUgtO9cRD
“...Yeah. Yeah, you aren’t.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUK6iYd6Ll
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0Mv1Fxp32
I stared at the blubbering mass. It was small enough to fit into my hand, and though it would feel gross, it would be light as a feather as I carried it back to my mock-up lab. But I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. Because now that chunk was no longer an ingredient, a box to check for my task’s completion. It was a rope; a rigid line to drop me into the depths.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOFHTY2Rbl
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihInRC8cxo
All those thoughts, all those tingles, all that premonition and ominous prospecting. I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. So I had to.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCVum15TB5
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwlr25tcuB
“Thank you, Nigel. Your help was invaluable.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCN1yQbDi3
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInk2xwr2Ag
“I told you, didn’t I? It’s my pleasure to be a good role model.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nVRazIiCF
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7mADswBom
It was impossible to suppress my smile. His cocky optimism– somehow, it was exactly what I needed to fortify my duct-taped prospects. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcBeFMq4I9
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYjsaMgK9P
I picked up the fat, momentarily amazed at how he cut so much so quickly, and waved him goodbye, making my way to my lab and steeling every twitching fiber in me.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBXTXteJvA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmjwY3cAvj
–
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–
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–
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZCSjmRNBq
“...Role model.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfexrNfkJr4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFoHaQsvI2
Nigel’s hands were a complete mess, covered in gore that assaulted his nostrils. At least as a soldier, the flesh he bled wasn’t rotten. This was a new experience, and in some ways, he was glad about it. He was glad he didn’t run his mouth. He was glad the kid didn’t notice his hands.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ABQF2vK4c
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSE9PICWF3
“Who am I kidding, of course he noticed.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCedxXrbdH6
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQMYrwngWV
He stood up and brushed his palms against one another, though all that grime would need more oomph to come off. He sighed and tucked his knives away since the kid let the other loiter on the ground.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ460tkNqLwD
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMMJcnEfS4
“I’m not cut out to be a role model. But I’m glad that kid’s doing good. I’m glad you’re not here either, man.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsckdLaAy8d
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRGfnkaUyy
He put the remaining meat back in the bin and closed the lid, moving his legs to the closest washer he knew.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5fP2Iu2d4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAkP1wYNsJ
“You would’ve been too much, Damon. I can’t handle all that empty praise. All that talk of being a moral guy.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjYK82PCdr
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Zs015al2z
His legs came to a sudden halt. They jerked to and fro, but they didn’t make one nudge of distance. Nigel scoffed and laughed, looking at his disobedient limbs with a hopeless smile.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJCEnkQYZn
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoBPjw2r3q
“...Not even my hands? Had to go straight for my legs?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9hJpr5pwA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCCibsRWRN
He closed his eyes. It was all he could to stop the spill, the salty water that trickled for a mere colleague.
