middleofsomewhere | Crashing Down: Start

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Crashing Down: Start

As the Voidtreckers are going through their morning routines on the 24th Quicksand, there comes a train announcement over the comms. When it ends, their SCAs glow and bring up a holographic screen as is common before a mission. There's a few hours to prepare before a new announcement:

Shortly arriving at system #78961112094711. Leaving the void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

The train shakes as it leaves the void. As explained by the mission brief, those who are not wearing their SCA will not be able to physically leave the train.

But for those that do, they will find their SCA lights up with their stopwatch. Counting down from five hous.

CRASHING DOWN: START

QUICKSAND 24 ~ TEAM OBJECTIVES ~ LOCATION INFORMATION ~ OTHER DETAILS
ASK QUESTIONS ~ SHENANIGANS ~ TEAM PLOTTING ~ MISSION TASKS/REWARDS

HOUR ONE

The Voidtrecker Express lands them within a voidcraft multistorey, the same one as when they came to holiday at the Irue Grotto. As soon as it does, their SCAs vibrate and bring up a message, audio and transcript (including brialle) become available from a Ministry worker: the tethering station is on the first floor, and there will be people and gear waiting for them, depending on what jobs they're taking up.

Evacuation plans have already begun, and everything is going to get hectic, fast. Voidtreckers will have no end of work available.

1. PROCESSING. For the more tech-minded, plenty of help is needed. Containers of SCAs in storage need to be scanned and made sure they're not faulty before they're loaded up and sent off to communities outside the Irue Grotto. It's a simple if tedious process, but necessary. There's also helping to process people, getting visitors to the planet back to their voidcrafts, so they can leave and make room for more voidcrafts to station.

People can help civilians through the health scanners, or help manage the cyro-pods that they'll be placed into, Setting up the pods isn't too difficult, it just requires hands and the ability to follow an instruction manual. The void scientists happily give this task to any voidtreckers availible to help so that they can get on with the tasks that require more know-how. ( ORANGE1 )

2. GATHERING. The Ministry also need help with bringing in people. Hover trams will help take officials - including Voidtreckers - into the Irue Grotto, to pick up people at farther parts of the city, and who can't walk to the tethering station. Directing people is necessary, as well as making sure that people have caught the message of the evacuation in the earliest hours; but also those less keen, not taking the call seriously will need to be persuaded.

People are also needed to begin going to further out communities. There are emergency broadcasts throughout the planet but the ministry and the local governing groups are aware that not everyone is going to have heard them. The ministry scramble to give the voidtreckers official passes, to help give credibility to their announcement of evacuation. ( PURPLE 1, BLUE 1 )

3. JOIN THE QUEUE. Help will be needed to help keep some semblance of order, to create a flow to keep everything running. Out in the streets, or even in the tethering station, people will become more panicked if they think they've missed their ride, if they have to wait for too long. It's not yet violent, but people with presence will be useful for helping keep everyone sensible. ( RED 1 )

HOURS TWO AND THREE

The work continues to bring people from their lives to the tethering stations, now packed by anxious individuals. There's aid needed for people outside the Irue Grotto, a call for drivers and more volunteers to stay back and help with tethering processing to get people onto the liminal stations. Panic rises with the tension, and there's also signs of disbelief for what's apparently going on.

The Ministry are handing out SCAs to be taken to those who can't come to the stations, to help with the tethering process. With quick training, people can tether themselves, and arrive at the liminal stations awaiting them.

1. ALL ABOARD. Even in the most busy of void hubs, the tethering and platform systems are not designed for an entire planet to arrive all at once. Those volunteering can access the void by a device at the tethering station. The ministry workers explain that it won't disrupt their own tethers, and they will be able to freely walk through the barrier back to the ministry building. The platform is larger than any voidtreckers have seen in their time in the void, closer to the transport station. There are rows of train tracks, but also docked air craft, space craft, there's even a port with voidcraft that look like traditional ships that would sail through water, if there were any water in the void.

All those tethered have tickets and so should know where they are going, but volunteers have been given tablets with an ever growing database to match passengers up to their voidcrafts. From there, it's a case of helping direct people, carrying luggage, and hurrying children along.

For those who would rather not be around panicked people, there's plenty of work loading animals, be they pets or animals from the zoo, who have their own dedicated voidcraft. ( ORANGE2 )

2. THE IRUE ZOO. Outside the Irue Grotto the planet is pretty rural. Not far from the city is The Irue Zoo, a clutter of domed conservatories customised to house creatures from across the system's planets: avians, reptiles, creatures that don't match anything Voidtreckers know. The zookeepers have already had collars delivered- devices similar to SCAs but for use on animals. They do however need help getting them on the creatures. For any tiny animals, there are chip guns - but, you'll need good aim.

Using drones, those piloting them can also help to make sure an area has been cleared and no one left behind, without the person piloting even being physically present. ( PURPLE 2, BLUE 3, ORANGE 3 )

2. OSIGA VILLAGES. In the villages, there are families who just don't have easy access to reach the Irue Grotto: not everyone has a vehicle. Some eagerly climb into the Ministry ride that Voidtreckers take to reach their communities, while others will need help to go to them instead. They might have family members who can't make the trip, others are more worried about their pets or farm creatures, for those lucky to have indoor farms. Luckily the SCA packs that voidtreckers were given also contain the animal tethering collars- the ministry had factored that into their evacuation plans.

More of a challenge are those who refuse to leave the lives they made, who've barricaded and are making it difficult to be helped. They might not trust the ministry. They might not believe that the threat is real. Or they might resist the idea that this threat cannot be fought, after all they are Osigan, not a weak people at all. ( ORANGE 3, RED2, PURPLE2, BLUE3 )

HOURS FOUR AND FIVE

As their countdown clocks tick to two hours remaining there is a message from Anan. The main bulk of people have been processed by now, freeing up those helping in the grotto to move out to further flung communities. Almost all efforts are now on the portable tethering kits, voidtreckers encouraged to travel by speeder to get to as many places as possible.

1. OFF WORLD. Anan waits at the main transport hub next to a space ship. It's not particularly large, clearly made for short inter planet journeys rather than long durations in space. She looks understandably worried, Chiff sat like a hat on her head, but she welcomes people on board for half an hour before they leave.

They're headed to a space station, getting there not for the faint hearted as it's situated in an asteroid field. Luckily, Anan can pilot her way through safely. The station is mostly occupied by elderly people and small children, suspicious people, a couple even tangry at Anan for leading strangers to their door. She takes their ire with humility but is quick to get down to business.

Here like on Osiga people have varying reactions to the news. The children are frightened but generally tough souls. Some of them know Anan and Chiff already and that helps with coaxing them. ( RED 2-3, BLUE 3, PURPLE 2-3 )

2. ON PLANET. The easily convinced have been evacuated by now, which leaves those who are, for variety of reasons, more difficult. Some are the furthest away from the Grotto, the travel time longer. Here, there is often unrest. There's been a couple of hours for people to work themselves into a state of panic. Even those ready and prepared to be evacuated are frustrated.

As they travel they might even find bands of people moving towards the grotto, angry and assuming they have been forgotten, abandoned. They can be calmed, especially when they learn that the voidtreckers have tethering kits and are here to help. But it will take some loud voices and calm personalities to break through that fear and anger. ( BLUE 2, PURPLE 3 )

3. THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE. But what of those who are adament they will not leave? The refusers are not one homogeneous group. Some refuse to believe what is happening. World eaters? Whose heard of them? Who are these strange people who are trying to empty their world? They never did trust the ministry, setting up in Irue like that...

Others truly believe that leaving their home to an otherworldly threat is an act of cowardice. Surely they should stay and fight. Stand against this threat and drive it back. They have weapons, surely if everyone just made a stand they could stop what was about to happen.

Others just can't bare to leave their homes. They are old and would rather face their fate in the comfort they know rather than leave to go to the void- they might know of it but that doesn't mean they trust it. Others are very aware of what this means, they survive but their bodies do not.

Some can be convinced, others are more stubborn. It may be best to focus on those who do want to leave, but there is no easy answer. ( RED 2-3, BLUE 3, ORANGE 3, PURPLE 2-3 )

All the time the skies are calm and clear, no sign of the approaching danger present. In some ways, this makes it harder; te only indication they have is their SCA clocks counting down. Hours turning to minutes, counting down to catastrophe.

OOC NOTES

OOC Post ~ Questions ~ Shenanigans ~ Tasks Check-In & Rewards
This event will last for 1 IC day, and OOCly runs from 16th to 22nd, with a conclusion going up on the 23rd.

CHARACTER AID: Lan Jingyi will be offering transport over distance, Lea can create keyblade portals to move people; Thanatos and Tidus will have functioning transgates to allow movement between where they are and back at the tethering station. Elidibus will also eventually be creating portals and force-teleports.

Art Credit: Header

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I think so..." He frowned and then reached out, carefully towards her. She only had a few bruises and a cut on her arm that was very shallow but Romeo took them anyways, healing her wounds as the bruises transferred to him instead.

"Are you okay Orin?"

He glances at Esteban, wondering if he should take his hurts too but he seems alright, grown ups can handle a couple of bruises better than a little kid like Nyrah after all.

There comes the glare again, as if Orin were offended that Romeo was worried for his safety. He snorts lightly, turning his head away; stubborn to a fault.

"I'm fine. What happened?" He asks with a bite, but Esteban is already helping Nyrah down, checking over the wound that had been bleeding. He's surprised to find it vanished, and a quick glance to Romeo widens his eyes, but he doesn't have the time to ask. Another groan of the machine has him hiss a breath in as he considers the jagged jut of ice that has broken the side-- now upper-- window, and the shards that are planted around its thick edges. A gaping hole is present across the spike, but it would take some careful maneuvering to get out.

"Romeo--" His voice is a little thin, but he manages to look down to his companion, wondering aloud again. "D'you have anythin' t' help us up there?" It's... a bit of a wild guess. He doesn't know much about Romeo's magic, other than it being more of a support-type. Helping them hide and drawing barriers is all good, but levitation? He doubts it somehow.

He could manage to lift them up, but that's a bit of a hard lift, and he'd be worried that one of them might get cut. It's an option, if Romeo doesn't have anything to help. They do need to get out fast after all.

Edited (resized the speeder) 2022-05-05 02:00 (UTC)

"We crashed, I think..." Was his answer to Orin as Esteban helped Nyrah down. He scrambled out and looked around the icy surrounds. This wasn't good! They were in the middle of no where and now they had no speeder!

He blinked at Esteban and shook his head. "I could go and try and get help... But I don't think leaving you all is a good idea."

He can jump, which was a bit faster than running but doesn't help him know where he is going.

There's a slow moment where Esteban considers it-- considers the distance all the way to the Irue Grotto... but they don't have that much time. If-- if Romeo made it, there would be no time to send help. Briefly, he lifts his SCA to check it, with a weak hope that perhaps if they send a message out, someone might bring a spare speeder to catch them-- but the minutes are already ticking down.

Sors breaks from the icicle pinning them in place, and the vehicle shifts, groaning with the ice. They don't have time at all.

"Romeo!" He kneels on the ground, grinning as bright as he can as the kids gather around him. "I'm gonna need you t' go first-- I gotta stay down here an' lift you all up. See the broken glass? C'n you get most of it out of the window? let's double up y'r gloves with mine so you don't get cut?"

Clear the window. Get the kids out-- hopefully without harming them. Next--

Next--

He can't think of what's next. Maybe they get a ride from someone using the same path as they were. Maybe they aren't as far from Irue as Esteban thinks they are-- it's a different world, a different environment than his own meanderings. He might be wrong. And maybe--

Maybe--

One step. Get out of the speeder. There's still a bit of a drop beneath their feet that Esteban doesn't want to calculate, just in case the vehicle shifts just slightly out of its precarious equilibrium. High enough to harm them worse, that much he knows. The gloves are shed and held for the child to slip his hands through, and Esteban prepares the grav-con unit he always carries in his pocket, trusting its gravity field more than he can trust his arms at the moment.

Romeo has a very shaky grasp of time but even he can understand a timer that is ticking down. They don't have so much time left and they will waste precious time if he jumps all the way back to the Irue Grotto.

So they need a better plan. Esteban's plan is a good one. Climb up, get rid of the glass and all climb up.

He took the gloves, pulling them over his own. It's a bit clumsy, because they are big but soon he has them on his hands and he looks up.

"Okay! I'll climb up now!"

To get rid of all the glass so no one cut themselves! The gap in the window is small right now so he needs to make it bigger, so they can all escape.

He doesn't know the rest of Esteban's plan but he trusts him. Together they will get Orin and Nyrah to safety!

"Be careful; don't cut y'rself." He warns again, worried that Romeo might. All it takes is one wrong move-- but he can't take care of everything himself right now. He can't even try; they're all relying on him to make it through this, and trying to take the entire burden away from them, blind them to the risks and dangers...

He knows what that feels like.

So Esteban asks for help instead of tossing everything onto his own shoulders. He's not sure where he's going with this-- but he can at least try, try his absolute best to give Orin and Nyrah a chance.

"Try an' push the glass down behind the vehicle?" he suggests as he clicks the grav-con to a gentle setting, so that he can be more careful. "That way we won't trip on 'em when we come out. I'mma use the grav-con t' lift you up while you clear it, 'kay?"

Esteban is ready. Orin and Nyrah shift to the side, so that they aren't in the way, with the older brother sheltering his sister from any potential glass that may fall. It's just a matter of a few minutes, but it needs to be done for the other two to be safe when they climb out.

He would be careful. He broke away the glass and thew it far, to make sure it didn't fall onto Esteban and the children below. That would be bad!

"Okay! I'll make sure you don't get hurt!" The hole was pretty big now, it would fit him and Orin through, but it would need to be bigger for Esteband, so he kept working.

Soon it was big enough, just as they all floated up.

"Ready?"

Each of the children are carefully brought up and above the smashed window, gentle as a feather. Romeo first, then Nyrah, who whimpers a bit when Esteban sets her down from below, and she rushes to cling to Romeo's side. Orin is next, and Nyrah struggles briefly to get to him as soon as he's in sight, but he warns Romeo with a "Keep her there, just bit longer!"

With the children a tad safer, Esteban does one last sweep of the vehicle, grabbing anything that might be useful. Time is ticking, and he has to get them back to Irue. But.

But if he can't...

The spare SCAs and tablet for the tethering are shoved into his bag, hoping against hope that he won't have to use them. If there's another speeder returning to Irue-- they could make it. They just need a bit of luck. He pops out from the vehicle, carefully placing his weight down before releasing the gravity field.

"Alright; Orin, Nyrah-- stay close to the road, okay?" He indicates first, stepping down from the vehicle and ushering the kids out onto the sors and more stable ground. The road is barely visible from there-- just the way that the ice is a bit more packed than elsewhere-- but it's as close to a road as they do have on this planet. Or at least, at this time of the year.

"'F you see another VoidTrecker team, or a ministry team, you can climb in with them. Just stay close to this point, so we don't lose you out there, okay?" He drops his bag on the ground as a marker, before turning to Romeo.

"Romeo an' I'll be goin' right on that ridge there-- see it?" he asks, pointing out to a jut in the sors. "We'll try an' use the gravcon t' attract attention, or to spot anyone comin' 'round." It's not very far. Just a few minutes at most. Close enough to come back to the children before time runs out. "We'll be back in ten minutes, an' in sight the whole time, okay?"

He doesn't... want to split them up. But they'll have more luck if they use this method than if they are to all cluster on the road. And Esteban cannot split the siblings up, not now. He turns to his younger companion, breathing deeply behind his scarf and goggles, using them to keep any insecurities hidden.

"Ready?"

Romeo held on tightly to Nyrah until Orin was safely up and she let go to cling to her brother instead. Romeo kept an eye on the window, waiting for Esteban, worried about him.

Luckily it wasn't too long before he arrived and they were all safe away from the speeder. Romeo kept hold of Nyrah and Orin's hands. He nodded to Esteban as he explained the plan, to try and use the gravcon to attract attention.

"Okay." He let go of their hands and smiled reassuringly at them. "We'll be back soon and you'll be able to see us the whole time! So stick together okay!"

He knows they will.

"Yes sir!"

He's being very brave. All three of them, uncertain and scared, but they're being very brave to try anyways. None of them are crying, though he can tell Nyrah is close to tears. He lowers himself to their level, opening his arms wide, because, well. He could use a hug himself. He's sure the kids would like it too.

"C'mon. Quick hug an' then we can go, okay?"

Orin is reluctant-- such a shock-- but Nyrah takes the open comfort for what it is, darting quickly into his hold. Esteban tilts his head to the two boys, but he won't twist any arms. It has to be quick. He has to let them go. Esteban spares a hair ruffle to Nyrah's short curls, and when the hug breaks, he pushes his goggles and scarf far enough apart that he can grin at them all.

"Just a few minutes, alright?" He promises them again, boosting his promise with his smile. He pushes them back to cover his head and waves at Romeo, starting them on the way to the ridge in the glowing sors.

Romeo joins in the hug, of course he does and after he gives a pointed look at Nyrah Orin sighs and joins too. Romeo holds them all tight. It will be alright. He trusts Esteban and he knows he will do his best to make it all turn out alright.

He ruffles Nyrah's hair as well and nods at Orin before following Esteban, looking back a couple of times to make sure the siblings are alright.

"How we gonna make a signal with the gravcon?"

"Are y' scared of heights?" He probably should have asked first, but to be fair, whether Romeo is the one to make the signal, or Esteban is doesn't really matter. Most importantly, the height is going to give them an advantage to see far from that point, and, maybe, just maybe, spot a transport that can give them a ride. With luck. With any luck.

"We're just gonna get some levitation out 'f it, an' see if there's anythin' 'round. I can do it, 'f you'd rather." But... There's a short pause as he considers his options, wonders if there's anything else that can be done at this point.

"Are y' alright?" He worries about Romeo. He's just ten or so, younger than Orin, even. He knows Romeo is already dead, but-- he's not quite sure if he is aware of what might be their next step, what might be their only way to save the children. He's not quite sure if he should tell him.

No-- be open. Be honest. But first-- first they need to make sure they've given Orin and Nyrah their best chance. Their absolute best chance at surviving this-- mind, soul and body. One more attempt to make this right.

"No! I'm not scared!" He never had been. He has always liked climbing and jumping high ever since he first went to the heavens. He's never been scared of being up high.

"I can do it."

He smiled and then tilted his head at the question, nodding slowly a moment later. "I think so... It's all a bit worrying but I'm keeping my spirits up. Are you okay? I'm just worried about everyone."

He glances back at where Orin and Nyrah were.

"Yeah." There's a bit less enthusiasm than he means to in his voice, but Esteban reaches over to ruffle up Romeo's hair, trying to offer him some comfort. "They'll survive, for sure." That much is true. No matter what comes, they'll survive.

"But-- y' know that we've gotten some tethers, right? T' anchor people that can't move to the station?" He... hopes Romeo sees where he's going with this. He can't... he can't afford to fight the child on this when the decision is already so heavy onto his shoulders. There's a short pause as Esteban breathes deeply. He will not hide from this.

"Maybe they'll become... souls, like us. Teth'red to a train, but their body's gone." From what he's learned of the World Eaters, he doubts they leave much behind after their passage. He's careful to gauge Romeo's reaction to his suggestion, watching to see if maybe it's best that he doesn't share these quite yet. He thought he ought to do it on the way back, but-- but that is a short time for the child to get used to the idea.

It's a short time for them all to get used to the idea.

"Yes." He nodded with a small frown. He knew that. They had the portable tethers for getting people to the void who couldn't get to the grotto.

He nodded when Esteban explained. "Yes. It's a bit sad... Because we can't take their bodies, so they'll just be souls and won't be able to come back here, not ever again."

And that was a very sad thing indeed. "Do you think they'll be really scared about leaving their bodies?"

Edited 2022-05-15 17:01 (UTC)

There's a slow nod, as Esteban thinks it through. But in the end, they can't stay in the realm of speculation. And he does want to cheer Romeo up too.

"Well; we're the best 'xamples of what's gonna happen to them, right?" he cheers, grinning over the hem of his scarf so that Romeo can see it as well. "An' I think we're pretty good, all things considered, no?" It's not perfect. It's not going to be perfect.

But at least they won't die today.

He's still watching Romeo's reaction. He's... not sure how to ask, or how to broach the subject, or if it's going to be painful to him. But if he stays silent, is that truly helping anyone either?

"An', I mean... Death didn't stop you from doin' some good, did it?" It's... a little odd to ask a child much, much younger than he is about this. But there is comfort there, he thinks.

They were the best examples of what would happen. It wasn't perfect and lots of people were sad or mad about it but it wasn't bad. It didn't hurt them.

He looked up at him and nodded. "Yes! It didn't stop me at all! I can't remember if I did any good when I was alive but since I went to the heavens I tried to help lots of people."

And had succeeded. He was happy for all the people he had gotten to help. So he was sure Orin and Nyrah would be able to help people too.

Romeo is such a good kid.

His companion grins, relieved to hear the young boy say this much, reaching out to ruffle his hair again, both for comfort, and for how proud he is of him. It's not an easy situation. It's not a situation he'd wish onto anyone, but at least Romeo is trying his best through it. Orin and Nyrah too. Children shouldn't have to confront these things so soon.

Not if he can help it.

They're almost reaching the top of the outcrop he'd spotted from below, and he turns, just to check on the two children they'd left below. They're huddled in a single shape-- Orin wrapped around his little sister while they wait, and he winces for the cold that is probably nipping at them both.

"Alright, ready?" The gravcon is already clicking in his hand. "Keep a lookout for 'ny car comin' round, okay?" He's hoping the added height is going to give them a better chance to attract attention at the very least.

He smiles up at him when his hair is ruffled. He knows this situation is tricky for everyone and mister Esteban is being brave too. Sometimes that was just as tricky for adults as it was for kids.

He glances over at the others as well and it solidifies his determination. He will do his best! Because they need to save Orin and Nyrah!

"Okay!" He nodded, look for any car! He could do that. "I'll keep my eyes peeled!"

The upward trip isn't much of a hassle for either of them. The short practice Esteban had with the earlier lifting helps him now that he no longer has boundaries to work within, but he is twice as careful not to leave Romeo unstable at any point in his upward glide. He doesn't send him overly high either, just a little extra reach to get a better glance to the fields of icy sors surrounding them all.

And he prays there is a speeder nearby.

It's strange to be in anti gravity like this but he does his best to keep his balance and look out through the sors.

"I'm going to try and go higher... I can't see anything yet."

It's very empty. He doesn't even know where they are compared to anywhere else here.

There's a short pause from Esteban below him, a hesitation. If Romeo can't see anything yet-- it's not looking good for them. No matter how desperately they search, they only have a frame of time where Orin and Nyrah can both make it to the void transports and get tethered. Anything beyond that--

But he obliges, lifts Romeo higher again, breathing deeply to keep his focus on the child before him. He'd rather break a wing or faint than cause him to slip and fall, his tiny body so fragile-- no. Esteban won't allow any harm to come to the kids that are with him. Not anymore than necessary.

"Any better?" He... doesn't think so. But it's a last try, a last chance-- before they admit that there is no easy way out of this one. Before they admit that the best they can do is to tether the children with what little they have at their disposition.

He peered out either side of them, willing a transport to turn up. But none came. Nothing in the sky. He sighed, peering as hard as he could and then looked down, shaking his head.

He had really hoped it would work. But they don't have time to wait... Time is something they don't have at all!

"... I'm bringing you down." It's Esteban's call.

He can tell that Romeo is silent because there is nothing-- he knows. He knows. It has to be his decision, because Romeo is too kind, too young, too sweet, too innocent. Esteban's always known that there was a chance he wouldn't be able to save them. That there's a chance he might not be able to save anyone.

So he brings the kid back down from the flight, gently lowering the grav-con's anti-gravity field until Romeo can feel his boots hit the ground. His companion is crouching already, a hand steadying him as he turns off the small machine, and there's a beat of silence, a simple, quiet moment, before Esteban tugs him gently to offer a hug.

"It's gonna be okay," he promises, because even though it was fragile, he feels they need to mourn the tiny shard of hope they'd been holding onto.

He nods, feeling himself being lowered down slowly. He still feels bad that there is nothing they can do, no transport to be seen.

He lets himself be pulled into a hug, leaning against Esteban for a moment before nodding. They had to keep their spirits up, it was the only thing they could do.

"Yes. We can still help them, right?"

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Am I dragging this on too long? Let me know if you'd rather wrap it up quickly?

no it's good!

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Yay! Morals conversation finally coming up! XD

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Alright, MY BAD, one last hug before they get to the morals, sorry XD

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