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 Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2023 5:26 am
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Once Faustite scraped it out of the pile, he laid it atop the rest and fumbled for an ink reservoir pen. He coughed as he sought it from where it sat in its holder, doubling over as his hacking grew worse. Thick plumes of smoke left him, then coiled up toward the ceiling where they dissipated. When he gained enough breath to continue, he drew a violent X through what was previously written.
Underneath, he wrote:
Quote: NOT VIABLE. WHITE MOON WILL ONLY EXCISE YOUMA THROUGH TOTAL ERADICATION OF CHAOS. CANNOT
Coughing struck again, and Faustite leaned his palm atop the parchment as he struggled for air. By the time he recovered, he'd left behind a charred handprint just below his writing. "Come on," he coughed out between gasps of air while he tried to bring his body back under control. By the time he could draw in a breath, it sizzled with extant heat.
"Now what," he sighed dolorously at the mess on the table. Flame eyes fell to the rest of the parchment pieces, each crossed out with no avenues remaining as a cure for his wretched illness. |
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 12:39 pm
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How much could he survive still, how much was it kind to force him through?
That thought a knife, Faustites rough and labored breathing the hammer on the hilt of it. He would’ve loved his boy if he were a ******** puddle in a jar, said it enough, meant it sincerely and with all selfishness. But what was fair to him and fair to the rest, was that fair to Faustite too?
For once? Waru watched quietly, a human presence that pulled on Senshi only in the aftermath of hacked, smoky echoes from the tower down; trailing into the main space to wait with pensive patience in the wake of Helios soothing words. He was glad he hadn’t been there to witness the marked, daunting steps that’d led up the path to *this*, that his viewpoint of Agni, of Schorl, of Eion in his captain-hood long before *this* was some narrow tunnel of a thing.
He would’ve been angrier otherwise, irreconcilably so, and in truth? Some small, animal dumb part of his mind just didn’t want to know how much *more* damage had been done, how much more could’ve gone wrong; to hear that every door they tried to pry and burn and blast open was *closed*.
Albite wanted someone to punch, instead he crossed his arms and leaned up against the cold arch of stone, intent to listen and chew on the strained remnants of his own optimism. Eion had learned something. They weren’t giving up yet.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 3:44 pm
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Heliodor was right, but Faustite hated the price he paid to accommodate his youma side. Didn't want to live around external metal again, not to the extent that the pipes had impeded him. Didn't know he could return to that, even if it meant going on. There had to be another way — something beyond pipes, and beside what Encke had on offer.
A few sputtering coughs petered out of him. He held his breath, but this only provoked another session of wheezing hacks until he cleared more blackened smoke from his body. Faustite's sides ached in a half-remembered way, like sympathy pangs for someone following his trail of self-destruction. If he wanted to speak, he could only do so by leaning over the table, elbows pressed to its surface, and with enough of an angle that the smoke would amble out of his back with no reason to bother his diaphragm any further. But even that was somehow tiring.
"Need a new ******** body," Faustite gasped out. "Need one that's six feet and built like a wall. Without a fire youma in it." He vented a smoky, dejected sigh.
"Don't want to stick more metal in myself just to survive." And there was nothing to guarantee them his persistence through that, either. The last surgery hadn't gone well, what little he remembered of it, and the weeks afterward were spent in a space between agonizing pain and delirium. Some feverdream spun out of Schörl's hands, meant for private entertainment.
Glancing over at his boy, he continued. "Found one of the White Moon. Encke. Thought he'd know something about them taking out my youma half. Took too much to convince him to talk. When he did, it was useless trash — said they'd have to excise every speck of chaos or none at all. That I'd have to turn traitor to survive." A couple anemic coughs escaped him. "Was talking about — having to come up with a new place to live. New life, ******** — college." And that had sorely unnerved him, enshrouded him in a lacuna of no-way-outs for rejoining the human world as a productive member of society. Expected all those skills of him that he never developed and had no reason to nurture.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 5:10 pm
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Eion drowned real easy too, sucked water like a whirlpool - Waru hated that he knew that, however useful it would’ve been to chime up and toss that tidbit out. He bit it back, scowled as his thoughts ran on unbidden beyond that point, because his husband wasn’t a ******** car; some halfbeast, half-mechanised bit of hellfire to be body moded and repainted whenever a part wore down. He and Eion had spoken of mufflers, the once, he didn’t approve then and approved even less now. Hearing the pain of remembrance in Aelius' voice, the damning illness in Fausties own.
There had to be other ways than that.
Except the achy little vice of feelings around his heart that screamed *warning* just would not give, it clutched and dragged anchor-like with every bit of info spat about Encke and his promises. The ******** did that glow bug think his boy was doing this for? Cause he needed friends and a new alma-mater? His every image of that man in particular – vicious lightning-shaped scars that spiraled along a spine – unnatural colors etched into pale skin – A snowball fight that became a ‘fight-fight’, because ******** him n Cybs couldn’t pull the stick labeled ‘murder’ out far enough to enjoy a good time!
Encke hadn’t said it’d kill him though, had he? Of all the words n ideas Albite’d been listening for – ‘they pull it all out and then I die’ – he’d been waiting for the blunt force trauma of Faustite explaining his messy, bisected, dusty demise at the hands of a Princess, or at the tail end of one of the White Moons lies given in hopes of ending their enemy. Faustite wouldn't've hidden it, too blunt n sharp with words.
Suddenly, purification was no longer synonymous with dying, it was a legitimate chance.
There, that blood-tang taste of hope he wanted for so ******** badly– Pulling Almondjoys collar on and unmoulding himself enough from the wall to *move*. He felt like an invader crossing lines, circling round and pointedly ignoring the amassed bits of charred paper and tear stained ledgers for survival that littered every possible surface there. He needed them to keep talking, needed even more to touch Faustite – for all the ways that Helio couldn’t – for all the ways that he still could right now; even though the heat of Faustites back beneath his hand was more akin to that of a man dying in a fire instead of something tolerably fever pitched.
He didn’t wonder if the magic would give out some day. Luck and fate could suck him dry n choke on it with all their shitty consequences. He was going to have this now.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 5:30 pm
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"That they know of," Faustite corrected, but he knew the thought to be an empty one. They'd tried everything within the Negaverse's power, even went to Axinite and anyone of the medical branch who could stand to look over a half-youma officer. But even the ones who were more familiar with austere constitutions had said that he was different from the rest, that most youmafied officers were built heartier and stronger than the average man, that most of them gained parts with their transformations instead of losing them. Faustite was strange. The conditions of his youmafication hadn't been repeated, and that was telling, they found.
When he was certain the coughing fit had passed, he considered Aelius's desperate response. It was something they hadn't tried, though he'd been hit with myriad spells and curses and ******** knows what from the White Moon's repertoire. None of it was water magic, nor was it of a chaotic bend. "Can try it." He hadn't expected his fiery side to relent.
He knew the cause of it wasn't reversible — no way to recompress the energy that came out of that building once it had been spilled. What was down there was as likely a fixation of the youma as the commands that compelled them. That he was affected by it shouldn't have been a surprise. But to know that he faced a slow death by disintegration, just because the energy-ravening beast in him got what it wanted? Faustite could've flipped the table. Could've stormed straight up to Laurelite's office and bitched about the Rift and everything in it until he died of another coughing fit or turned to dust at her shut door.
The weight that touched his back had to have been Albite. He wasn't about to crane his neck up to look at the boy; they'd been around each other long enough. No one else weathered the flame without an artifact as magical as the one Almadel gave him.
Faustite sighed, a cough on its heels. "Learned something else, too." He reached for the shoulder of his sleeve, dug nails in and tore it from its stitching. After sliding the now-useless tube of material down his arm and tossing it into a pile on the table, he rolled his forearm and opened his hand. "It's spreading," he explained, and a nailed finger touched a new line on his forearm where the black stopped.
"Was always a gradient before." Now it was like a book burning to ash.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 6:50 pm
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"What else is there?" Faustite countered. They'd tried all that he thought he could try. He'd been drained, starseeded, and examined. He already considered stuffing himself into the crucible and have someone ******** around with his starseed for him, but he hadn't gathered the nerve to subject himself to that. Trapping himself in a pot and conceding his life to someone else's hands… Faustite thought that allowing someone else to handle his starseed was already more than enough. To have them rearrange it for him reeked of disaster.
Faustite looked at the sharp line on his shoulder. "Recent. Couple weeks ago. Hurt so much I passed out the first time." It had been crawling up his arm since, slowly claiming more of it in the Negaverse's characteristic darkness. He watched Heliodor chance touching it — brave of him, for how hot he'd gotten since — though the mark remained steadfast. The only transfer to his boy's fingers was a margin of swelteringly hot black dust.
He could only hope that magic had a means of curbing his youma side. If he drenched his fire in water, then wouldn't it stall its slow takeover of his body? He had to hope it would. Had to try it.
"Feels different," he conceded. "Feels burnt. Tight, too; like burning your tongue on hot tea." Better if it didn't feel that way forever, but Faustite doubted he would get any sort of reprieve now. His back still ached from where those pipes were put in, and they'd been out for years now. He still disliked sitting in chairs with backs because of them. He still stayed wary of the rain.
While Heliodor wanted to plot and stay careful for it, Faustite wanted to get it over with before he changed his mind. The boy had little faith that his resolve would last; he was already in pain, and his boy's magic only promised more pain. Like a weakness they were trying to exploit, his fire could only make this worse.
Faustite hacked out another cough. "However you want to do it, be quick about it."
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2023 1:14 am
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A passive watchfulness, his body was there, a useless clay pillar of a thing that was only good for casting shifting shadows against the rooms backwalls. Present in some ways while his mind was elsewhere. Rapidfire pacing through a myriad of *No’s*, only to come up empty when every cell of a rock he turned revealed a terrifyingly banal answer of ‘why not?’ What was there to lose, what worse hurt could be done that wasn’t transpiring already? When Faustite was already suffering—
Better to do it now. While his boy had his mind, his will, and enough people around him to offer some small reprieve of comfort. A breath in – and it tasted like his lover charring off into ash, like Agni was finally winning the race and burning all of Eion away at last – a breath out and he noticed Helio looking at him at last. His gaze settled grimly on the pensive Senshi with an indigo mane, pained acknowledgement, a mingling of joy that - for once? The less than savory idea wasn’t his own to lob up. Hooded browns briefly slid to the parchment dutifully crossed out and shoved across the table. A singed reminder that if all else truly failed they weren’t completely out of options.
Not yet.
“Not just water. Fire. Ice. Command. Silence,” and his fingers found the brush of crawling pitch where Helio had touched, where it shot up further than Albite’d realized; till only slivers of palid, human remained. Darker even than Eion’s claws, darker maybe than his blood? Waru wasn’t about to ask. “We’ve got enough magical oomph on our team to make Metallia her-damn-self nervous,” he thought of the entirety of their team, a mass of Senshi and agents ready and willing to bend their powers at an ask. For the fun of testing them out, for the love of their General, or because someone of rank told them too. The reasons didn’t really matter anymore.
“S’all the ways to treat a sickness, right? You ice it down till the burn subsides – or you burn it out – fire on fire. We’ve at least three other water-sphered Senshi on our team who’d be willing to help. We’ve got Syrus who could up the ‘umph’ with his powers. You combine his frost with some watery spite? N ********, there’s also Taenite,” and it was easier than it should’ve ever been to wrap his fingers around Faustites biceps, to let the caress over sleeve and scorched skin become more of a clutch; the heat there enough that he narrowed his eyes for it.
None of this was fair to Faustite. That alone anguished him, needle sharp points at the back of Waru’s thoughts. Though his magic still roiled for all that heat like vines yearning to hold n keep it an eternity more in his grasp. His look for Helio was determined, a wince of a smile that was as much of a ‘go ahead’ as his beloved's firstmost love would get.
“You’ve survived worse, right firebrand? You’ll survive this too.”
The words softer than any kiss he could’ve given Faustite right then, highlighted with resolve. This was no different then when they played, right? Then when his boy n him went at it over training – on the office floor – safewords n signals. Increments danced out on bladed edges while learning how much was too much. Helio could be in charge this time, could lead the dance while he played wall and watchdog.
“Where’re we doin’ this Helio? My magic’ll only hold him so long anymore. It will hold him tho.”
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2023 1:38 am
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Helio had seen that look in Faustite’s eyes before. The look of someone out of options. Someone feeling nearly mmauled alive by the continuous beatings that camee their way. It was heart-wrenching. He never wanted to see if again and yet, here they were facing another problem because of the damn youma Agni stretching itself, tyring to take over. It was moments like this that the corrupt wished they could wrench that side of faustite out. He just wanted his boy to be well and whole. No worries that a fire youma was going to devour him whole and ending everything. Fingers, still hot and ashy from his exploratory touch, clenched tightly.
At the mention Taenite Helio couldn’t stop the hiss of anger that slipped through his teeth as eyes shot Albite a glare. The last damn thing he wanted was that a*****e anywhere near Faustite. Not to mention the next time he heard that senshi’s voice Helio may not have the will or want to restrain himself. “I think, at this point, adding more flame to the fire may not be in our best interest. We aren’t talking about a sickness here, but a fire-loving Youma.” He clipped. A moment pause. A slow closing of eyes as he rubbed them. “Ice may help though and is definitely something to consider if this doesn’t work today.” Helio wondered though if Agne’s fire would be able to counteract ice magic. Hell, he worried it would just steam up any water at this point too.
He heaved a heavy sigh to help calm himself down a bit more so he could think clearly. He looked to the two of them. One with a smal radiance of hope and the other looking utterly exhausted by it all. They were doing this. It was going to happen, and Helio was all nerves because of it. Perhaps it was memories of Faustite’s dislike of water, the fear of what it would do to him that was the most triggering for the danseur. Perhaps it was his on imagination displaying wild imagery of ‘what ifs’, or perhaps it was a mix if both and then some. No matter what it was, Helio wasn’t mentally prepared to push Faustite through this.
What else was there though? This was one of many ditch efforts. Likely the last one before something extreme would need to be thoroughly considered.
He looked from Faustite back to Waru at the mention of his magic. Right. They’d need to restrain him. Gut instinct would be to push himself out and free from the wall of water. Running a hand over his face, Helio eventually gestured to the door. “Let’s go outside. Who knows what’s going to happen and at this point we don’t want to ruin what’s already done of the house.” Cause he’d be damned if he thought at all that this place may eventually not be occupied in the near future.
“Unless you want me to, I am only going to use Cascade. It’ll be a little under thirty seconds or so of water.” He worried at his lip with his teeth. “The other option is a step up which will hit harder and last longer. I think Cascade will be enough, and the water probably won’t feel hot to you so we don’t have to worry about that.” More than likely it would feel refreshing with how hot Faustite was beginning to burn.
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2023 3:32 am
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had survived worse. He'd lost more than a couple inches of pale skin and what equated to a cut on his palm. He'd lost a good number of organs he was supposed to have, he'd been broken and beaten and nearly died. He was just being shy of the pain. Cognizant of how much that magic could — and did — hurt. Especially magic that emulated drowning.
He particularly hated drowning. Hated the way it felt like he was trying to drink the entire pool the one time he fell through the ice. If Albite hadn't been there to pull him out —
Heliodor had the right of it, though his youma side didn't enjoy senshi fire. Didn't enjoy anything senshi, but it was better to stick with Heliodor's water magic for now.
He drew a steadying breath. Nodding, he pushed himself away from the stone top. He made for the front door to the ruined world outside their house, where they could run through a gamut of magics and only face the dangers they posed to themselves by doing so. Unless Heliodor's wall of water brought one of the nearby houses on the cul-de-sac down on their heads, Faustite suspected that being outside would be fine. They could ensure that they were far enough away from the house, that any errant fire wouldn't be licking at the fresh paint or the cut lumber.
Faustite made sure to handle the door by its metal handle as he exited the house, then reached back in to beckon them both after him. Cascade was fine, he supposed — it was already more magic than he wanted to deal with, but magic might be their only option now.
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2023 9:36 am
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Waru wore a grin made for the gallows, but a grin nonetheless. He envied Faustite nothing, could only find the utmost pride in his beloved's continued endeavors for life. The way he clawed for it in spite of his ever-changing and ever failing form. This. This was why he loved Faustite the most. His terse resolve in the face of agonies. He only briefly wondered, a year ago — two — would Eion have willingly done the same?
There was no point in examining that thought any further though. It was surface debris left to drift away beneath the murky depths of s**t that’d happened more than five minutes ago. They’d found some agreeable middle and a goal to make progress towards. Hashed out burdens of consciousness to carry after they’d played at being jailer and executioner teamed as one.
Waru was ready for it as he’d ever be. As he never wanted to be. Wondered if Helio knew CPR, or if he’d still love Faustite were he suddenly faceless slag and pissy lava filled with boy-loving thoughts? He’d never actually asked the other senshi questions with any real depth….
He’d get on that as soon as tomorrow, maybe.
Right now he was following Faustite out the front door, clasping Helio on the shoulder as he brushed him by.
“That’s our Firebrand,” emphasis on the shared connection, the shared love; while willfully feigning ignorance of the hiss levied for a certain whirled flames moniker, because if it ever came down to it? There was nothing that wouldn’t be explored. A trial by fire. A glacier of ice. He wasn’t crossing out any options yet - sickness or not. Hell, if he had to? He’d plant himself under Cosmos skirts n beg his boy a new life the right way — or however the ******** asking for purification worked these days?
With a prince, a princess, he wasn’t feeling particularly picky about which power spheres held sway. So long as someone, anyone, could fix this s**t.
“N yanno what, Eion? All else fails today — you get saved bay-watch style by two super hot guys. Not nearly as hot as you of course, but?” Albite came easily as he always had, an ever beckonable thing; breathing deeply the outside air with scents only slightly less reminiscent of a low burning fire than those that clung within the home and circled the ceiling dourly.
“Whatever - right. We’ve got you.”
Easier to simply say what he meant as he circled into a reasonable range, found a stance that felt solid, steadying. While also keeping him out of Helios direct path, lest he be confused for a direct target himself.
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2023 4:10 pm
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This whole situation was nerve-wracking. So much could go wrong in so many different ways and not just with this stunt they were going to pull in a hopeful attempt at saving Faustite. If this didn’t work they’d be back to the drawing board. How many other ideas would they try? How many more trials would Faustite need to go through? It seemed as if his boy could never fully catch a break. Just one thing after another. All Helio wanted to do was shield Lex from all of this. Unfortunately, all that was left for him to do was inflict more pain in some mad attempt that this would bring a reprieve.
In true, expected fashion, Lex rose and headed out of the house only pausing to make sure both Albite and Helio were following. His boy was so impressive.
A hand on his shoulder paused the senshi. Golden eyes turned to Albite as the Eternal slipped past with only a single comment. If humans had hackles, Heliodor’s would have been standing. He still struggled with the collective group of others that Faustite loved and who loved him in return. For so long it had just been the two of them, albeit in some weird, unacknowledged tango. Now there were many with emotions and feelings that Helio still wasn’t sure what to do with. Having comments thrown at him, even if meant in the best of intentions, just pissed him off. Fists curled tight as his side as he watched Albite follow behind Faustite.
Nostrils flared as he sucked in deep breath. He needed to keep his s**t together considering what they were about to attempt. Taking another moment, he closed his eyes, took another breath, before following the pair out of the house and into the gloom of the world outside of their tiny slice of comfort.
Closing the door behind him to keep any errant debris or water from making its way inside, Helio joined the two husbands a decent distance away. It was noted how Albite positioned himself. A smart move considering Helio’s current mood, even if a bit disappointing.
“Alright, Lex. Ready?” Helio asked as he positioned himself just within his max range of the attack. While Helio wanted to be closer, it was best for both of them that he kept a decent distance. There was no telling what would happen with this attack and for all they knew, Agne may retaliate unexpectedly. Considering how the fire youma was pushing to show its dominance in its shared body with Lex, Helio didn’t want to be taken by complete surprise.
“Cascade!” Helio called once everyone confirmed they were ready.
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2023 6:00 pm
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Faustite had waited doubled over. It didn't seem to make a difference; he still coughed and sputtered whether he was upright or not. As the two spoke, he tried to see if there was a better disposition for his overtaking flames — whether pacing, or leaning, or anything else. He only stopped when he heard his boy's voice call back to him.
To which Faustite smiled. "Makes it all worth it if I wake up to the two of you over me." It was a margin morbid to consider, but he appreciated his boys' care. Their willingness to see an end to what was happening to him in a less permanent way than the 'help' the White Moon offered. They were both terribly loyal, willing to do anything for the betterment of their boy, and Faustite was lucky to have them both. Would continue to be lucky to wake up next to them and have their assistance through whatever remained of his life, in whichever form he took.
Albite took up position close by, which was hopeful but nerve-wracking. He expected that his greatest objection to this affair would be his inclination to escape it, and Albite wasn't going to let him do that. Setting his jaw, Faustite tried to steady himself.
He looked over to Heliodor, to whom he nodded. As much as 'ready' was a mislabeling, he was as prepared as he would ever be for what was to come. The only benefit to using senshi magic, especially senshi water magic, was that it proved the safest thing to use due to its largely illusory nature. Since it wasn't real water, he couldn't overhydrate via the water getting into his grate. He couldn't drown in it. It would just… hurt, he supposed. Not that he appreciated that, either.
Faustite felt his imaginary stomach drop through his grate when he saw the orbs appear at his feet. Bright, golden things ringing around him like he was something worth putting on display. Then they were gone as water rushed upwards, forming an intimidating, impassable wave that stood several feet above him. He looked at the distorted image of his boy through the sheet of liquid, as frantic and impermanent as he felt, until the wave bent inward and descended on him with crashing force.
He had braced himself, but the wave still swept him off his feet, dragging him across the gravel-strewn ground for his too-light body. While it struck him hard enough to knock the air from his lungs, Faustite inhaled reactively. He coughed and hacked and rankled as he slowly came to a stop, waterlogged and far more irritated than he had been when they started investigating this issue.
After Faustite raised himself to a seated position, he continued coughing until the magic evaporated, though it still left him looking like a drowned rat. He supposed he felt better for that, though — the water helped him cool off a margin, but he hadn't felt any ******** that," he complained as he coughed. "Your magic sucks." He meant it in the best of ways — when Heliodor used it on their enemies. But when he had to endure it? Its only benefit to him was that it felt tepid.
"Well? Who's doing the CPR?"
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