[Arms rested across thighs with his 76 was sitting on the balls of his feet, an eyebrow arching ever so slowly.]
Maybe you should let me check it over anyway.
[He'd push it, but not without a little give. Gloved hand held out in offering, turned so that Reaper could get a hold of his wrist if so inclined. Skin there and up his forearm was a very dark black, shades of black-blue spiderwebbing through it. A hint of red here and there as well.
[Reaper was fully prepared to dig in, to let himself be more stubborn. It was a routine that won him many battles, verbal or physical.
Yet, he stared at the offered hand, surprised and slightly suspicious of the clear give in order to convince him to return something back. He took 76's arm, drawing up more of the compression shirt sleeve and then slid his fingers under the glove to remove it as well. He turned the now bare hand and forearm over to examine the extent of corruption.
At the same time, he rolled his shoulders and his jacket seemed to melt away to land on the floor behind him in a puddle of leather. He wore his own black compression shirt, and while it looked perfectly fine, there was a bulge to indicate bandaging.]
[76 allowed it, gave Reaper no resistance when it came to rolling up his sleeve to see that it nearly went up to his shoulders, spiderwebs of the dark discoloration creeping over it and down his back and even further under fabric. Could barely see where it faded in some type of 'ending' to it.
That hand looked so much worse than just looking as if he'd been digging in charcoal with curved and sharp claws. There were ridges that felt almost like hardened scales on the backs of fingers, a larger one on the back of his hand. Skin creased as if trying to cling more to bone than muscle, claws so much sharper than they had been.]
Joints ache at times, like bones are trying to shift around.
[He'd let Reaper examine before he'd be going for that shoulder.]
[This process was far worse than he would have imagined, no matter how much 76 had apparently stabilized. The damage was done, and the question was if it could be reversed or if this physical change was permanent. He took his time examining the skin and the blackness.]
Hmpt, who would have thought after all this time, I finally get to be the prettier one between us again.
[He sighed heavily, thinking more now than ever that he would be researching the energies of this place, perhaps investing and taking his own set of risks to make it happen. Answers were necessary.]
Don't go all demonic on us further. There may be less opportunity to go back than we think.
When were you ever the pretty one? Was always my job, while you were the handsome mysterious asshole.
[Just as dryly as before. His fingers flexed a little, and at last the skin wasn't brittle. Still ached a bit. More so than usual since they started to look as they did now.
His head tipped.]
Too many unknown factors, but I'd rather know the extent of what I can do than stop because of this.
When we were twenty-one and you were still a bean pole. That fade of mine earned me quite the attention.
[Well, he would be the handsome for the war before it took its toll, then 76 took over that job full time for decades. Thankfully there was make-up to keep the blond young looking forever. It was good for hiding all the bags under the other's eyes too.
He scoffed and released 76's hand. There was no way to correct the course of action now. He decided more information was needed.]
Maybe lean a little less into the power it gives you. You could survive longer.
[With his hand let go of? 76 dragged that bag with him as he moved to be more at Reaper's side, claws making it easier to get under fabric and roll it up out of the way. Kneeling then, because it was more comfortable, he picked the bandaging loose so he could see the damage done.
Didn't stop him from talking, even if he was focusing more on the task at hand.]
The power is what's needed to fight all of the stupid but dangerous bullshit around here.
I see... most honest assessment you've made in years.
[He allowed 76 to move without too much suspicion on his part, and he shifted to draw the compression shirt up and draw his arm out so that it was out of the way. His arm and any exposed skin was mottled with old burn scars, laceration and bullet scars, but primarily he bore the weight of a building falling on him that resulted in his first death.
Once the bandage was removed, the four claw marks were visible from when he had been struck. The two middle ones were deeper than the outside two. He had deemed them not worth stitches, but the two middle ones could make a case. He was healing, though he had not taken it upon himself to use damage to other living creatures to help himself along.]
But if you take too much power without understanding it, you're of no help to take care of danger. You become dangerous.
Not true, just the first on you've paid attention to, preening asshole.
[Better. Fingertips ran alongside the marks, leaning a little closer just to se better, pressing the skin a little to judge how deep with a low noise in his throat. Yeah, he knew how these felt. Had a few himself from when he'd went after Kazuma when he was on the one track rampage though the woods.
He let two fingers rest beside the deepest ones-] It wouldn't hurt to stitch these two up a bit.
You going to let me?
[Asking first at least.]
This isn't my first time working with shadows, or turning in to some sort of monstrous beast. I get it, though. I know I'm taking a hell of a risk, but the only way to figure this shit out is to practice.
[He sounded suspicious, not certain how to take the compliment. Their relationship was so contentious the last years that it was easy to suspect some ulterior motive or some set up. He was a touch more used to compliments thanks to Maul, but he didn't expecting anything even remotely close to one now.
He sat quietly and stared straight ahead as 76 explored the injury that he had sustained. He slowly turned his head to regard 76 at the question, sighing heavily before he shrugged his shoulders.]
Fine, if you insist.
[There was a story there with 76's experiences, and he knew for a fact that the 76 he remembered definitely had not been playing with shadows and beasthood. That had to be from wherever this one came from before here.]
Don't be so reckless. Smaller increments, and you need to control your emotions and usage.
Moved his hands then, looking through the bag as he tugged out a medical kit. Sterile curved needle and thread, cleaning around those two deeper lacerations before he gave a small warning and starting sewing skin back together. Curved hook always worked better with stitching wounds.
I have always pegged you as the oblivious flirt or too-busy-for-flirting flirt.
[Work took priority in so many cases and he often wondered if 76 had been continually hung up on the 'boy' that was sent packing for a career. After that, he knew Jack dabbled but nothing serious.
He winced as the needle pressing into flesh, shivering slightly but steeling himself as he remained firm to the treatment. Blood pooled from the needle puncture, red at first and then oxidizing to black and turning to smoke within seconds.
This wasn't his first rodeo receiving stitches.]
Maybe you should try it. Might save you and the kid. What's his deal anyway?
[He still wiped blood away to better see what he was doing, even if he noted what happened to it after a few seconds. So he ended up blowing a bit of that smoke away, too. Stitches were something he was good at, at the very least. Be able to still move the shoulder when he was done.
Had gotten in a lot of practice to do them in such a way on himself, after all.]
Personal issues he'd been struggling with in the other place, too. Came to something of a head here.
[It was obvious that 76 was keeping it vague simply because it wasn't his business to tell. Even if the vagueness may have given the fact 76 had known Kazuma before this dream world.]
Been keeping an eye on him since he changed in to what you saw. [Hadn't realized Kazuma would be protective over him like that. Wanting him to take care of himself was one thing but, well.]
[He sat for it, wrinkling his nose with each pierce of the needle. 76 was good at his business when it came to a needle and thread; they both did. It had been a long time since they had sat here and did this. He actually couldn't remember when it had been... decades probably.]
Ah, personal issues... no wonder you two get along. You both are clearly just a pile of personal complexes.
[As curious as he naturally was, he wasn't about to pry much from 76. He knew it wouldn't go anywhere to begin with, and there was an odd sense of peace getting sewn up by the old asshole.]
Oh, he's not naturally half a snake throwing flames around? Does he actually have an occupation?
[Eyes rolled, even if them being pure black made it hard to tell, but boy did it hang in his voice a bit.]
You're hardly any better.
[He tied thread for the first, and then went to start on he second deep slice just the same as he had the first. A little warning with a tap of his finger before piercing skin and keeping a steady hand.]
Nope, that's a new one. He's a lawyer, apparently.
[Reaper knew the eyeroll, and he reached over to stab 76 in the ribs with two fingers to call the younger man out for being a little shit. He had teenagers that acted with better manners.]
Wrong. I am much better than you lately. I have better compartmentalization skills.
[He twitched for each pierce of needle, the pain of it growing more and more now that he was aware of it happening and could anticipate. It compounded with the normal pain that he experienced all the time, but this was sharp and drew his attention.
At the mention of lawyer, he hissed in disapproval.]
Lawyer? Haven't you been surrounded by them too much in the past? Better not censor you.
[There was that hiss of pain with how tender those ribs were yet again, and a swat with the hand not holding a needle in retaliation for it. Asshole.]
Doesn't make them nonexistent, smartass.
[Fingers were idly rubbing skin as he noticed the twitching, some bit of distracting and more soothing touch even if it wouldn't really do that much. Was an old habit whenever he had to do stitches without having something to numb localized pain.
Corner of his mouth twitched the tiniest bit at the hiss then.]
When I met him, he was running a bar with an underground fight ring. Don't think I've got to worry about that.
[He withdrew his fingers with the swat, his point made on the previous point of discussion. It was a bit too close to old times but rougher and with hints of bitterness. For him, it felt like teetering too close to the edge of a cliff where topics they would someday need to talk about where right there, but both of them would avoid it for this brief sense of truce.]
Hello pot, the kettle is calling.... At least I can take care of myself and not mope my way through what remains a second chance.
[It was a gesture that he noticed but remained unspoken towards. He knew what was happening there, and he wanted to appreciate it but held himself back from. It was rare that he could admit he missed Jack, but this might be one of those moments. He also resisted the need for self-sabotage to destroy what was between them right now.]
I don't think there are many courtrooms around these parts, and certainly no justice system. So he's a bartender now?
[Second chance? At what? This wasn't a second chance, just some side-track where he hadn't signed up for being flung in to a second world. No, this was finishing a job that he'd started so he could get back to the mission.]
I'm not the one moping here, and I can take care of myself.
[Just keeping it to the most basic of tasks. This was a dream, and his body was elsewhere; why waste the effort on just a fraction of himself? Real as everything felt and acted with the passing of time, he'd heal and deal with things as they came.
He tugged the thread tight, careful and slow, as fingertips still worked out of habit to distract and soothe as it pulled to close the wound. All the better to secure it and break the end of the thread.]
Someone else was the bar tender. He hasn't taken up any job here, nothing like that at least.
Maybe you can take care of yourself... but you're doing a piss poor job of it.
[But that was fine. He knew that 76 had a nasty habit of not taking care of himself, and that was just the way that the man was. It had gotten worse over the years, of course, but he told himself it wasn't any of his concern any further.
They were both adults, and they would take care of themselves in their own ways. It wasn't as if they had that many people who were still alive that cared about their well being. Besides, this was a dream and the real mission was waiting for them when they could bust their way out.]
So he was there drinking? Is that what you were doing there?
[He glanced over to examine the work done, and it was neat and tidy. He would approve of it, not that it mattered. Scars had stopped bothering him awhile ago. He was a mess no matter what.]
Keep myself running, doesn't matter outside of that.
[And was no concern of Reaper's, which was what struck him over the fact that the man was actively checking up on him here. That he made himself not think too much on-
Which was made that much more difficult given the promise of a threat earlier.
76 sat back on his knees, going through the practiced motions of cleaning the needle he'd used so it could be put back in the kit, along with the thread put aside to be further dealt with later.]
He owned the bar, ran the business and the fight club underneath it.
[Not answering what he was doing there, of course.]
You're playing a dangerous game with keeping going on the corruption angle.
[It wasn't any better, even if it wasn't any worse either. 76 wasn't having sudden outbursts of laughter and attempting to assault him so far. If anything, 76 had been rather helpful and less of an asshole than usual.
He lifted his arm once the younger manage was finished stitching him, examining the work that had been done and nodding his head. He pulled his pack closer to pull out some bandage material to keep the stitches dry and clean.]
Oh, now the reason that you were there actually comes out. Fight club, hmm?
[The entire "Essence" had made him some chimeric undead creature after all, but he was remaining vague over a... lot of details.
He glanced up then, and held a hand out for the bandaging Reaper had dug out. The look alone said very clearly 'It's easier for me to do it' and it wasn't like he'd be wrong. They both knew it.]
Mm, even if it was less a club and more a ring where the fights could be bet on.
[He might have spent a lot of down time there-] Not how I met him, of course.
[He, not knowing about the world of Essences, had no idea that 76 might have experience with death. He mostly thought that people threw around the death experience to be coy and had no idea the toll that it took on a person to die over and over.
He stared at the hand then at 76's expression and growled as he handed over the bandage material. If they were going to make one another miserable, they may as well go full scale and not just half-ass it.]
And just how did he manage to get so attached to you?
The world I was in before being thrown in to this one. It's why I'm familiar with working with shadow, too.
[Why he even gave out the information he did, not knowing how death might work here and just- avoid that for whoever he could. You felt it every single time, even if coming back from it. It clung.
He took that bandaging and paused for a brief moment-] Be easier if you had the shirt off, too. [Leaving that with that, even was he worked to find the end of the bandaging from the roll it was kept in.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Maybe you should let me check it over anyway.
[He'd push it, but not without a little give. Gloved hand held out in offering, turned so that Reaper could get a hold of his wrist if so inclined. Skin there and up his forearm was a very dark black, shades of black-blue spiderwebbing through it. A hint of red here and there as well.
A very clear offer to remove the glove.]
I'll show more for it.
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Yet, he stared at the offered hand, surprised and slightly suspicious of the clear give in order to convince him to return something back. He took 76's arm, drawing up more of the compression shirt sleeve and then slid his fingers under the glove to remove it as well. He turned the now bare hand and forearm over to examine the extent of corruption.
At the same time, he rolled his shoulders and his jacket seemed to melt away to land on the floor behind him in a puddle of leather. He wore his own black compression shirt, and while it looked perfectly fine, there was a bulge to indicate bandaging.]
Is this painful?
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That hand looked so much worse than just looking as if he'd been digging in charcoal with curved and sharp claws. There were ridges that felt almost like hardened scales on the backs of fingers, a larger one on the back of his hand. Skin creased as if trying to cling more to bone than muscle, claws so much sharper than they had been.]
Joints ache at times, like bones are trying to shift around.
[He'd let Reaper examine before he'd be going for that shoulder.]
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Hmpt, who would have thought after all this time, I finally get to be the prettier one between us again.
[He sighed heavily, thinking more now than ever that he would be researching the energies of this place, perhaps investing and taking his own set of risks to make it happen. Answers were necessary.]
Don't go all demonic on us further. There may be less opportunity to go back than we think.
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[Just as dryly as before. His fingers flexed a little, and at last the skin wasn't brittle. Still ached a bit. More so than usual since they started to look as they did now.
His head tipped.]
Too many unknown factors, but I'd rather know the extent of what I can do than stop because of this.
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[Well, he would be the handsome for the war before it took its toll, then 76 took over that job full time for decades. Thankfully there was make-up to keep the blond young looking forever. It was good for hiding all the bags under the other's eyes too.
He scoffed and released 76's hand. There was no way to correct the course of action now. He decided more information was needed.]
Maybe lean a little less into the power it gives you. You could survive longer.
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[With his hand let go of? 76 dragged that bag with him as he moved to be more at Reaper's side, claws making it easier to get under fabric and roll it up out of the way. Kneeling then, because it was more comfortable, he picked the bandaging loose so he could see the damage done.
Didn't stop him from talking, even if he was focusing more on the task at hand.]
The power is what's needed to fight all of the stupid but dangerous bullshit around here.
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[He allowed 76 to move without too much suspicion on his part, and he shifted to draw the compression shirt up and draw his arm out so that it was out of the way. His arm and any exposed skin was mottled with old burn scars, laceration and bullet scars, but primarily he bore the weight of a building falling on him that resulted in his first death.
Once the bandage was removed, the four claw marks were visible from when he had been struck. The two middle ones were deeper than the outside two. He had deemed them not worth stitches, but the two middle ones could make a case. He was healing, though he had not taken it upon himself to use damage to other living creatures to help himself along.]
But if you take too much power without understanding it, you're of no help to take care of danger. You become dangerous.
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[Better. Fingertips ran alongside the marks, leaning a little closer just to se better, pressing the skin a little to judge how deep with a low noise in his throat. Yeah, he knew how these felt. Had a few himself from when he'd went after Kazuma when he was on the one track rampage though the woods.
He let two fingers rest beside the deepest ones-] It wouldn't hurt to stitch these two up a bit.
You going to let me?
[Asking first at least.]
This isn't my first time working with shadows, or turning in to some sort of monstrous beast. I get it, though. I know I'm taking a hell of a risk, but the only way to figure this shit out is to practice.
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[He sounded suspicious, not certain how to take the compliment. Their relationship was so contentious the last years that it was easy to suspect some ulterior motive or some set up. He was a touch more used to compliments thanks to Maul, but he didn't expecting anything even remotely close to one now.
He sat quietly and stared straight ahead as 76 explored the injury that he had sustained. He slowly turned his head to regard 76 at the question, sighing heavily before he shrugged his shoulders.]
Fine, if you insist.
[There was a story there with 76's experiences, and he knew for a fact that the 76 he remembered definitely had not been playing with shadows and beasthood. That had to be from wherever this one came from before here.]
Don't be so reckless. Smaller increments, and you need to control your emotions and usage.
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Do I look like the type to flirt to you?
[No.
Moved his hands then, looking through the bag as he tugged out a medical kit. Sterile curved needle and thread, cleaning around those two deeper lacerations before he gave a small warning and starting sewing skin back together. Curved hook always worked better with stitching wounds.
Clearly he had insisted.]
Never been great at any of that.
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[Work took priority in so many cases and he often wondered if 76 had been continually hung up on the 'boy' that was sent packing for a career. After that, he knew Jack dabbled but nothing serious.
He winced as the needle pressing into flesh, shivering slightly but steeling himself as he remained firm to the treatment. Blood pooled from the needle puncture, red at first and then oxidizing to black and turning to smoke within seconds.
This wasn't his first rodeo receiving stitches.]
Maybe you should try it. Might save you and the kid. What's his deal anyway?
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[He still wiped blood away to better see what he was doing, even if he noted what happened to it after a few seconds. So he ended up blowing a bit of that smoke away, too. Stitches were something he was good at, at the very least. Be able to still move the shoulder when he was done.
Had gotten in a lot of practice to do them in such a way on himself, after all.]
Personal issues he'd been struggling with in the other place, too. Came to something of a head here.
[It was obvious that 76 was keeping it vague simply because it wasn't his business to tell. Even if the vagueness may have given the fact 76 had known Kazuma before this dream world.]
Been keeping an eye on him since he changed in to what you saw. [Hadn't realized Kazuma would be protective over him like that. Wanting him to take care of himself was one thing but, well.]
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Ah, personal issues... no wonder you two get along. You both are clearly just a pile of personal complexes.
[As curious as he naturally was, he wasn't about to pry much from 76. He knew it wouldn't go anywhere to begin with, and there was an odd sense of peace getting sewn up by the old asshole.]
Oh, he's not naturally half a snake throwing flames around? Does he actually have an occupation?
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You're hardly any better.
[He tied thread for the first, and then went to start on he second deep slice just the same as he had the first. A little warning with a tap of his finger before piercing skin and keeping a steady hand.]
Nope, that's a new one. He's a lawyer, apparently.
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Wrong. I am much better than you lately. I have better compartmentalization skills.
[He twitched for each pierce of needle, the pain of it growing more and more now that he was aware of it happening and could anticipate. It compounded with the normal pain that he experienced all the time, but this was sharp and drew his attention.
At the mention of lawyer, he hissed in disapproval.]
Lawyer? Haven't you been surrounded by them too much in the past? Better not censor you.
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Doesn't make them nonexistent, smartass.
[Fingers were idly rubbing skin as he noticed the twitching, some bit of distracting and more soothing touch even if it wouldn't really do that much. Was an old habit whenever he had to do stitches without having something to numb localized pain.
Corner of his mouth twitched the tiniest bit at the hiss then.]
When I met him, he was running a bar with an underground fight ring. Don't think I've got to worry about that.
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Hello pot, the kettle is calling.... At least I can take care of myself and not mope my way through what remains a second chance.
[It was a gesture that he noticed but remained unspoken towards. He knew what was happening there, and he wanted to appreciate it but held himself back from. It was rare that he could admit he missed Jack, but this might be one of those moments. He also resisted the need for self-sabotage to destroy what was between them right now.]
I don't think there are many courtrooms around these parts, and certainly no justice system. So he's a bartender now?
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I'm not the one moping here, and I can take care of myself.
[Just keeping it to the most basic of tasks. This was a dream, and his body was elsewhere; why waste the effort on just a fraction of himself? Real as everything felt and acted with the passing of time, he'd heal and deal with things as they came.
He tugged the thread tight, careful and slow, as fingertips still worked out of habit to distract and soothe as it pulled to close the wound. All the better to secure it and break the end of the thread.]
Someone else was the bar tender. He hasn't taken up any job here, nothing like that at least.
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[But that was fine. He knew that 76 had a nasty habit of not taking care of himself, and that was just the way that the man was. It had gotten worse over the years, of course, but he told himself it wasn't any of his concern any further.
They were both adults, and they would take care of themselves in their own ways. It wasn't as if they had that many people who were still alive that cared about their well being. Besides, this was a dream and the real mission was waiting for them when they could bust their way out.]
So he was there drinking? Is that what you were doing there?
[He glanced over to examine the work done, and it was neat and tidy. He would approve of it, not that it mattered. Scars had stopped bothering him awhile ago. He was a mess no matter what.]
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[And was no concern of Reaper's, which was what struck him over the fact that the man was actively checking up on him here. That he made himself not think too much on-
Which was made that much more difficult given the promise of a threat earlier.
76 sat back on his knees, going through the practiced motions of cleaning the needle he'd used so it could be put back in the kit, along with the thread put aside to be further dealt with later.]
He owned the bar, ran the business and the fight club underneath it.
[Not answering what he was doing there, of course.]
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[It wasn't any better, even if it wasn't any worse either. 76 wasn't having sudden outbursts of laughter and attempting to assault him so far. If anything, 76 had been rather helpful and less of an asshole than usual.
He lifted his arm once the younger manage was finished stitching him, examining the work that had been done and nodding his head. He pulled his pack closer to pull out some bandage material to keep the stitches dry and clean.]
Oh, now the reason that you were there actually comes out. Fight club, hmm?
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[The entire "Essence" had made him some chimeric undead creature after all, but he was remaining vague over a... lot of details.
He glanced up then, and held a hand out for the bandaging Reaper had dug out. The look alone said very clearly 'It's easier for me to do it' and it wasn't like he'd be wrong. They both knew it.]
Mm, even if it was less a club and more a ring where the fights could be bet on.
[He might have spent a lot of down time there-] Not how I met him, of course.
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[He, not knowing about the world of Essences, had no idea that 76 might have experience with death. He mostly thought that people threw around the death experience to be coy and had no idea the toll that it took on a person to die over and over.
He stared at the hand then at 76's expression and growled as he handed over the bandage material. If they were going to make one another miserable, they may as well go full scale and not just half-ass it.]
And just how did he manage to get so attached to you?
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[Why he even gave out the information he did, not knowing how death might work here and just- avoid that for whoever he could. You felt it every single time, even if coming back from it. It clung.
He took that bandaging and paused for a brief moment-] Be easier if you had the shirt off, too. [Leaving that with that, even was he worked to find the end of the bandaging from the roll it was kept in.]
Time.
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