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week five
WEEK FIVE
!run, run, run
As the party has been advised to rest for a few days before heading back out to their journey, on the third night of their undisturbed peace in the bunker, they may be beginning to feel that it really is safe down there. And for the most part, it is. Is everyone sleeping soundly? Or is someone awake when a faint tink followed by a hiss can be heard…?
Characters will awaken to the sight and smell of a canister of gas having been tossed into their bunker from the hidden opening above. Whoever's up there, they intend to force you out of your safe haven like a bunch of unwanted gophers from someone’s lawn.
The gas that leaks from the canister will spread throughout the bunker slowly but surely — characters will need to be swift about waking everyone up and escaping out of the bunker. Take what you can carry, and fast! The gas is an acidic, pungent substance that causes eyes to water and vision to blur; it also obstructs the air ways, if too much of it is inhaled — symptoms may linger for multiple days, in that case.
Once you’ve made it outside, you’ll be able to identify your attackers: some of the teenagers you encountered two weeks ago are among them, and this seems to be the rest of their camp, their parents, friends, and comrades. The survivors' party is vastly outnumbered, and the raiders that have come are actively hostile: the party will have to fight their way to an escape, and it’s not going to be a bloodless struggle on either side.
The good news is that while there are many enemies, they are regular humans armed with the same makeshift weapons you’ve all had to make do with. Fighting your way through them shouldn’t be impossible… if you’re willing to do what’s necessary.
It will soon become apparent that the entire mission will be at risk if you stick around trying to subdue every opponent — though simultaneously, it’s also impossible to regroup with the entire party. Looks like you’ll have to split up just to survive…
Characters will awaken to the sight and smell of a canister of gas having been tossed into their bunker from the hidden opening above. Whoever's up there, they intend to force you out of your safe haven like a bunch of unwanted gophers from someone’s lawn.
The gas that leaks from the canister will spread throughout the bunker slowly but surely — characters will need to be swift about waking everyone up and escaping out of the bunker. Take what you can carry, and fast! The gas is an acidic, pungent substance that causes eyes to water and vision to blur; it also obstructs the air ways, if too much of it is inhaled — symptoms may linger for multiple days, in that case.
Once you’ve made it outside, you’ll be able to identify your attackers: some of the teenagers you encountered two weeks ago are among them, and this seems to be the rest of their camp, their parents, friends, and comrades. The survivors' party is vastly outnumbered, and the raiders that have come are actively hostile: the party will have to fight their way to an escape, and it’s not going to be a bloodless struggle on either side.
The good news is that while there are many enemies, they are regular humans armed with the same makeshift weapons you’ve all had to make do with. Fighting your way through them shouldn’t be impossible… if you’re willing to do what’s necessary.
It will soon become apparent that the entire mission will be at risk if you stick around trying to subdue every opponent — though simultaneously, it’s also impossible to regroup with the entire party. Looks like you’ll have to split up just to survive…
if you chose beach...
In the chaotic departure from the bunker, Shoko Ieiri, Leontuzzo Bellone, Vinsmoke Reiju, Henry Creel, Sigewinne, and Gojo Satoru make their escape towards a nearby shoreline, losing their pursuers in the coves and rocky structures that lead to the sea.
Supplies are likely scarce due to the hastened way everyone was forced to leave: securing food and water will be among the first necessary tasks. On this piece of shoreline, there are a number of small piers and abandoned nets, not to mention driftwood that can be sharpened into spears. That’s right, this team will have to play a 🔥FISHING MINIGAME🔥 to secure their food. There are also small tide pools where shellfish may be collected, but crabs are aggressive and may pinch any errant fingers.
Water, on the other hand, is harder to come by. There are no fresh water sources nearby, so either the endless salt water will need to be processed somehow, or… everyone will begin to feel the effects of dehydration. Delirium, lightheadedness, and worst of all, chapped lips.
Places to rest will be... rustic and wild, to say the least, but there are a number of pits that would be suitable for making campfires, if enough material is found to feed the flames.
Characters on the beach will also discover that there are a number of traps hidden in the sand, rusty and clearly human made. They seem to be intentionally hidden among the terrain, and judging by the blood rust on them, they’ve been in use for some time.
Sigewinne is caught in one of these traps, badly injuring one of their legs. The trap is fashioned to be similar to a bear trap, and will take collaboration to be freed from.
Nearby zombies have caught on to the fact that this is a hunting ground of sorts where humans occasionally get stuck in these traps — therefore, they’re prowling around further up the beach in scattered groups, distracted and listless until the sounds of traps going off draws them sprinting towards the party. Given the nature of the minefield of traps, one wrong step while running away could mean the end! It might be better to stand ground and fight….
Of this group, no one is infected.
Supplies are likely scarce due to the hastened way everyone was forced to leave: securing food and water will be among the first necessary tasks. On this piece of shoreline, there are a number of small piers and abandoned nets, not to mention driftwood that can be sharpened into spears. That’s right, this team will have to play a 🔥FISHING MINIGAME🔥 to secure their food. There are also small tide pools where shellfish may be collected, but crabs are aggressive and may pinch any errant fingers.
Water, on the other hand, is harder to come by. There are no fresh water sources nearby, so either the endless salt water will need to be processed somehow, or… everyone will begin to feel the effects of dehydration. Delirium, lightheadedness, and worst of all, chapped lips.
Places to rest will be... rustic and wild, to say the least, but there are a number of pits that would be suitable for making campfires, if enough material is found to feed the flames.
Characters on the beach will also discover that there are a number of traps hidden in the sand, rusty and clearly human made. They seem to be intentionally hidden among the terrain, and judging by the blood rust on them, they’ve been in use for some time.
Sigewinne is caught in one of these traps, badly injuring one of their legs. The trap is fashioned to be similar to a bear trap, and will take collaboration to be freed from.
Nearby zombies have caught on to the fact that this is a hunting ground of sorts where humans occasionally get stuck in these traps — therefore, they’re prowling around further up the beach in scattered groups, distracted and listless until the sounds of traps going off draws them sprinting towards the party. Given the nature of the minefield of traps, one wrong step while running away could mean the end! It might be better to stand ground and fight….
Of this group, no one is infected.
if you chose forest...
In the chaotic departure from the bunker, Haru Okumura, Soujuurou Shizuki, Mark Grayson, Suzuha Amane, Ninety-Nine and Hella make their escape towards the denser part of the forest, losing their pursuers in the cover of tall trees and thick bushes.
Supplies are likely scarce due to the hastened way everyone was forced to leave: securing food and water will be among the first necessary tasks. In this section of forest, wildlife does seem to be teeming thanks to the time of year, with mule deer and small foxes scampering about. The game is quick and clever here, and much more difficult to approach and catch than the horses everyone encountered a while back. Without someone skilled in hunting or trapping, the party will likely begin to suffer from the effects of starvation. Sluggish movement, and increasing desperation to eat anything that might be edible.
As for forage-able plants, there aren’t many. Several berries and leaves in this area seem to be mildly poisonous, which will cause any particularly desperate campers an unpleasant surprise if they try their hand at tasting them.
The small mercy of this area is that there’s a small freshwater creek, which will provide some relief from dehydration — though it’s far too shallow to submerge oneself in any capacity.
Places to rest will be... rustic and wild, to say the least, but there are a number of pits that would be suitable for making campfires, if enough material is found to feed the flames.
Characters in the forest will also discover that not only is there normal wildlife here, but there is also infected wildlife. During one of the nights while camping, the group will be ambushed by an infected bear and a single cub. That’s right, this party will need to defeat a 🔥ZOMBIE BEAR BOSS FIGHT🔥 to stay alive.
During the ambush, Haru Okumura is mauled by a swipe of one of the bear’s paws, severely injuring them.
As with the other infected, it seems only the bites of these creatures cause a transmission of the virus, so characters will need to be very careful about not getting bit. The claws are fair game, with paws rated E for Everybody. Better time those dodge rolls!
Of this group, Soujuurou Shizuki is infected.
Supplies are likely scarce due to the hastened way everyone was forced to leave: securing food and water will be among the first necessary tasks. In this section of forest, wildlife does seem to be teeming thanks to the time of year, with mule deer and small foxes scampering about. The game is quick and clever here, and much more difficult to approach and catch than the horses everyone encountered a while back. Without someone skilled in hunting or trapping, the party will likely begin to suffer from the effects of starvation. Sluggish movement, and increasing desperation to eat anything that might be edible.
As for forage-able plants, there aren’t many. Several berries and leaves in this area seem to be mildly poisonous, which will cause any particularly desperate campers an unpleasant surprise if they try their hand at tasting them.
The small mercy of this area is that there’s a small freshwater creek, which will provide some relief from dehydration — though it’s far too shallow to submerge oneself in any capacity.
Places to rest will be... rustic and wild, to say the least, but there are a number of pits that would be suitable for making campfires, if enough material is found to feed the flames.
Characters in the forest will also discover that not only is there normal wildlife here, but there is also infected wildlife. During one of the nights while camping, the group will be ambushed by an infected bear and a single cub. That’s right, this party will need to defeat a 🔥ZOMBIE BEAR BOSS FIGHT🔥 to stay alive.
During the ambush, Haru Okumura is mauled by a swipe of one of the bear’s paws, severely injuring them.
As with the other infected, it seems only the bites of these creatures cause a transmission of the virus, so characters will need to be very careful about not getting bit. The claws are fair game, with paws rated E for Everybody. Better time those dodge rolls!
Of this group, Soujuurou Shizuki is infected.
rendezvous
It won’t be easy to find each other again after getting separated so suddenly, especially not after both groups have likely sustained several injuries. Straying further than five miles from each other will still have the bracelets sending a potent burning sensation through your arm, so perhaps you ought to use the bracelets as a compass to get an estimation of what direction you ought not to go.
Due north of the shoreline and forest, though, there is a lighthouse overlooking a small touristy gift shop and gas station, who’s height might be useful as a landmark for the groups to travel to.
The inside of the lighthouse provides decent shelter, with ample room inside for the small ragtag team to each have a place to be alone, but the howl of the sea breeze, and the unending crashes of the waves against the cliffside may make sleep less than restful. In fact, being alone in here might be scarier than the outside. Worst of all, from the looks of the darkening gray sky, a storm might be coming soon.
Reuniting might still prove even more bittersweet than the first time the party split. Take what you can from the available gas station snacks and tourist shirts, and treat whatever wounds possible… because there’s unfortunately not the same amount of time to rest and recover as there was in the bunker, which is now a distant relic of the past. They're closing in on their destination, however they might feel about it.
Due north of the shoreline and forest, though, there is a lighthouse overlooking a small touristy gift shop and gas station, who’s height might be useful as a landmark for the groups to travel to.
The inside of the lighthouse provides decent shelter, with ample room inside for the small ragtag team to each have a place to be alone, but the howl of the sea breeze, and the unending crashes of the waves against the cliffside may make sleep less than restful. In fact, being alone in here might be scarier than the outside. Worst of all, from the looks of the darkening gray sky, a storm might be coming soon.
Reuniting might still prove even more bittersweet than the first time the party split. Take what you can from the available gas station snacks and tourist shirts, and treat whatever wounds possible… because there’s unfortunately not the same amount of time to rest and recover as there was in the bunker, which is now a distant relic of the past. They're closing in on their destination, however they might feel about it.
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[ It hasn't been ideal, since the attack on the base. The lack of food beyond what they've been able to bring with them (not much) and what they've been able to hunt (not really her wheelhouse) has made her feel lethargic and sluggish and she's been able to identify a few of the berries they'd found as poisonous, so that's also a No Go.
At the very least, Haru still has her axe, which has been helpful in gathering material for their campfires, and it also means she has it nearby when the bears happen. If she'd maybe been a little less sluggish, she would have thought to call on her Persona immediately, but as it stands, she doesn't, and in the chaos, she's only able to slam the axe down on the bear's shoulder before it knocks her down, pins her with enough force that she hears her ribs crack before actually feeling it, and swipes viciously downwards.
In the moment, she thinks rather hazily that she shouldn't feel too guilty about screaming when those claws rip through her skin, having the presence of mind to twist despite the pain in her ribs so it catches her side and her hip more than her stomach, one arm when she lifts it to try and shelter her face from the next blow.
She might need a little help, whether that involves dealing with the bear or helping her out once said bear has been dealt with, because she's not going to be of much use beyond lying there crumpled on the ground and bleeding profusely.
Yay! ]
b. LIGHTHOUSE
[ Somehow (because I flipped a coin), Haru survives. But she's probably had to have been carried here and since then, she's been barely conscious. Which is likely for the best, because waking up to pain and More Pain isn't really anyone's idea of a good time and if anyone has to treat her, might as well not be aware of it. But she does wake up eventually, settled in some corner of the lighthouse and completely disoriented about it.
... Hi, person who is near her. ]
Where...?
[ Wait, that's not important, she's trying to sit up--and instantly doubling over, so maybe not a great idea, but-- ]
Is everyone okay?!
b
The closest she gets to managing to settle down, letting some of the tension drop from her shoulders, is when she takes a shift keeping an eye on the blessedly unconscious Haru. There’s a fierce ache in her chest every time she looks over the girl and the swathe of impromptu bandages keeping her together—a feeling that only seems to double when Haru finally manages to cling to wakefulness a little more fully and tries to force herself up, asking over the others.]
Woah, hey, easy now—
[Suzuha scrambles over to offer her support with her one good arm, worry clear in the furrowing of her brow, the downturned cast of her lips.]
We’re back with the others… somewhere safe, for the moment.
[That doesn’t really answer the question and she knows it.]
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... They're all right?
[ Well, she'll try again. ]
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They’re alive.
[Still only a half-answer, but she doesn’t leave it lingering like that for long. Suzuha does her best to keep Haru steady, trying to maintain a neutral expression. (It doesn’t fully work.)]
Sigewinne was injured while we were split up. And a few of us got scraped up by the bear too, but Soujuurou… it managed to bite him.
[She’ll leave the implications there to go unsaid.]
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Oh.
Haru's eyes go a little wide as said implication sinks in. Did an amputation happen? Where was he bitten? How bad is it? She's instantly full of questions, but also extremely reluctant to ask them, because it isn't easy on Suzuha to speak of any of this. She knows that. And Sigewinne, injured? ]
I... I see. It's... certainly gotten more difficult, hasn't it?
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[There’s no denying that. Their already small numbers are dwindling, and more injured to look after certainly doesn’t help. But Suzuha musters her bravest face, then gives a slight shake of her head.]
It might be harder, but. [A beat in which she gives Haru’s shoulder an encouraging squeeze.] We’re all tough, right? We can keep pushing forward, no matter what.
[Because they have to. Her expression softens a little as she looks Haru over.]
How are you feeling, though?
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[ Great question, actually! ]
If I were to be completely honest here, I feel... slightly awful. But at the same time, it's better than how I felt just after I was attacked. So I suppose I should consider that improvement.
[ With a rueful smile. ]
It might be a fun story to tell when I return home, that I survived a bear attack.
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See, there you go. Gotta wow all your friends with tales about how much of a badass you’ve been.
[Hard to beat a story about going toe-to-toe with a zombie bear, of all things.]
All the more reason to see this through to the end, yeah?
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[ Is that truly badass when she'd spent most of the time being carried around in Ninety-Nine's hoodie? ]
... But you're right. I don't want to give up when it feels like we're getting closer... even with everything that's happened. I feel as though we owe it to everyone who hasn't been able to make it this far with us.
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Exactly. They’re counting on us to make it to the finish line.
[As is everyone else in this world, if what they’ve been carting around this whole time is the key to a cure (it better be). But that’s a lot of pressure to consider, and while that’s not exactly anything new to Suzuha, it’s better to leave that unsaid for now. The point is made without hammering on it needlessly.]
But we’ve got a little downtime for the moment, so you can focus on resting up a bit. There anything I can do for you to help?
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[ A pause, to clear her throat. Her tongue feels like cotton in her mouth. ]
... Have any water?
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[Once she’s certain Haru is steady, Suzuha pushes herself to her feet and crosses over to the other side of the small, quiet room to the desk sitting in the corner. A moment to rummage through the bag sitting atop it and she’s making her way back. She carefully settles down beside Haru again, letting a couple small packages drop to the floor between them from her one handed grip before she offers the bottle of water to her.]
Here. Brought something to eat too, but only if you’re feeling up to it.
[Some scavenged old packs of trail mix and protein bars wasn’t exactly much, but any little bit of energy would be helpful in getting her back on her feet.]
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a!
Oh, fuck! Haru!
[ She gasps, under her breath, her pipe already in her hands. It's just a bear, she shouldn't be so scared of this, but she is. Maybe it's the fact that she has no idea how she can even attempt to help or salvage the situation that makes her feel at a loss, and maybe it's just the prospect of having to face such a huge, frightening beast. Hella's not untouchable; despite her powers, getting hurt actually scares her a lot, though she tries not to let that show through her boisterous and proud demeanor. It shows here though, in the widening of her eyes and the hesitation to help.
But, soon as she steels herself, she sprints right at the beast, tackling the bear in the side of the head at full speed to at least turn its attention away from Haru. She's little, so she can't exactly move the damn thing, but it delivers a noticeable enough blow that the paw that had been primed to come down on Haru misses its mark instead, slashing a deep crevice into the forest floor, instead. Hella stands between the bear and Haru with both hands on her pipe, visibly shaking, but refusing to let the bear get past her. It roars, and Hella backs up a step on instinct, too afraid to look back and actually assess the damage of Haru's wound. ]
Can you stand?!
[ She yells back at her, imagining the worst of Haru's fresh injury in her mind's eye. The bear charges again, but Hella takes a swing with her pipe right at its snout, hoping to knock it off course again. ]
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But Hella's facing the bear on her own, and she... she can't, can she? Can she drive it away without getting hurt? Can she--
Haru gasps for breath, trying to focus enough to get the words out. ]
R... run...
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[ She barks, not angry at Haru, but — she asks this like it's the most obvious thing in the world, like Haru's being ridiculous for even suggesting that she run. Hella doesn't leave people behind, not anyone she considers her ally, even if it means she needs to stand in front of them. There's another thud as she smashes the bear in the snout again, which is steadily backing her closer to Haru.
In a heat of the moment decision she drops to her knees, and reaches for Haru's arms, hastily trying to pull her to loop them around her neck. It's not the gentlest motion, but it is the quickest. Pointedly, she still tries not to look at Haru's injuries, afraid that if she does, she'll falter in trying to get her out of there as quick as possible — might hesitate out of fear of hurting her worse. ]
Fuck, it'll be fine! Just hold on, I'll do the rest! I'll save you!
[ Because Haru's right: Hella isn't strong enough to fend the thing off... but she's always been quick and clever, difficult to trap or squash like a true city rat. Their best bet is running while Hella tanks any extra hits that might get doled out. Which is hopefully zero, but she's not feeling especially hopeful about it. ]
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So Haru exhales, shaky and shallow, and offers up a nod. She won't be of much use here, beyond this, but as the bear lunges, her attire flickers briefly to the get-up she'd had at the mall, a ghostly feminine figure appearing between them and the bear to blast it back a bit with a psychic attack.
Just to hold it at bay. To get them some distance. ]
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She tries to make a lot of noise to draw the other party members' attention, particularly Ninety-Nine, who she knows will put all her effort into intercepting the beast before it has a chance to get them again. Thanks to that, Hella's able to dart them into the thicker parts of the forest, away from immediate proximity of the fight. ]
Okay, okay... [ She wheezes, eyes frantic as she checks back towards the direction of the chaos, making sure it's not chasing after them. ] I'm gonna lay you down...
[ Which she does as gently as she can while her legs are shaking from exertion, getting them both down lone in the brush with a quiet oof, her long hair sticking to her everywhere from sweat and blood. While she's aware Haru can't be doing very well from all the stress of running and bloodloss, she doesn't know what else she can do but try to keep her awake, a bolt of fear running through her of what she should do if Haru loses consciousness. She paps the side of Haru's face gently with a gloved hand, trying to get her to focus. ]
Haru? Stay with me, okay...!
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It occurs to her that this is serious, that she could very well die like this, without any kind of healer or doctor in their group, but she can't quite bring herself to think of it either. ]
Hella-chan...
[ Look, she's still conscious. ]
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She gives Haru another pat on the cheek in answer, then starts shrugging off her jacket. ]
Yep, good job, that's me. Keep talking to me! Uh, maybe tell me about — [ fuck, she's totally fucking this up, huh? She feels like she's heard the nurses at MBCC try to keep people talking while they're injured... and so, she just suggests the first things that come to mind. ] The café! The things you want to bake! Your friends! Anything at all!
[ They're all attempts to distract her, as she tries to pull Haru's arm away from the wound, preparing to drape the torso part of her jacket over it. ]
a.
She's running on fumes, and maybe that's what makes her sluggish and keeps her from beating the bears to the punch. By the time she was throwing the enormous infected creature against the trunk of a centuries-old tree and trying to hold its attention, plenty of carnage already spread across the forest floor. She was Parma's magnum opus, a killing machine, and now she's... what? What is her purpose here, really, a weapon that never succeeds in its task?
Her attention was on the adult bear for the duration of the fight, but in the aftermath, she is now in the best position to carry Haru forward, holding her and holding her together. It's slow-moving; their shattered group can only maintain so much speed and distance, and when they inevitably pause after traveling only a short distance, she drops to the forest floor with the injured girl cradled in her lap. Her hands can't detect fever easily, so she presses her forehead to Haru's the check her temperature and breathing. Is she awake? Better if she isn't, if the time blurs together, but they've been running for a while...]
Haru... here; can you drink? I have water.
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Slowly, her eyes crack open, just a sliver of brown as she struggles to see who's talking to her.
... Being awake isn't pleasant, she remembers, that pain from before flaring up from the aftermath of the bear attack. ]
Ninety-Nine... san?
[ Hi. ]
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She's drenched in blood from various sources and missing the hoodie that she started using as a sling to help keep Haru up. Even her clawed hand is red when she tries to dab water along Haru's forehead and offer her a drink.]
We'll find them soon, [she tries to reassure her, referring to those same healers but not thinking to clarify. Her internal thoughts are blurring with the reality around them.] I can hunt down anyone if I try. You have to stay strong.
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[ She's been told to stay strong and she would so very much hate to be a burden, after everything. Even their zombie-bitten comrades have held up remarkably well, to the best of their ability. She more or less just assumes Ninety-Nine is talking about the other group in general, doing her best to focus on the task at hand.
Stay strong. Drink some water. The coolness of it feels nice on her forehead, and she sighs, carefully. ]
... I'm sorry, for putting you through... additional effort.
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At least this is something else I can be useful for. [Something more than fighting, even though that assignment feels more and more like a failure the more members of their group end up falling with Ninety-Nine nowhere to be found to intervene.] But I can't heal you. I'm not like them, so I'll take you there.
[It had been almost effortless, the way she lifted Haru in the sewers weeks ago, but today she's much more careful as she holds her upright to let her drink.]
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I never thought of your worth as... whether you were useful or not. I was just glad you were there. That you've... [ A wince travels across her face. ]
... Been here.