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Post by Ladorak on May 5, 2011 22:28:07 GMT -5
Caden went a bit tense when he saw the raggedy marten appear out of the gloom and settle down near their fire. Truth be told, he didn't trust Keinruf, but that was mostly because of his supposed reputation. Fortunately, Ladorak's tent was within shouting distance.
He listened to what Carrow had to say, and pushed himself up so that he was no longer lying down on the log. The way he saw it, the sooner he got into his tent and closed the flap, the better. Though something did take his curiosity, and that was the fact that Keinruf seemed to have a small bird in his paws, and the albino's features softened a tad in surprise.
He couldn't look for too long, as the glare from the fire once more acted upon his eyes, but he caught sight of the bird long enough to see that it was... comfortable. Such an odd sight, and completely unexpected. He started to relax a little, and looked over at Carrow now.
"It's alright I suppose. Not much for binge drinking myself." He said. The Captain would have a field day with the drunks in the morning, that was for sure. Most of them wouldn't drink, he knew. Loyalty to Ladorak prevented it. A few would, but they would be few and far between.
"It's funny you should mention that you see me as the leader of the group. I guess I soon will be when I make Midshipjack." he confirmed, smiling a bit as he pictured himself in the proper uniform and all. "I do often think about us accomplishing our goals, yes." Caden admitted. "I mean it's something I think about lying in my hammock before bed, among other things." he said. "Why do you ask? I am of course glad to hear you see things differently now." He stretched his arms and legs out on the log, pushing his arms into the air and yawning. "I hope Selvis returns soon. I'm in the mood for a nice rest." he said, in the middle of another yawn.
"Getting tired. You might have to start soon, or I'll end up crawling into my tent on my own." he chuckled, scratching his chest again and giving the mouse a sleepy smile.
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Post by spender on May 6, 2011 15:27:09 GMT -5
Keinruf jerked a little upon hearing his name, but otherwise made no move and said nothing in reply to Carrow's passerine inquisitions. It was, without a doubt, a very rude gesture on his part...
Until one looked a bit closer, saw that his eyes were closed, his breathing shallow, his stroking paw had flopped in his lap, and realised that the pine marten had fallen asleep within mere seconds of sitting down, that his reaction to hearing his name was merely subconscious.
He was unused to the Navy's long hours. He'd set his hammock up when the one watch went to sleep, and take it down when the second one woke up, getting a nice eight hours (with slight interruptions as the commotion of switching woke him, or when his son decided that 3 AM was the perfect time to need the head.) This, combined with his brittle vitality, meant there was no extra energy to go about. He might have survived the most insane of situations, and endure the harshest of treatments, but his body still obeyed the laws of nature for the most part. In his youth, it was not unknown for him to fist-fight until he dropped asleep, like a kitten tumbling in a basket. He was weak, despite his survivability, and times like this, when he felt truly safe, he let no moment be wasted.
As his body relaxed, his chin sunk down to his fluffy-yet-drab bib and stayed there. A single tuft of orange fur fluttered occasionally, and a peculiar wheezing whistle came from his nose.
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Post by bookity101 on May 6, 2011 23:03:21 GMT -5
Elle listened quietly to what Selvis had to say, nodding in agreement to his decision about opening the letter.
"Better now then before it gets really hectic with work and all." Elle listened to him for a moment more before saying;
"No, I was just a little worried about one of my friends who was acting out of character for his normal perky self. You haven't seen him have you? He's about your height and looks a lot like you... Oh wait." She pretended to smack herself int he forehead. "I think he's back." A large smile appeared and she winked at the taller stripling before growing slightly pensive.
"Now I need to go talk to a mouse about a letter, if you'll excuse me Sel. Wish me luck!" With that she turned back to the fire, fiddling with the letter in her paws.
"Hey Mousey, you ready for some reading?" ______________ An exaggerated eye roll met Molly's attempted match making prod. Really, Monty was her Boss, quite literally nothing else. She would more than likely remember him for some time when they parted company, but that would be because of his strange quirks and habits more than anything. Miri laughed quietly to herself. Once a again, leave it to Molly to bring a picnic basket full of weapons. Reaching behind her into her shoulder bag, she removed a small bag. Reaching into said bag produced a chunk of cheddar cheese and a small container of crackers. She quirked am eyewhisker at Molly as if to say;
'I never said I didn't have food, just no picnic basket.' Breaking the cheese in half she proffered one lump to Molly before proceeding to create smaller lumps of cheese so she could create a sort of cheese and cracker sandwich.
"Yes I knew of Peskers, hard to miss her, and Elliot?" Miri cocked her head to the side, trying to place the name. "Oh you mean Caden's friend. Yeah, I knew." Miri took a small bit of her "sandwich"
"Ran into them in Florence, they didn't see me though. She was in a dress and they were having a marvelous time chucking snow at one another after she dumped a pawfull off it down his collar on their walk. Nearly got biffed by an errant snowball as I watched though..." She cast a glance at the bag Molly had so quickly closed, half wondering what made her do so.
"You didn't happen to bring cups did you?"
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Post by Carrow on May 7, 2011 15:50:14 GMT -5
Selvis smiled broadly at Elle's playful response. He watched as her face grew pensive, his own features softening as he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Good luck. I'm sure it'll work out just fine, Elle," he whispered to her, blue eyes sparkling befor he raised his voice slightly. "Thanks for your support. I'm certain I'll be able to tell you the news I get, sometime tomorrow at this stage probably." The weasel was doing all he could to suppress a yawn. "I'm a bit tired, see, as we all are no doubt."
He paused to stretch a little, feeling slightly more tired than he was in fact willing to let on. "So, well, this is goodnight from me. I'll speak to Caden now and then it's off to the land of nod." He sighed contentedly. "Eight hours, Elliot - I'm looking forward to it, to say the least." He smiled, before waving to her as he departed, turning towards Caden and Carrow and returning to them. The mouse, meanwhile, was inwardly anxious about the forthcoming letter from Elle - but his anticipation of receiving it still outweighed his nerves.
He was speaking to his marten companion, and a wide smile crossed his face as he listened to Caden's question. He shrugged slightly. "It was simple curiosity, really; was wondering how much that sort of thing is on your mind. It's nice to be mindful of it, but I've learned the hard way not to think too much about it. Sometimes I'm just as scared as I ever was, but I don't let it run my life anymore. When I was losing all that sleep, it was mainly because of my past, but sometimes I couldn't close my eyes because I was afraid of what was to come. Now though, as you said, things are different."
Carrow yawned a little after Caden did, smiling slightly. "Hehe, your yawning is contagious!," he remarked mischievously. Then he noticed that Keinruf had fallen asleep, and his whiskers bristled noticeably. "Oh, great, I try to engage Jal Wright in conversation and he just falls asleep?" He sighed. "Oh well. Truth be told I wasn't too happy with him being here and being privy to our talk. I just wanted some relative privacy." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'm sure Selvis won't keep you long. From what I know of him he values his sleep as much as the next creature!" Selvis was in fact standing right behind Carrow as the rodent spoke, and gently settled down in amongst their group.
Carrow chuckled. "Speak of the devil! Great timing there, matey." Selvis playfully batted the mouse with his tail in response, eyes shining. The rodent then heard his beech marten friend calling to him, and stood up. "I'll leave you pair to it then. Time for me to go have a look at this letter Elliot's been telling me about. I'll see you later, Caden - though it's really up to you whether we press on with the induction tonight. We're all tired after all, to various extents. I leave the decision in your paws," he said softly, tail swaying a tad behind him. "See you soon, then." He smiled at his two friends before leaving to speak to Elliot. He was only a short distance away from where Caden and Selvis sat. "Hello, Elliot," the mouse murmured, smiling at her. "You wanted to show me something?"
The weasel and pine marten finally had their chance to talk. Selvis didn't mention anything about what Carrow was in for upon reading the letter. If had always been a question of when and not if he would be let know 'Elliot''s true identity. Instead, he smiled as he reached into his pocket and withdrew the letter. "I wanted you to do me a favour a few months ago, but I didn't get around to telling you what it was. Since you're here, though, I may as well mention it. I wanted you to be with me when I finally opened this letter," he told his fellow mustelid, smile widening.
"I really appreciated you being there for me when I was going through a rough time at the start of the year. Did I ever tell you that? I have now, in any case. Thanks again." His paw trembled slightly as he regarded the address on the front of the envelope. Something puzzled him about it. "Hmm... that's strange. I don't seem to recognise this paw-writing. It's not my mother's. I know that for sure... and I can't think of anybeast else who would write to me apart from..." He gasped, blue eyes widening. But I haven't heard from him in six years... then that must mean...!! His smile widened further still, and he looked at Caden with an expression of sheer joy on his face, whispering to him in a tone that suggested he could scarcely believe his own words. "My dad! It has to be! He's come back home!"
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Post by bookity101 on May 7, 2011 23:14:52 GMT -5
Elle swallowed slightly, unable to muster her normal large smile for the mouse. Though he might miss such a thing in the encroaching darkness. Without a word, she removed the slightly crumpled letter from her pocket, pawing it to the smaller beast.
Here's hoping he accepts this...
Hey Cer, How is my mousey friend today? My days seemed to have been filled with a simply enormous amount of needle work recently, on quite a big project at that. As I am penning this missive, I have found the time to sit on a nearby barrel, listening to the sound of the waves and of the orders being bellowed by beasts who have a much greater lung capacity than I. Why do I hear orders you may ask? Well, you see for some time now, I have taken up residence on a ship. A massive and extremely special ship called… well you’ll never guess it; HMS Agamemnon. What a coincidence wouldn’t you say mousey? That we were to board two different ships with the same name? The odds must be simply astronomical that such an occurrence should happen… Oh wait… Here I paused in my musings because you came up to me to ask a question, actually to remind me that break time is almost over and you are puttering your way over wake our sleeping compatriots from their much deserved rest. Though you did get my name wrong… you called me Elliot.
You see, over a year ago, Elle McNamee ran away from home… around the same time “Elliot” McNamee joined the Navy with you, Caden and the ever troublesome Spender. As I needed to keep this “under my hat” as it were, no one was told anything. Over the course of our adventures, I have found it needed to reveal my actions twice, once each to Selvis soon after he joined our crew and then to Caden in Florence around Christmas time. Of course, Janey knew something was amiss when she spotted me in Naples, but she is my cousin so I couldn’t conceivably keep such a thing from her. Now as unhappy or upset or any other negative feeling rise over the fact that I told Selvis and Caden and withheld this information from you, please let them fall on me and not the guys. I begged them not to tell for several reasons. With Selvis, I just wasn’t ready to be telling everyone in our group but I simply had to tell someone my secret and I let it slip in one of our Ferlusan conversations.
As for Caden… well let’s just say something came up and I simply couldn’t continue to keep him in the dark… Even Ocean figured it out at one point. As did Peskers, though Ferry does have an advantage that you don’t… Cer, you are the last that I will tell, for some time. If others find out fine, but I want you to understand why I waited so long. Even with Selvis chomping at the bit (nearly literally) to done with this charade, I held my tongue. You see, only recently have I seen that you beginning to be able to handle having a secret like this tied around your neck. You’ve grown up a lot, and been able to throw off a lot of the weight of the past that, combined with this, would have crushed you long ago…
No I can see that I have nothing more to worry about Mousey. And if you hold any ill feelings for anybeast, let it be me and me alone. And if you have any questions, if all went according to plan, I am right behind you waiting quite anxiously for your reaction… Don’t keep me in suspense! Please!
Sincerely, Elle McNamee
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Post by spender on May 8, 2011 1:35:03 GMT -5
"Ooh, cheese," Molly crooned breathily.
She accepted her portion and sniffed it. No matter what the legends said of rodents having an affinity for cheese, she always felt that the more carnivorous species somehow got more out of enjoying dairy. She had known some fully grown cats that would curl and push their paws when they were contented; an echo of infantile behavior. Milk was a strong thread in their heritage.
She was chewing happily on her cheese chunk when Miri uttered the word "biffed", which unfortunately caused a fair amount of stoat saliva to sail forth and sully the ground between her footpaws. Molly raised a paw to her mouth and struggled to chew the rest in silence, shoulders shaking at the mental image of Miri getting "biffed".
A darker thought eased into her mind. Miri had seen them together. So Caden knew for sure...
"You didn't happen to bring cups did you?"
Molly, in reply, bit the cork off the wine bottle in the most un-ladylike fashion possible, spat it out into a bush, and held the whole thing out to Miri, letting the weasel have first sip.
"There is a level of planning that is beyond my ability," she said. "Most especially during molting season. I, um... meant to bring them, but I seem to have packed my under-things along with my weapons." She pursed her lips and stared up at the tree's overhanging branches. "Which begs me to wonder what I packed in my other bag, if not my under-things... I wouldn't be surprised to find I had somehow packaged Tally into one of my hat boxes. May I have a cracker? And I must confess, I've never been in a siege before. Have you?"
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Post by Carrow on May 8, 2011 15:37:49 GMT -5
Carrow took the letter from the beech marten in quite a nervous fashion. He hadn't heard from her since Naples and for a moment was worried about how she was getting on back home. Then his eyes began scanning the contents of the letter. Almost immediately, his paws began trembling and he had to work very hard indeed to maintain his composure as the enormity of what the rodent was reading hit him with all the force of a powerful punch in the stomach.
Indeed, for a moment he struggled to breathe, and the colour drained from his face, leaving him white as a sheet. The shell-shocked mouse looked like he was about to faint, and he did in fact begin swaying on his paws as though he would collapse. He still scanned the letter, needing all of his strength to stay focused, until finally he reached the end of the missive and the piece of paper fluttered to the ground.
The field mouse was left completely speechless. This was far more of a shock to him than the discovery of his cousins while in Tunis. How he managed to stay conscious he would never remember. His legs failed him as he lost his balance yet again, stumbling and falling forward - but at the last moment he threw his arms around Elle's chest to keep himself upright. He managed to stay standing, but only just.
When he had righted himself again, he said nothing for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, he pulled the marten in close and hugged her, doing all he could to hold back tears... but it wasn't enough. Now that the shock had started to dissipate, it was giving way to an immense sense of relief, and more importantly, release. Carrow began weeping softly, tears of joy matting his fur as he let go of the creature he now knew to be the one he'd thought he might never see again: Elle McNamee.
He found the strength to speak as he stood there with tears running down his cheeks. He was deliriously happy to see her again. "It was you...," he whispered breathlessly, shaking a little as he struggled to contain himself. Wiping a paw across his eyes, his face lit up with one of his widest smiles. "The whole time... it was you... thank you for telling me, Elle..." The mouse kept his voice soft, sniffling a little.
"I understand why you did what you did, not telling me like that, and I have to admit... you're right. I wouldn't have pawdled this very well at all. In a way, I'm glad I'm the last of your friends to know, because I couldn't have dealt with this, not even a few months ago. Caden and Selvis don't need to worry. I couldn't hold anything against them if I even wanted to... I like them too much for that.
"They did nothing wrong. From the way you said it, Selvis was just in the right place in the right time, and well... I know now that you would have needed to tell Caden at some stage. I know also that I'm... incredibly glad to see you. You seriously have no idea. I was quite sad to leave the Dugans's house last September because I didn't think I'd ever really see you again. You've been here for a year, keeping an eye on me... wow."
He swallowed, finding the outpouring of emotion and his near collapse had made him more tired... though not as much as he might have expected; it had been offset by the thrill of seeing Elle again. "I've missed you terribly since those times I've had to leave you... but I'm glad that's all over. You had your reasons for telling my other friends before you told me. You don't need to apologise because you've done nothing wrong." He smiled at her again. "It's just..." Carrow was almost - almost - lost for words. "So good to have you back."
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Post by Ladorak on May 8, 2011 22:48:22 GMT -5
Caden had been wringing his paws ever since Carrow had departed. He hadn't really thought about it until now. He'd pushed it from his mind, and forced himself to pretend like it didn't exist. That it wasn't real. But now he knew exactly how Selvis had felt back in December. Florence.
Maybe it hadn't been such a good time after all. He closed his eyes, then reopened them, his breathing getting heavier as he sat on the log. Why hadn't he said anything to Carrow? Why had he kept it secret? Maybe even Elle would come to hate him for not saying anything. She had told him not to, and he'd trusted her, but what if he'd entirely misread her and she really did want him to tell Carrow?
Now he was just confused, and felt like someone was twisting his insides into a very tight knot. Carrow would know he'd been lied to by not one beast, but three. He closed his eyes again, trying to shut out the world. He'd stupidly been staring into the fire, and it hurt his eyes.
Bright spots danced behind his closed lids, and it took him a minute to feel them finally being washed away, gradually fading as he heard Selvis speak.
He opened his eyes again, and glanced sideways at Selvis. He shook his head slightly, trying to say I most certainly don't deserve it, but all he did was open his mouth, but utter not a single word.
Instead, he clamped his jaw shut, and glanced down at the letter which contained script Selvis did not recognize.
It was with a very happy exclamation that Selvis realized it must be his father's paw. Though he of course felt happy, he was also conflicted, and nervous as all imagination. This sort of news could destroy Carrow's relationship with him after all.
He forced a smile on his features though, trying his best to look pleased for his friend. "Well... that's really good!" he said, hoping he didn't sound tense. "So he's written you after all this time huh? If he's back home then... I guess you'll get his input on your life at sea? I'm sure he'll support it, since I can't imagine him not being happy with your choice." he hoped he sounded encouraging, and genuinely happy for Selvis's revelation. He had mustered up the best smile he could under the circumstances, so time would tell how it came out.
"Why don't you read it?" he suggested, nodding at the weasel in an upward manner to go ahead and cut the envelope open.
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Post by Carrow on May 9, 2011 5:29:19 GMT -5
Selvis had been watching from a distance as Carrow had spoken to Elle. He'd seen the mouse stumble, wrap his arms around Elle at the last moment to save himself, and then finally seem to hug her. The weasel had before now been quite unaware of the affection the mouse had for the beech marten he had thought he'd seen only once in the whole year, and realised that he must be overjoyed to see her again. Then he looked at Caden and spotted the pensive look on his face, noting the slightly tense look on his face.
He felt compelled to speak, wanting to put his marten friend's mind at ease, or at least try his best to do so. He realised that Caden was now going through what he himself had experienced in Florence, but all he wanted to do was keep his friend calm. He patted his fellow mustelid's paw in a soothing manner. "No need to be so tense, mate...," he murmured softly, smiling as he sliced the letter open with one claw. "If Elle's explained things to him half as well as I know she can, then you've nothing to worry about.
"Do you realise how highly Carrow thinks of you? How he looks up to you? I've seen him, and he's told me many times that he thinks the absolute world of you. His friends are what he lives for. For that reason, I'm not worried, and nor should you be, because I look over there and I see one very happy mouse indeed. The fact that we didn't tell him... it's like it was when I told you in Florence: I only did it because Elle trusted me with her secret. I knew she'd get around to the two of you in time. Carrow's quite relieved, from what I can see of him.
"Everything's going to be just fine, Caden. He's going to come back here soon and everything's going to be OK," he assured the albino marten. His paws were trembling with anticipation as he withdrew the letter from the envelope, slight tears welling up in his eyes. This was an intensely emotional experience for him, but unlike the last one he had, it was very pleasant. Selvis had noted the tension in Caden's voice, but this was genuine happiness he saw on his friend's features. He could tell, somehow. He grasped the document with one paw and began reading, on the verge of tears.
Crittenden, December 21st 1793
My dearest Selvis,
First of all, apologies if you did not recognise the paw. Six years is a very long time indeed, son, and if I recall I didn't show you my writing style a great many times before I left. I'm sorry it's taken so long to write to you. I've been too busy with everything, and any time I wanted to sit down and write this letter I couldn't because I genuinely didn't know what to say.
I arrived home last week and have been in bed since. The doctor told me the other day that I've been completely run into the ground, stamina wise, by all my travelling. Your mother had to carry me in when she saw me. The poor creature. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but she is as you left her. She's still only able to get around the house with support, meaning we've had to get help since I've been home.
On that note, Arbia Timidus sends her regards! She's the help: a hare in her early twenties or so I am led to believe. She's settling in quite well and I shouldn't be surprised if she moves in with us sooner rather than later. I must admit that I've been telling her a lot about you, and she would very much like to meet you someday. I say someday, Selvis, because I was filled in on your decision the moment Briga decided I could stay awake long enough to hear it!
Best of luck on your travels. I know not where you may be at this time but all I can do is hope this letter finds you in good health and happy. Send my regards to Cerinus, Caden and Elliot - I've heard all about them too and they seem like very good friends indeed. She was telling me how quickly they seemed to attach themselves to you. Well done! You've done well for yourself if they're even half as good company as I've been told they are.
You shall have to let me know where you are and what you're doing. I realise this may not reach you for a while yet, but please do write when you can. As for me, I begin my search for a new job in the New Year. I'm glad to be back on land, and very proud to have done what I have for the past six years. If there's anything you want to ask me about my travels, please don't hesitate to ask.
I look forward immensely to hearing from you.
'Til then, take care.
Trelio Frenata
Selvis sniffed audibly, wiping a paw across his eyes. He had silently wept a little whilst reading the letter, but he was very pleased to hear that his father had returned home safe and sound. He passed the letter to Caden so the marten could have a look, chuckling a little. "Trust my mum to tell him everything I told her about meeting all of you last year! He sends his regards." He smiled at his companion. "See? Carrow's not the only one who got good news tonight!
"As to that, please don't worry about it. You don't do yourself any favours by thinking about what might or might not occur. Besides -" and here, he lowered his voice - "back then, if he had been told her secret, do you think he would have been able to cope? I think he was dealing with too many things last year. While I don't doubt he would have done his absolute best to keep things quiet until the time was right, as I did, and you have done, he's in a better place now than at any point last year, from what I've seen of him. I really don't think this could have been better timed... and if I know him at all, he'll think so too. Everything's going to be OK. We had our reasons, and they were good ones. Don't fret, mate," he said gently. "It'll turn out alright."
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Post by Ladorak on May 10, 2011 22:31:11 GMT -5
Caden wasn't much of a thinker when it came to trying to understand his friends, and what they thought of him, but in this instance, he was making an exception. Rather than try and figure them out, he often spiraled out of control and assumed the worst. There was Elle, with his mouse friend. And there was also Selvis, who was trying to explain things as he felt his tenseness building, preventing him from breathing properly as he started to gulp in his breaths in a far more shallow fashion.
"I know what he thinks of me." the albino said, shaking a little. "But that's what would make this all the worse for him. If he found out, well... the crash might be all the harder. Don't you see? Because he thinks so highly of me, the let down would be all the worse. Why, I'm of a mind to just get up and head into my tent, without seeing him again tonight, and try and sleep. Just shut myself off for a few hours, and see what the morning will bring. I just... I don't know if I can face it if he is in fact disappointed."
He gulped, looking down at the letter in Selvis's paws that he was holding out to him. Another letter... the likes of which he would never receive... ever. It was a sour reminder that he had no living family, or at least none that cared about him. He took the letter in his paws, and tried to focus on the words, but his vision would blur every so often, and he found himself invariably looking up in Carrow's direction.
He forced himself onwward though, but only through great exertion. He wanted to be able to read the words of Selvis's father, to take joy in them, and he was of course happy for his weasel friend, but also, at the same time, felt more alone than he'd ever felt. Carrow was quite happy to see Elle... or so it seemed. Perhaps he wasn't cross after all.
It caused the knots to gradually loosen, and untwist themselves from the mess they'd been in. "You're very lucky to have a father like that Selvis." He said, pawing the letter back to the weasel after he'd finished with it. He smiled, a small one, but one that tried to show relief. "You're right. It will most likely be OK. I uh... well I think that's good. You've got a good letter there from a good father, at least from what I can tell. Hoo... I really feel like bolting to my tent... but seeing him there... it just puts me at ease I guess. He can't be mad..." he looked once more in Carrow's direction, a tired expression on his face.
"We'll see... I have to face it. I can't run from it. Come what may. I'll be there for it, just like he'd be there for it... and like you were." the albino said, gulping again as he girded himself. "Thanks at least... for saying he'll be OK. It helps... it really does." he stated, genuinely meaning it.
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