Entry tags:
- !event,
- #innocence,
- abel nightroad: martyr,
- akua sahelian: sovereign,
- alphys: lover,
- amos burton: lover,
- archduke j: visionary,
- barnaby brooks jr: lover,
- caitlyn kiramman: champion,
- cid garlond: artisan,
- ciel: martyr,
- emet-selch: champion,
- ernesto salas: lover,
- estinien wyrmblood: firebrand,
- eustace: firebrand,
- father paul hill: martyr,
- gray: innocent,
- himeka sui: wanderer,
- howl: celebrant,
- jae ha: wanderer,
- jayce talis: visionary,
- johnny joestar: firebrand,
- kaeya alberich: lover,
- kim dokja: martyr,
- kim kitsuragi: martyr,
- koriel xii (dextera): lover,
- liem talbott: champion,
- lumine (the traveler): wanderer,
- luo binghe: firebrand,
- majorita: firebrand,
- makoto ("m"): firebrand,
- meteion: innocent,
- minegishi gen: lover,
- moiraine damodred: champion,
- rand al'thor: martyr,
- rin yamaoka: firebrand,
- ryunosuke naruhodo: champion,
- syrlya: champion,
- tartaglia (childe): firebrand,
- toge inumaki: innocent,
- yoo joonghyuk: champion,
- yuuta okkotsu: lover,
- yuya sakaki: lover,
- zenos viator galvus: visionary
EVENT #3: THE COST OF INNOCENCE
The Cost of Innocence
INVESTIGATION
As the Aions arrive in Venera, they will find the natural beauty of the city in sharp contrast to its uncomfortable aura. Though the sun still shines and flowers still bloom in a place filled with physical vibrancy and life, the air itself is impossibly still, as if wind no longer blows. You can taste the stagnancy of it when you breathe, and the pleasant sights only make that feeling of absence more haunting. The streets are mostly empty, with most of the city's residents hiding away in their homes, fearing the touch of whatever illness has caused this. That is, all the citizens besides those most affected, who wander the streets in a lifeless and painless daze. Normally, Venera would be occupied by both Hylician and Achamite soldiers, but it quickly becomes apparent that both have abandoned the city, only guarding its furthest outskirts. Their reasons vary: the Achamite soldiers seem to take religious objection to the feeling of the city, believing it to be some trickery of the Innocent, while the Hylicians simply see it as a plague they have no interest in catching or spreading. Because of this, it will be easy for Aions of both sects to explore with little pushback from any form of law enforcement. The Kenoma will be directed into the city with warnings about the potential physical and spiritual danger while Pleroma will be able to sneak in mostly unbothered. After all, no one is eager to follow you.
Most shops and businesses are currently closed, though some uninfected individuals still nervously keep watch over their workplaces, fearing potential looting. It's difficult, but not impossible, to find people to talk to, and while the most plentiful wanderers are the infected, the reactions from those with their minds still intact will vary. Some will be eager to speak to anyone who looks like they're trying to do something about their situation, desperate for any source of outside help. If revealed you are an Aion, this may either entice them even further or cause them to retreat, as if fearing that you are somehow to blame for their plight. For those that are enticed, it will become clear that they hold onto faith that Aions are in Horos to save them, and will tell these new arrivals whatever they can without discriminating between sects.
The base level information that can be found is thus: the infection began at the same levels it has been in the rest of Horos, only for the numbers of the afflicted to rapidly accelerate upon the coming of the Innocent's Moon. Some see it as a form of divine punishment for their cooperation with the Regent, while the less cooperative citizens see it as a malady brought about by the Aions themselves, their only hope being that they will be able to clean up the mess they made. Some citizen have managed to corral their inflicted loves ones into their rooms and will be willing to introduce you; most of these individuals are past the point of conversation, and seem fully lost to whatever fantasy world they are experiencing. They are disinterested in eating or drinking and it seems like, without help, they are destined for a slow death of starvation and atrophy. That is, if their apathetic state doesn't result in a severe accident, as it has in many cases already.
Any other clues will take more dogged investigation. It will be a day or so after the majority of Aions have arrived in the city that the first signs of their own infections become clear.
HEAVENLY BODIES
The first to feel its effects will be the Innocents, Lovers, and Celebrants; like a voice has fully awakening to them, whispering of how their touch can be the cure to the others' pain. It bids them to take their fellow Aions into their loving embrace, to share this gift, as only suffering lies ahead. It expresses without words that it will be a shield for their Aion kindred, and that those that accept will become their outstretched hands to a cosmos that craves peace. Any form of physical contact with those three Legacies will either introduce or rapidly accelerate the infections experienced by the others, this effect only becoming more intense if the wielder intentionally forces the power of this strange entity into their victims. Even without that accelerating touch, however, other Aions are not necessarily safe; the infection will still seep in, albeit more slowly. All Aions may experience a growing feeling of connection to the infected Venerans, as if the energy within them is being drawn into their their own bodies. As the Aion's symptoms worsen, the the ones suffered by the Venerans will gradually lessen, though not go away entirely. It seems that the Aions soaking up this strange power is enough to take the edge off of what is happening to the citizens: but at what cost?
Various symptoms will manifest in afflicted Aions with outcomes far more diverse and devastating than what the Veneran civilians have experienced. Visionaries, Firebrands, and Artisans will suffer the most catastrophic symptoms, the clash between their spiritual natures and that of the Innocence being the most extreme. This malady is characterized by its innate desire to quell its victims of their resistance, smothering them in artificial peace, even if it has to deprive them of their bodies and minds to do so.
It is not without treatment, however. It will gradually become apparent that feelings of intense suffering or upset are capable of purging the infection, that clash with painful reality seeming to wake them up from their trance and reduce or eliminate physical symptoms. The more intense the distress, the more effective it will be. Fortunately, this heightening of Aion spiritual energy has the added consequence of making empathic communion connections far more acute. Instead of just transmitting and receiving emotions and thoughts, Aions will find themselves more easily able to enter the delusions and memories of their kindred, drawing them out and manipulating them for this purpose. The catch is that they will only be able to access what is on the surface of the other Aion's mind.
When an infection is reduced or expelled this way, the energy causing it seems to be dispelled from the city, lowering the intensity of its ambient effects. While similar can be done to Veneran citizens to help treat them, the energy will not leave, and will either go into the Aion casting it out or return to the nebulous source of Innocence and eventually infect someone else. Something about going through the Aions specifically seems to act as a filter, as unpleasant of a way as it is to help.
IN THE SILENCE
For those unlucky enough to develop complete, or near complete, infections (IE. a full Innocence petrification) a presence will awaken within them regardless of their Legacy. It will urge them to join with it, to embrace the peace it offers, and to become the extensions of their will in this ravaged world. With an infection of this intensity, there will be little they can do but to hear its call. What exactly this would ultimately entail is unclear, but there is the sense that his entity is looking to join with you on a spiritual level. If your character becomes infected to this degree please let us know under the Committed Actions toplevel below along with the context of that transformation and whether or not they are being cured from it. You may receive some additional information in return!
QUESTIONS
What is the best way for Aions to travel to Venera?
The quickest travel paths are for Kenoma to take a boat from Achamoth, which will take about a day, and for Pleroma to teleport to the Celebrant's shrine and take either a carriage or river boat to the city (there are offshoot rivers not marked on the setting map). The riverboats would be the faster option option of the two, and would also take about a day. The carriages/delivery carts would be slower and take a couple days, but have relay access to horses and therefore could keep going overnight. Characters with flight are also able to use that, though flying right into the city might cause a bit of spectacle. Then again, none of the local law enforcement is eager to chase you at the moment.
Are Veneran civilians experiencing the same symptoms as the Aions?
Veneran civilians are only experiencing apathy/loss of self/daydreaming and maybe the loss of pigments/color for advanced cases. The more body horror orientated effects are Aion only and are being caused by their body's spiritual makeup.
Can 'cured' Aions be reinfected?
Yes! Even if cured or treated, symptoms can return or worsen again. This will keep happening until the build up of Innocence energy in Venera is entirely expunged, at which point the illness will fade away across the continent. Whether or not the Aions mere presence will be enough to trigger that is yet unknown, but it does seem to be helping lessen the effects suffered by the civilians, at least.
How long does the infection period last in Aions?
Chronologically, we are considering the infection period of the plot to last 2-3 days.
The quickest travel paths are for Kenoma to take a boat from Achamoth, which will take about a day, and for Pleroma to teleport to the Celebrant's shrine and take either a carriage or river boat to the city (there are offshoot rivers not marked on the setting map). The riverboats would be the faster option option of the two, and would also take about a day. The carriages/delivery carts would be slower and take a couple days, but have relay access to horses and therefore could keep going overnight. Characters with flight are also able to use that, though flying right into the city might cause a bit of spectacle. Then again, none of the local law enforcement is eager to chase you at the moment.
Are Veneran civilians experiencing the same symptoms as the Aions?
Veneran civilians are only experiencing apathy/loss of self/daydreaming and maybe the loss of pigments/color for advanced cases. The more body horror orientated effects are Aion only and are being caused by their body's spiritual makeup.
Can 'cured' Aions be reinfected?
Yes! Even if cured or treated, symptoms can return or worsen again. This will keep happening until the build up of Innocence energy in Venera is entirely expunged, at which point the illness will fade away across the continent. Whether or not the Aions mere presence will be enough to trigger that is yet unknown, but it does seem to be helping lessen the effects suffered by the civilians, at least.
How long does the infection period last in Aions?
Chronologically, we are considering the infection period of the plot to last 2-3 days.

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Everything? That's a lot of stuff.
[ It's not a refusal though, evident in how she locks her arm with one of his, intending to pull him farther into the city. ]
For starters, as you can see, I'm good as new. [ Insert a wink here!! And that much is certain: she seems much, much healthier and upbeat than she had in the depths of that cave; she appears well-fed, well rested, well dressed. Actually, she looks much more like what she would consider her "normal self," with the lids of her eyes and lashes painted with various cosmetics, her hair brushed and styled nicely. ] So that's one request out of the way! Living in Achamoth is super fun.
[ She even holds up a manicured finger for emphasis. Then, as if remembering something: ]
Oh, you must've heard about the city by now, right?
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Ah-- yes, I've heard that Achamoth is... hm. What's the word for it? Opulent? Extravagant? ...Envy-inducing? Mm, definitely that last one. --I heard you have free reign of the pantries at all hours of the day or night?! And private quarters, and--
[ he might be going on a tangent, here, but-- goodness, she really does look worlds better than the last time their paths had crossed back in the cavern. well taken care of to say the least, though it is as worrisome as it is an immense relief to see her in good spirits, in good health. the more she is settling 'well' into Achamoth and among the Kenoma...
...the further she slides away from him, more solidly into their hold. isn't that right...? ]
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[ She interjects into his tangent with a tiny giggle. It's true— life in Achamoth is extravagant. A part of her wonders where he even came across such information... which Kenoma has he been talking to? Did he know anything else about what had happened thus far in the city? They're all questions that would definitely be far too inappropriate to ask, and far too incriminating. So she keeps her tone light, only playfully annoyed when she continues, steering the conversation away from Achamoth for a second. ]
I wanted to learn more about what things have been like on your end too, but that Ernesto wouldn't tell me a thing. He's so stingy.
[ Which was to be expected, she supposes, and it's not like she had totally innocent reasons for trying to dig. As much as she'll say otherwise. Still, she puffs out her cheeks like it's all oh-so-very unfair, snuggling her body close to his arm that she's captured. Abel seems weak to affection, so maybe he'll feel more inclined to share with the class if she cuddles?? this is the highly complex strategy she's built going into this conversation. ]
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Ha-- he's a discerning fellow, you know? Much as I hate to say it, with things as they are... I suppose it makes sense he would-be mum! [ Abel might pick and choose what he divulges as well, but it's likely he will be more forthcoming and open than his dear dog-eared friend. ] Things have been-- ah. Interesting... a bit hard to put into words, and I don't mean that in some attempt to be vague or anything, Miss Misa-- it's... It's really the sort of thing where I don't really know where to start, you know?
[ their separation after the cavern had led from one oddity to the next, and trying to get acclimated in a foreign world had with no resources to their name was absolutely a work in progress. ]
We're making due, at least. It's a bit messy, but we're finding our way... and I hope that outside of nice accommodations, you've been treated kindly and things are going well for you, too...?
[ his concern isn't for the lavish life of an Aion of Achamoth... but rather the person who had seen her delivered there in the first place. the Regent... what is Misa's day-to-day like beneath them? ]
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Oh, yeah, I've been treated really kindly! A lot better than a bunch of the Kenoma, just saying.
[ There's a bit of prideful humor there - she's clearly very confident of her standing in Achamoth, and comfortable with where her life is at present. She's never once been admonished by them, and if Xishen is to be believed, then she's about to get a GOOD JOB for organizing the welcome of the new Kenoma. In every sense of her being, she seems like she has not a thing to worry about. ]
I mean, you must have talked to other Kenoma, since you know about the Citadel...? Did you think things wouldn't be going well for me?
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but his smile remains where it is and he nods along, feigning he's unbothered by this Worrying Information, tucking it away for later. ]
Well, admittedly... what I heard wasn't much-- just that it was rather lavish and excruciatingly wonderful, as far as accommodations were concerned... um, and something about a dinner? [ it really sounds like he knows more than he does, not that he's aware it was more than a meal-- ] But it's hard for me to imagine that any man or woman worth their salt would find you anything but charming, of course~! A fool wouldn't prize Miss Misa's company, so there really wasn't any doubt in my mind, you know...
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[ It's a small airheaded little comment, but it does speak to the fact that she sees herself as inherently different from the rest of her newfound kin. Her appraisal of the majority of her comrades is that they're all a bunch of either way-too-serious, fun hating, or somewhat wishy-washy jerks. There are few, if any, of the Kenoma that enable her in such a straightforward way, and in return, her affection for the other only grows. ]
I mean, the Regent appreciates my efforts, but mostly everyone else, all they do is complain even when I do something nice for them. I guess that makes them all fools, doesn't it?
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but then Misa is smoothly moving on, and Abel is forced to move right along with her. (oh, dear; he really is developing a Fear here...) ]
Is that so...? Goodness; I see I'm going to have to prepare some lectures at this rate! Mm, this simply won't do. Not giving my Miss Misa the appreciation she deserves...?! Deplorable.
[ he's pulling a face, shaking his head as if this is some true and unconscionable travesty. FOR SHAME, PEOPLE. ]
You'll have to give me a list of those I need to set straight~! Hmph. The hall of some people, unbelievable...
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For the time being, it's fine with her to play at being friends. In the long run, it won't make a difference to her. So why not have fun while she can? ]
How about starting with that stuffy Eustace? I've had enough of him acting so annoyed with me. You should teach him a lesson!
[ And why would she say this? Because she thinks it'd simply be funny for Eustace to get annoyed in the future by Abel. And according to Gen's account, he instigated a fight at her party, after she spent so much time on it? This is what he deserves? And she conveniently forgot that he was actually nice to her at the end of the party?
That, and she doesn't actually want Abel to go after some of the harsher critics she's come across - some of the Kenoma, she can sense, look down on her condescendingly, and not in the 'exasperated annoyance' way. Probably better to keep things all fun and games and jokes, keep up the façade that this all some lighthearted game to her. ]
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Eustace? [ he isn't familiar with the name because NO ONE likes INTRODUCING THEMSELVES to a certain priest??? this is an injustice, but if this is the way Abel learns his dog-eared stoic 'friend's' name? that seems fitting, surely that would stick all the harder in Eustace's craw and delight Misa, too. ] Um-- who is that, exactly? I'm sorry, but I'm really terrible with names in the first place-- and there were quite a few people who rudely refused introductions, if you could believe it...
[ like who would do that?? miscreants. horrible. ]
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[ These are Eustace's defining traits to her... She rattles off his physical description quick as can be, apparently not thinking about how giving out the identities of her fellow Kenoma could be a problem? It's probably fine. Makes sense that Eustace doesn't introduce himself to Pleromas, but why does it matter that much? Surely there's someone on that side that knows him? She's not gonna worry about it. ]
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[ the grumpy dog-eared man...!! Abel is nodding along at this sudden revelation; that is one face that now has a name attached; ty for your service lil Misa... bless. mwah. she's flawless. ]
And now that you mention it, he does take himself entirely too seriously, doesn't he? He's always like--
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I'm dark and brooding despite my charming dog ears. --Ah, wait, this is already inaccurate... I don't think he'd even say as much aloud at one time without combusting internally.
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No, exactly! He's really just like that. Always frowning or scolding me somehow...
[ She releases one of her arms from hugging his, but only to clap her hands together at his very accurate portrayal of Kenoma's premier dogboy. ]
People like that, it's like they want to stay mad, right? I bet there's a Eustace on your team, too.
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Oh, yes, absolutely~! --Ah, Miss MISA. Miss Misa, that reminds me!! Goodness, do I have a story for you! But-- listen, we need to have a snack and a good spot of tea if we're going to dish all the delicious details befitting of this reunion, right?! --Come with me!
[ and without further ado, Abel is unceremoniously grasping Misa by the hand and beginning to tug her off toward an Unknown and Mysterious destination!! gasp, ]
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[ She agrees readily, clasping onto his hand tight as he pulls her along. Abel seems innocent, so she's pretty sure he's being honest about tugging her to go have food, and not into like.... a Kenoma wrangling trap. Plus, how can she not be interested in hearing hot goss from the Pleroma side??? ]
But nothing too fancy, okay? I don't have very much money...
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[ he's shooting her an incredulous look over his shoulder as he continues pulling her along; w-what, no way, is she trying to pull the wool over his eyes?! he thought the Kenoma had a pretty sweet deal under the Regent's wing, but maybe he was wrong... ]
O-oh, well, in that case I suppose it will simply have to be my treat-- um, as long as we can find somewhere still open, that is... And in my price range... Jools do not grow on trees, you know, and some of us have to arduously slave for a living, it's terrible!! I'm not cut out for this kind of manual labor, you know...?!
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I guess you guys don't have someone to give you an allowance, huh? Poor Abel...
[ And she plays up just How Very Sad it is by saturating her words with a saccharine sympathy, because poor Abel, poor, poor Abel, having to do some manual labor. She relates! ]
I promise I won't buy anything expensive, so you don't have to slave away. We can even share something. [ Despite the fact that the jools she does have probably equal his, and she is not bringing that up or offering to pay for half.... it's wrong to steal from him, but also, what if she gets in trouble for feeding the enemy side?? She suddenly points out some shop a ways away that actually has someone standing in front of it for a change. ] There! There's someone who's open! Yoo-hoo, excuse us!!
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[ god, she is feeding directly into his Woe-Is-Me melodrama, and boy does he love her for that, nodding his head along in the UTMOST pitiful ascertain his life is just so hard?? so hard. she must get it, mmhm. she just Understands what it's like out here when you just want to get paid and not have to like, work? disgusting.
but the sight of a shopkeep who hasn't yet completely closed up and said Bye, Felicia to their Aion interlopers is like striking the jackpot - and Abel is immediately following up on Misa's enthusiasm-- ]
--Please! Please, would you be kind enough to-- yes, I'm just going to help myself in here for a bit, I promise we'll be out of your hair in no time-- I have jools, of course, and perhaps you need some help in the back, miss? We're in desperate need of some nourishment, and surely you'd be kind enough to offer succor to two pitiable souls...? Did I mention your hair is lovely today~?
[ yes, he is just muscling his way through the door before it can be closed on him rather shamelessly; the shopkeep is looking at this man like she might be considering getting her broom and thwacking him with it, but...
after heaving a heavy sigh, she moves aside and ushers them in.
what a convenient surprise that this is, as it turns out... a bakery!! Abel is holding the door open with a flourishing bow, as if rolling out the red carpet for his companion. ]
Ah~! Miss Misa, after you, if you'd be so kind. Please. I insist. Ladies first, chivalry is not dead, I assure you.
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Oh, a bakery!
[ Curiously, she ambles on over to some of the displayed loaves, looking back over her shoulder once to Abel himself - though, when she speaks again, she keeps her face turned away. Whether she likes it or not— it does draw forward the memory of the cavern, much as she's kept herself from thinking about it these last few months. Her chatty way of joking has less effort behind it as a result: ]
This is good stuff for sharing. Lucky us, huh? Maybe I should try to guess what kind of breads Abel likes...
[ And while she doesn't acknowledge the parallel outright, there's a barely noticeable dip in her excitement and merriment, her brighter nature dimmed as though a light. ]
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Ah, hey, Miss Misa... did you know that legend tells of an amazing, ethereal and extremely handsome creature known only to the locals as... the Bread Fairy? Shh, shh, you didn't hear this from me-- but supposedly he's a rather big deal around these parts. They say if you touch your nose three times and go, "kyaa~!" in a cute voice, something magical and delicious may be granted to you...
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There's a beat where she just stares at him, so unlike how she might immediately play along, and unwillingly, there's a slight clench in her chest, a feeling eerily sentimental. ]
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Ehe... is that true?
[ It's obviously not, and inwardly, she's thinking - Abel likes this kind of fanservice? Or probably more likely, he's just joking around? In either case, it's funny, and adorable, and not creepy despite the fact that she doesn't have a clue how old Abel is. He's simply not like the many, many company executives or directors who have asked her to do similar things, so it doesn't bother her - she's only surprised he's able to feel this lighthearted about everything...
Her smile broadens, donning a cutesy affectation as if it comes as naturally to her as breathing. She's an idol through and through. ]
In that case, one, two, three—
[ She taps her nose with the point of her index finger three times just as instructed, then gives her best, picturesque smile: ]
Kyaaaa! How's that?
kween,,, he will die for her. goodbye
she--
...she actually did it.
it should be obvious that he was expecting to be told off or laughed away and swatted like he's an idiot or a weirdo; that is the kind of response he'd get in these situations, you know?? a great deal of his closest friends at home would rather kick him in the ass (affectionately) than humor his shenanigans, after all, no matter how much they were Ride or Die and all that. one does not HUMOR Abel Nightroad.
but Misa--
Misa...
blessed, perfect Misa...
he is melting. he is melting, his insides slowly but surely becoming the consistency of liquid goop that is singularly smitten for this girl (in the way a man feels the incessant need to take one under his wing, to keep them safe, with paternal fondness)...... ]
Y-you... you really did it...
[ he sure did just whisper that aloud, frozen, touched, MOVED, and apparently experiencing some kind of fatal shutdown error-- ]
and i, me, will die for abel... goodbye
Well, of course I did. I saw how much you get cheered up by this kind of thing before... are cute girls your type or something, Abel?
[ A cheeky tease, while she rocks back and forth on her heels. It's simply adorable watching him, and moreover, Misa gets a sense of satisfaction whenever she feels she can get someone wrapped around her finger. In an innocent, fun-having sense, of course. Her charms don't work so well on the people she spends the most time around now, she can't help herself. ]
no........... jams, don't leave us for the undeserving...
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oh my god this icon. poor meowmeow
misa please pity him (do not do this)
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