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Post by cmd1095 on Jun 13, 2023 22:39:17 GMT
Serena's outburst of emotion was stymied by Yanagi's reaction. She didn't expect Yanagi to be reduced to tears... but it seems she'd stirred up painful memories for the Wano woman somehow. Trust inflicts these wounds. Cutting more deeply than any blade when it is betrayed.Unbidden, memories flooded Serena's mind
"I'm sorry, but if I hand over your head I can finally get out of these slums. Just let the drug kick in, I'll make it painless... I can give you that much."
Lunging, grabbing. The drugs wouldn't work on her, not weak shit like this. Had to fight back. The flash of a blade, the feel of plunging it into a neck
"I trusted you! I thought we were... that you were... ARGH!"
over and over, stabbing, again and again. Couldn't risk them getting back up. If they survived they'd try again. Tears mixing with blood. It was over now but the blade kept going, driven by hurt and rage and despair as the only outlet... until the emotions burned out, and there was only wet and cold.
"I loved you..."
Serena shook her head, casting the memories out from her mind. Yanagi had already gone over to meditate. Serena wiped her tears and looked to the Wano swordswoman. "the only being in existence capable of denying one's own future and happiness...is oneself."The words echoed in her mind, she knew they were true. It was her own fears making her keep her distance here, not any valid suspicion of Yanagi. She could already tell the woman was as genuine as they came... that's why she hadn't slit her throat in the showers after all. But if she opened up again in that way and it went wrong... she wasn't sure she could endure that again. She had her family now... she could be satisfied with that... she could... it was fine. She was fine with this. That was a lie, of course it was. But she just couldn't bring herself to trust that way again... not with someone she only just met. Not yet... but maybe... maybe if Yanagi stuck around long enough she could consider opening up... just a little. She was too shaken up for the moment to talk with her more now though, plus Yanagi was meditating. They could try again later, for now Serena would devote her focus to training, practicing the moves she'd seen Yanagi performing to counter hers. Getting a feel for how they worked and related to each other... her observation had been brief, but she was already learning quite a bit from their brief training. |
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Post by ultralilly on Jun 14, 2023 0:08:10 GMT
Meditation began as it always did; a deep breath and some reflection. "Ow! Nnnngh...I'll never get this right! Maybe I should just give up...OW!"
"I'll hear no more of that talk. I'm not going to let you stop because it's getting difficult."
"But it hurts so much...I keep falling..."
"We all heal differently and all respond to difficulty with either determination or desperation. If I had given up, I'd be dead on the battlefield and you wouldn't be alive right now talking to your dear old grandfather."
"I want it to happen now. I want to be as strong as you right now!"
"Beeehahahaha! Getting strong is something that doesn't happen overnight, willow tree. It takes years of unwavering willpower and dedication to achieve what I have. And resolve. I had something worth fighting for."
"Something to fight for?"
"Yes, willow tree. A promise to keep. A promise to meet with someone."
"Then I'm gonna promise something too! One day, I'm gonna split the ocean in half with a single strike! You split that waterfall soI'm gonna aim for the ocean!"
"Beeehahaha!The ocean, eh? Gonna try to show me up, are ya?"
"Yeah!"
"Heh then I look forward to that day. Now that you have a promise to keep, I better not hear any of this talk about giving up again, hear me?"
"Mhm!"
"Promise me now, willow tree."
"I promise to never give up!"
Her eyes opened and exhaled. She had to keep going. No giving up. Not on her dream. Not on life. Not on helping Serena. One step at a time. It won't happen overnight. She smiled to herself. Just stick around. Prove you're worth something and someone they can rely on. |
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Time
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Post by Time on Jun 15, 2023 1:46:19 GMT
As the two were on their own paths, diving into memories of what was, a sudden sound would fill the air.
*Sploosh!*
A pillar of white sea foam rose a good 30 feet from the port side. Everyone's attention shifted to the pillar immediately, and noticed......
Nothing.
There was nothing in the distance. Nothing except white clouds and clear seas. It wasn't until a moment later that something new occurred. A cannonball flew towards the ship, as though it appeared out of thin air. It fell short just like last time, but was ever so slightly closer. The sound of a Cannon had been heard this time, as the pillar of water appeared again.
Suddenly it was clear. The Quillion Crew was Under attack! Instantly, a alarm bell was rang from the Crow's Nest, "BATTLE STATIONS! LOAD UP THE CANNONS! I need sight on our enemy now!" The voice at the Helm gave as she attempted to steer away from the cannon ball's next possible trajectory.
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Post by cmd1095 on Jun 15, 2023 2:04:14 GMT
Serena was shaken from her reflections and flashbacks by the sudden assault of reality... and cannonballs
"Oh hell I am not in the mood for this today" she grumbled as she rushed to the crows nest to get a visual on the enemy. She also readied her sword and got ready to intercept any cannonballs that might actually be on target with her wind cutter technique. She could always just take the hit with her devil fruit too, but she tried to avoid doing things she couldn't pass off as things other than her fruit lest word about her being a fruit user get out. So she'd save that as a last resort
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Onaka cursed and darted below deck to shout down to the engine room "Ayane we need those engines back up NOW! At least get them running enough for the trajectory turbines to start running again so we can change directions quickly! We've got cannonballs incoming!"
With that done she'd go to man the controls for the cannon towers. Being one of the crew's best marksman, if anyone was going to land shots at the ranges they were fighting at currently, it was her. It'd be up to Serena do direct efforts on deck until enemies got close enough for Onaka to pass the controls off to someone else.
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Ayane heard Onaka shouting and scrambled to work faster. Even if she couldn't get the engines spinning to full throttle, if she could get the side turbines going they'd be able to evade much more effectively by being able to move side to side on a dime.
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Post by ultralilly on Jun 15, 2023 8:12:29 GMT
The sound. The jarring sound. It brought Yanagi to her feet in an instant. Immediately she rushed over to the edge of the ship closest to where the last pillar had emerged and stood with sword drawn and eyes trained on the horizon. This wasn't going to be like last time! When the enemy caught her unaware and weakened. Her belly was full. Her mind was clear. And her blade was keen.
She knew not the enemy but anything that threatened the lives or the state of the ship she would gladly call her home for now was something that needed to be stopped. SHe had her precious weapon pointed down and her eyes narrowed.
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Time
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Post by Time on Jun 15, 2023 13:51:46 GMT
Scrambling up the mast to thr crow's nest, the Long armed grunt was viciously scanning the Horizon, before startlingly jumping as the looking glass hopped around in his hand, before taking the plunge down and unfortunately towards the water, "dangit! Now I need to get another one!".
Unfortunately his grievances would need to wait. As both he and Serena spotted the queerest sight before them. While they couldn't see any ship, they did see the smoke now against thr blue of the sea as opposed to blended in with the cloud ridden backdrop. What's more, they could also see from above the waking waves of something travelling through the waters, and as opposed to a swell, was a duvet in the water in the shape of a ship's hull. There was obviously something there, but not anything visible.
Meanwhile, Onaka would dart past Freya who was in the middle of dashing past herself to grab her medical bag. Freya didn't ask any questions, but there was obvious determination behind her movement. With their small crew, a single bad injury could be enough to cripple them and cost the fight, so Freya was designated as thr combat medic of the group, capable of dragging people on stretchers by herself if need be. Onaka would soon arrive at the canons, and quickly start the weapons up. Ayane had made them as easy to understand as possible, though the wind up time as the Cannons rotated and soon Okana would be able to see through the scope only to not find a target, though she did see another cannonball flying and could take a blind shot if need be.
Meanwhile Yanagi would see the same result as Okana, though she could see and sense the intent. Thinking back to the incident where she had been captured, hadn't a ship seemed to come out of thin air? In fact, when she did escape the ship been attacked by large sea snake of some sort it had seemingly vanished into thin air not a few moments afterwards....... So was this the same people?
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Post by cmd1095 on Jun 15, 2023 22:46:19 GMT
Serena looked at the empty space where a ship should be based on the duvet in the water. What sort of Ayane gadget bullshit was this? Wait... Ayane was on their ship... so this wasn't her doing. Any other time she might've been amused by how used to crazy nonsense she'd become, but right now she had crazy nonsense to deal with!
"Ok so thinking like Ayane or some inventor like her, if this were one of her crazy inventions what would be going on? Knowing her it'd be some sort of invisibility thing, and the duvet in the water is just her forgetting that the water would give away our location anyway as one of her oversights in designing it. Serena said... "...and also the moment the machine took damage it would explode... wait no that's an Ayane specific hazard... I think.
There was another incoming cannonball, Serena would keep an eye on it, and if the trajectory would make it a hit she'd unleash her wind cutter to detonate it in midair or slice through it, depending what kind of ammo their assailants were using.
"Onaka I've got a hunch!" She'd shout down towards the control room "aim at that area where the water is dipping in the shape of a ship hull! I'll rattle off the rough trajectory now!"
Serena would do just that, she wasn't an expert marksman like Onaka, but she could at least give a good enough read from her years of being on the ship to give Onaka a sense of where to look and figure the rest out herself
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Somewhere below deck, Ayane sneezed. "Weird, someone must be talking about me~ back to work!" she chirped cheerfully, continuing her engine work to try and get them starting at least at low throttle. She could restore them to full functionality later
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Onaka heard Serena's shout and aimed the cannons, if she at least had a general sense of where she was aiming she could handle the rest now. She set the firing pattern in roughly a grid shape. She might not know exactly where her target was, but firing the cannons in unison in this array would mean that so long as she was firing in roughly the right area she'd score a hit. After that all she needed to do was focus fire using the smoke of the explosion as a marker.
"Annnnd FIRE!" Onaka said cheerfully as she slammed the "fire all" button. A grid of cannonballs soaring through the air towards the duvet in the water. If there was something there to hit, at least a few of them would connect.
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Post by ultralilly on Jun 15, 2023 23:25:02 GMT
An unseen approach from an enemy that seemed all-too-familiar. Her heartbeat sped up then calmed down, knowing that this might very well be hercaptors from before. if this was the case, they were after her and her alone. Last time, she was caught unaware. But now that she had a clearer head and open eyes, she could see the approaching wake...and an intent that was none-too-pleasant.
How were they doing this? Was such a trick possible in the first place. It was true there were many wonders outside of Wano.
However, an unseen threat was something she knew quite a bit about. But those threats were usually cloaked in shadow. This was bright and should be in plain sight.
Nevertheless, she kept her readied stance.
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Time
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Post by Time on Jun 15, 2023 23:52:14 GMT
In the instant that the cannons fired from the Sea Quill, the shots rang out and echoed. Unlike most cannons, and even the cannons of some Marine navy ships; the Sea Quills cannon's design was made for near 360 degree movement, and more precisely for longer ranges. In an instant, four cannon balls fired, one from Onaka's mount and the other from one of the Grunts. While it wasn't perfect, the coordination between the three pointed a clear enough picture of where to aim, though only two of the four would have an effect.
The first cannon ball fell short, but sprayed water onto their target. In that instant, Onaka could see through the scope the faintest distortion of a ship, and an all too recognizable one. Marine based. The second shot made by Onaka was more accurate, as it struck the top backside of the ship, effectively causing a shower of splinters to billow out as what one could imagine was the Captain's quarters was given a nice new sunroof if only Onaka could see it. However, in instant retaliation, two cannons fired from their enemy, both smaller and whizzing through the air! The entire crew knew this sound all too well, as it was chain ball round, often used to destroy masts to cripple a ship's speed. They weren't as destructive if they hit the hull, but their lesser density meant they could travel further. The crew would have enough time to brace, as the lengths were soaring towards them.
As things were, Ayane would find that she had miscalculated once more. Despite the fact she had created a scapegoat tank, apparently the lines weren't protected enough, and they were warped, melted and burned beyond recognition as she finally spotted them. If they could be replaced and placed in a bucket of fuel, the side turbines could run for a short time. Enough to get a maneuvering burst of speed in a critical moment, and none the sooner as the sound of whizzing gave her the tell tale signs of Mast Breakers.
In their focus, both Serena and Yanagi could spot the chains flying towards them. They were fast, but they had distance to cover. Enough time to choose to either make a move, or risk a possible break in what could be their best vantage point!
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Post by cmd1095 on Jun 16, 2023 0:10:25 GMT
"Yanagi, if you can copy my wind cutter move or something similar, get the chain shot on the right!" Serena shouted down to Yanagi as she jumped from the mast and took a two handed grip on her sword as she raised it up. Mast breaker chains were tough, but they got their power more from speed than from being made of anything special.
With a grunt she'd slash down and unleash a full power wind cutter to meet the left chain shot in midair to strike the chain itself. She'd use the recoil of her full powered attack to knock herself back to the mast, ready for the next one. If the chain broke, it would make the two balls it was linking mostly harmless, most likely they'd fly wildly off course and not hit anything, but even if they hit the ship such small metal balls wouldn't do appreciable damage to the hull.
If the chain didn't end up breaking and the attack was still coming, she'd jump again, this time taking the hit herself to use her devil fruit to absorb the impact and make the chain shot stop and drop to the deck.
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Ayane cursed as she saw the damage... Serena and Freya were gonna be pissed at her for damaging the ship mid-voyage. Especially with the bad timing of it all, but at least she knew the problem and could get things running. She yanked the destroyed lines out and then used their former location as a reference as she focused and used her fruit to create replacement lines. There were parts to make actual replacements on the ship but that would take time. Her copied lines would be an impermanent fix, but they'd do for the moment so long as she didn't end up going for a swim in the ocean and get her powers turned off. She'd slot in a tank of fuel and slam the button to fire things up.
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Onaka smirked as her grid pattern did it's job. That brief reveal of where the ship was told her all she needed to know. She now knew the design and location of the enemy ship. If it didn't have any fancy maneuvering tech like their own ship then it'd be easy to pelt it with cannonballs now. She adjusted the aim of the cannons and began to open fire in sets of two. Her and the other most skilled marksman among the grunts, followed by the others who could use the first set as guidance for their own shots.
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Post by ultralilly on Jun 16, 2023 0:28:35 GMT
Before even being told to do so, Yanagi was already rushing toward the threat. With blade pointed down, she'd turn it so the edge faced upward. With one step, she leapt into the air and proceeded to swing the blade upward in an overhead arc.
"One Sword Style-Suzaku: Wingcutter!"
She aimed at the same place as Serena but on the other shot to mitigate the damage the projectile would cause. While Serena had her wind cutter technique, Yanagi's version looked as if it were a perfected style that while lacking in its shockwave more than made up for its reach and execution.
Yanagi would land crouched with her prized weapon held off to her right side, not needing to look at her work to know how clean the cut had been.
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Time
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Post by Time on Jun 16, 2023 1:53:19 GMT
In the crux of the moment the two executed their defense flawlessly, though with varying results. For Yanagi, her attack would cut clean through the rotating chains, breaking a single link, though the resulting two metal balls were carried upwards slightly by the attack, sailing into one of the sails.and ripping a clean hole near the bottom of the canvas. The other sailed short of the canvas arching just below it, and off into the blue yonder.
As for Serena, her effect was more successful, and well practiced though by applying her devil fruit powers. The chain shot would stop, and instead of swinging around they did fall. Of course their weight due to gravity wasn't kinetically induced, so she still had to let it fall, but now she could feel a charge of dynamism flowing through her. She could easily hold onto this charge without problems, and deliver it back on depending on how she chose to apply it.
In moment, Okana would notice something else, as the boat began to finally shimmer back into visible sight. It wasn't just any marine ship. It was a model designed with a steam engine, noticable by the two smoke towers on the sides. It seemed to lack the normal bluish grey hull that was characteristic of Calm belt models. Instantly, as the Sea Quill's own engines finally roared to life with the improvised and rapidly made parts, so too did the marines fire up their own engines, choosing to forgo a stealthy ambush for favor of full on assault!
"Captain!", Moxie yelled as she noticed their enemies now had matching speed to theirs,"What are your orders? Do we run or fight?". The fishwoman knew all too well that the speed in which Ayane fixed the engine up was too fast. If any water got into the engine room or onto the copied parts their engines would die immediately again. On the opposite side, Onaka knew who they were after now, as did Yanagi. What was the choice?
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Post by cmd1095 on Jun 16, 2023 2:37:27 GMT
Onaka weighed the options, now that she could see the ship bombarding it was a piece of cake, and the Sea Quill was a powerful ship. They could probably win, but there was always the risk of taking damage. Unfortunately she didn't see much of a chance of fleeing successfully. Ayane might've just gotten the engines moving, but it took time for them to rev up to full speed, and the Marines had engines on their ship too. They wouldn't be able to get to a speed where they could shake them quickly, and if the engine room took damage and seawater got in Ayane's replacement parts would poof and they'd be back to the sails again.
All in all, it seemed running was out of the question... and besides. Seeing what these marines did to Yanagi made Onaka want to teach them a lesson. Some Marines were genuinely nice people just looking to protect civilians from the bad pirates... but these weren't that type. Which meant they needed no mercy
"Get those engines running and try to keep our distance, we can't outrun it but I don't want them boarding us unless our plan becomes siccing Serena on them. Which I mean, they might be marines but I'm not sure they deserve SERENA"
"Hey!"
"anyway load up one of those shells into my cannon. We know where they are now, time to shut them down and go to town" Onaka said "let's give em a nice big payload to choke on
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Serena grumbled in indignation at Onaka's comments, but it was true she was one of the strongest fighters they had, and she tended towards not holding back. If they didn't have an answer to her on board she'd likely just wreck the ship in a boarding battle.
Serena looked to Yanagi "don't worry. We've dealt with more dangerous threats than this before. They're not going to get their hands on you again. she said. Whatever her conflicts with Yanagi so far, she wouldn't let the marines take another person into slavery right off her own ship. Besides, she wanted this one around now.
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Ayane beamed at the mention of firing the payload, and promptly ran out of the engine room, grabbed one of the volatile shells, and darted over to Onaka's cannon loading it in. These shells were a nasty concoction, a single one could disable a marine ship for quite some time. Not because of how destructive they were, but because they detonated into thick clouds of foul smelling smoke that brought tears to the eyes and lunches back up the pipes without fail. The smoke obscured the enemy's sight and incapacitated anyone unlucky enough to get it in their eyes or lungs... It was perfect for letting them flee an enemy... or in this case shutting down their offenses while the cannons did their work tearing an enemy apart.
"Do your thing captain!" Ayane called
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"Gladly" Onaka said with a malicious grin as she aimed right for the marine ship deck and fired the payload. The marines were going to regret many of their life choices in just a moment. "Everyone else, concentrate fire on their cannons while they're disabled by the smoke. We're doing this by the book and dismantling them. Whoever gets the most cannons shot out gets extra dessert tonight!"
"Hey I didn't agree to this! Ugh... fine" Serena grumbled
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Post by ultralilly on Jun 16, 2023 5:56:45 GMT
Her cut did do the job but it still caused harm; something Yanagi regretted. It should have been more on point. Had she been mistaken in her judgement? Whatever the case was, this was an issue she needed to solve and getting the ones who rescued her involved was out of the question. Yet here they were already taking action. There was no need to do more for her than they already did. Let her take the brunt of all of this instead of them. They needed to be repaid.
Serena looked at her and assured her that they weren't going to capture her again. But Yanagi's thoughts were not of herself but of what would happen to the ones who saved her. She'd already put Serena through trouble enough. Now she was endangering the entire crew just by sticking around. They didn't need to go this far.
Her thoughts went between Freya who treated her body, Onaka who was accepting, Ayane who was supportive and felt like home, and Serena who fed her and was rough around the edges and even threatened her life and moreover saved her life. There would be no way Serena would let her fall into their hands. She'd now convinced herself of this. But this was a crew that had been together for awhile. They had established who was who. They each had a history she wanted to know more about. After the harm she had just caused, she wanted to make up for that. For the people who rescued her. And for making way for her dream.
She ran to the side of the ship where the distortions could be seen. Her handmade geta clopped upon the edge. Wearing only her hakama and breastband otherwise, she managed to shout out quite boldly something she knew she couldn't take back. But she was partially responsible. She had to look out for her new companions.
"I am the one you want; Yanagi Ebigawa! Of Kuri! If you intend on harming my new friends, I will become an enemy of this world! Focus on me! I will show you just how ferocious one born in Wano's swordplay is!"
Her eyes were flashing coldly with their emerald hue. Itmight bring the might of the Marine's upon this group. But that was fine. Yanagi would meet this might with her own!
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Time
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Post by Time on Jun 16, 2023 17:35:59 GMT
The mechanical loader carried the payload up into the cannon after it was refilled, allowing for the shot to be fired off without a hitch. Unfortunately it was slower than traditional loading of a normal crew, where four grunts would load the cannon within half a minute. In that time, the marine ship had done something no one expected, especially as no other marine crew had seemed to have this. In a moment, their bow split, and a massive cannon could be see, but more importantly was the dreadfully large looking harpoon at the end of it. From beside Moxie, Isabella cursed and yelled out a warning, "Sea Catcher Harpoon! Don't let it hit the engines!".
In a that moment, Moxie spotted where they would hit, before deciding to do what needed to be done. Everyone in the Quillon Crew was given a single warning. "BRACE!", As the ship's rotation turbines ran full force as hard as it could to rotate towards the incoming threat. In that moment, the Harpoon fired as the Sea Quill faced their enemy. Everyone that wasn't secured down or capable of withstanding the inert forces were forced down or to brace.
While Serena could negate this to an extent by placing a hand on the ship, Yanagi who had little to no experience on the sea would find that her footing was far less than stable, as she would begin to roll and tumble backwards unless something was done. The hook bit deep into the Quill. Immediately the ship shook as Ayane would spot the harpoon's head imbedded within the hull at the other side of the hall. Instantly, water began to leak in. It wasn't a torrent, but it would cause problems if she didn't do something or call for help.
Them there was the second problem and a more important one. Attached to the chain was a massive anchor chain, a clear reason why the name Sea Catcher was given it's title. The chain was easily thick enough that someone could walk on the links, but it was being pulled taught. Of course this wasn't without repercussions of the marine's end. In that short moment before turning and getting hit, Onaka had lined and fired her shot.
The effect was instantly obvious as the back of the marine's ship was billowing in putrid black smoke. The oddest thing though? Now the ship seemed to occilate between being visible and turning transparent in various places as though whatever had caused the visibility was now suffering from their attack.
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