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erku mods ([personal profile] erkumods) wrote in [community profile] ercookies2021-07-18 10:36 am
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TDM 015: IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PARADISE

TDM 015: IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PARADISE



00. Arrival





You come out of the water, the Nameless Island's own inherent energy drawing people in. It's like being suspended between realities and abruptly pushed from behind through a rift in dimensions. It may make you sick, or that might be the motion of the ocean, lifting you to the surface and carrying you to shore.

Waterlogged and covered in sand, new arrivals will be greeted by robots who welcome them with towels and bracelet devices. The A5 card is already loaded up. If you don’t manage to get away from them quickly enough, they may even usher you toward the Laid Bare Spa, where new arrivals will be offered free massages, a sauna, hairstyling, and their clothing may come up permanently missing. But you will be given a complimentary towel to leave with if needed!

Feel free to explore the Island, though there isn’t much to see beyond what arrivals before you have helped to rebuild. Most of the buildings are abandoned and in dire need of repair, and beyond the city lingers a thick fog that obscures much of the wilderness from view. Wander too far into this fog, and you will find yourself mysteriously looping back to where you began, your memories of what you were doing and how you got there erased.

With that in mind, it may be wise to stake your claim on a place to live in the now, whether a rundown apartment in the City, a tent on the beach, a bed in the barracks, or your own space at the House of Worship. Your inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each person's makeshift home.



I. Beach Episode





Welcome to your beautiful and sunny island paradise, Erku! ...wait, it's sunny? That's right! For about two weeks, the Island will enjoy unusually warm and clear weather, just perfect for enjoying the cool waters of the beach. Don't swim out too far, however, lest you stray into hazardous choppy waters or get lost in the fog that still lingers beyond the peaceful cove. Just stay close, and you're golden! Once again, friendly robots have erected beachside food stalls for grilling fish and crabs, and encourage any enterprising Islanders to help hawk foods for credits.

If gutting and cleaning fish isn't your forte, however, never fear. The robots are recruiting for a very important task! You see, they have very thoughtfully set up swimming and snorkeling lessons for any Islanders who are doubting their skills at staying afloat, or who just want to have some fun in the waves. There is only one complication: the robots are too heavy to swim.

Enter, you! Earn credits by instructing your fellow Islanders in the marvels of the ocean. Not just swimming and snorkeling, but also fishing, clam digging, and sand castle art - among other things - are valuable skills you can sell.



II. Sand Sport





For the more competitive sort, the robots of Erku are happy to share a bit of culture from the planet's ancient past: wet sand wrestling! Volunteers (or any innocent Islander roped off the beach by an enthusiastic 'bot) don their skimpiest swimwear and duke it out for dominance in the wet sand by trying to throw their opponent outside of a ring. Knock-outs count as an automatic lose, so be careful! Oh, and no worries if you aren't particularly strong. Before the match, competitors are offered a a special drink - simply named "The Creamy" - an ancient recipe which is said to temporarily increase your strength and vitality. One shot of this, and anyone could take on Goliath! (And not just in a fight.)

By the way… those who lose the competition are mysteriously compelled to accompany the victor for the day, waiting on them hand and foot, anticipating and fulfilling their needs before they are spoken. Did the 'bots forget to mention that?



III. Graciously Given Gifts





While swimming in the nude is completely acceptable on the Island, the robots know that many residents still (for some reason) value their modesty. That is why they are happy to encourage beachside revelry and communion by making sure scanty swimwear is readily available to Islanders who are in need of something to cover up with - while still showing off your assets, of course. Islanders may purchase for themselves, but they are especially encouraged to gift swimwear to their fellow Islanders... in fact, any swimwear to be given as a gift is free! Not only is it a lovely gesture to let a friend or lover know you appreciate their body, but also, swimwear received as a gift is said to be very good luck in wet sand wrestling competitions.

Naturally, the robots are sensitive to the emotional needs of their organic charges, and thus they wouldn't want any new, recent, or less personable arrivals to the Island to feel left out for not receiving gifts. That's why some Islanders will find surprise swimsuits in pretty gift wrap sitting on their literal or metaphorical doorstep… addressed with love from a random Islander! With thoughtfully written messages included, of course, usually complimenting the recipient's figure in graphic and/or poetic terms.

If you have any manners, surely you'll find these mystery admirers and thank them for the lovely gift! (If you're really a person of culture, maybe you'll even show it off for them.)



N A V I G A T I O N

freshcut: (pic#15040461)

[personal profile] freshcut 2021-07-21 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[There is no warning, finesse, or strategy in how she hunches forward and goes at him, headbutting him squarely in the solar plexus, fingers sinking into skin above his waistband deeply enough to gouge flesh.

There's a dull pain throbbing in her forehead that registers second to Taking the Man Down.]
belmonts: (137)

[personal profile] belmonts 2021-07-21 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, so it's a show you want, is it? Well then, should've said so sooner, I'd have brought my whip."

Grinning, Trevor pulled one arm in front of his chest, stretching it with the other before swapping and limbering up the other one. She looked confident and Trevor was smart enough and had been in plenty of fights to know not to judge by looks alone.

Rolling his shirt off, more just for flare than convenience of fighting, tossing it to the side and cracking his neck, flexing his pecs and maybe showing off a little more than normal, but then again, he didn't think this was going to be a real fight.

"Well then, Aranea, it's a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Trevor."

Still not comfortable giving his family name just yet, you never know, it might get him kicked of this Island!
freshcut: (pic#15040463)

[personal profile] freshcut 2021-07-21 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah, for sure. A new spin on Sex on the Beach. They call it Fuck with the Fishes.

[The only thing deader than the look in Abigail's eyes in her tone, uttered in all seriousness. Drowning may be off the table, but she fully intends to snorkel off at the earliest opportunity.]

Ready for some water action? [She faintly contemplates the dick shaped tube attached to the mask.]
belmonts: (023)

[personal profile] belmonts 2021-07-21 07:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Trevor stood there, slightly bent at the middle, hands on his thighs, and shook his head, raising a finger to her, like he wanted to say something, only to vomit out more saltwater.

For anyone else, this would probably have been really embarrassing and humiliating, but honestly? The Belmont had been in far worse situations. Seeming to have gotten it all out, he stood up tall, stretching his back and making a low grunting sound before wiping his mouth in the back of his hand before offering that hand for her to shake... Not gonna be offended if she refuses to be honest.

"Kinda still hoping it is. Trevor, nice to meet you, small, unopposing girl who's probably some kinda monster or creature sent to torment me." Yup, if it's not some kind of dream, he's probably in hell right now.
dadministrator: (Default)

[personal profile] dadministrator 2021-07-21 07:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"An efficient proposition. I've taken up construction work to sharpen those skills, myself." The city is in shambles, after all; they'll definitely need significant amounts of work to repair more buildings to be livable. Where exactly does Felix intend to keep all these deer or pheasants once he traps them, for example? Taming wild animals is no small feat.

A quick squirt, and then Seteth starts gently rubbing the lotion into Felix's shoulders and back. More touching, yes--but he can hardly be blamed if it's to take care of an injury, right? Let yourself get taken care of for once, you little shit. "Ah, I almost forgot--once you get more comfortable using the bracelet, you'll probably want to rewrite the information it shows for you. The golems take it upon themselves to write it for us, and they tend to...... well. The results are rarely flattering."

It's the politest way he can think of to say 'your profile is going to be full of slanderous, horny bullshit.' Good luck with whatever shitpost you're saddled with, Felix.
madjesty: (35538649)

[personal profile] madjesty 2021-07-21 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Promiscuous, huh? By island standards, he is hardly so; save for one recurring partner by choice, most of his sexual encounters have been the result of an aphrodisiac, an all too realistic dream, or otherwise an influence of some sort. Though it does sting a little to be so harshly judged, Dimitri does understand the surprise; for someone who had only ever asked a girl out because Sylvain goaded him along, perhaps Dimitri should make more of a conscious effort to fend off these exterior forces driving his urges.

Still, Felix doesn't want to hear his explanation, and quite frankly Dimitri is fine with offering none. So instead, his only protest regards something else entirely:

"It is not charity, Felix. I know you are capable of caring for yourself, but that does not stop me from worrying or caring about you."

Besides, hunting is precisely what got Felix in a tough spot and in need of Dimitri's assistance, the last time around. But, as long as this is not the same Felix, there is not much of a point in bringing it up.

And given what he says next, this might not be his Felix, either. Or maybe he is, just from an earlier point in time? Even now, Dimitri can't say he has this multiple timelines deal all figured out.

"Regardless, that is correct. What I last remember happened several weeks after your own recollection. We had reclaimed Fort Merceus, and the Professor and I had set off to Enbarr to attempt to parley with Edelgard and end the war on peaceful terms."

Spoilers, I guess? Either way, he pauses for a second, wonders where to go from here, before he proceeds.

"She is here on this island, by the way. Edelgard, as well as some of her closest allies. However, we have long since established a truce between our forces, so I ask that you do not raise your sword unprovoked."

Unless it's his other sword, in which case... that is none of Dimitri's business.
discountlan: Icon Made By Yours Truly (Why are you asking when you already know)

[personal profile] discountlan 2021-07-21 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"So... Like a bow then..." Or at least what she was describing sort of sounded like a bow. However, he himself had never heard of a bow that could be smaller than one's hand. Or rather, a bow smaller than one's hand felt like it would be fairly useless unless equipped with some magic or poison. But they certainly could get quite large if she was perhaps describing a giant crossbow.

"You specialized in ranged weapons?"

Ah, unfortunate. He had come to find one of the few possibly useful people in this land, and her specialty was his least skilled form of combat.
Edited 2021-07-21 22:28 (UTC)
belmonts: (119)

[personal profile] belmonts 2021-07-21 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
If there are Vampires on the Island, Trevor will sniff them out like a bloodhound! It's kinda his job. Still, he wouldn't be surprised if there were a couple of bloodsuckers or two hanging around the Island, some of them were well integrated into human life. As for somewhere to crash, if Peter was offering him his couch, he wouldn't turn his nose up at it, that's for sure. He's never slept on the sand before... Under trees, in bushes, under rocks, barns, and ditches but never a beach.

Oh, this is a sex Island, is it? Trevor has yet to find that part out too. Wonder what Sypah would say if she found out about that? Maybe she'd think it was all just fantasy talk and brush it off as nothing. Maybe she'd be jealous? Trevor likes the idea of her being jealous, not that he'd express that of course.

Trevor's eyes brighten as the little clanking waiter brings over their drinks, leaning across the table to grab one, practically gulping it down like he's not had anything to drink in days, the foam of the beer making a small mustache across his stubbled upper lip. " Oh... Oh God, that's pure ambrosia... Nectar of the Gods. Thank you, Peter." Ramming another skewer of grilled fish in his mouth, washed down with the rest of his beer, eating and drinking like he was ravenous.

That gains a raised eyebrow from the Belmont. " A Star-Lord? Sounds pretty fancy for a nickname." He chuckled, wiping his mouth and sitting back in his seat, stretching out and seeming to be a little more relaxed than he first was. Amazing what a little food, drink, and good company will do huh? He listens to what Peter has to say, absorbing it all, even if he looks like he's not fully listening. It sounds complicated, a lot to unpack but he'll try to.

Calling him 'Just' Trevor gains a strange look before he decides that Peter couldn't possibly know him and it was just a reaction to him acting so strange. However, what he heard next had him worried and amazed both at the same time. "So, what you're saying is, that I'm breaking bread with an undead man?"
belmonts: (011)

[personal profile] belmonts 2021-07-21 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hmm? You're kidding right?"

Sitting with his arms folded over his chest, looking back at the trunks on the floor, then back to her face with a raised brow.

"I could fit into them but they're not going to cover much. Not very practical, really are they?"

He was amused by her question, gave her the once over with a curious look. At least she pulled off her swimming costume well, Trevor didn't like the idea of his glutes hanging out to be gawked at was all. Sure, he was muscular and had a very well-defined body, but he wasn't used to showing it off like this.
bestswordmaster: (postskip look away)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-07-21 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Felix really doesn't want to hear the explanation, and yet if he knew there was a recurring partner he might have to fight off the urge to go duel them for reasons he couldn't fathom. But he doesn't know that (yet, anyway), so all he has to react to here is...

...Dimitri just outright saying things like that. Even after Fhirdiad, when they started occasionally having actual conversations that didn't always devolve into arguments, the king Felix knows has yet to say anything like that aloud. It's not like Felix is unaware that Dimitri cares about him. Felix might, if he were very drunk or on his deathbed, maybe admit to caring about Dimitri, too. They just don't talk about it.

"...fine. Do as you please. But don't expect gratitude for something I didn't ask for."

He glances over with raised eyebrows. "Parley? Huh. Bold move. ...I hope it works." It's not as surprising to him that they managed to take the impenetrable fortress as it might have been a few weeks ago, from Felix's perspective; the addition of the entire Leicester force to their own will undoubtedly make a big difference.

At the mention of Edelgard, Felix quickly looks away again; the look on his face is definitely not sulking, thank you. "...I know. I already...encountered Edelgard."
braidedwonder: (i'm always ready for a war again)

00 - Arrival

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-07-21 11:53 pm (UTC)(link)

Duo's made a habit of combing the beach around this time every month. For a bit there, they'd had so many people arriving from their world that it only made sense to do so. And now... now, more people were leaving than arriving, but he could always be hopeful that they would return, at some point, washed up on the beach as he once had. Or at least so he was told, anyway. It wasn't as if he remembered the first time he was here in any sense of the word.

The braided man hadn't really been paying too much attention, checking a face for anything familiar, checking a box as he realizes that they are in fact no one he knows, and moving along a little further down the beach.

At least until Trevor's finger raises in his direction, and Duo's brows raise in question -

Only to fall into a bit of a disgusted scrunch of his nose as the old man vomits seawater instead. Look, he's seen worse in war and mobile suit rubble and all, but puke is still pretty gross. Duo's hand finds the pocket of his jeans, the other hand holding a pair of not very beach-worthy boots. For a kid in paradise... he's still in a sleeveless turtleneck and jeans. Not very beachy attire for the sake of aesthetic.

.. Of course the God of Death is a kid smattered in freckles that barely meets a little over five feet. Of course.

"Uh.... You good, man? That the seawater or you comin' off a good time back in your world?"
bestswordmaster: (postskip I have questions)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-07-22 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
"Tch. Who knows what suits any of them at this point, when apparently nothing we've ever been told about any of them is true." Felix shrugs. He's never been a particularly religious person, so this doesn't really horrify him or anything. But it's annoying to have to second-guess things that were drilled into his head his whole life.

At the blank look, Felix rolls his eyes. "Flayn likes to throw things at me to chop up in midair. I don't know why. But it did lead to some enlightening conversation, so I suppose it wasn't a complete waste of time. Anyway, the automata refused to give me any food until I taught a bunch of obnoxious strangers how to slice watermelon with a sword."

Listen, they could just have been very long-lived humans! Felix didn't know he knew anyone who wasn't human, give him a break. Little does Linhardt know that he's absolutely right about Sylvain being the brains between them in most things, but that's only because Sylvain is a hell of a lot smarter than he lets anyone give him credit for, the idiot.

"Dragons? Seteth's a dragon?" Felix blinks. He's only ever seen one dragon, and thought there was ever only one. And wasn't entirely convinced the Immaculate One was ever real to begin with, until they saw it in person at the battle of Garreg Mach. ...oh, that was probably--

"So the Immaculate One is Rhea? It can't be Seteth, he was elsewhere on the field when that dragon showed up to decimate your forces." There's no smug or contentious tone, here, just a factual statement--that's what happened. "I'd think Seteth would have used that kind of power once the war had dragged on long enough, though. Is Flayn a dragon as well?"

Then he gives Linhardt a funny look. Felix doesn't know him well at all, but he's never heard anything that made him think the mage was someone who would give half a shit about being delicate with someone's feelings. Hell, Linhardt's one of the few people Felix respects specifically for never bothering to coddle anyone or hold back what he thinks. Huh.
braidedwonder: (ready to take a life again)

II - sand sport

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-07-22 12:08 am (UTC)(link)

[ The beach is still a novelty to a colony kid like Duo Mawell. This means he's come down to see the festivities, still a bit pale, but getting there in terms of an even tan that isn't just on his arms and shoulders, or mostly made up of freckles.

Of course, he's watching the sporting events.. both for the view and just ... because it doesn't hurt to look, does it?

He laughs, though, as she asks if she can go. ]


Y'keep that up and they're never gonna let you leave.
braidedwonder: (Default)

Arrival

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-07-22 12:12 am (UTC)(link)

Patrolling the beach for any familiar newcomers practically passes like clock work, anymore. The amount of people from their side of the universe has waned in recent months, more likely disappearing people than bringing them in, but... Duo wasn't one to leave a familiar face behind. And, perhaps, somewhere deep down, he's hoping to see a familiar face that looks a lot like Hilde Schbeiker, one day.

Aranea is not Hilde, but Duo is interested anyway, head tipping slightly at the sight of armor, debating for a moment before he approaches her.

"Y'need a hand or anything?"
madjesty: (355386435)

[personal profile] madjesty 2021-07-22 12:36 am (UTC)(link)
If this is weird to Felix, it's only because, in all fairness, Dimitri has had about an extra year -- and his own complicated relationship with past Felix(es) -- to mull over their state of affairs, and while he can't say open communication has been their forte at any point, he can at least voice this much about his feelings without shame or overt reservations. No matter the time or place, or even whatever has come to pass between them, his one unquestionable truth is that Felix is his friend.

Which is why he can take the snappy response in stride, and even smile when Felix more or less accepts his offer, even if in his own way. Not that there is any reason to expect gratitude, to begin with; for all that Felix has done for him and the kingdom alike, this is barely repayment.

But, even that warm smile isn't enough to wash the mild surprise off his face when Felix claims to have already met Edelgard-- and the fact that they have run across each other isn't as strange as Felix's entire shift in demeanor. He would have expected him to act annoyed, or perhaps haughty, but this is... hmm.

"You have? In that case, I imagine she must have informed you about our truce, provided you gave her a chance."

In other words: you didn't pick a fight, did you? (Spoilers, he sort of did.)
bestswordmaster: (postskip how dare)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-07-22 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
Felix is definitely scowling by the time Edelgard gets him out of the ring and steps away, but it's really only because he lost. He couldn't overcome this (admittedly unusually incapacitating) minor setback to reclaim the advantage and win. Ugh.

He accepts the ice without bothering to acknowledge the robot's presence at all, and he has no idea what a trolley is, but he does glance up at Edelgard.

What he means to say is something along the lines of 'fine, I don't need a babysitter, good match, bye.'

What he actually says is, "If that's what you want, consider it done." And then he pulls himself back to his feet, bringing the ice with him, and...waits.

"Well? Are you coming?"

...because apparently, if she isn't, then he's not going anywhere.

[personal profile] idratherbeasleep 2021-07-22 12:59 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah. Yes. That. I've...always known that the Church embellished certain things." He just wasn't allowed to go around shouting about it, for obvious reasons. 'Hello, everyone, look at the cache of unapproved history(tm) we're keeping over here!' Don't taunt the Church of Seiros, Linhardt.

Even if they deserve it.

"That's kind of them to introduce you to island life so gently." Linhardt sounds more amused by the food story than anything else. Given his experiences on Erku, he is.

"Yes, the Immaculate One is Rhea who is Saint Seiros. Seteth has a dragon's form, but until very recently an old injury prevented him from accessing it. I'm not entirely sure about Flayn." He isn't close enough to her to ask. Most of his conversations with Flayn have been fairly awkward, actually: Even when she'd been alive in his Fodlan, his primary interest in her had been discovering her secret and now he just... knows. So he's not sure what to say to her.
bestswordmaster: (postskip leaving)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-07-22 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
"She did."

It's not unusual for Felix to be curt, of course, nor is it unusual for him to avoid eye contact, but the way he's sort of slouching and paying studious attention to a very particular patch of sand that happens to be in exactly the opposite direction of where Dimitri is sitting...that's more unusual.
bestswordmaster: (postskip talking)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-07-22 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
'Embellished' is certainly one word for 'completely rewrite history as basically the opposite of what happened and just so happen to set yourself up as both leader and figure of worship of the religion that has a chokehold on society and enforces a Crest system that screws over basically everyone.'

...okay, so maybe Felix understands some of Edelgard's motivations. That doesn't explain why someone like Seteth would go along with it, though...ugh.

Felix arches a brow. "Kind? If you say so." He's not even going to begin to mention the other notable introduction he had, in the sand wrestling ring.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked her, considering everything else you appear to know. That's an important tactical detail to just overlook. So Seteth has a dragon's form...was his injury healed here on the island?"
impostersyndrome: (this house is)

[personal profile] impostersyndrome 2021-07-22 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
Oof-

[Immediately the air is knocked out of him when she collides with his stomach, and he’s pushed back a few steps.

His survival instincts kick in, and he grabs her arms to try to throw her off him. Despite all his whining, he has strength in his arms, and he’s fought for his life plenty of times in the past.

It’s just that he usually has a gun. But he grapples with her now.]

[personal profile] idratherbeasleep 2021-07-22 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
Well, he hadn't known in that level of detail to be fair.

"There are a number of rather disturbing things about this island: Being forced to perform work, while annoying, is pleasant in comparison." It's all relative.

Linhardt shakes his head. Felix has misunderstood.

"We did not share information for tactical reasons. It's fairly obvious that if we go home we'll be stripped of our memories. If we're not, what I've learned from Seteth is the least of what I could use for change in my Fodlan."

The jump in technology and scientific understanding alone would immediately put Adrestia nearly on par with the Agarthans.

Linhardt flushes slightly. He knows how Seteth 'earned' his 'healing'.

"Yes, it was."
fuckinghysterical: (Hmm...)

[personal profile] fuckinghysterical 2021-07-22 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Not much? You made a knife out of a crab - I'd say it's something!" LB tilts her head to get a better look at it, even if she was far more of a gun person. As far as she was concerned, it looked just fine to her eye!

Still, as the woman continued, she brought up another topic that had initially caught LB's interest. "You typically make things out of demon parts? So... you're some sort of demon hunter, then?"

All LB had encountered before being brought here was soldiers and giant robots, so even the idea of literal demons was intriguing to her.
cash_first: (08)

[personal profile] cash_first 2021-07-22 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
"Mostly. My grandma made some of the best guns around, used by one of the most famous demon hunters around."

Nico smiled as she thought about Ebony and Ivory, two guns that her grandmother made for Dante. She didn't think that she was as skilled as her, but she was also able to a lot of things with demon bits that her grandmother wasn't able to do.

"Guns are a lot louder and the projectiles they fire move a hell of a lot faster than a bow. Most people can't move out of the way of a bullet, or block them with shields."
cash_first: (Default)

[personal profile] cash_first 2021-07-22 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
"No, no, no, no. I ain't a demon hunter. I'm just a gun smith. I make weapons for the demon hunters. I get bits of demons from them and can use them to make different weapons. The different powers demons have can give the weapons different abilities. Like the ability to stop time for a few seconds. Or shoot different kinds of lasers."

Nico wasn't a fighter, but she could design some very interesting weapons. "I let the others do the fightin'. They're a lot tougher than I am. Plus the pay is pretty damn good."
magitek_dragoon: (Ready for battle)

[personal profile] magitek_dragoon 2021-07-22 05:08 am (UTC)(link)
"It's a little early to get kinky, don't you think?"

She smirked a bit as his shirt came off. He was surprisingly good looking. Once he appeared to be ready, she darted in close and aimed a punch for his face.

"You could at least take me to dinner first."

She really wished that she had her lance, but she would make due with being her usual sassy self in a fight.

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