Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Emma and Thacea’s Room. Local Ti: 2020 Hours
Ilphius
In my nineteen years of existence, I had taken advantage of everything my birthright had secured . Travel being chief amongst them.
And in my years of travel across the seas, beneath the earth, and even deep into the Nexian midlands… never had I encountered such… perversions of intelligent design.
Designs that dared to tempt, endeavored to seduce, yet never once courted with the hallmarks of civility.
Frustration took hold as I observed each and every… structure, their purpose as enigmatic as their form, as none betrayed their function in this state of eternal scaffolding.
For what were, at first, simple geotric forms alluding to a people without art, heritage, and culture proved to be sothing else entirely. Because within these unassuming constructs was evidence of masterful craftsmanship. Purposeful and, dare I say it, impossibly pristine talworking that could only have been the work of the greatest of master blacksmiths.
These were not the hallmarks of a newrealm.
And yet, what was most frustrating was how little they did with these technical abilities.
It was as if they’d taken the life out of living or the color out of a painting. As if they’d mastered the practical, if only to lose sight of exactly what those practical skills were ant to serve.
Never before had I felt so sickened.
So much potential, so much technical capacity, completely wasted on a dead-end culture.
Kamil
…
…
…
I’d never felt more awake.
The Academy was a chore.
My whole life was a chore.
There was no novelty, no spice, no color. Only the sa song and dance drifting off into a nascent echo ad infinitum.
Such was the status quo.
Such was the past, present, and future.
Such was it all… but not here.
Not in this room.
For within these four walls that had hosted and molded noble after noble into the sa biscuit-cutter molds, repeating the sa lines and rehashing the sa roles… was a spiteful rebuke that spit vinegar into a crusty old canvas.
It was a stain, an ink blot, one that thrummmd and nipped at the local manastreams, ejecting and pouring so haphazardly excess currents with no rhy nor reason.
These structures were garish and plain, holding no thought and paying neither lip service nor deference to standard conventions of beauty nor civility.
Instead… what they bore was a utilitarian fervor. The likes of which should have been born from poverty and lacking, but not here.
These constructs were too perfect to have been born of poverty-stricken peoples, too refined and purposeful in their simplicity to have been the result of necessity.
Which could only an one thing…
The designs were intentional, made by a people who purposefully and willingly chose to embrace them.
The earthrealr had already been a highlight of my days, the color in a monotone canvas that I woefully craved.
Her… nest only added fuel to that fla, satiating and further inspiring the passion for life I hadn’t lost but simply never had.
I almost instinctively regained my colors because of it.
But alas, my purpose here denied this dignity, for the entire pretense behind my visit here was the result of so misguided fanaticism.
And so I slunk back into the colorless sha of my people, ant neither to be seen nor heard.
But perhaps that was for the best.
Perhaps one day I could be here on… different terms.
Ilphius
Three structures stood out amidst the rest.
A tent and two greyish matte-blue towers that stood tall and wide above the rest of the structures present.
Indeed, it seed as if the three were intertwined in so way — pipes and thick rubbery tubes connecting them together as an umbilical would a mother and child.
And while I could not see any noticeable pulsing or throbbing from these tubes, I did notice what could’ve easily been overlooked at first glance: lights. Rows upon rows of fireless light that rippled and danced across the surface of these towers. Each row and every column was segnted into miniature bricks, each the size of a lozenge, and each encased in a similar sort of clear, shiny coating. Though that was about where the similarities ended, as atop each cube-like protrusion were engravings — patchwork shapes of unintelligible symbolism, each more confusing than the next. From more familiar shapes such as arrows and flas to wildly abstract designs resembling forked teeth, squiggly lines, and what looked to be a spinning disc… the entire the here resembled sothing out of the occult, imbuing this Earthrealm tumor with an aura more malignant than benign.
This unnerving ambiance was made even worse by a startling revelation, one that halted my advance and caused to peer deeper into the chaos that was the local manastreams.
…
There were no enchantnts here.
No spells nor artificing that could explain away these inexplicable fireless lights.
I felt my blood turning cold, my eyes growing wide at the… aberrations all around .
Then, in the midst of this panic, did I notice sothing else — an unnatural silence that was far too kempt to be anything but magical.
A quick scry of the area revealed precisely the cause of this admittedly secondary aberration — a spell of silence cast over the entire alien mass.
I let out a hiss, eager to walk past its ager area of effect as I got closer and closer towards what drew the most of my attention — the newrealr’s tent.
Surely there had to be sothing hidden within. Surely there had to be an explanation for the inexplicable phenonon present everywhere in this den of sin. So revealing diary or perhaps a to of secrets.
Surely there was—
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!
A series of soul-piercing noises erupted from seemingly everywhere. Shrieks, warbles, and whistles that could only be likened to the souls of the eternally damned screaming through a thousand brazen bulls.
I fell to the floor, clasping the sides of my head before I felt the vibrations of several spindly steps approaching from every direction.
“WARNING! DANGER! DO NOT APPROACH FURTHER.”
“COMPLIANCE WILL BE IMPOSED WITH THE USE OF FORCE!”
Kamil
It took everything, every ounce and fiber of my being, to not imdiately panic.
As in the span of a scant few seconds did the dead and lifeless world of iron, scaffolding, and steel ROAR to life.
Indeed, I had to step out of the bubble of silence to reorient myself, escaping the infernal cries and hellish shrieks, only to bear witness to the impossible plays on light atop each of these Earthrealm constructs.
Flashes of red intertwining with orange, blipping, swirling, and spinning in their capsules… all without a single tug, nudge, or pull of the local manastreams.
But that was only the start of things.
My eyes widened as I bore witness to the ergence of beings designed as fiendishly as the rest of this unassuming hell.
What amounted to small cylinders, tubes, and pillars of tal positioned benignly around the periter of the compound — akin to bollards of sorts — had begun expanding, morphing, and unfurling into sothing else entirely.
It was a perversion of the arts, utilizing the age-old techniques of paper-folding artistry, to birth what could only be described as arachnid-like monstrosities… or perhaps crustaceans if Teleos was to be believed.
Three thick and armored legs raised each bollard a foot or so above the ground, and atop each of these… things… was a long mosquito-like proboscis that wobbled and bobbed, spinning side to side and trailing up and down, as if mocking the incapacitated Ilphius, who lay there shivering on the ground.
Yet that wasn’t the most ominous feature about these… creatures.
No.
For that was a title which could only be taken by—
Ilphius
I’d tried, struggled, and desperately scoured within the local manastreams for the cause of that infernal noise.
…
But there was none to be found. At least, not in a magical sense.
It was as if the noises were entirely natural in origin, drawing not from a curse or spell nor even an enchantnt.
In fact, it felt as if it had co from nothing at all… erging out of a manaless void not too dissimilar to the earthrealr herself.
To save myself from this auditory assault, I silenced the world around , deafening these noises as I struggled to my feet.
However, in the midst of this, I caught wind of a deathly glare.
A single cycloptic iris that glowed darkly into my soul, carrying with it neither malice nor rcy, but a cold and unfeeling presence that shook aura from tether.
I froze as the proboscis beneath this eye brought itself to bear, as if positioning itself to suck the life force and energy from my very being.
Then I saw another, and another, and another… four, five, seven— ten of these… things surrounded on all sides.
I saw neither the blinking of an organic eye nor the warbly effects on the local manastreams as they approached . Which ant that… whatever these things were, they were neither living… nor magically animated.
“W-what… what in the infernium are you?” I managed out under a strained and fear-ridden hiss, struggling to my feet as I loosened the deafening spell I’d cast on myself.
Yet no response ca.
Nothing, other than the two ear-shattering warnings that sent my head into a spiral.
“WARNING! DANGER! DO NOT APPROACH FURTHER.”
“COMPLIANCE WILL BE IMPOSED WITH THE USE OF FORCE!”
I deafened the world around almost on instinct this ti.
Then, I took a step forward, poised to continue despite the annoyances of these bizarre crustaceans.
For what could a manaless golem hope to truly do?
However, no sooner had I taken that slithering step than I felt two very bizarre sensations.
BZZZZZZZZRRRT!!!
A physical barrier… so sort of spell so well-hidden that I hadn’t even noticed it in the turbulent local manastreams.
Then a searing pain sent my body into an uncontrollable spasm.
I could not move.
I couldn’t even react.
As I felt myself tense and collapse, my whole world pulsing as these tal insects gathered around like a swarm of ants to incapacitated prey.
Kamil! I attempted to mouth out but failed to do more than so slurred and saliva-ridden garbles. “H-haelpp…”
Kamil
…
I watched helplessly as those beasts struck.
…
Though I knew not what they’d even struck with.
It all happened too fast, so cleanly, that I was barely able to even blink in the ti between Ilphius’ recovery and her sudden fall at the hands of these creatures.
Yet that garbled plea communicated all I needed to hear.
I had to get out.
So with neither loyalty nor kinship tethering to that slithering serpent, I darted for the door.
The stomps of my footfalls echoed loudly against my ears as I craned my head back towards Ilphius and her crustacean assailants.
None of them were following . In fact, I could only imagine that they were too preoccupied with divvying up the spoils of their catch.
I wished all the best to them.
At which point, I was imdiately faced with the ramifications of my own participation in all of this.
Sothing had gotten in front of , a round circular construct barely a foot in height that had snuck right underneath my sightline, causing to trip and fumble at the very last steps to the exit of this dungeon.
I fell into a crumpled heap.
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I tried to get up, my hand reaching towards the exit just inches from my face.
But in a black flash, my light of hope was engulfed in dark miasma.
My eyes wavered as my whole body quivered in place, staring up warily at the wispy, shadowy tendrils that nibbled and danced against the brightness of the manastreams.
I felt the whole room darken, the manastreams wavering, as cold entered my bloodstream.
I dared not face her.
I dared not even glance into her piercing gaze as I now found myself at the feet of the princess of darkness herself.
Her tainted manafields and her miasmic aura completely overwheld what was already a room filled with turbulent and chaotic manastreams.
I kept my head low as no one broke the silence… a stillness punctuated only by the muffled and pathetic garbles of a choking and salivating Ilphius.
“Is this what passes for nobility in your realms?” The princess finally spoke, her voice drenched with a dismissive disdain reserved only for the most wretched of commoners. “A quivering coward and a senseless thief?” She seethed, her tone clear, crisp, and clipped. “Pathetic.”
It was with those urgings that I attempted to speak, my voice stuttering all the while.
“P-please, p-princess, this isn’t what—”
“What was that? Speak up! I can’t hear you over her senseless garbles.” The princess continued as she took a step forward, the small circular beast moving to stand loyally by her side.
“P-princess Dilani. I can explain. This was just, just…” I paused, as if waiting for the princess to interject, to shout, lambast, and scream at us as any scorned royal would.
But she didn’t.
In fact, she remained eerily silent, leaving only my stutters to fill the otherwise vacant air.
This lack of interruptions, this rehearsed withholding of fire and vitriol… was sohow even worse than Ilphius’ outbursts.
For in this silence, my own words were given more ti to stew in their inadequacies, the guilt within brought to bear with nothing but sha to dress their laurels.
“I… I apologize for my own part, for participating in Lady Ilphius’ harebrained sches of subterfuge and espionage. Acts which are below that which a noble should stoop to.” I finally managed out, bowing my head down as I felt each individual tendril of dark testing the manastreams around .
My whole body shivered, as waves of purple and black felt as if they were ready to swallow whole.
Then—
CLAP
CLAP
CLAP
A series of short, snappy, and practically dismissive claps pierced the air, erging from just beyond the doorfra.
“End scene!” A distinctive shrill voice echoed from behind the princess, as a familiar — now deeper blue — Vunerian ca into fra. “I think we have all that on mory shard.” He announced gleefully, an admission that sent my heart falling into the deepest, darkest recesses of my stomach.
A second later, and after retrieving a mory shard hidden within a compartnt atop of the round and benign creature next to the princess, the Vunerian grinned. “Now then… what shall we do with you?”
One Day Prior.
Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Living Room. Local Ti: 2200 Hours
Thacea
“We are being stalked.” I announced plainly, putting down my book as I eagerly anticipated the Vunerian’s response.
“Indeed we are.” He acknowledged with a blunt and diatribe sigh. Though expectantly, this was followed up with a sly grin of mischievous intent. “Which makes for an excellent opportunity.”
My only response was a perk of my brow as the Vunerian simply gestured to his bag of holding, rummaging within it for a familiar crystal.
“I know not what their aims are specifically, just broadly. But should matters escalate, I wish to make use of their follies.”
“Dare I ask, how so?” I snapped back.
To which the Vunerian could only respond with a toothy smile. “Two-fold. One to appease my curiosities, and another to facilitate our place in the greater gas.” He began, raising two fingers as he did so. “It is very clear that this pair of would-be spies desires sothing from us. That, or they covet sothing within our dorms. The fact that they are quite literally waiting in the corridor makes that evident enough… so, why don’t we take them on a journey? String them along and wear them down? Eventually, they will see that we have neither anything to show nor hide, at which point their desperations will lead them to the source of their frustrations — the earthrealr.”
I narrowed my eyes, leaning closer to et his gaze. “And by that you an our room.”
“Correct. Now, I would like to propose—”
“This is completely out of the question.” I interjected. “I will not have our sanctuary turned into bait for what is ostensibly a banal and lukewarm threat.”
“But think about the boons, princess!” Ilunor shot back, his excitent growing further by the second. “I’ll start with the practical and most beneficial—”
“Blackmail.” I interrupted, bringing what would have been a theatrical proposal down to a single discrete point.
“Yes.” Ilunor nodded. “Through mory shards placed strategically around the room, we shall have what could be the most damning leverage on two otherwise hostile actors.”
“A card worth playing… pacifying enemies into outright pawns.” I pondered aloud. “Given how severe trespassing is as a transgression… we could very well leverage these two souls in any way we see fit… rendering them into but fiddles within a composition of our creation. A unique and invaluable set of pieces to play, in a ga where we so clearly are in need of more pawns for the slaughter.”
Ilunor stared unblinkingly at that latter sentint, his expression turning into sothing more wary in the wake of my own ponderings.
“I find the first proposition to be… acceptable then.” I clarified. “Though I will need so form of assurance for the security of Emma’s compound.”
“I guarantee it will be of incredibly low risk, princess. I’ll even put myself out there and aid in the casting of shrouded barrier spells around the earthrealr’s equipnt. Ilphius and Kamil won’t be able to tell a thing, especially considering how weak their magical proclivities seem to be.” The Vunerian responded excitedly.
“Right then, and your next point?” I urged.
“Do you recall those living bollard guardians, princess?”
“The sa ones that warned you from recklessly approaching Emma’s property?” I shot back.
“Accosted, more like.” Ilunor corrected but nodded all the sa. “But yes, those ones. Emma has stated that she has… asures against potential incursions to her compound, has she not? I am… highly curious as to exactly what these asures would entail and precisely how they would react to two would-be assailants.”
“So in lieu of you testing these counterasures for yourself, you wish to use our two latest adversaries as test subjects to satiate your morbid curiosities?” I surmised sharply.
“That is precisely the idea, princess.”
The Vunerian’s grins attempted to pry a reaction out of , but I refused to entertain any more of his points.
“I’ve read through Emma’s house-sitting pamphlet.” I announced sternly. “I am afraid you will see nothing too impressive, but only the efficiency of a people whose doctrine is, it seems, to be unassuming until threatened.”
“Hmmph. Undersell it, will you?” Ilunor tsked. “So be it. I still wish to see it. If only to satiate — as you so deftly described — my morbid curiosities.”
Present Day
Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Emma and Thacea’s Room. Local Ti: 2045 Hours
Ilphius
My whole world stood sideways as I watched through my peripheral vision… the betrayal of the coward Kamil.
“Trrraaiiier…” I mumbled out, trying but failing to move my still-twitching muscles.
This seed to garner the attention of everyone present, as I felt power and control returning to my throat before anything else.
Yet no one seed to care.
“Traaiiiieeteer!” I attempted to shout out, though this only seed to montarily gain the attention of the tainted and height-challenged pair, who just as quickly turned back to address the wayward noble.
Their attention was firmly sequestered, as if I wasn’t even here.
“TRAIIIEETOERRRRR!” I finally managed to scream, as this ultimately garnered the full and undivided attention of all present.
But instead of eting with eyes of anger or disdain, they each leveled a gaze that only frustrated further… the tainted one with her aloof and dismissive glance, and the Vunerian with a haughty air of superiority.
It was as if they were staring down at a lesser, casting judgent as one would to a commoner.
It was as if I didn’t even register as a concern or a threat… let alone a rival.
I felt my blood boiling hotter than it ever did. My rage growing so raw that it almost threatened to overpower the uncontrollable flinching of my muscles.
…
But it didn’t.
Which prompted to shift my eyes towards Kamil.
“Kaarrmmirlll... Karrmmmmillll!!!!” I yelled, urging him to save from the approaching duo.
But as the fates would have it, the coward remained stationary, still kneeling near the door.
“KAARRMIILLLL! HEELRP !” I shouted before finally being t by the princess, who seed to be capable of parting the swarm of creatures as they each gave way to her entrance.
This inexplicable command of what I now assud to be her tainted spawn was promptly proven true, as she turned to them before raising a to from her pocket. “Command: Temporary Access Authorization request. Subject: Lord Ilunor Rularia. Ti: Five Minutes. Please confirm Visitor Access credentials.”
I knew not what or who she was speaking to, but the sudden shift from red to green irises from these beasts proved that sothing had occurred. However, before I could observe any further, the Vunerian promptly spoke.
“Ah! I see, I see. An attack mimicking the efficacy of lightning-based paralysis spells… quite intriguing…” Instead of imdiately addressing , the Vunerian instead addressed his taller counterpart.
“I did say that it would be rather underwhelming.” The tainted one spoke with a sigh, regarding the Vunerian as the latter shrugged in response.
“Informative, I would say. Though this does beg the question as to just how long of an effect this will have on our subject.” He continued as he began poking and prodding at my shoulder with his feet.
I felt the fires within growing to their zenith at this insult.
At which point, I scread.
“HOORWWW DARREEE YOUUUUUUU! GEEET YOUR DIRTY FEET OFF OF , YOU TAINT-LOVING TRAITOR!”
“Ah. There we go! It seems as if you’ve got your vocal cords back!” The Vunerian bead, whilst the avinor continued what I could only describe as a glare as unflinching and cold in its resolve as the cycloptic gaze of these crustacean golems.
“I DON’T DESERVE THIS TREATNT, NOT FROM THE LIKES OF—”
“Let make sothing abundantly clear to you, Lady Ilphius. Everything you are, and the place you currently find yourself, is the ultimate and resultant end of actions and decisions made with free and uninhibited will. You chose, willingly at that, to challenge the conventions you pay lip service to. You acted, with full understanding, in a fashion which would under any other circumstance… garner ire and vocal disdain from your own lips. As such, what you deserve is what you have sewn, a logical conclusion based upon the conventions we all observe, no?” The princess spoke in a derisively calm, frustratingly composed, and annoyingly authoritative manner.
Her gaze leveled in a way only a mother could… to an unruly child.
I hissed, feeling control returning muscle by aching muscle, until finally…
“GGRRR AHHHHH!!!” I leaped—
Kamil
I watched as Ilphius leaped… only to find herself trapped in midair.
Her eyes widened as she attempted to twist and turn, writhing and slashing… but to the futility of movent which bore no fruit.
In front of her stood a princess who’d only just barely raised her arm — her hand dexterously and, with seemingly little effort, manipulating the feral serpent in a telekinetic trap.
Minutes passed as Ilphius tossed, twisted, and turned to no avail, with the Vunerian scoring each and every motion to mory on the shards he held in both hands.
The princess, all the while, said absolutely nothing. Her expressions… betraying nothing other than an aloof politeness.
Indeed, she looked as one would following an unruly episode with a child or pet, but in a manner more composed than most.
More minutes passed… until finally, Ilphius stopped.
Her breaths were now ragged, as her manafields fluctuated in exhaustion.
“Are we quite ready to talk now?” Was the only thing the princess had to say at the end of this whole… episode.
Rather expectantly, Ilphius refused to respond, simply sulking in her defeat.
Ilphius
We were both brought to heel in front of the pair. In which I was t with the reason behind the princess’ sudden surge in confidence.
“I needn’t say much more than this, do I?” The Vunerian spoke in a singsong voice, holding between his fingers several mory shards that he dexterously moved about. “Though if it must be spelled out… I now have—”
“We have evidence of your princess using taint magic.” I attempted to counter. “I saw it, when she threatened Kamil. I can have you sent to the depths for that stunt.”
“At the risk of being expelled, you an?” The Vunerian countered dismissively, completely calling both bluff and bluster with practically no effort. “You’d also have to have your mories looked into if you wish to pursue that, in which case… you’d be divulging the context behind this alleged use of taint magic.”
“They’d see that we were trespassing before they even get to that piece of mory, Lady Il—”
“Shut your mouth, Kamil.” I seethed, garnering a shrug from the man.
“With that out of the way, I think we should move onto—”
“What do you want?” I interjected, attempting to regain so traction in this conversation.
“Nothing. At least not at the ti of discussion.” The Vunerian spoke curtly. “We do not plan on frivolously releasing this information either. Ergo, you have no reason to fear unnecessary reprisals on our part.” He smiled politely.
“However, should we ever see reason to retaliate, know that we will not hesitate to do so.” The princess added darkly. “Any transgressions, and any future incursions into our interests, will be t with the possibility of a reprisal of due cause.”
“Though of course, such retaliations aren’t reserved for such trivial things as academic competitions and whatnot.” The Vunerian chid in with a polite chuckle. “It is only the matter of unjust vexations and provocative actions committed in bad faith which we will respond to.” He added, this ti with as severe a tone as the princess.
“I have faith that your upbringing and experiences will allow you to fill in precisely what we an, because we have neither the ti nor the inclination to draft nor orate to you a full list of clauses and conditions.” The princess chid in, garnering a nod from the Vunerian.
“Quite, quite.” He acknowledged.
“With all that being said… I do hope that so common ground can be found between us.” The Vunerian concluded politely. “Your peer group leader has made his intentions clear on that front, so follow his leadership, if you’d please?”
“W-we’ll do so, Lord Rularia.” Kamil responded with a bow of his head. “My sincerest and utmost apologies to you both.”
“It’s not just you have to apologize to.” The princess shot back. “It’s to Cadet Booker as well.”
“Ah, of course! Please pass on my sincerest apologies to Cadet Booker. I… do hope we can nd bridges, as there’s much I wish to learn from you, and you, and indeed, Cadet Booker as well.” Kamil spoke with a surprising degree of… earnestness.
The likes of which made sick to my core.
Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Living Room. Local Ti: 2115 Hours
Thacea
“Well then! Wasn’t that grand?” Ilunor spoke triumphantly, taking pleasure in feeding himself bunches upon bunches of grapes atop his chaise lounge.
“Indeed.” I acknowledged plainly.
“Oh, co on, princess! I know you felt sothing close to satisfaction there! Tell , wasn’t it a huge weight off of your chest to finally be able to express your authority with little pushback?”
I cocked my head at this line of questioning, to which the Vunerian could only sigh fitfully in response.
“I know that the authority you carry is in constant question due to your… affliction. And while I have learned to see past that, it doesn’t detract from my earlier statents. This was perhaps one of the few tis you’ve been able to exert your authority without any pushback, and I am assuming that it must have felt grand, did it not?”
I took a mont to regard that question, to really ponder it, before finally….
“Yes, but only so far that it was done with just cause.”
Ilunor shrugged at this. “Whatever you say, princess.”
Silence dawned again, though only temporarily, as the Vunerian regarded curiously, as if unsure of his next few words.
“Your performance tonight was comndable, princess. Indeed, if you ask , you ca off as a natural royal. Which, you are, but… such is the saying, I suppose.” He spoke with a nervous lilt in his voice.
This concession of flattery ca as a surprise, as did the rest of Ilunor’s actions over the week.
However, instead of simply dismissing it this ti around… I instead took it in stride, and perhaps even sowhat to heart.
“It was through your… stubbornness and flighty ambitions that we even considered this plan, so I must likewise give credit where credit is due, Ilunor.” I responded frankly, causing the Vunerian to dip his head slowly in acknowledgent.
“A toast then.” Ilunor reached forward, grabbing a bottle of glittering wine before filling two flute glasses beside it. “To our dear comrades in the North.”
I accepted the glass warily, learned instincts over countless galas causing to inspect it even though I knew I didn’t need to do so.
“To their success, and to their safe return.” I raised the glass, clinking it with Ilunor’s.
“Hear, hear!”
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