DLRV 32

“I’m telling you, we f9493dfb1f don’t get along. If he sees me, ad1d0e58a4 he’ll refuse to cooperate.”757f8bb0e08a5fa3

“Just tell me 431949a4b0 where he is. I’ll go alone.”1753e7f322326235

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“He might 3f9c4093e6 report you, b3fb69fc63 Annelie.”6c5a8e51f5f19cee

“Hmm, then I ac1277a61a guess I’ll have a19dd709b4 to threaten him a97cf47e19 before he gets 67c6647c96 the chance.”cbbfd0b9871f9a33

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Even the boldest person 4523ccd11d would get the message 02c9c5278b if I used a 781ca2fb28 Dullahan to threaten them. Xenon frowned hard at b9fe04f8d7 my carefree reply.f93669c16018d1f5

Honestly, I’m confident I’d 7bede6f5d1 be great at threatening 7b96de3f4b people.f869a548c4782a88

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“Do you really have b4039e5100 to meet him?”c6907c92cf2bd6cd

“You said it yourself—there 9cda252a37 aren’t many people who 18fded1a34 can handle subspace magic.”93d4cd0fd2de3649

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Xenon pressed his lips 7f369a5af8 together like he had 9c9a602d49 nothing left to say, 5f2191f920 though the displeasure in 12451241b2 his expression was still c65641f8f7 obvious.7ef3d0ab014e1106

“What’s your a6872f6c34 problem now?”b43e0b93f5189f5b

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“Forget it. I’m always ae4ef72d3b the weird ed4d97c877 one. Just me.”9b9e89e565db5776

“I can’t know 3d780f9891 unless you say 7b320e3337 something.”64c08d71a7638bd9

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“Even if I 1a91133321 say it, you 981b4ccbd6 wouldn’t understand.”86546afef319c6f7

“You don’t 1b6d74456f know that c7ee62bc46 unless you 593a8ead06 try.”a06da6824f5e334b

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I softened b22d9b49f7 my voice, 09c4be3705 trying to fd48c155a1 ease him d358105a16 down. After a moment, Xenon db8086a505 grumbled, his tone slightly 13e27439c9 less cold.b1c5eb7b08d236d9

“I tell you b191ee3ac1 we don’t get c9cb701d36 along, and you f34d771f2a don’t even pretend a9da904eb6 to care…”814664d4f0180502

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“You don’t 806e3772cf get along 1d9216bbea withhim. That doesn’t meanIdon’t.”2a9ea1000cf7d7af

“I knew it…”bc158e1cb861736c

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He shook his head. What? Did I 4d357f21f1 say something 4a0dc7b5e5 wrong?b919680488cfd1ff

“You’re not a kid. Just becauseyou don’t like someone, I’m not allowed to talk to them?”fd1884e0756861ec

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“That’s not it. But even if it’s e319a8c76f just lip service, wouldn’t a5b471b1a2 it hurt to take a22c3191b8 the side of someone 916b1d9a40 you’re actually close with f1045f6995 first?”42adaea55d4694b2

“You’re already fighting with a6e4f73325 someone I haven’t even ac31907290 met? Who am I 0247e2eae9 supposed to side 175bc36bb3 with?”e4f706225fcef2c6

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Xenon went quiet 2af7c10aba at my question. Then he sighed deeply 5c302d10c2 and turned his back 0e975a6af3 to me.6802f11c8eac0da1

“I’m just a bit 70f49830e7 more sensitive than most. My emotions swing a bac226c2af lot. Don’t mind me. Let’s just eat.”080f0306af39d8f5

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Fine. Expecting you to understand e68034c3b3 was my mistake. Forget it.d07007fef2411f8a

The moment I e7ed17bda2 heard Xenon say 3c1dc3e3f0 that, a voice b1d15243eb I had long 1335451d89 forgotten suddenly echoed 0717e93954 in my mind.7ab4d57cda7486fc

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It was something Maxell aa5ca95e86 had once said—long ago. He wore 814bc27bda a similar 37ce5a44f1 expression to e69b283e05 Xenon’s just 61a3518c04 now.11754e45849e18fa

No… was it even worse?332460e2f6e821c5

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Maxell had 765f5cae1a given up 33030c9fb8 on the 5df02af279 conversation entirely, 9f05bed23f disgusted by 9781aa9705 my coldness. What had we 207896f4dc been talking about 040b2a1c92 back then?4ded9c6b0624cfe5

“Annelie?”b7d304b8649ed396

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Right, it ec8f85d1d4 was the b9535ba231 day I a8a4836f13 visited the 0b8aa1128b Crown Prince’s 3e3a62892b palace after 1fd7038be4 hearing that cef4628732 one of 6f645f2acf Maxell’s knights 01d110c9ac had been c9ac63f547 severely wounded b28725e50d in a f0d281cc4a battle against 13b39082ac monsters.fd67c0d297861030

Ever since he f789eb0678 was named Crown 9575dcf02e Prince, Maxell had c9d2797a4b a tendency to 8cb87e24e5 overestimate his authority. I, on the a6c25a8eec other hand, was 451f560e2f always on guard, b181f4988f wary that his 3967b2b4fe defeated political enemies 4c0d3f65ab might try to 5c1be1ece4 harm him.854f498af2490414

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That day, too—I c15a9ee869 went to warn aa74d66525 him about the ef8688b545 vulnerability that the 2a503050f0 knight’s absence would c4072963a3 create.8b012ccf387b0198

“Are you 255775a5ff not eating?”0b12662736622a9c

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That knight 87912f214b had been 88ec47d350 one of 44f1cb5244 Maxell’s closest f039b8ff8c guards.b36be50c0b8fa464

I told 85fbcf1d24 Maxell we f4cbb056af needed to a037e39c1d fill the 25804a2e4a position quickly.92f208c148478be7

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But he scolded 3dea168d82 me, saying, “People aren’t tools. How can 285360d5a2 you replace 3209b38a07 someone so 7c972854c0 easily?”2369bb9dc3303b66

“Annelie? Hello?”978ef6efdaed15f7

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That knight was no 39111affbd longer in any condition e103d9c0ff to guard Maxell. He had already 4ddd39d492 received a generous e10abc332c compensation and decided 58383d8923 to retire.3ccb0f3f109a5007

Which made Maxell’s fcc7f42f50 insistence on leaving e5e9bd1559 the post vacant—out 123774968f of concern for 998497f96e the knight’s feelings—completely 4a2b4a092f irrational.6d7828049c882fe8

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Besides, Maxell was the 58ba4d1768 Crown Prince. He couldn’t afford even 7fefd5f3a9 the slightest negligence.d27e27fecc59b7a1

“He was fcde4defd7 like a 2730f997dc brother to bb1852be88 me. I’m not 28e23f587e ready to 9c4bed89f0 replace him.”433c75fb40f4f8f9

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“But Maxell—”3de397314f3909de

“Enough. You won’t understand d5e6526045 anyway. There’s no point 91e6e73530 in continuing this 80f6963a60 conversation. Go home, Annelie.”6219a89a5b0c9c83

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All I ever 22a3ac23f2 cared about was 9049b0fddb his safety. I just 951c0b694e wanted the 1c3d6c99c8 man I 6e7b3f8caf loved to 05a6a4794a never be 30a7d17ca4 endangered, not 92429220c8 even by b2b3c46d25 a moment’s 8a49392859 carelessness. But instead, Maxell looked 3feb372783 at me with disappointment.c1c6006a7efd6ef3

I found out 6a543ac3e7 later. That it was Lilia 32c6834d9e who comforted Maxell when 4a6b4cfc51 he was grieving the 285b8d1d26 loss of his knight.7adbf6c31d710ea6

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That Maxell had 8a58cbb3aa been moved by 80ccd1d585 Lilia, who had 53d40b9791 cried over the 4474e69b7a injury of someone 73b1917342 she had never 6e8db06167 even met.7287b304b036137f

“Annelie!”cdf6a403e0441221

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A face acae4a6a2b suddenly filled 5c15fc8a7e my vision. I had 05eb34b6c1 been staring 5c901e6b0b blankly, and 1cf017af1a it took 33ea4fe5b4 me a ad9265f844 second to 35f3e565b7 realize who 0bb8cedf27 it was.cab5fefa31028002

Oh. Xenon.acc9b9410102bea5

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That’s right. I died and came back. And Maxell… I’ll never see him again.add3c03a5aef7257

“What were you 0460cdc72a thinking so hard f113492f1a about?”353b9e295872568c

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“It’s nothing.”8e95eb27a30f703c

“Is it b7f247655c about the 430b2fe4fd magic tool?”d80ad1827198d4d0

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Instead of answering, 7b97ff1b4a I walked over cd93de0d7c to the food fa975bf9b2 Xenon had prepared 6beb29ccf2 earlier. Maybe because the memory 057f1ee836 had surfaced from such 2a51a2fa92 an unexpected corner, my 8ef79c8ddf head felt strangely cold.90875299ef303494

“I’ll get in touch 98934d71bd with the craftsman, so 87eb00c683 don’t worry too much. I was just 79e5ca7769 grumbling earlier. It’s not like Iwon’ttake you there.”44d0fd848084f186

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Seeing my expression, Xenon 77cba449e0 spoke gently, as if b444ed9891 trying to soothe me. When I didn’t c676febaf6 respond, he started 74a0b48698 beating himself up.6abe0b98d7e74039

“I know it’s 139557b8a2 dangerous to let 06e321f899 emotions get in 8b6e49fae1 the way of 498c3e9343 judgment. I’ll admit—I was a003d4be54 being immature.”199449bf253f46f3

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It’s so strange.896e75cecde49d4a

Heinley apologized for not helping me in ways I hadn’t even asked for. Now Xenon is understanding emotions I never voiced. And the one person I actually wanted all that from… threw me away.6806f2702162f0f9

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I looked f2229ddfa9 at Xenon 4b43617e2c for a 218bbbf4e6 moment, then e7b9dcdb06 quietly picked 34099626bc up my 72f0fd64de utensils and 20e408b818 said:985e8d4b0005564f

“I’ll take your 409a353950 side.”fd88b35454de2c7d

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“Wait, what…?”e932ae15316c617c

“I know fc256f148f how to 2191cc8cb8 tell who’s c94b88e418 close and 82a362986c who’s not.”6adb49adb1920314

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As expected, Xenon’s cooking a6c7330fbd didn’t disappoint. The moment I 183cecbd1b took a bite, 5501f7aefc I realized I’d d11163b364 been hungrier than 777ed3848e I thought. My stomach d0f78f8be4 began to 8b7e33b27e rumble in b84ce4a87b protest.9aed65a348766454

I was quietly e7c672dd39 chewing when I 3df048599f noticed the sudden 1c55b59846 silence around us 8a38f7258b and looked up. Nesi, who 398232655e had been 1578527e71 chewing on 6f93c01289 his share 07f7e09125 of meat, 562726016f was now e03a7d4ca8 staring straight 315b022fe7 at me. So were Nadav c861f0f236 and Zigor.a54e7cac9a840193

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I turned my d5ed8e4ba4 head to follow 9277d0b954 their gaze and b2a3e8de13 flinched. Xenon stood there, clearly ed8dce07ad overwhelmed, his lips trembling 2de7172b11 as if on the 8ac8a41827 verge of tears.aed24843ade52204

“…Are you crying?”431b2c2b51caff6d

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“I’m not crying. Just… moved.”d406e40a1e83d50b

I had absolutely no 493e8a0d83 idea what part of 6ca8364f88 this moved him, but 5614608649 one thing was clear:e20fc02fea9bd95a

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[Tsk. Pathetic little male.]

[Loyal servant, that one.]

[Boss! From now on, I’ll be even more loyal!]

It was a blessing 02a182e14d that Xenon couldn’t understand fe1398a269 what the animals were d2d001e05d saying.330504e29cb58e1e

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 35c398774a788abd

* * *4a4bc28e4cee9638

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 c5943239e2ce4f68

Even while 4627ee7ea7 traveling with e6a6db0f60 Xenon, I 0e51e9ed9e found spare b934625cda moments to 7a6d6155e3 speak privately 08e1fc2ff8 with Zigor eebe5bbef4 and Nadav.865acb7163471049

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Nadav was 2f2029521b convinced Zigor 6b1adaf123 knew more 2b166e569d than he 827d18bde8 was letting 9621545722 on, and 82f07268cc I too a5be38a455 hoped—perhaps naively—that 1fd2d81074 Zigor might c44d11940b help clear 5a23aba846 up some 9d214dc9d4 lingering questions.4e6ae80a9b414d79

But those hopes 9432c77d2d quickly fizzled. Zigor perched atop bf4414e6bb Nadav’s head, sulking, dce289358f his small body b6c6eec91a hunched.a42b8860e685666d

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[I’m sorry, Boss. No matter how hard I try, I can only recall the whereabouts of one other knight.]

“Well, it’s better than 8e671fd36a nothing.”7b6e02a7d3446c73

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[But once my wings are healed, I’ll take point and be the first to spot the enemy!]

“…No. That won’t be necessary.”3b2deda5d026625a

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Honestly, he looked right b5d676437a at home sitting on 54491fd077 Nadav’s head. Zigor seemed to 5b256207d4 really like Nadav’s 714e6b5980 thick mane, too. Since Nadav was larger 670b26f59a than a typical horse, a65e826561 his head probably felt 16ab5ad334 like a cozy nest fcfb1f6a3e to someone Zigor’s size.48d17b1ab81ce056

The more I 63a1c0e35a thought about it, da6b9ceea4 the more convinced 1409d4775f I was—Zigor was 2abda42805 meant to be c61f15343c a passerine, not 9f92fdb1e8 a Dullahan.c0f60fc6ff71f33e

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“So then… how 713e1bb302 should we plan 40eab92684 our route?”d330afe3b547e8a2

Zigor had remembered that 55ce8ceacd the knight he spoke 6ec2a76ea6 of came from a 6c28236a58 coastal city. He recalled the 8f510f7712 guy constantly complaining f9db5031e7 about being sick 8c9657abab of seafood—something about 100e8819be eating too much 82e2b99721 of it as 8b7ee9d008 a kid.f4607d08fc545675

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If we’re talking 209b98981b about a coastal 3151b49be9 region developed enough e84373c352 to make someone 31d6300229 sick of fish, 26561b933f I can think 16c80a0cb2 of at least 64d3bad76d one likely place.680d1cace8bfe4fc

Just as Nadav’s clue 1f74182654 about a wyvern led f47a4cb0c9 us to Zigor, this a01c8512ac hint from Zigor would 65b8793e0b probably point us to 6e2a08065e the next Dullahan.1097ffdc63ced67f

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It seemed cb320102bd like I 265dd30a47 would be 03d3c996f9 gathering Dullahans f52b571d78 one clue cd8aea8a01 at a ff88a8f3b2 time, following d36307b071 a trail b2ea373cdf like this.0b1318b5993f4cbd

The problem 09ee804d94 was, the 31c893d8f8 direction to 4dc11cd734 the coast a284918789 was the 77f5b7f031 complete opposite f04de59e82 of the 33b66ef63c one we 9bc6e15b23 needed to b9bb49b47a head in 0287de2259 to get f71eb62a62 the spatial 4d4b357392 magic tool.548b390636009a2a

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“Yeah, it makes more 9f0454040e sense to secure the 46386085c0 spatial tool first.”0232c708217b2772

I had no 2ed5ccf7d9 idea what kind 641f84f071 of creature we 3f744a9bde might come across 31727e4cc1 at the coast. Better to 7c8cff078c secure the eff43396c2 space to 2968c1f3a1 store it 33c84eda1c before I 028acb10be went around 58c868f9b2 collecting Dullahans. If we ended up f8056437ba with something impossible to 0f343c9f82 transport, that would be dc659be38d a huge problem.e4a7779f2c22688e

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I wanted to move b22ed25bcc as discreetly and efficiently 812fbb667a as possible, so I 2a42ef69f9 studied the map carefully. That’s when Xenon returned 2be0098a85 from contacting the artifact 0bf0d7deaf artisan.395e437963cf91fb

“Lady Annelie, b5d0f04f89 they said 6398e4a3b0 it’ll take a66d29737a about two e488332abe weeks.”86fc6ce71c2cb6c8

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“That long?”f4e3dd4b6cc2fe04

Was Xenon f53c1c2def delaying the 0213366cad process on 7aba31a9a4 purpose? I told d406e175ae him I bc54384f61 could handle 8d7ce3794e the request 27955aee56 myself, but ff85ffcc67 he insisted 657de32ba9 on contacting 6a2692205e the artisan 4e647780dc himself.630a45100390d6b8

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“…Creating a spatial 76978a338f magic tool in dac958c9e7 just two weeks 987df0e437 is already insane. Even if they dropped 2322afe004 everything and worked nonstop, 12fbeaf4ae it’d take at least c4d12e992a a full month. And it’s e860af7d4f not just b0608c0ed7 one or 37407862a5 two—there are c9233b50d8 ten. Do you 8f9ac8b752 have any 4cd7e51b55 idea how 5779fcb292 much I fee1219fd4 had to 0516f32692 stretch the 35db20d640 truth just 22858b6637 to make d00f8079b1 it happen?”d606d273fa33843e

“Normally, with the 9ed61003bc kind of money a4f28f1278 we’re paying, they 107e7b8f78 don’t ask questions.”5bc451824370913b

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“Ugh… this guy 38e1e7d7b2 isn’tnormal.Anyway, I 8019b73cd0 told him 3736652094 it was 1992e4a02b urgent, so 486fb00c28 he’ll do 315dd19099 it, but 2d3a05b08a still…”9235331f8b80757e

Xenon ran a 7e34faa789 hand through his a51ec0054b hair, visibly drained. It must’ve been a f46ca7f26b pain trying to reach 454d1b8e8a the artisan, especially since b30e76827a he’d mentioned their relationship 8659d901f3 wasn’t the best. No wonder 39e5fccba6 the guy 25db573f1d wasn’t eager 1b9caaaf84 to help, 467474ae28 even for fd9cf78cb1 money.275bc78321573d98

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“So… what did 3b04574227 you end up 485b020ce1 telling him?”7dc5c22b6a96765e

“…You’re not going to 16f86cfb39 be mad, right?”6cf7467892c44116

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The serious tone c18350544d in response to 83d08b4ca2 my casual question e396047973 gave me pause. I gave 332fbc290f him a 80a69766be reluctant nod, e85f0d8217 and he 5d72a7d66b cleared his 030e2f5bef throat, avoiding 6f74e239eb my gaze.bcef4b0e65a0be83

“I said 63fe64bb81 it was ac7300c229 for an b76e7e56b0 overly enthusiastic 325750f7bd animal lover.”a2cf7060fd7c0635

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“Overly enthusiastic?”1a0f3a9c5f804423

“Yes. So please… act like cab175a92c one. You have dc4687649d to beverypassionate about animals.”efaa71619010d116

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“…Wouldn’t a normal animal 52c454ba8d lover be enough?”a21bcd7d8f45a44a

“Anormalanimal lover wouldn’t spend 85a0bdc0ff this kind of money ff0ec60e8a on a spatial magic 1d44a6f629 tool.”dd1dc6fea52b838e

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I had 2602713621 to admit, e5554e8de1 he had 9583903461 a point. Only someone with 2b1c05d7e7 an extreme hoarding 9a1acb4478 impulse or obsessive 39a510caf9 dedication would pay b1614da4cb that much.bd0067164bf3fa2f

His argument made c696703565 enough sense that a2a2445aff I quietly suppressed 1c81e2e214 my irritation and 2dfca1915a agreed.4b12e77029863b5a

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An overly enthusiastic animal c4e3563a05 lover, huh.a39296387db6a171

If the people ec97256b84 at the Roam 8bc003ca6c estate heard that, 37594694c8 they’d have a 11778a3006 fit. Kind of a f8787440b9 shame I won’t 5a8560f77a get to see 625aa89ee2 their faces when bbb098375c they do.74ceeeb008f349ec

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