SkeankySnack

Realms of Sun & Shadow

_{Location: Communal Hotspring}

---

Both Anathema and the other blightborn set out to find Céline’s belongings, leaving both herself and the woman whom she had been resting on moments before. Céline wanted to look at the other person, knew that she should look at her, but kept her gaze averted, fearful she might be consumed by hunger just from looking at the woman. Something inside knew that probably wouldn’t happen, the raw emotions Céline had been feeling were now far removed, having been replaced with concern and some anxiety. Still, regardless of her feelings, this person didn’t have to stay, she could have easily run, grabbed guards, had her captured or executed; but that didn’t happen. Gratitude…and a humbling amount of hope to go with it.

When asked about a healer, Céline simply shook her head, “That’s usually my line but..” she coughed, really wanting to chuckle instead. It still seemed that speaking was going to be difficult for a moment still, “no, I don’t think a healer will be necessary,” warmth though…that sounded good right about now. Temperature hadn’t been an issue for her since her rebirth, but for the first time since then, this was the closest to human Céline had felt. “Thank you,” she continued, her eyes still on the ground in front of her, “I don’t really know what happened, but thank you for helping me and I’m sorry for all of this,” the hare-eared woman gestured to herself. Her mind wandered to the feelings that were emanating from this woman before, they felt so strong and so painful… “And I’m sorry…” since speaking, Céline’s eyes turned towards the other woman near her, “for whatever it is you’re going through.” She knew that this phrase would sound strange to the other person, like it had to so many others before, coming from a woman who knew the how, but not the why. The blightborn could only hope that the other individual saw not malicious intent, but true commiseration.

As the others returned however, there was no time for further response or elaboration as the group decided where to bring Céline. The inn had been mentioned, as well as a nearby temple and though she was no devout of Aelios, the woman appreciated the sanctuary such spaces offered. As Anathema helped Céline into her coat the woman couldn’t help but sigh as the warmth enveloped her, only to be surprised as another layer wrapped itself around her

"Céline, do you think you can make it to the Temple if we help?"

Céline was grateful for the extra warmth and tender voice, her ears still somewhat ringing from earlier and only barely able to tolerate certain sounds. A hand found its way on top of hers and gripped it gently, nodding in affirmation to Anathema’s suggestion, small reassurances. Again she was grateful that her new companion took the cue to follow up on introductions. Though Céline had her voice, she didn’t really want to speak unless she had to at this point.

“I think at this point, the temple sounds the best,” she still felt weak, but with the two of them on either of her, Céline could at least balance herself more easily. “Ana and, Sya, was it? Could you help me up? I should be okay to walk with support.”

---

_{Interacting with: Octavia @The Savant, Anathema @Lu, Sya @PrinceAlexus}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

_{Location: Communal Hotspring}

---

There was movement around her, Céline couldn’t quite tell what or who it was, but there seemed to be more than one person. Her head felt so out of sorts, the ringing in her ears hadn’t subsided and it made everything around her sound a hollow echo, almost as if she were underwater. She felt her own body shift in space, felt wisps upon her head and face, muffled voices as if just on the other side of a door. The one thing that Céline felt in absolute clarity in this moment, was cold. For the first time since her transformation, she was freezing and wanted nothing more than the ghostly maiden cradling her to just shove her into the springs or carry her gently to a roaring fire; goddess how she missed the sun.

Céline wasn’t sure how much time had passed while she was laying here, but whatever sensation had stricken her began to slowly fade away and consciousness would retake its place. The rapid spasms dissipated and her muscles relaxed gradually, eventually coming to rest. Céline’s eyes opened, immediately redacting her earlier thought, thankful the sun wasn’t shining to worsen her splitting migraine. The blight-born took a moment to recognize the very sore muscles from her spasms, and her rapid breathing and pulse. Some primal instinct wanted her to bolt upright, but logic told her it was better to lay and assess her current condition. Her hand reached down into her trouser pocket, pulling out her trusty watch. She flipped it open, holding it upright while she pressed her index and middle fingers into her wrist, counting the number of pulses… Abnormally high and worse yet she was still freezing in addition to being hungry.

The blight-born woman breathed in deep and exhaled, thinking for a moment and calming herself. The cold was unusual, it couldn’t be just from the weather as she was surrounded by the hot springs, perhaps some kind of internal abnormality of the humours…. Her heartrate she needed to get down though, something in her pack might do. Realizing she hadn’t said anything yet, Céline took a moment to finally observe those around her. A woman above her, the one she felt pulled towards, was letting Céline use her lap as a pillow, a gentle hand caressing her head. Céline’s glassy purple eyes stared into the woman’s, wondering just what happened to her to exude such strong and raw emotions. Her eyes then drifted towards Anathema, looking somewhat disheveled and out of breath, but her eyes showing worry and concern. Céline felt horrible for having abandoned her to some primal urge from within, a wave of embarrassment washing over her. They then drifted towards a third individual, dark haired, one eyed, pointy eared and very much naked. Céline’s dark skin hid her blush well, but the quick aversion of her gaze gave away how uncomfortable she felt right now in this moment. Aurelians were known to show more skin compared to the Lunarian counterparts and growing up, nudity was not a rare sight. However, in this circumstance, having undergone…some unusual condition, only to wake up and find a naked woman staring over her was…awkward at best.
Returning her gaze to the woman above her, through a somewhat hoarse voice, Céline coughed through, “I thin- I think I’m okay to sit, can you please help me up?”

Once she was upright the migraine hit her head in full force for a few seconds, forcing her to hold herself upright until it dulled somewhat. Waiting just a moment longer she then readjusted herself to be sitting so as to view all three individuals around her, albeit only looking at the legs and feet of the naked, assumed blight-born. Céline wrapped her arms around her chest trying to retain some feeling of warmth, but she wanted something more than just that right now. Looking to Anathema, a pang of guilt in her chest as she was about to ask another request of the sage, “I’m sorry to ask, but you know where my things are…can I ask you to retrieve them,” Céline swallowed hard, feeling the swollen tissue in her throat, “You should get your things too, you look colder than I do,” another wave of guilt washed over her having cut this introduction in the hotsprings short. Turning back to the lower third of the blight-born individual, Céline blushed unsure on how to pose her question as her cheeks grew darker with each word, “I don’t mean to be rude but…is there…any chance your clothes are nearby?”

---

_{Interacting with: Octavia @The Savant, Anathema @Lu, Sya [@Prince Alexus]}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

_{Location: Communal Hotspring}

---

Although the initial greeting was somewhat awkward, Anathema didn’t hesitate to choose a rock close to the blight-born woman and enjoy the springs’ warmth. It was unusual, how long had it been since someone was so comfortable to be around her? Since the transformation most humans regarded her with fear and suspicion, even when she made her intentions clear; even after she healed them… To be treated like a person again or the human connection that came with that was a comfort Céline realized she had sorely missed.

"No apologies are necessary." Anathema began, "You actually happen to be the first blightborn I've met, but I am a sage--a researcher--I've come to Dawnhaven to study the blight and, ah-um, those affected by it."

It was even more surprising when Anathema revealed that Céline was her first blight-born interaction and yet somehow that only made her respect for the woman grow. Anathema seemed somewhat hesitant to share her reasons for coming to Dawnhaven, but perhaps it had to do with her subject of choice being the one to ask the big ‘why?’ Still Céline felt a kindred spirit within this person, someone who, despite the risks, was willing to go the distance.

"I just feel it's too late for me to be afraid. I've come all this way, by my choice, afterall.”

“I think some people might call that pretty reckless, stupid even,” Céline smiled, interlocking her own hands together, rubbing them for warmth, “personally it’s something I can relate to. Even after my transformation I never tried to stop helping people, even after…well they said some pretty nasty things to me.” She chuckled nervously, “When I first heard of this town, having no other information than a name and that both human and blight-born coexisted, I knew I had to come. Call it…intuition or faith, I felt this town needed my help.”

"You said that you're a doctor. Do you mean that you use healing magic? Do you also come here from Aurelia?"

Céline had to laugh a little at that one, but it was an understandable mistake, “No no, I’m sorry, I was actually born with no magical affinity whatsoever, in a land far east of the Aurelian capital. My ‘healing magic’ is something a bit more practical, sometimes long-winded depending on the injury, but effective nonetheless.” Her eyes wandered to the steaming pools below, the moonlight somewhat diluted upon the waters’ surface. “In a time where healing magic is so limited, especially those affected by the suns’ disappearance, I think a little practicality is something people desperately need right now.”

The anxiety that was emanating from Anathema hadn’t gone away since she had revealed her role as a researcher in this town. It didn’t take much to draw a line that the research was around blight-born; people like her. There was a lot of curiosity and excitement, but that anxiety was holding her back from being more open. Despite risking the floodgates of emotion once more, Céline decided to broach that topic. “On a serious note, it’s pretty dangerous to approach a blight-born you don’t know.” A light scolding for sure, but Céline liked this person and didn’t want to see her get eaten after just arriving, “There are some pretty…feral and wild ones out there that don’t hold as much pleasant conversation as I do,” Céline smirked, “that being said, this seems like a perfect opportunity for you to conduct some rese-”

Céline’s ears perked up, suddenly picking up the noise of crunching snow, “It sounds like someone’s coming,” her eyes narrowed and moved towards the directions of the sound, footfalls crunching and winding their way through the springs rather hurriedly, followed by a splash as if someone plunged themselves in. There was something else that she could hear coming from that direction, something faint, yet deep, “Do you hear.. _that”

As she turned to face Anathema, she was gone from her vision, turning back the trees and sky had dissipated, leaving something large and aching in its wake. It felt like a pulse, looked like one too, a black and viscous ichor that seemed to pull and gnaw at Céline. She tried to pull away from it, but it wouldn’t let her look at anything else, move anywhere else, as the world faded away around her. It called her in, beckoned, something that was pure and raw; anger, fear, loss, anguish, despair, hopelessness, survival, desperation. It was beautiful, violent, awe-inspiring and she wanted to let herself be drowned in it. Something stopped her though..

Blinking, Céline looked around and realized she had stepped away from the pool of water and was now standing barefoot in the snow, some couple dozen or so feet away from another individual. She looked at the brunette haired woman in the water, beautiful, fearful, and the reason Céline had been so inexplicably drawn here. A meal of raw, fresh, undiluted emotion was just sitting there waiting to be eaten and Céline’s eyes grew wide in fear as she tried to step back. Her body just didn’t seem to want to listen as she collapsed to her knee, the back leg suddenly giving out underneath her weight. Everything just felt so difficult right in that moment, an aching hunger, a free meal right in front of her, a moral obligation to do no harm. The weight of all that stress on her mind locked her in place. ‘I-I-I I can’t, I can’t do this, I won’t Iwon’tIwon’tIwon’tIwon’t-I …I can-’ and like her leg, the mind gave out.

Throwing her body forward onto her hands and knees Céline emptied the contents of her stomach; a mixture of whatever bile and mucus had settled its way there. Before more could be said or done, Céline collapsed on her side, her ears ringing loudly and her mind going blank, unable to comprehend the violent convulsions her body was going through from the shock of rejecting one too many meals.

---

_{Interacts with: Anathema @Lu; mentions: Octavia @The Savant}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

@Lu, wanted to apologize for not writing a post yet, its in the works right now and I'm hoping to have it finished up tomorrow.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

_{Location: Communal Hotspring}

---

‘Oh goddess…’ Céline thought as her ears noticeably wilted, reading the emotions on Anathema’s face; shock? Awe? Fear? Whatever emotions were there, Céline could only pray it wouldn’t lead towards a scream, she already hated screams and her ‘mutation’ only amplified that hatred and pain further. Céline was ready to embrace the worse, however instead of pain though, she felt something else welling within Anathema. Despite the girl’s outward appearance, there was a torrential wave of emotion rushing from her, a level of excitement, curiosity and wonder that threatened to drown Céline. Oh goddess how she wanted to be drowned in it, to consume every last drop of this deluge till the source was nothing but an empty husk. She wanted to devour it, but every fiber of her being fought against it, unwilling to harm this human, this new encounter; even if it made her sick to her stomach. She breathed in through her nose and out her mouth, treating this like a hunger pain, yet one that rolled throughout her whole body and tensed every muscle, shocked every nerve. If she had the contents within her stomach they would have long been emptied by now.

"Perhaps we can find another who would be kind enough to perform introductions? she chuckled, "Though, I'll be spending another moment here. I'm not quite ready to brave the cold again."

Céline opened her eyes, unaware of having closed them, unaware of how heavy she was breathing. She placed the back of her hand to her forehead and felt the beads of sweat that had welled up, or was it condensation from the springs? Reality slammed back in and it didn’t take long for her to notice that her clothes clung to soaked skin, tugging with every motion. Despite wanting to get as far away from this well of emotion as possible, Céline hadn’t the endurance to get far, even if she tried. Anathema hadn’t run yet, in fact she seemed content to stay awhile, even inviting company. Perhaps…residually…

Céline forced a smile and quickly wiped her brow with the sleeve of her thick traveler’s coat, “I’d only been sitting here moments before you happened upon me. If you’re not opposed to it, I’d like to continue doing so and we can enjoy each other’s company.” She turned to sit, but not before removing the thick teal blue coat, revealing a rather oversized and loose fitting tunic. She folded the coat over placing it beside her before lowering herself back on the stone Anathema had found her. “I must also apologize for assuming you were one of the townsfolk. You approached me so calmly that I figured I wasn’t the first blight-born you had met, though still that might be the case anyway. Personally…you have me curious, what are your reasons for coming to Dawnhaven?”

Everything Céline said was true and she genuinely was curious about this person who approached her with no fear. That being said, this was also a way to maybe help curb her excitement a little bit. Something for Anathema to focus on, but general enough to be broad and not trigger one of her episodes. She already felt off being in front of this person, she didn’t want to have a full body paralytic experience on top of it. Goddess was Céline hungry…

---

_{Interacting with: Anathema@Lu}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

_{Location: Outside the Eye of the Beholder}

---

While Ivor hadn’t wanted to waste too much time cutting the tree down to size, but like earlier in the woods, he found himself getting into a steady rhythm. There was something relaxing about being one of the few people awake and working, watching those he knew (and didn’t) getting up for the ‘day’. He’d already been greeted by the prince, even though he seemed to be in a sour mood. Ivor didn’t want to bother him and simply said morning to the young blackened sun in return. Several other townsfolk wandered by, either in search of food or beginning morning chores, some greeting the towering giant and others going about their business. He recognized that the line between man and blightborn was very thin indeed and while some trusted Ivor to behave, others still had their reasons to be wary. It didn’t bother the man much, he was used to being treated somewhat differently than others. His heritage amongst his clan held a legacy, a promise, and that intimidated people. It often led others to speak with him with only eyes above hushed waters, masking their true intentions with flair or formality. Nowadays, he intimidated people for an entirely different reason, but if what he said to Kira last night was to be true, then he would need to make it so and not let such ‘little things’ bother him.

“Good morning, There's a big town clan meet, moon. Half way. Western sky. You might not have got and too few of us know this one, If you have spare firewood, I might need more, we have a baker to support Hunter Ivor.”

Ivor looked up from his tree once more and smiled as he watched Sya exit the inn less concealed than she normally was. In the few months he’d known her, she’d kept her appearance obscured with a thick cloak, especially while out and about. Being a blightborn was no easy life and where it can take so many shapes, change into so many forms, not everyone was lucky enough to retain all of their human features; to see Sya out like this, brought a sense of joy. In tow was a rather ample young woman with black as night hair, possibly the baker Sya mentioned? Despite the odd matching and pairings of languages, Ivor got the gist of what she was saying.

"Good morning ladies!" he greeted the two of them in the common tongue, waving with his free hand.

“Ja, Syraeia, I’ll make sure to be there,” he called back in the guttural tongue of his tribe, “and Seluna’s light is dull to the beauty you shine on us this morning, may she guide you ever brighter!” He placed a hand over his heart, bowing his head deeply as she walked by. He gave a big smile and waved both of them off before resuming with his earlier task.

As he sized up how he was going to cut out the actual door from the heartwood, it occurred to him that the best possible size was the actual door itself. Approaching the building Ivor stepped up to the door and began to un-wedge it from the frame. It took a bit of effort considering he put it there to begin with, he hoped he wasn’t breaking anything else inside with his racket. Finally the door unjammed with a loud crack as more wood splintered away from the remaining hinge plates. Looking inside Ivor wanted to make sure that people were both okay and that he didn’t cause more damage than he already had. Giving a sheepish grin to the people around, he simply stated, “Ivor sorry, but I must borrow this door to make a new door; excuse me.” Politely, he backed both himself and the door out of the tavern. Walking back to the log, he placed the broken door over a flattened area and using that as reference, started hacking out a shape with his hatchet.

---

_{Interacts with: Syraeia @PrinceAlexus, Becky @amorphical; Mentions: Prince Flynn @The Muse}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

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_{Location: Communal Hotspring}

Céline relished this moment, this pure and simple bliss of steaming water upon aching legs and feet. Ever since her turning certain sensations had become muted and dulled, cold most of all. When the heat was concentrated like this, where it penetrated deep into her calves, she almost felt normal again. That word itself was funny though, normal had an odd way of changing definitions. As if it's normal that the land is blanketed in eternal night, how it’s normal for there to be feral, flesh eating, blood drinking creatures, how it’s normal that the sun may never rise again. In Céline’s case, it was having long ears and a constant craving for the emotional energies of those around her. It felt like a constant tug and pull of knowing it was wrong to hurt others, yes so desperately craving all the wicked screams she could muster out of them; it was torture.

So lost in her own mind that Céline barely registered the crunching snow some few feet to the left of her. Her entire body froze, her heart pounded against her chest, her breathing was shallow, quick, quiet. Everything in her body told her she needed to run, to flee, that she was going to be killed by whatever ‘thing’ was about to pounce upon her. Céline wrested control though, able to identify where the animal ended and her own personal intuition began. In the end, rational thinking won the day and she opted to remain perfectly still, unsure if whoever was there even noticed her sitting there or not. Perhaps if they didn’t, they would simply leave? No such luck as what sounded like articles of clothing were being removed before footsteps broke the water's surface, splashing subtly as the figure moved through it. Céline chanced this moment to turn her head just enough to get her eyes onto whoever was now here. A woman with thick auburn hair stood still in the water, seeming to take it all in like she had done only moments before.

Before Céline could consider her options for a moment longer the figure finally took notice of her presence. The woman apologized so quickly it startled Céline from the abruptness, causing her breath to catch and heart to stop for a moment. The hare eared woman already had a foot out of the water before she even realized it, but the intuitive side stopped herself, curious to see where this went. The woman who called out to her was already wading her way in the water, “Anathema..” Céline whispered to herself, committing the name to memory. She seemed so candid, confidently approaching the blightborn in front of her. Were her ears not that off-putting? Maybe she didn’t see them yet and would scream as soon as she did? Céline considered the possibility that Anathema might also be a resident of the town, and that would at least partially explain why she felt comfortable enough to approach. Taking in her surroundings though, Céline also had to wonder if the woman approaching her even knew that she was coming towards a blightborn? Even assuming that she didn’t know, there was no way to hide away her ‘physical extremities’ without it being painful. Regardless, what felt like an eternity passing, Céline replied to the woman’s greeting.

“Hello Anathema, my name is Dr. Moreau, but you may just call me Céline,” she smiled, shifting her weight on the rock and readjusting her pant legs, “actually it is probably I should be apologizing. I only just arrived in your town and found myself near these springs. The water seemed so inviting that my aching feet couldn’t help but to accept.” Standing up from her position, despite having heard a woman would find a more androgynously dressed individual with a slightly too big and loose fitting shirt, slightly oversized and baggy wool pants, rolled up just below the knees. Atop her head, the two ears twitched and rotated independently of each other, twisting with each new minutiae of sound, but keeping wholly focused on the conversation in front of her. “I assume that you reside here, yes? I was hoping to move and live here, but I’m hoping to speak with whoever is in charge first..” she paused after that, considering her options for a moment, a question eating her at the back of her mind and fear kept it there. Shaking her head she resumed asking, “Perhaps you’d be willing to introduce me?”

---

_{Interacting with: Anathema @Lu}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

<Snipped quote by SkeankySnack>

Sya is off to their, she had her eye on a rest and relax before the day goes mad.

@PrinceAlexus

Realms of Sun & Shadow

You can also have your character be awkward like Celine and go for a dip in the hot springs before moving in XD

Realms of Sun & Shadow

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_{Time: 7:00am; Location: Travelling to Dawnhaven → Communal Hotspring}

The air was still and calm, save for the soft ticking of a pocket watch, the hands counting out each second as glassy eyes blinked to take in its information. It was morning alright, not that Céline could tell from the movement of the heavens. How long had she been wandering under this sunless sky since she heard of Dawnhaven? Weeks now it felt like, weeks of careful movement, of evading Lunarian forces and even those of her kind that went feral. The world was a dangerous place and the blight had only made it moreso. Danger like that never stopped the young doctor however, it never stopped her from diving headfirst into the belly of the beast if it meant she could save lives. It was for that very conviction that she found herself in Lunaris, despite hailing from Aurelia, despite being ‘re-born’, even if it meant she was to be run out of town for just existing. The concept wasn’t new though, just rehashed.

Closing the pocket watch and hoisting her travel pack up tighter, Céline crunched through the light snow making her way down the incline. From her vantage point she couldn’t see the town itself, but the thin plumes of smoke from fireplaces was present. Dawnhaven, she had first overheard some soldiers speaking of it, a town where humans and blight-born co-exist, where the prince and princess of both kingdoms preside. It sounded almost too good to be true, not many humans had shown her much kindness after her transformation. Céline had been fortunate enough to retain most of her human features, though the massive hairy ears protruding from the top of her skull placed her square in the realm of uncanny. To be entirely fair, even when she first awoke to her new form it was unsettling, even more-so when she discovered that the new protrusions had entirely replaced her ear. Adjusting to her new level of hearing was the most difficult, but once she got the hang of what to tune in on, she found them to be incredibly beneficial.

She stopped walking, she could hear something to the right of her. Her ear twitched and rotated around in its socket, picking up the minute sounds of flowing water, footsteps in the snow and something being brushed around…covered over? Whatever it was, curiosity had her coloured and stealthily Céline made her way through the trees, careful not to cause too much noise. As she approached the clearing, she sidled up to a tree and what she saw next filled her with shock, awe and a sense of hope. There he was, another man and yet not a man, some could say an angel or perhaps a demon, but he was just another result of the same cause; blight-born. Strangely pale, covered head and body in feathers, holding some sort of…sign post? He seemed thoughtful, happy, beautiful even in the moonlight silhouetting his frame. Had the winged man stayed any longer, Céline might have felt compelled to approach. Alas, the powerful wings launched the man upward, whatever trance she was under gone as she watched the form head towards a small town below. Was this Dawnhaven? Has she finally arrived? The other blight-born could have been a hunter on the prowl, but something about his demeanor told Céline that it couldn’t have been the case.

Emerging forth from the treeline Céline stepped to where the winged man had been, finding a small gathering of his feathers on the ground. Crouching down to inspect, she picked up one of the feathers, it was sleek, oiled, perhaps for water resistance? Though she was curious to inspect it more, Céline decided to collect it in a pouch for now and save it for future study when she had access to more equipment. Returning to an upright position she began to walk towards the town when a sudden realization hit her. Turning she saw what appeared to be a hot spring, she had been so enthralled in gazing at the winged man that she failed to notice the steaming pools of water nearby. At the very least she knew where the running water was coming from, and standing by them, she could feel the heat emanating from them. Weather and temperature hadn’t bothered her since the transformation, more than likely a side effect of it along with her other features. Even so, she could still feel cold and warmth and right now, Céline knew she was more than just a little frigid. Would it be considered uncouth? A stranger to this place, without even introducing themselves, happily taking advantage of what is more than likely a local commodity for the public to use. Taking another look at her watch only some fifteen or so minutes had gone by; was anyone even awake at this point? Céline gazed at the inviting warmth, weighing her options…screw it.

Céline approached the springs, careful to take off her traveler boots before unceremoniously chucking them to the ground and rolling up her pant legs. She’d been walking for weeks now, taking only a few hours at a time to rest at most. She stepped into the water, taking her time to adjust to the temperature before standing knee deep at the water's edge. Sighing the hare like woman sat on a flat rock by the edge, massaging her fingers into her calves and soles. People weren’t awake yet, as far as she was aware anyway, even if someone caught her at the spring, it wasn’t like she couldn’t outpace them. If the rumors behind this town were true though, would she really have any reason to need to run though?

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_{Mentions: Pleiades @The Savant}