Always Lost, Always Hopeful (219) Not the Place for a Dog

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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous day






4-202-03-26 05:29
Jerall View Inn, Bruma, Bruma County, Cyrodiil


The sun is rising, but one can still see some stars in the partially cloudy sky. I ask the girls what we should do. We could head north and explore Rielle, or we could go east and try to find those Talos worshippers. In either direction, we might find Albus's dog. I don't believe he'll be in the area west of the city we criss-crossed yesterday.

We decide to eastwards, in the general direction of the place where we killed those thalmor agents a few days ago. That was south of Gautierre Manor, if I remember correctly. We can explore the area west and north of that very high mountain as much as the terrain permits, and then head back west towards Rielle, hopefully arriving before the nightfall.

Sounds like a good plan. Let's go!

Dar'taqto is nowhere to be seen, so he has only himself to blame when I leave the city now. I did all I could, even asked Stantus to tell him I was looking for him. So I can now head east with a clear conscience.

Bruma county certainly doesn't look scenic this morning, now that the clouds have covered the sky completely and snowfall has started. It makes the slopes extremely slippery, which is why we have to choose a more northerly route.

The sun comes out briefly and then disappears again. By 8 o'clock, we reach the approximate area where we killed the thalmor agents. Then we pass by the Gautierre Manor which looks very inviting in this weather, but we're not going in.

I want to see how far north we can go. Not very far, as it turns out.

So we just continue crossing the big mountain (on top of which is that high tower) clockwise from the north. And then we see a dog lying on a path ahead.

As we approach, the dog makes no move of running away or attacking. It just lies there and eyes us, looking unhappy.

I ask it if it's Scruffy. It barks, apparently recognizing the name. I tell him he ought to go home. Scruffy whimpers. He doesn't seem to like the idea.

Jordis notices he has patches without fur. She says it looks like he's been burned or scalded with hot water.

Yeah, I guess Banus is going to have some questions to answer before he can have his dog back. Right now, however, we proceed eastwards up the path and Scruffy seems to be happy to run along with us, from which one can conclude that at least he doesn't have anything broken.

We continue to climb up and down mountain paths without much idea where we're going.

A little after 11 o'clock, we find a cave called Hjalti's Refuge. It's not very big and has very little light.

Among patches of snow lie three dead people, and at the far end of the cave is a shrine of Talos. Is this the place Quatrius wanted us to find? If it is, we're obviously too late.

Upon exiting, we're attacked by thalmors. Looks like this is indeed the right place. Scruffy whom no one has taught about keeping one's distance from the enemy rushes to do his part of our combat effort and in fact causes considerable trouble to one of the thalmors before the latter is killed by my girls' ice magic.

Scruffy looks like revitalized. As we travel on, he keeps running right next to me and whenever I stop, he jumps up to lick my face.

We're already in the east-southeast of Frostcrag Spire, not very far from the southern lowlands. That's not where I want to go, so we turn northeast to see how far up the mountains can be climbed. I figure that should we find ourselves unable to go on any farther, we'll travel back west towards Gautierre Manor, from which it's not far to the main road to Bruma.

An eastward path up the mountain leads us to a small cave from which a couple of human-like creatures appear.

One of them has a bow and begins to shoot at me. I shoot back and then more of them appear and we invade the place and kill them. They were goblins.

There's no going further northeast, so we turn west, back towards Bruma, taking the lower path this time that is more or less parallel to the one by which we traveled east earlier. We find a cave crawling with giant spiders and get out again quickly. The sights are much better outside.  ;-)

By half past 2, we're at the intersection where we could turn right towards the Skyrim border crossing (how about we bring the dog to the innkeeper Erlus whose old dog died??) or left towards Bruma.

We're going to Bruma first. Before depriving the boy of his dog, I have to give him an opportunity to speak in his own defense. I had planned on exploring Rielle this afternoon, but we'll have to skip it, because it's too dangerous for the dog.

As we approach the city, it becomes obvious that Scruffy doesn't want to go there. So I leave him with Jenassa and Jordis in the Eastern Watchtower. They can help the guards keep watch or play cards or whatever it is they do there. I enter the city with Lydia.

It's most admirable that you're defending your father, kid, but I can't return a dog to a home where he's going to be maltreated.

Banus is in tears, begging me to bring Scruffy back to him. I tell him I'll talk to his father first, and he'd better leave me alone now because I have official business with the city guards.

I meet Quatrius on the street. He seems to feel good in the scumbag Adius's shoes. I tell him what happened at Hjalti's Refuge. He whinges something about this being not quite what he had hoped for, but then he thanks me for giving my best, and says we'd better keep this secret and can he buy me a drink at the Jerall View Inn?

Huh?

I reply that should we happen to be there at the same time someday, then we'll see.

Quatrius asks if I'm free now. He just wants to talk to me, nothing special. I shrug and begin walking towards the inn. He's a strange guy. I don't know what to make of him.

Lydia follows us looking carefully in every direction. She seems to be thinking what I am thinking. Now I walk the steps up to the inn door. Then I enter. No, there's no thalmor ambush. Everything in the taproom looks normal. I'm happy my suspicion turned out unfounded, but what does Quatrius want then? Does he simply fancy me or has he some other intrigue up his sleeve?

I see Dar'taqto sitting at his favorite place with his back towards the entrance.

"Tough luck," I inform Quatrius. "My boyfriend is here, so you won't be buying me anything today." Without waiting for his reply, I turn away, trusting Lydia who has entered after us to be able to handle him if necessary.

I nod Stantus hello and walk up to Dar'taqto. I rub my nose against his (that's what the Khajiits do instead of kissing) and ask him if he's not in a hurry – I'd rather not go downstairs right now, because I urgently need to find Albecius Jucani and have a word with him. When Dar'taqto says it's all right, I waste no time going back out. I smile at Lydia who has sat Quatrius down in the opposite corner facing away from me. She's a great helper! I'll have to make her a beautiful present one of these days.

Luckily, Albecius is sitting on a bench in front of his house. He answers my questions about Scruffy as if he had barely noticed the dog's existence. The man has his emotions perfectly under control – if he even has any – but I'm having the distinct impression that he is not at all unhappy about the dog's having run away.

I walk slowly back towards the inn. It's half past 5 by now and I don't know how much time Dar'taqto would require with me, but I guess we won't be exploring Rielle today. I think tomorrow, after I've given Gergus of Applewatch the sad news about his lost horse, we'll go to Snowstone Rest with Scruffy and ask if Erlus wants him, and then why not return to Skyrim? I feel I really need a change of scenery.

I've had dreams about home almost nightly. (I mean my real home.) I now remember practically all of Camlorn's streets. Also, my crazy childhood adventures with Cortoran are returning into my memory one after another. Which means it's just about the right time to travel to Windhelm and see if the priestess Jora has something interesting to tell me and then ask Yrsarald what he thinks is the best way for me to travel to High Rock.

Yeah, for fairness's sake I'll talk to Eddvia and her mother this evening as well. About the dog, I mean. I wish I could find some kind of a solution for this case that would not make Banus view his father as guilty of him losing his dearest companion, which Scruffy undoubtedly is for him. But now I'm back in the taproom. I walk up to Dar'taqto and tell him I'm ready when he is. Unsurprisingly, he's ready already.

Dar'taqto wants me to suck. "And you're going to ejaculate in my mouth for two minutes or more?" I ask with a hint of sarcastic resignation. He shrugs: "That depends largely upon what you do, but yes, it'll likely be the case."

Oh well. It was bound to happen for the first time someday. And, quite fankly, licking a Khajiit dick is just about the only thing missing to make this day completely  crazy. So go ahead and lie down, darling.

Now, I must admit that this is something I'll be happy never to have to do again. Khajiit men's penises are covered with those little... not quite prickles and not quite knobs. Down there, they feel heavenly, but to caress such a thing with your mouth is quite an ordeal. I'll rather not show it to you from up close. This is awkward enough as it is.

After I've struggled for a considerable time, Dar'taqto gets impatient, grabs my head and forces me to go faster. Luckily it doesn't take long then for him to come. And yes, his ejaculation lasts like forever. But he seems happy.

After Dar'taqto has left, I walk across the empty corridor to the bath, naked as I am, to have some, er, rest. Then I get dressed and pay another visit to the Jucani house and try to coax something out of Banus's mother, Ruccia. She says she has no idea how and when Scruffy might have gotten injured, but insists that it's out of the question that someone in their family might have tortured him, and she's tired and would I please leave now.

Eddvia is not at home and the shop where she works is closed, so I'll leave talking to her for tomorrow.

I spend the rest of the evening and in fact the whole night working on our gear. As I'm used to happening every once in a while, it's broad daylight by the time I walk back to the inn and go to sleep.



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Always Lost, Always Hopeful (217) Some Prefer the Real Talos

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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous day






4-202-03-24 10:12
Jerall View Inn, Bruma, Bruma County, Cyrodiil


I feel revitalized. A couple of days ago, I was kind of fed up with Cyrodiil, but now I'm once again having the feeling that this is a really nice place and we won't return to Skyrim just yet.

We begin our day with a stroll on the streets. The two thalmor representatives walk past us, but fortunately take no notice of us. We find Serulius and I give him his journal, and he teaches us some One-Handed Weapons  and Blocking  as reward.

I think we'll stay in the city today. I want to see if someone talks something interesting in the palace, and maybe do some enchanting, and above all I'd really like some sex.

First, I want to take a look at the scumbag Adius's successor Quatrius. After some asking around, I find him near the temple. I introduce myself and smile at him coyly and ask if there's possibly something criminal going on I could help with. Against, I mean. He informs me he already recognized me and yes, there's a rather delicate problem I might be able to help him deal with. The thalmors have suspected for some time there's a group of Talos worshippers somewhere east of here. Now, the palace guards have noticed that in the recent days the local thalmor representatives have gotten visibly agitated over something. Quatrius doesn't know what it's about, but the rumor is a couple of thalmor agents got killed in that suspicious area, and Armion is puzzled as well as worried that they may have another Nord uprising on their hands. That's why Quatrius would like me, a friendly outsider, to try and investigate this matter discreetly, and should I really succeed in finding some insurgents, convince them to lie low for a while, because the thalmor problem won't be around forever.

This task reminds me of something I've been wanting to ask someone about. Why is the thalmors' religion police still operating in Bruma unhindered, and, that being the case, why aren't they doing anything about Laura the Dragonborn walking around freely? I mean, in Skyrim they always try to kill me as soon as they've recognized me.

The short answer is, Quatrius tells me, that neither the county government nor evidently the local thalmors have received instructions from high enough on what to do about the abrupt end of the Skyrim civil war. The Cyrodiil military seems to be in a near-consensus that the peace in Skyrim is a welcome chance to get rid of the pesky thalmors once and for all, and that we are indeed strong enough to do that. However, for reasons unknowns to Quatrius, the highest leadership has not yet come to a decision as to what to do and when. Therefore, for the time being, everyone is continuing to act like nothing has changed, as well as refraining from undertaking anything drastic, least of all against the Dragonborn who is widely admired as a great hero outside of Skyrim as well.

"In case you didn't know," Quatrius adds, "things don't get done here as quickly and informally as in Skyrim."

I don't dare ask him if the Cyrodiil military would seize power in case the emperor turned out a coward. I just thank Quatrius for the conversation and take my leave.

Dar'taqto sees me on the street. We nod hello and I walk to him and he tells me he wants me right now.

Fine with me.

Having closed the hotel room door behind us, he pinches my side painfully. (That's the Khajiit equivalent for slapping your butt. They don't slap, because their palms are soft.) He says I've been mean going in and out of the city without paying any attention to him. "I know," I reply. "I'm sorry. I swear it won't happen again. But now please fuck me or I'll die."

He puts me on all fours. It's a little ironic to do it in doggy  style with a feline, but all I can think about at the moment is... no, I can't think about anything. It's unbelievable how badly I had missed it.

We fuck like there's no tomorrow and our moans rise to the heavens... but hopefully not all the way to the taproom above us.

Dar'taqto's orgasm lasts incredibly long. Even without seeing him, I can't help having a second orgasm hearing and feeling the man's ecstasy for what seems to be minute after minute while his hands are frantically trying to touch all my body parts at the same time.

He's not in a hurry to leave this time. We lie in the bed and I rub everything I can against his delightful furry skin.

When I realize he's really  not in a hurry, I make bold to ask him if Khajiit men always have so long orgasms.

Now, what he tells me is most curious. Apparently, the medical mages have found out that a female Khajiit's uterus won't open until the male has squirted sperm into her vagina for at least two minutes (that's on average; it can vary for one individual to another). Dar'taqto says that's the way nature makes sure weak organisms don't progenate, and that's why the Khajiits are the toughest of all races – well, female Bretons excluded, he adds with a smile. That's all right, I say, I don't claim toughness, I much prefer to be perceived as cute and kind. Dar'taqto assures me I am.

While we're getting dressed, I beg him to stop stealing. I say I would be heartbroken if he were thrown to jail.

I think I'm actually succeeding in getting through to his heart. He promises not to steal anymore and I'm having the feeling he actually means it. I tell him I don't mind giving him some money to help him get over the tough times. He replies he's doing fine right now, but he'll keep it in mind.

We go upstairs. Dar'taqto leaves to attend to his business. Evidently no one has officially told him he's expelled from the city. I wonder what's happened to the theft charges. I forgot to ask Dar'taqto. But right now, I fancy some food. While eating, I can't avoid that pathetic old man Botram telling me a long and pointless tale about a past adventure of his in the area of Hviterun.

There's just barely enough time left for me to visit the shops.

I also step into Harald Burdsson's house. He is running a museum of someone called the Champion of Cyrodiil, the closest helper of the legendary Martin Septim. It's a complete rip-off, I'm sorry to say. Harald, however, talks about the chains the Champion was supposedly chained with while in prison and the cloth he supposedly blew his nose into (really! I'm not making this up) as if they were most remarkable historic artifacts in existence. I can't muster enough politeness to stay until the end of his "guided tour". While I walk out, I have the misfortune to hear Harald urging me to stay to see his most valued possession – the finger of the Champion. Yuck!!

I go to the butcher's shop next door and chat some with the proprietor just to bring my thoughts onto something else. I realize that after that finger, this was not a very good idea. Back on the street, I see Lydia and we walk around together and exchange a few words with a female guard.

I now head for the Synod building to do some enchanting. The mage Elintius, my friend of sorts, who is just leaving greets me cheerfully and we chat a little bit. Then I go in and set to work. I have in the meantime gained the ability to put two enchantments on one and the same item, and now I produce some really cool enchanted pieces of armor. I'm able to finish my work early enough, so I can go to sleep a little after midnight! Perfect time-planning!

Jordis sleeps next to me tonight. She can't be with Gryfard, because she's having her period. Jenassa is in their room with Roland and Lydia is somewhere with Ambric.



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Always Lost, Always Hopeful (200) Cats and Dogs

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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous day






4-202-03-07 11:18
Cloudrest Palace, Cloudrest, Summerset, Aldmeri Dominion


No visit to Cloudrest can be complete without shopping at the underground market next to the palace.

The blacksmith Malta is particularly friendly today while the handsome elf Saulian is strangely grumpy and the alchemist Loralia looks like she may even be ill. But they still have cool wares on offer.

After that, we're basically headed for Shimmerene to return to Skyrim, and we're not all too busy. As I told you, I want to talk to the students, because it's the only place where I can learn about High Rock from the people who are actually from there. (I mean, have been there recently.) I also want to spend some time with my Shimmerene boyfriend Dulizar. I've been fantasizing about a boobjob with a Khajiit. You'll see later why – if you can't guess.

Apart from that, I've been feeling for the past two days that I really want to visit Dusk. I so miss Bradwin. And it's generally a nice place, in its slightly crazy way.

Before we head southeast, though, maybe we ought to check out a certain place that is near Cloudrest on the northern shore.

It's supposed to be the residence of a smuggler who is rumored to have acquired the Poetic Blade  stolen from the blacksmith of Alinor who was making it for the queen of Lillandril. Something like that. Now, I don't care much for that spoilt and lazy bitch, but since we're so close, we can just as well go and make the acquaintance of that smuggler guy.

After a steep descent, we discover a pretty beach, explore a small island on which there is nothing to find (but it's beautiful) and then we enter a cave near the coast.

The smuggler greets us from behind a securely locked door. I ask him about the Poetic Blade and he gives me directions to a location further west (quite close to Lillandril in fact) where the chief of the bandits may know where the blade is.

I can't be bothered with that today. After chilling some in the warm water and admiring the scenery (see picture above), we head for Shimmerene. I decide to make a detour along the ocean shore clockwise, passing by the place where we first arrived in Summerset three months ago:

Instead of going south into the mountain pass, we move eastwards along the rocky coast this time and discover an utterly lovely little dwelling. Its called Two Hearts Shack. The occupants, whoever they may be, are not home.

If I had a man with me right now, I wouldn't be leaving this charming place very soon. How I envy the people who live here!

Shortly afterwards, the coastline turns south. We get a blessing from the Shrine of Auriel that is southeast of Cloudrest, kill a few walking skeletons along the way, and, well, see a pahmar who I presume would like us to keep our distance:

In Shimmerene, I find the Arch-Mage and Master Bolwing in the company of a tall High Elf man whom I haven't seen before. Don't tell me Bolwing has already taken the curse off King Celamir.

Well, yes, that's precisely the case. Bolwing informs me the bowl I brought him wasn't actually needed. (Note to self: don't forget to drop by Red Beggar's Hole and bring it back.)

The king thanks me cordially and then offers to... sell me a house for 50 000 septims!!

What the fuck?

The mayor of Ravenrock gave me a house in the town for merely thwarting an assassination attempt. King Celamir was saved by me from the unspeakable anguish and disgrace of living as a dog, and he offers to SELL me a house somewhere in the middle of the forest? Well, yes, I'll take it, because 50 000 septims is a mere 1% of my capital, but I'm appalled by King Celamir's attitude. (I shall call him the King of Greed from now on.) Maybe he thinks that because I'm a non-elf and a foreigner at that, I don't deserve real acknowledgement.

Master Bolwing in turn asks my help in clearing a closed wing of the Guild building of some unholy horrors. I've noticed the place, it's the door opposite the one that leads to the students' wing and Quillinda has warned me to stay away from it. Bolwing says that after my group succeeded in getting all those rare ingredients from dangerous places, he can trust us to not just get ourselves killed in there. He offers to give us some mages as support, which I politely refuse. As you know, we fight better without outsiders getting in our way. We'll be careful enough – as well as sensible enough to run away if we can't handle it.

This mission might also lead us to the tracks of the mage whom Bolwing suspects of having done the transmophication (as the scientific terms goes) to King Celamir. Ryndyll alias Rany Roo is his name. Bolwing clearly knows something he's not telling me, but frankly I'm not too keen about this mission in the first place.

Well, it's past seven in the evening. I want to be with Dulizar, after which Berenice, Heloise, Noemie and I are going to lock ourselves into our dorm room and talk about High Rock.

On second thought, if we destroyed the monsters in that closed wing, I would have a private place for Dulizar and myself.

All right, let's go in there and take a look.

The layout is similar to the dorm on the other side. There are even beds in rooms. However, their occupants are wolf-like creatures walking on two legs, much taller than we.

The studies must have been really grueling for the students to turn into such animals.

Unarmed, they're not too difficult to kill. Here is another one who has been hit by ice magic from my followers:

There are also a few dead humans here and there.

At the end of the corridor, past half a dozen utterly ruined dorm rooms, is an entrance to a dungeon. We're not going there this time.

This area is reasonably safe now, but it's not suitable for lovemaking after all. Too much blood and corpses. Dulizar and I will have to try and find a reasonably secluded and safe place outside.

We choose a spot in long soft grass in the narrow space between the guild building wall and the steep rocky hillside in the north. I ask Dulizar if he would like to do it between my breasts. He thinks it might be interesting.

I ask him not to go too fast.

That soft tail rubbing against my vulva, moving back and forth with each of Dulizar's thrusts – it's just as heavenly as I had imagined!

This is what I'm seeing.

It's awesome. I actually do reach an orgasm. I also tremendously enjoy Dulizar's climax which seems to last forever. I get it everywhere and I won't even bother to wash. It was a magnificent experience.

Now I retire to my dorm room. What luck that I was accommodated together with three Breton girls!

Berenice is the shortest, but she's a kind of boss in this room. She has a very sharp mind.

Noemie is a well-read and industrious girl who would certainly make a fine wife to some cultured and intelligent nobleman, if she can find herself one:

Heloise is not too bright, but has a superb body (which she takes good care not to emphasize with her clothing) and good character, and is determined to get the most out of the talented people around her in Shimmerene:

Today, however, she is very tired and decides to go to sleep after a couple of hours, but Berenice, Noemie and I talk late into the night.

I ask the girls a million questions about the life back home, right up to the street names and which animals their grandparents kept. Anything to potentially awake some associations in my dormant memory.

Naturally they're interested in my adventures in turn, and so I end up telling them about the "generosity" of the King of Greed. The girls shake their heads.
"You don't understand," says Berenice. "The Summerset law is that when you buy a house for a fair price, you're granted the privileges of an Aldmeri citizen. When a king just gives you a house, it's no more than a place where you can live for free. He can take it back anytime. But a real house, not just a hovel, bought for a fair price is yours forever."
"As soon as you take the property physically into your possession, you are legally equal to the Altmers who live here," adds Noemie.
So that's why Lord Elberoth of Ebon emphasized he had no proper house  for sale!
"Citizen privileges – does that mean I can get proper documents and travel legally to High Rock?" I ask.
"I don't see why you shouldn't," says Noemie.
"But what if I've been officially declared an enemy of the thalmors?"
"If you don't tell them, they won't ask," Berenice explains patiently.
"Thalmors don't have all that much influence here to start with," says Noemie.
Berenice continues: "You are a Breton, born in High Rock, you have an obviously Breton name, your occupation is a student at the Shimmerene Mages' Guild. Why should the harbor officials suspect anything could be wrong?"
"And back home they're not so scrupulous about people's backgrounds," adds Noemie. "All that identity papers thing is really an Aldmeri habit we've taken over."
"Meaning, no official in High Rock is going to ask why your ID has been issued in Aldmeri and not in High Rock," clarifies Berenice.
"Apart from which, nobody in High Rock would care if you are an enemy of the thalmors," says Noemie.
Yes, that's obviously true.
Noemie goes on: "So you see, this what you call ungratefulness on the King Celamir's part is in fact a really huge deal."
"Okay, I get it now. Thanks for telling me."
"One thing, though," says Berenice.
"What?"
"You said you have forgotten most of your past."
"I have. It's been coming back slowly, but I don't even remember any of my relatives outside of the immediate family."
Berenice nods. "Then it may not be a very good idea to hurry to Lillandril and take the first ship home. People would wonder. Memory loss isn't something that just happens."
"Yeah, I've been told it isn't. In all likelihood, I got amnesia because I had to to fulfill my mission as the Dragonborn and the gods didn't want me burdened with possible past affinities. Now that Alduin is killed, they seem to be giving it back to me bit by bit, possibly at the rate they think I can emotionally process."
"See? That's why, if you are interested in my opinion... I mean, if  you are interested in my opinion..."
I nod.
"...I would advise you to have some more patience. If you had to tell the people back home you're Dragonborn, you'd end up having a crowd of admirerers or simply curious ones, with a fair share of nutcases, in front of your home day and night."
Everybody's telling me to be more patient! But Berenice is certainly right about this. Bretons tend to be inquisitive... as I somehow know now.

Well, it's gotten very late. I'd better let the girls get some rest. They have been so kind to sacrifice some of their sleep to satisfy my curiosity.

Berenice and Noemie give me their addresses in High Rock, as well as Heloise's, and I promise to give them my parents' as soon as I can remember.



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