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route666rp2025-06-07 04:39 pm
monstertruckers) wrote in route666rp2025-06-07 04:39 pm
JUNE EVENT LOG
Eventually, gravity behaves normally as the Convoy reaches a new region. Rivers crisscross this area, carving paths through hills and valleys alike. The vegetation has come back in earnest, after being thinned out by the thorn scrub and ragged brush. Now green grass and flowers are thick on the hills, along with scattered trees. The weather begins to cloud over, with dour skies and rain being a constant. The moon and sun alike are often smothered by clouds, making for gloomy and moody scenery in turns.
01: GAS STATION GALLOWS
Surprisingly, there’s another gas station so soon, right where the river bends. With sheets of rain coming down and the sky growing dark, it looks like the safest spot… At least until the Convoy comes in close. Bodies hang from the roof of the gas station, like macabre puppets on strings and nooses. They have long since turned to Husks with hints of transformations poking through. A message has been spray painted on the ground: “PURGE.” Under the message is a symbol of a sword piercing the moon, and a name: “Steel Wardens.”
The Convoy tries start the speakers, like in the grasslands… But something is wrong. Last month’s attacks took a heavy toll on the Convoy. Instead, the phones of various Drifters start playing the melody. A crackling transmission comes in:
“Sorry… Gotta ask this of you. Only way to help these poor bastards on their way. In return… Try to answer your questions-”
The radio cuts out after that. But if Drifters choose, they can send out a message after sending a Husk on their way. The radio will try to answer, though reception is still patchy and responses are short.
The Convoy tries start the speakers, like in the grasslands… But something is wrong. Last month’s attacks took a heavy toll on the Convoy. Instead, the phones of various Drifters start playing the melody. A crackling transmission comes in:
“Sorry… Gotta ask this of you. Only way to help these poor bastards on their way. In return… Try to answer your questions-”
The radio cuts out after that. But if Drifters choose, they can send out a message after sending a Husk on their way. The radio will try to answer, though reception is still patchy and responses are short.
02: BROKEN SHIELD
As the Convoy tries to settle down for an evening, something goes wrong. The shield flickers in and out, before popping like a soap bubble. While most of the local Husks have been exorcised thanks to fellow Drifters, it’s still a tense couple of nights.
And without the shield, the effects of the moon becomes more vivid. Some nights the storm clouds help mask the moon and dampen the call… But other nights it can break through the gloom and shine harshly on the Convoy. Drifters may find themselves spending sleepless nights wandering the Convoy perimeter… Or maybe wandering out into the wilds. Where there’s still no shortage of other monsters prowling around, and waiting to pounce on any fresh meat. A few of them may even try raiding the Convoy now that the shield is down. Some Drifters may opt to form watches during the night, or try to find some form of fitful sleep. After several nights of this, the Convoy itself seems to have had enough, with how the screens flare up one morning to show a map and repeat a message:
“Scan complete. Field Generator components found nearby. Request immediate retrieval and installation.”
And without the shield, the effects of the moon becomes more vivid. Some nights the storm clouds help mask the moon and dampen the call… But other nights it can break through the gloom and shine harshly on the Convoy. Drifters may find themselves spending sleepless nights wandering the Convoy perimeter… Or maybe wandering out into the wilds. Where there’s still no shortage of other monsters prowling around, and waiting to pounce on any fresh meat. A few of them may even try raiding the Convoy now that the shield is down. Some Drifters may opt to form watches during the night, or try to find some form of fitful sleep. After several nights of this, the Convoy itself seems to have had enough, with how the screens flare up one morning to show a map and repeat a message:
“Scan complete. Field Generator components found nearby. Request immediate retrieval and installation.”
03: POWER PLANT APPROACH
The structure in question lays in the middle of a lake, fed by several rivers. It looks like some form of old water-fed power plant, with broken wheels still turning. Approaching the power plant is possible through either precarious and half rusted bridges (travel on foot is advised!) or through fording the water. Though that carries its own risk. (See Prompt 4: Don’t Drown.)
Approach on the bridges is a risky matter. The metal looks ready to fall apart if too much weight is placed on it. Hopefully Drifters approaching this way are light footed, or have some means of rescue if the floor breaks underneath them.
The power plant also has its own defenses in the form of floating puffer fish flying above the lake, and strange elongated diving monsters swimming the depths. The Blugu attack with needles and sleep bubbles, trying to knock any Drifters of bridges into the waters below for the Divers.
Approach on the bridges is a risky matter. The metal looks ready to fall apart if too much weight is placed on it. Hopefully Drifters approaching this way are light footed, or have some means of rescue if the floor breaks underneath them.
The power plant also has its own defenses in the form of floating puffer fish flying above the lake, and strange elongated diving monsters swimming the depths. The Blugu attack with needles and sleep bubbles, trying to knock any Drifters of bridges into the waters below for the Divers.
03-A: POWER PLANT EXPLORATION
The Convoy reports say that the generator is in several components that different groups of Drifters need to find in the old building. Be warned that there’s flooding in parts of the hallways, the deeper one goes. And the water might still very well have some weird, transformative properties! If it doesn’t, there are still partially submerged hallways that reflect Drifters anxieties, regrets, and insecurities back on them. But with searching, Drifters can find generator components in the following rooms:
Boiler Room, where an old machine still shoots out super hot steam that can easily burn and scald.
Bone Room, which clearly isn’t part of the old workings, but something has co-opted this room and turned it into a collection of bones. Bones from monsters, metal bones from husks… All of them carrying sharp edges.
Cold Room, where repeated Moon Warps have turned this room into a freezer. At least the component isn’t damaged, and just needs to be chipped out of the ice?
Electric Room, which has gone a bit haywire, with stray bolts of electricity criss-crossing the room. The component lays in the center, but to reach it the electricity must be dodged or redirected.
03-B: POWER PLANT INSTALLATION
Jars:There is one more room taking up a chunk of the ruins. It is filled with jars that reach from floor to ceiling… And those jars have people in them. Or the remains of people. They’re overgrown by vines and plantlife, turned to Husks, and their heads are broken and cut open. Drifters likely have a good guess on where those brain monsters from last month came from.
Next to the jars is a monitor with a brief message: “Contact lost with----. Engaging emergency sleep procedures. We may never wake, but we need to try.” There’s a handful of people still intact in their jars… But getting too close to them trips an alarm system. Chromehounds, lasers, the works all turn on to try and drive Drifters away from the room!
Installation:Thankfully, returning to the Convoy and installing the generator pieces is easy enough. They fit together easily, almost magnetically. Anyone with a degree of tech savviness can aid in the effort, and a compartment in the Convoy opens up to help install the generator.
After this, the shield finally hums to life, and nights become a lot more peaceful.
Next to the jars is a monitor with a brief message: “Contact lost with----. Engaging emergency sleep procedures. We may never wake, but we need to try.” There’s a handful of people still intact in their jars… But getting too close to them trips an alarm system. Chromehounds, lasers, the works all turn on to try and drive Drifters away from the room!
Installation:Thankfully, returning to the Convoy and installing the generator pieces is easy enough. They fit together easily, almost magnetically. Anyone with a degree of tech savviness can aid in the effort, and a compartment in the Convoy opens up to help install the generator.
After this, the shield finally hums to life, and nights become a lot more peaceful.
04: DON'T DROWN
There’s a river that snakes through the landscape. It turns blood red during sunsets, glows with starlight at night, and is an almost hypnotic blue during the day. Once or twice, the Convoy crosses over it on long bridges. And it eventually empties into a massive lake with the abandoned powerplant in the center.
If someone chooses to ford the river or take a dip in it, something more unnerving happens. The waters go still and reflect the Drifter, no matter how much splashing is done. The deeper anyone goes, the more the reflection grows; most of the time, the reflection is some aspect a Drifter would sooner keep hidden. The river might even replay an image of something they regret.
If a Drifter gets up to their chest in the water, their reflection snaps into a monstrous form, and something pulls them underwater. When they emerge they are completely changed. This effect lasts the entire month before wearing off in dryer climates: the only way to cut it short is to take Salve from the thorn scrub, or gamble with the hospital medicines.
If someone chooses to ford the river or take a dip in it, something more unnerving happens. The waters go still and reflect the Drifter, no matter how much splashing is done. The deeper anyone goes, the more the reflection grows; most of the time, the reflection is some aspect a Drifter would sooner keep hidden. The river might even replay an image of something they regret.
If a Drifter gets up to their chest in the water, their reflection snaps into a monstrous form, and something pulls them underwater. When they emerge they are completely changed. This effect lasts the entire month before wearing off in dryer climates: the only way to cut it short is to take Salve from the thorn scrub, or gamble with the hospital medicines.
05: MONSTER SHIFT, MERFOLK
The waters of this area have one last twist; submerging imparts Merfolk traits. On top of all Merfolk traits the following is also available this month:
+Double Drowning: Merfolk with the compulsion to drown other creatures can find some very tempting targets along the river banks; horse-like creatures lingering near the waters. But upon contact with the creatures, it becomes clear that not only are they life-like machines, they rapidly disassemble into weighted nets. Or they just explode into shrapnel; either option can spell trouble for the Merfolk!
+Current Thrall: whenever the sun sets, the river currents change to something more chaotic and twisted, uncertain which way to flow. This lasts until moonrise, when they settle on flowing the opposite way. But it will be up to Merfolk to shape water or survive the twisting currents until then.
+Illuminating Light: Bioluminescence can light up the bottom of lakes and rivers, revealing the remains of Husks and almost prophetic writing carved into stone.
+Not So Dry Land: Merfolk pulled onto dry land can shape water into containers and spheres to keep them hydrated… And with some focus and practice, even give themselves a way to surf across land!
+Bigger Fish: The lakes and rivers hold their share of monsters besides the Merfolk. Some, like Mizutsune and packs of Forneus and Divers, see Merfolk as viable prey, and appetizing to boot.
+Double Drowning: Merfolk with the compulsion to drown other creatures can find some very tempting targets along the river banks; horse-like creatures lingering near the waters. But upon contact with the creatures, it becomes clear that not only are they life-like machines, they rapidly disassemble into weighted nets. Or they just explode into shrapnel; either option can spell trouble for the Merfolk!
+Current Thrall: whenever the sun sets, the river currents change to something more chaotic and twisted, uncertain which way to flow. This lasts until moonrise, when they settle on flowing the opposite way. But it will be up to Merfolk to shape water or survive the twisting currents until then.
+Illuminating Light: Bioluminescence can light up the bottom of lakes and rivers, revealing the remains of Husks and almost prophetic writing carved into stone.
+Not So Dry Land: Merfolk pulled onto dry land can shape water into containers and spheres to keep them hydrated… And with some focus and practice, even give themselves a way to surf across land!
+Bigger Fish: The lakes and rivers hold their share of monsters besides the Merfolk. Some, like Mizutsune and packs of Forneus and Divers, see Merfolk as viable prey, and appetizing to boot.
06: DROWNED SONG
The power plant shifts the further it sinks into the depths. Waters flood the lower levels, and transform the structure; industrial concrete and tunnels are replaced by ornate columns and a spacious ball room, along with an opulent stage.
And almost all of it is submerged in transforming waters. Only merfolk (or those sharing a Merfolk’s kiss) have a chance of surviving this area. Flood waters can easily sweep Drifters down into the depths. There’s even stray rivers that feed into the underwater opera from the outside.
A silent leviathan traces through the ruins, serpentine and whale like. It has no interest in the Drifters unless they float too close to its mouth and appear as snacks… But its wake generates strange whirlpools that can bash and bruise, and keeps everyone trapped in the opera house. Bubbles rise up from the floor or swirl in the whirlpools, and provide flashes of vision: a finned priestess meditating on the moon and then sinking into the depths. Said bubbles also release soft melodies of song; beware of potentially singing along, which can draw attention from the drowned machines.
And almost all of it is submerged in transforming waters. Only merfolk (or those sharing a Merfolk’s kiss) have a chance of surviving this area. Flood waters can easily sweep Drifters down into the depths. There’s even stray rivers that feed into the underwater opera from the outside.
A silent leviathan traces through the ruins, serpentine and whale like. It has no interest in the Drifters unless they float too close to its mouth and appear as snacks… But its wake generates strange whirlpools that can bash and bruise, and keeps everyone trapped in the opera house. Bubbles rise up from the floor or swirl in the whirlpools, and provide flashes of vision: a finned priestess meditating on the moon and then sinking into the depths. Said bubbles also release soft melodies of song; beware of potentially singing along, which can draw attention from the drowned machines.
06-A: SONIC CRY
An array of ornate dish shaped machines catch all sound and magnify it… And track the leviathan as it moves through the opera house, always angled on the monster. As the machines collect more sound, they echo it back in damaging soundwaves that sound like a requiem or a dirge.
The sound in turn is distorted into words that match the bubble visions:
“Offer your songs and voice to the moon… She can transform them into power, greater than anything the Wardens could ever give. Even as the old audience fears you, the moon will always listen… Such monsters are a poison. To the water. The land. The very air. They are a blight upon our world that pollute everything. We will always find new and better ways to cull, as long as they come back.”
Anything caught up in those sound waves can feel pressure and pain in their bodies, but that’s just a side effect of the crossfire. The machines are focused on the leviathan, and bringing it down now that they have ammunition. It’s all enough to seriously damage or outright kill the leviathan depending on how much noise Drifters make, or how much song is pulled out of them by the currents and the bubbles.
The sound in turn is distorted into words that match the bubble visions:
“Offer your songs and voice to the moon… She can transform them into power, greater than anything the Wardens could ever give. Even as the old audience fears you, the moon will always listen… Such monsters are a poison. To the water. The land. The very air. They are a blight upon our world that pollute everything. We will always find new and better ways to cull, as long as they come back.”
Anything caught up in those sound waves can feel pressure and pain in their bodies, but that’s just a side effect of the crossfire. The machines are focused on the leviathan, and bringing it down now that they have ammunition. It’s all enough to seriously damage or outright kill the leviathan depending on how much noise Drifters make, or how much song is pulled out of them by the currents and the bubbles.
MICRO ENCOUNTERS:
PLEASE NOTE! These are small bits of set dressing for players to include in threads if they wish, rather than full fledged prompts or events. You may handwave your exploration of these areas, or thread them out.
Boat Salvage: There’s a large amount of abandoned boats on the river, some beached and some drifting free in the rivers. It’s possible to salvage equipment or supplies from them… Just make sure you know how to swim, in case you fall overboard.
Gone Fishing Part 2: Much like the marshes in the forests, there’s spots for fishing here as well! Please remain careful with submerging in the water, as the transformed fish are still willing to bite back.
Flooding: One aspect of the river lands, especially with the waters and rains, is the roads flooding over. Some can be crossed with risk, others require routing around. Or a bit of creative bridge building.
Rain: Storms are a constant in the river lands, ranging between fog and mist, to complete downpours, and thunderstorms! It can make for somber moods, with occasional breaks of sunlight or moonlight.
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"No, no, no- you aren't-" He gasps as the railing gives, wrapping his arms under Leo's to keep him up as the metal that breaks away creaks and falls into the waters below. One of the strange fish that Leo had named earlier pokes its head up from the waters with a gurgling hiss.
"That is not a fish!" Donnie yelps, wings flapping to carry his brother up. Something flies past him- the floating fish have gotten so much closer and he does not like how they start to tilt a bit, their quilled bellies aiming in the turtles' direction.
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Where are they? What is going on?
He tries to shake the sleep off his mind, and that's when there's a shake from one of the flying puffer fish - and something spikey pierces his leg.
"Ow!" yelps Leo, suddenly quite awake. He reaches for the thing that hurt him, pulling free a long, sharp quill. "What the heck!?"
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"-are you okay??" Donnie blurts, but he can't really check on Leo when he's trying to keep them up. They need to move. "Hang on!"
He veers to the side as another flurry of quills comes at them, trying to fly for the other end of the bridge and the power station's entrance, or at least a section of bridge that looks more stable. His grasp on Leo almost slips as a quill jabs into the softer part of his shell near his wing, sending him lurching off his flight path with a hiss of pain.
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Shoot, shoot, shoot, this is not good.
Leo fumbles around for his katana (and thankfully does not drop it straight into the drink), then with a slash opens up a portal for them to go through.
"There!" he shouts to Donnie.
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"Hrggh..." Donnie sees that familiar flash of blue and needs no further encouragement. His wings beat hard against the air to boost them forwards before he tucks them in tight around them as they barrel on through.
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There's no time for him to pull up once he sees a wall there, not much room to maneuver. Instinctively he wraps his arms tighter around Leo in preparation of the collision, twisting with his wings still pressed tightly around them in hopes it might cushion things, lessen the damage.
It's still forceful enough of an impact that it jars his arms loose from around his brother, leaving him dazed as he drops into a feathery heap. Quills shot after them go plinking off the wall shortly after, scattering around them.
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He takes that time to berate himself for that terrible portal job.
Once he can breathe again he scrambles up into a sitting position, quickly crawling towards Donnie.
“Shoot, my bad - are you okay!?”
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His eyes flicker open to register the green and blue blob in front of him, but that's a good sign if Leo's able to move, right?
Just...give him a second. Or three. Maybe five.
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Or maybe he knows exactly why Donnie didn’t, but he’s frustrated at himself right now.
“Hey, just breathe,” he says, sitting nearby but not trying to get too deep into Donnie’s space. “You’re okay.”
There’s a few pings as more quills connect with the wall, and Leo turns into a crouch. He throws up another portal in front of them, its twin pointing back at the fish, to swallow any more quills sent their way.
He wishes he could conjure shields like Donnie, but this will have to do.
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His wings twitch as he tries pulling them closer, pain making him gasp again as he reaches ineffectually at his right shoulder. There's still a quill jabbed into his shell, just below the tuft of feathers around the base of his wings, although closer inspection would reveal the area there in general isn't really much of a shell anymore, like part of the upper half of it had softened to give way to his new feathers and the appendages that went with it.
Donnie tries opening his eyes again, trying to push himself upright once the quills on the floor around them register.
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Leo leaves his portal shimmering in front of them and takes a chance on turning around, looking Donnie over worriedly. He looks like he’s in a lot of pain.
“Dee…?” He raises a hand tentatively, then drops it again. “Let me look, let me see what hurts.”
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Something's in it something's there..!
It comes up quick and accompanied by a spike of pain and fear, a thought that might not be entirely Leo's, but maybe it might blend with what he's already thinking and experiencing. Donnie otherwise says nothing, tensed as he sees Leo's hand lift, but he swallows and nods. Leo won't hurt him, it's fine, it's fine...
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And there was... that just now, whatever that thought was that didn't seem entirely his, but Leo doesn't put much thought into it for now, focusing on what he's doing.
Leo moves more slowly, keeping his hands where Donnie can see each movement. Years of experience after skateboarding injuries and roughhousing gone too far and fights against bad guys have prepared him for this. Leo may not know much beyond the most basic first aid, but he knows what his brothers' responses to being hurt are.
It's difficult, though, concentrating on Donnie while not letting the portals drop. When the portal behind him wavers, Leo grits his teeth and tries to divide his energy more.
His stripes light up as his ninpo kicks into overdrive, holding the portals steady while he leans in to look over Donnie's back and shoulder.
"...Oof, okay. That's in there pretty deep."
Leo hesitates. You aren't supposed to take out things once you get impaled on them, right? Then again, Leo pulled that quill out of his leg and he's fine, only barely bleeding. It's probably not a big enough puncture to justify leaving it in there. He hopes.
He slowly puts one hand on Donnie's shoulder to keep him steady, then readies the other to grab the spike.
"I'm going to do this quick, okay? It'll be over in a second."
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Right, they're still not clear of the danger.
Donnie can't keep back a whimper from escaping when Leo reaches for the quill, squeezing his eyes shut again as he nods. "O-okay..." he says shakily, latching onto the words.
It's okay it's okay he'll be okay Leo's here Leo's got it...
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“Hey, just keep thinking about when this is over. You’ll get to run around an old power plant and strip it for parts! I know you love that kind of nerd stuff-“
And right as he says that, he tugs, hard. He lets out a breath when the quill comes out in one yank, and he quickly tosses it aside.
“And there you go! It’s out.”
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"H-hah! Oh but I bet there'd actually be a lot of useful things we could get out of an old power plant if the water damage isn't too ba-AAHHahaa whyyyyyy!!" He curls up on himself, tears squeezing out of the corners of his eyes as he tries to ride out that last spasm.
"Uggggh I hate it."
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He doesn’t want to hurry Donnie along when he’s just been hurt, but he can’t keep this up much longer.
“Just shake it out, you’ll be okay.”
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Donnie sucks in a breath, nodding as he prepares himself to move. The back of his shoulder still aches but he can still move his wings, so he's pretty positive that nothing is broken. He swipes the tears from his eyes, glaring past the portal.
"Drop it," he says to Leo, his own ninpō sparking as it starts to form a myriad of glowing purple missiles at either side of them.
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He may have gotten hurt, but he’s jumping back in there. Leo is proud of him, even if he feels a little worried, too.
But as a sibling he also can’t show too much concern or Donnie might think Leo thinks he’s fragile. So he drops the portal and ducks out of the way to let Donnie do his thing.
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The fish don't know what hit them, clearly not expecting such a retaliation, just when they seem to have finally realized their own quills were being turned against them. The bright missiles fly forth and hit their targets easily, light flaring with each impact. A few fried fish bodies tumble to the waters below, but some seem to dissolve in the air, prompting both the turtle boys' sigils on their arms to glow.
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He wants more. He wants more, he wants more, he wants-
He shakes his head to snap himself out of it. Now is not the time - and anyway, he’s worried that whatever was happening to him when the moon was full might start happening now, if he loses himself to it. And it would be terrible right now if he has to worry about his touch hurting someone. Especially Donnie.
Speaking of! Now that they aren’t being assaulted by quills, he hops to his feet, reaching for Donnie’s hand to help him up.
“Let’s get inside before more come.”
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He blinks, looking up at Leo before nodding as he takes Leo's hand, half expecting some remnant twinges from the earlier collision, but they seem to have faded as well.
"No arguments there," he nods, giving his brother a rueful grin.
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Inside are dark, dank tunnels full of water. At least this is familiar scenery.
Leo stops once the door is closed, turning back to Donnie again.
“How are we feelin’?” he asks, trying to sound nonchalant while making sure Donnie is not still hurting.
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"I'm okay," he says, wings shifting in testing. His wing still feels a little sore but it's nowhere near the levels of pain it had been moments ago, and it's not bleeding out. He can deal with this much.
"You?" He glances at Leo after scanning the way before them. They don't have a map so it looks like they're going to have to do things the old-fashioned way.
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