Dont hate the playerOriginally Posted by palad1n
Dont hate the player
spinach, moon? not to rush you and all, but hurry the fuck up.
No.
>no wise up
I wasnt gonna say anything 'cause he was already griping at me.
Sho displaying why raz has a certain amount of disdain for phantasm step. I note said ability would also work on his speed buffs but it would be easier to work around then someone who just drew to a dead stop at a time where for some reason they decided tactically they needed to be moving at top speed.
DTG: by the way kid, got you a little tricky D
burroughs: wow, thanks mr detective! A collectors blue ray edition from somebody called dick Tracy! I’m so happy, but why give me this?
DTG: *takes another swing of cup of coffee that has a half cooked fried egg hanging out the side*. ...no reason.
By the way, looking at all the cool stuff happening to everyone else, I’m kind regretting burning an EP on this mystery Solvers club. It’s not as cool and it’s making me feel like an idiot because I feel like I am missing something really obvious
dont worry i feel dumb all the time too
One slot.
Deadline will be the start of the next arc (North Pole)
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Rossweisse
It’s Time to Duel!It’s a fine, nice morning in the Vatican. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and a cool breeze flows through the inner gardens, ensuring a comfortable temperature even without any man-made contraptions. Particularly enjoying this beautiful morning are a certain group of people gathered in the inner gardens, drinking tea and eating biscuits, cookies, and other small delights in what has been designated as “family bonding time” in their otherwise busy schedules.
A Spirit Pulse Short Story
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The four people - all females - are family. Not by blood, as none of them are blood-related, but the bond and closeness that they share is enough for anyone who looks to conclude that they are family.
“ALYX, STOP TAKING MY COOKIES!”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that you’re eating so slowly. I’m just helping out finishing the cookies.”
And like any family, sometimes fights break out.
The one who shouted in annoyance was a petite girl clad in white, being only 142cm tall, with teal hair and eyes, and her most notable feature is the big, fluffy white hat that she is wearing. Sitting on her opposite side, casually munching on a chocolate cookie, was a tall, well-endowed white-haired girl garbed in black, looking at the girl with a sly smirk.
These two girls are Cosmos Fairchild and Alyx Kingsleigh, adopted daughters of the two most important people in Rose Cross, and if there is any words that would best describe their relationship, then it would be that of sisterly rivalry. The two often fought and clashed, being practically polar opposites in attitude, beliefs, and even appearance, and today is yet another day where it seems yet another fight will break out.
“Well, I’m sorry for eating slowly! Unlike you, I’m actually savoring the divine taste of these cookies, not merely stuffing them to my mouth just to fill my stomach!”
“Is that why you’re still so small, even after a few years? Rather than eating slowly and drinking tea, you should drink milk instead. Maybe then you’ll actually grow up and eat faster! Besides, I’ve not taken that much cookies from you to get mad, anyway.”
“You’ve taken my cookies thrice now! Everyone has a different pace, and you’re just indulging yourself in gluttony! And you’re mocking my body now, but let’s see what would happen if you keep eating like a glutton! Sooner or later you’ll grow not in height or bust, but your stomach instead!”
“Unfortunately for you, I regularly train and keep my body in shape, and last I checked I am more athletic than you. The possibility of me getting fat is zero, just like the possibility of you actually growing up~”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, their fight always began with a verbal duel. Someone did something that doesn’t sit well with the other, insults and words started to fly, and before anyone knew it, spells and fist was thrown against each other. It’s really not a good image, especially with how bad their first fight actually escalates, but nowadays most people seem to be more amused with their fights than anything; it helps that while the two do fight, it seems any actual animosity is now absent, even if they do find the other annoying or insufferable.
Of course, the reaction of their respective mothers to their first fight was a huge factor that made the two reflect and accept the other more, and since then the two had more or less accepted each other, even if begrudgingly.
Watching the two girls bicker are two women; one is dressed casually, her short red hair framing an amused smile as she listened to the escalating fight over cookies. The other is the very picture of beauty and elegance, with long flowing blonde hair, different-colored eyes, and a pristine purple and white dress, sipping her tea with a small pout.
They are the two most important people in Rose Cross, Mary Fairchild and her Right Hand, Alisa Kingsleigh.
“There they go again.” Alisa commented, amusement clear in her tone. “It’s the fifth time this week. At this rate, they might actually break their record and actually have a fight for seven days straight.”
The reason why the woman let the two fight is because rivalry encourages growth. As long as there’s no actual malice, then they would push each other to be better than the other, and there’s nothing more valuable than a reliable rival. There’s also the fact that she knew some people just don’t click with each other, and being annoyed or disliking each other is fine as long as they can trust and work with each other when it really matters.
Of course, Alisa knew that Mary felt more conflicted. The woman dislikes fights, especially one among her family, and she also knew that the first fight between Cosmos and Alyx left enough of an impression that she never really approved of their fights and always tried to make them get along. Even now, despite being blind, Alisa knew that Mary doesn’t like what is happening in front of her, especially when it’s happening for the fifth time this week.
Before Alisa could say anything, Mary put her cup down, stood up, and clapped her hand once to get the girls’ attention.
It worked like a charm. Both Cosmos and Alyx froze, eyes immediately looking at the Pope, and the two felt a shiver running down their spine despite the smile that’s present on Mary’s face being genuine.
Perhaps it’s because Mary practically towers over the both of them?
“Cosmos, Alyx.” She began, and the two didn’t dare to move a muscle, listening attentively. “Sisterly rivalry is fine, but don’t you think five times in a week is a bit much? Alyx,” She turned to face the white-haired girl. “Please stop antagonizing Cosmos when she is just trying to enjoy our tea time. And Cosmos,” She now turned to her daughter. “Please don’t get so easily provoked into a fight like that. This is supposed to be tea time, a precious moment where we spend time with each other, no?”
There’s a heavy silence now hanging in the air, both girls looking down at their feet in shame. Alisa frowned, thinking that Mary might have gone a bit too far, so she stands up--
“So I thought of a better way for the two of you to settle your disputes!”
The cheer in Mary’s voice is unmistakable, and it’s enough to freeze Alisa and make the two girls look up. Taking something out from the pocket of her dress, Mary brandished a certain object with a smile, and the girls’ eyes widened in recognition. Alisa, being blind, isn’t sure what exactly did Mary show them, but even she knew it’s no normal object when it could evoke such a reaction from both Cosmos and Alyx…
What could it be? What kind of method did Mary present as a better way to settle the two girls’ differences?
“Mother…” Cosmos began in disbelief. “That… is that…”
“It’s UNO!” Alyx exclaimed loudly.
Alisa blinked.
“Yes, UNO.” Mary confirmed with a nod. “Rather than raising your voice, hurling insults at each other or getting physical, why not use this? You can train with each other as much as you like on training grounds, but isn’t something more fun like UNO more fitting during tea time? That way, both Alisa and I can actually enjoy your battle rather than get worried!”
Slowly, Cosmos took the deck of cards from Mary’s hand, handling it with so much care that she might as well have received a holy relic before facing Alyx with a serious gaze.
“Well, Alyx? You’ll agree with my mother’s suggestion, right?”
“Well, of course. Unlike you who only played UNO with auntie, I’ve played with lots and lots of different people. Your chance of winning is zero!”
“You’ll regret those words soon!”
As the two girls continued to bicker while setting up the game, Mary returned to her seat with a satisfied smile while Alisa couldn’t help but to look at her friend with a grin.
“So… UNO huh? Not a bad idea. Though I have to wonder, where did you get the inspiration from?”
“The orphanage.” Mary answered as she observed Alyx shuffling the deck. “It’s one of the ways the children play and settle any disputes that happen.”
“And who will you cheer on in this duel?” Alisa asked again. Mary simply raised her cup to enjoy the aroma before answering “I’ll cheer on them both” with a smile, elegantly sipping on her tea.
“My, the Pope, lying? What would the zealots say if they knew?” The redhead teased her friend. Mary lets out a melodious giggle in response, and the atmosphere becomes even lighter. Softer.
“I did not lie! It’s just… I might cheer harder for Cosmos than Alyx.” She said as she put her cup down with a smile.
Not a second later, the sound of flapping wings reached their ears, and Mary turned to look at the new arrival: A blonde angel clad in a white dress, gently flapping her blue wings to descend as quietly as possible before touching the ground without a noise. The angel is looking at Cosmos, seemingly wanting to go to the girl but not wanting to interrupt as the teal-haired girl is watching Alyx with keen eyes while the white-haired girl distributes the cards, before she notices the two women and lets out a silent shriek.
“L-Lady Mary and Lady Alisa! I-I’m sorry I didn’t notice and interrupted your family time!” The angel apologized, bowing profusely while clasping her hand together as she started mumbling.
Mary smiled. She knew who the angel is not only because Cosmos had told her of how she befriended her, but because someone like Sariel among the Heavenly Hosts is honestly rare. Kind, clumsy, with no mean bone in her body… She has zero points in intimidation, and if Mary has to describe her in two words, then Sariel is a total sweetheart. Unfortunately that means she’s not looked favorably among her fellow angels, and there aren’t that many tamers who want to pick her as their guardian angel either.
But Mary doesn’t mind her at all. “It’s okay, Sariel. Why not join us to watch Cosmos and Alyx play?” She invited the angel, and giggled once again when she saw the blonde angel tripped on her dress as she hurriedly made her way to the table. It’s honestly rather endearing, and from what Cosmos told her Sariel will soon become her daughter’s personal guardian angel, which will surely make the angel happy.
“S-sorry for the embarrassing display…” Sariel muttered, her face beet-red while looking at the ground with teary eyes. “I’m really a shame to the-”
“Hush, it’s okay.” Mary comforted the angel, gently patting her head with motherly affection. “You’re a fine angel Sariel, and I admire your kindness. Why not take a seat and cheer on Cosmos on her battle with Alyx?”
“B-battle…?” Sariel parroted, and after taking a seat she looked at Cosmos and Alyx with questioning eyes. “It doesn’t seem like a battle to me… What are they doing?”
“Hm. You haven’t heard of UNO before, Sariel?” Alisa asked after being silent for a while. Hearing a small “no” as a reply, Alisa grinned. “Well, I guess it’s time for you to learn the basics of UNO…”
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Two girls stood on the opposite of each other, a round table somehow placed in-between them. On the table lies a deck of UNO, and the two hold seven cards in their hand. Sitting a few paces away watching the battle are Mary and Sariel, while overseeing this duel and acting as the judge is one Alisa Kingsleigh, the blind woman smiling as tension fills the air.
One could imagine sparks flying off between Cosmos and Alyx as the two waited with bated breath for Alisa to begin.
“This is a deathmatch; whoever wins this round will be the winner, and we’ll use our house rules. Is that clear?” Alisa asked, and upon hearing both replying with a yes, she placed her hand on the top of the deck. “Then… Let’s begin!” She proclaimed as she took a card from the deck and placed it on the discard pile while both Alyx and Cosmos shouted a certain phrase:
“Let’s duel!”
“I’ll go first!” Alyx proclaimed as she looked at the first discard: a red-colored 1. She swiftly took a card from her hand and put it on top of the first card. “I put down a red-colored 2!”
“Is that all, Alyx?” Cosmos scoffed. “Such a normal opening move. And you do always like red, don’t you?”
“And here I thought you’re supposed to be the calm one.” Alyx shot back. “Steady wins the race, and all that?”
“Oh, I already saw through what you’re trying to do Alyx! I shall turn the game out of your control!” Cosmos exclaimed as she took a card. “Behold! A blue-colored 2!” She put it down with a tad more force than normal. It was as if a rock was dropped into a pool of water!
“...Um, Lady Mary?”
“Yes, Sariel?”
“Why are they calling out their moves like that?”
“Ah. Well, you might have forgotten, but Alisa is blind.” She gestured at the woman overseeing the duel. “She could still play UNO - we don’t know how - but just to be safe, whenever we play we said our plays out loud so she could know. She might only know the cards she’s holding after all.”
“A-ah, I see. Forgive me for being so insensitive…” the angel apologized, eyes cast downwards. Mary doesn’t like seeing the angel feeling down, so she added:
“That, and it makes for a more dramatic duel, wouldn’t you agree?”
Back to the duel, Alyx tsked at the blue-colored 2. Cosmos has guessed correctly: the majority of her hands are reds, and as luck would have it, she has no blue cards at all!
But Alyx scoffed at luck. She doesn’t sigh or pray when she’s in a pinch. No, for Alyx Kingsleigh,“luck” and “fate” is something to be carved by your own two hands! That’s why she’ll once again turn this situation around, her spirit burning with rebellion!
“Then behold!” She threw a card onto the table, and it landed precisely on top of the blue-colored 2, as if guided by the winds itself. “A green-colored 2!”
She allowed herself to smirk as she saw Cosmos flinched. “Ah, what’s wrong Cosmy? Don’t have a green card in your hand? Then you know what you should do!”
“S-shut up!” The teal-haired girl fumbled as she proceeded to draw from the deck; it took two draws before she managed to draw a green card. “I suppose this should do: a green-colored 4.” Her sister said quietly, and the sight was quite amusing to Alyx.
“Then I’ll continue the offense! Eat this!” With a dramatic flourish, Alyx once again threw a card to the table. “A green-colored 7!”
Of course, that was the last green card in Alyx’s hand. With this move, she could no longer force Cosmos to draw. But the hand difference would be enough for her to be in the lead!
And yet, Cosmos lets out a chuckle instead of immediately drawing cards with a look of despair! “Dear Alyx, it seems that God is on my side. Out of all numbers that you could use, you have to use a 7! And that plays nicely into my advantage!”
“What-you couldn’t mean!”
“Exactly!” Cosmos proclaimed as she took out a card and smoothly slid it onto the table. “Your doom: a blue-colored 7!”
“Guaaaah!” Alyx yelled out, pushed back as if she had just been blasted by a water cannon. “Curse you!” She spat as she proceeded to draw from the deck, and yet a smile crept up on her face as she looked at the first card that she drew. “Fuhahahaha! It seems today is your bad day, Cosmos! I got what I needed on the first draw!”
“Then put it on the table already.” Cosmos calmly replied, arms crossed as she looked with an even gaze at her sister. “No need to draw it out.”
“Then behold your demise!” The white-haired girl showed her card, and Mary gasped.
“That card…” Sariel muttered.
“It’s a draw 2 card.” Mary said, her tone grim. “It forces your opponent to draw two cards, thus putting them at a disadvantage.”
And if that happens, then Cosmos will end up with 10 cards in her hand, while Alyx only has 4! The tide of battle will be heavily in Alisa’s daughter if that happens. And yet, Cosmos didn’t move to draw from the deck. On her face is a calm, confident smile. A sight which infuriates Alyx to no end!
“What’s wrong? Draw from the deck already!”
“Tsk tsk tsk, patience Alyx.” Cosmos wagged her finger, her tone admonishing. “Thanks to your green card earlier, I drew two cards. One of which is the perfect counter to this move!”
“N-no!” Alyx gasped. “You can’t mean-!”
“Behold what the house rules allow me to do!” Cosmos said as she raised a card to the heavens before slamming it down the table. “An identical, blue-colored draw 2 card!”
“AAAAAAAAAH!” Alyx screamed in agony, hands trembling as she was forced to draw four cards in total. It’s a scream that would have normally alerted other tamers that something is wrong, but as the fight between Cosmos and Alyx has become a normal occurrence, such screams are now ignored.
Well, except for Sariel who was ready to get to her feet and tend to the screaming Alyx, but Mary stopped her, smiling at how her daughter turned the table.
“Don’t worry, they’re just being dramatic.”
“Why do they have to scream like that if they’re not hurt? That sounded like a real scream of pain! I was worried!”
At the angel’s question, Mary looked away. “It… makes it more fun? More real?” Sariel looked at the pope, who sounded unsure at her own answers before her face lightened up. “No, it’s because they no longer want to really hurt the other, so to compensate and give a feeling of a real battle, they’d act more dramatically as if it was a real battle! That way, the other can gain satisfaction while not actually really hurting the other!”
“I-if you say so…”
Well, there’s also the fact that all the dramatics actually entertain her. Mary could never play UNO like the two are currently doing, and she never liked fights, but this… Watching someone playing UNO like it was a real fight gripped her attention in a way she never thought possible!
“Now, it is my turn!” Cosmos exclaimed with confidence. “Take a blue-colored 5!”
“Hmph. Are you expecting me to draw more cards?” Alyx mocked, and Cosmos froze. “While it’s true that I was forced to draw 4 cards, it also forced me to skip a turn! In other words, you assumed that I still had no blue cards when I had, in fact, drawn some thanks to the forced draw 4!”
“N-no!” Cosmos stepped back, berating herself for forgetting such a simple rule. She had been carried off by her own play, and must now face the consequences!
“Eat this! Even time is under my command! Behold, a blue reverse!”
“A reverse!” Sariel exclaimed. “B-but… Because this is one-on-one, that means…”
“The effect is the same as a skip.” Mary finished. “And it seems Alyx is not yet done.” She added with worry as she looked at the grinning white-haired girl.
“I’ll pummel you down until you realize how outclassed you are, runt!” Cosmos widened her eyes in horror as Alyx took three cards from her hand. Impossible! She couldn’t have-!
“A red reverse!” Alyx began, slamming down the card with the force of an inferno. “A red skip!” She followed, and Cosmos had to shield herself from the (imaginary) raging flames that prevented her from doing anything. “And lastly, a red-colored 9!”
“KYAAAAAAA!”
It was too much. It felt like taking a punch with the force of a meteor, and what else could she do but to scream in pain? Why, it even felt as if she did experience being punched with the force of a meteor, once upon a time, and Cosmos could do naught but to fall to her knees, her breathing labored.
“Weak! Far too weak!” Alyx taunted. “Is this the best you can do? Surely not! But even at your best, let me tell you that anything you’d do… Anything you try to grasp victory is completely useless! Useless, useless, useless, useless, useless!!”
Slowly, Cosmos stood up, looking at the red-colored 9 resting on the top of the table. Her eyes flickered to her own hand, where she knew the only card that she could play is a red one, and then she considered the amount of cards that they have: her five to Alyx’s four.
Cosmos knew the situation was bad. There is only one card in her hand that could help her regain her advantage, and yet to do so she must first change the card’s color on the table to match it. A task that is much harder than it seems!
“I… I play the red-colored 8.”
“What’s wrong? You sounded less enthusiastic than before.” Alyx taunted, taking a card from her hand and flicking it to the table. “Red-colored 1.”
Four to three. Once again the only card that she could play is a red one.
“Red-colored 3.”
“T-this doesn’t look good for Cosmos, Lady Mary.” Sariel stuttered as she watched the duel. “And… and Cosmos doesn’t seem to have her earlier energy after that scream. Could she have given up…?”
“No, dear Sariel.” Mary corrected, her tone confident as she looked at her daughter. “Cosmos has not given up yet.”
It was only natural for Sariel to be concerned. After all, both Cosmos and Alyx now have three cards in their hands; yet a simple glance at Alyx’s expression and reiki clearly shows that once again, the white-haired girl could play a card without drawing from the deck. The situation, simply put, looked pretty hopeless.
And yet, just like Mary said, Cosmos didn’t lose hope. She didn’t give up. Unlike Alyx, Cosmos Fairchild fully believed in fate, destiny, and God’s will. She prayed for strength, the strength to win and overcome this seemingly hopeless situation, but she didn’t just pray. No, she’s all too aware that even when one believed in God and fate, God would never change the fate of someone who is content to follow the rails laid out before them. That’s why she would try her hardest! She wouldn’t lose hope until the very end, where the last card is put on the table!
And her faith - her determination - was rewarded. Alyx striked as swift as the wind, yelling a “green-colored 3!” as she brought the card down. This is the chance that God had given her! Looking at her cards to confirm that she could begin to set her counter-attack, Cosmos allowed herself to smile in the face of despair!
“Then allow me to change the color once again!” She said with flourish, taking a card and raising it to the heavens, as if it was an offering to God. “Behold, a yellow-colored 3!” She slammed the card down like thunder. Yes! There’s only two cards in Alyx’s hand. While victory is closer to Alyx than her, the chance that she has a yellow card or a 3 is quite low! And even if she has a yellow card and doesn’t have to draw, that would only play to her advantage! Alyx’s only way out is to play a different-colored 3! She could turn this around!
But as if in reversal of what she did when Alyx brought down the green-colored 7, this time it was Alyx who looked calm, and soon a feeling of dread settled in her stomach as Alyx let out a chuckle before it turned into full-blown laughter!
“Hehehe… AHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
To Cosmos, that laughter sounded completely evil, filled to the brim with malice! A villainous laughter of someone who’s about to stomp the head of someone into the dirt! Cosmos gritted her teeth, preparing herself for a different-colored 3 to be played, but little did she know that what would happen is much, much worse!
“Oh, you’re like an open book Cosmos!” Alyx said in-between laughs. “Do you realize that in this match, not a single yellow card had been played yet? The fact of the matter is that in the beginning, you didn’t have a green, and I didn’t have a blue. But yellow! We both have yellow, and from the way you act I know that your trump card is a yellow card!”
“Unfortunately for you,” Alyx grinned. “My trump card is also yellow.”
“N-no way.” Cosmos took a step back. “You couldn’t have planned this!”
“Don’t you believe in fate or destiny? Why not chalk this up to that?” Alyx shrugged as she took a card before flashing a vicious grin. “In my case, I believe that this happened because of my own doing! And my doing would lead to your defeat! TAKE THIS!” Like a lightning bolt, Alyx strikes the table - and in doing so reveals her trump card.
“A… Yellow skip…” Cosmos muttered as she fell to her knees in defeat. There’s nothing that she could do now. Her trump card couldn’t be played, and judging from how Alyx acts, it’s clear that her last card is also a yellow card. Even as she tried her hardest to reign the despair in, before she knew it tears started to fall from her eyes.
(BGM off)
She lost. Her best is not enough. Fate had decreed Alyx as the winner, and there’s nothing that she could do about it. She couldn’t lecture Alyx - couldn’t do anything for the three cookies that had been taken from her so cruelly. She couldn’t try to make her sister to act better, and she couldn’t regain what she had lost.
But a voice shakes her out of her reverie.
“Don’t give up yet, Cosmos!”
It was her mother’s voice. Cosmos looked up to the side, and saw her mother standing up, looking at her with a look that could only be described as gentle determination. “The game is not yet over. Do not avert your eyes. Do not stop trying - or praying - until it is over.”
Their eyes met, and Cosmos realized that the train had yet to come to a stop. It is still going on the rails called destiny, and she still has some measure to control it, even if it doesn’t look like it. So she nodded, wiped her tears off, and stood back up. Even if she has no idea on how to control where the train is going when the destination can now be seen, she stood back up if only to hold her head up high until the very end.
“Sorry auntie, but it is pretty much game over already.” Alyx said as a matter of fact. “But I suppose it isn’t over until I put this card down. Say goodbye, Cosmos!” She raised the card dramatically. “For in the end, your efforts have been rendered useless by me!”
Alyx swung her hand down. Cosmos could see the station where the train would stop. Sariel covered her eyes, seemingly not having the courage to look at the blow that would finish her friend. And yet, Mary Fairchild looked on without wavering in the slightest. Not at the table, not at Alyx, not even at her daughter. No, her eyes were locked on to her friend, who had been silent and still since the duel began!
In a flash, the hand of Alisa Kingsleigh, the Right Hand of Mary, stopped Alyx’s hand dead cold in her tracks. Cosmos gaped in shock, Sariel opened her eyes, and Alyx looked at her mother with confusion and annoyance. “Let me go, mom! I was about to win!”
“No you don’t.” Alisa shook her head with a smile. “The opposite is true; you just grasped defeat from the jaws of victory.”
“What?! There’s nothing else that the runt could do! It’s my win-”
“Alyx.” The train moved past the station without stopping. “You didn’t say UNO. As a penalty, you’ll draw two cards.”
Alyx froze in horror as the reality set in, while Cosmos took a glance at her mother, who is still smiling before nodding, finally realizing what her mother had meant. How could she forget? The despair had blinded her to the truth, to the fact that even in the darkest of moments where the end seems nigh and inevitable, there might still be something that she could do! That she should not give up and chalk the result to “fate” when it is not over yet!
As Alyx grudgingly drew two cards, Cosmos saw Aunt Alisa nodding at her, indicating that it is now her turn. She nodded back - even though she’s unsure whether the blind woman would understand - and looked at the yellow skip on the top of the table.
The card that signaled her doom had turned into one that signaled her victory.
“Your arrogance has become your downfall, Alyx.” She began. “Let this be a lesson in humility! Carve it into your memory, the day your own hubris best you!”
The white-haired girl gritted her teeth. She had drawn a wild draw 4 and a blue draw 2, and yet she knew that her petite sister wouldn’t sound so confident if that card could be countered. It was as her mother said; she had grasped defeat from the jaws of victory.
But despite her logic telling her that, Alyx didn’t despair, nor did she back down! She held her head up high, betting on the small chance that there is still something that she could do! Her pride wouldn’t allow her to just fall over and accept her defeat! And so, she waited with bated breath as she saw Cosmos raising her second to last card to the heavens.
“A yellow reverse! UNO!” Cosmos declared as she slammed her card down with dramatic flourish, avoiding the mistake that her sister made. “It was a close match, Alyx. But in the end…” She dropped a card to the table: a yellow-colored 8. “Justice shall prevail.”
“AAAAAAAAAAARGGHHHHHHH!” Alyx screamed out in pain, as if a ziodyne had just struck her defenseless body, and a second later she crumpled to the ground. The duel is over in Cosmos’ victory, and she approaches her fallen sister as the white-haired girl looks up.
(BGM off)
“It’s my win, Alyx. You know what to do.”
Alyx grumbled, but honored their promise before the duel began. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, as if saying it hurts her very soul.
Cosmos is having none of it. “What did you say? I couldn’t hear you.” She cusped a hand to her ear. “Please say it louder.”
Alyx gritted her teeth. “I’m sorry.”
“Still couldn’t hear you~”
“I SAID I’M SORRY, DAMNIT!” Alyx shouted before tackling the smaller girl to the ground, Cosmos letting out a cute yelp as she fell, before Alyx began tickling her sides. “I was even going to buy you some cookies to replace the one I’ve taken, so why do you have to be so obnoxious about your win you runt?!”
“AHAHAHA- P-please stop! I can’t- I can’t take it- AHAHAHA! Stop, I yield! I’m sorry! Mother, Aunt Al-HAHAHAHEEEELP!”
“Goodness, those two never change.” Alisa shook her head as she returned to her spot besides Mary with a smile. “You’re not going to stop them?”
“Oh, this kind of sisterly bonding is fine, I think.” Mary answered cheerfully. “Besides, dear Sariel is already on her way to stop them.”
A task that the angel is failing spectacularly, if the new sounds of laughter is of any indication. Alisa silently handed the UNO deck back to Mary, and the blonde graciously accepted it before tucking the cards into her dress pockets. They both knew that soon enough their duty shall call, but nevertheless they allowed themselves to enjoy the sight before them for a little while longer.
And thus, an ordinary morning passed for the family.
An ordinary morning that wouldn't last forever.
Regalia Hijinks
Personal Compliments
Greatest game of UNO ever.
MUDA MUDA MUDA
- - - Updated - - -
Thanks for the laughter, Pala.
I aim to please, glad to hear it!
Regalia Hijinks
Personal Compliments
So, I wanted to have fun with this in a future post, buuuuuut in the spirit of cooperation I guess I can post this here before that time arrives. Things are starting to (seemingly) head their way into revelation territory anyway so this is mainly to introduce an element that is perhaps forgotten.
If you prefer not to get some weird speculation thrown your way, feel free to skip this post, it's only here to generate conversation/speculation and so it isnt lost in 1000 discord posts.
Now, if you will, let's take a look at what the Man of Light is saying. Who he is is humorous in its own way with current events, but I'll leave that for the characters to who he is more relevant!
The World is Strange... does that mean anything? Yes, but you should ask yourself if it really matters to You, Player-kun.
Nothing wrong with being wrong, lots of things are shrouded in mystery for a reason. GMs are creatures of mystery!!!
What is the Truth? The Truth is that Airen likes music.
Why did I include Ludwig posts in this? Because through Astra Ludwig may have realized something. Observed a little mistake in reality and whoops, suddenly the SLEIPNIR is invaded, weird. ...Or is it?
Remember how everyone's time in the free event week was [???]. Coincidentally we were told that Burroughs was attacked by a virus of sorts, and subsequently lost data on that specific week. #NeverTellCosmos
Anyway, and here is where the speculation enters the classroom, what if the attack on Burroughs caused a certain protection system to go off? Burroughs certainly seems quite important to the World, keeping an observant eye on other worlds, playing with the fabric of time, being one of those special lolis-possibly-rejecting-YHVH-
(There's more stuff but those tie into other players)
But would there really be some sort of system that can influence the World?
Well, the 5 Tamer Towers (one with each base + on the Moon) generate a protective field over the whole world. (How useful it is to have three of those Towers in Europe is questionable but hey if it works it works) So technically such a system already exists.
Now... on a side note, what's another word for Reverie? Bonus points if you can read my mind and include something else along with Complex!
Why is that relevant, well you see... Airen likes music.
He's sneaky like that...
The answer is CLICK[/SPOILER]. More specifically, CLICK.
Does that sound familiar? No?
You may want to check the title of this Intermission.
https://forums.nrvnqsr.com/showthrea...=1#post3073196
But Zurvan, what does that have to do with anything? The Reverie Complex doesn't seem to link with Daydreams or anything???
I'm glad you noticed that, I do get lost in my own speculation.
...You may want to look up the lyrics of this for ease.
Does any of that ring familiar?
Well.......
Yeah...
Sneaky sneaky GMs.
Never mind this
Ok
Spirit Pulse Terminology
(To Be Continued...)
-Axiom-
The Theoretical Creator of All Existence. A being that is not confirmed to exist, but that seems like they "must" exist, due to the nature of reality. As reality is clearly formed via thoughts, and humans while having the strongest effect on Cognition, are not the only ones that effect it (As Demons and Gods are born from cognition themselves, their thoughts effects on it are minimal but still present) it is thought that the true Creator must be an amalgamation of everything, the collective of all life throughout all dimensions, and thus a familiar God that is also, naturally, completely unknowable and not at all sentient in a way that any one being can understand...
The God closest to this theoretical Creator is YHVH, due to the worldwide thought that it is the "God Above All Other Gods," but as the Axiom should be a being that should be the Will of Existence itself, the fact that YHVH is not capable of accepting everything in creation means that it cannot be this being, as the Axiom has no reason to actively reject parts of itself unprovoked.
In that sense, the "Axiom" may be the true form of "God." An entity that is perfect in power and influence, and thus has no need to interact with anyone or anything other than itself; thus the lack of hard evidence to it's existence.
Naturally, the Church has a tendency to reject this hypothetical existence.
-Sea of Souls (Humanity)-
General human afterlife, gathering place for the spiritual sides of humans after their death; in spite of the name, the Mind of a person does return to the Sea as well, where it's memories and knowledge are stored within it's depths. More of a metaphysical area than a physical one (although rumors of a physical variation existing somewhere in the World are not uncommon) the Sea of Souls is said to resemble outer space, a sky filled with infinite stars, although on closer inspection, the "stars" can be recognized as "souls."
One of many forms the collective unconscious can apparently take, although it is far from the only one, and even the Sea itself seems to churn and shift endlessly as one wanders through it; as it is a manifestation of the "collective," all human knowledge (and in some sense, power) exists in some form within the Sea, although methods to attain that knowledge are few and far between, and come with so many risks that those who utilize such powers often disappear entirely, drawn back into the center of the Sea, from which there is no return of one's own volition.
Ultimately, it is said that to attempt to control the Sea is "foolish," as the collective is a phenomena that is not entirely understood, and cannot be completely understood; to the living, it is a frustrating enigma, a thing that will always retain some level of mystery no matter how far humanity advances. While the collective is not "conscious" in the normal sense of the word, it does seem to respond to World Shaking Events (naturally) and in worst case scenarios, has even been noted to partially reincarnate former humans (through incarnation of their Soul or Mind in a physical body) to exterminate things that are a decisive threat to humanity as a whole.
As the actions of the unconscious can also be called acts of the "World," they are not considered to be "Magic," and can thus accomplish a number of things that normal supernatural power cannot.
-Trinity of Self (Humanity)-
In the Spirit Pulse Universe, it is believed that there are three fundamental aspects to a human that defines their existence as an complete, independent entity. These aspects are known as the "Body," "Mind," and "Soul," all three of which work together to form that being that is 'you.'
Demon-kind, as conceptual entities, do not express these aspects in the same way as humans do, as their existence itself is a form of crystalized concept, a singular 'idea,' and is thus a much more stable whole than the "parts" humans are broken down into. While one is only considered a complete being is one has all three of these aspects present within themselves, it is possible for a human to continue to exist with only two of the aspects present, albeit in a much more limited (incomplete) form.
None of the three can exist alone, and will simply dissipate (or in the body's case, die) if completely cut off from the others.
The meaning and purpose of the three aspects is as follows:
-Body-
Part of the Trinity of Self. The body is the physical form, the vessel for both Mind and Soul, giving one a physical appearance and form in the World, and serves as an instrument through which one expresses themselves in the physical world. While inherently the least supernatural due to it's nature as something decisively physical, the body is no less important than the other two aspects in spite of it's nature as a vessel; after all, without the body, one has nothing to protect them from the many powers that flow through reality, as a mind or a soul that lacks a body is also a mind or soul that is directly exposed, open to being directly damaged or manipulated, rather than being (relatively) safe within it's vessel.
While supernatural power comes from the Soul, the body is able to store and channel this power through it's strong connection to the Soul; bodies that lose their soul but retain their mind become known as Revenants, a being of limited power and life-span, piloted by a mind that has not yet given up on life, but is also unable to replenish it's own Reiki due to it's lack of a soul (unless it takes it from others) and thus is destined to either become a monster or burn themselves out quickly as the body goes through all of it's ambient reserves to maintain functionality.
Due to the physical existence of the brain, a person's body does retain a copy of the individual's memories; foreign souls that are inserted into a body that is not their own are thus able to access the memories of the host body, although using the body of another carries the possibility of being "overwritten," yourself by the other two parts of the being working together.
-Mind-
Part of the Trinity of Self. The Mind is the conscious thought, the place where memories as one traditionally thinks of them are stored, and the part of oneself that has a conscious, cognitive view of oneself, the World, and one's place within the World. While not physically powerful like the body, or a core of supernatural power like the Soul, the "World" itself is something made up out of the thoughts and beliefs of those that exist inside of it, and thus the Mind is just as important as the others, after all, without conscious thought, what is one to the World really?
Nothing.
If one thinks nothing of themselves, then why should the World be any different?
When a separation from the other aspects occurs, the Mind is most commonly known to stick with the Soul, resulting in the creation of what humanity would call "Ghosts." As purely spiritual entities ghosts do not have a traditional lifespan as one would think of it, but are rather the sort of existence that is slowly chipped away at by the World over time, their lack of protection from the numerous spiritual aspects of reality making them far more susceptible to being changed by the thoughts, feelings, and powers of others, as they lack a vessel to "ground" themselves inside.
-Soul-
Part of the Trinity of Self. The Soul is the source of one's Reiki, the nexus from which emotions spring forth, and the aspect of the Self that retains the most mystery even in the modern age of Magic. The Soul is not conscious thought after all, but it's strength is easily affected by one's relationships with others and view of themselves, as well as the condition of one's body, in other words...
The Soul is deeply intertwined with the other two, in a sense, it could be thought of as the power that enables the other two to function at their maximum capacity. While it's exact mechanics are not well understood, the human Soul seems to compulsively 'link' itself to places and people that it's 'Self' is attached too, and bears some sort of connection to the "Collective Unconscious," of Humanity, the Sea of Souls from which all humans sprang forth and to which all will inevitably return one day, although those that can consciously take advantage of this innate connection are rare...
When left alone with the Body, the thing that most seems to represent the Soul is one's emotions and willpower; an entity of Body and Soul alone is typically one driven not by conscious thought, but by something they are passionate about, a whirling storm of force and power that can't really think anymore, but has some task it feels it needs to fulfill, no matter the cost. Because it is capable of doing this, it is thought that the soul must record memories as well, although it's use of those memories is clearly not on the same conscious level of that done by the mind.
-The World/Logic/Cognition/Consensus Reality-
The fundamental aspects of the World, as understood by those that inhabit it. A force that has gone by many names over human history, but that has ultimately marked humanity as special amongst the many entities that exist within the confines of known reality. To put it simply, the Logic or "Cognition," are those things that have been perceived by enough people that their existence has become real; entities such as Demons and Gods are born through the flow of cognition, having become real because their existence was crystallized as "legends" within the human unconscious.
The "World" has many layers, however the one that is most commonly referred to as the World is the Consensus Reality, the World that is held up by the thoughts and memories of every human on the planet, referred to as the Consensus because it is what everyone "generally agrees" happened at a certain time and place, or what things are "generally thought to be true," such as those phenomena born from science. Smaller communities can have a sense of "World" that is somewhat different from the Worldwide-Consensus, as can individual people, but when it comes to "observation," the perceptions of the many will almost always overwrite the perceptions of the few, although if one is alone or with only a few others...
Because of Xanadu's nature, things like Magic and Demon-Kind are a more accepted part of the Cognition than they would normally be, enabling Demons to exist blatantly without the World attempting to remove them, however, powers like Magic are still thought of as "inhuman," in nature, and thus one must use their own Reiki (a manifestation of their emotions and willpower) to 'distort' reality, and allow the Magic to take place.
In essence, Magic is fundamentally the power to force one's will on the World for a time.
While conscious attempts to shift the cognition to allow grand feats of magic have been suggested, there is only so much one can shift the cognition consciously, one cannot simply force themselves to truly believe in something after all, and the less likely something seems, the harder it is for the World to accept...
-Legacy Image/Legacy Armament-
Items of Legend, a manifestation of something from a Myth known to humanity, and has manifested as an item, weapon, or armor with supernatural powers that reflect it's nature as an item from that myth; because these sorts of items have the same sort of reverence that gives life to Demons, it is not impossible for them to possess a living form as a Demon, although it seems that those things that were 'items' in their initial creation prefer to remain as such rather than adopting a more humanoid form, as they have no need for such a banal thing.
Always picky about their wielders in the modern day, but possess immense powers that your average COMP simply cannot match; of the Tamer Organizations, it seems the Knights of the Round have managed to gather most of these types of armament over the years, although their heightened sense of Ego makes the items in question difficult to get along with...
-Demonic Armament-
A Demon taking the form of a Weapon. Different from a Legacy Armament in the sense that this is not their original form, but rather one that they are capable of taking for a Summoner they trust; while this form is generally weaker than that of a Legacy Armament in terms of being a weapon (as the weapon form of a demon is not their true form, and thus cannot produce their true power) they are still capable supernatural weapons that can produce a variety of effects in the hands of their summoner.
As the act of becoming a weapon literally involves putting your life in the hands of another though, it is not a common occurrence between Demon and Summoner pairs, and is more a sign that an "unbreakable connection" now exists between them.
-OOParts/OOPhen-
Things that should not exist. Equipment, items, and people that blatantly disobey the laws of the reality they are in, not through forcing it through magic (which while resisted by the World is still something the World understands) but through some method that, simply put, does not make sense. An example of such would be, for instance, a magical being somehow existing in a World where the concept of magic does not exist; because these things blatantly disregard the rules and don't seem to suffer for it, they have a unique classification as "Out of Place Artifacts/Out of Place Phenomena" and are thought to be relics from other "dimensions" that carry around their own "rules" with them, rather than adapting to the "rules" of their current home.
In other words, rather than resisting the Logic/Cognition, they are things that never existed within the Cognition in the first place, or are somehow completely alien to it, and are thus immune to things that rely on the Logic.
Immensely rare, a set of red-rocks from space (currently in the custody of the SDCD) are the only commonly known items of this designation (outside of the SLEIPNIR), using a different energy "Mana," to power their functions rather than "Reiki."
-Spirit Energy (Reiki)-
The innate supernatural power that exists within human beings, and the power that lies at the heart of almost all supernatural phenomena, including those done by the Demons and Divine Spirits born from Humanity. While Humanity is weak in many ways, the ability of their souls to generate this power from seemingly nothing is one that they share only with the Creator themselves; as a result they are a special sort of existence that others rotate around in order to maintain their existence, even if some of those very beings pretend that the inverse is actually true.
Spirit Power is inherently linked to one's Life Energy. If one were to be more specific about it, the base amount of power required for one to keep their body's vital functions running would be the portion of power referred to as Life Energy, and any excess force generated by the soul would then become what others call their Reiki, which is used to perform supernatural feats, flickers off of them into the world and serves as a manifestation of one's will and emotions.
Because Humanity is the main source of Reiki, their existence is a necessity to keep the Universe going; a theoretical World without humans in it is one that will eventually stop moving due to entropy, the Gods and Demons born from them going extinct along with them, as a result, humanity is a massive pillar of the known reality, although animals with strong connections to humans, as well as Plume-Based COMPs, seem capable of 'learning' this ability from humans to a certain degree...
Exactly how this works isn't entirely known.
-COMPs-
Ancient Conceptual Weaponry. A form of computer-tech that always seems to mysteriously appear to humanity whenever supernatural events and era do, never in the same way, but so consistently that it's clear that they are somehow 'fated' to do so, most likely as a result of some deepset Law of the Human Cognition...
They are Humanity's ancestral weaponry, an idea so deeply ingrained in the unconscious that it's appearance in the face of the supernatural is inevitable; it is because of this nature as humanity's weapons against the supernatural that they are capable of dealing damage to the supernatural regardless of who is wielding them, and are always capable of converting "Reiki" into "Spells," following the laws of the Demon System of Magic.
Although the exact method they use to accomplish this feat differs from appearance to appearance, as they are never made in quite the same way whenever they appear in history, but so long as they embody the "idea," of a COMP, their power against the supernatural remains consistent (to the point of being able to damage OOParts/OOPhen) even if the exact details of their form are different.
The COMPs used by Xanadu are commonly referred to as Plume-Based or (more technically) ELF-Type (Equipment: Living Form) and specialize in the production and support of Reiki and Reiki flow in the User, due to the naturally high levels of Reiki the inhabitants of the World possess.
-The Curse/Kyuubi-
A mass of negative emotions that exists somewhere inside the core of the planet. An entity born from the collective "darkness," of humanity, that negativity which might be suppressed by oneself but has to go somewhere, that muck which gathers at the bottom of the collective consciousness, and becomes a monster that seeks the end of it'sown selfmakers.
A naturally recurring phenomena, albeit one with large gaps in it's appearance; it's power rises sharply during times of World War, where human suffering is at it's highest, and it is a confirmed malevolent entity that cannot be truly destroyed, only sealed, and where the best means of combating it is keeping it from waking up at all...
The events of Exodus Nine drained the Kyuubi of much of it's power and cast it back to sleep, and the current era of peace is not doing much to feed it, nevertheless, it is important to remember that it exists, lest one repeat the events that brought it back to life in the first place...
The Kyuubi can act in a number of manifestations, although it's most common forms are as a Kaijuu esque monster, or as an infective sort of "Reiki," that causes one to act on their darker feelings; that is how it got it's secondary designation as "The Curse." Despite it's monstrous appearance it is not a demon, it is akin to weaponized Reiki, a swirling mass of negative emotions that will tear apart everything in it's wake.
Last edited by Airen; January 14th, 2021 at 07:48 AM.
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Light
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cosmos Semesta Preciel doesn’t have any memory prior to being found by Mary Fairchild, except for her name.
It wasn’t something that bothered the girl at first. Confused, unsure and practically ignorant of everything, the girl followed the woman who found her obediently, where the woman would teach her many things. Basic things at first, like using utensils while eating or how to bathe and brush her teeth; then they moved on to other things, like proper manners and basic etiquettes; and finally, to reading and learning, to become knowledgeable and less ignorant of the world around her.
In that first month of living with Mary, Cosmos interacted with no one but the woman, and for her, the world was limited to Mary’s living quarters where she was staying. And she has no one to compare Mary to, other than herself.
Perhaps the effect was obvious. Like a baby who knew naught but her mother, Cosmos looked up to the woman who found her. And yet as days passed and Cosmos learned more and more about the world, the more she realized just how lacking and temporary her days with Mary was. After all, while Mary had offered her shelter, food, comfort, and even knowledge, Cosmos had nothing to give to the woman; in fact, she only made the woman’s life difficult, making her search for any clues about her past. Sooner or later, either her past will be found, or nothing turns up and she has to leave.
And yet, when Mary found nothing, she didn’t ask her to leave. Instead, she offered her a place in her home; to be family. Cosmos tried to refuse, despite wanting so badly to accept the offer deep down, for how could she accept? How could she make Mary’s life more difficult than she already has?
And yet, instead of listening to reason, Mary Fairchild gave her a smile. She listed off her good points, why she wants to adopt her and how proud and happy she is in the one month that they had spent together, before making the offer once again.
That day, Cosmos Semesta Preciel had found her light and tasted salvation, and since then she was baptized as Cosmos Fairchild.
She had decided, then, that she would devote herself to Mary Fairchild. That she wanted to become like her, to follow her cause until the end of the world, that she is the messiah and saint that is talked so often in the books she read. Mary Fairchild shines like the sun, her giggles and laughs akin to winter bells on a chilly night, and not a single day passed without Cosmos offering her thanks and gratitude to God for blessing her with such a figure.
Everyday spent in her mother’s company was nothing short of bliss. Through their tea time, Cosmos learned that Mary has a sweet tooth, even if they pale in comparison to her mother’s sweetness; a few months after the adoption, Mary started to take her along for her morning walk, and Cosmos grew to appreciate the beauty of nature as birds sang in her mother’s presence; Every week without fail, Mary would visit orphanages and play with the children despite being bad at games, and she never failed to make the orphans smile and laugh as she brightened the place with her presence; and she would later find out that her mother loves to daydream, lost in thought, and as she promised to keep her mother’s reverie complex a secret, her mother told her that she, too, has amnesia, and there was nothing but joy as she found a common thread that linked them both, as if God had made their meeting a fateful encounter.
Cosmos loves her mother. Admires her. Reveres her. She basked in Mary’s light as her mother embraces her every day, lost in wonder at her smiles and laughs, and thought that this must be what people write poetry for. Sometimes she would wake up in the middle of the night to find her mother still awake at her study, diligently doing her duty as the pope, and as she quietly brewed hot tea for Mary, Cosmos thought she could sing a thousand praises for her mother. And in the rare times that she managed to wake up before her mother, when the light of dawn seeped through the window and basked Mary in a heavenly glow, Cosmos wished that she could stop time so that she could appreciate the moment for eternity.
--Time passed on, like a river.
But even as she moved out of her mother’s quarters, even as she met her step-sibling who is her polar opposite, even as she reached her dream to become a Tamer and follow in her mother’s footsteps--
--Even when the first hint of fear and uncertainty wormed into her heart on a fateful encounter with a certain priest; even when she stops growing and stagnates as her sister ran forward like the wind, leaving her behind; even when she found the growing seed of jealousy and envy blooming as she looked at the people around her family; and even when she realized that somewhere along the way, she had stopped running after the light, merely convincing herself that she had never stopped in the first place--
Cosmos’ love and devotion to Mary Fairchild had never changed or wavered.
Mary shines like a star, the brightest thing she had ever seen, blinding in all her effulgence. Beautiful beyond compare, and perhaps so bright that she served only as a reminder to how lacking everyone else is, in comparison to her light. A savior, a messiah in all her glory, the pinnacle of what humanity strives to be.
And Cosmos indeed realized just how dim her light is. It is ugly and unworthy, not even fit to be called as light in comparison to her mother’s star; and yet her mother, in her infinite kindness and compassion, embraced her all the same, just like back when she still didn’t know anything, when she was still a blank, white canvas yet to be painted. Basking in that heavenly light and warmth is enough to keep her going, to keep what little light is left from the stagnation to shine, no matter how dim or dirty.
It’s almost eerie, if one looked close enough, on how much she loves and reveres Mary. On how little she thought of herself, if it is for the sake of her devotion. Greedily basking in that light and warmth is enough to keep Cosmos Fairchild going; Hearing Mary’s cheer and seeing a smile unfurls is enough for her to keep up with her sister every time they spar, even though she should have been left behind so long ago.
Certainly, it could be attributed to her undying love and devotion to Mary Fairchild, to the silent oath that she had sworn to herself on the day she was adopted, and that is indeed the case as far as Cosmos Fairchild could remember.
But perhaps, it also come from the deep recesses of her mind, where no light cannot reach; Perhaps something deep and primal within her was awakened, even if unconsciously, by the light that shines as bright as the sun; Perhaps Mary reminds her of someone else, someone who used to shine so brightly that she chased after that light with all her heart, someone whose face and name she could no longer remember.
Perhaps that absolute and unconditional love and devotion was born from a night she had forgotten, when she had cried and shook in her sleep from a nightmare as her tiny hand reached out in vain, only to find a warm, familiar presence as Mary gently embraced and soothed her, singing a lullaby that dispel the darkness and brought only a peaceful slumber.
Relieved that this time, she managed to reach the light in time.
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