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lookbluesoup · 2 years

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Thinking about G'raha and Emet at the climax of Shadowbringers, mmm there’s too many words, let’s see...

Emet freaks out the way he does and reverts back into mask-up genocidal self-righteous rage-monster mode because he thinks you’re going to die. Become a sin eater consumed by Light. You were his friend in the world unsundered, even though you don’t remember him now, and your soul is just going to be obliterated, there will be no saving it. He accepts this as inevitable, he’s too hurt to hope for anything else. You’re already gone in his mind. He’s going to do what he has to do, to end this broken world and save the rest of his people, even though it means losing you. The angst of that gets me every time.

And then there’s G'raha. Who was also your friend in disguise, working alongside you to save the world. Just like Emet, G'raha's a dear companion from another life who’s true face you weren’t able to see, who’s name they would not tell you, but who loves you still and hopes you might save the world.

The moment Emet-Selch gives in to grief and decides you can’t be saved is the same moment Graha commits to sacrificing himself to save you.

Emet prevents G'raha from doing that. And takes him captive. And the days that follow where the rest of your friends are desperately trying to preserve your life, G'raha does not know if you are ok.

But he does not give up.

He knows you are doomed, just as much as Emet does. But unlike Emet, Graha does not give up.

He fights for you, for the world, for a future, against Emet in the Tempest with no certainty that you are even still alive, and no reason to believe anyone will rescue him, and no second chance for any of it if you are gone.

But you come for him. You come for him bleeding Light and barely able to stand but you also did not give up. Both of you are defiant in the face of Emet’s despair. Graha is bloody and beaten from days of abuse, far from his tower, and still finds it in himself to summon aid for you when you make your final stand against Emet for the fate of a dying world.

And ultimately you triumph over the Light, you defeat Emet, you give hope back to the entire broken world and most importantly... you are not going to die. And neither is Graha.

And I just... cannot imagine how hard that realization is going to hit G'raha. After days in basically hell, not knowing, not giving in, you showed up like the hero he always believed you to be but even more, and you brought him home again, and you’re alive.

When the adrenaline and exhaustion fades... It must hit hard enough to be its own wound. He must break down sobbing. You cannot feel so much relief and stay on your feet. All that he hoped against hope for came to pass, and he loves you and you’re still alive.

#idk man i love them both so much #they give me feels #g'raha tia #emet selch #emet-selch #graha tia #ffxiv #wyn gabs #meta #text #shadowbringers #shadowbringers spoilers #final fantasy 14 #final fantasy xiv #ff14 #long post #shower thoughts

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ishgard · 1 month

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— B A S I C S

Name: Ahru Hiraeth Nicknames: Not a lot of nicknames actually, occasionally "Ru" Age: Early-Mid Thirties Nameday: 21st Sun of the 4th Astral Moon Race: Seeker/Keeper Gender: Female Orientation: Bisexual / Biromantic Profession: Adventurer, Warrior of Light

— P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

Hair: Naturally blond, light corruption left it bleached white. Eyes: Blue with a gold ring around the pupils Skin: Pale with warm undertones, tans easily Tattoos/scars: No tattoos, but many superficial scars and several less. A thin scar on the side of her face from sahagins when she was child. An 'overlapped' scar from Zenos and Elidibus across the chest. Lichtenberg scars along her left arm, old burns down her right leg, hip-to-knee.

— F A M I L Y

Parents: Both living. Ahnia Hiraeth, mir'amna ('mother') of the Hiraeth. X'rehn Tia, ex-Garlean assassin. Siblings: Nia'to Hiraeth (twin brother), Fianah Hiraeth (younger half-sister) Grandparents: Amazingly I haven't thought about them too much. In-laws and Other: X'rhun Tia (uncle), X'yehnia Rehl (cousin), X'vehl Tia (cousin, retainer) Pets: Arrow (chocobo), Grani (…Grani), Caesar (wolf 'pup'), Mochi (fat cat - King of the Rising Stones), Ardbert (black hayate - lives with Ryne and Gaia now), Baby (baby opo opo - not a pet this is her son)

— S K I L L S

Abilities: BRD/RDM main, MNK is always one broken weapon away from showing you why it's a bad idea to disarm her. Omniclasses p much everything but is worst at SMN/SCH. Her music weaves aether in such a way that it enhances her magical abilities, so even when utilizing her healing or destructive magics, she often weaves her bardwork into it. Hobbies: Traveling, making music, journaling, reading (in the past study of the Void has been her speciality and passion - but she's always had a soft spot for epics, romances, and such), knitting, cooking.

— T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: She's got way more love to give than you might expect, she just sometimes has a hard time showing it. Open-minded/flexible, she's not often put-off or caught off guard and is very accepting (at times forgiving, to a fault). Most Negative Trait: Still getting over the trauma of 'people who get close to me tend to suffer terribly', which leads her to distancing herself. Really prone to wanderlust and violence (as in, loves a good fight). Good luck slowing her down and good luck getting her out of it if you got her in 'fight mode'.

— L I K E S

Colors: Red and Black (omg she's a gamer) Smells: Campfire smoke, cloves, leather, amber/incense, rarer but often enough the frosty fresh air of colder climes. Textures: Broken-in leather, furs (silky, soft and the more coarse), the smooth and sharp edges of a crystal. Drinks: Water, tea (specifically mulled tea), wine, ale. Partial to mint lassi's.

— O T H E R D E T A I L S

Smokes: Very occasional, with growing rarety. Drinks: Historically was your pretty average social drinker, swore off the stuff for a long period after being drugged multiple times, but more recently has started enjoying the occasional drink - her tolerance has dropped significantly to fun/humorous effect. Drugs: No; somnus in particular is a touchy subject. Mount Issuance: Arrow (chocobo) was a gift from Thancred welcoming her to the Scions. Grani was a gift from Emet-Selch, and is her primary mount esp. in places where Arrow can't go. Been Arrested: Amazingly not.

Tagged by: @ardberts, @gatheredfates, @sealrock, @myreia, @shroudkeeper - thank you all so much!!! I might honestly do more and use the tags as an excuse 😌 Tagging: @twelveswood, @thewitchofelpis, @eorzeanflowers, @thefrostflower, @allyennah, @mrlarkstin, @koijikido, @ubejamjar, @ungrateful-cyborg - and anyone else! (if you've already done it or don't want to ignore me <3<3<3)

#tag games #ahru hiraeth #thank you all again so much!!!

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jarael · 12 days

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bedroom - for the single-word fic prompt!

(Mildly suggestive)

In the days of eld and of paradise

Morning had broken over the star. Emet-Selch awoke with the sun coming in, bright and warm, through the window in Azem's room. How late had he slept? Hopefully the Convocation had no urgent need of him.

He looked over to his side to gaze upon Azem, their gleaming black hair framing their pale face perfectly. He never understood how it never turned into a mess overnight. They'd be blessed with long, luscious locks–good for stroking, or pulling for that matter. Their arm was still entwined with his, giving him the frustrating task of pulling away from his partner without disturbing them.

Slowly, Emet-Selch slid his arm away, back towards himself. But it was no good. Azem stirred, letting out a grumble and pulling it back towards them.

“We need to get up,” he insisted gently.

“I don't want to,” whined the reply.

“Must you be so slothful? You are well aware that we have responsibilities.”

Azem let out a huge huff, their deep purple eyes glinting. “But last night was really fun…”

Emet-Selch remembered he was under the heat and power of two suns, including the one giving him a come hither look at this very moment. They knew exactly what that look did to him.

They always got their way, eventually. For him it was worth it. Thus, he sighed and returned to their side, resigned to his fate.

–

Many, many, many years and one Sundering later

Because her time in the first hadn’t been enough to keep her blood pressure elevated, Sigrun raised her eyes to see Emet-Selch had “graced” her with his presence yet again. She sighed. “I think I told you, I don’t need your help.”

“Well, far be it from me to expect a hero to want my unholy assistance.” Hero was spat out with a subtle venom, as if the very word burnt his tongue. Something within him hated heroes–so why did he find himself returning to this hero’s side? “But I admit, your progress in destroying the Lightwardens is fascinating and, dare I say, admirable.”

“Well thank you for the compliment, your most Excellency-ness,” Sigrun huffed. “Now you can leave whenever you feel like it.” She brushed away a green tipped lock out of her eye, only to see his face had oddly…softened. “What do you want now?”

Emet-Selch hated how her eyes were like Azem’s, her hair as thick and soft as theirs–well, probably. He knew better than to try to even ask to touch her hair. But her heart, her kindness, her braver, her heroism–all just like Azem. Soon, the Light would swallow her whole, the Shards rejoined–and Azem would be whole again. He ached for the days where he could return to their bedroom and have them greet him with open arms. This weak shard–no matter her beauty, her strong will, her selflessness–would never suffice in the interim.

“Waiting for your next move.”

Sigrun shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Well, I have places to be. And keep your eyes off my ass this time.”

“Like I would stoop so low.” He turned to leave, giving the sarcastic wave he favored, and teleported away.

Sigrun put a hand to her chest. What was this painful ache that came to it whenever that Ascian showed up? What made her so mean, blunt, snappy and angry at Emet-Selch–but what also made her want to throw caution and logic to the wind, and do something that would make the other Scions sick to their stomach?

She chose not to think about it further, and headed to Malikah’s Well.

#tysm!!!!!!#ffxiv #shadowbringers spoilers #endwalker spoilers #fanfic #azemet #emetwol #emet selch #sigrun bosco #gatheredfates

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alounuitte · 7 months

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a brief encounter;

Hythlodaeus, or his memory, meets Emet-Selch in Amaurot.

a short ffxiv fic about memories, ghosts, the distant past, and the oncoming future. cw for implications of suicide. also on ao3 at /works/50178766

Emet-Selch does not visit the city of Amaurot for pleasure; if anything, he comes there to be unhappy. He wanders the streets alone, ignoring its inhabitants when he does not avoid them altogether, and spends most of his time there not revisiting the past it represents, but merely wallows in his private grief at its passing.

Even Hythlodaeus, once his close friend and companion, rarely sees more than a glimpse of him when he does return to the grand replica of the city he once called home. He does not mind this. He knows, after all, that he is no more than a shade of the real man whom Emet-Selch had known, and he understands that he cannot help but be yet another reminder of grief.

Yet, Hythlodaeus, or Emet-Selch’s memory of him, still lives on in him, and there is a powerful instinct deep in his essence - in what, were he truly alive, he would call his soul - to offer some succor, some kind of comfort to his friend. He knows, as little more than a ghost, he cannot give it, and so he keeps his distance. Still, he can’t deny that he longs to try.

So when he feels that strange sense of clarity that comes whenever Emet-Selch is near, he follows it like a moth to a flame, and hovers at the edge of his presence where he can be readily found, if only his old friend will seek him out. He does not go to him, as he would have once, in the long-distant past when he was alive, but waits patiently for Emet-Selch to come to him, ready to provide what little semblance of companionship he can. He will never be the real Hythlodaeus, but sometimes, perhaps, he can be enough, even if only for a time.

The times when Emet-Selch does come looking for him are rare indeed, however; and so it is, as always, something of a surprise to see him come around the corner and approach.

He looks so small and fragile, in the mortal form he wears these days, no bigger than a young child, but he is always unmistakable, the familiar color of his soul recognizable even from a distance. It is clear to see how heavily the weight of his many years of grief rests on his shoulders; even when he speaks, his voice is tired and drags slowly from his lips. “Hythlodaeus,” he says, by way of greeting, and bows his head.

“Emet-Selch,” Hythlodaeus replies, and does the same in return. “It is good to see you.”

“You’ve been waiting for me,” Emet-Selch observes shrewdly, raising an eyebrow.

I am always waiting for you, Hythlodaeus thinks, but he does not say it. “You have certainly taken your time in coming to visit,” he says lightly instead. “I would almost think you didn’t want to see me.”

Emet-Selch blinks and looks away, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. He has always been so easy to read, if only to those few he calls friends. Hythlodaeus may be no more than a reflection of a memory, but Emet-Selch remembers him as sharp and perceptive, someone who knew and understood him well; to his eyes, Emet-Selch’s unmasked face is still as open as a book.

“But you are too busy for idle chatter,” Hythlodaeus continues. “You must have a good reason to come find me when the Convocation surely has need of you.”

He does not know how Emet-Selch would respond, if he knew that Hythlodaeus was aware of his nature, so he has never confessed it. He dutifully plays his part in the charade, as if he doesn’t know that the Final Days have long since come and gone, and left Amaurot in ruins. He pretends that, like the others, he still awaits the Convocation’s word on how to save them, and does not let Emet-Selch see that he already knows they will fail.

And Emet-Selch does not notice the difference. “Yes,” he says, “I have something very important for you.”

How odd: this is something new. Emet-Selch has visited with him in the past, engaged him in conversation and even turned to him for comfort on the rare occasion he lets show how much he needs it — but he has never brought Hythlodaeus a gift. “Oh?” Hythlodaeus asks, tilting his head. “What’s that?”

Emet-Selch reaches into his fur-lined coat and pulls out a bag, tied shut with a leather cord. “Here,” he says brusquely, and holds it out at arm’s length.

Hythlodaeus drops to one knee to take it very carefully. It seems tiny and impossibly delicate in his hands, though it is simply sized for a mortal vessel to carry. Curious, he pries it open and peers inside to see something that glitters faintly under the nearby streetlight: a handful of colored stones.

“Ah,” he says softly. “You’re giving this… to me?”

“Of course I am,” Emet-Selch scoffs, haughtily lifting his chin. “Who else do you think I would trust with something so important?”

Hythlodaeus regards the gemstones thoughtfully while he considers what to say. “These hold the Convocation’s memories, do they not?” he asks at length. “Won’t you be needing them?”

He knows more than that about the crystals in his hands, but he does not dare express it. After all, he should not know or understand what Emet-Selch is now, nor the work he has long been engaged in to restore the world as it once was. There is much that he does not fully grasp, but he is sure the stones are vital to that work, and if Emet-Selch is giving them to him now…

“I will,” Emet-Selch replies, but will not look at him. “I only need you to hold onto them for a time.”

Hythlodaeus has always known when he’s lying, and this is no different.

Emet-Selch is a fiercely stubborn man, and always has been; the last few thousand years have done little to change this. He does not tell Hythlodaeus much – not this Hythlodaeus, who should not know the half of what has befallen their people and their home – but what he does let slip hints at grand plans and ambitions, at the great magnitude of the work he has undertaken to see it all restored, and in all this time he has never wavered in his commitment.

But something has changed – in him, perhaps, or in the world he now inhabits, the world which exists outside of this illusion of Amaurot. His resolve, so strong for centuries upon centuries, is faltering. Hythlodaeus hears it in his voice, sees it in the way he carries himself. He may be a stubborn man, but even Emet-Selch has his limits, and he is tired.

What would the real Hythlodaeus say, if he were alive? Would he offer reassurance? Encouragement? Would he convince his friend to keep fighting, even under the weight of all the burdens he carries now? Or would he give Emet-Selch a chance for the rest he so desperately needs after all this time?

Hythlodaeus doesn’t know. He examines the stones, carefully turns the bag over into his open palm. There: a glint of a color he knows, bright and warm as a flame in his hand. He laughs to himself, holding up the stone between two fingers. “Of course,” he says softly, and looks up at Emet-Selch, still smiling. “How very like you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Emet-Selch replies, looking pointedly away. Another lie.

Hythlodaeus turns the stone so that it catches the streetlight above them and shines it back like fire. He does not know, exactly, what became of the woman to whom it belongs, only that she never returned after abandoning the Convocation. When Emet-Selch speaks of her, rarely, there is still bitterness and anger in his voice, even after all this time. And yet – he will not allow her to be forgotten, even now. How could he, when he had loved her?

He had loved Hythlodaeus, too, before his death, and remembered Hythlodaeus as someone who loved him; so he remains, even as a ghost, love lingering in his pale shadow of a heart. He holds it deep within his chest and knows Emet-Selch can never return it. He tries to spare his friend the pain it would cause him to show it, and wonders how painful it would be if he did not know of his nature, did not know to love him quietly and from a distance.

Would it be an act of love to accept this gift, and take the burden of memory away from him? Would it be an act of love to ease the weight on his shoulders for a moment, knowing that some part of him does not intend to return for it?

He doesn’t know the answer but he knows this: Emet-Selch is weary of his grief, and is ready to lay it to rest. He does not want to lose his closest friend – but Emet-Selch is not his friend, and it would be selfish to make him further endure that pain and sorrow he has carried for so long, simply because Hythlodaeus does not wish to be alone.

Emet-Selch did not remember Hythlodaeus as selfish when he conjured up the memory of Amaurot. And, besides, when he is gone, so too will Amaurot disappear, and its inhabitants with it. Hythlodaeus as well as all the rest.

“I will keep them safe,” he says, finally, and returns the stones to their bag. “Until you return.”

For a brief moment, so short that, had he even blinked, Hythlodaeus might have missed it, Emet-Selch smiles.

#ffxiv #ffxiv fanfiction #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv fic #emet selch #hythlodaeus #sorta anyways #this has been on ao3 for a while but i haven't crossposted anything for this fandom rip

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blissfulalchemist · 6 months

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WIP Wednesday

(Because I got the brain rot and need others to suffer with me)

Thanks to Kate I've been consumed by another au old man ship from ffxiv so you all must bear witness to the small piece I have for them wherein Demos does not share the same soul as Sib. Tagging a few peeps: @belorage @florbelles @adelaidedrubman @unholymilf @strafethesesinners @heroofpenamstan @corvosattano @jackiesarch @confidentandgood @shallow-gravy @deputyash and anyone else that wants to use me as an excuse to post wip stuff!

Shadowbringers spoilers

It’s a daze as Elidibus stumbles on the dirt road towards Eulmore. Body growing heavy as his vision darkens and can feel the shift in pressure as the void opens before him. So sudden and he’s powerless to stop it now that it’s started. Elidibus had felt this way only once before….he thinks? A distant memory pulls at him and brings him high from the ground. Half lidded eyes see the form of a brown haired man until he closes them and opens them once more.

He’s greeted by a smile that lights up ice blue eyes framed by ebony hair and round round brown glasses. He wears robes of old and more detailed than the shades left by the late Emet-Selch. The man turns to face him more and it’s when he starts to say something that the realization slams into Elidibus. He blinks once more, gasping sharply when the image is gone and he’s left facing the Warrior of Light’s right hand, Demos. With violet eyes framed by longer brown hair and a scar that slices his face, yet avoids the small scattering of freckles on his cheeks. His clothes are garments of the present matching many of the Crystarium and suit him far better than any of the attire Elidibus had seen over the years.

The two men look at one another briefly, a frown starting to pull at Demos’ lips. “How did-?” Elidibus stammers, “Was it you who called me here?”

Demos shakes his head, readying to speak when he winces in pain and Elidibus can feel the ringing in his mind. Can feel the way Demos’ gift grasps for any shadow of a memory in the darkened archive of his mind, He will find nothing of import. A rare moment though where Elidibus can wade through his memories in turn. It’s easy to grab the sliver of something that pairs so easily with one of the many torn pages.

“I do not care what you are during the day….the moon is full and you are your true self….”

Elidibus laces their fingers together, smiling softly at the soft glow the moonlight gives to his lover’s eyes. “And I shall always be….for this is always my favorite moment….”

The memory fades leaving Elidibus to look down biting his tongue that he can’t seem to know why that was a memory that would come from Demos. “Did you learn anything new, Demos? I doubt there is much left that would surprise you.”

“You finding me here is a bit of a surprise.” Demos steps closer, hand starting to reach out, “I didn’t call for you Elidibus, but that still doesn’t mean I’d find your company unwanted.” Elidibus stays rooted, listening to Demos’ footsteps as he makes his way closer, “That promise you made all that time ago, about making sure that the star stayed upon its true course.”

“My duty, yes. What of it?”

“How did you ever decide what the true course was?”

Elidibus looks up with a furrowed brow, “We have discussed this before. Do you not remember? In great detail, if I recall.” Demos shakes his head, “Very well. Choices and sacrifices must be made so that the star and all life within it are to thrive and be made better.” Demos holds his chin with a hum, “Did that answer your question?”

“If life is currently thriving and there are people all over that strive to make it better, then shouldn’t that mean the star is currently on its proper course?”

“The world as it stands is incapable of making change that will allow it to thrive. As Elidibus I shall see that the years of hard selfless labor of my fallen brethren will not be for naught.”

“And what of us?” Elidibus looks down, fists clenching, “What will become of us if you guide the star as you are now?” Demos becomes inches from the Emissary, his hand slowly reaching up to cup his cheek, “Tell me, Elidibus, does being with me mean you stand with your brothers….or against?”

His face is guided to look up into pleading violet eyes, all the while he searches for an answer to give, an answer that was spoken in another time perhaps? He stands still, sifting and wading through faded pages knowing there was an answer that passed through parted lips. He swallows, briefly closing his eyes, “Demos, I-.”

Elidibus’ eyes go wide as lips engulf his own and an arm tightens around his waist. The instinct to push him away fades as lips part and tongues entwine, a soft moan emanating from him as his eyes close and arms embrace the one kissing him. Memories he thought long gone pour out and fill his senses with a deep laughter among music that only became his favorite after they spent their first night together, the scent of cardamom and chamomile, ice blue eyes shining behind square spectacles, soft pale skin that his fingers dance over in the moonlight, office, and bedsheets, with the distinct warm flavor of winter caramel given to him by someone with a name he’d dare not utter since that fateful day. Demos’ hand slides up the back of his neck and in an instant he’s no longer in the body of a hero from the present, but once more in his original form. With long silver white hair that fingers could easily get lost in unlike what he has now, a feeling that lets free images of an office lined with bookshelves and a ornate wooden desk in the center with fresh varnish that was easy to feel when he was made to use it to remain standing as the surprise kiss made him dizzy. The first of many it turned out….

The cold tear that rolls down his cheek as the memory starts to end with a faint ringing in his ears is the only thing solidifying his truth, his fear….his grief. As Demos pulls away with shaky breaths Elidibus matches that fading memory as he breathes out, “Conner….”

#ive been crying about them for weeks now internally so thank you friend #i just.....they're precious to me.......#this does also take place in the sibhabrea verse just in case anyone needed to know #anyway continue on with your day #my wip tag

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asaelfic · 11 months

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

Yes let's do it!! All fic authors deserve a little self promotion, as a treat. I have 135 works so picking five is HARD. Every fic I've written has a little place in my heart and I would love for anyone to read any of them. Also I didn't include anything I've cowritten but y'know… if you like Dimiclaude… Rae and I have two fics.

1) with this ring (Dimitri/Claude, 67,351 words, rated E) I'm still really proud of this one. It was written for the Dimiclaude Big Bang and has some lovely illustrations to go along with. I really love both writing and reading long fics, like sinking into a good novel, so I'm always happy when I finish one. I LOVE the arranged marriage trope, it's so fun to play with, and I'd been wanting to write an arranged marriage fic for these two for awhile. The things you can do when your OTP is canonically royalty!

2) lake song (Dimitri/Claude, 58702 words, rated T->E) This is cheating probably, as this is actually a series of 5 fics. But I couldn't pick only one of them, and it's one of my favorite things I've ever written, digging into trauma and recovery and living on after something that's changed not only your life but the world you used to live in. Primarily Dimiclaude, but very slowburn, with background ships and worldbuilding for things the game didn't give us. I really enjoyed writing it.

3) in the age of kings (Emet-Selch/Hythlodaeus, 16069 words, rated E) I have some difficulty writing FFXIV fics because the fandom is very focused on things I'm personally not that interested in, but this fic flowed out of me like it was meant to be. So easy and satisfying to write. I love writing getting-together fics, especially if there's a dash of bittersweetness, which needless to say the Ancients have in spades. It's my love letter to the Hythades ship, I guess, and I'll probably come back to them again someday.

4) all this riot of light (Sylvain/Claude, 15035 words, rated E) I really wanted to write Claudevain, and the different outcomes for different characters on different routes is something I thought about a lot when I was deep in 3H fandom. It all came together and haunted me with a Black Eagles Sylvain post-game idea that turned into this fic, which I still love, and which made me really love the ship as well. So many fun possibilities.

5) who burns like fire on the rushing sea (Ronan/Adam, 63867 words, rated E) I took a years-long break from fic writing and didn't really know if I'd ever get back into it, for various reasons. Then my friends and I all got obsessed with the Raven Cycle, which brought back my fic writing bug and made me remember everything I loved about fandom and creating for a fandom. This was the first long fic I wrote after coming back. I was super proud of myself then and I still am now.

#fanfiction #my fics #dimiclaude #claudevain #hythades #pynch

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sunderedoldfriends · 20 days

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@adventures-written continue from here.

Hythlodaeus had tried to believe as long as possible that they would make it. They all had worked hard for it, they all had sacrificed so much, but when the skies turned red and fire started to rain from above, it was more than obvious that the Final Days had arrived and there was no way to prevent it. Everything had been in vain. They had failed. And now they could only stand back and watch as everything they had worked so hard to protect would be destroyed, unmade, killed.

The lavender-haired ancient had slipped his hand into Emet-Selch’s and to his relief and surprise alike the other decided to hold on, just as he had been asked to do. Hythlodaeus, being an ever faithful and optimistic individual was finally confronted with the truth of how scared he was. There were many things he cherished and loved, even the smallest of things could get a smile out of him, and coming face to face with the very real threat to lose it all.. it terrified him. If only he had been stronger. Or smarter. If only he had been as talented a mage as his dear friend Hades.

Holding the hand of said friend was helping him to keep his emotions in check, because it was no use to anyone if he gave in to the fear and despair that was already threatening to consume his entire being.

“Oh, you know me, I am no hero”, Hythlodaeus replied with his usual chuckle which felt weirdly out of place among all the screams of the people running past them, but he knew he had to try and stay as hopeful as possible, even though they had already lost.

No. Hythlodaeus was no hero and he had always been okay with that. He knew that his purpose was another, that he was destined to support Emet-Selch and Azem to help them achieve everything they could ever hope. Hythlodaeus had always wished to be helpful and to be allowed for them to return to the star together, but now that their beloved star was on the verge of being destroyed, he knew that he had failed his single purpose in life. Now all he could do was participate in damage control, to maybe give Emet-Selch a second chance to make things right.

The Convocation of the Fourteen was preparing to summon Zodiark, as far as he knew Elidibus had already been sacrificed to serve as his heart, but what was Hythlodaeus supposed to do? He was no leader, his soul sight was a useless talent while being confronted with the calamity, there was only one thing he could think of. Hythlodaeus would be one of many to sacrifice themselves to summon the God that would save them. But how was he supposed to tell Emet-Selch that? Emet-Selch, who had fought harder than most anyone to prevent the upcoming catastrophe. Emet-Selch, who had always rewarded him with a patient smile. Turning away from Emet-Selch he looked upon the sky, dead stars raining down upon them, destroying houses, setting them on fire.

No, there was no other way.

“Hades, I..”, Hythlodaeus began, trying hard to keep his voice from shaking, but the trembling of his hands were most likely giving away the true nature of his feelings. He took another deep breath, head turned away to hide the single tear rolling down his cheek.

“I have decided to sacrifice myself to help summon Zodiark.”

#adventures-written #can my brain chill with the angst please

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vixlenxe · 5 months

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Her sleep is peaceful despite all disposition, despite the beating she had taken. Despite earlier having surrendered her own body & soul to Diabolos, the darkness she held within & at bay for years now, her slumber was peaceful. Person tucked away in the Meghaduta, her mind wandered far in her sleep, playing back memories from her past. Her life before the adventure, to it's start, all the way to the now.

Tiffanie watched it all race by in the dream. From her earliest memories or Ivy arguing with her parents, to her departure from Ishgard, to her return to stop the Dragonsong War, to the day Diabolos & Tiffanie became one entity, to Ala Mhigo, to being transferred to The First, to battling Emet Selch, then Elidibus, then returning to The Source to battle the Lunar Primals, the Towers of Zot, going to the moon, The Final Days, Ultima Thule & giving herself up to make Ivy a path, battling Despair at the edge of the universe... & then adventuring to the Void & merging with Diabolos of her own will so that they might be beaten & seperate at last. So many adventures... so many trials... in them all, one thing always remained.

Ivy, her sister. Always returning to her side. Even after learning to fight for herself, Ivy always returned to her sister, no matter how much time passed.

'Tiffanie! Tiffanie! I am here for you! We are all here for you!'

This memory in itself was hazy, but the words cut through the fog like a knife through butter.

'I'm sorry I let you down in the past, I'm sorry I left you alone when you needed me just to save myself! I'm sorry! And I swear I will not leave you now! I promise I will save you!'

A recent & bitter memory that both brought tears into ocean eyes & filled her chest with a flurry of hope & warmth. Even as the sound of battle grew louder behind the weighted speech.

'My sister, I love you, you're family loves you, we all love you, & we are all waiting for you to come home!'

The clashing of swords & shields rang louder, nearly overshadowing the desperate call. The dark sneering of what one would call a demon, she would called Diabolos rung free in her mind.

'Family?! What would you know of family?! The Warrior of Darkness's own father & mother do not want her!'

'You are not your father's daughter, or your mother's daughter, you are your sister's sister. You are my sister, Tiffanie! You are my chosen family, I chose you, & I will always love you! I want you with me in this future we've created for our star. I want you to pen the next chapter in our story! I want to see the future with you!'

The shriveling of the voidsent cursed, but the Warrior of Light spoke as if she were talking only to Tiffanie, as if she were the only one who mattered. Her love for her family was all that mattered. And when the sounds of battle dimmed, still did only one person remain.

As the final blow is about to be struck, you must call out to her with all your might.

'TIFFANIE!!!'

...

"You're Ivy, she loves you very much."

Tiffanie shared a glace over her shoulder, the apparition of Styx's shade appearing there. Sharing this conversation with her in her dreamscape.

"There's no doubt of that, yes."

Styx tilted her head to the side.

"So, why have you denied yourself that love until now? Or any love for that matter? Even if you thought it pointless with Diabolos threatening to make your life a short one, you know in the end, that is still their choice."

"..."

She looked down & shallowed bitterly, despite there being nothing in her mouth to shallow, & took a deep breath as those tears she'd been holding on her eyelids fell.

"... I believed I was undeserving. Even after all I accomplished, how strong I've grown, how sure I've become, I always believed I did not deserve anyone's love. ... After all... my own father & mother did not love me... if I can not deserve the love of my own parents... then why did I deserve anyone else's?"

The shade was silent, allowing that piercing cry from Ivy to replay in the dreamscape. A desperate cry of someone in pain, in agony from having to do battle with someone they cared so much for, but also so full of their love & hope that they are doing the right thing. The younger sister's tear came harder, each drop echoing when they fell from her face & hit the floor she conquered within her mind. It also sounded like rain.

"You can not expect love from ones incapable of such."

The shade spoke at last.

"My dear shard, it is not that you are undeserving of love, for you so very much are, you simply can not expect it from those incapable of love. Never once has your parents fostered or grown love within them, they know not of such an emotion & do not care too."

Styx placed her hand on Tiffanie's shoulder.

"Nor should you want their love by now. Not only are you deserving of love, but you deserve better then whatever cheap imitation of such beauty they could ever muster up."

".......... This is what... everyone has been trying to tell me... for years.... Why... why did it take so long for it to full register now?"

"Indoctrination is not unseated in a day. It's been years, but I think you finally reached the acceptance stage of grief."

Styx smiled. As the realty swept into Tiffanie like the rain of tears that played in her head. She knew this deep down, deep in her soul, but acceptance was a difficult mistress. But maybe... maybe it's time she truly accept it. She... deserves love.

"Say it to yourself. You need to hear it."

"... It's..." Arms closed around herself, holding herself tightly, the sound of rain quietly slowly as she mustered the words. She needed to hear them from herself, to tell herself the truth. To put the ink of this chapter to rest.

"... It's... It's not my fault. I... I deserve the love I am given."

And begin a new one.

"... And...?"

The rain cleared in the pause, a deep breath released at the same time Tiffanie had no clue she was holding.

"And... now that... my own life is mine again... I will learn to accept it."

The orange-red glow of the sunrise shined over the horizon.

#tiffanie quenderlain; ic [warrior of darkness]#ivy quenderlain; ic [warrior of light]#drabbles [endless chapters for an endless adventure]#(this is literally a giant memory replaying for her SJHBFSH)#(mind segments are funny)

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autumnslance · 1 year

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⭐ director’s commentary! Anything you want to scream about.

Occasionally I end up writing about Ascians, as I did in the FFXIV Write 2022 Prompt, Vicissitudes.

I still have a lot of Vampire: The Masquerade associations with that word. Most of one's 20s spent in the World of Darkness RPG setting'll do that. In WoD, Vicissitude is a power used by one of the vampire clans; it's transformation of flesh and bone, mostly for body horror.

The story of FFXIV was begun back in the original, failed version of the game, inherited by the new team, who kept many elements of those notes and outlines and basic ideas in the rebuild. But the Ascians really didn't get fully formed with proper motivations and backgrounds until Shadowbringers and Endwalker, after some retooling of those story elements (hence it not always..fitting things in earlier expansions, though they did a decent job retrofitting what they could and did).

That prompt response ended up from Lahabrea's POV, so we'll stick more or less to that, but it gets spoilery from here, for ShB, EW, and Panda raids, as well as getting a smidge long, so...

Lahabrea got the short end of the stick, being the ARR villain and his fate in Heavensward. I love the revamp to MSQ that makes him an actual threat--he kills the WoL, and it's only divine intervention that saves them in that early battle.

Pandaemonium raids giving Lahabrea a swansong works for me; Elidibus too, as I feel he was too vague and shifting through his various appearances, and unraveled too quickly in the end. It's also quite interesting to consider, from not just MSQ but also the short stories, how they interacted with Emet-Selch after all this time.

We have an official short story where Emet-Selch interacts more with Elidibus, so I wanted to write Emet with Lahabrea. They have extremely different uses for their host bodies, and ways of interacting with them and the world through them, as well as their reasons why. We got hints of their relationship, interactions, and views from Emet's biased perspectives, but what's Lahabrea's side?

From what little we have gotten to see in Pandaemonium so far, I think Lahabrea genuinely cares about his son, but is awful at showing it or explaining himself. This is also a man who literally cut difficult parts of himself away rather than deal with them. While Emet-Selch clings to his rose-colored glasses and builds entire phantom cities of his remembered dead...Lahabrea pushes all his memories aside. To the job. Get it done.

It also colors his tense relationship with Elidibus; these coworkers aren't just tired of each other after millennia, but Elidibus is exactly what Lahabrea doesn't want: a specific reminder of his losses, having been a friend of Erichthonios, and knowing so many secrets, like Athena's influence.

And of course, with those malleable mortal bodies, their thin aether is warped under that of an Unsundered's. Emet-Selch, after decades in Solus Galvus's body, looked kinda similar to his original self.

Is it any wonder Lahabrea burned through his hosts, then? Even associated with fire as he is, it strikes me as another way to avoid uncomfortable memories, to cut part of himself away again.

(Also simply useful, in the case of Thancred...who is too much like Lahabrea for his own good, not that either of them would like hearing that.)

So the push-pull of interactions between Emet-Selch and Lahabrea seemed interesting, how each of them approached their host bodies with the excuse of duty but underneath that there seems to be far more personal meanings.

Also, again, I equate "vicissitude" specifically with body horror and transformation thanks to V:tM, so my mind going to the mortal hosts, altered both intentionally and not, often dead but not always (I still wonder about Solus sometimes), seemed like a logical jumping point to examining those interactions and personal feelings.

#Final Fantasy XIV #Lyn Prompts #Lyn Meta #Ascians #Lahabrea #Emet-Selch #Elidibus #Endwalker #Shadowbringers #Pandaemonium

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isayoldbean · 11 months

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i've been slacking a bit on posting @woltourney propaganda for several reasons, mostly because i've been dealing with like 127 million projects irl, but! today i have returned to deliver an Exclusive lore drop that i haven't talked about much anywhere else yet!

please note that this involves major spoilers for shadowbringers and endwalker so please proceed with caution beyond the cut

that's right folks. it's the huge beef azem reveal!

tbh, beef Hates the idea that she is a shard of azem. she hates the thought that she could be so awesome only because she's actually somebody else instead of who she's always known herself to be. because of that, i've generally not really put any thought into her life as an ancient for the most part.

however, the fact remains that her past life as azem is an important factor in her story as a whole, and also has a bearing on how she became the person she is. and so, that being said...

please welcome dionysus into the world! (i don't have crimes installed on my computer so please pardon my having to use vanilla cc to show them off)

in addition to holding the seat of azem, they are also hythlodaeus's sibling! they are the pastel genderfuck twins who like to cause problems for emet. the two unicorns that harass emet's charlie the unicorn into going to candy mountain, if you will.

dionysus and emet definitely have a wlw/mlm hostility thing going on but it's mostly affectionate. can't be too mean to hythlo's boyfriend after all!

also on a classical/educational note, the mythological figure of dionysus is just. absolutely the perfect match both for azem and for beef! he is known primarily in modern times as the god of wine and grapes, revelry, and pleasure, and also for his connection to bacchanalia festivities, but there is actually much more to him--most of his stories involve him spending time traveling abroad, and then struggling for acceptance when he finally returns home. which is just extremely azemcore all the way around, and also pretty accurate for beef as well!

not only that, but there are many stories about him being killed/dying and getting resurrected, which is apt not only for the metaphor of azem's sundering leading to the eventual birth of the wol, but also for beef, who very much has the whole undead/zombie theming and the backstory of hydaelyn bringing her back from the brink of death so that she can go on to become the person she was destined to become.

also, dionysus was strongly associated with theater, which. considering emet is a Known Theater Enjoyer... hurts a little bit :')

as a final note, you may notice i refer to azem using they/them pronouns. dionysus was said to contain both male and female characteristics, and in keeping with that, beef's azem was nonbinary. i've been hesitant to give beef my own gender identity for various reasons, although i suppose it's still potentially on the table for her, but i have no such reservations about doing so with azem! perhaps one day i may also decide to take the plunge with beef, but in the meantime, this is a happy medium for me.

i hope you enjoyed this little peek into the deep Huge Beef lore! i'll be back with some more propaganda tomorrow :3

#Final Fantasy #Final Fantasy XIV #ff14 #WoL #Azem #Huge Beef #woltourney

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cleoselene · 3 months

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I have a dental infection AND a UTI at the same time, hahaha fuck this shit man. This is life on a B-cell depleting drug therapy. I am pumped full of antibiotics now, which is always worrisome because I am pretty barfy on a good day (yeah that B-cell depleting drug therapy? a gentle way of saying CANCER MEDICINE. That's what they give MS patients. Cancer medicine. Mine treats leukemia!), but I have promethazine which is pretty good anti-emetic and i also got some weed gummies and RSO to drizzle over the gummies and a big giant Fiji which is of course, King Water

I haven't had edibles in like. 3 months? I used to get RSO all the time and my tolerance was ridiculous. So I decided to stick to inhalation and started getting the higher quality vapes (full-spectrum, live resin) just stocking on them when they go on flash sale, and doing dabs on Big Mom, my giant golden bong. The result is that this RSO/gummy combo along with a couple percocets has me feeling DECENT. Edible really is my favorite route. I mean I still feel sick? But like, cozy and comfortable about it haha. And stoned.

I get these infections just ??? from fucking nowhere??? because I have no immune system and people wonder why I don't go out. But you know, on the other hand, covid and learning how to avoid illnesss has meant I have not gotten BIG SICK except for the one time I got covid. I'm still not sure how I got it, but my labs had shown like two days before I got covid that my immunoglobulin levels had cratered because of the Kesimpta (the aforementioned cancer medicine) and then poof, got covid 2 years in. But other than covid, I haven't gotten the flu, which used to be a given even with the flu shot, I haven't gotten the RSV, I haven't gotten any of the many really wicked colds that were floating around. I still wear KN-95 masks everywhere and I get comments about it from the REAL AMERICANS of south Florida, but whatever, the comments just proof I don't want to breathe in their unvaccinated particles???

Anyway. My poor roommate ALSO has a dental infection, which is crazy, but hers comes from stress grinding her teeth in her sleep to the point of breaking them (!) and the infection got into her jaw (!!!) and she spending the night in the hospital :( Poor thing. It just sucks, man. She doesn't have insurance so she wasn't able to just, email her doctors the way I could and then go pick up her zero copay meds. She had to wait until it got TERRIBLE enough to be admitted to the hospital. Why? BECAUSE FLORIDA HASN'T ACCEPTED MEDICAID EXPANSION 🙃

#fucking florida #it's a sick house in here #thank god for the #herb

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lookbluesoup · 1 year

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Ok look here's my hot take. In the scheme of things it doesn't matter but it's gonna bug me if I don't say it. This isn't a personal attack directed at someone, so please don't think I'm vagueing you.

But I think the FFXIV fandom, in general, does canon characters a huge disservice.

Rushed ARR writing/Stormblood plot rework and occasional translation befudgery aside, I think the canon characters have way, way more depth to them in their natural state than most people give them credit for.

And while the story's not perfect, I think a lot of "plot holes" aren't actually plot holes, they're the results of unreliable narrators giving the WoL unreliable information, and sometimes it's up to the player to look a little harder and read between the lines.

I think fandom tries really hard to make characters out to be either palatable woobiefied husbando material or irritating heartless villains, and disregard the messy, extremely interesting dynamics created by the huge variety of cultures, personalities, values, and backstories these characters come from. You're meant to be taking hard looks at these npcs, digging into their motivations, and realizing how grey and complex the world is.

It's taken a lot of effort for me at times to empathize with some of the characters, but that has always paid off and made me feel not only better equipped to analyze the story, but also better at understanding other people in real life who have vastly different experiences and values from my own.

Fanon takes on characters are often so watered down or stereotyped it leaves me baffled. Looking at you, G'raha, Thancred, Emet, Venat, Fourchenault, Twins... and so on...

I just wish that people made more of an effort to appreciate that the imperfections of so many characters in the story are features, not bugs, and that just because a character seems unrelatable on a surface level shouldn't mean they're unlikable or badly written.

#wyn gabs #vent #not really but thats the easiest tag for ppl to filter #text #fandom #long post

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skyjynxart · 8 months

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Random musings bc I should be asleep, wish I was asleep, and can't seem to find fic to read to give my brain enough dopamine TO sleep.

But increasingly, I wonder if there is a disconnect between me personally & fandom, or if my media comprehension is getting weird, or if FANDOMS media comprehension is getting worse or what because the gap between my interpretation of characters & others interpretation is widening to a point I often can't suspend my disbelief to read fic.

Not always & this varies by fandom- sometimes there's an easy explanation( eg I cannot divorce ST from its setting in the 80s and the cultural anachronism of character writing in many fics throws me & that's defo a personal thing )

But sometimes it's like... Did we watch the same thing? Play the same game? Like with some characters I get it. Nobody is going to interpret zenos the way I do bc very very few people are going to map their unique autistic experience onto him so viscerally ( god would that is had the will to WRITE my thoughts & hcs/felt like anyone would care to read bc that's a lot of effort for something I can enjoy just as well in my own head ).

But why is it that in fic Emet Selch is... Usually depicted as a fuggin rapist? Literally how does that fit? And it's not like- a FEW fics it's the majority Ive found?? Fanart doesn't seem to do this, so is there a vast difference in interpretation between artists & fic writers? Is it just Emet Selch hot & rape fantasy also hot(valid, but makes me wonder why there ISNT much other content then??)

Like these are genuine musings & as someone who is really into patterns & data points & I guess idk modern fandom anthropology??? I just wanna KNOW

And also find the like 2 other people in the world who come close to sharing my interpretations pls you have to be out there, right????

#sky speaks #im so tired i havent been able to sleep right for days so this is garbled af #also i swear to post art again soon im just DYING

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plenary-indulgence · 4 months

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dumping a bunch of misc coconeja trivia from twitter wolqotds below teh cut

in il mheg the pixies gave him a pixie nickname, "flower unlikely to bloom" which was a MEAN JOKE!! but overall they really didn't care for coconeja, a) because he's not very fun to tease there's just no sport in it and b) they LOVE flag and tried several times to trick him into giving flag to them but he was just like "oh no i'm so sorry that's my emotional support animal actually"

he's not ESTINIEN levels of technology blind, hanging around with biggs and wedge all the time helps a lot, but will sometimes play dumber than he actually is about things just so he can listen to wedge patiently explain something to him in great detail, no matter how many times he's heard it before or how much he actually retains. :)

NIER RAIDS ARE CANON i feel like that's a gimme if any of you have read even one of my posts ever but i just think it's not only important to his character (surrogate siblings he never had anogg and konogg, learning to do things on his own without someone telling him to) and story but also extremely funny for him to try and explain what the fuck that was all about to the rest of the scions - "no really!! they looked like hyurs but they were actually androids, which i guess is like a robot but not really - umm i'm actually not sure what an android is but they weren't hyurs - anyway, and also i went in something called a net-work and a girl came out of the sky and threw the square-enix hq building at me and-" "oh boy that light poisoning really got to you huh little guy?"

he can't really swim, though he's not as bad off as alphinaud. just imagine the like shittiest most pathetic little doggy paddle you've ever seen.

he's a coffee drinker, black or splash of aldgoat milk NO SUGAR. really does not like tea but drinks it anyway to try and fit in. tataru is always fussing over him and making him tea and every time he politely indulges her but like

pizza topping of choice is pepperoni and cheese boring answer for a boring guy

he thinks of himself as rather plain overall, but is especially self-conscious about his big ears and mismatched eyes

his azem, moros, had sort of little little brother situationship going on with hades and hyth. he was always getting himself into trouble, as azems are wont to do, and they were always bailing him out with a sort of "oh not again you rascal whatever are we going to do with you" attitude.

related, emet-squelch does NOT like coconeja. 110% disdain - to him, coconeja is just the garbage left behind when his azem was sundered.

in a peter and the wolf situation, the instrument that would represent him is PIANO (flag too)

coconeja is not really a crybaby, he's more the "oh hang on a second while i disassociate and squash this down" type. he's only actually CRY cried thrice - after biggs and wedge got omega'd, towards the end of shb when thought he was going to die of light poisoning, and at the very end of endwalker after killing zenos.

the "beast" tribe he likes most is qiquirn, he thinks they're great. so cute and funny.

has a real way with animals, despite growing up a city boy. there's flag, of course, but secretly he always wanted to run an animal shelter. he always kind of laughed it off as a stupid daydream, given that he thought he was supposed to grow up and take over his parents business for them and then that imploded and he became the wol. one of the literally countless things he likes about wedge is that wedge likes animals too.

except fish - fish can go fuck themselves.

#ffxiv #lalafell #coconeja hahaneja

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