kenoscomm | techalaniani. [cw: dr...ugs...]

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techalaniani. [cw: dr...ugs...]

[ It’s about two weeks after the chaos that’s hit Highstorm and Springstar both. The dust has had time to settle and people have started to pick themselves back up. And in that busy time, the Shard-Bearers of Kenos are touched by someone new. It’s a mind that gives the impression of vastness in the way that other gods and similarly supernatural creatures have. There’s dark, fragrant smoke of copal, and the humid heat of a rainforest. It probably feels faintly familiar to some, since there’s just a hint of that warmth that feels similar to a certain sun god(dess)…

But as it focuses, that warmth seems to be coming from a campfire, perhaps oddly. The logs around it offer you a “seat”, whether proverbial or not, and it’s only if you take one that the speak themselves will come into more focus. But the introduction that comes with it is much cooler (in both senses of the word) than the bubbly Quetzalcoatl. ]

Yo.

[ …Is that how the newest god is greeting the masses? Yep. Apparently so. ]

I talked to enough people when Kenos was jerking me around [ no, that was me, the player, ] that Communion is just more efficient. So, for those I’ve met and for those I haven’t, consider this a more formal greeting. You’ve removed my brother Quetzalcoatl and allowed me to descend in his stead.

[ And even though he’s identified Quetzalcoatl as his brother… The smirk in that statement is unmistakable. He’s pleased that Quetzalcoatl is dead. For those that know the mythology of the Aztec pantheon even faintly, this wouldn’t be a surprise at all, since Quetzalcoatl only has one enemy that would be glad to see the feathered serpent fall. ]

Name’s Tezcatlipoca. Tloque nahuaque. [ The Nahuatl is spoken with a sense of power that’s subtle, but still raw, even though there’s no one that would understand it. Still, it conveys the idea well enough—this is no minor god of that pantheon. ] If you know me, great, and if you don’t, well. Met your god Set one of the times I was stoppin’ by, and our whole deal is similar enough. I am conflict, so in the spirit of fairness, I’ve thrown my lot in with Zenith. Can’t have two gods that oversee war and conflict on the same side, yeah?

[ There’s humor in his tone that makes it seem like it’s a joke, but… No. It’s not. That’s a pretty significant part of his rationale for picking Zenith. Thanks Set!/Don’t worry about. ]

Anyways. All that formal shit aside, easy one to follow it all up. Ain’t often that I got a human body to enjoy getting fucked up. So, if you’ve got a preference for weed, hit me up. Workin’ on somethin’ artisanal there, but I wanna know the poisons of preference for the locals. Let me know what you get fucked up on, and I might even make it worth your while.

[ …So. You know. That’s one way to introduce yourself. ]

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[ At least compared to the other god of war, Tezcatlipoca’s mind is a calmer place. Where Set is a lord of the desert, a god beloved by the sun paradoxically mothered by the night, Tezcatlipoca is the quiet, dark night. In that, there’s peace. Meditation can be found easily, because he doesn’t try and rush in to crack it open. But what’s more unsettling than the night when it’s truly quiet? That’s just the sort of god that Tezcatlipoca is. He’s a trickster, a comfort and a danger, and neither sense is in conflict at all.

—Yet, there is a sense of understanding. Even in the quiet that Matt pulls forth, Tezcatlipoca is sharper in how he listens than most. He’s not the sort to comment on what he notices, though. Matt greets him with a pleased tone, and it’s what Tezcatlipoca gives in return. ]

Y’know, me too. Was kinda pissed when I got yanked back to whatever’s in between for the second time, but who knows. Third time’s the charm. I’m just late to the party.

[ He laughs, and even if the sense that it does annoy him is real, it’s replaced by languid ease. ]

What’s up, lover boy? You kinda got here when it all went to shit, sounds like.

[ The consonance of two seemingly incongruous things is much on Matt's mind lately. And unlike his feelings about a whole bevy of recent experiences, he has no hesitation around letting those thoughts slip through. To him, the peace offered by night and trickery is one of surrender. The only sure thing is you can't control when the drop comes. So let go. Enjoy the stars while they last.

The--endearment? nickname?--prompts fizzing sparks of laughter. Like the last time Tezcatlipoca called him something flattering, Matt's mental landscape turns a bit pink. Over Communion, some additional nuances peek through: Matt's not scandalized or embarrassed. Just pleased, and surprised in the way that comes from taking nothing for granted. (Or, put a lonelier way, from expecting very little out of others.) ]

The balance of peace deteriorated pretty fucking quick, yeah. [ To pick a random example, a god got murdered! ] Though that's not even what I'm most concerned about at the moment.

Speaking of which ... I'd avoid letting any unusual shadows get too close to you. They seem to be working up an appetite.

It’s not?

[ There’s little sense from Tezcatlipoca, a sort of huh of surprise, but it’s not only that. The smoke that he is envelops Matt and pulls him towards the campfire insistently. Come, take a seat, he seems to say through the motion and emotion, but the language is old yet impossible to place. The feeling of Communing with Tezcatlipoca is truly different from Quetzalcoatl, since he feels like something more ancient. ]

Heard about those shadows a bit, but fill me in.

[ But even though he’s pulled Matt over to that campfire most likely (like it’s a sanctuary in the midnight dark—), another idea seems to occur to him just after. ]

—Or, you and me can meet up in person, I guess. Whichever you prefer, ‘cause I can do this Communion shit all day.

[ Matt's been getting more proficient with the mechanics of Communion, such as they are--delineating between what to share and how, and what to hold back. Still, he's much better at behaving in an embodied way when he's reminded by someone's touch. Smoke swirls around him, making it easier to follow its urging than it would be to stay still.

As he steps towards the campfire, its heat warming his mind, he quirks a small smile. ]

I do want to see you in person. [ Priorities. ] But somebody told me there's all the time in the world ... so I can get into some of it now. I'm sure I'll remember more later. [ Matt sits down, a gesture that seems to settle him deeper into thought and memory. ] Okay, so, I first encountered these things in Kenos at the bottom of Yima's reflecting pool in Highstorm. They almost fucking got me, and later people mentioned the shadows had fully dragged people in, those people disappeared, and when they drained the pool they didn't find anything.

People have been having visions of being stalked by shadows for ages now, apparently. Someone I know here had a dream from the Tree where he got pushed out of his body and something walked around in his skin. During one of the Oracle trials, shadow creatures possessed people's Shards and pretended to be them. And these shadows will manifest familiar voices or images, which seem like they're getting more sophisticated--sophisticated enough to look and sound fully like the people they're imitating.

[ WHEW! ]

So, you know ... Meridian and Zenith, great, everybody wants to fight. But to me that's feeling more like meal prep for these shadows.

[ As Matt takes his seat, that smoke becomes less indistinct, almost like the light of the campfire is revealing the shape behind it. It’s a strange effect, like an optical illusion processed through the mind, but it seems perfectly in line with a god, honestly. As Tezcatlipoca leans forward with his elbows propped on his knees and a toothy grin that seems perfectly at ease in Communion, Matt might guess that this is how he might have appeared to people as a god. He’s correct, more or less. The fashion was a bit different, back in the day.

But as he listens, that grin does fall to something more thoughtful. Tezcatlipoca listens, and he seems to be taking it very seriously. It rings a bit of a bell, after all. Both the vision of how the world ends and these stories feel united in how something is stalking life itself. That’s how he sees it, at least.

He wonders if this is what Daybit had been worried about. He’d never been able to be specific about what was so nasty that letting ORT eat up the world was a better option, but that hadn’t been a problem for Tezcatlipoca. He knew he couldn’t be more specific, so he’d never doubted Daybit’s claim. Chaldea’s goals had turned the gaze of something bigger and nastier towards Earth than could be handled… So, extermination became the cosmic good.

…Doesn’t bode well for Kenos. Tezcatlipoca had picked Zenith out of a divine agreement, out of respecting his primary domain’s needs, but for the first time, he feels a flicker of more genuine conviction. If that, whatever you want to call it, is on its way? This world is already doomed. And Meridian will leave a nice little trail of crumbs back to all those worlds. ]

…Huh. Yeah, that ain’t good.

[ Yet despite his own thoughts, he doesn’t share them. Can’t, he thinks, because that’s too much influence for him to exert. If he gives his knowledge and sways people, the scales will balance. They always do. Hell, he’d even say that losing the Lostbelt to this hungry Thing could be a case of it. As soon as he cares about something, it’s doomed to be a losing bet. ]

I can’t complain for it, since it’s kinda my shit, but surprised that I haven’t heard as much about that. Well, I guess we did get some pretty big shit happening recently in terms of the Meridian versus Zenith thing. Should kick off a more serious war and all. [ He shrugs ] I’ll have to go huntin’ for one of these shadows. See what it can tell me, considering darkness belongs to me.

[ Matt's lips twitch, and his mood drops, at kick off a more serious war. It's not that talk of universe-eating darkness is cheerful for him, but at least going through all of it feels like work, feels like motion. Like doing something productive. ]

Yeah, things have been very distracting on that front. [ Matt's mental voice is even, but there's some static at the edges. Signs of frustration, helplessness, anger. ] I hear the guy poised to take Cyrus' place is a lot more bellicose than he ever was. Which I can't imagine Yima didn't know.

[ A slight not-really-pause: more static, more gathering storm. ]

I mentioned to someone recently that I'd heard none of the wars for Oracles had been successful yet. And he said "maybe they just didn't succeed for the people who fought them." So that's been a lot to think about, much less convince anybody else of. [ Matt huffs a sigh, into which he tries to channel some of his nervous energy. He inhales, sighs again. When he looks back Tezcatlipoca's way, he's not exactly happy, but his bearing is a little easier. ] I'd be interested to hear if you get anything from the shadows. I was actually thinking of doing something like that myself. You don't happen to know where to get any drugs for promoting psychic vision, do you?

[ He's positive Tezca's an expert, given his various related domains. Blame his WASP parents for the roundabout phrasing. ]

[ Tezcatlipoca listens to Matt’s explanations attentively, but in terms of the emotional feedback, there’s… not much. It’s almost like this is something Tezcatlipoca has heard before, like it’s all familiar and he’s just hearing someone else express it.

Which, yeah. Essentially.

He has a view of the world and of history that few other kinds of creatures could have. The only things surprising about what’s gone on here are the stakes (and even then…) and how casually magic was involved. Take the details out, though? Same shit as always. A weak leader is murdered to make way for the strongman. The strongman will get crushed by the people eventually. One winner, one loser, but neither one will matter in the end. The real end. Will anyone even remember, given a few centuries?

But that, too, isn’t anything he expresses. This may not be the campfire he sets up on the edge of Mictlān, but still. He’s always here to hear peoples’ troubles. Be a sounding board when they need it. He’s not the warm, magnanimous presence of Quetzalcoatl, but he loves people too. In his way. ]

[ …Which. Yeah. In his way.

Because as soon as Matt pieces through things and makes it to a question, Tezcatlipoca immediately grins, but it’s the kind of shit-eating grin of a guy who knows exactly what Matt is asking. If he were a cat (or just wearing his distinctly feline armor), his tail would be doing the little sway of being about to pounce. In play, of course (probably). ]

Matt. C’mon, people keep doubtin’ my knowledge of where to get drugs and you’re gonna hurt my feelings.

[ He laughs, then nods with that cheeky grin still firmly in place. ]

I’ve got my own methods for divin’ into shit, but you wanna have sacred visions? I can hook ya up. It’s all— Well, second thought, don’t know if it’s all down in Kowloon, but there’s plenty. And if we can’t find something, I’ll just big Silco about it. Old fucker knows the offerings like the back of his decrepit lil’ hand. [ (This is a compliment.) ] But are you wantin’, like, peyōtl or magic mushrooms kinda stuff? Or, y’know, fun third options of “whatever the fuck’s new to me in this place” since there’s plenty of those too.

[ Matt doesn't quite protest, even in his mind, at hurt my feelings. But there's a half-unfurling of something warm, apologetic. A little bit playful.

Those emotions feather away at the mention of Silco, as Matt works towards a careful neutral ~~because Merc doesn't know how the thread ends yet~~. But he doesn't doubt the basics of the claim. Silco seems thoroughly at home in the depths of Kowloon, amid all its sharp-edged pleasures. ]

I don't have a super clear goal about what I want to find out ... so I'll defer to your expertise on the specific substance. [ Matt considers a moment. ] Maybe something native to Kenos? Or as native as anything gets. Though these shadows are supposed to be a recent development, so that might not be a huge help.

Sounds like a project! Dunno how quickly I can get you an answer there, but I am absolutely down to find out.

[ There's a certain... flippancy to the statement that Matt might pick up on and intuit a little further. When he says it, boy does he mean it. He'll try things he knows will dissipate him, and he's not bothered by that prospect in the slightest. ]

...Or, I guess there's maybe another option. How good's your healing magic?

Edited 2024-02-23 03:29 (UTC)

[ Matt regards him. Not quite suspiciously, not quite like someone looking into a mirror. ]

Not great, [ he answers. ] There are steps I can take to make it better, but I'd need a willing participant.

[ Outside of Communion, the phrase "willing participant" would be left on its own for the other side of the conversation to parse. Maybe Matt's expression would lend some clues--a slight sheepishness, a little smile. But within Communion, additional context comes through. Hitched breath, the memory of a sweet and smoky kiss. He doesn't make much effort to conceal the impressions from Tezcatlipoca. If anyone here is gonna be cool about sex magic, Matt figures it'll be him. ]

[ Normally, he’d be a bit annoyed about the vagueness, but with the additional context that Communion allows, he actually understands well enough. ]

…Oh, mana transfer, huh? Didn’t think kissing counted, but I guess there’s saliva.

[ Yeah, unfortunately Fate’s sex magic is based around, uh. fluids. Which makes Tezcatlipoca lean back a little as he considers it. He is indeed unbothered by the prospect, since it’s a pretty common part of the Master-Servant relationship. He’s a bit better insulated against needing mana than most Servants because he’d be able to create a human body for himself, but once it gets into truly using his power? It’s a resources issue. ]

Well, I mean, you ain’t gonna get much from me on that front since I already run pretty low to keep my Divine Core operational… But if you can suck and fuck your way to getting enough mana to grow back major organs, that’d work.

[ makes total sense right ]

[ Tragically, it 100% makes sense to Matt. A kind of sense, at least. He's come across a certain preoccupation with fluids in his own occult reading, and it tends to be focused on semen retention. He gets the discipline aspect, the metaphysical significance, all that--it just strikes him as a bit limited. Exclusive against vagina-havers, who have enough problems as it is. Anyway, the point is, kissing doesn't get mentioned so much.

He parses Tezca's explanation of the limits to his own magical energy as something like "I expend a lot of energy to maintain my presence on this plane," a matter he sees no need to press on at the moment. However: ]

A lot of suck, some getting fucked, a not-insignificant amount of lick, [ Matt muses. Oh God is this Communion public? ] I mean, in theory I should be able to ... [ A vague gesture Tezcatlipoca's way. ] Top you up from something that bad. I'd probably want to experiment with smaller healing first. But, ah, can I ask what exactly you're thinking of doing that's gonna cost you your organs?

Edited (ignore me im being precious about character voice) 2024-02-24 04:23 (UTC)

[ Tezcatlipoca laughs first, since he’s appreciative of how casual Matt is about the idea. It makes it easier in the theoretical. But practically speaking… He’d chew on his cigarette if he had one right now. Sure, he could manifest one in the mind, but what’s the point if he isn’t actually smoking it…? ]

Ah, well. [ He leans forward and rubs the back of his head at least. ] The way you talked about witches, figure we ain’t from the same world. So. Let’s just say I can feel enough of similar rules applyin’ that it becomes real fuckin’ relevant if I want to do some serious shit.

[ …And that can mean a lot. Too much, in fact, so he keeps it simpler as he sits back. ]

I can still make miracles happen. I can bring the future to the present, see the world for what it is, all that fun omniscient shit. If these lands were closer to the ones I ruled, I’d be omnipresent, no problem. That’s just the kinda guy I am, to put it simply.

[ He shrugs. It’s really as simple as that, but it’s also more complicated, but the truly finer points of how he can do what he can do… He feels like it’s not worth getting into. So, he sticks to the pertinent part of the explanation instead. ]

But magic doesn’t come outta nowere, even for the gods. And all of ours? It’s based around sacrifice. [ He pats his chest demonstratively. ] You give up aspects of life, you can access miracles. Easy as that. I give up my organs to see mine. Ain’t a problem usually, but since I’ve confined myself to a mortal body, well. You guys need lungs and hearts way more than I usually do.

[ Matt leans forward in turn, and stays there. His psychic presence has taken on an attitude of attentive listening to a campfire tale--or perhaps something more profound than that. A mystery, an initiation. If he transcribed the flicker of Tezcatlipoca's firelight across his face, he's convinced it would tell him something.

The explanation doesn't surprise him. The word "sacrifice" triggers a moment of recognition, in fact, a brief oh, duh of blood and the turning world. He nods, and despite a sympathetic grimace--yowch for sacrificing your heart or lungs--his expression resolves into a wistful look. ]

I really wanna see a miracle.

[ This is not quite on par with "I love you," in terms of things he doesn't mean to let slip out, but it's close. For Matt, the two are slant rhymes. He shakes his head. ]

But I don't think I'd be the right person to heal you like that, at least not right now. I can definitely set it as a goal? But it might be safer to start with drugs.

[ He feels that weight behind the words, and it just makes Tezcatlipoca laugh. It's not mocking at all, just amused. ]

Yeah. Most people do. And mine are real top tier shit. Exactly what you'd hope from a god of magecraft and magic, right?

[ He laughs, perfectly easygoing like this is a perfectly normal campfire conversation. ]

...But, yeah, kinda figured. Regrowin' organs in a flash is, y'know, a big ask. Even my Master, hell of a guy he is, didn't always stick that landing. And let me just tell ya, having half a lung is kinda worse than no lung. [ Again, he laughs, like that's normal... Gods are insane don't worry about it, since clearly he isn't. ] So! Drugs it is! Can't promise anything strictly divine in that regard, but, eh, it'll be fun for the ride, so who fuckin' cares.

[ Matt hums agreement for magecraft and magic ... and laughs, horrified, at the thought of half a lung. All those poor bronchioles drowning in blood, god.

He scrubs a hand over his cheek (the left one, as always), and smiles faintly Tezcatlipoca's way. ]

I'll see how divine I can make it. How magical, at least.

Until then ... I really would like to meet up sometime, in person.

[ Matt has no particular expectations in this regard. (He rarely does.) Kissing is ecstatic and he loves doing it. Tezcatlipoca seems to understand a lot of what he's dealing with right now, and that counts for a lot. Still, he kinda worries he's being clingy. ]

[ The answer seems to please him, but that little note is quickly gone in favor of a more sly grin. ]

Oh, yeah? Good to hear I made a good first impression.

[ He laughs, since that little bit that had slipped through earlier makes it clear just what had made an impression... But he'll take it. He prefers that to all the gloom about recent events or Quetzalcoatl in particular. ]

Well, you're in luck, lover boy. Considerin' everything kinda went to shit since the last time we met up, I'm just slummin' it while I figure out where I can get things movin' the way I like. If you ain't busy, I'm down to hang. Got a real shitty place in Kowloon [ he says this fondly ], and I'm just drifting around in Highstorm, since my former place is a big pile of rubble now. So, wherever, whenever.

[ There's another pink ripple of laughter for the return of lover boy. If nothing else, it's a nice reassurance that he isn't outstaying his welcome. ]

I like Kowloon. [ Warm in turn. ] Easy to run into trouble down there, but it's very ...

It feels unpredictable. Not so regimented. [ Don't mind the Silco-shaped corner of Matt's brain that's being very, very quiet right now. ] Which is to say, I'm not busy. I could meet you there.

[ Matt doesn't consider the state of Zenites in Springstar to be a hindrance. As a matter of course, he keeps an invisibility charm prepped most days. ]

Exactly. Makes me feel like shit on account of being in Springstar, but, eh. Worth it.

[ And though he's already had a brush with Discord already as a result, it's easy enough to get rid of too. So, no problem. ]

I'll meet you outside the the Crown then, how about that? Easy enough landmark in that fuckin' maze, comparatively. [ He snickers ] Then we'll figure out what kinda trouble we wanna get up to. Or I'll just show you my closet of an apartment I got down there. Probably a good idea to give someone my spare key in case I lose it.

[ Well, he was on his way to the Crown the last time he got lost in Kowloon. But what are the odds of that happening twice? It had been a painful lesson, after all. One tends to remember those. ]

Sounds good to me.

For the record, I actually am the right person to put in charge of spare keys. Finding lost objects is a specialty of mine.

Ha, normally I might be suspicious, since that's exactly what someone that wants to fleece you would say, but. Any would be thief would be real fuckin' disappointed to open up that door. Plus, stealing from a god?

[ He clicks his tongue, tutting playfully, even though he's, uh. Not joking. ]

Pretty sure that's smite worthy.

[ Though to be fair, he's not so much a "smite" god as a "make their insides their outsides" god. Whatever! No worries here, since he just laughs. ]

Anyways, I'll be there in ten, extra key in hand. Don't worry if it takes you longer. I got time to waste.

[ And indeed, hopefully Matt has an uneventful trip down into Kowloon this time... Second(ish) time is the charm, maybe? And indeed, Tezcatlipoca will be waiting outside the Crown. He's casually leaned against the building and smoking, though he has his long hair pulled up into a messy bun today. Easier to deal with when you're hanging around Kowloon, since it's kind of, well. Grimy down here.

Also, if Matt is especially attentive, he might notice a rather conspicuous shape underneath his jacket. It doesn't stand out as totally obvious, but it's noticeable. It'd be easy to guess that it might be a gun holster, so, you know. Easy to guess what's there.

As soon as he sees Matt, he raises a hand to catch his attention, and he call out an extremely casual: ]

Yo. [ hard to believe this guy is a god sometimes huh ] You made it down here. Realized after I "hung up" that I should've asked, but. Consider it a little trial.

[ Matt does get lost, unfortunately. A brief and uneventful lost, but it annoys him. He's usually much better at finding his way with his feet, particularly to places he's been before.

Still, the sight of Tezacatlipoca lifts his weary spirits. By the time Matt reaches him, his navigational difficulties have been relegated to a distant corner of his mind, and his laugh at "little trial" is pleased and genuine. ]

I presume I passed, [ he says with a small smile. ] Hi.

[ No chest window robe today, for better or worse. Sebastian was as good as his word and repaired Matt's button-up shirt, so it's that tucked loosely into close-fitting dark trousers. Heavy-looking boots. Highstorm stuff, albeit a pared-down version. As he looks Tezcatlipoca over, his eyes catch on the extra bit of bulk beneath his jacket. He does figure "weapon," but doesn't clock it specifically as a gun. ]

Well, you made it. That's definitely a pass. So, here—

[ He reaches into his pocket and with a flourish of a twirl, presents a normal looking key. However, that key does have a keychain. This goes without comment.

Instead, he sees where Matt's gaze lingers, so with his other hand, he pats at the lump. It's very much solid sounding, but he doesn't keep it mysterious. ]

Just some extra protection in case anyone in feelin' like pickin' a fight. Guns are easier than donning my armor, so. I like to keep it simple where I can. But anyways—

[ He slips in closer and throws his arm around Matt's shoulder (on the side without the holster, since that would be uncomfortable for both of them). His gun may be technically magical (and stupid), but it's solid enough that it doesn't feel great jammed into your ribs. ]

So, what's the plan? You wanna see the place first? All, dunno, three hundred square feet of it? Or we go have some fun first and end up there later if I remember how to find it?

[ Matt reaches for the key, eyebrows arching for the little cat figure. Is this meant to say something about him? About Tezca? He's not sure, and pockets key and chain with no comment but a quirk of his lips. ]

I see, [ he says, of both "gun" and the mysterious "armor." His smile widens a tick. ] Usually I just set fires with my mind. That seems to surprise people.

[ Or rather, usually he thinks about setting a fire and then doesn't because of the potential for collateral damage. Isn't that kind of the same thing? Matt's smile widens, a moment of unfiltered brightness, when Tezcatlipoca puts an arm so casually around his shoulder. Gavial does that too, and it's nice. Exuberant, unselfconscious. ]

Hey, in some cities where I come from, three hundred square feet is downright palatial, [ he notes. ] I'd like to see the place I'm supposed to be letting you back into at some point ... but fun first sounds nicely irresponsible.

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there are big lostbelt 7/fgo spoilers in this comment, do not read, NA server friends

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1/2

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standard apology for explaining fate/ magic

apologies ... just apologies (also nsfw topics)

SALUTES

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