Amelia, Worm AU [Complete]

[pepperjack]

This is a slab of camel fat.

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Not even a camel fat roast?

Bloody dwarves.

 

[MadGreenSon]

If it's so clean won't that destroy their immunity system?

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Yeah, but not quickly. Probably not even within the scope of the story unless one of them has a weak immune system anyway. and then there's this:

Counterpoint: Biotinkers and Amelia.

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Between the two of them they could either make everyone's immune system super effective despite the environment or just tune up regularly.

The question is whether or not they've thought to do that for the general population.

 

[dasstan]

The question is whether or not they've thought to do that for the general population.

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Accord. He takes care of things like that off screen.

edit: I wonder about TanaNari liking my posts, sometimes. Is it because they're insightful? Because I'm on the right track or generating bullshit answers he can build upon, or because I'm so horribly wrong that it's funny.

 

[TanaNari]

Amelia, Ch 390


I woke up with my face buried in Taylor's hair. Based upon the evidence I could observe, I had started chewing on it some time during the night. It's kinda disturbing how often that happens. Taylor shifted, slowly coming to alertness while I was busy pulling her hair out of my mouth.


No, not night at all. God damn it this is going to be hell on our sleep patterns. I glanced over at the clock. Hmm, only a quarter after two. Okay, if we get up now we'll be okay tonight. "How are you feeling, sleepy head?"


ExasperatedAmused. She rolled over and looked at me. "I feel like if I hear any more head jokes, I'm going to show other people what decapitation feels like."


I tried to pout, and no doubt failed miserably. "Okay, fine, no head jokes. Anyway, I think we should probably get some stuff done now that we've had a little bit of sleep. It's going to be a busy month."


HappyConfusedProud. She smiled. "Look at you, taking charge. It's... really nice, actually. You'll have to handle the politics for now, while I start coordinating with Dragon to handle the search and sort from Khyber. That's going to take just about everything I've got."


I scowled and narrowed my eyes. "You just don't want to do the politics, do you?"


She actually knew how to pout, and I suppressed an urge to kiss her for it. That was the end of that look. SurprisePleasedGuiltConcern. "Oh, wow, that wasn't quite the reaction I was going for." I found the blush creeping its way up her cheeks adorable.


"To throw your own words back at you, I don't mind." I backed out of bed.


ConcernDetermination. "Wait!" Taylor hesitated for a second. "Umm, that was a little louder than I meant it to be. I've been meaning to talk to you about something. It's getting close to time for me to be able to get another brain mod done." FearDeterminationShy. "I was thinking I could maybe try making myself attracted t-" DisappointmentRejectionHumiliation.


She froze, and looked like she was about to cry.


"Oh god Taylor I'm sorry." I moved back on the bed and hugged her. "I love you, please don't be upset." I wasn't sure what to do, we so rarely needed to comfort each other beyond what the link provided. A single thought of support was enough to get us through almost anything. Everything beyond that was mere window dressing.


ComfortLove. She hugged me back. "I... I guess that means no, then?"


"It doesn't mean no. It means not like that. Never like that." I took a deep breath and tried to calm my emotions. I needed to explain this in a way that she could understand. I needed her to accept that this wasn't an option. "You know I love you, right?"


CertaintyLoveSolidarity. "Of course, that's why I thought I could just make that little adjustment. It's not such a big deal, less than one percent of the process it takes to implant a new language or expert level skill in anything. And it's something I want to do."


I shuddered, repressing the memory I got from the last time. How similar the alterations were to what I did to Victoria. Or what my predecessor did to Victoria, if I accepted Taylor's viewpoint when it comes to the difference between us as clones and the originals whose memories and powers we carried. It was a seductive mentality to have, being able to say I wasn't responsible for what happened to Vicky. "You don't know what it looks like to me, Taylor. What I see when I touch you."


ConfusionRealization. "You mean you can see the memory implants?"


Not exactly, but close enough. "Think of it like a tattoo. A tattoo of memories and knowledge. Like a cheat sheet for a test, written into your skin. Which is fine, I have no problem with tattoos even if I can't see myself ever getting one. And, yeah, understand that I'll probably get uploads once I'm able to as well. And it's really existentially horrifying to think that every one of both of our memories are built entirely out of the same process of imprinting. But it fits as close as anything's gonna."


ConcernDisturbed. "Okay, I'm with you so far. Body mods and all that, guess I've had a couple." She smiled and gestured at her breasts. I had to admit, they looked nice.


"Well, okay, let's say one day, for whatever reason, how would you feel if I tattooed your name on my face?"


AbsurdityDiscomfortDisgust. "Okay, that does sound a little messed up. Is that really what it would look like to you?"


I shook my head. "Oh how I wish. I might even be able to ignore that. Long enough to, umm, enjoy myself." EmbarrassedWistfulSadness. "My power doesn't come with an off switch. When I touch someone, I have no choice but to understand their inner workings. It's why I wear gloves."


AmusedSmug. Taylor's smile was always one of my highlights of the day, even when she was enjoying mean spirited humor. "That and physical contact with you automatically invokes a Master/Stranger protocol only slightly less restrictive than the Simurgh victims. Frankly I'm surprised they don't mandate that all communication with you be done by holograms."


I smiled back. That was definitely a thing. "Yeah. So imagine the tattoo analogy. Only it's not just on the face. It's everywhere. Every time we'd hold hands and you'd think about kissing me, I'd know it was because of that modification. I would see what it was doing the whole time. If we kissed, and you enjoyed it, I'd know that was just thanks to the damn mental program. To make the analogy more accurate, the tattoos would be flashing neon colors and they'd be everywhere on your body, and I do mean everywhere. Only it's worse because they're on your mind instead of your body. Sure, there might be sick fucks out there like Heartbreaker that get off on that kind of fucked up ego trip, but I'm not one of them. I don't want to be one of them."


ResignationAcceptanceLove. She idly stroked the side of my face, looking into my eyes. "Okay, you've made your point. No artificial attraction, it either happens naturally or it doesn't happen at all."


I relaxed and nuzzled into her hand. "Thank you. I understand your feelings. I want it, too. I just want to find a better way. I'd rather have our Tinkers convert me into a male than that."


RealizationDisgustConfusion. Her gentle smile faded. I just looked at her, wondering why that reaction. She'll tell me if she's comfortable.


"Huh, maybe I get why you don't want me to alter my sexuality. It's not so much the part where you'd be changing genders that squicks me out. I mean, I talk to Eric all the time and it doesn't even matter. Now that he's stopped trying to lay on the machismo so much, well, he's a nice guy. And if any asshole tries to give him trouble for choosing to change sexes, I would cover them in fire ants and politely explain the error of their ways. But the idea of you making those kinds of changes is just horrifying. Even if it's not something that would bother you. Would it bother you?"


I looked into her eyes. They were perhaps my favorite part of her features. "I'm not sure. I don't think it'd bother me on a body image disorder level, but I'd rather stay female if it's all the same. Maybe if we had an easy way to try it out and switch back. Like a legitimate parahuman body swap power or something. But I don't think those actually exist. If we did find one, would... would you want to try it?"


HesitationDistaste. "Umm... I don't think so. It just doesn't feel like it'd be right. Like it wouldn't mean as much or something."


"Yeah, it does sound kinda creepy." I kissed her wrist, but never took my eyes off hers. My own hands had found their way into her lap.


Taylor smirked. "Also, then we'd have to convince some guy to volunteer to do it..."


"I bet Zach would volunteer."


"I know, but it's still so very sketchy and weird and not sexy."


I couldn't disagree with her. All the sketch. "And I'm sure you agree we're ruling an 'open relationship' out forever." AgreementDisgustJealousy. "I suppose we could always ask our small army of god tier biotinkers if they could build a controllable body puppet that I can feel physical sensation from. I mean, the Clarice model can let its user experience taste. This can't be too much harder."


ContemplationRejection. "Best option on the list, but still leaves a lot to be desired. Guess we're back to it natural or never. Thank you for being so understanding. I love you."


"Hey, it's not like you're not making your share of compromises to make this relationship work. I'd say we're even."


AmusedImpish. Her smile matched her mood. "Actually, I was talking about the part where you have to go talk politics now."


I glared at her, mustering as much anger as I could, which was far less than I would have liked. "Okay, I take all of that back. You're an unbelievably selfish bitch and I regret ever meeting you."


"I know, I deserve it. I was talking to Dragon and we have a strategy worked out. She was going to have one of those conversations where she politely told them to fuck off while they made stupid demands, and they could wait to talk to us when we felt like it. But if you want, we can let the barricade device fail temporarily so they can peak in." She held her hands up and made the air quotes. "They won't be happy with what they see."


"Wait, you were talking to Dragon during our heart to heart there?" I didn't mind, really. I had my connection to the Yggdrasil, she had hers to her bugs. "So how completely are they fucked?"


SheepishAmused. "Sorry, it's just natural for me. I've got basically all of my zerg, we have six barricade devices charged. Fifty of Dragon's best armored suits. We know they have a damn good precog, but what's left of the Yangban are not a match for even a tenth of the forces we have waiting for them. Oh, right, and all our parahuman captives are on Mashu along with all the dead. If there are any Yangban left on Khyber, they ditched their uniforms and with them their shunt capability. So the CUI will have no idea who even survived."


"So, they already know they're only getting what we want to give them? And isn't it, like, the middle of the night in China right now?"


"We told Dragon to fuck with them. She's really good at her job. Does this mean you forgive me and take me back?" She gave the most adorable pout.


"I can't even remember why I was ever upset with you. You're easily the best thing that's ever happened to me."


GratitudeLoveSupport. "So, what is your strategy for this chat?"


"I'm thinking of covering them with fire ants and politely explaining the error of their ways." I paused to let Taylor laugh, but that didn't last long. I was starting to consider the possible weight of this encounter. "In all seriousness. After what they did to Victoria, they get nothing from us. I'm going to tell them that all the slave labor is ultimately the responsibility of Pakistan, but we're sure they'd be happy to send them back for the slaves that were captured and sent to China. And of course the captive terrorists and all their resources now belong to Avalon and if the Chinese don't like it, they can get fucked."


ImpressedApprovalAgreement.


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A/N- Having her name tattooed on someone's brain is not Amelia's fetish.

 

[TanaNari]

Not even a camel fat roast?

Bloody dwarves.

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Just be glad it wasn't a camel fat battle axe.

edit: I wonder about TanaNari liking my posts, sometimes. Is it because they're insightful? Because I'm on the right track or generating bullshit answers he can build upon, or because I'm so horribly wrong that it's funny.

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Likely every one of the above at one time or another, depending on which post I liked.

... But the actual answer on the immune system thing? The antimaster drug treatment is a fucking awesome delivery system for inoculation vs all possible things.

 

[MadGreenSon]

I always thought it might be...odd for Amy to have a physical relationship with someone because of the touch bio-reading thing. Luckily she's not squicked by biology.
Thus it could become a serious upside as she would always know what was making her partner squirm the best by monitoring pleasure signals.


Assuming she doesn't just cheat and activate those signals herself.

... But the actual answer on the immune system thing? The antimaster drug treatment is a fucking awesome delivery system for inoculation vs all possible things.

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Good point. With the lack of naturally occurring bacteria and virii to strengthen immune systems, would they need to do a periodic release or do they have a super-vaccine that just get's the immune system pumped up and keeps it that way?

 

[GiftofLove]

A/N- Having her name tattooed on someone's brain is not Amelia's fetish.

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So just make her an actual Lesbian? Instead of this One True Love creepy stuff.

 

[dasstan]

Amelia, Ch 390
-ALL THE RELATIONSHIP TALK-

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Something tells me that this won't stop people in the thread from pushing for a physical relationship.

Dragon, Vicky's torture

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See how useful Dragon is? Free her. Get more uses. I appreciate that they're essentially forcing China to admit to stealing the world, or to act like it really was a terrorist attack. Either way, China gets the short end of the stick.

So just make her an actual Lesbian? Instead of this One True Love creepy stuff.

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It would still be based on an imprint, which would still be a thing Amy would be able to tell at a touch.

 

[GiftofLove]

It would still be based on an imprint, which would still be a thing Amy would be able to tell on touch.

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She doesn't seem to have a problem with the brain mods. I understand how making yourself Amelia-sexual might be really weird. But just being interested in girls?

 

[dasstan]

She doesn't seem to have a problem with the brainmods. I understand how making yourself Amelia-sexual might be really weird. But being just interested in girls?

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I don't think any of the brainmods go and alter personality, though. They're just knowledge and the skills to use that knowledge. Taylor with LesbiMod would still result in an artificial attraction that she would be confronted with at every bit of skin-to-skin contact.

And could you imagine if she did get the LesbiMod only to find that Amelia isn't her type? Golly.

 

[TanaNari]

More like the difference between Amelia switching sexes as compared to Arianna/Eric doing so.

It's about motivation. And when that motivation is solely to make someone else happy... it drifts over into creepy territory.

Well, depending on what's being done and who's doing the motivating. Plenty of wiggle room, sure.

 

[Coruscant Knave]

Obviously the solution is to merge into a single entity. Amelia has already gotten a headstart on this:

I woke up with my face buried in Taylor's hair. Based upon the evidence I could observe, I had started chewing on it some time during the night.

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[GiftofLove]

So it's just Amelia's issues that keep her from ignoring such modifications?

Ignore this, my minor reading impairment decided to kick in and completely skip the paragraph where Amelia explained it. Herp derp.

 

[evildice]

It's about motivation. And when that motivation is solely to make someone else happy... it drifts over into creepy territory.

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"I got my hair cut."
"That's nice, dear."

"I got my hair cut... for you."
"GET OUT YOU FUCKING CREEP."

Well, depending on what's being done and who's doing the motivating. Plenty of wiggle room, sure.

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They're already engaging in a far more intimate brain-alteration due to the empathic connection.

The physical layer hacks to gain sexual satisfaction are honestly pretty trivial compared to that deep, hard, and constant mind-fucking they've both voluntarily embraced.

 

[rick1497]

I don't think any of the brainmods go and alter personality, though..

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"Hello, Cranial. I have to say, we are very impressed with your brain copying and skill downloading technology. We would like to pay you a small fortune to work with several other biotinkers using better tools than you have ever even seen before to make something for us. Because we don't want to say what, specifically, we want, we have a list of nine different projects that we would like you to work on."

 

[Snake/Eater]

It's kinda ironic how that Emma and Taylor Finally got what they deserved but they have to settle for keeping the glass half full.

 

[The Shadowmind]

Now we need a way for Amelia to get over the issues over the brain mod. The same issues that caused Butcher!Taylor in the first place, and doesn't seem to have changed much during the last year in story.

 

[dasstan]

"Hello, Cranial. I have to say, we are very impressed with your brain copying and skill downloading technology. We would like to pay you a small fortune to work with several other biotinkers using better tools than you have ever even seen before to make something for us. Because we don't want to say what, specifically, we want, we have a list of nine different projects that we would like you to work on."

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...Kaaay. Maybe I'm having a dense moment, but I'm not seeing how that relates to what you quoted.

 

[GiftofLove]

...Kaaay. Maybe I'm having a dense moment, but I'm not seeing how that relates to what you quoted.

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If the tech isn't good enough, make better tech.

 

[The Shadowmind]

Maybe have Clarice cause Taylor to have an artifact puberty while the link is activated, to try and duplicate the same type of effect that Glory Hole accidentally did to Amy, but on purpose and in a monitored situation? It would still take months to years that way, but might not trigger Amelia's issues.

 

[rick1497]

...Kaaay. Maybe I'm having a dense moment, but I'm not seeing how that relates to what you quoted.

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If their current tech can't make changes as broad as someone's entire sexual identity, than get the tinker who invented it to improve it so that it can.

 

[Eevin]

... But the actual answer on the immune system thing? The antimaster drug treatment is a fucking awesome delivery system for inoculation vs all possible things.

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A big part of the immune system is maintaining homeostasis and avoiding a slow death trough horrible autoimmune diseases. Your body needs to be exposed to environmental allergens so that it can learn to tolerate them. When children grow in an environment that is to clean they tend develop allergies when they are older. So, in a few years in a perfectly clean Avalon, children would develop allergies and autoimmune diseases, as they never learned to tolerate the rest of the world. Even worse, they would be hyper-allergic to other Earths.

However, the solution is not that hard: pollen! A pollen optimized to train the immune system to tolerate the harmless environmental substances. Add the inoculation system and you have the perfect balance between tolerance and defense.

There will need to be a little of science, and you can't inoculate at the same time that you train against pathogens, and cofactors, and TLRs, and cycles of inoculation and tolerance, and doses, tolerigenic vs reactive, and don't mix with the DNA antimaster, or you will get lups. But maybe is... I'll stop there, I don't think anyone wants a highly technical omake of the design of the perfect environment to create the perfect immune system.

 

[TanaNari]

It would still take months to years that way, but might not trigger Amelia's issues.

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Does it involve Taylor altering her sexuality to make Amelia happy?

If yes: then it makes Amelia miserable. End of subject.


Also: she'd be better off asking Rapture for tips in this circumstance.

 

[dasstan]

If the tech isn't good enough, make better tech.

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But... the tech works fine?

If their current tech can't make changes as broad as someone's entire sexual identity, than get the tinker who invented it to improve it so that it can.

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Their tech can. What gave you the impression that it can't?

They can modify sexual identity. We've already seen this between Riley editing any of homosexual tendencies out of Vicky, and the mod that caused Butcher!Taylor to go down. The point I was getting is that Amelia has no problem with the skill uploads because the skill uploads do not cause a personality change. When she touches Taylor, the fact that Taylor has gone and given herself the knowledge of X doesn't affect her because Taylor having X isn't the same as Taylor having altered herself to get glowing neon tattoos that go "I made myself a lesbian for you," or "I am Amelia-sexual".

 

[GiftofLove]

Does it involve Taylor altering her sexuality to make Amelia happy?

If yes: then it makes Amelia miserable. End of subject.

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Obviously Amelia should just change herself into a lesbian instea-

Hmm.

Well, I guess they can just, like, NOT worry about it. It's not like they're wearing iron mittens that prevent them from taking that step regardless, if that's what they decide to do. Peeps just want them to be happy.

Personally, I have to say I'm glad they at least talked about it. It only took like, three Taylor clones and a decapitation, but they got there!

 

[The Shadowmind]

Does it involve Taylor altering her sexuality to make Amelia happy?

If yes: then it makes Amelia miserable. End of subject.


Also: she'd be better off asking Rapture for tips in this circumstance.

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At this point, they need a Thinker/Think relationships counselor(s).

The artificial puberty would just increase the odds for Taylor becoming attracted to Amelia, since is is using the same method that Taylor could become attracted to her in the first place.

 

[LuridThrone]

Ya know, i think Riley could pull it off. Super Subtle mods, i bet thats even what the camel fat was about, testing to see how good Amelia's bio sense really is so they can make adjustments to taylor without her noticing.

 

[Ack]

Okay, I have issues with this as a 'reason Taylor can't have her brain altered so that she can give Amy sweet lesbian love.'.

First one is, when Taylor first had this done, Amy didn't have that reaction at all. I can't say for certain (because I can't find that chapter to reference it) but from what I recall, Amy didn't realise it until Taylor started getting intimate. So it wasn't as obvious as she's making out now.

Secondly, Amy did it to Vicky in canon. This very thing. And desperation or not, she would have known that she would never have been able to enjoy it, if what you're saying is true. And in fact, in canon, when she followed Jack Slash's advice and followed her impulses, she did spend intimate time with Vicky, and she did enjoy herself.

In short, this is reading as a 'we can't have these two being happy by means of a simple consensual brain mod, so we're gonna just have to wait till the straight girl decides to go lesbian'.

Which is all well and good, and very romantic, for a given definition of romantic, but is not borne out by canon. In-story canon or out.

In even shorter, you're cock-blocking them for drama. Fucking drama.

For reasons entirely disassociated from wanting to see Taylor and Amelia get that hot action on, I don't like it. I won't stop reading, but I'm withholding my Like.

 

[Coruscant Knave]

First one is, when Taylor first had this done, Amy didn't have that reaction at all. I can't say for certain (because I can't find that chapter to reference it) but from what I recall, Amy didn't realise it until Taylor started getting intimate. So it wasn't as obvious as she's making out now.

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It doesn't 100% jive with my memory of the scene, but it is close enough that I don't think it matters and makes perfect sense. Also, Taylor getting intimate is probably what flicks on the neon sign.

Secondly, Amy did it to Vicky in canon. This very thing. And desperation or not, she would have known that she would never have been able to enjoy it, if what you're saying is true. And in fact, in canon, when she followed Jack Slash's advice and followed her impulses, she did spend intimate time with Vicky, and she did enjoy herself.

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It being the things she did to Vicky is part of the hangup. It reminds her of her weakest moment. Also, I don't recall her getting intimate with Vicky at all in canon; Vicky immediately freaked out and wouldn't let her fix it. I guess it wouldn't be the first major bit of info I've forgotten from canon, though.

Edit:

Oh, and I think the unspoken motivation is "holy shit please don't do the same thing you did before which led you to kill yourself, even if it might go differently this time."

 

[dasstan]

First one is, when Taylor first had this done, Amy didn't have that reaction at all. I can't say for certain (because I can't find that chapter to reference it) but from what I recall, Amy didn't realise it until Taylor started getting intimate. So it wasn't as obvious as she's making out now.

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Shards reward power use. She's been using her power a lot. Thus more acute power senses.

Secondly, Amy did it to Vicky in canon. This very thing. And desperation or not, she would have known that she would never have been able to enjoy it, if what you're saying is true. And in fact, in canon, when she followed Jack Slash's advice and followed her impulses, she did spend intimate time with Vicky, and she did enjoy herself.

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People change. She's gone through a radical set of changes from the canon storyline, and your complaint is that she doesn't act the same?

Also this:

It being the things she did to Vicky is part of the hangup. It reminds her of her weakest moment. Also, I don't recall her getting intimate with Vicky at all in canon; Vicky immediately freaked out and wouldn't let her fix it.

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