Private And On This Day Of Rest...

[Theryn Hearthfire]

Gods, the rumours spoke of, Gods in the Unknown Regions, perched on the very edge of the Galaxy. Oh, Theryn knew all about Gods. His Grandpa Thrand Dawnbringer was the Sun God, after all, he brought the Dawn and with it the safety and warmth of day. In a Galaxy of Force-centric religions and faiths, he was part of a smaller demographic who truly did believe in divine entities, in avatars borne of flesh made to represent Godly figures. How could he not, with such a grand familial legacy stretching before him?​

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As he strode through the early summer fields of Zaathru's heartlands, the Stormborn Prince of Aurum ran his hands over waist-high ears of grain. The full Harvest would not come for some time yet, but that did not stop a great bounty from being supplied to the land on a consistent basis all the same as plump fruits and vegetables grew on various vines. Not here though, the grains were not yet ready.​

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He found his way to a dirt footpath which stretched between the still-green fields, not yet golden with ripeness, and felt the swirling of the Force most intimately pulsing through the earth beneath his bare feet. Adorned in just simple silken trousers, and a shawl of the same fabric and pattern draped over his shoulders, he seemed almost ethereal and lightfooted, as though weighing very little at all as he drifted this way and that rather aimlessly. Indeed, his pure white hair, pale skin, and heterochromic eyes, one blue, one green, set him apart from any native which graced these lands, or the surrounding regions of space. An anomaly. An outsider.​

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From within the ground he pulled fresh sprouts into existence, vines which wound up and around the wooden fence posts which sectioned off the fields. Soon leaves unfurled, and then tiny barely budding flowers all bunched together; they also changed in the blink of an eye, swelling up into great, juicy fruits. Some red, some green, some purple, and some so dark they might well have been black.​

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In one hand he held aloft a fine electrum goblet, and in the other a corked glass bottle. He practically danced among the sprouting grapes, humming merrily on his way.​

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This was how they found him, the prancing group of Zaathri, high on life, drunk on merriment, though there wasn't a drop of drug or alcohol in his system. He grinned at them, strange centaurs that they were, and even when they pressed spears in his direction his almost manic, infectious personality did not dwindle.​

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They led him on a long and arguably arduous journey, from fields to mountain where a large city was safely nestled into the peaks. Arboria, it was named, at least that was what was uttered by the horned guard who halted them at the gates and sought their purpose for entering.​

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"What business have you in Arboria?" they asked, and though the mouthless centaurs did not verbally speak they did loose a series of whistles which seemed to suffice. The gates were opened, and Theryn was pushed inside. Up through the central avenue, toward the Palace at the heart of the City, where he was brought into a large room and forced down to his knees, head made to hang so that he could not see who it was that soon joined them.​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Rhi had been making plans. Once Star was old enough to be without her a while, she intended to travel. A tour of the lands beyond Arboria was in order, both for the sake of learning more about the rest of Zaathru, and maybe expanding her sphere of influence. She also wanted to ensure there would be no more incidents like what had occurred with Kolinahr. No doubt there were other "false gods" out there. If they were hostile, she wanted them dead. And if they were more willing to cooperate, well, that was another story...

Someone was approaching. "What is it?" she asked before the servant had a chance to speak.

"A group of Zaathri have brought someone to the city, Goddess. They say they found him dancing in a field, making the grapes grow wherever he walked."

Rhi frowned. Another would-be deity? Wonderful. Just what they needed. "I take it he didn't tell them why he was here or what he wants?"

"No, Goddess."

Figures. "Send him to the throne room. I will meet with him there and decide what is to be done."

Putting away her datapad, she checked in the nursery—and was surprised to find Marcus lying on the rug, curled up around Star. Both had their eyes closed, but Marcus seemed to be still awake and aware of his surroundings, judging by the one eye he peeked open at her approach. Neither spoke, not wanting to wake the baby, but Rhi smiled and gently closed the door.

Then she was off to the throne room, walking briskly through the halls of the Sky Temple. Her wings flexed unconsciously, reflective of the tension within her. Whoever this clown was prancing about in her fields, she'd see to it that he learned who was the boss around here...

In the throne room, she was greeted by a bizarre sight. The group of Zaathri were a rough set, little more than roving rabble armed with spears. And their captive appeared to be a scrawny human boy, or at least a near-human, with frightfully pale skin and snow white hair.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Most likely she was the first person he had heard speaking Basic since he arrived on this planet. "What are you doing here?"

Theryn Hearthfire​

 

[Theryn Hearthfire]

He was knelt there for a short while, draped in silk and head hung. Perhaps he ought to have been afraid, wary even, but instead all that the Stormborn felt was fascination and curiosity, excitement above all else. ​

​

Her approach was soft, at least in so far as her gait was concerned, a patter of footsteps, a flutter of wings, it was all rather dramatically offset by the tone of her voice. Harsh, demanding, as though she had dealt with enough men like him, as though he was far from the first to be dragged into her domain and forced to wait on bent knees.​

​

Theryn did not look up. His many years as the sovereign of Aurum afforded him a rather unique and privileged position, now that the shoe was on the other foot he more readily understood the respect and reverence once had to show to those who were above them, regardless of what form their leadership took. Whether King, Queen, or, indeed, Goddess...​

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"Most Divine Eminence," he began, voice filled to the brim with noble propriety and respect, "They call you the Sky Goddess, do they not? Amazing, fascinating, simply marvelous!" He settled down at her feet the electrum chalice and the bottle of wine, then brought one of those now freed hands up to touch his chest. ​

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"I am Theryn, of the Royal House of Hearthfire; I too come from Divinity, for back home on Midvinter it is my Grandfather who brings the Dawn and casts the world in light. I am here then, I suppose, for you. Following the softly spoken stories of Gods and Goddesses across the stars. Long and far have I traveled, Your Majesty. Pray, please tell me, might I look upon your divine countenance, Adamanthea?"​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"Most Divine Eminence,"

Oh boy.

"They call you the Sky Goddess, do they not? Amazing, fascinating, simply marvelous!"

"Uh... Yes, yes they do." She stared at him with a raised eyebrow as he laid an electrum chalice and a bottle at her feet. Then he went off, pressing his hands to his chest dramatically.

"I am Theryn, of the Royal House of Hearthfire; I too come from Divinity, for back home on Midvinter it is my Grandfather who brings the Dawn and casts the world in light. I am here then, I suppose, for you. Following the softly spoken stories of Gods and Goddesses across the stars. Long and far have I traveled, Your Majesty. Pray, please tell me, might I look upon your divine countenance, Adamanthea?"

Rhi kept up as best she could as he rattled off a series of names, most of them unfamiliar to her. Midvinter did ring a bell, she knew it was a planet. But wasn't it on the opposite end of the galaxy from Zaathru?

"Yeah, yeah, look me in the eye and tell me you really did come here just to see me." Resting her hands on her hips, she looked down at him. "You do realize that all your fancy titles don't mean anything here, right? You're a long way from home, Theryn. And I don't come from Divinity; I am Divinity. What does that make you to me?"

Theryn Hearthfire​

 

[Theryn Hearthfire]

Given leave to glance upon her, Theryn lifted his head and took in all of her divine splendor. She was smaller than he by quite a bit, smaller even than his sister Mysa Snowstrider whom was already deemed tiny on his homeworld, but what she lacked in height she more than made up for in presence. Beautiful blonde hair, eyes which captured the forest perfectly, and an unimpressed expression that seemed only to worsen as she reminded him that she was Divinity, not simply borne of it.​

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Oddly enough, sincerity was in fact caught in his eyes.​

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"I am here to see you, and your divine counterparts, Your Divine Eminence" he reiterated, "And I do not expect my titles to mean much to you, though you are incorrect in that I am not so far from home at all. I am the Crown Prince of Aurum, and that sits just a few systems from here, though it is true that Midvinter is as far from Zaathru as a world can be."​

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What did that make him to her? Once more he hung his head in reverence. "A most willing supplicant, Adamanthea," he claimed, "I bring forth a bounty for you, in your honour. A chalice from mine own treasury, wine made from grapes grown at my touch, and vines spreading from here to your golden fields of grain, all ripened and ready for a fine harvest. My gift to you, and your people."​

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There was a slight murmur of whistles as the Zaathri twitched their ears and communicated amongst themselves in a manner which Theryn did not understand. Talks of another divine among them, though it was clear to see that the boy was not in fact trying to claim as much for himself. Truly the bounty was a gift, not some claim to divinity. He was not looking to steal her spotlight or worship, yet the primitive Zaathri looked to him that way regardless.​

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Bringer of the harvest, of wine and bounty. Even one of the Shaal in the room could not keep from whispering "Lysius."​

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Theryn had no idea what that meant.​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

As Theryn spoke, Rhiannon only became more alarmed. A Crown Prince? He was the leader of an entire planet?! That alone made him a threat in her eyes, all the worse because as an important figure, he couldn't be so easily dispatched. Her mind filled with visions of fleets arriving from hyperspace, crowding Zaathru's skies and destroying all that they had built here. All that she had worked to build here...

Her eyes darted toward the Zaathri and their whistles. Lycius, they were already calling him. The god of wine and hedonism.

That was a bridge too far for Rhi. Facing Theryn, she forced his way into his mind to speak telepathically, just to be sure no one else would hear them.

<Listen up, you moron. You never should've come here, and now I have to clean up the mess you've made ever since you arrived.

<I assume your ship was shot down by the moon guns, and now you're trapped on this world. You're lucky you crashed here and not somewhere else, or the natives would've killed you on sight. I have the means by which you could leave Zaathru, but I will not give them to you, because once you leave, you could tell other people about what you've seen. If you bring other people here, we're all screwed.

<Now, you're going to tell me everything you've heard about Zaathru and from whom. You say you were brought here by rumors, I want to know what those rumors are and who speaks them. If you don't tell me, I will kill you and devour your soul. My people already think you are a god called Lycius, but don't think that will save you. I've killed false gods before.> She glared at him. <Got it?>

Theryn Hearthfire

 

[Theryn Hearthfire]

And there went any mirth, any joy. Reality came cracking down on him all at once, and he felt his gut sinking. So they were not true divines, then? Not like his Grandpa Thrand... They were playing pretend, using the naivety of the natives to their advantage. A shame, truly. And what was worse, she had no intentions of letting him leave again.​

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So he was to be stranded here? No Midvinter, no Aurum, no Mysa or Thurion....​

​

He licked his lower lip, and where once a gleeful lilt had drifted around him now a moodier, manic darkness set in. Theryn did a good job of not making it visible, of trying to seem as jubilant as he had previously been, but inside his mind it was easy to see the switch flicked.​

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And here I thought I'd finally found another world of true believers he lamented with a heavy mental sigh. Instead I find opportunists hiding in Divine skins. A shame...​

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Theryn did not take his eyes off hers, and had to fight to resist the urge to shake his head.​

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I would never have brought anyone here, Adamanthea, for this was supposed to be a divine realm and who am I to bring unwanted attention to Gods? Sincerity rang through him all over again, mixed with a small amount of bitterness he could not shake. I can only hope that in time you will permit me a means to leave, to return to my people, and the family I care so dearly about.​

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For now he was stuck... Stuck, or perhaps soon to meet his end. He let out a sigh, and began to tell her the quietly uttered stories he'd heard whispered on the wind. It wasn't even from men and women, he claimed, it had come to him through the Force, and there was nothing in his mind to suggest otherwise.​

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If they see me as this Lysius, then what does that mean for my entrapment here? Are you going to tear my soul out from within me? Proclaim me a false god even though I never claimed to be such myself? I am not an enemy to you or yours, Adamanthea, I came here with sincere and genuine intentions, and my Forcely gifts could be a boon to you and your people if permitted to flourish.​

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His life had hung in the balance before, but this time it just felt so.. hollow. If he died here, for no good reason, then it would be a most pitiful end would it not?​

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Not that she had any reason to care about that of course.​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

And here I thought I'd finally found another world of true believers. Instead I find opportunists hiding in Divine skins. A shame...

<Oh, stuff it.>

She listened to the rest of his spiel with her arms crossed over her chest. Now he claimed that the Force itself had led him here, rather than rumors or stories passed by word of mouth. That did ease her worries somewhat, though what the hell the Force was up to, she didn't know.

This was not an easy situation to remedy. The same reasons why she saw Theryn as a potential threat also meant that she couldn't just kill him. The heir to the throne of an entire planet couldn't just disappear without people taking notice. Someone would come looking for him...

<I don't want to kill you,> she said finally, after some serious contemplation. <Ending your life would be easy, but it would create more problems than it solved. On the other hand, I have no reason to believe that you won't tell anyone about what you've seen here.> She signaled to her guards. "Put this one in the guest quarters, and see that he is well cared for. Lock his doors and guard him day and night. I will speak to Desdinova and the other gods. We will determine whether he is Lysius, or just another false god."

Theryn Hearthfire​

 

[Theryn Hearthfire]

Adamanthea was about as unimpressed by him as he was by her. The crossed arms, the sharp quips, had he known he'd be causing such trouble he'd never ever have listened to the whispered rumours sent to him on the wind. Alas... He had not known.​

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At least she wasn't going to have him killed. But nor could she let him go. He was about to respond to such when the guards were gestured for and instructed to have him locked away in the guest suite. A cage, however gilded, was still a cage, and he frowned deeply to hear that such would be his fate.​

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"You intend to coop me up inside?" he asked, those creases across his brow deepening. He hadn't even been locked away yet and he was already beginning to feel a small rising panic in his chest at the idea of being locked in just one room. Theryn was a boy born free and wild, he had spent his childhood galivanting through snow laced forests, he did not do indoors well. He could feel the claustrophobia setting in, and took one small step back from the woman and her guards.​

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"Is this truly the only way?"​

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He wasn't going to sway her though, he knew that even as he asked his question. So with a slow intake of breath he calmed himself and stepped forward into the mercy of the guards. Resisting was futile and unbecoming of him, better he comply for now.​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"You intend to coop me up inside?"

"No, I intend to give you free reign of my realm and the entire planet at large while still uncertain of whether you pose a threat," she replied sarcastically. Why was this guy taking this so hard? If she were in his shoes, she'd be grateful she was being allowed to live, let alone being held in a luxurious suite.

"Is this truly the only way?"

"Yup. Be glad it's not a dark and dank dungeon." She shooed him away with a wave of her hand. "Go and wait until the rest of the Pantheon is gathered here. Then we will decide your fate."

Theryn Hearthfire

 

[Theryn Hearthfire]

Answer given, he gently lifted his head, tipped up his chin, and nodded once. "As you wish, Your Holiness" was his only retort, before he was being escorted through the Temple toward the guest suites. He settled his hands down at the small of his back, though he wasn't bound, and said nothing as they came upon the room which was to serve as his prison.​

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The guards said nothing, at least not in Basic, and soon he found himself alone on the other side of the door. There was, at least, a breeze drifting in through an open window. He approached and peered down. He could probably have found a way to break out, leap down into the grass below and flee... But then where would he go? There was no way home without whatever it was Adamanthea had her hands on that could make it so. ​

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So he stepped away from the window and collapsed against the bed, rolling onto his back to stare up at the ceiling.​

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Death, huh? He might have to get used to that idea.​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"I came as fast as I could, my love," Arcturus promised as he crossed the threshold to his Goddess who was flushed pink with frustration, "I am told there's a stranger in the guest suite?" He perked a brow, curious as ever, then wrapped his arms around her.​

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"Are you okay?"​

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She did not seem okay.​

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"Is there anything I can do, beloved?"​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Rhi paced the room, her arms crossed over her chest. She paused when she sensed Arc’s arrival, turning to face him as he entered through the door.

“Oh, you didn’t have to rush,” she mumbled, though she couldn’t hide how much she perked up in his presence. Like a flower being taken from shadow into sunlight. “Yes, you heard correctly…”

Then his arms were around her, and she melted against him. He carried the scent of the desert as well as the forge—a sign that he’d been traveling. “Oh, Arcturus,” she moaned. “I dreamed that we would have this planet all to ourselves, for our family to rule over forever. Then Darien came into the picture, and now another stranger has arrived…”

It wasn’t what she thought it would be, and she was afraid. For them, for their children, for their whole world. She didn’t know what any of this would mean.

“Where will it stop?” she asked. “Will there always be more people coming, taking up the mantle of gods? Trying to rule over Zaathru? Fighting and squabbling with each other? Our children?...”

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"We have to formally take over" he whispered, the only suggestion his mind produced which made sense. "Do a full tour of the world on Beholder, find any settlements, and have them yield to us. Give them a reason to follow, to unite even if only in our name. Be Gods, yes, but Emperor, and Empress, too. Then is any come? Well, all will send them our way, no?"​

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Could it be done? There was still a LOT of this world that none of them had visited, probably a lot more than they had unearthed in fact. But if they wanted stability here, wanted their reign to be steady, then it was likely best to do as all the bigger planets had and claim it all for themselves.​

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Then they could divvy out the lands to whomever they deemed fit to govern them.​

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"It will be okay, my love. I will never allow anyone to harm us. Ever."​

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Already he was formulating plans for the creation of Anhur, to see him brought to life in defense of their home, their family, and those who aligned themselves with the Dyad. However concerned she felt about Darien, he fell into the latter and that put him on Arcturus' protection list.​

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"We have nothing to worry about with Darien, he's just like one of our bonus boys," he said, speaking of Pharus and Zachariah, "Another wayward, orphaned soul. He needs this place to succeed just as much as we do, it is all he has. If you do not trust him, then please trust me."​

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He kissed her head as she melted into him, held her for a little while longer, then gently pulled back up to his full height.​

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"I'm going to go and speak with this stranger. Is this okay?" This was her realm, after all, he would not step on her toes, husband or not.​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

A full tour of the entire planet? That was a daunting task for two people, even ones with the sort of powers they possessed. But they had all their lives to complete it—provided they were able to avoid catastrophe here and now.

“I do trust you,” she murmured, calming under the influence of his tender caresses. “It’s the lack of control I hate. The wild cards throwing everything off.”

Doubtless there would be more gods out there, ruling over settlements. Some would be harmless, like Darien. Others would have to be put down. She dreaded these dangerous encounters, and yet there was an excitement to them too. A hunger for power, a yearning for control…

“Emperor Arcturus of Zaathru,” she said, cupping his face. “You’d look good in a crown.”

"I'm going to go and speak with this stranger. Is this okay?"

Her hands dropped. “Sure. You’re better at getting people to open up than I am. See if he’s telling the truth about why he came here.”

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"This is an organic planet, Rhi"" he reminded her, as gently as he could. "We cannot possibly control each and every action which takes place here, especially not things which existed ahead of us. That is why we need to take stock, that is why I'd like to endeavour to scour the planet. Map it out, unearth civilizations, make it to where nothing is an unknown, nothing is a real threat."​

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There would always be threats of course, but Rhi knew that, she didn't need it said to worsen her growing paranoia. He kissed her deeply, and then when she made her comment back about Emperors and the like he chuckled.​

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"Me, a crown?" Could he picture it? "Once my Seat is created, perhaps... You would look stunning in one yourself, my Empress." Her hands on his face gave him life, and he leaned into the left quite happily. Then her hands were gone, and he was left feeling somewhat hollow, cold without her.​

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"Then I shall head out, ensure he has what he needs and see if I can't get through to him. I love you, my sweetheart, do not fret, we will find a way to resolve this, okay?"​

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Then he was gone, leaving the room in search of Theryn's gilded prison cell.​

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Ishani Dinn ​