update from sparkleup
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<p>I’ll admit, I’m very keen on one aspect of the cover in particular. The story follows the slow breakdown of the Ode clade, focusing on True Name as an example. While she has been continuing to strive behind the scenes to accomplish her goals of continuity and growth of the System, she’s also started to get incredibly overworked. Her coworker Jonas has been overloading her with more and more tasks, feeding her less and less information, and, shortly after Launch, dumped a piece of information on her that he’s now using as leverage to control nearly every aspect of her life. As a result, she’s starting to crumble in terms of mental health and her stability, but the clade as a whole seems to be having more problems. End Waking wants to leave, Hammered Silver (the super nice, motherly member) disowns True Name’s entire clade — including May — and the entire Bălan clade, etc etc, which leads to the aspect I’m keen on, which is to have the letters of the title start to pixelate (voxelate?) the characters (preferably just the Odists) as well as the environment. I feel it adds to the increasing tension throughout the series that now it’s not just the foundations of the world, but of the characters, too.</p>
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<p>I’ll admit, I’m very keen on one aspect of the cover in particular. The story follows the slow breakdown of the Ode clade, focusing on True Name as an example. While she has been continuing to strive behind the scenes to accomplish her goals of continuity and growth of the System, she’s also started to get incredibly overworked. Her coworker Jonas has been overloading her with more and more tasks, feeding her less and less information, and, shortly after Launch, dumped a piece of information on her that he’s now using as leverage to control nearly every aspect of her life. As a result, she’s starting to crumble in terms of mental health and her stability, but the clade as a whole seems to be having more problems. End Waking wants to leave, Hammered Silver (the super nice, motherly member) disowns True Name’s entire clade — including May — and the entire Bălan clade, etc etc, which leads to the aspect I’m keen on, which is to have the letters of the title start to pixelate (voxelate?) the characters (preferably just the Odists) as well as the environment. I feel it adds to the increasing tension throughout the series that now it’s not just the foundations of the world, but of the characters, too.</p>
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<p><strong>That said</strong> I’m not a visual designer at <em>all</em> haha, so I absolutely defer to you on this. If you have specific ideas on how to execute this, cool! And if it just isn’t going to work, here are a few other scenes that might:</p>
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<p><strong>That said</strong> I’m not a visual designer at <em>all</em> haha, so I absolutely defer to you on this. If you have specific ideas on how to execute this, cool! And if it just isn’t going to work, here are a few other scenes that might:</p>
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<ul>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#1">#1</a> — Jonas seems to have gotten all that he wanted out of True Name, so the inciting incident of the story is him attempting to assassinate her. Her final instance is rescued by Ioan who brings her to the lake that has featured in other stories and on the back cover of <em>Nevi’im</em> to get away from the assassin. Realizing just how totally fucked she is, she’s overcome by emotion and wades out into the water until it’s nearly up to her hips and screams in frustration. This is my first choice, as I feel that it continues on from the overwhelming emotion on the cover of <em>Nevi’im</em> and also allows for further messing with the shape of the letters. Still, few more ideas below!</li>
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<li><a href="#1" name="r1">#1</a> — Jonas seems to have gotten all that he wanted out of True Name, so the inciting incident of the story is him attempting to assassinate her. Her final instance is rescued by Ioan who brings her to the lake that has featured in other stories and on the back cover of <em>Nevi’im</em> to get away from the assassin. Realizing just how totally fucked she is, she’s overcome by emotion and wades out into the water until it’s nearly up to her hips and screams in frustration. This is my first choice, as I feel that it continues on from the overwhelming emotion on the cover of <em>Nevi’im</em> and also allows for further messing with the shape of the letters. Still, few more ideas below!</li>
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<li><a href="#2">#2</a> — True Name agrees to let May merge down with her for the first time in 245 years. They kneel together on a bed, facing each other while True Name struggles to accept that many memories, May trying to be comforting as she can, while Ioan watches from the side. This is my second choice, as the rest of the book is more focused on emotions and how they tie in with memories, which is way more sedate than assassination attempts (plus, double the Odists that could be cut into by the letters). This would also work for a back cover, I figure.</li>
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<li><a href="#2" name="r2">#2</a> — True Name agrees to let May merge down with her for the first time in 245 years. They kneel together on a bed, facing each other while True Name struggles to accept that many memories, May trying to be comforting as she can, while Ioan watches from the side. This is my second choice, as the rest of the book is more focused on emotions and how they tie in with memories, which is way more sedate than assassination attempts (plus, double the Odists that could be cut into by the letters). This would also work for a back cover, I figure.</li>
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<li><a href="#3">#3</a> — True Name has been spending in the woods around the lake with her newfound desire for solitude, getting away from May and Ioan. What none of them realize, however, is that the sim isn’t as private as expected, and one of Jonas’s cronies (and True Name’s ex), Zacharias, comes to visit and taunt her. True Name panics and messages May and Ioan, who arrive to confront Zacharias. May tries to taunt him in turn and he gets frustrated enough that he slaps her across the face. There’s quite a bit to the scene, some of which may make for cover material.</li>
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<li><a href="#3" name="r3">#3</a> — True Name has been spending in the woods around the lake with her newfound desire for solitude, getting away from May and Ioan. What none of them realize, however, is that the sim isn’t as private as expected, and one of Jonas’s cronies (and True Name’s ex), Zacharias, comes to visit and taunt her. True Name panics and messages May and Ioan, who arrive to confront Zacharias. May tries to taunt him in turn and he gets frustrated enough that he slaps her across the face. There’s quite a bit to the scene, some of which may make for cover material.</li>
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</ul>
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</ul>
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<h2 id="back">Back</h2>
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<h2 id="back">Back</h2>
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<p>I still like the idea of having an open door somewhere in the image. Nice to have, but not required.</p>
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<p>I still like the idea of having an open door somewhere in the image. Nice to have, but not required.</p>
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<ul>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#4">#4</a> — Ioan talks with Jonas twice — once on the balcony of eir home with Jonas sitting on a deck chair and Ioan standing nearby (it’s winter, so probably snowy out), once in a pub. Both times, Jonas is insufferably smug and Ioan is frustrated/upset.</li>
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<li><a href="#4" name="r4">#4</a> — Ioan talks with Jonas twice — once on the balcony of eir home with Jonas sitting on a deck chair and Ioan standing nearby (it’s winter, so probably snowy out), once in a pub. Both times, Jonas is insufferably smug and Ioan is frustrated/upset.</li>
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<li><a href="#5">#5</a> — After the merge, True Name has picked up May’s affectionate streak and gets all cozy on Ioan a couple of times (a few times as Sasha; see <a href="#characters.html">the characters section</a>. The mood is kind of cuddly but also super awkward because neither of them know what to do about it at all given their history with her as True Name, but also May’s memories of her and Ioan together.</li>
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<li><a href="#5" name="r5">#5</a> — After the merge, True Name has picked up May’s affectionate streak and gets all cozy on Ioan a couple of times (a few times as Sasha; see <a href="#characters.html">the characters section</a>. The mood is kind of cuddly but also super awkward because neither of them know what to do about it at all given their history with her as True Name, but also May’s memories of her and Ioan together.</li>
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<li><a href="#6">#6</a> — May gives a monologue at one point, looking drunken and melancholic in a bar-setting on a stage</li>
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<li><a href="#6" name="r6">#6</a> — May gives a monologue at one point, looking drunken and melancholic in a bar-setting on a stage</li>
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</ul>
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<h2 id="characters">Characters</h2>
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<h2 id="characters">Characters</h2>
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<dd>Shaped rather like True Name, but a spotted skunk, so a shorter almost weasel-like muzzle, shorter tail, white splotch on the forehead but not white headfur, white splotches at the eyes that lead to stripes down the back of the neck heading beneath clothing Usually seen in a linen tunic and pair of Thai fisherman pants. - <a href="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fieldmuseum.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fckearney%2F2017%2F05%2F03%2Fspotted_skunk_header.jpg&f=1&nofb=1">species ref</a> - <a href="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimg1.etsystatic.com%2F137%2F0%2F7282980%2Fil_570xN.1036147753_hb6f.jpg&f=1&nofb=1">pants ref</a> - <a href="http://santafedrygoods.com/images_products/pl/15583_65024_pl.jpg">shirt ref</a></dd>
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<dd>Shaped rather like True Name, but a spotted skunk, so a shorter almost weasel-like muzzle, shorter tail, white splotch on the forehead but not white headfur, white splotches at the eyes that lead to stripes down the back of the neck heading beneath clothing Usually seen in a linen tunic and pair of Thai fisherman pants. - <a href="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fieldmuseum.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fckearney%2F2017%2F05%2F03%2Fspotted_skunk_header.jpg&f=1&nofb=1">species ref</a> - <a href="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimg1.etsystatic.com%2F137%2F0%2F7282980%2Fil_570xN.1036147753_hb6f.jpg&f=1&nofb=1">pants ref</a> - <a href="http://santafedrygoods.com/images_products/pl/15583_65024_pl.jpg">shirt ref</a></dd>
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<h2 id="samples-referenced">Samples referenced</h2>
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<h2 id="samples-referenced">Samples referenced</h2>
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<h3 id="1"><a name="1">#1</a></h3>
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<h3 id="1"><a name="1" href="r1">#1</a></h3>
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<p>Eventually, True Name’s shoulders sagged and she stumbled down from the trees, Ioan and May both watching her, wide-eyed. She kept walking past the trail, down onto muddy beech, then out into the water. The short waves lapped up against her legs, soaking her slacks, and still she kept walking until it had made its way nearly up to her waist.</p>
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<p>Eventually, True Name’s shoulders sagged and she stumbled down from the trees, Ioan and May both watching her, wide-eyed. She kept walking past the trail, down onto muddy beech, then out into the water. The short waves lapped up against her legs, soaking her slacks, and still she kept walking until it had made its way nearly up to her waist.</p>
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<p>And then she screamed.</p>
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<p>And then she screamed.</p>
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<p>It wasn’t a shout, no words were behind it. It was a scream of pure, unrestrained emotion, though whether anger, fear, frustration, or something else, ey could not guess.</p>
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<p>It wasn’t a shout, no words were behind it. It was a scream of pure, unrestrained emotion, though whether anger, fear, frustration, or something else, ey could not guess.</p>
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<p>May’s fury, which until that point had been burning hot in her expression, was replaced by something more complicated. Anger, yes, but anxiety and fear as well. “True Name,” she said, voice more under control than it had been. “What happened?”</p>
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<p>May’s fury, which until that point had been burning hot in her expression, was replaced by something more complicated. Anger, yes, but anxiety and fear as well. “True Name,” she said, voice more under control than it had been. “What happened?”</p>
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<p>“Someone is trying to take me out,” she said between heaving breaths. “Trying to get rid of me.”</p>
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<p>“Someone is trying to take me out,” she said between heaving breaths. “Trying to get rid of me.”</p>
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<p><a href="008.html">Source</a></p>
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<p><a href="008.html">Source</a></p>
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<h3 id="2"><a name="2">#2</a></h3>
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<h3 id="2"><a name="2" href="r2">#2</a></h3>
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<p>Ey sighed and nodded, squeezing her paw before tugging eir hand free. “Right, right. I’ll relax and leave you to the rest of it.”</p>
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<p>Ey sighed and nodded, squeezing her paw before tugging eir hand free. “Right, right. I’ll relax and leave you to the rest of it.”</p>
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<p>“Please stay, Ioan,” True Name said quietly.</p>
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<p>“Please stay, Ioan,” True Name said quietly.</p>
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<p>“Stay?”</p>
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<p>“Stay?”</p>
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<p>Ey stood and watched. Then ey sat on the beanbag and watched. Watched and waited, though ey knew not what for.</p>
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<p>Ey stood and watched. Then ey sat on the beanbag and watched. Watched and waited, though ey knew not what for.</p>
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<p>It was more than an hour later before May forked beside em, took eir hand, and led em from the room. Neither of the skunks on the bed had moved or made a sound other than May asking True Name if she was okay in a quiet murmur at one point and the other skunk shaking her head.</p>
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<p>It was more than an hour later before May forked beside em, took eir hand, and led em from the room. Neither of the skunks on the bed had moved or made a sound other than May asking True Name if she was okay in a quiet murmur at one point and the other skunk shaking her head.</p>
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<p><a href="029.html">Source</a></p>
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<p><a href="029.html">Source</a></p>
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<h3 id="3"><a name="3">#3</a></h3>
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<h3 id="3"><a name="3" href="r3">#3</a></h3>
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<p>“But yes,” the skunk continued once she’d cleaned her plate. “There was some aspect of vengeance to my and End Waking’s plan, but now I just want her away from Jonas. I do not know yet whether or not I like her or want her to stay in our lives in any way, shape, or form, but I do know that I want her away from him. I want her to live and to–“</p>
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<p>“But yes,” the skunk continued once she’d cleaned her plate. “There was some aspect of vengeance to my and End Waking’s plan, but now I just want her away from Jonas. I do not know yet whether or not I like her or want her to stay in our lives in any way, shape, or form, but I do know that I want her away from him. I want her to live and to–“</p>
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<p>Both Ioan and May jolted in their seats as a flash of adrenaline ran through them. A view of a forest, a lake shore, pile of wood not yet lit, and, sitting on a log across from that another furry. His facial structure was very similar to Dear’s but where the fennec had wound up with that pristine white fur, he had ruddy orange except for the white on the underside of his chin and a dark apostrophe of fur on either side of his snout. Where Dear had wound up with almost absurdly large ears, his felt far more in proportion, along the lines of May’s and True Names, though far pointier.</p>
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<p>Both Ioan and May jolted in their seats as a flash of adrenaline ran through them. A view of a forest, a lake shore, pile of wood not yet lit, and, sitting on a log across from that another furry. His facial structure was very similar to Dear’s but where the fennec had wound up with that pristine white fur, he had ruddy orange except for the white on the underside of his chin and a dark apostrophe of fur on either side of his snout. Where Dear had wound up with almost absurdly large ears, his felt far more in proportion, along the lines of May’s and True Names, though far pointier.</p>
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<p>One thing Dear and this new fox did share in common was the snappy dress. Where Dear had wound up in a comfortable androgyny, though, the red fox had turned it into a prim masculinity that was, ey had to admit, quite effective. Black trousers, a white shirt and charcoal waistcoat, and a suit jacket. It was topped off with a simple tie and affected cane, currently being twirled lazily between black-furred paws.</p>
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<p>One thing Dear and this new fox did share in common was the snappy dress. Where Dear had wound up in a comfortable androgyny, though, the red fox had turned it into a prim masculinity that was, ey had to admit, quite effective. Black trousers, a white shirt and charcoal waistcoat, and a suit jacket. It was topped off with a simple tie and affected cane, currently being twirled lazily between black-furred paws.</p>
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<p>“But my dear! I am here specifically to drive the point home! You are in so far over your head that even ‘little loverfox’ is a part of your fate.” He laughed gleefully. “Oh, it sounds so evil, does it not? Cartoonishly so! There is no way that I can even begin to talk about this without sounding like a mustache-twirling villain. You have done so well, True Name. It is simply time to step aside. We will see you soon, yes?”</p>
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<p>“But my dear! I am here specifically to drive the point home! You are in so far over your head that even ‘little loverfox’ is a part of your fate.” He laughed gleefully. “Oh, it sounds so evil, does it not? Cartoonishly so! There is no way that I can even begin to talk about this without sounding like a mustache-twirling villain. You have done so well, True Name. It is simply time to step aside. We will see you soon, yes?”</p>
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<p>True Name nodded. “Yes. Now, fuck off.”</p>
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<p>True Name nodded. “Yes. Now, fuck off.”</p>
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<p><a href="026.html">Source</a></p>
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<p><a href="026.html">Source</a></p>
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<h3 id="4"><a name="4">#4</a></h3>
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<h3 id="4"><a name="4" href="r4">#4</a></h3>
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<h4 id="first-time-meeting-jonas">First time meeting Jonas</h4>
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<h4 id="first-time-meeting-jonas">First time meeting Jonas</h4>
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<p>It wasn’t until ey made eir way out onto the balcony to check the back yard that ey found anyone.</p>
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<p>It wasn’t until ey made eir way out onto the balcony to check the back yard that ey found anyone.</p>
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<p>A tall, blond man sat in one of eir Adirondack chairs, cheek rested on eir fist as he stared dozily out into the yard. It had been nearly twenty-five years since ey’d interviewed Jonas, and ey hadn’t seen him at all in the interim, but nothing seemed to have changed about him. He was still, as both May and True name had described him, perilously handsome, still polished to a gleam, every aspect of him still oozing confidence.</p>
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<p>A tall, blond man sat in one of eir Adirondack chairs, cheek rested on eir fist as he stared dozily out into the yard. It had been nearly twenty-five years since ey’d interviewed Jonas, and ey hadn’t seen him at all in the interim, but nothing seemed to have changed about him. He was still, as both May and True name had described him, perilously handsome, still polished to a gleam, every aspect of him still oozing confidence.</p>
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<p><em>Another show of power, most likely,</em> ey thought. <em>Why else bring him with?</em></p>
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<p><em>Another show of power, most likely,</em> ey thought. <em>Why else bring him with?</em></p>
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<p>“So,” ey said aloud. “As I said in the message, We’d like to meet in two days’ time. Systime 251+139, 11:00.”</p>
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<p>“So,” ey said aloud. “As I said in the message, We’d like to meet in two days’ time. Systime 251+139, 11:00.”</p>
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<p><a href="034.html">Source</a></p>
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<p><a href="034.html">Source</a></p>
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<h3 id="5"><a name="5">#5</a></h3>
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<h3 id="5"><a name="5" href="r5">#5</a></h3>
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<p>Some instances of True Name/Sasha getting cuddly and it being both cute and awkward</p>
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<p>Some instances of True Name/Sasha getting cuddly and it being both cute and awkward</p>
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<h4 id="true-name-gets-cuddly-1">True Name gets cuddly #1</h4>
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<h4 id="true-name-gets-cuddly-1">True Name gets cuddly #1</h4>
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<p>Waking brought confusion. Something about the inversion from their normal bed, of having fallen asleep on eir the other side than ey usually did, induced a subtle sense of vertigo at first. The pajamas were also bunched up around em strangely, adding in a subtle sense of constriction. As sleep slowly seeped away, though, the feeling lessened and ey was able to relax in the warmth beneath the covers.</p>
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<p>Waking brought confusion. Something about the inversion from their normal bed, of having fallen asleep on eir the other side than ey usually did, induced a subtle sense of vertigo at first. The pajamas were also bunched up around em strangely, adding in a subtle sense of constriction. As sleep slowly seeped away, though, the feeling lessened and ey was able to relax in the warmth beneath the covers.</p>
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<p>“Just finding a way to stick around friends. Nothing nefarious, dear.”</p>
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<p>“Just finding a way to stick around friends. Nothing nefarious, dear.”</p>
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<p>Ey shook eir head. “Right, sorry. I trust you.”</p>
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<p>Ey shook eir head. “Right, sorry. I trust you.”</p>
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<p>“I agree with what May said, Ioan. Should I want anything beyond that, I will come by it earnestly.”</p>
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<p>“I agree with what May said, Ioan. Should I want anything beyond that, I will come by it earnestly.”</p>
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<h3 id="6"><a name="6">#6</a></h3>
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<h3 id="6"><a name="6" href="r6">#6</a></h3>
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<p>“To be built to love is to be built to dissolve. It is to be built to unbecome. It is to have the sole purpose in life of falling apart all in the name of someone else.</p>
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<p>“To be built to love is to be built to dissolve. It is to be built to unbecome. It is to have the sole purpose in life of falling apart all in the name of someone else.</p>
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<p>“We all have a bit of that in us, do we not? You find yourself at a bar or maybe in some class somewhere, you look over, and there they are, right? You look over and you maybe catch their eye and you come undone at the seams. You fall into those big, beautiful eyes — for when you are built to love, every eye that catches yours is the most beautiful thing of all time — and you begin to flake away at the edges.</p>
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<p>“We all have a bit of that in us, do we not? You find yourself at a bar or maybe in some class somewhere, you look over, and there they are, right? You look over and you maybe catch their eye and you come undone at the seams. You fall into those big, beautiful eyes — for when you are built to love, every eye that catches yours is the most beautiful thing of all time — and you begin to flake away at the edges.</p>
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<p>“And to be built to love is to be all edges. They catch on your clothes, they brush against walls and furniture. You are all edges so that love can fill the cracks and soften those jagged corners.</p>
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<p>“And to be built to love is to be all edges. They catch on your clothes, they brush against walls and furniture. You are all edges so that love can fill the cracks and soften those jagged corners.</p>
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