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turtle-go-brrrr · 4 years ago

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Scratch my shell, I scratch yours

A/N: Heya! So remember two posts ago where I said I wouldn't write fics because I'm not confident enough in my writing to post it? Yeah, me neither. I started writing this at 6 am because I couldn't sleep and kept working on it during the day, so enjoy ^^(I got a little tired at the end, and i think you can feel it ;w; hope it’s good enough anyway!)

Also, I’m a sucker for platonic intimacy, and there is a severe lack of platonic x reader in this fandom

Fun fact: the Shell is both the Dorsal (part on the back) AND the Plastron (part on the front).

Requested: No

Pairing: None, platonic

Word count: 2500 +

Triggers: None

Summary: You make an embarrassing suggestion that they surprisingly accept.

_____________________________________________________________

The idea came to you in a random conversation you had as you sat on their couch.

"But wait, you can really reach everywhere? Like if I touch here-", you point to a crevice in the middle of his shell. "You're telling me you can bend your arm enough to get here?"

Leonardo gently takes your wrist and pull your hand away. "I mean, we have some of those telescopic scrubs to help, you know? Or we can just ask each other to get to the hard places if it's really complicated."

Oh.

"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense."

You have been asking a few questions about their shells after Raphael started showing off some of his scars, fascinated by the intricate patterns you could see on your friends. The topic of cleaning has be brought up, and as your curiosity took charge, your brain decided to embarrass you as much as it could.

"Do you think I could help?"

Only the faint background music Mikey had set up earlier could be heard as your mutant friends looked at you, eyes wide open.

Oh, that came out wrong.

"Wait, that's not what I-", you start to explain your line of thoughts when you get interrupted by the smug look Mikey sent you, as he harbored a teasing smile.

"Oh? I didn't realize that's what you meant when you said you wanted to hang out more," he wiggles his eyebrows as your nervous laughter fills the room.

"Hold on, I can explain."

Silence again.

"Oh, you're actually listening?"

"I mean, I think we're all dying to know why on earth you'd want to take a shower with us. You're not usually this upfront with your affection," Donatello chimes in. He's not even looking at you in the eyes, but doesn't really try to hide that stupid smirk.

Bastard.

You take a deep breath, trying to focus on not letting the embarassement take over, but your voice shakes imperceptibly, and you can feel youself start to sweat. Great.

"Okay, so I was thinking : you guys always do so much for the city and never get anything in return. I remember Mikey told me that you guys love shell scratches, and now I can see that you have some trouble cleaning it, so maybe I can help with that ? Kinda like a massage sort of thing, it doesn’t have to be weird if no one makes it. Now obviously we’ll be wearing swimsuits, we’re not close enough for… you know… actually taking a shower together, " you try clearing your throat discretly. You hear a muffled laugh from Raph.

"Anyway, I think Casey knows where to buy the best animal care product. I think human stuff might not be suitable for your shells, and I read somewhere that water was the best way to clean a turtle shell anyways, but if you have suggestions just let me know what you usually use. Do you even have swimsuits ? Doesn’t matter, I’m sure we can find you some-"

As you rambled on, the slight shame started to wear off and you were able to explain your line of thoughts more clearly. The awkwardness of the situation seemed to settle down, even if your friends were absolutely going to tease you about it later. Leonardo seemed hesitant, though.

"I don’t know, man. Are you sure about this ? I don’t want you to feel like you have to. We can take care of ourselves, you know."

"I’m not gonna force you if you don’t want to, I’m just offering because I want to do something nice for you guys. You can’t really take a break, but you could at least relax a bit."

"I’m up for it." You didn’t expect Raph to agree so quickly, but maybe you should have anticipatd that as you look at the bags under his eyes. "I mean, the worst thing that could happen is falling asleep while getting a massage from a friend. Kinda sounds like a dream if you ask me. "

‘Well that was easy,’ you think as your face lightens up.

"Besides, we can laugh at them for wanting to shower with us. Didn’t think you’d want to be so intimate, " he purrs as he gives you a side glance.

Oh. Bastard number two.

"Alright. Sure. You know what, fair game, " you laugh it off. Mikey puts a reassuring arm around your shoulders as Donnie places his legs on your laps.

"We do have swimwear, so you don’t need to worry about that. And you were right about using only water to clean it, as human products tends to make us itchy afterwards. There are some types of oil we use sometimes to nourish our shells, however. I think the only thing we might need to look into is new brushes. The ones we have are, hum, barely hanging on."

You send a quick text to Casey and April to let them know about the plan after making a short list of supplies with Leo, who ended up agreeing.

It didn’t take that much convincing.

____________________________

Saturday came fast. After getting all the necessary supplies with Casey, you both made your wait to the lair to join April. They had both agreed to help you in your task, because 'damn, they really need some appreciation'.

"When do you think they'll be back?" You ask Splinter as he offers you a cup of spiced tea.

"Usually around one in the morning, unless they were delayed."

Unless something went wrong.

But those dark thought quickly faded away as you heard the faint echo of Mikey's laughter as he recalled their night. Light chatter filled the room as they took off their gear and put away their weapons, and April hushed them to get changed and take a quick shower so they could get started and finally have some sort of a break.

You could see they were excited as they each went their own way, waiting for their turn to the shower.

When you live in the sewers and try to turn it into a living space, you have to do what you can with what you have. And sometimes, what you have is a large space that you can turn into a huge bathroom, with multiple showers and a large bathtub; but what you don't have is privacy. So big communal bathroom it is.

In this specific case, it's a good thing, because it means you can all chill together as you get to work on their shells. Once everyone was settled in, April motioned them to sit on some of the chairs you put up. She opens the bag Casey and you brought and starts getting the multiple brushes and bottle out.

"You have to understand that you guys are, uh, gigantic. So try to stay at our level, okay? And stay put, please. Anyway, here is what we've got for you: there are multiple brushes - one of each type for each of you - and some are harder than the others. Don't worry, we'll try not to scrub your shell off of you," she winks at that, and holds back a laugh at Raph's worried expression.

She continues. "We also found the oil Donnie told us about, and we bought multiple bottles. You'll have a stack for next time." She then gets one last bottle out that she puts aside.

"That one is for Splinter. To make his fur all soft and shiny," you butt in with an innocent smile. The old man deserves a treat too.

Casey laughs at that and says, "So, there's tree of us and four of you. Who is okay waiting for his turn?"

Silence.

After a solid minute, Leonardo sighs and volunteers to let his brothers enjoy a well deserved spoiling session. Mikey, instead of sitting on a chair like a normal person, choose instead to lay down on the bathroom floor.

"You said it was basically a massage, right? Now it really feels like it!"

"Oh, good idea. I'm this close to getting a pillow and having the nap of my life," Donnie says, putting his fingers together.

"Your fingers are touching."

"I know," he gives you a side smile as he starts to get up, but you quickly bring him back to reality. "But there's gonna be water everywhere?" You sit down next to where he just was and watch as he goes back to where he sat, sending you a disapproving side glance.

"Let a turtle dream, will you?" He lays down on his stomach, puts his head on his arms, and scouts closer to you.

You watch Raph get settled on a chair next to Casey, putting his arms on the backrest as April hands you one of the harder brushes. Leo makes a quick trip to the kitchen and brings back some water, a few snacks, and a copy of Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.

"Again," you start. "There's gonna be water everywhere. Are you sure bringing a book here is a good idea?"

He gives you a sly smile. "Gotta live up to my name."

What?

"What?"

"You know," Mikey interrupts. "Fearless."

"Oh. Right. Well, don't come crying when you drop it into a puddle then." But you offer him a plastic bag anyway, to hold his book with it in case he wets his hands.

"You sure you're okay waiting?" Casey asks him as he starts pouring water over Raph's back.

"Yeah, don't worry. I have things to keep me busy anyway."

______________________________

It took one swipe of the brush from April for Mikey to start... what was the word? Churring.

A low rumble coming from his throat that had kind of the same function as a cat's purr, Donnie explained. It was an expression of contentment or happiness, that sometimes even happended when they needed reassurance.

Adorable.

"I can't believe you guys can purr and never told me." Raph doesn't even bother opening his eyes when he answers you, "We knew you'd take advantage of that. Didn't want to be babied by the tiniest human we ever met."

Asshole.

You went back and forth with the gruff turtle, always in good spirit though. Conversations flowed, laughter were exchanged, and everyone managed to lighten up. Master Splinter joined the group at some point, and was just glad to spend some time with his family - all of it. He also started to take cared of Leo’s dorsal, to his delight.

You don't exactly know when, but some time after Donnie started to let go some soft churrs as you scrubbed the dirt off of his shell, you stopped listening to the current topic and started to really focus on your task.

Scrapping the dirt hidden in between every crevice, rubbing the largest scales, you were surprised by the look of the bare shell of your nerdy friend. You never really stopped to observe this particular feature the four brothers harbored, not only out of decency, but also because it was always covered. Gear and clothes, backpack and tech, dirt and blood, there was always something hiding the intricate patterns of their shells.

You unconsciously slowed down to really take in what you were seeing, your fascination and curiosity taking over your wish to help.

"I don't know why, but I never expected your shell to be so colorful," you say after wiping away the dirty water from the left side of his back. You didn’t mean to say it at loud, but he doesn't answer you. However, you do get something from Mikey.

"Man, you should see mine! Don helped me create an organic paint so I can paint my shell without hurting myself with a bunch of chemicals, and it looks sooo damn good-"

"Shh!"

"... Did they- Did you just shush me?"

"Shhh!" You whisper yell this time. You then give a side glance toward the sleeping turtle under you.

"Annw. Good luck waking him up."

"Yeah, I'm... not doing that. He needs his sleep," you laugh quietly.

______________________________

It took the three of you around an hour to deep clean their shells. Even Raph was finally letting go and softly churring at the end. Mikey was loud enough to have trouble speaking, and Donnie was still asleep. Splinter was still working meticulously on his son, who, he could tell, had a hard time holding back the content churrs that threatened to spill out.

You get up and strech, feeling your joints crack and already anticipating how sore you’ll be tomorrow. The muscles in your arms were burning, and you couldn’t feel your butt anymore, but it was worth it. You’ve never seen the four mutants so relaxed before.

Remembering the oils, you went toward the towels to dry your friend’s back and give the final touch to, what you’d grow to refer to, your work of art. You gave a few head scratches to Raph, who was dozing off with a lazy smile, and went back to Donatello. You slowly dried his dorsal when you felt him shift under your hands.

"Hey buddy," you speak softly. He whispers a ‘hey’ you can barrely hear.

"I’m almost done. I just have to put the oil, then you can let it dry and go to sleep, okay ? " You open the bottle and get a paintbrush, with which you start coating his shell with a thin layer of oil. You can hear his soft churrs start again.

Casey accidentally dropped the bottle of oil on Raph’s back and was desperatly trying to gather as much as he could. "Shi- Fuck, wait-"

"Here, give me some. Thanks to you, I don’t have to open mine, " April said with a smirk. She helped him clean up before going back to Mikey, who raised himself on his forearms and watched the scene unfold with a tired smile.

It took only around twenty minute to put the oil on their shells and get it almost dried up. Once it was done, you helped Splinter and Casey clean up as April let her dizzy friends hold onto her, guiding them on their way to their room. Once it was all done, you waved Leo good night as Raph ruffled your hair and went to sleep. Mikey gave you a big hug and thanked you for the ‘bonker idea’ and made you promise to do it again soon, which you agreed on.

April was already sleeping in the big armchair next to the couch, Casey in a sort of little nest of blankets and pillows at her feet. As you made your way to the couch – your makeshift bed for the night – Donnie was passed out cold on it already. And, boy, does he takes up a lot of space.

You felt a hand on your shoulder and turned to see Splinter standing next to you. "I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you borrowing his bed for the night. "

"I– are you sure ? "

"He stole yours. He’ll live. " A gentle smile tugged at his lips as he guided you to your friend’s room, offering you a spare blanket and pillow. "Have a good night, Y/N. You know where to find me if you need anything."

”Thank you, Master Splinter.” You can feel your eyelid close on their own, and decide to finally call it a night. You got settled as best you could in the bed, and fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow.

A warm breakfast would await you in the morning.

#tmnt x reader #tmnt #tmnt bayverse #tmnt leonardo #tmnt raphael #tmnt donatello #tmnt michelangelo #i was supposed to make headcanons about them getting their shell scratched #but my brain did this #took me at least 8h #idk if im 100% satisfied but hey #im really excited about posting it ^^#hope you liked it!

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all-things-tmnt · 8 years ago

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Thoughts on “The Tale of Tiger Claw”:

He’s been one of our fiercest enemies since season two, and after so many intense battles, it’s time to finally learn a little bit more about Tiger Claw. When a new and dangerous fox assassin arrives in town with a vendetta against TC, the turtles and their friends set out to uncover just who Tiger Claw is and where he came from. Throw in an ancient curse and an unlikely ally, and we’ve got us one crazy adventure. There’s a lot to look into, so let’s get started.

Warning: this review contains some pretty SHARP spoilers (like possibly that one), so if you’re not sure if you’re UP TO THE CUT, don’t keep reading. If you’re ready for a fast-paced fight, watch the episode by clicking here!

Alopex, Alopex, Alopex, ALOPEX.........

Interesting things: - Tiger Claw’s room is pretty sweet. And I’m pretty sure he’s using a brick to sharpen his sword. (I know it’s not a brick, but at first glance, that definitely looked like a brick. Hahaaa.) - Umm...I think it’s canon that Tiger Claw gets high. - But on a serious note, this scene with the hologram is pretty interesting and I saw we look at it later on. - “I asked to see Xever and Bradford.” Translation: we haven’t done anything notable in the plot in a while so the writers put us in this episode and Xever and Bradford weren’t in the budget. Lol let’s have fun. - HIS NAME IS NOW KITTY CAT MAN. DON’T EVER SAY TIGER CLAW TO ME AGAIN. IT’S ONLY KITTY CAT MAN. - Um.......I think it’s canon that Splinter just got drunk to train with his sons and their friends. - The fact that Leo just thought that openly running, yelling and trying to stab his dad would work is mind blowing. - The fact that Splinter spits on Leo is also mind blowing, but in a disgusting way. - I mean, all things considered, this training scene is hilarious and the boys can’t even beat their dad when he’s wasted. But at the same time, I’m sitting here wondering what in the hell I just watched. - “Leonardo and Michelangelo have the strongest ability to sharpen their intuition.” I’ve been waiting for this to be openly stated for so long now and I’m just crying because someone finally said it. - I’m literally just as offended as Casey is, TBH. How do we go from having Casey do great things in one episode to him sucking again in the next one? - Apritello Shippers – 1; Capril Shippers – 0. - Apparently Karai and the Mighty Mutanimals are a thing now? Okay? - “Karai’s not a kid anymore; she wants her independence. I get that.” I wonder what Leo meant by, I get that, because it can mean a lot of things. Like, does he understand her side because he gets what she’s saying or does he himself want independence as well? Either way, nice subtle way to remind us she has reasons for not staying with the boys, EVEN THOUGH SHE SHOULD BE. - THAT OLD LADY HOLDING ON TO THE LAMP POST FOR DEAR LIFE. BAHAHAHAAAA. - Super appreciation bullet for Casey still having his race car he made way back at the farm house because they took it with them when they left and I just appreciate that little bit of continuity so much more than I could ever tell you guys. - I would sell my soul to hear Bebop’s mixtape and for Rocksteady to keep beatboxing. - “Drop the blades, sweetheart.” Oh, Raphael...wait, how did you know she was a girl? - Welcome to 2012, Alopex! (I’m sure glad that I have in fact been saying your name correctly all these years!) - I don’t know you or know anything about you or why you’re here to stop me but let me monologue and tell you all about these two blades. (Kudos for the violent back story, though.) - ALOPEX JUST STOLE CASEY’S...SHE TOOK HIS...WHICH MEANS SHE GRABBED......ON THE.................OH MY GOD. - No, Raph, Casey doesn’t need you to help as he gets beaten up. - That extremely convenient moment when you run into the guy you were going to hunt down right after stealing the weapons you were going to hunt him with! - Did not notice she was wearing the tail. 10/10, would recommend. - That fox fast tho. - Casey actually thanking Raph for saving him instead of making some dumb or stuck up quip. 10/10, would recommend. - Look, there’s Chompy! Remember him, from last episode?! Remember how he’s important?! Yay Chompy! ........ - I like that little nod they just gave the IDW Raph and Alopex with that line. Hahaaa. - That awkward moment when there’s Timothy...just waiting for some resolution...... - That poster did not burn...at all. Nor did Casey’s shirt. - That awkward moment when we have to remember Karai and Casey kissed. - Does anyone else find it hilarious that the bad guys follow traffic laws? - Kitty Cat Man and Alopex’s backstory had me hooked until the part when they went from the circus to being total badass assassins happened. then I burst into laughter, because that shot of them in suits was just too much. - Wait...so if Alopex only took Tiger Claw’s tail...who took his eye? - Leo is apparently the only one who buckles up in the Shellraiser. - ......That’s why it’s important to buckle up. - This Mikey saying they’re okay thing kinda bothered me and I’ll give it a break down later. - Now how on earth did they know she’d run down there to meet them? This plot is full of conveniences. - Casey having to dodge death continuously is hilarious. - Nice guys finish last, Leonardo. - “The only way to lift the curse is to use them against me.....OR THIS SUPER SECRET OTHER OPTION THAT LEAVES NEITHER OF US CURSED! LOL GREAT RIGHT?!” - GUYS WE HAVE TO HURRY!!!!!! As they all slowly walk. Bahahahaaa. - A part of me will always wonder what Tiger Claw would have said to his sister had she let him speak to her...but there’s not enough time in the episode left so we gotta fight it out. - Omg. There’s more to their backstory. OMGGGGG. - “Back off, Tony!” DEAD. - This entire fight sequence is really cool and I loved every moment of it, but the absolute best part throughout the whole thing is Raph just screaming and carrying Bebop while he runs. I was choking I laughed so hard. - Everybody working hard to keep Casey from dying is so great. Hahaaa. Team work makes the dream work. And keeps the crazy kid alive. - Love the camera angles when Alopex grabs the ice bullet. Seriously cool. - OH SNAP. OHHHHHH SNAPPPPPPPPP. OH SNAP CRACKLE POP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - I LOVE HOW IT JUST ENDS WITH THEM CASUALLY WALKING AWAY AFTER TIGER CLAW GOT HIS ARM HACKED OFF AND ALOPEX JUST GOING I tried to come up with a pun on how Tiger Claw’s arm got chopped off and tie that in with the break downs, but I couldn’t think of anything so...here’s some break downs. If you are unfamiliar with Alopex, let me take a second to give those of you a super quick background. Alopex is a fox mutant originally from the IDW series. In the IDW comics, she’s originally a part of the Foot Clan before she changes sides to fight with the turtles, and that’s leaving out so much amazing detail. Needless to say, she has a hugely different backstory/character in the IDW comics, but let’s just say she’s absolutely badass, and if you needed any reason to read the already phenomenal TMNT IDW comics, let Alopex be your reason.(Seriously, she’s one of my favorite characters in IDW.) Right off the bat, we have an interesting scene with Tiger Claw. He’s using a mouser to project an image of Shredder, and he’s interacting with it as if it’s real, which he clearly knows it isn’t (and he’s sniffing catnip which is a whole other topic to touch on, but one I don’t want to get into too much yet until we know more about that). But he’s talking to this Shredder and trying to reason with him. It begs the question, is he practicing to speak to the real Shredder? We’ve seen Tiger Claw throughout the series question some of Shredder’s choices, and he’s openly questioned some of them with little success. Ever since Shredder’s mutation, TC has been very against almost every choice he’s made, and Shredder has never listened to his concerns. So now, we have Shredder pushing himself to dangerous points with this mutation, and Tiger Claw is more concerned than he’s ever been. Knowing Shredder won’t listen, he’s trying to figure out the wording that will bring him success in this endeavor, because it’s so important to him. Say what you will about Tiger Claw, but if he’s anything at all, it’s definitely loyal. Shoutout to Master Splinter for FINALLY pointing out that Leo and Mikey have the most potential of the four, but most notably, MIKEY! We’ve always known that Mikey can be so great, but we get such few glances of his real skills that it’s so easy to forget that fact. On those all too few occasions that we do get to see Mikey be the best (like no one ever was), we can see the truth behind that statement. But I emphasize the “all too few” part of that fact. So for the writers to openly acknowledge that fact for us is like a breath of fresh air. I can’t wait to see Mikey have more great moments. I think I’m going to start a petition to get Casey the respect he deserves. Honestly, last week, when I finally got to do a break down about Casey doing some things right, I was ecstatic. Now here I am having to complain about him again. He’s shoved aside and made off to be the character that screws everything up. I mean, the line when Splinter basically says Casey has no intuition whatsoever? I was lowkey offended. Casey has done some awesome things in this series so far, and he definitely has skills as a fighter. So to say he’s void of intuition is pretty hard to take with a grain of salt. Writers, PLEASE give Casey some love. I really want to like this version of him, and you guys are making it so hard. Remember the good old days in season one, where our existence was supposed to be a super secret and it was absolute law that no human could see us? Remember how much fun and more suspenseful and more overall ninja-y that made the show? Remember how three season later, they have no qualms about showing themselves to humans? Does that bother anyone else or is that just me? Because seriously, I get that the people of New York are aware of mutants and all of those things now, but I wish the boys were a bit more concerned with keeping their existence a secret like they used to be. Mikey just openly greeting the truck driver dude kinda killed me. I wish I had a better sense of who Alopex is, but we’ve seen very little of her. She clearly values honor and wants to distance herself from a life of doing bad things, but she’s also incredibly loyal to her family. Her and Tiger Claw’s past still have a lot of mystery to it, and I hope we’ll get to see more of it. Alopex has a lot of potential to be a great ally to the turtles. So far, I like her. Let me see her again, though. Lastly, Kitty Cat Man seems to have lost something... Seriously, I’m pretty impressed they went through with the violent action of severing his arm straight off. Of course we don’t see blood, but you can see the inside of his arm in one shot, which was nuts. I mean, seriously...2012 has turned it up. I haven’t kept it a secret that season four has failed to impress me on a lot of levels, but they’ve definitely hit their stride with getting darker and doing more violent things, which is how this show has always needed to be. There is a saying that if you live by the sword, you die by the sword, and it’s nice to finally see these consequences playing out. Plus, it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how Kitty Cat Man recovers from this. How will he go on fighting? Will he get a replacement arm? I can’t wait to look more into this. So let’s end this with some final thoughts. I enjoyed this episode overall. It wasn’t my favorite by any means, but I liked it a whole lot more than last week’s. I’ve been waiting to hear Tiger Claw’s backstory since he was introduced, and it’s so much more complex than I imagined it would be...and there’s still parts we don’t know! What happened to and and Alopex’s parents? So much mystery...but this episode does something great; it makes us excited about one of our major villains all over again. Tiger Claw had kind of faded into the background for me, but I’m pumped about him all over again. There are a few things this plot falls short on, and definitely a few weird moments, like Splinter drinking and Tiger Claw...getting high. Casey’s role was a bit of a let down for me. I wish we had more time to get to know Alopex. All in all, this episode is REALLY fast-paced, and it doesn’t leave a lot of time to absorb everything we see happen. Here’s to hoping we’ll get to know our fox mutant friend more in the future! Her character has potential.And let’s acknowledge that 2012 has gotten so bold as to cut off Tiger Claw’s arm. What does that means for his future role in the series? So much to think about! But for now, let’s close out this episode with a solid 7/10. And now, we’ve come to the the end of a season...there are only two episodes left, and with titles like ˆRequiem” (which means a celebration for the dead and/or an act of remembrance) and “Owari” (which literally means the end), I have a feeling 2012 is about to close out this season with a lot of pain and loss, and hopefully some resolution. It’s time to take the Super Shredder down once and for all, and we’ve got to go all out. We’ve got a few days before all things come to an end for season four, so let’s discuss this last regular episode while we’re all still emotionally alive. What did you guys think of Alopex? How did you feel about the episode overall? Any theories? Let me know here. Previous review for Tokka VS the World here. All season four reviews here. All episode reviews index here. Podcast review here.

#teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #tmnt 2012 #tmnt 2k12 #the tale of tiger claw #episode review #tmnt spoilers

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