Perfect Cherry Blossom (Part 1)

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May 7th

119th season of Gensokyo

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*yawn*

Richard can be seen stretching and yawning in the most comfortable bed in exitance

Richard: "Damn, the system was not kidding about the comfort on this thing, I don't want to leave!"

Richard: "You would think that it would be easier to get out of this thing after using it for 5 months"

Richard try's to get out of the bed but is unable to as he feels resistance while he attempts to leave

Richard: "huh what the hell is pulling he bac-"

While Richard is talking he looks as to what is connected to him and is resisting him getting up from the bed and notices Reimu wrapped around him while she is sleeping

Richard: "Reimu? What are you doing?"

He carefully tried to disentangle himself from Reimu's grasp, not wanting to wake her up. However, her grip seemed surprisingly strong for someone who was seemingly asleep.

Reimu mumbled something incoherent in her sleep, seemingly unresponsive to Richard's attempts to free himself. The Most Comfortable Bed in Existence, combined with Reimu's unintentional snuggling, had created an unexpected morning entanglement.

Richard: "Well, you leave me no choice."

Richard: "Hey system, let me buy some cold water to pour on her"

Almost immediately after saying that Reimu who was "sleeping" instantly woke up and laid herself on the bed and pretend to wake up with her face that was happy in thought instantly turning stoic as if what happened before did not even happen

Reimu, with practiced ease, adjusted her expression to one of nonchalance as if she had just woken up naturally. Richard, raising an eyebrow, couldn't help but be impressed by her quick recovery.

Richard: "Good morning, Reimu. Sleep well?"

Reimu, feigning a casual demeanor, gave a nonchalant nod.

Reimu: "Morning. Yeah, I slept fine."

Richard, however, couldn't let go of the peculiar situation they had just found themselves in.

Richard: "You sure about that? Because I could've sworn you were using me as a teddy bear."

Reimu shot him a deadpan look.

Reimu: "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Richard grinned, deciding to play along with her charade.

Richard: "Sure, sure. Just a normal morning then."

Reimu gave a dismissive wave, attempting to steer the conversation away from the awkwardness.

Richard: "hmm, you know how its may and all, but I cant help but notice that its still snowing outside"

Reimu's stoic facade faltered for a moment as she processed Richard's comment. She glanced towards the window, her expression shifting to one of mild surprise.

Reimu: "Snow in May? That's unusual, even for Gensokyo."

Richard raised an eyebrow, curious about the peculiar weather anomaly. He got out of the bed, finally managing to free himself from the Most Comfortable Bed in Existence.

Richard: "Now that I think about it, this is probably some incident or something, we should probably get Marisa and check this out."

Reimu nodded in agreement. The unexpected snow in May was indeed suspicious, and the trio of Marisa, Reimu, and Richard had a track record of resolving incidents in Gensokyo.

Richard: "Let's head to Marisa's place and see what she thinks about this snow.

Reimu starts to fly upwards but Richards stops her as he has a better idea

Reimu: "hmm?, we need to fly there what are you doing?"

'kya~ maybe he wants to have a slow romantic walk there' Reimu wonders while maintaining her stoic face

Richard: "Don't worry about flying there, my powers include long range teleportation, remember?"

Richard smirked confidently, a glint of mischief in his eyes. While Reimu is disappointed that they wont even be able to fly together.

Reimu: "Teleportation, huh? Well then, show me what you've got."

Richard chuckled and extended his hand towards Reimu.

Richard: "Hold on tight. This might feel a bit weird."

Reimu hesitated for a moment, eyeing Richard skeptically, but eventually took his hand. In an instant, the scenery around them blurred, and they found themselves standing in front of Marisa's home.

Reimu: "Impressive. -_-"

Richard grinned, enjoying the reaction.

Richard: "Teleportation has its perks. Now, let's see if Marisa knows anything about this incident."

They entered Marisa's home, where Marisa was trying to pile more magical objects onto one of multiple shelves that have no wright to even be standing with the amount of items stored around the house.

Not even the shelves are safe, counter tops, the floor and basically every flat surface has some sort of magical item or book placed there

Marisa: "ehh? Reimu and Richard, what are you doing here? da ~ze"

Richard looked around Marisa's cluttered home, taking in the chaotic arrangement of magical items and books scattered everywhere. Reimu, with a practiced nonchalant expression, answered Marisa's question.

Reimu: "We're here because of the snow in May. It seems unusual, even for Gensokyo. Any idea what might be causing it?"

Marisa scratched her head, dislodging a small magical trinket that tumbled to the floor.

Marisa: "Snow in May? That does sound like an incident. I haven't caused this one, though, I swear!"

Richard chuckled, amused by Marisa's immediate denial.

Richard: "We didn't think it was your doing. We are just asking around."

Marisa looked thoughtful for a moment before she remembers something

Marisa: "Earlier today I did notice some cherry blossoms while I was not stealing books from Patchouli"

Marisa: "so maybe spring is blooming in some place other than here ~ze"

Marisa: "or maybe spring was stolen! ~ze"

Reimu and Richard exchanged puzzled glances at Marisa's suggestion.

Reimu: "Stolen? Can seasons even be stolen?"

Marisa, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, nodded emphatically.

Marisa: "Absolutely! Anything can happen in Gensokyo. We've had incidents with missing seasons before."

Richard, intrigued by the idea, decided to entertain Marisa's theory.

Richard: "Alright then, if spring has been stolen, we need to find out who took it and why. Any leads, Marisa?"

Marisa tapped her chin, attempting to recall any relevant information.

Marisa: "Hmm, i guess we could start by beating up Cirno"

Reimu and Richard exchanged puzzled glances once again, not entirely convinced by Marisa's proposed solution.

Reimu: "Beating up Cirno? What does she have to do with stealing spring?"

Marisa shrugged nonchalantly.

Marisa: "Well, you know, she's the ice fairy. If anyone is causing unseasonal weather, it's probably her. Besides, she's always up to something."

Richard scratched his head, considering the suggestion.

Richard: "It's a long shot, but I guess we can start by checking with Cirno. Maybe she knows something about this unusual weather."

Reimu sighed, not entirely convinced, but willing to give it a try.

Reimu: "Fine, let's go talk to Cirno. But let's not jump to conclusions or start a fight right away."

The trio left Marisa's cluttered home and headed towards the Misty Lake, where Cirno, the ice fairy, was often found. As they approached the frozen lake, they spotted Cirno casually sitting on a large chunk of ice, attempting to fish out of the lake.

Cirno: "Hey, Reimu! What brings you here? Ready to challenge the strongest again?"

Reimu glanced at Richard and then back at Cirno.

Reimu: "Not this time, Cirno. We're here because of the unusual weather. It's May, but there's still snow, and we heard you might know something about it."

Cirno's expression shifted from a confident smirk to confusion.

Cirno: "Snow in May? I didn't do that! I've been busy practicing my awesome ice spells, not messing with the weather."

Richard raised an eyebrow, a bit skeptical.

Richard: "Are you sure about that, Cirno? We've heard rumours that you might be involved in some unseasonal mischief."

Cirno crossed her arms defensively.

Cirno: "eh? what's a rumour"

Richard looks at her as she genuinely asks this question

Marisa and Reimu: "baka"

Cirno: "HEY!"

Cirno: "I'm not Stupid!, I'm not Stupid!"

Cirno goes up to Reimu and starts swinging her arms up and down in front of her while Reimu puts her hand in front of her stopping her from getting closer as her head goes into the palm of her hand

Cirno: "grr! Hey sensei! come here these people are calling me stupid!"

Someone can be seen breaking out a slab of ice after Cirno calls for help the person having freed herself from the ice, dusted off her dress with a somewhat annoyed expression.

???: "Honestly, Cirno, how many times do I have to tell you I'm not your sensei? What's the fuss this time?"

The trio look over to where the slab of ice broke and see's a fairly tall woman with lavender eyes and curly lavender hair. She wears a blue and white dress with a white apron in front of it. At the top of her skirt that is a golden lapel resembling the alchemical symbol for silver. Also wears a white cap and a nearly transparent cape.

[Image]

Reimu: "who are you?"

Letty: "My name is Letty Whiterock"

Cirno pointed at Reimu, Richard, and Marisa.

Cirno: "These guys are calling me stupid!"

Letty sighed, seemingly used to Cirno's antics.

Letty: "Well, that's because you are."

Reimu stepped forward, introducing herself and her companions.

Reimu: "I'm Reimu, and this is Richard and Marisa. We're investigating the strange weather in Gensokyo. we noticed that cherry blossoms were floating around so we are asking around to see what is causing this incident"

Letty looks at the trio with a look of worry

Letty: "so... you want to end the winter?"

Reimu: "yes"

Letty suddenly grows a serious look on her face and scowls at the trio

Letty: "I'm going to need to stop you then!"

Letty's sudden change in demeanor caught the trio off guard. She seemed determined to prevent them from putting an end to the prolonged winter in Gensokyo.

Richard: "Stop us? Why would you want to do that?"

Letty, with an air of seriousness, explained her perspective.

Letty: "Because if it turns spring then I melt!, do you know what its like to feel your organs slip out of your skin!!, because I do!!"

Marisa, ever the curious one, chimed in.

Marisa: "So, you're saying it's supposed to be winter forever? ~ze"

Letty shook her head.

Letty: "I guess so... i just don't want to go through all that again"

Letty lifts up her head with determination

Letty: "So I will stop you from solving this incident!"

Reimu, Richard, and Marisa exchanged puzzled glances, trying to comprehend Letty's unique situation.

Reimu: "Wait, so if winter ends, you'll melt?"

Letty nodded solemnly.

Letty: "Yes, exactly. It's not something I particularly enjoy, and I'd rather not go through it again."

Marisa, with a mischievous grin, leaned in closer.

Marisa: "That's quite the problem you've got there, Letty. But we can't just let Gensokyo be stuck in an eternal winter. ~ze"

Letty sighed, understanding their perspective but also determined to protect herself.

Letty: "I know it's a dilemma, but I can't let you proceed with this investigation. I'll do whatever it takes to maintain the winter."

Richard, ever the diplomatic one, stepped forward.

Richard: "Then I guess ill need to kick your ass"

Richard: "get your spell cards ready and fly up into the air"

Letty raised an eyebrow at Richard's sudden declaration. Reimu and Marisa, knowing Richard's tendency to add a bit of humour to tense situations, exchanged glances.

Letty: "Kick my... What? Are you serious?"

Richard, maintaining a serious expression, cracked a small smile.

Richard: "Well yea...?, you were kind of suggesting that you were going to fight with your whole monologue about not wanting winter to end"

As the tension escalated, Letty, fuelled by her determination to protect the perpetual winter, stepped back, assuming a defensive posture.

Letty: "If you're not backing down, then I have no choice."

The trio, sensing the impending clash, readied their spell cards, preparing for the inevitable confrontation. Richard, with a smirk, took a step forward.

Richard: "Wait a moment Reimu and Marisa, its sorta unfair if its a 3v1, how about you let me take the wheel for once, kay?"

Richard's suggestion caught Reimu and Marisa off guard, each exchanging a glance before nodding in agreement. Letty, still wary, observed the trio, unsure of what to make of this unexpected turn of events.

Reimu: "Alright, Richard. Show us what you've got. But don't be too overconfident"

Richard nodded, acknowledging Reimu's caution. With a confident smile, he faced Letty, who was preparing herself for the impending confrontation.

Richard: "Alright, Letty. Let's see if your determination to protect winter can withstand my spell cards."

Richards pulls his cards out of thin air into his hand

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[Limitless]

Description: Channelling his Limitless magical energy, Richard creates a protective barrier that resonates with incoming magical attacks. The resonance absorbs and disperses the energy, providing a versatile defence against a variety of spell card assaults.

[Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue]

Description: The spell card manifests an ethereal blue veil that cloaks Richard's movements. It confounds the perception of opponents, creating illusions and misdirection, making it challenging for them to predict his actions in spell card duels.

[Cursed Technique Reversal: Red]

Description: This spell card allows Richard to temporarily invert the flow of magical energy in the targeted area, creating a localized field where the effects of magical attacks are reversed. Incoming projectiles are reflected back at the opponent, and offensive spells turn into a source of replenishing energy for Richard.

[Hollow Technique: Purple]

Description: This spell card summons Hollow Technique: Purple. Ethereal purple orbs home in on incoming enemies and on contact is guaranteed to knock them out for 8 hours, This move also destroys any* object that is not a person on contact.

[Unlimited Void]

Description: Channelling the power of Unlimited Void, this spell card allows Richard to manipulate space, creating voids that disrupt and nullify opposing spell cards. It grants him control over the battlefield, turning the opponent's attacks into harmless fluctuations in the void.

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Richard and Letty can be seen hovering above the Misty lake

Letty: "Cold Sign : Lingering Cold"

As Letty initiated her spell, an intense chill swept across the Misty Lake. Icy winds howled, and frost began to form on the surface of the lake. Snowflakes danced in the air as Letty harnessed her control over winter.

Richard, undeterred, activated his Limitless spell card. A shimmering barrier surrounded him, resonating with the incoming magical cold. The barrier absorbed and dispersed the chilling energy, leaving Richard unaffected.

Letty: "ehhh?!"

Richard: "are you surprised your down a spell card already?, well I'm also down one as well"

Letty: "if you had a spell card to instantly nullify a spell card why use it at my first card?!?!"

Richard looks at her with a mischievous grin

Richard: "You might not believe it but that was my weakest card, so I just used at the start"

Letty, taken aback by Richard's strategy, frowned but quickly regained her composure.

Letty: "You're quite confident, aren't you? Let's see how you handle this!"

Letty unleashed a barrage of freezing winds, creating a swirling vortex of snow and ice around her. It was a relentless offensive spell, White Sign "Undulation Ray"

As 100 danmaku balls was inches away from Richard, he begins activating his Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue

The ethereal blue veil manifested, cloaking Richard's movements and confounding Letty's perception. As the barrage of danmaku balls closed in, they seemed to dance and waver, creating illusions that made it challenging for Letty to predict Richard's actual position.

Letty, momentarily disoriented by the illusions, found it difficult to track Richard amidst the deceptive display of the Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue.

Richard, taking advantage of the confusion, seamlessly navigated through the intricate patterns of the danmaku, avoiding each projectile with calculated precision. and ends up behind Letty

Richard: "Catch"

Richard shoots a single danmaku bullet directly at the back of her head

Letty: *gah*

The danmaku bullet proceeded to knock her unconscious and her entire body jolts meters forward from the impact of his singular heavy danmaku ball, and falls all the way down, she then crashes against the ground.

With Letty now unconscious, Richard descended back to the frozen surface of Misty Lake, his Limitless barrier dissipating. Reimu, Marisa, and Cirno, who had been observing the spell card duel, looked on in surprise.

Reimu: "Well, that was... efficient."

Marisa: "Didn't expect a knockout so soon. You're pretty good, Richard."

Cirno, still processing the events, stammered a response.

Cirno: "W-wait, that's not fair! Letty wasn't ready!"

Richard chuckled

Richard: "Sure sure, anyway we need to get back on track"

Richard: "Since we have no leads on where we should go, we should probably just fly around until trouble comes for us"

As Richard suggested flying around in search of trouble, Reimu nodded in agreement.

Reimu: "Sounds like a plan. Let's keep our eyes open and investigate any unusual occurrences. Maybe we'll stumble upon the source of this incident."

Marisa, still looking impressed by Richard's quick victory, chimed in.

Marisa: "I'm curious, though. How did you beat Letty so quickly? That seemed almost too easy."

Richard puts his hand behind his back and says awkwardly

Richard: "well... I could of beaten her without spell cards but I thought that would of been to mean"

Richard: "So the reason I beat her so easily is because I'm strong"

Marisa: " -_- "

Marisa looks at Richard sheepishly and sighs while Reimu looks over at them and clears her throat

Reimu: "Are we leaving yet?, I just want this damn incident over with. Its far too cold"

Marisa and Richard: "Yes, I'm Coming"

The trio took to the skies, leaving the Misty Lake behind as they soared over the wintry landscape of Gensokyo. The unexpected and prolonged winter had blanketed the land, creating a serene yet unsettling atmosphere.

As they flew, Richard, Reimu, and Marisa kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings, searching for any signs of unusual occurrences. The cold winds whipped against their faces as they traversed the snowy landscape.

After some time, as they approached a lost village somewhere around the Great Hakurei Barrier, a peculiar sight caught their attention. A large amount of cats can be seen climbing, sleeping and doing other cat things

In the middle of the village a person can be seen feeding the cats

The trio descended into the lost village, curious about the unusual gathering of cats. As they approached, they noticed a person at the center of the feline congregation, diligently feeding the cats.

???: "ehh?, humans"

The mysterious person has dark brown eyes, brown hair and wears a green mob cap. She has black cat ears, with a gold earring in the left one, and two tails. Her dress is red with a white bow on the collar, with gold trimming and light pink frills at the bottom. The dress has light pink sleeves. She wears socks and has long hot pink fingernails.

[Image]

Reimu: "hello who are you?"

The mysterious person is surprised at there presence but answers anyway

Chen: "my name is Chen, Also wanderers are not allowed here, so I have to kill you, sorry ^_^"

Reimu scoffs at Chen's words

Reimu: "Is that so?, shouldn't stray cat's docilly curl up beneath a kotatsu at this temperature instead of killing people"

Chen: "You shouldn't believe such superstition "

Reimu: ('I didn't know it was just superstition')

Chen puts her hand's behind her head while being fully relaxed

Chen: "I guess I do understand though, what else can a stray cat do to get warm?"

Reimu: "why not get put to sleep at an animal shelter, The Buddhist paradise is warm they say"

Chen looks at Reimu surprised before realizing that she was threatening her

Chen: "Are you threatening me?!?"

Chen: "Humans? Posing a threat to us?"

Chen: "impossible, impossible, impossible! to think that you would oppose us"

Reimu crossed her arms, unfazed by Chen's reaction.

Reimu: "I don't care if you're a cat or a god. If you're causing trouble in Gensokyo, we'll deal with you."

Marisa, with her usual casual tone, chimed in.

Marisa: "Yeah, we're just trying to figure out what's causing this never-ending winter. So, how about you spill the beans on any incidents you might be involved in?"

Chen looked somewhat offended.

Chen: "Incidents? I'm just taking care of my fellow cats here. If anything, you're the ones causing a ruckus by intruding into our village."

Richard, who had been observing the exchange quietly, stepped forward.

Richard: "Look, we're not here to pick a fight with cats or stray individuals. We're here to investigate the strange weather. If you're not involved, fine. But if there's something going on, we need to know."

Chen's expression softened as she listened to Richard.

Chen: "I suppose you're not like those humans who come here with malicious intent. But we can't have outsiders snooping around. It's against the rules."

Reimu sighed, growing impatient.

Reimu: "So then am I just supposed to let you kill me?"

Chen: "yes"

Reimu: " -_- "

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Time skip 15 minutes

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a magical array of dark and light blue bullets dance across the sky

As the magical array of dark and light blue bullets danced across the sky, Marisa Reimu and Chen found themselves facing an unexpected threat. The bullet patterns were intricate, a sign of a skilled and powerful adversary.

Reimu: "Looks like she's nearly finished. Get ready, Marisa!"

The barrage of danmaku intensified, creating a dazzling display of colours and patterns in the wintry sky. The mysterious opponent, hidden within the intricate bullet formations, remained unseen.

Marisa, with her characteristic confidence, leaped into action.

Marisa: "Time to show off my own spell cards! Love Sign: Master Spark!"

Marisa released a brilliant beam of light that pierced through the dense array of bullets, creating a temporary opening in the magical onslaught. The unknown adversary, momentarily revealed, retreated to a safe distance.

Reimu, seizing the opportunity moved with precision, weaving through the intricate patterns and deflecting the bullets with skilful manoeuvres.

Meanwhile on the ground

Richard can be seen observing the intensity of the danmaku duel and then kicks a rock in frustration

*pouting*

Richard: "I cant believe they didn't let me fight since its "there turn now" "

As the dazzling lights filled the sky, Richard couldn't help but feel a bit left out. The intricate danmaku duel between Reimu, Marisa and Chen continued, with patterns and colours creating a mesmerizing spectacle.

But then suddenly Richard gets an idea

Richard: "it sure would be a shame if Chen "Accidently" fired at herself"

As the patterns of danmaku continued to fill the sky, Richard couldn't resist a mischievous grin. He decided to add his own touch to the chaotic spectacle by subtly influencing the magical bullets. With a flick of his wrist, Richard used Limitless to create a slight disturbance in the magical energy around Chen

Chen: "ah!"

A danmaku bullet that she fired suddenly found the space around it to warp so that the trajectory goes straight into her face

The unexpected twist caused Chen to be caught off guard, and the bullet she fired ended up hitting her own face. Surprised and slightly hurt, Chen staggered backward, clutching her cheek.

Chen: "What the... How did that happen?"

Reimu and Marisa, still focused on the intense danmaku duel, noticed Chen's sudden mishap.

Marisa: "Hey, Reimu! Did Chen just shoot herself in the face?"

Reimu, slightly bewildered, glanced over at Chen.

Reimu: "I think so. But why would she do that?"

Richard, attempting to suppress his mischievous grin, approached the scene with an innocent expression.

Richard: "Oops, my bad. Must be some weird danmaku turbulence in the air. Totally not my fault."

Chen, holding her now slightly reddened cheek, glared at Richard.

Chen: "You! Did you mess with my bullets?"

Richard shrugged nonchalantly.

Richard: "Who, me? Mess with your bullets? Of course not. Why would I do that?"

Reimu, Marisa, and Chen exchanged skeptical glances. Despite Richard's attempts to feign innocence, the trio wasn't entirely convinced.

Marisa: "haha I could of sword we told you to sit this one out ~ze "

Richard: "cmon, its freezing and you have been fighting for 15 minutes already"

Richard: "look ill just end this fast and you guys can fight the people who are actually involved in the incident, alright?"

Reimu and Marisa looks a little defeated and sighs

Marisa and Reimu: "Fine"

Richard: "alright then, about time I finish this up"

Richard pulls out a blue card from his pocket

Richard: "Cursed Technique: lapse blue"

The ethereal blue veil cloaked Richard's movements once again as he stepped into the danmaku duel. Chen, still recovering from the unexpected hit to her face, watched cautiously as Richard navigated through the magical bullets with ease.

He unleashed the ethereal blue orbs that homed in on Chen. The orbs hit their target with precision. Upon contact, Chen was enveloped in a blue glow and fell unconscious.

The danmaku duel came to an abrupt end as the blue orbs dissipated. Richard, with a triumphant smile, looked towards Reimu and Marisa.

Reimu and Marisa: " 0_0 "

Richard: "I'm done now, so lets get moving"

The trio continued their journey through Gensokyo, leaving the lost village behind. Chen, now unconscious, lay peacefully on the snowy ground, surrounded by the cats she had been taking care of.

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{A/n here, or should it be Blender? I don't know , but anyway for the first time ever I think I did MORE than I promised to do, I even had to stop myself from writing because I have to study, if I'm getting this kind of motivation after the week "break", maybe I should get stabbed more often haha}

{I forgot to do [ShirokamiKuroko]'s donation AGAIN so I will add yours next chapter(sorry btw)}

{also remember to use you power stones blah blah blah}

{Since I forgot to add his donation again, I'm gonna have remove the donation paragraph for this chapter, AGAIN, but you still get to vote ^_^}

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Vote here:

1) skip some enemies that are not too important for the incident to make the ark shorter but thus making a lower quality ark but the ark will be faster (not like the pace is a bad thing though, it just means you guys have to wait longer for the end of the ark)

2) have every enemy included and so having a higher quality ark but the ark will be slower (not like the pace is a bad thing though, it just means you guys have to wait longer for the end of the ark)

3) something else (if your option is good enough ill pick it over these first 2 votes)

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{decuple thank you to kind_chara for uhh, something (the amount of thank you's is getting absurd!)}

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{send me more comments and gifs since it makes my brain give the good chemicals}

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4459 words