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| The Novazoic Version II; It's back | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 6 2016, 12:44 PM (2,314 Views) | |
| Beetleboy | Aug 6 2016, 12:44 PM Post #1 |
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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The Novazoic Version 2.0 Note: Original Novazoic Thread Some of you may remember my Novazoic project from last year, which was my very first project, and was gaining popularity before I lost interest. It's a shame, because I had worked really hard on the project, and quite a few people seemed to really like it. But I have quite short attention spans, but I have been working on making my attention span better since then. And, I'm glad to say, I've been working on the Novazoic again for a few months, and I think it's ready to be shown now. However, several things have been changed:
Timeline of Human Activities from 2040-3030 2040: the first human settlement on Mars. Most of their energy comes from solar power, as well as nuclear power transported from Earth. 2050: further colonisation of Mars – there are now 5 separate settlements on the planet, living in complex glass domes with small-scale farms for food such as cress, lettuce, etc. 2060: the very first asteroid miners are based on Mars, while separate small scale mines on the planet itself are taking off. Essential minerals can be used in everyday life and in building work, and mined ice from beneath the surface can be heated up to make water. 3000: Mars is becoming more and more habitable. The range of jobs is becoming greater there, with choices of miners, farmers, builders, etc. Larger farms are being built in large domes, and the community homes (known as lodges) of people are becoming more and more spacious. 3008: World War III. Earth is in uproar as a city is bombed, killing thousands, kicking off a cross-country war, which quickly built into something much greater as other countries took sides. 3010: Martians, who previously for the most part chose to take no sides, get caught up in the war. The Arsia Mons colony take sides and kill the President of America while he is at his personal home at the Valles Marineris colony, a place he considered safe. However, the bomb that killed him also took the lives of many Martians at the colony, thus starting a war between colonies on Mars. Soon, the Mars colony is caught up in the warfare on Earth. 3020: the war goes on, while scientists of all sides are got to work creating bigger and better weapons. Biological warfare is everywhere, with so-called 'virus bombs' being dropped in enemy countries and allowing artificial viruses and diseases to destroy the population. 3025: Mars is bombed, and colony by colony, humans go extinct there as genetically engineered viruses spread. 3030: as the war continues, people don't notice the asteroid which is about to smash into Earth. The combination of wars, dangerous viruses, and the asteroid wipes out humans for good, but the latter also affected life on Earth in general. Geography Australia has drifted southwards, so that the majority of its surface is rather cold. The northern areas of Australia are primarily temperate forest, with obvious seasonal changes, whereas the southern tip is much colder, covered in ice and snow for the most part of the year. Ice connects Antarctica to Australia, and several unusual life forms can be found dwelling beneath the ice. Australia and Antarctica are known collectively as Austrarctica. New Zealand is to the east of Australia, and is a remote Antarctic island connected by sea ice to Austrarctica during only part of the year. Africa and Asia are now fully connected and now form a new continent, known as Afrasia. It has moved north from the continents' original positions, so that areas of Asia are very cold and icy, with some temperate parts. The southern areas of Afrasia are mainly tropical, often covered in grassland or rainforest. Moving northwards up the continent, we see some desert and temperate areas. For this reason, Afrasia is known as the continent of extremes, with rainforests, tropical grassland, temperate forests and grassland, and even semi-polar areas in the north. Europe has moved north with the rest of Afrasia, so now Great Britain has a climate more combarable to the nothern areas of Norway. Just above Madagascar is the island of Kisiwa, made up of what was once Tanzania, Kenya, and Somalia. South America has split off from North America and drifted south slightly. The southerly tip of South America can often be very cold, sometimes covered in ice and snow. More northerly portions of the continent are desert, temperate forest, or rainforest, depending on which area. North America has not moved much, only very slightly to the north, and the climates and habitats there have not changed much. Note: sorry the geography's short, it isn't my strong point. Survivors (the list is not currently complete) Invertebrates Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals Contents General: Species by Location Timeline Mammals: Koomba Boxer Wallaby Birds Burrunjor Reptiles Waterglider Pipsqueak Amphibians Whiskered Qilin Fish Ningyo Invertebrates Kauhoe-Kirikiti Flora and Fungi Flora of Austrarctica Edited by Beetleboy, Aug 19 2016, 12:52 PM.
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| Beetleboy | Aug 9 2016, 06:35 AM Post #16 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Thank you.
Yeah, I always think that it is disappointing that projects don't include more little creatures. I will also try and include more plants in this project. |
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| Beetleboy | Aug 11 2016, 05:16 AM Post #17 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Sorry about the double-post. Sorry about lack of updates. I am having an influx of new ideas for Austrarctica, New Zealand, Madagascar, and South Asia. There should be an update tonight. I am planning to remain in Austrarctica for a little longer before moving onto new locations. |
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| Beetleboy | Aug 11 2016, 09:26 AM Post #18 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Boxer Wallaby After Australia's large predators died out (Megalania, marsupial lion, thylacine), during the late Holocene there were no big carnivores to prey upon the creatures of Australia. However, as the continent drifted towards Antarctica, this all changed. The burrunjors evolved: giant, flightless, predatory descendants of swamphens. They are fast enough to outrun a hopping kangaroo, and defences such as kicking will not deter these large predators. They have sharp bills for tearing for killing: some can crush bones to get at the marrow, others are designed for shearing through meat. No defences that prey species had in the Holocene could deter these new predators. However, as the burrunjors evolved, it became an evolutionary armsrace between it and its prey. The macropods, which make up the majority of large herbivores, took a variety of different paths to escape the burrunjors. Yongas go for safety in numbers, grouging together in large herds called troups, and as an extra defence, have hard keratinous horns on their heads to protect them from predators. The koombas instead became huge to give them the upperhand over the predators. However, the boxer wallaby opted for a different tactic. It does not live in large groups like the yongas, and it may be around 2 metres tall, but it does nothing to deter predators like the great size of the koomba does. Instead, this animal goes for a more active defence. Its alternative name, darp-yonga, gives it away, for it means in Aboriginal tongue: knife kangaroo. Anatomy: Boxer wallabies are part of a group called 'walking kangaroos'. This is because they walk in a bipedal fashion rather similar to humans, and are unable to hop. The stiff lumbar spine, a short, broad sacrum, and ankle joints allowing for more weight to be put on the medial side of the foot, all help this walking locomotion. Their feet are shorter than in most kangaroos, as it would be impossible to walk at any speed with the long feet getting in the way. Still, they are not very fast, but can still speed-walk if they must. Most walking kangaroos walk completely upright like a human, and because of this the tail would only get in the way, so it short and stubby, rather like a deer's tail. Boxer wallabies have very well developed arm muscles, allowing them to punch with incredible force. However, when confronted with a predator such as a burrunjor, it just isn't enough to deter them, so this species has taken it a step further. The fifth digit is covered in a hard, horn-like sheaf, which extends well past the tip of the finger, creating a long, curved spike, which has a razor-sharp edge. It grows in layers, and on each layer there is a serration at the edge. This claw is extremely dangerous, and a well-aimed punch at a small burrunjor can easily be deadly. Even the largest burrunjors, which rival the sizes of the prehistoric large theropods of the Mesozoic, are wary when hunting boxer wallabies, for they are powerful enough to cut into the predator's leg. For a creature that relies so heavily on running to catch its prey, a bad wound to the limb could be very dangerous. Boxer wallabies grow to around 2 metres in height, and are mostly browsers. What food they can't reach with their mouth, they use their arms to pull down. Every digit has a slightly curved claw – though non are so long and dangerous – for hooking down branches and bringing foliage down to the mouth. Behaviour: Boxer wallabies live in small groups of females, from 3-10 individuals, typically. However, the males are for the most part solitary, except for the breeding season, when a male will find a group of females and they will temporarily become his harem. He must protect his harem from rival males, which will seek to push him out and take his place. At first they will display to see who is the most powerful, by holding their arms out wide to make their chest muscles obvious, and throwing back their heads and letting out bellowing calls. If one is obviously stronger than the other, than the lesser will back down – however, if they are evenly matched, then they will fight. They do not use their defensive claws in these fights, they would be too dangerous and the results would be dead or mortally wounded males. Instead they push their chests against each other, spread out their arms, and lock claws. They will attempt to push the other backwards, or twist each other over. These fights can last quite some time, until one contender finally backs down. Boxer wallabies live in the northern temperate forests, from bloodtree scrub, to immense hanging-pine woods. Edited by Beetleboy, Aug 11 2016, 11:21 AM.
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| Beetleboy | Aug 11 2016, 11:19 AM Post #19 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Burrunjor A lack of large predators in Australia was what set in motion the evolution of the Novazoic's largest terrestrial predators – this empty niche was simply begging to be filled, but it was not mammals that got there first, but birds. So what kind of bird became the huge predator of Austractica? A majestic bird of prey? Perhaps the dangerous cassowary? No, it was a swamphen, of all things. Evolution: Just after the Holocene, during the early Anaktisozoic (0-39 million years hence), a species of waterhen ventured out of its mainly watery homes to hunt the small frogs and other small animals which were abundant in the damp habitats nearby. The hunting for these waterhens was good, and they became bigger to cope with larger prey items. They became the earliest burrunjors, though they remained fairly small, no more 1 metre in height. Some pinned their prey beneath their toes, then pecked them to death, others kicked it until the small animal died. However, most used their powerful, razor-sharp bill to hunt. They began to spread across Australia, filling habitats not just around their swampy homes, but in forests, deserts, and scrub. With the aftermath of the asteroid still being felt, it was almost an eventuality that the highly succesful, widespread early burrunjors were going to fill the niche of the large predator. Sure enough, there was an explosion in size amongst these birds, leading to them to lose their flight but become faster to hunt prey such as kangaroos. In doing so, the burrunjors set in motion the events that would lead to the evolution of such mammalian wonders as the koombas and boxer wallabies. Anatomy: Now in the Novazoic, the burrunjors are doing better than ever. They are doing so well, in fact, that no mammal has managed to grab a niche of a large predator (although a few have become medium or small predators). The burrunjors of the Novazoic are rather different from their early Anaktisozoic ancestors. They now have much shorter toes, and more powerful legs for running. Their necks are filled with muscles for jerking the head back and forth in the movement of tearing away the flesh of prey. The bill is large and has a serrated edge, perfect for shearing through meat, and the eyesight of this bird has improved greatly. Another notable difference is that all Novazoic burrunjors have been forced to evolve a longer tail to balance out their heavy beak. All these factors combined have made for a striking resemblance between the burrunjors and the large theropod dinosaurs of the Mesozoic. A particularly large species could be likened to a beaked T. rex. Size varies from species to species. The smallest are around 1.5-2 metres in height, the largest are about 4 metres at the shoulder. Behaviour: Burrunjor behaviour varies enormously from species to species. A few are solitary, but most hunt in packs ruled by an alpha male and female. They mate for life. Reproduction occurs during the spring, and nests are made in sheltered, hidden areas. The smaller species may make their nest out of branches and leaves, the largest just dig a bowl in the ground. A clutch of eggs is usually quite large, varying from 4-12 eggs depending on species. The female will look after her eggs carefully, incubating them and being fed by her mate. Once the chicks hatch, she will continue to care for them for a long time afterwards, at first feeding them chunks of meat and then showing them how to hunt. She may catch a young, weak animal but keep it alive for her chicks to practice hunting on. |
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| Ursumeles | Aug 11 2016, 01:20 PM Post #20 |
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Newborn
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I never read the original, as I aren't long in this forum, but I must say that the new version is extremely good! Let it so great! |
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Spoiler: click to toggle That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die. -H.P. Lovecraft | |
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| Corecin | Aug 11 2016, 01:34 PM Post #21 |
Prime Specimen
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It's only been three days, it's fine if there's no updates for that short of a time. Also this project is really good, my favorite part has to be that I can imagine what these creatures are without having a need for images. |
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| Tartarus | Aug 12 2016, 01:10 AM Post #22 |
Prime Specimen
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While the burrunjor is quite an intriguing creature, I'm wondering about the plausibility of a bird re-evolving a longer tail. Seeing as all modern birds have long since had their old tail vertebrae fused into a single pygostyle, I'm not sure what sort of changes could get this to re-lengthen into a proper tail again. |
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| Nyarlathotep | Aug 12 2016, 06:26 AM Post #23 |
The Creeping Chaos
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Sylvyornis got some of the way there with added vertebrae, which at least shows it's conceivable. Likely, perhaps not. |
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| Beetleboy | Aug 13 2016, 12:25 PM Post #24 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Ah, constructive criticism brings back fond memories of battling it out with Hybrid over the likelyhood of predatory sea cucumbers evolving (he was right of course). Yes, while unlikely, it is not impossible, as Forbidden3 said. And in this case, without something to balance the creature out, it would simply fall face-first, so a tail is fairly neccasary for the burrunjor. |
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| Beetleboy | Aug 14 2016, 05:33 AM Post #25 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Pipsqueak There are 2 groups of crocodiles present in Austrarctica. They do not offer much diversity on this continent due to the cold climate (though we will see some interesting crocodilian diversification elsewhere). Because of the low temperature, the reptiles are forced to find ways to survive it. The first group, the migratory crocodiles, have solved this problem by annually swimming into the sea and across to warmer South Asian islands. The other group of crocodiles has come up with a different solution, and these are the pipsqeaks. They are the smallest crocodiles in the world, and are mostly terrestrial, but their small size means that they can make intricate networks of tunnels without them being so big that they collapse. Anatomy: Pipsqueaks grow to just 25 centimetres long in the largest species. They have scutes on their back, but they have a smoother tail, with no projections which might get in the way of burrowing. Their front limbs are very powerful and muscular, ending in curved claws for digging tunnels. When burrowing, pipsqueaks can cover their eyes with a nictating memrane to prevent it from getting clogged with dirt and dust. Similarly, their nostrils contain a mucous-covered flap inside which traps dirt to stop it from being inhaled. Pipsqueaks have short, stocky heads with large eyes for spotting their prey, and a mouth filled with tiny, sharp teeth. Behaviour: These small crocodilians dig burrows throughout the year. They usually have several entrances, which can either be a metre or so apart, or several. All of the tunnels lead to a central chamber where the pipsqueak is mostly safe from predators – though not quite. Snakes sometimes slither down the hole, either looking for a shelter or a meal, but these small but feisty crocodilians make short work of them, biting and snapping at even deadly venomous snakes until they slither away. However, the guni, a kind of possum, will hunt in pairs, one of them creeping down a tunnel to distract the pipsqueak. While the crocodile is fighting off that guni, its partner in crime creeps down another tunnel to catch the pipsqueak from behind. Then the possums work together to either get the crocodile into the main tunnel where there's more room, or it's already there, then flip it over to bite at its soft underbelly, killing it. The pipsqueak's own defence mechanism, having multiple tunnel entrances to escape down, is being used against it by the innovative guni. Pipsqueaks hibernate during the cold Austractican winter, shutting down their hole body as they curl up in the main chamber of their tunnel system. During the winter, their blood and tissues freeze, but amazingly they can survive this. The pipsqueaks have several adaptations for this, such as having glucose and urea can limit the amount of ice that forms. Pipsqueaks fight over territories and burrows by making shrill threatening squeaks, and if that doesn't work, then by engaging in a fight which will last just a few seconds. They will try to bite each other, but not with their full strength, simply nipping. Reproduction: During the breeding season in the spring, the males will start travelling through female territories, and upon meeting a female, will display by making throaty croaking noises. Females may reject a male by chasing him out of her territory while attempting to bite at him. Once having bred, the female will lay anything from 15-24 eggs in a new chamber in her tunnel system. The amount of time it takes for the eggs to hatch varies enormously, depending on temperature and moisture in the chamber, but on average they will take about 2 months to hatch. Once they do hatch, they will remain in the burrow for the first few weeks of their life, while the female brings food back for them to eat, demonstrating an unusual amount of parental care amongst reptiles. Eventually, however, the babies will instinctively leave the nest and the mother will drive them out of her territory. |
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| Beetleboy | Aug 14 2016, 05:36 AM Post #26 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Thank you!
I know, it's just that I very nearly finished an update on those days, so I felt more annoyed with myself for not finishing them rather than feeling bad.
Thank you! Edited by Beetleboy, Aug 14 2016, 05:36 AM.
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| Beetleboy | Aug 14 2016, 06:12 AM Post #27 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Kauhoe-Kirikiti In the Novazoic, New Zealand is an island just off the eastern coast of Austractica, covered in snowy mountains and temperate forests. It undergoes immense swings in climate from season to season: in the summer the weather is very warm and the midges swarm; during the winter the snow falls thickly and animals are forced to either hibernate, migrate, or cope with the cold. The Holocene has left New Zealand a sorry place: robbed of most of its unique species, and now covered it in invasive pigs and stoats. However, this has left for a fascinating mish-mash of species in the Novazoic. For the first time in millions of years, New Zealand is populated by large mammals, such as the herbivorous woodhogs and the predatory slinkers. Not all of the Novazoic New Zealand wildlife are descendants of invaders, however – far from it. Life has been resiliant, and relics such as tuatara descendants can still be found on the islands. The amount of flightless birds has been depleted, and those that still reside on the ground have evolved defence mechanisms against predatory mammals such as slinkers. One of the diminutive and overlooked native animals of New Zealand is the kauhoe-kirikiti. Its name derives from Maori, and literally means 'swimming cricket'. Evolution: During the Holocene, a species known as the Raukumara tusked weta was discovered in 1996. It was unusual because of its defensive behaviour: when threatened by a would-be predator, it would dive into a stream and remain there for up to 3 minutes, until the threat had passed. From there, it was an easy step to become more aquatic. The lure of a safer envioroment and plentiful food drew the wetas in, and by the mid Anaktisozoic, aquatic wetas could be found in most streams and rivers of North Island. Anatomy: The kauhoe-kirikiti grows to 6 centimetres long in the larger females, not including the long ovipositor. They lack the tusk-like mandibles of their ancestors, the tusked wetas, and have a fairly similar anatomy to a normal weta. Their main difference are their spiracles, which are covered in a series of flap-like projections. When coming to the surface, the insect raises its flaps to let air in and become trapped in the hairs beneath. When underwater, it closes the flaps, trapping air bubbles underneath to be breathed in by the spiracles. Behaviour: This species is an opportunistic omnivore, eating plant matter, carrion, and live prey. It mostly stays on the river bottom, crawling over and under stones, scraping algae off rocks using their mandibles, and sometimes surprising small fish and invertebrates hidden under the rock, then catching them using lightning fast reactions and extendable mouthparts. The kauhoe-kirikiti's hind limbs are very powerful, and have paddle-like flanges to aid swimming. When the insect needs more air, it will kick out and swim to the surface, then float there for a moment on its side, with its flaps open. After that, it will turn over and do the same on the other side, before returning to the riverbed to forage. Female wetas lay eggs under stones and in crevices using their long ovipositor, and the babies are tiny versions of the adults. They have bristle-like projections on their mouthparts which allows them to filter feed during the first part of their life. During the winter, kauhoe-kirikitis are not active, instead finding a sheltered spot to hibernate. |
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| DroidSyber | Aug 14 2016, 06:16 AM Post #28 |
I'll cut ya swear on me mum
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Nice use of the swimming wetas! I remember how good the original was, and this looks like it's a equal. ( please tell me the cowsnails are still canon) |
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Non Enim Cadunt! No idea how to actually hold down a project. | |
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| Beetleboy | Aug 14 2016, 06:28 AM Post #29 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Huh? Cowsnails? Those were from a completely different project, remember? I don't think you had joined yet when I had the first version of the Novazoic around. |
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| DroidSyber | Aug 14 2016, 06:46 AM Post #30 |
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I'll cut ya swear on me mum
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I hadn't. That doesn't mean I didn't read it. |
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Non Enim Cadunt! No idea how to actually hold down a project. | |
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