Loot Trolling My Load Order

[Thane Baldur]

Tried everything but simply cannot resolve this tantrum Loot is having with the load order:

Error
Failed to sort plugins. Details:
Cyclic interaction detected between "Cutting Room Floor.esp" and "Ducks and Swans.esp":

Cutting Room Floor.esp
 [Masterlist Load After]
Guard Dialogue Overhaul.esp
 [Group]
Imp's More Complex Needs.esp
 [Master]
Ducks and Swans.esp
 [Group]
Cutting Room Floor.esp

1. Imp mod is not designated as an .esm but loads high in the order by default ie.

Ducks and Swans #16

Cutting Room Floor # 18

Guard Dialogue Overhaul #22

Imp's More Complex Needs #89

These mods use Skyrim and/or Update as esm masters.

Imp's mod adds a complex hunger/thirst/nutrition needs system. It lets you use custom keywords in SSEEdit that permit PC ability to eat both vanilla and custom mod foods. For this reason, it needs to be loaded as a master to whatever custom food plugin you're trying to edit. Yes I know you can make a compatibility patch that would resolve this issue. But I'm running short on plugin real estate and it's easier to make the changes to the original mod (ie adding 1-2 recipes) than to create a patch that takes up another plug in space.

2. For some reason, LOOT gave the Ducks and Swans mod a high priority (i.e. #17) in load order above Imp's mod (at #110). I'm guessing this is due to the Group flag currently on this mod?

3. When first edited the mod in SSE, added only  Imp's More Complex Needs as a master for the Ducks and Swans plugin header. The Imp mod has the Skyrim/Update esms as masters. The Duck mod originally had only the Skyrim esm.  The Update esm was loaded with Imp plugin by default) in SSEEdit.  Saved the plugin after changes I made to the Duck mod. Then manually shifted the Duck mod below Imp's mod (which was #110) to priority #111 in load order

4. Error msg began after trying to sort with LOOT. The CRF mod has all the DLC esm and USSEP patch as masters. I thought the Duck mod's missing masters was what was creating the conflict with CRF. So I updated the Duck mod header with the Skyrim, Update, DG, HF, DB and USSEP mods. Tried to sort with Loot but got same result.

5. Tried locking both Imp and/or Duck mod in load order above CRF but same result.

6. Get the same result regardless of whether the Ducks and Swans plugin is disabled or not in the desired load order (which has Imp's mod > Duck mod  in load order)

Clearly overlooking the obvious in resolving the load order problem. Checking the flag field for Imp's mod in SSEEdit, the mod indicates Groups is disabled. I have no problems moving it around in the load order. So this group feature appears to be forcing the Duck mod to load early at #16 in the load order. Speculating possibly because this group flag has made the Duck mod a part of the CRF group?

How to turn off the Group label for the Ducks and Swans mod?  Also using MO2. This isn't a MO2 issue since the mod load order in MO can be changed/locked etc. It's a Loot issue as Loot always throws an exception error msg if the load order is set/forced/locked in MO.