@import or @require for shared Stylus partials when duplicate output is a concern

In a Stylus codebase with many partials that all depend on a shared library of mixins and variables, I need to pick a consistent inclusion strategy. Stylus documents two directives: @import inlines the target file on every reference, while @require includes a given file only once per compilation.

The concrete constraint is stylesheet size: the shared file is referenced from dozens of component partials, so I want to avoid duplicated CSS in the compiled output. @require seems like the obvious default, but I am unsure about the edge cases that affect the decision.

Specifically, the documentation and community notes suggest that @require deduplication is keyed on the resolved file path, which raises questions about symlinked or differently-pathed references to the same file. I also understand that mixing @import and @require on the same file can silently produce duplicates, since @import does not respect the already-loaded tracking.

My questions:

1. Is @require safe to rely on as the sole deduplication mechanism when some partials are reached through symlinks or relative paths that resolve differently?
2. When a file genuinely needs per-call-site re-evaluation (e.g. a mixin that emits context-dependent rules), is there a documented pattern for combining it with @require-managed dependencies without double output?
3. Does deduplication behave predictably with glob patterns like @require 'components/*', or does ordering become ambiguous?

Assume a recent Stylus version compiled via the Node.js API; I can verify behavior with a small two-partial test project if needed.