pyroiroh
farmer
Mako, I may not have known you personally, but I'll miss you!
Posts: 53
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Post by pyroiroh on Aug 11, 2007 21:10:46 GMT 1
“With me,” Jin repeated absent-mindedly. He couldn’t focus on the words. Aear’s tears were distracing him far too much. “Look Aear,” he spoke clearly but softly, “you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
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The~Quenchiest
workman
Squish, squash sling that slang! I'm always right back at'cha; like my...BOOMERANG!
Posts: 410
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Post by The~Quenchiest on Aug 11, 2007 21:18:23 GMT 1
She was annoyed that he was being so understanding. He was so kind and she was just being selfish. "Stop it." she said but not entirely meaning it. "I do want to come with you and show you what I can do. Its just that, I dont know if I can. I havent practiced in so many years." she told him. She had stopped crying now. "You see, my mother was my Master. She was an amazing Waterbender and she taught me everything I know. But, before I had completed my training, she was killed....by the Fire Nation." she said, her voice wavering a bit.
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pyroiroh
farmer
Mako, I may not have known you personally, but I'll miss you!
Posts: 53
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Post by pyroiroh on Aug 11, 2007 21:27:09 GMT 1
Jin was still holding Aear by the shoulders. She wasn’t crying any more and he heard a mixture between defiance and sorrow in her voice as she told spoke to him. He continued holding her as he spoke, “I’m sorry.”
Jin was no sheltered child. He too felt the sting of loss. And had seen first hand what the Fire Nation was capable of. Not entirely sure of what to do next, he improvised. He smiled and said, “Forget the bending. Its apparently Kagoshi’s birthday and we need to be far happier than we are right now. Besides, if you haven’t noticed I do know where you live. And I believe I’m running low on mangos,” he said with extra humor. Especially since he was pretty sure the two creates of mangoes he had at home were going bad at this very moment. He slowly released her shoulders and stepped back to once again bask in her beauty.
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The~Quenchiest
workman
Squish, squash sling that slang! I'm always right back at'cha; like my...BOOMERANG!
Posts: 410
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Post by The~Quenchiest on Aug 11, 2007 21:40:32 GMT 1
Aear sniffed, feeling better already. She was lucky to have met Jin. She laughed, glad that their spirits were rising. Even the thought of carry crates of mangos up from the basement tomorrow didnt get to her. She found his eyes again and smiled. "No, lets go. You've given me new confidence. Its time to clear out the cobwebs and practices mother's teachings proudly." she said. She reached out, grabbed his hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Ready to eat?" she asked.
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pyroiroh
farmer
Mako, I may not have known you personally, but I'll miss you!
Posts: 53
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Post by pyroiroh on Aug 11, 2007 21:46:57 GMT 1
At the question Jin’s stomach lurched. Like a large beast waking from hibernation his stomach let out a large growl. What little tension left in the air was broken as Jin laughed and said looking down the front of his tunic, “You heard the woman, we’re going to go get you some food right now. So keep it down.”
He kept Aear’s grasp on him and pushed open the doors and allowed Aear to lead him as they entered the estate. His hand still felt warm…
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The~Quenchiest
workman
Squish, squash sling that slang! I'm always right back at'cha; like my...BOOMERANG!
Posts: 410
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Post by The~Quenchiest on Aug 11, 2007 21:55:54 GMT 1
Aear laughed with him. It was wonderful being able to dismiss unpleasent moments so quickly and not linger on them. She nodded in thanks as he pushed open then door and stepped in, much happier then she had been the first time. She smiled at Kagoshi. "Sorry about that. We're ready now. Lead the way."
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Post by Pink Pearl Voice! Sakura-chan on Aug 12, 2007 0:43:12 GMT 1
Kagoshi was standing near the door, and she heard everything that they had said.Pain lurched inside of her.It had felt like something had stabbed her.Aear's mom had been killed by firebenders.One side of her felt hatred.The other felt guilt.What could she chose.She felt as if her head were on fire as she clutched it, sweating. "We're ready now." The words broke Kagoshi out of her trance. "S-sure,!" she smiled, and led them into the dining hall.Syaoran was sitting at the table. "Hey!" he winked,"thought I'd come early." "Hi," she said smiled.Then she said quietly," My father cannot make it to dinner.Guess we'll have to eat without him!" The table was already set.There was salad,mashed potatoes, and steak covered in gravy. "Dig in!" Kagoshi giggled."But not literally!" She ate happily, listening to the occasional talk.Her eyes wandered around the table.They fell on Aear, who was smiling.The fever seemed to come back.She clutched her head with one hand. "Excuse me," she said quietly as her face drained from color. She got up from the table and stomped up the stairs.She wasn't trying to make so much noise, she just did.She went to her room and collapsed unto her bed, her head still burning.She got up weakly and closed the door. "Why did I have to be a firebender?!" she yelled as she put candles on her desk.Then, to get her anger out, she threw flame at them and lit them perfectly."WHY WHY WHY?! They cause so much pain, so much misery, and I'm one! I can't believe it! Why am I me? Aear's ancestors soothed, mine KILLED!She's a water bender, I'm fire!I shouldn't even be wearing this!" She tugged at her dress in disdain."And, the worst thing is, Aear and Jin don't even know...I feel SO alone!"With that she jumped onto the bed and started sobbing into her pillow. Someone knocked gently on the door.It was Aear.Kagoshi sat up and dried of her face. "Hi!" she smiled weakly."What's up?" Her head burned the most it had at this, but she held her cry back.
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The~Quenchiest
workman
Squish, squash sling that slang! I'm always right back at'cha; like my...BOOMERANG!
Posts: 410
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Post by The~Quenchiest on Aug 12, 2007 1:19:23 GMT 1
Aear followed Kagoshi to the dining hall, Jin behind her. They were greeted by a wonderfully set table. Aear gave the foods a quick glance and was glad to see there was something she could eat. They took their seats. Aear smiled to Syaoran before sitting. She put on her plate a large pile of salad and mashed potatoes. Before anyone could ask she said, "I'm a vegitarian." and began to eat.
It was an excellent meal from the first bite. The greens were fresh as well as the vegetables. The potatoes were moist and tasted wonderful with butter and salt. After about ten minutes, Kagoshi made an abrupt exit. Aear stopped chewing a bite of salad and stuck her jaw off to the side with a curious expression on her face. She then swallowed and put her fork down. She waited for a moment or two after Kagoshi had disappeared then stood up. "Excuse me as well. Bathroom." she said giving the two men a smile. She tossed her napkin in her chair and headed upstairs after Kagoshi.
She listened closely to find which room Kagoshi had entered. She heard her voice coming from a room not far down the hall. She walked slowly towards it, hearing every word of Kagoshi's shouting. She waited outside the door until the room fell silent. When it did, she gave a soft knock and entered. Kagoshi was on her bed and seemed to have been crying. She closed the door behind her and smiled. "Hi." she said back. Her tone was friendly but had hint of anger in it. She had overheard Kagoshi's secret of being a Firebender and was not happy about it. She walked over to her but did not sit down. "Is there something you want to tell me?" she asked, giving her a stern look.
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Post by Pink Pearl Voice! Sakura-chan on Aug 13, 2007 1:56:11 GMT 1
There was a stern look on Aear's face and there was anger in her voice. Kagoshi looked horrified and clasped her ands to her mouth. "So, did you hear any of my secret?" she asked shaking. There was a stiff nod in her direction. "I'm sorry," she said as she stood quietly,"I don't know if I can see you anymore.I think you don't want to see me either.You can forget I ever met you, if you want. B-Bye...." She collapsed onto the floor and started shaking with silent sobs.Then, a second later,Kagoshi cried harder the she ever had in her life. "I'm s-s-sorry Mom," she sobbed, her voice muffled into the carpet," You died in vain 'cause of the firebenders.I c-cou-couldn't make any friends.I don't even wanna live anymore."With that her tears renewed.Over her sobs she heard something like footsteps on her carpet.Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Aear walk towards her.She seemed at a loss for words, and her expression was like she had extreme guilt.Then, her vision blurred again. "Aear,Jin,Syaoran," she cried quietly,"I'm sorry......I'm sooo sorry....Bye." And with that she became silent. PS: Im almost cried when I wrote this. PPSS: Don't worry, Kago's not DEAD.She just stopped crying.Sheesh.......
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pyroiroh
farmer
Mako, I may not have known you personally, but I'll miss you!
Posts: 53
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Post by pyroiroh on Aug 13, 2007 7:28:04 GMT 1
\\TMM! I know you were probably very excited to make a Firebender. But surely you must see how hard it will be to role play a character that is automatically hated by pretty much.... everyone. I speak only for myself when I say that my character isn't going to let Kagoshi be his friend easily. I'm not pulling any punches just to keep a story aloft. Jin won't make this easy. But you should have known that before creating a Firebender.
.... I'm sorry I didn't warn you earlier....
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The~Quenchiest
workman
Squish, squash sling that slang! I'm always right back at'cha; like my...BOOMERANG!
Posts: 410
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Post by The~Quenchiest on Aug 13, 2007 15:04:45 GMT 1
(I agree as I'm sure you know. It will take some work to get Kagoshi back into Aear's good graces.)
Aear listened. She did not want to hear it though. This girl before her lied to her from the moment they met. Her mother had raised her to be understanding and kind but this pushed Aear past her limit of tolerance. It was true what Kagoshi spoke, she had no desire to ever speak to Kagoshi again. Hate had grown with in Aear's heart and she hated Kagoshi even more for planting the seed. But even as her anger took over, deep within was the smallest trace of pity. Kagoshi had not chosen her parents and had not chosen to be in ranks with the Fire Nation.
Aear took a step forward and let her arms drop, working very hard to restrain herself from shouting. "I don’t know what holds me back from turning you in. Perhaps it is the pity I feel for you or perhaps it is the kindness of my heart. Either way you should be grateful. You live amongst those your people slaughter ruthlessly and without reason and do nothing to stop them. You should feel ashamed of yourself." She turned for the door. With her hand on the knob she turned. "It is I who am sorry." she whispered. And without another word, she left.
Aear walked swiftly down the stairs and back into the dining hall. It was obvious she had been riled up by something for she did nothing to hide it. She did not return to her seat but moved directly towards Jin. She bent over and spoke softly into his ear. "We have to go." she said. She stepped back so he could rise and looked to Syaoran. "There is someone upstairs who needs you." she said briskly. She left no time for him to question her but went straight to the door, holding it open for Jin.
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Post by Pink Pearl Voice! Sakura-chan on Aug 15, 2007 2:10:44 GMT 1
(Yeah, but I guess I avoided that, knowing that I would tell Aear LAT-ER in the story, but then The~Quenchiest made her character HAVE to hear so what was I to do?She put me into a bad situation.Of course, I mean no offense....really. Oh and by the way, don't tell Jin yet.Please?)
Kagoshi stopped crying as suddenly as Aear left the room. "I can't cry anymore," she said quietly,shaking."It's...It's as if she took all of my tears with her when she left."Then, her head jerked suddenly as she heard footsteps pounding up the stairs.She looked around the room for metal, an idea forming in her mind.She found a metal belt, used for strapping firewood together, and pushed it onto the end in her door.She then blasted it with fire so it melted and sealed the crack, making it so that you couldn't open her door.A thump echoed in the silence.Someone was trying to push her door open. "Sorry Sy," she said unemotionally as the thump echoed again."I'm not talking.Or coming out." She crossed the room and shut the window."I'm not sure WHEN I will...."She sighed as she heard the front doors closing. "Ms. Nosy has left the building.Probably going of with Mr. Steal-Your-Pants to arrest me."
~ ~ ~ ~
Syaoran sat at the table for a moment after girl had left. "They seemed nice, but I wonder why..." his eyes became as wide as saucers as he whispered,"Kagoshi's secret." He pounded up the stairs. "Kagoshi?" He called nervously.Then, he saw a closed door."Gawd," he said as he rammed the door."Why won't it open?!" Suddenly, he noticed silver poking out it.He stopped ramming the door and kneeled on the floor. "She's closed herself in," he said hoarsely,"but I wonder how that girl found out?Kago couldn't have told her...it took her at least a MONTH to tell me.She must've blurted it out, and the girl overheard." He put his hands on his knees as anger surged through him."Why Why Why?"With that, he stod up and walked down the hall, his face shady.
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pyroiroh
farmer
Mako, I may not have known you personally, but I'll miss you!
Posts: 53
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Post by pyroiroh on Aug 15, 2007 8:55:56 GMT 1
“Heaven’s above” Jin said aloud as he stared at all the food. It had been quite some time since he had been served an enormous feast like this. He’d forgotten what the sweet life could hold for people lucky enough to be rich in this world. As soon as they were seated Jin barely waited for the cue from his hostess before filling his plate with as much food as it could hold. The mashed potatoes were delicious and the salad had ingredients that he’d never even SEEN before! But the steak was by far, the best! The gravy was amazing and the steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare! A real treat! Before he could even finish his first plate, Jin was interrupted by Kagoshi who left the dinning room rather suddenly. Followed quickly by Aear, who was mumbling something about a bathroom. Jin thought about the two women for a fleeting moment… before noticing there was more steak! He had started his third plate when Aear came briskly back into the dinner hall and told him they needed to leave. There was an air in her step and voice that made Jin immediately obedient. Right after inhaling the last of his steak that is. She was waiting at the door. He quickly thanked Syaoran since Kagoshi still hadn’t come back. Feeling a little sheepish for eating and running, Jin slipped past Aear and headed toward the main gates.
“Is everything ok Aear? Did something happen back there?” Jin asked finally turning on Aear. He didn’t know what was going on, and disliked being left in the dark.
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The~Quenchiest
workman
Squish, squash sling that slang! I'm always right back at'cha; like my...BOOMERANG!
Posts: 410
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Post by The~Quenchiest on Aug 15, 2007 9:23:27 GMT 1
When Jin was over the threshold, Aear stepped out herself without even a parting smile to Syaoran. As she pulled the door shut, she allowed some of her anger to translate over to her action, causing the door to bang rather loudly on contact. She walked down the steps after Jin and soon over took him, walking very quickly with a need to get far from this place. She didnt reply to Jin right away. They had exited the gates and were half way to a stream Aear had once practiced at before she spoke. "Everything is fine. " she said, doing the best she could to steady her voice and appear calm. She stopped and looked at him, putting on the best smile she could muster right now. "Kagoshi just needs some time to herself right now. Dont worry, she'll be fine." she added, knowing her first little lie wouldnt do the trick. She spun around quickly, hair flying and continued towards the stream. Now would be the perfect time to practice her bending. Re-opening the channels of wisdom her mother had taught would be much easier when she had a purpose to do so, besides simply impressing someone. Her stumble across Kagoshi's secret had reminded her that the Fire Nation was still out there and at any moment they could next be heading for her town. She needed to be ready to fight.
They had left the town now and the surround now consisted of boulders, a few trees, shrubs, and a solitary stream that snaked away into the horizon. The sun was all but gone now, casting no more then a faint glow over the land. Time of day didnt matter to Aear now. She wanted to practice even if Jin left. "Well, here it is." she said, holding out her arms and presenting the area. "Like it?" she asked, now wearing a real smile. She turned to gaze over the land, her sanctuary. She was perturbed that she could not enjoy its full serenity as the thoughts of what she had just learned nagged at her brain. Her posture made this clear. She looked tense and uncomfortable, like she couldnt relax.
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Post by Pink Pearl Voice! Sakura-chan on Aug 16, 2007 1:05:37 GMT 1
Kagoshi got up from the floor where she sat and through a ball of fire in the fireplace. "My life ALWAYS goes this way," she said darkly, pacing."I can't believe it.People usually think that I'm so lucky or that I'm dumb because my dad is rich, but I'm not.Just because you have money doesn't mean you get to party all the time.And it certainly DOESN'T mean I'm dumb.Life is hard, especially for a firebender.I wish the war had ended because then, Aear wouldn't give a dang if I was a firebender or not.It would just be so nice..." Kagoshi sighed, and grabbed a few scrolls, a pen, and an ink bottle from her desk and put them on her bed.Then, she grabbed a piece of wood and put it under one of her scrolls. She took her pen, dipped it in ink, and started drawing.After a few minutes,she found it impossible to sketch anything happy, so she sketched sad things.When half of her scrolls were gone, she got up and decided to take a walk.She took off her clothes and put on a green long sleeved shirt, a black-and-green Earth Kingdom vest, and black capris.She took the braid out of her hair and took the blue tips out of it too, so her hair was just plain black.She twisted it onto two buns on the top of her head.She also put a black headband in i her hair.Kagoshi put a green ribbon with a bell around her neck and tied it in a bow.She slipped on black boots and filled her green backpack with bandages,blank scrolls,ink,pens,clips, and spare ribbons.She put ten copper peices in the front pocket. Kagoshi took one last look in the mirror.To herself,she looked completely different.It was as if her spirit was possessing someone else. "Bye me," she said,"Hello Konoharu."And with that, she took a running start and flipped out the window.
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pyroiroh
farmer
Mako, I may not have known you personally, but I'll miss you!
Posts: 53
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Post by pyroiroh on Aug 16, 2007 6:15:31 GMT 1
Jin allowed himself to be lead out of the city by Aear. He wasn’t completely convinced by her answer, and every step she took seemed to reinforce the thought that she was angry about something she wasn’t going to tell him. As he thought about it, he would shrug it off and say to himself that it could be worse.
Finally Aear stopped and announced they had arrived at their destination. It was a beautiful opening in an otherwise sparse forest. It was flanked on either side by small stone ridges. And in the middle ran a small stream. It was private, but spacious and was definitely prettier than most of the countryside surrounding the village.
“It’s amazing,” Jin said with his mouth dropping slightly. He wasn’t kidding. Usually he just finds some rocks around his shack to play with. But nothing like this! All of a sudden, his urge to bend came full force and he couldn’t wait to start!
“Alright Aear,” he said stepping forward away from her. “I’m going to do some stretches than some basic drills my master taught me, then I’ll be ready to give you my full attention to see what you can do! So lets get started!”
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The~Quenchiest
workman
Squish, squash sling that slang! I'm always right back at'cha; like my...BOOMERANG!
Posts: 410
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Post by The~Quenchiest on Aug 16, 2007 6:25:56 GMT 1
Aear once more tried to shake herself of negative feelings. She needed to focus now. Three long years had passed since she even thought about bending. She rolled her shoulders and swung her head side to side, trying to work out any kinks. She rubbed her hands nervously and nodded to Jin. What was she going to do? She didnt remember any of the warm-ups her mother had taught her. She racked her brain, looking for even the simplest of moves. Then she found one. She took a step away from Jin so she didnt crowd his space. Facing the sun kissed horizon, she stood with her feet shoulder width apart, breathing deep a slow. After housing emotions of hate and anger for a time, a wave of calm now swept over Aear. She closed her eyes and in rhythm with her breathing she brought her hands up parallel to the ground, then let them slowly fall, palms up, back to her sides. She did this several more times until she felt as cool and peacful as the stream that meandered past them. "Ready whenever you are." she said dreamily.
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pyroiroh
farmer
Mako, I may not have known you personally, but I'll miss you!
Posts: 53
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Post by pyroiroh on Aug 16, 2007 6:42:37 GMT 1
Similarly to Aear, Jin swung his arms and neck. He stretched his legs the longest though. Making sure his muscles were nice and loose. After that he started his slow movements that made up his basic training. He stood with a bend in his legs and back as if ready to tackle a platypus bear. He then moved his legs slowly and deliberately as he stepped left and right. As he did he felt every spec of dust under his footsteps. His steps quickly became very hard and strong. He then let his fists push away from him with a similar intensity. Making sure that he kept his focus solely on the movement of his body, he continued doing this until finally he started to let his energy flow. From the bottom of his feet he felt the rush. As though his soul were trying to escape his body through his legs. As the energy left him, he watched as the ground shifted in a straight line from where his foot pointed. In the distance he watched a rock no larger than his fist pop out of the ground straight up. He didn’t stop to watch it land but continued taking another step on his other side and watched for the same result. He repeated the process for another ten minutes, keeping his mind entirely on his body and the Earth directly below him. When he finished, he brushed the sweat from his brow.
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The~Quenchiest
workman
Squish, squash sling that slang! I'm always right back at'cha; like my...BOOMERANG!
Posts: 410
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Post by The~Quenchiest on Aug 16, 2007 6:55:54 GMT 1
Aear watched Jin with admiration and a hint of jealousy. He was confident in his abilites while she wasnt so sure how her attempts would turn out. She studied his body posture, noticing how deliberate each move was. It was obvious how diffrent their styles of bending were. She smiled at him as he completed his exercises. She saw in his face her first test. She took several steps closer to the stream. She trembled ever so slightly. Finally besting her fear, she raised her right hand. It hung limp before her and it looked as if she had frozen. But then, she pulled it up gracefully and from the stream came a ribbon of water. Aear let out a small gasp. She had truthfully not expected it to work. Now using both hands, she guided the water over to Jin and using full concentration tried to brush it lightly across his forehead. In a flash, her actions suddenly went wrong and the water splashed down onto Jin's head. She covered her mouth with her hand, feeling very embarresed. "I'm sorry!" she blurted out.
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pyroiroh
farmer
Mako, I may not have known you personally, but I'll miss you!
Posts: 53
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Post by pyroiroh on Aug 17, 2007 5:11:56 GMT 1
Jin was speechless. He was in shock! The water trickeled off his face and onto the dirt, his arms were lifeless at his sides and all he could do was stare at Aear. “You… You!...”
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