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 Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 1:40 pm
Galena-- or rather Elle in her civilian life-- had been somewhat reclusive in the days following Das Gift. She had been lucky and safe, escaping the first phase and surviving the second with hardly any injuries to her person, physical or mental. But that was largely in part due to sacrifices from other officers and the fact she had vanished in the second phase and never made an appearance in the third. She had decided she had hit her limit and didn’t want to take any more risks to herself and left.
Still, the things Cinnabar and Schorl had done which directly kept her safe left a debt on her conscience, and one she had hoped she could repay and further connect with both women.
But that was the reasoning she had ended up at the home of Ariel Mishnah, dressed in her prim and proper vintage style and bearing a packed bag full of various containers and odds and ends hoping something in there was going to soothe the fellow lieutenant’s woes. She wasn’t sure what ot bring her as an offering, so there was mostly, well, everything. Burn salves, remedies, home cooked meals, treats, whatever.
It was hard being entirely unfamiliar with what the other woman enjoyed, but it didn’t stop her from trying. She knocked on the door and adjusted her waiting stance with poise, hoping for an answer.
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 12:26 am
The last thing Ariel had been expecting today was a knock on the shabby door of her shabby apartment. At least, not yet... she hadn't ordered pizza yet.
When the door opened, it revealed a very disheveled looking, mostly-naked woman with an annoyed expression and a cigarette between pursed lips, words dying on them as she realized just who was on the other side of her threshold.
"Ah... Elle? What... um... Come in." Ariel said as she took the cig from her mouth and opened the door wider, feeling for a half a moment stupid in what she was wearing. It was little more than a scrap of silk in a guady faux chinese pattern... a house robe one of her girlfriends had left behind once upon a time, now re-purposed as something she could actually stand to wear with her burns in such awkward places. The sleeves had been used to wrap around her ample chest and tied off, the belt cinching it in at the waist to keep the ensemble closed and decent... but only barely. It hardly reached more than an inch or two below her a**, but that had been the whole point... to leave her shoulders and thighs bare.
Elle on the other hand looked positively posh in these drab surroundings. She stood out like a sore thumb in a building that truly gave the owner the title 'slum lord'. Cracked and peeling wallpaper on the walls, hard wood floors in desperate need of sanding and dark with stain... Ariel leaned out just enough to glance up and down the hall and hoped no one had seen the woman coming up here, both for her safety and the lack of rumor mill fodder. Her neighbors already gossiped like fish wives about the women she brought home...
The apartment opened up to Elle was marginally better than the hallway, as the walls were freshly painted within the last couple of years and the floor was clean, if as worn as the one in the hall. It was noticeably empty of much in the way of furniture, just a couch off to the side in front of a tv stand and a small, cluttered desk. Most of the floor was empty space, save for the few feet in front of the windows where three different cat trees dominated the space alongside what looked like the torso and head of a plastic man on a stand. Three pairs of eyes watched the door with curiosity from the room's occupants, the fourth creature sound asleep and uncaring who was at the door. A hallway hinting at a bedroom and bathroom further back.
Ariel was faced with a choice of responses for the state of her home and herself right now, dressed in hardly anything with a tousled new hair cut and not a scrap of make up on... she could be embarrassed, or she could own it, and the choice was really no choice at all for the tall woman. Cocking a hip to hold the door open, she crossed an arm under her chest and took another drag from her cigarette, blowing it down and to the side so as not to bother her guest.
"I wasn't expecting company, sweetheart, but I'm not complaining." She said with a cheeky smile.
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 7:41 pm
Elle took pride in her appearance for sure, with her lips perfectly lined in dark color on her pale skin and the figure flattering birdie dress and nylons. Toss in the lace gloves and the reserved way she held her bag on her arm and she looked like a period piece, but that was intentional. Very little she did wasn't.
But in spite of all that, walking through the building with its peeling walls and dirty floors. She was oddly comfortable in her surroundings, probably because it was environments like this where she'd grown up. That was a secret though, and no one had to know that.
The way Ariel was dressed when she answered the door drew a mild reaction, though, as Elle looked her up and down and flushed when she realized she was staring. "I can wait outside if you'd like to-- I mean..." Ariel clearly didn't think she was indecent, so she wondered if it was rude to offer the chance to get dressed.
"I apologize, I wanted to see if you were well, you appeared to sustain some injury at the operation, I was hoping if you wouldn't mind my company," She said as she looked around the apartment and took off her gloves, daintily stuffing them in the bag. "I brought a burn salve that's worked well for me in the past, and I was hoping you'd allow me to make you dinner."
But past the explanation, she tilted her head towards the 'decor'. "You have cats?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:29 pm
"No, no, you don't have to wait outside. If it bothers you, I can go change, but..." Ariel shrugged, making a face. "Its the only thing I sort of own that doesn't hurt like hell to wear. I actually wasn't wearing a scrap before you knocked... its the only tolerable way to lay around right now."
The dark haired woman pushed the door shut once her guest was inside, swerving around Elle to stalk into the 'living room' area to snag the ashtray off the floor. Her cigarette went into that and then it was settled on the desk by the open window were one of the feline occupants lay, blinking up at Ariel's approach. She gave Zeus a scratch under his chin as she turned back, a hand propped on her hip.
"I foster cats for the local shelter... I've currently got four here right now, so I wouldn't suggest sitting on the couch if you don't want hair all over your nice dress. I have folding chairs in the kitchen though, so you don't have to stand." She eyed the bag Elle had over her arm, wondering, but pleased, why the woman would come to visit her. It was the first time the other lieutenant had connected with her as a civilian, but she was not going to complain over what she considered good fortune.
"Beyond some burns across my back and a**, and some feet of hair missing, I'm fine." Ariel ran her fingers through what was left of her long mane, half of her skull cut in waves to her shoulder and the other trimmed to only a meager few inches. "That b***h has a nasty attack... but nothing I can't live through. It'll take more than that to take me down."
Turning, the bounty hunter made her way to the kitchen with an easy gate, comfortable in her bare feet. "Would you like some coffee? I just put on a fresh pot... other wise I could heat some water for tea or something. Or, you know... I have some whiskey if you'd like something harder." She said with a laugh, tugging the door to the fridge open assess the contents of it. It was more something to do than because she needed to know... there was next to nothing there, as she'd seen this morning.
"Its nice of you to offer dinner... I was thinking pizza, for lack of anything better. You can keep your salve, though its a nice thought. The hospital gave me a prescription for some expensive stuff and it's been working really well."
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 9:21 pm
"If you find it comfortable, it doesn't bother me," Elle said with a firm nod. Social convention nagged at her brain, but overall her discomfort with the human body was nonexistent. Her slight fidgeting derived from the fact she was having a difficult time not staring, but attraction and curiosity was an entirely different issue.
It wasn't discomfort that made her constantly catch herself inspecting the visible burns.
"There are solutions to cat hair," She said passively. Her own little furball back home left her share of downy white fur on positively everything. Still, she stood, arms folded close to her body at all times in a similar fashion to how she operated as a lieutenant. There wasn't much difference. "I do my best to control control it, but I've come to your home for the purpose of visitation, and it does not bother me."
"If it is any consolation, your appearance hasn't suffered due to the change in hairstyle." Elle was a special failure with compliments but she was trying. So very hard.
"I'll have to pass on the coffee, but thank you for the offer," She said with a polite little bow of her head, but loyally followed Ariel with a soft tread.
"If you would prefer pizza, I wouldn't be offended," She offered up quickly, suddenly feeling like an invader. "However, it would be a great favor to me to be able to make effort on your behalf in some way. I'm incredibly grateful for the job you did on the rooftop, and your kindness before that."
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:18 pm
Ariel turned to find that Elle had followed her towards the kitchenette, blinking a little. Still, a smile spread across her face and she ran a hand through her fringe of hair, her shoulders rolling in a shrug.
"Thanks. I'd hoped that I didn't look completely awful with it short." She chuckled. At the mention of pizza, the tall woman simply shrugged, leaning the undamaged part of her hip against the counter and tucking her arms under her bust.
"I would only order it because I don't feel like making anything, not because I would prefer to eat it." Ariel said, her smile warm and lacking some of the edge she normally had. It was hard to keep up that spiny exterior when a pretty girl seemed to genuinely want to express some gratitude. She'd already decided she liked Galena, but she was softening more towards her each time they met.
"You also shouldn't feel like you have to do something for me, sweetheart. I mean, I did that because you're my comrade, part of this big team, and because it would have been upsetting if something happened to you. Not because I expect some kind of reward for that. The outcome was its own reward."
She wasn't used to gratitude. People didn't usually like her, and usually that was fine with her. She didn't need their praise or good will, she just needed to get what she wanted from them and get out. Solitude was less painful than opening up to people. Solitude meant she could do what she wanted, when she wanted, with few repercussions. This... dealing with people was hard. Like that first time with Stroud. But that's what it meant to be in the negaverse, right? Being part of a team and interacting successfully.
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Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 2:12 pm
“Regardless of your reasons,” Elle was nothing if not consistent. She did not come in with guns blazing or commanding attention with force and fury, but she was not easily deterred, either. She had paused to check if Ariel was offended by the invasion and at the slightest bit of confirmation, she went back to gingerly but steadily moving things on the counter. “I am showing gratitude for your actions and appreciation for your presence. We are comrades, like you said. In order to express my appreciation for your continued company I would like to assist in whatever way possible to make you comfortable and well.”
After some glancing around, she looked to Ariel, “Cutting board?”
And back to work. “You need healthy carbohydrates and protein while you are in recovery. I will respect your wishes, but unhealthy food like pizza is not good for you when you’re trying to bounce back from an injury.” Apparently the inch given was going to be taken in a full mile as Elle started moving things, cleaning, and looking in cabinets as if she owned the place.
Although she did stop playing mother hen for one moment and turned to look directly at her, tone softening into something other than ‘matter of fact’ droning. “I’m really glad you’re okay, Ariel.”
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 2:54 pm
Ariel pulled open a cupboard to get the requested cutting board out and handed it to Elle with a wondering look, assessing the young woman as she set about organizing the bounty hunter's kitchen to her own satisfaction. Her hip pressed to the counter, the tall woman offered a bit of a smile and a loose shrug, finding it more amusing than anything to have her small space taken over by someone else. It didn't happen real often and when it did it tended to be more invasive and annoying... but this was Elle doing it, not some floozy sort-of-girlfriend she happened to have at the moment. This sort of invasion was... sort of nice, actually...
"I'm glad that you're glad." Ariel said finally, pushing herself away from the counter with a chuckle. Getting too comfy with this situation was a recipe for trouble so she left Elle to her appropriation of the kitchen, but remained in range to point out where things were... what little she had. It was pretty obvious that Ariel just didn't cook all that much, lacking anything that wasn't a 'basic necessity' and even some things that others would consider essential.
After a while of watching though, the dark haired woman retreated down the hall to her room, returning later in something that more approximated 'clothing'; a long racer-backed tank top with a hem that fell below her a** enough she didn't flash anything with every step. It was uncomfortable as it chafed against her sores, but that irritation was better than the creeping uncomfort that had appeared watching Elle in her far more conservative clothing bustling around her kitchen. Wearing nothing but a scrap of silk had seemed... rude, really. As much as Ariel hated the manners that had been drilled into her since birth... being with Elle made them feel less of a burden. Made her want to try, just a little bit, to be less of a trashy b***h...
"You know..." Ariel said as she leaned on the counter again, fingers itching for a cigarette. "I didn't get to see anything that happened after the fight on the rooftop. I assume you made it home okay, you and Schörl... did you meet up with the others after, or did you take off like I did?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:03 pm
Elle had perfected the art of invasion. At least she thought so. The slightest amount of resistance usually made her fold her hands together in front of her and any pushing was done with polite, gentle touches. If it came to blows she could even give the illusion there was a choice in the matter.
But Ariel seemed fine to let her do as she pleased, which spawned the rare, modest and restrained smile from Elle as she took the cutting board and started pulling containers out of her back. Cute, color coded containers with delicately written labels on pastel paper that contrasted Ariel’s home enormously. Elle wasn’t uncomfortable, though, and seemed to operate undeterred although she did give a cryptic glance at the change in attire.
“Do you like spicy food?” She asked before answering the question about the battle.She was full on chopping garlic cloves with dextrous precision before she got to the actual subject matter Ariel had asked about.
“I had a role in the second phase, I arrived at my post to gather energy. However, a large group started following me, and I decided to disappear rather than rendezvous with my squad leader and lead the fight to them. I did not see Schörl, not then and not since, but the rooftop battle was our first meeting so the lack of contact is unsurprising. I assume she didn’t suffer permanent damage or death due to the lack of news, though.”
Elle hadn’t had any problem leaving the two women behind to report when she was needed. She had functioned in the battle as pragmatic, orders first, with no emotive sympathy for the fact she was supposed to leave her comrades behind. She hadn’t noticed that quality in herself, though, not for good or bad. She had focused on how she failed to appropriately combat the enemy interference or make it to the conclusion of it all.
But she was here now, at least, expressing sympathy and taking care of someone who had been left behind and to her that was perfectly acceptable. Showing she cared later without jeopardizing the orders she had been handed.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 8:45 am
Ariel's face brightened at the question and she nodded, her fringe brushing her cheek at the motion.
"I like it spicy." She said. Spicy was better than sweet by a long stretch... Thinking about it, she was really glad Elle hadn't tried to make her some overly sweet and cloying breakfast meal. Most people liked that sort of thing, but sweet had never been to Ariel's tastes.
"I haven't heard from Stroud either. I assume she's fine. She's too... Controled to get in too deep, I think. I took off as soon as I got off the rooftop. I didn't like abandoning the mission, but I wasn't good for anything with leather melting to my a**." The tall woman honestly hated running away, but there was always a point where it was your life if you stayed. Better to regroup and tackle it again later. You were usually better prepared the second time too. "One trip to the hospital later and I'm nearly good as new."
There was such a marked contrast between the women. Ariel could feel it acutely, but it only served to bring interest. Elle might have that sort of hoity toity air that she so despised in her former life, but her level of comfort in Ariel's natural environment made her wonder how much of it was an act, a show put on for other's benefit. Whatever it was, it put her more at ease than she would have been otherwise. Briefly she wondered what other things they contrasted on, particularly in the bedroom... But a toss of her hair dismissed that thought and she retreated to the living room to light a cigarette and take it to the window.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 1:40 pm
"I'm glad. It'll make you sweat a little, but that's alright," Elle crooned as she busied herself assembling ingredients she had brought.
"It sounds like an unpleasant experience, I hope you never have to repeat it. Nearly as good as new seems like a bit of a claim, if you don't mind me saying so. There's nothing wrong with needing a bit more time to recover..."
Though once her dish was fully combined and put in the oven she glanced around and noticed Ariel had left the room. She hadn't been oblivious to the way Ariel watched her, or the fact she had changed her clothes, but Elle found herself frustrated as the other woman distanced herself. She didn't want the distance, or the cover, but Elle wasn't the most emotive person and she was unsure of how to pull her back.
She lingered fiddling with a dish towel before taking a deep breath and strutting into the living room with purpose and her chin held high.
"Ariel," She stated and paused to see if she had the other woman's attention. "I hope it is not too forward of me, but..." Elle's face seemed to be doing its damndest to stay perfectly controlled, although her meticulously arched brow seemed to have knit into a slight show of confusion and worry, and a slight embarrassed flush was rising to her complexion. "But am I wrong in sensing some... Something? Sometimes I feel as thought I'm garnering your interest, and then you back off. Am I doing something wrong to put you off? I promise I won't take offense, I would only want to correct whatever is causing such a rift."
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 8:03 pm
Ariel laughed from across the living room, giving a loose shrug Elle probably couldn't see.
"I'm resilient. I recover pretty quickly." She said as she leaned against her desk, tucking a cigarette between her lips. Injury was so much a part of her work... she'd stopped considering it as something more than common place. She forgot sometimes that getting injured was actually not 'the usual' for some people. Her lips pursed as she blew out a stream of smoke, idly studying the traffic going by outside the window. Ariel usually came back from a run with bruises, if nothing else... scrapes were also common, sometimes fractures or sprains. More than that was sort of unusual... she only had the one puckered little scar on her bicep from the bullet she'd taken a couple of years ago.
Taking another deep inhale, the tall woman turned in surprise when Elle came marching out of the little kitchen nook like she was girded for war, calling her by name. Ariel blinked at the 'too forward' comment and watched with complete surprised as the pale skin reddened. Well now...
Dropping her eyes to her hand, the black haired woman pinched the end of her cigarette and rolled it between her fingers to work the glowing cherry out of it, smoke rolling from her lips.
"You know you're not really the kind of girl I tend to go for..." Ariel said after a moment, setting down the unfinished smoke to sidle closer to Elle with a roll to her step, hips swaying. Reaching out, she twitched the woman's skirt before sliding her fingertips up Elle's arm as she circled her. "So prim and proper with your perfectly chosen clothes and impeccable manners. You fit about as well into this place as a lace doily."
She leaned in from behind, the fringe of her hair brushing across Elle's shoulder as she lowered her voice and angled her head to reach the perfectly curved shell of an ear.
"And that's why I'm afraid of doing something to scare you off." She murmured before she chuckled and pulled back, padding barefoot back into sight. She spread her hands, gesturing at herself from her asymmetrical hair cut to her black tank top and bare feet. "Elle, baby, I beat people up for a living. I own a gun, drive a motorcycle, drink like a fish and take a new girl home every other night. I swear and fight and don't give a damn what anyone thinks of me because I very purposefully act and live as trashy as possible because its the opposite of everything that I was before I hit rock bottom."
She shrugged loosely, something of a self-deprecating smile sliding onto her face. "I've been trying to exercise a bit of self control, that's all. Though, if you'd rather I didn't..." Long fingers reached between them to hook down over the top of the waist hugging belt Elle wore and apply a little pressure, just enough to invite her to come closer as that smile turned into something warmer. "All you have to do is let me know."
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 9:16 pm
Elle remained still as a statue as Ariel's fingers trailed. She wasn't a very tall or imposing figure, especially not compared to the other woman, but she held her petite frame stiff and certain and her chin angled as if she was regardless of physical realities.
But the deep red she painted her lips with accentuated the way she frowned, even with the pale backdrop that usually made it stand out so starkly had become fully flushed as Ariel leaned in for that moment.
"You don't know anything about where I come from or my comfort zone. I am not easily frightened by anything so mundane," She said as if this were a sticking point to her pride. Not that Elle was eager to get in to the details of just where she came from or anything.
"I live my life by social rules and convention by deliberate choice. It would not be my place to call your choices... 'trashy'."
Although for a moment, her eyes cast towards the furniture and she reached out to brush her fingertips towards the nearest structure. "If I'm being honest, it is quite easy to relax in a place like this. It's very similar to how I grew up. Additionally I meant it when I said I had come to appreciate you as a friend, so I would hope it doesn't seem crass if my guard falls a bit."
She fluttered the vintage skirt a bit before clearing her throat and looking to Ariel. "You can take different girls home every night. You can be whoever you are, and I would not care. Because you are a respected comrade of mine, Ariel, who twice now has greatly assisted me in threatening and frightening manners. Your presence is quite welcome in my life and very valued. It is of no inconvenience to me at all to keep close to you. You're a strong person and a capable officer. One I venture will be promoted soon, long before myself."
She flushed a bit deeper, taking note of the pressure and close proximity. Elle instinctively folded her hands in front of her and glanced downward in some feigned shyness, a knee jerk reaction that was quickly abandoned since their relative positions only led that to exploring Ariel's figure.
"Attraction is a completely different matter. A biological need I don't really see as something I appreciate boxing into social conventions," She said with a bit of an awkward swallow. But after some steeling of courage she looked up to Ariel's eyes and took a step closer. "So here in the private comfort of your home, between you and myself, I hope you forgive my language. I would gladly and enthusiastically ******** you if given the opportunity."
It wasn't a slip of manners, it was definitely and obviously too calculated, and perfectly timed with her sustained and revived blush as she gave in to the pressure and moved closer. This had all been calculated.
And then she raised one finger between their faces. "However, today you are injured, and dinner is in the oven."
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 10:00 pm
The little speech that came back to her seemed almost chiding to start with. It was true... she knew next to nothing about Elle or her background, but the reverse was also true. Again, that strange feeling of being opposites... Ariel with her money and privilege, living like the lowest of welfare fodder, and Elle, growing up god knew where, taking firm control of her life with her rules and conventions and perfect nylons. Ariel almost worried she'd touched a sore point there, assuming that acting as she did meant Elle couldn't easily accept someone who didn't.
Suddenly, the tall woman wanted to apologize for making light of her situation. She was starting to get the idea that the other hadn't lived this way by choice and had done a lot to pull herself out of it... it wasn't kind of her to belittle it, but even that thought was an uncomfortable one for Ariel to think about. You always hated how snobby your peers and family are, and here you are, parroting their rhetoric from the other side.
She didn't much like feeling like she'd done something wrong, even if Elle was too... nice, or god damned polite, to say so. The acceptance, however, went a long way towards smoothing down ruffled feathers. It made it easier to forget about the chip she perpetually carried on her shoulder around most people, because she didn't need it here.
When the topic shifted, however, Ariel happily put aside discussions of life style for the more pleasing topic of attraction... Her attention entirely focused down to the woman in front of her and the way she blushed as the dirty word dropped from red painted lips. It was like a trigger, a key turning to rev her engine to life, and bright ruby eyes darkened as Ariel shifted her weight forward, intent on following up the blatant invitation... right before a slender finger appeared in her vision.
The dark haired woman groaned as she let her head drop backwards to rest behind her shoulders, her eyes closed to summon patience and push down disappointment. There was a grin on her face when she lifted her head again, though, and she braced a hand cockily on her hip. "Such a tease, Elle... Making assertions like that and then putting me off."
Laughter rolled from Ariel's throat as she released the other woman's belt, her expression more relaxed and playful now. She stepped back to pick up her half-finished cigarette and light it again, bracing her lower back against her desk with her bare legs crossed at the ankles.
"I guess I'll just have to wait, then. Patience isn't my forte, but I can practice it when needful. The burns should be gone in a few days and then I'm nothing but a great, big opportunity." She chuckled, eyes half-lidded as she took a deep drag and blew it out again between pursed lips.
It was good too, to know where each of them stood. To know she could be herself and this woman, at least, wasn't going to run screaming from her.
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 5:39 am
"You've got to be aware of your limitations," Elle scolded with a slight, singsong lilt in her usual monotone. She shifted effortlessly into tidying up, at least in small, silly, superficial ways. It took some effort, but there was at least something behind Elle's stiff and restrained demeanor that was allowed to be a little more free once certain comfort zones had been established.
"It's not like I bought myself a decent pair of tits for nothing," She stated flatly, pausing to reach out to a watching cat and then head back to the kitchen with the same strut as always. "Dinner in fifteen!"
Bluefire Dragonz Rounding down to a fin? :0
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