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 Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 6:51 pm
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Leprechaun and the Voices
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Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 9:39 am
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
Practice swords. Arrival into the dojo wasn't truly surprising. None were present, with the exception of the Kiri clone. That made the game a bit easier to win for him.
"Greetings, Lady Kiri... Give me sixty minutes, and we shall have our bout," the monk spoke. He'd promised her that he'd face her upon his return. Undoubtedly, she would not be expecting a jounin to arrive, rather than the typical chunnin. Free of the obligation of the movement hindering vest, the monk grabbed hold of five practice swords. He'd have to make due with these things, for practice.
The scroll unveiled itself from his sash, and he nodded.
Practicing one draw, he moved. Shin'en slid with ease however the force he had wished was something a bit more complicated. More forceful. He swung at nothing in particular here, but rather the air itself. Sword slinging was an art. Requiring five or more blades on his person, and he couldn't swing one properly.
[1/3]
This time, the monk moved. He'd long since ended muscle spurt, and in doing so, he had made himself going to force the edge of his awareness and consciousness. The blade was drawn, struck, and sheathed. It was an impressive bit, even for him. A feat he'd had trouble doing with just striking.
[2/3]
At long last, he had chosen to work with the practice swords. Two slung onto his right hip, one over either of his shoulders... Alzayr wasn't going to worry much. The wood was much lighter than Shin'en. His hands danced upon their handles in preparation, and then it happened. Shin'en popped from the sheathe, and found its way home easily. The wooden swords danced like leaves upon the wind, and when he finally ceased, he grinned. The exams had done him good.
[3/3]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Sword Slinging]
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 10:11 am
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
Shedding the wooden swords he'd used for the art of sword slinging, the monk noted what the scroll read. More defensive techniques to practice in, allowing him to enhance the unique movements. Primary was disarming two.
[1/3]
To begin with, he followed the motions of the first disarming. The blade thrust forward, and tweaked slightly. It was an awkward movement, compared to most of the other techniques of the style. He nodded though, as he drew the blade back. Disarming one was not truly vital.
[2/3]
It was here at this point that the monk smiled. A precise swing. It moved with ease, gliding through the air. This time, the victim happened to be a training dummy, as he aimed ofr a joint, as it had no weapon. Nonetheless, the joint simply shattered as he struck it. The new disarming technique was so potent.
[3/3]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Disarming Two Learned]
The next art was simple as well. The technique was simply a deflection, and it hardly built upon the first one. A grand gesture of sorts, but it was a complex move, which would widen the world for him to utilize. Shin'en was up and ready.
[1/3]
Again, he followed with the first deflection. The movement was far slower than what he was used to with his arts used with the state of power in effect. He hadn't realized it would affect him so, but nonetheless, he moved. The basic movement for the style, which would have deflected fairly basic techniques considering the speed it moved at.
[2/3]
This time, he tried a different form. The monk was readying himself for the 'oncoming' attack, and this was the time that he would prove himself. Shin'en danced through the air, causing the deflection to occur, and in the final act, he whirled, planting the blade in what would have been a man's side. He was doing it, and doing it well.
[3/3]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Deflection Two Learned]
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2010 12:19 pm
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
After much work, things seemed to dance gloriously. Looking over the scroll, the section where they had once been blank now had techniques. Were they somehow aware of his rise in rank? Nonetheless, he looked down the list. At this point, he had but eight techniques left to him by the sword. Reading, he nodded with the next one. An enhancement of extension known as shearing.
[1/4]
One of the more complex techniques, Zay was certain that if he didn't have former training with the art, the monk would indefinitely be screwed. The blade swung, following the use of extension. He stood a foot from the dummy he'd smashed with the disarmament technique just a moment before. Extension brought it a couple of extra inches to a point of sharpening, yet... It wasn't going to work that well. A foot away was the distance for shearing, but he touched no wood.
[2/4]
The blade readied itself once more, Shin'en was raised, and it plummeted through the air. A vertical swing was by far, the simplest way to build up speed. After all, that was the key to shearing. Speed so immense that the blade sharpened beyond reason, and visible blade become merely a distraction, the blade increasing in size by over a foot.
[3/4]
The swing seemed to do the trick, as the blade whistled a moment. Seemingly splitting air to him, the area of sharpness was shocking, as it split right into the dummy. He'd give no word to patch the dummy as well. That'd be pointless, as they were there for wear and tear.
[4/4]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Shearing Learned]
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 2:08 pm
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
It was time the monk continued. If what Kiri had told him was the truth, he had less than sixty minutes to grind away at the skills that were left to him to perform. Only seven left... The next on the list he grinned it. It was a return to thread walking, and thankfully, Kiri seemed to have neglected the couple of wires that were still sticking to the walls of the dojo, He worried little, as he hopped atop the threading.
[1/4]
Now, the monk was recalling the scroll. It was either to fight or to run, never both, upon the thread. Shin'en was drawn from his sheath, and he nodded briefly as he swung but once. The horizontal slash across the air wasn't as easy as it normally would be on solid ground... But Zay supposed that was how one should have expected it.
[2/4]
The balance issue was the worst of it, as he walked pace by pace upon the thread. Walking itself wasn't the issue for him. Oh now... Walking was smooth. Swinging more reserved slashes of the blade, it made a bit more sense. Practice conservatively first.
[3/4]
The monk moved on, his conservative movements having been successful in a way. The actions themselves were too minimal to actually be of any particular use in battle, with the exception of parrying. The actions moved more progressively, swinging wildly. Without tactics, it became a game of balance, which worked well in his favor in the end.
[4/4]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Thread Walking 2 Learned]
Hopping from the threading with scroll in hand, the monk looked over the next in the list. Another defensive technique, but it was a far more comprehensive block than what he was already aware of. The monk looked over the listing once more. A circular movement of the swords creating a parry known as the crescent block.
[1/4]
The difference, Alzayr thought, was simply how the different blocking techniques of Shunkan no Hagane are performed. The basic block is a subtle movement, while from what he read of the crescent block, was a grandiose and swift movement, meant to appear subtle. Shin'en was settled in the ready position, and the blade whirled, the pummel fumbling between hands in the process.
[2/4]
Shaking his head briefly, Alzayr focused a bit more. The blade within his hand whirled ever so slightly again, sliding more easily between the two hands, as it made a 360 degree spin. The technique itself was easy to figure the movements out to, however... It was also a troublesome bit. The speed made fumbling the entire move more easy, and thus, the whole technique irritably difficult.
[3/4]
The monk bit down, and closed his eyes a moment. The blade whirled in his hands, feeling only the cloth which made the pummel easily gripped. After one full cycle, Zay opened his eyes, and performed once more. The blade whirled in a blur, avoiding the idea of watching his hands, as the blade blurred ever slightly more. Once he was satisfied, he nodded and breathed heavily.
[4/4]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Crescent Block Learned]
Fiery hair a mess, Zay couldn't help but laugh. These techniques would have taken hours for him to learn before hand. Apparently, the exams had done far more for him than he ever could have believed. the scroll unfurled revealing the next move. Anti-ninjutsu it seemed. A joyous laugh, as it was a means to twist movements against him to nothingness. The Defense of Steel was at long last time for his development.
[1/4]
He began simply with working shearing into the system. Shearing pushed him pretty far without much relenting. The blade split the air, whistling all the while. Shearing seemed so much easier now than just moments before.
[2/4]
The next point in the movement was simply cutting. The most simplistic complexity of the art. Just a slash through the air, and it would do its magic. Unfortunately, the monk didn't quite know any ninjutsu for him to hack and slash through, and thus, he had only one real alternative. Theorize, as he had with other defensive skills.
[3/4]
Now the final moment came. The blade slid through the air, whistling all the while. His eyes seemed to believe that a fireball passed at him, and all the while, his blade had come to decimate it. The flames passing into nothingness, chakra circulating through it severed. It was brilliant.
[4/4]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Defense of Steel Learned]
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:23 am
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
It was all going well. So much faster than he had thought it would be. His departure from his master's grave, with Shin'en in hand... It was all so glorious. The red head was becoming excited. Soon, he would meet the requirements set forth by his master to return to the grave site. There, he would venture further into a cave, where the shrine his master had assumed his spirit would guard... The shrine of the pillars. Warriors who fought for the shinobi nations, not on one side or the other... Simply for balance. Drawing the scroll, the monk read the next move down, and the blade swung slightly as he readied himself for practice.
[1/4]
Sheathing the Shin'en, the abyss that symbolized human nature itself, Alzayr was readying himself. Slowly, the blade was drawn to mimic the art that was the sword drawing technique, though in this case, he simply did it slowly. Consistent the movement went, and consistently, the speed of the draw was raised, a notch at a time.
[2/4]
Again, the movement was enacted. Repeatedly, it rose in its speed of action, Alzayr nodding when each speed was ruled satisfactory. However when the monk had reached a point where he figured it reasonable, he determined time was too narrow. The blade slid back, and he readied himself a sheet covering a rod of iron he had placed in the dummy's hands.
[3/4]
The movement was now or never. Sliding his feet about, he readied himself for one last strike. Severing it in twain would be the only way he'd rule the education of the technique a complete success. Kicking the blade up merely a moment, it came soaring through the air, a blur even for him, as it struck. Cleaving the iron in its path as if it were a leaf or a stream of water. Nodding, the scroll unfurled again.
[4/4]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Sword Draw Technique Learned]
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:52 am
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
Investigating down the list of techniques, Alzayr was nodding in approval. Those long range fighters would have nothing on him, with this technique, he'd be able to work on rendering those useless, while he would work it out. His enemies would get no drop on him at this point, not when they couldn't possibly know he had this under his belt. He'd work out in the yard for the bit to come.
[1/5]
A familiar trio were passing by the streets. The children who'd assisted him earlier in his training endeavors, and thus more dangerous. Their cheers seemed excited enough, knowing Alzayr as nothing more than the man who bought them chocolate.
"It's him!" they cheered as he stepped out, and they approached. Alzayr smiled again, flashing a couple of coins.
"You're just in time. I was looking for someone who could be trusted to pummel me," the monk joked, "Y'all like throwin' rocks, right? All ya need to do is run around and throw 'em at me." He was surprised to see looks of hesitation upon the little girl's face, thought admittedly, it was calming in a way. Someone hesitated.
[2/5]
"Alright kiddies. Throw 'em like ya mean 'em," Alzayr called, as he closed his eyes. The trio began to run rampantly, that much he was able to tell. His prior training made it a bit more difficult to work this out, as he wasn't quite used to picking out the sounds. The whistling through the air he could tell. Something was approaching to his right, and another behind him. Then he could tell. There was pain. Throbbing in the back of his head. A step forward had saved him one stone, but the timing was difficult.
[3/5]
"Keep it up," he announced. He wasn't going to let a little wound stop the session. Moment by moment, he was getting pinged. Pebble sprays and little stones. Thankfully, they weren't too fond of big rocks. It made that all the less painful, as he worked it over. His timing was becoming better as he progressed. The stones... It was almost as if he could hear their approach.
[4/5]
At long last, things were going his way. Discerning each movement, the monk moved in fluidity. Stone at the left leg, three meters. Two meters. The leg rose, as he spun, a quickly approaching stone at his torso avoided. It was all going so well, and at long last, he was certain.
"We're done here," the monk called, as one last rock pinged him in the forehead. A slight trickle of red and again he laughed. He couldn't get mad at the kids. "Well, it's not the right hook all over again, right?"
[5/5]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Final Words Learned]
"Well, before I send you on your way, I've got a special treat along with payment," the monk laughed as he fished about in his sash. Coin purse, each child receiving enough for two candy bars. The final kicker though... "Nothing in my hands right?" he inquired as he held them out. Once met with nods, his hand slid over the brace on his right elbow and from it slid three bars.
"White chocolate I found along the way back. A present for helping me so much before the exams," the monk smiled, tussling the youngest child's hair. Relief washed over him, and he nodded. Maybe the sword didn't have to be a means to smother human decency. They scattered again, and he nodded ever so briefly.
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:28 am
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
The list was dwindling, and waving goodbye to the children as they left, the monk nodded. He was swiftly approaching the end. He'd have to wager with Kiri a bit in the coming hour. Sazanami was in no way going to be able to be covered. Not like he was here with Shunkan no Hagane. The next movement would be improving his base sword work with the Vorpal Blade. The blade swung meekly, in an attempt to work speed in a limited area.
[1/5]
The movements became more bold. With the children having departed, he was with the entirety of the yard to practice. Whirling about, the monk sliced at whatever he could. Trees, iron. The idea was to punch through the very iron that impeded his path. The blade danced and struck on pole. Nothing but a throbbing hand, really.
[2/5]
Again, the monk moved. He could have done so easily, with the state of power, however that wasn't going to cut it just quite. Using that would simply be a shortcut. The idea with Vorpal blade was a increase in power and sheer presence, to slice through the armor in his path. Again, the blade swung, Shin'en swallowing all in its path. Air seemed to scream as he struck at the pole, again nothing more than pain.
[3/5]
Thoughts passed about, as he bit his lip. His master. The little girl who gave him hope. The very essence of the world about him. The six paths was supposed to help him and his kin in some way or another, however he didn't quite understand how. In his travels, he'd thought about the very scroll he had brought with him. The forms... His scroll read five. Pushing thoughts back, as he embraced the void, feeding emotion into a faint and flickering light. The blade lashed once more, striking up against the rod.
[4/5]
While letting his hand calm, the monk thought more. Alzayr drifted on to legends his master had so kindly told him. Not legends, nor lore, but tales. Accompanying the militia of the Five Pillars, he had quickly become a central figure. A balance among them all. Thoughts were fed once more into the blaze in the darkness within, and the monk swung. It was hard to tell, but the weapon severed the iron with ease. Something he hadn't quite expected.
[5/5]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Vorpal Blade Learned]
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 12:29 pm
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
The list was down to three, and the monk was preparing now. The next upon the list was something that would be of great use. The movement of steel was read to be of a greater strength and speed than shunshin no jutsu, and above all... It was without the cost of chakra, a fundamental drawback for the monk, truly. Nonetheless, he began with the advance of steel, the power carrying steps.
[1/6]
As fast as the movement was, he could hardly believe the nature of this supposed and marked technique. Reportedly so quick... It was hard to imagine, as the Advance of Steel was often the best counter he had to the body flicker. For the moment, however with this... He would dwarf all in matters of speed. Again, he proceeded forward, to no avail.
[2/6]
Running quickly, he sprinted more so. He could almost feel himself losing himself in the sheer joy of speed, however, it was pretty difficult to keep upright, his legs seemingly getting away from him. When his slowing was causing troubles, Zay could only sigh, as he tumbled forth over the ground into one of the poles he had left.
[3/6]
It seemed that everything hurt now. Moreso than his practice in the springs not long ago. The impact itself seemed to cause the majority of damage, as he stumbled back to his feet. He wasn't quite sure what else he could do but keep going. The monk propelled himself forward once more, as he yearned to practice more. The movement of steel was troublesome for certain.
[4/6]
Back on his feet, the world spinning about him, and yet he continued onward in the movements of his world. The technique kept everything about him blurred, and the world itself seemed to fall behind. Forward he was carried, unfortunately he had once more received the short end of the stick, as he collided with the walls of the dojo and crumpled. It took a good couple of minutes to get back to his feet.
[5/6]
"Ugh... So much..." the monk mumbled incoherently. For certain, things weren't running well for him. On his feet, it was a bit more difficult to work, and yet the monk moved again. The Advance of Steel to begin, and soon enough, he was barreling through the yard, and coming to a stop. Once more for good measure and the monk was pleased.
[6/6]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Movement of Steel Learned]
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:09 am
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
Despite the whirling world about him, the monk persisted. Alzayr wasn't going to let a little blood and... and... Well, whatever else it was that was getting in his way! They weren't going to stop him! Not while he was on such a roll. With but two techniques left, he wasn't going to let himself slow. The next technique was going to be a taxing one for the time being, as it was of a more complex nature. The Offense of Steel was the last of the offensive endeavors he'd be making. A chakra blade of sorts, he readied himself.
[1/7]
The part which made this difficult was the focus on his chakra. Circulating it throughout his body wasn't such an issue, but Shin'en... Well, it wasn't quite his body, now was it? Nonetheless, he swung the blade as if expecting something. Not a thing, with the exception of the air becoming disturbed as he let it fly.
"Not even a puff of smoke? Where's the reactions?" the monk grumbled. Chakra work was never his favorite.
[2/7]
Again, the monk readied his stance. He wasn't going to be defeated quite as easily as they had thought he would! He'd crushed the chunnin exams, to the point where he'd been awarded the rank of jounin, something commonly awarded by the respective kage of a village, by a council of judges. The blade pierced the air once more, without so much as a sound.
[3/7]
His teeth seemed to gnash with one another, as he focused. Chakra seemed to be flowing within his system, yet there was an oddity. Where his hands were placed, there seemed to be an alteration in its path, and the monk found himself wondering why. At first, he willed the chakra to its typical path, with no divergence. Was that the issue? Another swing, and another miss.
[4/7]
The blade was a confusing mistress at this point. A tool was a tool, but things seemed to be off. He'd never noticed the change in flow while he was training, as if it were a normal thing. The process was complex, and now he knew why the technique wasn't functioning. His master had described a blade as an extension, a piece of the human body. There was a reason Shin'en was the abyss of human nature. The chakra seemed cheerful, as it took its detour.
[5/7]
The blade itself seemed elated. The steel a part of the body of the monk, and he was nodding to himself. Readying himself, he focused on the projection. The technique was complicated, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Especially after this entire work out. The feel of the blade was nothing more than relief.
[6/7]
Alzayr finally felt he had it. The branches in trees, the monk swung. It was hard to tell at first. Suddenly though, the wavering force seemed to solidify, and at long last, it struck the branch with a force to be reckoned with. The Offense of Steel had had its way now. He had done it.
[7/7]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Offense of Steel Learned]
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:37 am
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xxxxZayr the Iron Monk xxxx
He couldn't really seem to keep it together. The previous move had been exhausting, but there was still more to be done. The final technique as listed was the Instant of Steel. A technique which was sure to be taxing, as he skimmed its description. Reaction time halved. Blade slinging techniques dobubled in speed. He wasn't certain his master had even know this one! The final art of the Flashes of Steel. All his. It was hard to determine really.
[1/7]
The monk wondered how he would achieve this technique... A physical change was the only hint he really had to mastering the movement. Unknown to him was the process in which he would bring about his physical change. Settling beneath the tree in a meditative state, as his line was so prone to do, he went back, searching his memories of his master, for some kind of clue.
[2/7]
On the slopes of the mountains far to the North, the mist seemed to swirl about the two of them. His ill master had finally chosen this time to bid him farewell, at the mouth of a cave.
"Alzayr, it was a pleasure to have your company, and my last act will be an explanation," the samurai spoke, having long since shed his ninja ways in favor of Iron. "The caves here are a monument to the Five Pillars of the nation. These men fought for all, and I was amongst their brigade as no more than a follower." The monk listened intently, as he sat beside his master beneath an evergreen tree. It was here that Alzayr had heard his last lesson on the blade. A weapon and an ally, whom consumed decency as if it were a drunkard with a new bowl of sake. Unfortunately, he'd left the man buried, his blade in hand, vowing to find another meaning to the abyss.
[3/7]
Back in the real world, the monk opened his eyes. A shake of his head and he realized that he hadn't received anything vital. He had no idea how he was going to make it so he'd work this, Shin'en sheathed across his lap upon a cloth of red-orange. He smiled again, as he looked back, to seek the answers.
[4/7]
"You're moving too slow," the man announced as the scraggly looking swordsmen stumbled. All he'd done was strike without much idea as to what he would do. This was the very first training after they had left the land of water. It had been somewhere else he'd been told the tomb would be, sending the two on a wild goose chase. The arid lands around Iwagakure. Mountains that they were, they weren't proper.
"You're too focused on it being something. You'll never succeed with a thought like that... "
[5/7]
Had the information been hidden away so long ago? Rising to his feet, the monk closed his eyes. Shin'en was there before him, and that was what mattered. Him and his blade were not two separate things, but rather one. Shin'en was his callousness, a world which should never be held. Drawing blood and staunching compassion, however it was not to be neglected either. He focused, the void about him. The flame flickering of orange. It wasn't enough. It wasn't hot enough. Why wouldn't it heat up?
[6/7]
The darkness within. He worried too much over it all. The void was where he could be best. Feeding the flickering light sensory distractions weren't enough... They'd never been enough. His blade was waiting on that flame, and his focus was all he needed. Compassion. Hate. All of it was fed to the flickering orange, and it seemed to brighten. Within him, something seemed to shift, and he fell into form with little to no lag. He couldn't be sure, but he was. The Instant of Steel was his.
[7/7]
[Shunkan no Hagane: Instant of Steel Learned]
"A man's soul wrought in iron!"
"Dance upon the edge of the Blade!" |
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Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:53 am
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