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 Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:22 pm
Hitomi was silent for a moment. "I'm not a woman." She sighed. "I'm not a woman. I'm not a man. I'm not even human. I am almost one hundred percent sure that there's no one else like me. And even if there was..." She let it go. She knew what would happen if there was someone else like her. We would hate each other. Or we would love each other. Either way, it couldn't work. Hitomi couldn't provide for them, and wouldn't let them provide for her. She sighed again. "That's why I became a shinobi. I didn't want to have to face the choice. I don't like it, but I was just trying to outrun life." Maybe running wasn't such a bad choice.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:28 pm
"...Your first rule is.....do not talk of your emotional feelings.....i wont nor should you, they are something you should keep to your self." The cloaked object right...arm? would make a cocking noise and put what should feel like a rounded blunt arm against her back. "...You are a woman...simply because you dont like that fact, or dont feel it....dossent mean your not." This seemed to be a such a touchy subject to him, something in his past must of made him feel this way, but what it said nothing in his profile and he defiantly wouldn't ever tell anybody.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:42 pm
Hitomi's eye glazed over again. "Fine. Then give me something to do." Hitomi ignored most things. Who needs genetics anyway? She didn't move as she felt the weapon on her back. Force of habit. It didn't bother her at all. She had long since made peace with death. It was a force of nature, and it was the one thing that no one could outrun. She rather liked it. It was comforting to know that there was always something she could count on.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:37 pm
...Keiko breaking down didn't help Shin's alarm...if all the more, his expression briefly flickered to one of devastation, as if uncertain thinking he was at fault for pressing on the matter, but resumed his usual guarded expression. However, when Keiko admitted to what was troubling her... Even if he didn't hear Giglamesh's allusion, he too arrived at one conclusion. The guarded expression flickered, fading...
"A baby..." It wasn't a question, more of a quiet murmur to himself, half realization and...delight? Well, of course the pain wasn't wonderful but still...a new life, well yes it was still only just possibly right now...but a new life... Wait, why was he interfering with a familial matter...? "Ah...I mean..." He was holding Mai so no formal bow but Shin inclined his head. "Congratulations."
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:00 pm
Keiko wiped the tears from her face, "Shin-kun, what have I said about bowing?" She gave a weak smile and took Giglamesh's hand and put her arm around Shin, "You are more than apart of this family. Please, please don't worry about being formal around us."
Keiko looked up Gig, her eyes glossed over and red, "Uhm, I dunno, maybe it's not the right time...?" Her eyes wondered over to Shin and Mai and she smiled. Deep down she was scared, the last time she was pregnant she was 4 months into it, she was 95 pounds, and pulling 2 to 3 missions. However she was cut badly and then hospitalized the next five months. She hoped that nothing like that would happen, but then again she never really experienced what it was like to be pregnant.
It truly scared her.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:26 pm
((Emotional reunion time!))
Well well, perhaps he should just leave them be for now... Besides, he was getting cramped anyways. Getting up from his seat, Zephyr headed outside. "Henge!" The long hair faded away, getting shorter, however...his bangs and sideburns were still long. The specks of gold in his eyes blended a little better with the green-blue.
In general, the face didn't look all much that different...just younger. His current appearance would be at least twelve, merely six years younger than his normal appearance. The white outfit changed however wholly to black, this one without sleeves but about the same in style. A simple black headband was tied around his forehead, beneath his bangs, with long trailing ribbons behind (like Naruto after timeskip). A type of locator, tinted orange, was attached and held in place by his right ear, the glass part set before his right eye. There was a black wing-like tattoo under his left eye.
However, Zephyr had taken up his Henge about roughly the same time a young boy (Hashirama) appeared on the street. Purely green-blue eyes now settled on the appearance of the newcomer and narrowed. Something about this child...
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:36 pm
"Herbal tea." Shinratsu said suddenly. "Raspberry leaf herb..." A slight pause. "Okaa-san...for the women of the Fubuki clan, monthly pangs and pains during pregnancy are especially terrible... Okaa-san said it helps..." There was a slight hesitation referring to his mother, an unreadable expression flickered in his eyes, but it disappeared, fading away.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:55 pm
Giglamesh would continue to grasp her hand, he was there for her he always would be. "Of course babe.....perhaps its not what we belive...what do we know were men ...we cannot become pregnant so we dont know do we!?" Giglamesh would throw a apple peice in the shins mouth so he couldnt mentions pregnancy any further. "...So just forget we said any thing....and lets us enjoy the night hunh?" He woudl stand and hold her hand still to help her back to her feet.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:56 pm
Sakeme thought back for a while. "Well... I have nothing much to compare the treatment she recieved from him with other sensei of the rain village... so I wouldn't know if things could have been worse. To me, it just seemed unnessicary. Never once have I seen kindness in him to make up for that attitude..." She looked up to the strange man as he appeared to have dazed off... At first she thought she had bored him, but his facial expression seemed more concentraited. Perhaps he was remembering something? Eventually he spoke of how she'd be able to take care of herself. I'm sure... she ia a Hyuuga after all... but does all training have to be through a ruel hand? Then the question came. Would I really attack him? "Well... I've stood up to him before... If he got bad enought I'd attack bck, but... I wouldn't put much of a fight... Heck, he'd probably kill me before I even got close...I was always an annoyance to him..." Why is he wondering this? Are his questions some test?
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 8:24 pm
"Took you long enough." The covered figure would creepily move over to kaijinbo as if it was floating and once by him he would take a radio out from the counter and it would really look like he just shoved the radio in to th shruoded face of what ever it was, it wuld turn around radio still half way lit up byt the light...then it was as if it began to sink in to the darkness but no movement was ever seen. Then he would begom to go back past hitomi and begin basically floating towards the Otouto moutians. It didnt pause or wait for her in the slightest, if she wanted to train it would seem she better take off after what ever it is in haste. "...Well waiting for a invitation or what?" he still just sat there behinde the counter tapping his index finger.
[exit otouto moutians]
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:43 am
((I'm assuming the Event is over))
Chisaki walked through the streets of Iwagakure No Sato yet again. It seemed as if she couldn't be rid of this small town. She was still a Genin and she had no clue what had happened with her team. Marcus was probably off in another village again. He was so hard to contact. No wonder when they first met he mentioned something along the lines of the family's black sheep. Eh? It didn't really bother her whatsoever. How she managed to get on his team was beyond her. Also, she needed to speak with Kei about her team. She was almost sure enough though that if Marcus came to his senses he would find her and Kei. Meanwhile though she decided that she had to train up. She wanted more than just to reach chuunin level. Then she wanted to discover her past. After the holidays that had past she talked to Giglamesh about training. She knew she would be tested for level before they began their training but that didn't matter. There was no longer a need for second thoughts. She wasn't going to stick to being one type of something. No more solid medic ninja-ness. Marcus inspired her in several ways even though he happened to be rather odd at times. "Now where did Giglamesh go. . .?" Chisaki thought aloud as her eyes scanned the pedestrians.
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:30 am
Through his hell of a brainstorm Hashi had not taken notice to his surroundings and he was unknowingly closing in on another human being. Sure enough he bumped into them bringing down both him and the other person in clumsy fall. Soon enough complaining and confusion erupted from within accidental victim bringing the Senju boy out of his thought.
Now he too was confused ,not knowing of his accidental victim he carried on to wandering. Now gradually he was closing in on another person although this time his thought and eyes were wide open. This particular person was amazingly different from all the others. He was growing shorter and looking more and more relative to someone of Hashi's age. Clothes changed, age changed this thing was shape shifting into a boy! ,and seemingly Hashi was the only one observant of this.
His mind tried to make up plenty of reasonable explanations for this happening, but all were repelled. Suddenly all other thoughts were muzzled as a chilling observation was made. Something about him before the shape shift ,paralyzed his mind and body. A shimmer of something had shown itself to Hashirama right then. He burst with energy and emotion for it. He jolted towards the being only to be blocked off by the crowd of villagers. "You!..hey you!" he yelled into the crowd. Grasping people by the shoulder and unknowingly tossing them to the side with his herculean strength. After the wave of people had past he caught another look of the boy and yelled out once more "You in the black headband!". Multiple people looked at him while he charged through a new crowd. He caught up to a black headband wearing shinobi who had his body turned away from Hashirama. The Senju boy quickly changed that by twisting his body towards him. When Hashirama noticed it was the wrong man he pushed him to the side.
He had lost the boy in the crowd and aggressively retreated to a nearby wall. He furiously smashed his fist into the wall summoning a small rigid impact crater on it. Damn it who the hell was that... He pondered. He was emotionally distressed about losing sight of this boy. There was something about him that jolted his head.
Unknown to Hashirama he had just punctured a hole in the wall of a Iwagakure residence thus he was not fleeing the scene while the residents inside were shaken and confused by the impact.
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:38 am
As Chisaki scanned the crowds she sighed. She hadn't been to the badlands in a while. "Perhaps that's where he's hiding. . ." Chisaki thought aloud once more as she pushed the crowd out of her way as she weaved through the housing area on the outer rim of the village. It was just bad luck for her that the badlands had to be on the other half of the village. As she entered open streets her pace picked up into a jog and then a sprint. She liked to run literally through the village. Rounding a corner in the village Chisaki came out to the center of the village. Sighing in relief her pace picked up again. Taking her last corner turn Chisaki pushed through the vendor stalls and past other important landmarks of Iwagakure no sato. Once she reached the gate she paused and grinned. She continuously said she would do something but it never happened. It was time that part of her ended. She didn't care if she learned about her past. She was what she was. She wanted to have a good time. Battle just happened to be how she found her good times. That explained why she hadn't been as happy when she re-entered the village.
((Exit to Kara Badlands~))
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:11 pm
Zephyr had promptly turned the corner when the child had caught sight of him, heading straight for the crowd. It was easy enough to slip through: there were enough people passing on their way in between stands and now, being small enough, it was also easier to navigate. When the other called, he ducked, seemingly vanishing from sight. Good, even if there were several adults looking at him oddly... His pursuer seemed to have given up. However...
"What the friggingnuggets do you think you are doing, boy!?" Angry voices.
Zephyr winced. Did he destroy something by accident in his hasty attempt to escape? But then he realized the people yelling weren't yelling at him... The residents of one of the dwellings had come out. The crowd that was eying Zephyr curiously...their attention had been diverted. Cautiously, he poked his head through the space between two adults.
Hey, it's that kid...
And the adults yelling at him had cornered the child, seemingly screaming something that was barely discernable as destructive acts and mangling of property. Destructive acts, hn...
Ah, there was a hole in the wall.
A Senju?
He didn't recognize this one but no surprise. After all, when he left Konoha ten years ago, even on the yearly visits (during the annual Sakura Festivals) he returned to the village maintaining a different appearance...and well avoiding his clan. And that chakra signature...it was too much like his own for comfort... Even among members of the same clan, there would be noticeable differences...a mistake as many foreigners make assuming Hyuuga chakra signatures were the same, or Nara, and the like.
...
A flicker from a distant memory. Small hands reaching out for him, asking to be held up...
Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
Cripes.
If Yokou was here, she would certainly hit him over the head and then preach a sermon on responsibility. Or wait a minute... Did they know? Wouldn't she and Shikamori have told him by now...?
And the more he watched, the more Zephyr grew certain. That child... That child is... A vivid image flickered into place... Really, Zephyr truly hated his perfect recall...
Twelve years ago...
It was rare for Hyuuga Rasen to visit. Well, to be honest, it was rare for the forty year old Hokage to visit anyone, except maybe talk of some political issues or economic matters. But not in this case. It was his precious student who he is visiting, after all. So, Rasen knocked on the Senju estate's front door.
It was Zephyr who opened it...and promptly shut it.
Inside, a rather neutral expressioned Senju took cover, behind a large boulder on the courtyard, and wisely too, as he could literally feel the tick mark developing on the Hokage's head... BAM!
Next thing he knew, the door was in shambles. Pieces of it flew in all directions.
Ah, Rasen had used Kaiten to break the door down. Guess the front door has to be repaired...again...
An undignified roar. "Is this how you treat your sensei - ungrateful brat!"
Zephyr ducked a flying jab to his forehead. Now, it would be bad to get hit by Juuken Kempo so early in the morning. But the first jab was only one of many to come. Before he knew it, he got stabbed on the stomach.
That hurts... But, thank kami-sama there was no chakra...
"Who asked you to visit?!" The twenty-three year old Senju head of family retorted, before doubling over. Cripes, Rasen had more force in his strikes than the older Hyuuga thought... After a few moments, Zephyr straightened his posture and folded his arms. A sour expression. "No thank you, I don't want the Hyuuga ANBU roaming near my house again." A suspicious look now. "Cause you are ditching work...right?"
...
A long silence ensued. Then, the Hokage coughed. Well, Hyuuga Rasen may be the most prominent member of his clan and the Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, former ANBU captain, blah blah...long list of accomplishments mission-wise and great deeds... Taken down countless enemies...
But the one undefeated enemy that even the so called invincible Hokage couldn't defeat...the one enduring enemy of all kages...more feared than invading neighbors...
Paperwork.
Even if Rasen got damned good avoiding his clan members too, who unfortunately were charged with hunting down their missing kage (during office hours). A muscle twitched at the corner of Zephyr's mouth. "...you know, sensei...your clan members are pretty scary..." He deadpanned. "I don't want any affiliation with you skipping out on paperwork..." The young Senju king glared at the courtyard door - which Rasen left in shambles. "Did you know how long it took to fix all those Kaiten holes (in the courtyard) from last time?"
Well, that got the other kind of guilty. Just a wee little bit. "B-but..." And Rasen pulled out a summoning scroll. A few hand seals. Poof. "I come bearing gifts! I wanted to give this to my baka desu! Congratulations on your firstborn! A boy too!" Baby bonnet and baby clothes, hn...?
The neutral, unimpressed look on Zephyr's look only grew more so. "..." But it would be kind of mean to just turn the other back... Well, not that he had much of a choice...nor did it make much of a difference. Rasen had already invited himself in anyways. "Fine." Zephyr grunted. "Come in..."
---
Zephyr had been working in the clan library, so Rasen followed in too. At first, they exchanged pleasantries (though perhaps a little delayed) and Zephyr asked how Yokou was doing. His former student, the eighteen year old Hyuuga princess was pregnant with her first child...almost into the sixth month. A daughter... With a kind heart like hers, even if it meant fighting her clan Elders, Zephyr wasn't the least bit surprised by how she had so openly accepted Rasen's three year old son. Unconditional love... That was what set her apart from the others of her clan.
The Hokage seemed happy... And kept prattling on about how different Senju clan's library was. Zephyr shrugged. He didn't think having a forest for a library, animals prancing around, crude wood log chairs, and hammocks (attached to some trees) exactly help give the library a...studious air. Not to mention, it was inconvenient having to locate particular rune markings on certain trees to unseal desired books and scrolls. Zephyr bent down, picking up a stray book. Just then, a monkey jumped off the tree, landing spot on his face.
Scream. "ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!"
3 seconds later, the same monkey was sent flying off into the distance. Rasen looked horrified, yelling something about animal abuse, but Zephyr looked pissed.
It was Zephyr's turn to roar. "Give me back those books! Dammit, that's why I told the clan elders not to keep the monkeys here!!"
On a closer look, a band of the monkeys living in the Senju library-forest had stolen all of the books Zephyr was looking through (before Rasen had knocked at the front door). There was only one left. The last monkey was just about to snatch the book when he had returned suddenly, and with company.
Rasen poked his shoulder and made a gesture to throw the last book on the ground. At first, the Senju king eyed the Hokage strangely, but then Rasen also whispered... "Monkey see, monkey do..." So Zephyr did as he was told. All the monkeys in the tree threw down the books too.
Zephyr quickly summoned wood clones, the doppelgangers growing off before separating themselves from the trees, promptly catching the books before the annoying furry critters - er - the monkeys, could get their paws on the volumes again. They stacked them up in a neat pile, before decomposing, returning to the ground as dirt. Rasen watched as his student sighed, and sank to the foresty ground, obviously tired. He didn't even seem to mind getting his yukata dirty. The Hokage picked up the top book and opened it.
"...baby names?" On the back of this particular book was scratched up a list of possible names. Rasen sweatdropped. "Tom...Bob...Jack...Derek...? Really...?" A mere grunt answered him and a deadpanned: "I do not expertise in naming, sensei." The young ANBU captain had a point too. So Rasen picked up another possible list. "Apple...apricot...banana...peach...strawberry..." A scowl crossed the Hokage's face. "Really!? Oi. Zephyr, a name you're stuck with FOR LIFE."
It was the student's turn to scowl. "Pffft. I know, I know. I was looking for a good one until you blew down my front door..." Rasen picked up the final list. "Oak...maple...spruce..." BAM. The book was snapped shut, hit Zephyr on the head, bouncing off, before rolling onto the ground. "Horrible." Even the great Rasen couldn't suppress a shudder now.
Zephyr ignored the lamenting Hokage, who was mourning something about the poor infant being named after either horrible male names, fruit, or trees... "True, you didn't have to follow clan naming restrictions..." Lamented Rasen. "But even if you did, why choose something... Banana?! Ah, poor child!"
...
"Hashirama." The Hokage froze. "What?" Zephyr spoke again, raising his voice. "Senju Hashirama." Rasen looked intrigued now. "The founder?" The expression on his student's face darkened slightly, saddening. "Because from here on now..." Zephyr's left hand moved sub-consciously towards his right arm...where Rasen knew the barcode that was carved into his arm was...his identification during his years at the Delilah labs... 122312...also the date predicted for the end of the world. Though technically he was still a pureblood Senju...for this newborn child...it was different now... The demise of the head family and the creation of a new one. "The main family will no longer be the same."
"..." Rasen had nothing to say. When Zephyr got like this, it was futile...practically guaranteed impossible...to deviate him from brooding. After all, with the memory of so much blood...and indeed, no blood should stain any child like that... Perhaps it was futile after all. The Senju clan's last effort to keep Zephyr attached to the clan...by arranging for him to have a family. The strongest woman of the clan, Midori, a beautiful nineteen year old kunoichi...and who Rasen knew well had long looked after Zephyr, even during his early ANBU years, with admiring eyes.
But Zephyr was bluntly honest in their relationship.
There was no love...or at least it was one-sided. Zephyr continued on. "'The space between two pillars' (literal meaning for Hashirama)...that will be a good name. Like the founder who rose to fame out of obscurity, standing strong on his own two legs...this child won't need his father in his first steps towards walking..."
"You still plan to leave?" Rasen whispered, his voice quiet. His student nodded. "Yes...it is only a matter of time now..." Zephyr calmly folded his hands in his lap. "They will realize, sooner or later...that a monster is living among them. Unchanged, for the past five years..." Pale eyes could only watch as green-gold eyes grew distant and looked upwards at the blue sky, overhead the open library. Zephyr had meant the Elders of his clan.
"Heh...I'm starting to sound like one of your clan members with such talk about fate... But if fate would allow it...maybe in my travels...okami-sama will be kind enough..." Zephyr didn't need to finish his words...Rasen knew what the young Sannin wanted: death. "Don't look at me like that." The Senju king snapped suddenly. Still, Rasen said nothing as his student continued: "How can I look that child in the eye, when he is older than me?"
...
"Is that your greatest fear? Time?" Rasen walked in closer, before placing a warm palm on his student's head. "Baka." And he ruffled Zephyr's hair, like a affectionate father to his son. "It doesn't matter...ten, fifteen, twenty years...and even if you're still stuck like this. And I don't think it matters either to your students...or your family..."
"...it's a political marriage..."
"So?" Retorted Rasen. "Yokou and mine was too. Who was the one who convinced me to accept? True...socially it's wrong...she is more like a daughter to me than wife... However, do you think...do you honestly believe learning to love is impossible, in an arranged marriage...?"
The memory flickered, another one now. That previous time, Rasen had managed to convince him to stay for a little longer. But two years had passed since then...and Zephyr's feelings for his family...had remained the same...
A flowery field now.
Sakura Festival...this time of the year Senju compound was especially spectacular, varieties of different species in full bloom. The colours chosen were a soft kind too, none of the brilliant eye-stabbing ones. The Hyuuga water garden that the Senju clan helped design was beautiful, but the sakura grove near their open pavilion (planted at the sides)...a rich carpet of snowy white, partly pink tinted flowers embraced the dewy grass, the occassional breeze scattering a few petals or so, dancing in the wind, before slipping onto the water of the pavilion or joining the carpet on the ground.
That same Sakura Festival of ten years ago...the same day Zephyr had decided to leave.
"Otou-san..." A small hand tugged at his yukata sleeve. Two year old Hashirama opened his arms, wanting his father to pick him up. Guilt tore at Zephyr's heart...this poor child... Pitiable. Still so small, with eyes so trusting...the sincere steady gaze... The colder side of him laughed, almost bitterly...what will it be like years from now, when those sincere eyes will meet his with hatred?
It will be only rightful hatred, rightly so... Poor child...he will soon be left fatherless...
But he was unfit to be a father in the first place. At least the child still had his mother.
There was no emotion on his face as he picked the child up.
The tears that should've been shed had dried years ago... The only tears now that were there to be shed...were tears from his heart...blood dripping, slowly slowly, as coldly cruel as time...
---
A scornful voice came from the crowd. "Really, picking on an Academy Student...do you honestly believe a child not even Genin yet is capable of such damage?" The crowd partly slightly in surprise. It was Zephyr - he had dropped his Henge.
"H-huh? Academy Student?" The landlord of the group who came from the dwelling tried to defend himself.
A perfect eyebrow arched. "And what else could he be? Had years of presiding as landlord perhaps dulled your shinobi senses?" The landlord reeled, cursing that he had ranked Jounin in Iwa, picking up a decent sized rock and hurled it. And froze. Zephyr had caught the rock effortlessly with his bare hand...but...when he clenched his fist and reopened it...it was nothing but dust. The wind blew the white powder from his dark gloves.
The aura around Zephyr had grown awfully chilling. "After all, you're merely only a contracted landlord." A cold sneer. "So remember that."
That certainly shut the landlord up...who was now mumbling something about the devil with golden eyes...
Zephyr took the child by the hand and led him to the closest alley. He took the child into his arms. "Be quiet, don't ask any questions." And jumped. Once safely on the roof of a nearby building, Zephyr set the boy down.
"That's just to avoid inquisitions. Crowds have a bad habit of following, after all."
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:59 pm
"If you will protect chiisai-hime until when she can stand her own ground..." The Nara began. A pause. "Then fine, I'll teach you...for Elruda-hime's sake." It was growing later but the festival would perhaps last just a little longer. "Tomorrow morning, at daybreak. Meet me here in the village square. We can decide of where to train then." With that being said, Shikamori walked to the nearest stand. "Want some takiyoki?" Ayame did hint heavily for him to treat the child, after all.
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