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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2014 17:25:10 GMT -6
From what he could see Ivan seemed shocked and somewhat curious about Ren's questioning nature. Perhaps he had offended? Or perhaps he was simply annoying Ivan, who obviously did not want too many inquiries into the subject at hand. If any part of him doubted how suspicious this task was, it was certainly gone after such a rigid reaction. Making a mental note to keep his mouth shut in the future 'lest he lose his chances at a job, he gave himself a chuckle and buried his face within his drink once more. The more he drank the ale the more he liked it. Bless this mystery Lelage and her indentured giant for bringing such a sweet treat to his lips after such a rough journey.
Turning, Renatus watched Ivan walk away to tend to another customer and quietly snorted. "He's not a jungle man, Renatus. He is the jungle at that height." And what a terrifying jungle he was! From a distance Ren could get a nice look at Ivan's height against other people, and he decided that no, it was not just him. Ivan was just really that tall.
Averting his eyes at the jungle's return as to avoid seeming rude he caught his own reflection in his drink, and realized he looked like death after his arduous journey. Speaking of death...
"...I'm sure I can crush your frail skull with one hand"
That was obviously supposed to be humorous - and was probably a joke Ren would have made given enough time - but hearing Ivan say it put him on edge for some reason. He broke into a nervous laughter that didn't quite settle right, and even as it faded off his eye gave the light twitch of a man clearly more affected than he was trying to let on. Such a brute...he thought, unconsciously gazing at Ivan's unsurprisingly large hands. They certainly did seem to be of a suitable crushing size.
Things seemed to lighten as Ivan brought up Ren's thoughts on this Lelage, but that didn't last long. Ivan's body seemed to convey that his comments on this girl being 'looked after' implied some sort of violence towards Ren for the wrong move made at this girl. Perhaps it was best that she wasn't there. Once again his gaze settled on those big hands, and he chose to avoid mentioning Lelage anymore during their conversation. No stranger was worth losing limbs over.
"Bring the drink we're going upstairs"
Renatus' head snapped up and saw that Ivan was already walking. Grabbing his drink carelessly he stood up and followed, the liquor hitting his head a bit as he stood up, giving him a bit of an unexpected sway for a moment. It was a relief to be somewhat away from the noises of the main room for a moment, and after the brief introduction to his own room's door and that of Ivan's it seemed it was time for business. The more Ivan spoke, the more and more Ren realized that this job was probably of an illicit nature. Some creeping part of himself in the back of his mind kept asking him if it was really wise to continue, but what could he do? Even if he did want to change his mind, he had already taken the job. There was no way he was going to be able to back out now without risking...for the third time he glanced at Ivan's large hands and felt a knot rise in his stomach. He took a great swig of his ale to wear away any stress he may have been feeling.
The instructions were spoken so seriously as to put Ren on edge already, and by the time Ivan's eyes met his it was a moment that seemed to last hours in his mind. Gold met ice blue for a moment as Renatus stared Ivan down, in return. A bead of sweat began to form on his forehead.
"I joke, now what do you say we share a drink for once? I am off for the day"
Ren laughed in response to Ivan's comment, a tight and mildly disbelieving laugh to shake off any tension he had formed in his own mind. Was Ivan even being aggressive, or had Ren imagined that due to the jungle man's intensity and size? Perhaps Ivan had taken offense to his reactions? Socializing was difficult when someone gave off so few cues as to what was really going on in their mind, and Ren couldn't help but wonder what Ivan exactly was thinking.
"Again Jun-Gu-Ivan, you had me at drinks. I'm curious to see if you can put down your liquor like a man or if you just look like one whenever you're not wearing that apron." There was a very brief pause for Renatus to finish his current drink. "Speaking of, you aren't going to make me wear an apron like that on the job, are you? While it's very slimming on you, that green is certainly just awful for my complexion."
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Post by Ivan Sahale on May 5, 2014 19:38:41 GMT -6
I will hunt you down... Ivan stopped turning back to Ren when he made the apron comment, the large man would smile as a chuckle escaped him he reached over patting Ren roughly on the shoulder "For such a small guy, you can bring out big laughs!" he commented as he gave Ren one last pat of on the shoulder then headed down the stairs. One Ivan was down below back in the large tavern he walked near one of the tables, he motion for Ren to sit there while he walked to the back of the bar. Ivan would returning holding not one, but two drinks in each hand he set them down two for Ren, and two for himself letting himself sit on the chair across from Ren he grinned reaching for one of the cups. Bringing it up to his lips Ivan would happily lean his head back drinking the ale that washed inside his mouth, and down his throat to his empty stomach. The man would take the cup from his lips letting out a satisfied sigh as he set it down on the surface of the table they shared, he would eye the man for a moment before sitting back on his chair the large man obviously taking this time to relax his aching body.
"Ren" he said to get the mans attention as he took another sip of his drink before continuing, "...tell me more about you. I mean you speak of traveling the lands looking for work" he commented as he stared at the smaller man his golden eyes searching his face for a minute. "But you can find work anywhere, there's no need to go to foreign lands. So really is there a reason for being here, is there anything else that lured you to Domhan Tir?" he asked him curiously watching the man in silence now. He was genuinely curious, he was interrogating him even if it did come off that way, Ivan was just wondering why he could travel so far for simple work such as delivering parcels for men in aprons.
| | words 347 tags notes Sorry this ones short D:
| ...escaping is futile... |
made by jasmin - for sir paya use only
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2014 20:47:06 GMT -6
Renatus flinched at Ivan's enthusiastic shoulder pats, and for a brief moment he snarled and prepared to say something rude. Catching himself before becoming defensive, he took a sharp breath and forced himself to relax. These were, after all, friendly customs for Domhan Tir, he assumed. "What can I say? In a world like this, a good sense of humor is practically needed to survive. I mean, have you seen how gloomy everyone seems to be?" He gestured to the main room as he headed in that direction, his gaze heavily implying judgement on all the people in sight. "All anybody can do to be happy is drink and run away from the real world!"
The irony of Ren's own state, three glasses of ale deep and a nation away from his problems, was completely beyond his slightly tipsy and oblivious state of mind. Instead he continued to follow Ivan, somewhat upset by the increase of noise once they returned to the main room, and settled down where Ivan had decided they would relax. Putting both of his hands on the table, he tapped his fingers impatiently on its surface as he awaited his new acquaintance's return. The tune he tapped out was familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on where he had heard it before. Luckily before his wondering on the tune could drive him mad, Ivan returned with not two but four drinks, placing two in front of Ren.
Obviously in a good place already, Renatus elected not to drink as quickly as he had been. He would have to do his work early tomorrow, and the idea of even such a simple task as getting a package delivered with a powerful hangover sounded nightmarish. Giving a delicate sip, he watched his counterpart down almost the entire glass of ale in one go. "Seems like you can drink like a man after all. Don't take this offensively, but I won't be investigating any further to see if you are a man, so please keep your pants on. But nice drinking there, Guy-van." He wanted to kick himself for messing up Ivan's name once again out loud, but at least he hadn't said Jungle Man. Better Guy any day than Jungle Man.
"...tell me more about you. I mean you speak of traveling the lands looking for work"
Oh, no.
Ren was never a man to talk about his history or his personal life. More of a withdrawn sort, he kept to himself once it came time to open up. What in the name of all that is good would he tell Ivan?
"But you can find work anywhere, there's no need to go to foreign lands. So really is there a reason for being here, is there anything else that lured you to Domhan Tir?"
Aware that he could not avoid the question completely - this man had not only offered him work but had also been completely honest about his own history - Ren gave a defeated sigh. Some vague half-truth would have to suffice, or else extra questions might be asked. Renatus always hated extra questions.
"I've been traveling for about 5 years now, since not too long after I graduated from my schooling. Rather than steady work, I prefer to take on small odd jobs. In a lot of ways it's easier work than a career, and it means I don't have the trouble of settling down. As time goes on and seasons change, different work is needed in different places, and when no job is permanent whole areas can dry up and you can have no way of making money in a place." Renatus shrugged, his face far more sober and less entertaining than it had been up to this point in the conversation. It was almost a complete personality shift, the seriousness only broken with the look of delight on his face as he licked his lips to enjoy the aftertaste of the fine ale. "I came to Domhan Tir because there's work here, and I had spent quite a bit of time in Hryst. You get sick of all that 'honor and glory' crap after about a year. I needed a good change of pace."
He took a very heavy breath, and his expression became even more somber as he downed his 4th glass. "And," he added, "it's not home."
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Post by Ivan Sahale on May 6, 2014 15:15:50 GMT -6
I will hunt you down... With his second glass of Ale coming to his lips he was lucky to laugh at the man comment before he even had any of the sweet liquid in his mouth, otherwise he threatened to spray it all over Ren. Luckily the large man was able to laugh before he drank, taking this second one a little slow he sipped from it setting it down on the table as he listened to the brief story that Ren chose to share in response to his question. When Ren was done speaking Ivan would raise a brow, it was obvious this man was not very fond of his home; perhaps he found himself in a sticky situation with some not so favorable characters? Or maybe there was more to it then Ivan was being told? Whatever the case, he knew that a mans business was his own at the end of the day, he had no right to pry or find himself digging too much into the mind of Ren. If he shared what he wanted to share, and if it was the truth well that was all Ivan could ask for at this point, sipping from his Ale once more he would be quick to sweep the topic along so they would move on.
"....maybe on day you can go back home. For now enjoy the travels, and enjoy the work you find here. Just don't bite off more than you can chew. Now, I do have a more serious question for you..." Ivan would set the glass down as he eyed the man that sat across from him. "In your travels have you heard of someone who goes by the nickname, the Silver Fox?" his tone changed a full three sixty spin. He went from cheery, and overall relaxed to a more serious tone that carried a stern sting to his words, there was nothing against Ren here it was more the feelings that woman brought to the surface when he thought of her. But at the end of the day, she was a mark a valuable one, and her worth was immense; monetary wise just taking her dead corpse to one of the many that wanted her would set Ivan for life. "Before you as, she is a criminal. Wanted for various crimes, many groups aim to take her down, many hire men such as myself to do it. I lost track of her recently, and I am curious if on your many travels you have come across her" he would say to the man putting it all out on the table.
Ivan did have an image of her with him, but he didn't show it just yet he figured her nickname alone would be enough to spark any memories this man may have, he didn't care if Ren just overheard her name being used in some bar three towns over, or physically saw her. He would take any lead at this point...
| | words 494 tags notes
| ...escaping is futile... |
made by jasmin - for sir paya use only
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2014 18:10:12 GMT -6
Ivan was becoming more and more understanding in Renatus' mind with each drink, and as he had carelessly downed 4 already and was prepared to work on his 5th there was some sort of unnamed - most likely nonexistent - bond that was being formed in Ren's mind betwixt the two of them. Ivan had become a significantly kinder man in Ren's eyes with each swig, some sort of companion he almost felt he could discuss things with about his past. With the force of a man who has adapted to emotional walls he forced those thoughts, and that of his impending depression, deep down inside where he would not have to address them any more. There would be no crying, no venting and no bonding. This was just a prospective employer he was enjoying a few drinks with. Nothing more.
Of course, Ivan continued with some positive statements that almost brought Ren to a toast. When it came from Ivan's lips his life almost sounded enviable, or enjoyable, instead of just the simplest solution for a lazy man who preferred minimal effort for maximum experience. His eyes lit up in excitement and the beginning of a laugh emerged before the seriousness of the conversation took hold, that somber look that Ren had borne moments before now on Ivan's face as he changed the subject to the search for some stranger. A Silver Fox, it seemed, who was highly desirable. Sure, Jungle Man may not have said it outright, but no man had such a glint in there eyes when speaking of something that carried no value. Was this a personal mission, or one purely for money? More importantly, was that any of Ren's business?
Giving a shrug meant only for his own mental narration and taking another swig, his face scrunched into deep thought as he tried to come up with a proper answer for Ivan. Silver Fox, Silver Fox...Was there anything that stuck out in his mind?
"Before you as, she is a criminal. Wanted for various crimes, many groups aim to take her down, many hire men such as myself to do it. I lost track of her recently, and I am curious if on your many travels you have come across her"
"First of all, Jungle Man-"
He had done it.
Oh Gods, he let that stupid nickname he had been running through his head come out into the air. His stomach tied itself into knots, and he let out a somewhat nervous laugh before attempting to continue and play it off to the best of his ability. All he could hope for is that he wouldn't....his eyes glanced to Ivan's giant hands again and he felt slightly faint. Renatus had no desire to get his skull crushed.
"First of all, Ivan, of course she's a criminal. Sounds like she's more trouble than she's worth from what you say. More power to you in taking her down or whatever it is you're planning. I can tell you right now that I haven't crossed paths with any Silver Foxes in my journey, and I do my best to avoid illicit activities. A man like me is already watched closely by the law, so associating with criminals would be a huge inconvenience for my work. BUT I have certainly heard the name before." He picked up his drink, took another sip and then continued his speech his his face buried in the mug creating a strange echo effect. "Of course, I've also heard the name Black Fox. And Grey Fox. And Red Fox, and White Fox, and Gold Fox...What I'm trying to say is that even though I've heard for a Silver Fox, it's probably not yours. Or perhaps one of them is. As you travel, you'd be surprised how many people prefer to equate their roguish traits to that of a fox."
Taking a minute to finish his drink, he slammed the mug on the table dramatically with a smirk o his face, some part of him desperately trying to lighten the conversation.
"Speaking of which, don't you think that's strange? Thieves are always foxes, bandits are always wolves and assassins are always serpents. Why don't we good, hard-working folk get to call ourselves after animals?" He threw his arms dramatically in the air and nearly tipped the chair completely back, catching himself just before falling towards the ground. "I could be 'The White Ferret,' or something else like that. Not very grand sounding, but I'm not terribly grand. Maybe 'The Grey Mudfish.' And you..."
He pointed at Ivan, his eyes half-lidded and beginning to show the effects of some alcohol. "You can be the Bloodhound of Blaikfurd. Daring! Strong! Tall as the trees themselves! A man of courage and great destiny, hunting the strong to protect the weak - for a reasonable fee, of course. A man has to eat, after all! Speaking of putting things in your stomach," Renatus pointed at his tragically empty glass, "I think I feel a thirst coming on."
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Post by Ivan Sahale on May 6, 2014 19:35:02 GMT -6
I will hunt you down... "Jungle Man?" he echoed raising a brow at Ren as he stared with his sharp Golden Eyes at the individual, Ivan could not entirely figure out where that came from but he had some Ale in his system, and he had grown fond of this tiny man named Ren; so he dismissed the comment as one of his wild antics. Ivan would only chuckle, "I am Jungle Man, and you are my sidekick Jungle Boy" he commented with a chuckle clearly taking the entire thing as a joke. Staying there he would listen to Ren then move on to the more serious topic as he spoke of the Silver Fox, the man listened quietly unfortunately his hopes where too high, and what he received in turn was not enough to satisfy him. With all the words Ren threw out at the end of the day Ivan found himself realizing this was nothing more but a dead end, sitting there quietly he would watch the man quietly as he continued to talk taking in the details of everything he had said. "...it's alright, she's a hard one to catch, and trust me when I say that she may be strong. But at the end of the day I'm going to get her..." he said with a tone that was heavy with determination, he would sip from his ale then realizing the cup had gone empty. Setting it down he would nod at Ren raising a hand at one of the bartenders, he would raise two fingers to indicate how many they wanted they were promptly served by the petite waitress that was a good friend of Lelage.
"Thank you Fran" he said to the girl who only smiled bowing in silence before leaving the two men to their business, Ivan would then turn his attention back to Ren "Satisfy that thirst my friend" he said raising his own glass of ale and sipping the sweet dark nectar into his mouth letting it wash down his throat. Leaning his head back the silver topped hunter would stare at the ceiling for a moment letting a smile creep along his facial features, "...she is no thief..." he commented thinking of the silver haired woman that haunted his memory, and plagued his dreams. "She is a vicious warrior, she is responsible for shattering my fathers blade...and leaving me on my knees many times over..." his hand would tighten into a firm fist as his mind flashed him with memory after memory. Lowering his eyes from the ceiling he focused them on Ren, "I want you to keep an eye out for her, if you ever spot her...I don't care what it takes Ren. You bring word to be in whatever way you can, you make sure to tail her. I know I may be asking much of you, but you have to understand that she needs to be stopped as soon as possible" he explained to him in a stern tone.
Ivan would then place a picture on the surface of the table that he produced from his back pocket, a woman was on it with silver hair, crimson eyes, and a pale complexion. "Burn this image into your head my friend, and do your best to find what information you can about her" with a nod of the head he kept the image there for a moment longer before returning it to the back pockets of his pants. Smiling the towering man chuckled at Ren, "For now we drink!" he said downing almost the entire portion of his Ale, before slamming the glass onto the table.
| | words 605 tags notes stuff
| ...escaping is futile... |
made by jasmin - for sir paya use only
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 22:40:46 GMT -6
"Jungle Man?"
Renatus immediately cringed. So Ivan had heard that slip. Mentally preparing for the beating that was no doubt going to occur, Ren's muscles tensed and a brief moment of panic overcame him. He nervously darted his vision from Ivan's hands to his gold eyes, the same colored eyes you would find on a hungry wolf. Would he become the prey of this bloodhound? When Ivan chuckled, Ren jumped what felt like ten feet in the air and his heart skipped a beat.
"I am Jungle Man, and you are my sidekick Jungle Boy"
A joke. He took it as a joke.
Renatus had to use all his self control to keep his jaw from dropping. In what was a terrifyingly rare occurrence, someone had heard one of his jokes and found it funny. The panic subsided to a returned chuckle, and then to an even more powerful wave of familiarity. It wasn't often that Ren would actually find someone who he could strike kinship with. Would it be possible for lazy, small and obnoxious Ren to become friends with this powerful bounty hunter of few works? Maybe something had changed in him during his travels. Or perhaps it was simply the fact that he had drank to much ale at this point. Either way, he was beginning to like Ivan.
Listening to Ivan's story seemed to stir something in Ren. This woman, this Silver Fox, sounded like a monster in her own right, both for being a general criminal and for the wrongs she had brought upon his new friend. The audacity of someone, to hurt an ally of the Crevan family! If he had been born to nobles or warriors he would have used all of his resources to hunt this woman down and help his newfound ally bring her to justice. But as a simple man from an even simpler family, the best he could do was listen, both now and later. Words would be his ally if he would be able to assist.
Ren because so enraptured in the story of the Silver Fox that even after the drink was placed it was ignored, replaced by the interest in the goings-on of his drinking buddy and his life. From the back of his mind there was a tinge of envy that he would never speak of out loud, that small part jealous that Ivan had such grand stories to tell of his past and his future. In some was Renatus yearned for such excitement and tales to share with others, as opposed to his own dull life.
With the yawn of a man who had walked many miles over many days, his attention became centered on the picture as Ivan slid it over. Silver hair, a pale complexion...in some ways this woman looked like his own sister. As soon as the thought crossed his mind a pang of upset arose, his chest tightening, making it difficult to breathe. The scent of smoke seemed to drift in on what little breeze could be felt from within the building, and underneath the loud discussions at the bar a sound began to surface...
Shaking his head violently Ren snapped back to reality, giving Ivan a smile as hollow as his chest currently felt. Laughing far too loud to be natural, he lifted his drink and held it in the air doing his best to avoid eye contact with Ivan. "Yes, let's drink! And if I may propose a toast, or even if I may not, I shall!" His voice was a bit more ragged than before, each word ending in a higher pitch that showed his internal anxiety. He needed to move his mind from his own issues. After all, this night was about his savior, friend and Jungle Man, Ivan.
"To us! To two fools with nothing better to do than drink ale and risk our necks on unheard of endeavors for ungrateful people, as unsung heroes!" Renatus paused in thought for a moment. "Well, at least you're an unsung hero. To the unsung hero and the unworthy drunk!"
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Post by Ivan Sahale on May 10, 2014 2:20:31 GMT -6
I will hunt you down... He would notice, even if for a moment the man with the golden eyes would catch the change in expression on Rens face; he would remain quiet observing in silence, if there was one thing Ivan was good at it was picking up the feelings of others based on their expressions, and mannerism. His father always told him it had been something that his mother was able to do, so the giant of a man had always figured he picked up the unique skill from his late mother. He would wait in silence, not saying anything or even daring to touch the subject whatever it was that had surfaced from the pits of Ren's psyche seemed to be strong enough to force the man to shake his head violently in an attempt to push the memories away. Ivan would happily play along when Ren raised his cup in triumph, ready to propose a toast the man would smile raising his own glass in response happily pushing it against Ren's the resulting sound coming to life as a 'clink'!
"Indeed! We are the unsung heroes of a world that is polluted with the poison of human imperfection!" he said aloud as he leaned back his head leaning as he raised the bottom of his glass drinking the ale in one mighty gulp, the man would let a loud sigh of relief escape him as he brought the glass down slamming it onto the ground. He grinned wildly as he eyed Ren, "Let the troubles pass my friend!" he said to him pushing the glass off to the side rather carelessly, said glass stopping a few inches from the edge of the table threatening to fall off. Luckily it didn't, otherwise Ivan was sure that Fetch would use it as an excuse to snitch on Ivan to Lelage he knew the large blonde man had it in for him. Ignoring that fact he would focus on the moment that he was sharing with Ren, the two where forming bonds here a companionship that could lead to many misadventures for sure; perhaps some serious problems too if someone bit off more than they could chew.
"The day is coming to an end my friend..." he mentioned glancing towards the far off window that allowed a clear look to the outside the sun had already set, and the sky had turned black; taking his gold eyes from the outside he focused them on Ren once more. "So I believe we should take the chance to get some rest, you do have some work to do tomorrow after all..." he said with a much more serious tone than earlier. Fun and games where one thing, but Ivan had given this man a job one he expected him to complete.
| | words 464 tags notes Delivery time!
| ...escaping is futile... |
made by jasmin - for sir paya use only
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2014 7:51:09 GMT -6
Rest? here he was, gods only knew how many drinks deep and beginning to feel the height of the day's excitement, and Ivan wanted to send him to rest?
That thought dampened the already volatile and drunken mood that Renatus had placed himself in, and as he chugged the remainder of his drink he kept his gaze locked on Ivan. Perhaps there was some truth to his words, despite Ren not wanting to believe it. Today there had been much travel over long distances, and plenty of accompanying stress to wear on his small body. More likely than not the instant his head hit the pillow he would be out like a light with no return until the morning - a morning where he had work to accomplish. Nonetheless, the night felt young and he had no desire to give his body its much deserved rest.
"Just two drinks, a lousy toast and a 'fare thee well'? Ivan, I'd have thought you to have a much greater constitution with a size like that!" He crossed his arms akin to a spoiled child and rolled his eyes. "Two more drinks. Just two more, and I'll get to bed. How does that sound?"
Holding up two fingers as he finished speaking, he chuckled and attempted to drink from his empty mug once more. Getting a few remaining drops from the glass, he placed it on the table haphazardly and watched it roll off onto the floor.
"I mean, I won't force you. No offense, but you're a bit of a scary man and I have no interest in getting my face beaten in for saying the wrong thing - or my incompetence - or really any reason at all? Am I rambling? It sounds a bit like I'm rambling." Renatus took a deep breath. "Alright, alright. Maybe I am a bit far gone at the moment, and we - I mean I - do have something I need to do tomorrow morning. Tell you what. Ivan, I will tell you exactly what the best idea is in this situation, okay?"
Ren's sober mind would have spent a great deal of time contemplating exactly why one drink was the difference between perfect clarity and borderline nonsense, but that mind was nowhere to be found. The alcohol had finally hit him hard enough to be revealed out in full force.
"One drink. Just one more drink, to us. Wait- no. Two drinks. Just two more."
The look that was on his face could have easily been compared to a begging puppy, his lips pouted and eyes opened wide, looking up at Ivan in an almost pitiful manner. "Please? Just two?"
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