6. Favors (Southan/Shiki)

One of the fine things that every Order House had (according to Misami, who would know best) was at least one trainning room. Most had three: one each for masters, journeymen, and acolytes. Pathos House was no exception to this generality. In fact, being one of the largest Houses of the Order, it could boast not only about the number of its trainning rooms (six) or the fact that they had special equipment, but about the fact that one of those room was so large that it took up an entire floor of the House.

It was in this room that Shiki found himself facing down a determained-looking Ryszard again while Misami talked with Daxus over in the small goblinoid's corner after her lesson. The moment they had gotten back to the Order House, Kazuko had been whisked away to her quarters. But the acolyte had been released from his confination and allowed to resume his lessons...one of which he was trying to convince Shiki to teach him with at the moment.



"Becoming enraged could be very useful to a healer! You've just got to show me how you do it!"

The impassioned plea might have been considerable had the boy not tried to kill him a little under a week ago....and his voice hadn't cracked on the word "me".

Watching the small talk between Misami and Daxus before he was confronted with Ryszard and having him draw his attention to him. Hearing his plea for help in teaching him a skill he himself had known for as long as he knew,

"If you are wanting to become like that, first off you have to have more confidence in yourself... that's the first step, believing in yourself and your abilities. After that... its just a matter of honing them further."

As he started to explain it, he lifted up his hand and flexing his claws where Ryszard could see them,

"Now see i have learned to use these claws as the more ive used them, ive learned to fight better, honing my ability with them..."

Focusing his eyes on his hand, he started to get an aura around him, and looking at his claws again, they started to gleam with a sharper image and extending a further out than normal...

"Once you have honed the ability you press yourself further and further... never doubting yourself..."

"More confidence...right..." The lanky teenager's sassiness turned thoughtful though and he rubbed the back of his neck. "That didn't land me in a good place last time..." He waved his free hand in a gesture he'd seen his father use to encompass everything in a topic that everyone knew about. "I don't think I have it in me to do it, not properally. You sure it's that easy?"

Relaxing a moment to release the aura, giving him a straight glare,

"That right there is whats letting you down, your not giving it your all... your stopping yourself before you begin... "

As he stands infront of him, he summons one of his shadows infront of him and he had the shadow go up and tap the front of Ryszard's head, "You want to focus more and be more confident in yourself... then try to catch my shadow... if your determined enough... you will catch it, else you will fall behind and lose sight of it."

As he starts to dash the shadow from shadow to shadow, he sees Ryszard looking at him with a confused look, he just says to him "Its a small test of determination, you must have confidence in yourself that you can catch my shadow... its a small step towards your goal."

Ryszard stared at the older man for a moment more before he shrugged and wrapped a shadow around himself, disappearing into the darkness. Then the chase was on. The shadowform and the acolyte dashed around the immense room. Occassionally one of them would almost run into someone else in the room who was duelling or practicing their weapon work.

One memorable occassion, Rys had to skid to a stop right before he ran into the female archer that Shiki had come to recognize as the Master Healer primarily in charge of the wards of the House. The woman looked at the lad with a hard look on her face before raising her bow and aiming it at Ryszard.

"I suggest moving, child," she intoned. "I'm told my arrows hurt."

Then she let loose a single arrow that whistled over his head. Ryszard's eyes went wide before he dashed into the nearest shadow in the opposite direction. Now he was not only having to chase after a shadow who would disappear into itself if he got close, but dodge the arrows that were chasing him.

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Ryszard rolls Swiftness (To Chase Shadow.
6 roll +12 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon = 22

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The member 'Weaver' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 6

Watching his shadow and Ryszard go from shadow to shadow, and across the floors he saw him catching up to his shadow little by little...

Seeing him nearly run into the archer that's been training in the room with them, 'This isnt going to be good...' kinda wincing a little as he expected to hear a smack and thud as they would have hit the floor, but after a moment of it not happening he sees them talking for the briefest of moments before she loosed and arrow over his head. 'Holy crap... that's going to hurt if it hits him...' watching as he managed to dodge it at the last moment shiki let loose a short sigh of relief.

'Well hes doing ok so far... now to up the stakes a little and see if he can concentrate enough with this...'

As he looks over to where Ryszard is at, he has a second shadow appear from the first one, and split off in a different direction, this one in a wolf form, blazing a trail off to the side at an unbelievable pace...
With both forms out now he yells over to Ryszard, "Your goal now is to catch both of them..."

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Shiki Shadow (Normal Form) Swiftness

13 God Speed + 4 Swiftness + 2 Deadly Shadow + 1 Precognition + 5 Roll = 25 Total

Shiki Shadow (Wolf Form) Swiftness

13 God Speed + 4 Swiftness + 2 Deadly Shadow + 1 Precognition + 16 Roll = 36 Total

The member 'Shiki' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 5

The member 'Shiki' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 16

Ryszard paused panting. Shadows flaired around him briefly before there was three boys where only one had been a moment prior. One kept following the first shadow while the other two were trying to corner the agile wolf.

Around the room, people began stopping in what they were doing to watch the show. Some of the younger ones were sporting grins on their faces. They were calling out things to Ryszard occassionally. If any of those comments got too out of hand, one of the older people in the rooms--masters and upper journeymen if Shiki didn't miss his mark, every single one of them--would shoot the offender a single look and the cries would subside. One particularly bad one did recieve an arrow in the arm however.

Then the woman started gathering an aura around her. With every arrow set free, it grew. The arrows were getting closer to the shadow forms of Ryszard too. Shiki could easily tell which one was the real Ryszard if only because of that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rolls: 6, 8, 4
Ryszard activates Animate Shadow.

Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Shiki 1). [25 to Catch]
6 roll +12 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon = 22

Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Shiki 2 [Wolf]). [36 to Catch]
8 roll +12 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon = 24

Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Shiki 2 [Wolf]). [36 to Catch]
4 roll +12 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon = 20

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The member 'Weaver' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 6, 8, 4

Seeing Ryszard halt for a brief moment and summon shadow forms of himself, 'Well that is now going to expedite things... they will be able to split up and start going for both shadows... a very good start.'

As the two shadows of Ryszard went after the wolf form, and the original staying after the normal shadow of shiki, the wolf form took a sharp turn and headed right for the shadow form of shiki head on, leaping over the shadow form shiki, it landed right on the forehead of Ryszard... standing there for the briefest of moments before it leaped off and continued to run around tailing the shadows of Ryszard.

With the normal shadow shiki seeing the wolf form run around and land on Ryszard's forehead, he turned his head around and watched it unfold as it seemed he was at a loss of words he just gave a grin and continued the chase, but with the extra second he gained more ground on Ryszard.

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Normal Shadow Shiki
13 God Speed + 4 Swiftness + 2 Deadly Shadow + 1 Precognition + 10 = 30 Total

Wolf Shadow Shiki
13 God Speed + 4 Swiftness + 2 Deadly Shadow + 1 Precognition + 12 = 32 Total

The member 'Shiki' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 10, 12

Bereft of a target the three ran into each other--hard. The small group landed together in a heap with the original on top. Then the shadows dissipated with a silent pop. Ryszard fell the almost three feet to the group with a groan.

When he picked himself up, he was different--more determined. With a thought he summoned his shadows back to him. As one, they whipped the shadows around themselves and pursued their targets once more.

The real Rys managed to grab the humanoid shadow form, but his shadows didn't seem to have the same luck. They kept barely missing. Fate must hate them.

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Rolls: 11, 2, 3
Ryszard gains 2nd Level!

Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Shiki 1). [30 to Catch]
11 roll +14 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon +4 Adrenaline = 33

Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Shiki 2 [Wolf]). [32 to Catch]
2 roll +14 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon +4 Adrenaline = 24

Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Shiki 2 [Wolf]). [32 to Catch]
3 roll +14 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon +4 Adrenaline = 25

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The member 'Weaver' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 11, 2, 3

As the normal shadow form was captured, he quietly sat down looking up to Ryzsard, "Good job... but now the fun begins..."

As the wolf saw the standard shadow get captured, it let out a high pitch howl, and began to glow a white color, as it did so was it just Ryzsard's imagination or did it just speed up even faster than before... and now there were three of them pacing about...
~~~~
Shiki activates Shade Master path ( Brings out two more shadow forms totaling 4 )
~~~~

As the forms stood at one another, the main one seemed to still keep its quickened pace but the other two seemed to be a little slower than the first one...

'Now the true test will begin... how will you handle this Ryzsard...'
~~~~~~


Shadow Wolf Original (Center pic)
18 Improved God Speed + 6 Swiftness + 2 Deadly Shadow + 1 Precognition + 15 Roll = 40
New Shadow Wolf (left pic)
18 Improved God Speed + 6 Swiftness + 2 Deadly Shadow + 1 Precognition + 3 Roll = 30
New Shadow Wolf (right pic)
18 Improved God Speed + 6 Swiftness + 2 Deadly Shadow + 1 Precognition + 5 Roll = 32

The member 'Shiki' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 15, 3, 5

Ryszard's dark eyes went comically wide at the extra shadows. He shared a look with his shadows. Then he shook his head as if to clear it. He opened his mouth to speak--and just then a spout of flames came rushing at him from the archer. The teenager jumped back so instinctively that his shadows jumped as well. Then the three of them took off running, each after its own shadow.

A single burst of laughter rang out before being silenced. Shiki knew that laugh anywhere. It was Misami from her corner. He looked over to see her conversing with the blind man beside her, her mismatched eyes on the action in front of her.

The first of Ryszard's shadows caught his target even as the second tackled its, causing both to go to the ground. The real Ryszard, perhaps a bit cocky from his previous success, almost caught the original wolf shadow, but she proved to be more wiley than the youth, darting inbetween the little healer and her companion.

Misami snagged him by his arm and whispered something that couldn't be heard from so far away. The boy nodded and took off after the glowing wolf once more.

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Rolls: 14, 13, 20

Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Shiki 1). [40 to Catch]
14 roll +14 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon +4 Adrenaline = 36

Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Shiki 2 [Wolf]). [30 to Catch]
13 roll +14 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon +4 Adrenaline = 35 [Caught!]

Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Shiki 2 [Wolf]). [32 to Catch]
20 roll +14 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon +4 Adrenaline = 42 [Caught!]

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The member 'Weaver' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 14, 13, 20

Watching as the shadows of Ryszard go back and forth inching closer to the two new shadows and eventually being caught, 'Well seems his concentration is getting better... hes started to anticipate their movements...'

As he sees the original Ryszard going after the first wolf form shadow, and just nearly catching it but missing it, it begins to pace around the room still.

Knowing that Shiki had accomplished what he had intended, he nodded over to the shadow, slowing it down for he had taught Ryszard what he intended, to have confidence in himself, and he did so, catching all of the other shadow forms...

As the two wolfs were captured they bound themselves with the shadow forms of Ryszard, this had become a one on one duel now, one shadow to one person.

As the shadow wolf saw the others it was stunned in amazement that they were captured so easily... it was completely off guard... if this was the time for Ryszard to seize the moment... this was it.

~~~~~~~~~~
Shadow Wolf
18 Improved God Speed + 6 Swiftness + 2 Deadly Shadow + 1 Precognition + 1 Roll = 28

The member 'Shiki' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 1

Ryszard darted towards the slightly stunned wolf, confident that he was going to catch the thing. Just a few steps away, he overstepped--as kids that grow too fast for their gait to adapt tend to do from time to time. He did catch the shade. It's what broke his fall...well, temporarily...before it, you know, disappeared from under him and he fell the few feet to land, once more on his face.

"You know," he said, nose still touching the stone floor, "that is really getting old." He sat up to a crouch, rubbing his nose the whole time. "But I did catch it! I, Ryszard Kemoni, caught that damn fast...er..." His words faded for a moment from the looks from the masters in the room. "--that really fast wolf."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ryszard rolls Swiftness (Against Shadow Wolf). [28 to Catch]
10 roll +14 Swiftness +4 Speed Demon +4 Adrenaline = 32

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The member 'Weaver' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 10

As he sees that he finally caught the last shadow, with it vanishing as it was caught making him his face be reintroduced to the floor once again... shiki gave a small laugh.

Walking up to him, helping him up as he was bout to stand, placing one of his large hands on his shoulder, "Well you did it yourself... you had confidence in yourself that you could do it... and you performed as expected and you did what you set out to do, capturing the two original shadows and even going beyond that, and getting the two new ones."

As he looked up, he had one shadow form up behind Ryszard, a smaller version of the wolf that pounced on his forehead, "But you do need to know one thing..." as shiki points behind ryszard... giving the smaller wolf the starting signal, has ryszard turn around just in time for the smaller wolf to arc in his jump to pounce off his forehead once more, but with shiki to catch him before he fell onto the floor, "... you do need to know to expect the unknown."

As Shiki looked around the room at the other shadows he had out, he dismissed them one by one, until they were gone. "See all you need to do is put forth effort and you will get what you want... in time."

"Time, huh?" Ryszard opened his mouth again, probably to say something idoitically sarcastic like 'why can't I have it now?', but then he went pale. "Oh, hell, time. What time is it? Has fourth bell rang yet?"

"No, but it will in a few moments, youngling," said Lania as she came up behind Rys, slinging her bow across her back. "You had better hurry if you wish to make the Sealing class on time. Brother Nikael is in charge today." The boy got even paler and disappeared into a puff of darkness. The master healer turned her blue eyes towards the wolf demon. "You teach very well for a... You teach very well. The youngling has been thinking he was a complete fool for his misdeeds. You got through to him a very important lesson."

The archer's gaze drifted beyond him. Shiki felt a small hand touch his back as Misami came up behind him. He didn't need to look to know that Misami's gaze was locked with that of Lania's. It was always the same whenever they stayed at an Order House. Inevitably, the Masters would be stand-offish towards him. At first, he thought that it might have been an issue with him (not an Order member or his appearance or something), but he was beginning to think it was something about Misami and him together that bothered them. Whatever it was, it bugged Misami.

"Daxus says he wants to talk to you, love," the nekomimi told him, her eyes not leaving the archer's.

Thanking the person who said he had taught Ryszard something of use to him, and proving to himself that he could do things if he put forth effort to it.

As Misami put her hand to his back, and hearing her voice and the request that Daxus wanted to see him. "Alright dear Misami, ill go and find him..." as he begins to look back to misami, noting that her eyes still haven't left the figure of the archer, and feeling a little awkward about it, trying to get her away from the stare-down, "... Misami... would you be able to show me were he is at, you know this place better than me." as he lifts up his arm and reaching behind his back giving kind of a confused look but still smiling at her.

"He went on ahead to his office," Misami said, allowing herself to be distracted from her battle of wills with the far older woman. Lania drifted away to a small group of acolytes with bows who had been practicing before Ryszard's trainning had begun. Misami looked at Shiki as soon as the phoenix's back was turned. "He said he wanted to show you something. He didn't tell me what it was, though."

And with that, she grasped his hand and began tugging him towards the door, like a child who couldn't wait to show a present off.

As she gave him the reply, he looked around for a moment, before being pulled off balance by the tug of Misami in Daxus's direction.

Careful to word his question, since she was in a stare down deadlock with the bow person before they left, not knowing if the history between them and Misami was a good one or something else...
"Who was that person that was there with the bow, it seems you have a little history with them."

"Her? I think her name is Alana...no, wait, it's Lania," Misami said distractedly. "She's a Master with the Order." The last statement was made as if it should explain everything. Shiki remembered that she was normally evasive about this topic. She would try to mollify him with assurances that everything was fine. Something was definitely up with her and the Order, though. He's noticed that they didn't stay at Order Houses as often as they did at the start of their traveling together and whenever they did, Misami would get into these little battles with the masters. And it was always the masters that she did it with too. Never a Mother or a Father of a House, but there was always one or two of the lesser masters with whom his little lover would be as hard as granite.

As he hears the brief description and hearing her call her a master of the house, he realized it quickly that it would be best left for a latter discussion.

"Well now... lets see if we can find out what Daxus wanted... much less finding him first though." as he mulls over what it could be that he was wanting to show him... be began to get a little confused and curiosity began to set in, all of which Misami knew all to well what could happen.

They had to go up a couple of floors to get to Daxus' office. Like Mother Sera's sactrum, Daxus' office was on the main floor of the House. As they approached the intrictly carved oak door, Misami adopted a more dignified gait, though she still held Shiki's hand. Daxus' soft voice answered promptly after Misami had knocked on the pale wood.



"Come in," the mind mage called out. The pair entered finding Daxus seated at a desk of some wood so dark it was almost black. His walking staff was leaning up against the desk beside him. The blind goblinoid was sitting in a chair that looked extremely comfortable and that dwarfed his small frame. It's dark blue leather looked rather nice against Daxus' light blue skin. "Ah, yes, Journeyman Misami and her Shiki. Thank you for bringing him so promptly, dear. I've only just arrived here myself. Let me see....where did I put it?"

Holding her hand as they went into his office, he walked in just behind Misami knowing she was leading him there it was best for him to follow suit behind her.

Being courteous to Daxus for inviting him to his office, " Thank you for the invitation to visit you here Daxus..." not really knowing how else to put what he was thinking since this was only his second time seeing him before.

As his eyes adjusted to the different lighting in his office, he saw many things about his office that were a rare sight, exquisite woodwork finely crafted items sitting on shelves, and the centerpiece being the big chair on which Daxus had been sitting at.

'All this excellent interior decor with the placement in here, its pretty astounding how he manages it all in here.'

"Yes, Mother Sera sees to my comfort well, doesn't she?" Daxus said, the smile on in his face in his voice as well. His pale eyes were turned looking at Shiki, but completely unfocused into an unseeing stare that seemed to look through the wolf demon more that at him. "And technically, it's the third time you've seen me this close up. Once during that nasty bit of business with the young Ryszard and once more before your exciting visit to the Yauri House." The middle-aged man paused a moment before cocking his head to the side, reminding Shiki of a puppy one of his clan had had before he left for adventure. "I'm sorry. Did I invade? I don't mean to, you know. But you broadcast very loudly on some things. In any case, it's alright not to be sure how to deal with me." His smile had a touch of self-deprecation. "Not many do."

In a small bit of shock having his thoughts brought out into the open again by Daxus not once but twice, he had figured it would happen... but it was still a shock to him that it occurred again.

Replying as he would normally even knowing his own answer, "Yes it does seem so, that shes kept you with some of the nicest items here, and all the while keeping you with a good bit of luxury with the furniture here... definitely looks comfortable for you."

As Daxus seemed to wander off and look back with the second question and answer of his talk expressing the invasion, "Well i do think aloud alot, and even expressions i have give off a good sign, so its not very hard to read what im thinking..." as he trails off after giving his response to Daxus. '... and sometimes it seems its almost too easy for them to notice.'

As he looks over to Misami he smiles at her and looks back over to Daxus, "You can even ask her, she can tell ya pretty much all the times shes been able to read my mind just by my expressions, its staggering."

"You're an open book, love," Misami said as she stood on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek.

"Yes, that's a good way to phrase it: an open book," Daxus agreed. He opened a drawer and began feeling around in it. As if knowing how uncomfortable bearing his blind gaze could be, he shifted it towards the wall. "Now Misami told me some of your difficulty in the little adventure you had recently and how much trouble you had with the airborne targets. It reminded me of an artifact that I had come across on my recent trek through the Adroanzi Forest. It's a necklace that some of the Silvestri elves use for just that problem...now where is it? Ah, yes, here it is."

Daxus held up the necklace by its leather thong. It was simple, just a single silver disk. On the disk was etched a very detailed image of a bird of prey of some sort. Candlelight glinted off the shiny surface. It dangled from Daxus' hand like a pendulam, swinging from one side to the other seductively.

"I wonder if you would be interested in it at all?"

As he mentioned the encounter from before with the Sisters, "Yes, one of them was out of physical combat so it was harder than normal to deal with it, im just glad that Terry was there, she provided a major assistance with it... but i didn't have much in means of trying to combat her..."

Seeing him rummage through the desk and pulling something out of there, mentioning it could help him, his ears perked up at the sound of what he described this item was able to do... As he saw the necklace pulled out and began to swing back and forth, his eyes locking on the pendant watching it move back and forth... eventually his entire top body started to bob back and forth with its motion.

This was something Misami had seen all too often, his infatuation with a treasure... it knew almost no limit.

"I'm told that its command word is 'Quesse'. I haven't had the need to try it out," Daxus continued as if he didn't noticed the fact that he was hypnotizing Shiki. "I did see one being used, however....well, as much as I see, anyway." Daxus laughed at his little joke. Even Misami was grinning a bit. She extended a single claw into Shiki's palm to bring him out of it. "I think you would get a lot more use out of it than I would. I only picked up as a pretty trinket. You, on the other hand...why you are a warrior. You will do great things, I feel." The little blue man's smile grew a tad more. "With the pendent, I mean."

Entranced by the swinging pendent, until the sharp pain from Misami's claw dug into his palm, holding back a small quip of pain. He looked over to her with a look of being sorry for her having to bring him out of it like other countless times when hes been entranced by other treasures.

When he began to offer it to Shiki, he stood up moving over to Daxus, "I appreciate the gift Daxus, im glad that you deemed me worthy of this to be parting with one of your gifts here."

As he took the amulet that he gave him, he held it in his hands looking at the emblem on the pendant seeing the bird etched in the center of it. Looking back over to Daxus, "So just wearing the amulet and saying the command word, should activate it..."

"From what I've seen, that is correct." Daxus' lips twitched as if he was trying not to laugh, perhaps at the situation that he was politely ignoring. "Do be prepared to sprout wings, though," he warned, handing over the necklace. "It happens quite suddenly."

There was another knock on the door. Daxus looked that direction. Then he reached out to touch a open-faced clock on the desktop. He nodded to himself.

"Half past fourth bell," he said in an undertone, "she's early. Nikael must not have kept them very long. I'm sorry, that's a student. Maybe you recall her? Maegan was the acolyte who showed you to your rooms your first night here. Sera's having me teach her the finer points of controlling her gift. These fine trapping do come with a price, you know. But she's a good girl, very... obedient."

"Rules do seem important to her. Well, we'll get out of your hair," Misami said, knowing that Shiki would be eager to try out his new prize. "Evening, Daxus."

"Evening, Journeyman," Daxus replied, his sightless eyes once more looking at them. "Don't have too much fun now."

---

Adventure Results:

Ryszard:
~ Courage Under Fire: +100
~ Tag! (x4): +400
~ Lesson Learned: +200
~ White Rabbit Exit: +200
~ ~Total Earned: +900
~ ~ ~New Exp. Total: 3300/3600
~ ~ ~ ~Gained Second Level!

Shiki:
~ Kill Me? Pfft, Happens All the Time: +100
~ Teacher: +200
~ Up the Ante: +100
~ Leave It Lay: +100
~ Open Book: +600
~ ~Total Earned: +0
~ ~ ~New Exp. Total: 7800/8400
~ ~ ~ ~Silvestri Amulet: Shiki gains the ability to fly as if he had the ability Flight.

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