abraxaslogs | [ OPEN ] hide your love, don't be shy

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[ OPEN ] hide your love, don't be shy

Who: Claude and you!
When: all throughout August and September
Where: Cadens (pre-Nocwich), the Horizon (any time), and Libertas (post-Nocwich)
What: Catch all for both months
Warnings: For anything referencing Libertas: death, violence, and war

( Open and closed starters in the comments! Also good with prose or brackets and if you'd like to plot something more specific, you can find me at

indech, arboria#1862, or by PM at any time. )

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[ At Steve's nod he waits and watches curiously as the other man seems to do something that almost looks like a short version of the meditation he's familiar with before the Horizon was involved. When Steve opens his eyes and moves Claude doesn't question it, just follows with as much caution as he can muster for when it feels like there's no time to lose.

The gap taunting them where the floor once isn't a surprise, but what is is the question that follows. Claude eyes Steve first and then studies what they (Steve) need to clear, absently forming half-finished sigils with the fingers of one hand as he thinks. Somewhere, somehow: Lysithea can surely sense that he's about to try something with magic he hasn't before and is rolling her eyes in exasperation with theorems ready to prove how it can be done, if he would've only listened in class. But he shoves that memory away. It's no help here. ]

It's possible. [ Claude says it slowly, still evaluating what all that might entail in the small amount of seconds they can spare. With someone needing their help, there's no time to explain the ways he's familiar with using the spell he has in mind or that there's a good chance the Singularity - in whatever it does - will aid it to be what they need regardless, so he shakes his head. ] Better yet, it's worth a shot. If I aim it towards your feet timed for when you make it to the other side, the gust should push you farther in to where the floor's less damage.

[ Or - it'll push Steve into the wall waiting at the other end, depending on how the force catches the other man. Maybe he doesn't have to explain that part given all the other risk involved, and to make sure it's aimed exactly where it needs to go Claude steps forward with one cautious step after another to as far out as the floor on this side seems like it'll support him. He holds his hands out before him, both now aglow with the spell waiting to be called and looks to Steve with a nod of his own. ]

Ready when you are.

[ There isn't much time to discuss, and whether or not Claude is speaking with true confidence or a bravado borne of necessity, Steve isn't going to question it. This wouldn't be the first time that he's relied on a teammate's magic, as Wanda has propelled him around with the sheer force of her hex energy a number of times in the past.

If the worst happens and he falls through the floor anyway, it probably won't be the end of the world. He'll find a way back up. All the same, as Steve backs up to give himself room for a running start, he does brace himself for that unfortunate scenario — which would mean a hard and potentially painful landing.

He watches as Claude's hands begin to take on a translucent green glow, an indication that he's readying the spell. It's so different from what Wanda and Strange do, but Steve's starting to realize that magic can take all sorts of forms.

What matters is how they use it here and now.

He meets Claude's gaze with an unwavering look of his own and then takes off at breakneck speed toward the gap, leaping from the floor at the last second to launch himself across. A split second later, as he nears the other side, he feels a lightness to his steps where he should be landing, as if he's stepped on air. The force of the spell pushes him forward, and suddenly it's like when he was new to the serum and could barely control how fast he was — meaning he does slam into the shut door.

He hears a startled yelp from the other side as he recovers from a brief moment of being dazed from the impact. He looks back to Claude across the way and sends him a quick salute before returning his attention to the door and whoever's trapped behind it. ]

We're gonna get you out of there, just hold on! [ He has to force the door open, and then he's met with — as expected — a pile of debris blocking him from the rest of the room and the person stuck inside. ]

[ It works - this is what sticks in Claude's mind the most even if he also follows it with a wince as Steve hits a rather solid remaining part of the structure on when he lands. Later, all that effort of getting across on Steve's part being so effortless will register with him, probably raise some questions but for now: hot damn, his spell didn't fail.

This is, however, only celebrated behind that mask of concentration as he gets up and dusts his trousers off with focus immediately back on their goal of helping whoever is trapped. As Steve calls out a reassurance, Claude's looking around to see if he can get across. He has faith in his agility, but that is a sizable gap.

Steve forcing the door open redoubles his efforts, because now it also occurs to Claude that if the other's able to get through the debris, and whether it's one person or several trapped behind it, they're going to need to find a way to bring them out of the building. ]

I'm going to look for a way back around to there, [ he calls over to Steve and without waiting to see if the other man heard him, it's off to his search.

The other end of the hallway from where they'd hopped up from the floor below doesn't seem promising at first. There's more collapsed beams, walls, rubble he has to climb past or over. Claude's progress is slow, much slower than he'd hoped it'd be, thanks to making sure whatever he steps on is solid or if it'll give away beneath his weight as he goes. Eventually he makes it to a turn in the hallway, but it's a dead end based on more walls having fallen.

But it's not without hope - there's another hole in a ceiling and this time, Claude has a wall to use for hand and footholds up to it. The climb's quick and leads to the roof rather than another floor and Claude moves across it, eyes on the shingles beneath his feet to approximate retracing his steps to where Steve's working. The path leads him to a ruined ceiling and he crouches down to peer through it. If his guess is as lucky as he wants it to be, maybe it's the same room as before. But he'll settle for it being close enough to there, too. ]

[ Steve registers what Claude says, nodding but not reacting much more than that as he focuses on how to best unearth all of the debris that's trapping the survivor inside the room. He orders him first to back up as far as he can into the room, as he's going to need to push some of the debris further into the room to dislodge it. Trying to drag any of the large pieces through a doorway isn't bound to work until he makes some more space.

Thankfully, the survivor isn't badly injured. His voice sounds hoarse and strained from smoke inhalation and yelling for help, but he's able to move, at least.

Once the all clear is given, Steve forces all of his weight and strength against the pile of debris, forcing enough of it out of place that tiny gaps open up, allowing him to peer through and see the man on the other side. He continues to offer reassuring words and then starts to pick up smaller pieces of rubble that he can get his grip around now, tossing them into the gap behind him (after making certain no one happens to be down there).

Slowly but surely, he's making an opening in the doorway. Now it's just a matter of keeping this up until there's enough space for the man to come through.

It's around this time that both Steve and the survivor hear movement on the rooftop above their heads.

"Oh no, what now," grumbles the man as he sends a wary glance up to the hole overhead. ]

Don't worry. I think that's a friend of mine.

[ It's most likely Claude, anyway. Who else would be on the roof? ]

[ One quick peer into the room below confirms it's exactly where he wants to be, though that's confirmed more by hearing Steve's voice than by the man staring up at him like he's the strangest sight of the day. And, well - Claude just might be. ]

Good news, if we can get back up to the roof there's a much easier way back around than all of us having to clear where the floor's collapsed out there.

[ This is announced while he surveys the ground below, notes a few pieces of furniture they can repurpose as a makeshift ladder to the roof again, and then there's nothing to do but lower himself by gripping a roof beam and dropping to the floor below him with slightly less grace than he would've hoped. No matter; he's still counting it a success. While Steve works on clearing the doorway, Claude turns to the man who is, understandably, looking at him skeptically. ]

He's much better at moving heavy things than I am. [ Said with a nod back over his shoulder in Steve's direction and with a smile exaggerated so it'll hopefully show despite his mask, which makes the man relax ever so slightly. That's a good start. ] My name's Claude, it's nice to meet you. Would you mind if I checked you over a bit before we get you out of here?

[ There's a begrudging sort of acceptance and Claude hands over his waterskin to the survivor before going through a list of basic battlefield assessment now bolstered by what Nadine's taught him. The man is in good shape all things considered, though there's a particularly nasty looking scrape along one of his forearms Claude would feel much better about healing slightly before they go on the move. ]

I'd like to help with this if I can. Is it alright if I use some healing magic on you? You'll still need to get checked out in one of the infirmaries but this should take any pain away. [ He glances up to be met with a frown, and, well. He gets that. Probably falls under the kind of magic the Free Cities questions, if Claude had to guess. ] You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable, promise. If you'd like to see what it'll do before deciding, I can use it on Steve first. Well, assuming Steve's also okay with it. If not, I have some supplies with me I can use to clean that wound which should also make it feel much better.

[ Extricating the survivor through the roof will likely be the better option here, as Claude's already determined. Leading the injured, likely shaken man through a house that's on the verge of collapse isn't ideal, so Steve's glad to learn that they have another way.

First thing's first, though. He lets out a little scoff to himself at Claude's comment about him, but it's not like he's wrong. Steve is more than capable of clearing away the blockage himself, and continues to work on pulling pieces free and then tossing them below.

As Claude offers healing to the man, it's really no surprise that there's some hesitation at first. The people of the Free Cities are particular with the type of magic that they approve of, for whatever reason. Steve knows that it all goes back to their centuries-long conflict with Thorne, but in a situation like this, it feels ridiculous to balk at it. ]

Sure, you can use it on me. [ He's already handed himself over to Claude's magic once and it hadn't been a disaster. Granted, there isn't much to heal on him, but if it sets the civilian at ease, then sure.

By this point, Steve's cleared the debris away to the point that he can actually step through and into the room. He doesn't approach immediately, not wanting to spook the man even further, although at this point the guy's looking between him and Claude, assessing.

"You've gone to all this effort to come to my rescue," he says after a long pause. "Would be a bit silly of me to turn down your help now." So with that, the survivor nods to Claude and holds his arm out. ]

[ Steve's confirmation that he is, yet again, willing to be a test for what Fodlan magic he knows gets a nod from Claude. From there, it's but a second's delay before Recover is sent Steve's direction. If the other man has any general aches, pains, bruises, cuts and scrapes, or simply the muscle strains that come along with all of this, they'll either disappear or be greatly muted. Something he couldn't have managed in Fodlan, given he wasn't much of a magic user, but. It's fortunate that it works here.

After that display and with Steve still standing, the survivor does seem more convinced. To the point of holding out his arm in the acceptance Claude had hoped for, so he's quick to give the man another smile. ]

That's the spirit. Give me just a moment, alright?

[ One more appraisal of the man's arm now that he's been granted permission, and then it's time to send Recover over it in hopes to patch up as much of that wound as he possibly can. It seems fate's on Claude's side once more as the wound closes beyond being only just scabbed over with the skin looking less inflamed and some of the bruising gone. The result's not perfect - a medic or healer will most definitely need to finish a proper treatment - but Claude's pleased enough with it. The man seems suitably impressed (if not still slightly unnerved) so that'll do.

Afterwards comes another familiar feeling: weariness like he's run too far, too fast, too long; the mild cost of casting taxing spells in quick succession. Nothing he can't shake off, but best to not over-exert himself with any more magic for now. With everyone in good shape, Claude looks back up at their planned exit through the ceiling. ]

I'm thinking if we move those, [ said now to Steve with a point to some smaller storage chests and then a solid-looking desk, ] onto the desk, we can create something close to stairs to get out of here. What do you think?

[ That burst of magic that envelops him and gives him a little boost is nicer than Steve had really expected. He usually isn't the one who needs to be healed like this, given how quickly his wounds knit up on their own, but it does take away some minor aches that he had from their journey through the collapsing house as well as giving him an injection of fresh energy.

He spreads his arms to show the civilian that he's just fine, and also gives him an encouraging nod.

After that, it's all Claude, who takes to healing the survivor's wound with care. Even if the man would have managed even without the spell's effects, it's nice to see his arm looking a whole lot less red and angry.

Yet Steve doesn't miss the toll this takes on Claude. He's lost a shade or two in his complexion and also has some perspiration beading at his hairline and forehead. Well, the sooner they can all get out of here, the better.

At Claude's suggestion for how to do that, Steve takes note of the crates and the desk, as furniture which hasn't been completely destroyed and they could therefore use. He could just as easily pick them both up one by one and hop up through the hole in the roof, but he doesn't know how comfortable Claude or the civilian will be with that. So... ]

Sure, we can give it a try.

[ The sun's almost completely set outside. They need to make the most of the daylight they have left, and so he quickly gets to work with stacking the crates from the floor up to the desk, building a makeshift staircase of sorts.

He turns back to Claude and the survivor then, nodding to Claude specifically. ] You give it a shot first. Everything should hold steady. I'll wait right here just in case you lose your balance.

[ Steve once again makes much quicker work of arranging what's needed for their exit than he could've managed, and he sends a glance the survivor's way as if to say, see? Purely for entertainment's sake since Claude imagines they could all use something more light-hearted now, but. It doesn't seem to earn him more than a look back. Fair enough.

Their way out's assembled, and all that's left is to test it. Even before Steve speaks up Claude's in the middle of taking a step forward to volunteer himself on that first climb both to test it out and demonstrate, and he nods while hopping up onto the desk as the first metaphorical hurdle there. ]

You've got it. We'll be out of here in no time at all at this rate.

[ Added more for their new friend's benefit than Steve's since Claude's guessing his teammate here knows that as well as anyone. With light steps so as to not knock any of the crates over and to prove their sturdiness, Claude walks up until the ceiling is in reach. For someone used to climbing, it's not much of a hop up to grasp where he needs to go next nor is it particularly difficult to pull himself up and out onto the roof.

It does give him a chance to pat around the roof tiles in his immediate reach to make sure they're all secure and unlikely to cause anyone to slide or loose their grip. They seem to be in good shape, and he has high hopes getting out will prove much easier than getting in to where the man was trapped. All that's left to do now is lean over to look down to where the other two are hopefully still waiting as he kneels back down, ready to grab the hand of anyone who needs added assistance on the brief climb out. ]

It shouldn't take us too long to get back across the roof. There's just a bit of climbing down involved on the other side, but nothing quite like this.

[ It's no surprise that Claude is eager to demonstrate the climb up the makeshift stairs, and Steve simply stands back with his arms crossed and watches, searching for any signs of unsteadiness in how the different crates are stacked on each other. Claude's nimble enough that he makes the whole thing look easy, but this is probably as safe as it's going to get.

They can assist the civilian with getting out easily enough now, though. Steve's glad to hear that this little climb will be the worst of it, based on what Claude's already scouted out. ]

Good to know. [ He nods to the survivor. ] You next, come on. [ He helps him up onto the desk and then hovers nearby as the man does the rest of the climb on his own, just in case he loses his balance and goes tumbling down again.

Claude's ready with a hand stretched down to oversee the last part of the process, and soon enough they've got the man up on the roof. Steve is fairly sure there's no one else trapped in this house, having kept an ear open this entire time on the off chance, so he can leave without any second thoughts.

While he doesn't really need the stairs, he climbs them anyway and then pulls himself up onto the shingles of the rooftop. That last sliver of sun glares almost defiantly at the horizon line. ]

Everyone good? Let's get you down to ground level. [ Steve looks from the man they rescued to Claude. ] Lead the way.

[ It may just be one person, but it still feels good to have done something. It still opens up a little more of the tightness in his chest. ]

[ As the man reaches up for him when he's in range, Claude grips his hand and leans back to balance them both as slight leverage to get him up and out of the damaged house. With a gesture for the man to wait and not get any ideas about racing off across the tiles unsupervised, he waits for Steve to successfully get out himself before standing up. There's another sigh of relief under his breath and well-disguised within moving since why linger where none of them want to be?

With that he leads the way back, deliberately taking slow steps to remind the survivor to be careful even if all of them are eager to keep going. Claude hadn't come across any loose tiles, planks, or otherwise, but with his luck now would be the time they decide to surface. And the last thing they need is undoing the good work they've done so far, and he's determined to get this man to safety.

One person. One person less in the rubble, one person hopefully able to reunite with their loved ones. It helps. It has to. ]

Alright, this will likely be the trickiest part, [ he announces when they arrive to where he'd climbed up. The sunset is casting shadows which weren't there before and the angle of looking down from the roof to the ground can be disorienting. having flown at high heights for years now means it doesn't phase him, but Claude glances up to see the survivor looking on a few shades past incredulous. ] I promise it looks more intimidating than it is. And we're not going to let you fall, got it?

[ Claude first takes a seat on the roof's edge to show it's sturdy and waves for the man to do the same. He's less concerned about Steve in this, if only because it's quite clear Steve's more than capable of many things as he's learned, so after talking through the steps of what they're going to do there's nothing left but demonstrating the way down. There's a terrace below with the window to crawl through on their slightly meandering way back in, so he lowers himself down to where there's beams to grip as another makeshift ladder to show they're also secure enough to support someone. One last jump and he's on firm(ish) ground again looking up at the two men above. ]

See, nothing to it. From here there's only one more level and we'll be back on the ground to get you to where you need to go.

[ As they make their way across the blessedly steady rooftop, Steve notes that the man they successfully extracted from the house more or less listens to everything they have to say, following along dutifully but quietly. He's probably in a state of shock, especially now that they're up here and there's still enough light to see at least the immediate surroundings. There are a whole lot more bombed-out buildings where this one came from.

No doubt his thoughts are running in a million different directions, thinking of all the people he cares about and whether they were as lucky as him. There's a good chance some of them weren't, but that's not something that they should get into until they're safely back on solid ground. Steve's relieved that the civilian hasn't devolved into throwing panicked questions at them just yet.

Before he knows it, Claude has led them to the place where they'll need to climb down. It doesn't look like much to him, but he's sure that for someone who's just lived through such an ordeal, it's got to be intimidating. Claude goes first, demonstrating the way that it should be done, and that seems to at least give the survivor some reassurance that he isn't going to slip and fall after all this. He looks back to Steve, who gives him an encouraging nod as well. ]

You're doing great. This is just the home stretch, all right?

[ Steve remains up top to oversee as the man carefully climbs down, following Claude's footsteps. It all unfolds without incident, allowing Steve to bring up the rear in climbing through the window.

Once they're all inside, Steve silently meets Claude's gaze and gives him a small approving nod. He's doing a great job with all this, too. ]

[ Throughout everything, the man never seems to complain about being asked to climb across roofs, down walls, through windows. Claude keeps a careful watch on him, relieved when an expression does show on his face now and then. There's something to it like coming off the battlefield, soldiers bearing the brunt of everything they've seen. For that he's equally careful to keep patient and offer reassurance here and there as they go, getting ever closer to the ground where it'll be on to one of the infirmaries nearby.

Once they make it through the window Claude glances back and happens to catch Steve's eye and catches that nod. There's a smile that flits across his face, there and gone in a minute before he nods back and turns his attention to the survivor once more. ]

Like Steve said - just a bit further and then we'll be off to get you properly checked over.

[ The last past of their trip is through the ceiling where they'd originally climbed up to track down the noise. This part will certainly take a bit more trust than everything else has required, given that they hadn't bothered to create a terribly secure way up. But the secret to this, Claude thinks, is to keep moving and not give any chances for the man to balk. With any luck, anyway.

With that in mind, he lowers himself down through the opening and after a quick second of appraisal, lets go to drop onto the cabinet. Given that it's still at angle Claude slides down it before catching himself with one foot wedged into a shelf before extending a hand out yet again for the man to take. ]

One last jump down, and we'll be able to get out of here. Ready?

[ Maybe it's the knowledge that they're about to hit ground level, or maybe their calm attitudes and reassurances have been working as expected, but the man they saved only hesitates for a moment or two before following after Claude, hopping down and then using gravity to slide along the slant of the cabinet and finally to the floor. He does grip onto Claude's hand at the end, if only to make sure that he doesn't lose his balance and go stumbling into the wall.

Steve's fast on their heels, letting out a sigh of relief now that everyone's made it out with no incidents. He can hear the house groaning under its own weight, though, and wonders how long before other parts of it give out. Better not to stay here and learn the hard way.

As he leads them back to the front of the building, the man finds his voice and speaks up, even if he sounds hoarse from inhaling all kinds of dust and smoke.

"Thank you both. I really didn't know if anyone was going to find me. You're not Cadens military, are you?"

Right, that. The lack of uniforms or official equipment must have been a clear giveaway. Steve looks over his shoulder at him and shakes his head. ]

No, sir, we're not. We're concerned citizens, but the people in charge need all the help they can get.

[ Steve's never been one to sit on his hands, and it doesn't seem that Claude is either. ]

[ Members of the military - it makes sense that's the assumption. The military's been here for days before they could even arrive, they tend to take care of everything major around everywhere, and who else would be crawling around buildings? Hard to say whether Libertas really knows much about the Summoned aside from the art walk on top of that. Claude's opening his mouth to offer some (likely half-assed) explanation but Steve beats him to it, and what the other offers is far better. When the survivor looks his way on their way out to the street he nods to confirm it. No harm in that. ]

It's true, we're not associated other than living in Cadens ourselves. They asked for help and here we are.

[ No need to get into it, he thinks, since that might bring on more questions. Or perhaps the man doesn't care more than a passing curiosity now that they're out of the building - also reasonable, given the magnitude of everything else going on around them and there being more realities to set in yet. If he's not looked outside, the streets are likely to be shocking.

All the more reason Claude turns to the man as they walk, intent on being as much of a distraction as he can while they pass other buildings in every bit as awful shape as the one they'd just left and even if the topic is still the state of things as they are. ]

It's not far to the nearest infirmary. Along with helping out all around the city, I've been taking a few shifts here and there at this one in particular. If you're not averse to a familiar face stopping by, I'll check in on you now and then.

[ While there might not be any harm in explaining that they're Summoned and that could even do some good for their public image overall, Steve doesn't know if it's a good idea to get into all of that right now. It would only invite a more in-depth discussion that none of them really have time for at the moment. If Claude's going to visit this guy in the infirmary, it might come up in conversation then, but they'll keep it simple for now.

At that offer, the man seems taken aback. He stares at Claude for a few seconds, as if he can't understand all of this kindness.

"Well, it would be foolish of me to turn you down, wouldn't it? So you both just do this out of the kindness of your hearts?"

Apparently that's out of the ordinary. Steve knows that most people won't put themselves into this kind of danger if they're not getting anything out of it. Realizing they can't ignore the sorry state of their surroundings for long, he nods to the closest burned-up building. ]

When we heard what was going on out here, it wouldn't have felt right to just sit around in Cadens doing nothing.

[ They turn a corner, then (or what's left of it), and if Steve remembers correctly, the infirmary Claude was talking about is just down the road. ]

[ Hm. As much as he'd like to be surprised that the survivor seems so surprised by any offer of kindness, that they're here in the first place of their own desire to help, everything in between - it fits in with what he's noticed here and there about the Free Cities. Not that Fodlan has much room to talk in that regard; all of the cities if not the territories themselves have the same issues, and it's unfortunately familiar. Can't do anything about home, but at least here Claude can offer another oversized smile to make it show around the mask again (hopefully) and yet another nod to follow up Steve's comment he couldn't have phrased better himself. ]

That's right. No sense in not coming to help out where we can if we're able to do so. From what I hear, most of us are planning to stick around as long as we're needed here so we'll be a regular enough sight.

[ The man seems to consider this as they make it to the infirmary, possibly in an attempt to figure out just who the two of them are even off this vague information, but there'll be more time for that later. Now that they're inside and out of the worst of the dust, Claude tugs his mask back down to hang around his neck as they approach the makeshift registration desk.

There's a bit of paperwork to go with this, he's learned, to help make sure they both know who's here and which citizens have been accounted for. As the man takes a seat in the chair waiting for him, Claude notes he's started to look more like the reality of everything is sinking in. That's enough for him to decide his next move and it's no longer going back out to resuming searching. Not just yet as he turns to Steve next to speak in a lower tone to keep the words from carrying. ]

I'll stay here with him to get settled, but if you have somewhere you need to be then you don't need to stay unless you'd like to. [ A pause, and then - ] And... thanks, Steve. For all of this.

[ Which doesn't really begin to cover it, but. That's the best he has for now. ]

[ When they enter the infirmary it's a relief to see that they have some sort of organizational system for keeping track of survivors, as well as those who are still unaccounted for. Steve doesn't know how well the system will work with numbers of dead this high. It's probably going to be a few weeks until they really have a sense for it.

He glances over at the man where he's taken a seat, and it's clear from his face that it's hitting him all at once. A bone-deep exhaustion seems to deepen the lines in his face, but there's adrenaline that has his eyes darting around, still bright.

When Claude steps over to quietly let him know that he's going to stay here with him, Steve is quick to agree with a nod. ] I think that's for the best. And you don't need to thank me. Like we told him, we're all out here just trying to do what he can.

[ Which means that he's probably better served searching more half-collapsed buildings for other people like this guy they've just brought to safety. Steve gives Claude a quick clap on the shoulder. ] I'll see you around. Don't push yourself past the point of exhaustion, all right? You won't do anyone any good that way.

[ With those parting words, he gives the survivor a quick acknowledgment and then heads out to see if there's anything else he can do before the city is completely shrouded in darkness. ]

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[ OPEN ] hide your love, don't be shy

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