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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jun 12, 2009 16:37:41 GMT -5
Kai had willingly slept until the sun had begun to dip below the horizon; it wasn't even a light or interrupted sleep, he had completely zoned out in the heat of the afternoon, as he often did on days like this. He sighed softly as she spoke his name, shifting a little as if he didn't really want to wake up. Although he must have realised that he wasn't exactly in the normal position that he woke up in since his eyes suddenly flew open and he sat up, glancing across at her in surprise. He... he had fallen asleep? He must have, considering the colour of the sky. Hm... that was weird. He didn't seem that surprised, however; he'd have been shocked if he'd managed to stay awake for the entire afternoon, but he hadn't expected to just drop off right there on the rooftop, and much less on Pari's shoulder.
He looked at her for a moment before her words sank in, and he nodded in agreement, yawning widely and shuffling to his feet to stretch. "You should'a moved me... you didn't have to sit there all that time. Sorry for driftin' off like that..." he mumbled apologetically, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and looking around, across the city before his gaze moved back to her again. "Where are we gonna go? To that place you were talking about earlier?" he asked curiously, clicking his neck and meandering to the edge of the roof, staying low so he wasn't seen and looking out to the arena. He was surprised at how far away it looked, how big it seemed compared to when he was inside it. But then that was to be expected, when you only saw a tiny part of the place, being a slave.
It felt... strange being away from there. Like being free was actually beginning to feel real now that the night was drawing in and he had yet to be dragged back to the place. Kai looked up as he realised that yes, he was right, and the sun had almost set. He tugged the hood down on his cloak almost instantly then, ears twitching to catch up with the sounds of stalls from the marketplace packing away and people wandering around, his eyes that little bit brighter than before. Sleep helped enormously, but Kai liked the nights in the Xyndi Empire so much more than the days it was unfathomable. It was cooler, he could concentrate more, and he felt more awake. For a while anyway. Which was why the smile he offered Pari was very nearly carefree, and he moved to stand next to her again, tugging the hood back up. "Lead the way."
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 12, 2009 16:54:51 GMT -5
Pari chuckled softly as he jumped up, rolling her shoulder to get the feeling back in it. "It is alright. I didn't want to disturb you, you looked really peaceful." She murmured to him, arching her back before standing up and stretching some more. She had been sat still for too long, she was feeling all stiff. At least it wasn't as warm now, and moving about was making her feel less sleepy. She couldn't wait to get to where they were staying tonight so that she could curl up and sleep properly. Plus, here it was better to be inside when the night came. The days may be sweltering hot, but the nights were the polar opposite, they were freezing.
"Yes, we're going to the place I told you about earlier. It is on the edge of town, and it's a nobles house so it won't be searched. They are friends, so they won't tell anyone about you." She explained too him as she moved to the edge of the roof, taking a moment to get her bearings before pointing in the opposite direction to the setting sun. "We need to go that way...do you have any idea how to get down from here?" She asked, glancing back over her shoulder at him. Climbing up had been easier than she expected, but going down would be a challenge. Pari tended to be clumsy, and she could just see her falling and breaking a bone while trying to get down.
She looked thoughtful as she crouched at the edge of the roof, a calculating look in her eyes. "Do you think we would hurt ourselves if we dropped down onto the balcony? From there the balconies seem closer together." She murmured, pointing out a balcony that was directly beneath her.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jun 12, 2009 17:12:00 GMT -5
He seemed the slightest bit suspicious at the news that this was a noble house that they were staying at; he trusted Pari, he trusted her probably more than anyone else in the world right now, but as for anyone else, he didn't know about that. He'd just have to put faith in her and trust the people she trusted... though he didn't like it very much. He approached the edge of the rooftop as she did, not seeming to find the problems that she was finding with getting down. Years of scrambling over the walls of the arena to avoid opponents and climbing up things in attempts to hide and escape had made Kai rather at home with buildings and the like, and he scrutinised the balcony for a moment or two before looking back up at her. "Nah, this'll be easy. C'mere, watch." he nodded to her.
Kai had to admit that he was a little surprised at her caution when thinking of getting down from the building... she hadn't seemed to have any problems getting up. But then, he thought, to some people they could be two different things altogether. Oh, well. "Just hold on tight, okay? I've never done this with two people... should be okay though." he murmured, suddenly pulling her close to him and practically lifting her from the ground as he dashed towards the edge of the rooftop, carrying them both right over the side of it. Thank God for the growing darkness, because anyone looking up would be really confused right now. He landed with ease on the balcony she'd pointed at, using it at a sort of stepping stone before jumping right onto another ledge, back onto the low wall and straight into the clearing they'd come from, all without terrible difficulty.
It was a good thing, really, that Kai hadn't stayed with his pack in Ising... even though he was only half-demon, he had the potential to be a swift and elegant killer. Fortunately, his skills had, as of yet, just been parlour tricks, skills for survival and ways to beat an opponent in the arena. More than that, he simply didn't have the blood-lust in him. Sure, he had a temper, but he wasn't an angry person by nature... well, until you brought out the wolf in him. But that hadn't happened for decades. "All done..." he murmured, looking around to check that they hadn't been spotted.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 12, 2009 17:36:26 GMT -5
"Easy?" She gave him a doubtful look then. "We are pretty high up though, and I can be a little bit...clumsy." She told him quietly, rubbing at the back of her head. She could just see herself tripping over and falling to her death...and then Kai really would be on his own and he would get caught and it would be all her fault! She couldn't let something terrible like that happen! She would have to be extra careful, even if it meant that it took longer for them to get down.
"Hmmm...hold on?" Pari looked confused, and the next thing she knew she was clinging onto Kai as he sprang between the ledges. She pressed her eyes closed, refusing to look as the ground grew closer, her heart beating rapidly. She still looked shocked as he placed her back on the ground, a little wobbly on her feet as she looked back up at the roof. "Um...thanks Kai. I have no idea how you do that..." Well, at least they were both down on the ground safely, and it hadn't taken very long at all, she just wished that he had given her a little bit of a warning before springing off the roof with her. Bah, he was lucky that she trusted him, otherwise she might have ended up screaming.
"Okay, let's go." She nodded once she was steady on her feet again, turning to lead him through the streets. She didn't know exactly where they were going, but at this time the streets were quiet, and it didn't take long for her to make her way to where they were going. It took about twenty minutes for the large house that Pari had been looking for. "We're here. Can you smell anyone close by? He said he'd be waiting for me..."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jun 12, 2009 17:47:47 GMT -5
"S'ok, I'm not really sure how it works either... I just do these things and then worry 'bout it." he smiled to her sheepishly and shrugged as he set her back on the ground, looking a little guilty at how shaky she was on her feet. Maybe he should have warned her beforehand, or told her what he was planning or... something. Oops. He guessed he'd just have to remember to do that next time, because before he knew it they were off again, weaving through the darkness of streets Kai didn't know, the half-breed turning his head slightly every now and then when an enticing scent or a curious sound reached him. It was a good thing he had Pari, really, because in all honesty he'd have been completely distracted out here on his own. Even with all of his decades of experience in the arena, he was still very much aware that he didn't know much about just... living.
He almost stumbled into her when they stopped, Kai blinking at her in confusion. He frowned a little and sniffed at the air at her suggestion, instantly pointing to the darkness a few yards away, where the cactus flowers had been set in decoration around a small bench. If there was only one thing that managed to be more accurate than his hearing, it was his sense of smell. "There's someone over there..." he nodded to her simply, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. He didn't like people as a rule, and he disliked nobles even less. Moreso, he guessed the bite-mark on Pari's arm wouldn't make him look too good unless they told him what was going on pretty quickly.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 12, 2009 18:01:03 GMT -5
Pari's gaze followed where he pointed and she nodded to him thankfully. "Trust him to sit in the dark. He likes being mysterious." She smirked a little and rolled her eyes before glancing around, checking that there wasn't anyone else around before flitting over to the patch of darkness that surrounded the bench. The person that was sitting there stood up when he saw her, watching Kai curiously as they drew closer. She had said that there might be someone else with her, but he honestly hadn't expected that there would be. He hadn't really expected that she would turn up, how wrong he was.
"Good evening, Pari." He smiled to her warmly as she stopped next to him, "Who's your friend?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Evening Roshan. This is Kai. Kai, meet Roshan." She introduced them as she would anyone else, though she declined to tell him anything else about Kai, keeping her injured arm carefully hidden behind her. Roshan seemed suspicious, to say the least, but he moved to show them into the house anyway. "Welcome to my home, Kai. I trust that you will be comfortable for your stay. I have arranged for a room to be prepared for you, and dinner to be made. Do you required two rooms?" He asked, looking over his shoulder to Kai, though the suggestive look in his eyes caused Pari to scowl at him, hitting him with a flower that she had just picked. Roshan gave her a playful smile then before falling quiet.
The house was beautiful, all open plan to let the cool air flow between the rooms, rooms separated by elaborate lattic and furnished with vibrantly coloured fabrics. Pari seemed right at him, twirling the flower between her fingers as she walked. "Would you mind sending some water up to the room? I would like to wash before sleeping." She asked as they were lead up the stairs, Roshan finally stopping and pushing open a door that lead to a large room. "Of course not, is there anything else that you will need?"
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jun 12, 2009 18:19:23 GMT -5
"Mysterious..." he lifted a brow as he followed her, as if to ask just why anyone would want to be mysterious. Couldn't people content themselves with just being normal? Kai couldn't even BE mysterious, he stuck out too much. He was just very obviously out of place; he'd come to believe that it was his calling in life. He nodded politely at Roshan as they were introduced, offering a brief smile under the shadows of his hood and preferring to be polite and say nothing than talk and say the wrong thing. He wasn't very talkative anyway, and he was curious, so this was a good opportunity for him to listen.
By the looks of things Pari and this newcomer were obviously friends, and had been for a rather long time considering how comfortable they were around each other, and he couldn't help but smile a little as they were led into the house. He appreciated the fact that Pari had smacked Roshan with her flower at the suggestion, because he'd had to practically bite down on his lip to stop the bewildered 'Huh!?' from escaping his lips. He shook his head quietly when Roshan turned away to lead them into the house. He hadn't realised that people could be so different and vibrant and actually happy to be around other people. In the arena everyone was either screaming for blood, angry at the slaves because they didn't fight well enough or angry at each other out of sheer boredom and irritability.
If Pari was right at home in the large, magnificent house then the awe on Kai's face must have been pretty obvious. He was momentarily overwhelmed by the dazzling colours of the fabrics and the scents that laced through the rooms, along with the sheer size of the place. And judging by how comfortable Pari seemed here, her home must have been very similar. Wait... she wanted to LEAVE all of this behind? He couldn't understand it, sticking close by to her even when they were led into the large room; again, not like anything Kai had ever seen before. He was dragged out of his thoughts by Roshan's voice, turning to shake his head a little. "I'm alright, thanks..." he murmured, sounding distracted even then.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 13, 2009 16:30:11 GMT -5
Money and luxery didn't mean too much to Pari, then again why would it? It was just normal to her to be able to afford to eat and live comfortably, she barely took notice of the priviledge. She had only briefly lingered on the thought that leaving home would also mean leaving financial security behind, and probably of the creature comforts that she was used to, but it hadn't taken her long to decide that it wasn't such a big sacrifice when you put other people's lives at the other end of the scale. Other people were able to live quite happily without all the trimmings of nobility, she was sure that she would be able to cope. If not it was tough luck, she wasn't going to go home just because of a few money problems. Roshan couldn't help but smirk at how amazed Kai seemed by the house. He couldn't help but wonder where she had found him. Kai must be Pari's new pet project, another step in her path to saving the world. Someone really should tell her that it was impossible, but he couldn't bear to burst that optimistic little bubble of hers. Hopefully it wouldn't take her long to realise that the world wasn't such a nice place, and that it wasn't all as clear cut as villians and hero's. "Alright then. Call me if you need anything. You will be gone in the morning, right?" He asked, Pari simply nodding to him. "I'll have someone prepare breakfast for you. Be careful, Pari. Dariyush will have my head if anything happens to you." He gave her a light hearted smile and wink before turning to walk away, casting the pair of them a wave. Pari rolled her eyes at that comment, biting her tongue to stop a nasty little comment from slipping out. That was another reason she had to leave. She didn't like those hurtful things that kept sprining into her mind; why should she be resentful of her brother being happy? It was absurd, and removing herself from the situation seemed like a good resolution to her problem. She closed the door once Roshan was gone, turning to head into the room. It was more like a suite than a room, comfortable looking seats set to one side of the room, a low, circular bed at the other side, half hidden by a screen of lattic, pillow's strewn everywhere. There was also a large balcony, light curtains fluttering in the evening breeze. "Are you alright Kai?" She asked him as she moved to drop her bag on one of the seats, sinking down to settle herself amongst the cushions. "He's decorated since I was here last. More cushions...he warned me that he'd get more cushions...say's it's safer when I'm around because when I want to throw something I can throw a pillow, and those don't hurt." She smiled sleepily, reaching up to unpin her hair, letting it tumble down around her shoulders. She was rambling more now that she was tired, not wanting to be impolite and just fall to sleep straight away. She should at least make sure that Kai was settled before she slept. "You don't mind staying here for the night, do you? I can get Roshan to get you another room if you would prefer..." She offered, hiding a yawn behind her hand. "I'm sure that he wouldn't mind."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jun 14, 2009 10:03:39 GMT -5
"More cushions? There weren't enough already?" he tilted his head slowly as Roshan left, taking no time in pulling off the cloak so that he could hear properly when he was certain that their host had walked off down the corridor. Shaking his hair back out of his face, he sighed softly and turned to look at the room properly. He honestly couldn't say he'd ever been anywhere like this before... well, his Master's home had been just as richly decorated, but that was a long time ago, and the memory of gilded statues and fine silks disappeared quickly when you were confined in a place like the arena. He found himself wandering slowly about the room for a moment or so while Pari settled herself down amongst the pillows, lingering by the curtains to part them and peer out into the darkness, eyes searching the shadows for anything interesting.
"Mm...?" he turned as she asked how he was, nodding lightly and edging back into the room. "I'm okay... just culture shock, y'know?" he shrugged, setting the cloak down on one of the seats before settling down on the floor near to the bed, shifting so that his back was against the wall and stretching languidly. He'd probably get uncomfortable on the seats after so long sleeping on the floor, and he had to admit that the floor of this room was admittedly more comfortable than the one in the tent in the arena. "S'alright. I'm not too picky about where I stay, and like you said, we're leavin' in the morning... so no point being choosy." he mumbled, looking around the room again and seeming far too alert and distractable to settle down right now.
"You should go to sleep, Pari." he told her softly after a while, glancing across to her and smiling just a little, "You look like you could use some rest." Kai had just woken up, and the night was drawing in so he wasn't sleepy in the slightest, and coupled with the adrenaline of being somewhere new and the like it would just take even longer to drift off. Not that he minded, he could content himself looking about the rooms and the balcony and the like until he got tired.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 14, 2009 10:30:59 GMT -5
"You can never have enough cushions. I think that they multiply on their own actually..." She laughed to him lightly as she gathered the pillows around herself, creating what could be described as a makeshift nest around herself before she laid down, almost disappearing amongst the cushions. She would leave the bed for Kai. He must not have slept in a bed for years and years, maybe he'd never slept in a bed, so she had decided that he deserved that little bit of comfort. She sighed lightly as she snuggled up, hugging one of the cushions to her chest as her gaze followed Kai. "Hmm, I know what you mean. The little time I spent at the arena was a big culture shock for me too. People shouldn't have to live like that." She mumbled, hiding another yawn behind her hand.
"Hmm? Oh. I'm alright, I'm not that tired." She lied, though she wasn't very convincing at all. By this point her eyes had fallen closed and Pari had pretty much given up on fighting to stay awake. "Night Kai." She managed to murmur and smile to him before she slipped off to sleep, seeming comfortable enough curled up where she was. It was safe at Roshan's, she was sure about that, so she didn't need to worry about Kai. They would have to be up early in the morning, so maybe it was better that she had already fallen to sleep so that she could be up bright and early in the morning.
Ten minutes passed before there was a gentle knock on the door, the sound of Roshan's voice drifting through into the room. "I brought food for you...and drink. Open up Pari."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jun 14, 2009 10:45:42 GMT -5
"Night Pari." he murmured to her with an amused little smirk as he watched her fall asleep, shaking his head and sitting back against the wall to muse for a little while. Well, he certainly didn't think he'd be here when he woke up this morning. Pari had brought back some of the life in him, the apathy he'd been slowly descending into over the last few years beginning to fade away already. Now that he was out of the arena, he had something to live for again. Something to fight for. Even if it was only fighting to stop himself being thrown back into that awful place. He sighed gently to himself as he rested against the wall and listened to her fall asleep, though he seemed confused at the fact that she hadn't used the bed. What, she thought he'd sleep on it? He was half afraid the thing would be too soft, and it'd eat him. He might as well try it though, considering that Pari had left it for him.
His ears pricked up at the knocking of the door and his eyes snapped open, Kai on his feet in an instant. Well, shit. He shuffled across the room to slowly open the door and look out at Roshan, tilting his head in both curiosity and caution. "Pari fell asleep..." he murmured, opening the door a little more to look over his shoulder at the sleeping girl, as if to prove it to the noble.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 14, 2009 11:15:13 GMT -5
Roshan arched an eyebrow as Kai answered the door, briefly glancing over his shoulder to where Pari was hidden amongst the pillows before he nodded to him. "Well, I brought food." He was looking back at Kai now, holding up the tray with the meal set on it, a bottle balanced on the edge. "I am sure that you need a meal. You look as though you haven't had a good warm meal in...forever." He told him, moving past him and into the room. "I doubt that you have had a good meal in forever." He added as he put the tray down on top of chest of draws, turning to face Kai.
For a long moment he studied him critically before sighing and shaking his head. "If you get caught just make sure that she isn't around when it happens. The punishment for freeing slaves is death...death or being made a slave yourself." He mumbled to Kai. "And, if you let her get hurt you have to know that her brother will hunt you down. Dariyush can be a little...over protective." He warned before moving to leave the room. "Eat, and sleep well. You'll need your wits tomorrow."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jun 14, 2009 11:38:48 GMT -5
He stepped back to let Roshan come into the room, arching a brow and looking down at himself. Okay, yeah, he was a little scrawny, but did this guy expect slaves to get three square meals a day? Although, he had to admit, he hadn't eaten all day... and that didn't help. Bah. He left the door open as he watched Roshan set the food down on the top of the chest of drawers, tilting his head to examine the noble as scrutinisingly as Roshan was undoubtedly looking over Kai. The moment would have probably been hilarious under any other circumstance, but as of now Kai was really trying to decide whether he could trust the noble. Even if Pari did, that didn't mean that he couldn't be a little more cautious, did it?
"I'll just have t'make sure we don't get caught..." he murmured softly, pushing a lock of hair out of his face, "I'd not drag her into it anyway." he shrugged, though he frowned ever so slightly at the mentioning of her brother. "Well we'll just have to wait and see what Dariyush can do." he told Roshan, glancing at the ground now. If her brother was so over-protective, wouldn't he have found Pari by now? Kai was dragged from his thoughts as Roshan moved to leave, however, nodding to him softly. "Thanks..." he mumbled as he left, waiting a few seconds after the door closed and he heard the footsteps fade down the corridor before turning to look at Pari and sigh. What had he gotten himself into?
Kai wasn't really all that hungry, still too charged up from everything that had happened that day, but he took to picking at the tray of food just because he knew that by the next morning he'd need the energy. He left half of it there (some things tasted weird and others were just NASTY) but by the time he was done he was feeling rather sleepy, shuffling over to the bed and not quite knowing where to start. It didn't help than the damn thing was circular and had so many pillows, which way did you sleep!? He eventually found himself fast asleep, curled up in a rather animalistic way right in the middle of the bed, the cushions strewn about him untidily. Stupid bed. Stupid pillows.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 14, 2009 13:21:42 GMT -5
Pari barely stirred as Roshan and Kai spoke, sleeping too deeply to notice the sounds of their voices. She didn't even flinch when Roshan left and clicked the door closed behind him. She was surprisingly exhausted. A lot had happened today, and thoughts of what else needed to be done made her feel even more tired. They were lucky that they had somewhere safe and comfortable to spend the night because Pari wasn't sure what would happen once they left Dibos. Her plans only carried them up to getting the carriage out of town, from there they would have to make decisions as they went.
It was nearing morning when something woke Pari, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, bathing the land in pale light, chasing away the shadows of night. The air was still cool, the breeze lazily playing with the curtains. She would have gone back to sleep if it weren't for the noise. She couldn't tell what was being said, but she could hear raised voices and crashing...crashing? That wasn't right at all.
Her eyes flew open and she sat up quickly, creeping over to the curtains to part them a little and peer outside. Their balcony turned out to have a view of the front of the house, and from where she was stood she could see Roshan stood at the gates to the grounds arguing with a group of guards. Guards? They needed to go.
"Kai...Kai..." She murmured, keeping her voice hushed as she moved back into the room, swiftly tying her hair back in a rushed ponytail and grabbing her bag. "Kai, we need to go..." She added, glancing back to the balcony suspiciously. The voices were getting closer, they needed to hurry to stop them getting trapped. "You need to change first though...here..." She took the clothes from her bag and held them out to him.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jun 14, 2009 14:16:34 GMT -5
Kai had been sound asleep when all the noise had begun to interrupt Pari's slumber, and he only even began to stir when she called his name. He wasn't exactly a deep sleeper, but he managed to tune out most things, only acutely aware of specific sounds; his Master's footsteps, for instance. His eyes fluttered open as she started speaking to him, and he sat up, looking almost as untidy as the bed he'd been sleeping in. "Huh...?" he blinked a few times, shaking his head to clear it and slipping from amongst the pillows to listen out for what was panicking her. Eventually his eyes grew wide and he nodded, stretching briefly before moving to watch her as she got ready.
He said nothing as she passed him the clothes, only offering her a brief nod and taking no time in turning and changing. Barely a minute or two later (and a few hushed oaths as he made a tear in the trousers to accommodate his tail) and he was done, pushing a hand through his hair as he turned back to face her. The clothes really would make him fit in a little more, even if his over all appearance caught everyone's attention anyway. The loose collared shirt hid almost all of his scars, only one or two showing above the neckline of the shirt. And then there was the one on his face, of course, but you couldn't hide that. "Done." he murmured to her hurriedly, looking around as he moved to grab the cloak again, guessing that wherever they were going it was going to be best for him not to be seen just yet.
"Which way? Over the balcony or down the stairs?" he asked as he tugged the hood of the cloak up, sniffing suspiciously at the air. He could smell the guards, but worse than that, he could smell his Master. He didn't think anything could make his blood run cold any more, but it turned out that you learned something new everyday, didn't you? "We should go..." he repeated her earlier words with a new, uncharacteristic panic in them.
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