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forestwater87 · 4 years

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Secret Santa 2019, Ch. 3

July 8, 2016

7:29 PM

“Ohh, goodness.” David clutched his hands close to his chest, eyes darting around them as they crossed the near-empty parking lot toward Muffin Tops. He huddled closer to Jasper’s side despite the oppressive heat. “Oh my gosh.”

“Will you fucking chill?” Gwen snapped, David’s nervousness clearly getting to her as well. “It’s not like you’re gonna be up on stage.”

“Okay, but I vote we get him up there at the first opportunity,” Jasper cut in, smiling despite the fact that he was feeling pretty weird himself. It wasn’t like he normally took his friends to strip clubs in his spare time, after all. He wasn't that kind of guy (namely, a frat bro or the President). “I bet we could talk Bon into it if the place is dead enough.”

David’s fingers dug into his sleeve, hard enough to drag blunt painful lines down his arm. “Don’t!” he cried, once again glancing around.

Jasper leaned in and kissed David’s temple, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “It’s all good,” he assured him. “And none of our campers are local this year, so you don’t have to keep worrying about parents seeing us.”

“I’m not . . .” He trailed off, seeming to realize that it wasn’t worth trying to lie. His shoulders slumped defeatedly as Jasper ushered them into Muffin Tops. “Thank you,” he murmured, slipping inside, and he knew it wasn’t just for holding the door.

“Always,” he replied, and they fell into step behind Gwen.

Or -- took a few steps, then immediately stopped because she had faltered to a halt, looking around the dim, noisy space with a panicked look in her eyes.

He leaned in close to David’s ear and said, “Remember Davey, we’re being supportive.”

His eyes widened and he stood upright with a start, like he’d just been caught falling asleep in the middle of a camp activity. “Oh! You’re right!” He pulled away from Jasper, bouncing up to Gwen’s side. “Where should we sit, CBFL?” he chirped; his enthusiasm was a little too child-friendly for this situation, but Jasper watched, impressed, as David led her to a booth near the back of the club with the determined good-naturedness of a sheepdog, settling her in and immediately hopping up to get drinks. “Would you like anything, Jasp?”

“Beer’s fine. Literally whatever’s closest.” He took a seat across from Gwen, and for a moment they both watched David disappear into the gloom. “Doing okay, sport?” he asked; they both winced at his profound dorkiness, but he tried to shake it off. “You look nice.”

She chuckled self-consciously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You sure?” For once they didn’t have to wear their counselors’ uniforms, and Gwen had blown her hair up like a 60s soap opera star and done . . . something to her face; Jasper wasn’t sure what, but it kind of made her look like a magazine cover version of herself. (If he’d ever managed to get his face to look like that, he’d probably stare into a mirror until he died of starvation like Narcissus. He resolved to look up men’s makeup later, just for the hell of it -- even though he’d probably come across more like an overweight vampire than David Bowie.) They’d had to talk her out of calling the whole thing off when she’d emerged from her room looking dressier than Jasper and David combined, but in the flashing colors and low light of the club Gwen looked infinitely more like she belonged than Jasper did in his vintage -- which was really a nice way to say “old and kind of trashy” -- technicolor clothes and David’s impossibly wrinkle-free polo shirt and jeans.

Jasper suddenly realized how improbable the three of them looked together, like they came from different planets. A supermodel, a Mormon missionary, and a sentient pile of thrift-store rejects walk into a strip club . . .

“Gwen,” he said sincerely, “I would bet a hundred bucks you could take anyone in here home if you wanted to.”

She snorted, looking pleased despite herself. “And yet it’ll just be you two.”

He leaned back, grinning. “I know,” he agreed, catching sight of David weaving through the tables, which were finally starting to fill up. “Aren’t you lucky?”

David set their drinks down with the grace of a bartender (which he was, the rest of the year) and slid into the booth next to Jasper. “Well, Gwen,” he said, folding his hands on the table like he was going to pray, “what do you think?”

She froze with her glass halfway to her mouth, eyes wide and wary. “About what?”

“All this, of course!” He gestured around the room, where a steady stream of people were picking their way through the tables scattered like islands through the low warehouse; where women, wearing glittery scraps of nothing that caught the lights like fireflies, were ferrying drinks to and from the bar and flirting with apparent regulars. No one was onstage at the moment, but there was an expectant hum underneath the pounding music, and two poles were lit up by spotlights. “Where should we begin?”

“Begin . . . what?” Gwen glanced over at Jasper, looking like she was regretting every recent decision. He shrugged, thinking that maybe David was being too supportive now and wondering if he could possibly tone that shit down before something really stupid happened.

The sunshine drained from David’s face slightly, and he also turned to Jasper. “Gee, I don’t know.”

They were both looking at him, and he groaned. “Well, I don’t know either! Pretty sure the only place I’ve ever been like this was some . . . furry vore land in Second Life. That was a weird afternoon -- remind me to tell you about it later,” he added to Gwen, winking. “Why don’t we just ask Bon?”

David’s face brightened as Gwen’s paled. “We so don’t need to --”

“What a neat idea, Jasp! Come on!” David leapt to his feet, taking Jasper’s hand before giving Gwen an appraising look. “. . . On second thought, maybe you should wait here. With . . .” He widened his eyes, jerking his head in her direction with all the subtlety of Groucho Marx.

Jasper reminded himself to never allow his boyfriend to consider a career in espionage. “What exactly are you expecting me to do? Tackle her if she makes a break for it?”

David either didn’t hear this comment or chose to ignore it, turning away with a wave and a cheery “Be right back!” before diving back into the growing crowd. Jasper just sighed and lifted his beer, clinking it against the drink Gwen had set down on the table.

“Cheers.” When she didn’t respond, slumping back in the booth like she was going to disappear under the table, he placed his hand on her forearm. She jumped at the sudden touch, nearly knocking her glass over, and with his beer-laden arm he gingerly slid it out of her reach. “What gives, Gwengarry Gwen Ross? I thought you liked Bon.”

The dumb nickname didn’t make her smile. “I mean, I do,” she said with a miserable shrug. “But of all the people here to talk to about this? After that play disaster?”

He winced at the memory. During one of Preston’s earliest plays of the summer, Max had stolen Gwen’s phone and changed everything from her “Looking For” (all genders, “anything as long as it’s nasty”) to her photo (Neil, who was at that age where boys kind of looked like gangly, awkward young women in the right light) and had snagged the attention of one of the few eligible townies in Sleepy Peak. That debacle had ended in an extremely awkward date between Gwen and Bonquisha Harding, a woman with the body of a pro wrestler and the personality of a monster truck. They were pretty good friends now -- and the four of them got together every few weeks to watch old movies -- but he could see why it might be uncomfortable to chat with her ex about lap dances or . . . whatever.

“I mean, I told her I was straight! And now what? Like, is she gonna think I’m stalking her at work?” Her eyes widened in horror. “Oh fuck, what if she thinks I want to go out with her or something? Or what if she thinks I don’t wanna go out with her? We decided this wouldn’t work because I was straight! And if I’m not? That’s so insulting! What if --”

“Breathe, Rumpelstiltsgwen.” She glared at him -- he had to admit, it wasn’t his best work -- and he handed over her drink along with his beer. “I think you need this more than I do.” She took both drinks, finishing them in record time, and despite the situation he was impressed. “You must’ve been fun in college.”

She snorted, glancing over Jasper’s shoulder and swallowing hard. He turned to see David scurrying back to their table, dwarfed by the beautiful gold-glittery amazon at his side. “H -- hi, Bon,” she said weakly as they approached.

“Hey, sugar!” Bonquisha kissed the air next to Gwen’s cheek and settled into the booth. She was wearing a shimmering bikini-type-thing (he wasn’t very good with women’s clothing) that reminded him of Princess Leia, and sparkles were splashed across her cheekbones and shoulders like freckles made of stars. “It’s fantasy night,” she explained at his curious look, hoisting up a fake spear before turning her attention back to Gwen. “Hear you’re looking to join the other team?”

Gwen buried her face in her hands with a groan, sinking down into her chair. “Don’t say it like that.”

“Aw, come on! It’s a great place to be!” Bon spread her arms across the back of their seat and grinned at Jasper and David, a wide, expansive smile that was impossible not to return. “Right, guys?”

David looked like he wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so Jasper jumped in: “Bonnaroo, I think Gwen’s a little nervous about how to . . . you know . . .” He raised his eyebrows, not sure how to explain what exactly they were here for. “Do it. Not -- not it, but like . . . stuff. All of it. I should stop talking.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry, Gloomy,” she said to Gwen, flicking her ponytail affectionately, “we get a lotta women like that coming around here, so all the girls know it’s standard procedure. This is a good place to figure yourself out.”

Gwen had been staring steadfastly at the table, but glanced over at Bonquisha, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Really?” she asked hopefully.

“Totally! Now, I gotta get back to work because they don’t pay me to pal around with my friends --” She winked. “-- but start by just looking, all right? You two,” she added, pointing at Jasper and David (who glanced at each other with some alarm), “you’re Gwen’s straight friends tonight, got it?”

Jasper suddenly felt like he needed a snapback and a sports jersey, maybe a shark-tooth necklace. “Guess we should get more beer,” he said to David, shrugging. “The more it tastes like horse pee, the better.”

“My man!” Bon held out her fist, and Jasper bumped it (feeling like the single whitest person on earth as he did so). “I’m due up onstage now or I’d get your drinks for ya. Tip Brandi well, she’s good people.” She put a hand on Gwen’s shoulder, her smile softening. “I’m proud of you, gloomy girl. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself, okay? Just have fun.”

As David escorted Bonquisha to the stage on his way back to the bar, Jasper studied Gwen’s face. She wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack, which was good, but she still seemed to have trouble looking away from the small tea light in the center of the table.

He supposed this was where his role as “straight friend” came in. “Uhh . . . she’s cute,” he finally said, glancing across the room at a woman decked out like a mermaid, complete with shimmering waves of black hair and a blue-green tail . . . skirt . . . thing (he really wasn’t good with women’s clothing) and feeling like the single skeeviest person on earth.

Which . . . was probably good, considering where they were. He was in character.

She glanced up, following his gaze to the mermaid in question. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Not really my type, though.” She covered her mouth as a sharp, nervous laugh bubbled out of her. “What the hell am I saying? I don’t have a type. I . . . god, what the fuck am I doing . . .”

“Hey,” Jasper said, leaning forward so she had to look at him instead of spiraling further. “It’s me, brah, your straight friend Jasper.” She snorted, some of the panic fading from her eyes. “And I’m telling you, as your straight friend, that we can leave any time you want. We’re here for you, Gwen.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “No pressure, right?” she asked, and the look on her face was so sincere, almost plaintive.

“Not even a single psi.” He wasn’t sure he was saying that right, having slept through most of his science classes in both high school and college. But it brought a smile to Gwen’s face, so he considered it a job well done.

She shook her shoulders, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hand, and examined the crowd with interest for the first time since they’d arrived. “All right,” she mumbled, mostly to herself. After a few seconds of silence she sat up straight again. “Oh,” she breathed, then tapped Jasper’s arm and gestured unsubtly toward a woman wearing fairy wings and wreathed in pink flowers. “She . . . uh, makes my chest feel kinda fizzy?” Her eyes met his, uncertainty mixed with excitement in her face. “Is that . . . ? ”

He glanced back in the fairy’s direction just as David bumped into her, balancing three beers. Despite his lack of hands, David steadied her with his elbow, his smile turning apologetic as he made sure she was okay before returning to their table. Their eyes locked and David’s smile widened.

And . . . well, yes, the feeling in Jasper’s chest was somewhat fizzy, because it turned out he wasn’t very good at being straight after all.

“Yeah,” he assured Gwen, unable to stifle a silly grin as he watched David approach. “Yeah, that’s definitely in the ballpark.”

Keep Reading

#campcamp #camp camp roosterteeth #campcampsecretsanta #jaspvid #cc jasper #cc gwen #cc david #forestwriting #this is as close as it gets to that teen rating i promise #i think it's cute enough to make up for any minor . . . uhhh let's call it 'challenging content'#i mean jasper being 'straight' is too wholsome #this is the one that goes closest to not quite aligning with my ss's requests though and i hope they don't mind too much #it all goes back to perfectly above-board from here on out

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the-alice-blue-rabbit · 6 years

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“STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR-”

The excited chanting was the only warning the robot master got just before a very energetic blur collided with him as he ported into the castle. Bituin, bless his galaxy-themed child’s heart, stood there snickering as Leo and Alcor stared at Rhapsody nuzzling the dazed Star.

“H-Hey Rhapsody.” He managed to stutter out, optics wide as he regained his bearings. “You’re certainly excited over something.”

The Elf popped up like a whack-a-mole, eyes glittery with joy. “Star! I met a whole bunch of new offworlders!” He helped Star back to his feet, bouncing in place with glee. “They’re friends of Lord Murkle and Lady Aliblu! There’s an adult and a brood of children!”

“Oh?” Star smiled as he watched his friend; there was just something so infectious about a grin, and Rhapsody’s was just so cheerful! Bituin had Leo in their arms now, Alcor floating near the windows to observe the stained glass pictures moving about. “Well I’m glad you met some more people. It’s about time you got to go somewhere other than the castle.”

Rhapsody was then found clinging to Star’s arm, nuzzling the robot master affectionately. “They can eat metal! And they look really cool, they look like Underlanders just like Lord Murkle!”

“Underlander?” Star repeated the word with a blank confusion.

Luckily, a deep familiar chuckle heralded cold arms sliding around Star’s neck, the cosmic bot glancing upward to see Giaselle grinning. “/He speaks, of course, of my species, Étoile./”

“Lord Murkle!” Rhapsody squeaked, face pinching in surprise as Giaselle’s hair formed a clawed hand which patted him on the head.

The elder Elf cuddle Star to his chest with a purr. “/Now now. Your teacher is my Adora, enough with the ‘My Lord’ schtick. Just ‘Giaselle’ will do./” He assured, snickering at Rhapsody. “/Besides, after all that happened in that place, I don’t think you have any need of formalities./”

The mysterious comment made the younger Elf tinge pepto-pink in the face.

“Well! Hello to you too!” Star smiled, quite used to Giaselle’s clinging by now. “But I thought you were an Elf? What’s ‘Underlander’ mean?” He gave Rhapsody a furrowed brow and pinched mouth, not sure if he should be concerned over the look of embarrassment.

Giaselle shifted forms, a cat now lounging on Star’s shoulders. “/Simply put, Underlander is another term for shadowfolk. Of which I am an example./” He lapped at Star’s cheek with a cold, cold, sticky tongue that made the robot master shudder a bit with a squicked expression. “/Also simply put, Underland is, well, underneath Wonderland. Quite literally, in fact. It’s the area that starts in the caverns below, and it maintains the barrier of Wonderland should the Queen ever fall./”

“Oh wow.” Star and Rhapsody’s eyes were lit with fascination. “I had no idea there was something like that here. It sounds like it’s important to Wonderland just like Aliblu and Skarlette, if it keeps the barrier up I mean.”

Another lick, and Giaselle’s paws started batting at Star’s hair. “/Well, important but certainly not welcomed, so yes, I suppose equating them is accurate./”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Star asked as Rhapsody added himself to the hug, Giaselle slipping back to allow them the space for affection. “I thought that everybody liked them?”

Yet again, a mysterious voice came to the rescue with info. “♫I suppose you also think everyone likes strawberry honey?♫” Mediote strode into sight, Giaselle perking and moving towards his Adora. “♫The Guardians may have been created for the role, but it wasn’t easy to get them into the reins.♫”

“Oh! Hello!” Star waved, Rhapsody purring into his chest. “I’ll take it you feel up to chatting today?”

He was given a dry sightless stare. “♫If only because a book having no pages between the beginning and end is boring.♫” Mediote uttered. Bituin and the Pokemon were led away by a maid, who assured Star she’d look after them, Mediote poorly disguising a sour face. “♫To the tower then, mine is closer. I don’t feel like standing.♫”

The hallways had plants and pillars imitating music scores and notes in shape, and as Star brushed a fern with thick strands, it chimed softly. Mediote’s door was a sliding model, and as he ascended the staircase Star took note that the steps were slanted forward so it was actually hard for one to misstep.

Mediote’s tower was rather plain; a large bed in the very back, a table with chairs to sit at, various cases that held instruments, and a rug covering every inch of the floor with what looked like music notes and magical runes.

Rhapsody sprinted in and lunged, landing on his front with a satisfied sigh. “The carpet is so soft~”

“♫I swear your obsession with rugs.♫“ Mediote shook his head as Giaselle snickered quietly, leading his Adora to sit at the table. “♫Now, let’s start with what you know. Since there ARE secrets they’d prefer not be told.♫“ He bidded to Star to seat himself near them.

Star took a seat next to Rhapsody, finding that despite it being the floor, it felt as though he’d just flopped himself down in a huge fur pelt. “Well, I do recall being told about a trial, and Skarlette’s mentioned a few things here and there, but that’s about it.” He laid back, enjoying the support of the rug fibers. “I know that they’re the protectors of Wonderland. I know people respect them, and that they’re not that fond of the fanfare they get at times.”

Remembering how Skarlette’s face had scrunched up when being called ‘Lady Hope’ kinda still made him snicker from time to time.

“♫Well it’s hardly something to be fond of when less than half a decade ago, there wasn’t a person or creature alive that would’ve hesitated to attack them.♫“

Something about the sheer spite in Mediote’s voice made both Rhapsody and Star pop up in surprise. Mediote’s hand was gripping Giaselle’s, the Shadow Elf looking worriedly at his mate. Mediote noticed the tension of the room, and his scowl relaxed and disappeared into his usual blank expression, and it occurred to Star that it must’ve been hard to withdraw such a strong emotion as that.

“♫...Sorry.♫“

Rhapsody held Star’s arm. “M-Master?”

“♫Come here.♫” He gestured to the rug in front of the table, Giaselle snickering a bit as the young Elf ‘swam’ across the floor on his belly, Star choosing to scoot in a more refined manner. “♫The tale of their beginning wasn’t pleasant. It’s their story to tell if they ever need to. But know this; those rabbits, our Ladies of Hope and Light, they have not always known kindness upon themselves.♫“

Mediote’s eyes were glassy, but Star still felt a chill as the Elf turned his head towards the robot master’s direction.

“♫And for such beings like that, trust is something they do not give freely. You should feel honored and be in awe of their cores as you’re held in such a high place to them. Star-Man.♫”

Star was silent for a moment. “...I do feel honored. But not just because they trust me. Aliblu and Skarlette are my friends, and...honestly, that’s all they need to be. You talk about this ‘honor’ and ‘being in awe’ stuff but you also said yourself that they don’t like it.” Mediote’s focus was entirely on Star. “Well. I don’t care then. I mean, I care about them, I’ll always care about my friends. But...No matter what they’ll end up telling me, or if they tell me all those painful things, it won’t change how I see them.”

The sight of a blue colored blaster aiming for him-

“I’m...The last person who should make any judgement based on the past.” Star gripped the Exhautrite charm around his neck.

Mediote, Giaselle, and Rhapsody were silent, tense. “♫...Then I suppose I can rely on you to be there when they’ll need you. Right?♫” Mediote’s gaze was still icy, but there was a slight gleam. “♫They may trust easily, but I don’t.♫”

"Of course." Star replied without hesitation. "I'll always do my best to stand by the people I care about--friends, family, and anything in between."

Mediote then waved his hand to his Adora. “♫That includes my Snowball and my student.♫” It wasn’t a question.

“Absolutely.” But Star still replied, his determined look fading a little as he glanced at Giaselle. “So, just to make sure I’ve got things right, Underlanders aren’t exactly welcome, right?”

Giaselle’s sheepish smile and nod were his reply. “/Oui oui. Just as humans fear the dark, so do those who live on the surface of this world, but moreso, as they know we lurk in the darkness./” He glanced down as his hand brought something out of his sleeve; a small very fluffy looking black rabbit doll. “/During the War, the Red Queen controlled a vast army of Underlanders, and I’m afraid trust for my kind was severely dwindled by that./”

“...I...don’t know much about the Red Queen. I mean, I’ve heard how she was the cause of this huge war everyone talks about, but...” Star admitted.

Mediote crossed one leg over the other, straightened up, and shut his eyes. “♫In the beginning, when the Elven Race broke free of the oppression of the Trolls, the event known as the Elven Rebellion, two monarchs took charge to lead us. Our beloved Queen Sapphire Immortartal, and equally beloved King Obsidian Immortartal. They were the first King and Queen, and...♫” Mediote’s eyes just barely cracked open to ‘stare’ at Star. “♫The parents of Blanca Immortartal and Ruby Immortartal, the White and Red Queens.♫”

Rhapsody was listening with a blank look on his face. It seemed like he knew this story already.

“♫Sadly, when the Queens, then Princesses, were almost of age, Ruby slaughtered her parents while they slept, and sealed Blanca away in a pocket dimension. She began a reign of violence and terror across all of Wonderland. Friends were turned foe, families ripped apart without mercy, bonds and trust that had only just begun to form torn so easily.♫“

Giaselle squeezed the doll in his hands, looking uneasy.

“♫It was only because of Saint Alice, bless her spirit and may it rest peacefully in the Guardians now, that Ruby was brought to justice. Our world may have magic, Star...But not everything can be fixed by magic.♫“ Mediote tapped his temple, seeming to direct the robot master’s attention to...Mediote’s eyes...

Star could vaguely place the chill that shot through his body at that moment as being the same chill he’d felt months before when he and Aliblu had been staring down a mass of water being thrown at them. Only this time it wasn’t momentary; it was a deep chill that froze the bottom of his stomach, all the circuits around it, his processor feeling like a gust of cold wind was being blown through it. The fighting he’d been through had certainly been terrible, but...The sheer implications of everything Mediote had just told him...

“....T-That was a piece of information I was not expecting.” Star finally uttered.

Mediote actually smirked. “♫Didn’t you learn by now? Expect everything and anything.♫” Giaselle ribbed his Adora with a flat look that made Rhapsody bite back a snort. “♫Ahem. But in seriousness, Star, I don’t tell you our history that easily. Because you are someone who can understand many views in the same story. Someone who can understand that much, I believe, is truly worthy of trust. The Guardians, and my own.♫”

“Aw~ Thanks Mediote-” Star began, feeling warm and fuzzy inside from the words.

However, the blind Elf’s hand on top of his head, squeezing rather tightly, cut him off. “♫I said you may have my trust, Star. But don’t think that means you can be so lax. You’re aware of my Snowball’s recent affliction, yes? I’m placing his well-being in your hands if he leaves this world to visit yours or Lady Aliblu’s, got it?♫” The scary smile he had on was an almost perfect mix of funny and terrifying. “♫The same goes for my student if he follow you around, it’ll be your responsibility to take care of them.♫”

“C-Certainly.” Star managed to utter, wide-eyed at Mediote’s hold.

Giaselle got his Adora to release Star, swatting Mediote’s fluffy hair. “/Stop that, Medi, he’s responsible. And I’m not a child you know, you don’t need to assign me a babysitter./”

“♫If anybody with him would make him a babysitter, isn’t it him?♫“ Mediote responded by pointing to Rhapsody, whose jaw dropped at being called a baby.

Star laughed it off, grooming back his hair. “Well, I feel honored I got to learn so many things today! I’ll do my best then to keep your trust, Mediote. Just you wait and s-” He immediately cut himself off, feeling coolant rushing as Mediote gave him a flat expression.

“♫No no, by all means, go ahead and dig your bed.♫“

Giaselle again swatted his mate. “/Don’t mess with him! You just said you gave him your trust!/”

“♫That’s that, and this is this. I’m playing around Snowball, you get on me about being social after all.♫“ Mediote shrugged.

The Shadow Elf’s hair curled like tentacles. “/Playing around hardly seems fitting a description! Be nicer to him then!/” Rhapsody nudged Star in the arm to get his attention as the two Councilmen bickered.

“This is how you can tell they’re married.” The young Elf whispered, Star sighing and giving a weak chuckle as he nodded.

#nonstarter story post #Mediote Crescendos #Giaselle Murkle #starcrossedromantic #Rhapsody Hetrate

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