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teaboot · 4 years

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Not to be that person but if someone doesn't want to date anyone, for whatever reason, they don't have to, you're not discriminating against anyone because they happen to not be part of your dating pool as far as you respect their rights and identities

Bluuuuuuuuh okay so this may or may not be a longass post depending on how coherently I can translate the concept in my brain into English words, so apologies in advance.

Okay, so if a dude comes up to me and asks me out, I can say 'no thank you'. That's a thing I am 100% within my rights to do. It doesn't matter if I'm attracted to him or if I'm not attracted to him or if I think he smells bad and it turns me off, it's not important. I am allowed to say no to the king of France, I can say no to Joe Shmoe at the liquor store.

A step further is HOW I say no. Do I say, "no thank-you", or do I say, "ew, no, your face is gross"? One of these answers is polite and concise; the other, no matter how true to me, is something they're going to have to live with.

For the rest of their life, every romantic interest they pursue, they're going think of that person who told them they were too ugly, and they're going to be ashamed or insecure or embarrassed. Maybe they'll shrug it off eventually, but maybe they won't. Either way, is that the impression of yourself you want to leave on people?

Now the fun question: what if he's a trans guy?

Once again, you can say no. For any reason at all, you can say no. Maybe you aren't attracted to him, maybe he has bad breath, maybe you're new to the concept of gender identity and your fear of somehow fucking up and hurting him is getting in the way right now. For any of these reasons you can say no! But you DON'T GET TO MAKE IT THEIR PROBLEM.

Saying no-thanks to a trans woman because you aren't attracted to her? Totally fine.

Telling her "NO, I DON'T LIKE DICK"- that's real sweet. That's something she has to walk away with, now- every time she meets someone she likes and wants to get to know, that person's first thought is going to be about her genitals. She'll never be good enough for anyone because all anyone cares about is her junk.

You're not interested in a trans person? Cool, you don't have to be.

You're not interested in a trans person because you haven't made peace with the reality of trans identities? Obviously not great, but sure, take the time to figure things out.

You've never been interested in someone you knew to be trans, and announce "I NEVER WANT TO DATE A TRANS PERSON"? That's a different statement. That's saying, "There is one defining characteristic that makes all trans people the same, and it's something I find repulsive!" And- Surprise!- THAT is Transphobic. Which is, at it's barest bones- say it with me now- MAKING IT SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM.

And imagine, if you will, dating a lady for a few weeks. She's clever, funny, beautiful, kind- you're head over heels for her, until the very first time you have sex, and you see her vagina. And you think to yourself, "that's an ugly vagina", and break up with her.

If that was a deal breaker for you? Who gives a shit. Some would say it's a bit shallow, but so.long as things break off amicably, life will move on without anybody getting hurt.

Same situation, but you tell her "I can't be with someone who has an ugly vagina!"... Jesus fucking Christ, my guy. What the Fuck. Why the fuck would you tell her that? What on earth made you think your personal aesthetic preferences were more important than her sense of self worth? You entitled jackass. Who died and made you Empirical Minister Of Visually Pleasing Hoo-Has? Why would you SAY that to someone??

Same situation, but she's trans. "This isn't working out for me"? Sure. "I don't know anything about this subject, I don't want to move forwards until I know more"? Hard, but not cruel. "Bye honey, shlongs gross me out"??? WHAT KIND DICKBAG ARE YOU????

And that's kind of what gets me on "Can I say I'm not attracted to genderfluid people?". Because, like... I'd never tell a lesbian, "oh, you aren't attracted to men? Have you met every man on the planet? Sure, sweetie" because, like... Cis men are men all the time. You're attracted to women, whatever. Cool.

But someone who DOES experience attraction to men tells me, "Oh, I'd never DATE one!"- Then I'm sketched out. Because, like.... Why? What do you think all men have in common? You didn't say you weren't attracted to them, just that you'd never date one.

"Oh, I could NEVER date a trans man!"... Why...? The only thing I can conclude is that you're boiling down everything they are to a set of genitals, at which point, fuck, they're probably happier without you.

And by the way, how often do you hear, "UGH, I could NEVER date a CIS woman"? Think about that one for a sec. How does that one feel to a cis lady? Probably pretty shitty. Imagine hearing that from someone you have a crush on. Do you feel outraged? Embarrassed? Maybe you feel disgusting, like someone you admire is repulsed by your body.

Fucking *Ouch,* huh?

SO. Easy rules for not being a dick:

1. If you want to turn someone down, you can, no matter what your reasons are. BUT YOU DO BOT HAVE TO SHARE THOSE REASONS.

2. Their hang-ups are not your responsibility, but YOURS AREN'T THEIRS, EITHER. DO NOT tell someone you can't date them because they look like your mom, just say no and move on! DO NOT tell someone you don't want to have sex because you think their feet are gross, just say no! DO NOT bring up someone's voice or hair or eyes or genitalia, JUST SAY NO! TELLING SOMEONE YOU LIKE THEM IS HARD. BE POLITE, MOTHER FUCKERS.

3. Maybe you're already dating someone you like, and you discover new information that you weren't expecting. Maybe they're trans, maybe they had a hysterectomy, maybe they have a tattoo or a kid or a criminal record, maybe they wear a wig or have a disability or have a rubber duck fetish. Whatever it is, it's an emotional topic and you need space to process. Good! Think things out! If that ends it for you, okay, but none of these things makes someone a bad person or an ugly person or unworthy of love! Don't make them feel that way. Again, your hangups are on you, not them.

4. The next time you go to say something like, "I'd never date a trans guy", or, "I'd never date a black girl", or, "I'd never date a disabled person"- Stop, and think about why you feel that way. What is it about this group of people that you don't like? Is it a real reason, or a stereotype? Is it an aesthetic reason, and if so, don't try to dismiss is as "that's just how I feel". There's a reason. Keep digging for that reason, and once you find it, figure out if it's a belief you want to hold onto. Always ask yourself "why?". Never let yourself fall into the belief that any group is worthy of wholesale dismissal.

5. Breathe. Stay calm. You're not a bad person. Society has programmed us with a lot of biases- it's not your fault you have them, but it isn't a free pass to remain ignorant and hurt others. Be gentle with yourself, but be willing to reflect on your feelings and behaviors and rein in the ones that are harmful. No matter your feelings, at least be kind. We're all trying our best, and we all just want to be loved. Keep that in mind.

Anyhow, that's just my two cents. I hope this wasn't too winding or rambly, I'm still working out my thoughts on the matter myself. Being genderfluid doesn't make me an expert on trans issues, and I certainly don't have the experience to speak further.

If there are any corrections to be made, please let me know. Always learning!

Please take care.

#Long post

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pricemarshfield · 3 years

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the darker side

A Deckerstar canon divergence fic, diverging after season 3. The sequel to can we surrender?. Chapter 7/10; blood of the convenant. Read on AO3 here, or the full fic here.

Dan barely manages to make it through ten seconds of explanation--a note in Ella's lab, Kinley spotted on one of the precinct's security feeds, some blood they're rushing through testing--before Charlotte's gotten the judge to call a recess and they're rushing out of the courtroom. Lucifer's eyes aren't bright red, but there's the slightest gleam to it that just doesn't look right.

"Dan, what does the note say?" Chloe asks. Lucifer's taking them farther away from the car, which Chloe would question if she didn't trust his reactions and opinions as much as she does.

"It says Uriel," Dan says, and when Chloe relays that to Lucifer, he closes up even further, expression as distant as it was back when they first met without the mask of amusement and debauchery for it to hide behind.

"I know where to go," Lucifer says. "Dete--Chloe. It's almost certainly a trap."

"Well, obviously," Chloe says. "But it's--Ella, I'm not exactly going to leave her with a murderous psychopath!"

Charlotte groans. "Ugh. Give me the address."

"Charlotte, much I appreciate your willingness to help Ella--"

"I'm not stepping into a deathtrap, thank you, but I can call backup. For Kinley at least, not your--you know."

Chloe shrugs. It can't hurt, probably. Lucifer recites an address off, some street Chloe's never heard of, and then holds his hands out for her to carry. Oh. They're off behind the courthouse, where there aren't any cameras or passersby, so she jumps into his arms and he brings out his wings.

Charlotte stares at him for a second before shaking off the trance. "Save Ella. And don't die." (In that order goes unspoken. Charlotte likes them all well enough, but Dan and Ella certainly take precedence for her.)

Flying is a unique experience. It's a little like riding a motorcycle (or sitting in a convertible that's going way, way too fast, she thinks wryly). The wind's cold and cutting but invigorating all-at-once, and while she knows they're going faster than a plane, Lucifer's arms are grounding enough that she doesn't feel unsafe. If she were just a bit braver, if the circumstances weren't so dire, she'd open her eyes to check out the view.

Lucifer sounds completely normal when he talks, as though the wind isn't affecting him at all. The closer she gets to him, the more she notices these little--quirks, the things that mark him as not-quite-human. "Pierce told me Michael had attempted to make a deal with him, but that he wasn't--and I'm quoting here, certainly not my personal opinion--that he wasn't stupid enough to do something that would harm someone he would feel guilty about."

"Ella," Chloe guesses, eyes still screwed shut. "What did the note mean? Uriel? Is that one of your brothers?" Lucifer's the only thing she's touching right now, and at every point of contact, he tenses. "We don't have to talk about it."

"He was," Lucifer says, and the wind stops all at once. Chloe opens just the one eye, sees that they've come to a stop in front of some old, abandoned church.

"I'm sorry," she says, because she's not sure what else there is to say. He lowers his arms, bringing her to the ground gently. She puts one hand to her hip; good, still armed. She gets the feeling she might need that.

Lucifer barks out a laugh, no humor in it at all. "Detective, I don't deserve your sympathies." Chloe frowns, immediately wanting to refute it, anxiety over Ella beating a too-quick rhythm in her chest. "Another time, then."

His eyes flare red, a grin she's never seen before on his face, not even when he had a blade to Pierce's throat. She should hate it.

But hey, going after Ella? Kinley's got it coming.

Lucifer walks in first, holding the door open for her. When he looks further in, the grin doesn't drop at all, but the line of his shoulders tenses even further. "Kinley."

"Is Chloe Decker with you?" asks Kinley. Lucifer's gaze flicks to her, which seems to be answer enough. "Excellent. Would you both come in, please?"

Chloe, safety already off, takes a few steps in. Ella's sitting in one of the pews, and Chloe can't see her face at all from the entryway. She can see the line of red dripping down her face, and if she couldn't see the gleam of silver in Kinley's hand, no amount of firearm safety training would have stopped her from shooting him.

Kinley doesn't look half as ready to fight as Lucifer, but Lucifer can't stop time, and Ella's so close to him. From a tactical standpoint, what they should be doing is trying to deescalate until a sniper can get a shot But no one will be here for awhile, even if Charlotte can convince someone to send as many cars as possible without any calls in or reasoning as to why. (Yeah, our criminal ex-lieutenant prayed to your consultant about it, so we can definitely trust that.)

"I want you to know," he says. "That I wish it hadn't come to this. Especially not for you." That last part is directed to Ella, who shudders just a little. There's a low growl in Lucifer's chest, distinctly inhuman, low enough that Chloe almost misses it. Kinley doesn't, standing further up. "And that I am doing this for the greater good."

"You're doing this because you're Michael's lapdog," Lucifer says.

Kinley nods enthusiastically. Jesus Christ. "What could be more for the greater good than enacting the will of heaven?"

"Hurting innocent people is the will of heaven? Believers, nonetheless?"

Kinley's arm doesn't shake, no doubt flickers across his face, but his tone isn't quite so firm. "To stop further evil from being unleashed upon the world? Yes. My life--a hundred lives!--would be worth that."

"Oh, zealots," Lucifer says. "There'll be so much to work with in Hell for you."

Chloe's gut twists at that, but she's sure to keep her face calm. It's not as though he doesn't deserve it, right? "Look, we're here. Let Ella go."

"Not until I explain," Kinley says. "There is a prophecy--"

"A prophecy?" Ella says with a little laugh, startling Chloe. Her voice is weak, thready, and Chloe hopes Charlotte had the good sense to call EMS, too. "Something else I don't know about?" What? "I don't..."

Her voice trails off, and Lucifer exchanges a worried glance with Chloe. It's a strange look with his eyes still bright red.

"Yes, Ella," says Kinley, and God, this would be awful for Chloe, hearing someone take that kindly, helpful tone in this context, but Ella--in a church, held at knifepoint by a priest? Jesus. "When the Devil walks the Earth--"

Lucifer starts to inch closer, silent and subtle enough that Chloe wouldn't notice at all if she weren't standing so close to him. Now, with Kinley's focus on Ella, he doesn't seem to be at all aware. Chloe wants to run forwards herself, but she's not half as quiet, and she can do more from a distance with this firearm than worth risking the liability of being in knife range.

"--and finds his first love, evil shall be released," he finishes, tone imbuing it with the weight of all his convictions. "So you see why I had to intervene!"

"And I assure you," Lucifer says. "That Miss Lopez has nothing to do with any of that kind of love whatsoever."

"Of course not!" Kinley says. "But I needed you both here. I needed--you to understand, Chloe. That Lucifer cannot be here. That the balance of the world itself depends on it."

Chloe couldn't give less of a shit about the balance of the world right now, especially when Lucifer doesn't look any more nervous at the mention of it than he does at Ella's fucking kidnapping. "We're here now," she tries. "Let her go."

"And let Lucifer fly you both away?" Kinley shakes his head. "I'm sorry. He needs to return to Hell."

Lucifer doesn't laugh or make any other snarky comment, which is a testament to the danger he must feel. "And why not have Michael attempt to take me there himself? Have his wings failed as well?"

"How dare you disrespect--"

Kinley rears back, just enough that the knife isn't so close to Ella, and Chloe takes the shot, hitting him in the meat of his shoulder--it'll disable the arm, hurt like hell, push him back enough for Lucifer to move, quicker than the eye can see, and shove him against the wall, stone cracking with the force of it. Ella throws her hands over her head, but gets up when Chloe yells for her to run.

"How dare I?" Lucifer says, voice low enough that it shouldn't be carrying all the way to the other end of the church like this. "You kidnap and hurt an innocent here, of all places, and you think my father would want anything to do with this?"

"I'm--" Kinley's voice barely carries, sounds choked. "I--"

"Lucifer," Chloe says, putting the safety back on. "This isn't--"

"This is, Detective," Lucifer snarls. "According to this vile waste of oxygen, I'm the evil that's waiting to be released anyway, so why not direct it at someone truly worth of Hell?"

His skin cracks, Kinley's face lit up with firelight from Lucifer's devil face emerging. Chloe's heart thuds heavy in her chest, but she forces herself through it. This is Lucifer, it's fine, if she self-actualized her rage right now she's sure she wouldn't look pretty too. Ella bolts out the door behind her--one long cut on her forehead, bleeding a lot but that's normal for face wounds, doesn't look too deep, a black eye. She still doesn't hear sirens, doesn't see red and blue flashing lights coming to the rescue.

Just her, the Devil, and a man who might honestly be worthy of hell. But they can't--she can't work like that. He has to be proven guilty--it's not like they don't have the evidence for it, especially with Ella's testimony--in a court of law, and then he'll serve his sentence.

As for after that sentence ends--well, then it's Hell's business.

"We don't even know if that prophecy means anything," Chloe tries, and Kinley drops, just a little, Lucifer loosening his grip, not dropping him entirely. The sound of Kinley's rattling breath is not as reassuring as it should be. "And how would killing him do anything but prove him right? Besides, we need to know how he found out about this, and how Michael got involved." Lucifer's still for a long, difficult moment, Kinley's inhales still labored. But then he drops him, the priest collapsing to the floor, unable to support his own weight. Chloe exhales. "Okay. Okay."

Lucifer's face is his own, expression dark but eyes--well, also dark, actually, no longer glowing red. The beginnings of a bruise are already forming around Kinley's throat, and Chloe--can't bring herself to care too much.

"You should check on Miss Lopez," Lucifer says after a long beat. "I swear I won't harm Kinley physically until you return."

Chloe, halfway out the door of the church, pauses. "Or harm him in other ways, right?"

Lucifer doesn't say anything.

"Lucifer."

"Fine, full Hippocratic oath standards," he says, petulant like a kid who just got told he couldn't get an extra candy bar at the store. The corner of her mouth quirks up in a smile involuntarily; it's a ridiculous situation, but Lucifer's never anyone but himself, and that's reassuring in its own way.

Outside the front door of the church, the California air's hot like a hairdryer against the face. LA isn't usually too bad, but she's dressed for court, not being in the middle of nowhere, LA County. "Ella?"

"Here," she hears, in the shakiest, least-cheerful she's ever heard Ella. It sounds like it's from the other side of the church, probably where the shadow is, and Chloe heads over, sits down by Ella, who's hunched in the ground holding her knees, looking younger than Chloe can remember.

"Hey," Chloe says, gently putting a hand on Ella's shoulder, and Ella leans into her. There's tear tracks on her face. "Are you okay?"

"Definitely!" Ella says, though the hitch in her breath isn't exactly convincing. Chloe shifts the hand on her shoulder to around both her shoulders, tugging her in closer. "What's a killer priest working with an archangel! Who my grandma has a little statue of! By the way! It doesn't look like him at all!"

Chloe waits. Sometimes the best thing to do after a traumatic situation is to just let them talk it out. Granted, none of her handbooks or training have advice on this specific situation, but she's used to trusting her gut in situations like this, anyway, and she's not sure what she'd say.

"And--I don't--I thought he'd be like Amenadiel, you know? Sort of, like, wow! That's an angel! But he just--talked? And he doesn't act like Lucifer at all, and his power is--God."

"Lucifer told me Michael's power is fear," Chloe says quietly.

Ella tenses further. "And you didn't want to share that with me?"

"I--"

"I mean, what else are you keeping from me?" Ella pushes her away, glaring. "If you didn't think it was important to mention that--"

"Ella, I really didn't realize we hadn't," Chloe tries, hands up in a conciliatory gesture. Ella looks pissed; it's not something she'd ever expected to see, let alone directed at her. "I'm sorry."

Ella holds the glare for a beat longer before she relaxes, tearing up again. "Sorry. I just--sorry. He was just talking, I don't know what's gotten into me."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Chloe says, holding up her arms again. Ella leans right into the hug this time. (Damn, she gives great hugs.) "We're up against people who can get in our head, it's not your fault that they managed to for a second."

"Right, yeah," Ella says. "Stupid. Sorry."

"Not stupid," Chloe says. "Seriously."

Backup arrives, finally, and Chloe waves at them from the shadow. Someone brings over a shock blanket that Ella wraps around her shoulders right away before her nose wrinkles and she says, "Way too hot for this, actually, but can I get some water?" The unis, most of whom know Ella by reputation if not personally, oblige as quickly as they can. Kinley gets brought out in handcuffs, and Chloe's arm tightens around Ella. He doesn't look over once. He doesn't look insane like Jimmy Barnes either, but she hadn't expected Lucifer to break his word.

"We should probably get you to the hospital," Chloe says after the car with Kinley pulls away.

"It's a face wound, they just bleed a lot," Ella mumbles.

"Okay, and if I was the one who went through something this rough and had a head wound, you would say--?"

Ella groans. "I mean, of course I'd already be halfway to the hospital with you in my passenger seat. Fiiiine." She's not quite back to herself--her smile's weak and her stance is shaky--but the glimpse of normal Ella makes Chloe's grin back entirely genuine.

Lucifer doesn't lie, which means that Chloe's gotta be thinking about how to explain how they got here even as she helps Ella to another one of the cars. Dan's tip? There's no way they'd make it this far from the courthouse without Lucifer's wings. A C.O? (She thinks about Diana, who was found in a place as out-of-the-way as this, and the stab of guilt isn't easier the seventieth time around.) There's still the possibility that people will ask questions, but Ella's testimony should help their case. It's not as though they actually did anything wrong.

Lucifer steps out of the church, entirely confident as though he hadn't just almost crushed a man's windpipe with a single hand. Something in Chloe's gut twists, just a little, and she berates herself for it as she walks over to him. It's not his fault he had to rule over Hell for thousands upon thousands of years, and she'd had her moments of wanting a quicker justice than the courts, too. (She'd pointed a gun at her dad's killer, and known how easy it would be to pull the trigger even if it weren't for Maze and Lucifer both egging her on.)

"I see you kept your word," Chloe says, thankful that it comes out teasing and not relieved.

"Always," he says, offense probably only half-played up, and she takes his hand. He squeezes it once, as if to ground himself. She smiles, and squeezes back. "Is there a place we can duck out of sight of all the unis? Just for a moment?"

"Lucifer, I've told you, not at crime sce--"

"Give me some credit," he says, though the way he looks down at her shows it's not too far from his mind. "I wanted to explain who Uriel was."

Oh. She hadn't been expecting that for--honestly, months, if previous secrets are anything to go by. Her surprise has to show on her face, since Lucifer's expression shutters, and she starts to pull him back towards the shaded part of the church while the unis case the scene. "Sure. Let's go."

As soon as they're out of sight, she drops his hand, leans back against the wall, and asks, "So what happened?"

"Right," Lucifer says, and as he opens his mouth to say something, she hears the same voice call, "Detective!" from further away. Fuck, she should've been more careful, she's not--

Michael moves to grab her, and her gun would be useless against an angel even if she wasn't way too close. Still, she has to try, so she reaches for her holster, manages to get the gun out when Michael grabs her, tries to knock it out of her hand. Then she's flying, eyes squeezed shut, the invigorating air from before terrifying now that the person carrying her isn't safe.

But he's not quite so careful as Lucifer, and she manages to tuck it into the back of her pants without him noticing. She's not sure what good it'll do, but it's something. Hopefully he'll assume she did drop it, hopefully she makes him vulnerable too (gross, but would be very helpful), hopefully, hopefully, hopefully.

Lucifer, if you can hear me, she prays, and then there's an intense pain at the back of her head, and she falls unconscious.

#deckerstar #chloe decker #lucifer morningstar #lucifer on netflix #fox lucifer #my fics #fic: the darker side #series: the journey of us

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stories-sometimes · 4 years

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I’ve Made A Huge Mistake {8/?}

Peter Parker x Reader, Quentin Beck x Reader

Summary: Peter just wanted to enjoy his trip to Europe, maybe even confess his feelings to his best friends.But along came a mysterious new hero to ruin those plans. Peter and his class are aged up and in college.

Warnings: Violence in later chapters, manipulation, age gap, smut

Word Count: 2697

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Morning light flickered through the blinds of the hotel room. She laid on her front, the blanket only covering her lower legs. She was completely relaxed, sinking into the bed. In the background, she could hear the shower blasting. A couple of minutes later, the water was shut off. Beck walked out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel against his hair, but otherwise shamelessly naked.

“Like what you see?” He commented as he watched her trail her eyes over him.

“Can’t complain.” She replied, shutting her eyes soon after, ready to drift back into sleep for a few more minutes. But hardly a few seconds went past before she felt a sharp slap to her ass.

“Couldn’t help myself.” He mumbled as he draped himself over her, kissing over a mark he’d left last night.

“Get off,” She giggled, “you’re gonna get me wet.” She inched away from his wet hair on her face.

“Oh, am I?” He replied playfully, only pushing his head further into her neck. Slowly he trailed his hand down her stomach, reaching her core. “I’m definitely making you wet.” He slipped two fingers into making her moan out in shock. “Want me to get off now?” He asked as he began to move his fingers.

“Oh god no, keep going Quentin.”

“Call me sir.”

“Yes sir.” She never thought that would be a thing that would turn her on so much, but something about the power he had over her right now only made her want him more. Beck leaned up, pulling her hips up with him while holding a hand over her back to keep her chest down. “More.”

“What do you want?” She only moaned in response, he slapped her ass again, “Use your words baby”

“I want you sir.”

“You want my cock?” He taunted, rubbing it over her folds.

“Fuck, please sir, I want your cock.” She begged. He thrusted into her in one fluid movement, giving her that delicious burn she craved.

“So good baby,” He grunted, “fucked you last night and you’re still this tight.” He slammed his hips into her repeatedly, relishing in the sounds of her moans. He snaked his hand further up her back, grabbing her hair in his hand to pull her up against his chest. “You’re taking me so well, aren’t you baby?”

“Yes sir.” She whimpered between heavy breaths.

“So happy you’re here, all mine. Say it.” He said, voice calm with an underlying demand in it.

“I’m yours sir.” She weaved her hand into Beck’s hair, tugging lightly, remembering just how much he’d liked it. “So close.”

“Go on, cum for me.” The hand on her hip moved to flick over her clit. She was finally pushed over the edge, crying out. Her body went limp, being held up by Beck as he continued to fuck her. Soon after he came, collapsing into the bed, bringing her with him. Instantly he wrapped his body around her, cocooning her as the two of them attempting to catch their breath.

“That’s one way to wake up.” She laughed, turning to see the blissed-out look on Beck’s face.

“I could fucking get used to that.”

“You could fucking get used to fucking me.” She joked.

“Definitely.” They only managed to stay there for a few more minutes before Beck had to leave.

“Do you have to go already?” She whined. He thought she looked like an angel, sitting up in the bed seeming as innocent as always despite being naked and the previous activities.

“I’m sorry, I have to go to this meeting. Afterwards, I’m all yours, I’ll make it up to you, promise.” He justified, grabbing a bag containing his suit.

“I guess,” She pouted. Right before he left he leaned down to kiss her. She grabbed his bottom lip between her teeth, tugging on it as he pulled away.

“You’re a fucking tease you know that.” She only smiled in response. After he was gone she settled back down into the sheets, already exhausted. She allowed herself to bask in the moment of pure relaxation, falling back into a slumber. The urgent message on her phone remained unseen.

Beck made his way to the warehouse his crew had set up in Berlin. Everything was going as smoothly as he’d hope until part of the illusion lagged behind the rest.

“What’s going on with my hand, why’s that happening?” Beck asked.

“One of the drones that came back from the plaza was missing a projector, it’s fine.” William explained nonchalantly.

“That projector is evidence. It's going to tell people what we're doing and how we're doing it. I am trying to fool seven billion people here, including Nick Fury, who happens to be the most paranoid and most dangerous person on the planet. And if he catches on before I've killed him, then he will put a bullet in my head. And nobody wants a bullet in their head. Right?” Any cool in his voice was gone. Two drones flew up to where William was sat, pointing the hidden guns at him. “Pull up EDITH.

“Hello Quentin.”

“Hi, I need a level 5 search full resource protocol for this device.” A map of the streets of Prague appears in front of him. A video of MJ picking up the projector is then shown, moments later there is the footage of Peter and MJ walking across the bridge, the two of them inspecting the projector. “You know William, one day, after I've had to kill Peter Parker because of this, I hope you remember, that his blood is on your hands.” He became more deranged by the second, his crew now afraid of his unhinged nature. “Victoria, tell me you have the gifts.” She nodded, passing him a large Chanel box before quickly scuttling away. “And if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a girlfriend to fool.”

Beck made his way back to the hotel, taking a deep breath to fall back into the charming demeanour he had to uphold. Unlocked the door, calling out for her.

“I got you something.” His voice smoother, miles away from what it had been mere minutes ago.

“Jesus christ Beck, you didn’t have to do this.” She stared in awe at the obviously expensive gift.

“I wanted to spoil my girl.” He reached one had up to her cheek.

“Your girl?”

“Well aren’t you?” She moved into his touch, failing to hold back a grin. “Well go, try it on.” She took the box and moved into the bathroom. As soon as she’d left his face dropped back to the angry scowl. He picked up her phone, thankfully no messages had been opened.

“EDITH, block any messages from Peter or his associates reaching this phone.” He couldn’t allow for her to see any cracks in his plan. He placed the phone back down, exactly how she’d left it. She came back out of the bathroom, now dressed in a stunning, floor-length dress. It was just tight enough to be sensual while still remaining classy, the deep-v only adding to the appeal. “Goddamn baby girl, what did I do to deserve you.” He complimented, taking her into his arms.

“Thank you so much, it’s beautiful.”

“There’s a gala being held in a few weeks, to properly introduce me to your world,” He began to explain, “I want you there by my side.”

“I’d love to be there.”

“I know you’ll hate me for this, but duty calls and I’ve got more meetings this afternoon.”

“I get it, it’s fine,” She reassured him, “I’ve dealt with years of Peter having to drop things to go save the day. I’m not going to complain about you putting being a superhero before me.”

“How are you this perfect?”

“It just comes naturally to me.” She joked.

Across the city, Peter was swinging out of the train station, only to be met with black Audi pulling up in front of him.

“Get in.” Fury instructed after he lowered the window. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

“No, no, Mr Fury, listen, Beck’s lying, she’s with him, she’s in -” Fury simply raised a finger to cut the younger off.

“Wait until we’re secure.” Peter nodded, shutting up. Fury cough, gesturing to the seatbelt. In his panic, Peter momentarily forgot his own strength, managing to accidentally snap the belt clean off. They pulled up to a sleek white office space, entering a room Agent Hill was already waiting in.

“Look, I know I made a mistake, but Beck is lying. Mysterio, the elementals, they’re all fake. He used some kind of illusion tech, it’s all projectors.” Peter explained before either agent could start reprimanding him. “That’s how he tricked you guys and tricked me into giving him EDITH.” Peter then pulled out a damaged projector, sliding it along to Fury and Hill, “I pulled this off the fire monster in Prague.”

“So all the death and destruction we witness, was with this?” Fury asked skeptically.

“No, I think he’s using drones.”

“If this is true then Beck is very dangerous, who else did you tell about this?” Suddenly Peter’s sense flared up, he looked around the room, trying to find signs of the drones. “Parker?”

“It’s Beck, he’s here.” Hill, along with the office around them, began to fade away. It all disappeared from around them, revealing a bare concrete building, devoid of any real life. “It’s all an illu-” Peter was cut off by a drone shooting at Fury. He watched the older man drop to the floor instantly. He was prevented from running towards Fury by another drone shooting, sending him flying down a few floors.

“Wow Peter, I thought we were close.” Beck's voice rang out, hidden from Peter’s view. He scrambled up from the floor, spluttering as multiple drones aimed for him. “Fury always had to die, but not you. She’s gonna be devastated that her best friend died in a tragic accident.” The mention of her only added to Peter’s rage. It was bad enough that he tricked him and Fury, but manipulating someone as trusting and kind as her, in a much more intimate way made Peter’s blood boil.

“Show yourself.” Peter demanded. Each web he shot out to try to disable a drone turned out to be another hologram. Soon everything around him turned black, his regular suit replaced the one he was wearing.

“I tried to help you walk away, but you made me do this.” Beck taunted. A school corridor now surrounded him, Mysterio began to walk towards him. Peter went to shoot webs at Beck, only for them to be puffs of pointless green smoke. “You told me you just wanted to have fun with your friends.” Beck’s voice was now behind him. When Peter tried to punch him the projections momentarily disappeared, leaving Peter to punch a thick concrete wall. “You wanted them to be happy, well what a shame.”

“Peter, what’s going on?” He turned to see his best friend with the most fearful facial expression he had ever seen on her face.

“Beck isn’t who he says he is, he’s lying.”

“No.” She whispered, in disbelief over the revelation. “He wouldn’t do that,”

“Please, you have to trust me.” Peter begged, following her as she ran in another room. The door brought them to the top of the Eiffel Tower, he watched her run to where Beck now stood, wrapping herself around him. “I know this isn’t real.” Peter shouted at Beck, both trying to convince himself and the other man of this fact.

“Oh but this is.” Beck replied, placing his hand over the illusion of her, his thumb wrapped around the back of her neck as the rest of his hand lay comfortably over the top of her chest. “You really thought she wouldn’t eat up every perfect lie I feed her.” He mocked, the calmness in voice completely unnerving.

“Leave her out of this.” He screamed, the anger building up inside of him was threatening to overflow, and Peter would be prepared to do anything if it did.

“Why would I when she mine to use,” A puff of smoke covered the two of them from Peter’s view. When they became visible again she was naked, on all fours in front Beck. “And dispose of when I wish.” The puff came back, now his hands were wrapped around her neck, throwing her off the building.

“No.” Peter cried out, lunging off the tower to try to catch her falling body. He fell into green smoke, her body vanishing as he slammed into another floor. Before he could regain his bearings he was being blasted backwards through the streets of Queens. A giant hand grabbed him, throwing him in the ground, which shattered like glass around him. He fell through layers and layers of spiderwebs, screaming as he lost sense of what was real.

“Wake up!” Peter landed on a car, denting the roof of it. His surroundings looked real again, but he couldn’t let himself fall into a false sense of security. He tried to keep his guard up. Seconds later it all turned black again. Shards of glass came raining down around him.

“I mean look at yourself.” Beck shouted out, hidden again. Peter stared into the reflection of one of them, hesitantly reaching his hand out. The image reached out to attack, all other reflections soon joining in, pilling on top of him. When they finally went away Peter was dressed in his very first suit, his haphazardly home-made suit. “You’re just a scared kid in a sweatsuit.” Huge fallen statues of the lost heros surrounded Peter. “I created Mysterio to give the world someone to believe in.” The only statue still erected was Mysterio’s. “I control the truth, Mysterio is the truth.” Any hint of rationality was gone from Beck’s voice, his unhinged nature showing through. Mysterio flew out from behind his statue, firing at Peter. He dodged the blasts, sending webs back towards him. When he had thought he’d grabbed Beck, he brought a crane falling down, almost crushing himself in the process. He rolled out from under the contraption, finding himself in a graveyard. The one image he’d truly been dreading faced him. In front of him was a moss covered gravestone reading ‘Anthony Edward Stark’. “Maybe if you’d been enough, Tony would still be alive.” The faux concern Beck spoke with only added to the torture of the illusion. A hand burst through the ground, the zombie-like corpse of Tony, still in his Iron Man suit, came crawling towards Peter. Spiders flooded out of the rotting orifices of the body. “You made your choice, all you had to do was step aside, but now, I have to -” Beck was cut off, all the projections disappeared and Peter was back outside the building. Beck fell to his knees, now dressed in a morphsuit rather than his Mysterio costume. Fury stood behind him, lowering the gun in his hand. Cars pulled up to the scene, multiple agents Peter recognised leaving them, keeping their guns aimed on Beck.

“Beck’s people are trying to find anyone who could expose them, I need you to say who you told.” Peter remained silent, trying desperately to calm his racing heart. “I know you told somebody, so who was it?”

“Just Ned and MJ, from my class. And maybe Ned told his girlfriend Betty.” Fury crossed his arms over his chest, a cruel laugh leaving his lips.

“You are so dumb.”

“What?”

“I mean, you’re as smart as a whip, just a sucker.” His voice morphed into that of Beck, soon everything once again revealing itself to be fake. “And now your friends have to die.” Series of objects were being thrown down at Peter, making me trail backwards to avoid them. “For what it’s worth Peter, I really am sorry.” Things went back to normal for a split second until Peter heard the train coming towards him. The powerful impact was the last thing he remembered before blacking out.

“EDITH, access files to Peter Parker’s class trip. I need them to fly home from London.”

Taglist Open:

@cool-ontherun-world

@eleventhdoctorsangel

@chubby-tink

@eridanuswave

@squishychar1ie

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #peter parker imagine #peter parker x you #peter parker x original character #quentin beck #quentin beck x you #quentin beck x reader #quentin beck smut #quentin beck imagine #mysterio x reader #mysterio imagine #mysterio #marvel #marvel fic #ive made a huge mistake #spiderman #spiderman far from home

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freetenshi · 3 years

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A Real Hope for a Better Tomorrow

Are you optimistic about the future? Many people try to remain positive despite the serious problems we face today. But can we realistically expect things to get better? Yes! The Bible gives us a solid hope for a better tomorrow.

What hope does the Bible provide?

The Bible acknowledges that humankind faces tremendous problems. However, it promises that these problems will not afflict us indefinitely. Consider a few specific examples.

Problem: Homelessness What the Bible says: “They will build houses and live in them.”—Isaiah 65:21. What it means for the future: People will enjoy their own home.

Problem: Unemployment and poverty What the Bible says: “The work of their hands my chosen ones will enjoy to the full.”—Isaiah 65:22. What it means for the future: All humans will have satisfying, enjoyable, and rewarding work.

Problem: Injustice What the Bible says: “Princes will rule for justice.”—Isaiah 32:1. What it means for the future: Racial, social, and economic injustice will be eradicated forever. Everyone will be treated fairly.

Problem: Malnutrition and Hunger What the Bible says: “There will be an abundance of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains it will overflow.”—Psalm 72:16. What it means for the future: Everyone will have access to an abundance of healthy food. No one will go to bed hungry or suffer from malnutrition.

Problem: Crime and violence What the Bible says: “They will sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one will make them afraid.”—Micah 4:4. What it means for the future: Everyone will feel safe and secure because wicked people will be gone, and “the righteous will possess the earth.”—Psalm 37:10, 29

Problem: War What the Bible says: “Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore.”—Isaiah 2:4. What it means for the future: Peace will prevail earth wide. (Psalm 72:7) No one will need to mourn the death of a loved one killed in war or seek refuge from war zones.

Problem: Sickness and disease What the Bible says: “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”—Isaiah 33:24. What it means for the future: People will no longer suffer from disabilities or get sick. (Isaiah 35:5, 6) The Bible even promises that “death will be no more.”—Revelation 21:4.

Problem: Damage to the environment What the Bible says: “The wilderness and the parched land will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron.”—Isaiah 35:1. What it means for the future: The earth will become a global paradise for humans to inhabit, as God originally intended.—Genesis 2:15; Isaiah 45:18.

Is the hope the Bible offers us too good to be true?

Understandably, you may feel that it is. However, we encourage you to examine further what the Bible says about the future. Why? The promises found in the Bible are different from the promises and predictions that people make. The promises found in the Bible are from God. Here is why that makes a big difference:

God is trustworthy. The Bible says that God “cannot lie.” (Titus 1:2) In addition, only God has the ability to foretell the future. (Isaiah 46:10) The Bible contains countless examples that prove that what God foretells always comes true. For more information, watch the video How Can We Be Sure the Bible Is True?

God has the power to solve our problems. The Bible says that God has the power to do “everything he pleases to do.” (Psalm 135:5, 6) In other words, nothing can stop God from fulfilling his promises. What is more, God wants to help us because he loves us.—John 3:16.

Naturally, you may wonder, ‘If God wants to help us and has the power to help us, why do we still experience so many problems?’ To answer that question, watch the video Why Does God Allow Suffering?

How will this hope come about?

God will use his Kingdom, a government in heaven, to fulfill his promises. He has appointed Jesus Christ as Ruler of that Kingdom, and he has given him authority to care for the earth and the people on it. When Jesus was on earth, he cured the sick, fed the hungry, controlled the weather, and even resurrected the dead. (Mark 4:39; 6:41-44; Luke 4:40; John 11:43, 44) He thus showed what he would do as King of God’s Kingdom.

Watch the video What Is God’s Kingdom? to learn more about how God’s Kingdom will benefit you.

When will this hope be fulfilled?

Soon! How can we be sure? The Bible foretold events that would signal that God’s Kingdom is about to begin its rule over the earth. (Luke 21:10, 11) Present world conditions match what the Bible foretold.

To learn more, read the article “When Will God’s Kingdom Rule the Earth?”

How can the hope the Bible offers us help you today?

One Bible writer compared the hope that the Bible gives to an “anchor for the soul.” (Hebrews 6:19) Just as an anchor keeps a ship steady during a storm, the Bible’s solid hope for the future can help us weather the problems we face today. Our hope can protect our emotional and mental stability, and even our physical well-being.—1 Thessalonians 5:8.

Disclaimer: The articles I post are not mine. I am merely sharing them to those who really want to learn about the Bible. Please visit JW.ORG for more Bible topics that might interest you.

https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/peace-happiness/real-hope-future-bible-promises/

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heymich · 5 years

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My unlikely pro-life, pro-science, pro-God views, Part 5

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

I often feel I have more questions than I have answers. But these are my current thoughts on these questions on my mind. I would love to hear your thoughts, if you care to share. May the Lord grant us wisdom to discern through these difficult questions. The reason why I want to write is just to simply organize my thoughts. You are welcome to read. Please don’t feel pressured that my way is the only way you should think. These are simply my thoughts. Ultimately my “opinion” does not matter but God’s word is the only thing that really matters. Let’s keep seeking His will. Search it for yourself! I have a growing list of questions and concerns to work through so thank you to anyone willing to read this so far.

What if you feel called by God to do a certain ministry that requires you to have fewer children? - I was reading recently in 2 Chronicles 26 how King Uzziah (v 16-21) decides to burn incense on the incense altar even though only the consecrated priests, the descendants of Aaron have the right to offer incense. My CSB describes Uzziah as “he grew arrogant... acted unfaithfully against the LORD his God...” I find that this is a good story to see that God wants to be approached on His terms, as great as humans might have ideas on what it means to serve God may be. Not everyone can be called to the same tasks, even ones that they desire for “sense” God calling them to do. Also if God clearly calls you to a certain task (e.g. becoming a parent for example), you might have to adjust your expectations and sacrifice other seemingly godly desires to fulfill your calling. Though I think it sounds like a really great calling to be in ministry, I don’t think God would call someone to enter in to a certain ministry if it required them to compromise His other instructions. So perhaps missionary callings that involve a level of risk to children might be more suitable to singles, or families who don’t have children for whatever reasons that God ordains. And perhaps for the young family that has intentions to grow their family and be open to the Lord’s will for their fertility... it seems to make sense to consider ministries that your family can fully participate in for that season and to be faithful with the calling of raising your family for the glory of Christ and seeing the family as ministry as well. For some families, the husband feels called to include their family in dangerous missionary journeys, and for some families, the couple agree to separate for the sake of God’s calling for the husband’s life. I’ve also heard of stories where the woman leaves the husband for missionary work. Though I may not agree with some of these decisions, I have not probed enough to understand the reasonings for their decisions. It’s not up for me to judge, but I would will like to seek understanding for how they discerned the see what the fruit of those decisions are. For those ministries that prefer “smaller” families... well I don’t have enough experience to speak into that but I definitely have a lot of probing questions. I also have tons of questions about how others families function in ministry, and how they decide their family planning with their ministry callings, but I’ll have to pick on those families brains when I meet them... there’s really a lot I don’t understand about the missionaries I’ve read about, where they have denied or sacrificed what I consider family responsibilities for the sake of furthering the Gospel to unreached areas. I’m willing to learn but right now my mind is fixed on how do I be faithful in the ministry of family.

If you do choose to reduce the amount of potential children in your family, how do you go about doing that in a way that honours the Lord and does not compromise God’s other commands and intentions for your life? - See here is where my brain is really puzzled. How exactly do families choose to limit their children? Because in my mind I’m walking through a minefield of compromise. I mean if you don’t see any mines in this field I’m looking at, or you see them and you are able to successfully avoid them... great, good for you. I just am troubled and don’t think I can cross this field. - Barrier Methods like condoms and diaphragms- in a pro-life stance, yes you aren’t killing anyone. Great. It is not 100% effective, so... are you saying you are still going to protect that life if life is formed (against your original intentions to not have more children?). Also at the end, I share my attitude concern * - Birth control Pill or IUD- abortafacients are against my Christian conscience, I don’t think any Christian should use any of these methods but I understand there is a level of ignorance people are willing to carry to continue on with their personal decisions. More info here - Abortion, or morning after pill- I don’t think I have to explain this, but for those Christians who are “pro-choice”... I’ll have to save that for another discussion. But yeah, the 6th commandment is do not kill. Science affirms that life begins at conception. Abortion is the termination of the life of the unborn baby. - Natural family planning, abstinence- see this is where the “natural” folk and pro-lifers might consider this as a good option. However I do have a concern again about the heart attitude*. In The Birth Control Movie Project, one of the speakers, who I have come to love, Nancy Campbell explains well (I paraphrase from the top of my head) that during the women’s fertile time when she is going to ovulate, it is when her sexual desires are increased. It’s like God designed it to be that way because He wants increase! This is fascinating to me, as I have noticed in the past during my single years, how my emotions, longings and desires would change during my cycle and I would feel such a relief after my period came (I know, TMI, gross period talk, sorry). But to learn this is part of God’s amazing design... I can’t help but think... yay God you are all-wise!! Okay back to my concern about NFP... so if a couple (or either partners in that couple) decides to AVOID sex during a time where the woman is most fertile... it could result in denying either spouse intimacy which is also contrary to Scripture (1 Corinthians 7:1-5). I once was looking up NFP and learned a couple from a blog I used to follow wrote a book about the benefits of NFP. I learned later that they ended up divorcing. One might consider the dangers of NFP and what impact that has on a marriage if at certain seasons you are having to deprive one another... and for what reason? I hope it’s a godly reason! And for those who might consider long-term abstinence as a married couple (does that actually happen?) I guess I don’t fully understand why that couple would get married in light of 1 Corinthians 7 but perhaps there are single for Christ minded people who want to get married and have a partner for Gospel ministry and are willing to live like they are “single”? As long as they don’t forget that when they covenanted with God and their spouse in marriage... there will be marriage responsibilities. Not everyone should get married if they aren’t open or ready for the responsibility of being a husband/wife and father/mother. - Vasectomy, tubal ligation, hysterectomy- for normal, healthy, functioning body parts... why “fix” something that isn’t broken? I haven’t read too much on the ethics of these procedures but... from what I know some couples experience hormonal changes that can impact mood and intimacy, sometimes the procedures are irreversible and the couple later on wants to have more children and can’t. God gave these body parts to be used for His purposes!

- Sure you can pull out the “stewardship” argument, but then I would want to ask, what was the thing God gave to us intended for? Voddie Baucham has mentioned frequently “If you don’t know the purpose of the thing, you’re doing to abuse it” (sorry if I misquoted it). What are these reproductive body parts intended by God for? What are my arms and legs meant for? It would be ridiculous for me to purposefully disable myself by cutting off my arms or legs and be physically handicapped but I could say it is for the sake of stewardship (I don’t know, I serve in the handicap ministry and people might get jealous I have functional arms and legs? That sound stupid I know. Or maybe I work in an area where my arms and legs might cause me to stumble... I mean Jesus would support it right?). But yeah it sounds crazy because it is. Yet for some reason if we alter our reproductive parts so they no longer work the way it was intended for, it might be in some minds, be considered “good stewardship”. Because you know, we are living for the kingdom... I have more questions and thoughts about “stewardship” later (e.g. financial, mental, emotional, etc.)

* And ultimately it is the heart attitude is what I am more concerned about. Separating sex from procreation seems to me, to be very unnatural and against God design for sex (which includes "glorify God, bring forth children, express intimacy, provide comfort, and bless the spouse.”- CARM). Seeing children being in the way of the plans you have for your life (or the plans you think God has for your life) doesn’t seem right to me... is this really okay with God? I mean if God was wanting a married couple/family to participate ministry and children would be detrimental to that ministry, God in His wisdom could just make the couple infertile right? I would love to see someone bring up Scriptures that can help me see that this is something exemplary to do. I am boggled by the amount of choices available to people today and the ethics that follow these decisions.

I understand I know it’s not a simple journey for some people and families who are trying to obey God in other areas of their lives and don’t see the issue I am talking about as being a “primary” one to consider, or may think this compromise is not worth spending so much time on... for me though, if God has brought this concern to light in my life, sometimes when I see others choosing to “compromise” with out much thought, I find it discouraging and tempting that maybe I can just throw my own convictions out of the window. Is it fair to say... brother or sister, please consider that you don’t cause me to stumble? I can imagine a response like “oh, you just follow what God wants you to do, and I’ll follow what God wants me to do”. I can see that happening regarding many decisions in life but regarding the creation of life... I don’t know, it just would be nice if we were all on the same page about what attitude to have about this. I mean think about it, are you aware that in the States, in the late 1800′s contraception was considered illegal? Doesn’t that say something? And apparently in Canada we didn’t have divorce laws until 1968... I would have to research more. I’m just saying... just because something becomes normal for a culture doesn’t mean it was always normal. And if it wasn’t normal before, I would like to know... how did we get here? Was it moral upgrade or downgrade that led us to this kind of normalization?

Inquisitive Michelle

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