Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Feb 27, 2023 2:41:16 GMT 9
Sprigatito wishes he could fish. His natural instincts know he can, but it’s difficult when the water is so deep and the fish are so fast and his legs are still so short.
He stops splashing and looks up to see his trainer standing with him on the water’s edge. Kazuki stares intently at the ripples with his arms crossed. It’s been a rocky start between them, but Sprigatito’s hoping the extended bout of silence will convince his trainer to bond with him. (And finally understand what he’s saying.)
<So!> The kitten says despite knowing all his human will hear are indecipherable meowing. <Let’s start fishing?> He looks around. He’d overheard this event would require another human, though his own hadn’t gone to look for one.
“To hell with it,” Kazuki hums, and before Sprigatito can stop him, the man has jumped straight into the river, water splashing everywhere.
See, Kazuki has fished before. Typical father-son bonding moments—or attempts, rather. He holds the same opinion as most sane folks about it: that it’s boring. And that he’d rather drown than do something so pointless in this game.
But he does want to find the big fish, and he’s intent to catch it.
With his bare hands.
As he wades away from the shore, his partner pokemon yelps, already cold from the splash of water, now made colder by the sight of his trainer moving away from him. In a fit of impulse, he leaps, front paws just barely landing on Kazuki’s shoulder. After a few slips, he stabilizes his perch.
The man’s brows raise. “Hm. And here I thought cats hated swimming.” He snickers. “Alright. You’re coming with me then.”
Sprigatito shivers, and hopes that the sunny day will continue as he dries.
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Domino
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G.A.Y.
Round 2
Posts: 314
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Hilda Faust
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 40
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Post by Domino on Feb 27, 2023 11:31:02 GMT 9
Give a girl a fish, and you feed her for a day. Teach a girl to fish, and you'll bore her to death.Hilda's dearest papa is a man who is really into fly fishing, and in this case, 'really' means having multiple sets of fishing gear and fishing rods, being part of recreational fishing communities online, making his own lures (flies) with bird feathers, knowing a shitton about fish, and worst of all, taking his children on fishing trips. Camping and fishing trips with her father and older brothers were the norm in Hilda's childhood, and oh how much time had been spent sorting her Pokémon cards by the shore instead of fishing with the boys.Hilda has never been much for the great outdoors. Domino, though? Domino looks perfectly comfortable sitting on this old wooden dock that's missing one too many planks. She leans back on one hand, holding a cigarette in the other, and by her side, a fishing rod is set up thanks to a convenient hole in the probably-rotten wood. There's also a yellow Tatsugiri next to her, watching the water and cooing at the antics of a stranger that seems set on... what exactly? Going for a swim with his cat? Domino has been watching Kazuki as well, but she only calls out when he gets closer to the old dock. "Yo! You're gonna scare away all the fish splashin' around like that." An eyebrow is raised, her multicoloured gaze fixed on him.
{fishing code}[s][i]There's a [*Bigness][*roll range="1d100"] [*Description][*roll range="1d90"] [*Blarney][*roll range="1d100"] on the line![/i][/s] |
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Feb 27, 2023 15:00:30 GMT 9
The water isn’t too deep. He finds he can walk without much difficulty so long as he stays mindful of the current. Shadows drift in the rushing water, fish that he can’t quite identify.
Someone calls out to him.
Looking up, he sees the woman sitting by the dock, a fisher by the looks of her setup—although that’s about as far as the comparison gets. Appearance-wise, she looks like she’s meant for a digital stream than an actual one.
“Oh yeah?” He continues approaching the dock, sending little fish-like shadows darting away from his legs. “You’ve already got a fish right there. Just nab it.” Curious of the yellow thing bobbing near the stranger, he’s trying to get a closer look.
Sprigatito continues sitting precariously on his shoulder, only to start meowing loudly at the sight of a shadow swimming towards the colorful trainer’s lure.
There's a [Bigness]dlIgY4wn1d100 [Description]1d90 [Blarney]1d100 on the line!
1d100·1d90·1d100 |
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Domino
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G.A.Y.
Round 2
Posts: 314
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Hilda Faust
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 40
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Post by Domino on Mar 1, 2023 13:53:20 GMT 9
"Fish? Oh, you mean Benihana?" Yes, like the American restaurant chain with their Japanese-inspired cuisine and entertaining chefs. Although, given that this is a yellow Tatsugiri, the Japanese meaning of the name also applies quite well. Domino thinks of everything. "Pretty damn sure Tatsugiri are dragons, but they sure look like fish, huh?"Despite the playful smirk that tugs at the Beta Tester's glossy lips, the miniscule dragon doesn't appear nearly as amused by this observation, and she puffs up her cheeks. Naturally, this makes Domino laugh, patting her pokémon's head... just in time for her line to tense. "Oh. There we go! Fucking finally." She grabs the fishing rod that had been provided to her for the event (of course Domino hadn't bothered with buying one of her own yet, are you joking?), and reeling in, she forces her catch out of the water. TEENSY PUBLIC BASCULIN
"Huh? Public? What's that supposed to mean?" Never mind that for now. From her inventory, she conveniently pulls a bucket out of thin air, placing the small Basculin in it once Benihana fills it with water. Only then does her attention return to the stranger. Kazuki, as calls the nametag above his admittedly-not-at-all-bad-looking avatar's (hot damn) head. "How's fishing going for you? Found Blarney any nice girlfriends yet?"
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Mar 3, 2023 18:10:43 GMT 9
So that thing was hers, and it was named Benihana. Kazuki didn’t find this strange; the flowers did come in yellow.
But he has to contend with the dragon claim. “That is a glorified pool noodle,” he deadpans, seeing its bright yellow scales and cartoonish eyes. Somehow, he found it apt for her. Like the pokemon was the multicolored girl’s mascot.
As the girl reels in her catch, he finally gets close enough to the dock. The fish she’s found doesn’t seem too impressive, though he does like how sharp it is despite being tiny.
“Girlfriends?” He asks, because he doesn’t read. “I figured it was just a normal fishing competition.” How disturbing.
He hoists himself up to rest his arms on the old dock, the crumbling wood creaking with effort under his weight. The bottom half of his body remains in the water. “Is that what people do these days?” He smirks at her. “Try to reel in dates.”
Sprigatito on his shoulder has redirected his attention to Benihana, laser-focused. Admittedly it was because he felt envious of the dragon’s cool name, but he was also practicing. He figured if he stayed really still, she’d come close enough for him to catch her like a real hunter. He has his paw ready just in case.
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Domino
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G.A.Y.
Round 2
Posts: 314
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Hilda Faust
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 40
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Post by Domino on Mar 6, 2023 2:50:57 GMT 9
Reading is a lost art. Or, at least that's the assumption Domino makes when Kazuki asks her about the event. His English is good, so surely his understanding of the play on words at the centre of OL' BLARNEY'S VALENTINE'S HOOKUP! isn't the problem, right? She decides to be nice and explain, although not without first allowing herself an audible sigh."Maybe that's why some people call their dates a catch, 'cause they reel them in." She teases, her smirk sharp as can be. "But, ya know... Valentine's Hookups, fishing hooks, hooking up, etc? It's word play. Hydance loves doing unconventional events for themes like these."<'Maybe it's called that 'cause participants get baited.'> The Tatsugiri gives an entertained chuckle, looking up at the Sprigatito on the stranger's shoulders. <'Is your cat okay?'>Domino would look to see what her Pokémon is referring to... if she had poké-speech enabled. Regardless, before she can even do as much, the line tenses up once more. "You should have a temporary fishing rod for the event, by the way... If you wanna give it a try too." A passing suggestion and nothing more, spoken with a shrug while reeling in the line to reveal a [Bigness]Cuaz1lGb1d100 [Description]1d90 [Blarney]1d100!
1d100·1d90·1d100 |
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Mar 7, 2023 2:16:22 GMT 9
Her clear exasperation amuses him. He rests his chin on his arms where they’re folded on the dock, watching her as a student on the verge of falling asleep watches their lecturer.
“Really? Never could have guessed,” he articulates his words slowly, brows raising. There is no hiding his accent, but his grasp of English is better than average, or so he’s been told by people in his life. He really only took to it once he began traveling and competing internationally. (The way certain foreigners reacted to his butchered sentences had spurred him.)
He does find the bit about Hydance useful. “Unconventional is one thing. Who’s Blarney?” The name initially gave him the impression of an old seafaring type.
With his settings the way they are, he doesn’t hear Benihana’s words, only incoherent burbles. Sprigatito, however, blinks at her with large pink eyes. <I’m okay!> He mewls. <I want to catch you! Um. That’s what you meant by baited, right?> Worried she couldn’t hear him at this height, he tries to nudge forward, only to backtrack once his perch moves.
“All right.” The fish around Kazuki didn’t appear to be obtainable. It’s possible the only way to nab one (at least to the size that rainbow girl is reeling) is to do this the old-fashioned way. “I’ll join you.”
He pushes down on his arms, pulling himself out of the water. The rickety dock underneath creaks and cracks, the old wood holding up its platform crusted with moss and worn by the elements. Kazuki lifts one leg out of the water to rest his knee on the edge of the dock, preparing to hoist his weight onto the platform. |
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Domino
•
G.A.Y.
Round 2
Posts: 314
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Hilda Faust
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 40
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Post by Domino on Mar 11, 2023 16:23:43 GMT 9
"Dunno, probably the event's NPC, no?" Domino shrugs. It's not even a lie, since while Hilda may work for Hydance and be a programmer assigned to this very game, she generally tries to put effort into not spoiling her own gaming experience as much as possible. She knows a lot about what goes on behind the scenes, sure, but she also purposefully tries not to learn about event plans and what not... unless having to work in them, that is. Now, all that is well and good, but the fact of the matter is that ignorance is also not always bliss, and in the fact that both Domino and Kazuki seem to have Poké-Speech disabled lies the mistake they both make today. Were their settings different, they would be privy to the Pokémon's conversation, and they would be given more of a warning than just the Tatsugiri puffing up her chest... A warning to what, exactly? Well... <'Pfft. You want to catch me? Rude.'> A WATER GUN is aimed for the Sprigatito, and by proxy, also for Kazuki just as he's in the middle of getting on the dock. What does Domino do? She pauses, blinking at the sight and then going back to unhooking her catch. "Guess Benihana doesn't like your Sprigatito much."Under her breath, she laughs.
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Mar 13, 2023 12:13:01 GMT 9
Sprigatito yelps, the gush of water nailing him in the face and nearly shooting him off his trainer’s shoulder—a fate he dodges only by digging his nails into his perch, the claws prickling into skin.
Kazuki hisses, not from the claws, but from falling into the splash zone. He blinks, water dribbling down from his head. He’s now soaked from top to bottom, though laundering a shirt isn’t really a concern in this case, and he had dunked his pants in water out of his own accord.
“No shit,” he wipes his face, flicking the excess drops in Domino’s direction. This effort is undone when the cat on his shoulder shakes out his fur, pelting him in water again.
<You're rude!> Sprigatito squeaks, his fur still damp and now sticking out like a clump of steel wool.
Ignoring his pokemon’s continued incessant meowing about being sprayed, Kazuki pulls up the UI and actually spends more than 5 seconds skimming the event. “So, you have all agreed to find fish for some sailor looking for a fish wife.” The Pokemon Community is making a stunning debut for him.
But he pulls out the provided fishing line anyways, tosses it overboard with the hope that this activity wouldn’t be as dull as he judged it to be.
There's a [Bigness]OvW2w73C1d100 [Description]1d90 [Blarney]1d100 on the line!
1d100·1d100·1d100 |
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Domino
•
G.A.Y.
Round 2
Posts: 314
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Hilda Faust
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 40
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Post by Domino on Mar 13, 2023 23:19:20 GMT 9
While the Sprigatito meows and complains about being sprayed with water, Benihana sticks out her tongue at it, and Domino could laugh out loud at the Pokémon's antics. Instead, she just smirks her usual smirk, clearly entertained despite her new companion's curt behaviour and the arguing between their partners (perhaps she's entertained because of these things, honestly). Kazuki fishes up a Corsola, and the sight of the cute pink Pokémon makes her smile. Only then does she respond to his comment, shrugging in the most nonchalant way in existence: "Why not? It's all fun and games, right? Believe me, gamers will do just about anything in a game given the prospect of a reward."Even when they don't know what that reward is. Domino, though? Domino just wants to see what happens with Ol' Blarney. So, when her line tenses up, she fishes up another potential bride, this time [Bigness]7ztUlM251d100 [Description]1d90 [Blarney]1d100!
1d100·1d90·1d100 |
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Mar 14, 2023 1:38:31 GMT 9
What he reels in is a very round pink thing with pieces of coral sticking out of it. The game informs him it’s called a Corsola, but he’s wondering if it’s a rip-off of that other pink thing Nintendo owns.
“Are you like that then?” He asks, dropping his catch in the amusingly endless void of his inventory. “Die-hard pokemon fan, gamer type?” He’s still betting on the streamer theory. She takes to this environment easily; deals with the event, the new player, and their pokemon’s shenanigans as if she’s done it a hundred times before.
It's a theory further solidified when Domino fishes up what he had at first assumed to be a bloated wedding dress, only to realize it’s alive. Damn thing is big enough that he has to step around its frayed tendrils, the ends of it reminding him of brittle autumn leaves.
“You’re a bit too good at this for me to believe you haven’t sunk hours into this game.” He prepares his next line, finding the wait nonexistent, and the activity therefore tolerable. Fishing mechanic works, who knew?
Sprigatito on the other hand continues pouting, bouncing on his trainer’s shoulder to try and regain some of his dignity. He makes air-swiping motions with his tiny claws, as if trying to say that were it not for the distance (and his lack of swimming ability), he would most definitely fight Benihana. And win!
There's a [Bigness]Jn2OJP361d100 [Description]1d90 [Blarney]1d100 on the line!
1d100·1d90·1d100 |
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Domino
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G.A.Y.
Round 2
Posts: 314
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Hilda Faust
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 40
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Post by Domino on Mar 15, 2023 2:19:55 GMT 9
A rainbow's array of colours shines in Domino's eyes, narrowing at Kazuki's question. To say that he hit the nail on the head would be an understatement. Hilda has been obsessed with Pokémon since she was a child, she knows just about everything there is to know about the franchise, and that much is reflected clearly in her profession, the sheer amount of merch she owns, and even some of the tattoos that proudly mark her body. Will Domino tell this guy she just met all of that, though? Nah.Lightly, she chuckles, sending the enormous Frillish to her inventory before its sheer weight brings down the old dock on which they sit. She can already hear some of the old planks creaking in complaint thanks to the enormous Pokémon they keep fishing up... A sound that persists when Kazuki brings out a Tatsugiri much much larger than Benihana. "Damn. Careful, you'll bring the dock down." She laughs, casting her line one more time. "To answer your question, by the way... I guess I am? I'm not a power gamer or anything. At least not when it comes to UNOVR."Ominous? Perhaps. It's more like Domino is the chaotic kind of gamer that likes a good laugh, and so this event is exactly the kind of silly activity during which she thrives. "What about you? Not much of a gamer?" Domino glances at him just in time for her line to tense up one more time. Soon, she reels in a [Bigness]LKeQu1II1d100 [Description]1d90 [Blarney]1d100!
1d100·1d90·1d100 |
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Mar 15, 2023 3:54:55 GMT 9
Iridescent irises level him a look that causes the edge of his mouth to hitch. He reached a nerve somehow. It’s doubly rewarding to hit when the target looks like a pearl.
He can’t prod further, however, because the end of his line attempts to yank him overboard. His hands grip harder around the fishing rod, feet digging into the crumbling pier as he forces the tug-of-war to a stop, before taking the reins and pulling it to shore.
When his next catch emerges, a clone of Domino’s fish comes scraping over the dock, oversized. It takes him a good minute to stuff into his inventory without slipping off the edge.
“If the dock busts,” which, by the symphony of cracking wood, he doubts will take much longer, “the water’s only 4 to 5 feet deep. You’ll live.”
She does end up answering his question, confirming his suspicions with grace. “Don’t know what a power gamer looks like,” he huffs, “don’t think I want to.” He’s already seen some curious things running around, and it’s not as if he’s entirely ignorant to the strangeness of internet culture.
She shoots his question back, and it doesn't take him long. “No. Never really liked sitting still.” He sends out another line as she reels in her catch. “I’ve never played Pokemon either, and didn’t intend to until recently.”
Sprigatito has settled on the dock by now, tired of hanging by his shoulder and too busy grooming his soaked fur to be loud. Save for the occasional stir of their lines and the flopping fish, the grove is peaceful, realistic down to the scent of the breeze.
“... It’s alright, so far,” he admits.
There's a [Bigness]O7Z_s86u1d100 [Description]1d90 [Blarney]1d100 on the line!
1d100·1d90·1d100 |
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Domino
•
G.A.Y.
Round 2
Posts: 314
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Hilda Faust
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 40
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Post by Domino on Mar 15, 2023 12:36:22 GMT 9
She watches him, curious, like a wildlife biologist studying a rare creature about which not much is known. Being someone who surrounds herself with people who are generally as obsessed with Pokémon as her, it's not often that Hilda speaks to those who aren't all that familiar with the franchise and much less to people who aren't all that interested in gaming in general. There's her brothers, but even a couple of them enjoy playing their FPS games with friends (the most excited they've ever been about her job was when they heard UNOVR reuses some of Clanwar: Worldstorm's assets). So, yes, people like Kazuki intrigue her... much more than the Frillish that is far from exciting when she had just caught an identical one (yet also much larger) just a moment earlier. "Oh really? What changed?" Domino finds herself prodding, a brow quirked with the question when her line is lazily cast yet again. How many fish have they caught so far? Is it enough? The dock will probably give in any minute now....Such are the things she thinks about when Kazuki's admittance distracts her, and at that moment, Domino looks at him from where she sits, because deep inside her, Hilda's pride as a programmer bubbles up with joy — pleased. It's always nice to hear people are enjoying the game, but it's especially nice when hearing it from people who come into the franchise blindly and have no previous ties that compel them to play... just sheer enjoyment of UNOVR itself. "It's pretty fun. Who knows, maybe if you're nice I'll show you some other cool things in the game." She smirks, but her attention is quickly stolen by the way her line tenses up yet again. A [Bigness]wvyZqCoM1d100 [Description]1d90 [Blarney]1d100, of all things. The dock creaks with resistance, old planks of rotting wood giving in...
1d100·1d90·1d100 |
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Mar 17, 2023 16:46:36 GMT 9
He’s dealing with his next catch when she prods him. The steady crk crk crk of the reel pulling in the next catch; the line is lax, probably nothing big. “Just…” The ringing of the bell. Blinding lights. His blood and sweat seeping into the mat. The announcer’s voice, booming: AND IT IS ALL OVER!
A Krabby pops out of the water, so tiny he mistakes it for a toy at first. He snorts as he tugs it off the hook, its pincers trying to pinch his fingers. “Just found myself being home more often. This game beats watching shitty TV.” He pops the little crab into his inventory.
He expects teasing, sarcasm—some joke over his newfound interest. To his surprise, the only thing on her face is something akin to contentment. Pride?
He raises a brow, wondering why she’d be touched. When she finally speaks, he finds himself chuckling at the offer. “Are you saying I haven’t been a complete angel to you?” But it isn’t a no. She had been good company in their short encounter.
And then Domino’s line catches, and she reels in something that sends the water spilling over the dock. Two beady eyes glare at them as the pokemon is dragged out of the water, some kind of weasel with extremely prominent fangs.
CRACK!
The dock, which has fought valiantly all these years, becomes another victim in Blarney’s quest for love. It crumples like a piece of paper, planks shattering before the support pillars give out and send both trainers (and one cat) plummeting into the water in a grand splash. |
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