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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 15, 2017 15:26:31 GMT -5
As the princes began to play, the young maid leant back on the grass, listening to the beautiful music with a smile on her face.
The sun was warm and the air mild, and the sky was a perfect light blue. Everything was relaxed and time felt like it was going in slow motion. The music made the moment feel all the more perfect, and it was soft and calming. Elisa closed her eyes.
The princes had been learning their instruments for such a long time. Elisa herself had dabbled in music as a child, having gotten her hands on a violin, but when she had began working full-time she simply hadn't had the time for such demanding hobbies as a musical instrument
But it was okay. She had never showed quite the talent for music that the princes had demonstrated. She enjoyed listening to them play their instruments more than she had enjoyed learning how to play the violin.
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Post by sweetclover1 on Jun 15, 2017 15:31:50 GMT -5
Keegan glanced up, eyes widening slightly at what the prince was saying, and this time he couldn't really stop a tear or two from dropping down his cheeks. He had t realized that he'd called Elric "sir", it was force of habit at this point. He'd been expecting to he taken in as a setvant if he'd been taken in at all, and it was difficult for him to process the fact that he was free. He rubbed his cheeks quickly, determined not to show any softness and gave a small nod at the suggestion.
"Id r-really love that. But my reading sk-skills in y-your language are p-poor a-at best," he pointed out, although he wanted nothing more Han to stay at the library and work. It was peaceful here and it put his mind to rest with the quiet. "Wh-what will you tell your f-father ? About me?" He asked, the thought coming to him.
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Post by Solstice on Jun 15, 2017 15:33:41 GMT -5
(Okay awesome!! ) Once Tori had finished her bath she ended up changing into her "practicing" attire, which was still too ridiculous for her tastes but she'd fought her father on it and lost miserably. So she was wearing some stupid white linen dress that was just flowing enough for her to move with. She did have pants of the same material she wore under her dress so she could fight without worrying of someone seeing her underthings, but it was still annoying. Dresses were much too confining for her tastes, give her a shirt and trousers and she was more than happy. Her blonde curls were tied up in a tight bun, and she made her way down the hall. She was nervous for tonight, knowing that the man who she'd burned his estate down would be there. He was a well known, well liked noble and would undoubtedly be there to ask for assistance in not only rebuilding his home but in finding his escaped slaves. Although, just like all of the others, he'd call them his "servants" and feign worry about them. She didn't know if she could hold her tongue this time, she'd seen his treatment of those people first hand and it made her want to actually leap across the table and hurt the man. But she had to stay the perfect little princess, sit perfectly and have that perfect smile. It put her in a bad mood and she needed to fight someone who could take it before she did something her father would regret later on. Thoren had taken his tour of the Castle to the baths, but when Tori had gone in to bathe, he'd left and headed back to his shop. He'd needed to finish the sword he'd been working on, and to get the replacement sparring swords. As it were He was walking past the stables to the training arena to drop them off, so they would be ready come time for the princes (and a certain rebel princess) to spar if they so chose. To be honest, as skilled as he was at black smithing Sparring with the royalty was always his favorite part of his job description. Most were quite adept at making time for sword play, and he had to admit Tori was one of his favorite sparring partners. She was good, and she knew it, making her Confident. At least that is what Thoren perceived anyway. Another of his favorite spar-ers was Gabriel, for a totally different reason though. Thoren could never place the feminine prince. He was unsettling calm in battle and half the time he'd act clueless and ditzy with a big smile on his face, however when he blocked Thoren's hits, they were always strong and precise. Thoren often felt when the prince lost, it was like he was throwing the match to hide his true prowess. It made him intimidating. Like a tiger hidden behind the facade of a kitten...or something... He shook off such thoughts, as he entered the arena area and sett the sparing swords in place of their broken counterparts.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 15, 2017 15:37:46 GMT -5
Elric nodded "You're right, your reading skills might be a bit of a problem. I can always teach you if you would like me to, and like I said I'll be here quite a lot if you happen to get really stuck with complicated language or something like that. As for what I'll tell my father... I'm not sure. As little as possible, I suppose. I can't guarantee your identity will be kept secret here, but Rebby and I will vouch for you. I think Tori would, too, if it came down to it."
He had noticed Keegan's tears but chose not to comment. The other man clearly didn't want to show any vulnerability and Elric didn't want to embarrass him or something like that by pointing out that he was showing his true feelings about this.
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Post by Solstice on Jun 15, 2017 15:52:30 GMT -5
the garden was soon filled with the sounds of a full blown duet, each note reaching out to cover the entirety of the peaceful place as the princes continued to play together. Each was perfectly in tune with the other and the song they were playing. It was as if no time had passed at all since they last played together, when in fact it had been months, just short of a year since they had. They had devoted much time to playing together in their youth and it had always brought them joy. As the years progressed though, it just seemed as if schooling and other lessons had left little time. And what free time there was, each prince had at a different parts of the day. Gabriel's breaks had been in the mornings, and midday while Artemis chose to take breaks in the evenings, and that was when he felt well enough to be out of his room. Most of those days were reserved to the summer months as well. When it got colder, Artemis just couldn't handle being outside of his bed, unless it was for meals, and a warm bath.
Gabriel's eyes fluttered shut as he played, and his entire body had relaxed completely, sun warmed and doing something he loved, with two of his favorite people.
Artemis took a soft breath, and started to sing the lyrics to the song they were playing, as he continued to strum his harp. Voice soft and lilting as it filled the empty spaces between the notes.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 15, 2017 16:03:26 GMT -5
When Artemis started singing, Elisa smiled and just listened to their voice for a moment. Listening to Arte singing, it was impossible to think of them as the sickly royal who was often too weak to even leave their room. They turned into a different person when they started to play their harp and sing the lyrics.
After a little while, Elisa herself joined in with the singing. She wasn't as confident as the boys, but she did have a pleasant enough singing voice. Nothing spectacular, but it was just a generally nice voice. She didn't feel too self-conscious about joining in, especially if Artemis was singing. It felt just like old times.
She didn't try anything too ambitious with her singing, only doing little harmonies to complement Artemis, sine she still wanted their voice to be the main focus and she didn't want to overpower them when they were singing.
She had missed this so much, without even truly realising. She knew she would never technically be an equal to these princes, but she didn't care. She had their friendship, and that was all she cared about at this point. She'd known them since they were only little, and she'd been a lifelong companion of theirs.
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Post by Solstice on Jun 15, 2017 16:52:17 GMT -5
(I imagine Arte sounds a bit like Ed Sheeran but in his higher register, like the higher voice in the song "I see Fire" from the Hobbit movies. XD )
Artemis smiled as Elisa had joined in the song, and continued to sing, matching her Harmonies to their voice effortlessly. Voice entwining with hers, much like when they were younger. They still kept pace on their harp however, providing both lyrics and music to the song. If Artemis was not so shy, they would have loved to have been a performer in their free time. Arte had even learned to write their own music. This was an easy accomplishment for the royal, because of their love for both music and poetry, it seemed only natural to put the two together. Most of those songs lay hidden under their bed however, as they had not yet been perfected enough for Artemis to feel entirely confident in presenting them to someone.
Gabriel would have joined in the singing as well if he'd been playing the Violin, however as he was using his flute he couldn't join in the lyrics. He made up for it by providing most of the melody of the song, never faltering or missing a note, making sure it went smoothly. It was as he listened to his twin and Elisa sing however that he noticed that tears had started to form, and slip silently down his cheeks. He wasn't really sure why. He wasn't sad, and this was not the first time the three of them had done something akin to this. Perhaps it was the beauty of the moment, with the song slowly drawing to a close in perfection, that moved him to tears.
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Post by sweetclover1 on Jun 15, 2017 17:19:44 GMT -5
What Elric said made perfect sense, his words seeming to calm him slightly of his anxiety. He could learn how to read and work in the library. He'd live in the castle-hopefully- undetected, living as a librarian until they figured out some solid evidence to clear his name and then- well he didn't know what. He didn't know what he'd do, once he was prince again. He'd need to find some purpose, but he didn't know what it would be quite yet. He'd never even toyed with the possibility of being set free, and the gravity of everything going on was just setting in for the young man.
The former prince was silent again for a few moments, allowing his throat some rest and allowing his brain to slow down just enough so he could control his emotions. Once he had them under control he continued on with his questions. He'd always been a planner, someone who made sure every plan had every step planned out so nothing would go wrong, and so he always asked questions whenever he was unsure of an outcome. Even though his body was fading fast his mind was as sharp as ever as he thought over what Elric was saying.
"B-but if he d-d-did, what w-would he do? W-would he send me b-back to m-my master or m-my brother?" He questioned, doubting that even Elric and his siblings vouching for him would be enough to protect him. The game of politics was a nasty one, and if his father wanted to play nice then he'd no doubt have to hand Keegan over to one of those two. Both options made his stomach churn again, but somehow he got a handle on it this time, his face only grimacing slighlty when he thought of the possibility of going back. He subconsciously made himself smaller at the thought of his master, more scared of that man than his brother. -- Tori barely noticed she was at the training grounds until she was there. She had to keep her face carefully neutral around the people in the castle, none of them aware of her activities, but for those who grew up with her it was easily To tell she was beyond aggravated at the moment. There were a few of her tells she was exhibiting as she studied the weapons in the room she was in, choosing one so she could spar, one of them being her hair was in a bun with no flyaways, when she lost her temper she became an incredible perfectionist, another was that every move was sharp and precise, and that her lips were pursed slightly. She didn't notice Thorens presence, more focused on finding the right weapon so she could get all of the angered energy out before meeting with that noble. It brought her satisfaction in knowing that she'd burned his estate to the ground and rescued the slaves, setting them free into the land, but that didn't mean that she could face the man without beating him senseless. So she was here, getting out all of her violent urges before meeting the man tonight, because if she didn't not even her brothers could hold her back. Last night was the first time she'd ever watched a master interacting with his slave, and the way he treated that poor man made her sick to her stomach, but also made her want to show him what it felt like to be beaten to a pulp. Again. Violent urges, something that a princess was not supposed to show around guests. She scowled at that, her facade dropping for a moment as she glared at the weapons.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 9:22:00 GMT -5
Elric sighed "I don't know. I have no idea what he would do. I'd try and defend you, of course, but I don't know how successful I would be. I can't guarantee he won't send you back to one of them, but I think if he did he would send you back to your brother. Honestly, though, it would be a chance I would be willing to take if I were you. Not that I'm trying to tell you what to do."
As he said this he was heading towards the door, keeping an eye on the other man to make sure he wouldn't faint or collapse of something of the like; Elric wasn't entirely sure he would be able to handle an unconscious Keegan. He just wanted to make sure that the other male was safe.
_______
Elisa offered the young prince a smile when she saw that he appeared to be crying. He didn't seem to be upset, though, so Elisa wasn't sure what was going on. maybe it was just the beauty of the moment or something like that. She didn't know what to call it. So she just offered the male a smile.
Arte's singing was very pleasant, and the voices of both Elisa and Artemis were blending in a very pretty way, just as they had when they were children. Elisa wasn't much of a singer, but she was good enough, and her voice was just to add something extra to Artemis' singing
[Sorry about length of these posts, guys, I'm a little busyh}
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Post by sweetclover1 on Jun 16, 2017 9:30:40 GMT -5
Elric nodded slowly, his lips pursed in worry but it was clear he agreed with what the crown prince had to say. He watched the golden haired man walk towards the door so he pulled himself up as well, swaying on his feet for a few moments, dizzy from the effort. He then began to follow slowly, unsure as to where he was going.
"Where are you g-going?" He asked, also unsure as to whether he was expected to follow or not. He wasn't keen on being left alone in this place, not quite yet. He didn't want to be caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing just because he didn't know the rules, or pass out. He winced at that thought but continued following, using the walls for support even though his body was begging him to stop, to rest.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 9:38:34 GMT -5
"I'm going to get you some water, sine I don't think you could stomach any more food. Come with me and I'll get you a drink and then find a room for you to stay in. It's probably best we sort that out now since you look like you could do with some rest right now." Elric replied.
He moved to help Keegan whenever he looked like he was at risk of falling or fainting. He just wanted to help, even though he wasn't the best at that kind of thing. Something about this situation was bringing out the best in Elric, making him want to do things he wouldn't normally want to. It was making him want to show vulnerability and emotion and it was making him want to go out of his way to help others.
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Post by sweetclover1 on Jun 16, 2017 9:45:25 GMT -5
Keegan nodded again, although even the mention of a drink made his stomach churn and he looked a little green. He was thankful, that every time he stumbled or looked like he was about to fall Elric seemed to be right there, ready to catch him. He was aware this was out of the mans nature, having met him before so it made him even more grateful. By the time that they had made it back to the kitchen he was using Elric to walk more often than he was not, the walk seeming to tire him considerably.
"Th-thank you," he said quietly, not sure which thing he was thanking Elric for. Maybe it was for everything that he'd done for him so far, things that he wasn't aware of for years, and for housing him and giving him somewhere safe to live, even if t was only temporary.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 9:54:17 GMT -5
"Don't mention it," Elric said softly as he quickly moved into the kitchen to get Keegan some water.
When he came out with the drink, he handed it to Keegan and decided to wait for a while so Keegan could drink the water there if he wanted to.
"Here you are," he said as he handed the drink over "Uh...maybe just sip it. You really don't look so well."
He was a little concerned for the former prince, even if there wasn't a whole lot he could do to help him. If he was sick, there wasn't a whole lot Elric could do. He didn't think he was actually sick though, he suspected it was just that all of the palace food was too rich for him.
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Post by sweetclover1 on Jun 16, 2017 10:37:10 GMT -5
Keegan winced a little at the comment but took the water with only the slightest of hesitation. He flashed him a small smile, before taking a sip of the water. At first he coughed, the cool water practically burning against his dry throats but soon he grew accustomed to it. He sipped on it quietly, unsure what to say to the crown prince at this point. He already felt left he a burden, and he didn't want to ask any more of the man, but he was debating on whether he should ask for a blade of some type so he could cut his hair and shave his beard completely off. He'd hated that part of his appearance since the day he couldn't shave it off, and now he really wanted it gone. He winced as his stomach protested to even water, but he kept it down for the time being as he glanced up at Elric. "S-so what else have I-I missed in th-these four y-years?" He asked, genuinely curious as he set the cup down, most of it still full. He'd really only gotten one good gulp down, but that was about as much as he could handle.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 10:58:40 GMT -5
Elric bit his lip "Uh...well... I don't know a whole lot about what happened in your kingdom, and things have been pretty uneventful in mine. Apart from, obviously, Rebby went blind about four years ago, though I'm not sure if your father died after that, so you might have still been around when that happened. Tori started rescuing those in slavery in her raids, something you'll now know about. Uh...other than that...not a whole lot has changed, I don't think. I think in your kingdom, Duncan took power, though you've probably already guessed as much. I'm sorry I can't be any more useful for you in terms of current events."
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Post by sweetclover1 on Jun 16, 2017 11:16:36 GMT -5
Keegan just shrugged, his face pinching for a moment, listening to the news that he already knew. Perhaps it was good, that there wasn't much going on but he was worried about his kingdom. He mentally kicked himself at that thought, because it wasn't his. He wasn't even allowed to go near D'ras borders, and he was easily the most hated person for "killing " his father, so he had to stop thinking of that place as home. Of course he couldn't help it- he missed the seaside kingdom, where his home looked out on the ocean and he spent most of his days when he was free on the beach. No. He couldn't think like that. Shaking himself visibly he glanced up with a half smile, although the worry was still etched on his face. "Well at least nothing bad has h-happpened," he commented almost sadly. He shifted on his feet, lost in his own worried thoughts.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 11:34:53 GMT -5
Elric nodded "Yeah, at least nothing bad happened. God knows what Duncan is up to, though. He's been quiet. A little too quiet, if you ask me. I bet he's planning something, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it is. He can't know you're out of slavery, and he's been quiet for far too long for it to be about that. I don't know what he wants."
He truly was suspicious of Duncan, but once again he had no grounds for this suspicion and he didn't dare say anything in case people thought he was crazy. Elric did not want to damage his reputation by making any wild, unfounded solutions. Elric only liked to say something when he knew he was right. And he couldn't prove anything this far, so there was no point in doing anything about any of this.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 12:07:34 GMT -5
[OMG okay this is an absolutely perfect moment to set this kidnapping thing in motion. I know it's early, and if you think it's too early, I totally understand]
Elric nodded "I know. His successful manipulation of your kingdom's justice system had shown me exactly how intelligent he is. But don't worry, I think I could be a match for him if it really came down to it. Whether this kingdom is a match for D'ra, if he were to invade, is a totally different story. I don't want to brag but I guess what I'm trying to say is that while your brother is intelligent, I have some smarts of my own. Anything your brother decides to do, I think I could stand up to him if I needed to."
He wasn't afraid of Duncan. It would be just like a game of chess, and Elric would just have to try and be one step ahead.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 12:14:53 GMT -5
[Oh yeah I agree but maybe we just sneak some little things going on in the background possibly. I'm not saying we do the kidnapping now, I mean if we just have a few little suspicious things out of place to build up the tension. It might be really fun x]
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 12:31:48 GMT -5
Elric shook his head "That isn't for you to worry about, Keegan. Especially not right now. We need to get you somewhere where you can rest a little. I think there's a room nearby you can stay in."
Elric, truthfully, had already thought about what might happen if Duncan found out about his work. And, yes, Keegan was right. It wouldn't be pretty. Yes, Duncan would probably kill him, since one less prince from a rival kingdom wasn't something he would pass up, but not before having his fun. Probably slow mind games. Something excruciatingly slow and painful. Elric didn't know Duncan that well, but he did suspect that anything Duncan had planned for Elric would be designed to make the young prince lose his mind.
So he began to lead the way towards a spare room where he knew Keegan could stay.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 12:59:13 GMT -5
"Exactly, Keegan, all I have is suspicions. There's nothing I can do until I have something solid to go off. It could ruin me and my credibility if I start accusing your brother of something for which there isn't any evidence. I won't let him touch you, and I'll do my best not to let him get his hands on me." Elric replied.
They finally reached the room in which Keegan was to stay, and Elric pushed it open so as to let Keegan enter first. That was when he noticed a letter on the inside of the door. Nothing was written on it, there was only a seal which he did not recognise. He pulled the letter off the wall before approaching Keegan.
"Hey, I have my suspicions about whose seal this is. Can yu confirm for me?"
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 13:17:37 GMT -5
[Oh, right, yeah, it is x Just thought I'd add a little bit of a threat going on. It's a blank letter, just with his seal on it. Basically a hint that Duncan knows what's happening]
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Post by sweetclover1 on Jun 16, 2017 13:42:22 GMT -5
Keegan hadn't made it very far into the room, looking at it with wide eyes. Suddenly, in his suspicious mind, it all made sense now. Surely Elric wasn't here to help him- this entire thing must be some kind of set up. He had no idea what Duncan could have offered to make Eric willing to mess with Keegan's head and think he was safe just to throw him away again, but he knew that there had to be something. Why else would this gletter be in the very room that he was supposed to stay in?
The former princes eyes hardened, any trust he had in the crown prince gone as he backed out of the room, saying nothing. Adrenaline kicked in and in his fevered mind it all made sense, that this was some kind of cruel set up by his brother, that in the middle of the night he'd be taken back to D'ra and tortured once again, never quite killing Keegan because he didn't deserve death. This time he wouldnt met that happen, he'd rather starve on the streets than go back there. He didn't know why he thought he'd be able to trust Elric, clearly he was in on it. It's why he had that huge book of "proof", maybe that food was poisoned so he'd be too weak to fight when his brother came. No. He could make it out. He shot out a hand, feeling it connect with flesh, cursing when he realized what he did. He then turned on his heels and shot off, the adrenaline giving him some much needed strength as fear pounded jn his mind. He just hit royalty. That was bad, but maybe it would give him time to escape. (Feel free to have Eric stop him x3 he's just a little paranoid at the moment.)
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 16, 2017 13:51:39 GMT -5
It dawned on Elric what had happened as soon as he saw the hardness come into Keegan's eyes. The former prince was paranoid, suspicious, and now he suspected Elric. Well, that was just great news.
Elric followed him out, hoping he could help Keegan see reason. He had to stop him before anything happened.
"Keegan! Keegan, wa-"
Elric was stunned into silence as a fist connected with his nose, causing the twenty-three-year old let out a surprised and pained sound, his hand flying to his nose and coming away bloodied.
One hand pinching his nose, he grabbed Keegan's wrist with his other hand, trying to make him stop.
"Keegan, I'm not the enemy. I'm not going to hurt you. DOn't lose your head, this is what Duncan wants. He wants to seperate you and me. We're safer together. Please, you have to believe that I'm not in cahoots with him. I had no idea."
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Post by sweetclover1 on Jun 16, 2017 14:05:58 GMT -5
Keegan thought that he would have been able to get away, he'd always been fast on his feet and judging by the mans pained yelp he'd caught him off guard. That surprised you have been enough for him to get away, but apparently he was wrong. He felt a cold hand wrap around his wrist, the cooling sensation on his overly warm skin causing him to shiver before realizing what was going on and he immediately started fighting again, digging his heels into the ground and twisting his wrist sharply, his old training kicking in again.
"L-likely story. " he spat angrily as he fought against the grasp, although he was losing his strength fast while fighting. He was struggling and finally made it out of the strong grip that the prince had on his own frail wrist, but he lost his balance since he'd been fighting so hard, falling down on his hip, hissing in pain as he backed away, eyes flashing with warning as he stood up, ready to bolt when he realized that Elric was in the way of his escape. He darted to one side, hoping to get past him.
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