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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Mar 25, 2005 22:26:29 GMT -5
Amariette once again sat on the front steps of the Carter home, reflecting on the night's events and the few words Daniel had graced her with upon her confession. The dark sky was clear and crisp, stars glimmering like lost souls while the moon and her divine rays of life shone down upon the sleeping earth below. It was a magical night, but Amariette was unimpressed, in fact, she was utterly distracted.
She wanted to cry.
'He didn't turn you away like you thought he would...' A familiar voice spoke from beside her. There was a gentle breeze and the comforting atmosphere that would only eminate from one person. Sitting down to the right of her daughter, Brianne smiled warmly toward the young woman's moon captured image. She was clothed in those same brilliant white robes and seemed to rival the beauty of the glowing celestial body that shone above. 'That, in itself, says alot yes?'
"I didn't expect to see you again for quite some time mother, in fact, isn't it against the Laws?" Amariette did not look at the woman directly, instead she chose to gaze listlessly toward the now closed front gate where Lyra stood grazing peacefully once again.
'Well, considering the fact that Merope could not have been defeated without your help, the Others have granted me the freedom to visit you whenever I like from now on. Gracious of them actually, but I am continuously thankful.' Draping her arm around her child's shoulders, Brianne drew her close, her chin resting atop Amariette's crown of crimson. 'I've missed you very much.'
"Mother, how is....Papa?" Her voice quivered and she tried to steady it without much success, drawing her knees up closer to wrap her arms protectively about them. There was a chill in the air, or was it coming from within her heart? Still, Amariette was thankful she had closed the door to the house, Daniel and Raven could enjoy the warmth within without worry.
She would not sleep though. No. She would not sleep in that house tonight.
'Your father is fine my dear, taken care of. He holds no ill will toward you for what happened. No, even now he loves you just as much as before......if not more. Brigham is very proud of you Amariette, very proud indeed. As am I.' Stroking her slender fingers through the girl's hair, the older woman let her eyes close and inhaled deeply, taking in the scents of the season about them.
"I miss him. And you. I feel lost now. I have no one. True, Daniel tolerates me now, but very little else. He's distant mother, so far from me that I feel as though an ocean lies between us. It...it hurts. I know it's what I deserve, putting him through so much in so little time, but.....my heart is aching so much that I can't even form tears. Why am I even here?" Drawing away, Amariette lifted her shadowed eyes to the living goddess beside her, imploring the deity in some unspoken way for guidance. It was like staring into the face of time, into the future when she too would be thoroughly aged by natural wear and tear. Yet, there was a comfort there, an inexplicable peace that came with such knowledge at viewing so magnificent a twin.
The night drew on, the silence thick and covering her like a blanket, blotting out everything but itself. Surprisingly, the lack of noise was rather noisy, a distraction that Amariette found herself disliking. It was only the steady munching of Lyra that gave her a small measure of relief, the cherished mountain horse seemingly her only friend. Even Halar was slumbering quite easily, curled up in the front yard like some great gray gargoyle, the perfect protector if she ever saw one.
'He needs you. Deep down you know that.'
The older woman's reply came suddenly and almost startled Amariette from her trance, "Do I?" Came her retort, her body moving from the step to walk out along the gravel path. "I actually believe he's doing better on his own. Raven has need of him and he has found a purpose, one other than suffering over what I have done to him. No, I think he's doing just fine without me."
'You don't understand. And you are so blinded by emotion that you didn't allow yourself to see...'
"See what?" Amariette spun on her heels to find the porch and steps desolate, no sign of Brianne at all. "Mother?"
Silence was all that came to her. Sighing in frustration, Amariette cast one more look on her idling horse and the slumbering dragon before she disappeared along the path, curving around the side of the house and vanishing into the night to be alone in her thoughts.
Meanwhile, reality bent and rippled gently as a figure took shape in the Carter living room, a white robed presence drifting across the floor on silent feet to the good Dr.'s office and study. She need not open the door and merely walked through it, the substance of her body altering itself at will. Standing ghostly before his image, emerald eyes peered out as slender hands rose to draw back the hood, a soft and steady voice flowing from her mind only, lips forming the soundless syllables.'Dr. Daniel Carter.....I presume.'
Of course, Brianne Willowbane knew very well whom she was seeking to speak to. Now, she had only wait for his response.
That is.
If he had one to give.
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Apr 3, 2005 23:00:04 GMT -5
Daniel Carter: -It seemed as soon as eyelids had closed they snapped open to the sound of a voice calling his name. His brow furrowed and eyes widened in astonishment behind the dirty lenses of his glasses at the sight before him. The woman could have danced on air the way she walked, almost glided over the floor only to stop mere feet from him, seated on his couch. By comparison her immaculate state was quite the offset to his dishevled one to a degree that even he saw the poetic irony in the situation. Leaning forwards to place his elbows on his knees he surveyed whoever -or whatever- had just materialized in his living room. "You presume correctly, but I'm afraid I didn't catch your name." He said in the cadence of(C)- Daniel Carter: -cynical banter he had picked up. "Far be it for a mere mortal to command the comings and goings of the celestia but for the record, a knock on the door would have been a little more appreciated." Eyes traveled up and down the woman. The resemblence was not overlooked. She looked like Mari, but he knew that Mari was outside, had left when he had offered her stay. The door was still open a crack which let the slightly chilly breeze of new spirng filter in. It gave the encounter a very eerie feel to it. Finally blues locked on her greens, awaiting the proposition or question she surely had in mind for such a visit.(F)-
Amariette: "Somehow I feel a knock on the door to be a fruitless endeavor for one of my 'special' situation. You understand, I'm sure." Relaxing comfortably, she crossed her legs and appraised him with her patient and gentle eyes. Brianne was never one for games, nor did she share a particular fondness for impudence, but she understood the situation the young man was in and for that, she would at least continue to go about on her best behavior. With lips pressed together in a contemplative line, she rested her hands in her lap and wondered how to begin with this 'book learned gentleman', choosing to feed from his weariness instead of his questioning of the mystical. <c> Amariette: "I take it that you've no doubt noticed the physical similarities between me and one Ms. Amariette Willowbane. In truth, she is my daughter and I doubt she has told you much about me. Brigham remedied that himself though, as our child was still searching for her past. Though you may not have been aware of my presence, I assure you that I have been watching the two of you for quite some time Daniel." At that she offered a compassionate smile that seemed to lighten the mood, even if for the sake of this uncharacteristic visit. "Still, I am sure that you are aware of a great many things concerning my child, though she still has no idea of such. After all, you knew all along what she was, what she was to become, didn't you?" <c> Amariette: She of course knew the answer, but it was better to allow the silence he offered her to convey the accusation she truthfully made. "I take full responsibility for what has happened to her and her fate must now be shaped by her own hand, and yours. No, I've come here to talk to you dear child, for now you are the one who hides secrets from those whom love you." Leaning forward, she set her powerful and determined emerald hues on him and there was no humor in that gaze. Her polished features were smooth though aged, yet she sat as immaculate as was her nature, a living image of Amariette's future to be.
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Apr 3, 2005 23:01:07 GMT -5
Daniel Carter: -It was somehow soothing, this woman's presence though he couldn't explain it. The sharpness faded from him, and he was on some subconscious level simply grateful not to have to keep up appearances or the witty reparte. He was tired. Very, very tired. As the woman took her seat beside him on the couch he did not even so much as flinch, as if he had expected her to show up all along. Nothing felt any different having her here, but perhaps, he mused, he had grown so accustomed to her that he did not notice much of a difference even when she chose to take physical form. "I did know those things. I didn't say anything because it wasn't my place or my business to tell her." The sigh that came out was a weary one. "I don't know what happened with the ... thing... in her, whatever it was."(C)- Daniel Carter: -"I wasn't there. I don't know much about any of it. I only know what happened between her and I. Can't even say the same for what happened with Charlie." He let his chin rest on his knuckles, leaning forward to support his body, feeling more fatigue come over him now that he had a chance to rest. "I'm trying to sort it all out myself." A layered statement, as there were so many aspects of this situation that he felt he had to figure out by this point, about his relationship and about himself as well. As she spoke of him, his secrets, and his fate he trained his eyes out the window to the lawn and the stars sparkling off the grass. It was going to rain soon, he thought, as a few clouds drifted lazily by. Maybe a sprinkle. Nice night for a walk. (C)- Daniel Carter: -"Why do you say I'm hiding anything? I told her the truth. You seem to know a lot of things. I couldn't lie to her if I tried." He remarked, almost challenging her omniscience in his own defense. Truly, if he was hiding anything it was not on purpose but more to the point that he hadn't gotten it figured out himself yet. (F)-
Amariette: Sighing, Brianne reached out gently and wrapped an arm about his weary shoulders, a sense of eternal support and understanding spreading out from her body in intoxicating waves. "Daniel. You are a very strong man, with a force of presence that all recognize and acknowledge. Your life has shaped who you are and what you believe to be the honorable and gentlemanly way. Ever since the loss of your father, you have doubted yourself far more than you should have. Courage and might appear in many different ways, but to feel you need to fight every war on your own, is madness. There is no reason why you should not seek the comfort of someone you love when trials and tribulations are greater than you can bear. True, I understand that a rift has emerged between you and my daughter."<c> Amariette: "It was been growing for some time, this I know. But, I also know that it is better to feel alone and be with someone who is just as alone as you, then to be completely cut off from the world and suffer the greatest pain with no comfort to be found. Amariette is as lost as you are, if not more, and though you may not believe it, or -allow- yourself to believe it, you two are distancing yourselves from the very thing you need most, each other." Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to the side of his head tenderly, smoothing back the hair and curling it about his ear with a gentility that only a mother could have. Such was Brianne, such was the unicorn. " I cannot promise you that things will be as they were my dear, but I guarantee you that they can be better."<c> Amariette: "My daughter is in love with you and she would lay down her very life to see you happy again, even to see you smile. Forgiveness is a task that is most difficult for us, yet when we learn it and master it, the result is well worth the effort." Tilting her head, she cupped his chin and drew his gaze to meet her own, "I know you suffer from much more than this, I feel it within you even now. Unlike those of the mortal nature, we creatures of the divine can sense even the most small of ailments. Although I won't council you on what needs to be done, I feel I must warn you that you must not allow this pain to continue much longer. The second sight may come at a very high price, one which may require your very life."<c> Amariette: "You must deny the supposed victory you possess, even when it seems some great boon to your career. Remember, you do not want to follow in your father's footsteps to the grave. Talk to Mari. She may not know of it yet, but she can help you." Smiling softly once again, she traced the contour of his face and then her image wavered and rippled out of existence, almost as though she had never come. The faint scent of pure love was all that remained.
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Apr 3, 2005 23:02:14 GMT -5
Daniel Carter: -"It's not mine to forgive anymore. She's had my forgiveness, and I do love her. But that doesn't make everything whole again right away." Not with Raven in the house, added as an afterthought, albeit an unspoken one. He needed to be sure about that, didn't need another episode like with Charlie. Amariette deserved better than that and he knew it. "I do love her. I just don't have the energy to show it right now. Besides, there's a difference between loving someone and being meant for them... I learned that one the hard way already." The touch was leaned into as if by reflex, letting her twirl his hair and run fingernails gently over his scalp. Eyes closed for the moment to just to soak the sensation. It was relieving.(C)- Daniel Carter: - Eyes opened again as she spoke of his gift, and of his father. The furrow in his brow deepened as he turned to her with a look of inquisition. "How... how did you know about my father?" No response, only more riddles. It seemed all divine creatures had a way of doing that. I'll take a truth with a side of clarity please? he thought with a small frown as she spoke of his gift. "I never asked for it. I don't like it. Halar wanted me to develop it and learn to control it." Was the response about the boon to his career. "Wait... wait what are you talking about? Help me with what?" He stood as she did but in an instant she was gone. "Let me guess..." He muttered under his breath, "Can't tell me because it would change my fate or some garbage like that?"(C)- Daniel Carter: -He shook his head. Divinities. His body ached to go back on the couch but something kept him standing. Smething Halar had said to him a while ago... just after his father had died. "Every person has a path, Daniel, and sometimes their paths will converge with yours for a time and then split off again. People always come in and out of your life. The beauty of it is that if you find someone going the other way, you can always change direction and follow more often than not." The lizard had a point sometimes. Footsteps were soft even on the boards of the front porch as he made his way out to where Amariette sat beneath the awning. It had started to drizzle, a light and warm spring rain. "It's a nice night, isn't it?"(C)- Daniel Carter: -he said, looking out over the rolling countryside. He did love Invernis very much, and it would always be home to him no matter which was his path. "Would you like to go for a walk?"(F)-
Amariette: Amariette had been sitting on the crest of a small hilltop overlooking a modest valley bathed in moonlight, her knees brought to her chest and her arms wrapped about them protectively. Resting her chin on her kneecaps, she idly wondered if she still was on Carter land, having walked for quite awhile before finally stopping to rest. Yet as the thought came to her, it was easily lost once again as the gears continued to turn over and over in her mind. So many emotions were warring inside her and she was left feeling like a rather empty husk of a shell, brilliant eyes darkened and faded; even her curls seemed to have lost a great deal of their luster. She could never go back. She was sure of that much at least. <c> Amariette: The carefree days as a happy little village girl were gone and would never be hers again. There was an almost overwhelming loneliness that accompanied that thought, enough to make the woman stifle a sob that would have been as empty as life was fleeting. Lifting her head, she gazed upward toward the twinkle stars that shone above like lost memories never to be her own again. How long had it been? How long had she been running from a future that she feared now more than never? Sighing, chest rising and falling gently with the exertion, she let her chin fall back to her knees forlornly, a fresh image of remembrance breaking over her current state. "Papa…" The word flowed like a whisper from her lips. Would she ever weep enough to satisfy the pain and guilt she felt even now? <c> Amariette: Her eyes pooled with tears, but they did not fall. Instead, her vision became misted and blurred, rendering her blind in her sorrow. She had only to blink, but even that was a feat she could not bring herself to attempt. A faint rumble caught her attention and she once again drew her gaze skyward, several small salted droplets escaping the corners of her eyes to spill down her cheeks. A storm was brewing. Nothing terrible she noted, but more of a refreshing drizzle that would quench the thirst of the growing earth about her. "Spring rain…may it cleanse my soul, since I cannot…" Was the only reply she gave to the skies vocalization. Rising from her spot, she had returned to the safety of the Carter estate porch soon after. <c> Amariette: A few minutes later Daniel had startled her with an invitation to take a walk. She had not expected to see him again that night, but she only nodded her head and rose to her feet, arms folded tight across her chest resolutely as she awaited his lead to follow.
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Apr 3, 2005 23:02:54 GMT -5
Daniel Carter: -Gently, and without really thinking about the actions, just feeling through them he reached out and took her hand, pulling her arms free from her chest and entwined his fingers around hers. The hands hung loosely and carelessly between them as he walked down the steps and onto the path leading out the front gate. The rain was light and a little nippy, but it was an overall refreshing feeling to have the water dot his skin and hair, his day old beard and wrinkly clothes. Once a year Mother Nature washed away all the soot and darkness from the long Ulsterian winters, and they were after all her children. They should be as subject to the purge as anything else that grew and changed around them. (C)- Daniel Carter: - He moved off the path, skittering down a hill towards the forest line. It was dark, only a little light from a few stars and the ever so often silent crack of heat lightning far off to the south. The forest was dark, but there was enough light to show the path in front of them through the newly budding trees. The creek that ran through his back yard ran beside them, widening into a big creek and bouncing over a few natural drops in the stone, burbbling pleasantly as they walked in silence. The creek turned off and flowed onwards towards the big river that would empty into the sea miles from there, but right at the for sat a large flat stone next to a healthy and aged willow tree. "When I was a kid, I always used to come out here(C)- Daniel Carter: -when I had something to think about. I must have spent whole days out here after my father died. Somehow it all seemed a little clearer. I don't know if it will help you, but it sure couldn't hurt, right?" He offered her a small smile. It was a real smile, though. That same boyish, shy, half smile he used to give her when they had first met. Sitting down to lean against the tree trunk he let a few wet pieces of hair fall into his eyeline, skin shimmering with the dampness of the rain. The tree provided some shelter from the drizzle, though, and he lifted his arm to invite her to lean on him if she wanted to. "You look like you could use someone to talk to about it."(F)-
Amariette: She stood before him, almost soaked but completely oblivious to it, crimson ringlets drenched and matted against her skin. Her eyes were sad, as though she were looking right through him to a time where such comfort was all she could have ever hoped for. Only now, it seemed a bit too easy. There was doubt in her face and she only replied to his words with silence. Shivering some, she was at least thankful to be under some type of cover from the falling drizzle, and it was a bit comical to see him soaked as much as she. They made a fine pair of mongrels didn't they? The thought made her smile. A shaking, hesitant smile, but her eyes were beginning to sparkle again. They were beginning to show that familiar amusement she seemed to have with life in general.<c> Amariette: So much the village girl, a perfect compliment to his slightly rekindled boyish grin and demeanor. Timidly, she drew against him and laid her head on his shoulder, letting her eyes close and a deeply exhale escape her lips. If only he knew. If only she could tell him how much she needed this, to be close to someone again, to know that she was not a monster, but a woman capable of unconditional love. There was no sound from her though, but Amariette trembled against the emotions she had bottled tight within her body. It was hard to be open with him, to talk to him, when all her strife threatened to explode in one great outburst of despair. <c> Amariette: She shivered and almost without knowing, she turned and buried her head in the crook of his neck, the epitome of fragile and child-like misery that she couldn't help but relinquish. Reaching up, she slipped her hand over his opposite shoulder and clung to him, desperately, afraid that if she showed him the true depth of her sorrow that he would grow frightened and leave her alone again. It had been so hard for her to remain stoic in his presence, even after telling him all of what she had endured. To show no emotion was as alien to Amariette as the new situation she had been placed in, but now, here, with him so close and the chance that he might never be this close again, this willing to listen, she cracked. <c> Amariette: For the time being, all she could do, all Amariette Willowbane could do, was weep against him. Praying, just praying that he would stay with her this time.
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Apr 3, 2005 23:03:29 GMT -5
Daniel Carter: -The tears fell harder than the rain which rustled against the shelter of willow branches they sat enclosed in. Arms wrapped tighter around her and some of that rigidness was lost, replaced by the old regular Daniel who found it so easy to hold her and rock her back and forth. She was one of the only people that knew him as Daniel, not the Duke, not Dr. Carter... not that he wasn't pleasent in those forms... but Daniel was just too sensitive to let everyone see. Weren't they all like that, though? "It's ok Mari... just let it all out." he whispered, leaning down to place a soft kiss on the top of her head, letting her cling to him in the rain. He could remember back to the day of his father's funeral, how numb he had felt(C)- Daniel Carter: -as a gangly awkward looking teenager, staring at the headstone as they put it in place. He hadn't said a word, shed a tear even when those around him were breaking apart at the seams. But he had taken off his tie and ran down to the river and sat beneath the tree and cried to himself until he fell asleep. Mari needed that now, needed to purge that sense of guilt off her. "It wasn't you, Mari. He knows that. I know that. And deep down you know it to." He said, rocking her gently against him and tightening his hold on her. "I know it wasn't you who did those things, and I know you didn't mean to send me away." He repeated, softly in her ear. He didn't have much really in the way of words, just the truth for her, a heart to heart.(C)- Daniel Carter: -More words hung there on his lips, but it wasn't the time or the place for them. Right now she needed an outlet, she needed to talk, and he was ready and willing to listen.(F)-
Amariette: "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen. I wanted to help, make everything right, make a difference. Daniel…all I ever wanted was to keep you safe. I wanted us to be happy. I wanted our lives to be free of pain and sorrow. Instead I…I made it worse. I drove you away from me and all my dreams went with you." There was no hysterics in her voice, no, she was pass that stage of madness, but these words were spoken in furtive whispers as though her secrets were spilling from her soul, one by precious one. "Father was everything to me and I killed him. I let him die by letting Merope claim me. I thought she would help me. I…I thought she cared. I was so stupid…so so stupid….she tried to destroy everything I held dear."<c> Amariette: "And I almost let her, oh help me, I almost let her ruin me." Her fingers curled tightly, taking up the wet material of his shirt and she drew away from him, looking up into his eyes with droplets of water leaving a heart-wrenching sheen on her once pretty face. " Daniel, I miss him so much. He kissed me goodnight before he went to sleep. Told me, that he…he was..happy that I was back. And I let her kill him. Forgive me I…I almost let her kill you." Taking his cheeks firmly in her hands, she peered into his eyes as though she would perish without his gaze. Calming after a few more moments, traces of tears still descended her cheeks in soft trails that matched the rain from the sky and she smiled half maniacally,<c> Amariette: "I couldn't let her hurt you. I thought…I thought I could make things right if I saved you from her insanity. I fought her. I forced her out and now I find myself wishing I would have perished along with her. I love you so much Daniel, but I don't know if I could ever trust myself to be in your presence again. I've made so many mistakes, what if coming back for you was another one?" Sitting back from him now, hands slipping into her lap to clasp together gently, she lowered her eyes in shame, the perfect image of the innocence he had known upon first meeting her. "I want you to be happy Daniel. I've always wanted you to be at peace and content. There was a time where I asked you to promise me that should I perish you would live on and love. Would you now, if I asked you to forget me?"
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Apr 3, 2005 23:25:40 GMT -5
Daniel Carter: -Hands lifted and took her face, lips pressed against her forehead. "It wasn't you, Mari. You didn't know. These things happen. He's alright now, and I;m not dead, I'm here. There isn't anything that can't be repaired, Mari, you're ok now. You're ok." Arms encircled her once more and held her to him, fearful the rain might wash her away if he didn't hold on tightly. "You can't keep beating yourself up over it Mari. She was a part of you, you couldn't know any better, and after what Theoren had put you through I can only imagine how much you needed something to cling to... and I wasn't exactly it at the time. If I had been a little more of a man maybe half the country wouldn't have walked all over me and hurt you. People make mistakes. Your father(C)- Daniel Carter: -lived a good life, and I'm not dead." He took her face in his hands once more and stared into her eyes with all the vigor his tired body could muster. For a moment there was only the sound of the river and the willow branches as he searched for that old rapport they had that kept them laughing, ordering the same food at restaurants without even knowing it, and finishing each other's jokes. "I will never simply forget you, Amariette. You are, if nothing else, my best friend and my lover. That isn't something any human being can just cast aside like it's nothing. If you left today I wouldn't die. I would move on, take my job back, maybe meet a woman, get married, have kids, and lead a normal full life. But I would never forget you, or how you make me feel(C)- Daniel Carter: -or all the happiness you brought into my life or all the pain you ever caused me. I refuse to let that go because it is far too beautiful a thing to waste." There was another moment of silence before blue eyes closed and his forehead met hers to rest a weary mind.(F)-
Amariette: "Oh Daniel…..you're magnificent, wonderful even, I owe you so very much." Wrapping her arms about his neck, she pressed her slender body against him and her cheek rested against his with a tenderness that was otherworldly. Letting her eyes fall closed as well, her lips curled in a peaceful smile that was absolutely genuine, a great weight feeling as though it had been lifted from her shoulders. Sighing gently, she rose and took his hand, pulling him up from his seat and drawing him close to her. Peering up into his questioning eyes, she drew both of his arms about her waist gently and let her own fingers rest against his chest. Smiling sweetly, she listened to the trickle of the running stream and closed her eyes, noting the rhythm of the damp world surrounding them.<c> Amariette: "Dance with me Daniel….please…..nothing intricate. Just….dance with me." Slowly, with a fluid motion that was more like the swaying of a schooner on the sea, she rocked to and fro methodically with the sounds brought to life about her. Opening her eyes gently to look on him with brilliant adoration, she allowed him to step into the easy and uncomplicated stride, the dance more that of intimacy than of the ball room genre. Laying her head against his chest then, she allowed the moment to claim her mind and she knew she would carry it for the rest of her life. Things were beginning to look a great deal brighter for Amariette Willowbane. And that was good.
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