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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2016 13:32:30 GMT -5
Foxtrot, for lack of a better word, trotted down the slope towards the springs, his bushy red tail high in the air as he raised his muzzle to sample the scents on the air. Such a nice day prompted a nice stroll, and if he caught a few animals off-guard along the way then all the better! The tom paused as he drew close to a pool, crouching and dipping his head to lap at the freezing water. Despite the warmth of the day, the ground and its contents still clung to the cold of the previous moon and wasn't going to let go of it any time soon. He found it refreshing though, with the fresh water filling his belly and bringing a bit more spark and life into him, The fox-coloured tom shook out his bushy coat, glancing around and scenting for something to sink his teeth into, grinning as he spotted a thrush a few pools away, dipping its beak to drink. There was little chance that he was going to catch it, there being little to no cover and a bright clear day, but he crouched and sneaked over towards it anyway, paws light and soft on the stone beneath him. Juuuuust a little closer
He mused to himself, surprised at how close he had managed to get to it. The thrush had stated washing, water droplets scattering everywhere as it cheeped happily to itself. Foxtrot wriggled his hind-quarters in preparation, eyes fixating on the bird as he bunched himself up- and leaped- WAWAWAWAWA!The thrush chided him as it fluttered out of reach of his claws, circling and yelling what must have been insults at the cat before flapping away as Foxtrot swore at it in turn, "I didn't even want to eat you anyway! You probably taste awful!"He yowled at it, tail lashing a little as he watched it flee. Notes: Bring on Skunk Tags: Fawn
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Post by Fawn on Nov 15, 2016 22:38:56 GMT -5
She liked the Sky Springs. They were tranquil, and even on gray mornings, the pools reflected the sky with such peaceful accuracy, if one wasn't careful they would forget which way was up. Skunkspots had brought her morning meal to the Sky Springs, stealing a moment to herself to enjoy the crisp sunshine. Swiping her tongue around her jaws to pick up the last few traces of mouse, the black and white she-cat's pelt prickled, a sixth sense for life causing her ears to swivel in the direction of a so-far unseen Clanmate.
WAWAWAWAWA!
Skunkspots leaped out of her fur, yellow-green eyes wide as acorn-tops. What in StarClan's name--
"I didn't even want to eat you anyway! You probably taste awful!"
Fluffy black tail twitching irritably, Skunkspots turned and pinpointed the noisesome cat yowling at an even noisier bird, the both of them shattering whatever peaceful morning she had been enjoying thus far. Foxtrot. He was unusually handsome, and his pelt glowed like fire in the sunshine, but Skunkspots found herself unaffected by his charms; she had only to think of Valiantstride and it was as if she were blind to all other toms in the Clan.
Immune to Foxtrot's good looks and too agitated to feel the sudden, overwhelming rush of anxiety she usually got during unexpected situations, Skunkspots marched over to him. "It's a good thing I wasn't hunting, Foxtrot, or I'd be a lot more irritated." Tempted to swat him on the nose for extra reprimand, Skunkspots reigned in her frustration shortly thereafter; it wasn't as if she'd never missed a catch before.
Suddenly afraid he would try to smooth things over by hunting with her, Skunkspots made herself busy, skin prickling uncomfortably, an anxious tingle in her paws as she dug a small hole to bury the mouse carcass in.
304 Words - @sparrowkeeper - Notes: 31 Moons. Warrior. StoneClan
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2016 14:48:52 GMT -5
30 Moons ~ Tom ~ Bisexual ~ StoneClan WarriorFoxtrot turned his head to the sound of Skunkspot's approach, having the grace to look sheepish as he saw how irritated she looked. The russet tom dipped his head and tail, splaying his ears to the sides of his head and grinning apologetically, "My deepest apologies, I thought I was alone."He mewed, watching the she-cat as she busied herself in burying her previous catch. It seemed pretty obvious that she wasn't too keen in talking more on the subject, but Foxtrot wasn't really the kind of tom to let things lie, and besides he had just embarrassed himself and wanted to save face. "Glad I'm not alone though. Your radiant company is already brightening my day beyond measure, especially after Vipertail turned me down this morning."He mused, tail rising up again like a plume of feathers as he padded confidently closer to Skunkspots and raised his brows with a grin. "That tom is such a tease, wouldn't you agree?" 170 Words ~ Fawn ~ Notes: Sorry it's so short ^_^'
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Post by Fawn on Nov 27, 2016 18:28:17 GMT -5
"Glad I'm not alone though. Your radiant company is already brightening my day beyond measure, especially after Vipertail turned me down this morning."
If that had been any cat but Foxtrot, Skunkspots would've sworn up and down she had moss in her ears. She couldn't possibly have heard him right; fur spiking along her spine, when embarrassed, Skunkspots at once became defensive. "You must not talk to a lot of cats, if you think I'm radiant company." She was more like an overcast day on an already cold morning; it took a special kind of tom to think of her as beautiful or anything more special than that.
Pelt warming at the thought of Valiantstride, it wasn't until Foxtrot spoke again that it occurred to the black and white warrioress that her attention on their conversation had evaporated. Mousebrain. He may've annoyed her earlier, but he was still a Clanmate; he deserved to be listened to. Gaze and ears both swiveling to face Foxtrot, Skunkspots gave her chest fur a few self-soothing licks, a brief flicker of unease crossing her face as she struggled to remember what he'd just said.
Vipertail. Something about Vipertail.
"Yeah? I didn't realize you two were friends." It was a relief to talk to someone who had gone through their apprenticeship the same time she and Ospreywing had; Foxtrot wasn't a warrior too many moons too young for Skunkspots to connect with, or a senior warrior that she had absolutely nothing in common with. They were 'denmates', and that made this easier than it normally was.
Not that she'd ever been a pro at social interaction. If cats like Petalrain and Foxtrot were naturally social butterflies, then she was quite naturally a socal slug; the more you put the spotlight on her, the more likely she was to shrivel up and wish for a quick end.
Word Count: 311 Words Tags: @sparrowkeeper Notes: she is so bad at being social 31 Moons. Warrior. StoneClan
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2016 16:15:09 GMT -5
30 Moons ~ Tom ~ Bisexual ~ StoneClan WarriorFleetfox grinned at Skunkspot's response, seeing that he'd hit a nerve and ruffled her fur a little. She seemed like she didn't let herself have enough fun, and the tom wondered if he could coax a smile out of her if he made enough of a overly-romantic goof out of himself. The tom let out a dramatic sigh, letting himself flop down onto the ground as if he had suddenly melted and pooled onto the rock beneath his paws. He rolled onto his back, pawing at the sky as he lamented, "Oooohhhhh I know! Only friends! It simply agonises me!"He moaned, flopping onto his side and gazing up at Skunkspots from the ground. "You must not have to deal with that surely? With those dazzling eyes of yours you must attract every tom, queen, and otherwise from all around."He smiled soppily, purr rumbling in his chest as he spoke. "I don't know about you, but personally I find toms a real chore sometimes. They seem way more uptight than she-cats are about being a little bit-"Foxtrot stretched out, paws fully extending out, "Fleeeexible, you know?"He glanced at her with a grin. 204 Words ~ Fawn ~ Notes
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Post by Fawn on Dec 13, 2016 14:07:20 GMT -5
There he goes again with the compliments! They weren't just honeyed, they seemed to ooze right off the ruddy tom's tongue like carmelized sugar. Skunkspots' ears flattened to her skull, self-conscious and therefore snippy - but he was already filling up the air between them with more talking. Her biting comments swallowed like a tough piece of mouse, Skunkspots watched him move animatedly, adding more flair to each word than it probably needed.
"Just one is enough," Skunkspots replied, thinking again of Valiantstride. "Better to have just one set of eyes on me than half the Clan watching." Ugh, what a nightmare. Skunkspots did not want attention. In fact, she was downright averse to it, avoiding it the same way cats avoided mud or spiders avoided water.
Just the thought of being the center of attention of a large crowd was enough to make her fur stand on end. Flustered, Skunkspots at once set about grooming herself, suspecting that Foxtrot would keep the conversation going - even if she was kind of a lousy conversationalist. "Foxtrot?" A question had just occurred to her. "Ospreywing, my brother, do you ever talk to him?" Skunkspots could hardly be a good friend to her own kin, she was 'okay' at best, and an awkward mess at worse. They had grown apart these past few moons, and that upset her.
But she also didn't know how to fix it. If she couldn't fix it... Then maybe Foxtrot could befriend Ospreywing. Her brother seemed both solitary and popular, he seemed so normal compared to her, but did he truly have any friends? Any cat who meant as much to him as Fallenleaf and Valiantstride did to her? That Skunkspots didn't know. But maybe Foxtrot could help.
Word Count: 289 Words Tags: @sparrowkeeper Notes: 31 Moons. Warrior. StoneClan
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2017 12:34:04 GMT -5
30 Moons ~ Tom ~ Bisexual ~ StoneClan WarriorAs Skunkspots started to groom herself, Foxtrot kept his tongue running happily as he rolled around on the ground with extravagant stretches and wiggles. He was midway through musing whether or not he, or anycat else for that matter, would look better if they managed to weave flowers into their fur, and the logistics of such an activity when cats had a lack of correctly shaped paws for such a task, when Skunkspots interjected. "I suppose only the she-cats would end up doing it. Toms are just so damned uptight about not looking tough- Hrm?"He glanced at the black and white she-cat questioningly, by this point lying directly on his back with his paws waving around slowly in the air. "Ospreywing? I've spoken to him in passing, but he seems like he's not massively chatty. Got a great dark and brooding look that tom, I'll hand that to him."He got to his paws with a little shake of his long and radiant fur, brushing his shoulder lightly with his tongue before regarding Skunkspots with surprise. She looked worried, like she herself was brooding on something. "Oh goodness, are you worried he fancies me? Let his feelings be free my dear, we don't live in the old days anymore, and I'm sure he'll be happier if he comes forward and asks me out himself."He flustered, beaming happily as he preened his fur. 243Words ~ Fawn ~ Notes
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Post by Fawn on Jan 20, 2017 9:59:55 GMT -5
As she'd expected, Foxtrot had a good grasp of how the social circles in StoneClan worked - and whether or not her brother made an effort to participate in them. There was a certain kind of ridiculousness to the perpetually-awkward Skunkspots trying to help her brother's social life, but family made you do strange things.
The she-cat's black ears swiveled back, confused and taken by surprise. Fancied Foxtrot? Maybe he did, maybe he didn't - Skunkspots was hardly the cat who would know this information. "Er, I don't know if he does or not. Sorry. I just wanted to know if he had any close friends." Each word out of her mouth felt like it was coated in pine sap, and she had to work extra hard just to get them said. "We're all we have left, but we don't talk much." Ugh, even saying it out loud sounded so pitiful.
When had this turned into a 'confide in Foxtrot' moment? Skunkspots shifted, unable to keep still with all the anxiety roiling under her pelt. He didn't really care, did he? She couldn't force him to, and Skunkspots was hardly doing anyone favors by admitting how awkward her own family dynamic was. Foxtrot was good at talking to others, but he couldn't fix their brother-sister relationship the same way a medicine cat could fix a scraped pad.
Word Count: 325 Words Tags: @sparrowkeeper Notes: omg so sorry for the wait! 31 Moons. Warrior. StoneClan
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 16:52:43 GMT -5
31 Moons ~ Tom ~ Bisexual ~ StoneClan WarriorFoxtrot deflated a bit in disappointment, but the theoretical rejection that had just occurred on Ospreywing's behalf didn't keep him down long. Being told no was hardly a rare occurrence for someone who flirted with every cat who came their way, and he was well-adjusted to dealing with it. "Ah well, his loss."He mewed, flicking the tip of his tail in a placating manner as he pricked his ears forward to listen to Skunkspots instead of talking for once. Her words tugged at his heart strings, and the tom melted a little in front of her, ears drooping backwards and head dipping a little as his body relaxed sorrowfully. Her willingness to confide in him sobered him up from his usual jovial tendencies, and he felt an odd responsibility to try to say the right thing. "Aw bless poppet."He mewed, reaching out to place his paw on the ground near her as a gesture of comfort, guessing from her slightly standoffish demeanour that she wouldn't take well to his paw actually touching her. "Have you told him you wanted to talk more? I'm sure he's react well, he may be brooding but I'm sure he values you." 208Words ~ Fawn ~ Notes: No worries xD
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Post by Fawn on Feb 2, 2017 13:54:45 GMT -5
Skunkspots' tail flicked low to the ground, a slow, sullen movement. "We tried to talk before - I turned it into a mess." Ugh. The last time they'd really spoken more than pleasantries to each other, she'd gotten defensive and upset and self-defeating over her apprentice, Maplepaw. It was painfully easy to picture Ospreywing's face while she'd lost her cool, feeling secondhand self-disgust over just reliving the memory of it.
"It's like we've forgotten how to be siblings. How sad is that?" StarClan, sometimes she envied some of the other cats in the Clan - not just for their easy social interactions, but for the way they didn't stand around in an almost unbearable silence with a cat who might as well have been a complete stranger to them. She knew that everybody's lives weren't all fat mice and honeycomb, but it was hard not to think there was something wrong with her to be so awkward all of the time.
In a burst of nervous energy, Skunkspots cleared her throat. "Sorry. You don't have to keep talking about this. We should drop it." Right now. Despite everything, Foxtrot was... nice to talk to. He didn't give off an impression of disinterest or scorn. If anything, he almost seemed like he... cared? Skunkspots now eyed him with cautious, but new eyes.
Hawkdung. Did I just make friends with him? If only things were as straightforward as hunting; you either caught your prey or you didn't. Skunkspots could picture all too clearly a misunderstanding going on - where she tried to speak to him later on, tentatively treating him like a friend, only to find out he'd been tolerating her up to this point. That he'd listened to her at the Sky Springs because it'd been rude to just walk away mid-conversation.
Word Count: 298 Words Tags: @sparrowkeeper Phoenix Notes: Tagged for Ospreywing mentions! 34 Moons. Warrior. StoneClan
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2017 17:43:37 GMT -5
31 Moons ~ Tom ~ Bisexual ~ StoneClan WarriorFoxtrot perked his ears to listen to Skunkspots, pouring his attention onto her and stilling his body from the occasional tail twitch he might have otherwise allowed himself. He felt touched that the she-cat was speaking to him so informally and openly, and once again felt a deep need to do right by the confidence she had placed in him. He gave her a sympathetic look as she admitted that she believed she was the cause for the most recent breakdown of releations between her and her brother. She's awkward and standoffish, perhaps when they speak she doesn't know what to say? I wonder what history the two have, since the way they look at each other in camp makes it clear they care about each other.It was clear from Skunkspot's countenance that she blamed herself for her poor speaking-terms with Ospreywing, but rather than chime in Foxtrot let her finish, knowing it was better to let her speak her part before jumping in with more advice. She naturally came to a hurried stop, once again showing a propensity to feeling self-conscious and self-critical. If she didn't keep questioning herself and just let things flow, perhaps she'd fare betterFoxtrot mused, but then scolded himself for thinking it was so simple or easy. He was so overly social that sometimes he found himself assuming that everyone felt so comfortable with talking to others, but had to remind himself that everyone experienced the world differently. He glanced up, noting that Skunkspots was narrowing her eyes at him, looking a little worried. It was time to let his mouth run again, though he did his best to be measured about it. "Quite the opposite my dear, there's no need to drop it at all. Sounds to me like you've been dropping the subject far too often if you don't mind me saying, and that will never lead to solutions."He reached out a second paw to rest beside the one he had already extended onto the ground near her, tail swishing over the ground as he let himself slip into a more restive sphinx position as an indicator that he wanted to stay and chat longer. "Please forgive my forwardness darling, but you don't seem the kind of cat to willingly speak to others about your feelings, and the fact that you've felt pushed to bring this up to me both honours me and indicates that you're at a form of breaking point."He said this as carefully and softly as he could, hoping not to ruffle her too much as he looked up at her with genuine concern. "I know I'm a bit of a social butterfly, so I'm happy to try talk it through with you, since few things grieve a cat more than not being able to speak with their family. What tends to happen when you try to talk? Is it that you can't think of what to say to him?" 503Words ~ Fawn ~ Notes
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Post by Fawn on Feb 19, 2017 10:11:14 GMT -5
Skunkspots' eyes widened, as a sensation of deja vu crashed over her. There was another cat in the Clan that gave off such a sense of calmness and poise; that didn't make her feel like such a failure. Fallenleaf. Realizing that Foxtrot carried that same kind of social ease and kindness with him, made her tuck her ears sheepishly, sending a silent thank you to StarClan for putting these cats in StoneClan and nowhere else.
"I don't know what to say to him," she blurted, feeling as if her tongue had been stung by a bee; every word felt hard to say. Hard to admit just how abysmal things had become between her and her brother. "I miss Cricketleap." A hushed sentence, hiding a deeper anguish. "She was always the best at talking to everyone. She had so many friends. If she knew how little Ospreywing and I actually talked to each other, really talked..."
Skunkspots's tail went limp against the ground. "She'd be heartbroken." I miss her. I miss my sister. And I miss Badgerfang, Pebblekit, Minkfur, Beetlenose - everyone.
"Every time I fail, I feel like I'm disappointing her." The black and white she-cat choked up, her back legs tucking so that she was now in a seated position, her heart having grown too heavy for her to stand comfortably any more. Always so standoffish and awkward. Always so snippy and bad at conversation.
But every once in a while, there was someone like Fallenleaf, Valiantstride, Foxtrot - someone good enough at heart to see through the cynicism to the pain underneath. An apology formed on her tongue, ready to fly off as soon as she looked at Foxtrot. He hadn't wanted all this drama. Uncomfortably picturing herself from his perspective, Skunkspots saw a weak-willed, pathetic she-cat who, even after all these moons, couldn't get her grief under control.
Someone who couldn't figure out how to be a part of a family anymore, with so many pieces of it missing.
Word Count: 330 Words Tags: @sparrowkeeper , Phoenix Notes: 34 Moons. Warrior. StoneClan Quick Note~ Minkfur & Beetlenose were her mother and father. Badgerfang & Cricketleap were her older siblings. Pebblekit was her littermate (she-kit) Minkfur, Beetlenose, Badgerfang & Pebblekit died during the StormClan attack. Cricketleap died of starvation last leafbare, I believe.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2017 13:55:09 GMT -5
31 Moons ~ Tom ~ Bisexual ~ StoneClan WarriorFoxtrot nodded at Skunkspot's first answer, mind already flitting to possible ways he might be able to give her non-mechanical conversation topics, but his train of thought was almost immediately derailed as she continued. It was only three words, but it spoke volumes and let loose a torrent of her verbalised pain. The russet tom felt his heart drop. He knew about what had happened to her family, of course, the whole clan knew, but Foxtrot had never heard about it from her or Ospreywing's own mouths, and when her voice began to break he couldn't help himself. The tom stood up and gave Skunkspots the cat equivalent of a hug, pressing his chest to her chest and curling his head around the back of her neck a little. He acted on instinct rather than logic, and as he did it he felt a brief flash of fear that she might freak out or try to draw away from him, but she seemed vulnerable and this was the best way he could think of to try to comfort her. The touch was platonic, and held none of the playfulness of his usual teasing flirtations with his clan mates, he coupled it with the first verbal comfort he could think of, "I may not have known Cricketleap very well, but I'm sure she wouldn't be disappointed in you. You're trying as hard as you can, and that's all any big sister would want."He said simply, feeling like he had stepped off an emotional precipice and into a swirling abyss of Skunkspot's grief. He felt for that minute a sense of her helplessness and loss, and mused aloud, "If I felt the way you feel, it would be a miracle if I managed to maintain relationships with anyone, let alone a brother who was so closely linked to the pain." 317Words ~ Fawn ~ Notes
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Post by Fawn on Mar 3, 2017 22:14:09 GMT -5
The closer Foxtrot got, the harder it was for her to breathe - until he was so close that her muzzle was briefly lost in his dense russet fur, and all the air rushed out of Skunkspots in a broken sigh. She laid her head on his shoulder, turning numb to the cynical, self-damaging voice inside her head that had been a constant presence in her life since apprenticeship. He cared. Of his own free will, and that was a more precious gift than Skunkspots had ever hoped to receive. Second only to Valiantstride's love for her (now that was something she'd never expected), was the compassion these rare few showed her during her darkest hours.
In spite of feeling like a failure, the words he spoke soothed some of the angst and anxiety whirling around in her heart like a newleaf storm. Trying to regain her composure, Skunkspots broke away first, rubbing at her face with her paws, the droplets on her whiskers the only giveaway that she'd even shed any tears at all.
When she was sure her face was no longer wet, Skunkspots breathed deeply, surprised at how... different she felt, just to tell someone the truth. "I don't know how to tell you ... thanks." Skunkspots' ears twitched awkwardly. "Thanks for - for that. I haven't said that out loud in a long time."
If this had happened in her younger moons, Skunkspots very likely would have taken off as soon as the waterworks started, too ashamed of showing grief in front of any other cat but her own reflection, but Skunkspots, thankfully, was... learning to cope. In small ways, but it was progress nonetheless. "Talking with you was nice." It was easier to say things when she believed they were true. "If you... if you're not weirded out by me now or anything..." An awkward twitch of her tail, Skunkspots looking to the grass then back up at him. "Maybe we can talk again. Or just hunt together. We don't have to talk." And now I'm talking too much again. Great. Stop saying the word 'talk'.
It was uncomfortable, being this vulnerable in front of someone. But by StarClan, even though she felt like her heart had been crushed by a fallen log, her spirit felt... a little cleaner. No longer weighed down by so much fog. So much pressure and sadness. She still didn't know what to do about Ospreywing, but... something about this feeling she had right now, had Skunkspots believing that just maybe it wasn't too late to fix it.
Word Count: 425 Words Tags: @sparrowkeeper Notes: =) there, I figured it was time we started wrapping up this thread. It's seriously like one of my favorites ever. Foxtrot is such a sweetheart. 34 Moons. Warrior. StoneClan
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2017 13:55:29 GMT -5
31 Moons ~ Tom ~ Bisexual ~ StoneClan WarriorFoxtrot felt a flood of relief as Skunkspots sighed into the fur of his neck, thanking his luck that it had been the right call to comfort her in this way and that she hadn't recoiled from his touch. He let his head stay rested on her shoulder as she reciprocated, enjoying the simple comfort of the moment. Even if he himself wasn't going through anything stressful in his life at that moment, it would always be calming and pleasant to share caring gestures with others. When Skunkspots broke away, Foxtrot offered no resistance, instead taking a small step back in an attempt to let her have the space she was claiming back for herself. He politely looked down at her paws as she rubbed at her face and regained herself, feeling the dampness of tears in the fur where she had pressed her face and trying to grasp in himself the feelings he had experienced through her. He would commit them to memory, her hopelessness, helplessness, and sorrow. He would remember just how that had felt to him so that he could try and use it as an emotional reference in future whenever Skunkspots seemed newly upset or was acting out. Maybe he might be able to help her again, if she needed it, and the key would be to remember how it might feel to be her. He looked up again as she spoke, the tip of his tail curling as he gave Skunkspots a friendly smile, "That would be nice." He mewed simply. 265 Words ~ Fawn ~ Notes: Same TT-TT The feels man, the feels
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