[Rean will hear a single knock at his door. If he goes to answer, he'll find a lidded clay bowl of chilled chinese noodles set carefully in front of his door. A bit away from the bowl is a small rock, as if the knock on the door had actually been a rock being thrown.
The person who left this isn't in immediate sight, nor is there any note left. Mysterious]
[Huh. That's not a normal sound? Normally, people knock more than once. Did someone maybe drop something? Rean gets up from where he's seated to go see what's up, and he definitely looks confused when he opens the door to seemingly nothing.
But then he looks down, and sees... oh! A container! He picks it up and opens it, and is visibly surprised to see that it's food. It can't be from Elliot, Elliot would have just come in to share it, so who left it?
As he's puzzling over this, he glances over and his eyes land on the rock in the hallway. He stares at it for a moment, the cogs in his brain slowly turning, before they finally click into place.
Did.
Did someone leave him food, hurl a rock at his door, and then run for it?
Yeah. Okay. That's not suspicious at all. But this food does look really good, and he is pretty hungry...
...
Well, if it's for Eastern food, Rean will gladly risk food poisoning. Glancing around one last time, he tries to see if there's any trace of anyone, but... nope.
He retreats back inside with his meal, the door closing with a soft "click" behind him.]
[Jun, who had been hiding around a corner, allows himself to exhale in relief when he hears that door shut. Perfect mission completion. Another moment more, and he'll move from his hiding spot to go to the stairwell to return to his own room.
Lucky for Rean, they aren't poisoned! They'll actually taste really good! Whoever made them knows how to cook, it seems]
[ When Rean wakes up from his night's sleep, he'll find a package next to him whether he's slept at Base Camp or in his Mondstadt apartment. There's a note attached to the nicely-wrapped box. ]
btw i got u sth
u should give it to ur boyfriend he will be very happy
dw its perfectly safe (i'm serious about this ok)
f.
[ Inside the box is a perfectly geometric and perfectly ordinary silver ring. ]
Boyfriend??? He doesn't have a boyfriend??? What is this talking about? And "f," who would have left him something like this whose name begins with an F?
[And that's all the thought he's willing to put into this right now. So for now, he's just going to put the lid back on the box and tuck the box in among his things somewhere, to hopefully forget about it forever.
[Elliot's been having a good vacation. Not only was it great to be off death mountain, he got to ask an actual god about the history of music for Liyue. For three days he eagerly listened and jotted down every note he could - even recording the talk on his ARCUS just in case!
After that, it was a few days of organizing and reviewing his notes - making sure he had everything for his records and that he didn't miss anything. Finally, when the last notebook has been highlighted and annotated, he'll close the notebook triumphantly. ]
There! All done!
[And almost on cue, his stomach growls ravenously]
[Rean pops his head up when he hears the notebook snap closed. It's been a while since he heard that! He's just been over here eating up all of these wonderful martial arts novels that are popular in Liyue, so he's been having the time of his life, too, even when he's just at rest.]
Haha... I was wondering how long you were going to be at it—
[But oh. Rean can't miss that growl. And his own stomach is kind of prodding at him, too, to be fair, but more importantly: ELLIOT IS HUNGRY. Clearly, he must act!
He tucks a little ribbon into his book and sets it aside, pushing himself up.]
Looks like it. We're both guilty on that one, I think. [Does that make him feel better?] I can try to whip something up for dinner, if you want! There's a bunch of ingredients around here I've been itching to try, actually.
[...Wait. Rean wants to experiment? Are they both going to die? Is the kitchen going to burn down???]
[Elliot perks up when he realizes that Rean is around. They'd been staying in the same place, but Elliot had been such in a zone he wouldn't be surprised if the guy had left without him noticing. ]
Eheh, hey Rean. [Happy to see him, as always] It was all so interesting, I guess I lost track of time.
[Typical Elliot, hyperfocusing on music stuff. It does make him feel a little better that Rean doesn't call him out on the weird behavior, instead just rolling with it. He could always count on Rean--]
[WELL. THAT'S SURPRISING. Rean wasn't the WORST cook of Class VII by any means, but he sure has his fair share of mishaps. And yet he seemed actually eager tonight to do it.]
W-Well, sure! What ingredients were you thinking of? [muttering to himself:] Just how long was I working on those notes...?
[Was he absorbed in his work so long that Rean went on a journey to be a chef???????]
[Is it comforting or terrifying that Rean's just smiling in response to that question...?]
I know, it's a little out of the ordinary, but yeah.
There's a lot of things here in Liyue that remind me a lot of the things Master Ka-fai used to bring to Ymir from the East.
[Rean immediately goes to rifle through his things and pull out two... well, they're probably vegetables? One is an oddly-shaped little green thing with holes in it and the other is a strangely cephalopod-shaped red thing that, as soon as it hits the air, might raise a slight tingle in the back of Elliot's throat. There are other things in his bags, but these two seem to be the stars of the show.]
So I wanted to see if I could whip up something like he taught us to.
[Yep, just a little terrifying. But as Rean explains, it clicks to Elliot in a way that makes sense]
Hehe, so that's what it is...!
[Rean's in full on weeb mode. Yep. That explains everything. The world makes sense once more. ]
Well, alright! I'm always open to trying something new-- [Though uh, what are those? He clears his throat at the weird tingle in his throat when he pulls out the red shaped thing. He tries to cover it up, not wanting to rain on Rean's parade by being super white]
[Well, now that the world makes sense, maybe it's better now! It's certainly got to be better to see Rean so chipper than how he normally is, at least.
Alas, poor, white Elliot. Not that Rean isn't also a white boy, but he did grow up with some Eastern influence, at least. Enough to have a goddamn tachi.]
Well, I don't know exactly what they call them here, I picked them while I was out sightseeing. [A pause.] I already taste-tested them, so I do know they're edible, by the way. [As evidenced by how he is currently not dead.] But it's the stem of a kind of water flower and some kind of... I think Master Ka-fai called them chili peppers?
The pepper's a little spicy, but I'm not planning to use a ton of it. Hopefully it won't make everything inedible, haha.
[...At least he knows how his cooking normally goes.]
[It's certainly better! The last few weeks have been rough what with their trip to Dragonspine and what they found there. So seeing Rean in lighter spirits was worth whatever he was inevitably going to have to consume - even if it ends in food poisoning.]
You taste-tested them? [Rean what if they had been poisonous-- nope nope, good vibes. He sighs] Aha, good to know! Better we don't repeat that time Millium found mushrooms.
[Boy that was a rough night]
But chili pepper huh... [Elliot wasn't the BEST with spice but he could handle a little. Still, he does remember Rean's cooking. He'll pat his arm encouragingly]
It'll be fine! Just remember you can always add more later but you can't take any out, so start small!
[Rean's face falls a little. HAVE SOME FAITH IN HIM, ELLIOT!! Actually, don't, he's an idiot.]
Only little bites, at first! I wasn't just shoving the whole thing in my mouth! ...Besides, once I was taking bigger bites, I found out pretty fast that that's a bad idea with the pepper. [Mostly to himself:] The seeds hurt...
But yeah, yeah. I'll keep it in mind. I'll let you test once I think I'm getting close with the spice levels, too, just to make sure it won't mess you up too badly.
[He's going back into his things to get out some other ingredients - some cabbage, some ham - and some prep tools.]
Think you could set up a cooking station for me while I'm doing the prep?
The walk back to Liyue took longer than expected. They walked mostly in silence, but a comfortable one. With their own heads lost in thought, the pace was slower. By the time they got back, it was already after sunset. But with it being the Lantern Rite that wasn't a bad thing. Rather- the city was all lit up as they came over the mountain path]
[Rean's eyes widen as the two of them come to a natural stop at the peak, taking in the view in front of them. It is gorgeous, and Rean wants to drink it all in.]
Incredible...
[His own voice is an awed whisper. For a brief moment, he does just let himself stare, but then he gently tugs on Elliot's hand to pull him off of the path and over to a conveniently-placed rock that the two of them can sit on to look.]
...We're close enough now that we should be safe, even if it is dark. We can spare a moment to rest.
[And talk, although he doesn't voice that. With one more gentle squeeze, he lets go of Elliot's hand and hops up onto the rock, leaning back on his hands to look out.]
...
[There's a pensive sort of look on his face, as if he's trying to think of what to say. Eventually, though, he seems to settle on something, as he speaks up.]
Would be more beautiful with some of your music alongside it, though. [He pauses, then laughs a bit at himself.] Or is that too much? Knowing me, I'm here trying to be heartfelt and it's just going to be corny, as always.
[His classmates have teased him enough for him to know!]
[With a breathtaking view like this, Elliot was hardly going to argue about that idea. He makes a verbal agreement sound and lets himself get led to the rock. It really was the perfect place to sit, romantic even.
Man, it was crazy to think about how romantic spots would matter now. It wasn't just something for other people.
He sits down on the rock next to Rean, enjoying the view and taking in the silence. Elliot was a pretty chatty person, but Rean had said he wanted a chance to think things through. So..he was willing to be quiet and wait for him to process.
And cheesy or not, that remark gets a fond smile out of him. It was just like that time in the Ferris wheel ... not that Rean remembers that yet.]
Hehe, I'll have you know I always liked your corniness. [It was endearing. And honestly, there's nothing Rean could say that'd sound even close to as cringey as the crap his family says] I could change my staff into its violin mode if you want, if you need more time to think.
[Rean is Rean, after all. It's not too surprising that the Rean of the future would think the same way the Rean of right now is, at least when it comes to Elliot.]
Haha, no, it's fine. I think I can try. It'll probably still be corny, but you've emboldened me now. [He offers Elliot a wry smile.] So if I'm too sappy even for you, this time, just know you brought this on yourself.
[He looks back out, taking a breath before starting.]
...I guess... I should probably start off by saying, if it wasn't clear and obvious, that yes.
I love you.
I... don't even know how long that's been true, now. When I noticed, when I accepted it. It's just... kind of been a part of everything for so long that it almost feels like it always has.
[And maybe it has. Maybe it's been there since they shared that first smile in the auditorium. Maybe he knew, deep down, that Elliot was "the one" too.]
I owe so much of who I am now to you. ...The parts of myself I'm proud of, anyway. Without your support back in Thors and through the civil war, and after... without being able to look forward to being able to check in with you... I really don't know if I would have made it to where I am now.
[Elliot knew this whole walk that one of Rean's big speeches were coming. And that Rean's words always had a way to touch his heartstrings. And yet even knowing all this, he's caught off guard by the sincerity and power of it all.]
R-Rean...
[He has to pause, his eyes watering up because Elliot has always been a crier. For years, these are words he never thought he'd hear say. And yet, now they were a reality. Rean loved him, and possibly loved him as long as he loved him.
He sniffles, his arm reaching up to wipe his eyes]
Haha, I didn't even make the first part without tears. Man... I-I guess you did warn me. [So he has no one to blame but himself. He sniffs again, lowering his arm]
I love you too. Of course I do.
Really, I could say the same about you. I can't even imagine a life without you there. You mean the world to me, Rean.
[Rean's immediate reaction is to fret when he hears that shaking voice and those sniffles, but then Elliot's laughing, and Rean can't help but smile as well.
Yeah, all right. These kinds of tears, happy ones, those are something Rean can accept.]
Ha... yeah, I did. You've given me too much power, now!
[He has to joke about it to keep himself even remotely composed, here, but his own voice has a bit of a waver to it, too. How's he supposed to not get all glassy-eyed when Elliot is here crying and saying these things to him?
Things he'd long accepted he'd never hear, either? That even now, he doesn't think he deserves to hear, but can't possibly turn away?]
I could say the exact same about you, Elliot. Even if things never came to this between us... you've always been one of my very best friends.
You're just... you're so much better than you think you are, you know. You're so much stronger and more talented than you give yourself credit for, and I admire that in you. I truly do believe that your magic has the power to change the world someday... but even if that never comes to pass, I know it's changed me. I know you've changed me.
And... I'll be honest. I don't know that I deserve you. But if you want me? Then I'm going to give this my all. I want to make you as happy as I possibly can. Because I know you deserve that, and more.
[Yeah he gave him too much power, because boy was he laying it on THICK with the compliments. Elliot loves this man, but he wants to crawl under a rock for all the praise. It's a good time it's night time, because he's full on blushing over here.
But at least there's one part he can latch onto. He reaches over, taking his hand. ]
You do deserve me, Rean. I want you to know that. You're saying all these wonderful things about me, but honestly you've changed me just as much. You're so incredible, and I want one day for you to recognize that too.
[Maybe it won't be today, but someday he'd love Rean to love himself as much as Elliot loved him.]
And I'll give this my all too. I wanna be with you, and I wanna make you happy. You deserve it just as much as I do.
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Delivery
The person who left this isn't in immediate sight, nor is there any note left. Mysterious]
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But then he looks down, and sees... oh! A container! He picks it up and opens it, and is visibly surprised to see that it's food. It can't be from Elliot, Elliot would have just come in to share it, so who left it?
As he's puzzling over this, he glances over and his eyes land on the rock in the hallway. He stares at it for a moment, the cogs in his brain slowly turning, before they finally click into place.
Did.
Did someone leave him food, hurl a rock at his door, and then run for it?
Yeah. Okay. That's not suspicious at all. But this food does look really good, and he is pretty hungry...
...
Well, if it's for Eastern food, Rean will gladly risk food poisoning. Glancing around one last time, he tries to see if there's any trace of anyone, but... nope.
He retreats back inside with his meal, the door closing with a soft "click" behind him.]
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Lucky for Rean, they aren't poisoned! They'll actually taste really good! Whoever made them knows how to cook, it seems]
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Rean will now always be vigilant for rock noises in hopes of free food. Look what you've done, Jun.]
oct 5th
btw i got u sth
u should give it to ur boyfriend he will be very happy
dw its perfectly safe (i'm serious about this ok)
f.
[ Inside the box is a perfectly geometric and perfectly ordinary silver ring. ]
1/?
2/?
Boyfriend??? He doesn't have a boyfriend??? What is this talking about? And "f," who would have left him something like this whose name begins with an F?
Boyfriend???]
3/4 probably
why is this.]
4/4
[And that's all the thought he's willing to put into this right now. So for now, he's just going to put the lid back on the box and tuck the box in among his things somewhere, to hopefully forget about it forever.
You tried, Forneus. You certainly tried.]
SHARE YOUR WEEB KNOWLEDGE REAN
After that, it was a few days of organizing and reviewing his notes - making sure he had everything for his records and that he didn't miss anything. Finally, when the last notebook has been highlighted and annotated, he'll close the notebook triumphantly. ]
There! All done!
[And almost on cue, his stomach growls ravenously]
Oh...did I forget to eat?
[Yep, Somebody was in a Zone.]
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Haha... I was wondering how long you were going to be at it—
[But oh. Rean can't miss that growl. And his own stomach is kind of prodding at him, too, to be fair, but more importantly: ELLIOT IS HUNGRY. Clearly, he must act!
He tucks a little ribbon into his book and sets it aside, pushing himself up.]
Looks like it. We're both guilty on that one, I think. [Does that make him feel better?] I can try to whip something up for dinner, if you want! There's a bunch of ingredients around here I've been itching to try, actually.
[...Wait. Rean wants to experiment? Are they both going to die? Is the kitchen going to burn down???]
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Eheh, hey Rean. [Happy to see him, as always] It was all so interesting, I guess I lost track of time.
[Typical Elliot, hyperfocusing on music stuff. It does make him feel a little better that Rean doesn't call him out on the weird behavior, instead just rolling with it. He could always count on Rean--]
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[WELL. THAT'S SURPRISING. Rean wasn't the WORST cook of Class VII by any means, but he sure has his fair share of mishaps. And yet he seemed actually eager tonight to do it.]
W-Well, sure! What ingredients were you thinking of? [muttering to himself:] Just how long was I working on those notes...?
[Was he absorbed in his work so long that Rean went on a journey to be a chef???????]
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I know, it's a little out of the ordinary, but yeah.
There's a lot of things here in Liyue that remind me a lot of the things Master Ka-fai used to bring to Ymir from the East.
[Rean immediately goes to rifle through his things and pull out two... well, they're probably vegetables? One is an oddly-shaped little green thing with holes in it and the other is a strangely cephalopod-shaped red thing that, as soon as it hits the air, might raise a slight tingle in the back of Elliot's throat. There are other things in his bags, but these two seem to be the stars of the show.]
So I wanted to see if I could whip up something like he taught us to.
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Hehe, so that's what it is...!
[Rean's in full on weeb mode. Yep. That explains everything. The world makes sense once more. ]
Well, alright! I'm always open to trying something new-- [Though uh, what are those? He clears his throat at the weird tingle in his throat when he pulls out the red shaped thing. He tries to cover it up, not wanting to rain on Rean's parade by being super white]
Never seen those before! What are they?
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Alas, poor, white Elliot. Not that Rean isn't also a white boy, but he did grow up with some Eastern influence, at least. Enough to have a goddamn tachi.]
Well, I don't know exactly what they call them here, I picked them while I was out sightseeing. [A pause.] I already taste-tested them, so I do know they're edible, by the way. [As evidenced by how he is currently not dead.] But it's the stem of a kind of water flower and some kind of... I think Master Ka-fai called them chili peppers?
The pepper's a little spicy, but I'm not planning to use a ton of it. Hopefully it won't make everything inedible, haha.
[...At least he knows how his cooking normally goes.]
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You taste-tested them? [Rean what if they had been poisonous-- nope nope, good vibes. He sighs] Aha, good to know! Better we don't repeat that time Millium found mushrooms.
[Boy that was a rough night]
But chili pepper huh... [Elliot wasn't the BEST with spice but he could handle a little. Still, he does remember Rean's cooking. He'll pat his arm encouragingly]
It'll be fine! Just remember you can always add more later but you can't take any out, so start small!
[PRO TIP THERE]
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Actually, don't, he's an idiot.]Only little bites, at first! I wasn't just shoving the whole thing in my mouth! ...Besides, once I was taking bigger bites, I found out pretty fast that that's a bad idea with the pepper. [Mostly to himself:] The seeds hurt...
But yeah, yeah. I'll keep it in mind. I'll let you test once I think I'm getting close with the spice levels, too, just to make sure it won't mess you up too badly.
[He's going back into his things to get out some other ingredients - some cabbage, some ham - and some prep tools.]
Think you could set up a cooking station for me while I'm doing the prep?
[Just like the old field study days.]
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and scene! ...gay scene!!
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The walk back to Liyue took longer than expected. They walked mostly in silence, but a comfortable one. With their own heads lost in thought, the pace was slower. By the time they got back, it was already after sunset. But with it being the Lantern Rite that wasn't a bad thing. Rather- the city was all lit up as they came over the mountain path]
Wow...What a beautiful view...
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Incredible...
[His own voice is an awed whisper. For a brief moment, he does just let himself stare, but then he gently tugs on Elliot's hand to pull him off of the path and over to a conveniently-placed rock that the two of them can sit on to look.]
...We're close enough now that we should be safe, even if it is dark. We can spare a moment to rest.
[And talk, although he doesn't voice that. With one more gentle squeeze, he lets go of Elliot's hand and hops up onto the rock, leaning back on his hands to look out.]
...
[There's a pensive sort of look on his face, as if he's trying to think of what to say. Eventually, though, he seems to settle on something, as he speaks up.]
Would be more beautiful with some of your music alongside it, though. [He pauses, then laughs a bit at himself.] Or is that too much? Knowing me, I'm here trying to be heartfelt and it's just going to be corny, as always.
[His classmates have teased him enough for him to know!]
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Man, it was crazy to think about how romantic spots would matter now. It wasn't just something for other people.
He sits down on the rock next to Rean, enjoying the view and taking in the silence. Elliot was a pretty chatty person, but Rean had said he wanted a chance to think things through. So..he was willing to be quiet and wait for him to process.
And cheesy or not, that remark gets a fond smile out of him. It was just like that time in the Ferris wheel ... not that Rean remembers that yet.]
Hehe, I'll have you know I always liked your corniness. [It was endearing. And honestly, there's nothing Rean could say that'd sound even close to as cringey as the crap his family says] I could change my staff into its violin mode if you want, if you need more time to think.
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Haha, no, it's fine. I think I can try. It'll probably still be corny, but you've emboldened me now. [He offers Elliot a wry smile.] So if I'm too sappy even for you, this time, just know you brought this on yourself.
[He looks back out, taking a breath before starting.]
...I guess... I should probably start off by saying, if it wasn't clear and obvious, that yes.
I love you.
I... don't even know how long that's been true, now. When I noticed, when I accepted it. It's just... kind of been a part of everything for so long that it almost feels like it always has.
[And maybe it has. Maybe it's been there since they shared that first smile in the auditorium. Maybe he knew, deep down, that Elliot was "the one" too.]
I owe so much of who I am now to you. ...The parts of myself I'm proud of, anyway. Without your support back in Thors and through the civil war, and after... without being able to look forward to being able to check in with you... I really don't know if I would have made it to where I am now.
Not in one piece, anyway.
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R-Rean...
[He has to pause, his eyes watering up because Elliot has always been a crier. For years, these are words he never thought he'd hear say. And yet, now they were a reality. Rean loved him, and possibly loved him as long as he loved him.
He sniffles, his arm reaching up to wipe his eyes]
Haha, I didn't even make the first part without tears. Man... I-I guess you did warn me. [So he has no one to blame but himself. He sniffs again, lowering his arm]
I love you too. Of course I do.
Really, I could say the same about you. I can't even imagine a life without you there. You mean the world to me, Rean.
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Yeah, all right. These kinds of tears, happy ones, those are something Rean can accept.]
Ha... yeah, I did. You've given me too much power, now!
[He has to joke about it to keep himself even remotely composed, here, but his own voice has a bit of a waver to it, too. How's he supposed to not get all glassy-eyed when Elliot is here crying and saying these things to him?
Things he'd long accepted he'd never hear, either? That even now, he doesn't think he deserves to hear, but can't possibly turn away?]
I could say the exact same about you, Elliot. Even if things never came to this between us... you've always been one of my very best friends.
You're just... you're so much better than you think you are, you know. You're so much stronger and more talented than you give yourself credit for, and I admire that in you. I truly do believe that your magic has the power to change the world someday... but even if that never comes to pass, I know it's changed me. I know you've changed me.
And... I'll be honest. I don't know that I deserve you. But if you want me? Then I'm going to give this my all. I want to make you as happy as I possibly can. Because I know you deserve that, and more.
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[Yeah he gave him too much power, because boy was he laying it on THICK with the compliments. Elliot loves this man, but he wants to crawl under a rock for all the praise. It's a good time it's night time, because he's full on blushing over here.
But at least there's one part he can latch onto. He reaches over, taking his hand. ]
You do deserve me, Rean. I want you to know that. You're saying all these wonderful things about me, but honestly you've changed me just as much. You're so incredible, and I want one day for you to recognize that too.
[Maybe it won't be today, but someday he'd love Rean to love himself as much as Elliot loved him.]
And I'll give this my all too. I wanna be with you, and I wanna make you happy. You deserve it just as much as I do.
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