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Post by Novalee on Dec 28, 2009 2:23:00 GMT -5
Trying to have a clear mind while a needle is puncturing your skin is harder than Nova thought. Tears formed in her eyes. Why had she thought this was a good idea? Sure in the end it will be cute...but when it hurts this bad is it really worth it? Oh well, she was already half way finished and there was no way she was backing down now. Though she would love to get up and leave at the moment she grit her teeth and stayed put in the chair. Being a model she was taught to never show emotion, but this pain was like she never known before. She took a deep breath as the tattooed man kept on with the butterflies. He almost seemed amused with her pain. He looked like a pin cushion with all the peircings and tattoos, just because he was used to pain didn't mean he had to smile about hers. Then there were the noises that were escaping her mouth...Which was probably the real reason he and his other tattoo buddies were smiling. Sure, she was young and pretty...but the noises she made were not those of an innocent young girl. They were more along the lines of moans of extreme pain mixed with pleasure. She tried to keep them to a minimum, but she swore he moved his needle rough just to hear her make the noise again. There was only a few other people in there and most of them were guys. Taking a deep breath she looked towards the glass window in the front of the shop. She tried to focus her attention on the people walking outside. She had to use her empathy on the owner of the tattoo parlor to let him be persuaded to let them tattoo her...after all she was only 16. Something hit a nerve and she gasped closing her mouth not letting any noises escape her mouth. She gripped the chair with her open hand. She watched the door praying he would say she was done soon. A small tear fell from her eye as she sat there in silence. |
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Post by River Dexter on Dec 28, 2009 2:57:25 GMT -5
Fitting his hands into his pockets, River wandered the streets of the city. He was still trying to get a feel for New York, still working out the back-streets and alleys and avenues. It was so radically different from his hometown. Radcliff, Kentucky was certainly no Big Apple.
But that was good. That's what he wanted. A complete 180. A new city, new people, new start. He could forget about his godforsaken father. Forget how he had just left his mom and Skye... Frustrated with himself, with his own thoughts, he pushed a hand through his hair. Scrubbing at it briefly, he stopped a moment, off to the side.
When he realized he was right in front of a tattoo parlor, it was like fate. River had gotten his first tattoo when he was fifteen. It was simple and small and religious. His father had beat him so hard he had to miss three days of school. So what better way to thrust it into his father's face that he was done with him than another tattoo? Of course, his father would never see the tattoo; would never see him again. This was for River, just for him.
Strolling in, he already knew what he wanted. Small, black handwritten lettering, "Sins of the Father." At the base of his hand over his heart... He wasn't sure about the location just yet. Moving to the front counter, he was distracted by the sounds coming from one of the back rooms. Rocking onto his heels, he peered through the open doorway.
A (beautiful) young woman was in the chair, getting a tattoo along her wrist. She was making small moaning noises and then they stopped. She stiffened and opened her mouth in a soundless gasp. Brow furrowing, he asked with a light Southern accent honey-dipping his words, "Is she all right?" Deciding that the owner of the shop probably wouldn't now, he raised his voice a little so it could carry over the short distance between them and the hum of the tattoo gun. "Y' all right?"
He hated to here a woman in distress. Especially, but not only, if the woman was as beautiful as this one was.
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Post by Novalee on Dec 28, 2009 3:07:15 GMT -5
She caught a break. The tattoo artist "Jacobi" stopped to wipe down his work before finishing. This gave her just enough time to breathe and relax a tad. Hearing a husky southern voice in the doorway she let her gaze from the floor travel up slowly. Catching her breath that she had lost for a moment she met the eyes of a very....very handsome guy.
Novalee smiled softly. "Yeah everything is good he-" She paused to shut her eyes. "Okay I'm lying, but it's the price I pay for wanting one of these I s'pose." She grinned trying with all her might not to moan, scream, or grit her teeth.
She started with taking deep breaths. "Are you going to get one?" She asked liking the company he brought. She could feel his emotions through her empathic bond, and he was filled with compassion....but deep underneath his sweet shell there was remorse. For what? She could only guess at.
Nova managed to take small breaths calming herself so she could speak again. "I'm Novalee...but you can call me Nova." She said smiling up at him. "And what can I call my knight in shining armour?" She asked giving a slight giggle before wincing at the pain.
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Post by River Dexter on Dec 28, 2009 3:16:50 GMT -5
"Yeah everything is good he-" She paused to shut her eyes. "Okay I'm lying, but it's the price I pay for wanting one of these I s'pose."
River smiled to her. Nodding once to the counter-worker as if to let him know that he'd be right back, he moved to the doorway. Leaning on the jamb, he met her eyes. "Yeah, I s'ppose so. I got one in the same spot 'while go." He lifted up his left wrist to display the simple cross there.
"Are you going to get one?" He nodded, taking a further step into the room. Glancing at the image the artist was finishing up, he grinned. "Pretty," he commented, looking to her eyes again. "Yeah, I'm gonna get my second. Haven't decided where, though."
"I'm Novalee...but you can call me Nova." "Nice to meet you Nova," he said. Hoping it wasn't too forward, he fit his hand into her free one. "Why not give the chair a break? Squeeze on my hand instead," he joked. "And what can I call my knight in shining armour?" He blushed deeply and dropped his eyes to the ground. "Aw shoot," he mumbled humbly. "Well, I don' know about knight-in-shining-armour, but my name's River."
Trying to supress his blush, he added, "This means you gotta hold my hand when I get mine done, all right now?"
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Post by Novalee on Dec 28, 2009 3:28:25 GMT -5
Nova saw his tattoo and cringed at her own pain and knowing that if her's hurt than his had to of hurt as well. She smiled though as he came and sat in the chair on the other side of her and grabbed her hand. She grinned and she gripped his hand, but she eased up not wanting to hurt him...if she could.
She tightened her grip a tad when Jacobi hit the vein in her wrist. She looked over at him as he spoke keeping her mind off the pain. "Pretty close to one if your letting me squeeze your hand." She paused giggling that turned into some what of a cry as he added the details to the wings of the butterflies.
"Nice to meet you as well." She looked over down at her wrist. He was right it was pretty. Turning her gaze back to him she smiled. "Of course I will hold your hand. Though I'm sure I don't know why you want a whimp like me to hold your hand..." She grinned shifting her eyes down to the ground.
"May I ask what you want as a tattoo maybe I can help you choose a spot?" She was confused. She had never felt these feelings. The kind that made her heart race, but stop beating at the same time. His accent was enough to send her into a trance.
It was luck that someone like him would show up on a day like this? Was it fate? She shook the thought. God may have a plan for everyone, but she wasn't worried about that now. She was worried how she looked? Was her hair messed up? Did he really want her to hold his hand.
She hoped....and prayed that he did. After all the first glance at him made her heart grow wings and feel like it was going to fly....Just like a butterfly. And what could she say...Nova loved her some butterflies....
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Post by River Dexter on Dec 28, 2009 20:07:27 GMT -5
"Pretty close to one if your letting me squeeze your hand." River blushed again but attempted to just ignore it. Glancing back to her wrist, he saw that the artist was just finishing up the light coloring. "You're almost done, anyway. Looks real good." He passed her a beaming smile.
i"Of course I will hold your hand. Though I'm sure I don't know why you want a wimp like me to hold your hand..." He chuckled softly and shook his head. "We'll see who's the wimp once I start gettin' mine done," he joked, hoping to distract her. She seemed to forget about the pain a little when talking or listening to him.
"May I ask what you want as a tattoo maybe I can help you choose a spot?" River swallowed at that, his jaw tightening. She didn't need the full weight of his issues dumped onto her. He had just met her, after all "'Sins of the Father,'" he replied. "It's a concept from the Bible." He left it at that, as neutral as possible. These days, you never knew what someone was going to take offense from. Never knew where people stood on religion... Shit, he hardly knew where he stood...
But that was something to mull over another day.
He squeezed her hand a little tighter as the artist finished up and got a sudden thread of her emotion. It was strong and spoke of connection and want but beyond that River couldn't really define it. He was still getting used to the empathy thing, honestly and sometimes it was hard to read the exact emotion.
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Post by Novalee on Dec 28, 2009 22:40:53 GMT -5
All Nova could do was look up and smile at him. She was sure that he was nice guy from his empathetic aura. She would glance over at her tattoo every once in a while, but she didn't feel the pain anymore. She was sure that River had distracted her enough. Jacobi stood up inconspicously and grabbed a bandage and more wipes.
Nova sat up. "Looks like I'm done." She said grinning over at River. Jacobi wiped down her wrist and covered it up. After it was taped up he smiled down at Nova. He handed her a bottle of cleaning fluid with a business card taped to it. She saw sharpie on the back and she stoo up taking the bottle. "Clean it twice and wait 24 hours before showering." He winked at her, and she raised a brow shaking the look off.
"You can pay at the front desk." Nova smiled nodding. "Thanks for the tat." She turned to River. "You ready to set up your tattoo appointment?" She grinned as she started to walk to the front desk of the tattoo parlor. She pulled out her money and placed a hundred on the glass counter top. The guy barely looked up he took the money and gave her exact change without glancing up once to say a thing. She tuned back to River eyes wide with a smile on her face.
"I think he wants to set up an appointment...." She said. This time the large man looked up and she saw the intracate cobra tattoo on the side of his face. She swallwed the lump in her throat. He was a scary looking bald man. Shaking her fear she pointed to River. "Do you have openings?" She liked being in control she hoped River didn't mind. The large man looked down at a yello notepad.
"Azzy gets back in about 15 minutes...can you wait that long?" His voice was just as scary as his face. She turned to River. "What do you say?" She say winking. While she waited for his reply she looked down at the business card. Flipping it over she saw the words "Call me" scrawled across the back with a cell number. She rolled her eyes looking up to see Jacobi's eyes on her. She gav him a fake smile and focused her attention back on River.
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Post by River Dexter on Dec 29, 2009 15:31:36 GMT -5
"Looks like I'm done."
River shot her a grin. "Looks like." He looked at the finished tattoo and whistled softly. "Very nice. Suits you." He blushed then, chuckling at himself. How did he know if it suited her? He didn't even know her. But it seemed to suit her. It was pretty and delicate but spoke of strength and freedom.
As they headed toward the front counter, River caught the tattoo artist eying Novalee. When they stopped and Novalee paid, he subtly moved to the side, blocking her from his view. All right, so they had just met. But she was a pretty, nice girl. And it just wasn't right for some jerk-off to be ledering at her like that. "You ready to set up your tattoo appointment?" Chewing on the inside of his cheek he smiled to her and nodded. When she turned to speak to the man working the counter, he surreptitiously looked over his shoulder. Perv was still trying to get a look...
"Azzy gets back in about 15 minutes...can you wait that long?" River pulled his attention back to the transaction at hand and nodded. "Sure, that's fine. And I shouldn't take to long either; just some small, black wording so it won't be too big of a job." He passed a smile to Novalee, adding, "Plus I got someone to help me pass the time, huh?"
Then he could have kicked himself. Because she had places to go and things to do, a life to live, he was sure. He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm kiddin'. I mean, you don' have t' stay if y' got somewhere t' be." Stupid accent. He had never noticed it until New York. Now he knew that it got thinker when he was embarrassed...
[[Sooooo sorry that I punked out on you last night, vamp! Also:: I was thinking him and Nova should become, like, best friends first and then slowly ease into a relationship. 'Cause I think it would be really fun if they got close and had all these inside jokes and tried to deny their attraction at first or something. LOL; idk, i was just thinking about it last night. ^ ^ Lemme know what you think!]]
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Post by Novalee on Dec 29, 2009 22:43:50 GMT -5
Nova grinned as she watched him amile as he talked to the bald man. The man nodded and scribbled something on the notepad. He looked up and pointed to the chairs in the corner of the room. "You can wait over there..." Her eyes widened as she hurried over to the chair and sat.
"Oh don't be silly.." She said patting the chair. "I have nothing to do here...I just moved here about three weeks ago." She grinned up at River. "My first photoshoot isn't for a couple more weeks..." She paused. "So i'm free..." She stopped herself from speaking more. She just basically told him she had no life yet.
She almost sighed, but stopped herself. "So about where we are going to get this tattoo..." She smiled. Fidgeting a tad she uncrossed and recrossed her legs.
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Post by aspen on Dec 29, 2009 23:25:17 GMT -5
Lighting the cigarette gracefully as she walked down the sidewalk to her shop was a little more difficult than it looked. She had to sheild the lighter so the wind didn't blow it out, while she avoided bumping into people. Eventually a few feet before her shop she got the cigarette to light. She took a long drag pulling the cig out of her mouth to blow the smoke out. She closed her eyes and took a deep inhale of the dirty New York air....it was nothing like Roma. She shook her head placing her cig back in her mouth. Opening the door to the shop she positioned the cig to the corner of her mouth so she would be able to talk. Luca came barreling in. Instantly he snapped into attention and walked to the counter sitting formally. Nodding to a few people in line she walked over to the counter. "Hey Cobra.." She said still talking with the cigarette in the corner of her mouth. "What do I have to do now?" She said knowing that she would never walk into her shop and not have something to do. Cobra nodded to the guy in the corner of the room. She rolled her eyes seeing the girl next to him. "Okay..." She walked over to them taking her cig out of her mouth and killing it with the tips of her fingers. She held the cigarette in her left hand as she held her right out. "I'm Aspen. I own this shop. What can I do for you...?" She asked showing no amusement at all. She could careless about this cutsie couple getting tattoos together. It looked like she already got hers. "So how long have you been together? Long enough to get Tats together?" She asked letting the guy know that this was a life decision. |
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Post by River Dexter on Dec 30, 2009 0:59:03 GMT -5
River followed her to the seats, thanking the man as he went. Taking the seat next to her, he chuckled at what she said. "Long as you're sure." Of course he was grateful she was staying. "I just moved here about three weeks ago." His eyes brightened at that. "Hey, me too! Well, a little longer. Maybe just over a month." He grinned, rubbing a hand through his hair. "How're you liking the city so far?"
"My first photoshoot isn't for a couple more weeks..." River widened his eyes a little. Of course she would be a model. Of course. His heart sunk a little. Yeah they had just met and all... but there was no way he could match up to a model. She was so out of his league. But he liked her, so far. They could be friends, at the very least. "You're a model?" he confirmed, smiling. "That's so neat. And congratulations on gettin' that shoot."
"So about where we are going to get this tattoo..." River inhaled, thinking it over. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he exhaled. "Well," he drawled out. "I think I want it on my chest. Here." He laid his hand over the right side of his chest; where his heart would be if his heart was to the right. Not on the heart, because he sure as hell didn't carry his father in or on his heart. But close enough to remember that he had affected that part of him. "What d'you think?"
"I'm Aspen. I own this shop. What can I do for you...?" River rose, wearing a mild smile. "Nice t' met you, ma'am. Just gettin' a simple tattoo today." He struggled over whether or not he should offer his hand for a handshake. In the end he decided not to because she hadn't and didn't seem like she'd be receptive.
"So how long have you been together? Long enough to get tats together?" River's eyes widened a little at that. "Aw, no. We're not together," he corrected. "Not gettin' tats together neither." He ignored the fact that his cheeks had taken on a lightl blush and steadfastly avoided looking to Novalee.
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Post by Novalee on Dec 31, 2009 1:07:56 GMT -5
Nova laughed softly. "The city is fun...lots of shopping, but it's alot bigger than Piedmont, North Dakota." She grinned. "I'm a small town girl trying to make it in a big city." She smirked. He talked about her being a model cool, and she shook her head. "Pfft...It's not a cool as you think...I can't eat all the big macs I want to anymore..." She giggled. "I'm a model with an appetite that is hard to control."
She winked. She listened to where he wanted the tattoo and she nodded. "I think that would be a great place." She didn't know if that was her real opinon or if she was just really excited about seeing him with his shirt off. She didn't have enough time to say much until the owner....Aspen came strolling up.
This woman held a presence that happened to scare the shit out of Nova. She was badass with a badass outfit. She had a cigarette in her hand, and a flask hanging from her belt. Everything about this woman screamed badass. She smiled up at the woman, but she didn't talk. She was too afraid her voice would crack.
When she spoke of them being together a laugh formed in her throat as she began to blush. "Yeah... we aren't together...Though I think i'm flattered you thought I was with someone so handsome...." She instantly turned a darker shade of red as she swallowed a lump in her throat. She laughed nervously.
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Post by River Dexter on Dec 31, 2009 20:11:32 GMT -5
"The city is fun...lots of shopping, but it's alot bigger than Piedmont, North Dakota." She grinned. "I'm a small town girl trying to make it in a big city." River laughed lightly at that. "North Dakota? Never been up that way. But I sure understan' the small-town thing. I'm from Radcliffe, Kentucky. That's about as small-town as it gets." He ended with a short laugh, but it felt uncomfortable. He hadn't meant to, but mentioning his hometown made him think of why he had left. He cleared his throat and pushed that from his mind. Mustering up a smile, he listened as she de-glamourized the life a model.
"Well, y' gotta appreciate a girl with a healthy appetite," he said grinning. He nodded as she agreed on the location for his tattoo. "Yeah, I think so too." Decision made. Now he just had to get it done...
"Though I think I'm flattered you thought I was with someone so handsome...." She was cute when she blushed. River sent her a grin to ease her nerves and laughed a little. "Well, thank you, Miss Novalee," playing the part of the smooth-talker that he so was not. As Aspen waved for him to follow her, River complied, tossing his head a little just to ensure that Novalee was coming along too.
She thought he was handsome. Well all right.
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Post by Novalee on Jan 1, 2010 23:22:30 GMT -5
"You're quite welcome Mister River..." She said grabbing his hand and softly tugging him towards the tattoo room. Walking in she grinned at the walls. Lots, and lots of artwork. It was pretty cool.
The owner, Aspen sat on a stool getting a needle ready. She patted the chair for River to sit. "Well loose the shirt.." Nova said giggling softly. "I have a feeling this may hurt..." She said wincing just thinking about it.
It has to hurt on skin that soft. She would never be able to get a tattoo on her chest, but maybe it was different for guys. She grabbed a chair and pulled it to the other side of the tattoo chair. "I promise I won't let go of your hand...." She grinned and looked up into his eyes.
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Post by River Dexter on Jan 1, 2010 23:56:11 GMT -5
"Well loose the shirt.." River grinned at that and easily shed his shirt. He didn't mind being without his shirt at all. Between working on his car and doing construction in the Kentucky heat and playing all those sports, he was used to it.
Folding the clothing in his lap, he turned to Aspen. "Just, uh, 'sins of the father.' Across the right, here," he said, indicating the area he wanted. "Black hand-writing, nothing fancy at all."
"I have a feeling this may hurt..." River shrugged, watching as Aspen prepared things. "I dunno. I got a pretty high threshold of pain." He shot her a cocky grin at that, chuckling. "But just in case, that's why I got you here, huh?"
"I promise I won't let go of your hand...." "Good. Just in case it does hurt more than I think." He smiled to her softly then, waiting for the tattooing to start.
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Post by Novalee on Jan 3, 2010 2:55:05 GMT -5
Taking his hand as Aspen started up her needle she watched in horror as the needle began to find its way to his chest. Novalee turned her head slightly...Sucking it up she looked into River's eyes. "So how about to get your mind off of this we talk?" She grinned.
"So you grew up in Radcliffe, Kentucky what's your story country boy?" She grinned squeezing his hand a tad. "Tell me how this gentlemen of a southern boy came to be?" She looked down at their hands intertwined and blushed a tad. This was not how friends hold hands....There fingers were locked together.
That was how couples held hands.
She shook the thought knowing that it would be awkward to have to hold his hand the whole time wondering if he was thinking they would become a couple after this. Surely, he would know that she is a classy woman and would atleast want a date first....but then of course he could possibly only see her as a friend. Which was fine with her...
After all they just met.....she couldn't have already grown feelings for him that was more than the nature of friendship....could she have?
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Post by River Dexter on Jan 5, 2010 17:07:21 GMT -5
"So you grew up in Radcliffe, Kentucky what's your story country boy?" She grinned squeezing his hand a tad. "Tell me how this gentlemen of a southern boy came to be?"
He chuckled easily, not really bothered by the tattooing. It hurt, sure, but he had felt worse. Plus, he had a pretty lady to entertain. "Dunno that I got a story. I mean, it was just the usual growin' up, y' know? Momma and Dad and my little sister. I went to school, played ball, went out with friends." He passed his free hand through his hair, blushing at his unimpressive tale. "Just the usual," he repeated.
Yeah, usual. As long as he left out coming home to his father's beatings. Being afraid to come home because of a B+ or a fumbled football because he didn't know what the punishment would be. Fearing for his mother and sister's lives because what if his father decided to turn on them? He swallowed all that though. He was gone. He wasn't his father's son anymore. He wouldn't think about that.
The needle skipped a bit and River winced, unintentionally squeezing her hand. "Sorry," he apologized immediately. The movement drew his attention to their hands though. Fingers inter-locked and palms pressed close together... That was far from platonic. He shrugged it off, though. She was just giving him some comfort and companionship. That was all. Just friendship, that's what they had started.
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Post by Novalee on Jan 17, 2010 14:28:08 GMT -5
"Dunno that I got a story. I mean, it was just the usual growin' up, y' know? Momma and Dad and my little sister. I went to school, played ball, went out with friends."
She looked at him knowing there was so much to him that he was not willing to tell only because they had just met, and Nova understood that. Sure, she was actually here to find a long lost half brother, so it wasn't something she was going to throw out....and that's not even including her mother. She almost shuddered at the thought.
Her empathy let her pick just a tad of uneasiness. She decided she was going to change the sub ject when suddenly her hand was sqeezed just a tad too hard. She didn't wince or every whine. All she did was place her other hand on top of his, and smiled softly at him knowing that if she was getting a tattoo there she would be sqeezing ten times harder.
He said sorry like a true southern gentleman, and all she could do was smile. "It's fine.. I think I would be sqeezing harder if I were you..." She giggled slightly looking down nonchalantly at how her hands were clasping his. Looking over to Aspen whom was now just wiping it down it seemed to look done. Nova smiled.
"Well...River." She paused looking into his eyes. "I think you're done." She smirked softly and stood up letting his hand linger out of hers.
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Post by River Dexter on Jan 17, 2010 23:52:46 GMT -5
"It's fine.. I think I would be sqeezing harder if I were you..."
He laughed at that, shaking his head. "Nah, you're all right," he assured her. She hadn't been so bad during her tattoo really. And besides, River didn't like his girls too tough. Tough enough to keep up with him, but not too tough so that he could still take care of them sometimes. Not that it even mattered. Because she was not his girl. Not even close.
"Well...River." She paused looking into his eyes. "I think you're done."
He grinned, glancing down at the new tattoo. "Yeah," he agreed. "Guess I am." He watched a minute as Aspen patched it up, letting her hand slip from his. "Thanks for stickin' 'round with me," he said, passing her a bright smile. Twisting back into his shirt, he shot a thanks to Aspen before rising.
Turning to Novalee, he swallowed softly and asked, "Where're you headed after this?"
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