[The temporary bond makes things too muted for Elliot to pick up on what Eren is contemplating. Right now, he is focused more on the hunt. Elliot wouldn't call him a hunter, he's no Gaius, but he's been on enough monster hunts and forage for food enough times to have an idea of what to do.
He nods]
Sounds good to me. Lead the way.
[He plans to follow Eren, as back up. He's not very great at tracking, but at least he can listen for things.]
[ alright, well. time to go lizard. he’ll have to occasionally get closer to the ground to get a better scent of what’s what. the problem: he doesn’t actually know what he’s tracking. only that he’s eventually found a different musk from the dirt and the trees, and guides himself with it.
[Eren is real lucky that Class VII has so many weirdos that Elliot does not question this tactic to the extent that he should. A slight raised eyebrow, sure, but it doesn't get any actual comments. ]
Hmmm...
[he digs into his bag, pulling out a net, and a grappling hook and some rope that he totally lifted from that last mission]
[ hm. they’re going to have to think about this better. glancing upwards toward the trees, then back down, hand to mouth in thought and: ]
They’ll work. [ find a good spot to set the net and throw the rope over a branch to pull. he motions for the objects, the net and rope, specifically, to tie them together as they walked. it’ll have to be something small with these. he winces, occasionally, but the ache against his skull can be skipped over. ] Do you have any spells down, yet?
[He'll offer him the net and rope, letting Eren take care of that work.] A few, but as for ones that'd be useful here....
[He goes quiet, his hand going to his chin as he thinks about it.]
Oh, I know. I can cast a soundproofing spell on you. It'll mute any sounds you make. Though it only lasts a few minutes, so we'll have to keep that in mind.
[ oh, a soundproofing spell actually sounds . . . better, than what he was thinking. eren considers a little more silently as his fingers twirl to work the knots.
he huffs, impatient and annoyed with it, rubbing the buttons of keratin on his head with mindfulness. it soothes for only a second, alas, that’s what bothers him most. ]
I think I’m growing horns.
[ slowly, even. he’d prefer a sudden growth and get over with it than this, but hey. if this is what kaede and zack felt, those two are heroes. ]
[ eren looks back over to him— it’s a little hard not to be aware of a flushing face now, although that could be for quite a few reasons . . . not one that causes him to react the same way for now, at least. ]
If you’re comfortable with it. I’m gonna finish up.
[ he’ll sit down to finish now, for two things: save energy, and if elliot still wanted to, be at a proper height to touch his head. eren letts his legs cross under him while continuing on to the next knot, and the one after that. it could be embarrassing for the other, he’s aware, but— eren knows enough of the benefits to be open to it. he’s free to do what he feels best.
[Was he comfortable with it? No, not really. Feeling the head of someone is a very awkward situation. But he felt even more uncomfortable about the idea of leaving this guy to hurt when the solution was in Elliot's power.
Right. And that's what mattered. He swallows, steeling himself]
...S-Sure, I am. We're partners, right? We look after each other.
[Was that to Eren or to himself? Either way, when Eren sits down, he'll stand on his knees next to him and with quaking hands, reach up and start rubbing the area around those horn nubs.
Which...wow. Of course there's the feeling of his face heating up. He expected that. He also expected the feeling of that soft hair through his fingers. He wasn't expecting, however, the pleasant filter of his energy being filtered to be kicked into high gear as it transfers to Eren. It felt nice, akin to the feeling of a warm shower or freshly cleaned clothes.
With that sensation? It's easier to relax into it. Skittish touches turned into a tender yet gentle massage. ]
[ well— it officially wasn’t the first (nor last) time he’s let someone touch his hair, hiccup did a good job teaching him how to braid it and mikleo’s given fair attention to this rather erotic spot when stroked and scratched right. eren’s breath hitches in, soft and subtle as the exchange soothes his ache, and automatically, his shoulders dip to relax from their strain.
not just the energy trade, but the actual kneading against his bumps allows for a sigh that comes up a little too audible. it just— feels good. feels much better than hurting, than stinging, and while his entire face doesn’t flush, it’s clear that his ears are becoming the same sort of scarlet his softly scaled nape is.
in fact, the scale coloring deepens, and while he doesn’t stop his work, he does slow down. enough that, he’s closing his eyes. it’s not like he needed to see the knots to do them anyway. ]
You have good hands.
[ he needs to keep talking, unless he wanted to lose focus, fall asleep or . . . something else. ]
[He keeps up the massaging without even thinking about whether he needs to or not. Eren will pull away when he's had enough, right? For now, it feels good enough to keep it up. It also feels good seeing Eren reacting positively to it. ]
Ehe, well...musician. Gotta take care of my hands. But thanks.
[He does notice the flush of those ears. He's not sure when that happened. Maybe they're always this red from this angle...yeah.
But right, talking.]
You have nice hair. Bet it'll still be nice when the horns grow too.
[...Okay look he only has so much to work with that doesn't sound gay he's massaging a man's scalp here.]
[ a hum! or, rather, sounds more like a grunt that says “oh! makes sense!” never mind that he is slowly, but surely, melting in his hands, with the slight weight elliot might feel getting pushed into his palms. eren rolls his shoulders, and drops his head back. only a few more knots left.
he huffs out the quiet beginnings of a laugh, though. it’s not at him! ]
I don’t mind my hair anymore. I used to cut it. [ but now it’s free to, you know. grow to whatever length it desires. anything close to flirting initially goes right over his head, but what his tongue picks up as he licks his lips . . . is something he’s tasted before. briefly, his eyes open, and he can catch a bit of elliot in an upside down view. ]
I’m— not going to go feral, or anything. [ a pause, and suddenly— he feels awkward to say it. ] You, [ gesture, uh ] taste nervous, or.
Aha, that doesn't surprise me. Something about you makes me think you're the soldier type. [He's been around a lot of soldiers. He's used to the way they move, talk, walk. Eren wasn't a hardliner like Neithardt, but the telltale signs were still there.] But I'd say this suits you better.
[He can't put his finger on exactly why, but it..does. Maybe it was more personalized, more free]
Well words like that were enough to snap him out of his little trance, but probably not for the reasons to be expected. Eren saying he's not going to go feral, trying to assure him, it...it reminds him of Rean. Or rather, all the times would be so hard on himself for his ogre power, or be afraid of hurting them.]
I'm not nervous about that.
[He says it without the slightest bit of doubt. He doesn't even question why Eren can taste him as nervous because whatever- dragons are weird and his anxiety is hardly a great national secret.
Instead, he's focused on Eren now. Without thinking, one hand leaves the top of his head and moves to Eren's cheek, turning his head so he can look at him directly, to show that he means it.]
Even if you could go feral, I'd still stick around, okay? This is a temporary bond, but I still plan to support you with all I have. Even if I had to keep you in check.
[ adjusting the tilt of his head to turn upright and to better face him. that’s. hm.
he can’t say he’s worried about that anymore, he was simply going with what he smelled. tasted. whatever. what else did he have to be nervous about, right? and it still doesn’t answer the question of nervousness— but eren can’t derail something as sincere as that. his brows pinch ever slightly, curving as his lips do in a smile. eventually, he takes elliot’s hand away from his face, to clasp it better with the entirety of his palm covering the other’s and squeezing with the same amount, of not doubled of sturdy reassurance.
though not quite saturated as they could be, the colorful specks to his scales are bright. ]
Thanks. [ it’s sincere, and there isn’t much else to say to that. he’s grateful he can run into the right people, like this. and whatever it is that he’s nervous about— ] If you’re with me, you don’t need to worry, either.
[Oh. Oh now that his moment of encouragement and projection was over, he realizes what he's done. Now Eren was holding onto his hand and smiling at him, those scales bright. This is a much closer position than the horn rubbing was. His cheeks turn a shade of pink as this realization dawns on him.]
I-
[He gulps a little. Eren was definitely still picking up on his nerves. He can't dance around it, or Eren might think he doesn't trust him. And he doesn't want that. Combat links break if the partners have trouble trusting each other. Who knows if bonds react the same way]
I-It's not that. I mean, I always feel worry, but I trust you. You'll look out for me too. I-It's more-
[Nngh, just get out with it]
Combat Links never really...had this much...touching? S-So I'm still getting used to it. [Quickly] Not that it's a bad thing!
[ ah. ah!! okay. it’s not so much a big deal and more something he’s . . . easily adapted to. if he had to hold historia’s hand to get memories, he’d offer his contact to keep his ferocity down if it were mutual. with understanding, eren’s grip slips from elliot, but not before giving some sort of reassuring squeeze. it makes more sense, now. ]
I get it. [ narrator: eren did not get it. not on the same level, anyway. he holds the net up, done and ready to be used, as well as an expression that seems soothed. ] You feel the difference, right?
[ alright. back to the smell he caught earlier, eren licks his lips and situates him in the direction it floats off to, offering an affirming smile. spreading it out between both arms, he begins heading deeper into the foliage. he smells dirt here, and the scent doesn’t stray farther away. It ends around here . . .
just need to find the hole (haha, hole, again). ]
Ready when you are. [ it’s said with a bit more quiet, pointing to— something, scales beginning to burn excited colors. he’s. getting excited. like, look! a hunt! his first hunt. ] There’s something nearby.
[Elliot follows behind, trying to remain as quiet as possible so not to disturb Eren's hunt. He can see that the guy is getting excited about it. In a way, it's endearing to watch, especially as those scales become more colorful. ]
Okay, I'll catch the spell on you. If you need back up give me um... [he does the first gesture which comes to mind, which is a peace sign] ...this?
[Right okay. Hopefully he has that. Elliot will concentrate his magic, and touch Eren's shoulder, giving a very quiet whistle as the incantation. Eren will feel something akin to a soft energy wash over him, muting any sounds he makes. When it's done, he'll let go of Eren's shoulder - walking away in a noisy enough manner so it sounds like both of them are leaving.]
[ has he mentioned he sort of sucks at hunting? of course he wouldn’t. the brief warmth of the spell as eren flinching, but once its done, he gives elliot a thumbs up and.
he’s trying to say something, his mouth moves and he yells it out, but, alas. nothing. he says it tastes pretty big. thick smells, they were, not something small and fleeting. or perhaps there were many in one spot? a pile of rabbits, do those exist? ah—
he can do it. deeper eren goes, getting into a crouch until he finds the gap of a den in the earth, hidden under a mossy, dead log. maybe if he put the net here, at the entrance . . . and tried to coax it out through the emergency exit? there was never only one way to move in and out of these things, he would know. let’s see— there’s one. one he’s crawling straight into as if it were his.
Elliot can only watch this whole mess transpire. He had thought that maybe Eren would have some idea of what to do, or maybe some dragon-y instincts to fall back on but.
he's never seen anyone just crawl into the rabbit hole.
He can't help but remark to himself as he watches]
[ wait for the silence. wait for it. there’s a surprise to come, and something. something screams, high pitched and foul. look toward the double ended burrow, and you’ll see:
not one, not two, but a family of five jackalope burst from the burrow’s front in due time, the first to tangle in the net that covered the hole being the fierce mother with two smaller ones frightened to split. she battles with the net, her antlers and paws snaring her the more she kicked and clawed away to flee. the last is the male, larger than all its offspring and the mother put together, bolting away in seconds flat. ]
Damn it! [ comes eren’s voice, the spell wearing away but dirty, clawed and bitten as he tries to crawl out of the hole— his hips are stuck. desperate peace sign???? he’s trying to inhale hard enough to see if he’ll flatten somehow to get through. no wiggle helps. ] That one!!
[ the mother jackalope is caught against the net and ground shrubbery, unable to make an escape as the rest did— he just wished he could’ve gotten her sooner. ]
Even before Eren gave the peace signal, Elliot started approaching the moment he saw the jackalopes running out. They weren't a breed of rabbit Elliot has seen before, but it was pretty obvious it was a family of rabbits- with babies on top of it. Which boy...Eren might already be able to tell through the link that leaves him feeling pretty conflicted. ]
Oh no...
[he reaches the area with the netted jackalope and the stuck Eren-the-Pooh, looking between which one to deal with first. Eren seems to be indicating the one in the net, so..]
J-Just hold on Eren.
[With a gulp, he'll walk over to the jackalope. It's...pretty easy to tell this must be the mom. And those babies were still pretty young, so killing her would...
...Yeah. He's got a feeling he's gonna get chewed out for this. That's gonna be fun to deal with.
He kneels down near the jackalope, and starts singing a lullaby. There's magic laced in it, a mild sleep spell. The jackalope's struggles start to slow until they come to a stop. It falls into a...well, not quite a sleep, but more of a drowsy trance. Still humming the lullaby, he'll detangle the jackalope from the net and pick her up, cradling her in his arms as he starts to run his fingers through her fur- collecting as much fur as possible. Thankfully like rabbits, jacklopes shed like crazy.
Eren might be picking up that there's a not small chance he's not going to kill the thing.]
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He nods]
Sounds good to me. Lead the way.
[He plans to follow Eren, as back up. He's not very great at tracking, but at least he can listen for things.]
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the trees especially. huh. ]
What are we going to trap with?
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Hmmm...
[he digs into his bag, pulling out a net, and a grappling hook and some rope that he totally lifted from that last mission]
Maybe this?
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They’ll work. [ find a good spot to set the net and throw the rope over a branch to pull. he motions for the objects, the net and rope, specifically, to tie them together as they walked. it’ll have to be something small with these. he winces, occasionally, but the ache against his skull can be skipped over. ] Do you have any spells down, yet?
1/2
[He goes quiet, his hand going to his chin as he thinks about it.]
Oh, I know. I can cast a soundproofing spell on you. It'll mute any sounds you make. Though it only lasts a few minutes, so we'll have to keep that in mind.
2/2
But that aside...are you feeling okay? You're wincing.
[Yeah, don't think he didn't notice partner. He sure did]
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he huffs, impatient and annoyed with it, rubbing the buttons of keratin on his head with mindfulness. it soothes for only a second, alas, that’s what bothers him most. ]
I think I’m growing horns.
[ slowly, even. he’d prefer a sudden growth and get over with it than this, but hey. if this is what kaede and zack felt, those two are heroes. ]
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[He blinks a couple times. That's right, dragons have horns. And he remembers Zack growing some in when he ran into him.
Which...
He feels himself blushing when he says this, but...well, he does want to help people as much as possible]
Do....D-Do you want me to try touching you? I-I've heard physical contact with a witch can help soothe the pain...
[Goddess he hopes Zack wasn't just pulling his leg]
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If you’re comfortable with it. I’m gonna finish up.
[ he’ll sit down to finish now, for two things: save energy, and if elliot still wanted to, be at a proper height to touch his head. eren letts his legs cross under him while continuing on to the next knot, and the one after that. it could be embarrassing for the other, he’s aware, but— eren knows enough of the benefits to be open to it. he’s free to do what he feels best.
massage his nubs ]
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[Was he comfortable with it? No, not really. Feeling the head of someone is a very awkward situation. But he felt even more uncomfortable about the idea of leaving this guy to hurt when the solution was in Elliot's power.
Right. And that's what mattered. He swallows, steeling himself]
...S-Sure, I am. We're partners, right? We look after each other.
[Was that to Eren or to himself? Either way, when Eren sits down, he'll stand on his knees next to him and with quaking hands, reach up and start rubbing the area around those horn nubs.
Which...wow. Of course there's the feeling of his face heating up. He expected that. He also expected the feeling of that soft hair through his fingers. He wasn't expecting, however, the pleasant filter of his energy being filtered to be kicked into high gear as it transfers to Eren. It felt nice, akin to the feeling of a warm shower or freshly cleaned clothes.
With that sensation? It's easier to relax into it. Skittish touches turned into a tender yet gentle massage. ]
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not just the energy trade, but the actual kneading against his bumps allows for a sigh that comes up a little too audible. it just— feels good. feels much better than hurting, than stinging, and while his entire face doesn’t flush, it’s clear that his ears are becoming the same sort of scarlet his softly scaled nape is.
in fact, the scale coloring deepens, and while he doesn’t stop his work, he does slow down. enough that, he’s closing his eyes. it’s not like he needed to see the knots to do them anyway. ]
You have good hands.
[ he needs to keep talking, unless he wanted to lose focus, fall asleep or . . . something else. ]
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Ehe, well...musician. Gotta take care of my hands. But thanks.
[He does notice the flush of those ears. He's not sure when that happened. Maybe they're always this red from this angle...yeah.
But right, talking.]
You have nice hair. Bet it'll still be nice when the horns grow too.
[...Okay look he only has so much to work with that doesn't sound gay he's massaging a man's scalp here.]
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he huffs out the quiet beginnings of a laugh, though. it’s not at him! ]
I don’t mind my hair anymore. I used to cut it. [ but now it’s free to, you know. grow to whatever length it desires. anything close to flirting initially goes right over his head, but what his tongue picks up as he licks his lips . . . is something he’s tasted before. briefly, his eyes open, and he can catch a bit of elliot in an upside down view. ]
I’m— not going to go feral, or anything. [ a pause, and suddenly— he feels awkward to say it. ] You, [ gesture, uh ] taste nervous, or.
[ something. and for a moment, a small moment
eren realized how god damn weird that sounds ]
1/2
[He can't put his finger on exactly why, but it..does. Maybe it was more personalized, more free]
2/2
Well words like that were enough to snap him out of his little trance, but probably not for the reasons to be expected. Eren saying he's not going to go feral, trying to assure him, it...it reminds him of Rean. Or rather, all the times would be so hard on himself for his ogre power, or be afraid of hurting them.]
I'm not nervous about that.
[He says it without the slightest bit of doubt. He doesn't even question why Eren can taste him as nervous because whatever- dragons are weird and his anxiety is hardly a great national secret.
Instead, he's focused on Eren now. Without thinking, one hand leaves the top of his head and moves to Eren's cheek, turning his head so he can look at him directly, to show that he means it.]
Even if you could go feral, I'd still stick around, okay? This is a temporary bond, but I still plan to support you with all I have. Even if I had to keep you in check.
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he can’t say he’s worried about that anymore, he was simply going with what he smelled. tasted. whatever. what else did he have to be nervous about, right? and it still doesn’t answer the question of nervousness— but eren can’t derail something as sincere as that. his brows pinch ever slightly, curving as his lips do in a smile. eventually, he takes elliot’s hand away from his face, to clasp it better with the entirety of his palm covering the other’s and squeezing with the same amount, of not doubled of sturdy reassurance.
though not quite saturated as they could be, the colorful specks to his scales are bright. ]
Thanks. [ it’s sincere, and there isn’t much else to say to that. he’s grateful he can run into the right people, like this. and whatever it is that he’s nervous about— ] If you’re with me, you don’t need to worry, either.
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I-
[He gulps a little. Eren was definitely still picking up on his nerves. He can't dance around it, or Eren might think he doesn't trust him. And he doesn't want that. Combat links break if the partners have trouble trusting each other. Who knows if bonds react the same way]
I-It's not that. I mean, I always feel worry, but I trust you. You'll look out for me too. I-It's more-
[Nngh, just get out with it]
Combat Links never really...had this much...touching? S-So I'm still getting used to it. [Quickly] Not that it's a bad thing!
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I get it. [ narrator: eren did not get it. not on the same level, anyway. he holds the net up, done and ready to be used, as well as an expression that seems soothed. ] You feel the difference, right?
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Y-Yeah, I do...
[Oh well. They did still have a hunt to do. So he'll pull away his own hands and examines the net. ]
Net looks good! Should be able to catch something with that.
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just need to find the hole (haha, hole, again). ]
Ready when you are. [ it’s said with a bit more quiet, pointing to— something, scales beginning to burn excited colors. he’s. getting excited. like, look! a hunt! his first hunt. ] There’s something nearby.
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Okay, I'll catch the spell on you. If you need back up give me um... [he does the first gesture which comes to mind, which is a peace sign] ...this?
[Right okay. Hopefully he has that. Elliot will concentrate his magic, and touch Eren's shoulder, giving a very quiet whistle as the incantation. Eren will feel something akin to a soft energy wash over him, muting any sounds he makes. When it's done, he'll let go of Eren's shoulder - walking away in a noisy enough manner so it sounds like both of them are leaving.]
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he’s trying to say something, his mouth moves and he yells it out, but, alas. nothing. he says it tastes pretty big. thick smells, they were, not something small and fleeting. or perhaps there were many in one spot? a pile of rabbits, do those exist? ah—
he can do it. deeper eren goes, getting into a crouch until he finds the gap of a den in the earth, hidden under a mossy, dead log. maybe if he put the net here, at the entrance . . . and tried to coax it out through the emergency exit? there was never only one way to move in and out of these things, he would know. let’s see— there’s one. one he’s crawling straight into as if it were his.
and that was the last time you saw eren jaeger. ]
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Elliot can only watch this whole mess transpire. He had thought that maybe Eren would have some idea of what to do, or maybe some dragon-y instincts to fall back on but.
he's never seen anyone just crawl into the rabbit hole.
He can't help but remark to himself as he watches]
What is he doing...?
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not one, not two, but a family of five jackalope burst from the burrow’s front in due time, the first to tangle in the net that covered the hole being the fierce mother with two smaller ones frightened to split. she battles with the net, her antlers and paws snaring her the more she kicked and clawed away to flee. the last is the male, larger than all its offspring and the mother put together, bolting away in seconds flat. ]
Damn it! [ comes eren’s voice, the spell wearing away but dirty, clawed and bitten as he tries to crawl out of the hole— his hips are stuck. desperate peace sign???? he’s trying to inhale hard enough to see if he’ll flatten somehow to get through. no wiggle helps. ] That one!!
[ the mother jackalope is caught against the net and ground shrubbery, unable to make an escape as the rest did— he just wished he could’ve gotten her sooner. ]
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Even before Eren gave the peace signal, Elliot started approaching the moment he saw the jackalopes running out. They weren't a breed of rabbit Elliot has seen before, but it was pretty obvious it was a family of rabbits- with babies on top of it. Which boy...Eren might already be able to tell through the link that leaves him feeling pretty conflicted. ]
Oh no...
[he reaches the area with the netted jackalope and the stuck Eren-the-Pooh, looking between which one to deal with first. Eren seems to be indicating the one in the net, so..]
J-Just hold on Eren.
[With a gulp, he'll walk over to the jackalope. It's...pretty easy to tell this must be the mom. And those babies were still pretty young, so killing her would...
...Yeah. He's got a feeling he's gonna get chewed out for this. That's gonna be fun to deal with.
He kneels down near the jackalope, and starts singing a lullaby. There's magic laced in it, a mild sleep spell. The jackalope's struggles start to slow until they come to a stop. It falls into a...well, not quite a sleep, but more of a drowsy trance. Still humming the lullaby, he'll detangle the jackalope from the net and pick her up, cradling her in his arms as he starts to run his fingers through her fur- collecting as much fur as possible. Thankfully like rabbits, jacklopes shed like crazy.
Eren might be picking up that there's a not small chance he's not going to kill the thing.]
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