ULTRAMagic Interval - Chapter 9
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“Mm-mm-mm! Something smells good in here” Reynard remarked as he entered through the front door with Sam, Buster, and Olivia accompanying him.
Faustus gave a slight nervous chuckle as he was aware of the elephant in the room. “My apologies, Reynard. My brain was prioritizing Will’s recovery.”
“Hey, no harm no foul. I was planning on making something soup related for dinner, so you saved me the trouble, ha.” He then lifted the lid of the pot, allowing a plume of steam to billow upwards. Getting out a spoon, he tried some of the broth. “Let’s see… ah, here they are…” Reynard then got out some spices and added a few pinches to the soup.
“I was a little unsure about adding that, truth be told.”
“In my experience cooking, adding a little extra never hurts. Curiously, what kind of remedy is this?”
Faustus began ladling some of the soup into a bowl. “It’s a fire based spell Milan taught me. It is supposed to give Will some of my heat…” Waving his hand over the bowl, a crackling spark dropped into it. The broth swirled and hissed for a moment, began glowing red, then calmed down and let off a burst of steam. “Ah, there we go… hopefully I did it right.”
“Interesting, I’ll have to ask Milan the particulars of this magic.” Reynard then got out a soup tray for Faustus. “Here, you take care of Will while I finish up the soup.”
Faustus thanked him and went over to Will and the others. The living room was one large room, with the kitchen on one side and the hallway to the bedrooms opposite to that. It made going back and forth easy, giving the room a nice, open feel to it. Sam and the others were asking Will about what the encounter with Valentin was like. While he was still cold, Will was doing a lot better. Faustus wanted to give him the soup regardless.
“...this is why I didn’t want you going out there, Boyo,” Sam chided. “Thank God you’re safe.”
Will sighed. “I hear you. I hate to admit it, but Per…Valentin did have some interesting things to say.”
“Yeah, he certainly did…” Faustus remarked. “Alright, Will, eat up. Just as a warning, the flavor may be a bit in your face at first.”
Will inspected the soup for a moment. It looked like regular chicken noodle soup, barring the embers and sparks floating amongst the meat, vegetables, and noodles. The smell was quite nice, with a hint of campfire to it. After taking a slightly chattering breath, Will took his spoon, dipped it in, and sipped. Almost instantly his taste buds were overwhelmed by a strong flavor he could not name, which gave way to a euphoric feeling once he swallowed. Will then felt a burst of warmth throughout his whole body, prompting him to eat more of the soup.
“Wow, Faustus, this is amazing!” Will complimented as he kept eating.
“Glad you like it. We’ll have to thank Milan whenever we see him again.”
Reynard covered the cooking pot and turned to the others, leaning on the countertop. “So, Will, what did Valentin say to you? He has a habit of chatting with his opponents and it is always intriguing to hear what he has to say.”
Will cleared his throat after another spoonful of soup. “Right, that. He asked me about what I thought evil was and stuff about morality. You know, like, do I think everyone can be redeemed and whatnot.”
“Do you think everyone can be redeemed, Will?” Buster inquired.
“I’m going to be frank, Buster; No. I legitimately think some people are too far gone.”
“I can’t fault you there, given some of the cases Antares and the others have had to deal with over at the brigade” Olivia added.
Reynard thought about the questions for a moment. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Valentin’s been getting fairly philosophical as of late, which I feel stems from his childhood. You know, it’s finally coming full circle given who he’s decided to work for. Although I have to say that card there is a bit of a new one for Valentin.”
Sam looked down at the coffee table and silently panicked. “Boyo, what is that?” This caused Buster and Olivia to also worry.
“Don’t fret, Sam,” Reynard replied. “Valentin may be a wild card, but he’s not one for sneak attacks like that. Hexers seem to like handing out their cards to people they’re interested in. Besides, Hannah and I would have sensed it if that was something malicious.” As if to comfort everyone, Hannah looked up from her bed and gave reassuring bark.
“If you say so…” Sam was still a little apprehensive.
Jackson groaned as if something was bothering him. “Dad, can you finally tell me what hexes are? Seriously, quit dodging the question.”
Reynard shook his head and chuckled. “Jack, we’ve been over this; You don’t have the clearance for that info…” He could see his son glaring at him, causing him to laugh. “...but since it’s relevant to what’s going on, I’ll tell you.”
“FINALLY,” Jackson exclaimed as he banged the sides of his chair.
“Hexes are a rare form of magic that are a derivative of curses…” Reynard started to explain as he got out the ingredients for bread.
“Curses?” Sam questioned. “Those actually exist?”
Reynard gave her a slightly puzzled look. “Well I figured you of all people would know about them, Morrigan. Anyways, curses are an even rarer form of self-perpetuating magic that were sealed away by its creator, old Ermenrich Denzell. He wasn’t thrilled when Delphine, The Discordant God of Desire, started teaching people her own off brand version of curses. Hexes are nowhere near as powerful, but are still dangerous.”
Will picked up his card and marveled at its shine and metallic edges. “Interesting… what does it do though?”
“I didn’t understand half of that, but it sounds incredibly kinky,” Jackson cheekily remarked.
Reynard gave a light hearted scoff with a slight laugh. “Alright, now I just need to transmute this stuff into dough and…” He snapped his fingers, causing the raw ingredients to form into a lump of bread dough in a flurry of electrical sparks. “Viola!”
Sam and the others clapped. “Well done, Dr. Reynard.
He laughed. “Not the most practical use of alchemy, but it gets the job done. Faustus, could you bake this for me?”
Faustus walked right over and snapped his fingers, causing the dough to heat up and rapidly brown and crisp. The smell of fresh bread filled the air, delighting everyone’s noses. Reynard then invited everyone over to get some food. Will stayed behind at the couch as he was still finishing up his bowl. Recognizing that he did not want to get up, Sam brought him over some bread with butter spread over it.
Dinner was amazing as the rest of the soup was fantastic, but that could not distract Buster from Reynard’s comment towards Sam. It was obviously in jest, but the way she looked at him confirmed so many memories for Buster. After discussing it with Olivia, she suggested talking to Sam about the whole thing. If they were truly friends, she would be willing to talk about it. It was going to be awkward, but Buster needed to ask.
The next day, once Will seemed to be back on his feet, Buster calmly approached Sam. He asked if she wanted to discuss something one on one and she accepted. They went to the lounge she and Will had been using, which had been set aside for the group. Truthfully Sam was a bit concerned as this was a little unprecedented. Buster also seemed uneasy, like something was bothering him.
“So Buster, what’s up? Are you doing alright?” Sam wondered.
“Sam… oh boy, how do I say this? Um… do you… do you remember The Unlight?”
Her blood went cold. “Um, yes? Did you want to know about it?”
Buster took a breath, clearly preparing himself mentally. “Do you know about the whereabouts of my brother, Sir Odo?”
Sam went a bit pale, as if something she never wanted to remember came back to haunt her. “Erm, can we do this some other time?”
“Excuse me? Didn’t you just tell Will about The Unlight?”
“Well, yes…”
“Then what’s the hang up? Do you or do you not know where my brother is?”
She was getting incredibly nervous, eyeing the door. “Look, Reynard wants to tell us something soon, so how about we go…”
Buster recognized that Sam was inching towards the door, so he rushed over to block it. In his haste, he had not realized that he had shed his human form. Standing there was what resembled a strange looking knight. Buster’s armor was made of an almost black, bone-like material and an ashen gray cape was on his back. His glowing, scarlet eyes were locked with Sam’s.
“Sam, look; do you know why I came to live with you and the others? It’s because I was on the run. Those stories I told you guys about my treasure hunting mom and combat veteran dad? All of that was a fabrication to maintain my cover. My brother cast a spell on me to keep my memories suppressed…”
“You really are his younger brother, aren’t you? The one we were actually supposed to capture…” Sam remarked as she took it all in.
Buster looked down at himself, startled at his appearance. “What the… oh jeez! You weren’t supposed to see me like this. Odo was going to come get me and undo the spell once the coast was clear, but something’s gone wrong as I don’t see him anywhere. Sam, where is…” he then noticed she looked like she was about to cry. “Oh God, Sam, I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
She stopped him and took a breath to steady her nerves. “No, no. I’m the one who should be apologizing to you… like I could even do so for what I pulled… Look, Buster, my memories are still a bit hazy, but what I can tell you is that Odo should be alright by now.”
This warranted a sigh of relief as Buster returned to his human form. “So what happened to him?”
Sam stepped around him and opened the door. “It’s complicated. How about this: When all of this here in Red River is said and done, I’ll figure out a way to take you and Will to The Unlight.”
Buster sighed again, a little annoyed this time. “Promise?”
“I… I can’t make any guarantees at the moment.”
He knew she was partially trying to get out of it. “How about this then; If Odo doesn’t show up before we stop Bethany and Valentin, you have to take us there no matter what.”
“Fair enough,” Sam conceded.
Heading back to Reynard’s quarters, things were pretty lively as Will was practicing his pyromancy. Faustus was having him do what he considered to be parlour tricks, as a means of getting him used to working with devils again. Will was juggling three fireballs and was doing pretty good at it, despite not being that well versed in the skill. Reynard, Jackson, Adrien, and Olivia were watching, impressed with Will’s progress.
“Hey, Sam, Buster,” Will welcomed. “Don’t mind us, just practicing some pyromancy. Hey, where’s Mayhem at?”
“Out with Umuka, scouting the city,” Reynard answered. “They should be back sometime soon.”
Sam smiled as she watched the balls fly up in the air. “Good job, Boyo. Think you could handle more?”
Faustus chuckled. “Not yet, but soon. We don’t want him draining his heat again.”
Jackson snapped his fingers a couple of times, realizing something. “Oh, hey, dad! Tell these two what you told us before Adrien gives his announcement.” Adrien nodded in response.
“Right,” Reynard agreed. “Sam, Buster? If you two end up subduing Valentin, don’t rough him up too much…” Sam groaned a little. “...I say that because Milan has been trying to get through to him for ages. While I’d consider Milan’s efforts a tad obsessive, he clearly sees something in Valentin. And to be fair, I don’t think Valentin is truly a bad egg, just dealt a bad hand in life. Despot on the other hand? Draw and quarter him if you have to. We couldn’t care less if that waste kicks the bucket and good riddance as far as I’m concerned.” Reynard’s energetic tone when commenting about Despot made the others chuckle.
“What Reynard told me about Valentin makes me feel weird about confronting him now” Will commented as he stopped juggling.
“Well he is trying to steal your soul, right?” Olivia asked. “Even if it is at the behest of a foul tyrant, you still owe him a knuckle sandwich.”
“Haha, she has a point, Sport,” Faustus added. “Stay determined, Kiddo.”
Will smiled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. So, Adrien, the Liger Brigade stuff?”
“Ah yes, amigo,” Adrien said as he stood up. “Great news, everyone: Antares is on his way here as we speak…” Will and Olivia high fived. “...and he’s also bringing Zoltan with him.”
“OH COME ON,” Will complained.
“YEAH-HEAH!” Jack celebrated. “The classy vampire himself!”
Reynard crossed his arms, like a disappointed parent. “Will, you know just as well as we do that he was pivotal in sealing Bethany away in the 60s…”
“I know…” Will grumbled.
“What’s the matter, Champ?” Faustus asked. “He can’t be that bad, can he?”
“Zoltan’s a closet authoritarian, Faustus…”
Jackson grabbed Will’s shoulder. “Hey, knock it off, Weatherman. He’s authoritative, not authoritarian.”
Will shook himself loose. “I’ll be in gym Red-3 if you need me…” he grunted as he stormed out.
Faustus was naturally a little concerned. “What’s the matter with him?”
“Don’t worry, he’s just jealous of Zoltan,” Jackson answered. “And he may be a little salty over his dad not being the greatest.”
“I mean, I’ve met Boyo’s parents and they’re not that bad,” Sam interjected.
“I see,” Faustus concluded. “I’ll go make sure he’s alright.” He then flew out of the room in a flurry of sparks and embers.
Adrien sighed. “I had a feeling he’d respond like that… I know he’s not enthusiastic about Zoltan, but it’s an emergency.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Reynard said as he patted him on the shoulder. “Zoltan’s a great guy. I doubt Will will stay mad at him.”
Adrien chuckled. “True, although Will can get a bit heated at times…”
Next: Chapter 10
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
“Mm-mm-mm! Something smells good in here” Reynard remarked as he entered through the front door with Sam, Buster, and Olivia accompanying him.
Faustus gave a slight nervous chuckle as he was aware of the elephant in the room. “My apologies, Reynard. My brain was prioritizing Will’s recovery.”
“Hey, no harm no foul. I was planning on making something soup related for dinner, so you saved me the trouble, ha.” He then lifted the lid of the pot, allowing a plume of steam to billow upwards. Getting out a spoon, he tried some of the broth. “Let’s see… ah, here they are…” Reynard then got out some spices and added a few pinches to the soup.
“I was a little unsure about adding that, truth be told.”
“In my experience cooking, adding a little extra never hurts. Curiously, what kind of remedy is this?”
Faustus began ladling some of the soup into a bowl. “It’s a fire based spell Milan taught me. It is supposed to give Will some of my heat…” Waving his hand over the bowl, a crackling spark dropped into it. The broth swirled and hissed for a moment, began glowing red, then calmed down and let off a burst of steam. “Ah, there we go… hopefully I did it right.”
“Interesting, I’ll have to ask Milan the particulars of this magic.” Reynard then got out a soup tray for Faustus. “Here, you take care of Will while I finish up the soup.”
Faustus thanked him and went over to Will and the others. The living room was one large room, with the kitchen on one side and the hallway to the bedrooms opposite to that. It made going back and forth easy, giving the room a nice, open feel to it. Sam and the others were asking Will about what the encounter with Valentin was like. While he was still cold, Will was doing a lot better. Faustus wanted to give him the soup regardless.
“...this is why I didn’t want you going out there, Boyo,” Sam chided. “Thank God you’re safe.”
Will sighed. “I hear you. I hate to admit it, but Per…Valentin did have some interesting things to say.”
“Yeah, he certainly did…” Faustus remarked. “Alright, Will, eat up. Just as a warning, the flavor may be a bit in your face at first.”
Will inspected the soup for a moment. It looked like regular chicken noodle soup, barring the embers and sparks floating amongst the meat, vegetables, and noodles. The smell was quite nice, with a hint of campfire to it. After taking a slightly chattering breath, Will took his spoon, dipped it in, and sipped. Almost instantly his taste buds were overwhelmed by a strong flavor he could not name, which gave way to a euphoric feeling once he swallowed. Will then felt a burst of warmth throughout his whole body, prompting him to eat more of the soup.
“Wow, Faustus, this is amazing!” Will complimented as he kept eating.
“Glad you like it. We’ll have to thank Milan whenever we see him again.”
Reynard covered the cooking pot and turned to the others, leaning on the countertop. “So, Will, what did Valentin say to you? He has a habit of chatting with his opponents and it is always intriguing to hear what he has to say.”
Will cleared his throat after another spoonful of soup. “Right, that. He asked me about what I thought evil was and stuff about morality. You know, like, do I think everyone can be redeemed and whatnot.”
“Do you think everyone can be redeemed, Will?” Buster inquired.
“I’m going to be frank, Buster; No. I legitimately think some people are too far gone.”
“I can’t fault you there, given some of the cases Antares and the others have had to deal with over at the brigade” Olivia added.
Reynard thought about the questions for a moment. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Valentin’s been getting fairly philosophical as of late, which I feel stems from his childhood. You know, it’s finally coming full circle given who he’s decided to work for. Although I have to say that card there is a bit of a new one for Valentin.”
Sam looked down at the coffee table and silently panicked. “Boyo, what is that?” This caused Buster and Olivia to also worry.
“Don’t fret, Sam,” Reynard replied. “Valentin may be a wild card, but he’s not one for sneak attacks like that. Hexers seem to like handing out their cards to people they’re interested in. Besides, Hannah and I would have sensed it if that was something malicious.” As if to comfort everyone, Hannah looked up from her bed and gave reassuring bark.
“If you say so…” Sam was still a little apprehensive.
Jackson groaned as if something was bothering him. “Dad, can you finally tell me what hexes are? Seriously, quit dodging the question.”
Reynard shook his head and chuckled. “Jack, we’ve been over this; You don’t have the clearance for that info…” He could see his son glaring at him, causing him to laugh. “...but since it’s relevant to what’s going on, I’ll tell you.”
“FINALLY,” Jackson exclaimed as he banged the sides of his chair.
“Hexes are a rare form of magic that are a derivative of curses…” Reynard started to explain as he got out the ingredients for bread.
“Curses?” Sam questioned. “Those actually exist?”
Reynard gave her a slightly puzzled look. “Well I figured you of all people would know about them, Morrigan. Anyways, curses are an even rarer form of self-perpetuating magic that were sealed away by its creator, old Ermenrich Denzell. He wasn’t thrilled when Delphine, The Discordant God of Desire, started teaching people her own off brand version of curses. Hexes are nowhere near as powerful, but are still dangerous.”
Will picked up his card and marveled at its shine and metallic edges. “Interesting… what does it do though?”
“I didn’t understand half of that, but it sounds incredibly kinky,” Jackson cheekily remarked.
Reynard gave a light hearted scoff with a slight laugh. “Alright, now I just need to transmute this stuff into dough and…” He snapped his fingers, causing the raw ingredients to form into a lump of bread dough in a flurry of electrical sparks. “Viola!”
Sam and the others clapped. “Well done, Dr. Reynard.
He laughed. “Not the most practical use of alchemy, but it gets the job done. Faustus, could you bake this for me?”
Faustus walked right over and snapped his fingers, causing the dough to heat up and rapidly brown and crisp. The smell of fresh bread filled the air, delighting everyone’s noses. Reynard then invited everyone over to get some food. Will stayed behind at the couch as he was still finishing up his bowl. Recognizing that he did not want to get up, Sam brought him over some bread with butter spread over it.
Dinner was amazing as the rest of the soup was fantastic, but that could not distract Buster from Reynard’s comment towards Sam. It was obviously in jest, but the way she looked at him confirmed so many memories for Buster. After discussing it with Olivia, she suggested talking to Sam about the whole thing. If they were truly friends, she would be willing to talk about it. It was going to be awkward, but Buster needed to ask.
The next day, once Will seemed to be back on his feet, Buster calmly approached Sam. He asked if she wanted to discuss something one on one and she accepted. They went to the lounge she and Will had been using, which had been set aside for the group. Truthfully Sam was a bit concerned as this was a little unprecedented. Buster also seemed uneasy, like something was bothering him.
“So Buster, what’s up? Are you doing alright?” Sam wondered.
“Sam… oh boy, how do I say this? Um… do you… do you remember The Unlight?”
Her blood went cold. “Um, yes? Did you want to know about it?”
Buster took a breath, clearly preparing himself mentally. “Do you know about the whereabouts of my brother, Sir Odo?”
Sam went a bit pale, as if something she never wanted to remember came back to haunt her. “Erm, can we do this some other time?”
“Excuse me? Didn’t you just tell Will about The Unlight?”
“Well, yes…”
“Then what’s the hang up? Do you or do you not know where my brother is?”
She was getting incredibly nervous, eyeing the door. “Look, Reynard wants to tell us something soon, so how about we go…”
Buster recognized that Sam was inching towards the door, so he rushed over to block it. In his haste, he had not realized that he had shed his human form. Standing there was what resembled a strange looking knight. Buster’s armor was made of an almost black, bone-like material and an ashen gray cape was on his back. His glowing, scarlet eyes were locked with Sam’s.
“Sam, look; do you know why I came to live with you and the others? It’s because I was on the run. Those stories I told you guys about my treasure hunting mom and combat veteran dad? All of that was a fabrication to maintain my cover. My brother cast a spell on me to keep my memories suppressed…”
“You really are his younger brother, aren’t you? The one we were actually supposed to capture…” Sam remarked as she took it all in.
Buster looked down at himself, startled at his appearance. “What the… oh jeez! You weren’t supposed to see me like this. Odo was going to come get me and undo the spell once the coast was clear, but something’s gone wrong as I don’t see him anywhere. Sam, where is…” he then noticed she looked like she was about to cry. “Oh God, Sam, I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
She stopped him and took a breath to steady her nerves. “No, no. I’m the one who should be apologizing to you… like I could even do so for what I pulled… Look, Buster, my memories are still a bit hazy, but what I can tell you is that Odo should be alright by now.”
This warranted a sigh of relief as Buster returned to his human form. “So what happened to him?”
Sam stepped around him and opened the door. “It’s complicated. How about this: When all of this here in Red River is said and done, I’ll figure out a way to take you and Will to The Unlight.”
Buster sighed again, a little annoyed this time. “Promise?”
“I… I can’t make any guarantees at the moment.”
He knew she was partially trying to get out of it. “How about this then; If Odo doesn’t show up before we stop Bethany and Valentin, you have to take us there no matter what.”
“Fair enough,” Sam conceded.
Heading back to Reynard’s quarters, things were pretty lively as Will was practicing his pyromancy. Faustus was having him do what he considered to be parlour tricks, as a means of getting him used to working with devils again. Will was juggling three fireballs and was doing pretty good at it, despite not being that well versed in the skill. Reynard, Jackson, Adrien, and Olivia were watching, impressed with Will’s progress.
“Hey, Sam, Buster,” Will welcomed. “Don’t mind us, just practicing some pyromancy. Hey, where’s Mayhem at?”
“Out with Umuka, scouting the city,” Reynard answered. “They should be back sometime soon.”
Sam smiled as she watched the balls fly up in the air. “Good job, Boyo. Think you could handle more?”
Faustus chuckled. “Not yet, but soon. We don’t want him draining his heat again.”
Jackson snapped his fingers a couple of times, realizing something. “Oh, hey, dad! Tell these two what you told us before Adrien gives his announcement.” Adrien nodded in response.
“Right,” Reynard agreed. “Sam, Buster? If you two end up subduing Valentin, don’t rough him up too much…” Sam groaned a little. “...I say that because Milan has been trying to get through to him for ages. While I’d consider Milan’s efforts a tad obsessive, he clearly sees something in Valentin. And to be fair, I don’t think Valentin is truly a bad egg, just dealt a bad hand in life. Despot on the other hand? Draw and quarter him if you have to. We couldn’t care less if that waste kicks the bucket and good riddance as far as I’m concerned.” Reynard’s energetic tone when commenting about Despot made the others chuckle.
“What Reynard told me about Valentin makes me feel weird about confronting him now” Will commented as he stopped juggling.
“Well he is trying to steal your soul, right?” Olivia asked. “Even if it is at the behest of a foul tyrant, you still owe him a knuckle sandwich.”
“Haha, she has a point, Sport,” Faustus added. “Stay determined, Kiddo.”
Will smiled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. So, Adrien, the Liger Brigade stuff?”
“Ah yes, amigo,” Adrien said as he stood up. “Great news, everyone: Antares is on his way here as we speak…” Will and Olivia high fived. “...and he’s also bringing Zoltan with him.”
“OH COME ON,” Will complained.
“YEAH-HEAH!” Jack celebrated. “The classy vampire himself!”
Reynard crossed his arms, like a disappointed parent. “Will, you know just as well as we do that he was pivotal in sealing Bethany away in the 60s…”
“I know…” Will grumbled.
“What’s the matter, Champ?” Faustus asked. “He can’t be that bad, can he?”
“Zoltan’s a closet authoritarian, Faustus…”
Jackson grabbed Will’s shoulder. “Hey, knock it off, Weatherman. He’s authoritative, not authoritarian.”
Will shook himself loose. “I’ll be in gym Red-3 if you need me…” he grunted as he stormed out.
Faustus was naturally a little concerned. “What’s the matter with him?”
“Don’t worry, he’s just jealous of Zoltan,” Jackson answered. “And he may be a little salty over his dad not being the greatest.”
“I mean, I’ve met Boyo’s parents and they’re not that bad,” Sam interjected.
“I see,” Faustus concluded. “I’ll go make sure he’s alright.” He then flew out of the room in a flurry of sparks and embers.
Adrien sighed. “I had a feeling he’d respond like that… I know he’s not enthusiastic about Zoltan, but it’s an emergency.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Reynard said as he patted him on the shoulder. “Zoltan’s a great guy. I doubt Will will stay mad at him.”
Adrien chuckled. “True, although Will can get a bit heated at times…”
Next: Chapter 10
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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