[EVENT] THE GIFT THREAD

[Joselle]

YEAH IT'S DUE TODAY but if it's late, just tell me or any of the mods that you'll be late, and we'll notify your person.

DUMP I HERE UNDER A SPOILER THREAD

[Deleted]

My special someone was the lovely, lovely Derp! She's a wonderful friend, and although we haven't talked too much -- she's really funny and sweet, and of course, the homework police!! She sleeps really late and stays up to talk with us. I haven't had the chance to actually thread with you yet, but I'm looking forward to it! Merry Christmas, darling!! <33333333 I hope you enjoy this gift. ;w;

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{Happy Holidays, Derp!! <333}

[Deleted]

So my recipient was Misso, who is really one of the best and loveliest friends I've ever met and I love her and her fun, wonderful muses. <3

First is this drawing of Rapunzel I did, since I've always wanted to draw a Disney girl (this was my first attempt) and I thought it would be a good thing to include. Though my scanner is dumb and I had to take a picture of it instead, gomen. ;u;

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{Woo}

And second is this EngLiech fic; a pairing I've never written before, but I hope it's okay. /o/ It's just a random human verse, not exactly TND.

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{Woooo}Arthur had been working on this garden for a while, even before meeting Lili. The fact that he liked to garden was not secretive, but he did not go on boasting about it, either. It was reserved; a more personal delight. Over the span of years that followed his living on his own, that work grew less studious and had seen a decline in productivity—the flowers once in full bloom had their petals shrinking in on themselves, their heads wilt and languished to stare wounded at the ground below. Perhaps it had been the London rain that drowned the soil beyond health, or that the sun was too often obscured by clouds overhead. There was some missing factor that kept Arthur from keeping his garden alive over all these years, one that he just couldn’t put his finger on. But he cherished the garden, he knew that much, and the thought of voluntary negligence was therefore kept out of mind.

Constructing a greenhouse had several times crossed his mind, but he preferred things as they were. It felt better to let the garden expand and breathe while out in the open, not enclosed between any walls. It made for nicer strolls and, on stormier days, provided for vibrant scenery from beyond the window while Arthur would be inside and biding his time with a cup of tea at the table. Those flowers would be as quiet and worn down by the rain as he, but they were still pleasing to look at.

Lili had just moved to London when they met, and at first he wouldn’t have guessed that she was new. He disliked admitting that it was unordinary to come across anyone so sociable. He was not the type to kindly approach strangers for any sort of chat. The sidewalks of the city were often congested, but even a crowd did not mean that the streets felt lively. People were busy, quiet; engrossed in themselves if not each other. Shoulders bumped and eye contact passed fleetingly before one’s head would retreat under an umbrella canopy and they would continue on their way. Strangers harbored only this disinterested behavior toward one another, which Arthur had grown used to and frankly did not ever mind. So long as no one came to bother him.

That only showed hope of changing the moment their eyes had met. The green of his eyes was so dark and weathered in comparison to hers—they were of lighter hue and with a gentler look that held him like a vice. They were a green touched with aqua, like the beautiful chrysoprase color he would see on a mood ring. That type of green usually meant calmness, neutrality—or was it romance on some of them too? Thankfully their meetings had not been scarce from that point on. Her face was not another pair of solemn eyes that he would pass by one day to never be seen again.

To this day, it still strikes him how she had changed him like that. It was as if Arthur had a barrier, a wall behind which he would keep himself reserved. He had little friends because he didn’t care to make any. The relationships he had were brief and lacking in true romance. He was awkward when it came to having company over, so he strayed away from things like that. It almost frustrated him that he was taking so much interest in the Liechtensteiner. She might just return home eventually and they would probably never meet again—that was the norm with most people he crossed paths with—but just this once he didn’t want that to happen. He remembered the gentleman behavior that his parents used to insist on him and did his best to leave better impressions on the woman. In the time that Lili was in London, he would find himself meeting her in the same café by a local florist. That was when he found out—among many other things—that she had a strong affiliation with flowers like he did. It had simply felt so long since he opened himself up like this to another. Sharing interests was not a prompt he was used to, but it honestly felt like the first time he had ever felt so… interested in any conversation. It was not for business, it was not curt or monotonous; it was just friendly and something Arthur did not think himself capable of engaging in.

Months would pass like this, a time over which Arthur did not lose any of that interest he felt. They had started a relationship somewhere in there; she was still as enticing as she was the day he met her in that florist’s shop and he felt incredibly lucky that no one else had swept her off her feet already. Having her around his flat made it feel as if he had his own mediator. She was always so calm in the best and worst of times, gentle and never timid when handling Arthur’s less stable temper. Gentleness was something that arose often between the two. Arthur was not as used to such kind treatment, but it felt only natural to return it. He knew Lili was stronger than how she was built, but he still couldn’t help thinking she was delicate. Perhaps it was the softness of her fair skin—he knew that from an obtained habit of brushing his knuckles against her cheek, gentle like the swipe of a feather or a flake of snow—the sweet lilt of her voice or the smallness of her hands.

What was more; her interest in gardening reminded him of the state of his own garden back home. She had offered to help him with it and that was an offer he could never turn down. Flowers with little chance of survival were removed and replaced by seeds they had gone out and bought. There were Gloriosa daisies, various tulips, peonies, the brightest pink and yellow begonias. Lili made visits to Arthur’s flat as frequently as she could, and tending to that garden was how they spent a majority of their time. Even when there were heavy clouds up above, it was a sliver of color to counter the shadows that they casted.

---

Their progress did pause once. It was nearing the end of May and Lili was returning from a lengthy visit to her brother over in Switzerland. During the few weeks that she was away, Arthur took it upon himself to make sure that the garden would look supreme—at the cost of a bit of cheating, since he did visit the store to buy a few plants that were already potted. Those flowers were placed down wherever the garden looked too empty. The others that they worked on were already well in bloom, if not little buds that were harder to notice behind all the taller blossoms.

He was waiting by the backdoor, holding a rose he had bought in his hand. He didn’t want to ruin what they had worked on by plucking something from their garden, so he figured that was the most appreciative option. His fingers held steadily around its stem, tightening when he heard the click and creak of the front door.

There wasn’t any reason for him to be nervous around her. Sometimes, though, he wasn’t sure whether his gentleman act would ever cut it. She once—no, several times—told him that she loved him just as he was. The cliché ‘you’re perfect the way you are’, he’d used to think, but now he absolutely loved hearing it from her. She knew he was charming in his own way. He didn’t have to be posh or dripping with gentlemanly mannerisms to prove himself to her.

Footsteps carried Lili across the floor and to where Arthur was standing. There their eyes once more met, as exhilarating as it had been the first time that occurred.

She rushed forward and he caught her in an embrace, uttering from smiling lips that pressed against her hair, “Welcome back home, angel. I’m hoping you’ll like what I’ve done out there.”

When he released her, his arm twitched to present that single rose to her and place it in her hand. He was not expecting it to be too surprising—and it wasn’t, for she had caught a glimpse of it behind his back when she arrived—but it made her laugh, ardently. They joined hands and found themselves equally anxious to explore what became of Arthur’s garden.

Determination was on Lili’s end, to relax Arthur from whichever nerves he had been feeling that moment. Of course she had not been counting on him to make a spectacular showing of the garden while she was away, so she had to assure him that she would not be disappointed no matter what he thought.

It was large, that was for certain. There was a stone path that led out to the small pond nearby, and on either side of each carefully crafted stone were bushes and the flowers they had implemented. The grass at their roots was luscious and clear of weeds, not overrun by rainwater as it had been before. Tulips were placed in a fashion that looked like they were swirling around the patches of green, much like one would see beautifully done in a movie. It didn’t look that professional, but it was still something to awe over. This all seemed endless as you crossed along the path to the pond. You could reach out your arms as you walked and always there would be soft foliage for your fingers to feel—and that was precisely what she was doing. As they went, Lili was recalling her entire trip to Switzerland, voicing each detail with exuberance and with eyes that were lit by the surroundings around her.

Petals swayed but were not knocked over by a gentle breeze, and the sky had spared London a clear and warm day today. Arthur could only marvel over the change—this was not at all the weeping garden he had had before. It occurred to him how important he found Lili’s and his shared interest in flowers of the like, that such a small detail could lead him to working so feverishly over this entire yard. The thought also dwelled in his mind that Lili might have been that one factor he and his garden needed in order to be perfect.

He was smiling throughout their walk, listening to her as she spoke. He would like to think that the walking path would not end when they came upon the pond. The line was thin where ground met water, and they could see their reflections (as well as the sky’s), slightly disfigured, in the clear ripples. The path did stop there, but there was no mistaking the notion that time would lead them everywhere else. They had all the time in the world, it felt, to continue getting to know each other, to possibly live together soon, to visit all other points of London or, even better—the world. At one point Arthur will have to find a more romantic spot than his backyard to propose, but that part is probably a lengthy step away.

Fearing he might begin to blush, he stops thinking about that.

Merry Christmas~

[Joselle]

Jen:

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{The Red Queen}

UGH SORRY I WANTED TO DO A SHIP BUT I ENDED UP DRAWING THIS INSTEAD. I hope you like it ;3; I might write but uh that will be added later PFF

[Katyusha Chernenko]

This one is for MONA! She's such an amazing writer and her video editing skill is amazing. Would love to talk to her more if I could beat this timezone ;w;

I'm still writing something for you, but I derped and need to edit everything. In the meantime, have this:

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{clickity-clickity-click}

full size here

EDIT: yes, the fic is done! It's Francis/Lili fic, some random human AU. Hopefully they're not OOC ;w;

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{*puts it here and runs to hide in a bunker*}Francis had a date. And he already prepared everything. He'd send a limousine to pick his date, then they'd enjoy a dinner for two at the best restaurant he had reserved before. Francis smiled at that thought. Reserving the restaurant was the hardest part. The place was always full even on weekdays. He was lucky he had been able to reserve the best table right before someone else did. This would be a good date and he was certain Lili would be happy. He had asked her an important question on their last date, but she needed time to think and promised him she'd give her answer on their next date. Which would be now.

When Francis checked the restaurant at the afternoon, he saw his acquaintance there. Someone he really didn't expect to be seen at a fancy restaurant wearing such an expensive-looking suit: Ludwig Beilschmidt. The French man's greeting was returned with a tired grunt, so he asked Ludwig what's been bothering him.

"I was going to propose..." he cleared his throat, "to Carmen. Had everything planned out. But the restaurant... somehow wrote someone else's name over my reservation." The German proceeded to tell Francis the detail of his plan, which strangely sounded similar to his date plan with Lili.

Of course Francis wanted to help his friend, but on the other hand, he couldn't enjoy his date knowing Ludwig had a problem with his plan. So he approached a waitress and quietly ask that his reservation was given to Ludwig, without mentioning that he did this for him. The other man's plan was more urgent than his, after all. Once Ludwig was told that the best table was given to him, Francis patted his shoulder. "Good luck, Ludwig."

"Wait," the German's voice sounded tense. "I need advice. I know you're good at... this sort of thing," he cleared his throat. "So, advice. Bitte?"

That evening, a voice message was sent to Lili Zwingli's phone: I'm sorry Lili, but it seems we can't have a date tonight. You see, a friend of mine is having a problem...

.

Francis had another date. It's going to be simpler now. He and Lili would meet at a nearby park, have lunch together and watch local artists performing their talents: drama, poetry reading, pantomime and many others. The weather was perfect; the sun was shining and there were thin clouds scattered across the blue sky. Beautiful.

He was about to head outside when his phone rang. Francis picked it up, "hel--"

"Francis," the caller's voice was cold and tense, as if something horrible was happening before their eyes at the moment. His name then followed by a string of curse words, making Francis winced inwardly. He waited until the other person calmed down a bit before asking.

"What's wrong, Arthur? What happened?"

"Peter," Arthur hissed. "I looked to another direction just for a moment and they were gone. Peter and his friends. I tried tracking his phone--he was last seen somewhere near your house..."

Francis instantly knew he had to help searching them. The last time Peter was separated from Arthur, the boy got run over by a car. Sadly, it'd took the whole day to find Peter and his friends, so Francis left a message for Lili: I'm sorry Lili, but it seems we can't have a date today. You see, a friend of mine is having a problem...

.

Yesterday Francis had a long day. He attended meetings and parties, so he was very tired when he came home. And when he woke up today, he was late to his date.

So Francis rushed from the bed, getting himself prepared and then proceeded to leave his house. But alas, as he did so, a strange projectile hit his head out of nowhere. He blacked out and had to stay in bed until the next morning, so he called Lili and said, "I'm sorry Lili, we can't have a date today..."

He began to wonder if the universe didn't want him have a date with Lili.

.

When Francis called Lili about their fourth attempt of date, Lili said she'd send help to him.

"For what?" he inquired.

"So you can arrive safely at my house," Lili answered.

"You don't have to--"

"I insist."

Francis accepted the offer. Still, he's wondering what kind of help Lili would send to him. Hopefully it'd be able to protect him from random projectiles too.

"He certainly would be able to," Lili replied when Francis mentioned about the accident. He couldn't see her from here, but he knew the young woman was smiling. And possibly giggling.

Much to his surprise, it was Vash who showed up at his door. "Come on," he gestured to the outside. "I don't want to make my sister wait too long." The Frenchman thanked him politely. Luckily nothing strange happened during their trip; Francis didn't meet anyone who needed his help or got a call to do so. They arrived, then Vash left Francis at the garden.

Lili exited the house, beaming. "Francis, I'm glad you're finally able to come here." She glanced upwards, concerned. "Is that still hurt? Your head?"

He shook his head, reminded by a couple who were having a fight near his house by throwing flower pots at each other. "By the time I entered this garden, all my wounds are already healed, Lili." Excitement began to build up in his chest. This is it. He finally would get the answer he'd been waiting for days.

Chuckling, his date led him to a table for two. They sat and Lili poured tea for both of them. The girl was unusually nervous and avoided making eye contact, so Francis asked her, "what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?" but deep down he began to think that Lili would give him a negative answer. Especially after he canceled their date three times...

Lili reached for Francis's hand and gently squeeze it. "I was disappointed when you canceled our dates twice," she said softly.

His smile remained, but he could feel his heart sank a little.

"But then I heard from bruder that you did it because other people asked for your help. It... it erased all the doubts I had..." Lili glanced to the house. Francis followed her gaze and saw a glimpse of golden hair behind the window. He thought Vash was listening, but he shrugged it off.

The young woman before him took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "When you told me about the fighting couple and the flower pot, I got a feel the Universe wouldn't let us meet unless bruder agreed with my answer. That's why I asked him to go to your house. I... I guess he already told you my answer..." a faint blush appeared on Lili's cheeks.

"He didn't, Lili," Francis beamed, amused. "Maybe he wants you to tell me in person." He held Lili's hand, already knew what she's going to say. And that knowledge made him glad.

She raised her face, looking straight to his blue eyes. "M-my answer is yes. Yes," she repeated it several times before tears starting to roll down on her cheeks as she laughed happily. "W-we're going to marry."

Without releasing her hand, Francis rose from his chair. He moved closer to Lili's, knelt and kissed his fiancée's forehead. "Thank you," he whispered. Then he took a small box from his pocket and opened it before her, showing a simple gold ring crowned with a sapphire. Lili promptly gave him her hand so he could put the ring on her finger.

"You make me the happiest man in the world."

[Misso Pan]

So... my gift was for Silv. I muddled over what to do for a while, it came at a bad time since all creative avenues are kind of bad right now, very inactive. I hope you like it though. I know it's not your favorite, and my Prussiamuse is pretty much dead now, but I wanted something cute that might make you smile. You're a really great friend and I love talking to you, so I really hope you enjoy what I wrote. ;w;;;;


SPOILERS AREN'T WORKING UGH

--

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{IS THIS WORKING}The doors were now locked, Vash was settled in his living room, probably cutting coupons or something like that. With his sister up in her room, (re)reading one of her many books, there was nothing for him to worry about. She was a good girl, of course, one who would never sneak out or do anything naughty while under the influence of those who would corrupt her.



Right?



The clank of an object against Lili’s window sparked her curiosity and dragged her away from her bed and her book. There was another clank, then another. Finally Lili glanced out towards the ground, towards the white-manned man below who took another pebble into his grasp and launched it up at the window just as it creaked open. His aim was utterly impeccable, and Lili just narrowly dodged the projectile.



“Gilbert!” She almost shouted, but her voice was locked in an immediate decrescendo, fearing that Vash might be around to hear her berate the Prussian. “Gilbert—what are you doing?” Lili’s voice was a hissed whisper, her face almost a scowl. Gilbert, meanwhile, seemingly distraught by his near hit of the young woman, nearly flinched at her accusing tone.



“You’ve been cooped up in there all month! Get down here, it’s Christmas and we’re going out.” Gilbert called back up, not paying the same amount of respect or fear to the Swiss man as his sister was. She shushed him desperately and looked back to her bedroom door, fearful that Vash would burst in at any moment to see what stranger she had in her room. Thankfully, this didn't happen. He stood down there on the ground, waiting patiently. Lili pulled out all the stops when it came to caution.



He half-expected her to come out the front door, though with the curtains open wide and the bear sitting right there in the living room, this wouldn't have been a good way to escape. His surprise when, instead, Lili began trying to climb down the steel gutter pipe that sat to the side of her bedroom windows, was later described by her as a moment for which she wished she had a camera on hand, and hands free to snap a photo.



"Look, you're gonna hurt yourself--" God, this girl, sometimes. If it were anyone else he might have laughed at the thought of them falling.



"If I fall you'll catch me though, right?" She looked down at him, spring eyes gleaming.



"Das stimmt."



She grinned at him then, and continued her trek downward. For the love of Gott, don't drop down. Not that he wouldn't be able to catch her if she did drop! He was fully prepared to soar in like some kind of heroic prince and rescue her from distress! But with the ever-looming threat of the dragon lurking within the castle, that was a can of worms her didn't want to open. It would only serve to ruin the night.



Barely a foot off of the ground, Lili hopped the rest of the distance, landing gracefully in the immaculate snow. She was bundled tightly in a large, bulky coat that touched the powder surrounding her feet, and she must have had a couple of layers underneath for the sheer broadness of those wrapped shoulders made her head look a size or two too small.



“Where to?” she asked, settling herself next to Gilbert as the two began to walk. He whispered that it was a surprise and refused to tell her.



The frozen water they eventually did reach was populated by people much like themselves – young adults, but also children with their parents and people skating alone. The lights that were hung above and around the area created a beautiful effect of rainbows dancing across the ice. Lili’s face lit up joyfully at the sight of it, but it fell immediately into confusion when Gilbert used the opportunity to snag for the two of them skates.



"/You/ can ice skate?" Lili asked incredulously, fastening her skates to her feet whilst Gilbert mirrored her. His reply was a loud, terse laugh, brimming with confidence as he smirked down at her. It was the kind of expression she could only interpret as 'hah, of course! I can do anything!' She'd never seen him touch anything with wheels though, granted, she didn't get to see him do much at all. Without waiting he sprang to his feet and slide out onto the ice.



Showing off.



Not moving, though. He seemed to only be showing off the fact he was capable of keeping his balance. If it was anything like riding a bicycle, there was hope for Lili yet. She secured the laces on her skates and also hopped to her feet, inching her way over to the ice cautiously as if a single misstep would send her tumbling into the snow. Gilbert held his hand out, she grabbed it, and he pulled her along a little too roughly to her non-existent ability to handle, sending Lili flying unceremoniously past him with only the grasp of his hand to stop her.



Like a bullet, the force of her velocity only brought Gilbert along with her, which, despite his insistence, was not according to plan at all. He meant to show off his amazing skills, to sweep her along effortlessly like a knight, to teach her balance and grace despite the fact she needed to learn neither. Only when she accidentally let go and collapsed onto the ice did Gilbert flinch. This wasn't his idea of a perfect date. It would have worked out if he were saving her from falling, not being the cause.



Her legs wobbled as she tried to steady herself back onto her feet, but once she noticed Gilbert's attempts to get over to her - which were awkward at the very best and very much unaccustomed to ice - she forgot all about her sore rear and was reduced to a fit of giggles that compromised her balance. At that, all she managed to do was fall over again, but this time uttered no squeaks of pain. Maybe he should have invested in those lessons after all, but he was much too prideful to ever consider it.



“Part of your masterful plan, Beilschmidt?” Lili asked when she regained her composure, as Gilbert finally managed to reach her unscathed.



“Of course!” A lie. She was good at figuring out which was a boast and which was truth by now. Gilbert retained his façade of unfaltering confidence no matter the situation, but she liked that just fine.



And from there, they agreed to learn together, but it wasn’t without its falls, its bruised knees, its collapses and cracking ice that prompted the two to suddenly learn how to skate backwards and away from danger. Their antics continued into the night, as people came and went, as children left with their parents until they were the only people left, until they were finally forced to give up their skates and abandon the lake for some other venture.



Even covered by mittens, their hands were freezing cold. When they grasped their scalding mugs of cocoa, the pain was doubled twice over and the drinks were nearly dropped, but they were saved in the nick of time by snow under the bench, which almost melted all the way through and caused the cups to be lost to the elements. She burnt herself regardless and held her tongue out to the chilled winter air, which Gilbert poked playfully.



Gilbert had to make sure he got her back home within a certain period of time. Before Vash noticed she was gone, but not before he was sure the sheltered little lady had her fill of the outside world. It wasn’t the first time he’d stolen he away from her tower, but holidays were special. He never asked for anything from her when gifts were involved, it was enough to see her smile. Even Vash didn’t share with her this kind of enjoyment very often, Gilbert was sure “fun” wasn’t even in the Swiss man’s vocabulary.



He snorted at the thought, guiding her home as her arms winded around his, cuddled close and warm with cheeks pink from the wonderful freedom.



"Even though you fell, I fell- even though you're one of the worst skaters I've ever seen- even if the hot chocolate DID burn my tongue..." He was much too tall for her to reach. Even when he bent down at the behest of her pleading gesture she still had to stand on her toes to peck him on the cheek, but she smiled nonetheless. “Danke schön,” she said, “the evening was lovely. This was a nice gift.”



Those efforts were not wasted. She'd rather not get drawn into a long-winded goodbye when midnight was fast approaching. Vash had not yet turned out the lights or gone to bed, and she would not question this good fortune.



He grinned at the touch of her lips against his cheek and ruffled her hair in restore. Frickin' cutie. How was it possible for anyone on the planet to be so adorable? "Get on up there, then. Barred windows aren't exactly a thing I wanna come back to, though the rescue would be even more awesome then!"



He helped her get her feet settled on the gutter pipe and her ascent began. He stayed there under the pipe, watching her like an eagle, until she finally disappeared back into her room. She turned and waved her goodbye and whispered her goodnight and then the window was closed. Her light went off immediately, a sure sign that brother dearest was up and about, checking for whatever might threaten the innocent flower he was sworn to protect.



A stick was shoved so far up his ass it was a miracle he could even walk properly, but Gilbert could find reflections of his own past in some of Vash's mannerisms. He was a brother too, after all... perhaps not as anal, though.

--

[Deleted]

God, I'm going to sound like such a dumbass here.
My gift is for for the queen of the world, and she's still labelled "The Pimpest Son of God" on my skype. It's Icy of course (and she already knows that OTL) and I am so late ;w; I'm sorry and you deserve so much better than this unfinished thing I deliver I am not worthy...

(In case you are wondering, I wrecked my drawing hand on the car door as I was finishing your piece :<)
I WILL SHADE IT AS SOON AS I CAN.

ALL GOOD NOW I FINISHED WOOP WOOP

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{Spoiler}{i am so sorry uhfiuHFDSUHGSHF}The prompt was Ice/Liech and a kiss in the snow u//w//u

[Joselle]

YOU GUYS WHERE IS EVERYONE ELSE

[Captain]

SO UH I JUST WENT AHEAD AND SENT IT VIA PM BUT WHATEVER I GUESS I'LL JUST POST HERE

THIS WAS FOR JU - I WENT WITH A MINIMALISM SHIT CUZ DRAWING I CAN'T DO AND WRITER'S BLOCK.

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{this sucks I'm sorry}