InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You are usually wrong"

Lois Lane; Intrepid Reporter (thatlanewit) wrote in wariscoming,
@ 2012-07-22 20:30:00

Entry tags:

clark kent/superman, lois lane

WHO: Lois and Clark
WHAT: worldwide adventures
WHEN: Monday afternoon
WHERE: Lawrence-->China-->IDK other places maybe?
WARNINGS: awkwardness forever.

After work, instead of the usual routine of trying to find one more source to look into or one more stray lead to follow, Lois headed straight back to the complex. It had been hard to focus on doing any actual work when she first arrived, her mind a chaotic mess over the plans for later in the evening, but once she had two cups of coffee in her and confirmed a few sources on the article she was writing she’d dived right into work without a second thought. Every single doubt and troubling thought had returned with a vengeance once she was standing in front of her closet and trying to decide what the hell to wear for this outing.

Her mind kept trying to change that word into date, but Lois wasn’t having any of it. Two friends could go out together, get some food, chit chat while eating, maybe go shopping afterward. People did it all the time. She did it with Kim. She did it with Oliver. With Chloe. She’d do it with Dick if he was actually eating again. So maybe this dinner was a little different because it involved a flight to China. It was just a flight to China with Clark who she’d admitted to liking not even a week ago and he’d basically admitted the same thing right back, but that was water under the bridge. It was the whole nearly exploding, finding out about Doomsday talking. It didn’t have to really mean anything or change anything. It definitely didn’t have to ruin the friendship they had going.

Finally deciding on jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of Sketchers, Lois made sure she had her phone, wallet and keys on her and headed for the roof, pulling her hair back into a ponytail as she took the stairs up to give herself extra time.

“Clark?” she called out as she opened the door and walked outside, pursing her lips when she saw the roof was empty. Lois couldn’t help but pull out her cell to check for a message, waiting to see an excuse about not making it. It wouldn’t be the first time a Clark had stood her up and if her luck with men held true, it really wouldn’t be the last. Placing her phone back in her pocket she leaned against the wall and stared up into the sky.

Lois was going to give him five minutes before she headed downstairs and forgot this had ever been planned.

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ex_savior698
2012-07-23 10:22 pm UTC (link)

For someone who could move faster than a speeding bullet, Clark Kent was awfully talented at showing up late on a consistent basis. Normally that was because unexpected problems tended to pop up right in front of him ; unexpected problems, like people getting caught up in trouble or trouble getting caught up with him. In this particular case, the latter appeared to be the problem. Clark had changed out of his work attire into something more casual and had been on his way to the roof when Jerry, the same guy who had been so persistent on wishing him well when Lois had told everyone he was in the hospital, had stopped him on the way up to ask him if he wanted to go grab a few drinks. After politely declining several times over, Clark finally found an exit route (editor at twelve 'o clock, asking about a deadline Jerry had hanging over his head) and gladly took it.

It couldn't have been more than four minutes into the five minute window that Lois had set up when she had climbed onto the roof herself when Clark pushed the door to the roof open and stepped outside. With a sheepish smile, Clark made his way over to where Lois was waiting and immediately started with, “Sorry, Jerry wanted to turn this outing into a party of three. Had to throw him off my trail.” Maybe it would have been better if Jerry had tagged along. All the common sense reasons as to why he shouldn't have aside (like the fact that Jerry didn't know Clark was the actual Superman and that Lois was actually the Lois Lane), it would have made all of this – whatever this was – less...well, whatever it was. There was a lot unsaid hanging between Lois and Clark and Clark didn't really know how to bring it up without driving Lois off or making it worse.

He cared about her and she had said that she cared about him. Was it because they genuinely cared for one another or was it because they felt obligated to because of who they were and the consistent story that surrounded their relationship with one another? Did they care about each other just because they were Lois and Clark or was there something more there between them? Because of their different backgrounds and all the hype behind their names, Clark couldn't help but worry. But that was what he did. He worried, even when Lois had made it pretty clear that she had wanted to get to know him because he was different from the start. And Lois? Clark had known she was different, too, when they had first met. She was younger. Even more reckless than the Lois from his world. She was only just starting out and she had no idea what was waiting for her on the road ahead. Clark had been pushy about keeping an eye on her because of that and, somewhere along the way, feelings other than curiosity and concern found their way to him. This new Lois Lane, with her shoe obsession, her experiences with his adoptive family back in Smallville, and her knowledge of who he truly was...she was a lot like the Lois had had known at home, yet at the same time she was something else entirely.

And he really liked that something else. But was now really the time to tell her that? Was it even okay to?

Clark raked a hand through his hair and straightened out the collar of his jacket, making sure that the costume hidden underneath wasn't overlapping his clothes on the outside. He would have worn it out, but doing so at work would have been far too risky. There were already enough Superman jokes bouncing around here. They really didn't need any more. "So, are we ready for China?" Clark flashed Lois a grin, breaking free from his train of thought. "Or did you want to go grab Jerry?"

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thatlanewit
2012-07-23 11:00 pm UTC (link)

Lois had been lost in thought when the door swung open, and blinked as she took in Clark’s form. As the seconds waiting had turned into minutes she’d truly begun to think she was going to be adding this to the long list of times men had consistently disappointed her, so seeing him actually standing there ready to go was a surprise. She still wasn’t sure if it was a pleasant one or not. If he hadn’t shown up then at least she would have been able to push aside whatever it was that was forming between them to the side and forget about it, but it wouldn’t be so easy to do that with Clark actually showing up for this outing.

She could almost here Chloe in her head urging her to acknowledge what it was they were doing, but Lois quickly squashed down that nagging voice. She wasn’t giving a name to anything that was happening until she understood it all herself. She knew she had been falling for Clark back home, she’d acknowledged it to herself and while under the duress of a madman to him, but unlike what everyone else in this world seemed to like telling her, back home her and Clark did not seem fated to be. Which made her cautious about the feelings she had been developing for Clark here.

She didn’t want them to be forming simply because of who he was or because of what everyone else kept saying about Lois and Clark and her apparent destiny. But Lois knew she did enjoy spending time with him, whether at the office or outside of it. She liked learning about his world, about him and his history. No one else called her out on her bullshit quite like he did, no one else seemed to keep up with her banter or made her feel as safe as he had after the entire bomb incident. But she’d been hurt so many times before that she wasn’t sure she was ready to risk it all again, not if it meant losing the friendship they had going.

“As much as I love Jerry and his ability to find the best chocolates in town, I don’t think you want him to know that you can actually fly,” Lois pointed out, pushing herself off the wall. Though that could be kind of comical, even if it would probably land Jerry in a mental ward somewhere after he started telling the world that Superman was real. And then who would supply all that delicious chocolate she got every day? Best to leave Jerry out of it. She stepped forward, and reached out to smooth down his collar. “You’re kind of hopeless with clothes, Smallville, but I suppose I should be glad you’re not head to toe in plaid.”

Realizing what she was doing, Lois dropped her hands and offered her own smile before turning around to look out at the Lawrence skyline. Keeping her hands to herself was probably a good idea. “I’m starving so let’s get this show on the road.”

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ex_savior698
2012-07-24 04:27 am UTC (link)

"No, I don't," Clark replied, looking thoroughly amused, "but I think I said the same thing about you once. Or twice. Lots of times, maybe..." The big difference being that Jerry was a co-worker and Lois was Lois. Clark had no intention of ever telling Jerry that he was Superman. Lois, on the other hand, had always been a subject for debate. As for this Lois? Clark had known right from the beginning that he couldn't hide anything from her. As they stood on the roof together, on the verge of traveling around the world just because they could, Clark found that he was glad that he hadn't decided to try to keep things from her. It was better this way. Lois knowing who he was and where he had come from made life a lot less complicated than it had been before Well, mostly. Clark caught the hesitation when Lois had made a move for his collar, his body going still with the gesture. He breathed in sharply through his nose and looked down, shrugging his own hesitation off by pretending to examine his outfit. He was wearing a blue jacket, a white t-shirt, and a pair of jeans. Simple enough, but nowhere near fashionable. "Glad? You should be disappointed. I turn plaid into an art form." He tried for a smile at that, hoping that the joke would make things a little less awkward between them.

Carefully, Clark followed Lois' gaze out across the roof. They were closing in on evening here, but they'd hit China at an early hour once they got there. Clark was grateful for that. If Lois was going to visit a new country, she deserved to see it during the day.

With another careful look, Clark glanced back at the door behind them. For all he knew, Jerry could have followed him up if he had managed to catch which way he had wandered off. Joking about Jerry finding out was one thing ; actually accidentally exposing his abilities to the guy - or anyone else, for that matter - was a whole different story. The door was still firmly shut and, with a little help from his x-ray vision, Clark could see that no one else was anywhere near the roof. They were alone and Lois was starting on about food, which meant that they were more than good to go. Before Lois could say much of anything else, Clark wrapped an arm around her waist and scooped her up by the legs.

He didn't take many women flying unless he was rescuing them or helping them in some way. Because of that, Clark never really bothered to ask them if they were comfortable or ready to go. Considering the sense of urgency during those times of flight, Clark didn't really think it necessary. Today, though, with Lois and himself planning to go off and do this for fun, Clark wanted to make sure. If they were going to be up in the air, a place that made plenty of people uncomfortable enough as it were, Clark needed to know that Lois was completely situated and ready for it first. He looked over at her, somewhat uncertainly, and asked, "Is this okay?"

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thatlanewit
2012-07-24 05:06 am UTC (link)

It didn’t surprise her at all that Clark had debated telling any version of her his secret. After all it was a pretty big one to keep considering all the various layers to it and how dangerous it would be if certain people ever learned his identity. Not to mention it put in danger those who knew his secret. Though, it didn’t seem like it mattered if she knew or not, trouble had a way of finding her so really what was a little extra danger added to her plate?

She wondered how it would have worked here if he hadn’t told her as soon as they had talked that first time on the board. It would have been easy enough for her to have found out all that Clark had been hiding. All it took was a few clicks on google, but as the whole Doomsday debacle had proven to her, Lois really didn’t want to ever use google again. She preferred hearing it from Clark. It was different to hear about what his life was, what his powers could do in his own words than reading about it off of wikipedia. Made it more real in her mind.

Lois shook her head at the plaid being an art comment, unable to hold back a laugh at that. “Please, Clark, plaid will become an art form when you let me install a shoe rack in that fortress of yours,” she informed him, glancing over her shoulder at him before looking back out at the sky. “So never.”

She couldn’t help the yelp that escaped her when he picked her up, not having expected to be suddenly lifted into the air. She grasped his shoulders to steady herself and looked up at him when he spoke. It took a moment for her to remember her voice, caught off guard by just how close they were to one another. Sure they had flown together to Kansas City the night before, but there was something different about this time. Something that made her swallow hard. Maybe it was the uncertainty in his gaze or the fact that they were going off just the two of them or a hundred other little things that were causing her heart to race a little faster.

“You should charge admission for this ride,” Lois teased, pleased her voice didn’t falter. She relaxed her grip on his shoulders a bit, still holding on because she wasn’t sure where else to have them. “I bet you could make a pretty penny flying people to places around the world. We could call you the Superman Express. I’m patenting that, so if you use it, I get a cut of all profits.”

She smiled then, giving his shoulders a gentle squeeze before needing to look anywhere but at his face. “Yeah, this is fine. How long do you think it’ll take us to get to China?”

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ex_savior698
2012-07-24 07:32 am UTC (link)

Her comment about the Fortress and shoe racks brought out a laugh of his own. She was right. There was no way he'd ever let her install a shoe rack anywhere near his personal sanctuary. Not unless that rack was designed to hold shoes that she planned on dumping in the incinerator. And, just as Lois knew that Clark wasn't about to stop wearing plaid, he knew that he'd never see that woman throw away a pair of shoes if her very life depended on it.

It took a moment for his nerves to get at him. At first, Clark couldn't help but grin at Lois on behalf of the noise that she had made when he had unexpectedly picked her up. She could handle chasing after shady leads that got her chased off by even shadier people, but getting snatched up unexpectedly by Superman was worthy of a yelp. It was endearing. And funny. Very funny. But then, as she shifted around in his grip, her hands going around his shoulders for support, Clark couldn't help but think about how nice it felt having her in his arms like this. Again, it was different than some random person he was rescuing off the streets. Looking down at her, feeling how close she was to him, it brought on the sort of feeling that he got when he made a sharp dive from the highest point in the sky.

His mother had called them butterflies. Clark had asked her about the feeling once, a very long time ago, and that was the amused response he had gotten in return. Butterflies. That had been the first time simply being around a person had ever made him feel that way. It hadn't been the last. Every single time he saw Lana Lang, his childhood crush, those butterflies always came fluttering by. And now they were back again.

"Does that mean you're offering to pay me for taking you to China? I guess I'll be getting that plaid tie after all..." Clark felt her ease up her grip, which hopefully meant that she was getting more comfortable. It seemed that joking around was going to be the best way to handle how awkward he felt right now. Maybe the same held true for her. "It'll take the Superman Express no more than twenty minutes to get there," Clark answered, looking to the sky. Without Lois, he could have gotten there in under a minute. With Lois, he didn't want to risk moving too quickly. Clark might have been able to withstand the outside pressure that came with moving at a certain speed, but he couldn't say the same for her. He looked back down to meet her eyes, but she was looking out at something else. "Maybe less." Clark gave the entrance to the roof (and the area inside of it) one final look before he kicked off the ground, arms tightening around Lois's body, and took off for the clouds.

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thatlanewit
2012-07-24 08:03 am UTC (link)

“Nope, sorry, I came up with the name so all of my flights are free,” Lois informed him, shaking her head at the mention of a plaid tie. She had a feeling he was never going to let up on his quest for her to buy him plaid, just as she would never give up on the one for him to buy her shoes. She’d nearly hit him because of his laughter, but didn’t want to chance him dropping her because of the motion. Not that a simple swipe from her could do him any damage.

Her grip tightened on his shoulders again as he took off, stomach tightening as they lifted into the sky. It wasn’t that she was frightened, more so that the motion took her breath away and she had a feeling she would need to fly with him many more times before rising into the sky wouldn’t be as exhilarating as the first time. Maybe it was that lost little girl inside of her, the one who had read Peter Pan to Lucy after their mother died, who’d longed for an inkling of hope that things would get better after everything had come crashing down. She’d had to give up on childish dreams early, stopped believing in an array of wonders while striving to keep them alive for her younger sister, but up in the sky, she could believe again. Maybe the world wasn’t the same majestic place it had been when she was five and thought her father could right all the wrongs and that Peter Pan was real, but it was getting better and she could help stop the injustice she saw happening every day and some men could fly. There was still hope in the world.

Lois looked back at Clark, unable to stop grinning even as she met his gaze. And there was that feeling again, the one that made her swallow and heart race faster. The one she wasn’t allowing her mind to dwell on and try to name. Though she knew it had to do with that talk Chloe and she had back when they were younger. Lois really hoped her cheeks were not giving away just how hot she was feeling at the moment.

“Does this mean I get to talk your ear off for twenty minutes? We can play twenty questions,” she suggested, quirking her lips as she tried to come up with her first one. For all she knew about Clark there was still a lot she didn’t know about him and the world he came from. Plus if she was asking questions then her brain couldn’t try to work at everything that was happening between the two of them. “I’ll even be nice and let you ask me some questions. Quid pro quo and all. You can go first.”

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ex_savior698
2012-07-25 04:49 am UTC (link)

Buildings that once towered over them began to shrink in size, growing smaller and smaller as they departed from the world below. With the wind in his hair and Lois in his arms, Clark couldn't fight the small smile that had found it's way across his lips. This was his element. Up here, with the sky stretched all around him, Clark never felt more free. The world was open to him. There was no country he couldn't visit, nor was there any sight in the world that he couldn't see. Clark was one of the few people here that he knew that could travel this way. He was grateful that he could. Even back when he had retaliated against the alien side of himself, Clark had always found peace in being able to take off into the sky to get away from the problems that were screaming at him from the ground. Which was kind of what he was doing now. With the war quietly bubbling along, leaving everyone restless and irritable, Clark was finally starting to accept that maybe he needed to get away for a little while. He needed to breathe. And who better to do it with than a Lois Lane who had accepted him for who and what he was?

"All of your flights are free because I like you," Clark informed her with a laugh. Well, that and her habit of getting herself into trouble practically gave her an infinite amount of free flights for the future, but he wasn't going to bring that up right now. The last thing he wanted to do was set Lois off on a tangent about how trouble just magically found her or that a reporter had to do what a reporter had to do.

When they were clear of Lawrence and far enough out into the sky that no one who happened to be looking up would notice either of them, Clark peered at Lois curiously. She seemed to be enjoying the flight. Not everyone did (Superman or not, not every person was comfortable being carried up thousands of feet into the air with nothing between them and hitting the ground but an alien from another planet), so Clark was glad that Lois was one of the few who seemed to appreciate the thrill of it all.

"Twenty questions. Now there's a game I haven't played in a while." It wasn't a bad choice. They might have been Lois and Clark, but they were still alternate versions who were still caught up in the process of getting to know one another. What better way to improve on that than through a round of a game that was practically an interrogation? "Okay, uh..." First question. Clark furrowed his brow thoughtfully, then shook his head in amusement. All right. So much for keeping Lois from going off into a rant. Either way, the question would be worth the response he got in return. "I was browsing the boards the other day and noticed that someone had linked a video of you. A video where you were, ah, you know. Pole dancing." He cleared his throat and looked away. Awkward question, yes, but it was still amusing enough to warrant him trying to contain his amusement at how much Lois was going to regret giving him the opportunity to ask it. "What was that about?"

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thatlanewit
2012-07-25 05:28 am UTC (link)

She tried not to react to the mention of her infamous pole dancing video, but Lois highly doubted that she had been able to school her features into being calm and collected after first expressing wide eyed terror that he had seen that. Out of everyone Clark was the last person who needed to see that little show she had been forced to put on to keep up with story her and Chloe had been trying to track down. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of doing it, even if she had been more than a little flustered when first walking out onto the stage, but having it out on youtube where anyone could see it--or at least the actress who played her doing it--was a little daunting. Lois did think she’d done a pretty damn good job swinging around that pole though.

Lois opened her mouth to start, cheeks already reddening as she remembered exactly what that video had showed. She took a deep breath, ducking her head for a moment as she tried to figure out where to even start this story at. Of all the questions Clark could have asked it had to be that one first. But she had invited this line of questioning, and she wasn’t about to back down from the challenge she had set.

“It was for a story.” Lois forced herself to look at him as she talked, mostly to prove to herself that she wasn’t embarrassed by what she had done. It had helped figure out who had killed that girl and who knew how many others. “I was visiting Chloe at the Daily Planet and she got a call from a girl saying that someone was trying to kill her. We went to find her and help, but watched as she was deliberately hit by a hit and run driver. After a whole bunch of investigating we figured out which club she was working at.” And with no from Metropolis’ finest. Sometimes Lois wondered what exactly that police force did. Sure, not all of them were corrupt, but the number of cases that rolled in and out of there unsolved could be disheartening.

“We couldn’t get into the club on our own merit so we said we were new girls for the acts.” Funny how Chloe had gotten to be the one to keep her clothes on, though Lois was rather grateful her cousin hadn’t been caught up in the chaos that had followed. “While Chloe asked around for information, I got to go on stage and have a little fun.” She shrugged as though it hadn’t been a big deal and wondered exactly how much of the video Clark had watched. “Turned out Clark was also investigating and we stumbled upon one another at the club. It was a fun experience for everyone.” She was going to leave out the whole kidnapped by the killer and nearly whisked away to some foreign country if she could help it.

Lois pressed one hand to her chest, arching a brow. “I looked damn good in the outfit though and did a fantastic job whirling around that pole with no training, don’t you think?” She couldn’t help but smirk at her question, watching him carefully and wanting to see him sweat a little. “And my other question for you...” She paused, wanting to think of a good one since he’d thrown her with his own. “What makes you happy? And not just run of the mill happy, but that feeling that’s best captured like when you’re five and running down the stairs on Christmas morning to see that shiny new bike you’ve been asking Santa for since July sitting under the stree. What makes you that happy?”

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ex_savior698
2012-07-29 04:01 am UTC (link)

Clark had found that when he was in doubt about Lois and her activities, it was best to always chalk it up to whacky journalistic adventures. As such, it really didn't shock him at all when that was the explanation he was handed in response to Lois and her pole dancing video. She really wouldn't stop at anything to get her hands on the dirt no one else wanted to touch, would she? Clark shook his head, a flicker of amusement quick to follow. “You're pretty crazy, you know that?” Not that Lois being crazy was a bad thing. Most of the time. When she got herself into a situation she couldn't get out of on her own, it was less of an endearing trait and more along the lines of the type of scenario that made Clark want to bash his face through a wall.

"You don't plan on pulling that act a second time, do you? Because some warning in advance would probably be nice. I don't want to end up like the Clark from your world and accidentally walk in on...uh, not that you didn't -" Clark looked away and cleared his throat. " - I just, you know." And, of course, instead of finding a way out of the awkward hole he'd fallen into, Clark had only managed to make it worse. This was supposed to be uncomfortable for Lois, not him. How had that reversed itself so quickly?

"You...seemed like you were having fun." There. Safe answer.

Different question. A definite subject change. Good. If they lingered on that video of Lois much longer, Clark might have slipped up and said something stupid enough to turn this whole trip upside down. They really didn't need that.

What made him happy? Lots of things did. Going to a football game with Kon, playing catch with Krypto back on the farm in Smallville, a quiet day at the Fortress where no trouble was to be found...but those things weren't the type of happy that Lois was looking for. She was looking for something far more specific. Specific enough to make Clark pause thoughtfully as he considered his answer. By the time he came up with one, they were completely clear of Kansas and getting closer to the edge of the country. "This does. Being myself - my real self - and being able to do it around someone that I care about." Clark furrowed his brow. "That probably wasn't the answer you were looking for, was it? It's hard to explain, but...I never used to be able to do this kind of thing with anyone."

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thatlanewit
2012-07-29 05:13 am UTC (link)

Lois couldn’t help but smirk at how flustered he seemed to get as he tried to speak. She should have been nice and let it go, let bygones be bygones and all of that, but one thing she had never been quite able to do was think before speaking and this was definitely one of those times. “You know, Smallville, most guys wouldn’t complain if I was suddenly giving them a lap dance,” she pointed out, unable to help the silent laugh that shook her body.

And then her words caught up with her brain and she pointedly looked down at the ground below, hoping she hadn’t just made the entire trip an uncomfortable mess. It really would be her fault for turning a perfectly good trip to China on its head before even touching down in the country. She wondered if she was quiet for the rest of the flight if that would smooth over awkwardness, but Lois knew that the chances of her remaining quiet during uncomfortable silences was not something that would ever happen. Which was why she was pleased when Clark answered her question about what made him happy.

She mulled his answer over in her mind for a few moments before looking back at him. “You don’t get to do this often, do you?” she finally asked, watching him carefully. “Not the whole take off into the sky bit, but the being you without having to hide any side that you don’t want others to pick up on? Not even with Dick or Kon?” Lois didn’t know why but that saddened her more than she thought possible. For all the good Clark seemed to be able to do for others, it seemed he carried a lot of burdens on his shoulders. She was touching his cheek before she even knew what she was doing, fingers barely ghosting along his skin as she spoke. “I’m glad you feel you can do it with me. Even if you were kind of forced to let me in on the whole Superman secret because of how this world works.”

Realizing what she was doing, Lois quickly dropped her hand back to his shoulder. “Which was smart of you considering I’d have figured it the second after I typed my name into google and then I’d have had to hit you,” Lois teased to lighten the mood and break the nervous tension in her stomach. “And then broke my hand and been even angrier at you and it would have been this vicious cycle instead of me getting delicious chocolates and trips to China. And you get to cart me around and I let you have the peanut chocolates. It’s win-win.”

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