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 Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Circle of Disputes I swear I've been down here before, maybe a couple of months ago, doing some urban exploration and shooting B-roll for goth music videos or something. My roommates eat that poo poo up. I've never seen this area so lit up and alive, though. And there's no way that ring was brought in recently; it looks like a permanent fixture, but it wasn't there when I was down here last. God, the air down here is electric. This is the best organized and most literally underground fight I've been to. I mean, it's no Ceasar's Palace or whatever, but it's a hell of a lot swankier than a bunch of prep school dropouts slapping each other in the basement of their parents' McMansion. I've got a cheap point-and-shoot that I've crammed into an Altoids tin. Gets past security in most places, and it's not a huge loss if it doesn’t because I can usually just fall back to my phone. It's not going to be the best footage, and I'll only be able to sneak a few clips here and there unless I can set up in a secluded corner. I've got to scope out the room, keep an eye out for security, and see if I can find out who's who, while I'm at it, but above all else, I'm making sure I have a clear line to the exit if I get caught. quote:Maayo (cloneboy) - Today at 5:29 PM cloneboy fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Dec 3, 2017 |
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Dec 2, 2017 19:28
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| # ¿ Apr 18, 2024 21:39 |
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Circle of Disputes I tend to try to keep my urbex adventures above ground, but I started delving into the underground chasing a story about New York's legendary "mole people." I found that there's nothing inherently supernatural about the people down there, but a lot of them do get assistance from and pay tribute to the Unclean Court; securing safe passage, moving supplies around, and the like. Princess Fernweh sort of explained how this stuff works, but I couldn't totally wrap my head around it. From what I recall, since this place is abandoned, it should fall under the purview of the Unclean Court, but it must at least partially manifest as part of our world, since I was able to find it. Or maybe because I found it, the space can exist as a sort of in-between. I'm guessing most of the furnishings here have been phase-shifted in or whatever the the technical magical term is because bringing it all down here by normal means would've caught some attention. As far as recording goes, I did a bit of homework, and it seems like attitudes are mixed. Lots of folks in the Winter Court think there should be a definitive record to ensure proper arbitration of these disputes is enforced, while the majority of the Summer Court thinks disputes settled in the Circle should be effectively buried, as if the dispute never took place to begin with. Maybe the Summer Court settled that dispute in the Circle some time ago because no one else seems to be recording. These clips are great, and I'm confident I can get more throughout the night, but the Cockroach King really wanted to get most, if not all of Nessa's fight, and I found a good spot to set up in if it weren't for this big bastard that's been getting in my way whole night. I swear he's doing it on purpose. Maybe I can get him to stay out of my way if I buy him some of those chicharrón. quote:Maayo (cloneboy)-Today at 11:57 PM  gently caress. I know this guy. Troll by the name of Kazco. An up-and-comer in the Cartel trying to prove himself by making inroads on Nessa's turf. From what I can tell, he's responsible for the developing drug problem in the region. That troll that Murphy chucked over a bridge on my behalf is part of that crew, but I'm pretty sure he kept his mouth shut about that incident to save face. I don't think Kazco knows me by sight, but I'm sure he knows me by reputation by now, so I'm gonna play it safe and hope the Cockroach King will be satisfied by a clip show.
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Dec 9, 2017 09:26
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Circle of Disputes I tense up at the sudden confrontation. I quickly pocket the camera, and put my hands up apologetically. "Sorry about that; drat sciatica is acting up, and these seats aren't exactly the most ergonomic." I'm tempted to just bolt for the exit, but maybe I can make the best of this situation. Can't be a player without making any plays. "Kazco, right? I hear you're a rising star in the Cartel. I've got a business proposition for you. You seem like a forward thinking type; the kind of guy that knows that to get ahead, you might have to upset the established order and break tradition." I lower my voice. "I'm gonna trust you with a little secret. I'm trying to get footage of the fights here tonight. I'm doing it as sort of personal favor for someone, but I'm sure you can see the market potential for this kind of action, right? If we could maybe swap seats, or otherwise let me film the rest of this fight unobstructed, then I can cut you a copy, and maybe we can set up our own arrangement." I glance over at the ring as the crowd cheers at first blood. "What do you say?" quote:SidekickBOT-Today at 1:14 PM
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Dec 17, 2017 21:38
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Circle of Disputes "Well, I was gonna film the rest of this fight myself, but if you want to hold the camera, be my guest." I use Fernweh's interruption to swap memory cards in my camera while pulling it from my pocket. "It's a pretty simple point and shoot. The switch is already set for video, and the big button on top starts and stops the recording. It's a pretty wide lens, so just point it in the general direction of the ring, and we should be golden." I smile and bump Kuzco's fist with my own, while offering him the camera with my other hand. "Now, what kind of 'help' do you need exactly? Just so you know, I don't do any rough stuff." quote:SidekickBOT - Today at 11:40 AM cloneboy fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Dec 20, 2017 |
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Dec 20, 2017 19:33
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Circle of Disputes "Yeah, I'm in. I've done some pest control odd jobs over the years." I'm pretty sure this 'redleaf' operation is related to the supernatural drug problem I'm looking to get to the bottom of, but I've got no illusions about doing anything heroic while I'm there. Just gonna do this job, gather some intel, and maybe a certain wolf will catch wind about something going on on her territory without her permission.
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Dec 26, 2017 17:47
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Maayo Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground I don't know enough to get around on my own, but when I did some interviews with the mole people, they showed me how to find my way back to the surface. Most inhabited, or least trafficked areas are marked with a local dialect of hobo signs, always pointing toward an exit, though not always toward the nearest one, and some sort of symbol describing what's above, like if it's a good spot to busk or panhandle, any hazards in the area, and since late stage capitalism is so pervasive, the logos of any stores worth shopping or scavenging at. A few of those in the know also use fairy marks, which I can spot, but I never could quite get the hang of deciphering them. I root around the gear a bit, seeing if I can figure out why whoever was here abandonded the place. I also check along the walls to find any markings, supernatural or otherwise, to try to get my bearings on the area and maybe get a heads-up on any risks up ahead. SidekickBOT-Today at 4:55 PM posted:@Maayo (cloneboy): 2d6+1 Snooping around in the underground = (5+6)+1 = 12 I take a couple of peanuts from Fernweh and carefully crack open the shells in my hands. "I've gotta disagree a bit. Shared food is best food," I pop the seeds in my mouth, "but getting it for free does make it even better." I feel for my Taser, relieved that security didn't check for weapons. It's a very small comfort, though, since I doubt it'll do much against giant bugs, but it's better than nothing, I guess. It's times like this that I kick myself for not accepting that Beretta my dad offered. "We just have to drop some bags around the room, right?"
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Jan 13, 2018 07:40
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Maayo Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground I'm underground in a room full of magic drugs. The walls are teeming with giant pig-headed rats. A manic faerie dream girl just threw a bag of peanuts across the room and is now furiously humming the opening song to The Lion King. I've been on weirder dates, but this is definitely in the running for top 5. The rat-boar doesn't seem immediately hostile, so I stand between it and Fernweh while leveling my taser at it. SidekickBOT - Today at 5:29 PM posted:@Maayo (cloneboy): 2d6+0 try not to provoke the rat-boar = (3+1)+0 = 4 I step without looking and slip on a patch of pungently fresh fertilizer. I reflexively squeeze the trigger on the taser while trying to keep my balance. The two prongs discharge across the room, loudly arcing with electricity as they fly through the air and land a foot to the left of the terrier-sized rat-hybrid. My dad would have me digging and re-filling fighting positions in the backyard for days if he were around to witness such terrible trigger discipline, and if that pig-faced rat wasn't pissed before, it definitely is now. cloneboy fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Jan 19, 2018 |
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Jan 18, 2018 05:21
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground I do my best to keep the pouch Fernweh tossed to me, and my jaw, from hitting the floor as I bear witness to the spectacle before me. I start to give serious consideration to those conspiracy theories about MJ's dancing ability being supernatural. I snap out of it after a beat, and I turn around, dash to the middle of the room, and frantically claw through the damp topsoil. I start to drop the whole pouch in the hole when I remember Kazco mentioning that we wouldn't a need a ritual as long as we spread them out across the room. I try not to think about it too much as I push dirt back over the pouch and the hole, giving the ground an encouraging pat for good measure. Attempting to make sense of the situation while oversized, wrong-headed rodents perform a choreographed dance routine seems like a losing proposition. "It's in the ground. Now what?"
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Jan 25, 2018 02:59
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground Well, this bag doesn't appear to be glowing, but maybe I just can't tell because I just buried it. I glance at the group of dancing rats, and I figure I'd rather lose a few ounces of blood than have them swarm me, so I take out my pocket knife, slash across my left palm before I can think myself out of doing it, and I pump my fingers open and closed, squeezing tight to squeeze a healthy trickle of blood over the dirt over the bag. Since I'm already literally pouring my blood and sweat into this, I figure I might as well ham it up. I stick my taser into the dirt, pull the trigger for a contact stun, and channel my inner Gene Wilder.
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Jan 27, 2018 20:12
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground At Fernweh's warning, I wrap a handkerchief around my hand, then jump up and grab an over head pipe, hoping that the wound in my hand a) doesn't make me slip, b) doesn't get infected, and c) that Fernweh's spell doesn't affect me because there's no way I'm falling over in a mound of fertilizer twice in the same day. SidekickBOT-Today at 9:23 AM posted:@Maayo (cloneboy): 2d6 avoid faceplanting in the dirt = (2+4) = 6 The hastily wrapped handercheif comes undone, and I lose my grip on the pipe. I reflexively put my hands out to break my fall as I pitch forward, digging my exposed wound into the dirt. Great. At the very least, I try to roll on my back and put my feet in the air, hoping Fernweh meant that I specifically had to keep just me feet off the ground.
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Feb 3, 2018 17:31
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground I stand up with Fernweh's help, and I look at my hand. One of the broad leaves of a redleaf plant prevented me from getting manure in my open wound, but the plant's effects are becoming apparent. The blood from my has noticibly coagulated, but it is still flowing rather freely, with a consistency like maple syrup. I rewrap my hand and grab some redleaf for later study. Now that the coast is clear, I take out my phone and snap a picture of the grow room. I attach the image and a geotag to a text that reads, "Thought you might be interested in this" and send it to Nessa. "Ramen sounds amazing right now," I say to Fernweh, then I hear the unmistakable blast of a shotgun. cloneboy fucked around with this message at 22:53 on Feb 17, 2018 |
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Feb 17, 2018 20:44
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground loving cops, even wizard cops, are all the same. My preferred method of talking to cops is "don't," but we seem to be in a bit of a bind. I clear my throat, and in the most official voice I can muster, I say, "We are agents acting in official capacity for the Brighton Cartel, on territory rightfully controlled by the werewolf Nessa. We are seizing this illegal operation, and any interference will be interpreted as a hostile act. Evacuate the premises immediately, and your current trespasses will be overlooked." quote:@Maayo (cloneboy): 2d6+1 bluff the wizard cops = (5+6)+1 = 12 Hopefully, that'll sow enough doubt about their jurisdiction to buy us enough time to figure a way out of here. I'm also hoping that they'll think Kazco's tip about me being there was bullshit, so I don't get wrapped up in whatever trouble Fernweh is in. cloneboy fucked around with this message at 04:27 on Feb 28, 2018 |
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Feb 27, 2018 21:29
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground The scales seem to be tipping more and more in our favor, so hopefully I can continue to talk my way out of this. "Alright Lighthouse, at this point you're outnumbered, surrounded, and way out of your depth. I might be willing to answer a few questions, but you're leaving here empty handed." SidekickBOT-Today at 6:56 PM posted:@Maayo (cloneboy): 2d6+2 convince the cops that they're better off leaving = (5+1)+2 = 8 cloneboy fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Mar 7, 2018 |
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Mar 7, 2018 02:59
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground "What do you mean, 'Where'd she go?' She's right-" I turn around and see the Cockroach King looking at where Fernweh was. "Oh, your uh.. majesty? Yeah, I'll help in any way I can." I pull the memory card with video from the Circle of Disputes out of my pocket and offer it to the Cockroach King. "I have most of that footage of the fights you wanted. I had someone else getting the main event, but after what's happened here, I'm not sure if I can trust them to keep up their end of the bargain." I hear Murphy's call for help echoing through the halls. "How urgent is Fernweh's situation? Can you help me help another of my friends first? Consider it payment for the first half of your video package." OOC posted:I want to Cash in a Debt with the Cockroach King to say I Brought Friends and get him to Back me up in a dangerous situation
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Mar 15, 2018 06:37
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground Lab I file into the room with Tristan, Murphy, and the two wizards. I look around and make sure to avoid the pile of writhing viscera. I feel kind of bad dragging the Cockroach King into this and leaving Fernweh in the lurch; I thought we were heading into a fight. In retrospect, I don't know why I thought bringing him into a fight would be a good idea. I kinda figured he would just give me a magic weapon or something. I really do play too much D&D. The Cockroach King's expression is inscrutable, but I get the feeling he finds this situation slightly irritating, but ultimately amusing. Well, I hope he feels that way, at least. He looks at me, then looks down at a waste bin, then back to me with a grin. While the Lighthouse goons are busy "securing the situation," I start digging through the trash. SidekickBOT- posted:@Maayo (cloneboy): 2d6+4 investigating the lab = (2+5)+4 = 11
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Mar 25, 2018 21:19
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Maayo Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Underground Lab "Hell yeah, let's roll," I say to the Cockroach King's invitation. "I mean uh… I would be honored to accompany you, your uhh… majesty?" I then turn to the LMES agents, making sure that I'm facing both of them, since I'm still not sure which is which, "Marcel, was it? Do you have a card or something, so I know how to get in contact with you? I'll keep you updated in case my investigation turns up anything useful."
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Mar 26, 2018 04:28
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Unclean Court First things first, I'm just gonna keep quiet and follow Fernweh's lead while I'm a guest in... wherever we are. My brain is having a real tough time parsing this place, which is really weird, since nothing seems out of the ordinary, but everything feels just slightly off. Once I get back, I'm gonna see if I can hound Kazco for the rest of the fight footage to finish the job for the Cockroach King. Going to feign ignorance about him setting me up, unless he gives me a reason to use outing him as a snitch as leverage.  Pretty sure Fernweh mentioned something about my cousin asking for me. Must be Tito. Probably wants another story for his conspiracy theory newsletter. He keeps insisting on distributing it by hand, since he's convinced the Illuminati is tracking his online activity. I usually write up articles half based on some of the things I learn, but I keep getting into arguments with him about how lizard people and new world order conspiracy theories are anti-Semitic and literal Nazi propaganda, but he just counters that that's what "they" want you to believe. He pays a decent rate for the stories, though, and it gives me an outlet to write about what I've learned since coming to this city. Maybe I'll have something for him after this meeting…
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Apr 13, 2018 02:58
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Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 1, Spirit 0 Lighthouse 0, Queens Guard 1, Brighton Cartel 0, Tribunal 1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Location: Queens College Library Cafe I go through the footage Kazco got, and it's mostly usable. There are a few instances of him covering the camera with his hand, but it's usually during a lull in the action, and I'm going to be generous and assume it was an attempt at discretion. Thankfully, he didn't give much color commentary, so I don't have to cut much out, since the Cockroach King specified he wanted to do that himself. A pretty straightforward editing job gets burnt to a DVD, labeled "TO THE COCKROACH KING" in thick black Sharpie, then promptly chucked in a dumpster. I can mark that job officially over, and the Cockroach King owes me a Debt I don't have any wizard cousins, that I know of, at least. For all I know, Tito could be slinging spells in his spare time and using his conspiracy theory paranoia as some kind of front, but I doubt it. His own independent research has been pretty close at getting to the heart of the actual issues affecting the city, but always diverted by the same, tired, old conspiracy theories. There's no new world order plot to take over the world, just the old world order trying to maintain control. I try to communicate this in a digestible way in the articles I write for him, and though he often argues about the details, he always publishes my articles uncensored, so there's that. In addition to trying to shed light on the supernatural underworkings, I also try to share knowledge about things like basic protective rituals that anyone can do with simple household items. I also try to dispel any pernicious myths about any benign cryptids. No point in perpetuating bigotry of any sort. SidekickBOT posted:@Maayo (cloneboy): 2d6+2 queen's guard puzzle = (6+2)+2 = 10 Thankfully, I've been doing my homework on the Queens Guard, and whaddya know, they were founded in Queens. Queens College precisely, as a sort of student movement, initially. Details are kinda murky about how they ended up in their current form, but most rumors point to WWII vets coming home and looking into some of the occult research done by Nazis. Why does it always have to come back to loving Nazis? I figure they'll want to meet in the library café, since they mention food. I'm not able to dig up much on the Rook, so I have no idea what their favorite food might be, but I whip up some chicken adobo because who doesn't love chicken adobo? I hope they don't turn out to be vegan. When the big meeting comes around, it'll just be observe and report for the most part. Hopefully, someone will have some info I can bring back to keep folks safe from these shapeshifting bug things because I don't think recreating the choreography from Moonwalker will work for the average Joe. cloneboy fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Apr 22, 2018 |
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Apr 21, 2018 20:31
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