Post by IVAN BRAGINSKY on Aug 22, 2014 21:36:49 GMT -5
`IVAN VASILYEVICH BRAGINSKY!
`'CAUSE YOU'RE A SKY FULL OF STARS!
NICKNAMES Vanya (very informal)
AGE 17
GENDER Male
ETHNICITY Russian
TEACHER OR STUDENT Student
GRADE 7th year
SPECIAL ABILITY(s) The broader ability is that he's able to manifest ice and any other cold component - snow, frost, etc. - from his hands. The temperature of a given room will drop whenever he does, and he will be able to detect that drop in heat - but he is resistant and cannot be harmed by the cold or by his own lowered body temperature. The ice that he creates can be unlimited in size or structure, providing a broad range of creativity now that he has a handle on what he can do. It can be harmful to other living beings which is why he tries to keep it solely to his own leisure.
HOW DID THEY FIGURE OUT? As a child, Ivan's merriment climbed the highest when he was on his own. He'd spend his time outside when the snow lay only a few inches upon the ground, a thin sheet of white leftover from a passing winter - when winters were heavy and swallowed his backyard, his mother tended not to allow him outside. He didn't know why because, unbeknownst to her and his sisters, the cold hadn't posed a problem for him. Frostbite and things like that seemed only a myth in books. The snow was beautiful to look at and he never experienced the chilliness that his family did, never understood why they needed so many blankets all the time. (He'd learn later on, of course, that wearing layers of warmth was an amazing feeling either way.)
When his sisters played outside with him, they'd build snowmen or attempt intimidating fortresses of snow. He always envisioned in his mind how everything would look, but his hands alone didn't quite harbor the ability to make his structures as beautiful and perfect as he wanted. Snow sunflowers tended to fall apart. Occasionally he'd go and help with what his sisters were building, too, and that's when they began to realize that Ivan was not gathering snow from the ground but creating it from the palms of his hands or from the tips of his fingers - it was no wonder that there were sudden shards of ice mixed in with their creations. Their mix of fascination and worry for Ivan's power startled him, and he went on to tell his parents. His father was a strict man who didn't care much for their prattling, but their mother believed that her son (as well as her elder daughter who probably figured out her power by now too??? up to the ukraine we get) was born straight from a beautiful Russian fairy tale.
Ivan tried to be as careful as possible from that point on. There was one occasion where he gave someone frostbite and he still has trouble forgiving himself for it. Now that he's older, however, he's gotten a grip on it and likes to enjoy himself (or carefully mess with other people) every so often. As long as it gets him positive attention.
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`I'M GONNA GIVE YOU MY HEART,
Sunflowers | The best flower in the world, they remind him of the sun. Yellow is also his favorite color and he's always wanted to live in warm fields of them.
Science & Psychology | Any general branch of science (mostly physics/technical stuff) are his favorite subjects, as is psychology.
Food | It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he can eat almost anything. He likes big portions from his own cuisine as well as others, and has a fairly strong stomach.
Vodka | He couldn't help taking some from his father's stash long ago, and now he's kind of hooked on the stuff. He likes to mix it in with other drinks but tries not to have too much.
Dolls | Plushies especially. Whether they're plush, wooden or porcelain, he wouldn't mind making a collection - all that he has so far is a Cheburashka plushie and some nesting dolls.
Aquariums | If he's ever in one, it's a good way to keep him occupied. The colors are amazing and he'll be distracted like a little boy.
Space | One of his earlier dreams was to go up there someday. Now he just loves learning about space and stargazing every chance he can get.
Bright Colors | It's noticeable that he prefers wearing clothes that are bright and light in color. They're very eye-catching and, according to him, simply brighten up the mood.
Small Animals | Littler animals are the best to try and fail to befriend. He has a particular soft spot for cats and white rabbits.
Beaches | As long as he doesn't have to go to the water and doesn't have to take his scarf off, he'll enjoy the warm sand and the sounds of waves crashing.
People | Although typically a loner, he tries to be a social butterfly and just wants to make friends. He loves company and loves to learn about other people, so it's usually him who does the approaching and the first impressions.
Competition | He'll make competitions out of the silliest, meaningless little things. A sore loser, his efforts to win might be a little relentless.
Music | Naturally he adores old Russian music, but also has a taste for modern music - namely pop and soft rock.
Winter Sports | At least he can appreciate something else that's linked to cold weather. He doesn't play sports, really, but will love watching a winter game and rooting for his home team.
Horror | Anything that's macabre to others is usually entertaining for him. He listens to scary stories and watches movies for the comedy of it. Sometimes he might get bored, if he isn't too busy giggling.
Theatre | Ballets and plays are timeless things that he could never get sick of watching. He's rather proud of the ones that Russia is known for.
Chess | An activity with great importance and popularity in his country. More often than not, he's just playing a game by himself.
Reading | He enjoys to read classical writes such as folktales and poetry, as well as more modern works of mystery and fantasy.
Embroidery | His mother lend him skill in embroidery, but he doesn't do it as much anymore. He still keeps some of the things he's made, however, like multiple scarves and little patches with flowers on them.
Gardening | He can't garden for the life of him, but he absolutely loves looking at other peoples' gardens. It might be that he just goes overboard and plants too many to keep up with, or he tries to feed them vodka which never works out.
IVAN DISLIKES
Winter/Cold | It's not very befitting of his power, but he doesn't like that he's so closely linked to the cold. Winter is usually very pretty, but he very much prefers the sun and summer. While his power comes in handy most times, he's always hated to see his sisters cold - because he could never do much to help them warm up.
Pain | Low pain tolerance. He's sensitive to small damages and just prefers to avoid physical pain in general.
His Body | In regards to his burly image, he has low self-esteem. If anyone does happen to bring it up, though, he'll be defensive to the best of his ability.
Accusations | He doesn't like stereotypes nor false accusations made toward himself and others of his (or of similar) nationality. There's always more to a person than silly misjudgments, and please do not make any communist jokes.
Sleeping | He's past the stage of child night terrors, but nightmares still come to haunt him more frequently than he'd like. As a result, he sleeps little and on, some occasions, tries to avoid it altogether. Although he's usually peppy, one might be able to see worn down features.
Cell Phones | Unless it's absolutely necessary, he won't like to use a cellphone. For whatever reason, he still has one. The autocorrect gets him a lot, and he prefers talking to everyone in person.
Bossiness | He's stubborn around people he'd rather not listen to, which goes for most people who are older than him. He might make exceptions for people that are close to him or people that he does not want to upset.
Fast Food | Greasy and gross false food. He's too used to his mother's cooking and his sister's baking, so he highly prefers home-cooked meals.
Smoking | Smoking is damaging and unhealthy for you says the vodka drinker. His habits aren't the healthiest either, but he dislikes anyone smoking around him and just the idea of smoking in general.
Losing | In another childish aspect, he doesn't fare well with losing. He's always determined when it comes to taking victory.
Big Words | He has enough difficulty pronouncing words in English. His pronunciation of most words in general is silly, never mind struggling over complicated ones.
Tattoos/Piercings | He'd never want to get either of these things. They're only cool to look at on other people.
FEARS
Swimming | He can't swim, so drowning is a major issue here. Even when he's in shallow water, he also fears that his powers might slip and he'll turn the entire body of water into ice.
Loneliness | He only wants companionship and fears spending the rest of his life on his own. Solitude is nice only in short slivers of time, but he can't handle being alone on a daily basis. He surrounds himself with people (even though he's a bit shy around strangers) because it gives him false reassurance that he isn't completely alone.
Death | This is the heaviest of his fears. There's a cowardly panic in him at the thought of dying, so he tries to keep it all out of mind.
QUIRKS
He's bad at keeping secrets. If you entrust a secret to him, don't expect that he won't forget and blurt it out to someone else.
He has a strange fascination with blemishes on other people, such as scars and any other mark.
He has a scarf on all the time. Always always. Not only does he enjoy their warmth, his neck is terribly sensitive to the touch of other people - so he usually doesn't appreciate anyone trying to touch it or the fabric itself. A gift from his family, the pink scarf is usually his favorite one.
On the other hand, he's touchy. And easily distracted. He has a habit of patting people on the head, be it an act of praise or mere admiration. Because this is not limited just to living things, he might get himself into trouble touching objects (like buttons) that he shouldn't.
He's an early riser, whether or not he had a bad night's sleep.
OVERALL PERSONALITY
Ivan appears to wear a mask of one solid expression: content. Gentle features and a soft smile carry it through, on a plush and rounded face so unbecoming of his hulking size. And a mask is exactly what it is – a thin sheet of false happiness made to hide what all lies underneath. His smiles are usually forced or not at all what they seem to be. They might be misleading, or in some instances they might be perfectly genuine. The fact that Ivan is always smiling is not a sign of everyday well being, nor does it ever properly convey what’s going through his head. Not only does this make him unpredictable, but it also contributes to his overall unsettling aura – and because his smile is intended to come off as positive and friendly, he can’t ever understand why he’s thought out to be frightening or strange. Even if he can’t commit to feeling it himself, he hopes to spread a sense of warmth and happiness for others to pick up on, as well as lead them to believe that there aren’t any reasons to worry about him.
That doesn’t mean that his behaviors aren’t odd, but he just doesn’t realize it himself. He is usually quiet at first, either lurking somewhere in the background or closely watching those around him with absorbed fascination. He seems to have little boundaries regarding personal space, and it comforts him to be in close proximity of people (while taking minimum notice of how uncomfortable they might be). His general actions usually betray what he’s actually feeling, instead acting upon the optimism that he likes to omit. While he is capable of sensing the atmosphere of any given room, he often doesn’t know how to properly react to it – even at the worst of times will he try to lighten the mood with his own positivity. He does like to try and make everyone smile, after all, even if his advances are based on impulse.
By the time he’s made his first impression, it’s evident that some things about him are off. Ivan’s youth fell short of a proper childhood. His childish behavior through adulthood is his way of obtaining the childhood that he never had, though in reality it’s something he can’t quite control. He often speaks in a light voice laced with a singsong tone and boyish laughter. He has difficulty seeing right from wrong, and so long as he isn’t scolded or punished for his actions, he’ll continue to do things his own way under the impression that there won’t be any consequences. Even if someone does happen to reprimand him, there’s the possibility that he’ll be stubborn and choose not to listen. His perspective on things is different, wherein things that seem odd to others will feel completely normal to him.
Not only does he speak with a thick native accent, but he has a peculiar style of speech when talking. He prefers to stay away from profanity, substituting himself with a cleaner vocabulary (not that his vocabulary is very expansive, given his lack of skill in English). He doesn’t seem to react when someone else swears while speaking, though it always surprises him to hear any such language around him. He also doesn’t use any vulgarity, nor does he seem very capable of picking it up from anyone else – innuendos and things of the like seem to go right over his head, imitating a sense of naivety about him. He won’t like to share anything that’s personal about himself, and talking about anything of sexual context tends to fluster him. On the other hand, however, he can be very blunt. If there is something he has to share, he won’t refrain from telling whoever is around to listen.
Even if he likes to talk, he isn’t exactly the best person to seek advice from. He thinks he’s good at offering advice and reassurance, but more often than not he ends up saying something that makes the situation even worse. He’s never been certain how to console people, though through observation he’s managed to learn that affection is the key. Depending on who it is that needs the reassurance, he might be amused to see despair in another person – and should he feel the need to make them feel better, he’ll use as much affection and positive words as he possibly can. In other cases, he’s the one that will need to seek personal advice from another – though he prefers to be secretive about such things.
While a relatively social person, he suppresses shyness and self-consciousness unless triggered by certain situations. He has low self esteem in regards to how he looks, which is fortunately out of mind only until someone happens to bring it to his attention. As a fault of excessive eating and some alcohol consumption, extra weight is packed especially around his stomach and his cheeks (not to mention the size of his nose), all of which can impair his pride. Attention in general is welcomed, though he won’t always appreciate being put on the spotlight. If he’s ever taunted or teased, expect that he’ll make convenient use of his scarf to hide behind – only if the provoking continues will he try and lash back with his own comment, though comebacks were never his specialty. He has to think hard first, which is why they either sound pathetic or he doesn’t even bother trying.
It isn’t only his physical attributes that embarrass him. Just about anything can catch him off guard and fluster him; even compliments and words of affection. Friendly speech with people usually comes naturally, though he’s grown so used to receiving words below friendly banter that any returned kindness is both a surprise and a wonder to hear. There are some things that risk his pride and therefore he'll do his best to calmly reject them – if ever he hears words such as "cute" directed toward him, he’ll proceed with relentless denial that he is anything but. However, he does like to throw the most endearing (or degrading) names on others as often as he can – as jerky a quality as it is about him, he loves to make people feel better about themselves as well as embarrass them, so long as no one tries to do the same to him. With a little determination, though, one might get him to tolerate it.
Despite his childish antics, Ivan does hate it if he’s ever outwardly treated like a child. Being babied is something that’s easier to pick up on, and in this case his demeanor can turn sour when trying to convince someone that he doesn’t need to be treated in that way. He will like to argue and bring up his maturity, though his methods of protest – becoming irritated and grumpy and the like – don’t always prove in favor of what he’s trying to argue. Other times, however, he does crave certain attention from people. Loneliness has always been a lingering problem, though if desperation happens to hit and he seeks the company of another, he’ll want close contact and attention so that he may feel secure.
With years passed of keeping his emotions bottled up inside, he's grown skilled in keeping it so that no one can tell what it is he’s going through. He runs on the fantastical dreams that run through his mind, well situated with using those to mask the darker desires that live deeper down – the strongest of them being his desire to find companionship, to feel needed, to no longer feel so lonely. Due to an inability to maintain relationships and friends in general, he’s lived nearly all his life without someone who stayed close. While he might not put this fact about him out on display, it isn’t something that’s difficult to notice about him. The prospect and feeling of loneliness is something he usually tries to keep out of mind, though he can only go so long without succumbing to desperation – a desperation which, never with his full control, drives him to do most of the bizarre things that he does, not to mention his nontraditional ways of trying to make friends.
Having gone so long without lasting friendships, he’s never really touched upon how exactly he’s supposed to make friends. All he has to rely on is his social behavior and what he’s observed of other people. Upon first meeting someone, he won't judge them by the cover. He sees potential goodness in everyone he meets, if only because it helps him think that they’ll be the perfect person for him. Once introductions and initial interactions have gone underway, then his opinion on someone might waver based on how they behave toward him – even if they’re rude and the first meeting doesn’t go as expected, that likely won’t stop him from trying again the next several times. He can be a little irritated when faced with the less courteous of people, though he hates having to give up on befriending someone.
Driven by his aforementioned desperation, his attempts on making friends are often very forward and forceful. Most of the time, he’s the one who decides for himself who will and will not be his friend (which leads to one-sided relationships) – and not to mention deciding for the other person that he is their friend. He’ll often be following the person of interest around, asking as many questions as possible to start getting to know them. And if someone does happen to return the attention to him and strive for friendship, at that point it will be near impossible to get him to leave them alone. Achieving his goal of making friends always spurs confidence, which can turn to overconfidence over time. Since his respect for personal space is so low, he can be awfully clingy once he’s become attached to someone, putting forth his most affectionate tendencies under the assumption that the other person is perfectly accepting of it.
With this confidence comes another rooted fear of losing a friend, which is why he tends to be so attached to anyone he becomes acquainted with. He’s afraid of making anyone upset with or mad at him, which is why he strives to make everyone else happy; if someone ever is upset with him, he’ll make a fuss trying to make it up to them. Since he is a very hopeful individual, he won’t give up on his efforts until he is forgiven for whatever he’s done – and in all honesty, it isn’t hard for him to make a mistake that upsets people. Relating to his clinginess and affection toward friends, there are definitely occasions where he can become too overbearing. He tends to forget his own size and strength, which can cause unintentional harm to any smaller body. It’s embarrassing for him when he realizes the damage he might have done in his excitement, though it doesn’t deter his efforts to fix and make everything better again.
One of the most debilitating aspects of Ivan’s personality is his greedy and possessive nature. This is so even with inanimate objects, perhaps driven by just two reasons: he fears anything being taken away from him, and, if only temporarily, anything can be used to fill a lonely void inside him. When he has nobody around to keep him company, the only things he can turn to for comfort are... well, anything nearby that he can find. Various things can keep him occupied for a good portion of time, just long enough to take his mind off of his current situation. He’s easily entertained by the little things, finding importance in them that most other people would overlook. And when he does want something, he’ll make sure to show it; even if it means taking something for himself without any prior permission. He’s usually iffy when it comes to sharing, and prefers not to have to resort to that – unless he’s in a rare generous mood to do so.
Coinciding with those two traits is his jealousy. He’s jealous of other people more than anything, especially if they're receiving or giving the attention he wants. And when it comes to people, his protective nature can easily become too much. He does everything to please people he likes, always wanting to prove that he can be a good person and someone that they need – and when he becomes attached to someone, that is where his separation anxiety begins to settle. At that point he might seem more like an overbearing shadow, though it’s all in his faulty attempt to keep loved ones safe and make sure that they don’t plan on leaving him. Especially when it comes to family does he have an overprotective brother complex, always minding over what they’re doing and who they’re spending time with. While he wants them to be happy, he also wants to prove that he can be a capable big brother.
Ivan isn’t picky when it comes to romantic partners, usually being the one who pursues and tries instigating the relationship. He can quickly become attached, and when he’s decided that he wants someone as more than a friend, he won’t be afraid to swipe his chance. Someone he takes interest in will become victim to frequent unexpected visits and possible stalking, and however reluctant they are to accept him, they hopefully shouldn’t be too disappointed by how he can actually be in a romantic relationship. Naturally he’s very protective and caring to his best ability, and he loves to spoil his partners with abundant attention, gifts and cheesy terms of endearment. He chooses to overlook the flaws in someone and focus instead on what makes them a better person – and then he’ll be so proud of himself for finding a special someone that he’ll want to show their relationship off to the public. Affection is acceptable just about everywhere. After all, people like affection and will stay with you that way, right? That’s what he’ll tell himself.
His fascination over people can border obsession, vaguely linked to the interest he has in psychology and cultural traits. He likes to know how the mind works, possibly why he can usually be found staring at others and being lost in thought. Whenever he meets someone, he’ll be avidly interested in finding out all about them; where they come from, what their interests are and things of that nature.
He is an intelligent man, taking a broad liking to various sciences and to the stars above; though this intellect doesn’t quite go the same for modern technology. He much prefers old-fashioned things, since he isn’t up to date with most of the things that go on today – which also goes for modern speech. The way people talk often confuses him, and only occasionally will he try and repeat terms and phrases he doesn’t understand, only pretending that he does understand them. He tends to take everything he hears literally, which can be risky if he takes it the wrong way. He can be gullible and fall easily for things, giving lead to the more experimental side of him. He'll do things however he sees fit.
And since he can find happiness in the smaller things, he will be very appreciative of common things that others wouldn’t find as interesting. He likes to make collections of whatever makes him content, since they can act as fuel for the far-fetched dreams he tends to have. Not only will he be easily fascinated, but he’ll be easily distracted by most things as well, which often leads to an intentional distraction from any duties he might have. He prefers leisure over any work he has to do, after all.
Having grown up in the conditions that he did, Ivan never got a grasp on what it means to be normal. He went through a number of traumatic things in his youth, whether they were something he physically experienced or only witnessed, which have taken a strong toll on him up to today. The fears he has are primarily mental terrors, and they never seem to leave him alone – above all of them, he fears death and having to experience any type of pain. If any of his behavior is ever considered crazy, he won’t realize what’s wrong about it, nor will he know why he’s inflicting fear on anybody. That isn’t his intention in most situations, but sometimes he can’t help himself and his impulses.
Impulses are based off of the short temper he has. Anger erupts in bursts of violence, which he will take out on anything that’s in his way. There are many things that can set him off, even when they’re least expected, so he is certainly susceptible to mood swings. He’ll experience sudden urges to possibly destroy something or hurt someone else, which he cannot quite control until after he’s done it. If he hurts someone he does really care about, he’ll feel guilt afterward (otherwise he doesn’t always grasp guilt for most of his actions). He doesn’t show much sympathy for others, either, and it's easy for him to get carried away with these things. He has both an odd sense of humor and a hidden yearn for power, so the actions he takes can be rather childishly cruel. It’s only during the aftermath that he wonders why everyone seems so afraid of him.
No matter what he does, he’s under the impression that he has a good heart. He tries his hardest to show everyone that he has good will and his life isn’t always ruled by violence – though nothing he does ever seems to earn him any respect. He does attempt to prevent others from fighting one another, if only to keep him and them under control. He knows very well that provoking violence and pursuing bad relationships doesn’t help his goal of making friends, after all, so that is something he can consciously avoid. He isn’t the type of person for vengeance or holding grudges, so it’s easy to get him to forgive and accept someone for their wrongdoing.
`'CAUSE YOU'RE A SKY FULL OF STARS!
[/ul][/font]Surprise bloomed over Ivan's face as he read the note. The paper was crinkled due to his having stepped on it earlier, likely because it had fallen and he didn't notice its small size lying there on the floor. He felt sorry now for having done that, because this was... this was important. He was invited to something. Someone considered him enough to invite him to something! The opening question of Want a drink? stood out like it were glowing or something. Of course he did. He could agree that the invitation was mysterious and probably dangerous, too, but it still made him smile. Alcohol and possible company was worth any risk.
The first thing he did was wonder how to destroy the note. He didn't really want to do that, but... it was probably best that he kept the note sender safe. The paper was shredded into little slivers and dropped into a cluttered trash can, and then he set out on his sneaky and lawless trek out of school to attend to where he was expected to go. Ivan's height and bulk weren't easy to miss, but he had an inkling of how to be sneaky. Any experience was owed to his sneaking up on people, or dappling in the act of wandering around in places he shouldn't be.
It was a lovely night outside. Once he was assured that there was no one around to hear him, he expressed his content with quiet humming - it went nicely with the chirping of crickets, he thought, as well as the snaps of little twigs and leaves under his shoes. It was a handy thing that the Russian didn't fear the dark or anything else that came with night. He was alone at that moment, yes, and loneliness was never something he liked - but he had company to look forward to! A real live person had to have invited him, after all.
A part of him was already hoping that it was Alfred, his partner, who had sent that invitation. But the handwriting didn't quite look like his, and he wasn't sure whether the American cared for drinking. When long and winding paths through stretching trees and night shadows finally lead him to the abandoned château, he would see that he was wrong.
His humming stopped so that he wouldn't echo through those hollow abandoned halls. Oh, the place was fascinating to explore - but it seemed he wouldn't have time to explore all of it. When he came across the source of distant voices, he paused. There were two familiar ladies in there.
"Hello," he gently called to them, approaching where the two were situated. The abundance of alcohol bottles were quick to catch his gaze, which widened in mild fascination. "This is.. impressiff," he continued, attention returning to his company. He hoped he hadn't interrupted a conversation. It was always good to be courteous around girls. "Thank you for invitink me here."
The first thing he did was wonder how to destroy the note. He didn't really want to do that, but... it was probably best that he kept the note sender safe. The paper was shredded into little slivers and dropped into a cluttered trash can, and then he set out on his sneaky and lawless trek out of school to attend to where he was expected to go. Ivan's height and bulk weren't easy to miss, but he had an inkling of how to be sneaky. Any experience was owed to his sneaking up on people, or dappling in the act of wandering around in places he shouldn't be.
It was a lovely night outside. Once he was assured that there was no one around to hear him, he expressed his content with quiet humming - it went nicely with the chirping of crickets, he thought, as well as the snaps of little twigs and leaves under his shoes. It was a handy thing that the Russian didn't fear the dark or anything else that came with night. He was alone at that moment, yes, and loneliness was never something he liked - but he had company to look forward to! A real live person had to have invited him, after all.
A part of him was already hoping that it was Alfred, his partner, who had sent that invitation. But the handwriting didn't quite look like his, and he wasn't sure whether the American cared for drinking. When long and winding paths through stretching trees and night shadows finally lead him to the abandoned château, he would see that he was wrong.
His humming stopped so that he wouldn't echo through those hollow abandoned halls. Oh, the place was fascinating to explore - but it seemed he wouldn't have time to explore all of it. When he came across the source of distant voices, he paused. There were two familiar ladies in there.
"Hello," he gently called to them, approaching where the two were situated. The abundance of alcohol bottles were quick to catch his gaze, which widened in mild fascination. "This is.. impressiff," he continued, attention returning to his company. He hoped he hadn't interrupted a conversation. It was always good to be courteous around girls. "Thank you for invitink me here."
`'CAUSE YOU LIGHT UP THE PATH!
AGE 18
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I am [name] and I am a SIDEKICK/HERO/TEACHER!
I am [name] and I am a SIDEKICK/HERO/TEACHER!
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