The Assassin and the Queen {york & Kitty}

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@york

The blonde fidgeted in her seat, somewhat uncomfortable with Leuan's short responses. She had hoped the topic presented to him would keep him talking for a while, but apparently not. She swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat, feeling the ugly demon of social anxiety rearing its ugly head in her heart. Hoping she would not embarrass herself by having a panic attack, Elsa took a deep breath in and out before trying to figure out what she would say to him next.

As a queen, she wanted to seem strong and approachable, unlike how she felt inside. Elsa much rather would've stood up and walked away from the breakfast with him, locking herself in her room where she was much more comfortable. She didn't like dealing with people one little bit, but deep down knew that this was good for her. She needed all the practice she could get with people, especially when it came to males. At some point, Arendelle would want to have a king...

"When we're alone, you may call me just Elsa if you wish," the queen began, addressing what he had called her. "I'm more familiar with you than I am the other suiters, so I honestly don't mind one bit. So long as the others don't find out I've given you any special permission. After all, I wouldn't want them to think they've lost their chances just yet." Elsa knew the day would come when she would have to choose one, and she honestly dreaded it. She knew it would anger some people, and she didn't like it when others looked at her with anger in their eyes.

"A-Anyhow, where do you come from in the south?" Elsa began, hoping to further extend their conversation with this question. "Forgive me for asking about you, but I would much rather speak about you. As a queen, I'm certain you--and the entire kingdom--knows more about me than I know about you or anyone else for that matter."
 
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

Oops, maybe he was a little too... Sparse with details in that response, as evidenced by the few moments of awkward silence that followed. Leuan knew he had to do something to break the tension, and for some reason he felt like throwing a snowball or something might help, where on earth did that train of thought come from? Even if Elsa did have ice powers and wasn't bothered by the cold, he doubted pelting her with a snowball here would help, at all... Besides, he wasn't like her; he couldn't exactly just summon one out of thin air, even if he wanted to... Right?

At any rate, that was the least of his concerns, he had to break the ice somehow, er, more figuratively than literally, and at this point... While he did not really seem to completely register this, it had little to do with carrying out his mission, more to do with... ... What, exactly? It was a bit hard to explain, let alone understand on Leuan's end, but he felt like he owed it to Elsa to... At least be good company right now.

Fortunately, he didn't have to worry too much about an opening line or something, as Elsa seemed to have picked up his slack, much to his relief.

"I'd be humbled to... Elsa." He said, smiling warmly.

Huh, he didn't even need to pretend with that one; it did somehow feel... Better to call her by her true name. This alone seemed to be enough to quell the subtle fidgeting he had been trying to cover up mere moments ago... Despite this being a whole new experience to him, somehow, he was... Calmer, allowing him to be a bit more receptive this time when Elsa inquired more about where he came from in the South.

This time, he decided to be more truthfull than before, and, seized the opportunity to hopefully diffuse any remaining awkwardness in the air. Unlike most of his previous actions, what he did next wasn't completely thought out, just... Something that, sort of happened. Carefully folding his napkin so it looked roughly like a moustache, and somehow balanced it across his upper lip.

"It's... Weselton!" He said, putting on his best impression of the Duke.

Unfortunately, and, probably to an unintentionally comedic effect, the napkin fell off his face as he spoke, causing him to fumble around with it a little in an effort to catch it before it hit the table. It was then that he realized his little mistake; he had been... A bit too truthfull, but now that the cat was out of the bag, he figured he'd have to... Improvise

"I... Know things are... Dicey with the Duke." He murmured, arefully putting down the now wrinkled up napkin in his hand.

"But since I live near the northern border... I, don't have to deal with him, much." He said smiling as he shook his head a little.

Well, while he was lying about the Ranger thing, bigtime, he did have a house near Weselton's northern border... While he worked for the Duke, he wasn't so fond of hanging around him when that wasn't required. Hmm, then something occurred to him; while he couldn't exactly blurt out that he was an undercover assassin or anything, he certainly didn't see a problem with talking about a particular... Encounter he had with that Duke.

"I mean... The only time I've seen him in person was when he asked about a giant snowball that soared into a neighboring Kingdom." He added, chuckling a little.

Once he got going, Leuan was actually quite... Talkative, as he realized keeping his sentences brief weren't going to cut it. However, while he had expected to be trying to wrack his brain for something to talk about, it seems that he was, actually getting the hang of this pretty quickly, at the expense of the Duke, hopefully he wouldn't catch wind of this particular conversation...
 
@york

Elsa wasn't sure what difference had been made, but she could sense that Leuan had become more relaxed all of a sudden. It was a huge relief to the queen, who hadn't quite shaken away the nerves herself, that her company appeared a bit more content. She managed to cease her fidgeting, even letting out a laugh when the young man made an impression of the Duke and fumbled with his napkin. She was almost surprised! With how nervous he seemed before, who knew he could be so funny?

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"Ah yes," Elsa said, straightening herself up when he would mention her kingdom's relations with Weselton. "We've actually cut our ties with them entirely. We no longer trade or do business with them, and for good reason. I don't mean to insult your homeland, but its leaders haven't exactly treated my family with very much respect," she said, glancing down at the table for a moment.

"Truthfully it surprises me that someone from Weselton would be interested in coming here at all. However, I don't mind. I don't judge you based on the action of your leaders. After all, you seem to be nothing like them."

Leuan had seemed to be nothing but helpful, in fact, and quite nice. Regardless, Elsa couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable knowing he was from Weselton. While it could've been worse (he could've been from the Southern Isles) the queen couldn't help but wonder if he shared any of his leader's opinions at all. Surely they didn't speak highly of her there. Or, then again, maybe he had other motives...

"I hope you don't see this as a rude question, but does your reason behind trying to court me have anything to do with repairing relations with Arendelle and Weselton?" After asking her question, the queen almost regretted it. But she knew if she ignored it, the thought would only continue to nag at the back of her mind...

Before saying anything else, and almost at awkward timing, the maids came in to deliver breakfast for them. They laid out trays before the two, consisting of fresh fruit juice, milk, various fruit slices, breakfast sandwiches, oatmeal, yogurt, and various other items. It was quite the impressive spread. "Ah, well, the food is here. Feel free to make yourself a plate," she told him.
 
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

Oh dear, Leuan had really dug himself into a bit of a hole this time, but... He was still able to salvage this, at the expense of the Duke, and er... Possibly himself if the wrong person happened to hear him, though at this point, he figured it was that or botch this whole dinner.

"Ah! Well... You see, I was never a big... Admirer of my homeland." He explained.

To be fair, he wasn't really lying either; he really wasn't too fond of Weselton, from its flakey Duke to its shady business partners... But well, desperate times called for desperate measures, didn't they? It wasn't like he was happy working the job that he was, but rather, he, like many others were... Roped into it.

"I mean, have you seen the Duke dance? They say the local women wear steel toed boots as a safety measure!" He added... Aaand whoops, he was getting carried away.

Clearing his throat a little, he tried focus his attention back on the conversation at hand, and more importantly... Elsa's question. He nodded a little to acknowledge that food had arrived, but, he didn't seem to touch it yet, more preoccupied with answering the question for the moment.

"... Now, to answer your question. I'm not here for anything like that..." He said trailing off a little, for some reason he actually felt a bit hesitant about saying what he was about to say. Partly because there was indeed some truth to it.

"You see... I wanted a little time away from home, you know? A little breath of fresh air, a break froom the norm..." Well, even if he was sent here on a mission, this was, secretly, part of the reason he had agreed on it. One could only take the Duke's shennanigans for so long.

"And more importantly... I... I wanted a chance to... Meet the famous Ice Queen... Elsa..." He admitted, seeming to mumble that last part a little.

Granted he skewed the details a little, he did always wonder what Elsa would be like... Having heard so many things about her, granted they weren't always good, well, fortunately there were some in Weselton who were willing to tell the full story of that whole ice powers thing rather than leave out some very important details. Perhaps he hadn't just come just because he was oblidged to, but... Well, he doubted he'd ever admit that out loud, especially since he risked blowing the whole operation, even if it did feel progressively less appealing him to... Carry out the whole thing, to the end that is.
 
@york

Elsa listened to her breakfast guest, unsure whether or not he was trying to talk down the Duke on purpose just because he knew those in Arendelle weren't exactly fond of. Whatever the case, however, the queen couldn't help but giggle at his words. She could indeed picture woman wearing steel-toed boots to protect themselves when dancing with him. Those poor ladies...

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"Ah, yes, he actually danced with my sister at my coronation. It was quite a sight to see, especially knowing he was wearing heels. I know he's a short man, but still it's odd seeing someone like him wear shoes such as those."

Next, Leuan actually began to answer her question. Elsa nodded, actually understanding him a bit. "If anyone understands wanting to leave home, it's most certainly me," she admitted, privately recalling the time she had run away from home when the others discovered her ice powers. It was stifling to stay at home sometimes, especially when feeling like she didn't fit in. Thankfully, she felt better about herself these days.

After Leuan's next comment, Elsa shrugged in disbelief. "I wonder if I'm really all that famous. Infamous seems to be a more fitting term to describe me," she told him, reaching down to gently run one of her fingers on the edge of the table. "Many people still fear my powers, or only find me interesting due to my status as a wealthy, unmarried queen."

The queen paused, deciding to make herself a plate of a few breakfast items she could eat. She usually ate light in the mornings, so she didn't grab a lot, but enough to satisfy herself with. "Sometimes, I feel I may be so infamous that one of these suitors might be an assassin intending to take my life. Silly, right?" she said, smiling sheepishly.
 
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

Leuan smirked a little when he heard that the Duke had actually danced with Elsa's sister at the coronation... So the rumors were true! Obviously the Duke himself was as secretive as he could be about that sort of thing, as it was, as those who have dared to say it; "an exquisite disaster".

Though hearing the Queen's words... He couldn't help but remember the awfull stories the Duke had tried to spread about Elsa during that time her ice powers had run wild. About how the Queen of Arendelle had gone mad... And made an icy fortress for herself, a monster that sought to destroy all, but... It didn't take a genius to see through it.

While many still feared Elsa's powers, many more were willing to accept Elsa as the Queen of Arendelle again, after she had gained control of her powers. However... Because of the Duke's foolish actions, trade from Arendelle was completely cut off for Weselton, and as a result, the place slowly began to fall into disarray, and the Duke chose to force most of his very own citizens to live in poverty, just so he could continue to live the posh life he so desired.

High paying jobs were in high demand these days in Weselton... But they were never "clean" ones; after all, the reason that the jobs still paid well, despite the Duke's high taxes, was because they would, in their own way... Ensure that the Duke would get a constant flow of cash, whether it be through shady practices, or through more... Malicious means.

There were many things he had done in the past that he had come to regret... But, he had become so numb to them... Until now. Now, of all times, he felt a desperate need to somehow break free of the chains that bound him to Weselton's higher ups, and at long last... Be free to make his own choices.

Unlike Elsa, Leuan seemed to have taken a somewhat sizeable portion for breakfast, as unfortunately... As much money as one may have from their higher paying jobs, Weselton was having a bit of a food crisis too, one that was rarely helped by the Duke's voracious appetite.

Looking up from his meal though, as he continued to listen to Elsa, rather intently... He finally spoke up, trying his best not to waver at the mention of one of the suitor's being an Assassin, intending to take her life. Letting out a small laugh in an effort to relieve some of the tension he felt on the inside, as he was on the very brink of blowing his cover, he tried to improvise.

"Haha... Yeah... Besides... I'm sure even an Assassin would be hard pressed to kill someone as pleasant as you~..." He sad, smiling a little.

Well, it was supposed to be a joke... And a compliment, but he really hoped he hadn't just come off as cheesy in the process... But regardless, he did very well believe this to be true... While he knew he would have to face the consequences of failing to complete his task, the temptation only seem to grow to just ditch his mission all together... And spend the time he had left with Elsa, here in Arendelle, where he was, for the most part... Free from the Duke's wretched grasp.
 
@york

Ignorant to any internal discomfort Leuan may have been experiencing, Elsa glanced down at her plate and began to eat her food, her mannerisms very polite and sophisticated. She then dabbed her lips with a napkin and glanced back up at the male just in time to hear what he had to say in reply to her assassin comment. "Oh, you'd be surprised," she told him, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "A lot of people from the Southern Isles and Weselton aren't really all that fond of me. I'm sure you're aware of that since you're actually from Weselton yourself."

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The queen paused to smile. "I can tell you're trying to be polite though. Thank you." Returning her attention to her food, Elsa would eat until her plate was empty. It didn't take her very long considering how little she had on it. After she had finished, the queen placed her napkin in her lap and glanced back at her company. She was in no rush for him to finish his meal. In fact, the longer he took the more time Elsa would have to prepare herself for what she wanted to ask him next.

Although she wasn't the most comfortable person when it came to spending time around males, Elsa knew she would be required to spend more time with her suitors today. Out of any of the men in her castle at the moment, she just so happened to be most comfortable with Leuan due to the fact they had several encounters already. If she was going to be forced into spending time with men, she was already more content with the idea with spending time with Leuan.

After thinking over her plans, Elsa slowly began to lead into the subject, deciding to see what Leuan planned to do with his day. "So, what are you doing today?" she questioned, realizing she hadn't yet come up with an idea for what she would invite him to do. Well, he wasn't exactly from the area, so maybe he would be interested in going into town with her? It wasn't often Elsa went into town herself, so she figured the experience would be enjoyable enough so long as she wasn't bothered too much by any civilians from town.
 
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

Leuan seemed to have resumed eating himself, though he listened to Elsa, seeming a bit thoughtfull as he ate... Recalling the amount of animosity some seemed to display towards her and her Kingdom. While the Duke was the most prominent figure that had something against Arandelle, and by extension, Elsa, it did not mean there weren't others... Even if he found it a bit hard to understand why.

Though she had lost control of her powers a while back, it didn't seem like she intended to hurt anyone; a bad misunderstanding, followed by another, and another... That lead to the entire land being shrouded in a rather thick layer of snow, a cold, cruel winter that only lifted after things were finally resolved. However, it was definitely possible that some did not understand Elsa's side of things, perhaps having developed a less than savory opinion of her from what they had heard, and experienced, of her powers.

Yet, even with that in mind, he still couldn't even muster up the tiniest bit of contempt or anything for her, especially having spent a day or two with her by now. While if his superiors questioned him about it, he'd say it was part of the act, that was far from the truth. It truly did feel pleasant to be around Elsa, even knowing all that he knew... Her presense was a gentle one, warm in a sense, despite the nature of her powers, one that he couldn't help but enjoy.

When Elsa asked if he was free today, not long after he had polished off his meal, minding his table manners and all... He looked up, smiling a little, trying to maintain a sense of confidence despite what he was about to admit.

"Oh... I had no plans in particular..." He said, with a somewhat sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

That much was true, though he had hoped to spend more time with Elsa in some way, he just wasn't entirely sure where to start... But, perhaps she had something in mind?

Otherwise it would seem odd for her to pop a question like that...​
 
@york

After scoping out Leuan's plans for the day, Elsa couldn't help but feel a little smile tug at her lips. The queen quickly held up a napkin in front of her lips, however, trying to hide any such look from her guest. She didn't want him to know it, but the blonde was actually a bit excited to invite him to go into town with her. This surprised her too. As far as she could recall, this was the first time she had actually been excited to spend time with a man. She could only hope the part where she actually invited him to go into town with her would turn out well.

Here goes nothing.

"I see," Elsa began, placing her napkin back in her lap. She smoothed it out before folding her hands together and setting them down on it. "If that truly is the case, would you be interested in accompanying me into town? You're new here, so perhaps you'd be interested in seeing what Arendelle is like outside of the castle? B-But if it's not something you'd be interested in, I understand. We could do something else."

Although she had tried her best, Elsa still felt as if she had fumbled with her words somewhat. This would take some getting used too. But what if he said no? The queen was sure she would die of embarrassment if such a thing were to happen! Then again, Leuan didn't seem to be the type who would turn her down. Waiting anxiously, she twiddled her thumbs to see what he would say next.
 
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

Leuan blinked a little, trying his best to hide the surprise he himself felt, as Elsa's request seemed to align with what he had in mind... Even if he hadn't spoken it out loud... How... Peculiar, but, not unpleasant at all actually; maybe they had some sort of connection or something? Which, oddly seemed to make him feel a little fuzzy inside thinking about it really.

It took him a couple of moments to realize that in his sudden flurry of thoughts, he had almost forgotten to respond, and so... He did, trying not to let himself get too carried away with his feelings and all, in an effort to maintain his composure.

"Why... Of course I would, my liege..." He said, squaring up his shoulders, and puffing out his chest, in a mostly joking fashion.

Though while he sort of, improvised in an effort not to come off sounding too excited or something, trying to joke around a little, it seemed that he was indeed serious about his answer itself. On the other hand, it did strike him a little weird that he, a high class assassin would improvise and come up with something like this, but, then again... This might be the first time, on the job in fact, that he had gotten room to... Be himself a little, and, as much as he may try and deny it, perhaps being with Elsa had a little part to play in all of this too...
 
@york
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It was the moment of truth. The queen could feel her palms starting to sweat, something they scarcely did often. This was proof of just how nervous she was. Even when it came to other men she never became sweaty; she was an ice queen, after all, and heating up wasn't something that usually happened. In all honesty, it was embarrassing, but she really couldn't help herself.

Clearing her throat Elsa would reply, "Very well then." She tried to seem less flustered than she actually was, not wanting to make her guest think she couldn't handle herself as his escort. It wasn't as if she knew a lot about Arendelle, but that didn't mean she couldn't do her absolute best to show him around. She was rather intelligent, after all.

"In an hour from now, let us meet at the castle gates. From there, I'd be more than happy to accompany you into town. That should be more than enough time for us to ready ourselves, yes?" she questioned before casually moving to take another bite of her food. At this point, she was nearly finished with her breakfast and glad her guest seemed to have enjoyed himself.
 
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

While Elsa had given it her all to disguise her apparent nervousness, and had Leuan not been in his profession for as long as he was... He likely wouldn't have noticed at all, but... Knowing that it wasn't just him feeling a little antsy about the whole ordeal, he was able to find the strength to push past it, and flash Elsa a reassuring smile after they settled on going to town.

As much as he felt nervous himself though, his smile was as genuine as it could get. After all, it wouldn't be long before he would be living a dream, in a way. No matter what happened after, he wouldn't miss his chance to finally experience what it's like in Arendelle, especially if he had Elsa's company...

He nodded in response to her proposition, taking a brief look out the window to locate where they were before he spoke.

"Agreed..." He said, trailing off a little as he seemed to be contemplating something.

Before he spoke anymore though, he polished off his plate with a little more vigour than before, as he had never had food this good, or in this large of a quantity before... And he could only restrain himself so much. Additionally, it would appear that he was a bit distracted by his thoughts to keep himself under control, at least at the moment.

Ultimately, when he finished, he did seem to register what he was doing, but tried to play it off, carefully wiping his mouth with that napkin he had folded from before... Even taking the time to stack together the few dishes he had, in an effort to appear more civlized than he actually was, under normal circumstances that is.

Eventually, he decided to break the silence, speaking again after he more or less made up his mind, deciding to act on his thoughts from earlier.

"... Would you... Like me to escort you to your room?" He asked extending a hand, with another, more confident looking smile.

While he knew, almost for certain that the maid wouldn't try anything again, he felt an almost pressing need to do so... Perhaps out of courtesy, or a general concern for her well being, given that Elsa probably made a few more enemies all around, other than just throughout Weselton...
 
@York

After a moment or two of waiting for Leuan to reply, Elsa managed to finish eating her breakfast. She dabbed her napkin against her mouth once before neatly folding and placing it on the table in front of her. Afterwards, she rose to her feet--just in time to hear Leuan offer to escort her back to her room. The queen contemplated his offer for a moment, brushing her hands down her locks of platinum blonde hair. "Oh, I-I should be fine to walk back myself, thank you," she said, politely bowing to him afterwards. "I'll meet you downstairs very soon. I thank you for joining me for breakfast." She smiled. "I hoped the foods were to your liking."

Although she didn't mind walking with him, the young woman wanted a bit more time to compose herself before she would yet again spend an extended amount of time with him. Goodness, this was getting to be a lot. She wasn't used to spending this much time with anyone, let alone a man who could possibly be one of her suitors.

The queen exited after speaking with Leuan, making her way back to her chambers. Once there, she bathed and prepared herself for the day, hesitating before getting dressed. She was most comfortable in her usual blue dress, but was once again tempted to cloth herself in a disguise. If she did, she would be less likely to draw attention to herself and be more able to focus on getting to know more about this man.

An hour after readying herself, she exited her chambers wearing a tan peasant's clothing, a brown cloak, and a brown wig. It wasn't her favorite of looks, nor was it comfortable, but she was more than used to dressing up in clothes she didn't exactly like. It would be better this way. With that thought in mind, she headed for the castle gates and stood there, waiting for Leuan to arrive.
 
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

Whoops... Perhaps he had been a bit too er... Forward to say the least; Leuan instantly regretted his rash decision to request this of her at all when she refused. Though, fortunately for the both of them, Elsa didn't seem too perturbed by the whole thing; she just looked a little flustered is all.

Smiling a little, he tried to play off his little moment of self doubt by flashing a casual thumbs up in reference to the food.

"The food was great!" He said, quite abruptly... Before he clasped his hands over his mouth.

Evidently he hadn't quite intended to add that much emphasis to his words, but eventually he uncovered his mouth, and tried again.

"I mean... Ah... Thank you... For inviting me..." He said, rubbing the back of his neck a little.

Giving her a little bow, he waited for her to leave first... Before he followed suit, trying to keep a bit of a low profile in the hallway.

It looks like he'd need to put on something less formal out in the public, blend in a bit more, lest he draw some unwanted attention. Thus, when he finally found his room, he headed to his closet, noticing that aside from his usual attire, that he had brought with him, there were a few new sets of clothes in there too.

Hmm... Well, he probably could do with looking a little less raggedy, even in his casual attire.

Mixing and matching a few sets of clothes, he ended up with a sort of... Robin Hood like outfit, which hadn't quite been his intention; he had instead wanted a more huntsman type look, but nonetheless, it worked, as the colors didn't stand out too much. Though instead of going with a green cowl, he went with a green, pointed hat that appeared to have been left by a previous occupant.

To try and sell his new look, Leuan even tried to have a more confident gait in his stride as he approached the castle gates, tipping his hat when he met up with Elsa... Bowing a little.

"Shall we go... M'lady?" He asked, in the most regal tone he could muster.

It was hard to tell if he was joking right away... At least until his expression began to falter a little, as the absurdity of what he was doing right now had sort of... Caught up to him.
 
@York

Elsa waited for Leuan for what seemed like hours. She tapped a foot against the floor and chewed on her lower lip, attempting to curb her budding anxiety. Regardless, thoughts of negativity swirled her head and invaded her troubled mind. What if he didn't show up? What if he laughed at the way she was dressed in her disguise? What if he didn't like Arendelle outside of the castle after they visited it together? There were just so many possibilities that the queen wasn't sure what to expect.

Still, she needed to remind herself that she had a tendency to overthink things and imagine the worst of possibilities in all of the scenarios of her life. Life up until a certain point hadn't exactly been the most pleasant for the young woman, so it was easy for her to fall back into a continuous rut of expecting things to turn out bad. All of her negative assumptions, however, could easily be proven wrong. Leuan would show up. He showed interest in her before. He hadn't laughed at her the last time she had been disguised. And, lastly, the guy lived in Weselton of all places. It was highly doubtful he would be judgmental of Arendelle when he lived in such a place.

Due to calming herself down, the young woman finally shook away her troublesome thoughts by the time her company had arrived. She took a breath of relief and stepped toward him, giving the male a nod when he asked if they should leave. "Certainly, let's go," she replied, turning to the castle guards. She asked them to open the gates before heading out with Leuan. "So what would you like to see first? We have shops, a marketplace, the docks, and our clocktower. Admittedly, there isn't a lot in town, but it's a nice small town," she stated, glancing ahead as she walked.
 
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