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junkyardlynx · 4 years ago

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As the wind stroked his boyish face, Gran found himself smiling softly. Not one of previously unrealized joy, nor the fragile countenance of someone on the edge of sorrow. No, it was a smile of resignation. Not over anything huge, really, but more a persistent fact of his strange life.

He would always be underestimated.

The breeze’s affection turned fickle and slipped away, leaving only stillness and birdsong to fill the tree he was perched in. The light armor he wore fit him well - a black ensemble, decorated with geometrical splashes of red and trimmed in gold. The plates were near-weightless, but they were tough enough to take all manner of punishment; the master artisan six islands back claimed the whole set was forged from adamantite. The matching gauntlets fit him like a second skin, responsive and pliable and even as he leaned forward on the spindly branch, the greaves gave not a creak or a groan.

By all accounts, the armor was fit for a majestic king, or perhaps a revered general. Not a boy who barely looked sixteen summers. So, who then? One would be forgiven if they mistook him for a prince, or perhaps an up-and-coming knight-commander. His features were handsome, if boyish, and people always told him that he had a “very dashing” air to him. As if that actually meant anything.

No, Gran was none of those things. By birth, he was a nobody from the edge of the known sky, left with his friend that was definitely not a lizard. By trade, he was a skyfarer captain. By destiny, one who shared his life with the Girl in Blue. And by effort? Well, that was the one he was most happy to share. Not that anyone ever believed him at first.

By effort, he could be summed up in four words.

Conqueror of the Eternals.

A boy of sixteen, now going on twenty-two, was the one who bested all ten Eternals in single combat? Even to himself, it sounded like a nice story and nothing more. Even though he lived every moment of it. The more spectacular details, like the defeat of the Erste Empire and his rejection of the True King’s offer were public knowledge. Though, well, it was true that they tended to draw his likeness a bit taller, and his face a bit more rugged. Artists paint what they feel, even if they don’t know it, even if they try and hide it. The bias creeps in. Surely whoever performed these fantastic deeds couldn’t be a sixteen year old kid. It was probably a part of the tale added later to spice it up and make it marketable for local papers.

Well, they were sort of right. When he rejected the “True King” and his poisoned wish, Gran was just about to turn twenty-two. Four months later, he now found himself intervening in a messy war between two kingdoms with his friend and crewmate Altair.

Six years. Six years had passed. Six years that showed nowhere on his face, his countenance. Nowhere save his eyes.

It started six years ago. He’d died protecting a terrified girl. A girl he didn’t even know. Even now, if Gran was left to his own devices, he could taste that choking pain -- not the way his lungs seared from the hydra’s flame, nor the gash in his side from the hydra’s claws. No, it was the pain of being powerless. The pain of not being able to reach his hand up to the sky and ask his father in hated grief if he was proud. Proud that unlike his old man, Gran didn’t abandon a child in their time of need.

So when that girl in blue did something impossible, he made two little promises inside of his weak heart.

One, never let anyone hurt her again.

Two, never feel that way again.

Six years and four months showed only in the tone of his muscles and the strength of his gait. The softness of his steps, the way he would round a corner like a prowling lion due to the endless combat he found himself engaged in. How long was it until he figured out the peculiarities of his resurrected body? His hair and nails grew, he still had to eat and sleep and still smelled awful when covered in silverslime after a successful hunt. Open wounds bled and illness forced him to bed.

But he didn’t age.

He probably realized it after teasing Rackam about his patchwork scruff one day. Rackam had lost his razor and was pilfering through the kitchen for a spare, muttering about the “damn gremlins” who “sneak aboard even though people are on watch duty.”

The exchange wasn’t noteworthy, really. Rackam had laughed and jabbed his index finger into the captain’s cheek, wondering when his peach fuzz would finally pack its bags and leave for more hairy locales.

Rackam’s voice echoed in his head.

“C’mon cap, aren’t you eighteen now? You gotta have more than this in ya!”

---

Weird how such a statement could open a can of worms. Last he checked, he wasn’t in the worm business, either. Well, unless Altair’s little solo mission for me involves worms somehow.

Gran hadn’t honestly asked for details since Altair didn’t seem to think they were important. The gist of his part in the greater plan amounted to “stop the western advance.” Simple and concise, really. The field he was scouting below the tree was still and peaceful, seemingly unaware of both the passage of time and the rumblings of war. The breeze kicked up again, carving gentle waves through the grass, and memory pulled him back under.

---

After that, it was impossible for Gran not to notice everything strange thing going on with his body. Despite nearing the age of nineteen, not a single hair managed to grace his face. Meanwhile, he could still tan (and burn) under the blazing sun and if he chose, he could grow the hair on his head as long as he liked. As an experiment, he’d left one toenail to grow as long as it could, just to see what happened. Other than a supremely stubbed toe one early morning followed by a string of swears angry enough to make Eugen blush, nothing came of his experiment.

If was as if nobody has given his body the blueprints for life after sixteen, as if the existence of “Gran as a person” was tied to his current general appearance, as if something altogether removed from natural biology had decided that “this” was Gran. Whatever was supposed to come after simply...didn’t. Naturally, Gran lost his mind a bit. Only a bit, though. He had the good sense to seek out the famous alchemist and self-proclaimed cutest girl in the world, Cagliostro. She’d joined the crew a while ago and had a keen intellect when it came to matters of the body and it’s intricate workings. After all, she’d made one for herself, probably countless times. Her verdict?

She was stumped.

Apparently, senescence - the process of cells deteriorating after copying themselves over long amounts of time, leading to aging - had stopped in Gran. Sort of. The truth was much stranger. She’d been having him report to her little workshop on the Grancypher twice a week, taking blood and tissue samples much to his immediate and mildly painful dismay. This process continued on for three months before her exasperation and wonder lead her to discuss her findings with “cute, baffling little Gran.”

“Basically, captain! You’re aging just right for the first eight samples. The only way to tell is to be able to “find” the itty bitty little bit of info that goes missing from the blueprint of “you” every time your cells divide. I imagine the Astrals put it in as a sort of safety fe-errrrr, moving on! So! Being the inimitable genius I am, I noticed something about the ninth set of samples. They’re alllllmost the same as the first. Way too close. You don’t just get that bit back for no reason, and you really don’t get THAT much back for any reason.”

Gran nodded slowly, already onto what she was talking about. However, knowing that Cagilostro loved a.) having a captive audience and b.) herself, he let her continue.

“I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure, and positing a hypothesis that early on when I might have just mixed up the samples would be irresponsible. So I waited until that Saturday when I got to stab and slice you again, triple-checking that alllll the samples were out of my workshop. Same result! They looked just like the second sample, even fresh farm-to-table.”

She turned an adorably calculated and seemingly malicious smile to Gran as her explanation ended. Though it wasn’t exactly news, her words were still unnerving. After all, his cells were basically rolling back the clock of aging every four weeks. You know, normal things.

“You know how much I’d give to figure out your secret? Even ignoring the fact that it certainly has to do with whatever Lyria did to you three years ago, this is a discovery so amazing you’d think I’d invented it. Your body is pretty much just removed from time! It’s almost envious enough to make me cry. I can’t believe you, making a genius cry. It’s honestly ridiculous. You can obviously still put on muscle mass and your brain isn’t fried like one of those Golden Friday SHRIMP.”

For a bit there after that, Gran lost a...well, a bit more of his mind. If he had to be honest. Three days locked up in his room, not letting anyone in, not even Vyrn. He poured over alchemical texts, medical documents, arcane and state secrets, anything the Grandcypher had that might be pertinent. After three days of intense study, stopping only for the necessities of life, Gran came to an answer. Well, his answer.

Did it matter?

Had his sword arm stayed the same over those three years? No. Was his cut not deadlier, his stab not sharper, his fist not faster? Had his body not taken on the tone and muscle of someone who fought primals -- and prevailed? The difference between the weak Gran of three years ago and the Gran of today was immeasurable. The young man who had once fallen to a single tortured hydra now found himself battling ancient primal beasts of war and guile on a monthly basis.

He may not ever have a thick Draph-sized mustache and his cheeks might permanently retain their tender charm no matter his age, but his body was fit to fight. To protect. To chase his absent father until the end of the sky. That’s what mattered. Though he was quite sure Cagilostro would tease him endlessly for his answer.

With newfound determination, Gran threw himself into what the rest of the crew considered hellish training simply because he knew he could endure it. It was a way to prove himself - even after death, even after abandonment, he was worth something. He had value and merit and talent, but also the drive and yearning to turn it into something. In the wake of this new regiment for himself and his little visit to a certain alchemist on board, rumors crept up. Slow and steady at first, they soon burned like wildfire through the decks of the Grandcypher, spreading out of context and control. He finally became privy to a good chunk of the downright goofy rumors via his afternoon footwork training on the vast open deck.

His footwork training was simple. He would empty his mind and fill it with visions of attackers, then repel those attackers as they came at him from all sides and angles. Though it didn’t hold up to real battles, it offered a sort of vision training and group combat scenario that duels never quite could and best of all, it could be performed anywhere with ample space as the only thing required was himself.

Being simple in those relative terms, it provides opportunities for a capable multitasker to easvesdrop things they shouldn’t, like the hottest Grandcypher gossip. On one such afternoon, in the early days of summer, things came to a head as crewmates found themselves unable to contain the rumor mill around their captain any longer.

“I heard the captain’s immortal!”

Not entirely inaccurate. His nonexistent blade swung a tight arc, lopping off the head of something never there. With his arm extended, he challenged the thin atmosphere between the islands. Nothing came.

“Yeah, I heard he was like a six thousand year old primal beast?”

Missed the mark a bit there, he quipped internally. It seemed both directed at the conversation and himself as he danced between the attacks of no ones and nothings. His sweeping kick, though near-flawless in form, barely grazed the torso of his last imagined attacker in that scenario. With a click of his tongue, he noted to himself that an actual attacker couldn’t simply stop on a dime like the one he imagined did. Even in his mind, he was tough on himself, as no one else seemed to want the responsibility. With a little consternation, he ended up giving himself the point for his made up little game. The points didn’t matter, but they made him feel better.

“We have a few of those in the crew, so it makes sense.”

It would, but that’s not the case. Gran’s feet shuffled to and fro, dancing softly across the wooden deck of the Grancypher. To the casual observer, it almost appeared as if he was simply rehearsing one of the dances Anthuria had choreographed with him. He ducked under an imaginary bullet, fist rising from below to smash the jaw of the illusory gunman.

The nothings and nobodies fell to his invisible sword strikes, his matchless kicks and punches, to the spells he snap-conjured between the thrust of a lance and the flight of an arrow. Finally, panting hard with exhilaration and the flow of combat, Gran slew the final “attacker” with a quick reversal and stab to the gut, ending the dream with its own weapon. Nothing and no one fell, other than comfortable silence, but he still felt a measure of success as he picked up the warmed vacuum flask that had his lunch in it.

“No, no, he’s only thirty-six and he’s the son of that one legendary adventurer. It’s his hero’s blood. I hear his dad bathed in the entrails of the primal beast he slew, though, so maybe that’s what caused it in the end?” Why would a hero be forced to stop aging before he could legally drink? The snort of his barely contained laughter sent soup up his nose, straight from his vacuum flask. Hot soup. Hot, spicy soup.

“That makes a lot of sense.”

More than the six thousand year old primal beast bit, yes.

“He’s still our captain, so who cares? That’s good enough for me.” Oh. Ah. I...

That last overheard comment had humbled him, but the clear ring of all the affirmations that followed from crewmates in it’s wake shook him to his core. Somehow, he’d gained the loyalty and friendship of some of the most accepting people under the great blue sky. His training, already considered to be a form of self-punishment by the rest of the crew, grew in scope and desire. If there was a mountain in his way, he would cut it. If there was a river in his way, he would part it. If even the great ocean of stars spanned the distance, it would be crossed.

For all the things he could still protect.

For the dreams he had thought beyond him.

For the sake of surpassing the absent father that had abandoned him long ago, leaving only a note.

When still a boy in a backwater nothing, Gran wielded a simple short sword and fancied himself a sort of knight as he grew up. Wearing a slightly ragged blue tunic with a hood, a few pieces of spare platemail strapped to his right arm, and holding a sword containing more rust than blade. Training with Vyrn in the forest every day, the boy dreamed of something bigger. A fighter, a protector, a guardian of what he loved and treasured, not a bandit that cut and run from his family. That’s what he wanted to be... That dream was, for lack of a better term, driven from his chest. By a hydra. Just so we’re clear.

He abandoned defensive posture after that, seeking to end fights as quickly as possible. An axe found it’s way into his hands and for a time, he was satisfied by the devastation it wrought. Teenage postmortem angst seemed to be quelled by a felling cleave to an enemy’s collarbone, and chunky plate scraps held together with red leather and white fur served him well enough as protection from the elements and the enemies he faced.

Nothing so simple satisfied for long, though. Gran took to himself in a sort of hermitage for a while, studying magic under the occasional tutelage of his talented crewmates. There was a certain ripple of insecurity in his scouting party’s mood when he’d shown up late one day, his usual armor stripped down to basic protection and his axe nowhere to be found. They tossed light jeers at his green cloak and the staff he carried, even as they set off for their destination - a bandit camp they had been hired to uproot. Peace talks were attempted by the bandit’s leader and an Erune comrade of Gran’s, one better suited for diplomacy than the boy-faced captain.

Things deteriorated quickly. Gran had quietly stepped forward once the leader made it clear he had no intention of retreating peacefully. With the green hood still covering half his disappointed face, Gran slashed the tip of the staff in a dismissive motion to the right, as if telling them their time here was over. Before they could protest or retaliate, wild magic burst into life around them, sealing off all escape and action. Concentric rings of frost and fire cradled in the stony embrace of the earth, carved into being with the fierce wind tore at everything inside the bandit’s camp. With the oxygen burnt out, the earth lashed and the encampment in shambles, the dazed and injured bandits were easy prisoners.

No one jeered after that.

As his prowess grew and the crew took on more work, that cloak had weathered with time. It faded to an almost dull grey, and with this Gran had added a black half-mask to the ensemble. Admittedly, it was mostly to hide his youthful features and force enemies to take him somewhat seriously for once, as the sting of his blessed curse grew more apparent as he approached his twentieth year.

For combat, a middle ground was found. He embraced not pure swordsmanship, nor did he place his trust only in magic. Instead, he channeled his power into debilitating his opponent’s often unworldly vigor and vitality, then coaxed those weaknesses open with his unmatched swordplay. Victory after victory piled up at the crew’s feet, and the legend of the “boy captain” grew.

It also provided the fodder for what Gran considered a highly embarrassing piece of “art.” Somebody had caught him resting his right hand on his jaw, leg crossed over the other almost lazily as he read a scrap of paper in his left. It was a failed betting ticket, so close to winning millions of rupees, save for the upset victory in the sixth match. An enterprising somebody, who’s name begins with L and ends with -unalu, had committed this terrible and dreadful sight to memory. She then committed that memory to paper with her talent.

Only, well.

She’d used her license of artistic interpretation to replace the slip of paper held in contempt with a comically oversized sword. Stabbed unceremoniously in the ground. The barstool? That was now a throne carved of stone. The title of the piece, an unknowing and fortunate soul might ask?

“Chaos Ruler.”

The print she made was reproduced and sold to more than a handful of people on and off the Grandcypher. Copies of it hung from stray support beams and walls on the ship, as if to lovingly taunt him and people switched their mode of address from “captain” to things like “my liege” or “ruler” or “chaos kid” for the better part of a month. Gran said nothing, choosing to keep what little of his dignity he felt he had left.

Nobody saw Gran wear that outfit again.

In hindsight, he had to agree that the metal half-mask was a little much. But, ah, Ejaeli and Predator had convinced him it was cool. They made masks look cool, after all. The palpable disappointment from them almost made him walk back on that decision. Almost.

From then on, he’d taken to wearing a simple outfit when on duty, reminiscent of his teenage years. Having turned twenty some time ago, he decided to make a simple blue hooded tunic the mainstay of his combat attire. On top went a basic but functional steel breastplate, covering his heart and ribs. His arms were covered in gauntlets of the same make, and steel greaves offered his feet and shins ample protection as they went on over a pair of loose beige pants. What it lacked in flair it made up for in comfort and capability. A sensible choice. It gave nothing about his combat style away either, other than the obvious caveat that he might engage in it at some point.

---

Funny to say teenage years, he supposed, looking down at the peaceful field. Fires were beginning to rise and march in the distance, headed this way. An army. For now, though, he had time, and the world seemed to move so perilously slow. Memory reeled him in once more, as if the grass and the trees of this island made him long for another time and another place.

---

Thinking seriously on it, the reason his legend had spread as that of the “boy captain” probably had to do with two things. One, the Grandcypher traveled an awful lot between three different skydoms, and two? The crew of the Grandcypher loved events.

It probably had to do with a third thing, too.

His crew really, really loved to tease him about his age.

Every birthday, it’d be “Happy sixteenth, Cap!” They reused the same banner six times now, adding a tally mark just above “sixteenth” every single time. It was as endearing as it was maddening. Eugen and Rackam pulled the same thing at every new bar, ordering three beers and then pretending to flip out at Gran when he took his. It caused its fair share of problems for Gran, so sometimes Gran would flip the script before they got the chance and get angry at his “dad” and “brother” for getting drunk while “mom” was at home alone.

Some of the Grandcypher ladies would tease him with lines about “when he was older” and what an “earnest young man he was” if they saw him during the more romantic holidays, much to his chagrin. He learned to reverse that too, going on the offensive by playing the straight man to their act. He paid them straightforward compliments with toothy grins and presented them with chocolates during White Day as a form of playful revenge.

A few times every year, the crew would be called to an ancient island where a sort of...war game took place between skyfaring crews. An Astral experiment run amok meant that otherworldly and ferocious beasts overwhelmed the singular island now and then, and their presence courted the attention of primal beasts. As the people of the skydoms always sought to turn misery into growth, they established a way to turn it into a competition. Extremely rare treasure was brought in from all across the skyrealms and the monster problem on the island was handily taken care of in what they called Guild Wars.

Ten times, the Grancypher emerged victorious. Each time, for his troubles, the Captain would receive an ancient weapon of unparalleled power, power that courted disaster - and inevitably the attention of those that would protect the sky from unparalleled threats.

The Eternals.

Ten times over the years, Gran wore his convictions on his sleeve and fought the strongest people in the sky, all to prove that he would remain himself in the face of that dread power. In truth, Gran didn’t plan to use those relics of war. He simply reveled in the chance to face those brilliant, blazing souls in single combat.

It was a way to prove himself. Both to those who he had grown to admire after hearing their legends, and to his eternally absent father. Surely, even his father would have to notice if he conquered the ten strongest people in the sky--

He didn’t, but it didn’t matter.

In the end, the people he met and bonded with mattered.

After an incident involving the mafia bearing down on Stardust Town, the Eternals got together and presented Gran with a suit of armor and his own cloak, signifying his status as the eleventh Eternal, an irreplaceable part of their group. While Siete was still the de-facto leader and Uno was the first of the Eternals, Gran - given the new title of Jedenáct - was the end-all-be-all when it came to pure combat strength. As they had joined the Grancypher’s crew, they wanted him to join the crew of the Eternals and share in that camaraderie.

He might have felt sixteen behind those misty eyes when they draped the white jacket over his shoulders and popped the celebratory drinks open, but he’d never admit it. Openly. Nio knew, because of course she did. His heart’s plaintive melody was clear to her ear from the moment they’d met. He’d been seeking a place to belong, a place that respected him since the day he understood that his father had abandoned him. Between the Grancypher and the Eternals, he’d finally felt like part of a family.

A family more real than the blood that spawned and abandoned him, all the while burdening him with purpose.

This is where I belong.

---

Of course, it was just after this heartfelt moment that Altair had been roped into this awful and brutal war. As a member of the Grancypher family, Altair’s problems were Gran’s problems. And now, that advancing army was coming into ambush distance. Concentrating his mana for a second, Gran summoned forth an ethereal bow, shaped like the one Song used but made of pure, blue light. Standing up on the branch of the tree, he took aim at the ground some twenty metres in front of the enemy general’s advance. Luhua was said to be a fearsome combatant, and Gran secretly hoped for a chance to resolve things with a non-fatal, honorable, one-on-one duel. The best kind of fight.

Of course, he would always be underestimated. There was a chance that no such duel would be found, and it might turn into a bloody melee.

Either way?

Time to keep the sky’s sweet peace.

#granblue fantasy #gbf #gran #fanfiction #writing #my writing #self-indulgent bullshit

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that-shamrock-vibe · 6 years ago

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Superhero Spotlight: MCU Post Phase 3

With all this talk about ideas and hopes for the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers 4 wraps up the first 11 years of said universe, I am slightly concerned as to whether or not anyone has actually sat down with Kevin Feige and said “Seriously, what are we doing after 2019?” because so far the talk is about how Avengers 4 is going to be the last hurrah for our original Avengers from Phase 1, with a possible exception, and also the arrival of the X-Men and Fantastic 4 now Disney has bought Fox.

So I thought i would offer some realistic suggestions for where the MCU can go post Phase 3 and where I think it should go both to keep the universe fresh after it potentially rotates the Avengers team roster and also now Feige has double if not triple the toys.

What’s Coming:

So what we know as confirmed movies for the MCU going forward is that hotly anticipated Captain Marvel movie, Avengers 4 which will end Phase 3 and potentially an era of the MCU and the start of Phase 4 which will be Spider-Man: Far From Home all scheduled for release in 2019.

I have to say just that year of movies itself makes me excited both as a Marvel fan and movie goer because people are buzzing over finally seeing Carol Danvers join the MCU, obviously everyone wants to know the final fates of most of the MCU characters post-Infinity War which includes Peter Parker and also his sequel will introduce Jake Gyllenhall as Mysterio.

However, after 2019, due to problems that have faced Disney this summer with firing James Gunn, no confirmed dates are on the cards post-2019. Guardians 3 is still on the table but its release date has been pushed back. This means that, unless Feige pulls an ace out of his sleeve rather quickly with either a surprise announcement or a distraction, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will not have any slots in 2020 which will be a huge loss for Disney considering they’ve striven to have up to 3 Marvel movies a year for years, that’s been their formula for practically the 10 years.

What’s Most Likely:

Now as fans of the MCU have come to realise, Kevin Feige likes to keep things simple...even if it means not faithful to the source material. This hit home for me with Ultron and how he was created by Tony Stark rather than Hank Pym. Simple because they already had Tony Stark established, not faithful because Ultron is possibly one of Hank Pym’s greatest storylines and they gave it to RDJ.

The other thing to consider when understanding Feige’s mindset at the moment, is that he is in the centre of a major s&*tstorm right now. Not only with the fact he has had to put Guardians of the Galaxy 3 on hold until he can find a new director due to this past summer of trouble with James Gunn, but also with the fact one or two vocal members of the Guardians cast, Bautista especially, are being brutally honest about not trusting Feige or Disney anymore. So Feige I imagine will strive to keep his creative decisions as simple as possible while also pulling some major damage control to try and keep both actors and fans happy.

I did an entire post on how I think he could fix his Guardians problem with introducing the Asgardians of the Galaxy, however if he doesn’t choose to go down that route and they do bring out Guardians 3 as scheduled, then I have a way to create a positive media buzz around the film.

A b-storyline in Guardians 3 could be rebuilding the Nova Corps, which was destroyed along with Xandar in Avengers: Infinity War by Thanos in order to acquire the Power Stone. So to recreate the Corps, how about bringing in the original Nova - Richard Rider Now just listen to this set up: “When the last surviving member of the planet Xandar's elite Nova Corps, Rhomann Dey, is dying, he selects New York high school student Richard Rider to replace him.” Firstly, Rhomann Dey has already been introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy portrayed by John C. Reilly, he only needs to appear as a cameo or flashback on how Nova was chosen. Not forgetting Thanos, off-screen, ravaged Xandar to acquire the Power Stone leaving the fates of the Nova Corps unknown, so what a perfect set-up for Guardians 3 or even Avengers 4 to introduce a young Richard Rider. If they wanted to retcon him slightly he could even go to the same high school as Peter Parker. But to be contemporaries with the other Guardians I think Feige will be best to cast in a similar age to Pratt and maybe show his origin in a Nova movie.

Bringing in the Mutants:

Another suggestion and possibly a more realistic option for Feige is to introduce the X-Men. They have of course been hotly anticipated to join the big leagues for years, and now they are owned by the Mouse House it’s just a question of when and how they’ll debut.

I have doe a Fan-Casting Frenzy post where I make suggestions for the MCU’s version of the Brotherhood of Mutants because a YouTube channel I watch has already appropriately cast the MCU’s X-Men team. But while I think an X-Men team movie potentially with the Brotherhood as the villains is inevitable, I do believe introducing individual X-Men members first to tease the movie is the way to go. Not only will it save us as fans having to meet an entire team of characters at once but, as Feige is known for, it’s a great way for fans to have their favourites going in.

I personally feel, like most, that Storm should definitely appear in a Black Panther sequel. It’s just too perfect to not happen! Not only is Ororo Munroe the wife of King T’Challa in the comics but also it would create hopefully an interesting love-triangle between the already established T’Challa and Nakia. Lupita N’yongo is someone everyone wanted to see play Storm and I still feel she would have been perfect for the role, but now she’s settled for the girl that needs a copy of He’s Just Not That Into You when Storm flies onto the scene, also yes make the Weather Witch fly for goodness sake! Two simple character traits; she has to fly and actually be African, and Ryan Coogler did a spectacular job honoring African culture with the first Black Panther movie, so surely he is the right person to bring Storm into the MCU.

Another place to introduce more X-Men members is in that hopeful Doctor Strange sequel. Both T’Challa and Stephen Strange are hot commodities for the MCU currently not only being part of the new wave of heroes to take centre stage after Phase 3, but also starring in solo movies that were highly successful with both critics and fans. Also with a Doctor Strange sequel, the two most logical ways to go with the story are either a House of M retelling which would see Scarlet Witch appear in the sequel, but the other way is Doctor Strange: Illuminati which could see him become one of the founding members of the secret government that works behind the scenes. The team also includes Iron Man as well as Professor X, Mister Fantastic and Namor. The latter three of which are now owned by Disney from Fox.

I am not saying a Doctor Strange sequel is the best place to introduce three characters, but if they don’t focus on them in terms of major character development and simply focus on the fact they are in the MCU and will be developed in future movies it could be a great introduction.

Fantastic Four:

Speaking of Mister Fantastic, introducing Marvel’s First Family would be a logical suggestion for the MCU due to the fact Disney has found storming success with Pixar’s Incredibles franchise. Yes they have co-morbidity in their powers but the Fantastic 4 did come first.

There however lies the problem Feige may face, being compared to the Incredibles. Yes there is a different family dynamic with the Richards-Storm-Grimm set-up to the Parrs, but there is no reason to say that a CGI and live-action version cannot co-exist. If anything I think the Fantastic 4 can learn from the Incredibles particularly with what to do with Mister Fantastic. The trick is not falling into the same trap as what has come before in attempts.

A-Force:

An idea that has been batted around a lot recently is an all female Avengers movie, logically speaking this would mean A-Force. While every female hero in Marvel seems to have been a part of the team in the comics. It makes sense in the MCU to have a team comprised of the already established female heroes, along with Captain Marvel who could easily lead the team. We’re talking Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, The Wasp, Nebula, Captain Marvel, potentially Gamora and maybe Okoye & Valkyrie. That’s eight female members already established. With the potential additions of Storm, Jean Grey and Rogue from the X-Men and even Sue Storm from the Fantastic Four and you have a full roster. I do not think Jessica Jones, Elektra and Quake will be elevated from their TV serials but to be fair I think those 12 are more than enough.

Young Avengers:

One suggestion I will always favour is the teenage “sidekicks” to the Avengers. This team would either make a great movie or Netflix series and definitely show up DC’s upcoming Titans series.

As a purist obviously I want to keep to the founding members, as such the team should be comprised of Nate Richards aka Iron Lad, Eli Bradley aka Patriot, Billy Kaplan & Teddy Altman aka Wiccan and Hulkling, Kate Bishop aka Hawkeye, Cassie Lang aka Stature, Vision 2.0. and Tommy Shepherd aka Speed. That is the main line-up of the original team.

Now I would say to stick with the original team because the current team does not have Cassie Lang and so far she is the only member established in the MCU. However, the later incarnation of the team is more racially diverse so maybe they can be brought in at a later date.

Wiccan and Speed are the twin sons created by Scarlet Witch, Hulkling is the son of Mar-Vell and a Skrull princess both of whom will most likely appear in the upcoming Captain Marvel. Others can easily be introduced either in a film or TV series.

But when thinking about the storylines; you have Wiccan and Hulking who would be the first openly LGBT characters the MCU has but also teenage gay characters hopefully in a realistic portrayal of a homosexual relationship, Patriot does kind of represent teenage substance abuse, there’s the family dramas with both Wiccan & Speed but also Stature and how Scott Lang feels about his daughter being a superhero not to mention Hulkling discovering his true heritage and maybe contributing to the Kree-Skull war that could be shown starting in Captain Marvel. Not to mention the first Young Avengers story which sees them face off against Kang the Conqueror who in the comics is most likely a descendant of Reed Richards. Numerous possibilities.

Nuhumans:

My final suggestion is a way to firmly solidify the connection between the Movies and TV Shows by introducing the newest generation of Inhumans, known as Nuhumans, in a movie and then giving them their own TV series possibly on Netflix or on Disney’s new streaming service.

Firstly the Nuhumans are mostly credited for introducing the new Ms. Marvel, who not only has gone on to join the Avengers but also could very easily become the new heart of the MCU.

Now the team could easily be led by Daisy Johnson aka Quake and would be a way to keep Chloe Bennett around or get her away from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as I do not see much more longevity in that series. But because she is a TV actress primarily, it could work for her to appear in one movie and then go back to television just with a bigger budget for her Quake powers and costuming.

The movie could introduce Ms. Marvel, Inferno, Moon Girl, Blizzard and Ana Kravinoff to the movies. In essence they are all teenagers and yes I do have a preference for bringing in a younger generation of heroes to the MCU post Phase 3 but I do think this opening line-up could not only form a good team but also a solid fanbase.

Some die-hard comic book fans may notice that Blizzard has already been introduced in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. portrayed by Dylan Minnette...well yes he has but has since gone on to form his own fan-base in both 13 Reasons Why and 2015′s Goosebumps as well as being in an Indie Rock band. Blizzard aka Donnie Gill was treated more as a mutate than an Inhuman but after his final fate in the TV series saw him frozen in the water leaving his ultimate fate unknown and these Nuhumans emerged from a water contaminate outbreak, it makes sense that Quake, who has a history with Donnie, either finds him or he finds her and becomes the troubled student of the team maybe along with Ana who is Kraven the Hunter’s daughter.

All the characters suggested would be great to see portrayed but my hotly anticipated pick is Moon Girl for the pure and simple reason that I feel she’d be a great start for an up and coming child actress considering in the comics she is supposed to be 9 years old. She should also be accompanied by her dino sidekick Devil Dinosaur.

It could also be a wonderfully diverse cast of characters if cast regionally appropriate; we already have Quake portrayed by Chloe Bennet both of whom are of Chinese descent. Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel is Pakistani American so finding a teenager or young adult actress of that heritage would be brilliant, Ana Kravinoff, like her father Kraven, is Russian, Moon Girl is African-American and Inferno is Latino-American.

In case anyone is wondering why I’m not trying to introduce the Inhuman Royal Family into the movies, Marvel already tried that and the result was a rather horrendous TV series whose cancellation was dragged out unintentionally. Yes Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. introduced Inhumans into the MCU in their Season 2, but to get the real experience of Inhuman powers you need a higher budget that a movie or maybe this new streaming service can provide.

I am not saying the Royals can’t be in this film/series, in fact if they want to either retcon or recast the series I would be happy with that. I would love to see Medusa done right and who doesn’t love Lockjaw? But in terms of where the MCU is going I feel a younger more current generation is the key.

So those are my suggestions for where the MCU should be headed post Phase 3, what do you guys think? Are you wanting to see the Inhumans done right? Do you think Chloe Bennet should make the jump from TV to film? Is a younger generation of heroes the way to go? Are the former Fox-owned properties the MCU’s best hope? How would you feel if Guardians of the Galaxy 3 did not focus on the current team we have?

Post your comments and check out more Superhero Spotlights as well as other Movie Reviews and posts.

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komkari852 · 5 years ago

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Happy Birthday Wishes For Dad – Heart-warming, Funny & Prayers

There are many ways to say, Happy birthday dad, so it might be hard to find a perfect for wishing happy birthday. Father is a sign of guidance, care, love, and wisdom, so no doubt that father is important in our life. We all know that they are not as much praised as mothers, but we know the importance of a father in every aspect of life.

Dads also love birthdays! Accept it or not, there’s a vacuum in a child’s life only a dad can fill. It isn’t just about being a man; the role of a dad goes beyond fathering a son or daughter. Getting fully involved in the upbringing of one’s child makes the difference between a dad and a man on pants.

For the uncommon dads who have made our childhood and adult experiences worth the while, nothing is too big to give them, especially on their birthdays. To make it all the sweeter, start the celebration for him with a note that deeply expresses your reverence, respect, and love for him. These sample birthday messages for your dad will serve as a guide:

Heart-warming Happy Birthday Wishes For Dad

1: It is great to feel a dad’s love once in a lifetime. If we do get it twice, it is counted as the jackpot of miracles. Thanks, dad, for giving me reasons to call you dad, and not a step-father. Happy birthday.

2: No matter how far and wide I travel, my heart never stops beating for the first man that showed me unconditional love. Happy birthday, daddy.

3: Today, I want you to know that you are a rare and priceless gem. Happy birthday, dad.

4: I don’t know how you were able to put up with my excesses, dad. I can’t say how you kept loving me when I couldn’t show you a bit of appreciation. I respect you a lot, daddy. I really do. Happy birthday.

5: For all the days you sweated to give me sweet, for all the times you underwent pain to make me gain, I want to say a sincere “Thank you, dad.” I don’t know what would have been of me without you. Happy birthday.

6: May this day bring you incredible love which you brought into my life. Merriest birthday, dad.

7: Of all fathers, you are the noblest. Happy birthday, sweet dad.

8: There were days I despised your strict stance on discipline. Now, daddy, I have no regrets knowing you. Happy birthday, and may you live long for me.

9: You never cared about your comfort more than you cared about mine. All you were out to achieve was to help make me a star. Happy birthday, dad. I love you with all my heart.

10: You make my world light up in different, colourful ways. You are my father, and forever you’ll be. Happy birthday, dad.

11: People often wonder why I revere you even though you are my dad. They don’t really know the meaning you brought into my life. I adore you. Enjoy a fruitful birthday.

12: You taught me to always let love lead. Indeed, you are my “Triple L” dad. Happy birthday!

13: Thousands of words only scratch the surface of my thoughts about you, father. The description of your persona is best summarised as perfect. Happy birthday to my one and only dad.

14: Do you know that I can’t have any other dad in place of you? It is simply impossible. Happy birthday.

15: Happy birthday to my father, who is his wife’s lover, and the best friend of his children. Live long, and prosper in health.

16: Whenever I go down memory lane, there’s a man I usually meet who contributed in making me the real father that I am today. Happy birthday, dad. I will love you all my life.

17: My childhood was filled with fantastic fun because there was never a dull moment with you, dad. Even presently, I smile at some of the memories. Happy birthday.

18: Happy birthday, dad. Thanks for making me love God by your own loving.

Happy Birthday Prayer Wishes For Your Dad

1: I will be a fulfilled woman to see you live into your 90s in health and with your face creased with contentment. I pray you do have them all. Happy birthday, dearest daddy.

2: May safety, security, and success be yours, ten times and more as you step into a new year of your life. Happy birthday, my living legend.

3: All that you’ve ever hoped for, all that you keep praying about, all that will make you a fulfilled man, let them all be your birthday gift as you majestically enjoy your new age. Cheery birthday, daddy love.

4: As you gave all up to take me up, may people never rest until they make you comfortable. Happy birthday, dad.

5: I have directed loads of blessings, barrels of goodness, sheaves of favour and pots of sweetness to you on the occasion of your birthday today. You deserve all and more. Happy birthday, dad.

6: Happy birthday to my father who merits the title of “best friend”. You are blessed on every side. Rise and never fall into disgrace.

7: Will you mind if I command heaven to release all the wonderful benefits that befit a man like you? I know you wouldn’t mind. Happy birthday, my precious daddy.

8: Happy birthday, lovely dad. May none of your struggles for me never amount to anything. May you live to eat the fruit of your labour.

9: On this beautiful day, I pray that only beautiful things will find you. Happy birthday, father.

10: For not keeping me stranded as a child, for raising me with mum, to be the best of my kind, may the good Lord make your life tastier than ever, through me. Happy birthday, dad.

11: No moment passes me by without your thoughts flashing across my mind. Then, I make a silent prayer, requesting heaven to bless my dad in every way possible. I know this year will be better for you, dad. Have an incredible birthday.

12: If God should bless you the way I desire him to, you will have no room left to accommodate more. I pray that you’ll be richly happy, now and always. I heart you, dad. Happy birthday.

13: One of the best ways to appreciate a fine gentleman like you is by praying for their continuous existence on earth. Live into your ripe, old age full of health. Happy birthday, dad.

14: Whenever you are happy, I am happy. I pray that you always dwell in happiness. Happy birthday, papa.

Funny Happy Birthday Wishes For Your Dad

1: You often tell even strangers, that I’m your son who you are very proud of. You like showing off, dad! Take it easy, please. Happy birthday, by the way.

2: The only difference between your last birthday and the present one is that you want a bigger birthday cake this time around. Enjoy while it lasts. Happy birthday, super dad.

3: That you are getting older isn’t a perfect reason for not visiting us, too. We aren’t taking that excuse. We want to hear your own knock on our door. Hope you’ll change for the best, dad. Happy birthday.

4: Every new year, you grow a new patch of grey hairs. Is that the best you can offer, dad? Happy birthday, all the same.

5: Happy birthday to our special dad. Just grow old so that we can get some respite from mean people. We are already tired of hearing, “Your dad is more handsome than you all!”

6: Dearest papi, this birthday wish contains many warm hugs for you that will last till your next birthday. No gifts this year. Thank you.

7: I love the way you smile, dad. This is me, wishing you a happy birthday. My gift for you is a buzz of tickling to make you smile crazily a hundred times, everyday. I’m sure you’ll like it.

8: Personally, I would have exchanged you for the richest man in our city. But your soft heart couldn’t let my plan work out. You are something else, dad. Happy birthday.

9: Daddy, happy birthday. You taught me how to prank on people, and now you want me to come over to learn more from you. Thanks for loving me in weird ways, Mister.

10: Happy birthday, my lovely dad. Too many of your advice ruined my life. Thanks to you, I am referred to as the “Man of Integrity.” I can’t even have a thief for a friend!

11: I am very sure you are waiting for my message before you celebrate your birthday. Stop making me jump hurdles for you. I don’t know why I love you so much. Happy birthday, dad.

12: Do you know why I love you? I don’t know either. Happy birthday, daddy.

13: This day, I want to thank God for giving me a fat father. Nobody would question if you had any birthday feast. Happy birthday without a cake, sweet dad.

14: Happy birthday, dad. For this year, I learnt that you’ve already sent invites for a bigger celebration. Well, tell the folks to come along with their own party chairs and food.

15: I wish you long life and a sprinting spirit even if your legs won’t want to run anymore. Happy birthday, papa.

Source:- https://lifemotivation.net

also Like:- https://justpaste.it/Happy-birthday-dad

https://lifemotivation-net.weebly.com/home/happy-birthday-wishes-for-dad-heart-warming-funny-prayers

http://lifemotivation-net.mystrikingly.com/blog/happy-birthday-wishes-for-dad-heart-warming-funny-prayers

#DAD #birthday #happy birthday #father #daddy

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renaroo · 8 years ago

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Wednesday Roundup

We have an interesting week! Not the least of which because of Saga’s newest volume release which I have been highly anticipating for months. There’s a lot of storylines beginning, ending, and everything in between this week, and we’ve got a spread between DC, Marvel and Indie. So let’s see how it plays out!

Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, DC’s Detective Comics, Image’s Saga, DC’s Titans, DC’s Wonder Woman

Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man: Renew You Vows (2016- ) #6 Gerry Conway, Ryan Stegman, Jesus Aburtov

We’ve officially gone into territories that I honestly hadn’t expected for this series to take, that being the confirmation as of this issue that this is a parallel universe where the Superhero Registration Act and Civil War never happened. But... oddly enough it seems to also be a world where Conway is happily ignoring Slott’s miniseries that started Renew Your Vows because the X-Men, including ones we very much saw were dead in the mini, are well and alive and running the Xavier institute just fine.

And just to add to weirdness, everyone’s in their 90s uniforms but Jean is married to Logan and they have an adorable daughter. How’s that supposed to work with my perception of reality? I have absolutely no idea, but Annie gets a possible future friend in little baby mutant so I think I can consider myself happy.

It’s interesting to see Gerry Conway, who in many ways as I revisit the various comics of the past (as you may have noticed through my liveblogging here) really is fundamental for me personally in how I perceive Peter, MJ, and their relationship, is writing the first book I’ve been able to read in a long time that feels like them. And it’s not perfect marital bliss -- there’s conflict, opposition, and a sense of flaws that both of them bring to the table.

Basically all the things that Slott and co. whined and bemoaned were gone simply because Peter and MJ tied the knot. y’know. Thirty years ago.

Still enjoying the book, but I’m extra curious/worried where our cliffhanger leaves us. Also wow, poor Beast.

DC’s Detective Comics (2016- ) #954 James Tynion IV, Marcio Takara, Marcelo Maiolo

*long heralding sigh and a wistful look into the distance*

We’re smack in the middle of this storyline and I’m sure there’s a lot of things that will be better once it’s fully played out, but I’m running out of ways to defend Tynion’s run on ‘Tec. Mostly because for all the frustration that I have with people being way too critical of this run -- which there more than has been -- I’m getting less and less out of Tynion’s work that fills me with the joy and exuberance that helps me want to defend his comics to begin with.

Probably because I have always said his pacing is awful, his reveals have almost no setup, he repeatedly robs us of emotional catharsis, his views of morality are about as black-and-white as someone can get out of a high school creative writing class, and just structurally I’ve never enjoyed his arcs.

What I do like from Tynion and have defended again and again is his understanding of the main team’s characters. The Belfry team, as written by him, have so many amazing character moments that they far outshine his stories and villains time and time again. He understands why people love these characters and he wants to share why he loves them, and that enthusiasm has repeatedly been a saving grace on issues that had everything else working against them during his run.

Soooooo This issue is completely devoid of those good things. Because our only goodguy left standing is Bruce. I continue to be... less than apathetic toward the Colony and the assassination of Jacob Kane’s character, or Ulysseus’ gamer-brat return. Bruce continues to be an IDIOT about this League of Shadows thing to the point that my brain breaks trying to figure out why in Detective Comics it seems like the World’s Greatest Detective can’t get a clue. And it all just blehhhhssss toward the middle.

Now for the controversy. Because god forbid we not have controversy every week ‘Tec comes out. Cass’ reentry in the last two pages is awesome for the first page and stupid on the giant splash page. yes, she’s going to be the one to take down the League of Shadows, and she’ll probably FINALLY get to say one of her famous lines herself for once (IMAGINE). but Tynion or Takara one dropped the ball on that last page by having Cass holding bloody katanas and make it look like she had actually killed Shiva’s ninjas. If this was a mistake, DC is... itself again and we’ll have to ignore it. If it’s meant to make us doubt Cass and that she’s taken Shiva’s words to heart it’s a cheap cliffhanger and we know better. If if if, doesn’t matter, it’s not what it seems and it annoys me.

I was annoyed by this issue and outside of Takara’s continued excellent work in the art department this is going to be lost in the overall storyline of this arc like every single other middle issue Tynion has written for this run. Nothing was gained for this experience.

Well, it gave me the energy to rant. And I know that’s what some of you come to this blog for, so it gave you that much.

Image’s Saga (2012- ) Volume 7 Brian K. Vaughn, Fiona Staples

Few comics hit the milestones and accolades which Saga have without stumbling across bumps in the path, and that goes nearly triple when it comes to pushing the envelope with themes of interracial relationships, multiethnic found families, clashing cultures, war, sexual politics, and discussions of sexuality and gender all at once.

But somehow, amazingly, Saga not only continues to maintain this path and always manages to find new and impressive ways to surprise me -- someone who I’d consider to be a pretty hardened veteran of nearly all forms of storytelling in comics at this point -- but it manages to make each punch still feel like a direct hit to my gut.

There is so much anguish in the trials of our space opera family for this adventure, so much loss that it’s hard to pin down what hit me harder -- the loss of a long time friend, the sanity of a former dignitary, the home of a beloved survivor, the respect of a former mentor, or -- as Hazel herself so eloquently put it in the last pages of this volume -- the loss of things that never were, the missing energy of what could have been.

There’s a lot throughout this, and as always Saga delivers. We continue to have one of the most badass trans women I’ve seen in comics to date, the fall from grace of Marko’s professed pacifism, and the fear of Sophie’s inevitable manipulations at the hand of The Will, something that will break my heart a thousand times more.

Fiona Staples’ art is next level comic storytelling, but I also need to emphasize just what a fantastic writer Brian K. Vaughn truly is. As someone very aware and concerned about portrayal and voices of women in comics, I have to say that Vaughn is up there with Rucka as some of the few male writers that write female characters in a way that truly speak to me on a fundamental level.

DC’s Titans (2016- ) #10 Dan Abnett, Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund, Andrew Dalhouse

Our fight with the Fearsom Five comes to quite the stunning end, really utilizing all of our characters and their strengths as well as their weaknesses. But what really captured my attention here was just how well the comic did when it came to showing off how truly formidable the Five were, with maybe only Gizmo not getting a real moment to shine out of the entire lot.

The Titans were believably taken down, but not without showing off their prowess first and foremost, an that’s really all I ask for in a story where our heroes ultimately don’t win -- that their strengths are still on display and it’s believable how the battles’ outcome got to where it was.

Perhaps our Seventh Ranger’s late entry with Bumblebee really showing off her powers and surprising us all does seem like a cheap way to end a battle the Titans mostly lost, but I think that was softened by showing that, in return, Karen has lost something that we have spent many issues building up as being highly important to her: her family and the memories and love she holds for them.

That plus the reintroduction of H.I.V.E. and Deathstroke has me very curious about just how the “Lazarus Contract” is going to play out here, especially with its title’s obvious signifiers.

Very good issue through and through, really enjoyable.

DC’s Wonder Woman (2016- ) #20 Greg Rucka, Bilquis Evely, Romulo Fajardo Jr.

I have been incredibly curious to see what is Veronica Cale’s motivations in all of this and why she wants to get to Themyscira so badly, and it seems as though our past and present storylines have finally come to a head, proving my suspicions correct that the two Doberman that Cale has with her are the twins -- though I thought they were common disguise and not binding of them thanks to a revamp of Circe.

Now, of course, if you follow me long enough to know my Wondy opinions, you know that Circe is by far my favorite villain in Diana’s rogues gallery, and so I have been very excited about her turn to come into Rucka’s reimagining. And it didn’t disappoint, I rather like her modern redux.

And in all honesty, Rucka’s second time around with Veronica Cale has been delightful to see take form -- moving her motivations to something more powerful and more relatable than “women be jealous of other successful women” is just so much more engaging. There’s definitely been a lot learned since his last run of Wonder Woman and I appreciate it.

The art continues to be just beautiful for the past storylines, I mean beyond gorgeous and so colorful. Which just makes me dread the upcoming more dour, dark, and all around depressing take on the present.

And if that isn’t a culmination of my feelings about comic trends in general I don’t know what is.

If I didn’t think it’d be entirely unfair, I’d easily give this week to Saga which just continues to impress and amaze me every volume, but as I read it by volume rather than by monthlies, that seems completely unfair.

Usually my weeks are difficult because there’s more than a few standouts but this week I didn’t really have anything that really stuck out to me. But, ultimately I’m going to give my pick of the week to Wonder Woman. Rucka’s past storylines are just a joy over and over again.

#Rena Roundups #SPOILERS #Wednesday Spoilers #Saga #Detective Comics (2016 )#Amazing Spiderman: Renew Your Vows (2016 )#Titans (2016 )#Wonder Woman (2016 )

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