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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2013 10:51:25 GMT -8
Dresden ignored the slip, if that's what it really was, and set the tray within easy reach.
"Thanks, and good morning to you too. Enjoy it while you can, because the rest of the morning is likely to be painful and humiliating."
He set a datapad on the edge of the bed. It projected a hologram, which displayed a number of complex molecules, a few lists that might have been ingredients if one could sort through the technobabble, and a series of charts and graphs. The former Shard didn't bother going into depth, instead preferring to let his guest absorb the information on her own.
"In case you haven't guessed, that's the formula for the combat cocktail I packed your wounds with. As you can no doubt tell, it's potent stuff. The damaged muscles, tendons, and nerves should have been completely regrown by now, so by all rights, you should be able to walk. If it had been blasterfire, or had the bullets broken any bones, it would be days, but you were incredibly lucky. Instead of spending days in bed, you get to spend this morning teaching the new tissue how to function properly. If you're lucky, you'll be moving around on your own with a crutch or a cane by lunch. If you're very lucky, you'll be walking unaided by dinner.
"Teaching the new tissue to work is going to be a problem. It's going to hurt like a bitch, and you'll likely fall flat on your ass multiple times because one patch or another just gives up. The growth agent in the mix that helped grow the stuff in the first place will still be in your system, so the process will be a lot quicker than nature intended, but it will not be pleasant. But hey, you're a tough woman. Grit your teeth and push through it and you'll be back to your old self in no time."
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Zenchou Piteos
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Post by Zenchou Piteos on Oct 9, 2013 11:45:56 GMT -8
*Piteos continues to navigate through a hyperspace corridor, waiting patiently for news back from Pasca. He had now turned away from the comlink system that he had been running. Now he was working on scanning for the frequently used com-channels in this sector. His silver eyes running through lines of coding on a secondary side monitor. All of the ships systems were showing optimum condition and performance. He would disembark his ship to establish a secure location of operations away from home.*
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The Major
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Affiliation: Fallanassi
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Post by The Major on Oct 22, 2013 10:32:04 GMT -8
...many hours later... Sudden pain blossoms upon her jaw and cheek as her face slams down upon the rubberized deck, sending a clear message that this was truly the continuation of the lowest possible point in her moribund life, that self afflicted life, that churning struggle, that envious rise and cut to a position of power -not of the universe, but her sphere. And it was never enough, would never be enough, and there could never be enough people saying it was okay, that it would be okay. She'd always be as inadequate as this moment, laying on the floor as her face throbbed. Her lips burst out a grunted quack, and little spittle transforms to forced words."Vollen auf den Flügeln des Windes errr *mumble*
zu *growl* Sie sang frei,
wo die Dinge waren so idyllisch für dich und mich.
Dort unter der schwülen Himmel *grumble*
Dort unter rrrrrrrrrrrr
die Hügel schlummern *huff
yyyyeerrrrrrrrrrrr die Sonne hell. . ."The loathing, the sweet and bittersweet loathing, a companion of old. How that old wretch fumed.And then the Major tentatively arose, peeling herself off the deck, sapped of energy and sweating profusely while shivering. With the aide of the walking stick, she gimps on over to the side of bed which conjoined a nightstand which was laden with trinkets recovered from her previous uniform. From upon this table she produces a silver cross, the accursed symbol of her old national standard, and like anything else, it was an important disguise.Was there a possibility that the macabre scientist could bring into submission two rather contrasting and sordid aspects of her life and fuse them, and if it was possible, how could she possibly make the most use of the collection? It was a difficult problem, but if there was anyone in this galaxy with the intellect to bring it all into fruition, it was the woman sitting in damp gym clothes with the wide mouth. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2013 11:34:00 GMT -8
It wasn't solely for medical reasons that the former Shard let his guest toil away at trying to get her limbs to work. Actually, he figured out ages ago that electric shocks, when applied correctly, could do the job in as little as an hour. Most beings found them less painful than repeatedly falling on one's face. So why did he let her do it the hard way?
It was a test.
But not just in the obvious way. Sure, he was trying to figure out just how much pain and embarrassment she was willing to endure for the sake of accomplishing her goal. That much is a given. It was also a test of his own motivations. The Major, Riplian, might very well end up as a sacrifice, a queen sent to its doom so that the bishop could take the king. This whole plan might be nothing more than a waste if, in a moment of weakness, Dresden hesitated. The test was simple: could he purposefully let her suffer, knowing that he could come in at any time and end it?
So far, the answer was yes. This was partly because he wasn't even sure why such a test was necessary, as he hadn't been able to sort out exactly what his feelings were or from whence they came, partly because he was a genuine asshole when the situation called for it, but mostly because he wasn't really paying much attention. He'd come if she called for help, but he had picked up a strange power signature in one of the various cable conduits that ran throughout the ship. It was moving, and had a bioelectric signature similar to a rodent, but he couldn't feel its presence in the Force as a life. Curious. So under the guise of routine inspection, he began to hunt down the little bugger and see just what this was all about.
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The Major
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Post by The Major on Oct 23, 2013 22:32:26 GMT -8
Momentary physical break time was over. Getting back to it faster would only make the recovery go smoother.
And she truly believed that as she flung the cross carelessly, violently, and attempted to stand. Attempted was the key word here, because as soon as she rose to full height the muscles of her legs decided to take a strike, causing the whole spindle to come crashing down upon the hip.
"GWWAHCKK!"
Curses. Swears and oaths to the darkest being in the galaxy. But even in this realm of shit, there was always hope.
And now the Major struggles with just that, hissing at the cane and pushing herself up unto her arms, then into a kneeling position -breaking out another wave of sweat and chills just to rise another centimeter- shaking like a malfunctioning product, and bringing up those legs to double the stress until the woman stood up proudly. Breathing madly as if just surviving the throes of combat, she examines her hands, wondering how so much jittering moment can come from so slender a place.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2013 23:45:42 GMT -8
It took the better part of an hour to track down the stowaway, but Dresden finally found the little bastard in the engine room. It looked like a rat, and acted like one too, but the resemblance was only skin deep. He took the thing back to his workbench for a closer examination.
An hour later, the thing was disassembled. It was a masterpiece, it really was. Multiple high tech sensory apparatuses, a small but highly sophisticated droid brain, and a fantastic miniaturized holonet hookup. It could interface with most standard data outlets, and apparently was capable of maintaining a network of audio and visual bugs throughout something like the ship they were in. A detailed scan revealed that there was, in fact, such a network in place. The whole ship was wired for sound, and the visual sensors could not only detect and record visible light, but were in fact capable of monitoring the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Fascinating. The bugs were powered by piezoelectric cells that converted the natural expansion and contraction of metal into power, meaning that there was no conventional power signature to detect. They had no broadcast capability, instead relying on the master rat to pull the data and transmit or dead drop it as necessary. Furthermore, they were nearly microscopic, completely invisible to the human eye. The former Shard recognized more than a hint of Verpine tech, which made a great deal of sense, given their ability to work on that level unaided.
Bottom line, this thing was worth a rather large fortune, and it had been monitoring his ship for quite some time. Conventional bug scans would be useless, and it had roamed the ship undetected for at least a week, probably longer. Dresden felt it safe to assume that his apartment had similarly been wired, despite his best efforts at maintaining tight security. Whoever had set this thing loose was good, and well funded to boot.
Most of the data stored on the thing was fairly well encrypted, but his decryption programs were frighteningly efficient, and had it decoded in a matter of moments. He left the data unaltered, copying everything but changing nothing. Nothing except for this little encounter, which was erased.
There was little of note in the footage, but the programmed commands contained two pieces of interesting data. For starters, he and the Major had been assigned code names. Dresden was tagged as Ulysses, and Riplian as Artemis. His secret observers had both a knowledge of obscure classical texts and a sense of humor. The second bit of interesting data was the fact that the timestamp on the commands said they were about a month old. Riplian had been in his life for a few days at this point. Someone had been expecting this. Curious and ominous. Could she be involved in whatever game they were playing? That was a troubling thought.
With meticulous care that only a robot (or former robot) could hope to achieve, the Shard put the rat back together and placed it in precisely the same spot it had been found. It would record the hour lost as a result of running across a bit of unshielded power cable in the engine room, resulting in a temporary shutdown.
If only he could erase the data from his own memory banks. His mind swirled through the possibilities, trying to tack down potential suspects. The perpetrators were well funded and had resources to spare, which eliminated quite a few potential enemies (the former Shard had no doubt that the rat was place by a person or group hostile to him or his goals.) The obvious suspect, the one with obvious motive, means, and opportunity, was the Major. Her group could easily fund the creation of such a device, and he had no doubt that she could have planned this out. Diva might even be in on it. Was that whole ordeal on Onderon, even the "attack" on Riplian, staged for his benefit?
There was no way to know. Not enough data. The cold, logical part that was responsible for most of his atrocities said that the smartest way forward was to torture his guest for information. The dark, angry part concurred, and had a few other suggestions to make the interrogation that much more fun. There was something seductive in the smell of her fear, and he found himself forced to relive that horrible loss of control in the Zoo. He could have gone further. Diva wouldn't have stopped him; she would have probably found it hilarious as he reveled in the screaming and the blood and the unrestrained lust. Hell, she would have probably helped, and then he could have taken the Queen Bitch, whether she liked it or not. They would both be helpless before Eralam unrestrained, uninhibited. Completely at his mercy, they would...
"No."
The wave of revulsion that swept over Dresden was nearly a physical thing. He wretched, trying to and barely containing the contents of his stomach, utterly sickened by the monster he had found within himself.
God, had that ever been there before?
Never as a Shard. The potential to turn "dark" had always been there. All beings had darkness within them. The Force might not care for such things, but the beings that used it certainly did. That was a major motivation for remaining detached from things like emotions. When one has to stare at the bonfires made of the bodies of the innocent, one must take care to ensure that they didn't begin to enjoy it. To face unflinchingly the works of his own hands, Eralam the Whill had shunned things like emotion in favor of cold math and logic. It was a defense mechanism, not for him, but for the galaxy at large.
But even if the Shard had surrendered to his own darkness, it would never hold a candle to the horrors that the human mind could generate. That part must never be released, and neither Riplian nor Diva could never know it was there. Part of it was shame. Whatever suspicions he might have about her motivations, he would never be able to face Riplian if she were to learn what lurked beneath the surface. But if Diva found out, she would no doubt poke and pry at that dark place, do her best to nurture and encourage it. He would stop being a person and start being a thing, and she would find it delicious, right up until she found herself...
"NO!"
His fist slammed into the wall with the force of a hydraulic ram, shattering the bones in his hand and badly denting the bulkhead. The hand mended instantly, but the brief flash of pain was enough to shock the fallen Whill out of his introspection and into the present.
For a great many reasons, interrogating the Major, whether through violence or guile, was a bad idea. If he tipped his hand too early, he would never find out the scope of the opposition, and furthermore, his gut told him that she wasn't the answer to that particular question. She was the answer to something, but not this problem.
Also, his gut told him that it would probably be a good idea to check on her. Evening was fast approaching, and they had both skipped lunch. If all went well, she would be able to move on her own by the evening, but she'd need to keep her strength up. So with that in mind, Dresden stopped by the galley and started heating up some precooked beef stew, knowing the hearty meal had enough carbs and protein to refuel what was likely an exhausted and battered body. Once that was done, he made his way to her cabin and knocked politely on the door.
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The Major
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Also known as Sailor Titan
Posts: 5,959
Affiliation: Fallanassi
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Post by The Major on Oct 25, 2013 6:23:42 GMT -8
"Ja, ja, kommt in."
This was spoken in an offhanded manner, as if Dresden knocked during a time of profound mental activity. So much so that it took a great deal of effort to bring herself back into this sector of space. When he finally entered, he would find the veritable Major laying on the rubberized deck. Although appearances could be deceiving, especially when an illusionist is concerned, there was something wanton about her current status that implied honesty. Whether that honesty was reluctant or not was an entirely different point of debate. The angle in which she chose this posture was canted slightly, with her head resting closer to the door. Upon showing his manly and ultimately false form at that the doorway, those tired eyes peered directly towards Dresden's, searching for something there that could not be made clear in his feigned cheerfulness.
Something was wrong. Now, the Fallanassi was no mind reader, and though her powers in the Force were in a word, fabled, they were inclined and tilted towards different areas; not so much the "steal people's thoughts through dipping into their awareness" kind of thing that the Sith she had mostly spent her time with tended to indulge in. In her recesses, the prospect of stealing emotions from unguarded souls was a laughable, and a colossal waste of time. Most of what was inside anyone that was not herself seemed fictitious and useless, and people were always ready to bear themselves and confess their inadequates to anyone that seemed like they cared. Of course, she did not, but it was an excellent and more profound way of gathering information.
Plus, if the said person died, the confessions would serve as a perfect guideline to follow, should the poor sod be used as yet another alias. Yet this fact was not relevant to the current situation. What was relevant was that the Major was aware that something was quite wrong with the fake-man called Dresden, as if he was trying to be a Fallanassi himself, and hide something. It was there in his eyes, and spoken in his shoulder blades, that harsh gaze and tightly curled lip caused by self loathing and revulsion. What could he be hiding? Frankly, Riplian was glad for the display, and would rather be curious about such things when there was an escape route.
Still, it was ironic and hilarious all at once: this created man was exhibiting more humanity than this moribund woman could ever construe.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2013 7:31:50 GMT -8
Dresden cocked an eyebrow. He hadn't expected to find her laying down on the deck with an air of amusement about her. It was almost...what was the word he was looking for here? Started with a C. Some sort of long U sound in the middle. Cunt? Wait, that was a different sort of thing entirely. Either insult or anatomy, depending on who you asked. Odd though, that the only thing on a woman that most men valued would be used as an insult. Cuticle? Too long, also anatomical. Close though. Maybe subtract a few syllables, see what you get. Oh, wait. Cute.
He blinked. That was new. He had never thought of anything as cute before. The idea had always seemed rather trite. Damn this human mind. Still, cute was a better response than vulnerable. The former Shard made a note to find the inventor of the human mind and punch them in the face. It should not be that easy to go from rage and mistrust to cute. At least he wasn't scowling anymore.
"Just thought I'd see how you were doing. Dinner's done, if you'd like some."
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Post by Gaeza H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 19:33:26 GMT -8
Gaeza had fallen asleep staring at the candle, her mind running with wild dreams about things she had never done and places she had never been. The knock on the door woke her up, a slick of drool on the side of her face, confused as to why it felt cool and wet on her cheek. She rubbed it off quickly, pushing her sleeve up to cover the wet mark on her arm.
"Come in", she called, blowing out the candle and putting the items away. She caught a glimpse in the mirror and tried to smooth down the rat's nest of hair that seemed to have gone half wild while she was asleep.
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Taung H'rel
Retired High Councilor 
Posts: 469
Affiliation: Galactic Empire
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Post by Taung H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 19:38:21 GMT -8
Taung opened the door and peeked in, immediately noting the smell of freshly put out candle and hot wax. He watched as she dropped her hands from trying to comb out her hair, or at least force it into obedience.
"Hey." He stepped in and let the hatch close behind him. "Thought you might want to know we are heading back to Lianna. How did the candle work out for you?"
He moved to sit on the edge of her bunk next to her.
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Post by Gaeza H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 19:41:54 GMT -8
"Well, I cleared my mind and fell asleep." She chuckled a little bit at the impromptu nap she had taken. "I don't think that was supposed to happen."
She looked at him, noticing that he looked tired and upset. Something must have happened on Nar Shadda but she didn't hear anything out of the ordinary while she was in her bunk.
"What's the matter? You look like you haven't slept."
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Taung H'rel
Retired High Councilor
Posts: 469
Affiliation: Galactic Empire
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Post by Taung H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 19:49:53 GMT -8
"Well at least it cleared your mind enough for that."
He gave her a warm but tired smile.
"I slept, just not well, or much. I almost made a mistake. One that would have gotten everyone killed. That is still sorting itself out in here."
He tapped his head and then his chest with a slightly shaking hand.
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Post by Gaeza H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 20:07:30 GMT -8
"Yeah but you didn't. It's ok. You just need a good night's sleep and you'll be good as new." Her fingers grazed over his to rest her hand over his as a means of comforting him but as soon as her skin contacted his, she seized up and gasped in a deep breath. All around her seemed to melt into a tunnel vision. She could see Taung, and people were yelling. Flashes of color and light light up behind him as he barked orders to people she did not know. She jerked her hand away from him and grasped her temples, her head splitting with pain as she tried to figure out what she saw. It was just like the woman on Garqi all over again. She shook her head and took, deep, rasping breaths as she looked up at him.
"I saw you in battle. On a ship. Screaming orders at people."
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Taung H'rel
Retired High Councilor
Posts: 469
Affiliation: Galactic Empire
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Post by Taung H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 20:12:56 GMT -8
He didnt know she could do that...didnt know what she had seen exactly. The future? The past? Either way was probably accurate.
"I have been in a number of battles on a ship. Was there something about this one that felt different to you?"
He was curious, and concerned, watching her face carefully. He didnt want to scare her, but was curious as to how detailed the vision was. He had no doubt that was what it was, the way she stiffened up. He would have to be careful to shield his thoughts if he thought she might touch him again in the future.
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Post by Gaeza H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 20:22:36 GMT -8
"I don't know. It was just a quick scene. I don't know where or when, but it was a big ship. One I've never been on before. It looked like a battleship." The pain from the vision had subsided and she curiously looked over at him again, grabbing his hand before he could react or pull away.
The tunnel vision came back into view, the battle raging again around them as she tried to focus on the words and places. She found she could look around the room, taking note of a star chart as people rushed around her like she wasn't even there. She read the chart and looked at Taung, as he gave another order.
The connection broke as Taung must have pulled his hand away from her once again. She sucked in breath through her teeth, the pain was a little sharper this time. She rubbed her head and noticed that this time the room spun a bit as she had prolonged the vision. She shook it off as much as she could before she spoke.
"You were giving orders to turn the Orar and the star chart on the bridge said Carida."
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Taung H'rel
Retired High Councilor
Posts: 469
Affiliation: Galactic Empire
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Post by Taung H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 20:33:45 GMT -8
Carida...in the Colonies...what could be there? He hadnt known how long she could keep it up when she grabbed his hand, the sudden movement had surprised him and he had pulled his hand away immediately, but that didnt mean much for visions that could trace hours in mere seconds. He swallowed hard, slightly disturbed that she had gone right back to the same vision, but more detailed than the first time.
"Careful! That looked like it effected you more! What are you doing? Trying to hurt yourself?"
She had scared him, his breathing was deeper now and faster.
"Don't do that again unless you're ready!" He had to think, what was she thinking. Scared for you idiot, was the immediate answer. He pulled his hands back away from her for the moment.
"Force visions are disturbing things. There are a lot that may or may not come true. Why did you do that? Grab my hand again?"
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Post by Gaeza H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 20:40:32 GMT -8
"It was your future. I know it." She pushed back on the bed to lean against the wall, the cool metal feeling good on her back. "Dad, I did it because I know I can do it. The longer it lasts, the more it hurts, but it's not always going to be like that. It's going away right now. I just think I have to get used to it."
She poked his shoulder, chuckling to herself as she teased him. "See, now we both did something stupid today. What happened on Nar Shaddaa? Did you find what you were looking for?"
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Taung H'rel
Retired High Councilor
Posts: 469
Affiliation: Galactic Empire
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Post by Taung H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 20:47:02 GMT -8
"That doesnt mean I have to like it." He fumed. He considered how much to tell her, and decided that the truth was the best answer. "Sort of. We tracked the shipment until it was picked up by some Sith from Dromuund Kaas, attached to their navy. I almost had us go to Dromuund Kaas until Mel laid out some things that I hadnt thought of. Something that would have doomed us all. I should go thank her again for seeing what I didnt."
He shook his head.
"My future. I am more concerned about yours than mine."
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Post by Gaeza H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 20:53:18 GMT -8
"Don't worry about me so much. Things will work out the way they are supposed to." She shuddered as he mentioned Dromund Kaas, shaking her head as she reached for a can of soda sitting on a small ledge on the wall. "I don't think I ever want to go there. It's supposed to be really creepy to people like us. I thought Garqi was bad enough. Aren't there any places that feel nice and happy? Why is everyone so caught up with feeling miserable all the time?"
She leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder, the armor plates and clothes blocking her contact with his skin and shielding her from delving into his future again.
"Mel's kinda cool. She was listening to some pretty cool music when I came out for a pop last night. She was cleaning Lola again. Does she ever stop cleaning Lola?"
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Taung H'rel
Retired High Councilor
Posts: 469
Affiliation: Galactic Empire
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Post by Taung H'rel on Oct 27, 2013 21:16:18 GMT -8
"There arent many happy places. The best you might find is content." He smiled at her mention of Mel's music. "Lola is her baby...and I may have messed it up a bit when I put some grease on the case...grease gets everywhere. What surprises me about Mel is that she could hear anything this morning, I could hear that stuff from two meters away!" He gave her a mock glare that he didnt expect her to see with her head resting on his shoulder. "If I ever catch you listening to music THAT loud, you and I are going to have a frank exchange of ideas young lady!" He sighed and sat in silence for a moment. "I should go apologize to her for getting her gun all dirty." He patted her leg as he stood up. "You get some sleep, and if you remember...any more details about my future, like why I would be at Carida, let me know, but don't stress on it. Those ships are built like a shielded brick."
He stepped out, pausing at the door to give her a warm smile before the door slid shut.
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