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dearshelby · 1 year

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Hey, Lora! I adore your dark headcanons. I'd like to ask you to write a headcanon for yandere Thomas where the reader is kidnaped)

You are very talented

🩷🩷🩷

Hello! Thanks a lot 🤗 I didn't stick to the usual Stockholm Syndrome story because I thought it'd be cliche, I hope this fits your taste!

• Your torment started in the first months of 1919, the great war broke Europe's economy and as result of that, you had to abandon every dream to provide for yourself and your family.

• The salaries were low, the jobs were rough and you didn't have much experience in anything. You were about to accept a job opportunity in a factory when the light at the end of the tunnel, that eventually would turn into a frightening darkness, showed up: A betting shop in need of a bookmaker.

• At first, you were intimidated by the male lead ambient. You never worked in a place like that before and the illegally worried you, however it was still better than a factory.

• The woman to interview you was serious and intimidating, Mrs. Polly Gray explained she couldn't pay much, times were hard for everyone. After finding out about your lack of experience, she backed off and that was when you met him…

• Thomas Shelby was Polly's nephew and responsible for attracting new gamblers, the moment he set his eyes on you, it was like time froze. You've heard the rumors about him and the Shelby family as a whole, but you had no idea of the sickening tendencies hidden under his handsome face.

• He was the one to step in and argue you'd gather experience with time. Walking over Polly's authority, he hired you.

• From then on, you worked from 8:00 a.m to 6:30 p.m, compared to the working hours and salaries around, you got lucky. The job was relatively easy, the other employees were friendly and besides the tough pose, the Shelbys were nice people.

• With the past of time though, you noticed a certain favoritism coming from Mr. Shelby, Tommy as he asked to be called. No gambler could stay at your desk for more than five minutes without getting a stare from him, on rainy nights he allowed you to leave earlier than everyone and he often checked on you, asking if you needed something or if someone was bothering you.

• Also, as an addiction to this strange event, some nights while walking home you noticed someone following you from far, which forced you to ask Scudboat, your working mate, to accompany you. However, once he started to, it didn't take long for the mysterious person to leave you alone. After that, you noticed Scudboat and Tommy's relationship deteriorated.

• Since it was too soon to make assumptions, you let the subject die, there was no need to spoil your relationships at work over something you weren't sure of. A few weeks went by until Tommy started to surround your desk again, this time with a more straightforward approach.

• He asked questions about your personal life and offered himself to walk you home (or actually, gave you an ultimatum). Not wishing to make things awkward, you saw yourself obligated to accept.

• That night you felt strange in his company, hesitant to behave freely because you still remembered the terrible rumors, but interested in an unknown side of him. He didn't seem intimidating under the moonlight, walking slowly with a cigarette between his lips.

• However, you couldn't focus solemnly on him when you got home and found the broken door handle. Someone had broken into your house and you had to hold yourself back from panicking. Like a true gentleman, Tommy offered himself to walk in first, he checked every room and stated there was no one there anymore.

• Apparently, nothing was stolen either, making you wonder what interest someone would have into breaking in. Tommy comforted you by saying it was probably some idiot looking for a place to hide from the police, but if you felt unsafe, he'd gladly keep you company.

• You refused, not wanting to step over any lines, besides everything he was still your boss and you wanted to keep a professional impression. After this occurrence, your routine carried on incredibly quietly, Tommy walked you home and sometimes flirted, you never responded to any of his advances. You also started to look for another job, believing the invasion of your home was the result of your proximity with the Shelbys and their gang.

• Every opportunity you got was ruined by sudden lacks of employees at the betting shop, forcing you to stay until late hours or people not being interested in hiring you. The upsetting situation eventually guided you to the Garrison, where you could drink away your frustration and he always kept you company.

• Suddenly, you got the perfect opportunity, the interview went well and all you had to do was to sign the contract next week. You went to the Garrison to celebrate, Tommy congratulated you but he didn't seem very happy and then, on the very next day, you received a dismissing letter.

• Days later, when you confessed your frustration after he walked you home at the end of your shift, he was comprehensive in a way you never imagined he could. You'd be glad if he had stopped at the soothing hug.

• Tommy cupped your face and attempted to kiss you, you immediately looked the other way, apologized and went inside. Everything was awkward from then on. Avoiding confrontation, you kept your head low when he was around.

• Logically, this couldn't keep up forever, he demanded to talk to you after long, rough weeks. It was weird to enter the Shelbys' house and sit on their kitchen's table, especially to talk about that matter.

"I believe I've made my intentions towards you very clear," he started, "I need to know if I'll be reciprocated or if I'm wasting my time,"

• Even if you had a really tiny soft spot for him, you weren't able to picture a future by his side. Tommy was a man on the run and involved in questionable business, much more than the betting shop, you were sure of it.

"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but I'm not interested on you like that," you explained, "I hope we can still be friends, I enjoy your company besides everything,"

"Alright," he nodded, "will I see you on the Garrison tonight?"

"Yes, of course." you smiled, glad he wasn't offended by your rejection.

• Later that day, the pub was strangely quiet, he leaned on the counter with a scow on his face. Noticing your arrival, he poured you a glass, whiskey wasn't your usual drink, but you went along with it anyway.

• Clearly you shouldn't have, minutes later your head was spinning, you felt nauseous and about to pass out. The last thing you saw was Tommy's worried face.

• Waking up in an unknown bedroom, you realized someone had changed your clothes to pajamas. Still dizzy, you found out the door and window were locked, leaving no option but to call for help.

• After a few minutes, Tommy showed up with a glass of tea and a sandwich, there was a creepiness in his eyes you couldn't shake off, the possibility crossed your mind but you didn't want to believe, it couldn't be, you must've passed out and he helped you, that was all.

"What happened?" you quietly asked under a shaky breath.

"You drank too much, love," he lied.

"No, I had one glass, just one,"

"Alright," he sighed, "I won't lie to you, you passed out and I took you home,"

"The door was locked," you gulped, "and you didn't have to change my clothes, whose pajamas is this?"

"Yours,"

"No, they're not,"

"They are, just like this is your home now," he explained, his tone giving you bad shivers.

"What do you mean?"

"I talked to your mother, you know? She said-"

"You don't know who my mother is," you interrupted.

"But I do, she's a lovely old lady living alone at thirty minutes away from here, or so you wrote on the notebook you keep on the center table,"

• Only then you connected the dots, your stomach churned at the bitter realization, it was Tommy who followed you home, he was responsible for the invasion of your house and for your job interviews never going well.

"... you're fucking mad," you whispered.

"Your mother told me you were always complicated when it came to men, you've never been in a relationship, so I took this decision for you-"

"What decision?"

"A taster of how good life could be if you weren't just some bookmaker," he said, "I can give you much more than that,"

"I don't want anything from you," you teared up, "let me go, Tommy,"

"Listen, Y/N, this can be easier or harder for both of us, it depends on you,"

"How so?"

"You behave yourself and everything will be like before, you can even work in the fucking betting shop again, but at the end of the day you come back here," he pointed to the floor to indicate the bedroom.

"Do you think this will make me love you?"

"Relationships are sustained by respect and mutual benefit, love comes with time,"

"In your sick mind perhaps," you hissed.

"... I want to take care of you, Y/N, and I assure you won't find anyone better, not in Small Heath at least," he confessed, "now, eat something, I'll check on you later,"

• With disturbing normality, Tommy got close and pecked your lips. Thinking fast, you cupped his cheek, giving back another two tiny kisses. Looking surprised, he gently squeezed your arm and headed out, locking you again.

• Now, you had two options: pretend to be in love with him until you have the opportunity to escape or truly try to indulge in his plan.

• The choice is yours.

#dark!tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #peaky blinder imagine #peaky blinder fanfic #dark!AU

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tsukimon02 · 5 months

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🃏Genshin Impact OC: Rilan 💧

Hello Genshin OC tumblr!!! You guys really loved my silly Genshin OC X Canon character of Kayano Tsukimi and her ship with Shenhe & Thoma, so thought I’d share my other Genshin OCs here! This girl is Rilan, Yelan’s younger twin sister, she’s also my baby lol :3

Name: Rilan

Title: Mystical Orchid

Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Birthday: April 20

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Catalyst

Region: Liyue

Model type: Tall Female

Role: Sub-DPS

Affiliation: Yanshang Teahouse

Constellation: Clara Orchis

Voice Artist

ENG: Cherami Leigh (Makoto Nijima)

JAPANESE: Anju Inami (particularity her role as Chitose Fujinomiya in the upcoming Yakuza 8/Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth)

NOTE: Her constellation is being redesigned so apologies for no artwork atm 🥲

** Character Details**

”A ‘reliable source’ of Yelan’s who has connections with the underground world as the top gambling dealer within Yangshang Teahouse. Witty and sly, she has ways to get people, even the Fatui, to spill their secrets just by watching every move they make while gambling due to her experience as a professional gambler and passes it onto Yelan.”

#Chitose OCs #Genshin impact #genshin oc #Genshin impact OC #Genshin sibling OC #Yelan #yelan genshin impact #Liyue #Liyue OC #original character #genshin original character

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thegeminisage · 8 months

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Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock, James T. Kirk & Leonard "Bones" McCoy, James T. Kirk & Leonard "Bones" McCoy & Spock, James T. Kirk & Thomas Leighton, James T. Kirk & Original Character(s) Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock (Star Trek), Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Anton Karidian | Kodos, Thomas Leighton, Original Child Character(s) Additional Tags: Tarsus IV (Star Trek), Episode: s01e12 The Conscience of the King, Tense Changes, Blackmail, Trauma, Angst, Established Relationship, Flashbacks, Dark, Untagged Trope

AOS-style take on Conscience of the King. Twelve years after Tarsus IV and three months after dying to realign the warp core and save his ship, Jim Kirk seems to have a new lease on life: he's been resurrected, started pursuing a tentative new relationship with Spock, and has an entire five-year mission ahead of him. That is, until the attempted murder of an old friend forces him to divert the Enterprise away from her intended course and towards Planet Q. After a chance encounter on the planet's surface, new secrets about Jim's time on Tarsus IV come to light—secrets that threaten to destroy everyone he fought to protect, and the new life he's finally achieved. Some things you carry with you wherever you go.

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dlstmxkakwldrlarchive · 1 year

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HARD 8

■ throw of two dice that lands on 4, the two digits form Jonghyun's bday 0408

Dice (commonly known as craps), is a game often played for money where the player (referred to as the shooter) rolls 2 dice hoping to roll a winning combination. The number 8 can be obtained three ways.

The 'easy way' by rolling a 6 and 2 or a 3 and 5, or the 'hard way' by rolling a 4 and 4.

'Hard' numbers are any 2 pair combinations: 2 and 2, 3 and 3, 4 and 4, 5 and 5, and 6 and 6. Betting on the 'hard' number combination results in a larger return when it is thrown.

■ Hard 8 is the eighth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum

Hard Eight revolves around a child custody fight, rather than a criminal bail bond, and marks the (sometimes repeated) departure of the series from Stephanie chasing bad guys to Stephanie being stalked by the bad guys.

Stephanie is asked by her parents' next-door neighbor, Mabel Markowitz, to find her granddaughter, Evelyn and great-granddaughter, Annie, who have disappeared. During a messy divorce with her ex-husband, Steven Soter, Evelyn was forced to post a child custody bond, and Mabel used her house as collateral. If Evelyn is not found, then the bond company will foreclose on her house, and the money will be forfeited to Steven. ×

so its like being watched/hunted but also to hunt and watch (?)

■ Hard 8 is a crime film written and directed by paul thomas anderson:

Sydney Brown, a well-dressed senior gambler, finds John Finnegan, a homeless man, forlornly sitting outside a diner. He offers him a cigarette and buys him a cup of coffee. John tells Sydney that he lost his money in las vegas and he needs $6,000 for his mother's funeral. Sydney offers to drive John to Vegas, where he helps John win the money. ×

SHINee members recent outfits suggest a casino concept; like their first pic together, the dice keyring onew & key wore recently and onew recent outfit in his ig live

SHINee 8th Album HARD = 하드

SHINee 4th Album ODD= 오드

Also the blue sky dress code for their fanmeet could hint to something:

#230601 #shinee the 8th full album hard #daily update #ot5 #shinee

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sunnismaine · 3 months

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You know what I would love? What would really make the world perfect? David Tennant and Michael Sheen in the new season of Downton Abbey.

I can just see them as a pair of rich-heir-turned-broke-gambler-turned-successful-businessman best friends, who, in passing, give genius financial advice to the Crawleys. It’ll be the end of the 30s – or already the 40s – the aristocracy needs that sort of help. They’ll be hella shady at first and we won’t know whether to trust them (but we don’t really care, ‘cause it’s the ineffable husbands, we would love them whatever they did) and then in hindsight they turn out to be the sweetest boys.

Just think about it. Lady Mary going for an important business meeting to secure a gold-mine of a deal and the ineffable boys will just remove all the other contenders for this particular deal to make sure she gets it.

It’ll just be a sketchy montage of the boys taking the contenders out – putting one on the wrong boat, snatching the letter explaining the meeting away from the footman carrying it to the recipient, getting one stuck with an old aristocrat lady who won’t stop talking and it would be rude to leave, etc. The possibilities are endless.

They ultimately won’t make it to the meeting themselves and will ask about it later, to which Lady Mary in her uppity way will respond: “We won the deal, naturally. No thanks to you, though. Where were you?”

We then get David’s indistinct evasive noises which go just about like this: “Dywnwnwwywm-” which Michael saves with an equally evasive, “We were about,” because the two dumbasses forgot to make up an excuse for themselves.

They are in everything these days, it would make so much sense. And I would just die.

Also featuring:

Mrs Hughes being overly protective of the quirky and sometimes socially awkward Scotsman.

David’s character finding a way to make an easter egg of a remark about the Crawleys’ name.

Thomas being envious of what the two ineffable husbands have between them before finding out that the two are, in fact, just best friends and are married to lovely blondes, Sadie and Dottie (cue cameo opportunity for the wives!).

#good omens #michael sheen #david tennant #downton abbey #2024 #fanfiction

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triviareads · 3 months

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Could you recommend some historical novels with some kind of game involved? Idk chess, cards, etc

Yes! This is by no means a comprehensive list because there are a lot that are tangentially set in gambling hells and the like, but here are some of my favorites:

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven has a card game subplot; Harry is a savant and can easily count cards, and she realizes her and Thomas's houseguests are cheating them during cards so they devise a plan to win back their money. Tom's also a gambler and a high-stakes one from what I remember.

What I Did For The Duke by Julie Anne Long has a sexually tense game of blindman's bluff complete with not-very-discreet groping, and then a dramatic card game that finally makes Genevieve realize in a very roundabout way that the duke loves her and wants her to be happy unconditionally.

The Design of Dukes by Kathleen Ayers has a way-too-sexually-tense game of lawn bowling. The hero later admits he wanted to tug the heroine's skirts up on the lawn and take her then and there.

Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe has a heroine who wants to start a gambling hell for ladies so she asks big bad casino owner Clay Madden for lessons.

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean: There's a really hot card game scene at the end where Ralston is basically Done and ready to get this seduction started after Callie is all "hm I wonder what it would be like to be a courtesan".

The Awakening of Ivy Leavold by Sierra Simone: this is a historical erotic romance; There's a game of blind-man's bluff that turns into an orgy by the end.

All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue by Sophie Jordan: Aurelia likes to sneak out and go to a pleasure club dressed as a courtesan and play cards and at one point I believe the hero has to pay a forfeit where he strips naked in front of everyone.

The Viscount Always Knocks Twice by Grace Callaway: It's a house party so there's lots of games; I remember hide and seek which ended with Violet and Carlisle making out in a Priest Hole, and Carlisle also gifts Violet with a handmade bow and arrows during their courtship because she likes those kids of games/sports.

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas: Derek Craven owns a gambling hell, there's a GREAT scene where Sara is disguised by a mask and she's playing cards and all them men can't help but he drawn to her including, of course, Derek Craven. This is actually suuuch a romantic part of the book, at least until he finds out it's Sara under the mask and then it descends into (horny) farce.

Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas: Lily agrees to a high-stakes card game and if she loses she has to sleep with the hero Alex; obviously she loses, there's this really interesting bit where Derek Craven half-assedly protects her honor in that he tells Alex to be gentle with her, but also, says she needs to honor her debts and basically shoves her into a private room to await Alex lolol.

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas: Annabelle and Hunt play a lot of chess while she's recovering from a snake bite and it does get to the point where she's having sex dreams about it. Both this book and It Happened One Autumn have scenes where the wallflowers are playing rounders (kind of like baseball?), most notably in SoSN where they're playing in their underwear and Simon Hunt and Westcliff happen upon them.

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn has a pall-mall scene where Kate and Anthony are super competitive and Kate ends the game by whacking Anthony's ball into the lake.

Gavin Hunt from Her Wanton Wager by Grace Callaway, Cross from One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean, and Aiden Trewlove from The Duchess in his Bed by Lorraine Heath are some of my favorite gambling hell heroes except I can't quite remember how much gaming there is in their books, but I strongly recommend them.

#book recs #historical romance #felicity niven #julie anne long #lisa kleypas #julia quinn #bridgerton #sierra simone #grace callaway #sarah maclean #kathleen ayers #joanna shupe #sophie jordan #lorraine heath #romance novels #ask

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stairnaheireann · 3 months

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#OTD in Irish History | 5 March:

In the liturgical calendar, today is the Feast day of St. Kieran, sometimes listed as ‘Kevin the elder’. 1389 – Thomas Mortimer is appointed Justiciar of Ireland. Mortimer was an English soldier and nobleman. He moved to Ireland as a deputy to his brother Edmund after he was made Lord of Ireland. 1716 – Martin Bladen, soldier, politician, civil servant, gambler and writer, is given leave in the…

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#irelandinspires #irishhistory #OTD #5 March #Bobby Sands #Dermot Morgan #History #History of Ireland #Ireland #Irish Civil War #Irish History #Irish War of Independence #Jim McCann #The Dubliners #Today in Irish History

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bethanydelleman · 1 year

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Do you think the Prices are sort of how the Wickhams are going to turn out in 10 - 15 years? They share a lot of similarities (husband can't work in his profession anymore, always low on money, she's trying to keep the family in order (unsuccessfully) he couldn't care less, rich relatives have to financially support them etc.).

Also imagine the Darcys adopting one of the Wickham daughters (but obviously treating her way better than Fanny was, maybe she becomes the next Jane Fairfax 👀).

Idk where I'm going with this but I just think the end of P&P has potential as a Mansfield Park AU.

First, to address their similarities, Wickham is still in the military as far as we know by the end of the novel. He may continue in it for a long time, which would provide a far better income than half-pay from the Marines. However, Mrs. Price has her dowry, so they do end up being about equal financially. The biggest difference is that Mrs. Price threw off her family while the Wickhams most definitely did not.

Also, despite being somewhat financially irresponsible, the Prices must still have the £7000 because otherwise they would be actually, really destitute, not in genteel poverty. So kudos to Mr. Price for just being a drunk and not a gambler like Wickham. His £4000 (£1000 legacy and £3000 in lieu of the living) is definitely gone.

The real question is how many children the Wickhams end up having. The Prices probably would have been fine with three, maybe even five, it was the sheer number that finally drove Mrs. Price to finally beg for forgiveness and cash. The best case scenario would be if Wickham's "enjoyments" have resulted in sterilization. If they had a lot of children, I can easily see either the Bingleys or the Darcys either taking the children in or paying for them to attend school.

As for taking in, I've considered that idea myself and even written it. I think the Darcys would probably be much more like the Campbells with Jane Fairfax than the Bertrams with Fanny. I cannot see Elizabeth allowing anyone to treat a girl like Mrs. Norris does or being so neglectful in child raising. And while Darcy does share some traits with Sir Thomas, I can't see him being quite as strict or blind to evil. We also know Darcy is willing to banish his own family members, so someone like Mrs. Norris wouldn't be permitted to leech on and fester.

#pride and prejudice #mansfield park #question response #elizabeth bennet #mr. darcy #jane austen fan fiction #mrs. norris

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kwebtv · 5 months

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Character Actress

Sherry D. Jackson (born February 15, 1942) Retired actress and former child star.

Jackson may be best remembered for her five-season run as older daughter Terry Williams on The Danny Thomas Show (known as Make Room for Daddy during the first three seasons) from 1953 to 1958. During the course of her five years on the series, she established a strong bond with her on-screen mother, Jean Hagen, but Hagen left the series after the third season in 1956.

Over the next few years, Jackson broadened her range of acting roles by guest starring in dozens of television series, appearing as a hit woman on 77 Sunset Strip, a freed Apache captive who yearns to return to the reservation on The Tall Man, an alcoholic on Mr. Novak, a woman accused of murder on Perry Mason, and an unstable mother-to-be on Wagon Train. Sherry also appeared as a first season guest on The Rifleman episode “The Sister” playing the part of a horse riding sibling of two doting brothers. She played a gunslinger's promiscuous young bride in the Western series Maverick episode entitled "Red Dog" with Roger Moore, Lee Van Cleef and John Carradine. After a 1965 appearance on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., she then made guest appearances on Lost in Space ("The Space Croppers", reuniting with her Danny Thomas co-star, Angela Cartwright), My Three Sons, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, The Wild Wild West ("The Night of the Vicious Valentine" and "The Night of the Gruesome Games", as two different characters), Batman, and the original Star Trek series. On the latter program, she made one of her more memorable portrayals as the android Andrea in the episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?".

In 1966, Jackson was cast as Katherine "Kate" Turner, a young woman from Boston who takes over a wagon train after the death of the trailmaster, in the episode "Lady of the Plains" of the syndicated series Death Valley Days. DeForest Kelley plays a gambler, Elliott Webster, who falls in love with her though she is engaged to marry once the wagon train reaches Salt Lake City.

In the 1970s through early 1980s she made guest appearances on such TV shows as Love, American Style, The Rockford Files, Starsky & Hutch, The Blue Knight, Switch, The Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island, Vega$, Alice, Charlie's Angels and CHiPs. (Wikipedia)

#Character Actress #TV #Sherry Jackson #Make Room for Daddy #The Danny Thomas Show #Star Trek

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denimbex1986 · 11 months

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'As a director, Benny Safdie makes sleazy movies about hustlers and gamblers and criminals and strivers. Films that teem with violence and drugs, while a pulsating anxiety yanks you through a gritty underbelly of a New York you thought no longer existed.

But today? We’re about as far from that seediness as you can get. On his suggestion, we meet up at the Upper West Side deli institution Barney Greengrass. The tree-lined blocks around here are stately and idyllic, tucked between Central Park and the Hudson River. Safdie, 37, is dressed in full dadcore: glasses, striped tee, jeans, Tevas. (Tevas!) He has the personality to match, with a warmth and gregariousness that initially catch you way off guard. This is the guy responsible for Uncut Gems?

“My go-to meal here was pastrami, eggs, and Mun-chee cheese. But Mun-chee cheese doesn't exist anymore,” Safdie laments. “Nobody bought it.” He opts for a sesame bagel with butter instead.

This neighborhood is his home turf, and his favorite place in the world. He spent his childhood ping-ponging between an unstable environment with his father in Queens, then comfortable normalcy with his mother and stepdad on the Upper West Side.

As a younger man, he did a brief stint living downtown. “I looked out, I'm like, There's no trees. I didn't realize how important that is to my sanity,” he remembers. Now he and his wife, Ava, are raising their two boys, Cosmo, 7, and Murray, 4, up here.

Safdie made his name in tandem with his older brother Josh, the two perpetually mentioned in the same breath for their idiosyncratic, independent films reminiscent of the heyday of New Hollywood. Daddy Long Legs (2009) was mined from their own misadventures with an irresponsible father. (Safdie says he tends to have a more critical view of their upbringing than Josh and, though he still talks to their dad, “it can be strained.”) Good Time (2017), with Robert Pattinson as a small-time criminal and Benny as his mentally disabled brother, raised their profile.

And then came 2019’s Uncut Gems, the heart-pounding thriller starring Adam Sandler as a diamond-dealing gambling addict, which planted the Safide brothers firmly at the center of the culture. The success that followed changed everything.

“That was the first time where I had a vision beyond four feet in front of me,” Safdie says.

What does that vision look like? For Safdie, it means pursuing an increasingly successful acting career. He’s branched out on his own, diverging from the brother he’s been working with his entire life. Many actors go on to become directors; it’s much rarer for the opposite to happen. Even the few who do make the jump—say, John Huston—end up being remembered more for their first career.

Safdie, though, possesses a chameleonic talent, so much so that every role of his feels like a genuine surprise. Perhaps you saw him pop up in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘70s Valley vibefest Licorice Pizza as Joel Wachs, a closeted councilman. Or in Claire Denis’s Stars at Noon as an eerily nefarious CIA man (character’s name: CIA Man). Or as a Jedi in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Or, earlier this year, in—wait a second—the film adaptation of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Judy Blume’s seminal tome about a preteen girl coming of age.

Safdie’s downtown cred, the A24-ness of it all, maybe didn’t make him the most natural casting choice for Margaret’s dad Herb on paper. “It always delights me when people find out he's in the movie. Just their total shock,” the film’s director, Kelly Fremon Craig told me.

Rachel McAdams, who plays Margaret’s mom, told me in an email that she first met Safdie at a screening he hosted for Uncut Gems. “He was so lovely and effusive with such a gentle, open energy about him,” she said. “I remember my brain not quite being able to compute that guy with the same guy who just put me through one of the most stressful movie-watching experiences of my life.”

Safdie sees acting as a way to delve into certain aspects of himself that he hasn’t had an outlet for otherwise. Playing a dad, for instance. “That's a big part of my personality that I haven't yet had the chance to explore in my own work,” he says. His experience as a director also makes him considerably less neurotic about his own performances. Watching himself in the editing room? Having a big line in a scene cut? No problem—he’s been on the other side, and he gets it.

Now, Safdie has his biggest role yet, a meaty part in Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s wildly anticipated summer blockbuster about the father of the atomic bomb. Safdie plays Edward Teller, opposite Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer. Teller was a controversial figure, a Hungarian theoretical physicist who would go on to testify against Oppenheimer in later years.

The cast of Oppenheimer is comically stacked: Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Gary Oldman, Rami Malek, to name a few. Nolan was looking for someone fresh and unexpected to play Teller. He had initially seen Safdie in Good Time and then Licorice Pizza. “I called Paul [Thomas Anderson] and I asked about Benny, and he gave him the strongest possible endorsement and pointed out that he's an incredible actor, but also just a wonderful guy,” Nolan told me.

There was also a bit of fate sprinkled in. Safdie had studied physics at Boston University—almost became a physicist, in fact, before he swerved off into filmmaking. Oppenheimer would allow him to combine his two passions, to dive into yet another deep interest that had otherwise not merged with his film career. It would also require him to wear layers of makeup, to have his hair straightened every day until he could hear it sizzle, and to do accent work for the first time. Safdie put off sharing his speech progress with Nolan for as long he could, until he couldn’t. Finally, he sent the director a voice memo of himself describing his breakfast in a thick Hungarian accent.

“When he sent me that recording, I listened to it about a thousand times and very much enjoyed it,” Nolan said.

Teller could have been written as a straight antagonist to Oppenheimer, but instead Nolan used him to inject rare moments of levity throughout the film. (There is one memorable scene in which Safdie slathers sunscreen all over his face before the first nuclear bomb test.) “For the tragedy of that relationship to have resonance, you have to have seen a warmth there and something between them that's more of a brotherly relationship,” Nolan said. “And I felt that Benny could really bring that to the role and give it that warmth.”

“[He’s] such a kind and gentle fella,” Cillian Murphy told me of Safdie. Much has been made of how intense the film is—take a look at any number of harrowing promotional shots of Murphy in character looking like the most haunted man of all time. In between takes, he said it always seemed as if he ended up talking to Safdie.

“You keep the atmosphere light and joke around because I feel you need to be in a relaxed state to act. Your heart rate needs to be low, your cortisol levels need to be low,” Murphy said. “And that's why I think I probably gravitated towards Benny.”

Safdie is obsessed with realism. It checks out, considering how so many characters in his movies were just ordinary people plucked off the street. That sensibility has followed him into his performances.

Eating, for instance. It drives him nuts when people don’t eat on camera. “I hate it when people don't eat,” he says, tearing into his bagel. “It destroys me.” When he filmed a dinner scene in Licorice Pizza, he made sure to eat in every take. “I don't know how many tiramisus I ate, but it must have been 30,” he says. Same thing happened in The Curse, his secretive upcoming Showtime series with Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone about a couple producing an HGTV show: “Sixty chips in one take, and we must have had nine takes…”

“It wasn't just the nine bags of chips,” Fielder told me in an email. “Any scene that involved food, everyone would pace themselves on the first take.… But Benny for some reason would keep shoving food in his mouth the entire scene ’cause he thought it would be funnier. And he was right. There was one scene where he ate an entire Chinese buffet plate every single take for 15 takes and he would always match the exact same volume of food. You'd think any sane person would eat a couple less popcorn shrimp each time as the takes went on. But he wouldn't.”

And then there’s the crying. Safdie tends to cry when he gets into character—thinking of all the things he might be feeling if he were in that person’s shoes. When Adam Sandler, in Uncut Gems, had to weep, dejected, that he was “so sad and so fucked up,” it was Safdie who went into his trailer to pump him up.

“In a weird way, there's nothing better than being able to do that in front of people because it's usually a very private moment that you're ashamed of and you don't want to show anybody. But to actually get the opportunity to show people what it's like when you're really sad,” Safdie recalls saying. “And then I started crying. He goes, ‘You got to stop. Can you take it easy?’”

Before Uncut Gems, even with a handful of celebrated movies under his belt, a film career didn’t feel truly viable. At the back of his mind, he still thought he might have to go back to school and actually become a physicist. His wife was the primary breadwinner, and so when he edited Good Time, he’d set his son Cosmo in bed with a bunch of pillows surrounding him so he wouldn’t roll over, turn on the baby monitor, and work while he slept.

Last year, it was announced that Sandler would be working on a new movie with Elara Pictures, the Safdie brothers’ production company. The project would be set in the world of sports memorabilia collectors, with Megan Thee Stallion also reported to star.

Shortly after, news broke that Benny would not be directing the Sandler movie with Josh. “Elara is still there. We work on a lot of documentaries and there's just a constant flow of ideas,” Safdie says. “It just felt like, okay, there's things that I want to explore that don't necessarily align right now with Josh. So it's a divide and conquer mentality. He wants to tell this story, he can go and do that. I'm going to go and do a couple of other things. It seems like a natural progression for how things have happened.”

Mainly, he had gone away to act on several projects and work on The Curse. By the time he returned, Josh and their longtime third collaborator Ronald Bronstein, were already deep into working on the new Sandler movie. “It was just a matter of, ‘This works for me right now and this is what I've got to do,’” Safdie explains.

Elara also had a shakeup earlier this year. One of its founding producers, Sebastian Bear-McClard, was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. A spokesperson for the Safdies had previously said they fired him upon becoming aware of the behavior in July 2022. “It’s disgusting, and when you find out something about somebody that you didn't realize, you just have to be much more careful,” Safdie says when I ask him about the incident. “It's a lot, and it's not something that you want to have happen to anybody. And when you find it out, the one thing that you can do is really just take control.”

When we speak, Safdie is just finishing up final sound editing on The Curse. The show originated through his friendship with Fielder. Safdie had been a longtime Nathan for You enthusiast, and had even written a Cinema Scope article about his love for the show. Fielder was similarly a fan of Safdie’s. “In those initial hangouts it was clear we were on a similar wavelength,” Fielder said.“We both think a lot about tone and realism. We weren't even intending to collaborate on a project actually, it just sort of happened organically the second time we hung out.”

“We came up with the idea for The Curse and we're like, ‘This is so stupid, but it's really funny,’” Safdie explains. They kept texting and texting about it, until the bit became real.

In The Curse, Fielder and Emma Stone play a couple, while Safdie is a long-haired, turquoise jewelry-wearing HGTV producer. “They live in an area called Española, which is close to Santa Fe. And that's where they're building their new homes. They have a very different way of gentrifying the community. They want to do it ethically, and they want to do it in a way that doesn't hurt anybody. So they want to make a show about that. And you follow their lives as they're doing it,” Safdie explains. “It started out as a 30-minute comedy and became an hour-long comedy-drama.”

So he filmed Oppenheimer in the New Mexico desert and then returned to New Mexico to film The Curse for several more months. While he emerged without any turquoise jewelry, he did leave the set having purchased a ton of props from production. “I do have an insane amount of Talavera dishware, which I love. I love it so much. It brings me so much joy to look down and see the bright colors,” he says.

This enthusiasm and attention to detail saturates everything. Directing, acting, physics—they’re all connected.

“All of it is just trying to understand what this thing is that we're going through,” Safdie says. “How in the world is the universe expanding and here I am, sitting here. What's 14 billion years ago? What's time? How much time is left?”'

#Benny Safdie #Oppenheimer #Daddy Long Legs #Uncut Gems #Licorice Pizza #Stars at Noon #Are You There God It's Me Margaret #Rachel McAdams #Robert Downey Jr.#Rami Malek #Matt Damon #Edward Teller #Christopher Nolan #Cillian Murphy #Gary Oldman #Paul Thomas Anderson #The Curse #Emma Stone

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blu3pers · 2 years

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What are the Chances? (Prologue)

Summary: After completing an event before you start your summer break, you decide to make a wish. Just as you’re seeing that golden glow. You’re forced to go outside during a blackout. What are the chances of dying? Now, what are the chances of becoming a professional gambler in a gacha game?

Love Interests: Beidou, Ganyu, Hu Tao, Keqing, Ningguang, Shenhe, Yanfei, Yelan, Zhongli, Itto, Kazuha, Ayaka, Ayato, Sara, Shinobu, Kokomi, Thoma, Yoimiya, Tartaglia, Signora

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WARNING: Brief mentions of death, MC smoking and gets kicked out of house

You plopped down onto your bed after a long day. Although you shouldn't bottle it in, you just wanted to take your mind off the world for a few hours. You went to your desk and booted up your computer. Immediately, your eyes went up to the compass with the bright red notification as soon as Genshin had loaded in.

It was a new event and it seemed to be the only thing that woke you from your drowsy state. The event was titled 'Sharks and Minnows' and it was divided into three parts. Each one gave 60 primos and it was completely released. It confused you at first, as HoYo typically released parts over the passing days, but you certainly weren't complaining. You needed a distraction and you certainly got one, as it lasted a good hour.

The story took place in Inazuma with a clan called Ungaiike Clan. The head of the clan, Tennen Ungaiike, had sent out a commission, asking for assistance to retrieve someone. The family was one of the only people who had connections outside of Inazuma since the seclusion started, and now that it was over, he wanted to retrieve runaways of the nation. You rolled your eyes at the feud they had with another group. It was confusing as to why there was beef with a retired gang in Liyue but maybe it was something with business? Even the traveler didn’t question it when Tennen explained how power-hungry and dangerous the gang used to be.

But his clan was literally the eels, even showing their symbol with it. It was suspicious. The gang was named the Fukahire Gang, which translated to the Shark Fin Gang. It was a bit on the nose in your opinion.

You teleported back to the harbor to gather information, as to what the event needed. When you saw the signet that an old member gave you, you were beginning to notice a pattern with their names. You continued to play to progress through the story.

When the second part started, the traveler needed to track down all the members of the gang, reaching a total of ten members and one boss. It involved a lot of treasure hoarder camps, so you were killing two birds with one stone with these materials!

But then there were moments when you had to interact with the characters. Although Baizhu and Qiqi had positive comments on the gang’s retired leader, Yanfei was on the opposite spectrum, blankly stating how she is relieved that someone is finally trying to round up the gang. Ningguang even gave her own two cents and stated that the leader was an annoying rival she had in the past. As you spoke with more people, the gang’s reputation seemed to be growing grey.

But it was the moment with Shenhe that made you question which side you were on. She was hesitant on giving you the final clue to track down the gang leader, even asking if this was necessary. She knew where the leader was hiding but was deliberately buying time.

It ended with having to wait till the next day for the exorcist to give the traveler a letter that you needed to bring back to the employer. When the option to question the man was displayed, you wasted no time picking that. However, Tennen Ungaiike was insistent on tracking the leader, no matter the cost. That last part sent shivers down your spine. Was the Minnow good or bad? Was Yanfei’s indifference a red herring or was Shenhe’s sudden quietness meant to trick the player?

You finished the second part with mixed emotions.

Now that you collected 120 primos from the event, you’ve had enough for another wish. You were at hard pity so you had to wish before Sumeru was dropped!

For the sake of the event, you overthrew Qiqi, Yanfei, Shenhe, and Itto down the heights of the Liyue mountains. The Oni was a gang leader so that had to count for something…

You clicked on a single roll and felt your heart drop with anticipation before lighting up upon seeing that golden wish. You could hardly sit still. But then your computer shut itself down.

The entire apartment did. You could’ve sworn that you left a dent in your desk when you angrily punched it with a flurry of sweats. You stormed out onto the balcony to curse at the night sky. Out of all the times to cause a blackout, it had to be when you were bringing a FUCKING FIVE STAR CHARACTER HOME!?

Just as you were about to turn around and go back inside, a light flashed all around you as a mix of both heat and electricity traveled down your spine and into every single nerve in your body.

You had only closed your eyes for a second when you felt someone kick your side into the pouring rain. Your face fell into the cold wet pavement and you scrambled over to look up.

“No child of mine will be so reckless with their money!” shouted a man above you. The brightness from the inside made it hard to recognize who it was. “From here on, you are banished from the Ungaiike Clan! You are of no kin to me. Your brother will become the next head. Perhaps he won’t be so reckless with my business.”

You picked yourself up by the hands just in time to see a door in front of you close before you could even get a look at the offender. All you could see were the black silhouettes arguing back and forth.

That’s when you realized what he just said. You were kicked out of the Ungaiike Clan.

You.

And your ‘brother’ was going to lead it instead?

He must’ve meant Tennen. A light bulb went off in your head as you realized why he wanted to capture the leader. It was never about justice. He just wanted to kidnap his sibling! For what reason, you weren’t sure but it couldn’t be good.

You looked down at the puddle underneath you to go over your reflection, expecting to see yourself. But you were met with your younger self in your mid-teens. Your under-developed face was scratched because of your fall and the clothes that you currently were wearing were drenched in rainwater. You had just been turned into a teen and now you needed to grow up all over again?? Years before the event took place and much earlier before the traveler would even arrive.

The first thing to do was to find shelter from the rain. The house was on the beach so you had no choice but to take refuge underneath a cliff and gather your thoughts there.

Okay, you had just been isekai-d into not only the Genshin world, but as the mysterious gang leader, you were previously tracking down… possibly five or more years before the traveler even arrived. What were you supposed to do with so much time?

You spent the next few months in Inazuma barely scraping by. You needed to rely on others to even gain a scrap of food or money. Although, you did know that you needed to somehow join or create a gang. But the issue was that you didn’t know where to start.

You manage to relive your teen years hustling people for their money, which caught the attention of another minor clan that was sailing to Liyue.

This was it.

The Fukahire Clan was more than generous to welcome an outsider in, considering that they were all social outcasts and ex-treasure hoarders. Their leader was especially generous. A wealthy man that wanted to do good to those who were less fortunate.

He took you under his wing and taught you to be the next head of his clan. He gave you a voice, listening and actually considering your ideas. One branch worked with historians, another with Baizhu’s pharmacy, and there were many other businesses that the clan dove into. It was how you managed to become the second richest person in Liyue Harbor at age eighteen.

Right behind Ningguang. It was all coming together.

As time went on, you were beginning to see the lore behind the event unravel before you. Your mentor passed away from an illness, leaving you as the next head of the Fukahire Clan.

Though the people around you were hesitant, they continued to follow you as you promised to carry out what Hoshi Fukahire has started.

Now you were a young adult again and the leader of Liyue’s second most powerful business.

“The Fukahire Gang happens to own a decent chunk of land,” you mentioned. “I could offer a temporary use for it if that’s what you want.”

You took in a puff from your cigarette as you stared up at the man with an emotionless expression. It was merely a habit you picked up to keep up an image. He flinched and looked back down at the table despite how slowly you moved, thinking that he was losing this opportunity.

“The Jueyun Chili will grow fast during this time of year,” he reasoned. “The harvest will be plentiful! E-Especially if my family can farm there.”

You glanced away to lean your head back, taking a second guess at what he was saying. You took in a puff of smoke and sighed, releasing it back into the air. “I could offer a contract and we could split our profit… but where’s the fun in that.” You chuckled dryly and crushed your used-up cigarette into a tray. The bodyguard on your right pulled out a set of dice and a pack of cards. “I’m sure you e heard the rumors by now. How I run my business I mean… You must be feeling lucky if you wanted to make a deal with me. Now, pick your poison. What game shall we play?”

The man was definitely nervous about choosing. Making a deal with the Fukahire Gang was always a risky option. A man could either go entirely into debt, having to owe their life and soul, or he could get away scot-free with some new land.

He picked the dice and you took them into your hands.

“Here are the rules. We both roll. All you need to do is roll twice. If I win, we’ll split the profit how I want it,” you explained. “If you win, then we’ll be splitting it how you want.”

“H-How do I know these aren’t loaded?” he asked with hesitance.

You rolled your eyes, annoyed to be accused of such a thing. “Because I bought these from the toy shop down the street,” you groaned. “However, I do have an unopened pack if you really don’t trust me. I’ll even sign a contract. Ima, get my pen and contract. Manzo, fetch me a new set of dice from the store.”

You handed a few bits of Mora to the young boy to your left, letting him bolt out the door immediately, and the woman on your right went around the room to gather the things as you requested.

You signed your part of the contract without a second thought and then gestured for Ima to hand it to your client. You rolled your eyes as he started to read it closely.

“I’m not cheating you if that’s what you’re worried about,” you said. “I give my clients the same contract before gambling, but feel free to read it. Twice even.”

It was a tie. What were the chances of that? You sighed as a bowl of food was placed in front of you. Right after the gamble, the both of you managed to tie in the last round.

“We agreed to split the income 50/50 depending on what it is,” you told your friends. “If he can’t keep the land in shape, he’ll have to start working for me personally. I think it turned alright in the end.”

A few of the members chuckled at the story, but there were still a handful of others who didn’t like your leadership.

“You can’t just keep doing this,” a man grumbled. “But what do I expect from a kid…”

“Hey! The Boss is doing an excellent job at maintaining the business.”

“Please, they're only a kid playing games. When was the last time we got a lucrative deal?” The man challenging you was someone older. Takuro, if you were correct.

He was in the clan when you were adopted. Was he jealous of Hoshi’s favoritism?

You quirked a brow at him, amused by his behavior. Time in this world has hardened you a bit, but honestly, you were simply bored.

"Good sir, do you perhaps think that you can run this group better than me?" you purred.

The entire table went quiet, waiting for his response, which was a scoff and an eye roll. "Maybe. You're barely a proper adult and the only reason why you were made our leader was through inheritance. For all we know, you planned this. Some of us have been here longer than you, we have more experience."

You took in a deep breath. Everyone turned to you. "Well, seeing as you are unhappy with how I lead this family, what do you propose?"

"Family? What family? None of us are related! The only reason we follow you is because we have nowhere else!" he argued. “Your childish games are immature!”

You closed your eyes as he continued to spew out statements. Yes, the clan wasn't how a normal clan functioned, but you and these people might as well be family. You cared for them just like how your mentor cared for others. But this man had challenged your authority out of mere jealousy.

“Then what? You honestly believe I’d simply hand over this gang to you?” you jested. “Just like that?”

“I wanna fight,” he stated with force. “I’m not playing your games. Mere luck won’t solve anything, child.”

The corner of your mouth twitched, and you got up without a second thought. “Alrighty then! Let’s head on out.”

Some of the members were puzzled but followed you. Others were excited as they believed that this was going to be entertaining. Your eager attitude baffled your challenger but he wasn’t one to take back what he said. Your entire gang followed you to the outskirts of Liyue. The strange sight caught some attention, so a few other natives followed to see the commotion.

That’s when it started to drizzle.

“The rules are simple. We’ll either fight until one of us can’t anymore or until the other decides to call it quits,” you said. You could feel your vision begin to flare with an unusual purpose. Its purple hue began to glow as the rain began to fall heavily.

You summoned your polearm, signaling for everyone else to do the same. You turned, ready for your opponent to do the same. One of your stronger members brought out a drum. He hit it once to start, then twice, and finally began playing after a minute. The tempo was slow but steady. As tradition to a challenge, the clan used the sound to regulate attacks. However, the sound of your mentor’s war drums might as well be your lifeline. ‘Failure would mean death’ is what Hoshi believed.

Takuro wasted no time striking at you first, which you properly deflected. His moves were calculated, making each strike firmly count. The members who circled you started to hit the blunt of their spears against the ground, joining in on the drumming. Just as your mentor taught you, you relied on your instincts to guide you, allowing your body to work itself. As the drum quickened, so did Takuro’s attacks. He began to get bolder, thrusting his point forward to actually injure you but you evaded, no longer defending yourself.

Your movements were swift, evading each offense. But even as the battle continued, your heart pounded with a stable pulse, never skipping and never rushing. For someone in their youth, your calmness was nearly frightening.

But your challenger had grown infuriated by this, and the drumming stopped. He raised up his spear down to your leg, forcing you to jump, before twisting the weapon to go up, ready to strike your lung as you land.

However, before the blade could even make contact with you, lightning struck him, and the pain was never delivered. The high voltage made him twitch and then he was forced to kneel, his spear still pointing to you. He was on the final breaths, gazing up at you with twitchy movements from the sudden discharge.

Yet you still didn’t look down. Instead, you stared up at the rain with a hum.

“Hm. Lightning? And it struck here too.” Your cold eyes finally met his lifeless ones before he collapsed in the wet dirt with a thud. You had won by default. “What are the chances…”

You ordered your men to give him a proper burial. You chuckled dryly to yourself as you craned your head back into your hands, taking in the pouring rain with twisted amusement. Yup, even if you didn’t belong to this world, you had your new life all figured out so far.

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