you have stolen my heart , jacob

[laceface]

it had been about a week or so since the encounter that she had shared with jacob in the forest, but the moments that they had shared together still were imprinted vividly in her mind. at times she was still taken aback, recalling the sweet firmness that jacob had used to kiss her. philomena used jacob as a distraction when anything concerning kieran had to be addressed, she would summon thoughts jacob and all of the frustration that threatened to bubble simmered down immediately. she was still in constant contact with jacob, she would text him when her phone was on hand but she had come to despise technology. he had called her once but it had been at an inconvenient time, ironically enough she was held up with being confronted by kieran because he had caught her limping her way around the castle. she had formulated a feeble excuse, telling him that she had taken a morning run and she had decided to stray from her usual path. it was an unlucky decision, she hadn't known that the rock was there because the snow had kept it hidden from her sight. she could never avoid explaining anything, kieran needed to know everything even if he had to pull the truth out of her. it hadn't been the truth but it made enough sense that kieran didn't argue against the lie.

she wanted some release after the heated conversation she had to deal with, nothing was ever pleasant when it came to kieran. phillie dug around her room, trying to locate her phone so she could address a text to jacob. eventually she found her phone, for some reason it had been lying under her bed, and wrote out a quick text to jacob. she wa blunt; if you are free meet me at the cliffs around nine, i think i'll have a little surprise set up. she was being vague, but she fully didn't have her surprise conjured up and only in two hours she was going to have something pulled out of nowhere. she mostly was requesting jacob's company, he was the first person that she ever found herself craving their presence and their comfort. she rummaged around her room, what was she going to do for this surprise? philomena liked having everything laid out, surprises were something that she had never been fond of. it was a reach, it took her longer that expected to slip into the kitchens and talk to one of the workers to try and pull a few strings. she came back with an arm full of the items she had asked for and a smug smile dawned on her face. phillie had to search around again but thankfully someone had a large wicker basket that she could snag for the night to prefect the idea that was lingering in her mind.

she wasn't too worried about her own attire, she had stepped it up from the dressed down running gear she had been wearing their last run in. she was dressed casually, she didn't think it would be wise to wear her shorter skirts and thin heels when she was out at the cliffs. it wouldn't take jacob long to find her, she hadn't gone too close to the edge of the cliffs only far enough that no one would hear them if they decided to take a peak into the caves. phillie worked diligently in the dark, laying out the cliche checkered blanket on the smoothest part of the terrain she could find. she had four thick candles and she put them on the edges of the blankets, phil rummaged in her pocket for a lighter and lit each one. it was cheesy, birdie was grinning at how cliche it all seemed now that she was putting her idea into action. she set the wicker basket in the center of the blanket and pulled out the two glasses she had borrowed from the kitchens. she glanced at the quick handiwork she had done and then dropped down onto the blanket. she thought that jacob would at least appreciate the effort she had put into all of this. lastly she reached into the basket and pulled out the worn braided leather bracelet and placed it into her lap. now she had to just wait for jacob to make an appearance.

marci wiff jacob ,
727 words ,
outfit ,

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[marci3]

In the week that had passed since that meeting in the woods, Jacob had been so unfortunate as to not be able to see Phil, save little passings in the hall. They had texted very often, but it was a sporadic, as Jacob had to deal with his school, his sisters, and his house. Food, cleaning, and the like had taken up most of his home time that was not spend entertaining Tasha or helping her with her homework. IMing was also available, but the same problems cropped up—only worse, because computers were very hard to tote around like phones. He had managed to get some time free to call her once, but it had been in vain—she hadn't picked up. Oh well.

He was honestly starting to get up his nerve to march up to her and tow her off, disregarding who might be watching, to have a date or a drink or something. No, not a drink. He had to remember that she was not his age, not like his past girlfriends. It would be rather bad if he was found providing drinks to a young girl. People might...assume things. No, no drinks. This train of thought had taken up several minutes of his time, and he finally was brought out of his reverie by Tasha punching his shoulder. ”Huh? What?” He looked at her, almost as though it didn't register that she shouldn't have done something like that.

”You're supposed to be helping me. Focus!” She cajoled him, gesturing to the math she had laid out in front of her. She didn't understand math very well. She took after her older brother, choosing to write a seven page paper much sooner than doing five problem in math. He was just about to get him head back in the game when his phone buzzed. He reached into his phone, reading the text and not noticing the bright smile that stole onto his face. Finally, they would get a little more time together. Tasha watched him for a second, poked him, then sighed. She put her elbows on the table in front of her, propping her head up resignedly. ”You're not gonna help me now, are you?”

Though all he wanted to do was shoot of now for the cliffs, two hours was awhile to wait. So he tried very hard to focus on the math in front of him, finding way to explain this to her that would make it click. It took almost an hour to finish it all, and by that time Tash was lounging around in boredom and close to shoving him out the door. So he kissed her on the forehead, and left the room to call Em. He didn't like leaving Tash alone in the house, but he didn't want to miss this opportunity to spend time with Phil, so he went to great lengths to convince Emilia to come over and babysit. He even offered to pay. Nonsense, she said, she wouldn't be payed for taking care of her own sister.

An hour later, right before nine, he was on his way to the cliffs, reaching them quickly and eagerly. But when he saw Phil and the layout before him, he had to stop. The look on his face was unreadable, but inwardly he was acutely impressed and very, very surprised. Slowly, a smile came onto his face, a real, amazing smiling that he turned on Phil. Usually it was the guy who planned surprise dinners for the girl. But he didn't mind, not one bit.

Jacob strode forward the last few paces, disregarding the rest of the layout for a second to sit beside her and look into her eyes. All of his focus was on her when he brushed a stray hair out of her face and spoke, ”You look beautiful tonight, Raven.” It was so cheesy, but what the hell was romance for but to allow one to say things like that. And he meant it. After another second or so of looking at her, he turned his attention to the basket and the glasses, the checkered blanket and the candles. He surveyed it all before beaming back at her and asking, ”What is this, then? Surprise picnic?”

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[laceface]

she had never been one who was in touch with her romantic side, then again she had never had a chance to discover if she even actually had a romantic time. it was impossible to get kieran settle down, let alone be thoughtful and romantic and surprising. philomena would have never been driven to scramble around the castle to collect a basket and a failed attempt of a planned out dinner for kieran. this was all for jacob, he was working out the more passionate side of her and that was evident through the troubles she went through to plan out the surprise picnic. this had all been a last minute thought that she had impulsively planned because she found herself seriously missing jacob. jacob was the source for many of the out of character habits that had popped up with philomena this week. she had been noticeably more light and airy, a few people on commented on how the wind had truly worked itself into her soul. the feeling was valid, she felt more uplifted and carefree even when kieran was breathing over her shoulder and pressing at her until he received an answer that satisfied him. birdie was too caught up with her thoughts of jacob, when she wasn't focusing on class or talking to nell she was consumed with jacob and couldn't help herself. now she was going to be able to spend some time of the night with her, she was grateful that she could even have any slot of time with him.

she felt him before she saw him, feeling very in touch with the wind. he had changed the gentle path that the breeze had been following, the change had been subtle but she had felt it. never before had she been able to do that, it felt astounding and it bubbled some sort of pride in her heart. her new discovery had to be pushed away, jacob was now standing by the edge of the blanket and his face was being washed out by the dim light that the candles provided. he took in the scene and seemed to be slightly impressed with the handiwork that birdie had done in only the time frame of two hours. he sat beside her and her eyes instantly trained on him, it was more difficult to see him but he was close and she would feel his body pressing up against hers. "thank you, catfish," philomena shamefully said, his compliment not fueling her ego but sitting with her nicely because she was no aware of the fact that jacob surveyed her. "you skipped over a hello. so hello, jacob," phillie said, her voice slightly full of teasing. she leaned over, her face now close to his and softly pressed her lips against his cheek twice. it was her greeting to him and hopefully it would be more fuel for his smile to widen. she worked her back over to her position sitting next to him and absently occupied herself with tracing her fingers up and down the material of his jacket.

he glanced over at the setup that she had laid out and he seemed to be able to piece together to fill in the obvious. "yes, it's a picnic. cheesy, i know, but i have something else in mind too. it's just a night of surprises." she was being cryptic, her eyes alight with mystery and she had a hinting smile on her face. she dropped her hand from his arm and twisted to her side to reach into the basket and pick out a few of the items that were nestled inside. "this dinner might seem meager, it was the best that i could do." she had a bottle of white whine and it would no doubt earn her an accusing look from jacob as she popped off the cork quiet and only filled their glasses about a forth of the way. "shh, don't give me any glowers or scolding words. wine is nothing for me, it is a staple drink for a meal at the bird mansion." she would push the wine aside if jacob was very disapproving but personally she saw no harm in a quarter of a glass, or maybe half. she grabbed the glass and pressed the rim to her lips and took a tiny sip. philomena was reminded on how much the taste of white wine pleased her and she quickly downed the rest of her glass. she was glancing over at jacob, awaiting to see his reaction. wine wouldn't do anything to philomena, she just needed to pass over this and see jacob's reaction so she would fish her way into the picnic basket again.

marci wiff jacob ,
785 words ,
outfit ,

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[marci3]

Catfish. Jacob moaned when he said it, but the light in his eyes was still jovial. He really hoped she was just teasing, and would cease to use that name which he did not like at all, but he didn't say anything. Which was a good thing, because only a few seconds later she addressed him again, calling him by his real name. He grinned at her, giving an apologetic bob of the head and saying, ”I did, didn't I? Hello, there. How are you doing this fine evening?” Though he was serious in his question, he really didn't want to hear that she'd had even more trouble with Kieran. If there was ever to be a man that grew to be abusive, he would be it. Nevertheless, he didn't want Phil to hold back if there was something she needed to get off of her chest.

She kissed him twice, and his smile did indeed grow wider. It took a great deal of discipline not to turn his head and meet her lips with his. But she didn't aim for that, so he didn't do it. He did, however, slip an arm around her waist gently, more for the touch than for the actual holding. His grip was relaxed enough that she was able to shift and reach the basket, speaking as she did. Jacob raised his brow in interest, ”Something else? What might that be?” Though curiosity was Emilia's territory, he couldn't help but feel a great need to know what it was she had planned for them. It was the best he could do to keep his mind from wandering and thinking up a deluge of possibilities.

He nodded a little when she said the dinner might be meager, deciding to take it graciously. He didn't mind at all, but that was because he had already eaten with Tasha. Though that had been almost three hours ago, he was not as hungry as he might be under usual circumstances. But he didn't want to tell her that, but in case some part of her felt like this had been a bad idea after at. So he just said, ”Meager, nothing. Any meal's a feast when I'm with you.” If she could do cheesy, so could he, and Jacob knew how to make a girl feel good.

Then she took out the one thing Jacob had had to tell himself not to venture towards at this point. He did give Phil a look, wondering if she understood what might happen if the wrong person saw him alone at night with a girl who was a minor, drinking wine. It was a suspicious situation to any who didn't have the full story. But he didn't say anything, only shrugging a little bit after she spoke and deciding that he'd just deal with it. He personally didn't see anything wrong with having a drink with her, and there was the fact that almost no one ever came up here at night when there wasn't a party. So he reached out with his free hand and took his glass, sipping it. ”That's good wine.”

He had to chuckle a little when she downed most of the wine in one go. That wasn't the normal way he'd think high society people would go about it. He set down his glass, which still had most of the liquid in it, and tugged her slightly closer so he could lean over and kiss her on the cheek. ”I guess you it then, huh?” He grinned at her, nodding toward the empty glass in her hand to make sure she understood what he was teasing about. Then he changed tracks, nodding toward the basket. ”What else do you have for us, then?”

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[laceface]

he asked her about her week, philomena had to tense up a little bit at the thought of answering the question in complete honesty. she inhaled a deep breath of the fresh, cooling air and worked herself back to her placid state she had been in only moments ago. his arm was snaked around her waist and she liked the idea of him holding her like that, he exuded some sort of security that brought her calmness. ultimately she felt like she could completely rewind around jacob, it wouldn't be a toll on her or him if she actually admitted to things she would have rather kept buried deep where no one else would be able to discover it, on purpose or completely by accident. "this even has been more tiring then i would have preferred," philomena carefully answered, her face looking pinched with stress. she would have much rather said she had been doing very well and shut the door on that topic, knowing jacob though he would become utterly concerned and gently press her to answer further.

he was curious about the basket and all that lay in the simple wicker creation that held all of the wonders for their night. philomena couldn't say that it was much, someone else with an itch for creativity would have been able to look make her come off as bumbling fool when it came to her planning and execution for a date. it was a cliche idea, one that had only been able to lift off of the ground because of the ties and connections she had with the inner workings of the school. she gave him a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders, keeping her shimmering eyes off of him and focused on the basket. her knee twinged with pain but she removed her leg from underneath her and nudged it farther away from him. "it's a surprise, isn't it? so you'll just have to wait and see. curiosity killed the cat, if i'm not mistaken." she was softly teasing, her smile alight with brilliance as she leaned into him. her head momentarily dropped to lay on his shoulder and she gazed up at the sky, it was a velvety black sight with only a few stars dotting the scenery. it was a perfect night.

she had a light meal earlier, her dinner had been intruded by a freshmen who crept up into her room and told her that her brother was trundling outside of the tower in search of her. he had been very accusing and had gotten straight to the point, he had seen his sister's phone and had flicked through her entire inbox and saw that she had been in conversation with jacob. phil decided to spill the truth, helios was determined and would have stalked her it if it had come down to it in his hopes of squeezing an answer out of her. she told him everything about jacob and in the end he had remarked by saying that two disowned sisters would make him the happiest bird in the world. she smiled bitterly at the recollection of her night and lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him. f it is meager meal then it can't be considered a feast. you'd just be enjoying my company so you would shove the hunger aside," philomena corrected, a hint of a smug smile traceable on her face. she was being logical, one her personality traits that shone through even when jacob was attempting to have a cheesy moment full of thoughtfulness.

wine was one of her weak spots, her parents had it in constant supply and didn't restrict their children from the abundant alcohol collection they stored in the cellar. philomena's personal favorite was white wine, which was why she had brought it along on this particular occasion. jacob eyed her peculiarly but she shrugged off his stare and busied herself with pouring herself another half full glass. "wine is my weakness, i've always had it provided to me. not to say i am an alcoholic by any means. i just enjoy the taste. especially of white wine. i believe this bottle was imported directly from italy." she justified herself, giving him a playful stare with her eyes as she took a more shorter sip from her glass. she was looking over at his nearly untouched glass when he pulled her closer and went to kiss her cheek. she was swift, she turned her head at exactly the right angle and instead of catching her cheek he was met with her lips. she felt some of her tamed passion slip into the kiss and her lips pressed against his with a tad more pressure. the kiss was hot, that was the only way phillie could describe it. it lasted longer than the few chaste kisses they had shared, birdie only pulled away when she felt jacob would be short of breath.

philomena demurely smiled at him and then twisted around once again to reach towards the basket. she had to stretch out and looped a finger around one of the handles of the basket to pull it closer to her. she flipped open the lid and pulled out three containers: one had freshly cut strawberries, the other had a variety of slices of cheese, and the other was a mix of trail mix. phillie then slipped her hand back into the basket and produced a baguette. "tada," phillie said, leaning back into him with the container of strawberries in her hands. she peeled off the lid and set it beside her then looked down at the strawberry chunks. "my favorite fruit..." she absently said, picking one of the bigger slices out and popping it into her mouth.

marci wiff jacob ,
958 words ,
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[marci3]

”Oh?” Phil was right in thinking that Jacob would not let it go at that. He frowned a little when she said that, detecting a little more discomfort than she was letting on. She already had a hard enough life, why did things like this happen to her all the time? Not that he knew what had happened, but if it was enough for her to even say anything more than 'I'm fine', it was obviously nothing small. He tightened his grip on her for the briefest moment before loosening again, saying softly, ”If there's something bothering you, don't be afraid to tell me.” Although it was phrased as a command, the intonation was more of a request. The last thing Jacob wanted was for Phil to start holding things back from him.

Sincere eyes met hers for a few seconds, then he followed her gaze to the basket before them. Seeing it made him have to break out in smiles, a small chuckle slipping out as he thought again about the trouble she'd gone to to set this up. He hadn't expected Philomena Bird to be the type to set something like that up—there was obviously a lot more to her than he thought. He laughed again when she spoke, giving her a puppy dog look and saying, ”Now, that's not fair, is it? You wouldn't kill this cat just because he wanted to know your secrets.” He very much wanted to start pestering her for the information he sought, but he held his tongue, instead opting to smile widely and allow her to carry them on the next track of conversation.

He did give her a disapproving look when she talked him out of his compliment. What sort of a girl did that? Obviously, the look was mostly joking, his jovial nature not allowing him to feel or show any real dislike for this beautiful girl. But he still managed to moderate his tone a bit as he said, ”Well, then I suppose it is a terribly sparse meal, and I am not going to be satisfied. Nor will your presence make it any bit better.” It was sarcasm, yes, but again it was a humorous, playful kind. The type a friend used on another friend when they thought they were getting a bit ridiculous.

Jacob took another sip of his wine, then set it down again. He wasn't really a wine kind of person, her high class off set by his love of german lagers and beer. But he could appreciate it, in his own way. Regardless of the liquor, Jacob didn't tend to drink them very fast. He high a high alcohol tolerance, but it didn't usually matter—he tended not to have time for more than three beers in a single night, if that. So he didn't empathize when she spoke of her love of white wine, but he smiled as he noted it as a possible future gift. Imported from italy? His brow shot up. Well, perhaps not. That did not fit into his budget of caretaker and college student.

”Well, I will remember that.” He said, giving her a wink, ”Philomena, weak to white wine but decidedly not an alcoholic.” It was a tease, and was accompanied by a short laugh and another wink. Then, when he leaned over to give her a kiss, she caught him unawares and pulled him into something more.... Well, more. His brow shot up when she did so, but other than that he flowed with it, giving her back as good as she gave. Her own passion was met with his, a carnal desire opening in him without warning, so that he felt he really should pull back. He really should, but.... Oh, thank goodness. Phil broke the kiss, and he just stayed there for a second, brow raised, eyes still closed, taking a second to gain control of his thoughts again. What had he been doing?

She was pulling packages of food from the basket by the time he'd gotten his thoughts in order. He stowed the residual heat of the kiss somewhere in the back of his mind and forced himself to focus on the food, feeling his face light up when he caught sight of the strawberries. ”Very nice.” He said, mean it. When she brought the container of strawberries toward them, he reached in and filched one before she had time to put it down. Then she spoke again, and he grinned, ”Really? Well, that's another thing we have in common.” She leaned into him again, and he had to admit it felt very good. Somehow, he felt stronger, like he was needed and helpful when she was close. He felt like he could actually protect her when she allowed him to hold her.

He took another sip of his wine, then looked up at the sky, pulling back his free hand to support him as he leaned back slightly. This...this was a very good night. He closed his eyes, enjoying the taste of strawberries and wine, the warmth of Phil's body and feel of the calm, clear air. When he was like this, he could forget about all the worries of the past few years. But a new thought entered his head, and though outwardly he continued to be calm and content, he felt a bit of uncertainty entering. ”What happens if you refuse to marry Kieran?” He asked, quite suddenly. Then another thought hit him. Was she planning on refusing? If not....then what had Jacob gotten himself into?

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[laceface]

jacob was utterly concerned, he had quickly spotted the slight change in mood that had only been briefly present. still, her demeanor had transformed long enough that he she had grown tense and her answer hadn't been the one that would leave him satisfied. surely, he didn't want to hear about the woes that she was suffering through because kieran had made himself more crucial in her life. he wanted to see her glowing with happiness and her soul free of any quarrelsome worries that had been barring her down. nothing of the sort was achievable while kieran was still a component in her life. his touch was comforting, even the slight tightening of his arm around her waist let her know that it would be okay if she wanted to take a moment to moan about her kieran troubles. "it's not going to faze you when i tell you that i am being bothered kieran." she spoke in a deadpan tone, nothing could be detected in her tone and that could taken as disconcerting. "to his joy we are going to be accompanied by his parents to the blackjack bar for a celebratory dinner some time next week." she was speaking bluntly, jacob was fully clued in on her current situation which left her no reason to try and beat around the gritty details.

he stared at her with a puppy dog look in her eyes and philomena couldn't keep herself from laughing softly at him. it was really tearing at him, having items sit in the basket that he didn't know about. that was the whole reasoning behind a surprise, she had planned everything out and he wouldn't know because that was the joy of it. "you just called yourself a cat but you are starting at me like a puppy. i think that is a a contradiction. i would advise that you get yourself sorted out." she looked at him pointedly then resumed snuggling back against him. philomena swished her wine about in her glass and then took another tiny sip from it before she set her glass back down to answer jacob. "i believe that it is completely fair. it's only a basket, not my pandora's box that is holding my darkest secret." philomena gave him a shrug of her arms and then reached for her wine glass again. he could do without having this tidbit of knowledge a bit longer, no matter how much he was itching to know.

mystery was a part of allure, of course she never planned it out to be that way. philomena didn't purposely keep main bits of information about herself disclosed with the thought that it would draw peoples' attention to her. she would have much rather kept herself on the edge of the scene where no one would bother to draw their eyes because it was all dull and bland. she saw the faux disapproving look in his eyes and she matched it with her own heady stare. birdie was fully aware that he was joking, it made her want to erupt into a fit of ridiculous laughter because he was so obvious joking. "i can't promise you anything grand. there is only so much i can scrap up in the kitchens. my company, that is another story all together." she spoke nonchalantly, like she didn't give a care about anything. philomena was coaxed into her more playful nature when jacob was in her presence. he was more kiddish and it certainly shone onto philomena and provoked her to let her hold on things loose and enjoy the moment.

the way he joked and accompanied his taunt with a wink brought a slight flushing to her face because he was so forward and open with her. it was completely unexpected but also pleasant in a way that philomena was unadjusted to. "if i was an alcoholic my parents have done a skillful effort of hiding it. money can do wonders," phillie jostled, punctuating her sentence with an unsure wink of her own. she didn't have time to whether wonder her wink had been executed correctly or if she had just made a fool out of herself because jacob's lips met hers. the moment they made contact with their lips every thought that had been whirring in her head had quieted because of the heaviness of the moment that fell onto her. she brought her hand to his face and gently ran the tips of her fingers down his face. the moment was enticing, she was tempted to mesh her lips with his once again. instead she allowed her face to linger closely to his for a few moments before she worked herself back into her nestled spot against him.

the food she had chosen seemed to work well with jacob. had birdie been focused on impressions she would have felt her ego boost when he actually seemed impressed by the quick work she had done throwing together a meal. "it's nothing like five star dining but it will do," she said to him, placing antoher strawberry into her mouth. she had always been a healthy eater, instructed how to maintain a correct diet by her mother who held health as an important priority. strawberries had always been her favorite fruit, a food that she could easily eat at all times of the day no matter what the occasion was. phillie had gone through a stage when the only thing that she wanted to eat had been strawberries. her mind had devised clever ways to consume strawberries in ways that no one else would have never created. "if we dug far enough i believe we could find plenty that we have in common." phillie picked out another slice and turned to plop the strawberry into jacob's mouth. "they taste extremely fresh," she absently commented, easily devouring four more strawberry slices.

she could never escape kieran, even when a perfect night had begun to unfold he crept back to haunt when she thought that he had vanished for at least a few hours. jacob had every right to be uncertain, what was he delving deeper into each time he agreed to meet philomena in secrecy? it would become more of a gamble as the year progressed and the time came closer to her eighteenth birthday. philomena set the container down beside her, all appetite she had was now gone because of the question he had just posed. she would address it bluntly now, to clear all worry from the air when it came to regarding her stance with kieran and the marriage. "you don't need to place that if in the question, jacob," she spoke slowly, to assure that he had caught her words. "i might be getting ahead of myself but i have a brighter future with you then i ever had with kieran." birdie looked at him, her eyes were sparked with hopefulness and a blind faith she had instilled in him. she grabbed at his hand and slipped her fingers through his and rested their twined hands into her lap. "i don't need to try and skirt around this, i am going to be disowned. i will follow the same path as dahlia. it will be my choice though, for the first time." she took her hand away from his and wiggled the thick ruby ring off of her finger and then brought her hand back to jacob's to wrap his fingers around the ugly heirloom. "do me a favor and throw that as far as you can off of the cliff." there was a beaming smile on her face, she was looking carefree for the first time in...forever.


marci wiff jacob ,
1,277 words ,
outfit ,

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[marci3]

Though it was not a gentleman-like gesture, Jacob allow himself to open his mouth and stick his tongue out in an incredibly disgusted expression, shaking his head a bit once he'd closed his mouth. Though he had just done so, he gave her another gentle, protective squeeze, trying to keep the growl out of his voice as he said with sympathy, ”For your sake, I hope very much that Kieran is much worse than his parents.” He didn't want to her to have to spend to much time with a family she seemed to detest in her own guarded way. Jacob wanted very much to be able to be the one she went to fancy dinners with. As if he could afford them.

She spoke to him, chastising him for being conflicted, and he was hard put not to nuzzle his face into her neck when she snuggled back into him. Phil smelled so good, it was really very hard to keep himself from moving just a little bit closer. But, always the overanxious gentleman, Jacob couldn't let himself do that. For the first while, especially before she turned eighteen, she would have to be the one to show him what she felt comfortable with. He didn't know her well enough to know whether she would stop him if he did something she didn't like. So he just smiled widely and said, ”See, that's why I need you. You've gotta keep me knowing which way's up.”

He pouted a little more when she continued to say no, but was silently respectful. Jacob was seriously wracking his brain for what might be in that basket, going through all the possibilities that he judged would be able to fit in that basket alongside the things that she'd already pulled out of it. But he eventually ceased, settling down and focusing contentedly on her. He was not like his sister, incessantly curious and unable to contain herself until she knew the object of her desire. His hand found the wine glass again, and he downed the last bit of liquid in it after swishing it about thoughtfully. He chuckled at her tease about alcohol, giving her a mock horrified look as if he actually thought she might be withholding this as a deep dark secret. Of course Phil wasn't an alcoholic. She was far too controlling of herself to allow it.

Jacob tugged the cheese container over to them once he'd put down the empty wine glass, giving her a glance to make sure she didn't have some sort of rule about what they had to eat first. It would be weird if she did, yes, but he'd known girls with OCD before. They'd start panicking if things weren't done correctly. He opened the container and pulled out some of his choice, tearing a piece of it off and putting it in his mouth. He had only just swallowed when Phil popped a strawberry in his mouth, and he gave her a wide, humorous smile. He couldn't speak, though, to answer her comment, as he had a strawberry in his mouth.

He kinda wished he hadn't asked that question now. As soon as he felt the movement of her body, putting the food back in the container, her opened his eyes and looked back at the girl stoically. Her words confused him at first, but then he felt his heart leap again with the joy that came from knowing she wouldn't be throwing herself into a terrible marriage. Then he felt something inside of him withdrawing when she spoke of a future with him. But he didn't let any of the uncertain emotion show on his features, so there would be no way Phil could guess what he was thinking. He really, really cared about her, just Jacob hadn't taken too much time to think about the future with her. He was thinking of his house, his sisters, his school, his everything.... Jacob seriously had no idea at this point where this relationship would lead. But at least he knew he wasn't going to lose her to Kieran, of all people.

She grabbed his hand, and her gaze was so full of hope and trust that he melted inside, leaning forward with an emotion-filled smile and giving her a soft kiss. This time he didn't want it to be the passionate, hot kind. It was a caring, gentle gesture, and that's what he wanted it to be. He frowned a bit when she said straight out that she was going to be disowned, but really had no idea what to say to it. 'Yes, Phil, you should definitely make this choice and lose your parents.' or 'No, Phil, parents are far too important to lose, ever. You should marry Kieran.' Neither worked. Jacob care too much about her to say anything about the hardship of losing parents, and losing parents was too keen a wound in himself for him to tell her Kieran was an ass. So he took a deep breath, and nodded with sober understanding.

When she pulled her hand away from his, he watched with interest. She pulled off her ring—that hateful ring—and told him to throw it off the cliff. He nodded, his instinctual reaction to be rejoicing internally over the chance to do this. It would be cathartic, watching that thing disappear over the sife of the rock face, never to be found again. He stood, took the few strides required to reach the edge of the cliff, and looked out over the edge. His arm moved back in an obvious preparation to throw, but then he frowned, his movements slowing, and then stopping. He took a deep breath, tried again, then shook his head. Damnit. This was daft. Why could he do this, and make her happy?

He brought his hand down, opening it and looking at the ring in his palm. Then he took a deep breath and turned back to Phil, his face wreathed in silent, serious apologies. It wrenched his heart to imagine her relaxation, her new found contentedness leaving and the weight settling back on her shoulders, but he couldn't do this to her. ”I can't.” He said, stepping forward and holding it out to her again. ”Someday, I swear I will, but right now it wouldn't be worth the trouble. You don't need to go through Kieran's wrath and the disowning just yet over some stupid ring. You should enjoy this time you have with your family before you turn eighteen.”

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the kiss was warm and welcoming, it wasn't packed with anything enticing to draw her in and threaten to never want to make her pull away. it seemed like he was working to make a point that this kiss was showing that he cared dearly for her and nothing more. her lips were pressed briefly against his but she still couldn't keep herself from wishing that she could pull herself closer to him and restart the kiss. the locking of their lips was quickly dismissed when she watched jacob rise to his feet and take a few steps to near him to the edge of the cliffs. phillie had her eyes focused closely on him, she was feeling disturbingly relieved when he prepared his arm to throw the ring into oblivion. jacob came to turn around and she was dully aware that he hadn't plunged the ring over the cliff edge like she had requested of him. philomena drew her legs closer to herself and slowly let out an exhale of a shaky breath. jacob hadn't done what she had asked and it wouldn't have been for any silly reason. she would have to hear him out, birdie solely wanted to understand why he hadn't thrown the hideous and garish heirloom into the dark abyss that was to be found over the edge of the cliffs.

philomena worked her way to her feet, it took more of an effort because being seated for too long had caused her knee to become stubborn to unlock. she was standing before jacob, his hand was turned out for her to take the ring from his palm and relieve the burden of it back onto her where it had weighted her down for nearly four years. she took the ring out of his grasp and stared down it, all of the unneeded diamonds that were rested next to the huge ruby that could never be viewed attractive or appealing by anyone. she wouldn't put it back on her finger, she had no intentions of marrying kieran which meant that there was no reason for her to be sporting the ring. she was wobbling, she found it difficult to balance her weight when her knee was aching. the pain would have to be ignored, this conversation had suddenly grown somber and earnest. "i don't think you understand jacob, i don't mind the impeding trouble that i am bringing onto myself. as of right now i am actually welcoming it." she was speaking cryptically, her words probably weren't connecting with jacob because honestly she was still in shock that she had finally decided to speak out against her parents' wishes.

she let out a bitter and mirthless laugh at the thought of her family and the doom she was creating by the refusal she would make. phillie looked at him and her eyes were still alight, there was an energy charging her that she had never experienced before. "i don't want to carry through with five more months of ignoring my parents and throwing out letters from the daytons. i have no wishes to sit through more dinners with kieran and his parents or have to agree to go out with kieran when all i want is to talk to you. it's not what i want," she spoke clearly, her decision being displayed and showing that her mind could not be altered. she took in a deep breath, birdie was going to continue on with her tangent so jacob would further understand where this impulsive decision was stemming from. "i no longer feel apart of my family. they have pushed a fate on me that i have never wanted to accept. i am going to create hell from opposing them but it is a cursed fate that i am beginning to enjoy. i feel free, for the first time ever." she had a content smile on her face, she was meeting his gaze freely and there was something supercharged in her stare. phillie was going to fully accept her fall from grace.

marci wiff jacob ,
674 words ,
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[marci3]

Jacob watched with apprehension as she stood, but then a more real concern flashed across his face as he realized that her knee was still paining her. A lot, actually. His brow furrowed, and for the slightest moment he forgot all about the drama with the ring and thought that maybe he shouldn't have let her bring herself all the way out here on a knee that was busted up so bad. But then he felt her touch in the palm of his hand, and he looked back up to see her lifting the ring from his grasp. He lowered his arm slowly, watching her. She was wobbling. Though he held himself back for now, Jacob would very soon force the girl to sit again.

”Welcoming it.” He repeated silently, not in disbelief, really, nor in any sort of mocking tone. Though forever the sort of person to fight for what he cared about, to him it just made more sense to put off the pain for a few more days, let a few other things settle before taking the plunge. He was glad that he had been able to get her out of this forced marriage to quickly, his presence perhaps triggering something within her which had been disquiet the entire time, but he didn't want to see her go through anything else. It was a completely irrational wish, but there it was. Jacob didn't want his Phil to go through any more trouble.

”No, I don't think I understand.” He said, but then quieted to let her continue. She spoke of all the things she was having to deal with now, and that gave Jacob just a little bit of perspective. He got a little tickle in the back of his mind, telling him she shouldn't have been so dramatic. He should have just chucked the thing and let her feel relaxed. Only a small sort of pride kept him from reaching out his hand again right now to take back what he'd decided. But he didn't, a small smile of comprehension now resting on his features as he continued to let the beautiful girl speak.

He nodded a bit, a sad look causing his gaze to fall from hers. It was a fluid, weighted movement, his head inclining forward the slightest amount. He wasn't really looking at the ground, his focus fixed on some point very far away. ”Free.” He said, sighing. That wasn't exactly what he would call it. Phil really didn't understand, did she? Did she really think that she would never miss her family in her life? That she'd never think about how she'd played with her father as a girl, or how her mother would tell her stories? But the only thing he did was say softly, ”Do you know why I have to take care of my sisters?”

A lot of people had guessed before that his parents had to live in a different country for business. Or that they were in jail, or that they had lost custody of their children for one reason or another. He'd never had a single person guess that his parents had died, much less that it had been so recent. It was something that even if people did think about, they didn't want to be the ones to voice it. Jacob held out his hand, leveling a sober gaze at the girl, ”I'll chuck that thing, far as I can. But you've gotta listen to what I have to say first.”

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he wasn't conveying any emotion towards the words that he had spoken, not in the way that she would have imagined at least. he was completely neutral, his face was a flat plane that philomena couldn't perceive anything off of. she drew her arms around herself and stared up at him with guarded eyes, he didn't seem to comprehend the way that she had spoken. "that came across more nonchalant as i had intended. like i was writing off my family like i would never ache for them. that's wrong. being disowned when dealing with the bird family doesn't fit into the traditional defintion." she was disturbingly somber, her eyes drained of the carefree light that had sparked into her stare only a brief moment before. she let a soft sigh pass through her lips, the atmosphere around them had transformed into stiff and tense. philomena had said something that had made jacob grow more withdrawn. what was working on in his head that had transformed his mood since had come back to her and handed her the hideous heirloom?

she had only been speaking her mind and it had been something she thought that would leave jacob feeling content. phillie's satisfaction was vanishing and now fully gone. all she wanted to do was get down to the discomfort that jacob was showing. another sigh passed through her lips, his head was dipped low which kept philomena from meeting him with a stare that showed she wished to be wormed out of this situation. "i want to make you understand. i sounded careless and that was my mistake. i won't back out of my decision now. it's my choice that i am choosing to execute." birdie spoke surely, her arms wrapped around her and her tone sounding distant as she tilted her head back to gaze at the velvety, sable sky specked with gleaming stars. the stars seemed to be extremely bright, shining down on the world and leaving a glowing shimmer all over everything. it would have been a romantic notion, laying out on the blanket with jacob and trying to point out the constellation of the stars. kieran had ruined the night, why didn't that surprise her?

philomena would be free, or at least it was as close to free as she could ever achieve. her father and her aspirations would be two components that would be permanently gone from her life, she would spend a lifetime without seeing her father or stepping foot into the bird flight company. it wasn't the path that she had preferred but beggars couldn't be choosers. she had been reduced to a beggar and was going to graciously accept whatever life would provide her with. philomena let out a mirthless laugh then dropped her stare from the sky to focus onto jacob. he seemed puzzle when he had repeated the word that she cherished so dearly. "free. yes. you know, soaring like a bird? that's the kind of freedom i want." phillie was letting herself ramble, talking senselessly about a single word that jacob had remarked about. freedom, she had never really known the meaning of the world. birdie had only been presented a trial of the experience before jacob returned to her with the ring and pressed it back into her hand.

he was questioning her about the care of his sisters. philomena opened her mouth to question about the relevancy that they had with their conversation but then thought against it. jacob was bringing them into the conversation for a crucial reason, they somehow had to pertain to her choice towards becoming disowned. "i have a few ideas, but i've never really given much thought to it. dahlia almost told me once, i stopped her though. it was your business that i didn't need to know." phil had been fair, jacob had only been a friend when dahlia had went on a rampage about him. she didn't need the inside on his personal life but now the grounds had shifted into deep waters of intimacy. philomena would eventually uncovers things about her other people would never know because he trusted her enough to do so. his hand was held out and she suspected he wanted the ring, she slipped the ring back into his hand and kept her hand closed over his. "i'll give my full attention to whatever you have to say."

marci wiff jacob ,
730 words ,
outfit ,

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[marci3]

Even when she was talking about such a tremendously important and hurting subject, Phil managed to sound collected a almost a bit logical. Perhaps that was just the difference in how they thought, in what their own family experiences had molded their minds into, but it disturbed Jacob. There was no hesitation, no shakiness as she spoke of losing contact with her family forever, of being cast out by them. He just wanted to see some sort of a sign that she understood the depth of what she was rushing into.

But he couldn't say anything of that sort, not straight out. Because he knew that more than that, she needed not to be tied to Kieran for the rest of her life. Ultimately, that was the worse option. He hated this for her. He listened as she tried to make him understand, though he didn't fully. It was perhaps just a breach in thought that he'd have to learn about her. Then she spoke of freedom, and he actually had a small, soft smile settle on his lips, He turned his eyes on her softly, very much understanding this wish. He knew how she felt, though in a very different way. His own lack of freedom was caused by something very different, something he would never cast away.

Jacob didn't really know whether he was happy or not that she was unaware of his life situation. After all, if was something very private and telling her for the first time would give more weight to his words. But on the other hand, he really didn't want to have to say it. He hated saying it. It was one of those times that he couldn't force a smile and make himself feel better. Thankful for her compliance and the touch of her hand, he bowed his head for a second, then looked up at her and said his piece.

”My parents were very kind people. Even when we were having our family squabbles, just like everyone else, we were all so close, and it was because of my mother and father. No matter what happened, be it robbery or totaling a car or dad losing his job, we were always there for eachother, and they were always there for us.” He paused for a second, frowning at the ground. ”I know this is a lot different than your family, but maybe not as much as you think.”

Then he took a deep breath, dropping his hand from hers. He looked out over the cliff, his gaze unfocused as he relived the memories. ”Three years ago, they died in a car crash back in england. Tasha was in the car with them. I was still in school here, but I dropped out for the year so I could go and be with my sister. I haven't been back to england since, and I don't think I ever want to be. Losing them, it's been the hardest trial in my life. More than dealing with wars with Em on the opposite side, more than taking care of my sisters. Disconnecting with parents is....painful. And what's worse is that you don't realize it at first.”

As a final addition to his point, he said, ”Em was never really as close to the family as the rest of us, but in a way she's the one who's going through it the worst. She doesn't have anyone to go to, or at least she doesn't think she does.” He turned toward Phil again, raising the fist that held the ring. ”So, do I throw this, or do you cherish the time you have left with your parents?”

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she was going to be disowned, it was an inevitable fact that she couldn't ignore. when facing something head on it was better to be prepared with as much knowledge as possible. dahlia was the only example that she had to work off of, how much reliable information could she pull from her delirious sister? philomena decided that she couldn't depend on her sister to get a logical feel on how being disowned would feel. birdie would say farewell to her life as a bird, the door would be closed and she would walk into a life that she was completely unprepared for. it would be a life that could be compared to nell's, maybe she could go to nell and try and prod a few answers out of her. the questions that were bubbling in her head were a constant flow, being disowned was going to form a whole new view in birdie's head. philomena couldn't feel as if the whole situation that she was facing was going to be grim, she was anticipating a life without worry and having to constantly fret over the acceptance of her father. the bird would be forever inked on her back and worked into her very soul, she just would never have the family name and lineage to fall back on.

birdie grasped desperately at her wish and desire to have jacob peek into her mind and comprehend why she was running eagerly into the idea of becoming disowned. philomena looked at him with soft eyes, she nearly had a slight frown on her face as he continued to glance over at her with the same gentle stare. "jacob..." philomena said to him, suddenly possessing the urge to reach out and cross the bridge that would bind them together in comprehension. "i'm not fond with the idea that i will never have contact with my family. it's the only way that i can come out of this without having to be tied down to kieran. it's only the idea of my father, i can guarantee my mother will find some way to keep contact with me. she does that with dahlia," bridie gushed out, her hold over jacob's hand tightening as she threaded her fingers through his. she continued to look at him, canceling out the throbbing pain her knee to allow herself to peer over him. she needed to be able to take in is reaction and see how her new words were going to affect him. their newly formed bond now meant that jacob's opinions and feelings now had to be taken into consideration.

she had to quiet herself, all of the impending statements she was going to say were hushed by the grave words that he was speaking. philomena could have never guessed that the reason he was so wary over her decision to becoming disowned was because his parents had died. the reason he had to care for both of his sisters was because it was something that he couldn't help, the death of his parents had left both of his sisters in his care. philomena felt the absence of his hand clasped in hers and she wrapped her arms around herself, his stare was now focused out on the cliff staring at nothing in particular. "i would have never assumed your parents were dead..." birdie murmured, her words soft because she was unsure of what to say. it was a delicate subject that phillie wasn't eager to tread over. "you're one hell of a brother for taking both of them into your care. tasha must look up to you and think the world of you," she said, awe slipped into her voice now as she focused on his back. birdie would have reached out and pulled him into a loose hug but the tension of the moment seemed too much. her breath was nearly taken away when jacob turned around to face her once more.

his question sparked another thought in her, phillie now felt conflicted. she could easily go without sharing another moment with colton, athena though would be a big loss on her part. her mother had always posed as the guiding light in her life. she had been the one to lend her advice when there had been no one else in her life to focus on. to have her torn out out of her life would be something that would permanently feeling as if a piece of her would be eternally missing. philomena gulped, her arms tightened around herself. she didn't try to talk herself out of crying, tears pricked her eyes and she left them to pool over and silently begin to stream down her face. she didn't have an answer for jacob, her tears were the only clue that he would have to go on. the cold was now getting to her and she was slightly shaking. but she didn't come near him, birdie continued to stand while more tears flooded from her eyes and streaked her face.

marci wiff jacob ,
834 words ,
outfit ,

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[marci3]

Though this was obviously a very serious situation, for some reason Jacob chuckled a little and gave Phil a sad smile. ”Most people don't.” No one really ever jumped to the 'their family is dead' conclusion. More often than not they guessed abandonment, or jobs in the military, or jail. Those things used to make Jacob angry, but now they just made him laugh. His parents? Abandoning him? In jail? Nope. Not possible. Then Phil snapped him out of his reverie by complimenting him, and he let out an audible breath of air and shook his head. For a second, the uncertainty inside of him rose to the surface.

”No, I'm really not. I'm afraid I don't make a very good parent to them. Tasha's alright, but I don't understand her very much. Em doesn't really seem to care about me either way anymore.” Which was one of the reasons it hurt to be so loyal to her. He knew that his friends would reward him n the same way if he stuck with them. But he had to protect his sister, and he really wasn't sure whether she'd do the same for him. Jacob sighed again, tilting his head back to look up at the sky. It wasn't helping anymore. Damn, he'd only been meaning to give Phil some clarity about her choices. He hadn't wanted to open up this whole can of shit.

All self-serving thoughts ceased when he looked back down at her, however. The reserved pain in his expression was instantly replaced with concern and sympathy as he saw the girl hug herself, the first few tears sliding down her face. He was a guy, so no, he had very little idea what the inner workings of her mind were, or what she ultimately needed. But he'd grown up around two little sisters, been the only one for them when they were going through the hardest times of their lives. So while inwardly he was confused, there was absolutely no hesitation—Jacob stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the crying girl, pulling her close to him and taking a deep, steadying breath for himself.

”It's ok, Phil.” He said softly into her ear, ”It'll all be alright. We'll be fine.” He didn't know if by 'we' he meant him and Phil, of him and his family, or what, but it came out of his mouth anyway. After another moment or two, he remembered about her hurt knee. A twinge of guilt went through him—why had he kept her standing for so long?--and then he let go of her long enough to guide her into a sitting position. No sooner had he done that than he was pulling her back into an embrace.

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the death of this parents wasn't a subject that philomena was eager to breach. she could only see the minimal effects that it was having on jacob, inside the whole ordeal must reduce him to shattered fragments of himself. she was being selfish, only focusing on her own issues when jacob was having a day to day struggle to try and fill the place of his both his parents. his unsureness hit the chords of her heart, he didn't seem to realize what an impossible job he was taking on. "you're only twenty, jacob. how would have expected to know that you need to be a parent to both of your sisters? for improvising you're doing an outstanding job, in my book," birdie softly amended his thoughts. she wanted to stagger over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist then press her face into his back. would her touch comfort him? she only stayed in her spot, knee quivering under her weight and the cold causing her to shiver. "i don't know if you actually want my help but i'd love to offer to come over and help you with tasha." phillie threw the idea out there, jacob would answer however he felt was appropriate.

crying was something that philomena never liked to consider. to the wind elemental it was a sign that reality had hit your chest too hard, given you a helping of difficulty that was too hard handle. tears were something that she carefully worked around to avoid. whens omeone was crying she was never sure how to go about with the situation. jacob must have been worked into an uncomfortable state, the young lady who could take the most brutal of hits was blubbering like a baby at the thought of having her mother removed from her life. he had much more thrown onto his plate, two sisters to care for and a piece of his life thrown out into the dark abyss. he could never recover his parents, an accident took them and the affects were final. her mind shifted into overdrive, working desperately to make rational sense out of everything that was being thrown her way. nothing was logical anymore, she could only work out that jacob had more problems that made her complaints and decisions seem like something she should simply shove aside. birdie was crying though, the heaviness of her choices finally breaking her walls and leaving her vulnerable.

his arms being placed around her only triggered the damn that had been withholding her tears to break. she buried her head into his chest, ignoring the pieces of hair that stuck to her eyelashes and blocked her vision. her chest heaved with what should have been sobs that caused her whole body to shake. instead to replace them were silent sobs that took the breath from her chest and left her face blotchy due to the lack of air circulation. there was no way to cry gracefully. his words floating into her ears were a challenge to respond to. her gasping breaths didn't seem to want to allow her to reply. she was shaking now, her shivers were disregarded but the show of tears left her body feeling weak and limp. "i hope i can believe that. faith seems impossible to find anymore. hope as well," phille gasped out, her breaths coming out weak. she grabbed at his jacket, her weak fingers holding onto it frantically as if it posed as some sort of support to her. "you'll deal want to have to handle me even after these fives hellish months are over?" it was a weak attempt at joke, trying to speak lightly even though the tears were crashing any illusion that she was composed.

suddenly his arms had unclasped from securely holding her. philomena looked up at him, her eyes wild with a blaze of emotions. he was only guiding her back to sit on the blanket. the picnic was completely gone from her mind, now she only wanted to have jacob touching her and soothing her. why did it all seem so hopeless now? phillie climbed over to sit in his lap, folding herself up so that she was compact and easily fit. she blubbered on for a few more minutes, grabbing at jacob's arms and letting out a hiccup or strangled sob occasionally. her whole face was a light shade of red when the waterworks finally ceased. "i don't want to play along anymore," she murmured into his chest, her face pressed up against a wet spot where her tears had been caught by his shirt. she was reluctantly pulling herself back to the topic of her marriage, it felt wrong to try and ignore it all now. "i want to focus on my future and how to be a good girlfriend to you. i shouldn't have to worry about how keep kieran from exploding into a fiery fury or how my father will react if i don't spark a conversation with kieran," birdie whispered, her body quaking with another shake.

marci wiff jacob ,
842 words ,
outfit ,

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