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Post by spigurl on Dec 15, 2007 11:30:13 GMT -5
"I wouldn't know, but I bet you'll re-adjust quickly enough. Are you going wandering soon?" she asked, as they began to eat their meal. Caden couldn't tell if she would be glad or sad. He didn't think it would be the former, but wasn't quite sure if she would be sad.
"I may," he replied. "I never stay any place long, and I've been in Corus for months now. I wouldn't expect it to be terribly soon, however. I have some business to attend to." The knight decided to add the last part, wanting to reassure her. If that's indeed what she needed.
Caden smiled when Annikka laughed, telling him of the other people's impressions. He nodded, amused. "If they saw you now, they would be astonished at your transformation."
"What would you research?" Annikka asked, after saying he would be very bored. It was true, he would be. As for research, he would have to do something so exciting that it would last him more than five minutes. He wasn't exactly sure what that would be. Maybe an ancient war or something. He said that aloud, his voice clearly indicating that he didn't know what else.
As Annikka explained some of the things about healing, Caden was quiet. This wasn't exactly a subject that brought joy or that one would speak on forever. As she told him that healers sometimes had no other option but to peacefully put their patients to sleep forever, he nodded. He had seen done of several occasions. It was nearly always the best way.
"But transferring the exact technique to anyone with a hint of Gift in that direction is not so certain. Since so many have some Gift, that means many soldiers could administer certain- and if untrained, probably agonising, half-death because it's not done properly -to anyone within really quite a large radius. The, er, ex-friend in question has convinced he's done nothing wrong, but we'll see about that."
The knight grimaced slightly, imaging the destruction that could bring. Only in one place he had been to, had passed this on to ordinary people. It had only been intended for good, but slowly turned bad. He knew that many trained mages practiced this everywhere, and had seen different results.
"I'm glad he has you to deal with," Caden remarked. "I have a feeling that you will put him in his place."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Dec 16, 2007 13:58:58 GMT -5
"I may," he replied. "I never stay any place long, and I've been in Corus for months now. I wouldn't expect it to be terribly soon, however. I have some business to attend to."
Annikka smiled a little. She'd thought he was planning on vanishing as soon as he could escape Court for a moment there, and it would have been a pity. She liked talking to him a lot. Well, he was still going, but at least it wasn't that soon. "Don't just take off when you do leave, all right? Let me know," she said. It wouldn't be nice to suddenly find him gone.
"If they saw you now, they would be astonished at your transformation."
She grinned in response to his smile. "Dear me. Was that a compliment? Thank you. I just try to talk to people who won't bore me now. It's done wonders for my appreciation of social chit-chat, but I will admit to taking refuge in the hayloft more than once last time I went home in order to evade my mother. Alas, it has only got worse as I've got older."
Caden suggested ancient wars in a voice that suggested he really hadn't much idea, and despite herself Annikka's lips twitched a little. He only said that to prove a point, she guessed, and completely failed to see Caden as a scholar for the second time.
He listened to her explanation quietly, and grimaced when she explained the problem with the healer-turned-warmage Marcel's technique. "I'm glad he has you to deal with," Caden remarked. "I have a feeling that you will put him in his place."
"Oh, I will," she said easily, half-smiling as she thought of the plan she'd worked out. "Marcel always was something of a wuss as far as blood went. I'll just have to make him tour the bloody-injuries section of the Healer's Wing, complete with gory commentary, and I really don't think the University will let it pass and allow him to practice it even if he does manage to hold firm. You sound as if you've seen the technique attempted. It doesn't work at all, does it." The last sentence was a statement, not a question. Annikka was sure he was just as aware as she was of the hideousness of partial failure in that particular area of healing.
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Post by spigurl on Dec 17, 2007 17:21:40 GMT -5
"Don't just take off when you do leave, all right? Let me know," Annikka told him. Caden smiled to reassure her. It was nice to know that she cared. He didn't plan on just leaving anyway. Not like before.
"I will inform you of every move I make," he joked. "Honestly, I promise to let you know. I did the leaving without notice route before and don't ever want to do that again."
“The hayloft?” Caden asked, raising his brows. “Surely that isn’t a place for a young noblewoman to go? I thought only stable hands went their?” His voice took on a mocking tone, clearly trying to imitate what he thought Annikka’s mother might say.
Hearing Annikka’s plan for the young warmage, Caden smirked. That section of the Healer’s Wing was enough to put anyone off their lunch. The knight didn’t fancy going there himself. If this Marcel didn’t like blood, he definitely wouldn’t enjoy seeing such injuries. Not for the first time Caden shook his head at the mage’s stupidity. How could you want to be a healer but hate blood? “You sound as if you've seen the technique attempted. It doesn't work at all, does it,”she said matter-of-factly. There were no ifs ands or buts in her words.
“Exactly,” he agreed. “In principle, it sounds nice. Easier, less stressful battles. Everybody wants those, right? In actuality, it’s a disgusting practice.”
They had been in the restaurant for quite some time now. Caden’s bowl was nearly empty, and he was feeling thoroughly warmed up. Taking stock of himself, the knight realized that he still contained some of the warmth from Annikka. It was amazing that something so simple could be so strong. “You know,” he told her. “I’m still warm from that energy you gave me earlier.”
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Dec 18, 2007 17:18:50 GMT -5
"I will inform you of every move I make," he joked. "Honestly, I promise to let you know. I did the leaving without notice route before and don't ever want to do that again."
Annikka smiled, relieved, and stuck out her tongue at him. "Oh, hush. I'll take your word for it."
“The hayloft?” Caden asked, raising his brows. “Surely that isn’t a place for a young noblewoman to go? I thought only stable hands went their?”
There was a moment of stunned silence. She nearly giggled, but managed to stifle it, eyes wide in combined shock and laughter, clapping her hands over her mouth to stop herself laughing. It would look very odd if she burst into laughter there and then. "Almost word-perfect! How did you know exactly what my mother says when she finds out where I've been?"
Annikka took another bite of her pasty. It was almost finished. She saw Caden smirk at her plans for Marcel, and grinned in response. She didn't need to say aloud that it would probably be terrific fun for her; she was pretty sure Caden knew. “Exactly,” he agreed. “In principle, it sounds nice. Easier, less stressful battles. Everybody wants those, right? In actuality, it’s a disgusting practice.”
Annikka nodded, more serious now. "Yes. If you know how to do it properly, it's... decent enough. If you don't, it's a bloody mess- no pun intended -and a lifelong trial for all concerned." She finished off her food. It had really been very good.
“You know,” he told her. “I’m still warm from that energy you gave me earlier.”
Annikka smiled. "It tends to last quite a while. It's handy." She glanced down at the table, neatly aligning her knife and fork, and then when she looked up spotted a scar on the back of one of his hands. It was large, disappearing under Caden's sleeve, and looked as if it had been deep. Her eyes widened. "Great Goddess, what did you do to your hand?"
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Post by spigurl on Dec 21, 2007 19:49:39 GMT -5
For a moment after Caden mocked Annikka's mother, all was silent. At first Caden thought he might have offended her, but when he saw her face, he knew all was well. She clearly found it funny and said "Almost word-perfect! How did you know exactly what my mother says when she finds out where I've been?"
The knight gave his own grin. "Just a hunch I had. I've met several noblewomen like that since I've came to court. Usually, right after they'd said that to their daughters in a hushed whisper, they would come bring the lovely lady over to meet me in the hopes that I would fall in love instantly. I think it must be a requirement for noblewomen with daughters of marriageable age to act in such a ridiculous fashion."
It was quite true too. On more than one occasion one fussy noblewoman brought Caden her daughter. At first, he had been relieved to be excused from the company of one so annoying, but found the offspring to be equally irritating.
As the conversation rolled back around to the messes that mages made, Caden simply nodded at Annikka's words. It wasn't that he found them to be incorrect- quite the opposite, in fact - but he had tired of the subject. The knight was sure that the healer was feeling the same way. It was good for a short debate, but the longer it went on, the more it grew distressing to think of.
Somehow, Annikka's eyes were drawn to his arm. In particular, the scar that cut it. "Great Goddess, what did you do to your hand?" she asked, astonished.
Caden grimaced, remembering the story. "I'm sorry to say the story is anything but flattering. There's no tale of heroics, only one of stupidity." He flashed back to just after he had been knighted. He had left that very night, during the celebration. It was only a few days after that, he received the scar.
"It wasn't too long after I had been knighted. I set out immediately after I was made a knight of the realm. I had only spent a few days on the back of my horse when I came to Barzun. Almost immediately after I entered their land, I was ever so graciously welcomed by some bandits. Young cocky man that I was, I thought I could trick them. Appealing to whatever shred of decency I could, I offered a deal," Caden took a breath, amused by his memories. Normally, he never would have done such a thing, but seeing as he had gained his shield only a few days before, he was feeling confident. A bad mistake. He returned to his story. "We would have a duel. If I won, I could go free. If one of them one, they could keep me as a slave. I, of course, had no intention of losing. And I as began to fight the man, I realized that it would be absurdly easy. He had no one-on-one combat experience. So, I did exactly what my teachers had warned me not to ever do. Play around. I let the fight take on sort of a playful atmosphere. I taunted the man. As a result, I grew careless. He slashed my arm, very deeply too. It was then, that I was awoken. I took care of him, and got out of there."
Thinking that he sounded a bit harsh, Caden added, "By that, I mean that I knocked him out. Killing wasn't something I was ready for yet. Anyway, now you know my story." He held his hands up in defeat, a wry smile on his face. "Was it all you thought it would be?"
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Dec 22, 2007 15:36:55 GMT -5
(OOC: Going away for Christmas, till late on 28th. Merry Christmas!)
"Just a hunch I had. I've met several noblewomen like that since I've came to court. Usually, right after they'd said that to their daughters in a hushed whisper, they would come bring the lovely lady over to meet me in the hopes that I would fall in love instantly. I think it must be a requirement for noblewomen with daughters of marriageable age to act in such a ridiculous fashion."
Annikka snorted at the image his words conjured in her mind. "It probably is. I'm sure you can imagine why I'm glad my mother confines herself to haMinch half the time."
"I'm sorry to say the story is anything but flattering. There's no tale of heroics, only one of stupidity." He started to explain how he got it, being rather harsh on himself, but it was obvious he looked back on his errors with a certain amount of amusement. They were quite funny, but Annikka had heard stupider stories, and she could think of many knights who would exaggerate the story and change it to flatter themselves more.
Caden added, "By that, I mean that I knocked him out. Killing wasn't something I was ready for yet. Anyway, now you know my story." He held his hands up in defeat, a wry smile on his face. "Was it all you thought it would be?"
Annikka met his wry smile with one of her own. "I've heard worse, believe me. The knight who got a horrendous scar on his temple by passing out, drunk, and hitting his head on a fireplace springs to mind. And I haven't got scars for my own stupidities, but when I was posted to the border shortly after I graduated in the first few weeks I made a regular habit of exhausting my Gift to the point of collapse to save individuals. It wasn't good for me, and it wasn't good medical practice, and when I didn't succeed- when I should have known nothing I could do would help -it used to tear me up. At least you didn't repeat your silly mistake. I did, six or seven times. My friends were furious with me."
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Post by spigurl on Dec 27, 2007 14:24:34 GMT -5
"It probably is. I'm sure you can imagine why I'm glad my mother confines herself to haMinch half the time," Annikka told him. Caden smiled, half-guessing at what she must be thinking.
"Aren't you just the luckiest," he chuckled. In a way, Caden was glad he didn't have to deal with any of that. He had never known his mother, so to him, this was nothing. Maybe his sister might have felt some loss, but he didn't really know.
"I've heard worse, believe me," she told him, going on to share some stories. Caden had no doubt at any of these. He had also heard and seen some things quite stupid. Annikka mentioned her own stupidity, as she called it. Exhausting herself on the field. The knight had also heard many stories of new healers trying to hard to save people.
"At least your reason was for a good cause," he told her. "It may have been stupid, but you had a good intention behind it. That can't always be said."
They had only passed an hour or so at the restaurant, giving much more time for...whatever. Caden didn't really mind what they did next. He was content to stay or go back out and brave the cold. "What shall we do next?" he asked.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Dec 29, 2007 9:42:09 GMT -5
"Aren't you just the luckiest," he chuckled.
Annikka grinned. "You bet. You have no idea how disconcerted she was when I took this job, probably because it puts me in Corus almost permanently."
"At least your reason was for a good cause," he told her. "It may have been stupid, but you had a good intention behind it. That can't always be said."
Annikka nodded. She'd heard that before, and the arguments on the other side were still just as damning. "That's true, but as a consequence lots of other people died, ones I could have saved without half-killing myself, and some others went without medicine. You see? The hardest thing about being a healer is probably that much of the time you have to consider the whole rather than just one or two people, and then balance between just trying to save a life. And now I'm being morbid, so I'd best be quiet."
"What shall we do next?"
Annikka suddenly realised how long they'd been there. She glanced outside- it wasn't sleeting or anything, so they could go out if they wanted to. "Er, I don't know... shall we go outside? It's getting quite stuffy and busy in here."
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Post by spigurl on Dec 29, 2007 10:01:03 GMT -5
She argued against her doing good things with the healing. Caden knew there wasn't anything that could be said to change her mind. Besides, the argument was good so he wasn't sure if he wanted to. It made sense. Anyway, Caden's knowledge of healing was minimal. She obviously knew far more.
"And now I'm being morbid, so I'd best be quiet," she said, causing Caden to smile.
"Yes," he replied, standing up. "I rather think you are. Shall we go?" He proffered his arm again, a look of amusement on his face. Once she had gotten everything on, they left by the way of the door. Caden had left some coins on the table to pay for their meal and enough for a tip. He hoped to get Annikka out without her noticing. He guessed that she was not one for that sort of business. Caden didn't care. He had quite an allowance. His brother certainly had built up the business and had left Caden's account open. Something that the knight appreciated greatly. He half-wondered if Mattei would be notified if money was taken from that fund. Probably. Caden didn't even care anymore. If he saw, so be it.
As they walked down the street, Caden took notice of all the children running around. He shook his head slightly, remembering that it was the same everywhere. He knew things would be off if the children weren't running around in the snow.
"So," he asked, turning to Annikka, "when is your mother coming to town?"
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Dec 29, 2007 15:32:15 GMT -5
"Yes," he replied, standing up. "I rather think you are. Shall we go?"
"So glad you agree with me," she smiled. "Yes, let's go." Annikka put her coat on, not forgetting to slip a few coins onto the table- her own tip -although she decided not to mention the fact that Caden had already paid for both of them. She thought she should just leave matters as they were, and just the once she could allow. She took his arm once more, leaving her gloves and scarf in her pocket, as they walked out onto the street.
When they were walking down the street, she noticed that he shook his head a little at the children playing in the snow on the street, and remembered how when they'd met in the park he'd wondered why the children were fighting over snow. "Mind out," Annikka said jokingly as she ducked a snowball that had been about to hit her. "They're not aiming at us yet, but some children are deadly shots."
"So," he asked, turning to Annikka, "when is your mother coming to town?"
Annikka wrinkled her nose. "She would be here if a wheel hadn't come off her carriage and she wasn't snowed in at the inn she took refuge at. I'm so glad she wasn't here when I was dealing with the wards this morning. She sent me a message in the fire last night- she won't be here until this evening, and meanwhile if I know my mother she's talking my father, Simeon, his wife, and all the other people at the inn to death while she waits for the carriage to be fixed and the snow to be shovelled away. Mikal is riding on, I understand, but I suspect Mother will have had some of her spasms-" Annikka rolled her eyes- "when he suggested it, and given the delay- she doesn't like delays, my mother -she'll probably arrive declaiming that I am her only child who understands her. Won't that be fun. Speaking of family," she added, more seriously, "are you planning on going back to your family's house?"
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Post by spigurl on Dec 29, 2007 22:54:09 GMT -5
"They're not aiming at us yet, but some children are deadly shots," Annikka joked.
"I'm just glad that all aren't," Caden replied, a misty smile on his face. "We would be in trouble then."
"She would be here if a wheel hadn't come off her carriage and she wasn't snowed in at the inn she took refuge at," she said, explaining the rest.
"How fortunate for you," he told her. "Or at least until she does arrive. If you are in need of a sanctuary, come find me. She'll most likely think to look in the Healer's Wing. I don't think she knows who I am, so you'd be safe." Caden half-laughed at his idea. It was so comical that he could be considered a refuge. With Annikka's mother, anything could happen.
"Are you planning on going back to your family's house?" she asked, more seriously. Caden closed his eyes briefly. He had been considering it. When he would do it was the question. Tomorrow? Midwinter? He had a feeling that the holiday wasn't the best time. Maybe some time before, but he only had a few days.
"Yes, but I'm not sure when," Caden said, voicing his thoughts. "I was thinking some time before Midwinter." He thought about his little nieces and nephews (if that's indeed what they were) and if they would expect gifts. Even though they didn't know him, surely that's what little children wanted. Annikka had family. She would know. "Do you think that the children will want gifts? If I go before then, they might want some. What do they even like?" He was completely clueless in this area.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Dec 30, 2007 9:00:26 GMT -5
"I'm just glad that all aren't," Caden replied, a misty smile on his face. "We would be in trouble then."
"Oh, we would," Annikka said cheerfully, sidestepping a snowman in the process of being built. "Let's hope they don't decide we'd make good targets." She removed her gloves from her pocket, slipping them on. It was cold out, and better not to waste her Gift on warmth.
"How fortunate for you," he told her. "Or at least until she does arrive. If you are in need of a sanctuary, come find me. She'll most likely think to look in the Healer's Wing. I don't think she knows who I am, so you'd be safe."
Annikka grinned. "Exactly. 'Until she does arrive'. At which point, all hells will break loose. If you spot anyone with even a passing resemblance to me fleeing as if his or her life depends on it, duck into a nearby cupboard or something quickly, because you can bet that my mother will not be far behind. Probably calling the escapee's name in an imperious and slightly confused tone, as well." She smiled at him. "Thanks for the offer of sanctuary. You're probably right- my mother pays little attention to anyone who isn't..." Annikka struggled to find the correct term "... immediately within her social circle." The healer rolled her eyes. "Which is limited, limited, limited. And she's also quite capable of marching into the Healer's Wing and demanding to see me. It looks like I'll be spending an unusual amount of time commandeering the office reserved for me at the University and visiting friends. Let's just hope she doesn't think of any of my usual hiding places, or I'm toast!"
Caden closed his eyes, thinking. She waited for him to voice it, which he did. "Yes, but I'm not sure when," Caden said. "I was thinking some time before Midwinter."
Annikka nodded. "A few days before Midwinter is probably best. If you turn up on the holiday itself, I suspect you'll scare them all silly. I don't think Gabriella would faint, she was always more commonsensical than most, but it would be a close-run thing." She hoped he wouldn't mind her referring to his sister.
"Do you think that the children will want gifts? If I go before then, they might want some. What do they even like?"
"What, you mean each of them, personally?" Annikka asked rhetorically in reply to Caden's last question, and answered herself- "I have no idea. I never met your brother, and I completely lost touch with Gabriella years ago. Letters went astray, addresses were mislaid, I was posted to different places as a healer... On the other hand, sometimes it's obvious what children are interested in if you meet them. And a useful guide is that nearly children love sweets, but not too many or they'll go sugar-mad. Since you've never met them before, I'd get them something small."
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Post by spigurl on Jan 1, 2008 0:22:51 GMT -5
"Exactly. 'Until she does arrive'. At which point, all hells will break loose.
Caden patted Annikka's arm in sympathy, a sly grin on his face. "I look forward to seeing her chase young women around. Perhaps you could plant decoys. That way, she could stalk others for hours on end before realizing that they aren't you."
"A few days before Midwinter is probably best. If you turn up on the holiday itself, I suspect you'll scare them all silly. I don't think Gabriella would faint, she was always more commonsensical than most, but it would be a close-run thing."
Caden chuckled, trying to imagine his sister fainting. "I can't quite picture that either. I imagine she'll be the most rational about it all. That's what I hope for, at least."
"Candies," Caden said, musing over Annikka's reply. Yes, those sounded delightfully wonderful. They were simple and easy to get. Another thought came to him; he could always meet them and decide for himself what they might like. Or ask his brother and sister.
(OOC: Sorry, this sucked. My muse has left me...)
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Jan 1, 2008 10:56:34 GMT -5
(OOC: Don't worry. Try putting out chocolate, flowers, and apologetic notes. That worked for mine after she left in protest at my sacking the inner editor for NaNoWriMo. ) He touched her arm, grinning, obviously highly amused by what she'd told him. "I look forward to seeing her chase young women around. Perhaps you could plant decoys. That way, she could stalk others for hours on end before realizing that they aren't you." Annikka snorted, grinning back at him. "Good idea, but my mother doesn't stalk. She marches, head held high and calling the fleeing person's name at intervals in stentorian tones, sometimes stopping other people and demanding to know the escapee's whereabouts, usually with a very unflattering description tagged onto the end. And she keeps going, so even when you stop, thinking you're safe, she'll suddenly turn the corner, spot you, and call your name loud enough to wake the dead. Then you have to put up with a full-scale sermon on your impudence and unsuitability to be related to her. Decoys would have a horrible time of it." Caden chuckled, trying to imagine his sister fainting. "I can't quite picture that either. I imagine she'll be the most rational about it all. That's what I hope for, at least.""Fingers crossed," Annikka said, suiting the action to the word and crossing the index and middle fingers of both her hands. "Your sister was never, to the best of my knowledge, a fainter, but you turning up completely unannounced may just do it. I don't know your brother, though, so I'm not really qualified to comment there. My oldest brother once fainted when he found a couple of dead mice under the floorboards in his room after weeks of stench, but then, everyone's different." She was deliberately joking, trying to make Caden smile. She'd noticed he was less cheerful when he talked about his family, and they hadn't been talking about happy things, either. "Candies," the knight mused. Annikka nodded, and then thought of something. "Check they're not allergic to anything first," she warned. "Like nuts- lots of sweets have nuts in. And I wouldn't get them too many if I were you. Small children get very bouncy when they've had lots of sugar, and their parents do not thank you if their children are bouncing off the walls when they just want a rest."
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Post by spigurl on Jan 2, 2008 23:52:38 GMT -5
"Decoys would have a horrible time of it," she told him. So, decoys were out of the question. Shame. Thinking more, Caden came up with nothing. Annikka's mother would stop at nothing, he decided. There wasn't anything plausible that they could use to throw her off.
"Well, you've stumped me," he replied. "I have no idea what to do to make her visit a more comfortable one for you. All we can do is hope that the snow delays her a few more days."
Annikka crossed her fingers for him, which he rather liked. "Your sister was never, to the best of my knowledge, a fainter, but you turning up completely unannounced may just do it. I don't know your brother, though, so I'm not really qualified to comment there, she said, continuing on to say her brother had once fainted over some mice. Caden smiled, knowing that his brother would never do that. He also knew that smiling would assure Annikka that he was fine. After all, he was. For the most part.
"And how old was your brother at the time?" Caden asked, finding the catch. If he was young, of course he would faint. "I don't think my brother would either. He's never been afraid enough to do that."
"And their parents do not thank you if their children are bouncing off the walls when they just want a rest," she said of the candies. Caden thought that he would be long gone before that effect settled in. Hyper children? No thank you.
"Maybe I'll just ask what to get them. Sounds safest."
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