Behind the Romance, There is Reality

Beth C

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Behind the Romance, There is Reality

~By Beth C

Summary: Kermit is fed up with one lady Pig and he finally lets her know. But will she be willing to accept that he is finally over her? Does she have any other choices left?

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me; they were created by Jim Henson. I just used them for a bit of fun to otherwise brighten up a dreary day.

Feedback: Of course. Trekie386@aol.com, if you want.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


An alarm clock rings, a rooster crows, and the sun shines brightly over a new day. A day that starts as normally as any other; but as we will soon see; ends up much differently than anyone ever expected.

Loud noise is heard from the Boarding house; however the neighbors don’t seem to mind. It is usually this noisy the first thing in the morning as everyone rises and prepares for their day.

In one room, a young frog dresses carefully, getting ready for a day at school, putting on a jacket and cap. In another room, a scientist and his assistant don their lab coats in preparation for some serious work. In yet another room, loud growls are heard as Animal declares that yes, he is up and he is HUN-GRY!

Downstairs, a chef is busy preparing the morning meal by tossing eggs, vegetables, assorted meats and unnamed spices in a large bowl, messily dropping flour on the floor as he tries to make biscuits too.

Slowly the participants wend their way to the table, each grabbing a plate of food before heading off to their own daily routines. The rooms are abuzz in conversations, and if one could make out anything at all it would be partial snippets.

“Oh, yeah, rully? Like, how do you know it’ll work?”

“Down Animal, get off the fan!”

“The YOKE’s on you! Wocka wocka!”

“It’s possible, I’m telling you. I can ride a motorcycle with wings while juggling tuna and pimento sandwiches blindfolded!”

“Kerrrmiiee!!! Have you seen Moi’s new dress yet?”

That last sentence had one very tired frog rolling over and covering his head with his pillow. In the years since their last big movie had ended, the pig seemed to more and more get on his nerves. With nothing new on the horizon, and nothing else to do, she seemed to make a day of chasing him around and trying to keep his attention on her. Only on her, as it would seem that the more he tried to get away, the more she stuck to him like glue.

He was beginning to feel smothered. It was no secret that she had feelings for him, she had been telling him, all his friends, even the news media for years now that they were a couple. At one time, he might have agreed that was so, but right now, he wanted nothing more than for her to go away.

Which of course, she didn’t do. Knowing she was being ignored, she yelled louder. “KERRMIEE! Where are vous?”

He pulled the blanket over his head.

It didn’t help. He heard her making her way to his door, and sure enough there was a light knocking. “Kermie?”

He knew from past experience that if he didn’t get up and answer the door, she would only knock louder, as she knew there was no other place he would be. He sighed and removed the blanket, then the pillow. “Just a minute, please.”

He hurriedly pulled on his robe over his pajamas and opened the door. “There vous is,” she proclaimed as she pushed past him into his room. “I was wondering when you would climb out of bed.”

“I had to some time.” He said quietly as she began rummaging around in his dresser drawers. “What are you doing?”

“Finding you some appropriate clothes, of course,” she answered him without stopping her search. “You have to look nice for today.”

His face folded up as he tried to imagine just what outlandish plans she could have made without his approval. Last week it was the nightmare of being dragged to a museum of hats. The week before that was the boat ride in the bay that left him dripping wet and shivering cold. He had never known speedboats could do ninety. He usually left those stunts to Gonzo.

“Just what is today?” he finally asked, dreading her reply.

She turned to face him, in one hand holding up a pair of overalls, in the other a red shirt. “Why, Kermie? Did you forget that today is our hayride?”

That was it. This was the last straw. If he knew her well, and he was sure he did, she would have a romantic picnic waiting after the ride. He had no intentions of going on any ride with her, hay or otherwise. It was time that he put his foot down.

“I didn’t forget,” he lied, not even sure if she had ever really mentioned it to him. She usually just made the plans and dragged him off regardless of any advance notice. “I’m not going,” he told her as he finally stood up to her.

“What?” she said, shocked. “What do you mean, ‘you are not going?’” She stood and pulled herself up to her full height which of course, towered over him.

“Read my lips,” he told her as he snatched the clothes from her hands. “I – am – not -going.” He said to her slowly and with exaggeration.

“But of course you are,” she said, still protesting. “I made these plans weeks ago. They can not be canceled.”

“Then take Fozzie, or Gonzo, or even Beaker, for all I care.” He put his clothes back into the dresser. “Have a lovely day.”

Her face went from pink to red in seconds. “WHAT?!?”

For a split second, he thought she was going to karate chop him into the next time zone. “I said, have a lovely day. Take pictures for me, will ya?” He knew he was pressing his luck now, but it was too hard to resist. All her smothering and pushing him around had finally gotten to him.

Her face was now flaming, and Kermit thought he could see tiny wisps of smoke starting to form at the tips of her ears. “How dare you!!”

He felt his anger rise up to match hers. How dare he? How dare she! Why did she always have to order him around? “I dare because I’m tired of being bossed around by you! Of being dragged around like I was your plaything. Of being made the fool of. That’s how! It’s over as of now, MISS PIGGY. Go find yourself someone else to bother, this FROG has had enough!!”

He never saw it coming but he had expected it. Down below at the breakfast table, as Gonzo was reaching across the table for the jelly, a yell was heard and seconds later a body dropped onto the middle of the table. Drinks splashed everywhere, food flew into the air as Kermit landed right in the middle of the meal.

Statler and Waldorf watched this whole scene from their easy chairs.

“Hey Statler?”

“Yes, Waldorf?”

“It looks like the pig is smoking today!”

“Pig? It looks more like the frog is hopping mad!”

They both then laughed, and sipped at their coffee.

Kermit was indeed mad, and now he was sore. He raised one hand to his face to see if she had left a mark this time. Luckily he didn’t bruise easily, for he took beatings often enough from her.

The whole table was still staring at him. “Sorry, guys.” He apologized as he made his way up off the table with Fozzie’s help. “You can go back to breakfast now.”

“Are you okay, Kermit?” Fozzie was asking as he wiped the eggs and hash browns off Kermit’s clothes.

Kermit sighed. “I’m fine, Fozzie. For the moment at least.” He reached for a napkin and wiped some coffee off his head. “I wish she would just get the message and leave me alone.”

“She’s been stuck on you for too long, you know that.” Fozzie handed over another napkin.

Kermit was saved from having to reply, as Miss Piggy made her way down the stairs and into the breakfast area. She daintily lifted a piece of toast from a pile that had not been splattered with food and drinks. “Good morning everyone!” she said cheerily as if nothing had just occurred to interrupt their day.

A few of the muppets looked from where Kermit was standing next to Fozzie then back to Miss Piggy. There were a few ‘good mornings’ in reply but mainly everyone stayed silent, eager to see what was going to happen next.

Her eyes fell on him and if he was made out of wood, he certainly would be on fire. “I’ll be going out now, *Alone.* If anyone needs me I’ll be back later.” She turned her gaze from him and sauntered her way out the front door, stopping only once to pick up her purse before slamming the door behind her.

Kermit shook his head. She would calm down, she always did. This wasn’t the first time he had stood up to her, but it would be the first time that he didn’t back down. He would not let her guilt trip him back into the relationship as she normally did. This time it was over.

He knew that the rest of the day was going to be difficult to face. He just had to stand up for himself, no matter what she would try next.

~To be continued in Part 2

(but only if you want to see what Miss Piggy has planned)
 

Beth C

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More? You want more?

Aaron said:
more please
Okay! Here is Part 2.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Later that same day)

Kermit was sitting outside, enjoying the last lingering traces of the fading sunlight. Today had been better than he had expected, Miss Piggy had not shown up at all, and he had gotten to spend some quality time with his nephew, Robin after school.

They had tossed a baseball around for a bit, then shot some hoops with a basketball. Although Robin was still small, he hit the ball hard and made most of the hoops he shot. They had laughed, and played the afternoon away.

Now Kermit was relaxing. This had been much better than any hayride. Much better.

For the first time in weeks, he felt a little bit of his normal self, happy and easy-going. He was also starting to feel a little bit guilty about how he had treated Miss Piggy. Did he have to raise his voice like that?

He remembered the fiery look in her eyes, as she had stormed out of the house. Would she still be mad at him when he came home? He sighed. Did it really matter? He had what he had been longing for, peace and quiet. He had time. Time to do what he pleased.

He looked up from his hands on his lap to see some of the other muppets finally coming home. Gonzo was talking a mile-a-minute to Camilla who clucked happily beside him. “Heya, Kermit,” he greeted as he walked up the front stairs.

“Hi, Gonzo. How was your day?”

Gonzo smiled. “Oh it was the best! Camilla got to see me test out a new stunt today out at the local racetrack.” He hopped up and down excitedly. “It was the coolest thing ever, and I didn’t even get hurt!”

“Well that’s a first,” Floyd said as he walked past Gonzo, with Janice and Animal beside him. “We should have gotten that on tape.”

“ON TAPE! ON TAPE!” Animal chorused.

“Maybe sometime we will,” Kermit agreed. “I was thinking of starting another variety-type show, but I wasn’t sure.” He looked around at the faces surrounding him and then looked to the front door as it opened.

Fozzie came out carrying a spiral notebook and a pencil. “Kermit, I need to come up with a good routine for the comedy club tomorrow night. Do you have any good jokes I can add?”

“Sorry, Fozzie, I’m fresh out.”

“Hey Kermit, about that show, if you do start it up will you still want all of us?” Gonzo asked, opening his eyes wide.

“Show?” Fozzie asked, confused. “What show?”

“Kermit was thinking about starting another show.” Floyd explained. “I think he misses the big city.”

“WANT SHOW!” Animal barked. “WANT DRUMS!”

“Of course I’ll want all of you. And all of the rest of our friends. It just wouldn’t be the same without out you all.” Kermit couldn’t help but smile. He did miss the big city and the entertaining. He missed the guest stars and just plain having fun.

All conversation stopped as a flashy car pulled up into the drive. They all turned at once to see Miss Piggy exit the car. No longer her upbeat energetic self, she slowly walked her way up the stairs without greeting anyone. Fozzie opened the door for her and she didn’t so much as nod his way before entering the house.

Kermit had glimpsed her face as she had walked by. Her makeup was smeared and her face was puffy like she had been crying. He felt his heart sink into his toes. All his previous happiness had faded into nothing at the sight of her. Did she really take his words to heart?

“Excuse me for a minute, guys.” Kermit said as he got up off his chair and went inside. There was no sight of her anywhere, but he did see Rowlf playing checkers with Robin. “Have you seen Miss Piggy?” He asked them.

Rowlf pointed up the stairs. “She went up to her room, Kermit. She appeared to be crying.”

Kermit sighed again. She always made him feel low when she did that. “Thanks, Rowlf.”

Kermit climbed the stairs slowly, trying to think of what he was going to say once he saw her. He knew he could put off talking to her, but that would just make an already tense situation worse. He could apologize for being harsh to her, but he would not apologize for standing his ground. She was going to have to learn that he was his own person and he made his own choices on who he dated, and what he did with his life.

As he approached her door- a cute little white one with a gold star and pink hearts on it- he could distinctly hear crying inside. Low sobs, kept quiet on purpose and muffled but he could pick them up. He knocked gently. “Miss Piggy? It’s Kermit; I think we need to talk.”

He heard a loud crash as if something had just hit the door and shattered. Water seeped out from under the bottom crack in a small trickle. “GO AWAY!”

The sound had made him jump, but he persisted. “Come on, Miss Piggy. Let me in so we can talk.”

Another crash. More water. “I SAID TO GO AWAY!! I DON’T WANT TO TALK TO YOU EVER AGAIN!!”

Kermit knocked gently again. Then he tried the doorknob, which was locked. No surprise there. “Don’t be like this, please.”

A third crash had Kermit wondering if there were going to be any vases or knick knacks left in the room. This time there was no verbal reply. Finally Kermit turned away from the door and made his way back to the living room. Robin had disappeared into the kitchen to help the chef with dinner.

Rowlf was sitting by the old piano in one corner of the room. Kermit walked over to him.

“It didn’t go so well, I take it,” Rowlf said, knowing by the look on his friend’s face that something was seriously wrong.

“She wouldn’t even talk to me, Rowlf. She wouldn’t even open the door.”

Rowlf tapped out a low tune on the keys. “Do you think she will stay mad at you this time?”

Kermit plopped down into one of the easy chairs near the piano. “I don’t know. She’s been mad before, but she’s always let me in to talk. To apologize and give her another chance, as she puts it.”

The low melody matched Kermit’s emotions exactly. He felt low, and sad. “I think I messed up really bad this time.”

“Why does that bother you so much? Didn’t you want to be away from her?” Rowlf questioned quietly.

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” Kermit said. “I wanted her to stop smothering me with her romantic ideas, but I didn’t want her angry with me. I want to be my own person.”

“Would you like me to talk to her for you?” Rowlf offered. “I can try to get her to calm down.”

Kermit shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think she will talk to anyone right now.”

The conversation then changed as the muppets from outside filled the room, all of them talking about what was on the dinner menu, whether the chef had burned it or whether it was undercooked, and what was on TV that night.

Kermit excused himself again and made his way to the back porch. The sun had set and the stars were just now coming out. In a low voice he began to sing:

“Of all the people in the world,
Why is it me you chose?
Was it the look in my eyes,
Or my number of toes?”

“Why do I feel this way,
What is it that you do?
You chase away the gray,
And color the sky blue.”

“Yet I can not seem to find,
That special feeling you need.
I look inside my mind,
And it’s all too easy to read.”

“Why does this have to be?
Why is it you? Why did you choose me?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Up in her room, Piggy glanced at the broken vases of flowers and sobbed into her sheets. What had she done now? She had chased him away for good this time. He was not coming back to her; he was not going to be her Kermie any more. She glanced at her dresser and the picture of her and Kermit that adorned it. His eyes were bright and happy, she was smiling and laughing.

Would she ever feel that way again? More importantly, what was she going to do now? She couldn’t stay here, not with Kermit so close by. Her tears slowed as her ears picked up the sounds of a song coming from outside. She got up off the floor and looked out the window. She couldn’t see him but she could hear him singing.

The words drifted up to her and wrapped themselves around her like a blanket. He was questioning their romance.

Then the song stopped and she hung onto the windowsill, hoping for more. The only thing that answered was the crickets as they chirped into the night sky.

The last verse of the song stuck in her mind. ‘Why does this have to be?
Why is it you? Why did you choose me?’ Why indeed? She couldn’t explain it any more than she could explain why the moon circled the Earth. She just knew she loved him deeply, and knowing that he would never return those feelings really hurt.

She was going to have to leave and try to live without him. She had done so before, she could do it again. Stepping over the broken glass, and ruined roses, she made her way to her closet to get out her suitcase.

After everyone had gone to sleep, she would leave. It was the best thing. For both of them. It was the only way. It was her fault this had ended and it was up to her to make a new life now.

Without Kermit.

~To be continued in Part 3
 

Beth C

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You want even more????

Well, since you asked so nicely and politely.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(The next day)

Kermit awoke from a restless night’s sleep. He had tossed and turned most of the night away. Miss Piggy had not come down for dinner and no one saw her come out later. She had locked herself away in her room for the entire night.

Now he was worried. She was taking this a bit too far. Sure he had been angry, who wouldn’t have been? Usually she was back to her normal self by now. She never held a grudge for more than a few hours.

He dressed quickly and went to her door. Most of the muppets were still sleeping as it was very early. He knocked gently, hoping that the fact that it was early would be enough to keep her from throwing more vases at the door.

To his surprise, the door opened as he knocked on it. It hadn’t been shut all the way. He peeked inside, and what he saw surprised him. Her bed was made neatly, yet her closet door was open and most of her clothing was gone.

A quick look around the room also showed most of her personal items were gone as well. A letter sat upon her dressing table, sealed in an envelope marked simply – Kermit.

He took the envelope, and he could feel his heart beating wildly. Did he want to know what was inside? Judging by the look of her room, he already knew what to expect. He carefully tore it open and pulled out a single sheet of paper. The smell of her perfume that had been sprinkled upon the paper wafted out upon the morning breeze.

He began to read:

Dearest Kermit ~

By the time you find this letter, I’ll be long gone. I know it’s what you really want, you want me away from you. All I’ve ever tried to do was to show you how much I cared for you and how much I love you.

I know you don’t love me. I know now you never will.

It’s time for me to make a new life for myself. I hope someday you will find the happiness you seek.

Farewell, and take care,

Miss Piggy


Kermit folded the letter and put it back into the envelope. Now things were really messed up. He hadn’t wanted her to leave, just to leave him alone.

He stood there for a while, note in hand, staring out the window. His mind was a blank now. What was he going to do?

It was Fozzie who found him hours later. “Kermit?” He came into the room and put one furry hand on his friend’s shoulder. “What happened in here?” The crushed roses were still on the ground, although the broken glass had been swept up.

“She’s gone.” Kermit answered softly. “She’s really gone.”

“Gone?” Fozzie asked and Kermit nodded.

“Oh Kermit, I’m so sorry.”

“So am I, Fozzie, so am I.”

Fozzie steered him away from the window and towards the door. “Let’s go downstairs and I’ll help you tell the others.”

Kermit nodded his thanks and let himself be led away. Never would his life be the same again. Never to see her, to talk to her, to ever kiss her. It was all lost to him now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Six months later)

It was a hit, well of course it was, it was The Muppet Show after all. The New Muppet Show, mind you. It had been improved on and it still featured regular guest stars and funny skits, but it was better. Somehow it was like they had bottled lightning and let it out to strike again.

They didn’t have to use a rented theater this time. They owned the theater outright. With all the money they made from their movies, they had plenty to spend this time and do the show right.

Sets were more elaborate, and filming it was a blast. Yet somehow, with all their new success, Kermit still felt something was missing. You wouldn’t think that one missing pig could make that much difference, in some way, to Kermit, it did.

Filming of their 15th show had just completed and Kermit was congratulating everyone on a job well done. Their guest star had been Kylie Minogue and she had sung a duet with Kermit just before the grand finale of the show. He couldn’t help but feel that he was singing to the wrong person. ‘Especially For You’ just didn’t seem to sit right with him.

“Great job, Gonzo. That balancing act was terrific. Who knew you could walk a tightrope blindfolded while lifting 250 pounds on your nose.” He said with a small shake of his head. Gonzo never ceased to amaze him with his talents for doing the unusual.

“Fantastic, Fozzie.” He turned to pat his friend on the back. “You really had them laughing this time, no joke.” He was rewarded with seeing Fozzie smile broadly.

“Awesome, Animal. Your drum solo was a real toe-tapper. I don’t think there was anyone in that audience who wasn’t clapping along.” Kermit said as Animal passed by carrying his drum set to the backstage area. “Keep that beat.”

Finally when all the praise had been doled out, Kermit found a quiet place to sit, away from all the noise and commotion as the stage was cleaned up for the night.

Kylie happened to pass by him at that moment. She couldn’t help but notice the sad wistful expression on his face. “Kermit?”

“Oh hi, Kylie. Want to sit down?” he offered as he pointed to a chair nearby.

She took a seat. “I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed kind of down.” She told him in her lightly accented voice. “Would you like to talk about it?”

He looked down and then back up at her. Was it really that obvious? He thought he had been doing a good job of covering up until now. “I don’t see how that can help.”

She took one of his hands in her own and traced his fingers lightly. “Sometimes just telling someone else of your problems can ease your mind. Why don’t you give it a try? If I’m wrong, then you will feel just as sad as you do now. But if I’m right you can only feel better, so why not give it a try?”

When it was put that way, how could he refuse? He took a deep breath and began. “Well, it’s like this; I’ve lost something that means a lot to me, but I didn’t realize it at the time. Now that my life is busy again, I just don’t feel complete. It’s almost like part of me is missing.”

“Something?” she asked knowingly. “Or someone?”

“Someone.” He admitted. “Miss Piggy.”

“Oh,” she said not in the least surprised. It had been no secret that there would be no Miss Piggy on the new Muppet Show. The tabloids had been ablaze with rumors that Kermit tried hard to squash. There had to be a grain of truth in those ink-stained pages. “Have you asked her to come back?”

“I don’t even know where she is.” Kermit answered quietly. “How can I ask her when I can’t find her?”

Kylie reached over and used one finger to raise his chin until his eyes were looking right at her. “Now that’s a lie and you know it. You could just use your contacts with the agents to find out where she is. You know with her talent she has to be on stage somewhere.”

Kermit gulped. She was right. He was avoiding finding out where she was. “But what if…”

“What if she doesn’t want to see you?” Kylie interrupted him. “Well the only way to find that out is to try. Kermit, I see how lonely you are without her; why not give it a try? You might surprise yourself and find out she’s been waiting for you to call.”

True, he thought. However a small voice inside him was still letting its opinion be known. “Well why hasn’t she called me then? If she’s just wondering what’s going on, why doesn’t she give me a call? It’s not like I’m in hiding or anything.”

Kylie released him with a small sigh. “When you last saw her, was it in anger or not?”

He looked back down to his feet, still a bit ashamed of his behavior. “She was mad at me.”

“Did you say words you didn’t really mean?”

“Yes.” Boy his feet seemed huge.

“Did you ever get to tell her you were sorry?”

His head snapped up at that. “I tried but she wouldn’t speak to me.”

“Face to face?”

A small sigh. “No. She locked herself in her room. She wouldn’t let me in.”

Kylie shook her head. “Well enough time has passed now that she should not be angry with you any longer. I bet she’s as lonely as you are right now. So go on, look her up and give her a call.”

Kermit swallowed loudly. “I hope this is the right thing to do.”

“Trust me, Kermit. It is.” She tucked a lock of her long dark hair behind her ear. “Now go on. Scoot. Go give her a call. Don’t come back until you do.”

Kermit leaned over and took one of her hands on his and kissed it lightly. “Thank you, Kylie. I think I will.”

“You’re more than welcome, Kermit.”

Kermit hopped off his chair and went to the phone in his modest office. Now all he had to do was find her, right? How hard could that be? He picked up the handset and began to dial.

~To be continued in Part 4
 

Beth C

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Aaron said:
more please
Tomorrow, maybe. Tonight I'm plain tuckered out. That's some 5,000+ words up there.

*wipes sweat off brow*

Amazing isn't it?

~Beth C
 

Beth C

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Cliff Notes version - or Fan Fiction for those in a hurry

dmx10101 said:
Wow, that is waaay to much to read.
That's why I posted it in parts. So you could take breaks in between.

:smile:

Or I could do the cliff notes version:

Chapter 1 - Kermit gets mad at Piggy for smothering him with affection. Piggy gets mad, karate chops Kermit and then leaves.

Chapter 2 - Kermit finds out Piggy is gone for good. She has left all the muppets to start a new life of her own. Kermit feels bad that Piggy is gone.

Chapter 3 - The Muppets have now started a new TV show. Kermit is very sad that Piggy is not part of the show. Kermit has a talk with a guest star who convinces him to go call Piggy.

There - The abbreivaited short, short form of the above story. (What I have typed up so far ) You're still better off reading the long form, as the short form leaves out many details. :wink:

~Beth C
 

dmx10101

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Beth C said:
That's why I posted it in parts. So you could take breaks in between.

:smile:

Or I could do the cliff notes version:

Chapter 1 - Kermit gets mad at Piggy for smothering him with affection. Piggy gets mad, karate chops Kermit and then leaves.

Chapter 2 - Kermit finds out Piggy is gone for good. She has left all the muppets to start a new life of her own. Kermit feels bad that Piggy is gone.

Chapter 3 - The Muppets have now started a new TV show. Kermit is very sad that Piggy is not part of the show. Kermit has a talk with a guest star who convinces him to go call Piggy.

There - The abbreivaited short, short form of the above story. (What I have typed up so far ) You're still better off reading the long form, as the short form leaves out many details. :wink:

~Beth C
hmm, sounds like a pretty good story. Too bad I'm too impatient to read the long form.
 
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