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Sruixan · 10-05-2009, 02:05 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Sruixan.

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GBCE · 10-05-2009, 02:12 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by snoomanwaff.

Cabaret, paniced former magician, was pulling a veritable mountain of junk from his sleeve, an empty egg-carton, a can of hairspary, a paper fortune teller, a magnifying glass and a flock of bedraggled doves were but a few items in the many brought into existance. "Hey! You think can use any of this stuff!?" he called to Galus, who was valiently avoiding the plant's attacks and threw a handful of cocktail umbrellas, in a fashion befitting throwing needles, at where he judged samuel to be in the plant thing.

Sruixan · 10-05-2009, 05:13 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Sruixan.

Maxwell stroked the stubble that he kept wishing was a beard. Those visions... not visions, realities... Vyrm'n had been kind. Amazingly kind. Worryingly kind? No, not quite. It was... curious. Something about him clicked with his new ally, and that made it amiable towards him. The experience... could he do it justice? Was he deserved of it? That letter opener... he shouldn't have screamed, he should have known, but...

That garden... he'd guessed, from the plaster of plant on the walls that this place had once been a garden. He hadn't quite realised it was a garden and not a garden simultaneously. That made it... awkward... best think about that somewhen, but right now, you have something to do Max... one moment, though, mind...

"...why... did he know? Possibly not, but... interest... no, what did he say?"

The colour drained from Maxwell's face. He'd heard what Samuel'd said in the garden. Since his near miss with the wall, he'd held a notion that this place might be alive. If Samuel tried to kill it... what would happen? Actually... that's quite an interesting question...

"Vyrm'n... I have pronounced that right, haven't I? I think so... anyway, I guess you might know that this place, the supposed arena we're cooped up in, is actually alive, right? The songs from everything... or whatever you'd refer to it as... I didn't notice it at the time, right? Too much new all around me. Wasn't concentrating. But I bet the song of the walls, the plants (well, what's left of them) and all that is not what it should be... point is, Samuel Therion knows this place is alive as well. And he wants to kill it. And... and I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing... has it struck you as well, how much is happening at once here? I don't like that too much; I don't enjoy pressure, I really don't."

Concern? Possibly. Before The Faceless could react, Maxwell had one more thing to say.

"That professor... whilst we were in the garden, he spurted off some claptrap about some element that rejects energy or something. I mean, even accounting for differences in the names of things, I know in my universe that in all 128 elements we have so far, from hydrogen to feynmanium, there's nothing of the sort. Indeed, matter is energy, or close enough to, right? So what's really going on there? Perhaps his world is much, much different. If that is the case, then he must be from another universe - no other explanation. If that's true... if that's true... ah, damn it..."

Way too agitated, Maxwell rose up from his recline and did himself justice by falling flat on his face again.

"I need to rest... I need to bally well rest... I'm not cut out for this sort of thing, let me tell you. And another thing..."

The energy required to finish the sentence was way too great. Without giving any time for Vyrm'n to come to a conclusion, Maxwell became unresponsive.

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Aryogaton · 10-05-2009, 05:25 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Aryogaton.

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GBCE · 10-05-2009, 06:16 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Opirian.

Galus was still dancing with the plant trying to get a strike in with his knife, trying to avoid hitting the Karamist. He barked at Cabaret, "sure I could use something if you ever pulled out anything useful!" The magician wasn't amused at his comment, "we've been over this I can't---" he was cut short as one of the tendrils from the plant managed to wrap themselves around his ankle, and with a quick hard jerk he was flat on his ass. Galus quickly brought up his pistol and shot the offending vine severing it with a bright flash of hot blue plasma. Cabaret stared ripping the vine of his ankle showing signs of blood, "dammit, that smarts."

Cabaret got to his feet ignoring the pain, his magician practice helped him with this as magicians are subject to lots of pain in many different situations. Galus finally was fed up with the plant, holstering his pistol, he swung his rifle off his back and brought it up. He jumped back as a vine swatted at him, quickly taking aim he shot at the plant where Samuel was. Several multi-colored spheres of plasma burned their way through the plant showing Samuels lifeless face before growing rapidly around him. What is this frickin thing feeding off of him, or protecting him?

GBCE · 10-05-2009, 06:28 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by yousodumb.

Dairy of Professor Armidillo Reccxer: That rather Unlikeable chap had trapped me! I was completely stuck, unable to move in the slightest. This was all rather unsportsmanlike, and I was getting rather unruffled by his handling of my dear friend. This was it, oath or no oath, this was about to get violent. I changed my mass and broke the pesky Things that had bound me. I ran towards the fight and decided to make my presence known. I brought down my cane and changed its mass causing an extremely loud explosion, the warning had been issued. "Stop this tomfoolery at once, else I teach you the meaning of temporal displacement!" My mind was set, if this fellow did not leave at once he would die.

This contest has surely brought out my more violent nature, I hope this does not interfere with my plan...

GBCE · 10-05-2009, 07:23 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by PawntoD4.

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**Schazer** · 10-05-2009, 08:15 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.

Vyrm'n let Maxwell rest; the man had been through enough so far for any mortal, and though Vyrm'n's creative faculties were vastly inferior to Maxwell's it didn't take a huge stretch of the imagination to believe the trials ahead were going to be arduous for all of them.

Although the Faceless' link with the garden had been broken with Maxwell's return, it still managed to follow some of the proceedings on the other plane. Knowing their presence would be felt long before any enemies reappeared on this plane, Vyrm'n's dark mass settled around Maxwell, sheltering him from the watery, unceasing sun.

Vyrm'n let its mind wander to the gentle sounds of the breeze and Galus and Cabaret's shouting.

GBCE · 10-06-2009, 12:30 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Archduke_Ferdinand.

The Sunset was tired of being ignored by this group of people who see fit to do little but talk and jabber and go about their own business. Something had to be done here and nobody seemed to be willing to take initiative. A metallic arm was raised, and a sniper rifle locked into position. A dull rust colored shot fired into the atmosphere, and a shockwave was released. Deciding that wasn't enough to get the others to remember he was there, a machine gun was fired off as well. He had clearly underestimated the ability he still had to warp perception around him, and was now doing his best to break it. He also adopted the pronoun he temporarily because he thought this made writing for him easier. Now that he was fairly certain he had some attention, he proclaimed to all who could hear, in a voice that seemed to emanate from no particular part of him, a voice guttural and used rarely, that sounded like the strings of an instrument long forgotten.

"I am The Sunset. All entities who hear this call will tell me their intentions."

It wasn't a suggestion. It was a statement of fact. The arm never came down from its raised position. The Sunset was suddenly in the mind's of all participants in this 'game' who heard him once more, as though he had been temporarily wiped from it and then placed back in, like a doctored photo.

**btp** · 10-06-2009, 01:51 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by bobthepen.

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The Sunset's command shook the minds of all the contestants. In the brief opportunity presented by this distraction, Samuel again broke free of the schrotgolem's bindings and stood up to flee. A couple of steps into his dash, a box lid slammed into him from behind and sent the karmist tumbling into the living armor. The Sunset's massive metal hand gripped the arm of a disoriented Samuel.

"You will explain your intentions."

The voice shot through the disorienting cloud of fear that had first gripped Samuel upon Gestalt's assault. Samuel's eyes widened and the grin returned to his face.

"What an amazing machine."

Immediately, Samuel grasped the living armor with his right hand and extended his left arm downward. The mechanisms in the machine began to start up at speed the Sunset did not know was possible. With astonishing speed, the reality warping bubble which had allowed the Balancer to enter the garden engulfed both him and the Karmist. The two vanished from sight.

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SleepingOrange · 10-06-2009, 02:04 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by SleepingOrange.

I will

how to say

Reserve

Robust Laser · 10-06-2009, 02:44 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by cyber95.

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GBCE · 10-06-2009, 02:48 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Opirian.

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SleepingOrange · 10-06-2009, 02:48 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by SleepingOrange.

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**Schazer** · 10-06-2009, 03:30 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.

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SleepingOrange · 10-06-2009, 03:44 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by SleepingOrange.

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GBCE · 10-06-2009, 04:55 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Archduke_Ferdinand.

Helpful tips about how The Sunset arrived in the garden for future reference:

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**Schazer** · 10-06-2009, 05:27 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.

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Vyrm'n detected the massive disturbance that occured in the garden with a twitch of surprise that even Maxwell felt.

"What was that?" Vyrm'n made no immediate reply; the trouble with its sense of sight was that it had no capability of detecting emotion on its own. The Faceless listened carefully for the shift in the state of mind of the beings present in the garden, and also noted that the Balancer no longer occupied a physical existence on Vyrm'n and Maxwell's present plane.

A disturbance disconcerting to all those present occured, Vyrm'n concluded. With the exception of The Sunset; upon whom the focus of the others has rapidly shifted and intensified.

Maxwell started picking through the Faceless' observation for the underlying truth. It was difficult in his rest-deprived state; but it was what he was best at. A certain discrepancy with his own experience of the Faceless' senses appeared in Maxwell's mind. "Hang on. The matter only sung to me about its... individual state of being; even on the same plane; Galus and Cabaret's matter, even yours, didn't tell me what you were thinking; more like... a fundamental declaration of yourself. Like... your, I don't know... soul, I suppose, vocalised."

Maxwell frowned, the Faceless made no response, awaiting a question or an invitation to clarify. "How do you know... everyone was, as you put it... disconcerted?"

Vyrm'n's reply was swift; almost rehearsed. Maxwell couldn't help but think it had been planning to tell him this all along, just waiting for him to ask the right question. It was a force felt, so powerful, that the very fabric of existence quaked in fear of it.

"Oh." Maxwell fancied his own matter suddenly screaming a swan-song of panic at that response. "That sounds dangerous." Vyrm'n motionlessly nodded agreement. "And... The Sunset, is it? is still extant?"

Very much so. May I disconcertingly conclude it was none other than the Sunset which was the source of such power?

"You can," Maxwell replied in a disconcerted fashion, glancing around nervously.

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SleepingOrange · 10-06-2009, 05:35 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by SleepingOrange.

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The schrotgolem packed itself up faster than it ever had to date, objects slamming into boxes and into each other, the bangs and thuds reverberating until they were muffled by the trees. The boxes lined up and slithered along the ground like a snake; fallen leaves and dead grass whipped up and swarmed around them as they passed, forming a writhing green cloud around the train of boxes. The serpent didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular, winding quickly and aimlessly through the trees; eventually it settled on circling one tree in particular, apparently at random, winding around and around the base before stopping suddenly, the detritus swirling around it falling to the ground.

The tree itself shuddered a few times like it was in a small wind of its own; it shed a few leaves, then stood still. There was a low groaning sound, rising gradually in pitch and intensity until it nearly resembled an animal scream; at that point, the tree's bark started splitting and peeling off, twigs started snapping and showering to the ground, and even a few large branches broke off and tumbled down. The whole tree swayed and twisted, tearing itself apart and flinging its branches away. The startled professor had the presence of mind to retreat a bit and watch the proceedings from a distance; shortly after he turned back to watch, he saw the remaining trunk shatter into innumerable shards of wood, exploding into a shower of splinters and stakes. The wooden bits soon flew back to the epicenter of the explosion, though, and formed a somewhat-bipedal form, which slammed its forearms into the ground and trees around it. More terrifying and eerie than the clear rage in the form was complete silence in the grove save for the thuds of wood on wood and wood on soil. After a very few moments of wanton destruction, the thing threw its arms up and disintegrated back into a pile of splinters. It wasn't until the wood had been still for a few moments that Armidillo realized there was a semicircle of boxes behind him and pad of paper at his elbow.

i hope your plan has more merit than have my skills

our opponents are clearly slipperier than i had anticipated

Gestalt was incredibly frustrated.

**btp** · 10-06-2009, 03:00 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by bobthepen.

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In another area of the garden, still untouched by the presence of the contestants, Samuel and The Sunset appeared. The Sunset scorching the land beneath him. Two years ticked off The Sunset's gauge.

"I..I cannot believe it worked!" Samuel, grinning, turned to face The Sunset, only to see a large metallic hand swinging down to strike his face. A few birds took flight, disturbed from their perch by the audible thud of metal on flesh. Samuel, sprawled on the soft grass, with his head throbbing, suit torn and mangled, and bruises marring his once charming features, could barely hear the rapid approach massive metal feet over the overbearing ringing in his head.

With his massive hand, The Sunset grabbed Samuel by his suit collar and hoisted him high into the air. Samuel's feet dangled, unable to reach the ground below as the tip of a long well-kept rifle impressed itself upon his neck.

"WHAT DID YOU DO? EXPLAIN." The voice of The Sunset roared at the wounded Karmist.

Samuel, weak and beaten muttered out a response, "You...you are dying." The sniper rifle pressed in harder on Samuel's neck. "I...I can tell this...just by being near you." Samuel swallowed, trying to regain his composure. "I...I use the death of others, to make things happen. That machine, in one way or another, is bound to your death. I only activated the processes that were already set in place, though less efficiently than had you done it yourself, I believe." A low hum began to emanate from the rifle and several components clicked into place. "Wait, wait!" Samuel pleaded, "I have more to say! I.." Samuel cringed. The tip of the rifle began to heat up, placing a small burn on Samuel's neck. The Sunset had clearly had enough of this man, and did not want to risk loosing more time to his antics.

"FAREWELL."

"..I CAN GIVE YOU LIFE!" Samuel yelled, his body shaking.

The humming of the rifle began to subside. Samuel staring into the dark sockets of the machine, could only guess at what thoughts currently raced through its mind.

"In this garden, there are caretakers, twenty-three of them. There had been twenty-four, but, well that's how I got here."

The Sunset remained silent.

"Each caretaker, it seems, " Samuel continued, "maintains one aspect of this garden. One for the ground and grass, one for the larger plant life, one for the birds, another for the small insects, even one for those living walls. I would not know this of course, if not for the knowledge and abilities I obtained from the Theta orb. Samuel pointed to the black mark on his forehead. His duty was the safety of the residents in the garden. I suppose I was lucky in that regard. He sought me out to investigate and, when I killed him, I took that desire to protect and infused it into the monster which presently guards my other body. One could say that..." The Sunset tightened his grip around the hanging Karmist. "Oh yes, how thoughtless of me. Back to the point. There is an orb here who maintains the eternal life this place has. While not immortal from intentionally damaging attacks, with this orb the Labyrinth Field - that's the name of this place, it seems - can live on in harmony forever. Potentially, I could transfer that power into you."

Samuel waited. For several minutes The Sunset stood there, motionless, pondering.

"If you have decided not to kill me for the time being, I would greatly appreciate it if you let me down." The Balancer emitted what sounded almost like a sigh, and released his grip on the Karmist.

With a bit of effort, Samuel picked himself up. He brushed off what debris on his suit he could, and gingerly tapped the sore mark on his neck. It was one of many new inconveniences to the Karmist. His body had been battered and bruised at the schrotgolem's assault, and the beating he took from the Sunset did nothing to alive those pains. For the first time in countless years, the man who had known no equal, had been completely humiliated by a pile of household rubbish in less than a minute. Worse than that, he had experienced an emotion that he had thought he had overcome. Fear. That basic carnal fear of death and suffering still lived within the man for whom death was his plaything.

"You know, golem," Samuel began,

"I am The Balancer The Sunset, you will address me as such."

"Of course, 'The Sunset', " the Karmist continued, "you know I was once a great ruler in my world. I used my abilities to shape and fabricate a society where I reigned supreme. I ran everything from the shadows. The government, the people, they were all my puppets. If I desired wealth, I created it. If I desired power, I built it. If I desired life, I took it. Now suddenly, all of that which I worked to accomplish has become meaningless." Samuel clenched his fist. "Meaningless because some 'being' decided that watching us squabble amongst ourselves would provide good sport. Even should I survive this contest, I can no longer simply reside in that world knowing that one like our abductor exists." Samuel looked back at The Sunset, "You were obviously a being of great power, surely you understand what I mean, on some level." Samuel sighed, it was unlike him to be so honest; however, presently, lying would gain him nothing.

"The orb that I seek is called Alpha. It has a small symbol on it, an infinity sign with half of one circle cut off. I assume you know what I mean. It should rest near the center of this garden. I will head there now. Should you desire your life increased, then you should follow me. Oh and the transfer is far from perfect, your life will not be eternal. You will still be dying; however, your lifespan will increase by eons."

Samuel began to head off deeper into the garden. Briefly he turned back to The Sunset, "Oh and Balancer, I only ask in return that you let me take use of that marvelous body of yours from time to time." With a quick grin, he headed through the brush, out of sight.

The Sunset stood alone in the garden, contemplating.

GBCE · 10-06-2009, 03:21 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by snoomanwaff.

Cabaret, former stage magician who is feeling very queasy, is having his ankle gripped by the plant and swung upside down. "I shouldn't have tried to burn it with the magnifying glass." he thinks to himself while trying to bite back the pain in his ankle. He sees the faceless that tried to suffocate him in the distance and tries to get it's attention figuring it can't get much worse.

**Schazer** · 10-06-2009, 05:44 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.

Vyrm'n watched Galus and Cabaret's fight with the seed, for lack of anything better to do. It tossed its consciousness about the rest of the barren field again, hardly expecting anything of interest to present itself.

To its amazement, there was something. The Faceless gently shifted its bulk out from underneath Maxwell to avoid jolting him; he woke up anyway. â€œWhereâ€¦ are you going?â€

There is something of interest that it appears none of the contestants have yet noticed. I intend to go and investigate. So saying, Vyrm'n leapt into the air and swished over to a certain wall, far away from any other point in the labyrinth, Maxwell making slower progress behind.

Vyrm'n landed clumsily, studying the patch of wall, before glancing nervously round the back of it. There was no doubt, this wall was not a boundary one. Nobody had picked up on it yet; probably because the wall looked like the others and the nondescript light which illuminated this place offered little perspective.

Darting round the back, Vyrm'n looked at the scene with puzzlement. On this side of the wall, a kind of trident sign decorated the rough stone. On the ground, twenty orbs were laid out in a sunburst pattern with eleven â€œspokesâ€, most had two orbs to a â€œbeamâ€, but two only had one. In the centre was an indentation on the grass, like a body had lain there.

Vyrm'n took a closer look at these orbs. The first thing it noticed was the song emanating from them; they sang the song of life; but not only that, they had a distinct presence in the other, garden, plane. Despite this, the Faceless could ascertain that they had no physical presence there. Next, it realised where one of the missing orbs was; the schrotgolem Gestalt had it in its possession.
Finally (and this was harder for the Faceless to detect, not having eyes) were the symbols inscribed on each orb. It could determine they were all different, but struggled to recognise them.

Vyrm'n paused, considering for another moment; before leaping with surprising grace for its size and landing smack in the middle of the ring of orbs. It listened again; and this time almost couldn't believe what it was hearing. The Faceless leapt out again; couldn't hear it. Leap in, and again there was that inexplicable undercurrent to the song's flow.
It supposed the two missing orbs were what kept this aspect of the song quiet; it made sense that Vyrm'n could only detect in the centre, where the untold powers of the twenty (plus two) orbs interacted to produce this seemingly improbable result.

Maxwell finally caught up, puffing a little. â€œWhat did you f- woah.â€ Vyrm'n leapt out of the circle again at his arrival and reached out to make contact. What is written on the orbs?

â€œHold on a secondâ€¦â€ Maxwell lifted the Faceless' black hand off his shoulder, and took the time to stroll right around the whole arrangement. â€œThey're the letters of the Greek alphabet, and Psi is on the wall for some reason. Alpha, round to Omega. Butâ€¦ two of them are missing. Thetaâ€¦ and, another one I can't remember. Damnitâ€¦ You don't know your Greek alphabet, do you?â€

Vyrm'n responded by materialising a face with one eyebrow raised. â€œNo, I thought notâ€¦ Hold on, didn't the golem have one of these on him?â€ *nod* â€œDid he have Theta? I don't rightly rememberâ€¦â€ As the genius walked past Omicron and Psi, he started. â€œDid that orb justâ€¦ sigh?â€

Vyrm'n's sightless face stared at Maxwell meaningfully. It pulled out its knife-tipped arm and carved in the ground:
<THEY ARE ALL TALKING TOGETHER THEY SING A PROMISE BUT IT CANNOT BE FULFILLED WITHOUT THETA AND THE OTHER>

Maxwell strolled over and examined the Faceless' message. â€œTogetherâ€¦ they have a power activated only by the presence of all of them?â€ Vyrm'n stabbed the knife, punctuating the ground and its point. â€œWhat kind of promise?â€

Vyrm'n scratched out the words with a deliberate, unmisconstruable hand.
<span style="font-family: Bradley Hand ITC"><RESURRECTION>
And underneath, almost as an afterthought;
<AND SACRIFICE></span>

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GBCE · 10-06-2009, 08:24 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Archduke_Ferdinand.

The Sunset was disgusted at the inelegance of the Karmist's manipulation. Two years, wasted! And for a simple shift. This was the sort of movement that should ordinarily cost him a fraction of a moment, and this being who fancied himself powerful was guzzling up energy to do the very same. The Balancer was repulsed to see such motions, but said nothing.

At the very least, he had become slightly more accustomed to this dimension's signature thanks to the second jump, and could use the Karmist as a fairly decent reference point for the location of other things thanks to Samuel's extremely potent personal energy. However there was a problem, and that was that this being had absolutely no reason to help him. He was a mortal, even moreso than the slow-dying Sunset. That kind of potent, eternal life? A human would not give it up so easily to something so foreign. No, there was more to the desire of this being, and The Sunset intended to find out exactly what it was.

As such, he lifted his machine gun and fired off three shots in the direction of the Karmist's arm. One bullet made its mark, grazing across the skin and leaving a large bloody welt across it. A flesh wound. A warning. The Sunset walked closer to the man.

"You will not manipulate me again. And there is no reason for me to trust you. And with the power contained within this hypothetical orb I could burrow across the stars to find someone more trustworthy for a transfer. Give me an extremely compelling set of reasons not to paint the dome we are trapped in with the tie dye patterns of your blood. As it stands I see absolutely no reason to perpetuate our contact. Or, for that matter, your life. Any sudden movements will be interpreted as a threat and you will be dispatched." His sniper rifle was already raised, and at a quarter charge.

The Sunset was not a being to be trifled with. The arrogant former ruler would do well to learn that, and do it soon.

Dragon Fogel · 10-06-2009, 10:19 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

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**Schazer** · 10-06-2009, 10:43 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.

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