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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jul 3, 2013 13:32:39 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux. time: May 10th, 4PM. speech: jun shi. notes: - - -. Well, with a death grip like that, he had to wonder if Lucien was telling the truth or not. Then again, he’d been in a world of pain and had been a bit more than delirious when he clamped down and refused to let go. He’d just have to wear gloves until they healed; it wasn’t too much of a big deal. It would cause a few raised eyebrows when he was signing documents, but at least it wasn’t a question, like if he presenting a badly bruised hand. What would truly irritate him was the fact that it hurt whenever he tried to get a grip on anything, but he was thankful it wasn’t his dominant hand.
”No, not broken.” He grinned faintly, though it looked a little pained as he transferred his mug to his other hand and flexed the bruised one. A small flinch, because it did hurt now that he was actually actively focused on it, but not so badly that it wasn’t able to function. ”Nothing but a bruise, I think. I’ll be fine.”
With that, he brought his mug over to the table and sat down, the bruised hand on the top. It didn’t look so bad in the light, though it hurt quite a bit and he knew Jun Shi would have an absolute fit if he saw it. Another weak smile, a little more tired than before as he stared down at his hand. It would be alright; at least his fingers weren’t broken.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jul 3, 2013 13:45:56 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 11th, 12pm. notes: aftermath. The right thing to do, Lucien knew, would be to help take care of it. To assist Kun Shui and make sure he didn't have to use that hand, to sit down and bandage it for him. Neither of those was possible. His own hand was much more badly injured, and he'd be useless as a helper with only one hand of his own. He couldn't tend to it either--he had minimal first aid knowledge, and no real understanding of how to bind a hand properly. He might very well make it worse just trying.
Even still, it must have hurt, and he frowned as Kun Shui drew away, going to sit down. He turned back, retrieving his own mug before scooting over to the table. This time he didn't sit across from him--he just sat beside him, lifting the mug to taste it. Not bad--a bit bitter. He'd have preferred it with plenty of milk and sugar.
It was strange to sit beside him, but he supposed it made more sense. It wasn't as if he needed to stare at him. It felt more personal, and less businesslike.
"I am sorry for it anyway." He eyed the hand carefully, resting his bad hand on the table and stretching it slightly. Uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jul 3, 2013 14:20:03 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux. time: May 10th, 4PM. speech: jun shi. notes: - - -. It was usual for Lucien to sit across from him, and that was after a week of coaxing him out of his room with food in the beginning. It had taken a lot of effort to get Lucien to even come out of his room, let alone out of the house for some exploring. Staring down at his hand, it did come as a surprise that Lucien actually opted to take the seat next to him, as opposed to opposite like he usually did. Would that even count as an improvement? A willingness to sit closer to him? He couldn’t even be sure of that, and he did tilt his head, staring at him for several long seconds.
There was silence for several more long moments before he lifted his own mug to his lips, taking a long sip and putting it down. Quiet. Peace and quiet, with nothing but the occasional clatter from the kitchen. The plates would be brought out soon enough. Still, he had some curiousity towards Lucien; he never struck him as a humbled sort, despite his apology the day before. He pressed his lips into a tight line, mulling it over silently.
”Why such a change?” He finally asked, his voice was soft and not at all threatening. Just genuinely curious as to why Lucien had decided to turn a new leaf. Though he was aware that Jun Shi had been less than kind, he was unaware of what extent. Perhaps a smack here and there, and there had been that one time when he tried to strangle him, but nothing else, right?
Naïve. Very, very naïve. Kun Shui took another sip of his drink, eyes still on Lucien.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jul 3, 2013 14:25:19 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 11th, 12pm. notes: aftermath. He found that he enjoyed the silence, sitting there and drinking his tea. He'd never liked it before, and in his years of solitude, he had liked it even less. Now he didn't mind it. It wasn't a threatening silence, looming overhead like a hanging sword. It was a silence that meant he could relax, and he did relax until the question was dropped.
It seemed like an easy enough question, but it spoke volumes and wasn't nearly as easy to respond to as Lucien initially thought. Of course he knew why, but explaining it... well, he supposed the apology had done some of that. It had given Kun Shui context anyway, and he stayed silence for a few minutes, clearly trying to puzzle out the best possible explanation for it.
"I suppose it's that I'm no longer afraid of you. I was before, and I kept expecting some..." He paused, then made a little 'you know' gesture with his good hand. "Some ulterior motive. That you wanted something. Only if you did, you wouldn't have let me hold your hand so hard it bruised. So I suppose it's... well, trust."
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jul 3, 2013 15:04:02 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux. time: May 10th, 4PM. speech: jun shi. notes: - - -. Well, he was certainly expecting something. Trust, however, was not one of those things. Trust was reserved for the closest of associates. Trust was reserved for family and the couple of hand picked friends you’ve known since childhood. Even if you hated said friend, you still trusted each other because there was already too much information shared between them; they knew too much. That, his father had said, was the danger of being close to another person and allowing them into your life. It was a trust thing, and only family trusted each other unconditionally.
But being no longer afraid of him… Now that was something. He pressed his lips together again, looking pensive as he mulled it over. There were thousands of implications to it. Why had he been afraid of him before? Because he was afraid he would’ve been like Jun Shi? Always possible; everybody else seemed to hold that same fear. His twin brother caused such a havoc that it was a surprise he hadn’t been mistaken and avoided more often.
But people feared him. It was one of the biggest parts of being a dragon head, or dragon head to be… There was supposed to be fear in what he did, and people revered and detested him because of that. He was supposed to have grown used to that frightened look whenever he so much as pointed at a person, but he hadn’t yet. Jun Shi sure had, and perhaps it had been a mistake to name him heir. Maybe his twin was right; he was too soft.
”I think I understand.” He said softly, trailing off.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jul 3, 2013 15:13:02 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 11th, 12pm. notes: aftermath. He understood. That was a good thing, he supposed, although he wouldn't have blamed Kun Shui for not understanding. It was a confusing and complicated and Lucien only half understood it himself, and he settled back, taking a little drink of his tea again.
"It isn't nice to be feared. I used to think that it was--that it was better to be feared then anything else, but it's just stupid to think like that now. It leaves you alone and isolated, and when things fall apart, there's no one there to help." Which was practically his life story. He'd had everything but friends, and in the end no one had cared enough to even look into his death. No one had looked for him. Everyone had just settled back and accepted his father's story.
It didn't matter. There wasn't a single person outside his family from the first twenty one years of his life that he would choose to see again, given the option. Most of them he could barely remember--they were inconsequential in the long run.
"I suppose this is a new kind of 'trust' for me. The kind of trust one can only give to someone who can destroy them utterly in every way with a single word, and yet doesn't." He shrugged his shoulders a bit, wincing. Probably not the best idea to move his arms at all--everything translated down to his fragile hand.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jul 3, 2013 16:27:07 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux. time: May 10th, 4PM. speech: jun shi. notes: - - -. It wasn’t nice to be feared… Well, wasn’t that obvious enough? Some people did adore it, though. Jun Shi certainly liked it more than he did, which likely fueled his single-minded dedication to making people as miserable as possible. He hinted at what payment he wanted in return for finding Michael Kingston, and it wasn’t at all cheap. Sometimes it wasn’t even a physical price, and the torment was payment enough. On the other hand, Kun Shui would’ve rather ruled by respect rather than fear. It was a huge dividing factor, but his father preferred his ways, and so he was chosen.
Kun Shui looked down at his bruised and battered hand, not speaking for several long minutes. ”So it’s a fearful trust, then.” Not one based on anything mutual, but because he could crush Lucien if he so felt like it. He could kick him around or leave him to rot and he was helpless to do anything, so he had to trust him that he wouldn’t. It was a different kind than he expected, but it was trust nonetheless.
It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t favoured. He could only suppose that it came naturally, and he smiled faintly to himself before taking his coffee again. The chef finally came out, putting down two plates in front of them both. Simple fare, meant to be taken lightly before dinner.
”I suppose that sort of fear is normal. My brother thrives on it.” Better to get that out immediately, he could only suppose.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jul 3, 2013 16:36:12 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 11th, 12pm. notes: aftermath. "No." He responded without even thinking, cutting in. No, not a fearful trust. That wasn't the right way to describe it. He shook his head carefully, trying to find the right words--to put it all together.
"No, it's not... I don't fear you, and that's why I trust you. I suppose it's just... well, proof that I could trust you with my life. Because I have, and you didn't harm me with it." Which still felt like he was fumbling, and he paused, trying to explain it.
English was a stupid, clumsy language--and it couldn't hope to explain what he meant, so he gave up and simply slipped into French, unaware that Kun Shui spoke it at all. He hesitated for another moment, eyeing the food before simply saying it.
"A qui il a été beaucoup donné, il sera beaucoup demandé." He explained, sounding a thousand times more eloquent in French then he did in English. "The closest translation is that much is expected of those we entrust things to. It is hard to... to explain it in English." He frowned at the limitations of the language, not liking it at all.
"As for your brother... Bonne renommée vaut mieux que ceinture dorée." Which was a lot easier to translate, if a bit rude towards Jun Shi.
(First phrase is "To whom much is entrusted, much is required."
Second phrase is "A good reputation is better than riches.")
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jul 3, 2013 18:09:05 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux. time: May 10th, 4PM. speech: jun shi. notes: - - -. Lucien certainly sounded clumsy, like he wasn’t at all sure of what to say or how to explain himself. Truth be told, Kun Shui wasn’t quite getting it either. He was good with numbers and figures, but elaborate concepts like trust and fear were utterly lost to him. To explain it eloquently would be switching over into Cantonese, perhaps Mandarin, and Lucien was just barely fluent in any of those. English was near lost to him, and though he could speak in a multitude of other languages, explaining abstract things like emotions was an unknown territory.
Still, despite Lucien being one of the most French people he knew, it still came as a little bit of a surprise when he switched over to the language. Kun Shui did understand, though, even without the translation. French was one of the multitude of languages that he actually knew, and for a second, he wondered if Lucien should even know that. He was obviously not aware if he seemed to bumble around so much, but he smiled a little at the bit about Jun Shi. Ah, true enough, was it not?
”Je suppose que c’est vrai.” He responded simply, in French. It wouldn’t have come as a surprise to some who knew him better, or knew the way of the businessmen better. A lot of them had multiple languages in their back pockets and were ready to learn simple phrases in even more. ”But he cannot be changed.” As far as he was concerned.
Kun Shui left it at that for the time being, beginning to eat rather casually. His bruised hand didn’t bother him so much when he wasn’t trying to grip things tightly, yet he still favoured his other one.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jul 3, 2013 18:17:35 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 11th, 12pm. notes: aftermath. Lucien was not expecting Kun Shui to respond in French, of all things. He hadn't known he spoke the language at all. How could he even manage? Lucien knew several European languages, and considered them easy, but Asian languages... well, those were something else entirely. Each one was completely different and distinct, impossible to understand without years of study. Compared to European languages, which were so often mutually intelligible, even the different strains of Chinese were absurdly complex. He'd been convinced he'd be able to understand Mandarin once he spoke Cantonese, and once he finally had learned one, he'd realized that the other was just as alien to him as it had been when he started. Nothing was the same.
In a way, he was almost concerned by the use of French. It seemed more personal, and left him wondering if he'd ever spoken something against Kun Shui in French, not thinking he'd understand. But no--if he had, it had been literal years, and his memory did not stretch back far enough to such unimportant details. That was a clean slate at the very least.
He leaned in a bit to eat, ignoring manners for the moment. He was hungry and not willing to do anything that might risk his hand. He ate slowly, thinking things through.
They were halfway through the meal before he spoke again.
"What do you do in your free time?"
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jul 3, 2013 20:18:51 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux. time: May 10th, 4PM. speech: jun shi. notes: - - -. Lucien seemed almost startled that he spoke in French at all, but it wasn’t like he switched languages around while he was with Lucien at all. Perhaps he’d heard him speak some other language through the walls at some time or another, doing business with foreign dignitaries or others of importance. He’d catch him with a spot of Japanese here and there, which was pretty common. He was sort of working on Korean, but Dutch was a must have because of all the money that went through there.
Another little pause at his question, halfway through a sip of coffee that was beginning to cool down already. Weren’t these expensive mugs that were supposed to keep the heat in? At least Lucien seemed to have gotten over the French thing in record time, and his appetite was healthy enough. If he’d stopped eating, he wasn’t entirely sure what he could have done, short of force feeding him.
”That implies that I actually have free time.” A little ‘hmph’ sound followed, mulling it over. Now what did he really do when he had nothing else? Reading newspapers, but that was more like catching up than passing time. He didn’t have an art, like Jun Shi did, who drew the twisted fogs in his head when he had nothing else to torment. ”When I was younger, I had a lot of things to do. Horseback riding, archery, violin… Things like that. I don’t really have time for those things anymore.”
And it sort of saddened him. The Wei family still owned stables with horses, but rarely did anybody from the actual family ride them. Perhaps he’d go out and do it for old time’s sake once again one day. As for his violin, it was collecting dust in his room, and his bow and arrow might as well have been doing the same in his closet.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jul 3, 2013 23:49:02 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 11th, 12pm. notes: aftermath. He supposed that he should have expected that answer. Kun Shui had moved across an ocean for work--what part of that scenario suggested he had any time at all? Nothing did, and nothing ever would. Kun Shui was a busy man, and Lucien supposed that made his time all the more precious. The fact that he had stayed with him through the surgery and after the initial damage was all the more strange and out of place, but he pushed it away.
For all his paranoia, it was almost undeniable. Kun Shui had given him his time because he had needed it. There was no point in pretending that he could have handled it without him--he couldn't have. He'd have broken down into a sobbing mess the moment he was left alone, and if he'd been abandoned during the surgery he'd likely not have made it out with his sanity intact. It had always been terrifying for him to be weak and disabled. Tied down and gagged while some mad woman dug around his bone with knives would have simply been too much for him.
He had stayed though, and held his hand, and told him that it was going to be okay.
He couldn't help a little smile at the thought, even if to Kun Shui it would seem that he was simply smiling at nothing--his own thoughts, really.
"You have some time, at least. I'd love to hear you play, if you still do." Because he'd never had any talent for music or art--no interest in anything that young wealthy boys were supposed to care about. He had never played sports or drowned himself in books. His hobbies had been petty and cruel, and he had gained his enjoyment from the torment of others.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jul 4, 2013 19:51:07 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux. time: May 10th, 4PM. speech: jun shi. notes: - - -. Kun Shui continued to eat, only glancing up briefly at Lucien and catching that smile down at his mug. Probably thinking to himself, and a lot of people’s facial features tended to shift when they did so. For Kun Shui, unless it was something particularly unpleasant, his face didn’t shift a bit when he thought of different things.
Still, it was one of the very few times he’d actually seen Lucien smile. He didn’t remember the last time, actually. He was handsome when he was smiling, even if it was only a little. It suited him, but he only glanced before going back to his food. Work only started later in the day that day, and he was so thankful for that. He didn’t know if he’d be able to get up at six in the morning like every other day after what happened.
”I still have the instruments, but I might, if you’re interested.” And if he ever had some time to pick it up and tune it again. He hadn’t in a little over six months at this point, and it must’ve been getting dusty. The thing was expensive, still, so he had to take some care of it.
”What did you do as hobbies?” Well, in the past that was. Lucien must have had something or another, some hobby that he must’ve liked. Kun Shui used to adore horseback riding, so perhaps he could go back to the stable one day to see how they were doing.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jul 4, 2013 20:50:56 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 11th, 12pm. notes: aftermath. He wanted to listen, in a way. He wanted to curl up on the couch and listen to Kun Shui play, to let himself get lost in the music. In a way it was harking back to how he'd been years ago--to be able to settle back and just listen without worries or concerns.
He supposed that was selfish and greedy. Kun Shui was extremely busy, and the fact that he wanted to take so much time of his... well, thinking of it like that he went a bit pink. It was stupid and greedy, and he pushed the thought away.
"Only if you have time. I mean -" He hesitated. "You're busy, and while I think you should relax, you might not actually find it relaxing." He might not. Music could be stressful, he knew, even if he had no experience with it.
The question of his own hobbies was a much more pressing issue. He hesitated, trying to come up with a proper answer. He didn't want to lie--didn't want to make anything up. He wanted to tell the truth, even if it wasn't a pretty one.
"I never had any. I did things for the family in my teens, and as a child I was just..." He paused, gesturing a bit with his hand, done eating. "I was just a playmate for other people in similar situations. The children of my father's business partners. I was a hellchild, and I'd do what I pleased. I never faced any consequences, so I just kept on doing it. If there wasn't anyone home, I'd bother the staff."
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jul 5, 2013 12:50:10 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux. time: May 10th, 4PM. speech: jun shi. notes: - - -. Yes, music used to be such a relaxing thing before he was put under the pressures of time. Every minute he was spending playing the violin or shooting an arrow meant one less minute invested in the company, or invested in the triad. It was that pressure that stopped him from doing much else. Now that he was away from Hong Kong, however… Well, maybe he could sneak some time in here and there. He had to schedule a day on its own to go out on a range, but perhaps some violin here and there wouldn’t hurt. Yes, he was liking that idea.
”Sounds like you were quite the handful.” And he still was, but in a different way. He no longer raised hell, but he was in a lot of hell and Lucien constantly needed to be taken care of. At least he wasn’t a ‘hellchild’, as he put it anymore. He would’ve felt entirely different towards him if he still behaved badly; though Kun Shui did have a soft spot for children, it didn’t extend too far if they were misbehaved.
The cook came back, taking away the plates and wiping down the table before leaving them to their own devices. Kun Shui sighed, leaning back in his chair and taking on a slightly more relaxed posture. It was a nice day, and it was sunny out. ”Are you feeling well enough to go out today?” He highly doubted it, and though a guard would be with him, he’d likely get into something or another that would hurt his finger even worse.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jul 5, 2013 13:45:29 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 11th, 12pm. notes: aftermath. He had been quite the handful, but that had been a long, long time ago. He was no longer a handful, not in his own perspective. He sat down, shut up, and did as he was told. Really, the only stress Kun Shui had been subjected to wasn't his fault--and if it hadn't been him, Kun Shui would have found someone else to torment and stress Kun Shui out with.
Outside sounded like an interesting option, and he took the moment to consider it. But no--not outside the place proper. Not out on a trip when so many things could go wrong. Sitting there on his painkillers it was a dull throb, nothing compared to what it had been before. Moving it though? Using that arm at all? The pain would be too much for people not to notice. He didn't need to go outside. Not today.
"Maybe tomorrow. I wouldn't mind the sun. Maybe I'll spend some time on the balcony to get some sun." Assuming it wasn't windy, which would also hurt.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jul 5, 2013 20:48:44 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux. time: May 10th, 4PM. speech: jun shi. notes: - - -. Well, Kun Shui was aware that he’d do it sometime. Once one got a taste of freedom, it was hard going back to being cooped up all the time, hurt hand or not. Even if it was with a guard following him around all the time, it was still better than sitting in his room and reading for hours on end. That reminded him that he probably needed to give Lucien some more money for books, but he’d do that a little later on that night. As for the fan… well, he could deal with that a little later, now could he?
”That’s alright; you can do whatever you feel like.” Which was probably a first for him in those two years he’d been with the Wei family. As long as he didn’t go about getting an infection, then he’d be fine. The guard would take care of him if he did decide to get into any trouble.
Kun Shui finished off the coffee and left the mug on the table, getting up and stretching his arms out briefly. ”I need to get to work.” Which meant Lucien would be alone again for a little while. They’d probably have dinner together, but he was late already and perhaps he’d need to cut into sleep for that. Damn. ”I’ll see you for dinner.”
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DANI!
UNKNOWN ENTITY
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AWW YISS DANI IS THE SHIT
Posts: 157
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Post by DANI! on Aug 16, 2013 20:50:47 GMT -8
[cs=3][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding: 0px; width: 500px; background: transparent url('http://i.imgur.com/JUKLO.png') no-repeat;,true] | [atrb=width,111][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style,padding-left: 8px; padding-top:3px;] | [atrb=width,76][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style,padding-left: 0px; padding-top:3px;] | [atrb=width,313][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style,padding-left: 0px; padding-top:3px;] | [cs=3][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style,width: 460px; text-align: center; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px;] FINISHED | [cs=3][atrb=style,width: 460px; text-align: center; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px;]
FATE HAS NOTICED YOUR PRESENCE | [cs=3][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style,width: 450px; text-align: center; padding-left: 25px; padding-right: 25px;]
You have each been rewarded with ONE RESIDUE as this thread is now complete. It has been placed in the archives under the 'finished' sub-board. You are more than welcome to PM fate if this thread is not finished or if you are unhappy/unsatisfied with the amount of fate that has been rewarded. Keep up the great work and keep posting with other members. | [cs=3][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style,width: 500px; height: 35px;] |
[newclass=.boorder img]-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100x;border-radius: 100px; float: left; height: 100px; width: 100px;[/newclass][newclass=.boorder2 img]-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100x;border-radius: 100px; float: left; height: 70px; width: 70px;[/newclass][newclass=.boorder]-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px; border: 4ps solid #ffffff; height: 100px; width: 100px;[/newclass][newclass=.boorder2]-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px; border: 4ps solid #ffffff; height: 100px; width: 100px;[/newclass]
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