Alice Ayres ([info]loveisenough) wrote,
@ 2007-03-18 10:03:00
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DDHW Log for Cuddy:
Alice hated the hotel. She thought anyone would hate the hotel; it seemed to be the sensible reaction. However, there was one thing she loved about the hotel, and that was the abundance of really good tea in the dining hall. She went down the stairs, bleary-eyed but dressed, holding a hand up over her mouth to disguise an expansive yawn.

She padded into the dining hall, making her way to the tea. Her day never really started without a cup. She wondered if she'd run into anyone - the dining hall seemed to be a good place for it.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-18 03:42 pm UTC (link)
Cuddy took yogurt, fresh strawberries, and a cup of coffee from the buffet and settled herself at an empty table. In a way, breakfast was the most abnormal part of the day. She was used to reading the newspaper, watching the morning news programs on tv, checking her daily calendar. Not doing those things made her feel...disconnected.

She glanced up as a young woman helped herself to some tea, then looked around. Cuddy gave her a polite, somewhat noncommittal nod. She figured if the woman wanted company, she'd come over and introduce herself. And if she didn't, there were other empty tables she could choose.

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-18 03:52 pm UTC (link)
Alice figured she'd let the other woman eat in peace, at least for a while. She selected a table not far from Cuddy and sat down, leaning over her mug to inhale the tea's perfume before taking a sip.

Normally, Alice wasn't one for breakfast. Normally she would have come home from work around five in the morning, crawled into bed, and slept until two in the afternoon. But because of the situation, she figured it was important to create a schedule and stick to it, just to stave off insanity.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-18 04:27 pm UTC (link)
Cuddy continued eating after the young woman chose a table close by. But without her usual distractions, Cuddy found herself watching everything and anything in the dining room. Her gaze settled back on the woman after a few moments.

"You really should eat something," Cuddy said. It was the doctor in her, or maybe some latent pseudo-maternal instinct. Or maybe she was just bored. "Tea alone won't give you the energy to go all day."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-18 04:37 pm UTC (link)
"Probably. I'm not used to being awake at all, much less eating something this early. I usually end up having an early lunch, though." She looked at her tea and chuckled. "I shouldn't really take it with sugar, either."

Alice looked at the other woman and noticed how healthy her breakfast was. She's probably not the type to have really cheesy pizza. I shouldn't smoke around her. She took another sip, nodding at Cuddy's food. "Health nut?"

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-18 05:07 pm UTC (link)
"Yes and no," Cuddy said with a small laugh. As a doctor she certainly knew how damaging a bad diet could be, but she still found ways to indulge her cravings for sweets. And she was convinced she couldn't function without coffee.

"I try, but truth is my motivation for dieting and exercise is probably more about looks than health." Cuddy shrugged. "I'm a doctor so I should know better, but vanity usually wins in the end."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-18 05:14 pm UTC (link)
"Well, you look great, so whatever it is you're doing, it's working." Alice picked up her mug of tea and walked over to Cuddy's table, taking the seat next to her. "Really. I'm probably the worst example of diet ever. I get enough exercise, and I'm sure my metabolism is high enough, but..." She trailed off, a vague hand gesture finishing her statement.

"And the smoking. I know I should quit that. I did for a while, but moving back to New York was really stressful, so I started back up again." She curled her legs underneath her, looking at Cuddy. Lot of doctors here. Huh.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-18 05:44 pm UTC (link)
"Thanks," Cuddy said as the woman joined her. "Trust me--I wasn't always so careful, but the bad habits I could get away with at your age, well, my body's not so forgiving now."

Cuddy took a sip of her coffee. She wasn't going to lecture on smoking, or anything else. Trying to keep House from killing himself with his bad habits was enough meddling. She wasn't going to go sticking her nose in anyone else's business.

"You're from New York? I'm from New Jersey. Princeton." Cuddy set down her mug and held out her hand. "I'm Lisa, by the way."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-18 06:17 pm UTC (link)
"Hell, you look better than I do now." Alice gestured at her stomach. "I mean, sure, it's flatish, but it's covered in this weird fat thing that I'm pretty sure comes from my cheese fries addiction." She shrugged and returned to her tea. She knew she'd have to be more careful; now that she wasn't stripping she wasn't getting any exercise, and the temptation to retreat to her room with anything chocolatey was high.

"Oh, Jersey. I've got some friends down there." The words echoed for Alice. Had friends. Even if I had close friends in Jersey, would I see them again?

Alice took her hand and shook it. "I'm Alice. It's nice to meet you. I was thinking that I was the only girl here, which actually would be a lot less appealing than it sounds."

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-18 06:48 pm UTC (link)
Cuddy laughed. "I know exactly what you mean. The idea of being the only woman surrounded by men sounds wonderful. In reality, all the testosterone can get to be a bit much to take."

After shaking Alice's hand, Cuddy settled back more comfortably in her chair. She knew there were a few other women around the hotel...which made Cuddy wonder suddenly; which of these women was House's stripper? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Still, I never thought I'd complain about an excess of men," Cuddy added with a rueful smile.

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-18 09:16 pm UTC (link)
"The reality of being surrounded by a lot of men is being very, very dissappointed." Alice sat up a bit at Cuddy's face; watching it fall had been unexpected.

"Did you leave one behind when ... or were you single? If you don't mind my asking." Alice finished the last sip of her tea before pushing the mug aside a bit. She'd get up and get some more in a few minutes.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-18 11:30 pm UTC (link)
"I'm about as single as you can get. No man, no kids, nothing," Cuddy said. As much as she regretted that lack, she was beginning to think it was for the best, at least as long as she was trapped in this hotel. Better not to worry about losing someone like she'd lost her job.

"What about you? Did you leave someone special behind?"

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-18 11:36 pm UTC (link)
"Nobody." It was becoming easier for Alice to say the more she said it. "I moved back to New York because of problems with a boy in London." Her word choice was fairly deliberate; Dan had no manly attributes that Alice could remember.

"I actually know more people here than I did back in New York." Her tone wasn't sad, it was matter-of-fact.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-18 11:45 pm UTC (link)
"That must've been rough," Cuddy said. She considered her love life a disaster zone, but she'd never felt the need to pack up and move to get away from a failed relationship.

"Had you been in New York long?" she asked. She couldn't imagine a pretty, friendly girl like Alice would have trouble making new friends, unless she simply hadn't had time yet.

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-18 11:49 pm UTC (link)
Alice shrugged, stretching her arms over her head. "After what happened in London, I didn't really want to date or anything. I haven't for a while. You know how it is. The amount of time you spend between boyfriends directly relates to how thoroughly the last one dicked you over." She chuckled and looked at her hands.

But somewhere as she spoke, she realized that she'd said she hadn't wanted to date for a while. Which meant she did. Well, fuck.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-18 11:59 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, yeah," Cuddy agreed with a knowing nod. It took time to get over a relationship, even when she knew ending it had been the smart thing to do. And it seemed with each failure, the recovery period got longer.

"But sooner or later we forget what a jerk the last guy was and start looking for a new one...who usually turns out to be as big a jerk as the last guy."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-19 12:06 am UTC (link)
"You know, the only good thing about my last relationship is that no matter how bad my next one is, there are almost no ways it'll be worse." She shuddered and laughed.

"So, you're a doctor? Probably doesn't leave a lot of time for dating, huh?" Alice was perceptive, and a few of her regular clients had been doctors and said the same thing.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-19 02:21 am UTC (link)
Cuddy had never had a relationship that intensely bad. Most of hers failed because they were simply a pointless waste of time. Lacking in passion. Boring. She wondered which was worse.

"Not a lot, no," she said when Alice commented on her lack of time. "In truth, it's more a lack of time and opportunity to meet someone outside of work.

"Speaking of which," Cuddy said as she picked up her last strawberry. "What line of work are you in?"

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-19 02:25 am UTC (link)
"You could date someone you work with. It's harder and messier, but if you can't find the time, hey. Do you know anyone like that?" She watched Cuddy eat the strawberry with vague curiosity.

"I did a lot. Some waitressing. Some other stuff. This and that." She stood up and went to refill her tea, shrugging faintly. She wasn't ashamed of stripping, but knew some people had problems with it.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-19 03:07 am UTC (link)
Cuddy simply nodded as Alice went to refill her tea. Did she know someone like that? House immediately came to mind, which was starting to get on her nerves. There was no way, after all these years, that she was interested in him. She was trying to ignore the fact that there'd always been some level of interest.

"It's not that simple," Cuddy said when Alice returned to the table. "Because of my position at the hospital, I'd have to keep any relationship with another doctor a secret. And there's no way Ho...he could keep a secret."

Disconcerted by her near slip of the tongue, Cuddy grabbed her coffee mug and drained it.

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-19 03:25 am UTC (link)
"Oh, you were the boss? That's great." She took a huge sip of her tea, setting back down by Cuddy.

"Ho? Who's Ho? Seriously, tell me when to shut up, and I will." It was nice to have some girltalk. As much as she liked John, she had wanted to talk with a girl for a while.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-19 03:42 am UTC (link)
"There's no Ho, just a he," Cuddy said instantly. That was all she needed, to have it get back to House that she'd said something about him. Especially in the context of relationships.

On the other hand, she didn't have anyone else she could talk to who might understand her confusion.

"He's not even a he I've ever seriously considered having a relationship with," she added. "Most days I'd rather kill him than kiss him."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-19 03:48 am UTC (link)
"A he named Ho that's underneath you." She chuckled. "My ex was a writer. He would've liked that." Alice wondered who the guy was, but not too much - the odds were in the favour of him not being in the Crazy Hotel.

"Oh, God. Angry sex. Sometimes it sounds like a good idea, but it almost always never is." She thought about her most recent sexual encounter with House and sighed. "Or hell, even if it's not hatesex. Even if it's just 'I'm horny and you're there' sex. It usually ends up bad. I don't even know what to do about relationships. Maybe that's why I'm here. I'm just that inept."

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-19 04:07 am UTC (link)
"Maybe I should write about him. I'd have to sell it as fiction though, because no one would believe the stories I could tell about him," Cuddy said dryly.

"If being inept at relationships was what brought people here, this place would be a whole lot more crowded," Cuddy pointed out. She paused, pondering Alice's comments about hate sex and 'you're here' sex. "Weird though, seems like either the relationship messes up the sex, or the sex messes up the relationship. I never seem to be able to get both right with the same person."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-19 04:30 am UTC (link)
"Is he that bad? What did he do, give a patient cancer or something? Can you even do that?" She was fairly thankful that she was usually very healthy. The last two times she'd gone to a doctor had been because of trauma - being hit by the car in London, and before that she'd been in the middle of a bar brawl.

"Well, yeah, I was making a joke. I haven't thought of a reason why we're here yet. Then again, the only people I've met are John, you, and House." Better to say his name. If she fumbled around it, it was more obvious that they'd slept together.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-19 07:03 pm UTC (link)
Cuddy was still trying to think of a way to describe House to the uninitiated when Alice mentioned having already met him.

Well. Damn. Now what did she do? Did she admit that House was the one who had her feelings in a jumble? She couldn't hide the fact she knew him, not for long, and the attempt to hide it would only make it obvious she had something to hide.

"I've met John," she said, keeping her tone neutral. "And I already knew House from back home."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-20 04:15 am UTC (link)
Alice tried not to let her eyebrows raise too high at the mention of Lisa having met John. She didn't want to feel jealous, but a small twinge of it fluttered in her stomach, and she swallowed. Her fingers itched for a cigarette, and she kept them busy by picking up a spoon and idly stirring her tea.

"Well, that has to be nice. Having someone from home."

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-20 06:59 pm UTC (link)
"Yeah, it's nice to see a familiar face," Cuddy agreed. "Although, given a choice I probably wouldn't have chosen to be stuck here with House."

Well, that was probably true enough. Despite what she might or might not be feeling about House now, it was highly unlikely he would've been her first choice to be trapped in a confined space with.

Cuddy gave a little shrug. "Could've been worse, though."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-20 08:56 pm UTC (link)
House. Ho. They're close. Oh, shit. What if she's in love with House? Well, fuck. Alice rather liked Cuddy, and didn't want to ruin what could be her only chance at a female friend while they were locked up in whatever crazy situation they were in.

She held her tongue and took another drink of her tea, smiling around the rim of the mug. "House doesn't seem too bad. Grumpy, I guess."

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-20 10:06 pm UTC (link)
"Only grumpy? You must've caught him on good day," Cuddy said dryly. Then again, knowing House, he'd seen a pretty young girl and turned on the charm. He was capable of it...and that only reminded her of his stripper and the way that made her feel about the thought of him with any woman. Still, that wasn't Alice's fault.

"As you'll probably learn, House can be a real bastard," she said. "But in fairness, he does have his good points. He just does a very good job of hiding them."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-20 10:11 pm UTC (link)
Alice breathed a sigh of relief. Cuddy didn't seem to suspect her. She supposed that when she didn't have her gear on, or her wig, she looked pretty normal.

"I've met a lot of bastards in my life. Hell, I've dated a lot of them. I'm sure I'll be fine." Besides. She figured if House was too much of a jerk, John could teach her how to kick his ass.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-21 02:11 am UTC (link)
"If worse comes to worst, you can always out run him," Cuddy said with a grin. She pushed her empty breakfast dishes to the center of the table and leaned back with her coffee mug, swirling the last few sips.

"So...what did you think of John?" she asked. She figured it might be good to get another person's perspective since she hadn't exactly hit it off with him.

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-21 02:52 am UTC (link)
"Or kick him in the shin." Alice laughed and pushed aside her now-empty mug. She didn't know what to say about John. I really like him. I think about kissing him all the time. We've only just met, and having a crush right now is probably insane, but I don't care.

"It's complicated. I like him." That answer would have to do.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-21 03:04 am UTC (link)
Complicated? How could it be complicated if Alice had just met him? And what exactly was 'it?' Had Alice known John long enough to have an 'it?'

"Okay," Cuddy said, trying to wipe the puzzled expression from her face. "Sorry, didn't mean to pry."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-21 03:08 am UTC (link)
"It's okay. It's nice to have someone to talk with about this. And I'm just a stupid little girl with a crush. It's nothing. It won't go anywhere." She shrugged and looked off in the distance.

"Is House your Ho from earlier?" She realized what she'd said and started to laugh. "You know what I mean."

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-21 03:26 am UTC (link)
"There's nothing wrong with a good old fashioned crush."

She just hoped Alice wasn't reaching for the first guy she'd met in a response to the emotional trauma of having found herself stuck in this hotel. Then again, like Cuddy had any authority to be offering advice on love. Which, of course, was exactly the moment Alice asked about House.

"God," she groaned. "When will I learn to keep my big mouth shut?"

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-21 03:32 am UTC (link)
"Nothing wrong with it, no. But given our situation, it's probably not my best idea." She scrubbed her hands over her face and trhough her hair.

But when Cuddy groaned, she opened her eyes wide. "Oh my God, he is? You - really?" She couldn't help but sound sort of incredulous.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-21 04:01 am UTC (link)
"No, he's not. I'm not...." She wasn't trying to deny that House was something to her. Just trying, very ineffectively, to say that she didn't know what they were together.

"I don't know what he is, what we are. Maybe what I'm feeling is no more than a crush," she suggested. "Either that or the first signs of insanity."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-21 04:05 am UTC (link)
Alice hadn't been planning on advertising her sexual activities with House unless it was brought up, and she was sure as hell sticking with that game plan.

"House doesn't strike me as someone who's ... you're easy to talk to. But I can understand why you have a crush on him. He's cute."

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-21 04:57 pm UTC (link)
Cuddy had to chuckle at the description of House as 'cute.' She'd heard plenty of colorful adjectives applied to him, but never that one.

"If it's a crush, it's far more unrealistic than yours," she said with a shrug. "House and I have a lot of history, not all of it good. Besides, he avoids relationships and, apparently, has already found someone to take care of his sexual needs."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-21 04:59 pm UTC (link)
Fuck. Alice didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to tell the truth, either. She exhaled and returned Cuddy's shrug.

"You really think he'll keep banging the same chick more than once?"

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-21 06:00 pm UTC (link)
"That much he didn't tell me." She had a hard time keeping the bitter tone from her voice. House flaunting his exploits was cruel given the way her feelings had changed. Not that he knew that.

"According to him, the sex was great so I guess he's got no reason not to go back." A thought brightened her outlook slightly. "Then again, that's just what he says. She may have a different opinion."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-21 06:09 pm UTC (link)
"You know how guys are. They'll swear to high heaven they've gotten off every girl they've ever been with at least five times." She rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't listen too much. House strikes me as a tiny bit of a braggart."

She yawned loudly, arching her back and laughing when it popped. "I wish you luck, really."

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-21 09:46 pm UTC (link)
"That's true enough," Cuddy agreed. It was bad luck for Alice to have ended up here, but good luck for Cuddy, because she could use someone who understood where she was coming from. She did feel bad that she'd ended up kind of dumping all this on her, though.

"It'll all work out, one way or another," she said, determined to keep some perspective on the matter. She gave Alice an apologetic smile. "Anyway, it's not your problem."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-22 04:23 am UTC (link)
Oh, great, twist the knife some more, Lisa. Alice logically knew that Cuddy didn't know that Alice had slept with House, but Alice still felt guilty. If she'd known that Cuddy liked him, she would never have touched him.

"It's not your problem, but hey. Everyone needs to vent." Alice wanted to be friends with Lisa, so she made herself hold her tongue.

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-22 01:58 pm UTC (link)
"Yeah, but you have to know when to stop venting and just deal with it," Cuddy said. As fun as whining was, it didn't actually solve anything.

"I appreciate the sympathetic ear, though. And if I can ever return the favor...."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-22 08:27 pm UTC (link)
"Of course. And for what it's worth, I hope you two end up together. If only because you're allowed to smack around your boyfriend." Alice grinned and briefly wrapped her arms around Cuddy in a quick hug. "I'm in 205 if you need anything, or just want to hang out or something."

She stood up and stretched her arms over her head, yawning. "Maybe I should get a coffee or something, too. I'll see you later, Cuddy."

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-23 02:09 am UTC (link)
Cuddy returned the hug, glad to have made a new friend in this god forsaken place.

"I'm in 112. If you can't find me there, listen for the sound of House whining. Chances are I won't be far away." Cuddy pushed her chair back from the table. There was a lot more hotel to explore, and no time like the present.

"See you later."

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[info]loveisenough
2007-03-23 02:19 am UTC (link)
Endy?

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[info]l_cuddy_md
2007-03-23 03:07 am UTC (link)
works for me :-)

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