Just to warn you all, I have no experience writing heavy fluff, I'm not sure if this leaned towards train wreck, or pretty good.
On another note, I've written this twice. I think the first copy was much better than this one, I guess I could've backed it up, huh? I don't own JUSTICE! Slinkers of dA does.
Len was petting Neru, trying to wake her. After a minute or two, she began to stir. "Nyah, what time is it?" she asked him, she didn't open her eyes, instead she curled into his chest, which was now facing her. Len thought that she really was cute doing that, but that she also needed to wake up.
"Time for breakfast." Len said. He was still petting her.
"Meiko can make it, I don't always have to cook." Neru snuggled deeper into his chest, and Len almost felt himself give in.
"Well then, I was going to go see Rin, I can't very well drive myself." Len frowned.
Neru stretched "Fine. I'll drive you." She got up, and Len followed suit. As they reached downstairs, they saw Meiko was sober, and Neru informed her that she would have to cook. Len was mentally preparing himself for the ride ahead. The two walked into the garage, Len sat in the back.
"Start the car before I have my seat belt on, and you will never see the inside again." Len threatened. Funny, Neru had just turned the key. She mostly complied in that she didn't start driving until she heard the click, then she was off.
When they reached the hospital, Len didn't feel too bad. Maybe it was because he had closed his eyes and thought happy thoughts. Len only just had his seat belt off as Neru grabbed him from the back seat. Len managed to get on his own feet before Neru dragged him, and they walked to Rin's room. They both looked at Rin quickly, then they slumped on the bench. "You know Neru, your driving didn't seem half as terrifying this time." Len commented.
Neru curled to him and gave an over exaggerated cute look. "How sweet of you." She said in a flat tone.
Len was feeling bold that day, he would play her game. "I know, I'm just so nice. I should get a prize." he joked.
Neru actually looked thoughtful "I may take you up on that." she said, taking her look from Cantarella.
Len was beat. He flushed bright red. Neru moved her head closer, and Len surprised both of them by closing the distance. Neru responded, but Len had stopped right after he moved. Neru deepened her efforts, and Len began to respond. "Kyaa! Dammit, Haku must be psychic." When the two heard this, Neru turned red, and Len's face somehow managed to get darker still. Slowly they turned their heads to Rin.
About a minute ago.
Rin resisted the urge to stretch, she also resisted the urge to yawn or moan. Instead, she reached for her phone, a habit she had gotten from Neru. As luck would have it, her phone was indeed sitting on the night stand, as was a bouquet of flowers. Why there would be flowers on her night stand, Rin didn't know. "I may take you up on that." Rin heard Neru say. Rin looked over to the voice. She saw Len kiss Neru, she almost made a sqee, but instead brought up her phone camera. The battery was really low, but it wasn't quite dead yet.
Rin snapped a picture, then said "Kyaa! Dammit, Haku must be psychic."
Five seconds later.
Rin didn't know whether to frown or smirk. That bet with Haku would cost her, but seeing Len kiss Neru and catching a picture should be well worth it. "Sooo. Mind cluing me in? Did you guys just get together overnight?" Rin asked, she had chosen to smirk.
Neru pushed Len's face in the bench as he tried to speak. "Weeeell, it wasn't really overnight. you've been out for five days." Neru gave that a second to sink in, she also pushed Len's face further down. "And, you owe Meiko money. I was on top the first time." Rin's eyes widened, they had already had a first time? "Also, you owe me money, Len chickened out when I gave him a chance to be on top." Rin was shocked by both the information, and how wide Neru's grin was. Rin then counted the days she missed. She thought they had a concert... yesterday? If only she had woken up then.
Rin noticed Len had been released "Neru's-" Neru pushed Len back into the bench cushion.
"He's trying to say that we were on your bed last night, so it may not be clean." Neru grinned, and let Len up for real.
Rin just didn't know what to think. She was about to die from contained laughter at Len's face, and she was shocked Len didn't top even once. "We didn't do anything!" Len exclaimed, Neru burst out laughing. "We j-just happened to fall asleep in awkward positions." Len frantically explained.
Rin knew that Len was telling the truth, but Neru's game was so much more fun. Rin waved her hand at Len "Len, you're just restating what Neru said, you slept with her in the most awkward manner possible."
Len hung his head, and Rin broke out laughing, it was too much. Neru was first to recover. "So, to celebrate us losing o-" Neru started, but Len clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Since we have lost nothing over the past five days, we should go get ice cream." Len finished for her.
"Great idea, you're paying, Len." Rin detached the heart monitor from her finger, then ran out of the room. Neru followed close after. Len just sulked along.
When Rin saw that Len's car was in the lot, she smiled. Her smile widened when she realized Neru would have to drive. Rin loved Neru's driving, she quickly jumped in the passenger seat, and Neru sat up front. The two waited for Len to mope over. He wasn't sad about the embarrassment any more, but rather scared of the ride ahead.
When the car stopped, Rin jumped out "Kyaa! That was great!" she yelled. Neru got out and smiled, Len made a mumbled complaint, but regained a happy composure quickly.
"I don't know what to get, I can't manage a banana split on my own." Len pondered aloud.
"I'll help, you eat it." Neru smiled, Len smiled back. Rin also smiled at this, and ordered three scoops of orange flavour. Len and Neru ordered a banana split. Once the ice cream was ready, they sat down.
Rin watched the two eat for a few moments, then commented. "I don't know, Neru, it's waaay hotter when Len and Kaito eat it." She sounded like she was just discussing the weather.
Neru smiled "I know, I get a nosebleed every time I watch them." Len was shocked that they could just talk about him like that. He was also surprised about the reason of Neru's nosebleeds.
The group returned, and they found a house of shocked Vocaloids eating Meiko's cooking. Rin and Neru dragged Len upstairs, into the twins room, and locked the door. "We're safe." Rin sighed. "Okay, tell me about all of the non-romantic adventures of the last five days."
Len and Neru filled Rin in, mostly accurately. Meiko had cooked lunch, and Len had retrieved three plates for them. The discussion lasted trough dinner as well. The trio took turns changing in the bathroom, and then they all climbed into the bed. Len was in the middle, Rin was asleep, using his wrist as a pillow. Neru was awake, as was Len. Both were nearing sleep. Len was petting Neru, as always.
Rin awoke at four A.M. as she often did, once she wrote a song about it. Rain was lightly pattering on the window. She quietly opened the door, so as to not wake Len and Neru. The action was likely wasted as thunder rolled deeply in the distance. Rin ignored the storm, and went for a glass of water. Once she had this glass, she went to the porch bench. The rain was blowing hard, but it was blowing against the house; the porch was dry.
Len and Neru were both awoken by the thunder. Neither seemed to mind the storm much, but Neru snuggled further into Len. Len began petting her loose hair once more. Neru sighed, then looked up at Len, and gave him a quick kiss, he didn't have time to respond before she withdrew and fell asleep. Len didn't think much of it, he was already sleeping again.
When Rin walked back into the room, she smiled. A silent flash of lightning showed her that Neru had curled deeper towards Len. Len still had one hand in her loose hair. Rin settled back down, and laid her cheek on Len's free hand.
All three managed to awake late, around noon, and Miku was rounding everyone up. "Neru, do you want to go to the park?" Miku asked.
"No." Neru answered. She didn't want to walk around the park, though she would be lonely alone.
"Well, I would like to go, but since we stole Rin all yesterday, you can have her." Len said, Neru smiled that he would stay.
"Alright, I'll go grab Rin, then we'll leave." Miku said.
All but Len and Neru left, Neru went off to cook a quick meal of pasta for lunch. The two ate, then they went to work honing their video game skills. They had to be well practised if they had a chance at beating Rin.
The others returned shortly after Len and Neru had eaten dinner. The video gaming was uneventful, and evidently so was the park. "We still want Rin, so no twin or Neru." Miku said, and all the Vocaloids laughed, Len and Neru walked out to the porch.
"Well, I guess we got stuck out here." Neru said, she looked to the sky. It was cloudy, and suggested rain. The Vocaloids lived in a rather rainy area. Len laid down on one of the benches. Neru laid down on the same one, facing him.
"What are you-" Len was cut off by a kiss from Neru, it was short lived.
"That." Neru said, then pressed her lips to Len's once more. This time Len responded, but he quickly moved her off in favour of air. Neru giggled "Was that your first kiss, in the hospital?" She asked.
"Well, yeah, it wasn't yours?" Len asked.
"No, a drunken Haku thought it would be fun to 'educate' me on the proper way to kiss." Neru replied, Len tried to look down, but Neru caught his lips. Once again, Len had to come up for air. Neru giggled again. "Breath through your nose." she said. She kissed him again, this time Len didn't need air quickly. Neru ran her tongue along his lips, but he didn't open them. His lack of experience in something so basic as kissing was bugging her. She simply grabbed his chin, and pulled down, his mouth opened and she entered. Len had only just began responding, then he pushed her off, and gasped.
"I, uh, forgot to breathe." Len blushed deeply. Neru giggled again at this.
"It's fine, just remember this time." Neru said, then kissed him again. This time Len was responsive quickly, and didn't need to breath to soon. Neru broke the kiss this time. "You're not bad, for these being your first times." Neru smiled.
"You're not bad, for being taught by a drunken girl." Len teased back.
Neru tilted her head up, it didn't really look regal when one was laying on a bench. "At least I have experience." She pushed her lips to Len's again, it was much better than arguing.
Since fate really didn't like Len, or perhaps he had done something terribly wrong in a past life, Rin opened the door. "Hey, you guys can," she saw them kissing. "Uhh, well have fun, we're all going to bed.."
Neru sighed, "Well. That killed the mood." Neru didn't even have to look to know that Len was blushing madly. "Well, let's go in." Neru got up, and dragged Len inside. Neru headed straight for the larger couch of two. She laid down, then pulled Len onto the couch as well. She faced him towards her, he started stoking her hair, as was now habit, and they fell asleep.
Rin walked down stairs, she had woken up early, she figured some video gaming was in order. But, when she saw the position Len and Neru held, she had to gasp. Neru had her legs tangled up in Len's, her forehead dug into Len's shoulder. It was all highly incriminating. As it happened, Neru was woken by Rin's gasp. When Neru saw how she positioned, she turned red. "Kyaa!" she yelled, flipping Len from the couch. Len mumbled something or other, and glared at Neru. "I guess I'll go make breakfast then." Neru said, her face still somewhat pink.
Len went around waking the other Vocaloids, they were used to waking late. After Len woke Kaito, the last one, Neru called for breakfast.
After breakfast, the Vocaloids, minus Rin, prepared for a brutal beating. Since Rin was back, nobody would be winning a video game soon. At first, it was only Len and Neru suffering humiliation, they were on a team against Rin and still lost. When all hope was lost, Kaito walked down. "Hey Kaito, want to take mine and Neru's place?" Len asked.
Kaito nodded, hadn't seen Rin yet, "Alright, so who is my opponent?" Kaito asked.
Neru pointed to Rin. Kaito frowned. "Go get get her, Kaito." Neru said.
Rin smirked. "You think you can take me, bluey?" Rin had already started the match. Kaito was losing fast.
"Well this was a great idea. He doesn't stand a freakin chance!" Neru whispered to Len. Len nodded.
For once in his life, luck sided with Kaito and Len. For Rin's controller had chosen that instant to run dry. She frantically tried to plug it back in, Kaito was gaining back ground. "Exactly as planned." Kaito said as he passed Rin's score.
Len looked to the ceiling, "So that's it... we've won. We've actually won!" he muttered.
The TV played the tone of the match ending. Rin spoke "Why don't you look again, Len?" she said.
Len did indeed look again. Rin had still beaten Kaito, but by so little. "Curses." Len said.
The gaming continued for another hour, when something terrible happened. This event was so incredibly dangerous, that it had been predicted by the maddest of seers many millennia ago. This event, was a simultaneous vocalized want, given by two separate entities to a single entity. The request was for a synthesized, interchangeable, rectangular prism. This prism would be wrapped in foil, and then covered in paper. It contained soy lecithin, lactose, emulsifier, and sugar. But none of those were important, save the sugar.
The main ingredient of this bar was chocolate.
11:18
"Hey Len, can you go grab me a chocolate bar." Rin and Neru asked at the same time.
"Sure." Len said, he walked over to the kitchen. Normally, this situation wasn't anything spectacular, however there was an issue. 'Well this is just awesome.' Len thought as he looked into the almost empty freezer. 'Of course, there can only be one...' Len looked around for a substitute for the chocolate bar, an orange perhaps? No, they were out of oranges, they didn't even have orange juice. A leftover crepe? Of course not, they didn't even have batter left. Len could only spend so long searching, and he surrendered quickly. He took the single bar, and went to meet his doom.
"There was only one left." Len said, holding the bar up. Perhaps they could split it. Rin's glare said otherwise. Of course they couldn't share.
"Len, give the chocolate to your twin." Rin said.
"Len, give the chocolate to your lover." Neru said.
Len was seriously freaking out now, they would kill him!
"Len, I'm your other half. Give the chocolate to me." Rin said.
"Len, I've slept with you the last week. Give the chocolate to me." Neru said.
Len was getting ready to run for the hills.
Rin and Neru spoke at the same time again. "Len, I can and I will make your life hell if that chocolate isn't mine." The two glared at each other when they noticed the matched words.
"Neru, I challenge you to a duel." Rin said.
"Oh really? Well I accept." Neru tilted her nose up.
All of the Vocaloids gathered outside. The weaponry would be standard PVC piping. Meiko had declared herself referee. "Okay, what are the terms?"
Neru was stone faced. "That chocolate bar, Len's undying love, and one promise from him." she said.
"Rin, do you agree with these terms?" Meiko asked.
"I do." Rin said.
Len felt his wrists get tied. Not again... Miku had tied him up, she said "Sorry Len, you're part of the stakes, you're like the chocolate bar." she shrugged.
Len sighed as he watched the fight begin. At least he would only be tied for the duration of the duel this time...
Neru was actually shocked by Rin's boldness, Neru had never been beaten. Neru was so shocked by this, she was texting about it behind her back, her other hand holding the piping high.
Rin knew she would win, Neru was stupid enough to only use one hand. Rin held her pipe low, and prepared to charge.
Neru saw Rin's charge, she sidestepped, and just missed dealing Rin a blow. She texted this information to a few friends. When Rin charged again, Neru didn't sidestep, she took her head on.
Neru couldn't be too strong, she was only using one hand. Rin probably would have been able to overpower Neru, if it came to that. However, neither could land a blow. Rin saw a sudden opening, she tripped Neru. This send Neru to the ground, and her phone flew away. Neru's face looked simply enraged at this. However when Rin approached to take advantage, she received a boot to the face, she was now on the ground also.
Several colourful thoughts about Rin had ran through Neru's head a second ago, but now they didn't matter. Both were trading blows on the ground. Neru saw Rin start to roll back, and rolled herself over and up on to her feet. Rin was up as well.
The two began to trade blows again, Rin thinking she had this in the bag. When she saw Neru begin to show her back, she knew she had won. "I win." Neru said. Rin ignored her as she moved to attack Neru's open back. Only Rin's arm was raised when she felt the air whooshing from her. She fell to the ground. Neru had pushed her pipe in between her own arm and side, and into Rin's gut. Neru was now on Rin, holding the pipe above her throat. "I win." she said again.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNND the winner is NERU!" Meiko yelled, she couldn't possibly be drunk yet, right? Len was worried now, Miku hadn't untied him yet, but he was being carried to Neru.
"Here is your prize." Miku said, she dropped Len, and handed Neru the chocolate. Miku then went about releasing Len. Good, he wouldn't be tied long this time.
"Thank you." Neru said, she unwrapped the chocolate.
"So, what are you going to make him promise?" Miku asked
"I don't know yet." Neru looked thoughtful. Neru turned to Len "Hey, Len, can you go grab my phone?" she asked.
"Sure." Len said, he walked over and picked up the phone. Amazingly, the phone was still intact. He handed it to Neru.
"Thanks" she said, then added. "Now, I'm going to go take a shower." she walked into the house.
Len watched Neru's back as she walked away. He was indeed curious as to what he would need to promise, hopefully Neru wouldn't ask him anything to far out there.
After the fight, Len felt a little hungry. He may not have been fighting, but being tied up as two people fought over you tended to get the blood running. Len walked into the kitchen, and grabbed a banana, the last one. 'We could use a trip to the store.' He thought. Len didn't have anything better to do, so he walked into the living room.
"Did you see when she booted me in the face? I think I kept all my teeth." Rin said, much to loudly. When Rin saw Len, she turned from Haku to Len. "Len! Do I still have all my teeth?" She opened her mouth.
"Yes, Rin, you do." Len grinned at her antics.
Rin turned back to Haku. "And the look on her face, when her phone flew. It was so great!" Rin continued to gush.
Haku giggled "You know Rin, she had been texting up until then."
Rin opened her mouth to speak, but then she realized the implications. Neru had matched her using one hand, while texting? Rin closed her mouth, then walked off into a corner to pout. Len knew this was nothing serious, Rin pouted in corners all the time. Len instead turned to Haku. "So, did Rin ever pay you for the bet she lost?" he asked.
"She lost a bet with me?" Haku tilted her head. Len realized the rest of the family didn't know him and Neru had actually gotten together. This could get awkward.
Len quickly thought of a way to word it. "Do you remember when Neru referred to me as her lover? that one." he said, starting to blush a little.
"Wh-what? She was serious?" Haku's eyes widened.
Miku was sitting on the couch when this exchange occurred. She spoke up "You and Neru actually got together?" She then shouted to the house. "Len and Neru got together!" Len sighed at this, and went off to the corner with Rin.
"Is that why I heard Neru swearing in the shower earlier? Where's Len, is he in with her?" Meiko yelled down. Len knew the real reason why Neru would swear in the shower, the water lied. The 'Hot' side was really cold. Neru had likely forgotten about this little kink.
"If they are, tell them to stop. I just cleaned the shower yesterday." Kaito yelled as well. Len wanted to yell that he was right here, but he didn't fell up to it.
"No, Len is down here, he's in a corner with Rin." Miku yelled back. Haku went to get a drink, laughing as she went.
"Watch out Miku, Len's become a player on us, First Neru, then Rin. You'll be next." Haku said once she finished laughing.
Len sighed again. Now pouting in a corner with Rin got him this? Then again, sitting in a corner with Rin had always got him this.
Len removed himself from the corner. He walked up to his room. Once he got there, he laid on the bed. Len had only laid for a minute or so, and his phone buzzed. He looked at the screen. It read: "From: Neru 'Hey Len, want to watch some TV in my room?' Sent at 2:03 P.M." Len smiled weakly, of course Neru would text him rather than walk over. He got up, and walked to her room.
"Hey." Neru said once Len opened the door. She gestured to her bed, she was under the blankets. "Care to join me?" she scooted to the wall. Len smiled, and joined her.
"So, what should we watch?" he asked.
"I dunno, whatever I left on." Neru flipped the TV on. It was a movie channel, A bad horror from the 80s was on. They watched for about ten minutes when Neru grabbed Len's arm, and in a high pitched voice said, "Len, save me from the fake bats on strings!"
Len smiled, and stroked her still wet, loose hair. "Alas my Neru, I think you can defend yourself better than I could defend myself."
Neru giggled. "Len, you make such a crappy hero."
Len continued smiling. "And you make a crappy maiden in distress." he ceased petting her.
"Don't stop." Neru said. Len didn't know what she was talking about. "My hair, I... Just keep petting it." Neru blushed and looked away.
Len wasn't expecting this from Neru, but he began stroking her hair once again. The movie ended in about twenty minutes, a badly made-up vampire had been exposed to the sun. "Well, that was pretty anti-climatic." Len said.
"Yeah, well I should probably start dinner, but I really don't feel like getting up." Neru said.
Len thought for a second. "We could just order pizza." he suggested.
Neru nodded, she picked up her phone. She yelled to the rest of the house that pizza would be ordered. After ordering the pizza, she turned to Len. "Done." she smiled. The to returned to watching TV, and the pizza arrived about twenty minutes later, it just happened to be Rin's turn to pay.
"I get hit by a car, lose three or four high stakes bets, and you guys still make me pay for this?" Rin whined.
"Well, we do have an order for this. Next time, I pay." Kaito shrugged, Meiko was opening the boxes in the kitchen.
An hour earlier.
Teto was going to check on Rin. This would be her routine for a long time, who knew when Rin would wake up? As Teto opened the door, she heard the monitor flat-lining. She threw the door the rest of the way open, and saw the reason it flat-lined. Nobody was there. "Rin must have woken up." Teto said, and she frowned. Now she would have to fill out all the paperwork, and explain Rin's sudden disappearance.
An hour, thirty minutes, and five seconds later.
Everyone had just finished eating. Len and Neru were going to Neru's room, and wished Rin good night as they went by. "So, are we going to watch some TV or just go to sleep?" Len asked.
Neru put a finger on her chin. "I'd rather just go to sleep" she said.
"Okay, I'll get changed in the bathroom." Len said, veering off to the bathroom. Neru continued to her room, and changed there.
"You can come in." Neru said after changing. Len walked in.
Neru was just untieing her hair, and Len once again realized just how long it was, not quite as long as Luka's, but approaching it. "So, did you ever decide what my promise was to be?" Len asked. He was curious now, it had been some time since the fight.
Neru smiled slyly, "No, I have some ideas though." she watched as Len looked a little nervous, none of her ideas were really that bad. Neru had finished releasing her hair, and walked behind Len. "You first, I get tired of that wall." she said.
Len didn't really get why she would be so tired of the wall, but he complied anyway, laying down on the wall edge of the bed, underneath the blankets. Len then realized why Neru didn't want the wall, he was slumping between the mattress and the wall, it wasn't very comfortable. Neru giggled when she saw his look of dissatisfaction. "Well, it's better than having Rin drool on my hand." Len said. In truth, Rin had never drooled on his hand, but she did snore.
"Well, I thought your bed was better, but I don't think Rin appreciates us both in there." Neru said. She laid down with him.
Len started to stroke her hair. "Well, this IS a single, and I don't think I would want to sleep with Rin and her interest." Len shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess that would be awkward, I think of Haku as a sister. It would be kinda strange." Neru said.
The two laid in silence for awhile, neither seemed ready to sleep. "So, that nightmare you had a few days ago. What was it about?" Len asked.
Neru squirmed somewhat, she didn't remember much detail of it. "Well, when Haku's brother... Dell, when he died..." Neru trailed off. She really didn't think to remember much of that dream, just that it was related to this.
"I remember that. It was soon after Rin and I came. I didn't know him much, but I didn't know any of you much." Len recalled.
Neru hesitated before speaking again. "Well, Haku was really out of it. She did a lot of things, she started drinking because of it." Neru sighed, those were unpleasant times. "Haku once tried to jump from that bridge, into the river."
Len didn't know about this. "So your dream, how does this fit in?"
Neru remembered now, "I dreamt that you tried to jump off the same bridge. I think I tried to jump after you." she said. Of course, now that concept was practically impossible, but when Len was breaking down twice a day, it seemed real.
"Ah. Well, I won't be jumping off any bridges now." Len nudged her.
"Yeah, but you could've then." Neru turned to him. "I'm glad Rin woke up so soon. I guess she must heal quick for those ribs to be back."
Len thought for a second. "Yeah, I think that they weren't broken, only displaced. Besides Rin is about as resilient as they come."
Neru curled into Len's side. "I like how this all turned out." she whispered.
Len smiled, "Me too."
They laid for sometime, until Neru spoke again. "So, I managed to drive your car five times, and not crash it. Aren't you proud"
Len laughed. "I don't know if that's worth being proud over."
Neru pulled his face to her, and gave him a quick kiss. "You're no fun."
"Well, I'm not proud that I've never crashed." Len smiled.
"But, you've never driven." Neru giggled.
Len's smile deepened "I've driven the road roller."
Neru frowned. "It's possible to crash that?"
Len laughed "Rin managed it once."
Neru was surprised now, it almost took skill to crash a road roller. "How?" she asked.
Len frowned now. "I don't remember, I got a concussion."
Neru laughed, and the conversation drifted away again. Len was just started to doze, when Neru spoke once more. "Len, I know what I want you to promise."
"What?" Len asked groggily.
"I... I want you to promise that you'll always stroke my hair like this." She whispered.
Len smiled, she couldn't have made an easier request. "I promise, Neru. Always."
"Thank you Len. Sweet dreams." Neru closed her eyes.
Len continued petting her. "Sweet dreams, Neru." He started to fall asleep. As he slipped into sleep, he muttered again.
"Sweet Dreams."
Thanks for reading through this, and I apologize that it was so short. I don't like this chapter much, I simply loved my first one, but it has been lost. I tried to salvage most of it but... I don't know, this just seemed off. I didn't have ANY inspiration to re-write it, the fight scene was the only thing I was really into.
Well, I may make something new, but school is starting, updates would be slow.
