O~o~O
Sheeta was truly skilled in the kitchen.
After spending a whole day cooped up in the engine room with Motro, Pazu was starving. He was one of the last to come into the dining room, but before he could even think about eating, he frantically looked around the crowd of pirates for his friend. Then, he could just catch a glimpse of her, through some of the brothers clambering all over each other for some food. He smiled a little, before Dola ushered him towards the table.
"Sit down, eat something, boy. You need some more meat on those bones." she patted his cheek and shoved a bowl in his face, filled to the brim with some delicious smelling stew. His mouth watered at the scent; he hadn't had such rich food for a long time. He opened his mouth to thank Dola, but she had already gone off to yell over some of the pirates. Chuckling, he looked around the room at all the broad, smiling faces, before he finally found Sheeta again.
He went deaf to all the loud conversations going on in the room as he watched her. She barely stood over the pot she stirred, her shoulders just making it over the top. Cooking anything in that couldn't have been easy; it looked so big that she could just climb right in and still sit comfortably. At least she was sure of what she was doing. Pazu worried only for a moment before he saw her steady hands, and her perfect balance on the stool she stood upon. Of course she was okay, Sheeta could handle anything! He gave a fond smile while he watched her serve up a few bowls.
His growling stomach reminded him why he was even in the dining room at all, and still, Pazu was reluctant to look away from Sheeta to dig into his dinner. The stew smelled wonderful; no wonder the pirates were all shoveling it in their mouths like there was no tomorrow. Pazu grinned and took a big bite.
Everyone around him was talking; Dola was shouting about something-or-other to Charles, Motro was laughing at a joke, and Louie and some of the others were playing some game even while eating. Still, Pazu hardly processed anything from what anyone was saying. As he ate, his eyes flickered up to Sheeta one more time, though he glanced away when she looked in his direction. He kept his eyes fixed on his soup for as long as he could bear, bouncing his leg as an outlet, before he tried looking around again. No matter where his eyes fell, he always seemed to be aware of Sheeta out of the corner of his eye.
"Pazu's been a great help," Jumping at the mention of his name, Pazu looked to Motro and Dola, who were eating with just as much vigor as their sons. "He's a really smart kid. Knows his way around an engine room, listens good, and could probably figure out how to run the ship if I just left him in there. He's a natural."
Dola laughed, a loud, obnoxious sound that somehow brought a smile to Pazu's face. "Well good for him! God knows you're getting too old to run this thing." Her teasing sneer, and the little wink she cast to Pazu made him laugh. None of the other pirates seemed interested in their exchange, and some started offering their bowls to Sheeta to ask for seconds. Pazu had barely gotten halfway through his own bowl.
"Well if I'm getting too old, then you are too, woman! I don't see you herding Sheeta around, she needs to be following you instead of being stuffed in the kitchen!" Motro countered, though he had a funny smirk that took any bite away from his words. Pazu noticed Sheeta didn't even blink at the mention of her own name; he guessed she didn't even hear it with all the pirates talking to her. She filled their bowls with an innate ease, her smile never wavering despite the overwhelming number of voices begging for her attention.
Pazu lowered his spoon into the bowl, blinking at Sheeta like he was in a trance that left him unaware that he was smiling. He felt like those voices, imploring her for even just a glance so that they may bask in the brilliance of her attention, however momentary. From the get-go, he had felt a special bond between them that couldn't be defined in the language he knew. To him, she had become so much more than an angel floating down from the sky. Not only was she the princess that led him right to his dream of seeing Laputa, but she was a fellow orphan who experienced life the way he did, and a dear friend who had been through everything he had. They hadn't known one another for long, but somehow they were in perfect tune with each other. He knew her eyes like he knew his limits; there were reaches to them he hadn't yet discovered, but he was more than willing to learn whatever else lie in waiting behind that soft, profound expression.
The way she carried herself like she would forever stand alone, the way she spoke in such a careful, measured tone, she seemed so guarded at times. But not with him. No, her eyes softened when she looked at him, and her aloof smile would suddenly focus and light up her face. He loved that he was privy to her genuine smile, that he was the only one able to coax it out of her. He treasured that ability, held it close to his chest each time his heart missed a beat under her gaze.
His heart lurched often, and he didn't mind one bit. Practically every time Sheeta looked at him, he could feel the faint shock pulse through his chest and only just flourish through his limbs before his heart caught up again. Each time it happened, he only became more and more aware of it. All of a sudden, his heart was racing and his face felt warm and she was looking at him again with those dark eyes and he gulped, thinking it felt awfully hot in the dining room.
"You see the way he looks at her?" he heard a distant voice without listening to the words, and he realized he was staring at Sheeta, her mouth turned in an inquisitive frown. She was asking if he was alright with just an expression, and he didn't have the means to answer.
Just then, he blinked and looked up, seeing everyone's eyes on him. A few of the pirates snickered. "Yea, he's definitely got it bad." one of them snorted.
With a confused smile, Pazu opened his mouth to ask what was so funny. Maybe he had something on his face. But the intense stare Dola had on him was suffocating as soon as he met it, her eyes boring into his like she was some ancient god, judging his heart for his fate. His smile fell, and the room burst into laughter.
"Is...Is something wrong?" he wrenched his attention from Dola to look around at all the pirates, searching for some context. But the harder he tried, the more he looked, the more he got the sense that it wasn't anything good. His darting eyes fell to Sheeta again, but she looked lost in a different way than he did. Her frown was one of sympathy now. Pazu couldn't bear to look at her or anyone for longer than a moment at a time.
After floundering around, trying to give voice to questions caught in his throat, one pirate reached out to him. "It's written all over your face," he giggled, smacking the table in his amusement. Some of the others wheezed so hard that their cheeks puffed out and their eyes watered.
Pazu looked to him, wide eyed, his mouth opening and closing. But just before he could utter a sound, another pirate stood and announced in a silly, sing-songy tone, "Pazu loves Sheeta!"
Some of them fell quiet when they saw Pazu's face. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sheeta cover her mouth. Others continued laughing, oblivious to what they had done, and Pazu sat there, wringing his hands and feeling his cheeks burn. Dola's stare remained unmoved. He couldn't blink. He hardly knew how he found his voice, how he managed to murmur an "excuse me," before he pushed his bowl back and all but leapt from his chair. He ducked his head and darted to the door, their laughter and their silly songs chasing him outside. The cool air washed over him as he eased the door shut behind him, but neither the wind nor the walls could shut out their voices.
He hurried down the deck. "You've upset Pazu!" he heard Sheeta cry out. The laughter stopped.
It didn't take long for the cold to start to blow through his shirt, and he shuddered even though his clammy skin still felt hot. He slowed to a trudging pace, hugging himself while he looked out over the blue expanse of clouds that stretched on through the darkness. He wished he could fly away with the wind, and become imperceivable along the black horizon. He wished he could become one with the clouds, and just watch the earth's petty and trivial nature from above, indifferent to all. Swiping at his eyes, he made a fervent wish he could erase any memory of him from Sheeta. They had been to Laputa and back together, and he would cherish their journey in his heart for as long as he lived. But he was certain that Sheeta would not feel the same way if she found any merit in the pirate's teasing.
Rubbing his arms, he let out a shaky sigh. The truth was too obvious, and he'd given it away before he was even ready to accept it himself. Of course he loved Sheeta; he had always cared for her from the moment he first saw her falling from the sky. But he never imagined that she could become so special to him, so precious and unique in all the world. He leaned against the side of the ship, with his head lowered. After they found Laputa, he didn't think he'd have a whole other dream waiting for him. He assumed he'd have to search far and wide for a new adventure, yet after they had sent Laputa into the sky, he realized his heart had already been set on one right beside him.
But he just couldn't bring himself to say anything. Instead, he shied away from her hugs, afraid he'd insult her if he got too close. He spent longer and longer in the engine room every day, becoming too exhausted to stay up for very long after dinner. But even in his dreams, he couldn't escape his desires that kept him so distant from his best friend. As long as she was safe and happy, he told himself, if staying away from her meant she would be happy, he would do it.
Pazu hugged himself a little tighter as a chill went through him, and shut his eyes to resist the biting wind. He wanted to believe he didn't mind the cold, and that he didn't mind being alone. But as he stood there, shivering by himself, he knew that a lifetime of loneliness could not have prepared him for the empty space in his heart. He had never wanted anything in his life as much as he wanted to love Sheeta without restraint.
The deep blue of the clouds and the quiet of the night were tranquil from up so high. Even the cold couldn't interrupt the peace of the darkness, and despite how he could hardly see under the moon's pale light, he believed the world was most at peace when it was sleeping. Looking down into the frigid gloom, and then imagining the warm communion behind him in the dining room, he gave a sad smile. At least some were at peace.
His thoughts became as numb as his fingers. His sightless eyes watched time passing by like the clouds breezing past the airship. The sounds from the dining room and throughout the ship faded into silence, and the teasing from before faded into nothing more than a phantom, an echo.
"Pazu."
He jolted when he heard his name, and turned his head to look behind him. "Sheeta!" he faltered, and whipped around to face her.
She stood there behind him, bundled up in the poncho they had shared, and he couldn't be sure for how long she had been there. Her nose was pink from the cold, and she looked at him with such a faraway, forlorn gaze that he wanted nothing more than to run to her and hold her in his arms until there wasn't a trace of sadness left. Instead, he adjusted his arms around himself to be tighter, and shivered under her stare.
"I, uh, sorry for running out like that," he laughed, and he could feel his jaw trembling with the force of his shuddering. "That was very rude of me. I really enjoyed dinner though, you make very good stew!"
Without a word, Sheeta came closer until she was an arm's length away. The whole time, she kept a steady eye on him, searching him, stripping him to the bone. Then, without warning, she lifted the edge of the poncho and pulled it over his head. He wrestled under it until his head popped out through the top, and she adjusted the fabric around them until they both stood comfortably. "Thanks," he breathed, relieved under the weight of their shared warmth. Still, they stood very close to one another, and Pazu felt his cheeks heating up once he realized there was less than an inch between them. His hands stayed still at his side.
Sheeta gave him a wistful smile before she turned to look out to the clouds. Pazu couldn't tell if she was distracted, or if she just wanted to stand with him in some unknown vigil. Maybe she saw him out in the cold and felt bad, so she decided to offer her warmth and company. Whatever the intended meaning of her gesture, Pazu didn't mind, and relished how she could be so relaxed, so close to him. He followed her gaze to the world below and the clouds beyond.
After a moment, Sheeta leaned against the edge of the ship. Pazu did the same, but jumped when he felt her hand touch his. She looked down as if to look at their hands, but neither of them could see through the poncho. Her hands were much warmer compared to his.
She looked him over, observing his stance, his expression. Then, her eyes flitted up to meet his, and he blinked at her. "I'm sorry the pirates were so cruel to you at dinner." she murmured to him, her voice so low that the wind could pick it up and take it elsewhere. Her eyes fell away, down his collar, before looking where her hands should be. The sheer guilt in her face ate him alive.
"Don't worry about it!" Pazu rushed to say, almost babbling. "They were just messing with me. It shouldn't have bothered me. It's okay, I'm okay."
Sheeta tilted her head and looked down, her expression wrought with shame. "No," she disagreed. Then, she took both of his hands in hers, and his eyes went wide. "You're still shaking. You're still sad."
They stood there, holding hands under the poncho, in a contemplative silence. Pazu swallowed hard and looked at the floor, while Sheeta looked over to the clouds again. He tried to measure his breathing, tried to calm his thudding heart. But he knew there was no way he could. The wind picked up for just a moment, enough to send goosebumps racing along his arms, and Pazu shut his eyes until the chill passed.
He hoped that because he was standing with his back to the wind, he'd take the brunt of it for Sheeta, but she must have felt the breeze as well. She shuffled a little closer to him, and her hands came to her front, pressing against his chest. Without thinking, Pazu lowered his head to rest on her shoulder, and brought his arms around her back.
It was only when she gave a soft, tired sigh and rested her cheek on his shoulder, that he realized what he had done. But the gesture was so natural between them, so normal, that he couldn't really be tense or nervous. They had been on the run together, discovered Laputa together, and destroyed it together. Their intimacy was borne of mutual peril, and of brief moments of shared wonder. Though their friendship wasn't in any way conventional, Pazu wouldn't trade it for the world.
A light went out in one of the windows down the hall. Pazu blinked slowly, and remembered it was very late. There was an early start waiting for them, and he didn't want to think about how miserable waking up would be. But as he stood there with Sheeta, huddled under a poncho for warmth, he didn't think he'd mind so much. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, letting his shoulders drop and leaning into Sheeta just a little more.
She almost encouraged their closeness with how she clutched the front of his shirt. "Sheeta," Pazu spoke up in a small voice.
"Hmm?" she mumbled to indicate she was listening.
His tone went low and quiet. "Thank you, for coming out here with me." he resisted the urge to yawn. "You didn't have to, it's cold out and everything...I really appreciate it."
He felt her smile against him. "I didn't want you to be alone." she said softly. "You'll never be alone anymore, you'll always have me."
There was a conviction in her voice that he had only heard when she had spoken her truths to Muska. "Do you really mean that?" Pazu blinked and lifted his head just off of her shoulder.
Sheeta straightened then, and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. He didn't dare lean away from her even if he felt his cheeks go a little pink. "Of course I do. Whatever we do, we do it together." she gave an earnest smile.
Pazu gave her a cheeky grin. "Even run away from mean pirates?" he joked. Sheeta laughed.
"Even run away from mean pirates," she assured him, and though her tone was teasing, Pazu knew she meant it. They giggled a little bit together before Sheeta spoke again. "They shouldn't have teased you. It was wrong of them. I just hope they'll apologize tomorrow...What did they say that upset you?" she tilted her head.
Pazu gulped. He had assumed she'd heard everything. "Well, they were, um. They were giving me a hard time…" he looked off and away from her, and Sheeta searched his face to regain eye contact. After a few moments of finding nothing else to stare at, Pazu shook his head and looked back at her. "They were just teasing...Making fun of the way I was-" he choked, cutting himself off.
Sheeta waited, frowning with her inquisitive, concerned look. "They way you were…?" she encouraged him.
Taking in a long, shaky breath, Pazu steeled himself. "The way I was, ah, watching you." he admitted, glancing to her before his eyes fell to the floor. He recalled the moment, his voice falling lower and lower. "I was staring, I couldn't help it. We don't see each other too much, I mean, not until the end of the day anymore. Anyway, I guess the pirates noticed I was looking at you, and they started saying, you know, 'oh he likes her, he must have a crush,' and stuff…" he trailed off.
The tip of his nose was cold, but the rest of his face felt like it was burning. He couldn't look at Sheeta, and he wanted to rub the back of his neck, but he didn't want to move the poncho. Instead, he fidgeted with his hands and avoided Sheeta's gaze as much as he could.
Sheeta shifted her hand until she could squeeze his shoulder. "Pazu," she murmured. "Do you have a crush on me?"
"Oh!" Pazu exclaimed, and clutched the hem of his shirt. "Well, I, uh, I don't, um. I don't know! I mean you're really pretty of course, and we've been through a lot together, and also you're really kind and I think you're my best friend. That's-! That's to say if you think we are too! But I, uh, it feels like we hardly see each other anymore, what with Dola having us work all the time, so I can't wait for the small chance we have at dinner, and you know!" he squinched his eyes shut, having lost track of everything he said. He almost forgot the question, and he felt his heart beating so fast that it caused his breathing to waver.
After a moment, Sheeta's hands fell, and Pazu clenched his jaw. He expected her to leave, but instead, her hands came up over the poncho and she held his face with both hands. She hesitated, like she wanted to say something. When no words came, her thumb stroked the side of his face, and he felt his heart beating like a thunderous drum in his chest, ready to burst. Then, with vigilant deliberation, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek.
Pazu's eyes snapped open. He wanted to step back, but he resisted because the poncho would keep them together anyway. Her lips felt so cool against his cheek, and she lingered there for an eternal instant. When she pulled away, he looked at her with unanswered panic, his eyes darting all over her face. "Wh...What-?" he started to ask, but she hushed him.
"I think I have a crush on you too, Pazu." she gave him a serene smile, her voice careful and soft. There wasn't a hint of apprehension in her face, but she sounded shy. Pazu wondered if she was worried about his reaction. "I don't know what constitutes love, or how I can define what I feel. But I do know that you make me very happy, and I miss you when you're not around, or when you're busy. I look forward to seeing you every day, but sometimes I get so nervous around you that I can't say anything. I think that means I like you a lot." her cheeks went a little rosy, and Pazu couldn't help the grin that crawled up his face.
The tension fell off his shoulders like a dead weight. Like a magnet, his hands were drawn back to her waist and his arms wrapped around her while a relieved laugh left him. The wind stirred, but it wasn't a bother; not when they embraced each other like gravity, an absolute and irrefutable force of nature bonded them together. Warmth and excitement flooded through their veins, warding off the cold with an effortless thrill. The way his heart fluttered away, Pazu felt like he was being carried by the aetherium crystal far above the world instead of standing on an airship. Sheeta started giggling when Pazu began pressing kisses all over her face. On her nose, on her cheeks, on the tip of her ear, on her eyelids, anywhere he could reach. He didn't have the words to express what he was feeling, but Sheeta seemed to understand him.
They understood each other. With his nose buried in Sheeta's hair, Pazu gave a deep sigh and reveled in how her shoulders trembled with her laughter. It was the most wonderful sound, as bright and clear as Laputa's skies. Also like Laputa, it was a rarity only they could share together. He was beyond grateful that he didn't have to help destroy it. With mischievous grin, Pazu looped his arms tightly around Sheeta's waist and lifted her up, spinning her against the biting wind. Her delighted squeal traveled all over the ship, all over the clouds, telling the horizon of her joy. Their laughter harmonized with the night and overtook the cold. The moon looked upon them with indifferent serenity.
By the time she came down, her teeth were chattering, but her grin could have split her face. Pazu kissed her cheeks until the wind couldn't match her blush, and she huddled close to him, her cold hands clutching the back of his vest. They stood there, giggling until they caught their breath, both of them feeling faint tremors in their necks and shoulders. "It's late," Pazu observed, seeing the slight haze in Sheeta's eyes.
She knew what he was getting at. "Sleep," she agreed with him, and he nodded.
They both turned to head down the deck, towards the cabin where the rest of the pirates slept. Pazu ducked out of the poncho and held it tight around Sheeta while they shuffled down together, approaching the door. Just before they could open it, it opened in a flash before them.
"About time!" Dola's tired face appeared in the dark room, her voice in no way considerate of the soft snores coming from within. "You kids are up way past your bedtime! Now come on, hurry in, there's a bed made for Sheeta. Pazu, you know where you sleep." Dola ushered them both inside, and Pazu ducked just in time to avoid getting smacked. While they scrambled in, Pazu was careful to watch Sheeta's balance, and Dola regarded them with narrowed eyes.
For an awkward moment, they just stood, afraid to move while Dola loomed in the doorway. She turned her scrutinizing gaze to Pazu. "Now, boy, don't you think about doing anything to Sheeta." she warned him, raising her chin and looking down on him.
Pazu frowned, his eyes darting around the room before he looked back to Dola with a wide look. Her glare held no answers. "Like what?" he asked in a small voice, letting go of Sheeta. He inched away from her, feeling a little bit like he'd done something terrible, but he wasn't sure what. The way Dola was looking at him like he was some rugged criminal, he felt guilty, even if he was sure he hadn't done anything wrong. Or did he? With a panicked glance to Sheeta, he became a little more worried when she looked as confused as he was.
Dola's hard scowl softened into a grin. "That's my boy." She reached forward to ruffle his hair, before she whipped back around and marched out the door. The hard slam didn't appear to disturb any of the sleeping pirates.
Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, Pazu shook his head and turned to help Sheeta out of the poncho. "It's much warmer in here," he told her, and she nodded with a slight smile.
They kicked off their shoes. Pazu shrugged out of his vest and set it on the floor where he was sleeping, under a table. Along the front wall facing the bow, a mattress with lots of pillows had been set up for Sheeta right below the window. Pazu was amazed by the amount of pillows, and realized she had no blankets. Without a moment of hesitation, Pazu ducked under the table to grab the one he had been using, and draped it over the bed right as Sheeta was sitting down.
"Oh," she said, appearing startled. Then, her shoulders fell and she smiled at him. "Thank you, Pazu."
He held up the blanket until she was laying down. "No problem," he assured her, pulling the edge of the blanket up to her neck. He grinned as she curled up under it, desperate for warmth. "Goodnight, Sheeta." he kept his voice low, and turned to tip-toe back to the table. In the back of the room, one of the pirates shifted in their hammock, and another let out an unintelligible murmur.
Once he reached the lip of the table, Pazu ducked down and crawled underneath it to the one pillow and his vest. As he lay down, he adjusted his pillow so he had a clear view of Sheeta. He adjusted his vest on top of his shoulder, curling into his own body heat. The engine room thrummed beneath him, and warmed the floor enough to not feel the difference without a blanket, but the air still flowed above him. He did his best to hide from the air under his little vest. He shifted until he was comfortable laying on his side and turned his tired gaze to the bed by the window.
Sheeta lay there, with just her forehead peeking out from where Pazu could see. Her hair lay around her in fallen coils, taken out of their braids and spilling all over her pillows. The moonlight peeking through the clouds made her look more ethereal than she already was, with its pale and soft light. Pazu felt his eyelids growing heavy just watching her, and a sigh left him. He could feel himself nodding off, and just started to close his eyes.
"Pazu," Sheeta whispered into the dark.
With a faint jolt, Pazu blinked and lifted his head. "Sheeta?" he bumped the side of his head on the table and rubbed it, feeling the chill come back with his movement.
Sheeta must have been watching him from her bed. "It's cold," she told him. "The air is coming through the window."
"Oh." Pazu blearily propped himself up on his elbows and crawled back out from under the table. "I can fix that for you." He stumbled to his feet, and made his way back to the bed. He tried to keep his steps light, but his depth perception was off by just enough to make the ground feel further than it was. Sheeta watched him, huddled under her blanket, with sleep not quite getting the best of her.
To reach the window, Pazu rested his knee on the bed and leaned over Sheeta to get to the wall. He looked at the window with a blank stare for a moment before he focused and remembered what he was supposed to do.
The window didn't appear to be open in any way. But the glass must have been thin, and the frame not a perfect fit. After tracing the edges, Pazu found a small lever that was unlocked. He smiled and pushed it back down. "That should do the trick." he slid off the bed and stretched. Before he could help it, he yawned and started to rub his eyes.
Sheeta reached out and touched his wrist before he could turn away. "Can you sleep with me?" she asked in a voice that couldn't have disturbed a bird. She was so quiet, Pazu wondered if he'd imagined her speaking. He considered the bed for a moment before he realized what she had asked, and remembered he had to answer.
He looked back to his little pillow laying abandoned under the table, and then turned to Sheeta again. "You," he started to say, rubbing his head in a groggy way. "You want me to sleep with you?"
"Mmhm." Sheeta nodded and shifted away, creating a space big enough for him to lay down. "The floor can't be very comfortable." she caught his yawn from before and covered her mouth.
Pazu regarded her and the bed with slow comprehension, blinking at her in a sleepy daze. "Oh. Okay." He hesitated, looking to make sure Sheeta was sure. Then, he climbed into the bed with her, just as his limbs started to fail him. His head thumped against the pillow when he fell against it. Sheeta adjusted the blanket around them both, and smiled when Pazu struggled to keep his eyes open. "Are you sure, because I can- I can sleep on the floor just fine. Floor's fine." he mumbled, rolling on his back.
Sheeta's soft laughter soothed him. "I'm sure," she promised him. Even with the space between them, Pazu felt her shiver beneath the blanket.
"You're still cold," he frowned. Shifting, he lifted his arm up just above the pillow. Once he was relaxed, there was no denying that the bed was much more comfortable than the floor. But he couldn't rest until he knew Sheeta wasn't cold anymore. "C'mere." he encouraged her to come closer.
She wasn't sure what he meant. But she tried to inch nearer to him, watching his arm curiously. He motioned for her to move closer still, and finally reached with his other hand to help her press up against him. Her head rested on his shoulder instead of the pillow, and she curled up against his side with her cold hand resting on his chest. "Oh." she seemed surprised, and Pazu took her hand in his own to warm it up.
He smiled when she didn't shiver anymore. "That's better." he sighed, and started to fade out again. Everything felt right when they lay together. He couldn't explain it, but he felt sure he would have the best sleep knowing Sheeta was safe with him. Sheeta's eyes started to close, and Pazu felt sleep weighing him down too. "Goodnight Sheeta," he murmured.
"Goodnight Pazu," Sheeta whispered back.
The last thing they heard was each other's breathing, slow and relaxed. Sleep soon overtook them both, with dreams illuminated by moonlight and warmed by the other's presence.
O~o~O