Disclaimer: I dont own Yugioh! Enough said already!
This fic is dedicated to Chibizoo for her wonderful fanfic contest, which
I, unfortunately, didnt join because of my lack of experience/skill.
But..*puffs out chest* I _did_ become on of the judges!! Go zoo-san!
AN: Part II of the Filling the Void series. This time, its Yuugis turn!
Thanks to all of you who reviewed for my first fic! It means a lot. Slight
shounen-ai, but nothing serious. Read part one!! Read!!
NOTES:
~Thoughts~
"Speech"
/\The Voice/\ (dont worry, youll understand when you read)
/hikari to yami/
//yami to hikari//
Footsteps in the Snow
pSnow crunched underneath Yuugi's footsteps as he trudged through it.
Snowflakes swirled around his face in a little storm, settling on his hair
and turning it from tri-colored to white. It was late at night, and the
middle of a snowstorm.
Yuugi trudged through the snow, his footsteps making a crunching sound as
he stepped through it. Snowflakes swirled around his face in a little
storm, settling on his hair, and turning it from tri-colored to white. It
was late at night, and the middle of a snowstorm.
Yuugi squinted through the darkness, trying to see ahead of him, without
much luck. A cars headlights swept through the road in front of him, and
everything was illuminated, at least for a few seconds.
Yuugi had no idea where he was. He had just started walking an hour ago,
without a sense of direction, or even any common sense. All he had on was a
thin jacket, and he was well aware that it was at least a few degrees under
zero.
~ But I cant go back, not after~
He tried to tear his mind from the thought, not allowing himself to finish
it. But, unwillingly, his mind flashed back.
~*Flashback*~
"Aibou?" Drowsy lavender eyes peered up at dark crimson ones.
"Yes, yami?" Because of the storm, they had decided to turn out the
lights, and rely on candles and the fireplace instead. It was supposed to
be cozy.
Yamis fingers reached out of their own accord, and stroked Yuugis cheek.
"I-I"
Yuugi put down the book that he had been reading, and watched the
firelight play across his others face with curiosity. Why didnt his yami
tell him what was going on? His yami was never so secretive, or so
hesitant, about anything. /\Oh yes/\ a voice snarled in the back of his
mind, /\his yami was _perfect_./\ Yuugi ignored The Voice, as he always
did, and pretended that it wasnt there. After, all, there was something not
normal, something, dare he say it?,_crazy_ about voices in ones head, wasnt
there? Especially if one already had another voice filling ones mind.
"Yes Yami?" Yuugi repeated, tuning out The Voice.
His yami sighed. "You are very beautiful Yuugi, did you know that?"
Yuug's breath hitched in his throat. What was going on?
"So beautiful, and innocent" His yami continued.
/\Dont _call_ me that!/\ The inner voice snapped, but the outer Yuugi was
more confused than ever. What had come over his yami?
"I-I love you Yuugi. Do y-you, do you feel the same way?" Yami stammered
out, watching his aibou carefully.
Yuugi was stunned. Whatever he had been expecting, this was _ not_ it.
/\But what _were_ you expecting, if not this?/\ The Voice snarled, /\Yami
to ask you if you wanted some ice cream?/\
In a way, Yuugi supposed that he was.
"Aibou?" His yami asked, hesitantly. Yuugi realized that he had been
silent for quite awhile, and that his other half was waiting for an answer.
And of course he owed him one-it was obvious that it had taken Yami a long
time to work up the courage to approach Yuugi, the least he deserved was an
honest answer.
/\Just look at the bastard!/\ The Voice sneeered, startling Yuugi out of
his reverie. /\He doesnt even believe that you would say no! Look at his
self-confidence! Theres not an inch of doubt in his pathetic mind that you
dont love him back! He's not wondering what your answer is going to be, but
when the right time would be to screw you senseless!/\
~ You cant prove that!~ Yuugi thought desperately, realizing that this was
the first time that he had answered The Voice. He also realized that The
Voice was right. There _was_ something strange about the way that Yami was
appraising him. As if he already knew Yuugis answer, and that this part was
all just a charade that they had to go through. A pointless charade, but
nonetheless, necessary.
"Yuugi, look at me!" Yami sounded worried, and at the same time,
commanding.
/\Dont tell me that you arent sick of the way that he commands you!/\ The
Voice cried gleefully, feeling victory within its grasp.
In answer, Yuugi ran out of the door, stopping only to put on his shoes
and the light jacket.
His yami didn't try to stop him, watching him leave with a puzzled
expression on his face. ~He just needs time to sort out his feelings.~ Yami
reasoned.
~*Flashback*~
Another car rumbled past, revealing the ground before him with its
headlights. Ice crystals glistened before him in a never-ending path.
Gazing at them, Yuugi fancied for a second that he could see eternity. Then
it was just a patch of darkness less dark than the rest of the road as the
car sped off.
Yuugi sighed. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? His yami
was waiting for an answer back home, and he obviously couldnt stay out here
forever.
~But the thing is; I dont _have_ an answer! It was a simple question! So
why does the answer have to be so difficult?~
/\Isnt _that_ obvious?/\ The Voice sneered in the back of Yuugis mind,
/\You cant answer because you have no answer. You _know_ that you dont love
your yami; you know it. But youre too scared to admit it, because it might
hurt his feelings. Youre too afraid to admit what you truly feel, even to
yourself. Youre too weak to confess to yourself that you-/\
"I am _not_ scared!" Yuugi shouted into the night. The Voice snickered.
/\Arent you? Because I think you are./\
"Im not." Yuugi whispered, his voice sounding unsure and quiet.
/\Then prove it. Admit what you truly feel, admit it!! Prove me wrong
Yuugi!! Dont you want to? Don-/\
"ALRIGHT!" Yuugi screamed. "I admit it! I hate him, okay?? I hate him so
much!"
/\Good/\ The Voice sneered, /\dont you feel like thats a load off your
chest? Dont you feel better now that youve let it all out?/\
~ I hate him~ Yuugi realized, never having actually said, or rather, even
_thought_ the words out loud. ~I hate the way that he controls my mind, the
way that he takes over my body. Before he could create a body of his own,
we had to share one. And it was torture. Even though I never admitted it.
~I hate the way that he would fight instead of me, how he would take my
body and claim it as his own whenever we would duel. He never gives me a
chance, never even _considers_ that I might want to fight my own battles.
~ I hate the way that he always assumes that he knows whats best for me,
and the way he expects me to just roll over and accept it like some kind of
slave.
~ I hate his whole holier-than-thou attitude, and his melodramatic moods. I
hate how he focuses on his past so much, and how he always finds little
ways to remind us that he doesnt have any memories.
~ I guess that it wasnt so bad before he got his own body. Back then, he
only came out when we dueled, and usually left when he saw my friends. But
when he gained his own body, at first I was glad that our body-sharing days
were over, until I realized that he was trying to take over my life.
~How can my friends adore him? Dont they realize that hes not here by my
choice? I never asked him to come! When I completed the puzzle, I wished
for friends, and the power that the puzzle would give me, not a leech that
lived in the past, and on my body!~
Yuugi stared at his hands for a second, before he realized that they were
very cold, and then stuffed them in his pockets.
~I hate the way that he calls me innocent, and the fact that he got all of
my friends started on it too! Just because I am a little small for my age,
they think, and treat me like a child! I was the glue that held our
friendship together, and before _he_ came, all of them _knew_ it too! So
now, I have been labeled the "innocent one", when we both know that its not
true.
~Oh sure, I havent seen any _real_ torture, or pain, not like Yami has, but
neither has any of the others! And yet they act like they have to protect
me from something. I bet if a man toppled dead in front of us, his body
dripping blood, Jou would be the first one grossed out! I should just smash
the puzzle!~ His hands tightened around the object in question. ~But I
cant, because I cant kill. Oh, but how I hate him!
/\Good, good/\ The Voice mocked, its interruption sly, /\let it all out./\
Yuugi suddenly stooped his ranting, as another car swept in front of him.
What do you want from me? he thought fearfully, suddenly realizing that he
was doing exactly as The Voice told him to.
/\Why, nothing, Yuugi. I just want whats best for us, for you, for me.
After all, arent we one and the same?/\
It had a good point. So- ~So why dont I believe you?~
/\Believe what you want Yuugi. After all, arent I just a figment of your
insanity, something that you dreamt up to help pass the time?/\
"Imagination." Yuugi whispered. "A figment of my imagination, not
insanity."
/\Are you so sure about that?/\
"I not insane!" Yuugi whispered fiercely, trying to convince himself.
/\I dunno, couldve fooled me/\
"Im not!" Yuugi protested, as the headlights of yet another car washed
over him and his surroundings briefly. Unbeknownst to him, the driver of
said car glanced sharply at the small boy who was walking by himself in a
snowstorm wearing almost nothing to cover him, and mumbling to himself. ~Is
that the famous duelist Yuugi Motou?~ he wondered to himself, catching site
of the boys tri-colored hair. A minute later he had convinced himself that
it was a different boy walking. ~After all,~ he thought, ~famed duelists
dont just wander down a road by themselves.~
/\Are you sure about that? If you _arent_ insane, then why are you hiking
down a road at night, mumbling to the voices in your head?/\
Before Yuugi had processed the thought, The Voice asked quietly,
~What _can_ I say?~ Yuugi wondered. ~After all, I cant really lie to him,
can I?~
/\Do what you want/\The Voice replied snidely. /\It doesnt matter what _I_
think. After all, youre living a lie already, arent you? Pretending to be
his friend like that? How much more can one more lie hurt?/\
"Which side are you on?" Yuugi asked the night air despairingly, feeling
more messed up by the second.
/\I hardly think that matters/\ The Voice replied after a minute. /\I just
say what you think/\ And with that, it was gone. Gone, like it was never
even there. ~And in a way,~ Yuugi supposed, ~The Voice _was_ never really
there.~
He laughed at his own affliction. It was a harsh laugh, without any
real mirth in it.
//aibou?//
Yami, finally daring to speak for the first time, sounded hesitant. No
doubt he was attracted to the strange feelings coming from Yuugis side of
their mind-link.
Yuugi ignored him, and instead concentrated on blocking his emotions from
his yami even more. ~Thats another thing that I hate about him,~ he thought
fiercely, ~my mind isnt mine after he arrived.~ He trudged on through the
snow.
//Aibou! Are you alright?// Now his yami sounded worried.
Yuugi smirked. Let him worry. He was tired of being predictable, tired of
being the one that everyone counted on. In a way, he was jealous of Ryou.
Ryou and Yami Bakura didnt get along-and Ryou had the scars to prove it-but
at least their relationship was straightforward. There were no hidden
secrets between the two of _them_.
//Yuugi!! Why arent you answering me?// Yami sounded desperate.
And Yuugi realized something. He realized just how tired he was. ~Of this,
of him, of everything.~ And he knew what to do.
/Yes, Yami?/
//Yuugi? Thank Ra! Where are you? Are you OK?//
/Yes Yami. Im fine. I am coming home now./
Yuugi turned around, and started walking off in the opposite direction
whence he was going.
//OK. Youll be home soon right?//
It was all Yuugi could do to keep from sighing. /Yes Yami./
There was a brief silence in Yuugis mind. Blessed silence.
Then-
//I was worried//
Yuugi smirked into the night air. If anyone saw him at that moment, they
would have seriously doubted that the boy they were witnessing was the same
Yuugi that they knew.
/Oh, I know, Yami./ He definitely had an answer to his yamis earlier
question.
/\Thats my boy!/\ The Voice crowed, in darkest, deepest, recesses of Yuugis
mind.
Yuugi smiled; the innocent smile that everyone was familiar with. Another
pair of headlights swept over Yuugi, and he brushed the snow from his face
impatiently.
~Oh, I know _exactly_ how worried you were. After all, we are one person,
arent we yami? Dont worry, you'll get your reply before long.
~Ill be home soon.~
~Owari~
AN: Well, _that_ was a side of Yuugi that we arent familiar with, wasnt it?
I was getting slightly tired of the fics where Yami confesses his love,
Yuugi loves him back, and they both live happily ever after(not that I dont
like reading those). And I tried to make Yami sound slightly patronizing.
Did it work? And yes, Ive decided to make my stories a series! I have quite
a big idea about where this is going to lead! So please review, if you want
to see what my next character is going to say!! Ive already decided who its
going to be! And Im not telling you!
*Piece of paper with "Yami" written on it drops our of Ivys pocket, and
floats to the floor, letting all the readers see it*
err…
*Snatches paper and pretends nothing happened*
How did that fall out? ^-^a
Once again, this fic is for you, Chibizoo!!
Review!!!
This fic is dedicated to Chibizoo for her wonderful fanfic contest, which
I, unfortunately, didnt join because of my lack of experience/skill.
But..*puffs out chest* I _did_ become on of the judges!! Go zoo-san!
AN: Part II of the Filling the Void series. This time, its Yuugis turn!
Thanks to all of you who reviewed for my first fic! It means a lot. Slight
shounen-ai, but nothing serious. Read part one!! Read!!
NOTES:
~Thoughts~
"Speech"
/\The Voice/\ (dont worry, youll understand when you read)
/hikari to yami/
//yami to hikari//
Footsteps in the Snow
pSnow crunched underneath Yuugi's footsteps as he trudged through it.
Snowflakes swirled around his face in a little storm, settling on his hair
and turning it from tri-colored to white. It was late at night, and the
middle of a snowstorm.
Yuugi trudged through the snow, his footsteps making a crunching sound as
he stepped through it. Snowflakes swirled around his face in a little
storm, settling on his hair, and turning it from tri-colored to white. It
was late at night, and the middle of a snowstorm.
Yuugi squinted through the darkness, trying to see ahead of him, without
much luck. A cars headlights swept through the road in front of him, and
everything was illuminated, at least for a few seconds.
Yuugi had no idea where he was. He had just started walking an hour ago,
without a sense of direction, or even any common sense. All he had on was a
thin jacket, and he was well aware that it was at least a few degrees under
zero.
~ But I cant go back, not after~
He tried to tear his mind from the thought, not allowing himself to finish
it. But, unwillingly, his mind flashed back.
~*Flashback*~
"Aibou?" Drowsy lavender eyes peered up at dark crimson ones.
"Yes, yami?" Because of the storm, they had decided to turn out the
lights, and rely on candles and the fireplace instead. It was supposed to
be cozy.
Yamis fingers reached out of their own accord, and stroked Yuugis cheek.
"I-I"
Yuugi put down the book that he had been reading, and watched the
firelight play across his others face with curiosity. Why didnt his yami
tell him what was going on? His yami was never so secretive, or so
hesitant, about anything. /\Oh yes/\ a voice snarled in the back of his
mind, /\his yami was _perfect_./\ Yuugi ignored The Voice, as he always
did, and pretended that it wasnt there. After, all, there was something not
normal, something, dare he say it?,_crazy_ about voices in ones head, wasnt
there? Especially if one already had another voice filling ones mind.
"Yes Yami?" Yuugi repeated, tuning out The Voice.
His yami sighed. "You are very beautiful Yuugi, did you know that?"
Yuug's breath hitched in his throat. What was going on?
"So beautiful, and innocent" His yami continued.
/\Dont _call_ me that!/\ The inner voice snapped, but the outer Yuugi was
more confused than ever. What had come over his yami?
"I-I love you Yuugi. Do y-you, do you feel the same way?" Yami stammered
out, watching his aibou carefully.
Yuugi was stunned. Whatever he had been expecting, this was _ not_ it.
/\But what _were_ you expecting, if not this?/\ The Voice snarled, /\Yami
to ask you if you wanted some ice cream?/\
In a way, Yuugi supposed that he was.
"Aibou?" His yami asked, hesitantly. Yuugi realized that he had been
silent for quite awhile, and that his other half was waiting for an answer.
And of course he owed him one-it was obvious that it had taken Yami a long
time to work up the courage to approach Yuugi, the least he deserved was an
honest answer.
/\Just look at the bastard!/\ The Voice sneeered, startling Yuugi out of
his reverie. /\He doesnt even believe that you would say no! Look at his
self-confidence! Theres not an inch of doubt in his pathetic mind that you
dont love him back! He's not wondering what your answer is going to be, but
when the right time would be to screw you senseless!/\
~ You cant prove that!~ Yuugi thought desperately, realizing that this was
the first time that he had answered The Voice. He also realized that The
Voice was right. There _was_ something strange about the way that Yami was
appraising him. As if he already knew Yuugis answer, and that this part was
all just a charade that they had to go through. A pointless charade, but
nonetheless, necessary.
"Yuugi, look at me!" Yami sounded worried, and at the same time,
commanding.
/\Dont tell me that you arent sick of the way that he commands you!/\ The
Voice cried gleefully, feeling victory within its grasp.
In answer, Yuugi ran out of the door, stopping only to put on his shoes
and the light jacket.
His yami didn't try to stop him, watching him leave with a puzzled
expression on his face. ~He just needs time to sort out his feelings.~ Yami
reasoned.
~*Flashback*~
Another car rumbled past, revealing the ground before him with its
headlights. Ice crystals glistened before him in a never-ending path.
Gazing at them, Yuugi fancied for a second that he could see eternity. Then
it was just a patch of darkness less dark than the rest of the road as the
car sped off.
Yuugi sighed. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? His yami
was waiting for an answer back home, and he obviously couldnt stay out here
forever.
~But the thing is; I dont _have_ an answer! It was a simple question! So
why does the answer have to be so difficult?~
/\Isnt _that_ obvious?/\ The Voice sneered in the back of Yuugis mind,
/\You cant answer because you have no answer. You _know_ that you dont love
your yami; you know it. But youre too scared to admit it, because it might
hurt his feelings. Youre too afraid to admit what you truly feel, even to
yourself. Youre too weak to confess to yourself that you-/\
"I am _not_ scared!" Yuugi shouted into the night. The Voice snickered.
/\Arent you? Because I think you are./\
"Im not." Yuugi whispered, his voice sounding unsure and quiet.
/\Then prove it. Admit what you truly feel, admit it!! Prove me wrong
Yuugi!! Dont you want to? Don-/\
"ALRIGHT!" Yuugi screamed. "I admit it! I hate him, okay?? I hate him so
much!"
/\Good/\ The Voice sneered, /\dont you feel like thats a load off your
chest? Dont you feel better now that youve let it all out?/\
~ I hate him~ Yuugi realized, never having actually said, or rather, even
_thought_ the words out loud. ~I hate the way that he controls my mind, the
way that he takes over my body. Before he could create a body of his own,
we had to share one. And it was torture. Even though I never admitted it.
~I hate the way that he would fight instead of me, how he would take my
body and claim it as his own whenever we would duel. He never gives me a
chance, never even _considers_ that I might want to fight my own battles.
~ I hate the way that he always assumes that he knows whats best for me,
and the way he expects me to just roll over and accept it like some kind of
slave.
~ I hate his whole holier-than-thou attitude, and his melodramatic moods. I
hate how he focuses on his past so much, and how he always finds little
ways to remind us that he doesnt have any memories.
~ I guess that it wasnt so bad before he got his own body. Back then, he
only came out when we dueled, and usually left when he saw my friends. But
when he gained his own body, at first I was glad that our body-sharing days
were over, until I realized that he was trying to take over my life.
~How can my friends adore him? Dont they realize that hes not here by my
choice? I never asked him to come! When I completed the puzzle, I wished
for friends, and the power that the puzzle would give me, not a leech that
lived in the past, and on my body!~
Yuugi stared at his hands for a second, before he realized that they were
very cold, and then stuffed them in his pockets.
~I hate the way that he calls me innocent, and the fact that he got all of
my friends started on it too! Just because I am a little small for my age,
they think, and treat me like a child! I was the glue that held our
friendship together, and before _he_ came, all of them _knew_ it too! So
now, I have been labeled the "innocent one", when we both know that its not
true.
~Oh sure, I havent seen any _real_ torture, or pain, not like Yami has, but
neither has any of the others! And yet they act like they have to protect
me from something. I bet if a man toppled dead in front of us, his body
dripping blood, Jou would be the first one grossed out! I should just smash
the puzzle!~ His hands tightened around the object in question. ~But I
cant, because I cant kill. Oh, but how I hate him!
/\Good, good/\ The Voice mocked, its interruption sly, /\let it all out./\
Yuugi suddenly stooped his ranting, as another car swept in front of him.
What do you want from me? he thought fearfully, suddenly realizing that he
was doing exactly as The Voice told him to.
/\Why, nothing, Yuugi. I just want whats best for us, for you, for me.
After all, arent we one and the same?/\
It had a good point. So- ~So why dont I believe you?~
/\Believe what you want Yuugi. After all, arent I just a figment of your
insanity, something that you dreamt up to help pass the time?/\
"Imagination." Yuugi whispered. "A figment of my imagination, not
insanity."
/\Are you so sure about that?/\
"I not insane!" Yuugi whispered fiercely, trying to convince himself.
/\I dunno, couldve fooled me/\
"Im not!" Yuugi protested, as the headlights of yet another car washed
over him and his surroundings briefly. Unbeknownst to him, the driver of
said car glanced sharply at the small boy who was walking by himself in a
snowstorm wearing almost nothing to cover him, and mumbling to himself. ~Is
that the famous duelist Yuugi Motou?~ he wondered to himself, catching site
of the boys tri-colored hair. A minute later he had convinced himself that
it was a different boy walking. ~After all,~ he thought, ~famed duelists
dont just wander down a road by themselves.~
/\Are you sure about that? If you _arent_ insane, then why are you hiking
down a road at night, mumbling to the voices in your head?/\
Before Yuugi had processed the thought, The Voice asked quietly,
~What _can_ I say?~ Yuugi wondered. ~After all, I cant really lie to him,
can I?~
/\Do what you want/\The Voice replied snidely. /\It doesnt matter what _I_
think. After all, youre living a lie already, arent you? Pretending to be
his friend like that? How much more can one more lie hurt?/\
"Which side are you on?" Yuugi asked the night air despairingly, feeling
more messed up by the second.
/\I hardly think that matters/\ The Voice replied after a minute. /\I just
say what you think/\ And with that, it was gone. Gone, like it was never
even there. ~And in a way,~ Yuugi supposed, ~The Voice _was_ never really
there.~
He laughed at his own affliction. It was a harsh laugh, without any
real mirth in it.
//aibou?//
Yami, finally daring to speak for the first time, sounded hesitant. No
doubt he was attracted to the strange feelings coming from Yuugis side of
their mind-link.
Yuugi ignored him, and instead concentrated on blocking his emotions from
his yami even more. ~Thats another thing that I hate about him,~ he thought
fiercely, ~my mind isnt mine after he arrived.~ He trudged on through the
snow.
//Aibou! Are you alright?// Now his yami sounded worried.
Yuugi smirked. Let him worry. He was tired of being predictable, tired of
being the one that everyone counted on. In a way, he was jealous of Ryou.
Ryou and Yami Bakura didnt get along-and Ryou had the scars to prove it-but
at least their relationship was straightforward. There were no hidden
secrets between the two of _them_.
//Yuugi!! Why arent you answering me?// Yami sounded desperate.
And Yuugi realized something. He realized just how tired he was. ~Of this,
of him, of everything.~ And he knew what to do.
/Yes, Yami?/
//Yuugi? Thank Ra! Where are you? Are you OK?//
/Yes Yami. Im fine. I am coming home now./
Yuugi turned around, and started walking off in the opposite direction
whence he was going.
//OK. Youll be home soon right?//
It was all Yuugi could do to keep from sighing. /Yes Yami./
There was a brief silence in Yuugis mind. Blessed silence.
Then-
//I was worried//
Yuugi smirked into the night air. If anyone saw him at that moment, they
would have seriously doubted that the boy they were witnessing was the same
Yuugi that they knew.
/Oh, I know, Yami./ He definitely had an answer to his yamis earlier
question.
/\Thats my boy!/\ The Voice crowed, in darkest, deepest, recesses of Yuugis
mind.
Yuugi smiled; the innocent smile that everyone was familiar with. Another
pair of headlights swept over Yuugi, and he brushed the snow from his face
impatiently.
~Oh, I know _exactly_ how worried you were. After all, we are one person,
arent we yami? Dont worry, you'll get your reply before long.
~Ill be home soon.~
~Owari~
AN: Well, _that_ was a side of Yuugi that we arent familiar with, wasnt it?
I was getting slightly tired of the fics where Yami confesses his love,
Yuugi loves him back, and they both live happily ever after(not that I dont
like reading those). And I tried to make Yami sound slightly patronizing.
Did it work? And yes, Ive decided to make my stories a series! I have quite
a big idea about where this is going to lead! So please review, if you want
to see what my next character is going to say!! Ive already decided who its
going to be! And Im not telling you!
*Piece of paper with "Yami" written on it drops our of Ivys pocket, and
floats to the floor, letting all the readers see it*
err…
*Snatches paper and pretends nothing happened*
How did that fall out? ^-^a
Once again, this fic is for you, Chibizoo!!
Review!!!
