Episode 1 - Casting Call
by Beach Fradis
Nuriko: What the hell are we doing here?
Chichiri: We're casting for a movie, no da.
Miaka: Not any movie, though. We're going to be in the X-men movie!!
Tomo: (covers his ears) Is that suppoused to be a good thing?
Soi: Oh, shut up, Tomo.
Hotohori: I'm not sure I want to be in this movie. Action sequences can really mess my hair. Besides, no character is a beautiful as me.
(All sweatdrop)
Taka: Listen, yo! I'm the casting director here, so you must absolutely obey my orders!
Everyone: WHAT?!
Suboshi: No @#&x way!
Tasuki: Why da @#&x is obake-chan da director?
Taka: (crosses his arms) The authoress of this fic chose me. Now, shut up, okay?
Miboshi: (rolls eyes) She doesn't even like you.
Taka: She still chose me. See? I'm STILL the casting director.
Nakago: (glares icily) I absolutely refuse to follow your orders.
(The sky darkens and an impressive lighting stikes Nakago directly)
Soi and Tomo: NAKAGO-SAMA!!! ;_;
Tomo: You @#&x b*tch! Why the hell was that for?!
Soi: It wasn't me!! It was the authoress!!
Authoress: (appears out of nowhere) That's right. Now, Nakkie-poo, either you behave, or you will face the consequences. Got it?
Nakago: (Still fried) (Nods)
Authoress: Sweet. Go ahead, Baka... um, Taka. (disappears)
Taka: (Sweatdrops) Okaaaay... let's see... asign the first roles... (looks at papers)
Miaka: Sugoi!! Will I be the heroine here, too?
Taka: All in due time, babe. First... Miboshi will be Professor X.
(Massive sweatdropping)
Nuriko: No way! He's evil!! He can't be the leader of the good guys!!
Taka: (eyes in tiny slits) Okay, you get to play Professor X. First you'll have to shave your head...
Nuriko: EEEEP!!! No, thanks!!!
Taka: (sighs) So Miboshi is Professor X...
Miboshi: Am I going to be confined to a wheelchair?!
Soi: (smirks) You can still float underneath the blanket, that'll give you additional height.
Miboshi: (glares) Very funny.
Suboshi: Look at it this way: You get to have the coolest powers!! (Shoves X-men comic to Miboshi's face)
Amiboshi: Not to mention all the money and resources...
(Taka drools at the thought of Professor X's considerable fortune)
Tomo: And the absolute leadership of the winning team.
Miboshi: (Reading comic) Control people by entering their minds... interesting... (evil grin)
Taka: Next is... aha! Nakago will be Magneto, the main bad guy. I don't think you'll have any problem with the role. Magneto was a victim and survivor of genocide, and first manifested his powers when he was still a child and his mother was in danger...
Keisuke: Whoa! That really sounds like you, Nakago!
Nakago: ...
Miaka: Onii-chan! What are you doing here?
Tetsuya: (waves) Hi! We're also casting for a role.
Keisuke: And keeping guys from making passes at Yu- (Tetsuya covers his mouth)
Tetsuya: Hehe.
Yui: (crosses her arms) I can take care of myself perfectly well, thank you very much!
(Taka, Nakago, Miboshi and Tomo roll their eyes)
Taka: Hmmm... Next are the good guys. Soi will be Storm.
Soi: Cool! She's my favorite. Wait, that means I'll fight against Nakkie-poo?!
Nakago: (rolls eyes) It's just acting.
Soi: Alright, alright. Do I have to bleach my hair?
Taka: No, we'll get you a wig from Nuriko's personal collection.
Nuriko: What? Hell no! What if she gets it tangled or dirty?
(Soi rolls her eyes)
Amiboshi: Nuriko, calm down. Have you ever seen Soi with messy hair?
Chichiri: She always looks tidy, no da.
(Everyone nods in agreement)
Nuriko: (pouting) Okay, fine. Just take good care of it.
Soi: Don't worry, I will.
Tasuki: Waitaminute... Obake-chan!! Da ya want those @#&x bastards to have all da roles?!
Taka: Tasuki!! Don't call me that!!
Chiriko: He's right, though. You haven't assigned a single role to any of the Suzaku seishi. In the sake of fairness I believe you should asign any of us the following role.
Taka: Oh well, I'll do that.
Tasuki: (crosses his arms) Whatever.
Taka: You'll be Wolverine.
(Everyone moans and/or protests)
Suboshi: Not fair!!
Nuriko: Che! Why him?!
Taka: He's got the rotten attitude *and* the fangs.
Tasuki: Hehe... I'll flame ya all!!!!
Chiriko: Ano... you'll have to part from your tessen.
Tasuki: What?! No @#&x way!!!!
Nuriko: Oh yeah... Wolverine doesn't HAVE a tessen...
Chichiri: He doesn't even fight with fire, no da.
Hotohori: Hand it over, Tasuki.
Tasuki: No!!!! (hugs tessen) Get away from ma tessen!!!
Miaka: As your miko, I command you to give me your tessen! (grabs it)
Tasuki: (sniffs) I'll miss ya, tessen!
(Massive sweatdropping)
Taka: Moving on... Tetsuya will be Cyclops. I think I don't have to explain this, do I?
(Everyone looks at Tetsuya and sweatdrops)
Tetsuya: (smirks) I've always liked him.
Amiboshi: He does look like Cyclops' long lost twin.
Suboshi: Kawaii! (glomps Amiboshi, who sweatdrops)
Miaka: (nudges Yui) Does he ever take his shades off?
Yui: (sighs) No.
Tomo: Perhaps when he goes to sleep or in the shower?
Yui: (rolls eyes) Not at all.
Suboshi: WHAT?! Yui-sama, who'd YOU know?! (his character glows blue and the Ryuuseisui spins madly).
Yui: (impassible) His mother told me.
Tetsuya: She did?!
Suboshi: Oh. (His character stops glowing and the Ryuuseisui falls limply to the floor)
Nuriko: Hey Tetsuya, are you crossed-eyed?
Tetsuya: Hey!
Taka: (visibly amused) Now for the bad guys...
Nuriko: Wait! You haven't asigned all the good guy roles!!
Taka: (smiling evily) I'm saving the best for last... ehem. As I was saying, the bad guys... Yui will be Mystique.
Yui: Do I ALWAYS have to be the villian? Neat.
Taka: Stop whining. Thanks to *me*, you're getting a stellar role in the film.
Yui: Yeah and thanks to *you*, I'll never stop being considered the biggest b*tch in shôjo anime!
Nakago: Yui-sama, do not worry. Suzaku no miko is far more hated among FY fandom than you are.
Miaka: What?!
Chichiri: (surfing the net on his kasa-turned-laptop). He's right, no da.
Tomo: Understandably so.
Miaka: Hey!
Taka: (miffed at all the Miaka bashing) You're Mystique, end of story!
Tetsuya: Wait... If I'm Cyclops, isn't she suppoused to be Jean Gray?
(Suboshi sends a death glare to Tetsuya while the Ryuuseisui spins viciously around him)
Tetsuya: Then again, it might not be a good idea.
Yui: Waitwaitwait... Isn't Mystique suppoused to be NAKED?!
(Suboshi, Tetsuya and Keisuke drool shamelessly at the thought of a naked Yui)
Yui: (rolls eyes) Perverts.
Taka: Oh, no, don't worry! You'll be covered in blue latex paint!
(Suboshi, Tetsuya and Keisuke drool shamelessly at the thought of a covered-in-blue-latex-but-otherwise-perfectly-naked Yui)
Yui: (twitches) Perfect.
Amiboshi: Wouldn't it be better if Miaka plays Mystique? After all, her hair looks a little more like Mystique's.
Taka: No. Blue is Seiryuu's color.
Soi: In that case, *I* get wear white, which is SO not my color.
Tomo: And Nakago-sama has to wear *red*.
Nakago: *shudders*
Taka: NO! I refuse to let my girlfriend parade naked through a movie!
Yui: (grins evilly) What is all the fuss about? She's going to be covered in blue latex paint, isn't she?!
(Hotohori, Nuriko and Tasuki drool shamelessly at the thought of a covered-in-blue-latex-but-otherwise-perfectly-naked Miaka)
Miaka: Huh?
Nuriko: C'mon, Taka. Everyone's already seen Miaka naked.
Suboshi: Yeah, and my eyes still hurt.
Miaka: Hey!
Yui: Hey! When did *you* see her naked?!
Amiboshi: (smiling innocently) Are you jealous, Yui-sama?
Yui: (blushes) I... (miffed) OF COURSE NOT!
Amiboshi: Suuuure...
(Suboshi blushes and smiles shyly [he's so goddamn cute when he does that!])
(Tetsuya scowls)
Taka: (interrumping as to prevent the authoress from turning this story into a YuixSuboshi sap fic-)
Tetsuya: Phew!
Suboshi: @#&x!
Taka: Serves you right, yo-yo boy! Where was I?... ah yes. Miaka WILL NOT be Mystique!
Chiriko: Hummm... Why don't we set aside this dilemma and move on to other roles?
Soi: (applying makeup) Good idea.
Taka: Whatever. Hmmm... Ashitare will be Sabertooth. This role does not require much intelligence.
Miboshi: And Ashitare's already used to Nakago's whippings anyway.
(Ashitare growls)
Tasuki: What?! @#&x! I dun wanna fight dat @#&x beast!
Keisuke: Serves you right for grabbing a good role!
Taka: Don't worry, man. I'll give you a good role. We're family, right?
Keisuke: I'm counting on that.
Nuriko: But what about Heika-sama? What about *me*? And Chichiri? And Chiriko? And Mitsukake? Wait, where the hell's Mitsukake?!
(Chiriko points to Mitsukake, who's petting Tama-neko quietly in a dark corner of the studio)
Taka: *ahem* Since you're so desperate for a role, Nuriko, you'll get next one.
Nuriko: (crosses his arms) Just about time!
Taka: You'll be Toad.
Nuriko: O.O You're joking, right?
Taka: (shakes head) Not at all.
Nuriko: NO! You CAN'T do that to ME!!! I'm too pretty!! (sparkles surround Nuriko as his eyes shimmer) And delicate! And lovely! And adorable! And kawaii!!
Tasuki: Ah, shaddup.
(Nuriko smashes Tasuki to the nearest wall)
Tasuki: (spitting teeth) Ow.
Soi: Sorry to intrude, but I think Tomo's better suited for that role.
Tomo: O.O What?!
Amiboshi: I don't think Tomo has much in common with Toad.
Suboshi: Except that they're both annoying as hell.
Soi: And they're both EXTREMELY ugly.
Tomo: Shut up, you low-life @#&x!
Taka: Sorry. I can't let old grudges affect the cast choices. It wouldn't be fair.
Keisuke: That means you're giving Suboshi a good role?
Taka: (grins evilly) Oh, I'm giving him a PERFECT role. Wait and see.
Chichiri: We still need a Toad, no da.
Chiriko: Sure, but is someone in here who fits that role? Furthermore, is there anybody willing to *take* that role?
(Silence)
(Tumbleweeds pass by)
Hotohori: Now that I think about it... Chichiri, you can turn into *anything*, right?
Chichiri: Hai, Heika-sama. (panicking) What are you implying, no da?
Nuriko: Oh, Chichiri! Won't you do it for your friends in need?
Hotohori: Help us!
Chiriko: Please Chichiri-san! Do it for us!
Miaka: Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chichiri: (Sighs) Fine no da. But I'll only turn into Toad once the film starts rolling, no da.
Everyone: Yay!!
Soi: (slightly disappointed) I was really looking forward to fry Tomo...
Nakago: You can do it when the filming ends.
Soi: Waiii!!! Thank you Nakkie-poo!!!
Tomo: (sniff) Why, Nakago-sama? Why are you so cruel?
Taka: Good. Now that that's been settled, we'll go to the GOOD roles.
Amiboshi: Well, there are two main roles still on the air, I believe. Rogue and Jean Grey.
Taka: (nods) And you'll agree with me that we're a little short of women, right?
(Everyone nods)
Taka: So, I've made some arrangements to solve this problem as best as possible. As Soi is gone, and so is Yui...
Yui: Wait! We STILL haven't decided who's playing Mystique!
Miaka: Maybe I can play two roles!
Taka: No, that'll confuse the audience.
Nuriko: I can be one of the girls!
Taka: (sweatdrops) Ey, um... maybe. ^^; Anyway, I've already made a decision. Suboshi will be Jean Gray.
All: O.O WHAT??!!!
Taka: I don't know why are you all so surprised. They both have nearly identical powers, after all.
Suboshi: NO! No way!!! No @#&x way!!!
Amiboshi: (sweatdrops) What about your anti-grudge policy?
Taka: (shrugs) I changed my mind.
Yui: (VERY amused) It's going to be fun to see Suboshi and Tetsu-chan kiss...
Tetsuya: O.O! WHAT?!
(Keisuke, Nuriko and Tasuki laugh their asses off)
Suboshi: NO!!! @#&x!!! I won't go near that @#&x!
Tetsuya: NO!! No way in hell!!
Tasuki: (laughing) Serves ya right, ya @#&x yo-yo psycho!
Keisuke: (trying to control his laughter) What are you laughing about, Tasuki? Wolverine FALLS for Jean Gray, doesn't he?!
Tasuki: O.O WHAT?!
(Everyone laughs harder, if such thing is possible)
Nuriko: You'll look really cute as you declare your undying love to Suboshi!!
Tasuki: @#&x!!!
Suboshi: I won't play a woman!! I won't kiss no @#&x guy!!! NO WAY!!!
Taka: You won't play a woman. Jean is a generic name. You can perfectly play a guy. Now, for you kissing Tetsuya... sorry, I can't do anything about that (smiles insincerely).
Suboshi: NO!! I want justice done!!! Where's the authoress?!
(Silence)
(chirp... chirp...)
Suboshi: (cries) NOOOO!!!!!! I thought you loved me!!!!
Soi: Now, Suboshi, it might not be that bad. You might as well like it.
Tomo: And if you do, be sure to inform me. Kakakakaka!!!!!!
Suboshi: (panicking) NO!! NOO!!!!! Aniki, please help me!!!!
Amiboshi: (trying not to laugh) Calm down, Shun.
Tetsuya: (trying to calm down) Okay, Taka, explain me. I understand your need to humiliate Suboshi, but what have I ever done to you?!
Taka: (shrugs) Sorry. I have to sacrifice you. Besides, if I recall correctly, we have a large yaoi fanbase. We have to please that important audience.
Suboshi and Tetsuya: (crying in unison) NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
Nuriko: (filing his nails) Now, what's so terrible about kissing a man?
Yui: It'll be useful as practice. Something you BOTH need.
Tasuki: (looking frantically for his tessen) You're gonna @#&x PAY for this, @#&x Obake-chan!!!!
(The tessen is hidden under Mitsukake, who's *still* in a dark corner petting Tama-neko and shaking his head)
Amiboshi: (ponders) But if you want fanservice, wouldn't it be better to bring favorite fan couples together?
Miboshi: (grins evilly) Half FY fanfiction is Chichiri/Tasuki slash!
Suboshi: (brightens) That's RIGHT! Cast Chichiri! Have Tasuki fall all over him!!
Chichiri: Eeeep!
Tasuki: (Eyes widen) NO! No @#&x way!!!
Taka: (shakes head) Sorry. Chichiri's already Toad. He can't play two characters.
Suboshi: (growls) You're doing this on PURPOSE, you @#&x piece of @#&x!!
(Taka whistles)
Miaka: What about Onii-chan? Fans write steamy stories about Tetsuya-san and him...
Keisuke: NO!! Dammit, Miaka, are you NUTS?!
Chiriko: She's not. And neither are the fans. It's simply a matter of taste.
Suboshi: SEE?! He'd be a MUCH better Jean Gray than me!!!!!!!
Keisuke: WHAT??!!! I'M NOT!!
Tetsuya: NO!!! No way I'm going to get touchy-feely with *him*!!
Nuriko: (raises an eyebrow) Then you'd prefer to get to know Suboshi *ahem* better?
Taka: (sighs) We're short on funds, and we can't spend in special effects. Suboshi's powers will come in handy (whispering to himself) Man, am I enjoying this... hehe...
Tetsuya: What a miser...
Suboshi: Hey!!! FANS demand it!!! Make it a Chichiri/Tasuki or a Keisuke/Tetsuya!!!
Tasuki: NO!! @#&x!! @#&x!!
Nakago: (annoyed) Shut up, Suboshi. You're not better off than those two.
Suboshi: (confused) What do you mean?
Tomo: (grinning EVILLY) Does the word *twincest* ring a bell?
Amiboshi and Suboshi: (in unison) EEEEP!!
Suboshi: (becoming desperate) AUTHORESS!! Please!! Onegai!!! Do something?? I beg you, oh beautiful, sweet authoress!!!
Yui: (scowls) What?!
Authoress: (appears) Why, thank you! Kawaii Shun-chan!! (pats Suboshi's head softly)
Suboshi: I... (blushes furiously)
Yui: (green) Grrrrr...
Authoress: (grins) See? She loves you! She just needs to stop being so goddamn dense and stubborn...
Yui: (scowls) What?! I'm not dense! And who ever said I wanted him?!
Authoress: That means I can keep him???
Yui: OVER MY DEAD BODY!!!
Authoress: See, Shun?
Suboshi: *.* Oooooh, Yui-sama!!! I love you too!!!!! (hugs her)
Yui: (blushing too harshly to respond)
Tetsuya: (GREEN!) Are you going to HELP, or are you going to let this psycho grope MY girl?!
Authoress: (Rolls eyes) First, I'm here to help Suboshi, not Tasuki and definitely not you. Second, she's not your girl. She's just dating you out of boredom. Third, I'm a YxS shipper. Shun-chan is my fave character, and I'm gonna give 'im whatever he wants, Yui included.
Suboshi: *^-^*
Yui: I'm NOT a piece of merchandise!
Authoress: (rolls eyes) You should be grateful. Tons of fangirls would *kill* to date one of the cute Seiryuu twins.
Taka: Which would go perfectly with psycho yo-yo boy's personality (dodges Ryuuseisui).
Authoress: *Ahem* And fourth, the real reason I'm here is to remove Taka from his job. Sayonara, Tama-chan. (kicks Taka and sends him to orbit)
Suboshi: ^O^
Tasuki: (grins) Bye bye, Obake-chan!!!!! (waves hankie)
Miaka: TAKA!!!!! ToT
Keisuke: (shoves doughnut in Miaka's mouth) Shuddup, will ya?!
(Miaka munches on happily and forgets completely about Taka)
Authoress: Okay, now my fave Suzaku will be in charge (hands Chiriko the script).
Chiriko: (giggly) Sugoi!!
Nuriko: O_o Chiriko is your fave?
Authoress: (shrugs) He's kawaii. Good luck, Chiriko-chan (disappears).
Chiriko: (waves hand) Arigato, authoress-san!
Nakago: (glares) Perfect. A brat giving *me* orders.
(Tetsuya is crying on Keisuke's shoulder)
Keisuke: (pats him) There, there, man. Calm down.
Soi: You know, that does NOTHING to stop the rumours about you two.
Yui: (hugs Tetsuya) Hey, hey, it's okay.
Tetsuya: (sniffing) Oh, Yui-chan, I just love you too much!!
Suboshi: (rolls eyes) Yeah, whatever.
Chiriko: (clears throat) Okay, now that we've wasted far too much time in role assignments and love affairs, I'll quicken the pace so that this fanfic will not turn unbearably long and boring to our dear readers.
Miboshi: (crosses his arms) It already IS!
Miaka: (blinks) Unbewhat?
Chiriko: First, since Taka-san isn't present and I doubt anybody else will argue about this, the role of Mystique will be assigned to Miaka-san.
Hotohori, Nuriko and Tasuki: (throwing confetti) YAY!!!
(Nuriko and Tasuki do the bandit dance)
Miaka: Cool!! Wait, who's Mystique?
(Everybody facefaults)
Yui: (smiling mischievously) Let's just say it's a really, really cool character...
Nuriko: She shapeshiftes.
Miaka: Shapewhat?
Hotohori: (patiently) Changes form into anything or anyone she wants.
Miaka: Oh, I get it, like Chichiri, right?
Chichiri: (nodding) Hai, no da.
Chiriko: Hmmm... Since I don't want Suboshi-san and Tetsuya-san killing each other, I won't assign Yui-san the role of Jean Grey. She however can play Rogue.
Yui: (grins) Neat, the female lead. Chiriko, I'm beginning to see why the authoress likes you so much.
Chiriko: (beams) Arigato, Hongou-san.
Miaka: (pouts) I wanted to be the main character!!
Nuriko: Miaka, don't be so selfish.
Miaka: My hair is much more like Rogue's!
Amiboshi: (sighs) And like Mystique's and Jean Grey's.
Chiriko: It's not our fault screenplayers have such limited creativity as to include three redheaded women as main characters within a script.
Miaka: (not quite understanding) Ah... Hai.
Tetsuya: (visibly calmer) So who's going to play Jean Grey then?
Chiriko: (sighs) Taka-san might have been unfair and subject to prejudices while making his casting choices; however, I agree with the notion that there is a large yaoi fanbase we must please. So Jean Grey will be acted by Nuriko-san, whose facial features resemble a female's almost to pefection, yet is a favorite subject among drooling shounen-ai fangirls.
Nuriko: FINALLY! A role that's good enough for beautiful me! Ahou! (hand in cheek)
Tetsuya and Tasuki: ... (falling on a dark void)
Chichiri: (relieved) Tasuki and Nuriko are a favorite yaoi couple as well, no da.
Suboshi: (jumping up and down) Yes!! YES!! I KNEW you loved me, authoress-sama!!
Yui: (smacks Suboshi) Baka.
Chiriko: Gomen ne, Tasuki-san, Tetsuya-san. If this is some sort of consolation for you both, you won't have to kiss Nuriko-san. (reads script) There are no kisses of any kind in the entirety of the script.
Tomo: You're forgetting the second scene, when Rogue sucks her boyfriend dry.
Yui: That'd be me.
Suboshi: (narrows eyes) And WHO is going to be the boyfriend?
Chiriko: (checks script) Ah, you're absolutely right. I must memorize the script to avoid making any further mistakes. Please, excuse me for a minute (flips pages quickly).
Keisuke: (impatiently) What should we go in the meantime?
Chiriko: I'm done. Now-
Soi: What?! So quickly?!
Hotohori: That does not surprise me. Chiriko's intelligence in famous in all Konan.
Suboshi: (eyebrow twitching) WHO's going to be the boyfriend?!
Chiriko: (ignoring Suboshi) Arigato, Heika-sama. But anyway, there are no kisses involving Tetsuya and Tasuki.
(Tasuki and Tetsuya are twitching on the floor)
Suboshi: (clenching fists) Who. is. going. to. be. the. BOYFRIEND?!
Chiriko: Very well, that's all for today. I want to study the script better, analize it through every possible angle, and make further revision as for the casting choices already made and possible changes. Oh, and furthermore, as I will be the director of the film, I should look at the storyboards, filming equipment, and corroborate the choice of cameramen, editors...
(All stare with their mouths open)
Chiriko: ...make-up crew and special effects chosen by our producer, the authoress-san. There might be some scene shooting changes, further revision of location and scenography... Oh! I almost forgot! I should also be studying filmmaking precepts such as the mise en scène and...
Nuriko: (covers Chiriko's mouth) We get it, kiddo.
All: (nodding and sweatdropping)
Miaka: Okay, guys... see you tomorrow!
(All leave the studio, except for: Chiriko, who's *still* thinking of his director duties; Suboshi, whose seishi symbol is glowing blue; Tetsuya, who's *still* twitching on the floor; Tasuki, who's looking frantically for his tessen to fry the authoress since he can't bring himself to flame Chiriko... and Mitsukake, who's *still* petting Tama-neko and sitting on Tasuki's tessen.)
[Fade out]
Next Episode:
Yui: The cast is set... but what about the poor souls who haven't been assigned a role? What possible changes will Chiriko make to the movie in order to make it more reasonable and intellectually challenging? Will Soi fry Tomo? Will Taka ever return from the Twilight Zone? Will this story turn into a Tetsuya/Nuriko/Tasuki yaoi lemon? Will the authoress smack Tasuki for thinking of frying her? Will Mitsukake *ever* stop petting Tama-neko?
Miaka: All the answers and more in our next episode: "The Cocktail Party". Wait... COCKTAIL PARTY?! FREE FOOD!!! *DROOL*
Yui: Hehe... (sweatdrops) See you next time... Ja ne!
Funny? Not really... Silly? You bet! Anyway, I decided to share this... it will very possibly be subject to changes.
Feedback will be appreciated, as well as ideas for the next chapter.
Thanks for reading!
Ja ne!
Suboshi: (spitting fire) WHO THE @#&x'S GONNA BE THE BOYFRIEEEEND????!!!!!!!