Chapter 14: Graechak
The next morning, Baelin woke first, his silver eyes blinking open and looking over at White with a blank expression, where as inside, he was much more shaken than he looked. Being with White had been the most fulfilling sex of his life, and he had even been careful not to hurt him to an extent, which he never did. Yet, even after taking him...he still wanted more.
Stroking the other's hair once, he pulled his clothes on and left, making his way to Heart Castle and approaching the portal keeper there, an unpainted golem wearing a waistcoat. "Yo, fucker. Open the damn portal, I got places to be and lives to fuck up," he said, giving the blank faced man a shark toothed grin.
Once on the other side, he immediately made his way to the Hatter Mansion, intent on talking to Kagamine.
However, he really didn't expect to walk into the absolute chaos that he did. There were Hatters and their new, angry twins everywhere. Kagamine stood at the front of the large, ballroom that was his party room, a vein throbbing in his head as he steadily shouted at all of them to listen to him. March was behind him, wringing his hands nervously.
"Screw you, old man!" one Hatter shouted, and both Baelin and Kagamine's eyes went to the speaker, only to wide a little in shock. It was a brunette version of the salt-and-pepper haired Grey Hatter, who at that moment was trying to wrestle his other back and away from Kagamine.
It seemed like all of the twins were like that. Gathered here almost against their will, none of them even wanted to acknowledge Kagamine as the Hatter, and it seemed none were okay with taking his orders...let alone paying attention to him.
Kagamine tried almost desperately to get a hold on the situation, but Baelin knew the other man like the back of his hand, and could see him beginning to tear at the seams. So, with a sigh, the raven haired twin began to force his way through the crowd. "Outta my way, you little fuckin' twats," he growled, pushing a few of the somewhat young Hatters out of his way.
They turned and looked like they were going to snap right back at him, until they saw just who he was...or rather, who he looked like. Realizing what that meant, a lot of them simply got out of his way, and if they didn't, one glare from him made them change their minds.
Once get up to where Kagamine was at the head of the room, on a small stage meant for a band of some sort, he held a hand out for the silver haired man to help him up. Though Kagamine looked doubtful for a moment, he grabbed his twin's hand and pulled him up.
To which Baelin responded by cupping his hands around his mouth. "HEY! SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU BASTARDS!" he shouted, the growl-y tone to his voice echoing throughout the whole room.
Everyone froze, the both Hatters and their new twins alike, to look at Baelin, who glared them down with an intensity that promised retribution should they break this new silence. "That's fuckin' right. Now, drop yur damn twins and look this fuckin' way while this guy talks, got it? Whether you like it or not, ya all are Hatters. And this is the Hatter. So shut yur damn pie holes and listen to him."
The silence lasted for a long moment, before somewhere a baby started crying. Or rather, two babies began wailing. In the back of the crowd two flustered new parents where trying to silence their babies, obviously having been taken by surprise when they found two babies instead of one in the crib. The parent's mad twins were leering over their siblings shoulders and quietly cooing at the babies. It appeared not all mad twins were being really vicious; mostly it was the younger hatters causing problems.
Someone shouted "What are we supposed to do now?"
Kagamine's shoulders actually slumped a little in relief, completely boggled that Baelin had done something productive and actually helped him. Baelin smirked a little, seeming arrogant that he had helped as well, and he caught March looking at him out of the corner of his eye. When he turned his head to look, the Hare could only look almost more relieved than Kagamine, and mouth 'Thank you.'
The thanks shocked Baelin so much he was silent, and that left Kagamine to speak.
"Well," the Hatter said, clearing his throat. "The first thing we all need to do is calm down."
"You want me to be calm?! With this fucker trying to boss me around and sh-" the mad twin of Grey began, only to have Baelin's foot come in contact with his face because he was so close. "Shut up, ya little shit. There's kids here," Baelin growled.
Which was completely contradictory, seeing as he cursed in the same sentence, but it got the young Hatter to be quiet, rubbing his now red face in silence. After a nod from his twin, Kagamine continued. "As I said, calm down. This is the will of both Reliquum and the Southern Wonderlander's goddess, Mary. Reliquum felt a need to end our curse of madness...but I am sure you've figured out your madness was never really madness. These are your family. Your brothers and sisters. Some of you have already learned to work with them...and some of you may need time," he explained, eyes traveling over the audience.
He gestured to Baelin. "But I assure you, they are people. And I want to let this be known to any troublemakers, mad twin or not. You are still under Wonderland and Hatter laws. Nothing," he emphasized, pointedly looking at Baelin, who looked away. "...will change that. You have no excuse. We are doing all we can to deal with this...and if you feel you have a particularly unruly twin, 'original' or not, please, come and see me."
A murmur went through the crowd and the room slowly began to empty. Most would be going home, as many people had taken the day off to handle their sudden life adjustment. Many Hatter amusement parks were shut down.
Baelin turned to look at Kagamine.
"We need to talk," the raven said, already seeing the look on Kagamine's face.
The silver haired man nodded, a slightly drained look on his face. "Yes. Come, we should do it away from the rest of the group," he said, gesturing for Baelin to follow him. As they passed March, the Hatter kissed his mate on the forehead, stroking his hair and whispering to him about where he was going with Baelin.
March nodded, blushing lightly and looking just as relieved as Kagamine. He nodded his thanks once more at Baelin as they left, and the dark haired twin felt oddly...good...
After all, March had always looked upon him with fear and a wary expression when he was in Kagamine's body.
They went up to Kagamine's room, and Baelin automatically went to sit in a chair at the small table to the side of the room, Kagamine standing nearby. "...I need a place to stay," Baelin said first, into the silence.
It took a moment for Kagamine to respond, but he nodded. "Yes, I know. I thought about that while you were out on your little escapade, and...I have had a room prepared for you, here," he explained, looking away. That took Baelin by surprise. Kagamine had always despised him, hated him. He tried to kill him...and yet, he was willingly offering up a place to stay?
"Why...?" Baelin asked, crossing his legs and leaning back much like Kagamine.
Once again hesitating to speak, Kagamine was silent for a while. He was leaning against the wall now, holding his chin with a thoughtful expression. "...Because I was not lying back there, when I said these new beings are people...our brothers and sisters. Now that Reliquum has freed you and told me such things...I cannot just leave you out on your own. You are, apparently...my family. In case you have not noticed...I do not have much of that left..." he murmured, not looking Baelin in the eye.
The black haired man's eyes grew hooded as he thought back to Kagamine's-no, their parents. Their dead parents. "Yeah...but ya hate me, Kaga. Even I fuckin' know that. Better than anybody fuckin' else."
"That is...that is not true. I will admit...I hated the things you did in my name, with my body. But I mostly hated that while you were in control, I was not...and I hated that you hurt people with my hands. And you need to understand, Baelin, that I do not offer you free housing and food without rules," he said, looking up finally, gold eyes meeting with silver.
"Heh. 'Course not," Baelin said, smirking. "Lay 'em on me."
The Hatter sat down in front of his twin at the second chair. "No killing. Stay away from the citizens of Hatter Mansion, and the city near it. Do not torture and murder my people, be they maids, stable hands, chefs, or the like. And...no rape either."
Baelin frowned, his expression saying that he had problems with all of those rules. "I dunno if I can follow that shit," he grumbled, crossing his arms in thought.
"Then you cannot stay here. Just as I said in the other room, all crimes are crimes. If you commit them...I will have to put you in jail...brother. I do not think you would do well there," Kagamine countered quietly.
The other man's frown deepened, and he sighed. "Then fine. I'll find some other form of fuckin' entertainment. Let me help ya with yur fuckin' sword trainin' and shit."
Kagamine blinked in surprised, not expecting the counter, or for the man to give in so easily. "Ah...really? Alright, but you will be under strict supervision until I think it is safe."
"Deal," Baelin purred, sitting back.
Both of them simply looked at the other for a long time. Neither of them had ever seen the other face to face before, and they hadn't had time to really look at the Teaparty before Baelin had left with White. Their likeness was a little eerie, even for Baelin. This was going to be very interesting, for a very long time.
They talked for a while longer, before Baelin decided he should make himself scarce.
With the help of Kaga, he was whirled through a portal back to the Southern Heart Castle, where he then proceeded to search for his rabbit. Going on a hunch, he found him in his office (which he apparently never locked), focused on a large pile of paperwork.
It was a minute before White looked up. His face remained mostly blank, aside from a quick look that came and went in his eyes.
"Good afternoon, Baelin. How can I help you?" he asked.
In response, the black haired man plopped down on the seat on front of the desk, resisting the urge to prop his feet up on the nice piece of wood before him. "Sure can sweet cheeks. Just sit there an' look pretty," he purred, grinning his shark toothed smile at the rabbit. "But fuckin' seriously, I wanted to tell ya about my livin' arrangements. Had ta go talk with Kaga, lotsa shit goin' on in the North."
He leaned forward, setting his elbows on the desk and staring White down with his silver orbs. "And I wanted ta ask ya. Mind if I screw ya again?" he asked, completely serious. "Hope ya don't take me leavin' early as an insult. Shits gotta get done, y'know."
White looked at him for a long moment before setting down his pen and resting his arms on his desk before him.
"Baelin...you are aware we do not have a relationship, correct?"
Baelin raised an eyebrow, still grinning even though White's words had stung. "Yeah, and? I think ya picked up damn well on it before, when I was in Kaga, but I still fuckin' like ya. I still want ya. Doesn't mean we need ta be together ta have sex," he said bluntly, leaning back and crossing his arms.
"Fuck buddies sound good? I just wanna be close ta ya," he admitted, but in such a way that he still had a confident air about him.
"No. That will not work. I have no intentions of doing that with you again. It was only to fulfill a promised; which I have done," White replied. "If there is anything else you require of me, ask me now because I have much to do."
"Don't give me that impersonal bullshit," Baelin said blandly. "I know ya have fuckin' feelins."
He realized he was getting frustrated, and gave a small sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in a showy way. "Anyway. Ya wouldn't have fucked me if ya didn't like me at least fuckin' little bit. So...if I can't fuck ya, how about I make ya want ta fuck me? Let's go on a few date or somethin'," he asked.
White blinked slowly in a way that Baelin had come to understand did not mean good things. "That...will have the complete opposite of the desired affect. Knowing beforehand that the intention of 'dating' you would purely be you attempting to seduce me into bed again will not work. Believe it or not, I have standards; and you do not meet them," he stated.
Baelin sighed, realizing that White wasn't going to give without a fight. He wasn't a naturally patient guy, but it looked like he would have to be with this Rabbit. "Fine, then we don't have to fuck. Let's just date. Don't answer now, 'cause yur biased and..." he trailed off, his smile drooping ever so slightly for just a moment before it was hidden. "I know I don't meet yur standards for shit."
"Just fuckin' think about it, 'kay? Now, where do ya know I could get a nice sword? I mean, shit, it takes almost a fuckin' month for the Tweedles ta finish a weapon," he said, popping his shoulders.
White had directed him to the clearing of the Hatta's home.
Baelin appeared through the portal at the center of aforementioned clearing, and discovered someone else also had business with the Hatta.
Jericko Jabberwocky stood chatting with Hatta as she packed the final (apparently hand forged) nails into a box and placed them on her work table in front of Jay.
It wasn't long before Hatta noticed Baelin, smiled, and waved him over.
"So what can I do for you today?" she asked. In truth White had already sent her a message explaining what Baelin would be requesting, and she was completely prepared to arm Kagamine's mad brother.
Baelin spoke to her, but kept glancing towards the Jabberwocky, who in turn was looking at him. "...Hn. Yeah, I need a sword. And no, I don't want that fancy bullshit kinda sword Kagamine has. I need somethin' bigger. Heavier, and preferably, two-handed."
Hearing this, Jay chuckled. "Going for the big guns, are you? You sure you can lift it? Seems like Kagamine wasn't the lifter type," he taunted.
The Hatter's twin took it a little too seriously though, and growled, turning to look at Jay completely. "Fuck ya, very much," he hissed. "I ain't Kaga, am I? Get outta here with that pansy assed bullshit."
The dragon's humor vanished and he growled back, flashing teeth. "Ice your fucking knockers, jackass. Learn to take a fucking joke!" He already didn't like this fucker. Maybe it was because they were so similar...their personalities clashed.
Then again, Jay understood him, in a way, which is what kept him from outright decking then other man. Baelin had been ripped away from Kagamine...and Jay was pretty sure people had yet to start treating him like a person, instead of Kagamine's madness.
"Hm, yes, well if you kittens are done bickering I'd like to show Baelin my selection. Baelin, please follow me," Hatta replied, walking the fifteen feet to the other side of her forge, and she proceeded to pull an old, dirty drape from the wall, so dark it almost blended in with the sooty brick.
Behind it were ten vertically mounted swords, with one mount empty in the very center, making a total of eleven places for swords to be hung.
The five to the left were a different style of swords from its five brethren, but there were two copies of each sword, one to the left and one to the right. The ones to the left were made of a dark metal that glinted deep silver. They seemed to absorb the low fire of Hatta's forge, taking it into themselves and turning it into something dangerous, and bloody red. Their hilts varied from being heavily decorated to plain. The decorative ones had jagged patterns that would pull pain from a person's soul, and their gems were like the many blinking eyes of a hell beast. The leather of the plainer swords was blackened; by sweat, blood, or age one would never know. Perhaps all three.
In complete contradiction, the swords to the right were almost golden silver in the light, and they shown back the many beautiful colors of Hatta forge fire, displaying all the pretty reds, whites, and golden yellows. Just like their darker siblings, some were plain and some were decorative. Their hilts were softly curving swirls and whirls that forced a smile at each slow turn. Their gems were bright bodies of light that could have very well been scooped from the heavens, and they twinkled merrily even in the shady light of the forge. The plainer ones were adorned with warm brown leather that would be comfortable and soft to the touch.
"Weapon forging may be different in our two Wonderland's, but there are vague similarities. I have forged thousands of swords in my life; but none so much like these eleven. I understand spirits are placed in your Weapons, which is not something that happens here. But there were times, time when my home of the South was in desperate need of a great weapon to help create the solution to its problems."
"Each one of these swords was made during those times, and I toiled for weeks and weeks on each one, and in the process...something entered each one. I don't know what, but I know they're alive. The five to the left have imbued themselves with something dark and cruel, the five to the left light and kind. But each one can be tempered to his wielder's personality, and thus changed themselves to perhaps something less cruel, or not as kind. You may choose one of these swords, Baelin. I think it would be appropriate for someone like you; as they are eleven completely different swords all from one maker," Hatta told him.
Baelin's eyes scanned over the beautiful weapons, and in that moment, Hatta earned his complete and utter respect. They were gorgeous weapons, masterfully crafted and skillfully imbued with power that the dark haired man could feel even from where he stood. Even the light swords that he didn't feel pulled towards gave off that same air.
Even Jay, who still had his Northern Weapon, would have been proud to wield one of these swords. "Nice, Hatta. Didn't know you had all of these...they're beautiful," he complimented.
It made Kagamine's twin look over at him and raise an eyebrow. "Since when does the fuckin' Jabberwocky give compliments?" he asked.
"Since I fucking feel like it," the dragon purred back, smirking.
Baelin seemed to be satisfied by that answer, and turned back towards the swords. His eyes lingered on the blank spot before they drifted back to the darker swords. The plain ones just weren't him at all...and the more complicated ones gave off just a little too much of a dark aura...it even made the Hatter a little nervous. Eventually, his eyes settled on and stuck to one that was right in the middle.
It wasn't nearly as ornate as some, but it wasn't plain enough to bore him either. He had been trying to find a bigger, broader sword...mostly because Kagamine was a light, rapier type wielder, and he wanted to be as far away from that as possible. But the one he had his eye on now was a single handed long sword.
He reached out and grabbed it, immediately feeling the personality of the weapon skitter up his arm in a small wave of power. It made a small smile curl on his lips. "I think I like this one," he said.
"Yes, I think Graechack likes you, too. You'll make a great pair. Now, none of these swords can transform, but you can magically store them and summon them however you want," Hatta piped up.
Baelin tilted his head, examining the weapon further. "Magically store?" he questioned, not familiar with the term. He could only think it had something to do with the way Hatta was always pulling things out of her hat, endlessly. However, there was a small problem, if that was the case...
"...I don't have any magical talent," he admitted lowly, looking away.
It wasn't necessarily true...he had the same amount of magic potential as Kagamine, but without a body of his own, he had never had the chance to learn any. That, and Kagamine had never let him have access to that information, for fear he might hurt someone. Which, he might have, if he had been given the chance.
This information surprised Jay, though. "You've been a part of the Hatter. I don't see how you could have no potential."
Hatta patted Baelin on the shoulder. "They may be something you and your brother will have to work on, then. Until then, over there's a box of leather sheathes; go find one that fits Graechak," she said, pushing Baelin towards the back corner of her forge.
She then turned her attention on Jay. "Will that be all, master carpenter sir?"
As Baelin nodded and marched off to do that, Jay's gaze followed him for only a few moments more, and then turned back to Hatta. He smiled at her and shook his head, shrugging. "Nah. I just stayed to see what was up with that ass hat. Thanks for the nails though, we were running pretty damn low."
He shook hands with Hatta, nodding mutually at Baelin, and then took his large boxes of nails, magically shrinking them with a little trick he had learned from March. He contemplated Baelin and his situation as he took the nails back to the worksite and dropped them off, and then began to make his way back home.
He walked, instead of flying or teleporting, as he did very often now. Despite his outward looks, he was a dragon by nature, and enjoyed his alone time in the Tulgy Woods of his new Wonderlandian home.
Despite this, he was still naturally on edge, battle instincts and what not, and heard someone following him about ten minutes away from his and March's home. His nostrils flared, and he paused, glancing behind him at the seemingly empty forest. "Alex. I know you're following me," he acknowledged, raising an eyebrow. He didn't know why Alex was in Southern Wonderland, or why he would be following him.
The raven haired teen stepped out from behind a tree with a bashful smile, rubbing a hand through his own hair. "I kind of figured you would sense me."
"My instincts aren't that bad. What do you need?" Jay asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Alex chuckled. "So blunt. It's nice to see you, too," he said, rolling his eyes. "I just wanted to talk to you...about March."
The topic made Jay pause, and he automatically felt a little uneasy. It didn't seem like things went too well when Alex intervened in people's love lives. "Really now? Is that really an area you need to be interfering in? Caterpillar advice isn't something I'm looking for," the dragon said. "So, if that's all..."
"You have a mate, Jay," the teen whispered, cutting Jay off.
The dragon's eyes widened and his non-existent heart would've throbbed in respond to this new information. "...Excuse me?" His voice came out as a whisper. A mate? Was... was it March?
Alex nodded. "A mate. You are a dragon, Jericko, even if you were made, not born. There's someone out there that has a piece of your...soul," he confirmed, expression solemn.
Jay didn't know how to process this. Yes, Alex had said he would be happy here...and Caterpillars were never wrong...but that was a completely different level of happiness. The dragon didn't have a soul...how could he have a mate? "You do have a soul," Alex said, interrupting his thoughts, which he had of course been reading. "It's comprised of many parts of many other souls...but you have one. My father made sure of it. That...and that you would have a mate."
The dark haired dragon looked away, his eyes still wide and brain trying to process this information. It...was wonderful, but...he was pretty sure he was in love with March. "How? How do you know that?" he murmured.
Alex sighed a little. "Well, I was speaking with Reliquum...as well as learning several things. I read my father's memoirs and diaries left for me as well. He didn't want you to be completely...alone. Somewhere in his mind, he knew you would live through the ceremony that was meant to kill you. So he wanted to make sure...that you wouldn't be all bad. There's a part of someone's soul in yours that isn't yours...and there's a part of yours that's missing," the Caterpillars explained.
"...Who?" he asked, almost dreading the answer. Did he...really want to know? March... March was his life right now. Who could top March, at this point in his existence? No one, surely...or what if it was March?
"I don't know." Alex's voice was solemn, and regretful, and even with Jay's look of outrage, he could only look away. "I can't see anything that has to do with any of the Southern Wonderlander's futures. All I can tell you is that they were born here, in this Wonderland...and they will be able to hear your heartbeat."
Jay stilled, in every sense of the word, as he processed this. Like any other dragon...his mate had to hear his heartbeat. March had never said anything about hearing it, though... so did that mean it wasn't March? The one time Alex had brought it up, at the Teaparty, March had merely brushed it off...
Then again, March didn't know the weight of the question, either.
After a few moments of silence, the Jabberwocky nodded. "...Thanks for the info," he murmured, smiling a little, even if it was slightly shaky. "I need to get back home, though."
Alex smiled back uncertainly, and nodded. When Jay stuck his hand out to shake, though, the smaller raven stared at it and then closed the distance between them in seconds, wrapping his arms around the man's torso. "Tell March I said 'hi'," he said softly, squeezing the dragon.
Though Jay was surprised, almost shocked, his expression relaxed nearly immediately, and he hugged Alex back. "Right."
It didn't take long for Alex to be on his way after that, and for Jay go back about his business of walking home. Only now, he had a lot more to think about during said walk. He tried to erase his troubled expression once he got home, though, walking in the door and immediately looking for March, like always. "Layle?" he called.
There was a series of clinks and rustles from the room March had turned into a studio, and he came out wearing a paint spattered smock and smelling strongly of turpentine. "Welcome home," he said, before he embraced Jay in a hug and kissed him.
"Did you get your nails?" he asked, pulling back slightly.
Jay smiled, his worries automatically fading enough that he could push them to the back of his mind for a while. Just March's presence was enough to make him less worried about the whole thing. "Yeah. Never guess who I saw there, too. Kagamine's new twin, Baelin. Getting a sword or something," he said, and scanned his eyes over March's form.
"What have you been painting?"
March smiled, "Leave it to Hatta to arm someone clinically insane," he grabbed Jay's hand and led him to his studio, "I've been painting...this."
On the easel was a large canvas, and on that canvas was the form of a Dragon. It was an exact replica of Jay in his dragon form, and although it was only half painted, it was obviously going to be identical.
"In return for the wood sculpture of me. I can't carve, but I can paint," March replied.
Jay sucked in a breath, his non-existent heart pulsing in his chest. "You're damn right you can," he breathed out, squeezing March's hand and still staring at the painting. Anatomically, color wise, everything, it was perfect...magnificent. The way March saw him, as a majestic beast instead of a monster of mass destruction, was amazing to him.
"It's fucking amazing, Layle," the dragon murmured, wishing he could reach out and touch it if not for the wet paint.
They stood there staring at the painting, before March turned around and kissed Jay softly.
He wrapped his arms around the dragon and twisted his fingers in Jay's long black hair.
And it took no prompting for Jay to wrap one arm around the Hare's waist, pulling him flush against his body while his other hand cupped March's cheek. With a low groan, he turned and pressed March into the wall, continuing to kiss him. What with the day's work and Alex's sudden bomb, it was no wonder he was looking for a little stress relief.
March ran his hands down Jay's sides and slipped one up the dragon's shirt. "Make love to me?" He asked sweetly.
Jay smiled a little, trailing kisses up March's neck and jaw to his ear. "Right here? In your art room?" he purred, nipping a little at the ears he knew were extremely sensitive.
"Wherever you want," March replied, his mouth taking on a little O shape when nipped. He pushed his hands further up Jay's torso, and he scratched at Jay's skin only slightly. Just the way he knew Jay enjoyed it.
The dragon growled lowly nipping a little harder at March's neck than before, completely intent on taking him right then and there...until he realized something. If...March wasn't the one...wasn't his mate...then something like this could really hurt him. It wasn't just sex between them anymore. It hadn't been for a long time. It was just as March said, making love...and Jay was sure he loved March, but...didn't March love him?
Was it possible for him to love, with the other not being his other half?
Suddenly withdrawing a little, Jay pulled back a little, still holding onto the other man, and gave March a weak smile. "...I would babe, but I'm tired as hell. I think I've got...a sculpture to finish, too. I'm going to take it easy," he said.
Normally, the man was a smooth, easy liar. He was good at it. But for some reason, this lie he was telling March was a see through as cellophane. Before March could argue with him, he gave the Hare a peck on the lips and bolted out of the room, down to his basement workshop.
The Hare was left leaning against the wall of his studio, a little whip lashed from the very sudden departure of his lover.
And the circumstance...never before had Jay turned down sex. March had maybe refused a few times before, which Jay had always respected, but for Jay to be the one...
To say the least the Hare was a little confused. He knew Jay well enough that when the man acted like this, something wasn't right. He also knew that seeking answers would get him no where; Jay was a dragon and therefore very stubborn, had he wanted March's help he would have at least showed signs of wanting assistance with something. He always communicated with March, even if the Zion had to push him a little.
Now left with half a boner and a head full of confusion, the Hare turned back to his painting. He picked up a brush...and set it back down. He needed to go take a cold shower (that would probably involve more than a little "relief") and contemplate what had just happened.
Hopefully this wouldn't turn into something bad.