I1C10: Hormones and H2O

AN: For those of you who were curious, I started writing this roughly an hour after I published the previous chapter, right after I got back from a delicious burrito. Also for those of you who are curious, I was this close to calling the chapter "Totally Not Fanservice", but figured it'd send the wrong message.

Anyway, it's time for the lake trip, where everything about Kassidy and the way her body's been behaving comes to a head. Will she finally admit that she has feelings for Yang? Will Yang finally confess her feelings to Kassidy? Will Taiyang turn Kassidy into a bloody smear? Will Zwei finally give into the temptation of using Bob as a chew toy? Find out here!


(Perspective: Kassidy)

What the hell was I thinking? Then, externalizing her internal thoughts, she asked to an empty room, "What the hell was I thinking?"

"Oh please, that isn't nearly as risqué as you think it is," Bob commented from his perch on her loaned bed. "It's just like any other electric blue bikini."

Kassidy scowled at the tablet on her pillow. "No offense… but you're a computer. How exactly would you know that?"

"Internet, duh."

A shudder overcame Kassidy as she thought of the possible implications in those two words. "Didn't I make it a rule a few years back that you weren't to go into Rule 34 territory? Those are horrors I definitely do not want to go through again."

"Come on, you're acting like I did anything other than visit fashion websites. Trust me, you're just fine."

Kassidy returned her attention to the mirror she was standing in front of. There was truth to what Bob had to say; she'd seen sunbathers at the beach before, and what she was wearing now was tame compared to some of the… designs she'd seen. That did nothing to change the fact that, short of changing outfits or bathing, this was the least amount of clothing she's ever worn. Ever. Alex had done well choosing a two-piece that amply passed the test of covering everything it needed to cover, but it still left precious little to the imagination.

Included in the list of things not left to the imagination was the fact that her tan line ended at her shoulders and neck. Or that her joints were still bony and jutted out awkwardly (at least according to her). And what was prominently displayed was every single scar she's ever accumulated over the course of her years. Nearly forty in total. Her arms and legs had small ridges crisscrossing up and down their lengths, and her stomach and back looked like a surgical experiment gone wrong. Sure, her face wasn't pretty, but everyone saw that anyway. Not just anyone saw the extent of the beatings she'd taken over the years, or the limits her healing capabilities had.

"You have that look again." Bob's announcement snapped her back to reality, the scowl disappearing as she thought of a response to his statement. She shifted her weight to her back foot and planted her hands on her hips, fixing her eyes back on the mirror they'd been glued to for the past fifteen minutes.

"I know, it's just… nobody's ever seen this much of me before."

"And why is that a problem?"

"I don't know." Kassidy's voice fell as she continued looking at herself. "This type of clothing is supposed to help the person wearing it… what was it, 'show off'?"

"Yes, it is. If you didn't want to do that, why did you get it?"

"Because it was a spur of the moment decision, Bob!" Kassidy whirled around with a huff and fell back onto the bed. She lamented, "I don't make spur of the moment decisions, and you know that. I don't know why I got it!"

"Alright, let's take a step back." Bob fell silent for but a second as he calculated his question. "Why don't you want to show off?"

Kassidy sat up in the bed, but made no effort to get up. "You mean other than what 'showing off' entails? You mean other than that I've never done that before? There's nothing to show off, and nothing I want to."

"You're being too hard on yourself. I'd give you… a six. Maybe a seven."

"Gee, thanks," she snarked. Standing up, she made her way back to the mirror. "I ain't pretty, Bob. Look at me. If it weren't for the muscle tone I could pass off as an anorexic. Not to mention Frankenstein's monster is jealous of how cut up I am."

"Oh, you're not that bad. Who cares if you have a scar? Or three dozen plus change, for that matter?"

Kassidy forced out a humorless chuckle. "Kinda just said it yourself, bud." Her hand found a particularly nasty scar, finger tracing from her collarbone to straight down the middle of her chest and curving off to the side of her stomach. Suddenly, she shouted out, "Ugh, why do I even care?!"

"Care about what?"

More quietly this time, she asked, "Since when did I start caring about what other people thought of me, or how I looked? When did I start obsessing about how many scars other people would see? Why am I such a nervous goddamn wreck before we head out on a trip that's supposed to be fun?"

"It could have to do with the fact that you're going to a lake."

Suddenly, Kassidy snapped at Bob, "Not a word about that. You know what."

"Kass, you're going to a lake. Please do tell me how you plan on them not finding out."

"I'll think of something. I always do." The faint smile that came from the answer vanished instantly.

"Alright, it could also have to do with that fact that you'll be with two of your teammates. Are you worried about not being able to, what was the term, 'stack up' to them?"

Kassidy snorted. "Is that even a question? Of course I won't be able to 'stack up' to them. Ruby is probably the cutest homo sapien to have ever lived. And Yang is… well… Yang. I couldn't hope to match her with a small army of genetic engineers." She sighed and shook her head. "Nope, it's the hot as hell Xiao Longs and the cutest fifteen year old ever, with good ol' Big Bones taking up the rear and ruining the picture. As per usual."

"Big Bones?"

"Old nickname from elementary. You wouldn't know it." Kassidy went over to her bag and looked over what she had packed.

A sudden knock on the door made her jump, and Taiyang's voice made itself heard through the door. "You okay, Kassidy? We heard you shouting. Can I come in?"

"Just a second! I think I've got this oversized t-shirt deal I bought back at the store. Where is it… there!" Throwing on a thin shirt-like garment that reached down to her knees, Kassidy took a few deep breaths and opened the door for Taiyang, who had trunks and a Hawaiian shirt on.

"Things going okay up here? How're you feeling?"

Kassidy quickly summed up her feelings on the situation. "I feel like the prize cut of meat on sale at the local deli."

Taiyang laughed hard at that, and it took a little bit for him to calm down. "I take it you're not used to going out swimming like this?"

She emphasized her answer with a strong nod of the head. "You could say that."

He clapped a hand on her shoulder and offered a soft smile to her. "It'll be fine. Now come on downstairs, we're all ready and waiting on you." He put his hand back on her shoulder and pulled lightly when she went to her bag. "I've already packed up what we need. C'mon, the girls are wondering where you are."

Sighing, Kassidy decided to leave her bag where it lay, picked Bob up off the bed, and then made her way downstairs. Yang sat on the couch in the living room, and upon hearing footsteps descending the stairwell she leaned back until her head faced backwards to see Kassidy. "Oh, hey partner. What, being a tease, not letting us see what you're wearing under that shirt?"

Kassidy's face lit up in a fierce blush, and she looked away from her partner. "Well, you've got the same thing going on yourself. Besides, at least this way I can trick myself into thinking I'm actually wearing clothes."

Yang's smirk somehow grew. "'Actually wearing clothes'? What, you're planning on skinny dipping today?" She laughed uproariously at how Kassidy choked and sputtered at the question, before eventually settling down and waving it off. "Just messing with ya, K. How're you feeling about our trip?"

Finally able to get her breathing back under control, Kassidy decided it best to reuse her answer from the last time she answered that question. "I feel like the prize cut of meat on sale at the local deli."

"Yikes." Yang sucked in a breath, before finally standing up from the couch. "Not used to this sort of stuff, are ya?"

Kassidy shook her head with a smile. "Like father, like daughter. No, I'm not."

"Well, at least now we… hang on. Ruby, have you seen Zwei?"

A playful bark near her feet got Kassidy's attention. The dog in question sat in front of her, looking up at her with big puppy dog eyes, panting, and wearing a tiny Hawaiian shirt, all while begging to be picked up and get his ears scratched. Of course, when the cutest thing in the house somehow gets even cuter, there's only one appropriate reaction for a fifteen year old girl to have.

"AHH! IT'S SO CUTE!"


"And here we are at the old Xiao Long watering hole!" Taiyang was the last out of the car and slammed the door behind him, heading back to the trunk to grab what Yang and Kassidy hadn't already picked up.

"Are you sure there's no Grimm around here? That we're safe?" Kassidy had managed to free a hand long enough to chuck a ball for Zwei to fetch. Shifting the basket back to that hand, she looked in to reassure herself that neither Bob nor Rogue decided to sprout legs and hop out of their own accord.

Ruby walked up next to her and started laying blankets out on the grass. "We'll be fine, Kass. Don't worry so much. Didn't you say Uncle Qrow told you to take it easy? Well, just take it easy, then!"

"Yeah, don't stress yourself so much, K. C'mon, let's get more comfy." Following her own advice, Yang shrugged off the oversized shirt she herself was wearing. And… holy shit.

On more than one occasion, Kassidy had heard her partner described as 'hotter than the sun in the middle of July'. That, however, did not give justice to her partner at this particular moment. Yang's swimwear of choice was a bright yellow two-piece which managed to hide just enough while accentuating everything… and damn if she didn't wear it well. Alright, get a hold of yourself, Smith! This is no time to be jealous! Or… whatever the hell it is I'm doing right now. Seriously, what's going on with me? Kassidy was quite thankful that moment that everyone was suitably distracted, because it took far longer than she was willing to admit to mentally (and almost physically) slap herself out of whatever funk she found herself in. Desperate for something to do to distract herself, she called out, "Need help setting up that grill of yours, Taiyang?"

"Actually, yeah, I think I left the propane tank in the trunk. You think you could get that for me?" Walking back to the car and popping the trunk, Kassidy found herself with a bit of time to try and figure out what just happened. Alright. Am I sick again? Don't feel it, but you never know. Time for facts. Chest has been tightening, random cold sweats, frequently flushed cheeks. Mostly seems to occur when near other people. Wait… am I allergic to Aura? Hah, no, that's ridiculous. Still, this is something I need to put Bob on whenever we get back to the house.

"Alright!" Ruby's declaration got Kassidy's attention after she dropped off the tank. "Let's have some fun, team, that's an order!"

"Now hang on, Rubes, we're forgetting something important." Yang had a sadistic grin on as she stalked over to Kassidy. "You think you're gonna be swimming in that? That's not going to work."

"Yeah, you never did show us what you bought! Show us what you and Alex picked out, and then we can go swimming!"

Kassidy paled, and grabbed her elbow. "I-It's not much to see, really. You two go on ahead. I'll catch up at some point."

"Pfft, that's nonsense. C'mon, K. You're not nervous, are you?"

"Look, I'm just not all that much to look at." Kassidy gripped her elbow tighter, and looked at her feet. "I think I might just watch you guys for a while. I don't want to ruin your fun or anything."

"Not much to look at? What are ya talking about?" Taiyang stepped from behind her and joined his daughters. His face dropped its smile and turned serious. "You're not worried we're going to judge you for anything, are you?"

"What? Nah, that's ridiculous!" Ruby snorted and waved it off, but her eyes grew wide when Kassidy didn't answer. "It's ridiculous, right?"

Kassidy actually had to turn away from the three as she hugged herself. "You've always been able to see my face, my arms… but you've never seen how many scars I actually have. You guys are, well, you guys. You have your Auras, you can fix the faintest flaw, and look amazing as a result. I mean, I've got it better than most anyone else, but part of that means looking like a surgical playground. Looking like some kind of freak." Finally mustering the courage to face her friends, she had to contend with the looks of horror on their faces. Even so, she managed to force a small smile while her head dipped, and insist, "Go on, have some fun. I don't want to get in the way of anything."

"K, look at me." A hand found its way under her chin, and Kassidy found her face gently lifted up to meet the wide, shining lilac eyes of her partner. She swallowed thickly and her breath hitched, but thankfully Yang didn't seem to notice. "I don't care how ugly you think you are. You're not going to ruin anything, you're not going to get in the way of anything, and I can pretty much guarantee that it's not as bad as you say it is." Yang shifted her hand from Kassidy's chin to her shoulder, her other arm following suit. "You know me by now. I'm not going to judge you, Ruby's not going to judge you, and Dad's definitely not going to judge you. Not for something you didn't want, that you didn't have a choice over."

Kassidy met everyone's gazes, and something she saw made her believe Yang. Nodding, she took a couple steps back and started peeling off the shirt she was wearing. The fabric was over her head when she stopped, hearing gasps. Knew it. I knew it. Good ol' Big Bones strikes again. Doesn't help that I look like a topographical map. Her thought process stopped when something started slowly, gently, pulling the rest of the shirt off.

She opened her eyes again to see Taiyang right in front of her, holding the shirt as his face was contorted into a snarl. "Who did this? Who did this to you?"

Again, Kassidy grabbed her elbow and refused eye contact. "Plenty of people over plenty of years. A couple from the Grimm. The one under my eye, from Torchwick, and I think this one in my gut is from Blake."

"Does it hurt?"

Ruby's squeaky voice made her look up at her team leader, her silver eyes wide and hands clamped over her mouth. Kassidy nodded, then appended, "I've gotten used to it." She chanced a glance at the person who hadn't spoken up yet, and was horrified to see Yang just staring at her torso. Kassidy barely managed to croak out, "Yang…?"

"Huh, wuh?" Yang blinked and shook her head, then blushed at the realization that she was caught staring. "Oh, sorry about that. Kinda spaced out a bit, I guess. Gotta say, K… you look good. Real good."

Kassidy's head whipped up instantly. "You think so?" Yang merely nodded, prompting both of them to blush and look away.

"Alright, I'm calm now." Taiyang's announcement got everyone's attention. "Enough of that. Today's supposed to be us having fun together. So c'mon, last one in the water's Grimm bait!"

His two daughters both brightened and plastered smiles on their faces, and Ruby used her Semblance to be the first in the water. Yang was about to take off when she turned around to see Kassidy had yet to move from her spot, eyes fixed on the lake before them. "What is it this time, K?"

Before Kassidy could answer, Bob spoke up. "She's afraid of the water."

"No I'm not!" was the instant answer. Instantly, her eyes widened as Kassidy recognized her error. Taiyang cocked an eyebrow at her, and Yang looked ready to bust a gut. She wheeled around at the basket that still held her computer. "Bob, I thought I told you to keep quiet!"

"Hey guys, what's wrong?" Ruby had zoomed back, took a look at her dad and sister, and then turned to Kassidy. "Kass, are you-"

Kassidy insisted, "I'm not afraid of the water!" When all three of the people before her were barely containing their laughter, she sheepishly admitted, "It's just drowning that I'm not a big fan of."

"Uh-huh." Yang, for her part, managed to stay in control enough to interrogate her partner. "You really expecting me to buy that?"

"Hey, it's not my fault I never learned how to swim!"

"Wait, seriously?" Everyone's barely repressed mirth was replaced with confusion. Suddenly, Yang looked between her sister and her dad, and split into a grin. "I think I know how to fix that."

"Yang, if you're about to do what I think you're about to do…" Kassidy put her hands in front of her and started stepping back, but it wound up being a fruitless measure as Yang rushed her. The next thing Kassidy knew, she was lifted over Yang's shoulder and being carried to the lake's edge. "Damnit, Yang! Put me down, this isn't funny anymore!"

"Oh, I beg to differ," Yang bit out between snickers, keeping a firm grip on the back of her knees to keep her from slipping. Kassidy thrashed against her partner's grip briefly, but it was an exercise in futility. If Yang could toss around Beowolves without a care in the world, then what hope did she have of breaking her grip? Looking up through a tangle of hair (as her bun somehow got removed during the whole debacle), she could see both Ruby and Taiyang openly laughing at the situation. The sound of sloshing made Kassidy look back down to see that Yang had already waded into the lake past her knees. Well, this isn't so bad, as long as we don't get much dee-

"Damnit Yang!" was Kassidy's cry as she went sailing through the air. She managed to catch glimpses of Yang sinking to her knees and clutching her stomach as she laughed hard, but that was all she managed to catch as she plunged into the lake. Panicking as she began to sink, she started thrashing wildly and accidentally swallowed a lungful of water. By sheer luck she managed to break the surface, and began to cough her lungs up as she continued to thrash wildly.

"Crap, you went way further than I meant." Yang swam up to her and helped clear her lungs, then tried to still her thrashing. "Easy, K, easy! Don't gotta thrash around so much, just keep kicking your legs back and forth, and you don't need to move your arms that much. C'mon, do what I'm doing."

It took a little bit, but Kassidy finally managed to calm down and tread water without causing a scene. She fixed her mightiest glare on Yang, and bit out, "Yang… don't do that again. Ever."

"Heh, yeah." Yang rubbed the back of her head and chuckled nervously. "That might not have been my best idea ever."

"I think I'm getting out before I tempt fate some more." Making true on her word, Kassidy slowly started splashing her way back to the shore, passing both Ruby and Zwei on the way there. After a few minutes, she trudged to one of the blankets that Ruby had laid out and plopped down on it, content to catch her breath and let the sun dry her off.

"You alright, K?" Grumbling to herself, she rolled over and looked at Yang, which was the last mistake she made. In addition to being in a swimsuit that accented her 'assets' wonderfully, Yang was now dripping wet to boot. A giant mass of golden hair flowed down and clung to her back and shoulders, and in general her partner just seemed as though she were shining. Kassidy almost missed that Yang knelt in front of her and started panicking. "K, you there? Can you hear me?"

"I'm-" Suddenly, Kassidy's chest contracted painfully, and she had to wheeze her next few breaths. She shot to her feet and dug Bob out of his basket, along with one of his modules that she brought along. "I'll be right back."

Bob was evidently confused by the situation, seeing as Kassidy wasn't wearing her iris-cam. "Is there a problem?"

She plugged in the module and powered it up. "I need a blood analysis. Something's not right with me. Very not right with me." Kassidy pricked her finger on the device and waited.

"Hey, you okay over there?" Kassidy whirled around to see that Taiyang had followed her to the small copse, and she shook her head.

Before she could say anything, however, Bob spoke up. "Blood analysis in progress. May I ask for specific symptoms? Those would help with a diagnosis."

Taiyang gaped at her, but she ignored it in favor of listing her symptoms. "My chest keeps feeling like it's clenching or something. Dry lips, dilated pupils, frequent blushing. Breath keeps hitching. Pulse is through the roof and my heart feels like it's trying to bust out of my chest."

"I think I have an idea… when did you start getting these symptoms?" Kassidy turned around to see Taiyang all but glaring at her.

Bob, however, interrupted the conversation. "Analysis complete. No biological agents detected, though I have detected the presence of elevated levels of estrogen, oxytocin, and vasopressin."

"Do I look like a biochemist to you, Bob? What does that mean?"

"In addition to your listed symptoms, those three chemicals together are the telltale signs of sexual arousal."

Upon hearing Bob's diagnosis, Kassidy found herself choking for the second time in ten minutes. It took about ninety seconds and a helping hand from Taiyang, but she finally got her breathing under control. With her face burning brighter than any beacon, she demanded, "Run the test again. That isn't possible."

"If you don't mind me asking, how is it not possible?"

"Thanks, Bob, but I'll take it from here." Taiyang planted his hand on Kassidy's shoulder and wheeled her around to face him. "Now, you just started feeling like this?"

Kassidy shook her head. "Been happening more and more over the past month. I thought I've been getting sick, but ever since it kept happening after I had my bout with the flu…"

"It's not you getting sick." Taiyang shook his head for emphasis, then thought for a moment. "What happened to make you feel this way most recently?"

"I don't even know," Kassidy admitted. "I had just flopped onto the blanket, Yang hollered at me and wanted to make sure I was alright, so I turned around and…" Having the most awkward eureka moment ever, her eyes bulged and her blush somehow deepened. "No. No way. That's not possible."

"Is there something you want to tell me, Kassidy?" Taiyang crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow, expression otherwise purely neutral. Alright. What's happening? What the hell is happening? How is this happening? Is it even happening?

"No," she insisted. "How does… am I… no. I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it."

"Wow, the girls are right, you are dense." Sighing, he leaned against a tree and thought for a bit. He eventually broke the silence by asking, "How do you feel about Yang?"

Kassidy took a deep breath. Okay, not the first time I've been asked that. Easy question with an easy answer. I've got this. "Yang's… more or less the person I wish I could be. She's funny, she's smart – at least when she wants to be, talented, kind, compassionate, and a great person in general. Nicest person you've ever met if you don't piss her off. It's just… she motivates me to be better. She's a great example to live up to. And if, at the end of the day, she of all people thinks I'm doing a good job… it means a lot, y'know?" Realizing she still had a point to make, Kassidy hastily added, "Which doesn't mean anything! Just because your daughter is a great role model doesn't mean… whatever this means!"

"You actually don't know, do you?"

"Don't know what?"

As if Taiyang was having his own epiphany moment, his eyes softened and he grinned lightly, before schooling himself back into a neutral expression. "I've been able to tell you've had feelings for her ever since you came to Patch."

Kassidy sweatdropped even as her eyebrows tried to fly off. "Wait, what?"

"The looks you kept trying to sneak her way, the fact that you were practically joined at the hip with her, the way you'd joke and do stuff together, how she got you to react and how you got her to react… come on, give me some credit." Nodding, he put his trademark grin back on his face. "If it means anything to you, you're not the first one to be in this kind of situation, and you won't be the last, either. But I can tell you like my daughter a lot."

"I do, as a friend! Not as a… as a..." Kassidy slowly sunk to the ground and leaned against the tree, breathing out a soft curse. "How did this even happen?"

Taiyang just shrugged. "These things just kind of follow their own rules, whether we want them to or not." Helping her back to her feet, he squared up to her and gazed deep into her eyes. "So, here I am, with a young woman who's taken a fancy to my eldest daughter. Hmm, what's a father to do…?"

Kassidy's blush disappeared instantly as her face blanched. She suddenly felt like her life was in mortal danger. Placing a hand on her head, she all but whispered, "Oh fuck. I didn't even think…"

"Relax," he insisted, raising a hand to emphasize the point. "For your information, you passed my test of making sure you're not a scumbag in it to manipulate or hurt my daughter. I've only known you for a week, but between that and asking around, I'd like to think I've got a good read on you. As long as you keep up with treating her well, I won't have any complaints. Well, too many complaints."

"Uh-huh." Kassidy barely even registered what he had just said; something about no complaints, if memory served correctly. "So, uh… what now? I mean… I'm her partner, I'm… I don't even know anymore…"

"You could try asking her out," Taiyang suggested. Kassidy went back on her bipolar expedition, this time returning to the 'blush' setting. He shrugged again, "Life's a journey. It's up to you which path you want to walk down. Now c'mon, I need to fire up the grill if we're going to have lunch at a reasonable time, and I'm sure the girls are getting worried about you."

Kassidy nodded and limply followed behind him. Both Ruby and Yang were out of the water at this point, apparently playing keep away from Zwei. Neither of them seemed to notice as she plopped back down onto the blanket. She took another look at Yang, the girl that she apparently has had feelings for, and apparently everyone other than her has recognized that for at least a week now. Possibly for the past month.

What the hell do I do now?


AN 2: Well, that was fun. At long last, Kassidy finally acknowledges that there's something going on between her and Yang. It only took a solid month of actual feelings, a biopsy, and a dressing-down from Yang's father to finally realize it. So, in echoing Kassidy's final thoughts, where to from here? Fluffville. Population: us. Plus Yang and Kassidy. And Bob too, probably.

Oh, look, 4700 words again. Writing chapters is always so funny, I'm at the 1000 word mark wondering how I'm going to get to 4k. Then, poof, I'm at 5k words before I know what's happening. Strange how this kind of stuff works.

Coming up next: Summer and Matthew

Right after these Reviewer Responses.

James: This should be a good one, I had a blast writing it. Hopefully it's just as big a blast to read.

mcd3424: She never thought she'd arrive at that point either. And she never would've imagined arriving at this most recent point.

FloriteFlower: Well, here's your answer. Though I must say that Kassidy's denser. Jaune got some semblance of a hint after the dance, but it took a goddamn biopsy for Kassidy to get the same. Jaune in a dress? JNPR's kickstep, kickstep, bodyroll? Those'll be fun to write. Glad to hear you're enjoying it so much.

Firearm Legume: Again, nice gun. Unfortunately, RWKY is done with the whole weapons-building aspect. Kass has Baton and Rouge, and Bob's already shown his predilection for hijacking Atlesian Knights whenever he needs to make a more physical impact.

AgentDraakis: Welp, she finally knows what's happening to her. Only time will tell if she winds up liking it or not (spoiler alert: she ends up liking it). What Yang whispered to Alex? This is a T-rated fic, man. Actually, that's a joke, but that was definitely a "make your own adventure" part of the fic. I'm a fan of slow-burn also (more realistic, if you ask me), but there's a difference between slow-burn and 4500 words of exposition several times.

Tykene: No hospital stay indeed, thank God/Oum/(insert trans-dimensional deity here). Here's to hoping Qrow starts getting some good luck in his job out there, though I've got a feeling we haven't seen the last of him.

Baconlord53: Yup, going with the flow indeed. And the flow took her right to a ship, it seems.

AndJrew76: Now might be a good time to hold onto your excitement, because it's happening.

Firearm Legume: Those are some awesome names, my friend. If any of those do come up for some reason, I'll definitely be keeping them in mind.