Queen of Hearts
A Matter of Honour
* * *
Okay, I am slowly attacking this fic and things are slowly spewing out of my pen... uh, typing fingers and falling onto the page. Sorry about the HUMUNGOUS (is that a word?) wait but I'm either getting mild writer's block or just lazier each day. Anyhoo, not much to say except thanks for the reviews (wow, 22 for two chapters! Is this real? ^_^) and I'll shut up and let you read.
* * *
Miyu twirled the coffee around the mug, watching the black liquid and white milk collide and swirl together in a spinning vortex. It was surprisingly relaxing to watch. As she stared down into the coffee she thought bemusedly, "This is my life, white milk slowly spiralling down into blackness." She paused. She had to be really uncomfortable to have reached the stage of comparing her life to coffee.
Larva was sitting quietly across the table, a placid look on his face as he traced his pen across the page, clearly thinking. She gave a small glance at him and tried to say something but no words could find her lips. She wanted to say something, just kindle the flames of conversation but her mind was blank.
"Um.. You want more coffee?" she asked meekly gesturing towards her empty cup.
Larva looked up, obviously glad she had spoken. "I'm fine," he smiled and closed his book. "And you? Feeling better?"
Miyu stared down at the very uninteresting tabletop. This was not working well. She needed to have the upbeat persona and interesting social reflexes to keep him interested. That was when she would get her pay-in... no wait! She wasn't meant to be thinking like that! She looked up and placed a smile on her face. It wavered slightly and felt very forced.
"I'll tell you what," she said signalling to the waitress. "One more coffee and I'll we'll talk."
* * *
"So, why didn't you tell me?" The question crashed into Miyu like a thirty- foot waves but being practised in hiding her real emotions she didn't even flinch. They were walking along the pavement in the late afternoon. The clouds obscured the sun ever so slightly and a wind had picked up, causing coats to flap and umbrellas to rustle. Miyu had managed to procrastinate and avoid answering by means of two coffees, a tea, a drink of water, a hasty bathroom break, and then a sudden unknown need for fresh air and to stretch her legs. Now she was caught but she'd used her spare time to her benefit to find an answer.
"I... um..." She put on a slightly apprehensive expression that Larva could read however he wished. "I was not very good at dating men and a bit timid around them," she started. Yes, always a good way to start a story and have the listener on your side, become the scared innocent heroine. "But then I met Robert and he seemed so kind and gentle." Innocent virgin gets fooled by seemingly kind villain in disguise. "But as I started to trust him I discovered the real him. He was demanding, easily prone to drink as you saw." She turned away slightly and faked deeply inhaling from bad memories. "A bit of a bastard really," she sighed. Part 2 of the story, loving heroine discovers true nature of villain and the memories still haunt her today.
Larva wore a soft expression and touched her hand softly. "Miyu?" His fingers squeezed hers in a comforting way and Miyu suddenly felt very wretched. She wished she hadn't been born with the ability to convincingly lie. "Miyu, he said you tricked him. Is this true?"
Miyu paused. Oops...
"Um..." she said uneasily and replaced her forlorn face with a slightly guilty expression. "I still feel at fault for it but I just couldn't stand it!" She tensed her fingers. "Robert became steadily worse, relying on me to do chores whilst he kept his drink company. I tried to leave him but he wouldn't let me go. He began escorting me everywhere just in case I ran off. Eventually I told him I had to work night shifts to get an urgent article done and on the third night I left at ten o'clock and just didn't come back." She stared very hard at a poster in the window with the determined expression of someone who was fighting back the painful recollections of the past.
"Miyu." She felt a hand on her shoulder turn her around and suddenly she was pressed against Larva's warm chest. He wrapped his coat around her and held her tight as she closed her eyes peacefully, listening to the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat. The wind sent another icy blast whistling down the street but Miyu could not feel it enclosed in Larva's embrace.
And through all the happy restful thoughts that passed through her mind one rogue stood out: I am so cold-hearted.
* * *
Miyu walked down the street alone musing on the past events. She had leant against Larva and for once in her life felt sure about who she was. The only drawback was that she had lied all the way up to that embrace so it suddenly didn't feel as pure.
She remembered Chisato's words to her,
"You stay with this Larva and try a relationship..."
At this rate, thought Miyu I'm going to be down $2000. How stupid she was to raise a bet of that genre! A bet she couldn't possibly win! It was like betting a tiger to see if he couldn't eat that plump tender antelope wandering slowly around his territory for a week.
Miyu stopped yet again and leant against the wall outside the Rirakkusu bar and tried to steady her train of thoughts. What was wrong with her? She had suddenly felt so tempted to give up. It was this Larva, when she was around him she felt so relaxed that the world could have just drifted by and she wouldn't mind as long as he was around.
She massaged her brow and tried to recollect her thoughts. She really needed to find some way of getting back that money. From her point of view Chisato had practically won already.
She wondered if she should get a coffee to calm her thoughts and was about to push open the door to the Rirakkusu bar when she backtracked. Considering the amount of caffeine she had already managed to drink from procrastinating she either would never sleep again or become an insatiable addict.
She turned away to walk back down the pavement when someone caught her eye. She turned cautiously back to the window and stared through. The person on the other side stared back then beckoned. Miyu pushed the door open once again and walked into the calm atmosphere of the bar.
She looked coldly down on the woman sitting before her and the calm ambiance instantly shattered.
"Hello, Miyu. It's been a while."
"Hello, Reiha."
* * *
"What are you doing in Tokyo, Reiha? Last time I saw you, you were hounding a man in Nagoya."
"Don't sound so bitter about, Miyu," the pale skinned girl smiled and stirred her vodka. "You can't think that you're the only successful con artist around here."
"Reiha! I found that man in Nagoya and it was working well until you showed up!" Miyu's eyes flashed in infuriation of the reminiscence.
"You can't expect me to leave every man you find alone. Besides, if you're a real con artist you could have just lied your way back into his heart."
"Reiha!" Miyu nearly spat. "You said I was married! How was I supposed to lie round that? And no, I was not about to about to go into an affair. You stole that man from me, Reiha."
Reiha shrugged and took a sip of her vodka. "That is your choice, Miyu. I can't see as very successful if you limit your choice of actions. You know some men find affairs very seductive."
"Faking an affair is a good way to blow your cover. One slip up and you're no more." Miyu sat down heavily on the chair opposite Reiha.
"I heard you ran into a spot of trouble with... who was it? Ah, yes, Robert."
Miyu narrowed her eyes. "Reiha," she said dangerously. "What do you know?"
"Not much," Reiha said airily but a half smile had formed on her lips. Miyu feared the worst. She'd seen that smile on the con artist' lips before. It was a smile that told you she'd done something to anger you intentionally. "I spoke to him in a bar and soon we got chatting and eventually he told me how you had walked off after all the gifts he'd showered on you. I can see what you mean, Miyu. He is the most irritating man. However I felt sympathy for him."
This was an obvious lie. "Only an ice queen like you, Reiha could find sympathy for a man like that," Miyu scowled. Reiha's eyes instantly became harder and colder.
"Say what you like, Miyu!" she snapped back haughtily. "Either way I told him he wasn't the first man to be cheated on by the likes of you."
"What?" Miyu gripped the table edge for it was all she could do top herself rising and screaming the words at Reiha. "So it was you who told him."
"Oh no, he had already worked the most of it. I just gave him a little shove in the right direction. But I never actually said you were a con artist. But I'm sure he must have worked it out."
"Reiha, this could land me in jail!" Miyu probably could have snapped the table edge off from the fury she was feeling.
Reiha shrugged and stared out the window mildly as though she couldn't care less, which was probably true. "That was a nice man you were with," she said quietly.
Miyu glanced up sharply. She would have said, "Leave Larva out of this," but that would have only coaxed her on into interfering. "What of it?" she said.
"I saw him hug you, Miyu," Reiha smiled. Smiling didn't suit her well. "And you didn't seem too unhappy about it either. Was just walking past and you wouldn't have believed my surprise when I saw you wrapped deep in his coat. Very touching."
"What are you getting at?" Miyu snapped cutting to the chase.
"Not much," Reiha sighed. "Just I've never seen you let a man embrace you before. I think you're loosing your touch. You'll never get any money out of that man."
"That's rich coming from you, Reiha. You haven even got a man yet." Miyu smiled, knowing she'd touched a nerve.
"Is he rich?" Reiha snapped.
"Yes," Miyu retaliated. "An archaeologist."
"Interesting. Judging by your rate of failure I think I might reserve myself for him next once you're done. I probably won't need to wait long."
"That just couldn't happen, Reiha," Miyu said surprisingly calmly. "For Larva would never fall for a cold-hearted temptress like you."
Reiha nearly broke her vodka glass in anger.
"Miyu, I swear you'll never succeed with that man! You're letting yourself get to close to them! Soon you'll slip up and your career will collapse around you! In fact I bet you $5000 that you'll fail!" A spark of anger illuminated in Reiha's eyes.
"Reiha," Miyu sighed, rising from the table. "I have no time for your games."
"You've even lost your sense of daring and wit. You're becoming a sorry excuse for a con artist!"
"Reiha!" Miyu glanced about and glad that the pub was noisy so no one had overheard. "Watch your tongue!" She suddenly considered something. "You said $5000?"
Reiha smiled. "Not a dollar less. It just shows how strongly I believe you'll fail." Miyu bristled. This was starting to insult her honour.
"Very well. It's a bet. Name the price of how much you want out of him." Miyu stared challengingly at Reiha.
"If you manage to get $1000 out of him I'll be impressed. However, to win... $2000. No less."
"Deal." Miyu rose from the table. She would win this not for the money but just to see the look on Reiha's face of defeat as she brought out the money. "One other thing. Reiha, if I win you have to leave this part of Tokyo well alone."
"Fair enough. However if I win you will still have to leave this Larva regardless of how you fail. Deal?"
Miyu faltered. The idea of never seeing larva again was somehow painful. However, to say 'no' showed her doubts of winning. "Deal."
Miyu rose and left the restaurant. She caught the bus and as she sat on the sticky seat starting out the dirty windows onto the darkened streets lit by orange streetlamps she remembered her deal with Chisato. So she was now trying to get $2000 out of Larva and trying to form a friendly relationship with him at the same time.
Regardless of who heard Miyu rolled her eyes to the ceiling and said irritably, "Oh, shit!"
* * *
"Hey, Hun," Chisato said cheerfully as she heard Miyu throwing herself against the door and eventually walking in. "Good day?"
"No," Miyu said deadpan. "We need a new door."
"I know, but we can't until we get some more cash in. So what's with the droopy features for today then?"
"I just lied to Larva to answer his questions about Richard so I'm wracked with guilt. What's more he embraced me to supposedly comfort me in public and then the worst person possible saw us."
"He embraced you?" Chisato looked up sharply from scraping the grime out of the cooker grills. "Looks like I'm losing the bet. Oh, and who saw you? Robert?"
"Worse, Reiha."
"Oh, god!" Chisato cried in aggravation. "Don't tell me the ice queen is back in town."
"Yup, and she saw me and Larva... and you know what she's like."
"She must've given you an earful," Chisato mumbled. She looked up to see Miyu sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. "Miyu?" She dropped the knife and sat down beside Miyu, throwing her arm around her shoulder in a comforting fashion. "You okay, honey?"
"Chisato," Miyu murmured. "I've done something stupid." Chisato squeezed her arm as a prompt to continue. "I've made a bet with her."
"Oh dear," Chisato sighed. "How much?"
"$5000."
Chisato nearly fell off the couch. "Reiha p-proposed th-that much!" she stuttered. "What do you have to do?"
"Get $2000 out of Larva." Chisato groaned and leaned back on the couch. "I'm sorry," Miyu mumbled. "But you know Reiha. She was the one who told Robert about me and-"
"Wait," Chisato held up a finger. "She did?"
"Um... yes."
"Miyu," Chisato fixed her with a stern look. "You make sure you win this bet!" Miyu stared at her in surprise. "However, because it's your own fault you dug yourself into this mess you'll have to do it whilst our bet continues." From Miyu's downtrodden look Chisato smiled. "Don't worry, we'll think of a way to beat that bitch, Reiha."
It wasn't usually like Chisato to swear but as she uttered the word Miyu felt some of the weight being lifted from her shoulders.
"After all," Chisato continued. "You've never failed in this yet."
* * *
TBW...
Sorry about the huuuuuuuuge wait. I've got updating issues at the moment. Don't worry! I'll try and update more consistently in the future. I said I'll try! ^________^
Thank you again for the reviews! Still room for more! HINT HINT ^________^
A Matter of Honour
* * *
Okay, I am slowly attacking this fic and things are slowly spewing out of my pen... uh, typing fingers and falling onto the page. Sorry about the HUMUNGOUS (is that a word?) wait but I'm either getting mild writer's block or just lazier each day. Anyhoo, not much to say except thanks for the reviews (wow, 22 for two chapters! Is this real? ^_^) and I'll shut up and let you read.
* * *
Miyu twirled the coffee around the mug, watching the black liquid and white milk collide and swirl together in a spinning vortex. It was surprisingly relaxing to watch. As she stared down into the coffee she thought bemusedly, "This is my life, white milk slowly spiralling down into blackness." She paused. She had to be really uncomfortable to have reached the stage of comparing her life to coffee.
Larva was sitting quietly across the table, a placid look on his face as he traced his pen across the page, clearly thinking. She gave a small glance at him and tried to say something but no words could find her lips. She wanted to say something, just kindle the flames of conversation but her mind was blank.
"Um.. You want more coffee?" she asked meekly gesturing towards her empty cup.
Larva looked up, obviously glad she had spoken. "I'm fine," he smiled and closed his book. "And you? Feeling better?"
Miyu stared down at the very uninteresting tabletop. This was not working well. She needed to have the upbeat persona and interesting social reflexes to keep him interested. That was when she would get her pay-in... no wait! She wasn't meant to be thinking like that! She looked up and placed a smile on her face. It wavered slightly and felt very forced.
"I'll tell you what," she said signalling to the waitress. "One more coffee and I'll we'll talk."
* * *
"So, why didn't you tell me?" The question crashed into Miyu like a thirty- foot waves but being practised in hiding her real emotions she didn't even flinch. They were walking along the pavement in the late afternoon. The clouds obscured the sun ever so slightly and a wind had picked up, causing coats to flap and umbrellas to rustle. Miyu had managed to procrastinate and avoid answering by means of two coffees, a tea, a drink of water, a hasty bathroom break, and then a sudden unknown need for fresh air and to stretch her legs. Now she was caught but she'd used her spare time to her benefit to find an answer.
"I... um..." She put on a slightly apprehensive expression that Larva could read however he wished. "I was not very good at dating men and a bit timid around them," she started. Yes, always a good way to start a story and have the listener on your side, become the scared innocent heroine. "But then I met Robert and he seemed so kind and gentle." Innocent virgin gets fooled by seemingly kind villain in disguise. "But as I started to trust him I discovered the real him. He was demanding, easily prone to drink as you saw." She turned away slightly and faked deeply inhaling from bad memories. "A bit of a bastard really," she sighed. Part 2 of the story, loving heroine discovers true nature of villain and the memories still haunt her today.
Larva wore a soft expression and touched her hand softly. "Miyu?" His fingers squeezed hers in a comforting way and Miyu suddenly felt very wretched. She wished she hadn't been born with the ability to convincingly lie. "Miyu, he said you tricked him. Is this true?"
Miyu paused. Oops...
"Um..." she said uneasily and replaced her forlorn face with a slightly guilty expression. "I still feel at fault for it but I just couldn't stand it!" She tensed her fingers. "Robert became steadily worse, relying on me to do chores whilst he kept his drink company. I tried to leave him but he wouldn't let me go. He began escorting me everywhere just in case I ran off. Eventually I told him I had to work night shifts to get an urgent article done and on the third night I left at ten o'clock and just didn't come back." She stared very hard at a poster in the window with the determined expression of someone who was fighting back the painful recollections of the past.
"Miyu." She felt a hand on her shoulder turn her around and suddenly she was pressed against Larva's warm chest. He wrapped his coat around her and held her tight as she closed her eyes peacefully, listening to the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat. The wind sent another icy blast whistling down the street but Miyu could not feel it enclosed in Larva's embrace.
And through all the happy restful thoughts that passed through her mind one rogue stood out: I am so cold-hearted.
* * *
Miyu walked down the street alone musing on the past events. She had leant against Larva and for once in her life felt sure about who she was. The only drawback was that she had lied all the way up to that embrace so it suddenly didn't feel as pure.
She remembered Chisato's words to her,
"You stay with this Larva and try a relationship..."
At this rate, thought Miyu I'm going to be down $2000. How stupid she was to raise a bet of that genre! A bet she couldn't possibly win! It was like betting a tiger to see if he couldn't eat that plump tender antelope wandering slowly around his territory for a week.
Miyu stopped yet again and leant against the wall outside the Rirakkusu bar and tried to steady her train of thoughts. What was wrong with her? She had suddenly felt so tempted to give up. It was this Larva, when she was around him she felt so relaxed that the world could have just drifted by and she wouldn't mind as long as he was around.
She massaged her brow and tried to recollect her thoughts. She really needed to find some way of getting back that money. From her point of view Chisato had practically won already.
She wondered if she should get a coffee to calm her thoughts and was about to push open the door to the Rirakkusu bar when she backtracked. Considering the amount of caffeine she had already managed to drink from procrastinating she either would never sleep again or become an insatiable addict.
She turned away to walk back down the pavement when someone caught her eye. She turned cautiously back to the window and stared through. The person on the other side stared back then beckoned. Miyu pushed the door open once again and walked into the calm atmosphere of the bar.
She looked coldly down on the woman sitting before her and the calm ambiance instantly shattered.
"Hello, Miyu. It's been a while."
"Hello, Reiha."
* * *
"What are you doing in Tokyo, Reiha? Last time I saw you, you were hounding a man in Nagoya."
"Don't sound so bitter about, Miyu," the pale skinned girl smiled and stirred her vodka. "You can't think that you're the only successful con artist around here."
"Reiha! I found that man in Nagoya and it was working well until you showed up!" Miyu's eyes flashed in infuriation of the reminiscence.
"You can't expect me to leave every man you find alone. Besides, if you're a real con artist you could have just lied your way back into his heart."
"Reiha!" Miyu nearly spat. "You said I was married! How was I supposed to lie round that? And no, I was not about to about to go into an affair. You stole that man from me, Reiha."
Reiha shrugged and took a sip of her vodka. "That is your choice, Miyu. I can't see as very successful if you limit your choice of actions. You know some men find affairs very seductive."
"Faking an affair is a good way to blow your cover. One slip up and you're no more." Miyu sat down heavily on the chair opposite Reiha.
"I heard you ran into a spot of trouble with... who was it? Ah, yes, Robert."
Miyu narrowed her eyes. "Reiha," she said dangerously. "What do you know?"
"Not much," Reiha said airily but a half smile had formed on her lips. Miyu feared the worst. She'd seen that smile on the con artist' lips before. It was a smile that told you she'd done something to anger you intentionally. "I spoke to him in a bar and soon we got chatting and eventually he told me how you had walked off after all the gifts he'd showered on you. I can see what you mean, Miyu. He is the most irritating man. However I felt sympathy for him."
This was an obvious lie. "Only an ice queen like you, Reiha could find sympathy for a man like that," Miyu scowled. Reiha's eyes instantly became harder and colder.
"Say what you like, Miyu!" she snapped back haughtily. "Either way I told him he wasn't the first man to be cheated on by the likes of you."
"What?" Miyu gripped the table edge for it was all she could do top herself rising and screaming the words at Reiha. "So it was you who told him."
"Oh no, he had already worked the most of it. I just gave him a little shove in the right direction. But I never actually said you were a con artist. But I'm sure he must have worked it out."
"Reiha, this could land me in jail!" Miyu probably could have snapped the table edge off from the fury she was feeling.
Reiha shrugged and stared out the window mildly as though she couldn't care less, which was probably true. "That was a nice man you were with," she said quietly.
Miyu glanced up sharply. She would have said, "Leave Larva out of this," but that would have only coaxed her on into interfering. "What of it?" she said.
"I saw him hug you, Miyu," Reiha smiled. Smiling didn't suit her well. "And you didn't seem too unhappy about it either. Was just walking past and you wouldn't have believed my surprise when I saw you wrapped deep in his coat. Very touching."
"What are you getting at?" Miyu snapped cutting to the chase.
"Not much," Reiha sighed. "Just I've never seen you let a man embrace you before. I think you're loosing your touch. You'll never get any money out of that man."
"That's rich coming from you, Reiha. You haven even got a man yet." Miyu smiled, knowing she'd touched a nerve.
"Is he rich?" Reiha snapped.
"Yes," Miyu retaliated. "An archaeologist."
"Interesting. Judging by your rate of failure I think I might reserve myself for him next once you're done. I probably won't need to wait long."
"That just couldn't happen, Reiha," Miyu said surprisingly calmly. "For Larva would never fall for a cold-hearted temptress like you."
Reiha nearly broke her vodka glass in anger.
"Miyu, I swear you'll never succeed with that man! You're letting yourself get to close to them! Soon you'll slip up and your career will collapse around you! In fact I bet you $5000 that you'll fail!" A spark of anger illuminated in Reiha's eyes.
"Reiha," Miyu sighed, rising from the table. "I have no time for your games."
"You've even lost your sense of daring and wit. You're becoming a sorry excuse for a con artist!"
"Reiha!" Miyu glanced about and glad that the pub was noisy so no one had overheard. "Watch your tongue!" She suddenly considered something. "You said $5000?"
Reiha smiled. "Not a dollar less. It just shows how strongly I believe you'll fail." Miyu bristled. This was starting to insult her honour.
"Very well. It's a bet. Name the price of how much you want out of him." Miyu stared challengingly at Reiha.
"If you manage to get $1000 out of him I'll be impressed. However, to win... $2000. No less."
"Deal." Miyu rose from the table. She would win this not for the money but just to see the look on Reiha's face of defeat as she brought out the money. "One other thing. Reiha, if I win you have to leave this part of Tokyo well alone."
"Fair enough. However if I win you will still have to leave this Larva regardless of how you fail. Deal?"
Miyu faltered. The idea of never seeing larva again was somehow painful. However, to say 'no' showed her doubts of winning. "Deal."
Miyu rose and left the restaurant. She caught the bus and as she sat on the sticky seat starting out the dirty windows onto the darkened streets lit by orange streetlamps she remembered her deal with Chisato. So she was now trying to get $2000 out of Larva and trying to form a friendly relationship with him at the same time.
Regardless of who heard Miyu rolled her eyes to the ceiling and said irritably, "Oh, shit!"
* * *
"Hey, Hun," Chisato said cheerfully as she heard Miyu throwing herself against the door and eventually walking in. "Good day?"
"No," Miyu said deadpan. "We need a new door."
"I know, but we can't until we get some more cash in. So what's with the droopy features for today then?"
"I just lied to Larva to answer his questions about Richard so I'm wracked with guilt. What's more he embraced me to supposedly comfort me in public and then the worst person possible saw us."
"He embraced you?" Chisato looked up sharply from scraping the grime out of the cooker grills. "Looks like I'm losing the bet. Oh, and who saw you? Robert?"
"Worse, Reiha."
"Oh, god!" Chisato cried in aggravation. "Don't tell me the ice queen is back in town."
"Yup, and she saw me and Larva... and you know what she's like."
"She must've given you an earful," Chisato mumbled. She looked up to see Miyu sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. "Miyu?" She dropped the knife and sat down beside Miyu, throwing her arm around her shoulder in a comforting fashion. "You okay, honey?"
"Chisato," Miyu murmured. "I've done something stupid." Chisato squeezed her arm as a prompt to continue. "I've made a bet with her."
"Oh dear," Chisato sighed. "How much?"
"$5000."
Chisato nearly fell off the couch. "Reiha p-proposed th-that much!" she stuttered. "What do you have to do?"
"Get $2000 out of Larva." Chisato groaned and leaned back on the couch. "I'm sorry," Miyu mumbled. "But you know Reiha. She was the one who told Robert about me and-"
"Wait," Chisato held up a finger. "She did?"
"Um... yes."
"Miyu," Chisato fixed her with a stern look. "You make sure you win this bet!" Miyu stared at her in surprise. "However, because it's your own fault you dug yourself into this mess you'll have to do it whilst our bet continues." From Miyu's downtrodden look Chisato smiled. "Don't worry, we'll think of a way to beat that bitch, Reiha."
It wasn't usually like Chisato to swear but as she uttered the word Miyu felt some of the weight being lifted from her shoulders.
"After all," Chisato continued. "You've never failed in this yet."
* * *
TBW...
Sorry about the huuuuuuuuge wait. I've got updating issues at the moment. Don't worry! I'll try and update more consistently in the future. I said I'll try! ^________^
Thank you again for the reviews! Still room for more! HINT HINT ^________^