"Why are you always lurking around?" Lee asked. Usagi let out a squeal of surprise and backed into the wall. Her eyes met Lee's and she relaxed.
"So I don't get jumped." Usagi replied with a sideways glance at the Gryffindors huddled down the hall. "Why are you always finding me while I'm lurking."
"Someone has to." Lee answered. The two stayed silent for a while. The Gryffindors down the hall became impatient and moved on. "Are you staying over Christmas break?"
"Yeah." Usagi said automatically. 'It's not like I could go home anyways.' She added as an afterthought to herself, and then wondered if her parents were really worried about her.
"So are you going to the Yule Ball?" Lee went on, breaking her out of her brief reverie.
"I doubt it. Everyone is still edgy around me, no one will ask me to go with them." Usagi said, though she didn't really sound disappointed at the prospect. Suddenly, she wondered why Lee was interested in whether she was going or not. "Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering." He said nonchalantly. "You still haven't talked to Harry, have you?"
"Um...no. He's avoiding me. I don't want to bother him and stir up trouble." Usagi replied uneasily. Of course, she did her best to avoid him as well. This isn't an easy task since their schedules are identical.
"Stir up trouble? I don't think Harry would mind if you two became friends again, he's probably gotten over what ever argument you two had in the first place." Lee said.
"I know. I'll talk to him soon." Usagi sighed. "I'm going to the library, I still have work to catch up on."
"See you later." Lee called as he watched her turn the corner towards the library. He then shook his head. "Weirdest girl I've ever known."
"Usagi!" Fleur Delacour appeared beside the blonde. Usagi blinked and looked at her sort of dazed, wondering how she just popped up out of nowhere.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Do you have a date for the Ball yet?" Fleur asked almost giddily.
"Er...no." Usagi replied slowly, not wanting to reveal to the enthusiastic girl that she probably wouldn't be going. "You?"
"Yes, a boy named Roger Davies." Fleur answered automatically. "I wanted to go with Cedric but it seems he's already taken." There was a tone of resentment in her voice. It quickly disappeared. "Hey, you should go with that one boy. Oh, what's his name? The one Hogwarts Champion with the black hair."
"Harry Potter." Usagi offered, her eyes glued to the ground.
"Yes! That one! I seen you guys talking together a few weeks back, you make a cute couple." Fleur said matter-of-factly. Usagi blushed furiously at the statement.
"We're just friends. Besides, we aren't really on speaking terms." Usagi recovered her gloomy disposition.
"Oh. Sorry." Fleur apologized. "Well, you've still got time before the ball to find someone, so cheer up."
"Yeah." Usagi smiled halfheartedly as the French girl departed.
"Hello Helios." Usagi greeted. He smiled.
"Hello Usagi, have you found a date for the Yule Ball yet?" Helios asked. Usagi frowned.
"No, not yet." She replied bitterly. Helios looked taken aback.
"Er...why not ask Harry?"
"He's already going with someone." Usagi said, not knowing whether this was true or not. "Besides, we haven't spoken to each other since before the first task." She blurted angrily.
"What? Why not?" Helios asked, surprised at the revelation.
"We had an argument." Usagi sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"That's fine, but have you tried talking to him? What was the argument about?" Helios went on. Usagi explained the disagreement.
"It was stupid, I was being too pushy." She said.
"Maybe you should talk to him." Helios suggested.
"Yeah, I know. I guess I'll go now." Usagi shrugged and left for the castle.
'Figures. He's everywhere when I'm trying to avoid him but I can never find him when I need him.' Usagi mused crossly. She flopped down on her four-poster and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. The thought of her parents found its way in her mind again. 'They're probably really worried. Actually, they probably think I'm dead. I should write them a letter...'
So, with a sigh Usagi willed herself to dig a piece of parchment and quill from her trunk, then set to work. Once finished, she held the letter up and read it to herself.
Dear Mom and Dad,
Hello, it's been a while. I thought I'd write and let you know that I'm okay. I'm doing fine where I am, I've even managed to make some friends. I'm sorry that I left like I did, but I needed a fresh start, you know? That's a lame excuse. I just want you guys to know that I love you, and that you're wonderful parents. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for Christmas. I hope you guys are okay without me.
I can't even imagine what it's like for you guys, losing Shingo and then having me run off like some heathen. I'm a bad daughter, I know. I'm going to make it up to you somehow. I promise. By the way, don't try to find out where I am please, you won't be able to find me. I'll come and see you guys soon, maybe this summer?
Love Always,
Usagi
P.S.: I'll have the owl stick around a few days, in case you want to write me back or something. He'll bring the letter to me, okay?
"Well, it'll do." She decided, folding the letter up.
The unexpected event occurred on her way back from the Owlery. While walking along, minding her own business, she ran head long into none other than Harry Potter. Talk about ironic.
"Hello Harry." Usagi said quietly.
"Hey." Harry replied, possibly quieter. Passersby cast curious glances at the two silent Gryffindors as they looked at their feet, not saying anything.
"Er...sorry for being pushy." Usagi finally said.
"It's not your fault, I was just touchy because of those articles and the first task and all." Harry said quickly. After another bout of silence, they both started laughing.
"I guess the whole thing was pretty stupid, huh?" Usagi asked mirthfully.
"Yeah." Harry agreed. "Where are you headed?"
"Just came from the Owlery." Usagi explained.
"Want to come to dinner with me?" Harry asked.
"Sure."
"Hello Usagi, long time no see." Hermione commented as the blonde girl took a seat next to her.
"Hello." She replied with a smile. Ron fidgeted in his seat.
"Er...sorry." He said rather awkwardly.
"It's okay." Usagi shrugged him off and Ron relaxed.
"Oi, Harry, you stole our fourth member." Lee complained as he took a seat next to Harry. Fred and George weren't far behind.
"She was our fourth member first." Harry pointed out.
"So?" Fred said in such a manner that it implied this was the most ridiculous excuse he'd ever heard.
"Wait and see, we'll steal her back." George declared, stabbing his fork into his piece of meat to emphasize the meaning of his words. Usagi shook her head and continued eating.
"Just try it." Harry challenged, trying not to laugh at the twins' seriousness.
"You think it's funny now." Fred said knowingly.
"Just you wait. Meeting under the table!" George shouted. The two red-headed twins ducked under the Gryffindor table. Lee leaned sideways to look under there.
"No way, guys, I am not doing that again." Lee voiced indignantly.
"What're you talking about, you came out unscathed last time!" Fred cried dramatically. George nodded his agreement.
"I don't want to push my luck." Lee said flatly.
"Fine, but don't even think of taking any credit when we steal Usagi back." George said. The two began to mutter to themselves, brainstorming. Usagi laughed at the two's antics. When dinner was over and the group had split for bed, she smiled into her pillow. 'Finally, things are looking up.'
The next week of break, Usagi spent her time with either Lee Jordan and the twins or Harry and the others. Well, technically she just hung out with Lee considering that the twins were often developing some sort of new mischievous treat. The two groups were having an amusing, mock war over who she hung out with more. The other Gryffindors had given up on the blonde girl, deciding she wasn't really a threat since Harry had done just fine on his First Task and was seen around Usagi often.
Aside from their goofing off, Usagi had declared that whoever got it into their heads to buy her something for Christmas needed to get it out fast, even though she had already purchased gifts for all of them.
"I don't want anything." She had said flatly when the subject was brought up, and everyone said they would honor her request..
So, when she woke on Christmas Day, she definitely did not expect the quaint pile of presents at the foot of the bed. Her eyes widened considerably, and the event woke her instantly.
"I'm going to kill all of them." She muttered to herself, but despite this she was ecstatic. The rest of the dormitory was still fast asleep as she pounced on her presents.
The top present's card read "From Fred and George" in big shiny letters. She pulled the note out of the envelope and read the scrawled handwriting.
'Happy Christmas! This is our latest creation, and you're the first to have it! Enjoy. (I don't recommend eating one of them, though)' Usagi laughed and opened the box. Inside were the most delicious looking chocolate truffles that she had ever seen. She quickly closed the box so she wasn't tempted to eat one of the treats and turn into a hippo or something worse. She turned her attention to the box underneath it. It was from Hermione.
'Thought this may come in handy, especially for tonight. Merry Christmas!' Usagi raised an eyebrow and opened the box with curiosity. Inside was a large black book with indented silver lettering on the front that read 'The Modern Witches' Fashion: 1,001 Glamorous Hairstyles (in under ten minutes!)' and the below text added 'Includes the instant untangle brush, everlasting curling iron, and super cement gel!' With a chuckle Usagi opened the book and flipped through the pages, admiring the various styles. A stirring in one of the beds startled her, so she closed the book and reached for the next package, which happened to be from Lee.
'Hello, Usagi. Do you know how hard it is to shop for a girl? Anyways, this was the best I could come up with, hope you enjoy.' An amused smiled played on Usagi's lips as she unwrapped the gift. Inside was a very large collection of sugar quills.
"Wow, did he buy out the store or what?" She muttered to herself as she placed one of the treats in her mouth and savored the melting sweetness. Hermione sat up in her bed and yawned widely.
"G'morning." She greeted sleepily when she spotted Usagi Indian-style on the floor.
"Morning. Merry Christmas." Usagi replied as she reached for the last package. "Thanks for the present, even though I told you not to get me anything." She said with false annoyance.
"You're welcome." Hermione smiled as she dove into her own presents. Usagi smiled as well and turned her attention back to the parcel in her hands. This one was from Harry.
'Happy Christmas! I know you said not to get you anything and all but too bad. This reminded me of you I guess, which is weird, but I hope you like it.' Usagi smiled to herself and opened the gift in her hand. Her eyes widened. Rested inside the rectangular box was a silver choker. In the center was an upturned crescent moon. On the sides were three thin chains in a slightly drooping row attached to the clasp. Hermione abandoned her presents momentarily to see what the blonde girl was gawking at.
"Wow, Usagi, Harry got that for you?" She inquired as she read over the note. Usagi gave a small nod as she placed the lid back on the box and began to clear out the garbage. A mischievous smile spread across Hermione's face as she set the note back with the gift. "That's interesting."
"What is?" Usagi asked, turning to face her.
"Oh nothing." Hermione replied nonchalantly, returning to her own presents. Usagi arched an eyebrow. "By the way, who are you going to the ball with?"
"Me? Er...I don't know." Usagi said slowly.
"What! But the ball is tonight!" Hermione cried.
"I know. Who are you going with?" Usagi inquired, shifting the subject. Hermione flushed.
"Promise not to tell anyone?" She asked.
"Sure." Usagi nodded.
"Viktor Krum." Hermione squeaked. Usagi pondered for a moment before it hit her.
"Oh! That's that famous guy from Durmstrang that Ron's obsessed with! You're really going with him?" Usagi exclaimed.
"Yes..." Hermione confirmed quietly, apparently embarrassed.
"That's great!" Usagi said cheerfully. The two were interrupted by a sharp tap on the window. One glance revealed the owl that Usagi recognized as the one she had sent to her parents a week ago. Her breathe caught in her throat as she walked to the window swiftly and opened it. The owl swooped in and landed softly on the bed. Tied to its leg was a letter and a small box with an even smaller bow. Usagi gulped and untied the delivery, patting the owl affectionately before it flew back out the window.
Usagi stared at the letter in her hand. It was addressed to her clearly, in the neat cursive of her mother's handwriting. Her mind was sifting through her options. She wanted to know what it said, but at the same time she feared it. Her decision was easier than she thought, because at that moment she felt Helios beckoning her to the Forbidden Forest. She stuffed the letter and parcel away in her trunk and bid farewell to Hermione before heading in that direction.
"What's up, Helios?" Usagi asked as she spotted him waiting against a tree.
"I wanted to ask you if you had a date for the ball yet." He said, straight to the point. Usagi faltered.
"Er...nope." She said slowly. Helios deliberated this in his head for a moment.
"Would you like to go with me?" He asked suddenly.
"Nani!" Usagi asked, startled into using her native language.
"I doubt that Dumbledore will mind." Helios continued, eyes sparkling with amusement at her reaction.
"Um...okay then." Usagi said after a moment, slightly embarrassed over the whole scene.
"All right, I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall before the Ball. Now go eat breakfast and tell Dumbledore about the arrangements." Usagi nodded at these words and headed back towards the castle considerably shaken.
Once back to the castle, Usagi realized that breakfast ended without her, so she went to the common room instead. There she located Lee, Fred, and George among the horde of Gryffindors. As it turns out, they had saved her a few pieces of toast. She thanked them and ate the buttered food gratefully. Once done, she proceeded to ask Fred and George what the truffles in her bedroom did.
"Not telling." Fred said, and George nodded.
"Why not?" Usagi whined.
"If you really want to know you can eat one." George offered innocently. Usagi declined. The group hung out together until lunch, where they met up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Hello." Usagi greeted as they sat next to them.
"Hello." Harry returned.
"I hope you noticed that Usagi hung out with us this morning." Fred said as their food appeared and they all dug in immediately.
"Yes, but she hung out with us all of yesterday." Harry retorted.
"Eh, that's to far back to even count." George said, dismissing his comment with the wave of a hand.
"Too far back? It was just yesterday!" Ron cried indignantly.
"You need to learn to stop living in the past, little brother." Fred said.
"Technically, this morning is in the past too." Hermione pointed out. The group broke into laughter after that and spent the rest of the lunch talking about a whole lot of nothing. Usagi departed early, saying she had something to take care of, and walked up to the teacher's table.
"Er...Professor Dumbledore?" Usagi questioned. The aged wizard looked up from his nearly finished dessert and smiled brightly at her.
"Hello, Miss Tsukino." Dumbledore greeted.
"Um, can I ask you a question?" She went on.
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded his head. Students began to file out of the Great Hall to move on to other activities, and the teachers were dispersing as well.
"Well you see, my date for the Yule Ball doesn't exactly go to this school." Usagi began.
"It's perfectly fine if you want to go with one of the Beauxbatons or Durmstrang students." Dumbledore said.
"Well actually, he doesn't go to any school." Usagi said. Dumbledore gave her a slightly perplexed expression. "He's an old friend of mine, his name is Helios. He's actually the protector of dreams." Usagi continued, sort of awkwardly as she realized she must sound insane.
"I don't see any problem in it, but how is he going to get here?" Dumbledore inquired pleasantly.
"Er...well, you see...he's sort of been staying in the forest to watch over me, in his Pegasus form, which is a lot like a unicorn. The only difference is that a Pegasus has wings." Usagi explained, hoping that the unexpected inhabitant of his forest wouldn't upset the tranquil headmaster. It did.
"He's been staying in the forest? Why on earth didn't you tell me, child? If he's going to stay here, it should be in the castle, not in a dark forest! He's welcome to a guest room in the castle as long as he promises not to disrupt the students." Dumbledore said, smiling over his half moon spectacles.
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." Usagi said, bowing and then sprinting out of the Great Hall and onto the grounds. There she spotted the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione immersed in a rather fun looking snowball fight. She quickly decided she would tell Helios tonight and headed towards the battle.
Venture through the castle at 5:30 Christmas Day and you might find Hermione and Usagi in the dormitory. The two Gryffindor girls perched on Usagi's four-poster bed to look at the book of hairstyles that Hermione gave Usagi for Christmas. They were already clad in their dress robes and now tackling the task of doing their hair. However, as they sporadically offered comments on the various styles, neither had found one that caught their eye. That is, until Usagi prodded her finger at one of the images.
"This one would look great on you." She declared. Hermione surveyed the style with interest, an elegantly twisted knot on the back of the girl's head.
"My hair is way too bushy to do that." She said finally, in a sort of defeated tone.
"Nonsense, sit!" Usagi instructed Hermione to sit on the floor below her, then grabbed the "instant untangle brush" and "super cement gel" from the box and set to work. Following the step-by-step guide, she fashioned Hermione's hair almost exactly as it was in the book. Needless to say, it was stunning.
"Wow, it looks great!" Hermione exclaimed, taking in the effect of her hair not being bushy and impossible to manage.
"Told you so." Usagi said smugly. Hermione rolled her eyes and the two began thumbing the pages of the book in search of Usagi's perfect look. With a triumphant "Aha!", Hermione pointed out the style she'd discovered.
"This would look great on you!" She said matter-of-factly. Usagi's eyes nearly bulged out of her head.
"You want me to look like Goldilocks?" She cried. The style did indeed look like Goldilocks all grown up. The model's hair was in a ponytail, with thick, golden ringlets streaming down her back and two shorter ringlets to frame her face. A note in the captions suggested using a hair lengthening spell if yours was too short for the style.
"It suits you. Just trust me on this one." Hermione said sternly. So, Usagi obeyed, taking the seat on the floor below her. Hermione grabbed the curling iron, the hair brush, and the gel, then set to work with gritted teeth. First, she brushed through the mass of hair, then put it up into a sleek ponytail. Then came the hard part. She set the separate locks apart and curled them one by one. This took about twenty minutes in itself. Then, using the spell mentioned in the caption, she lengthened Usagi's rather short bangs and curled them to frame her face. Usagi was in awe.
"Wow, it's amazing!" She exclaimed, delicately touching the golden ringlets.
"See, I told you." Hermione said as she looked at the finished product with approval. The two put away the hair items and brought out the make up.
"I think you would do better with just a gloss instead of lipstick." Hermione suggested as they compared the colors.
"And you should probably wear a shade of pink." Usagi commented. It went on like this for sometime until the two girls realized it was 7:45, and that they were ready. Hermione stood in front of the full length mirror first, surveying her appearance. Her lips were painted a soft pink, her hair was pulled into its neat knot, and her dress robes were a periwinkle blue color. They had made her skin look a few shades lighter to go better with light colors of her outfit and added mascara to bring out her eyes. Satisfied, she stepped aside to let Usagi have a turn.
Usagi, still in awe over her hair, had to pull her eyes away from it to make sure the rest of her outfit was okay. Her dress robes consisted of two layers. A milky white layer underneath a translucent layer that was spotted with glittering snowflakes. Her skin was left untainted since her pale complexion went well with the wintry feel of the outfit, but they had put on dark mascara to exaggerate the blueness of her eyes. She had also followed Hermione's advice and went with a gloss instead of a lipstick, and Hermione had charmed it to not rub off easily like a muggle gloss normally would. Also, she had reluctantly taken off her locket and stashed it away in her trunk, replacing it with the choker that she had received from Harry.
All in all, the girls decided they looked pretty good for the night ahead. They shared a smile as they exited the dormitory and descended the staircase. A lot of the people had already cleared out of the common room, including people that they knew, so they make their way to the Entrance Hall. Once they were caught in the rainbow colored mob, they split up to find their respective partners. Usagi found Helios standing near a wall, ignoring the stares from the girls present. (Hey, Helios is a hottie. :P)
"Hello there." She greeted as she walked up to the dream keeper. He stared at for a moment in confusion before it dawned on him.
"Wow, Usagi, you could be a completely different person. You look great." Helios complimented with a smile. Usagi reddened at his words.
"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself, where did you get those?" She asked, referring to the silvery-blue dress robes that he was wearing.
"Luna got them for me." He explained, looking down at the garment that he wasn't used to wearing. The two were abruptly joined by Fleur Delacour and a boy that must have been Roger Davies.
"Hello, Usagi." Fleur said as she surveyed her appearance.
"Hey Fleur." Usagi replied, glancing at Fleur's satin, grayish robes.
"You look great." She commented as she turned her attention to Helios.
"Thanks, you too." Usagi said.
"Who is this? I haven't seen him around before." Fleur asked, turning back to Usagi.
"This is my friend, Helios. Helios, this is Fleur Delacour, one of my friends." Usagi introduced the two.
"Nice to meet you." Helios smiled and bowed slightly.
"The pleasure is all mine." Fleur said, looking rather taken with the silvery-haired boy. Roger Davies soon noticed and looked severely jealous. A few seconds later the Champions were called away, and Fleur departed.
"Well, I think she likes you." Usagi commented as the two headed into the Great Hall.
"I guess." Helios said, looking slightly flustered. Usagi giggled at him.
"Oh, by the way, Dumbledore wants you to stay in the castle." She announced.
"What?" Helios asked, taken aback.
"Well, he was sort of upset when he found out that you'd been hanging out in the forest. He wants you to stay in a guest room." Usagi explained.
"Okay." Helios said, still slightly confused. Meanwhile, Harry was in shock from just realizing that the girl next to Krum was actually one of his best friends, Hermione. Right before they entered the Great Hall, Hermione leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear.
"Look for Goldilocks." Before Harry could question this odd statement, they were beckoned into the Hall. Hermione blissfully ignored the stares, and glares, she was getting from the other students. Usagi gave her a thumbs up as they passed by, and Hermione spent a split second staring at the boy next to her, wondering who he was.
The champions took their seat and the feast begun. Usagi and Helios stayed quiet for the most part, enjoying their meal. As the feast was over, the Weird Sisters marched out onto the stage, met with a loud applause. The champions and partners rose from their seats and took their places for the opening dance.
As the dance begun, Harry began to look around the room for the Goldilocks that Hermione was talking about. However, he wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for. Until he saw a very pretty girl with her hair done up in many golden ringlets, almost exactly like Goldilocks' had been in the classic tale. Now he wondered why Hermione wanted him to locate her. That is, until he identified the piece of jewelry around her neck.
'No way, that's Usagi?' Harry thought to himself. It was indeed her, now that he looked closer he could recognize her. Her head was tilted to the side slightly and she was watching Hermione dance with Krum. Her eyes ventured to him and he quickly looked back at Parvati, giving his concentration back to dancing.
"Is that Harry?" Helios asked in a whisper.
"Yes." Usagi confirmed. Within a minute or two, the other students began joining the champions on the dance floor.
"Would you like to dance?" Helios inquired, offering his hand to her.
"Of course." Usagi replied, taking his hand and letting him lead her onto the dance floor. The two danced around slowly, Helios leading, Usagi being extremely careful so that her clumsy tendencies would show themselves. She spotted Lee Jordan up ahead with a girl she didn't know. Lee glanced at her, but didn't recognize her, and continued dancing. Usagi smiled to herself.
So, the night went on in a pattern of dancing and resting for Usagi and Helios. Usagi noticed that if she strayed too far from Helios, he would be swarmed by girls whose dates had given up on dancing. Of course, she had several offers herself so both of them decided to stick close to each other to avoid being mobbed. Across the dance floor, Usagi seen Ron and Harry come back into the Great Hall and sit down, deeply immersed in conversation. She wondered where they had gone, and what had happened to their dates.
"Hello, Harry." Usagi greeted. She took a seat next to him and Helios took the seat on the other side of her. Ron was looking at her with wide eyes, but she was used to this by now so she brushed it off.
"Hello." Harry replied, looking up from the conversation he and Ron had been having.
"Who's he?" Ron asked, pointing to the boy beside her.
"Oh, sorry, this is my friend Helios." Usagi said, turning to him. "Helios, this is Harry and Ron."
"Hello." Helios said cheerfully. The two nodded.
"What were you guys talking about?" Usagi questioned.
"Giants." Ron replied with an offhanded shrug. The group was interrupted by a boy in deep blue robes, who asked Usagi to dance.
"Er...no thank you." Usagi said politely with a smile.
"Okay then." The boy said, and, looking rather embarrassed, walked off. Usagi turned back to them, looking pretty embarrassed herself. The rest of the ball, Harry, Ron, and Usagi chatted about various things while Helios listened attentively to the conversation, giving a comment now and then. During the this time, several guests dropped in for a few moments to say hello, including Fleur, at which time Ron shrunk in his seat and pretended to be absorbed in the music, Hermione, though she had made it a point to ignore Ron, and the twins Fred and George, who didn't seemed surprised at all by Usagi's appearance.
Before they knew it, it was midnight and the ball was drawing to a close. Usagi departed with Helios, who was to be escorted to his guest room by Professor McGonagall. Suddenly, she found herself extremely tired. Without a second glance at anyone she trudged up to the common room and continued up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. She sleepily changed into her pajamas and collapsed into bed, not worrying about her hair or make up.
Hehehe, I just planned the first big event for the next chapter in my head. I'm so evil. Heh...anyways, this chapter took forever to get out, didn't it? I hope the length makes up for that. It took longer to get to the ball than I'd expected. As for the hairstyle, it was inspired by an image. I'll post the link in my profile since it won't let me put it in the chapter. It looks like the picture in the link, only with smaller ringlets.
Whew! 20 reviews! Keep it up and I'll reach 200 soon! X.X! I'd have a heart attack. I must leave you now, my kitty is attacking my leg for food. Ja ne!
§SachiNyoko§ "Come to the dark side. We have cookies."