The two of them were relatively silent as they flew, with Tatsumaki carrying Saitama by his clothes. To be perfectly fair, Saitama had no idea what he could say to Tatsumaki, and was just enjoying the sensation of the wind blowing past him. He wanted to ask her why she looked so bored, as if flying at least 200 meters in the air no longer excited her, if she got as bored as he did with the lack of any challenge from monsters, but some part of him wondered if that was even a good topic on your first date.
Eventually, they arrived in City D, landing in an alley. Saitama looked around curiously, wondering what they were doing in such a place when he realised Tatsumaki was already making her way out of it. He quickly caught up to her, tapping her on the shoulder.
"How come we landed here Tats?" he asked, slipping his hand back into the pocket of his hoodie.
"Because egghead, I don't want to get recognised." she replied irritatedly.
"Eh? Why not?"
"It's annoying when people fawn over me, believe it or not."
"You don't like it when people appreciate your hard work?" Saitama asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It's... complicated."
"If you say so."
Tatsumaki sighed, muttering a soft 'thanks' to the baldy, who noted he should probably avoid that specific topic, maybe even ask Fubuki about it. When they were out of the alley, Saitama noticed a very familiar shop name, though he couldn't exactly remember where he had seen it before. It was only when he looked at the menu after having been sat at table in a quiet corner did he remember. The ridiculous name, the chocolate and vanilla cake, and the sky high price it was valued at finally made his head click and his eyes widen.
"I thought you'd never realise." said Tatsumaki as she picked up the menu.
"Why here?"
"I figured it would be appropriate. Plus, I like the food." Saitama chuckled, and Tatsumaki looked up with a raised eyebrow. "Something funny?"
"We're having a redo." The baldy snickered. "I thought this doesn't happen in real life."
"Neither did aliens until recently." replied Tatsumaki as she returned to her menu. "So what do you want egghead?"
Saitama hummed in response. "I guess I'll have the same as last time." he decided, grinning. Tatsumaki signaled for a waiter and quickly gave her the order, passing the menus back to the slightly dumbfounded girl.
"You're really going all out with the redo, aren't you?" the ESPer quipped.
"It's funny."
"It really isn't."
"Oh come on, even you must find something funny about this."
"Well... I guess I never thought I'd befriend you, much less date you when we first met. Especially with that chromedome of yours."
"Yeah well," Saitama smiled, "neither did I. Never did get along with girls very well."
"Pfft. Were you that hopeless?"
"Yeah, got dumped by my last girlfriend and everything."
Saitama's smile was smaller now, his eyes seemingly more down. Tatsumaki mentally facepalmed. Yea, this was a great start to their first date, talk about his ex. That's sure to liven up the mood.
"Right. Sorry." mumbled Tatsumaki as she rested her head on her fist.
"Don't be, it was kinda my fault she did anyway."
"I'm not feeling sorry for you cue ball, I'm apologising for bringing it up."
"I don't mind." replied Saitama, shrugging with an air of nonchalance.
A few minutes later, the food arrived, and the two dug in. The silence was unnerving for Tatsumaki, as she repeatedly glanced at Saitama who looked like he was either appreciating the cake or off in la la land. Finally she had enough and poked the man with her levitating fork.
"Look, I'm sorry I brought it up okay? Are you going to say anything or do you want to go home and reminisce?" snapped the ESPer
Saitama blinked before he apologised as he scratched his neck. "I was just thinking of what to say, and I tried to remember what Nozomi always did and... sorry Tats."
"...So her name is Nozomi?" asked Tatsumaki with her eyebrow raised.
"Huh? You really want to talk about her?"
"You got any better ideas?"
After thinking about it for a few seconds, Saitama shook his head and sighed. "Are you really sure you don't mind?"
"Well," Tatsumaki shrugged, "if we're going to start a relationship, we might as well see what went wrong last time."
"Oh, alright then. It's kinda a long story though, and I can't limit it to-"
"From the beginning, you melon."
"Sorry, we don't think you're cut out for this."
The interviewee sighed as he stood up, thanking the three interviewers before he left the room in defeat. This was his 6th interview, and if he didn't get a job soon, he'll be left starving on the streets.
"Oh well. I'll leave tomorrow's problem to tomorrow's me." mumbled the raven haired male as he turned towards the exit, when the door behind him opened up, and a woman with flowing hazel hair in a suit and skirt walked out with her shoulders slumped.
"Bad luck?" asked the man, causing the female to sigh as she turned to face him, revealing her jet black eyes.
She sighed in defeat, nodding her head. "Yeah. You too?"
"Yup. The standards are just so high now."
"Almost as high as these douchebags are high and mighty." joked the woman, and they both laughed weakly.
"Hey, at least you have the character they look for." said the male, "Meanwhile I'm going to end up on the streets if I don't pay the rent."
"That bad?"
"Mhm."
The woman put her hand to her chin, thinking. "I might be crazy since you're basically a stranger, but you wanna rent out my spare room?"
"Huh?"
"My previous tenant was hell. You seem like a quiet kinda guy, what do you think?"
"Eh, I'm not sure if I could afford it." lamented the male.
"Nonsense! My conditions are very reasonable. In fact, we can go view it now!"
"I... guess there's no harm. Is it below 1000 yen a month?" he asked, interest in his voice.
"Depends how frugal you are and if you're willing to do your fair share of housework."
The man smiled. "Frugal I can do, and I don't mind doing the groceries."
The woman smiled back. "Good thing I hate groceries with a passion then! Name's Nozomi, you?" she asked with her hand outstretched.
"Saitama." he answered as he shook her hand, his hazel eyes regaining life. "Nice to meet you."
The two quickly became friends, having bonded over their mutual love for anime and manga. They had a system where Saitama did all the groceries, since he had a godly ability to get everything dirt cheap, while Nozomi did all the housework, since it surprisingly relaxed her. Eventually, Nozomi got a job at a company while Saitama continued doing odd jobs.
One day about a year into their friendship, Nozomi was invited back to her school for a Christmas party, and one of her 'gal pals' insisted that she bring her flatmate whom they've never met as well. When asked why, all she said was that everyone would like to meet this new friend. Saitama agreed quite quickly when he heard there would be free food, something Nozomi found to be one hell of a bargaining chip.
The two never suspected a thing when everyone was giggling once they arrived, whispering to each other. It was only at the end when someone hung a mistletoe over the two did they realise Nozomi's friends were trying to set them both up since she was literally the only one without a relationship. Whether it was peer pressure or what, Saitama wouldn't know, as his thinking process was halted by a peck on his cheek from Nozomi.
Much to his surprise, it wasn't peer pressure, and the two were officially in a relationship. For some time, Saitama was happy, until the faithful day came. He returned home all battered up, and gave his girlfriend quite a scare. As she carefully tended to his wounds, he told her about how he decided he would become a hero. She was very supportive at first, talking about how he'll be just like the ones in the manga. He kept doing odd jobs as he trained, although each day got more and more tiring.
Eventually, he stopped looking for jobs as Nozomi was promoted, and insisted on providing for the both of them, if only so Saitama wouldn't end up killing himself. But then, when he finally felt stronger, and when the training felt easier, he woke up to find quite a bit of his hair fallen off. Nozomi had joked about it, how he literally trained till his hair fell out, yet he found his laugh to be more instinctual than anything. Soon, he started to get less and less sensitive, as each day he returned, he was less and less scathed, and each fight lasted far shorter. Nozomi had asked him what was wrong, but he only shook his head.
Unfortunately, things ended badly when he returned sulking after the 10th day of one punching some monster. Nozomi was trying to comfort him, but he just didn't feel anything. He asked his girlfriend what this would eventually mean, and the two came to the simple conclusion that this couldn't go on, and they split. It could have been worse really. Nozomi was still okay with being his friend and flatmate, but after a while, it got awkward, and Saitama had to find a new place. He picked a flat in the abandoned part of City Z, as rent was literally non-existent.
On the day when he finally finished moving, Nozomi gave him one last kiss before passing him some cash to keep himself alive until he could once again find another job. On the day he became bald, he decided to give Nozomi a visit in the costume the old tailor had made for him. He told Nozomi that one day he'd pay her back for all she had done, and the woman only shook her head.
"It's alright Sai. You were one hell of a friend, that itself is enough." Nozomi looked at his shining scalp, and giggled. "Perfect timing actually."
She ran off into her room, while Saitama sat there scratching his temple. After a minute of what seemed like Nozomi looking for something, she returned with a pot in her hands, a tiny cactus rested in it. She passed it to Saitama who looked at it curiously.
"Consider it a reminder of our friendship. Don't forget to call me once in a while, okay pal?"
Saitama smiled weakly. "Yeah."
"That was about a year and a half into my training. I have to admit, even now I kinda miss her." said Saitama with a sad smile on his face.
"You don't stay in touch?" asked Tatsumaki.
"Nah, her number changed, and she moved houses. I don't know where she is now, but hopefully she's happy." Saitama finished what was left of his tea, sighing. "But hey, I get another chance with you, don't I? Just have to make sure I don't screw up again."
"...If it helps, I don't think you'll screw up."
Saitama chuckled. "Thanks Tats. I know people don't like their partners talking about exes, and I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
Tatsumaki crossed her arms with a smug smile. "Hmph. I'm an adult egghead. Only insecure teenagers worry about their lovers eloping with an ex." she boasted.
With a smile, Saitama called for the waiter, and paid for the bill with the cash Genos gave him, getting a discount with his S Class card. Before they left though, the waiter asked Tatsumaki if she could have her autograph and that she promised not to say a word about the 'Caped Terror' ship sailing. The two of them left the cafe confused and amused.
"What the hell did she mean by 'The SS Caped Terror has sailed.'?" Tatsumaki asked Saitama, who only snorted in response. "What?"
"Don't worry about it Tats. Where do you want to go next?"
Tatsumaki glared at the baldy, before she shook her head. She'd just have to look it up at home. "I don't really like parks, definitely NOT shopping... I don't know."
"Oh!" exclaimed Saitama, tapping the ESPer's shoulder. "How about a carnival?"
"What?" Tatsumaki looked up to see Saitama pointing at a poster advertising a carnival in City M.
"It's been a while since I could afford a trip to a carnival. I think I remember it being kinda fun."
"Fine. But if you make a single joke about my height, I'll crush you with their rides."
The two of them rushed to City M because Saitama didn't want a long wait in line, despite Tatsumaki telling him not to. When they arrived, Saitama was disappointed to find that just as he expected, the line was extremely long. As he was about to queue up, Tatsumaki stopped him. She pulled her S Class card along with Saitama's and handed it to the guy controlling the queue. He stared at it for a second before hurriedly passing them both a ticket that looked different from what others got.
"S Class privileges, remember? The card not only gives us discounts for essentials, it allows us to have priority access to entertainment services such as carnivals, arcades, movies even." explained the ESPer when Saitama threw her a curious glance.
"Oh, that's cool. So where first?"
"I... don't know. Never been to a carnival before."
"Really?"
"Well..." Tatsumaki hesitated, "only for the candied apples." When Saitama didn't respond, she huffed in frustration. "I swear if you call me childish-"
"Nah, I totally understand. It's kinda like how I go out of my way to a specific supermarket for something the one in City Z doesn't sell."
"Oh." deadpanned the ESPer. "Anyway, since you have experience, you lead."
After cutting the queues to quite a few rides, they eventually covered most of the carnival in about 2 hours thanks to the lack of waiting in line. By the end of it all, Tatsumaki looked a lot less alive. To be fair, all the normally 'exhilarating' rides were boring to her since she already jumped out of planes and flies around way beyond the speed of sound. Any rides that were in close proximity of screaming children only gave her a small headache as she winced at every shriek.
It didn't help that every once in a while, someone with a brain saw through her disguise and asked for an autograph, attracting the attention of those nearby. At one point, she had to threaten them all to leave her alone, since the crowd was so overwhelming. Surprisingly, no one commented about the alleged S Class fraud 'Caped Baldy' trailing beside her, occasionally asking 'Tats' if she was okay.
Saitama caught on very quickly of course, but the ESPer insisted they continue because they had nothing else to do. When they finally got off the ride, Saitama pulled her along to where all the snacks were being sold, buying them a candied apple each, along with a drink. Now he was feeling kind of bad for suggesting the carnival in the first place, since his girlfriend looked ready to go home more than anything. But they still had one more ride to go, and he quietly told her to follow him so as to not worsen her headache.
Squirming through the crowd, they eventually reached the Ferris wheel, and by once again cutting the line, they entered one of the passenger cars sat themselves down. When the ride started moving, Tatsumaki groaned. It was far slower than she imagined it would be. Saitama chuckled when she complained about it.
"Hey Tats, how about I give you a massage?"
"You know how to?"
"Yea, it was one of my odd jobs. It's easy."
Tatsumaki grunted in response, closing her eyes. Maybe it was her headache, but she really didn't give a damn about Saitama touching her. She had to admit though, he was good. It didn't take very long for the massage to start having an effect, and she could feel her headache melt away. Saitama only stopped applying pressure when Tatsumaki hummed in content.
"Better?" he asked.
"So you aren't useless after all." she responded as she opened her eyes.
"I guess so." the baldy laughed weakly as he laid back. "By the way, sorry for dragging you here."
"*sigh*, It's fine." They stayed silent for a while when Saitama nudged Tatsumaki.
"You hate crowds?"
"Yeah."
"Does it have something to do with your powers?"
"Sort of." Tatsumaki shrugged. "I have to concentrate to keep my powers under control. Plus, I think a lot. Too much noise kind of clutters my mind."
"Oh. So kinda like how loud noises make Superman flinch?"
"What the hell is a Superman?" Tatsumaki asked.
Saitama only shook his head in disbelief. "Nevermind."
When the Ferris wheel reached the halfway point and stopped in mid air, Saitama poked Tatsumaki again. "Do you ever get bored because of your powers?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I noticed earlier when you flew us to City D that you looked bored, when most people would get pretty excited at being like, 200 meters in the air." Saitama scratched his temple. "It reminded me of how bored I got when I couldn't find a challenge is all." he said as he downed his drink.
"I guess it has gotten quite boring." mumbled Tatsumaki. "Doesn't mean I can stop doing it though, does it? I mean, I got these amazing powers, might as well use them to protect the world, right?"
Saitama smiled. "Yeah." He turned to face Tatsumaki. "Anyone ever tell you how heroic that makes you sound?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, using your time doing something you don't enjoy for the good of others."
The ESPer raised an eyebrow. "You do the same thing though?"
Saitama only shook his head. "I became a hero for fun Tats. Because I thought it would be cool to be like those on television. You" he gestured to her "on the other hand, decided to help people. There's a big difference between doing it for oneself and doing it for others."
"I thought you said you don't enjoy it anymore?"
"But I used to. Even now, I'm doing this because I hope sooner or later I find something challenging." Saitama sighed. "I wouldn't call that heroic."
Tatsumaki nodded her head solemnly. It sounded logical, unfortunately. Somehow the baldy was right. When you put it that way, he really didn't sound very heroic. And yet, there was an arguement to be made that he was the walking definition of a hero, not just his strength, but his... Oh, of course.
"I call bullshit, baldy."
"Huh?"
"Listen light bulb, there is more than one way to be a hero and I don't think you realise how much of one you are. The way you so easily let others take your credit, the way you threw your dignity away, just so those idiots preserved their face," Tatsumaki didn't realise her hand was now on Saitama's, "because you didn't want the public to lose faith in the heroes, that is in its own way heroic. I can honestly say no one I know could possibly do that, even if they wanted to." The ESPer stared at the floor. "Not even me."
Saitama stared at her in silence, before he chuckled. "Don't sell yourself short Tats. You got pretty mad when I gave you the credit for that purple Piccolo, remember?"
"What the hell is a pi- HEY! I SAID NO JOKES ABOUT MY HEIGHT!" yelled Tatsumaki as she punched Saitama's shoulders, completely forgetting how ineffective that would be.
"Just trying to lighten up the mood. Won't happen again, promise."
"Hmph!" Tatsumaki pouted, "It better not."
The ride ended far too soon afterwards, and the couple found themselves with nothing to do an hour and a half to dinner. They were discussing what to do when suddenly a loud explosion occurred nearby, along with the terrified screams of civilians.
"MUMEN RIDER IS DOWN!"
"SOMEONE CALL A HERO!"
"WE'RE SCREWED!"
"I DON'T WANNA DIE!"
Saitama bolted towards the explosion the moment he heard 'Mumen', and arrived just in time to grab the hero right as the monster's fist came crashing down on him. He turned to punch the creature when it was suddenly lifted into the air.
"NOT IN THE CROWD CAPED BALDY! VAPORISE IT NOW!" Commanded Tatsumaki.
Saitama winced at his hero name as he jumped into the air. Pulling his fist back with a bit more strength and focus, he did exactly that, vaporising the monster into nothing but air like it never existed. He landed unceremoniously on the ground, sighing at the easy win.
"You alright Mumen?" He asked the C Class hero groaning in pain.
"Yeah." he responded weakly as Saitama helped him on his feet. "Crud, she is so gonna worry."
Saitama raised an eyebrow but chose not to comment.
Cheers erupted from the crowd, once again thanking 'Tornado of Terror' for saving them. The heroine scowled as the loud voices reached her head. They still believed she saved them despite her telling Caped Baldy to kill the monster.
"IDIOTS! CAPED BALDY KILLED THE MONSTER, NOT ME! USE YOUR DAMN EYES FOR ONCE!" yelled the ESPer
The silence of the crowd was short lived, as everyone started whispering.
"Caped Baldy?"
"The fraud?"
"Isn't he the one who stole her credit? Why is she trying to help him?"
It took all of Tatsumaki's patience not to fling everyone into space as she flew down to where Saitama stood. Unfortunately, one brave soul decided to voice his thoughts, testing the ESPer.
"Miss Tornado! Why are you helping him? He's a fake! He stole other heroes' credit! He doesn't deserve to be even C class!" The man was promptly lifted into the air, causing him to squirm in panic.
"CAPED BALDY IS NOT A FUCKING FAKE!" exploded Tatsumaki. "THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE YET TO REALISE IT PROVES TO ME HOW MUCH OF A WASTE OF OXYGEN YOU ALL ARE! THE NEXT PERSON WHO DARES INSINUATE I'D BE DUMB ENOUGH TO HELP A FRAUD LIKE THOSE TANK TOP IMBECILES, WILL TASTE THE SUN! THAT IS A PROMISE!" she threatened as she flung the poor bastard, who by now has pissed his pants, straight into the crowd and on the ground.
Somehow, a few in the crowd still found the courage to speak, and though they were only murmurs, it didn't take a genius to tell they weren't anything good. Saitama held on to his girlfriend by her hand just in case she lost it, when to both of their surprise, Mumen spoke up.
"I too vouch for Caped Baldy!" the C Class hero said, his voice strong despite his injuries. "He is a good man, and a great hero, as well as someone I'd happily call friend. I don't like it when you drag his name through the mud so please, apologise and never do it again! Show him the respect he deserves!"
The crowd went silent as Saitama patted Mumen's shoulder. "Forget it dude, I don't care what they say."
"But others do! I couldn't change their minds before, but with Miss Tornado's word too, I'm sure we can fix their opinion of you!" Tatsumaki nodded in agreement.
"If Mumen says he's a good guy, I believe him!" a boy in blue attire and a yellow hat suddenly cheered.
"Yeah! Demon Cyborg calls him Sensei, and says he's great too!" a girl in a red and white striped shirt and blue skirt followed suit.
Motivated by the children, the crowd slowly started cheering for Caped Baldy, and though most still had disdain in their voice, a few were genuinely grateful and were enough to put a small smile on the bewildered baldy's face.
"Saitama," said Tatsumaki as she tugged at his sleeve, "Come on. We should get him to a hospital. After that we can have dinner or something."
"Dinner?" Mumen grinned inwardly. "Hey, don't let me interrupt whatever you two are busy with. An ambulance should be here soon."
"You sure?" Saitama asked, and Mumen nodded.
The Caped Baldy shrugged as he began to walk, gesturing for Tatsumaki to follow him. As they got further and further, the cheering of the crowd died down, replaced by the wailing sirens of an arriving ambulance.
"So... another cafe?" Saitama asked, the ESPer shaking her head in response.
"After that crap, the public is the last thing I want to see. You know of a quiet place?"
Saitama put his hand to his chin, thinking. "Oh! The udon place I like is usually quiet at this time, we could go there."
And so they did. Though as it was still early, Tatsumaki only had a plate of gyoza, while Saitama could only take the small bowl of udon. Like Saitama said, it was quiet, and Tatsumaki welcomed the quiet. The only sounds were the chef cooking and Saitama busy slurping. Plus, the gyoza was surprisingly good. She'd have to keep this place in mind the next time she's too ticked off for the noise of a cafe.
Credit where credit's due, Saitama was eating at a noticeably slower pace, and the slurps weren't really that loud compared to the few times she's eaten with him before. And not even once did Tatsumaki hear the annoying sound of utensils hitting each other or the bowl. The Baldy knew what he was doing, and she had to admit, it was weird. Nonchalant could no longer be used to describe Saitama, and she wasn't sure she liked that very much. What is he asked about her past? Decided to talk or something? Sure she accepted him as a boyfriend but... can she really trust him? True, she may have told him already when she got drunk, but there was more to it. More she couldn't reveal. Is that normal for couples? Keeping secrets?
Saitama noticed the worry on Tatsumaki's face as she was deep in thought, and he wondered if he should bother her. Couples did that right? Share their worries? He just couldn't remember if it was right to prod or not. He downed the remaining of the broth, and decided fuck it.
"Tats? Is something wrong?" He asked softly.
"Huh? N-nothing cue ball. Nothing's wrong."
"Alright. If there's anything, tell me, okay?"
"Damn it, now he's observant too?" the ESPer cursed to herself. "Yea yea, whatever."
Saitama managed to pull off his simple smile despite his thoughts. "Today was nice Tats. Thanks."
"Yeah, sure."
"Not up for talking I guess." Saitama thought. "Want me to walk you home?"
"It'll be faster if I just fly home myself."
"Oh, alright."
They both stood up, and Saitama passed the cash to the chef as he walked Tatsumaki out. Today was good to say the least, and Saitama was already looking forward to the next time they meet. This however didn't prevent him from noting his girlfriend deep in thought, absolutely ignorant to everything else.
"Tats?"
"What is it?"
"Thanks."
Tatsumaki stared at Saitama in silence for a second before clicking her tongue. "You thanked me already idiot."
"That was for today. Now I'm thanking you for everything else."
"What?"
"It's nice to be able to feel again." The silence was back, though it wasn't accompanied by any awkwardness. It actually felt... comfortable.
"... See you next time Saitama."
The baldy chuckled. "You know, I kinda like it when you just call me by my name."
"Keep dreaming." She replied flatly as she flew off.
"Well... I'd call that a success." Saitama thought to himself as he took a deep breath and ran home. Maybe Genos would be back by now and they can chat about their respective dates.
Goddamn it this was painful.
Hey, sorry for the long wait guys. Deciding on what I wanted for the date and trying not to make it sound fake was a lot harder than I thought, and there were some things I put in here I never planned before, and just had the idea spring in. Doesn't help that I've got so much to distract me in the form of studies and entertainment. (So many fandoms...)
So here's the thing: I have no idea how Saitama with emotions is like, and I'm basing this off his "If it doesn't affect me I don't really bother about it" attitude, along with what I've been told is normal for 'nicer' people. So here. Tell me if it sounds a bit too... cheesy.
Anyway, hopefully this was worth the wait. I should bugger off now, I've been told A/Ns shouldn't be too long.
Scarletrailgun: They are cute, don't know why so little people ship them to be honest. Probably because of a certain blondie. So uh, here you go, date.
0ByZero: Pretty much decided to do-
Hektols: I actually wanted to do this, but it was hard making it work in my head, so here's this instead. Hope it's good.
thetalkingwave: Glad you think so!
Elfetrange: That's good to know. It's a thin line and it's hard sometimes to know when you've stepped too far away or into it. Believe it or not, I do have a lot of ideas, and I can definitely say as long as no tragic accident happens, I can write on and on and beyond into the next generation stuff if I really wanted to. So here's the date, hopefully you and the rest like it.
guest: It was Geryuganshoop actually, and I'm guessing I wasn't clear enough. He shot some metal thing at Fubuki which got blocked by Genos. Hopefully that clears it up.
Gue-Ander Arias: Taste of his own medicine, definitely. And bugger, I really thought that was a thing because of primal instincts. Sorry. And yea, I definitely plan on it being more than just 'Oh look, muscle man". God help me if I go that route, I'll never get a girlfriend myself. So here's the date, Ima just bugger off now.
Credits can be found on previous chapters. This bottom section has gotten a bit long actually. Stories that inspired this and more can be found on my favourite list if you want to check them out. Or just do it the old fashioned way of browsing.
