Author's Notes: I honestly struggled with when to set this story. Setting it in generic old times is all well and good, but how to present Alucarrd? The guy is based on a famous historical and literary figure that lives in three distinct times and places: Vlad III of 15th Century Wallachia (which is not too close to the Mediterranean or Atlantic), Count Dracula of Victorian Era London and Transylvania (who crosses the ocean a few times), and Hellsing's Alucard of England 1898-1999. I uh… hope you like what I wound up picking.

Disclaimer: I do not own or make money off of Hellsing, H.C. Andersen's or Disney's "The Little Mermaid." I will again borrow text from H.C. Andersen's story to help with this chapter, but it's not to plagiarize. I just think his text can help tell it better.


When Seras Victoria was finally old enough to visit the surface, she cried out with joy and shot up like a bullet. After years of watching the royal princesses go up time after time without being able to follow, Seras was finally able to swim to the surface above.

"Seras Victoria, wait up!" they cried.

"Please wait up, Seras!"

"We can't keep up with you!"

"SERAS VICTORIA! WAIT!"

But Seras would not wait. For years, she had watched them go up without her as she waited for her turn, and so she now she was done with waiting. They could watch her go up without them for once.

Seras did not realize she had felt like she had a dead weight inside of her for most of her life until she departed for the surface. The higher she swam, the lighter she felt, until she felt like her insides were light as a bubble. She looked on in rapture as the ocean around her turned bluer and brighter. She felt her heavy spirit lift lighter and lighter, until she felt as giddy as a bubble. She giggled with a giddy joy.

"Well, Well, I don't remember seeing you this happy," a familiar voice said beside her.

She gasped, and turned to see the impish little boy that looked too much like her.

"Schrödinger?!"

"Surprised to see me?" he smirked, "You shouldn't be. I am everywhere, und nowhere."

"Whatever that means!"

He said that so often, yet he never explained what it meant. In fact, Schrödinger rarely gave Seras straight answers to anything, no matter how often she asked.

"You ready to see the surface, Seras?" he smirked.

"YES!" she grinned, her joy renewed.

"Well then, the last one to the surface is a rotten shark's egg!" and he darted above.

"Hey, no fair!" Seras laughed, and she darted up as well.

Faster and higher they went, darting like squids. Soon their race softened to a kind of dance and they swirled around each other as they ascended, laughing and giggling.

On the way up, Seras encountered a huge pod of giant sperm whales. She knew their kind very well, for they were one of the few species of whale species that swam deep enough to encounter merfolk, hunting giant squid for their meals and returning briefly to the surface only to breathe. Do not think their massive size makes them an evil species though, for Seras had encountered many sea creatures in her life and knew few as friendly or obliging as the sperm whales.

Their language was that of a series of chittery clicks and creaks, and their disposition as playful as a dolphin's, despite their massive size. Seras knew a bit of their language from her father, who in truth was fonder of the sea than her mother had been, and Seras learned more still from random encounters in the deep. Seras used to ask them questions about the surface and their lives above, whenever they swam near her little grotto.

Presently, they clicked in greeting, and Seras squealed in reply.

They made questioning sounds after her well-being, and she squealed to let them know of her joy. She was happy and having fun.

They squealed and clicked in joy for her. They were pleased that she was happy and having fun.

Seras quickly passed the sperm whales, as she was still racing Schrödinger. Rising above the massive whales, each as large as ships, gave her a shudder of joy. She had never risen above whales before. Always, she had looked up at them from below, awed and cowed by their massive sizes and shadows, just as she looked up at the keels of ships. She could see and sense that the surface was close, and felt a great thrill like that she had never known.

She remembered a song she had once heard mariners singing on their ship when she drew close enough. Something like: "down in the bottomless fathoms below…!"

Seras laughed with joy, did a great somersault in the water, and darted for the surface with reckless abandon. "Up in the endless fathoms above…!"

She broke through the surface with a big splash and inhaled her first lungful of air like it was her first breath of life.

She then sank back into the water, practically catatonic in her joy. Seras could not remember being this happy.

"You're so slooooow, Seras," Schrödinger smirked from a little ways off, "In the time it took you to make go straight to the surface, I went all the way to the ocean floor, got chased by a shark und came back. Perhaps you should think of binding your breasts, mein Schatzi."

Seras scoffed to let him know she didn't care. She grinned as she lay back so that her body could bob up upon the waves. She was not used to the bob of the surface, as she was more familiar with the sway of the tide, and so found it to be great fun.

Harkonnen had kept her working till very late, so the sun had just set by the time she broke through the surface. Nevertheless, the clouds still shined like gold and roses, and in the delicately tinted sky the clear gleam of the evening star did shine. The air was mild and fresh and the sea bobbed rather gently.

Out in the distance, a group of ships sailed by. Seras watched them curiously, now a little shy since she could see them from above. They did not look at all like the giant sea turtles she saw from below, or like the busted, sand and algae-covered shipwrecks wedged into the sea floor. They seemed so… flat and smooth and clean, like the little ships she found in bottles. She knew the people inside could see her if they looked out too, and so she approached with caution. Not once did Seras dive below the water though. She had spent far to much of her life underwater. She did not want to go back if she could help it, even if it meant avoiding human eyes.

There were three ships in all, two smaller two-masted ships, and one big three-masted one. She cautiously approached the great three-master ship. Music and singing came from it, and as night came on dozens of brightly colored lanterns sprang into view, shining through the windows and doors. This fascinated Seras, but as she drew closer several rockets flew through the air and exploded in light.

Seras yelped and ducked back underwater.

From below, she could hear muffled booms and see colorful lights.

Schrödinger laughed and laughed.

"You're such a duuuuuummkopf, Seras!" he gloated from above. He placed his hand under his chin, and seemed to rest his elbow against a wall that was not there, with his tail over his head. "You know those things can't hurt you!"

"What are they?" Seras asked.

"Fireworks, I think," he said, "They're used for celebrations."

Curiosity drew her head back above water, and she stared in rapture at the glowing lights. It seemed like all the stars in the sky were exploding in vibrant colors and trailing like stardust all around her. Never had Seras seen such sparkling displays. Great suns spun around, splendid fire-fish darted through the air, and glittering showers draped around her like the leaves of the kelp gardens.

Seras stared in amazement, and then she cocked her head. She soon began to giggle with the same giddy, bubbly joy that she felt on drawing near the surface.

"You like them, Seras?"

"Very much!"

"Want to get a closer look?"

"You bet!"

And they skipped over to the ship like dolphins at play.

Seras looked up shyly at the ship and the many people she knew were within.

Careful to avoid detection, she swam around the window of the main cabin. Each time she rose with the swell of the waves she peeped in through the glass windows to the crowd of thickly dressed people within. She was little disappointed to find they were scruffy, dodgy, hang-dog fellows. They were dressed in coarse fabrics, and covered with grizzles and eye patches and peg limbs and other deformities. It also looked like most of them were heading up a flight of stairs, toward their "surface."

Curiosity compelled Seras to grab onto the wooden ladder embedded onto the side of the ship and climb until she was able to look in on the deck of the ship, thanks to a hole in the wooden sides, or bulwarks.

Seras could hear joyous music piping from the deck, and see dozens of sailors all drinking and dancing. They were dancing and singing so joyously that even she could not help being swept up by the fun, no matter how scruffy they looked. Soon, Seras began grinning and bobbing her head to the music, and wished she could climb on deck and dance among them.

From the main cabin, she could see scores of men covered in shadows filing out. Standing by the cabin door, nearest to her, was a very tall and tan human covered in coarse fabrics. He wore a thick green-brown coat and trousers over high black boots, a thick red scarf around his neck, and a wide-brimmed hat with a side pressed in. He had a long, angular face, a black patch over one eye, and a long red-brown braid draped loosely around his neck like a scarf. He also had a smoking stick clenched between his teeth, and he was grinning at the festivities before him. He was looking away from her at first, with the patched eye closer to her, and then he looked right in her direction!

Seras gasped and pressed her back firmly against the outer ship wall.

When she thought it was safe to look again, she peered back over, only to find him looking over the bulwark and practically right at her!

"EEP!" Seras squeaked, and let go of the ship.

Seras' belly hit the water with a hard slap, and then she groaned in agony as she slowly sank below the surface.

Schrödinger laughed himself a fit to die.

"You should have seen the look on your face, Seras!"

"Oh, be quiet!" she snapped, then clutched her torso painfully.

"That's what you get for leaping before you look!" he gloated, and broke out laughing again.

"Stop laughing or I'll smack you!" Seras snapped, and splashed him with water.

Schrödinger continued to laugh and splashed her back, but he slowly settled down.

"Es tut mir leid, Schatzi, you can just be so much fun. Are you going back up there?"

"Of course I am!" Seras cried enthusiastically, and climbed once more.

Schrödinger laughed again. "Nothing ever stops you!" and he climbed after her.

When she made it back up the side of the ship, Seras' annoyance melted away and she once again felt overjoyed to see humans up close!

She carefully avoided the eye of the strange one-eyed human though. He was still looking out over the bulwarks with a discerning eye, as though searching for her. Seras pressed herself against the shadows of the ship, waiting for him to leave. She could not watch the humans if he was watching out for her, and she was growing impatient for him to be gone.

'Go away!' she thought petulantly.

Then, the loveliest of baritones called from a way in, "Captain Bernadotte, I need you."

"Of course you do," the one-eyed human grumbled, and turned to walk away.

Seras sighed with relief, then placed her hands once more on-deck and looked inside.

The sailors were still singing and dancing, but hidden almost in shadows was a very tall, dark, and formidable looking human that Seras had not seen before. Her heart pulsed just at the sight of him. He was easily the tallest and darkest man on the ship, and yet he had a captivating presence about him.

When fireworks once again lit up the sky, she saw that he was easily the most handsome creature she had ever seen in her life. His hair was as black as the night sky, and so smooth and silky it seemed to reflect the starlight off its tresses. His face was as radiantly pale as the moon, and his eyes were as clear blue as the sea after a storm. Though she knew little of human fashion, even Seras could tell he was impeccably dressed. He wore a charcoal suit with leather riding boots. His neck tied in a flamboyant, intricately knotted black cravat, and covered by a full-length black frock overcoat. Everything about him, from his appearance, manner and dress, reflected a confidence and regality that the entire royal family could not equal.

Seras' clear blue eyes widened when she saw him, then they melted with deep infatuation.

"So, what do you think, Seras?" Schrödinger asked loudly from atop the bulwark, "Quite the sight, eh?"

"Schrödinger, Get down from there!" she hissed, and yanked him into her arms, "They'll see you!"

"Oh, I see. Don't want to get caught, eh?"

"You know a human's gaze is agony to a mermaid," she murmured, looking in once more.

"But I am not a mermaid!" he grinned.

"No, you're annoying."

He chuckled. "You're such a spooooilsport, Seras!" he grinned, and nuzzled her.

"Get away," Seras blushed, and pushed him aside.

As Schrödinger did not want to hang off the side and Seras did not want him to rest on top of the bulwark, he draped his arms around her shoulders and contented himself by nuzzling her neck. Seras frowned, but eventually resigned herself to it and continued watching the humans she so adored.

The dark human was still talking to the one-eyed human, and there was something in his manner and way of talking that she found very alluring.

"I've never seen a human so regal before," she confessed as she saw the dark human walk among his men.

Seras rested her cheek against her crossed arms and sighed. "He's very handsome, isn't he?"

Schrödinger looked. "I don't know. He looks kind of dirty and scruffy to me."

Seras realized he was looking at the one-eyed human standing beside him!

"Not that one!" she giggled, and tilted his chin in the right direction. "The one as lovely as the moon."

As the celebrations continued, the two men continued to talk. Seras strained to hear, but of course she could not. The scruffy mariner seemed very awkward and unsure, while the gorgeous gentlemen glowed with confidence and pride. The way he walked, the way he talked, the way he stood and carried himself… Every gesture, every movement that he made was pure divinity to Seras.

Schrödinger yawned beside her. "BORING! Let's go someplace else."

"You can go," Seras scowled, and then went back to mooning over the count.

Eventually, the two men drew close enough that she could hear a bit of their conversation.

"Your men handled themselves quite well in that storm, Captain Bernadotte."

"Eh, we are not so unseasoned as that, Count Dracula."

Count Dracula… Seras furrowed her brows. It was a very dark name, but also strangely... thrilling.

It got very late, but Seras could not take her eyes off the ship or the handsome count. The brightly colored lanterns were put out, rockets ceased flying through the air, and the cannons no longer boomed. But there was a mutter and rumble deep in the sea and gather clouds around, and the swell kept bouncing so high she could feel the water lapping at her fins.

"So, uh… you still want to pursue that Madam Mina lady, huh?"

"Yes," the count smirked, "She is truly a fine specimen of a woman."

The seaman looked uncomfortable. "You know she has married that bloke, Jonathan Harker, right?"

"She became engaged to him before she and I ever crossed paths," the Count said easily. "She may believe, as most women do, that it is her duty to remain faithful to the man she has pledged her hand; even though he is infinitely unworthy of her, and she did so only before she discovered that a far more suitable match could vie for her hand."

"And yet you punish adulteresses in your land," the captain said.

The count smirked, "And yet divorce exists in hers."

The captain looked uneasy at this.

If Seras had heard this from any other person, she would have been put out by such a blatant disregard for the sanctity of love and commitment. However, this count was so handsome and had such a wonderful speaking voice that everything he said was silver and diamonds to her.

The count seemed to notice the captain's unease, and smirked. "Fear not, captain. Once you encounter a woman that changes your entire world, you will understand."

Seras sighed romantically.

Schrödinger retched.

"With all due respect, my count," the captain said, "You only saw a photograph of the woman and you encountered her only once before she set off to be married. Surely, she has not left that great an impact? Surely, there are better fish in the sea."

Seras frowned at the captain's course words, but listened eagerly for the count's response.

The count turned deathly calm. "With all due disregard, captain, he who has never manned the waters of his own heart has no right to judge those that have braved the journey…" he paused, "Or signed his cheaque book."

"All right," the captain shrugged, "I know it is not my place."

"See to it that you remember," the count glared.

The captain shrugged, and took the smoking stick out of his mouth.

He seemed to think about something for a while, and then smirked.

"… Heh, in order for a girl to change my world…" he said after a while. "She would have to be a great beauty."

"Appearance and shape means very little," the count said, "It is a woman's character that determines her worth. It is the same with men. Same with everyone."

"Well, if you find such a woman, let me know," the captain said. "I always figure, if there was such a one, she would cause a 'coup de foudre.' How do you say? It would hit me, like lightning."

Right on cue, gathering clouds flashed lightning and rumbled with thunder in the distance.

The party began to wind down as the winds and waves began to increase. Now the ship really began to sail. Canvas after canvas was spread in the wind, the waves rose higher and higher, monstrous clouds gathered and lightning flashed in the distance.

The captain grimaced, "Ah merde, we are in for a terrible storm."

The handsome count retired into his cabin as the mariners made haste to reef the sails. The tall ship pitched and rolled as it sped through the angry sea. The waves rose up like towering black mountains, as if they would break over the masthead, but the swan-like ship plunged into the valleys between such waves and rose to ride their lofty heights.

To Seras this seemed like such good sport, but to the sailors it was nothing of the sort. The ship creaked and labored, thick timbers gave way under the heavy blows, waves broke over the ship, the mainmast snapped in two like a reed, the ship listed over on its side, and water burst into the hold.

Only then did Seras realize the sailors were in peril, and she darted over to see what she could do. Several mariners had managed to loose a few life boats from the fast sinking ship, and Seras wove between the sinking

One moment it would be black as pitch, then the next the lightning would flash so bright she could see every soul on board. Everyone was scrambling to jump off the ship, get into the life boats, or keep said life boats from tipping over in the great storm. Seras wove around the shattered beams to help any soul she could. This one would be sunk far below water and so she would push him up to the surface, while that one would have his boot tangled to some ropes tied to a large chunk of the ship that was sinking, so she would untangle the rope so he could rise to the surface.

Amidst the chaos she watched closely for the handsome count, and when lightning struck the ship she gasped and flinched back to see such fire. As the ship split in two she heard a great mast creek and splinter as it came loose, and began to collapse over him. The main mast fell around them, but when a great fiery splinter the size of a javelin looked like it would impale his heart, Seras' own felt a jolt of terror like that which she had never known and she bolted forward to save him.

At the very last second, Seras' hand shot out and she grabbed the mast before it could pierce his heart. The average mermaid's strength is truly greater than that of us mortals, and a year of hard labor dragging large nets of rocks, clams, and other heavy things had given her greater upper body strength besides. Regardless, Seras struggled to keep the wood from sinking into its mark. She placed a single arm on the count's chest and wrapped her tail around his waist and used all the strength in her body to keep her arm straight to that it would not impale him.

"Sir!" she cried, "You have to move!"

But he was unconscious. A large amount of debris had hit him on the head and knocked him.

Seras pushed the mast splinter aside, but the burning wood collapsed onto her and drove them both below water. She struggled to get it out of the way so it would not crush them both, and the next second she realized it was biting her hand and raining painful little. Seras did not understand this pain. It was the fire. Seras had never touched fire before. The burning wood was scorching her hand, and the little flaming splinters that shed off the main mast were snowing little flakes of ember onto her head and shoulders.

Seras wanted the discard it, but she couldn't, not without hurting him.

"Sir! You have to wake up! Please wake up!"

Seras did not know it, but the count had been driven into a deep state of despair. Not only had he been physically knocked into darkness, but the psychological knock of pain and loss had driven him to a deep despair. He had lost everything over the following year. He had lost his land, his estates, his lands, his servants, his world. He had been cast out, hated and rejected. Lucy had never wanted him. Mina had never wanted him. He had struggled and fought and nearly died to much and for what? He had nothing. He was nothing. There was nothing.

And yet…

"…DRACULA…!"

"…DRACULA…!"

'I hear a voice…' he vaguely thought, 'A distant voice calls out to me…'

"…DRACULA!"

"…DRACULA!"

'Who is it?' he thought, his soul drowned with despair, 'Who is it? Who is it who calls out to me? Who?'

His body was giving up and his mind was fading out from the seriousness of his injuries. Regardless, he opened his eyes for a moment, and through the fog of losing consciousness and through the dim light of the stormy night… he could see a girl with large blue eyes and blonde hair. His mind barely comprehended these before his eyes closed and his world went black.

Seras gritted her teeth and strained against the fire and weight of the wood. She could not hold out, as much as she wanted. There was no other way to save him.

"I'm so sorry for this, my count," she whispered, and with all of her strength she shoved the mast aside and let it fall over her.

The force of the impact shoved them both deep underwater, and the force of the waves and current drove her away from the count. For several wild moments, she did not know where he was and only prayed she reached him in time.

She had been scorched and nearly crushed, but she was determined to save him no matter what, and she darted back into the sinking debris of the shattered ship. She wove among all the floating planks and beams, careless of whether they crushed her.

She drove through the waves and rode their crests until she reached the count, who was still unconscious. She held his head above water, and then struggled to keep it afloat as she let the waves take them wherever they may.

Seras swam all night, keeping the count above water and trying to direct them anywhere the land might be.

When morning arrived and the storm had passed, not a trace of the ship remained. The sun rose out of the waters, gold and bright, and its beams seemed to bring the glow of life back to the cheeks of the Count, though his eyes remained closed.

Seras rested from paddling for a moment to gaze upon his beautiful face, and kissed his cold and pale forehead. As she stroked his wet hair in place, it seemed to her that he was smooth and cool as a marble statue.

"Please be all right," she whispered, and she kissed him again.

Then their heads each sank below water, and she heaved him back up with difficulty.

He was so large and tall compared to her, and wore so many thick layers of clothes that she had to discard most of them just to stay above the surface, yet it still took all of her strength to keep his head above water and keep them swimming toward shore.

"Oh, where's Schrödinger when I need him?" she thought.

The little catfish had been nowhere to be scene since the lightning had struck the ship.

Soon she saw dry land rise before her in high blue mountains, topped with snow as glistening white as a flock of swans. Down by the shore she saw splendid green woods, before which stood a church, or perhaps a convent; she didn't know which, but anyway it was a building. Orange and lemon trees grew in its garden, and tall palm trees grew beside the gateway. Here the sea formed a little harbor, quite calm and deep. Fine white sand had been washed up below the cliffs.

Seras swam up to the little harbor with the handsome count in her arms. With great difficulty, she heaved him out of the water and stretched him out on the sand. Her arms ached from pulling him all night, her fin scratched painfully against the sand, and she was ready to collapse from exhaustion.

He was so much bigger and taller than her, and even heavier out of water. However, she made sure to move his face away from the splash of waves, and to pillow his head up high in the warm sunlight.

When the count was safely lain out on the beach, Seras collapsed on top of him, gasping and panting. Every muscle in her body ached, and she longed to fall asleep in his arms.

"Well, that wasn't too bad, was it?"

Seras turned around to see the little sea devil smirking at her from out in the water.

"Schrödinger?!" Seras cried.

"Surprised to see me? You shouldn't be. I am everywere…"

"'Und novhere.' Ja, ja, where were you last night?!" Seras demanded.

"Well, I was going to help you, but I got so caught up by the fun of the storm, und you seemed to haf things well in hand."

"I was struggling for my life out there!" Seras retorted.

"Please, don't be so dramatic!"

"I'll show you dramatic if you don't…"

The count began breathing heavily, and Seras gasped with joy and embraced him.

"See? He's alive!"

"You would haf been all right if you had just left the sunken ship," but Seras was no longer listening.

"Look, he's breathing!" Seras cried, and tucked a silken hair away from his eyes.

"He's so beautiful…" she whispered, and tilted his chin so she could look more closely.

What would I give

To live where you are?

What would I pay

To stay here beside you?

What would I do to see you…

Smiling at me?

The bells began to ring in the great white building, and a number of young maidens came out into the garden.

Seras barely seemed to notice them as she continued to sing to the count:

Where would we walk?

Where would we run?

One of the young maidens seemed to hear the singing, and she strayed from the group and came down to the beach to find out what it was.

The clouds broke as Seras sang:

If we could stay all day in the sun?

The count's eyes slowly began to open and the beams shined down on his face, and Seras' fingers tenderly brushed his cheek.

Just you and me…

And I could be…

Seras' face was haloed in sunlight when the count opened his eyes. Through the fog of half-consciousness and the glow of sunlight, all he could truly discern was a beautiful young woman with dark skin (thanks to the shadows) and a pair of large blue eyes.

Part of your world

The young church girl then came down to the beach. Seras dove back into the sea to avoid her gaze, and the count closed his eyes to avoid the pain of direct sunlight.

Very soon the church maiden came upon him. She gasped in fright, but quickly recovered herself and ran to his side.

"Excuse me, sir," she cried, "Are you all right?!"

The count slowly adjusted his eyes to the sunlight and looked upon her. By some happy coincidence, she happened to be a beautiful young maiden with flowing blonde hair, rich dark skin and the deepest blue eyes. She looked upon him with such concern and touched his arm so tenderly with her slender fingers that he could not help but smile.

Seras hid behind tall rocks that stuck out of the water and watched to see what would happen. Most of the church maidens continued to walk and giggle along the grassy field until the church girl called them down.

Seras watched as the count regained full consciousness, and smirked insolently as the girls all gasped and fussed around him. Only the maiden that found him had any sense of dignity and propriety, and she calmly held his hand and dressed his wounds as she gave instructions to the other girls as they arranged to get him help. He continued to hold her hand, and smirked deviously when she tried to withdraw it with a frown.

Seras' smile for his well-being drooped as she saw the way he looked at the church maiden that found him. He smiled so tenderly upon this beautiful young girl, but he did not smile at Seras because he did not even know that she had saved him.

"Well, that was a fun first trip to the surface," Schrödinger grinned beside her. "We got to see the twilight, saw a ship up close, witnessed a storm und a shipwreck, saved a guy from drowning und we got to see the shore! Don't you think this was fun?"

Something about his chipper attitude renewed something in Seras.

I don't know when… I don't know how…

But I know something's starting right now!

Seras had always been a spirited and stubborn young girl, but the light in her soul seemed to have been snuffed out following the tragedy of her childhood. Now that the tragedy passed like a storm, she could feel her old spirit return like the sun.

Watch and you'll see…

Someday I'll be…

Part of your world!

The waves broke around her as she sang, and Seras felt determined that one day she would see the count again.

However, when he finally disappeared into the crest of the hill, the clouds returned, and she felt very unhappy. When they led him away to the big building she sighed wistfully and dove sadly down into the water.

She went to see Harkonnen again after night fell.

"Hello Seras, how did you enjoy your first—HOLY FISHCAKES!"

"What?!" Seras cried.

"Seras, what on earth happened to you?! You look like you got into a fight with a tiger and lost!"

"A what? What are you talking about…?" Seras looked over her body and saw that it was covered with many huge scratches, welts and scorch marks.

"AH!"

Schrödinger laughed himself a fit to die.

Overall, things were looking up, looking down.