Welcome Back folks! It's time for Mikey's next date and I can safely congratulate those who were able to guess this one. It'll definitely be a magical night, of that there is no doubt. Anyway, that's enough out of me. Let's answer some reviews.
IcedShadows: I am treating Remnant as a separate dimension, given that other dimensions do exist in this story thanks to Star Butterfly. I still hold to my reasoning and if a character and series can be adapted to fit the reality and narrative then I can consider them.
Ultimate Avengers: Thanks! I like throwing curveballs wherever possible. You'll see it in my other stories from time to time.
Matt (Guest): This is a different gang of aliens, though they are also like bikers. I figured it'd be better to use a different group.
djinn: I'm glad that you found the choice interesting. That's an interesting guess there.
Guest99: You have some very interesting ideas, but I'm not gonna be able to fit Resident Evil into this story's universe. Not to mention I haven't played the games so I wouldn't be able to do the characters justice. I'm open to other character ideas but it's just not gonna work.
With all that out of the way, let's begin. I don't own TMNT or any of the series that show up here. I do own original characters, items, concepts, and anything else that pops up unless stated otherwise.
Voices
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"YELLING!"
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking. Also, big twist at the end of a section."
"AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!"
"Whispering."
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering."
October 7, 2012
Hamato Household, New York City
Mikey stepped out of the portal for what had to be the third time this week. He shook himself off a bit, feeling a bit chilled as the rift closed. He put the portal gun down before quickly making his way up to the house. He tapped his foot as he listened to the elevator music, finding its lack of speed to be more annoying than usual. He caught himself slipping into superspeed as he looked at his wrist, taking a deep breath to bring things back to a focused point. The elevator door opened, the blonde sighing in relief as he stepped out to Raph baking.
"Well if it isn't the robot dater," teased the hothead. "I take it things didn't work out." The boy shrugged, resting against a wall.
"I mean, it was a six to seven at best," revealed Mikey. "Penny was cool and nice but there were things that just wouldn't work out between us, so we ended up just being friends." The redhead rolled his eyes, shoving a plastic plate with a cookie on it in his direction.
"Eat up. It'll help make up for a long day." Mikey ate the baked goods without question, only to pause as he pointed at his brother.
"Wait, why are you baking? I thought you'd be working on your bike or something." Raph shrugged, quickly putting things together.
"Well Splinter grounded me from working on the bike after I accidentally messed up his bonsai tree in training, so I'm passing the time in other ways. Also, shouldn't you be rating your date?" The blonde snapped his fingers, a smirk on his face.
"Good call, bro! Be back in a bit!" He sped upstairs, once again using the safe speed. He slipped into his chair before powering the computer on, quickly pulling up the website for the service. "Just write some quick comments to explain the situation and… DONE!"
He sat back as he waited for the next date to roll in, calming himself down so that he could focus. The boy suddenly felt a strong hunger, speeding his way downstairs and grabbing a large bowl of snacks before rushing his way back up. He devoured everything in the span of a moment, taking deep breaths as he looked down. "I so need to get heavier snacks so I don't eat us out of house and home. I'm burning up a lot of food."
He looked up, finding that his date had been set for half a minute now. "Let's see who date number 20 is." He opened the profile, quickly looking over the details.
Username: ZeeTheMystic
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Height: 5'8"
Star Sign: Gemini
Hometown: Gotham, New Jersey
Physical Description: Medium-length black hair, bright cyan eyes, and a slender yet athletic build.
Likes and Interests: Stage magic, real magic (yes, there's a difference), classic musicals, midnight snacks, and conversing with the moon. I enjoy performing but also value quiet nights with meaningful conversations. I'm fascinated by ancient languages and love watching black-and-white movies.
Type of Person I'm Looking For: Someone curious about the world and unafraid of the unknown. I appreciate honesty, kindness, and a touch of mischief. If you're into stargazing, exploring the mystical, or just enjoying the magic in everyday life, we might just get along splendidly.
Note: Due to residence and/or circumstances, Zee the Mystic may be an unregistered non-human. This cannot be confirmed or denied as of this moment. Seeing as each circumstance is different, please try to be respectful and treat her like any other date. If you find any signs of malpractice or anything that would breach the terms of service, notify the service so that proper authorities may be contacted. Please refer to terms of service on how to deal with situations such as this.
Mikey hummed as he rubbed his chin, nodding his head. "So she's another magic person? I hope she's more like Star than like Shini. That'd suck if I had two bad magic dates." Feeling another hunger pang, the boy sped back downstairs where he watched dinner slowly being set out by Splinter.
"Take your seat and wait, Michelangelo," ordered the master. "You are not starving." Mikey took another deep breath to try and control his speed, his stomach growling loudly.
"Sorry, Sensei, but my need to eat is getting bigger. I don't know what's happening." Donnie hummed, quickly typing some numbers into his phone.
"Well, it could be possible that your body is still adjusting to the speed increase," stated the genius. "It's likely your body's metabolism is also increasing due to your body burning off so much energy. You'll need to consume tens of thousands of calories per meal, and that's not even considering the exponential growth of your velocity. If you don't keep up with it, you could risk muscle atrophy and other concerning conditions." Leo frowned at this, nodding his head.
"Figure out what Mikey needs to eat so we can account for it," stated the lead turtle. "We're on a fixed budget so if you have to, develop some kind of calorie supplement." Splinter nodded his head, deciding to turn his attention back towards the blonde.
"What of your next outing, Michelangelo?" questioned the head of the house. "Raphael has informed me of your most recent escapades." Mikey smiled at this, nodding his head.
"I've got another magic girl," stated the speedster. "She sounds a lot better than Shini but more mature than Star. She also doesn't seem afraid to share that she knows magic but isn't really a know-it-all or full of herself. Unless some magical nonsense or another attack happens, I think me and 'ZeeTheMystic' will get along just fine." He suddenly got a message on his T-Phone, pulling it out to look it over.
He finished swallowing a bit of food he was subconsciously eating before reading the message. "'Show this ticket to the staff. Dinner and a show if you don't mind waiting just a moment.' Well, I guess she's gonna perform at our date tonight." Raph raised a brow at this, humming with a mischievous smirk.
"Perform, eh?" questioned the hothead. "What kind of 'magic' are we talking here?" This earned him a hit to the head, making him lower his head at Splinter's glare. "I'm just saying." Mikey shrugged at this, not seeing the hidden meaning.
"Well she likes stage magic so I think she'll be putting on a magic show. I wonder how that's gonna go." Karai smirked, giggling a bit under her breath.
"With nineteen dates already under your belt, the possibilities are endless," stated the blood child. "You might even meet another mutant of our kind." The door was knocked on, Donnie rushing over to open it as he grinned.
"April!" cheered the genius. The couple hugged, Mikey and Raph making kissy noises for fun. Donnie ignored them as he rolled his eyes, nodding at Casey. "Hey Casey. You guys come on in."
The brunette led April in as Casey shut the door behind them, the hockey player looking a bit proud of himself. Mikey immediately noticed this, humming as he tilted his head. Leo also picked up on it, leaning back a bit.
"Hey Casey," greeted the lead brother. "You're in a good mood. I take it your date went well. What kind of girl was she?" The vigilante teen pointed at the group, grinning.
"I just had a date with a monster girl of my own, and she was hot!" cheered the teen. "Oh wait. Her terms were 'absolutely horrendous.' Apparently her school taught her to say that but she's getting counseling to say it the normal monster way. And get this, she's a vampire like that Mavis chick you dated."
Mikey's head straightened at this, the blonde humming in interest. "Her name was Sibella Dracula, though when I brought it up she said Mavis is her cousin. Still, she was pretty awesome and definitely knew how to talk the talk. One of my nines for sure." The blonde grinned at this, nodding his head.
"Nice, dude," congratulated Mikey. "My date ended up being a bust but I've got a magician tonight so we'll see how that goes." Casey pouted at this, snapping his fingers.
"Aw man! Some people get all the luck." The group laughed at this, Mikey wondering if he should tell his date about the boy's reaction.
The Next Day
Mikey adjusted the jacket he was wearing over his burnt orange long-sleeved shirt, making sure it wasn't wrinkled. He tapped his nicer shoes against the ground to adjust them, walking down the sidewalk with the flowers in hand as he approached his date location. He brushed off his khakis when the Vintage Cabaret Lounge came into view, also combing his hair with his hand before putting one of the old disguise fedoras on. The blonde opened the front door of the establishment, being met at the front desk by an attendant.
"Welcome to the Enchanted Parlor," greeted the man. "Do you have a ticket or are you here to reserve a showing?" Mikey quickly pulled up his T-Phone, showing the ticket to the man.
"I'm in the Project Aphrodite service and my date sent me this ticket," stated the blonde. "I hope I have the right place." The attendant looked over the ticket, nodding his head as he checked over the different showings.
"Let's see… AH! Here it is. Right this way, sir." Mikey nodded his head, following the man up a set of stairs.
He was quickly seated at a table rather close to the stage, another set of stairs leading up towards it catching his attention. The tables were rather packed, a Project Aphrodite date or two seen in the area. He ordered a drink as soon as the server came out, the lights dimming as the spotlight came on.
"Ladies and gents!" declared a voice. "Prepare your hearts for the magical marvel of the millennium—the one and only Zatanna Zatara!" A girl matching the description appeared on stage in a spiraling puff of purple smoke and glittering sparkles. She wore a black magician's hat with a dark blue brim, a white button-up shirt with a black tie, a black jacket, a black cape with a purple underside, black tights, a black skirt that stopped halfway down her thighs, and black heeled shoes. The blonde gawked as he took in her appearance and developments, only to lift his jaw as she smiled with her gaze on him.
"Thank you, EVERYONE, for coming out tonight," greeted Zatanna. "Let me get a good look at all of you." She pulled a wand from her sleeve, holding it up to the air. "Sthgil!" A mystical purple fire lit on the end, shooting out rapidly in several sparks as it lit several candles around the room.
The violet glow created a new atmosphere of shimmering starlight in the area, one that made something inside Mikey go wild. Zatanna walked forward across the stage with a sway of her hips, taking her hat off as she showed off the inside to the people. "Let's start with a classic. I'll pull a rabbit out of my hat." A table rolled in, stopping right beside her.
She set her hat upside down on the surface, pointing her wand at it. "Dnes lezaH edisni ym tah!" Her magic flew out into the hat, making it bounce up a bit before she reached inside. She pulled out a rabbit, the crowd clapping lightly as the table did not have an underside to hide it beforehand. "Nice, but we can definitely do better."
She put the rabbit back in, once again showing that the hat was empty. She then set it down again, aiming her wand at it. "Ekam a llab fo retaw edisni ym tah!" The hat suddenly bounced multiple times, a ball of water suddenly flying out. "Taolf!"
The ball nearly flew towards Mikey, the hidden ninja about to dodge before the liquid stopped midair. "Ekam ti ezeerf dna emoc ot em." The ball froze into a clear sphere, magnifying the girl's cherry painted lips as she had her eyes on him. "Eyes on the prize, cutie~." The blonde blushed at this as the ice ball floated towards the young magician, the girl making it spin on the tip of her finger for a moment.
The crowd gasped and watched in awe as the ball began to melt back into water, Zatanna snapping her fingers to make it vanish instantly much to the applause of her audience. Mikey happily received his drink as he took a sip, pointing at the item he wanted on the menu as his eyes were locked on the magician girl. She stepped in a circle around the stage, each step deliberate as she tapped her sleeve with her wand to make a thornless rose grow out. "From my experience, magic can be a gift for any occasion. A gesture of friendship, a mere thought that carries power, or even a simple hello when you want to make a real connection."
Mikey watched Zatanna carefully as she raised her brow, the girl tapping one of the petals of the rose to make it shoot out from her sleeve before she pointed her wand at it. "Taolf dna kees mih tuo." It floated through the air upon the spell hitting it, gliding above the crowd as it spun gently. The hidden turtle finally noticed the empty vase sitting on the table, the object being just tall enough for the falling rose to land in as it came to a slow end. He took a sip of his drink as his face heated up, the boy looking back towards the magician as he caught a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes.
The girl then stepped back towards the center of the stage as she checked the clock, smirking to herself as she looked towards the crowd. "Time's running a bit fast today. How about we play a little game and slow it down? Esuap emit rof lla tub flesym dna rieht noisiv." As soon as she tapped her foot to the beat of the metronome, things slowly started to slow down around her as she lessened the motion of her foot.
Mikey glanced around at super speed as he watched a field of some kind slowly overtake the area, glasses floating a bit as the magical flames of the candles crawled to a stop as their energies were suspended in real time. The presence deep within him caused the turtle to feel the wave wash over him like a syrup, the band playing music coming to a slow stall as they were caught in space. His lightning formed into an energy around him as he moved through the paused time like a worm through dirt, looking over himself before looking up to see Zatanna walk towards the edge of the stage in front of him. "Looks like Cassie and M'Gann weren't wrong, both about your speed and how handsome you are."
The hidden turtle gulped as he saw the way her eyes pierced into his soul, as well as how her smile matched so well. She put her knees together as she squatted down, giving him more of a view of her thighs as her skirt hiked up a bit. "How about this for a brain teaser while I wrap things up? If you had one frozen moment… what would you do with it?" Mikey didn't even breathe from the view he had of her, watching intently as she stood up just as slowly as she squatted down.
She walked back towards the center of the stage, snapping her fingers again as the field vanished and everything resumed action. Gasps were heard around the crowd as Mikey took a deep breath, laughter and clapping heard from the others as he quickly clapped himself. Zatanna's cape billowed a bit as she took a step back, the girl grabbing the edge with her free hand. "Now for a trick inspired by a friend of mine. You've found your way here, you found time to enjoy the magic but now let's see if you can find me."
She brought the fabric in front of her face a bit, covering all but her eyes and above as she held her hand up without her wand. "Ekat em dniheb mih dna pwas ym tiftuo!" The cape spiraled around her as more purple mist soon followed it, the girl disappearing as the smoke dissipated in an explosion of air. Mikey began to process her words at high speed as the crowd's standing ovation and the lights of the room began to rise, looking behind him immediately to see no one there. "Gotcha, Turtle Titan."
His view snapped to his left as the crowd's cheers finally rang out and the lights were fully on, Zatanna without her hat as her outfit was replaced by a purple strapless dress save for the leggings and the shoes. Attached to the dress was her Project Aphrodite pin, the object flashing like a badge of prize. "So, what do you think? Did I make a good first impression?" The hidden turtle's heart fluttered rapidly as he grinned, his eyes glowing orange as he looked her in the eye.
"Good first impression? Girl, you just rewrote the rules of cool." He placed the bouquet of flowers he brought with him on the table as the magician sat in front of him, said girl grinning slightly as her eyes seemed to be locked to his.
"Thanks, MCMikey. You can call me Zee if you want, hence the name 'ZeeTheMystic'." The blonde pulled at his collar a bit, chuckling goofily.
"Then you can just call me Mikey. If you don't mind me asking, how much did Cassie tell you about me? I get the feeling you're part of her group but you know how it is. Secret identities and all." He watched the magician nod her head, still smirking as she took a sip of a drink one of the servers brought her.
"She mainly just talked about the speed and how cute you are, saying you're a meta like some people we know. M'Gann was already following a lead about that 'clown banshee' that you went out with a while back so she got to see the stuff Cassie decided to hold to her chest. Don't worry about anyone telling though. Robin could teach a master class on why secret identities are important and I like to have a few mysteries for myself." Mikey nodded his head at this, letting loose a deep breath he didn't know he was holding in.
"Awesome… So, your magic was really awesome but I'd like to get to know the girl behind the magic and behind the profile. You've shown off your magic beautifully and I can tell you're an amazing performer, not to mention I can agree with late night snacks. I gotta ask what makes you like musicals and the old black-and-white movies because I've never really seen much of either." Zatanna leaned forward with her head resting in her left palm, her posture being open and inviting.
"Well I grew up with my dad who was big on magic and on the classics. I honestly understand the appeal of a good performance, and I just picked up his interests from there as I became his apprentice. You can say classic cinematography has its own brand of magic that just pulls you in. You know what I mean?" The hidden turtle couldn't help but pick up the scent of mint and roses that was coming from his blind date, the boy nodding.
"I think I can. I do like watching the vintage cartoons that my bros and I could only watch growing up and they have that feeling to them that newer shows really can't match." Zee nodded her head, a smirk on her face.
"Glad I found someone who's interested in the classics. If you don't mind me turning the questioning your way, I was wondering what kind of music you were into since you mentioned DJing. I myself prefer some classical music or smooth jazz, something to dance with a partner to. I've learned to not really make assumptions in my life but I'm guessing funk or something that could be played at a club." Mikey rested his chin on the back of his hands as he kept his attention on the ravenette, his eyelids fluttering a bit.
"I don't mind a bit of jazz myself, though I prefer something with a good beat like pop or rock. Still, as long as the music's good and I can understand the words, I usually vibe with any genre of music." Food was brought out for them, the duo taking a moment to enjoy it as they took in the atmosphere of the area. "...I don't mean to jump topics so quickly but was that bunny real?" He watched Zatanna snort a bit in a giggle, the girl nodding her head.
"Yes, Hazel is a real bunny. You really do like animals. If you want, you can come backstage and see her after we finish eating. I'm sure she'd love to meet you too." Mikey grinned at this, immediately nodding his head.
"Yes please!" This earned him a grin, the boy liking the way her teeth shined. The next moment, he was seen holding the bunny in his hands before he gently hugged her close. "You are just the cutest little bunny. If I had a bunch of nice juicy carrots I'd give you all of them."
He rubbed noses with the little creature, partially ignoring the giggle he elicited from his date. His stomach suddenly growled, the boy handing the rabbit back to the girl as he quickly scarfed down some snacks. "Sorry. This metabolism stuff is kicking my butt." He looked back at the magical girl, noting her curious frown.
"Mikey, how exactly did you get that speed? Just out of curiosity." The blonde, not seeing a reason to be concerned, shrugged.
"Well, one of my dates was this really childish girl that I met at a kiddie restaurant and couldn't open a pull door from either side. I had to protect her the whole time, but during a dangerous situation some invisible dragon thing came in for the save. After I dropped her off with her bro, who was her little bro by the way, that dragon gave me my speed and buffed me up as thanks for protecting his 'favorite person.' I had to use up my allowed break just to get my mind in the mindset to control my speed." He watched the girl nod, his eyes darting to where she had a hand on her hip.
"Mikey, you don't have super speed. Even Kid Flash and the Flash look like they're jittering and shifting in paused time when they break through it and their movements are jittery, but you carved right through it. I'm not even sure you would have been paused if I hadn't kept the perception from being paused. Mikey, what you have is a powerful magic that is responding to your imagination and desires." The hidden turtle jerked at this, looking towards his hands as he slowly turned them around a few times.
"I'm… magical? But it just feels like the world slows down around me and I get really fast." He shivered when Zatanna took his hands, unintentionally shifting back to his true form as he saw how small they were compared to his.
"We'll talk about that cute look later, but I want you to focus. Try drawing out that speed of yours without actually using it. Foooccuuussss oooonnnn mmmeeee." Mikey watched as his lighting popped out from around him, the world slowing down once again. He looked towards Zatanna, taking in every detail of her.
This allowed him to focus on her and the feeling he would get when he was using his speed, the same one he felt when she would use her magic. He still felt that energy when the world sped up again, seeing the girl smile as she held up his hands to show the glow he was producing. "Your magic definitely still takes the form of lightning and wind, matching your energy and free-flowing personality, but you could do so much more. If you want, I could show you with the time we have left." The turtle slowly nodded, smiling as he focused on returning to his human form.
Not long after, the two of them found themselves on the rooftops not far from the lounge. "Let's start with something easy. Your magic is imagination, so imagine something you've always wanted or something that you know inside and out. Try to use your magic to form it in your hand or on your person. And no, you don't have to say words backwards like I do."
Mikey looked like he was about to ask a question, only to lower his finger as he saw the amusement in her eyes. The boy held out his hands, doing his best to focus as the world began to slow down again. Instead of using his speed, however, he allowed the moment to flow over him as he concentrated on what he wanted to make. His lightning arched into his hands as he grabbed at the air, carrying a strong wind with it as the energy began to take form. The magic formed into a pair of nunchucks that held miniature hurricanes within their glow, the blonde holding them up as he gawked.
"YO! I just made storm nunchucks… STORMCHUCKS! They're Stormchucks!" He heard laughter from his date, looking towards her as he made the objects dissipate.
"You really are an adorable goofball." He watched her look out over the city, a smile on her face. "Well, not much left that we can do on our date. The night's almost over. Got anything you'd wanna do?" The blonde boy smiled at his date, walking over towards the edge of the roof as he sat down.
"You like quiet nights, right? We could just stay together for a bit, maybe talk about things that are important to us. I don't get to do that a lot with dates anyway." He waited a moment before looking towards his right, watching as Zatanna sat next to him. They both looked towards the darkness of the sky, their hands touching a bit.
"So… what's a guy like you doing in a service like this? You seem more like the kind of guy to have fun and go through life and let love find you, especially with how simple your profile is. Not that there's anything wrong with simple, of course. I rather enjoy the simple things between the magic and adventures of my average days." Mikey sighed as his smile turned slightly somber, the boy shifting to his turtle form again.
"I kinda had to do that growing up, given that my bros and I looked like this before a change to our mutation let us look human. I actually found love that way with a time traveling girl named Rennet, but a few months ago she had to break things off because time wouldn't let it happen. Even though she let me down easily, it still kinda broke me and made me fall to a place I'm not proud of. I definitely wasn't the fun loving dude I usually am." He felt a hand on his shoulder, glancing to his right to see Zatanna smiling sadly at him.
"My dad says that broken hearts can be hard to heal, even with magic. I haven't been in that kind of relationship before but I can still tell it wasn't easy for you to leave it behind." The turtle nodded at this, looking down at the alleyway below.
"It's why I'm taking this service so seriously and get angry when people treat it like a game. People like me, we're dating for keeps. When I choose someone, I'm looking to spend the rest of my life with that girl unless something doesn't pan out. I'm still the kid of my family and enjoy having fun, but I'm looking to make my own family. If I had a moment frozen in time, like you asked, I would spend it with the people I care about the most."
He realized he was clenching his hands and shaking a bit as he finished his words, sighing as he had an apologetic frown. "Sorry. I just… feel really strongly about all this. You get what I-" He shivered when a hand slowly turned his chin, the turtle blushing dark green as he saw an alluring smile on the magician's face.
"Here's a little secret. I'm dating for keeps too, and I think I found a top pick. Tcetorp em mrof allenomlas." Mikey watched with orange eyes as the girl's lips glowed before she stole his lips in a kiss, an instinctual growl coming from his throat as he melted into the connection. His hands went to her hips, the duo falling backwards and rolling over a bit to get away from the edge of the building.
Mikey found himself on top as the two of them were laying down, the duo separating their lips as he returned to his human form. "I'd say let's have some fun but I'm a bit of a classic girl in that way too, so I'm waiting for a very specific day for the fun part. I'll have a little mystery by not telling you which one I mean exactly. Still, I think we can find another way to spend a quiet night." The blonde grinned, nodding his head in agreement.
"I think I like that idea. We'll make it real quiet." He stole away her lips this time, the quiet night soon ending in pure embrace.
-To be Continued-
Next time on The Many Dates of a Ninja Turtle
A Date with a Fast Sol
And that's another date done and over with! Props to djinn for guessing that Mikey's date was Zatanna "Zee" Zatara. I figured it would be fun to have another magical girl for a date and she ended up being the perfect fit, not to mention a fun character to write for. She's mainly based on her version from early Young Justice but you could say she's more of an original version here. In any case, this date will definitely be one of my favorite ones to have written.
What did you guys think? Did Zatanna captivate you with her magic like she did Mikey? How do you think he'll rate the date, and who's next on the list? (Hint: It's a character who doesn't look human for those who were concerned about the amount of non-humans in the service) Let me know what you think down below and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible, the next chapter at the latest. This is Inkaliber, signing off.
Date Ratings:
Miyako Gotokuji (Bubbles): 9
Marcy Wu: 10
Mabel Pines: 8
DeeDee: 1 (Canceled)
Star Butterfly: 10
Jubilation Lee: 8
Katie Holt (Pidge): 9
Shinigami: 3
Cassandra Sandsmark (Cassie): 9
Mavis Dracula: 8
Haley Long: 10
Ring Ring: 1 (Banned)
Ester: 8
Mina Ashido: 9
Tara Markov (Terra): 7 (canceled)
Pucca: 9
Ellie Fenton (Danielle Phantom from Danny Phantom): 10
Gaz Membrane: 8
Penny Polendina: 6
Zatanna "Zee" Zatara: ?