The Prior Night

A great many Mythians who found themselves living in the seaside city of Sunnyside, California would find that their sleep was not quite so restful that night. Their dreams were intruded upon by a vision that seemed too real to be the result of imagination, too personal to be fabricated. Their dream would show them something that might seem unimportant to them now, but would become a harbinger of what was to come.

Darkness, running through the trees, the branches seeming to snag and grip at the dress of the woman.

Her ragged breaths loud and harsh, weathered from the things she had only just escaped. The world around her was dark - pitch black, in the depths of the night. Then a piercing shaft of light ruptured the night up above.

Something distant, gargantuan, and deadly far off - a floodlight affixed to the head, and the woman screamed. She glanced around, and those seeing through her perspective would be able to tell somehow that she was being followed. Something or someone was stalking her, running through the woods after her.

It was distant, but the sound of twigs and brush snapping underfoot was unmistakable. The woman darted and tried to avoid the light shining down from above. Her gasps were pained, and it might occur to those watching through her she may be somehow injured...

And then she kept on running.

The vision began to blur, and the sharing of perspective faded. Those watching would be able to see the steel toed boots of an entire group proceeding through the woods after this woman. Their faces obscured, their forms distorted...

...And then, waking.

The birds chirping and flitting around in the early morning. The sound of squirrels climbing up on the side of the house. Cars driving by outside as people went about their morning business and got ready for the day's events.

Who, in all, had experienced that too...?

---

10:00 AM, July 7th

It was those summer months when the teenagers in town had no school, no obligations beyond any chores, and thus had more than enough time to enjoy Sunnyside's vibrant beach atmosphere and lively shops. The local high school was closed, and the only thing the students had to think about in regards to it was a vague suggestion by at least one of their teachers to comprise a "What Did I Do On Summer Vacation" report.

So at about ten, those in a certain circle of friends would most likely be free when a message came in on a group chat. The number belonged to one Alicia Shaan, a bookish young woman from a prominent local businessman's family. She was known for volunteering at the local library, and together with her friend Adam Kinyon hosted the "hobby club" - aka, bring whatever nerd stuff you want and we'll see what we feel like doing.

Her typing at first was frantic and overexcited, riddled with misspellings and gibberish due to her fingers not quite keeping up with what was going on in her head.

Then followed by a succinct Sorry about that and Alicia took a minute to compose herself.

She waited exactly a minute before lapsing into complete fantasy.

And with that, Alicia halted for about five minutes...and then she left one last message;

Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.

Makani Kali

Life, Makani Kali decided, was pretty good. Not perfect—few things were—but pretty good regardless. The whole merfolk thing had been surprising, yes, but he'd had several months to get used to it, and swimming in that form was absolutely thrilling when you knew how it worked. And now that it was summer, he could spend more time doing his favorite things—swimming, being on the beach, and visiting the marine wildlife rehabilitation center.

Which, incidentally, he was now volunteering at. Hooray for being sixteen years old.

Admittedly, the nightmare had dampened his mood slightly. But he'd learned a while ago that prophetic dreams only really happened in fantasy novels...okay, maybe that was a bad comparison, he was a fantasy creature now. But still, everything was pretty good. He'd had a normal morning: woke up, ate breakfast, then started heading down to the center.

In the midst of this walk was when he got the messages. Makani paused, took out his phone, read them, then sent one back.

"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."

Gadget

Ghada Jette was cleaning her hamster cage when she got the text. Not that she HAD a hamster, it's just her parents refused to get rid of the family cat.

Ghada had had a bad scare on her 16th birthday waking up in the form of an anthropomorphic mouse. Her mother had told her about great grandpa Joseph from the 'old country' and given Gauda some remembered second-hand advice.

Ghada figured the hamster cage was a safer sleeping arrangement, since she'd never shifted back to human form while asleep.

After a moment of thought, Ghada texted beck a checkmark, then an emoji of a clock face and a question mark.

She was free to go to a party since she was temporarily banned from her parents' garage, as punishment for her experiment with Mr. Johnsen's food truck and a set of hydraulics.

Edited by Nodrog on Aug 8th 2022 at 6:54:18 AM

Paranoia - The Most Fun You Can Have With Deadly Lasers!

Tara

Tara's response was fairly immediate and quite predictable to those who knew her.

The only surprising thing was that she'd replied to a text before noon.

In an uncharacteristic move she'd actually woken up early to nab an ideal spot on the beach. She'd set up a blanket and a nice umbrella to keep cool, and had prepared to make up for lost sleep by napping for another few hours when she'd gotten the message.

After answering the text, Tara lay face down on her blanket, yawned, and promptly dozed off.

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Gemma Chambers

Gemma didn't exactly wake up in the best mood. How could she after a dream like that? It felt like an omen of dark days to come. Maybe the earth was trying to give her some kind of warning? If it was a prophecy, though, it was the worst kind. Not even close to enough information to act on it in any way.

Maybe that was for the best though. It might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. In that case, going out of her way to avoid it would actually cause it, wouldn't it?

She was still mulling over this when she got the text. A big party, huh? Gemma's first instinct was a hard pass. If it was on the beach, they might expect her to swim. Gnomes didn't swim. They sank. Besides, the newest book in the Sword of Shamballah series had just come out and Gemma had a reserved copy waiting for her. Also she just wasn't fond of parties.

But... Alicia clearly needed someone to keep her grounded. Making sure she didn't make a fool of herself in front of her crush was gonna be a full time job here, and Gemma couldn't just leave a friend in the lurch.

Lupa

Lupa work up with a start. She wished it was the first time, but it was quickly turning into a routine. Ever since that fateful evening, she'd been having all sorts of dreams. Some were better than others, but they all had the same beginning. Dashing through the woods, feeling the dirt between her toes, running like the wind. In the better ones, she was on the hunt, prowling the woods in search of fresh meat. Half the time, they ended with fresh meat, crunching a juicy deer or boar between her jaws and reveling in the carnage. But the other half weren't so pristine. They opened on a similar note, but instead of chomping on a woodland critter, it was... something else. She wasn't sure what, but it always sent chills down her spine, waking her up in a cold sweat. And in the worst of them, she was the hunted.

But this one was different. She wasn't sure how, but it was. But she wasn't in the mood to think about dreams. It had been three weeks since this all started and she was no closer to a solution. One minute she was human, the next she was a wolf, the next she was anywhere in between. Part of her had wanted this, but the constant transformations were no less infuriating. And her parents were looking for her. She had mostly stuck to the forest, but she'd seen the posters. Her folks were always a bit distant, but she didn't want to worry them or anything. She needed to get this under control, for both their sakes.

It was then she saw the text. Her phone should have gone kaput days ago, but she wasn't complaining. She rarely sent texts, but it was a welcome distraction from everything else. Though she wasn't sure about a party. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself. On the other hand, the beach was pretty close to the woods, and she was getting sick of raw venison. Maybe if they had some snacks or something, she'd stop by. Wouldn't hurt, would it?

Edited by kkhohoho on Aug 8th 2022 at 10:09:07 AM

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Jhin

Life had notably not changed too much for Jhin once the truth behind his lingeage was revealed to him, when he woke up that fateful morning and he was now currently floating about three feet off his bed. To a normal person, that would have been a cause of panic.

For Jhin, it was a cause of "Wow, air is more comfortable than my bed, rad. How do I capitalize on this".

Informed by his parents, and his mother's minor annoyance at giving up one of her vases that Jhin had inadvertantly "bonded" with, Jhin was told in his own way to "keep it as much of a secret as he could".

Jhin didn't ask follow up questions because honestly why would he and he took to doing what he did best. Being lazy.

But floating.

So with the text blipping to life and him staring at it for a moment or two longer than he expected, he reached down to type out "Pass" but decided against pressing the send button.

Pros: Go place, see people, food, possible good times?

Cons: Go place, see people, but not get food.

Well those pros sure looked like they outweighed the cons! Such was the life of Jhin Efreeti.

"yeah sure what the hell count me in"

Is it selfish that I'm happy as we pass the setting sun?

The Dragon and the Snake.

Trish woke up in a sweating mess from this weird dream. Who was this woman, dreams are like trash cans from the brain so, where did she come from and that group of people too, as she was taking it all in, their soon see that he was back in there again, he sighs and groans as two figures come into their view, a Goat and a Lion.

"Back in the void," she sighs laying down defended, "So who's in my body now," he asked the two animals "Dragon and Snake looked to have played us like fools, for why they did this, I sadly know nothing about this" Lion says walking to them and carefully putting his paw onto Trish’s shoulder.

"Well, look up, you can sleep and even more in the void of your mind!" Goat says trying to cheer Trish up "Yeah, that does sound better," they sighs before getting up to watch what are they going to do.

Back to the body of Trish, Dragon, and Snake have both already planned something, taking out a box of random stuff, "Oh dragon think of the foolsssss who will buy for thissssss thinking of the-" Snake was then stopped by Dragon "Money, riches, power, soon I will have more to build up my horde" he laughed before grabbing the phone, "No, no, no..." Trish said from the void seeing them already going to the chat.

"A party? Thissss issss good" she laughs off an evil laugh, before grabbing the random stuff to keep in Trish's jacket, they soon seal the deal with a text.

Yes, I will like to also join this party.

"Why did it have to be you guys in my life, my mind," Trish says defeated from this as both Goat and Lion try to help them.

It's the same as always! I just wonder if I should fold those blood lumps into squares or triangles this time?

The Dragon and Another Identical Dragon

Ten AM, perfect time for breakfast. Two pieces of toast apiece; one pair adorned with smoked salmon and the other with some kind of hazelnut spread.

"So, I had a rather ominous dream. Even more unusually, it has rooted itself in my memory unlike the passing fancies of normal nights" uttered one of the two seeming humans between one salmon-bearing slice of toast and the next. Their mirror image (barring a face marked with chocolate spread) quirked an eyebrow.

"No shit? ... Woman being chased through the woods?"
"Curiouser and curiouser; A shared reverie. Perhaps it is a call for help..."
"If it is, nothing to go on."
"Alas. Something to keep an eye out for."

Two phones chime in unison, though only the spread-eating twin actually checks. There's a twinkle in their eye as they turn to show the text message.

"Yooooooo, party on the beach tonight! Up for crashing one of Terry's?"
"Ah, Sunnyside's junior Gatsby. I feel a little slighted that we are not invited, but surely that is an error we can correct by turning up regardless!"
"Hell yeah!"

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Bonny: The Beach

Bonny had almost jumped when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket, and was quick to pull it out and squint at the screen once she realised she'd gotten a message through. She'd been sitting on the beach at the shoreline, letting her feet soak in the water as she listened to the sounds of gulls passing by overhead. It was her favourite place to be, and so she was rather perturbed by what Alicia had texted.

Satisfied with her answer, she whistled tunelessly to herself as she slipped her phone back into her pocket and looked around. Spotting Tara all set up on the beach also, Bonny decided to hop upright and amble over towards the sleeping girl, standing listlessly for a moment after nearing Tara before kneeling down to poke her in the cheek.

"Oiiiii," she whined, poking her again in a prolonged fashion this time. "Say hiii..."

She was rather insistent about this, and though her exact facial expressions weren't readable under her long fringe of hair her voice sounded extremely petulant about it. It wasn't often that she spoke, so it evidently was important that Tara greet her even if it was only in passing.

Edited by Enirboreh on Aug 9th 2022 at 6:58:47 PM

bork

The Jette Home

Ghada went over to her closet. "What does someone wear to a beach party?" she mused aloud, looking through a closet full of various grease and oil stained outfits. After a moment, she thumped herself on the forehead. "Gadget, you ditz... a swimsuit! Doy!"

After a moment of thought, Ghada changed into a pair of sneakers, denim shorts, and a 'Jette Garage' shirt. Grabbing the keys for her beloved '75 Gremlin, she set off for the mall for some lunch and shopping. Noting the sun was bright today, she grabbed a pair of tinted goggles rather then the sunglasses someone else might have used. On the group text she sent a message.

Gadget: -car emoji- Mall, -pizza slice emoji- -Shirt emoji-

Edited by Nodrog on Aug 9th 2022 at 1:26:00 PM

Paranoia - The Most Fun You Can Have With Deadly Lasers!

Tara

She had barely closed her eyes when an unexpected poke to the cheek woke her up. Tara cracked one eye open to glare at whoever interrupted her sacred nap, only for her face to settle into a goofy one-eyed smile when she realized it was Bonny.

"Hey, Jellybaby." She rolled over so she was leaning on her side. "You ready for this beach party tonight?"

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

The Phoenick

Nick was cruising on down the sidewalk, not a care in the world...okay, maybe a few cares. What the heck was up with that dream? It was too nuts to be anything dreamy, but it was also to crazy to be anything real. It is a vision of the future, or one of the past. It could very well be the present for all we know. Not a very nice gift, is it? Yeah, he'll say. He slows down his skateboard to sit down on a bench, when he gets a notification on his phone. Quickly skimming through it, he smiles. Good, something to take his mind off the weirdness.

Tubular. I'll be there, or I'll be square...so I'll be there.

Is it really a hammerspace if it doesn't have a hammer?

Frances had a bad dream the night before. In the dream, a woman was being chased by a crowd. It reminded her of when her family was running away from the police.

Running through the woods is so amateur. The pros just walk through airports with fake passports, she thought. She was reminiscing about the fake names and identities she had to take on, the new cover stories her dad made her rehearse, and her dad changing faces in front of her eyes.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she got a text. Apparently, she was sort of invited to a party. Well, why not? Frances was not the kind to pass up an invite. She pulled out her phone and texted "So, when and where do we meet? Are they going to have a barbecue? I like my meat extra rare."

Frances opened her closet and pulled out some vials of preservatives. After all, if the party was as big as it seemed, it was a prime opportunity to gather tissue samples. She put the vials in her purse, along with a sharpie pen, for jotting down the names and the clothes sizes of the owners of the samples.

"Enshittification truly is how platforms die"-Cory Doctorow

The group chat went quiet on Alicia's end for exactly two minutes.

She then texted an image of a facepalm emoji.

This was then followed by Adam leaving a message in the chat;

Ashmond Beach was a close enough location, though one usually regarded as private... Not many people went by there, usually.

It would certainly be an interesting night, at least.

---

Later on during the later day...

Summer in California meant that 6 o'clock was not quite night yet, and the heat was still on to some degree.

Adam's Toyota Corolla Cross pulled up with those who required his assistance, carrying them to their destination - including at least Alicia, who required Adam to give her reinforcement several times about this.

Adam Kinyon was a rather pale, curly haired brunette boy with green eyes, dressed in a very loose button up t-shirt, a light denim jacket, jeans and sneaker shoes. Adam was slim and thin, due to his disease meaning he could not physically work at much of anything. He had with him a backpack fastened to his seat.

In the distance, a large number of people could be seen at the destination in question. A large number of beach chairs were set up, as well as regular chairs, movable tables stocked with food - including barbequed food brought from home - and a variety of drinks. There was a large cottage on a slight incline hill overlooking the ocean, and apparently the teens had set up a volleyball court as well.

There were a couple tables set up for the pot that was indeed included, which came pre-wrapped and a note was left at the table in question - written in cursive Use Responsibly~!

Prominent among the partying teens was a single figure in a pair of tight black pants, a completely unbuttoned shirt showing off a surprisingly lean and very well muscled form. Trim, handsome features capped off by combed back black hair and matching black eyes. Standing tall and spry among his peers was Terry "Ford" Fordham.

As Alicia and her guests arrived at the party, Alicia breathed heavily. She was dressed in a skirt and sleeveless blouse, attempting to show off her own appealing features. She adjusted her glasses and tried to put on a confident front...only for her to look around. She knew it was going to be difficult... She asked, "...Please help me not make a fool of myself around Ford and his amazing, amazing abs."

Edited by NickTheSwing on Aug 12th 2022 at 12:05:30 PM

Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.

Lupa — Beach

As everyone gathered, a lean, lanky girl stuck to the shadows. A worn hoody was draped over her back, baggy and tattered, but it helped to conceal her face. She prowled around the edges, slinking towards the trays of food, hoping she didn't draw attention to herself. She knew this was a bad idea, but she could smell it a mile away, and it was too good to resist.

At the trays, she reached for a big juicy bratwurst, snatching it away with clawed hands like a hungry beast. She crouched behind the table and scarfed it down, praying no-one noticed.

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Gemma - Party

Since Gemma lived closer to the center of town than the beach, carpooling with Alicia and Adam had been the most efficient option for her. She was dressed casually in a loose black t-shirt and ripped jeans.

She hadn’t been very talkative during the ride, lost in her own world for the most part, unless she was specifically asked a question. But she payed a bit more attention once they got out of the car. Zoning out while walking was dangerous after all. Huh, there was food. Maybe this wouldn’t be a total waste of time.

After Alicia's... concerning statement, Gemma put her hand on the other girl's shoulder, a sight made slightly ridiculous by the gnome's diminutive stature.

"First, of all, don't say shit like that. The walls have ears... and so do the other partygoers. Word might get to him."

Beach Parking Lot

Ghada pulled up in her Gremlin a little bit before 6. She got out, dressed in a purple cotton jumpsuit with 'Jette Garage' printed on the back and her usual steel-toed work sneakers. She unzipped the front of the jumpsuit and let it hang open, revealing the fact she was wearing a bright pink bikini underneath. When Adam pulled up, she waved. "Hey, Adam..." she said, then cocked her head. "Glad you got the timing belt changed, your car sounds a lot better now."

Edited by Nodrog on Aug 12th 2022 at 10:24:54 AM

Paranoia - The Most Fun You Can Have With Deadly Lasers!

Tara

Tara showed up around the same time as the others, though she didn't carpool - she lived close enough to the beach that she could thankfully just walk. She'd have preferred to fly, but her mom had drilled into her head that she wasn't allowed to let anyone see her with wings. Personally she thought it was bullshit, but Tara wasn't going to risk getting grounded and miss out on this shindig.

"Yo, wassup." She greeted the rest of the gang as they pulled up. Tara wore short-shorts over a red bikini, with flip-flops on her feet. Her long red hair was unkempt as always, looking strangely like ruffled feathers. "Y'all ready to get fucked up?"

Her gaze flicked over to the short girl and Alicia. "Also, I'm pretty sure him findin' out is the point, y'know? Though if you're that nervous about it, Ally, I can go over and tell him you're DTF."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Makani

Makani showed up at this point, dressed in a light blue rashguard and swimming trunks. He'd decided to forego any sort of footwear; at a party like this, he'd likely end up losing them.

Upon seeing the others, he gave them a brief wave before the ocean took all his attention. Makani lightly sprinted into the water, smiling as the waves lapped against his feet.

Shame he couldn't go mer-form here. Too public.

"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."

Bonny: The Beach

Bonny had merely smiled in response to Tara's greeting, giving her a silent nod before flopping down to sit by her for a sense of company. It was always nice to have people be fond with her. It made her feel like she had real friends who she could just be with, even if she didn't say much. Soon, however, it came time to get ready to go, and so with a wave of farewell Bonny got up and rushed on home to get ready for the party.

---

Bonny: The Party

Bonny had... barely changed her outfit. She'd just put on a fresh set of clothes, but they were essentially the same style as before—minus the swimsuit she was now wearing beneath them. A comfortable, loose white t-shirt with a wide collar, a couple of surfer's bracelets and a necklace, and some simple casual pants were her choice of attire for the party. She still wore no footwear, not even sandals, but the bagginess of her jeans made it hard to notice anyhow. She hadn't taken a vehicle, simply choosing to walk to the place in her usual manner.

She looked around with mild bafflement at those gathered there, tilting her head curiously as she spotted where the snacks were being kept. She tentatively scooted up to snatch a couple, before doing so and bolting back over towards Tara; her having seen her earlier meant that she felt safer at the moment with her and the group she was currently with. Also, Gemma was there, who Bonny felt an odd kinship with.

"Snacks," Bonny mentioned, holding one out for Tara before waving at Alicia and Gemma. "Got snacks. Hmm..."

She munched away at her own, peering at the partygoers from behind her thick bangs. It was hard to see without staring, but her eyes were sharp and attentive to what was around her. Though she was a rather infamous ditz, there was a curious and observant glint in Bonny's gaze that suggested she wasn't simply ignorant.

"Swim..." she sighed softly as she turned her attention towards the ocean, before turning her head slightly towards the others in a querying fashion. "...?"

The words didn't come out, but she seemed to be asking if anyone wanted to join her if she went.

bork

Money and Scams.

At the group of partying people, there stands 'Trish' with her hoodie on and a backpack, trying to sell stuff to them, "Come one and come all! I sell good ssssssstuff" she said with her shit-eating grin, then sees the group of Trish's friends "Close friends... I see what you see" Dragon says to Snake which she laughs before walking toward them.

"Hello and welcome my friendssssss" She laughs a bit before grabbing her backpack "Want to boast this party up... With a price" she said, before unzipping it to show off, fireworks, candy, and random stuff and junk, she kept up her staring at them with the same big grin on her face, her eyes wide.

From the void of her head, Trish was slamming herself onto the black solid walls like a zombie, which worries Lion and cheering from Goat "I know you can do it!" Goat yells out jumping up and down "Trish please you must stop, you could hurt yourself or worst" Trish didn't say anything before slamming one last time before laying on the ground "Thanks Lion," she said looking up.

Back to the body, Snake felt some headaches but sees this as nothing going back to try to sell her stuff, "2 for one firework just for five dollars!"

It's the same as always! I just wonder if I should fold those blood lumps into squares or triangles this time?

The Parking Lot

And there arrive the twins, resplendently dressed for this party; Cory strides at the front of the pair in this layered arrangement of almost ephemeral shawls and sheets that is clearly meant to be evocative of the ocean. Lu's put a bit less effort into themes but has in fact chosen their favorite black t-shirt inscribed with the logo of a local metal band (that had one middling single before dissolving in a clash of egos and a lack of ideas for a second song) and sturdy jeans. The pair stride through the parking lot, having made their own transit.

And completely blow past Adam, Alicia and their assembled nerds as the two stride into the party like they own the place.

The Beach Party

The twins stride in like they own the place and immediately divert to different places. Lu heads for whatever they can identify as the sound system for this event.

"Yo, can I get the bluetooth password? I've got a killer playlist."

Meanwhile in what Alicia probably would consider the nightmare scenario, Cory immediately gravitated towards Terry.

"Young master Fordham, wonderful party you have here tonight. Are we celebrating anything specific or is this a revel for the sake of revels~?"

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Gemma - Beach

Gemma was quick to reply to... the girl with ruffley hair... what was her name again? They didn't really hang out beyond having some mutual friends.

"I mean, I don't wanna speak for Alicia, but it seems to me like she's gunning for romance, not a booty call. And the best way to start a romance is talking to him like a normal person, not gushing about his abs from across the beach." Gemma gave Alicia a smirk, with the intent of encouraging her to do just that.

The gnome was completely unqualified to talk about romance, having never had a partner in her life. But she'd read enough romantic plots in books to think she was qualified.

That was when Bonny showed up. Gemma knew Bonny's name. For one, it was hard to forget someone with such unique hair and speech patterns. Plus for whatever reason, the girl never wore shoes, which stood out to her, since she herself couldn't wear shoes.

Gemma gladly took a proffered snack and popped it in her mouth. "Um... sorry, no swimming for me. I didn't bring a swimsuit... and also I can't swim..."

Radical Fire Bird

Nick skates onto the beach, a bit bummed because now he has to carry his board everywhere because of all this sand. He hates sand, it's rough and you can never skate through it. That and it's so hard to get rid of! Although his spirits are lifted when he sees the table filled with food. One's stomach should not dictate their direction, but guide it gently with-THWACK-that one had a fly on it. Oh, are those cookies? Yum! Agreeing with the voice in his head, he quickly grabs a plate and loads up before moving over to the pot. A true master of the arts of fire doesn't use drugs...but you aren't, so it should be fine. Just a tiny amount though, your head is still developing.

What a thoughtful, kind sage his mind is. He makes a tiny joint for later, but for now simply eats.

Is it really a hammerspace if it doesn't have a hammer?