The Twofold Houses 5: Rebuilding

[Shadowcaller]

[Questionably Not Playing Around]

"I hope you didn't come here expecting to be tracking down children, miss Turath." Cessie muses with a smile. "Since they're not hiding away last time I checked."

Sure enough, the children are exactly where she last saw them. "Well look at that." Cessie remarks as she leans down to get a better look at what her children are doing. "So what are you two up to?" She inquires while gesturing at Anika and Blanche. "Since you seem to have some guests now."

As Cessie is distracted by her children, Anika raises an eyebrow. "You think so? Huh. She never told me."

[Arkhosia]

Somewhat Playing Around

”Yeah, but sometimes outright saying it would be impolite,” Blanche points out quietly as they follow Cessie into the other room. The sight of Jillian seems to catch her by surprise for the briefest of seconds; she’d kinda assumed that all of Cessie’s kids would look as draconic as Cora. She gives the two a slightly awkward little wave.

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

Adir bears a murderous, knifelike grin. It's just a flash beneath the summer moon, the light making the stag seem pale and strange.

He has no time or will to retort before Mr. Hobbins comes for him, but he's ready now. He grips his sword tight and concentrates. Mr. Hobbins hits... and he's suddenly up against plated steel. In a flash, a suit of armor appears on Adir, covering him from head to toe. The helm and pauldrons are twisted into the faces of fearsome, snarling hounds. The moon touches off a silvery gleam. It simply appears from some non-space, apparently summoned by the mystical blade in Adir's hand. A blade he promptly drops in favor of his bare gauntlets - it's not as though stabbing at Hobbins this close has much chance of succeeding.

The armored stag falls, that's for certain. He topples over the side with Hobbins atop him... and he tries to grab the boogey's gruesome limbs like strands of black rope, twisting them, winding them around his hands and forearms so it can't escape. He tries to tie the boogey in knots and crush it against his iron clad front even as he plummets. Maybe Sarget will catch him... maybe he'll fall two floors. It doesn't matter. He roars with rage and refuses to let go. Even if he hits the ground with a snap of bones, he only hugs tighter, pinning Hobbins against that burning poison his kind so fears.

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

Sarget rumbles, a deep, frustrated sound, as the boogie slips through him fingers. He pulls away, shifting his attention down to the girls by his feet. He needs to protect them. There's no time for him to react to the sudden tumble Adir takes off the roof. His plummet won't be slowed. The girls scream as they see him hit the ground.

[Rebonack]

[Evening Vigil]

Over the edge they go.

This turn of events had caught Mister Hobbins quite by surprise. Spontaneously appearing iron armor isn't something he had encountered before.

In a table to limbs they strike the ground. Thankfully for Adir the boogie was on the bottom, his spongy body taking the brunt of the impact and sending a cloud of sooty smoke blasting into the air. It sizzles and pops at the touch of Adir's armor, unable to so much as pass inside. In spite of the miasma of noxious fumes, Adir is still breathing clean air.

Hobbins flails uselessly, limbs burning at the touch of the iron.

He can't escape.

Tonight just isn't going his way, is it?

"Hehe... Well done," the sinister fae sneers, hideous white mask peering up at the enraged father.

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

They plummet in an arc, trailing pieces of clay and old gutter detritus. Chrome and shadows twisting in the air. A dull thud. Almost too plain a sound. The stag's sheer armored weight probably drives Hobbins a little ways into the ground. There's a snap as some small bone breaks. Maybe one of Adir's fingers? Either way, it seems he got the least of the fall.

Adir is still dazed from the fall. He moves mostly on autopilot, bringing up his arm and ramming it up underneath Hobbins' 'chin'. It's a good angle to keep someone pinned, even if they don't exactly have a throat. "Yeah, chump, laugh it up!" Enraged is putting it lightly. "Come on!" He tries to whip his head back and ram his helm into Hobbins' face with vicious force. The hound's frozen face snarls, indifferent to all.

Panting, Adir twists his head to look at the girls, only just now thinking of that paired scream. They still look exactly the same. Cassie still looks the same... but he knows. He knows. To them, Adir might seem a little bit scary. "Sarget!" He roars hoarsely. "Keep them back!"

Hobbins receives his full attention once more. "Where is my kid? Why did you take her?"

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

Sarget ushers the terrified girls into his hand and lifts them up close to his chest. He retreats a couple large steps back, but doesn't go further than that. He knows that he's the escape route for the rest of the family if things to further awry.

[Rebonack]

[Evening Vigil]

The boogie's mask cracks under the force of the impact.

Innumerable tiny crawling things, like skittering static, seep out of the fissures.

"Hehehe..."

Yep.

Still laughing.

"Why? For the coming storm, of course. The Goblin King pays handsomely for little snotlings," Hobbins sneers. "As for where..."

That awful, fractured mask shifts into the most mocking rendition of Tragedy as could be imagine.

"She ran off the King's Road into the wilds. Likely lost out of time and mind. Or eaten. You don't like the lovely changeling I left for you in her stead? Such ingratitude."

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

Adir ignores all else, save for the details of import. Even the unsettling, skittering things escaping out of Hobbins' face. Raw anger continues to hold his fear fast in a hoary permafrost. He snarls, "How can I find her? There must be a way! Tell me!"

"And tell me..." He pants, gusts of cold air seeping from his helm's face. "Tell me how I can get there. The same way you got here, I suspect." He stares into the boogey's face. "I've bested you, haven't I? That ought to win me something of actual use."

[Rebonack]

[Evening Vigil]

Man this thing is terrible.

It's like wrestling an octopus.

Thankfully Adir has that steel armor otherwise this wrestling match would be far less pleasant for him. And it's already pretty unpleasant.

"You knew something had happened, didn't you?" the boogie asks. "Something wrong. Surely no flaw in my work. The replacement I made for little Laurana was perfect. Did she survive in the wilds, I wonder? Perhaps someone there took pity on her and showed her the way to your dreams? Hehe... yes. You've bested me. Let me take what's mine and I will show you the secrets and words for crossing the threshold into the Dreamlands."

Wait...

Did he say Laurana was the one he had already taken? It sure sounds like that's what he said.

Was that... was that what Adir had dreamed about? That's the problem with dreams. So fuzzy in the Waking World.

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

It's too bad the girls don't have any peas.

Ducks LOVE peas.

They will continue nibbling at fingers, though. However, they'll eventually conclude the girls don't have anything edible and head into the pond where there ARE edible things.

Like duckweed!

Ducks love duckweed, too.

Honestly, ducks will eat basically anything.

As for Lapis? She mostly looks thoughtful. "I dunno. Anika never told me why it was important, but it's a job someone gave me so I'm going to do a good job."

That's just kind of how Lapis is. If she's going to do anything she's going to be great at it.

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Russell frowns, trying to make sense of that. But before Lapis can get a truly out of the ordinary amount of talking out of him, the two girls come back over, grinning ear to ear.

"The ducks are so cute." Lucy beams. "Didja see them?"

[Questionably Not Playing Around]

"I hope you didn't come here expecting to be tracking down children, miss Turath." Cessie muses with a smile. "Since they're not hiding away last time I checked."

Sure enough, the children are exactly where she last saw them. "Well look at that." Cessie remarks as she leans down to get a better look at what her children are doing. "So what are you two up to?" She inquires while gesturing at Anika and Blanche. "Since you seem to have some guests now."

As Cessie is distracted by her children, Anika raises an eyebrow. "You think so? Huh. She never told me."

Somewhat Playing Around

”Yeah, but sometimes outright saying it would be impolite,” Blanche points out quietly as they follow Cessie into the other room. The sight of Jillian seems to catch her by surprise for the briefest of seconds; she’d kinda assumed that all of Cessie’s kids would look as draconic as Cora. She gives the two a slightly awkward little wave.

[Questionably Not Playing Around]

Jillian smiles warmly when her mom addresses her. "Still playing house, mommy." The girl leans to the side and looks curiously at Anika and Blanche. She puts her scone down and stands up. "Welcome to my house!" She curtsies.

Bastion just watches with a slightly amused smile. Jillian never met Anika the last time she was around, but Bastion did. He's not adding anything himself yet, though.

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Russell doesn't seem like a very talky sort of person.

Kind of the opposite of Lapis' vivacious energy.

But Lapis doesn't mind! Different people are different. Sometimes being quiet is nice.

There are other more pressing things to attend to, though. Like questions of ducks.

"I did!" Lapis confirms. "They look really cute and fuzzy but I think I woulda scared them away if I got close so I didn't want to ruin things for you."

They got to pet the ducks and Lapis didn't. Now that she thinks about it, Lapis hasn't ever pet anything before. It looked like the girls were having lots of fun maybe she should try petting something some time. Would it be okay to pet Anika when she's a bear? She'll have to ask.

Maybe her friends would know?

"Hey do you think if someone has the power to turn into an animal that it's okay to pet them?" Lapis asks as she contemplates looking for a sunny pool that's full of turtles instead of a shady pool that's full of frogs and newts.

And ducks!

[Shadowcaller]

[Questionably Not Playing Around]

Cessie turns to look at them and Anika feels that she better act before hesitation would set in. "Freaking cool place you got, tiny lady." She comments as she looks at the 'house'.
She gestures at the 'scone' that Jillian left behind. "You're making grub? Since I'm actually starting to get hungry." The druid pats her belly which lets out a faint groan.

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

Adir stares for a long minute. Fuzzy his dreams might be... but that's why he wrote that one down. He knew it was important... and here is the final reason why.

"Even if I bought that," comes his cold voice, "Which I don't, you venomous slime ball... you think I'd be so stupid as to let you up again so we could go check? Huh?!"

Adir's head whips back and forth again, the hound's snout slamming into Hobbins' face. He tries to soften the creature up that way, bashing the evil mask the boogey wears, before his hands shoot up to grasp the cracks. He tries, in no uncertain terms, to rip Mr. Hobbins apart. He gasps out a snarl as he struggles.

[Rebonack]

[Evening Vigil]

There's a crunch.

A sound of tearing fabric.

And a horrible laugh all the while.

It's like flipping a light switch. The feeling of heaviness hanging over the house is gone.

And so is the boogie.

All that's left are a few broken bits of porcelain in Adir's hands, old oily fabric, copper wire, and cat-tail fluff. Upon being slain Hobbins crumbled away into a mess of rubbish, as if he were nothing more than an effigy held together with nightmares and duct tape. Which... really isn't inaccurate.

Fae aren't real, after all.

The immediate threat has been conquered. But that still leaves a far more pressing problem.

What about their daughter?

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Hm, that prompts a moment of thought from the kids. Lapis is in luck, though. They have experience in this area. "I think it's okay. Daddy can turn into a deer, and we kinda pet him." Kinda, though not exactly? She's uncertain.

"And Laurana and Cassie do too." Lucy chimes in. "I wanna turn into a deer, but I can't." Just image how fast she could run around. As fast as daddy.

[Evening Vigil]

In the meantime, Sarget has lifted the two girls up into his branches. They're much safer there than on the ground, even if they do need to hold on. "Adir?" The big tree asks, stepping closer to the man. "Are you hurt?" He doesn't doubt it, but it's best to ask. The girls are still sobbing and panicked. The occasional 'daddy' makes it out between the less coherent cries.

[Arkhosia]

Back to Playing Around

Seeing Anika in action seems to jog Blanche out of her awkward unsureness on how to approach the situation. This wasn't the sort of play she grew up doing or participating in as a kid - she was more of a Cora than a Jillian.

"Come on Anika, show some proper etiquette to our host," she chides playfully, before stepping forward and attempting to mirror Jillian's curtsy. Jeans and boots aren't exactly the proper attire for the gesture, but hopefully she can disregard that. "it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss Jillian."

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Lapis catches that uncertainly.

"You only kind of pet him, though?" she asks. "But you don't pet him a bunch like the ducks? I guess deer are too big to hold."

Unless it's one of those little tiny deers. Lapis hasn't ever seen one of those, though.

"Anika, one of the heroes from VIGIL? She turns into a bear! She let me ride on her one time but I've never pet her before. I'm not sure how she changes into other things it isn't like what me or Mother or any of my siblings do. Do you know how your dad and sisters turn into deer? Maybe there's a special perk you have to get first?" Lapis ponders aloud as she begins hiking through the trees again toward the sunny ponds. Oh, a great big fallen tree in the way! It's all covered in moss and little ferns and it's probably fulla beetles and mushrooms are poking out of the sides. Lapis begins the arduous task of climbing over it. Sure she could just go around it. But that wouldn't be as much fun! Challenges are fun sometimes.

After quite a bit of huffing and puffing, she's now seated atop the log.

"I think I can be a deer, too. But I've never tried it before. I tried being a tree once to catch this weird bird at VIGIL but it didn't work. Being a tree is hard 'cuz you have to remember to stop being one and sometimes trees are bad at remembering things."

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

Adir looks at the odds and ends still clutched in his shaking fists. Makes a man question if he's gone mad, moments like these. He lets it fall and rips his helmet off, rolling over onto his back. He gasps. He only just realized he was holding his breath. The stag swivels his head and shows Sarget and the kids his face, his grin as game as ever. "I ain't got time to hurt. I'm okay, babies," he coos. He looks at Cassie. Cassie... "I'm okay."

"Sakura!" He roars, with what feels like the last of his strength. "Sakura! I need help!" His voice cracks a little. Gods, did he hurt. "Bring me my bag, baby! Please." He wouldn't mind seeing all the kids either. Verifying with his eyes that they were still all right, all in one piece. But more than that he needed tools to clean and seal his wounds, something to set his finger, and something for the pain that wouldn't put fuzz in his head. Something that would keep him awake, preferably.

No, he couldn't rest yet. Not if that evil-looking blackness was still under Laurana's bed. If it was a door, like he thought it might be. If it swings both ways...

There's killing yet needs done. And a lost little girl who needs led out of the dark.

For now, he just lies there and hurts.

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

Upstairs Sakura ushers the kids along with her as she heads to grab Adir's bag. It's going to take her a moment to do that while also keeping the kids moving, however, so Adir has a short bit to wait.

Sarget moves right next to Adir, confident the danger has passed for the moment. "Lie still. She heard you." He assures Adir. The tree raises his hand up so he can ferry the girls back down to the ground. As soon as their hooves find purchase, the twins half lie on top of Adir to hug him as hard as they can.

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"Anika? The tall purple lady, right?" Laela doesn't think there's lots of Anikas that turn into bears. "I think she said she's a druid, and that lets her change into bunches of animals."

"Daddy's not a druid. He can turn into a deer cuz of grampa." Lucy glances back at Sarget, who's just a short ways off watching them. "Other grampa. Daddy's daddy." She clarifies.

"How many different things can you turn into?" Laela asks Lapis.

[Questionably Not Playing Around]

Cessie turns to look at them and Anika feels that she better act before hesitation would set in. "Freaking cool place you got, tiny lady." She comments as she looks at the 'house'.
She gestures at the 'scone' that Jillian left behind. "You're making grub? Since I'm actually starting to get hungry." The druid pats her belly which lets out a faint groan.

Back to Playing Around

Seeing Anika in action seems to jog Blanche out of her awkward unsureness on how to approach the situation. This wasn't the sort of play she grew up doing or participating in as a kid - she was more of a Cora than a Jillian.

"Come on Anika, show some proper etiquette to our host," she chides playfully, before stepping forward and attempting to mirror Jillian's curtsy. Jeans and boots aren't exactly the proper attire for the gesture, but hopefully she can disregard that. "it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss Jillian."

[Playing Around]

Jillian grins, very pleased. But... "You gotta put that foot back more." She comes forward and points at Blanche's foot. The technique is lacking!

The girl then turns to Anika. "Bastion will prepare for tea time. Come and sit with me." She gestures to the table. The plastic chairs there are definitely not adult friendly, unfortunately.

Bastion grunts in the background. Seems he's heard.

[Shadowcaller]

[Playing Around]

Anika gives the table a skeptical look.
Not ideal.

"Being the largest lady here, I lay claim to this box as my tea-throne to join you." She gestures at a nearby large toy-box with a lid on top of it.
Not skipping a beat she lifts up the box and places it next to Jillian's tea-table and then sits down on it.

Cessie looks to Jillian and Bastion. "You alright with her using that?" Didn't want it to break, and it certainly hadn't been made to sit on.

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"Yeah, the tall purple lady! She's really fun," Lapis confirms. "I think she can turn into a bird, too. Maybe other ones? The bear and the bird are the only one's I've seen but I think the bear is her favorite."

Who wouldn't favor bears, anyway?

Bears are great.

Standing atop the log, Lapis holds out a hand for the other children just in case they want to join her up here and decide they need help. Sometimes people need help climbing and it's nice to help them.

"Well, my daddy's a werewolf. So he can turn into a great big white wolf! But I don't think I can do that. I'm more like Mother than I'm like daddy," Lapis reasons. "And I don't really turn into anything. It's like the clouds, remember? Clouds can be lots of shapes but they're still a cloud."

So maybe she doesn't turn into a deer, she's just shaped like one?

"Dragons and deer and trees are all things that are like Mother, so I guess those are the things that are like me, too? Mostly I'm just a girl 'cuz then I've got fingers. Trees and deer haven't got any of those and dragons kinda do but they're on their feet and in the middle of their wings and that makes carrying stuff harder. I tried doing swords once holding the sword with my wing-fingers and it was SUPER hard."

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"Right, like a cloud." Laela considers that once again and then shrugs. She climbs up onto the log with ease. She's the biggest here, after all, and she's a great climber. She sits down to watch her siblings come over.

Lucy takes Lapis's offered hand and gets pulled up alongside the other girl. She stands and looks ahead at the direction they're headed. "Maybe you should try turning into a deer." She suggests, glancing back at Lapis.

Finally Russell climbs over and pops right down on the other side. He ranges ahead a short ways, under Laela's watchful eye.

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Yes.

Exactly like a cloud.

It's a pretty great log, all things considered. It's got really shallow spreading roots that are all criss-crossed over each other, offering lots of hand and foot holds if someone felt inclined to climb to the top of the old root-wad. A beam of sunshine is piecing the canopy and illuminating the very top of the roots, dust and pollen in the air causing the shimmering shaft of light to waver and flicker dramatically. And sitting right at the very top of the roots?

Is a big green lizard.

The lizard appears to be sunning himself and is paying zero attention to the children.

Lapis considers the request thoughtfully. She COULD try it. She never has before. But...

"Okay, but you have to promise not to watch," Lapis says, her tone serious. "It looks weird and kind of scary when I refold myself."

Folding?

Like... with paper?

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

"Can't lie still. I've got somewhere to be," Adir rasps, but remains on his back. He concentrates a little and his armor fades off of him like a shimmering mirage. Then he winces as his babies... or his baby and one changeling practically fall on top of him. He hugs them anyways. Maybe as much for himself as for them. He doesn't know what to make of this 'Cassie'... but what good was going to come from pointing it out, or pushing her away, or telling her about it? It all seemed... needlessly cruel. Being cruel does indeed cross his mind, with his blood still up, but he pushes those urges back down. Saves them. They would have their time.

Adir will probably still be hugging the two little girls when the rest of the family reaches them. He looks battered, but his chest rises and falls with the same old rhythm. He sits up, probably carrying 'Cassie' and Laurie up with him. "Kids!" As full of energy as ever, and with a grin for them too. "Is everybody okay? I think I got him."

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

The kids appear in a big pack just ahead of Sakura as they pile out of the house. They run to Adir and join the girls. It's immediately a cacophony of voices, expressing fear, admiration, concern, and more. Overall the kids are relieved. Sakura kneels down next to the group, Adir's bag placed on the ground in front of her. She does not look relieved. She looks at Adir with barely suppressed terror behind her eyes.

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Russell ranges out a bit further, but then turns to wander back toward the other children. He stops in place as he nears and cranes his head back. A lizard. He steps back a couple steps so he can get a better look. It's hard to see from all the way down here, though.

"Um, okay. I can cover my eyes." Lucy agrees. She's not sure why it'd be scary, but she'll take Lapis's word for it.

"Or you can go behind that tree." Laela suggests helpfully, pointing at a larger tree a short ways away.

[Arkhosia]

[Playing Around]

Jillian grins, very pleased. But... "You gotta put that foot back more." She comes forward and points at Blanche's foot. The technique is lacking!

The girl then turns to Anika. "Bastion will prepare for tea time. Come and sit with me." She gestures to the table. The plastic chairs there are definitely not adult friendly, unfortunately.

Bastion grunts in the background. Seems he's heard.

[Playing Around]

Anika gives the table a skeptical look.
Not ideal.

"Being the largest lady here, I lay claim to this box as my tea-throne to join you." She gestures at a nearby large toy-box with a lid on top of it.
Not skipping a beat she lifts up the box and places it next to Jillian's tea-table and then sits down on it.

Cessie looks to Jillian and Bastion. "You alright with her using that?" Didn't want it to break, and it certainly hadn't been made to sit on.

The correction seems to surprise the catgirl a tad, and she'll attempt to adjust as Jillian advises for the moment - probably not entirely correctly, but it's the thought that counts right? ”We don’t have nobility where I’m from, it’s not something I got to do often,” she explains.

Anika’s antics earn her a light chuckle and a warm little smile as Blanche opts to forgo a chair, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed in as prim and proper a manner as she can manage.

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

The lizard spots Russell approaching and begins doing pushups at him to assert dominance.

You better watch it, Russell! That lizard is swol and wants you to know it!

Lapis, meanwhile, hops off the log. "Okay, I'll go hide over there okay? No peeking!"

And then behind the tree she goes. Hopefully none of the children peek! Because not looking is important! Folding herself like this is awesome in the old sense of the term. It invokes awe. Equal parts wonder and terror. It might be too spooky for the other kids! But then again, kids are probably less likely to be bothered by such otherworldly things compared to grownups. Kids have less of a grasp on what is and isn't possible. After refolding herself Lapis gives herself a few moments to 'settle down'. She's always kind of abstract for a little while after doing this sort of thing until the universe figures out what to make of her. Once's she's good and concrete she steps back out from behind the tree.

She...

Uh...

Sort of got the idea of a deer right. Lapis hasn't actually seen a deer before, so mostly she just went off of what felt right.

She's roughly the shape of a deer, that's correct. And she hasn't got any wings. That's right, too. And she kind of got the color right! A solid color with spots, right? Except the color is blue and the spots are yellow. And she's got antlers! Except they're curling, twisty wooden vines. Do deer have scales? Or bark? Probably. Lapis is pretty sure she got that part right. And a tail! Except the tail is way too dragon-y.

"Did I do it right?" Lapis asks, her tone excited.

Perfectly normal deer, Lapis. One hundred percent.

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Russell stares down the lizard. He's not intimidated by that display! He straightens his shoulders, puffs out his chest, and frowns at the lizard. This is his territory.

The girls exchange a surprised look when Lapis returns and hop down off the log. They approach cautiously at first, but then Lapis speaks. "Deer can't talk, silly." Lucy giggles and comes right over, Laela right behind her.

"That's not what a deer looks like, though." Laela delivers the grim news.

[Playing Around]

Jillian turns to Anika and steps closer to investigate. "You're not gonna break it, right?" She questions with a critical look at the improvised seat. Anika's pretty big. She probably weighs lots. "That box has my toys in it." She warns. That should tell Anika the gravity of the situation.

[Shadowcaller]

[Playing Around]

Anika looks down at her new seat. "Nah, I'll be super-careful." She claims with a nod as she gives the toy box a pat. "I don't weight that much. I'm really mostly muscles. Just some padding that's hard to get rid off once you get to a certain age you know?" She gives her chest a pat.

Cessie eyebrows raise. First of all she very much doubted Anika was even that old, second of all she also doubted that her daughter even knew what she was talking about. Hopefully her behavior wouldn't reach inappropriate levels while they were here.