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WHO: Sakuma & Open
WHERE: Heropa and Nonah
WHEN: All of April (except the 1st)
WHAT: Catch-all for the month
WARNINGS: TBD
NOTES: Brackets or prose, I'll match whatever you prefer. Closed starters in comments. Open prompts below the cut. Don't see a prompt that works for you? Feel free to write your own or hit me up so we can plot something specific together!

a. AFTER SCHOOL IS OVER
LATE AFTERNOON & EARLY EVENING DURING THE WEEK IN NONAH

[The irony of being exPorted for the entire duration of 'April Fool's Day' hadn't eluded Sakuma, but to say he found any amusement at all in the timing would have been a gross miscalculation of his patience. He recognized that he was fortunate not to have been absent any longer than he already was, and that he was more fortunate still to have made his way back to his friends' sides at all, but knowing the undue stress his disappearance would have caused both Kidou and Genda...

Well, he didn't feel very lucky. Instead, even though there was nothing he could do to change the past and there'd been no way he could have stopped the Porter from playing its tricks, he felt guilty. Like, somehow, he'd let down the two people who mattered most to him here in this world or even back home. They didn't see it that way, of course. Neither one would have ever blamed him for something that only the AI in the Porter could control, but it was a weight Sakuma nevertheless carried around with him the entire first day back. And yet, that same weight allowed him to appreciate the silver linings that miraculously still existed.

Having been Ported out on the weekend, he was given plenty of time to mentally readjust so that, by the time Monday rolled back around, he was no longer distracted at school and seemed, outwardly at least, as if everything was fine.

Which wasn't to say that his disappearance hadn't changed anything, because it had, but it was surprising to him that none of the ways that things were different were actually bad. They were simply...ways that he had to get used to, which seemed a common enough experience among imPorts, and one they each had to come to terms with on their own. And his method of accomplishing that was to keep busy and find ways to be productive in his spare time.

When he wasn't at school, working, or practicing his soccer, he had a brand new ability to get a handle on, and he couldn't think of a more discreet way to practice using it, or a better time, than on his way to the Porter in Nonah after school had finally let out.

He was cautious as he followed different people around, focused on keeping his distance and testing his range — perhaps even too focused. For he seemed almost to have forgotten that as an imPort, and as someone who's appearance wasn't 'ordinary' by any means, he still stood out more than he would have liked...]

b. SHOOT FOR YOUR GOALS
THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AND BEFORE DARK AROUND HEROPA

[For all the ways in which this world was awful, one of the most glaring and intolerable was its idea of soccer. The sport, insofar as Sakuma knew it, was teeming with life and energy, and while the soccer that people played here wasn't dead, it also wasn't alive in the same way, either. He was able to play with his peers at school, but he was constantly reminded of the differences in the levels of their abilities.

He had to be mindful of the strength of his kicks and, perhaps worst of all, he couldn't even use any hissatsu. The advantage his techniques would give him wouldn't be fair to the other players, for one. And for another, he didn't want to endanger anybody or ruin what fun everyone else found in such a simple activity.

Being forced to hold back wasn't simple, however. Especially when Sakuma remembered that he'd been about to take on the world with his team in the FFI tournament. Curricular soccer wasn't just a huge step down from that, it was a gigantic plummet into a pit that seemed bottomless, and not one he was convinced there was a way out of, either. At least, not as long as he remained here in this world. So few people from home were here, not even enough to make up half a team. But, depressing as that was, it wasn't any reason to let himself wither. Being unable to play his soccer at school didn't mean he couldn't play at all, or that he couldn't practice. And after the invasion of anachronisms last month, Sakuma realized now more than ever how important it would be to keep his skills sharp.

There were plenty of places to practice around Heropa, especially with its weather so much warmer than Nonah's had ever been. And so, when Sakuma couldn't be found in his own backyard at Heropa 032, he'd take to the park or to empty parking lots behind large plazas to practice individual skill and control, kicking around a ball summoned by a sound most people wouldn't ever expect to hear in the heart of Florida.]

c. OUT OF THE CONCRETE JUNGLE AND INTO THE ZOO
ANYTIME DURING THE DAY ON THE WEEKEND IN EITHER HEROPA OR NONAH

[Every now and again Sakuma behaved the way a teenage boy was expected, and while he never completely forgot about the things that worried him, he found it easier to give himself a temporary reprieve from worldly concerns when he visited the zoo. There, surrounded more by animals than people, or at least capable of tuning out the human ambiance, he seemed infinitely more at ease.

Unsurprisingly, he spent most of his time watching the penguins either from the indoor viewing area where their underwater antics could be watched more closely, or from a platform outside that allowed spectators to better take in the whole of the group as they waddled around or slid about on their bellies. When he wasn't there, however, he could be found observing any number of the sea life performances, contentedly watching puffins swim, polar bears play, or seeing precisely why everyone was making such a big fuss over watching animated movies on the new 4D theater.

He absolutely could not be found browsing through everything penguin that filled the souvenir shop, from mugs to postcards, key chains to hats, and t-shirts to plush stuffed animals.

...except he could totally be found there, quietly pondering to himself how much or how little he could afford to buy. At least, when he thought nobody he knew might be looking!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[yeah, Sakuma, you wish. even when she's relaxed during her time on the clock, it's impossible to completely rid someone of thousands of years of paranoia; the sound of rubber screeching to a halt might as well have been a firecracker going off in terms of subtlety.

it's especially noteworthy since this isn't the part of the day when the sea lions were publicly fed, meaning that the passersby were few and far between at the moment. Lapis was only in the enclosure to set out some enrichment items, tasty fish frozen into large icy blocks to stave off boredom. she looks up as the last ice cube floats out from shore, mild curiosity quickly being replaced with recognition.]

Oh, it's you.

[thanks, Lapis. with a brief flap of her wings she scales the 'cliff' between them, the watery appendages retreating back into her gem as she perches on the other side of the guardrail. it'd probably be pretty cute if you were a person not completely terrified of her.]

Are you supposed to be here?

[the zoo can be a pretty active place, not to mention how intimidating some of the animals could be. she's wondering if he didn't mean to go somewhere else, and has just been wandering around terrified this whole time. it'd explain the sudden stop.]

[Too surprised by the sudden sprouting and flapping of water wings, not to mention the way Lapis lands just opposite him on the other side of the guardrail, Sakuma doesn't have the presence of mind to be offended by her implication.]

I didn't know you could fly!

[As he takes a step back, more for propriety's sake than anything else, he wonders just how much else she can do with her weird abilities that he hasn't seen or even considered.

Which doesn't at all answer her question and, after a moment, he finally seems to realize this and stiffens a little indignantly.]

I have just as much right to be here as you do.

It's not like you ever asked me about it.

[which, considering the long string of demands and accusations he made during their first meeting, is really kind of his own fault. her wings are a point of pride - a sign of her wholeness - and she'd have been something approaching happy to show him.

...on the other hand, that might have given him a heart attack. it's tugh to find that line with Sakuma.]

Sure, but that doesn't mean you came in on purpose.

Why would I have?

[Between her breaking one of the bathroom doors and threatening him with a big blob of water,
asking her whether or not she could fly hadn't even occurred to him, nor should it have! He was much more concerned about his safety — and that of his homework. Probably, even if it was likely, his teachers wouldn't have believed him if he told them an imPort drowned his assignments.

Although...it is nice to know that Lapis has more uses for her powers that aren't violent. Which isn't something he has long to be grateful for, not when she's insinuating that he's daft!

He makes a face. A very unimpressed face.]

I come here all the time. It's not my problem if you haven't noticed.

I don't know, you just sound like it's something you expected to know by now.

[which isn't doing very much for that theory of him being more than a little mixed up due to anxiety, but once again Lapis keeps that to herself. she's quickly learning that it's pretty easy to set this kid off, even when the words seem perfectly innocuous to her.

instead she kicks her dangling feet idly, processing his second response with little to no acknowledgement of his expression. it certainly doesn't factor into her thoughts at all.]

They haven't put me in charge of paying attention to the people who come here in a really long time. If you wanted to see me it'd probably have been faster if you just came to the house again.

[How does he explain to her that he does feel like he should have known? While simultaneously feeling there was no way for him to know given the way that they'd met and the way he's avoided her as much as possible since returning to the house to pick up the rest of his things?

...good grief, no wonder they're always misunderstanding each other.

And quickly veering in the direction of another misconception, it seems! This time, however, Sakuma is happy to correct her as he shakes his head, steps to the side, and leans on the guardrail to look in at the sea lions.]

I didn't come here to see you. [Lapis pls.] I'm here to see them.

[The dark grey and brown blubbery lumps happily investigating the frozen cube of food that's been deposited into their habitat, while others bob whiskered faces in and out of the water and bark at each other. They're more like excited dogs than anything resembling cats, to be honest. It's cute.]

Wow, really?

[it's kind of impressive in its own way how Lapis manages to take sentences that can only be interpreted as sarcastic and turn them into completely sincere sentiments. she leans back a little so that she can look at the sea lions as well - not because she expects anything different to be there, but because she just likes looking at them. they were so friendly and adorable.]

That must be really brave of you.

[she phrases it like that because she's really not certain, but it seems to be a reasonable sort of assumption. the aquarium's a little further back on the property, so he'd have had to navigate through the larger mammals to get here. maybe he did it piece by piece? it would explain why he'd been here so many times without her noticing.

Sakuma has papery skin, even for a human, so Lapis settles on the other gesture that she's seen used to congratulate someone. clap. clap. clap. the syncopated delivery of applause kind of ruins any sort of celebratory air, but she's doing her best. it's apparently very important to encourage this kind of thing in humans.]

Excuse me?

[Lapis isn't from this world, he reminds himself. She's not very familiar with human behavior and customs. She's kind of oblivious. And dense. But she doesn't mean for everything out of her mouth to be insulting and rude. And yet...the moment she begins clapping, Sakuma feels himself bristling like an angry cat. His shoulders hike upwards a little further with every smack of her palms together, and his good eye narrows as he turns to regard her sharply.

How could she not know how offensive she was? How could she be that clueless all the time?]

What are you implying, exactly?

[she claps a few more times before his second question rolls around, even louder, in an attempt to answer the first without demeaning him by having to explain it. Lapis knows this is a human celebration gesture, so for once she isn't riddled by doubts about whether or not she's latched onto the wrong thing.

unfortunately Sakuma seems determined to force a clarification of the obvious by asking essentially the same thing again anyway. well, it wasn't as if she'd ever prided herself on being the best at explaining things. the applause mercifully falls silent, hands settling gracefully into her lap.]

I'm pretty sure that's the kind of thing you're supposed to be proud of.

[She sounds...almost genuine. Enough that Sakuma stops and considers carefully everything about her from her posture to her tone of voice before he finally speaks again. More calmly this time, but with his attention returning to the sea lions.]

It isn't.

[Not for anyone his age, anyway. And the fact she seems to think it is makes him wonder if she has any idea how old he is? He's perfectly capable of being here on his own, of doing things on his own, and praising him for something so simple feels more patronizing than it does rewarding.]

Coming here isn't difficult. It's...relaxing.

[One of the sea lions splashes into the water and disappears for a few moments before, resurfacing near a particularly sunny rock, it emerges once again and emits a watery sneeze. Someone passing by Lapis and Sakuma giggles at the noise, but otherwise makes no comment and keeps walking, probably on their way to one of the other habitats.]

You work here, don't you? You must still do it because you like it. That's the same reason I'm visiting.

I like it, but I'd keep showing up even if I didn't.

[she leans back on the rail a little as an odd expression settles onto her face. it's completely inappropriate for the conversation at hand, something caught between bitterness and a pensive sort of melancholy.]

It's smarter not to draw attention from more powerful things to yourself.

[her gaze wanders, settling on the bobbing cube of icy fish for a moment or so. a small unnatural wave forms in the water, nudging it out towards the center where more of the sea lions are frolicking. it's easier to focus on things like that.]

Edited 2017-04-07 02:25 (UTC)

[Of all things, the sudden change in her mood doesn't really surprise Sakuma. One thing he's come to expect from Lapis is unpredictability. Like the element that she has at her command, the very same one she wields now for the benefit of the sea lions, she is very capricious and likely just as hard to control.

Making it all the more disconcerting when she admits quietly that, even if she wasn't happy working here, she would still do as she was told.

It makes sense to him in some ways. Sakuma agrees that it's wise to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Any more than they already do being imPorts, at least. But condemning themselves to lives of unhappiness doesn't seem like it's very fair, either. They have rights, even if they aren't technically citizens of this country or even people belonging in this world.]

It's good that you like what you do, then. But if you didn't, you could probably change jobs without them caring very much.

[He glances sidelong at her.]

Unless...do you have reason to believe differently?

They brought us here to be weapons. It'd be stupid to think that they don't pay attention to things like that.

['jobs' were different on Homeworld. an assignment from the diamonds was the handing down of an iron will, as unbreakable as the gems who commanded it themselves. their power was what had forced her to earth to begin with, in addition to her unhappy return. to go against a task was complete betrayal.

the jobs they were assigned here bore too many similarities for Lapis to ignore. they'd been given directly from the authority which controlled the nanites in their bloodstreams, the things capable of tearing away the abilities that might empower them to resist at a moment's notice. who could say that they wouldn't take similar offense to simply abandoning their designated roles? it wasn't a risk that Lapis was willing to take.]

...I don't really have anything else I'd rather be doing anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

[Although he hasn't been here for very long, one thing Sakuma is beginning see a lot of is a divide between those who believe the government is responsible for imPorts being brought to this world, and those who hold the AI inside the Porter accountable. Based on what he's read, and what information has been shared with him so far, he counts himself among the latter, but he doesn't believe for a second that the American government (and every other government, for that matter) consists of opportunistic people who would and will use them given the chance.

Lapis isn't the only one who feels threatened by the similarities that exist between the world she comes from and this one. Sakuma has been used before by someone he should have been able to trust, a man in a position of power who abused both things and endangered not only his life, but the lives of his friends and countless other people. And when Kidou and everyone else from Teikoku had defied Kageyama, he didn't give up and disappear. That man had come back...and he threatened to destroy everything they'd worked so hard to achieve. He hadn't even needed to lift a finger this time. He'd used what he knew about them against them...and they'd played right into his trap.

As he directs his attention back towards the sea lions, his hands tighten on the guardrail, mouth compressing into a frustrated and fine line. He came here to relax, but nothing about his posture now suggests peace of mind.

Kidou and Genda had both put in requests to move. And now so had he. Had they just painted targets on their backs?]

[intimately acquainted with despair as she is, it doesn't take long at all for Lapis to notice the change in posture from her companion. even so, it's several moments before she makes any attempt at a response, long enough for any rational person to assume the conversation was dropped.

the sea lions chase little fish made out of water through their enclosure, happy to play with Lapis' idle use of her powers while she sits in the middle of stormy thoughts. it's always such a painfully difficult thing for her to consider, the way her very being seemed to tear at itself. she hated to be limited, used, thrown away like something expendable yet again. at the same time, she could recognize that she was outmatched here. the government itself was as frightening as a pack of paper dolls, but that nullification...it made them very dangerous.

she could outrun them, without question. but Lapis doesn't know if she really wants to run anymore.

expressing empathy for anyone aside from Steven is a struggle that she still hasn't overcome; even when she has the will, it never seems to come easily to her. the watery fish twist and spin in the air some more, and still she remains silent.

when she does speak, her words are measured and her gaze remains steadfastly on the exhibit.]

They think they have a lot more control than they really do. That's going to ruin them eventually.

[It always does, Sakuma thinks to himself. But how many people would become casualties in the line of fire by the time that higher power was finally brought to its knees? He's seen it happen, after all. He'd been a part of it, a cog in the machine of Kageyama's schemes. And in the end, Kageyama didn't stay down. Each defeat only renewed his determination to ruin their soccer and, with it, ruin their lives. How many schools had fallen before their eyes had been opened by Raimon? And how many players after that had still suffered because they had been brainwashed into believing that getting by on their own skills wasn't enough? That they could be better, faster, and stronger if they continued to follow Kageyama? And how many had nearly lost soccer forever because of it?

Was it worth it, doing nothing and hoping in silence for the big bad to falter?

If a penguin did that before a sea lion, gave up retreating and simply prayed the larger beast would slip through thin ice and lose his chance at lunch, he'd be sorely disappointed to find himself caught in the predator's jaws.

He takes a breath, shoulders relaxing, but he still doesn't tear his gaze away from the active habitat below.]

If they're paying attention to the changes, they're paying attention to what remains the same, too.

[After all, that was how successful hunters operated. Failing to understand what made their prey stay as much as what made them scurry would significantly decrease their chances at filling their bellies with their next meal.

He wouldn't be like Lapis. He couldn't just do nothing. None of Teikoku could. They knew what staying their hand would mean better than anyone. But if Lapis was content to keep on doing as she was, parading as 'still water' for lack of a better term, that was her prerogative. He'll fight the good fight every way he knows how...he just won't tell her that.]

That's fine. It's easier to turn a prison around on someone who walks into it on their own.

[and that's what the government would do if it continued to ignore those who gave off the appearance of ducking under the radar. to rely on those people was foolish, whatever they might do to give the impression otherwise. they were here and theoretically usable, yes - but in remaining still they'd prompted the government to hold its place as well.

that was how she'd betrayed Homeworld, locked Jasper away for all eternity. stay the course until the world forgot just how frightening she could be when roused.]

You only get one chance.

[after all this time, Lapis could no longer say that she didn't feel the way that Steven had on that ship. but she knew that there would only be one moment for that - and to waste it simply to fulfill one's restless sense of justice was almost more appalling than true apathy.]

[It's fortunate then, for Sakuma, that justice isn't what drives him so much as desire for his friends' safety and his own. Of course, he doesn't wish to see innocent bystanders caught up in the schemes of the greater powers in the world, either. But he also doesn't suffer from any grand delusions of being able to single-handedly bring any of those governing bodies to their knees. He's only fourteen. Perhaps one day he'll be able to to do more, but that day is not today.

Meaning that Lapis' statement actually resonates with him quite strongly. He would keep fighting, but he wouldn't do so recklessly. To do so would only further jeopardize his friends' well-being and his own. Careless wasn't something that he could afford to be any more than he could afford to be completely idle.

Finally, he tilts his head to the side again to regard Lapis.]

Are you waiting for that chance to come to you?

I...already had that chance at home.

[it's a sign that Lapis has been mired in her own thoughts for too long that the assertion doesn't rise as readily as it usually did. nothing but sadness could come from wondering if her perspective on this world had changed - it was as pointless as trying to turn back time until the Homeworld of her past returned.]

This place is just extra time.

[what she felt in the end really didn't matter. Malachite was her future, and there was nothing that could ever change that.]

[Extra time? That's something of a harsh sentiment, but Sakuma can't blame anyone for thinking and feeling about their time in this world that way. Not everyone was blessed with the company of trusted friends from home, or had any reason to believe the friendships made here were lasting. How many people has Lapis seen come and go, he wonders? Are those departures part of the reason she feels the way she does? Or...is that simply how she is? Utterly defeatist, or seemingly so, at least on the surface.]

I think it matters. What we do...or don't do. It effects more than just us.

[If they disappeared tomorrow, there's still a chance their presence here will have made an impact. And then, there's always those who are left behind. They remember.]

[Sakuma's words strike Lapis in a painful spot, and her arms curl around her chest as if to ward off any further blows. all she can think of now are the hopeful words of so many people that she'd met in this world, trying to encourage her to really experience where she was - people who had seemingly vanished in the blink of an eye.

it always came down to that, didn't it? the only thing that people could ever do on earth was destroy, was ruin. how many times had she thrown herself bare for the sake of a tentative bond, only to have that wobbly contentment snatched from her as well? it was as if the very planet they walked on fed off her sorrow.

she hated it. hated that this was the power which Steven and so many other friends seemed to draw from, the one thing which she herself could never seem to hold onto. if the only effect a person's actions could have on another was to inflict more pain, was it really worth striving for..?

why did she bother to continue reaching out, when all she had to offer was bitterness?]

This planet will never change. There's nothing that anyone can ever do about that.

[her voice is steady, but there's enough bile in Lapis' voice to chew through the entire enclosure's fence. of all the things which she found herself newly uncertain of, this wasn't one of them.]

[Those words are more unsettling than Sakuma cares to admit. There's nothing that anyone can ever do about that. He felt that way once, what feels like a very long time ago. That feeling isn't one he's ever forgotten, either, even if he's moved beyond it and healed. Or done his best at healing, at any rate.

It sounds to him like Lapis is not only tired of fighting, but tired of failing, too. And he knows all about that. Knows that helplessness is completely debilitating. He's experienced that same bitterness before, felt it well up inside like a toxic mass, thick and heavy, and seemingly inescapable as it consumes from the inside out.

But the thing is...]

That isn't any reason not to try.

[Even if trying couldn't halt the inevitable downward spiral, if it could only act as a minor interruption, that was still better than nothing at all. That brief glimmer of hope, of happiness. Otherwise, what was even the point of carrying on?

Existing to be miserable? Existing to complain?

These aren't things Sakuma can do. They're not productive. So he must try. And besides...

It's what Kidou would do.]

[it is, possibly, the worst thing that Lapis could hear right now. everything suddenly wells up in her like the rising tide - only this is the only sea she has no control over.

we have to fight because we can't win.

she hears Steven's voice echoing in her head, those same words over and over, joined with the same sentiment she's heard spill from so many lost friends' mouths before. it always struck her in some far-off corner of herself that she could never place, but after all the failures she's endured...she can't help but think that the time the blow may have shattered something.

her hands slam down onto the rail, forceful despite their lack of physical power, and she shifts to stare Sakuma head-on. her shoulders are hiked up to her ears and there's something angry and wounded in her posture, almost despite herself.]

Saying that over and over isn't going to make it true!

[it's been so long since her voice had trembled with such raw emotion. the cry nearly strips the skin from her throat when she finally lets it out, she feels, as if she were hurling some horribly thorny thing away from herself.]

[By now, despite interactions between them being few and far between, Sakuma has come to expect inexplicable changes in Lapis Lazuli's mood. She is turbulent and unpredictable like water, the element she controls, and in accepting that fact, he finds himself prepared for her outbursts and no longer quite so easily startled by the raised volume of her voice, or even the aggressive way she beats her hands against the guard rail.

Instead of jumping out of his skin, Sakuma turns to meet her gaze. He is tense, because these emotions of hers remind her of how he felt himself once, and because he knows he cannot offer her what Kidou offered him. There is no unconditional bond of friendship and trust between them to pull Lapis back from whatever edge she's standing on, and anything he says may only further aggravate her and make things worse.

Yet...it's as he said. Fear of failure isn't a good reason not to try.]

Lazuli-san.

[The contrast of his calm and even voice is practically palpable compared to the harshness of her own.]

Why are you upset?

[there's no 'san' in her name, nothing close, but Lapis is so caught up in her own whirlwind that she doesn't even bother trying to correct him. it was as much of a losing battle as everything else, albeit on a much smaller scale.]

Everyone is always telling me that, like it's supposed to flip some kind of magic switch just like that. It doesn't change anything!

[she wants so terribly to lash out at something, but even at her most tempestuous she retains common sense - there's nothing here that's at fault for the way she feels, no destruction that would fill this angry hole clawing through her chest. it was always that way, and always the most frustrating part of these broken moments. nothing she could do would ever help herself.

even so, Lapis' posture reads trembling and failed restraint. this is something that she's allowed to bubble within for longer than even she can tell, and now that it's risen to the surface she's can't stop the flood of rage pouring from her mouth.]

Losing is losing! You can say whatever lies you need to be able to swallow it, but don't pretend that it's anything else.

[a prison could be tolerable if you were in control of its parameters; this was something which Lapis knew better than anyone else. but to allow those illusions to spread into reality and injure someone...it was unacceptable.]

he probably wishes it wasn't though tbh

there's no probably about it

rip minty child

flushes you down the drain tbh

like you'd ever put me in a position that close to your butt

you're right you're more suited to being washed down the driveway and into the sewer

i mean if you want to turn that queen of the alligators urban legend into reality

hey look it u...! http://i.imgur.com/d2AxMQZ.gif

i'm really sad it's not that sewer alligator gif from earlier today

i thought about it but it seemed too obvious

this is fair. i doubt there are too many gators dressed as royalty anyway.

you're not wrong. but apparently there *are* some.

i'm both glad and a little concerned tbh

i've come to expect this from the internet

i mean, yeah, but guys.....

let them live that fantasy

this is no longer fantasy

embrace the reality, then

i, rolen kishibe, refuse

no subject

no subject

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i'm sorry

i'm not c:

i'm sure you will be later

you're not wrong. but apparently there are some.