Happenstance: End of Days, Part 2 (17/??)
Title: Happenstance: End of Days
Rating: PG-13 for this chapter
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Spoilers: Through Season 1, episode 12
Summary: Set before and during ‘End of Days’, from Ianto’s perspective.
A/N: Can be read alone, if you've seen the episode it will make sense
Beta'ed by the 'Super'
frakkin_addict
Linky Links!:
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 |
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto is solo Weevil hunting. It’s been a while, but he’d trained himself for this back before Jack hired him at Torchwood Three. He’d heard many bizarre rumors about Captain Harkness during his time in London. As it turns out most of them weren’t that far removed from reality. But the one about the rogue agent single handedly tracking and capturing the bane of Cardiff had been spot on. It had taken only a few days of stalking to catch Jack in action. And an eye-opening sight it had been. Firstly, Ianto had never before seen a living Weevil at the time. Secondly, he’d never smelled one. Or four as it were. Lastly, watching Jack fight, full out, is simply the most poetic thing Ianto has ever witnessed. He’d hidden behind the SUV, gagging at the stench, and marveling at the merciless technique Jack used on them. He fought with gusto, punching and jabbing at them, laughing out loud all the way. Ianto realizes now that Jack was playing with them. Personally, he’d had to train for weeks to take on just one of the creatures. But it had been worth it. Just to see the look of admiration in the Captain’s eyes, the first time they officially met. Now though, he is simply too weary to struggle the aliens.
By the time he arrives at the castle, three Weevil’s are wreaking havoc in the lobby. Luckily there are no visitors in sight, having all fled when the trouble started. Ianto quickly approaches the staff, huddled together at the end of the drive, confused and shaken.
“Who’s in charge here?”
There is some hemming and hawing, but a young man with a gold nametag is pointed out as the person to talk to.
“Good. What’s your name?”
“Marc. Listen, I don’t know anything. Just these guys, they-“
“No worries. Torchwood will take care of everything. There have been reports of a couple of dangerous men in the area. They are likely junked out of their heads, and may be armed. You were right to evacuate. Is everyone accounted for?”
“Yeah, we have a paging system, we got everybody out. Well, staff at least. But there weren’t any visitors in the lobby when they crashed in, so I don’t think there’s anybody left inside.”
Another twenty-something man with shaggy ash-colored hair pipes up.
“We blocked the windows where they came in. Nearly broke me arm trying to latch those shutters!”
“Your name?”
“Geoff.”
“Geoff that was good thinking. Did you see the men?”
“Yeah, ugly mutts if I ever saw any.”
“Three of them? No more?”
“Yeah, three.”
“Good. I need for the two of you to keep everyone here. The SOCO will be on the scene soon, and they’ll want to talk to as many witnesses as possible.”
They look uncertain, but Ianto is fairly sure that the others will not stray. Frankly, he doesn’t care if they wander off; he just needs them out of his way. He can’t bring himself to put his heart into this capture. He backs the vehicle up as close to the door as possible, carefully placing his suit jacket and tie in the passenger seat and loading himself up with as much repellant as he can carry before entering the building. Quickly he is able to subdue the two Weevils he spots. There is a moment of hesitation while he decides whether to load them into the SUV, or try to track the other one. Realizing that a surprise attack could well be eminent, he assures himself that the downed Weevils will stay that way, and cautiously moves further into the lobby. It is silent in the cavernous room; there is no obvious clue as to where he should look. Apprehension crawls over him, drawing goose bumps on his arms and neck. Pamphlets are scattered and torn, chairs thrashed and broken.
This looks like detritus from a brawl. Surely no one tried to take them on? One look at a Weevil’s face, and even the strongest fighter must have his doubts. Except for Jack, of course.
He sees dark sticky blood smeared on the side of a tall desk.
Ah. That explains it.
The missing sewer dweller is lying in a pool of it’s own blood. Nearly decapitated from what was obviously a vicious attack from one of its partners in crime. Sighing heavily, he moves to the SUV and carefully lays plastic tarps in the boot and backseat. He also dons a pair of plastic coveralls, wary of ruining yet another suit with blood and gore. Returning to his captures he begins the grueling process of muscling them into the vehicle. He places the unconscious Weevils in the boot, meticulously covering them with more tarp, lest anyone spare a look through the window . The deceased Weevil is unceremoniously chucked in the backseat, the dead weight is simply too much for Ianto to gracefully lift.
“Ianto?”
A worried sounding Gwen speaks in his ear.
“Gwen. I’m just finishing up here, two Weevils captured and one deceased. I’m returning to the Hub with them now.”
“Is everyone alright?”
“No humans were harmed, as far as I can tell. The locals believe that it was three men, strung-out on something.”
“Good work. How’d you do all that so quickly?”
“That’s simple. I’m magic.”
“Sometimes I believe that. Well, we’re heading back to the Hub now as well. See you soon.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto forces the now barely conscious Weevil through the Hub, with a hand on its neck and a liberal dosing of spray. Knowing that Jack was curious about the new tenants, he is not surprised to find him in the holding cell area.
“Coming through!”
Seeing new people, the creature starts to struggle again. Physically exhausted from carting the six foot tall ogre around, Ianto has no patience left for it and drowns him in repellant again, addressing the others.
“Thirteen more reports of Weevils on the loose. We can't keep up at this rate.”
“Everything's on the increase.”
Jack’s remark carries a sense of foreboding that makes Ianto feel edgy. Gwen too is not comfortable with the implications, or the ambient Weevil song.
“Can you stop them making that noise?”
She must really think that I am magic.
“If you've got any ideas how.”
“Maybe they're time sensitive. This disturbance may be too much for them.”
Well, Jack, it’s a bit too much for all of us, isn’t it?
“We're now full in all vaults across all nine levels. Do you want me to activate the vaults below? It’s just we've never used them since I've been here.”
“Do it. Gwen, maybe you're right. Let's run a search on your dancehall buddy. We need to find him.”
As the others leave, Ianto takes a moment to contemplate his prisoners.
Time sensitive. Couldn’t be light sensitive, could you? Just stay in the sewers. Save me a heap of trouble. But I suppose you have the right. Probably don’t even know why you’re here. Probably think you’re completely at home, and simply carving out your niche in the biological hierarchy.
“Hello, Ianto.”
LISA.
Pain cleaves at his chest when he hears her voice. He spins to look at her, knowing that his mind has cracked.
She isn’t real. Ghosts aren’t real. She’s a figment, or an alien. Something else, not her.
”What do you want? Why are you here? This isn't happening.”
It could be her, Lisa. It’s so real. I can almost believe…
“There's only one way to stop this, before things get worse. People will die, Ianto. Thousands of people. Unless you open the Rift.”
Squeezing his eyes shut, he tries to think through what he’s hearing.
The Rift is causing this. We did it wrong, the pieces aren’t fitting together. And now she’s here. Is she here? Has time become so muddled, that Lisa could be here now, knowing what I did?
Equal parts hope and despair cause him to open his eyes. Wanting to see her alive in front of him, not wanting for her to know all of the things he’d done in her name. But she isn’t there any longer. It hurts when he huffs out a surprised breath. Momentarily lost, he looks to the Weevils locked away beside him.
How strange my life has become that the presence of Weevils is actually a comfort.
Taking only a moment to bury his confusion, Ianto returns to the main floor of the Hub in time to hear Owen shouting at Jack.
“We need to be prepared. We're helpless. All we’re doing here is putting sticking plasters on gaping wounds!”
It’s not that I disagree with him, but this is not the way to get through to Jack.
“What do you suggest?”
Even without seeing his expression clearly, Ianto knows from square set of the Captain’s shoulders that he is barely restraining himself from physically attacking Owen.
“I suggest you lead us and you tell us what the instructions are.”
I suggest you shutting the hell up! Seriously, Owen? How can you possibly think this will help anything?
Ever the peacemaker, Gwen tries to intervene. But Owen has officially lost his temper, and is unwilling to back down.
“No, come on. You're all thinking it too. You're the big man here. You keep all the secrets. Well, now's the time to tell us a few and tell us how the hell we're gonna get out of this!”
“You want to know a secret? There is no solution. I can't fix this. Because this was never meant to happen. The first thing you learned when you joined Torchwood was ‘Don't Mess with the Rift’. But you disobeyed those orders and now everything that's happening is down to you.”
“I only disobeyed instructions to get you back.”
“And now people are dying.”
“What? So I shouldn't have bothered?”
There is a break in their heated exchange, where Jack refuses to answer or retreat.
Is that what you want? Why won’t you answer his question? Why can’t you be happy here?
Like any bully, Owen doesn’t know what to do when his target doesn’t rise to the bait, so he starts in again.
“Who the fuck are you, anyway? Jack Harkness? You don't even exist. We've looked. So if you're not even a real person, then why should I follow your orders?”
Stop it! Owen, there are no answers! Why can’t you accept that there are things better left alone?
Ianto can feel a change in the air. Jack has never responded well to anyone questioning his authority. It was the cause of many hours placating UNIT and the PM’s office. But to have one of his own team blatantly throw down a gauntlet like this… Ianto knows that this is a turning point for Jack, but is still shaken to see how close to losing control Jack is.
“Get out.”
What?
Ianto vaguely hears Owen’s incredulous response, mirroring his own thought.
“Get out! I'm relieving you of your duty.”
Toshiko and Gwen rally to Owen’s defense, while the man in question refuses his orders. Ianto doesn’t hear any of it though. He is deaf to all but Jack’s implacable anger.
“If I can't rely on you, if I don't have your complete trust, you don't belong here. That goes for the rest of you. Anyone who agrees with Owen, leave now.”
I do trust you Jack, with my life. Why can’t you trust us? Me? Is this how it will end between us as well? Will I slip up and ask the wrong question, only to be ejected from your life?
Owen leaves almost quietly. Ianto watches as Gwen tries to stare down the Captain for an extensive charged moment. Jack waits her out, not speaking until the instant she looks away.
“We find Bilis, he’s the answer. Find him. Now!”
He turns sharply and disappears in his office, his voice echoing long after he is out of sight.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rhys Williams has been brought into the Hub, locked up like a criminal. Ianto understands Gwen’s fear, all too clearly, but cannot understand her methods for coping.
How can she think that he is any safer here, nearer to the Rift? Not that distance matters. The rips in time and space are growing by the second. We’re all doomed if we can’t figure out a way to fix this.
Jack and Toshiko abruptly end their conversation, prompting Ianto to stop pretending that he is paying them any attention, as Gwen emerges from the cells. Jack wastes no time getting to his point.
“Did he wake up?”
“Yeah. Yeah, he did. Tosh, can you bring up the CCTV of the vaults? Er, just leave it on the screen, I know it sounds crazy, but...”
Tosh uses her Palm to remotely adjust the CCTV feeds, wondering aloud as she does.
“I can't understand how Bilis was able to show you that vision.”
Ianto watches Jack watch Gwen, in turn watching her fiancé on the monitor.
She looks haunted. That seems to be going around then.
“It was so real, Tosh. I was in my flat. It smelt like my flat, it had all the sounds of my flat. I touched the blood. I can still feel it on my hands. Rhys's blood.”
Jack comforts her, holding her hand and offering platitudes.
I wish I could ask him for that. But sweet nothings won’t exorcize me.
The atmospheric tension seems to diminish, to some extent, as she seems to calm a bit.
Until the lights go out.
Shocked is the only way to describe Ianto’s reaction, for once making him the first to speak.
“What's going on?”
He only faintly hears them talking around him as he rushes to a workstation to check the computers.
“RHYS!”
But Gwen’s screech clearly reaches his mind as she runs blindly towards the holding cells. He wants to watch, observe what she does, what Jack does, what Rhys does. But he makes himself focus singularly on the task at hand; helping Tosh get the Hub back online, immediately or sooner.
The sounds of dual typing become a comforting kind of white noise, helping him drown out unhelpful thoughts.
“Ianto, can y-“
The lights come back on, without their aid.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rating: PG-13 for this chapter
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Spoilers: Through Season 1, episode 12
Summary: Set before and during ‘End of Days’, from Ianto’s perspective.
A/N: Can be read alone, if you've seen the episode it will make sense
Beta'ed by the 'Super'
frakkin_addict
Linky Links!:
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 |
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto is solo Weevil hunting. It’s been a while, but he’d trained himself for this back before Jack hired him at Torchwood Three. He’d heard many bizarre rumors about Captain Harkness during his time in London. As it turns out most of them weren’t that far removed from reality. But the one about the rogue agent single handedly tracking and capturing the bane of Cardiff had been spot on. It had taken only a few days of stalking to catch Jack in action. And an eye-opening sight it had been. Firstly, Ianto had never before seen a living Weevil at the time. Secondly, he’d never smelled one. Or four as it were. Lastly, watching Jack fight, full out, is simply the most poetic thing Ianto has ever witnessed. He’d hidden behind the SUV, gagging at the stench, and marveling at the merciless technique Jack used on them. He fought with gusto, punching and jabbing at them, laughing out loud all the way. Ianto realizes now that Jack was playing with them. Personally, he’d had to train for weeks to take on just one of the creatures. But it had been worth it. Just to see the look of admiration in the Captain’s eyes, the first time they officially met. Now though, he is simply too weary to struggle the aliens.
By the time he arrives at the castle, three Weevil’s are wreaking havoc in the lobby. Luckily there are no visitors in sight, having all fled when the trouble started. Ianto quickly approaches the staff, huddled together at the end of the drive, confused and shaken.
“Who’s in charge here?”
There is some hemming and hawing, but a young man with a gold nametag is pointed out as the person to talk to.
“Good. What’s your name?”
“Marc. Listen, I don’t know anything. Just these guys, they-“
“No worries. Torchwood will take care of everything. There have been reports of a couple of dangerous men in the area. They are likely junked out of their heads, and may be armed. You were right to evacuate. Is everyone accounted for?”
“Yeah, we have a paging system, we got everybody out. Well, staff at least. But there weren’t any visitors in the lobby when they crashed in, so I don’t think there’s anybody left inside.”
Another twenty-something man with shaggy ash-colored hair pipes up.
“We blocked the windows where they came in. Nearly broke me arm trying to latch those shutters!”
“Your name?”
“Geoff.”
“Geoff that was good thinking. Did you see the men?”
“Yeah, ugly mutts if I ever saw any.”
“Three of them? No more?”
“Yeah, three.”
“Good. I need for the two of you to keep everyone here. The SOCO will be on the scene soon, and they’ll want to talk to as many witnesses as possible.”
They look uncertain, but Ianto is fairly sure that the others will not stray. Frankly, he doesn’t care if they wander off; he just needs them out of his way. He can’t bring himself to put his heart into this capture. He backs the vehicle up as close to the door as possible, carefully placing his suit jacket and tie in the passenger seat and loading himself up with as much repellant as he can carry before entering the building. Quickly he is able to subdue the two Weevils he spots. There is a moment of hesitation while he decides whether to load them into the SUV, or try to track the other one. Realizing that a surprise attack could well be eminent, he assures himself that the downed Weevils will stay that way, and cautiously moves further into the lobby. It is silent in the cavernous room; there is no obvious clue as to where he should look. Apprehension crawls over him, drawing goose bumps on his arms and neck. Pamphlets are scattered and torn, chairs thrashed and broken.
This looks like detritus from a brawl. Surely no one tried to take them on? One look at a Weevil’s face, and even the strongest fighter must have his doubts. Except for Jack, of course.
He sees dark sticky blood smeared on the side of a tall desk.
Ah. That explains it.
The missing sewer dweller is lying in a pool of it’s own blood. Nearly decapitated from what was obviously a vicious attack from one of its partners in crime. Sighing heavily, he moves to the SUV and carefully lays plastic tarps in the boot and backseat. He also dons a pair of plastic coveralls, wary of ruining yet another suit with blood and gore. Returning to his captures he begins the grueling process of muscling them into the vehicle. He places the unconscious Weevils in the boot, meticulously covering them with more tarp, lest anyone spare a look through the window . The deceased Weevil is unceremoniously chucked in the backseat, the dead weight is simply too much for Ianto to gracefully lift.
“Ianto?”
A worried sounding Gwen speaks in his ear.
“Gwen. I’m just finishing up here, two Weevils captured and one deceased. I’m returning to the Hub with them now.”
“Is everyone alright?”
“No humans were harmed, as far as I can tell. The locals believe that it was three men, strung-out on something.”
“Good work. How’d you do all that so quickly?”
“That’s simple. I’m magic.”
“Sometimes I believe that. Well, we’re heading back to the Hub now as well. See you soon.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto forces the now barely conscious Weevil through the Hub, with a hand on its neck and a liberal dosing of spray. Knowing that Jack was curious about the new tenants, he is not surprised to find him in the holding cell area.
“Coming through!”
Seeing new people, the creature starts to struggle again. Physically exhausted from carting the six foot tall ogre around, Ianto has no patience left for it and drowns him in repellant again, addressing the others.
“Thirteen more reports of Weevils on the loose. We can't keep up at this rate.”
“Everything's on the increase.”
Jack’s remark carries a sense of foreboding that makes Ianto feel edgy. Gwen too is not comfortable with the implications, or the ambient Weevil song.
“Can you stop them making that noise?”
She must really think that I am magic.
“If you've got any ideas how.”
“Maybe they're time sensitive. This disturbance may be too much for them.”
Well, Jack, it’s a bit too much for all of us, isn’t it?
“We're now full in all vaults across all nine levels. Do you want me to activate the vaults below? It’s just we've never used them since I've been here.”
“Do it. Gwen, maybe you're right. Let's run a search on your dancehall buddy. We need to find him.”
As the others leave, Ianto takes a moment to contemplate his prisoners.
Time sensitive. Couldn’t be light sensitive, could you? Just stay in the sewers. Save me a heap of trouble. But I suppose you have the right. Probably don’t even know why you’re here. Probably think you’re completely at home, and simply carving out your niche in the biological hierarchy.
“Hello, Ianto.”
LISA.
Pain cleaves at his chest when he hears her voice. He spins to look at her, knowing that his mind has cracked.
She isn’t real. Ghosts aren’t real. She’s a figment, or an alien. Something else, not her.
”What do you want? Why are you here? This isn't happening.”
It could be her, Lisa. It’s so real. I can almost believe…
“There's only one way to stop this, before things get worse. People will die, Ianto. Thousands of people. Unless you open the Rift.”
Squeezing his eyes shut, he tries to think through what he’s hearing.
The Rift is causing this. We did it wrong, the pieces aren’t fitting together. And now she’s here. Is she here? Has time become so muddled, that Lisa could be here now, knowing what I did?
Equal parts hope and despair cause him to open his eyes. Wanting to see her alive in front of him, not wanting for her to know all of the things he’d done in her name. But she isn’t there any longer. It hurts when he huffs out a surprised breath. Momentarily lost, he looks to the Weevils locked away beside him.
How strange my life has become that the presence of Weevils is actually a comfort.
Taking only a moment to bury his confusion, Ianto returns to the main floor of the Hub in time to hear Owen shouting at Jack.
“We need to be prepared. We're helpless. All we’re doing here is putting sticking plasters on gaping wounds!”
It’s not that I disagree with him, but this is not the way to get through to Jack.
“What do you suggest?”
Even without seeing his expression clearly, Ianto knows from square set of the Captain’s shoulders that he is barely restraining himself from physically attacking Owen.
“I suggest you lead us and you tell us what the instructions are.”
I suggest you shutting the hell up! Seriously, Owen? How can you possibly think this will help anything?
Ever the peacemaker, Gwen tries to intervene. But Owen has officially lost his temper, and is unwilling to back down.
“No, come on. You're all thinking it too. You're the big man here. You keep all the secrets. Well, now's the time to tell us a few and tell us how the hell we're gonna get out of this!”
“You want to know a secret? There is no solution. I can't fix this. Because this was never meant to happen. The first thing you learned when you joined Torchwood was ‘Don't Mess with the Rift’. But you disobeyed those orders and now everything that's happening is down to you.”
“I only disobeyed instructions to get you back.”
“And now people are dying.”
“What? So I shouldn't have bothered?”
There is a break in their heated exchange, where Jack refuses to answer or retreat.
Is that what you want? Why won’t you answer his question? Why can’t you be happy here?
Like any bully, Owen doesn’t know what to do when his target doesn’t rise to the bait, so he starts in again.
“Who the fuck are you, anyway? Jack Harkness? You don't even exist. We've looked. So if you're not even a real person, then why should I follow your orders?”
Stop it! Owen, there are no answers! Why can’t you accept that there are things better left alone?
Ianto can feel a change in the air. Jack has never responded well to anyone questioning his authority. It was the cause of many hours placating UNIT and the PM’s office. But to have one of his own team blatantly throw down a gauntlet like this… Ianto knows that this is a turning point for Jack, but is still shaken to see how close to losing control Jack is.
“Get out.”
What?
Ianto vaguely hears Owen’s incredulous response, mirroring his own thought.
“Get out! I'm relieving you of your duty.”
Toshiko and Gwen rally to Owen’s defense, while the man in question refuses his orders. Ianto doesn’t hear any of it though. He is deaf to all but Jack’s implacable anger.
“If I can't rely on you, if I don't have your complete trust, you don't belong here. That goes for the rest of you. Anyone who agrees with Owen, leave now.”
I do trust you Jack, with my life. Why can’t you trust us? Me? Is this how it will end between us as well? Will I slip up and ask the wrong question, only to be ejected from your life?
Owen leaves almost quietly. Ianto watches as Gwen tries to stare down the Captain for an extensive charged moment. Jack waits her out, not speaking until the instant she looks away.
“We find Bilis, he’s the answer. Find him. Now!”
He turns sharply and disappears in his office, his voice echoing long after he is out of sight.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rhys Williams has been brought into the Hub, locked up like a criminal. Ianto understands Gwen’s fear, all too clearly, but cannot understand her methods for coping.
How can she think that he is any safer here, nearer to the Rift? Not that distance matters. The rips in time and space are growing by the second. We’re all doomed if we can’t figure out a way to fix this.
Jack and Toshiko abruptly end their conversation, prompting Ianto to stop pretending that he is paying them any attention, as Gwen emerges from the cells. Jack wastes no time getting to his point.
“Did he wake up?”
“Yeah. Yeah, he did. Tosh, can you bring up the CCTV of the vaults? Er, just leave it on the screen, I know it sounds crazy, but...”
Tosh uses her Palm to remotely adjust the CCTV feeds, wondering aloud as she does.
“I can't understand how Bilis was able to show you that vision.”
Ianto watches Jack watch Gwen, in turn watching her fiancé on the monitor.
She looks haunted. That seems to be going around then.
“It was so real, Tosh. I was in my flat. It smelt like my flat, it had all the sounds of my flat. I touched the blood. I can still feel it on my hands. Rhys's blood.”
Jack comforts her, holding her hand and offering platitudes.
I wish I could ask him for that. But sweet nothings won’t exorcize me.
The atmospheric tension seems to diminish, to some extent, as she seems to calm a bit.
Until the lights go out.
Shocked is the only way to describe Ianto’s reaction, for once making him the first to speak.
“What's going on?”
He only faintly hears them talking around him as he rushes to a workstation to check the computers.
“RHYS!”
But Gwen’s screech clearly reaches his mind as she runs blindly towards the holding cells. He wants to watch, observe what she does, what Jack does, what Rhys does. But he makes himself focus singularly on the task at hand; helping Tosh get the Hub back online, immediately or sooner.
The sounds of dual typing become a comforting kind of white noise, helping him drown out unhelpful thoughts.
“Ianto, can y-“
The lights come back on, without their aid.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*