Duoya

Persona in Wonderland: A Persona RP.

As he continued to run, the rabbit retained it's position in the front - eventually gesturing towards a medium size hole in the ground and saying something about getting inside. As those in front of him jumped inside, Luke simply questioned how hiding in the dirt would solve any sort of problem they were facing. After all, someone willing to chase them so much would surely not care about digging a little, or even simply lighting a fire in the entrance and choking the group to death. Which only opened up more issues - like how the hell everyone fits in there? It had to lead somewhere, but he (like most sane human beings) didn't feel to well in such small and enclosed spaces, especially under the ground. He had a pretty wide build, so it seemed like a bad idea...

The sounds of the conflict a small distance away slowly coming closer made Luke stop caring as much, and he began to lower himself into the hole in the ground. Unlike the others, he chose to carefully lower himself, clinging to the sides in order to climb down - unfortunately, loose dirt failed as a foothold very quickly, and Luke dropped into the hole only a few feet lower than the entrance.

Falling for an extended period of time, followed by the screams of some of his companions, Luke was filled with instinctual fear, as the lizard part of his brain temporarily forgot that he had to be in a dream and thought he was actually going to die. Before he had time to reason that the falling may just be him simply falling out of bed, he was already pooping out of the ground somewhere entirely different, like a god damn cartoon character.

---

Landing on his legs, Luke immediately fell to the ground and breathed heavily. He had not given the run his all, but he was tired from the day and his legs were burning horribly. Now that he didn't need to run, he could afford to rest for a bit without risking the chance of burning to a crisp. Seeing the other people standing around, Luke noticed the completely new environment they were in - the hole was still present, but the area they were in was more akin to n actual civilized location, with technology and a Victorian and older design. Looking at it calmed Luke slightly, as it reminded him of his own home, albeit only in spirit.

His manor lacked the clear focus on agriculture that this one seemed to posses...

And almost immediately, everyone began to talk and question each other at the same time, usually repeating the same questions in a progressively annoying manner. Was his dream trying to make him interested in the annoying BS, or just taking up time till he woke up. Luke immediately walked over to the large table in the middle, before taking a seat. The tea was tempting considering his horribly parched throat, but he wasn't sure on the calories it had - he was on a cut at the moment, and had to stay below his caloric deficit. This thinking was so ingrained in Luke's mind, that he didn't even realize that, since this was a dream, he could eat as much as he wanted. The rabbit like creature continued to speak, eventually dissolving into a black, jelly looking substance. Despite appearing fairly intimidating, Luke couldn't care less - it was a lot less intimidating than the man, and Luke was very confident that he could kick the small creatures ass.

As everyone continued to bicker and question, some even saying something about a guy that died, Luke simply chose to keep his trap shut - They already asked all the questions that could be asked, and he really didn't care about the 'where' or 'why' he care about the 'how the hell do we get out of here.' Besides, no sense in trying to question his subconscious - he was already bad at the symbolic crap that psychologists say dreams represent, and he just wanted to get some actual rest. Laying on the bench, Luke kept his mouth shut, progressively getting more annoyed as the others whined and questioned each other. He would have felt bad that the rabbit was being so intensely questioned, had the damn rat not been so unclear on it's explanations. He kind of deserved the barrage of questions he was receiving, in that respect.

Oh My Gods!

@WanderingSpirit
Probably only a little older than the minimum starting age. In the case of the pantheon, he really doesn't care that much - He already has enough power to help people, so if he isn't nominated, he'd probably just hang out with the mortals for awhile.

Vivid Recollections: Into the World Unknown (Season 1 COMPLETE)

Chad Watts

Chad Watts

╚══════════════╝

"I have a plan - Let's hightail it out of here!"

[ Age 20 | 6' | British American He/Him | 180 lbs ]

Desperation

APPEARANCE

"Oh God! I'm gorgeous!"

While not beautiful, chad isn't the ugliest guy in the township. He has on several occasions complimented himself on his looks, but only has done so sarcastically. He really views himself as average, maybe a little above average if he was feeling generous. Still, he never had any female admirers, much to his dismay. Standing at a solid 6 feet and weighing 180 pounds, Chad Watts has dark hair and brown eyes. His hair is usually kept on the shorter-to medium length end, and he styles it according to the situation he plans to be in - pictured above is his usual style, but he will attempt to make it appear more appropriate or get it cut for formal events.

Chad has never gotten a tattoo in his life, and other than a scar on his leg gained from tripping while running when he was 8 and the sigil on his shoulder, he has no other differentiating marks on his body. His skin is paler than normal, but not to the point where he stands out. His voice is a baritone, and his speaking style is very animated when he is interested in what he is talking about. When nervous or in a stressful situation, he will talk faster, to the point where it can be hard to understand him.

For clothing styles, he normally dresses to the situation - He will wear a random t-shirt and jeans to a casual situation, and will wear progressively more expensive and better looking clothes as the formality of the situation rises. Despite this, however, he prefers to dress above what most others are wearing - and his usual attire for when he simply has to go to classes and has nothing else to do, he wears his suit jacket along with a white collared shirt, a white undershirt, and grey suit pants.

PSYCHOLOGY

"I, uh... I don't really know what I like, to be honest.."

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Live a quiet life, preferably with a lack of responsibility. He would love to become a comedian when he is older, and is already looking for places to live when he finally leaves Farmer Hill.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ He has an incredible lack of honor - if he is ever caught in a sticky situation, he uses everything in his power to get an advantage as long as it does not harm anybody innocent or is needlessly cruel. Despite this, he views fights (and conflict in general) as a complete waste of time. Finally, the path of least resistance is the best way possible - Chad's least favorite words are "Work" and "Effort."

SECRETS ⫻ Chad uses his Abstraction extensively for less than noble goals - Hell, the reason he has high grades is because he possesses the A-students and copies their answers. On more than one occasion, he used it to "borrow" money. This "Borrowing," however, only happens with people who deserve it.

Chad loves kids, and plans to adopt one if he can never marry.

DESIRES ⫻ Chad wants to become a well respected and popular comedian - And if not that, he wants to have a comfortable life without too much responsibility. Most importantly, however, he simply wishes to be well-liked by everyone he meets.

SEXUALITY ⫻ He seems to be more infatuated with femininity than actual girls - He'd date a guy if they acted like a girly girl and were cute.

FEARS ⫻ Chad is afraid of countless things - fighting, large animals, violence, threats, and even the dark. Above all, however, he is afraid of people discovering how he uses his Abstraction - they'd obviously try to stop him, or worse, report his actions to the authorities. Prison was an incredibly terrifying place, after all. Chad is also scared of not being popular, and goes to great length to keep a decent reputation.

Subconsciously, Chad is horrified of having to come to the realization that he has very little in terms of his own personality - He mostly bases his beliefs and opinions off of what the person he is talking to would like the most.

REPUTATION ⫻ Being born and raised there, many people in the Township know about Chad and his antics - he is a trickster and a liar. Despite this, he is also known for being a funny guy and someone who takes care of his kin.

He has started to be perceived as incredibly intelligent, since he started using his Abstraction to cheat on tests and exams.

PET PEEVES ⫻ Chad hates when people hold themselves high and mighty - not because he thinks it's a bad thing, but because he thinks of bragging in a serious situation as a real easy way to tempt fate. He also dislikes people who are "honorable" as they don't really agree with his quickness to flee or his trickster nature.

QUIRKS ⫻ Chad tests the waters with most people he meets - occasionally making comments in order to gauge reactions and define a person's personality. He does this in order to know how to act in order to be well liked.

BACKSTORY

"WHO SAID YOU COULD READ MY DIARY!!!???"

Born in the township of Farmer Hill, Chad was the child of a British mother and a father who left them almost immediately. His mother, while staying with her son for most of his life, is sent on various business trips - she is a high ranking employee of a supermarket chain in the country, and lived in Farmer Hill due to it being a major source of produce in the area. An only child his entire life, Chad spent most of his time trying to get the attention he craved from his mother - but due to her stressful work environment, she was usually resting whenever she wasn't working. Due to his lack of friendships while younger, he slowly, yet surely, grew more and more needy - always pestering his mother for attention. By the age of eight, however, he had learned far more effective mode of gaining the adoration of others - he began to tell jokes. Seeing as he was still a child, most of his humor was poor, but he quickly facilitated his growth in the world of comedy by watching comedians and testing out any jokes he created on others. By 10, he was already infatuated with the comedy world, and was thought of as a jokester to his class.

While this was initially enough, Chad quickly began to run dry - he rapidly ran out of material, and making more funny jokes was far more effort and work than the alternative. Chad soon started acting out - pulling pranks on other people as a way to get attention, in any form. It seemed an ingenious idea at the time - while actual jokes took time and serious thought and effort to craft, violence and humiliation were an incredibly good form of consistent, slapstick humor. Eventually, however, Chad severely lessened the severity of these outbursts and pranks - When he was taken to juvie for three days and nearly expelled from middle school for greasing the stairs at his school. A girl fell down, resulting in a serious spinal injury that caused her to be held in the hospital for a few months. The only reason charges weren't pressed were because his mother worked with the girl's father, and were close because of that. The girl eventually forgave Chad, and both are close friends now, but he has made sure that any prank he does is harmless and benign. While this period only lasted a short time span (until he was 14), this spree of pranks cemented his reputation as a menace, and ruined a lot of the credibility he had.

In high school, while he hung out with many students at school, very few of them cared for Chad. His circle of true friends was sparse, mostly a group of older boys who played table top games with him. Other children simply kept him around since he was funny, and lightened the mood - but he never hung out with anyone after school was out. By this point, Chad only interacted with his mother when helping her with chores - but even that was cut short as she left for a business trip for the next year, the longest she had been away by this point. Over the course of this year, nothing happened of interest - days passed at a snail's pace, and while Chad quickly realized that he was beginning to hate the endless dredge his life had become, he realized that he was unable to show that he was upset - doing so would simply make people stop caring. Or worse, pity him. He hated people feeling sorry for him - whether it was for not having a father, a mother who was rarely in the house, or simply lacking any real person to call a true friend.

In his junior year, eight months after his mother had come back from her trip, Chad was invited to his first party. The party itself was simple - a small group of kids, all of whom Chad had known for years. Nothing about the night was spectacular - just a bunch of horny high school kids soaking in their hormones and a small amount of smuggled liquor. One of the girls got particularly greedy with the alcohol - downing bottles of some brand of beer, the exact type impossible to find due to the scratched off label. Chad didn't even intend for it to happen, but the next thing he knew, he was in a room alone with her - She was apparently a lightweight. The scent of her breath and the stress of the situation slowly becoming too much to handle, Chad began looking for a way out of the situation. It was no use - she clumsily attempted to take off his jeans. Quickly, Chad tried to calm his beating heart, but the anxiety and the few drinks he himself had were far too much.

He vomited all over her.

She groggily mumbled a few words of disgust before passing out herself. Quickly, Chad tore a post-it note and a pen from the night stand, before writing a message.

"You vomited on yourself and passed out so I left - I won't tell anybody, so don't worry."

Immediately, Chad left the party - a few people attempting to high five him on the way out. The entier night, he was shaking in fear. What if she woke up and remembered what really happened? What if everybody in the school found out? These thought passed around in his mind for the next few weeks - and every day he went to school, he was met with no ridicule. On the third week, he finally felt like he was in the clear. This sense of relief was quickly crushed however.

The girl was found out the next day - unaware of anything that had transpired the previous night. She was discovered by several of the boys at the party who, upon discovering the note, took photos of her and used said photos as blackmail. They proceeded to do despicable things to her - forcing her to steal for them, commit meager crimes, and record her saying incredibly embarrassing things. This escalated over the last week, climaxing with her being raped by the leader of the boys - while no one knows who it was, rumors suggest it was the son of the local sheriff.

She killed herself the next day.

The high school talked about the event briefly, and the event was even marked with some newscasters arriving to comment on it. Chad spent most of the day in the bathroom, hiding due to the constant vomit and tears he released. It was the most terrified and repulsed he felt in his entire life - it was his fault that she got blackmailed, so in essence, he killed her. Or at least, that's how Chad looked at it. Due to his cowardice, an innocent girl died.

As time passed, Chad slowly began to learn to deal with the pain of the death - the guilt never went away, but he successfully managed to focus on other things. He was eventually accepted into Grand Ridge Academy, to the delight of his mother, and did his best to not cause too much of a fuss. He was less interested in the negative attention he used to seek out, now only craving the positive encouragement of his peers. The girl he had once injured had left the small town, the pair only communicating via text and social media. Chad's mother, now on the board of directors, informed him that as long as he graduated, she was more than willing to introduce him to some of the other directors - possible even give him a job.

Chad, however, was more focused on enhancing his career as a comedian. He pursued a major in Economics to satisfy his mother, but his dream was to leave for a large city and become famous the world over! But for now, he simply wanted to take a break - Classes had been making his workload truly massive. Somewhat uncharacteristically, he decided that he needed some fresh air - this motive driving him to sign up for the camping trip that the academy was hosting.

SKILLS & TALENTS

"'Hard Work' and 'Effort' are some of my least favorite words, so this list isn't very long."

Bluffing ⫻ In order to get out of several sticky situations, Chad had to use his words in order to avoid serious trouble. Thanks to this happening... a large number of times since his youth, he has become very proficient at crafting quick and efficient lies. While these lies are very effective in the immediate time, he is used to making them in order to escape - under close inspection or with contradictory evidence, even in small amounts, this skill is nearly useless. However, against the somewhat dull and when combined with his Wit, he is very effective.

Cunning ⫻ Despite appearing dull and not being the most academically smart individual, Chad is extremely quick on his feet - he is quick to find escape routes in order t ovoid confrontation, and makes witty comebacks and jokes quickly.

Running ⫻ Chad is incredibly swift on his feet. In fact, he was even offered a position on the track team - with a little practice, he probably could surpass the captain of the track team. Due to his lack of drive or motivation, however, Chad did not wish to join. This running ability was, like most of his skills, created from the trouble he caused. It is, by far, the skill he takes the most pride in.

ABSTRACTION

"I would never use this for dastardly purposes - promise."

SIGIL & LOCATION ⫻ Located on the back of his left shoulder, Chad's sigil takes the appearance of a simplified key. The bow of the key, however, is replaced with a human eye (or, at least it looks like one).

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Possession: Allows temporary control over another person's body.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ While looking at another person, Chad is capable of forcing his mind onto someone else - allowing him to control their body as if it was his own. While doing this, the original person's mind is essentially unconscious, unaware that the possession is even taking place. He could do anything he wishes, as long as it is physically possible for the person's body (He can't walk if he possessed a man in a wheelchair). This ability can affect anyone within line of sight, and his Sigil glows a faint green while using the ability - this glowing only shows through thin material, however, and does not function as an adequate light source. Upon the time limit being reached, or Chad choosing to relinquish control, the original person is "woken up." They are unaware that the possession has even occurred, and are bewildered if they are in another location or doing something else. Chad is only capable of controlling someone for ten seconds at a time.

This Abstraction reflects Chad's inconsistent personality and own self - he always attempts to change himself in order to appear more like the person he is speaking with, in order to gain their attention and approval. This attention seeking also caused some of his only consistent character traits - his penchant for jokes and trickery, and his willingness to do nearly anything in order to gain other people's approval.

IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MOUNTAIN ⫻ When on the mountain, the duration of the possession increases massively - Up to a full minute against normal opponents. Additionally, direct line of sight is no longer needed - as long as they are within 50 feet, and Chad is aware of their general presence, he can possess them.

AURA SENSING ⫻ Chad has sensing unlike most others - while he is unable to detect individuals or objects, he is capable of seeing pathways. Activating when he is stressed or nervous, he is capable of finding the pathway out of a situation, manifested as a thin green line from himself to the exit.

LIMITS ⫻ Chad's ability cannot work on the Awakened, at least not while they're in perfect condition. They actively resist extra-normal malfeasance, and he cannot affect them. After the time limit is up, it'll take another fifteen seconds before he can use possession again.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ Chad leaves himself completely vulnerable while possessing another person - which means he cannot control himself and is essentially a sitting duck. In addition, he takes on some of the personality traits as the person he possesses, which means that, over time; he'll lose himself and become some amalgamation of other people.

OTHER

"I know all the smart kids in my classes, so if you wanna borrow notes, I'll tell ya who to ask."

Chad refuses to drink any kind of alcohol, the mere sight making him nauseous.

Let me know if there is anything I should change in order to make the character fit better.

Chad's Relationship Table

Character name	Opinion

To be filled out on character approval

Vivid Recollections: Into the World Unknown (Season 1 COMPLETE)

@Surtr Inc
I'm good with either to be honest.

Oh My Gods!

Shaking in the corner of the court, Kozo had little to protect himself with - the two other gods seemed to be talking and becoming more intimate by the minute, and Kozo did not enjoy the thought of them teaming up. Even without knowing him, Zhystkrexas filled him with unease, and the fact that the woman was perfectly fine with this caused him to grow uneasy. They even began to converse with one anther, and considering they were sitting so close, Kozo steadily grew more and more distressed. Luckily, another god entered the scene.

The new man was far nicer than the others had seemed - for one, he had at least tried to speak with Kozo at all. The man also seemed to be somewhat perceptive, noticing Kozo's scared disposition. With the offer of protection and to be hidden, Kozo quickly raced underneath the man's long cloak, curling up in his lap, almost like a cat.

"Yay! Kozo love hiding!"

Kozo didn't really love hiding that much - the others were scary, and he was only hiding to keep himself safe. Despite this, he felt the almost compulsive need to voice out his love for the act, an impulse he couldn't control.

Soon afterwards, even more gods and essentials began to flow in, and while many names were foreign to the small Kozo, all of the essentials names rung out to him as he saw their figures. Eventually congregating in the same area that Zhystkrexas had sat at, each essential began to take their own individual thrones. None of them seemed nearly as intimidating as Zhystkrexas - in fact, the one who Kozo didn't know the name of was the most amusing, having dropped his papers while coming inside. Kozo remained quiet throughout the entirety of the event - he did not wish to let the other gods know of his presence, especially considering he was only born recently and was unaware of his purpose here. It was better to remain quiet, and allow the others to talk among themselves.

Persona in Wonderland: A Persona RP.

Continuing to race, Luke didn't even hear anyone yelling - the only way he knew that the monstrosity he was running from did anything was from the intense heat that he felt emanating from behind him. This threw all caution to the wind - who cared if he risked hurting his legs, it sure as hell was better than being barbecued.

Almost immediately, a small girl ran past the entire group, leaving Luke in bewilderment. How could she possible move that quickly? Luke had been running for years now, and participated in several marathons, and yet a small girl was easily beating him in a foot race... This reminded Luke that this was obviously a dream, and he really didn't need to take it so seriously. He just ate something spoiled, or was having a fever dream, nothing more.

As the others continued to run alongside him, Luke simply ignored their screams - they were all saying the same things, and he was too busy wondering why the hell this dream felt so real - no other dream in his life had such realistic feelings and sensations. Still, the only thing he especially cared about was waking up as soon as possible, since it had stopped being entertaining once the large man entered the scene.

At a considerably easier pace, Luke began to follow the stranger - something he only did simply because he thought it was his mind telling him how to wake up faster.

Oh My Gods!

Promise to post by tomorrow, my schedule is pretty clear so I should get it out sometime tomorrow night.

✧ Talrae ✧ (LOOKING FOR CO-GM)

Dirk Davidson

Health: 1900/3000
Mana: 50/500

Stats

Strength: 15
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 4

Skills

Sword Wielding: Lv.20
Acting: Lv.56
Searching: Lv.10

Equipment

Shield [Round] (Equipped)
Full Plate Armor (Equipped)
Longsword [Uncommon] (Equipped)
Rosary of Courage (Equipped)

Interactions: @Ithradine@demonspade64

---

As they appeared in the portal, Theo felt relieved to see that the night sky was present - he may have felt embarrassed about going to sleep during the daytime. The group trudged their way to the inn, with Paralyze clearly missing from the group. This mildly disturbed Theo, but considering the marauder's health and savagery in battle, he could handle himself if he wished to walk back to the city. By the time they made it to the inn they had spent almost the entirety of their nights at in this world, three members had also disappeared; Alisea and Reylan began to talk outside of the inn, and Lehariel simply vanished - considering how new she was, Theo hadn't had a close eye on her. Considering everyone was already in the city, however, there was no need to worry - no one could die in a safe zone.

The bar, as usual, was crowded and bustling, but contained the warmth and comfort that Theo (and the entire group, more than likely) Craved after such a hard encounter. Of course, this peace was not kept for long.

”You!”

The found himself at the end of an accusing finger, belonging to a blond man holding a small, furry creature. Before Theo could ask anything of the man, he began to speak again.

“You look like you’re the one in need of help today, alrighty Pepper let’s give that group a bit of your blessing!”

A calming aura surrounded Theo, and he slowly felt his wounds close - nothing comparable to Karma's healing, but extremely generous considering the two didn't even know each others names. The man continued to speak, eventually asking for a free meal - of course, he was searching for a handout. Perhaps he was simply too scared to go hunting on his own, and too lazy to find a job - tried using generosity to live off of others meals. Theo quickly dismissed the thought - Dir was a hero who always helped anyone with anything they asked!

...But Reylan had already beaten him to the punch, handing he man a few Renn and moving to his own chair at a table. Meanwhile, Chari was consuming a large quantity of alcohol, nearly eliciting a groan of disgust from Theo. He had drank once in his life, and the experience was awful - not only that, but the way she was throwing away Renn, especially at such early levels, harmed him personally. Theo couldn't care too much though - some people used that to calm down, and the group definitely needed to relax for the next few days. Theo planned on asking Karma to heal his Health and replenish his mana in order to avoid paying for the recovery services or waiting for days, but after his near death experience, Theo decided now wasn't the right time to ask Karma for anything.

Especially since his near death experience was explicitly Theo's fault.

---

Sitting with Reylan, Theo ordered the same meal he had eaten every single day he had been in this world - The Shepard's pie. It was tasty, and cheap, so there was no reason not to order it. Thoughts drifted towards the past - his old life. Theo's mother had always hated how he only ate a few things and nothing else. According to her, it "wasn't healthy for a boy to eat one type of food for a month." Theo didn't see the issue - she was simply exaggerating things. He had a balanced diet - for god's sake, he was becoming a Doctor! It wasn't like he was a picky eater. Theo's life had always just been a little plain. Uninteresting. Bland.

That was why he even created Dirk. To add a bit of flavor to his normal, quiet life. Crafting a persona to live vicariously through in private was better than changing yourself and creating risk. Theo hated gambles almost as much as he hated drinking...

Theo eventually shoved these thoughts aside. He shouldn't remember the old world - he should focus on his survival in the current one. Theo quickly unequipped his armor in the menu, switching to his common clothes - far more comfortable attire, now that he was in a safe location. Drinking his water and eating the same meal he had the past few nights, Theo chose to engage in conversation with Reylan.

"It's pretty amazing, you know. The fact that none of us died."

Theo quickly glanced at his private messages - Alisea had not responded, and it slowly made him more pissed. She risked more than her own life - she risked everybody's. Te least she could do was explain her damn reasoning.

Calming his voice, Theo spoke again, even more seriously.

"I don't mean to sound cynical, especially since I'm the 'happy-go-lucky' and optimistic guy, but I was prepared for a death. Maybe even two. One of them probably being me."

Taking another bite of his meal, Theo added an afterthought to this statement.

"Of course, I'm glad we survived. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not in a rush to go to the next dungeon - we should take our time and prepare. Maybe gather everyone and form some strategies - lessen your burden during combat."

Theo finished his meal, and listened to Reylan's response. Conversing for a bit, Theo eventually left the table, readopting his loud and brash tone of voice,

"But geez, sorry for getting all dark on ya! If you don't mind doing me one last favor, meet up with me at Town hall around Noon tomorrow. Have a good night!"

As he climbed the stairs to the room he was renting that night, Theo sent another private message, this time to Karma.

"Sorry for what happened to you - It's all my fault that you nearly died. Don't worry though-"

"It won't happen again."

"If you can, please come to Town Hall tomorrow around Noon. I have something I need to show you."

The message was sent, and Theo's heart beat intensely as he thought of what he was going to do tomorrow - Not in excitement, but in anxiety and grief.

From the weakest goblin to the Strongest god

I'll try and post by Friday at the latest, but you can go on without me till then.

EDIT: Post coming out on Saturday or Sunday, sorry for hold up. You can still go on without me till I post.

EDIT 2: Since I'm helping a friend prepare for his wedding and I already lacked some free time anyways, I'm gonna have to drop out of this RP. Sorry if I inconvenienced anyone.

Oh My Gods!

@ScreenAcne
Thanks, school has been hurting me pretty bad - I'll catch up after you.