Wow! Okay, I have to admit that's a much more blasé approach than I was expecting. Usually when people show up here, they're pretty panicked and confused -- but if you're not, then that's not such a bad thing.
[ It's a curious thing, though. But what could make him more curious than someone claiming to know him because, what, his spirit was trapped in some sort of jewelry? That he was considered a hero of another realm when he was some snot-nosed teenager?
That a dragon had some reason to summon him instead of the other way around? ]
In that case, then, I'd love to hear all about your world, and what it was doing summoning guys like me for a helping hand, [ he says, hands swaying at his sides as he wanders further down the winding streets of Aldrip. ]
Dragons have the power to travel to other worlds. And my father spent a great deal of time educating us on their existence.
[ when he wasn't pitting his children against each other or sending them off to their deaths. despite knowing all of this, rafal still feels a strange pang in his heart, thinking about sombron. how desperately he wanted his acknowledgement. truly pathetic. ]
As for my world, it is long dead. Nothing exists there anymore. I reside in a world called Elyos now. It has a Divine Dragon and a few other Dragons, like myself.
[ That dragon he saw -- he's almost certain it was Lady Rhea. He refused to voice the thought aloud in the immediate aftermath, and he knows to do so now that he's the leader of the Alliance would be political suicide. As long as he's trying to keep this fragile peace, he needs to pretend to be as devout as the next person. Hell, he's hoping to exploit the Alliance's faith in order to convince them to fight for the side he'd rather be on, but that's a distant thought down the line, and quite removed from his life here in Aldrip.
Still. If that's the case, then why on earth would Lady Rhea stay? Why not evacuate once she sees that this world is a losing battle? He doesnt trust her one bit, but if that was her, then she put her very life on the line to defend the students of the Academy. ]
...my condolences for your world. [ Note to self, thinks Claude: ask more about how the hell a world just dies. Later. He's got too many fish to fry. ] So, dragons and their powers to travel between worlds. What's the difference between a Fell Dragon and a Divine Dragon? Is there such a thing as a Dragon who's unable to travel between worlds?
[ curious where this man's mind runs to. he would have thought there would have been more questions about himself, the bracelets. but perhaps that will come later. for now he responds, blunt as ever. ]
If you lack the power, then it is not possible. Dragons are strong. Godlike. But that does not make us all-powerful.
[ he glances at claude for a moment, bemused. a smirk plays on his face. ]
And come now. What do you think might be the difference between the divine and the fell?
Come on, now. You can't blame a guy for not wanting to deeply offend an all-powerful, world-hopping dragon that just gave you the pieces that indicate who would, traditionally speaking, be the divine and the damned when you're on the latter's side.
[ His voice has a wink in it, as it always does. He's not worried, truly. But he did think it would be rude to jump to such conclusions, and is aware even so that he may well get snapped at for being so flippant about the whole thing. ]
I'm curious. Would you be able to shift between worlds now? I won't pretend to have anything other than selfish motivations, if we're speaking frankly. I'm long overdue to return to my own world.
[ that's fair. dragons are worshipped. even fell children had followers. he was lord nil for a time. a long time. how pointless that all seems now, after centuries in a silent world. ]
I no longer possess such power. I passed it on for . . . more important things. I do not have the ability to return you there.
Damn it. [ A shadow casts over Claude's face, though only for a brief moment, the pleasant mask dropping to reveal a deep disappointment within. There's nothing to grieve here. He hadn't thought this was a possibility before just moments ago, but he had allowed himself to hope for a moment. As much as he feels a fondness for the people here and an obligation to help them get to the bottom of this mystery, his duty remains at home. He's never lost sight of that. His sights are set on changing one country, bringing peace to another; to sort out a third is beyond even him, he thinks. ]
Well, no matter. [ He unlocks the door, then pushes them into his apothecary, filled with all manners of scents and sights, herbs hanging in bushels upon the ceiling, walls lined with jars of powders and potions, a warmth more akin to the worlds that he and Rafal had left behind than the chilling new modernity of the outside world. ] It was worth a shot. What could have possibly been worth giving up that sort of power?
[ rafal's gaze narrows over some of these plants. he knows their uses. he's quite a proficient poisoner after all. he hadn't realized this was claude's expertise as well. this puts what he knew in question. how much had the emblem hidden from them?
no matter. he sets it aside for a moment, thoughtful. ]
My sister. She perished and I used the power to bring her back. It took a thousand years but I succeeded. And I have no regrets thereof.
You gained the power to bring someone back from the dead? [ Claude shakes his head in disbelief. There are some who would call such a thing unholy, he thinks. Unnatural. Claude himself might be one of those people -- but he knows just as well that there's a few people for which he would do the very same thing, if it were within his power, and he doesn't consider anything to be inherently unholy.
So even a fell dragon has someone he loves. He can understand that. He smiles wryly. ]
Well... I can't say I understand the scale you're working on - [ a thousand years! by the gods! ] - but I can't say that doesn't seem like a fair trade either. Congratulations, my aged friend. It's only a shame that you've been torn from her after all that.
[ He needs something to keep his hands busy while they embark on the next leg of questioning, Claude decides, for as long as he can manage to keep the man's attention. It may be a waning thing after too many questions. ]
[ there is a deliberate pause as rafal considers his words with care. he's not a liar, not anymore, but he's not a fool either. and while he has his pride, he's not planning on letting the entire world know the extent of his abilities. ]
That is a power many dragons possess. Though how it manifests varies. I am sure the dragons you know of have it too.
And Nel will be fine. She has friends with her. I see no reason to fret.
[ she'd probably be happier too, but that's just rafal's cynicism. and he knows she would be angry if he voiced such a thing. they are two halves of a whole now, in truth. at claude's question, he nods. ]
[ He'll keep his own suspicions at bay for now. Instead he turns to the kettle hung over his fireplace, a bastion of the old world now surrounded by nothing but the fineries of modern life, and begins that kettle of tea. It's easier to keep his hands busy as his brain continues to buzz, consumed with both disbelief at Rafal's tale and his luck at being able to talk to someone in possession of such powers. He needs to get all of his questions out before the guy loses his patience -- which people tend to with Claude more often than not. ]
So you'll have to forgive me for my ignorance on the topic. Now that that's out of the way... I'd like to know more about how you know me. And what power would do something like deem me a hero. Not to denigrate my own abilities, but I can think of a few people who would contest that title.
[ rafal absently adds some sugar to his tea. and some more. and more. he has a sweet tooth that could rot the teeth off humans. ]
Or so they say.
[ his tone isn't mocking but it is rather dry. ]
I know you through the Bracelet. You and your classmates reside in one. I'll admit, I did not speak to you as often as I spoke to Edelgard.
[ who criticized his sweet tooth and his recklessness. not that rafal cares. he wonders if he should point out what he did with the bracelets and puts it aside. he'll answer that when the time comes. ]
Your teacher was in a ring as well. Byleth, I believe. Our worlds seek out great powers by praying. Through prayer, the facets of heroes are summoned in rings and bracelets. Like . . . an avatar or an emblem. You give our physical skills a considerable boost and guide our abilities. And of course, by engaging with you, we gain insight and advice.
[ marth and sigurd did this more often, but all the emblems cared. the mark of heroism. ]
What, all three of us in the same one? Sounds cramped.
[ No wonder it was when they were younger. If it were to happen now, they'd all have murdered each other by now. Scratch that, Claude thinks -- Edelgard and Dimitri would have murdered each other, and Claude would have remained in his own little corner and simply sided with whoever came out the victor. Even in their school days, though, the idea is pretty dreadful.
He reaches beneath the counter and unearths a half-eaten box of biscuits, sliding it over to Rafal as he notes the absolutely incomprehensible amount of sugar he's adding to his tea. Claude, whose tastes run towards the bitter at the best of times, adds none, though he's mainly just holding his mug to have something to do with his hands. ]
It's so outlandish that I'd say you're lying, but you obviously recognized me, so... far be it for me to argue what's before my very eyes.
[ Hard to think of what wisdom he'd be able to provide, he thinks. Even now, he feels far from wise. ]
Were we not... opposed to being trapped in bracelets? Or is this all more spiritual than I'm giving it credit for?
[ rafal would give lysithea a run for her money with the amount of sugar he requires. he gives claude's question some thought, humming softly. ]
I do not have a factual answer to that. The Bracelets have existed since time immemorial. Even my father does not know where they hail from. Legend goes the prayers of the innocent summons them to our worlds. Or prayers from a dragon.
[ he shrugs loosely. ]
I suppose "spiritual" is a good turn of phrase for it. They are spirits, parts of yourself housed in an object. The best versions of yourselves.
I guess that goes a long way in explaining how we survived it.
[ The best versions of themselves? Claude can't even argue with that. He doesn't feel a great deal of shame for the way that he's conducted his own behaviour in the last few years, but he knows that his hands are far from clean, and that they'll just continue getting bloodier and bloodier as the years wear on. He's signed up for that.
It's even worse for the other two. Dimitri is presumed dead among rumours of the many people who met terrible ends at his hands (a tale that Claude isn't sure he entirely believes), whereas Edelgard is the one marching on lands that aren't their own. Their youthful selves being kept preserved in a bracelet should perhaps be a reassuring reminder of a time when they thought that they could be allies, but instead it just makes Claude feel a bit sad. ]
So. You summon us, the best versions of ourselves, to lend you our power. That begs the obvious question: what did you use us for? What use does an all-powerful dragon have for the likes of us?
So... you were collecting us to grant the wish of bringing your sister back? I suppose I can get on board with that.
[ His mouth twists. ]
Now, I'm familiar with the concept of alternate universes by now. A dear friend of mine from home and I are from different universes as well -- similar enough that it took us months to catch on, but different nonetheless. In collecting us all, were you creating another timeline? Did the souls you collect return to their own worlds once you were done, but changed this time?
[ It has nothing to do with him. It really doesn't. But the idea of a world where he, Dimitri, and Edelgard were forced into enough proximity to generate some degree of trust is a tantalizing one, a quiet hope seizing his heart that a different version of Fodlan got to experience peace. That they were able to work together, hand-in-hand, instead of owing all change any one of them were able to create to needless bloodshed. ]
[ he moves on from that. it may be a thousand years but those memories are still fresh. time had not diminished the blow. at claude's next question, he frowns, not sure how to tackle this question. ]
I confess, I am not sure. Perhaps? It is possible. Alternate universes are quite real.
Hunh. Okay. So what did you use that wish for, then?
[ Claude's not the type to move on from something like that quite so easily. It would have been easy to pull the wool over his eyes - he knows by now that Rafal's dearest wish at one point was to save his sister, after all - but given the opening? He's going to take it. ]
Considering it was my influence in part that helped it happen, I'd like to know what that other-me's efforts were put towards.
I suppose it is your right, albeit loosely. I used it for power. Ultimate power. For the ability to shatter the barrier between worlds and to travel as I saw fit. To conquer, as my father's heir.
A father's regard is hard to shake off, even in the grave.
[ He doesn't mean for that to come out as bitterly as it does. But it does. He's been thinking a lot about home these days, though it would be false to say that he'd ever stopped. The longer he's away, the more his fear grows that he'll come home to the Alliance and the Kingdom absolutely decimated, Edelgard standing victorious upon a mountain of bodies. ]
So you were a conqueror. [ As much as the thought is sour, he cannot deny his own history in this. His father didn't do much in the way of conquering, save for the continual fight at the border, but Almyran territory is large and vast, and not all of it originally belonged to them. ] But instead of conquering countries, you decided to conquer worlds. [ For a father's approval, which he's now learning is something that thousands will live and die by. ] Because you felt it was your birthright. So after you conquered... what then?
That seems uncalled for. I don't think she deserves that comparison.
[ none of the heroes do, of course. rafal is a world destroying monster. none of them could possibly compare to his brutality and power. he was the strongest and in a way, he won. he sank an entire world by himself. his motivations were complex, but that does not matter. rafal refuses to let it matter. he won't stoop so low as to make excuses. ]
And I didn't. A battle ensued and I was defeated. Nel died and I had . . . a change of heart. I spent the years using my power to bring Nel to life. Once she did, we left to aid other worlds. To ensure such a thing never happens again.
[ He doesn't speak any more on the comparison, not out of some old camaraderie for Edelgard, nor for sensitivity for Rafal's own wishes, but for his own self-interest. He hasn't spoken of the reasons behind the war proper since his arrival here, hasn't regaled anyone with the realities of fighting against old friends and previously friendly soldiers, had simply danced around war, the same as any other war.
Discretion is the better part of valour. If Edelgard winds up here too, he intends to work with her, not against her. No need to poison that particular well. ]
...I'm impressed you had a change of heart. Most I know would have accepted death before accepting that they could have been wrong. [ For all that his words could be interpreted as double-sided, he's being truthful for once; he hopes that if even a being as stubborn as an ancient dragon can accept their lot, then there's hope for anyone. ]
What does making sure it doesn't happen again entail, exactly?
[ rafal makes a note of it. he's not one to let himself get caught unprepared. he's more direct these days, preferring to be himself. but he was a master manipulator once. he brought down kingdoms. and he refuses to be caught unawares. he has to stay alive. for nel's sake. ]
Ensuring that no world suffers from a despot who wishes to conquer and rule. To fight back.
That's all it entails. I do not lead. I will follow.
And in these other worlds... how do you see with clarity which is which? Who is a revolutionary, and who is a despot, and where they may fall in-between?
[ His tone isn't interrogatory, but it is questioning. It's a question he's had to ask himself time and time again, and he had to accommodate to a new country, not an entirely new world. In something like war, where everyone suffers, who decides what's right beyond the victor? ]
Sometimes it's pretty straightforward, I'll grant you that. But other times, it feels like it will take years of study just to understand where everyone is coming from. Unless you stick to the cut and dry examples -- and with all others, you simply move on.
[ It's a more philosophical conversation than he thought he was getting into at the outset. But he genuinely wants to know. ]
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expiationlogs2024-04-14 10:44 pm
no subject
[ It's a curious thing, though. But what could make him more curious than someone claiming to know him because, what, his spirit was trapped in some sort of jewelry? That he was considered a hero of another realm when he was some snot-nosed teenager?
That a dragon had some reason to summon him instead of the other way around? ]
In that case, then, I'd love to hear all about your world, and what it was doing summoning guys like me for a helping hand, [ he says, hands swaying at his sides as he wanders further down the winding streets of Aldrip. ]
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Dragons have the power to travel to other worlds. And my father spent a great deal of time educating us on their existence.
[ when he wasn't pitting his children against each other or sending them off to their deaths. despite knowing all of this, rafal still feels a strange pang in his heart, thinking about sombron. how desperately he wanted his acknowledgement. truly pathetic. ]
As for my world, it is long dead. Nothing exists there anymore. I reside in a world called Elyos now. It has a Divine Dragon and a few other Dragons, like myself.
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[ That dragon he saw -- he's almost certain it was Lady Rhea. He refused to voice the thought aloud in the immediate aftermath, and he knows to do so now that he's the leader of the Alliance would be political suicide. As long as he's trying to keep this fragile peace, he needs to pretend to be as devout as the next person. Hell, he's hoping to exploit the Alliance's faith in order to convince them to fight for the side he'd rather be on, but that's a distant thought down the line, and quite removed from his life here in Aldrip.
Still. If that's the case, then why on earth would Lady Rhea stay? Why not evacuate once she sees that this world is a losing battle? He doesnt trust her one bit, but if that was her, then she put her very life on the line to defend the students of the Academy. ]
...my condolences for your world. [ Note to self, thinks Claude: ask more about how the hell a world just dies. Later. He's got too many fish to fry. ] So, dragons and their powers to travel between worlds. What's the difference between a Fell Dragon and a Divine Dragon? Is there such a thing as a Dragon who's unable to travel between worlds?
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If you lack the power, then it is not possible. Dragons are strong. Godlike. But that does not make us all-powerful.
[ he glances at claude for a moment, bemused. a smirk plays on his face. ]
And come now. What do you think might be the difference between the divine and the fell?
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[ His voice has a wink in it, as it always does. He's not worried, truly. But he did think it would be rude to jump to such conclusions, and is aware even so that he may well get snapped at for being so flippant about the whole thing. ]
I'm curious. Would you be able to shift between worlds now? I won't pretend to have anything other than selfish motivations, if we're speaking frankly. I'm long overdue to return to my own world.
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I no longer possess such power. I passed it on for . . . more important things. I do not have the ability to return you there.
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Well, no matter. [ He unlocks the door, then pushes them into his apothecary, filled with all manners of scents and sights, herbs hanging in bushels upon the ceiling, walls lined with jars of powders and potions, a warmth more akin to the worlds that he and Rafal had left behind than the chilling new modernity of the outside world. ] It was worth a shot. What could have possibly been worth giving up that sort of power?
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no matter. he sets it aside for a moment, thoughtful. ]
My sister. She perished and I used the power to bring her back. It took a thousand years but I succeeded. And I have no regrets thereof.
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So even a fell dragon has someone he loves. He can understand that. He smiles wryly. ]
Well... I can't say I understand the scale you're working on - [ a thousand years! by the gods! ] - but I can't say that doesn't seem like a fair trade either. Congratulations, my aged friend. It's only a shame that you've been torn from her after all that.
[ He needs something to keep his hands busy while they embark on the next leg of questioning, Claude decides, for as long as he can manage to keep the man's attention. It may be a waning thing after too many questions. ]
Care for a cup of tea while we chat?
[ No poison. Scout's honour. ]
no subject
That is a power many dragons possess. Though how it manifests varies. I am sure the dragons you know of have it too.
And Nel will be fine. She has friends with her. I see no reason to fret.
[ she'd probably be happier too, but that's just rafal's cynicism. and he knows she would be angry if he voiced such a thing. they are two halves of a whole now, in truth. at claude's question, he nods. ]
Tea will do.
no subject
[ He'll keep his own suspicions at bay for now. Instead he turns to the kettle hung over his fireplace, a bastion of the old world now surrounded by nothing but the fineries of modern life, and begins that kettle of tea. It's easier to keep his hands busy as his brain continues to buzz, consumed with both disbelief at Rafal's tale and his luck at being able to talk to someone in possession of such powers. He needs to get all of his questions out before the guy loses his patience -- which people tend to with Claude more often than not. ]
So you'll have to forgive me for my ignorance on the topic. Now that that's out of the way... I'd like to know more about how you know me. And what power would do something like deem me a hero. Not to denigrate my own abilities, but I can think of a few people who would contest that title.
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Or so they say.
[ his tone isn't mocking but it is rather dry. ]
I know you through the Bracelet. You and your classmates reside in one. I'll admit, I did not speak to you as often as I spoke to Edelgard.
[ who criticized his sweet tooth and his recklessness. not that rafal cares. he wonders if he should point out what he did with the bracelets and puts it aside. he'll answer that when the time comes. ]
Your teacher was in a ring as well. Byleth, I believe. Our worlds seek out great powers by praying. Through prayer, the facets of heroes are summoned in rings and bracelets. Like . . . an avatar or an emblem. You give our physical skills a considerable boost and guide our abilities. And of course, by engaging with you, we gain insight and advice.
[ marth and sigurd did this more often, but all the emblems cared. the mark of heroism. ]
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[ No wonder it was when they were younger. If it were to happen now, they'd all have murdered each other by now. Scratch that, Claude thinks -- Edelgard and Dimitri would have murdered each other, and Claude would have remained in his own little corner and simply sided with whoever came out the victor. Even in their school days, though, the idea is pretty dreadful.
He reaches beneath the counter and unearths a half-eaten box of biscuits, sliding it over to Rafal as he notes the absolutely incomprehensible amount of sugar he's adding to his tea. Claude, whose tastes run towards the bitter at the best of times, adds none, though he's mainly just holding his mug to have something to do with his hands. ]
It's so outlandish that I'd say you're lying, but you obviously recognized me, so... far be it for me to argue what's before my very eyes.
[ Hard to think of what wisdom he'd be able to provide, he thinks. Even now, he feels far from wise. ]
Were we not... opposed to being trapped in bracelets? Or is this all more spiritual than I'm giving it credit for?
no subject
I do not have a factual answer to that. The Bracelets have existed since time immemorial. Even my father does not know where they hail from. Legend goes the prayers of the innocent summons them to our worlds. Or prayers from a dragon.
[ he shrugs loosely. ]
I suppose "spiritual" is a good turn of phrase for it. They are spirits, parts of yourself housed in an object. The best versions of yourselves.
no subject
[ The best versions of themselves? Claude can't even argue with that. He doesn't feel a great deal of shame for the way that he's conducted his own behaviour in the last few years, but he knows that his hands are far from clean, and that they'll just continue getting bloodier and bloodier as the years wear on. He's signed up for that.
It's even worse for the other two. Dimitri is presumed dead among rumours of the many people who met terrible ends at his hands (a tale that Claude isn't sure he entirely believes), whereas Edelgard is the one marching on lands that aren't their own. Their youthful selves being kept preserved in a bracelet should perhaps be a reassuring reminder of a time when they thought that they could be allies, but instead it just makes Claude feel a bit sad. ]
So. You summon us, the best versions of ourselves, to lend you our power. That begs the obvious question: what did you use us for? What use does an all-powerful dragon have for the likes of us?
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[ a long pause as rafal takes a sip of his tea. his thought drift to the past. he shakes it off. ]
Collect all of them . . . and you can unlock a wish.
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[ His mouth twists. ]
Now, I'm familiar with the concept of alternate universes by now. A dear friend of mine from home and I are from different universes as well -- similar enough that it took us months to catch on, but different nonetheless. In collecting us all, were you creating another timeline? Did the souls you collect return to their own worlds once you were done, but changed this time?
[ It has nothing to do with him. It really doesn't. But the idea of a world where he, Dimitri, and Edelgard were forced into enough proximity to generate some degree of trust is a tantalizing one, a quiet hope seizing his heart that a different version of Fodlan got to experience peace. That they were able to work together, hand-in-hand, instead of owing all change any one of them were able to create to needless bloodshed. ]
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[ he moves on from that. it may be a thousand years but those memories are still fresh. time had not diminished the blow. at claude's next question, he frowns, not sure how to tackle this question. ]
I confess, I am not sure. Perhaps? It is possible. Alternate universes are quite real.
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[ Claude's not the type to move on from something like that quite so easily. It would have been easy to pull the wool over his eyes - he knows by now that Rafal's dearest wish at one point was to save his sister, after all - but given the opening? He's going to take it. ]
Considering it was my influence in part that helped it happen, I'd like to know what that other-me's efforts were put towards.
no subject
I suppose it is your right, albeit loosely. I used it for power. Ultimate power. For the ability to shatter the barrier between worlds and to travel as I saw fit. To conquer, as my father's heir.
A father's regard is hard to shake off, even in the grave.
no subject
[ He doesn't mean for that to come out as bitterly as it does. But it does. He's been thinking a lot about home these days, though it would be false to say that he'd ever stopped. The longer he's away, the more his fear grows that he'll come home to the Alliance and the Kingdom absolutely decimated, Edelgard standing victorious upon a mountain of bodies. ]
So you were a conqueror. [ As much as the thought is sour, he cannot deny his own history in this. His father didn't do much in the way of conquering, save for the continual fight at the border, but Almyran territory is large and vast, and not all of it originally belonged to them. ] But instead of conquering countries, you decided to conquer worlds. [ For a father's approval, which he's now learning is something that thousands will live and die by. ] Because you felt it was your birthright. So after you conquered... what then?
no subject
That seems uncalled for. I don't think she deserves that comparison.
[ none of the heroes do, of course. rafal is a world destroying monster. none of them could possibly compare to his brutality and power. he was the strongest and in a way, he won. he sank an entire world by himself. his motivations were complex, but that does not matter. rafal refuses to let it matter. he won't stoop so low as to make excuses. ]
And I didn't. A battle ensued and I was defeated. Nel died and I had . . . a change of heart. I spent the years using my power to bring Nel to life. Once she did, we left to aid other worlds. To ensure such a thing never happens again.
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Discretion is the better part of valour. If Edelgard winds up here too, he intends to work with her, not against her. No need to poison that particular well. ]
...I'm impressed you had a change of heart. Most I know would have accepted death before accepting that they could have been wrong. [ For all that his words could be interpreted as double-sided, he's being truthful for once; he hopes that if even a being as stubborn as an ancient dragon can accept their lot, then there's hope for anyone. ]
What does making sure it doesn't happen again entail, exactly?
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Ensuring that no world suffers from a despot who wishes to conquer and rule. To fight back.
That's all it entails. I do not lead. I will follow.
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[ His tone isn't interrogatory, but it is questioning. It's a question he's had to ask himself time and time again, and he had to accommodate to a new country, not an entirely new world. In something like war, where everyone suffers, who decides what's right beyond the victor? ]
Sometimes it's pretty straightforward, I'll grant you that. But other times, it feels like it will take years of study just to understand where everyone is coming from. Unless you stick to the cut and dry examples -- and with all others, you simply move on.
[ It's a more philosophical conversation than he thought he was getting into at the outset. But he genuinely wants to know. ]
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