When it comes down to it, sanity can often be found in the strangest of places and situations, if we need it desperately enough... in my experience at least. Sometimes it can just take being put, reluctantly, back into your element to bring on clarity and a sense of purpose properly at long last. Events unfold including but not limited to: Hannah breaking some windows to get attention, John using his magic effectively without casting a single spell, And a Jeep needing to have its windows opened quickly!

 

“No! No werewolves, the minute they leave our clan grounds they’ll be fair game for anyone who wants to take a shot at them an—”

Henry, one of ‘our’ more annoying magical children wandered past me clutching what I can only describe as a fishing pole crossed with an overly large cucumber and a smirk on his face that made me really just want to go back to my initial reaction of hitting John repeatedly because this is all his BLOODY fault!

“No children either! The big or the little kind!”

This is getting out of hand, I only slept for a few hours?!
How the hell have they managed to mobilise so quickly and come to the mistaken idea that anyone else is coming with us to visit the magical US’s political elite?
...or what’s left of them at least...

“You need to bring an entourage with you Han, I told you that last night, and apparently someone heard us talking because it quickly got out of control, I guess?”

Out of control, ‘you GUESS’?!
There’s an army of werewolves planning on marching on the bloody-capitol building because they mistakenly believe an ‘entourage’ is code for a bloody-ARMY and you GUESS things might be a bit ‘out of control’?!

I’m... I’m going insane?...
What the bloody-hell am I going to do to stop this unholy cluster-fuck car-crash of a situation unfolding in slow motion before it’s all too late?!

...We tried yelling yet? Works on John usually...
Yelling! Perfect, why didn’t I think of tha- oh, wait, I did? –nevermind!

My fingers came up to my lips and John ducked away from me almost instinctively as I pushed magic up my throat to enhance my noise making potential.

With a single huff of breath I let off a whistle so powerful that all the windows in front of us looking down onto our backyard shattered in seconds as every dopy idiot child, cousin or miscellaneous relation in a three mile radius dropped to the floor with a pained yelp.
...Teach them to do stupid stuff while we’re sleeping...
Exactly!

No kid gloves this time.
This. Ends. NOW!

======

My hand came up to rub tiredly against my forehead while the arguing continued on despite my obvious lack of involvement at this point.

“How many ‘entourage’ members are we down to now, John-Boy?”
His eyes cut up from a piece of paper and even before he opened his mouth I could tell just from the look on his face that I wasn’t going to like the answer he had to offer.

“Four-hundred and thirteen”

Crappppp... if anyone ever says that ‘it’s good to be loved by your family’ to me again then I’m going to personally zap them in the balls with lightning magic!

So many people, so many diverse little sub-groupings of people, and they all expect to be ‘represented’ in my ‘honor guard’ while taking offence every damn time I try to offer a compromise of any sort to calm things down at long last and... and, ya know what?...

“Screw it, I’m done!”

With stamping feet I forced myself back to a standing position and rose my fingers back to my lips making everyone around us freeze with such satisfying horror on their faces that even in my current state I couldn’t help but let a little smirk out just because I could in response.

“I’ve made my decision! My entourage will consist of Me and John, that’s it, the rest of you get lost back in the realm before I lose my patience.”

Everyone stayed frozen with obvious disbelief written on all their faces as they stared back at me at first but all it took was one more forceful huff and a little lean forward that left no doubt in anyone’s minds that my next actions would shatter yet more eardrums if they don’t get moving to start the stampede back upstairs at long last.

“Say what you want, I’m already packed and so is Eris so we’re still coming Han.”
Damn it... I’ve got such a headache...

“I’m coming too, ‘vampire rights and peace’, ‘free the under-represented once-buried masses’ and all that stuff... I’ve always wanted to try my hand at politics honestly...”
Really big headache, really, REALLY big headache!

“Motherrr! I’ll come too as your-”

“NO!”
Not him, anyone but him.
What the hell kind of role does he even think he could pretend to do in m-
“Damn it Narcissus, don’t start crying!”

...Seriously?!...

“Look, I’m sorry I yelled, okay? I’ve got a headache and it’s just... it’s just...”
...THINK! Quickly!...
“It’s just that I need you here more than anything?”
...Ohh, good one...
“Uh, yeah! I need you here to... keep an eye... on the shopping district while I’m gone...?”

John coughed awkwardly to my side in a way that really didn’t hide his snigger at my poorly hidden, let alone thought out, ‘cover story’ for why I couldn’t bring Narcissus with me to Long Island.

The sappy self-obsessed idiot didn’t notice though apparently, probably lost in his own little world of joy at his ‘mother’ having such an important role for him in her absence judging by the almost sparkling effect of unshed tears in his eyes in the brief moment I got to see them before he dived forward to give me a really unwelcome hug around my waist instead!

“Get. Him. Off of me. Now, John-Boy...”
Yet again Narcissus seemed blissfully unaware of the growl rumbling low in my chest as he clung on to me and rambled on about ‘plans’ he’d apparently made months ago because ‘he just knew I’d pick him eventually’ or some such garbage.

I’m honestly beyond the point of caring as long as he’s gone soon, very, very soon.

Thankfully for all our sakes Echo seemed to notice the near murderous look in my eyes because she made quick work of easing him off of me with surprisingly little effort, while getting him into a discussion about ‘his new job’ full of open praise which distracted him far too easily for my sanities sake as the pair walked away as if nothing that happened just moments before was ever ‘real’ to start with.

“I’m in a nightmare, an honest to Powers nightmare... anyone else want to crawl out of the woodwork to try and claim their spot on this stupid non-existent entourage?!”

Silence descended around us, blissful, wonderful silence which I think even John was glad to see at this point.
I can feel the little hairs on my arms sticking up from built up static electricity I’ve gained where my emotions got the better of me an-

“Knock, knock?”

I’m... I’m gonna kill someone?...
I don’t care who, maybe just myself will do, but I’m definitely, definitely going to kill someone!

“It’s only us, Trudy and Rosemary, from the AMS?... We heard your guard detail were coming up to prep for this whole ‘summons to New York’ thing and figured we’d hitch a ride with them on the way because-”
I didn’t hear what else Trudy was saying from that point on.

Someone’s arm made its careless way around the corner leading from our front hallway into the kitchen and I lunged forward sharply only to find myself pulled back with a grunt by John of all people.

For a few seconds I struggled against him but he didn’t hesitate to unleash his aura making a shudder go down my spine due to our proximity even as a thick blanket of his magic drifted its way around me in a warm wave of love, affection and calm feelings that I just couldn’t resist.

Like a puppet with its strings cut I sunk heavily back into his chest and let out a long, tired sigh that pretty much summed up the last hour or so since I woke up in its entirety at this point.

“...I fucking hate politics...”
John laughed and the little jolt of amusement I felt through his magic felt so nice I laughed dazedly along with him for some reason.

The arm’s owner finally came into focus for my slightly blurred eyes and I let out one last, almost insane sounding giggle as Pauly looked down at us with more than a little confused frustration obvious on his weathered old features.

Me, John ‘the magical blanket’ Jones, Sarah and Eris apparently, Fena our newly dubbed ‘vampire rights activist’, the AMS girls and Pauly’s crew of annoying soldiers just to add the icing on the cake!

I really did go to bed last night thinking this whole thing might actually be SIMPLE and easy for once but no; as if the universe could ever let anything in my life just be simple and easy in any way-shape-or-form!

“...I wanna go back to bed...”
John snorted and my head lolled back slightly further as my eyes shut under the wonderful assault of his magically transmitted emotions that washed over me once more.
“Wake me up when we’re ready to go Joh-”

Before I could even finish my sentence my tiredness and the stress of everything combined with that wonderfully warm feeling of love surrounding me won out over my conscious mind and I drifted off to sleep while standing up, being awkwardly cuddled to his chest by a grinning John.
...At least everyone’s being quiet at last...

======

“Bacon... Steak... Sausages dipped in pig fat...”

My head jerked up in bleary surprise and seemingly the whole world around me exploded in laughter for a few seconds before I could work out what was going on.

We’re apparently in one of Pauly’s stupid Jeeps, number three again judging by the two soldiers in the front looking so annoyingly familiar that they can only have been the same ones from the last time I travelled by ‘Pauly cab’ so many months ago now.

“Told you, all it takes is a good bit of meat to wake her up, pay up gun-wavers!”
I can’t even bring myself to be vocally annoyed at John over the obviously intended double-entendre in that sentence?

It probably doesn’t help that I feel so comfortably warm at the moment, still wrapped up in his magic and-
My eyes cut down slightly to make sure my senses weren’t being fooled, only to find a comfortably sleeping Eris sprawled across my chest in her usual ‘starfish’ like pose with her ear stuck just above my heart like old times.
-I’ve got Eris with me too apparently, which feels really good even if she still doesn’t think of me as her ‘Mom’ anymore...

“Wha’ did’I miss?”
The words came out in a half-awake drawl which I honestly hadn’t intended but one that only seemed to amuse everyone around me a little bit more at this point.

There were some shuffling sounds behind me and a few seconds later a recognisable hand holding a recognisable brand of coffee cup reached over my shoulder like some kind of gift from the heavens.

Not willing to give up even the hint of real live coffee in my half-awake, at best, state I moved my free arm up to snag it before I’d even fully realised that the arm holding it belonged to Sarah.
It took me a few more seconds to realise that we obviously can’t be in the same stupid Jeeps as last time because this one apparently has a third row of seats in it.
...Unless Sarah’s currently riding around in the trunk at least?...

Out of curiosity more than anything my eyes cut back over my shoulder to stare at the highly amused face of my sister, sat happily in one of two other ‘back seats’ behind us.
Behind her, Trudy and Rosemary waved happily at me from an even further extended very-back row with the still helmet wearing form of Fena lazing comfortably between them as well.

My coffee-holding hand came up to ‘salute’ them all slightly as best I could before practically diving back down towards my lips so I could take one nice long suck from the precious life-giving nectar inside.

“...Thanks Sare...”
Another round of smiles was my reward for that mumbled comment, but I didn’t mind too much at this point considering it gave me a chance to settle in and slowly reengage my brain over the course of the warm cups life-cycle.

Eventually I noticed that we were moving and it took longer than it probably should have for me to realise that I didn’t really recognise the roads around us at all, meaning we’ve obviously been traveling for a while if nothing else.

“Where are we going?”
John turned his head away from the front to offer me a surprisingly gentle smile as he turned his body to better face me once more, his magic twitching as he moved but not coming loose from its current job as my nice warm invisible blanket.

“The airport.”
I jolted slightly in surprise, almost spilling my coffee a little and getting a tiny sleep-filled grumble from the Eris-starfish on my chest at the same time.

“But... I don’t have any of my stuff?”
I also don’t like flying in planes and he KNOWS that!

I don’t really get travel sick too badly with planes unless we hit some turbulence or have a bumpy landing so that’s something at least but on the other hand I DO have what I’d like to say are mild, but are probably better described as ‘major’, panic attacks when we’re in the air!
...We scream like a little girl and cling to the nearest person for dear life is more like it...
Human-beings flying in the air thanks to anything but magic is just not natural! Okay?!

“No worries Han, we got your expanded bag full of clothes and junk from your bedroom, it’s in the jeep behind us, and Sarah even grabbed a pile of books in case you get bored.”
His smile was still looking eerily gentle for some reason which kind of threw me off for a second but I managed to pull myself together again quick enough to give him a proper answer at least.

“Not that stuff John-boy, I need a new safety suit for a start and if we’re going to face magical politicians then I’m going to need every dirty little trick my drugged up mind could think of just to survive most likely!”
Eris shifted a little at my raised voice and my hand moved to better support her head while patting her hair to help her settle back down again without a thought as I stared meaningfully at John’s disbelieving face.

“You’re exaggerating...”

“Maybe a little bit but I’ll feel safer with them anyway and more importantly the suit at the very least keeps my magic calm... just because it’s not been a problem since my core exploded doesn’t mean it couldn’t go wrong eventually.”

Even I’m not completely convinced there’s anything to worry about anymore with my core honestly but it’s as good an excuse for him as any.
I put a lot of hard work into that suit and I’ve kinda gotten used to not needing silly things like showers and toilet breaks thank-you-very-much, not to mention it helping me deal with my periods better on a cramps-front and mess-front, of course.

Besides, we have no clue who could be a sleeper agent for Arista at this point considering she established the MPA apparently. I’d rather wear the suit and not need it then need it and not have it at this point, preferably with Eris and John also wearing their own ones for safety sake, come to that.

“I’m not going to be the one to tell this lot to turn back. It was hard enough convincing them that a flight on my private jet was better than three days of non-stop driving and I really don’t want to push my luck with that Paul guy... pretty sure he was tempted more than once to just shoot me and get it over with honestly...”

“You have a private jet?”
It took a second for my brain to catch up with the rest of his words and I felt a little stupid for voicing that question when I did.

Of course he has a private jet; he’s a rich ancient-mage and an asshole at the same time after all.
He also has a manor in England now that I think about it?

I really need to sort my finances out at some point. I can’t let John have yet another reason to feel smug around me by being the one always paying for everything much longer or he might realise it’s happening and find a way to block my bank access entirely just to be an ass and enjoy it all a little bit longer.

“Forget that, more importantly we don’t need to stop... I think?”
Cautiously a shot a glance around the elongated Jeep-thing we’re riding in and after a quick glance down to check Eris would be okay if the sound involved woke her at all I focused on our two gun-toting drivers in the front seats instead.
“Umm... just a heads up, if this works we’re going to have a visitor making a bit of noise and fire dropping in so... uh, don’t panic, I guess?... Okay?”

The male driver stayed focused on the road ahead but his female companion in the passenger seat turned to shoot me a knowing look that came off as only moderately smug, although that could just be because I’m used to John’s ‘entirely smug’ looks all the time at this point and I’ve lost the ability to judge normal levels of smugness properly or something.

“Okay, here goes... Felix?”
For a moment nothing happened as we kept driving along the road and Sarah even started to snigger slightly under her breath at the worried pout that I could feel forming on my lips as the seconds ticked on without response.

Finally, just as I was preparing to give up on my self-proclaimed ‘familiar’s odd ability to hear when I call him that’s saved my butt more than once since we met, there was a puff of smoke followed by a rather pathetic looking flame that seemed to almost gutter out the moment it formed right in front of me.

Several people helpfully opened their windows to let the slowly spreading smoke out and I eventually got a clear view of Felix at last, who honestly did NOT look well at all!
His little wing-flicks looked slow, almost tired as they just about held him in the air and his bulbous little eyes looked glazed-over as he took in everything around him with a lost look on his chubby little red face.

“Felix?”
He twitched and within moments seemed to gain some life back into himself as he swung around mid-flap to face me, his face lighting up in surprised awe and delight as the seconds ticked on.

“Bii-Sanya? Bii-Sanya!”
I barely got any more warning then that joyfully confused cry before he dive bombed me, latching his cute little furry body practically around my head as he hugged me as if I’d come back from the dead or something.

“Hey buddy, it’s been a while, huh?”
He didn’t answer me verbally but I could feel his little body shaking from its new position as if he were crying, which was worrying in itself honestly because I really didn’t know Imp’s COULD cry, biologically speaking at least.

Before I could say anything to help comfort him an odd sensation formed across my forehead, right where he had his own little fur-covered one resting on mine, which grew quickly into a forceful pressure upon my magic itself.
My first instinct was to lash back at the invading force but almost as soon as I’d thought of that it finally clicked in my head why the pressure felt so familiar.

“Felix?”

He didn’t answer yet again but he did squeeze my head a little tighter as the force that can only be his fiery Fae magic at this point continued to cautiously force its way into my system from the point where our heads touched.

While I didn’t know what he was trying to do, I DO trust the little guy and it didn’t take much for me to effectively tell my magic to ‘let him pass’.

Practically the moment I did just that his magic surged forwards, flying down the line leading from my left temple across my chest and blazing a trail down to the only possible destination it could realistically be searching for at this point.

His trailing line of magic connected with my Locus Point core and in seconds the warmth of his power spread out across my body in an amazingly wonderful feeling of care and devotion that almost reminded me of the way John’s magic feels when he wraps me up inside it.

“...Bii-Sanya...”
“...Lady-Death...”

A wide smile came to my lips in response to that funny little musical echo of words that I hadn’t realised I’d missed as much as I did until I heard it once more.

”You-are alive! We feared-the-worst when-your power exploded-across the-laylines of the-sleepers-hole...”
Slowly he eased his grip loose from around my head and pushed himself backwards slightly with a flap of his wings so we could see each other better.
“I must-inform the-others. The-Fae will rejoice at-your-return Lady-Death!”

All signs of his sluggish, hazy lack of energy had seemingly disappeared at this point and his red little cheeks seemed to positively glow as he grinned at me, his eyes still taking me in constantly as if he couldn’t really believe I was sitting in front of him like this.

The excitable little guy moved back slightly more and almost instinctively I knew he was about to leave.
Probably to do just as he’d said, inform the Fae that I wasn’t dead, which would kind of defeat my original point in calling him if I didn’t say something quickly.

“Felix! Before you go to the others, can you drop into my realm and grab some things for me?”
He froze in place... well, about as frozen as someone can be while being suspended in the air by wings flapping behind them at least?... but his face didn’t lose any of its newfound joy at least as he nodded his little head with a happy smile playing across his fanged lips.
“I’m not really sure how to describe where you have to go, my workshops are kind of hidden behind a locked door at the moment, but I need a large bag that’s tucked away in a dark corner of my satellite chamber and a replacement for this torn suit I’m wearing?”

My hands came up to play with the high-neck of my suit to show what I meant and he seemed to concentrate on it for a few seconds before blinking a few times with another nod of understanding.

“Lady-Death’s realm is like-the-golden-halls, yes?”
...Golden halls?...

Oh! The ones back at the Hub I infected with my magic by accident while fighting Maven?
That reminds me, I really should go see if I can fix that at some point.
...Time for that later though, one thing at a time Han!...

“Yeah, kind of like those halls Felix, it’s pumped full of my magic at least and-”
The almost violent nodding of Felix’s head made me trail off in confusion as he grinned at me knowingly in response.

“The-halls like-me. They-feel Lady-Death’s touch. I-will find what-you-need easily!”
That said he flapped harshly once more and twisted in the air, disappearing in a Fae teleportation which was a lot more ‘fire’ and a lot less ‘smoke’ when compared to the one he appeared with earlier at least.

With a sigh I leaned back in my seat a little more and got ready to wait for him to reappear.
After a few seconds where my eyes almost drifted shut again from just how warm and comfortable I felt, even with John’s magic having fallen away when Felix latched onto me, I flinched slightly as Eris moved against my chest.

Slowly her little head turned up so her eyes could stare at me in mild confusion but it bled away into curiosity a few seconds later for some reason and she opened her mouth to speak instead.

“...Was that Felix?...”
A little smile played across my lips and I brushed her hair back from her face unconsciously in amusement as her lazy eyes trailed over my face thoughtfully.
“What did he want? He’s Mom’s familiar but I’ve not seen him in ages since...”

My eyes went wide in shock almost at the same moment that hers drooped in lost confusion.

Part of me wanted to jump around in as much excitement as Felix showed a few moments ago at the idea that some part of her still remembers something so specific, something about me, even if she’s now confused because reality doesn’t quite match up with her thoughts due to Sarah not really being her ‘Mom’.

The other, more rational side of me is spinning in circles trying to find a way to do damage control if this goes any further than it already has.

Whatever Arista did to her isn’t perfect.
That’s great, fantastic even because it means that there could be ways for us to subvert it all and fix it... but it also means that Eris could be in danger if we aren’t careful too.

Potentially this could be like Mum all over again!
Her memories were tampered with and she’s hitting walls where things don’t add up.
Things could go so much worse from here if we’re not supremely careful at this crucial ti-

Before I could make up my mind one way or the other about where to go from here the confusion on Eris’s little face cleared completely leaving her looking worryingly blank for a moment until it finally moved back into her usual smile again and she settled her head back down on my chest once more as if nothing had happened in the slightest in the time between her raising her head and her resting it back down once more.

For a few long seconds I stared down at the top of her head as the newly re-opened wound of losing her stabbed away at me inside but with a slightly harsh huff of breath I managed to force those emotions back behind the ‘veil’ with all the other things I’m just not ready to handle at the moment, instead turning my head up to stare at John with hope-filled eyes which he’d have to be stupid to not understand at this point.

I almost felt like mouthing the words ‘she remembers’ to him as he looked between me and her with unspoken pain obvious on his face but seeing the shocked, almost hurt, look on Sarah’s face from her position practically next to him stopped me short on doing that at least.

My minds already coming up with small ways I can test the limits of this tiny chink in Arista’s horrible mind-work on turning my... turning Eris against m... US.
It’s not much, but I’ve done a lot more with a lot less in the past and Eris’s wellbeing is one hell of an incentive for me to start getting creative!

Slowly my eyes drifted down to stare at the once more ‘starfish’ shaped Eris lump on my chest and I gently eased her loose hand up, tucking her fingers away until only her thumb remained so I could easily slip it between her slightly parted lips.

A gentle little smile flickered across my own lips as she sniffed slightly in her sleep but finally started to suck her thumb the way she always used to do in so many past incarnations that I only vaguely remember and one that I hope we can get back someday soon.

John’s magic spread out to wrap around me once more while I was busy watching Eris start to snore to herself lightly, the comfortable warmth felt perfect as a compliment to the rekindled hope I could feel slowly growing in my chest just from knowing that all isn’t lost for the first time in a long while.

“...Thanks John-Boy...”
Out the corner of my eye I could see his smirk almost as easily as I could feel his happiness at that thank you vibrate through his magic moments later.

We’re heading to the biggest collection of high-power mages left in the United States.
Sure, I’m going to have to put up with an airplane trip to get there... but where there’s mages there will be experts in every field imaginable.

I don’t care if I have to go full Arista-mode just to get their attention, I WILL get their attention, and when I do I’ll make damn sure that if anyone has even a hint of an idea what she did to Eris then they will tell me every-damn-thing!

======

We were just passing under some kind of large overpass, about five quiet minutes of driving since my little revelation with Eris, when there came a surprisingly muffled ‘pop’ followed by a roar of flames and Felix appeared in the Jeep with us once more, his little wings flapping frantically to stay airborne due to the weight he was carrying with him.

In his little clawed hands he was clutching the rather long handles of the ‘bug-out bag’ I’d requested from my workshop, a recognisable roll of black cloth tucked through those same handles, showing that against all odds he’d actually managed to get my spare suit too.

My free hand came up to rub gently on top of his round little red-head in thanks and the little guy seemed to practically glow under my attention, even as he let the bag fall into the space by my feet in order to better stay at the right height to get a proper head-scratching in peace moments later.

“Thanks Buddy, I knew you could manage it. Do you want to stay with us for a while? I’m sure Eris will be happy to see you again at least.”
For a few seconds he just kept rubbing his face into my palm blissfully but with some effort obvious on his face he managed to pull himself away from my scratches to look at me better once more.

“Little-Lady-Death-Pup is-confused by-me Lady-Death. It-will-be-better if she avoids-contact with-me for-now. I-must-return to the-others to-inform them of your-return anyway but thank-you for-the praise my-bonded. Call-on-me again when-you-are free to-do so once-more.”

With a happy little yip that even our odd familiar bond couldn’t translate, one that felt like laughter of some sort from what I can feel of his magic through this newly re-established bond we share, one that I’m pretty sure we must have had before but I can feel so clearly now that it’s mildly disturbing, he flapped slightly harder and disappeared with a ‘pop’ and a well-controlled burst of sulphurous flames.

“That’s probably the most I’ve ever heard the little guy say in one go, anything interesting?”
I rolled my head to the side and shot John a slightly reproving glare before shaking my head moments later.

It’s none of his business what we say to each other after all.
If John’s so curious what Imps say around him then he’ll just have to learn how to speak their language or at least get himself a translator like I have, so there!

A smirk played across my lips from the mild disbelief I could feel radiating out of John’s magic in response to my last words and I snuggled down in my seat for the rest of our drive to the currently undisclosed airport ahead of us somewhere.

I’ve got a goal now.
I’ve got a something I can gain out of playing along with all this stupid mage-politics and, wherever this latest mess is going to take us in the process of unfolding, it will be worth it if I can help her.

If it takes me claiming conquest rights over Arista publically to do it then so be it!

Obviously that won’t be my first choice or even ‘Plan F’ for that matter but if that’s what it takes for me help Eris then I’ll outright pretend to be that crazy dead-bitch no matter the consequences.
She hurt my daughter, worse than that, she did a terrible job of it at the same time for Powers-sake!

Watch out Long Island!

You just invited Hannah Cooper and her entourage to dinner and we aren’t taking prisoners anymore.
I’m going to ferret out every Arista supporter, sponsor or collaborator left among you bunch of magical snobs and when I find them I’m going to have some questions answered, either willingly or after copious applications of my traitorous Grans favored lightning empowered ‘interrogation methods’!

...Hoo-Raa!...