Oh my God! I'm back! I did not disappear off the face of the Earth like many of you probably thought. Sorry that I haven't updated in two months! My head has just been all over the place. I could say that I'm going through some rough patches right now, but anyone who writes fan fiction does. Okay, this is the first part of the chapter that I have been wanting to write since I first started this fan fiction. I also want to know if any of you have noticed my other story that I have posted. Reviews are appreciated for that one as well. Oh, and Senbonzakura11 and I have decided to start a band. She plays drums and I play bass and guitar. BTW, I got a new bass. Well it's used, but it's new to me with an amp. Our band is called Mental Gateway. Very original.

CHAPTER 13: Pranks Part 1

"Nyaaaa," I groaned to no one. Again, I find myself dying of boredom. Seriously, couldn't they at least give me a book or something? I actually considered driving myself crazy because there was nothing better to do.

Then, a rather mischievous idea crossed my mind. When someone came to check on me, I would paint my dust like a picture on the wall to make it look like there had been a hole blown through it. He, he, he, genius. Oh, the look on Ulquiorra's face would be hilarious. Well, he would probably be able to tell right off the bat that it was an illusion. However, Grimmjow wasn't as perceptive as he is.

Speaking of Grimmjow, I sensed him heading towards me. Perfect! I quickly formed the picture on the wall with the window. The window was disguised and the wall looked exactly like Hueco Mundo. Only one thing was missing and that was the occasional breeze that stirred the sand

When everything was perfect, Grimmjow walked in. He was scowling at first, then it washed away when he saw the huge, gaping 'hole'.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE WALL?" he yelled.

"Whatever do you mean?"

The stare he gave me was filled with pure irritation. "YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT I MEAN!"

I smirked at him. "Relax, you're so uptight." I waved my hand and the dust detached itself from the wall. "I really had you going, didn't I?"

The look on his face was priceless. It was completely consumed by shock to the point where even his hollow jaw was open. His eye twitched ever-so-slightly. "Huh...What...How?" he barely managed.

I walked over to where Grimmjow was standing. "Close your mouth," I said as lifted my hand up under his jaw and closed it for him. "You'll catch flies."

Grimmjow blinked his eyes a couple of times. "How did you do that?"

"A good magician never reveals her secrets," I answered, pressing a finger to my lips.

"I hate you. Ya know that?"

"Aww, I know you don't hate me, Grimmy."

"Who the hell are you calling Grimmy?"

"When did you become like Ulquiorra. Having one is enough."

"Gah, shut up!" he growled. "And to think I came in here to see if you needed anything, but you can just forget it now!"

With that, Grimmjow angrily stormed out of my room. That guy could not take a joke. Sheesh.

Now I was alone in my room. Again. With nothing to do. Well, I could go flying, but I didn't feel like it. Now it was a bit of an awkward place after what happened between Ulquiorra and I.

Seeing as how Las Noches was a big palace, it would be fun to go exploring. I really don't care if I run into Nnoitra. Granted, I really didn't want to meet him again, but I just don't care anymore. Suicide has crossed my mind, and it is a very possible option, but I don't want to do, I just simply don't care. Life here was nullifying and bleak. If I died, I would probably go to the Soul Society and would finally get to find out what it was like.

Before I opened the unlocked door and stepped out into the hallways, I grabbed my ribbon and wound it around my arm underneath my jacket. The friggin' corridors were white as ever. The layout seemed a little different, though. The hall that went off to the right and then turned right now turned left. Hmm, I guess it was possible that Aizen could shift the walls. He came across as the kind of guy who would find out a way to do anything simply because he wanted to. Scary.

Footsteps echoed in the opposite direction. I thought about hiding back into my room, but I think I wanted to get caught. Anyways, I quickly rounded a corner to my right. The footsteps continued in my direction.

"I know you're there, Ron," a voice called. Gin, definitely Gin. "Come on out."

I sheepishly came out from where I was hiding. "Uh, hi."

His smile seemed a little bit bigger today. He steadily strode towards me. "And just what do you think you're doing?"

"Going for a walk. It's just so boring in there."

He cocked his head to one side. "That's too bad. I was actually going on a walk myself. I'm going with you. I'm not particularly fond of the fact that Nnoitra will probably assault you again. What were you thinking?"

"To be honest, Gin, I really don't care any more," I said glumly. Then an idea crossed my mind. "Tell me, do you like pranks?"

Gin actually opened his eyes, revealing his eerie red irises. "Yes," he drawled out excitedly. "Let's go to Szayel's lab and get some spiritual pressure concealing bracelet. It wouldn't be any fun if Grimmjow or Ulquiorra knew where we are. Or anyone for that matter. Hop on my back. The more time we save, he more pranks we can get in."

A huge smile appeared on my face. "Let's do this," I said as I hopped on his back.

As soon as I was properly situated, he took off down the hallway. Yep, the hallways had definitely been shifted because they were not like this before. Like I really need more things in my life that defied logic.

Because Gin was über fast and the hallways had been rearranged, we arrived at Szayel's lab rather quickly. Gin set me down gently and we entered Szayel's domain.

"Aporro!" Gin echoed. "We have something we need from you."

Szayel emerged from one of the little rooms. A small smile crossed his face when he saw me. Although something seemed off. As he came closer, I saw numerous cuts on his face.

"Szayel, what happened to you?" I asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing really," he said, breaking eye contact. "Just punishment..."

"Come here," I commanded sternly as I stepped closer to him to begin to heal.

He still continued to be melancholy. "No, stop, you don't have to do this."

"I'm doing this because I want to." My ribbon crawled off my arm and wrapped around the scarred areas of his face. The ribbon glowed faintly and returned to my arm, revealing his healed face.

"Where else?" I questioned seriously.

He wouldn't look at me. "That was it."

"Goddammit, Szayel. I know for a fact that you were punished more than this."

"Why does it matter?" he snapped.

"Szayel, you're acting like a child. Lift up your Goddamn shirt!" I screamed at him.

Szayel frowned and did as I told him. There were several long, retched scars all over his chest, back, and everywhere else on his torso.

"What happened to you, Szayel?" I asked intensely. My ribbon immediately curled around his torso. It glowed a brighter gold than before for a little bit longer. Szayel stared depressingly at the floor the whole time. Gin stood quietly, smile unwavering, the whole time.

"Gin," I said near growling, "how much did you know?"

"I wasn't there when Commander Aizen was delivering his punishment," he answered.

"Uh-huh," I said with a flat, incredulous tone. I turned my attention back to Szayel whose shirt was now back on. "Let us get to the point of why we even came here, shall we?"

"Yes," Gin seconded mischievously. "We need spiritual pressure masking bracelets for pranks."

A slight smile formed on Szayel's face. "So, you're back into pranking. How interesting. I will be right back with the kind of bracelets you'll need." He turned and headed into one of the many, many white doors.

I sighed deeply and began rubbing my temples. Aizen was definitely going to get pranked hard after what he did to Szayel. Although it was understandable, this just added to my hatred. No, Aizen wasn't going to get pranked; he was going to get punk'd.

"Are you tired?" Gin asked.

"Yeah, a little," I responded flatly. "What, did you think I'd sleep well in a place with people, no not even people, who have the burning desire to kill, hurt, rape, assault, and harass their fellow residents? It's not easy to sleep wondering if I could possibly die the next day." Well, I really don't care whether or not I die, but the key to escape the psychological mind-traps of the insane is all about misleading.

"Well, we aren't planning on getting rid of you anytime soon," Gin tried to comfort.

"That makes me feel so much better," I said sarcastically. Gin's smile only widened, and yes, it was possible. Then, Szayel returned with our bracelets. He handed us each a silver bangle about half an inch wide. They were cold to the touch, but what else was to be expected in such an unwelcoming place?

"Thank ya kindly," Gin said.

"Yeah," I said, "this will be the most fun I've had since being trapped here."

"Oh, Aporro, I will need you to spike the tea at today's meeting. Slip in something that will make everyone fall asleep."

Szayel just winked and walked away. "See you in an hour," he called as he disappeared behind a different door.

"Onward!" I commanded as I hopped onto Gin's back again. "What now?"

"Hmm," he said, zipping out of Szayel's lab. "how 'bout a general tour?"

"Sounds good," I replied. We slowed down to a stop. I hopped off his back and walked beside him.

"Why is Las Noches so big?" I wondered.

"Well," Gin began, "we all like our space and we don't always agree with each other. Things get destroyed often and there is more space to battle so the more important buildings remain intact. It is also quite structurally sound. That's why."

"Ah, that makes sense."

We continued walking through the never ending hallways. Which led me to another question, "Why is everything white? I mean seriously."

"White is Lord Aizen's preferred color. It is also the opposite of the colors we use to wear, black. Uniformity also makes people easier to control."

"Ugh, I hate wearing the same thing as everyone else. I'm not particularly fond of being controlled. This why I'm glad that I didn't go to school in Japan when I was growing up."

"Really?" Gin said, turning to look at me. "Where did you go to school then?"

"I wasn't born in Japan. I'm not really sure where I was born. I bounced around in a lot of foster homes when I was a kid. Later on I found out about my younger sister and two of my cousins who lived in Japan. None of them knew much about our pasts. They were adopted and didn't exactly live together, but they went to the same school and did other stuff like that. The adoption agency told me when I was fifteen. I also found out that I was the oldest of all of them. They were able to connect us together and we were able to meet. I couldn't stay with them, but we called, sent emails, and video chatted. When I was old enough and had enough money, I lived in London for a couple of months. Then, I came to Japan to study abroad. I finished my first year of college and then I was kidnapped."

"Oh," Gin reacted with a tiny bit of remorse in his voice. He looked away on to what was ahead of us. We were approaching a giant black door. It seemed unnecessarily big. Honestly, how big do these Arrancars get? Gin proceeded in pushing the doors open. Bright light streamed in and we walked out to what I believed to be the outside. There was a blue sky with clouds, which puzzled me to no end.

I decided to ask since I was so confused, "Why is there a blue sky over us with clouds?"

"This is the inside of the dome over Las Noches. Commander Aizen can see anything and everything under the dome."

"Creepy. Is he watching us now?"

"Hmm, not likely," Gin pondered. "Well probably not at this moment. However, what is done is done. Never forget that."

"Thank you very much for telling me this. No, I'm serious, thank you."

The news was quite unsettling. Aizen could possible be watching us right now, although, as Gin had just informed me, it is not probable. How does he know what happens? Are there cameras? What about the inside, could he see that too? My gut told me it was a yes. I would have to watch my back even closer than I already had.

"No problem. I felt that you of all people had a right to know."

Outside under the dome, there were countless buildings and desert areas where there weren't. The buildings mainly consisted of rectangles, cylinders, other shapes that I don't know the exact name for, but they had rounded roofs. Most of them were either white or grey with a few exceptions of red ones.

"We're going to my room," Gin said. "You'll be safe there when I go to the meeting. After everyone drinks their tea, I'll come back to get ya and then the real fun can begin."

"Sounds like a plan," I responded. "What's your room like? Is it as white as the rest of Las Noches?"

"You could say that. I don't really know how to describe it. You'll just have to wait 'til we get there."

We were coming up to the door at the end of the bridge. The double doors were enormously big, and yet Gin was still able to push them open with ease. The inside was ever white and almost exactly the same as the last building. Gin turned the first corner to the right and led me down another blank hall.

He stopped at a black door on the left side of the hall. Gin opened the door to his room. Inside, everything, to no surprise, was white. There was a bed pushed into a corner, two couches with a coffee table in between them, a bean bag chair, an overflowing book case, and another black door.

"Where does that door lead to?" I asked curiously.

"My bathroom," he answered. "It has a shower that you're free to use."

"Yeah, I probably smell really bad. Do you mind bringing me a change of clothes? I'm positive those stink, too."

"No bother at all. You've been here for five days. Your requests are understandable."

"Thank you so much," I said gratefully.

Gin flashed out of the room. Curiosity took over and I wandered over to his book case to investigate his reading material. The pieces of literature on it included a dictionary, Harry Potter, Shogun, and a manual on how to pull pranks. Figures. There were also numerous notebooks. I picked one up and leafed through it. It was filled with various prank ideas, but it was mainly a diary. As I read through it, I learned that Gin had a very close friend whom he had feelings for named Rangiku. He missed her very much and would like to see her again one day. Gin said that he wanted to apologize for everything and explain why he did everything that he did.

Gin would be back soon, so I decided to put the diary back before he caught me. Lucky me, because he returned moments later.

He handed me my clothes and said, "I brought you a toothbrush."

"Thank you," I said. "You're very considerate."

"Well, I'm off," he said before flashing out of the room again.

I entered the bathroom and laid everything on the white rug on the ground. It was rather large with a tub that could fit five and a porcelain sink with plenty of counter space. The was also large with double doors that started below my knee and ended a foot away from the shallow ceiling. I locked the to the bathroom before starting the shower.

The water took a while to warm up. While I was waiting, I undressed myself, although, I didn't remove my bracelet. I stepped in to the warm bliss that is cleanliness. The floor of the shower was made of rocks that continued on to the rest of the walls. There was a small shelf that contained shampoo, conditioner, soap, and a yellow rubber duck. How cute.

I squeezed some shampoo into my hand and ran it through my short hair. I loved the sudsy feeling of it. After a little bit, I rinsed it out and put in conditioner. While that set in, I grabbed the bar of soap. It smelt like persimmons. I gave myself a thorough scrubbing, dropping the bar of soap occasionally. I stayed in the shower for one more minute before getting out.

There was a cabinet in between the shower and tub where I got my towel from. Of course it was white. It was also fluffy and absorbed most of the water. Once I was dry, I dressed myself in the fresh clothing. Being clean never felts good. I ruffled my red- brown hair before setting the towel on the floor. The tooth brush Gin got me was turquoise, like my eyes. I used his mint tooth paste to brush my teeth. As I brushed, I stared at the few freckles I had across my nose. When I was done, I spit and exited Gin's bathroom.

Gin should be back soon, albeit, wherever they were meeting could be a considerable distance away from his room. Making my way back over to his book case, I decided to examine it more closely. I read through a couple more of his journals, learning about each day in Las Noches. Apparently, Grimmjow had a field day when Gin decided to slip him some catnip. So it wasn't just me who thought that Grimmjow resembled a cat. I wonder why that is...

Other entries told me about other prisoners and why they were captured. Some of their outcomes weren't so fortunate. There was one guy who was killed on the spot for simply speaking out of turn. I also learned about previous Espada and what happened to them. It also told how some of them came to be and what they had to do to earn their position. Most tales were quite gruesome.

"Snooping, are we?" Gin asked, scaring me.

I turned to look at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but you are the people who kidnapped me."

"That's okay," he said, coming closer. "I wouldn't trust me either."

I put the notebook back onto its rightful place in the case. Gin pulled out a red book from the case. The bookcase moved, revealing a secret room. It was filled with bins in various shapes and sizes with contents in every color of the rainbow. He started rummaging through them, pulling out scissors, markers, glitter, shaving cream, and several other objects that I couldn't identify.

"What, is this like your secret stash of pranks and gags, or something?" I asked, clearly impressed.

"That's exactly what it is," he answered, turning towards me to reveal a bigger than usual smile on his face. When he was done gathering his toys, he put them in a black sack. Gin pulled the red book again, and it closed as if it had never been opened in the first place.

"You will wear this," he said as he handed me the bag. I looped it over my shoulder. It wasn't terribly heavy, but it would get annoying after a while.

"The stuff that I had Szayel slip everybody in their tea will kick take affect in a little less than an hour, so we got some time. We could probably get Starrk now. He'll probably be asleep and we can draw on his face or something."

"Awesome. Oh, how about we do that whole itchy-nose-shaving-cream-in-the-face thing?"

Gin's smile grew even larger. "That's just what I was thinking."

"Great minds think alike. Let's go!" I cheered as I hoped onto his back. It made sense why I had to have the bag on my person. Gin's arms would be too full to carry it along with me. Although, he was still technically carrying the bag since it was on me and I was on him. Oh well.

"Gin, is it okay if I ask you something personal?" I asked when we took of down the halls to Starrk's room.

"What'd ya want to know?"

"What was Rangiku like? Sorry for prying into your private life, but she sounds interesting."

He paused for a moment before he spoke, "A very close childhood friend of mine. She was lovely and has some large breasts. She also a very good drinker. I found her, passed out from hunger. I brought her some dried persimmons. Now that I think about it, we had more than friendship; I loved her. When I left the Soul Society with Commander Aizen, it hurt me so much to look at her face as I was beamed into a Garganta. I vowed from that point on to make sure she never cries again. Weird when I choose to stay in Las Noches. Just know that I have my reasons."

"Interesting," I said. "I hope I'll get the chance to meet her one day. I would tell her about how much you miss her. Maybe then she wouldn't cry anymore."

"You might like her. She is extremely beautiful and I think you'd know her if you saw her."

I thought about this for a while. Even bad guys have a heart. It made me wonder about Aizen, if he had anybody that he left behind. No, he was the leader and had to have been planning this for a long time. He must of severed whatever ties he had with anyone in the beginning. That was one of the many examples of just how intelligent he was. And that was why I was here. I am merely a pawn to him in his elaborate game of chess. If I had to be sacrificed to gain an advantage, he would do it without another thought. I could literally go at any moment.

"Gin, what is the real reason I am here?"

Gin didn't answer right away. He thought over his response before he spoke, "An addition to the army. Nothing more."

"No, I'm serious. Why am I here? I'm not that powerful and I'm pretty much a waste of your resources. It's not like I'm an Espada or anything."

"You're a pawn," Gin whispered almost inaudibly.

"I knew it! This really is Aizen's big game of chess."

"Shh," he hushed, "not so loud. The walls have eyes and ears."

We were quiet for awhile. The silence was uncomfortable, but conversation had no rights now. As Gin had just informed me, there were no big plans for me. I can't say that I was expecting anything, but to just imprison a person for no solid reason was just silly. What was Aizen planning? I didn't really know anything about the Soul Society, their goals, how they operated, and where they stood in relation to us. There was so much that I didn't know and it terrified me. Living in Las Noches, as far as I know, is indefinite.

"We're here," Gin said quietly as we stopped in front of a brown door. He pushed it open ever so slightly. He made the shushing motion for me to be quiet. After he peeked through, he waved me on. We stepped inside carefully, trying our hardest to not make another sound.

The inside was, that's right; white. There really wasn't much furniture as far as a couple of bean bag chairs and a couch. Starrk, was snoring loudly, passed out on one of the chairs. A small channel of drool dripped out of his open mouth. Lovely. He was also asleep in a position that was perfect for a face full of shaving cream.

Gin and I stealthily tiptoed over to him. Starrk stayed stone still as I pulled out the shaving cream from the sack. Gin carefully put a huge glob of shaving cream on his right hand. I unwound my ribbon from my wrist and lightly brushed his nose. He wrinkled it before turning his head towards his left shoulder. I tried again and this time he gave himself a face full of the musky cream. Yet, Starrk remained completely oblivious to what we just did.

We left before our snickers would become all out laughter. Gin looked pleased with our efforts.

"That was awesome," I said. "Who and what is next?"

"Captain Tousen," he replied.

"Yes, the blind guy. Oh this is going to be so fun."

Again, I climbed onto Gin's back. He took off at the same speed he always does. The wind he created rushed through my still damp hair. Who needs a blow dryer when you have Gin? Or, I guess Sonido for that matter. Now I kind of wanted to be an Arrancar/Espada myself for this benefit alone. Then again, I would be spiteful and have no real meaning to my existence. I guess I would lose my humanity.

"How did Ulquiorra join you? Or, what is his past? I was wondering why he is the way that he is."

"I was wondering when you would ask about him. He is kinda off-putting, isn't he? Very well, in the beginning, we awakened him."

"What do you mean by 'awakened'?" I asked curiously.

"Some Hollows are preserved. Basically, that means they are mummified and sealed inside a glass box. Well, it isn't glass, it just looks like it. To awaken one means to use the power of the Hogyoku to release them from their, for lack of a better word, 'sleep'. He awoke just as powerful as he is today. Well, he trained and honed his skills, but he was born at an Espada's level."

"Oh," I said. If it was possible, I was more confused than before I asked the question. "What's his deal? Why is he so Emo?" I really didn't have a problem with him being Emo. Frankly, it was a little sexy.

"That brings me to another thing; each Espada represents a unique cause of death. Ulquiorra represents nihilism. As you can see, that fits him very well."

"That's very interesting." Now I seriously felt like giving Ulquiorra a giant hug. I know that it's kind of weird for me to want to do that, but I wanted to show him that life was worth living. Kind of hard to do considering I was on the edge of insanity from being held captive. Granted, I could be tortured and I wouldn't have the privilege to go pranking with Gin.

I stayed quiet for a while. Riding on Gin's back was actually quite fun. I wouldn't be so bold as to call it similar to riding a horse because it was a thousand times better. He also didn't smell like horses usually did. Another bonus was that he did his business in private. Gin was more well-behaved than horses, too. Although, petting him like one would be just plain weird.

Gin gradually began slowing down. I assumed it was because we were nearing the place where Kaname is. Excitement welled up inside of me at all the different options and possibilities Gin and I had at our disposal. My plan was to draw eyes on his glasses and perhaps dye his hair. I really wasn't the best person for coming up with things like that, but that's what Gin is for.

"What's your plan?" I asked quietly as he finally halted in front of a relatively normal sized door.

He let me off him as he answered, "Drawing all over his clothes with an inside joke. And you?"

"Drawing goofy eyes on his glasses. Maybe dye his hair, assuming that you have dye. Say, why does he need glasses if he's blind?"

"I dunno, he had them when I met him. Perhaps he does it just to confuse people."

"If that was his goal, then it's working. Is this his room?"

"No," Gin answered, "this is the surveillance room that I told you about earlier. This is wear Commander Aizen goes to watch everybody. I'll admit that I come here when I'm bored. Although, I dunno why Tousen comes here, he can't even see the stuff we use to black mail people with."

"Exactly what are you looking for?" I asked, even though I was scared to hear the answer.

"The normal stuff you humans use against each other; vandalism, humiliating moments, stealing, sex tapes. You know, the usual."

Sex tapes? What exactly happened in Las Noches? The other stuff was understandable, sort of, but sex tapes? Really? Aizen was one sick pervert. Also, a master manipulator.

"Were there cameras in your bathroom?" I asked in a whispered outrage.

"No, there are no cameras in my, Tousen's, or Commander Aizen's room. What, you really think that he desires to see me that way?"

"Are there any in my room?"

"Yes," Gin said hesitantly, turning away from me.

I grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him to face me. "You will get rid of those cameras. Do you understand?"

"I'm sorry, but Captain Aizen is very suspicious of everyone. He wants to make sure that no one will disrupt his plans even the slightest."

I took a few moments to digest what he was saying and release my grip on Gin. What Gin had just said made me realize just how badly I needed to get out of here. However, it would not be easy and there was no guarantee when it would happen. All that matters was that it did.

Gin crept stealthily into the stalker room. He gently pushed the door open. Kaname was slumped in a chair, out cold. We both started smiling menacingly. I reached into my small sack and pulled out a black marker. As quietly as possible, I uncapped it and doodled anime eye over his glasses. Gin gave me a thumbs up in approval.

When I was done, Gin took the sack from me and pulled out a small canteen of water. He also took out a small bowl and poured water from the canteen into it. Gin lifted up Kaname's arm and stuck his hand in the bowl as he set it on the counter.

"I know it's not warm water," Gin rasped, "but it will have to do."

I giggled to my self as I realized that Gin's plan was to make Kaname wet himself. A small bit of guilt chewed on me for doing this to blind guy, but I reminded myself that he was my captor and, therefore, deserved it. Although, Gin was my captor, too, I might be able to use him to escape. My plan for the moment mostly involved waiting and gaining trust.

"Wait," I said, "since we're here. We should probably cut the cameras and erase our previous footage so far."

"Almost forgot about that," Gin said. He moved over to the computers and started to type commands into the keyboard.

"Oh, and while we're here," I began, "you can cut the line to the cameras in my room. And I don't mean to just cut it. No, I want you to completely destroy it."

Gin turned around to look at me. "And what if I don't?"

I thought for a moment of something that I might be able to get him in trouble with. "Well, then I'll just have to kill myself."

This caused Gin to open his eyes. "You're bluffing."

"No, I'm serious. Will you remember saying this when you're standing over my dead corpse?"

Gin paused, processing my threat. He turned around and did as I had commanded, obviously taking my threat as serious as it was.

Hey! What did you think? I borrowed the title 'stalker room' from Senbonzakura11. Please tell me if you thing I'm making Ron too powerful because I don't want her to be a Mary Sue. Anyways, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted, but it won't take as long as it did to post this one. Review Please! Thank you to all my loyal reviewers who have stuck with me.