out of the frying pan; into the fryer

affiliated with citta-alveare

[hollowsinner]

Sure, Caster was certainly a weird name and many other people would likely agree to that. But that was because it wasn’t really a name but a title. So while she most likely didn’t know who he was talking about, she knew exactly what kind of people he was talking about.

“I would say for arguments sake, I probably am ‘different’ in the same way she was.” Whatever she was supposed to be was still unknown to her. But the closest relatives to it were most likely Heroic Spirits. “It’s not anything to worry about really, but what I want to know how you even managed to figure something like that out from smell? No offense, but you really don’t strike me as a mage of any sorts.” Completely skipping over the fact that he managed to smell her that well from a couple of feet away for now. That would probably be another question for another time.

[heavenlyglutton]

“ If I were a mage I’d be doing a lot more than sniffing people out. I’d drop the price on liquor and make it rain gummy worms and bring forth a new era of prosperity but that’s besides the point. “ He’d say before giving her a bit of a smile, tapping his nose. “ I just so happen to have one hell of a sniffer here, and it’s helped me out a lot of times. Although it’s been picking up the weirdest of things in this city. That trace of whatever’s on you being one of them. “ 

“ I wont worry about it for now, but from what I know it’s been on some pretty shady people. I mean, you’re young so I wouldn’t want to see you get caught up in a bad crowd. Unless you’re one of those types that does so and is capable of doing so without getting in trouble. Then eat healthy I guess. “ 

[kresnikslance]

“Well…interesting sure is one way to look at it.” Swirling the remains of his own drink, Ludger downed the last swig and winced lightly at the sensation. “I guess bars do have that about them. A guy I knew said if you were ever lost in a new city, bars were the place to get your information. Although he did mention you’ve gotta be careful of the people who’ll scam you out of your wallet.” Reaching across for the bottle, he refilled his own glass halfway, and offered a grin to the man beside him.

“Its not just a title. There’s two major continents in my world. He’s the king of one of them. Even if I didn’t tell you, one look would make it obvious. The way he carries himself, his ability to stay calm in tough situations, making the hard choices. Even just his aura, its all sorta set in stone that he was born to rule. If you never really spoke to him, you’d probably be intimidated just from him being on the same side of the road as you.”

[heavenlyglutton]

“ Smart guy. The best informers will have a gold tooth, a winning smile and offer up what you need in exchange for a favor. “ A clear joke on Toriko’s part, but that was typically how it was where he came from. Minus a few things add a few things but at least Ludger was smart on knowing when a scam would come and otherwise how to protect yourself in situations like that. 

“ Huu.. sounds like a real tough guy. Love to have a drink with him. Still, he any good of a ruler that is? Just cause you’re scary and just cause you’re tough doesn’t mean you can’t be all that great. I mean, it takes a lot to rule a place, you know? “ 

“ Hopefully he’s not just someone who takes the title for granted. At least that’s what I wanna hear from you. “ 

[metroidinfusionaaaaa-deactivate]

She could drink quite a bit herself, although unlike him she hadn’t been there for long. But her also massive size allowed her to have quite a bit and not get drunk as well.

“Toriko. Noted.” She nodded at the newly learned name, and took a smaller sip this time. 

“Ah… yes, but what is a pretzel?” Perhaps it was a kind of bread. Bread went very well with beer, that was a given. Beer bread was something she tried once but was an even better version of the two combined.

[heavenlyglutton]

“ You’ve never had a pretzel, seriously?! “ Suddenly turning o his seat as he looked at her in shock, his face getting a bit red from the alcohol as he made a few vague arm gestures. 

“ Well like, first there’s the big ones that’re all big and bready and chewey and super soft and awesome that you eat with a ton of mustard. Sometimes if you got some sausage toss that with it also and some saeurkraut if you got it and boom, instant dinner right there! “ 

“ Then you got the crunchy guys. Perfect for out of hand eating--seriously? What do you do that makes it so you never had those before in your life? “ 

[aulifegiver]

He paid no mind to how potentially odd it was that this man was attempting to sniff something out. He’d seen far stranger things in his time, even if he was still quite young. Besides, if he believed it would help them find the owner of this dog, then he was fine with it.

“Is that so? Hmm…” He began to think, contemplating his options. He could rule some things out, like asking this stranger if he wanted to take the dog in… though maybe that would be an option if he used his words right. Eventually, he sighed, looking a little crestfallen. “That’s too bad. I guess this dog’s a stray at best and disowned at worst… Perhaps their owner was released from the city at some point.”

“Also, I must say that I’m impressed that you can smell that far. I don’t think I’ve met anyone else who can do that.”

[heavenlyglutton]

“ Well, we can probably find a home for him I guess. I know someone who runs an animal shelter so she’ll probably take him in if you want to. I mean unless you got a hankering for a pet, I already got a pretty trustworthy one at my side so I don’t really need another. “ A damn shame. Little guy was pretty energetic so he’d probably go to a great home if possible.

“ Yeah, cause no one really can. My nose is something special. Watch. “ One quick sniff and Toriko gave a nod of his head. “ You used pomegranate body wash two days ago, and organic cucumber shampoo about a day and a half ago. “ 

[shvahrtscyiallox-deactivated201]

     “Nah, he’s a human now, or else I wouldn’t be existin’ right now, right?”

     NOW think about it… he’s not sure yet how did his father turned into human by that process…     

     “I know, it’s still hella unacceptable, but then that’s how it goes, I’m not the one in control of that.” 

[heavenlyglutton]

“ So he can just.. change whenever he wants? That’s kinda handy I suppose, but it still doesn’t make a lot of sense I suppose. I guess you’re just kinda special in your own way then, huh? “ He’d say with a grin, patting his back a bit. Watch the strength there, though.

“ It’s just kinda complicated. I mean I never really interacted with ghosts before so I dunno if I should have you exorcised. But then again I doubt that’d work. Plus you’re a nice kid so there’s no point in that. “ 

[heavenlyglutton]

heavenly rider?! [ ca guardian challenges ]

[shouichitsugami]

[ Ω ]—— “If you say so!” Shouichi chuckles, ruffling the back of his hair. Whatever the case, he has been recognized as a chef and that’s rather important for his current situation where his credentials are relevant for success. Time is ticking, and his expression turns a bit serious as he nods, feeling lucky for such a chance encounter that may guarantee some of his powers back.

      “Well, mine… is more or less on a larger scale.” Frowning, he recalls the irrational challenge the scientists had asked of him. “To sum it up, all restaurants in the city are closed, and the task of cooking for everyone is only in my hands. This isn’t the biggest responsibility I had, but certainly the most tedious.” Even fighting a God wasn’t this complicated.

      “Fortunately they didn’t specify what I should cook, so I suppose your hunting game will give me an idea!”

[heavenlyglutton]

ALL the restaurants? Now that was a kind of hell he couldn’t quite possibly picture. Well, that was wrong. It happened once and was thankfully avoided but to have something like this happen in the city again? That was kind of a pain all in itself. Still, leaving one chef to do it. Something about this guy told Toriko he wouldn’t really give up on such a goal so.. to make it happen. he’d hunt the biggest possible game for him!

Pulling out his own envelope with a challenge listed inside, he’d hold it up to him where he’d point to the note about it being ‘animal crackers.’ It was kind of a ludicrous thing to try and ‘cook’ but something about it was.. curious. “ It just says animal crackers but.. crackers can really be anything, huh? So it’d be kind of a weird thing cuisine wise to come up with a bunch of cracker inspired dishes.. “ 

“ But I guess our first issue is to actually find these things. Apparently it’s a stampede we’ll just have to keep her eyes out. Or our noses but I’m not--Wait.. Wait.. “ ... It was faint and far but it was something. Raising his head high up into the air would he look around frantically. 

“ Wait I think I got something..! “ 

[hollowsinner]

“Hmm?” Originally minding her own business while trying to settle back into this city. But immediately freezing up at the mention of her not being human, how could he have possibly known? That was typically something only mages could figure out.

“… You might be right… Would you mind telling me how you came to the idea? And who are you comparing me too?”

[heavenlyglutton]

“ I had this old friend a hell of a long time ago. Real nice lady but I always thought something was kinda.. off about her. Not her personality or anything, I just knew off the bat she wasn’t necessarily human. Her name was Caster and--trust me, it’s different but it’s still something. “ Scratching his chin a bit, he’d shake his head. 

“ I mean it’s probably nothing important. I’m sure you’re a nice enough kid. It’s just that each day that kinda smell keeps getting stronger that I can sense in more people and.. well. You’re the first one I’ve seen this young to have that. So I kinda got concerned. “ 

[onorabile-blog]

Still skeptical about the other male’s claims, it’s not until he bends down to pick up a few credit cards, eyes wide with disbelief that he understands this is neither a bluff nor an offense to his person; the various names inscribed in plastic feel enough of an insult in this case. This will definitely serve as a reminder that he won’t always have the upper hand when it comes to women, much as it will shame him to admit so. The situation already fills him with contempt, keeping him from feeling the relief that should be filling his chest after having been freed from all the trouble this would have caused.

❝ Che schifo. ❞ There’s not a second thought crossing his mind before he bends the cards in his hand, throwing the female beside him a bitter look before he lets them fall to the ground. Had it been a man the one trying to fool him, consequences would have taken a more physical turn, but the only response he can add to his act is merely walking away from her and towards the bigger man.

Proud as he is, he would never accept the fact that he’d been kept from danger, thus there are no thankful words leaving his lips. ❝ That’s quite the peculiar ability you’ve got. ❞ A pause, and he cross his arms over his chest. ❝ And your name is…? ❞

[heavenlyglutton]

The woman stared in a combination of disbelief, horror, anger and annoyance that she had been outconned by a supposed stranger, quickly taking her leave with Toriko letting out a hearty laugh all the while. Normally he wouldn’t have been one to get into this kind of business, but the kind of atmosphere around blondie seemed nice enough that he didn’t want to see anything bad to him. Even if he was rather reluctant to thank him. That was fine, he was sure he was still a nice enough guy. 

As his apparent ability was complimented, Toriko simply shook his head as he tapped his nose. “ One hell of a nose here. I can tell a lot of things just by smelling them. Kind of like how you had Insalata Caprese last night with three table spoons of truffle oil, two chiffon-ed basil leaves for garnish with some pretty good smelling bread there. “ Kind of impressed at his own ability he’d give the other a bit of a cheeky grin. 

“ Name’s Toriko! Am I gonna get your’s too or do you need to catch me being scammed before you can give it? “ 

[hahaplaceholderurl]

拳 - Those words wouldn’t go ignored in the long run. While still in the transition of learning, concepts such as appreciate that stemmed outside the bounds of delicacies and into the realm of people was a steady work in progress. Naturally did the expression Toriko received was indifferent on the matter altogether. Deep down however, those words carved their starting niche as the words stewed into the pot of consideration. That said! Spiky teeth bared themselves momentarily as duo aimed to back up there words.

‘Wait.. Did he say Goku of all people was– Damn it. Last thing to be thinking about! C’mon back to that crazy degree of focus..’ Etched within his cells was the perilous stay to the merciless environment known as the gourmet world. As a deviant gleam shone with Beel’s eyes, excitedly did they close so he could tune to the newly tapped synch ratio alongside his contractor. Underneath the span of a second were the results broken through.

Demonic energy tuned with the edge of finesse bloomed in waves that aimed to shake the foundation of the area itself. A unique factor would the lack of malice, what remained was anything but. Only the pure dark wavelength of the energy altogether reigned free as an ivory aura erupted in the same fashion as a natural disaster. Human inhibitions were no longer allowed to second guess or trip up the flow, instead they were perfectly aligned!

“That ENBU business, lemme show ya what I can apply it too.” For most, time itself would come to a screeching halt for the actions that were about to ensue. Right now did the trio of adventurers enter a world where a second could very well translate to hours on end. With this renewed degree of focus fully grasped, even the destructive result of high speed movements were nowhere to be found. The delinquent’s approach shifted to what looked like a harmless bounce on the ground at a rate that put lightning timers to shame.

Distance held no meeting as their speed allowed them to snap into striking distance. Instantly was the flow to the starting move to the next was transitioned, keeping a palm and fingers flattened, the blow arrived in the form of a phantasmal blur as the target was the chest area of the Bishoukuya! With their learned art, they took it back to the basics and refined their known skill set!

Shingetsu Style Revision!: Nadeshiko

Uniting the strength of their combined 120 trillion cells, the devastation intended behind this armor breaking technique elevated to be a country shattering. The best part?

This was only the beginning.

[heavenlyglutton]

It only took one whiff of the air around the both of them to deduct that in the time spent since last he saw them, the progress they made was staggering to say the least. Also in that Baby Beel was changed about two hours ago. 

The hell scent that Toriko could pick up now had gone all the way into being able to detect traces of DNA down to the historical records, diet, allergies and other thousands of factors that made up one individual human being, as well as being able to discern just whom they were in a crowd of thousands of others. In addition to that, being able to literally smell one’s power level came in handy as he could give himself some kind of expectancy for what was to come. 

In the case of Oga and Beel, on a molecular level were they almost now considered one person. Their breathing, movements and even the way their eyes shifted and the amount of sweat that each one built up from the strain of adjusting individual powers to match was almost etched into their system now. The kind of nonsense Oga had gone through, for lack of a better term, made him smell like ‘hell.’

Originally just a scent that differentiated himself from others, the scent more felt like a lingering substance that could be washed away with enough scrubbing or removing the source or exposure of it. But now, it was practically ingrained into his being and had become a part of his molecular structure.  The scent of ‘hell’ and ultimately the powers that had come with it seemed to have seep into his body as a full force of immersion took over. Naturally speaking, the results were incredibly favorable for the two of them to have reached such a state of perfection in being a unified being, that their unbridled powers were enough to take on the world. 

The Human World at least. 

As he grit his teeth in excitement, how a predatory creature would do so out of enjoyment would he take stance as he watched them approach him in no less than one one-millionth of a second. Before the fist could make impact with his chest, he would return the blow with something that might have been new to Oga’s sight. 

He had seen it before. The ghastly image of an Oni that overtook Toriko’s very body in times of danger where he had to show who was the top hunter in the food chain. However, this was no illusion or assumed to have been sight. His entire left arm seemed to have been taken over by the creature itself. And--almost like being face first into the roaring jet of an engine could Oga feel something akin to an odd sensation against his face, almost like a razor bladed wind force itself against his skin.

Before his fist could make impact with his chest, slamming down as hard as he could against his own would be Toriko’s expanded and red toned arm, flexed out to at least double the mass of his original weight in muscle in his arm. It wouldn’t have full impact due to the clash of billions of individual cells fighting against what could be trillions of demonic like cells in his body, but he could most definitely feel a rattling in his arm. 

“ Speed of Sound Nail Punch. “ 

[metroidinfusionaaaaa-deactivate]

This man was obviously drunk, which eased her suspicions a bit. “Hm. It certainly is a better alcohol. Thank you for this.” She raised her glass back and took a swig with him. The burning at the back of her throat helped ease her a bit, but at the same time, it did remind her of when she was a frequent to this stuff.

“It’s fine, this drink was enough. I’m Samus, by the way.” she felt her name was at least important, she never really got kindness like this, and it felt a little nice, but also made her feel compelled to be nice back, which was something she didn’t like feeling compelled to do. “Thank you for the offer, by the way. The offer was also enough.”

[heavenlyglutton]

Eh, he was getting there. Not quite drunk, not quite sober, kind of like limbo, really. The way that Toriko could just down the stuff like it were candy was kind of impressive on its own, but the fact that he was still able to keep a rather steady hand after clearly having drunk quite a bit was staggering as well. Given his size, his metabolism was naturally just crazy. 

“ Good meeting you, Samus. Name’s Toriko. “ He’d offer back in a friendly tone of voice. As he poured himself another, he’d lean back in his seat a bit as he gave the drink a bit of a waft, glancing over at her as he took an idle sip. 

“ You sure? This place has some pretty nice grub. 75% of the fun in drinking is the 25% of food you get to eat with it. Beer and pretzels, wine and steak.. straight vodka. You know, fun times. “ 

[shvahrtscyiallox-deactivated201]

     “In term of races, I’d say I’m kinda of a human I guess.” BEST conclusion it’d be in this case, wasn’t it to be? “Just that my soul are partly human, partly inherited the ghost reaper side from my father I guess.”

     “But hey– Just treat me like a human alright?”

[heavenlyglutton]

“ Well, what does treating you like a normal human even involve? “ He had understood that Ichigo stepped in as a substitute god of death which naturally looked great on any resume. It just came off as a curiosity as to just.. what he was in all of his entirety. 

“ So your dad was a ghost that got with your mom.. that’s kinda.. “ 

[hahaplaceholderurl]

拳 - A lesson learned? Leave it to the teach to lean towards that in the name of personal progression. Receiving a sharp jab in the response department momentarily prompted a defying grin.

Their time within the tourneys of past and hints of the present were nothing sort of Hell, a home away from home for their likes. No doubt they were being pit against beings who held no qualms of crushing entire planets or at least, held the very force to do so a hundred times over. Excitement pulsed through the delinquent’s being at the sheer thought of variety that surfaced. Time to cue up their findings.

All in all, Oga realized there’s one too many damn ways to die out there. Always would it begin with the eyes that vowed to either protect or destroy. “No beating around the bush?”

“We’re not all that different in the endgame. Whether we’re fighting to raise some hell or to stop it. And that I find reassuring.” Those who held the art of reaping destruction had the same shot of reaching the top. At one point the reasons burn into spiritual fuel that allows for those shackles maintained by their ways to promptly shatter. Fighting for fight’s sake; didn’t the Gourmet World have context for that?

A Wild Bout?

“They have their ways of cooking up some pain and I got some new ones hot n’ ready. That much though I gotta leave a surprise. Less you’re rarin’ for a test run.”

[heavenlyglutton]

Toriko saw the whole deal with fighting heroes from other worlds to have been something of a spectacle one could only appreciate it if.. well, they liked to fight. For Toriko, his fights mostly were against his lunch so it was hard to say. Most of the time he was after the end goal but still, here and there, some interesting encounters occurred. He was just hoping Oga had the same kind of deal as him, although his words quickly shut that idea down. 

“ I guess I understand that part. Still, you gotta appreciate all whom you fought against for one reason or another. After all, it’s not every day you get to experience something like that. Besides, you know that Goku guy? He did some crazy stuff even I couldn’t see coming. “ Then again all he learned from that was he was a damn great guy to have lunch with. 

Although supposedly hearing Oga’s retort about a surprise in store for him that he had learned from dealing with them, that seemed to get Toriko’s blood roaring just a bit. Giving him a grin and standing up, he’d look at his watch, giving Oga a smug grin. 

“ Guess I got some time before lunch is ready. Alright, show me what you got, then. “ Standing up with his hands posed and his shoulders shrugged would he wait. This wasn’t really a fight to see who could win.. more so just a fight to see what Oga could do. As a teacher, he had to give out tests once every.. month or so right? Yeah that was a pretty good indicator. 

[visravana]

    “That is true. Then perhaps those sayings are true where they consider time as nothing but an illusion in our heads, and that it is nonexistent.” Shock itself was a factor that paralyzed humans and gods, and she truly understood the lost in sense of direction. But imagine years becoming centuries that evolved a traumatic incident into a molded grudge without never letting go of it; it felt as though time had been erased away from the entire world.

    But she had learned now to move forward, or she attempted to at least. It always weighed her down deep inside, never apologizing for the burden it was putting on her, but because of it she was able to grow stronger each day by overcoming it.

    There was a soft laughter, mostly to appreciate his positive point of view from all of this. “Yes… I should be grateful for that. Humans, regardless of how anyone deems of them- are stronger than they tend to believe they are. Surpassing another year full of laughter and tears and many more emotions is certainly an overwhelming feat to encounter, but they are capable of doing that.”

    Dunking her head back to finish her glass, she put it to the side and let her hair brush through slender digits, watching the lion and pup-sized company huddle together after finishing their meals.

    “We do. Even if it may not seem as though we are- we always do hear them in the end. Therefore, do not fret over it.” With a pause added afterwards, thinking to herself for a second, she resumed.

    “At this point, it is a never ending cycle of chaos… I’d like to propose the idea that the fact that we are able to survive them is a miracle on its own… Though, it does help you become active around here. However, I cannot say if that is better than sitting around all day.”

[heavenlyglutton]

“ Well technically speaking, time kind of has to exist as a means of moving forward. I guess the idea is that we just came up with what to call it and how to count it. If you think about it, ever since anything ever, time has always been a thing. I guess even you gods weren’t around since ‘time’ itself really started. If you did, I’m surprised you kept interested this long. “ For a human, Toriko didn’t have to think hard on the fact since he knew time would eventually take him and others with it as it always did.. but in the eyes of a god, it had to work different, didn’t it?

Then again he was implying that gods existed or came into existence in a way that differed from humans. From what he knew of Bishamon, she might have gone through something like appearing out of faith as a means from human prayer.. so she had to experience her ‘time’ as having been made and being who she was now. Kind of odd to think about it for too long.

“ You forgot the part where we survive like no one’s business. “ Giving a bit of a cocky grin, how many things had Toriko fought that tried to devour him or others whole? Just the fact that humans could go on for this long against the wild was something else to appreciate. 

“ Well.. “ Looking down at his glass, Toriko sighed to himself a bit. “ Can one really fail here though is the thing. For someone like me, I’ve been through my share of the dirt and gravel to become who I am. If things just get fixed up, then it’s kinda hard to grow and see all this as a challenge? I’m not saying it’s right what’s going on, but..

If these guys really just wanted us to grow stronger as a result of their shit being dealt to us, you’d think things got a bit more serious. When I remember that time we had to fight off all those clones of us.. you gotta think. How many of us looked at that differently or not? You think at this point it’s more of just a game instead of an experiment? “ 

[aulifegiver]

“Wouldn’t it be convenient if it was…” he mumbled, then sighed. He’d been looking for the owner for around a half hour now, or rather he’d been watching the dog as it lead him around and circled him. With no leads, he had nowhere to go, and he didn’t want to waste too much time.

“That would be very helpful, thank you,” he said with a polite smile, “to be honest I don’t exactly know where to start… other than this sector, of course.”

[heavenlyglutton]

“ Then lemme just make things easy for you! “ Raising his head high into the air would Toriko take a deep breath.. and would start to sniff. Just like a dog, really. In actuality, Toriko’s nose was something of a god’s gift. Being able to smell just about what a person ate in the last month from lingering traces in their breath, it wasn’t something to laugh at.

Although he’d catch himself short as he stopped for a moment, curious as he picked one of his nostrils a bit, looking down at the boy with an almost concerned expression. 

“ ... I ain’t pickin’ up the dog’s scent anywhere else in this city but here. I’m thinkin’ he may not have one.. or his owner’s just. Gone. “ 

[metroidinfusionaaaaa-deactivate]

Samus cocked an eyebrow at him before slowly taking the drink.

She needed one anyways, and if it was as fine as he said then it was a worthy drink. “If I find out you did anything you shouldn’t have to this drink then don’t except to walk upright ever again.”

Still, she took a good swig of the drink, and it did taste pretty good. “What kind of alcohol is this?” She didn’t even know that, but again, it did taste better than what she normally drank.

[heavenlyglutton]

“ Cognac, but this is some pretty good stuff here! Apparently the bottlers have their own private reserves off who knows where to get in all the flavors they need to. A lot of hard work was put into this so folk like you and I could enjoy it, that was for sure! “ Giving the woman a smile and raising his glass at her would he take another hearty swig. 

“ No need to be paranoid. Sometimes people just do good out of the good of their hearts. Or stomachs in this case. If you need any more proof I’m an alright guy then I dunno, pick out a bottle or vintage you like and it’s on me. Was just sharin’ some good faith is all! “ 

[heavenlyglutton]

@shvahrtscyiallox

“ So I never really got it. Are you like full ghost or half ghost. And if you’re half ghost then how the hell does the half human thing work? “

[onorabile-blog]

He shifts his attention from the woman in front of him to the voice he assumes is addressing him, an eyebrow rising at the strange warning he’s been offered. Try as he may, he can’t quite locate the scents this man is talking about, and that only makes him more suspicious of his words. If this is a subtle way of insulting his perceptive abilities, it’s working.

❝ What nonsense are you talking about? Explain yourself.❞ Indeed, there are hints of exasperation in his voice, but also curiousity.

[heavenlyglutton]

“ Well for starters. “ Toriko would hold up a hand and with a rather gentle poking gesture, would fire off a single pronged, miniature flying fork right for the woman’s bag. In a clean slice would it open up and out of it would spill several credit cards of various colors and sorts. 

“ Wasn’t aware your date had a name for every day of the week. Alexander, Sam, Claire.. ho boy, she’s basically got a whole graduation’s class worth! “ One more sniff to double check everything and he’d let out one more laugh. 

“ It might be hard to tell now but I think she might’ve been with a lumberjack as well. I can smell faint traces of oak and I think poison ivy on her. That must’ve been a night! “