#and this is not me 'hating' on Taichi (hey I'm not the one calling anyone 'a bitch' here) I love Taichi he's the main character lol

[programmedtoexterminate]

HGK live action is producing a lot of interesting ppl who somehow watch a show about how isolating having a disability can be because of able-bodied people's lack of empathy or willingness to reach out and connect with disabled people on their level and how that can hurt, and then turn around and call one of the disabled characters a raging irredeemable bitch because she's standoffish towards their able-bodied precious cinnamon roll and insults him (notice how she never says anything other characters haven't already said to him) not considering why she might act or feel that way.

[noctisfishing]

The Girl Who Stands Out | 06

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08

Notes: Long time, no post!

Thank you for being patient while I sort things out on the life side <3 I hope you're all doing well and in this chapter I can only bring you more Mimato that I want to share with you.

I'm thinking this fic will have 9 chapters.

Read Chapter 6 below

Even when he woke up on Sunday morning, Yamato couldn't believe the night he had. He enjoyed himself the whole day through going to karaoke and shabu shabu with his friends, but it was the ride home with Mimi that seemed to replay in his mind over and over.

Yamato wasn't sure when the car stopped, but by the time he and Mimi noticed the angry honking from the driver, he gathered that it was time to bid Mimi goodnight. If only he had been able to ignore the loud, harsh sound of the car horn, then he could have kissed her longer like he wanted to. Certainly, Mimi wouldn't have minded either, not when her hands were moving around his back, and her lips readily moved against his as though she kept coming back for more…

"Ow!" Yamato cried out after walking into the doorframe between his bedroom and bathroom. He was immediately brought back to the present.

He tried not to let himself stay too distracted that day since his plan was mostly to help his father out with chores and finish his homework. But his father had noticed the change in his mood.

"I thought you hated karaoke," Hiroaki said over lunch.

"I do," Yamato replied. "Most of the time."

Yamato was never descriptive with Hiroaki; he would usually keep his side of the conversation brief, and Hiroaki was lenient enough to spare him with questions. Even so, Hiroaki was perceptive, and understood his son more than he realized.

"Ah, that's right. A group outing. Only Mimi would get that plan to work."

Yamato coughed over the bite of his food. He knew nothing got past his dad. And even if he tried to hide it, he was hopeless in his attempt, regardless, especially that evening when he received a text message from Mimi before he was about to vacuum the living room.

"I've got a surprise for you for tomorrow. I know you'll like it. <3"

Whatever it was, Yamato couldn't stop smiling.

"Hey, 'Lover Boy' - it's getting late," Hiroaki said. "Hurry up and finish the vacuuming."

Yamato spent the rest of the time wondering how to respond back.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"How long are we going to wait here?" Taichi asked impatiently.

"At least, until Mimi gets here," Yamato replied. The two of them sat towards the bottom of the staircase at the front of the school, watching as the other uniformed students arrived and walked up the steps. A car occasionally arrived at the curb to drop someone off, although as each car came and left, Taichi grew more aggravated.

"Nobody asked you to wait with me, you know," Yamato added.

"Yamato!" Sora shouted, and hurried up the steps to them. "Mimi told me what happened!"

"'Hi' to you, too, babe," said Taichi, raising his brow.

"Ah - Hey, Taichi - But Yama, it's so great that your feelings are out in the open! She's been waiting, you know."

"Wait, she has?" Yamato asked.

Taichi turned to look at him. "Even I could tell. But I'm proud of you for making the move. Now the only thing left to do is ask her out."

"Right…"

That was something that Yamato couldn't argue with. Going out with her along with their friends was one thing, but he still needed to go out on a date with her alone. It was a group date, anyway.

"Don't push him, Taichi," said Sora. "He already got his feet wet last weekend, right?"

"That wasn't even a group date!" Taichi said. "You and I were the only couple, anyway."

Yamato watched Sora press her lips together, and before anyone could respond, Taichi looked at his phone and yelped suddenly.

"I gotta stop by my locker before class. I don't wanna be late!"

"Taichi-!" Sora called after him as he hurried up the steps, then she let out a sigh. "That boy."

Yamato stood up to face her. "Hey, Sora, it was a group date, wasn't it? I mean, granted that Takeru and Hikari were there, and so were..."

Sora shrugged. "Sure. But you still have to ask her out…" Her voice drifted as she looked toward the curb. "Well, speak of the Devimon."

Confused, Yamato shot her a look. "Did you have to reference that?"

Sora smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Taichi rubbed off on me. Anyway, I should catch up to him."

Yamato waved at Sora as she ran up the steps, then he turned to walk down towards Mimi's car. The driver had already walked from the driver's seat to the passenger door on the other side, where he opened the door to help Mimi get out.

She was already smiling when she met Yamato's gaze. "You were waiting for me?" she asked. "I'm already spoiled enough."

Thoughts of how to respond spilled into his mind:

I just wanted to see you first thing.

You look beautiful this morning.

"Well, yeah, I wanted… to wait for you."

Mimi stood so close to him that Yamato was certain that she noticed his cheeks turning an obvious shade of embarrassment. She giggled and held up a bag that appeared to be full.

"Remember the surprise I mentioned yesterday?"

Yamato took a closer look and recognized it as the bag she usually stored her lunch in, and he noticed the bag stretched out into a boxed shape that was taller than it usually was.

"Wait. Did you make me lunch?"

"Ding, ding, ding! That's right! I promise you, it's going to be way better than your pork buns."

"I wouldn't doubt that."

Mimi smiled, and at that moment, Yamato caught sight of the tinge of pink on her cheeks.

"Wanna walk me to class, then?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied.

Mimi started up the steps when Yamato realized that she was carrying her textbooks in addition to double the weight of lunch in her bag. Other than his own school bag and his guitar case on either of his shoulders, his hands were free. Wanting to help Mimi, he called for her to stop walking.

"Yes? Oh…"

Turning to face him, Mimi looked down at her hand, and Yamato froze, realizing that he had also grabbed her hand to keep her from taking another step.

"Let me help you carry your books. You're carrying enough already…"

"Sure…"

When Mimi passed her books over to Yamato, he held them at the hook of his free arm. They let go of each other's hands, but it seemed to happen at the last possible moment.

"You really are spoiling me," Mimi added.

"I'm sure you're enjoying this," Yamato retorted.

She giggled and turned around to continue walking. But, should he let her? He wanted to hold her hand, but what if…?

Yamato was hesitating, but he was starting to get tired of letting moments like these go to waste.

"Mimi," he called.

"Hmm?"

Taking those few steps to meet her at her side, Yamato reached for her hand to hold once again.

"Shall we?"

This appeared to catch Mimi by surprise. Her mouth parted slightly, although no words came out.

"If this isn't…" Yamato added, ready to slip his hand away.

"No…" Mimi held his hand back, and a smile formed on her lips. "I like this." She took her other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, with her cheeks showing more pink as she smiled.

Yamato wasn't used to seeing her bashful like she was as they walked up the steps together, hand in hand. But he found her adorable.

He wasn't used to holding her hand either, but it was one thing he knew that he wanted to be.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"So, you and Mimi, huh?" Touma asked at their band practice that afternoon.

"Yup. Me and Mimi," Yamato replied.

"I guess she wasn't into me, after all."

Touma joined the other bandmates to tune and warm up their instruments, just as Yamato had begun doing for his bass.

"I thought you'd be more bothered by it," Yamato added while he plucked a string and let the bass reverberate through the amp.

"Nah, she seemed more into you, anyway. You're my bandmate, and one of my best friends. I know when to step aside."

"Thanks, man."

There was maturity in Touma after all, Yamato thought to himself. He smiled at Touma and they exchanged a fist bump handshake.

But the exact words from Yamato's thoughts rolled off of Akemi's tongue moments later, causing Touma to cry out in defense while Yamato and Kota laughed.

"Don't think I'm too down about this," Touma said. "There's already a cute girl in class that I've been eyeing. She's got long, black hair. She wears glasses and she doesn't talk much, but, man…"

"A moment of maturity doesn't mean he's actually changed all that much," Yamato retorted.

Touma continued to talk, and Yamato and the others decided to humor him while they tuned and warmed up their instruments. Touma fiddled with the strings of his electric guitar all the while, and he paused his rambling whenever he heard an off-note to adjust his strings.

"Alright, enough of this chatter," Yamato commanded, and he followed with a bass lick from what was normally the intro song of their set. "Time to rehearse for the gig on Friday. Let's make it count."

"You got it, leader," Touma replied, playing a melody in response.

By Wednesday, the majority of the school had learned about Yamato and Mimi, and it was not hard for Yamato to notice. As he walked through the hallways with Taichi and Sora, Yamato found that there were less interruptions from his conversations with his friends, and more of him listening to the two friends bicker like an old couple.

Mimi had made him another bento box which he indulged in during lunch at their usual spot, and Yamato made a promise that he would make her some next week when his band took a break after their next gig.

"Can I pick the things that I want you to put in them?" she asked him.

"Well, if you did that, then it wouldn't be a surprise," Yamato argued. "I already know your favorites."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Yamato. I think you have delicious taste in food on good days-"

"What do you mean by 'good days'?"

"-but a girl wants to choose what she thinks is the best, most nutritious meal for the school week."

Yamato stared at her. "Do you have to be so picky?"

"Can I choose? Please?" Mimi stared at him, her brown eyes a little wider and her lips wearing a small pout.

In his silent response, Yamato took a bite of his food.

"Yamatoooo~"

"Fine."

Mimi squealed and threw her arms around him.

"I'll probably have to start preparing on Sunday, after me and the band play that gig."

"Oh, yeah - it's on Friday, isn't it?"

"It is. Think you can make it?"

Mimi scoffed. "Do you have to ask? Of course I'll go!"

Yamato chuckled. "There's always a party after. It's usually at Touma's house."

"Well, as long as you, Sora, and Taichi are there, I'll go, too."

He turned to Mimi to give her a smile, but he noticed that her smile in return was not as bright as it was moments ago.

But then, a thought crossed his mind. And it was followed by Taichi's words:

"The only thing left to do is ask her out."

"Hey, Mimi," Yamato began. "You know, on Sunday…"

"What about Sunday?"

"Maybe…"

"Maybe…?"

Yamato felt Mimi's eyes watching him, waiting for what he would say next. He could feel his heart pounding with his hesitation looming over him.

"Maybe you can come over and watch me prepare your bento? You can help me choose, if you want to."

Mimi giggled at him. "Really? I'd love that! I guess I'll be seeing my rockstar chef in action soon."

Yamato felt relieved that she accepted the idea, but he also felt surprised now that she was going to visit him that weekend. He wasn't even sure what his dad's plans were, but he imagined he would be subject to some teasing the next time they saw each other.

Regardless, he decided to ignore those worries for the time being.

"I'll still eat whatever you make me," he said as he continued to eat Mimi made for him.

Mimi beamed and leaned her head on his shoulder.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Her mood changed again, however, the moment they stepped back into the school building. Yamato held hands with her as they approached her classroom, and the cheerfulness in her eyes had disappeared.

"What's wrong, Meems?" he asked.

"Haven't you noticed?" she asked back, her voice softer. "It's like everyone is avoiding us."

When Yamato looked, he caught the eyes of a group of classmates who normally smiled and greeted him as they crossed paths. This time, they diverted their eyes from him quickly. He had noticed that people were talking approaching him less, but only then started paying closer attention.

"I guess they are," he replied.

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"I thought it was a different atmosphere lately, but it doesn't bother me. I don't mind being left alone, either way."

"Oh, I see. That's right."

They parted ways once they arrived at Mimi's classroom, but Yamato noticed, by her silence and the tightened grip of her hand on his, that the atmosphere was bothering her.

Yamato did his best to pay attention to the teacher for the rest of the day, but Mimi remained in the forefront of his mind. Although she was usually upbeat around him, he had been noticing her troubled expression at school more often.

"Are you alright?" Yamato asked in a text message that he sent with his phone hidden from the teacher's line of sight. "It seems like something's bothering you."

"I'm okay. Really, Yama," she replied. "Thank you for checking on me. [heart]"

Once again, Mimi declined to tell Yamato what was troubling her, and the longer she was going to do this, the more Yamato knew it was going to worry him.

"Want me to walk with you after school?"

"I'm hanging out with Sora today. How about tomorrow?"

"Okay. :)"

At the sound of the bell that signalled the end of the school day, Yamato met up with Sora at her desk while Taichi parted with them for soccer practice. Since Sora had planned to meet with Mimi at the bottom of the stairs, Yamato joined her to walk with her on the way, and Sora told him where they planned to go and what they were going to do.

"That sounds like you ladies will have a lot of fun," Yamato said. "Hopefully it'll cheer Mimi up. She always seems down when she's at school."

Sora's smile faltered, as though she knew exactly what he was talking about. "Yeah. I hope so too."

They were a few steps away from the second-year classroom when they heard a sudden shout of a name. Stopping at the sound, both Yamato and Sora watched in startled confusion as a student rushed out of the door, her long, caramel-colored locks flying as she turned a corner.

Yamato had a bad feeling, but he didn't know for certain until a girl with long, black hair jumped out of the classroom, shouting the name more clearly:

"Mimi! Wait!"

"Girl, let her run," came another voice as a different girl emerged from the classroom. "She's not worth it."

"Excuse me?" Sora said, crossing her arms with discontent.

The girl who spoke last looked to Sora, and then she closed her mouth as though she hesitated to speak any further. But her expression worsened once she realized that Yamato was standing next to Sora.

Although Yamato was connecting the dots of the situation before him, he had a sinking feeling that grew as he knew Mimi was running further and further away. He thought to ask the girl questions then and there, but he figured that Sora would handle that part, especially since the anger that rose within him seemed to match with Sora's face.

"I'm going after Mimi," Yamato told Sora. Then, he immediately broke off into a run before she could say anything else.

[scripturienss]

Deuces

Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me and neither do the X-Men. Might be completely ooc from the superheroes you may know and expect.

Title: Deuces on FF.net. Rating: G Genre: Drama/Romance Prompt: Superheroes AU Word Count: 2,202

I don't gamble but if I did, I would bet on us.

"Dead Sea", The Lumineers

The first time they meet, a bomb sets off to her right, nearly deafening her.

The first time they meet, a bomb sets off to her right, nearly deafening her.

"Out of the way!"

It's a full-blown battle and her teammates are running, flying around her and tearing the city to the ground. She grabs hold of the first non-friend near her; there is a flash of light, so many images, so much anger and passion, and so much cold. Then there is nothing. She stands, eyes glowing white and creates a snowstorm around them that steals the air from everyone's lungs, all warmth gone from their limbs. Sora joins in and together, they manage to subdue the chaos around them just long enough to draw back.

The professor says it's important to know when to pull back from a battle already won, but Mimi resents not being able to finish it once and for all. They don't deserve this momentary peace.

.

.

Sora doesn't like anything about him. From the way he walks, too quietly, always brooding, to the way he talks in that low, sweet voice and how his French slips in every now and then. Mimi watches him from a safe distance in the library while he sits under her favourite oak tree, seemingly harmless. From here, he looks just like any other guy in the academy, he could be anyone and do anything. Perhaps, from here, he isn't the assassin she knows him to be though that possibility doesn't stop her from being angry, too.

The object of her current irritation enters the room and Mimi doesn't turn around when he asks, "Are you going to keep ignoring me?"

She can hear the anger in the way he's breathing so heavily through his nostrils. The thought brings her immense pleasure.

"Mimi, he's a friend."

"He tried to kill us," she tells him, fixing him with a stare. "Nearly damn succeeded, too."

Ryo frowns and she can almost believe him to be flustered. The years and scars have hardened his face and he hasn't shaved in a while. Sometimes she wonders how she could ever find him attractive but then, there are so few men that don't run away when met with her...

"He's not a bad guy," is the only thing he says. Mimi stands quietly and slips by him, half-waiting for him to flinch away from her touch. He doesn't, but then again, she doesn't touch him either.

.

.

"I have the strangest feeling you don't like me much."

"I didn't know you were telepathic, too. Mimi, did you know?"

Mimi glances uneasily at Sora, frowning. She's usually much nicer, the sweetest person Mimi has ever met but old habits die hard and this guy had a very good shot at blowing Sora's boyfriend to bits and pieces. You don't forget a thing like that so easily, no matter whose side you say you're on.

"I'm sorry," he says, sneering. "You weren't giving me much of a choice, you know."

"I'm going to find Taichi. You're staying?"

Mimi looks alarmed. "I'll be there in a minute." Sora leaves without another word and Mimi sighs. "She'll come around," she offers, despite not entirely believing her own words. "You did shoot at him."

He considers her for a moment and Mimi struggles not to break eye contact. He's handsome, not like Taichi, who is rugged and a bit rough; his features are delicate, would be almost too pretty if it weren't for the scars and the eerie, unnatural blue of his eyes. Mimi thinks it must be hard, having people always avert your eyes.

"What about you?"

She pouts. It's not his fault, she thinks, that Ryo thought it was a good idea to bring him in. His instincts are almost always right, even if the way he handles things is completely wrong. "I'm angrier at someone else at the moment, so you're good."

.

.

"So what's your power?" he asks, settling on the grass near her. He eyes her carefully, from her closed toe shoes to the pants and long sleeves, the gloves she's begun to put on the moment he approached her. "Hypersensitivity to the sunlight?"

"I'm—," she pauses, taking a small breath. He's toying with a playing card between his fingers, doing all sorts of ridiculous little tricks; it's the queen of hearts. Mimi smiles ruefully. "I'm a thief."

Gambit—that's what he calls himself these days—stops twirling the card and looks at her, smiling and she's sure she has never seen him smile before. He throws the card with scary precision into the sky and it blows up in tiny pieces, the cardboard falling around them like dry snow. "That's funny," he says, though he isn't smiling anymore. "So am I."

.

.

During the next few months, they spend a lot more time together. They train and eat together and sometimes he helps her study. Most of the time he's off on his own while Mimi attends her lessons and then he shows her a few nifty little tricks he's been working on. Sora doesn't hate him anymore and though Taichi still grumbles every now and then, she's sure he likes him more than he lets on. It's hard not to. He's quiet and polite, charming when he wants to be, clever even without trying. The professor values his input and experience and much of their success can be owed to the things he has brought and taught them.

The word 'mercenary' lingers in the air, still too raw to forget. Mimi tries not to think too much about it but sometimes she wonders, too, what kind of story he drags behind.

"Why do they call you Rogue?"

The light in the greenhouse casts a strange look on him, like a wraith or some other dream-demon of old.

"I ran away from home, left this place a couple of times," she sticks her tongue out at him. "I guess, there aren't many other things you could call me."

"I could think of a few," he says, and it's so rare to see him joke, Mimi doesn't know how to respond. So she tosses her hair over her shoulder and gives him a nonchalant shrug.

"Why'd they call you Gambit?"

"It's a trick move," he answers, tilting the waterpot into the cacti she's been looking after. "And an unfortunate nickname."

.

.

A new group of students arrives late that autumn, and Mimi greets them as happily as she can. Some of them are orphans, others are runaways, like her. A few were sent in by understanding parents who figure out it's better for them to be with their kind. These are always the most miserable kids. She does her best to help them adjust to life at the institute, figure out the rules and generally keep out of harm's way. At the end of the day, despite their powers, they're still mostly children and are sometimes treated as such.

Because she's kind and rather beautiful, every now and then some boy who thinks he's too clever will try to make a pass at her. Mimi brushes them all off easily, light-heartedly; none must come to harm. But every once in a while someone will grow too bold and won't pay heed to the warnings. Accidents have happened before, it's how the rumors started.

"Hey, Rogue, check it out!"

It all happens so fast. The kid reaches out and holds fast to her wrist and suddenly Mimi's entire body is on fire. Someone screams and it takes a moment for her to realise it's her, she's screaming and Takuya is on the floor and she can see the whites in his eyes. She's so sorry but she can't stay, not here, not with him looking all but dead while flames melt down her limbs.

"Move!" she bellows and she runs, fast, away and out into the woods that surround the property. She can see flashes of his life, his family, the scent of baking bread mixes unpleasantly with the smell of charred hair, clothes and skin. Mimi stops, doubles over and throws up until her stomach is empty.

.

.

He finds her sitting on a rock, near the small pond on the eastern field of the property.

"They were all looking for you."

"How is he?"

He scratches his jaw, solemn. "A bit dazed, but he'll live. I think he's mostly embarrassed though."

"I didn't mean to do it," she murmurs, hiding her face in her arms. "He caught me off guard, I couldn't—,"

"He shouldn't have touched you," he says, so fiercely that Mimi looks up and nearly misses his expression, fogged as her eyes are. He seems to notice and runs a hand through his hair; when he turns to her all traces of it are gone and he's smiling good-naturedly. "You really are something, aren't you, chére?"

.

.

They hadn't been expecting it. One moment they were together, having dinner and the next their intercoms were buzzing and the Blackbird was loaded and ready to go. Mimi hesitates briefly but Taichi (sweet Taichi) holds on to her hand and tugs on it. "We're a team," he says, then smiles that half-smile that irritates her so much. "And you're coming with us."

They drop down on ground zero and the fight that ensues is exhausting, both terrifying and exhilarating. She's never had free range with her powers before but this time she doesn't have time to think, to plan; she takes what she needs and gives them what they deserve. She's fought Magneto before, she's not afraid to do it again and the multiple explosions that seem to follow (but never touch her) are all the reassurance she needs.

Smoke chokes her lungs and she dives away from the blast, covering her face with her arms. He's gliding towards her, so close that she can touch him so she does, she dives for him and clutches his face, there's a huge blast behind her and the rest is all dark.

.

.

His eyes are the first thing she sees when she awakes. His face, usually composed, is a mess of dirt and sweat. There's blood trickling from his left brow and his eye is completely shut. He's devastating nonetheless and she's never been happier to see him.

"Rogue?" His voice is hoarse, like he's been screaming. She's drifting back into unconsciousness and desperate, he kisses her. She gasps and falls into his outstretched arms.

Things are never the same between them again.

.

.

"You could've died," she says bitterly, sitting in the hospital ward. The harsh bright lights make him look sickly pale and this makes her heart shrink. Because she's absorbed Ryo's powers on more than one occassion, Mimi heals rather fast and is already looking a lot like her former self. He's not as lucky, still a bit mangled and wearing an eye-patch over his left eye. The other one shines as startlingly blue as the first time they met.

"But I didn't," he sighs. "I thought you'd be happier about it."

"You shouldn't have!"

"You were on the ground—!"

"I don't mean the bomb," her voice has gone uncharacteristically quiet and he hesitates only a moment before moving, carefully, to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. The usual rose gold of her hair is framed by locks of silver, brighter than ever before. She flinches a little and her eyes fill with tears.

"I don't regret it. I would only hope you don't, either."

.

.

It feels so good to be touched again. His fingers (gloved, almost always gloved), lightly brush her cheeks and Mimi leans in to his touch. He bends down to place his lips on her shoulder; the kiss lingers soft and sweet and she shudders underneath his touch. They lay together like this, with him resting on her breast and tracing circles on her skin. She sighs, curling into him and placing her hand on his hair, kissing the backs of her fingers.

The psyonic imprint of his mind lingers somewhere in the back of hers, a cruel reminder of a moment that was stolen from them. He's louder than others, trembling with the sort of intensity that threatens to be overwhelming.

"What else did you see?"

"Your house, friends you have lost. The family you grew up with." She's crying again. "I'm sorry."

He rolls over to lay beside her, taking a deep breath and looking up into the ceiling. When he turns, both eyes are focused on her. "Call me by my name."

So she smiles, breathless, and he kisses her open palm. "Okay, Yamato."

.

.

"I want to kiss you."

A breathless laugh escapes her, ending in a sob that shakes her to her core. "I thought I had lost you."

"You could never lose me, chére. I couldn't bear it."

This time she does laugh and it's almost infectious, like something from his childhood he thought he had lost. His lips curl against the cloth that covers her neck and he kisses her pulse. If this moment is all they'll have, then—

"You're a prince, Ishida Yamato."

"Prince of thieves. Let's steal one more from Fate, hm?"

Notes: Part two of #digiOTPweek2k17 and a couple of observations.

1. I was already halfway done when someone pointed out this could've worked with Yamato as Rogue and Mimi as Gambit. I was tempted but upon the rewrite, I realised there were a few traits I wanted to keep and decided not to do it. I may or may not regret this decision.

2. In chess, a 'gambit' is an opening where you move a pawn that requires a sacrifice.

3. I regret so much about this piece but didn't want to miss out on the superhero fun! I'm trash.

4. The last lines are are from an actual panel from the comics and were originally what inspired me to write about them.