#it's always sunny in purgatory

[ellebastonart]

Premiering right now on my YouTube channel! Let's read old comics for The Caged Underworld's manga spinoff!

In case you missed the first video for TCU's anniversary celebration:

@fanimeconfessions @fanime-compliments @fanimeupdate @spectrumtidbits

[soars22]

I’ve had a wild thought.

You know how the duck was missing from the Federation video where they were explaining the Cucurucho cookies? This is a crazy theory, but after Purgatory and the Eye being ElQuackity, I wonder if the duck is Quackity-like, it’s a similar thing.

Like. Think about it.

We know that Quackity is in hell or limbo or whatever and there’s that theory floating around about how he’s in a coma (the constant beating we’ve heard in the background of his streams is totally a heart monitor) and I just- the thought hit me and wouldn’t leave me alone.

There’s too much of a coincidence for me with Quackity possibly being in a coma and the Federation duck being absent at the same time. Quackity is the duck and I don’t know how to feel about it.

[soulfireblue]

we spent so much time wondering if anyone ever chooses tubbo first. and now. and now bad builds an underground base, tells his coach how good a job he did, and steps back into purgatory thinking of him. now bagi looks her daughter in the eyes and tells her she has to leave her to go to purgatory, because she has to be there for tubbo. now sunny, who once worked only unwillingly, builds a bunker by hand, block by reinforced block. now fit promises to watch sunny, of course, tubbo doesn't even have to ask. (but then again, fit and pac have always been there, haven't they? morning crew is always there for each other. but now maybe they aren't the only ones after all.)

[ohnothisisathing]

I think a lot about how q!Tazercraft's relationship matured during QSMP into being more separate people. A lot has been said about Pac and being forced to spend months away from Mike because he was kidnapped and in a coma and finding new connection with Fit, Tubbo, Bagi, Ramon, Sunny, Empanada and renewed connection with Richarlyson and Cellbit (for a time).

But when Mike came back for good they noticeably spent less time together to the point where they stopped even seeking each other out.

Pac went off to the friends and family he'd made in Mike's absence. Mike, though, dedicated most of his time to Richarlyson. For much of his early time on the server, Mike avoided having to be alone with Richas because he'd lost his first life when Mike was the only one watching him. They got closer building the Esconde Esconde and especially the Murder Mystery arenas together so when Mike came back the person he wanted to see most was Richarlyson and they spent much of their remaining time on the server building together.

Another thing that happened is that Mike got closer to his goddess to the point of building a tribute to her as his final project for all the server to see. He also got close the his Purgatory team and closer to BBH and made friends with YD and in general seems less angry and more settled. Like don't get me wrong, Mike is still fiery but he seems to have had a calm peace to himself in the end. More than when he crashed on Quesadilla Island in my humble opinion.

Pac and Mike will always be close and share a soul. They are meant to be together, but I feel they've both matured their togetherness to the point where they can grow separately and still be Pac e Mike.

[oddlyzephyrous]

also YES sunny DOES NOT need another rejection and YES it'll be awful if q!charlie does that to her BUT. putting my foot down NOW. if any of y'all hate on ccCharlie for this it's ON SIGHT because this behavior makes COMPLETE SENSE for the progression of the character of q!charlie so far. He literally RAN out of that room in Purgatory because juanaflippa(codeflippa) is his FIRST and ONLY priority. this man is seriously fucking ill (physically and mentally) and extremely isolated from others. This man is NOT WELL. and that doesn't justify any hurt he may cause sunny AT ALL. you know. we saw the q!roier situation go down. yeah.

REMEMBER PPL CHARACTER DRAMA MAKES THESE THINGS FUN IT WOULD BE SO BORING IF EVERY CHARACTER WAS PERFECT AND GOOD AND ALWAYS DID GOOD THINGS

WE KNEW THIS RELATIONSHIP WOULD BE SUPER ROCKY FROM THE FIRST TIME WE MET SUNNY

[qtubbo]

Almost everyone assuming the way to “fix” Tubbo not being happy being make him and Fred start dating again, because it’s the simplest solution but just isn’t the solution. Tubbo is not jealous of Fit and Pac’s relationship in comparison to him in Fred, any jealous is of himself being third pick, rather than anything to do with them actually dating. From his and Bagi’s talks with Fred, it becomes pretty obvious that Tubbo is avoiding getting back together with Fred. He knows Fred likes him still, both how she’s acting and from the “boy with the pretty eyes” letter. Bagi’s talk with Fred, made her convinced that they just need to get together since it’s obvious they both still like each other, but it also asserts that Fred is making the active choice to step away for safety reasons.

From Tubbo and Pac’s chat, we can really gather some of his lingering trauma from his relationship with Fred. Fred was in constant danger from the Feds because he was with Tubbo, and Fred liking Tubbo is what got him tortured and almost killed by Quackity. Tubbo projects this unfortunate relationship on to Pac’s with Fit, he puts Pac as himself and Fit as Fred (just due to opening up to Pac instead of Fit nothing more), he explains in rambles about how they’ll be used against each other. That their relationship puts a target on each other’s back, if someone wanted to get at Fit they could use Pac. Pac being so open towards Tubbo, allowing him to get his thoughts out without proclaiming paranoia, helped Tubbo be a lot more honest. Explaining his general anxiety towards being in a romantic relationship, because he’ll be the catalyst to their down fall. Even making it obvious to someone else if it came down to it he’d kill Fred for an egg, by speaking of ultimatums in which it was Pac/Fit or Ramon/Richas.

He makes it pretty obvious he’s put his life on hold for Sunny, by projecting those same choices Tubbo made for Sunny on to Pac. Tubbo isn’t going any of this out of some jealousy to have Fit and Pac’s relationship but rather from fear. To him the choice is simple, even though it’s guilt-ridden, what’s better Pac or Fit dying as a pawn in someone else's game or a break up where they remain friends afterwards. This is a much more deep seated issue than some magical true love kiss can fix, even though both Fred and Tubbo still love each other. Fear is overriding want, and just getting him and Fred back together will make him reject Fred, or be in an intense state of stress.

When it comes down to his relationship with Morning Crew as a whole, he feels like the third wheel and has always felt that way. It’s Fit and Pac and then it’s Tubbo. Tubbo mimics a lot of Pac’s issues about usefulness and feeling like last place within their respective family’s. He’s been open about feeling like Morning Crew will become just a duo, that most of the love is directed towards Fit and Pac rather than himself. Tubbo has never shown any real bitterness from this, but he has showed a deep loneliness, Morning Crew is his safety net, he hasn’t accepted Bagi in yet, and his relationship with Phil has strained since purgatory. So in practicality if he lost Morning Crew, he looses an essential part of being alive, and he needs that for Sunny.

Tubbo is overwhelmingly terrified that Fit and Pac getting together is the beginning of the end, even though Fit and Pac have shown even after dating that he’s always on the back of their minds, that they’ll always care. He convinced himself that they’ll start spending more and more time together, without him, that he won’t even be a sidelong glance. There’s also a fear of death, a forced separation that them being together means their always each other’s weak point, “empathy is weakness”. To show care to another, is to show someone can hurt you with them, that’s something Tubbo has lived with since Fred. He won’t call Morning Crew his family, even though they are because then they’ll be in danger because of him.

It’s this pestering paranoia that’s driving Tubbo, not jealousy, he can not be “fix” as most islanders say by just giving him Fred to love. His loneliness is a choice built on fear, sometimes when Tubbo says he doesn’t want to love again, he means it. They love each other but now is not the time, maybe in the future where he isn’t so isolated.

[dionewrites]

𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄. ˚₊ HEADCANONS // ft. Lucifer 1.1k words · GN!Reader · SFW · Feel-good & Fluff ♛ Masterlist | Request Guidelines

⚠ Content Warning: Mention of his demon form, implicit threat and possible death, and reader being sick, stressed, unhappy, experiencing insomnia, and gaining haters. ✎ Note: This is the first work I wrote and posted here on my blog. I’ll be writing for all the demon brothers with this scenerio as well, so please look forward to it!

Lucifer is an ideal partner that certainly comes with a host of benefits. However, this demon is pretty private and keeps some of his cards close to his chest, so it’ll take time for him to fully open up. More so, showing his affection for you shamelessly.

He prefers to keep things on the down-low, so it’s not distinctly apparent that the two of you are dating, but as he falls more deeply and intensely in love with you, he becomes more comfortable and bolder in displaying his affection and declaring you’re his. Still, if one does not have eyes like a hawk, one will likely not notice those subtle cues, such as the shared pecks on the cheeks or lips when no one’s looking, the three love taps on the back of your hand to express “I love you,” his frequent stroke on your arm, hand, or shoulder blade, and how his hand is always resting on your thigh whenever you’re sitting beside him.

His most blatant public display of affection is when he spreads his wings in his demon form and wraps them around you on one side. When he’s in an excellent or sunny disposition, he’ll hold your hand and gently squeeze it from time to time, which he cutely does unconsciously, all the while entwining his fingers with yours.

He calls you “honey” or “my dear” as an endearment, but only in private. He still sticks to your name in front of others, excluding his brothers, Diavolo, Barbatos, and the occupants of the Purgatory Hall. After all, aside from gloating a bit that he’s the one you chose over them, he doesn’t really see the need to restrain himself to that extent around them.

He takes care and prioritizes your well-being around the clock. When you feel unwell or tuckered out to function for the day, he excuses you from your classes and requests a work from home for him to Diavolo to look after you. If given permission, he spends most of his time in your room and usually settles himself down, presumably working, on an armchair positioned slightly distant from your bed, just enough not to disturb your rest. This demon might seem to give off an air of calm and relaxed composure, but you bet he’s been a bundle of nerves throughout your bedridden hours. The heaps of glances he casts on you every minute are enough to reveal his uneasiness about your condition.

However, if there are very crucial matters he needs to personally manage immediately and, unfortunately, can’t be granted approval for work from home, he finishes his work as early and quickly as he can or goes back and forth between RAD and the House of Lamentation to check on you and make sure you are eating and take your medications at the right time.

Once you feel better, he teaches all the lessons while assisting you with the assignments and activities you’ve missed. He takes additional precautions to ensure you’ll not get sick again by closely monitoring your daily habits, food intake, and health condition. It may sound annoying and constant nagging, but taking extra care of your body and health is the top priority.

He can give succor and handle most of your concerns and worries. When someone wrongs or attempts to hurt you, if it requires immediate action or you want him to lift a finger, they’ll be dealt with straight away and make sure they’ll never trouble you again, though it’s a mystery whether they’re still alive…

When you feel overwhelmed and stressed, he does his utmost to reduce the task and burden placed on you, which he usually does without your knowledge. After those long days, he’ll take you on a date or short vacation (with or without his brothers) to unwind.

When you feel distressed and down in the dumps, he instantly drops whatever he’s doing, regardless of how swamped he is with work, to let you vent on him, listen to you (plus offer advice if you ask for it), and takes you into his arms while giving you slow and soft kisses or caressing your back to soothe and reassure you that you always have him and everything will be okay before long.

When you experience insomnia, he plays the musical pieces he composes for and about you on the piano. This demon has several irons in the fire, so there’s no doubt it’s surprising he has the time to spare—but little do you know, he only spends a short time composing the majority of them because, for some reason, everything easily falls into place just by thinking about you. His works are brimming with emotions, much of which focus on his deep affection, admiration, and devotion toward you.

He makes time for you. Despite having a lot on his plate, it’ll not become a serious issue because he consistently makes a special effort to be around you and involved in your every day, no matter how exhausted he is. On some days, you can see him pushing himself too hard that you’re the one who ends up canceling your plans and dates to force him to rest because he’ll never will.

He’s honest with you and won’t hide anything from you unless necessary and has a good reason for it. Even though you’re not asking or prying, he informs you about every demon, incubus, witch, or other species he meets and has a business with. Many take pleasure in spreading rumors and gossip about him, so he tells you about them to prevent misunderstandings.

His love languages are physical touch and quality time. His favorite time of the day is when he finally gets the opportunity and leisure to stick to you like glue. This demon can’t keep his hands to himself but will never verbally admit how touch-starved he is every day (unless he imbibes demonus). He always wants you to be physically close to him and enter your physical spaces. He loves how it feels to hold and be held by you. He longs for your presence and to simply spends meaningful time together.

Dating Lucifer makes others hold you in even higher regard and esteem. This is the avatar of pride we’re talking about, who’s immaculate and excellent in almost all aspects. Naturally, their respect for him is significantly extended to you. However, it’s also inevitable for many to feel envious and resentful of you, gaining numerous rivals and haters who are wishing and waiting for your breakup. Still, it’s best to feel and embrace that great pride for having him, just as much as he does for being with you as well.

[tubborucho]

NOT a /neg to op, I just want to talk about it

I would not say Tubbo necessarily cares for BBH specifically. I would even go as far as to say though he does care, it’s a very much normal amount, barely more than for most of the islanders he’d properly interacted with before. And you know me, I am the biggest Soul Sacrificers hyper and supporter in all the internet, so I do not say it lightly.

Tubbo doesn’t care for BBH that much. Maybe he would a bit more if he didn’t have his own thing going on and crippling mental health issues, but it is what it is.

Those 5 hours were for Dapper, not for Bad. If there wasn’t Dapper’s life on the stake and instead it was Bad’s Tubbo though would try to help anyway, it would not nearly be on the same level.

Tubbo yesterday did not care what is going on with Bad and his memory. You’d think he would be more interested in it because of the shared dying/coming back experience. But he literally just wanted his money back and that’s it.

When he told Chayanne he would look into bringing Bad back (though he then proceeded to forget about it anyway), it was because his godson was worried, not he himself.

And so on. If you want, you can just compare his actions and words to Bagi, who cares a lot about practically everyone. This is not the same.

HOWEVER

What Tubbo holds for Bad is just as important: respect. There has always been deep down respect between them. Even when they were at odds with Ron kidnapping and Tubhole, and even when they are more regularly just want to annoy each other or ‘take advantage’ of each other (aka Tubbo asking Bad for cookies quests stuff back on the old island). There always was respect. It is here now.

Respect turned comradary after the Purgatory when Tubbo listened to Bad’s calls during the @v@ interactions.

Respect, when he did not try to scam Bad with this loan, using his memory issues.

Respect, when Bad went along with Tubbo’s Salesman schemes and Tubbo immediately including him properly, WITHOUT trying to scam Bad himself.

Respect turned valuing opinion, when Tubbo was calling Bad over to Tubchunk specifically to have him look at his machines and farms.

Respect turned trust with Bad being 3rd person Tubbo specifically outwardly allowed Sunny to wake up to and Bad being the only person Tubbo didn’t really try to hide the existence of the bunker and its location from (comparing how he acted around Phil about that and before Fit was shown it, after which Tubbo kinda gave up mostly)

I would love for Tubbo to get closer to Bad in a way of genuine and strong care, For him to intentionally try to help him out when needed because of Bad and not because of a kid/Tubbo just being kind and helpful as a person, It’s not the reality now, though.

But what we have is still amazing. I love those two so much.

[comradeboyhalo]

i really like the idea of trust vs reliability when it comes to q!bad. bad isnt a very trustworthy individual, partly because hes a chronic liar and prankster, partly because he refuses to trust others in return. but he's a reliable babysitter, and has always been one since the adoption event, which leads to this fun dichotomy that parents dont trust him with their backs, but they do trust him with their kids.

reliability is so important in a server that's always changing. there's a ton of parents who are great babysitters, but there arent many that are consistently online everyday, that have all the resources for cookie quests and backpack upgrades, that have hours to sink into creating elaborate stasis chambers. bad's the only one who has access to all ninho rooms, the only one who's babysat all eggs (although sunny is the only one that hasnt been babysat one-on-one). the only flaw on bad's part is that he isn't available during the morning shift, which is why im interested to see that if, in the future, tubbo will end up getting the same rep as bad. but part of the reason bad's built up such a rep is due to the fact he's an og islander, and has had a lot more opportunities to prove himself, egg safety wise.

bad lost a lot of trust with others when he began to spiral after the eggs were kidnapped, and his rep only worsened after purgatory. yet the only parent to stop entrusting him with their kids was roier and, ironically, in his absence, bad became pepito's main caretaker after foolish. he still has yet to lose his reliability and i really wonder if he ever will. i can only think of two scenarios: he has an actual villain and/or possession arc, or cc!bad just stops logging in frequently.

[ellebastonart]

Premiering right now on my YouTube channel! We're back to celebrating TCU's anniversary with a nifty art challenge~

In case you missed the first videos in this series:

[daisyychainssj]

Bagi logging on earlier and being able to hang out more with morning crew and see empanada more also meaning that empanada gets to hang out more with pac and Mike. Richas gets to spend more time with bagi and em. Ramon can spend more time with Em. Em, Sunny, Ramon and Richas can hang out together. Bagi can get to know Mike. Bagi can spend more time with Pac who she’s considered one of her closest friends on the island since she got there. It allows her to grow her friendship with fit more especially since they got closer during Purgatory. Bagi and Tubbo are always so funny around each other. Like this is my perfect victory

[soulfireblue]

Phil and Tubbo's conversation was so interesting. Because when Tubbo suggested killing Forever, Phil got upset. He immediately put himself in the place of Forever, to try to point out to Tubbo that Forever means as much to Phil as Phil means to Tubbo, to show that Phil couldn't bring himself to do that to Forever. But Tubbo's very logical, but he's also very ruled by his emotions. So the logical conclusion is yes, that would be his reaction even if it was Phil, because emotionally the eggs have to come first.

And what if it was Tubbo himself? He didn't really answer the question. He instead claimed that it couldn't happen to him, because he just focuses on his factories. But that wasn't a no. And I think Phil would have liked to hear that Tubbo would want the same done to himself for Sunny's sake even less than he liked hearing that Tubbo would do it to him.

And coming back from Purgatory 2 maybe highlights some of the ways that Tubbo thinks, but Tubbo has always had this thought process. This isn't the first time this question has come up for Tubbo. When asked if he would choose Fred or his godchildren, the choice of his godchildren was immediate. Fred is one of the people who means the most to Tubbo; we all saw the way he reacted when he thought Fred was dead. Tubbo was devastated, but he'd still choose the eggs. And that was before he even had Sunny.

I think Forever would understand it and maybe even agree. The eggs come first.

[tubchunk]

okay but today showed just how concerning q!tubbo's behavior and attitudes are becoming, and how it's probably going to be too late until someone notices.

i'll be honest, q!tubbo has ALWAYS been reckless and willing to throw himself into dangerous situations without much thought or consideration. but something about how he does it now has been worse, i'd say.

even since coming back from purgatory, the first couple days after he first met sunny, he was actually MORE careful. i don't think he got knocked once, was always wearing armor, was always careful. except for lucky ducks, where he gave sunny all of his armor, and lied to her about having a backup set and then went in anyway, getting knocked MANY times in the process. but even that, can be looked over.

but ever since fred's funeral. man.

it is so glaringly obvious how bad it has gotten. the actual day OF the stream, q!tubbo was jumping from the side of the hole in ways that got him knocked TWICE, and sunny had to pick him up. then, later when tallulah accidentally dropped the picture she had taken, he jumped down from the top of the wall WITHOUT PULLING OUT HIS GLIDER, and then just casually went back up. when q!pierre was shooting at them, he almost involuntarily threw himself before sunny like a shield, taking all those shots.

and then we come to today. q!tubbo hasn't gotten himself any real armor other than the chestplate from lucky ducks, he misplaced his glider in one of the chests, and then proceeded to MULTIPLE TIMES, jump down into the hole and get knocked, with the simple explanation that "sunny will save me". he fought mobs a bit slower, tanking more hits. and then he jumped back down the hole again, except this time HE DIED. he hasn't died like that on the server in a while. and then, when stuck at q!pierre's base, he decided that he has to die again, and leaves a block in his inventory so his corpse remains there, and he dies again. then finally, when he is back at the factory after all that, he just goes to the chest and pulls out the glider, and when asked about it, yeah he knew it was there the whole time.

i know a lot of this is probably just coincidence but I DON'T KNOW.... with cc!tubbo confirming (and not elaborating) that q!tubbo hasn't even showered since purgatory (my guy the smell) and then all this..... the subtle arc thats being set up and played out for q!tubbo is making me nervous.

[sweetie-peaches]

Back again with the goose apocalypse purgatory au

Tubbo shows his team pictures of Sunny like the proud father he is. He tells them that he’d take them to meet her (and the if they survive remains silent)

Sometimes Tubbo will default to the ‘talking to my young child’ voice with his team, and it works way better then it should.

He is also great at getting answers out of people, scarily good at it even.

They somehow always manage to end up asleep piled together, with Tubbo having to as carefully as possible carrying them to bed. There’s a lot of pictures of this

Tubbo has a weird connection with nature and animals. Hell he probably nursed a goose back to health

But all things must come to an end: on a mission with his geese, they’re left behind in a battlefield, a team that’s primary mission is rescues. Knowing that they don’t have much shot to survive they spend the night around a camp fire, celebrating their time together

And as the sky lights up with missles raining down on them he tells his team how proud he is, how in any life he’d be their captain.

And they say goodbye screaming goose into the air

[qtubbo]

core morning crew is one of the most interesting relationships in the qsmp (especially from tubbo persoective) i will die on that hill.

at the beginning, to tubbo it’s just him making his first close friends on the island, but to fit and (especially) pac, it’s them finding solace in friendship to cope with the disappearance of mike and their sons.

they become a tight knit group who keep each other safe during hard times : the absence of the eggs, happy pills, and even through purgatory with tubbo reuniting the 3 of them at the first opportunity he gets. But I also think that it’s during purgatory that tubbo starts to realise that the triangle isnt and was never meant to be equilateral.

Then sunny appears in his life while Richas and Ramon are still asleep. Obviously pac and fit latch all their love onto her, but for tubbo it’s a big change and he starts developing himself as a father and as someone outside of his relationships with other islanders. This is the era where you can clearly see that you have tubbo&sunny on one side and fit&pac on the other, culminating with the infamous date day shenanigans.

Like imagine you’re tubbo you put all of yourself and you identity in a friend group, without having fully realised that the other two have had important bonds with other people before you even arrived but also it turns out that they like each other like That. I’d go a bit crazy too. Then follow the self destruction era of tubbo isolating himself while pac and fit don’t understand why he suddenly doesn’t hang out with them anymore

But then with time, as Tubbo grows more and more into the person he is, with the help of Sunny, making new friends by himself… Things get better. When you develop your own identity you realise that friendship doesn’t have to be something that stays always the same, dynamics change and it’s fine, the love is still there !

And with that acceptance, us, the morning crew lovers were blessed with extended morning crew w/ Mike, Phil, Bagi. We win 🥳🥳🥳

nothing to add

[haloberry]

Ya’ll would never believe me, but THE DRIVER by Måneskin is how I believe Q!Tubbo views his personal relationships.

“Give me eyes, then twist the knife” 2nd line in the song, how he views practically all relationships, since he knows loving is something that is inherently dangerous— whether he loves or someone else loves him.

People that love him, despite how much he begs for it, should never take it any farther than surface level or else they risk having to stab him or themselves in back by a higher power.

“Put me under your spell, then hide the crime” Tubborucho. The crime being shoving Tubbo’s ass into the freezer.

The bridge “Bare your soul 'til it's naked, Bite my lip 'til you break it, Steal my heart, get it wasted, Don't do it slow” THIS IS HOW HE VIEWS PURGATORY, SPECIFICALLY PURG 2.

He was allowed to be as selfish as he wanted, to be a beast to the game and do anything to win. After all ‘Can’t end on a loss’. He loved the blood, the thrill, the challenge, and he would never want that to change. (He needed it, to remind himself his empathy is his weakness no matter how much a part of him it is.)

The chorus. “If you gonna set fire to the night, Baby, let me be the lighter” How he views Morning Crew, since he would forever devout himself to their cause and while he can’t ever let himself call them family, they are. They are both his matches, are only a simply ‘yes’ is needed for him to completely give his free will to them.

“If you're already high and you wanna fly, I'll be the hit that takes you higher” I specifically view this one as SoulHunters, because it really is letting them both enable each other at their worst, ESPECIALLY IN PURGATORY, but also knowing that no matter how much they argue, they are ride AND die for one another.

“If you wanna love when you touch the sky, You can be my midnight rider” Frubbo.. the more underlying toxic version of it. The verison of Frubbo that while they do both love each other, they both are using each other as a distraction/escape to not think about their past as much.

“If there's nowhere to go when you wanna go wild, I wanna be the driver” Tubbo and his need to be irreplaceable, but also more specifically Tubbo and Sunny. Tubbo, who will raise his child the best he can and, even if the world turns her away, he will be the pillar of support she could always rely on. Technically also Sunshine family.

It’s so him coded but I feel like the only one who feels this way—