A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a long while, more than a month to be exact, since the last update. I hope you haven't lost interest in the story due to the wait. Once again, thank you very very much for your patience
I had been really sick and busy with work, making it impossible to write anything coherent. Spent a bomb on visits to different doctors and even a chest x-ray
Glad that everything is fine now. Wouldn't want to be sick when the new year rolls around.
Here's a shout-out to rhin-san for checking on me practically every day when I was sick to make sure I didn't die or something
and also to a certain divine person for being a fantastic pal. Thank you!
Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the update. Things are going to get heated in more ways than one!
Note: This is a genderbend story.---
When Paranoia StrikesSitting on the edge of the bed with his body hunched over his knees, Watanabe Mayu plucked his titanium-framed glasses off and rubbed his thin nose bridge. The soft sigh that escaped his lips was unsurprisingly loud in the still hotel room.
“Why are you sighing?” a voice he couldn’t be more familiar with asked as he felt its owner shift her body closer to his.
Exhaling deeply again before regarding the woman beside him, he replied with a question of his own, “Aren’t you being a little paranoid, Yuki?”
Kashiwagi Yuki tilted her head with a confused pout, “What do you mean?”
On other days, Mayu would have been tempted to claim those very kissable and supple pink lips but not today, at least not now. Raising his left hand, a light clinking of metal against metal sounded as Yuki’s right hand rose with his action.
“This.”
Her round eyes fell on the chrome-plated contraption normally seen on arrested criminals linking their wrists together.
“And you were afraid of the others misunderstanding that we have an S&M relationship,” Mayu deadpanned. “Where did you get this anyway?”
“Yuko-san passed it to me while you were taking a shower just now,” his girlfriend answered matter-of-factly.
Massaging his tense furrowed brow, he mumbled, “I don’t even want to know why she brought handcuffs along.”
“Whatever it is, they will make sure you don’t escape my sight,” Yuki beamed with a smile so bright that one would have thought she had just discovered the cure for AIDS. Wrapping her free arm around the doctor’s lean torso, she took comfort in his assuring warmth. “This way, I’ll know that you are safe with me.”
Too befuddled to even fake a smile, Mayu simply rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed for the third time in the span of five minutes. As she nuzzled his neck, his mind drifted to the conversation they had with Officer Maeda at the beach earlier…
“So Takaman took leave from work ‘cause she’s worried about you?” Yuko asked the officer, smirking when the rosy hue on Atsuko’s cheeks darkened.
“Oi! What Takaman?” Takahashi Minami protested, waving a balled fist at her comrade-in-height. Wiggling her eyebrows in response, Yuko quipped, “Oh, you know what I mean, Miss Macho.”
“I can understand why Takahashi-san is worried though. Maede-san is dealing with a rapist this time,” Mayu interrupted before the two midget pals could start a dwarf brawl.
“Actually, Takamina has nothing to worry about,” Atsuko revealed. Her statement raised a few perplexed eyebrows. Tightening his grip on Yuki’s hand, Mayu was certain he would be worried too if he was in Takamina’s shoes. Heck, his stomach was already in knots now, knowing that a rapist could be lurking in the shadows and waiting for the opportunity to pounce on his pretty and defenceless nurse.
“The victims so far are male.”
There was a pregnant pause as the seagulls squawked nosily above their heads.
“Y-You are joking, right, Maeda-san?” Sae blurted with a hopeful note in his voice, breaking out of the initial shock. The hunky man scratched the back of his head, messing up and getting sand into his hair. “I mean, which dude would want to rape other men?”
At Sae’s question, Ren’s eyes darted to Jun in reflex. The young officer’s well-honed senses sent an alert to his brain and he whipped his head around, catching the distrustful gaze.
“Oi, oi, you can’t be suspecting me, right?”
Ren merely looked the other way and his eyes stumbled upon his one-sided love interest hugging her boyfriend tightly, locking his arms against his body.
“Yuki, we haven’t even understood the details. You can let go first. It’s hard to move like this,” Mayu squirmed, feeling as though he had been strapped in a straight jacket.
Reluctantly, the slender arms relaxed and opted to wrap around his arm in a vice-like grip. The doctor sighed in relief and squeezed Yuki’s hand gently.
“Atsuko-san is telling the truth,” Jun voiced, stepping forward. “The culprit’s targets are all pretty boys. I’m acting as the bait for this operation. On top of that, we’ve been trawling the beach this afternoon for possible suspects and targets and I chanced upon you guys. Mayu-san and Ren-san fit his taste perfectly.”
The others gasped while Yuko burst out laughing. But Mayu only heard one dreaded sound, or rather the lack of it.
The steady breathing beside his ear halted.
“Yuki,” he called his girlfriend who was frozen to the spot. The grip around his left arm tightened tremendously and a sharp pain shot through his body. “Yuki, relax. You are going to break my arm,” the urgency in his voice was evident.
His teeth clamped down on his lower lip as her nails dug crescents into his skin which was rapidly turning white from the lack of blood flow. Glancing up, he discovered she was in a trance-like state and his words never stood a chance to enter her stalled mind. Fearing for his arm and his future which depended on it, he attempted to pry off her hand but the hold was simply too strong and he did not wish to risk breaking her fingers with brute force. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Ren striding purposefully towards them with a grim look and before he could say a word to the older man, Ren slapped Yuki hard across the face.
Yuko’s guffaws died instantaneously while the rest gaped at the trio.
“Holy fuckin’ rainbows… What’s wrong with people from Nagoya?”
Ignoring Yuko’s potty mouth, Ren stared at his childhood friend who had collapsed into Mayu’s arms from the impact of the slap.
The bright red mark swelled on Yuki’s tender cheek, shooting a deep pang of pain to Mayu’s heart. Looking past his stunned beloved, Mayu glared at Ren only to be met with a challenging gaze.
“Was that necessary?” Mayu seethed, remotely aware of the cracks threatening to shatter his levelheaded image.
“If you still wanted your arm in one piece, yes,” Ren answered none-too-friendlily. “This has always been how we do it.”
The spitefulness in his voice was hard to miss and Mayu briefly wondered what had gotten into the normally mild man. However, before he could rebuke Ren’s claim, Mayu felt movement against his chest and he looked down to find Yuki snapping out of her daze and massaging her throbbing cheek.
“Ren-kun is right. This is our way of keeping each other in check. Don’t be mad at him, alright?” she peered pleadingly at the rarely ruffled man. “And he meant well. I’d broken a broomstick in high school when a classmate scared me with a fake mouse during cleaning duty.”
Processing the little bit of history, Mayu swallowed the anger bubbling in his throat and nodded stiffly. Turning to Ren, he warned in a grave tone, “Thanks for your help but next time, I will manage Yuki myself. I won’t allow you or anyone else to hit her.”
“And how are you going to do that?” Ren folded his arms and angled his head, producing a menacing crack with his neck. This time, even Yuki was taken aback by Ren’s oddly provocative behaviour.
“Without violence,” Mayu stated, narrowing his eyes at the taller man. “I’d rather have a broken arm than to hit Yuki.”
“You are not answering the question.”
“I have no obligation to answer you.”
“Break it up, you two,” Yuko boldly stepped in between both agitated men. “What’s wrong with you, Ren? This isn’t like you.”
Her words seemed to have an effect on Ren and he froze. He blinked and looked around, scanning the flabbergasted faces of his colleagues, Mayu’s deep scowl and finally, Yuki’s concerned brown orbs. Lips pressing into a thin line, he bowed slightly and walked away from the group, heading in the direction of the hotel.
“Ren-kun…” Yuki murmured, about to give chase but was stopped by Mayu.
“I think it’s better that he doesn’t see you or me for the time being,” he advised her before calling Jun who was staring worriedly at Ren’s retreating back. The officer tore his eyes away from Ren and turned to Mayu.
“Matsui-san, can you pass me your mobile for a while?”
“Why?” Despite feeling puzzled over the sudden request, Jun still fished out his black smartphone from his pants’ pocket and handed it to the shorter man.
As Mayu typed something on the phone, he told Jun, “You’ll see,” without looking up from the screen. When he was done, he returned the device to him. “Check your draft folder later.”---
Ding!The doors of the hotel elevator slid open and Mayu led Yuki into the empty lift with luxurious black marble flooring. After pressing the button for the third level, he leant back against the polished glass wall, pulling Yuki towards him and leaving zero space between their hips. It was going to be a long ride down since their room was on the twenty-fifth floor.
“You are going to develop wrinkles if you keep frowning,” he chided good-naturedly as his hands rested on her svelte waist.
With a soft hmph, she turned to look out the clear glass wall, staring at the cloudless night sky illuminated by twinkling speckles in the distance.
“You removed the handcuffs,” she mumbled almost inaudibly, still not looking at him, “and threw them away.”
“I promise I won’t leave your side tonight, alright?” he nudged her gently, hoping to regain her attention. The little action worked and she spared his handsome visage another glance. “Surely you can trust my words more than a pair of handcuffs?”
“Then are you going to follow me to the ladies?”
“If you don’t mind the police taking me away, I will.”
“It’s not funny!”
“And I’m serious here, Yuki!” he cupped her cheeks with both hands, forcing her to face him. “I know you’ve been on the edge ever since what happened to me during the earthquake but you need to relax and get a grip on yourself. I hate seeing you cry for me, that was what I realised when I was pinned under the rubble.”
He paused when he detected the glistening sheen in her eyes. Softening his tone, he continued, “You are my priority now, Yuki. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or me. Trust me, okay?”
All was quiet except for the soothing strings of violin playing in the elevator as Yuki crumbled under Mayu’s intense gaze.
“I’m sorry…” she finally whispered, placing her hand over his. “I just don’t want to lose you again. I’m so scared I can’t stop myself from doing all these silly things. Maybe I’m losing my mind.”
“No, you are not,” he broke into a small grin. “You just love me too much and I appreciate that.”
Studying his dashing smile, she popped a random question, “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Be so charming. You said I’m your first and only girlfriend. Were you lying?”
He gulped at the suspicious glint in her eyes and refuted her accusation hastily, “Oh no, you just make me a natural.” Glimpsing at the level indicator above the doors, he did a quick mental calculation.
Two more floors.Yuki’s brows knitted together when she observed his widening grin but before she could ponder over his intentions, his left hand had slipped down to her back while his right shifted behind her head, pushing her forward and bringing their lips together to enjoy a brief kiss. Her stomach leapt at the contact and she tugged his shirt collar, wanting more. Tempted by her strawberry flavoured lip gloss, he licked her honey-sweet lips before smoothly pulling back as the elevator came to a stop. They were greeted by the loud thumping beats of dance music as the doors opened. Grabbing her hand, he flashed an assuring smile, “Let’s see what Yuko-san has planned for us,” and guided her towards the entrance of the hotel’s popular club Play by Mee.
Outside the club’s door, there was a long line of patrons waiting to get in. The crowd was mainly made up of men and women in their late twenties to thirties, much like Mayu’s group. The doctor noted the mix of nationalities among the people, spotting quite a few towering Caucasians. His boyfriend instincts swiftly identified a few men leering at Yuki and he wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer. Surprised by the sudden display of possessiveness, she peered questioningly at him only to receive a peck on her nose. Casting her confusion aside, she snuggled up to her reliable doctor, basking in his protective embrace.
“You two are early for once!”
Yuko, Haruna and the gossiping trio emerged from another lift and joined up with the couple. Mocchi’s jaw went slack as soon as she saw Mayu. Cupping her hands over her mouth, she let her roaming eyes devour every visible inch of the younger man dressed in a crisp black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and fitting khaki denim pants. “Dr. Watanabe, you should wear black more often. It makes your skin glow!” she squealed.
“Mayu looks good in anything he wears,” Yuki boasted with a proud beam.
“Or nothing at all,” Yuko ribbed wryly, setting the ladies’ imagination aflame and making Mayu uneasy from the extremely keen looks he was getting from the nurses.
“Yuko-san!” Yuki hissed at the older woman who had a devious grin plastered on her dimpled face.
Mayu cleared his throat and cast stern eyes on his mentor. “For your information, I’ve thrown away your handcuffs.”
“What?!” the smirk on Yuko’s face was instantly wiped off. “How could you? They are mine!”
“That will teach you to give Yuki funny ideas,” Mayu replied coldly, folding his arms.
“Tch, you should’ve kept them for future bedroom use. I’m sure your abusive Yuki-chan would enjoy them. What a waste of fine resources!” Yuko wailed, mourning over the loss of a well functioning tool that she had not had the chance to use yet.
“Watanabe, next time you should burn those useless things in front of her.”
Yuko did not even need to turn around to know who that sickening voice belonged to. “I’m teaching Mayu boy here how to spice up his love life so that he doesn’t end up an old fuddy-duddy like you,” she snapped.
Raising both eyebrows, Shinoda Mario drew in a deep breath. “Who are you calling old, midget?”
“Whoever is the oldest among us. Or has your brain already turned senile from years of inactivity?” the female doctor taunted. Then she pounded her fist against her palm in mock enlightenment. “Ah! Maybe I should give you one of those tags meant for dementia patients that state your name and address in case you forget your way home.”
“You two are noisy,” a quiet voice sliced through the loud music. The hair on Yuko’s arms stood on their ends from the icy tone and she took a small step closer to Haruna who was distracted by the flashing blue laser lights from the club.
“Ren-kun…” Yuki felt her heart crashing to the pits of her stomach.
Ren-kun is still upset. She noticed how he was deliberately avoiding eye contact with her or Mayu.
Sae laughed awkwardly in an attempt to break the rising tension. “Since everyone is here, let’s go in and party!”
“Right, right. Let’s go!” Yuko hurriedly led the way to the reception where she whispered something to the bouncer and the beefy man ushered them in ahead of the other queuing patrons. As the group weaved through the crowd of dancing bodies, Rie yelled above the loud music, “Yuko-san, how did you get us in without queuing?”
A smug smirk spread across the older woman’s face as she led the way. “I know the owner of this club. She’s reserved the VIP area for us tonight.”
“Wow, that’s amazing, Yuko-san! I didn’t know you have such connections,” Sae marvelled while he ogled at the grooving ladies around him. The frivolous man sent a playful wink to a scantily clad Brazilian who happened to catch his eye.
“I have a lot of connections. You just have no idea,” Yuko bragged. Coming to a stop before a silver door, she knocked twice on it and waited. The door swung open, revealing a skinny Japanese woman with untamed wavy hair.
“Yuuchan!” the evidently older woman enveloped Yuko in a crushing hug. “You came!”
Yuko flashed a broad grin, “Of course.” Pulling back, she noted the heavy makeup and thick fake lashes on the face before her and remarked, “Still the same as ever, huh? Caught any prey recently?”
“Sadly, no. But,” the woman’s eyes darted to Yuko’s good-looking posse and her lips stretched to form a sultry smile, “I do spot some delicious fresh meat here.”
The men shuddered involuntarily when her eyes paused to scrutinise each and every one of them. A pencil-drawn eyebrow arched in surprise when she noticed the shortest man in the group. Licking her lips, she cooed, “Ooh… he’s really fresh.”
“You better not touch him or else his girlfriend will chop you into pieces,” Yuko advised in a hushed tone. “He is the one we are throwing the party for. The rest are available though. Feel free to take your pick.”
After her friend nodded in understanding, Yuko finally introduced her to the group, “Guys, this is Ohori Megumi. She’s the owner of this club.”
“Hello handsomes and pretties,” Megumi waved, deliberately batting her eyelids at Mayu. “You can call me Meetan.” Immediately, she felt a piercing glare pricking at her skin. Shifting her sight to the woman who wore a very intimidating scowl next to Mayu, she snickered inwardly.
That must be his girlfriend.“I’ve reserved the VIP corner for you darlings. Follow me,” Meetan led the group to a private area that was away from the crowd yet still allowed them full view of the dance floor. “If you need any drinks, just order through this device,” she held up a tablet that had the club’s menu splashed across the screen. “Drinks are on the house.”
Sae’s eyes widened at the generous offer. “Wow thanks, Meetan!”
“You are welcome, dearie,” the mature lady in a figure-hugging black dress lightly ran a finger along his chiselled jaw. “Enjoy the drinks and good luck to picking up a girl, handsome.”
“I will. You are a wonderful lady, Meetan,” Sae flashed his pearly whites as the woman left the group to themselves. Yuki groaned while Ren rolled his eyes. “What?” Sae was perplexed by their reactions.
“You flirt with anything that has boobs. That’s what,” Mario crinkled his nose. “Can’t believe you flirted with that old woman.”
“For your info, Uncle Stick, she’s only a few years older than you,” Yuko defended her friend.
“She looks like an old witch,” Mario insisted.
“At least she’s a generous witch,” Sae interrupted before the argument turned heated. He was looking forward to a night of drinks and ladies and had no interest in getting caught up in their squabble. Without further ado, the group ordered their drinks.
“Here’s to Mayu boy for finally getting his mojo back!” Yuko stood, raising her bottle of vodka and prompting everyone to do the same.
“Hey!”
Mayu’s protest was ignored as the group clinked their bottles and glasses with his bottle of Corona Light. Without waiting for him, the guys and Yuko chugged their vodkas while the ladies sipped on their fruity margaritas. Shaking his head with a resigned smile, he took a swig of his amber drink, squeezing his eyes as the beer left a burning trail down his throat. It had been a long time since he drank anything alcoholic.
“Not too much, okay?” Yuki reminded with a soft smile.
“Don’t worry, I know my limits. Just one bottle tonight,” Mayu assured. Having injured his liver in the earthquake, he was fully aware that he should not agitate it.
Picking up two dice resting in the middle of the round table, Yuko chirped, “Let’s play ‘boxing’. Two players go head to head at a time. Whoever rolls the smaller number on the dice will have to down a shot.” As if on cue, a wait staff appeared and set down a tray of thirty clear tequila shots on the table.
“That’s a lot!” Akicha exclaimed.
“Won’t we get drunk?” Rie asked, concerned.
“That’s the whole point, isn’t it?” Yuko answered as if getting wasted was not a big deal.
“I second that. We are here to party. Don’t think too much!” Sae patted Rie on the back. “I’ll look after you if you get drunk so no worries.”
Rie shook her head, “I’ll just watch.”
“Me too,” Akicha agreed, popping a potato chip into her mouth. “Oh, this is nice!” Her eyes lit up in delight and she took another handful of chips and shared them with Rie. The two nurses were swiftly absorbed in their own munching world as they placed orders for more snacks on the tablet.
“Hungry ghosts?” Yuko stared at them incredulously.
“Don’t mind them. They are always like that when we go to clubs or parties,” Mocchi replied.
“Alright, whatever,” Yuko shrugged. “The rest of us shall play then.”
As the game progressed, Mayu and Yuki realised that not only were they hopeless at janken, they had horrible luck with the dice too. After a debate with Yuko, Yuki managed to convince her to go easy on Mayu and let him skip the shots and drink his beer instead. Haruna, on the other hand, was breezing through the game unscathed, avoiding the drinks totally. By the tenth round, it was down to just Ren, Sae, Yuko, Mario and Haruna. Mocchi had left halfway to chat up a French man she spotted sitting at the bar while Mayu forced Yuki to drop out of the game with him as she had taken the shots in his place after he had finished his beer.
“Let’s dance, Mayu~” Yuki’s speech was slightly slurred. She pulled Mayu up only to lose her balance and fall against him.
“You are drunk,” Mayu stated, noting her flushed cheeks. Dismissing his claim with a haphazard wave, she dragged him towards the middle of the dance floor. The moment they left the VIP area, an ominous feeling overtook his senses. It was as though he was being watched. Glancing around surreptitiously, he caught a glimpse of a hooded figure near the bar staring in their direction. Before he could take a second look to confirm his suspicions, a dancing couple bopped into view and bumped him aside. By the time he regained his footing, the figure was gone.
Could it be my imagination? Mayu craned his neck, checking the dim surroundings as flashing purple beams flitted about.
“What are you looking at?” Yuki’s melodious voice brought his attention back to her.
“Nothing,” he lied, not wanting to worry her unnecessarily. The next thing he knew, she was fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. “W-What are you doing?”
“Don’t you feel warm?” she asked, her voice turning out huskier than she expected. Nonetheless, her hands continued their ministrations and successfully undid the top three buttons of his black shirt, exposing the long scar across his chest. Soft fingertips traced the outline of the protruding flesh before she leant down to plant a lingering kiss. Blood rushed to his cheeks as her hot breath tickled his highly sensitive skin.
“I wasn’t… but now I am,” he lifted her head by the chin and crushed his mouth against hers, tasting the sharp bitterness of tequila lacing her lips. “You’ve got to stop being so tempting, Yuki. I won’t be able to restrain myself,” he warned against her velvety warm lips, breathing hard. However, his words fell on deaf ears for she pressed herself against him, whispering into his ear.
“I. Want. You. To. Lose. Control.”
Her teeth grazed his reddening earlobe, nibbling and sucking on the tender piece of flesh.
“Yu…ki…”
She gripped his hand and shoved it up against her right breast, inviting him to caress the soft yet firm mound through her smooth satin dress. His senses went into overdrive when a deep-throated moan vibrated into his ear. Right as he was about to yank her obstructive dress down to reach his destination, something clicked in his mind.
Stop! How can you make her lose her modesty in such a place? You’re sober. She’s not. Control yourself!He retracted his wandering hand immediately, aghast at the outrageous crime he had nearly committed. Watching as a disappointed pout graced Yuki’s features, he embraced her unsteady body gently as he forced all impure thoughts to the back of his mind.
“Yuki, let’s return to our room. You need to rest,” he tucked her slightly dishevelled hair behind her ear, revealing more of her rosy intoxicated face.
“Mmm… I need the toilet,” she mumbled, glassy chocolate eyes glazing over him. He chuckled at the randomness of her statement. His amused smile dropped when he escorted her to the back of the club where the washrooms were located. Once again, he felt the same watchful gaze burning holes into him every step he took. Sweeping his eyes across the dance floor, a figure in a grey hooded sweater flashed past his vision but disappeared just as quickly as before. Oddly though, shortly after Yuki entered the ladies, the oppressive feeling vanished.
I could use a cold drink now. Actually no, a cold shower would be better. He corrected himself when he remembered the nagging tension below his belt. He patted his cheeks, hoping to clear his overly stimulated head. Looking across the club, he spotted Ren staggering towards the exit, obviously drunk from the way he held onto every single thing to support himself. As Mayu moved forward to offer his help, he detected a shady-looking man following closely behind his tipsy colleague. The suspicious character was wearing huge opaque sunglasses and dressed in a navy blue shirt. He was taller and bulkier than the hooded figure Mayu saw earlier. Mayu halted in his tracks as a thought struck him.
Could he be the rapist the police are looking for? Wait, what about the hooded person? Confusion rose in the usually composed doctor as he glanced around frantically. He was currently halfway between the washrooms and the club’s exit. A nervous feeling settled in his stomach as he recalled the incidences when he felt he was being watched.
Those eyes, they were always on me when I was with Yuki but after she went into the ladies, I stopped feeling them. Don’t tell me… whoever the person was, he was not after me but…His eyes widened in realisation.
Yuki.Throwing one last look over his shoulder at Ren and the man who was still stalking him, Mayu muttered an apology and raced back to the washrooms.
Sorry Ren-san, but Yuki could be in danger too. Your only hope is Matsui-san.As he tore through the crowd, he replayed the words he had typed in Jun’s mobile phone at the beach earlier.
‘We will be at Play by Mee tonight.’He prayed in his heart that Jun had understood his hint and was keeping a lookout somewhere in the club. After what seemed like an eternity to his rapidly pounding heart, he skidded to a stop outside the ladies. His anxiety increased tenfold when Yuki was nowhere to be found. A scraping sound alerted him to something hard beneath his shoe. Crouching down, his heart lurched when he picked up a white rose necklace that he could not be more familiar with. It was the very same one that he had given to Yuki on her birthday two years ago. She was always careful with it and wore it every day without fail because it was his first gift to her. Clenching it tightly in his fist, he burst into the ladies, earning screams from the female patrons inside.
“Yuki! Where are you?” he shouted, panicking when none of the faces was familiar to him. “Yuki!”
He banged on all the closed stalls. “Yuki, Yuki, Yuki! Answer me if you are inside!”
When he received no response, he dashed out of the ladies and grabbed the person nearest to him.
“Did you see a woman around my height wearing a white dress?”
The startled clubgoer pondered for a few painful seconds before replying, “Y-Yes. She left with a man.”
“How did he look like?”
“He was wearing a grey hoodie.”
Mayu’s grasp on the young man’s shoulders went lax.
No… Yuki…---
To be continued…I hope your eyes didn't bleed from that long update
Thank you very much for reading! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated