MOD LOG #3

[bequiet]

MOD LOG #3

Arriving in style
Content Warnings: Fighting, death, violence
Themes: Survival, plot

It's early in the day when it happens. The red dust that seems to be everywhere sweeps through the city streets, mixing with the steady patter of rain and making it hard to see and breathe. All red and leaving the taste of copper if inhaled, what could have been an easy day without any trouble quickly becomes anything but. While those in the community are heading for cover or finding ways to continue on through it, the new arrivals begin waking up in different cities all over the world. There won't be anyone to greet them, and leaving the room through the door is their choice - after doing so, they'll immediately step out into the city they were assigned. The streets are empty, houses abandoned, everything crumbling and in ruins. There will be signs noting their location, which they'll catch a glimpse of before a sharp push forward causes darkness to engulf them.

Waking up for the second time, in Reims but not in the Reset Room, they'll come to inside the red dust as it whips through the streets of the community. They won't be alone for long. Another person will be waking up beside them, and after a few moments of disorientation, try to attack. They might have weapons or use their hands, and they will not stop until they've taken a fatal blow. Their blood is dust, and they, along with their weapons, disintegrate after they've died. Can you stop them on your own? Will someone come to your aid?

The Sight of Lightning
Content Warnings: Poison, sex
Themes: Survival, plot

The day after the storm, the same red dust will find its way through Reims and come into contact with every person. Since the dust is everywhere, some might not notice that it's floating through the community and know that something is off. The effects don't begin until night fall, where everyone will feel the desire to seek out companionship of many different kinds. Though it is not always the case, the people that saw each other in color will "want" to be with that person more strongly than they might already, and will be more likely to confess or do something about it. Some might feel an intense need to be around another person, though not necessarily sexually - almost as if they need that person around them to be happy or content. For some, it might be a desire that can only be fulfilled by more than one person.

The effects wear off the next time the person gets wet. This can be a splash of water across the face or fully submerged. Or even drinking something.

OOC
From your mods:

Please be mindful of content - if something triggery comes up or if it goes up a rating to say, something sexy, mark your threads in the subject line. We're very flexible and allow any material; we just want our players to be respectful of each other. If you have questions, pp the mod account, use the faq or comment to the appropriate post below. Have fun! The OOC Plotting Post.

NAVIGATION

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Comments

rey | star wars

[purpose]

( ARRIVING IN STYLE #1 )

[ She wakes to dust in her eyes, in her mouth, in her lungs.

Rey coughs not once, not twice; she loses count with every wrack of her ribs as she heaves, expelling red soot that streaks her chin. Dimly, she thinks of Jakku and its whipping sandstorms — the first time she had been caught in its path of terror as a child, underestimating a force of nature in her desperation to scavenge.

That fear comes rushing back, fresh and acute, activating a fight-or-flight instinct that has her stumbling to her feet. Her surroundings have shifted again, and not for the first time she wonders if she's stepped into a nightmare, trapped in a reoccurring, vivid dream with no end in sight. Some memory of Jakku, perhaps, come back to haunt her.

But this isn't Jakku, and she isn't alone. The woman on the ground stirs with an anguished groan, and Rey rushes forward in response, unable to ignore the distress pouring off of the stranger in question. If nothing else, she'll have answers, and Rey is loathe to leave behind someone so defenseless. Her fingers tighten around the woman's wrist to pull her to stand; a flash of a snarl is all Rey witnesses before she's thrown back with a surreal strength, striking hard against the ground. ]

I'm trying to help you.

[ Her frustration falls on deaf ears. The woman advances with a feral look Rey has glimpsed only a handful of times before, familiar enough with the darkness in her gaze to understand it's bloodlust that drives her closer. Rey scrambles to her elbows, dust gathering beneath her nails like dried blood, and kicks out only when fingers lock around her ankle and drag her back. ]

Stop!

[ When that, too, goes unheeded, Rey's fear crackles out of her in, a whip-snap of a decision. The woman flies across the distance as if shoved by an invisible force, granting Rey the time needed to get to her feet, bristling and defensive, and fixated on pure survival as a last resort, as the woman — undeterred — makes to lunge for her again. ]

( ARRIVING IN STYLE #2 )

[ By the time Rey has emerged from her own desperate fight for survival and what aid she's given to others, she's covered in her fair share of minor injuries: a scrape to her cheek, bruising blooming around her throat, but she has suffered far worse than a few small wounds. Especially this day; her hands still shake with the knowledge that she's struck down a perfect stranger that had attacked her with no rhyme or reason, as if possessed.

Her abilities lashing out, provoked by her fear, is the worst revelation of all.

She ignores it because she can do nothing but ignore it until she's safe and alone with her own thoughts. The desert storm still rages on around her, the gauze of her outfit torn off to shield her nose and mouth. It muffles her when she calls out: ] Oi!

[ With a shout to someone in her path, someone she can barely see through the dust storm. The rain hardly helps, barely damp against her skin and failing to clear the sand and debris from the atmosphere. ]

We need to get inside, [ she presses onward, beckoning the stranger in the distance toward her with a wave of her hand. ]

( WILDCARD )

[ If none of the above prompts suit, Rey will:
A. Be assisting any of those that need to fend off their attackers.
B. Eventually settling into House Seven and trying to find her way there.
C. Bumbling around, possibly in the library and with anyone she crosses paths with, to get what information she can as a newbie.

Or something else entirely. I'm going to post closed starters in the comments, so feel free to hit me up via PM or at romanoff to discuss plans and I'll write something up for you! ]

Arrival 2

[lilithsoul]

[The figure was, by now, wet. Rei had come out into this to find people, to quell the fighting. She'd missed the fight that had broken out here and come too late to stop it, but from the little she'd seen of the attackers, she was not that worried about the fate of someone who bled red dust.

Seeing the one standing beckoning, she drew closer, a golf club in hand. It looked like it had seen better days. Nine iron were not designed for this kind of use. As Rey spoke, Rei nodded and pointed towards one of the houses, but then raised a finger to her lips.

Everyone was being far too loud, thunderstorm and sandstorm or no.]

[purpose]

[ When the stranger steps closer, Rey tenses. The nine iron in her hands doesn't go missed; even if she isn't familiar with the practice of golf, she knows a weapon when she sees one.

With enough creativity, anything can become a weapon. The knife she'd fashioned out of old, unwanted droid parts on Jakku speaks to humanity's survival instincts. Her eyes trip over the length of the club, warily, maintaining some distance between herself and Rei.

The other woman doesn't seem as crazed as the creature that had targeted her upon waking, but it pays to be cautious. ]

Sorry, [ she whispers out, more of a ragged exhale, as she takes a cautious step forward. She's yet to be greeted and to acquaint herself with the rules of this strange place, but she can only assume Rei is fearful of attracting more attackers or unwanted attention.

Eyes focusing on the makeshift weapon in the girl's hands again, Rey adds: ] I don't want any trouble.

[lilithsoul]

[Rei nodded when Rey spoke to her and reached up with her free hand to put a finger to her lips and make the smallest 'shushing' gesture. She didn't make much noise, not if she could help it, even with all of the rain protecting them from the attention of sound eaters.

Her eyes scanned around, looking for trouble but always keeping a little bit of attention on the woman in front of her while they narrowed. Finally, she started to take a few steps in closer and looked up at the other woman, whispering very softly.]

You are new, yes? Are there others?

[This was all very irregular.]

[purpose]

Yes.

[ Her mouth purses, thinking of the woman that had stirred at her side, awakening as Rey had in this strange, new environment. Maybe the attackers that have greeted her and the sparse few others she's found in the middle of the sandstorm don't qualify, but it's a fact that's worth mentioning. ]

I woke up in the street with another woman at my side. [ Rey inclines her head toward one of the buildings in the distance, beckoning for Rei to follow her. Speaking will be easier in shelter without risking dust in their eyes. ] She attacked me. I still don't know why.

arrival the second

[misplacesfriends]

[He'd been out in the storm to help a few people, those that he could anyway, only so much he could do without a blaster or any other kind of weapon. Granted, right now he's got a makeshift weapon out of a broken wooden beam he'd found. (Probably got himself some splinters too.)

Finn stands out in his white jumpsuit—that was his intention in this mess—even if it's covered in dust and sand right now. But at least he was making his way towards her?

He hears the first call out but with everything going on it's muffled and he doesn't quite recognize her voice. Then they get closer to one another and his eyes widen.]

Rey? [A pause.] Rey! [Don't mind him, running towards her.]

[purpose]

[ Between all of the dust and debris, the white of his jumpsuit is blinding, drawing her toward him — a hazy, distant shape — like a beacon. Red clings to the fabric all the same, a copper that deceives her into believing it's blood, gushing from some unseen wound. Combined with the shout to his voice, panic bubbles up inside of her fast and hard, turning her steps into a hasty jog.

Once she reaches him, she stops short, resisting the urge to throw her arms around his neck. Her palms cradle his face instead, twisting it from one side and then to the next to inspect him, before she realizes the red streaks against his skin are dust. Only then does relief pour out of her, almost winding her with the suddenness of it. ]

Finn?

[ At least the touch has proven he's real, and not a mirage her mind has created. She still can't wrap her mind around it, all the same, and it's when she's nearly thrown herself at him and coiled her arms around his midsection that she questions, aloud: ] Are you you?

[ As opposed to one of those creatures lurking in the streets, appearing human when she knows now that they're anything but. ]

[misplacesfriends]

[Finn finds himself stopped short by her hands, her inspection in the poor conditions only reveals a split lip and a slight bruising of the jaw. His hands start to come up, knuckles busted since he doesn't have a weapon, but he's further disarmed by the fierceness of her hug.

Knocks the breath right out of him and he laughs lightly at her words, his arms wrapping tight around her shoulders.]

Of course I'm me. Who else would be out here in this storm yelling your name? [He does that a lot, actually... Yelling her name. Finn hides part of his face for a moment in her hair and then pulls back enough to get a look at her, confusion now covering his face.]

How much did I miss at home? Your clothes and hair... [It's different. Different than on Starkiller. He knows he was put in medical but...what else... (Well, he hasn't really had that conversation with Poe yet either.)]

[purpose]

[ The damage done, compared to the minor scuffs and scrapes that had covered him after the ambush on Crait, isn't cause for alarm. His question, on the other hand, is; as she pulls back, Rey's smile slips, from relieved elation to barely concealed worry.

Perhaps he hit his head harder than any of them had thought. ]

We just saw each other, Finn.

[ Surely he hasn't forgotten already. There hadn't been much time for any reunion as they'd packed themselves into the Falcon, frantic and desperate, but he had seen her. Brows knitting together, she quickly dismisses, convinced it's merely a matter of catching up.

She exhales heavily, hardly aware that she'd been holding her breath, as she tries for a reassuring smile rather than the pensive frown she had been wearing. ]

I still have so much to tell you.

[ And so much she doesn't feel that she can, for fear of judgement, but it's a start. ]

wildcard | house meetup

[gotyourselfapilot]

[ Poe exits out of his bedroom that's by the Foyer. He's wearing the more comfortable of clothes, dark orange jumpsuit and his leather jacket. Normal clothing could have been made at this point but he didn't seem to mind the jumpsuits. He even wore his flight suit for more working days. Today he needed a break but he looked a little guilty, maybe he would have wanted to go work. But the question lingers: Why were there new arrivals? He rubs the back of his neck at that question while looking around the Foyer.

Would he be seeing new housemates? He didn't mind the ever changing ones. Poe didn't see the need to get a private home. The more people there was, the more at home he seemed to feel. He slowly starts to head to the family room and pauses at seeing a familiar face. His eyes widen a little at the sight, it's Rey. Was it really Rey? How did she get back here? Those questions seemed a bit much right now.

He'll walk up to her while typing away at his device and then holds it out for her to read when she notices him. ]

Do you need help with anything? [ He gives her a small friendly smile. He is happy to see her. ]

[purpose]

[ She'd known she would be sharing space — an uncomfortable prospect for Rey, too used to solitude and too skeptical of her surroundings to feel anything but unnerved — but the sudden presence she feels startles her out of her thoughts. The family room still looks as bare as it had when she had first arrived at the house, but there's a heap of blankets and worn pillows that she'd managed to find, and it's in the middle of rearranging them to her liking that Poe finds her.

Poe.

Rey blinks, uncertain of what her eyes are telling her. Finn had been a surprise, and one she'd questioned immediately, knowing it had been too good to be true to have a trusted friend here. She and Poe are barely acquaintances, but he's a friendly and familiar face she's relieved to see, lips twitching into a faint, relieved smile.

Poe? is what she mouths at him before her eyes skip to the message. Right. The devices. She rummages around in her jumpsuit for her own, typing hastily with pursed lips. ]

I don't know.

[ That's the most sincere answer she has. She doesn't know where to start when it feels like she's lost, misplaced in some city she knows nothing of. ]

Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out what's going on. I don't think it's sunk in yet.

[gotyourselfapilot]

[ He gives her a nod. Rey certainly wasn't seeing things. Poe was standing right there in front of her. The month had started off relatively crazy with the red dust incident and running into Finn. It was nice seeing him then too even if he was a little splash of color against the grays and blacks.

Now, Rey was here within the house they shared already. He waits for a reply back as she digs out her device. ]

You have a pretty big living space. I'm not even sure if it gets used as a family room.

[ Poe doesn't really use it as such since he has a desk within the room he's in. It's more private too but they could always hang up blankets or curtains for her to have privacy.

He presses his lips while re-reading those sentences several times. ]

This is your first time here in this community? [ He can't help his curious mind from asking just to make sure, for clarification. ] It will take a bit for it all to sink in. The Sound Eaters are real though.

[purpose]

I've slept in worse places.

[ Reassuring as she means it to be, it's the hard truth. The family room doesn't look like much, but neither had her AT-AT. If she could transform that into a home, however lonely and empty it had often felt, she has no complaints about the shelter they've been offered.

Even sleeping on the floor is a greater comfort than Jakku had ever been, now that she knows she has Finn and Poe here, rather than finding herself lost and misplaced.

Her eyebrows furrow at his next message, knit in confusion. Of course it's been her first time in her community; why wouldn't it be? Her eyes seem to ask that question when she looks back up at him, but she doesn't give a voice to that concern. ]

Yes. [ With that said: ] Do they look human?

[ Reflexively, she thinks back to the woman that had attacked her when she'd first arrived. ]

arrival 1

[priwen]

[ A flash of light flares in the storm - a man holding a brilliant blade, charging towards the two brawling women under the cover of his shield. He's seven feet tall, surprisingly fast - enough to wedge himself between Rey and the woman trying to claw out her throat. Their assailant crashes onto Alex's shield, and he uses the momentary pause to kick her away. ]

Get to shelter!

[ A dark aura crackles around his blade, dissonant against the holy light that runs along its length. ]

[purpose]

[ A lightsaber, she thinks, when she sees the glow pierce through the storm. It's a nonsensical thought that she pushes aside; she can't feel him, can't sense him, as she would any other Force-user.

Even so, her awe isn't forgotten. He's there almost within the blink of an eye, catching both her attacker and Rey off-guard. She coughs and blinks until it finally registers, and it's then that she steadies herself. ]

No.

[ Her head shakes, adamant. She may not have her weapon ignited, and though he looks perfectly capable on his own, he's shown enough compassion to interfere on her behalf. That kindness can't be ignored. ]

I can't just leave you to fight her on your own.

[priwen]

[ Alex's attention is focused on their attacker, so he has to raise his voice to be heard over the storm. He has his back to Rey, but his Echo lets him sense her behind him, feel the emotion behind her words. Experience tells him that it's best to work with her than argue, so he nods - his sword is still pointed forward, but he motions to her with his other hand.

A translucent bubble forms around Rey, a casted shield. It's by no means permanent, but it would hopefully compensate for her lack of a shield. ]

If she bleeds out dust, then she's an illusion.

[ An illusion that mimicks humans, an almost flawless one on the outside; but his Echo reads out their thoughts to him, the single-minded focus to kill. Something that must not be allowed to happen... ]

wildcard -- did someone call for a handyman?

[warfares]

[ Evening finds Kylo Ren outside of house seven, screwdriver in hand. He's made good progress so far, installing two of the four alloted motion detectors in the span of an hour; the third, intended for the door, was giving him some trouble.

Mouth tugged downwards in a frown, he slots the screwdriver between his teeth, then bends to reach for the battered toolbox at his feet--perhaps there would be something useful inside. ]

it's like an episode of tim the tool man

[purpose]

[ She ignores the inexplicable draw for quite some time, hours of persistent nagging from the Force ignored. In hindsight, she should have known the connection between them was responsibility for tugging her outside, but the sight of him still stops her short when she does finally, inevitably, poke her head outside.

And that's where she sees him, the door still ajar. He hasn't seen her; it would be so easy to walk right back in and greet him with the fleeing sight of her back, but Rey has never quite backed down.

Childish as it is, she waits, boring a hole into his head with the strength of her gaze. When that receives no reaction — he's much too preoccupied rifling through his toolbox, and hasn't noticed her yet — she nudges the leg of the ladder with her foot, none too gently. ]

( Leave. )

[ She would chance speaking aloud if she weren't so concerned over the tales of creatures looking to devour him; the echo of her voice in his head, loud and angry, will have to suffice. ]

sans the grunting, because grunting could get you killed

[warfares]

[ Startled, his focus shifts immediately from the task at hand to the foot propped against the ladder. Dark brows furrowing as he follows that foot to —

Oh.

Oh. ]

( Frack's sake. ) [ The Supreme Leader of the First Order, everyone.

He bears down on the ladder, using his body weight to keep it from shifting backward and taking him with it. ]

( I can't. )

arrival #1!!!

[hairington]

[ more than anything, he remembers the fear. the all consuming terror that clung to the inside of his throat. it’d been overwhelming, trying to process what was going on and how, dust and dirt and silence pressing down from every direction.

it’s why he tends to try and step out when he notices new people coming through. he’s not exactly outstanding when it comes to being encouraging, or calming, or really any of that at all - but he can empathize. and for steve, maybe that can be enough. maybe, for those who don’t have the luxury of showing up to people from home knowing what was going on, he could give them something.

except this time around, there’s something off. the way they’re showing up, the violence with it, but also the way that some of these people seem to be attacking the other newcomers. there isn’t a whole lot of time to try and process what is going on, because when he notices a woman reaching down to help another, only to be thrown back, and steve is running, tightening his grip on the handle of his bat. it’s indescribable, how much just having this piece of wood with iron nails makes him feel better, but if anything, it’s a feeling of comfort. of knowing that he could actually, every now and then, fight back.

that’s what he does here, running up behind the feral woman with his grip tight, setting his feet for the half second before he brings the bat down against her back, shoving her into the ground before she’s able to complete the lunge towards the other. the shock earns a second or two of relief, which steve shifts his grip and glances over to the other girl. ]

Let’s go! [ even now, his voice feels a bit foreign and rough, and softer than it probably could be out of habit. but he jerks his head back towards the direction he came, trying to tell the other girl to start, as he keeps his eyes to the body on the ground, bat out and ready, stepping defensively around her.

again, the odd sense of familiarity - as if it was a demagorgon writhing on the ground instead of a woman - almost catches steve off-guard, but he swallows it back, stepping forward just as the woman tries to lunge for the other girl again, this time the nails driving into her shoulder with a sickening punctured noise. ]

!!!

[purpose]

[ It happens too quickly to register. The other woman is face-down in the ground before Rey can react with much more than an instinctive recoil, arms raised overheard to shield herself against the incoming blow, where only slips of Steve above her shine in through the cracks in her fingers.

Expecting the same mindless violence, her eyes harden as her hands finally fall away to sink into the ground, but the blow never arrives. Quickly, it registers that he means to help her, a rare kindness that has been too few and far between in her life. Survival of the fittest had been Jakku's way, an unspoken agreement between most scavengers; a week away from that unforgiving environment hasn't diminished her expectations, but that makes his act of compassion that more powerfully appreciated when what he's done for her clicks.

Not trusting her voice, she nods, coughing out dust as she falls back. The nauseating crunch of bone ringing in her ears makes her stomach twist and turn, but she doesn't peel her eyes from the sight, even as she remembers the stench of blood and the shrill screams puncturing the air as she'd seen men torn to shreds by razor-clawed creatures. ( Even as she remembers how she'd once felt like a monster, prowling around Kylo Ren with a lust for blood singing in her veins, until the earth cracked around them and brought her back to herself. ) ]

Come on! [ Impatience seeps through her voice, and as tentative as she is to establish tactile contact after so many years deprived of it, her slender fingers curve around Steve's wrist to pull him back from where the woman writhes and shrieks, bleeding out red dust. ] I won't leave you behind.

[ Not even at the risk of her own safety, regardless of whether the man in front of her wants to play the hero and sacrifice himself for her. She tugs again as the woman starts to rise to her knees, squeezing her eyes shut and sending her careening into an invisible building with an invisible shove, chest heaving with the adrenaline and suspense of it all. ]

c:

[hairington]

[ steve's blood is bumping loudly, instincts taking over more than anything as he continues to watch the body on the ground. it doesn't sink in what he's doing, that the body covered in dust and reaching around for purchase is a person and not a monster. doesn't sink in that he might have just killed someone. instead, steve tightens his grip, rolls his wrist with the bat, eyes dark and intent on the figure. ]

Hurry!

[ the body curls up on itself, the sounds inhumane and feral, and steve almost yells out for the girl again. they're not going to have time, if the woman gets up again, steve doesn't know if he'll be able to swing at her, looking at her face. still, he prepares for it just in case, a sick, twisted sense of understanding settling somewhere under his ribs. he doesn't know what will happen, if the girl takes too long. he doesn't think he can reach forward and pull her away without risking them both. the only thing he can think of is to keep the attention of the crazy woman and hopefully, pleadingly give the girl enough time to get up.

that's when the hand wraps around his wrist, and her voice breaks through his trance. steve blinks, looking to her - i won't leave you behind - and then the woman, slowly rising to her knees. thats when the body careens off and that's when it all feels a bit like it comes crashing down and steve suddenly feels like maybe playing the hero isn't the best idea. ]

Right, yeah- [ he drops one hand from his bat, letting her grip around its wrist tug him away as his eyes hover on the body for just a second or two, stumbling over the dust as they walk, before he turns to join her. ] C'mon, this way! [ he motions off towards a nearby building, just needing to get out of the open, glancing back over his shoulder to see if the woman is following as they run off. ]

wildcard

[divarication]

[As a "Welcome to House Seven", Riley has decided to cook a meal for the entire house sometime after the storm dies down. He doesn't know much about his other housemates so the food he's making isn't spicy or sweet but is seasoned perfectly. Hopefully no one is allergic to the food but just in case, Riley is making a few dishes so that there may be something they can eat.

Riley is not entirely human... or doesn't appear to be anyway. Not with his fluffy long silver tail and matching triangular ears on the top of his head.

He is completely at home in the kitchen, stirring pots or chopping vegetables. It's as he's setting plates on the island that he spots Rey. Riley offers her a small smile and pulls out his device in order to communicate with her.]

I figured after the rough couple of days we could all do with a good meal.

[purpose]

[ It's more food than she's ever seen in her life.

That's what captures her attention initially, after her nose has led her to the kitchen area. The second is his appearance, though Rey's stare doesn't linger for more than a handful of seconds — out of both civility and a lack of surprise. Jakku had come with its own variety of alien life and culture, after all; curious as she is, and as lacking as her etiquette is, she knows it's not exactly tasteful to start a conversation with "what are you".

Unfortunately, that aforementioned lacking etiquette prevents her from much in the way of a greeting. She's nothing if not straightforward, and it shows when she takes his attempts to communicate with her as an invitation into the kitchen, hovering near the plates he's already started to prepare.

Her own fingers fumble for the device, curiosity flitting across her expression. ]

You made this for all of us?

[ Generosity isn't a trait she's encountered much, and though it boggles a bit, she won't look a gift horse in the mouth. After another second, her inquisitiveness gets the better of her again, question firing off before he has time to answer the first. ]

What are they?

[divarication]

[He gets what that's like, not knowing when his next meal will come.

But Riley's learned that food is always a good way to get to know someone and suspects that anyone who had come in on the night of the storm was still trying to come to grips with what had happened. If any of them are like him than they have no idea what Earth foods are like either. Which ones might be safe to eat or not.

So even though he's only been here a few weeks himself, Riley is putting together all of his knowledge and expertise to make sure that they have something they know is good. That's both tasty and healthy. There might be a lot of food but it isn't only for two people.

He smiles at her question.]

That's right. Cooking is the one thing I'm good at.

[Which he's more than willing to share with the rest of the house.]

Well, I'm not from this planet so I created everything myself. This has an animal called rabbit used as the meat along with a few vegetables, spices and broth. Then I used some leafy greens and different vegetables to make a lighter dish. This is just rice and you can mix it with a soup called Cream of Mushroom that's pretty good or eat it plain.