Nick checks on Faerzen

[01:05] <SolemnSketcher> hi faerzen, art thou ok?
[01:06] <SolemnSketcher> im currently in space, looking at my planet from the outside. its quite beautiful, and the flickering lights of yours are just as visually stunning.
[01:06] <SolemnSketcher> real me is still at home, sorry i lied to you about regent helping me with a nap.
[01:07] <@visceralVanguard> Oh hello, Nick.
[01:07] <@visceralVanguard> I am glad to hear you are okay on the Prospit side of things.
[01:07] <@visceralVanguard> How do you mean you lied to me?
[01:08] <SolemnSketcher> .... i did not useth regent for actually going to sleep. i just went to prospit
[01:08] <@visceralVanguard> Ah.
[01:08] <@visceralVanguard> It seems I have rubbed off on you...
[01:08] <@visceralVanguard> It is okay though, that is only a minor thing.
[01:09] <@visceralVanguard> Though I will say that it would have been a trivial matter to simply tell me your intentions.
[01:09] <SolemnSketcher> ...
[01:10] <SolemnSketcher> [a minute or two passes]
[01:10] <SolemnSketcher> sorry, i was looking for a more comfortable place to talk
[01:10] <@visceralVanguard> Thank you for telling me regardless.
[01:11] <@visceralVanguard> Why are or were you in space?
[01:11] <@visceralVanguard> I apologize for the delayed reply, I was preoccupied with some hostile lizards.
[01:11] <SolemnSketcher> are you ok?
[01:12] <SolemnSketcher> those lizards gave me a bad time quite a while ago
[01:12] <@visceralVanguard> I have hardly a scratch on me, it is of no matter.
[01:12] <@visceralVanguard> Its fire was a tad bothersome, but I dispatched it quickly enough.
[01:12] <SolemnSketcher> ...woah
[01:13] <SolemnSketcher> scratches you may no have.... but were you damaged by that fire?
[01:14] <@visceralVanguard> A small amount, but it not bad. It already no longer hurts much.
[01:14] <SolemnSketcher> do you need me to wake up over there?
[01:14] <SolemnSketcher>  need anything?
[01:15] <SolemnSketcher> fae?
[01:15] <@visceralVanguard> Oh, I am nowhere near my house at the present.
[01:15] <SolemnSketcher> ill take your word that you are ok.
[01:15] <@visceralVanguard> Your waking up would be of little consequence at the present. I am fine.
[01:16] <SolemnSketcher> alright.
[01:16] <@visceralVanguard> Thank you for your concern though. :)
[01:16] <SolemnSketcher> :)
[01:16] <SolemnSketcher> so... about your questions about space
[01:17] <SolemnSketcher> i was just leaving prospit
[01:17] <SolemnSketcher> i felt quite offended at the words of a royal spokeperson
[01:17] <@visceralVanguard> What was occurring on Propsit when you left? You said that the Queen was being attacked!
[01:18] <SolemnSketcher> and i didn't want anything to do with the offers that royalty was presenting on me
[01:18] <SolemnSketcher> the queens are fine.
[01:18] <SolemnSketcher> formed an alliance
[01:19] <@visceralVanguard> That is good to hear at the very least.
[01:19] <SolemnSketcher> indeed. but i still dont like the way they treat me
[01:19] <SolemnSketcher> i get that i look menacing with all the scars, black wings and... my story
[01:19] <SolemnSketcher> but really?! i woke up in prison.
[01:19] <SolemnSketcher> in a prison!
[01:20] <@visceralVanguard> Really?
[01:20] <@visceralVanguard> That is surprising to me.
[01:20] <@visceralVanguard> You were simply able to leave then?
[01:20] <SolemnSketcher> i asked to be left alone after speaking with a spokeperson.
[01:21] <SolemnSketcher> not even the chance to talk to the royals face to face like it normally its done.
[01:21] <SolemnSketcher> you dont send your subjects on a suicide mission to prove they are not "dangerous" for fucks sake.
[01:22] <SolemnSketcher> the way he worded it just.... ticked me off
[01:22] <@visceralVanguard> If you were able to leave so easily, then It certainly seems they were not trying particularly hard to detain you.
[01:22] <@visceralVanguard> I would find it more likely that the joint monarchy was using the opportunity to learn about you and your motives.
[01:22] <SolemnSketcher> according to them... "security measures"
[01:24] <SolemnSketcher> a maid seemed quite scared of me.... that was interesting, i politely asked for a way out of the castle. i left without scandal and all that
[01:24] <SolemnSketcher> im not scary right, fae?
[01:25] <@visceralVanguard> As I said, if they truly cared about detaining you, there are far greater measures they could easily have put in place to ensure you did not escape.
[01:25] <@visceralVanguard> As you have already seen, and as Lyra has corroborated, it seems the Queens are quite fond of power plays.
[01:26] <SolemnSketcher> speed chess.... the whole deal with royalty is already a chess game. they adapt quickly it seems
[01:27] <@visceralVanguard> As for you being scary, I would find it hard to deny that an angry stranger covered in scars with large black wings would not be frightening upon first meeting such a person.
[01:27] <@visceralVanguard> However, I can personally vouch for the fact that external appearances are not usually a good reflection of internal qualities. :)
[01:27] <SolemnSketcher> i dont give a good first impression do i? ;)
[01:28] <@visceralVanguard> You may be visually frightening at first, but you are by no means a scary person! :)
[01:28] <SolemnSketcher> aww... thanks
[01:28] <SolemnSketcher> eh. i can deal with that
[01:28] <SolemnSketcher> :P
[01:29] <@visceralVanguard> Why did you leave Prospit entirely though? Your flight through space is going to be a lengthy one, and one that you must have good reason to undertake.
[01:29] <SolemnSketcher> im already on my planet.
[01:29] <SolemnSketcher> it felt like a few hours on my side.
[01:29] <@visceralVanguard> That does corroborate with my calculations, yes.
[01:29] <SolemnSketcher> i wasn't in prospit for... quite long to be honest
[01:30] <@visceralVanguard> Just so you know, it seems that Byron's revival flight and our dream self flight is substantively more expeditious than our manual wing-powered flight.
[01:31] <@visceralVanguard> I am afraid I got rather distracted a while ago in an attempt to solve this problem, and so I continued thinking about it until the numbers worked out.
[01:31] <SolemnSketcher> interesting.
[01:31] <@visceralVanguard> I suppose it is no surprise that mentally powered flight is more speedy than manual flight.
[01:33] <@visceralVanguard> Anyways, moving on from my mostly irrelevant tangent there, why did you leave?
[01:33] <@visceralVanguard> Prospit is as safe a place as any for your dream self to reside.
[01:35] <SolemnSketcher_> im going to be honest here, faerzen
[01:35] <SolemnSketcher_> i dont like them
[01:37] <@visceralVanguard> Enough to flee the planet entirely?
[01:37] <SolemnSketcher_> since i have been quite small i never liked royalty, always putting themselves over others. deciding for hundreds of different persons. just flat out ruling something.... i dont like that
[01:38] <@visceralVanguard> Our lands are full of hostile creatures and we are at war. Even though you may disagree with their methods, we are still on the same side as the White Queens and it is in their best interest to protect us.
[01:38] <@visceralVanguard> For better or for worse, they can do little for us while we remain on our lands here.
[01:38] <SolemnSketcher_> a queen doesn't send a subject into the battlefield to prove he's not dangerous
[01:39] <SolemnSketcher_> a queen does not lock said person for trying to help against her murder
[01:39] <@visceralVanguard> As I said, they did very little to actually detain you.
[01:39] <@visceralVanguard> It seems highly likely that this was simply to ascertain your motivations and commitments.
[01:39] <@visceralVanguard> By letting you refuse and leave, they obtained the information they needed.
[01:39] <SolemnSketcher_> maybe they were scared?
[01:40] <SolemnSketcher_> you know i have a reputation.
[01:40] <@visceralVanguard> Locking you up does not serve their purposes much at all. Even if you may be somewhat of a loose cannon in their eyes, they know you would not go so far as to sabotage the kingdom of Prospit.
[01:40] <@visceralVanguard> Unlike Lyra on Derse, where locking her up is very advantageous for the Queen.
[01:41] <SolemnSketcher_> i guess that makes sense.
[01:41] <SolemnSketcher_> the yellow was irritating my eyes anyways
[01:43] <@visceralVanguard> I would beg you to be careful, Nick. Your self is relatively safe under lock and key and alarm in my house, but as soon as you fall asleep again, I cannot say the same for your unconscious dream self.
[01:43] <@visceralVanguard> I know you're probably tired of me telling you to be careful... :)
[01:43] <SolemnSketcher_> i cant say im tired of it, i actually like it.
[01:44] <SolemnSketcher_> its just this warm tingly feeling, i think you know what it is. that emotion that just puts a stupid smile in one's face
[01:44] <@visceralVanguard> :)
[01:45] <SolemnSketcher_> i knew thou did! :)
[01:46] <SolemnSketcher_> and dont worry that much about me. i can probably figure out something
[01:47] <@visceralVanguard> I do hope so. I can personally attest to the fact that your house's security is quite pitiful simply due to the era of time it originated from.
[01:47] <SolemnSketcher_> indeed. i was reading on some things and my home is... QUITE unsafe
[01:47] <SolemnSketcher_> oh right.
[01:48] <SolemnSketcher_> i learned how to use this... internet thing!
[01:48] <SolemnSketcher_> its incredible
[01:48] <@visceralVanguard> Oh really? Hahahaha, I suppose it would be!
[01:49] <@visceralVanguard> It is a vast database of knowledge and social connections, available at your fingertips!
[01:49] <@visceralVanguard> If you have a handy computing device, that is.
[01:49] <@visceralVanguard> The internet is one of the primary ways my glasses have such functionality.
[01:49] <SolemnSketcher_> indeed! there's just so much stuff in here!
[01:50] <@visceralVanguard> The internet also allows you to interface with other devices connected to the internet, so for example I am able to manipulate controls of objects in my house such as the kitchen or the lights or the security system simply by using the tools on my glasses.
[01:50] <@visceralVanguard> I can assure you if you can imagine something, it is on the internet somewhere.
[01:51] <SolemnSketcher_> there's something that intrigues me though.
[01:51] <SolemnSketcher_> i can see the history of europe
[01:51] <SolemnSketcher_> all of it.
[01:51] <SolemnSketcher_> but europe was turned into a giant crater by meteors
[01:51] <@visceralVanguard> Any curiosity, be it about modern transportation, the internet itself, details of human anatomy and biology, history and cultural databases, entertainment and games, it all exists on the internet.
[01:52] <@visceralVanguard> Seeing as the world was obliterated by meteors simultaneously in different time periods, I have ceased questioning the paradoxical nature of that setup.
[01:52] <@visceralVanguard> There is no way I have been able to make sense of it, let alone how the internet even still functions when everything that once caused it to function is gone.
[01:53] <SolemnSketcher_> that's... a good point
[01:54] <SolemnSketcher_> so.... what else have you done on your current travels?
[01:54] <@visceralVanguard> Have you enjoyed looking at the history of the planet?
[01:54] <SolemnSketcher_> yes, indeed i was
[01:54] <@visceralVanguard> You can even find history from your past, and from around the world, that I doubt you were aware of.
[01:55] <SolemnSketcher_> there was so much stuff going on all the time
[01:55] <@visceralVanguard> Much of the world was still unknown to those in Europe around your time period.
[01:55] <@visceralVanguard> Europeans had only dreamt of the location where Byron would end up being from!
[01:56] <SolemnSketcher_> when this ends.
[01:57] <SolemnSketcher_> and we go back to earth....
[01:57] <SolemnSketcher_> do you want to travel?
[01:57] <@visceralVanguard> I know not if Earth's existence will ever lie in our future, but whatever ends up being on the other side of this whole mess of a game, I would love to go traveling with you. :)
[01:59] <SolemnSketcher_> that.... thanks
[01:00] <SolemnSketcher_> how is everyone else doing?
[01:00] <SolemnSketcher_> im afraid i haven't been quite social these days
[01:01] <@visceralVanguard> I have not heard from most people, to be honest.
[01:01] <@visceralVanguard> Byron and Tarane both just sent me a message, however I have yet to respond to either.
[01:01] <@visceralVanguard> Tarane is on Prospit at the moment, I do know that.
[01:02] <@visceralVanguard> Lyra and Alex are still likely in the cave network.
[01:02] <SolemnSketcher_> wow... feels like its been a while since i heard those names
[01:02] <@visceralVanguard> Who the fuck knows what Byron is up to.
[01:02] <@visceralVanguard> Nobody ever does.
[01:02] <@visceralVanguard> I recently met both Juan and Petrus. It seems both of them are occupied exploring their lands.
[01:03] <SolemnSketcher_> interesting.
[01:03] <SolemnSketcher_> those are two i haven't heard much about
[01:04] <@visceralVanguard> Juan seems very likely to be the reason the alternate version of yourself is able to travel in time.
[01:04] <SolemnSketcher_> well.... that's... something
[01:04] <@visceralVanguard> He mentioned quite a few things about time travel and the locale he is currently in.
[01:05] <@visceralVanguard> He is the only person I have heard any such matters from, so it is the most probable cause for that to be the case.
[01:05] <@visceralVanguard> I still know very little about Petrus other than he seems quite clueless as to what is happening.
[01:05] <@visceralVanguard> I do not blame him since he has been relatively isolated on his land.
[01:06] <@visceralVanguard> Perhaps being relatively isolated from all of this is a good thing?
[01:06] <SolemnSketcher_> do any of us has any idea of what is actually going on?
[01:06] <@visceralVanguard> He hardly even know what Derse and Prospit were, or what the gates above his house were, or that any of us even existed, let alone the whole debacle with your alternate self and Abyss and Lyra.
[01:07] <@visceralVanguard> We may be clueless, but he was an entirely different echelon of clueless.
[01:08] <SolemnSketcher_> i feel like dust settled down for the moment. this peace is quite nice but im kinda growing restless
[01:09] <@visceralVanguard> I am taking advantage of this opportunity to make as much headway as I can in determining some of the inner workings of this game, as well as preparing for things to get rough again.
[01:09] <SolemnSketcher_> oh.
[01:09] <@visceralVanguard> I appreciate this stretch of calm waters as well, but I hardly expect it to last so I intend to be prepared.
[01:10] <SolemnSketcher_> talking about preparing things...
[01:10] <SolemnSketcher_> do you need anything from here? i intend to work in the forge for a while, so i could make you something
[01:10] <SolemnSketcher_> do you need bolts for your crossbow?
[01:11] <SolemnSketcher_> anything at all?
[01:11] <@visceralVanguard> I have been attempting to collect as many as I can, but most are dented or bent beyond use.
[01:11] <@visceralVanguard> If you have time, I would very much appreciate some additional bolts.
[01:11] <@visceralVanguard> What do you intend to make at the forge?
[01:12] <SolemnSketcher_> i want to fix me a pair of boots.
[01:13] <SolemnSketcher_> and see if i can reinforce some of my clothing
[01:14] <@visceralVanguard> That sounds like a fine idea.
[01:15] <@visceralVanguard> I am sure it will feel excellent to get back to the forge after all of this.
[01:15] <@visceralVanguard> It will be something familiar, something solid, and something to remind you of home.
[01:15] <@visceralVanguard> Not like all of this darkness and confusion and pain so ubiquitous in this game.
[01:15] <SolemnSketcher_> yes. i... i miss home
[01:16] <SolemnSketcher_> we all do
[01:16] <SolemnSketcher_> but.... it feels heavy going back. like... a reminder.
[01:16] <SolemnSketcher_> if we win. will i just go back there?
[01:17] <SolemnSketcher_> would we be all settled in the same optimal place?
[01:17] <@visceralVanguard> I do not believe so, but I have very little concrete basis for that hypothesis other than inference.
[01:17] <@visceralVanguard> I believe Earth is no longer, and shall remain that way.
[01:17] <@visceralVanguard> And we shall instead create something new.
[01:18] <@visceralVanguard> However, that is something that we will need to find out when we get there.
[01:18] <SolemnSketcher_> ...
[01:20] <@visceralVanguard> There is little benefit to fretting over such a detail that we have no power to affect at this point.
[01:20] <SolemnSketcher_> you have a good point, as always
[01:20] <SolemnSketcher_> so... on least pressing matters, do you want to do anything later?
[01:22] <@visceralVanguard> I would love to.
[01:22] <@visceralVanguard> I know not what and I know not when, but as always, doing something with you sounds like an excellent plan. :)
[01:22] <SolemnSketcher_> remember our talk in the shower?
[01:22] <@visceralVanguard> Of course!
[01:24] <SolemnSketcher_> i think i said....
[01:24] <SolemnSketcher_> dost thou want to dance later?
[01:26] <@visceralVanguard> Oh yes!
[01:26] <@visceralVanguard> That would be quite the adventure, wouldn't it!
[01:27] <SolemnSketcher_> indeed it would. i have wanted to see what... this... dancing stuff looks like in your times
[01:27] <SolemnSketcher_> and perhaps i could show you how my time did it
[01:28] <SolemnSketcher_> you know. i was never fond of dancing with other people. its like..... too personal
[01:28] <SolemnSketcher_> dont you think?
[01:28] <@visceralVanguard> I cannot say I danced particularly frequently to have developed much of an opinion on the matter, to be honest.
[01:30] <SolemnSketcher_> eh. just going by what you think
[01:31] <@visceralVanguard> Given the global cultural exchange that had occurred by my time period, quite a wide range of dance styles were popular.
[01:31] <@visceralVanguard> Norwegian folk dance, salsa dancing, and swing dancing were the most popular forms of dance where I was from.
[01:32] <@visceralVanguard> I am sure you can look up videos of examples of those online if you so wish. :)
[01:34] <SolemnSketcher_> oh. those sound quite interesting
[01:36] <@visceralVanguard> Indeed they are! I would imagine they would be particularly interesting to someone who has never even been exposed to aforementioned dance styles. :)
[01:37] <SolemnSketcher_> what else could we do? there's lot of things we could do to use our time!!
[01:39] <@visceralVanguard> I have no idea! That is something we can think about in the meantime.
[01:39] <SolemnSketcher_> do you want to continue our swordfighting lessons?
[01:40] <@visceralVanguard> Given I am exploring now and you are undertaking several projects at the forge, it seems likely it will be a while until we see each other again in the flesh.
[01:41] <SolemnSketcher_> indeed seems like it
[01:42] <SolemnSketcher_> you know. if you were up for it.... could i do an actual portrait of you?
[01:42] <@visceralVanguard> Oh?
[01:42] <SolemnSketcher_> with paint, pencils and that
[01:42] <@visceralVanguard> If you promise to make it nowhere near as embarrassing as the ridiculous statue of me that GCS made, then of course. :)
[01:42] <SolemnSketcher_> brushes of course
[01:42] <SolemnSketcher_> oh. that statue.....
[01:43] <SolemnSketcher_> its... so... big
[01:43] <@visceralVanguard> Indeed it is.
[01:44] <SolemnSketcher_> speaking about you....
[01:44] <SolemnSketcher_> how's that hickey healing? sorry about that
[01:45] <SolemnSketcher_> remind me to not bite you anymore
[01:46] <@visceralVanguard> Ah.
[01:46] <@visceralVanguard> Well, it seems to be healing fine.
[01:46] <@visceralVanguard> I did discover yet another statue of myself though, and for some strange reason it bore the mark.
[01:46] <@visceralVanguard> I chose to dismiss it as yet another freaky occurrence in this game. :)
[01:46] <SolemnSketcher_> ...
[01:47] <SolemnSketcher_> what
[01:47] <SolemnSketcher_> ...ill shrug it off as well... thinking about it will just meke this weirder
[01:47] <@visceralVanguard> Do not inquire further expecting me to give you any meaningful responses because I know as much as you do know on the matter. Shrugging it off is precisely the strategy I have adopted.
[01:48] <SolemnSketcher_> and really. remind me to not to bite you anymore
[01:49] <@visceralVanguard> Okay. :)
[01:50] <@visceralVanguard> I shall give you a solid bop on the head if you ever do without permission. Will that be an effective deterrent? ;)
[01:50] <SolemnSketcher_> i promise i wont bite... unless you give me permission ;)
[01:51] <@visceralVanguard> Excellent.
[01:51] <SolemnSketcher_> heh.  you actually make it sound like you would
[01:51] <SolemnSketcher_> :p
[01:52] <@visceralVanguard> Make it sound like I would give you a solid bop on the head? I most certainly would!
[01:52] <@visceralVanguard> As for giving you permission.....
[01:52] <@visceralVanguard> You will have to see! ;)
[01:53] <SolemnSketcher_> oh my
[01:53] <SolemnSketcher_> and about that. lets have into account your clothes have electrocuted me several times
[01:54] <@visceralVanguard> I love it when they do that!
[01:54] <SolemnSketcher_> it hurts!
[01:54] <@visceralVanguard> It is always quite entertaining to see you jump a little bit whenever you give me a hug. ;)
[01:54] <SolemnSketcher_> well... kinda hurts
[01:54] <@visceralVanguard> Be honest, it doesn't hurt that much.
[01:54] <@visceralVanguard> If you think about it, you probably kind of like it.
[01:55] <@visceralVanguard> More like a little sharp tingly feeling to make things more exciting.
[01:55] <SolemnSketcher_> our first kiss you held that dress against me the whole time, faerzen
[01:55] <@visceralVanguard> And yet you did not even try and break away.
[01:56] <SolemnSketcher_> you think i would have?
[01:56] <SolemnSketcher_> to waste such a good opportunity?
[01:56] <@visceralVanguard> Of course not!
[01:57] <SolemnSketcher_> was it on purpose?
[01:57] <@visceralVanguard> I am not an American, but I plead the fifth with regards to that inquiry.
[01:58] <@visceralVanguard> On the grounds that you hardly even know what an "American" or "the fifth" are.
[01:58] <@visceralVanguard> And thus cannot dispute my statement! :)
[01:59] <SolemnSketcher_> may i ask then...
[01:59] <SolemnSketcher_> what is "the fifth?"
[02:00] <@visceralVanguard> I plead the fifth again! :)
[02:00] <SolemnSketcher_> c'mooooon
[02:00] <@visceralVanguard> If you so desire to know, then you can look it up later on your new-found internet.
[02:00] <@visceralVanguard> I am sure you will find it intriguing.
[02:01] <@visceralVanguard> Particularly so since it involves a system of governance that is far from the royalty you are used to.
[02:01] <SolemnSketcher_> interesting.
[02:02] <SolemnSketcher_> one day ill find a way to get revenge for all those shocks
[02:02] <@visceralVanguard> I'd like to see you try! ;)
[02:03] <SolemnSketcher_> perhaps i MAY or MAY not find a chance where you are not wearing that dress.... and... i dont know... how was this action called?
[02:04] <SolemnSketcher_> ti.... something?
[02:04] <SolemnSketcher_> tickling perhaps?
[02:04] <@visceralVanguard> You ought to be careful what you say there!
[02:04] <@visceralVanguard> "Find a chance where you are not wearing that dress...."
[02:05] <@visceralVanguard> You might give the wrong idea there, Nick! :)
[02:05] <SolemnSketcher_> oh?
[02:05] <SolemnSketcher_> oh.
[02:06] <SolemnSketcher_> [even though you cant see him, nick just blushedd]
[02:06] <@visceralVanguard> Don't think I didn't notice you looking at me when I was changing out of my dress on Prospit. :)
[02:06] <SolemnSketcher_> [a minute passes]
[02:07] <SolemnSketcher_> i plead the fifht
[02:07] <SolemnSketcher_> just looked it up. and i plead it
[02:09] <SolemnSketcher_> but my point still stands. you cant wear that dress forever, double meanings or not
[02:10] <@visceralVanguard> I will simply be sure to alchemize newer dresses using it so that they inherit it's lovely shocking properites!
[02:12] <SolemnSketcher_> is this a challenge?
[02:13] <@visceralVanguard> What do you think? ;)
[02:14] <SolemnSketcher_> you know i could find a way ;)
[02:16] <@visceralVanguard> We shall see about that.
[02:17] <@visceralVanguard> Is there anything else in particular you wanted to talk about? I should probably not leave Byron and Tarane hanging for too long.
[02:18] <SolemnSketcher_> not really. i just wanted to say hi and check that you were ok
[02:20] <@visceralVanguard> Thank you for checking in!
[02:20] <@visceralVanguard> I appreciate it. :)
[02:21] <SolemnSketcher_> i appreciate the talk :)
[02:21] <SolemnSketcher_> should we be going each in their own directions?
[02:22] <@visceralVanguard> As always, be careful and stay safe, but I would like to append one additional thing to that list this time around: have fun. You deserve some of that right about now. :)
[02:22] <SolemnSketcher_> oh you :)
[02:23] <SolemnSketcher_> see you soon fae
[02:23] <@visceralVanguard> See you soon. :)
[02:23]  * SolemnSketcher_ [SS] ceased his conversation with visceralVanguard [VV]