Part 25: The Silver World

Skit: We Meet Again

: “Looks like we're all together again.”

: “If only by coincidence.”

: “Perhaps Lorelei has brought us together.”

: “Yes, the people spoken of in the Score, heads of state... I can't imagine we all met by coincidence.”

: “I wonder if this too, was written in the Score.”

: “Yeah, maybe.”

: “But, you know, Luke... you look somehow... different. Maybe it's your hair.”

: “Y-you think so?”

: “Well, he's had a lot to think about. Pity it's far too late to make any difference.”

: ...*sigh*...

: “Well, people can't change overnight, after all.”

: “Anise, Jade... I'm afraid I can't agree with you. Luke has always been kind. He just hasn't known how to express it.”

: “No, Ion, it's okay. They can just watch me and see for themselves.”

: “Right. Now, come on. It's dangerous to linger here.”

I'd just like to point out that Natalia hasn't given Luke any shit. After having to deal with the onslaught of Anise, it's refreshing.



We're outside the Cathedral, and it's time to book it out of town before anybody notices we just snatched the Pope.

Skit: Tear's No Spy

: “I can't believe the Grand Maestro is trying to start a war...”

: “Tear... um...”

: “What? If you've got something to say, say it.”

: “...Well... you know how I used to say you were a spy?”

: “Yes...”

: “Sorry!”

: “What?”

: “You weren't really a spy for Mohs...”

: “I don't mind. After all, I am under Mohs' command, but please believe me now. I want to avert this war. No matter what.”

The trip to the Fourth Monument is uneventful.



: “I don't think they can abduct Ion in a public space.”

: “But what do we do now? War's about to start and things look seriously bad!”

: “Can't we just go to Baticul and stop my uncle?”

: “Have you forgotten? Mohs has His Majesty's ear. It would be running right into enemy territory.”

: “I'm afraid Tear may be right. Father trusts Mohs.”

: “I'm also worried about the talk of St. Binah falling.”

: “Then why don't we petition help from Malkuth's Emperor Peony? He doesn't want war, and he would have gotten word of any signs of Rugnica's collapse.”

: “Sounds like a plan.”

: “Okay, let's do that. But where'll we get a ship to Malkuth?”

: “Asch left the Tartarus in Daath's harbor for us. Let's head there.”

: “He did...? Okay. The harbor's northwest, right? Let's go.”

Skit: Asch, Friend or...?

: “I wonder why Asch left the Tartarus behind...”

: “He probably wanted to help us.”

: “I wouldn't be so certain. The Tartarus is one of Malkuth's ships. Perhaps it was just inconvenient to use it for travel between two countries.”

: “Well, whatever the reason, at least we won't be stranded here.”

: “Asch... I wonder what he's up to...?”

: “Who knows? He may be plotting something.”

: “Guy! Don't talk about Asch like an enemy! He's on our side!”

: “Really? I wonder... personally, I'd refrain from making any hasty judgments.”

And so yeah, we head to Daath Harbor. Not to bombard you with skits, but on the way I get into a few battles, and everybody in the party is, for the first time, level 30 or higher. This causes a skit to trigger.

Excellent News

: “I sure have gotten stronger since I started traveling!”

: “Yes, not just your skill in battle, either...”

: “Huh?”

: “You mean he's grown up a little too, right?”

: “Yes, granted, he still has a ways to go...”

: “Indeed, I have learned many things since setting out as well. Perhaps the greatest change is that I now know how immature I am.”

: “We've all gained experience and grown up a little, huh?”

: “What excellent news.”

: : : : : …



: “How come that sounds so twisted when Jade says it?”

: “Because it's the Colonel. What else can you say?”

: “No matter how strong, no matter how experienced... Jade will always be Jade.”

And we'll love him for it.



: “Um, northwest, I think.”

: “...Doesn't Grand Chokmah turn into a fortress in wartime? Will the port be open?”

: “That's correct. You're well informed.”

: “But war hasn't started yet.”

: “Even so, I imagine they've sealed off invasion routes in preparation for an attack.”

: “But won't they let you through Jade?”

: “Right now, mentioning my name would probably have the opposite effect. All of my men were killed, and I've been missing since Akzeriuth. Now I show up in a landship that was supposedly captured... I wouldn't be surprised if they opened fire on us.”

: “Why don't we dock somewhere and go by land? If we approach unarmed, then perhaps...”

: “Rotelro Bridge is still under repair. We should be able to land there.”

: “That looks like our best chance.”

: *Sigh* “We have to walk...”

Skit: The Tatarus Takes a Beating

: “So we can't get to Grand Chokmah by sea...”

: “Nope. The Tartarus would probably sink if we tried to force our way in.”

: “Perhaps at full strength, the Tartarus could do something like that. But with this small a crew, even that would be impossible. Besides, there's no reason to be so aggressive here.”

: “Yeah, we're not going in to fight.”

: “Besides, we'd have problems if the Tartarus got too banged up.”

: “Indeed, it would likely be difficult to find another ship, given the current situation. We'll need the Tartarus for a while yet.”

: “Coming up form the Qliphoth was pretty rough on it, so we should probably play it safe for a while.”

: “Huh? You knew about that?”

: “Yeah, I'm connected with Asch. I saw it all through his eyes. I remember it well.”


: …

: “In any case, all of us are probably as worn out as the Tartarus.

: “Good idea.”



We push off, our goal being the northwestern tip of the giant continent on the right side of the map.

Of course, we don't make it that far...





The ship shudders violently.

: “Is it going to sink?”

: “I'll take a look.”



: “Master, I can't swim...”

: “...I know. Don't worry. We're not going to sink.”



: “It's only temporary. I'd like to get it repaired in port somewhere.”

: “The closest port from here is Keterburg.”

: “Then let's go there. That's okay with you, right, Jade?”

: “I suppose so...”

We don't get much of a choice, next scene:



The fact that both wdarkk's Tales thread and my Tales threads are both taking place in snow levels is completely coincidental.



: “I'm Colonel Jade Curtiss. Third Division, Malkuth Imperial Forces.”

: “M-my apologies, but I heard you were killed at Akzeriuth...”

: “That matter is top secret. Our ship's engine was damaged during our mission, so we stopped here. I'll explain the situation to the governor, Viscount Osborne. You may inspect the ship as you please.”

: “Yes sir, shall I show you to the city?”

: “That won't be necessary. I was born here. I'm familiar with the area.”

: “Understood. Then, if you'll excuse me.”



: “...Yes.”

: “What are we going to do about repairs?”

: “We can report that to the governor and ask for help.”

: “Okay, then let's hurry to Keterburg.”

Before we do that though, there's something for us to do here in the bay.



Welcome to the warehouse sidequests. This is a series of 3-4 block pushing puzzles. In exchange for having to deal with annoying puzzle design and terrible, terrible music looped endlessly until the end of time, you get cold hard cash and handful of not-to-bad treasure to boot.



I'm not sure how to make block pushing look compelling in screenshots, so enjoy the above link if you want to watch me solve it. I apologize for all the gaps of nothing, but my roommate kept asking me to come over and help him. I'd edit those dead spots out, but on the other hand you wouldn't get to hear the music in all it's glory.



At any rate, for our troubles we get 5000 gald, along with a Pineapple Gel, a Stun Bracelet, and a Revival Doll. The bracelet gives a party member resistance to the stun effect (useless as of now) while the Revival Doll gives one automatic revival after KO in every battle to the one equipped with it. Not too shabby, but on the other hand it takes up an equipment slot that could be giving all kinds of stat boosts. Not to mention that reviving KO'd party members is what we have Life Bottles / Tear for.



One of the little aesthetic touches I like is that Keterburg is in perpetual twilight, which if you've ever been far north is a thing that happens. It adds a unique feel to the whole area.



If you know any Hebrew, then you'd know that Keter literally means 'crown'. So this place is 'Crown City'. Hold on to that.



Keterburg only has one shop, and like Baticul and Chesedonia they sell way overpriced equipment you can't afford at this point. Honestly the only things worth getting here is some slightly upgraded armor for Guy and Luke.

But the item shop isn't what we're here for.



Not at all...





: “So this is the casino, huh? Looks pretty fun!”

: “I'd heard about it, but all of this gaudiness is rather discomforting.”

: “Yes... it is pretty, but it makes me feel out of place.”

: “This casino was build back when this area was first developed as a resort. There's actually a little legend about this place...”



Of course, if anybody were going to go crazy in a casino, it'd be Anise...

: “...Oh man. It's so obviously a lie just to attract customers...”



: “What's wrong Anise? Everybody's staring at you.”

: “They said minors aren't allowed to play in the casino! Booo!”

: “Hah hah hah... it's not so bad. All you need is a parent. What about Jade?”

: “Papa! Can I please get my allowance? Pretty please?”

: “I'm afraid not.”





: “Uwaaah!”

: “Tch... that's right. My looks don't work on Guy.”



Pfft.



The casino is interesting just from the perspective of what they managed to get away with in this game. If I remember correctly, Vesperia's casino was pretty G rated, while Symphonia's was cut entirely in the US release because it was considered kid-unfriendly. Compare that to Abyss's casino, which comes with a full bar (you can't see it in this shot, but there are shelves upon shelves of obvious liquor bottles behind the bar) card games and bunny girls. How did Abyss get away with all this shit?

Skit: An Unexpected Pitfall

: “First I'll get rich at the casino. Then I'll be the center of attention. And then, ooh, all the wealthy suitors... Heh heh...”

: “That's awfully optimistic.”

: “I prefer the term 'forward-thinking'. After all, you've got to believe if you want to get rich!”

: “Doesn't that go 'those who believe are saved'?”

: “Saved, shmaved. I want money!”

: “Oh, and you can't exchange chips for money anyway.”

: “...Huh?”

: “Why's that?”

: “The previous emperor outlawed it. Apparently he saw gambling as immoral during wartime.”

: “That's cheating! I hate Malkuth!”

I'd feel bad for Anise except that... well yeah.

There are two games we can play: Nephry Ball and Poker.



Nephry Ball is essentially a lottery. You pick five billiard balls, and then five are presented. For every one matched, your bet goes up x2. If you actually wanted to bet in Abyss, there's no point in playing Nephry Ball because the odds of making decent money are terrible.



Poker is... poker. You get a hand. Trade in some cards and get new ones. Pray. Poker is the best game here because so long as you win something, even if it's just two pair, you get a chance to double down. Double down games involve a high/low card game, Abyss has a habit of throwing very high or very low cards at you to begin with, so you can make bank more often than not.



The prizes are, predictably, pretty terrible and do not justify their prices in any way. The Soul Steal and Wizard Cane are great weapons at the moment, but there's a catch: we're currently limited in how many chips we can put down per bet. Right now, that number is 10. As we progress through the game, that cap goes up. By the time we have a cap high enough that we can feasably grab those weapons, we can get even better weapons much easier. The casino is pretty pointless.

Before we hit the Governer's, let's pick up some loot.



These kids up here are playing with weird rotating snowball throwing machines. Naturally, I have Mieu slam his face into the machine, breaking it instantly. What? Back in my day kinds had to throw their own snowballs.



This somehow makes a chest appear in the center of town.

For our troubles we get an Hourglass, which lets us freeze time for about 10 seconds in battle. It immobilizes every enemy on the map, and works against every enemy in the game, including all bosses. These things can save your bacon in the right circumstances, but on the other hand they feed right into my terrible habit of never using awesome items because I think I might need them later.

Skit: The Emperor's Love

: “Huh... for a nobles' resort, there sure aren't many nice buildings.”

: “Well, you can hardly compare it to your own place! You're in line for the throne. Any place would look dull to you.”

: “That's not what I meant!”

: “Actually, development has been rather limited, due in part to the Emperor's wishes.”

: “Really? Does he have some sort of special feelings for this town? Perhaps he doesn't want to see his childhood home distrubed.”

: “...Actually, it's more likely that his first love doesn't want to see the town exploited by nobles.”

: “Oh my!”

: “Ooh...”

: “...How nice.”

: “Ultimately he was forced to give up on her because she was a commoner, but he's still reluctant to marry anyone else.”

: “How painful...”

: “Ooh... what a story!”

: “...An unrequited love...”

: “So all these recreational facilities were built for his first love?”

: “No, the Emperor just likes those.”

: : : …

Why do I get the feeling that if we ever happened to meet this Emperor, we'd end up liking him?



There's not much else to do in Keterburg at the moment, so time to advance the plot.



Of course, I immediately rob the mansion.









: “Hello, Nephry. It's been a while, hasn't it? Not since your wedding, I believe.”

: “What's going on?! They said you were killed at Akzeriuth...”



Aaand one fade to black later...



: “We'll inspect the Tartarus. Once you're resupplied, please go see Emperor Peony. He's been very worried.”

: “Oh? Didn't everyone think I was dead?”

: “His Majesty was the only one who believed you were still alive. The rest of you, too. Please wait a bit while we prepare your ship. This is a tourist city, so I think you'll be safe here. I'll book a room at the inn for you. Please get some rest.”



Well this is getting interesting...

Before we head to the inn, I'll try talking to Nephry one last time. Anything to say?






To the inn!



: “Oh, I forgot something at Nephry's place. I'll go get it real quick!”

Smooth.

: “Shall I go with you?”

: “Nephry's a woman, remember?”

: “Oh I love LOOKING at beautiful women.”

: “Guy is most certainly... a guy...”

Oi, I already made that pun. No stealing.

: “She's an older woman, and married, you know...”

: “W-wait, hold on, I didn't mean it like that...”

: “Master, I'll go with you too.”

: “Gaah, everybody just shut up! I don't need anyone to come with me!”



Luke runs off, but Mieu follows.



: “...What are you talking about?”

: “The reason why Jade created fomicry... even now I still remember that day. I was careless and broke my favorite doll. My brother developed the basis for fomicry, and used it to create a copy of my doll – a replica.”



: “Unbelievable.”

: “Normally, you'd simply buy another doll, but my brother created a copy. I felt something abnormal in his way of thinking.”

: “Abnormal... you don't have to put it like that...”

: “He acts nice now, but as a child my brother was a terror. A devil. He could use fonic artes that adults found difficult. He enjoyed killing even harmless monsters. My brother didn't understand what it meant for living things to die.”

: “He doesn't seem that way to me...”



: “Jade can't use the Seventh Fonon, so he admired her. But a tragedy occurred. He tried to use the Seventh Fonon and wound up unleashing a fonic arte he couldn't control. Jade's fonic arte struck down Professor Nebilim and set the building on fire.”

: “He killed her?!”

: “She was still alive, just laying there. My brother looked at her, and had an idea. There was still time to make a replica. He could save Professor Nebilim.”

: !!

: “Jade extracted her information and created a replica, but the replica that was born was nothing more than monster.”

: “What happened to the real Nebilim?”

: “She passed away. After that, my brother's talents were recognized, and he was adopted into the famous Curtiss military family.”

Man, what is with all the callbacks to the Graces thread in this update?

: “I think he probably wanted a better environment for studying how to bring back the professor.”

: “But he stopped replicating living things. Why?”



: “I see...”

: “But honestly... I think, deep down, my brother still wants to resurrect Professor Nebilim.”

: “I don't really think that's the case.”

: “Yes, it may just be a groundless fear, but I still wanted to let you know, so that you could help to keep him in check. I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time. Thank you for listening.”

Well shit. Backstory on Jade of all people.



We're back at the inn and-



Welp.

: “...T-told me what?”

: “You're a naughty boy, telling lies like that.”

: “...How did you know?”

: “It doesn't matter. Though I will say for the record, that I no longer desire to resurrect the Professor.”

: “Really? You're sure?”

: “...You should know the reason for that better than anyone. I want to beg Professor Nebilim's forgiveness... so that I might feel better. But Replicas have no memory of the past. A replica cannot forgive me.”

: “Jade...”

: “I'll live the rest of my life pained by the sins of my past.”

: “Sins...? You mean killing Nebilim?”

: “Hmm... perhaps my greatest sin was not understanding the significance of life and death.”

: “...If I had the ability to make replicas... I think I would have done the same thing.”

: “Hah hah. Are you trying to cheer me up? You've somewhat missed the mark... but I appreciate the sentiment.”



: “...All right.”

: “That's a promise.”

This just keeps getting more mysterious, doesn't it...?

Skit: The Night at Keterburg

: “It's so cold... The Sorcerer's Ring is freezing my tummy!”

: “Cheagles don't like the cold, do they? I'm not fond of it myself.”

: “I want some nice warm sunlight...”

: “It may be a little cold, but the town is so beautiful at night, moonlight on the silver snow...”

: “Wouldn't it be splendid to walk with a gentleman through such beauty?”

: “Yeah, that would be so great!”

: *Achoo!* “So cold... my belly's going to freeze solid...”

: “Why do ladies at resorts have to get so close when they come talk to you...? I can't even go outside at this point...”

Luke and Guy's portraits have not been in the skit the whole time. After Anise finishes her line, their portraits move across the screen then leave again, indicating that the just sort of walked on by just as the said that, then wandered off again.

...Explaining comedic timing really kills the joke.

: “...It looks like we have little hope with this group.”

: “Huh? What about the maybe-not-so-bad-after-all Colonel?”

: “I saw him walk off with a pretty woman earlier...”

: “But there's already three pretty women right here!”

: “Heh heh. Yes, indeed.”

: “Oh, I think it's cute the way he's worried about his tummy freezing.”

: “Oh my...”

: “Well...”

: “Heh heh heh...”

: “W-what?”

: “Nothing at all.”

: “Best wishes!”

: “I think you make a fine pair.”

: “...I was talking about Mieu...”



The next day we push off to... wait, what the hell is going on in the corner over there?







: “Okay, shall we head for Grand Chokmah now?”

: “yes. We must inform the Emperor as quickly as possible about the danger of St. Binah falling.”

: “Yes, first let's head for Rotelro Bridge.”

: *sigh* “And then we walk from there... Colonel, if I get tired, carry me on your back, okay?”

: “I'm afraid not. Perhaps it's my age, but my joints ache, you see.”



: “It's a rough trip for an old man like me. You youngsters will have to shield me and lead the way.”

: “Um... yeah...”

: “There's no time to waste, let's go! Thanks for your help, Nephry.”

: “Take care. Brother, please give my regards to His Majesty.”

Right, lets blow this popsicle stand.



We're heading to Rotelro Bridge, which was the giant bridge that Tear and Luke crossed by carriage way back at the beginning of the game.



You have to be careful when crossing this middle stream of islands. There's a huge impassable thunderstorm in a large radius around the north of the continent to stop you from docking closer, and if you are too far north when trying to cross you'll get blown back.



Here we are. Now before we make progress, there are two sidequest things we have to do.



First, right outside of our next dungeon is this innocuous Search Point. Who doesn't want free goodies? Search away!



Wait, wha-



What the fuck is Sword Dancer doing here?!



So yeah, as per Tales tradition the Sword Dancer locations are a total ballkick. This isn't even all that bad compared to Symphonia, where he was hidden in an abandoned mine, way out in the back of a forest maze, and back in an early game dungeon you'd never go through again for any reason. At least here the Search Point is kind of close to where we'd want to go, so curious players may stumble across it on they're own. Of course they're then likely to die and get sent back aways, but still.

But that wouldn't be the end of it, would it? As per usual, there is a cutoff point. Granted it's a very long one, but still. I guess after awhile even evil spirits get bored and fuck off.

...Anyway, boss fight?



So Sword Dancer doesn't really have any new tricks up his sleeve. He just hits like truck and doesn't stagger as easily. Granted even with 2x exp I'm fighting him at a lower level than I should be, but he's difficult no matter what.



Luke dies once or twice this fight, but I've got so many life bottles I don't know what to do with them all! Sword Dancer is just as slow as he was before, but now he's much more happy to punish free run abuse by using spinning in place with swords extended, which will hit you because his reach is insane.



Also Anise goes Over Limit and I was planning to show off her Mystic Arte here, but unfortunately she doesn't actually have any arcane artes yet to trigger it! There will be other chances.



For our troubles, we get hilarious EXP and a ton of gald.

Skit: ...A Ghost?

: “That sure looked like a ghost.”

: “Whatever it was, it was definitely stronger than last time.”

: “Colonel, what do you think it was?”

: “A 'ghost' may actually be a fairly appropriate description.”

: “Wow, I never thought you'd believe in ghosts.”

: “I don't believe in them. I simply have no proof that they cannot exist. Without such proof, I can't dismiss the possibility.”

: “So do you think it was a ghost?”

: “Tear mentioned unusual fonons. Perhaps the fonons of a dead person gathered together rather than returning to the fon belt. Whether that qualifies as a ghost is a separate issue entirely.”

: “Why would they gather? Hatred for the living, or something?”

: “Who knows? There was a strong fonon response from his weapon. Perhaps that's what attracted them.”

: “But then... wouldn't he keep on coming back?”

: “No! I'm tired of fighting that thing!”

: “Let's pray we don't run into it again.”

Protip: we're going to run into it again.



The second thing we have to do involves going back to Kaitzur. Right now the only way to do that is actually to backtrack through Fubras River, which is mildly annoying. It's my fault though: I should have done this before going to Akzeriuth when I was still in the area.



: “You know him? My name's Guy. I received this from Gee.”

: “We've been waiting for you! I'll teach you what I know of the blade at once.”



Symphonia veterans know exactly what this means.



Daath, this is. I was supposed to have done this quest way back when, and then have been at Daath to meet the next guy. Luckily Guy's quest mercifully has no cutoff, so I can finish it up at my leisure.



20 minutes of loading times and random battles later, I'm back at where we need to be. But unfortunately, it'll have to wait till next time.

Next time: A forced stealth section. Pro stratz guaranteed to amaze.

Synopsis:

At this rate, a war's going to break out, and there's still the
possibility that St. Binah will collapse. But considering that Uncle sent me
to Akzeriuth, I have to assume Mohs has his ear. In that case, we decided it
would be best to rely on Jade's connections to get help from Emperor Peony of
Malkuth.
Fortunately, Asch left the Tartarus in Daath Bay for us, and it's capable
of traveling on the sea, so we're going to take it to Malkuth. The port's
northwest of the Fourth Monument Hill. We have to hurry.

Grand Chokmah, the capital of Malkuth, apparently closes off its port when
there's the threat of war, so we can't enter it from the sea. And not only is
Jade probably thought lost in the Akzeriuth disaster, the Tartarus is
believed to be in the hands of the Oracle Knights. It looks like we won't be
able to use it to get to Grand Chokmah directly. We'll have to land at
Rotelro Bridge, to the northeast of Chesedonia, and head for Grand Chokmah on
foot.
On the way to Rotelro Bridge, we encountered a defensive mine. The
resulting damage to the Tartarus was great enough that we could no longer
reach Rotelro Bridge, so we decided to stop at the nearby Keterburg Bay for
repairs.

When we reached the port, a Malkuth soldier tried to interrogate us, but
Jade's quick thinking got us out of that, saying that he would report to the
governor of Keterburg instead. We're now headed for the town of Keterburg to
meet with the governor.

Wow! Nephry Osborne, the governor of Keterburg, is Jade's sister! Nephry
was a really nice person, unlike Jade.
Repair of the Tartarus would take some time, so we decided to spend it
looking around the town.

But just as we were leaving, Nephry pulled me aside and told me to come
see her alone, that she has something important to tell me. I wonder what it
is...

Nephry wanted to tell me about the reason Jade invented fomicry. I don't
know how well I can sum it up, but I'll try and write it down here.

Basically, Jade thought up fomicry as a way to replicate a doll that
Nephry broke. I guess that is kind of strange... Normally you'd just buy a
new doll. But anyway, that was the first replica he created.

Jade was a genius even when he was young, but he was never really able to
understand the death of living things. He even killed harmless monsters just
for fun. It was Professor Nebilim, a private teacher, who changed him. But an
experiment Jade performed out of curiosity went awry and killed Professor
Nebilim. He used fomicry on her while she was still breathing to try and
revive her. That was the first living replica created...but even though it
looked like her, it turned into a monster. Jade then had himself adopted by
the Curtiss family and entered the army, all in order to revive Professor
Nebilim.

Nephry wanted me, another replica, to act as a deterrent to Jade. She was
worried that he's still trying to revive Professor Nebilim. But he doesn't
look that way to me. I don't like him, but he does seem to have common sense,
at least now.
(He probably wouldn't want to hear that from me...)

Jade knew what Nephry had told me, and he said he's not trying to revive
Professor Nebilim any longer. I think I can believe him when he says that...
He understands death now. I saw that at Akzeriuth. So he'll be okay...I think.

Jade told me not to tell anyone about this. Yeah, I can't blame him. I
wouldn't know how to explain it anyway.

The following morning, the Tartarus was usable again. Time to get back on
course for Rotelro Bridge.
We landed at Rotelro Bridge to head over to Rugnica for Grand Chokmah. But
before we reach the capital, we'll have to pass through Theor Forest, to the
north of Rotelro Bridge. We've wasted enough time as it is... We'd better get
moving.