Well.. if that is what you would like to tell me about..
[ even despite her response, she can only hold back her smile for so long. honestly, if prompto wants to talk about king's knight for an hour, she's happy to hear it. it's still about him, about his life, about the things he did before she met him, which makes it just as important as all the rest. she doesn't always need the poignant tales of his youth. it's the little details about a person that help you to really know them, and she is just as happy to hear about those as she is to hear about his lifechanging experiences.
[ Well, he was mostly kidding, but now she's actually asking about it, and he finds himself at a crossroads between telling her way more than she could ever want to know about a shitty mobile game, or giving her the abbreviated version and going on to something a bit more meaningful, perhaps. He might love the game, but he knows this isn't really what she was asking for. ]
It's more like a...way of life. [ He knocks his elbow playfully against hers as he takes another bite. ] Yeah, 'course it's a game! Only, like, the coolest mobile game around. Me 'n' the guys used to play it all the time when we were travelin' around. Great way to pass the time at camp, or waiting for Noct to fish...
[ He says with no small degree of nostalgia. Hey, he came around to something more meaningful after all! Also, because I don't feel like going to look up the mechanics of King's Knight. Gacha is probably involved. ]
[ keep in mind she doesn't know what mobile games are, and even with her wrist thingy to remind her of tech, her thoughts still don't go that way, so she's definitely picturing this as like.. some sort of board or tabletop game, or something with marbles or little figurines. what a pain it must be to set it up over and over when they're out camping and roughing it!!
after polishing off the apple, she's smearing butter onto a hunk of bread. ]
It sounds like it was very important to you..
[ she says through a fond smile. it might be a shitty mobile game, but it's part of his history, it's something that he clearly holds a fondness for. ]
[ Yes, the set-up and clean-up for King's Knight was certainly extensive........
He goes for a chunk of cheese next, breaking off a piece of it to eat with the bread that's already sitting in his lap. For all his nerves, he's actually pretty hungry, though he is far less anxious than he was before. There's still a lot they need to figure out, but that can all wait. For now, he's more than content to just...enjoy her company, talk with her, and be by her side. ]
Youuuu could say that again...I might've kinda been a King's Knight-aholic. Played it a bit in Struxta since I could power up my phone there, but it wasn't the same.
[ And it made him more than a little homesick — but this is a happy conversation, and he doesn't want to bring it down unnecessarily. ]
Anyway — c'mon, now it's your turn! I wanna hear some Alisaie trivia straight from the source. Spill!
[ look, it's not her fault she doesn't know what mobile games are!! she's so new to this technological life. struxta was a wild ride for her.. she's even more confused when he talks about having played it recently, because his phone was powered up?? she does not understand the correlation.
and she would ask after it, but then he is suddenly and rudely turning the tables!! alisaie's brows lift in mild surprise, she hadn't been done interrogating him yet! ]
Me?
[ she pauses before she can take a bite of her bread, her brow creasing thoughtfully. ]
Well, I.. what is it that you want to know?
[ it's not like her life is interesting or anything!! ]
[ That's how it works, sweet cheeks! She might want to hear more about his life, but by the same turn, he is dying to hear more about hers. Surely his arcade adventures and mobage high scores are nowhere near as interesting as her missions with the Scions.
Though for his question, he reaches back a little further than that. ]
Will you...tell me about Sharlayan?
[ He's heard little from her about Eorzea, but even less about her homeland. What was it like? When had she left? And...why?
[ wow well that's quite different from asking about stupid king's knight that's for sure!! she looks surprised for a moment, but i mean, it's not like she can say no. she doesn't want to say no.
so she thinks back instead to the motherland, and while it's only been a handful of years since last she saw sharlayan's shores, so much has happened within that time that it feels as if it were absolute ages ago that she was there at all. she was so ready to be rid of the place, but distance makes the heart grow fonder.. her expression softens. ]
Well.. Sharlayan is an island nation off the coast of Eorzea, a city of scholars. It is beautiful, with tall white pillars and buildings, and mountains of books and tomes and scrolls.
But it's not hard at all to picture Alisaie growing up in a place like that, and he leans back, picking at his bread as he listens to her talk. What he wouldn't give to see the world she came from...every time she mentions it, it sounds like such a beautiful place. The sort of place that just begs to be photographed.
He is quiet a moment, before he asks, gently: ]
...Why did you leave?
[ She had mentioned it to him before, but he hasn't asked then. Why had she left home, if it wasn't to join the Scions in the first place? ]
but she asked for this, really. she is the one who started with this digging into the past idea, though really she had been preparing to ask prompto questions, not the other way around!! but she supposes that she has asked quite a bit of him already. he's told her so much about himself, about his past, and where he came from, but she has not offered too much in return, because he had not asked, and she is not the sort fo volunteer information without being prompted.
well, she's prompted now. ]
My grandfather left Sharlayan when I was very young, and never returned. I left to find answers. To understand the purpose of his death, to find meaning in it that I could accept.
[ She is being prompted now, and though Prompto has wondered about these things before, he hasn't wanted to ask, because he didn't want to pry. He wanted to leave the choice up to her, should she choose to share more of her personal history, and the choice is still hers now. But things are different now, too. They have both actively chosen to get to know one another better in pursuit of this...something that exists between them. That it was her idea makes it all the easier to ask, though he makes himself an excellent listener nonetheless. It's one of the few things he is truly, exceptionally good at.
His tone remains quiet, gentle, as he meets her gaze levelly. ]
He...died? [ Oh. Alisaie had mentioned losing people close to her, but she hadn't realized...how very close she meant. ] I...I'm sorry, Alisaie. I-If you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to. It's okay.
[ The last thing he wants to do is make her feel pressured to talk about something she isn't ready to. Before they go any deeper, he just...has to make this clear. ]
[ she says, waving one hand dismissively, and though her expression is soft and sad she seems comfortable and calm. still, no matter how much time passes, she's not sure she will ever entirely heal from louisoix's passing. he was taken from this world too soon, he had so much left to teach her, and not a day passes that she does not wonder what he would think of her choices, or if he would be proud of her.
but prompto uncovered the depths of his heart to her, she owes him the same. besides, it is.. nice, to talk about him. though it hurts, though it will always hurt, she wants to remember him fondly, to keep him alive in her heart. ]
It was years ago, now, but I was so.. angry, then. Angry at him for leaving me, angry at the world for taking him. So I left my home to understand why he left.
[ Slowly, the pieces start to fit into place, painting the bigger picture of her life as things begin to tie together. She had told him that she was seeking answers before, but never why, and it all makes more sense now just how personal a journey it was. Alisaie had wanted answers for a beloved family member's death.
He shifts slightly, moving just a little bit closer so his elbow brushes hers, a tangible reminder that he's here to support her, no matter what. She's opening up to him in ways she hasn't before, and he can absolutely recognize that. ]
And...what did you find out? Why did he leave?
[ He has no doubt that her grandfather loved her dearly, so whatever reason he had for leaving must have been an important one. ]
[ she says, through a dry chuckle. she found out many things, things about her grandfather, things about eorzea, things about herself. so many of these things she is still learning, even now, still internalizing.
her gaze flickers up to his face at the touch of his arms to hers, and she offers him a smile that is sad but genuine, warm despite her age-old sorrow. ]
I learned, at least, that he died fighting for what he believed in, following his heart to the end, and that offered me some semblance of direction.
[ So...there's a lot more to it than that. It's not surprising, considering just how important this seems to be to her, and content though he would be to just sit here and listen to her talk about her life until the sun goes down, he doesn't dig deeper just now. There will be many more conversations, many more opportunities for them to become acquainted with the finer details of each others' lives.
For now, she has already told him more than enough. Her grandfather died fighting for something important, and for someone with as much conviction as Alisaie, that no doubt meant a great deal. ]
...Well, yeah, duh! Of course I would. [ He reassures around a laugh. He would like anyone who was so important to her. ] But...hey. Even if I don't know him, I know he'd be proud of you.
[ And the person she's become, the person she is still becoming. ]
[ if only he knew just how much of her personality she inherited from her grandfather, he may like him even more. when she was young, and so very different from her peers and everyone around her, louisoix was the only one who not only supported her for being herself, but encouraged her fire, for like as not he saw his own mirrored within it. no one has ever understood her quite like he had, not even alphinaud, and she is not sure that anyone ever will.
so to hear prompto say those words..
tears rise unbidden in her eyes, hot and prickling and so sudden that it flushes her face a blotchy pink. she inhales sharply, blinks rapidly, holding them at bay, but they linger still on the fringe of her lashes. her heart is squeezed by an unseen hand. ]
.. thank you.
[ she says, tremulously, a smile lingering at the corners of her mouth. offhand a comment though it might have been, it nevertheless means a great deal to her. ]
...But those tears turn out not to be due to anything negative, or because she doesn't agree with his sentiment. Still, that makes it no easier to witness them gathering on her eyelashes, and thoughtlessly, his hand moves over hers, squeezing gently.
No, he hadn't meant those words to affect her quite so deeply, but seeing that slight smile upon her lips, he's glad that it has. That he was right in perceiving just how much her grandfather meant to her — still means to her. ]
I mean, how couldn't he be? You're so...amazing, Ali. Anyone could see that.
[ his hand over hers is not only a comfort, but it grounds her as well, grounds her in the moment, in reality, keeps her from flying off too far into the past, into things she cannot control. alisaie inhales deeply, then exhales slow, trembling. she thinks about her grandfather all the time, nearly every day, but to have someone think that he would be proud of her..
she knows he is right. she remembers her grandfather's smile as he faded from the world for good, she remembers his words, but it is nevertheless very powerful to hear them affirmed by someone else, all these years later. ]
Now you're just laying it on thick.
[ she says through a thin but genuine laugh, her free hand lifting to quickly swipe the wetness from her eyes before it can spread. ]
[ A breathless laugh escapes him, a testament to how nervous he still is, thanks to both her hand beneath his, and this topic they have broached. But it's good, so good, to hear of something so tremendously important to her, and to know this bit of her personal history. That, and...he doesn't seem to have messed it up too badly. Even if he did make her cry.
Maybe he's getting a bit better at this whole...people-ing thing. ]
H-hey! Cut me some slack, will ya? I'm just callin' it like it is. Don't shoot the messenger!
[ He lifts his free hand up defensively, shielding his heart. ]
A-anyway, y-you better just get used to me bein'... [ His blush renews, cheeks flushing scarlet. ] S-sweet on you.
[ When her fist connects with his arm, he reacts overdramatically, reeling backwards with an oof! before he rebounds, knocking his shoulder against her own. It's pretty cute, how flustered she gets when he says things like that...it's totally worth it to fluster himself.
So, noted. ]
What, you wanna hear about the time I got the high score at Kick Puncher at the arcade? [ Okay, he's joking this time, honest. ] Well...what do you wanna hear about?
[ He'll tell her anything she wants to know. She has more than earned that of him, having so diligently handled his heart with such care.
His life is hers to know, every page of it, every moment. ]
[ kick puncher... that is the stupidest name. a stupid game for a stupid boy. ]
Mmm..
[ she hums, rolling her eyes thoughtfully skyward. had she known this would happen, she would've come prepared with a list of questions!! she almost has option paralysis - would it be too much to ask him to recount the entirety of his life from start to finish? ]
Tell me your happiest memory, and also your most painful.
[ Wow, she really knows how to bring out the heavy hitters, doesn't she? Not that it's an unfair question, after what she'd just told him about her grandfather. It just...takes a bit more self-reflection, something that Prompto is not tremendously good at, but looking back at his memories for the sweetest and the bitterest, there are certainly a few that stand out.
Quietly thoughtful for a moment, he leans back on his hands, blinking against the sun-dappled water. ]
...Okay. You want the happiest one first, or...or the most painful one?
[ His heart rate is picking up again already. She already knows his darkest secret, there's nothing he can tell her that's worse than what she already knows. But still, he's not...used to talking about this stuff. On focusing on his negative memories, as well as his positive ones, though at least by now he can acknowledge that they have strengthened him, too.
[ she thinks mayhaps it was an inappropriate thing to ask, that she might have gone too far, but.. she trusts him to tell her if she crosses a line, if he is uncomfortable answering her questions, and they have made this promise to get to know one another. to reveal all the things that are difficult or ugly, to be able to talk without fear that they will be judged, or hurt, or laughed at. ]
The painful one, first.
[ she answers, after a thoughtful pause. better to allow himself to be exposed, to churn up what might be painful, then heal it with a smile, a happier memory. getting to know one another is not easy, but.. this is what she wants, and she is sure it must be what he wants as well. ]
[ He had a feeling she might say that, and really, he prefers it, too. Better to start with something hard and end with something better, to leave his turn on a positive note. But that means he must decide now what to tell her, and as much as he might not want to admit it...there are plenty of ugly memories in his heart, and much as he has tried to embrace them, to make them a part of himself so he can be a better person, it still isn't easy to look back on them. To recall when he was at his lowest, and what it had been like, to feel like he was losing everything. His friends, his home, the only semblance of identity he had known beyond the barcode on his wrist. It isn't easy to think about. It isn't easy to share.
But they aren't doing this because it's easy. It may have been a bit easier if he had told Alisaie more about his travels back home before now, but that context isn't as important as his relationships, and those she does know. She's known since she took him out to the forest to shout and vent until he was burned out. His friends...are the most important thing in the world to him.
So it's only natural, then, that his most painful memories would involve them, too. He drops his chin, quiet for a long moment in reflection, and when he speaks again, his voice is quiet, a careful murmur, like he is walking through eggshells in his heart. ]
You're not gonna like what you hear.
[ Just. Giving her one more chance to avoid it, if she wants to. ]
[ she had a feeling he might say something like this, so she's ready to shake her head immediately, and lay her palm over his knuckles, squeezing gently, but firmly. though she appreciates his consideration, it is not necessary - she asked for this, she is ready to handle whatever he might say. he's told her the terrible circumstances of his birth, after all; if that could not frighten her off, nothing will. ]
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no subject
Well.. if that is what you would like to tell me about..
[ even despite her response, she can only hold back her smile for so long. honestly, if prompto wants to talk about king's knight for an hour, she's happy to hear it. it's still about him, about his life, about the things he did before she met him, which makes it just as important as all the rest. she doesn't always need the poignant tales of his youth. it's the little details about a person that help you to really know them, and she is just as happy to hear about those as she is to hear about his lifechanging experiences.
the apple crunches loudly as she takes a bite. ]
Is this King's Knight a.. game?
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It's more like a...way of life. [ He knocks his elbow playfully against hers as he takes another bite. ] Yeah, 'course it's a game! Only, like, the coolest mobile game around. Me 'n' the guys used to play it all the time when we were travelin' around. Great way to pass the time at camp, or waiting for Noct to fish...
[ He says with no small degree of nostalgia. Hey, he came around to something more meaningful after all! Also, because I don't feel like going to look up the mechanics of King's Knight. Gacha is probably involved. ]
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after polishing off the apple, she's smearing butter onto a hunk of bread. ]
It sounds like it was very important to you..
[ she says through a fond smile. it might be a shitty mobile game, but it's part of his history, it's something that he clearly holds a fondness for. ]
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He goes for a chunk of cheese next, breaking off a piece of it to eat with the bread that's already sitting in his lap. For all his nerves, he's actually pretty hungry, though he is far less anxious than he was before. There's still a lot they need to figure out, but that can all wait. For now, he's more than content to just...enjoy her company, talk with her, and be by her side. ]
Youuuu could say that again...I might've kinda been a King's Knight-aholic. Played it a bit in Struxta since I could power up my phone there, but it wasn't the same.
[ And it made him more than a little homesick — but this is a happy conversation, and he doesn't want to bring it down unnecessarily. ]
Anyway — c'mon, now it's your turn! I wanna hear some Alisaie trivia straight from the source. Spill!
[ He nudges her elbow with his own again. ]
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and she would ask after it, but then he is suddenly and rudely turning the tables!! alisaie's brows lift in mild surprise, she hadn't been done interrogating him yet! ]
Me?
[ she pauses before she can take a bite of her bread, her brow creasing thoughtfully. ]
Well, I.. what is it that you want to know?
[ it's not like her life is interesting or anything!! ]
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Though for his question, he reaches back a little further than that. ]
Will you...tell me about Sharlayan?
[ He's heard little from her about Eorzea, but even less about her homeland. What was it like? When had she left? And...why?
They'll...get to that. ]
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so she thinks back instead to the motherland, and while it's only been a handful of years since last she saw sharlayan's shores, so much has happened within that time that it feels as if it were absolute ages ago that she was there at all. she was so ready to be rid of the place, but distance makes the heart grow fonder.. her expression softens. ]
Well.. Sharlayan is an island nation off the coast of Eorzea, a city of scholars. It is beautiful, with tall white pillars and buildings, and mountains of books and tomes and scrolls.
[ nerd city ]
no subject
[ Yep.
But it's not hard at all to picture Alisaie growing up in a place like that, and he leans back, picking at his bread as he listens to her talk. What he wouldn't give to see the world she came from...every time she mentions it, it sounds like such a beautiful place. The sort of place that just begs to be photographed.
He is quiet a moment, before he asks, gently: ]
...Why did you leave?
[ She had mentioned it to him before, but he hasn't asked then. Why had she left home, if it wasn't to join the Scions in the first place? ]
no subject
but she asked for this, really. she is the one who started with this digging into the past idea, though really she had been preparing to ask prompto questions, not the other way around!! but she supposes that she has asked quite a bit of him already. he's told her so much about himself, about his past, and where he came from, but she has not offered too much in return, because he had not asked, and she is not the sort fo volunteer information without being prompted.
well, she's prompted now. ]
My grandfather left Sharlayan when I was very young, and never returned. I left to find answers. To understand the purpose of his death, to find meaning in it that I could accept.
no subject
His tone remains quiet, gentle, as he meets her gaze levelly. ]
He...died? [ Oh. Alisaie had mentioned losing people close to her, but she hadn't realized...how very close she meant. ] I...I'm sorry, Alisaie. I-If you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to. It's okay.
[ The last thing he wants to do is make her feel pressured to talk about something she isn't ready to. Before they go any deeper, he just...has to make this clear. ]
no subject
[ she says, waving one hand dismissively, and though her expression is soft and sad she seems comfortable and calm. still, no matter how much time passes, she's not sure she will ever entirely heal from louisoix's passing. he was taken from this world too soon, he had so much left to teach her, and not a day passes that she does not wonder what he would think of her choices, or if he would be proud of her.
but prompto uncovered the depths of his heart to her, she owes him the same. besides, it is.. nice, to talk about him. though it hurts, though it will always hurt, she wants to remember him fondly, to keep him alive in her heart. ]
It was years ago, now, but I was so.. angry, then. Angry at him for leaving me, angry at the world for taking him. So I left my home to understand why he left.
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He shifts slightly, moving just a little bit closer so his elbow brushes hers, a tangible reminder that he's here to support her, no matter what. She's opening up to him in ways she hasn't before, and he can absolutely recognize that. ]
And...what did you find out? Why did he leave?
[ He has no doubt that her grandfather loved her dearly, so whatever reason he had for leaving must have been an important one. ]
no subject
[ she says, through a dry chuckle. she found out many things, things about her grandfather, things about eorzea, things about herself. so many of these things she is still learning, even now, still internalizing.
her gaze flickers up to his face at the touch of his arms to hers, and she offers him a smile that is sad but genuine, warm despite her age-old sorrow. ]
I learned, at least, that he died fighting for what he believed in, following his heart to the end, and that offered me some semblance of direction.
[ a low, quiet chuckle. ]
You would have liked him.
no subject
For now, she has already told him more than enough. Her grandfather died fighting for something important, and for someone with as much conviction as Alisaie, that no doubt meant a great deal. ]
...Well, yeah, duh! Of course I would. [ He reassures around a laugh. He would like anyone who was so important to her. ] But...hey. Even if I don't know him, I know he'd be proud of you.
[ And the person she's become, the person she is still becoming. ]
no subject
so to hear prompto say those words..
tears rise unbidden in her eyes, hot and prickling and so sudden that it flushes her face a blotchy pink. she inhales sharply, blinks rapidly, holding them at bay, but they linger still on the fringe of her lashes. her heart is squeezed by an unseen hand. ]
.. thank you.
[ she says, tremulously, a smile lingering at the corners of her mouth. offhand a comment though it might have been, it nevertheless means a great deal to her. ]
I - I certainly hope so.
no subject
...But those tears turn out not to be due to anything negative, or because she doesn't agree with his sentiment. Still, that makes it no easier to witness them gathering on her eyelashes, and thoughtlessly, his hand moves over hers, squeezing gently.
No, he hadn't meant those words to affect her quite so deeply, but seeing that slight smile upon her lips, he's glad that it has. That he was right in perceiving just how much her grandfather meant to her — still means to her. ]
I mean, how couldn't he be? You're so...amazing, Ali. Anyone could see that.
[ Them's the facts, he's just the messenger!! ]
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she knows he is right. she remembers her grandfather's smile as he faded from the world for good, she remembers his words, but it is nevertheless very powerful to hear them affirmed by someone else, all these years later. ]
Now you're just laying it on thick.
[ she says through a thin but genuine laugh, her free hand lifting to quickly swipe the wetness from her eyes before it can spread. ]
Do shut up.
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Maybe he's getting a bit better at this whole...people-ing thing. ]
H-hey! Cut me some slack, will ya? I'm just callin' it like it is. Don't shoot the messenger!
[ He lifts his free hand up defensively, shielding his heart. ]
A-anyway, y-you better just get used to me bein'... [ His blush renews, cheeks flushing scarlet. ] S-sweet on you.
[ It's only going to get grosser from here. ]
no subject
but it still makes her face blaze brightly nevertheless, even if she's quick to punch him in the arm soon after. ]
T-That's quite enough of that.
[ baka!! ]
Now, I believe it is your turn.
no subject
So, noted. ]
What, you wanna hear about the time I got the high score at Kick Puncher at the arcade? [ Okay, he's joking this time, honest. ] Well...what do you wanna hear about?
[ He'll tell her anything she wants to know. She has more than earned that of him, having so diligently handled his heart with such care.
His life is hers to know, every page of it, every moment. ]
no subject
Mmm..
[ she hums, rolling her eyes thoughtfully skyward. had she known this would happen, she would've come prepared with a list of questions!! she almost has option paralysis - would it be too much to ask him to recount the entirety of his life from start to finish? ]
Tell me your happiest memory, and also your most painful.
no subject
Quietly thoughtful for a moment, he leans back on his hands, blinking against the sun-dappled water. ]
...Okay. You want the happiest one first, or...or the most painful one?
[ His heart rate is picking up again already. She already knows his darkest secret, there's nothing he can tell her that's worse than what she already knows. But still, he's not...used to talking about this stuff. On focusing on his negative memories, as well as his positive ones, though at least by now he can acknowledge that they have strengthened him, too.
Still, the choice is hers. ]
no subject
The painful one, first.
[ she answers, after a thoughtful pause. better to allow himself to be exposed, to churn up what might be painful, then heal it with a smile, a happier memory. getting to know one another is not easy, but.. this is what she wants, and she is sure it must be what he wants as well. ]
no subject
But they aren't doing this because it's easy. It may have been a bit easier if he had told Alisaie more about his travels back home before now, but that context isn't as important as his relationships, and those she does know. She's known since she took him out to the forest to shout and vent until he was burned out. His friends...are the most important thing in the world to him.
So it's only natural, then, that his most painful memories would involve them, too. He drops his chin, quiet for a long moment in reflection, and when he speaks again, his voice is quiet, a careful murmur, like he is walking through eggshells in his heart. ]
You're not gonna like what you hear.
[ Just. Giving her one more chance to avoid it, if she wants to. ]
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Do not worry for me.
[ a beat, and she squeezes his hand again. ]
Though if you are not comfortable..
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