Being invisible was something Wallflower Blush had a lot of experience with—it was practically the story of her life. Her parents forgot she existed, except when it was convenient for them or something reminded them that they had reproduced. This invisibility was so complete that even actions that should have garnered her attention went completely without recognition—even swiping one of her father’s credit cards out of his wallet had gotten no reprisal. Neither of her parents seemed to notice or care that she used it for everything from ordering meals to buying clothes to a few grand at a time dropped on music, video games, and the latest high end laptop over the last six years. What passed for extended family never had time or interest in sparing her a single thought; her only still living grandparent lived across the country in an assisted living facility, unable to do more than send her letters and cards when her health allowed. Paired with a long succession of short term nannies until her thirteenth birthday and a school full of people who didn't even care enough to bully her half the time, the green skinned girl decided her parents had given her the world’s most appropriate name.

Growing up unseen and unheard had made her a quiet child—what’s even the point of speaking if no one even notices you're there? She saved her words for the few people who did try and see her, like the group of three she’d stumbled into her freshman year.

Being quiet and invisible had its positives, of course, many of which she enjoyed. Wallflower managed to fly under the radar of the same bullies that made Twilight Sparkle and Moondancer’s lives hell, and since her grades didn't stand out too much, she could pretty much guarantee access to a good university without being part of CPA’s cutthroat social environment.

It also meant she was a good listener, a fantastic observer. People forgot she was there, and it let her watch, listen, learn....and she enjoyed that. Going through her day to day at Crystal Prep in a fashion more akin to someone watching a dramatic teen movie than a participant allowed her to hone her skills into an art-form, able to take in body language, tone of voice, even the way a person’s eyes moved, pairing it with their words to read them like Twilight read books. And when the drama wasn't enough, she could easily leave a little rumor here or a fake note in a locker there, just to see what could happen when secrets were spilled anonymously.

When it came to her small circle of friends, she learned their personalities, their quirks, their flaws, their tells, and was fairly adept at picking up when something was wrong. She knew about every one of Moondancer’s exhaustive list of allergies, about Lyra’s mother and history of getting way too caught up in nonsensical conspiracy theories. It certainly didn't take a genius to realize Twilight Sparkle was really bad at being a normal human being, or that even basic social behavior was beyond both her and Moondancer. It was kind of sad, when she thought about it, that the most socially capable of the little group of four had been the crazy girl who hunted for Sasquatch on her weekends.

Sure, she probably had more skill in the social arena and ‘being normal’ than Lyra, but while she could certainly ape the way everyone around her behaved, right down to the minutiae of their interactions, why should she? What was the point? People wouldn't find her any more memorable, and she had no desire to be surrounded by sycophants. In the end, it was far more appealing to take advantage of her inconspicuous nature to learn what no one else was good enough to notice.

It meant that Wallflower Blush noticed when Twilight Sparkle came back to school different. Some might’ve said some of the changes were for the better, but she wasn't so sure she’d agree with that. The whole situation made her feel…odd. Out of sorts. Like her whole universe had shifted three inches to the left without her knowledge—everything seemed like it was still in the right places, but her instincts could tell. As if the very nature of Twilight being this unchanging constant in her life was some kind of touchstone that grounded her, and a shift in that status quo was…far more disorienting than she’d ever thought possible.

A lot of it wasn't even drastic change. Twilight was still this socially inept nerd who aced all her classes and couldn’t catch a clue if it walked up to her and offered her change for a dollar. But it was enough for Wallflower to pick up on, where the already anxious mannerisms ticked over into borderline paranoia at any sudden movement or loud sound from classmates, as if she was expecting far worse from the other students than being tripped up or body checked into the lockers. It was there in those moments when she’d catch Twilight staring into space in a way that didn't scream one of her scientific frenzies, or how she seemed practically fused to her phone some days, texting furiously when she thought no one could see her, or how her casual indifference to ribald topics of conversation had shifted into something between revulsion and fear.

It was even present in how Twilight treated Wallflower herself. Twilight had always been aware of her, seen her, even if her inability to understand how people worked meant that she hadn't the slightest understanding of what she was looking at, even when she drifted off into whatever geek interest or scientific fact that had captured her admittedly formidable brain…it wasn't the same kind of invisibility Wallflower had felt from almost everyone else in her life, nor did it carry the faint sense of superiority Moondancer gave off. Twilight didn't make Wallflower feel…lesser…beneath her and her unnatural intellect. If anything, it had always felt like Twilight was looking to her for indications of social cues and explanations of why something had everyone around snickering, or what to do to respond to another person.

Lately though, that had changed. Twilight seemed less interested in seeking her social guidance, and while she’d actively retreated from any and all unnecessary interactions…suddenly she noticed Wallflower more. Like some of the invisibility had been torn away, and Twilight felt the urge to try to remember and include Wallflower, to acknowledge her socially, even in little ways. Like on her birthday… A birthday breakfast, composed of things she loved, things mentioned in moments of rambling where she’d believed Twilight too engrossed in her project of the week to actually pay any attention to what she said. Yet, somehow, Twilight had heard, and when she’d presented the breakfast and a personalized gift to her, the green haired girl had felt something new. She felt…seen, and somewhat vulnerable, glad more than ever before that Twilight had no social circle that she might spill secrets to…but at the same time, she hoarded that memory close, taking it out and looking at it whenever the isolation of her existence felt like it was closing in on her, taking comfort in a brief respite from the coldness of the world around her.

Regardless of the benefits, Wallflower wasn't quite sure she cared for the changes, especially as she tried to puzzle out what was causing them. The answer had come, quite casually from Twilight herself, but it generated more alarm and mistrust in the teen rather than easing her worries. It was a bombshell on its own: Twilight had a ‘new friend,’ someone who wasn't part of their group, or even their school…and after Twilight mentioned this ‘Sunset’ the first time, they were suddenly all she ever seemed to talk about. It didn't matter what the conversation was originally about, the dark haired girl would find a reason to talk about her brand new friend like they walked on water. Talk about more than a little annoying. There were times that Wallflower had bit back some really ugly comments and accusations about the whole affair; there were lovesick airheads who didn't gush as much about their boyfriends as Twilight did about this ‘new friend’ of hers.

Then the identity of that friend had been revealed, and Wallflower knew she was right to be skeptical. She’d known for a while that Twilight was not great at people, and that she avoided social media, even to lurk, but missing not only a year and a half’s worth of updates from Lyra when her parents’ divorce and subsequent move meant she had to switch to the public school, as well as every conversation between Wallflower and Moondancer on the subject their sophomore year was a new flavor of socially blind that Wallflower didn't think there was even a word for.

Lyra had spent the entire weeks at a time in texts and chat and even a few weekend get-togethers complaining loudly about her run-ins with “Sunset Shimmer, Bitch Queen of Canterlot High,” and how the popular girl was so nasty that she would have buried Suri and Sour Sweet’s entire pack of girls with all the effort it took most people to tie their shoes. Sunset Shimmer was bad news wrapped in a pretty, plastic package. So what was someone like that doing ‘making nice’ with Twilight Sparkle?

She’d tried to find out—and maybe drop a few not so subtle hints that Twilight might want to ask more questions about someone who spontaneously wanted to ‘be her friend’—but Twilight had been remarkably close-mouthed about it, and Lyra hadn't responded to her message yet. And that wasn't even getting into the way Sunset Shimmer had been blowing up Twilight’s phone or the phone-call she’d overheard. The phone-call in particular had been…enlightening, with Wallflower playing witness to the dark haired girl struggling to placate the person on the other end. Listening to it had been all too similar to the conversations that she’d overheard in the bathroom from some girl with an abusive boyfriend, and she couldn’t understand, for the life of her, why Twilight would bother wasting her time on someone who probably treated her like crap.

Which was why the green haired girl had agreed to the day’s outing with Twilight and Sunset. She wanted to figure out exactly what the popular girl was holding over Twilight to ensure her loyalty.

She parked outside the Canterlot Botanical Gardens, glad at least that Twilight had chosen a venue for the outing that was at least tolerable. Twilight was uncharacteristically chatty as they headed inside, going from frosty temperatures to steamy warmth. While the outdoor gardens were brown and dead because of winter, the greenhouses were full of color, and that included the little café in the center of the building.

“Sunset told me she’d meet us in the café, so we could get a snack before we check out the exhibit,” Twilight said as she led the way to one of the tables near a planter of colorful tropical flowers and ferns. “I tried to pick something we could all enjoy, and the recreation of an ancient Egyptian temple garden was too good to pass up!”

Wallflower couldn't resist the urge to offer out a sarcastic, biting comment about someone she didn't care for, even though it would probably go right over Twilight’s head. “From what I’ve heard about this friend of yours, I can't imagine her hobbies include cultivating plants…unless you count the lettuce and tomato that goes on a cheeseburger.”

“Sunset doesn't eat cheeseburgers,” Twilight responded with a smile, her eyes focused on the entrance. “…but she does enjoy greenery, parks, and being outside in the fresh air, and she and I have gone to a bunch of museum exhibits too, and since you have an interest in botany and horticulture, I thought this would mean everyone enjoys some part of the trip!”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she settled for a deadpan reply. “I’m sure it’ll be the most fun I’ve had all month. I’m going to go get a drink.” It’s just too bad it can’t be a stiff one. As Twilight nodded absently, still watching the entrance like a dog pining for its master to come home, she idly wondered if her ‘affliction’ had morphed from invisibility to inaudibility.

Wallflower kept her eyes on the situation when she got her drink, lingering by the line longer so she could get a look at Sunset Shimmer when she didn't know she was being observed. She could certainly tell the moment Sunset arrived—Twilight jumped up out of her chair, practically vibrating as she raised a hand in a vigorous wave that was so unlike her that Wallflower almost choked on a swallow of her soda. Eyes narrowed and followed Twilight’s focus, getting her first actual look at the petty, spiteful princess who ran the social circles at the public school.

What she saw did not fit her mental image of a petite, super feminine, plastic doll in expensive clothes from a designer. The girl smiling brightly at Twilight was almost as tall as some grown men (though the heavy duty black boots she wore might’ve contributed a few inches), and wearing slightly worn blue jeans and a sweatshirt with a band logo on it. The nicest part of her outfit was the jet black leather coat that looked brand new, and Wallflower didn’t detect a single bit of jewelry on her other than maybe some small, understated earrings. She wasn't even wearing makeup!

This was the infamous Sunset Shimmer, the popular queen of Canterlot High who ruled with an iron fist and nobody dared oppose for fear of reprisal? She looked more like a disaffected wannabe anarchist that viewed the height of rebellion as smoking pot at a trashy metal concert and dating a boy who was part of a tone-deaf garage band for the sole purpose of upsetting ‘Daddy.’ Suri would steal her boyfriend for kicks, before starting rumors that would ruin her social life, and Sour Sweet would absolutely eat her alive. If this was the top dog at Canterlot, it really was no wonder that Crystal Prep walked all over them every four years at the Friendship Games.

More confident now, Wallflower reached the table just before Sunset, slipping back into her seat nonchalantly. She wasn't going to give Sunset a single inch of anything that might be seen as deference, and she watched for the inevitable flicker of frustration across the popular girl’s face.

Instead, Sunset reached out and tweaked Twilight’s nose when she got close. “Sit down, nerd,” she said with a laugh to cover up the order.

“I just wanted to make sure you saw us,” Twilight said, cheeks darkening, as she sat back down.

An eyebrow arched and Sunset glanced around. “Twilight,” she said with a measure of sarcasm. “There’s like ten people in here, and you're the only ones that aren't old enough to be my mother. It wasn't hard to find you.” Then she looked at the table critically. “Scoot over,” she told Twilight, this time without the laugh to soften it, bringing her chosen chair around to be next to Twilight.

As Wallflower watched, Twilight obeyed the command, shrinking a little in her seat when the redhead sat down and their shoulders bumped. Wallflower bristled a little—not only had Sunset masked any signs of being upset at her slight, but she’d turned it back on Wallflower by treating her as a non-entity while she made it clear that she controlled the table. Only when she was comfortable, lounging in the chair like some indolent predator animal did she turn her gaze on Wallflower, sizing her up, judging her with eyes as calculating as any of the manipulative popular girls she’d ever known.

“Hey. You must be Wallflower—Twilight’s said a lot of good things about you. I’m Sunset Shimmer.”

Perhaps she’d judged too quickly based on how Sunset dressed. This was familiar now, the silent judging and careful verbal sparring to test what an opponent was made of, all subtly designed to assert dominance. Wallflower had seen this game played out a hundred times in school. And she knew how to deal with it.

She let her lips curl into the sort of expression she’d seen Upper Crust and Suri use a million times or more, a perfect little ‘social smile,’ disarming to people who wanted to be fooled but effective at putting more aware individuals off balance if used right. “Pleasure to meet you, Sunset Shimmer. I just love your jacket. Did you…” she paused just a fraction of a second, half raising the hand not curled around her drink and wiggled her fingers in a lazy looking gesture. “…get it on sale just for such an occasion?”

Her lips fought the smirk wanting to break free, and only partially won that battle when the mean girl’s smile faltered on her way too perfect face. Sunset self-consciously tucked some hair behind her ear, finally shaking her head. “It was a gift, actually,” she responded once she’d recovered from the implied insult. “My friend Rarity helped me pick it out over the holidays, and then insisted on buying it for me.” Fingers touched a small red and gold sun that had been embroidered on the front. “She even helped personalize it.”

Twilight interjected, and Sunset’s eyes immediately snapped to her, as if Wallflower no longer existed. “Oh! I was meaning to ask you where you got it done. I thought you’d taken it somewhere.”

“Nope. Rarity sort of confiscated it at one of our sleepovers at her place, and before I knew it, she’d added it to the jacket.” Sunset touched the sun again.

Wallflower wished she was anywhere but here; her idea for a fun afternoon did not include listening to some stuck up popular teen casually drop all the people she knew and what she could get them to do for her for free because they were sucking up to her in hopes of benefiting from her social standing. “It must be nice to have people willing to do stuff for you like that,” she commented, her tone brittle and dry.

Sunset frowned slightly, her eyebrows pinching together as the dig struck home. “I try not to—a lot of stuff like that is just how Rarity is as a person. She has a habit of doing things for her friends—not just embroidery, either. Like last week, she offered to make dresses for prom for the girls who are going, and AJ let slip that all of her formal wear has been done by Rarity for the last few years. Something about it being easier to get things in her size.”

Barely resisting the urge to grind her teeth, Wallflower took a drink to avoid the blatant retort that not even Twilight would overlook. A homemade prom dress by an amateur seamstress who probably acquired her skill with patching hand-me-downs for a horde of younger siblings who their parents couldn't afford to buy new clothes for? Who would want something like that? Except for maybe an overweight wannabe metalhead going by the moniker ‘AJ.’

“Really?” she said, managing to keep a straight face. “I had heard that Canterlot High offered a much more…diverse…range of classes, since a public school doesn't have the funding to provide some of the advanced academic materials that a private school like Crystal Prep can.” She took another sip of her drink, just to draw out the moment. “Is your friend the shining star of your school’s…domestics department?”

Now those sharp eyes were on Wallflower, and she could sense she’d finally made some sort of dent in the popular girl’s armor. “Rarity is already making a name for herself, not just at school,” she said a bit stiffly. “She runs her own shop, part time, and makes outfits on commission.”

There was a noise of surprise and interest from Twilight. “That’s actually quite fascinating when you look at the history of clothing manufacture and the profession of tailoring…” she began in what Wallflower could tell was the beginning of a long winded spiel about a subject no one cared about.

She allowed Twilight about a minute of talking uninterrupted, watching to see if Sunset would shut her down, rolling her eyes when the mean girl let Twilight to keep rambling on some random history lesson about green dye. Whatever Sunset Shimmer was after from Twilight, she must’ve wanted it badly with the way she was putting up with a veritable recitation of several chained wikipedia articles. Wallflower stretched her foot out, having finally heard enough, and none too gentle poked Twilight’s ankle. “Yeah, yeah, we get it. Green dye bad, rich women are stupid, green dye made them somehow dumber. Not much has changed. Next topic, please.”

Sunset smoothly reached in her jacket and pulled out a twenty. “Hey,” she said to Twilight, getting the lavender skinned girl’s attention with a touch to her arm. “That green dye might’ve been poison, but why don't you take this green dye and get us some drinks and snacks to have while we walk around the exhibit, okay?”

Twilight had wilted a little under the chastisement from Wallflower, but as soon as Sunset spoke to her, she practically tripped over herself to follow the command. “What did you want?”

“….mmm…I heard they have a pretty tasty chai tea here. Get me a large? I’m pretty thirsty—had a pretty rough practice at lunch today, and my throat’s a bit sore.” Sunset gave her a smile and shooed her off, leaving her and Wallflower alone at the table.

The silence stretched between them until Twilight was in the line and out of earshot. Then angry eyes fixed on Wallflower, and Sunset showed her true colors openly for the first time. “Look, I’m not sure if we got off on the wrong foot somehow, or if you're just having a bad day or whatever, but is there a reason you're taking it out on Twilight? If I did something wrong, tell me instead of…whatever this is.” She made a loose gesture, her voice pitched low to avoid carrying.

How typical of someone like her, to make herself out to somehow be the victim when someone made it clear they were not falling for her game. “Off on the wrong foot?” Wallflower couldn't keep the sneer out of her own voice. “Oh, no, Sunset Shimmer. I’d say it was the perfectly right foot.” She leaned forward. “See, you may not know me, but I know you. I’ve known about you for a long time, about exactly what kind of person you are. I’ve heard about your exploits, ‘Oh Mighty Queen Bitch of Canterlot High,’” she hissed, feeling extremely satisfied at the way Sunset paled at her words. “I know about the lies, the manipulation, the blackmail, about all the underhanded tactics you use to stay at the top of the pile in that cesspool of lower class mediocrity you call a school.”

Wallflower held the other girl’s gaze the whole time wanting her to know that she was serious. “I know plenty about you, and people just like you, who only care about yourselves. I know that someone like you wouldn't waste your time with my friend without an ulterior motive, and that once you get what you're after, Twilight will be yesterday’s news, just like dozens of other people you’ve used and forgotten.”

For a moment the green haired girl though Sunset might have a retort for her, only for the other teen to look away with…was that humiliation in her eyes? It was nice to see it on the face of someone who deserved it for once. Then she steeled herself, and answered Wallflower, still looking away. “You aren’t entirely wrong,” she conceded. “I was a pretty terrible p-person for a long time. I manipulated and hurt a lot of people who didn’t deserve it, and for a long time, I enjoyed having that power over others…”

Oh, she should have been recording this, Wallflower realized. So she could play it back for Twilight, to make her realize she was being used.

“But…” Sunset kept going, “…it didn't make me happy, or any less alone. Having real friends, friends like Twilight, has. I’ve worked hard to change, to be a better person.” She finally looked back at Wallflower. “So you're partially right…but partially wrong. I don't want anything from Twilight other than her friendship. That's it. No ulterior motive, no manipulation, no games. Just whatever friendship she is willing to give me.”

Wallflower snorted openly. “You can fool Twilight with that kind of crap, and probably the idiots you go to school with, but I’m not falling for it,” she said scathingly. “Because people like you don't change, Sunset Shimmer. You are always going to be looking out for number one, and you’ll do whatever you have to to get there, because you don't care about anyone but yourself.” The redhead flinched back from her, and Wallflower could practically taste the victory right in front of her. “If you did, you’d see what was right in front of your nose: that Twilight deserves better for a friend than some dirty, rebellious, mean girl and her group of fellow trailer trash rejects. If you want to play power games amongst the children of blue collar laborers, I won't stop you, but you need to stick to your own kind and stop sniffing around people who are so far above you that you should be thankful for the chance to even work for them in your future.”

Sunset’s eyes were focused on the table, her knuckles white. For a moment Wallflower felt savage glee at having laid the popular girl so low with the truth that she honestly thought the other girl might burst into tears. Good. Someone needed to knock Sunset down a peg—despite her words, not all of the public school kids were bad, and they certainly didn't deserve to suffer under this pathetic excuse for a bully.

It was at that moment, as she stared intently at the top of Sunset’s head, that something changed. All of the hair on her arms stood up, and from the prickling sensation on the back of her neck, it wasn't restricted to her arms. A low sound escaped the mean girl, and she straightened up, locking eyes with Wallflower.

Her heart felt like it stopped in her chest for half a second before jolting to beating a hundred miles a minute, and she couldn't breathe as cold, icy fear went through her body—not a little fear, like from seeing a garden snake or almost falling, but the kind of primal terror triggered by the instincts in the back of the brain, from the animal part that had evolved in a jungle full of apex predators who wanted to eat it. For a second so brief she would later decide she’d imagined it, something else was looking at her through Sunset’s shadowed, glinting eyes, rage and hate and the promise of violence communicated without words. Wallflower practically jumped out of her seat, stumbling backwards, overcome with the need to be anywhere but here, all thoughts of putting Sunset in her place eclipsed by the fear that made her want to run and never look back…except to do so would be to look away from those eyes…and she found she couldn't no matter how hard she tried.

The moment was broken by Twilight’s voice, calling out to Sunset; those eyes blinked and the head turned away from Wallflower, releasing her from the hold they'd had on her. The green haired girl sucked in a breath, her heart pounding, her guts churning, and cold sweat soaking her body, feeling like she’d just narrowly avoided certain death. Was Sunset on drugs or something? Normal people didn't look like that…

Whatever it was, it left her shaken and shaky too. Twilight looked at her in concern after handing Sunset her tea. “Wallflower? Are you okay? You don't look so good.”

She needed an escape, and Twilight provided one. “I…yeah. I might be coming down with something, Twilight—I don't feel well all of a sudden. I think I’m…going to go home.”

“Oh.” That word was laden with childlike disappointment. “Okay, I understand. Are you going to be okay with driving home?”

“…Yeah.” It didn't matter if she wasn't. She needed to get away from…from…her mind shuddered, refusing to complete the thought.

As she backed away from the table with uncoordinated, lurching steps, she could hear Twilight being reassured by Sunset Shimmer. “It's okay, Sparky. We can have some fun just the two of us today, and maybe we can try…” The voice faded as the door shut between her and the other two girls.

Wallflower fled to her car, shivering miserably in it for long after the heat had warmed the inside to a toasty temperature, suddenly understanding why Lyra had always talked about her like this unstoppable force, this tyrant queen of the student body who crushed anyone beneath her who stepped out of line. She had underestimated Sunset Shimmer and had been forced to abandon Twilight to her clutches…

She wouldn't make that same mistake next time.

Right. So....

I've been planning this interlude for...two years now? Something like that. This was actually one of the earliest scenes in all of Rubicon to be conceived of, and while its undergone a number of changes and iterations, its...been something I've been planning and looking forward to people's reactions about.

We finally get a peek into Wallflower's Point of View.

Building Wallflower as a character has been...interesting. We have very little to go on in the show, but frankly, when you dissect it as an adult with the knowledge of how psychology works, its very apparent that she's petty, spiteful, and using Sunset as a scapegoat to not have to admit that she fucked up her own life and NEEDS TO CHANGE. Its a common enough thing in teenage nonsense, but its also very childish and petty. Her "they'll think of each other how you think of me--not at all!" is pretty telling--whatever she was actually mad at Sunset for, it had nothing to do with "Sunset being a lousy person" or "Sunset bullying her."

(This is entirely why I hate the "moral" of Forgotten friendship--Sunset is the victim in the story, and yet she is blamed for the problem. She's the one who has to apologize, she's the one who is hurt, and yet she's just expected to open her arms to her attacker? To make nice without that attacker doing anything to actually make amends or show remorse? When Sunset's own redemption involved her working to make up for her past, for being eaten up with her own guilt, with punishment and probation, and all that?)

There's a reason that while I'm not typically much of a shipper type (its pretty rare for me to care much beyond "eh, I don't see it" or "yeah, okay, that could work"), the whole "Sunflower" ship actively makes me feel disgusted on an intensely primal level, because it is, to me, pairing up a victim with their attacker, and thats...not okay. On any level. Wallflower isn't some poor lonely little thing who needs hugs and a hot girlfriend. She's a petty, spiteful, toxic person who needs a therapist to sit her down and tell her where the bear shits in the woods. People like Wallflower (the canon version), need to get their shit straightened out before they can be a healthy partner for ANYONE, or the relationship becomes a toxic mess that only gets someone hurt (usually not the toxic person.)

As such, I worked really hard with my team on how to construct Wallflower as a person. Not just her personality and PoV, but also "Why is she this way?" and "how will that escalate?" "How would this work long term..." So hope you guys like what we've got, and how we've gotten the ball rolling there....

This is, as mentioned, our last update before the Holiday Hiatus. We'll be back after the First of the New Year. Provided a holiday muse doesn't strike us for some kind of one-shot or whatever.

In the meantime, enjoy your holidays, and we'll see you on the other side! Try not to sharpen those pitchforks TOO much in the meantime.

Hugs and Cocoa all around,
The Rubicon Team