Make Damn Sure | Closed

Nydia Pax | The Fresh-Start


If you had asked Nydia Arbor Pax what she thought about love five, three, or even a year ago- she would of given you a typical, hopeless romantic sentiment. Something along the lines of, "It's out there for everyone!" or even the cliched Love is blind, love is ageless, and love is eternal. rhetoric. See, the petite copper haired woman used to think that the mystic of love had favored her. In ninth grade she met the boy of her dreams. Where he was comedic, she was soft-spoken. Where he lacked in smarts and useless little facts, she made up for. Where Finn O'Collin was weak, she made him strong. And he returned the favor. Ninth grade he asked her out, behind the bleachers of school. Everyone assumed that they would break up, that they were only kids. But year wore in, and year wore out and the two were as unchanging as the tide. However the end of senior year brought uncertainty for their future. She had gotten accepted into the university she wanted, the one with the killer veterinarian tech program. He was going to a business school, but worse than that- he was going to a business school miles away from her.

Maybe it was just the fear of inevitable change, or the determination and foolishness that they could bait fate into turning to their favor. After all, Finn was her first everything; Nydia's world. He'd asked her to marry him the day they graduated, in front of their school. She had accepted. By that summer's end the two were wed and working out scheduals and flights, skype and facetime to stay in contact with one another. It was a rough couple years, though they made it through. Not without their scars, by the time she finished her two-year program Nydia found that Finn had grown distant. The slender redhead thought that would change once she found a job, moved to the west coast to be with him and got their own place. While that distance wasn't gone, it was easy to ignore between her busy and sometimes demanding job. It was easy enough to ignore over glasses of wine and quiet sessions of Netflix. But as life so often forces; things changed. Nydia should of known better. She should of seen the signs. Finn was... He just wasn't Finn. With a new job at some fancy firm a family friend ran, the new hours and shifts- the way he always seemed to be glued to his phone... It was really only a matter of time when he left his social media account logged in her laptop.

It was only a matter of time when she saw the rather explicit texting and pictures sent between Dan and an old friend of her's. Nydia should of been furious. Heartbroken. Shattered. But she was none of these things. Maybe she was tired of playing the good, doting wife. The blind wife... the stupid wife. Nydia and Finn were like roommates. God knows when the last time they had any meaningful conversation was, or sex for that matter. That day she packed her things into her suitcase, quitting her job over the phone. She had a grandmother in England. In Weybridge and her passport was still good from her spring visit. The hardest thing had been when Finn came home. Having to listen to him plead with her it was a mistake. That, he'd only physically cheated on her twice. As if that justified it. And Nydia was going to demand divorce then and there- had it not been for the fact he launched into every good memory they had. Ten year's worth. In the end though, when the night was weaning into morning she left. Left him cursing himself, but only for a break. That she needed time to think. The poor girl was in utter daze as she headed to the airport, refusing a ride rather taking a taxi.

It was surreal buying a ticket to England; god only knew how many years it had been since she last saw her grandmother. Eight? Six? In the terminal she called her grandmother, voice stiff and robotic as she explained her situation and her grandmother assured her that someone would be waiting for her at the airport. She was feeling a little too frail to go herself, and her driver's license had been suspended years ago. However she assured Nydia that she'd have someone there to pick her up and drop her off. After giving her some sagely advice, her grandmother Irene, bade her goodbye and they'd see each other soon. The plane ride was horrid. Already terrified of planes, there was more turbulence than she expected. She'd nearly gotten sick twice and spent a majority of the time feeling nauseous on that flight. Because of that, she hadn't gotten much sleep so by the time that the plane set down; she nearly shouted for joy. Instead, Nydia collected her things, the little luggage she'd brought, and curiously began to set off for the airport. The woman didn't get very far when she noted a little crowd of people holding signs with names on them. It was hard to miss the one that held her name, written in hurried scrawled writing being held by a man who easily stood at 6' towering over her petite frame of 5'.

That was her grandmother's neighbor? She had expected a middle-aged portly balding man- the one she recalled last time she and... And Finn went to visit. This man was the opposite of that in nearly every way. Slender, lightly muscled there was something about the way he presented himself that screamed Wrong side of the tracks type boy; though if he was living near her grandma, Nydia doubted that very much. His hair was thick, though short, styled to stick up in some spots while large sunglasses covered his face. Every so often he'd glance around as if trying to flush his intend pick-up from the crowd. Hesitantly Nydia raised a hand, waving it to get his attention before walking over, already fishing her ID from her pocket. "Uh- hi. I'm Nydia, I think you might of gotten conned into getting me?" Her name wasn't too terribly common, at least in the states. Her assumption had been right as a light grin was offered along with a hand. Cautiously taking it, shoving her ID back into her wallet Nydia couldn't help but notice the difference of their hands. His was cooler, yet it's skin rougher than her's. And they were big enough to completely encapsulate her's. "Who're you? She didn't tell me a new neighbor moved in..." She knew her old neighbor on friendly terms- now she felt a little guilty for an utter stranger picking her up in a country she hadn't visited enough to make it feel like home.

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Dan Flint | The Flirt


Dan didn't know why he'd been called out to the local coffee shop by Juliet Teller; the woman who could supposedly blacken his mood simply by mentioning her name. It wasn't like that was a feeling exclusive to him. Ever since they met through mutual friends, they'd fought like cats and dogs. If he said the sky was blue, it was purple to her. If a car was speeding towards them and there were no witnesses, she'd likely push him in front of it. Whenever those two were in a room thunder was likely to boom between them. Josh used to joke it was just sexual tension, though after months of fighting with no fucking, his friend began to slowly change his mindset that it was actual distaste between those two. Wherever that girl walked, trouble sprang from her footsteps. Juliet Teller gave hell on heels an utterly new meaning. However, about two months ago they'd been at a party as normal. Squabbling over mindless garbage, the usual things. The only thing that ended differently about that night was they had ended up under the covers together. He hadn't meant for it to happen. Normally, in a right mind, he wouldn't of done that.

As childish as it may of sounded, Juliet Teller was his enemy. She didn't like him, and he returned that. It was the way it was and always would be- so he thought. So when he got her text message that morning, waking him up from what would of been an otherwise nice sleep; he was confused as to why she wanted to willingly see him. He was the black cloud, she she the rain on his parade. The further away for those two the better. Was she hurt he hadn't stuck around to watch her wake up? Nah, she probably wouldn't of appreciated it if he had stayed. It was nearing Max's birthday. Did she expect his help? It had been with a begrudging sense of morbid curiosity that Dan had gotten showered, and dressed before heading out the door. The late February air was cold, biting at his exposed face turning his cheeks flush with color. The walk from his place wasn't too bad, about twenty minutes. He just hoped he wasn't the first one there- because whatever she wanted, Dan wanted to deal with it quietly and get it over with. He hoped that she wasn't under the wrong impression of their drunken hookup. Because it was just that. If she was worried he was going to tell Josh or the other's he wouldn't. But that was something that could of been reassured over the phone line.

So what was so important that they needed to meet in person? Unfortunately strolling into Latte Fun the rather corny name of the local place; Dan was indeed the first one there. Taking a spot by the back, he slipped his phone out checking for messages. There were none and it made him frown. His mood was only being fouled by the thought that something was wrong, and the fact that it was wrong with Julie. There was nothing he'd rather not get involved with, than her troubles. Deciding to try to ease his mind Dan opened a couple of mindless apps, his sharp spruce gaze focused on the screen. It proved to be a pretty successful distraction as he hadn't noticed when ten minutes passed by. Dan didn't even notice as Julie walked in. He didn't even look up as she slid into the seat across from him, clearing her throat. "What? What do you want? It's twenty fucking degrees out." Dan grumbled, slicing one last fruit before closing out of the game and glancing up with far from amused eyes. However that prickly exterior faltered when he noticed how pale she was. And her eyes were a little red. What was wrong? "Julie? I... I'm gonna order us some drinks. Just hold that thought and warm up first." Alright, maybe he wasn't as in a foul mood as he would of liked to think. It kind of freaked him out to see Julie, queen of all things sarcasm and biting wit, visibly shaken.

Standing up before she could protest he hurried to the counter, ordering a mocha latte for her and a caramel for himself. Those took another five minutes which left him standing at the counter trying to ignore her pointed stare on his back. If looks could kill... Did someone pass away? That would make sense he supposed, though didn't know why that warranted her calling him. Maybe she just wanted to fuck, take her mind off whatever was bothering her. And while Dan wouldn't deny that she was indeed beautiful; he wasn't sure that was the right thing to do. When their orders were finally ready, the hot cup scalding against his hand, though with his recent chill it felt rather nice, Dan slowly made his way back to their table. Setting the cups down, sliding into his seat Dan slumped back against his chair, eyeing his drink and the steam unfolding from it. "Alright. Go on then. What's wrong?" He found that in times like this, just being direct with one another would probably be best. Sugarcoating, or beating around the bush just drew these kinds of conversations out which was the last thing he wanted to do. Thankfully the cafe was pretty quiet. It was one of those holes in the wall places that the elders and hipsters liked to visit. And it seemed like the cold was keeping both at bay. Quiet music leaked from overhead speakers, one that was slow and unfamiliar to Dan as he waited for his latte to cool, and Juliet to tell him what was wrong.

@ LaylaPetrovana

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit." Juliet ran a hand through her hair. She had texted Dan to tell him that she needed to talk to him. She quickly showered and got dressed before she sighed as she walked out her door. Juliet had no idea what to do. This wasn't supposed to happen. What happened between her and Dan was a one time thing, and they were supposed to go back to hating each other after that night. She hadn't seen him since that night. He left in the morning before she woke up, which she was grateful for. She did not want to have to deal with the morning after with him. She went down to her car and quickly headed towards the coffee shop where she told him to meet her. When she got there, she stayed in her car for a minute to let herself panic. Sadly that panicking led to her crying, "Pull yourself together, Teller. You have to be able to handle this." She said to herself. Juliet took a breath before wiping her eyes and getting out of the car.

She walked into the shop and found Dan instantly in the corner booth, thoroughly engrossed in his phone. She took a seat across from him and cleared her throat, trying to maintain her queen bitch image she always had around him. When he spoke, she gritted her teeth and tried not to take his phone from him and throw it across the shop. She wasn't in the mood for his shitty attitude and what she had to say was obviously serious. When he spoke again, she raised an eyebrow at the fact that his composure took a full one eighty. She stared at his back as he got them drinks before he returned about five minutes later. She eyed the cup with a frown on her face. She knew that with her current situation she wasn't really supposed to have caffeine. So instead she just put her hands on it to warm herself up.

"Do you remember the thing that happened a few weeks ago that we basically agreed to never speak of? Well we have to talk about it." She stated. She knew that she was probably going about this all wrong, and she was probably giving off the impression that she was upset that he had left before she had woken up, or that she wanted something more from him. The latter wasn't completely untrue though. She took a breath before she looked up at Dan, her voice wavering slightly as she spoke, "I..uh...I'm pregnant." She admitted quietly.

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If it wasn't for the fact that Josh was a nice guy and Irene was old without a license, he probably would have denied her request. But Josh was a nice guy, and Irene was old without a license. So he accepted the request to pick her grandaughter up from the airport. He had never met the girl and the only thing he was told about her is that her name was Nydia and she wouldn't be hard to spot at airport. Josh helped Irene a lot with getting her groceries and mowing her lawn and doing things for her that she couldn't do. He didn't mind. He was a nice guy. He may not always look like it, but he was. Plus Irene was a sweet woman and reminded him of his gran as well. He didn't know what to think at first when she came to him and asked him to pick up Nydia from the airport.

He never heard much about Nydia from Irene, apparently her granddaughter didn't visit much. Josh hadn't moved in very long ago, about a year and a half ago. It was a new start, but it was still close enough to his old home that he was close to his family and his friends and bandmates. He didn't mind it much, being on his own. He actually really enjoyed it a lot. He stood at the gate and looked around as people came from the airplane. He looked for someone to stand out, possibly look like Irene only younger. Josh didn't find anyone though that looked different to him. His attention was caught soon though by someone waving at him.

Josh watched as the redhead came closer to him. When she said that she was Nydia, that's when it hit him that the reason she would stick out was because of her hair. He smiled down at her before he stuck his hand out, "I'm Josh. I just moved in about a year and a half ago." He explained, "The old man that lived in the house before me sadly passed." He said as he walked with her towards the doors to go outside. He wouldn't admit it outloud, but she was quite beautiful and she seemed nice, "Your gran talks about you a lot." He stated as he unlocked the doors to his car and helped her put her luggage in the back, "Told me that I would spot you as soon as you got off the plane. I didn't think much of it until I saw your hair." He admitted, "But it suits you." He added. Josh had a habit of talking too much to strangers. He always figured it was because of meeitng the fans and such. Regardless, half the time he didn't even notice when it was happening.

Nydia Pax | The Fresh-Start


After introducing himself as Josh, she offered a little smile. Always a little shy she'd gone to twist her wedding ring, forgetting for a moment she'd already taken it off. "He did? Oh... Thank you for coming to get me at any rate." She sounded tired, drained- of all which she was. However, this man seemed to be in a cheerful enough mood so she at least tried to accompany her words with a smile. "Your gran talks about you a lot." Rolling her bag through the airport, she looked up at him a more genuine warmth flickering in her denim depths. "She's a good woman. It'll be nice to spend some time with her." Words were soft-spoken as they fought the crowds towards the parking garage towards wherever he parked. Almost periodically she would stifle a yawn behind her hands. The first thing she was doing when she got to her grandmothers, was sleeping. Probably for a week, jet lag was always a wretched thing to adjust to. However, her stomach had settled down. Not even the greasy smelling airport foods or the coffee shop they had could make her go queasy again. For a while Nydia tuned out into her own little world. It wasn't until they were in the parking lot, sounds of horns and squealing tires did she realize he was speaking again. "-Ld me I would spot you soon as you got off the plane. I didn't think much of it until I saw your hair."

He had gotten a relatively close parking spot, so the walk wasn't too long. About to hoist her suitcase into the back, Josh did it himself, all the while chattering. It was... It was kind of adorable the way he kept on. And by the time she slid into the passenger seat, Nydia was actually smiling. Josh was still finishing his earlier sentiments. "But it suits you." At this she actually chuckled, buckling herself in, though paused to hold up a lock of the coppery mess. "I'll take that over ginger's have no souls. I don't think I got through a day of high school without hearing that remark." Smoothing down the hem of her jacket so it wasn't bunched and uncomfortable, she settled herself in for a good ride. About a half an hour, with a stranger. Besides his height, there wasn't really anything threatening about him. She reminded him of one of those teens who never quite grew out of that awkward gangly phase, though like he thought of her hair- it suited him. And it was probably what made her slowly relax around him; that and Josh's harmless chatter. Nydia however, remained quiet surveying the streets and faces they drove past. Some soft song was playing from his radio, but she couldn't really focus on it. "So you and my gran are friends then?" She asked, after a few minutes of silence.

Nydia couldn't recall too many young people in Gran's neighborhood, not her age. Though it'd been years. Who knows, things may of changed. She regarded him with a thoughtful and somewhat exhausted expression as the dark haired man spoke; lively chattering about the things that he would do for Irene. The stuff her old neighbor did, or when the grocery truck would forget to drop her groceries off, he'd go and get them for her. Sweet things like mowing her lawn when it got too unruly. He really did seem like a sweet guy. "Did you grow up around here?" She couldn't discern different dialects of an English accent. They all sounded generally the same to the young woman. As quiet as she was at times, chatting was probably the best distraction for thinking about Finn. No, Nydia had already promised herself on the flight over that this time away wouldn't be about him. The young woman had been with him so long that she didn't know anymore what it was like to be without him. Nydia was so used to sleeping besides someone, sharing her day and her life with that the thought of not having that made her gut clench. A part of her wished she could turn a blind eye to his affair. Pretend that it had never happened. When it came down to the end of the day though, Nydia couldn't pretend about that.

She couldn't just look at him and not see him tangled up with some other woman. Or see his indiscretions written across her face. But she wasn't quite sure how to leave him either. "So you here for a vacation?" His chatter had drawn to a question and she looked away, a wry smile on her lips. "Something like that. Just needed a break from some things." As sweet as Josh was, she didn't want to get into her complicated reasons of being here. She hadn't even told her parents yet, as she could already see their reactions. All along they had adored Finn, they would be just as confused and upset over this as she was. Then push her one way or the other. Unfortunately since the flight had come in around rush hour here, the traffic was pretty bad. Even though they would lapse and relapse into silence, it didn't feel odd. He didn't seem flustered by having to deal with traffic, and the odd, wraith-like woman who would become so easily lost in her own head. "If I had known the traffic was this bad, I would of grabbed a coffee before leaving the airport." She thought with a small frown. Instead she took to observing Josh, out of the corner of her eyes framed with her thick lashes. It felt weird, taking in his looks which were ruggedly and crookedly handsome. For her, it was strange to find herself drawn to the impish, youthful spark embedded deep in his aquatic gaze. And she was unsure of what she thought of potentially being able to date again. She hadn't been very good at it the first go- though she'd only been fourteen.

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Dan Flint | The Flirt


A sort of smug expression tugged his lips as she mentioned their hook-up. Much like a cat with a mouse he shrugged. "I may recall it." However, even his obvious taunting, baiting her to act out at him in some way went unnoticed. Well we have to talk about it." She continued on, her voice collecting steel around the edges. Jesus, what'd she want? It'd been a drunken mistake, and he hoped she didn't expect it to happen again. What she next though nearly made him lose the few sips of his caramel latte. "I..uh...I'm pregnant." Around him Dan swore he felt the air cool, while his body flushed and stiffened. His jaw tightened as his brain simply ceased to... Well stop everything. Couldn't think, couldn't move- pregnant?! How the fuck was she pregnant? Dan supposed he had just assumed she was on birth control, which admittedly wasn't a hundred percent. But he hadn't thought it was a big deal when he hadn't pulled out. "Shit, shit shit shit." His brain chanted, mocking him for his stupidity. To have procreated with the woman who he couldn't stand; nor could she stand him. As suddenly as time felt suspended it resumed leaving him in stoic silence. Stomach swirling with pit of anxiety and alright fear he leaned away from her.

As if already trying to distance himself. "A-a... You're not going to keep it, are you?" There was a note of incredulous disbelief as he carefully tried to pick apart her expression. And all Dan saw was determination. The kind that she didn't need to give verbal affirmation. She was keeping it. "You're not ready to be a mom Julie. I'm not ready to be a father." Trying to reason with her, though keeping his voice low and frantic Dan tried to make her see reason. "You were drunk, and I was drunk. It wasn't supposed to mean anything. I don't want a family, and I don't want to start one with you." He lowered his head for a moment, falling into a despodent silence. Dan couldn't afford a baby right now. How was he supposed to go to the studio with the lads, and tour, with a baby running about? How was he supposed to co-parent a baby, a real life force, with the woman that he fought with nearly every time they were left in a room together. It wasn't fair to him, it wasn't fair to the child, and it wasn't fair to Julie. She had to focus on her own life and work. Dan didn't want to be part of it. The man had seen kids who's parents couldn't stand each other. The kid was always miserable. He didn't want to inflict that on someone. Not to mention he'd read that drunk sperm gets fucked up in someway and affects the baby's health.

That was a whole other thing he had to worry about if she really wanted to go through with this. What was her medical history like? Hell did he carry anything that could be passed down. All at once everything just felt like too much. He wanted to get out of here, away from her and the child growing in her. His friends would of told Dan to man up. That he made this mess and to raise it now. But he couldn't. It was too much responsibility- he could hardly take care of himself for fucks sake! He noted her mouth moving but really, Dan wasn't paying attention to her. In his state? He couldn't. A couple of people had shuffled in, though they were blissfully unaware of the utter panic he was in. Quickly calculating the math, he figured she was about a month and half or so pregnant. She could still abort the baby. Or if she really wanted to have it- put the child up for adoption. Though in his eyes that was as cruel as keeping it. Foster systems weren't exactly known for their warm and loving homes. Everything felt like it was falling apart over his head. He needed a drink, needed to get away- couldn't be here. And of course if this was going to happen to him- it just had to be with Julie. She was a queen bitch, how could she even be a mother?! "Julie. This was a mistake. What happened between us? Do you want to bring a baby into a world where his parents can't even be in the same room as one another? When dad's always gone? Because I will be gone. All the time. Touring, recording- I can't just drop that. You'd be on your own most of the time anyway."

He was more or less ranting at this point, babbling every reason that popped in his head not to have this baby. "I- I can't do this." He finally muttered, cutting her off before grabbing his latte and turning his back, heading towards the door. If nothing else he needed a breather. Some fresh air. Some time to think about this shit mess he'd gotten into. Josh was busy today, picking up his neighbor's granddaughter or something- that man was far too nice for his own good Dan would of thought on any other day. And honestly? This was a him problem. He needed to go home and think on it, no one could tell Dan what to do in this situation. Josh's company would of been pretty pointless either. The walk down to this coffee shop which had taken twenty minutes, only took thirteen on the way back. Dan nearly broke his door trying to open it, as it got stuck sometimes and he'd taken some of his frustration out on it. The place was dark, quiet- the way he liked living alone. He could only imagine the baby toys strewn everywhere, Julie shouting at him constantly and the baby squalling loudly. A headache. It was instinctual when he kicked his shoes off, tossing his coat over the back of the couch to grab the bottle of whiskey he kept around for emergencies. Dan didn't even bother with shot glasses as he opened the bottle, sinking down onto his couch and flipping the telly on; taking his first deep swig. That baby and Julie never once leaving his mind

@ LaylaPetrovana

Juliet couldn't help but give him a look when he asked her if she was going to keep it, "Of course I'm going to bloody keep it, Dan." She replied back with a harsh tone to her voice before he started to speak again. She glared at him as he rambled on. Didn't he understand? She was freaking out about this too. If she could go back in time and take it back, she would. She didn't want to bring a child into the world where it's parents hated each other. But she wasn't going to just get rid of it. That was something she would never do. His ramblings continued and she just sat and waited for him to finally stop. Of course she was a bit shocked when he got up and left.

She was not only shocked, but she was also furious. She didn't understand how he could just leave. It angered her so much. Normally anything that Dan did was angering to her, but this took the cake. She waited a few minutes after he left to get back to his apartment and "calm down". She got into her car and drove to his place. She went up to his door and she banged on it once before she walked right in, knowing he didn't lock his door. Juliet rolled her eyes when she saw him drinking, "Oh great. Isn't that what got you into this whole mess in the first place?" She stated with a glare. She was so angry she could have strangled him at that moment.

"How dare you, Flint. You don't get to just fucking leave like that because you're scared." She spat, "You don't think I'm scared? I'm fucking terrified. I've never raised a baby before. Hell, half the time I don't even like kids. And to be honest the thought of a possible little you running around makes me want to throw up. I'm keeping the baby, Dan. Whether you're there for the child or not, I don't care. I'm keeping it." She said seriously as she crossed her arms and looked at him. She honestly had no idea what the hell she was doing, but there was no way she was going to give up this child.

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Josh nodded at her question, "I guess you could say friends. I help her out every now and then with the things that she can't do. She reminds me a lot of my gran, so it's nice to have that. She reminds me of my family. Plus she's a laugh and always manages to put a smile on my face." Josh explained as he drove back towards home. He didn't realize there would be so much traffic on the roads at this time. But then again it was rush hour and it was a Friday. He should have planned ahead and gotten food for the both of them while they had to wait. He noticed that she didn't seem to talk much. Maybe she was shy. Maybe it's because you're a stranger she's never met. The voice inside his mind told him. He couldn't help but agree. It was probably obvious that it was weird to be in a car with a stranger in a place you hadn't been in years.

"I grew up around here, yeah. My parents' house is probably about a half hour drive from where I live now. So they're still pretty close." He explained with a smile as he thought about his family. He was glad that he was able to find a home that was still pretty close to them, but still far enough away that he was on his own. It felt nice to him to be on his own. He liked it a lot. He was partially used to it from being on tour, but of course he had his bandmates so he technically wasn't fully alone.

When she mentioned how she was sort of on vacation, he raised an eyebrow. But since he didn't really know her that well, he decided not to question her about it. He shrugged it off, "Well I'm glad you chose to sort of vacation here. I know you're gran is so excited for you to spend time with her. Plus with you here maybe I can actually get a new friend." He said with a laugh. He felt like he would probably get along really well with Nydia and that they actually could become really close friends.

@ LaylaPetrovana
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