-= OUBLIETTE =-

[ಠ_ಠ]

hey now lets not be a ghost murderer. lets talk to the bastard before we kill the bastard.

[SHIVERS]

>STATUS

HEALTH: FINE
CONDITIONS: You are dazed following being slammed head-first into a wall, and you are fatigued after using your Phase ability. Focusing and performing physical actions will be more difficult.



You use the nearby rolling shelf to get up to your feet. 
You are shaky, but standing.

Your thoughts pile up, all the possibilities swirling in your head, all the while you may have something in the room with you, and something else clawing to get in.
You panic somewhat under the pressure.

You end up trying to push the cart towards the door, though it's heavy and you're quite fatigued from using your ability just moments ago. You settle on just shoving it towards the door, and you succeed; it rolls and slams against it, blocking it slightly.

Then, you quickly make your way over to the northeast corner; the closest one to you. Once there, you press your back against the bookshelves and face the rest of the room, watching for anything that might be in here with you.

You still don't see anything.




While you do that, you hear the sound of wood splintering. 
You can't see the door itself, but you do see a couple of books flopping off from the cart, and you hear the metal cart itself rattling.



Whatever is outside has already breached the door, and the only thing currently blocking it is the cart you pushed against the door just moments ago.

[knux400]

Duck into the rows of bookshelves. If the thing follows us, be prepared to grab books off the shelves and assault it with knowledge (and by that i mean throw the books at its head).

[ಠ_ಠ]

exits. scan for em

[Orange Juice Goose]

Get over to a window, see how deep the drop is.

[SHIVERS]

You look around for exits.

There is the east exit, which you came through earlier, that the entity has just breached.
Very close to that, there is a door leading to what is most likely a smaller room that is part of the library; potentially the librarian's office, you think.
Finally, there is another exit to the southwest - as far as possible away from you currently - that most likely leads into the hallway past the gate you saw earlier.

Knowing the entity will be inside momentarily, you duck around behind one of the metal shelves and sit on the floor, clasping your claw over a book and getting ready to throw if need be.

However, in your fatigued state, you end up putting too much weight against the rolling shelf, and send it rolling away as you fall from a sitting position to laying on your back.


You scramble to back away, but it does no good, the creature is on you in less than a second, weighing down atop you.

You now see it, fully.
It is undoubtedly canine, though not like any you've ever seen.
It is massive, at least four feet tall while standing on its four legs.
Said legs appear to be spiked, with some of the barbs jutting into the left side of your torso while its weight bears down on you.
You can see long its back that large chunks of flesh are missing, its spinal column exposed and jutting out between the dark fur.
Its face, though, is almost beyond words.
Its regular, canine jaw is still 'shut', permanently so:  appearing to have been stapled that way with flaps of skin that had otherwise sunken in around its mouth.
Its real 'maw' opens vertically, straight through the middle of its canine one, displaying many rows of jagged teeth, curved inwards to catch flesh.
Its eyes are melted, just looking like puddles inside its eye-sockets, as if burned away along with the fur, skin, and some of its skull around the top of its head; similarly, it has no ears to speak of, its skull exposed where they would normally be, as well.

Despite the fear overwhelming you, you notice that, for whatever reason, it has not killed you yet, though it has had plenty of opportunity to do so by this point. 
Instead, it is currently just growling - a wet, guttural, alien sound -  
its eyes trained on yours.

[ಠ_ಠ]

shut your eyes

[cosmo]

stare back at it

[Orange Juice Goose]

Close one eye.

[AceOfNothing]

Wink, then switch eyes you're winking with

[seppawku]

i dont think breaking eye contact is a good idea if its a canine, so keep staring

[SHIVERS]

You steel yourself and stare straight at it, meeting the empty spots where its eyes would normally be.


It brings its gurgling maw down closer, right in front of your face, stopping its growling for just a moment.
Its snout moves in an upwards fashion with small movements, as if it might be smelling you.

It then starts to slowly pull its weight off of you, as if disinterested.

As it does so, it begins 'sniffing' the air.

It jolts, as if noticing something, and its head cocks to the left, only for it to suddenly fall still, a slick and emphatic sound of bone and flesh being punctured ringing out as a slender hole appears on either side of its skull.
It twitches, then its weight slumps, though its head stays still, seemingly held aloft by something.
After a moment, a small amount of blood spurts from the hole on the right side of its skull, and its weighty head collapses on top of you.

Bewildered, you pull yourself backwards, attempting to get out from under the dead beast, only to find your head grabbed and something sharp pressed to your neck just as you started to wriggle away.

You look down as best you can, and you can see a reptilian claw grasping the utility knife you dropped earlier to your throat, only you feel a much longer and bulkier blade pressed against you.


A stern voice comes from behind your head.
"Answers, now. 
Who are you? 
What are you doing here? 
Why did you have this?"


You are still mostly underneath the enormous dead canine, and with a knife to your throat, it would be difficult to move at all and maintain your safety.

[seppawku]

tell the truth

[Orange Juice Goose]

"Remembering things will only make this headache worse!"

[knux400]

In a panicked and hurried voice, reply

"My name is Metus, I woke up in a weird carpeted room, I just started walking, and I found the knife in a tool booth a while back."

[ಠ_ಠ]

"Also I'm pretty sure I was just created which technically makes me a baby and you wouldn't hurt a baby would you"

[SHIVERS]

You attempt to speak, but your voice is dull and hoarse.

You realize this is the first time you've used it.

After clearing your throat, you try again, making a joke.
"Trying to remember things will only make this headache w--"
You gag as the blade is pressed tighter to your throat.

"...My name is Metus, I woke up in a weird carpeted room, and just started walking. I found the box cutter in a parking gate booth."

You swallow nervously.

"'Woke up?' Are you new here or something?
What are you here to do?"

[ಠ_ಠ]

"I don't know. What are any of us here to do, really?"

[1011686]

"Yes, I'm new. What was that thing? And how are you invisible?"

[SHIVERS]

"I don't know, what are any of us here to do, really?"

They pull the knife back a little more, and you feel the blade dig in just enough to break the surface, a tiny trail of blood dripping down your throat.

"Do you think I'm joking here? You answer me, or I will kill you."



"I don't know you, and right now it's seeming like a much safer plan to kill you rather than risk you being a threat. The only reason you're alive right now is because you don't seem to know what you're doing at all. But for all I know, that's just an act to get me to lower my guard." 

"You want me to trust you enough to let you live? Then convince me you aren't a threat. I don't have time to screw around here with you, so make it fast before I decide you're better off a corpse."



You take a shaky breath. 
"Yes, I'm new here. What was that thing? And how are you invisible?"

"Hellhound. One of them, anyways. You're lucky it was after me, not you. If it was after you, you'd be dead already."
"And you don't even know that? I'm not invisible, I'm a charade. We can camouflage ourselves. Not as useful as being able to phase through walls like you can, but at least I don't exhaust myself much doing it. I'm surprised you're even awake at this point."

[1011686]

"I could do with a rest. Um, please don't kill me. I'll answer any questions you want, and you don't have to tell me anything about who you are or what you're doing. But, I could really use some help, even if just to figure out where to go next."
>Lexicomn: Hellhound, charade, camouflage.

[knux400]

"I can't be much of a threat if I don't have basic knowledge, right? I didn't even know what a carate was until now!" (I spelled charade wrong on purpose, it helps the authenticity of the 'I'm dumb' argument)

[SHIVERS]

>LEXICON

Hellhound - A hostile creature that acts as a bounty hunter, pursuing those that owe a debt. They will track their quarry endlessly, ignoring others unless they become an obstacle to their target.
Charade - A subspecies of unworldite. Experts in concealment and stealth. Use their abilities to blend into the environment and patiently avoid detection. Possesses qualities of both reptiles and insects, and, oddly, appear in a variety of bright and vibrant colors.
CHARADE: Camouflage - An ability specific to charades. Change patterning as well as hide spatial definition - appearing flat or nonexistent - to blend into surroundings, becoming practically invisible.



"Yeah, I could do with a rest," you admit honestly. If it weren't for the adrenaline, you don't imagine you'd be on your feet very long.
"Um, please don't kill me. I can't be much of a threat if I don't have basic knowledge, right? I didn't even know what a carate was until now!" They scoff and chuckle quietly. "Anyone can be a threat."

"I'll answer any questions you want, and you don't have to tell me anything about who you are or what you're doing. But, I could really use some help, even if just to figure out where to go next."
There is a long pause, then you feel the knife release your throat.



You turn to see the charade become visible once again, seeming to gradually slip into existence as a flat, blurry image before their definition suddenly 'pops' in.
They are a bright, almost eye-straining yellow-green with marks of vibrant blue strewn about. They appear as a lizard with a ridged head and long, curly tail, but strangely possess a chitinous hide rather than scales, and sport small, beautifully-patterned, butterfly-like wings on their back.



They keep the box cutter gripped tight in their claw, as if expecting you to change your mind and attack them at any given moment. 
Their weapon still appears ordinary despite you knowing otherwise.

"Fine. I can spare a minute or so to talk and answer some questions, but then I'm getting out of here:  There's bound to be more hellhounds around."
"But I don't trust you, and I am not your mentor. If you really are new, then I don't have time to hold your hand. Not knowing what you're doing makes you a liability. You need to pick up on how to survive, and fast."

"Now... If you're new, then how'd you get here? Where did you come from?"

[ಠ_ಠ]

"I woke up in a room, went through a trapdoor onto a road, and walked it until I got here."

"Where are we and what's going on?"

[1011686]

"I woke up on the floor in a room with a chest, a glass box, a wardrobe, some other stuff, i don't know if that matters to you. I chose some clothes, and then I left through a trapdoor. After that i was on a highway, out there (points in direction of highway). I walked towards the parking gate building, and found the knife inside, along with a lot of blood. There was a trail that led into a tunnel, so I followed it, and that's how I got into this place. Where are we, anyway? Why does everything seem so, abandoned? What happened here?"
>Lexicon: unworldite, unworld, mentor(maybe this is a thing???)

[SHIVERS]

>LEXICON

Unworldite - A species category, consisting of Lamps, Charades, and Argils. Alienlike beings with otherworldly qualities. Relatively uncommon. It is unknown whether they are truly foreign or not.

"Unworld" not recognized as a definable term or phrase.
"Mentor" not recognized as a definable term or phrase.



"I woke up on the floor in a room with a chest, a glass box, a wardrobe, some other stuff; I don't know if that matters to you. I chose some clothes, and then I left through a trapdoor. After that I was on a highway, out there," you point vaguely eastward out of the library, in the general direction of the classroom where you entered from the highway.

"I walked towards the parking gate building, and found the knife inside, along with a lot of blood. There was a trail that led into a tunnel, so I followed it, and that's how I got into this place."

"Where are we, anyway? What's going on? Why does everything seem so... abandoned? What happened here?"



Your eyes adjust to the dark a bit more, and you can now see that the charade is wearing a sand-colored military-style jacket with several wing patches and a high collar, along with olive green pants sporting many pockets. 

"You really are brand new, then." 
"Look, I don't have time to sit here and explain everything to you. I'm not even sure how I would even if I had time. But I'll tell you what I have time for, and I have advice that'll be more useful to you, anyways."



They take out a cloth from their pocket and begin cleaning it. "From the top: this knife you found is mine. You found it where I dropped it."

"As for where we are and it being abandoned:  We're in the school, which - just as almost everywhere else here - connects to many other places. Seem is the operative word with what you asked. Things always seem 'abandoned' because of the labyrinthine nature of this place combined with how incredibly vast it is, but there are others."
"More importantly: exploring around will just about always bring you somewhere new. But if you're smart, or if you have help, you can still map it out. I suggest you do so if you don't want to end up going in circles."



"As for what happened and what's going on:  nothing out of the ordinary. This is just how things are here. I said it already, but let me be perfectly clear:  you need to figure out how to survive."



"Now... I think I know where you came from. Haven't seen one myself, but just know that you'll end up back there a lot, which is more useful than you can imagine. Almost none of us here have the luxury of one of those. Don't take it for granted."

"Speaking of..." They reach into one of their numerous pockets and pull out a large, old-fashioned brass key. It looks fairly plain, with its only distinguishing feature being a circle etched into its bow. 
Additionally, they pull out a silver coin with a simple sword motif displayed on its side.
"These are useless to me, so you may as well use them." They watch as you teeter on your feet. "...Before you pass out, anyways."



Rather than handing them to you, they place both on a nearby book cart and back away, making their way to the southwest exit.

"Last thing, which is the most important piece of advice I can give you:  The worst may happen while you're here - given your inexperience, it's probably inevitable - but just don't make a habit of it. Learn and do better. Recklessness still has consequences."

With that, they head out the door, leaving you alone.



You are beyond exhausted. 
The key and coin are on the cart just in front of you. 

[ಠ_ಠ]

oh so we're in hell

take the coin and the key and put the key in the door and lock it and then pass out

[knux400]

Greeeeat. Take the KEY and COIN and stick them in our pocket or something, then find a safe place to pass out for a while.

[SHIVERS]

You place the silver coin in your pocket, but the second you pick up the brass key, it disappears into thin air as a plain wooden trapdoor appears on the floor just a few steps ahead of you.

[1011686]

Go through trap door, then lie down and rest, try not to fully pass out though.
I dont know if we can only lexicon terms after we've seen them used, but im gonna try a bunch of stuff to see if we can learn anything else about this place/world.
>Lexicon: planet, sun, star, the school, highways, aliens, country, labyrinth, coin, key
Oh and this might count as metagaming (metasuggesting?), so you can discount it if you want, but
>Lexicon: Oubliette

[SHIVERS]

>LEXICON


Oubliette - A safe place.[Definition missing or incomplete.]

"Planet", "Sun", "Star", "The school", "Highways", "Aliens", "Country", "Labyrinth", "Coin", "Key" not recognized as definable terms or phrases.



You open the trapdoor below you, seeing nothing but black inside.
You drop through.

Immediately, you feel wind rushing across your body as you fall, ruffling your clothes.



You feel yourself picking up speed,
but your vision is blurring,

starting to fade  to      white 











































































































































Moments later, you open your eyes to find yourself standing back in the familiar room with the wardrobe, the trapdoor, and other various objects.

On the ceiling, another trapdoor is now present next to the one with yellow and black stripes.
This one looks like a green chalkboard, with an image of a pencil drawn on it in white chalk. 



While you look up at it, you lose your balance and stumble.
You catch yourself on the table in the corner, feeling quite tired.
Though, oddly, this feeling slowly seems to fade.
In no time at all, your fatigue is gone entirely, your body now feeling refreshed.



You feel something shift in your pocket, looking down to see the silver coin escaping and floating up into the air, spinning.
It freezes for a few seconds, then pops out of existence.

Suddenly, a tiny chest - only about the size of your palm - appears on the table in front of you, along with a paper note.

[ಠ_ಠ]

it dont seem very safe
grab everything
try and open the ceiling door

[1011686]

Don't leave yet.
Open the chest and read the note. Also, [STATUS], [INVENTORY] (i think we might have an opportunity to change what we have tethered here).
And, I know we kind of are Metus, so I don't know if we can even ask them like, self-reflective questions, but:
Think about/consider what language the note is written in.

[SHIVERS]

>STATUS
HEALTH: FINE
CONDITIONS: N/A

>INVENTORY
SPACE USED: 4/6
ITEMS:
Safety Glasses
Calamity Pendant
D.A.R.
Walkie Talkie Set



You reach your claws over to the little chest and attempt to pry it open, but no matter how hard you try, it doesn't budge. In fact, you can't even lift it off the table, as if it's bolted to it.

Instead, you pick up the note and read it:

"Oubliette Armory Chest:
Imagine one personal weapon, and it will appear inside.
Intended for personal use only. Please do not share your personal weapon.
Take care not to lose your personal weapon.
One-time use per token."



You try and think about what language the note is written in, but all you can really surmise is that you can read it. 
As you ponder this, the note disappears in your claw.

The chest still sits in front of you.

[ಠ_ಠ]

imagine a heavy iron pipe

[1011686]

What about one of those canes with like, a hidden sword blade inside them. If we're going to get a weapon we should get one that's versatile and has multiple uses.

Also, can we just, manually check why we have an asterisk next to our mettle stat? Like, can we just know what situations it changes from a score of 0 in, and in what direction? Or do we have to find that out from experiencing physically taxing situations for ourselves? If the former, do so, if the latter... idk. I'll think about how to find that out.

[cosmo]

seconding hidden sword cane

[knux400]

How about a shield with six spikes on its edges? Sort of like a certain superhero's shield, but kind of snowflake-shaped.

[SHIVERS]

You have no idea what the asterisk next to your stat means, and you can't think of any command that might help you figure it out, unfortunately.




You close your eyes and attempt to focus, though your thoughts get a bit jumbled up as you feel the box pulling from you.
When you open your eyes, the chest has grown larger, longer and slimmer.

Not wanting to waste any time, you unlatch and open it, only to find an ordinary iron pipe, about three feet long.
You find yourself confused until you place a claw on it, and suddenly feel the strangest sensation.

It's as if this weapon is something you are already familiar with. Not necessarily experienced in its handling, but as if it was something you crafted yourself. You know every inch of it now - and all of its secrets - as details begin to race through your head...




To any other observer, it looks like a reddish-brown, rusty iron pipe. 

As a weapon, it's quite heavy, and the curve at its end is thicker than the rest of it, making it great for bludgeoning, if a bit slow. Simple, but effective if you have the time and room to swing. You also imagine since the curved bit at the end protrudes, it could potentially pull something towards you from afar. 
Beyond that, it'd seem otherwise useless.

As you grasp it, however, you know that simply releasing a tiny latch towards the top of it will allow you to pull its top up and out into a crude, yet sharp iron sword; the same rusted look as its 'scabbard'. It's a single-sided blade, and a bit hefty; meant for chopping strikes. It's lighter than its full pipe form, however, adding to the weapon's versatility.

Incredibly, you know the weapon has one last trick up its sleeve. A hail mary of sorts.
If you were to press in the latch and hold it rather than simply slipping it over to release the blade, the pipe itself would somehow begin to shorten, compressing back into itself until you were only grasping a handle. After a few seconds, it would contort and pop outwards into a rusty iron shield with six spikes on its edges, directed away from the wielder. The shield would whir as the spikes began to spin around its outside, turning itself into a veritable circular saw, shredding anything that may come into contact with it. Though, this transformation process is a bit slow, and it produces a very loud noise, sure to alert anything nearby.
You think about the inspiration behind wanting a shield, but realize you couldn't possibly hope to throw this with how heavy it is.

All-in-all, the weapon is cumbersome, but undeniably versatile.
Using it just as a pipe would be effective for hitting something with plentiful force despite its slowness, or just if you needed some extra reach to snag something.
The blade is faster to swing, and great for cutting pretty much anything.
And the saw... saw-shield would be great at protecting you while also damaging anything that got too close. ...If the noise doesn't scare it off first.



You look down at it in your claws.

It dawns on you how incredibly dangerous this weapon is - for its enemies, and even potentially its wielder, if you aren't careful - and you can't help but find yourself intimidated just from holding the thing.

Still, it feels like yours now, somehow.

The note did say 'personal weapon', after all.
Though, you wonder if something like this could really suit you.

[ಠ_ಠ]

cool weapon

imagine nice leather gloves in the wardrobe so we dont get tetanus swinging this pipe around

[1011686]

Tether the weapon.
I wonder what limits the wardrobe has when it comes to 'clothing'. Do accessories count? Try to think of a watch. And could we control the material its made of? Try to think of a glass slipper. And I wonder if a tortilla hat would work. Actually for that matter, do we even need food? We haven't seemed to so far, although maybe we just haven't been around long enough to start getting hungry yet.

[knux400]

We should name this monstrosity so that we can easily refer to it again in the future. I vote for Rustbringer.

Equip Rustbringer (in pipe form for now) and exit through the chalkboard hatch.

[SHIVERS]

You look over the heavy pipe in your claws and decide on the name "Rustbringer". 
It seems suitable.


>TETHER
You focus, and Rustbringer turns white before disappearing.
It reappears floating in the box with your other items, the counter on the box's side changing to "5/6".



Turning to the wardrobe, you imagine a pair of leather gloves, a watch, a glass slipper, and a 'tortilla hat'--
The sound of breaking glass emanates from the wardrobe, causing you to jump. It repeats and reverberates oddly before cutting off completely.

You cautiously open the wardrobe doors and briefly spot a small pile of broken glass on the top shelf before it vanishes from existence.
Next to where that was, you see a pair of black leather gloves and a very simple silver-colored wristwatch.



You retrieve the watch first. It has a digital display which is currently blank, but the ":" separating the hour and minute sections is visible, denoting the device is receiving power. 
It has only one button on its side which, when pressed, backlights the display in a bright sky blue until pressed again. You suppose it could function as a weak flashlight in a pinch. 
It also has some text near the display noting that the watch is "WATER-RESISTANT".

You slip the watch on your right wrist.

Next, you grab the leather gloves and put both on, but feel a strange sensation on both of your claws.
Looking down, you watch your 'tattoos' - the white fishhook on your left, and the white thorned flower on your right - appear on the gloves as well, exactly as they looked on your clawed paws.



The wardrobe shuts next to you, and when you glance up at it, you find an "Out of Order" sign hanging from one of its handles. The sign isn't hung in a way that prevents the wardrobe from being opened, but you imagine that it's not in working order for the moment.

You briefly think about food. 
You aren't hungry in the slightest, and can't remember any point at which you were.



>RECALL
For the first time, you use your [RECALL] command. 
You focus on pulling out Rustbringer, but are still moderately surprised as it pops into existence held in your left claw.

Now armed and ready, you open the chalkboard trapdoor and climb through.

















You wake up lying on carpet, checking around to find yourself back in the school library.
This transition seems a bit easier than last time, as if you're growing accustomed to the strange trapdoor travel.

Standing up, you notice that the plain trapdoor from last time is still present, allowing for easy access back to the Oubliette.

The library is the same as when you were last here:
There are bookshelves lining the walls to the north and west, and two big windows in that corner above the bookshelves. You can see the stormclouds and rain outside.
There are rolling metal shelves scattered about in the room with some books on each of them.

The east entrance - the one you phased through - is busted open, the wooden door splintered into almost nothing. 
Fairly close by there is a hellhound corpse and some upturned carts, books scattered around in piles next to them.

There is a southwest entrance leading into the hallway past the gate you saw much earlier; the same entrance that the charade you encountered left through.

Lastly, there is a door to a small room that is part of the library; potentially the librarian's office, you think.


You are still holding Rustbringer.

[knux400]

Let's investigate the librarian's office.

[ಠ_ಠ]

if the door to the office is locked, smash it open with the rustbringer

[TwistBone]

Investigate that office

[SHIVERS]

Heyo,
Just putting this in Oubliette and Helpline bc there's a lot of new folks from the forums here that aren't in the Discord:

Updates have been really slow lately because my arms are injured (currently on lots of pain and nerve meds) and it hurts to type a lot.
I am going to keep up with both of these projects as much as I can, they are Still open for suggestions and such, just be wary that things will likely be slow.

Thank you.

[SHIVERS]

You walk over and open the door to the librarian's office, thankfully not having to break it down.



Inside, it's about what you expected:
There's a desk with an old computer,
a filing cabinet with an empty photo frame sitting on top,
and a copier wedged tightly into the far corner.





Though, on second glance, you spot something strange on the floor.

It's an odd, glowing sphere that shines with four colors; pink, orange, blue, and a particularly dark shade of brown.



Out of instinctual curiosity, you lean down to try and pick it up.
Before your claw can even make contact with it, it zips upwards and seeps into the palm of your hand.
You fall backwards in surprise, wincing at the uncomfortably alien sensation.










You have collected a palette: fadedbells.
Some Oubliette functionality has been restored.

Commands STATUS, SELF, and INVENTORY are now obsolete.
You can now inherently find this information at any time.
You can now use the EQUIP PALETTE command.













You are currently sitting on the floor of the librarian's office.

Show ContentSTATUS:

HEALTH: FINE
CONDITIONS: N/A

Show ContentSELF:

CURRENT PALETTE: primarypremiere (Default)

Show ContentINVENTORY:

COLLECTED PALETTES:
primarypremiere (Default) 
fadedbells

Show ContentCOMMAND LIST:

[TETHER] - Used to bind weapons, tools and items to yourself, placing them in your "inventory" at the Oubliette. Tethering is limited to your item space.
[RECALL] - Used to pull forth items from your inventory into your hand in order to use them.
[LEXICON] - Used to define unknown terms. Current lexicon is incomplete, but may be automatically updated as new information is gathered.
[EQUIP PALETTE] - Used to equip different palettes for STATUS, SELF, and INVENTORY.

[skinstealer]

EQUIP PALETTE fadedbells, LEXICON palette

[knux400]

Seconding EQUIP PALLETE fadedbells and LEXICON pallete

Let's examine the rest of the room, but after that I want to head back to the trapdoor- I'm curious as to what oubliette functionality has been restored exactly.