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Iris Conway-Madley ([info]madleyinlove) wrote in [info]valesco,
@ 2008-07-20 18:52:00


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Entry tags:corner conway

Who: Iris and Charlotte...and mebbe some Corner, idkidk.
Where: The Conway Residence
When: Late Afternoon
What: Hilarity, naturally
Credits: Lyrics are from "I Found a Loophole" by The Whomping Willows

Iris was having a pretty listless day. The party had put her in the mood to socialize and be around people and Corner had walked out the door maybe an hour ago because of an emergency. It was times like these that she wondered why he and her mum didn't have more children, at least then she'd have something to do during the summer besides homework. Ugh, she wasn't even in the mood for painting!

So, as a last resort, Iris was sitting upside down on the couch, her head hanging just off the edge and her feet wiggling in the air to the Hobgoblins music she'd turned up to an obnoxious level (thank Merlin for the silencing charms on the home, otherwise she'd probably have her neighbors over, complaining at her for the racket). She had a copy of Witch Weekly cracked in front of her but wasn't really reading t as she was singing at the top of her lungs: "Five years it’s been since I first set my lonely eyes upon you, Now I’m finally breaking through, So what do you say? Let’s run away, leave everything behind we’ll rock until the end of time."

The things she did to entertain herself.


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[info]charlottes
2008-07-21 01:28 am UTC (link)
Charlotte was likewise bored with the day. Of course, there was always business to attend to with the shop, but she just wasn't feeling working today---the problem was, once she had walked out the door and left her manager in charge, she couldn't find anything else she wanted to do either. So this had ended in her lounging around in her own living room, listening to a Quidditch match on the wireless (which she didn't understand, she'd never understood Quidditch) and being in a state of absolute torture.

It was around noon that she'd decided to get up and see Corner. It was strange that the idea would come to mind, actually---she didn't normally pop over to her boyfriend's house unannounced, much less in the middle of the day. But it was the boredom getting to her, probably, and about fifteen minutes later Charlotte was downstairs in the shop, wrapping up a couple muffins, and Apparating away.

She came to appear right at his front doorstep and swiftly knocked at the door, feeling a deal more excited than was normal for her. Charlotte really bloody hoped that he was home, because if he wasn't... well, she hadn't really thought that far ahead into things, but whatever her other options were, she couldn't imagine any of them being half as good.

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 01:43 am UTC (link)
The music had turned itself down as soon as she knocked, and excited at the prospect of someone--anyone to talk to, Iris turned herself right side up and slid off the couch. She couldn't think of anyone who would just come over unannounced. Half her friends were afraid of her Da so they generally owled for permission before coming over. She looked through the peep hole curiously and saw an unfamiliar dark-haired lady.

She opened the door carefully, running her fingers through her hair just in case it was mussed from her hanging upside down. The wireless had turned the music up a little bit more after the door was open, but not to the previous level (thank goodness). "Can I help you?" she asked curiously, trying to figure out if this was some sort of door to door saleswoman or something.

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[info]charlottes
2008-07-21 02:07 am UTC (link)
The second that Charlotte spotted the flash of blonde behind the front door, she had known that she was in trouble. Big trouble.

She had never seen Corner's daughter before, but she'd seen pictures, and she had---Merlin's pants, how could she have forgotten! It was summertime! Of course Iris would have been home, and she had just---Oh no, oh bloody hell, she was in such huge trouble. From what Corner said, Iris wouldn't be one to take the news of her father having a girlfriend too well, and so he'd been waiting to tell her and even though Charlotte didn't know how in the world waiting so long would help any, she'd still just as well revealed herself and now he was going to bloody break up with her and----

"Sorry, I----wrong house, I---think I've got---" Charlotte wasn't good with words in the first place, but now she was just stuttering and looking like a deer in the headlights. "---I'll just---sorry, I'll---go--"

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 02:25 am UTC (link)
Iris narrowed her eyes curiously as it dawned on her: ever since her Da got to Head of the Auror Department, their house had been unlisted and warded...there's no way she could be a--a salesperson and she wasn't wearing the bloody ministry robes that everyone who popped by in and. "Are you sure? I mean...it's, you can't really get the wrong house and just end up here..." she said slowly, trying very hard not to cross her arms over her chest. She probably should've been more careful, just in case it was a muggle but what were the odds of that happening, yeah?

Maybe she was someone from work, maybe she just didn't realize that her Da had a kid so-- "If you're looking for Corner, you can just wait inside," she offered slowly. She didn't want her to get in trouble for not passing on information to him or something.

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[info]charlottes
2008-07-21 02:44 am UTC (link)
If she could have gotten herself together enough to smack herself, she would have now. Because now--far too late, once again--she had remembered something else. Corner's house was warded. Not just anyone could get past the barriers and how the hell was she supposed to explain this? Merlin strike her down there and now because this was really the worst, stupidest thing she'd done in a long time.

He was going to hate her when he found out about this.

There was no graceful way to get herself out of this situation, Charlotte had already realized, but which of the terrible alternatives did she go about using?

Flustered, she waved her hands in front of her and backed up a couple of paces. "No, no, that's---that's fine, I'll just----I'll be off now, actually---"

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 03:22 am UTC (link)
"Are you sure? I mean, he's probably going to be home soon. It's his day off and all, and they called him in to deal with something but he shouldn't be too long," she offered once more. The woman standing across from her was very pretty, but it never slipped into her mind that her dad could possibly be dating someone. He'd tell her about that, wouldn't he?

"Come on, I've got brownies in the oven and--and we have milk and, really. You should come in," she said, all but putting her foot down on the matter. Anyone who worked with Corner would be all over the offer for free food. Plus, who doesn't love to see what sort of stuff the boss had up around his house?

Well, okay. Maybe that last part was lame, but honestly, she was acting as if she were scared of Iris. And that was just ridiculous.

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[info]charlottes
2008-07-21 03:29 am UTC (link)
"I really shouldn't---" Charlotte stuttered out. Jesus Christ, did this girl not give up? 'Shouldn't' was the bloody understatement of the year, after all---she really really shouldn't, because what was Corner going to do if he came home to see his very secret girlfriend sitting and having brownies with his very oblivious daughter?

And what kind of a story did she tell Iris for why she was there anyway? She didn't know enough about the Auror office to fake working with him and she had never been the best of liars anyway.

Becoming more and more panicked by the second, she took another couple of steps backwards. "No---I've got to---got to go anyway. Maybe later, I'll come back---some other time---"

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 03:52 am UTC (link)
"They're really good," she said, as if the temptation would be so overbearing that Charlotte would not be able to say no. "Tell you what, I'll pull them out and then give you some to go, no worries. And you can just tell Da what you think when--well, whenever you see him next." Honestly.

Iris refused to let the woman go without brownies, mostly because she doubted Corner would eat much of them and she was not going to have them around to tempt herself. No no no. And, without waiting for an answer, Iris was off to the kitchen, leaving the door wide open (so she wasn't the brightest, she was in Gryffindor. Plus, the lady had found the house, hadn't she? It wasn't as if she were an accomplice to the kidnapping a few months back or something...Iris would have remembered someone as pretty as her) behind her.

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[info]charlottes
2008-07-21 04:04 am UTC (link)
She blinked as she watched Iris disappear into the house, unable to speak out to stop her for the sheer surprise. Now would have been the best time to run away as she was going to find, except why did Charlotte feel guilty at that notion? It wasn't like she knew who she was, but then what happened when Iris eventually did find out? Charlotte would be Dad's girlfriend, the one who was rude and strange and ran away---but then she felt guilty at the thought of going in, because she wanted to respect Corner's wishes to have his daughter not know about her.

This was a bloody disaster.

Oy, okay so. Taking a deep breath, she ran a hand through her hair and hesitated before stepping one foot past the threshold and closing the door behind her. The best option (of some very bad ones) was going to be to go inside and be as un-rude as possible without revealing who she really was... and then hope to god her boyfriend didn't come home before she left.

Oy. Oy oy oy, how did she get herself into situations like this? Charlotte cursed herself as she followed Iris into the kitchen.

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 04:13 am UTC (link)
Iris was humming the last song that had been on the wireless as she pulled out the brownies and set them down to cool for a bit. She thought to herself as she was pulling out a plate that the woman was acting very strangely, but decided it was just because she was busy and had other places to be. She turned around to start dishing out brownies and jumped at the sight of Charlotte in the kitchen, the plate dropping to the floor and smashing. "Oh! Bloody hell," she said, grimacing at the sound of the plate hitting the ground. "I'll..just...get another one," she said, feeling a bit awkward now as she turned back to the cabinet, a light blush on her cheeks.

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[info]charlottes
2008-07-21 04:25 am UTC (link)
Charlotte just watched Iris as she made her way around the kitchen, leaning against one of the counters. She was a pretty girl, even prettier than she was in all the photographs she had seen of her, and she could see why Corner would be proud of his daughter. Beautiful, polite, and---

---Charlotte jumped away from the counter at the sound of the plate smashing and threw a hand to her heart. Jesus Christ, she hadn't been expecting that; or that she would have scared her in the first place. Then again, she had always been a rather quiet person---she had to remember that not everyone had Corner's Auror honed perception and could hear a person coming from a mile away.

"I'm so sorry, I'll---let me help you with that---" Charlotte rushed to help pick up the pieces on the floor.

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 04:32 am UTC (link)
Iris had grabbed another plate but quickly placed it on the counter before bustling over to grab the smaller hand broom to help her out. "Don't--it's alright, I can be a little clumsy sometimes," she said softly. It was times like this that she questioned whether or not she'd ever be able to become an auror. She began sweeping up the smaller fragments of plate, trying very hard now to not bump heads with the other woman.

"I haven't seen you at any of the department parties," Iris said offhandedly. "Are you a new Auror or...?" she let the question trail off as she continued to try and get the bits together. She was so used to not being able to do magic at home that it completely slipped her mind that she was of age now and it was more than legal for her to just reparo the damn plate.

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[info]charlottes
2008-07-21 04:44 am UTC (link)
The two of them finished cleaning up the broken plate together and Charlotte dumped the pieces she had been holding in the rubbish bin. She bit her lip as the question was asked and found herself turning her face away from the teenager---this was exactly the question that she had been fearing the most, and she still had no idea how to answer it. She didn't want to lie to her, but what in the world would she say otherwise?

"Oh, yes, I'm---" she began, feeling her story crashing and burning even before it had come out of her mouth. "Well, you see, I'm a---secretary, actually---I'm----You know, why don't I just wait in the sitting room?" She was already backing out of the kitchen that way as she said it, so Iris wasn't about to be able to stop her, but it would have been really rude to just leave, right? "I don't want to make you---drop any more plates---"

She would have been surprised if Iris had heard the last part, as she was already all the way out into the living room by the time she had said it. Merlin, she had to get out of there.

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[info]conways
2008-07-21 04:52 am UTC (link)
Corner Conway had not been in the mood to deal with people in the office today, especially as it had been his day off and he'd been planning to pop by Charlotte's coffee shop to visit her. He'd finished up with the mix-up as soon as possible but one of the bloody interns had spilled a cup of black tea on his shirt and it was now beyond salvaging despite the stain-removing spells he'd tried on it ... which was about the only reason that he'd actually come home first instead of going straight to the coffee shop.

When he found Charlotte coming into the living room, he couldn't help the relieved half-sigh that passed his lips when he stepped forward toward her and drew her in for a light-but-lingering kiss.

Obviously if Charlotte was here Iris had gone out with one of her friends and had no doubt left a note in the kitchen, right?

Right.

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 04:59 am UTC (link)
Iris was trying to get a good amount of brownies arranged on the plate for the woman--her Da's secretary. Strange, she didn't think that he'd said anything about a new secretary lately. Then again, he didn't say a lot about work so it was completely possible that he had and--well. He needed to let his secretaries know that she did not bite, and that when she invited them into the house they didn't have to look so freaked out and bothered by it. Sigh, anyways. She was wrapping up the plate (because she couldn't very well let the brownies go without ensuring they stay as fresh as possible), trying to think of something else to say. It was rather hard to hold conversation with this woman, she had found.

Anyways. Plate in hand, Iris made her way out to the living room, the plate balanced carefully on her hand. "I've got some wrapped up for--" she stopped in her tracks and the plate teetered and crashed to the floor, meeting the same fate as its friend before it.

"Oh for fucks sake!" she said, flustered and frustrated. And-----WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS HER DA DOING WITH HIS SECRETARY? THERE WAS NO INTER-OFFICE RELATIONS ALLOWED FOR HIM, BLOODY HELL HE WAS THE BOSS!

It just sank in. She was--he was...they were dating and he hadn't bloody said anything and. She huffed loudly staring from one adult to the other before turning squarely on her heel and heading for her room. This was--ohhhh, this was awful.

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[info]charlottes
2008-07-21 05:16 am UTC (link)
In her defense, Charlotte hadn't expected Corner to pop in so suddenly. So it really couldn't be her fault that she let him kiss her before thinking about it, or that she was rendered speechless to tell him that he probably shouldn't be doing that, that his daughter was in the other room, that----

Well, if that crash and all that yell was any indicator, he knew everything now anyway.

Pushing away from him, Charlotte took a couple of steps back and stared between the father and daughter, quite certain that she was about to die. This was not the way that Iris was supposed to find out---the girl wasn't even supposed to find out period and now she'd gone and mucked that all up. Any other woman in her position probably would have felt relieved that this news, far too long kept secret, was finally out, but not her. She had no doubt in her mind that her boyfriend was pretty much going to hate her after all of this.

Putting her head in her hands as Iris stormed off and shook it back and forth. "I didn't realize she'd be home, God, God, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize---"

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[info]conways
2008-07-21 05:25 am UTC (link)
Okay, the moment that he heard the plate smashing Corner realized that something was most certainly not right. When he turned to point his wand at the intruder and it was his daughter ... well. He cleared his throat rather loudly just in time to spot the girl high-tailing it out of the room.

Oh, for Merlin's sake ... He scowled a little to himself and blinked when he saw the way that Charlotte was reacting. "It's not your fault," he managed after only a moment or two of waffling. If anything, it was his fault for not checking whether his daughter was home or not. He shifted toward Charlotte and gave her shoulder a light squeeze. Hopefully she'd ... well, be all right for a moment. He pushed up to go after Iris.

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 05:34 am UTC (link)
Iris was pacing in her room, trying to sort out her thoughts a bit. He was with someone, and--and he hadn't even told her. How long had they been dating or--or kissing or whatever the bloody hell they were--no. She was not going to think about her Da doing that because...ew. No.

She was upset, confused. She didn't think he'd done anything with anyone since her mum died and. It shouldn't have been such a big deal but it felt like it and--oiiii. She sighed again before flopping back onto her bed and grabbing her security blanket (yes, she still had it; it was used for serious moments...like this) and crossing her arms to her chest over it. He was dating his secretary. How utterly stupid of him. She was going to tell him, too, when he walked into the room.

He was going to come after her, right? I mean--what if the woman was more important to him than her? She felt a bit selfish for thinking it, but--well, he was her Da and she was his daughter. She at least deserved for him to come and talk to her or explain things or--or something!

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[info]conways
2008-07-21 05:37 am UTC (link)
Or something. Of course she was important - and he was very much sure that the woman could take care of herself at least for a little while - so he could come and see his daughter. He pushed into the room after a moment and blinked, carefully knocking on the doorframe.

"Iris? Er, I think we have some things to talk about." Yes, he'd been avoiding telling Iris for exactly this reason because really, who wanted to hear that their mother had been a cheating skank from the get-go?

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 05:42 am UTC (link)
Iris sighed softly. As much as she wanted to be angry and pouty, he was being quiet and serious and--ugh. Okay, she'd go along with it. Turning her head slightly, she looked at him carefully. "What sort of things?" she asked, trying to act as if she didn't really care that he was with some--some woman.

"I just--how long have you been with her?" she asked suddenly, the question bubbling up out of her. Maybe that was why he'd hired her, because he wanted to be closer to her. She pouted a bit to herself, trying to figure things out in her head as she waited for answers from him.

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[info]conways
2008-07-21 06:30 am UTC (link)
He frowned a little while she spoke. Well, at least she wasn't throwing things at him or crying completely uncontrollably. Neither of those things were something he wanted to deal with coming from his daughter.

"It's been ... Merlin, almost a year now. She's a very sweet woman who runs a coffee shop down the street from the Ministry," he explained quietly, unaware that Charlotte had told Iris differently already.

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 06:39 am UTC (link)
Iris sighed. "Da, you don't have to cover for her, she already told me that she's a secretary at your office," she said, hearing her tone become a bit moody. Oh, bother. She wasn't in a foul mood with him but--he'd dated her for a year and never said a bloody thing to Iris about it?

"So...you've been with her but...you never said anything to me. I just--" she pouted a bit, trying to figure out the proper way to word it. "You didn't want me to know." She didn't want to look at him at that moment so instead turned her gaze to the photo of her mother that was sitting on her nightstand.

Hopefully their wouldn't be more surprises in store for Iris today. She'd had enough to last her for a while.

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[info]conways
2008-07-21 06:42 am UTC (link)
Not today, but maybe tomorrow. He ... arched his brow. "Is that what she told you?" Corner laughed. "You did mention to her that most of the people who have access to this place are officials, didn't you? That's probably where she got it."

He was actually ... a little impressed that Charlotte would even attempt to lie, considering her horrible history with it.

"I didn't want you to think that it meant I was forgetting about your mother, Iris, and you weren't exactly thrilled about the few dates that I had before Charlotte."

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 06:49 am UTC (link)
Her eyes widened and she turned to look at him. "Da, she's the one you went on dates with???" She was--well, she was floored. She was a very pretty woman and if she was force fed veritaserum, she would admit that, despite the stuttering and inability to hold a good conversation, she...almost liked the woman. But--she sighed a little.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. It wasn't fair to him, she was slowly realizing. It hurt her so much to see him moving on but--maybe it was time? She was almost out of the house, it wasn't as if whoever he dated (or even married if it got that far) was going to have any sort of legal custody of her. She was a legal witch now. But--it still hurt her to think about their family moving on, changing. Her Da was just that, hers. She hardly remembered her mum being around, and she was so used to it just being the two of them around that the thought of someone else was a double edged sword. It seemed so appealing, but at the same time she didn't think she was quite ready to see that happen.

"Do you think you're ever forget mum? I mean--even if you do end up with someone else and." she stopped herself from continuing the sentence. He knew where she was going with it, so there was no need to ramble endlessly on about it.

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[info]conways
2008-07-21 07:00 am UTC (link)
He frowned. "I could never forget your mother, Iris. You should know that." Corner scrubbed his hand through his hair.

"And you should know also that I won't forget about you. Since I've been seeing Charlotte, there hasn't been any reduction in the time we've spent together ... has there?" He sorely hoped that there hadn't been since he'd been trying to make sure that he kept his treatment of his daughter exactly the same.

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 07:05 am UTC (link)
"I know," she said softly. "I just...wanted to hear you say it." Even if she knew for a fact it was true, the confirmation was still comforting.

Well, considering she'd been away for the majority of the time he'd been dating Charlotte, she didn't exactly think it was a fair question. But when she was home, they spent plenty of time together. "No, there hasn't been." She felt a bit foolish for making such a big deal of things out in the living room now. "She probably thinks I hate her," she said softly, wrinkling up her nose as she thought to herself.

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[info]conways
2008-07-21 07:11 am UTC (link)
He laughed a little and shook his head. "I don't think that she thinks you hate her. She probably that I'm going to be angry, in all honesty." Which was silly, but not at all unlikely when one considered how Corner was during business hours. That wasn't how he treated his family, though.

He hesitated before sliding up closer to her and giving her hair a little stroke. It was only mildly awkward. "And I think you will like her. She doesn't talk much around people she's not familiar with, though." As in, probably even less than she'd talked when Iris thought she was from the Ministry.

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 07:18 am UTC (link)
"Well, you do have a pretty good mean face. I'd be afraid to see it, too," she responded offhandedly with a smile. She'd seen him in action, and he was not a bloke that you wanted to mess with, that was for sure.

She tried not to laugh when he made a move to be comforting, despite all awkwardness in it. Hey, he was making a pretty good effort here! It was appreciated. "I guess we'll have to get to know each other then," she said reluctantly. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to that--well, that didn't get all awkward and puffed up and angry father-like when she brought up boys or other things. And she wasn't even going to think about trying to shop with her Da.

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[info]conways
2008-07-21 07:21 am UTC (link)
Okay, she was agreeing to get to know Charlotte. That was a step-up from the death threats he had been at least somewhat anticipating from her. And yes, he had been thinking Charlotte could do ... girly things with his daughter. It wasn't something that Corner excelled at, knowing the right colour of dress or skirt or ... whatever.

"Good. I'm ... well, I'm glad that you're willing to try."

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[info]madleyinlove
2008-07-21 07:26 am UTC (link)
He wasn't even close to mediocrity when it came to clothes shopping. And really, she'd been considering death threats. But they'd been together for a year, and--if he couldn't find anything wrong with her after that long, she couldn't be horrible. She was going to give Charlotte a try but...if she didn't like her, Iris was going to make sure that Corner heard it. "I'll try," she said slowly. "I don't know if I can make too many promises but I'll try."

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