docs: def escape(msg):
      """Takes a raw IRC message and returns a girc-escaped message."""
      msg = msg.replace(escape_character, 'girc-escaped-character')
      for escape_key, irc_char in format_dict.items():
          msg = msg.replace(irc_char, escape_character + escape_key)
  
      # convert colour codes
      new_msg = ''
      while len(msg):
          if msg.startswith(escape_character + 'c'):
              new_msg += msg[:2]
              msg = msg[2:]
  
              if not len(msg):
                  new_msg += '[]'
                  continue
  
              colours, msg = extract_irc_colours(msg)
              new_msg += colours
          else:
              new_msg += msg[0]
              msg = msg[1:]
  
      new_msg = new_msg.replace('girc-escaped-character', escape_character + escape_character)
      return new_msg