Everyone has their fallback fluffy ship that they write when they need to put themselves in a better mood or just feel luvy-duvy. I needed to cheer myself up, so I dropped everything and wrote a Dawn Ship. Or is it a Dawn Ship (points to title)? Only time will tell!
I really liked writing this though. I need to do more one-shots. Anyway, here we go.
Just Friends
"No… just friends!" The Jupiter and Venus Adept said in unison, sharing a knowing smile at their long running inside joke. The old woman that they were buying apples from smiled as well, and laughed softly. It definitely wasn't the first time that Karis and Matthew had been asked if they were a couple, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Not like they minded; in fact, they had made light of it often enough.
Karis had jokingly lied to Ivan that she and Matthew had decided to date more times that she could count, always bursting out "just kidding!" with a small giggle a few moments later every time. Isaac was infamous for his constant badgering of the two, and Jenna was just as bad about it, if more subtle. She would wink at Karis and mouth "go get him!" whenever her son had his back turned to the Mars Adept. Karis would simply laugh and shake her head, and then Mathew would, without fail, ask, "What's going on?"
"You two must be very good friends, then," The elderly woman replied kindly, handing them their apples. "Here are your apples, have a nice day!" Matthew and Karis thanked her, and then turned and continued down the road running through Kalay's market.
Rather than their usual battle-ready clothing, both were dressed casually and for the nice Spring weather. Matthew had on a simple white cotton shirt and his signature jeans, and in common fashion he was bare-foot. As a Venus Adept, he loved the feeling of earth between his feet, and would simply shrug and laugh whenever Jenna berated him for dragging dirt through the house.
Karis, similarly, was built to enjoy her element, wearing a blue shirt and a skirt that was a slightly lighter blue and cut to allow free movement. She was also wearing blue stockings, as the wind that she summoned and seemed to follow here wherever she went constantly lifted her skirt up.
The Jupiter Adept often had trouble matching her clothing, a result of her oddly colored hair; a fact she often complained of. Matthew, regardless, would always tell her that she looked fine, and frequently told her that he thought her hair was wonderful, and worth all the trouble it brought. Such kind words never failed to bring a smile to her face.
It had been around six months since they had returned from Belinsk, and they were finally beginning to settle down once more; any damage Kalay had suffered as a result of the Eclipse had been almost completely wiped away.
"Well… there's the fruit. We already bought the sandwiches, the soup, and the vegetables… anything we're forgetting?" Karis asked, looking through the picnic basket and smiling at their bounty.
"…Drinks?" Matthew supplied after thinking for a moment, and Karis burst into laughter.
"You know, my father actually thinks I'm organized?" Karis jibbed after her laugher faded, but still present in her wide grin. "He doesn't realize how many obvious things slip my mind that only you catch."
"It's not your fault you forgot about water… neither of us are Mercury Adepts!" Matthew replied with a snicker, and she rolled her eyes before punching him lightly on the shoulder. Still, she couldn't keep the amusement off her face; as bad as Matthew's jokes could be, she found them quite endearing. At least they weren't as vulgar as Tyrell's.
"You want to stop and get some fresh water from one of these stands?" She asked, and he shrugged.
"Actually, I've got some at home," Matthew replied, a slight grin on his face, and Karis nodded.
"That sounds good…" Karis said, her eyes narrowing. She knew that look, and it was one the Venus Adept only made when he was up to something. Which, despite how innocent and quiet he seemed, was quite often. She said nothing though, and they continued to walk down the street.
Karis shifted her vision to stare at her best friend, and smiled. Casually, she slipped her hand into his, and he chuckled. "Honestly, we wonder WHY people think we're dating," He joked, and she giggled.
"It's not that big of a deal… why can't we hold hands?" She asked innocently, and Matthew shrugged.
"Hey, I'm not complaining!" He replied, turning toward his house as they were very near it. Matthew quickly entered through the front door, the grin back on his face.
"…Okay, I don't trust that look, what are you up to?" Karis questioned, but he simply shook his head and let go of her hand, moving into the dining room; Matthew's house wasn't huge, but it was certainly cozy. It had four rooms on both the first and second stories, and then a small cellar, filled with food, drinks… and a bunch of old weapons and armor Jenna and Isaac absolutely refused to part with, for sentimental reasons.
Matthew had been scared for his life when Isaac had caught him playing with the Gaia Blade. So scared that he had unwittingly triggered its unleash, and figured out WHY exactly Isaac didn't like him to touch the old weaponry. Thankfully Isaac and Jenna had kept a good heaping of gold from their journey, and had fixed the giant whole in the house caused by the Titan Blade fairly easily.
That didn't stop Matthew from getting grounded, but of course that hadn't meant much, as Karis had simply jumped in through his window to visit him, and jumped out whenever his parents had suspected anything. Unbeknownst to the young Adepts, Matthew's parents had known, but couldn't bear to separate the two.
"Ah, hello Karis!" Karis turned to see Jenna smiling at her, as Matthew's mother usually did whenever she saw the Jupiter Adept. Jenna had never made a habit of concealing how fond she was of Karis, and Karis didn't exactly mind; as she had never known her own mother, who had died during child-birth, Jenna had always been there for her when she was younger. As such, the two got along exceptionally well… even when Jenna was teasing Karis to death.
"So, are you two going on a daaaaate? A picnic?" Jenna asked with a giggle, and Karis sighed.
"Just friends?" She tried, knowing the older woman wouldn't believe her.
"Not buying it!" Jenna replied cheerfully, folding a couple of shirts as she spoke. "You're the only person Matthew has ever opened up around. Even to me, he can seem like a rock, but when he's around you, he's himself; bright, playful, talkative. It's good for him."
"I'm glad," Karis replied, contemplating the truth in her words before noticing that Matthew had finally re-entered the room. She raised an eyebrow and smiled, as he was now REALLY clearly up to something, both his hands behind his back.
"Well, I've got the water, so let's—" Matthew began, before Jenna rolled her eyes and interrupted.
"Matthew, I'm not stupid. If you wanted to take some wine for your picnic, you could have just asked," The Mars Adept said shortly, pulling said bottle of wine out from behind his back. Matthew simply gulped, but to his relief, Jenna smiled, and shook her head. "You would take the good stuff, huh? Your father and I were saving this for a special occasion… it's Lemurian, and aged so well that Piers didn't even know how old it was. Try to bring some back, won't you?"
"Y-Yes Mom… I just thought it would be nice for the picnic," Matthew replied bashfully, and Karis giggled; leave it to Matthew to try to smuggle wine to their picnic, let alone get caught. They were both eighteen, and therefore legally able to drink in Kalay, but both their parents had made it clear that they would appreciate it if the two teenagers didn't overdo it.
Matthew coughed, and said, "Well… I guess we'll be going now—"
"You should also bring some water, son," Jenna said exasperatedly, and Matthew grimaced, nodding. "Oh, don't give me that look… you and your father forget the most basic things, I swear, and act like it's my fault when I remind you of them." Matthew sighed with a nod as Jenna handed him a glass container of water.
She smiled warmly at her son and his best friend. "Hehe, I'll stop poking fun at you and let you get on with your date… remember that when the sun starts to set is the best time to make a move—"
"We'll be back before ten," Matthew muttered, moving out the door. Karis giggled once again, and waved at Jenna before following him.
"Oh… those two are so adorable," Jenna whispered to herself as she watched Karis jog up to Matthew and lean into his shoulder, no doubt striking up a friendly conversation. Memories of her own husband soon filled her mind; Isaac and her were so similar to Karis and Matthew. So close for so many years, but so hesitant to take the next step…
"It will happen when it does," Jenna sighed, shaking her head. Still, she silently hoped, as she closed the door, that today one of them would finally bring up the question of their feelings towards each other.
Karis took another bite of her sandwich, relishing the taste; she could tell that Matthew was enjoying his as well, and she wasn't surprised in the slightest. The Venus Adept had always loved a good sandwich. They had eaten the fruit already, and were sipping on the fresh water, extremely grateful to Jenna for recommending it. Electing to save the wine for later, they enjoyed the vista in front of them.
Sitting on the small hill, they could see many of the fields surrounding Kalay, and the vast forests a bit further out. With the sun hanging in the air, it was a beautiful sight, only made better by the winds that constantly peppered them. All in all, it was a refreshing spring day.
"I know we make fun of it," Karis said suddenly, choosing to discuss what had been her on her mind for the most of the day. "But do you ever get tired of how everyone thinks we're a couple?"
"I get at tired of it as I get of people exclaiming that I'm a child of the Warriors of Vale; not at all," Matthew replied, shrugging. "Let people think what they want. Does it bother you?"
Karis shrugged as well, and sighed, putting her sandwich down. "I don't know… it's just it makes me THINK about it all the time. Is it too much to ask, to just be close to someone and not have everyone match-make you?"
"I know… you could do sooo much better than an undesirable like me," Matthew laughed, and she smiled and pushed him.
"You know that's not what I meant! Anyway, speaking of couples… what about you and Sveta?" Karis asked, changing the subject and poking her friend in the ribs.
Matthew grinned sheepishly and replied, "What about us?"
"Oh, please," Karis replied. "I know you like her, you told me so… and there was that entire sharing souls business…"
"I've actually wondered why you never brought that up," Matthew interrupted, looking at her inquisitively. "I figured you'd be interested."
"I was… but it was a very personal moment for you, and I didn't want to be intrusive," Karis muttered, and then glanced up to see Matthew giving her a look of complete incredulity. A moment later, they both burst out laughing, Karis falling backwards and landing softly onto the grass while Matthew heaved forward.
"Gosh, I thought you were serious…" He muttered as he wiped his eye, and she giggled. "You? Intrusive? Yeah, only every single day we've known each other!" He shouted, and she nodded gleefully. "So, why then?"
"…Well, to be honest, I didn't know if you and Sveta were becoming a thing, and I guess I was kind of scared of it… unless you still are! I mean, you two should do whatever you want to," Karis responded shakily, palming her forehead as she finished speaking.
"Wow, this really has been eating you up, huh?" Matthew whispered, suddenly serious. "No, Sveta and I aren't going to become a thing… distance, her being queen, and her not wanting to for a really weird reason all contributed. But, why would you mind if we dated?"
"Oh, I'd be happy for you two, don't get me wrong…" Karis replied, coughing, before nervously continuing. "It's just that I was worried it might lead to you and me being less… us around each other." Noticing his confused expression, she decided to clarify. "We're really close, Matthew; there's a reason everyone thinks we're dating. I just didn't want to lose that because you started dating someone else."
"Karis!" Matthew groaned, rubbing his eyes in mock annoyance. "What have I told you about your compulsive worrying? Nothing would change; we'll always be friends, and we'll always be open around each other. Remember? We promised."
She smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, I know… I would just feel awkward if we spent a bunch of time together while you and her were dating. But, I guess I don't have to worry about it. What was it like sharing souls with her, then? And what was her third reason?"
Many people (including Tyrell) would get irritated at being questioned so many times, but Matthew simply smiled. Karis wouldn't be Karis if she wasn't curious and constantly asking questions. "It was really cool, actually," He replied, leaning back and joining her on the grass. "It felt very warm, and though it was brief, I pretty much knew her in and out after that."
"You two did seem very close afterwards," Karis commented, nodding for emphasis. Her tone was indifferent, and Matthew smiled.
"Jealous?" He asked, and she rolled her eyes. "Not as close as you and I," He then added, punching her lightly, and drawing a smile from her vibrant face. "You might not like the third reason, though… she told me she didn't want to get between you and I becoming a couple."
"UGH!" Karis moaned, closing her eyes in frustration, and Matthew chuckled. "And I told her I was fine if you and her wanted to!— you know what, at this point, we might as well date! Just fulfill everyone's expectations, stop being friends, and get it over with." She crossed her arms as he chuckled again.
"But I always want to be friends with you, Karis," Matthew pouted, sticking his bottom lip out.
"…You look ridiculous," She muttered, striving to keep the laughter off of her face. "I was just joking; friends forever." She sounded a little sad as she said it, but he smiled.
"Good. Well, I think it's wine time!" Matthew said, abruptly changing the subject, sitting up, and taking the bottle into his hands.
Karis, sitting up as well, wrinkled her nose as she looked the bottle over. "I have a bad feeling it will taste muskier than your dirty feet," She murmured, but Matthew shrugged the comment off, popping the cork and pouring two glasses.
"Mademoiselle?" He said in a ridiculous accent, handing Karis her glass. She grimaced slightly before taking a sip, and suddenly her eyes lit up.
"Wow! That's really good…" Karis whispered, taking a longer gulp. "We really need to thank your Mom… I'm usually not the biggest fan of wine, but this is so rich."
"Mmmm," Matthew hummed in agreement, taking his first sip. They sat quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the rich taste of the win and continuing to simply stare out at the beautiful countryside.
"Sooo… Karis, do you know why we're here?" Matthew asked, breaking the silence as he placed his now-empty glass down on their blanket.
"Uh… because we wanted to have a picnic?" Karis asked, and Matthew chuckled.
"Fair point… but, no, I asked you here because it's a special occasion, and I'm honestly a little hurt that you don't remember what it is," Matthew replied, and she sighed.
"…Crap, er… it's not your birthday," Karis murmured, wracking her mind. "It's not MY birthday. I don't know Matthew, what is it?" She creased her brow in frustration, and he laughed.
"The day we first became friends!" The Venus Adept exclaimed proudly, spontaneously hugging Karis, her (thankfully) empty glass flying out of her hand as she fell backwards. "My Mom mentioned that the first day you and I met was sometime in early May, and I decided to ask your Dad about it… and Ivan being Ivan, he remembered the date exactly," Matthew exclaimed as Karis groaned from being glomped.
"He told me we just walked up to each other, smiling, and took each other by the hand… before falling over, because we were only like, eleven months old and could barely walk," Matthew continued, releasing Karis, who was still muttering under her breath about being tackled and brushing herself off. "So, I thought we'd celebrate!"
Karis smiled, and nodded, but her eyes were distant as she truly comprehended the passage of time. "Wow… we've known each other seventeen years," She whispered sharing an awed look with him. "That's so long… I mean, I guess I knew we knew each other since we were babies, but still…"
"I know," Matthew replied, smiling brightly. "Remember the first time we cast Psynergy?"
"Hahaha, yeah!" Karis laughed. "I had finally got a Whirlwind going, and you didn't take too kindly to that OR me using it to mess up your hair…"
"And then I caused a small tremor and knocked you over!" Matthew chuckled, shaking his head. Karis glared at him for a moment, remembering the resulting bruise of his tremor bitterly, before another memory leapt into her mind.
"Ooh, how about the time we finally got Tyrell back for all his pranks when we were ten, and we took all of his clothes and BURRIED THEM!" Karis shouted, clutching her sides as she laughed.
"What about when YOU wouldn't talk to me for a week because you were embarrassed about wanting to ask me to dance with you at the Spring Festival?" Matthew teased, and she shot him a look.
"I… I didn't want to make things awkward!" Karis pouted, and Matthew fell back laughing. "You were really nice about it, though, when my Dad told your Mom why I had been so weird… but don't act like you've never asked me to do anything awkward! Do you remember when you asked me to kiss you when we were twelve?"
Matthew winced, and cleared his throat. "W-Well, it was very logical!"
"Oh, yeah right!" Karis retorted, rolling her eyes. "You come up to me and go (she cleared her throat, and began to speak like Matthew) 'Hey, Karis, let's kiss! I want my first one to be decent, and I know with you it won't be bad!' I blushed so hard…"
"But you didn't say no!" Matthew replied giddily, and she faked punching him before glomping the Venus Adept straight into the grass. "Ow…" He muttered as she sat on his chest, a satisfied smile on her face. As she rolled off, landing next to him in the grass, her smile faltered.
"I hated our quest," She whispered, suddenly quiet, and he turned to look at her, concern on his face. "It was way too dangerous… and…"
"You shouldn't have come," Matthew said honestly, cutting her off. "I was worried about you, because I knew you were greener (he smiled as the pun about her hair made her grimace) that Tyrell and I. You shouldn't have… it wasn't your fault, the whole thing with the Soarwing."
"But I had to come, dumbass!" She chided, punching him in the shoulder. "Even if I wasn't as trained in combat, I'm very intelligent (she glared as he smirked at her self-compliment), and you know you and Tyrell wouldn't have survived without me. Besides… do you honestly think you yourself would have been able to go that long without me by your side?"
Matthew's blushing face said it all, and she smiled, rubbing his back affectionately. "As scary and dangerous as it was, I wasn't worried about me, but you. And that would have only been WORSE if I hadn't been there," She concluded, and he nodded.
"We really did need you, Karis; who knows how that quest would have ended without you in the party," Matthew replied. "I just, like you, was worried… there's no one I would have rather had by my side than you. It's just, by proxy, that put you in danger."
"I know it's stupid to worry about what has already happened," Karis murmured, grabbing his hand and squeezing tightly. "But sometimes I still have dreams about how it could have ended… I don't know what I'd do without you, Matthew."
"…Harass Tyrell even more?" Matthew supplied, and Karis burst into giggles, nodding feverously.
"Remember how we had to spend all that time convincing EVERYONE in the party that we weren't dating?" Karis stated, smiling at the memories of the quest she had enjoyed; the ones featuring relaxing moments between their friends, whether they were on the ship, or in the wilderness.
"You can't really blame them," Matthew said in return with a shrug. "We slept in the same tent."
"B-Because that's just how it turned out," Karis muttered. "We could only fit two in a tent, and when we started out neither of us wanted to sleep with Tyrell because… snoring, and then Rief didn't mind, and Amiti got his own tent because… you know, and… I don't know, it's just how it worked out."
"Remember when they walked in on us changing?" Matthew teased, and she blushed.
"We had our backs turned!" She retorted quickly, and he laughed. "Besides, it's not like I don't KNOW what your body looks like… we bathed together all the time when we were kids, and it's not like we haven't seen each other naked since."
"I'm just teasing, Karis," Matthew replied, ruffling her hair, and then taking her ponytail in his hands and twirling it around like a fan.
"I know," She replied honestly, shrugging and exhaling. "It just, once again, gets to me." He didn't need to ask to know what she was talking about. "Your Mom said something today, though… it didn't really bother me, but it made me wonder."
"Oh?" Matthew questioned, as he slowly undid her ponytail. At her resulting glare, he smiled widely. "What? I like it this way, you don't wear it down enough."
"It's my hair… but anyway," Karis replied, coughing. "She said that I was the only person you're ever really... you around, you know?"
"Ugh," Matthew muttered, shaking his head. "She always says that. ALWAYS."
"Is it true, though?"
Matthew's face became blank, and he turned to look into Karis's eyes. "Of course it is, Karis," He replied innocently. "You're my best friend for a reason. No one makes me feel free and open like you do."
Karis gulped, and nodded. "Yeah, same for me," She laughed nervously, and he raised an eyebrow.
"You're doing that awkward thing again, what's wrong?" Matthew asked, and she sighed. There was a long silence as she gathered her thoughts together; Matthew, always calm and patient, said nothing and waited quietly for her response.
"I… I've thought about this for a long time, Matthew," Karis began, plucking a flower and twirling it in between her fingers. "Since I was a young girl. I mean… I guess I didn't even think of it… not consciously, it was so obvious…" She looked at him and smiled, while his face remained stone. "Everyone else noticed, and I guess I just didn't want things to change, you know? I just always wanted to be your friend, but…"
"But?" He questioned lightly, and she bit her lip.
"I think I want to be something other than your friend, if you get my meaning," She spat out, pulling her legs against her body, wondering what he would say. "I love you. I can't help it; you're so wonderful to be around, and I can't even picture my life without you. When Isaac said that you and Tyrell were going to go alone into the wilderness… the thought was like my heart getting ripped out. The idea of not only not seeing you for so long, but that you might never come back… I had to come."
She paused again, and swallowed. "And I think you feel the same way, but you always seem so steadfast in agreeing with me that we're just friends, and I didn't want to force things and… well? What do you say?"
"…Karis, I'm always going to be your friend," Matthew said coolly, and she sighed, lowering her head into her knees. "Hey, I'm not done!" He said, poking her shoulder, and she reluctantly glanced at him. He was smiling brightly, to her surprise. "And that's the most important thing to me, your friendship."
"So, you think it would be a bad idea, if we became more than that?" She asked, shrinking in again, and he chuckled.
"If I'm correct, there's a 'friend' in both boyfriend and girlfriend, isn't there?" He asked jokingly, and she glared at him.
"…That is the most corny thing you have ever said. And at the worst possible time!" She exclaimed, coming out of her shell. "And…"
"And?" He asked, clearly amused.
"Well? Answer!" She cried out, glomping him again and sending him to the ground.
"Hmmm…" He said slowly, as if he were thinking, but the smile on his face said it all. "Yes." She smiled, and his grew wider. It didn't take long for their lips to drift close, and for the two childhood friends to pull in for a gentle kiss.
"You've gotten better since we were twelve," She whispered as they parted. Karis rolled off his chest, laying her head on his shoulder as she did so.
"Really? It's not like I've been practicing," Matthew replied with a shrug, beginning to stroke her hair and wrapping his arm around her. "You were the last girl I kissed," He confessed, and she giggled. "What? It's not like I wanted to kiss anyone else."
"You were my last kiss too, till today," She whispered, rubbing her head against him. "We're kind of fools, for waiting this long to admit this to ourselves."
"I don't think so," He replied. "You wanted to make sure, and we put our friendship first, which is the way friends should do it."
"When did you realize?" Karis asked, and Matthews smiled blissfully.
"When I saw you shining in the light of Apollo Sanctum… you had been nearly cut down by the Chaos Chimera, right before Sveta struck the final blow. I was, obviously, concerned, and as I stared at you, the darkness receded and left you glowing in the wake of the blinding light. It was so pretty… and something in my head just clicked."
"I realized today, when your Mom said that you act like yourself around me," Karis replied, smiling as nostalgia took her. "So, what changes now?"
"Hmmm… not much, I think," Matthew said, hugging her close. "Perhaps we can kiss without awkwardly asking each other first. Oh, and I guess we'll be saying each other naked a bit more too."
"In your dreams," She whispered, kissing his cheek. It wasn't a completely false statement; if he was anything like her, then he had dreamed of her bare often enough.
"I'm actually trying to decide if I'm dreaming, right now…" Matthew yawned, calling her obvious bluff, and she giggled.
"I could pinch you but… what was that you said about kissing?" They turned their faces toward each other, their eyes meeting, love simmering in the air between them. Another kiss, this one a bit harder.
"I'm glad that we're not just friends," She whispered, climbing back on top of him and nuzzling into his chest.
"You'll always be my friend, Karis," Matthew said soothingly, and she sighed contently.
"And you'll always be mine. I love you, Matthew," She replied, wrapping her arms around him, an action he soon returned.
"I love you too," He said in response, and they then found that no more words were needed; they were content to stay in each other's grasp as the sun warmed them from above. The two lovers, who would soon find themselves hand in hand, walking down an aisle, slowly drifted into a nap, thankful beyond words that they were what they had been as long as they could remember, and would always be; each other's friend.
I think there's a great wisdom in the old idiom "your lover is your best friend" (or it goes something along those lines). I actually really love this. If it's not obvious by now, Dawn is one of my favorite ships, one of the reasons being that I really like Karis… because apparently I really like green hair. Anyway.
Originally, I wanted this one to have more of a loose format; usually I do prose, and I wanted this to be more poetic and abstract. Obviously, that's not how it turned out, but I might keep that idea for later on. I tried to do some light teasing in regards to a "will they or won't they?" kind of deal, but in the end, I think everyone knew what was coming… and I'm alright with that.
I need to do less Dawn Ships, but I can't help it… they're such instant fluffy warm fuzzyness. I was worried this fic might drag near the end with so much dialogue, but while editing I found it to move pretty smoothly. This was a pain to get out, though; I really had to motivate, as much fun as it was to write.
Poor Karis though; can anyone here really imagine having to coordinate everything with lime-green hair? I mean, I love that coloring, but it wouldn't be a snap. Work would be required.
I tried to write Matthew as I feel he would be around Tyrell or Karis; much more free and open. I think he gets shy around other people, and takes awhile to break out of his shell. That's just my observations, though.
I really wanted to drown this in cute flirting and semi-flirting. I hope that worked. Also, I really, really, really love making Jenna, Isaac, and Ivan crazy parents who continually try to matchmake their children. I probably shouldn't find it as funny as I do, but it cracks me up.
Finally, an update for my general schedule; since finals are coming up soon, and my workload is driving me nuts, I've decided to push everything a week back. I keep trying to get back on schedule, and getting close, but then getting burned out from the pushes (last week with the four fics in four days) and then end up taking another break. It also doesn't help that I keep working on one-shots and short multi-chaps that aren't on the schedule. So, SWWF is due this Wednesday, and MTJATE is due this Sunday, then AGS next Wednesday, and LoV next Sunday. I'm sorry for the delays, but I need to push it back or I'll wear myself out. I'm surprised I've kept the schedule this well to be honest.
Alright, enough rambling, thank you for reading!