I've been unable to write some chapters, but never had it been this terrible! Whoo! Thankfully, I'm finally done with it, as short as it is and as unhappy as I am. More after.
Chapter 11: City of Marvels Part 3
"So, what was life like for you growing up?" Tyrell asked after he swallowed a large bite of his sandwich, while Amiti slowly ate his salad.
"Quiet," Amiti replied; they had been bouncing conversation off of each other for the past ten minutes, and it had been fairly pleasant. Amiti wasn't quite sure if he actually had any interest in men, but he had slightly questioned his sexuality after Karis and Sveta had become a couple. He hadn't even known same sex relationships existed up until that point, and he had never truly been interested in anyone regardless of sex while living in Ayuthay.
"It's… strange," Amiti continued, shaking his head. "I love my Uncle, but I always felt so detached from everyone else. I guess part of that was being royalty. I was so used to being treated with superiority that it felt natural. And while you were all very polite to me at first, and I said nothing of it, when I had to help pitch a tent… it wasn't what I was expecting."
"Haha, yeah, I remember the look on your face," Tyrell replied, having finished his sandwich. "No offense, but we thought you were pretty funny… in a cool way, I guess. Just how out of sync you were. For me it was nice, considering I apparently make a fool out of myself every time we go to a new place. That's what Karis says, anyway."
Amiti smiled; while others may dislike it, he found Tyrell's honesty somewhat refreshing. He had been taught different formalities and tactics as a child to prepare for politics, and much of it had dealt with lies and backstabbing. Seeing the opposite, he honestly preferred wearing your heart on your sleeve. "From my experience, you don't seem too keen on following her advice, though," Amiti replied, and Tyrell chuckled.
"She rags on me pretty hard. It's how it's always been, I've learned to take it." The Mars Adept leaned back and stretched his arms. "When we were ten I got to the point where she was being such an annoying ass I honestly thought I would stop talking to her, but then I realized, partially from Matthew, that it was just because she cared."
"That's sweet," Amiti responded, and Tyrell shrugged.
"I try to listen to what she says, but most the things she criticize me for is stuff I'm always going to do," The larger boy replied, standing up to get another glass of water. "So I block it out. I try to tell her I appreciate her concern, though. Karis doesn't show it, but she has some confidence issues. I worry about her."
"I would have never guessed," Amiti replied, slightly surprised. "She seems so sure of herself. I actually consider it one of her most alluring features. Ahem." He coughed as he realized what he had said, and Tyrell smiled.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, Karis is fantastic," The miniature volcano replied, taking Amiti's hand and squeezing it. "But she does worry about how other people see her. I think a lot of that has to be with the fact that she likes girls. Don't, um, bring it up, but I was the first person she told."
"…Really?" Amiti asked, and Tyrell nodded solemnly.
"She was broken up about it. She's a perfectionist and… well, she thought she was 'off'. I set her straight though… er… bad wording, I told her she was fine however she was," Tyrell said, and Amiti cracked a smile at his frie- boyfriend's bad wordplay. "But… it's so stupid, because Karis is such a fantastic girl. I worry for her, I wish she didn't over-think things so much."
"She… definitely is fantastic," Amiti responded with a sigh. "As odd as talking about another girl with your male partner is, what is your favorite thing about her? As I said, I find her confidence to be appealing, but even as you tell me it's somewhat shaky, I find myself even more admiring; to put forth such an air despite personal uncertainty is a great feat." Little did they know directly outside the cabin was who they had been speaking of.
"I don't. Like. Being. Wet," Himi said grouchily in response to Karis asking why she was so annoyed. "Being on the ship is bad enough… I'm always afraid I'm going to slip because of my sandals and fall overboard. There's a reason I've stayed in our room so much."
"Huh. Here I thought you were anti-social, and you were really just sea-sick," Karis replied, sending Himi a sad look. "I wish I would have known, we could have found another way out of the tower rather than jumping in the water."
"No… it's fine. I need to learn to swim at some point, I guess," Himi replied with a shrug, and Karis smiled.
"That's the spirit! I can help you learn when we find a pond or lake… swimming's not that hard," Karis said in turn, and Himi shivered.
"It also takes forever for my hair to dry. And… I just don't like being wet," She concluded staunchly, crossing her arms, and Karis couldn't help but giggle.
"What!? You're adorable!" The Jupiter Adept retorted when Himi sent a disapproving glance her way.
"Welll… if you're there with me, swimming can't be too bad, I guess," She said quietly, as they reached the gangplank to the ship.
"Be careful… there was an accident here earlier, apparently the gangplank is wet," One of the dock workers said, gaining both Himi and Karis's attention.
"Oh… what happened?" Karis inquired, the worker rolling his eyes as he recalled the occurrence.
"This blue haired and red-headed guy knocked each other off somehow. Real nutcases," He replied, and both Himi and Karis flashed embarrassed looks. They both visualized Tyrell somehow dragging Amiti into the Mars Adept's shenanigans. "…You know them, then? I'm not surprised… no offense, haven't seen green hair in awhile," He continued, and Karis flushed as he hand went to her hair.
"Oh, it's very pretty miss, don't mistake me!" The worker replied hastily, bowing. "I just figured you must be travelling with them because you both had interesting hair colors, and were likely Adepts who knew each other. Forgive me if I was wrong."
"No… you were right. Anyway, thanks for the warning," Karis replied feebly, turning and moving toward the ship.
"…He didn't mean anything bad by it, Karis," Himi suggested, but her companion only shrugged.
"I know. Just wish I was blond like my Dad once in a while," The green-haired girl replied. "I like it, but it can be such a hassle… matching clothes with green? Pfff, forget about it! And at parties? So much staring! Matthew always liked it, though, and my Dad does too, so that's something." She ended on a cheery note, but Himi wasn't so sure she was as happy as she sounded.
"I like it, Karis," She replied, rubbing Karis's head, drawing a more natural smile out of the Jupiter Adept. She was beginning to reply with a "thank you" when she stepped into the galley, and in on Amiti and Tyrell, with the Mercury Adept facing them and the Mars Adept speaking. Amiti's eyes widened as he noticed the pair, and quickly made a gesture to Tyrell, but it was too late…
"I understand why you like her confidence, but I pretty much like everything about Karis," Tyrell began, and Karis found herself suddenly very alert and intrigued. "I mean, there's a reason I dated her. She's sweet, caring, and I think the best thing is that she's so smart. Makes up for the lack of leaves I have on my tree, so to speak. A lot of people see it as her talking down to me, but she's always trying to teach me cool things and what not. I'm just lucky to be her friend, Mars knows I've screwed up enough times to give her reason NOT to talk to me."
Finally noticing Amiti's waving, Tyrell turned to see Himi smiling brightly and Karis flushed a fluorescent red. "Oh, hey guys!" He said, acting completely normally. "How did your date go? We fell into the ocean… er, landed on ice thanks to Amiti, but you get the picture. The food's fine though."
"We did well, I guess," Karis replied, in a tone that held more reservation than Himi had ever heard the Jupiter Adept use before. "We'll explain later, when the entire party is here, but we think we have a lead on the Umbra Map. How about you?"
"We're dating!" Tyrell replied energetically. Himi's eyes widened, and Karis glanced between Tyrell's smiling face and Amiti's embarrassed but amused one. After a few moments of this, the Jupiter Adept burst out laughing, to such a degree that she had to lean on Himi for support.
"What's so funny? We can't have a gay relationship?" Tyrell huffed jokingly, and Karis shook her head.
"Well, I mean…" She began, trying to calm herself down. "Maybe, if Matthew was gay, Amiti and him, or maybe you and Matthew, but you two? It's just… well, I'm actually interested to see how it turns out. Have you guys kissed yet?"
"Yes. It was pleasant," Amiti replied with a shrug, and Karis nodded.
"I don't mean to sound so… it's just, not what I was expecting?" The Jupiter Adept said, and Amiti nodded.
"Well, to be honest I was trying to knock Tyrell out of the idea that he was gay…" The Mercury Adept said. "But, one thing lead to another…"
"And there aren't any free girls on this ship," Tyrell added. "So, yeah. Should be interesting."
"I have no doubt," Karis replied merrily, and then turned her head toward the hallway. "Well, we incidentally DID fall into some water, so we're going to go get changed and then head out for dinner."
"Sounds good. We'll hold down the fort until everyone gets back," Tyrell replied, and Karis nodded, before smiling extra brightly at Tyrell before walking toward her room. Himi followed, waving behind her as well, and Tyrell smirked as Amiti's face lit up.
"Got a thing for Himi too?" Tyrell asked pointedly, drawing a sigh out of Amiti.
"She's very cute, but, well, she's gay, so…" Amiti trailed off, spinning his hand in the air, and Tyrell nodded.
"Well, she's young. And hey, Karis still likes guys, at least Matthew, so it's never a certain thing," Tyrell replied, and Amiti shrugged. "Anyway, let's snuggle." Amiti didn't have much of a chance to respond before he was lifted into the air and carried into a nearby room. As Tyrell squeezed him tightly, but not overly so, Amiti began to serious wonder what on Weyard he had gotten himself into.
"I'm lucky I was smart enough to put the dress in the sealed part of my pack…" Karis muttered as she opened her travel-bad, pulling out the purple dress and admiring it. "This is so pretty… thank you, Himi." She pecked the young Miko on the cheek, drawing a blush.
"Oh, it's fine. We did get it for free after all," Himi replied, and Karis nodded. "Any chance you'd wear it tonight? I'm sure it would look pretty. At any rate, we should hurry: twilight is beginning to set." Sure enough, the light from the day was dwindling, the fading rays giving the ocean a shimmering coat. As bloody as its history was, Sana held an inherent beauty, and Karis was glad they had visited, however shortly. Even so, a lingering voice in the back of her head let her know that they would be back.
"Yeah, let me get dressed, and we'll head out," Karis whispered distantly, and Himi, with a blush, turned around. The Jupiter Adept smirked and rolled her eyes, and then quickly changed, after which the young couple left the ship and made their way toward the city once more.
Matthew walked slowly across Tonfon's largest bridge, a sweeping, glorious construct from which much of the city was visible from below, alongside Sveta. While she was by no means happy, the beastgirl seemed to be at least now content with her presence in the city. Every minute or so she would turn to Matthew, and smile weakly but meaningfully. After their moment in the alley-way he had begun to realize that she saw him as a kind of security-blanket, which he was fine with. Anything to prevent her bursting into tears again.
As they came to the apex of the bridge, Sveta abruptly stopped, glancing over to the railing at a young girl whose head hung low. Before Matthew could ask what was happening, Sveta approached the girl and asked, "Are you alright?" The girl, who had been lost in her thoughts by the look if it, jumped at Sveta's words, before sighing and shaking her head.
"S-Sorry, you startled me," She replied sadly, sniffling slightly. "I'm… alright. Just worried, I guess." Sveta smiled warmly in reply, and placed her paw on the girl's shoulder.
"About what?" She asked with concern, and immediately the girl's hesitation seemed to fade.
"Well…" She whispered softly. "My grandma lives in Kaocho, and usually we exchange letters and gifts with each other. It's been hard with the civil war, but we still managed to get by, until the Eclipse. I'm very worried now that… that she, you know…"
"Shhh… there, it's alright," Sveta replied, squeezing the young girl's shoulder. "Kaocho is strong, I'm sure its soldiers are doing everything to protect the people there." Matthew's mind was immediately filled with an image of a bunch of farmers holding weapons with no understanding of how to use them, but held his tongue.
And, suddenly, something else shot into his mind; the old woman they had met in Kaocho, who had asked them to deliver a package to her granddaughter in Tonfon. Reaching into his pouch (though unsure if he still had the present, as it had exchanged hands through their journey when someone carrying it needed to clear space in their pack), he smiled as his hand found it.
"Uh… pardon me, but is this your grandma's handwriting?" Matthew asked, holding out the present. The girl's eyes widened, and after a moment of scanning the note attached to the package, lit up.
"Oh! Yes, yes! This is from her!" The girl exclaimed wildly, hugging the box against her before beaming at it in happiness. A moment later, she turned her gaze towards Matthew. "Did… did you come all the way here to bring this to me?" She asked, and Matthew had to hold back a blush as she noticed the tears in the young girl's eyes, not to mention Sveta's look of pride at his actions.
"Oh… yeah, we met her a while back and promised to bring it to you," Matthew replied honestly, even if he had kind of forgotten about the package as a result of recent dire events. "I'm glad it means a lot to you."
"It… it really does," The girl sputtered, peaking into the contents of the gift and sighing with delight. "Ummm… you are adventurers, then?"
"Yes. We're travelling around Weyard to… provide aid where we can," Sveta explained, and the girl smiled once again.
"Well, I know it might be hard with… that," Her smile left her face as the young girl shot a look toward the darkness south of them and cringed. "But… once it ends, if you get the chance, could you find my grandma and give her this?" The girl held out a similar package, and Sveta bit her lip. Despite her wanting to help… travelling to Kaocho would be…
"Of course, as soon as we can," Matthew replied, grasping the present firmly and placing it in his pack. "I'm sure she'll be happy to receive it, and we'll be sure to hell her how happy her gift made you." He smiled as he finished, but once again blushed as the girl sniffled once more.
"That… that means the world to me. I'm glad that there are…" She trailed off as a blush hit her cheeks and her eyes fell to the ground. "That there are heroes like you two out there, helping people. Thank you so much."
"A-Anytime," Matthew replied with a small nod, and after pausing for a few seconds, nodded again before walking away.
"That was very sweet of you," Sveta said after a minute had past, nuzzling against his shoulder.
"I… I try to do what I think my Dad would do, in situations I guess," Matthew replied. "Besides, I wouldn't have even noticed her if it wasn't for you. It was very kind, how you treated her. I'm proud of you."
Sveta's brow furrowed as she contemplated his words. "I… I didn't really even see her as Sanan. She was just… a sad person, and I wanted to make her happy. Her sadness was so great, I could feel it, and I wanted to make it better."
"Because you're a wonderful person," Matthew added, and Sveta smiled.
"If you say so, Mr. Leader," She replied mockingly, and he sighed. Another sound followed, that of his stomach rumbling. "I concur with your belly. We should take advantage of our location, and find a place to dine," Sveta continued, and Matthew nodded. Ship food was… ship food, and he was looking forward to getting a nice, sit-down meal, especially since earlier in the day the likelihood of that happening had seemed low. Of course, he wasn't aware that he and Sveta were going to have company.
"That was very nice of Tyrell..." Himi began not so subtly, and Karis sighed as the two walked down Tonfon's street as the sun slowly faded in the sky. The Jupiter Adept knew it wouldn't take the younger girl long to bring up Tyrell's comments.
"It was... he really is a big sweetheart, as aggravating as he can be," Karis replied, shrugging, but sighed as Himi gave her a dissatisfied look. "Yeah, I know you wanted to talk about what he was talking about... it's fine."
"You have confidence issues," Himi stated, and Karis sighed.
"I... I'm not even eighteen yet, I'm sure I'll work it out," Karis replied, shaking her head. "Listen, we have more important things to work out, and other people on the ship have bigger problems than I do. Like Matthew with his — er, never mind, and Sveta with everything that's happened to her, and Amiti and Eoleo not knowing how their friends and family our doing."
"Are you worried about that at all?" Himi asked Karis, who sighed.
"I mean... yes, I'm not thrilled by home is under the Eclipse, but at least it's protected by my Dad and Matthew's Mom. It should be fine. And I wasn't done, by the way," Karis replied, then shifting the subject. "How about you, who is young, and travelling on a dangerous journey?"
"Pfff..." Himi muttered bitterly, and Karis smiled; had she struck a nerve? "I'm only a year younger than Rief, and much more mature. And even if I haven't spent much... any... time out of Yamata, I can handle myself."
"Fair enough," Karis agreed, glad to have changed the subject, and content with keeping it change. "How about here?" She pointed to a restaurant in front of them, and Himi pointed her nose out and sniffed, causing Karis to giggle profusely.
"It smells wonderful... and what are you laughing for?" Himi asked, raising an eyebrow as Karis shook her head and walked in without another word. However, they quickly came to a halt as a familiar voice rang out:
"Uh... live fish? Like... it squirms?" Matthew frowned as the waitress smiled uneasily, while Sveta's ears perked up.
"Live fish? Er... yes, I'll have that," The beastgirl replied, licking her lips.
"Um, pardon me, but the fish isn't so much alive as its extremities still move a small bit. Anything we serve is most certainly deceased," The Sanan waitress replied.
"Oh. Uh. I'll have rice?" Matthew said, Sveta giggling as the waitress sighed.
"Please, bring us out whatever is considered to be your finest platter," Sveta requested, and the waitress nodded, and left them.
"...Sveta, what if our fish isn't dead?" Matthew whispered in concern, slowing beginning to realize how meaningless his fretting seemed.
"Oh, we should try a different—" Himi began, but was silenced by Karis.
"We live on the same damn ship as them; we can make a double date work. Sitting apart would just be awkward, and as you said, the food smells really good," Karis muttered, sighing before moving towards Sveta and Matthew's table.
"Oh, Karis, Himi!" The beastgirl exclaimed as she caught sight of them. "I had wondered why you scent was so prominent here... are you here for dinner?"
Both of the girls nodded, with Karis specifically looking to Matthew, worried about his response. The Venus Adept forced a smiling poker-face no one in their right mind would have been fooled by, and Karis coughed. That was, before Matthew noticed the dress Karis was wearing.
"...Whoa, Karis, you look beautiful," He whispered, catching his mistake just as he finished speaking, Karis's face already beginning to flush. "Just like Sveta! And Himi!" He quickly added awkwardly, drawing worried looks from the other two girls.
"Erm, maybe another restaurant might be a good idea..." Karis whispered, clutching her side, wanting to avoid anything that awkward again.
"Nonsense!" Sveta exclaimed, rising from her seat at their table and moving next to Matthew. "It will be nice! Right Matthew?"
Matthew, unwilling to attempt another blatant lie, shrugged, and Sveta glared. "I mean... sure, it would be nice. What do you guys want?" Glancing around to make sure none of the restaurant's staff was nearby, and hoping to dispel some of the tension he had just created, he leaned in and whispered, "Watch out, some of the fish here moves while you're eating it."
Himi burst into giggles as Sveta narrowed her eyes and Karis rolled her own. The latter Jupiter Adept, having known Matthew for quite a long while, knew that her friend was often terribly awkward in public, and particularly awful in awkward social situations. There was a reason he had spent a lot of his life mostly silent.
"I'll probably just have rice," Karis said, settling to sit in front of Sveta. She turned and pulled out Himi's seat, only to notice the Yamatain frowning as she sat down.
"I'll have anything but rice..." Himi muttered.
"You don't like rice?" Matthew asked, and Himi shook her head.
"A few years ago, Yamata was running into issues with our trade, and at the same time our seas became devoid of fish. I ate rice and only rice for a year." The Venus Adept winced. "I'll have whatever fish they have, even if it moves."
"Oooh! We could split some!" Sveta said cheerfully, and Karis smiled.
"Feeling better? I knew Matthew would put you in a better mood," The Jupiter Adept said, and Sveta smiled.
"We had some... tense moments, but Matthew did indeed cheer me up. I'm glad I can feel comfortable in my own skin within Sana's borders, now," Sveta replied with a nod, and both Matthew and Himi smiled as well.
"So... how are you and Matthew doing, then?" Karis asked with an honest smile that Sveta returned, knowing how hard this might be for her fellow Jupiter Adept.
"Oh, we are doing well. He is quite the gentlemen, and so chivalrous!" Sveta replied with a giggle, drawing laughter out of both of them.
"Are they mocking me?" Matthew whispered to Himi.
"No, I'm fairly sure they're complimenting you, and... well, actually, I think they ARE mocking you," Himi replied, and Matthew sighed.
"Figures," He replied, readjusting his napkin before coughing awkwardly. Just because he was the reason that Himi and Karis were together didn't make it any more awkward that he was on a double date with them... especially with his feelings for Karis.
Pushing those feelings out of the way, Matthew asked, "Er, so, how are you and Karis? Good?"
Himi blushed, thinking back to their adventures earlier in the day, and nodded. "Great... a little... never mind."
Matthew raised an eyebrow before picturing Karis and Himi kissing. Which was... weird. "Glad I could get you two together," Matthew said, which was the truth since both girls seemed to be happy. As long as no one ever asked him to be matchmaker again, regardless of Venus being his element. Love was not his forte.
"I am as well," Himi replied with a smile, and Karis, catching it out of the corner of her eye, smiled. Maybe this wasn't going to be the disaster she had partially imagined. They were all responsible young adults, if a little indecisive (as evident by the shifting relationships in the party). They could conquer a double date filled with loose feelings.
"Oh... you didn't tell me you were a party of four," The waitress lamented, having returned with two glasses of water. "Shall I bring out two more glasses of water? And what will you two ladies be having?"
"Rice and two vegetable rolls," Karis said, and Himi bit her lip.
"I'll just have a salad I guess," The Yamatain replied, and the waitress nodded.
"So, how did things go with you two today? We managed to get a lead on the Umbra Map," Himi said, and Sveta and Matthew shared a conflicted look.
"Well, it didn't start out great..." Matthew began, and Sveta's face fell. "But, I think we're doing better, and I'm glad we're heading out of Tonfon. It's good that you found some leads, because we, uh, didn't at all."
Sveta's expression lifted and she giggled, "No, we certainly didn't. I am... ready to leave Tonfon." The rest of the table nodded, and exchanged pleasant conversation until the meal came.
All four of the Adepts became silent as their hungry stomachs overtook their desire for conversation, and little speech occurred until Himi gentle placed down her fork, extremely content. The other three Adepts were similarly happy, with Matthew very pleased that none of his food had moved unless he had been the one moving it.
They paid, and shortly left, all four happy that the evening had been pleasant considering how it could have gone. Sveta expressed that sentiment as they made their way down the brightly lit street.
"Tonight was nice. Good food, great friends." She smiled and grasped Matthew's hand, Karis doing her best to smile as she watched.
"I think Himi and I will spend a little more time in the city... we wanted to do some star-gazing," Karis lied, wanting to stargaze for her own purposes.
"Alright... I think we'll head back to the ship, I'm bushed," Matthew stated, looking toward Sveta for confirmation, who nodded. "Don't stay out too late."
Karis laughed at that, and shook her head. "Matt, we'll be fine, don't worry." For a moment, silence enveloped the group, and the hesitation seemed palpable. What was the proper means of departure in this situation? Was a wave fine, or would a hug be... too much?
Sveta, seeing the awkward moment, quickly reached out and hugged Himi, pushing Karis to sigh and hug Matthew as well. "Love you, Karis," he whispered into her ear, and she smiled.
"Love you too Matt, I'm glad you're happy," She replied, parting as she finished and embracing Sveta. "Thanks for keeping this from being a total disaster," She whispered, and Sveta nodded.
"Well, we're definitely going to be spending time with each other, so... it's good we got this out of the way," The beastgirl replied, and they parted as Himi and Matthew did.
After a few more pleasantries, the two couples separated, each one of them lost in thought. Matthew and Sveta made it to the ship quickly, and both exhausted, kissed goodnight and found their bedrooms.
Himi was similarly exhausted, and fell asleep minutes into her and Karis's star gazing, though the Jupiter Adept didn't mind. She watched the constellations for an hour, thinking questions to them every few seconds and wondering what the next few weeks would bring, knowing they now had a chance to find the Umbra Map.
Of course, that was far from the most prevalent thought on her mind, but rather than lingering on the thought of Matthew and Sveta, she was thankful that her oldest friend and one of her closest were happy and together.
Karis smiled as she turned and looked at Himi, breathing peacefully as she slept. She was the last person Karis had expected to meet, let alone date, but she had to admit; she was definitely more than just a third eye. And so, she didn't wake the young miko up, instead carrying her back to the ship, only having to rest a few times, and placed the Venus Adept in her bed (fully clothed), before slipping into her own and shutting her eyes, the lights of Tonfon barely visible from the window of their room.
The inherent issues with me writing this chapter were my inability to accept that this fic had turned into a teenage soap opera (still struggling with it), and then my lamentation at how I handled Amiti/Tyrell and whether or not I wanted to edit that out. Obvious, the latter didn't happen, and the chapter is now posted.
I'm an idiot in that I let all of that crap delay the story when in the end I'd be better going to the flow to a greater degree, and not worrying so much.
Moving on, at first I really hated this chapter, but as I've gone on I've determined I don't mind it. As the last section proves, I'm absolutely a sucker for forcefully placing the name of the story within the story. How many people winced? I did.
I was glad to get past Sveta's sadness too, and getting to write awkwardness bubbling under the surface was fun. If I lack anything in writing (and I lack a lot), it's tact. Absolutely none.
Well, having spent way too much time in Tonfon, the next chapter will flash-forward a week or two. Hint hint, it's going to take place in somewhere very cold with a familiar face. Another hint: it always pissed me off that you never got to visit Imil in Dark Dawn. And, I think that's the part where I say this story is officially non-canon.
I actually had to make a new word document, the old one was starting to lag whenever I opened it/had it open, lol.
I'm off for vacation for week, at which point hopefully I'll get some writing (AGS, SWWF and LoV were all victims of the delay of this chapter, and I need to catch up with them) done, and after I come back I need to do a ton or reviewing (might start some tonight). I'm sorry for the long wait, but glad to finally update. Huh, rhymed. Anyway, thanks for reading!