The stars rushed by the window of the cockpit, and Ichigo had never felt so small in her life.
The lights of distant bodies in space reminded Ichigo of the way snow looked from the window of a train. Bright, white lights rushing by like holes in the inky black of the universe. But each one held its own ecosystem – its own mix of gas and fire, each one millions of years older than she. Ichigo watched each one fly by and wondered if they had names. The suns, the stars, and the planets in between.
She was so far from home.
Ichigo sat curled up with her knees to her chin, sinking into the warmed leather of the captain's chair of the alien ship. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders like a cloak, dressed in sweatpants, an old sweatshirt and fleece socks to combat the cold, metal interior of the foreign vessel. She pulled the blanket up further to her chin and shut her eyes briefly.
Sleeping was harder than she had expected it to be. It would be another ten hours before they arrived at their destination. Ichigo knew she would soon be inundated by introductions to new people, new experiences … a whole new culture no human had ever experienced before. She knew she needed her sleep. But precious rest evaded her, and so she found herself wandering the dark interior of the ship. The ship was shaped into tapering sections like a scorpion's tail, with the flat head of a cobra as its main quarters. The unusual shape apparently kept the ship light, agile. Ichigo didn't know much about spaceship composition beyond what she'd seen in science fiction movies. She supposed she was currently living in a science fiction movie, so suspension of disbelief was compulsory.
Either way, she soon found herself curled up in the captain's chair of the ship, staring out into the abyss of space and wondering about what was soon to come. Lettuce and Pudding had gone to sleep long before her. The girls had settled into their small room off in the east wing of the main quarters after a huge meal of greasy takeout, and a too-complicated card game only Tart and Quiche knew how to play.
Ichigo was just contemplating getting up and joining her friends when she heard footsteps behind her. She startled in the chair and peered over the side of its wide back.
"Good evening, Momomiya. Trouble sleeping?"
It was Pie. Ichigo grimaced and nodded stiffly, embarrassed to have been caught sitting in the captain's chair of his ship.
"I uh … yeah," she murmured lamely. "Nervous, I guess."
Ichigo let out a short, forced breath and pursed her lips. An awkward silence settled between them. Ichigo started again, "I wasn't … I didn't touch anything on the dashboard. I swear."
Ichigo remembered how Pie reacted when Quiche had her start the ship. She'd nearly botched their takeoff with her clumsy handling of the throttle. Luckily, they'd recovered with no damage to the ship – just damage to its occupants' sanity.
Pie walked over to the co-pilot's chair and came around to sit. His stride was light and graceful, like Quiche. Almost as if he was walking on air. His casual air of elegance was intimidating as Ichigo watched him carefully. He sat and crossed his arms, staring out into the stars.
"I'd know if you had," Pie said finally. "I trust you won't be touching anything again after the disaster this afternoon."
Ichigo nodded stiffly. Pie always held a stoic, commanding grace wherever he went. It made Ichigo feel clumsy by comparison. Especially with the reminder that she had almost wrecked his ship. "Y-yeah, of course," she stammered. She sighed and sunk further into her blanket cocoon. Her gaze shifted to the window full of tiny lights rushing around them.
"What are you nervous about?" Pie asked.
Ichigo was surprised with the question. She hadn't expected Pie to entertain her silly feelings. She thought carefully about what to say without embarrassing herself.
"I guess…" Ichigo started hesitantly, "...I guess it's just that everything is so different, you know? It's a different culture, a different world … and I've only ever met you three. You all speak a different language, too, right? So I'll have to worry about that."
"You'll be fine speaking Japanese in most social constructs," Pie said. "Most people in the upper ranks of society – as well as our warrior class – have been trained in Japanese for two generations. Once we identified Japan as our target of interest, our society made it imperative for our people in power to learn the language of Japan. Though, yes, only about one third of our people have some level of fluency. The rest only speak Loq."
Ichigo furrowed her brow. She tried to word on her tongue. "Loq? Is it a language on Earth, too?"
Pie shook his head. "Our people are an ancient civilization originally from Earth, but we've obviously developed our own ways of life that differ from anything existing on Earth today. The closest relative to Loq is what you on Earth call Latin. It's a simpler, casual version of the language we used to speak before we left Earth."
Pie let out a long breath. "Us warriors of the newer generation have been trained from a young age to speak Japanese as our primary language, since we knew we would have to speak it if we were selected for a mission on Earth. You'll usually see Quiche, Tart and I speaking it to each other for that reason. We hardly use Loq unless we're home, speaking with people outside our court."
Ichigo listened with fascination. She began to get the sense she was just barely scratching the surface of everything she would soon learn about their society. "Wow, I never knew," she breathed in fascination. She blinked owlishly. "I could barely pass my English classes in high school. I can't imagine being so fluent in a foreign language that you speak it with your friends."
Pie appeared callous, nonchalant — as he always did, not reacting to the compliment. "Point being, you have little to worry about in garnering favor with our courts," he said. "Just stay with Quiche and you will find yourself doted on as equally as they all dote on him."
There was something cold in the way he said it. Something not unfriendly towards his brother-in-arms, but wary. Cautious. Almost as if it was a warning. A warning maybe meant for more than just her own personal well-being.
Ichigo looked over at Pie and gathered the ends of her blanket closer around her. "Thank you," she murmured. "I … I feel better now."
It was a half-lie, but one that she hoped would make Pie feel less inclined to sit awkwardly in the co-pilot's chair beside her. Pie seemed to take the hint. He nodded and stood from his place in the chair.
"You'll need your rest for the day tomorrow. It's best you retire for the evening," he said. Ichigo rose from the captain's chair quickly. She tucked the blanket around her and stepped back two steps.
She smiled and nodded towards Pie. "Goodnight, Pie. Thanks again."
Pie nodded wordlessly. He sat down in the captain's chair and began fiddling with the controls on the LED screen. Likely configuring something on the course of the ship, Ichigo figured. It was probably why he was up in the first place. Either way, she wasn't in the mood to linger. Ichigo turned and headed back to the small room she shared with her friends.
Pie was right – she needed her sleep, because tomorrow, her universe was about to feel so much bigger.
Ichigo woke up to the hum of the ship and a dim light shining from under the sliding metal door of their room. She wasn't even sure if it was morning – if "morning" was even a thing in space. What was time as she knew it, when they were so far from Earth's solar system?
Too early for existential questions, Ichigo thought to herself as she rubbed her eyes. First things first … I need to pee.
It took no small amount of stumbling around their quarters of the ship to find something resembling a restroom. Once she'd washed up, Ichigo returned to the bedroom and flicked on her dying cell phone. She wasn't sure why she'd packed it, except to maybe take photos. She wasn't even sure if she could charge it anywhere. The glossy, cracked screen lit up with a photo she'd taken in the park by her house that summer. The date and time glowed up at her in the dim light.
It had been about 21 hours since they'd left Earth. It was currently noon in Tokyo. Ichigo sighed and powered the phone off. It wouldn't do any good to have it on, draining battery while they explored the new planet. Even if her phone brought her some small sense of comfort … a familiar object from home.
Quiche had told Ichigo what their planet's name was the day before, while the mews sat around a round table eating their takeout on the floor. Ichigo felt appalled with herself that she had never asked, but it had never come up in conversation before. The boys always referred to it as "our home" or "our planet" – never by its name. Ichigo wondered why, until Quiche told her that it didn't translate well to Japanese. The name sounded strange on her tongue: Novutera. It apparently meant something like "new land" in their language, named when they had first arrived on the new planet from Earth.
Quiche told her that when he was growing up, it was more popular to call his home "hell" or "this shithole" than its more hopeful-sounding proper name. Ichigo could understand why, given how cruel its climate used to be.
She wondered to herself what time it was on Novutera as she tucked her phone in her bag. Or even how they counted time at all. Did they have 24-hour days, since the planet was further from the sun? How long were their days and their nights? She sighed. Still so much to learn.
Pudding rolled over on the cot set up next to Ichigo's. The blonde yawned and stretched her long, tanned arms above her head. She cracked one curious, bright brown eye open at Ichigo.
"What time is it, big sis?" she mumbled. She rubbed the heel of her palm over one eye. "I'm soooo hungry I could eat a horse."
Ichigo cracked a smile. "Let's find some breakfast, then," she whispered back. On her other side, Lettuce was just beginning to stir.
The rest of the day was a whirlwind of instructions for what to do when they arrived, and a crash course in what not to do in front of the rest of the people of the new planet. The mews ate the neon-colored donuts that Keiichiro had lovingly packed for them. All three boys changed into their battle uniforms the mews were familiar with. It made them feel more alien, more "other" to Ichigo. Then, the mews were given a basic how-to on pleasantries and cultural oddities to be aware of.
During their hasty instruction, Ichigo also learned that Quiche, Pie and Tart's race had a name. Like learning the name of their planet, she felt embarrassed she hadn't asked sooner. She had been so used to just calling them "alien." Pie was quick to clarify that they still thought of themselves as human, primarily, since they were originally people of Earth. But their particular species, living on their planet, were referred to as "travelers." They gave themselves the name because of their journey from Earth to their home planet. In their tongue, the people of Novutera called themselves Viatorem.
Ichigo made a mental note that this language they spoke, Loq, was more difficult to pronounce than she had originally anticipated. There were too many long vowels on her tongue; too many "oh"s and "oo"s. It was vastly different from Japanese, more Western-sounding.
By the time they were close to arrival, Ichigo's head was swimming with information.
Bow with your hand at your heart.
Instead of "sir" and "miss," use "vir" as a universal title of respect.
If someone tries to talk to you in Loq, point to your ears and shake your head.
The last bit of information was hotly contested. Ichigo gnawed at the last bit of a chocolate donut as Tart argued across the table from Quiche. Her stomach was in a painful knot. She wasn't sure if it was from the sugar or her nerves.
"What, you think they won't already know the girls are human? I mean geez, they'll already stick out like a sore thumb," Tart barked.
"Well then why should we even be worrying about this stuff?" Pudding interjected. She was nonchalantly shuffling the deck of cards from the game the night before. Ichigo watched the cards dance nimbly between her fingers as she slid them between each other, folding, flipping and stacking in a way only an expert street performer knew how. "No one will be dumb enough to try to talk to us except in Japanese. Plus, like, everyone speaks it, right?"
"Not exactly," Quiche muttered. He was focused on pulling apart a jelly donut, shredding it until it sat in front of him in ten little gooey pieces. Ichigo couldn't remember ever seeing him so anxious. "No one outside of our courts and our military know Japanese well. Service staff and the common folk might try to talk to you in Loq, if they don't know any better."
"We'll be alright," Lettuce said. She sat next to Ichigo, fiddling with the ruffled hem of her chiffon shirt. "I'm sure we won't be wandering far from you three anyway."
"I'm not out here trying to be a walking translation service," Tart muttered under his breath.
"You're the ones who invited us!" Ichigo interjected, mouth still half-full of chocolate donut. She swallowed and continued. "The least you can do is help us get around the place."
"Lettuce is right," Quiche agreed. "I'm sure you all will be fine."
Ichigo raised one eyebrow at Quiche and set down the rest of her donut. She glanced down at her sticky fingers and let out a sigh. "Yeah, because you two are always so helpful," Ichigo remarked sarcastically. She began to lick the sticky mess of chocolate and sugar glaze off her fingers, but stopped as she noticed Quiche watching her out of the corner of her eye.
The look he wore was trouble. His head was propped up on his elbow, golden eyes glinting as he watched her. Ichigo felt her face growing warm.
She pulled her thumb from her lips in a pop. "Keep staring at me like that, and I'll turn this whole ship around, weirdo," she muttered.
Quiche grinned. "I'd like to see you try," he muttered. He stretched his arms over his head nonchalantly. "Pie looked about to rip our heads off yesterday. I doubt he'd let you in the cockpit again."
Just then, footsteps echoed down the hall into the common area of the main quarters. Lettuce, Pudding, Tart, Quiche and Ichigo all turned to see Pie enter the room. He stopped at the entrance to the hall. "Ah, speak of the devil..." Quiche remarked under his breath.
Pie seemed unfazed. If he had overheard their conversation, he was choosing not to react.
"We're just a few minutes from landing. Gather your things by the cargo dock, and we'll reconvene here. You may experience some light turbulence as we pass through the atmosphere. Quiche, Tart — follow me."
The mews exchanged nervous, excited glances and nodded.
It only took a minute or two for the girls to group their bags in a corner by the retracted ramp of the ship. All three boys were in the cockpit, calling instructions out to each other as they prepared to land. The mews clustered together and peered through the window of the cockpit in anxious anticipation. Ichigo spied the round, bright surface of a planet that looked not unlike Earth. The ship began to shake lightly as it grew closer to the surface. Soon, they were enveloped in white clouds.
Quiche reached up from the co-pilot's chair and flicked two switches above his head. A buzzing noise emanated from the control panel.
"Scorpio seeking clearance to land," Quiche called. He flipped one of the switches back.
A bright chirping noise sounded throughout the cabin. "Granted," came a voice from the control panel. "You're cleared for docking bay one."
Ichigo realized it was the first time she had heard someone non-human other than Quiche, Pie and Tart use Japanese. Military, she thought to herself. Makes sense that the operator speaks Japanese to them.
Quiche flicked the second switch back. The ship stilled its shaking, and in the next instant, they broke through the clouds.
At first, the planet looked completely vacated, an untouched paradise. It looked like photos of the Amazon rainforest Ichigo had seen in textbooks and online – lush, green and free of civilization. It was like a perfect oasis from a movie, unblemished by metal or concrete. Small bodies of water dotted the surface of the land like jewels, where Ichigo could make out the first sign of civilization: small docks skimming the surface of the lakes, and round cottages that looked like they were carved from the hills. Just ahead of them, a bright orange bird with long, graceful wings soared along with the ship, as if to lead them home.
Ichigo craned over Quiche's shoulder to gape at the vast expanse of green below them as they drew closer to the ground.
"Better hold on to something," Quiche instructed, chancing a glance over his shoulder at her briefly. "We're about to make some tight turns."
"Wait, what?" Ichigo exclaimed, confused. Her eyes scanned the land ahead of them, but she only saw lush greens and calm, glassy waters. "I don't see a city or anything!"
"There," Quiche replied, pointing ahead. The ship was just approaching a vast, earthy valley that was the color of red clay. At first, Ichigo didn't see anything remarkable about the split in the surface of the terrain. But then, she gasped as she spied the breathtaking city built from its walls.
All along the walls of the valley, structures of stone and steel were fixed in a vast network of buildings big and small. The city was like a split geode, its structures like shining gems set into the crack of an unassuming stone. The city seemed to stretch for miles. Its walls lined the valley all the way up to a massive waterfall at its narrowest point. A web of bridges crossed from the east and west walls. Curtains of vines, roots and flowers spilled out from the landscape surrounding the valley and draped over the structures like the hair of a goddess, twisting and curling around the buildings in a carefully-manicured way to expose the glass of their windowed surfaces. Some of the buildings appeared old, built from stone and looking like something out of medieval Europe. But most were fairly modern, all metals and slick surfaces shaped in round, organic structures.
The ship turned, and began to rotate slowly as it lowered into the city.
"This is so cool!" Pudding gasped, her eyes sparkling with awe. Lettuce was starstruck, silent as she drank in everything around her. Ichigo could see the buildings in more detail now as they grew closer.
Even the older structures had a certain amount of detail and care to them, retrofitted with beautiful tile and modern bones of metal to preserve them. A large, glass-covered bridge passed by the window as they descended, where Ichigo spied people – Quiche, Pie and Tart's people – walking between them. A small child stopped to wave as the ship dipped lower.
Finally, Ichigo saw where they were about to land. A white, round building with a cylindrical opening came into view of the cockpit. The ship slowed to a stop, then began to move forward into the docking bay. More people stood on the hangar, motioning the ship in. Ichigo began to see them in more detail now – with their sharp ears, slim builds and elegant gaits. They looked elven, ethereal. Ichigo's eyes felt saturated from drinking in surroundings, and she jumped in surprise as the ship finally touched ground with a metallic "thunk." The pressure began to release from the cabin with a low hiss.
Quiche breathed a sigh of relief and stretched his arms above his head. He turned to grin up at Ichigo, his bright gold irises shining with excitement.
"Welcome home."
Ichigo still felt vaguely in a state of shock. She looked out the cockpit window and saw the occupants of the docking bay begin to approach the ship, pulling what looked like gas lines and power cords along with them. Mechanics, she figured. Everyone wore uniforms not unlike the ones she was used to seeing Quiche, Pie and Tart wear – all jewel tones and high collars.
"Let's get out of this stinking ship!" Pudding exclaimed. She grabbed Tart by the wrist and yanked him down the hall, headed to the cargo door. Lettuce laughed and followed her, with Ichigo trailing just behind. She felt like her head was spinning, her legs carrying her of their own accord.
Ichigo felt her nerves kicking up again — what if she forgot something important about the alien culture? What if this was all an elaborate trap? What if everyone hated them? She felt her heart skipping as she took her place at the ledge in front of the ramp of the cargo door. So much could go wrong. So much could go horribly, disastrously wrong.
"Mews, I think it would be best if you made your introductions in your transformed state," Pie said as he approached the rest of the group. "It would do well for our people to see with their own eyes the power Earth has bestowed on you."
Lettuce, Ichigo and Pudding exchanged curious looks. It hadn't dawned on Ichigo that they should transform, but what Pie said made sense. If they wanted to make a strong first impression as heroes, it would certainly help to look like them.
Ichigo dug into the back pocket of her black jeans and pulled out her mew pendant. She watched Lettuce and Pudding do the same with their pendants.
"Ready?" she asked her friends with a small smile.
"Ready!" they agreed simultaneously.
Nodding, Ichigo kissed her pendant and held it to her chest.
"Mew Mew Ichigo!"
"Mew Mew Lettuce!"
"Mew Mew Pudding!"
"METAMORPHOSIS!"
A bright, white light erupted around all three girls. Ichigo closed her eyes and felt the familiar warmth of her transformation wrapping her body in light. She drew a deep breath as power surged through her limbs and graced her with heightened senses. When she reopened her eyes, all three girls had just finished their transformations into their mew form.
With the genes of the Iriomote wildcat in her veins, Ichigo suddenly felt more confident. More like a leader. She could tell by the relieved expressions on her friends' faces that they felt the same.
She let out a long breath and nodded.
"Okay, ready," Ichigo said, nodding to Pie. Pie nodded in turn, and pushed a large, red button on the wall next to him. With a hiss and a "clunk," the ramp began to lower.
The nerves began to claw at Ichigo's stomach again. Her anxiety's grip was weaker now, but she felt her heart quicken as a light breeze drifted up through the cabin of stale air. The fresh air was humid and sweet, like honeydew and rosewater. The mechanics of the heavy door whirred and buzzed beneath them. This is really happening, she thought to herself. We're really on another planet right now. About to meet all of these people.
This time, they were the aliens.
Ichigo didn't realize how stiff she was until she felt fingers curl around her gloved hand. She startled, looking up at Quiche as he grasped her hand in his. He looked down at her with raised eyebrows, the spark of excitement dancing in his gaze.
"I'll give your introduction first," he murmured, "so just follow my lead."
An inkling of worry prodded at Ichigo's mind. What kind of introduction was Quiche talking about? Did she trust him to know what to say? Ichigo thought about asking him what he meant, or just telling him to buzz off – but she brushed her questions away as the ramp came to a stop with a click and a jolt, fully extended. Too late.
Quiche pulled Ichigo's hand with him as he tilted his chin upwards and began to stride confidently down the cargo ramp.
Ichigo wasn't expecting Quiche to drag her along by her hand; she faltered behind him before matching the quickness of his steps with a dash and a stumble. Quiche raised her hand higher up to give her balance as she descended the ramp carefully, watching her feet for her first few steps. She cursed how steep the slick, metal surface of the ramp was, and how flat-footed and clunky her steps sounded as she walked.
When she looked up, Ichigo saw dozens of pairs of wide eyes watching her.
Ichigo sucked in an anxious breath. She wasn't expecting this many people. There had to be at least fifty people gathered in the docking bay to welcome them. At the front, a tall, older man with thick, cropped black hair stood with his arms crossed behind his back. His high-collared tunic had a silky red trim lining its edges. He looked important. Ichigo swallowed hard as their eyes met. His were warm grey, like a summer storm. Somehow, she felt as though he was reading her thoughts as he studied her.
The important-looking man broke from their gaze, shifting his focus to Quiche instead. He smiled and extended his arms outward.
"Dear prince ... welcome home," he exclaimed. His voice was like velvet. His Japanese was impeccable. "We're endlessly glad for the return of you three princes ... and your esteemed guests."
His gaze fell on Ichigo again. Not unfriendly, but uncomfortably wise – like he knew something she didn't.
"Kade, my friend … the pleasure is all mine," Quiche responded in an equally velvety tone.
He was a natural.
Ichigo stiffened as she felt Quiche's hand release hers. Then, his fingertips were brushing the bare skin of her upper back. His other hand gestured outwards in a low sweeping motion. "I'm delighted to introduce the most powerful of Earth's chosen protectors, and the leader of Tokyo Mew Mew – the beautiful Ichigo Momomiya."
What an introduction.
The man named Kade fixed Ichigo with an intense, otherworldly stare. His smile grew wider as he regarded her carefully. "The girl I've heard so much about," Kade remarked in a low tone. Ichigo swallowed, not sure what to make of the comment. Kade's eyes swirled with clever secrets.
The girl I've heard so much about.
"We are indebted to you, Mew Ichigo. Our land is transformed into a paradise we've only dreamed of – thanks to your alliance with our princes, and the retrieval of the precious Aqua of life. Our lives are indebted to you. Please, accept our humble gratitude."
Ichigo realized he was talking about the Mew Aqua. The substance that had restored their planet, and brought life to a dying world. Bits of speech – clumsy words, awkward phrases – rose and died behind Ichigo's eyes as she thought of what she should say; how she should tell the people of this now-thriving society that she didn't deserve their praise, when Tokyo Mew Mew had been fighting their warriors longer than they had been in alliance. Whatever she thought to say, she swallowed it in the next moment.
Kade placed one hand over his heart and slowly, deliberately dropped to one knee. Eyes wide, Ichigo watched as every bystander in the hangar followed suit, placing their hands over their hearts and bowing in the revenant gesture. Ichigo glanced back at Lettuce and Pudding, still descending the ramp behind her. Her friends gawked at what was happening before them. They slowed to a stop behind her.
Ichigo swallowed hard and turned back to watch the occupants of the hanger stoop to their knees in gratitude and respect. Her feline ears flattened to her head. Her mouth opened and closed, searching for words, but her speech evaded her. Her dry tongue felt uncomfortable in her mouth, and her knees suddenly felt weak.
Was this all for her?
She snapped out of her frozen stupor when she felt the hand in her back slip down her arm to her fingertips. Ichigo drew a sharp breath as she watched Quiche place his other hand over his heart. She wanted to scream at him: don't you dare. Their eyes stayed locked, an intense fire dancing behind Quiche's eyes as he also dropped to one knee. His grin widened as he looked up at Ichigo.
Jerk. He knew exactly what he was doing.
As Ichigo forced herself to reckon with this grand gesture – this unexpected welcome – the gravity of it began to weigh on her chest heavier and heavier. This was a message, loud and clear. Commanders, warriors and even princes kneeled at her feet. Never in her life had Ichigo felt such an overwhelming air of power, of praise. In all of her time as the leader of Tokyo Mew Mew, she had always been in the shadows, her identity hidden from the public eye. Like her friends, her heroism was always tucked away behind the innocent persona of an average high school girl.
Here, she wasn't just a girl.
Standing in the hangar of this foreign planet, watching Kade and the other observers slowly rise to their feet, Ichigo could see in their eyes that they thought of her as something much, much more. Was it a savior, a hero? Or something else entirely?
Quiche stood and resumed his place by her side, brushing the tips of his fingers over her back as he rose. Ichigo felt a shiver dance up her neck. She drew a long, deep breath.
She had a feeling this week was going to be more than she bargained for.
(A.N./
Ok buckle up y'all, you asked for it — if you thought The Fickle Fourteen was self-indulgent hot garbage, you're in for a treat with this fic. Yes, that's an M rating and yes it's there for a good reason. If you're looking for a deep cultural thought-piece you're in the wrong place. If you're looking for the TMM fanfic equivalent of a Sarah J. Maas book … welcome. This is going to be total angsty romance trash, and I hope you'll love it just as much as I'm going to love writing it. ;)
A few housekeeping notes — this is a sequel. If you haven't read my other TMM chapter-fic The Fickle Fourteen, you need to read that first before this one. Cool? Cool.
Second note: I am playing things a little more fast and loose with the outline of this fic than I was with Fickle Fourteen. I know how the plot is going to go, but I'm largely flying by the seat of my pants on details. Want to see more (or less) of something in the story? Got suggestions? I'm way more flexible this time around than I was with Fickle Fourteen. I typically write 4-5 chapters in advance, so you may not see suggestions reflected immediately, but I will definitely consider them. :)
Third: there are going to be some more adult themes in this fic (obviously). There is one disturbing scene about halfway through that I am going to put a trigger warning for at the beginning of the chapter, but other than that, the rest should be pretty basic, run-of-the-mill smutty fanfic stuff with some violence. If you're put off by smut or violence, this is not your fic. You've been warned.
With that, thank you for embarking on this fanfic journey with me! Off we go!~)