For villains, the League was surprisingly accommodating - I actually woke up on a bed (of sorts) and it seemed like someone had tended my injuries too. It was hard to tell what time it was when I awoke, and I sat up feeling slightly dazed as I looked around the room.
"Bakugo?" I asked groggily, recognizing the spiky blonde hair sulking against the far wall. "Are we... in a storage closet?"
The boy looked up at me, and I noticed for the first time the shackles encasing his hands, not unlike the ones they'd used to restrain him at the sports festival. "Well look who finally decided to wake up," he said, scowling.
I was laying on a pallet on the floor, and Bakugo sat on a similar one where he leaned against the wall. "Huh, why didn't they put any of those on me?" I wondered, gesturing to the metal cage-like cuffs.
"Tch. Obviously because I'm the bigger threat," Bakugo replied, rolling his eyes.
I groaned - of course I'd ended up being kidnapped with this kid. "You're already making me wish I was unconscious again. Can we just drop the edgy, anger-management-issues thing for a bit and figure out a strategy like normal people?" I asked.
"I don't need your help to get out of here," he growled.
"Obviously," I drawled. "Go on and tell me your plan then."
"You think I'm dumb enough to say my plan out loud when they might be listening? Don't be an idiot," he replied, looking away.
I sighed and decided to go for a change in topic. "How long was I out? Have they said or done anything?"
"It's been about a day, I think, and no one's come to talk to me yet. They were probably waiting for you to wake up," he informed me, surprisingly civil. "Did you know you mumble in your sleep by the way? It's really fucking annoying," he continued, instantly shattering my previous illusion of a near-affable conversation.
I actually chuckled, though. Toshinori had mentioned it once, back when we'd started bed sharing before the sports festival. At the time, he'd acted like it was no big deal as I apologized in mortification. "I've been told, actually." Scrubbing a hand over my face I let the smile fall. "How are you doing, Bakugo? Seriously," I asked and I meant it, even knowing the boy probably wouldn't answer honestly.
"I'm pissed off," he gritted out.
"That's not what I meant. Are you hurt? How are you holding up with the whole 'being kidnapped' thing?"
"What is this, Twenty Questions?" he replied in annoyance.
"Stop being a dick and just talk to me, Bakugo. I'm not trying to have some sort of pissing contest with you, I'm just trying not to get murdered by the villains who literally have taken us hostage. If you want to be the number one hero someday, then for the love of god, learn how to communicate!" By now I should have known better than to try and reason with the child, and while his scowled deepened and he ground his teeth, Bakugo actually stayed quiet for a moment.
"No, I'm not hurt. And how do you think I'm doing? These bastards turned me into a fucking marble, kidnapped me, and shoved me in this goddamn closet with you," he growled finally. "I'm not exactly having a great time here."
"No, I wouldn't expect you to be. But I'm sure by now you're figured out why they took us though, right?" I asked, watching him closely. I may not know the violent-minded boy well, but I was fairly certain he wouldn't defect to the League of Villains easily. He was reckless and aggressive, sure, but he wasn't a bad kid. Bakugo had a drive comparable to Midoriya's, which was probably why the two were rivals to begin with. The blonde was crazy smart, but he also tended to oversimplify things. In some cases, this was a strength and in others a weakness. Right now though, that mindset would serve him well - to him this was probably whittled down to a contest between good and bad, and Bakugo wasn't so foolish as to walk that dark path. He had a much better shot than I had at his age.
"Leverage, possibly," he replied. "Or maybe they think they can convince us to join them. Some of the things those idiots said last night made it sound like they want us to be one of them."
I nodded. "I suspect their leader is trying to build up an army of strong quirk users - who better than Yūei students?"
"Like we're stupid enough to just join up with the same criminals that attacked our class and kidnapped us!" he said angrily.
"It won't be a simple yes or no question," I told him somberly. "There are plenty of ways to brainwash a person. I don't know how long it will take to get out of here - whether we escape on our own, or the pros come to rescue us - either way it might be a while. We've got to be careful and keep our wits about us. The League of villains won't make it easy, I'm sure."
"You seem real confident about all of this. What makes you think you know so much, huh?" he challenged, eyes narrowed.
I smiled at him with no humor. "Maybe after this is all over, I'll tell you."
"What kind of a bullshit answer is that?!"
"The only one you're going to get for now since, as you already suggested, they could be listening in on us," I said easily as I leaned back against the bedroll again and pillowed my arms behind my head to stare at the ceiling.
It was a couple of hours before anyone came to check on us, and when the door opened, I jumped to my feet, ready to fight if I had to. Kurogiri stood there, casting what was probably his equivalent of an amused smirk at me and holding a tray of food. "Ah, I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Perhaps you two would like some dinner?" he said politely. It was weird seeing the warp villain with an actual body, and he looked more or less like a human now besides the ever-shifting appearance of his hands and face. He wore a suit and stood easily in the doorway as if he really didn't see either of us as a threat at this point.
I eyed the food warily. It was unlikely they'd go through all this effort just to poison us, but as hungry as I was, I still felt nervous about accepting anything from the villains. The warp villain chuckled, seemingly reading my thoughts in the way I looked at the tray. "If we were going to kill you, we wouldn't have gone to such lengths to keep your wounds from doing the job for us," he said, gesturing towards my midsection. I hadn't previously inspected the area beyond lifting my tattered shirt enough to see the bandages, and I could feel the tender soreness of a healing wound underneath every time I moved.
"Wouldn't have been necessary if one of your own hadn't inflicted the wound in the first place," I said icily.
Kurogiri sighed and stooped to set the tray on the floor in front of us. Bakugo had been silent thus far and hadn't moved a muscle since the villain entered the room. "Yes, Toga gets a little carried away sometimes. I apologize on her behalf." He stood and looked at both of us. "Our leader has already gone for the night, but we'd be delighted if you two would join us tomorrow evening. We have a lot to discuss."
The whole conversation was leaving me with this disjointed and unnerved feeling, which is probably why they sent the gentlemanly villain instead of one of the others. It was the beginning of the process - a foot in the door to win us to their side. I knew these tactics well, and I wasn't swayed, nor did Bakugo seem to be either when I glanced down at him and he looked both annoyed and bored.
"You say that like we have a choice," I scoffed.
Kurogiri smiled - or at least I thought it might be a smile. It was hard to tell with his foggy features. "Enjoy your dinner," he purred, and closed the door behind him. The locks clicked into place a second later, and I wondered what other barriers and safeguards they had in place on the other side. A constant guard was an absolute, but the other unknowns were what worried me most. The door itself looked simple enough to break down with my quirk, but I wasn't so naïve as to believe that they would leave me unbound if that were the case.
Bakugo made a noise of disgust. "I'm not eating that shit," he muttered.
The food actually didn't look half bad, and I grimaced as I grabbed one of the onigiri. "He's right - it wouldn't make sense to poison us now," I said and gingerly took a bite. As I chewed, I raised a brow at the boy who still hadn't moved. "I don't know how they expect you to eat with your hands bound anyway," I observed. Bakugo rolled his eyes and looked away, not bothering to reply. "You really should eat, you know. I don't know if you ate anything while I was unconscious, but if not then it's been a while. We need to keep our strength up," I reasoned.
"Don't tell me what to do," he growled. I shrugged and plopped down next to him, leaning against the wall as I took another bite. Bakugo looked at me in irritation. "Hey, go sit on your own pallet, dammit!"
"Nah, I'm comfy here. Want a bite?" I teased, waving the half-eaten rice ball in his face.
"Fuck off!" he yelled, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Chill out man, take a joke. But seriously, do you want me to like, hold up the onigiri for you or something?" I asked, taking pity on the poor kid.
"I don't need you to feed me. Piss off," he growled, before he practically crawled across the floor and grabbed one of the rice balls with his teeth. He sat back up and shoved it in his mouth awkwardly with the side of the shackles, glaring at the wall across the room as if it had personally offended him. I shook my head, not really trying all that hard to hide my smile.
"You're so stubborn," I chuckled, knowing that he wouldn't be able to reply with his mouth full. I returned to my own side of the closet and finished my food quietly, figuring I'd messed with the blonde teen enough for now. To be honest, I was pretty impressed with his civility and restraint so far, and it was sad that it took being kidnapped for me to finally start to like the kid a bit.
The quiet was really starting to get to me by noon the next day, and the nerves fluttering in my belly were harder to ignore the longer we waited. Bakugo was quiet and didn't seem to be very good at chit-chat, so any attempt at conversation didn't last very long. He was brooding, and if he did have a plan, he certainly wasn't giving me any indicators as to what it might be. Personally, I rather hoped he'd play it cool and pretend to go along with it all until the pros arrived - that was my plan, anyway. I'd fight to the death if that's what I had to do to protect the teenager, but so long as we all remained calm, I'd do my best to keep him focused and out of immediate harm.
During the day, they checked on us periodically, and it was usually Kurogiri's yellow eyes studying us when the door opened. Every couple hours we got bathroom breaks, which was the only time we were allowed out of the small room, and it was Toga who would accompany me whenever it was my turn. The restroom was just down the hall and the short walk offered me no information at all about where it was we were being held captive.
"How lucky, you get to share a room with a boy!" She giggled, hopping up on the sink and staring at me unashamedly.
"Yeah. He's not really my type," I replied tersely. "I can't go if you're watching me - can you turn around or something?"
Toga giggled again. "Aw, we're both girls!"
"Still not okay with you watching me go to the bathroom, no matter what parts you've got," I said, annoyed.
"Too bad!" she replied in a sing-song voice, twirling her knife like a baton. "Dabi says I'm not allowed to take my eyes off of you. That guy's so uptight, but he's kinda cute too, don't you think?"
"Again, not my type," I gritted out, feeling my cheeks burn as I did what I had to.
"Who is your type then?" she questioned salaciously.
"Not your business."
"I already told you, I can tell you're in love just like I am. Isn't this fun? We're getting to be such good friends already!" she squealed, kicking her legs out from where she perched on the sink still.
"If we're such good friends, why don't you tell me where we are, Toga?" I asked sweetly.
"At the League of Villain's headquarters, duh!"
"That's not what I meant. What city is this?" I tried again, doing my best to keep a friendly tone. It wouldn't have fooled any sane person, but Toga obviously was nowhere close to sane, so it was worth a shot.
Insane or not though, she wasn't stupid. She smiled, but didn't say a word after that, and somehow her silent stare was even worse. I was more than happy to be back in the stupid closet again after that.
Time was not as tangible as it once was, but I guessed it to be late afternoon or early evening when the doorknob rattled suddenly. This time it was Dabi, and I knew that this wasn't a bathroom break or food drop off. "Come on you kids, time to meet the boss," he said. When I stood up he held up a hand to stop me. "We've got to get you a nice bracelet to match your friend's first, though. Hold out your hands," he ordered.
I gritted my teeth but complied and let him clamp the restraints over my wrist and hands. These damn things were heavy too, and I worried about how much these would slow me down if I had to fight - which was the point, obviously.
Dabi led us into a large room, and I blinked in surprise as I realized we were in a bar. Kurogiri leaned against the countertop from the backside of the bar, and Toga sprawled across the surface where she sat at the end, looking utterly bored. Around the room were scattered the other members of the Vanguard Action Squad, all showing varying amounts of interest. Seated at the bar across from the warp villain was a thin man with unkempt hair and a grotesque severed hand that served as a mask.
Shigaraki Tomura.
The League's leader didn't acknowledge us at first, but continued nursing his drink as he intently watched the program showing on the television in the corner. A news broadcast played, and the anchors heatedly discussed what a mess Yūei had caused. I clenched my fists at the slander the media spewed - those idiots didn't have a clue.
Meanwhile, Dabi and the split personality villain I'd learned was named 'Twice,' strapped us to a couple of chairs, effectively restraining us from making any sudden movements. By this point I was beyond shocked that Bakugo was being so compliant, but when I looked at him the barely contained rage in his eyes was impossible to miss.
"Isn't that strange," Shigaraki spoke finally. He turned on his bar stool and gave both of us a leveled look as he held his arms out wide. "The heroes are becoming the bad guys! Seems like they're not dealing with this very well at all." He lowered his hands and smiled, but there was no warmth or geniality in the expression. "So much criticism... but everyone makes a mistake or two, right? It's not like they're supposed to be perfect - modern day heroes sure do have it rough, don't you think?" he asked softly.
I think you like to hear yourself talk, I thought bitterly, but held my tongue. It wouldn't be a good idea to provoke him.
Spinner was leaning against the wall to one side, and he made a small noise of disgust. "Once a hero receives payment to protect people, they aren't a real hero anymore - that's what Stain's actions have taught us," he lectured.
Then you'd really like me, Lizard Man, I silently huffed in bitter amusement, but once more kept my mouth shut.
Shigaraki nodded his head towards his lackey in agreement before casting his calculating gaze over us again. "A hero in this current system only cares about money and glory, and since society buys in to those idiotic rules, anyone deemed a loser is shoved aside. So we want to pose some questions: What is a hero? What is justice? Is this society truly fair?" He shook his head and chuckled darkly as he took another sip of his drink. "Soon, everyone will be asking... That's when we'll know we've won." The villain looked up from his drink and made eye contact with the boy next to me. "And you like winning, don't you?" he asked smoothly.
Bakugo gritted his teeth so hard I could practically hear his jaw creaking. Even I knew better than to say something so stupid to the boy. It wasn't about winning - it was about being the best. Shigaraki obviously thought he had the teen all figured out, but he seemed to be missing the biggest factor of all. Bakugo didn't settle, and a win by default wasn't a win - that much was evident from his actions at the sports festival. Trying to convince him that their cause was the "winning side" wasn't going to persuade him to join the League. It was only going to make him fight even harder to beat them.
"Bakugo Katsuki, will you join the League of Villains?" he asked, eyes narrowed watchfully behind his mask.
Bakugo actually smiled, but it was malicious and angry - more like a dog baring its teeth as it growled. "Go throw yourself into traffic," he replied, and I simultaneously wanted to applaud him and tell him to shut up.
"Dabi, let him go," Shigaraki instructed, gesturing towards the blonde boy, seemingly unfazed by his violent suggestion.
Dabi grunted and raised a brow as he turned to look at his leader. "You know he'll just fight," he cautioned.
Shigaraki shrugged. "It's fine. We're recruiting him, so we should treat him as an equal. Besides, he's smart enough to know he can't take us all, right?"
Wrong, I thought. "What about me?" I asked, becoming increasingly wary of the way Shigaraki seemed to be ignoring me in favor of the student beside me. The longer we were in this room, the more the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and the chill that ran down my spine every time the villain looked at me was only getting worse.
The light-haired villain regarded me for only a second before looking away again. "Don't worry, I'll deal with you in a moment, Hara Mei," he said, and it sounded more like a threat.
My blood turned cold and in that moment, I feared the worst might be true - did he know who I was? Had All for One recognized me from the sports festival or the news and warned him? I'd been afraid of coming face to face with my old employer since I learned of his connection with the League, and I'd meant what I said to Toshinori in that last voicemail. If All for One knew I was a defected follower from before his fall, then I wouldn't make it out of this alive. I did my best not to let the fear show on my face as I felt the panic swell in in my chest and dread gnaw at my gut. For now, all I could hope is that I could keep Bakugo safe until help arrived... even if it killed me.
"Twice, untie him," Dabi instructed.
"Sure thing!" he said, immediately contradicting himself with, "No way!"
"Do it," he growled impatiently.
Please don't be an idiot, I begged the boy silently, but it was in vain. The instant the cuffs fell away Bakugo swung, striking Twice in the face and launching an explosive attack aimed straight for the lead villain. I gasped as the blow knocked the young man's head back, and the mask clattered to the floor.
"I'm done listening to your endless talking," Bakugo hissed, and to my surprise he stepped in front of me, blocking me from the villains in the room as he stood ready. "Can you not get to the point, or do you just like your own voice?" Shigaraki hadn't moved since the mask fell away, but his expression was blocked from my view by the aspiring hero shielding me. The teen continued, summarizing what the villain had said to be sure he had it right, "Basically, what you're saying is you wanna cause some trouble and you want me to join you... Well, fuck you. I like to win - I wanna win just like All Might. No matter what you have to offer me that will never change, do you understand? I'll never join your League of Bastards!" he yelled.
"Bakugo, watch yourself," I hissed, moving into full crisis mode as the kid continued to provoke the dangerous man before us. I was still chained up and couldn't fight like this.
"We may not be at camp, but we're still allowed to fight!" he yelled and suddenly he turned and swung again. For a split second I was stunned, and I barely had time to even process the fact that his attack was aimed at me before the explosion rattled my bones. With a screeching clatter he blew the cuff off my hands. As quick as I could get my bearings back, I clawed my way out of the chair and stood beside him, fire sparkling at my fingertips.
"Fool," Dabi muttered, and I wasn't sure if that was meant for Bakugo or Shigaraki. Maybe both.
"Let me stab them!" Toga asked excitedly, clapping her hands together.
"A clever performer would have acted like we were winning you over," the villain who had the strange capture quirk - Mr. Compress - mused. "Now that he's broken character, he's finished."
I had to agree with him there, since the idiot boy seemed to be incapable of playing it cool ever. It was bad that all this hostile energy was on him though - I needed to get their focus on me, but the kid had really put us in a tight spot. There were too many of them to fight our way out of this successfully. Think, think, THINK!
"I only do whatever I want to, and I won't even pretend otherwise. I'm tired of being surrounded by a bunch of lame-ass wannabes!" As Bakugo continued to mouth off, I saw Shigaraki finally twitch. As his hand came up, I instinctively jumped forward at the same moment Kurogiri yelled for their leader to stay calm. I threw my hands up ready to swing when much to my surprise the villain held his hands out to block his followers and I froze.
"Don't lay a finger on them. Any of you. These 'heroes' are still valuable pieces," he said tiredly, and that certainly was not what I was expecting. What I knew of the villain before me warned of a volatile temper and impulsive reactions. The fact that he kept his head and seemed dedicated to the plan was honestly even scarier, because that meant he was learning. He reached down and picked the hand mask off the floor, slowly and delicately replacing it. With mask back in place, he kept talking to Bakugo, looking past me as if I wasn't there. Again, that cold feeling of anxiety increased. "I wish you would have listened to what I had to say. I thought you and I could come to an understanding."
"What, you think we're the same? Not a chance!" Bakugo sneered.
"What about you then?" Shigaraki acknowledged me finally, and I jolted at his sudden icy glare.
I snorted, steeling my nerves and hoping I didn't look as frightened as I felt. "No, I don't think you and I can come to an understanding either," I hissed.
"That is a shame then, Hell Fire," he replied, and my blood turned ice cold at the use of that name. "Second chances are rare."
No.
"Master," Shigaraki called and turned towards a monitor in the corner, "Lend me your power."
NO!
An all too familiar voice came through the monitor, and the low chuckle was one that still haunted my dreams. "That is a wise decision, Tomura," the disembodied voice of All for One praised.
"A master? I thought you were the boss around here, but you're a side kick," Bakugo taunted foolishly, not knowing.
"Bakugo, stay back," I said quietly in a voice that quivered much more than I would have liked, "You don't know who you're dealing with here."
"Shut up, Hara. Why do you always act like you know everything?" he growled back.
"Oh, but in this case she does," Shigaraki hummed. "After all, he used to be her master too back when she was your age."
"What the hell are you talking about? Are you stupid or something? We're in the same class!"
"Kurogiri, Compress, it's time to put young Bakugo back to sleep," the white-haired villain ordered as he waved a hand at the two villains he named.
"Stay away! I won't let you hurt him!" I yelled.
"I'll take care of my old friend," he threatened, raising a hand as he stepped forward as well. "If only I'd known who you were at the USJ... we could have had so much more time to catch up."
I opened my mouth to tell Bakugo to run - that I'd hold them off as long as I could, however fleeting that may actually be - when a knock at the door froze everyone in place. "Uh, hello? I gotta pizza delivery here," a voice called from the other side.
There was silence for a split second as everyone looked at the door in confusion, before suddenly the silence was torn apart by an explosion. "Smash!" I heard a deep voice thunder as the side wall caved in, and I nearly collapsed with relief at the red, yellow, and blue blur that busted through the bricks, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the building. Through the hole other heroes followed behind the number one hero quickly, and before the warp villain could whisk everyone away the number seven hero, Kamui Woods had everyone pinned. Gran Torino entered next, landing a powerful kick to Dabi's jaw and knocking him unconscious.
"Don't do anything foolish," the older hero warned, 'It's in your best interest to cooperate with us."
All Might chuckled without humor, and I couldn't keep myself from staring at him. He hadn't looked at me yet, but stayed focused on the job at hand. "Just what I'd expect from a competent new hero and a veteran pro who moves faster that the eye can see!" he cheered on his team. The Symbol of Peace's eyes flashed, and despite the smile on his face, I knew him well enough to see the anger in his gaze as he advanced into the room. "You can't run anymore, League of Villains! Understand? Because we are here now!"
Police and more heroes burst into the room, and finally the tall hero turned to Bakugo and me. His eyes met with mine for a split second, and a small amount of tension left his shoulders. Every fiber of my being wanted to run to him, but with so many around that was an impossibility, of course.
"Ah, you guys must have been scared," he said to both of us, and I'd never hated this act more than I did right now. "But you stayed strong. I'm sorry - you're safe now." He looked at me again on the words 'I'm sorry,' and I felt a greater intent hidden behind the insincere way his hero voice sounded to my knowing ears.
"What?! I wasn't scared!" Bakugo yelled. "Not even close!"
Feeling a little numb, I punched the boy's shoulder lightly. "Dumbass. I was when you wouldn't shut your mouth," I said with a weak chuckle.
As relieved as I was to see Toshinori and the other pros, the fear was still crushing my breath from my lungs. He doesn't know about All for One, I thought, and opened my mouth to warn him, "All Might, this isn't over. There's-"
"Kurogiri, warp over as many as you can!" Shigaraki yelled, cutting me off and All Might turned his head to give the villain a cold stare.
"The Nomu, right?" he asked, disdain evident in his voice.
"What are you waiting for, dammit?" the young villain growled, jerking his head as far as he could to glare at Kurogiri and ignoring the hero smirking at him in triumph.
"I'm sorry, Shigaraki Tomura. The Nomus were supposed to be in a fixed location but... they're gone!"
"What?!" he snarled.
"It seems you have a lot to learn, Shigaraki," All Might goaded, and he clapped one hand on Bakugo's shoulder and the other on my own as he stepped between us. "You're still green. Your little League underestimated all of us. The soul of this young man, and the will power of this young woman. The police's diligent investigations. And... our righteous fury! Enough is enough. Your game has come to an end, Shigaraki Tomura!"
But it wasn't over, he just didn't know that yet. "All Might," I tried again, stepping away and looking up at him. Shigaraki beat me to the punch, however, and cut me off a second time.
"You think it's over? Don't be stupid," He sneered, "I've only just begun to play. Justice... Peace... You created a garbage society by lifting up such ridiculous ideals. That's why I targeted you, All Might. You're the reason I started gathering people to my cause. You think this is the end? Then you've already lost."
"All Might!" I said louder, and he jerked his gaze away from the lunatic villain to look at me finally. "All for One... I heard his voice, and Shigaraki knows who I am," I choked out, and All Might's eyes widened.
Gran Torino stepped forward and cast a sharp look over me before clenching his fists. "So, where is your boss hiding then?" he asked the villain in a harsh tone that made it clear he wouldn't accept any indirect answers.
"You'll tell us where he is right now," Toshinori growled, stepping forward as well and baring his teeth in an expression that was more snarl than smile. When he remained silent, something seemed to snap in the number one hero. "Shigaraki!" he yelled in warning, balling his fists.
"This is your fault! I hate you!" the villain yelled, like a child who was throwing a tantrum. At his cry of anger, a sudden explosion of energy bubbled up from thin air, and a portal completely unlike Kurogiri's opened on either side of the young man.
I raised my hands and moved in front of Bakugo, as to everyone's horror two Nomu started to emerge from the bubbling grey mass. The pros began shouting and trying to coordinate quickly as several other portals opened, each slowing spitting out another abomination. A suffocating feeling enveloped me as I pushed Bakugo back further, and wide eyed I saw the unknown portal surrounding us both.
"The crap?!" Bakugo gagged, and All Might whipped back around at the panicked sound of his voice. The goo-like substance felt like it was blocking my airway and I couldn't manage to force any words past it. A muted scream gurgled from my throat, and I locked eyes with Toshinori a split second before the grey closed in completely.
"Mei! Bakugo!" I heard him yell, and as whatever this power was pulled us away, the last seconds of sensation lingered like an illusion. I felt like I was falling - drowning - and echoing in the space I'd just occupied I felt the ghost of All Might's arms as he tried to grab me. The last sound that made it through was Toshinori's enraged scream.
A/N: Hey all! So very sorry for the delay - moving ended up being an even bigger chore than I'd anticipated. As it stands now, I have my computer set up on a cardboard box on the floor... but progress is progress. Anyway, I should be able to resume my normal posting schedule for now. Thanks for sticking around and reading! And of course, all comments and follows are greatly appreciated.
Best!
Erin