Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
I'm sorry this update was so late! I've actually had this chapter typed out for the past month, but if you read my bio you'll know why I didn't post this before. I lacked inspiration to type during the week after Chapter 9 was posted, then my dad was cleaning and organizing computer files, so that took up about half a week in which I could have been typing… and after that, I had to deal with the two summatives that I had so wonderfully neglected till the last minute, one of which was still late, and I paid for my laziness by not having two free lunch periods and missing time with my friends before class in the morning… then I had to work on them after school when I got home, and more of my time was occupied by other school related events. The rest of the time was just plain laziness.
But summatives (the time-consuming ones) are over, and I am concentrating much more on the completion of the remaining chapters. Not that you'll be able to read them for a long while, but yeah… :shrugs:
The only reason I have posted this is because it has been over half a month since I last updated, and because I like reviews. And posting. This chapter, however, will most likely be the only update until the end of May. Long time, I know, but between school and non-school related activities… they will be depleting my time like crazy.
Enjoy!
Shel: I say that I am not a pro because the characters and backgrounds are already created. I'm only 'fooling' around with them for fanfics, as I still lack the ability to create my own. :cries:
Blusorami: Well, I figured it was time for Miroku to blow off some steam (frustration) about the whole thing, even though he knows it's not technically her fault that the demon has been controlling her. You won't really find out what the items are for until later. And since Comfort is only a one-shot, I just thought I'd let you know that my friend Dante got me into the San/Mir fanfics, although I let myself get overly obsessed with them and started writing this fanfic as a result. I actually started the rough draft for Chapter 1 back in early October… it seems so long ago…
YoukaiTaijiyaSango: I love cliff-hangers. I'm evil, aren't I?
Inuyasha'sonlywoman: You are asking that question to someone who writes angst as their main genre? Well, if you got hit by a bunch of rocks, I don't think you'd be okay. Would you:grin:
Buddym: Thanks for the encouragement… it can be very inspiring.
The rocks, or should I say small boulders, hit me, catching me completely off guard and sending waves of pain as they collided into my body. I had sensed something coming, but had been unable to figure out what it was just before it hit me. Okay, so having that creepy feeling that someone was watching you and sensing danger heading in your direction were two different things, but when demons were around, knowing that someone was spying on you was just as dangerous as if that someone was attacking you.
The force of the rocks sent me off the side of the mountain completely. Thankfully, I landed on my back on a smooth area, decreasing the chance of any boulders increasing the weight of Hiraikotsu on my body. True, it was made of rock, but it was worn smooth like the rest of the mountain path. Pain shot through my back as I landed, a few of the smaller boulders still tumbling down in my direction. There was no time to move out of the way, and even if there had been, I was completely winded. Instead, I lifted my hands to shield my face and a particularly sharp rock flew into my left arm, digging a short gash in the skin and causing a line stream of blood to fly out. Another huge rock landed on my right knee, effectively crushing it. More of the boulders managed to bruise several other parts of my body before flying off.
Then there was silence. I couldn't see anything at first because of all the dust. My own breathing sounded shallow, and small whimpers of pain were coming from my mouth. I think I might have been paralysed, but I couldn't exactly tell how much damage had been done yet.
"Sango!" It was Miroku, running down the path and jumping off the side as soon it was low enough to get to me. He knelt down beside me, putting an arm around my shoulders to lift me, but I protested.
"Don't lift me, Miroku," I said shakily, leaning against him and trying unsuccessfully to block out the pain that was shooting fire up my leg.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Without waiting for me to answer, he gently laid me down again. "I need to move that. How much did it -" He stopped, actually taking a moment to get a good look at my leg, or rather, the rock that had dug it halfway into the ground. "Oh god, Sango."
"It's crushed my leg from the knee down, but thankfully not my foot," I answered. "I'm sorry, I didn't move out of the way in time."
He stood up and put his shakujou down. Then he struggled to shift the rock off of me, groaning as he strained his weight to get it off. Finally, he managed to shove it off just enough so that he could help me up. I sat up, his arms surrounding my shoulders. "I suppose I don't need to ask you if you can walk?"
I tried to stand up, but white-hot pain shot upwards through my leg. I hated having to rely on him like this, but I had no choice. I managed a weak smile, masking my anger and irritation at the situation I had put myself into.
"I don't think I can walk," I told him, my grip on the shoulders of his robes so tight I was surprised that he didn't wince from my nails digging into the material. Either that, or he was hiding it under the concerned expression he so often wore around me lately. My knee literally hurt like hell whenever I tried to move it to take a step, even with him supporting me enough so I was almost off the ground. I hadn't felt this much pain in my body since the day that my father and comrades were killed, when the men had been ordered to shoot a volley of arrows at me. But now was definitely not the time to think about that, so I pushed it to the back of my mind where it would remain until the next time that I saw Kohaku. Right now, I needed to focus.
"We'll have to bandage it up first so it can heal. You can't fight a demon like this," he said rather sensibly. I didn't argue, choosing to remain silent. "I'll set up camp for tonight."
"For tonight?" I repeated, already starting to feel worn out. "But - didn't you tell Kaede that we'd be returning later this evening?"
He gave me a very serious look and I flushed, looking down. "Sango, look at me," he said quietly, and I did, forcing myself to look back up at him. "You're not in any conditional to travel. I don't care how strong you are; you need to rest so your leg will heal properly. If you don't, it will only get worse."
"Then what about the demon?"
"What about it? There's nothing else we can do," he said, trying to make his tone sound a bit more gentle. "The others can wait an extra day or so. We can't rush. I can still get the items, but I'm not willing to leave you behind, and I don't want you to be in constant pain if we have to fight a demon."
I think a flash of anger appeared in my eyes. I know I felt a surge of anger rush through my body at his words, and I was certain it had nothing to do with the demon now known as Tsuyuki. I was not an invalid, and I hated to hear him talk about our circumstances as if I was.
"I'm not a child, Miroku, so stop treating me like I am one." My tone was unusually harsh on him, and although he winced, his expression softened with understanding as well as concern.
"Sango, this isn't about me taking care of you as if you were a child. I am your partner, your companion and friend, and I care about you. I'm not saying any of this to make you think I think any less of you, I'm only concerned that if we continue too soon, you will be in even more pain." His lips brushed my forehead, and I felt my brief flare of anger quickly fade. "And I don't want to see you in any pain, not if I can do anything about it."
We spent a few minutes setting up camp, or at least Miroku did, seeing as I couldn't walk. I couldn't help but feel guilty. I was the one who had wanted to do this, to get rid of Tsuyuki, yet it was because of me that we were now delayed. What was worse, I remembered that Kaede had said that we didn't have much time left, and now that we were delayed about a day short, how much time would we have left?
Would I have to feel the blood on my hands one more time before destroying Tsuyuki? Not that it mattered much; what was worse than taking a human life? Especially children, for they never had much of a chance to discover the world outside their villages, and now they never would. Because of me… and for that, I hated myself for not having been able to prevent it from happening.
Miroku had me lie down on a mat with his robes wrapped like a pillow, supporting my head. Carefully he helped me remove my taijiya outfit, although the pain just couldn't be helped, and several times I bit down on my lip so hard in order to restrain myself from crying out in pain that it bled. He gave me a blanket to shield the nudity of my chest and lower area as I helped him pull the other end of the battle outfit off. He drew in a short breath as he saw the bruised flesh and blood.
"Sango, it looks like the bone has almost been bent back. It's bruised enough to prevent you from going anywhere, that much I'm sure of. There's not much blood, but the muscle has been twisted. I don't think you'll be able to try to walk for a short while, and you definitely won't be able to handle Hiraikotsu." He put a bunch of bandages into a cast, wrapping it around the bruised skin and taking care not to jostle it.
"I'm sorry," I said. He finished fixing my leg, rolling up a blanket to support it and sat behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin lightly on my shoulder to make me feel more comfortable, but the truth is, I wasn't more comfortable. In fact, it almost caused me more pain.
"For what?" he said, his breath tickling my neck.
"For… for delaying us like this. If I had acted faster," I started. "Maybe -"
"Hey," he said softly. "It wasn't your fault. "You can't blame yourself for every bad thing."
"But if I had just -"
"No. Don't get yourself down so much. You're strong, but you're not unbeatable, Sango." He moved his lips downward to kiss the skin on my neck, perhaps to calm me down a bit, but I shifted away, uncomfortable with being held so intimately at a time like this.
"Houshi-sama, don't - " I protested. As much as I enjoyed feeling his touch on my body or his calming presence nearby, I really did not want that type of reassurance right now.
He apologized, resting his cheek against my hair instead. "I'm sorry," he said, his hands rubbing my tummy. I stopped him, stilling his hands with a pressured grip. "Sango?"
I wasn't upset so much as frustrated, and the well of emotion I had been trying to hide to hold back erupted. He held me closer if that was possible, rubbing my shoulders in a soothing motion, telling me that everything was going to be okay. I seriously doubted that, but I didn't tell him.
At last I managed to speak, my voice shaking and barely audible. "This is just frustrating me so much!" I took a deep breath, willing myself to get a grip on my feelings and emotions. "I can't even walk! I won't be able to fight. I'm just a liability to you Miroku. I can't do this… I just want to give up. If I can't fight, how else can I defeat this demon inside of me?"
He moved my hands away from my face and spoke softly and slowly to make sure I understand what he was saying. "You are not a liability, Sango. You are not just a battle companion; you are more than that. You are my partner - for everything we do. You spend time with me, you train with me, you rest beside me, you care about me. I love you, Sango. No matter how weak you think you are, physically or emotionally, to me you are still strong, and that's all I care about. You are still you no matter what obstacles you have to deal with. You have dealt with more than anyone else in the group. True, I know at times you feel more vulnerable than anyone else because of it, but… god, Sango. A human being can only take so much. You are the strongest person I have ever met, and even when things seemed to be in despair you did not give up, because you knew you had to do something about it. You matter to me, not how you fight or how brave you are. Just you, Sango."
If I hadn't been feeling so frustrated and upset, I'm sure I would have blushed. I laid my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, and closed my eyes. One of his hands wiped a tear from my cheek and I held him as tightly as I could, which wasn't very tight at all considering my weakened position.
"Miroku, what are we going to do about the mountain demon tomorrow?"
He laced his fingers through mine. "I'll fight it." Then, as if he knew what I was going to say, he continued. "It's okay, Sango. Don't worry about it. Just relax for tonight." The rest of the afternoon was silent, each of us in our own thoughts.
When evening finally came, he put a smaller bundled up blanket at the back of my head so I could lean back and still be able to watch him move around as he prepared supper. He unpacked some ramen packets he had brought along with us. "I know it's not much," he said apologetically, "but it was the only thing I grabbed just before we headed out that would last us."
"It's alright. I'm not that hungry anyway." I didn't mean to, but I was starting to sound extremely edgy. "You go ahead and eat."
He put a pot over the fire, putting the handle around the stick that was a good number of inches above the fire. Then he opened the packets and started to break them into smaller amounts, dropping them in the pot. "I need some water," he said, thinking aloud. "I'll be back in a few minutes, and don't try to get up."
"I couldn't go anywhere even if I wanted to," I said dryly, and after a moment in which he stared at me, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes, he got up and left. Although he remained silent about my statement, I could tell that he was starting to lose patience with me.
I was staring into space, thinking about him and my brother and Naraku, trying to get my mind off of the situation at hand when a familiar, chilling voice entered it, immediately making me panic.
It's been a while since we've talked, hasn't it, taijiya?
I didn't answer. Maybe if I ignored it, it would go away. Unfortunately, not only did it have access to my thoughts, it seemed to be able to predict what I was going to think.
Yes, it's been quite a while, although you still managed to keep me strong. That little boy didn't put up much of a struggle, did he? Rather disappointing.
Leave me alone. The tension that had settled down in my stomach shortly after talking to Kaede was quickly building back up again at the mention of Reichi-kun.
Leave you alone? It laughed, although I was the only one who could hear it. It sounded like a dry rattling sound, the laughter only identifiable by the sound of the vibration in the multi-sounding voice. It almost made my head ache, and I fought to keep my head blank of any thoughts concerning what would happen if I let it take control again. You are already alone. On the inside, you feel more alone than you have ever felt before.
I chose not to argue, as this was true. Miroku did know about the demon, heck, all of them did now, but he was the only one who had seen me actually take the life of a child and all the blood. However, he didn't know how it felt to have to your body act of its own will against what you wanted it to do. However, he didn't know the guilt and frustration of struggling to keep a knife away from digging into skin to tear out the flesh. He didn't know how helpless I really felt.
I am… I am alone.
Yes, you are. Or at least, you are on the inside. You let my secret escape, didn't you?
The secret about you killing the children?
That was your one true weakness, taijiya. You let the houshi know.
You controlled me that one time when you threatened the dagger out at him. You did that! Not me!
I did. And it was a warning to stay away. He was a fool, and now his concern for you will be his downfall.
What do you mean?
I will kill him.
I'll die and trap you within my mind before I let you do something like that. I would not let it near Miroku. I would not.
He doesn't suspect you as a threat yet, now does he? The voice now had a taunt in its tone. Which means that if I were to force you towards the river, where he has gone to get water, I could kill him. He would not put up any defence against the one he loved, would he?
No! I won't let you! I steeled my body, preparing for it to start moving on its own accord. I refuse to!
Pitiful. You can't even walk properly, yet you still dare to challenge my plans? Humans like you amaze me.
Leave me ALONE!
Well, just for fun. Let's see how your Houshi-sama will react to your secret attack, shall we?
No…
Even as I protested, I got up. The pain in my leg hadn't started to recover, and it shot up my leg, making me stumble. "No!" I did manage to say the word out loud, not much louder than a whisper, praying that Miroku would hear it and sense something was wrong before this demon, Tsuyuki, got to him, but no luck. Damn it Miroku, how long does it take to get water! Soon I won't be able to speak at all… just like the other times…
It made me head down the path where Miroku had gone, and not too far off, I could see him. He had gotten the water and was looking along the bushes for some herbs, which didn't look like such an easy thing in the increasing darkness, but he hadn't sensed Tsuyuki advancing in his direction. My hand shook as I reluctantly reached for the katana, trying my best to scream out a warning to the monk.
"Miroku…" Once again, the word sounded strained, and my level of panic only increased as it came out in a whisper. "Please… turn around…"
He didn't, but I could see him stiffen, and I knew he was intently listening for suspicious sounds. After all, he was a monk and had the ability to sense strange auras.
Be silent.
No.
If you don't remain quiet, unlike the last time, I will make sure that he dies the slowest way possible.
Don't. You. Touch. Him.
My unusual spur of anger was enough to make Tsuyuki hesitate for a moment, and I fell to the ground, gasping from the effort of preventing the demon from taking control of me. Miroku turned around and saw me on all fours on the ground. "Sango!"
"Miroku…" I dug my fingernails into the ground, struggling to speak. Tsuyuki was still in control, and I didn't want to hurt Miroku, not if I could do anything about it. "Please… go…"
"What is it, Sango?" he said urgently, placing his hands on my shoulders and trying to make me meet his gaze, but I couldn't. "Is the demon trying to regain control of you? Sango?"
I couldn't allow Tsuyuki even a split second of control, and to do that, I could not move from my position. "Miroku…" I stared intently at the ground, making my mind go blank and bracing myself for any extra commands that it would force me to do. My fingers clenched into the ground as I tensed my body. In the beginning, it was weak, but it had still been able to force me to grab my katana and kill Kirishi-san, and now it would be strong enough to attack the monk with little resistance from me simply because I had been stupid enough not to move out of the way when the boulders had almost crushed me into the ground. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing with all my strength to make it go away.
Strange. I thought that even with a useless leg you would be able to do this. Don't worry, I'll numb your pain so you can do it.
I won't kill him.
The amount of determination you have fascinates me, taijiya. Why haven't you given up yet?
Because… Miroku's words from earlier flashed through my mind.
"…even when things seemed to be in despair you did not give up, because you knew you had to do something about it…"
Because I can't. No matter what, I can't give up. I won't.
It was that, more than anything, that forced Tsuyuki to relinquish control over me, and I collapsed into his arms, too tired to think or say anything any longer. The only thing I was vaguely aware of was his arms going around me, and the soothing tone of his voice as he held me.
However, even in sleep, I did not have a chance to regain my rest and strength.
I was standing in a forest, the trees and bushes blurry. I was alone; there was no one else with me. I looked down, and I saw my katana lying on the ground in front of me. Slowly, I reached down to pick it up, and the moonlight glimmered off of the silver surface of the blade. I could hear a man laugh in the distance, and another replied. I started to walk, moving at a moderately fast pace, the katana held out in the same position that it had been in just before I killed Reichi-kun. Moving faster and tightening my grip on the sword, the sound of the second man's voice said something and moved away, heading into a clearing not too far from where I was. I threw the blade just before I entered the clearing, and I could tell that by the strangled scream of pain that I had been directly on target, although I had not actually seen the man yet. The dull thud of a body hit the ground, and I stepped into the clearing, my face still devoid of any emotion. Although my vision was blurred and the colour was the palest it could be without calling it grey, I still recognized the fallen figure. Oh, god. No… I couldn't have… I just couldn't have.
I woke up the next morning, sweat covering my body and my breathing coming in shorter gasps. Miroku was resting behind me; he had me lean onto his stomach and chest as I slept. I was on my side, on my uninjured leg, my head on his lap. I had not been able to unconsciously feel his warmth throughout the night, and that scared me even more than the dream had. I was losing my connection with him.
He woke up, his eyes instantly filling with concern as soon as he saw that I was awake. "Sango… are you alright?" he asked me, stroking my hair. "What happened last night?"
"Tsuyuki… it took control of me," I whispered, staring at the forestry but not really seeing it. "It - it nearly made me kill you."
He didn't say anything for another moment, his hand going up and down my back to calm me. "It's okay."
"Miroku, I don't mean to complain or anything, but could we - could we just stay like this for a little longer?" I pleaded.
"I'll cook some breakfast for us in a few minutes," he said, gathering me closer.
Seeing as I hadn't had any supper last night, due to Tsuyuki's interruption, I should have been starving. Food was the last thing on my mind though, and I buried my head into his lap, the familiar salty sting coming back into my eyes. "I'm not hungry."
He sighed. "You need to eat something."
"I should just let myself die," I said bitterly, my voice muffled. "All I'm doing is putting more people in harm, and I don't even know if I stand a fighting chance with - with Tsuyuki." I spat out the name in hatred, hating it, hating everything I had practically allowed it to do. Hating the part of me that was physically weak. I was a taijiya; these things were not supposed to happen to me.
"No, you listen to me," he said firmly, putting a finger under my chin to force me to look up at him. There was pain in his eyes, combined with frustration and understanding, and something else I rarely saw: anger. Miroku was normally a calm person, remaining composed, always reassuring me that things would turn out okay in the end. But as he spoke, his voice shook just the slightest and tears were in his eyes. "You're not going to give up. The Sango I know would never give up, no matter how great the odds are. It is not your fault that Tsuyuki took control of your body, do you hear me? And about last night, you were under its control. I could tell that you were straining against it, and you lasted longer than I would have. You're stronger than all of us, Sango. So don't you dare think that dying is the only way out!"
He pulled me up against him, grabbing me in a tight embrace as he buried his face into my hair. I threw my arms around his neck, burying my head into his shoulder. I didn't want him to see the tears in my eyes. I wanted to feel the strengthening comfort that I had come to depend on, only from him. Because when it was Miroku, it was special.
"Besides," he continued, looking at me as we finally pulled away. "Who would slap me when I act 'perverted'?"
I laughed, a sound that I hadn't heard myself make for a long, long time. It felt good. I knew he was simply trying to change the mood of things, and I let him. "My ghost would return to haunt you if I caught you flirting with others, Miroku," I teased him, moving closer to stare into his eyes. They were a deep blue, and at this present moment, filled with light happiness.
He moved his head downward to catch my lips in a light kiss, and I shyly returned it. Then I relaxed against him, just wanting to close my eyes and drift off to sleep, his warmth enveloping me and making me feel safe, but I knew it would never happen. Whenever I did dream, all I dreamt about was Kirishi-san, Reichi-kun, and now, Kohaku's dying body in my arms. In the dreams, his blood covered my clothes and his blank eyes stared accusingly into mine. His voice was soft, no more than the dying whisper that left his lips when he had been killed by the archers, but the words had torn into me.
"You failed to protect me, Ane-ue. It's all your fault."
I blocked his voice and image from my mind, and concentrated on more pleasant matters. I snuggled against Miroku, wanting so many things, yet none of them seemed to be possible. I wanted Kohaku to regain his memories without having to carry the guilt that he should not be carrying at the age of eleven. I wanted to have a proper relationship with Miroku. I wanted Naraku dead. I wanted Inuyasha to reveal how much he loved Kagome so my friend wouldn't constantly be hurt every time he ran off to find Kikyou. I wanted… so much, only too much. Most of it was most likely impossible, and it would remain that way.
After a few minutes, Miroku stood up, easing himself up from the comfortable way that our bodies were positioned against each other. He made sure I was still comfortable, my back supported by a bundled blanket against the tree. "I'll make some breakfast," he said, searching through the bag for some paper plates and some chopsticks to put aside. "And… I'll go get some herbs for your pain." I nodded and looked away.
"Sango?" he said quietly, and I looked back at him. "I'll be back soon this time."
It didn't take long for Miroku to catch a few small fish. He cooked them over a low fire until they were just warm enough to eat, then put one on a plate and handed it to me. Then he put one on his own plate and, using his chopsticks, managed to dig into it and separate it into smaller chunks.
I cut off a piece and chewed it. We sat there in silence for a bit until a thought occurred to me. "Hey Miroku," I said, setting down my chopsticks for a moment and looking over at him. The monk looked over at me, his expression curious. "What would you have done if this had ever happened to you?"
He picked up a chunk of fish and stuck it into his mouth. After swallowing he answered, "Give it time to heal and keep a positive attitude about it." Although his answer was meant to sound casual, I could hear hints of evident frustration and accusation towards my rather negative outlook about things although he tried to hide it.
I flushed, looking down at my plate of food, which didn't seem very appetizing anymore. Then again, I hadn't really been hungry from the start, so what was left of my appetite vanished. The crackling of the fire filled the silence, then I spoke. "I'm sorry. I try to be but… " I sighed, lowering my voice. "It's… it's hard."
"You'll make it through this, Sango," he told me firmly.
I doubted that very much, but Miroku obviously had confidence in me.
After breakfast, we headed out to the mountain. Miroku had to carry me, and despite my complaints of his "lecherism" (which he had not displayed to me for the past half week), he insisted that I go on his back. It was really quite pleasant, and to be honest, the only reason that I complained was so that he couldn't brag to the others that he had carried me simply because he cared so much about me, and that I had done so willingly.
Once we reached the top, he settled me down on the ground, and I gave him a faint smile, assuring him that I was alright. The bird youkai near the edge of the mountain attacked him, and he threw some of the ofudas at it, quickly destroying it. The Sokori and Riaki were collected and put in plastic bags, and he stuffed them into the small bag.
He came back over, helping me up and back onto him. "We should head back to Kaede's," he said, putting the small bag into one of the inside pockets of his robes and making sure I was secure.
"Inuyasha and Kagome-chan are probably waiting for us," I reminded him. He sighed.
"I'm aware of that, Sango, but you're more important to me than the expectations of our friends," he calmly replied, making a light blush settle over my cheeks. "We'll head back to Kaede's, but if at any point you don't feel well, then we're going to stop for a rest, no matter how insignificant the pain is or how little we've travelled." He gentled his tone a bit. "I only want you to heal properly. I'm not trying to treat you like… like an invalid," he finished.
"I know," I whispered, and I laid my head on his back and closed my eyes.
We made our way down the path and started to head back in the direction of Kaede's village. However, we didn't get very far before Hachi swooped down from the sky into his little form. He looked slightly anxious as always whenever he came to talk to us about something, and this time was no exception.
"Miroku-sama!" he said. "Miroku-sama, I need to talk to you!"
The monk shifted me as he turned to look at the tanuki. "What's the matter? It sounds urgent."
"Mushin-sama wishes to see you," he said, still panting from his haste in getting to us. Obviously he had flown for some time before finding us.
"He does? Why is that? Is there something going on at the monastery?" Miroku asked. Before the tanuki could answer, Miroku continued on, this time sounding a bit anxious himself. "Did something happen to him, Hachi?"
Hachi shook his head. "No, no, Mushin-sama is perfectly fine. Well, as fine as he normally can be while having a drink, anyway. But he told me that he wants you to visit him. He wishes to talk to you about the matter of your Kazaana."
I am such a sentimental freak. :is referring to the conversations: The scene with Tsuyuki actually replaced a few original scenes that I had previously written down, but I think it fits this chapter a lot better. Check my bio for news updates on progress.
