.
(Interference)
There had been no nightmares or unusual dreams, but even before she opened her eyes, Jun felt a strange anxiety that she couldn't explain. At first, she had wondered if it was merely Angel's presence, but it was different. Her limbs were restless, and her heart was racing for no apparent reason. Demons gnawing at your mind, or helpful spirits giving you a warning. She heard the words in her grandmother's voice, that was what she used to say about those unexplained, ominous feelings. Though even if it wasn't Angel's doing, Jun could sense the ever-omniscient being lurking in quiet disapproval, watching her as she fixed her breakfast and got ready for her day.
When Jun went to get the newspaper, it became obvious that the feeling had been a warning. Leaving her breakfast forgotten on the counter, she opened the paper and read Heihachi Mishima's open letter. It was nothing but taunting and veiled threats disguised as sincerity. She imagined Kazuya seething, lashing out at anyone who dared to cross his path. She had to go to him, she needed to at least try to help him.
Turning the page, she saw that there was more than Heihachi's letter. A short opinion piece regarding Kazuya's highest-ranking employees.
All Eyes on The Mishima Zaibatsu
The King of Iron Fist Tournament is the type of sporting event that brings the entire world's attention not only to Japan and Tokyo, but to its host, Kazuya Mishima, and the Mishima Zaibatsu. It comes with a high level of wonder as well as scrutiny. As the people from places near and far watch the world's most skilled fighters with awe and admiration, others criticize Kazuya Mishima for the company he keeps.
Bruce Irvin, Mr. Mishima's current head of security, left Hong Kong abruptly after allegations of his involvement in the murder of a police detective began to surface. An investigation is still pending. Anna Williams, Mr. Mishima's former head of security and current tournament participant, left her position at the Zaibatsu after she and musician Troy Reid became engaged to be married. He died of an alleged heroin overdose only days after being taken to the emergency room due to being physically assaulted by Miss Williams.
Jun closed the newspaper. Whether the allegations were true or not didn't matter. She was sure that during Heihachi's reign, he'd hired his fair share of questionable people, and it was clear that this was an attack by Heihachi himself.
For a moment, she wondered if it was better to let things play out, assess the damage, and after the tournament, and repair what she could. But the thought was fleeting. She had told herself that she would accept Kazuya, love him for who he really was, not who she wished he could be.
The demons were not gnawing at her mind, Kazuya was the one who had that problem all day, every day. Helpful spirits were trying to tell her that he needed her, that her presence might help him keep a clear head, and begin pushing the true demon away.
The dull, throbbing pain in her wrist reminded Anna that things were finally looking up. It didn't matter that it hurt every time she used her hand or made everything from brushing her hair to brushing her teeth difficult, it was a reminder of her public victory. Nina was probably somewhere sulking. She had checked out of the Mishima Hotel, but Anna knew that she was still somewhere in the city. Nina wasn't the type to seek the attention of a tournament, which meant that she was there to do a job; and that she had not yet succeeded. If she'd been successful, Anna would have heard about it, but there had been nothing. No suspicious deaths, no rumors of any kind. Even though the possibility that Kazuya was Nina's mark was low, it was a time to stay vigilant.
She finished brushing her hair and put the brush in her bag, then walked out of the bathroom and into the main area of Bruce's studio apartment.
She set her bag on the counter. "How can a big, tall man like you use such a tiny bathroom day in and day out. It would drive me insane."
He shrugged as he used the remote to flip through the TV channels. "I got used to it. I'm not here that much anyway."
She pulled a mug out of the cupboard. "I forgot you live at work." She picked up the coffee pot and began to pour. "My wrist still hurts. That bitch almost broke it."
Bruce laughed. "You sure whine a lot for someone who used to break people's wrists for fun."
Anna sipped her coffee then set the cup down. "It wasn't for fun, I'm not a sadist. It was necessary at first."
He settled on a news channel and set down the remote. "Necessary? I've never once had to break anybody's anything."
She scoffed. "Of course not, you're a man."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"When you're a woman, and you're barely nineteen years old, and one of the most powerful men in the world gives you a job as his head of security, you have to prove that you earned it. They accused me of sleeping my way to the top one time."
Bruce looked at her for a moment, his expression was difficult to read. He was surprised, obviously, but there was something else that she couldn't place. The look was there and then gone.
"You were nineteen?" He crossed his arms. "You're what, twenty-one?"
She picked up her cup. "Soon, but not yet."
"Damn, I feel like I'm robbing the cradle." He ran his hand over his head. "I thought you were twenty-five."
"Does it bother you?"
He shrugged. "I guess not, you're mature, and you have your shit together."
"I wish Nina was here to hear that." She sipped her coffee. "Did they announce the fights for today yet?"
Bruce turned toward the TV and picked up the remote to change the channel again but stopped when the reporter began speaking. "Unbelievable," he shook his head, "even the fucking robots are fighting today. I guess that the state of the art computer program is benefiting everyone except me."
"They're androids." Anna corrected as she watched the fighters' pictures on the screen. The first fight of the day was Lee against Baek Doo Son, followed by Armor King and Kunimitsu, then Jack 2 and the Zaibatsu's Prototype Jack.
"Call them whatever you want, they're still just pieces of metal connected by wires, who the hell wants to see that? It lowers the stakes, machines have nothing to prove to anyone."
"I'd say the stakes are very high. If our android doesn't win, it's bad for everyone from Dr. Bosconovitch to the shareholders-"
"I know how the business works, I don't need you to explain it to me."
The phone rang, and Bruce went to pick it up, leaving Anna to wonder why he had snapped at her. Maybe he was frustrated about not being in the lineup, and it made him resent her because Kazuya gave her the first fight. It was all supposed to be random, but only an idiot would think that her fight with Nina had not been completely set up. And the way he had looked at her? What did it mean? Was he beginning to see her as a threat? If that was the case, she would have to change her course of action. It was too late to start playing dumb, and even if it wasn't, the last thing she wanted to do was play dumb around Kazuya.
Bruce's picture on the TV screen caught her attention. "Hey," she whispered as she tapped him on the shoulder, "they're talking about you." Bruce held up his finger and continued his conversation. Anna set her cup on the counter and moved closer to the TV when she saw her own picture. "What are they saying about us?"
Bruce hung up the phone. "Fucking media."
"What are they saying about us?" She repeated.
"It's not just you and me; it's the boss and his brother too."
"What is it about?"
Bruce raised his arms in frustration. "I don't know, he didn't tell me. You were the one watching TV, maybe if you learned some fucking Japanese, we'd know right now."
She looked at the TV again, but they had changed to a commercial break. "Kazuya called you himself?"
"Yeah."
"Shit." She picked up her cup from the counter and emptied it into the sink. "We'd better go now."
"He is pissed."
"Well, then let's hope Lee's there too, he's supposed to deal with these sort of things."
"Or at least be a buffer between the boss and us."
She hated to admit it, but as much as she hated seeing Kazuya mistreat Lee, she'd rather it was him than her.
Kazuya's knuckles were white, his hand fisted on top of the newspaper on his desk." How long do you think it will take the Russians to figure out that we have Dr. Bosconovitch?" He sat in the chair with his back rigid, every muscle in his body tense. Devil was quiet, but his agitating presence felt like an admonishment. "For all we know, they could be on their way to the Zaibatsu right now."
Bruce ran his hand over his mohawk. "I doubt it, but I'll double the guard."
Anna shook her head. "How? We already doubled it, then got rid of some men. Don't say the ones we have here at the stadium, we can't spare any of them."
"Police officers," Bruce said in an impatient tone. "I know a few who wouldn't mind making some extra cash."
Russians play dirty… Devil's raspy voice whispered inside Kazuya's head. They're also smart. A thousand guards can't beat one man on the inside.
Kazuya exhaled slowly. All the men on the inside are MY men. He tapped his knuckles on the desk and looked at Bruce. "Are you sure you can trust them?"
Bruce nodded. "Of course."
Anna walked up to the desk and picked up the newspaper. "Fine. That takes care of that for now, but what about the stories about me...and Bruce? Lee needs to do an interview to straightening everything out. I don't want people thinking I killed the man I was going to marry."
"Did you kill him?" Bruce asked.
"Are you serious?"
"Enough." Kazuya felt the tingling in the back of his head begin to morph into a headache. "The last thing I need right now is the two of you fighting like children."
Anna gave Bruce one last piercing look before turning to Kazuya. "Where is Lee? Shouldn't he be part of this meeting?"
Kazuya stood up. "Bruce, go take care of the security issue."
He nodded. "You got it, boss."
Kazuya waited to speak until Bruce was gone, and the door was closed. He walked around the desk and stood in front of Anna. "Now you begin to wonder about Lee's whereabouts?"
She casually twisted a strand of hair around her finger as she took a short step sideways. "Yeah, this is his job, isn't it? To spin stories, paint you and the Zaibatsu in a positive light."
He took the newspaper back from Anna and threw it carelessly on the desk. "I gave you an assignment."
She sighed. "I tried, okay? I tried and he wouldn't-"
"Really? You tried?"
"I did. I-"
"You tried everything?"
She crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "No, I didn't. I already told you that I'm not some hired whore."
"Not unless it's convenient for you. I know you've spent the past two nights with Bruce."
She flinched at his words, then shifted her gaze away from his. "So what? I can sleep with whoever I want."
He pointed at her. "I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to manipulate him to get him to put down his guard so that he can mess up somehow, and you can slide right into his place."
She straightened her posture and looked up at him, her eyes almost sparkling as a small smile formed on her lips. "If that is the case, if you truly think that he can be so easily manipulated...is he really the best person for the job?"
The little vixen has a point.
Shut up. Kazuya shook his head. "I gave you one job, Anna, and you failed miserably."
"That's because you gave me the job you think I'm good at. Let me do what I'm actually good at, and you won't be disappointed."
"What is that?"
"Let me be in charge of the Mishima Building security. Remember when you gave me that job based solely on merit?"
"And that was clearly a mistake. You left, deserted your position, how do I know that you won't do it again? I don't care if you're more efficient than Bruce. If I can't trust you to stay, if I can't trust you to finish a job, it counts for nothing."
She nodded. "Fine, you're right. I was in love, and I was stupid. I've changed, my priorities have changed, and all I want now is to prove my loyalty. I want to be the person you rely on, the person you trust most."
"Why? I know I pay you well, but it can't be money, you're already wealthy."
"Money can't buy purpose."
"Purpose?"
"I'm not Nina, I can't just live for the next job, I can't be happy operating in the shadows without recognition. I need to be part of something great, I need a challenge. And what greater challenge is there than being in charge of the Mishima Zaibatsu's security?"
He crossed his arms. "I'm not getting rid of Bruce."
She shrugged. "Interpol is after him because he killed a detective, they know where he is, you don't have to get rid of him, he's practically gone."
He looked into her eyes, probing for any sign of weakness and was met with cold determination. She had always tried to prove herself to him from the moment he gained leadership of the Zaibatsu. Now that she had been victorious in front of the world, she did seem more confident. Bruce was reliable and loyal to the end, but at the moment, he was a liability.
He nodded. "Tell Bruce to stay in the background for a while."
She clasped her hands in front of her chest and smiled. "Right away. Trust me, no one is getting into that building."
"If they do, it will be your last mistake."
She nodded before opening the door. "I know."
You're trusting her just like that?
Kazuya walked back to his chair and sat down. "She's changed."
Yes, she was in love, now she's not and is ready to give you one hundred and ten percent. But have you asked yourself who she was in love with? I feel like we've already had this conversation...
"Her fiance."
Of course…Or perhaps it was your brother, and if that's the case, it means she came back for him and can't be trusted. And that brings us to our next topic, when are we going to deal with him?
His muscles tensed, and he became aware of the pain in the back of his head. Letting Lee back into the Zaibatsu had been a mistake. How many secrets had he stolen? What was he planning to do with his company in Hong Kong?
You said it yourself not long ago, it's time to make him pay the pound of flesh for trying to usurp you, for even thinking that he has rights to anything belonging to the Mishimas.
It was time, long past time. Kazuya had to put him in his place.
The sooner, the better, Heihachi is out there too, plotting. Neutralize the smaller problem so you can focus on the greater threat. And if they're working together...Destabilize them and their plan.
Working together. It made sense. Heihachi had chosen Lee. He had even said it in the letter, had printed it for the world to see, his son, chosen by his own hand. That must have been how Heihachi knew about Lee's company, maybe he was even helping him with it. They were probably helping each other to bring him down.
Don't act surprised, Devil said softly, we've always known that it's just you, us against the world.
The entire area surrounding the stadium was buzzing with excitement, Jun could feel it in her bones before she neared the gate. It was like ripples in the water that expanded and contracted, it energized her, and made her heart race. Men and women of different ages, walks of life, and nationalities, waited in line to go inside. As she neared them, their excitement and anticipation melded with the anxiety that had plagued Jun since early morning, and for a moment, she felt like she was losing control of her emotions. Stopping to take a few steadying breaths, she eased the anxiety by channeling the light energy around her and letting it wash over her.
As a tournament participant, she was allowed through the side entrance. She presented her ID to one of the four armed guards and was let inside. She was taken aback by the sudden shift in energy as she stepped inside. The two guards who greeted her inside were enveloped by pure dread, they were not the only ones. Stadium employees spoke to each other in short, snappy sentences and walked briskly, their bodies tense, brows furrowed. When she asked a man to take her to Kazuya's office, he looked around as if hoping that someone else would volunteer. As they grew closer to the office, his irritation was replaced by fear, then relief when he spoke to Ganryu, who was standing guard by the door.
Ganryu nodded and knocked on the door before opening it and briefly stepping inside, then came back out and closed it. "Mr. Mishima will see you in a minute."
She didn't have to wait long before Anna Williams stepped out, a self-satisfied smile on her face, she winked at Jun before sauntering toward the exit. She was ecstatic, triumphant, a sharp contrast to nearly every person in the vicinity. Ganryu was the only other person who didn't seem afraid or even anxious.
It's because Kazuya surrounds himself with criminals. Jun shook her head and exhaled slowly. He is a criminal. It was a fact that she hated, but a fact nonetheless, and she would only do a disservice to herself if she ignored it.
Ganryu opened the door for her. "You may go in."
Immediately after walking in, she had the urge to take a step back as she felt a jolt from the dark energy in the room.
Kazuya was sitting at his desk, a newspaper splayed in front of him. A heavy feeling settled in her chest when she saw the black aura around him and sensed the pent up rage inside him frantically searching for a way out.
She approached him with some trepidation. "Are you all right?"
He didn't even look up from the newspaper. "Is Heihachi mocking me? Threatening me?"
"I don't know."
He looked up at her and crossed his arms. "I thought, maybe because you have a habit of seeing him behind my back, you-"
"No." She walked toward the desk. "You will not speak to me that way, and you will not take your anger out on me."
The aura expanded and darkened, Kazuya exhaled, and it diminished slightly, losing some of its intensity. "Heihachi had men working inside my building, giving him information on…" He shook his head and looked down at the newspaper. "And Lee, he started a company behind my back. Industrial robot and mechanical parts? That has to be a front for something."
"Maybe it's exactly what it seems."
His brow furrowed. "No, you don't know him. He was a pathetic, little boy who couldn't even read in his own language. But Heihachi pushed him until he learned multiple languages until he earned higher grades than I did. He wanted him to outdo me, he-" Kazuya's eyes narrowed, his hand curling into a fist. "Of course they're working together." There was a shift in his emotions, from anger to worry and back to anger.
Jun spoke firmly. "You don't know that. Maybe your brother is trying to separate himself from you and Heihachi. Maybe-"
"...They know they can't beat me... They're working together to usurp my position…" It was as if he were whispering to himself, looking down at the desk, slowly shaking his head, his aura growing darker. Jun felt her blood run cold. He wasn't talking to himself, he was talking to Devil.
"Kazuya," she leaned over the desk and took his hand. "Talk to me. What do you think they're planning?"
He looked down at her hand, the aura appeared to shrink further before growing again. "I just said it, they're planning to take over, to take what belongs to me." Each word he spoke augmented the darkness around him. "He's not a Mishima, he doesn't deserve the estate and certainly not the Zaibatsu-"
Her back tensed at the sound of a sharp knock on the door.
Ganryu poked his head inside. "Sorry, boss, but you wanted me to tell you if your brother showed up. He was just seen in the parking garage."
Jun tried to get a firmer grasp on his hand, but he stood up before she could do anything.
"Turn off the security cameras," Kazuya ordered as he walked.
"Wait," she hurried behind him, "call him in, talk to him."
"Turn off the security cameras," Ganryu said in passing as they walked by the guards at the door.
"Wait." She followed him down the corridor. People scurried when they saw him approach, their fear and dread feeding into the dark aura.
Ganryu's voice was strained; uncertainty had begun to stir in him." He's probably heading for the locker room."
Kazuya spoke in a low, rumbling tone. "I'm going to kill him, I'm..." He whispered the rest, and she could hear it.
"Kazuya," Jun jogged a few steps to catch up to him, "stop." She put her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away. "Call him into your office."
Kazuya made a sharp right into the intersecting corridor and stopped. Jun saw his brother and his secretary at the other end of the hall, they stopped briefly when they saw them, but Lee said something to Sayuri, and they continued to walk forward. Jun could already sense the worry and anxiety surrounding them both.
She felt a chill and looked at Kazuya, the darkness around him was onyx black, intense. Ganryu's unease was slowly turning into fear. Everyone's negative emotions began to worm themselves into Jun; her heart started to race, her hands to shake.
Taking a breath, she walked back around the corner and leaned against the wall. She concentrated on her breathing and tuned out the noise; closing her eyes, she began to feel for light energy. It wasn't difficult with so many people in and around the stadium. Their heightened emotions, their joy, excitement, exhilaration were more than Jun could have hoped for. She touched her fingers to the wall when the tiny dots of light penetrated the darkness in her vision. She pulled the energy in through her fingertips, it filled her very being, calming and invigorating her at the same time.
"Trying to sneak in?"
Kazuya's biting tone broke her concentration. She walked around the corner to find the two brothers face to face. Sayuri was at the opposite end of the hall, her back against the wall.
"I'm not sneaking anywhere," Lee stood straight, face serene, his hand tightly grasping the strap of the gym bag hanging from his shoulder. "I'm just here to get ready for my fight."
Kazuya spoke through clenched teeth, his voice dripping with hatred. "You lied to me."
Lee nodded slowly. "Can we go speak in private?"
"No."
Jun could feel the anxiety, the exasperation brewing inside Lee, but his face told a different story, it was a mask of composure.
She moved close to Ganryu and whispered. "Can you please give them some privacy?"
He shook his head. "I have one job, and that's to stick with the boss."
"Can you at least step behind the corner, please?"
Ganryu nodded, then momentarily hesitated before stepping around the corner.
With a smaller audience, Lee seemed more at ease. "Let's go talk somewhere else, there are things we need to discuss."
Kazuya stalked toward him. "You are in no position to make demands after you lied and stole-"
"Stole?" Lee tightened his grip on the strap of his gym bag. "I've never stolen anything, I've-"
Kazuya closed the distance between them and roughly pulled Lee by the front of his shirt. "You expect me to believe that after you lied to my face?"
The dark aura pulsed and shook until writhing, translucent tendrils began to form and twist around Kazuya's body. Jun forced herself to stay calm, she released a portion of the light energy between steady breaths. As the energy left her body, tiny motes of light began to flit around Kazuya, the dark tendrils quickly withered and disappeared.
Kazuya let go of Lee's collar but stood his ground. "You said you were training, why did you lie to me?"
"This reaction right here is why I didn't tell you the truth."
Lee was flustered, angry, scared, yet his face remained calm, he was obviously more than capable of lying. Jun wondered if perhaps he was as guilty as Kazuya made him out to be.
Kazuya continued with his interrogation. "Where did you go?"
"I went to Hong Kong."
"To do what?"
"Start my own company?"
"What is it?"
"Industrial robot manufacturing and repair."
"What is its purpose?"
Lee sighed, his first sign of frustration. "Manufacturing and repairing industrial robots."
The dark aura began to expand. "What do you plan to do with them? Is it a front for weapons manufacturing? Did you steal company secrets?"
Lee crossed his arms tightly. "It's a business, it's for my benefit, it had nothing to do with you, they are my ideas, my business plan that you didn't even want to hear."
Kazuya stared at him for a moment, the aura shrank slightly as his expression turned to amusement. "It's a fail-safe, you really don't think you can win." He laughed. "Pathetic."
Jun felt Lee's anger flare up and overtake his other emotions. "You sound just like Heihachi, your methods are different, but you're both the same."
The aura grew again, the tendrils formed and snaked around Kazuya. "I am nothing like him."
"You are both a disgrace to this company, if either one of you wins, you will run it into the ground."
"I will run it however the hell I want, I will burn it down if I want to, and there's nothing you can do about it. You know it, and I know it. If you were sure you were going to win, you wouldn't have a fail-safe."
"I will win, and when I do, I will set the Zaibatsu on the right path, the honorable path. Your grandfather would be ashamed if-"
Before Jun could react, Kazuya had Lee pinned against the wall, his knuckles turning white as he grabbed his collar. "I told you never to speak of him again."
The tendrils began to crawl up the wall behind Lee like a diseased jungle vine. The very air seemed to weigh everyone down, it gave Jun the urge to walk away. She released the light energy that she had left and saw the little motes surrounding them all. She watched as they landed softly on the tendrils forcing them to shrink and disappear into the aura. Kazuya and Lee stared at each other for a long moment. Fear, anger, confusion, and regret were mixed so tightly together that it was difficult to discern who was feeling what.
The aura began to diminish, and Kazuya released Lee's collar. He took a step back and pointed at his brother. "Don't ever show your face at any of my properties, especially the Zaibatsu, I will have you arrested on sight."
"You're firing me?" Lee shook his head, his fisted hand shook at his side. "You can't do that, you need me."
Kazuya's tone was condescending, hate, and resentment present in every word. "I don't need you, and you obviously don't need me, I hope you enjoyed having your own company, I can't promise that I'll let you keep it."
He turned his back on Lee and seemed to notice Sayuri for the first time. "And you…" Their eyes locked, Jun didn't have to sense her fear and panic, she could see it on her face. The aura around Kazuya was fluctuating, changing from dull black to thick ebony, then almost gray. Jun could feel his confusion. Kazuya looked at Lee and back at Sayuri. "...I hope you're ready for cocaine and whores in your home, it's how he deals with his failures."
Kazuya turned his back on everyone and stalked around the corner back toward the office. Jun followed, struggling to keep pace with him and Ganryu until they reached the office. Once there, she and Kazuya stepped inside, leaving Ganryu in the hallway.
Jun closed the door. "Are you all right." She could see the aura around him pulsing, changing from faded black to deep onyx.
"I need to be alone." He said without looking at her.
She hesitated before nodding slowly. "Can I come back after the fights?"
He nodded.
Jun left him with his thoughts and stepped outside. She had helped enough, perhaps too much, she had always been taught that it was immoral to manipulate people's emotions. But it had been necessary. As much as she wanted to stay with him, she couldn't do too much and didn't want to push him away. She would try to be there for him when he needed her, Devil seemed to be somewhat under control, and Kazuya's rage was subsiding. She had done what she could.
That was…anticlimactic. Devil's voice sounded strange, it had a sharp edge to it, yet he spoke with an eerie calmness that made Kazuya's stomach turn into knots.
The plan was to make him pay to humiliate him, not fire him like an employee who's late to a meeting. You didn't confront him about the stealing, about working with your father to ruin you, to end your life.
Kazuya pushed his fingers onto the back of his head. "I…" He had wanted to do it, but it had not seemed necessary. "He's out of the Zaibatsu; for good. The only way to take it from me is to win the tournament, and he can't do it."
You were supposed to make him suffer. The world was supposed to watch him crumble.
Kazuya pounded his fist on his desk. "I know! I will do it, after the tournament, after his defeat, I can do a TV interview, let everyone know that he lied and stole. The plan was to kick him when he's down, he's not down yet."
Yes, and I'm sure the plan will go perfectly...unless Jun Kazama is still in your life.
"She won't be."
Why didn't you tell Lee about Sayuri? You were going to, I know it, I'm in your head.
"...It wasn't the time." He had tried, but Jun was there, and he just couldn't do it, couldn't form the words, he couldn't say it in front of her.
That woman is changing you.
"She isn't."
She's interfering, she was using her abilities to soothe you, to calm you down like a docile dog.
"It's not true. The time wasn't right, Jun has nothing to do with-"
I have threatened you, I have threatened your friends, I have threatened Jun Kazama, and yet, you can't seem to stay away from her. You won't follow a simple plan, you would rather guard her feelings. Devil sighed. If threats don't work…
Silence.
Kazuya's heart began to race. "If threats don't work, what? What do you mean?"
But Devil had retreated, and all he heard was crushing silence.
A/N: Well...I was wrong about 2020, I don't think any of us saw all of this coming. I'm not gonna lie, it's been really hard to get anything written, even now that I'm done with this chapter, it feels like it's lacking something. If it is, you guys can tell me, I can take it. :) I'm hoping it's just a rough spot and the next chapter feels better.
I know we're all going through a lot right now, so I hope everyone is doing well, as well as possible. I've stayed off social media for a while and it's really helped. Re-watching The Office a couple of times helped a lot too. I wish everyone the best.
