Chapter 6: As The Petals Fall (Pt 3)
Word Count: 6176
Karasuma leaned against the wall outside the school, listening as the line rang.
"Ministry of Defense Psychiatrics, this is Mia speaking. How may I help you?"
He blinked the phone pressed against his ear, he didn't know what he was expecting, he almost preferred the call go to voicemail. He frowned, his teeth clenching together. Not sure why of all times words seemed to be failing him.
"I have the wrong number, sorry." He said softly, he wasn't sure why he hesitated to ask about something that would do Irina some good. Why did it feel like he was betraying her trust...admitting to someone else there was a problem at all.
"Are you sure?" The soft response had him hesitating to hang up once again. "Maybe you need someone to talk to, everyone needs that sometimes. Life's not easy and in our line of work we see humanity at its worst and at times at it's best. It affects everyone differently."
There was a pause before she continued. "You can hang up if you want or we can keep talking whatever you want."
When he didn't hang up she kept the conversation going, her tone soothing and gently. No harsh judgements, no pressure for him to contribute to the conversation unless he wanted to. The conversation was mostly mundane, and simple...but it was what he needed to hear.
"How are you doing Tadaomi?" She asked after a moment. Mia Lang was read into all incidents that could affect their agents. Missions gone wrong, personal issues...the list was long and extensive. She had been expecting his call after receiving the report on their new recruit. Her counseling was mandatory, to better assess if she could still do the job she was hired for. Karasuma was more of a personal request from one of his superiors.
Ms. Lang was using a certain technique to build a connection with him. It might take a while, but within a few weeks his trust would be gained and she would be able to get a better read on him and better judge him once they met in person.
"I've been alright, " he felt his guard go up as she said his first name. He wasn't like most people and didn't prefer to fall into familiarity with anyone he wasn't close with.
"That's good to hear. Is there a particular reason you called?" she asked
Frowning Karasuma debated how to answer that. "What therapy do you cover?" He asked after a moment, his fingers pressing against the outside door he leaned against.
"I cover a variety of different therapies, I'm licensed in everything except children's therapy, I know the basics, but most of my clients are adults who deal with anything from depression to PTSD associated with trauma of some kind. I am more than qualified to help anyone who seeks my help or to give my professional opinion if someone can return to work following a traumatic event."
Karasuma was once again silent on the other end of the line. She didn't say in so many words but by reading between the lines he could see that his superiors wanted Irina evaluated to see if she was fit for duty and if not they either wanted it fixed or they would wash their hands of her. He'd seen it happen to others before.
He heard her heavy sigh on the other line. "In my professional opinion I believe she should be seen given what she's been through."
"I have to agree," he said softly, his hand tightening over the wood.
"Listen Mr. Karasuma, things will get better, easier. Call if you want to talk more.I hope Miss Jelavic knows how lucky she is to have someone who cares for her. I can see her anytime next week, just call me with a time that works best. " she offered before she waited a beat and then two before ending the call.
He stared out at the landscape as he dropped his hand to his side. He wasn't sure what to make of her. One thing was certain he would check her out before Irina had to see her, he had to make sure she was trustworthy. His fingers tightened around his phone as he took a few moments to formulate his next course of action. Eventually he let himself back inside as he asked Ritsu for another update.
Karasuma could still feel the way his heart hammered against his ribcage, the sound loud enough he was sure the kids could hear it. The scream had crossed the video feed on Karma's phone and for a moment the scene had been displayed on Ritsu's screen in the right hand corner, before the phone fell to the ground and the blow the kid had taken heard even as the video was on the tiled floor. The volume was muted and rerouted to his bluetooth device in his ear, but he didn't leave the classroom. His fingers gripping the desk as the sound of Koro-Sensei leaving left echoed through the room. When he raised his head it was to the wide eyes and shocked faces of Class E.
"It'll be fine. Koro-Sensei has it under control," he reassured, but he hated being stuck here. There was little he could do for her once again. He was a tethered dog, his masters' seeing to it that he stayed right where they wanted him. "These episodes pass and she bounces back...they are common after trauma." The conversation after that was carefully diverted to discussions about trauma and PTSD, but they didn't bring up Irina and he could provide better answers without walking on eggshells afraid he would divulgue into what she was going through as it was private, he knew her image-her reputation was important to her. She never wanted to be seen as weak, unable to handle herself.
Eventually Koro-Sensei returned and when he did, Karasuma retreated to the teachers lounge. His fingers brushing over the desk on her side of the office. His gaze wandered over the various nicknacks on her desk, noticing the few pops of personality on her desk that gave a small window into how she felt. There was a coffee cup from the students and Koro-Sensei. It was white with two black cats intertwined with their tails curved into a heart. A small nudge toward their budding relationship perhaps. The cup wasn't used for coffee and instead held an assortment of brightly colored pens she used to grade her English assignments. Next was a framed photo that held about four different pictures inside. They were smaller in size but of the kids In various poses, some on purpose, others of them in their new PE outfits.
He didn't know what possessed him to sink into her seat and let his finger trace one of the only pictures of her in it. She was wearing one of the PE new uniforms, her hair up In a high ponytail. She was surrounded by the girls in the class after they had won a boys versus girls tag team. It was very similar to cops and robbers but it had been far more extensive. Her smile had been softer, more real, almost as though she was surprised that any of the kids would like her. It was easy to forget how alone she was, when you stripped away the layers that she hid from the world. Some would assume that Irina loved pictures and being the center of attention, but as he considered what he saw he wasn't one of those to easily fall for the obvious. Some might be surprised to find that she hated pictures, but that probably had to do more with her line of work then anything else.
He remembered being taken by surprise over the fact the paintball that had taken him out had come from her instead of Rinka Hayami. It was around the time he began to realize the persona she showed them hid someone truly dangerous. She'd regarded him with a quiet intensity, before she switched to gloating over her lucky shot at having hit him. The kids were easily fooled, but he wasn't. It wasn't the first time she'd left him unsettled with the skills she kept hidden.
The sound of running feet had him tensing up his leg banging against the top of the desk. The hollow sound it made had him frowning. What are you hiding? He thought as he tapped his finger against the top of the desk. His gaze narrowed as he went over the possibilities.
Look what she did at your house. Right under your nose, the place she spends most of her time is here. It's the next best place.
With a sigh he rubbed at his eyes before he pushed the chair back, stood and went toward the window to see the kids in a game of badminton, the ball was of course Koro Sensei's head. It brought back the memories of the first time he cornered her about taking her position here more seriously and if she wouldn't, she needed to leave. He thought he'd seen a flash of vulnerability in her eyes before she'd locked it away, it was there under the surface...that fear of never being good enough.
His dark eyes traveled to the desk before he made his way back over. Unable to help himself he carefully began to inspect the underside of the desk with the flashlight on his phone. He tapped on the sides and didn't hear the change of sound, it was only on the top. The faint groove took time to find, but it was the same concept as the one at his house, only this time, the frame opened and slanted downward exposing a hidden compartment, he frowned at first as it appeared to be empty and once he ran his fingers over the top of the slants he found a small envelope and pulled it out. He laid it on top of the desk, internally debating whether he wanted to open it or not. Did he really want to invade her privacy again?
Karasuma didn't realize that the compartment had two secret compartments, but the second required the first to be open. It was one of the reasons he missed what was inside, something that he would regret. He underestimated just how far ahead Irina planned and for what.
He flipped the letter envelope over and was surprised when the contents spilled out the top. Frowning he leaned back regarding the pictures inside. Some were of snow covered landscapes, places he didn't recognize. Others seemed to be taken from one of those old fashion cameras where the picture came out the bottom. These are the ones he picked up, studied and flipped over to read what was on the back. Dates? He thought with a frown as he carefully examined the pictures. Some were of a young Irina only five or six. An older woman was with her, he couldn't help but notice how sad she looked. As the months in the photos passed, he saw more of a young boy a few years older than Irina, but there was no mistaking who he was with that bright smile and green eyes. Iriana seemed happier in the photos with him. The two of them were very close.
He paused as a photo peaked out behind the pile he'd been ignoring. Carefully he lifted it, studying the two adults there. The older woman was absent, but a younger Lovro was there and so was another man around his age. The man had his arm on Dimitri's shoulders pulling him closer as his other hand fisted into Lovro's coat, seeming to force them all closer together for the picture. At the same time, Irina leaned back against Lovro's legs and laughed as the photo was taken. It seemed almost like a family photo. Still, he found himself studying the man with short military-style light blonde hair and golden eyes.
Who are you? He didn't have an answer, but he took a picture of the photo with his camera. He couldn't shake the gut feeling that whoever he was, he was important. The fact that he knew all three of them, left him with more than a few questions.
Karasuma carefully put the photos he had gone through back in the envelope before he went through the ones with the simple landscape photos, on seemed to have a few pictures of a farm house on it, the others seemed to be more general scenes of snow and there were only a few, some held pictures of sunsets and sunrises, to him they didn't seem to have much meaning that he could understand, but they probably meant more to whoever had taken them. After a moment he put the rest of the photos back before he leaned back in the chair he didn't put them back in the compartment, instead he closed it.
"Snooping are we?" Koro Sensei questioned from the door, his gaze on the compartment he'd just closed. The dark haired man felt his cheeks heat with color and he looked away. "Something like that," he said after a moment. He shouldn't have felt so guilty...but he did. It was why he put the envelope back in the compartment where he'd found it. He'd ask her about it later or he'd wait for her to tell him.
And when will that be? She's not said much about the attack, why would she talk about this?
With a sigh he stood up and moved to collect his jacket from the back of his chair, at the very least he could be on time to give Karma a lift home. Koro's words stopped him in the doorway. "She'll open up when she's ready," his words of wisdom came with that quiet intensity that came from someone who had gone through his own trials. "I'll be waiting," was the only response he could give because it was true, he would wait however long that would take. He made his exit then headed for his car parked in the faculty lot down below the mountain.
He leaned against the wall next to Karma. The two mirrored each other without meaning too. He glanced at the redhead out of the corner of his eye watching him as he fiddled with something in his pocket. "What happened today?" He asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
Those golden eyes raised to meet his maroon gaze. "A few episodes, " was his vague answer as the young boy assessed him too. "She can't stay here, the last thing you need is an assault charge to make disappear." His tone was low and lacked the condescending edge.
"Her discharge will be tomorrow morning...maybe even tonight. The sooner she's out of here the better," Karasuma couldn't help but agree with him. At least at home, he could manage the issue...but it still left the gap where she was at home alone for a long period of time. He didn't believe that was a good idea. As much as she tried to hide it, he could see what lingered under the surface, it wasn't uncommon for abuse victims, the dark thoughts that lingered.
He could see them in the dullness of her eyes when she would come back after an episode, those few moments before she could hide the truth from him.
Why am I alive?
Every time he fell deeper into despair, he wanted to help her, but he wasn't sure how or what to do for her. How did you help someone when they wouldn't let you? What was he supposed to do? He didn't want to cage her, but he wanted to keep her safe...wanted to keep her alive.
It was one of the reasons he couldn't sleep at night. He watched her vitals on the monitors, eventually able to tell when she was really asleep and when she was pretending. He looked for anything out of place, any mark that he couldn't explain.
Sometimes he caught the flash of anger across her features. The way her hands would curl into a white-knuckled grip, the way her nose would wrinkle at the bride, the look in her eyes as though she wished for him to drop dead.
I don't want you here.
None of those were as bad as when she would fall into silence after the episodes where soft sounds would leave her lips and she would cry. He would gently wipe away her tears and she would look away from him, but her fingers would clutch his hand and they would tremble. Her tears would start anew and she would attempt to pull away from him.
Don't leave…
His fingers would curl gently around her own and he would look away from her, but he wouldn't let go.
I'm not going anywhere.
He blinked the memories away and watched as one of the nurses came over to them. "You can see her now." Karasuma nodded and the two of them moved toward the door. "If you want my opinion, tonight would be better," he kept his voice low but he shrugged his shoulders, what did he really know? "Besides, who wants to be hooked up to monitors all right, sounds like a pain," the redhead muttered as he rubbed at his arm before he moved forward first.
Karma surprised him by knocking and then they entered. He wasn't sure what to expect but Irina testing her footing back from the bathroom wasn't in any of the scenarios. She only had one crutch, and the tie along her hospital robe had fallen, exposing some of the heavy bruising along her back. It was healing well from what he could see, but he could tell by the way she pulled at the material to cover it up that she wasn't comfortable with it. When she nearly stumbled but she caught herself, he felt his breath hitch and moved forward.
Her blue eyes raised to meet his own, and she felt cheeks heat with color as she noticed them. Something happened, he noticed because of the way she wouldn't quite meet his gaze now that she'd seen who was in the room. Carefully she shuffled back over the bed, she no longer tested her footing of her bad leg as she had been doing before instead she kept her foot raised off the ground on the trip back. "How was work?" She questioned as she sank carefully onto the bed and began to lift her legs up, keeping the pain to a minimum.
"Alright," he said after a moment, tension in his shoulders. He would tell her later about everything...just not yet. He wasn't pleased with how he'd acted with the kids and he still needed to bring up the conversation of Therapy.
Her gaze went to Karma and she caught him off guard with an apology. "Sorry about earlier," it was a blanket statement, but she meant it as she had met his eyes for a moment before jerking away, her fingers tucking under the blanket on the bed.
It was clear he reminded her of someone, Karasuma frowned remembering how she'd acted a few days ago. Something about Karma triggered something, a memory maybe...he frowned, not sure how to ask the question and instead he avoided it for now.
"Don't worry about it, you hit like a girl Professor, (Princess)," Karna teased as he moved forward and stopped by the bed as he held out the knife from before, carefully she reached out to take it and tucked it against her leg before she leaned back against the pillows. No one commented on the way her eyes had widened or the catch in her breath, it was ignored and for that she was grateful.
The blonde smoothed her expression and closed her eyes as she gave a wide smile. "I'll be sure to hit harder next time." As those words hung in the air it was hard to say for sure if she was joking or not, but it didn't concern Karasuma nearly as much as the fact that she'd been lost for that one brief moment he'd said something, he'd seen her eyes dilate and the hitch in her breath, before she'd tightened her hold in the knife and if fell away.
"I was going to take him home and then swing back this way," Karasuma spoke up as Karma regarded him with a silent, yet judgemental stare. "It's the least I can do, " he cut him off before the redhead could protest such a thing.
She gave a nod of her head. "I'll be fine till you get back," Irina was quick to reassure him as she reached for her laptop and settled it on her lap. "I can finish the exams I'd been working for next week," she said casually as she powered up her computer.
This was actually a stroke of luck being able to be alone long enough to do a little bit more research. So far nothing was coming up from the man she remembered from her capture, his familiarity was frustrating, he knew her, but the when and how was still confusing. Like a nagging sense of deja vu that she couldn't piece together. "Maybe you could pick up something on your way back," she said after a moment as she typed in her password and waited for the computer to power up.
Karasuma regarded her with a sharp look for a moment, trying to read her, to see what this really meant. "Let me know what you want and I'll pick it up," he said easily, his hand resting on Karma's shoulder as he directed him out the door. "I'll see you tomorrow at school Mr. Akabane...feel free to pass that along to the others," she offered as she let her gaze skirt to them briefly over the screen of her computer before she was looking back at her work. "Be safe getting home," she told them absently, her fingers already flying over the keys as she began to finish up the last few questions of her English exam.
"I'll let them know," Karma called from the doorway as they left. He was already on his class's group chat before the door had closed behind them. The message wasn't long, but the responses were nearly instantaneous as many were asking him far more questions then he was sure Karasuma had,
The ex-soldier lingered torn for a moment and at the same time he didn't want to overstep. Irina glanced up at him and motioned him over. His fingers brushed the new bandage that tied along the back of her hand. "Will you be ok?" he frowned at the words, but Irina gently ran her fingers through his hair. She carefully tugged him closer by the tie he'd worn and he felt his cheeks heat with color as her lips pressed along the edge of his lips. Her soft giggle reached his ears as she noticed.
She carefully linked her fingers with his for a moment. "We should talk when you get back," she murmured. He squeezed her hand gently before he withdrew. "Whatever you want, " came his easy response. They shared a small smile before he left to take Karma home and pick up something for dinner.
While he was gone Irina finished her work and sent a few heavily encrypted emails out in inquiry on various things. Things were slowly falling into place exactly as she needed them too.
Unbeknownst to her, her discharge paperwork was pushed through while Karasuma was gone and she was busy...keeping herself busy. She hadn't expected to be released, to be allowed to leave...to go home. It hadn't yet been a week yet and she wasn't prepared for the tension that curled around every bone in her body as she was helped into the waiting car when Karasuma had returned after picking her up. The drive wasn't as silent as she had feared, the silence at the hospital was fine, it was different, there were people around. Going out, being out in the open left her with a level of unease. She shivered and pulled the suit jacket closer to her body. Karasuma noticed the movement and had increased the heater, he had been slowly increasing it up higher and higher as they drove. "Can I do anything?" he asked softly, watching from his perifile vision as she jerked her gaze toward his own, her knee bouncing in the passenger seat. She wouldn't be driving for a little while. She swallowed, hating the nausea that threatened to overwhelm her. She'd never been one to be car sick before. It was different, everything felt different.
More brief flashes of her memories were coming back to her and she tried to block them out, but it was too hard. She'd been bound by her hands in the passenger seat of a car...it had been the only logical option for Dimitri, dragging a human body through a park so early in the day, even if the likelihood of getting caught was low, he'd been trained better. Never leave anything to chance control the situation.
"I was put in a car... I didn't remember before," she said softly, the words caused Karasuma to curl his fingers tighter round the steering wheel, but he didn't dare interrupt her. "Sorry," came her whispered response as she curled her hands in her lap. "It's ok, you have nothing to apologize for," he cut in his right hand reaching out to gently cover her clenched hands and it was after a while that her fingers carefully curled around his much larger hand, they trembled and she'd turned her head away from him, her shaking shoulders told him all he needed to know and he could do little more than drive the rest of the way home. He felt so horribly useless. He hated this feeling.
Irina took a breath to control the emotion rolling through her, it wasn't just the fact of that, it was so much more than that, it was the events that would happen after the car ride. She remembered regaining consciousness somewhat in the passenger seat of a car and something gave herself away, a sound she couldn't stop. It came in the form of nausea, how she'd gagged before her conscious mind could stop her.
She dug her nails into her palm, so hard they bleed, the pain allowed her to refocus. "What happened at school today?" She asked after she was sure her voice wouldn't tremble.
Karasuma filled the silence with his tale of events for the day, but was careful to not mention the lady for their counseling that he had spoken with. He wanted to tell her, but he wasn't sure how to do that, just yet. Carefully the conversation moved to what she had done today and she told him about the walk they had taken and how at first she'd been annoyed that Karma was there, but that had changed as the day had worn on.
He decided to cook instead tonight and while Irina had given him a sceptical look, she didn't make a comment as they pulled into the house. For a little while she just sat staring, before she exited the car and made her way carefully inside with her crutches.
She made her way to her room as Karasuma got the rest of the luggage and she looked at her room and the bed before she left her crutches against the wall and carefully tested her weight again as she walked to the dresser. Her leg buckled at her weight on her second step and she felt herself falling the dresser was too far out of reach.
The sound of various objects clattering to the floor had her thrown back for a moment as she remembered the sound of running feet down the hallway, the heavy clamor of boots slamming against the wood, the fear that coursed through her as his body slammed into her own and she was pitched over the edge of landing.
The pain had her squeezing her eyes shut expecting far more pain and trying to remember to breathe. "Careful," Karasuma murmured, his tone low, his arm carefully curling along her middle, all too mindful of her chest wound, the stitches there. "Don't force your progress, "
His words brought her back, the warmth of his body pressed against her own, the touches light and safe. His fingers ran over her knuckles feather light, subconscious in some ways as he waited her out.
Not yet…but I don't have too much time. I can leave tomorrow night. Everything is ready...in place. I can push it back a few days.
Her back pressed against his chest, her fingers curling along his wrist. She hated the way her body trembled against his own, both craving the closeness and warmth he offered her and revolting against human contact at the same time.
"How can you do all this?" she muttered the words past her lips before she could stop them, it hadn't been exactly what she'd meant to ask him, what she'd meant to say at all. Her regret was instantaneous, but she couldn't take it back now.
"What do you mean?" he asked softly as he felt her fingers tighten along his wrist, her nails biting against his skin, but he paid none of that any mind, all that mattered was her and he still wasn't sure how to tell her that everything that happened, what was done to her, what she was going through, none of that changed anything for him, he still cared for her, was still in love with her...he only wished he'd done more for her, that he could take away everything that hurt her. He just wanted her to let him in a little, he wanted to help.
"You know what my file says," she whispered, refusing to look at him and instead she was staring at the wall at some random point. "Why are you doing all this for me, when you know what happened...you know I lied," she blinked trying to hold back the tears, it felt like all she was doing was crying lately. She couldn't even go to the bathroom by herself, she couldn't take a shower, she couldn't take care of herself, she had to rely on others...she couldn't even cry without a witness. She didn't want to feel like this, so out of control over her emotions, the smallest thing and she was back there in various stages of her capture.
Karasuma didn't react and kept his body relaxed, but she was right, he knew she lied, but there were various instances where she lied. His hold tightened slightly and he felt the first tear fall on his arm. "Why are you so nice to me?" she asked with a thickening of her voice as she felt her chest tighten and ache as she forced out the things she wanted to say, it was now or never.
"You don't deserve to put up with this...I don't know how to tell you what happened, you keep waiting, hoping for something…I can't give you." Irina pulled away from him and he let her go, his hands curling along her arms careful to keep her upright. "But, I don't know how to get over what happened. I can't stop shaking every time you come into the room, or when you hold my hand. I don't want to be like this…" her fingers had dropped his wrist when she'd pulled away from him and were balled at her side. He watched her lean against the dresser taking any pressure off her leg and allowing her to have her own balance.
"Irina," he called her name softly, watching the way her body trembled and he was rooted on the spot, not sure what to do, what he wanted to do was hold her as she cried, but if that sent her into a flashback, or triggered an attack, it certainly couldn't be labeled as helping her. Hopelessness and despair gripped him, and he was at a loss on what to do. "It's ok," he said softly, watching as her emotions flared across her face. He took a careful step forward, he was already close to her as it was and he raised his arm but stopped when she jerked involuntarily away from him.
Karasuma dropped his arm carefully to his side. "We'll get through this, it'll be ok." He kept his voice low, soft. He wished he knew where she was in her head, but she wouldn't talk to him.
When it was clear she wasn't going to speak, he did.
"Maybe-" he started and knew he had to continue. "You should consider talking with someone, a professional who can help," he said softly. "They help deal with trauma, the Ministry has someone," he let those words hang there between them.
"I wouldn't know where to start…" she whispered, her blue eyes meeting his own as she wiped under her eyes. "I can't even talk to you and I know you...I trust you," the words were a softer admission. "I'm sorry Tadaomi." He watched her and carefully reached out his palm cupping her cheek. "It's ok; there's no pressure," he whispered but it was clear after a moment that their was still so much she wanted to say.
Her fingers curled along his fingers that cupped her cheek, he felt the way they trembled as she held his hand, he was so angry for her, so angry at himself.
"I don't know if I can do what they want...they hired me to gather intel! Intel Karasuma, you know how that works! The doctors say the scarring might not fade. What if-" she gave a hiccupping sound as she twisted away from him, her hands curled against the dresser, her blonde locks wild around her shoulders. Her whole life was defined around her work, how useful she could be. She was too talented, too good to be at a desk, to be sidelined. She had to get back out there. "What if - I can't do my job, that I was hired to do, before everything happened...if I can't be useful, what if-" Irina was on the verge of a melt down and his fingers tightened along her upper arms from behind.
"It's -" he said, starting to feel more and more like a broken record. He couldn't, he didn't know what to tell her to make this all ok. Nothing was going to be ok! How was he supposed to help her when he didn't even know what to say to comfort her, to help her know that he didn't care about her job, her scaring, all he wanted was her alive and breathing and still here with him. How did he convey that it was all he wanted from her? He didn't want anything else from her.
"Stop saying that! Stop telling me it's going to be ok!" she raised her fist and brought her balled up hands down on his chest as she sobbed, her tears falling from her eyes, down her cheeks. "It's not ok! Nothing is ok!"
Her next strike hit him just above the eye and he didn't try to defend himself, her hits got weaker, softer as she wore herself out. She needed to let go of the anger she'd been holding onto since the attack.
Eventually he lifted her to the bed when she wore herself out, nearly unable to stand on her own two feet, unable to hit him and unable to cry anymore. He sat down beside her bed after he'd tucked her in, his back against the dresser and pressed his hand over his eyes as his own frustration, his own hopelessness overwhelmed him too.
A/N: I don't know why I got so hung up on this chapter. I'd had most of it written for a while before I posted the last one. It just wasn't quite going in the direction I wanted it to, and seemed almost too repetitive of what we've seen so far. I think I was over stressing over the fact that it may seem like too much of the same thing mentioned over and over, so I was then struggling with the flow and over thinking. So I'm so sorry! It shouldn't have taken so long to get this chapter up.
I hope you enjoy it and thanks for your patience.
Also unrelated, but I recently made a Tumblr account, still figuring that out but it's pretty neat now that I see how others use there's. My username on there is ajaviary.
