Author's Notes: Hey, there! I had quite a bit of fun writing this chapter, and it helped me understand some of what I've been trying to write. Because a confused writer is totally okay, right? Daxter gets his little alcoholic escapade (wow, that was almost poetic), and you guys get to understand some more about the Unfilled and Jessie. It's a win-win situation.
Daxter: What are you talking about? How is it a win-win?
Wild Cat 214: Because I said so. Now shut up and drink your whiskey.
Daxter: Fine.
I'm glad a lot of people seem to like my story, and I'm glad I decided to rewrite it. I'll let you in on a little bit of backstage info: the Ecolians were originally called the Predecessors, and they weren't going to appear until the second story, Dark Forces, where they would ask Jessie for help in taking physical form. They would do some more stuff, but that would be spoilers for what I have planned. Suffice it to say, what I had planned for our heroine was slightly disgusting and involved eating a lot of tiny Eco crystals. Don't ask where they came from. You really don't want to know.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Jak and Daxter franchise. That is Naughty Dog's property. Unfortunately.
"Let me make one thing clear. Channelers, Sages, and Vessels are very similar and very different. All can do amazing things related to Eco, but there are key distinctions between the three groups. Channelers can manipulate Eco in small amounts, but can frequently channel more than one type. Sages can channel only one type, but they can do so in larger amounts than channelers, and their skin is frequently discolored because of this. Vessels do not channel raw Eco, but instead use the Ecolians in their bodies to do similar things as the channelers and Sages, with a few exceptions." -Professor Cutter Erwin, during his lesson on the relationship between the Unfilled and Eco
The three of them stepped into the airlock, Daxter in his usual spot on Jak's shoulder and Jessie in the front, and as the door hissed shut behind them and the gear in the door before them slid into place, Jak decided to chance a question.
"So, uh, why did you decide to stop going on missions? You aren't that bad," he asked casually. She sighed, but didn't turn around. Her grip on the strap of the rifle did tighten, however, betraying her nervousness.
"Some things happened a year ago. Things I regret doing. That's all you need to know," the young woman replied curtly. The door opened, greeting them with a neutral "Decontamination complete" and Jessie thanking it, and they stepped through into the Water Slums. Once they were "safely" inside the wall, Jessie turned to look at them curiously.
"How old are you two, anyways?" she shot back, raising an eyebrow. Jak shrugged.
"Well, we've decided that I'm about the same age as Daxter, and it's been about two years since we came here, so we're... seventeen," he replied calmly. Her question was mystifying, but knowing someone's age never hurt anyone. She smirked then, and his suspicions rose.
"Heh. Guess what, boys? Your senior partner is younger than you. I'm sixteen, and so is Jamie. I trust you know Jamie?" Jessie informed them amusedly. They thought back to their recent past, and that's when it hit them.
"You mean that guy in the Power Room who helped us rescue Vin? Black hair with blue streaks and light blue eyes?" Daxter said, joining the conversation. She nodded, her grin growing wider.
"He's my twin brother. We're both Unfilled, and we're both in the Underground. While I do field work and help with weapons and vehicles, Jamie works with Vin to keep the city wall up and our communications out of Praxis' hands. It's better for both of us. My missions were mainly sabotage or transportation of goods and personnel, and his were generally related to info, so we don't have to go against our faith to help the cause," came her reply, more open than they had ever seen her in the roughly eight hours they had known her. Maybe watching each other's backs out at the Pumping Station had helped her relax. Whatever the reason, her statement only raised more questions.
"Unfilled? The hell is that?" Jak asked bemusedly. She gave the two of them an incredulous look. The only way she could have been more shocked was if she were stunned by a KG and then struck by lightning.
"You've been here for two years and you don't know who the Unfilled are? Were you living under a rock?" Jessie asked, still stunned by this knowledge. Jak scowled, the memories surging up with a bit of Dark Eco.
"No, I was in prison."
Instantly, her entire demeanor changed. She looked at the ground, then back up. One arm came up to hug him loosely.
"Sorry. I didn't know. The Unfilled are a group of people who sorta worship the Ecolians. Since you don't know what Unfilled means, I guess you don't know who the Ecolians are. They're these beings made of pure Eco. The Eco-quan, as they're sometimes called, work with chosen Unfilled called Vessels to preserve the balance of Eco in the world. In return, they give us advice and knowledge on current problems," she explained solemnly. The two boys were silent, digesting this new information, when – in unison – three stomachs rumbled their displeasure. Jessie glanced from Jak to Daxter and back, waiting, and then started giggling. The boys joined in, and soon they were all laughing quietly, ignoring the strange looks from the few repressed people passing by.
"I guess we all need some food. It's around noon, so that means it's lunchtime. Let me call Jumpy Jon and order for us ahead of time. What do you two want?" she asked, pulling out her com-unit. Jak ordered a burger with all the fixings, Daxter wanted a salad, and she got her usual Triple Hoggy Burger with no cheese and only ketchup, just the way she liked it.
"Okay, now we just have to go to the Hip Hog and pick it up. You boys ready?" The eager, hungry grins on their faces was the only answer she needed, and it made her smile. Maybe that whole "man's stomach" thing was right.
Jessie was still smiling when they got to the Hip Hog, though it had faded during the trip through the city. Knowing that Jak was just as much a victim of the Baron as she – more so, really – made it easier to understand why Torn and the Shadow had made her his partner. It had been the same with Max, kinda. Poor kid had been experimented on with Eco (Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green, thankfully, though it could have been worse) by people he had trusted once, and she had been the one to help him back onto his feet. Now he was in Kras City with a few others, getting outside help from the people there. Luna had transported them a few weeks ago.
"You okay, Jessie? You look like you just ate something bad," Daxter said, peering at her from Jak's shoulder plate. They had gotten off when she wasn't paying attention, right when they had parked outside the seedy bar, and now both were looking at her funnily. The ottsel seemed concerned, and Jak seemed a bit wary. Of what, she wasn't sure. Maybe how she would treat him now that she knew he had been imprisoned. Or how she would react to something else. The darkness she had seen in his eyes?
She shook herself and got off, discreetly turning on the parking brake. Something told her these two were the ones who had tried to take the Black Orchid the other day.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about my last partner. He's off in Kras City, so you don't need to worry about him getting all huffy over you being his replacements," Jessie replied, displaying more calm than she felt. "Now come on. I'm hungry enough that even Daxter is starting to look tasty."
Daxter's heated protests followed her into the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon and up to the bar, where a familiar blonde woman was busy cleaning things. The brunette nodded to her fellow Underground fighter. It was only when a few minutes had passed that Jak and Daxter finally joined her at the bar, probably held up outside the bar by some sort of petty argument over her statement. The ottsel half of the duo jumped off onto the countertop while his ride claimed the seat next to Jessie. Again, that feeling surfaced, but now that she was used to it, it was easier to force it down. Honestly, what was wrong with her? It had never been this way before, not even around the other men she had been attracted to in the two and a half years since Kyle. That was attraction. This was... something different. Something scarier.
Fortunately for our heroine, Daxter distracted her from her strange thoughts.
"Hey, sugarplum. You new here? Well, whatcha got that's, uh, hot, and... Wait. I've seen you before," he flirted, and at those last words, Tess' face turned from cheerful to worried. "You're with the Underground."
She put a finger to his mouth to shut him up.
"Shhhh! I'm Tess. Torn sent me to spy on Krew. Play along, and I may be able to get my hands on a few of Krew's secrets," the blonde woman explained quietly. During her little break from character, Jessie had seen the ottsel's eyes flit from her face to a spot about a foot lower, and she had, in return, rolled her own eyes. Men.
"Oooohh... I love 'undercover' work, baby!" he replied enthusiastically, gesturing with one paw that he was thinking about something else. "But, ah, two can work better than one. Lemme help you out." With that, he jumped down behind the bar, to Tess' giggles and Jak's eyeroll.
"Wow! There sure are a lot of bottles back here," Daxter commented. Jessie looked at the ceiling in silent prayer. This was not going to end well for the ottsel.
"Whew! Ooh, that's, oh, that, that goes down, ah..." Her partner's face slowly changed from one of concern to an awkward grin, and she did have to admit he wasn't half bad when he was smiling. Tess rolled her eyes.
"Ooh, boy, gee, ya s'pose that's real gold floatin' in there?" he asked, his voice slurred by the alcohol. Tess gave him a look of alarm as he chugged it down, and Jessie sighed.
"Is he always like this?" she murmured to Jak. He shrugged.
"Not that I'm aware of. But when it comes to women... well..." he replied, looking at the blonde woman out of the corner of his eye. She understood and nodded slowly.
"I see," she replied drily. He smiled again, that tiny little grin, and they went back to listening to Daxter drink more than he should.
"How 'bout this purple stuff?" The sounds of an entire bottle of what must have been some of Krew's special brew being drunk in one go came from wherever he had squirmed into, and he took a huge breath when he was done. At the same time, Jessie could feel the air shift behind her – Krew's remarkable mass floating through the air – and she and Jak turned.
"Jak, I need you and the talking rat to go around and make a few collections for me," he said hungrily, ignoring Jessie's presence. He was already familiar with her and knew she wouldn't go around talking about his business. After all, he employed her uncle, and while two mechanics could make a decent amount of money in the Stadium, it wouldn't be enough to feed three people and a muse, or to pay the bills for their apartment.
Daxter chose that moment to pop up from behind the bar, his face stuck in a cheesy, drunk grin. He waved loosely.
"Hey, there, five chins... How's crimes?" he slurred. Jak had to hide his silent chuckle behind a hand at the bemused glare on Krew's face, and Jessie smirked. Ah, now it began.
"What's his problem, 'ey?!" the crime lord asked grumpily. This seemed to rile up the ottsel, who hiccuped angrily (at least, as angrily as a hiccup can get) and climbed further onto the counter of the bar.
"Nothin'... I'm just fine... mind your own business..." he retorted fuzzily, flopping onto his back the next moment. "I sometimes feel so very..."
Jessie tuned out his drunken mumblings right then. Her uncle sometimes got like that after hitting the happy juice, and it was best to ignore whatever they said in the haze. Of course, sometimes they said really entertaining things, but right now, she was more interested in what Krew had to say to Jak.
"Listen, I have six 'clients' around town who are about to make money drops for me. I need you to collect each moneybag as fast as you can and 'take care' of any guards who get curious, mmmmmn. Get to a moneybag too late, and some townie might pick it up," he muttered to the young man who had been assigned to her, not noticing that both Jessie and Tess were listening to him, the latter slowly wiping the inside of a glass. The brunette rolled her eyes when she realized what he meant. It was just his usual round of collecting money owed him by some poor souls who hadn't realized just what sort of deal they were making with the devil. It sucked that Jak had to be involved, but that was life. Only Saffron and her Yellow Ecolians could tell what lay in store, and they weren't always very forthcoming with the information. Something about keeping the timestream from being too disrupted, and the fact that people who know the future tend to do crazy things.
"DRRYY!" Daxter cut in suddenly, startling the four people who weren't wetter than a fish. He looked at Krew lazily, trying to hold onto some thought that had coalesced from his drunken mind.
"Ya know what's da trouble with you, Krew? You got no vision... This place could be a real swingin' joint... Hop Heg Hiven with more dancin', more mac'n, more WOMEN!" the ottsel slurred, throwing one arm wide to indicate Jessie and Tess. The women he meant shared a look and went back to covertly listening to Krew and Jak talk, even as Daxter kept rambling and trying to do... something to Jak, who held up a hand to stop him.
"Just collect all 14 moneybags before they disappear and bring them back here. If you lose even one bag, then don't come back, 'ey!" the big gang lord (in both senses) ordered. After he floated away, Jak gave her a helpless look as Daxter began kissing his hand and declaring his love for his friend. She chuckled and picked Daxter up by the scruff of his neck.
"Go. We'll keep an eye on him and sober him up," Jessie said with a smirk, waving her hand to show he should get moving. He nodded and walked out of the bar, and she could hear the thrum of some other hover – not her precious baby – as he drove away.
As soon as Jak was out the door, Tess leaned over the bar conspiratorially.
"So, who's the guy?" she whispered excitedly. Jessie recoiled and gave her a confused stare.
"W-what? What are you talking about?" she stammered uncertainly. The blonde woman rolled her eyes.
"Jessie, I haven't seen you smile like this since... well..." she trailed off, trying to avoid mentioning Kyle. "Since a long time ago." The only sounds in the bar were the muted music, the soft background noise of the Port and the street outside, and Daxter's inebriated mutterings; Jessie had gone tight-lipped at the thought of her ex. The man who had betrayed her trust so many times over with his lies.
"Promise you won't tell anyone?" she murmured. Tess nodded rapidly and Jessie sighed, unsure how to put voice to her thoughts.
"I dunno. Jak... he makes me feel like I've drunk an entire bottle of Tabasco sauce. Alive and kicking, you know? But there's more to it than that. The feeling I get... it's not like anything else I've known. I want to, I don't know, get as close to him as I physically can, glue myself to his side, always be near him. I don't think it's love, but... it started right when I first met him face to face. Do you have any idea what it is?" Jessie asked bemusedly. Her comrade frowned with the great effort known as human thought (a strenuous feat undertook by all and accomplished by few) then shrugged.
"Not really. But you're his partner, right? Maybe you can figure it out while you're working together," Tess supplied helpfully. The younger woman chuckled drily and brushed some hair out of her face.
"Maybe, Tess. Just maybe. If we don't kill each other before then," she joked, grinning widely. Her friend giggled, and that seemed to make Daxter recover from his little stunt with the booze.
"Whoa... I'm never doing that again," he mumbled, shaking his head to clear away some of the fuzziness that still remained. Jessie snickered.
"Aw, did poor Daxter get a hangover? That's what happens when you drink too much. Cases like this are one of the reasons I'm glad the Unfilled don't let you drink until you're eighteen and already past the whole Vessel initiation thing," she admitted gratefully. The ottsel gave her a funny look.
"Seriously? No wonder you're kinda uptight. None whatsoever?" Daxter asked doubtfully. She nodded.
"It's not so much a no-hangovers sort of thing, but more a no-polluting-the-body thing. If a potential Vessel is tainted in some way, the Ecolians won't choose them, even if they're, personality-wise, a better candidate than their competition. Same thing for tobacco products, drugs, and sex. None of it until you've either been rejected or initiated. It's one big abstinence program. Of course, for the initiated, there are some limits. They can have sex, and they can drink alcohol, but not too much. They want to make sure the connection stays strong, and defiling the body, as my teachers put it, weakens that link between Vessel and Ecolian," Jessie explained casually, rattling off what she had learned at age twelve. He and Tess nodded slowly, understanding part of it.
"Do a lot of the rejected Unfilled become heavy drinkers, then?" she asked. Jessie shook her head.
"About 99 percent of the time, no. The values that are imprinted onto our minds usually means that adults who don't become Vessels don't immediately start binge drinking and chain smoking. Sometimes, they even become minor sorts of Vessels, I guess, in that they establish a connection with an Ecolian. The Vessels are considered special because they connect to the highest ranking Ecolians of each type of Eco, the cardinals, but anyone who's Unfilled can potentially 'channel' an Ecolian. It all just depends on the person." She was used to explaining her religion to non-Unfilled – after all, most of the Unfilled were either dead or living somewhere like Kras City, having escaped Praxis' regime – so when Daxter raised a hand, she nodded.
"Yeah, Daxter?"
"When you say 'channel,' what do you mean?" he asked carefully. The young woman shrugged, and as Tess went into the back to get something from the kitchen, she explained.
"Well, you've heard of Sages and channelers, right? Sages can 'channel' a lot of a specific type of Eco, which usually colors their skin, and channelers are like minor versions of that. Mar was a channeler, and legends say he could channel all six types of Eco. The Unfilled, especially the Vessels, have a version of that with the Ecolians. We can't actually manipulate raw Eco, but since the Eco-quan are technically living Eco and can manipulate their bodies on their own, when one is inside a Vessel, that person can do things related to that type of Eco. Sometimes they get special weapons, or skills, or can even manipulate the element associated with that type of Eco," Jessie replied enthusiastically. She had always liked learning about this part of being a Vessel, how they were both similar and different to the legendary Sages and channelers of Mar's time.
"Cool. You know, Jak's a channeler. Or at least, he used to be. I don't really know if he is anymore," Daxter commented offhandedly. Her eyes widened in shock.
"Seriously? That's incredible! What could he channel?" she inquired eagerly.
"What could who channel?" the young man's voice called out across the room. They turned to see Jak walking back into the bar, a large bag of money in his hand. His friend waved, and she grinned.
"You. Daxter says you could channel, and I wanted to know what type," Jessie told him warmly. He scowled and sat down at the bar, letting the ottsel get back onto his shoulder.
"The four basic types, and Light Eco, but that was... a long time ago," Jak replied. Her jaw dropped.
"No way... you mean you could actually channel Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, and Light Eco? I am officially impressed." He gave her a funny look, but before he could ask her what she meant, Krew floated down.
"Mmmm. Quite the money collectors, 'ey? Here's a gun upgrade. Now get out! I need my beauty nap," he ordered, tossing Jak what looked like an ammo capacity increase. He was almost asking for what Daxter said next.
"Trust me, brother. There aren't enough hours in the day," he quipped, earning a smothered giggle from Jessie and a smirk from Jak. The Unfilled girl could almost feel the furious embarrassment coming off his rolls of fat, and made sure he was completely gone before she looked at them. Just when she was about to ask Jak how it went, her com-unit beeped. She pulled it out and nearly smacked her head when she realized just how late it was. She still had to meet Keira at the garage!
Her stomach growled unhappily and reminded her of another thing she needed to do.
"Precursors! Jak, I'm gonna go get us some food, and then I have to go. I forgot I had to meet someone today," she rushed, jumping to her feet and nearly running into the kitchen. Tess was carrying four glasses of water on a tray, but when she saw Jessie run inside, she stopped and stared at her quizzically.
"Jessie? What's wrong?" the blonde asked. She smiled nervously and saw their food sitting on the counter nearest the back. Jumpy Jon had already made their food and had marked which box was which, so she simply grabbed them and shot her friend a sheepish look.
"I have to go. See you later?" she answered. Tess nodded brightly.
"See you!" she chirped. Jessie nodded and hurried out the door. She quickly placed the two boys' food in front of them and waved hurriedly.
"I'll see you guys when I see ya. Don't get in too much trouble without me," she called out just before exiting the bar. One hand loaded her food into the small compartment below her seat and the other released the parking brake; she swung one leg over the seat and sat down, then began racing towards the Stadium. There, Keira was waiting near the entrance to their garage, tapping one foot against the ground.
"There you are! I've been waiting for hours!" the teal-haired woman grumbled affably. Jessie rolled her eyes.
"No, you haven't. I checked your hover. The engine was still warm," she retorted cheerfully. The two women smiled at each other, and as Jessie pushed herself up onto the hover lift Keira stood by, they began talking.
"So, why did you not want that racer yesterday?" she asked straightforwardly. The other young woman flushed and folded her arms across her chest.
"Well, you see, uh... it's kinda embarrassing," Keira began awkwardly. Her friend rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, so? I've heard some pretty weird shit, Keira. You would not believe some of the things that go on in this city," she countered, not willing to let her worm her way out of the explanation. The teal-haired woman sighed.
"I didn't want you to be replaced by some new guy I barely know. You were one of my first friends when I came here, Jessie, and you mean a lot to me. Jamie, as well. I didn't want him to go if he didn't like your replacement," she said, blushing bright pink all the while. Our heroine grinned impishly. So Keira did like Jamie, at least a little bit. Maybe more than a bit, but she had to proceed carefully.
"Oh, I think he would have stayed, even if he hated the guy. Jamie's a good guy, and he'd never leave you over something petty like that," Jessie said casually, looking over at his station in the garage. It was meticulously clean, with every tool and every part in its own place, much like Jamie's attitude toward the world. He always thought that everything had a place in the universe, even if they couldn't find it at the moment. It was why he was so good at helping Vin; his relaxed personality helped calm the technological genius down enough to stay normal. It was also why she thought Jamie and Keira should totally get together. The teal-haired woman needed someone she could rely on in this crazy city, and her brother was definitely reliable. Of course, there was also her own personal feelings in the matter, and her revulsion towards Erol, but those were minor things.
"You think so? Well, then, I'll try my best. But this guy didn't seem very nice," Keira replied distastefully. Jessie shrugged. Jak wasn't the nicest guy in the city, that's for sure, but he was a good person. She could feel it, in that part of her that still believed what her parents had said about blue eyes. Heroes were blessed with eyes of blue, and the fact that Jak had once been a channeler supported that idea. Historically, channelers had always ended up helping others and becoming heroes. Who's to say it wouldn't happen to her partner?
"Eh, he's not so bad, once you get to know him. I met him earlier. He wanted to use the JET-Board again, but I turned him away, seeing as you weren't here," she replied coolly. Keira rolled her eyes and stretched, raising her arms over her head.
"If you say so. I still have my doubts," she said skeptically. Jessie nodded.
"And I don't blame you. I'm still not sure about him myself. Now, when he comes again, you promise to at least be civil toward him? I don't want you to miss out on the races again because of me," she asked, holding out a hand. Her friend nodded and shook the outstretched hand.
"It's a promise. Now, I'm gonna take the JET-Board and tune it up a bit, make sure it's ready for more use. Say hi to Jamie for me," the young woman said kindly. She grinned.
"I will. See you later, boss!"
"Don't call me that!"
Jessie laughed as she left the Stadium garage and went home. Hearing that Jak had been a channeler had reminded her, distantly, of a book her parents' had owned that talked about channelers throughout history.
Jessie sat up in her bed, turning a page in the book every so often as Sparkle buzzed happily against her side. Eventually, she got to the part she was looking for, the one on famous channelers throughout history.
"There have only been five instances where a channeler saved the world. The first was a nameless hero who kept the Dark Eco Sages Gol and Maia from opening a Dark Eco Silo and unleashing Dark Eco upon the world. The second was Mar, founder of Haven City and the first in a long line of just rulers of the city. The third was Mar's great-great-great-great-granddaughter, Lyra, who used her powers to drive off an especially large Metal Head force when they attacked the city. The fourth was her son, Wyll, who improved upon the Eco Grid that sustains Haven City and protects it from outside threats. The fifth was a young woman in Kras City who used her powers to help hundreds of people after a particularly spectacular incident during a Combat Racing Championship event. These moments were generally times of great crisis for humanity, and illustrate the importance of channelers to the human race. However, as time passed, the channeling trait began to die out as more and more channelers were killed by Metal Heads or betrayed by their own kind, and today, few lines outside of the House of Mar are capable of channeling Eco."
Comprehension was slow to come to the girl, but eventually it did. Jak was probably a member of those other family lines that could channel. He couldn't be a part of the House of Mar. After all, the king and queen were dead, had been for over three years, and their five year old child was missing. Jessie couldn't remember the king's name (she had met him once, when she was four, and didn't even remember his face), but she knew the queen's name. Zena. She had been a Light Unfilled, having formed a connection to a minor Light Ecolian, and she had used that link to help with politics and other volatile parts of being a queen of Haven City. The Unfilled had mourned her death greatly when the Eco pox had taken her, not three months before the Dead Town Tragedy that claimed the lives of their six Vessels.
That reminder of her parents' deaths made Jessie cringe. She and Jamie had had something else happen that fateful day. More than just the deaths of the six Vessels had occurred, but they would never admit it. Not when revealing the truth, telling her people about the green mark on her chest that was only visible in mirrors, might result in her being banished to the Wasteland. Breaking the rules of the Unfilled, especially the one concerning channeling the cardinals, could be disastrous. They were rules for a reason.
So Jessie dogeared the book, placed it on her nightstand, and turned off the light, curling up underneath her blankets numbly. While she slept, something inside of her churned, using the pain in her heart to worsen the bad dreams, and in her nightmares, two people kept reappearing.
Jak... and the nameless child.
Author's Notes: Reviews! YAY!
rosewhip889 (chapter 7, Apr. 15) – Yeah, Jak does need to be knocked down a few pegs sometimes. Jessie isn't really the sort of girl to take crap from any guy. I mean, she does have a twin brother and an uncle as her only family, so Jak isn't too much for her to handle. Especially when that uncle is Jinx. And thanks for the compliments! :D
Guest (chapter 7, Apr. 16) – Why, thank you, I quite liked it myself. From a gamer's perspective, some of those missions were flipping hard! Like when you need to transport the four Underground agents to new safe houses, or when you're in the Water Slums after you get a piece of the Seal and you have to fight the KG. Although, that last one wasn't really a mission from Torn... but it was still really hard!
But yeah, no matter if it's good or bad, they gotta start somewhere. This is that place.
Basket in a Nutcase (chapter 7, Apr. 16) – WOOT! WOOT WOOT, WOOT, WOOT!
I'm glad we had this talk :3
(chapter 7, Apr. 20) – It makes me happy, too :3 I'll do my best to meet your expectations!
Wild Cat 214, out!