AN: Hey so, long time no see. I was waiting on posting the next chapter until the rest of Season 2 finished. As you probably saw with my last chapter, the day after I posted it, the episode where Darius makes Hunter get friends occurs, and I somehow ended up predicting part of the show. Albeit with Lilith in Darius' place. Still, I didn't want to risk writing anymore unless I accidently overwrote some important plots point yet to be revealed, and boy am I glad I did so. I had originally planned on having James try and add some of king's blood to himself in order to harness his psionic powers, but know I know that SPOILERS! King is a Titan, and that probably would have fucked up a lot. So, where does that leave this story? Well, I'm going to continue it, but it's going to undergo a bit of reworking. A couple of plot points had to be scrapped, some reworked, and a lot more made to take their place. Right now, I'm working with just a series of unconnected, and unorganized scenes that I want to play out, but I'm not fully aware on how I'm going to connect them. What this boils down to is that I'm going to try to continue to write this story, but if something comes up where it contradicts the original show, its most likely part of the old 'script' that was too integral to the story to scrap. I hope you all will still enjoy reading this, as while my other story may have taken off more than this one, this one still holds a special place in my heart, as the first story I wrote.
Gobert600: Alright, I've gotten your vote written down for Emira.
RWBY SHIPING TRASH: Thanks, I'm glad someone appreciated it!
Muminpappan: Sorry it took so long to create more of it, but I wanted to make sure I didn't break the established canon too much yet. Also, Yes! I'm very excited to write about the Collector, feels like a great blank slate to create a lot of different ideologies that fit within its childlike personality.
Tempace: Alright, I've gotten your vote written down for Emira, Viney, and I guess both. I wasn't planning on doing a polyamorous ship as I don't have much experience writing, but if there are enough votes for it, I will do so.
Guest (A): Alright, I've gotten your vote written down for Viney.
the Neutrals: Thanks, that means a lot to hear. I know these chapters can be short sometimes, but I really do spend a lot of time on them.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the intellectual properties mentioned here. Please don't sue me.
~The Owl House Basement~
"-and that about finishes up what happened." James concluded. He had left out the parts of him meeting Death, Hunter, and the weird visions he kept having, but told her the rest. James was internally beating himself up for having already fucked with the plot by meeting Hunter so early and befriending him no less.
But yeah, James was pretty sure he was going to need therapy after his visit with Death. Maybe the Boiling Isle's had a therapist who would offer a group deal for him and Hunter.
Mainly though, James wasn't sure how he was supposed to explain what was happening to him. He could subconsciously see it, he was acting differently, far more reckless, and different parts of his personality seemed to fade in and out of reach. Before, the idea of breaking any sort of law on purpose would have made him physically sick, yet now, he had broken several. All with a smile on his face. He didn't feel like he was becoming evil or anything like that, no, just losing inhibitions. James considered if he was possibly 'drunk with power' and that this was the 'real' him shining through, but deep down, he that wasn't true. Sure, the power trip probably wasn't helping the situation, but James could tell there was something underlying it. All that he knew now, was that he knew nothing of what had caused this, but with the increasing frequency of the visions, he had to do something, and fast.
Luz steepled her hands before her face as she finished listening to James' tale. The witch in training sucked in a deep breath, sighed, and responded, "You're grounded."
...
"...Uh, what?" James eloquently replied.
"You nearly died! There is no way I'm allowing you to go anywhere outside of the Owl House." Luz ranted, waving her arms around for emphasis.
"Hey!" James cried out indignantly, "You nearly did the same! Besides, I'm the older sibling, and I'm the one who granted you permission to even stay here."
Luz grew a cheeky smirk, "Technically, you've only had 5 birthdays. While I have had 14."
"Luz, that's not how leap-years' work, and y'know that. However, because I know you won't stop asking about it until I do so, I will stay at the Owl House for the day. Now, enough of this about you trying to ground me, you said earlier that you learned magic." James redirected the conversation.
"Oh! Look! Look!" Luz giddily exclaimed as she grabbed one of the papers off of James' desk and scribbled out the light glyph. Then, with a whole lot of unneeded flourish, Luz activated it, creating a small glowing orb in her palm.
"Nice luz! See, I told you that you would figure out this magic stuff soon enough." James complimented. "Hey, do you mind if I try?"
"No, go right ahead." Luz passed him a piece of paper and the pen.
While not an amazing artist, James was able to draw out the glyph with minimal wavy lines. Then, tapping it with is forefinger, James confirmed one of his theories about the Boiling Isles and Glyphs. Having cast a couple of spells, James recognized how magic felt under his hands, perhaps not as adeptly as other magic users, but more than a barbarian for sure. So, in the split second as the glyph activated, James was able to feel the magic flow along the constructed image. The lines acted as circuits, the different intersections were like if/then and 'and' gates in a program. All of them instructed, guided, and formed the magic in the air into the desired format to create light.
James held the orb in his hands, it was somehow even more exhilarating then casting his first spell. The light in his hands felt like a paradox, for it was pure light, and yet it felt heavy for its size. However, even though it was heavy, it still floated when he released it. Most notably though, it had no heat. James wasn't sure how long he sat staring at the wonderous creation in his hands, all he knew was that Luz eventually shook his shoulder to rouse him from his thoughts.
"You okay there James?" Luz asked, a hint of her earlier concern marring her face. The light from the orb casting stark shadows upon her features.
"Yeah, this is just... so amazing." James answered in candid wonder.
Luz blushed at the praise, before denying James' compliment, "Aw, it's not that cool. It's nothing like your new powers."
"Yes, its nothing like my new powers," James agreed, "Its something even greater. This is something that hasn't been created by anyone before, or at least not for a long time. My powers came from pure luck at finding an artifact someone else made. This though, you figured out yourself. From what you said Eda told you, this could very well be the origins of Homo-Titan's use of magic."
"Wait, Homo-Titan?" Luz asked puzzled.
"Yes, the scientific name for the Witches of the Boiling Isles." James answered nonchalantly, as he began writing down his observations in the blank journal he had brought from Midgard.
"When did you learn that? Did Eda tell you about it?" Luz further pressed.
"Nope, I made it up myself." James answered as he wrote down a couple of notes on various experiments to test. "I realized that there was no way that the Witches of the Boiling Isles and Humans of Midgard could be unrelated. They are too similar, they speak the same language, look relatively Human, have Human emotions, and well... I haven't exactly tested this last one, but I theorize that they are most likely able to procreate with humans. I believe that Witches are merely a small enclave of Humans who were separated from the main population many years ago, trapped on the Boiling Isles. Then evolution occurs, accelerated by the isolation of a small population, add in latent magic present in the air, and it's not farfetched to suggest that the isolated population would end up looking like the Witches that walk the isles now. So, I gave them the name Homo-Titan, in honor of the creature that I believe holds the key of Humans transforming into Witches."
"Okay, y'know James, I'm all for complicated lore, but don't you want to look into the more flashy parts of magic. I mean, you said that you're an artificer now, so you can make magic items and magic guns!" Luz suggested, waving her hands like a showman.
James pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, knowing where Luz was leading the conversation, "Luz, I'm not making you a chicken gun."
"What?! That wasn't even what I was going to say." Luz denied vehemently.
"Really, then what were you going to say?" James asked dubiously, raising an eyebrow at his honorary sister.
"...Can you make an otter gun." Luz asked hesitantly.
"Get out." James responded dryly as he facepalmed.
~A few minutes later~
"Test Log, project: Gemini, Test: 001. Application of other material components as mediums for Glyph use. Starting with the air itself, I have carved channels into a piece of scrap wood in the pattern of Glyph 01, Lux... correction, Glyph 01, Luz. Commencing test." James spoke outload in the basement. Carving the wood with the tools he had brought from Midgard, James was pleasantly surprised to see that he got a bit of experience for the woodcarving proficiency. Hooty was in one corner, pen in his mouth writing out the words James dictated to him, into the journal. Somehow, even with Hooty writing with his mouth, the demon's handwriting was still better than James' own. Placing his hand down onto the board and starting the stopwatch in his other hand simultaneously, James watched in fascination as the air itself glowed in the channels of the board. The Glyph lighting up was significantly slower than the paper, and it looked almost like honey moving in-between the channels, but it eventually lit up and James paused the stopwatch.
"Experiment results: Notable increased duration in activation time of Glyph, taking 7.23 seconds to fully ignite. The magically charged air displays a viscous property as it filled the channels. The wooden medium itself, unlike paper, had not imploded upon use, and merely left the channels glowing. Further experimentation into the duration of an activated Glyph will be performed at a later date." James spoke as he observed the magic before him. Tapping the wood once more saw it deactivate, and James stood up. Walking over to the pile of junk scrap that he had moved out of the way to create his corner of the basement, James grabbed a piece of string.
Returning to the center of the room and organizing the string until it made the shape of the light Glyph, James continued, "Test Log, project: Gemini, Test: 002. Application of other material components as mediums for Glyph use...
~A few hours later~
"Test Log, project: Gemini, Current Research Conclusion: 01. Through the past... How many tests again, Hooty?" James called over.
Blagh! Hooty spat the pen out of his mouth, "46, best friend and co-researcher James." Hooty answered enthusiastically. Having gotten really in to the secret research aesthetic going on.
"Yes, Through the past 46 tests, I have concluded that Mana in its natural state, acts remarkably similar to electricity, in the mediums that it conducts through. As such the following property will henceforth in the test logs be referred to as Mana conductivity. The findings themselves were that most metals transferred Mana faster than organic materials. Test 34 and 35 showed that gold and silver seem to be the most efficient Mana conductors, with gold barely faster. While a luminosity measuring device was not on hand for these tests, the eyes of my co-researcher Hooty and myself, have determined that the brightness/intensity of the light was directly correlated to the speed of activation. This concludes this round of testing on project: Gemini, end of transcript." James sounded aloud.
James listened to the sound of scribbling as Hooty finished writing, eventually the pen fell from the bird tube's mouth, "All done."
"Thank you Hooty, you've been a big help. Why don't you head up stair and have some of the leftover chocolate lava cake I made last night?" James offered. Funnily enough, there was actual 'chocolate lava' present on the boiling isles. Eda had said that it was the result of some magical mishap back during the Savage Ages.
"Really?! YES!" Hooty quickly darted up the stairs, the rest of his tubing trailing behind him.
Once Hooty was gone, James picked up the book. After brushing through a few pages, he eventually found a blank one and began writing, "Glyph 01, Lux/Luz, Light. Discovered by Luz Noceda, the following Glyph has shown to have the effects of producing a bright orb when created upon a material of poor sheer and compressive strength, resulting in it collapsing in upon itself. When created upon a material of stronger sheer and compressive strength, the Glyph along with any other interconnected related material, will illuminate." Then, delicately, James glued down one of the 'failed' tests from earlier. It was a sheet of rubber cut out to form the Glyph, and even after holding his hand on it for over 4 minutes, it had never begun any form of activation. So, James had kept it in order to act as a reference for the Glyph, without having to worry about accidental activation when handling his research.
Quietly walking up the steps from the basement and making his way outside, James looked for a secluded area of the forest for testing. Picking up a stick off of the ground once he was far enough away, James took out his phone and copied the image he had seen in the fireworks from the Conformatorium, within the earth at his feet. Then, placing the stick in the dirt at the edge of the circle, James began to walk away, creating a long trailing line behind him. Then, stepping away from the main test, James drew a small light glyph, and a line trailing out from it as well. Placing his hand on the end of the trail, James was momentarily disappointed that his idea of using long lines going away from the circle as fuses didn't work. However, he did remember that whenever he activated a glyph, it always started from the edge of the circle inward. Starting to draw a second light Glyph at the other end of the line, James stopped, only a circle was engraved in the earth. Curious if it would work, James placed his palm down and watched as the circle glowed, before following the trail to the light Glyph which created a small orb of light above it.
Making his way back to the light Glyph and then flipping the pages a few times to account for Luz' yet undiscovered Fire, Ice, and Plant Glyphs, James began writing once more. "Glyph 05, Non Scriptum, Blank. Discovered by James Alderson, the following Glyph has shown to have the effect of acting as a blank activation switch, when used in conjunction with a fuse/wire line. Currently hypothesized to act as a neutral Glyph or base to all other Glyphs, but further testing is required." Then, returning to the original Glyph setup he had created, James wrote out the new Blank Glyph at the end of the wire. Considering the 30ft back he was as safe enough for the test, James activated the Glyph. He watched as the circle glowed before slowly travelling along the line, all before... BOOM!
The sound alone rattled the trees and earth around James. The shockwave sent buffeting winds the stung at James' eyes. The explosion itself had left a crater that James would later measure to be 15ft in radius, in a near perfect hemisphere of the ground. James listened as the animals that had been disturbed by the explosion gradually settled and calmed once more, the dust from the explosion caking the plants around the crater. Taking out his journal once more, James turned to the next page. "Glyph 06, Crepitus, Explosion. Discovered by James Alderson, the following Glyph has shown to have the effect of creating an explosive charge relevant to the size of the Glyph created. Testing alongside other Glyphs is to be postponed until better understanding of basic Glyph conjunction is understood."
~The Owl House~
Returning to the Owl House, James made his way down into the basement. Setting the plate armor on a workbench near the anvil and setting up some pictures he had printed out from home, James began working on the basic modifications to his armor. He currently didn't have a source of heat powerful enough to do any proper forging, but he could start hammering and knocking off the various vanity motifs placed on the armor. James was getting rid of all the bright golden fleur de lis symbols, as the whole point of the armor was for it to be stealthy. Then, with a bit of black, dark green, and deep purple paint, the basic changes were made. Quickly he did the same to a shield he had grabbed from the Armory as well. Then, grabbing his smith's tools once more, James turned it into Arcane Armor.
James watched as the armor transformed for the second time. However, with the desired goal from his references in mind, and the already made modifications, the end result was quite different. The armor was form fitting of a deep black material, a metal cloth, like an extremely finely woven chainmail. His shins, thighs, forearms, and upper arms, were covered in sleek, ridged deep purple armor plates. Glowing green lines ran between the seams of the armor, all leading into the bright center orb on his chest piece. The lightning launcher itself glowed an alternating purple and green hue in the center of his chest, covered in a dark mesh in order to dim the light of it. The helmet of the armor was the same as the rest, highlighted with various accents of color.
Tapping the armor with his hammer, James watched as the front of it melted away from the stand, he had placed it on. Then, walking into his place within it, James felt as it closed back up, the armor forming perfectly around him.
Stretching his arms out and walking around a bit, James felt how far less clunky the armor was now. Excited to see if it worked, James checked his stats.
Character Name: James (Alder's Son) Alderson
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Race: Human (Variant)
Class: Artificer [Armorer] (Spell Attack: 5) and (Spell Save DC: 13)
Level: [3] 1425/2,700Exp
HP: 24/24 (Hit Dice: 3D8)
AC: 19 = 18 (Arcane Armor/Plate Armor) + 1 (Shield)
Speed: 35 feet = 30 (Racial Speed) + 5 (Infiltrator Arcane Armor)
Initiative: +2
Proficiency: +2
Saving Throws: Int and Con.
Str: 10 (0)
Dex: 14 (+2)
Con: 14 (+2)
Int: 16 (+3)
Wis: 12 (+1)
Chr: 10 (0)
Languages: English, Spanish, and Latin.
Skill Proficiency: Arcana, Animal Handling, Perception, Performance, Nature, and Medicine.
Armor Proficiency: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, and Shields.
Feat: Fey Touched [+1 int, cast Misty Step once per long rest, and cast Compelled Duel once per long rest]
Weapon Proficiency: Simple Weapons and Firearms.
Tool Proficiency: Thieves' Tools, Smith's Tools, Tinker's Tools, Alchemist's Supplies, Guitar, Piano, Singing, and Cook's Utensils.
Equipment: Hand Axe, Jester Mask, Denial of Deceivers Doubloon, Old Cloak, Light Crossbow, 20 Bolts, Studded Leather Armor, Wood Carver's Tools, Thieves' Tools, The Holy Grail, Arcane Armor (Plate Armor), Trotting Talisman, Bag of Holding, M1 Garand (50 Rounds), Colt Revolver (12 Rounds), and Dungeoneer's Pack.
Cantrips: Prestidigitation and Fire Bolt.
First Level Spells: [Slots: 3/3] Absorb Elements, Magic Missile (Artificer Specialist Spell: Always Prepared), Identify, Thunderwave (Artificer Specialist Spell: Always Prepared), Tasha's Caustic Brew, Arcane Weapon, and Feather Fall.
Infusions Known: Enhanced Arcane Focus, Repeating Shot, Returning Weapon, and Enhanced Defense.
Flexing his armored fingers, James considered his next move. He had no idea on truly how powerful Belos was. Though he could assume that he was at least stronger than Lilith and Eda, which was pretty terrifying. However, James also considered the strength he held from his position of power on the Boiling Isles. That was the main thing that James wanted to work on weakening, which meant either removing his base and those who support him or destroying the physical embodiments of that power. All the Emperor's Coven guard bases, towers, prisons, strongholds and more. For that, James knew he would need some help, and he already had a group in mind for it.
Finishing up his preparations, James infused his M1 Garand with Repeating Shot and Arcane Focus, removing the infusions he had on the other items.
Now, he needed to figure out a way to get into contact with the B.A.T.S., which he currently had no idea on how to do so. James doubted that they would return to the same pub after they had nearly been caught there last time. James considered just going out into Bonesborough looking for any of the rebel group's members but remembered that he promised Luz he would stay at the Owl House for that day. Sure, he left to go into the forest, but it was only like 50ft off of the building.
James thought out loud, "Hmm, well I guess I can work on-No! No, you promised yourself to work on it. Stop putting it off." James corrected himself midway through. Then, taking a deep breath, he began again, writing in the back of the journal as he did so. "Test Log, project: Delta, Entry: 001. Current symptoms of unknown ailment afflicting myself are: Severe loss in inhibitions, spontaneous bouts of intense drowsiness followed by hallucinations, emotional volatility, lapses in long-term memory, and overall personality distortion." James stood silently in the basement, thinking to himself before hunching back over his desk and continuing his writing, "Test Log, project: Delta, Entry: 002. Possible causes of the symptoms afflicting myself are: Altering of Soul Epsilon (The soul that travelled to the current universe) when crossing over from Universe Epsilon to Theta, Altering of Souls Epsilon and Theta (The soul that originates from the current universe) during the merge of the two souls, Bipolar disorder since I do fall into the age range that it usually presents, and finally the most likely explanation, the activation of the Artifact and the error in the data on my background."
Pushing off from the desk, James began to pace the basement floor, the stone tile ringing out against the impact of his heels. The sound echoed in a rhythmic pattern, like clockwork it continued, before James stopped and once more began to speak. This time, he braced the bottom of the book against his sternum so that he could write while standing. "Test Log, project: Delta, Entry: 003. Possible cures to the symptoms afflicting myself assuming the cause is the artifact are: Destruction of the Artifact though last resort due to possible harm it could cause, Fixing the Artifact if the origin of the error can be found, and finally... ... Letting the hallucinations play out in order for the Artifact to resolve the issue itself." James paused at the odd feeling he got, "Test Log, project: Delta, Entry: 004. Observation of possible additional symptoms. Parts of my psyche feel a strong aversion to the idea of allowing the hallucinations to occur. Possible explanations are a mental parasite that is implanting suggestions in order to preserve its life, or an unconscious worry that submitting myself to the hallucinations will allow them to take a stronger and possible more permanent hold on my mind. For now, I will look into fixing any malfunctions I find in the Artifact, if any, since it is safer then submitting to the hallucinations." Closing the book with a poignant thunk, James tucked it into the desk drawer and began walking up the steps from the basement.
Making his way into the kitchen after shutting the basement door, James came across Hooty passed out upon the table. Chocolate stains cascaded across Hooty's face and tubing, like small waterfalls they created divots in his fur before dripping off onto the floor. More than a few casts of Prestidigitation later and a lot of heaving, James had deposited most of Hooty's body onto the living room couch. Returning to the kitchen, James pulled a few ingredients out of the cupboard and fridge and began working. The Boiling Isles seemed to have a rough equivalent for most ingredients that could be found on Midgard, albeit with some form of supernatural twist. Apples containing blood instead of juice, broccoli was the hair of tiny dryads, and cinnamon... Well surprisingly enough cinnamon was just cinnamon. According to Eda, the spice was similar to giraffes in that it originated on the Boiling Isles. It wasn't kicked out of the Demon realm though and had just happened to have made its way to Midgard, James guessed through a wild portal. James, grabbing the meat the he didn't dare question the origin of, plopped it into the finished container of marinade before setting it all in the fridge.
Crash! "Were Back!" James heard Eda call as the door was slammed open.
"Dinner will be ready in about 2 hours," Noticing Eda was digging in the fridge looking for something, James called over to her. "If you're looking for the chocolate lava cake, Hooty already ate it earlier today."
"Damn bird!" Was Eda's disgruntled response.
Sitting on the couch, James watched as Luz giddily ran upstairs without a word. "What's up with her?"
"Oh, she's just happy that she's still able to practice magic after nearly being caught in an Everlasting Oath from a Witches Duel." Eda replied from the doorway, munching on a churro she had found.
"Hmm... and how did that happen?" James asked noncommittally, now recognizing the episode they were on.
"She got in a fight with some apprentice Witch, turns out she is learning from my sister." Eda answered as she pushed Hooty off of the couch to make space to sit down.
"Ah! And I'm sure Luz was excited to hear the backstory behind your what is probably complicated relationship with her?" James hypothesized.
"Yep, wouldn't stop asking questions the whole way home. Is that normal for Humans?" Eda questioned.
"Being nosey? Absolutely. Most of us don't understand the idea of personal space or privacy. Circling back to the Witch, so Luz got in a fight with them, correct?"
"Yeah, apparently the girl stepped on King's cupcake." Informed Eda as she finished up her churro.
"What happened afterward, did the two just walk away, did they talk...?" James inquired staring up at the ceiling as he lounged on the couch.
"Uh... Luz said something about them making another deal... Or being like rivals now, I don't know, why do you ask?" Eda stared over confused.
"Well, to Luz, no matter how weird or bad the Boiling Isles gets, she is still going to use her knowledge of 'The Good Witch Azura' to guide her.
"...And that means... What exactly?" Eda lead, curious about where James was going with this train of thought.
"It means that I am going to bet you 100 snails that Luz ends up dating that Witch before the summer is up." James answered.
"Hah, snort, yeah sure kid." Eda laughed.
...
James said nothing.
"Wait, you're serious?" Eda turned to him skeptically.
"In The Good Witch Azura, the fifth chapter is when Azura meets Hecate, and becomes rivals with her. Three books later and the two had become friends and fallen in love. Also, before you ask, no, I don't read them, but my bleeding heart forces me to listen to Luz rave about them." James explained
"So you're betting me that Luz is going to copy those awful books and start dating my sister's apprentice?" Eda asked for clarification.
"No, I'm betting you that she is going to do so before summer ends. There isn't a doubt in my mind that, the two are going to start dating, and you're a fool if you want to bet against me on that matter. No, I'm betting on when they are going to get together." James corrected. Was he lying about how he knew? Maybe. Did he feel bad? No.
"So, if it takes Luz till say... December, to start dating the girl, I win?" Eda asked.
"Yep." James answered popping the 'p'.
"You got yourself a deal Human." Eda agreed shaking James' offered hand.
"Damn, that's got to have been the easiest 100 I have ever made." James spoke aloud.
"That confident?" Eda questioned.
"Absolutely so, I'd stake my life on it. Anyway, where's King? I didn't see him walk in." James asked, changing the subject.
"Oh, that little tyrant fell asleep in luz' tote bag on the way back." Eda giggled a bit as she answered.
There was a beat of silence.
"Y'know, having you two here hasn't been as terrible as I thought it would be... It's kind of fun in a way, breaks up the monotony." Eda orated, sincerely.
"Oh my Titan!" James exclaimed in mock dramaticism. "Could it be? Does Eda Clawthorne, the most ruthless Witch on the Boiling Isles, have... a heart?"
"Ugh, you sound like an old friend of mine." Eda groaned with good-natured annoyance, massaging the bridge of her nose.
"Careful now, if Luz hears you, she is going to ask for the backstory on that." James warned with a Cheshire grin, standing up from the couch and walking towards the basement door.
"Titan help me, with how excited she was about finding out about my sister, I can't imagine how awful it would be if she heard about them." Eda said in fear.
"But yeah... The Boiling Isles has actually been pretty fun. Weird, but certainly fun." James spoke softly.
"Kid, if I've learned anything in this life, it's that the most fun things in life, are just a little bit weird."
AN: Been a while since I've done a post chapter author's note for this story, but it feels good to get back into it. Remember to leave a review for who you think James should be paired with, if it all. Right now it seems like a pretty even split for Emira or Viney.
ALL REVIEWS ARE WELCOME!
I hope you all are having a wonderful summer, and I will see you in the next chapter.