A/N: Thank you all soooooooo so much for the reviews and favs/follows. I'm in awe, honestly, I didn't think anyone would be interested. It really inspired me to think up a second chapter for you. BTW, I clearly don't know the meaning of oneshots so sorry, I guess haha! Also feel free to send ideas/what you'd like to see. Who knows, it may inspire future chapters as I have a few in mind already but more are always welcome! Thanks again for all your support!
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Needless to say, her first training session with Frederick the Wary was far from what she had imagined. Now, Daedra didn't expect to magically become a swordmaster after the first session, but she atleast expected some improvement with a blade. What Frederick had in mind for 'training' was more what Daedra called torture. When the knight approached her that morning, even he was surprised to see her awake and ready at the crack of dawn. She stood outside her tent, sword sheathed at her hip, as she shivered slightly in her oversized coat. Truth be told, Daedra didn't know what to expect for the morning. Frederick's words the day before didn't phase her until she had gone to bed that evening. She tossed and turned in her rickety cot, anxious of what Frederick had planned. It was no secret that Frederick was displeased with Chrom for putting what the knight called 'a suspicious stranger' into a rather important, and a rather trustworthy position among the Shepherds. If his words weren't proof enough, his cold stares spoke truer. Whenever he was about, Daedra could feel his eyes upon her, watching her every move looking for the first sign of betrayal. Even when he was out of her line of vision, she could literally feel his gaze on her back, freezing her on the spot as chills seized her spine in tense contractions. It was rather disconcerning, not to mention stressful. For someone to dislike and distrust her that much to suddenly have full command over her, and with no one else present to step in, was more than concerning. As such she usually kept her eyes turned down or away from his direction. She knew it made her seem guilty and weak but she could not handle such concentrated brown orbs. The few times she managed to lock eyes with Frederick, she was struck stone-still by their intensity. Eyes that held such focus, so unwavering in hopes of catching any detail to make her succumb to Frederick's will. Those eyes unsettled her, as they spoke much of the man who possessed them. Still, despite how nervous he made her, one had to admire such devotion and if Frederick was anything, he was devoted to the Shepherds. Even as he approached her for her first training session, Daedra kept her gaze on her feet. When the looming shadow of the knight engulfed her, she bravely managed to turn her head up to meet his gaze as she stammered out a good morning.
With a curt nod in response, Frederick led her off to a clear part of the camp to begin. As she followed, Daedra finally took note how early the hour was. The sky was only brightening in the softest of blue and white hues, the night still trying to cling to the sky before the sun would fill it with bright splashes of oranges and yellows. There were no others about the camp and all the tents were dark and quiet. Well, at least she could train in privacy and not have to worry about a display of embarrassment like yesterday. Somehow, she knew that Frederick wouldn't change his opinion of her over a mere humiliation, so there was that as well. He'd dislike her either way. When they reached the clear training ground, Daedra was rather surprised to see no equipment present. Perhaps Frederick kept his lance in a special place? Shrugging, the tactician went to carefully unsheathe her sword, but the knight halted her.
"You can leave that. You won't be using that today."
Rather shocked, she glanced over to him in confusion, but his hard look had her scrambling to sheathe the sword again and remove it from her belt. Once she was weapon free, she adjusted her clothing before looking to Frederick expectantly. How was she supposed to weapon train without a weapon? Unless maybe Frederick was going to give her a different one? The knight stood at attention, his spine straight and his arms casually folded behind his back.
"One of the most important traits for a soldier is endurance. If one does not have this, they may as well die on the spot. Taking into account for your size and recent responses, I've noticed your rather poor excuse of it. This will be your first part of training. You won't be much use if you grow tired after swinging your weapon a handful of times."
And with that, the training session began. For the first hour, Daedra was forced to run about the camp perimeter no less than fifty times. Frederick had kept close behind her, running as well. He claimed he would be a rather poor instructor if he didn't show her the proper way of things himself. Daedra, though, was pretty sure it was so she wasn't allowed to slow down. If she didn't keep her speed just so, she was hit in her rear by the sharp ends of Frederick's knee braces. After that so-called 'warm-up' as the knight put it, the next task was to build arm technique. Daedra felt herself grow excited at this prospect, surely this involved swordplay for her to learn. The 'technique' he had in mind did involve swords – cleaning them… and all the other weapons in camp. When the tactitian looked upon the large pile of weaponry, she disbelievingly questioned the knight on this task. After intimidating her with a glare, Frederick explained cleaning would get her arm to follow a motion by second nature. When Daedra again showed reluctance, Frederick, a bit more firmly, started that it would teach her discipline. In times of war, weaponry was a vital necessity to an army and weapons, regardless of value or grade, should be treated with respect. After her poor handling of the weaponry the day before, Daedra had a lot of 'respect' to give apparently. And so, she set to her task. Daedra didn't mind the act itself, it was actually rather relaxing to just calmly sit and meticulously rub the dirt and imperfections away. She could see the appeal of it and understood why she noticed many of the Shepherds doing such in their free time. What did ruin it was the fact that Frederick didn't seem pleased with her efforts. Most times when she felt she did a sufficient job, he'd claim it was unacceptable and make her do it again. It eventually hit a point where Frederick deemed she'd 'wasted enough time on the task' and set her off on the next and final part of training. Oh how she dreaded it. Frederick's next tasks involved rigorous exercise – sit ups, crunches, weighted push ups, and even pulls ups. Daedra could barely handle such exercise BEFORE the running and weapon care. But, for some reason, she was determined. She wasn't sure why, but she would not quit, not in front of Frederick. She would finish his training session even if it killed her!
Funny how she would phrase it like that.
At the current moment, Daedra was unceremonious slung over the back of Chrom's horse as the Shepherds made the remainder of their journey to Regna Ferox. When she finally finished training with Frederick, Daedra assumed she would have been able to slink back to her cot for at least a few hours of rest. The gods were not favoring her that morning. As soon as she'd escaped Frederick and found her tent, she'd heard Chrom announcing to pack up and move out and thus … went her tent and cot. With little rest from the night before and a morning of intense 'training', her sluggish pace was easily noticed. Too tired to walk properly, she shuffled her feet about in the dirt, leaving her almost trailing an entire mile behind the rest of the Shepherds. Chrom noticed her absence first, considering he enjoyed talking to his new tactician. He thought her charming and amusing, almost like another baby sister, considering how close she and Lissa were already. Seeing her trailing far behind, he quickly turned his horse about to meet her and asked what the trouble was. Once she mentioned 'Frederick' and 'training', Chrom immediately understood and sympathized. The prince offered her a ride on the back of his steed, which she happily accepted. Unfortunately, she had little energy to even sit up straight on the beast, hence her current position. As Chrom directed his horse back towards the front of his party, Sully pulled her own steed beside him.
"What the hell happened to her? It looks like you hunted her," the red cavalier stated as she tapped Daedra upon her head to check for life. Daedra managed to lift her wrist, mumbling something along the lines of 'I'm okay…'.
Chrom said nothing, but he made an amused sound as he turned his gaze ahead of him. Sully followed his line of sight and chortled rather unlady-like when she noticed Frederick scouting far up ahead on his steed. "Oh, one of 'Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Sessions'? Ahhh, I remember the days when I first joined the Shepherds. Those were some good times – some damn good times!" Sully turned her gaze to the clouds, a rather reminiscent look upon her face as she replayed her own training sessions with Frederick back in her younger days. She chuckled again, ending with a, "Good times, good times."
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The Shepherds all stood back to back, huddled about before the main fortress leading to Regna Ferox. The Feroxi guard pouring out in alarming numbers through gates on either side of the massive stone wall. This was not going to be the simple negotiation trip Chrom had originally planned. The border guard, Raimi, was convinced he and his vigilantes were disguised Plegians out to cause trouble. There was no room for parley now, considering a slew of spears had already been sent his way. If not for Sumia and her timely arrival on her pegasus, all would be lost. But at the moment, though outnumbered and in unfamiliar territory, all his Shepherds were at the ready. They'd just have to do things the Feroxi way. Chrom turned to his tactician as she stood beside him. The sudden drop in temperature from Regna Ferox's harsh climate and the threat of battle had her back to full attention and on her feet.
"What do you think, Daedra? Not quite the welcome I expected, but think we can make due?"
Daedra carefully examined the field before her. If the Shepherds attacked one side together it would ensure victory…until the other side swarmed in on them. That had the chance of their side being boxed in and potentially slaughtered. She also noticed a few archers scattering in among the trees. They'd have to keep an eye of Sumia with her mount now. But… Daedra spied the two heavily enforced gates on either side of the fort. They were locked and bolted now, and there were no lookouts upon the fort anymore. If that was so, there was a good chance one of the soldiers had a way to open it….
"Let's split up into two groups - one for the left and one for the right. They'll surround us on all sides, unless we face them while they're divided. Chances are, one of these soldiers has a key to the main gates, so if we can get it before they can call reinforcements-"
"We could regroup and storm the rest of the guard inside while they're unaware," the prince finished for her with a confident smile. "That's provided they don't have any surprises waiting for us inside."
"If they do, we can just lure them out of the one gate. We can cut down their forces with bug bites if we have to. As long as everyone watches each other's backs, we can get through this!"
Though they didn't know each other long, Chrom was always impressed by Daedra's skill. Normally the girl was rather playful, giggly and bouncy as she happily went around trying to make friends with any and all she could. She was gentle and he noticed her getting teary eyed on numerous occasions. Yet, the moment she stepped onto a battlefield, she took on such a solid grounding. She turned serious and observant, looking for any and all possibilities, but that gentleness always remained. She'd go out of her way to make sure every one of their soldiers was accounted and looked after, keeping help close at hand should the need arise. It was almost as if she were made to do this, by her own means or some other unworldly force, he was not sure. The ease she showed when commanding the troops into position left him in awe. There were times he'd look at a battlefield and not have the first idea what to do other than move forward. There was a lot of determination in his small tactician, and thank the gods for that.
When Chrom snapped himself from his thoughts, Daedra had already broken up the Shepherds into their designated grouping. One key factor he picked out right away was that Daedra was keeping Lissa close at hand. While he normally preferred his younger sister to be close to his side, he figured Daedra had the right idea. When in battle, he'd sometimes lose himself, focused on the opponent at hand. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't always look out for himself and his sister at the same time, which almost led to her death in Southtown that first fateful day. Daedra also favored staying towards the back in fights, since she had rather poor luck with her weapon choices. As such, she was usually next to Lissa in some way and the two had made a habit and keeping an eye on the other. While he was confident the two would be fine, there were a lot of Feroxi soldiers about…
"Daedra, may I request something?"
"Yes, Chrom?"
"Take Frederick to your side."
"Fr-Frederick?! B-but-" Daedra couldn't help the shock in her voice, and the knight in question seemed leery of the idea judging by his skeptical glance towards the prince. Chrom seemed to ignore them as he pushed his request.
"We'll be fine on our side, Frederick. I'd feel a lot better if you were with my sister and Daedra. Make sure to keep them safe!" With his peace said, Chrom turned and rushed off with his own party to engage the enemy, leaving Frederick and the girls to stare after him.
"Hey! We're perfectly capable on our own! The nerve of him," Lissa huffed angrily. Daedra said nothing as she kept her gaze anywhere but near Frederick. She could already feel his gaze on her shoulders. This was going to be a tough fight for a number of reasons. Frederick suddenly turned his horse to his new designated battlefield while he turned his gaze to Lissa. "Come, we must not dally. Remember to mind your distance, milady."
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The next few days all seemed a blur to Daedra. Right after their brawl to merely get INTO Regna Ferox, life seemed to be tossing one fight after the next at the Shepherds. After speaking with Khan Flavia for support, the Shepherds were 'encouraged' to win a tournament in her name to get the troops Ylisse desperately needed. With victory and a Feroxi pledge in hand, they backtracked to Ylisstol, only to hear that one of their fellow Shepherds, Maribelle, was being used as a bargaining chip by the mad king of Plegia. Though Maribelle and Daedra didn't hit it off well at their first introduction, the duke's daughter was important to Lissa. Daedra just couldn't let her down, and so off they went into another tough battle. And, she couldn't forget the random littering of Risen bands that seemed to pop up when they least expected.
Despite what one would assume, the battles rarely took much out of Daedra. Yes, she grew fatigued and sore after them, just like the rest of the Shepherds, but planning for them seemed like second nature to her. For some reason, being on the field put her into a calm state, her mind focused and ready. Truth be told, it did concern her a touch, but she decided not to worry on it for now. If she did, there was a possibility she could somehow disrupt her ability to strategize on the spot. If that were to happen, she'd end up getting all her new companions killed, and that thought frightened her the most. So, she decided it was best to just accept she was good at making plans for war and to try her best to keep every Shepherd alive. Chrom was counting on her after all! Though at the moment, he was far from her favorite person. The prince rarely questioned her judgment on the field, placing his full support in her. Though as of late, he always had one request, and always the same one: Frederick was to keep an eye on her and Lissa.
For that first battle at Ferox, the three Shepherds seemed unhappy with the new setup, but Daedra said nothing. Chrom was just worried about his sister, who was unable to fight even if she desired to. Daedra couldn't fault him on his reasoning. Lissa huffed angrily and grumbled, but that was all. Daedra suspected that her friend didn't mind Frederick keeping an eye on her; she was just sore at Chrom for almost babying her. Though, the tactician was rather surprised at what little fight Frederick put up on the matter. In fact, he put up no fight what so ever, but that was something she noticed concerning the knight. When Chrom requested something of him, Frederick tried his best to fulfill it. So far, trusting Daedra was the only thing he seemed to truly oppose. Yet as the fighting went on and the small unit formation remained the same, the three accepted it for what it was and refrained from saying any more on the issue. It was for Chrom, after all, and that's what mattered to them.
Even though Frederick rattled her nerves, Daedra couldn't help but be fascinated with watching the knight on the battlegrounds. While all the Shepherds were skilled and had unique gifts among themselves to contribute, Frederick was something different. He had such a fearless ease about him, no matter the situation or opponent, he looked down each one with that focused unshakable gaze of his. Though Sully and Stahl were skilled on their own mounts, their techniques were nothing like Frederick's. Charging ahead without any doubt of defeat, he took opponents one by one. Daedra had always assumed Frederick to be rather slow and stiff from wearing such heavy armor, compared to the rest of the Shepherds, but she was mistaken. The knight almost glided across the field, leading his horse with a steady hand and a stern presence into the fray. While skilled with both sword and lance, Daedra noticed the knight favored the latter. He maneuvered the weapon with such balance, using only a single hand to strike his enemies with such sharp lethality. He may as well have been wielding a light dagger with the ease he showed compared to a weighty silver pole. Despite his grace, Frederick boasted such tremendous power to match it as well. During one of the Risen attacks the Shepherds had to deal with, an enemy cavalier had charged them full speed. Its dark coated steed puffing blasts of hot air from its nostrils, its red eyes flaring eerily to match the rider that held a sharp lance held at the ready. Such a terrifying sight it was, but the knight only met the challenge. He charged ahead as well, like an old joust from a fantasy tale, to meet the Risen. The two collided, Frederick sending the undead warrior sailing right off the back of its horse while the knight barely seemed phased. He was magnificent to watch, but a force to be feared and respected.
And, at this current moment, Daedra feared him above all else. In the sudden quiet after such grueling days, Frederick had 'kindly' reminded her that they had training to catch up on. The small tactician had intended to speak up for herself. The state she was left in after their first 'training' session reduced her to a pitiful state, one unsuitable to properly function during a battle. She'd only managed to part her lips before Frederick looked down at her silently and narrowed his dark brows, leaving Daedra just about shivering in his wake. When the smaller woman remained silent, he turned and directed her to follow him to the training ground. She could do nothing else but reluctantly follow with a defeated slump of her shoulders. When the reached the clearing that was designated for practice, Daedra assumed it was going to be another session for endurance. When she turned to Frederick, she was surprised to see him adjusting his armor and a blunted practice lance casually held in one hand. When he finished, he frowned when he saw the tactician staring at him rather befuddled. Clearing his throat as loudly as he could, the knight righted his back at attention and tapped the end of the lance into the dirt before he spoke.
"We'll be training in weapon-use today. Take a sword from the rack."
"Bu-but what about…my endurance and… 'respect for weapons'," she stammered out as she blinked her large eyes owlishly at him.
The knight let out a puff of air from his lips that held the tiniest hint of frustration, but spoke in his usual calm tone. "Your endurance has been improving over the recent battles we've been encountering. Rather poor and slow, but still improvement. As our battles grow in frequency, you will need to improve your swordsmanship, lest you become an easier target."
Daedra winced at Frederick's words. While she was well aware of her rather poor excuse for skill in weaponry, it still didn't sound appealing being told so bluntly to her face. Still, there was no escaping the fact that the knight was indeed correct. With each foe they faced, their cause continued to steadily grow more challenging. Each battle was proving to be harder than the last. And, while they gained more and more support, it seemed the Risen and Plegia did as well to match them. If every Shepherd did not pull their weight and try their best, the whole lot of them would hit snags and that could cause a world of trouble for everyone. Taking a sword and holding it at the ready as Stahl had shown her days earlier, Daedra looked across to Frederick with a determined pout. The Shepherds were becoming so important to her – she would do her best for them!
When Frederick saw her take a defensive stance, he went into his as well. Though it was a mere practice, Frederick could never let himself perform at half effort. When Daedra saw his serious expression and the severity with which he held his lance, her burst of spirit immediately deflated. All at once, the battles from the previous days with Frederick flooded her mind. Again, she witnessed in frightening clarity just all the power and skill the knight commanded at his mere fingertips; such power that he rarely held back, as far as the tactician could tell. Daedra couldn't help it when her lips began to quiver as her knees developed a case of the shakes and tears filled her eyes. Frederick knew to take it easy on her right? That one solid hit from him would be the end of her, right? No, Frederick never held back, he always gave one hundred percent in everything he did! He'd kill her, she was sure of it. Daedra had seen Frederick cleave a training dummy in two during a practice once!
Though Daedra truly wanted to improve herself and perform at her best for her fellow Shepherds… it would have to wait.
Without warning, Daedra swiftly tossed her sword to the ground and turned about to flee as fast as she could, shouting, "I YIELD, I YIELD, I YIELD," as she made her escape. Frederick stood dumbfounded, staring at the now empty air where Daedra was once standing. Watching her retreating back, the knight frowned angrily. No one was allowed to abandon a training session with Frederick! Clenching his lance angrily for a moment, he too dropped it to the dirt before taking chase after the tactician, yelling for her to 'cease her cowardice and perform her duty of training'.
Though Daedra was rather small in stature, she was quick on her feet, especially when she was convinced her life would be ended if Frederick caught up with her. The knight pursued her through the camp, running after her knowing that sooner or later, his endurance would outlast hers. Even knowing this, the effort was proving to be more difficult that he thought. While he knew he would outlast her, Daedra could weave effortlessly through the camp with her small size. Whenever Frederick seemed to gain some distance on the tactician, he always managed to bump into someone or something. He made a mental note to apologize to Stahl when he was finished reprimanding Daedra. The bruises forming on the green cavalier would heal in a few days anyway. As Frederick slowed himself to try and maneuver his large armor through a stacking of crates, he just caught sight Daedra's back as she turned and vanished behind a corner. He'd catch her, Frederick would make sure of that!
Daedra continued to run for all she was worth. There were a few instances where she was sure Frederick would have caught her, but a quick turn always managed to save her. She was fortunate that the knight was donned in his full armor [not that she'd ever seen him out of it since she joined…] which made bustling about camp more awkward than it could have been. The plates of his metal suit were also a helpful warning to her whenever Frederick came too close. When she heard the loud clattering as his plates collided together, she knew to either speed up or make a fast turn. At the moment, Daedra could just hear his armor ever so faintly. Good, she managed to put some distance between herself and the knight. All she had to do was find a decent hiding spot until dinner was served. She'd be in the clear! Daedra was so preoccupied with her planning and looking over her shoulder for signs of Frederick that she was literally thrown back when she collided full speed into something. The small tactician landed on her back with a loud, 'Oomph!"
Sitting up with a wince, Daedra shook her head to try and clear the stars before her eyes. Suddenly, clattering metal plates filled her ears and it was right upon her. Assuming that Frederick somehow intercepted her, Daedra looked up… to see the tallest man she had ever seen wearing the largest set of armor she could imagine. She blinked her large lashes numerous times before rubbing them with her fists, thinking maybe she was hallucinating from the blow. The tall armored man crouched slightly to see her better as he gently questioned her.
"Oh! Are you all right? That was quite the collision. You didn't get hurt, did you? I'd feel just awful if you were hurt because you didn't see me…."
Daedra could only stare up in awe at this tall man before her, her blue eyes wide as soup tureens and her mouth forming a small 'o'. Before she could reply, more clattering of armor caught her attention. Frederick! Bolting to her feet, Daedra looked about to try and figure where to go. In her fumble she'd forgotten where she had planned to go and hide. With nowhere else to turn, she looked up to the armored giant with sad pleading blue eyes as she folder her hands at her chest. He gave her a small frown before gesturing to a nearby crate. Taking the hint, Daedra rushed over and crouched beside it. The armored man then tucked himself to stand in front of the tactician, completely blocking her from view. Just as he got into position, Frederick angrily barreled past, looking about furiously for any sign of Daedra. The other large armored man raised a plated glove in greeting to the knight.
"Good day, Frederick."
Frederick didn't seem to hear or even acknowledge this large man before he continued on his frenzied hunt. Once he was out of sight, Daedra cautiously crawled out into the open. When she was sure it was all clear, she happily smiled up at her protector, bouncing slightly. "Oh thank you! I would have been in such trouble if he found me. Frederick doesn't think highly of me."
The man chuckled down at her, almost as if he knew the feeling. "I noticed. Oh! That must mean you're Daedra, Chrom's new tactician. I overheard about you." The man had yet to open his eyes, but Daedra didn't think much of it. He helped her, that's all she really cared about. That and the fact that he towered over her by nearly a foot and a half!
"Yes, I am. Are you a Shepherd too? Did you just join up?" Daedra's head tilted to the side as she questioned him. She absent-mindedly twirled the curled strands of hair that was tied by her ear. The man coughed slightly as he frowned.
"No, actually. I've been a Shepherd for some time. Years, in fact."
"Years? Where have you been then? I haven't seen you around, and no one has mentioned another Shepherd."
The man chuckled again, though it was more bitter than humorous. "Folks just don't see me. I tend to blend into the background, as you've noticed. I just lack….presence, I guess. I try to do nice things for the other Shepherds back at the barracks. Bringing drinks and such so they'd notice, but everyone acts rather strange instead."
Daedra hummed in thought for a moment. Why did that sound familiar? Her face soon lit up in recognition as she addressed the armored man again. "OH! I know who you are! You must be the 'Barracks Ghost' everyone talks of! Oh wow, I never thought I'd really get to see you!" Daedra giggled while her companion could only look to her in confusion.
"A ghost? I'm no ghost. My name is actually Kellam, by the way. Though, if everyone assumes I'm a ghost that would explain their behavior all of a sudden." Kellam sighed at this new revelation. Well, at least people were acknowledging his presence in a way, so there was that. The girl beside him giggled again, which drew his attention.
"I should go, before Frederick comes back. Thank you again, Sir Ghost, you're very nice. Is there anything I have to do to find you again? Maybe throw some salt into a fire or say your name three times in front of a mirror? I'd certainly like to talk again."
Even Kellam chucked at her little joke. It was strange for someone to want to try and find him. He wasn't used to that. "Oh, I'll be around if you need to hide from Frederick again. I'm sure you'll…run into me again sooner or later. Though I hope not so hard next time."
Daedra giggled, which caused Kellam to smile again. It was such a cute little sound, it would have been harder not to be happy with her. With a small wave, the tactician bid her new friend farewell, promising to see him again soon. With that, she rushed off, making sure to peek around the corner again for any sign of Frederick before she scurried out of sight. She'd still need to find a good place to hide until supper. Perhaps the cooking area. She didn't having cooking duty tonight, but they always needed help there so that would be a valid excuse. Thinking over the events of the day, Daedra signed at all the trouble. Frederick would not be happy when they eventually did run into each other again, but that would have to wait until later. At the moment, she had an alibi to create.
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What'cha gonna do? What'cha gonna do when the Barracks Ghosts finds you?
I really like Kellam. I think he's amusing. It's funny because I can write him very easily but I'm having a lot of trouble with Frederick. Thanks weird Frederick supports lol
Sigh, this should prove to be fun. Again, thank you for reading and feel free to send ideas or comments!