1st POV

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We flew for about 20 minutes until I caught sight of our destination, which wasn't that difficult to spot even for a directionally challenged person like me since it was surrounded by wisteria trees. Enoki ended up passing out from shock over the whole flying thing which, honestly, was to be expected. But come on, didn't feel like walking all day when I'm used to cars, busses, motorcycles, and horses in Aot's case as means of travel, also, the faster I meet Kagaya, the better!

Anyway after safely landing with a still passed out Enoki—ight I should apologize for this one when she wakes up—, the door abruptly opened, revealing a middle-aged dark-haired woman who startled the shit outta me because I released an undignified screech.

'how tf?! It's like she knew I was there!'

We stared at each other for a long time though Enoki and I must've been quite the scene, a cloaked masked person carrying an unconscious Kakushi in their arms wasn't something you'd witness every day so yeah. After releasing an awkward cough to put a stop to the staring contest, I politely asked if it was okay to enter to which she easily agreed with a gentle smile after recognizing the girl's uniform. Oh well.

Once inside, I took the time to marvel at their courtyard as we walked to the resting place, though the woman—Chieko, she had introduced herself— informed me that other slayers were currently recovering inneighboring bedrooms. That was interesting to know on the spot but after a quick scan of their auras, I came to the conclusion that they weren't particularly strong which made me pout a little. Would've loved to meet a pillar or something. My Canon babies weren't slayers yet so I was counting on the pillars but whatever, I'll meet them in due time Insh'Allah!

An hour n half later, Enoki woke up in a futon provided by Chieko, and wondered where she was for a while before freaking out—damn she was rivaling Zenitsu at this point— over the flying thing which was a given, though I struggled to explain it to her until I said'Fuck it'and spilled the beans over the Goddess shit before she could assume that I was a demon undercover. It wasn't like I planned to hide it either. They lived in a world with demons and superhumans so a Goddess wasn't much, right? Right...? Apparently not.

If she had trouble calling me Colith-san before then it became worse after this 'cause she started bowing—like the pure titans, uuurgh— and it took me an additional hour to stop her from repeatedly smashing her head on the tatami floor.

After many attempts, I somehow managed to make her promise to keep it to herself which she easily —I'm still stunned about it—agreed to since I'm, in her quote 'the first person to genuinely be nice' with her which low-key had me worried a bit?

Chieko brought us lunch with a polite smile before vanishing wherever she came from and I waited after Enoki took the first bite to pull the hood and lollipop mask off, and the choking sound I got was kinda worth it. She unsurprisingly had never seen a person of color before and I was comfortable enough to tell her more about us.

I gotta say she took it rather well compared to the Goddess bullshit which was understandable. After chatting a little bit, we hit the road after saying goodbye to Chieko who was nice enough to pack us bento boxes in case we get hungry halfway to which I enthusiastically yelled 'THANK YOU!!', she was nice. After that, I put the blindfold OVER my mask for shits and giggles and made myself lighter for Enoki's sake and we were off to the Ubuyashiki estate with the girl piggybacking me.

I'm happy to say that I made a new friend in Enoki and found out that she was actually 16 and recently became a Kakushi after her Nichirin blade failed to change color, like most kakushis apparently. Sad but she confessed that she was glad for it because demons scared the shit out of her and she liked the idea of living a looong life which was good enough motivation. As she ran, we exchanged stories about ourselves on the way and I whistled in amazement after she told me that she was from a household of 12 kids with her being the 5th and two of them being slayers as well, tsuchinotos to be exact even if I had no idea what the hell that meant until she explained the ranking system to me. What? I only knew Mizunoto, Kanoe, and Hashiras. Excuse me for forgetting but I watched this episode a long time ago. Unless I pull out my phone to re-watch the anime and definitely read the manga again and the Wiki, I'll forget a few things, but let's not think about this, for now, Enoki was talking about her 1-year-old baby brother...Colith loves babies.


"...So I said 'who the hell d'you think you are to call Min' a girl?! Say it again I dare you!' Then they said 'pchh, Girlie! He'd have better chances selling his ass to some per—' I didn't let him finish as I decked him hard in the jaw that he flew and crashed in the hay 20 meters away and got found unconscious with two or three missing teeth, I don't remember. " I babble, "I mean, violence is never the answer but it was so worth it even if I got kitchen duties for 3 months in the end though I think 3 months was kinda excessive over a punch. Wonder why. Tch, no one insults my baby and thinks they'll be sa– what? Why are you tapping my arm–what is it?" I question, clueless.

"We are here!" She says, gripping my tights so I don't involuntarily fall—it happened two or three times and I ain't proud of it— while panting slightly after running 7 hours straight without a pause which honestly baffled me.

I had suggested a break to eat after 3 hours but she refused, saying that it was alright because as Kakushis, they were used to long distances travel with injured slayers with no time to pause in case of demons still lurking around or delivering items too heavy for the crows to carry to some high ranked slayers. Kakushis aren't much help in fights but are useful when it comes to assistance, which is why they admire and respect the Pillars so much, wanting to be of any use possible to them. That was good and all, but I managed to make her eat, even if it was only for a 10 minutes pause, plus I gave her mine since there was pork in it. Bummer, it smelled good.

"hm? That's why you stopped running five minutes ago?" I got off of her, stretching my legs a bit after not using them for a while as the perfume of wisteria entered my nostrils. "Can I remove the blindfold?" which was kinda useless to ask since I stretched my aura around to get a feel of the place. See it like[Kenbunshoku Haki]but with a few pluses since I'm able to pinpoint anything around me, even non-living things such as buildings, though it's easier with wildlife. That meant I could've 'seen' the way here, but I didn't think about it at the time, plus I was busy rambling about my beans. Anyway was it nighttime? Considering we left the other place around 11 AM, it's probably the case.

"Not yet," she grabs my gloved hand which startles me a little, having been focused on the set of different auras further in front of us. One particularly grabbed my attention by its weakerpurple and weakening state, degrading at a slow pace, proof of an apparent disease in their system— Kagaya perhaps. "we must receive permission to enter first since they weren't expecting us so soon, then you'll be able to remove it. Thank kami-sama we arrived before nightfall...", she shuddered. So I was right.

I shrug casually, "You're the boss." and by the way her aura warmed, she was blushing at my response. Enoki chuckles a bit before pulling me with her, mindful to walk slowly even if it was kinda useless since I can 'see' around just fine, so walking with an impaired vision wasn't that big of a deal. Sure I ain't no Gyomei—Gosh I hope I meet him...smexy tower— I mean- I can manage.

After knocking on the door, a fairly strong aura, stronger than Enoki's at least, answered it before spiking in surprise at our sight. The person, a guard I presume, let us in after Enoki explained her mission's details and I finally got to remove the blindfold, and damn, this place is beautiful! As I glanced around, another guard- who wore a different version of the demon slayer uniform, went inside to notify them of our arrival. That is, unfortunately, where Enoki had to return to the kakushi's quarters which were located somewhere further in the estate since her mission was complete. It saddened me a bit because we became friends and all, though I promised to send letters once I grab a crow or something. The hug that followed wasn't dramatic. Nuh-uh. Nope. The guard watched our exchange in bewilderment though, probably thinking 'what the heck is going on?'. Once she was gone, I exhaled before whirling around only to freeze upon seeing the little persons in front of me.

'What the—'

"Greetings, Tobe-sama." The two white-haired children said at the same time, their robotic tone successfully creeping me out.

"Huh?"

"it's an honor to welcome you to the Ubuyashiki Estate," They proceeded to bow respectfully before straightening up, a polite smile marring their doll-like features which was an eerie view to witness on children.

"If you will please follow us." With that, they synchronously turned to walk inside, with me dumbly following them after removing my shoes.

"Wait, hold on— how old are you?"

"6." the one on the left, who sported a red ribbon on the right side of her head while the other a yellow one, answers in a detached tone. They both glanced up at me with blank plum colored-eyes. Their reactions or lack thereof made me frown in disapproval.

'ight that won't do at all!'

The twins halted in their tracks and turned to look at me with the same blank looks when I stopped following them, though their light purple auras flowed with curiosity, which reassured me a little bit. They still had emotions, thank God!

Crouching down to their level, I began in a friendly tone, "what's your names, kiddos?"

I never got their names from the anime, given that they appeared, like, once or something. Maybe I missed it. Plus I only remembered Kiriya since he was, well a he and had dark hair, contrary to his sisters— weren't there another set of twins? Dang Kagay—

The twins seemed taken aback by the tone I employed. Huh, nobody's treated them like kids? Well, I will.

Red ribbon cooled her features and introduced herself, "I am Ubuyashiki Hinaki,"

"Ubuyashiki Nichika," yellow followed up.

An uneasy feeling seized me up for some reason, though I couldn't remember exactly why.

'Yep! Definitely gonna re-read the manga!'

That left aside, I cheerfully clapped my hands together, displaying a friendly front since the kids couldn't see my face, therefore, my smile though I'm amazed that they didn't shy away from the mask.

"Well nice to meet you both!" stunned, the kids went to bow again but I shook my head, stopping them from doing so "Alright, no need for that. Anyway, what's your favorite animal? That's if you even like animals, anyhow, do you?" I hum.

This was not a question the twins were prepared for apparently. Nichika, unsure of what to do briefly glances at her sister for help, to which Hinaki nods slowly as if saying that it was okay to reply while I patiently waited for their response. I found their interaction adorable, it shows that despite being twins, Hinaki seemed to be the older one, if Nichika seeking her for guidance was anything to go by. The twins then hesitantly informed me that they were fonds of cats, though were confused by the question.

I grinned, "cats you say? That's interesting because...tada !" two cat plushies, one red, the other yellow puffed into existence in my hands. The action startled the children by the way their eyes widened in awe, having not seen that one coming. This shift of expression made me smile. Yuss!

"Whoa...!"

"This is..."

"...for you!" I chirp, offering them the plushies. The twins blinked in surprise, not sure if they should accept it or not, despite their amethyst-colored aura saying otherwise. I sigh. "Take it easy, kids. I know you've got duties to fulfill, but, don't forget to be children, ne?" I say softly.

They timidly ended up accepting, gifting me with hesitant but genuine smiles that melted my heart.

'My job here is done.'


"Oyakata-sama will meet you shortly," the twins announced in sync, performing a light bow as they held their respective plushies to their chests. The sight was too pure for my heart to handle, causing me to victory dance mentally because their auras now screamed content, a big contrast to the earlier placidity. "Thank you for the present, Colith-sama, we will be sure to cherish it." Hinaki voiced, her sister nodding along with poorly concealed excitement.

"Aye, no need to be so formal kids, just call me Colith, okay?" I lightly pat their head, mindful to not inadvertently disturb their bob cut. "Now shoo, go have fun."

Nichika lets out a small giggle while Hinaki smiles, a blush easily noticeable on their face, though, the younger twin squirmed in place, her aura flowing with uncertainty, as if wanting to say something, which I naturally noticed.

"What is it, little one? Do you need something?" I tilt my head to the side, Hinaki looks at her sister who glanced down with a blush while pressing the yellow cat to her chest.

"I-is C-Colith-sama...a woman..?"

"Nichika..!" her sister squeaks in alarm before blinking in surprise when instead of being offended, I chuckled and patted their heads.

"Impressive! How did you know?"

"Eh..? Hum that's because y-you're nice...like mother...!" The little girl exclaimed then flushed, her doll-like mask long forgotten. "M-my apologies.."

'I'm nice like mother? Heh, that's funny.'"No need to apologize, you're spot on! But hey, could you keep it a secret, ne? I'd like to surprise someone, otherwise, it won't work."

Nichika's eyes brighten, secrets? She likes secrets! "Hum! I promise!"

I smiled once more, patting their heads fondly. They thanked me one last time before excusing themselves, the small pitter-patter of their footsteps disappearing in the hallway while I stood there, exhaling softly.

'hope they'll be alright! I miss my beans.'

Smiling, I whirled and then slid the door open, stepping leisurely in only for my eyes to widen in surprise.

"Gah damn, wish I was rich back there" I mumble, sliding the rice door shut while further stepping into the washitsu. At least I knew what that's called, anyway the place looked pretty cozy in my opinion. "so that's where Kagaya's going to meet me."

There was a brown table in the middle with three seats in total, one facing the two. Why three, I had no idea but I decided to snoop around for a bit before settling on the sole one on the left, who knows if I'm going to meet someone else.

I inhaled softly, there was a vague wisteria perfume lingering in the air, surely coming from outside since there's an opening giving access to the exterior where some wisteria trees stood in the little yard.

Dunno how they do it, but constantly being surrounded by those trees ain't tiring? I mean, yeah, it's a good demon repellent and all, but all this purple doesn't just get boring at some point? Even the girls' kimonos were purple for fucks sake! Ight jk, there's plenty of colors around too, but the first thing you see when you get here is, bam, purple! Ain't purple for bad guys? NOW That I think about it, why can't they just, I dunno distribute those wonky wisteria bags to people? Like maybe, go to every village around, or start a business and gain money by selling it even if it's not much. Sure, a lot of people don't actually believe in demon's existence though by possessing one of those, they might get something like a 50 percent chance of survival and that's a lot more than say, sitting there like a dumbass waiting for your impending doom. It won't probably work against powerful demons but it's still a nuisance for them and if you're vindictive enough, you can shove the entire thing in their jaw just to spite them. OH OH, WHY NOT USE WISTERIA AS A PERFUME?! Was perfume even frequent at this ti—

"Good evening."

"Sup"

I pause'Wait a minute—'and slowly turn to the door only to freeze upon seeing amused purple and stunned plum.

Oh.

Kagaya stood at the doorway with a relaxed smile, the disease has taken hold of his left eye and forehead, on its way to the other, though his right eye seemed functional enough for him to see my frozen form. Next to him was a white-haired woman, here for him to lean onto, his wife and if I guess right, Hinaki and Nichika's mother by their close resemblance.

Did I just 'sup' him?! Shi—

I quickly scramble to my feet, doing an awkward salute, before realizing that it wasn't how things worked here "ah cra— I mean, hello! Sorry for intruding! Thank you for having me here." I said quickly as I bowed.

It got silent for a second. 'Did I blow this up? Damn—'light chuckles interrupted my growing panic, "???" compelling me to straighten up only to see smiling faces.

Oh.

"I see that Urokodaki-san was indeed correct. You seem a lot more energetic than I thought" he smiled "Please have a sit, there is no need to feel nervous." He and his wife walked further in. Going for the seats as well.

'The fuck— what did Tengu gramps say 'bout me—'" Ha- hum yes of course. Sorry for the outburst, I wasn't focused." I slightly dipped my head in apology before doing as told. He sat in front of me with his wife's help, the disease has done too much to his body for him to do things by himself. Poor lad.

Kagaya only nodded in understanding before directing a tender 'thank you' to his wife who mirrored him with a soft smile of her own, showcasing their affection for each other. Their auras sway in tandem with adoration.

'Bruh, I want that.'

I gaze as his wife who I still didn't know the name of stood up, bowed with the grace befitting a woman of her standing before announcing that she'd be back with tea, and excused herself, leaving Kagaya and I alone.

A silence took place and It didn't take a genius to understand that I had no idea what to say. Stiff as a board and feeling kinda uncomfortable in that seiza, I started. "so..hum...that's your wife? She's really pretty. Good jo— I mean hum yeah...sorry" I cringed.

Kagaya chuckled, "No offense taken. I can tell that you don't seem comfortable, please sit as you see fit." He eye smiled.

I blinked for a few seconds then released an awkward laugh, massaging my nape like those blend anime main characters.'Busted'though I didn't wait and moved into a crisscross applesauce position, sighing in relief as my legs no longer suffered. "Thanks, I'm still not used to this."

He nodded. "I see, Urokodaki-san informed me that you weren't from here though I must admit that your Japanese sounds good ." Bruh I cheated. "I believe I have yet to introduce myself, I am Ubuyashiki Kagaya, 97th leader of the demon slayer corp, pleased to finally meet you, Colith-san." he lightly bent his head in a polite bow I mirrored. "May I know where you're from exactly?"

"Oh huh—" I debated whether or not to show my face before shrugging mentally. "I suppose I should remove this then..." I muttered, reaching for my hood.

Kagaya remained patient as he quietly observed me with his remaining functioning eye, curious as to why I deemed it important enough to cover myself entirely, though the swirly orange mask was...interesting? Urokodaki hadn't found it necessary to describe me in the letter, going straight to the point about a possible alliance, so he was left curious to know who might've picked the former pillar's interest, something rare coming from him.

I lowered the hood, allowing my locks into view before reaching for the mask that I removed, placing it next to me before smiling. "I'm from Mali, a country situated in West Africa. Sorry for keeping the mask on, I had my reasons."

I was expecting surprise, shock, or disgust—who knows, humans— but what I didn't expect however was...concern? Ayo—

"Is everything alright?"

"Eh?"

"Pardon me, I did not wish to stir painful memories with this question." He immediately apologized, confusing me further, "It is just...that I heard awful things on how they treat dark-skinned people..." For the first time in my life did I see Kagaya actually look pissed.

"Eh?"

"For centuries, we've been battling demons in order to protect humanity yet...some find it acceptable to degrade a good part of us." His face went from cold anger to grim in a split second "I am aware this may come from nowhere but are you okay?... I am truly sorry that you find it necessary to cover yourself in order to navigate through our land—"

"Waitwaitwait! I think there's a misunderstanding" I held my hands in defense, chuckling nervously. Ayo that caught me off guard. "I ain't no Ex-slave or something ' god no."

I watched as Kagaya blinked in confusion, seemingly lost. I shouldn't be surprised he thought of that after seeing me. What fucked up shit did I miss from history class... Damn, I knew being black was a parkour to hell around those times, I mean...Demon slayer's taking place in...wait.

"Hold on, what year are we in?"

This question surprised him even more, though he responded, "1912...?"

'Dang His voice's so smooth!—I mean no wonder he reacted that way'I nod, "I guess I get where you're coming from then." He didn't seem to understand so I took this opportunity to reveal what I was, retelling the same things I told Tengu gramps two weeks ago. Kagaya's lavender eye seemed to widen the more I spoke, which was to be expected, though he didn't interrupt or call bullshit through the whole talk. Maybe 'cause he has absolute trust in his men's words, a former pillar nonetheless, who knows what Tengu gramps wrote in that letter? Plus using telekinesis on the furniture must've backed up my claims.

His wife came back with tea halfway through my explanations and gasped once her eyes fell on me. And like her husband before her, expressed concern for my well-being which I immediately brushed off with a laugh. I mean it was sweet but so surreal. Turns out Africans, mostly those brought by Americans over the years were, yeh, slaves.

Yup.

Humanity in all its glory. Splendid.

That put aside, had to beg them not to call me 'Colith-sama' tho, Allah what the hell's wrong with them and politesses !? In the end, we came to an agreement that I'll assist any slayers I cross paths with, and let them speculate about my identity. He asked why I wanted to remain anonymous and I just revealed that it was for trolling purposes. They did not understand what trolling meant, heh. Though I explained that it'd be safer that way so demons don't get wind of our alliance and decide to go into full hiding. It was already difficult to find them as it is, so to add a new threat other than slayers would only push them to be more cautious, therefore difficult for them to eradicate. Me? Psht, had it in the bag.

Since Tanjiro wasn't a slayer yet, they didn't know that demons like Nezuko were a thing. Or maybe they did? Wasn't he in contact with Tamayo? Oh boi pretty lady— anyway, better let the story go as it should and mind my own business for the next two years. Couldn't risk changing important things regarding Tanjiro's growth. If I stumble upon any demons the kid slew in the anime, I'll just nope it and walk away. Kid needs that character development ight, dun wanna risk it.

We had just finished eating dinner— they took into account my reticence to eat pork, thanks Tengu gramps!—when I got an idea.

"so hum, Kagaya, about that illness of yours, it's related to the big bad guy, right?" through our discussion, I asked If It was okay to call them by their first name, him and his wife Amane, since truth to be told, I ain't used to the whole -sama bullshit, plus I'm his elder since he's what, 21? So yeah, they were okay with it.

"How do you..." he blinked before a resigned smile came across his face. "Yes, it is. Unless we defeat him, the curse will continue to be inflicted upon our family. This...is the price to pay...for birthing the progenitor." as he spoke, it was subtle but Amane's countenance faltered for a few seconds before going back to normal. Poor woman.

I hummed, removing my gloves, "do you mind if I try something real quick? I might be able to do something about it."

Kagaya jolted a little bit and looked at his wife who up to this point had been listening patiently before refocusing on me.

"you can?"

"hm-hm, assuming it has something to do with MJ's, maybe I can..." I leaned forward, reaching for his forehead with my right hand before halting. "may I?" I glanced at his wife who seemed startled by the attention. She nodded with a small smile. Haha, I ain't touching nobody's lover without asking first.

I had taken the time to further analyze him, so you can imagine my surprise when I found some red demonic particle feeding on his life force, degrading his health. No wonder they can't do anything about it, even though I almost overlooked it. Muzan's a Ubuyashiki, therefore has a blood bond with them which turns to be poison for anyone related to him that isn't a demon. Unless that bitch dies, they'll continue to suffer, so yeah. That's a good enough motivation to unalive him.

My hand came resting on the purple part of his forehead. He didn't even flinch at the contact, having lost the sense of touch at this spot. I had noticed that my energy, aura, whatever- was harmful to demons as shown in the fight— *cough* slaughter *cough*— back in the shelter. Obviously punching Kagaya was not an option so If I use[instant heal]on him, which was just a fancy way for my aura to mend things, something might happen right?

"Alright, you might feel weird but lemme just..." my eyes and palm suddenly glowed as I activated it, hearing Amane gasp in surprise at the display.

I remember using it a lot during Trost attack on soldiers who were on death's doors, even regrew some limbs out of nowhere before erasing the memory so they don't freak out. Less to say, it's OP as fuck. Better than the shifter regeneration anyway.

I focused back on Kagaya and noticed that the purple mark was receding at an alarming speed until disappearing completely, proof that my aura was a good demon repellent. Gotta be careful with Nezuko. However, a tiny bit of the curse still remained alive in his core, which made me frown. It was insignificant but it was still there, as if something kept it alive, refusing to disappear completely. What the tarnation— Tried to erase it once more with[instant Heal], adding more energy but none can't do, shit lingered like a parasite. This led me to the conclusion that until Muzan decides to walk into the sun one day, the curse won't fully disappear. What I managed to do was just reset it to a dormant state. Dejected, I brought my hand back with a sigh.

"I'm sorry but until we kill him, a bit of the curse will remain. Thankfully, I managed to reset it to a dormant state I encircled with my aura to be safe which will if I'm correct block its growth, Enabling you to live normally for as long as I'm ali..." I think they didn't hear me because when I opened my eyes to see their reaction, I was met with the sight of a shell-shocked Kagaya and Amane, "Guys..?"

I watched as he blinked, stared at his hands, opened, and closed his fists, realizing there was no strain on his muscles anymore before startling as we both heard hiccups coming from his left. Oh shi-

"Kagaya-sama...your eyes..." Amane's hand slowly reached for her husband's face, caressing the now white skin of his forehead as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her husband's eyes...his face...he looked so much healthier that the sight brought her into tears.

He didn't even have time to blink when she immediately caught him in an embrace, forgetting manners, sobbing quietly on his chest. Kagaya's aura flowed with many emotions, going from shock to confusion before settling for relief as he embraced his wife in return, whispering softly to her to calm down.

'Dang I still want that'

I just...sat there awkwardly, waiting for them to eventually notice me which I regretted immediately because Amane suddenly whipped her head to me—which scared the shit outta me ngl—and began bowing to me, repeatedly thanking me for the blessing I bestowed upon them which, as you may already know, flustered the heck out of me! Kagaya joined in by conveying his gratitude as well, still shaken over the fact that he was, somewhat cured even if I quickly pointed out the little problem he still had, it was still astonishing to return to a normal state.

"I...I cannot thank you enough for this, Colith. Please accept our offer to house you for as long as you wish. The demon slayer corps, no, the Ubuyashiki family is forever indebted to you."

"Aye, I said it wasn't that big of a deal..!" I sheepishly scratched my cheek, "plus I kinda wasn't able to entirely cure you..."

Kagaya shook his head, "no, this is definitely enough as it is." His tone still held disbelief in it before both husband and wife smiled brightly.

"If there is anything you wish of us to do, please do tell, we will provide it to the best of our abilities." Amane suggested.

I paused at that.'Do I need something...?' Right now, I had no idea where to go, sure I could start wandering around, using my sensing abilities to find towns and villages, plus demons had that distinct aura that made it easier to locate them. Yet, the idea of sightseeing an ancient Japan was titillating my tourists' instincts. A light bulb went on in my head.

"Hum, what about a crow? Is it okay to lend me one? Of course, just the time for me to find myself around then I'll return it as soon as poss—"

I didn't even have the time to finish the sentence that they wholeheartedly agreed.

Oh well.

Guess they're my friends now.