Percy firmly decided that the day had been a good day. Sure, they were only halfway through it, and he'd had a rather large bomb dropped on him during what was supposed to be a very relaxing outing, but it'd been good. Currently, he and a certain goddess of the hunt were at a rather nice bakery. There were a number of places that sounded good, but they'd noticed it as they were walking. The welcoming nature and wonderful smell of fresh bread had all but beckoned them in. It had certainly been the right choice. Even Artemis had expressed her satisfaction as they'd ordered friselle and a veritable feast worth of freshly made focaccia at the huntress's own insistence. Of course, he'd been more than happy to let the goddess take the lead and order since he couldn't tell what he wanted.
They'd opted to sit outside given the sunny, albeit cooler day. It had been the right choice as the warm bread seemed to taste that much better given the slight contrast in temperature. He'd admittedly never tried focaccia, but he was certain it'd be something he tried to make for himself. He was slightly more familiar with friselle given that it had often been used by sailors, but it seemed rather difficult to make given that it was double baked. That being said, he was sure that the pairings were what was really bringing the meal together. The pairing of friselle with lightly roasted heirloom tomatoes and fresh cheese was perfect. Add to that a rather crisp and lite wine (again at Artemis's insistence), and the meal was enough to practically put him to sleep. Of course, he was sure that his companion wouldn't have appreciated him falling face first into his food so he elected to make lighthearted talk instead.
"I've been meaning to ask you about something," Percy's voice cut Artemis out of her own thoughts.
She sat as regally as ever as she looked up to meet his own eyes, "You have my attention."
"You know Hephaestus, right?" he inwardly cringed at the awkward phrasing of his question.
"I do," Artemis's eyes wandered around as she responded, "But it is my understanding that is not your question."
"What do you think about him?" Percy shifted a bit as Artemis fixed her gaze on him once more before returning to their surroundings.
"He is dedicated to his work in a way that few are. It shows in his work, though I am sure I do not need to remind you of it," she said as her eyes fixed on one of his rings, "There is something specific on your mind though."
"Yeah," Percy smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, "he just helped make a lot of stuff for me and it seems like he's always the one that people go to when they need help with them."
"And you wish to repay him in some form."
Percy nodded, "Yeah something like that. It's just weird. He seems like a decent guy but it's like nobody gives him the time of day."
"Hephaestus is," Artemis trailed off pensively for a moment, idly tapping the table with her nail, "closed off due to his past. I imagine that few have tried to truly get to know him."
Percy frowned a bit, "Must be lonely."
"Then perhaps you may repay him with your time."
He nodded as he thought, "My dad said something similar. Do you know what he likes?"
"In truth, I do not. We have not interacted with any level of familiarity," Artemis said honestly, "As poor of an idea as it may be, Aphrodite may be a good source of information."
Percy rolled his eyes at the thought, "Doubt it. She's been cheating on him for their entire marriage, not that he hasn't done the same."
"This is true," Artemis conceded.
Percy sighed as a few thoughts wormed their way into the back of his mind, "Maybe it's just something most of the gods do."
"I would say the immortal dating pool is rather small but I don't have any experience in the matter. That does not excuse the behavior, but when compared to mortals, the number of gods is inconsequential."
"Yeah that's true," Percy said, idly pushing a small pool of oil around with a piece of bread, "I just don't get it."
"You will have to be more specific, Perseus," Artemis's tone was light, her eyes bright as she observed the young man.
"What's the point of getting married at that point?"
"It is simply in some people's nature," Artemis said, "And it is sometimes out of their control. While I am the often the last to argue in Aphrodite's favor, she had no choice in her marriage."
Percy cocked his head, "That was because of Zeus right?"
Artemis nodded, "She was ordered to marry by royal decree as my father would say. It does not make her actions right, but I also cannot fault someone for being unable to make their own choice. I do believe that Aphrodite would not have married if given a choice, but she is also unable to be divorced."
Percy couldn't help but notice a slightly bitter tone in her voice as she pushed a bit of food around with her fork, "Are you okay?"
Artemis looked up from her dish, "It is of no concern."
That wasn't quite the answer he'd expected, but he knew better than to push it, "Okay, but I'm here to talk if you want to."
Artemis's gaze was unreadable, but her tone was soft nonetheless, "I am not surprised that you'd say that."
"It's true," he leaned back in his chair and stretched, "You were the one who told me I need not be alone when in need of friends or something like that?"
Artemis rolled her eyes but smiled regardless, "It does sound wise."
"It's hard to take your own advice sometimes," Percy chuckled as he fidgeted in his chair, "Still learning that one."
"It is not an easy lesson to learn," Artemis agreed, "You are restless."
A look of surprise crossed his face before he smiled abashedly, "Am I that see-through?"
"Not to all, but to me yes," Artemis said easily, "Come, let us walk."
Percy nodded, "Let me pay for everything and we can go."
Of course, he should have expected that his companion would simply accompany him, rather than wait outside somewhere, but he was still surprised to find her next to him regardless. He made a mental note to come back whenever he visited Camp Jupiter next. He handed their cashier a card when he noticed Artemis. It wasn't what she was doing, so much as what she wasn't doing. He'd seen Apollo and Hermes receive prayers enough times to realize that the same was occurring. He recalled the first time that Apollo had clammed up in the middle of talking and the way some of the color had drained from his face. Of course, that was in part due to how dire that particular situation had been, but given the sudden tenseness in the huntress's shoulders and the way her nails looked like they were cutting into her own palm, he had a feeling that this was one of those dire occasions.
He hardly noticed the cashier handing his card back, only really snapping back to reality as it nearly touched him. Artemis, for all intents and purposes, was still distracted. Typically, Hermes and Apollo were sitting down when it happened so he wasn't too sure of what to do. He spared their cashier a quick glance and courteous smile before steeling his nerves. He really hoped that Artemis wouldn't mind him gently steering her out towards the door. He attempted to nudge her but that garnered no response. Alright. Caution to the wind then.
He was ninety percent sure that all the color drained from his face as he did so, but he threw his arm around the goddess's shoulder and gently began moving. Thankfully, it seemed that she was at least somewhat aware as her eyes snapped to him before she started moving. He really hoped he looked more confident than he felt. By the time they'd gotten out the door and into the sunlight, he was sure that he was at least as pale as Nico had been the first time he'd met the young man back during his third year of camp.
"It is time for you to go home," Artemis's voice caused him to jump.
"What was the prayer about?" Percy ignored her previous statement.
Her eyes flashed for a moment as several different emotions made their way across her face before it finally settled on a mix of anger and disgust as she led them towards a secluded courtyard, "There is nothing I can do."
"What happened?"
"There is a young girl, not far from here," Artemis said after a second. He hadn't heard her this angry in a long while, "I do not know all of the details, but I am certain that her life is in danger. I will have my hunt deal with it."
"How much danger?"
"I do not know. She is too weak to relay much information," he noticed a small glint of sunlight as they walked out from the shadow of a building. Ichor was dripping from a few of her nails. She seemed to be more angry than she was letting on, or the situation was worse than she was saying. Perhaps both.
"Let's go then."
"Close your eyes," Artemis's voice further betrayed her anger.
"I mean to the girl," Percy stressed, "If you don't know all the details, there could be trouble before you can get your hunt. You might not be able to intervene but I can."
The goddess didn't waste time deliberating, "Come then."
They made far better time than he'd expected, but they'd practically been running. Thankfully, mortals never paid much attention and Artemis made sure the mist kept them partially obscured. The building in front of them wasn't dingy, but it wasn't nice either. Some of the paint was peeling and the sidewalk was cracked in several places, but it stood tall, casting a long shadow in the afternoon sun. The smell was what bothered him. His eyes narrowed as the two stepped towards the door. It was locked, as he thought it would be but it didn't particularly matter as he put his boot straight through it.
"I trust you have a weapon suitable for mortals," Artemis practically growled. He spared her a quick glance as he summoned a stygian iron blade into his hand. He'd have to thank Hades and Nico again. It'd been a sibling blade to the one Nico wielded with the younger demigod forging it himself as a gift to his honorary brother.
"The gods treat me well," Percy's voice was hard, even as he attempted to joke. The longer he was here, the angrier he became. He knew the smell of alcohol and smoke that would seep into a building after long periods of exposure. It reminded him of coming home after school, and that wasn't something he was eager to think about. Despite him kicking the door in, the home was silent. It was yet another thing he didn't like. He slunk through the hallways, careful not to make any noise. Artemis hovered behind him. Despite her walking normally, she made no sound at all though her normally serene aura was replaced by one of anger.
His ear twitched as the sound of voices carried over from above them. They hadn't found anything on the first floor anyway. The huntress had obviously heard it as well and held her arm out to stop him. She gestured towards a doorway and he nodded. Who was he to question her orders? As much as he wanted to tear through the home, it wouldn't do them any good. From what Artemis had told him on the way here, the girl was alone at the moment. With any luck, it would stay that way.
Fate, unfortunately, would not have it that way. The sounds of slurred speech cut through the thin walls of the house. The floor practically vibrated as the angry voice began to move. He could recognize the sound of drunken speech anywhere. Well, so much for having luck on their side. In an instant, the two were up the stairs, confronted by a scene he knew all too well. The living space was a mess with various boxes and cans being thrown every which way. Domestic violence it was. Percy couldn't stop the anger from coursing through him as his eyes landed on the drunken mess of a man in front of them.
He'd crossed the room before he'd realized words had come out of his mouth, "Where is she?"
That question was quickly answered by a door opening somewhere to his left, followed by the angry shout of a woman. He'd known about her too because of Artemis. Where the man was too inebriated to form a proper sentence, the woman screamed in a mix of surprise and fear. He couldn't help but notice a bit of blood dripping from her knuckle. The man had no indications of injury, and there was no chance the blood splattered on her shirt was hers. Well, that answered that question easily enough. In a mere three strides, he'd barreled past her, roughly shoving her out of the way as he moved to the room she was in. He knew what he was expecting. He knew what he was going to see, but despite that, the rage bubbled through him as he looked at the pitiful state of the girl in front of him.
He sidestepped a swing from the woman behind him and slammed her head into the doorframe she stood in. He guessed that it was her mom? From the looks of it, one of the girl's eyes was swollen shut. He could see bruises littering her already frail body since her ragged clothing was doing little to hide it. At this point, he was seething, hardly acknowledging the angry yells of what he assumed to be her father. The girl could hardly look at him because of the way she'd been beaten. A glint of steel caught his eye.
"Close your eyes and don't open them until I say," Percy growled.
His blade moved automatically as he parried a slash. He'd practiced the move more times than he could count so it came naturally. Knife or sword, it didn't matter. The following movement came just as easily. He hardly registered the splash of blood that came from the man's now dismembered hand, and if he was honest, he didn't particularly care. Some sinister part of him enjoyed the way he kicked him out of the way. His mind didn't even register his body sidestepping the mother's poor attempt at shooting him. He moved automatically and his steel sliced cleanly through flesh, leaving a shallow cut across her once useful eyes. He stared impassively for a moment before flicking his blade to remove any blood from it. It disappeared from his hand as quickly as it had appeared. His mind was eerily silent despite the tortured screams of the scum around him. He tsked as he glanced at his clothes. Blood wasn't the easiest to wash out.
"Open your eyes if you want. It's not pretty but it might be better than wondering for the rest of your life," His voice was mostly even, only slightly colored by a tinge of annoyance. She could barely hear it over the sounds of her captors. He didn't spare the two a glance as he turned to the girl. Her good eye widened, but she said nothing as she looked on towards them. Percy sighed, careful to not make any sudden movements towards the girl. He couldn't help but notice the way her head had followed the knife that had been dropped when he'd dismembered one of the pigs. He knew better than anyone what she was thinking, how easy it'd be just to get rid of the source of her suffering once and for all. He crouched down so that he could face her, placing himself firmly between her and the dropped weapon, "I won't stop you if this is what you want, but it won't make it better. Trust me, you'll feel worse."
He felt his anger rise once more as he heard the blind shuffling behind him. He couldn't even tell if the girl was acknowledging what he was saying but it didn't matter, "Come on, I don't want to be here any longer than we have to."
Camp Jupiter was in an uproar as not only had their honorary praetor shown up with a badly beaten girl, but he'd been accompanied by Lady Diana, sans Hunt. There hadn't been time for speculation as Percy barked out several commands to take care of the young girl. She'd been placed in a room on her own that only he and the doctors would be allowed into at Artemis's command. The demigods knew better than to question orders from either of them.
Percy let out a ragged breath as he sat down in one of the seats in the infirmary. Even now, his body was shaking in anger. He hadn't noticed it before, but the day had gone from sunny to overcast with a perpetual wind. He could understand why the Romans might have feared his father. He wasn't sure how long he'd sat around waiting for some news, but when it finally came, he felt a great deal of relief. As soon as the girl was stable, he and Artemis were going to Olympus. As soon as they'd gotten to the roman camp, she'd vanished, off to speak to Apollo about something.
He only had to wait a little while longer before she returned. If possible, she looked even angrier than she had before. Percy, typically not one to back down from anything, had shrunk back a little. This had caused the goddess to calm down a little, but he knew that as soon as they were on Olympus, hell was going to break loose. He wondered what she'd learned.
He soon found out though, and it was far worse than he'd expected. Not only had she not been the person prayer was intended for, the original recipient had laughed it off. Apollo had done some digging for her, leading them to find out a few things. One being that she was a daughter of Ares. Ares had apparently not only ignored it, but had claimed that any child of his should "be able to stand up for themselves." Suffice it to say that Artemis had stormed into the throne room in a fit of rage.
From his understanding, it was rare that Artemis called a meeting. It was no surprise that the Olympians assembled at an almost unprecedented rate. Neither Apollo nor Hermes looked surprised to see him but he was well aware of some of the stares he was getting. He was glad he'd taken to sitting in front of his dad's throne. He would rather have avoided any more unnecessary looks from sitting somewhere else. He heard Zeus slam the butt of his master bolt to call for silence. While he had no interest in the petty bickering of the gods, he was far more invested given the nature of the situation. He'd made them swear to be better parents and here one of them was, completely disregarding their word.
"Daughter," Zeus started, "Why have you called this meeting?"
Artemis's posture was still angry, "I found a daughter of Ares. Normally, this would not be of any note. Demigods are more common than they were, but the matter of how I found her is the issue. I received a prayer that was not intended for myself but it was concerning enough to warrant investigation. If not for Perseus and I intervening, it is possible that the girl could have died."
Percy could feel a marked shift in the room. Not only did he feel several looks being thrown his direction, but he could feel the way many of the gods turned uncomfortably in their thrones. Zeus was the first to break the silence, "For the sake of clarity, the prayer was intended for Ares, yes?"
Artemis nodded, causing the war god to sputter, "What proof do you have?"
Artemis looked positively murderous before Hestia spoke. Her input was rare, but considered highly influential, "Both Hermes and I will vouch for Artemis."
Many in the throne room looked floored, including the huntress herself. After breaking out of their silent stupor once more, Zeus spoke, directing his question towards the war god in question, "Why did you not answer your daughter's prayer?"
Ares had the gall to look indignant, "She didn't need my help."
It was Percy's turn to be angry. Many of the gods heard the wind pick up slightly outside and could swear the room had shook for a moment, "Didn't need your help?"
Ares crossed his arms, "No daughter of mine isn't able to stand up for themselves. If she can't, then she isn't mine."
"Isn't yours?" Percy's eyes were steely as he spoke. He was practically shaking as he stared the god down.
"No child of mine could be tha-"
"Say it again. I dare you," Percy slammed his fist against his father's throne, creating tremors powerful enough to almost throw some of the gods to the floor, "You're up on some high horse like you've never needed help. She's your daughter."
Ares snorted and opened his mouth to retort but was quickly cut off as Percy spoke over him, "I made you all promise to do better and this is the shit you pull?"
Ares rolled his eyes in obvious disinterest, "I had better things to do."
Percy's eyes widened for a moment, "Say it again."
Ares snorted, "Why should I waste myself with someone who's not cut out to be a warrior?"
"Not cut out? Coming from the god that lost to a twelve year old demigod?"
"You couldn't do it again," Ares snarled. Oftentimes, gods tended to throw that particular loss in his face. Unsurprisingly, it hit a nerve every time.
"Come down here and find out," Percy grinned, "Trust me, however good you think you are, I'm better."
"Enough. Perseus, contain yourself," Zeus's voice boomed out, slamming his master bolt against the floor once more. The sky darkened around them but Percy didn't miss the way the king of gods glanced at him as he spoke, "As for you, Ares. You have broken your word. I see it fit that you be punished, and I'm sure nobody else will object."
"What about the kid?" Ares growled, "He can't get away with threatening me."
"What about my son?" Poseidon's voice was angry, "You ignored your promise and he is well within his right to point it out."
"My brother makes a good point. We all made a promise to Perseus. He is correct to point out your behavior. In fact, since you have not only wronged your daughter, but the Hero of Olympus as well, I see it fit that he be the one to decide on your punishment so long as the rest of the council approves."
"You're angry about a promise to him?" Ares's voice was incredulous, "What could he even do?"
"If I may make a suggestion to Perseus," it was Demeter that spoke, ignoring the angry war god, "An eye for an eye may be an apt punishment."
The young man grinned, "Couldn't have said it better."
"And you expect me to just sit there and allow some punk to act like he's my superior?" Ares's face was screwed up in anger. It reminded many of a child having a temper tantrum.
"I don't care if you fight back. It won't matter. I take it there are no objections to my handling of Ares?" Percy shrugged and a grin broke out across his face when he looked around. None of the gods said a word. He turned back to the soon to be disgraced god, "Don't keep me waiting."
Ares snarled as he shrunk down to human size, summoning his favorite blade into his hand, "I've created wars that have outlived you many times over."
"You're going to need more than one sword," Percy rolled his eyes as he summoned Riptide and twirled the blade around with ease. Ares's blade was at least twice as large but probably more than double the weight. Strong, but slow, "Are you ready yet? I've got places to be."
"You mean the hospital?" Ares grinned.
"Good one," Percy deadpanned. The god of war's face contorted as he watched Percy stand there. Percy could only grin. Ares was definitely stronger than he was, but he was at least four to five times as stupid, and that was being generous. All Percy needed to do was get him angry. So far, so good on that end. The war god charged forth with a roar. It might have affected him when he was younger, but he simply planted his feet and ignored it, bringing the blade up to prepare for the onslaught ahead of him.
Ares lunged forward with his sword held high above his head. Percy, ever quick to react, dodged to the side and delivered a swift strike to his opponent's unguarded side. He felt Riptide slice cleanly through fabric and into soft flesh. Ares grunted in pain but quickly recovered, sending a wide swing towards Percy with speed greater than his size would have let on. Percy blocked it, but at the sacrifice of distance as he was pushed back several feet from the force of the blow. Still, first blood was his not even ten seconds into the fight.
He grinned as he dodged around the war god's strikes, letting his footwork carry him safely away from each heavy strike that the war god doled out, even if only by a hair's breadth. All the strength in the world didn't matter if he couldn't hit him. Of course, he didn't have any openings to attack, but that wasn't his intention. The two men exchanged a flurry of strikes, their swords clanging together in a shower of sparks. Ares's were heavy and forceful, but Percy was quick on his feet, darting around his opponent and delivering swift, precise strikes. Ares hissed as he was struck with a glancing blow, cutting into his arm. Percy just threw the god a cocky smile as he backpedaled away. The god likely had more stamina than he did, but his mentality was far too fragile to keep having to chase the younger man around the room. He could tell by the way Ares was moving. Even though Percy had only landed two hits, Ares was growing increasingly frustrated.
Another clash went similarly, though this time Percy fell for a rather well timed maneuver, leaving him little time to properly deflect the gods blade. He felt his arm go a little numb as Ares brought his sword down in a powerful arc but he shook it off. Fighting Thalia was worse. Ares, as if renewed by the small victory, launched another onslaught, forcing the son of the sea onto a much more hurried defensive. Percy leapt over a low sweep, only to be blown across the room as Ares swung his blade with impossible speed, catching the young man in the air. He'd managed to block it, but he'd still been sent to the floor. He rolled to recover and pressed back towards Ares, meeting him halfway.
This time, the god's blows were reckless, imprecise as if his confidence had led him to believe that he didn't need to try. Percy was more than happy to take advantage of that, feinting to the left before twisting and swinging his blade hard on the right. Ares was quick enough to stop the blow, but it knocked his sword away. Percy pressed his advantage, striking his opponent again. This time, he made contact. Ares's ensuing roar was almost deafening. Percy winced but continued regardless, snaking his blade through his opponents shabby defense. Ares grunted in pain as he was struck with the flat of Riptide, stumbling backwards a bit as Percy stayed impossibly close.
Ares, seemingly having had enough of the abuse, swung his sword wildly. Percy parried the blow easily but was struck by Ares's non-sword arm. It was enough to almost knock the air out of him, and more than enough to create much-needed space for the war god. So much for a fair fight he supposed. Percy darted out of the way of another crushing strike, springing off of one hand to gain some space. Luckily Ares's stronger blows often required more recovery, giving him time to react. Percy took a quick breath as he met Ares once more. This time, Percy moved at blinding speed. Where the war god swung, Percy seemed to flow out of the way, casually following the blade and staying in the god's defense.
Percy parried another blow, letting the weight of the strike carry it away from himself. As soon as it wouldn't be possible for Ares to recover, he pressed forwards. His blade easily met its mark several times, leaving a multitude of cuts and a few shallow punctures in the god's skin. He hopped back several feet and smirked. Given the war god's roar of anger, he wouldn't last much longer. Ares dashed at him, but Percy had expected it. He sidestepped a thrust and brought the flat of his blade down on the god's outstretched arms, causing him to howl in pain.
A similar pattern ensued for the next several clashes. Ares admittedly landed a few decent blows, but they were nowhere near enough to stop the younger man. Percy danced out of the way of another blow but Ares pressed forward. Thankfully, it was reckless enough that Percy could knock it away before moving to safety, but he was surprised as another blade was thrust towards him. He wasn't quite quick enough to parry or avoid, so it landed, slicing deeply into his flank. He gritted his teeth as he took a step back. Ares had dropped his original blade and simply summoned another one. Fine. If that was how he wanted to play it, so be it.
Percy stepped forward. His side ached, but he was too angry to care at the moment. He didn't even try to dodge the oncoming blows, simply parrying them or deflecting them away. Ares, thinking that Percy was now too close to dodge, swung his weapon with both hands, only to freeze mid-swing. Percy's anger was practically palpable as he froze the god, using the ichor in his body to stop him completely. Ares looked surprised for a moment before he was sent flying across the room by a blow from the son of the sea. He'd dropped his blade and had simply taken to beating him with his hands.
Percy threw a series of rapid punches at the god's face and torso. Each blow landed with a sickening thud, moving the incarnate of war backwards. Ares, still unable to move, was forced to simply take the abuse. He would have fallen over from a rather devastating uppercut from the younger man, but Percy had grabbed the front of his jacket and slammed him into the floor.
"Get up," Percy glowered. The god in front of him was bloodied almost beyond recognition. He made a movement but he was in such bad shape that he could hardly lift his arms to defend himself. Percy's anger only grew as he stared at the bloody mass in front of him, "Get. Up."
Percy swung again, sending the sounds throughout the throne room. He continued on, intent on enacting the same pain that his daughter had felt before finally being stopped by a soft hand on his shoulder. His breathing was ragged as he stared at the war god. His rage subsided, the adrenaline flooding out of his body. His side ached as he turned to look at the other gods around him.
Some of them looked disinterested. Hera and Dionysus for one, seemed like they were indifferent. Zeus, surprisingly, looked slightly proud as did Hades, Demeter, and his father, though the last was tinged with concern. He was sure that while Hermes and Apollo weren't outright showing their giddiness, they would when they were together next. Hephaestus, he'd expected to look impassive, but the forge god looked uncharacteristically happy. It was the other looks that concerned him.
He knew what Athena was thinking, but the last three goddesses concerned him. Hestia didn't look worried per se, but he could see that she was concerned. Some of the color left his face as he glanced back at his handiwork. It'd been a good thing that she'd stopped him. Aphrodite, surprisingly, didn't look all that angry. Considering that he'd just beat the daylight out of her long term boy-toy, he'd expected some anger. Instead she just looked disappointed, and not in him. Her gaze flicked over to him and he felt as if she were sad, somehow. Artemis was the person he was most concerned with. Outwardly, she looked fine. In fact, she looked proud. It was her eyes that bothered him. She looked torn between being proud and being worried. Where he had been angry before, he now felt guilt.
"I'm leaving," He muttered, and after a moment, the sound of the grand doors slamming shut echoed through the chamber.
Fun chapter to write, hopefully fun to read as well. I'm hoping that this chapter will do a good job of transitioning to the next, but I'm not quite sure. It might still be a bit jarring, but I don't think the next chapter after this starts out too heavy but it definitely ends that way. Anyway, let me know what you think. I love hearing from everyone.