Welcome back! This chapter is fairly silly and was a lot of fun to write. Hope you enjoy!
KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 6- GATEKEEPERS
Larcade generally considered himself a pretty calm person. Throughout his life and his travels, he had learned getting upset and stressed generally brought nothing good and it was better to indulge in pleasures and enjoy oneself.
Getting to serve his father was something Larcade took great pleasure in. As his (second) strongest etherious creation, Zeref had bestowed his own family name to Larcade. What more acceptance could one ask for? It didn't matter if Zeref had never actually called Larcade his son, it was enough to be one of the two people on Earthland to bear the Dragneel name.
Well, three, but the other one was an ignorant brute and undeserving of his father's love.
But when Larcade got the news this morning that he could not join his father for breakfast because of some 'special guest', he was infuriated. Father has always allowed me to join him for meals, but suddenly this guest catches his interest and I'm unwelcome? It's not fair! If his beloved younger brother were here, no doubt he'd be allowed to sit at the head of the table even though he's an ill-mannered barbarian!" Larcade slammed his fists against the table of the grand council room in frustration.
Across the table, two other members of the Twelve snickered at Larcade's distress. As Ajeel and Dimaria picked fun at Larcade's expense, Brandish walked in, with the usual bland expression on her face, and took her seat next to Dimaria.
"Nice to see you so enthusiastic, so bright and early, Brandish." Dimaria addressed the green haired young woman with a smirk. Ajeel chuckled to himself.
Brandish let out an irritated sigh and in her usual monotone, and replied, "Hilarious as always Dimaria." She rolled her eyes and propped an elbow on the table, resting her cheek on it. She then noticed Larcade, his usual tranquil expression replaced by a furious scowl. She nodded towards the blonde young (looking) man. "What's his problem?"
Ajeel laughed and responded, "Poor Larcade was banished by the emperor to eat with us common folk this morning."
Snorting from laughter, Dimaria mockingly asked Larcade, "Whatever did you do to upset daddy dearest?" Larcade simply clenched his teeth and looked away.
"Larcade." A gravelly voice said. Looking up, Larcade saw the bulking inhuman figure that was Bloodman taking his seat. "I don't understand your obsession with being the emperor's favorite. You should treat every request, whether pleasing to you or not, as an honor when it comes from the emperor."
"Maybe I would, if I had the personality of a rock, like you!" Larcade spat in anger.
Bloodman stared at Larcade, face unchanged. "If that is an insult, I do not understand."
This just seemed to make Larcade angrier, as he began to shout the meaning of his insult to an apathetic Bloodman. Ajeel leaned over to Dimaria and whispered, "I'll take the 'rock' over whatever personality Larcade has." The two erupted in laughter, while the two etherious continued to argue. Brandish just sighed again.
The doors to the room swung open, and a man with long orange hair and a cloak with what could be described as an elaborate wheel of blades on its back literally jumped into the room and struck a flamboyant pose. Having heard the commotion with his dragon-slaying enhanced hearing, he declared "News of this guest has also reached my ears. He must be truly impressive if the emperor requests his company, as he does not even allow I, the magnificent God Serena! To dine with him!" He struck several more unnecessary poses during his rant.
Behind him, a man whose appearance could not be any more different trudged in. He wore an orange jumpsuit and was filthy, covered from head to toe in grease. "Probably so the emperor can get a moment's peace," he muttered, but loud enough for others to hear.
Ajeel and Dimaria began to laugh loudly again. "Holy shit, Wall actually showed up in person!" Ajeel exclaimed.
"What happened to 'Heh, my work is so important you should be lucky I'm sparing one of my dolls to attend'?" Dimaria said, doing a fairly good imitation of Wall's normal cocky tone.
The machias sighed and laid his head down on the table. "Routine maintenance. Damaged audio receptors." He grunted, turning his head to glare at God Serena, still going on in a pose filled, self-absorbed monologue about how magnificent the emperor's breakfasts would be with his presence.
A man in a black suit with a skull tattoo on his large forehead entered the room and looked at God Serena in disgust before he made his way to his chair. "God Serena, for the love of all that is holy, sit down and shut up. You're acting indecent." Jacob said, in his distinct accent.
God Serena gasped and threw his arms out in front of him. "I? The magnificent God Serena? Indecent? Ne-"
"That's quite enough, God Serena." Invel's cold voice left no room for argument, cutting the flamboyant dragon slayer's rant short, as the emperor's chief of staff entered the room. God Serena muttered something about magnificence as he sat down, and the room turned to face Invel who cleared his throat. "Thank you all for making it back on such short notice. Ten of the Twelve present is an impressive feat with all that's going on." Adjusting his glasses, Invel narrowed his eyes as he continued, "Be that as it may, should I even ask why Neinhart is absent?"
"He left you a note." Dimaria said, snickering, as she walked up to Invel and handed him a folded piece of paper. Upon opening it, Invel did everything in his power to keep his features even as he read Neinhart's condescending message about an hour in the palace's steam room was far more important to him than some lord upset about his gold. Invel muttered something unintelligible under his breath as he crumpled the note and shoved it in his pocket.
"Invel," Jacob's voice came from the other side of the table. "Is everything alright with the emperor? He appeared quite distressed before he vanished from yesterday's meeting."
Invel nodded before saying, "The Emperor had a personal matter to attend to, but it is now resolved. And, not unrelated to that, there will be a new face in our meeting today. It is one you all will be seeing a lot from here on out, so I expect everyone to be on their best behavior."
"What, are we the Spriggan 13 now?" Wall sarcastically said, causing some of the other members to laugh.
"No." Invel said, no hint of humor in his voice. "This man is the younger brother of the emperor." Invel tried not to smirk as he saw wide eyes and mouths opened in shock. "I do not care what you think of him, he is our prince and our superior, and thus you will show him the utmost respect. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT PROVOKE HIM." Invel had looked directly at Larcade as he raised his voice for the last part, but the tone left no room for argument that the message was for everyone present.
That said, Larcade's eyes were the widest in the room as he processed Invel's words. No... it can't be-
The doors to the room opened again, and Emperor Spriggan entered, Yajeel at his left and August at his right. Behind them was a well-built young man with spiky salmon colored hair, who took a seat between the Emperor and August.
The present members of the Twelve, minus August, all stood and bowed as they greeted the emperor in unison, "Welcome back, Your Majesty."
"Thank you all for your patience," The Emperor said as the other members of the Twelve sat yet again. "We will be finishing up our discussion from where we left off yesterday. However, before we do, I would like to introduce you to my brother."
Natsu stood and grinned wide, waving a hand. "Hi everyone, I'm Natsu."
As the other members stared at their new prince, no one acknowledged Larcade's face contorting in rage.
"Please introduce yourselves." Invel said, as he ignored Larcade and nodded at Dimaria.
With a mischievous smile, Dimaria introduced herself, "Dimaria Yesta, time mage. I gotta say Your Majesty, with all due respect and all that, you're not an unattractive man but your brother is really something else. Absolutely my type." Her voice took on a suggestive tone with her last sentence.
Invel's face turned red. "Di-di-dimaria, I said to show the prince proper respect!" Some of the Twelve laughed, not only from Dimaria's comments but also from the fact they had never seen Invel so flustered.
"It's alright, Invel." Zeref said, offering a smile. "Let them speak freely."
Natsu scratched the back of his head and smiled nervously. "I think you were giving me a compliment, so... thanks!" He didn't like the look in Dimaria's eyes when she stared back at him intently and licked her lips.
"Guess I'm next! Ajeel Raml. They call me the desert king. Hope ya ain't no pushover, Your Highness." Ajeel smirked and stood as he loudly introduced himself.
"Hell no I ain't!" Natsu jumped out of his seat, matching Ajeel's tone and smirk. "We should fight later!"
"Sweet! I'll be looking forward to it!"
Invel sighed and put his head in his hands.
Brandish side eyed Natsu. "Brandish μ. You don't seem like the most boring person ever."
"High compliment coming from Brandish," Dimaria chimed in, tone teasing.
"Nice to meet you, Brandish."
Bloodman stood and bowed. "It is an honor, Your Highness. I am Bloodman. I serve the emperor wherever he sends me. I am currently overseeing our security here at the palace. Any command you give me I will carry out without fail."
"Thanks, Bloodman. You can just call me Natsu."
"As you wish, Natsu."
Wall leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. "Wall Eetho. I'm a macias, so I love all things machines and mechanical." Hint of pride entering his smirk, he added, "Also, I'm the reason our airship fleet is so impressive."
Air...ship?! The awful combination of words made Natsu queasy. He puffed his cheeks out and put his hands over his mouth as a precaution as he tried to get his mind off the dreadful combination.
Wall stared at Natsu, eyebrows raised and confused look on his face. "Uh... was it something I said?"
"Natsu is a dragon slayer," Zeref explained. "Like all dragon slayers he is prone to intense motion sickness in any type of moving vehicle."
"It is true!" God Serena's flamboyant voice filled the room as he jumped out of his seat, as he laid one hand on his forehead and leaned his head back as he took on another ridiculous pose. "Not even I, the magnificent God Serena, can tolerate the swaying of moving vehicles!"
"Oh," Wall said, as he nodded in understanding. "Well that partially explains why I've never liked you." He said to God Serena before turning back to Natsu and added, "No offense, Your Highness."
"Just Natsu. None taken, Wall."
Jacob stood and started to introduce himself but was abruptly cut off by God Serena, who jumped back out his seat, striking another ridiculous pose. "I am God Serena! As a dragon slayer yourself, you have no doubt heard of my magnificence, for I have no equal!
Natsu smiled uncomfortably. "Uh, hi, nice to meet you, but I've never heard of you before."
Upon hearing this God Serena nearly collapsed out of his silly pose but quickly regained his composure. "Ah, my mistake. I forget the people of Alakitasia are not as familiar with my magnificence as those in Ishgar, where I was the number one wizard saint!"
"Actually, I've lived my whole life in Ishgar til yesterday. My guild master was a wizard saint too, and I've met plenty of other ones, but your name never came up. Which dragon trained you?"
God Serena stared at Natsu blankly for a moment before he laughed. "I'm not sure you're actually a dragon slayer, as if you were you'd know dragon slayers aren't trained by actual dragons, they have lacrima containing a dragons' power placed inside them. I have eight-"
It was God Serena's turn to be interrupted as Natsu began to laugh loudly. "Wait, wait, I'm not a real dragon slayer because I don't have a lacrima? You've gotta be kidding buddy!" Eyes flashing with pride and confidence, Natsu pointed his thumb at himself as he continued, "I got my magic from the king of the fire dragons, Igneel, and I've never lost to one of you lacrima dragon slayer fakes!"
God Serena's face became red, and he lifted his arms, clearly readying a spell. "We'll see what you have to say about who's a fake when I-"
The boisterous man was cut off abruptly as a stream of ice magic collided with him, encasing him in a full body ice cube with a surprised expression on his face. Natsu looked with wide eyes at the source of the ice magic, as Invel brought his hand back down to his side. "That's quite enough God Serena. Please stay quiet and cool off for a bit." The room was filled with laughter.
"I like you already Natsu!" Ajeel said as he caught his breath from laughing. "It's not even been ten minutes, and this is the best meeting I've been to as part of the Twelve." With that however, his smile disappeared, and he became serious. "But I didn't know you were from Ishgar. You better be ready to go toe to toe with us Alvarezian mages. I sure won't take orders from some weakling Ishgarian prince."
Invel slammed his palms on the table as he stood again. "How dare you, Ajeel! This is Emperor Spriggan's brother! To defy him is to defy the emperor!" Zeref simply nodded.
"Ajeel!" Yajeel spoke up for the first time since the meeting started. "I'm ashamed you would be so rude to the prince."
"It's fine- no big deal at all." Natsu said with a smirk on his face. "I already promised Ajeel a match. I'll let my fists do the talking."
Ajeel cocked an eyebrow as he smirked back at Natsu. "Good. You're no coward at least, I'll give you that!"
"That's enough!" Invel raised his voice again, glaring daggers around the room. "I thought I told everyone to mind their manners!"
Dimaria laughed at Invel. "You really expected us to?"
"A-hem." Everyone fell silent as the emperor spoke. "Let's just continue with the introductions." He gestured to Jacob.
Jacob stood and bowed. "I am Jacob Lessio. Pleasure to meet you, Natsu. I specialize in assassination and stealth magic." He paused a moment before asking, "Forgive my curiosity, but are you the same Natsu Dragneel from the Fiorian guild Fairy Tail?"
"Yeah, that's me." Natsu said, a bit surprised. "How did you know that?"
Jacob smiled. "I am over the Empire's intelligence network. It is the largest in the world, I am proud to say." He smirked a little and also said, "Your waist size is 36, you recruited the celestial spirit mage Lucy Heartfilia to your guild, you often bicker with your guild's resident ice mage Gray Fullbuster, your best friend is the exceed Happy, and you have a leak in the roof of your cabin outside Magnolia, 3 feet from your front door, in your living room."
"Huh?!" Natsu looked at Jacob in shock. "Are you a stalker?!"
Natsu's question didn't bother Jacob, who just smiled and laughed. "No, no, forgive me, Natsu. I often memorize facts about a person as part of my job. Those were just a few things I remember from when I glanced over your file a while back." Jacob paused, seeming to choose his words carefully before he asked, "If you'd allow me to ask one more question, Natsu. In a scenario where Fairy Tail and the Empire were at odds with each other, what would you do?"
Before he could think about Jacob's question, Zeref's voice cut through the room. "That question is irrelevant, Jacob. Fairy Tail is disbanded. We cannot be at odds with a nonexistent guild." His tone was as serious as Invel's was earlier, no room for argument to be found.
Jacob's eyes widened slightly, before he bowed again. "I apologize, Your Majesty, Natsu. My curiosity simply got the better of me."
Natsu furrowed his brow in confusion. Why ask that specific question though? Also why was he looking at my file? ALSO, I HAVE A FILE?!
Zeref nodded his head before turning to the final member of the Twelve that was present and then proceeded to bury his head in his hands upon looking at him. As Natsu turned, he saw Invel glaring extra intensely at the last guy. He had spiky, pale blonde hair and piercing orange eyes, as well as a white cross tattooed on his forehead. His clothes were strange, leaving one side of his chest exposed. They reminded him of Zeref's dress (toga). However, currently his most defining feature was the look of pure rage he was giving to Natsu. "How. Dare. You." He hissed.
Natsu smiled and attempted to lighten the mood. "Nice to meet you, How Dare You. Weird name, though."
The other man exploded in rage. "Your very presence turns my stomach! You do nothing yet you come in here acting like a big shot, get called a prince, and sit next to my father! I will not let you steal his love from me!"
Of all the strange things the Twelve had done this was easily the crown jewel. "Huh?!" Natsu looked back and forth between a furious Larcade and an embarrassed Zeref. "Wait, you're his-" pointing at Larcade and then turning and pointing at Zeref, "He's your!"
Larcade looked at Natsu with smug satisfaction on his face. "Yes, the Emperor is my father- dear uncle!"
However, Natsu was confused as the rest of the Twelve seemed to collectively groan and insist this wasn't the case. "Alright, that's quite enough Larcade. Sit down." Zeref said, who had recovered enough from his apparent embarrassment enough to join Invel in glaring at Larcade, who obliged his request.
"Oh, you're Larcade!" Natsu said, as realization dawned on him. Turning to Zeref he asked, "So is he your kid, or not?"
"Larcade is an etherious. My strongest, next to you. In recognition of said strength I gave him our family name. The 'father' bit was not my doing."
"You gave me life and passed your name to me! What does that make you if not my father?" Larcade asked happily.
Zeref sighed and ignored Larcade. "Well, now that everyone knows each other we should probably get this meeting go-"
"Wait! Father! I have one more thing I want to say!" Larcade begged Zeref.
Zeref closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "What is it, Larcade?"
Larcade pointed at Natsu. "Fight me Uncle! Fight me... and if you lose... you have to leave Alvarez forever!"
Zeref's eyes flashed red. "Larcade..." he growled.
"Sure! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu enthusiastically yelled at Larcade. "But what if I win?"
"It's not worth discussing because you clearly won't!"
"I, the magnificent God Serena, would also like to challenge you to a showdown!"
"Hell yeah! Brawl! Brawl! Brawl!" Ajeel began to chant and was joined by several of the others.
Invel slammed his hands on the table again. "DID ANY OF YOU LISTEN TO ME?" He shouted. He turned to Natsu, voice back to a normal volume, but tone retaining its frustration, "Your Highness, you are under no obligation to answer these challenges. In fact, say the word and I will have all three of these buffoons sacked from the Twelve faster than-"
"Nah, I promise Invel, it's fine." Natsu flashed the exasperated spriggan a grin. "He," gesturing to Zeref, "picked these guys for a reason. I can tell they're strong." His smirk widened. "But I ain't going down! I promised my brother I'd help him get rid of his curse. And no one's gonna stop me. So, I got no choice but to take you all down!"
Ajeel and God Serena smirked as Larcade scowled.
"Larcade." Zeref turned to his second strongest etherious. "You've told Natsu your conditions. But you still haven't offered an incentive if he wins."
Larcade closed his eyes and smiled calmly. "If he somehow manages to overcome my magic, I will, publicly, declare my loyalty to my favorite uncle and pledge to follow his every command."
Natsu smirked. "Deal."
"Seriously?" Brandish said. "That's a ridiculously shitty deal."
"You should be doing that regardless of the outcome of your match." Invel said, voice dripping with malice.
"I don't care about a reward. I live for stuff like this. So... desert king... number one wizard saint... little nephew." Natsu looked at each person as he addressed them, Larcade's scowl returned at Natsu's belittling nickname. "Bring it on!"
Natsu zoned out for the rest of the meeting. They talked about some lord who was mad over taxes or something like that. Natsu never paid attention to the nobility back home and he sure didn't pay taxes either. His mind was focused on taking down his opponents.
That said, he did get distracted by the tour Zeref took him on after the meeting, showing him key hubs of the nation's military infrastructure. At the capital's barracks, he saw soldiers training with high tech magic guns and all different sorts of offensive spells. Then they took a trip to the shipyards, which Natsu actually found enjoyable, especially after he was told he didn't have to get on any of them. The ships Alvarez was building were unlike anything he'd seen before. They were giant metal monsters, some of the naval ones looked big enough that Igneel could have ridden on them. The airships were cool too, he guessed, but just looked like wooden boats he'd seen before, the only difference is they could fly. Wall had shown up and enthusiastically told Natsu that their new models looked "unbelievably cooler."
"In fact, they're so amazing I bet you won't even care about your motion sickness once you're on one!"
Natsu wasn't able to match Wall's enthusiasm. "Look Wall, I'm sorry, but you're not getting me on one of those flying deathtraps. No way, not today, not ever."
Wall cocked his head at Natsu inquisitively for a moment before he began to cackle loudly. "Oh really? You don't know who you're dealing with here! I am the great Wall, the elite of the machias race! When I find myself unable to do something, I don't rest until I find a solution. I'll even rewrite my own personality if I have to!" As he continued to cackle, he pointed at Natsu, grinning maniacally. "And now, I'm gonna find a way to get you on an airship! And you'll admit it's awesome! Just wait and see!" He cackled more as he disappeared back down one of the many catwalks lining the airships under construction.
"Man, he's way more determined than I thought. Feels like a completely different person than that sleepy guy from the meeting."
Zeref nodded. "That was one of the few times I've seen Wall exhausted. What you just witnessed is his normal personality." Zeref smiled and put his hand to his chin in thought. "I wonder what he'll come up with."
"Ugh. So, another God Serena."
Zeref shook his head. "No, there is definitely only one God Serena. I wish the strongest mage from Ishgar was anyone else. But his numerous dragon slayer abilities could prove very useful in the battle against Acnologia."
"Well maybe, but I mean, there's no way Acnologia could stand up to everything you've got here!"
Invel, who had been following close behind Zeref and Natsu, chimed in, "While we'd certainly like to think so, even Emperor Spriggan is weary of Acnologia. So, we're not racing for a confrontation with the beast just yet."
Zeref nodded. "Even with all our power, tech, and mages, Acnologia is so much of a monster I can't say for sure what can actually kill him. But that's another reason I push so hard for the advancement of magical study and research. Better understanding of magic means better spells, which makes us much more prepared. The same principle applies to technology, but I'll admit that isn't my area of expertise." His serious expression melted into a smirk as he continued, "But that's enough about Acnologia. He's a problem for another day. At the moment, I'm more interested in how you plan to defeat your opponents in your upcoming challenges."
"Simple. Whatever they got, I'll hit 'em with something even stronger!"
Behind them, they heard Invel smack his forehead in exasperation.
"So, you don't have a plan?" Zeref asked.
"Nah, plans aren't my thing. Plus, everyone who makes plans always whines about how they never work."
Zeref smiled. "I see your point...still... It's always beneficial to know what to expect. So, with that said, how would you feel about training with me? I do happen to know all three of your opponents' magic, as well as their personal strengths and weaknesses."
Natsu's face lit up. "Hell yeah, I'd love to train with you!" He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, before he asked, "Wait, how long is it gonna be before we get to fight?"
"A week's time." Invel said. "It will take that long to make all the necessary preparations."
"Huh? A week? But I wanted to beat these losers now and start looking for a cure to your curse!" He exclaimed, looking at Zeref.
Invel's eyes narrowed. "We'll also have the negotiations with the lord of Caelum a few days after... which I may remind you, Your Majesty, was the reason you returned from your travels in the first place."
"Ah, um, of course." Zeref sounded unsure of himself for once. He sighed. "It may have slipped my mind. Let me guess, you've already promised them I would speak to them myself?"
"I'm afraid so, Your Majesty."
"Great. I'm sorry Natsu, but it looks like we'll have to postpone our adventure."
"What?! No way this is more important than getting you cured!" Natsu scowled.
"Natsu," Invel said, "I'm not downplaying the importance of finding a cure for His Majesty. However, do you even have any leads? Any places you plan to go to start your search?" Natsu stared at Invel blankly before looking away. "I thought not. Meanwhile these negotiations are very important to the future of the Empire."
"It just feels like we're doing nothing!" Natsu threw his hands up in frustration. "Training is one thing but I don't know anything about talking to these fat, stuffed shirt clowns! It feels like everything is trying to slow us down."
Invel paused for a moment but nodded. "I do understand how you feel, Natsu. However, we must conquer one obstacle at a time. So, let's talk about your upcoming battles first." Invel smiled and adjusted his glasses. "Your Majesty, if you don't mind, I'd like for us to make one more stop."
Zeref smiled in response. "I have a feeling I know right where you want to go." He looked at Natsu and said, "Come on, Natsu. I have a feeling you will enjoy this."
"WOW!" Natsu's eyes were wide as he took in the arena he stood in. Zeref had teleported them to the middle of Vistarion from the shipyards, and after a short walk they had come up on a massive, ancient arena. It was as big as the Domus Flau back in Fiore, maybe even bigger. It looked a lot older too. The ancient stone walls had deteriorated in some spots but for how old it looked, it was in relatively good condition.
"Believe it or not, Natsu, this colosseum may be older than us." Zeref said, smiling. "Warriors have tested their strength here for countless centuries. You will be no different."
Invel nodded. "The day of your challenges next week, the seats will be packed with all kinds of people from all across the empire."
"I was going to suggest making his challenges into an event if you hadn't, Invel." Zeref said, looking at his chief of staff with a look of satisfaction on his face.
"I see no reason not to. It provides our citizens with entertainment as well as serving as an introduction of the prince to the general public. And of course, the funds raised from ticket sales will benefit our treasury."
"Very economical of you." Zeref said, chuckling.
"Tickets will be priced reasonably so anyone, regardless of social status, will have a chance to attend. I will certainly make the most of this gaffe our three problem children of the Twelve have caused." His businesslike tone shifted to something slightly more malicious with his last sentence.
"So, it'll be like the Grand Magic Games back home?" Natsu asked, thinking fondly of his guild's victory in last year's said games. "Hell yeah! I'm all fired up now!" His declaration was followed by a loud growl from his stomach. "But right now, I'm starving! Let's go get a bite to eat!" Natsu began to stride out of the arena as Invel and Zeref followed.
Zeref stopped for a moment to gaze at the sun setting between the old arches and openings in the old stone of the colosseum, letting his mind wander. "Tomorrow, your training will begin, little brother." He smiled, but it quickly turned sinister. "I did promise you despair when we met again, didn't I? I will bring it in full force, once you see how far you have to go still yet."
Zeref's monologue to himself was cut off by an irritated Natsu, who shouted back at him, "You know I can still hear you right!?"
What do you think of the 12's reactions to Natsu? I tried to keep all of them in character, trying to expand on what we saw in cannon since they weren't around long enough imo.
Also, I wanted to be cool like my friend Spot Of Tea and start uploading twice a week, but... *looks at one paragraph I've written for chapter 10 so far*... yeah probably shouldn't lol.
On a related note, thank you to everyone who has commented. Your comments really do brighten my day and motivate me, especially when I'm struggling to get the words out of my head or off my notes and form them into an actual story. And even if you haven't commented, thank you for reading, I hope y'all are enjoying the story!
See you next week!