Speech = ``...´´
Thoughts = [... ]
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"Perhaps, in time you will find what you are looking for. However, when the time comes...you will have to come to terms with the answer you found for yourself..."
That...was what Crucabena had said to her at the party. The words she had confided to Peruere as the simple celebration reached its cenit and everyone was starting to either clean up or leave.
All because she had still felt troubled by it all….
And "mother" had noticed.
The older woman approaching her and sitting to her side in the comically small chairs, bringing with in her gentle smile and that strange kind demeanor as she decided to kept her company while respecting her space….. instead of just barging away like she had expected her to, leaving her even more confused as she just remained silent...
Not in a bad way…, but awkward.
Like…
Like Crucabena did not know how to find her voice or the right words.
Peruere could only frown at the memory, a sigh leaving through lips as her eyes started to wander away from the book she was reading.
She could predict their "mother" before the incident, butshe couldn't understand Crucabenas new approach after it.
It felt….as if she was a different person, but that could not be because people didn't change….
At least, that was what she told herself.
And what did their mother meant by that..?Why did she said she was looking for something….? And more importantly, why would she need to come to terms with it if she ever found it..?
What….what had the woman seem through her?
It felt as if she had told her something important...but she had missed the point somewhere in between her needless worry and distrust of the changes on the House.
Still….whatever it was, she would survive.
She was sure of it.
"Perrie….?"
A rather known voice broke her out of her thoughts.
Silently, she tilted her head to her left. Spotting at the other end of the room a peculiar mane of pink-redish hair leaning forward, yet unable to hide those glinting eyes of her friend or that thin line that was her lips turning into a broad and relieved smile.
It did not took the girl long to made her way towards her, swinging her head softly from left to rights, allowing the current of air to blow past her mane and keep it afloat for a few brief moments.
And by the looks of it if her eyes did not deceive her….Clervie's small arms were also holding something behind her particularly big, but not small either.…
Her eyes squinted at that last detail...however her postured relaxed a few seconds later.
"Yes…Clervie?"
"Do you know where mother is..?"
She stopped... pondering in silence at the sudden question for moment...not because it was strange coming from the pink haired girl, but rather how serious she sounded behind the bubbly childish mood her friend brought with her.
It reminded her when Clervie had it her mission to make her laugh instead of remaining eternally silent to her antics. However, unlike that case she could not give her what she wanted as she end up shaking her head much to her friends visual disappointment.
"No…..why?"
She muttered at last, finally closing the book and focusing her attention to her friend. Stepping down from the ledge of the window from where her feet had been dangling from.
A puzzled look started to appear on the pink haired girls features, a hand scratching the back of her head as she digested her response.
"Hmm...I thought she said she went for a stroll...but I haven't see her in the courtyard…, how strange.."
Sometimes Peruere wondered if her friend could be any more dense...
"Perhaps she meant...outside the House"
"What? So soon? But what of her wound..!?
The image of her "mothers" pained and tired eyes and the bandage that was now wrapped around her head came to mind….however she did not posses the same sentimental drivelike her friend did as her face remained as impassive as before.
It wasn't that she didn't care….
It was...just her nature.
Clervie was perhaps just exaggerating the severity of what she witnessed that night….and even if the fall was as severed as she said, if Crucabena wanted to act tough in-front of the children either for her own pride or their own sake…..then there was nothing they could do about it.
It was a conclusion she had reached a while ago….and for some reason one that did not surprise her.
She tilted her head towards her friend. Clervie worrying about it would change nothing, would make nothing better. It was all nothing but a waste of effort and words…..
But she did not have the heart to say that.
In the end, with a heavy sigh she weakly shrug her shoulders.
"I..don't know.."
A frown appeared on her friends lips, the disappointment bleeding on her eyes as she cast her gaze down at the floor.
"Hm...I hope she is ok, I...I was pretty scared back then.."
Peruere rose an eyebrow.. "You wanted to see her...?"
"I-I well…..I. wanted to show her what I had been working on, I promised her that as soon as I finished I would bring her my drawings..."
Two red x's blinked this time, and though she did not show it she was rather confused at what insanity she had just heard.
"Perrie? Is...something wrong...?"
"Didn't she... ban you from doing that?"
"What!? No, she did not..! Where did you got that idea..?"
"I meant...giving her the drawings. Not making them..."
"Ah...that.."
..
"So...?"
"Well, that's the thing...mother said I could do it again. In fact she gave me an empty notebook from her desk so that I could draw with them and show what I came up with later.., pretty cool don't you think?"
Clervie said, beaming at her as she pulled the object that she had been keeping hiding behind her back. And... just as she had said before, in Clervies hands there was a peculiarly large notebook.
["Mother"….gave her that?]
She did not understand.
Why?
Why she would do that? She had been in the room when their mother had in sweet yet very certain words denied Clervies desires to gift Crucabena anything related to drawings.
Saying that as much as she loved them she was either too busy or that she had no space for them in her office...instead of just stating that she just loathed the idea of even considering putting those things on the wall.
And now she changed her mind? Why..?
It wasn't like she was against Clervie having a little more light in her life even if it was in the form of some boring drawings….but why do that? Why would Crucabena do any of that..?
She had to know.
"What drawing were you going to show her..?" She prompted out loud, surprising herself and her friend alike.
"Oh? You are interested Perrie? Its one from the party..."
Clervie then opened the notebook to show her a large picture colored with crayons that depicted…..rather roughly a scene that she assumed was the party.
..
No, by the looks of it Clervie had not gotten any better at drawings, which meant that it had nothing to do with "mothers" sudden change of heart..
Still….everyone was having fun….., everyone was smiling. Even their "mother". The woman's body no longer encased in dark and shadowy colors like Clervie used to depict her, but warm and bright ones at that this time.
The three of them standing together….
Like a family.
..
..
But did any of them knew what a family really was...?
"Is that….was that which you were so busy with before...?"
"Yeah, I had so much fun that I wanted to make a portray of it so that we could always look at it and remember that day with a bright smile..."
Peruere merely looked away, her eyes closed. tired. This talk about drawings and what ifs or reasons had led to Crucabena changing her mind about them was starting to bother her.
Should she had ask her mother what she meant back there?
"Perrie...are you sad..?"
She refused to meet her gaze.
"Did something happen…?"
She heard her ask, dropping the notebook on the floor and approach her before she wrapped her arms around her shoulders and gave her a small hug.
What use would it be to tell her when she would not understand..?
It was better if she kept it to her-
"Cake...? I brought some..."
..
..
..
..
The ghost of a smile started to appear on Peruere's lips
"Clervie.."
"Yes...?"
"You should not eat sweets every day..."
She really did not need to look up to catch on the horrified expression that appeared soon after in Clervies face.
"Wah!? Don't be like mother too...cakes are sweet and yummy, how could they be bad?"
Strange was it not...for her to agree on something with their mother.
º
º-….City of Fontaine….-º
Several miles from the House of the Hearth
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"Gods…., this place really is big…..."
Was the only thing she could hear herself mutter either in clear show of awe or fascination through her lips as her eyes were unable to sit still, wandering from side to side at the incessant stream of noises and things to glare and fawn over, almost as if fearful she would not catch them all.
Though... who could blame her?
She was literally finding herself finally walking with her own two feet on the very sacred ground a certain blond Traveler from who knows what corner of the universe came from would drop by in a rather close by future if things went according to canon
So...yeah, she may as-well be a child taking her first step in the toy store. The fact that she was not either freaking out or fan-girlling on the spot and blowing out her cover as the "true" Crucabena was on itself a spectacular miracle.
Still…..sometimes she felt like drowning.
Shaking her head inwardly, she took a moment to take a deep breath. A hand clutching just above her heart where she could feel it throb underneath the clothat an uncharacteristic fast pace.
Closing her eyelids as she took in the warmth of the sun beaming above in the skies and the gentle breeze of the morning reaching mid day blowing against her frame and toying with what loose strands of hair it could find, carrying with it that humid palette of salt from the seas surrounding the nation of Hydro.
For most onlookers she would look like a gentle and beautiful lady taking a brief moment to enjoy of peace before returning to her job. However, if they had been able to take a look in her mind they would have managed to get a better grasp of what was going on in her head.
It was then that her lips became a little more strained than normal.
[Oh Fontaine… why the fuck did you have to be so fucking big…..?] She thought with an inward grimace.
Oh, she knew already that it was unrealistic to expect a gacha game to develop an entire city worth of buildings and streets unless they were trying to see how much they could add to the platform meant originally for a phone until it blew up like those guys modding TNT boxes and exploding them at the same time just to see whether the graphic card survived or not.
However she had not been prepared at the sheer expanse of the city itself.
Why had she ever thought otherwise eluded what she was sure is that she should be feeling cramps in her legs by the hours of walking without end she had already gone through and the thought that she wasn't felt weird in so many levels.
Like Crucabenas body looked like a super model, one that was really really hot since she had managed to get a good look at it as the days went by on the House…. but one which barely possessed an ounce of hard muscle on it.
[I am smooth and slim like a peacock...so why am I able to bench weights like it is nothing..?]
It was by now a recurrent thought in her mind.
In fact, even now she was trying to get around the sheer weirdness that came from he irony of her body having no apparent muscle yet having super strength or shit like that. Because, well….if you thought about it that way., what did it that mean for characters who had a trained body mass? Like Childe…. or Arlecchino?
Did it matter at all..?
Or were they even more powerful than those plump and squishy like her..?
She held her chin with one hand, the ghost of a scowl warping on her lips. It was something worth considering, young Peruere did seem able to sent Crucabena flying just by sheer raw strength alone though...
She softly opened her eyes, those beautiful orbs glinting with a peculiar interest at that particular line of thought. True... it had never been revealed "in game" perse.., given that it was subjected to a more anime cartoonish style.
But..
Just maaaybe….
If those mature, strangely skilled body shaped artist pictures of fictional game characters online were anything to go by..., then her "daughter" in a few years would surely grow to be a super duper ultra-..
She hit the back of her head with her hand just as her pale features started to heat up with fluster.
[Stop, stop it..., bad Crucabena, bad girl, BADGIRL. Adopted or not, that is your literal daughter you are thinking about, don't you have shame!?] She hastily admonished at herself.
I mean, she understood where those were coming from….butfuture sexy dommy mommy goth girl or not, there were lines that should not be crossed.
She was now her mother for fucks sake!
With loud sigh in resignation at both her her unchecked imagination and those countless hours of unfiltered internet search she decided to focus her attention on something...more productive.
Which was why a few seconds later she started moving towards a flower post on the street.
Walking past the stream of people going on their daily businesses while angling the soft shaded parasol a little upwards in order to not accidentally slam it against a poor sap as she walked by.
Why a flower shop..? No particular reason to be just thought it would keep her focus on the present rather than in…. "fantasies"
Looking at it, she could not help feel a vintage feeling coming from it, a small thing of pots filled with either dirt or plants that would have been unremarked...and right next to the lot was a middle aged man dressed like one would expect of a plant vendor.
..
..
Only difference beenthe way his bald head shined brighter than a bowling ball.
Her eyes closed to a half lid at the sheer clarity. [Is…, is the light reflecting on it or its emanating its own light?] She mused strangely weird-out at the sudden ounce of fascination that she felt on that very moment about that..
"Madam, is there something I could do for you?"
The sweet and well mannered words of the man shook her out of her stupor.
[I...I was not caught staring right?]
"Oh, well...I-" She tried to speak, yet halted soon after, feeling her cheeks heat up once more of embarrassment before she managed toraise a hand to her lips as she went to try fake a cough."I wanted to take a look a the flowers…, they were so pretty from afar that I could not help but notice"
"Ah, you are too nice madam...but of course, of course….please take a look at my precious. I assure that you that you will be delighted by them..."
He boasted out loud, a smile from ear to ear stuck on his face as he said that before he started walking from left to rights as he started to gesture at the myriad of pots in full display.
A rather enthusiastic fellow, wasn't he?
"I have samples from all over Tevat. Fontaine, Liyuei, Mondstat and even Natlan….you ask I and may have it in my repertoire. From the Inazumian Dendrobiuns, Glazes Lilies... to the Rainbow Roses of our homeland.."
The mans passionate words resonated loud and clear, managing to even draw the attention of some passerby's in the process. Sadly... she really didn't know even half of the names uttered,
However….. there was a particular one that caught her attention.
A Lumidouce Bell.
"Oh? Did these caught your attention, madam..?"
She almost had to take a double step back when she realize the man had just cut the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
"Its... a rather pretty flower.."
He tilted his head to the side, yet before she said anything took a step back.
"Hmm...they surely are, though I guess that most people would think otherwise.."
"Well, I am not most people.."
That made him smile. "Well said my radiant sun that shines in my humble abode."
"What..?"
"Oh no, oh dear...did I failed to present myself? How could this be? Was I so focused on your blinding radiance that I could not remember to even present myself properly?"
A sweat of confusion started to slid down her forehead. Was this guy flirting with her….or he just liked to hear himself talk..?
"Then, without further delay let it be known the tremendous and significantcharacter of this enlightened individual standing tall on this beautiful an auspicious day we find ourselves having"
"Why does it sound you are quoting from a book or someth-"
She tried to say only for her words to be cut short when the man extended his arms to the sides on the spot, before he started to theatrically move from one side to the other.
"Voila! In view a humble vaudevillian shopkeeper, vicariously standing both as victim and master of fate"
He boasted out loud moving to her right, having pulled a blanket from the stand and using it like a... capelet?
"This visage of pride and vanity brought out of love and dedication from the will of the common man in a land of gods, dragging a long a permanent vexation standing vivified to vanquish these venal and virulent that pollutes our beautiful world.
He then twirled to the left, a hand at the back of his head as if stroking a mane of hair that….wasn't really there.
"A man that has vowed to bring vicious, voracious vindication through to those unaware of the beauty of their roles and the fun that comes with it like the palette of colors brought forth through the vibrant warm hues of a rainbow.."
With a final bow he stood up clasping his hands together in what would have been assumed a prayer like posture, a rose in his hands when before there had been none.
She had not see him even made a move towards the pots at all.
"And with that said, let me finally add that its my very good honor to meet you and that you shall call me Nicole Reyn…."
..
..
..
..
..
..
"Are you...like some crazy person..?" Was the first thing that came out of her lips.
He merely shrugged, almost chuckling at her reaction.
"I suppose that some people would say that..."
What the hell!? That wasn't reassuring at all…!
"Ah, I see..." [Yeah, this guy is TOTALLY insane...why did I thought it was prudent to approach him first of all things?]
It appeared that her maniac detector was rather rusty and in need of an upgrade because she REALLY wasn't looking forward to more meetings like this.
"Now, what would the nameof the beauty standing before me?"
"Well if you insist.."
"I do…"
There was something eerily wrong with the way he spoke those two words, something that felt a lot more twisted with the way his lips still kept on smiling. And yet...what would be the worst that could happen?
It wasn't like she was known among the populace of Fontaine nor lived in the city as it is.
"My name is Crucabena, though my friends call me Ena..."
She said with a practiced smile, offering her hand in a handshake..only to regret it when he caught it and kissed the back of her hand.
"Oh, such a fitting name for such a mysterious enchantress that draws the poignant allure of blood with that touch of innocence.."
"Wait..what!?"
"Ah, how lucky I am to cross paths with such a peculiar individual such as yourself…indeed a beautiful flower. I wonder how you will wilt as the threads move ever closer.
"Wait, hold on-"
"Now, with that out of the wayI am glad to see that there are people out there who appreciate them even though they are more prune to wilt than other species…"
She batted her eyelashes at the man. This guy was not a II Dottore clone right..? Right..!?
"Oh, ah...thanks I guess? Could I get a bouquet of them? Of the Lumidouce bells I mean..."
"Of course my lady.., just give me a moment"
She barely registered his words, watching him go back to retrieve a scissor or something from a box underneath a box to his side-.
"Extra! Extra! The Steam Bird newest addition to Fontaines daily summer season..! Spina Di Rosula starts building a new Aquabus route to Poisson! Here are President Callas words about it!"
Came the voice of a young man from across the street, speaking loud and clear through the crowd while waving a thick sheet of paper. Had that been everything she would have ignored him, but…
Callas?
Spina Di Rosula….?
The name of Navias beloved father may have been used a scant amount of times overall...but she still remembered the importance of said man in the future.
She made her decision. Without a second thought or care for the world she made her way towards the newspapers vendor. Almost shoving someone away in the process.
"Boy, a copy please.."
"Of course madam, here...it would be four mora."
"Take five and keep the change.."
"I-thats very generous of you..may the archons praise you.."
She merely waved back at him before opening the sheets of paper in front of her. It was her first time buying a newspaper in years...but it wasn't like she had a WiFi connection to search for information of what was going on around her anymore.
The main page was covered by the photo of a well respected and dazzling looking man given the eye-patch he wore. Her eyes then started avidly reading a what laid just underneath.
..
..
"So….it has started, interesting.."
The construction of the Line was something that would do a lot of good for both Poisson and the main Fontaine. That also meant that Romeouf and his faction had already formed and departed from the Spina in bad terms.
She would need to be wary of them, however they were nota direct threat to her if canon had anything to say about it.
However, they were small fray in the over all of the story. What mattered now was that it said that Callas was going to make a public appearance in a two week's time at the Palais Mermonia.
Meeting him was a must, perhaps... she could even strike a deal with him.
An improbable result...but one that worth tryi-
"Madam, your flowers…"
The voice of a certain bald man and the promptly shoved flowers in her line of vision made her blink more than twice as she cocked her head to meet the man.
"Oh thank you, that was rather quick-...eh?"
".."
".."
"Is there something wrong miss...?"
"I-no, well yes…?"
"Oh? What could it be..?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose before pointing at the very bouquet that had been offered to her in the first place.
"I was just wondering if it was not much trouble asking why you picked roses and tulips when I asked for the Lumidouce bell.."
She said, her eyes switching then from the still grinning man to the clearly wrong choice of flowers The red bright hues of the petals almost as if drenched with fresh blood that seemed to glow under the daylight, their thorns waiting to prick and draw the scarlet tide flowing underneath her skin.
It almost felt like a bad omen.
Had she made a mistake..?
"Oh my lady, there is no need to play coy with me, I know the truth.."
She took an involuntary step back, her breath hitching at her throat as her face lost all color. The wrongness of his mans presence clutching ever so tighly at her...
"W-What are you...sir, I don't understand"
"Oh dear, there is no need to be shy~…."
She clenched her jaw, the prickling touch of fear giving way to bitter annoyance.
"No, I am really not.."
The man did not seem to register her words, in fact, he seemed happier by them.
"When I saw that fluster in your gentle face and the fidgeting in your hands as you approached my shop I knew without a shroud of doubt that you wanted something for your special other.. "
….
….
She surely had to misheard him.
There was no way he had just said that.
"My special... what now?"
"Oh, it had to be fate that led you to my humble shop just like many other couples have before. The fact that you chose a Lumidouce as your firs pick merely a humble attempt o not be so direct with your feelings…."
"No, no, no, no...this is a misunderstanding-"
"Don't worry madam.., even if its not much I will support you in your desire to lead your lover into the next step of your adventure.."
He said with a wide grin, his teeth seemingly glinting like those anime characters she watched back home, especially when he gave her the old fashioned thumbs up pose while the other shoved the bouquet on her hands.
A comically large bead of sweat slid behind her head at the nonsensical theatrics as she was only able to give the man a weak nod in response at the level enthusiasm that was been shoved at her way.
What was she supposed to say to that anyway..?
Shaking her head inwardly and fighting the urge to groan the more than obvious attempts of the man to advice her on her supposedly love live she paid him what it was owned and left as rapidly as she could.
The further away the better...just..to make it sure.
It was only after she reached the Font of Lucile that she stopped. Panting and her chest heaving rapidly…...though perhaps it was all in her imagination.
"Gods…, he really was a stubborn fool. Like urgh, of all the people in Fontaine did it had to be me the one he made such a colossal misunderstanding...?"
She mused only to herself, ignoring the curious glances of the people wandering around. Like, where did he got that silly notion that I was on and about to buy something for a relationship?
Well….at least that problem was over now.
Looking down at the not obviously extremely expensive watch in wrist she at least she had some time to kill before-
"Madam..! I finally found you..."
He….came...back.?
With a sigh her eyes wearily closed to a half lid as she cocked her head to the source of that noise, findinga certain old well dressed man who was approaching through the main entrance of the Font towards her.
The two had come to Fontaine a while ago from the state where the House was located at.
It was not what she had planned, but the man refusing to let her alone until she fully healed was something that may have to do with the way things derailed into this.
However she had not seem him for a while after she managed to give him the slip
Until now that is...
[Once more to act like a villain in disguise….urgh] She thought with an inward grimace just as Gerard reached her.
"My lady, I have returned..."
Her lips twisted into a playful scowl just as she brushed her hair from her shoulder, sending a not so kind glare at the old timer. It was easier than expected, thinking of a certain shopkeeper worked wonders on making her look mad.
"Oh Gerard...fancy seen you here. I was wondering where you were.."
Gerard immediately straightened up. "My apologies, madam. I tried to do it as fast as I could but I did not thought it would take this long.."
"Well..Fontaine is a big place, so its to be expected that it would take you more time to explore the area than a little hamlet in the wilds.."
"True.."
She took a step forward, jabbing a finger onto the gentleman's chest. Her eyes never leaving his.
"Still, if you are here I take that you were successful.."
"C-correct..."
She had sent him in a goose chase to pick up gifts and toys in the name of bolstering the resources of the House of the Hearth. Someone else would have called her out on her bullshit or at least questioned how any of that would increase the productivity of the House.
But by the looks of the bags the man was carrying with him around, it had been a down right success.
[So this is how politicians feel, eh? Cant say I don't like it…]
Next time she should sent him to buy crayons and paper so that she could make some custom fairy tale books for the children. That tale the old Crucabena was so fond of about killing your own brothers and sisters in glorious arena combat was something that…..irked her a little.
With that pleasant thought in mind she pulled back her hand from his chest and let it land on her hip.
"Ok, good.."
"Good?"
She bit her lip. Shit, she had let that slip without thinking…
A frown darkened her features. "Were you looking for more praise? Are my words not alone enough for you anymore Gerard..?"
"N-no! Oh archons, no….I just-"
"Then the matter is settled."
She cut him off, leaving no room for rebuttals nor she expected him to try with the mortified look plastered on his face. She should have felt bad...but Gods, she loved she could just shut anyone like this. Super bitch move, yes, but oh well….if she had to play the part the who was she to deny it..?
With her part said she made turned around and made her way to leave the font….only to realize that Gerard was not following.
"Gerard..?"
"I..my apologies madam Knave, but there is something I must comment…"
Her eyes closed to a half lid.
"Something you say…?"
"Yes.."
"Oh...I see, and its important enough to warrant it some modicum of attention?"
"Indeed, it is about the institute…"
She tilted her head to the side, a little bit puzzled. What was he on about?
"The institute? What of it...?"
"Its about the news I brought you the other night… "
What? What was he talking about? The other night? As far as she remembered there had been nothing about any of th-
Her eyes widened when the realization struck like a pack of bricks. [Oh shit, the camera! I had already forgotten about that stuff…]
A dumb mistake, but given that her mind was still entangled with all the freaky nonsense that bald man had spurred out loud and her enthusiasm to finally see the city the real reason she had come here had...just fly over her head.
While she had a party with the children Gerard had gone all night wandering the city searching for something that could probably not be in development yet if she was wrong with the timeline.
And yet he had not just succeeded before the sun was up, but also managed to get a half asleep engineer to accept to have aflash meeting with a stranger
Scary.
"I take that it is time?"
"I am afraid it is…, however we could postpone the meeting for later if you so wish. I doubt a mere engineer would raise much of a ruckus to someone as esteemed such as yourself, madam…"
He wasn't wrong…, but delaying it would serve no purpose wanted a camera to make cute photos of the children and by extension Peruere.
And she would have it.
She shook her head. "No, I would rather get this done now rather than later. Lead me to him…"
"Your wish is my command, he waits at the Institute..."
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A/N
Here is another chapter, it took some time to get it out as I have been busy now as of late buthope you enjoy it and have a fun time. Review or share your ideas if you like, the more the merrier.
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It's me : That is going to be a rather peculiar day, wont it? Though I wonder how Crucabena would feel when she receives one from Arlecchino instead.
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Aavas Kline : The old man is not going to have a good time anytime soon with Crucabenas and Clervies shenanigans that is for sure.
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DDDXXX: I am glad that you find it more easier to read, and though I am still not good enough to notice at a first glance whether the chapters are balanced, then if you saw them as such then I am doing something right :)
Oh, our X-eyed girl will become the cutest of them all, no doubt about it if OC Crucabena has anything to say about it. Now if the two could get to chat properly to avoid misunderstandings and needless paranoia that could prove lethal in the future...