Notes:Please tell me if you prefer me highlighting when they talk or if you don't. Also thanks for the positive reception of my first three chapters. It's kinda crazy actually how much more traction this fic generates here. I guess FFnet is still the king.
I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 4
"Eh… You got any idea what we should do next?" Naruto asks, still standing in front of Vik's clinic—right where Lucy had left them.
It's getting late, and the natural daylight fades, giving way to the bright neon glow of the city. V glances at the younger man, tipping her chin in thought.
"You wanna grab a drink? Could use something to wet my throat," she proposes.
Naruto's face splits into a grin at the suggestion.
"Well, I think I know just the right place. Preem drinks and atmosphere, as far as I could tell."
"As far as you could tell?" V interrupts, raising an eyebrow, skepticism clear in her expression.
Naruto's eye twitches momentarily in agitation, but he brushes it off and continues, "Well, Jackie took me there once, and I liked it."
A slight smirk tugs at his lips as he recalls the outing, forgetting his brief annoyance. V's face softens, shifting into one of acceptance. She stretches out her arm in an inviting gesture.
"Let's go then."
As they set off, Naruto leads the way. The atmosphere between them shifts—casual, lighthearted. Banter flows naturally.
The woman with the rough exterior and unshakable voice turns out to be a massive softie, knowing exactly when to listen and when to tease, loosening up the mood when needed. Naruto finds himself enjoying her company more and more. She reminds him of So Mi—a composed, competent woman with her heart in the right place, someone who instinctively looks after those who've had her back.
For the first time in what feels like an eternity, Naruto experiences a genuine sense of companionship, first with Jackie and now with V. A soft smile forms on his face as he continues leading the way—toward a certain club called Lizzie's.
Arriving at Lizzie's felt like the first time all over again. The same bouncers gave them the same lecture they always had to dish out to newbies. This time, though, the unknown face was V.
Stepping inside, V let out an impressed whistle as she took a good look around.
"Wow, this place does have atmosphere," she said, taking in the blend of sounds, scents, and the throng of people. It was overwhelming for someone not used to it—something Naruto could definitely attest to.
Both of them made their way to the bar.
While weaving through the crowd, Naruto's eyes landed on a guy about his age, black-haired and absorbed in scrolling through the BD catalog. He seemed completely uninterested in the adoring eyes of the women surrounding him.
Noticing Naruto's line of sight, V shuddered slightly.
"Man, that guy gives off major bad vibes," she muttered before shifting her attention back to her blond netrunner friend, a smirk playing on her lips.
Naruto, catching her expression, rolled his eyes. He could already tell where this was going.
"You know," V teased, "you don't have to be jealous. Lucy's eyes were all over you, choom."
Naruto turned beet red—slightly flattered by the underhanded compliment but also thoroughly embarrassed. He shook his head.
"Man, I need to cool off," he muttered, ordering his first drink.
Still visibly amused, V joined him at the bar.
"Gimme a Centzon!" she called out to the bartender, who had their drinks ready in no time.
After a while, and after plenty of good chatter, Naruto decided to hit the dance floor. By now, the club had gotten crowded, the noise rising with the energy of the place.
V, on the other hand, stayed at the bar. Partly because she wasn't much for dancing—but mostly because she had stolen quite a few peeks at the multi-colored-haired woman at the other end of the bar.
As V saw Naruto go away she shifts her gaze away from him and to the woman she noticed for the upteenth time now.
Judy Alvarez sits at the bar in Lizzie's, half-illuminated by the neon haze that bathes the room in electric pinks and blues. She's hunched over a drink, fingers idly tracing the condensation on the glass as she listens to the synth-heavy music pulsing through the club. Her dark, undercut hair—dyed in a striking blend of green and purple—falls just past her jaw, an asymmetrical frame for her sharp, calculating gaze.
Her eyes flick across the room, scanning faces with the casual wariness of someone used to keeping their guard up. Cyberware glints faintly beneath the club's dim lighting—custom optics set into dark lashes, a dermal implant tracing the side of her face, subtle yet precise in their placement. A sleeve of intricate tattoos coils down one arm, shifting and flexing as she lifts her drink to her lips.
She wears a cropped tank top, exposing her toned midriff and the small scars of past struggles. A high-tech BD wreath hangs around her neck, a signature piece that marks her trade. Judy is deep in her element here, among the Mox, the heavy bassline thrumming through her bones, the hum of whispered deals and drunken laughter surrounding her like white noise.
But there's something in the way she sits, in the slight tension of her shoulders, that suggests her mind is somewhere else. She's clearly lost in thought and V decides to take the risk and begins to approach her.
"Hey, I've seen you sitting here by yourself for a while now. You good?" V asked the stranger, genuine curiosity laced in her voice.
Judy looked up, her focus shifting away from her glass as her eyes locked onto V's.
V's breath hitched for a moment at the intensity of her stare.
"Why does she have to look at me like that?" she thought to herself as a slight blush crept onto her face.
Judy's expression softened slightly, but skepticism and a certain defensiveness still burned strong in her gaze. Feeling the weight of Judy's eyes on her, V tried again, raising her hands slightly in a placating gesture.
"If I'm a bother, I can just delta. No problem," she said, panicking a little inside.
The techie's expression shifted into one of amusement.
"Ehh… Sure. If you buy me a drink," Judy said.
V's face first morphed into one of surprise, then pure happiness.
"A cute girl wants to share a drink with me? Yes!" V cheered internally, clenching her fist in victory.
"So, what's your poison?" she asked, sliding onto the barstool beside Judy.
Judy smirked slightly, surprising even herself that she had let the pink-haired woman talk to her for more than two seconds.
"I'd be happy with just a beer, to be honest," she said with a shrug.
The only reason she had even crawled out of her hidey-hole tonight was because she felt kind of lonely and bored. Rebecca was busy with her crew, so she couldn't even count on one of her few friends to keep her company. Being approached by a total hottie seemed like a win.
They ordered their drinks, and after a moment, V spoke up again.
"I think I didn't quite catch your name. I'm V, by the way," she said, scratching her chin sheepishly in embarrassment.
"I'm Judy. I work here. And, to be honest, I'm bored as hell," Judy replied, resting her head on her hand, signaling her interest.
V looked at her and blushed again.
"Damn, I'm glad Naruto isn't here right now. He'd be on my ass about this," she thought, vividly imagining his wicked grin.
This would be his payback.
But he wasn't here.
Great.
Their conversation flowed effortlessly, and over time, it became clear that they genuinely enjoyed each other's company. V was just about to order another drink when a commotion in the background caught her attention.
Some idiots were getting into a fight.
Nothing unusual—security would throw them out, and that would be the end of it.
But then she spotted strands of blond hair and a whole lot of orange thrown into the mix.
"What a fucking moron," she thought, frustrated that she had to leave Judy just when things were getting good.
She shot Judy a quick look before sighing in clear annoyance.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go break that up. The blond idiot's with me," V admitted, exasperation dripping from her voice.
Judy just waved a hand dismissively.
"Ahh, no problem. Better safe than sorry."
V gave her a grateful nod before turning to leave—but then hesitated.
"You wanna switch deets? You know, for chattin' and stuff?" she asked, a little sheepish but hopeful.
Judy's eyes flashed red, and a new icon with her symbol and name popped up in V's contacts.
"Sure. Being new to the city can be tough, I get it. See ya," Judy said, waving her off.
V took off, desperately trying to hide the growing blush on her face.
Naruto didn't even know what exactly had happened before he was suddenly swung around and punched in the face by some jackass. „Sasuke?" A few shocked female voices pitched up behind him.
"What the—?" he thought to himself, only to notice the guy already taking another swing at him.
Naruto dodged, grabbed his assailant's arm, and threw him to the ground in front of him. But he didn't stop there—immediately, he went for a swing of his own.
And then it clicked.
It was that same black-haired guy from the bar.
Naruto vaguely recalled what V had said about him—something about bad vibes.
But there was no time to think too hard about that.
He didn't hold back. He fully committed to the punch.
He hit him.
Both of them had landed solid blows now, and neither was backing down. They were about to go in for more when—
Pain.
A sharp yank on his ear.
"Ow! What the—?!"
Naruto turned his head and found himself face-to-face with a visibly pissed-off V.
"Don't fucking fight. I don't wanna get banned from here!" she barked, dragging both of them toward the exit with surprising strength.
The rough tugging at his ear was a painful ordeal, but she didn't let go until she had thrown them both out into the parking lot.
The black-haired guy was the first to get up and regain his composure.
"Wouldn't be much of a challenge anyway," he scoffed mockingly.
That triggered Naruto's anger again, but as he looked at the guy's face, he forced himself to push the feeling down. How could this pretty boy talk big like that?
Most of the thoughts running through Naruto's mind had something to do with rearranging his face, though.
Before he could say anything, V stepped in.
"Big words coming from a pretty boy whose only defining trait so far seems to be his anger issues," she shot back, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Naruto smirked.
Annoyed or not, she still had his back.
The guy—Sasuke, or whatever,—grimaced, turning his face away. His anger was obvious.
"Pff… I don't need to waste my time with lowlifes like you," he scoffed arrogantly before suddenly turning back to Naruto.
"Hey, you! You know about the unofficial boxing tournament going on right now?" he asked, his voice challenging. "If you really think you're worth more than shit, come and fight me in the ring, loser."
Then, as if remembering something, he glanced at V and pointed at her too.
"This goes for you, too."
With one last scoff, he turned and walked away.
V just blinked, completely baffled.
"What did I say about bad vibes?" she asked, shaking her head.
Naruto could do nothing but wholeheartedly agree.
That guy truly reeked of bad vibes…
Following the events of the day, Naruto and V resumed their walk through the neon-tinted streets of NC. Half the time, they explored new places; the other half, they just talked—like they'd known each other for years.
A big part of that was probably the fact that they were both new to the city. And, honestly? Most of the people here just seemed like enormous pricks.
Their route eventually led them straight up north, past Charter St., and into Northside.
Suddenly, Naruto's eyes lit up with, he got a job request.
Another Cyberpsycho attack.
He pulled up the details:
"There's a commotion on an unfinished highway bridge in Northside, near the All Foods Factory. Some Psycho has started an all-out fight against the NCPD. He's a skilled sniper, so be careful."
Naruto glanced over at V, an idea forming in his head.
"Yo, V! I think I've got the perfect job to get some eyes on you," he said, excitement clear in his voice.
V, however, didn't look convinced. She raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"She wants us to engage a Cyberpsycho… without killing him?"
Naruto saw her expression and immediately put his hands up in a defensive manner, the smirk never leaving his face.
"I know what you're thinking, but honestly? I've dealt with some of these guys before. Even though they're unpredictable, they're still just people—out of their minds, yeah, but not unstoppable."
He paused for a moment and pointed between the two of them.
"We're way overqualified for this, V. Believe it."
That last part came with his usual confident grin.
"Besides," he continued, shrugging, "this city doesn't exactly give you many options besides killing. So, saving a life or two instead of taking them—and getting paid for it? Sounds pretty preem to me."
V studied him for a moment. The skepticism faded from her eyes, replaced by something else. Respect.
She smirked, then lightly punched Naruto's shoulder—not teasingly this time, but approvingly.
"You're a good kid."
Naruto rubbed his shoulder, pouting slightly, though mostly to hide the faint blush creeping onto his face.
"Thanks, but I doubt you're that much older than me…" he muttered, looking away.
V chuckled. "Ehh… back in the clan, you'd be the perfect age to be my little brother."
Something flickered in her eyes. A brief, almost melancholic glint.
But just as quickly, her smirk turned teasing again.
"Besides, you still have a one at the start of your age. As long as that's the case, you're always gonna be a kid in my eyes." She waved her hand dismissively.
It worked.
Naruto instantly scowled, clearly antagonized by the remark, but before he could throw a retort, V's expression shifted—her eyes turning sharp and serious.
Naruto immediately shut up.
"You got a plan?" she asked.
The netrunner's smirk returned, self-satisfied and confident.
"Of course."
The plan to tackle the Cyberpsycho was essentially the same one Naruto had proposed when he and Jackie took their first job together.
Naruto would locate an access point—if possible—wreak havoc with the environment, disrupt the psycho's movements, and steal any relevant data. V, with her clear combat experience, would engage directly. Aside from that, if Naruto stayed in the background, V could take the spotlight and essentially advertise herself to future fixers.
If there was no network to connect to, though, he'd have to jump in and fight, too.
Linking himself to an access point on an old antenna, Naruto grinned as he saw a weak but usable network. A single, puny laptop.
"Gotcha!" he thought triumphantly, extracting the relevant data.
The Cyberpsycho was Matt Liaw—a former corpo-soldier who fought in the Second Central American War. He lost his leg to a mine, got thrown out of his apartment, and eventually assaulted an NCPD officer before going full psycho.
"He's ex-Militech…"
A shudder ran down Naruto's spine.
"Good thing nobody can see me. I can't risk leaving even the slightest trace. What I did at the border was already stupid enough."
Frustration crept in. The fact that Militech could do whatever they pleased—picking up orphans, promising them the world, stripping them of their humanity—it hit home for him.
"Maybe Johnny was onto something. It's just Militech and the NUSA who are the real devils!"
Another wave of anger struck as he glanced at his cybernetic arm, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth.
But then…
"No. I can't think like that. I'd be spitting on So Mi's sacrifice."
Memories of Songbird flashed through his mind, pushing away the anti-corpo hatred—for now.
Shaking it off, he got back to work.
He launched a Reboot Optics quickhack at the psycho, shutting down his vision and preventing him from using his biggest strength—long-distance combat.
It worked like a charm.
With Matt's sight failing, V closed the distance in an instant, moving like a woman on a mission. With swift, precise motions, she disarmed him barehanded.
Even the psycho hesitated at her display of skill.
Naruto, still hidden, smirked. Damn, she's good.
He kept up the steady flow of Reboot Optics and Cripple Movement quickhacks, keeping Matt completely disoriented. The fight didn't last long—V overwhelmed him easily and knocked him out with the backside of her beautifully modified Lexington pistol.
Before Naruto could overthink it, V was already back, slinging the unconscious psycho onto her shoulder. She dumped him at the side of the street, ready for Regina's people to pick up.
Then, turning back to Naruto, she smirked in satisfaction.
"Good job, partner," she praised, her voice light and happy. She punched his shoulder again, this time more playfully.
It didn't hurt nearly as much as before.
Both of them just stood there for a moment, soaking in the feeling of a job well done.
V glanced up at the dark night sky, then back at Naruto.
"I guess we should head back?" she asked, hands on her hips.
Naruto grinned. "Yeah… and I know the perfect place to celebrate."
Not long after, the two of them were sitting on the rooftop of Naruto's Japantown apartment, beers in hand.
From the rooftop of Naruto's crumbling apartment complex in Japantown, Night City stretches out in a neon-lit fever dream of excess and decay. The skyline is a jagged silhouette of corporate arrogance, skyscrapers clawing at the sky with steel and glass fingers, their facades pulsating with shifting holograms and scrolling advertisements that promise salvation through products and pleasure. The glow of neon signs reflects off the smog-choked air, bathing the streets below in an artificial aurora—sickly blues, violent pinks, and radioactive greens bleeding together in the haze.
Farther in the distance, the monolithic Arasaka Tower looms, its red sigil burning like an unholy star, a reminder of power that lingers even in the city's darkest corners. The highways below hum with the constant movement of traffic, a mechanical river of headlights and taillights weaving through the urban sprawl, their reflections shimmering in the rain-slick pavement. Distant sirens wail, barely audible over the pounding bass of a club several stories down, where silhouettes of dancers move like ghosts against flickering strobes.
Closer, the rooftops of Japantown are cluttered with rusted HVAC units and tangled power lines, flickering lanterns strung between buildings like forgotten echoes of an older world, struggling to survive beneath the weight of this new one. Billboards leer down from the edges of towers, their synthetic voices whispering in an unrelenting barrage of slogans and half-truths.
Above it all, the sky is a deep, inky abyss, broken only by the occasional drone flickering like an artificial firefly. The moon is barely visible, its pale light strangled by the glow of the city, as if Night City itself refuses to yield to anything older than its own neon gods. No stars, no night-sky.
Sitting here, on the edge of it all, the wind carrying the scent of rain, oil, and cheap soy-noodles, you feel the weight of Night City pressing down.
Naruto and V sat on the rooftop, beers in hand, saying nothing. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable—if anything, it felt natural, like the city had stolen their words and left only the quiet understanding between two souls battered by life. Yet, despite the peace, Naruto couldn't shake the lingering melancholia pressing down on his chest.
Why had he expected anything different? The skyline before him was nothing but drones and darkness. The city's artificial glow drowned out the stars, swallowing the night sky just like it did everything else. Then again… was it really any different anywhere else?
Lost in his thoughts, Naruto didn't notice V shifting her attention to him, her sharp eyes reading the weight in his posture. He didn't even hear her at first.
"You good?" she asked, careful not to sound too concerned, not wanting to push but unwilling to ignore the heaviness radiating from him.
Naruto didn't look at her. His gaze remained locked on the skyline, on the suffocating blackness above. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, almost distant.
"I really wish I could see the stars." There was something unspoken beneath the words, something deeper than just the night sky.
V's expression softened. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, her usual guarded nature slipping away for a moment.
"I get you," she said, her voice carrying a rare openness. "Until recently, I got to see them every night. Stargazing was part of my routine back with the clan."
Naruto turned to look at her, sensing this was one of the few times she had ever shared something personal.
"Then why give up that freedom?" he asked, curiosity laced with disbelief. "Why come to this shithole of a city?"
V's face darkened, and Naruto immediately regretted the bluntness of his words. He was about to backtrack when she spoke again, her voice tinged with bitterness.
"Because my family is no more."
She had to steady herself before continuing, and Naruto felt a pang of guilt for asking.
"We took major blows. Our leader was killed, and the rest of us… we couldn't agree on what to do next." Her expression twisted with anger. "Some wanted to join Snake Nation, but honestly? That's just like selling your soul to the corps." She clenched her fists, the emotion rolling off her in waves.
Naruto instinctively leaned back slightly, but he didn't interrupt.
"I couldn't go along with them," she admitted. "That's why I'm here. At least I met you and Jackie first. You two seem like the only genuine people in this city so far."
Naruto felt heat rise to his cheeks at her words. He wasn't used to this—having someone place their trust in him like this, so freely. Quietly, deep inside, he made a promise. No matter what, he would be there for her. If Night City wasn't going to give them a real family, then he'd make one himself.
As he sat there, determined, V's mind briefly drifted elsewhere—back to Lizzie's Bar, back to a certain woman she had met there. She seemed hesitant… but genuine.
Shaking the thought, she turned her gaze back to Naruto's cybernetic arm. The sleek orange plating caught the neon reflections from the city below, a stark contrast against the night.
"What's the deal with that?" she asked with a smirk. "And why orange?"
Naruto's face darkened, his fingers unconsciously flexing. He stared at the arm for a long moment before answering.
"It's state-of-the-art," he said carefully. "Helps with some… issues netrunners run into when on-field."
V caught the hesitation in his voice. Without saying anything, she raised her hands in a 'no pressure' gesture, signaling that he didn't have to talk about it if he wasn't ready.
Naruto felt guilty, though. He extended the arm toward her, letting her get a proper look at it.
"I got this back at the corp that picked me up when I was twelve," he admitted. "And why orange…? Well… it was the only bit of individualism I was allowed to have. So I chose my favorite color."
V's eyebrows shot up.
"You were a child soldier?" she blurted out, eyes widening in shock.
Naruto looked away, ashamed. "…Yeah."
The weight of that single word hung between them. V felt her stomach twist with anger—at the corps, at the city, at the world that created this kind of cruelty. But more than anything, she felt something else. Without thinking, she pulled Naruto into a tight hug.
"Don't worry," she murmured, voice fierce with certainty. "I got your back now. And I know Jackie does too."
Naruto froze. He wasn't used to this kind of warmth, this kind of care. He felt something burn in his chest, and before he could stop it, tears welled up in his eyes. He had to swallow a small choke before he finally, hesitantly, returned the hug.
In that moment, they made a silent promise.
No matter what, they would have each other's backs. They wouldn't let their newfound family slip away.
"I finally found people, Song," Naruto thought, eyes still wet with unshed tears.
A little while later, they decided to call it a night. Another hard day behind them.
Another battle waiting on the horizon.
„Ah, so you're looking for a scrap? You want to throw down in the grimiest, most electric part of Watson? Then head to Kabuki Market—that's where you'll find the ring. Well, if you can even call it that. It's a patchwork mess of metal barriers and mesh fencing, slapped together in the middle of a rooftop like some kind of gladiator pit for street punks and wannabe legends.
The air's thick with the stink of street food and sweat, neon lights flickering off rain-slick concrete. People pack in tight around the ring, their voices a constant buzz—shouting bets, throwing insults, hyping up the next poor bastard to step inside. And in the middle of it? The Chavez Twins. Riot and Razor. Two bodies, one mind. Experimental cyberware, they say. Means they hit fast, think faster. You drop one, the other already knows your next move.
But that's why you're here, right? To test yourself. To throw fists under the glow of a hundred flashing holo-ads, with the streets of Night City watching. You step into that ring, and it ain't just a fight—it's a challenge. A chance to prove you belong in this city of chrome and legends.
So? You stepping up or backing down?"
The description of the nearest underground boxing fight had been accurate— and it was right in Sasuke's vicinity.
After the conflict at Lizzie's with that blond loser and his bitch friend, he needed to blow off some steam. And considering his little display at the bar, most of the women had lost interest in him anyway.
Which was fine.
He wasn't in the mood for distractions. Instead, he decided to attend one of the underground fights he had told them about.
The only catch? He had to fight two opponents instead of one.
Apparently, they claimed to be one person.
Sasuke couldn't care less. It just meant more people for him to beat down.
The fight started. One twin lunged at Sasuke while the other hung back.
Sasuke countered, engaging fast and strong—only to be caught off guard when his opponent blocked his offense effortlessly.
Another perfect block.
That's when it clicked in Sasuke's mind.
"They're seeing the exact same thing!"
The realization barely had time to settle before time slowed down massively around him.
His Sandevistan!
Not just any Sandevistan—a high-level one.
Instantly, Sasuke toggled his Sandevistan on and off, blitzing toward the twin in the back before time snapped back to normal. The second twin barely had a second to react before Sasuke struck.
A clean, devastating hit.
The twin went down.
The remaining brother staggered, trying to regain his balance.
"A Sandi? That's fuckin' cheating!" he complained.
Sasuke let out a short, arrogant laugh.
"You two have no right to talk about cheating," he shot back, pointing at the last standing twin. "Now get up and stop being pathetic."
The twin gritted his teeth but obeyed, steadying himself for another attempt.
Pathetic.
He swung with a right jab—sloppy, desperate.
Sasuke deflected it with his right arm before putting everything into a left hook.
Bullseye.
The second twin collapsed, knocked out cold.
Sasuke's smirk widened. Two knockouts with just two clean hits.
So… why was that blond loser able to fight back?
The thought gnawed at him, and for a moment, his smirk faltered.
He ignored the glares from the twins as they came to and stumbled off, their muttered complaints meaningless background noise. Instead, he made his way over to claim his earnings, his mind already drifting elsewhere.
Specifically, to the sexy woman with dark skin and electric blue hair who had been eyeing him for a while now.
She smirked, intrigued.
Sasuke returned the look.
Maybe he would go for a real way to end the night after all.
With that thought, he strode toward her, pulling her close as she let out a playful giggle. Then, without a second thought, he led her away.
David's first mission went surprisingly well. Yeah, She sure didn't expect much. Another wannabe trying to punch above his weight. Green as hell, barely any chrome, and yet he walks in like he belongs. Maine must've seen something in him. She wasn't so sure.
Then the job starts. And surprise, surprise—he's a mess. Too eager, too reckless. Doesn't know when to move, when to wait. She watches him stumble through it, trying to keep up, trying to prove he's worth something. It's kinda funny, honestly.
But… he doesn't fold. Even when things start going south, even when it's clear he's in over his head—he keeps going. Most rookies would've bailed, but he doesn't. There's something about that.
By the end of it, he's still standing. Somehow. And for whatever reason, She decided to help him out a little. Don't know why. „At least he seems genuine." It echoes through her mind.
„Maybe I shouldn't have ignored those guys like that? David kinda reminds me of that blond one, too." She thought about her rescuers before blushing slightly at the memory of a topless Naruto.
Maybe she should reach out. Even if it's just to thank them properly.
Notes: Again, I'm deeply grateful for the positive reception so far. I just wanna make one thing clear, this is not going to be a harem or multi-pair fanfiction. So no adding of new girls into the pairing, sorry. Sasuke being a playboy has to be enough for now.
Thanks for reading my story!