𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 - brave at the barrel

— 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙡𝙙 —

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 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓'𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐍'𝐓 been able to rest, it was as though she'd pumped her veins full of sugar and caffeine; her body ran on fumes while her mind jumped to and from every conclusion imaginable.

 Where the hell were her friends? Where the hell was she? Were Dustin and Erica alright?

 Those were the three main questions, but the very first was at the forefront of her mind. Scarlet would be fine getting out alive... what, did they really think some pathetic twine bound to her wrists would stop the floodgates from opening? Stop crimson spilling from her palms? Not they could have ever known she had... abilities.

 The problem was that while Scarlet had been left in solitude, Steve and Robin may not have been. So, what if she allowed her eyes to darken and be swallowed by red? What if the sirens began to scream through the halls as lights flickered and flashed? Would she get to them on time? Or would she find them with a bullet in their skulls? 

 Punishment: it always came for her.

 The drop of a leaking pipe was beginning to irritate her endlessly. Drip, drip, drip... she wanted to tear the room apart... then, the door beeped. A card had been swiped through on the other side, buttons mashed until the lock sprung free. The door scraped open, and in walked a towering Russian with a face set like steel while a gun sat heavy in his hands.

 He was followed closely by the very man she'd sneered at, the one who gave the order to turn their lights out. A commander, a General, the big boss... she didn't much care for his title. The man held himself with confidence, and the hint of a smug smile lingered within the corners of his aged lips. He was celebrating after catching his prey.

 The man has his hands clasped behind his back, shoulders rolled as far as he could. It made him seem all the more imposing. Boots thudded on the ground, until he stood right before her, eyes only trailing to Scarlet's face once the guard had closed the door and stationed himself beside it.

 There were two choices to make here; Scarlet could scream and cry and snivel like a scared child... or she could hold her ground. She could thin her lips, narrow her eyes and swallow back her words until she knew where Steve and Robin were being held... even if it meant walking out the place with skin the shade of plums and wine. She'd suffered worse before.

 She was resolute, and to start her charade off, Scarlet copied the man's stance. Her shoulders squared, and there was a tick in her jaw as her teeth clambered together, scraping against one another. Her tongue remained ridged, pressed against the roof of her mouth, closing off any gap so that even a squeak couldn't escape.

 She looked him in the eyes once more, catching the glint that rolled through. He leaned closer, relishing in the challenge, "You're awake." His words were thick with his accent, R's rolling, a bite at the end of each syllable like a slap to the face, "You kept us waiting."

 "Where are they?" Scarlet gritted, spittle threatening to topple to the floor. She had lowered her voice, from something as sweet and soft as whipped buttercream to nothing more than stone grating against stone.

 The man cocked his head as though he couldn't understand a word she had uttered. His brows had pulled down, almost blanketing his eyes. He stayed silent, waiting. Scarlet knew exactly what for.

 Back when they'd been surrounded with boots and guns, she'd cursed at him. Her word had been vile, but it had been Russian. He must have considered her; not a typical American teenager; an Asian girl with a Russian speaking tongue. No, not typical at all for a sleepy little town like Hawkins.

 He wanted to be sure, and Scarlet knew it. Despite this, she spoke anyway, English twisting to Russian like a swift flip of a spinning coin, "Where are my friends?"

 The Chief laughed, a raw echo splintering the thick air. It collided with her eardrums, her head rattling with unease. Then, he spoke in perfect English, "So," He drawled, "You do speak Russian."

 "Where are they?"

 "They are..." He trailed off, a sudden look of amusement tugging at his features, "Busy."

 His head bobbed, a short and firm nod directed towards the guard still standing stationary. The behemoth of a man trailed over as though there was a leash attached to his collar. He wordlessly unclipped the small radio decorating his dull uniform, handing it to his boss.

 The General paused, the radio close to his mouth. He waited for a moment, eyes remaining upon Scarlet who hadn't the energy to break their stare, he huffed and mutely muttered something.

 Scarlet found herself leaning forwards in her metal chair, legs brushing the cool legs and a chill wracked her spine. She couldn't hear what he'd said but what she could hear — just a moment later — was a yell glossed in raw discomfort. It was hoarse, as though someone had plucked the air from their lungs... it was Steve.

 She exhaled sharply, eyes pressing shut. She knew this would happen, and it was the very reason she hesitated to call upon a crimson storm to wash them all away. One word would be all it took for Steve or Robin to... to... Scarlet swallowed and willed the sting within her eyes and throat away. She met the Generals gaze head-on.

 He considered her then, and something distant made it seem as though he was impressed by her tenacity, her utter gall... but his irritation clouded over swiftly, bringing those dull grey eyes to the colour of slate, "Your friends," He spat, "They are weak, they are very tired... and they are scared."

 He nodded at the guard again, wordlessly giving an order that was hastily followed. The thump of the guard's steps had Scarlet straightening her spine. It was difficult not to erupt when the man clamped his grubby fingers upon the back of her chair, spinning her in place.

 But those waves of anxiety, of disgust at a stranger, a man, coming so very close to her skin... it vanished when she took in the sight that had formerly been concealed from her eyes.

 The final wall of the room wasn't gloomy and muted like the others. There were no cracks tumbling down the walls, no water stains from the grumbling pipes above. No. This one had a window at the very centre; it was foggy, with smudges here and there but the view of the other side was still crystal clear.

 Steve and Robin were in the room next door, not entirely in a dissimilar situation from herself. They were fastened to chairs, their backs planted against one another. Robins's wrists were red and raw from the twisting and turning her anxious hands had refused to cease. Her face was etched with worry, her lips moving to yell and scream out for Steve.

 Steve... His head was hanging low, almost tucked between his own two knees from the punch that had been delivered to his jaw. It was easy to spy the glistening blood trailing from his lips and splattering on the ground. It was easy to see the metallic liquid that had already crawled over the fabric of his uniform, staining it a deep wine.

 The General behind her muttered once more, though this time, Scarlet knew exactly what was to follow. Her stomach lurched when Steve rose his head, his eyes flat, tired and drooping. He looked nothing like the boy she knew; all glimmer was gone, and the only red staining his cheeks was his own blood.

 She kept her face stoic, even despite the vomit crawling up her throat. She kept her eyes peeled open and set upon Steve as a guard approached him, buried his hands in Steve's hair, and slammed a fist into the centre of his face.

 Cuts littered his features, his lips were completely busted and slick with blood and saliva. His cheek was blue now, and Scarlet knew that if they made it out alive, it would still be staining his flesh even weeks later.

 There was both dried and fresh blood clinging to his top lip, having escaped his nose... it had trailed down to his chin, gathering and gathering in a dirtied dew-drop until it tumbled down his neck, past his bobbing throat, and into his uniform.

 He didn't scream that time, but a deep groan tumbled from his pained lips as his eyes squeezed shut.

 "Oh God..." He muttered, finding the will to swallow.

 Scarlet knew her facade had cracked, for the Russian hovering by her side like an irritating fly chuckled. It rumbled through his chest, something akin to a beast's growl; his prey was ensnared, "You see... whilst we were waiting for you to wake, we questioned your friends, they are a funny couple..." He paused, fingers inching closer. Scarlet's breath lodged in her throat, eyes flickering shut as he tucked a strand of frizzed hair behind her ear, "The boy needs a doctor, so we will give him one."

 The statement didn't comfort Scarlet at all. Doctor. She really didn't believe they'd send some happy-go-lucky man to stitch up Steve's torn lip or the slices upon his cheek... "What the hell does that mean?"

 "Don't worry, he will be better soon." The General hummed. His fingers curled around Scarlet's shoulder, trimmed nails digging through her shirt until she could feel her skin protesting. Still, he didn't move, eyes entirely focused on Steve as he writhed in his chair.

 A man entered the room Steve and Robin had been trapped within. He was draped in a black apron that flared out as he paced inside. His hands were secured with matching gloves that stretched to his elbows. He looked less like a doctor, and more like one of the crazed scientists that had tried to turn Scarlet's brain to mush within the lab.

 This wasn't going to be good.

 The man approached a table; it was made of metal, glinting beneath the dull sway of lamplight. There was an array of tools lined across the surface, each one glistening as light bounced upon their edges. The man trailed a finger over his selection, only barely raising a pair of pliers... he dropped them with a twisted smile.

 Then, he curled his gloved fingertips around a needle. It wasn't small, certainly not one to bring any comfort or medicine... no, it was almost as long as Scarlet's forearm. The pointed tip glared at her through the window, a smidgen of clear liquid seeping through, trailing until it slipped to the floor. The man appeared to be holding back his satisfied grin, and he turned in place, revealing his instrument to Steve.

 "Oh." Steve breathed. His entire body slackened, and Scarlet was sure he'd melt into a pile of goo and disappear down the drain. Unfortunately, he didn't possess such an ability, so as the man stalked closer and closer, Steve's tattered shoes kicked at the ground, squeaking and sliding, yet going absolutely nowhere.

 "This will help you talk." The man swamped within the apron said. His free hand cradled Steve's face with about as much fondness as Lonnie had for his two sons. Then the man's fingers grew rigid, digging painfully within Steve's flesh, tearing at the follicles of his hair.

 Steve's head was forced to the side, revealing the vein in his neck that thumped furiously.

 Scarlet couldn't recall when her lips had parted to cry and yell for the man to stop, she couldn't remember cursing and batting her knotted hands in place; it had only become evident when Robin's head whipped towards the window when Steve's eyes shot the very same way.

 Steve, however, hadn't been gifted the luxury to dwell on her voice, to register that she was actually alive and at least somewhat okay. It felt like someone had buried a knife within his neck, twisting until a hole was all that remained... the needle burrowed through his skin, and then... fire erupted. His veins seemed to blister and swell as though poison had been forced through them.

 He couldn't hold back his scream.

 Scarlet's head snapped to the side; not only to turn away from Steve's screwed up and bloodied face, but to glare at the Russian still clutching at her shoulder, "You should know —" She hissed, her voice low enough to get his attention, "When I get out of here, I'm going to tear you apart."

 It would have looked silly to an outsider — to see a teenage girl no taller than a child threatening a grown man with an army standing behind him... but that was what favoured Scarlet most; people underestimating her. Her round cheeks, fluttering lashes and colourful clothing made her seem as meek as a butterfly, but under the surface...

 The Russian cackled like a witch, for while the threat had been brushed off as nothing more than lint on his suit, he did admire her tenacity, the ferocity in her voice. It was something Steve and Robin had lacked; their voices had shaken and teetered like a seesaw.

 But even with the slightest hint of admiration, he still pried a scrap of fabric from his pocket, holding it close to Scarlet's face. It inched around her mouth, clamping her lips together. Mumbles still managed to fall, yet every word was incoherent.

 Scarlet tried with all her might to stretch her mouth as far as it would go, to see if she'd be able to roll the fabric into a thin line and speak around it. Her attempts were fruitless, and she was left to scowl in complete silence.

 The General patted her head like Hopper had done so many times... this, however, was nothing like that warmth that would spread like wildfire, like a net of safety when her father was near. It was purely to condescend her, to show her that she couldn't fight back.

 "I'm sure." He responded, waving her threat away as though she hadn't spoken at all. His head dipped in a faint nod towards the guard at the door.

 He hoisted his gun, walking forth with a purpose, the hilt rising until it collided with the base of her skull once again. There was no fight to be had, and Scarlet tipped forwards, the world falling dark once more.

 It was Steve Harrington's laughter that brought Scarlet back to consciousness. At any other time, she'd have been delighted to hear the rasp that lined his chortle, to see the flush in his cheeks as a hand darted through that head of hair... this time, however, it irritated her endlessly.

 His laugh was manic, as though he'd managed to get sneaky little fingers into Eddie Munson's stash of — Oh. Oh yeah... they had been drugged. Scarlet managed to pry her head higher, ignoring the dull throb at the underpart of her skull, and the pinch of her taut muscles.

 She hadn't a clue how long it had been since that needle had been forced through Steve's flesh, but what she could conclude with ease, is that Robin Buckley had suffered the very same fate. The two were giggling like children even despite still being bound in wads of thick rope.

 Their yells were sure to draw attention, especially since the drugged-up duo had taken to calling the Russians a 'bunch of morons'. They giggled and guffawed all the while rocking in their chairs; Steve was now uncaring of the blood drying below his nose and he could barely feel the sting on his lip.

 Their giddiness couldn't even be dampened by the door swinging open. The General walked through with his head held high, fingers clasped firmly behind his back whilst a guard or two were stationed behind him. Their faces were impassive.

 The General considered Steve, watching as drool tumbled from his swollen lip, as his wide eyes flickered with utter delirium. It was a fruitless and childish whim... but Scarlet couldn't help but hope her friends would keep their mouths firmly shut.

 Though... they could hardly do that sober.

 The false Doctor had been in the room, watching Steve and Robin like a hawk, all the while his fingers twitched with the need to grapple for a glistening weapon. He succumbed when the General nodded his consent, and picked up a pair of pointed scissors.

 It was all for show, for now at least.

 A twitchy laugh tumbled from Robin's lips, "Is now uh — a good time to tell you that I don't like doctors?"

 The General's gaze didn't falter. No slip or drift to the side as Robin called out... it remained on Steve, "Let's try this again, yes? Who do you work for?"

 "Scoops. Scoops Ahoy." Steve chuckled with red-coated teeth, sending Robin into her own bout of uncontrollable giggling while Scarlet let her head roll back, resting against the metal backing of her chair with a short groan.

 The Generals tone lowered, his eyes dull and unamused, "How did you find us?"

 "Totally by accident."

 "More lies."

 The Russian General seemed to have lost his patience. It was as clear as day to Scarlet who lifted her head to peer through the window once more. The slightest movement made her head throb as though her heart resided inside... even with a haze drifting by her eyes, she could see the tick in the Russian's jaw as he threw a swift glance her way... Steve and Robin, however, acted as though they couldn't see thing...

 Maybe they couldn't.

 The Commander turned his back on them, as though simply leaving a pair of petulant children alone on the playground, his lips were thinned, the lines on his face far more apparent... he whispered something into the walkie once more, and Scarlet knew that whatever would happen next, would be the worst of it all.

 The whisper had been harsh, as though a snake had struck forth with venom upon its teeth.

 She was right, of course, for her intuition was always torturously correct.

 A switch was flipped by the guard surveying Steve and Robin, and like that, their eyes finally seemed to see her. Unbeknownst to Scarlet, the room her friends had been secured within seemingly had three grey walls, much like hers, and one decorated with something akin to a chalkboard.

 No. It had been the very window she'd been peering through, watching her friends and Russian guards as though it was one of Hop's stupid movies... the switch took away its sheild, banished the film of black and revealed her to them.

 She could see Steve's mouth form her name, yet no sound sprang free.

 Scarlet could only imagine how terrible she looked; curled pigtails now frizzy, clinging together with drying blood. There was a bump on her forehead, one that throbbed like a fresh wound... it was likely purple already; then there was the fabric tied around her face, keeping her lips glued shut.

 The door to her left beeped, a telltale sign that a keycard had been swiped. Scarlet's body seized; whether another bump was to be delivered, or whether fingers would trail over her shoulder once more... She often detested solitude, for all it always dragged old memories to the surface, now, however, she desired nothing more than her lonesome.

 The shrill scrape of metal against concrete sent a shiver down her spine, and the hairs on her arm stood on end. Each step echoing from behind made her want to jolt... instead, she dug her nails into her palms, surly drawing blood. Time stretched for what seemed like an eternity, and Steve and Robin's eyes only grew wider.

 Then her friends erupted into chaos. Their bound bodies writhed, their lips parting to yell and scream. A chorus of No! cried out...

 Then there was pressure against Scarlet's temple, it was cold and circular... she knew what it was immediately. Her fingers unravelled, freeing her palms from sharp nails; the stickiness confirmed the blood that had been drawn but they fell slack anyway. Her back bumped the chair, her legs ceased their relentless tapping... A swallow was all she could manage.

 Steve's stomach had plummeted. He was certain it had fallen to his feet and through the damned floor. He felt useless once again, unable to do a thing as a gun's barrel pushed into her skin. He almost envied the brave face she put on, lips straight, her eyes staring blank ahead, her body slack.

 But he knew that look, and so the envy disappeared. She'd left them behind. There weren't many times they'd see all light from Scarlet's eyes disappear as though her own soul had vacated her body... but this was one of them. It was like she could leave everything behind, retreat within her own mind and create a new world there... all to protect herself. But that wasn't the case, was it? No, she wasn't protecting herself, she was protecting him and Robin.

 She didn't want them to see the fear that was obviously bubbling within her blood, so she drifted away, as though the gun had already been fired.

 Even despite the drugs flowing beneath his flesh, in that very moment, Steve had never felt more sober. He hadn't even noticed his head whipping back and forth, a string of begging and pleading tumbling from his bloodied lips. He couldn't just sit there. He couldn't just wait and watch. Not when he'd promised Dustin, and himself, that he'd tell her the truth.

 Steve always fell fast for the girls he became involved with... but Scarlet... it was instantaneous and somehow grew every single day.

 He tugged at the ropes on his wrists until his skin became hot.

 Robin was just the same, rocking in her chair, trying to break free.

 Robin Buckley hadn't met anybody like Scarlet before. She had always been looked at with scorn by the jocks and popular girls at school, always greeted with a sneer whenever she trudged through the halls to her locker... the pretty girls that everyone seemed to love... Scarlet was one of them, but she had never acted that way.

 It was like she was oblivious to how she looked and acted; like she didn't know how infatuated everybody was with her, whether on a platonic level... or a romantic one — cough, cough, Steve.

 So they might not have known one another long enough to consider one another their platonic other half... but that was exactly what Robin believed. That Scarlet Hopper — a girl who somehow managed to just appear in Hawkins — was always destined to be her best friend. She never judged, she always caught onto her jokes... she... she kept her biggest secret and never once pulled away upon learning the truth.

 So to watch her become a blank slate whilst a gun was held to her head...

 Steve and Robin crumbled in time, like their minds had firmly agreed they'd both do whatever they could, "A code!" They cried, merely a syllable out of sync, "We heard a code!"

 Scarlet almost wished they'd held on tighter, that they'd let her go so that maybe, just maybe they'd be able to keep the secret. They were keeping her safe from the cold barrel still digging into her flesh, but that was her job. She was the one with powers, so she should have been the one keeping them safe. She felt useless.

 The General met her eye and she could have sworn one of his teeth glinted as he flashed an accomplished smile... it made her stomach churn, made her skin crawl but she didn't falter, and she met his gaze with ease.

 The general approached Robin, clearly having seen enough of Steve, "What code?"

 Robin, with the slightest bit of sense that the drugs had yet to bury, hesitated. Her cerulean eyes had red encasing them, both of them completely bloodshot... she flicked them Scarlet's way, and the moment she caught the gleam of that barrel, she spilled, "The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. Blah, blah, blah."

 Like that, the drugs finally dispelled any and all sense remaining. Steve laughed, his entire body jolting as though he'd forgotten exactly what had made him as still as stone, "Ha! You broadcast that spy shit all over town!"

 "We picked it up on our Cerebro and we cracked it in a day. A day! You think you're so smart, but a couple of kids who scoop ice cream for a living cracked your code in a day, and now, people know you're here."

 The challenge, the smug smile on Robin's freckled features made the man sneer. He drew closer, staring down his nose at the teenager as he hissed, "Who knows we are here, little bitch?"

 Steve's laughter bubbled in his throat, the words tumbling free without a care in the world, "Uh, well, Dustin knows."

 "Steve!" Robin groaned, though she was slowly descending into madness too, Scarlet could see the glaze over her eyes.

 "Yeah, Dustin Henderson, he knows!"

 Scarlet couldn't exactly blame him for the words freely falling, but that didn't mean each and every mention didn't send a shiver down her spine. It was bad enough that they knew what Dustin looked like... let alone give them his entire name.

 If they didn't get out soon... Dustin would be hunted like prey.

 "Dustin Henderson," The General dragged out as though testing the name on his tongue, "Is this your curly-haired friend?"

 "Oh! Curly-haired... Great hair! Small... kind of like a 'fro, yeah." With each little ramble, blood continued to slip and slide down his chin, trail down his neck and soak into his already smothered shirt; he couldn't feel it... as a matter of fact, he couldn't really feel much at all. His fingers had gone numb.

 "Where is he?"

 "Oh-ho!" Steve hollered, "They're long gone you big asshole! And they're probably calling Hopper... and Hopper's gonna call the US Cavalry." His voice had fallen smug, as though everything was going completely according to plan... all the while Scarlet stared with disguised horror — Just how many names did he want to give away? "They're gonna come in here commando-style, guns-a-blazin', and kick your sorry asses back to Russia. You're gonna be two pieces of toast."

 Scarlet could feel that her mouth was agape from the dryness that had settled upon her tongue... He was an idiot. A drugged-up, and yeah... frankly adorable, idiot. She couldn't believe them... both of them, for Robin had dissolved into a fit of giggles that were slowly beginning to sound like the cackling of a witch.

 The Russian was entirely unfazed, and Scarlet couldn't exactly blame him; sat right before his very eyes were two teenagers absolutely filled with drugs, giggling and hollering about having a contact within the US Cavalry... Whilst their friend was tied to a chair with a gun ready to push a bullet through her damned brain.

 They really didn't have the high ground here... actually, they were at rock fucking bottom.

 The Russian General clasped his hands behind his back once more, his pace was slow, encircling Steve and Robin like a shark in choppy waters, "Is that so?"

 Steve bobbed his head, shrugging his shoulders that were sure to be aching beneath that blanket of drugs, "Yeah."

 The placid face of the General soon shifted. He didn't scowl as Steve and Robin continued to chortle, he didn't call over the doctor standing silently in the corner. No. He slowly turned his head Scarlet's way... and a smile soon spread.

 The two teenagers bound with twine could feel their stomachs beginning to ache as their snorts and giggles filled the air, completely ignoring the danger they were all still in... then, like the flip of a switch, their laughter ceased.

 A loud click split through the air like a dagger hurtling towards them, targeting them as their victim. But they weren't the victim at all. Their faces dropped as their heads whipped towards the window where Scarlet was still visible.

 The guard placed by her side had cocked the handle of his gun, pulling it as far back as he could... he'd chambered a round in his AK-47 that was well and truly prepared to lodge itself within her skull.

 Terror clawed at their throats, leaving them silent. No pleading could escape, no string of begging and whining... they were left only to stare in utter fear as Scarlet's head was pushed further to the side, barrel clawing at her temple like a ravaged animal.

 There had been a time when Scarlet would have been... well, she would have been content with the situation she was in; to finally have a true escape from the suffering her life had dealt her. It wouldn't have been all that long ago, either.

 And while her mind still played tricks and taunted her relentlessly, while those thoughts were not entirely banished, but faded within the background... she was scared. Up until now, she'd only ever considered the lives of those around her, doting and worrying for Steve, Robin and all of the kids. Worried only for her family.

 But as fear trailed over her skin, leaving goosebumps and risen hairs in its wake, she truly realised... she'd happily take the nightmares, the chime of that damned clock she'd been hearing, even the constant assault on her body when fidgety little Eleven slept by her side... all if it meant she could stay.

 There was a chill on her spine, yet still, her skin was doused with sweat like grass after rainfall...

 She was going to die.

 The breath within her throat had hitched, clogging like a dam. It was strange, to have only just realised that she wanted to keep her life... that she felt so safe and so loved that she wasn't just living to keep other people safe from harm. She wanted to be by their sides.

 And now... She blew out a breath, still at least keeping back tears from gathering at her waterline, and for the first time, Scarlet dropped her gaze. She didn't care if it gave the General satisfaction, she just wasn't able to see that fear in Robin's eyes anymore... she wasn't able to stomach the unfiltered terror upon Steve's face.

 She could only hope they'd be okay without her. That they'd somehow defy all logic and clamber their way to the surface to warn her father... Oh, God... Hopper. Eleven... Max and Will... Dustin, Lucas, Mike and Erica.

 She couldn't bare to think about them.

 All at once, the guard straightened and Steve and Robin descended into chaos as their screams tore free. They begged and pleaded... no more laughter to be found.

 ━━━━━━━

11-04-2020

edited version: 27-10-2022

:·ﾟ★ Um... anyway so —

IMPORTANT!!! : updates will now be postponed until y'all start interacting more. I'm seeing more and more ghost-readers popping up, and I'm just not going to bother updating if I'm not getting anything back from you! This isn't about votes, but about comments; it's stated below that I require people to comment in order for updates to come, and I'm just not seeing y'all doing that.

don't forget to let me know what you think; and remember that i now require a particular number of comments and feedback before i consider releasing the next part (this is just to ensure people remain engaged and supportive, as well as to allow me to see what you all enjoyed most!), please give me a follow, and please do NOT leave comments telling me to update; they'll be ignored and you'll be muted, much love <3