LadyYandereShane
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C:SOD Chapter 29
🕑 Added 2022-03-20 14:54:58 +0000 UTC"Au, no! Au!" Rain blocks the taller man from going into the twins' bedroom. The frowning twin aggressively whispers, "Don't confront him, you know he'll get worse!"
He threatened Hermes! Hermes sad because of him! Au did not say anything but it was clear what he wants to do to the other boy.
"No!" Rain takes him by the collar and managed to slam Au to the wall in order to protect his more vulnerable twin. "It was Hermes' fault for saying the wrong stuff, you've known Ray more than you've known Hermes! You should fùcking know better!"
Au roughly pushes him away by the chest, the two boys on the verge of violence. Knowing dámn well Au will hurt Ray, Rain grabs a wine glass from the counter, smashes it on a surface, and push the jagged broken glass against Au's neck.
"Don't even fùcking think about it! Beat me up all you want, but don't fùcking touch that little shìt!" Rain screams, which bothered Ray from inside the bedroom.
The door opens a little bit, and despite a happy mask, Ray sounds unhappy behind it while speaking in a small voice, "You guys okay?"
Rain and Au freeze, with the glass still pressing against Au's skin. Rain answers, "Yeah. What's up?"
Ray snaps to match his mask happily asking the boys, "Do you want to draw pictures with me?"
The two other boys stare at Ray, who is currently holding multiple colored pencils, previously drawing before being interrupted by the two's arguing. Rain can't help but internally fawn over his brother's cuteness, while Au just rolls his eyes at the brother complex.
Still, none of them move from the pause of their violence. Rain, while holding a broken glass to Au's neck casually answers, "Sorry Ray, but we'll be busy. What are you drawing?"
"I drew Mr. Quinn!" Ray lets out the brightest smile and showed them his artistry, ignoring the tension since he can't really read the room very well. "Mommy doesn't have social media and I don't know his phone password to see his selfies, so I don't have any pictures from him. I want to see him smiling directly at the picture instead of a stolen one..."
"That's such a nice picture, Ray..." Rain comments after his rambling, while Au slowly lifts his hands to give Ray a thumbs up for the drawing. The happy masked twin seems to be genuinely glad at their approval.
"If you guys want, I'll draw you too! I have to find something to do before Mommy comes back..."
"I don't think Hermes will want to come back, Ray..." The other twin replies, both men being patient and remaining in their frozen pose.
"Oh, he will... I got his phone," Ray happily takes out a locked phone that he smuggled out of Hermes' bag. "I'll have my Mommy soon, don't worry..."
The twin still threatening Au adds, "Shouldn't we supposed to be studying for the application so we'll move up a grade?"
Strangely enough, Ray calmly answers, "I already practiced with Tests Questions from the previous 4 years. And in those four tests, I scored 376/400. The required passing is at least 80 per test, so it means I already passed since 80% of questions are just recycled. You should try it, Rain. It's actually pretty fun."
Ray goes back to the bedroom and the two boys stood there, stunned. Au raised his eyebrows and nodded, impressed by Ray's initiative. Even his twin who didn't expect this much from a childish bone head like Ray was open-mouthed. Au taps his hand because his spine is starting to ache from his position, so Rain apologizes before adjusting themselves.
Then, Rain snaps to his original stance, "—IT WAS HERMES' FAULT! Hurt me all you want, but don't fùcking mess with Ray!"
You stupid! Au angrily punches Rain, which knocks him back.
"Stay away from my brother!" Rain attacks him with the glass, but Au blocks his arm from swinging. "Au!"
"Guys, keep it down!"
"Sorry, Ray..." Rain grunts before Au throws him to the living room where the two boys continue to brawl on the floor. Au comes out as the one on top because of his height, but Rain is the one with a weapon so Au is mostly on defense.
"Die, you massive brute! Cake whóre!" Rain yells, so Au replies by bashing his head on the fluffy carpet. The room was filled with Rain's hushed raspy yells as he and Au beat each other up.
Until, the locked door clicks and the knob turns, giving access for a particular someone to come in and watch the two act like lion cubs in a play fight.
"Well, this is some weird foreplay I've never seen before..."
Rain looks up in disgust and pushes Au away. "Ew, I'm not gay!"
Au looks at him in confusion as the two fix themselves under the gaze of their true leader. The new presence in the room casually sits on the living room sofa questioning, "Ray?"
"He's inside... a little busy. Don't worry, I'll relay what you have to say..." Rain mumbles, both him and Au still glaring at each other.
"Very well," the man waves off. "Frost has been a very useful asset lately. He took Hermes off your hands without my say. Something that Father Daniel refused to do."
He already knows? This guy must be a god... Rain raised an eyebrow. "You want Hermes to stay away from us?"
"To keep him out of your way. Every time he's present in the school during missions, he sabotaged it. I want twenty dead before the annual festival."
"Twenty?! That's a massacre, we'll be put on death row!"
"You're already eligible for death row at your 3rd kill, my friend," the man dismisses. "Not to worry, we have Frost who controls whole governments simply by giving them a brochure of how many atomic and nuclear bombs his Mafia holds. Politics, yadda yadda."
Au keeps staring at the ground as he remains fearful of this man.
"Don't spare the males this time... after the semester, you may go after the teachers," the man calmly says while flipping a coin between his fingers. The air then turns serious when he says with a low voice, void of charisma. "Sin doesn't have a gender, nor race, nor upbringing. This school is full of scum... evil, dirty scrum. It is our job as Guardians of Carvalle to cleanse the school."
"Of course," Rain agrees. "We'll be sure to give you 20 before the Festival."
"Hm," the man finally gives his charming smile. Only when he thinks of Thena, did that smile contain that of sadness. "Have you boys ever doubt me? Have you ever thought that maybe this is wrong?"
Rain and Au look at each other. "Well, we know it's wrong. But we don't have a choice, do we?"
"I used to overlook sin back then..." He thought of Thena. "I used to ignore the dirt... but then, I lost someone special because of the dirt I stayed ignorant to. I vowed to protect my students from the same fate... by eliminating those who aren't worthy to be in this Holy school."
He's said that a lot of times. And every time he does, it means he's trying to remind us. It means he's doubting us, Both Rain and Au conclude.
"Understood," Rain replies.
"Good. I'll go approach Ray and tell him a joke he won't like before I leave." He enjoys making Ray upset. The man stands up but before leaving he adds, "And Rain?"
"Yes?"
"A number less from 20 is a finger removed from Ray. Be sure to remember that," the man said, which made Rain's finger twitch. They cannot afford to fail.
meanwhile
AT THE POP-UP CARNIVAL,
Hermes is wearing Frost's white long sleeves and white jogging pants. The King really doesn't own anything of any color. And right now he's wearing white gloves as they enter the carnival. Frost remains grumpy and internally grumbling, but seeing Hermes with a light smile on his face as they enter puts a little red on his pale complexion.
"Look, Frost!" Hermes suddenly runs off to the kids shooting plastic fish in order to get a prize.
Frost glares at the guards muttering, "Keep within one meter near him!"
"Yes, young master."
As Hermes watches the kids shoot fish, people are curiously staring at the handsome young man that looks very rich with his all-white suit, golden jewelry, and stylish long earring that just invites robbers to attack him. But no one dared because he has huge black-suited men with tattoos and piercings with him. Now they're towering over the kind young man who is squatting with the kids.
The moms are concerned and called their kids over, leaving Hermes confused. "Huh? Why'd they go—guys, you look like loan sharks, stop scaring kids away!"
"The Mafia does have loan sharks to collect debts, I doubt they'd come here for fun," Frost calmly says, crossing his arm.
"Don't talk about your Mafia here..." Hermes scolds with a hushed voice, grabbing Frost's wrist to pull him to another stall.
'Your?' When did I tell him about a Mafia? Frost suspects something, but being distracted by his thoughts left Hermes to drag him to a Bumper car ride.
"Frost, have you ever ridden bumper cars?"
"Bumper cars? What's the point, they're all inside a fence with no road..." Frost scowls at the limited drive.
Ahh, spoiled man never played with bumper cars before... "The point is to drive into other people's cars. Come on!" Hermes pulls him to line up, followed by the guards as usual. The teacher doesn't seem to notice everyone is staring at him, a plain average man who is dragging around a handsome Prince with bodyguards.
"Drive into people's cars? How unsafe and reckless... it's promoting violence and street accidents."
"You need to stop taking stuff seriously, you sheltered little boy," Hermes deadpans, not expecting Frost to be so ignorant and clueless.
"Alright, go ahead. I'll stay here to retrieve your corpse if you die," Frost grumpily says.
"You're coming with me, I want to crash into your car..." Hermes spills him further into the line. "Come on, it'll be fun!"
Does he want to kill me? Frost's heart skips a beat, hearing such a familiar line. And Hermes is still holding his hands, warm and nice to the touch. Frost merely squeezed it and kept silent, looking away to avoid falling for this peasant.
BAM! BANG! Frost panics and so did the guards when he confusingly tries to drive the confusing kiddy car while everyone is trying to hit him.
"Hermes, what the hé—OW!" BANG!
"Hahahahaha! Eat this, Frost!" BANG!
Frost's angry vengeful face towards everyone faded upon seeing Hermes cackling with the biggest smile. For every grunt and pain of getting attacked by cars, Frost sits there staring at Hermes' beautiful happiness. He looks so happy trying to kill me...
"Don't just sit there Frost, come get me!" BAM!
Frost sighs. Oh well, that's what he wanted... At 14, I participated in sports car drifting and purposely smashed my Lambo against an opponent. My arms are strong enough to keep my body still during impact. If you all want to bump, then fine...
The White King turns the wheel and smashes his expensive shoes into the acceleration, smashing Hermes' car with vengeance in his grip.
Later on, Hermes' laughter caused him to lean into a scowling and grumpy Frost who keeps rolling his eyes at the teacher. The bodyguards are frowning as well, in order to hold back their laughs. The King really intimidated and destroyed everyone in bumper cars, all to pursue Hermes. But, he was unable to.
"Aww come on Frost, lighten up!"
"I'll buy this place and burn it," Frost mutters while they continue to walk around, glaring at anyone who stares at them. Given that Frost looks like an English Prince at a wedding, everyone stares at them.
"For someone so calm and composed, you sure are pissy," Hermes says. Frost opens his mouth to retaliate, but the teacher gasps and pulls him to a shooting stand.
"Three for a dollar, three shots for a dollar! Come get a prize!"
"A polar bear! Look, the shade of blonde is exactly your hair! It's so cute, Frost! I wanna play this," Hermes exclaims, bouncing on hid feet.
I guess this place did cheer him up. For that, Frost gives the vendor a dollar for three chances to shoot a plastic bottle.
Bang! Hermes missed. Bang! Missed. Bang!
"Aww..."
Frost disliked the look on his face, so he gives the man another dollar. "It's okay, you've never shot before. Do it again."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
All missed. "Shìt, I think it's my eyes."
Frost sighs, giving out another dollar. "Let me try, babe."
Hermes was caught off guard by the name and him taking the gun. Frost adds, "I've had shooting lessons since I was 9, of course, I'll excel at this."
"Go, Frostie!" Hermes cheers, but is glared at by the King who greatly dislikes nicknames.
Bang! Frost missed, shocking both him and Hermes. "Impossible." Bang!
Missed. Bang!
"Frost?" Hermes chuckles to lighten things up because Frost is starting to get mad. "Haha, don't worry, you don't have to be good at everything—"
Frost confronts the vendor and slaps a stack of folded cash at him.
"Name a price for the bear, and I'll take it. 5,000? 10,000? I'll take your entire stall, you fù—"
"Frost!" Hermes pulls him back and forces the King to face him. "Don't pay for it. If you do, it's not gonna be special anymore, it's just gonna be like any other bear. Prizes are special because you earn for them. So uhm... if we can't get this, it's alright. Let's just play another game."
Frost stares at him, and for some reason, his ego isn't hurt by Hermes lecturing him like this. Usually, it would be unacceptable. But, his words sound true and sincere. But he wants that bear, and it'll bruise my ego if I can't win it for him.
"We're not leaving until that little shìt is in your hands." With that, Frost reaches into his bodyguards' coat and everyone screamed at the sound of a real gun, successfully hitting a bottle. It turns out the difference between a toy gun and a real gun was Frost's disadvantage, as he used too much strength on a toy. On a heavy gun, however...
BANG! BANG! Two other bottles were hit.
"Frost, you're scaring everyone!" Even the vendor is trembling in the corner of his stall.
But, BANG, BANG, BANG! Frost hit another set, and then another. Once all points have been collected, they finally have enough to claim the polar bear. As Frost returned the guns he mutters, "I detest using black guns. From this day onwards, bring a white pistol just in case I need to use one."
"Yes, young master."
Hermes stands there with wide eyes as the shopkeeper gives Frost the bear, shaking so much even the stuffed toy was vibrating. Once in his possession, Frost harshly slams it on Hermes' chest.
"Don't forget who you're with, peasant," Frost huffs, insulted that Hermes thinks they'd walk away without his bear.
Hermes cuddles with it and kisses the thing. "I'm gonna name it Snowflake. Thanks, Frost."
Frost's eye twitches. "Why would you name a toy? And why that name? Do you intend to insult the person who gifted you that?"
"No, it's to remind me of who it's from. Snowflakes are gentle and soft, they create the most beautiful landscapes..." Hermes smiles while hugging the bear, and Frost turns red from what he's implying. Hermes looks up at him with a gentle smile, "Why did you choose Frost as a name?"
They continue walking, with everyone now cautious of the violent man in white.
"I chose it because of winter. That could've been my name, but someone has already taken it. We, the four Equestrians... represent the four seasons. Au, the golden autumn... Rain, Ray the wet and dry Spring. And I, winter. The Frost that ends the year and starts another."
Four seasons... Hermes thinks about it. "What about Summer?"
Frost turns silent.
"Is that him? The summer season?"
"There's already the four of us, and four seasons. Both Ray and Rain are summer and spring." Hermes doubts his answer, but still nods while hugging the bear tightly.
"Frost... thanks a lot for this. But, can you hold this for a moment? I want to go to the restroom..." Hermes tells him while handing over the bear.
The restroom was a one-room urinal for males, so Frost can't go inside.
Now that Hermes is alone... In a place that is not Carvalle, a place that is not the Levough Mansion... it is made sure that nobody is watching him now.
His face drops into neutrality, now coldly staring at the reflection in the restroom mirror. He slowly opens two of his buttons, pulling his shirt open to check the love bites left by the twins.
"I did a good job acting like a scared victim... didn't I, Thena?" The reflection he sees in the mirror is of his sister, also opening her shirt to reveal the morbid injuries left by the chandelier when it stabbed onto her. Hermes also reflects on his actions the past few months.
Seducing Mavis...
Making sure Daniel and I break up...
Then getting back together solely for my 'protection'...
Keeping the killers closely attached to me...
Making sure I seem like the damsel yet to be possessed...
"It was unexpected for Daniel to hit me the first time... but it did the job of breaking us up," he says as he washes his hands, Thena in the mirror doing the exact same. Hermes never really cared for Rain's watch, but it was a nice breaking point. "I had to make sure we break up..."
Flashbacks to Hermes turning the gas on his dorm's stove, before setting a small chemical bomb that will mix at the designated time the alarm clock will ring.
"I refuse. I'll take any alternative, I don't want to live with him!" As planned, he used his violent history with Father Daniel to get into the Levough mansion.
Thena tilts her head, driven by Hermes tilting his as well. He leans into the mirror, now looking at his shadow from the reflections. "I'm making sure Frost falls for me. Thanks to your diary, I know exactly how these boys work. You know them better than I do."
Thena's voice echoed in his head. Do you not have feelings for any of them?
Hermes' eyes cast down, thinking about her question. He remains cold and unyielding. "Everything is a means to an end. My feelings are irrelevant. I want him to face me in the daylight. But before that... I must take his army."
Hermes was not the King. He was always the Queen taking out pawns one by one, even sacrificing his own pieces. All in under the guise of being a hopeless, limited poor little King.
"I will save everyone... and I will avenge you, Thena." Hermes blinks, and his reflections turn back into his own image. For everything prior only happened in his thoughts, aware that someone may be listening outside. I will kill the man in the shadows, and end the nightmare in Carvalle.
"What took you so long?" A grumpy Frost huffs once Hermes is out of the restroom.
Hermes gives him a big smile before snatching the bear from him, "Okay, Grumpypants. My díck's so long it took time for my pee to travel. Mavis wasn't complaining when I took long with him."
"Wha—" Frost suddenly turns red at the thought and memory of Hermes fúcking his cousin. The guards were a bit confused, but they wanted to laugh nonetheless because it's a díck joke. The moment Frost glares at them, they snapped back to being professional.
"Froooost, come on let's have fun!"
"Shouldn't you be too old for this..." The White King grumbled, following Hermes to the Ferris wheel.
The night was calm and serene, moreso the more their carriage goes high and higher. Since they're situated in a province, the stars are always visible. Frost doesn't seem to mind the night sky's beautiful existence because he's focused solely on Hermes' eyes gazing the outside while hugging the bear.
Stop. Frost looks away. He doesn't belong to you.
"You could have killed Mavis..." Hermes suddenly says, which made Frost look at him. "You could have killed him and covered it up... just so you can have the Levough's money. All the riches of the world... but you don't. You love him that much, do you?"
Frost stares at him, keeping himself afloat to avoid drowning in Hermes' eyes. "Now, what would I do with that money if I am without family? Mavis is all I have. He might be the only one who truly loves me, too. Without him... I'm alone."
Hermes feels bad for Frost, as shown by his face.
"Hermes... do you know of my Mafia?" Frost questions with a serious, straight face.
Hermes chose to be honest in the presence of the white King. "Mavis slipped while talking about his family. He told me you'll be the most powerful man in the world with that Mafia and the Carvalle Empires in your hands. But he remains the richest. That's why if you kill him, you'll be the most powerful and rich."
"Are you telling me I should kill Mavis?"
"Of course not! I'll hate you forever if you do that..." Hermes huffs before leaning onto Frost's shoulder, making him internally panic again, "I'm just touched. You don't have a tinge of greed in your heart... or envy. Maybe you aren't so bad after all."
Frost feels flattered, yet masked it with a curious scowl. "The seven deadly sins? What about the rest?"
The other pale put five fingers up, "Wrath, I don't really see you angry and violent, just cunning and grumpy. Sloth, you're the opposite of. Gluttony, a little bit, but at the same level as everyone. Lust, you seldom had séx with me, and you don't really hook up with anyone. Pride... maybe. You have a lot of pride, but at the same level as everyone else. You're a brilliant man, you deserve to be proud of yourself."
Frost merely stares at him. Earlier he has been acting so adorable and innocent that Frost forgot he was a smart teacher in the first place. Only one had ever made the white King's heartbeat like this, and it seems like it runs in their blood. Frost finds himself smiling.
"You talk too much," Frost massages his temples once again, but sighs. "It's kind of cute."
"You're cuter when you act like a normal schoolboy. Crushes and all," Hermes says.
"I don't have a crush."
"Yeah, right..." Hermes smiles back, happily looking at the carriage's window. Not outside, because he's smiling at Thena in the reflection, mirroring her personality that embodied her in the diary, for Hermes to use to his advantage.
Thena's kindness.
"I'm a teacher. I won't let my students die."
"I'll cook you pancakes, alright?"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of this, Rain. It's really nice."
Her cries for help.
"... R-Ray... hel... help... p..."
"Help... please, Au..."
"SOMEONE, HELP!"
Her vulnerability.
"... now please let me go!"
"...please don't tell anyone about this, please..."
"I'm fine... just... lost everything."
"NO, Daniel PLEASE—"
Her heart.
"Come on, Frost!"
"You're not gonna die, Mavis..."
"Au, I wish... I want you to be okay..."
"Guys... I'll be here for you, always."
Hermes is simply, and willingly, reliving her life here in Carvalle, in hopes of being led to the man in the shadows.
that night,
HERMES' ROOM,
AT THE LEVOUGH MANSION
"Snowflake..." Hermes' current blank face stares down at the bear, but no smile can come to his face. Nothing genuine has been felt in his heart ever since he lost Thena. And ever since he stepped into this school, he's been confused which feelings are real or not.
He sets Snowflake in front of his dressing table, but he also spots something sitting on it. What's this? A phone?
"Did Frost buy me a new phone?" Just then, Hermes remembered his original phone, and he checks his pockets and scans his mind on its whereabouts. "Where is my phone..."
The box in his hand does seem to have a brand. No label, no iPhone, no Samsung logo. And when he opens it, it's an all-screen smartphone with no logo in the back or front. Hermes presses the button above the to turn it on, but it's already turned one.
Suddenly it rang, startling Hermes enough to drop it.
Caller ID
ZENITH, REX
Answer | Decline
"Rex? Ze... nith?" Hermes picks up the phone, gulping down a set of nervousness and fear. Hesitantly, he puts the phone to his ear and pressed answer.
"My darling..."
Hermes froze, knowing it's--"You..."
"Yes, it's me. How are you, my Queen? Have they been taking care of yourself well? You need to, our future depends on you being healthy..."
"I... I..." Hermes doesn't know what to say. This voice has assaulted him, hurt him, and tormented him. Hearing it squeezes Hermes' heart.
"Are you enjoying their company?" A smile can be heard through the line. "My boys are fun to play with, right? Their dìcks, big... their heart, gullible... their mind... weak..."
"What do you want..." Hermes already knows, but, "For you to call, what the fùck do you want from me?!"
"I'm just giving you a gift. So we can talk. I'd love to hear your voice..." The man in the line sighs erotically, his voice husky and masculine. "Just hearing your anger and fear turns me on so much..."
"Pervert..." I'm throwing this away. "You're not gonna get away from whatever you're doing. Playing god when you're just a kid!"
"Kid? Just because I'm a student, doesn't mean you can look down on me... I am not a god. I'm more of a Grim Reaper, here to collect the souls of sinners."
"My sister was innocent, but look at what you did..." Hermes was trembling, the phone moving violently from his involuntary movements.
"You don't really know what your sister did, huh? Hmm... the sooner you know, the sooner you'll understand why I'm doing this. But simply telling you would be boring, hmm? I want to know if you're worthy to be my Queen by figuring it out yourself."
"I don't want to be your Queen, you disgusting psychopathic maniac!"
"Me, a psychopath? Look at the pot calling the kettle black. Who was it that entered a school with the motive of killing the student or teacher responsible for the death of your sister? Who was it that manipulated and slept with a priest and multiple students for information? Who was it that was directly hurting those that you manipulated into liking you?"
How does he know so much?! Yet it's unclear if he truly knows Hermes' plan. "Stop it!" I can't let him get into my head...
"You're so against Carvalle, but you're just one of us. You're a teacher, and you're no one special to resist the curse in these walls. You're not special, you're not immune."
"I'M NOT LIKE YOU!"
"Soon, you will understand. You've already seen the treachery and dirt in that school's walls. You haven't seen the worst yet. Once you understand... you'll be begging for me to burn this school down."
"No matter what I see, no matter what you've been through, you'll never get sympathy from me! This is wrong! Stop this!"
"What's right, what's wrong? There's no right and wrong in Carvalle. There's only truth," the man says. "Why do you think a righteous priest like Father Daniel would willingly give me names to slaughter without any blackmailing? He understood. He saw."
Hermes shakes his head. "He's changed. He doesn't agree with you anymore!"
"Because you don't," he simply answered. "But, the moment you do, he will align his beliefs with you. He's not righteous at all, he's only loyal. This time, not to me. But, to you."
Hermes was silenced.
"Yet you're only using him, aren't you?" The man scoffs. "He loves you, Hermes. And he'd rather betray a friend who would never turn a back on him, for an attractive person who's merely using him."
"You..." Hermes squeezes the phone, his veins showing up on the back of his hand. "Why would you say that, I am not like you!"
How... I never broke character in Carvalle or the mansion!
"Even after knowing Frost works for me, you still interact. Even after knowing the twins and Au are murderers, you still interact. You know they didn't kill Thena. You have all the information you want. That's why I concluded that you... staying in touch... was not for information, but to use them against me."
Hermes feels his heart skip. This man... who is he? Just who is he? He saw through me... even though we barely see each other. H-how...
"I like you, Hermes. If you weren't so cold and would warm-up, you'd be exactly like me. But loving someone that mirrors me would be narcissistic, right?" A chuckle can be heard, victorious and amused. "After I've cleansed Carvalle... we will be together, Hermes. And you will receive the greatest punishment of all."
He's gonna kill me? Hermes yells out, "Show yourself. Show yourself, coward! Come get me if you really want me that bad!"
"I don't need to get you. I already have you exactly where you remain mine. Stay healthy so you can bear me beautiful children. See you at the Festival, my love." Click, the call ended.
Comments
xavia
Yep, I was wondering when the next update would be? Is everything okay?
Raven Nguyen Tran
Hmm it's been 2 weeks since any update, is everything alright?
