Well, it’s November First, which is a certain someone’s birthday. To celebrate said birthday, because apparently I became an Otaku when I wasn’t looking, I now present to you a one-shot that follows my United States of Misha fan fiction.Table O' Contents
Upon the Precipice -this post
Everyone Expects the Dinner Inquisition!
All the Queen's Daughters
Hearts Accord, Part Two, Part Three
Hearts Accord II (Explicit Content)
Giving Thanks Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI
Home for the Holidays? Part II
Seperate but Together
Together for Wishes Part II
Halloanniversary Part Boo
Rocket's Red Glare Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII
Fireworks and Fun Part II Part III Part IV Part V
For those of you unfamiliar with said fic, it’s in my signature, read it. If you don’t wanna, it basically follows Misha after Shizune’s Good Ending route. She attends New York University to study sign language and disability education. Along the way she makes friends, finds love, and all that other sappy stuff. While generally lauded, the fic was criticized for its lack of decent characterization. I hope this fic will fix that in some regard. For those curious as to the time frame, it follows the Epilogue of USM.
Happy Birthday, Miss Mikado. In addition to this fic, I offer you another present: the following quote. May it help you in life to find some peace.
Major thanks to Helbereth, who may or may not have been hospitalized from an aneurism as a result of editing and proofreading this for me. Thanks a bunch!
"There is indeed a season for all things and now that I see you flesh-to-flesh and blood-to-blood, I know I cannot raise my hand against you. But know this, you are my greatest disappointment. Does your master hear me? Atlas! You can kill me, but you will never have my city. My strength is not in steel and fire, that is what the parasites will never understand. A season for all things! A time to live and a time to die, a time to build... and a time to destroy!" -Andrew Ryan
Upon the Precipice: A USM One-Shot
Late one night, four young people huddled on the floor in the light-blue painted bedroom of a New York apartment. Dimly lit by a few standing lamps, the quiet was only broken by the incessant tick of a wall clock, endlessly counting out the seconds. They had all done this before, of course, but never all together like this. Today it was Shiina "Misha" Mikado’s birthday, and all her closest friends, old and new, were gathering, some via the magic of the internet, for a celebratory game of Risk.
Dressed casually for an evening in, Misha wore pink while Lynda preferred purple, but both wore their golden wedding bands prominently. The two young women leaned against each-other, Misha's light brown locks falling over her partner's shoulder, mingling with Lynda's straight black hair. Blinking her golden eyes repeatedly, Misha tried hopelessly to stay alert while Lynda's piercing brown eyes remained closed; they had already been waiting for what seemed like an eternity.
Across from them were two young men. Will Benson, Lynda's step-brother, wore archaic-looking silver-framed, round glasses. His long dark-brown hair was held out of his face by a gray Commissar cap, though it still managed to sweep along his shoulders whenever his head moved. Beside him, Henry Donovan, the older of the two, had short auburn hair and brown eyes that continually glanced around the room uncomfortably. The boredom etched into both their faces easily matched the girls' lethargy.
Between the four were two laptops, each placed on top of a small stack of books. Webcams clipped on top were aimed at each pair, while a third camera, on a tripod off to the side, focused on the prepared Risk game board. The players were set, the game was laid out, and the pieces were waiting in their little plastic containers; all that remained was for two guests to start up the Skype call.
Will smirked at Misha's dozing face, glancing up at the From Russia with Love poster –from her favourite Bond movie- hanging on her wall for a brief distraction. “You still awake?" he called, nodding toward her, "It’s almost time.”
“I’m Awaaaake~,” Misha muttered, a loud yawn interrupting her statement. Shaking her head slowly, she looked down to her sleeping -wife? Life partner? The term didn’t really matter- and whispered, “It’s almost time, Lycchan~.”
“Five more minutes, Mommy,” Lynda grumbled.
Smirking, Henry pointed out, “You said that ten minutes ago.”
Still grumbling, Lynda slowly righted herself. Keeping her eyes closed, she shook her head and groaned.
Misha tilted her head in concern, prompting, “You okay?”
Lynda opened her eyes and smiled weakly. “Yeah," she said to reassure her partner, "I just had to hold an emergency counselling session after work last night. Never mind I’m apparently the only one in the department who can read nineteenth century Slavic dialects, I’m also the LGBT’s go-to girl for when parents throw their kids out of the house.”
“You love it and you know it,” Will chided across from her.
Yawning, Lynda nodded. "True enough," she agreed. Turning to Misha, she inquired, "How are you doing, Micchan? That long commute getting to you again?”
Shrugging, Misha replied, “I can handle~ it.”
“You’d think they’d have found a school closer for you to get your certificate training,” Henry said.
Misha sighed, “It was the closest school with a sign language class the school could find for me.”
Lynda yawned and sighed, “You know, if we were in Japan, we wouldn’t have to deal with the time zones.”
“Please~," Misha groaned softly, "don’t bring that up again.”
“Like they won’t?" Lynda lamented, sighing as she continued, "we need to make a decision, and we need to make it soon.”
“Can’t it wait until I get my certificate and you get your Masters,” Misha suggested, her pleasant tone starting to sound irate.
Lynda sighed and smiled at her partner, patting the air to calm her down. “You know we need to make up our minds before then," she said calmly, "these things take time.”
The two exchanged a cold look for a moment before averting their eyes, their sleep-deprived faces already weary from arguing. The past few months had seen this point of contention resurface multiple times, and neither of them really had the ambition to bicker about it anymore. They both knew the subject would continue resurfacing until they dealt with it, but it always ended in a stalemate; usually only after an extensive shouting match.
“Well, this is getting awkward,” Will remarked, leaning forward as if to stand, “so I think I’ll be going.”
“No, you’re not. Sit," Lynda commanded.
Will sighed and rubbed his forehead, folding his arms defensively as he settled back down. “Why am I even here?" he lamented, "I’m the only one who doesn’t speak Japanese or know JSL.”
Lynda sighed and rolled her eyes. "Duh!" she chided, “Because your family!”
“If anyone shouldn’t be here, it’s me,” Henry added.
“You’re family, too,” Misha rebutted.
Smiling sweetly, though somewhat mockingly, Lynda added, “And we need your webcam for the game.”
Before anyone else could say anything more, two new screens popped up on the laptops. Hisao Nakai's smiling face and messy, light brown hair appeared in one window while his wife's narrow grin, deep blue eyes and dark hair appeared in the other. The angle on each was set back far enough to see their hands, so it was easy to see Shizune had her relatively long black hair in a ponytail, with black half-framed glassed perched on her nose and a black sweater. Hisao, like always, was dressed in an argyle sweater-vest and white dress-shirt, though he omitted the usual tie.
[“Happy Birthday, Misha!”] Hisao said, signing and speaking at the same time.
[Happy Birthday, Misha] Shizune signed from her screen.
[“Thanks you two~!”] Misha signed and spoke back. She was signing in JSL, but speaking in English for Will’s benefit.
[“Hey”] Lynda said and signed, fumbling her hand gestures a bit.
[“Good evening, you two”] Henry said and signed as he sat across from Misha.
[“You two remember Henry, right? He was the guy in that video we sent after we eloped”] Misha said.
Shizune nodded, [We remember. Hello, Mr. Donovan,] Shizune smirked lightly, [it’s not exactly evening here, however.]
[“Fair enough,”] Henry conceded with a shrug, [“Speaking of videos,”] he added, glancing at Will, [“the guy next to me was their other witness, Will.”]
“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Nakai,” Will greeted, adjusting his glasses slightly, “glad you could make it tonight.”
When Misha was done translating for Will, Hisao, noticing Will’s hat, chuckled and held up his right hand. He palmed his thumb and held out the hand so his fingers pointed to his right, forming the sign of the Aquila. Will blinked and returned the gesture.
Shizune rolled her eyes, signing, [Dork.]
Hisao chuckled again as Shizune glanced down at the Risk board in front of the laptops. [Before we get started playing,] she signed, her expression assuming a more serious look, [there’s something Hisao and I wanted to ask you and Lynda.]
The two young women glanced at each other as Misha slowly answered, [“What is it?”]
Hisao glanced to his left, and Shizune to her right; they were likely sitting next to each other. Hisao spoke first, [“We were just wondering if you’ve decided if you’re going to stay in New York or not.”]
“Told you they’d mention it,” Lynda muttered to Misha.
[“We’ve been discussing that since we got married~,”] Misha sighed, [“in August.”]
[And?] Shizune signed, her expression somewhere between impatience and concern.
The two women shrugged.
[“We’re deadlocked, is the short version.”] Lynda signed, having to repeat a few words for clarity.
Hisao raised an eyebrow, [“What do you mean; deadlocked?”]
[“We both have different ideas about what to do,”] Misha explained with a resigned sigh, [“and while we’ve agreed they're good options, neither of us can convince the other to agree on one option~.]
“They also won’t listen to me and my third option,” Will interjected, “and seem to be rather flippant about US Immigration law.”
[“We have, too!”] Lynda protested.
After translating Will's statement for the Nakai’s benefit, Misha added, [“But we need to assess our options first~.”]
“And immigration has been very understanding,” Lynda added, turning a cold look on Will.
Conceding the point with a shrug, Will retorted, “I still say your just being stubborn about it.”
[What are your options?] Shizune asked, frowning, [and why am I only learning about this now?]
[“We didn’t want to involve you in our relationship squabbles,”] Misha replied, smiling sheepishly.
[“As to our options,”] Lynda added, [“I think our best bet is for us to move to Japan. I can get citizenship there, and she won’t have any problem getting a job with her credentials. Hell, between her grades, the letters of recommendation she could get, and the fact that the Japanese Universities were practically begging her to apply, she could get a job at a school like Yamaku no problem.”]
[“Is uprooting yourselves like that really a good idea?”] Hisao asked, [“I mean, you’ve made lives for yourself there; seems kinda dumb to yank it all away.”]
[“That’s what I said!”] Misha replied, [“not to mention Lynda would have a lot of trouble starting her career.”]
Lynda nodded lightly, [“Not a lot of need for linguists who specialize in nineteenth century Slavic dialects in Japan; I’ve looked.”]
“There are a few jobs,” Will cut in, “but you’re under-qualified.”
The others gave him strange looks, so he added, “In the interest of family cohesion, I’ve been looking into their options as an extra pair of eyes and hands.”
[I can see how you might have to relocate once you’ve earned your graduate degrees] Shizune signed, [but coming all the way back here does seem a bit extreme.]
[“And what about Lynda’s family in Canada?”] Hisao asked.
[“Fuck Canada”] Lynda spat out, her hand gestures furious and wide.
[“Okay,”] Hisao said, recovering slowly from Lynda’s vehemence, [“what’s your idea, Misha?”]
[“I get a job somewhere around here. I’m already teaching ASL, working toward my certificate. It shouldn’t be too hard for me to find a job, and there are enough archives and libraries around; Lynda could get an entry level job for her work, too.”]
[“The downside to that being the expense of constantly visiting you two,”] Lynda added.
Shizune smiled, [“You know my father and I have no problem paying for your winter flight.”]
[“My parents are okay paying for a flight,”] Misha added, glancing at Lynda.
[“And we can cover the third flight on our own,”] Lynda said, [“it’s still not fair to you two.”]
[“We’re supposed to be building a life for ourselves, not our friends!”] Misha said.
[“Your friends are important to you, and you have a right to be where you’re happy.”]
[“I’m happy here~!”]
[“Yes, but it’ll be easier for you to get a job in Japan.”]
[“And more difficult for you~!”]
[“What’s the third option?”] Hisao asked, apparently hoping to prevent an argument. It managed to work, as the couple stopped debating to look towards their step-brother/step-brother in law.
Will sighed and cleared his throat, “I suggested they simply look for work on the West Coast once Lynda has her Masters and Misha has her teaching certificate. Several charter schools in California and Oregon are being built, and a few of them have academic goals similar to that of Yamaku. Furthermore, with plenty of highly esteemed Universities, Lynda could probably get low level work at an archive or library. Both of them could also pursue further education, should they desire it for their careers.”
Hisao and Shizune looked at each other again. They both raised their eyebrows before turning back to their screens.
[“Why not just do that, then?”] Hisao asked. Shizune looked like she was trying not to roll her eyes.
[“Two reasons,”] Lynda responded, [“one, it doesn’t so much solve all our problems as lessen them. That’s actually not a big deal, though. The main reason is that there’s no guarantee we can get jobs out West. Here I could easily get a job, and Misha has a lot of good ins with local disability education groups and schools. In Japan, Misha could probably just ask for a job and get it.”]
Misha sighed and smiled. [“You’re overselling my skills, Lycchan,”] she stated.
Shrugging, Lynda replied, [“still, the West isn’t as certain as our other options.”]
[“We're going to pursue that option, though,”] Misha added, [“as soon as we figure out if we’re going to focus on finding work here, or me applying to schools in Japan.”]
[“You could always pursue all three,”] Hisao suggested.
[“No way,”] Lynda said, [“I’m not giving her an excuse to stay here.”]
Misha groaned, [“I don’t need an excuse, I have you!”]
Lynda opened her mouth to start speaking, but before she could say anything, a loud snap cracked out from Shizune’s screen, causing everyone except Will to flinch. Turning towards her screen, they waited for her to lower her hand and start signing.
[I thought I was stubborn,] she signed, smirking inwardly, [but, if you two can’t come to a consensus, why don’t you just play for it?]
Hisao sighed and shook his head in bemusement, but Lynda was nodding.
[“Good idea,”] she said.
[“It is?”] everyone else asked.
[“Why not?”] Lynda asked, [“you don’t want to move back to Japan, I don’t think it’s fair for you to stay here, and Will’s third option isn’t a sure thing. This may be the best way to find a solution.”]
[“Is it really a good idea?”] Henry sighed and pinched his nose, [“I mean, you’re essentially forcing the loser to accept a decision they don’t want.”]
“Although,” Will said, “they’ve been having this argument for months. If they’re both okay with it, it might be the best solution. Since they won’t listen to me.”
“We are~ listening to you,” Misha said, not bothering to sign as Henry had it covered, “but it has a lot of uncert-ainties with it, is all.”
“Fair enough,” Will shrugged as he continued, “do you think playing for it is a good idea?”
[You could do it now,] Shizune signed, the competitive glint in her eyes, [whichever one of you lasts longest in the game, their choice is what you go with.]
Misha looked at Lynda. Lynda’s assertive nature was plain in her rigid stature and steely gaze. Misha fiddled with her long hair, thinking.
“If you don’t want to do it, we won’t,” Lynda said.
Misha smiled, [“but you’re right~, there doesn’t seem to be another choice.”]
“You two could be less stubborn,” Henry muttered.
“I blame Lynda for that,” Will interjected.
Henry nodded as Lynda stuck her tongue out at Will. Shizune snapped her fingers again, and, again, everyone except Will flinched as they all turned back to her screen.
[Since you two agree it’s a good idea, we need to set some rules for the challenge], Shizune signed, ignoring her husband’s eye roll, [first, you two need to be on equal footing. Since only two continents have the same number of bonus armies, one of you needs to play as Europe, and the other as North America.]
“To keep things neutral,” Will said, “you should toss a coin for it.”
Once Henry had relayed Will's suggestion, Shizune added, [Or play rock-paper-scissors.]
Lynda shrugged, [“I usually play Europe anyway, so if Misha doesn’t mind, she can be North America.”]
Misha shrugged, [“I don’t mind being North America.”]
Shizune deflated a bit at her fun being undermined, but she rallied quickly, adjusting her glasses and continuing, [Okay, now that that’s settled, there is one other issue before the rest of us can pick our continents. Since this game is a game of strategy as much as tactics, it is only natural for alliances to be declared and broken as the situation demands. Since we all have a stake in your decision, we must avoid getting involved in your fight. That way, we can’t influence the outcome.]
[“Agreed,”] everyone else said.
[“There’s one other thing,”] Hisao added, sighing lightly as he resigned himself to the stakes ahead, [“Australia is an easily defensible position, and since it has been used in the past,”] Hisao glanced sideways at his wife, who smirked and ignored him, [“as a tool for manipulation, a neutral party should control it, so that it can’t be used as an instrument in your argument. Although normally I play as Australia, I’ll play as a different country so Henry can play as it.”]
[“What? Why me?”] Henry asked, his face twisted in confusion.
[You’re the closest thing we have to a neutral party,] Shizune responded. When Hisao nodded, she continued, [Will is a relative of Lynda by marriage, and Misha by proxy, so he is clearly not trustworthy-]
“I’d take offense to that if it weren’t the truth,” Will cut in once Henry had translated Shizune's cautions.
[And as Misha's long-time friends,] Shizune added, [we clearly have an interest in the outcome of the game, too-]
[“Though personally I think you should stay in the US,”] Hisao stated.
Shizune frowned at the interruption and continued, [since you are related to neither party, nor have a long-standing friendship-]
[“I consider four years pretty long,”] Henry said.
If Shizune wanted to, she probably would’ve groaned. As it was, she settled for slamming her fist on the desk, [The point is, you are the closest thing we have to a neutral party, so you should play as the most contentious continent.]
Henry raised an eyebrow and shrugged. [“Fine with me,"] he agreed, ["Can we actually start playing now?”]
Nodding, Shizune smiled and signed, [We may begin.]
Once everyone else had selected their starting location -Hisao taking Africa, Will deciding on South America, and Shizune starting with Asia- they each rolled a die to determine their movement order. Shizune and Hisao used a board set up on their side of the planet for dice and ease of reference. With the continents and order decided, the game began.
Unable to attack Europe or North America, Shizune focused her efforts between Africa and Australia. Hisao defended well against his wife’s tactics and aggression, making inroads into South America and southern Asia. Henry defended Australia vigorously, countering Shizune’s efforts to her enjoyable frustration. Will defended South America as best he could, though the aggressive nature of his Warhammer 40,000 armies were ill-suited to a defensive posture. These skirmishes, however, were nothing compared to the war further north.
Misha and Lynda’s assaults on each other were bold and fierce. Iceland, the only link between the two, exchanged ownership again and again. Misha would try and capture Scandinavia or Great Britain, only to be forced back as Lynda fought for a foothold at Greenland. When Misha was able to secure a hold on Scandinavia for more than two turns, Lynda changed tactics, moving south into Africa in a flanking manoeuvre.
[“Do the rules say anything about when neutral nations are dragged in against their will?”] Hisao asked when Lynda captured North Africa using a fifth of her forces.
“I believe it’s called a war crime,” Will remarked.
[Fight if attacked,] Shizune shrugged, clearly enjoying the game, [but only to reclaim what was lost. Or just go with it; they seem to be enjoying it, and it’s cheaper than a counsellor.]
[“We don’t need a counsellor,”] Lynda cut in, smirking, [“we both currently see psychological help for completely separate reasons.”]
[“Although it did~ get tense a few weeks ago,”] Misha admitted, [“until we decided we wouldn’t discuss it for a while.”]
[“We~ didn’t decide not to discuss it; you refused to,”] Lynda sighed, [“And for that, your people will wallow in the ashes of their ruined homes and cities.”]
Misha grinned and retorted, [“Not if I burn your lands to the ground first~.”]
“Is anyone else unsettled?” Will asked, looking to the others.
Hisao nodded, an eyebrow raised as he watched Misha charge south into Venezuela.
“I saw that coming,” Will said, and he quickly forced Misha back while fortifying Brazil.
Hisao took a defensive stance and began fortifying southern Africa, while constantly skirmishing with Shizune in southern Asia. With most of northern Africa secure, Lynda advanced into South America, where Will easily repelled her, though at the expense of Peru; Misha was attempting a counter-flank.
“Clever girl,” Will said when he noticed this, using the best Australian accent he could manage.
“As the duly appointed representative of Australia,” Henry said to him, “I take offense at that accent.”
Will shrugged. “Don’t like it,” he retorted, “come on over and say so to my face.”
Henry grinned and threatened, “Watch me.”
Henry thrust out of Australia into South East Asia, surprising both Shizune and Hisao. Though Henry had fewer forces, Hisao had managed to split Asia via India, China, and Siberia. Lynda had taken the chance to move east in an effort to reach Misha via Alaska. Shizune rallied quickly, however. In only a few turns she had forced Hisao back into Africa, and left Henry only a tenuous grasp in Siam.
Will, meanwhile, was caught in the least appealing three-way imaginable as his step sister and her partner continued to strike against him in an effort to flank and counter flank. Having placed the bulk of his forces in Brazil, a massive frontal assault from Lynda took out most of his armies, leaving him only a few armies holding out in Argentina.
“This must be the Risk equivalent of playing against Necrons,” Will mused.
“While playing as Tyranids,” Lynda added.
“Great,” Will lamented, “now I’m hungry.”
Lynda’s advance into Asia was pushed back by Shizune, but in the process she lost China to Henry. Hisao continued to block Shizune, but his efforts to force Lynda back failed. She was focusing so much on flanking Misha, she was taken by surprise when Misha captured the Ukraine.
[“Crap…”] Lynda muttered.
Misha smiled and threatened, [“Give me North Africa and I’ll spare your brother.”]
“What?” Will asked.
Lynda grinned and taunted, [“Surrender Scandinavia and I’ll spare your best friend’s husband.”]
Will sighed and glanced at Hisao, the two exchanging looks of understanding as they became dragged into the spousal war.
“Again, I blame Lynda,” Will said.
“It takes two to tango,” Henry muttered to him.
“I heard~ that,” Misha said, smiling weakly, “and sorry if our fighting has upset you two.”
Shrugging resignedly, Henry sighed, “Will’s been the worst of it; he won’t stop bugging me about how awesome his plan is.”
“It is!” Will protested, “And I’ll prove it if I have to salt three continents to do it!”
Will’s new offensive forced Misha back from South America at the same time Shizune started picking off southern Africa. Thanks to a boost in troops, she quickly moved to force Henry back into Australia. Unfortunately, the amount of force he was able to bring to the fight kept them stalemated. Lynda was too busy retaking the Ukraine back to take advantage of Shizune being distracted, however.
Misha abandoned her efforts in South America for an offense into Asia. Though a war on four fronts was clearly taxing her army supply, Shizune deftly held Henry, Lynda, and Misha at bay, while also managing, after some fortunate dice rolls, to capture Hisao’s last stronghold of Madagascar.
[Sorry, dear,] Shizune said when she knocked him out of the game.
[“Don’t apologize,”] Hisao said, smiling and shaking his head, [“Although if it weren’t for your impromptu marriage counselling, I could’ve taken Western Europe and Great Britain before they were defended.”]
[True. Though since I almost always win anyway,] Shizune smirked as she continued, [I doubt it would’ve helped much.]
“Does anyone other than Shizune ever win?” Will asked, somewhat sarcastically.
[“I win occasionally,”] Hisao said, [“and Lynda tends to win every now and then as well. There are also a few associates from work that beat her when they gang up on her.”]
Shizune smiled and replied, [Defeat is part of growth and expansion. It is how we learn our faults and how to overcome them.]
“’That which does not kill you, makes you stronger,’” Will quoted, once Henry had translated Shizune’s statement.
After Henry translated Will's statement, Shizune smiled and nodded, impressed.
When Misha’s turn came, she looked over the map and then up at Lynda. [“It looks like if I don’t manage a major~ offensive this round,”] she lamented, offering a determined pout, [“you or Will could finish me off.”]
[“Sure looks that way,”] Lynda agreed, nodding slowly. Turning up from the board to look Misha in the eye, she suggested, [“We don’t have to go through with this if you don’t want to.”]
Misha sighed and gave a tired smile. [“If you’re okay with the results,”] she said, taking a deep breath before adding, [“I am, too.”]
Lynda smiled, but frowned before she spoke next, [“You know I just want what’s best for you, right?”]
Nodding, Misha sighed, [“I know, Lycchan~. I want the same thing, too.”]
They heard a quiet cough and turned to Hisao’s screen. [“It might not be a bad idea to pay more attention to your mutual needs,”] he advised, [“and not just those of your partner.”]
[“What he said,”] Henry added, while Shizune smiled and nodded.
The two women looked back to each other and sighed, smirking together in bemusement. Misha spoke first, [“I guess we’ve focused too much on each other’s needs, and not enough on us as a couple.”]
“I coulda told you that,” Will muttered.
Lynda leered at Will before answering Misha, [“Well, we do rely on each other a lot, so it makes sense. From now on, though, we need to think more like a couple, and less like two people in a relationship… if that makes any sense.”]
[“You haven’t been married long,”] Hisao said, [“and it does change a relationship. That change takes time.”]
[Whatever you do or wherever you go, as long as you two are together, you’ll be fine,] a smiling Shizune added.
Lynda grinned and groaned lightly, [“Could we get any cornier?”]
Misha giggled, [“You used~ to like corny romance.”]
Lynda nodded, [“I guess I still do. So, you ready to play?”]
Misha nodded, smiled, and made her move.
+++
Yup, I ended my one-shot on a cliffhanger. You guys aren’t afraid to let me know when I tick you off, so I wasn’t worried. Feedback appreciated as always, and again, thanks Helbereth, I owe you a muffin basket when they start holding conventions in our honor.