Chie: Chain was nominated in the category of Best Romance in the Dokuga Quarter 3 Awards! Thank you for the nomination! It’s an honour. :3

Chapter ten – Future

It seemed as if they were standing still in a darkness that kept spinning, twisting and turning around them. Kagome suddenly felt every muscle in her body grow weak and she had to fight to remain standing.

“Miko,” Sesshoumaru growled threateningly, “what is this abyss?”

There was a formidable power dancing around them, vast and limitless, threatening enough to make the hairs on Sesshoumaru’s neck stand.

“I – I don’t know,” the miko stammered, trying in vain to keep the panic at bay. “This has never happened to me before!”

“We need to break out, as soon as possible. Concentrate on your home, miko. Follow after me.”

And then Sesshoumaru let his youki flow free. His eyes bled red and his graceful features became to distort. The power of his demonic aura was so oppressive that Kagome felt like she was suffocating. Her eyes bulged in their sockets as she gagged in front of his sheer power. Did he possess this much strength? Surely his aura had always been impressive, but witnessing his raw power was unimaginable! Kagome couldn’t help herself. In her oxygen-deprived state she panicked, letting go of her restraints. The cool flow of her holy powers immediately rushed forth in her veins, her reiki flaring up to rise to meet the intensity of Sesshoumaru’s youki. Suddenly it felt like an electric shock would’ve passed both ways through the chain making both Sesshoumaru and Kagome flinch. Then it felt like the silvery chain would have started to collect their powers, mixing them, amplifying them, forming a circle of their intertwined youki and reiki around them. Kagome watched at it in wonder, when all of a sudden, she felt an uncomfortable sensation. The mixed power entered her body, burning her and then she felt just as if someone had just violently jerked her and she lost her balance and was falling…

.

.

.

… Kagome landed roughly on the ground. There was a cloud of dust that made her cough and she had to spit sand out of her mouth. For some reason, she felt really weary. By her side, Sesshoumaru let out a groan and then fell onto his all fours, gagging pitifully.

“Sesshoumaru, are you alright,” the miko asked, surprised to hear how hoarse her voice sounded. Concerned, the miko tried to see if the daiyoukai was hurt anywhere, but she could not find any visible injuries. Then, her eyes suddenly widened as she realised that the demon lord indeed was on all fours.

“Sesshoumaru!” she exclaimed in wonder. “Your arm!”

The inudaiyoukai marvelled at his newly grown left arm silently, before a convulsion ripped through his body and he gagged again.

“Sesshoumaru, what is it?” the miko asked, her voice pitched for she was starting to feel afraid. She had never seen anything affect Sesshoumaru like that!

“All these scents,” the daiyoukai managed to groan, raising his hand to pinch his nose in distaste.

After a moment or two it finally became easier for him to breathe, and for the first time Sesshoumaru took a look at their surroundings. He found himself on the bottom of an old well. However, unlike the well they had jumped into, this one appeared to be indoors.

“Can you stand?” the miko hesitantly asked.

Sesshoumaru did not reply but he got up. He grabbed the miko’s wrist and jumped up, landing on the dusty old wooden planks.

“Is this it, miko?”

“Yes, we’re here.”

“Hnnh.”

“Uhm, Sesshoumaru, what was that back there?”

“Some sort of battle of the magics. I think that the well’s portal did not want to allow us through. The portal’s magic clashed with the one of the chain.” Sesshoumaru glanced at the silver instrument that was curled on the dusty wooden floor, once again returned to its original length of 20 feet.

“But we got through, right? Somehow I felt like the chain took onto our powers and told them to grow, then somehow combined them.”

“So it seemed.”

“Are you alright now? Do the scents still bother you?” the miko asked worriedly.

Sesshoumaru glanced at her and shrugged.

“I will manage.”

“I'm sorry, your senses are so sharp and there’s quite a lot of pollution in a city the size of Tokyo… I’m afraid those scents might take some getting used to.” Kagome bit her lip. Inuyasha had not really complained about the scents that were part of the everyday life in the future, but then again, Sesshoumaru’s senses were far superior to the hanyou’s.

“I’ve already started to adjust a bit, so there is no need for your worry.”

Kagome nodded. Then she looked at the demon lord, realising something.

“Umm, Sesshoumaru? If you don’t mind, it might be better for you to take off your armour and swords and leave them here. I don’t think you will need them. Your pelt, too, it’ll be easier to move around without it,” the miko suggested.

Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding. He flexed his new limb for a few times before he complied, starting to remove his gear. After all, the miko was the one who lived in this time and knew how things were.

“Now, before we leave this well house I need you to promise me you won’t be killing anyone.”

“Do not take me for a fool, miko.”

“I am aware that you probably most of the time won’t walk around slaughtering people just for fun, but I’m afraid no one here will offer you the honour that your station requires.”

“That might as well be expected, you mortals are always so foolish.”

“Thank you,” Kagome said crossly. “So you won’t be killing anyone?”

“You have my word on that.”

“Thank you, Sesshoumaru,” the miko said, this time, sincerely. “Now let’s get this over and done with.”

She walked out of the door of the well-house, Sesshoumaru following her.

“The world has changed vastly,” she told him as they advanced towards the house. “The technology has developed in huge leaps, so there will be a lot of peculiar objects and devices and improvements. Also, the population is far greater, and so far I haven’t encountered a single demon on this era.”

Sesshoumaru digested the information. He was concerned that he might not adapt well to this environment, to this time.

“How long do these ‘exams’ of yours take?”

“One week,” Kagome said. “But they’ll start next week. I need this week to catch up with my studies.”

The daiyoukai nodded.

“Understandable.”

“So please, try to bear these two weeks, Sesshoumaru.”

Kagome stopped, finally having reached the front door of her house.

“Oh. And my grandfather is silly and old. He’s prejudiced about demons, though he seems well accustomed to Inuyasha now. He might at first try to stick an ofuda on you, but rest assured, he has no holy power in him, so it’ll be just a piece of paper. Please just ignore him or whatever.”

The daiyoukai’s eyes flashed, amused.

“Understood.”

Kagome heaved a sigh, then opened the door and stepped in.

“Mama, I’m home!”

“Welcome home, Kagome,” a female voice replied from the direction of the kitchen.

Sesshoumaru took in his surroundings, noting that many of the objects seemed to be usual in this time but the likes of which he had never seen. Here in the house the unfamiliar scents were not as bad either, since the scents of the house itself and its residents prevailed. And that scent wasn’t half that bad.

“Are you here for the exams – Oh my!”

Sesshoumaru turned to look at the middle-aged woman perched in the doorway. It was evident that this female was Kagome’s mother.

“Uhm, mama, here is Sesshoumaru, he’s Inuyasha’s older brother. He’s kinda stuck with me for the time being.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Sesshoumaru-san,” Mrs. Higurashi smiled at him.

“Likewise,” the daiyoukai replied politely, bowing his head ever so slightly.

“Inuyasha did mention about his brother keeping you company when he came to fetch some supplies few weeks ago. Thank you, Sesshoumaru-san, for looking after my daughter.”

“I only did what I was obliged to do. Besides, this incident was more of my fault than your daughter’s.”

“Which incident would that be?” asked the woman, confused. Obviously, she had not yet noticed the chain.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru shared a look and the miko sighed, turning to look at her mother.

“Mama, I think you had better sit down for this.”

A while later all three were sitting in the living room, three cups of tea that Kagome’s mother had prepared on the coffee table in front of them.

“… And that’s how we ended up like this,” Kagome finished her explanation.

“Oh dear, it must have been very hard on you both. What a selfish mother you have!”

“It may appear so,” Sesshoumaru admitted, “but in truth she is not thinking about herself at all but of the lands she has an obligation to rule.”

Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru in surprise. As usual, his face didn’t really betray much emotion, but somehow she felt he was a bit sad about how things had turned out to be. Maybe he wished his father had not died, so that his mother would never have had to ascend onto the throne.

“I think you could use some Western clothes, Sesshoumaru-san,” Mrs. Higurashi suggested, after having taken a good look at the daiyoukai. “Hardly anyone dresses traditionally like that on an everyday basis. And those who do so are mainly elderly people or then their occupation requires them to wear traditional garbs.”

“Mama’s right, we should go get you some new clothes. You don’t want to stand out too much, do you?”

Sesshoumaru considered the proposal. Would he wish to be gawked at by every ningen passing by? No, that would be unpleasant. It would be better to try to fit in, at least appearance-wise.

The daiyoukai nodded.

“Then, I’ll go change and get my handbag, so we can head out and hit some shops.”

“You buy your clothes from shops?” Sesshoumaru asked, raising his brow.

“Uh, yeah. It’s called mass production. Hardly anyone uses the services of tailors these days.”

“I see.”

He followed the miko upstairs but did not step into her room. She shut the door, the solid wood easily sliding through the evasive chain. After a while the miko emerged, wearing a pale blue knitted sweater and a grey pleated skirt that ended a little above her knees. She was clutching a brown handbag.

“Alright, I’m ready so…” she paused, taking a good look at the daiyoukai.

The demon under scrutiny raised a questioning brow.

“Ne, Sesshoumaru, your appearance is rather striking, is there anything you could do to… You know. The claws and those markings and your ears… Can you make yourself look more human?”

The inudaiyoukai merely shrugged. The request was valid and understandable. He concentrated his youki and soon after the markings on his face disappeared and his ears had become rounded and his claws had turned to dull human nails.

“That’ll do. Thank you. Now, let’s go get you some clothes that’ll help you fit in.”

The miko chattered it away as they walked down the stairs.

“There will be a lot of weird things, but I’ll try to explain them to you as we go, alright? And remember that you’re not to kill anyone, no matter how rude jerks they are. We need to take a train. It’s a means of transportation, kind of like a huge metal carriage. They are usually rather crowded, so I’m sure it’ll be really uncomfortable for you but please try to bear with it.”

She paused as they reached the entrance hall. There was something she had not yet thought about.

She turned to look at the chain.

“I don’t know if you can actually hear me, but if you can, then know that I have not asked anything of you until now, but now I need you to do a favour for me. So I’m begging you, please, if you possess a neat trick by which no one will be able to see you, that would be awesome.”

The chain glimmered and grew warm. Then it disappeared from sight.

“Wow,” Kagome blurted out, “it actually worked.”

Sesshoumaru’s face did not reveal his surprise. So the chain actually could abide to their wills, it their will did not contradict with the will of its own. That was interesting.

“Thank you,” Kagome told the now invisible chain. “Mama, we’re going now!”

“Have a safe trip!”

Kagome opened the door and stepped onto the porch.

“Kagome-chan! Look out, there’s a demon behind you!” an old man shouted, raising an ofuda he was holding his and shaking it to Sesshoumaru’s direction.

“You vile creature be gone!”

Kagome shook her head lightly and turned to look at the unimpressed demon lord who was eyeing at the human priest with a look in his eyes bordering on amusement.

“That would be my grandfather whom I warned you about,” Kagome told quietly the daiyoukai, before raising her voice so that her grandfather could hear her. “Jii-chan, it’s alright. He’s with me. This is Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha’s older brother. Mom will explain why he came over, we need to go to shop some clothing now. I’m off.”

“Kagome!” the old priest yelled after his granddaughter but she walked on, followed by the calm and gracious demon lord.

* * *

Sesshoumaru found the train extremely irritating. It made a loud noise and it was truly full-packed with humans. Still, the daiyoukai could understand that it was a fast and convenient method of transportation for the slow humans. He followed the miko as they finally exited the train. He could hear the whispers around him, tried to ignore the way people’s heads kept turning. A bunch of school girls passed by, staring at Sesshoumaru wide-eyed and chattering to themselves loud enough for even Kagome to hear.

“Hey do you see that guy?”

“Uwaah, gorgeous!”

“Such a dreamy cosplay, he’s good!”

The miko suddenly stopped and turned to face the daiyoukai.

“This will sound really weird now but… Can I hold your hand?”

The demon lord looked at his guide, puzzled.

“And why would you want to do that?”

“Because this is my fault and I feel bad for you. Being gawked by all these idiots… I just thought I wanted to do something to… Uhm, forget about it, it’s stupid anyway.” the miko’s voice died and embarrassed, she avoided his eyes.

“If you wish to do so, then this Sesshoumaru does not mind.”

Her widened sapphire eyes flew to meet his gaze. Then she flashed a small smile.

“Thank you.”

A little shyly, she brought her small hand to rest against his, then intertwining her fingers with his.

She looked at him, cheerfully.

“This way you won’t be the only one they’re staring at. Let’s go.”

Sesshoumaru allowed the miko to pull him forward, amused at her antics. A curious creature she was, this female. He had not really minded the attention of strangers. He was used to being the centre of attention; after all, he was the heir of the Western lands. While he found it very irritating, he hardly was as upset about the matter as the miko appeared to be.

They entered a shop and Kagome stopped, looking around hesitantly.

“Would you like to browse yourself, Sesshoumaru?”

“You may pick if you wish. This is your time, whereas this Sesshoumaru is merely a visitor.”

“Alright. Hmm, then how about some jeans and… I’ll go look around.”

A moment later the miko returned, carrying a pile of clothes.

“Here, try these on and see if they fit. See that curtain there? You can change behind it.”

Sesshoumaru nodded and took the clothes. Kagome followed him and waited outside the changing room.

“Show me when you’ve changed,” she told him from the other side of the curtain. After a few minutes, the curtain was pulled aside and Sesshoumaru stepped forward. Kagome stared at him, her jaw threatening to drop.

‘Well damn,’ she thought to herself drinking in the sight of the demon lord. She had decided to keep it simple, so she had selected a normal, form-fitting black long-sleeved shirt and to go with that she had picked a pair of faded jeans. The effect was mind-blowing. Even if Sesshoumaru was a gorgeous sight in his traditional clothes, seeing him now dressed in Western style, with clothes that really fit in all the right places, it was just simply…

“Wow,” she blurted out.

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow at her comment. Although the miko looked rather comical with her eyes wide and mouth hanging agape, her staring was beginning to irk him.

“Is this acceptable?”

“There’s no way for that to be acceptable,” the miko breathed out. “That’s a lot, lot better.”

“Hnnn.”

“Excuse me,” Kagome called to the clerk.

“Yes ma’am?” the young man responded immediately, rushing over to them.

“We’ll take these. Is it alright for him to leave them on?”

“Certainly. Is there anything else you need?”

“Hmmh..” Kagome’s gaze washed over Sesshoumaru. Then she noted his bare feet. “Some socks. And shoes.” The miko blushed all of a sudden. “And underwear… Uhmmm… Sesshoumaru, why don’t you go with him, he’ll show you some from which you can choose what you want. I’ll take care of your old clothes while you’re at it.”

“Shoes, socks, underwear,” the clerk repeated, bowing his head slightly to Kagome. “This way, Sir, if you please.”

Sesshoumaru simply nodded and followed the shop assistant. Kagome’s gaze followed him for a while, then she turned around and walked into the dressing room, picking up Sesshoumaru’s haori and began to fold the silken garment. After folding his hakamas as well and picking up his boots, she followed after him, before the chain would start pulling her wrist.

* * *

A while later the two exited the shop, now carrying a paper back where Kagome had placed Sesshoumaru’s carefully folded old clothes.

“I’m thirsty! Let’s stop by in that café,” she suggested, pointing at a small coffee house.

“If you insist,” the daiyoukai replied.

“I do,” she said, grabbing his arm and dragging him along. He let out a small warning growl, which she ignored. He wasn’t too surprised about that.

The bell rang as they stepped in. Kagome ordered herself a glass of water and some hot chocolate with whipped cream. They sat down at a window table, Sesshoumaru having refused the miko’s offer to buy him a drink. Kagome stirred her hot chocolate with the long spoon, thoughtfully staring at the demon lord sitting across from her.

“Miko, what is it,” he asked when her attention was starting to bother him.

“You should wear it up,” the miko blurted.

“Excuse me?”

“Your hair. May I?”

Sesshoumaru shrugged.

Kagome pulled free a hair band she usually wore around her wrist and walked around the table. After a while she had drawn his long silver tresses onto a high tail, similar in fashion to the one of Kouga.

“There,” she said, stepping back to admire her work, “I think that suits your new look better.”

Sesshoumaru did not reply, appearing bored.

Behind the window of the coffee shop, three high school girls stopped to stare for the sight in front of them. The bell at the door rang as the girls entered the shop.

“Kagome-chaaan!”

‘Oh crap,’ the miko swore in her mind as she quickly turned around to see Yuka, Eri and Ayumi closing in. It would be too late to run away.

“Hi guys,” she greeted which much more cheer than she actually felt.

“Are you all better now?” Ayumi asked, studying Kagome. “I was getting worried ‘cause the exams are next week and when I called your house a while back your grandfather told me you had a freaky exotic fever and there were these angry red boils all over your – “

“I’m fit as a fiddle,” Kagome hurriedly cut in. She really, really did not even want to know what kind of a disease jii-chan had come up with this time. “See? I wouldn’t come shopping if I wasn’t in high spirits!”

Sesshoumaru by her side raised an eyebrow at their exchange. He had never even seen the miko sick.

“Who is this, Kagome?” asked Eri curiously, staring openly at Sesshoumaru, who was looking more and more bored as the seconds ticked by.

“This? Ah, this is… Uhm…”

“Sesshoumaru,” the daiyoukai indifferently cut in.

“Sesshoumaru-kun,” Yuka said, bowing her head, “nice to meet you. May we join you?”

“S-Sure,” Kagome said while mentally cursing her poor fate. Why had they run into her friends this early? Well, at least now Sesshoumaru appeared modern – even if his pale skin, silver hair and amber eyes attracted a lot of attention.

“How do you know Sesshoumaru-kun, Kagome-chan?”

“Uhm… Sesshoumaru is visiting me at the moment.”

“Oh, you’re calling him by his first name like that? You must be close!” *

“Uhm, you see, Sesshoumaru is my… cousin. Yeah. He’s visiting my family and only came to Tokyo today.”

“Ehh? Welcome to Tokyo then, Sesshoumaru-kun,” Ayumi said, smiling.

“Your hair is so pretty!” Eri said, watching at the daiyoukai all starry-eyed. “Is it natural?”

“Yes,” Sesshoumaru replied, wondering at the silliness of her question.

“Wow! Such a light hair colour and it’s natural? I’m envious…”

“Ah, you see, Sesshoumaru’s half! That’s why his hair is so light,” Kagome quickly lied.

Sesshoumaru briefly shot a glare at the miko, his eyes narrowing dangerously when he heard the woman call him ‘half’.

‘I will explain you later,’ the miko mouthed before she took a long sip of her hot chocolate. Sesshoumaru decided to let it drop.

“Oh, a half?! That’s awesome.” Eri smiled at the daiyoukai. “I like your contacts, by the way, the colour’s very vivid.”

The demon lord nodded to accept the compliment, even if he had no idea what the woman was talking about.

Kagome gulped down her hot chocolate fast and set the empty mug down with a clank.

“Erm, Sesshoumaru and I need to go now, “ Kagome mumbled, desperate to get out of there. Somehow she had a feeling that going to school would be hell. “Mama had probably already made dinner.”

“Oh, that’s a pity,” Yuka pouted.

“It’s been such a while since you last were well enough to come to school,” Ayumi continued.

“We’ve missed you, you know,” Eri said.

“I’m sorry to leave so soon, but I’m coming to school tomorrow, so we’ll get to see each other a lot.”

“That’s great, Kagome-chan!”

“Is Sesshoumaru-kun coming as well?” Eri asked.

“Uh, yeah, he’ll come too.”

“Great,” Eri breathed out. “Then, we’ll see you tomorrow!”

“See you!”

“Bye bye,” the miko waved and left the café with Sesshoumaru.

As soon as they were again out in the open air, Kagome breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Damn, I didn’t want to see them so soon,” Kagome grumbled. “I wasn’t prepared and panicked, telling you were my cousin? How lame a lie is that?!”

“You also told them that this Sesshoumaru was a ‘half’,” the daiyoukai coldly reminded.

“Oh, that. It’s not an insult or anything. Actually most of the kids my age think that being half is awesome. But I guess you assumed I was calling you a half-blood, huh?”

“I am not a mere hanyou, as you very well know.”

“Well half means you’re a different kind of a half-blood. It means that you’re half-Japanese. That one of your parents is a foreigner.”

“Hnnh.”

“So rest assured. This Kagome very well knows that your greatness is nothing short of a noble daiyoukai.” she mocked.

“And you would do well to remember just that, mortal,” the daiyoukai replied indifferently.

Kagome glared at him indignantly but noticed the way his eyes were glinting.

“You’re kidding! You’re actually kidding me!”

“You did jest this Sesshoumaru first.”

“Hnnnnnh,” Kagome replied pointedly, earning a light growl from the demon lord. Then the miko smirked.

“Come on, Sesshoumaru. I bet mama has dinner waiting!”

* * *

The old man kept glaring him distrustfully from across the table. Sesshoumaru simply ignored him and gracefully swept more rice to his mouth with his chopsticks. Souta was staring at the demon lord in wonder, his mouth slightly agape and the long since forgotten chopsticks hovering still in front of his mouth. Kagome squirmed on her seat next to the daiyoukai, poking the food around her plate. She had been surprised that Sesshoumaru had joined them for the dinner, but then realised that Sesshoumaru was too well-mannered and polite to refuse the food his host was offering him and thus had no choice but to sit down and eat with these humans. The reactions of her family upset Kagome somewhat, even if the inudaiyoukai appeared to be unconcerned.

Mrs. Higurashi, the only one at the table besides Sesshoumaru who was eating, heaved a sigh and lowered her chopsticks.

“Father, please stop glaring at our guest,” she said calmly but firmly. The old man looked at his daughter and then huffed and began to eat.

“Souta, you’re being impolite. Eat.”

The boy flinched and lowered his head embarrassed and started to shove rice to his mouth.

“Kagome, you too. Don’t play with your food.”

“I’m sorry, mama,” the young woman apologised and started to eat.

Sesshoumaru’s expression did not change, but he mused to himself that it was no wonder the miko appeared so considerate of others, with a mother like that. She must have been brought up well. Sesshoumaru decided that Kagome’s mother was an honourable woman, keeping her household under control while sill remaining warm-hearted. Her children were well-behaved – although the miko had a tendency to let her temper get the best of her – and she had done well with their upbringing, especially so when he saw no man in the house other than the old grandfather. Sesshoumaru smiled wryly as he thought about his own mother, and how well she had succeeded in raising her son.

“Those are nice clothes, Sesshoumaru-san, they suit you well. You did a good job at choosing them,” mrs. Higurashi complimented. Her try at a friendly conversation with him was obviously to apologise for the rude behaviour of her family.

Sesshoumaru was brought out of his thoughts. He inclined his head politely for the compliment.

“It was in fact Kagome who selected this attire for me.”

“Is that so?”

“I figured she would be better suited for choosing correct clothes.”

“Mmh, that might be true. It must be hard for you, but please try to bear with it.”

Sesshoumaru nodded.

“That is what Kagome keeps telling me.”

Mrs. Higurashi turned to look at her daughter and smiled at her.

“Uhm, we met Eri-chan, Ayumi-chan and Yuka-chan.”

“Oh? How are they?”

“They’re doing well… Anyway, they started to ask about Sesshoumaru and I blurted out that he’s my cousin. And that he’s a half. And that he’ll be visiting us for a while. So if anyone else were to ask questions from you, it’d be good to keep the story consistent.”

“I understand, dear,” mrs. Higurashi assured. Then the woman turned to smile at the demon lord. “Welcome to the family, Sesshoumaru-san.”

The woman’s comment took Sesshoumaru by surprise. He had not really expected such an acceptance. It felt oddly assuring, that in this strange world he couldn’t even begin to comprehend, there was a place that welcomed him and bid him to sit down at the same dinner table.

“Thank you,” the inudaiyoukai said, sincerely meaning those words. Frowning, he marvelled at these feelings he had not felt for a long, long time.

Even if this era was something he did not feel all that comfortable to be in, here, at this dinner table with a grandfather suspicious of him, a young boy who obviously admired him, a mother who smiled warmly at him welcoming him into the family and with the gentle miko sitting by his side… Here, in this house, somehow Sesshoumaru almost felt like home.

* * *

* As you may know, in Japanese there are various honorific suffixes you use with people’s names. And you do use them, almost without an exception. Calling a person plainly with just their first name, without any of these suffixes, implies a close relationship, either between close friends, family members or lovers.

Chie: Honestly, I wasn’t planning for Sesshoumaru’s arm to grow back. I actually would have preferred not to do so. (Because I’m evil like that.) Still, I began to think that once he’s dressed in Western clothes, it will become evident that he only has one arm, and everyone will wonder about that and ask annoying questions. So for the sake of convenience, I chose the easy way – I gave him his arm back and edited the beginning of the chapter quite a bit for that purpose.

Oh, and for the record, I still haven’t got all that school work done. I’m a BAD and LAZY student, so please do not follow my example. Luckily though, the deadlines for my homework got extended while I was slacking off, so there was no real harm done.