🕯️ ── a flicker of light - kalon tryout

[womp womp]

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Username: diamond sapphire
Name: chicory, 'chi'
Gender: female

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[womp womp]

growing up, chicory always found a fascination with the quaint and homey candle shop her aunt owned. the first time she stepped foot in it was enough for her to fall in love with the captivating scents of the candles that were placed delicately across shelves and tables. to her, stepping in her aunt's candle shop was all the other kid's equivalents of going into a candy or toy store -- they'd never get bored.

xxxxchi spent most of her free time sniffing and taking in all the heavenly scents of the candles, always smiling ear to ear when she found out her aunt would be receiving a new package of materials. while there were ones she liked more than others, chi always found a way to find the good things about every single candle, whether it was the cute packaging, the alluring name or the matching choice of ribbon her aunt would tie around the candles. her aunt would often advise her to take her 'optimistic candle thinking' and place it on people in the future, as well. chi never really knew what she meant, but she still tried to take her to heart, anyways.

xxxxthere would be many occasions when chicory would ask if she could help out. even if her aunt would let her do a couple of minor jobs here and there, such as helping clean up and sort the candles, she especially wanted to know how her aunt was capable of making such beautiful candles with her own hands. her aunt promised her when she grew older, she'd be allowed to assist her with the candle shop and she would teach her the magic behind candle making. and so, the older chi got, the more enthusiastic than she already was about the candle shop. chi spent every minute of her available time watching with wonderstruck eyes at the sight of her aunt making such gorgeous creations. this was until, at last, her aunt finally agreed to letting chi help out.

xxxxtruthfully, at first, her aunt was a bit concern at chi's eagerness and admiration about her candle shop. while her aunt held the same passion as chi did when she was younger, she'd always be constantly surprised when chi talked about turning down her friend's offers of hanging out, just to spend time at the candle shop. her aunt was a wee bit worried about accidentally ruining chi's relationship with her classmates and friends, as chicory would always prefer spending time with her aunt and surrounded by candles rather than going out to the movies or a mall. but her aunt never complained -- she was perfectly happy with chi helping her out. after all, an extra hand was always a useful thing to have.

xxxxat last, in the midst of spring when she wasn't too particularly busy, her aunt finally began teaching chi the art of making candles. her aunt swore she never saw eyes shine as bright as chicory's when she told her that she'd teach her today. chi had been shaking with excitement, the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile, more than ready to learn. with that, her aunt led her to her workshop, chi eagerly trailing behind.

xxxxchicory started off quite shakily, struggled a bit and was a bit unsure of herself, but her aunt reassured her that she was trying her best, and chi would get the hang of it soon enough. and she definitely did. chicory was a natural, her aunt would recall, and held so much skill in her very own fingers. chi's aunt almost regretted not teaching her sooner, but yet again, her aunt didn't want her to spend every breathing second of her time making candles, despite what chi may have wanted.

xxxxafter weeks of practice with candle making, her aunt hesitantly agreed for chi to be able to make candles she'd be able to sell at her candle shop. of course, chi was absolutely over the moon, now trying to make every candle she touched a perfect masterpiece. her aunt warned her to not overwork herself, but chicory adored candle making quite a lot. it was a passion both of them shared, and as long as chi was willing and happy to make candles, her aunt was alright with it.

xxxxmany customers had recognized what seemed to be a new worker at the candle shop, always busy at work with crafting all sorts of new impressive candles. they'd often comment on how ambitious and passionate of a person chi was. her aunt would wholeheartedly agree, passing a soft smile in chi's direction, even if she was too preoccupied to spot it. overall, chicory had worked long and hard in attempt to perfect all the candles she created, and while her aunt worried that she was spending too much time sticking her face in front of a candle, she quite valued her hard working spirit, anyhow. it was just a bit sudden of chicory to ask a specific question one day . . .

[womp womp]

"hey, aunt rona, can i ask you something?" chi asked softly. she was on one of her rare breaks, only because her aunt absolutely insisted for her to get up and stretch once and a while. her had aunt nodded gingerly in response, one of her eyebrows subtly raised. "there's obviously going to be a time when, y'know, you get too old to run this candle shop, right?" chi questioned, fiddling with her fingers. her aunt's raised eyebrow was much more visible this time.

xxxx"hm? why of course. i'm afraid my bones won't be able to run this shop forever, i'm afraid." aunt rona responded, her voice slightly raspy and dry. "why do you ask?"

xxxxchicory shifted awkwardly for a moment, scratching her neck, unsure of how to phrase it. at last, she sighed and muttered ever so quietly, "maybe when you're unable to run this shop anymore, maybe i could... take it over?" her aunt almost choked on her spit. chi had so many open paths and futures laid in front of her, and while yes, she was quite the highly talented candle maker, she truly wanted to spend her life making them? chi's aunt cleared her throat for a moment, fixing up her graying hair while she was at it.

xxxx"well, my dear," aunt rona struggled for words, unsure of how to respond. "that's truly want you want, yes? you don't want to go into... any other career? are you dead set on this one?" rona offered a weak smile, but all that was written on chi's face was blatant bemusement. aunt rona wished she could take back her words.

xxxx"i -- why not?" chi blurted out awkwardly, a nervous laugh escaping her mouth. "i mean, that's what you did, yes? spend your life making candles? you even said once that i have the same passion for candle making as you, aunt rona! i love making candles with my entire being, and you should know that by now. i've devoted so much time into this, because i love it. i've seen countless people concerned with how much i adore this, even from you and my mom! i --" chi sniffled, her voice cracking. "i want to prove to them that my passion is a good thing. something that makes me who i am!" chi forced a smile, biting her tongue so firmly she swore she could taste blood.

xxxxher aunt cautiously laid her worn out hands on chi's. with sullen and weary eyes that chi's never seen before on her aunt's face stared up at her, the positive aura of her aunt unable to be found. "you're a bright girl, you know that? i am so incredibly lucky that you've found something so impressive about candles, and quite surprised how you haven't gotten absolutely sick of it, like you have school." her aunt tried to laugh, but it was heavily outweighed by chi's sniffles. "chi, i want to make sure you're absolutely sure of taking ownership of my shop when i'm incapable of owning this shop. this isn't an easiest job, you know? when i was younger, i loved candle making with all my heart as well. but these days..." her aunt trailed off, unable to keep her gaze with chi. her voice was now so unthinkably quiet, that chi was barely sure she heard those words right. "these days i feel like it's just what i have to do to get by."

xxxxchi fell right into her aunt's arms, burying her face to smother her tears. "i swear, aunt rona! i swear on every fiber of my being that i want to take ownership of your shop when you can't. i promise." chicory didn't talk anymore for a couple of moments, letting her cries drown out the shop. her aunt patted chi's back in attempt to solace her. chicory was definitely the passionate individual, but her aunt couldn't recall the last time she broke down into tears. rona could tell this was unbelievably important to chicory. at that time she knew that maybe chi's and her's passions for candle making for different.

xxxx"how's this," her aunt sucked in a long breath, gently moving chicory's shoulders back to reveal her puffy face. "i will allow it. when i'm in the state of being inadequate to run this shop, i'll let you." rona almost half expected chi to fall back to another round of tears, but instead she bit her lip and grinned through the occasional trickle of remaining tears.

xxxxwith a clenched fist, chi huffed proudly. "thank you, aunt rona. i'll do my best!"

[womp womp]

the day after aunt rona and chicory’s small discussion about the candle shop’s ownership, after consulting with chi’s parents, she began teaching chi about the basics of owning a shop. truthfully, chi wasn’t as talented in the business department as she was candle making, but she was getting a grasp of it well enough. with all due honestly, as well, her aunt wasn't the most fond of teaching chi about it, but they both tried to push through. what chicory wasn't aware of, though, was the fact that if her aunt stopped working at the candle shop, it likely wasn't going to be due to any medical or natural reasons. her aunt was going to move out of town.

xxxxher aunt didn't quite know how to tell chi. would chi be disappointed? upset? absolutely furious? all these years, chicory thought that aunt rona and her shared the same amount of passion for candle making, but nowadays, her aunt's passion seemed to be dwindling. rona wasn't sure if chicory noticed, but her days in the candle shop wasn't as lively as it once was. for her aunt, it was dull, repetitive and lost all of its magic. maybe working in the same place for several decades really got to her. on the other hand, chi appeared like she wasn't getting bored anytime soon. she really did put her heart into this, huh? her aunt had mused silently.

xxxxsome days it still confused aunt rona why chicory didn't bother to pursue anything else besides candle making. she was an intelligent person, and if she worked hard enough (like she often did with candles), she'd be able to get a much better occupation. in fact, rona even nudged her on several occasions to try to check out a pristine college or two, but chi always denied. she seemed happy with where she was, and her aunt would hate to ruin her joy anytime soon. except for the inevitable day where rona had to sit down and explain to chi that she'd be moving out of town.

xxxxdays, weeks, months and even a year flew past. maybe it was time to tell chi about her aunt's plans. after all, chicory was almost completely used to working at the candle shop, and was even able to take it over on her aunt's sick days. she was doing quite fine, and was definitely ready to take over the candle shop without her aunt's assistance anymore. after all, her aunt had to tell chicory sooner or later. it was unavoidable.

xxxx"chi, dear." rona beckoned with her head for chi to come over where she was sitting. chicory raised an eyebrow curiously before placing down the candle she had in her hand, and sauntered over to where her aunt was comfortably seated. "chicory, there's something i must say. i've been putting it off for ages now, but it's only fair for you to know. after all, it's related to the candle shop, in a way." her aunt could clearly see that chi's eyebrows had scrunched up, in what she presumed to be either puzzlement or fear.

xxxx"what is it?" chi warily pulled out the unoccupied chair beside her aunt, taking a seat on it. "what do you want me to know?"

xxxxthere was a momentary silence. rona was hesitating, and chicory's hands started to feel clammy. "chi, i'm supposing that you know that me, working at the same place for most of my life, it -- it gets rather tiresome and mundane. even if i... used to adore candle making as much as you." her voice was barely audible, and chi took a few moments to soak in what her aunt was saying. once she figured it out, her eyes grew.

xxxx"are you saying that you don't like this place anymore?" chi choked out. her aunt frowned.

xxxx"chi, i could never not enjoy candle making, you know that right? but i always knew that i wouldn't be able to keep this up my whole life. the only thing that kept me going was your lively spirit. you always seemed to come into this shop with a jocular smile. a contagious smile." her aunt sighed softly, and chicory's lip began to quiver. "chi, i think i might leave this shop to you sooner than both of us thought. this shop will become your responsibility, and i'll be moving out of town."

xxxxchicory had tightly clenched hands. her nails were piercing through her skin, but she was too high strung to notice. "rona, you know part of the reason i got into candle making was because of you? because you seemed to love the art of candle making so dearly, and i admired that. you inspired me." chicory began to sniffle. rona took this as a negative sign. "i wasn't expecting you to leave this shop to me just because you were bored." chicory's words were practically a snarl. chicory let out an exasperated huff, temporarily releasing her clenched fists. "if you're leaving because of that reason, i won't let you."

xxxxaunt rona didn't know what to say. her gaze was directly towards her tattered and worn out shoes, and the cold floor. "i'm so sorry."

xxxx"t--that's all you have to say?" chi's voice grew louder, even with her sniffles. "you're going to leave, just like that?" rona couldn't recall the last time she heard this much distaste seeping out of chicory. this was uncharacteristic of her, and it was all because of the person she declared that inspired her the most. guilt swelled in rona's heart, her gaze flitting upwards to chi and spotting the stream of tears that went down her niece's cheeks. at this very time, aunt rona felt like she was unforgivable. and she understood why.

xxxx"i'll be leaving soon. in couple days is what i have planned." aunt rona managed to murmured. she cautiously reached for chi's hand, but chicory avoided it, batting it out of the way.

xxxx"might as well leave now." chicory muttered. her eyes were bleary and felt as if they were filled to the brim with tears. "i'll make sure i won't lose my passion like you did. because mine is real." chicory aggressively pointed to her heart. "this is what i love."

xxxx"and i know that, chi. but --"

xxxx"you can't say anything. you know you can't aunt rona." chi couldn't bare to look her in the eye. "from this day on, this is my shop, not yours. and as the shop owner, i...i request for you to leave." chi blustered through her tears, her eyes glinting with something her aunt was unable to identify. rona assumed it was some sort of feeling of betrayal, but wasn't quite in the mood to presume anything.

xxxx"fair enough." rona heaved. "i love you chi, nevertheless. i hope everything goes well. make sure to call me once and a while. goodbye." she waved her hand curtly, before trudging out of the shop, feeling as if her feet were weighed down.

xxxxchicory watched as her aunt solemnly walked out of the door. the door clicked shut, and in that moment, chi felt her childhood break between her mere hands. she was alone now.

xxxxthis was goodbye.

[womp womp]

motivation, ambition and passion were meaningless words. those three things once meant the word to chicory, but now, they seemed empty. bland, almost nonexistent. she struggled to find meaning in any of those words as she fiddled with her pen, her head wearily rested on the counter. what was the point of running the candle shop when all of her spirits had been broken? was it even possible to feel the same adoration for candles now? chicory didn't know. she didn't want to know.

xxxxchicory wasn't sure if her parents knew what happened between her and her aunt rona. all they kne was that rona had left the town, and chi decided to take over the shop. nothing else. they had visited chi the day after her aunt left to check on her. they noticed chi looked uneasy, but they simply presumed it was due to seeing someone she loved go. they didn't know, and they weren't going to know anytime soon. chi wasn't planning her parents about it, and she hoped that her aunt didn't say anything about it either. it was between them, no one else.

xxxxthere was a sudden knock on the door, and chi almost fell out of her seat from being thrown offguard. her pen slipped from her paw and tumbled onto the floor. chicory's gaze flew up to the pink tinted glass. standing there was an fairly short kalon, looking a little too enthusiastic. chi let out a long huff, and pointed to the 'CLOSED' sign that was hanging on the door. the other kalon gave chicory a funny stare before rolling her eyes before welcoming herself into the store anyways. chi regretted not locking the doors.

xxxx"we're closed." chi snapped. chicory had somewhat recognized the other kalon. their name was philyre, if she recalled correctly. she used to quite regularly visit the candle shop, and used to go to the same high school as chi, though philyre seemed to have graduated before chi had. from the minimal interactions they had, they seemed to be rather upbeat and cheeky. chi had remembered philyre talking about how she would do photo shoots with puppies in order to support the town's shelters and rescues, but besides that, she couldn't remember too much. and the fact that they were rudely barging into the shop when it was clearly closed.

xxxx"rona's not here, huh?" philyre mused aloud, disregarding chi's statement for a moment. she browsed along the selection of candles for a quick second, not noticing chicory's clearing bitter face. "i know you're closed. that's exactly why i'm here." she finally said, running her finger along the unkempt shelves of the shop.

xxxx"then why are you here?" chicory uttered curtly. philyre seemed to laugh slightly, before turning towards chi.

xxxx"did somethin' happen between rona and you?" philyre inquired, now inspecting the dusty table that was placed in the center of the shop. a few candles were displayed across them -- primarily consisting of chi's favourite candles.

xxxxchicory was slightly taken aback by philyre's question. "how did you know?" chi demanded, slamming her fist on the counter. philyre jumped a little, and let out another laugh. chi huffed in irritation.

xxxx"i don't know. but i assumed something was up, since you're usually so... cheery, y'know? whenever i used to come here to pick out a present or something, you were either working hard on making a new batch of candles or wearing a goofy grin on your face. your attitude right now isn't what i expected from you. i thought you'd be all smiles, but nah." philyre shrugged, and started to inspect the candle in dark green front of her. she took a quick whiff if it back put it back. "i heard rona moved out of town, too." her voice was softer that time, almost empathetic.

xxxx"she did." chi confirmed in a grumble. "but that doesn't explain why you're in here, barging into my shop." philyre froze.

xxxx"she left this shop for you?"

xxxxchicory nodded hesitantly. "this entire place is mine." her entire voice rang with regret, and it was melancholic in a way. philyre's face grew softer, and chi wondered for a moment if the pain in her voice was too obvious. it was.

xxxx"what happened?" philyre asked softly. she seemed genuinely concerned, and chi wasn't quite able to figure out why.

xxxx"why should i tell you?" chi began with her sour attitude again with an displeased retaliation. "i don't know how many times i have to say it, but you're kind of breaking into my shop right now."

xxxxphilyre shook her finger. "nah, not breaking in. nothing was harmed, as you didn't lock your door." philyre flashed her a cheeky smile, before plopping herself down on the stool that she wasn't even supposed to be using, either. "but you got to channel your emotions somewhere other than your customers, y'know? when you do eventually open back up, i don't think many people would be very pleased if you started telling them off. lucky for you, though, because i'm used to it." philyre stifled a smile, but chicory seemed to be having none of it. her arms were crossed, and her face was clearly annoyed. "oh c'mon. i'm going to sit here all day until you tell me what's going on. i don't care if i'm some 'random intruder', or something. i used to know aunt rona quite well, and this place gives me a lotta childhood memories, and i'd love to know what's going on."

xxxx"childhood memories? me as well." chi finally admitted, letting her guard down. "i used to go here everyday after school. coming in here was comforting, and i knew i was safe. being surrounded by hundreds of different aromas and my aunt's arms was so uplifting to me." chicory sighed wistfully, finally putting in the effort to grab her fallen pen and began to fiddle with it again. "i admired my aunt, and i admired candles as well. i poured so much time watching my aunt run this shop with sparkling eyes. just for her to leave." her voice was bubbling with resentment, and philyre could feel it too.

xxxx"why'd she leave?" philyre questioned gently.

xxxxthere was a long pause. "because she was 'bored'." chi replied. she was seething at the reminder of her aunt's reasoning, almost wanting to snap her pen out of indignation. "i've always wanted to be a candle maker ever since i met my aunt. that dream was strong until she left. her words were able to break my spirits." philyre's eyes darted around the room for a minute, trying to look for tissues in case chicory broke down. "it's silly. she was my role model this entire time, but at what cost? for me to find out she didn't even have a passion for candle making after all?" philyre was able to plop down a tissue box onto the counter just in time. chi began to cry, and reluctantly reached for the tissues.

xxxx"you don't seem like the emotional type, but you've been crying a lot lately, haven't you?" philyre asked, a bit unsure of herself. "i'm terribly sorry for what happened, but you shouldn't let it get to you, yeah?" philyre jumped up from her seat, and offered her hand to chi. "c'mon, let's get your mind off this. i got something to show ya!" philyre waited for a moment for chi to wipe her tears.

xxxx"w--what is it?" chicory sniffled.

xxxx"you'll see." philyre grinned, and chi hesitantly took her hand. philyre immediately dragged her out of the shop, which caused chi to let out a sharp yelp. philyre ran across the autumn streets, unable to hear chi's occasional protests due to the wind. wherever they were headed, chi just had to see.

xxxxthis better be good. her mind grumbled.

[womp womp]

at last, philyre came to harsh stop, which caused chi to almost tumbled onto the concrete ground. they both took a moment to gasps for air, before philyre beckoned chi to follow her. the two were standing in front of a somewhat impressive statue, one that chi had seen here and there, but never quite bothered to inspect it. she wasn't sure who the statue was of, and wasn't too sure why philyre dragged her from her shop to here.

xxxx"here we are!" philyre exclaimed between heavy breaths. her eyes flitted from the ground to the statue, like she was considering leaning on it, but seemed to decided against it. instead, she bent over to rest her hands on her legs, trying to regulate her breaths. "do you know what this statue is about?" philyre had asked chicory after both of their breathing became more regular. chi shook her head. "the statue is of rosemary cecile. does that name happen to ring a bell?"

xxxx"nope," chicory admitted. "though i've heard her name come up in a couple of my aunt's conversations. did she used to live here?"

xxxx"sort of. she was kinda a big deal, i think a symbol of passion and love to this town, and i remember my mom saying she used to look up to her when she was younger. i never really knew the full reason why, but i think i have an partial idea. c'mere, lookit this!" philyre pointed to the plaque that was placed in front of the statue. but chi was temporarily frozen in place, her eyebrows scrunched up at the sound of the word 'passion'. still, she still forced herself to shuffle her feet towards where the plaque was placed. squinting her eyes, it read:


CECILE, ROSEMARY 1927-1996
"there's always going to be a time when you seem to lose faith, but that only means you must dig deeper to find it again.''

xxxxchi blinked. truth be told, she wasn't ever all about 'inspirational quotes', but she tried to take it to heart anyways. "is this supposed to help my situation?" she snorted.

xxxxphilyre laughed. "well, it's kinda supposed to. i know it sounds kinda dumb the first few times - okay fine, really dumb - but it gets better after hearing it twenty thousand times. but most importantly, did it help?"

xxxxchicory managed to smile. "you know what? kind of."


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that night, chi returned to the candle shop with a slightly altered view on her life. the sky was already speckled with twinkling stars, the street lights casting a warm glow to the night. chicory flicked on the lights to her candle shop, staring at the empty counter and the dirty floors. she'd need to clean it up sooner or later. but not now -- she had something she needed to do first.

xxxxshe yawned wearily as she approached the counter, rubbing her eyes. chi felt like she could pass out any minute, but this wouldn't take too long. or she hoped.

xxxxchicory took her time as she dialed in a number on the phone sitting placidly on the counter, then picked it up. the phone rang for a couple of moments, before someone eventually picked up.

xxxx"hello?" their voice was low but calm. almost reassuring, in a way. chi smiled at their voice.

xxxx"hello," chicory took a steady breath. "aunt rona. it's been a hot second."

[womp womp]

a busy month for the candle shop. around the time of christmas, it seems many people rush in to buy a gift or two for a beloved person, meaning chi works extra hand to keep all the candles gift-worthy, with the help of a couple of shop assistants she would hire. most of the candles she makes at that time are primarily season exclusive, including holiday-related scents such as gingerbread and candy canes. on her spare time when the candle shop is closed, chicory spends her time making unique and intricately designed candles as a gift for her own loved ones, ones that they'll never find in a candle regular shop. their very own candles with aspects personalized to them, from the hardworking hands of chi.

xxxxbesides that, winter always seems to get chi into a warm and tender spirit, no matter the circumstances. wrapping herself up in blankets while sitting by a crackling fireplace with a hot chocolate in hand has always been rather appealing to chi when she needs time to unwind. while this instance might be rare for chi's hardworking mind, she somehow will manage to be able to spend time doing so every so often during the winter months, even with her candle shop on mind.

xxxxthe bitter temperatures are probably one of the only things that chi finds irritating about winter. while she enjoys spending time building snow forts and having snowball fights with her younger nieces, nephews and her friend's children, having to stack up on so many layers of thick clothing just to protect herself from the cold is rather tedious and a hassle. she'd much rather spend time inside rather then trudging through mounds of snow and her hands slowing freezing off. she could never quite put her finger on why anyone would willingly spend their winter months mostly outside, but she'd never sneer nor mock, just silently question to herself.

xxxxother than that, chi generally quite enjoys winter. when she's indoors, at least.

[womp womp]

or at least, i hope so <'3

OK HI WELCOME TO THE END OF MY FORM !! sorry for boring you to death with the words and the lack of artwork n all that, but hey here's a silly cheeb of chicory in this section because i doubt you wanted to spend your day reading all that but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it was fun writing it at least :0c ALSO YEah feel free to skip this entire section if you want because this is literally just me rambling for a bit so it's kinda useless but hey if you wanna read my thoughts here they are :") other than that nothing important is here

anyhow, overall doing this form was hella fun !! :0c i think i did get a bit burnt out near the end since i had to cram everything in a couple of days (too bad i didnt find this readopt earlier rip </3), but i hope i got the point across :^0c i haven't really decided on what happened to aunt rona after she moved, but i know chi probably made it up to her and probably sent her a couple of candles (either because she was joking around with her or actually was grateful for the things she'd done, i dunno chi's sorta unpredictable after the whole moving thing, i like to think lmao) she did, though, become super good friends with philyre and often will help her with fundraising events so she can help philyre w/ supporting animal shelters and stuff, n they always got each others backs 👌

i don't think i've tried out for an (unlimited) impress me in a while, now that i think of it? it was kinda nice pouring all my ideas n thuoghts on here for chi without any limitations (besides mine and your's sanity). i was originally gonna add like lil sketchy illustrations for each part, but that never did happen so. oops :^) i guess this is what happens when i find this comp like. less than a week before it ends ha yikes <'3

BUT BESIDES THAT -- thank you so much for reading my form! i think you might add a couple more bits and bobs before the end date since i got the time (i didn't expect to finish it before), but other than that thank you so much punkopup for hosting this competition, and best of luck to the other people trying out! i hope whoever reading this has a good day, n adios <3