#I'd never see these where they normally are in my lifetime

[tuliptiger]

GUYS

First night of the Northern lights in Oregon

[mochidoie]

with you and i - lee haechan

listen to: summer nights by the millennial club and die right here by david hugo genre: fluff, hopelessly in love badboy!haechan wc: 938 warnings: written in lowercase only

a/n: this is for the anon that requested a pt 2 to all i see is you :)

"it's always so nice with you." you peer over at haechan, catching him totally staring at you already. "how do you do that?"

"do what?" he scoots a bit closer to you on the bench. the cotton sky remains above the both of you and in this world, only you and haechan exist.

"make me feel so happy." your pinkies lightly touch, as you lean into him playfully at the serious statement. your smile is so shy that it tugs at haechan's heartstrings.

he knew the exact date to take you on and it wasn't what you two did for it to be perfect. it was how he made you feel so incredibly special to him. he doesn't know why you finally gave him a chance, but he was so thankful.

while you two hung out, he was very conscious of the boundary that being friends set. nonetheless, this date changes how he normally treats you. he could finally show you just how loving he could be. just how much he was in love with you.

under this summer sunset with you, he couldn't believe he found a love he's been dreaming of. around you, he could barely breathe. there weren't many things in the world that makes lee haechan nervous or even the slightest concern.

but you should know, that you're the only one that makes his palms sweat and his heart to race a million beats per second. you're the only person he would drop everything for.

if you wanted him to stop such a dangerous lifestyle, he would. you just had to say it. say that you want him and he'd be at your side in a flash.

"this feeling doesn't have to end." haechan tries to poke the bear, trying to see how much you're willing to give to him. all he wants is to see that bright smile shining on your pretty face. and if he was greedy enough, he wanted to be the reason behind every one of them.

you shoot him a quick look, but a sigh escapes your lips. "i don't know if i could do this to you without feeling like you deserve more than me."

shaking his head, his right hand lands on your knee to soothe any doubt in your mind. "there is nothing else in this world worth more than you. i could die right now and i'd be satisfied that i got to spend a date with you in this lifetime."

"don't be dramatic." you laugh and shit, he can't hold back his own dreamy smile at your contagious charm. the way your head is thrown back and pure happiness under these pink skies.

"i'm not the most into theatrics, you know that." haechan opens his palm up for you to take it. secretly, he is wishing upon every star, blowing out every candle, tossing every penny into fountains that you'd hold his hand.

when you show signs of hesitation, haechan respects it. he wants you to come to him on your own. "i want you, y/n, not in any malicious way. i want you in the way where you'd look at me like i'm the love you've been waiting for."

the silence creeps up on the both of you. haechan's hand still faced palm up on your knee and you're staring up at the summer sky, choosing your next words very carefully.

you love haechan as much as the moon loved their sun, it's a connection that is hard to ignore. you've always been so focused on your career that love was an after thought. however, with the love that haechan makes you feel is whole and free. you didn't have to think about anything, but him.

"you are the love i've dreamt of." and the look in your eyes is more than mesmerizing, the combination of your words and gaze causes him to freeze in his place. "i never told you, but i was falling in love with you."

"was it the near death experience or my totally not trashed apartment?" he doesn't know why he's making these unserious comments right now, maybe the mood was feeling too stuffy and too real. he couldn't believe what you were saying to him.

you don't laugh this time, instead, your fingers intertwine with his as you accept his hold so willingly. your grip is tight and haechan can feel his chest explode with fireworks from this contact.

"it's the way you sacrifice and the deepness of your love." his pupils dilate and his heart thumps against his ribcage so hard that he knows you can hear it. the way you have with words is absolutely poetic and he'll find himself falling in love with you over and over again.

you see him through and through. his vulnerability to you is so raw, so open. it's as if the heat of the summer night fills his lungs and he can breathe so easily around you. just how do you do that?

"y/n, i promise that i'd keep you safe and most importantly, really happy." haechan kisses the back of your hand, sealing the promise with his lips. "we don't have to date if you don't want to, but just let me be there for you."

"hyuck, let me lay with you tonight." your graceful words strike him before he could continue. the breeze in your hair adds to this incredible vision of you, not that you aren't already a beautiful sight on your own.

"as you like." with you and him here together, these are the blissful moments that haechan knows love is real.

[tothosewholisten]

Forever Healed | TUA insert

Chapter: 09

<<previous chapter | next chapter>>

Masterlist

…

I went downstairs to see two of my estranged roommates, Allison and Luther with somber looks on their faces. I was about to speak up but stopped once I saw who they were looking at. It was Grace, who no longer moved or sang or comforted us.

She was dead, and I know robots aren’t alive but this felt like another death I'd have to witness.

“The two guys last night, the ones with the mask, did this to her,” Allison said to Luther. The two didn't look up to see me, both were in their heads at the death of their mother.

Grace was sitting in the painting room chair, the space we kids dubbed as her bedroom because she didn’t sleep or have one of her own. The only thing that was missing from her was her signature smile and her normal pale arm. Instead, her arm was sliced open by what looked like a knife and oozed out wires of all different colors.

I don’t remember the two gunmen carrying knives last night but who knows they could've gotten crafty. But It's sad to think If she was a real person, I would’ve been able to save her.

I made my presence known by stomping my shoe and moving closer to the pair. Allison's eyes slightly lit up once she saw me. “You’re okay!” She sighed happily.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I giggled with my arms open as she ran over to embrace me. Luther did not move from Grace's body though, his face was cold and distant. I didn't want to ask but I started to think, what happened last night?

“Oh god, have you seen Mom yet?” She whispered. “This has to do with Five somehow. I mean they were looking for him..”

I frowned. “I haven't seen him or Klaus in some time now and I'm starting to get nervous.”

Allison reassures me that they'll turn up but she turns back to Luther who has something to say. “I know I was arguing to turn Grace off, but it doesn't make seeing her like this any easier.”

“Poor Diego.” I blurt out. “This is gonna be so hard for him.” I couldn’t see eye to eye with him, like ever. But I did see him a bit differently after yesterday.

“Yeah, it's hard on all of us.” He says while walking out of Grace's room.

“Hey, wait,” I called out to Luther before he left. The giant man turns to look at me, uncertainly. “I know it was you last night, the one who saved me. I just want to say thank you for pulling that guy away from me.”

“You’ve saved me in my lifetime more times than I can count. I can tell something is off about you guys today and I don’t think I was awake to hear it but. I just wanted to say thanks.” I smile at him.

“But anyways you guys should talk. I'm going to go look for Klaus.” I shoot Allison one more goodbye before heading out.

“I'm glad you're okay, Y/n” I hear one of them mutter as I leave.

..

“Klaus?” I yell all around the mansion. By now I've checked all his normal spots. His room, my room, Ben’s room, the kitchen, Reginald’s bar, all the bathrooms and all the random nooks and crannies we'd hide in as children with Ben.

Ben.. to think I've been so preoccupied these past days to think about him. And I think about him all the time. He'd know where Klaus was instantly, he was just that type of person.

I go back upstairs to my room to change before heading outside. To check Klaus's frequent spots around town.

First, the alley where he'd buy drugs and all kinds of things. It was dingy and dark but I'd find him here a lot back when I was younger. I left the mansion but never left him. Even let him crash with me at my ex's house whenever he needed to, which my ex was never happy about. We found happiness in walking the streets and laughing with each other till sunrise.

But it wasn't always good, sometimes I'd catch him in a rough spot due to drugs and he'd push me away. I never stopped trying, I would never give up on him and he wouldn't if i was in his spot.

Next was my actual apartment. I hadn't been back in forever, maybe he got tired of the academy and came here? But my apartment was small and didn't have many places for him to hide, it was clear he wasn't there either.

The last place I could think of was a park we used to go to as kids. There'd be days when Reginald was less diligent about watching us, and after dark all of us kids would escape to come here. And have at least a few hours of solace before returning to hell.

I took a seat against a large tree that blocked the sunlight from shining in the park. He wasn't anywhere I'd known he would be. I thought he wouldn't leave town without telling me, but I'm not even sure. I let out small huffs of frustration as I buried my head in my hands.

Suddenly there were more tears on my head than there were in my eyes. I sniffle while looking up. The once-cloudy sky has turned into pouring rain and I'm outside without an umbrella.

..

14 YEARS AGO

“Are we ready to go?” Asked Klaus.

The three of us, Klaus, Ben and I decided we were leaving for the park. After a particularly hard day and mission, it was clear I needed out. Ben asked everyone if they wanted to go, but they all looked at each other then us and snickered.

They told us we should go just the two of us. We actually were about to leave, but Klaus was the only one stupid enough to join us. Just kidding.

The sky was clear this day but dark, meaning it was a clear indication that it was time. Diego and Allison told us they'd distract Reginald if he asked anything. We knew we couldn't go out the front door, instead we went out my window.

Klaus was the first one to jump down; he insisted that he was the bravest out of all of us. And Ben slowly followed after him.

That left me in the window, looking down at the very tall jump I'd have to land. I shook my head at the two. “Why couldn't we have left down Five's window? There are actual steps there!” I whisper yell.

Klaus chuckles. “We're already here, just jump!”

I know when jumping from a high distance without a cushion landing spot, it would help if you didn't look down. But my eyes were glued to the ground anyway. I would be fine if I jumped, any scars would go away but just the thought of it made me shake.

“Unless you're a chicken! That's okay, me and Benny will go without you.” He yells.

“Keep your voice down,” Ben says, elbowing him in the stomach. “Ow!” Klaus cries. Ben looks up at me. “But he's got the right idea! You'll be okay just jump.” He says stuffing his hands in his black jacket.

“Just go without me! I'll go to bed.” I reply, trying to smile at the pair.

“Y/n, listen to me. You'll be okay, jump and..” I didn't hear the last part of what he said.

“What??!” I yell.

“He said he's gonna catch you!” Klaus snickers. “Shut up Klaus,” Ben whispers back. “I will though, if I have to!”

I sigh not wanting to ruin their fun, I'm the one who wanted to go out anyway. “Okay, I'll jump.”

I take a small running start before leaping out of my large window. The wind in my hair felt great, it made me feel like I was almost flying. Until I looked down at the floor I was about to land on. I closed my eyes as I was about to scream and go head-first into the ground. But as I opened my eyes I saw that the cement never smacked me in the face. Instead, I land on someone else.

Ben tried his best but he is still a boy. He held his arms open but it ended with him knocking into the cement and me gripping onto his black hoodie for dear life. I quickly get off him and pull him to his feet as Klaus hollers in laughter at us.

Once he got up I could tell that Ben's head looked a little bruised as well as his hands. I placed my hands on his and watched as yellow wisps of light reached all of his bruises. "Thanks." He smiled and I nodded back. I stopped holding his hands when I heard Klaus almost falling back in laughter.

"You guys-" I cut him off before he embarrasses me by kicking him in the shins with all my might. "Not another word," I mutter.

He held onto his legs and whimpered in pain, now it was our turn to laugh at him on the way to the park. I did eventually heal him that day but seeing him embarrassed was too funny to see go away. We did this several more times, just the three of us. And honestly, it was probably more fun than the whole group.

..

PRESENT DAY

I laugh underneath the now suddenly wilting tree at the thought, but it slowly turns into sobs. I don't have Ben anymore but I've somewhat come to understand that, but now I lost Klaus too. And Vanya is gone, I'm truly all alone. I sit there for what I think is hours, thinking back. Until the constant pour turns into drizzling and I stand up to go back to the academy. Maybe take a bath.

I slowly made it to a crosswalk so lost in thought that I didn't even see that it said I can go. But I am brought back to reality by the sound of a honking car. Some dick in a van was honking his horn at me?

What I did to piss this guy off I do not know, this was above even a catcall. He was demanding I move. Deciding to ignore the shithead I start to cross the road, until he almost runs me over.

“There's a crosswalk sign, do you see that?” I yell at the van. But the ugly vehicle would not stop honking at me, after being soaked in the rain I'm starting to lose my sanity. So I walked over to the van, thinking I was going to lay into this man and give him all the rage I'd been feeling. And maybe kick his car a few times.

I look at the man's window to see it's not a man at all. It's a boy? I know this shithead. “Five? Why are you honking at me!” I scream at the pubescent boy.

“Get in.” He yells back.

..

The two of us sat in silence for a while. I watched this fake teenager drive around and honk at people who were being stupid like a full-grown adult.

“Why are you here?” I ask, feeling uncomfortable in my wet clothes. “I'm looking for someone, I saw you walking.” He mutters.

“Oh okay..” I pause.

“I was calling your name before I started honking at you. You should really look where you're going.”

“I was fine. Aren't you the one who tried to run me over?”

“...”

“I have a question. Where'd you steal this van?”

“I didn't steal it, I borrowed it from a man in an alley.” he insisted. “Very likely story Five,” I remark back.

“I'm going to give it back. whenever I'm done with it.

“Okay new question, how do you know how to drive?”

“I can do everything.”

I scoff. “Yeah okay.”

“Well, I have a question for you. Why are you walking alone without an umbrella?”

“Just for shits and giggles, I'm looking for Klaus, have you seen him?”

“Can't say that I have. Where do you want me to drop you off?” He says while taking a familiar path that will lead us back to the academy.

I turn to look at him with my eyebrows furrowed. “Can't I stay? Join you on your spy missions?” Five looks at me, clearly not keeping his eyes on the road. Almost in shock about me wanting to stay with him. To break the silence I force a cough. “I mean I don't know what else to do right now. I can leave If I'm cramping your style.”

“Okay” is all he says while turning in the opposite direction from the mansion. “Well, that means we are going to find someone.”

“Who?” I ask.

“You'll see,” Five tells me.

Five parked us in another familiar part of town, where Klaus, him and I were not even a day or two ago. “Oh no, Five we're gonna terrorize these people again?” I said while looking around.

“No, we're just going after the main man. I need more answers.” Five peers out the side window to look at a different busy street.

“You really think he's going to give you more information if you just barge into his office again?”

He turns back to me. “We're not going in, we're going to him.”

“Oh my god..”

Five explains that he plans to corner the man in his own car after he comes back from whatever hobby he does while out of the office. I try to tell him that this plan is going to go wrong but of course he doesn't listen. He reached into his glove compartment and grabbed a small pocket knife, and I'm sure he didn't just grab it to look cool.

“You told me you're going to ask for more information, Five,” I questioned while reaching for the knife.

He grabs the weapon back and holds it higher in the air. “Let's see where the night takes us.”

..

Five blinks him and I next to a tree, like the one I was at earlier. The tree faces a blue car that must've belonged to the guy whose name slipped my mind.

Not long after he walks toward us, with a tiny puppy in hand. He looked almost unrecognizable out of his lab coat, but not in a good way. His clothes reminded me of a jogging outfit they also matched his blue car.

He opens the car and places his puppy into the back seat then he starts to get into the car himself. Before he can sit down Five pulls me with him when he blinks into the car. Sitting me down in the backseat with the puppy who surprisingly is not barking at me yet.

Five blinks into the front seat, but the man doesn't even notice him. Only flinching back when Five lunges at him with his pocket knife.

“Oh, Jesus!” He cries out. Five doesn't even give him another moment to think before going straight into grilling. “One chance. That's all you got. One chance to tell me exactly what's going on in that lab.” He yells, putting the knife up to the man's throat.

So much for the peaceful approach. The man moves his eyes towards me for a split second and then back to the terrifying Five. “I… I manufacture prosthetic devices for fake patients. I bill the insurance companies and then sell them for cash on the black market.” He stutters.

“including eyeballs?” Five asked.

The man gulps. “Yeah, they're my biggest seller. I mean they sell like hotcakes. I--I've got a list, a waiting list, probably twenty buyers.”

“So the serial number, my uh, brother gave you..” He finishes my sentence. “Could've already been bought. Yes, off– off the books.” He says.

Five huffs like he's a chain smoker and starts to get more tense, letting the knife get centimeters away from the man's skin.

“I needed that list, Lance. Names and numbers, and I need it now!” Five screeches.

I take my eyes off them to turn to the dog that's nearing closer to me. At first, I tried to keep my distance but this puppy insisted on getting close. Which shouldn't be a big problem. It's a small dog, but something was off. I'm squeezing myself practically against the door to get away from this dog but he keeps getting closer. I close my eyes and I'm back to that day so many years ago.

I'm not there anymore, it's time for me to move on but I can't. My hands start to shake and my body runs cold. I couldn't help but think that this dog knew what I did to the other, way back when and wanted to take revenge.

While taking deep breaths I turned my head slowly to get a better look at the pup.. this dog wasn't going to hurt me, it didn't know what I did, and I was okay. So why do I feel like this?

“I don't have it. I mean, not on me. The only copy is in my safe at the lab.” Lance's words break my deep breaths and I try once again to focus on their conversation. This is for Five, as well as saving the world. Letting my depressing nature go is what I need to do now.

“Well, you start the car, then.” Five whispers. “Cause we're going on a field trip.” He slowly takes the knife off Lance's throat.

“O-Okay...” Lance tries to put himself back together at least enough to put his seatbelt on.

“Now.”

“Okay..”

..

Lance drives us back to the MeriTech headquarters which is also where Five’s van is. I'm the first to hop out of the car with Five and Lance a few steps behind me.

But I stopped in place once I saw dark smoke coming from the building. “Something’s wrong,” I told five. But he never stopped walking, and without a second thought, he rushed over to the fire. “Five wait!” I called out while chasing him down. Leaving Lance to his own devices.

The angry flames weren’t just in one room, it had spread throughout every single room in the building making it impossible to go inside. Five stopped at the entrance of the building when I caught up with him. We both stared at the building on fire.

“Get down!” I screamed over the sound of burning rooms as I tackled him to the ground. The flames rose from not just the building but towards us, causing an explosion of fire that could’ve killed him.

He wailed out at the sudden burst, but safely hit the ground. Me on the other hand, I was covered in marks. But thankfully my clothes were no longer wet, just slowly catching on fire. I dragged him out of the way more towards the street as I heard sirens in the distance.

“We need to move now,” I stress to Five but he doesn’t reply back. His eyes never break from the fire. “I know, I know but let’s go,” I say again hoping he would budge this time. But he didn't, so I grabbed him and pulled him back over to the van.

Once we get to the van without Lance, it is clear that whoever had lit the building on fire knew we were there. And I knew that because the front window was fogged with a message.

It read. “Your brother says hi.. brother? Which one.” I say out loud while thinking. Five finally started to move from his motionless state when I looked over at him. But he wouldn't be any help right now. The look on his face and the dullness in his eyes was a look I've seen on many people's faces before.

But then it hit me. “Klaus.”

…

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[neptunes-sol-angel]

Alright guys! I finally got that tingly feeling that I should do this kind of love reading. I still didn't want to make this a future spouse reading because I honestly overthink the concept, like "um divorces happen!" or some people just don't believe in marriage, but I thought I'd do something adorable and Christmas related. I hope that you guys enjoy!

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Pile One🎄

Their letter to Santa

Dear Santa, For so long I've been in the darkness, alone with the glass pieces of my heart, thinking that it's better this way for me to be on own. I don't believe in fairy tales anymore and my ability to imagine a world where I can be in love with someone and in that same way be loved back. My mind is splintered to where I flinch the minute someone to me gets close or when they mention a promise, that I without a doubt know they won't keep. Socially, I feel numb, meeting allegedly new people, seems to be a broken record in different physiques. If you could grant me any present in the world, would you change my definition of what I know to be love? Falling away from the stranger(s) that used to be who I knew from head to toe, has damaged my beliefs that I'm worthy of something more. And should you succeed in bringing my love, may they be my most divine contradiction in my life. My love will be someone new, yet possess familiarty in which I'll take pleasure in spending the rest of my lifetime finding all of the ways that we just understand each other. The sound of their voice and the words that they speak will be the fire that warms instead of scorching me. They'll be my rock that I won't have to tip toe around. Right now, I ask for their forgiveness for the person that I am right now, but for every tear that I currently shed to release the pain of my troubles in romance, builds my strength to be the person that really loves again, and the confidence to give my all despite my mistakes in giving it to the wrong people. Don't let my reserved aura fool you, deep down, I'm a hopeless romantic, that will work hard to find any and every single way to give you the world to prove the depth of my feelings for you. The same way that I'm learning my lessons, you are too, we both share that agony of why this has to hurt so much, but it's the bitter that goes along with the sweet to lead us to each other in the end.

Your Christmas Traditions:

Life with your partner could already be luxurious, meaning they gift you with presents on a regular basis that are both as an expression of love and desire to get the things that you want, so Christmas, traditionally, will feel like a normal day. What makes it stand out to you guys as a couple is how you guys seem to always unlock a new level of intimacy around this time of the year. For you or them, Christmas could make some not so good feelings resurface and put someone in a mood. Whatever that may trigger this, it usually leads to a peaceful resolution that doesn't just prolong the tension for another day. It's like getting to the root of the issue that'll eventually lead you and your partner to a place of comfort, understanding, and confirmation that this relationship isn't based on surface level things.

Pile Two 🎄

Their Letter to Santa:

Dear Santa, There's this ethereal figure in my dreams that I keep seeing. Without a doubt, I know that this is my person. And maybe it's not realistic to ask for you to make the time go faster for us to encounter each other in real life, but I really want answers, I'm craving to know this person. Their face alone, is enough to put me into hypnosis. Not knowing what their voice sounds like, ignites my obsession. I've never been a believer of the supernatural, or even a big fan of religion, but this sensation of the person of my dreams that makes me desire to stay asleep, has to be an indication that we're spiritually connected. I know this person doesn't say a word in both their presence of visions in day and night, but I have this clawing feeling that you're what home feels like. To the lover of my fantasies, I  know you spiritually, but emotionally, with you, I'll finally have someone that doesn't think my expression of feeling is a foreign language. I could talk to you for hours without getting bored and your nature in every capacity makes me feel that you're out of this world with a love that I'm determined to study and reciprocate. I'm already amazed by how gorgeous you are but indubitably I know I'll be stunned everytime I'm by your side watching you prove to me that magic on Earth is real. You're the breathing proof of it and I can't help but be adored by you and the way that you perceive making the most out of the challenges that you face and conquer.

Your Christmas Traditions:

You and your life partner BREATHE for Christmas. Valentine's day may be special but Christmas is the time that you guys will be all over each other. You guys could go all out this holiday, by buying and wearing matching pajamas, playing board games with each other, watching marathons of Christmas themed movies, maybe you guys have a specific drink like hot chocolate, egg nog, or cookies that you love to stock up on. You guys could also be the type to take a vacation around this time by renting out a cabin, or taking a trip to Disney World. This is normal for you guys and you aren't aware of this jubilant vibe that you have together but it makes others wanting to share the joy you have. Your public presence as a couple during Christmas is the type that will make a person want to use you guys as their mood board or inspiration to daydream about the love that that they'd kill to have. You guys are the power couple in terms of playfulness, affection, and how unique you guys embody your partnership. You could also experience people asking you for advice for how to liven up their own relationships. You guys are just that cute with each other.

Pile Three 🎄

Their Letter to Santa:

Dear Santa, I have a good feeling that the person that I will view as my everything is currently contemplating if there's something that they should change about themselves, but do me this favor homie and give my sweet firecracker this message. You. Yeah you. You know who you are. You are a boss! Walking royalty in this world that's meant to take up space, of course there are gonna be some jerks that want to dim your light, but the people who can't handle how bona-fide and wealthy your aura is, are people who are uncomfortable with the fact that they don't possess the tools to handle the blessing that you are. You were never asking for too much and don't let the grinch or scrooge convince you that you aren't enough. Believe me, I wish that fate would allow me to show up in your life right now, but you're meant to learn how precious your attributes you are. You're a damsel that can save yourself, who is meant to climb into power and achieve many things. I'm currently healing my tendencies of being codependent so that I don't distract you from your prosperity or project my insecurities onto you and make you think that it's you, it's not. Be patient, but don't get rid of how bold you are love or choose sides in how you're capable of being silly and someone with authority. Your strength isn't in your silence, but in your intelligence and maturity to express to others your feelings and what your needs are. You'll always be on top, even on days where you feel like you're at rock bottom. Keep pushing, things will make sense soon. You won't just find me in your happily ever after, you'll find your soul tribe too. And we will ALL match your energy. Trust me. Everything that you think is complicated about you is why we're grateful for you.

Your Christmas Traditions:

You and your life partner share a common tragedy and belief. You guys may have experienced toxicity in your family that inspires the both of you to do things differently with your own family. Christmas time is pivotal for you as a couple, because it influences you to reflect but also to take action on how well you guys do as a household. Your Christmas Traditions could be about trying your best to make sure that there's peace, openess, but most importantly your presence if guys have children together. You could go all out with making sure that they have the best presents, that they have the best indication that they're safe with you guys as parents, and that you make the most pleasant and fun memories that will symbolize how much that not just you and your life partner love each other but making sure that your children know how much they're loved by you.

[bored-storyteller]

Warning: none, just a little angsty

Bungo Stray Dogs, Dazai Osamu X Reader

Breakfast

You are not made to be there.

Dazai looks at you while you sleep on his miserable futon lying limply on the floor.

Doesn't seem like a good place for you, in his eyes. You look out of place in the clutter of his booze bottles and convenience food boxes still littered with the remains of dinners that aren't real dinners.

You didn't have to go to him, he told you. He told you that it was really not appropriate to discuss work so late at night, especially when he would avoid doing it even during the day.

It was a pretext, of course: both from him and from you.

Dazai knows very well that it is the concern for wounds that are already healing that push you to his door, and for his part it is the fear of being discovered that prevents him from enjoying your closeness.

Sometimes he wishes he had never met you, because you make everything more difficult, you make those gnawing feelings that devour him from inside wrong. The fact that you make life easier makes his existence complicated.

You are someone that he is accountable to, that he unfortunately wants to be accountable to, and it makes him realize that there are also other people he is terribly fond of.

It's terrifying, because now it's hard to leave when someone you love asks you to stay.

He wishes he'd never met you, but now he's afraid of losing you, or making you lose him. And leaning his head next to yours he looks at your face like he hopes you never see, because his eyes are brighter than normal, and sweet, and painful.

You look so out of place next to a black hole like him.

But the empty place you leave doesn't seem to put things right.

“So it must be…” he says to himself as he wearily sits up in the morning light. Maybe you left while he was sleeping, or maybe he just dreamed about you.

But there is someone in the next room. In the hole that he methodically calls home it’s difficult to hide the presences.

Dazai reluctantly feels a kind of relief now that he watches you from the doorway as you use his disused kitchen without permission.

When you look at him over your shoulder you smile, even if your words seem more like a playful rebuke: “No one ever taught you how to shop, did they?”

His lips automatically curl up happily, but his mind is still verbalizing that you're really there.

“Do you want to give me some repetitions?” He moves closer to you, his fingers sliding through his messy curls as his free hand smoothes his wrinkled shirt. A small yawn escapes him as he looks at the breakfast you're preparing. You must have gone out early in the morning to buy all that food.

“Well, watch and learn!” You hum, opening the fridge just to show him how a normal person would fill it.

“I don't think I'll be able to emulate you, you know?”

Now he's beside you, your elbow brushing his as you cut and cook.

“You don't look too disturbed that you slept on my futon, huh?”

That question is as playful and teasing as his wink, but something screeches at the back of Dazai's throat.

“If you woke me up, I'd leave.” You answer him without bothering to look at him.

“And with what courage would I have done it?” Even if he laughs at the bottom of his heart he is sincere.

Because despite everything he doesn't have the courage to push you away. He never has the courage to accept that one day you could say goodbye, and with this comes the hope that he is afraid of losing, that of being able to erase that day with his own hands.

Because you should be out of place there, in a shabby kitchen where only he occasionally sets foot.

“Will you sit at the table?”

It should seem like a wrong scene, the two of you serving at the table, sitting down, watching each other while you eat and chatting about this or that.

“Mmmmh! I think it's been a lifetime since I've had a home cooked meal like this! Now that I think about it, have I ever eaten it?”

Your laughter within those walls should sound strange. You shouldn't be there, yet Dazai smiles at you, because having you there seems a bit as if life could be normal, without necessarily having to erase the past.

“Do you like it?”

“Mh-mh!”

You laugh at him that stares at you with cheeks swollen with food, and he likes it when you laugh at him. Is this the family atmosphere that people romantically talk about?

It's not bad in the end. And the problem is that even if he keeps telling himself that you're not where you should be when you're surrounded by him, that's where he wants to keep you, where strangely a glimmer of future opens up on his horizon.

[brosser-les-dents]

currently very slowly recovering from my schedule being thrown off, any tips on pushing brushing my teeth up to the front of my priorities?

Mmm, so the very simple answer to that is fear. Lol.

If you don't prioritize caring for your teeth, there's a good chance you will begin to lose them. If not lose them, they will cause you pain. (they also cause pain during the process of losing them) And if you decide to try and fix the pain, money. Also, even if you're rich or live in a country with universal dental care and money is not an issue, not everything can be fixed back to a no more pain state.

As someone who has closely watched the pain and suffering my parents have experience bc of a lifetime of poor oral care, it motivates me to care for my teeth. And to be honest, it motivates me to motivate you to care for your teeth.

My mom only has 3 teeth left in total. My dad only has 3 spots left in his molars where the top and bottom contact for eating. Mom has dentures, dad does not. They both struggle to eat. Imagine the most basic task of being a human being causing you pain and frustration every single day. There are so many things they miss out on bc they can't eat properly. My dad's teeth have also been slowly rotting out of his head. He just lost a tooth (literally was so infected it fell out) so I'm hoping now that I've managed to convince him to do a regular cleaning and have him on high fluoride toothpaste that no more will get infected. But he's had one infected tooth after another fall out for the last 5 or so years. That's years of pain. Like every single day. And antibiotics, which also mess with your body systems.

Also, being able to comfortably eat enough every single day fuels everything your body does. My mom doesn't eat enough to fuel her normal body systems. So she doesn't heal very fast and she is very weak.

Having healthy teeth also impacts life enjoyment overall. Added pain to your daily life can diminish how much you enjoy your life overall. I know that seems simple and obvious, but I have watched that pain wear down on my parents.

Lastly, brushing and flossing really only takes about 5 minutes. Like if you do a really good job doing both, it might take 10 total minutes from getting to the sink to wiping off your face. (I realize the assumption here is that you're able bodied, so I do acknowledge it could be so much more work involved here, but if that's the case, then I'd love to see if we could all work together to find solutions to try and make it easier for you) Think about how little time that is in your day, compared to a possible future of not being able to eat properly and long term, never ending pain. I realize brushing and flossing isn't just the time it takes, but the sensations, the boredom, the fact you could be doing anything else. But it is worth the work and you are worth the effort. You deserve to live life with healthy teeth. They add so much to a healthy life. And you deserve all the good things.

Again: brushing and flossing is worth the work and you are worth the effort.

[polyamorousmood]

Genuine question about poly (I've been thinking about whether it's something I'd want to try, with me being ace it's probably my best option for finding a partner-) how do you compromise when it comes to bigger life decisions? Unless you're in a triad or a bigger sort of "closed circle" polycule, and you compromise among each other (which also seems more difficult tbh), to me it seems like poly relationships are like a web that contains many many people because you're dating three people, they're dating a few other people, and so on. So either you have primary relationships where you prioritize each other and don't mind leaving the other ones behind (which seems a bit idk. I would not be the primary relationship because I won't have sex and ace men are very rare from the surveys I've seen. A lifetime of being in the periphery doesn't seem desireable to me.) Or you act as an individual agent and basically have to break up with everyone if you ever want to move which seems horrific and like a massive commitment. I guess you could do long distance but I don't see long distance working if your partner has other partners they can interact with normally..

I mean. There's no one answer here. You're making a lot of assumptions (which may be but are not always true) so let's break this down bit my bit. Buckle up 💺we got stuff to discuss

But if you want a TL;DR: How do you make that decision in a monog relationship if Partner A wants to leave but Partner B has family here? Well, there's a lot of discussion and someone has to compromise on something. How it shakes out will depend on the people and the specific situation.

"the poly web🕸️" While a polycule can spiral into something huge via the "everyone has three partners" principle, its also possible it stays pretty small. Not everyone in a polycule will want to date someone else, not everyone who wants to date someone else will be able to find someone else to date, etc etc. Small polycules are common in practice.

"aces ♠️won't be the 'primary partner'" I respect you hedging your expectations and understand the reasoning there, but the poly community is pretty open to weird relationship dynamics. You could be the "primary" and your partner could have a couple other relationships to get sexual needs met. You could join an ace polycule. Your partner could have you and one other person and see you both as equal.

"Moving💼 means taking or leaving everyone -- or prioritizing" I... I guess it could? But if you know you're wanting to move far away, you're probably discussing that quite a while in advance, and then only dating people who are okay with things being short term or moving with you. Or a lot of poly relationships are already long distance, so one person moving makes very little difference! There's a lot of options there, which leads to point 4

"Long distance✈️ can't work if your partner has local partners" LDRs in poly relationships are common. I honestly see it as easier because you can have your physical needs met by someone else

"A lifetime of being in the periphery🥈" you're never locked down. If you're not getting what you need from ANY relationship, I hope you're negotiating about it or leaving. If being poly only works for you if you're the primary, but your partner can fuck whoever, you wouldn't be the first. Even if you don't want to impose those rules, there are options, and your partner should be working to make you happy. It can be a hell of a learning curve sometimes, I admit, but you can find a weird way of being that works for everyone. Or you can leave! Or they could leave you for unrelated reasons! Or maybe they go to prison for embezzlement and that sort of ends the relationship for you! All sorts of shit could come up.

"this is a poly problem" Bestie. Do you know how many movies have been made on the premise of "my spouse got a job offer far away but I don't want to move"? This is something that could happen in any relationship. I'm not saying having other people involved wouldn't be a variable in the equation, but your relationship with your partner is no different from a monogamous one in this aspect. How that decision gets made is the same to me as how it would get made in a monog relationship where one person has family they don't want to leave. Maybe you do split up, maybe you try long distance, maybe partner A decides not to move, maybe partner B decides they're willing to move with them after all (and then subsequent partners make the same choice). And its not perfect in any of these options, in fact it probably really fucking sucks. But life is messy. This shit happens.

And like, you don't have to try polyamory. There are asexual people out there you could meet and love. There are allosexual people out there who would be willing to give that up to be with you. You could do an open relationship situation where your partner doesn't "date" anyone else, but can still sleep around. Or you can join an asexual polycule!

So how do major life choices get decided in a polycule? The same way major life decisions get made anywhere. Hopefully, everyone says their peace and gets to weigh in. Hopefully the life goals align. Failing that, hopefully there's a compromise that's acceptable to everyone, but maybe there isn't and it forces a break up (or 6). Maybe some break up but not everyone, like so:

Or some of the relationships turn into long distance or whatever. Man there's too many variables. Some people view things as hierarchical and some don't. Some people don't but functionally have only been dating one person for 4 months so they're easier to leave -- or know they cannot live with another person because they're too disorganized so going long distance is fine. You don't know until you're there. I'm losing the thread, but you know what I'm saying.

[cleavetheclover]

Clver, think about it...shadowire (platonic or romantic) domestic fluff,,, or just fluff,,, angsty fluff? ps this is just my sleep deprived ramblings

Like...

- Post Hourglass Omen being found by Cypher (probably willingly i don't see Cypher going to go see Omen if he'd rather not see Cypher) and just...a talk. Omen venting. Cypher comforting Omen and listening quietly. And then cuddles. A kiss when Cypher leaves Omen be again and an orange, "for luck," Cypher would say (knowing it had no such meaning)

- Pre Hourglass, Omen coming to see Cypher at night, cuddles and physical intimacy mixed with quietness, because if nothing else Over feels just a little more grounded when Cypher is holding him.

- Cypher noticing little quirks Omen has. Sometimes Cypher tells Omen about what he's noticed. Omen enjoys it because it at least means he's still human if nothing else. (I mean, what kind of monster has a preferred sitting position or a certain kind of wool they enjoy knitting the most?)

- Above, but roles exchanged. Omen notices things about Cypher that makes him Cypher and some that makes Amir. It's weird, Cypher thinks, I'd hate being known but it feels natural with Omen. (Inspired mostly by hermit card, which normally means like being known by no one but yourself)

ehh welp thas all i got in the brain goodnight I'm by no means asking you to draw any of these i just saw your ask thingy and went "bet lemme think"

Noooooo stop I stg every single member of the cyphmen community has the exact same headcannons please 😭😭😭

(Not that I’m complaining, that just means more food for all of us)

ANYWAY all of these are wonderful ideas and I definitely want to write all of them!!! Unfortunately I am rather swamped right now bc senior design is kicking my ass and job hunting is harder than ranking up in val, and my current hyperfixation is a game called Noita…

But I’ll definitely get back to writing as soon as my life stops being as volatile as a bucket of acetone.

Also I wrote a short thing for the hourglass thing I hope you like it! I’ll respond to the other prompts later

Post hourglass Omen:

I think he would shut himself in his room for a while and just sit there, completely overwhelmed and not sure where to go or what to do next.

Since it’s cannon that Omen can sense others emotions, I think pre-HG Omen would have already sensed a timid friendship and significant fear from Viper, but it wasn’t until post-HG that he knows why. He’s having this world-shattering realization that one of the few people he has trusted and befriended in this lifetime not only doesn’t return that friendship, but actively fears him, and for good reason.

Imagine learning that your best friend fears you, for an incident you would have never learned of—had you not hired a shady information broker to find it out for you.

Confirming that she sees you as a monster— something you never wanted to be.

Yeah, I’d be pretty lost and upset too.

So Omen is gonna be hiding in his room trying to figure out a path forward and simultaneously avoid thinking about said path forward.

Cypher, being the nosiest man alive, a friend of Omen’s, and also the guy who helped orchestrate the mission in the first place, is not gonna sit there and let Omen feel so alone.

He shows up and Omen really wants to just slam the door and tell him to fuck off, but he really doesn’t have the energy (and also can’t really afford to burn more bridges at the moment). So begrudgingly he lets him in.

Cypher softly says his name, “Omen,” but the shadow doesn’t dare look him in the eye. Instead he stares at the sentinel’s belt. Browth leather. Battle-worn. Probably replaced several times over, like Omen’s own combat gear.

The sentinel approaches, and Omen can feel a protective sentiment befitting his role as a Sentinel. It’s soothing, he’s felt it before, but he really wishes he weren’t the subject of such a keen emotion right now.

Cypher’s gloved hands come up to rest on the sides of his own shoulders. The intent is to be reassuring, but Omen doesn’t find it to be such. What is he supposed to do with his own hands, anyhow? Touch Cypher’s shoulders? His belt, or chest?? His waist???

Well, the chest option is gone, because the next thing he knows Cypher’s chest is pressed against his own. And his arms are wrapped around his back.

Omen always knew humans were warm, but for some reason, he had always imagined Cypher to be cold. Maybe it was the utter lack of skin showing. The minimal expressions in his mask. The way he never so much as brushed hands with anyone else in the Protocol, as if he were a robot like KAY/O. Hell, the literal killer-bot had a warmer attitude than Cypher most of the time. Maybe it was…

Whatever.

Cypher is warm. Like any other human. Embracing him without any reservations at all.

No fear. No pity. No grief.

It makes him feel like, for one moment, that maybe he isn’t a monster after all.

Omen responds in the only way he can think of: he ducks his head down and buries his face in Cypher’s collar, and lifts his hands up to Cypher’s back and pulls him as close as he can.

He smells like bar soap and leather. And something else more organic, musky almost like sweat, but that can only be described as subtle and pleasant.

Alas, their embrace cannot last forever. Poor Cypher is a man, not a scented candle or a stuffed animal that can be basked in or embraced forever. Omen releases him, already missing the warmth and the scents and the textures and the intimacy, but he would rather save face and keep Cypher comfortable than anything else.

Cypher seems… satisfied.

Omen isn’t sure how he feels.

There’s a long pause.

“I am not my past,” he blurts, immediately wishing he didn’t. He almost says something else to brush it away, but he knows that doing so will only dig a deeper hole for himself. He says nothing more and hopes Cypher will have the courtesy to do the same.

But the Sentinel, as always, has other plans.

“Neither am I.”

Omen’s gaze snaps up at that.

The Sentinel then reaches into a bag of items that he had discarded upon entering, and produces a ball of yarn and a small tin box.

“I have spent the last decade of my life paying for crimes too heinous to be named.” He comes to stand in front of Omen once again. “They called me everything from a villain to a monster to, well. ‘Villain’ and ‘monster’ in more callous terms.”

Cypher chuckled humorlessly. Omen dared not ask who ‘they’ was referring to, but got the feeling that he didn’t need to.

“I am not absolved from my past. I cannot fix the innumerable lives I have ruined or the things I have destroyed.”

Then he lifted the little tin up to his face. “But then again, what kind of monster has a favorite type of tea?”

In his other hand, outstretched to Omen, was the ball of yarn. “Or a favorite type of wool?”

Omen just stared at it. Cashmere imported from India, said the label.

“To the best of my ability— which admittedly isn’t much— I left it all behind.” Cypher somberly bushes the tips of gloved fingers across his masked cheek. “My name. My face. My skin, even.”

Omen tilted his head at that last one. It sounded painful. But then again, what about Cypher’s existence wasn’t?

“Like me, you might carry the legacy of a monster. But that does not mean you are one.”

The cashmere is soft in Omen’s hands. He runs his thumb along each strand, marveling in the gift. On its own, it didn’t feel deserved. But when he looks back sees the tin of tea being cradled in Cypher’s own hands, it does.

Former monsters sitting under a warm roof with their silly little domestic joys: the thought of it almost makes Omen laugh.

Cypher must have seen the way the tension eased from Omen’s shoulders, because now he is chuckling too.

Bastard.

“Omen,” the informant takes the revenant’s hand and says his name with that dratted melody of affection in his voice, “Would you like to knit while I brew us some tea?”

———————————————

Since you suggested an orange:

It’s a very cute idea— I think oranges are for luck and wealth in Chinese culture, not sure about other ones tho.

Unfortunately I’ve come to kind of associate them with mourning. My grandma passed away last summer, and my grandpa and I leave flowers and oranges on her gravestone when we visit. So I didn’t feel like writing that into this little story lol

And yeah I also incorporated your “what kind of monster has a favorite kind of wool?” Thing in here wahoo

[toffee-rambles]

SDV Green Rain Dialogue Compilation

I haven't seen anything like this yet, despite how intriguing this event is, so I pulled all the related dialogue lines from the game files! There's three types of dialogue: one for the first year, one for the day after, and one for the following years.

This is quite long and major spoilers, so it's under the cut. All villagers, listed alphabetically, as well as a vague note on where they spend the day (which is lacking in some parts because I didn't get to see everyone on my run, feel free to confirm/correct any locations)

Abigail [Home?] "GreenRain": "I want to go exploring, but I can tell my Mom is kind of worried. I don't want to add to her stress.", "GreenRainFinished": "And just like that, everything's back to normal. It's like magic!$h", "GreenRain_2": "Have you seen all the crazy trees around town? Everything looks so different… I feel like we're in a fairy world.",

Alex [Home] "GreenRain": "What's going on out there? Any action?#$e#I gotta stay here with my grandparents…$s", "GreenRain_2": "I tried to go for a run this morning, but the plants have gone crazy! I couldn't get very far…",

Caroline [Home?] "GreenRain": "I've never seen green rain before… It must not be too dangerous if you made it here!", "GreenRain_2": "Ah, the special rain is back! This year, I'm going to make the most of it!#$e#This calls for a cup of green tea!$h",

Clint [Saloon] "GreenRain": "It's situations like this where a person's true character is put to the test.#$e#I'll keep Em… I mean, I'll keep everyone safe from the toxic rain!", "GreenRainFinished": "Well that was a dud. And here I thought it was finally my chance to be a hero. Oh well… Back to the grindstone.", "GreenRain_2": "I feel bad admitting it, but sometimes I wish there was a real disaster, not just some dumb green rain.#$b#Something to shake everything up, you know?#$b#Not that I want people to get hurt…#$b#I just want to feel alive… To feel like I have a purpose…",

Demetrius [Outside, in a hazmat suit] "GreenRain": "Don't mind me, @. I'm just collecting some samples. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!$7#$e#Erm… If you see my wife, can you tell her I'm okay?$7", "GreenRain_2": "The rain appears to be harmless, so I'm taking less precaution this year.",

Dwarf "GreenRain": "I can't see the color green very well.#$b#I guess it's part of living underground for so long.",

Elliot [Saloon] "GreenRain": "Let's not get in a tizzy, now… Gus! I propose a round of drinks to settle the nerves!%noturn", "GreenRain_2": "Ah, yet another unique day in the valley. Stimulating, to say the least!",

Emily [Saloon] "GreenRain": "There must be a meaning behind this… Nature is trying to tell us something.$3#$e#What, though? I can't tell… It's hard to read. I feel a strong presence, though…$3", "GreenRain_2": "Can you feel it? The forest is singing! The trees are dancing with joy!",

Evelyn [Home] "GreenRain": "George, dear… Is this the end? It's been a good life, but I'd like to see Alex find his way before departing…$s%noturn", "GreenRainFinished": "Oh, my dear… I'm so glad everything ended up okay. And my flowers look healthier than ever!", "GreenRain_2": "The flowers seem to love this rain…",

George [Home] "GreenRain": "There, there, honey… Don't you worry.%noturn#$b#Even if it is poisonous, I breathed in more noxious gas in one minute back in the ol' coal mines… And I'm still kickin'!", "GreenRain_2": "Looks like the young folks will have to do some extra weeding after this one…Heheh…$h",

Gus [Saloon] "GreenRain": "I saw the weather report last night. It really gave me a scare!$s#$e#Are there monsters out there? What's happening?", "GreenRainFinished": "I'm glad that's over. Running the saloon is enough to worry about, I don't need exotic weather in my life!", "GreenRain_2": "sniff… These rains have a particular smell. Have you noticed? Almost like freshly minced herbs…",

Haley [Saloon] "GreenRain": "I don't think I've ever set foot in this place. It's actually kind of cozy!$h#$e#Oh, I'm not worried about the rain. I'm sure it'll pass.", "GreenRain_2": "Wake me up when there's a pink rain… Or better yet, a pink cake rain!",

Harvey [Saloon] "GreenRain": "I brought some medical supplies, just in case. Be careful out there!", "GreenRain_2": "The first time this happened, we were all worried that the rain might be dangerous.#$b#But what if it's actually healthy for the body? Who knows… The plants seem to respond well to it, at least.",

Jas [Marnie's Ranch] "GreenRain": "I'm scared…$s", "GreenRain_2": "I hope the rain doesn't turn my dress green…$s",

Jodi [Home] "GreenRain": "Are you alright? We've never seen anything like this before…$s#$e#I wish my husband was here. He'd know exactly what to do.$s", "GreenRain_2": "Vincent got up early to go play in the rain. I just hope they're right about it being completely harmless!",

Kent "GreenRain_2": "Heh… The rain is a blessing. A reminder that there will always be forces greater than anything conceived of by man.#$e#That's actually a comfort, @.",

Krobus "GreenRain": "The flow of water has been unusually strong today… what's going on up there?",

Leah [Home] "GreenRain": "Where did all these plants come from? It's a surprise, but I'm not complaining…", "GreenRainFinished": "I guess everyone in town was scared of that strange rain? I had no idea… I just thought it was incredible!$h", "GreenRain_2": "Imagine if this rain lasted all summer… The plants would take over the entire valley!",

Leo, only after moving to the town "GreenRain": "I like this weather… it's so humid. It reminds me of the forest back home.",

Lewis [Saloon] "GreenRain": "I just got off the phone with the Governor… Apparently this rain is supposed to be completely harmless. Just an unusual phenomenon of nature.#$b#Still, some of the townsfolk are panicking, which is never good…", "GreenRainFinished": "Well, that was quite the excitement for our little town! I'm just relieved that everyone is okay.$h#$e#If this ever happens again, I think we'll all be a little more relaxed. It's not the end of the world!", "GreenRain_2": "I guess we can expect these unusual rains every year. I think everyone is a little calmer knowing that it's just part of nature.",

Linus [Mountains] "GreenRain": "All these strange trees will be gone tomorrow… it's one of the mysteries of nature.", "GreenRainFinished": "How did the moss harvest go? Hehe… My bed is a lot softer now.", "GreenRain_2": "I've already gathered enough moss for the entire year. How about you?",

Marnie [Ranch] "GreenRain": "You're not worried about this rain? That does put me at ease a little…#$e#I just hope the cows tucked themselves in…$s", "GreenRainFinished": "Well, looks like we all got scared for nothing… The rain was totally harmless!", "GreenRain_2": "The animals seems to enjoy this rain… I think it's putting extra nutrients into the grass.",

Maru [Home, basement] "GreenRain": "I want to go collect samples with my dad, but my Mom is insisting we stay here…", "GreenRain_2": "This is a rare opportunity to study a unique phenomenon… every moment counts!",

Pam [Saloon] "GreenRain": "It's a sign from the Almighty… We're doomed…%noturn$s", "GreenRainFinished": "Well, I guess the end-times haven't come just yet, kid…#$e#Ah well, back to the ol' nine to five…", "GreenRain_2": "I think these rains are a show of force… a warning.#$b#You could say it's from nature, from Yoba, whatever you like… but that's what I think.#$e#What I mean is, we can't get too cocky. Or else, instead of a green rain, maybe we'll have a blood-red rain… See what I mean?",

Penny [Saloon] "GreenRain": "Are you alright? We're all wondering what's going on…$3", "GreenRain_2": "This strange weather is a good opportunity to get the kids interested in nature!$h",

Pierre [Store] "GreenRain": "Gahh, no customers! Any more of this 'green' rain, and my ledger will be in the 'red'!$s", "GreenRainFinished": "Well, I'm glad things are back to normal. Seems like it was all overblown… just like everything.", "GreenRain_2": "Glad to see you, @. What's a little toxic rain when you have seeds to buy?$h#$e#I'm just kidding. The rain seems to be completely harmless.",

Robin [Home, basement] "GreenRainFinished": "I hope Demetrius is happy with the 'samples' he collected. Seems like his little science project is more important to him than his own wife. Hmmph.$6", "GreenRain_2": "There's all kinds of good wood out there today. Better get chopping, huh?",

Sam [Home] "GreenRain": "Whaa! Is it acid? Will it burn through the roof and sizzle us alive?$8#$b#I gotta keep my little brother safe!$7", "GreenRainFinished": "Seems like there's no damage to anything… That was a strange one. How are you holding up?", "GreenRain_2": "You notice how warm this rain is? It feels alive…",

Sandy [Store] "GreenRain": "I heard there's a rare weather event in the valley.#$e#I wish it rained here sometimes…$s",

Sebastian [Home, basement] "GreenRain": "My mom's freaking out, but I'm actually kind of enjoying this. I bet the frogs are going wild out there!$h#$e#I'm gonna stay here to try and keep her calm, though.", "GreenRain_2": "I was hoping this weather would come back. It makes me appreciate the summer a little more.",

Shane [Marnie's Ranch] "GreenRain": "I don't have to go into work today, so I'm not complaining…", "GreenRain_2": "Oh, there's some kind of weird weather today? I didn't notice.",

Vincent [Home] "GreenRain": "Mom! I wanna go outside and play!%noturn", "GreenRain_2": "%Vincent is covered in moss.",

Willy [Saloon] "GreenRain": "Aye… I hope these weird rains don't bother the fish… It could ruin me life!", "GreenRainFinished": "Well, the fish seem as healthy as ever. In fact, I swear they've been biting with extra vigor!", "GreenRain_2": "If the fish like these rains, then I like 'em, too.",

Wizard [Home] "GreenRain": "Though the unusual rains may be alarming, there is nothing to fear on this day.#$e#In fact, it is a day of great joy for many living things.", "GreenRain_2": "Nature is a powerful force, not to be trifled with.#$e#Excuse me, but there are special matters I can only attend to on this day.",

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

What do you think would happen when Tails introduces Sails Mangey and Nine to mints?

Oooh good question!

ㅤ

Sails:

Honestly, since we don't know all that much about No Place, I like to think that mints are still a thing, just the kind of thing that Sails has to sneak on the ship and can only get once in a while. So whenever he was able to get them before, he kind of had to ration em out.

That also being said, I think it would be funny if the mints in no place don't look like the ones Tails offers to Sails. So at first Sails hesitates to eat it, although he has no reason to distrust Tails, so he does try it. I can see Sails sort of commenting his thoughts aloud on how it tastes, but ultimately he probably tries to sneak some mints off of Tails.

Although Tails is pretty much like "You can just ask. I've got a bunch"

So whenever Sails visits from No Place he lets Tails and the others try the mints from No Place, and he uh takes a good amount of Tails' mints back to No Place with him

However, if Sails has never tried any mints before, I think he'd become hooked pretty quickly (still explain the taste out loud you know) and end up trying to snatch some before Tails is like "Hey, just ask and you can have as much as you want"

ㅤ

Mangey:

Hohoho boy

While there's at least a decent chance Mangey has just straight up eaten mint plants before, I think he would become pretty hooked as well. In my head, I think he'd keep begging for more after Tails initially gives him one to try, and it gets so out of hand that Tails, Sails, and Nine have to consciously keep mints out of sight and locked up.

But before they realize how bad Mangey gets about them, Tails gives him like a tin or a small bag of mints he can take with him, and Mangey can't even make them last a day. He is in the presence of mints, he snacks on mints.

Just cause they hide em and lock em up doesn't mean that Mangey doesn't find them or that he's never allowed to have them. I think sometimes when Sails is playing that game with Mangey where he's working on something and Mangey plays assistant, they often use mints as something in exchange for helping when they're not exhanging kisses.

ㅤ

Nine:

While we know more about New Yoke than we do about most of the other shatterspaces, like with Sails I'd like to think Nine has had mints before. In this case, since nothing really grows within the city, I like to think that occasionally New Yoke will get mints in as an import.

Essentially, I think Nine used to see the resistance handing them out once in a blue moon after a successful raid or would see them sold on shady street corners and alleyways. He always tries to limit the contact he makes with people and the city itself, but he kind of had to to be able to get the matierals to create his equipment and have enough food to survive. So he managed to get ahold of a small handful out of curiosity.

It was too much of a pain to get ahold of more, so even though he liked them quite a bit, he almost never was able to get ahold of any.

With that all being said, I can see Nine sort of marveling for a moment how easy it was for Tails to get ahold of so many mints before remembering that green hill and Tails' world is much more plentiful than the city of New Yoke. I think after trying them when Tails offers, he's reminded just how good they are.

That being said, though, I think Nine would pretend that he likes them but of course has restraint, unlike the other two. So he would only take the one small bag or tin when Tails offered to give them more mints. Other times Tails offers, I think he starts out as begrudging but does eventually accept the gift of mints whenever Tails offers some.

If Mangey eats em like candy and Sails is always taking a large stash with him, though, even though he acts like he has more self control and is more normal about mints than them, that is a lie. After taking the first bag/tin back to The Grim with him, he starts figuring out how create a constant lifetime supply of mints there. He doesn't eat them like candy when he does accomplish this, but he still does eat mints about as often as I think Tails does. That's all to say that sometimes mints are just something he eats a couple of when he's bored, when his breath smells bad, occasionally when he needs to make deals with Mangey, as a special little treat when he feels down/accomplished something, and when he hasn't eaten in a while but needs to keep working, so he needs to trick his stomach into thinking its not starving by letting mints dissolve in his mouth.

In the event Nine has never had them before though, I'd think he'd still make a visual expression of enjoying the first one he tries, but he'd still try to be modest and seem "normal" about them by only taking one tin/bag of mints before he ultimately figures out how to keep a constant stash in The Grim like Tails does in his many labs

ㅤ

Thanks for the question, anon! If you have any other questions about them or their relationship(s), feel free to shoot me another ask🥰

[princess-of-the-corner]

So I have Batfam brainrot and was reading through my old "Gotham City Fanfic Ideas I'll never write" folder, and thought I'd offer up this one for review:

Bruce enforces the No Other Heroes in Gotham rule more for the safety of the other heroes than anyone else. Even setting aside his absolutely feral children and allies that would make any normal person cry out of sheer weirdness, Gotham residents are not safe for other heroes to be around.

Because think about it. The average person in Gotham City has had a lifetime of conditioning that "loud, colorfully dressed, very unsubtle, possibly superpowered person" equals "homicidal maniac with a gimmick." The average Gotham resident has also been victim to a truly startling amount of violent crime and probably has ways of dealing with this shit. Like carrying a baseball bat or a gun everywhere, having a tacit agreement to help each other out during rogue attacks regardless of previous disputes, really good reaction time and reflexes, and the ability to stay calm in survival situations.

Bruce, uncommunicative but well-meaning asshole that he usually is, neglects to explain this to the other heroes, so they all have to figure it out the hard way.

Cue shenanigans where various outside heroes end up in Gotham and get their shit rocked by jumpy residents who see "colorfully dressed superpowered person" and had their fight or flight instincts kick in.

I think the idea I had that sparked this was Flash trying to stop a mugging in Gotham. The two individuals see "brightly costumed powered guy" and go THREAT, and both try to run away. The would-be victim happens to be carrying a collapsible baseball bat and just swings it in Flash's direction. Flash runs straight into it and breaks his kneecaps. Then they take Flash's wallet and split the change. And Flash decides Gotham is nuts and he's never coming back here.

HA!

[fuckyeahfightlock]

Three days of scary movies to catch up on! The quick ones first:

Tonight my kid wanted to watch one with me "With people, maybe in a house, who have to get away from a creature? Like A Quiet Place."

OK, there's no house in it but if you want people trying to get away from creatures, and it's just six badass women fighting for their lives, and also I happen to own the DVD, you can't go wrong with The Descent. This was my fourth or fifth time watching it; damn it's good.

I just learned like ten days ago that there are two endings for this film! The American cut (which is the only one I'd seen) ends with Sara escaping/surviving. The director's cut (which, who knew, is the DVD I thrifted a few months ago) features a false ending in which Sara escapes, followed by a much grimmer actual ending, where we realise she dreamed about finding daylight, then hallucinates her late daughter, in a cave from which she will certainly never escape.

Such a good movie, no matter which ending you get.

Day before yesterday I watched an absolutely dismal low-budget movie with TV actors and Rory Culkin, called Intruders, which is about an agoraphobic woman coping with a home invasion (so you knew I was going to give it a try). Her hair is a perfect blonde blowout and she wears a black lace-sleeved/lace-bodiced (to show her white bra) body-con midi dress even after she is offered--nay, ordered!--to change into sweatpants. Anyway, the agoraphobia is played so stupidly, plus the "twist" is that her brother who dies of cancer in the first ten minutes was her partner in serially murdering pedophiles. Very little of this makes sense and the acting is OK but everything else is terrible. Very Lifetime movie, but with the F word. Hated every minute.

Yesterday, another French horror (if Martyrs ushered in the New French Horror, we must be in the second generation by now? Nouvelle New French Horror?) called MADS, written and directed by David Moreau.

(It's written everywhere online as MadS, but the actual title card of the film says MADS, so I'm going with that.)

A bunch of aimless rich kids with money for drugs and nice clothes but nothing to occupy their time except parties, cocaine, and petty relationship drama get infected by. . .something. . .which causes them to develop super strength and an urge to commit extreme violence, while s l o w l y losing their minds (ie, for quite a while, they recognise they're getting out of control, but can't help themselves, which is another layer of horror). They're not quite monsters, not quite people--the main thing I was reminded of was fast zombies, but they're not that either.

A slow but steady crescendo from one guy's normal weekend night to pure, citywide chaos is edgy, frantic, and truly frightening. If you have a chance to see this one, absolutely do. A teen scream with angst to spare. A particularly standout performance by Laurie Pavy as Anais.

[chronotopes]

silly question about Aivide but I'm curious, were there any chance that she could've hatched a malcos-thieri or no? like in the grand vastness of paradox space timeline shit and not predeterministic fate of what succeeds as alpha timeline stuff. if sooooo how would she have differed? Like I know if she'd contacted Eubie life'd be miserable y'know an 'Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan' paintings ending I'd assume, but apart from that, how'd it've gone ahead?

Have a nice weekend mate!, yer writings real nice I'll be sure to check out Vital light if/when it ever drops, take care! :]

first off: thank you so much, that means a lot! i hope you have a nice weekend too <3

secondly: are you kidding me, this is an AWESOME question. albeit one with maaaaybe a disappointing part one to its answer (disappointing for you the asker, not aivide, who i'm sure would be deeply relieved) – it is not super feasible for aivide to have been born thieri-malcos because the nature of al2rnian hybridization specifically requires the sort of fucking-frequency that comes with a longterm committed relationship rather than the ill-advised intermittent one-night stands that eubala and stelad were getting up to. for this basic logistical barrier i have never sat down and contemplated a fuchsia hybrid aivide.

(continued under the cut)

maybe i should, though, that would be a fun thing to contemplate even if it wasn't a feasible thing within the al2rnia universe. HOWEVER, what i have thought about (with esther's input) is an 'aivide thieri-malcos' universe where aivide is not literally a thieri-malcos but is born while stelad is still alive, meaning that she is raised by stelad with eubala's occasional (and not super solicited) input.) aivide thieri-malcos is in some ways treated by eubala the same way the main timeline aivide treated by eubala – as a built-in replacement for stelad, a consolation prize for the fact that stelad died. (woman who is super normal about death, she promises.)

the knowledge that eubala would want to hire stelad's ancestor was a known (and not very fun) fact between stelad and eubala toward the end of stelad's lifetime. you sort of see a hint of this (though not the worst of it) in vinbre the novel –

but it would only intensify if aivide was actually hatched during stelad's lifetime. What Esther and I imagined was that instead of letting Aivide go to teal school Eubala would insist on "nothing but the best" and pull strings to get her into the violet liberal arts college that Nora and Govy attended. This version of Aivide is a lot more explicitly like Stelad than canon Aivide – she has never had a "me remembering when i was nice when i should have said who the fuck do you think you're talking to" moment with a peer. she LOVES saying "who the fuck do you think you're talking to" in clever and unpleasant ways whenever she gets away with it, which.... isn't always or even often, because ultimately this version of aivide has almost no teal peers and no active connection to tealness aside from movies and her mom.

Hilariously, this Aivide knows Nora and Govy but feels nothing for Nora and goes for pitchromancing Govy instead. (I have like three AUs that enable Aivide/Govy, all of it varying levels of #bad).

This is also an Aivide who – for all that she still understands her mother's flaws and her complicated reputation among teals Aivide's age – understands firsthand that her mother as a victim of something frightening and unpleasant just as much as she is an active facilitator of misery for her own stratum. It will take canon Aivide Thieri most of an epilogue to properly conclude my version of Aivide Thieri-Malcos has known from her young childhood in that regard. Aivide Thieri walks through a 300-year-old apartment and draws partially correct conclusions; Aivide Thieri Malcos wakes up every day and wonders if Eubala Malcos is going to send her mom flowers or just throw the vase at her. Normal childhood!

The most obvious takeaway from this is that of every AU aivide I have, this is the one that feels the most genuine softness and affection for her mom. I have profound ideological differences and personal beef with my father but those would take a backseat if someone who is incomprehensibly more powerful than him started tormenting him. That is about where Aivide and Stelad are – seeing each as the other's protectors, even though neither of them can really protect the other from anything, and the two can't even fully understand each other.

The other character dynamics outcome of this AU is that – spoilers for Aivide's long-term character arc, I guess – while canon Aivide comes to see Eubala as a horrible but pitiable woman and gets access to a more complete picture of her than any other living character in the Al2rnia cast – Aivide Thieri-Malcos knows Eubala is pathetic and miserable in addition to being dangerous from age fourteen or so, and that makes her hate her a lot more. She also knows very well that Eubala intends to replace Stelad with her the moment she dies, and isn't thrilled about it. There's nowhere this alternate universe story concept really goes, but I do love to rotate those versions of the characters in my head.

Anyway I know that's only tangentially connected to what you asked but it involves Eubala raising a child Aivide so I figured it couldn't be wholly irrelevant. I wanted to link you to a 2021 curiouscat answer from Esther where they talk about how Eubala would have interacted with a hypothetical Versii-Malcos hybrid. This would would not at all be the same as a Thieri-Malcos but very interesting and VERY sad (for the child) in itself. That said fucking curiouscat has shit the bed again so it was not to be. However, Esther answers a2 questions on tumblr now so I'm sure they'd be happy to share more Eubala lore with you if you want to reach out!

[maingh0st]

First i wanna say that your writing is beautiful and thank you for your effort for taking time to actually write Taryn as the complex character that she is, while i think not liking taryn it not complete misogynistic since we all have the right to not like a fictional character even if it well written AS LONG AS WE ADMIT THE CHARACTER COMPLEXITY.I always loved taryn and jude dynamic and how you said every character did shitty things,i always was captivated by characters like Taryn in a way, characters who know how to make people like them shortly said characters who had this "wolf in a ship clothing" vibe,and one thing that i never saw people talk was the similarities between Cardan acting like a fool and Taryn way of acting all innocent and sweet.(and i could talk hours how the fandom perception of cardan is as wrong as is with taryn).Now this is something that has been on my mind for a while,What if there was no coup?Well it hard to tell but i always though that jude path will have been way more different than just not being queen.Withoud a coup jude would have continued to be the king spy but being a spy require hiding her abilities so how dain was going to make her part of the court ?well i cant say.Overall between jude and taryn,taryn plan would have been the first to succeed(now if locke would still be himself and get himself killed that another story).Both taryn and jude tried to fit in a world that normally didn't belong to them but guess what living in faerie requires some sacrifices.

thank you so much!! I've had so much fun filling in the gaps for both her & the Ghost. I think I've said it before, but I honestly had fully neutral feelings about Taryn until I started engaging with the tfota fandom and was just kind of... shocked by how people talk about her.

and I absolutely agree! I was responding to an ask saying that a lot of the overblown Taryn-hate seems like misogyny at this point, and I do agree—there's just this weird misogynistic undertone to a lot of the most vitriolic anti-Taryn content in the fandom. but I would never say that every person who dislikes Taryn is a misogynist; that would be wild lol. everyone has character preferences, and some people just don't vibe with the kind of character she is even while they understand her role in the narrative. like you said, though, a lot of people seem unwilling to engage with her as a complex, layered character, and that's where we get into weird double-standard territory.

it's a fun thought exercise to consider what might've happened if there'd been no coup. I'll borrow the Ghost's words when Jude asks if things will be better with Dain as King: "Things will be as they always are. Only more so."

I think Madoc would still be angling for power—after all, he wanted a King who would go to war (and a King he could manipulate). assuming that the existing animosity between Dain and Madoc persisted, I imagine Jude would've eventually found herself in an awkward position between her loyalties to both of them. perhaps she'd be able to hide her spying from Madoc (maybe she'd even become a knight as a cover for her time away), but I'm sure Dain would use her to spy on Madoc, or ask her to go to extremes to prove her loyalty. his geas would've remained a double-edged sword, too (girl really got out of that one too easily—consider an entire lifetime under his thumb?). I'd like to think her good heart would eventually make her unable to continue serving him (Jude's not really an idealist, but she is unwilling to bear with corruption), but it's possible she could just go on a slow downward slide. consider the Ghost, who certainly wasn't proud of poisoning Liriope, yet did it regardless for his service to Dain.

that's not even really to get into the side characters—like I imagine that Cardan, never being put in a position to grow and prove himself, would've spiraled worse (especially if Balekin survived). etc etc. honestly, the books strike me as the best-case scenario. it seems like things would've gotten a lot uglier if the coup (and Cardan's ensuing kingship) hadn't panned out!

[wyrdle]

Big Sho Minazuki fan here, I think it's a shame that Ikutsuki wasn't fleshed out any further. Like he's exposed as a bad guy and then immediately just... falls off.

YEAH. it's such a shame, when he's like the perfect foil character to MC lmao. One gains strength from bonds, the other has none/is incapable of it and thus sees no meaning in living. I'd have loved for his social link to be one which stays permanently at 1, regardless of what you do with him, as an illustration of this. And instead of SLs talking at you about things, he becomes your confidant and you reveal more about yourself and your friends lol. Throughout this there's the risk of revealing Pharos sealed within you, thus links to Aigis' shutdown etc, as well as an undercurrent of "This man is not normal" beyond his puns lol. I'd have loved to see the puns taken further as a masking tactic, one that whilst he personally enjoys, is still cover up lol. Maybe nearing November, as his excitement to finally die grows, you learn more about him as a person finally. idk lol I'm doing Atlus' job in making the earlier parts of the game fun and intriguing to carry you through the months.

ANYWAY. his relationship to Sho is so fascinating to me, because it's wild that Sho is even left alive tbh. For a guy who views death as deliverance/freedom from suffering+ his saviour complex with SEES, you'd think he'd pull life support off Sho and recollect the plume of dusk from his dead body. So there's plenty reason to kill Sho if he were just any experiment, and start over, even wipe a potential loose end to his research with Kirijo group. But he doesn't, and even leaves Sho with an inheritance I assume is hefty enough to last him his lifetime. So yeah, I feel like there was some twisted care and affection for Sho as a son, coming from the guy who, if set up properly next to P3 MC, whose nihlism is born from lack of bonds combined with who knows what he went through.

@ponderousorb has likened him to a real life saint called Thérèse of Lisieux, who was chronically ill and eventually developed "chosen one" or other strange beliefs as a coping mechanism whilst living. Basically whatever the pun guy went through in his life twisted him into viewing everything so bleakly and his "selfish" desire to be a Prince a coping mechanism. Dude's depressed and suicidal at his core, and of course combined with being embroiled into a death cult... well. Can't be a good parent lol.

Of course, all of the above is just my input/perspective/spin on his character. The games seem happy to leave him as a madman without elaboration about his brand of nihlism. I think if they did, Sho's story wouldn't have changed, but at the moments where Shadow Shuji popped up, stuff would've been more layered beyond whump for Sho. (Potentially flashbacks of interactions between them that leave Sho so pitifully confused and torn... ooft ouch).

It's a fun time to ponder how Shuji and Sho might've been like, if neither had been part of Kirijo Group. I like thinking Shuji might've at least tried to be there for Sho, if he wasn't off feeling like a miserable waste of space. Still not a good parent and neglectful, but I prefer thinking Shuji didn't find pleasure in causing him pain lol. Maybe it started off as clinical then eventual caring, but unfortunately he's deluded himself so hard he might've even thought he was doing Sho good by making him jacked lol. Whatever momentary guilt that'd surface, would be shrouded by his delusions. Idk, he offered SEES a "place by his side" for judgement day since they played such a large part, I can imagine he wished for Sho to reap the "benefits" too.

TLDR man's fucked in the head truly, but narrative (and most persona fans lol, not their fault tbh) never expands on it to investigate the tragedy of nihlism this way. It's such a big plunder on their end tbh, would've made him more interesting as a an antagonist, and certainly bolstered the game's core themes. Like. Why DOES this guy and old Kirijo group want death so badly lmao. The other guys are dead, Shuji is the only remaining mouthpiece for it... and we get absolutely nothing. If we knew his story, we could piece together the sort of underlying motivations of Kirijo group lol.

But anyway. Yeah. Lots of fun stuff, left unexplored! Apologies for the ramble I'm speed running my thesis on Shuji Ikutsuki 🤣

[miashyperfixations]

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER: THE 5SOS SHOW

04.10.2023 @ AO Arena, Manchester (21,000 Capacity) ⚠️ TW: some flashing lights in video ⚠️

I've wanted to see 5SOS for a while now. As with many artists, I started listening to them properly in the pandemic, having heard several of their songs beforehand. I went back and listened to their whole discography which made me able to see their progression in its entirety, especially their subtle changes to shift genres slightly with each album but still stay true to their roots. The first release I was a fan of the band for was that of their newest album '5SOS5' which saw them venture into the pop-alternative genre but listening back, it's clear that they still pull on their rock influences within certain tracks. 

I bought these tickets back in April, when tickets first went on sale & looked forward to it for a long time. It was my first Arena gig since 2018 & we were up in the lower bowl as close to the stage as you could be from the side, meaning we could see both the stage & the steps the band came onto the stage from. We got there just in time to see the openers. Charlotte Sands (who @artbyamixx is a big fan of) was up first & performed amazingly - I was blown away. The crowd really got into it (as they should've) & we were able to hear an unreleased track as well as her newest songs. The second opener was a pop duo called ar/co who were unexpected but delightful anyway with their psychedelic, electronic pop sounds.

When 5SOS came on, they played songs from every single one of their albums as well as some other singles, which was super fun considering I'd never seen them live before this. Similarly to the whole concept of surprise songs at concerts (introduced by Taylor Swift at the Eras tour), the boys have a dice song. Their huge inflatable dice is thrown into the crowd & they then have 90 seconds to throw it around & get it back on stage. Each side has a song from the band's debut era, songs they don't play anymore, so everyone on there is wanted. I think the crowd wanted 'English love affair', a song wanted by the UK crowds in general but in the end, it landed on 'Voodoo Doll', one of my favourite of the deluxe tracks off the debut album.

Another segment of the show was 'Ashton VS You' where the crowd battled the band's drummer (Ashton Irwin) to see who could be louder - although I think it's kind of cheating cause the sound guys at the back could've just turned up the speakers for all we know. I loved how this incorporated a song off of 'Youngblood' because the drums in it are just *chefs kiss* amazing so hearing them isolated was incredible. Additionally, the band tied the show together with pre-recorded skits that played on the side stage screens which kept the crowd excited & also gave the band a moment's reprieve throughout the show, which was no doubt tiring given how energetic everyone was. A random thing I noticed from our angle of the stage is how both Luke & Michael switched out their guitars for several others throughout the show. I assume Luke was switching between a rhythm & normal electric guitar but Michael switched to an acoustic for 'Amnesia'.

The last time 5SOS played this venue was back in 2015, when they opened for One Direction on the ‘On the road again’ tour. Since this is their last tour for a little while, the night genuinely might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience (although I hope it’s not!) I think everyone there can agree, it was an unbelievable night and I’ll be looking over my videos forever.