#V mm

[sapphireicecream]

🙏🌞📷

[vhe]

happy birthday V! congrats on finally being able to kiss your wife after 6 years <3

[annbourbon]

Mystic Messenger Timeline (Explained)

I'll be obviously skipping a lot of stuff in between, but this is just to make things clear. It's not the way you're supposed to play, just the timeline.

⚠️ Contains Spoilers ⚠️

⚠️⚠️ Spoilers ahead ⚠️⚠️

⚠️⚠️ You've been warned ⚠️⚠️

First Rika Behind the Story (DLC)

Then I'll start counting as Year 1, the events that lead to the RFA and Mint Eye foundation.

Year 1:

V and Rika know each other

They meet Saeyoung

Saeyoung leaves

Rika kills the Twins's mom

Rika gets engaged to V

Mika and Rika (Mina) create 1st draft of Mint Eye

V buys the department

*on that note, seems that there are 4 cameras but Saeyoung only knows of one*

**This also implies that Saeran was abused as soon as V and Saeyoung took their eyes off of him since Rika used Saeran as model to defeat Saeyoung's skills as a hacker.

***What happens because neither Saeyoung nor V know anything about Saeran whenever they reunite for RFA parties and their engagement? Why no one asked anything?

Year 2:

Rika meets Jumin

RFA begins (yes, it was Mint Eye first, and the reason why the name was Magenta first. Mika?) June's Route in The Ssum, First Season. According to Jumin.

The Ssum Timeline

3. RFA 1st party is held

4 Jaehee joins RFA

5. Rika kills Sally

5. RFA 2nd party is held

6. According to V and Saeyoung this is where the hacker starts attacking the RFA (first time)

7. Jumin said he lost contact with V and Rika after the 2nd party.

There's a point where Jumin admits barely seeing Rika after the 2nd party. Meeting with her and V for the last time 3 months before her death. Yoosung Route. Day 9. Chat room 7AM called V's eyes.

According to several chats during Yoosung route, they barely paid attention to V being blinded. This of course included Zen, Yoosung, and Jumin (who is worried and suspects something but doesn't intervene despite V having severe corneal damage from external trauma)

8. Rika must have blind V at some point during these three months.

9. Saeyoung installed the Special System. AKA: The Bomb

10. "Rika commits suicide"

Plot holes: Where's Mika? Why they don't notice there's another person living there? It's not that easy to hide your presence 💀

But according to V, he knew about Mika. It's at least implied.

*At the same time, there's a line, I forgot where exactly, that says that both, Rika and V called off their engagement at some point. They don't say anything about coming back together after that. wtf!?*

Another Story

1 month after her death, prologue.

Five months later

*means 4 months after they break up their engagement? Assuming they did not break up before but because of Rika behavior blinding him. Which kind of solves the plot holes from Year 1 setting Mika on the apartment and V not fully knowing but suspecting, although it would be impossible or almost impossible without his eyes do something about it. Especially since his blindness is recent. If you need to understand a bit more about blindness watch my post on Rika killing Sally. It may be a dog, unlike V lol but it's still enough information to set up the rest of the story.

Anyways, let's go back to our timeline no?

Bad ending prologue #1 (Casual & Deep) and #2 (Another) are part of the same story and unlikely that it is set into an *alternative route* like some people like to say. Bad ending prologues even from Another Story seem to fit almost too perfectly when you think about it, but only if you agree to go with Unknown after rejecting him several times.

Because it would fit into the idea that the MC's were captured by the cult and discarded after a while (or put to work under Mint Eye. But also because according to the opening on the Casual and Deep, it would mean that Saeran's been watching you, so does Saeyoung.)

As I said before, the other MC's are either dead or anything but MIA (whatever that means for Mint Eye?) and this one, the brunette, is selected and it's the only one who survives and passed the whole trial. Not at first but it doesn't matter. This MC is not dead. The others are. You think "The others" are just the player with different image? I've got news for you, each one of this has a number~ check this post ^^

Either you become the assistant of Unknown with that bad ending which is an option available for every prologue or you enter Day 1 to Day 4 of Another Story and play throughout to reach:

Day 6 and Day 10 from Ray/Saeran Route which are part of the same ending. They're not a different ending. Both however lead to the Casual Route, Day 1 (after the prologue)

Which means, if you get the bad ending in the prologue of Casual/Deep you'll be going back to Mint Eye. Yes. It's not supposed to be your first rodeo there. And if you have a Bad Ending on Mint Eye, you're brainwashed andd set on Casual/Deep (You're supposed to be an spy, but who do you work for? Are you a victim or a villainess? that's another story 😜)

My theory?

*This is where I'm still stuck, so I'll be fixing major plots here and there and editing this same post over and over until I get it right. Please bear with me 😭*

Rika DLC > 1st party > Rika gets engaged > Saeyoung leaves > Rika kills Sally > Rika kills Saeran's mom > Rika starts torturing Saeran > Mint Eye begins > 2nd party > Hacker attack > Bomb is installed > Rika blinds V > Rika dies > Another Story (prologue) > Another Story (Day 1 to 4) > Another Story (Day 6 & 10, bad relationship both of them) obviously with what causes these bad endings > Casual Route (with bad endings included) > Deep Story (with bad endings included) > Secret Endings (except for V dying, we'll get there) > Another Story again but V route happens first (no happy or normal ending) and then something weird happens:

And this part if I'm being honest, I have no idea but I'm fixing it cause my theory is that

V and Saeran's route become so intertwined that is almost impossible to know what happened.

The bomb on Mint Eye? Saeran? Although it is suggesting in the bad endings that he died, we never saw that to happen.

V dying in the secret endings?

Saeran burn?

Seven does mention a couple of numbers, associated with the other MCs, somewhere in the game. Unfortunately I can't remember if it's on a call or a chat so I'm going back all over again because I was so shocked at the time I was unable to take a screenshot.

Truth to be said I can't fully find the order rn but! I will, I definitely will. I need time. I mean, more time. I've been working on this for 6 to 7 years now, I'm posting this because it's so big I can't keep it to myself and I'm freaking out here. So I'll be editing this in the future. As many of my other posts. Sorry lol

Ironically, Saeran's AE would be indeed the Final Ending.

Additional Note: Because of time travel, Mystic Messenger is a non linear story, which means you need to pick upon clues here and there to understand where the timeline goes. The other games have a similar issue but not as pronounced as this.

[thelazyhollow]

Probably one of my favourite title/home screens we’ve gotten!💕

They look so pretty and happy and ahhhhhh!!!!

[favficbirthdays]

Happy Birthday

V (9th September)

Mystic Messenger

[kusukixcrystal]

MM Classpecting: Saeran Part 2

Zen Classpect

Yoosung Classpect

Jaehee Classpect

Jumin Classpect

707 Classpect

V Classpect

Saeran Classpect Part 1

This is part 2 of my Saeran classpecting post. In the first part is the Page of Heart interpretation, which I don't believe is his actual classpect. Now, I will cover what I think suits his character considering the events of the main story (Deep Story, 707 route and Secret Endings)

Classpect Interpretation 2:

Classpect - Muse of Rage (+): One who commands Rage, or commands through Rage, for others.

How this applies Saeran: Holy. Shit. Where do I even start? The world is out for Saeran: his father is trying to kill him and his mother abused him. Rika then indoctrinated him into a fucking cult. Saeran blames his own weak constitution for why his brother left him. In Mint Eye he accepts that the world is a cruel place, and dwells in self-deprecation, hatred and negativity.

In Another Story we see what would happen if Saeran breaks out of this cycle of self-deprecation, gaining strength in order to protect MC and his brother. In order to mature, in both Another Story and the Secret Endings Saeran must learn to trust Saeyoung and the RFA in order to escape Mint Eye and lead a better life. At his worst as Unknown he is pessimistic, isolates himself and suppresses any emotions that would deem him ‘weak’. Saeran in his After Story works with Jumin and Jaehee to stop his father, using his hacker skills. He has the ability to exert force on his environment when provided backing from people he cares about. We see the world tug him in every which way; V trying to show Saeran positive sides to the world with gardening and photography. Rika with Mint Eye. Another Story makes this more explicit, with the divide between Ray and Saeran. At that point he was still not Unknown yet, still malleable with Rika and V trying to shape him.

Unknown Commands over many people in Mint Eye and is in a high position. He orchestrates getting MC into the RFA and yadda yadda. 

We have to talk about why I think he is a Muse in the context of the main story. In Homestuck, Muse/Lord are considered to be Master Classes. They are classes given to only 2 characters in the entire comic: Calliope and Caliborn respectively. We see that with these classes these two play the role of influencing the other characters to act. They are given to people who influence the events of the entire story to a great degree. As one of Mystic Messenger's main antagonists, Saeran's role can not be understated. His actions literally lead to all the stories/routes happening. He is the one to lead MC to Rika's apartment. He is the one to hack the RFA chatroom and put everyone on high alert. He is the one to break into Rika's apartment and threatens to blow it up with the bomb. He is a Conductor, Commanding the RFA to act through using his Aspect... Speaking of his Aspect, let's discuss that.

This is what the Extended Hiveswap Zodiac has to say about the Rage Aspect:

“Those bound to the aspect of Rage are bringers of chaos. They possess great contempt for lies or false ideas, including the stability that false ideas can impart. To them, the true is far more important than the good; they would tear down a system just to destabilize it if, by their reckoning, it is built on faulty premises. Often the Rage-bound prefer anarchy to any of the alternate forms of civilization, which they believe to be riddled with lies and foolishness and obedient masses. They are bringers of confusion and doubt, and they can be frustratingly difficult to convince otherwise when they have attached themselves to an idea. If they sound dangerous, they are. The Rage-bound tend to be most volatile and unpredictable of the aspects. At their best they are original, revolutionary, and fearless. At their worst they are cruel, uncompromising, and vicious.”

How this applies to Saeran:

As previously stated, as a Muse of Rage Saeran Commands with Rage, utilizing his Aspect, his Rage, against the RFA to sew chaos and disorder within the narrative. Destroying the RFA's once peaceful lives.

He does this because he believes in Mint Eye's ideology, that outside institutions are feeding everyone lies and that they are a paradise in this world. He believed Rika, thinking that Saeyoung lied about saving him. These 'lies' and 'false ideas' from both his brother and society makes Saeran very angry, using it to destabilize the RFA. This brings doubt to the members of the RFA, where once everyone (excluding Yoosung) believed in V wholeheartedly, began to doubt him when they learn that there is a bomb in Rika's apartment and his constant absence.

When a Muse Commands with their Aspect, they are shaped by it too. His Aspect of Rage shapes him into Unknown, blinded by betrayal and Rage against Saeyoung, turning him into a violent bundle of anger and sorrow. He embodies the forces of his Aspect through violence and utilizing the bomb in Rika’s apartment and the gun he uses to shoot V. He also presumably tortures Yoosung with stuff as well (Yoosung Bad Ending 3). Unknown’s presence haunts the RFA in the game, the hacker threat a prominent story thread hanging over them. This influences the RFA to be careful and take precautions. The martyrdom part applies more to After Story Saeran, who sacrifices himself by directly confronting his father for his brother.

In Saeyoung's route, when he confronts Saeran in Rika's apartment and even at Mint Eye, he has difficulty getting his brother to believe that he thought he was living a good life. Saeran's belief can not be swayed easily, a prominent trait seen in the Rage-bound.

Saeran is unpredictable and volatile, seen in all Casual and Deep Stories in this game. He can strike a hacker attack at any time. In bad endings he appears almost randomly, catching the characters off guard.

In the beginning of his route, he uses his Rage to hurt and Command the MC, having control over her. It is only after the route progresses and MC gets through to him, somehow managing to persuade him away from his false ideals, that Saeran redirects his Rage in a different direction: towards Rika and his father.

Just to clarify, the reason I bring up Another Story so much in this analysis when I said I’d only focus on the main story in previous posts is because we just never had the opportunity to see much of Saeran in the og game. These traits of his character do apply to who he is as a person, its just that we only get to see it in Another Story more. Its the same thing as looking at other character routes to build a characterization of the other RFA members. His main role in the narrative still takes precedent and it all still fits well with Unknown/Saeran.

Now that we discussed his Class and Aspect separately, let's summarize. A Muse of Rage would be one who Commands Rage for Others. A Muse could be subjected to anger and violence themselves (his abuse and neglect), he later goes on to have Command over Rage and violence himself as Unknown. He inspires Rage within others (The RFA), and Commands them through Rage and have them pit against each other. In Saeyoung’s route Yoosung voices his grievances about V after the bomb was revealved. Saeyoung begins to doubt too, and is frustrated that V is hiding information from him, losing all trust and incensed after seeing Saeran. Even Jumin begins to confront V about his absence and behavior. By doing all of this, the narrative progresses forward, Saeyoung and MC finally deciding to go to Mint Eye, where all truths are revealed.

[marshmallowprotection]

can i request V and Seven with a ray of sunshine reader who’s a horror artist and writer? like cosmic horror typa thing,,,, thank you,,,,,,

V has heard Jumin spend hours talking about occult media. It's not his first rodeo with this kind of content; it certainly won't be his last. He loves listening to his friend talk about these things even if it's not the kind of art he is interested in. It doesn't matter if you enjoy the trade you're talking about! What really matters is that you're listening to something that matters to someone you care about and that's the best thing you could do for somebody you love. 

So, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to wondering if he would even be interested in the material you create. He could spend hours listening to another person talk about their creative process and what interests them. Even if his personal interest doesn't correlate with yours, he understands that there is an opportunity to learn from that situation and he will eat up everything you have to say like it's breakfast. 

Since he is the kind of person who has been involved in the creative world for quite some time, it isn't strange for him to interact with somebody who doesn't match the art that they create aesthetically. He is not taking a back by seeing somebody who bright, frilly, or pink, enjoying something macabre. 

He's not surprised by that. More than anything, this is something he's come to expect so he's unbothered by this realization and more than happy just to take you at face value and enjoy everything you have to give. Be prepared to spend hours talking to him about what exactly it is that draws you to this style and be prepared to grill him the same way when he finally reveals what inspires him. 

Though, you should definitely expect him to get some amusement out of the surprise people have when they meet you and see your artwork for the first time. People might assume that he's the one doing it because he just has the energy, but he will be quick to point out that it is his talented partner. 

Saeyoung absolutely would lose his mind the second you tell him that you're someone who enjoys creating daring content that goes right against the grain of what people expect from you. He loves the idea of receiving whiplash from information as long as it's something that won't blow up in his face, and this happens to be one of those things in the best capacity.

This is just the kind of bait and switch he loves to use in the chat room against the others whenever he feels like he needs to lift their Spirits with a prank. He doesn't just do those pranks because he likes to be somebody who's funny, he does them because he likes to keep his friends on their toes and make sure they take care of themselves with a little bit of laughter or a little bit of tears, he is a.... sadist, after all. 

He just likes to make sure that they're getting enough interaction with the rest of the world and get to engage with something that might drive them a little nuts.

So, one of the things he would ask you about your artwork is if you would like to reveal that you are the artist by getting everyone to view your artwork first and let them debate who in the world could have created and cultivated these stories and paintings. I'm sure you've been in a position before where you've made something and people didn't expect it to come from you, so you get a hearty chuckle out of it. There is just something polarizing about somebody cutesy being able to stare at the macabre and not hesitate. 

Jumin loves it, by the way, if that wasn't obvious.

Saeyoung loves your creative passion. It really doesn't matter what you create or what you do, he is always going to be supportive and find the best way to make sure that you know he loves seeing you do what you have to do. Art is something that you have to do and if this is what continues to make you happy, he'll always be your cheerleader. 

[literarycollective]

*drops this here and scurries away*

[voon042]

I 🖤 Real Hiphop 🎼💯

Happy 50th 🎂🎼Hiphop

[natasha-in-space]

This new cg has me in a chokehold, so have some cute profile pics I made for me and my friends! I love them your honor 😭💕

Edit since I've gotten a few questions on this: these are free to use wherever you like!! Credit would be nice, but not mandatory <3

[sapphireicecream]

“Trauma, Obsession, Conflict and Reunion” 🌙☀️

[dustymop]

Chiikawa Messenger

[cowplant-snacks]

Vlad and Greg have a new house-visitor! I had so much fun using @gilded-ghosts' new set on @chere-indolente-plays' beautiful version of Greg's mom.

Bonus! Isn't she cute in wolf form too!

You can check out her home away from home here.

[favficbirthdays]

Happy Birthday

V (9th September)

Mystic Messenger

[kusukixcrystal]

MM Classpecting: V

Zen Classpect

Yoosung Classpect

Jaehee Classpect

Jumin Classpect

707 Classpect

Personality/General Info: His real name is Jihyun Kim. V is his photographer name. Extremely private and respects the privacy of others. If he has a secret he will keep it till the grave (literally). He is timid, a people-pleaser, and sensitive to the opinions of others. Loyal, so much so he was willing to stay with Rika even after she became twisted. Famous photographer. His family is rich. is Christian.

In high school, V's personality was apparently very different. Very similar to his father or Jumin: a pragmatist. He didn't see any value in abstract ideals, only on accomplishments pertaining to financial or social success. He changes after the death of his mother in Another Story.

The head of the RFA after Rika's 'death'. Rika was his fiance. Jumin is his childhood friend, who he cherishes, but he still hides secrets from him. Saeyoung and Saeran he cares about deeply, doing what he can to protect them. On good terms with Zen, and was interested in taking pictures of him. Yoosung and V have had a rocky relationship ever since Rika 'died'. Jaehee and V are pretty neutral.

Role in Narrative: Head of the RFA. Can be considered one of the antagonists, hiding all of Mint Eye from the RFA despite how much of a threat they have become. Covers up Rika's disappearance as a suicide. Dies at the end of SEs.

Active or Passive: He is Passive. he does things to benefit others, like helping the Choi twins escape their father, or still insisting that he can help Rika. Even Jumin considers him a push-over, bending to the will of others if they argue about the party date.

Classpect - Sylph of Life: One who makes Life, or makes through Life for others.

How this applies to V: Just like Jaehee??? Whaaa. But it makes sense considering what he does in the narrative. Sylphs fix and heal and try to keep things running. While Jaehee uses her Mind to keep C&R/RFA/Mint Eye mission running, V puts all of his efforts into trying to fix Rika on his own. All he wants to do is to meet the needs of other people.

Sylphs are meddlesome. V really meddles in the lives of others: The Choi Twins, Zen with getting him to join the RFA and being concerned for him when he gets in his motorcycle accident, Rika, etc. V knows what's happening around him, more so than most characters in the game, a trait shown within Sylphs. He is passionate about his interest in photography and shares this hobby with those he trusts, like Jumin or when he got Saeran interested in it. At the same time, he may alienate himself from those he doesn't trust like his father. Sylphs are known to be open to those they love and trust, and an enigma to those who are not within their circle. Though, in the events of Mystic Messenger he begins to become an enigma even to those he cares about. BUT, he does this for what he perceives to be for their own benefit. V acts for who he thinks is important to him: Rika, the RFA and Saeran. Though his 'help' is actually doing more harm to everyone involved, his methods and actions questionable.

This is what the Extended Hiveswap Zodiac has to say about the Life Aspect:

“Those bound to the aspect of Life are the universe's healers. They are concerned with the betterment of themselves and those around them, as well as the onward march of positive progress. Deeply empathetic, they have an intuitive understanding of other's suffering and the best way of righting those wrongs. If you're poisoned, chances are the Life-bound have something for what ails ya. This applies to both physical and mental suffering, though it might not be a cure you'll like. They also have the tendency to put other's needs before their own, which never ends well for anyone, because the Life-bound can grow bitter if they feel their own self-care has had to be shunted aside. At their best, they are great listeners, caretakers, and nurturers. At their worst, the Life-bound are passive aggressive, and pushy-they're certain they know best.”

I think Life also represents health, kindness, nature, positivity, and growth. Occasions where people are happy or celebrating (like a party) I also believe to be Life-coded, with its association to positivity and celebrations of life that you see in things like birthday parties.

The challenge seen within a Life bond is balancing helping others and themselves. But most importantly, there seems to be a connection between Life and privilege. In Homestuck, Feferi, Jane, and Meenah are characters we know are Life players. What do they all have in common? They are either princesses/heiresses, set to inherit great power and influence. They seemingly have to grapple with their position, and how that effects the way they interact with others.

How this applies to V: He starts his life in a position of privilege. His family is rich like Jumin’s, but it is all the more painful if he falls. V is heavily tied to Life because he is a Sylph. It has shaped him into the person he has become. He struggles to understand others, even if he has a better time than Jumin. He wants to understand and empathize with Rika, but has extreme difficulty. If you wanna bring Another Story into this, he doesn’t understand or empathize with his mother at first, having difficulty with it. It's because he has a hard time relating to others due to his background (also due to his father's influence). This is the struggle of a Life bond. Also, ironically, he loses his Life in the secret and multiple endings, more often than other characters. Another thing is that I think the Life bond fight against the status quo of society. Being one of the founders of the RFA, being a famous photographer, etc. He is fighting to make an impact on it, though he needs Rika and Jumin to implement all these things. He isn’t a social butterfly like Rika or business savvy like Jumin. So, he has big ideas but struggles with implementation.

As a Sylph of Life he creates Life for others. This seems to make him the ultimate healer, however that all depends on what he does with his Aspect. Life isn’t just about healing. Being one of the founders of the RFA party, he creates Life by setting up the date and making the party happen. His struggles as a Sylph is to not act on his opinions, and just waits by the sidelines. V talks about Life a lot, encouraging members to live it to the fullest. He tries to fix and heal often. With the twins he tries to create a new life for them, sending Saeyoung to become a hacker and entrusting Saeran with Rika. He is there the night Zen gets into a motorcycle accident. In Another Story we see that he helps Zen out by being his guardian in order for him to receive a surgery. Finally, by sacrificing himself and dying, he offers an opportunity for Rika to grow by witnessing his death.

When it comes to relevance, a fully realized Sylph can become one of the most powerful players in a narrative. However, if they are held back, they will fade away into obscurity. We see this happen to V in most endings in the game. In the Casual Story routes he barely appears in the chatroom in the first place, and when the route reaches its end V usually just... vanishes. Its because in the CS its not the main story, its not his time to shine. His role is to be a dangling question within the narrative until we get to DS/707 route/SEs. That is when he finally gets to shine as the Sylph of Life and we begin to understand his true motives.

We learn about the story of V and Rika in the SEs. How V wants to be her 'Sun', to fix her, and ultimately succeeds at the cost of his Life. After V's death, Rika seems to finally find happiness even in the state she is left in. Sylphs play a more supporting role, and in this case he is supporting Rika, giving her another chance at Life. It's tragic, but that is his role in this story.

Okay the only problem with V being a Sylph of Life is that its mentioned in Homestuck that Sylphs are a female only class. Though, I think the author retconned that and now there are no gender-locked classes. And... yeah I think this Classpect really suits V.

(Sorry I didn't discuss Another Story, but I think we see enough in the SEs to safely determine his classpect).

[marshmallowprotection]

can I request VAE Jumin and MC meeting him together at the party. i need VuminMC fluff 😔

Jihyun spent the better half of two and a half years trying to learn what it meant to be alive... and the worst half trying to find a way to show Saeran how to find a similar reason in a world that left him in a state of disarray.

It was both cathartic and rewarding at the same time. It was painful and devastating, but it was worth it. He knew it was worth it because he could look at the sky in the morning and see something beautiful for the first time in a very long time.

He stopped looking at the universe as something that was trying to force him to be something he was not.

Well, it wasn't the universe that was trying to make him be something he wasn't, it was him. He was the one who had misunderstood what it meant to be alive and to love. For the longest time, he'd been trying... to no avail, to recreate the devotion his Mother held for him to love a person dear to him, but that method failed him. It failed because he'd taken the wrong lesson to heart.

Love wasn't about devoting one's self until they burned out like a comet in the atmosphere.

Love was about being vulnerable and trusting your heart to another person. It was about looking another person in the eye with a gentle understanding but even if it could go wrong— as long as you were honest and communicated what you needed from your loved one the way you knew, things would always work out in the end. For better or worse. 

And more than anything, his letters shared with you and Jumin over the time he was gone reminded him of what it mean to not only love another person, but to be loved in return.

You were like a gentle fire that he could stroke with his fingertips. You were not the unbridled heat of the sun, you were a fire that kept him warm in the dead of winter. You were the essence of life itself and he was grateful that you smiled at him for the first time.

Jumin was the soothing tea in his hands as he leaned closer to the fire, his body mulling over the taste and slowly warming up from the inside out. He was a reminder that passion could be gentle and it was something he knew like the back of his hand, even if he didn't realize it had been there for him all along. 

It's why Jihyun couldn't control the honest tears in his eyes when you two found him in a quiet area after the party concluded, with none of the prying eyes in sight to see what was only meant for three eyes to share alone.

"What took you so long, Jihyun?"

"We've been waiting for you."

Yours and Jumin's hands were outstretched, warm and inviting, and all he could do was weep, weep and fall into two sets of arms like he always belonged there from the very beginning.