#and then one day everything changed

[rmd-writes]

I challenged myself to write a holiday fic for each of my fandoms this year, with lots of fun tropes and Hallmark vibes for each of them. It was a stretch to get all three out in the time I gave myself, but eight weeks and almost 33,000 words later, I did it!

and then one day, everything changed

david x patrick | T | canon divergent au | 9,186 words | written for the Frozen Over Fest

All David wants to do is sign Marcy Brewer on to sell her amazing fudge at Rose Apothecary. Unfortunately for him, her very snippy, business consultant son gets involved. In an effort to win both Marcy and Patrick over, David invites Patrick to spend some time in the store and on a vendor trip. There’s snow forecast for the day of the vendor trip, but it’s Schitt’s Creek and it never snows. Right?

Make the Yuletide Gay

tarlos | M | college AU; fake dating | 19,694 words

“I'll be your boyfriend for Christmas."

Carlos stares at him like his brain is struggling to comprehend what TK is offering. It's a shared feeling, given that sometimes TK's brain engages before his filter does, and this is definitely one of those times. There’s no room for regrets, though, and he’s not really sure he regrets making the suggestion.

“TK,” Carlos starts softly. "What you're suggesting is— Well, it's a little crazy but also very generous. I can’t ask you to do that for me. It’s really too much to ask of anyone."

TK gets up off his bed and crouches in front of Carlos, his hands on Carlos’s knees. “Firstly, you're not asking, I’m offering. Secondly, consider it a social experiment, like the ones you learn about in class. Except this one directly involves you and me...as your fake boyfriend. You know, for science."

—

Fake boyfriends. For science.

We all know how this story goes.

you’re all that i need

firstprince | M | coffee shop AU | 3,992 words

“Alex.” Henry leans against the wall behind the counter with his arms folded, wearing a pale blue cable knit sweater with the sleeves pushed up and navy chinos. Alex wishes he wouldn’t because it only emphasises his forearms.

He crosses his own arms in response. “Henry.”

“Are you actually looking for a book?” Henry asks with a sigh. “Or are you just wasting my staff’s time?”

“That staff member is my sister.”

“I’m well aware,” Henry says drily. “Doesn’t change the fact that you’re probably wasting her time. Which book are you looking for?”

“Oh.” Alex grimaces slightly. “I’m not actually–” He exhales. “Hunter is in the coffee shop, so I got the fuck out.”

Special thanks to @pragmatic-optimist for betaing Make the Yuletide Gay, @celeritas2997 for betaing you’re all that I need, @welcometololaland for the unhinged comments in my docs (and so much more), and to @howtosingit for coming up with the titles for all of these fics, including the sc fic when he doesn’t even go there 💖

#schitt’s creek fic #schitts creek fanfiction #911 lone star fanfiction #911 lone star fic #tarlos fic #rwrb fanfiction #rwrb fic #red white & royal blue fic #firstprince fic #rmd writes #holiday fics #you’re all that I need #make the yuletide gay #and then one day everything changed #rmd writes: ls #rmd writes: sc #rmd writes: rwrb

[shartlock-holmes]

She’s a 10 but she listens to Christmas music every season

#she’s me btw #shitpost #Christmas #Christmas music #and then one day everything changed #you’re all I need #underneath the tree #real #silly #she’s a ten but #she’s a ten #i love women

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Lan Wangji Goes To Lotus Pier AU: Part 3: Enveloping Feelings.

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 4 (soon))

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #lan wangji #Yungmeng Jiang training arc AU #I wanted to try out a different paneling style for this one - sorry I'm a day late! (there will still be a post tomorrow to keep on track) #The original 3 panel comic idea was fine but the point of this new schedule was to take time to push myself a bit more. #I was taking a look back through some comic artists I felt inspired by #and I really loved how Lynda Barry fills her gutters with patterns and doodles! #Obviously I'm not going as absolutely wild with it as she does but it was a great exercise! #I truly think the gutters are the most important and most overlooked part of any comic. There's lots going on in that space. #It's the same with timeskips. The implied movement between moments that we don't see changes depending on how wide that gap is #You're here for the funny tags so here's some that ties this time talk together: #I think LWJ was thinking about that second note from day 2 but it took him 7 days of hazing to commit it to paper. #I think he sends it a day later and immediately regrets it. Chasing down the messenger and everything. #You know if something actually happened to his brother he would never ever forgive himself for putting the bad vibes out there. #Third time skip was the hardest because there was so many possible flavours of jokes here. Day 8/9 was a personal favourite. #day 14 was also funny (week by week). I think the debate on 'how long does lwj take to catch feelings' is more or less: #'how long does it take for him to arrive at a particular stage of grief and yearning (and awareness of it all) #This is a symphony. There is an act by act structure. Every day he is fighting to keep his old sensibilities. He is losing so badly. #(I'll be returning to the main comic soon but there is more of this AU to come!)

[sukunasweetheart]

Thinking of breakup angst with sukuna...

Thinking of the build up towards it, the way you have been fighting over the littlest things for months now

It leads you to think about how self centered he can be, how you always feel like you loved him more than he loved you and how crushing it felt to have that realisation fall upon you every time

He can be so career focused sometimes, with the long business trips, work parties, etc. always working vehemently to get higher, threatening to leave you behind

And one particular night, the argument gets so heated that you dont get a wink of sleep afterwards, only staring blankly at nothing as you try to calm the chaos in your head. Sukuna heads out without a word the next morning, and you make the final decision in your head, alone, by yourself.

By the time sukuna comes back home with the intent of reconciliation, he finds that youre packing the remainder of your belongings into a suitcase in the bedroom, ready to move out of his home.

"what the fuck is all this?" he asks, his tone coming out harsher than he means it to be.

"what do you think? i'm breaking up with you. i'm moving out," you can barely stop your voice from wavering. you've cried too much this week.

"oh, come on. you know you don't mean that," he reaches out to grab your arm, but you withdraw away from his hand so fiercely that it even surprises him.

"don't you talk to me like that," you speak firmly, "like i'm being dramatic. why won't you ever treat me seriously? i am leaving, sukuna."

you continue your work, neatly folding up some of your shirts. you're already almost finished. he looks around, and the house looks half empty.

oh. you really mean it. you're really trying to leave.

"no, you're not. you're not leaving. not after everything we've been through together," he tells you defensively, grabbing your wrist, stopping you from folding your last shirt, trying to get you to look at him again.

"like what? constantly yelling at each other until our throats are sore? i'm really sick of it. and i'm sure you are, too."

"don't put words in my mouth. i may have gotten sick of our fighting, but i've never gotten sick of you," sukuna hisses, refusing to let you continue packing your things. you feel yourself getting swayed by his words.

"well, i am. i've gotten sick of you," you say quietly through gritted teeth.

"oh yeah? say it to me properly then. look at me dead in the eyes," he demands, voice getting lower.

"you heard me. i don't need to say it again." you pull away from his grip and try to get this last shirt folded. he grabs you again, by the hand this time, and the piece of clothing unravels once more.

"no, i didn't hear shit. convince me that you really want to leave me - and i'll let you go."

in a fit of anger, you turn to face him completely, but your resolve crumbles away when you see his expression. not the one you'd assigned to him in your own mind, but his true features, under the bright bedroom lights.

he looks serious. he looks concerned. he's asking you to tell him it's not true. tell him that you want to stay.

"...let me go. i'm leaving..." you say, voice finally breaking. like a broken faucet, your eyes begin leaking tears relentlessly and your throat closes up in that painful way that you hate, but nothing compares to the pain in your heart at the thought of really breaking up with this man here and now.

he lets you go...

and calmly takes your things out of the suitcase to put them back. you didn't miss the relief in his eyes that showed up for that split second.

"bring it back! i hate you," you attempt to raise your voice, but really, it's only just your ego speaking.

"you can't even say that you hate me in the correct tone. we're not breaking up," he mutters, hanging up your coats and putting them into the closet.

having been defeated, your legs give way and you sit down on the side of the bed, sobbing.

through the blur of your tears, you watch as he meticulously goes through your suitcase, putting everything where they belong. and you sob harder. he knows too much. he arranges your creams, perfumes and accessories in the perfect order on the dresser. he spends a good fifteen minutes, putting all of your belongings back where they should be.

and by the time he gets back to you, he's like a different man. the mattress dips from his weight as he sits next to you, bringing a box of tissues with him to wipe your tears away.

"we can talk tomorrow since we're both tired today," sukuna tells you as he dabs your eyes with the tissue, "i'll take the day off." you just sit still without responding. now that he mentioned it, the fatigue seems to fall upon you suddenly, like a brick. he coaxes you under the sheets.

soon, you find yourself in bed, in his arms. it's been a while since the two of you had cuddled so intimately. you feel oddly shy, the same way you did all those years ago when you first started dating him. there's a special kind of warmth that sukuna's body emits - and you're surrounded by it under these blankets.

"i'll try to do better... so don't go anywhere," he speaks with a softer tone.

because, it's true, he can't imagine living a life without you.

those are the last words you hear before you drift off to sleep.

the next morning, he's still in bed with you, and you're pleased to see he kept his word about taking the day off. checking the mirror, you're horrified and embarrassed about your swollen eyes from all the crying last night.

sukuna takes a look at you and chuckles without ill intent. but in your flustered state, you slap his arm until he's saying "my bad, my bad" in between laughs.

there's still some awkward tension between you and him, but going through breakfast together seems to melt some of that away, until you're ready to bring up yesterday's event.

it goes better than you'd expected, and after the discussion, the only thing that's left is to wait and see whether things will change for the better or not. whether his promises are empty or not.

"i didn't realise that you were so lonely. 'm sorry," he apologises as he plays with your hand, "i may work a lot, but you're always on my mind, doll."

it's like a huge weight off your shoulders.

and he begins to be more like his playful self again, after the talk.

"i'll need you to tell me that you love me today. since you told me you hated me yesterday," sukuna says with a smirk, hugging you from behind.

"well, you need to earn it," you shoot back, rolling your eyes.

"alright. will you say it back if i say it first?"

"sure."

"i love you."

"..."

"now that's not fair, is it?" he tickles you without mercy.

you burst out in laughter, thrashing around uncontrollably, trying to push him away.

"okay, okay! i love you!" you tell him in between breaths.

seemingly satisfied, he lets you go and pushes his face into the crook of your neck. he'll never let you go.

the following day after work, sukuna comes home earlier than usual, and he doesn't wear a grumpy expression in front of you. he greets you with a hug and kiss. it's a small gesture, but it makes you happy.

and slowly, the relationship begins to rekindle itself.

#crazyy how everything changes overnightt hahaha #blame it on the power of communication #my sensitive ass cant handle breakups or prolonged conflict so i had to make it cheesy at the end sorryy #maybe one day i'll be able to post proper heartbreak haha #sukuna #sukuna x reader #ryomen sukuna x reader #soft sukuna #jjk x reader #sukuna x you #jujutsu kaisen x reader

[clown-demon]

Nikolai had hardly gotten any sleep. He was way too excited for today. It was the day of their wedding. And the Earth was smiling upon them because it was a beautiful day. It was warm out and sunny.. Perfect for their day.

He got up and saw everything Dazai had bought him. His cheeks dusted pink. He placed the tickets in a safe place. He was quick to freshen up and get dressed. Then darted downstairs to make breakfast. It'd be weird not to get ready with Dazai for the day, but.. he still had kids to take care of.

@kitxkatrp

#kitxkatrp #hey put on a happy face; then everything will be okay / Nikolai #I don't wanna live a day without you; I just wanna be the one that makes you happy /nikozai #Take it back to the start; I've had a change of heart / ADA v.

[cemeterything]

i'm not that worried about tumblr becoming unusable just yet but if/when it does die i am going to be genuinely sad because i've found and developed a community on here and have a place where i can be honest and feel like i belong even when there's nowhere and no one else i feel i can turn to, and i've spent so much time on here that it will, for better or for worse, leave a hole (lol) where it once was when i finally have to pack my things and go. even if i archive my blog, it'll be the end of a period of my life that i put a lot of effort into and got a lot of joy out of, and which shaped some of the ways i've grown and changed and discovered myself as a person. even if there are new communities in my future, both online and irl - which i'm sure there will be - i'll still miss the time i spent here and the people i spent that time with.

#🐉 #change is inevitable and everything will die one day and im okay with that but its easier to say that #when that end point seems more distant lol

[ruporas]

studies from the finale

#nicholas d wolfwood #meryl stryfe #trigun #trigun stampede #honestly the grand highlight. #anyway i think i ... drained all my thoughts of ep12 on saturday. i was like... all day drawing stuff for that episode and then circling #those thoughts but mainly #im just excited for season 2. im so so excited for s2. AND IM EXCITED FOR.. all of the steady appearance of trimax stuff again #like when they recited quote to quote of vash and knives conversation when they were on their way up to space #the i'll keep running and after 150 years this is what you have to say godddddd #GODDDDDD i felt so much in that moment. GODDDDDDD #IM REALLY EXCITED... because i dont know what to necessarily expect from s2 too. there is a LOT of setup that happened in s1 and it #will fundamentally change how we view the characters and their relationships to one another i think? especially the main trio and #and and and and MILLLLYYYYYYYY GAHHHHHHHH IM SO EXCITED FOR HER!!! MILLY!!!!!! we all knew she was coming back. it was only natural. #i really hope they keep as Much as they can from the original design. ESPECIALLY HER PERSONALITY. god. do not take away her personality. and #do not take away her bigness i will CRY. but overall im happy the og 4 are going to be back and theyll be closer than before bc of all they #experienced together.... and ahhhh everything with knives... vash and his eriks arc.... #im rambling again but there's obviously a lot of hype there...eughh eughehu i love trigun so much i love love love love trigun #ruporas art

[bluerosefox]

The (Not) Normal One...

So

I LOVE the stories where Danny is deaged and later found by one of the bats and taken in as a son or he's Bruce's bio son and is either Damian's twin or half brother or little/big brother BUT I don't see a lot of reborn/reincarnated Danny into the batfamily (I can think of two but one of them he is Dick's son?clone?somewhat clone? And the other is an amazing story where Danny is reborn as Jazz and Jason's kid and I love it to bits)

So let's change that a bit and have some fun.

Here's the idea

Danny, either from finally aging to his death (it was slow and long aging but he is still partly human too don't forget that) or dying at the hands of GIW (or by his parents if we go the Bad!Fentons route), is reborn into the batfamily.

He could either be Bruce and Selina's kid after they finally tie the knot, or be a one more attempt by Ra's or Talia to get the heir they want but is immediately found out when Tim notices certain labs active and they find baby Danny. OR Danny can be an oops baby to Bruce's one night stands OR one of the batboys baby. EITHER WAY, Danny is reborn into the family from the start.

And he has his memories. (He has little hints of his powers btw, they dont fully come in until his 14th bday)

And his new family all swear to give him a proper and happy childhood (as best as they can seeing how it's Gotham)

Only I want Danny milking being a baby then toddler/kid and later a teen for all its worth. He's going to enjoy this new life with everything he gots.

Like imagine the chaos and shenanigans he gets into as a toddler. He's the king of hide-and-seek. He uses his tears to get away from whoever annoys him. He's mastered the puppy dog look to get away with things (it holds no effect on Alfred though, man is immune to all tricks).

But then of course there's the... odd things that happen around him. Sometimes they catch him talking to no one. Sometimes they spot a ball or a toy rolling to Danny despite him not touching it. Sometimes they think they see or hear someone in the room with Danny only to go busting in to find nothing. (One time someone busted his nursery door down they heard on his baby/toddler monitor the distorted voice of a woman singing him a lullaby (it was Martha who was soothing him to sleep after a tiny nightmare, boy was Bruce not ready for one of his kids to hum the tune in the morning)).

Danny asking for an extra drink and the newspaper after Bruce is done before he runs off to one of the many sitting rooms the manor has. There he leaves the drink and the newspaper near a chair, hops into another chair nearby and chats to someone (they all think its his imaginary friend but that honestly doesn't explain why the drink seems to slowly disappear without anyone touching it. (btw its Thomas, Danny is talking to they like chatting in the morning)

OR when Danny gives hints to cases his family is working on, how he knows? No one knows. Sometimes they chalk it up to a kid randomly saying stuff or seeing it from a different simple outlook but sometimes it seems a little too on the nose and they think Danny might know about their night jobs... (He does know, but he gets some info from Lady Gotham who visits him and gives him little hints to pass onto her fav Knights)

Basically what I want is a reborn Danny trying to get a decent childhood/teenage years before his powers kick in full swing, his family trying the same but they got no idea about the powers (maybe), and ghosts like to visit Danny. The shenanigans that follow will be amazing.

#danny phantom #danny fenton #dp x dc #blue rambles #batman #crossover #writing ideas #random idea #danny phantom dc #dp x dc crossover #Lady Gotham is a regular visitor to the manor since day 1 #Danny respects the heck out of her and drops everything to chat with her when she comes over #it confuses the others when suddenly he stops playing with them and goes to sit in random places and speak to the air #he has to be sneaky about the talks once he's older cause he really doesn't wanna be seen as crazy though #Martha and Thomas still 'live' at the manor but aren't strong enough to really show themselves #that starts changing with Danny around #his natural halfa state and powers kinda fill the space/manor with more ectoplasim #One time Danny got lost or kidnapped but escapes with Lady Gotham's help who shields him the entire time he's on the run #again Danny does have powers but they are no where near powerful yet #at most he can disappear from sight for a bit #phase into walls if he really tries #and floats in the air for a bit #if he's in danger there is a chance he can tap into the stronger stuff however #He may had frozen Joker into place when the clown went after him and triggered his fear when he was a toddler #the batfamily really want to let Danny have a childhood and are willingly ignoring some of the weird stuff #but sometimes things get a little too weird #they think he might be a budding meta though #is this silly? yes #do I want this to be a thing? Heck yeah #reborn danny

[thronealigned]

no it's fine this mind flayer is totally my friend and 100% honest with me all the time it's ok it likes me everything's so normal

#bg3 spoilers #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #i love how raphael directly calls you out on this. 'if id have known you were so gullible i wouldve tricked you into selling your soul for #a bowl of beans when we first met' #and then just keeps insulting you more if you keep insisting emp's really your ally #oc: impulse #sure this'll go in their tag #everything about impulse's Thing with the emperor is so funny to me. and then deeply fucked up if you think about it long enough. and then #really funny again if you think about it even longer #one day i'll do their 2.0 playthrough so i can fully form all my thoughts. and get better screenshots and the ceremorphosis ending #i mean there's nothing stopping me from loading an impulse 1.0 save and going ceremorphosis from there but idk it'd feel wrong #impulse has more tadpoles in their brain than synapses by act 3 and it does really fundamentally change them as a person #tfw your chaotic neutral act-first-ask-questions-never no-impulse-control 17 CHA bestie becomes one of the most detached calculating people #you've ever met. all their old casual wit and humor is still there but they think before they speak now and that really shouldnt feel as #sinister as it does. they have this look in their eye and it feels like they view everyone around them as lesser beings #not because they view other people as subhuman or worse than they are but because they view themself as something *more* #if they have any raw unfiltered emotion left you haven't seen it in weeks. there's one person(?) who gets Unrestrained Feelings privileges #and it's the fucking illithid that lives in their mind and not any of their actual non-monster normal-ish-person friends. that human #connection is fading so fast now. when did they change so much? it happened so slowly in the moment but suddenly now they seem like they #were never the person you became friends with at all #and like impulse is a pretty selfish person from the start but they *did* genuinely like and care about the rest of the party. they were #friends. and by the end of act 3 that friendship should be the deepest and most meaningful it's ever been. but. it just isn't. #so on and so forth etc etc like that. All That Bullshit makes their relationship with lae'zel so interesting (and upsetting) too #they encourage her to side against vlaakith and then they never even try to free orpheus for her and her people's sake. they never even #think about it. they never consider it as an option. they just don't care. and then they EAT HIS BRAIN. #very possibly RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER. #and she's just left adrift. a rebel with no rebellion to lead and very little hope #i'm unwell. #ok i'm done this is a silly meme post. but god i have so many thoughts i have barely been keeping contained

[stuckinapril]

my GOD I love science. i love chemistry. i love medicine. i love my life

#so happy to have made the choices I have #even if somehow something changes I never want this love for science & learning beaten out of me #no matter what I always want to treasure everything I’ve learned #one day I will be 70 at the library hunched over a book w lip gloss on bc the pursuit of knowledge never ends #and we are so fortunate for that #p

[xejune]

posting this as a rebloggable WIP for now because it's going to be a while before i finish this one :')

#one day. one day i'll get back to you #in the meantime #[looks at my WIP folder. looks at my school work. looks at everything else] #haha. ouch #the witcher #art #the witcher books #geralt of rivia #gerlion #dandelion #mer!dandelion #although that might yet change #my art

[jae-birde]

(Please click for detail, i worked hard on this)

A redraw of a piece I did a few months ago for Perc'ahlia Week, and I decided that today would be the perfect day to share!

(My original version can be found here if you wanna compare)

#i'm really happy with how this one turned out! #i can definitely see the improvement between the past 4 1/2 months #i am very proud of this redraw #also #happy valentine's day y'all! #have a perc'ahlia. as a treat #the colours and designs and everything changed a bit #but i'm def happier w/ this one #so yeah #redraw! #perc'ahlia #vex'ahlia #percy de rolo #percival fredrickstein von musel klossowski de rolo iii #perc'ahlia my beloved #cr #critical role #campaign 1 #cr fanart #critical role fanart #jae's art

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Names revealed and returned. (context)

[First] Prev <--> Next

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #red vs green saga #ouyang zizhen #jin ling #lan sizhui #lan jingyi #Nameless red disciple #*Tin can crumpling sounds* #[The Nameless Red Disciple] has forfeited their name. Ouyang Zizhen is green now. #Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll! Everyone campaigned very hard! I am glad to see the final result was rather close B'*) #Nameless red disciple is sticking around still but to a lesser extent. They need to go on a gender quest now #I hope most people saw the red vs green poll. Or else this is even more wild and wacky than intended #This comic changed so many times and I'm still not sure it's as funny as I hoped it would be...oh well. #Jin Ling may one day need to go on his own gender quest but thats many years in the future #for now JL is so out of the loop on everything. He is aware gay people exist and thats it #I was looking back at old comics and noticed that LSZ and LJY were frequently standing drawn very small in the bg reacting to things #so heres a little throwback to that era B*) #This fills in for the part where the juniors fight the living corpse hoard. So there's at least a sliver of canon timeline going on #We're getting so close to the end of season 1! In retrospect I have spent too much time on this arc *even with* cutting out several comics #it's all a learning process!

[alpacacare-archive]

everything stays

#repostober #day 29 #undertale #papyrus #gaster #dadster #not enough babybones papyrus and dadster. i am here to change that #i listened to so many melancholy songs while drawing this i can hear them when im looking at it #gosh #yes one of them was everything stays by rebecca sugar it makes me cry

[captain-astors]

Creature. (The rendered ones are referenced from manga panels)

#mediocre art #tokyo ghoul #On some level I think I should like Kaneki more than I do but there's this weird sense of detachment #I have not only from him but being able to perceive him as a character? #I don't even dislike him it's just that I can't feel any which way about him at all. He's a catalyst for events #feels more like the conch from Lord of the Flies or something rather than a fictional person. #He doesn't suffer and learn from the consequences #he just suffers and does what got him there again. It's arguable that the lack of punishment denies him the satisfaction #but if that's the case why does he end the story with everything working out perfectly for him? #Why do his friends oblige his flaws and accept his lack of change? #Is the problem my lack of understanding or his lack of good writing? #Is he well written? #Why do I like a certain character from a different anime who's a very similar person with very similar dynamics #but with a goal and acceptance by himself and those around him that his actions really are reprehensible and cannot truly be atoned for #not only more but to the point that he's actually one of my favorites? #Am I just sitting upon a throne of entitlement #because his thought process and experiences are not catered to be applicable to and understood by myself? #GOD IF I KNOW ANYMORE #I'm not pressuring myself to like him or anything I just don't understand anything about kaneki these days and I don't know why

[clown-demon]

@kitxkatrp

"Of course! Give me give me~" He excitedly answers, beaming as he sniffs the amazing scent of his Husband's cooking. "Feed it to me?"

Nikolai took the tart out of the foil onto his finger tips. He offered the bite sized tart to Dazai's lips. When the other would open his mouth, he would gently slide the tart into his mouth.

It would be delicious.. not only did it have custard, but some seasonings that flavored well with the cod in the tart. An explosion of flavor.

#kitxkatrp #I don't wanna live a day without you; I just wanna be the one that makes you happy / NikoZai #Hey put on a happy face; Then everything will be okay / Nikolai #Take it back to the start; I've had a change of heart / ADA V.