"Being an immortal can kinda suck… you know."
"…"
"Most of the time you get no one to speak to, no one can really understand your pain." I said to the skull in front of me as if it could answer, today was one of these days that I didn't like being a hungry nightwalker.
[Congratulations, host.]
[Quest: Suck twenty litres of blood in a single night, completed]
[Reward: A thousand mutagen points.]
[50% away from the system's upgrade, keep working hard in bringing desolation to this reality.]
"Ah... sure." I said... this voice in my head was as nefarious as always, I already got used to it, like a mad scientist that proclaims glory for his evil deeds, such as stealing a loli from a sad kid. And don't get me wrong, depending on what follows that can be extremely evil.
My sight moved once again to my companion.
"I'm sorry that you have gone through this, but… I realised that eating the entire corpse translates to more blood, moreover." I apologised to my little friend here, only a skull and some distasteful pieces of flesh remained from tonight's prey.
*Gulp*
"It is kinda delicious…" I said while swallowing my last munch of the night, this friend had been trying to abuse a woman around a corner, apparently, he was her stalker, something that happens more often than you might expect.
He didn't manage to though, sadly she ran away, I might have gotten some points with her if she didn't consider me an abomination, my thoughts drifted to my girlfriend and my lover as my hair waved with the slight air currents of this alleyway. I stood up with some joy, yet another one that won't talk, when the police come asking questions he will be here... silent.
'I'm going to have to clean my clothes again...' I thought while looking at my bloodied attire, it is horrible when this happens... I was having a passionate night with my girlfriend when the hunger stroke… we had a date and I couldn't be going around eating, hence… it accumulated.
The phone rang shortly after, speaking of the Queen of Manhattan, it is her... it has been two hours or so and I hadn't sent a message back to her, she's quite attentive, it almost feels uncomfortable for me that she is.
"Babe, did you arrive safely? why didn't you send a message? I have been calling you." She asked concerned, I could hear the noise of water flowing, she was taking a shower, possibly cleaning the residues of my scent in her body, she didn't want her parents to know her sexual life was already more than a little active with seventeen years of age.
"Yes, I'm home… I'll see you at school tomorrow, love you." I still wasn't used to this, we have been officially dating for a few months after half a year of 'playing' around... and as an abid ex-otaku, this thing of calling her 'babe' or 'sweety' wasn't my thing, her happiness showed itself whenever I used those terms though. Using an 'I love you' by the end of a call or at the beginning was as much romanticism as I could muster.
"Tonight was amazing... the date was wonderful and you were... wild~" We had just finished not too long ago and she was already starting to get naughty, alas... I had other priorities, like sleeping.
"And I loved you~" Confession for the win.
She hung up after laughing and telling me some sweet nothings, I received a picture of her naked in the shower with her legs wide open and her fingers opening her petals, it was positive feedback that told me 'I liked it' and just like that we were done for the day.
I sighed, it was difficult to believe that the same beauty had been bullying me for the last two years, with her ex-boyfriend, my life had changed so much.
My phone rang again and I could already tell who this was, my beloved teacher and lover.
She wasn't as expressive as my girlfriend, due to her status as a married woman she had to keep some of her conservativeness even to her lover, sending her lover and student a picture of herself in nightgown was already beyond the most 'sinful' thing she could have thought of, yet... she still sent it to me.
Her auburn hair brushed to the side, she was wearing a beautiful nightgown and her finger trailed one of her nipples that could be seen through, it was obvious she was looking for attention but something else blazed inside me instead.
"Why are you awake this late, teacher? you have work tomorrow... Is that for your husband?" I said... clearly not with a happy tone, it was already deep in the night, she was in her house and her husband was surely there too, why was she then wearing a nightgown?
She answered right after with an emoji, showing her tongue, "I had to correct some tests... you got a perfect score. Tomorrow after school, I'm free... I bought some lingerie for us and also, this... is this a good enough reward?~"
The naughty teacher sent me a picture, it was a ticket to a whole day at some local sauna and massage parlour, one of the most expensive in Manhattan... I loved and hated when she did this... she wanted to contest with Barbara, 'I can get you expensive things too...' that sort of mentality.
They were both different, my beloved teacher had to work hard for her money while my naughty girlfriend had rich parents... all she had to do was whine a little and just like that I got the most expensive PC on the market, and if that wasn't enough I also had to take her on an expensive date then fuck her to 'reward' her, I felt like I was rewarding myself.
I couldn't reject their gestures, all I could do was diligently save the money I got from these devoured crooks, and take a chunk out of my savings to make them some gifts, I wanted to buy a car for either of them, good ones, my teacher always came to school in the subway while Barbara took the bus, she was rich but she didn't like to come to school pretending.
That didn't stop her from using Nike, Dior and Louis Vuitton brands on every date we went to... well, girls. I was afraid I was going to need to get a Lamborghini to impress her... she wouldn't care but I wanted to impress her and her parents anyway, as for my teacher... her husband would start suspecting with anything big a gifted her... until I fully convinced her to divorce, it was better to play safe.
'Life is so difficult...' I had roughly half a million dollars saved from my escapades, hopefully, after reaching a million I would begin giving them proper things, for now... they'd have to take some rings, collars, kisses, dicking and be content with their lot, I was the man in the relationship and needed to plan for our futures.
Taking a few succession jumps I reached the top of a small building here in Manhattan, the night was as eerie as always, home sweet home. I began to consider if it was due to my vampire feromones or something of the sort that those two beauties were so infatuated, or perhaps my words...? all I knew was that everything was perfect.
Sitting on the edge of the building I took out a few tablets, they would help me sleep… I had already told my parents I'd be at my friend's house so… if I went back now they'd be suspicious and think I'm neglecting my duties, which isn't really wrong but being a vampire comes alongside having a nice memory which helps me in class and I'm always at the top, so… nothing about neglecting.
Who I am speaking to again? oh yes... since there is some system in my head like those novels that means there is also a reader or a player... so yes, you may be wondering how I reached this stage? it was an immense cliche-like development, some of those useless stories I used to read a lot instead of going around devouring hearts.
Some old vagrant showed himself in front of me after I helped him, goody two shoes as I was, I believed him to be homeless and perhaps, he was. The incident was almost a year ago but I remember it as if it had been yesterday.
After helping him he said something along the lines of 'finding a successor' and 'help him a little more' which I immediately acceded to… turns out the old coot took a harsh bit on my neck and the next thing I knew was darkness engulfing my consciousness, I passed out in the dark streets of Manhattan, nobody helped me.
I woke up the next day in the same spot, feeling a good headache... it seems people thought I was drunk. Long story short I became a vampire… something I only realised two days later… I, the fatso, was playing league of angels -that game not safe for work yes- I could play league of legends, but there weren't enough butts there... I played it in until I felt my stomach rumble… so much that it was actually painful. I immediately went downstairs to prepare something and devoured it like a hungry dog.
Believing that would be enough I head back to my room, the game had finished, sad… but it didn't take more than two minutes before I once again felt that hunger... way stronger than before.
I didn't know what was going on, having eaten three pieces of fried chicken should have fed me about enough, right? That wasn't the case and thankfully I decided to simply leave the house to buy something… if I hadn't done that.., perhaps my parents wouldn't be alive still.
During my trip, I was constantly attacked by hunger, as if every step sapped lord of my energy and rendered me even more hungry. I'm still ashamed to say that… before reaching the pizza parlour I turned around and fiercely took a good bite of the first person I saw!
That person yelled and pushed me away but the damage was done, I bit so hard that an entire chunk of flesh was removed, and that person fell to the ground, twisting while everyone looked at me as if I was some vandal.
Regaining my consciousness I realised my actions and ran… confused. Confused about why did that.. and more so, confused about why that person's blood was so delicious… like caramel.
…
My first days as a vampire were difficult… I had to struggle to decide on who to feed on. I might have been a loser but I was a very organised individual, my first actions encompassed experiments… I wanted to see how long I could stay without drinking blood and the answer was a single day.
I would need to drink blood every day, the discovery scared me and rendered another question… whose blood would I feed on? the goody two shoes me couldn't just go around drinking blood left and right from innocents… so I decided to drink blood from evil people, gangsters, abusers and so on... those that society wouldn't want anyway. I didn't see myself as justice, what can I say? I needed food and they were appetizing.
I still recall my first venture… deep in the night without my parents noticing I squeezed out of the house to towards the streets at about midnight… scared, not impulsed by hunger, but instead by logic… it was my first time going out that late at night on my own and moreover, my objective was harmless either... according to my calculations if I stayed another half an hour, the hunger would strike… I wanted to avoid being near my parents when that happened.
I don't know what the heck I was thinking, no bottle, no weapon... not even a damn pencil, I was unarmed... perhaps in my mind I thought I'd be like those cool vampires, the moment I saw my prey... they would be done. Here I was a sixteen years old fat boy going around looking for some crooks to eat, perfectly normal.
Walking down the bustling streets of Manhattan I was sure it wouldn't take long before human nature showed itself, and it did.
In a corner inside an alleyway, I saw several men intimidating and hitting on another man, if I dared to judge, he was the owner of a stall and they wanted to be paid for 'protecting it' clearly extortion, a perfect prey.
To summarise it for you… I was beaten down to a pulp so bad… that was the first time I realised I couldn't die… I mean… getting your skull bashed and mashed down should have been enough to kill me, yet I stood back up the next second as if nothing had happened, instead… something resonated in my mind.
[Blood meter decreased to 5%]
The more I kept standing up the more they bashed me, it was as if they were thinking 'how the hell can't we kill this damn kid?!' they thought they weren't hitting me that hard and that's why I kept coming back, but the blood on the ground said otherwise.
I didn't know what that was... that voice in my head… but I had played enough games to know what would happen when that meter reached 0%.
So… with renewed gallantry I fought those thugs when they were already tired from beating me up, guess what? I wasn't tired… it felt nice… not only couldn't I die normally, but their hits weren't that painful either, even when my skull was bashed I felt at most as if someone had just hit my head with regular strength.
Well, one thing led to the other and I ended up sucking all of their blood after getting bashed at least four more times, I knew that the blood meter would likely increase once I sucked blood so increasing it was my priority, It was an uncomfortable experiment, I noticed my maw had gotten quite stronger, so I used them to bite and tear chunks away from their flesh, that's when they knew they weren't dealing with just any kid.
They thought I was a psycho, little did they know I just liked caramel.
By the end, the bloodied thugs were terrified and wanted to call the police, how hilarious… I ate them and my 'Blood meter' was back at 100%.
Sadly, my hunger struck in the middle of it all, and I ended up eating the person I was supposed to save too, I don't know why he didn't flee when he had the chance, It pained me that perhaps he was trying to help me and that's why he stayed...
That was my first night, I felt bad but realised things wouldn't ever be the same… I needed to learn how to fight, my strength had increased but I didn't know how to use it. Like a proper karate kid, I needed to find a dojo…
Turns out there are no easy martial arts, and it took a while for me to decide on kickboxing… unsurprisingly or not my body changed quickly, and even my parents were scared, wondering if I was doing some extreme and unhealthy diet.
Weeks went by and I was beginning to truly enjoy kickboxing and hunting.
Everyone in school stopped laughing at me and instead looked at me wearily… my life changed one day, it is the day I learned the key to a successful life is a single thing: confidence.
During my period in high school, there was a particular bastard that woke up every day thinking about how he'd mess me up, I was bullied by a boy called Bryce Lars, and of course, his friends and the girl that would later become mine, Barbara Gooch.
Imagine your classic natural blonde tall beauty cheerleader, big pert up butt that lifts up her skirt, big breasts that can barely fit inside her shirt, make-up to become even more perfect and branded clothes, that's what she was, Bryce was the same but in a male version.
Your typical role-model American wealthy teenage couple, not anymore... I'd smash in between like a force of nature.
I guess during my entire change there was a point in which he felt threatened, I no longer looked weak, instead I looked like a handsome young lad, I became better at sports even when I wasn't really interested in it and girls started to look my way instead of his way, you get the gist.
He faced me in the main hallway of the campus, asking for money like always.... he even dared to say an amount this time, 500 dollars, as If any sixteen years old kid had that in their pockets, well, maybe he had them, but this bastard still dared to take money from others despite his wealth... you could see he was afraid when he popped up with all his six homies and even Barbara was standing there and glaring at me as if she could do anything once the fight broke loose.
The result was as you'd expect, I told you I would and I did. I broke through like a force of nature.
I 'broke' their self-esteem, I broke their arms and I broke some of their teeth as well... I broke their branded clothes, the only thing I didn't break was their money that I took, gotta keep those bills safe.
My glare was enough for Barbara to fall on her delicious butt, shaking as I devastated her boyfriend and friends, they weren't able to do anything, people wanted to get in and stop me but when they saw me handling six dudes... they realised no one could stop me and it was then that fear began, professors were called, three adult males were needed for me to finally calm myself, years of bullying... years of humiliation... they were paid that day.
It was as if something inside me awoke, not a vampiric power... instead, something in my psyche.
I got in trouble, my parents came to school, particularly my father, he scolded me in school, but once we left the school he was all smiling telling me that I did well in beating back the bastard that had been beating me up, something that my mother didn't appreciate.
That single event alone would mark my entire transformation, I had become stronger, faster but deep inside I kept being the same person, remaining on my computer watching manga and stuff whenever I had the chance... from that point on? not anymore.
I had gained confidence, now I could walk wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted... and not be afraid, the world suddenly turned small inside that room of mine, I need to explore what the outside had to offer.
The next day at school you could tell there was a new king. People made way for me, the girls started throwing winks, the table where I sat alone to eat was bustling with girls all of the sudden trying to talk to me about their ridiculous topics I didn't really care about... and I... spoke back to them casually... some of them even played the games that I played apparently, though curiously when I asked them some basic stuff they didn't know anything.
Yeah, it felt nice.
Meanwhile, Barbara remained beside a beaten-up Bryce... I wondered how he even came to school, I thought I left him with a foot on the grave. He concealed himself in a corner, far from me... Barbara too, when our visages crossed whenever we encountered each other, be it in the classroom or gymnastics, she'd evade my gaze as if all she could see was that disdainful glare that I threw her that day.
I hated to admit it, but Barbara was the school belle, there wasn't really a girl prettier than her by far... aside from my first days in school before I got disappointed by her, it was only now that my instincts seemed to have locked her as a 'target'.
But this target was still rather tainted in my mind... It took me a week to get the desire for her high enough to make my move during the time we were both selected to clean the classroom, I remember this incident happened before and I was beaten down by the bastards as Bryce took her away for me to clean the classroom by myself, the daughter of the Gooch Family shouldn't ever clean any classroom.
Ha!
Such a thing didn't happen this time obviously.
"I-If you want I can c-clean it on my own, you don't have to bother yourself, Daniel..." She said to me at that time, fidgeting, and moving her blonde aside in apparent 'fear'?... even saying my name, something that seemed to so bellow her before that she never even uttered it.
This time I had my confidence high enough to try something I always wondered if it worked, kabedon, she blushed madly and I could literally hear her heart palpitating furiously with my enhanced ears.
"W-What is it?" She didn't know if she should be afraid or excited, her womanly instincts were probably screaming for her to turn submissive if she wanted to survive and possibly strike a nice mate while she was at it, that said, her fear won and I could tell she was just scared that I was gonna punch her.
"We can clean it together..." Confidence or not I was not a casanova, if you expected me to throw a pun or something, you're clearly delusional.
Oddly enough those seemed to be the right words to use, she calmed down and we both cleaned the classroom together, I felt her gaze on me at all times, whenever our gazes met she deviated hers swiftly... I gritted my teeth; having the confidence to say something... but without knowing what to say, what could I say to the girl that had been verbally abusing me all this time? she just happens to be scared now...
The weather? too cliche... it was cloudy outside.
"You look handsome now... how could you change so fast? did you meet someone?" She was the first to talk, doing me a favour while sweeping the floor, her tonality indicated to me that she was afraid I wouldn't like that she interrupted our silence, awkward or not.
"I just decided to start working out and liked kickboxing." I said offhandedly.
"I see..."
"Why are you still with Bryce?" I asked this time and she frowned a little.
"Why wouldn't I be...? He's my childhood friend." Barbara carried on, but I could tell she didn't understand the motive of my question.
I certainly didn't expect that... a part of me believed she was just an attention seeker, she'd go ahead and allow her waist to be held by the most popular boy just for the attention she'd garner. Truthfully my reputation had increased, I was no longer intimidated and girls flocked to me left and right, but in school, Bryce was still the most appreciated, he was the captain of the football club which made the school prideful every year... he received a heavy blow indeed, but his previous achievements even if tainted by his arrogance, were still there.
Basically, I was the strongest tiger in the mountain, but he had a pack of lions... whoever dominated the mountain was still undecided as mere physical violence wouldn't earn you respect, it would just get you the girls.
Barbara didn't behave like the other girls, her boyfriend was beaten up, but she didn't leave him... it didn't necessarily mean she was happy with his current frightened self, but at least she was 'loyal'.
This detail increased my opinion of her slightly... we continued chatting through the time we spent cleaning the classroom. She apologised to me for her behaviour... saying that indeed, she considered me a loser and although she was never proactive in molesting me like the others... she also didn't try to stop it and for that, she apologised.
I didn't forgive her but it was something.
As a gentleman like my parents educated me, I offered to take her home and she accepted... then I asked for her phone number audaciously and she gave it to me, from then on... a fruitful 'friendship' would develop over the phone, to the point we basically wrote to one another first early in the morning and last through the night.
Who could have thought, Barbara Gooch liked rock... she liked martial arts and was delighted that I practised kickboxing, I even sent her some videos... she showed me some of the games she played on her phone when she was alone, who would have actually though... Barbara Gooch wasn't a big bitch as I thought her to be, instead... a constrained girl that couldn't really say what she liked... not even to her boyfriend.
Sure she and Bryce were childhood friends and she shared some of his interests, but he didn't seem to share any of hers... aside from sports that tactless bastard seemed to not care about anything else.
For the next few months, my reputation only increased while criminals continued to 'disappear' in the city... they disappeared inside my stomach. I became deadly in Kickboxing, the best in the dojo and decide to expand to Taekwondo after one of Barbara's advice, she said it was cool and that I should learn it, I agreed and gave it a try.
Around that time it was when I first heard it.
[You have a new quest, host.]
[Vampire Quest - Not Enough Blood: Devour 90% of blood from a single body that you devour.]
[Quest Reward: A hundred mutagen points (can be used for future system upgrades)]
[Progress until system upgrade 1%]
I was just assigned a 'quest' by this voice in my mind, mutagen points? what exactly did that old man give me? did he make me a vampire or a vampire protagonist of a game or novel? the latter didn't make much sense, moreover... why did he give it to me anyway? this thing rocks! I wouldn't want to give it to anybody!
Like the teenager I was I forgot about how common scams were and kept on enjoying my life.
In any case, I completed that quest the same day... it wasn't that difficult, I was already devouring flesh like a picky eater... I would cut down their heads to have a nice chat, then proceed to devour, you know... I was quite thankful that the quest didn't say 100% otherwise... would I have to eat their cocks?
Cocks, intestines and eyes were a nono... the hearts were particularly tasty...
Then I thought about eating a hooligan woman, there were plenty of them... you might think I'm some deranged bastard and I probably am by now, but you're seeing a disgusting corpse while I am seeing a human-sized caramel, there is a contrast there that you can't omit.
Anyhow, the next day the entire classroom had scheduled a nice parade in the local karaoke, prior I would be invited but not go... this time I decided to have a look to see what it feels like, there were some of the girls in the school that interested me aside from Barbara who would go as well.
Barbara and I had been talking over the phone, but our subjects never really touched Bryce, he also didn't seem to be aware that his girlfriend and I were now 'friends'... thought that barrier seemed to be growing progressively thin... I don't know at what stage your female friend sending you pictures in bikini is still 'friendship' she told me that she usually sent it to her friends to ask them how she looked, her 'female' friends... that shouldn't include me but somehow she did.
That night she texted me asking me if I was going to be looking for a girlfriend during the karaoke, it was perhaps the most straightforward question she has asked me, she'd usually be more... you know, beat around the bush.
Smirking I texted her 'yes' and she didn't say anything else after that... odd since we said we'd play league of angels but she didn't connect.
It wasn't a lie... I was going to look for a girlfriend in there, perhaps kiss one of them and take a step forward in my teenage life.
...
The next day after finishing school we all departed together to the Karaoke obviously divided into our chatting groups, I was with some boys and girls while Babara looked at me from far away within Bryce's group, there was this girl called Sarah Hews, she was probably the second prettiest girl after Barbara and she was all over me, the blonde didn't like that.
When we arrived at the place, well... I didn't know how to sing so, it was as expected... some people would laugh at me, some with amusement and some with the intent of humiliating me, particularly Bryce's group who apparently didn't spend enough time in the hospital. Still, surprisingly enough I didn't feel dejected, instead, I kept singing even if horrible; guessing this is what confidence does to a person, it transforms even your weakest moments into powerful displays. The girls laughed and called me 'cute'... Sarah in particular even hooked around my arm.
This girl wouldn't leave today without at last a single kiss and truthfully I also felt like kissing her at this stage, but Barbara's gaze... it was as if she was begging me not to.
The boys tried to not shame themselves while the girls instead seemed to be in a competition to see who sang better, I was surprised when Barbara sang beautifully and for almost the entire song her gaze was on me, everyone expected her to sing some mainstream pop song... but she didn't... she played one of the songs she liked and one of the ones she knew I liked... I think she looked at her boyfriend a few times because he was starting to get upset which merely made me laugh.
At some point, I decided to go to the toilet after being a little overwhelmed by the girls' attention, Sarah didn't seem to like Barbara's movements and she went full offensive, going as far as to touch my crotch even... after splashing some water on my face I departed the toilet, Barbara was there leaning against the wall of the toilet, waiting for someone.
"I didn't know you had some soprano in you." She said smiling upon seeing my silhouette, apparently, this girl also didn't know how to flirt, perhaps because guys always made the first move and this was the first time she was doing it herself, in any case, what Soprano? no one's eardrums broke and that was enough for me.
Once again I pulled out this marvellous technique, the Kabedon, it is a hundred per cent effective so why not use it? I was not blind, this girl wants me... I could choose between Barbara, the prettiest girl in school who was still Bryce's girlfriend... or Sarah, the second prettiest in our class who was single.
Barbara blushed and looked up at me before plucking out her lips... she wanted to be kissed, this was obviously beyond the 'friends' boundary... it was a breakthrough.
And... that was how I had my first kiss... did you expect someone to interrupt? thankfully it didn't happen or I would have eaten their livers, I savoured Barbara's lips clumsily... she was so eye-catchy and special, what boy wouldn't want her for a girlfriend? I couldn't easily forget her verbal abuse back then... she never hit me directly, but some words hurt more than fists.
Even then... I was still a boy who didn't have experience in the matters of love, never had a single girlfriend, for me, Barbara was too tempting. The wise choice was Sarah... but my senses were screaming for Barbara.
Kissing Bryce's girlfriend behind his back did certainly increase my confidence to another notch, enough for me to squeeze Barbara's butt as we kissed, she pushed me against the wall and leaned her entire weight against me.
She seemed to like it, it was like a button that I pressed and it made her tongue crawl out of the cave to enhance our experience.
For several seconds we continued, I kept squeezing her butt even bypassing her thong to grasp directly beneath her skirt, when her hand touched my crotch, we heard some steps and it was time to call it quits.
When the kiss finished we both cleaned our saliva and smiled, someone passed by, one of the girls, she looked at the two of us suspiciously but we merely greet her, telling her we'd be back right away. No words were exchanged regarding the previous mind-blowing kiss and we went back to the room.
My mind was clouded with the taste of her lips, it was my first kiss... with Barbara, the school belle, behind her boyfriend's back, the proactiveness with which she devoured my lips made me sigh in conquest, that girl was mine... our fate was in my hands, not hers... if feelings were to be measured, she had fallen more for me than me for her, I was the winner.
The evening continued, as usual, Sarah was sad, after that kiss, I could no longer pay attention to her. My gaze was on Barbara and her gaze was on me... when she spoke with Bryce all she said was 'Huh hu' she wasn't paying attention to that fool at all and she was brazen enough to send me a message on the phone requesting me to sing a certain song that we liked, she couldn't do it, it was one of those anime songs, her reputation would be shattered, not minding at all I did it and shamed myself, but she laughed warmingly and applauded me, everyone thought she was having pity on me, but... I knew that wasn't the case.
We all departed to our respective homes and colour me surprised. Deep in the night, I received a text from Barbara, presumably the moment she got home.
It was she, wearing her uniform but with her blouse wide open and her delicious breasts hanging by gravity, it was a selfie in front of her bathroom's mirror, she was blushing while taking that picture.
'Lovers?'
That was all she wrote together with a small heart.
I gasped, her breasts were beautiful but leaving that aside, she didn't even wait for me to suggest it... I merely smirked, not texting anything so fast in my life.
'Sure, lovers.'