OMORI - panic
YN? Where are you? YN! Are you alright? What's wrong? ...Oh. I see. You're panicking, right? Alright. First thing's first, are you alright if I touch you? If you're finding it hard to speak, let's say holding one finger up means yes, two means no, and three means I don't know. Ok? One? Alright, is this ok? If not, you can say so.
...Alright. So, I feel like this sometimes too, and I'd like you to know that your feelings aren't wrong. It is not weird or wrong for feeling panicked, and it's not bad to cry when you're upset. But, it's always important to breathe, or you can lose yourself sometimes. I know that for sure. So, I'm gonna lead you through some breathing exercises now, is that alright? That's good to hear.
So, there's this tactic I like to use here. Can I hold your hand, please? No? That's perfectly fine, I'll just use mine for now. You see? So, on my hand, I have five fingers. My fingertips represent breathing in, the spaces between represent breathing out. Do you understand so far?
Alright, next, you take the pointer finger of your other hand and you touch it to the tip of your thumb. Then, you follow the shape of your hand with your finger, do you think you can do that? Good, there we go, nice and slowly, trace your whole hand. Now, can you do that again, but take a deep breath in every time you move your finger upwards, and a deep breath out when you move it down again?
There we go, you're doing wonderfully. In... and out. In... and out. I'm so, so proud of you, you know. Alright, just keep doing that, dear, and I'll be right here with you until you feel better. Because feelings like this come and go, you know? You may not feel 100% happy all the time, but that's alright, because you're getting there bit by bit. Just keep breathing, now... I love you.
(DREAM) KEL - anger
Hey, YN, love of my life! How're you- Whoa, hey, no need to get aggressive on me! What'd I do to- Ah, I see what's going on. Can I come any closer, or will I end up hurt at all? You know I don't want to risk my devilishly good looks getting ruined, heh. Alright, so can I? Cool. So... you're clearly angry about something. D'you wanna talk it out? No? Is it because of me? No again, huh? Well, that's a relief. Hey, when I'm mad, I like to go on walks! Do you wanna walk with me? Alright, cool! Let's-a-go!
So, you're mad. That's ok! I still love ya, and I won't stop loving ya 'till the day I die! Oh, right, anger. When I'm on walks like this, I try and find a place to sit down, like right here! Come on, sit with me! It's always so beautiful here, isn't it? Well, anyway, Mari taught me this trick! She called it the '5-4-3-2-1 grounding tactic'. Have you heard of it before? Nah? Well, it goes a little like this!
So, look around, and name five things you can see! It can be anything, like that bunny, or that plant, or that random stranger... I think I still owe him money, actually, please try and be quiet... or even me! You got five things? Cool, what are they? ...Well done!
Now, next up, name four things you can feel! I sure as heck can feel this grass... it's really itchy, isn't it! What are they, tell me! ...Oh, I never would have thought of that, that's a good one!
I'm gonna be quiet for this one: three things you can hear! It's really nice to stop and listen to the birds and stuff here, sometimes there's actually music- Right, I'll shut up. Got 'em? Nice!
Almost done, two things you can smell! Got it! That was fast, you're a master already!
And my favourite one, one thing you can taste! Here, I'll make this one easy for ya. Mwah! There we go, it's me! Alright, are you feeling better now? Awesome, that's good to hear! Now, let's get back, Hero was baking last night, and I refuse to miss out!
(DREAM) AUBREY - guilt
Hellooooo, YN! I'm here! YN? YN, what's wrong? You know you can talk to me, right? ...Oh, guilt, I see. Guilt is a powerful emotion. No, don't do that, we're gonna address this guilt together, okie-dokie? Ignoring guilt is a bad, bad thing, you know. Like all other feelings, guilt can build and intensify, making you feel worse and worse!
So, let's start simply. How long have you been feeling guilty? Geez, that long?! Why didn't you say anything! You know you can trust me, right? ...Sorry, I shouldn't be yelling at you. Now, the best way to get over this is for you to first figure out why you're guilty. So, I'd like it if you just said to me 'I feel guilty because', and then telling me what's up. Ok?
Alright, a good start! So, I want you to know that feeling guilty is completely normal, and completely alright too! But, if you just try to ignore it, it gets worse and worse! Next up, I want you to say sorry. No, not to me, to whoever you hurt. You don't have to say it now, of course, but at least coming up with what to say is a good plan. Alright? Here, write it down.
Alright, do you have it? Wonderful! Then, tomorrow, we can go talk to them together, alright! Next part! I want you to stop feeling so awful! You made a mistake! Mistakes don't make you a bad person, YN! Everyone messes up! I mess up, you mess up, Hero, Kel, Mari, Basil and Omori mess up too! And guilt can make you talk down on yourself, but that won't make anything better.
Remember how I made you write the apology? You deserve the same kindness! So, I want you to forgive yourself. Take a deep breath, and forgive yourself. I love you so much, you know! And it's upsetting to me to see you like this, ok? So, forgive yourself. It doesn't matter how long it takes, as long as you try, alright? Cos I'm always rooting for you.
(DREAM) HERO - stress
Hey, YN, have you seen my- YN, are you alright? You seem kind of stressed out there. Want some help? I have been known to give good shoulder rubs, not to brag. Alright, cool, turn around and talk me through it! I'll see if I can help. Oh! I'll boil the kettle first, and I'll make you a warm drink, it always helps!
...So, you've been overworked, huh? I understand that. I've been overworked too before! Do you know how hard it is to babysit Kel, Aubrey and Omori all at once? Well, maybe not Omori, he's fairly responsible... But still! Relax, and I'll tell you a story really quickly!
So, Kel, Omori, Aubrey, and I were wandering around Pyrefly Forest once, and I had to keep an eye on them all the entire time because I'm the oldest. But, something you may not know about me is that I am terrified of spiders, and it's infested up there! So, I was trying to look after everyone in a dangerous forest full of spiders, and everyone, especially Kel and Aubrey, was stumbling into trouble, and I got quite stressed out. It was chaotic!
And you know what I did? I took deep breaths all day, and I had a warm bath and a cup of herbal tea when I got home. And that helped me out quite a bit. ...Hey, just a question, what time do you normally go to sleep? That late?! Really? Alright, you know what? I have an idea.
Here's the plan: you go to the kitchen and get yourself a slice of cake, because you deserve it, my darling, I'll go run you a warm bath, then I'll leave you alone until you get out and dressed again, and you can sleep in my room with me tonight. How does that sound? Nice! I'll get that running now! The cake is on the counter, made today by yours truly. And don't forget that I love you, okay?
(DREAM) BASIL - fear
H-hey, what are you doing here? Are you alright? You look kind of scared... Do you want any help? Alright, ok, I'll just sit down here. You're afraid of something. That's ok! I get scared too. Q-quite a lot, actually, hehe.
Anyway, we're all scared of something. But if you let it just stay there inside of you for too long and you don't do anything about it, it can spiral into a worse phobia! Hero has arachnophobia, Omori had arachnophobia, aquaphobia, and acrophobia, and I kinda have Athazagoraphobia too! Omori's faced his fears, and he's alright now. But Hero and I are still working on it.
So, when I'm scared, there's something I like to do. I write it down on a piece of paper first. Here, I have a notebook somewhere... Ah, here! Right, so you write it down. Just 'I'm afraid of blank' or 'I'm scared because blank', you know? Alright, got it!
Now we fold the piece of paper up... and get rid of it. What do you want to do with it? We can cut it up, burn it, bury it, drench it with water, anything like that! ...Oh, good choice. That's my favourite way. Let's go do that now!
Alright, before you do that, look back at it. Can this thing hurt you right here, right now? It can't, right? Look around you. You're completely safe. Just breathe. Ready? Ok, three, two, one... There you go! It's gone now, isn't it? It can't hurt you now. H-hey, YN? I just want you to know that I love you, and I'll always be here to protect and help you, ok?
MARI - grief and loss
YN! Over here! It's Mari! ...Are you alright? Do you want to talk? You're grieving? It's ok. Can you tell me who it is? You don't have to, it's alright if you don't- Ah. Come here, sit down with me.
You miss them, don't you? Omori was suffering through some loss four or so years ago, and he always asked for my help. Who it was? A-ah, I can't really say... Just believe me when I say that things will always get better! They may never be completely amazing, but they'll be better nonetheless!
Alright, YN, honey, c'mere. There we go, it's ok. I love you. We can just cuddle for a while. ...I don't really know what to say now; what a girlfriend I am, huh? Haha... I think the best thing I can do for you for now is listen. I'll listen to you, and I'll see what I can do to help. I promise you, we can get through this together. Ok?
SUNNY - sadness
YN? Where have you gone? Mari and I are getting worried- Why are you crying? Did one of us hurt you or something? You're just... sad for no reason? Well, that's a perfectly fair reason. Here, do you need a tissue? It's okay, come here. I'm admittedly not all that great at cuddling, but I'll try for you.
So, when did the sadness start? This morning? It's been a while, then. I understand. That's ok. Do you want to know what I think? Being sad is good sometimes. That does sound a little weird, but please hear me out. If you're happy all the time, then it doesn't feel as nice to be happy. Sometimes, sadness is the break you need.
But, then again, being sad all the time isn't all that good either. It can really affect your mental health. And, that wouldn't be ideal. You know, when you're sad, it makes me sad too. So, how can I help you? How about a joke? I'm not all that good at telling jokes, but I remember one that Hero told a while ago.
Alright, here we go: What did the pirate say on his 80th birthday? Aye, matey. I personally didn't get it- You're laughing! That's good. I still don't get the joke, though. ...Oh. Oh, that's actually pretty clever.
So, are you feeling better now? Just know that I love you, alright? And I love it when you smile. Do you think we can head back? Mari's probably wondering where we've gone. Wonderful. Let's go.
KEL - negative self-talk
Heyyyy, YN! How's it doing? Hey, you're crying! What's wrong? Oh, no, no, no, you don't look dumb at all! Why would you say that?! Are you putting yourself down? ...I see. Well, that simply will not do! Come here, come here and talk to me.
So, first thing's first, why are you talking to yourself like this? What do you think is wrong with you? Tell me everything, and I'll prove you wrong. ...Mkay.
But, really quickly, I feel like this too sometimes! Like there's something wrong with me. But, then, I think of who I love! I love my family, I love my friends, and I love you, with all my heart. So, I just try to love myself the way I love others!
And, YN, I have to say this: you are wonderful. Your eyes shine, your smile lights up the whole room, and your body is beautiful, and I know you're probably not gonna believe a word of this, but it's all true! Just the idea of you being any of those horrible things makes me laugh! You're wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. And I'm lucky to have someone like you in my life!
Look, I just want you to know you're amazing, and I want you to try and see yourself the way I see you. Then, you'd see the truth! Alright? Come on, let's go somewhere together! It's better than just skulking around here, anyway!
AUBREY - shame
Hey. What's up, you seem upset about something. Shame? I've been there. Well, come on, let's go. Wait, why aren't you coming? Oh. It's bad, right? Then... Come on, tell me about it.
Alright, there we go, we're getting there. So, something I was taught that I think could help you is that there's a fine line between shame and guilt. Shame is a sense of 'I am bad', while guilt is more of 'I did something bad'. You understand? Well, which one is it? The first? That's shame.
Well... you know that you aren't what you do, right? So, you messed up. Big deal. Your self-worth shouldn't be attached to what you do. Because if someone doesn't like what you do, that can hurt you.
If we define ourselves by what we do, we put the power of our happiness in the hands of others. You'll just be a people-pleaser, living to serve, if you keep this up! And I don't want you to be a people pleaser! I love you for who you are! I-I mean... You don't wanna be a people pleaser, right?
Well... take my advice or don't, but as your leader and girlfriend, I say you should stop feeling ashamed, because it's not your fault. Now, hurry up, or the others would have gotten ice cream without us.
HERO - anxiety
YN! It's almost time to go, are you ready for an hour or so of driving with your wonderful boyfriend? Wait a second, are you alright? You look tense. ...You're anxious? About what? You can talk to me.
Alright, so that's what it is. So, there's something I learned from my mother when I was little. Alright, follow me. Breathe in for four seconds. Hold it for seven seconds. Breathe out for eight seconds. There we go. Keep going now, you're doing wonderfully.
Good, you're getting better already! Now, you're probably thinking up a lot of 'what if's', am I right? Well, can you challenge those thoughts? No, you can, I know you can. What evidence do you have that those things will happen? How likely do you think it is that they would actually happen?
There we go, it's not that likely, is it? It's just in your head, okay? Don't worry so much about it! I know that sounds hard, but you can do it. Another good way to help is to interrupt your anxious thought process. So, I'm gonna trust you here, because I love you: you can be in charge of music for the drive. Yes, I'm serious. Now come on, we're gonna be late!
BASIL - regret
H-hey, YN! There you are, I've been looking for you for ages! It's good to see you today, I was scared that Aubrey would show up- Hey, are you okay? You're... You're feeling regret? O-oh. I'm... I'm all too familiar with regret. Are you feeling a sense of self-loathing and guilt? Like you're a bit of a monster? I understand. I feel the same sometimes.
...Alright. I never thought I'd tell anyone this, but I trust you. Just please, please don't tell anyone, ok? So... four years ago, one of my friends did something. It was a really, really bad thing. And I was there, so I helped him to cover it up. Well, it tore our entire friend group apart, because they all bought the cover-up. I still regret even thinking that it'd be a good idea, and I still have nightmares and... panic attacks... about it to this day. It was honestly nightmarish.
The negative thoughts and feelings that accompany the memories of the thing are creating more problems. You're damaging yourself – your low self worth causes increased stress and sadness! You're damaging your happiness by holding onto those negative thoughts, opinions, and judgments about yourself. S-same for me!
Well... I really don't know what we're supposed to do. But, I think we can get over our problems together! Because I love you, you love me, w-well, last I checked anyway, and we can fight this together! So, what do you say? Let's heal together.
THIS TOOK ME SIX DAMN HOURS PLEASE LIKE IT
But in all seriousness, mental health is important, so don't ignore it! Talk to someone you trust, like a friend, relative, teacher or therapist. I love you all, and I don't want you to get hurt!
That's all for now! Catch you on the flip side, trash gremlins!
- Trashbag