diff --git a/persistence/database.py b/persistence/database.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7449dd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/persistence/database.py
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+from . import models
+from peewee import *
+from playhouse.pool import PooledMySQLDatabase
+
+
+import logging
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+from . import keys
+dbk = keys.db_keys
+
+
+
+db_connection = PooledMySQLDatabase(
+    dbk["name"],
+    user=dbk["username"],
+    password=dbk["password"],
+    host=dbk["url"],
+    port=dbk["port"],
+    autorollback=True
+)
+
+
+def auto_connect_db(action):
+    def decorated(func):
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+            #before:
+            db_connection.connect()
+            ret = func(*args, **kwargs)
+            #after:
+            db_connection.close()
+            # also, action is in scope now
+            return ret
+        
+        return wrapper
+    return decorated
+
+
+
+class DatabaseUtils:
+    """This object is the only database-related stuff getting exposed to the other modules. It must explicitly handle the connections!"""
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        # TODO specify arguments!
+        models.db.initialize(db_connection)
+        models.create_tables(db_connection)
+
+
+    @auto_connect_db
+    def chat_count(self, attribute):
+        if attribute == "read":
+            return models.ChatMetric.select().where(models.ChatMetric.read == True).count()
+        elif attribute == "send":
+            return models.ChatMetric.select().where(models.ChatMetric.send == True).count()
+        elif attribute == "execute":
+            return models.ChatMetric.select().where(models.ChatMetric.execute == True).count()
+        else: # does not exist
+            return -1
+
+
+    def chat_log(self, **kwargs):
+        models.ChatMetric(**kwargs)
+
+
+    def list_get(self, list_name=""):
+        if not list_name: # return all
+            return models.List.select()
+        else:
+            return models.List.get(models.List.name == list_name)
+        
+    
+    def list_update(self, list_name, append="", replace=[]):
+        if replace:
+            models.List.get(models.List.name == list_name).set_content(replace)
+        elif append:
+            l_obj = models.List.get(models.List.name == list_name)
+            l = l_obj.content_as_list
+            l.append(append)
+            l_obj.set_content(l)
+        else:
+            logger.warning("Empty update_list() query was made. Ignoring")
+
+
+    def list_delete(self, list_name):
+        models.List.delete().where(self.db.lists.name == self.current_name).execute()
+