#THE WORLD IS SO BIG AND BEAUTIFUL AND SURPRISING AND CHALLENGING AND REWARDING AND EXCITING

[scottspack]

it’s so so so weird to go back home and visit normies living normie life and realizing that that’s so far disconnected from the life I’m living and that our goals and motives and day to day lives are so fundamentally different that it’s actually hard to relate to them and talk to them normally

[shunin-gumis]

Nagi Initial SSR Story

A Taste of Happiness (Part 2)

Any notes with a * are at the end of the post!

Location - Mountain path

Nagi: ...No good, the bike's completely stalled.

Momiji: Oh no, what do we do now... We're in the middle of the mountains and it's in the dead of night now... I don't think we can call anyone for repairs. Do we start pushing the bike down the path?

Nagi: No, it's ok, this one's a champ. I just have to give it a little nudge to get it started again.

Nagi: This is exactly why Sonia left the tools in my bag. Just wait for a bit, Chief.

Nagi: If you could cheer me on, that would lift my spirits and make me happy.

Momiji: Haha, should I wave an uchiwa* for you? ...Wait, you actually have one!?

Momiji: Um... I'll just hold the flashlight instead, ok?

Momiji: How's this? Can you see clearly?

Nagi: Perfectly. Please hold it up for a bit.

Momiji: Got it.

Nagi: Seems like... the problem's here.

Nagi: Alright, I should be able to fix this right away.

Momiji: That's some impressive technique, you're just like a professional!

Nagi: It's just because I'm used to it. I'm confident that I could pass for the mechanic certification on the first try.

Nagi: Ah. Or maybe not. I'm worried about the actual writing part. I can imagine all my stationary ending up falling apart.

Momiji: Ahahaha.......

Nagi: The atmospheric pressure was stable too....

Nagi: I guess it's because I managed to get my hands on some rare flowers that are usually never stocked at the market...

Momiji: This is about Nagi-kun's "Theory on the Yajirobe of Fortune and Misfortune"...*

Momiji: A balancing act of his happiness... Whenever something fortuitous happens to him, it's guaranteed to be followed by misfortune to balance it out again...

Momiji: Still, something like that is...

Nagi: But the fact is that you ended up being affected by my misfortune too.

Nagi: ...Sorry, Chief. Are you fed up with me now?

Choice 1: I'm surprised rather than fed up

Momiji: I guess I'd say I'm surprised rather than fed up… I can barely believe this is actually a thing. Momiji: But it's also true that I got to experience something that was only possible because I was with you, Nagi-kun. I'm being honest when I say I really learned something today. Nagi:... I guess you're kind to even someone like me, Chief. Thank you.

Choice 2: Not at all. In fact I find it exciting!

Momiji: Maybe it's a little inappropriate to say but... it's kind of like experiencing a thrill ride, I get excited wondering about what's gonna happen next! Nagi: Chief, you're amazing. Your heart is as big as the Pacific Ocean.

Momiji: It's nothing like that.

Momiji: Besides, it must have been really hard on you, to deal with this all on your lonesome. When it's the two of us, we can gain courage from each other to overcome our challenges.

Momiji: Troubles or misfortune, come what may, feel free to share them all with me.

Nagi: ....Ok.

Nagi: Ah, got the engine to start up again, Chief.

Momiji: That's great! Now we just have to head home.

Nagi: Um... before that. I have some place I'd like to take you to, is that ok?

Nagi: If we get a move on now, we should reach it time.... Although, I'll still stay under the speed limit.

-------------------------------

Nagi: ...Here we are. Nice timing, if I do say so myself.

Momiji: Wow...! The sun's rising! It's beautiful....

Nagi: Right? This is my secret hideout.... Wait, hideout might be the wrong word for it. Um, special spot?

Nagi: I come here once in a while on my bike, just to see this sunrise.

Momiji: Was it alright to bring me here?

Nagi: I wanted to share this with you because it's you, Chief.

Nagi: Drinking coffee while I watch the sunrise is a small reward I treat myself to.

Nagi: But today, I'm not alone. I have you with me, Chief.

Nagi: Today... Well, I guess it's yesterday now. I couldn't even imagine something like this happening when I woke up yesterday.

Nagi: There's plenty of happiness and unhappiness scattered all around this world.

Nagi: But that just means the possibilities are endless, right?

Momiji: Hehe, I agree. This world is full of possibilities!

Nagi: ...With that said, have this coffee as thanks for accompanying me all the way to this morning.

Nagi: A tumbler of Sonia's special blend. It's hot so be careful.

Momiji: Thank you!

Momiji: Good work today, Nagi-kun.

Nagi: You did good too, Chief.

Momiji: The coffee I had together with Nagi-kun while watching the sunrise... was very warm and delicious.

*uchiwa is a flat hand-fan that's usually decorated in the style of one's bias in support of them.

*Yajirobe is a term used for Japanese balancing toys. The mechanism involves balancing the main body at a fulcrum and making sure it doesn't tilt too far in either direction before it's balanced again, swinging back like a pendulum.

Part 1

[afhenvs3000f24]

Blog Post 1

My name is Farhiya Ahmed and I am in my thrid year of Environmental Management.

I never really understood my relationship with nature until I moved from my home country. Growing up, it was something I took for granted. My backyard was my go-to whenever I felt off or overwhelmed, but I didn’t realize how much it meant to me until I no longer had it. The transition to a new country was a big shift, and losing my safe space made it even harder. But, in a strange way, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise 🌱.

In Canada, my connection to nature has grown in ways I never thought possible. Back home, nature was about comfort—familiar spaces like my backyard or local parks. Here, it’s something completely different. Nature is vast, wild, and unpredictable. It’s not just a place to escape; it’s a place that pushes me out of my comfort zone and shows me new sides of myself I didn’t know were there. I never considered myself an adventurous person, but now, I’m excited to get out there and explore.

The person who helped me on this journey is my cousin Hanan. She’s lived in Canada her whole life, and when I told her I wanted to reconnect with nature here, she was all in. We begun with hikes, and let me tell you, our first one was an experience! Hanan swore it was an easy trail, but I managed to find the one spot of mud on the entire path and got my shoe completely stuck 😂. There I was, hopping around with one muddy sock, while Hanan was trying (and failing) not to laugh. We eventually got the shoe out (though it was never the same), and that day was full of little challenges like that. It was exhausting, but honestly? I loved every second of it. It was the first time I realized that nature wasn’t just calm and peaceful; it could be messy and unpredictable, but that’s what makes it so rewarding.

That’s when I started to develop what our textbook calls “a sense of place.” For me, it used to be my backyard—a small, safe space where I could retreat from the world. But now, I’m learning that nature is more than just a place of refuge. It’s a place of growth, where I can challenge myself, get a little lost (sometimes literally 😅), and come out the other side stronger. Every hike, every new trail I explore, makes me feel more connected to the world around me, and it’s an incredible feeling.

Nature is now something that challenges me, surprises me, and even teaches me. Instead of simply finding peace in familiar surroundings, I’ve learned to find peace in the unknown. This new relationship has made me more adventurous and more appreciative of the world around me. It's an evolving journey, and thanks to Hanan, I’ve come to see nature not only as a refuge but also as a source of personal growth.

And honestly, I can’t wait to share even more of these experiences with you through this blog! 🌍 I’ve got so many stories to tell, some of them are funny (like the time I nearly face-planted trying to cross a creek on a slippery log 😬), others are just filled with the beauty of nature that I want everyone to see. There’s something magical about being out in nature, even when things don’t go as planned. Sometimes, those moments are the best ones.

[sublimeartisanlady]

Ready, Set, Spin! Why Spinsup is Revolutionizing Online Play

In a world where online gaming is constantly evolving, Spinsup stands out as a game-changer. It’s not just about spinning and winning—it’s about transforming how players experience the thrill of the game. Whether you’re a casual player or a seasoned enthusiast, Spinsup is redefining the online play landscape with its innovative features, engaging gameplay, and seamless user experience. Ready to jump in? Here’s why Spinsup is revolutionizing the way we play online.

A Fresh Approach to Online Play

Spinsup has taken the standard online gaming experience and flipped it on its head. While many platforms offer traditional gameplay, Spinsup is all about offering something different. With its cutting-edge features, innovative mechanics, and variety of games, the platform ensures that players are constantly entertained and engaged. It’s not just about what you’re playing—it’s about how you’re playing it.

The beauty of Spinsup lies in its ability to deliver fresh and exciting gameplay every time you log in. The platform’s unique design makes it easy to discover new games and explore different ways to play, ensuring that every session feels like a brand-new adventure. With Spinsup, there’s always something new to try, keeping you on the edge of your seat and ready for more.

Engaging Gameplay That Keeps You Coming Back

At the core of Spinsup’s success is its ability to keep players engaged. Each game is crafted with a focus on interactivity, excitement, and rewarding features. From innovative bonus rounds to unique in-game rewards, Spinsup ensures that every spin offers something special. The platform is designed to be both challenging and fun, keeping you invested in the experience from start to finish.

What makes Spinsup truly revolutionary is its commitment to creating a balanced experience—one where fun and skill come together. Whether you’re playing for a casual win or aiming for a major reward, Spinsup offers an environment that caters to all types of players. The variety of gameplay styles means that there's always a game suited to your preference, and the potential for big rewards is always within reach.

The Power of Personalization

Spinsup isn’t just another one-size-fits-all platform. It’s built around the idea of personalizing your gaming experience, so each session feels unique. The platform offers customizable settings, from game speed to themes, ensuring that every spin is tailored to your preferences. The ability to personalize your experience makes Spinsup stand out in a crowded market, giving players full control over how they interact with the platform.

Additionally, Spinsup’s smart game recommendations ensure that you’re always exploring the games that align with your preferences, helping you discover new titles and maximize your time on the platform.

Innovative Rewards and Bonuses

One of the key elements that sets Spinsup apart is its forward-thinking rewards system. Unlike traditional setups where rewards are simply a matter of luck, Spinsup incorporates a skill-based system where your strategy and consistency directly affect your ability to unlock exciting bonuses and prizes. This creates an experience where every spin feels purposeful, and every win feels earned.

Spinsup also offers regular bonus rounds and surprise perks, adding a layer of excitement and anticipation to each game. These dynamic rewards ensure that there’s always something to look forward to, keeping players motivated and engaged throughout their journey.

Why Spinsup Is Leading the Charge

In the ever-competitive world of online gaming, Spinsup is setting the standard for what players can expect from their experience. By combining engaging gameplay, innovative mechanics, and a personalized approach, the platform is changing the way we interact with online games. Spinsup isn’t just about spinning—it’s about embracing the full potential of every turn, every challenge, and every opportunity that comes your way.

If you’re ready for a new kind of online play, Spinsup is the platform to explore. With its revolutionary features and commitment to providing a rewarding experience, it’s clear why Spinsup is leading the charge in transforming online gaming.

[kimmellomida]

Spinjo Universe: Dive into a World of Adventure

Step into the Spinjo Universe, where the adventure never stops, and every game offers the chance to explore new worlds, unlock hidden treasures, and experience heart-pounding excitement. Whether you're seeking fun, a challenge, or the thrill of the unknown, Spinjo offers it all. This guide takes you through the vast universe of Spinjo, exploring what makes this platform unique and how you can dive into a world of adventure.

The Spinjo Universe: A World of Possibilities

Spinjo Mobile isn’t just a platform; it’s an entire universe built for adventure seekers and thrill lovers. With a variety of games, each offering unique features and experiences, Spinjo invites players to step into new worlds filled with excitement. Every game in the Spinjo Universe is crafted with care, ensuring it’s not just fun but also visually captivating and engaging.

What makes Spinjo stand out is its focus on offering players a fresh and dynamic experience. Each game is designed to be intuitive, yet challenging, so whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, you’ll always find something that suits your skills and preferences.

The Adventure Begins: Exploring the Games

At the heart of Spinjo Universe lies its diverse range of games. From fast-paced action to strategy-based adventures, there’s something for everyone. Here's a glimpse of what you can expect:

Epic Journey Games: Take a journey through mythical lands and unravel ancient secrets. The adventure-based games offer rich storylines, fascinating characters, and the thrill of discovery.

Puzzle Games: For those who enjoy mental challenges, Spinjo’s puzzle games offer intricate challenges designed to test your skills and strategic thinking. These games combine logic with creativity, making each solution feel like an accomplishment.

Fast-Paced Games: If you prefer instant action, the fast-paced games at Spinjo are perfect. These quick, thrilling games provide immediate excitement, ideal for those who enjoy high-speed, high-energy gameplay.

Bonus Features and Rewards: Every game in the Spinjo Universe offers an array of exciting bonuses and rewards. These can dramatically increase your chances of success, making every game feel like a treasure hunt.

Strategy and Skill: How to Make the Most of Spinjo

While luck plays a role in many of Spinjo's games, strategy and skill are key to long-term success. Here are some tips to help you navigate this exciting universe:

Explore the Features: Each game offers different bonus features, multipliers, and hidden surprises. Explore these features thoroughly to increase your chances of winning big.

Understand the Game Mechanics: Knowing how each game works is essential. Spend time learning the rules, mechanics, and unique features of each game to enhance your experience.

Take Your Time: Don’t rush through the games. Part of the adventure is in the exploration. Enjoy each level, and take in the details that make Spinjo’s universe so engaging.

Set Personal Challenges: Turn each game into a personal challenge. Set goals for yourself and work to achieve them – whether it’s reaching a certain level, unlocking all bonuses, or mastering a particularly challenging game.

A Universe Full of Rewards and Adventure

Spinjo Slots Universe offers much more than just games; it’s an immersive world full of rewards, challenges, and adventure. Every game feels like a new chapter in an ever-expanding journey, offering unique experiences that make each playthrough different.

The beauty of the Spinjo Universe lies in its diversity. No two adventures are ever the same, and with every new game or level, there’s something new to discover. Whether you’re conquering obstacles, solving puzzles, or simply enjoying the thrill of exploration, Spinjo ensures that the adventure never ends.

Why You Should Dive into Spinjo Universe

The Spinjo Universe isn’t just about playing games; it’s about immersing yourself in a world of endless possibility and excitement. With its diverse offerings, engaging gameplay, and constant evolution, Spinjo is the perfect platform for anyone looking to dive deep into an adventure.

Ready to take the plunge? The Spinjo Universe is waiting – and the adventure is just beginning.

[chrisostomoibella]

🎵 "All the Good Times" – Sabrina Carpenter 🎶

As the semester drew to a close, this final week turned out to be a whirlwind of emotions, stress, surprises, and ultimately, gratitude. It all started with our first consultation for the finals with our professor. To our relief (and pride), it went incredibly well. The highlight? Our user manual getting praised for being well-made! That moment of validation felt like a pat on the back for all the hard work we’ve poured into this project so far.

But the surprises didn’t end there. Just as we were bracing ourselves for the final examination, our professor gave us an early Christmas present: we were all exempted from the finals. 🎁✨ It was like the weight of the world was lifted off our shoulders. Suddenly, we had the freedom and time to focus on what truly mattered—perfecting our app.

And if that wasn’t enough, the blessings kept coming. In FCS, we were treated to yet another present from our professor—a double gift! 🎉 No complaints from us; we were overjoyed and motivated to finish strong.

That same day, we pulled yet another overnight session. This time, it wasn’t just about debugging or planning—it was about finalizing the project and filming our video presentation. There was a certain energy in the room, a mix of exhaustion and excitement, as we worked through the night to make sure everything was polished and ready.

💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

Then came Saturday—the big day. The day to present our app. It was the culmination of weeks of hard work, late nights, and countless challenges. But as expected, it wasn’t without its drama. While we were preparing for the presentation, the video was still exporting. The tension was real. Would it be ready in time? Thankfully, with minutes to spare, the video finished exporting, and our project was officially 100% complete.

The presentation went smoothly, and by the end of it, there was this incredible feeling of accomplishment. We had done it. From the first brainstorming session to this final moment, we had overcome every obstacle, learned so much, and created something we were genuinely proud of.

Looking back, this semester has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences. It wasn’t just about developing an app or acing exams—it was about growth, resilience, and teamwork. There were moments of doubt, moments of triumph, and moments where we just had to laugh through the stress to keep going.

To my team: I honestly couldn’t have done this without you. Every single one of you brought something unique and essential to the table. Whether it was your creativity, your problem-solving skills, or just the way you lightened the mood when things got tough—thank you. Thank you for your dedication, your late nights, and for believing in this project. This wasn’t just a project; it was a journey we took together, and I’m so grateful to have had you all by my side.

To our professors: thank you for the guidance, support, and for those unforgettable gifts that eased our burden and gave us the space to truly focus.

This semester may have been tough, but it reminded me of the beauty of perseverance and the joy of creating something meaningful with people who share the same vision. And as we close this chapter, I’m filled with nothing but gratitude and excitement for what’s next.

Here’s to endings that feel like beginnings. 💡✨

[itradr]

Retail Trading: Why It’s More Than Just Chasing Profits

Retail trading—it’s not just about buying and selling stocks, crypto, or commodities for the thrill of making some quick cash (though, let’s be real, that’s a big part of the fun). There are plenty of reasons people jump into retail trading, and not all of them involve dollar signs.

Before you dive in, though, it’s important to get clear on why you want to start trading. Profits are great, but there are a whole lot of other perks that might surprise you. Plus, with a bit of know-how and a smart strategy, you can balance those potential gains with managing risk.

Here’s why retail trading has people hooked:

1. Profit Potential

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first—making money is always a great motivator. Retail trading gives you the chance to turn market moves into profits. Setting up a trading account is a breeze, and platforms today are sleek, user-friendly, and packed with helpful tools.

Leverage adds to the excitement: This handy feature lets you trade big with a small initial investment, increasing your potential gains (but also your risk—so proceed wisely!).

2. You’re in Control

When you trade for yourself, you get to call the shots. No middlemen. No one breathing down your neck. You can mold your investment strategy to fit your personal goals and risk tolerance.

Plus, you’ve got freedom. Want to trade on a Tuesday afternoon or a Sunday night? It’s up to you. You decide what, when, and how much you trade. Total flexibility!

3. Learning on the Go

Retail trading isn’t just about the numbers; it’s a full-blown education. You’ll dive deep into how markets work, get the hang of economic indicators, and learn about everything from forex to commodities.

Your financial literacy is bound to skyrocket. You’ll develop a sharper eye for market trends, and even boost your decision-making skills in high-pressure situations. It’s like an MBA, but with more adrenaline!

4. Accessibility for All

The beauty of retail trading lies in its accessibility. Got a laptop and an internet connection? Boom—you can start trading from anywhere on the globe.

And don’t sweat it if you’re not ready to risk your hard-earned cash right away. Many platforms offer demo accounts where you can practice trading with virtual funds—no risk, all reward (well, virtual rewards, but you get the point).

5. A Buffet of Diversification

Even if retail trading is just a slice of your overall investment pie, it opens doors to a world of diversification. Whether you’re into stocks, forex, crypto, or commodities, you can mix and match different asset classes and markets. This variety helps spread out your risk and keeps things fresh.

Global markets? Yes, please! You can trade nearly anything, anywhere, keeping your investment game exciting and broad.

6. Build Passive Income Streams

Who doesn’t love the idea of making money while they sleep? If you play your cards right, trading dividend-paying stocks could set you up with a passive income stream, all while growing your portfolio’s value.

And if you reinvest those earnings, you’ll be putting the magic of compounding to work. Over time, this can really boost your wealth, especially in a rising market.

7. Join a Thriving Community

Trading doesn’t have to be a solo mission. Tons of online communities are buzzing with traders just like you, sharing strategies, tips, and market trends. You can learn from the pros or even connect with other beginners looking to navigate the markets together.

Social trading can help you level up faster—because learning is better when you’ve got a tribe to support you!

8. A Personal Growth Challenge

If you’re someone who loves a challenge, retail trading is like a mental gym for your strategic and analytical muscles. It requires patience, planning, and the ability to think on your feet—all while staying cool under pressure.

And when you hit those milestones and see your strategies pay off? Nothing beats the sense of achievement from cracking the market!

9. Craft Your Own Strategy

Retail trading is not one-size-fits-all. You can tailor your approach to fit your schedule and risk tolerance. Whether you’re into long-term investments, short-term day trading, or something in between, you can develop strategies that work best for you.

Plus, experimentation is part of the fun! Use demo accounts to try different techniques before going live with your hard-earned cash.

10. Bonus: Potential Tax Perks

Depending on where you live, retail trading could come with some sweet tax benefits. Certain jurisdictions allow you to manage your capital gains in a way that minimizes taxes.

If you’re in the UK or the US, for example, there are accounts (like ISAs or IRAs) that offer tax-deferred or even tax-free trading. And if you’re into spread-betting in the UK? Those profits are tax-free!

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, retail trading offers a mix of benefits that go beyond just making money. Yes, it can be rewarding, but it’s also a great way to challenge yourself, learn, and engage with global markets. Just remember: start small, stay disciplined, and always be prepared to adapt as you navigate the twists and turns of the financial world.

[taimio]

Nurturing Your Garden: Choosing the Right Method to Sow Your Seeds

Gardening is a great way to bring life to your outdoor space, while cultivating your own produce for self-sufficiency. But just how do you get your plants from seed to harvest? Knowing the different sowing methods of transplanting, direct seeding, and broadcasting, can help you get the most from your garden. So if you want to learn the specifics of what each method entails and which is the best for your vegetable plants, read on and find out!

Planting Your Seeds: Transplant, Direct Seed, Or Broadcast

So, you've got your gardening gloves on and you're ready to get your hands dirty. But before you start sowing those seeds, you need to decide how you're going to do it. Will you transplant, direct seed, or go for the more unconventional broadcast method? Let me guide you through the pros and cons of each method, based on my own experiences in the garden.

Transplanting: The Gentle Approach

Transplanting is like introducing a plant to a new home, making it feel all warm and cozy. *It's perfect for delicate seedlings* that require a head start indoors, away from the unpredictable outdoors. Not only does it give you more control over the growing conditions, but it also helps to avoid the heartbreak of losing your precious plants to frost or critters.

However, transplanting is not without its challenges. *The process demands time, care, and patience*. You need to be cautious not to damage the fragile roots during the transfer, and make sure the little ones are properly hardened off before exposing them to the big, wide world. But hey, the reward is worth it! Witnessing those strong, healthy plants thrive is a satisfying sight.

Direct Seeding: Nature's Way

If you're feeling confident and adventurous, direct seeding might be your cup of tea (or should I say, soil?). *This method imitates nature's own way of doing things*, allowing the seeds to sprout and grow right where they're meant to be. It's a hands-off approach that appeals to those who trust in the power of Mother Nature.

But beware, my friend, *for direct seeding can be a game of patience*. You may find yourself anxiously waiting for weeks, wondering if those seeds will ever see the light of day. And let's not forget about the fierce competition from weeds. They love to party with your seeds and steal all their nutrients, so you'll need to keep a close eye and play the role of the diligent garden detective.

Broadcast Sowing: Scatter and Pray

Time to throw caution to the wind and embrace the unpredictable, yet exciting world of broadcast sowing. *Think of it as a wild dance party for your seeds*, where they are scattered haphazardly across the soil, each finding its own path to growth. It's a method that brings out your inner rebel and allows for a beautifully naturalistic look in your garden.

But let me be frank, my dear fellow gardener, *broadcast sowing is not for the faint-hearted*. It requires a leap of faith, as you'll never know exactly where each seed will end up. You may end up with a cluster of plants in one corner and a barren patch in another. But hey, if you're up for a surprise and the thrill of the unknown, this method might just be your kind of gardening adventure.

I've learned that every gardener has their own preferred method, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution. It's about understanding your plants, experimenting, and finding what works best for you. Click here to dive deeper into the fascinating world of sowing methods.

Remember, dear green-thumbed friend, whether you choose to transplant, direct seed, or broadcast, *the joy lies in the journey*. Gardening is a rewarding endeavor that teaches us valuable lessons about patience, resilience, and the beauty of nature. So go forth, sow your seeds, and watch as your garden flourishes with life.

Learn more about gardening with Taim.io!

[knownowlive]

Saltwater Thong Fishing: Art for Thrilling Catches

Saltwater Thong Fishing is a popular sport that involves using thongs as bait in saltwater fishing. We will explore the techniques and gear necessary for successful saltwater thong fishing adventures. Fishing is a beloved pastime for many people, offering relaxation, excitement, and the opportunity to connect with nature. Saltwater fishing, in particular, presents its own unique set of challenges and rewards. One unconventional yet effective method that has gained popularity among anglers is saltwater thong fishing. This innovative technique involves using thongs as bait to attract fish in saltwater environments. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the world of saltwater thong fishing, providing you with valuable insights, tips, and recommendations to make your fishing experience a success. So, grab your thongs and get ready to embark on an exciting fishing expedition like no other.

Why Saltwater Thong Fishing Is Gaining Popularity

Saltwater thong fishing is gaining popularity due to its thrill and challenge. Anglers are drawn to the excitement of catching big game fish in the open ocean using this unique and rewarding technique. Saltwater Thong Fishing is becoming increasingly popular among fishing enthusiasts, and for good reason. This unique fishing method offers a thrilling and exhilarating experience unlike any other. In this section, we will explore the benefits of saltwater fishing with thong gear, the thrill and excitement it brings, and the growing interest among fishing enthusiasts. Benefits Of Saltwater Fishing With Thong Gear: - Versatility: Saltwater thong fishing allows you to explore a variety of fishing environments, from rocky shorelines to sandy beaches. Whether you're casting from a pier or wading in the surf, thong gear provides the flexibility to adapt to different fishing conditions. - Accessibility: Thong gear is lightweight and easy to carry, making it ideal for anglers who enjoy taking long walks along the shoreline or exploring remote fishing spots. With minimal equipment required, you can embark on fishing adventures without the hassle of lugging heavy gear. - Cost-effective: Compared to traditional fishing equipment, saltwater thong gear is affordable and budget-friendly. You don't need to invest in expensive rods, reels, or other accessories. Thong fishing allows you to enjoy the thrill of the sport without breaking the bank. Thrill And Excitement Of The Sport: - Up close and personal: Saltwater thong fishing puts you in direct contact with the fish. You can feel the tug and fight of each catch, creating a more intimate and adrenaline-pumping experience. It's a hands-on approach that brings you closer to nature and the thrill of the chase. - Variety of species: From snapper to flounder, thong fishing gives you the opportunity to catch a diverse range of saltwater species. You never know what you might encounter when you cast your line, adding an element of surprise and excitement to each fishing trip. - Physical challenge: Thong fishing requires physical agility and stamina, as you navigate uneven terrain and battle against strong currents. This adds an extra layer of excitement to the sport, making it a rewarding experience for those seeking adventure and a bit of a workout. Growing Interest Among Fishing Enthusiasts: - Unique appeal: Saltwater thong fishing offers a fresh and unique approach to the sport, attracting adventurous anglers who are looking for something different. The unconventional nature of thong gear sets it apart from traditional fishing methods, sparking curiosity and interest among fishing enthusiasts. - Minimalistic approach: In a world where complexity is often the norm, thong fishing stands out with its simplicity. The minimalistic approach appeals to those who appreciate the beauty of simplicity and want to escape the complexities of life, even if just for a few hours of fishing. - Embracing the challenge: Fishing enthusiasts are constantly seeking new challenges and experiences to test their skills. Saltwater thong fishing presents a unique challenge that requires adapting to different fishing conditions and honing one's instincts. It's a sport that pushes boundaries and encourages personal growth. Saltwater thong fishing is gaining popularity for its versatility, affordability, and the thrill it brings to fishing enthusiasts. With its up-close and physical nature, as well as the unique appeal and challenges it offers, it's no wonder that more and more people are discovering the excitement of fishing with thong gear. So, next time you head out on a fishing adventure, consider trying your hand at saltwater thong fishing for an unforgettable experience.

Essential Gear And Equipment For Saltwater Thong Fishing

Discover the must-have gear and equipment for successful saltwater thong fishing, including rods, reels, bait, and tackle. Elevate your fishing experience with the right tools and gear for this popular saltwater sport. Essential Gear And Equipment For Saltwater Thong Fishing When it comes to saltwater thong fishing, having the right gear and equipment is crucial for a successful and enjoyable trip. Whether you are a seasoned angler or a beginner, here are some essential items to consider: Choosing The Right Thong Fishing Rod And Reel - Quality: Invest in a high-quality, durable saltwater fishing rod and reel that can withstand the harsh conditions of saltwater fishing. - Length and Weight: Select a rod that matches the type of fishing you'll be doing - shorter rods (6-7 feet) are ideal for casting from the beach, while longer rods (9-12 feet) are great for pier or surf fishing. Consider the weight of the rod to ensure it is comfortable for you to handle. - Material: Look for rods and reels made from corrosion-resistant materials such as graphite or stainless steel to withstand the saltwater environment. - Power and Action: Choose a rod with the right power and action for your target species and fishing style. A rod with medium to heavy power and fast action is versatile for a variety of saltwater fish. Must-Have Accessories For A Successful Thong Fishing Trip - Tackle Box: Keep your hooks, weights, and lures organized in a waterproof tackle box. Opt for one with multiple compartments and sturdy latches to prevent saltwater damage. - Fishing Line: Use a high-quality, saltwater-resistant fishing line with a test strength suitable for the species you are targeting. Monofilament lines are popular for their durability and ease of use. - Polarized Sunglasses: Protect your eyes and improve visibility in the water with polarized sunglasses. They reduce glare and allow you to spot fish more easily. - Sun Protection: Don't forget to wear sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and lightweight, long-sleeved clothing to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. - Fishing Knife: A sharp, sturdy fishing knife is essential for cutting bait, filleting fish, and general utility purposes. - Fishing Nets: Carry a landing net to safely bring in your catch without risking injury to yourself or the fish. Tips For Selecting The Appropriate Bait And Lures Selecting the right bait and lures is crucial for enticing saltwater fish to bite. Consider these tips: - Research: Learn about the feeding habits and preferences of the species you are targeting to choose the appropriate bait and lures. - Live Bait: Live bait such as shrimp, squid, or mullet are often effective for attracting a wide range of saltwater fish. Keep them lively and fresh for the best results. - Artificial Lures: Experiment with a variety of artificial lures, such as soft plastics, spoons, or crankbaits, to imitate the natural movement of prey and entice fish to strike. - Size and Color: Consider the size and color of your bait or lure based on the prevailing water conditions and the fish you are targeting. Brightly colored lures can be more visible in murky waters, while natural colors may work best in clear conditions. Remember, selecting the right gear, accessories, and bait/lures is just the beginning. Practice casting techniques, study tide and weather conditions, and always follow local fishing regulations for a successful saltwater thong fishing experience. So, gear up and get ready for an exciting adventure on the salty shores!

Mastering The Techniques For Saltwater Thong Fishing

Learn the techniques required to master the art of saltwater thong fishing and enhance your fishing skills in the open waters. Dive into the depths of saltwater fishing and discover the secrets to a successful catch. Mastering The Techniques For Saltwater Thong Fishing Saltwater fishing with a thong can be an exhilarating experience for fishing enthusiasts. Whether you are a novice or an experienced angler, understanding the various techniques involved can greatly enhance your success rate. In this section, we will explore key aspects to master when it comes to saltwater thong fishing. Get ready to dive into the world of tides, prime fishing spots, and effective casting techniques for a truly rewarding fishing adventure. Understanding The Tides And Its Impact On Fishing: - Tides can make or break your fishing expedition: Familiarize yourself with the ebb and flow of the tides as it plays a crucial role in fish behavior and feeding patterns. - High tides are ideal for targeting certain species: Many fish species tend to move closer to shore during high tides, providing ample opportunities for a productive fishing session. - Low tides can reveal new fishing grounds: During low tides, certain areas that are usually submerged become accessible, presenting you with unexplored areas to search for fish. Locating Prime Fishing Spots For Optimal Catches: - Research local hotspots: Start by researching popular fishing spots in your target area to identify prime locations where fish are abundant. - Observe bird activity: Seabirds diving and hovering over the water can indicate a thriving ecosystem with plenty of baitfish attracting larger predatory fish. - Look for underwater structures: Fish tend to congregate around structures such as reefs, rocky outcrops, and shipwrecks. These areas provide them with shelter and a steady supply of prey. Effective Casting Techniques For Distance And Accuracy: - Master the overhead cast: The overhead cast is the most common and versatile casting technique. Practice your accuracy and distance by timing your release and aiming for a specific target. - Perfect the sidearm cast: The sidearm cast is particularly useful when fishing in areas with low-hanging obstacles or limited space behind you. Keep your arm parallel to the water surface for a smooth and accurate release. - Utilize the pendulum cast: The pendulum cast is a powerful technique for achieving longer casting distances. Focus on using your body's weight and gravity to generate momentum and maximize your casting range. Whether you are targeting lively game fish or seeking a relaxed fishing experience, mastering the techniques for saltwater thong fishing can elevate your angling skills to new heights. By understanding the impact of tides, discovering prime fishing spots, and honing your casting techniques, you will be well on your way to an unforgettable fishing adventure. So, gear up and get ready to explore the beautiful world of saltwater thong fishing! Read the full article

[theveil-and-thepath]

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND - PAC n°09

Hi! Remember that good friend you once had? The one you played with at school, your neighbor, a distant cousin that you no longer talk to, the kids who shared their table at lunch for a couple of months and then you grew apart? Or the one that was simply your other half! Think of that special someone who was once very close to you and...

PICK A PICTURE

⭐ This is 100% entertainment. Please don’t take it seriously. Take what fits, discard what doesn’t. I welcome anon/ not anon feedback. I wish you a beautiful day and a rainbow of light ⭐

Pile 1

(the world (the tower, wheel of fortune, the moon), ace of pentacles (strength, devil, ace of cups), nine of wands (ten of cups, nine of cups, five of swords))

These are positive messages from their higher self focused on the good moments of the past, and what they'd tell you about your present and future.

We were together all the time! They never understood how we spent so much time together, how even our pets got along. Back then, I saw our connection in everything, even when we were apart it was something that made me more secure, more confident. I remember going to the supermarket with my mother and talking to her about your opinion of what we saw on the shelves, I asked her to buy snacks that you'd like to eat when you came over, we talked about the movies we had watched, and you were in my mind for most of the day. I'm glad I had you there with me. It feels like fate, looking back, that you were there, even when things were confusing at home and one of us could move to a different house or city, change schools, we used to talk more to each other than with our siblings. So I want to thank you for being there to share laughter with me, to create a world of our own, apart from all else. It made life much more magical.

It is a very important time in your life now, it's like you just got a new piggy bank and you're excited to fill it so I'd like to say to treat this new phase in your life just like if it was a piggy bank because all of your experiences will pay off. Do you remember how you made plans to use the coins you'd save? Try to be just as excited, because not all coins are money and some are new friends you'll make along the way. My message for you right now is keep fighting, don't think for a second that you will not accomplish your goals just because you see some challenges ahead, try to be as excited as you once were and don't be discouraged, because there are good things coming that will make you feel happy.

I see you're cautious to step ahead. Please, don't be. Do you remember when you were sad when we were kids, because things did not turn your way, but soon after you got a big surprise and you almost forgot the previous setback? This is what can happen for you now, people may talk, people may want to do the same, envy you, but your caution will be rewarded. I don't mean next month, although it could be, what I feel for you are some very happy moments, moments we daydreamed of when we played, the good scenarios we made up when we played pretend, those will come true one day. You may not see it now, but you used to see it then, relive your strongest aspirations and keep them very safe in your heart, the universe kept them safe in the universe's piggy bank, and this one's unbreakable. The waves we've been through, you are learning how to navigate through them, you're growing up and you're gonna be the big person you once wanted to be!

Pile 2

(the world (the tower, wheel of fortune, the moon), ace of pentacles (strength, devil, ace of cups), nine of wands (ten of cups, nine of cups, five of swords))

These are positive messages from their higher self focused on the good moments of the past, and what they'd tell you about your present and future.

I remember we used to like to sit on the steps of the stair at school and they kept telling us to leave ther, sitting on the floors or corners to have a snack, sitting on the hallway to talk and wait for the next class, sit on the grass, we just did not like to sit properly on chairs! These moments are very sweet, I love to have in my memory the times when we had more people with us, and we talked so much! Even if we were quiet in class or in front of adults or other kids, when we were together we just could not keep our mouths shut, and we had such big plans, we spoke as if we were experts on things, as if the world would be ours, in the future, to discover. I remember school, but not homework, I remember PE and one time when the school took us on a trip, it didn't turn quite like we expected because we had made so many plans for it, but I still cherish the time we sent together, even if we did not have as much time unsupervised as we desired, often there was an adult nearby; still, good times.

Now the present is a lot more solid and less flexible than what we expected, right? But it looks very good, from the eyes of other people and it makes it all so much harder to change and choose. Nobody is going to make this decision for you, but you will be well guided by your intuition, if you look at me asking a question, I'll look back at you and raise my eyebrows because you may know the answer or will soon find out.

Have you imagined what a situation would be if one of us ever became the parent of that extra annoying little boy we used to talk about so often! Oh that sounds like a nightmare, I hope I'm making things up, but maybe one day, despite what we used to say and dream about, we're gonna be parents or at least god-parents because all I can see is a hyperactive and extra-loved kid running around. Maybe it's not a kid and it simply means you're gonna find your passion again, reignite some dreams that were dormant, be the queen you wanted to be, be less afraid of choices and of facing the consequences of your decisions. Regardless, it seems like people will look up to you, people younger than you will want to act like you do. You should think more highly of yourself, because you will be a model for people in the future, you may even be now. I looked up to you in a sense, I admired the way you behaved and until today I carry some of you in my mannerisms and tastes, so don't forget that people see the start in you more than you expect. I wish you'll live a very bright life and make many people smile around you!

Pile 3

the emperor (wheel of fortune, the sun, knight of sowrds), nine of pentacles (page of swords, two of wands, none of swords), the world (knight of wands, the tower, the magician)

These are positive messages from their higher self focused on the good moments of the past, and what they'd tell you about your present and future.

I feel like we were family. At the times we were close, I felt like your parents were my parents and maybe you felt the same, as if we had to respond to the same person. I asked your parents on the phone if you could come over and you always said yes, we had a good time together and I wish we could've spent more time having fun. I missed you in my everyday life, you made me laugh and you taught me tricks. People forget how we learn small things from friends, like the way they wash cups, or if they put their sup on the sink after they use it, or how they fold their bed sheets, I have these memories from you. Our time together felt like a movie, but it ended like and old song that fades away slowly until you can't hear anything. But i did think of you after we grew apart, even when it didn't make sense to call, I sometimes wondered where you were. I wasn't jealous of our friends,it never bothered me that you may have other friends and love them and have as much of a good time with them. I've met new people, none like you. Funny how it really feels like a movie, when I tell myself what we used to do it's like i'm telling myself a story because I can't go back and live these moments again, but I want to know that I love you very very much. I don't know if I used to say that to you, but I can't take you away from me, you helped me be who I am today, you were there when life poured the foundation of my life and your presense was like a good anchor. Thank you, it felt very good to be close to you.

You grew up to be as beautiful as everyone expected, in fact, I think you turned out to look better than you thought you would. You have a very sunny presence, it's soothing and joyful at the same time and you help people, your words help people like they helped me once. I don't want you to cry about anything, it breaks my heart when I see you in agony, worried about people who don't deserve you. If i could, I would ask my past self to show up in your dreams, come running to meet you and hug your waist with my short arms! I love you so so much that it's even confusing sometimes, I really admired you, when I saw pictures of you all grown up I wanted to be just like you. But please don't take this for envy, it is just that feeling you have when you have a crush, but it's a friendship crush. You are far away but sometimes I wish I could dream with the past, with our plays and games. You are so so amazing that I somehow can't contain this urge to fangirl you. All I have to say is go ahead, you can have the world in your hands and if anyone makes you cry tell me and I'll cut them off your life.

You will have a breakthrough and you will be able to do what you want. When things change, don't be surprised, it'll be in your favor. I don't have much more to say here, but that you can conquer things, no wonder I already admired you from such a young age, all I want to do is keep cheering on you, encouraging you, telling you to prepare and keep studying, keep working, because your hands can make things change and come true, so work with them. I'm sorry, I simply think you're amazing, you have everything, you are everything.

*guys, read this platonically, but if any of you ever turned out to be lgbt i would not be surprised, this pile was very sweet but also intense (like the kid who's their friend's biggest fan). Maybe this friend was a younger cousin or younger sibling, idk, it's strong but very tender too. I feel I was called to do this PAC rn because of this pile. While the others had mixed messages, like I got different messages from different situations, this one was so clear and I can say this kid loved you so much! For some people, this childhood best friend can very well develop a crush on you rn if they saw you, but please this is so specific that I'd be surprised if it happened to anyone at all.

Pile 4

(three of wands (ten of pentacles, queen of wands, king of wands), the world (the devil, the magician, the tower), ten of cups (ace of cups, queen of wands, four of pentacles))

These are positive messages from their higher self focused on the good moments of the past, and what they'd tell you about your present and future.

We used to wait so we could meet, or we waited until one of our families came to visit because they gave one of us cool gifts and toys. We wanted to play together, and it felt like Christmas when we met to play, it's like at someone's place they let us run wild and have a lot of fun, it wasn't like this every day. It was very special to meet you, I built a lot of expectation for every meeting we had. We got along very well, like two air signs or two fire signs together, I bet we had an amazing synastry for kid's play, because you're the ultimate play date and I would not trade our moments for anything.

The world right now is a lot less calm, there's a lot to do and you feel like you can't keep up with it. Maybe it'll be a good time to remember it hasn't been like this all the time and you will feel less alone in the future, and will have less worries in the future. I don't want you to worry about money or wish you had as much as you once had, there are some phases in life that are difficult, but if we wait and continue we will see the light ahead. I see a future so bright for you, one in which you will be just as happy as I was by your side; if you look forward to meeting your future self as much as I used to look forward to meeting you, you will not be dissapointed. You will be like the people you admired, powerful and strong, capable of much and you will witness kids growing up. There will be enough love, enough money, and health. The abundance will either return or make its way into your life. I can't stress it enough, it's like the fairytale wedding or the fairytale trip, house, family, friends, a very blissful time awaits somewhere in the future and all I wish is you have friends that make you feel as good as you made me feel, even if we were not side by side everyday for a long time. Good luck!

* Im sorry this last pile was so short, but i didn't get much more from it, maybe another pile will complete the message.

image source: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (if you let me i'll only do PACs with his paintings because he's my favourite) At the edge of the creek, Pêche pour les grenouilles, A Childhood Idyll, Les noisettes

👑⭐🌙⭐👑.👑⭐🌙⭐👑.👑⭐🌙⭐👑

[lovesanmotion]

mafia!ateez reacts: proposing to s/o

💌 This is: Requested

Hongjoong:

When he isn't busy with his business, Hongjoong would devote his time looking for a ring that is like no other, one wherein it's only you that has that kind of ring. If nothing suits his taste, he will ask a goldsmith to work with him in creating a ring that is unique and special.

Hongjoong would take you out for a night drive in the skies in a helicopter. While admiring the city lights from above, he would stop in the middle and take out a small red velvet box from his pocket and propose to you.

Seonghwa:

Would ask a few of his men to help him write clues and leave trails for you to follow when you wake up and notice that he's gone. Seonghwa thought it was romantic to take you back to the places that holds special memories between the two of you, such as the rooftop wherein you two shared a kiss or the park wherein you two met again for the third time and called it fate. He would also have a few of his men discreetly watch you as you follow the trail so he would know that nothing is harming you along the way.

At the end of the trail is Seonghwa standing in the middle of the flower field, sitting on the wooden bench while admiring a 35 carat engagement ring gleaming under the sun.

Yunho:

Prior to the engagement, Yunho would already start asking you questions that were a little off. Like what the size of your fingers are, if you like gemstones big or small and what your favorite season is. Yunho would mentally take note of your answers and try to find the ring that would suit your taste and propose during the season you like.

On the day of the engagement, Yunho would challenge you to race with him to the top of the tallest cherry blossom tree. Purposefully, he lets you win so you would receive your "reward".

Yeosang:

Yeosang would spend months to create a safe computer virus that he would soon send to you in the form of a link. Day and night when he's free from his mafia group, he would be busy encoding in his laptop. When he was done, he would send you the link with the virus he created.

The virus doesn't exactly harm or exploit your information, rather, the link would lead you to a bunch of non sensical questions that at first wouldn't make any sense until the end of it, jumbled words would flash on your screen, waiting to be unjumbled by you.

" yrumo mye lrawd oo? "

San:

San was laying down in the infirmary of their base, stab wounds on his right chest and foot and the white light blinding his vision. He thought he would die right and there, that he would no longer be able to fulfill his promises with you or even grow old with you. His life was constantly in danger and at any given day, he would drop dead on the floor.

"Will you marry me?" He would ask out of the blue while you sat beside him in his stretcher bed. "I may still be in this state but when I fully heal I'll buy you the most beautiful ring and propose to you properly."

Mingi:

While you were out with some friends, Mingi would invite a few of his men inside his home to help him decorate the whole house with a bunch of balloons that would crowd the ceiling, tons of rose petals swimming on the floor and a fancy dinner that his men saved for him.

When you return home, Mingi would immediately get a little excited and take your coat off and lead you to the dining table with him, towards the end of his surprise would he stand close to you and get down on one knee, revealing to you the most beautiful ring the world has to offer.

Wooyoung:

Wooyoung would have an observatory reserved just for the two of you but he wouldn't mention that he's the one who reserved it. He would take pleasure in touring you around, showing you the night view of the city and admire the city lights from above. Ascending up the stairs until reaching the highest point of the observatory would Wooyoung wrap his arms around you from behind and open the black velvet box.

Jongho:

Jongho would take a trip with you to the province to take a breath of fresh air, see a lot of greenery and eat good food. He would treasure this day because its not everyday his life is like this. He knows he would have to get back to the city with you and resume to his work.

While in the flower field, Jongho would enjoy feeling the cool breeze and the flowers gently swaying to the air. He found a pretty spot amongst the field and he would lead you there, holding your hand and professing his love for you before he takes out the ring in his pocket.

[spiderlilyserendipity]

omg violet you write so well!! if you can, could you write a taehyung nsfw of while on vacation, tae's girlfriend wakes him up early with kisses and promises to do "whatever he wants" if he gets up with her and explores the city and tae holds her to that promise when they get back to their hotel starting with some steamy (private) hot tub sex?

Anon, you are awesome but you have ruined my brain. I got so carried away writing this fic, it is double the size I thought it would be. Many thoughts, head full typa situation. Thank you. This one is titled Only One. Enjoy <3

WC: 4475

Genres: Smut, fluff, angst

Tags: established relationship, anniversary dinners, tae x oc take a trip to Paris

Warnings: dom/sub relationship, dom!taehyung, sub!reader, sir kink, punishment, praise kink, use of the word slut once, colour system as a safeword, insecurity, possessiveness, possessive sex, aftercare, taehyung is very 🥵🥵🥵 in this one y’all

(*Cis female reader*)

“Y/N, Y/N, should we take a picture over there?” Taehyung asks, batting his eyes cutely.

You smile but roll your eyes at Taehyung’s enthusiasm.

Not to be mistaken, if there’s anyone who loves their boyfriend, it’s you. You would live and die for Kim Taehyung, but there’s a special reason for your eyeroll today.

It has been only two weeks since Taehyung got off tour, and at that a world tour. You know Taehyung must be very tired from constantly travelling, hence why you let your boyfriend get his full rest the first week. But the thing is you haven’t seen your lover in a year, and you want to make some memories with him. 

You know he will get too busy once the post-tour lull passes over everyone at the company and everything goes back to regular schedule. Then, Taehyung will get sucked away by album preparations, promotions once it’s out, and inevitably: another tour.

You love that Taehyung gets to do what he loves for a living. You also love how cool he looks on stage. But most of all you like getting to spend time with him. 

To be honest, you were going to go see Taehyung in Paris during the European leg of the tour. It had been your anniversary, and the two of you had plans to get dinner together and enjoy the city. But then life happened and your plans came crashing down, preventing you from seeing Taehyung until the tour ended months later.

But past you had thought quickly, knowing the day Taehyung would return home and shifted your ticket instead of cancelling. So a week after Taehyung got home, you presented him with a second plane ticket to Paris, France that you bought last minute just for him.

You thought Taehyung would agree with making up for your missed anniversary, but Taehyung had frowned instead. “Babe, I seriously don’t want to go anywhere for a while. I’m sick of hotels and planes.”

“But I’ve never been there, baby. It would be so romantic!” You convinced him eventually, your pout winning him over. Taehyung had sighed, then called his manager to let him know.

So excited from Taehyung agreeing, you had leapt up into his arms and kissed him like crazy. “Ahhh! I’m so excited!”

Taehyung had held back a grin. “Okay. But no touristy stuff.”

You pout. “But that’s the most fun part!” When Taehyung pouts back, you try to convince him again. “Baby, I promise I’ll seriously do anything you say if you do all the embarrassing touristy stuff with me.”

“Anything?” Taehyung asked you, arching a brow. 

You took his hand, nodding eagerly. “Anything. Let’s just have fun!”

Taehyung grinned at you. “You better keep your word.”

You had kissed him, grinning at him. He watched you with a fond smile, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “You bet I will.” You vow.

It isn’t until you actually land in Paris that you realize what anything Taehyung is imagining.

For all his great qualities, Taehyung is not subtle about what he wants. Especially when he wants you.

The first three days, Taehyung lets you drag him around under the condition that you both wear disguises to avoid being noticed. You comply, picking odd hours of the day for activities that would be very busy at other times of day. You hit all the touristy spots in early mornings before the crowd, hide away in small tucked away cafes and restaurants with Taehyung during lunch hour, then spend the day browsing vintage stores for jewellery and clothes. 

It’s all fun and games except for the teasing that Taehyung will not stop. It’s hard for you to name a time of day where Taehyung’s big hands hadn’t been resting on your waist or his lips idly pressing a kiss to your cheek in passing. You know very well the game Taehyung is playing. He is slowly working you up, getting you used to his constant touches. Then, he will withdraw them, leaving you needy. 

Despite Taehyung’s teasing, the two of you still have a great time. You buy souvenirs for your friends and things for yourself. Taehyung also buys you clothes and jewellery, loving to spoil you. But what you love the most are the small establishments he brings you to, full of tasty food and where no one knows his name. You know the game Taehyung is playing, but you let him guide you to an isolated table towards the back and feed you food off his own utensils. You let him wipe the corner of your mouth for some smeared sauce, let him lick it off his thumb. Sometimes, you even get a little on your face on purpose. Taehyung notices when you do that, and lets you get away with it. After all, this isn’t a favour he’s doing you. This is your anniversary trip. He can’t be the only one getting away with teasing.

The following three days, the two of you hit the museums. Taehyung shows you around, explaining things he had seen on previous trips to Paris. You listen to him, happier to see him happy than to really look at the art. You take pictures of your boyfriend inside the museum and really anywhere it won’t catch too much attention.

Over those three days, Taehyung’s touches decrease. He reduces it little by little, but you know him well by now. Taehyung isn’t trying to be subtle, rather the opposite. He wants you to notice, to get riled up when his touch is gone. 

You tell yourself you don’t mind it, but both of you know it’s a lie. You ignore the smirk on Taehyung’s face every time you intertwine your hands or wrap an arm around his waist to guide him through the back roads. You will get back at him at dinner tonight.

After lunch on the final day, you tell Taehyung to head back to the hotel on his own. You say you are going to buy a new dress for your dinner date tonight, and that you want it to be a surprise for him. Chuckling, Taehyung just passes you his blackcard and tells you to have fun.

You buy a dark green coloured gown, Taehyung’s favourite colour, and a matching necklace and earrings set of emeralds. You smile at the sight of your ass being cupped by the silky material. This is sure to drive Taehyung mad. After all, tonight is the final night. Both of you know exactly how tonight will end.

You catch a cab to the five star Taehyung made a reservation at. You pay the taxi driver excitedly, getting out in your all new outfit, new heels, and even a new purse! You were sure to impress Taehyung.

You walk into the restaurant, telling the waiter who you’re here with. He lets you in, guiding you upstairs to your table.

You frown as you see your table. From this angle, you can’t see who, but Taehyung is talking to a woman. You approach quietly, catching neither of their attention. Luckily (or unluckily) for you, they’re talking loudly. You don’t speak much French but you don’t need it to deal with this woman. You hear her mention the word “model” and a woman’s clothing brand. You hear her repeat “model” a second time as she blatantly roams her eyes down Taehyung’s figure, then up at him. That’s the part that makes your blood boil. You know she is aware of your presence. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what kind of relationship you and Taehyung have.

But she still challenges you anyway, openly eyeing your man in public. If you could speak more French than basic small talk you would rip her a new one. 

Fuck it. You think, making your way across the room. Who needs to know the language?

“Oh, baby.” You say in a sweet voice. They both look over at you. The woman looks visibly irritated, pursing her perfect lips in annoyance. What a shame you like to flirt with other women’s men. You think, slightly in awe at her beauty. I’d like you in any other situation. “Is this a friend?” You ask.

You see a hint of a smile before Taehyung bites it back. “No, Y/N. We just met tonight.”

You smile pointedly at the woman. She frowns at you. “Ah, I see. Well, it was nice meeting you. We haven’t had dinner yet, so.” You say, pretending to be apologetic for cutting the conversation short. All three of you know you’re not, but it’s the thought that counts. Or doesn’t. You couldn’t care less.

“Colour.” Taehyung asks the minute you’re back in the hotel room. 

“Green.” 

“Poor baby. Got so angry that I took my eyes off you, huh?” Taehyung teases, hooking his fingers in the band of your underwear. He pulls back, making it snap against your hips. You whimper. “What’s that? Are you trying to say something?” Taehyung taunts you.

He cranes his head to look at you. He cups your face and makes you look at him. He makes a fake-worried face. “That’s odd, you were talking perfectly fine a few hours ago. Was it something in the food that’s making you feel sick or are you just embarrassed from being a possessive little slut in front of sir?”

His words make you shiver. He grins as he feels it against his own abdomen. “It seems like you’re really sick, Y/N. I guess we'll just have to go to bed.”

He begins to unwind his arms from around your waist, but you grab them, holding them against your skin. “S-Sir.” You whisper.

“There’s my girl.” Taehyung says proudly, rewarding you with a kiss to your temple. “Let’s talk about what you did wrong tonight, shall we?”

“I-I was possessive. I got jealous because you were talking to that model.”

Taehyung’s eyes flicker at the last word. “Oh, you heard?” He snaps the band of underwear against your skin again. You wriggle, but he refuses to let you go. “What a bad girl. Eavesdropping on sir’s conversations. What if she had been a potential colleague and you ruined everything? But you didn’t think of any of that, only your. own. feelings.” He emphasizes each of the three words with another smack. “You’re just an ungrateful little slut, aren’t you? I bet you would open your legs for any man that offered you this kind of treatment, huh?” He growls in your ear.

“I-I’m sorry.” You whisper, voice cracking.

Taehyung stops. “Colour.” He says, thumbs gently stroking at your sides.

“Green.” 

“Y/N.” He repeats more firmly. You sniffle. A tear rolls down your cheek. Taehyung thumbs it away immediately. “We don’t have to. I’m sorry. Do you want to take a bath together? We can cuddle after. Anything you’re comfortable with baby.”

You shake your head, looking away from him. “I’m really okay. I...I want my punishment.”

Taehyung turns you to look at him. He watches your face, looking for any unwillingness. He cups your face and makes you look at him. He smiles finally when he sees the familiar, hazy look in your eyes. You are already slipping into subspace.

“Follow me.” Taehyung says.

You walk behind him, still naked except for your panties. Taehyung is still entirely clothed in his suit and tie. He leads you to the fancy living room of the suite, and closes the curtains. You wait until he sits down to approach him. You observe his spread legs and the stern look in his eye. The air in the living room is freezing cold, but it only adds to it. This is one of the many things you love about Taehyung. How incredibly sexy he looks when he is in control.

Without being asked, you get on the sofa on your hands and knees. You drape your body over Taehyung’s lap, ass up in his lap. You fold your arms over the sofa’s armrest, turning your head to look at Taehyung. 

Taehyung’s warm hand caresses your ass. He kneads at the flesh roughly without breaking eye contact with you. On the outside, he looks indifferent, dark eyes sultry. He makes it look like he couldn't care less if it was you or another sub being bent to his will. But you know it’s part of the scene, that he’s watching you this intensely for your reaction and it is only your reaction he ever wants in a setting like this.

“You can safeword out if you need to.” He reminds you. You nod, putting your head against the armrest. “Count.” He tells you, before the first smack comes down.

You flinch on instinct, but his arm pins the backs of your thighs down. “One.”

Another smack but to the other cheek. You hiss under your breath. “Two.”

Taehyung gives the next three in succession. “F-Five.”

“Colour?” Taehyung re-checks. You reply green again. He delivers two more. “Six, ah, seven.”

The next two smacks are harsher. “Eight, nine一!” As you’re counting, Taehyung gives the final one. This one is the hardest of all, making the two of you sink a little lower into the sofa. “T-Ten.”

You are crying now, falling deeper into your subspace. Taehyung’s warm hands smooth over the places they hit. His voice murmurs sweet nothings in your ear, reassuring you.

“S-Sorry.” You continue to cry. “I didn’t mean to be like that.”

“I know.” Taehyung reassures you. He helps you up into a sitting position. It burns to sit on your still painful ass, but you do so anyway because it’s Taehyung who asks you to do it. “You took my punishment very well, Y/N, just like a good girl.”

You shake your head, sniffling. “I don’t wanna be ‘a good girl’, I wanna be your good girl.” You say. Taehyung frowns slightly as he wonders what that means, then looks shocked when he realizes what you’re saying.

“You are my good girl, baby.” He says softly, wiping away your tears. “No one but you.”

“But i-it was our a-anniversary dinner and you were letting her flirt with you. You just一just let her do it. And when I called you baby at the restaurant, you only called me Y/N.” You confess, giving up your fake confident act. The truth is that despite your anger in the moment, you had felt very insecure. It wasn’t like you could blame the woman for finding your boyfriend hot, anyone would. But the fact that Taehyung never said anything back and just put up with it instead of correcting her bothered you. Was it embarrassing to admit he was dating you in front of a woman who was so obviously his equal in elegance? This thought bothered you throughout the whole dinner. 

You didn’t plan on telling Taehyung about it, since he didn’t know you sometimes felt this way. One of the reasons you insisted on travelling to make up for your missed anniversary was this doubt. Maybe if you showed him around this fancy city and you made good memories with him, he might appreciate it. Maybe then it would ease your doubt of if you were worthy enough to be his.

You had never admitted this aloud to anyone, but you actually wondered If Taehyung had women in other countries that he went on dates with during tour. You know Taehyung is a good person but after all, he is a young man with sexual needs. And at that, a very attractive man who could get with just about any woman he wanted. So yes, seeing him talk to the very attractive woman had angered you, but it also made you feel like your worst fears might be true. 

“Y/N, talk to me, baby.” Taehyung pleads you, his worried brown eyes searching your face for any answers.

“...Can I ask you a question?” 

“Of course, my love.” Taehyung responds. “Ask me anything you want, baby.’

You sniffle. You play with his suit blazer. “Can you promise to not get mad at me?”

Taehyung looks like he might cry when you ask that. “I promise.”

“When you go away for tour...is there anyone else?” You watch your own tears fall onto Taehyung’s dress shirt. Taehyung looks shaken. “It might seem random but I’ve always wondered. I promise I’m not just acting up because of tonight.”

Taehyung continues to watch you, looking worried and at a loss for words. You put on a fake smile. “Sorry, it’s probably nothing. Let’s just go to bed.” 

Taehyung holds you by the waist, stopping you from getting up. “Y/N.”

“I said it’s fine. It’s okay. Really, even if you had another woman. I can’t control what you do when you’re not with me. A year is too long for a couple to spend apart anyway, it’s only natural that your feelings would change. It’s okay. Anyway,” You breathe shakily. “Anyway I’m still yours. As long as you like, of course.”

“Of course I like it.” Taehyung insists, tears glistening in his eyes. “I love you. Tell me how long you’ve felt like this.”

You hesitate. “Y/N.” There it is again, that firm tone that you hate outside of scenes. 

You look down at your hands. “Maybe two years?”

Taehyung is crying now, and he cups your face in his hands. “You’ve been thinking like this for two years? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“...I didn’t want to burden you. You’re really busy on tour.”

Taehyung purses his lips. “Can I show you there’s no one else?”

You nod. Taehyung lifts you up, and you wrap your legs around his waist. He holds you by the backs of your thighs instead of your ass, careful not to hurt you. “The bed?” He asks. You consider the feeling of the rough sheets against your sore ass. 

You shake your head. “C-Can we use the hot tub?”

Taehyung kisses your forehead. “Anything for you.”

Taehyung sets up the hot tub for both of you. He takes your panties off for you, sliding them down your legs. He kisses you deeply, sweetly. You whimper into the kiss, his tongue completely in control of your mouth. When you part, a strand of saliva comes loose. When you part far enough, the saliva ends up on your chin. Taehyung wipes it with his thumb. A darkness has entered his eyes again. “Get in. Let me show you how much I love you.”

You get in the hot tub, relishing the feeling of the hot water. It stings a bit, but it’s easier to sit then the bed would have been. You sit with your legs spread slightly, calves tucked under you and feet beneath your ass. Neat and pretty. Just the way sir likes it.

Taehyung strips quickly once you’re in the water. Your eyes roam over his beautiful body, at the hard muscle of his chest, his bulging biceps, his caramel thighs, and his rigid cock. “Come here.” Taehyung orders as he gets in the water. You do so, climbing up into his lap. He kisses you hungrily, like this is the first time all night. You are surprised at the intensity of this kiss. You cannot recall a time Taehyung has ever kissed you so passionately in your years together, even in your roughest scenes. 

“So pretty.” Taehyung growls when you two part again. He wraps one arm around your waist to press your chest against his, then attacks your neck. You gasp as he makes love bites, all the way down your neck. He has never made this many before in total, yet he makes them everywhere tonight. He litters your collarbone and the top of your chest with them, making them bloom red at first but you know they will be a deep purple shade tomorrow. “How can you not know what you mean to me, when you’re this fucking beautiful? You drove me crazy in your dress tonight, no, you drive me crazy every fucking time I see you. Maybe even since the first time I met you.”

“S-Sir.” You moan at the praise, face heating up. Taehyung pushes you back against the wall of the hot tub. You tilt your head back against the tiles as he touches you everywhere. He uses his hands to tease at your nipples, making them harden. Even as he does it, he is grinding down on you. You can feel yourself getting wetter by the second. 

“You fucking know I am.” Taehyung snaps, losing the careful composure he wears during scenes. “You’re my one and my only. Look at yourself, so fucking lewd, all worked up by my touch. You have me wrapped around your finger and you still think I’d have another woman.” He continues, cursing in between his sentences at your sweet sounds.

“S-Sorry.”

“Don’t ever be sorry.” Taehyung cuts you off. You let out moans as he starts rubbing at your clit, hard and fast. You grind against his hand. In his dom persona, Taehyung would never tolerate you doing this, but both of you are too far gone tonight to follow the rules to a T. “I will clear this misunderstanding tonight. On your knees, princess.” 

You lean on top of the towel Taehyung placed for you on the tiles. Taehyung places his own knees outside of yours, and you feel his hard cock against your ass. Taehyung eases two fingers into you, wet from your arousal that it’s an easy fit. “Nnn, sir.” You plead, grinding down on him. 

“You won’t get more until you say what I want to hear.” Taehyung says next to your ear. He presses his chest into your back, pinning you to the edge of the hot tub. “Who do you belong to?”

“Sir! I belong to sir!” You cry out, and Taehyung picks up the pace.

“So fucking pretty.” Taehyung praises, kissing the marks he left on your neck. “Only you get treated like this, understand? No woman could ever be loved like this by me. Every time you forget I will bend you over my lap and make you come on my cock over and over until you get it in your head.”

You let out a particularly loud moan at that, making Taehyung smirk. “Does my princess like that, hmm? You want to get bent over and take my cock all the time? Want me to fill you up with my come, plug you with a pretty little toy, and make you go about your day?” Taehyung inserts another finger and the stretch has you whining. “Answer me.” He demands.

“I do. Ah, fuck, Taehyung. Please. I do.” You plead, tilting your head to the side. Taehyung meets you immediately in a passionate kiss. It’s all tongue and teeth, completely different from Taehyung’s usual style. Is this really what he can do when he lets go? You wonder, getting drunk on his kisses alone. You thought Taehyung had been rough before, but it’s nothing compared to tonight.

“Turn around.” Taehyung says, withdrawing his fingers. 

He takes in your needy expression, leaning in to kiss you again like he can’t get enough of you. “Can I come in you, baby? Have you been taking your pill regularly?” 

“Yes. Yes.” You chant. Taehyung laughs breathlessly, grabbing a fistful of your hip in one hand and lining himself up to your entrance.

When he enters, both of you moan. “So good. Whose are you, princess?”

“Yours, only yours.” You answer breathlessly. Taehyung grips your thighs and lifts you slightly, allowing him to enter you more deeply. 

Taehyung abruptly picks up the pace of his thrusts. You grip at his shoulders for support, unable to stop the noises that fall from your lips constantly. Not only is Taehyung going fast, he is also going incredibly deep, rubbing right over your G-spot. 

“C-Can I come, sir?” You beg.

Taehyung nods, and you move one hand between your legs to rub at your clit. As you tip your head back, Taehyung holds himself deep inside you. Both of you come at the same time, you clench hard around him and Taehyung pumps his seed inside you. He kisses at the marks on your neck as he comes, and you dig your nails into his back. 

You move your hand to his hair once you finish, stroking it gently. Taehyung pulls back from the wall, his hand smoothing down your back to ease any discomfort you felt being pressed against it. You don’t even notice until the postcoital bliss dies down that your ass was now more sore than before. But Taehyung does. 

“Let’s take a shower.” He tells you, helping you up. You both get out of the hot tub. Taehyung runs a small handcloth under the tap. He comes over and wipes your vagina down first, then cleaning himself. 

The two of you get in the shower together. You let Taehyung wash your body down, scrubbing gently and avoiding touching your ass. You grab his shampoo off the ledge and put a good amount in your palms. “What are you doing?” Taehyung asks, surprised that you turned around while he was washing your back.

“Taking care of you.” You mumble, washing Taehyung hair for him. You grab the detachable showerhead from the side. You shield his eyes with a hand as you rinse the soap out.

Taehyung smiles fondly at how concentrated you look. “Baby, a dom is supposed to look after their sub following a scene. Not the other way.”

You shrug. You probably heard that somewhere. Your brain is too foggy right now to think. “But I want to.”

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yes.” You answer, smiling at how nice Taehyung’s hair looks now that it’s clean. “Because I belong to you.”

Taehyung lightly pecks your forehead. “And I’m yours.”

Later, when the haze of your subspace wears off, you two are laying in bed together. You’re wearing one of Taehyung’s shirts and a pair of panties. Taehyung is shirtless and in a pair of boxers. Taehyung has just finished putting lotion on your sore bottom to ease the ache for tomorrow. 

You lay on top of Taehyung’s chest, and Taehyung tucks the blankets tucked in around you. You snuggle up against his chest, content in his strong arms.

“Y/N, I know I already proved my point, but you really are my only one.” Taehyung tells you. You don’t reply so he cranes his head to look at you. Taehyung smiles fondly to notice you’re already asleep. He kisses the top of your head. “No problem. I guess I have the rest of my life to prove it to you.” He mutters to himself.

You smile to yourself with your eyes closed.

Requests are open (✿◡‿◡)

[thecandywrites]

Monster March Day 1- Mermaid- Mico Mermaid Taliwai and Brivian Part 2

And the second and final part to my Monster March submission for @catbatart ‘s Monster March 2022. So again, a long part, but I couldn’t help it. Also plus size mermaids? Yes, please and thank you. Cause our girl Taliwai is THICC. She’s a big beautiful woman and SO SEXY. And our boy Brivian doesn’t stand a chance because she’s beautiful inside and out and it’s her personality that does him in and has him throwing every idea and every doubt out the window to be with her. 

Sorry this is posting on like day three of the Monster March but I only had a few ideas for the whole month, so while I would love to have a submission for every day of it, I just don’t have the time or the mental capacity for it. But new mermaid content so yay!

Monster March 

Day 1- Mermaid - Micro Mermaids!

Taliwai the Surrogate

“So where is the puzzle box for Brivian’s safety?” Brivian’s parents asked Ethel as she came to check up on them a few days before they would be released into the big courting tank.

“Ok, I need to talk to all of the last generation micros- can all of you get into one tank?” She asked before the parents and their last child swam through the tubes and into Brivian’s tank as Ethel pulled up a stool to sit and be eye level with them.  

“Ok, so for this batch, I am running a multi-variance test. I want to test to see if it’s actually the puzzle box cages that incite the mobs of suitors. And since all of you young ones will be wearing these…” Ethel began as she picked up and pointed to the QR code that was laminated and prepped to be worn like a backpack. 

“I am testing to see if anyone can even tell if you’re last generation micros or not. So my plan is- for all the boys to get together- and form a clutch of your own. All the girls, I want all of you to form a clutch of your own. So that when you are introduced into the big tank- it will appear that you are no different than any other middle clutch and are simply either a male only clutch or a female only clutch. Which isn’t unusual and because there’s not a lot of you, you will still get preference as an elder clutch. But you’ll be able to roam the entire tank freely and possibly either pair up with each other or any other from any other clutch.” Ethel explained as the last generation micro’s were surprised but excited about the prospect of for once, not having to be either advantaged or disadvantaged by the pairing and could find a suitable mate that was much more suited to them instead of trying to pick one under extreme pressure. 

“However I’m also testing to see if any of you or any other could have the potential to be surrogates. Since being a surrogate parent is very challenging but also very rewarding. But for once, being a surrogate father does not mean that the male would be impotent. If anything I’m looking for very virile males for the project because the goal would be to have a pair breed whole clutches of surrogate parents because your species and your various subspecies really need the surrogates. Especially = since Lagu and Navere’s deaths. Now if that is something that none of you want to do, I understand. I am giving the surrogate offer to all the other batches to see if any of them want to volunteer. But I can tell you that volunteers will not only get large premium tanks, premium decor and premium food and premium choices of a nest or nests as needed and could potentially come with the option to travel to any number of aquariums around the world that could need you. But it’s still very much a voluntary choice that each individual would have to consider carefully and you don’t need to answer me right now, simply think about it for the next couple of days while you finish preparing. I only want each and every single one of you to be happy with whatever choice you make. However- if any of you does come under threat of being mobbed by suitors, I will not hesitate to put the individual into a puzzle compartment for their safety. And all of you are extremely well educated, I’m sure it won’t take much for any of you to figure them out on your own.” Ethel explained. 

“Oh.” They all blinked in surprise. 

“I will leave the tubes open for the rest of the day, talk about it amongst yourselves, weigh the possible choices carefully and of course, you’ll have to use the utmost discretion when in the big courting tank with other potential mates. But also keep in mind, I’m also allowing those who chose to be surrogates to also swim freely among everyone else too. And they will not have any indicators about whether or not they’ve chosen to be surrogates or not. And only through the courting process would you find that out and if any of you chooses a surrogate mate, you will have to choose between keeping that mate and being in the surrogate program with them or choosing another mate who isn’t in the surrogate program.” Ethel warned them. 

“Ok.” They all nodded before they all sat down in a group on the soft sand to talk it over before Ethel left and made the surrogate announcement to the other tanks before she came up to your tank and gave the surrogate proposal to you and your siblings as well before you eagerly raised your hand, swam forward and volunteered. 

“I want to be a surrogate. My parents have had nothing but the highest praise about Lagu and Navere and they were of course very saddened to hear that they passed away. I want to volunteer. I don’t care about the tank or the food or anything else. If Navere and Lagu saved my parents and since so many of my older siblings are in the surrogate program and have already flown to other aquariums around the world and are as happy as they seem when we’ve seen them on the calls on the screens. I want to do that too. I want to help.” You insisted. 

“Oh sweet, sweet Taliwai, of course! Of course! I’m so happy you volunteered and the first to do so! Because you’re the first- I have the perfect tank already ready to go just for you then.” Ethel cooed which surprised you. 

“Can I see it?” You asked. 

“Of course, and any other who is thinking about it, can come and see it too if you want to.” She said as she put the net in the tank as you and all of your brothers and sisters squeezed into the net with you. All of you laughing hysterically trying to cram into the net. It was like playing minnows in a hole with the net as Ethel giggled delightfully. 

“OK, now big breath in.” Ethel coached as all of you took a deep breath in and held it as she lifted all of you the net out of your tank and into a bag before you all swam out of the net and then Ethel very carefully carried you and your siblings towards the tank.

Diavien and the other last generations noticed that a whole brood was being moved from their parents tank and watched on curiously before Diavien and the others curiously swam through the tubes of the other tanks that they could to see where you and your siblings were being taken. 

Ethel then put your bag into a tank that was just around the corner since this was a very large room with several “cubbies” for each variety, species and subspecies of micros per cubby. It was the tank she had used to house Navere and Lagu but since their deaths, she had upgraded the tank with their own life insurance money. Because of how they died- since their fatal encounter had been on camera and recorded. And now this tank was practically a work of art. The only other salt water tank in Ethel’s house that even compared to this- was the “retirement” salt water tank in her own bedroom. And that was only because that tank was bigger as all of you had your hands and faces practically smooshed up to the plastic bag looking at all of it as all of you chittered exctedly at what you saw.

“So because you were the first to volunteer Taliwai, this will be your tank. And then once you pair up- your mate will be moved in here with you. And the rest of you. If you chose to be surrogates too, you can get a tank like this too. I already have other caretakers who are part of the project and they are just now finishing up their own tanks too and some of their tanks are just as nice as this one is.” She specified as you felt almost overwhelmed that such a big, wonderful tank would be yours as it filled you with pride, joy and excitement. 

“Now, I’m counting on all of you to protect Taliwai when you guys go into the big pairing tank. Because if word gets out that this is her tank- so many mermen will be after her- just to live in this tank- that won’t be all that interested in her or interested in the surrogate program. And I need willing volunteers in the program, I don’t want to have to draft anyone into it. So here’s the story I want all of you to have. Taliwai- if you want to tell others that you’ve volunteered to be a surrogate, that’s fine. But simply say that ‘you don’t know what tank you’re going to or that you’re going to be shipped out to a university’ or something. But the entire mandarin dragonet micro cubby just saw all of you being brought to this tank. That means that you and your batch will get special interest from everyone else in the courting tank. So if any of you get bombarded or swarmed by suitors, I can put you in a puzzle compartment for your safety. Where I can walk you through how to open and close it. And while it will protect you, it will also single you out and seclude you from everything else in the big tank. Just like last generation micros usually have to be ok?” Ethel coached you. 

“Ok.” All of you nodded before the water had acclimated and she let you loose to explore the tank as you and your siblings eagerly inspected every square inch of it. All of you laughing and squealing in delight as you explored the massive tank and all of it’s wonderful treasures that not even your parent’s tank got to have.  

“It’s so big!” All of your voices practically echoed in the waters as you happily touched the different kinds of coral, from hard to leathery to soft as the soft corals especially were like touching and hugging and even laying on the softest, bounciest sea sponge. And this tank even had sea sponges too! And an actual bedroom space that had a big seasponge as it’s mattress to that oversaw a large empty space. 

This tank had everything. It had it’s own sweet seagrape algae plant too! But thankfully no anemones or anything else dangerous but it did have several algae eating shrimp and a nice mix of special snails to keep the algae on the glass in check and even a few “pets” that would act like garbage disposals for uneaten food or waste. While phytoplankton would be regularly dumped into the water at night to help feed the corals too. And it even had several varieties of crustations that were mandarin micro’s favorite prey and food in the wild too. 

“Don’t eat the prey items. Those are for Taliwai and her future mate to teach their children how to hunt because the goal is for them to teach their children skills that would help them and their future offspring into the ‘reintroduction into the wild’ program so that they will have the best of both the domesticated world and the best of both worlds.” She specified as many of you had already gotten into hunting and stalking positions which earned dissappointed murmures from everyone else. 

“But there is nothing in here that would ever pose Taliwai, her mate or any children either that are naturally theirs or any they would foster in the surrogate program- harm.” Ethel emphasized as you and your siblings had all decended on the sweet seagrape plant.   

“Oh my fins.” You and your siblings practically moaned while all of you eagerly picked “ripe” seagrapes, the sweet flavor exploding in your mouths before you noticed a huge area of the tank was unusually bare. 

“Is this where the nest goes?” You asked Ethel as you noticed that the bedroom faced this empty space. 

“It is. When you choose your mate, I’ll let you choose whatever nest you want, I have the most promising candidates just there.” She said as she pointed to the huge shelf right across from the tank that had shelf after shelf of special geodes of all kinds and sizes just waiting to be chosen. 

“Although if you’re going to be a surrogate- the bigger the nest, the better. Especially one with several dips and curves for when you get surrendered clutches, you and your mate can move the eggs- granted- very carefully over from where they will be nested from into your nest. But be warned- being a surrogate, you have to be ready and willing to take on any clutch I put in here. And the clutches that might go in here, may not even be from mandarin dragonet. Until I get more surrogates for the the other species and varieties, you might get babies of all kinds. That’s why this tank is so big and has so much and has seaweed and coral from all over the world- because you might get clutches from areas of the world that you may not call home. But they will still need to have you tie them to their roots if their parents aren’t around to do so. Are you sure you’re up for that?” She reminded you as you nodded before you saw the nest from the glass as you pressed your body up to the glass. 

“See a nest that already speaks to you?” Ethel asked as you nodded. 

“Ok, which one?” Ethel asked as she went over and started slowly moving her pointer finger from geode to geode as you shook your head before she pointed to the one that caught your eye and your imagination before you nodded emphatically before she smiled brightly. 

“Theo! Help me with this nest Taliwai just picked out.” Ethel called out before Theo came in and picked up the big and heavy geode. 

“She has a good eye and a really big heart.” Theo praised as he very carefully put it into the tank and the geode took up every little bit of the empty spot as you were the first to explore it before you laid back into the birthing bed and stretched and relaxed into the chair. 

It was perfect.  

“Aww,” your siblings cooed. 

“You could fit like over 500 eggs in here!” Your brothers realized. 

“Yup and she will need every spot.” Ethel nodded. 

“Oh my gills. If she is going to be looking after potentially over 500 eggs at once, she’s gonna need help. Can I volunteer to be in here with her? Because surely, this tank is big enough for two couples. And we’re sisters, I’m sure we can both find mates who can get along.” Your sister Hinara asked. 

“I guess we’ll see once you match up. But if not- it’s ok. Chances are she’ll be having babies born every day but only lay on her regular cycle. Which means she will constantly need to nurse and constantly be fed nursing food.” Ethel gently broke it to her before Hinara looked down at her own growing bosom since yours had started to bud early and you had the largest bosom of your family, well hell, you were the largest and plumpest of your sisters. Which is why if you had not previously volunteered, Ethel was going to try to bribe you with this tank into surrogates because your body already had the potential for it but since you volunteered, it was a great relief to her. 

“Yeah, I think between her and I, we’d be up for it.” Hinara nodded. 

“Thank you.” You thanked her as you swam over to her and hugged her tight as she hugged you back even tighter.  

“Ok, now you lay in the birthing chair.” You urged her before she reclined back and practically moaned in pleasure. 

“Oh yeah, best seat in the house, hey could we get two birthing seats in this nest?” Hinara asked before Ethel and Theo looked at each other meaningfully for a moment. 

“Yeah I think we can try to get that done in time.” Theo nodded. 

“Thank you.” You and Hinara thanked him before Theo picked the geode back up and out of the water and called “the stone guy” to make a second birthing seat in the geode. 

“We’re going to be co-parents!” You and Hinara squealed. 

“Which means when we pair up, we have to pair up with guys who can be friends.” You insisted. 

“Of course! The best of friends!” She insisted. 

“Ok, now out before you eat all the seagrapes.” Ethel insisted as some of your siblings were still at the seagrapes, wolfing them down. 

“Seapigs!” Hinara chastised her brothers as she smacked them over the head while their cheeks were still bulging with grapes as Ethel chose to get you all back into the bag then take you back home. 

“And? How’s the tank?” Your parents asked before the rest of your siblings all spoke over each other about how amazing it was. How it had coral of all kinds from all over the world. How it had it’s own thick kelp and seaweed forests and had it’s own seagrape plant growing in the tank itself and how pretty even the small shrimp were and the other snails and the pets and the prey items but how there had been no sea anemones or anything dangerous in it. How it was the biggest and most amazing tank ever in their opinion.  

“And Tali and Nara are going to share it! They picked out a dual nest that could have held at least five hundred, if not like closer to six hundred eggs! And Theo is gonna put a second birthing seat in the nest!” Your siblings told your parents. 

“Wow, you sure you girls aren’t biting off more than you can chew?” Your mother asked you and Hinara. 

“We’ll be together, we’re sisters, we got it. Besides, we’ve always gotten along the best and we’re each other’s best friends. And we may even pair up with a pair of brothers or cousins or something and especially if we can pair up with a later generation, that would be perfect. Because not only do they have a better education, but we would have a better tank and nest. It’s a challenge but I think we’re up for it.” Hinara insisted as her arm was around your shoulders as your arm was wrapped around her waist as both herself and you nodded confidently. 

“Well just be careful. And boys, guard your sisters, they’re going to be the most desired females in the tank over getting that tank. Now being a surrogate can have a mixed reaction. Some might think that’s awesome and some wouldn’t touch a surrogate with a ten fin long spear. Make sure they pair bond to mermen that are up for the challenge and who actually love your sisters and are not out just to get a good tank. In fact, keep the tank a secret. If the mermen would only want your sisters and be surrogates, let the tank be a surprise to them like it was for you.” Your father ordered your brothers and other siblings. 

“Yes Sir.” All your brothers nodded in agreement as your sisters nodded in agreement too. 

“Ethel? Can I be a surrogate too?” Your other siblings asked. 

“Sure, who wants to be in the program, line up so I can scan you and put you in the database as volunteers.” Ethel said as she had you and your siblings line up along the front of the glass and scanned your chips into her chip reader and made a special note in the system that all of you had volunteered to be in the surrogate program. 

“I am so proud of all of you. And even if any of you change your mind, the fact that you were even willing to try, speaks to how well your parents have raised you and also speaks to Lagu and Navere’s legacy too.” Ethel praised as her eyes watered at the bittersweet memory of them. 

“So to celebrate- Theo, I need a mackerel for this tank.” Ethel said as she gestured to the tank as Theo had just come back from setting the geode aside and calling the Mark- their special stone guy who carved the birthing beds into the geodes. 

“You got it Mom.” Theo grinned and came back only a few more moments with a huge mackerel, the largest one you had ever seen in your life! Along with special ‘nursing food bits’ for you and your sisters who also had volunteered for the program- to start eating. The purpose of the bits were to finish maturing your breasts and ready to nurse since the nursing bits had special hormones and pheremones added to them to induce milk production and were created just for surrogates to have a continuous milk supply. 

The nursing bits tasted peculiar but in a good way. If anything very tasty and unique as it was both sweet and savory before Ethel put in several large sea scallops, still in thier half shells but opened so that you and your siblings could eat those too. Now you recognized the sweetness in the nursing bits, it was from scallops. The scallop was an even more special treat for you since you only ever got to eat it once before. But for your parents- they had scallop a couple of times when your mother had recovered from extra large clutches and Navere and Lagu had helped nurse your parents back to health with the help of the natural sugars and sweetness of the scallops. 

That night you awoke to your breasts feeling weird as you looked down into your top to see milk clouding around both breasts. 

“Wow, ok.” You whispered as you took your top and fanned out the space to make the milk dissolve in the water. 

“You too?” Hinara murmured next to you. 

“You too?” You asked her. 

“Been leaking milk since the lights turned off.” Hinara muttered from her spot still laying down in the soft seagrass as a bed as the seagrass both acted like a mattress and a blanket for you and your siblings in this tank. 

“When it’s morning, I’ll help you girls make proper tops, until then, try to get some sleep.” Your mother muttered, not too far away as she laid next to your father in their own special spot on a seasponge bed next to the nest that they liked to sleep on, the blanket that they had spun and made together from both of their silks combained wrapped comfortably around them. 

“Sorry Mama.” You apologized for waking her up. 

“It’s ok. It’s always weird when your milk first comes in. You’ll get used to it.” She assured you. 

“Goodnight Mama.” You and Hinara both offered. 

“Goodnight girls. Love you.” Your mother cooed back before she drifted back into sleep. 

The next day your mother walked you and your other sisters who had volunteered to be surrogates and whose breasts had practically bloomed overnight into making proper seashell tops as Ethel had put a whole bag of really pretty small clam shells and strips of special leathery seaweed to make special tops that weren’t just a piece of seasilk that all of you had spun and made for yourselves. 

Meanwhile your father walked all your brothers through how to put eggs into the nest with the practice eggs on the other end of the tank. To leave your mother to teach you and your sisters to fashion for yourselves seashell tops as you found a pair of shells that were barely big enough to keep your breasts in. And they were the biggest shells in the bag. Your mother, yourself and your other sisters worked all day on making the seashell tops fit you and your sisters well.  All of you using your seasilk and leathery seaweed to serve as the backs, straps and to attach the two seashells to. 

Your sisters admired how much bigger their bosoms looked in the seashell tops versus the plain seasilk ones. And with the bag of seashells, Ethel included a bag of tiny little jewels and pearls that could be used to embellish the tops too. Which you and your sisters greatly enjoyed as even your own mother got to make herself a new seashell top with pearls and jewels in it. 

“Don’t tell your sisters but I was hoping that Ethel would choose you for her surrogate program. Our kind needs it, especially since Navere and Lagu are gone. Now, you need to understand that neither I or Ethel expects you and your future mate to be exactly like them. But the fact that you volunteered before you saw the tank or anything else, tells me you’re doing it for the right reasons. Your other brothers and sisters that have gone into the surrogate program are so happy and I hope whoever you pair bond to- knows that the real treasure is in here and not in here.” Your mother pointed to your heart before she gestured to your breasts which got you to snort a laugh. 

“Me too.” You admitted. 

“I’ll make sure Ethel has a puzzle box for you just in case. Cause some of those boys will only take one look at your body and that’ll be all they’ll need to see and especially if they can smell milk around you, that’ll just make them having nothing but mating with you on their brains. So it’ll be hard to find genuine interest in between all the lustful interests. But if you can find a mate who is actively fighting those instincts and is instead just trying to get to know you for you. That’ll be your best sign of a good match.” She advised. 

“Will we all need puzzle boxes?” Hinara asked worriedly. 

“Hopefully not. Hopefully your brothers can keep you safe. But there’s only 21 of them and 22 of you girls. So that means at least one of your brothers will be pulling double duty on you girls while also juggling trying to find mates themselves. So if all else fails, all you girls need to close ranks with each other, a group of 22 girls is better than only a pair of two or three. And if need be- deny any hint at a special tank. Only confirm that any of you or any of your sisters volunteered for the surrogate program.” She wisely advised. 

“Your sister Vivifer from my last clutch, she had a hard time finding a mate period. Because of the surrogate program. She had to be paired with a male from the university who initially didn’t want to be in the program period. But he was desperate enough for a mate that he took her sight unseen just to have a mate. And while they had a rocky start because the culture that Ethel likes to keep here and at her store is one way- it’s different everywhere else you go. And many mermen may not like the idea of fathering children that aren’t their own.” Your mother warned you. 

“Why?” You asked her. 

“Because in the wild, if a clutch is lost to parents, those parents become egg thieves to others of their kind on the reef. But if a nest is abandoned, it’s a mystery as to who or what might be in the eggs and are usually best to be another predator’s meal. So to our wild cousins, surrogates go against nature. As does inbreeding. But while Ethel thankfully is very against inbreeding, our kind needs the surrogates to survive and to have a future. Even if it goes against natural instinct. But you girls are pretty well educated even for being a middle clutch. It wouldn’t surprise me if the ten or less clutches view all of you as intellectual equals. And especially with tops like these, it will be assumed that either you’re later clutches, or most likely from a wealthy outside breeder. Who give their micros gifts like these to help beautify them for the process of courting and finding a mate. And Ethel rearely believes in such tactics. She wants your personalities to shine brighter than any jewel you would wear. So just make sure they know that you’re native- local girls and not non-native ones and that you got all this because your sisters volunteered for the program and all of you benefited from your sister’s “sacrifice”. Because a lot of micros look at surrogates as sacrificing a “normal” way of life. And you don’t even have to be specific on which sister it is either.” Your mother encouraged you and your sisters. 

“Yes Mama.” You and your sisters all echoed in response. 

“Oof, I need help.” You whimpered as you had trouble tying the damn shell bra to you because your breasts just wanted to be floating free as your mother and your sisters giggled softly as your mother helped you get into your top. 

“You’re gonna need another row of smaller shells or something along here.” Your mother said as she touched the inside lines of the bra where your breasts were smooshed together and you felt like you had one big boom across your whole chest. 

“Great.” You sarcastically said as you untied it and kept spinning more seasilk which was a special thread that a special gland that came from where your two fins of your tail came together. 

It used to be that seasilk was used to tie the nest together. But now that Ethel had nests out of geodes, her micros simply got to spin the silk for their clothing needs, mostly women to keep their breasts confined and not just floating any which way and get in the way of swimming. 

You used a special very thin tooth from one of your previous meals to serve as your needle as you quickly used it to weave a wider piece of it to cover your back. Especially since the little bit of string was enough for your smaller breasted sisters to keep their shell bras tied to them. But wasn’t enough for you- you needed serious reinforcement for your top as you made a very wide and long very strong section before you made yourselves straps that would go over your shoulders and sewed those into the whole width of the back of it so that it wouldn’t rip either at the top or the middle before you put another piece that would go under your breasts to serve as a “foundation” for the top itself then added the seashell cups and transferred the other little jewels and pearls before you made it front closing so you didn’t have to reach behind you to untie it or tie it. 

“There! See! You’re perfectly capable of doing anything you want to do.” Your mother praised as she inspected your handiwork. 

“Thank you.” You smiled happily as you felt much better and much more comfortable in this much firmer but more supportive top and what was more awesome was your bosom simply rested in the top and you didn’t feel like it was being smothered and smooshed either. 

“By my gills if I could get my breasts to even look half as big as yours, every merman in that courting tank would drool.” Your other sister Rava ventured since she was the smallest breasted of your sisters but she was also more petite than the others because she was the “runt” of the clutch. 

“They make my back hurt.” You complained. 

“So you need a merman with big hands to hold them for you.” Hinara teased which got you and your sisters to cackle. 

“We still have a few cycles before that’s even a possibility. Besides, smaller breasted females are sometimes much more favored than the bigger breasted ones.” Your mother reminded Rava. 

“But they also assume smaller chested girls are more docile and motherly too.” 

“You don’t want to be a mother?” Your own asked her. 

“No I do, I just don’t want to be docile.” Rava argued.  

“Well I’m sure there’s a merman that will be in that tank that will like you as wild as you want to be too.” Your mother reassured her confidently. 

“How can you know?” Rava asked. 

“Because you’re a middle generation clutch and everyone in that tank will be middle generation too. Count the number of tanks around us. Even if all of them had equal or even less sized clutches than you are from. Well, except for that line over there that are last generation micros- so they won’t be included but otherwise- do the math, how many merfolk will that be?” Your mother asked. 

“A lot.” Rava answered sheepishly. 

“No, actually do the math.” Your mother encouraged her. 

“There could be anywhere from 400-800 depending on which size of the middle batches are there.” You supplied before your mother sucked at her teeth and tapped you on the tail. 

“I told her to do the math, not you- who’s already done it obviously.” Your mother reminded you. 

“Between 500 and 600?” Your sister tried to find numbers in the middle as your mother just sighed tiredly. 

“Rava, for fin’s sake. Try to use your wild personality to get a later generation mate. Because if you try to use your intellect, you’ll get a second generation one if you can’t do simple math and multiplication.” Your mother chastised your sister who frowned deeply. 

“Ugh! Fine.” Rava groaned before she left and counted all the tanks she could see and then used her finger on the little bit of algae that was growing on the glass to do the math. 

“If all of them have clutches of 40- we will get at least 480 merpeople.” Rava answered eventually. 

“You didn’t account for our side of the wall having the same number of tanks, that’s just the opposite wall and the back wall.” You reminded her. 

“Ok fine, so, that’ll be what? Another 100 or so merpeople?” Rava complained. 

“And some of those you’ll be related to. Because you have to remember that your eldest siblings are parents now- and so you might be meeting your nieces and nephews that are now your age. So you have to be careful, when in doubt, use your nose. Your nose will tell you if they’re related to you or not.” Your mother also added. 

“Oh, yeah I forgot about that.” You remembered. 

“Yeah, so again, if you’re related to them, maybe they’ll remember that their own uncles and aunts are part of the surrogate program so they’ll be at least sympathetic and friendly.” Your mother reassured you. 

“Do you really think the boys will steer clear of us because of the surrogate program?” Hinara asked. 

“I worry about it. But then again, there may be other mermen who volunteered for the program who aren’t related to you so it might be very easy to pair up with them. So it’s one of those ‘wait and see’ kind of deals. But you need to prepare yourself for any and all outcomes.” Your mother specified. 

Meanwhile, Brivian and the other males from the back wall watched your tank with interest. 

“So we gotta assume that at least one of them is for the surrogate program?” Echi asked Brivian. 

“I am,” Brivian answered. 

“Well which ones did you see line up again?” Echi asked. 

“Only eight, but the one with the largest breasts, she was the first one to raise her hand and the first one in the net and the first one in the line. So I’m assuming she was the first to volunteer for it the way Ethel scanned them and fed them a whole mackerel and scallops.” Brivian said as he pointed to you in particular as he could still smell scallops in the water since the water got heated, filtered, oxygenated and pumped from one tank to all the others in the cubby, since the plumbing connected all the tanks together. 

“Well damn. She’s the hottest one but I don’t want to be a surrogate father, do you?” Echi asked Brivian. 

“Well I got it pretty good right where I am. I have this tank I’m inheriting and with you right next door. That’s a pretty nice given in a life that’s full of unknowns. And with the surrogates- they can get flown out to the other aquariums. I don’t know if I’d be up to that.” Brivian regretfully admitted. 

“Even as tempting and pretty and voluptuous as she is.” Echi sighed rather dreamily. 

“Well she’s awfully pretty too, maybe she’s vain too.” Brivian offered, trying to find reasons to not be interested.  

“A vain surrogate? Doubt it.” Echi argued. 

“Well, yeah, good point.” Brivian allowed as he bowed his head in defeat and twisted his lips before he looked up and tried to find any of your other sisters that didn’t line up that he found attractive but his eyes kept drifting and going to you no matter where else he tried to look. You were the most beautiful female he and every other in the last generation male line of tanks that were connected- had ever seen. You were perfect. You were plump and voluptuous and your smile was was as bright white as the lights were that illuminated the tanks and even though you were done making yourself a top, you still hung out and helped your sisters make thiers which only spoke of your generous personality and kindness. 

Surrogate. You were a surrogate. He had to keep that in mind. You were the unknown and neither he or anyone else had ever known a surrogate and while they understood the concept, it did feel...well...unnatural. And because they didn’t fully understand what and why anyone would even want to volunteer for such a life. It would figure that the most beautiful woman they had ever seen would be in the program. But now he just had the intense desire to talk to you and hear from your own lips why you would volunteer for such a life. 

“Well maybe she’ll be moved to the big tank on the end?” Echi prompted. 

“Doubt it. If a male volunteered, he would get the tank over her. Females can go wherever. It’s males who are picky about tanks and nests except for last generation females.” Brivian countered. 

“Well maybe I could charm her out of the program?” Echi hoped. 

“Doubt it. I mean look at her, she’s practically custom made for it.” Brivian gestured to you. 

“Yeah…all plump and perfect.” Echi sighed dreamily again as Brivian rolled his eyes. 

“All of them are plump.” Brivian pointed out. 

“Well, there’s that one, she seems to be the runt of the clutch. But she seems feisty. Which is pretty nice too.” Echi grinned schemingly. 

Brivian just shook his head before he simply turned his head from side to side, cracking his neck as he continued to swim in place there with his arms crossed over his chest as he contemplated it. 

Since he had been watching the scene unfold and think it over ever since Ethel announced the surrogate program as almost all of the last generations had decided against it. Since they viewed themselves as having too much to lose with their own tanks and nests and all. Some of the last generation females had already mostly decided on various last generation males because they could. 

But Brivian and Echi were a few of the males since males out numbered the last generation females three to one. But those that had already paired up had gone to each of the tanks and the couple chose each other’s tanks or nests. Most of the females chose the male’s tank but the males liked the female’s nests better than their own mother’s. But Brivian was related to almost all of the last generation females so for him- they were a no go since they were technically his cousins. Which was why him and Echi and the other males were still single. 

Which is what made looking at your tank. With so many beautiful women a favorite for him and the other males to watch especially since it was close to his own and he could see into your tank pretty easily. He was surprised and impressed that even among your siblings, there was such a variety of coloring. Some were more intensely orange, others more intensely blue, others intensely yellow or even more intensely turquoise. And even the pattern itself had a range. All within one clutch. Even a middle clutch of 43. And while he had other last generations to play with, there was nothing quite like having a true sibling and not just a friend or a cousin. 

Even though from a last generation micro’s point of view, he technically had it all. But looking at how happy your family was, maybe he didn’t. 

“So which one keeps catching your eye son?” Tani asked Brivian as he came to be beside him. 

“All of them.” Echi answered for his cousin which got murmurs of agreement from the others in the tank since Brivian’s tank had the best view of yours. 

“I’m sorry, are you my son?” Tani asked Echi as he gave Echi a curious look. 

“Well, like he said, all of them are eye catching.” Brivian answered honestly. 

“But the surrogate still has you hesitating?” Tani asked. 

“Wouldn’t you hesitate too?” Brivian asked his own father. 

“No.” Tani answered. 

“I think Mom would argue with you.” Brivian contested. 

“Briv. For once, things are different for you in ways I wish they could have been different for me. I got your mom’s attention because I had to play a fine line between smart and clever and dumb and humble. And she just happened to like my coloring better than the others that were around. For once, you don’t have to wade through women who would only want you for your tank and nest. You get to choose a woman who you actually like and who actually likes you too. And you have a very high chance of having natural chemistry and natural affection for her too and she, you. You could like her for her mind and heart and personality just as much if not more than anything about her form. I’m going to let you boys in on a little secret.” Tani began as Brivian, Echi and the others all turned their heads to consider him thoughtfully. 

“Son, your mother and I didn’t fully click until our third and fourth batches. But after we did. It didn’t matter that she was a last generation and I was a first generation. We were a mated, bonded pair at that point. And I would have moved into any tank, used any nest she wanted to use after that. Yeah this tank is pretty nice. But son, it’s just a tank.” He pointed out. 

“Look around you- there’s literally hundreds more just like it. Sure the coral is a little different in each one and the plants may be different or the decor or the layout and the nests are all slightly different. But they’re all essentially the same. All of them are the same exact size. All of them capable of having clutches ranging in size from 100 to 1.” He explained as he gestured to the other tanks in the cubby as Brivian and the other males looked out at the other tanks and realized he had a fair point.

“If you find a mate who you actually, genuinely like and can love both inside and out? The tank and nest won’t matter or amount to anything important or really that valuable or anything else around you. Only she’ll matter and providing her with everything you can will be your life’s goal and ambition.” he reasoned. 

“It takes a special kind of woman to even volunteer for the surrogate program. And while not every egg to hatch will be yours. While her body might be plump or not- it shows and proves how big her heart is. And if her heart is big enough to love babies that aren’t her own. She has more than enough love to love her mate just as much if not more. And if her heart is big enough to do that,  I don’t think the tank or the nest matters. But who she is as person will.” Briv’s dad implored his son and the other young mermen in the tank, all still content to watch you and your siblings from their spots. 

“Besides, if memory serves me right. It’s been her parents previous clutches that were in the program too. So for her- it may just be a family thing that they do. Besides, look around. It’s not like there’s a lot of us left. We need all the help we can get in the species. Don’t let the surrogate thing throw any of you off or deter you. Let each one of those girls prove what kind of women they are. And who knows? If any of them are as exceptional in personality as they look. Then being their mate as a surrogate father might be worth risking what you’ve grown up knowing- for the unknown. But for the right woman, will be worth everything you have or could possibly have. Because real, true love is always worth whatever you have to achieve it. Memillia is a good mother from what I’ve seen. It would make sense that her daughters would be good mothers too. And I would bet this tank on it.” Tani offered before he left Brivian, Echi and the others to think over his words of wisdom. 

“Do you really think you could love one of those girls?” Echi whispered Brivian. 

“Do you? The way you keep talking and sighing, makes it sound like you already are.” Brivian admitted. 

“Well maybe your old man is right. If the big one is as sweet in personality as she looks, I’ll go for it.” Echi insisted. 

“I thought you didn’t want to take on babies that weren’t yours?” Brivian countered skeptically.

“Well if there’s natural affection? And I could love her? And she could love me? Like really love me? I’d consider it. Especially since our whole lives we’ve been told and trained how to deal with first generations. At least with them- they’re smaller, later broods with more education than first gens.” Echi shrugged. 

“Oh my fins, she’s lactating already. Oooh, her body is ready.” Echi realized as he saw you and your other sisters move the shells in your tops as a milky white colored the water around you and your other seven sisters that had taken the nursing bits. 

Brivian had to fight his instincts that were starting to kick in to push him try to get to your tank from his own as the water that came from your tank got pulled and filtered into all the others as he could start to see males from all the other tanks suddenly press against the glass to try to find the lactating female because the pheramones in the milk itself betrayed your genetics along with your sisters and in that, Brivian’s own nose told him, neither you or any one in your clutch was related to him or any other of the last generation guys. And thus a viable, if not very desireable mate. He had to lean his head on the front side of his tank and close his eyes and take deep, cleansing breaths to regain control of his mind and body while Echi and the other males quickly left to go to their own tanks to quickly please themselves sexually because that milk was making them all horny as Brivian fought not to do the same. But he needed to not lose his head or his wits, especially when he was so close to finally getting a chance to pair up with a female that was intellectually his equal. But the taste in the water made his mouth water.  

Brivian could see that in some tanks, where your family must have been related to- those males were making a face of disgust while others were practically drooling and practically humping the water around them. Brivian realized- with that kind of reaction- you and your other lactating sisters would have a high chance at being swarmed and it’s you who would be in a puzzle box as he both consciously and subconsciously started to scour his tank, looking for the right shape of gravel to use as a wedge. 

“What are you looking for?” Areoliara asked her son as she had already packed up her things from this tank and was getting ready to leave the tank and join the retirement tank. 

“A wedge. Those surrogate girls are already lactating and it’s being pumped into the water system for all of us. And I can already tell those girls are gonna get swarmed and probably need to go into the puzzle boxes. The generation thing may not even matter this time. But their parents and grand parents probably don’t know about the puzzle boxes and how to lock or open them up. And with how the other males are already reacting to just the change in water- those girls are in danger.” Brivian answered as he dug through the gravel in the gravel pit in their tank which made his mother grin proudly. 

“Well good for you- trying to find a way to protect them even if you aren’t interested in them. Here.” She said as she pulled him back to the nest before she used a rock and broke a crystal formation. 

“One socket won’t make that big of a difference in here. But here, let me show you how to make a wedge.” She said as she took the pieces that broke out of the nest. And together they brought the varying shapes of gravel and stone to the sand pit and she taught him how to make a wedge out of crystal before Tani joined them and the three of them made wedges and sharp weapons too. Then the three of them combined their seasilk to make a bag to store the wedges and the weapons in that Brivian could wear the bag as a backpack underneath the QR code backpack.  

When it was moving out day, you and your siblings hugged both of your parents tightly and said your goodbyes before Theo and came and got you and your siblings first to be moved into the large courting tank first so that just in case you would get swarmed later- at least you could enjoy the tank as he let you and your siblings explore and enjoy the tank for a little while on your own. 

“So, just so you guys know, I already have five surrogate males from three different aquariums ready to take five surrogate females. But those females would have to travel but the tanks these males are staying in are just as nice as Tali’s tank. So do any of you want to meet them?” He asked you and your other siblings before you looked at your other sisters before they all nodded before Theo brought a monitor screen over to the front of the tank where five different males were as you and your sisters that were in the program all moved from screen to screen to meet the males. 

While their accent was slightly different, you could still understand them and especially your other sisters besides Hinara since you and Hinara already had your own tank already set and ready to go and while all the males loved your body. The fact that you already had a tank and wanted to co-parent with your sister Hinara. It obviously would be a clash so you and Hinara politely declined meeting them but your other sisters practically fell in love with the male on the other side of the screen and their tanks and were excited at the prospect of traveling. And once your other sisters decided on their mate, Theo scanned them and took them back out and got them ready to travel to their destinations as couriers were already there and ready to take them there ASAP. 

“Well it looks like it’s just Tess, Nara and you- Tali.” Theo said once he finished. 

“Yup.” You beamed happily before Nara and yourself sat on the soft coral, waiting for the other micros of your generation as your other remaining siblings sat on the other parts of the soft coral nearby. 

“Ok, you guys ready?” Theo asked as all of you nodded yes while you and Hinara held each other’s hands as you waited to see who would come next before Theo got the last generation micros. 

“Ok, now the only ones that are already in there are the clutch that had surrogate volunteers ok? And five of the eight volunteers have already been paired up with other male surrogate participants from the other aquariums. So that only leaves three left.” Theo told them. 

“What are their names?” Echi asked. 

“Oh the three remaining surrogate volunteers are Taliwai, Hinara and Tessis.” He answered. 

“Ok.” They nodded in understanding as Echi was especially excited to meet who was left and wondered if you were one of the ones that remained un paired and hoped you were. 

You and your siblings were grouped together and talking before you noticed two bags being brought to the tank, one bag, had 24 males and the other bag only had 8 females in it. 

“Wow, an all female late clutch.” Your brothers realized from looking at the bags. 

You were almost afraid to look at the bag of males as you just tried to focus on Hinara and gripped her hand tighter, the higher your anxiety rose. 

“It’s going to be ok.” Hinara reassured you before the water adjusted and the others were let out of their bags as all of you grouped together and met each other. 

“So you guys are the surrogate volunteers?” The girls asked. 

“They are.” Your brothers pointed as you, Hinara and Tessis all raised your hands and introduced yourselves to the others. 

“Aww, that’s awesome you guys are willing to sacrifice yourselves for the cause.” The last generation females patronized you and your sisters which you didn’t like very much. 

“Do you guys know where you guys are going?” Echi asked. 

“Nope, we won’t know till after we’ve paired up.” You spoke up first as you gave Hinara and Tessis a meaningful look as they nodded in agreement to that statement and kept a friendly smile on their faces.   

“Oh, well, in that case, hi, I’m Echi, it’s a pleasure to meet all of you, and Taliwai was it?” Echi asked as he made a beeline for you and offered you his hand to shake. 

“Yes, I’m Taliwai.” You answered as you shook his hand. 

“Weren’t you the first to volunteer?” Echi asked. 

“Yes I was.” You confirmed. 

“So will you get that big tank at the end of the cubby?” He asked hopefully and you immediately knew what he was after. He was interested in the tank, not you at all. 

“It’s a possibility but it’s not a certainty. But I got to pick out my nest already though. So that will go with me wherever I go and this is my sister Hinara who will be using it with me since it is a really big dual nest, with over 500 sockets and the nest will have two birthing beds in it so we will be co-parenting so we’re actually looking for a pair of males who either have brothers they’re really close with or cousins or at the very least very good friends.” You informed him emphasizing on every “negative” you could think of to discourage him from you further. 

“Oh.” Echi blinked in surprise as he looked from you to Hinara who smiled charmingly at him.

“Well, uh, the best of luck to you both. I’m sure Ethel and Theo and the others will really appreciate you being so generous with your time and your resources.” Echi offered politely as he slowly backed away. 

“So you’re not interested?” Hinara asked. 

“Nope, I, uh, I’m not interested in being a surrogate, let alone a co-parent with another set of couples. I mean both of you are lovely, but that’s way more than I could ever hope to handle. But I’m sure there will be others that will be interested and ready and willing.” Echi offered as he tried to be gracious about it before others were coming into the tanks and Echi was the first to leave to greet them. 

The other males from the the all male clutch started chatting up your remaining sisters and almost immediately started to pair up with them instead. Leaving Hinara and Tessis to greet the new males that just got introduced into the tank. Also while your brothers eagerly greeted the other new females that got introduced to the tank as the new girls were impressed with not just your brother’s manners, but their level of attention and thoughtfulness and ease too. A lot of them asked your brothers if they were either last generation or close to it, based on how well your brothers behaved as the real first generation merpersons were so grateful they weren’t be swarmed and could talk easily and pretend that they were middle generation micros, using the other last generation males they were put in with as their “clutch”. 

Except for Brivian, who was more interested now than he ever was- in getting to know you. Especially since Echi and the other last generation males withdrew their interest in you in particular. Which for Brivian, was actually a relief. 

“So why did you volunteer Taliwai?” Brivian asked you as he came and sat down next to you as he considered you curiously and was grateful that you were now actually left alone and could actually have a good conversation without being interrupted every other second with new suitors.  

“Because my parents were helped by Navere and Lagu when they laid their first clutch of almost a hundred eggs. My parents barely survived the birth and my father spent three days just putting mucus on all the eggs and there were so many eggs, they overflowed from the nest and my dad had to put the eggs on the outside of the nest and when my father was done, he collapsed onto the floor of the tank with my mother who was barely hanging on at all.” You recounted which made Brivian blink and raise his eyebrows high in surprise. 

“Wow.” Brivian murmured. 

“Navere and Lagu had to nurse them back to health while also helping them take care of their first clutch during the incubation process. My dad said that the mucus on the eggs on the outside of nest turned black from exposure to the light and he feared that all the babies inside would either come out either completely dark or completely white and albino because of the extreme in light. And the mucus was so thick that the babies had to be pulled and practically yanked out of thier eggs cause they would have suffocated having to go through such a thick layer of black mucus. And all four of them worried that the black color from the mucus was because a bacteria was growing in the mucus and the tank had to be completely closed off from the rest of the grid of tanks. Just in case it was a bacterial infection.”  You explained as Brivian was at a complete loss for words as that sounded like the worst case scenerio and the stuff of every worst nightmare ever as he had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep himself from gasping too loudly. 

“And once their large batch hatched- all four of them barely survived taking care of the whole batch. But that whole batch made it and survived and not just survived but thrived when that batch became first time parents in turn. All of them weren’t nearly as overwhelmed as other first generation parents usually tend to be. And because of Navere and Lagu’s help with not just that first batch, but with my parents especially. They gave my parents extra help and extra training during the incubation process as they helped nurse them back to health. They helped my parents be the best parents they could be, even as first time parents. And every clutch they have had since has been just as successful. And every clutch they have had since that first one, because of Lagu and Navere’s influence. Even when Lagu and Navere weren’t there for my parent’s proceeding clutches.  At least one or two have volunteered for the surrogate program because Lagu and Navere were just that influential and taught my parents a lot, if not more than they taught the clutch and helped them and kept them alive and able to bounce back from the brink of disaster.” You explained with the most adoring and proud smile as you recounted this to him. 

“And they helped my parents and my oldest generation siblings not just live and survive, but helped them to thrive, no matter the circumstances.” You explained as Brivian considered you thoughtfully as your face morphed from determined to downcast. 

“And when Lagu and Navere died trying to save a clutch that Ethel tried to save from fighting ring breeders. It hit my family especially hard. Because without Lagu and Navere, my parents and my previous generation siblings never would have survived and my parents would have never been able to give birth to me or my siblings now. And I want to honor them and their memory. So when Ethel told us she was starting an official surrogate program for our species, I jumped at the chance. I don’t care where I go or what tank I’m in. Or if I get to co-parent with other couples or my sister or simply help other clutches hatch. I want to help any way I can. And the fighting rings have already destroyed so many other micros, regardless of species. Any way that I can help fight back and help Ethel and others like her fight for us in a world so much bigger than the small tanks we grow up in. And maybe get a chance to help our wild cousins who have a chance to live free in the wild. I’ll take that chance. Granted, I personally don’t want to live in the wild. Cause I’d probably be eaten alive in the first two seconds from being released. But if I get a chance to learn how to help raise future offspring and prepare them- for the chance that either they or their children or their children’s children have a chance at being introduced into the- reintroduction of to the wild- pool. That pool needs the most help of all. And anything I can do to give them a higher and better chance at not just surviving in the wild, but actually thrive too? I’ll do it.” You insisted as Brive was very impressed and just plain astounded. His father was right. You were beautiful inside and out and that was more than enough to convince him of the positives of the program and had him silencing any doubts he had either about it or you. He was bound and determined to help the cause and knew that if the others cared enough to just listen to this, they would feel differently too. But as he looked out at the others, he was frustrated that the others were outright shunning you and Tess and Nara.  

“Well, in that case, I have something for you and your siblings.” Brivian said as he took off both the QR tag and the pack he had spun himself and put the bag in his lap and put the QR code back onto his back. 

“My family could see your tank from ours and when we noticed that your tank got given nursing bits, and when that water got pumped into the other tanks, my family and I noticed a very distinct reaction among the other tanks. So I’m Brivian by the way.” Brivian said as he paused in opening the bag on his lap and offered his hand to you to shake.

“Taliwai, Tali for short.” You answered as you shook his hand firmly. Grateful that he at least heard you out instead of instantly making a judgement agaisnt you. 

“Pleasure to meet you Tali. Anyway, um, I’m lucky because my mother was a last generation micro. And when she and the rest of my family noticed the reaction to water being pumped from your tank among all the others, my whole family worked on making you and your siblings these.” Brivian explained as he handed you a wedge and a small dagger with the handle had a seasilk spun over it so it wouldn’t hurt your hand to hold it. 

“Just in case any of you get swarmed and they have to put you into the puzzle boxes. You can put the wedges into the puzzles to lock them to keep any over eager potential mate- who would have um, a very physical reaction to you- from getting into the compartment with you. Especially when they could do so without your consent and could potentially hurt you.” He said as he handed them to you even though he was ready to fight off any male that dared to try to force mating on you if you didn’t want it. You took them and looked them over appreciatively before you called your siblings back to you so that they could also receive a wedge and a small dagger for protection and introduced Brivian to all of them and told them why Brivian gave these gifts to you. Which your siblings gratefully and graciously accepted. 

“Thanks Brivian.” You thanked him as did your other siblings, all of you hugging him gratefully as now that Brivian was hugging you he was fighting his own instincts to start mating with you because the scent of the milk leaking out of your top was practically sending him into a tizzy. 

“You’re welcome. I didn’t know what generation your parents were so I didn’t know if you would know about the puzzle boxes or how to solve them or not, cause they’re all a little different. Well, according to my mother. So hopefully everyone else can behave but just in case, at least you guys can defend yourselves and help keep each other safe.” Brivian offered to you and to your siblings who thanked him but gratefully could swim away and continue to try to court their potential mates, except for Hinara and Tessis who had yet to find a mate because the surrogate program was a turn off to every male they met so far. 

“So what do you think of the surrogate program?” You asked him.

“Honestly? Before I heard about it from you. I thought was just a lot of unknowns and... intimidating. Like, really intimidating for me. I’m a later generation so my family is pretty small.” Brivian said as he gestured between himself and the other males that he had come into the tank with. 

“And I guess the possibility of the unknown since no one in my immediate family have ever had any encounters with surrogates. While we understood the concept, we had no clue what it would be like to actually live like that and that gave us some hesitation about the project. But I know there are surrogates for others and especially in the fresh water tanks, surrogates are very common.” Brivian answered in all honesty and a bit sheepishly. 

“So you’re hesitant.” You realized. 

“Well, I don’t want to be but, yeah, I guess I am. But, you’re doing it for the right reasons. You volunteered without hesitation. Cause I saw when Ethel came by your tank, you were the first to raise your hand and swim forward. And that takes guts and courage and heart. And I have nothing but the highest respect for you and your other siblings for even volunteering. Especially when there’s so many challenges and what ifs and unknowns in being surrogates in general. You’re all braver than me or anyone else I’ve ever known or met. And I can understand why and how you would be at least and sympathetic and even empathetic and partial to the program. And the species will benefit for it. And while others are too scared to let go of the known to embrace the unknown. They are also to scared to see the great rewards there could be for taking such risks and they’re very short sighted and cowards for not at least hearing you out and dismissing you and the other volunteers.” He praised which brought an appreciative smile to your face.  

“Tell you what Tali, since you were the first to volunteer for the program- you should get first pick of any merman in here and your other sisters should also get first picks too. Because what you’ve chosen to do is a very noble cause. And it gives you and your lives so much more meaning than any other. I know we just met a few minutes ago. But, I would at least like to be in the running to be your mate. Because you make an unknown sound like an adventure. And the rewards obviously far outweigh any risk involved. But I also want to make sure that you get paired up with someone who you like and who also really likes you too. And I do, I’m not saying I don’t like you, because I do, I adore you. And your choices are the best choices you could make with your future. But I don’t want to pressure you into accepting me just over our one conversation.” Brivian offered which in turn surprised you, because here you thought he would be saying the same things that Echi did and would have found a way to excuse himself but if anything he seemed to dig his fins in, which you admired.  

“So before you decide on me, I want you to meet all the others first and really get to know them and if there’s one that you click with or that there’s instant chemistry or if there’s another male who also really wants to be a surrogate father with you, then that will be your choice. But I want to make sure that you and all of your siblings that volunteered for the program get paired up first before I do, now my brothers can do what they want, but that’s what I’m gonna do.” Brivian offered. 

“Thank you Brivian.” You thanked him. 

“You can just call me Briv.” He offered. 

“Ok.” You nodded as you reached out and intertwined your fingers with his and just held his hand, the wedge and dagger still on your lap as your hands intertwined wonderfully as you were so happy and reassured that you made the right decision. Although Brive wasn’t a bad specimen himself by any means and the fact that he was being so nice and trying so hard to be intellectual with you even though you could tell by the fact that his cloaca was trying to bulge, he at least physically liked you. 

“So, co parenting with another couple doesn’t deter you?” You asked him. 

“Well you’re the expert on that, I’ll look to you to guide me.” Brivian offered. 

“Yeah, Briv, I don’t think I need to see any other merman. The fact that you’re willing to try, even with so many unknowns yourself. And even cared enough that you and your family made my siblings and I all these tools and ways to defend ourselves. Not knowing if we had that knowledge or not. Tells me that you have good intentions too. I’d happily be your mate if you’d be mine.” You offered as you scooted closer to him and set your chin onto his immaculately muscled shoulder. 

“You drive a hard bargain Tali.” Briv teased and smiled before he kissed you sweetly. 

“Then I have a secret for you.” You whispered before he inclined his ear closer to your mouth as he moved your joined hands to his own lap to help pull you closer. 

“I am getting that huge tank at the end of the cubby because I was the first to volunteer. It’s amazing, you’re gonna love it.” You whispered in his ear. 

“I have a secret too.” He whispered back before you inclined your ear to him. 

“What?” You asked giddily. 

“I’m a last generation micro, it was just me, my mother and father that made these. But to hide the real last generation micros, Theo put us into two groups to make us look like later generations. But I don’t care about your tank or mine. Wherever you go or wherever we’re needed, that’s where we can go.” Brivian whispered back into your ear as you gasped and giggled. 

“I knew it, you smartfin.” You pinched his side which made him laugh and squirm but wrap his arm around you anyway but Tess and Nara were having the hardest time trying to find a mate as they came back and sat on the other side of you. 

“And?” You asked as your other siblings circled back to you. 

“Every other male so far doesn’t want anything to do with us because of the surrogate thing.” Tess grumped as they sat together and pouted. 

“And none of them really don’t want anything to do with co-parenting.” Nara admitted. 

“Well the co-parenting thing was only contingent on if we found mates that could get along. And if the co-parent thing is too much of a deterrent on top of the surrogate thing. Then don’t worry about it. It was a long shot anyway. But it seems with every new bag, the generations keep getting younger and younger and with younger and bigger clutches. They might be a little more eager to pair up just to get to pair up, maybe they won’t care about the surrogate thing so much that the later generations have.” You tried to encourage them. 

“I have an idea.” Brivian suddenly suggested. 

“What?” You and your sisters asked. 

“Get your brothers, and let’s find a cave, to put you girls into. We’ll have you and their mates get into the cave for “protection” and with myself and the other males guarding you and armed, it will make you appear much more valuable and prized, because appearances can mean a lot to others in this tank. Then take the milk that’s in your top and fan it into the water and that should be enough of a physical inducement to kick their own bodies into ‘need to pair up mode’ to get even the later generation micros and with you two being the last two available females, we can create a puzzle box of our own.” Brivian supplied which got you to gasp in delight and grab his face and kiss him soundly. 

“Thank you.” You thanked him before you took your sisters and found the appropriate spot as Brivian then got your brothers and told them about the difficulty Tess and Nara were having and his idea to get them paired up like they were before your brothers and your other sisters and their mates all came and all the girls giddily squeezed into the cave as your brothers and your sister’s mates all “guarded” the entrance. 

Then Nara, Tess and yourself took your tops off and squeezed your breasts to push the milk out in the water before Nara and Tess used their own glands from around their cloaca to fan the pheramones into the water that was now cloudy with the milk before you and the others used your fins to fan it out of the entrance as Briv had to brace himself to keep his own instincts from taking over as the others that were already paired had to do the same. But the effect was instantaneous and exactly what your sisters needed. Because all of a sudden, Brivian, your brothers and your sister’s mates all had to fight off the swarm of males that followed their nose to the cave. 

“Who is in there?!” All the males whose hormones and instincts were driving them almost wild demanded as they tried to look past the males into the cave where you put Nara and Tess at the mouth so they were easily seen. 

“The last two remaining surrogate volunteers are in there. They have been fed nursing bits already. We’re protecting them from being swarmed, obviously.” Brivian announced loudly as the other males did all they could to steal glimpses of Tess and Nara as all the boys suddenly, being overwhelmed by their instincts suddenly changed their tune because of the pheramones and the milk in the water making Tess and Nara now- irresistible to all the single males. 

Now instead of Tess and Nara being ignored, suddenly they were being clammored for as the competition for them became fierce. The male micros suddenly grew much more competitive as new males that were being released into the tank also pushed forward to see what the source of the scent of pure sex was in the water that was coming from. 

The previous males who had snubbed Nara and Tess were rebuked by them. Before the now rejected males were pushed farther away- to make room for much more willing and eager males who were now meeting Tess and Nara for the first time and ready and willing to do anything to secure one of the last two surrogate females and who were actually excited about them too. Because not only were they beautiful and plump and practically perfect in body but actually really sweet too and while the surrogate thing was a surprise, these males were much more willing to try and were humble enough to be willing to be taught by their mates about it. 

Once Nara and Tess had chosen a mate, their brothers and their sister’s mates could leave the area to leave Nara and Tess to court their chosen mate as once they left you grabbed the anchor of a piece of soft coral and grabbed Brivian and pulled him into the little cave and put the soft piece of coral at the entrance to block it off. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” You thanked him as you practically pounced on him and kissed him all over his face as he laughed but kissed you back as you could feel a very prominent bulge where his own cloaca was because not only was his own cock hard enough to drill through hard coral with, but his gonads were close to bursting with sperm ready to be let loose. 

“You’re welcome?” Brivian offered as now the he was actively kissing you, he was trying so hard to not let his own cock spring free of his cloaca and spear into yours because that could incite a mating ball. 

“Thank you for being so kind and so humble and yet willing to help both me and my sisters and even my brothers. Our children could not ask for a better father and I could not have asked for a better mate.” You thanked him earnestly. 

“I’m going to try, but Tali if you keep this up, I don’t know if I could hold myself or anyone else back, we could spark a uh, a…” Brivian tried to reason with you before your cloaca aligned with his and the mucus from the glands of her own caused a reaction of his cock springing free and instantly spearing into your own sex as the mucus suddenly got sticky, creating a suction and a tube that connected his genitals to yours which got you both moan and groan in delight.  

“A what now?” You purred seductively as lust and desire was making you feel sexually insatiable for him.

“Fuck it.” Brivian grunted before he used his body to pin you down and began mating with you and getting you out of that stiff shelled top that kind of scraped against his chest and was delighted when with just a quick pull of a string on the knot, the top opened to reveal your amazing bosom to him as you slipped it off easily and hung it on a piece of nearby coral to put on when you were done. 

He could both smell and taste the milk before his mouth attached to your breast and sucked down as much milk as your breast would give which earned some gasps and moans from you as you held his head in place before he sucked all he could from one before turning his attention to the other as he greedily and hungrily sucked it down. While his cock had found your canal that led to your egg pouch and the more his cock pumped into it, the bigger it got as you could feel the eggs that were already mature and ready to be fertilized thanks to the nursing bits pushing your body to fully mature.

It felt torturously slow yet all too fast before Brivian’s movements brought you your sexual release beofre Brivian chased his own right after. He filled your eggsack full of sperm as his body stiffened while his hold on you tightened so that he kept a firm grip on you. His own body surprised him since his body had been making almost ridiculous amounts of sperm ever since he got into this tank with you. As if his body had already decided it was going to mate with yours no matter what and prepared an extra large load of sperm just for you and your oh so precious eggs. His cock just kept throbbing as his own gonads just kept pumping rope after rope of sperm into you as his orgasm and yours seemed to last a small eternity. 

 Your own egg sack shuddered and quiverred, moving his sperm to move around all the eggs that lined the many folds of the pouch before he went limp but still put all of his body over yours possessively as he fought to catch his breath as he slowly came out of the lust filled haze his brain had plunged into. 

“That. A mating ball.” Brivian managed to say as he pointed out of the small space between the soft coral blocking the entrance to the cave to just outside of it as it was an all out orgy outside the cave. 

“Yeah, somehow I doubt any of them care that they’re out there and we’re in here.” You giggled. 

“Besides, you’d protect me if any of them were to try to come in here and join us.” You ventured. 

“You’re right, I would, without hesitation.” Brivian readily agreed before kissing you reassuringly. Which only started another round of mating between you as the rest of the eggs in your egg pouch got fertilized by that second round as you felt like your egg pouch suddenly doubled in size trying to keep all of his sperm inside. 

It only took a few hours for Theo and Ethel to come back to see if any of the couples had paired up and the moment the lid was opened, Brivian moved the soft corral and drug you towards the net and tried to get you into the net first and was making sure that only you and him would get in the net. 

“Well then.” Ethel giggled as she happily got you and Brivian out first and got you to your tank. 

“So? What do you think?” You asked him as you laid down in the bottom of the bag, your egg sack already distending your belly as the eggs were fertilized and continued to mature as your body was already starting to form a special sack of fluid around each fertilized yolk. 

“It’s nice, not as nice as you but... I guess it’ll do. A tank is just a tank. But any tank you’re in, is my tank too.” Brivian shrugged with a lopsided grin as he held your head in his lap as he combed your hair with his fingers and let you use his body to give you comfort which got you to laugh. 

“I love you.” You sighed as you looked up into his gorgeous brown eyes as you reached up to cup his face with your hand and smiled dreamily when he leaned into your touch. 

“I love you too Tali.” He assured you as he bent over and kissed you sweetly and was more interested in making sure you rested and were comfortable than he was about the tank. Which only filled you with relief that your mate really did love you as much as he had claimed, and was telling you the truth when he had said that the tank didn’t matter. Only that you were in it, would it be his. 

Once the water had acclimated you were released as a very nice mackerel with two sardines and a huge scallop were placed in the tank for you and Brivian to gorge yourselves on along with a special pill that was full of special calcium and other supplements for good eggshell production.  

Brivian made sure you ate until you were both literally and figuratively stuffed before he would really eat himself. And once you were both done with the food, the other little “pets” came to eat the left overs. Which were in the tank to basically be living garbage disposals. But were very friendly and tame and kinda cute too. 

Then he helped you to lay on the softest of the seasponges so that you could take a nap in warm light that acted like warm sunshine and in the most supreme comfort as you and him both cuddled together and got to sleep without worrying about anyone else intruding on you or your privacy as the hardshell top you had been wearing before was now long gone, still hanging on a piece of coral, so that there was nothing between his body and yours. 

You woke up a few hours later and got to show him around the whole tank so he could be just as familiar and comfortable here as you were before you showed him what was essentially “ the bedroom” that was built into the reef in the aquarium that actually had a big and very comfortable bed. 

“It’s missing something.” Brivian noted as he sat on the mattress with you. 

“What could it be missing?” You asked. 

“This bed needs a blanket.” He pointed out. 

“Well then we have some work to do then don’t we?” You asked him since it was a tradition that a couple would spin a blanket to wrap themselves and each other in. Just in case the water temperature dropped as you and him sat side by side and spun a beautiful and very soft blanket for your extra large and extra soft bed then even spun special cushions to serve as your pillow on the bed too. 

The two of you got done just in time for the lights to dim to off. Signaling it was now time to sleep as he made sure you were behind him in the bed. So that his body was between you and the rest of the tank. He used the same trick of moving the hard anchors of the smaller soft corals to make sure that the “door” to the bedroom was shut to conceal you both. And yet he still kept himself between the door and you and the inner walls of the cave before he held you and the two of you fell into a blissful sleep. 

The first of every night from now until the end of your days, together, happy and content.

[unfunny-quips]

Snippet from my (other) overly complicated Akeshu Time Loop fic where everyone except Akira (mostly) remembers the previous year:

Akechi Goro’s apartment was nothing like what Ann had expected it to be. Though admittedly her imagination had been a bit conflicted on what she should expect.

The shiny, polite Ace Detective facade he showed the world suggested she should expect a living space ripped straight out of a designer magazine. Attractive but stiff, nice to look at but difficult to actually live in let alone be comfortable in when visiting.

On the other hand, what she’d seen of his other side - the feral, blood thirsty and thoroughly nasty Black Mask - made her think of a dungeon like space. Chains on the walls, maybe one of those disturbing cluttered spaces shown on crime dramas when the heroes were hunting a serial killer. Pictures with blacked out eyes pinned to the walls, red string connecting disparate and terrifying thoughts and images, a collection of weapons on display.

What she got was…neither of those.

Shiho led her down the kind of pleasant residential area that put Ann in mind of the best kind of summers as a kid. A big park, open friendly faces, a community that seemed friendly and kind to each other. Shiho smiled and waved to a number of people on their way, the few they stopped to chat with for a bit telling her to give their hellos on to Akechi before letting them continue.

The apartment itself was the converted guest house in the back garden of what looked to be a cheerful family home. Ann counted no less than three fat cats lazing about and when they approached a delightfully plump old woman seated in a rocking chair on the front porch sat up from her reading to say hello and welcome Ann. Shiho called her Obaasan and rushed to give her a hug like she really was Shiho’s beloved grandmother before the old woman ushered them down the side path towards the back of the house.

“That’s Goro’s landlady, Shibata-San,” Shiho said as they walked the narrow path that led along the side of the house and through a truly beautiful garden. “She’s super sweet but has trouble with her arthritis sometimes. She gives Goro a deal on the rent since he helps her out so much around the house and with her gardening.”

Akechi Goro being nice to little old ladies. Ann wasn’t certain if that was exactly what she expected from the deranged killer pretending to be a charming teen detective or something so far out of the realm of expected as to be laughable. She chose to make a polite hmm noise of interest instead, not wanting to break the good mood Shiho was in by bringing up how very much Ann hated Akechi. She was rewarded by Shiho smiling warmly at her, which was really all the shorter girl would need to do to convince Ann to murder someone in Shiho’s name.

Shiho knocked at the door and Ann took a final calming breath to prepare her for the night that lay ahead of her. It was just a few hours, and she’d be there with Shiho and there would be plenty of other people to help buffer her from Akechi and Akira. Ann had helped shoot a god in the face once, she was ready for anything Akechi might throw at her over a few hours of talking about a book.

She wasn’t even close to ready, as it turned out.

The realization settled in the moment the door opened to reveal a yawning Akechi standing before her with messy hair and Featherman themed pajamas. Rumpled and clearly well worn Featherman pajamas.

Ann felt her eyes widen comically at the sight of the boy that had once been her and her team’s arch nemesis. A known and dangerous killer who had taken countless lives in the name of his twisted revenge scheme. 

He was wearing adorable unicorn slippers. Their horns were rainbow.

“Ah, Shiho!” Akechi said through his yawn, face stretching into a warm smile as he spotted the shorter girl on the other side of the threshold. “Just in time, I need help hauling Akira’s dead weight to the bedroom.” Ann watched him scratch lazily at his chin before blinking his attention over to her and offered another smile. It was a  brittle, plastic thing in comparison to the honest warmth he’d offered the shorter girl. All polish and teeth, no actual emotion. “And Takamaki-San, I’m so glad you could join us for the evening.”

He looked anything but, especially with the white knuckled grip he had on the door handle.

Ann offered a strained smile of her own. She’d made a promise to Shiho damnit and she’d see it through if it killed her. Or if Akechi killed her. Whatever. The point was that she was going to try damnit.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” She said as Akechi stepped back to allow them inside. Shiho gave a faint wince at the overly perky tone Ann had and shoot she’d overshot the enthusiasm a bit. Oh well. Better to be too excited than not enough. She followed Shiho’s lead in taking her shoes off and slipping on a pair of house slippers before turning her attention to the apartment itself.

It was…surprisingly cozy.

Ann was surprised too by the amount of clutter taking up the apartment. A laundry basket of half-folded, clean clothes sitting next to the couch, a knocked over bag tossed on a side table by the front door, more pillows and blankets than Ann would have expected making it seem like a nice place to curl up and read in. The apartment still managed to look tidy despite the half hearted attempt at organization.

Most of the space consisted of a living room with a tiny kitchenette tucked in a corner. There was a small nook beside the cooking area likely meant for dining. The small table placed there was taken over by a nice looking chess set, leaving no room for any actual dining. A small blackboard hung on the wall beside it, tallying victories of each player - tied, from what Ann could see, between Akechi and Kurusu. Other than that there were a couple doors leading to what she presumed to be a bedroom and a bathroom. 

It looked so remarkably normal.

Hardwood floors, plush rugs thrown everywhere, overstuffed bookshelves, pictures on the wall. There was a larger one hung over the couch showing off the entire book club smiling brightly at what looked like a cat cafe. Shiho, Akechi, Kurusu, Yoshizawa, even Togo Hifumi and Iwai’s son Kaoru. All of them squeezed together to fit, hands up in peace signs or giving each other bunny ears.

They looked normal. Just kids hanging out, enjoying each other’s company and reading books. It was hard to reconcile the photo with the mental image Ann had of several of the members as potential agents of Yaldabaoth.

Seeing how happy Shiho looked in the pictures didn’t help.

Ann pushed the thoughts away as best she could and followed other two to where a half asleep Akira was laid sprawled half under a large kotatsu. The delinquent had his head thrown back on the couch behind him, one of the many throw pillows Akechi apparently owned curled in his arms. She was surprised to see his usual oversized glasses he so often hid behind tossed haphazardly on the kotatsu. His eyes were closed, but he cracked one open when he heard them come over.

“M’fine here.” He muttered, curling up further around his pillow.

Akechi rolled his eyes. 

“There is a bed literally right there.” he pointed at one of the two closed doors for emphasis, mere steps away. Akira was already turning away and wiggling further beneath the kotatsu blanket. “Just go to bed Akira, no one else is even going to be here for another hour at least.”

Ann blinked. “What?” She turned from the drowsy Akira to Shiho, the shorter girl giving an unapologetic, challenging smile.

“Goro said we could come over early so you could get settled in!” Shiho said, chipper and all too aware of the fact that Ann had been banking on keeping her attention on other people in order to ignore Akechi. She really shouldn’t have been surprised. Shiho really did know her too well.

Akechi offered another brittle smile before turning his attention back to Akira, his expression softening again. Ann watched as the detective attempted to scoop the dark haired boy up, only for Akira to slip out of his grasp by going boneless, earning an undignified swear from the detective. 

Ann watched as the detective attempted to drag the delinquent away by an arm, amused as Shiho strolled over casually and hauled Akira up over her shoulder - pillow and all - in a fireman’s hold. She did it with such ease that Ann was a left little breathless at the show of strength. Akira wasn’t heavy by any measure but he was tall and she’d seen him working out at the gym the one time she went with Ryuji. The boy had muscle and that couldn’t be light. It didn’t matter to the short girl and her exceptional strength and well… Ann was weak to Shiho in so very many ways.

A few minutes later Akira had been safely stowed in a proper bed, the faint sound of soft snores heard from the dark haired delinquent before Shiho had even made it through the door. Which just left the three of them standing awkwardly in the living room.

Joy.

“I’m not nearly as good as Akira or Boss,” Akechi began, “But I can make a passable cup of coffee with what I’ve got here. Would you like one?”

There was a very real chance he might poison it. Ann nodded anyway to appease Shiho, resigned to the fact that she really was willing to do anything to see the shorter girl smile. 

Akechi shuffled towards the kitchenette in his ridiculous fluffy unicorn slippers and began fussing with the various coffee supplies that took up almost all of his very limited counter space. He was even nice enough to pull out a container of some cookies - a favorite brand of Ann’s on top of it - that hadn’t even been opened yet from a cupboard. She felt secure in the knowledge that those at least hadn’t been tampered with as she began happily devouring them.

“He’s still refusing to move in?” Shiho asked Akechi softly as she settled on the plush loveseat adjacent to the couch, tugging Ann down beside her. The dark haired girl pulled her feet up and under her, Shiho’s expression turning concerned as she watched Akechi work.

Akechi gave a soft sigh as he began boiling some water for the coffee. “He’s just so damn stubborn.” The detective said, shoulder’s drooping as he measured the freshly ground coffee out. “That place is killing him, but every time I bring it up he digs his heels in.”

Shiho gave a soft sigh before turning her attention to Ann to explain. “Akira is…” She paused, frowning, “His living situation is…bad.” Ann flicked her attention to Akechi as she heard him mutter a faint fucking understatement of the year under his breath. “Goro has offered to let him stay here but Akira’s worried that his record would hurt Goro’s reputation.”

“Oh,” Ann said, turning her attention on the delicate chocolate dipped cookie she held. Akira’s criminal record, that had been made public and well known by Mishima at Komashida’s request. Because Akira had stepped in and kept the teacher from getting to Shiho. Something Ann should have done. “Isn’t there something he can do? He’s staying with a guardian right? Couldn’t he just request to be moved under someone else?”

Akechi snorted bitterly. “Great idea, so that scam artist can report him as being “dangerous” and get him sent back to Juvie?” Red eyes turned to Ann, pinning her in place as Akechi’s mouth twisted into a sour frown. “You know about shitty adults. You know there really aren’t options like that for people in Akira’s position.”

Ann was struck again by the strange clash between what she expected from Akechi from the last run of the game and what he was showing her in this one. 

A facade of niceties for the camera, a howling soul of insanity for anyone who got in his way. Where, exactly, between those two extremes lay concern for a friend in a difficult position? Where did friends lay in that mess at all? Where did the cozy apartment, helping out an arthritic old lady, the weekly book club, the Featherman pajamas? Was there a graph somewhere that might map it all out? Or was she just supposed to guess at what was a real glimpse at the boy that had once murdered her friend’s father and what was an act to get what he wanted?

“Here,” Akechi said, and for a moment she half expected him to hand her the answers she wanted. He didn’t, of course, instead handing her a cup of coffee resting on a matching saucer. Both cup and saucer had cute chubby cats on them. “Cream? Sugar?”

She blinked and nodded, watching as he turned on his heel to get her what she asked for. Shiho beside her shifted where she sat, butting their shoulders together gently. Her face, when Ann met her gaze, was thoughtful. Considering Ann as if she was the puzzle and not the serial killer juggling a carton of cream and an oversized container of sugar across the room. Trying to stow her apprehension away for the night, Ann offered her friend the best honest expression she could while knowing how many lies she’d given the shorter girl over the past months. 

Shiho’s expression shifted slowly, the look in her dark eyes difficult to read. Ann watched as the other girl turned to sip at her coffee. Shiho didn’t even wait for it to cool. She always liked her drinks hot enough to scald.

“You know, maybe it’s the way you’re asking.” Shiho said, the complicated emotions Ann glimpsed the moment before shuffled away as the dark haired girl turned a devious smile on Akechi.

The detective looked weary and wary all at once. “Shiho…” His tone had something like a weak warning to it, though the bite Ann was used to hearing from him was absent.

“I’m just saying,” Shigo said, looking delighted, “You’re asking him to move in with you as a friend.”

“Don’t.” Akechi said, it might have been sharp and snapping if it wasn’t for the color rising high on the boy’s cheeks. Ann blinked in bewilderment. Was Akechi Goro blushing?

“Just ask him to be your boyfriend already!” Shiho said, all cheer and delight with an undercurrent of something challenging directed at the now definitely blushing Akechi. “We all saw you two kiss at the ice rink! It’s not like the thing between you it’s a secret!”

Ann choked on the cookie she’d just popped into her mouth. Akechi - so red that Ann was fairly certain he was going to turn purple soon - made a high pitched squeak and buried his face in his hands.

Well that put a new light on things.

“You kissed Kurusu?!” Cookies crumbs went flying as she spoke but Ann didn’t care. The news was just too big to be taken in calmly. Makoto had suspected that Kurusu, a known criminal, was a pawn in Akechi’s devious plan and the rest of the group had been thinking the same. Morgana suggested that the dark haired boy might even be the new player they’d been warned about.

At no point at any of them considered Akechi could be so human as to simply just like Kurusu.

“It’s not that - you’re taking things out of context!” Akechi almost wailed, not a psychopath ready to kill at a drop of a hat but an embarrassed teenage boy being teased about his crush.

Shiho laughed, “You two held hands!” 

“I didn’t know how to skate! Kurusu was helping me balance!”

“You stayed on the ice during the couple’s song!”

“We just didn’t want to get off the ice!”

“You stopped, in the middle of the rink, looked deep into each other’s eyes while holding hands and kissed.”

As if to drive her point home, Shiho lifted her phone to show a picture - a bit blurry at the edges but clear enough to make out - of Akechi and Kurusu definitely having a sweet, romantic kiss on the ice. Clearly completely oblivious of the world around them as they did so. It was possibly the cutest thing Ann had ever seen.

Any idea Ann ever had of Akechi Goro being intimidating was thrown right out the window.

[endlessdoom]

DBP19: A Doomer Boards Christmas Carol

25 Maps by the Doomer Boards Community

2019

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/themes/xmas/dbp19xmas2

MAP01: Christmas Eve Part I by Big Ol' Billy

The first teaser to this new adventure is a small hub that shows us a cozy house that follows a simple Christmas narrative to set the mood. 4/5

MAP02: Hornaments by Big Ol' Billy

The first actual map with combat, and it is quickly let go. A circular arena with a considerable amount of enemies surrounding us. The dark design and simplistic architecture give it a rather ominous feel. We will also quickly discover one of the new hidden mechanics: shooting the bells. 3/5

MAP03: Christmas Eve Part II by Big Ol' Billy

All maps will have an intermission that leads to the main hub, which also acts as a progress and rest center for reading Christmas letters. A fantastic idea that generates a unique identity. 4/5

MAP04: Festive Neighbours by Phobus

Following the tradition of MAP02 but this time in a frame. Enemies are far away and in ambush positions, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. With a claustrophobic design and a bit lost at times (the bells are well hidden) is a map that takes relatively a little more than it should. 3/5

MAP05: Christmas Eve Part III by Big Ol' Billy

Next intermission, this time we realize that our lovely home is starting to be invaded by bad guys. Oh, Sa(n)tan will be mad. 3/5

MAP06: The Pilgrim and the Hermit by Gaspe

A large map with a rather intricate and claustrophobic design that leads to a variety of paths with various small puzzles and bloody combat. The cold is felt in the hooves. 4/5

MAP07: Christmas Eve Part IV by Big Ol' Billy

Haha. Good times. 3/5

MAP08: Surprise! by glenzinho

A medium-sized Doom-city style map with a surprising design, a multitude of secrets, a small ''bell hunt'' and a progressive combat that changes and varies constantly. Fun and full of Christmas spirit. And demonic spirit too. 4/5

MAP09: Christmas Eve Part V by Big Ol' Billy

An intermission with a... surprise... ending. 3/5

MAP10: Winter Wonderland by Phobus

A surprising wonder, dark, cold and with a unique touch that delivers a variety of visual designs on a large map with fun gameplay that flows seamlessly. 4/5

MAP11: Christmas Eve Part VI by Big Ol' Billy

A hot little adventure. 3/5

MAP12: The Nut After November by SuperCupcakeTactics and glenzinho

That name is unique. For that alone it deserves an extra point. Anyway, this is a medium-large map with a multitude of interconnected roads and tight combat. Fun and with a good Christmas charisma. Hope you aren’t afraid of spiders. 4/5

MAP13: Christmas Eve Part VII by Big Ol' Billy

Ah yes, hello. 3/5

MAP14: Two Sizes Too Small by Doom_RO

A huge adventure that involves hunting different bells and quite aggressive combats through a detailed map with a pleasant and well designed design. Unfortunately, the bell hunting can be a bit irritating due to the simple nature of switch-hunting in its primordial state, but it's still a great map. 4/5

MAP15: Christmas Eve Part VIII by Big Ol' Billy

Did you know that Xmas in Romania is beautiful? 3/5

MAP16: Christmas Tree Mountain by Scrangus McBrickdad/Jaxxoon R and glenzinho

A large map with a relatively small population for its size. With an intricate design and variety of scenarios, it has a fun formula but its layout is somewhat slippery and the progression is somewhat affected. 3/5

MAP17: Christmas Eve Part IX by Big Ol' Billy

Now we explore more and more of the city in these short intermissions. 3/5

MAP18: Xmasphobia by Thundercunt

A claustrophobic and cramped map with a labyrinthine design vaguely reminiscent of Tricks 'N' Traps meets Fear of Plutonia. Interesting premise with great design. 4/5

MAP19: Christmas Eve Part X by Big Ol' Billy

Probably the hottest intermission, to the point that it could be considered a tiny map. 3/5

MAP20: Krampus Anomaly by dmdr

An excellent map with a great flow and exquisite combat, varied and with constant dynamics between the player and the fun, coupled with a good design and understandable layout. 4/5

MAP21: Christmas Eve Part XI by Big Ol' Billy

An intermission that reveals us beyond the labyrinth. Optional but rewarding exploration. 3/5

MAP22: Where Cybneezer Hid Christmas by joe-ilya

A small adventure through a kind of infnerla mansion. Secret paths and dense combat make this map a fun mission. 3/5

MAP23: Christmas Eve Part XII by Big Ol' Billy

The last intermission makes us take a walk through the wintry and dark city to get ready for the last adventure... or maybe not. 3/5

MAP24: Realm of Christmas Time by Big Ol' Billy

The "fine" map, in quotes, is a great entertaining arena with a kind of dynamic IoS that makes us face a huge variety of enemies in a small circular arena. Fun and frenetic in an expansive Christmas violence. 4/5

MAP25: Christmas Morning by Big Ol' Billy

The so famous city of the intermissions is finally given its own use in a magnificent slaughter map that will stop us in our tracks. Enormous, large and with an incredible challenge for all players. The ultimate Christmas present goes out with a boom. You're not supposed to win it (it's technically impossible) but it's a fun and crazy way to end this wad. 4/5

Overall:

» DBP19: A Doomer Boards Christmas Carol (2019) By the Doomer Boards Community

We all want to get into the enchanting spirit of the sweet Christmas season as December approaches. Nothing like celebrating the times of peace, love and understanding among all beings as by doing it in the most holy and fantastic way possible: Killing demons. Those infernal sinners are not going to clean themselves and we are here to do it. Thanks to the fantastic criminal minds of the members of the Doomer Boards Community, we have been given a fantastic Christmas installment that has all the necessary requirements to recreate a good Christmas spirit; blood, violence, guns and many, many demons. Ready to celebrate Christmas? Hit it.

A Doomer Boards Christmas Carol is a project created by the famous krew that this time is launched towards the winter celebrations of Christmas, creating a theme focused entirely on the Christmas touch of the game and redesigning textures and skins for almost the entire project, perfectly invoking that Christmas spirit that few can achieve with a game that was practically identified as a form of 3D Satanism (although it was not exactly released at Christmas, it is a Christmas game in my heart) that would launch to the market a re-copied and unique style. That of being gory and disturbing. Well, let's take the core of Doom and now give it a new twist, one that has lots of snow, cookies, warm milk, presents, red socks and some coal for the bad kids. The result? A grandiose 25-map project (half of them small intermissions) that perfectly re-invents the celebratory style into a Christmas mood that successfully recreates the game on, you guessed it, Christmas. Or something like that.

DBP19 is a fascinating project like no other that really manages to reach those standards and deliver white maps full of passion, identity and a lot of fun. Thanks to the new use of textures and the hilarious re-skins, we now have a new paint scheme for the entire game that takes us out of the hellish air and into a cooler and, uh, wholesome kind of hell.

Starting with MAP01 by @Big Ol Billy, the first map actually works as a kind of intermission/hub-styled map that makes us progress the game accompanied by a small Christmas narrative where the different members of the team give us little stories and messages about what awaits us or the story. A little touch that gives it a nice charisma. @Big Ol Billy does practically all the intermissions, as well as a few other independent maps. MAP02 continues the adventure and this time throws us directly into a combat arena that presents us with two important aspects: 1) the visual style and 2) the new mechanic of hunting ''bells'', something like switch-hunting but more simplified. MAP03 is one more intermission made by the same author, and from now on all the maps with odd number are intermissions. MAP04 by @Phobus is a re-interpretation of the first map but with a more painting style and less mercy. Gaspe comes into action with his MAP06 which gives us a great rock fortress in a world of ice full of action and beautiful visuals. MAP08 by @Glenzinho is, as the title says, a violent surprise that shows an excellent Doom-City style. @Phobus returns with MAP10 in an intricate and tight map with dark corners and welcoming demons. MAP12 by @SuperCupcakeTactics and @glenzinho wins the award for most innovative and fun title I've read all year, luckily not all is title but also essence as this is a fascinating map that combines the two styles of mappers under a perfect synergy of emotion and visual sweetness. MAP14 by @Doom_RO is a huge odyssey that makes us look for different bells while we go through different scenarios making our way through rivers of demons, all in an exciting Christmas adventure. Oh yeah. MAP16 by @Scrangus McBrickdad/Jaxxoon R and @glenzinho pits us against a huge map with amazing visuals but a somewhat confusing layout that compensates with a nice touch of detail and variety of scenarios. Thundercunt (hehe) delivers a labyrinthine and different adventure that contains as many goodies as the demons in MAP18. MAP20 by @dmdr is a fascinating ice adventure that takes us on a journey with good flow, fun combat and excellent presentation. @joe-ilya delivers a mysterious and cold mansion in MAP22, full of demons, Masterminds and a few surprises in the basement. Finally, MAP24: Realm of Christmas Time by Big Ol' Billy is an excellent final scene as we face off in a small arena-style map against a variety of enemies and a sort of modified IoS that delivers thrills and excitement. Like the good little kids, we've been. Of course, the final intermission in MAP25 is what we call a total beast that actually works like a credits map but with a twist.

Wow that was a lot of maps! Probably among the biggest (or actually biggest) DBP, quite the gift!

This winter adventure deliberates with solid greece a delivery of 25 maps full of charisma, fun, gifts and everything we need to feel comfortable and accompanied on a lonely Christmas night while the snow crashes against our windows. Not that I can relate to that because where I live it doesn't snow, but at least with this project I have managed to relate the sweet effect of nostalgia with the innocence of yesteryear where we simply wanted to enjoy Doom in its purest form. Well, this is the purest way to enjoy it at Christmas! Or practically any month, after all I'm playing this in the middle of summer. Hehe. Anyway, want some cookies? Come and get them.

[hushedhands]

Challenge 80

Thank you for voting @thespianbooks​!! Since so much is happening in the world out there, I promise that absolutely nothing happens in this challenge! It’s just Maxerica and brand new baby Addy hanging out together, about a week before the beginning of the Postscript. 

“Then you twist it under.”

“Twist under…” Maxon’s tongue poked out of his lips as he focused hard. “Like that?”

“Yes.” America smiled over at him. She was feeding Addy, now a full four days old, from a bottle that she’d pumped earlier in the afternoon.

“And so then this part… it goes like that?”

“Tuck it under the middle part.” America corrected him.

“Blast.” Maxon had taken to using pseudo-swears in front of the baby so she wouldn’t ‘learn any bad habits from him’. It always made America giggle. “I can’t understand how you do this so quickly. You hands are a blur!” Maxon complained.

He’d caught America braiding her hair into pigtails to keep it out of her face, and more importantly out of baby Addy’s face, during their frequent feeding times together. It was a skill Maxon had never needed to acquire before, but now that he had a daughter, Maxon wanted to learn to braid so that he could fix her hair when she had enough of it to braid.

“I was slow at first, too!” America promised. “Kenna taught me to braid when I was six. Give your hands time to learn how to do it and eventually you’ll be able to braid anything you want without giving it a second thought.”

Maxon considered the three ribbons laid out before him as though studying a recovered text from a long-dead language. “Hmm…”

Baby Addy finished her bottle and gurgled contentedly.

“Here. Why don’t you take a break and burp the little dairy princess?” America offered.

Maxon’s face burst into an enormous grin as he pulled the baby, dressed in her cutest, softest little onesie, from America’s arms and onto his chest. He let her rest her little head on his shoulder while he looked around for a baby towel. He found one strung on a chair nearby and leaned way over to grab it without having to get up, then he repositioned the baby so that she was on the towel just in case she spat up any milk when she burped.

Then he started firmly patting her back.

Free from her bundle of joy, America stood and stretched, rubbing a hand over her soft belly out of habit. It looked like one of Gerad’s deflated soccer balls now, but it was still big enough that Astra occasionally asked America to please double-check that there weren’t any more babies inside.

America looked around the room at the unbelievable mess that had taken over the family room. Maxon had asked the maids to only come when they were summoned instead of doing their usual daily cleaning rounds. It meant the new little royal family had lots of time to themselves, but the result was that a tornado of baby clothes, towels, bags of unused diapers, bottle cleaners, breast pumps, and soft toys had wrecked their once tidy home. And America knew, without a doubt, that this was what heaven looked like.

Even though the baby wasn’t even a week old, and she definitely couldn’t respond socially to anything America or Maxon did to her, she already seemed to have such a personality. She grunted and cooed and waved her little fists in the air, and made perfect eye contact with whoever was feeding her. America could swim in those grey eyes forever.

“Hungry, Maxon?” America asked, snapping out of her dazed thoughts about her daughter when her stomach growled.

“Sure, I could eat. Would you call down to the kitchens?”

“Way ahead of you.” America was already halfway to the telephone in Maxon’s bedroom. The Palace chef had been feeding the two of them very well since the Addy had been born. They always ate well, so maybe she was reading too much into it, but America felt spoiled by the Palace staff who were all so excited to have a brand new royal baby in residence.

“What do you think we shall feast on tonight, little girl?” Maxon asked the princess on his chest. “Perhaps something warm and cozy, like soup?”

Baby Addy burped and Maxon grinned, “Of course, your order is for milk, milk, and more milk. Don’t worry my little love, we’ve got you covered.”

“We?” America asked, listening to the telephone ring. “Don’t overpromise, Maxon, I can only make so much milk at a time.”

Maxon hid Addy’s little ears so she wouldn’t overhear America’s words and become afraid that there might be a milk famine.

That was one thing America wasn’t struggling with, much to her relief. She’d heard horror stories from women at her clinics that sometimes milk was slow to come, or when it finally did, their babies wouldn’t latch on and drink it. Each clinic’s formula cupboards, which were kept stocked for those women, literally saved the lives of their babies. But Addy and America were off to a great start, milk-wise, and America was endlessly grateful for their luck.

After alerting the kitchens that the King and Queen were ready for dinner, America rejoined her husband on the sofa and ran a hand through his golden hair, dragging her fingernails along his scalp. “Is she ready for a nap?”

“Hmm…” Maxon lowered the baby from his shoulder, now that she was done burping, and examined her little face. Wide, grey eyes blinked up at him. “I think she just wants to be held for a little bit.”

“Oh goodness, if only she had someone who wanted to hold her.” America smirked sarcastically. She and Maxon had a large rotation of baby-holders who would come take care of the baby for five or six hours at a time to allow America plenty of time to rest while she recovered from giving birth, and Maxon plenty of time to rest from taking care of his recovering wife and infant daughter.

Magda was always first, claiming her right as Gramma, and then May would show up next. They also had the help of Kenna as Addy’s official royal nanny, though she wouldn’t become a full-time employee of the Palace until America was back at work. Mary and Paige each spent chunks of their free time in the evenings or hours of their weekends doting on the new baby, refusing to accept payment for their time even though their presence meant America and Maxon got an extra nap. All in all, America felt incredibly loved and supported, and her thoughts often turned to the women in Illéa who did this without the help of husbands or family or chefs or maids. She’d do it for Addy, there was no question, but America couldn’t even properly imagine how hard it would be.

“Here, I need to keep practicing.” Maxon returned their soft, chubby little angel to America so that he could return to braiding the ribbons. America peppered Addy’s belly with kisses and was rewarded with a squirm: their new baby girl was ticklish.  

America leant her head on Maxon’s shoulder, peering lazily down at his work, holding Addy securely across her lap.

It was not possible for life to get any better than this.

After dinner that night, America was feeling energetic enough to wrap everyone up in warm clothes and take a stroll through the gardens. Maxon held baby Addy, swaddled in a tremendously fluffy blanket, all the way down stairs with one of his hands firmly gripping the railing just in case. America was glad to know that he had somewhere else to put his worry now, and she tiptoed behind them with both hands stuffed into her coat pocket, living life dangerously and thrilled at not getting caught by her husband.

They kept a stroller by the door for their many garden walks. It was the only place they’d gone since entering their suite after introducing Addy to the Kingdom a few days before. Now, on a dark, wintery December night, everything in the gardens was beautiful. Only the winter flowers were in bloom, but somehow the earth still smelled rich and alive.

“Addy’s going to be so surprised when spring comes.” America smiled.

Maxon paused pushing Addy in her stroller to kiss America on the lips and then said, “She won’t know what’s hit her. The flowers blooming. The bees buzzing.”

“And this summer, when we start taking her to the swimming pool…” America grinned.

“Oh my goodness, I can’t wait to see her first swimming suit. Astra’s have these cute little skirts attached. Will hers have a little skirt?” Maxon asked eagerly.

“Yes, absolutely.”

Maxon chuckled, “I always thought my life was going to be spent in war rooms, making tough decisions about troop movements and scarce resources. Now all I’m doing is imagining baby clothes and learning to braid.”

“Mmm.” America smiled happily down at their little bird, now snoozing peacefully on her ride. “Let’s never, ever go back to work.”

“Oh? You think we can just barricade ourselves in the Palace forever?”

“Yes.”

“And what happens when the people choose a new royal family?”

“They can take the second floor.”

“And when the chefs refuse to feed us any longer because we’re no longer King and Queen?”

America made an overly dramatic shocked face at Maxon, “They would never do such a thing. They love Addy and me too much.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” Maxon allowed with a grin. “In that case, we must start our lives as ordinary citizens at once.”

“Ordinary citizens claiming squatter’s rights in a palace.” America corrected him.

“Yes, of course.” he agreed. “What’s the first item on your agenda, non-queen America?”

“As Squatter Mer, I declare that we must choose a normal name for Adrienne, something distinct and ordinary.”

“Well, as Squatter Max, I must voice my concerns.”

“Oh?”

“I believe she will have to choose her normal name for herself, just as we chose our names when we started playing castaways.” Maxon reminded America.

“But it will be years before she can name herself. What can we call our Squatter Daughter in the mean time?”

“Squatter Daughter. That’s her name.” he declared.

“Oh no. Adrienne, I am so sorry for your terrible play name my love.” America giggled down at her sleeping baby.

Addy was a good sport, though. She played along and let them call her “Squatter Daughter” until the air grew too chilly on her nose and she cried out in complaint. The game ended and the royal family returned to their suite for the night.

Maxon and America made a nest of blankets in Maxon’s bed and relaxed there while Addy rested cozily in a bassinet within reach. When America fell asleep that night, she was curled up on her husband’s chest listening to it vibrate as he hummed a lullaby for their baby. When Maxon woke up a few hours later to Addy’s hungry crying, he drifted back off listening to America hum songs while she fed the baby. Just like that, Maxon and America took turns singing each other to sleep all night.