#i wanna be a crystal fish

[honourablejester]

Numenera Character Foci That Make Me Giddy

I’m really liking the Numenera character construction. You have your character type, which is basically your class, but then you have your character focus, which is a whole extra set of cool abilities on top of that. You can control metal. Cast illusions. Be a werewolf. Skulk in alleyways. Go berserk. Forever wear a halo of fire. You can be a sneaky rogue who turns into a ravening beast five nights a month (a stealthy jack who howls at the moon). You can be a scholarly mage who also happens to be a professional assassin (a learned nano who murders). You can be a daring ruin-spelunker with ESP (a risk-taking delve who sees beyond). Are some of those advisable? Possibly not. But you can be them. Heh.

So. Some of the foci that make me excited, just from my first skim through:

Controls Gravity. Because if there is any power that’s guaranteed to make you feel like a minor god, it’s the ability to control what’s up and what’s down. You can (eventually) fly. You can smash people into the ground. You can make people/things so heavy they can’t move. And then there’s this:

I’m putting it here because the second I read this, I found myself making the gesture. One hand palm up in front of my chest, the other palm down, moving sharply apart, like an orchestra conductor telling one section to get loud and another to quiet down. And if a game ability immediately has you physically acting it out, then it’s a cool ability.

Explores Dark Places. You’re so used to digging around in the dark that you’ve adapted to it. This is a mix of relatively mundane and relatively less mundane abilities, varying from making you better at sneaking and physical exploration and finding stuff, to giving you darkvision, to letting you partially become a shadow. And I just like that mix of practicality and edginess, and I also like the idea of someone who was just so good and went out of their way to become so good at spelunking and exploring dark, inaccessible places that they sort of absorbed the darkness and got comfortable there. I wanna make a stinky mole-man jack or delve who hasn’t seen daylight in three years because they were too busy rooting around in ancient sewers.

Fuses Flesh and Steel. You’re just straight up a cyborg. One who can tinker with themselves to try and improve their form/abilities. Your initial artificial components might have been done to you, or you might have done them to yourself. And. Sometimes you just want to play the nano/wright scientist who tried to make themselves that bit more durable the old-fashioned, mad-science way?

Howls at the Moon. You are a werewolf. And by that I don’t mean any old shapeshifter, I mean you involuntarily change five nights a month, you can only transform at night (for an hour), and you have to level your character to gain the control to shift voluntarily (and you never lose those five involuntary nights). And while you’re in your beast form, involuntarily or otherwise, you can’t use Intellect, you involuntarily attack anything close to you, and if you didn’t kill and eat anything as a beast, recovering after the transformation is harder. You are full on roleplaying the werewolf curse. But hey, you do a shit tonne of damage and you can tank a lot as that beast. And! You get the option to pick one of the other PCs to be your special person, who soothes your beast and is safe from them, and can let you transform back easier. Is this necessarily the best focus to pick in a team game? Possibly not, depending on how willing the rest of the party is to work around the ravening indestructible monster that guaranteed WILL erupt in their midst at least five nights a month, but if you’ve always wanted to roleplay the struggle against your inner beast, Numenera does go all in.

Emerged from the Obelisk. You got eaten by a hovering crystal obelisk and spat back out a year later with no memory of what happened in there and, oh yeah, turned into crystal yourself. Because these are the sorts of things that happen in the Ninth World. I just. I love that this is a thing. You don’t even have to have been spat back out as a humanoid crystal, there’s a note that if you want to be differently shaped, like, say, a levitating crystal shard, you just have to work it out with your GM how you, you know, touch and see and manipulate things, etc. One of the suggestions is ‘crystalline tendrils’. So, yeah. You can get hoovered up by a giant floating crystal and spat back out as a crystalline tentacle monster, if you so choose. This is excellent. You do get boosts to physical stats for being crystalline, and later on you get levitation, laser beams and teleportation through known crystals/obelisks, which are definitely all cool, but if I’m fully honest I’m taking this to be an amber crystalline fish creature with tendrils, whose driving quest is to figure out how the fuck this happened. Obelisk! Get back here! I have so many questions.

Never Says Die. What it says on the tin. You are doggedly determined not to die. That’s it. That’s the whole deal. You’re just not going down. Health boosts, recovery boosts, later abilities to stay up a round after you should be dead. For when you just want to be stubborn about this. I’m gonna be immortal by sheer dint of just not dying. I just. I always enjoy abilities that are just raw bloodymindedness.

In general, the Foci are just cool. Pick the fantasy you want to live out, and go for it. Heh.

[aurosoulart]

painting in augmented reality beside the koi pond (at The Huntington) 🐟

[thefluxqueen]

HIDEAWAY I MISS YOOOUUUUUUUUU

[bambiesfics]

𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗚𝗳 — Ellie x Bimbo!r

𝜗𝜚 Author’s notes ✦ Butch/femme dynamics, Ellie has a panic attack, this references joel’s death, anxiety, bile, nausea, and hyper sexual themes, Ellie’s butch, wears a packer/strap. Refers to it as cock, dick etc Reader’s a bimbo and genuinely stupid. Ellie gets really scared.

𝜗𝜚 Ellie Williams ✦ I listened to Vietnam - Crystal Castles it’s tempo mirrors Ellie’s panicked anxiety. I’ve linked to a few seconds before the beat drops, on YouTube for accessibility. Listen with earphones so the music fucks your ears.

𝜗𝜚 If you find yourself uncomfortable with the themes in this fic, maybe try educating yourself on Butch sexuality. Read this to get a sense of Ellie’s headspace.

kisses u. ⋆ 𝜗𝜚 ˚⟡.

Ellie fisted the joystick into neutral and killed the engine. She cracked all 5 knuckles before reaching over to release your seatbelt. The belts cold buckle sprang across your breasts and over your shoulder, turning your nipples visibly hard and full in their wake. Ellie fought off the urge to glance down; to drink them in. She was semi-successful at managing away her inner teenage boy every time it chose to rear its ugly hungry head at inopportune moments.

  “So…” she started, her hand massaging the inner dough of your thighs, warmed by the hug of your crossed legs. “We just gettin’ your little sparkly earrings? Or are you gonna get distracted and spend more money than I make in a single paycheck?” 

  You ran your palms up the sleeves of Ellie’s brown military jacket. Fascinated by the texture of the rough fabric everytime one of its crinkles caught against your acrylic nails. You couldn’t fathom how Ellie walked around in clothes so rough and distressed, all of your outfits were soft cotton or silky satin. And here Ellie wore a deconstructed uniform jacket like it was meant for her body. You blinked away your distracted thoughts, and leaned into nose at her neck. Pressing nose and lips to the source of the most comforting scent in the world to you. Allspice, cigarette smoke, and 2-in-1 body wash. There was still a faint trace of her cologne, you wish she wore it, the traces of it made you go brainless for your butch.

  “Earrings only.” Your sweet voice was muffled against her neck. She reached her other hand up to cup the back of your neck. The cold metal of her rings kissed your skin, but you leaned into it.   

 “I’ll wait for you right here, peach.” 

“Okay.” You nodded obediently. 

“Don’t spend too long in there, okay?”

“Okay.” You nodded once again. 

“If anyone stares at you too long or makes you feel weird for being girly, call me and I’ll meet you wherever. Especially those judgemental ass grandmas.”

You looked up at her, her hair was in her eyes, casting a shadow that turned her gaze into a deep hunter green. 

You leaned in slowly and kissed her lips. Ellie attempted to chase the kiss, until you slid your hand between the valley of her breasts and urged her to stay. Behave baby boy. 

  Ellie’s right eyebrow quirked up in response, impressed that you kept her in check. That you knew her so well that you could tell exactly where that kiss could’ve led to if you didn’t tell her to slow down. 

“Be right back here in an hour.” Ellie was relishing in how your thumb rubbed across her chest. Your hand rested on her chest like you were her little damsel in distress, looking to her to save you. You made her feel like Clark Kent, and it made her want to puff her chest out. 

  “Hour-and-a-half, I wanna get ice cream.” You prattled.

  “An hour.”

  “Ellieeee” You whined. 

  “If you’re not back here by 2:30 pm, I’m stomping into Icing myself, throwing you over my shoulder and marching right back out.” 

  “Please as if you could hoist me up over your shoulder.” You leaned over to fish Ellie’s wallet from her back pocket. 

  Ellie side-eyed you intensely as she tracked the movement. She enclsaped your wrist in an iron grip once your acrylics brushed the back pocket of her jeans. Her thumb pressed down. You couldn’t move.

“You didn’t seem confused about my strength when I lifted you into that full nelson and pounded you in front of the mirror.” She dropped her blue steel face and started grinning like a fox. “Uhnnuhuh Ellie, m’gonna squirt. I’m gonna squirt on you daddy.” She mocked in a high-pitched overly feminine voice. She drew her eyebrows together to school up the appearance of someone deliriously aroused. One that mimicked your cock-drunk face all those days ago.  

  Ellie dropped the comedic expression for a moment, in favor of replacing it with the one she sported to intimidate customers who started testing her boundaries or her patience. The one that said ‘respect me.’  

“Fuck you, asshole. I’m made of steel.” She spat.

  You leaned up, and just planted a glossy kiss on her cheek. She blushed until she was cherry tomato red. She always blushed harder when you were affectionate to her, in the middle of her egotistical masculine delusions. Like a mom kissing her son's cheek, after he called himself Spider-Man. 

Ellie would tease you for hours. But remind her again you were her adorable little girlfriend who she worshiped, then she’d be back to acting right again. Ready to hump the air just to get a whiff of your hair. Sweet and pliable. Ellie crossed her fingers subtly and hoped you got specks of glitter gloss on her cheek from that kiss. She wore your kisses like merchandise. Those and the smell of your pussy on her mouth and fingers. Some days, the smell was just smeared all over her face. 

  You blinked at her, slow and pouty in the way that got her real happy and pleased. “Now that you’re done poking and teasing me, can I go inside to get my sparkly earrings?” 

Ellie slid her wallet into your palm, her lips parted at the way your acrylics snatched it. The way they sunk into the soft leather. Mmmm.

  “An hour.” 

You climbed out of her beat up hatchback. The metal groaned as you slammed the door shut. “See you Els, if I get in trouble or get lost I’ll call you okay? I charged my phone this time. Bye-bye.”  You sing-songed just before walking away, out of the parking lot and towards the entrance of the mall.

  You were the utter definition of hate to see you leave, but love to watch you go. Ellie drank in the very very obvious little characters of your ass. The jiggly flesh, dimpled skin, and the way they smacked each other with each step. The type of visual someone could only see if the person walking in front of them was naked. Which you practically were considering how your pink cotton leggings looked painted on. The silhouette was way too intimate with how well it showed the character of your ass. She could’ve forced you to change, but you two had such a good morning today. 

Ellie didn’t want to—no—she hated picking fights with you. Ellie being mad at you? That was just another Tuesday. She had temperament issues, trauma, death of a loved one blah blah blah. But you being mad at Ellie? She’d kill herself. She shuddered in the car at the thought of it, and swallowed her jealousy. Everyone sees your little dimpled ass? Fine. She’s the only person that’s seen it twerking for her during backshots. And anyway, you’d get jealous if she wore gray sweatpants to work, so she kinda understood the sentiment. Especially because she packed everywhere, and the bulge was glaring. 

  Ellie wrapped her knuckles on the steering wheel. Trying to distract herself from the slow and lonely weight of the parking lot. Joy Division’s “disorder” played in her head. She considered pulling out a Marlboro to smoke, but thought against it. She remembered how you squealed whenever she kissed you with cigarette breath, telling her how it made your kisses taste so bitter. 

Truth be told, she was just as clingy with you, as you were to her. You just initiated it more often. When someone follows her around like a little puppy trying to catch up to its much larger owner all day, it’s hard not to notice their missing presence. 

  Ellie played with her rings as the mounting anxiety gnawed at her tummy. She turned her wrist over to check her watch. Ten. Only ten minutes had gone by? Fucking christ. 

She puffed out her cheeks. Yeah she was being ridiculous. Knowing you, you probably had only just arrived at the store, and that meant making a cute pikachu face at every new piece of merchandise they shipped into the shop floor that week. So it’d be a while before you were back. She could’ve gone in with you, but Ellie knew her presence there would’ve weirdly encouraged you to take a full day tour of the mall. She was your walking wallet apparently. But it’s worse when the wallet can actually give in.

  It was better this way, you kept her card in hand, but Ellie wasn’t physically there to actually convince of anything. So you couldn’t use it to buy anything more than earrings. Plus, she couldn’t stand another trip to Victoria’s Secret. As much as she loved the way you modeled a show for her whenever you tried stuff on, and as much as the jokes she cracked with the other boyfriends waiting for their girlfriends to be done made for good conversation, Victoria’s Secret just served to make her feel incredibly out of place. Mostly due to its overtly sexual displays of femininity. Something she still struggled to place how she felt about. All Ellie knew was that she didn’t want it.

Matter of fact she had repelled femininity so much, it even reflected in her dating preferences. You were by far the most feminine girl Ellie had ever dated. That was a considerably large shift from the tomboys she typically had crushes on in highschool.  

But she couldn’t help but be turned on by the way your acrylics stroked her bulge, by the way you blinked up at her with those dolly lashes like you needed her approval more than you needed oxygen, by the way she got both wet and enraged seeing men’s gazes linger on you as she walked behind you. Lingering in a way that they never did for any of her exes. It ignited a possessiveness in her she had convinced herself she didn’t have the ability to feel. Made her walk out the house with her shoulders drawn up to her ears, scowling. As if to say to all the men, ‘fuck off, get your own cocksleeve. This one’s claimed.’ 

  You were the cutest cocksleeve too. The human embodiment of a little bow for her dick. 

Just the thought prompted her to squeeze her bulge through her jeans, feeling phantom erections.

God it’d been how long now? Ellie checked her watch, reading the watch face to make sure she’d read that right. Twenty minutes? Only?

  Her palms started perspiring, and she started grinding her teeth. It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine. She’ll be back any minute. Be cool, you freak. 

Ellie reached to grab her phone, but the way the time flashed at the top bar of the screen made her stomach knot up anxiously. She chucked her phone into the passenger seat, and rolled down the window to get some fresh air. It felt beautiful for a moment, her rough short hair curling around the wind and blowing in her eyes. But then she felt like she couldn’t breathe again. Like her throat was squeezing in on itself. So Ellie unbuttoned the top button of her navy plaid button down. She yanked the collar away from her neck, and took deep breaths. Nice and deep slow breaths. The demonic little shadows and whispers of panic ebbed away, leaving only room for peace and the sunlight of the early afternoon. Ellie smiled, she’d be fine. 

She played with her rings, recounting all the places and dates she’d thrifted them from. Then she started fidgeting with them as her leg bounced in the car, working off some of that returning nervous energy. The little shadows were starting to creep back in her mind again. Ellie white-knuckled the steering wheel. “No, no, no please. Not now, please not now.” She sucked in a deep breath as unshed tears lined her waterline. She flipped her wrist watch face up quickly, you’d been gone for thirty-five minutes by this point. And Ellie felt her skin run cold. thirty-five minutes left twenty-five minutes. Twenty-five more minutes for the ebb and flow of panic to infect her brain and trigger her adrenaline response. Twenty-five more minutes of letting her own mind attack itself. Ellie couldn’t stomach the thought. She started gasping as she fidgeted to remove the car keys from the ignition. The dark whispering shadow only urged her to look at one thought in her mind: Alone. You’re alone again, Ellie. 

  She nearly keeled over from the sheer nausea that thought brought about. Ellie tripped out of her car, slammed the door and stumbled towards the mall as her heartbeat thundered louder than her thoughts. And her thoughts were very loud. Her face felt tight and itchy, as she ran. And due to the combination of wind and glossy eyes, her vision warped until it became disfigured. Which only set off to make her blood run icier. Like she was being deprived of all her necessary  senses as she yanked the mall door open and stumbled around trying to wade her way through until she got to the side where women’s jewelry and clothing was huddled. Her vision was disjointed, Ellie felt as if she was looking through a fish-eye lens. It caused bile to rise in her throat. Ellie was spiraling, she knew it. And if she didn’t find you—fuck where were you?—it was only going to get uglier for her. She despised being reduced to ugly. She hated herself when she was ugly. 

  Snot mixed in with tears as she scaled the walls of the mall trying to use the brightness of pink and white signs to guide her to the right store. You promised you’d go to icing, you promised you’d go to icing, you promised you’d go to icing. She hummed the mantra in corners of her brain.

She gurgled “better fucking be at Icing otherwise I’m gonna kill he—my heart christ—fuck fuck fuck baby please be at icing.” The palpitations rolled in, causing her heart to beat erratically. Two beats instead of one, a skipped beat, or an extra hard beat. Every bastardized combination instead of the reliable, glub-glub of a healthy heart. Ellie gripped her own shirt, and tried to feel any lingering warmth from your hand when you placed it there nearly an hour ago. Her breaths were coming out ragged, and she was still blind with a disjointed vision no matter how much she rubbed her jacket across her eyes to soak up tears. Ellie stumbled until she saw a store with the familiar lettering, and she yanked and tugged at her shirt to ground herself as she made her way to the checkout lane. “Hi.” Her voice came out so small and strained. She hated herself for it. 

  “Have you seen a girl, she’s—seems about yay-high and she’s wearing pink leggings and a tight pink top. Oh—she’s pretty—long nails. My girlfriend, do you know where my girlfriend is?” Ellie choked, her sanity was slipping. Her bloodshot eyes were crazed as she stared down at the cashier like the woman held the answer to curing Ellie’s mental suffering. 

  “N-no. Sorry I didn’t see a girl with pink leggings.”

  “No?” Ellie’s voice grew fainter, weaker. She sobbed “are you sure?” but her voice crackled with that sentence, and the cashier just stared at her with a puzzled expression, unsure of what to say to diffuse the situation. 

  Ellie stumbled out of the store, flinching at the expressions of customers who were looking around the store to see if they were the only one witnessing the girl's mounting panic attack. She ran to an empty hallway in the mall. The one where they kept those gumball machines that hadn’t been replaced since 1998. She fell to her knees and curled in on herself. Her nails scratched her scalp until it broke skin, trying to draw out the thoughts of being alone, being alone, being alone, being, alone, being alone, being alone, being alone, being alone, out of her head. 

Ellie tugged at her hair now, using the self-inflicted pain to distract from that hungry giggling fear, the one that wrapped itself around her eyes and throat and told her to describe what she saw: loneliness. Pitch black, devoid of warmth, pure unadulterated isolation. 

She needed you, needed you so bad as she cried to herself on her knees. She should’ve never let you go alone, she should’ve never let you walk away from her, she should’ve never let you have an hour to leave her, she should’ve never let you take her wallet and not take her, she should’ve never ever ever ever ignored the signs, the raised hairs and the feeling of dread that pooled in her stomach the past week. Just waiting to be triggered by something insignificant. Now it was triggered, and in an incredibly public place too. Ellie beat her chest, coughing just to bring herself down from the dissociative hell her mind was flinching in. “Baby where are you? I’m hurting…it’s hurting me again. Pleasepleasepleaseplease, peach.”  

  Nails bluntly tickled her nape, sending a shiver down her spine just as the smell of sweet jasmine and vanilla perfume engulfed her. Ellie broke from her kneeling fetal position to draw you into her lap. She didn’t even need to look at you, she knew you like the back of her hand. Ellie knew the feeling of those acrylic nails because of how deeply they’d scratched down her back in bed. She knew the smell of your perfume from how often she’d buried her face into your waiting body after work for comfort. Her grip was painful, likely breaking capillaries from its tightness. She mewled for you like a kitten finding its mother. “Babygirl.” 

  “Ellie—Ellie I’m sorry did I take too long? I set an alarm, I don’t think it went off, I’m sorry Ellie I didn’t mean too I promise.” Ellie let out a wet laugh from where her face was crooned in your neck. She just shook her head. It absolutely was not your fault. But God weren’t you just the cutest fucking thing in the world for thinking you’d made another little mistake? How sweet, that even in the face of Ellie’s utter mental crack and breakdown, you found a way to give your baby the benefit of the doubt. Ellie dragged her face up your neck, inhaling deeply as her nose traced a path up your throat. The scent alone was like Xanax to the nerves, drowning her in a sea of serenity. Letting the anxiety ebb away until it was no more than a dull twinge, the whispers reduced to muted hums. You were her light. Ellie’s grip on you tightened, her medicine. 

  She pulled her face away, and she could only imagine how distressed she must’ve looked by the way your eyebrows drew up, and by the way your pretty little lips formed a worried pout. Ellie gnawed on her bottom lip. There was nothing to fear, you would understand. 

“You didn’t take too long princess, I just had a panic attack.”

  Your hands flew to cup Ellie’s reddened blotchy cheeks, massaging her face cutely as her eyelashes fluttered. God, you were a balm. “I should’ve seen it coming, I’ve been feeling so out of it the past week. But then this morning was so fun. We made fluffy pancakes, you sat on my lap and listened to my dumb work drama, helped me trim my bangs, then...” Ellie blew air into her cheeks and looked up. This was going to be hard to say. Felt like a lump stuck in her throat. “Then we got ready and the kiss we had before we got in the car made everything melt away. This morning was so good baby, so good. I tried to ignore it, thinking my brain just wanted to be a little asshole and spook me for no reason. But no—I should’ve known—it doesn’t play tricks, it only gives warnings.” 

  Ellie leaned into your palms, she kissed them gently. “Can we go home baby?.” She held your gaze through wet eyelashes. You nodded “Mhm. I’m sorry Els I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I missed you.” You were disappointed because you didn’t intuitively know the right words to say, and how to say them. Didn’t know how to articulate that you understood her pain but she also shouldn’t beat herself up. Everything you thought of sounded cliche, you weren’t smarter than her, you weren’t able to come up with reassuring words the way other people could. Not like her uncle Tommy or Maria, or anyone. All you could do was cover her in kisses, tell her you loved her, that next time you’d never ever be separated from her, and cradle her head against your chest. 

  Ellie rose to her feet, pulling you up with her by your elbows. The kiss that followed was for comfort, for reassurance. For the feeling of squeezing her human emotional support plushie. 

  Ellie pulled away first, leaving you wanting more. She tasted so good, smelled so good. Made you want to pur and stroke her through her jeans. But it wasn’t the time nor place. Not after recent events. 

“Did you get your earrings at least?” 

“Yeah, I got a pair for you too!” You shared excitedly. 

  Ellie was still shaken up, but for now she could break out a small grin. “You got earrings for me?”

  “Yes, same color too!” 

  “Baby, my ears aren’t even pierced...”

  “Oh.” Ellie loved that, your characteristic little ‘oh’. 

“I knew that. I just got them for when—for when you decided to pierce them, yeah.” 

Ellie was hot in your heels as you two made your way out of the mall “Is that right?”

“Mhm.” You refused to meet her eyes.

“Oh yeah? K, then. Thank you so much for getting me a gift using my credit card.”

 “You’re very welcome, I love when we match as a couple. Els when we got home, did you want my chicken noodle? Cause it’ll make you feel better.”  

Ellie sucked in a breath. Cuteness aggression was real, and she was feeling it so hard right then. Right after her emotions had already been frayed by her anxiety. She knew, if it wasn’t for the way the panic attack had left her feeling utterly exhausted, bone tired like a wet blanket, ready to drop at a moment's notice to recuperate, that she would’ve done something that would’ve pulled a squeal out of you in the car. And she had the package to do so. 

  “Sure, I’ll eat your damn noodle soup.” She chuckled tiredly. 

  You put both palms on her chest and leaned in to kiss her, stealing back some of the desire that was ripped away too soon in the mall. 

“You’ll feel better in no time.” 

 Ellie gave you a once-over. Over eager, as usual. 

“Somehow I don’t doubt that.” 

  You littered her face in kisses all the way home, like you always did. Like you thought each press of your lips to her freckled face was going to cure her of her anguish. And believe Ellie, every press of your puffy lips to her cheeks, tip of her nose and forehead did more for her state of mind than two hours of trauma therapy a week did. Or at least that’s what she’d like to believe. Fuck the noddle soup, it’s you. You’re what’s going to make her feel better. As long as you’re there, everyday for her to come home to. All she needed was her pretty princess, her little babydoll, her little bimbo.

[penisliker-moved]

sometimss im like maybe i dont have anxiety maybe im just a scared little bitch (as if anxiety isnt scared little bitch dksorder) bc i dont get scared of like. the killers. well i do actually but thats not the point. but then i think of sometjing that scares me and i have a brief moment of rational thought where im like hey? thats thendumbest thing uve ever said

[pretty-sparkle-bomb]

actor!bakugo and actress! yn part 2 part 1 here

you guysss i had this one in my drafts for so long and i didnt know how to write it to make it 'proper' enough so i hadda rewrite it like four, five times😔hope you enjoy tho <3!

also if you wanna know, the song i was making reference to was 'envolver' by annita. (i promise yall my music taste aint bad)

You’re both invited to a celebration party with your cast members—a small gathering at Kaminari's place to enjoy the success of the movie.

You hang out with Mina and the girls, while Katsuki begrudgingly stays with Kirishima and the guys.

No need to worry, though. He keeps you in view, carmine eyes tracing over your curves in the body-hugging blue dress he picked out, claiming that the color suited you. Crystal drop earrings shine under the dim lighting, and the black choker he gave you as a present is wrapped snugly around your neck.

Katsuki smiles as he fishes out his phone from his back pocket and shoots you a text.

kats 💕 come over here. miss ya

You down the last of your shandy, giggling at a joke Jirou made, until Mina suddenly gasps.

"What?" you ask, setting down your empty glass as you gesture to the bartender for a refill.

"Your lipstick is smudged, sis. Who's coming to the bathroom with me? Makeup touch-ups are needed right now." She stands up and pulls your hand, with Jirou and Ochako following suit. The other girls stay seated, promising to keep an eye on the drinks.

Katsuki watches the group of girls leave the room, a loud, chatting mess as they drunkenly stumble away.

Todoroki snaps his fingers in front of Katsuki's face. "Why are you looking at the girls?" he asks, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

His mouth opens and closes, contemplating what to say.

"Jus' caught my eye, 's all," he mutters, sinking into the couch. Kirishima snorts, and Sero elbows him in the ribs to shut him up.

"What?" Bakugo asks, emptying the contents of his cup.

"Nothing, dude! Totally nothing," Kaminari replies, waving his hands sarcastically.

"Do you like Ochako?" Todoroki asks, eyeing the ash-blond. Katsuki makes a funny face, crinkling his eyes. "Hah? The hell did you say?"

Todoroki smiles a bit and shrugs. "It seemed like you were staring at her."

The table falls silent as the star actor contemplates his response. The guys all sit up straight, eagerly awaiting his reply.

"I don't like her," he finally says, his tone leaving no room for argument. Suspicious looks appear on each of their faces.

"Okay, so you wouldn't mind if I got with her?" Sero teases, standing up.

Bakugo grins. "Go 'head."

His phone lights up on the glass table, and all eyes immediately snap to the bright notification.

Mrs. Bakugo one min katsu. the girls and i are kinda busy. but like, nobodys supposed to see us thoo ykyk wanna meet somewhere private? ;)

Sero immediately snatches the phone from the table, his eyes wide. His fingers swipe to open the message, but a blocker comes up. "Face ID? Really, man?" he groans.

Katsuki shoots up, pushing Sero's face away as he snatches the phone back, holding it out of the raven-haired actor's reach.

"Ouu, Mistress Bakugo?" Kaminari laughs loudly, slapping his knee. Katsuki clicks his teeth and walks away from the boys, phone in hand.

Upon seeing his retreating form, they start laughing and calling out to him.

"Yo Bakubro, are you gonna wife her up?"

"Bakugo, my guy! Tell her I said hi!"

"Is he gonna collect his daily kisses?"

"There's a spare room two lefts after the guest bathroom!"

It’s no surprise when Bakugo rings you. The familiar sound of your ringtone causes Mina to pause mid-mascara application.

"Katsuki? Why is he calling you?" Jirou asks, holding up your phone. Shit. You shrug and take it from her, entering a bathroom stall for a bit of privacy.

"What is it?" you whisper into the speaker, hearing his harsh breathing.

"They saw yer message. Wanna know who ya are," he responds curtly. You still, quietly sorting out the thoughts in your mind.

"Okay... that's fine. But you know what this means, right?" you ask, your fingers drumming against your silver purse.

Katsuki is quiet on the other end of the line. He grunts, knowing what you meant: he won't be able to even look at you for the rest of the night. He mumbles a small "okay" and hangs up.

As your group of friends makes their way back to the buzzing party, your eyes can’t help but search for Katsuki.

And you find him, handsome as ever, shot in hand as he manspreads on the couch, eyes closed as he has a small conversation with some random blonde.

Your eyes zero in on her: chunky gold earrings, black dress, gold heels—real flashy. She’s a typical blonde, you think, trying to brush it off.

But she’s all over him, manicured fingers grazing his bicep as she cackles at some random, unfunny words coming out of his mouth.

"I thought this was a private event?" you ask Ochako, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. She shrugs, immediately following your gaze and spotting the girl. "I think she's one of those background characters, or something."

You can practically read the words coming out of her mouth. "oH kAtSuKi YoUrE sO fUnNy."

Who was she to even call him by his first name?

How dare she.

You take a deep breath, letting the tension ease away as you turn your focus back to the party. If that blonde thinks she can monopolize Katsuki’s attention, then she clearly doesn’t know who she’s dealing with. But rather than stewing in frustration, you decide to make the most of the night.

The bartender places a fresh drink in front of you, but you push it aside. “Something stronger,” you say with a smile, and he quickly swaps it out for a shot of the strongest liquor they’ve got.

The girls, noticing your shift in mood, exchange curious glances. Mina raises an eyebrow, a mischievous smile already forming on her lips. “My dear yn, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

Without answering, you down the shot in one swift motion, the liquid burning its way down your throat. You place the empty glass onto the bar and feel the warmth spread through your body. You look towards the DJ and stand up, walking toward him.

"Hey, buddy," you call, pretty sure that he can't hear you over all the music playing. You beckon him closer with a curl of your fingers and ask him to play one of your favorite songs.

Si tú me desea' y yo a ti también

Your girls join you on the dance floor as you start dancing. You can feel the eyes on you—some admiring, some envious—but there’s only one pair you care about. You glance back toward Katsuki, who’s still seated on the couch, his gaze fixed on you. The blonde from earlier is long forgotten as his eyes trail over your form, taking in the way you move to the beat.

Aprovéchame

Your hips sway in rhythmic movements as your girls whoop and holler behind you. The shot makes everything feel fuzzy, but you continue anyway. Maybe you’ve had too much to drink, but the alcohol gives you a boldness that has you dancing more provocatively, knowing exactly the effect it’s having on Katsuki.

Before you can fully bask in the moment, Mina suddenly appears beside you, a grin plastered on her face.

“Damn, girl! You’ve got some moves!” she shouts, moving behind you. And maybe you both thought it was cute, but damn, the sight of you and her dancing like that has Katsuki and Kirishima in shambles.

`Sé que lo hacemo' y tú vas a volver`

“You’re on fire tonight!” Ochako shouts over the music and you giggle. “Just having a little fun,” you reply, though your eyes keep darting back to Katsuki.

And sure enough, you notice him shift in his seat, his eyes darkening with an intensity that makes your heart race. He’s watching you like a predator who’s found his prey and you wouldnt have it any other way.

The girls are having the time of their lives, lost in the music, but you’ve got something else in mind. You dance closer to Katsuki, the distance between you shrinking with every step.

You can see the moment he decides he’s had enough, the possessiveness flaring up as he sets down his drink and rises to his feet.

`Tú me quieres perrear y yo quiero partirte`

You’re not sure who moves first, but suddenly, he’s there, his hands on your waist as he pulls you against him. The heat of his body presses into yours, and for a moment, the world fades away. There’s only you, Katsuki, and the music’s bass that keeps your blurry mind in check.

“Ya really know how to make a guy restless,” he mutters in your ear, his voice low, and you smirk, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Maybe that was the plan.”

Your eyes look over to the blonde. She's still there, eyebrows pinched in confusion and anger, maybe?

But you’re not done playing.

Without breaking eye contact, you give his chest a gentle shove, urging him back toward the couch. Katsuki’s eyes widen for a split second, but then a knowing grin spreads across his face. He lets you push him down, his back hitting the cushions with a soft thud, and he sprawls out, his hands resting casually on the back of the couch as he watches you with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.

You stand in front of him for a moment, your body swaying to the music as you let the tension build. The beat thrums through your veins, making everything around you feel distant, unimportant. All that matters is the way Katsuki is looking at you—like he’s seconds away from dragging you down onto him.

But you get there first.

With a slow, deliberate movement, you straddle his lap, your knees sinking into the couch on either side of his hips. The proximity sends a thrill through you as you settle onto his thighs, your body pressing into his. You can feel the heat radiating from him, the tension in his muscles as his hands find their way to your waist, gripping you firmly.

Katsuki’s eyes darken even more, his breath hitching as you lean in close, your lips brushing against the shell of his ear. “She gone yet?” you whisper, your voice dripping with mischief.

His grip tightens, and you feel the low growl rumbling in his chest. “You’re askin’ for it,” he murmurs, his voice rough and filled with promise.

You laugh softly, the sound lost in the thumping bass of the music. “Maybe I am. But first, answer the question.”

"'M not lookin for her, dollface. All my attention... 's on you." he whispers.

You place a kiss on his nose and then look up at her.

The blonde from earlier watches with wide eyes, her expression quickly morphing from confusion to disgust. She’s visibly fuming, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she realizes she never stood a chance. You catch her glare, and it only fuels your satisfaction.

“Aw, you didn't know? He’s taken, love.” You feel the shattering of her heart because of your claim on him. You can hear the collective gasp from those around you, the gossip starting to spread like wildfire. But you don’t care.

You’ve made your point, and so has he.

The music pulses around you, but all you can focus on is the feeling of his hands on you, his breath on your neck, and the pounding of your heart that matches the beat of the song.

It’s only when you hear Jirou's loud “Yooo!” that you snap out of your trance, realizing just how much attention you’ve drawn. You can feel the blush creeping up your neck, but Katsuki just chuckles, pulling you closer. “Guess there’s no hiding it now, huh?” he mutters, nipping at your ear.

You shake your head, smiling despite the embarrassment. “Nope.”

The flash of a camera catches your eye, and you spot Sero standing nearby, phone in hand as he snaps a picture of the two of you. “This one’s going on the ‘gram!” he shouts, grinning like a fool.

Before you can protest, Katsuki smirks, leaning back against the couch as he pulls you against his chest. “Let ‘em see.”

The photo blows up within minutes, and the next day, it’s all anyone can talk about. Your social media is flooded with comments, memes, and edits of the moment you publicly claimed Katsuki Bakugo as your own.

And for once, he doesn’t mind.

Taglist (I love you guys so freakin much <3)

@cupkiki @the-random-kitten @atashiboba @your-mum3000 @h0ngh0ngh0ng @gentle-roxyboo @xxiamabookdragonxx @guitargirl2000 @crimsonrubie @yungrichbitch @jaywhat333 @lemonnightmare @maeririka @talkgirl30 @big-denki-energy @lovingjeankirstein @aalny4 @tonkatesuramen

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

Sarek in TOS being so proud of Spock despite disapproving of Spock's enlistment and Sarek in the TOS movies showing up and being all in Jim's face and openly emotional about Spock and confessing to being emotional about Spock in front of a whole Vulcan a crowd and Tuvok being so in love with his wife T'Pel and saying his children are part of who he is to the point he is not whole without them and still being so logical and pragmatic and chill and Spock feeling 400 Vulcans die from hundreds of miles away because Vulcans are connected to one another and Soval admitting that Vulcans are afraid of humans because humans remind them of Vulcans and Vulcans being so dry and funny and T'pol saying "Hello, I am your mother" to her infant clone daughter and T'Pau and T'Lar and the Vulcan elders wearing those intricate robes and Vulcan art and music and language and their beautiful and their amazing writing system dfgfdfdfg. I'm gnawing on the furniture. They're in love with meticulous craft and intricate tradition. Beauty isn't illogical it's at the core of what they value. Community and family aren't illogical it's their highest duty. War and violence aren't logical or pragmatic, logic is pursuing peace. They have SO MUCH compassion and curiosity and legitimately insane approches to things. their childhood rite of passage is a brutal survival test and they can snap a man's neck and they can throw humans easily and they still developed a fighting technique that's painless and harmless and gracefully neutralizes opponents. they're logical to the point of devotion and yet a decent chunk of them are still monks and priests and spiritual leaders. They're cryptic space elves and incredibly precise calculators and they're asshole cats they're Humanity's older sibling they're weird bloodthirsty passionate warriors with SO MUCH EMOTIONS raging inside them who now enjoy equations and chess and vegetables and chose to force control onto themselves and leash themselves to peace and knowledge and order and pacifism because their emotions are legitimately too dangerous to be expressed. what a concept. what an aesthetic. amanda grayson fell in love with who they were and she and sarek made Spock which is literally the greatest thing anybody has ever done in the Star Trek universe

and don't even come near me with the dumb stuff like 'they outlawed mindmelds at one point' because that never made sense, they have fal-tor-pan and they mind meld with the dying. ST writers periodically do them SO DIRTY FOR NO REASON. it's *NOT* mind melding that's always been weird in the TOS movies and TNG because they are EMPATHS and they share emotions and the deepest depths of their souls when they need to

VULCANSVULCANSVULCANSVULCANSVULCANSVULCANS

[sakumz]

____________________________________________

a/n : MONA STOLE MY C2 KINICJ 😭😭 wanna sponsor yo girl sum crystals!??@ 😔😔😔

[ m. kinich x gn reader ]

____________________________________________

" what? " the word slipped past his lips before he could react.

your thumb brushing beside his lips, dusting off the crumps of the cookie he ate. you, coming in his life was truly a blessing by the archons. everyday was filled with smiles and happiness even the bad days. he may not show it but he feels so full of warmth with you.

so what happened? ajaw can't help but giggle at his troubles. you're laughing at the traveller. when he approached you, he receives a glare. do you hate him? he gulps as he retracts his hand.

were you still holding a grudge because he left you alone at the night kingdom? but it was an accident! he swears.

it felt like years since the traveller had resided in natlan, not true though it was only a week. you're still ignoring him. whenever he crosses path with you, he couldn't say a hello or a goodbye as you were there and now you're gone typa shii.

" hey kinich! " mualani shouts as she shakes the man.

" I'm listening, " he shakes her hands off him. she sends him a solemn look.

" is it just me or has y/n been glued to that traveller since they arrive, " kinich says as mualani couldn't help but turn to face the traveller. they were watching kachina do her dance, not aware of the conversation played.

" what do you mean? " mualani raised an eyebrow at the sudden question.

" y/n is always chatting away with the traveller... they only glare at me when our eyes meet. " he replies honestly as mualani is left gasping for air.

" he-hey, you do know y/n has been long dead right? they saved you back at the night kingdom... " mualani couldn't help but give a squeeze to his shoulder before standing and joining the traveller and kachina.

" what? " and just then ajaw appeared next to him.

" talk about being a big delusional dummy! " ajaw storms around him, " you should stop thinking about your dead lover and move on!! there's plenty of fishes in the sea! " ajaw tries to lighten the mood but it only sends him to timeout.

kinich hates to admit but ajaw is right, he'll have to move on. but it doesn't make sense, he's sure you were there.

" hi. " hearing your voice made him jump from his seat, he's going crazy isn't he? he turns to his left and you're there, staring at him with love adoring your face.

" is it really you? " he couldn't help but reach out only for his hand to go through your face.

" I'm gonna say my last goodbye, it hurts being here. seeing you suffer and all... " your voice trails off in a soft whisper as he clench his fists. if only he was stronger.

" I'm sorry, " he says softly as your tears threatens to fall.

he's always been like this to you, he's sweet. stoic on the outside especially to everyone but you. being his childhood friend, you saw him grow, you were with him when he lost his father. he was everything to you. you can't help but let the tears fall, sending him a genuine smile. you're glad he's alive and safe.

" please live to the fullest, I love you so so much. " you gave him a hug, just this once did he feel your warmth again.

---

a/n : my uid 823224230

[alexa-fika]

ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! Last request before I sleep

Here me out shanks with a 13 year old daughter (who has his iconic red hair) reader who absolutely despised him because he's the reason why her town got attack (Shanks keeps flirting with her mother unknowingly he accidentally made her into an outcast)

Reader who's snarky, a bit rude but polite and well mannered (unlike shanks)

Reader who's always reading and very elegant royalty like but not spoiled and very serious all the time (unlike shanks)

Reader who's secretly insecure and scared that she's always gonna be in her father shadow

Reader who is always in the whitebeard pirates (THOUGHT THIS WASN'T A WHITEBEARD REQUEST BUT I MADE IT ANYWAYS?)

Reader who always dye their hair into black

Reader who bonds with ace because of their daddy issues 🥰

That's it. That's the tweet

Roots ( Ace x f!teen!reader)

A/N here we go, I dont feel with this one, I feel like I missed the whole vibe you were trying to get when you submitted the regret, I spend a week just staring at the screen trying to think of how to approach it and I can’t say I choose the right one

Dokucha frowns as the book on her hands is ripped away from her hands, only to let a small smile as she recognizes the candy cane-patterned bracelet

"Ace, you're back," she stated, looking up at the grinning man squatting on the railing

"I'm back," he responds, jumping down from the railing and bringing the girl into a side hug

"What have you been up to today?"

"I am actually taking a small breather before I continue training; I believe it's Haruta's turn for a session," she stated gingerly, clenching her hands in a lower position

"Turn?"He furrowed his brows at her words and the implications behind them

"Dokucha, how many sessions have you done?"

She bites at her lip, shifting her gaze away from his

"This would be the seventh," she muttered

"I told you to stop pushing it, you're only thirteen dokucha, it's okay to train, but this is too much," he scolded

"Is this about Shanks?" he muttered, kneeling down to her level

"I don't want to fall behind."

" I know you don't, but are you just going to waste your life trying to catch him?

Isn't that what you don't want to do? To live your whole life trying to surpass your old man?"

"I can see it in their eyes, Ace, every time we go on a mission; all they can see is him, they don't think of me as Dokucha, they just see his daughter," she murmured, teary eyes flickering back to the man

"Then let them. They have no place in your life, so why would you care what a bunch of strangers think?" he asked

He frowns at the small unconvinced hum that leaves the teen at his words only to bounce back as an idea comes to mind

“ Hey, I found a cool place on my way back; it’s only a few minutes on the Striker; wanna check it out?”

“But Haruta is expecting me…”

“Don’t worry about that; you said you still have some time, right?”

“I suppose so, b-

“Great, you head to the Striker; I will catch back up in a second; need to get something before we head out,” he said, running off

“W- Ace! I din- and he’s gone” she mutters at the retreating form of the commander, taking a glance down at the striker that had been tied to the Moby Dick

“I guess no harm in a small ride.”

-

“How did you find this place?” she muttered

The two found themselves sitting on the Striker, their leaves soaking in crystal clear water as they watched all the fish swim around them, curious about the two visitors

“I visited this island before on one of my missions.”

“Hm”

"Listen, Dokucha, I have told you about my father, yeah?”

“Yes, you did.”

“The reason why I'm so pushy on stopping what you’re doing is because I made the same mistake, and it cost me over 15 years of my life” he started, noticing how his words had finally gotten the girl’s attention

“ I spent all that time trying to follow my father’s legacy, to surpass him. To become the pirate king, to Defeat whitebeard. All the while, it just ate me inside; I was blindsided and led by my anger toward him for all those years. I missed many opportunities to enjoy, to have a carefree childhood just to accomplish that goal”

“How did you…why…”

“Why I stopped?”

“Yes”

“I found pops.”

“ I thought your goal was to take him down to prove yourself?” She asked now facing his way as her legs Straddled the Striker giving him her full attention, loookimg up at him in confusion

“It was; I spent the next few days going after him even after he took me into the moby; every day, I would try.”

“I refuse to believe that” she scoffed with an amused laugh

“I'm serious!

Tried over a hundred times, and every time, I would end up with either a bloody nose or thrown into the sea.”

She covers her mouth as she lets out a muffled laugh at the thought of a grumpy, drenched Ace

“A-Anyway, after that, Marco and later Pops talked with me; it made me realize how useless it was to try to take Pops down and follow after someone else’s dream.”

“Din’t you feel disappointed?”

“Quite the opposite, I felt free for the first time, felt free to make choices based on what I wanted and not to surpass my father; it’s led me to where I am now, and it was the best realization I made in my life.”

“…”

“Keep it in mind, okay? Let’s head back for now,” he said, pushing himself up, extending a hand to the girl as he prepped the Striker

“How do you think I should start?”

“Start what?” He questions, manauvering the Striker through the waves, slowing down as he puts his attention on her

“Letting go”

“Maybe you should start with this,” he said, flicking their head

“Jerk, what was the reason for that?”

“Stop trying to change yourself; your roots are coming out; why don’t you let them grow?”

“Ah!” She exclaims covering her head at his comment, missing the way he sighed and shook his head only to come back to her senses as a weight was placed on her head

“You should be proud of yourself, the way you look, the way you are; at the end of the day, it’s yours, not his; now might be the best time

She looks up at the ravenette questioningly, his iconic hat now missing from his head and gingerly placed on hers

“What do you mean?”

He simply gestures to the new vessel now anchored next to the Moby Dick

“What is he doing here.”

Thoughts?

Taglist:

@Imaginarydreams

@amethystviolin

@h0n3y-l3m0n05

[multifandomworldsposts]

Day 11 of Kinktober: Swimming Around With Arthur Curry

Pairing: Arthur Curry x fem!reader

Warning: making out, eating out

Y/N’s POV

Arthur took me this magical place that I’ve never seen in any books or the internet before but it looks so majestic and the plants, never seen before either.

“Where are we?” I say still looking around at the place.

“This is where I became king of the ocean.” He says behind me.

“Really? Where were you at in this place when you became king?” I turn around and said.

“Right down that pond.” He points at the pond.

“What’s down there?” I question.

“The Karathen.“ He whispers in my ear.

“Is that where we’re going to, is that why you brought us here?” I look at him.

“Oh god no, we’re going over there.” He points to a waterfall.

“That looks gorgeous.” I look at the waterfall.

“You wanna go for a swim?” He asks.

“Yeah sure.” I said.

Arthur and I get undressed and Arthur dives into the pond where the waterfall is. He pops out of the water and swims up to me.

“The water feels great Y/N/N.” He says.

I look at him and then look at the water, I get in the water and the water does feel good! Arthur wraps his arms around my body to guide me where he’s going to. I lay my head on his shoulder, holding on to him as well.

We get behind the waterfall and the wall looks like it has crystals all of it, it looks beautiful.

“This looks beautiful Arthur.” I unwrap myself from Arthur.

“Not as beautiful as you.” He smirks.

I look down and chuckle.

I sit on a small edge where the wall of crystals are, Arthur swims towards me and getting up to my level, I wrap my arms around his neck and he wraps his arms around my waist. I hold him close to make us be nose to nose.

“How you feelin’?” He says in a deep voice.

“I’m fine.” I chuckle.

“You wanna try something?” He whispers in my ear.

“What?” I ask.

He looks at me, he leans in and kisses me, I smile in the kiss, I wrap my legs around him and he takes us to a different wall. I tug on his hair and he kisses my neck which made me moan.

He stops kissing my neck and looks at me with those blue eyes, he goes under water and I can feel him touch my body and I feel something inside me, how can this be possible? I moan even louder and I can feel him touching me under water and his tongue touching my clit. He continues to do this for a minute or two and then I hear something in the water even though the water fall is so loud I feel like nothing can hear me scream in pleasure.

I stop Arthur from eating me out and to make him see what I’m hearing, it’s a fish that I’ve never seen before in my life.

“Y/N/N, you don’t have to worry about what’s going to happen, I’m here to protect you.” Arthur says cresting my cheek.

“Arthur I’m scared about anything in this area and I’m just scared something might happen to me with who or what is out there.” I said holding him close to me.

“That’s why I’m here to protect you, animals can understand me and I can understand them, believe me Y/N, I love you so much, I wouldn’t let a bug get near you.”

I think I’m blushing, he’s so sweet to me and he would kill anything if someone or something would try to hurt me, I love him.

“Arthur, can we kiss again? I actually feel safe with you when you do that.” I softly touch his hair.

“Anything to make my girl happy.” He smirks.

He kisses me and it felt like we were kissing for hours but it felt like it was 6 minutes. I felt things surrounding us but I kept on kissing him, I feel so safe with him.

[bratzkoo]

pov | kim seokjin

Author: bratzkoo | navi Pairing: married! seokjin x f! reader Word Count: 9K Genre: fluff, more fluff Rating: PG-13 Possible Warnings/Note: Inspired by Ariana Grande's song "pov"

Summary: reminiscing your 20 year marriage with seokjin.

taglist (hit me up if you wanna be added): @aretha170 , @jinniegenie , @mooniyooni .@we8joon​ , @njrwifey​

requests are open, but you can just say hi! | masterlist

The warm afternoon sun filtered through the gossamer curtains, casting a soft glow across the living room. You sat comfortably on the plush sofa, your fingers absently tracing the intricate patterns on the throw pillow beside you. Across from you, perched on the edge of an armchair with a determined look on her face, was your daughter, Minjee. At sixteen, she was the spitting image of you at that age, but with unmistakable traces of her father in the curve of her smile and the twinkle in her eyes.

"Okay, Mom," Minjee said, her voice filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness as she fiddled with her tablet. "I'm ready to start the interview for my project. Are you sure you're okay with me recording this?"

You couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Of course, sweetheart. I'm happy to help with your assignment. What's the topic again?"

Minjee's face lit up. "It's about long-lasting marriages and the secrets to their success. I thought, who better to interview than you and Dad? Twenty years is a pretty big deal!"

A warm feeling spread through your chest as you thought about your husband, Kim Seokjin. Twenty years of marriage, and he was still the best person in your world. "Well, I'm flattered you chose us. Where should we begin?"

Minjee tapped her stylus against her chin thoughtfully. "How about we start at the beginning? What was your first anniversary like?"

As you began to speak, the room around you seemed to fade, replaced by vivid memories of a time that felt both distant and as clear as yesterday...

-

*19 years ago*

The restaurant was dimly lit, casting a romantic glow over the intimate table for two. Candles flickered between you and Seokjin, their dance reflecting in his warm brown eyes as he smiled at you from across the table. One year of marriage, and still, every time he looked at you like that, your heart skipped a beat.

"Happy anniversary, my love," Seokjin said, raising his glass of champagne. The bubbles caught the light, creating tiny fireworks in the flute. "To many more years of happiness together."

You clinked your glass against his, the crystal singing a clear note. "To us," you echoed, taking a sip of the crisp, effervescent drink.

As you set your glass down, a waiter approached with a covered silver platter. With a flourish, he lifted the dome, revealing an artfully arranged plate of what appeared to be some kind of nut-crusted fish.

Your eyes widened slightly, a small frown tugging at the corners of your mouth. Before you could say anything, Seokjin was already addressing the waiter.

"I'm sorry, but there seems to be a mistake," he said politely but firmly. "My wife has a severe nut allergy. We specifically requested no nuts in any of our dishes."

The waiter's face fell, a look of mortification replacing his earlier pride. "I am so sorry, sir, madam. This is completely unacceptable. I'll have the kitchen prepare a new dish immediately."

As the waiter hurried away with the offending plate, you reached across the table to squeeze Seokjin's hand. "Thank you," you said softly. "I can't believe you remembered about my allergy."

Seokjin's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Of course I remembered. It's important – it's part of who you are." His expression softened into a tender smile. "Besides, how could I forget the time you almost died at that company picnic because someone forgot to mention there were walnuts in the brownies?"

You laughed, the tension from the near miss with the nutty dish dissipating. "Oh god, don't remind me. I thought I was going to have to use my EpiPen on our third date!"

"Well, it certainly made for a memorable evening," Seokjin chuckled. "I knew then that life with you would never be boring."

As you waited for your replacement meals, the two of you fell into easy conversation, reminiscing about the past year of marriage and all the little moments that had brought you closer together.

When the food finally arrived – a beautifully prepared, nut-free sea bass for you and a succulent steak for Seokjin – you both dug in with gusto. The flavors were exquisite, but what made the meal truly special was the company.

Between bites, Seokjin reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, wrapped package. "I have something for you," he said, a hint of nervousness in his voice as he slid the gift across the table.

Your eyes lit up with curiosity as you carefully unwrapped the present. Inside was a delicate silver bracelet, adorned with tiny charms. As you examined it more closely, you gasped in delight.

"Jin, this is beautiful! But... wait, is that...?" You peered at one of the charms, a miniature paintbrush.

Seokjin nodded, his eyes twinkling. "I know you've been talking about wanting to take up painting again. I thought this might be a little reminder to pursue that passion."

You continued to examine the charms, each one representing a different aspect of your life or personality. There was a tiny book for your love of reading, a musical note for the songs you liked to hum while cooking, and even a little cat charm that looked suspiciously like the stray you'd been feeding in secret.

"How did you know about the cat?" you asked, looking up at him in amazement.

Seokjin's laugh was warm and full of affection. "You mean the one you think I don't know about? The one you've been leaving food out for every night? I've seen you, love. I think it's adorable."

You felt a blush creep up your cheeks. "I was going to tell you... I just didn't want you to think I was trying to adopt another pet so soon after Mochi passed away."

"Hey," Seokjin said softly, reaching out to take your hand. "I know how much you loved Mochi. And I know that caring for that stray doesn't mean you're trying to replace him. It just means you have a big heart. It's one of the things I love most about you."

Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes, but they were happy tears. "Jin, I don't know what to say. This bracelet, the way you notice everything... I feel so seen, so understood."

"That's my job," he said with a wink. "To know you better than anyone else in the world. Speaking of which..." He signaled to the waiter, who promptly appeared with two dessert menus.

You shook your head, laughing. "Let me guess – no chocolate ice cream for me?"

Seokjin's eyes widened in mock horror. "I wouldn't dream of it! I still remember the look on your face when I suggested we get chocolate ice cream on our second date. I thought you were going to break up with me on the spot!"

"It was a close call," you teased. "But you redeemed yourself with that strawberry sorbet."

As you perused the dessert options, settling on a shared plate of tiramisu, you marveled at how well Seokjin knew you. It wasn't just the big things, like your allergies or your aversion to chocolate ice cream. It was the little details – the way he'd order your coffee just the way you liked it without asking, or how he'd instinctively know when you needed a quiet night in versus a night out with friends.

When the tiramisu arrived, artfully presented with two spoons, Seokjin raised his dessert spoon in a playful toast. "To knowing each other better with each passing day," he said.

You clinked your spoon against his, your heart full of love and gratitude. "To a lifetime of learning and growing together," you added.

As you savored the rich, coffee-infused dessert, you reflected on the past year of marriage. It hadn't all been smooth sailing – there had been arguments, misunderstandings, and moments of frustration. But underlying it all was a deep sense of partnership, of being truly known and accepted for who you were.

Later that night, as you lay in bed with Seokjin's arms wrapped around you, you whispered into the darkness, "Thank you for today. For everything."

You felt his lips press a gentle kiss to the top of your head. "Thank you for marrying me," he murmured back. "For choosing to build a life with me. I can't wait to see what the next year brings."

As you drifted off to sleep, the weight of the bracelet on your wrist was a comforting reminder of the man beside you – the man who knew you better than anyone else in the world, and loved you all the more for it.

-

*17 years ago*

The hospital room was a flurry of activity. Monitors beeped steadily, nurses bustled in and out, and your breaths came in short, panting gasps as another contraction gripped your body. Fifteen hours of labor had left you exhausted, your hair plastered to your forehead with sweat, but there was no giving up now.

Through it all, Seokjin was a constant presence at your side. His usually immaculate appearance was disheveled, his hair sticking up at odd angles from running his hands through it nervously. But his eyes never left your face, and his hand remained firmly clasped in yours.

"You're doing great, love," he murmured, using his free hand to gently wipe your brow with a cool cloth. "Just a little longer."

You managed a weak smile between contractions. "Easy for you to say," you panted. "You look like you're about to pass out."

It was true – despite his attempts to appear calm and collected, Seokjin's face was pale, and there was a sheen of sweat on his upper lip that had nothing to do with the warmth of the room.

He let out a shaky laugh. "Me? Never. I'm cool as a cucumber. Cool as a... as a... oh god, is that more blood?"

The nurse checking your vitals shot him an amused look. "Maybe you should sit down for a minute, Mr. Kim. We don't want you fainting on us."

Seokjin shook his head stubbornly. "No, I'm fine. I promised I'd be here for every moment, and I meant it." He squeezed your hand tighter, as if to reassure himself as much as you.

Just then, another contraction hit, stronger than the ones before. You cried out, gripping Seokjin's hand so tightly your knuckles turned white.

"Okay, Mrs. Kim," the doctor said, taking her position. "I think we're ready to push. On the next contraction, I want you to give it everything you've got."

The next few minutes were a blur of pain, effort, and encouragement from both the medical staff and Seokjin. Despite his own nervousness, his voice remained steady, coaching you through each push.

"You can do this," he said, his face close to yours. "You're the strongest person I know. Our baby is almost here."

With one final, monumental effort, you pushed with all your might. There was a moment of intense pressure, and then... a cry. A beautiful, piercing wail that filled the room.

"It's a girl!" the doctor announced, holding up a squirming, red-faced bundle.

You collapsed back against the pillows, tears of joy and relief streaming down your face. Seokjin was openly weeping, his eyes fixed on the tiny life that the nurses were quickly cleaning and wrapping in a soft blanket.

"Do you want to cut the cord, Dad?" the nurse asked, offering Seokjin a pair of scissors.

He nodded, unable to speak. With shaking hands, he cut the umbilical cord, officially separating your daughter from you for the first time.

Moments later, the nurse placed the swaddled infant in your arms. You gazed down at her in wonder, taking in her scrunched-up face, the downy hair on her head, the tiny fists waving in the air.

"Hello, little one," you whispered, your voice choked with emotion. "We've been waiting so long to meet you."

Seokjin perched on the edge of the bed, one arm around you, the other hand gently stroking the baby's cheek. "She's perfect," he said in awe. "Absolutely perfect."

As you both marveled at your newborn daughter, a name that you had discussed months ago suddenly felt right. "Minjee," you said softly. "Her name is Minjee."

Seokjin nodded, tears still glistening in his eyes. "Minjee. Our brilliant jewel."

The next few hours passed in a blur of tests, checks, and a steady stream of nurses and doctors coming to ensure both you and baby Minjee were doing well. Through it all, Seokjin remained by your side, alternating between gazing adoringly at his new daughter and fussing over your comfort.

It wasn't until late in the evening, when things had finally calmed down, that Seokjin suddenly sat up straight, his eyes wide. "Oh! I almost forgot!"

You looked at him quizzically as he scrambled for his phone. "Forgot what?"

"Your post-birth meal!" he exclaimed, already dialing a number. "I promised you anything you wanted after the baby was born, remember?"

You chuckled softly, careful not to disturb the sleeping Minjee in your arms. "Jin, you don't have to-"

But he was already speaking rapidly into the phone, placing an order that made your mouth water just hearing it. When he hung up, he had a triumphant grin on his face.

"Sushi, steak, and fries," he announced proudly. "All your pregnancy cravings in one meal. They'll be here in about an hour."

You shook your head in amazement. "I can't believe you remembered all that. I'm pretty sure I mentioned the sushi craving once, months ago."

Seokjin's expression softened as he looked at you and Minjee. "I remember everything you tell me," he said simply. "Especially when it comes to making you happy."

As promised, an hour later, a veritable feast arrived at your hospital room. The nurses raised their eyebrows at the spread but said nothing as Seokjin carefully arranged the food on the rolling tray table.

You inhaled deeply, savoring the mix of aromas. "This smells amazing," you said, realizing just how hungry you were after the ordeal of childbirth.

Seokjin beamed as he helped you sit up more comfortably, adjusting your pillows and making sure Minjee was secure in her bassinet next to the bed. "Eat as much as you want," he encouraged. "You've more than earned it."

As you tucked into the eclectic mix of foods, savoring flavors you'd been denied for months, you couldn't help but marvel at the man sitting beside you. Even after fifteen grueling hours of labor, even in the face of his own nerves and exhaustion, he was still thinking of ways to care for you.

"Jin," you said between bites of perfectly seared steak, "thank you. For everything. For being here, for staying calm-"

He snorted. "I wasn't that calm."

You smiled. "You were calmer than you think. And this-" you gestured at the food, "this is above and beyond."

Seokjin reached out to take your hand, his thumb tracing gentle circles on your skin. "You grew and delivered our child," he said softly. "You're a superhero as far as I'm concerned. The least I can do is make sure you're well-fed and comfortable."

Just then, Minjee began to stir in her bassinet, little whimpers quickly turning into full-fledged cries. Without hesitation, Seokjin stood up.

"I've got her," he said, carefully lifting the tiny bundle into his arms. He cradled her against his chest, swaying gently and humming a soft lullaby.

As you watched your husband comfort your newborn daughter, you felt a surge of love so powerful it brought tears to your eyes. This was your family – the life you and Seokjin had created together.

"I love you," you said, your voice thick with emotion. "Both of you, so much."

Seokjin looked up from Minjee, his eyes shining. "We love you too," he said softly. "More than words can express."

As you finished your meal and settled in for the night, you couldn't help but feel that your little family was complete. Little did you know, the adventures were just beginning.

-

*13 years ago*

The sun was just beginning to peek through the curtains as you sat at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee cooling in front of you. Your fingers drummed nervously on the smooth wood surface as you waited for Seokjin to join you. Today was the day you'd finally voice the thoughts that had been swirling in your mind for months.

Seokjin entered the kitchen, his hair slightly mussed from sleep but his eyes alert. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat across from you, his brow furrowing slightly as he took in your tense posture.

"What's on your mind, love?" he asked gently. "You've been quiet all week."

You took a deep breath, gathering your courage. "Jin, I... I've been thinking about making a change. A big one."

He reached across the table to take your hand, his thumb tracing reassuring circles on your skin. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. We're in this together, remember?"

His words gave you the strength to continue. "I want to resign from my job," you said in a rush. "I want to focus on homeschooling Minjee and... and become a stay-at-home mom."

You held your breath, waiting for his reaction. Your career had always been important to you, and you knew Seokjin respected your dedication to your work. Would he think you were throwing it all away?

To your surprise, Seokjin's face broke into a warm smile. "Is that all? Here I was worried you were going to tell me you wanted to move to Antarctica or something."

You let out a surprised laugh, feeling some of the tension leave your shoulders. "You're... you're okay with this?"

Seokjin squeezed your hand. "Of course I am. If this is what you want, what you feel is best for you and for Minjee, then I support you completely. But can I ask what brought this on?"

You sighed, gathering your thoughts. "It's been building for a while now. I love my job, you know I do, but lately... I feel like I'm missing so much with Minjee. She's growing so fast, and I don't want to look back and regret not being there for these important years."

Seokjin nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. And homeschooling? That's a big commitment."

"I know," you said, your voice gaining confidence as you spoke. "But I've been researching it, and I really think it could be amazing for her. We could tailor her education to her interests, give her one-on-one attention... And honestly, I'm excited about the challenge."

"Well," Seokjin said, a twinkle in his eye, "if anyone can pull off being a full-time mom, teacher, and still manage to keep me in line, it's you."

You laughed, feeling a weight lift off your chest. "So you really think we can make this work? Financially, I mean?"

Seokjin's expression turned serious. "We'll make it work. My job as head finance manager is stable, and we've always been good at budgeting. It might mean some adjustments, but nothing we can't handle together."

You felt tears prick at the corners of your eyes, overwhelmed by his unwavering support. "Thank you," you whispered. "For understanding, for supporting me... for everything."

He stood up and came around the table, pulling you into a tight embrace. "Hey, that's what partners are for. We're a team, remember? Your dreams are my dreams."

As you melted into his embrace, you heard the patter of little feet coming down the hallway. Moments later, a sleepy-eyed Minjee appeared in the doorway, her favorite stuffed rabbit dragging behind her.

"Mommy? Daddy? Why are you hugging? Is it a special day?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

Seokjin scooped her up, peppering her face with kisses until she giggled. "Every day with you two is a special day," he declared. "But yes, we might have some exciting changes coming up. How would you like to have Mommy teach you at home?"

Minjee's eyes widened. "Really? We can do school at home? Can we have recess in the backyard?"

You laughed, reaching out to smooth her tousled hair. "We can definitely have recess in the backyard. And maybe Daddy can be the gym teacher when he gets home from work."

Seokjin puffed out his chest dramatically. "I'll have you know I'm an excellent gym teacher. We'll start with the fine art of dad jokes and work our way up to actual exercise."

As Minjee dissolved into giggles and Seokjin began to demonstrate his 'dad joke workout routine', you felt a sense of peace settle over you. This was the right decision, you were sure of it now.

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of activity. You submitted your resignation at work, feeling a mix of nostalgia and excitement as you said goodbye to colleagues and cleared out your desk. Seokjin was by your side every step of the way, helping you research homeschooling curricula and transforming the spare room into a bright, cheerful classroom for Minjee.

On your last day of work, you came home to find the dining room table set with your favorite meal, a bouquet of flowers in the center, and a banner hanging across the archway that read "Congratulations on Your New Adventure!"

"What's all this?" you asked, feeling tears spring to your eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that week.

Seokjin emerged from the kitchen, wearing an apron and balancing a tray of appetizers. "This is your graduation party," he announced proudly. "You're graduating from one amazing career to another, and that deserves a celebration."

Minjee ran up to you, brandishing a handmade card covered in glitter and stickers. "I made this for you, Mommy! It says 'World's Best Teacher' because you're going to be my teacher now!"

You knelt down to hug her tightly, careful not to smudge the glittery masterpiece. "Thank you, sweetheart. I promise to do my very best."

As you sat down to the feast Seokjin had prepared, you couldn't help but marvel at how lucky you were. Many people might have balked at such a drastic life change, but Seokjin had embraced it wholeheartedly.

"I propose a toast," Seokjin said, raising his glass. "To new beginnings, to following your heart, and to the best teacher-mom in the world."

You clinked your glass against his and Minjee's cup of juice, feeling a surge of love for your little family. "And to the best support system a person could ask for," you added.

As the evening wore on, filled with laughter, good food, and excited planning for the future, you found yourself watching Seokjin. Even after a long day at work, he was fully present, helping Minjee clean up her craft supplies and insisting on doing the dishes despite your protests.

Later that night, as you were getting ready for bed, you caught Seokjin's eye in the bathroom mirror. "You know," you said softly, "I couldn't do this without you. Your support means everything to me."

He wrapped his arms around you from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder. "You could do anything you set your mind to," he said firmly. "But I'm honored to be by your side for all of it. We're partners in this life, remember? Your dreams are my dreams."

As you leaned back into his embrace, you felt a sense of excitement for the future. There would be challenges ahead, you knew that. Homeschooling wouldn't always be easy, and adjusting to life as a stay-at-home mom would take time. But with Seokjin by your side, you felt ready to face anything.

"Partners," you echoed, turning in his arms to face him. "Always and forever."

He leaned in to kiss you softly, a promise sealed without words. As you fell asleep that night, Seokjin's steady breathing beside you, you felt a profound sense of gratitude. This new chapter of your life was just beginning, and you couldn't wait to see where it would lead.

-

*10 years ago*

The afternoon sun streamed through the large windows of your home classroom, where you sat at a small table with Minjee, guiding her through a particularly tricky math problem. Your daughter's brow was furrowed in concentration, her pencil tapping rhythmically against the paper as she worked through the steps you'd shown her.

"I think I've got it, Mom!" Minjee exclaimed suddenly, her face lighting up as she scribbled down the final answer.

You leaned over to check her work, a proud smile spreading across your face. "That's perfect, sweetheart! You've really gotten the hang of these equations."

Minjee beamed at the praise, but her smile faltered slightly as she glanced at the clock on the wall. "Is Dad going to be home for dinner tonight?"

You felt a small pang in your chest at the question. Seokjin had been working longer hours lately, taking on additional responsibilities at work. While you were immensely proud of his dedication and success, you couldn't deny that his absence was felt keenly by both you and Minjee.

"I'm not sure, honey," you answered honestly. "He's been very busy at work lately. But I'm sure he'll try his best to make it home."

As if on cue, your phone buzzed with a text message. You picked it up, hoping to see Seokjin's name, but instead, it was a reminder about the parent-teacher association meeting you'd volunteered to host next week.

You sighed, feeling the familiar tug of conflicting responsibilities. While you loved being home with Minjee and wouldn't trade it for the world, there were times when you missed the structure and social aspects of your old job. And lately, with Seokjin working such long hours, you'd been feeling the weight of managing everything at home largely on your own.

"Mom?" Minjee's voice pulled you from your thoughts. "Can we be done with math for today? I want to work on my art project."

You nodded, pushing aside your worries for the moment. "Of course, sweetie. Why don't you go set up in the living room? I'll clean up here and join you in a few minutes."

As Minjee scampered off, you began tidying up the classroom, your mind still churning. You and Seokjin had always been a team, supporting each other's dreams and sharing responsibilities. But lately, it felt like the balance had shifted, and you weren't sure how to address it without sounding ungrateful for the life you'd chosen.

Just as you were finishing up, you heard the front door open. Surprised, you glanced at the clock – it was barely past five.

"I'm home!" Seokjin's voice called out, followed by the sound of Minjee's excited squeal.

You made your way to the living room, where you found Seokjin scooping Minjee up into a big hug, his briefcase and jacket discarded by the door.

"You're home early," you said, unable to keep the surprise from your voice.

Seokjin set Minjee down and crossed the room to you, pulling you into a warm embrace. "I missed my girls," he said simply, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

As you relaxed into his arms, you felt some of the tension you'd been carrying start to melt away. But you knew you needed to talk about the thoughts that had been weighing on you.

"Jin," you started, pulling back slightly to look at him. "Can we talk later? After Minjee's in bed?"

A flicker of concern crossed his face, but he nodded. "Of course. Everything okay?"

You gave him a small smile. "It will be. I just... there are some things I think we need to discuss."

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of family dinner, helping Minjee with her art project, and the usual bedtime routine. Throughout it all, you could feel Seokjin's eyes on you, clearly worried about what you wanted to talk about.

Finally, with Minjee tucked in and the house quiet, you and Seokjin settled onto the couch in the living room. He took your hand in his, his thumb tracing familiar patterns on your skin.

"What's on your mind, love?" he asked gently.

You took a deep breath, trying to organize your thoughts. "Jin, I... I'm struggling a bit lately. With the balance of everything."

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I love being home with Minjee," you hurried to clarify. "I don't regret that decision for a second. But lately, with you working such long hours... I feel like I'm juggling everything on my own. The house, Minjee's education, the day-to-day stuff. And I miss... us. The team we used to be."

Seokjin's face fell, a look of guilt replacing his confusion. "Oh, love. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize... I've been so focused on work, on providing for our family, that I didn't see how it was affecting you both."

You squeezed his hand. "I know you're working hard for us. And I'm so proud of you for that. I just... I guess I'm feeling a bit lost. Like I'm not sure where I fit anymore, beyond being Minjee's mom and teacher."

Seokjin pulled you close, wrapping his arms around you. "You are so much more than that," he said fiercely. "You're my partner, my best friend, the love of my life. And I've been taking that for granted lately. I'm sorry."

You felt tears prick at your eyes, relief flooding through you at finally voicing your feelings. "I don't want you to feel guilty," you said. "I just... I think we need to find a better balance. For all of us."

Seokjin nodded, his expression thoughtful. "You're right. We do. And we will. Starting right now."

He stood up suddenly, pulling you to your feet. "Come on," he said, a familiar twinkle returning to his eye.

"Where are we going?" you asked, laughing despite your confusion.

"To the kitchen," he announced. "We're going to make a plan. Like we used to when we were first married, remember?"

You followed him, a warm feeling spreading through your chest as you remembered the many late nights you'd spent at the kitchen table, planning your future together over cups of tea and sheets of paper.

Seokjin pulled out a notepad and two pens, setting them on the table with a flourish. "Okay," he said, his tone serious but his eyes sparkling. "Let's figure this out. Together."

For the next few hours, you and Seokjin talked, laughed, and occasionally argued as you hashed out a new plan for your family. You discussed ways for Seokjin to cut back his hours at work, ideas for getting more involved in the community to give you more adult interaction, and strategies for sharing household responsibilities more evenly.

As the night wore on, you found yourself remembering all the reasons you'd fallen in love with this man in the first place. His willingness to listen, his creativity in problem-solving, his unwavering support of your dreams and needs.

By the time you finally crawled into bed, the first light of dawn was starting to peek through the curtains. But you felt lighter than you had in months, secure in the knowledge that you and Seokjin were still the team you'd always been.

As you curled up next to him, his arm automatically wrapping around you, Seokjin pressed a kiss to your temple. "Thank you," he murmured.

"For what?" you asked sleepily.

"For reminding me what's really important," he said. "For being my partner in every sense of the word. I love you, more than ever."

You snuggled closer, feeling the steady beat of his heart against your cheek. "I love you too," you whispered. "Always and forever."

As you drifted off to sleep, you felt a renewed sense of hope and excitement for the future. You and Seokjin had faced challenges before, and you'd face more in the years to come. But together, you could handle anything life threw your way.

The next morning, as you all sat around the breakfast table, Minjee looked back and forth between you and Seokjin, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Did something happen?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry. "You both look... different."

You exchanged a smile with Seokjin before turning to your daughter. "Nothing bad happened, sweetheart," you assured her. "Your dad and I just had a good talk last night about how we can spend more time together as a family."

Seokjin reached across the table to ruffle Minjee's hair affectionately. "That's right, kiddo. In fact, I was thinking maybe we could start having a weekly family game night. What do you think?"

Minjee's face lit up with excitement. "Really? Can we play Monopoly? Oh, or maybe that new strategy game I got for my birthday?"

As Minjee rattled off a list of potential games, you caught Seokjin's eye over her head. The love and determination you saw there made your heart swell. You knew there would still be challenges ahead, but you felt ready to face them together.

-

*5 years ago*

The soft strains of classical music drifted through the house as you stood in front of an easel in the spare room, now converted into a makeshift art studio. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, illuminating the canvas before you, where splashes of vibrant color were starting to take shape into something resembling a landscape.

You stepped back, tilting your head as you considered your work. It wasn't perfect by any means, but there was something deeply satisfying about seeing your vision come to life through brush strokes and paint.

"Mom! Dad's home!" Minjee's voice called from downstairs, interrupting your artistic reverie.

You glanced at the clock, surprised to see it was already past six. You'd been so engrossed in your painting that you'd lost track of time completely.

Quickly wiping your paint-stained hands on a nearby cloth, you made your way downstairs to find Seokjin hanging up his coat, Minjee already regaling him with tales of her day.

"...and then in science class, we dissected a frog! It was gross but so cool, Dad. I think I might want to be a biologist when I grow up. Or maybe a vet. Or maybe..."

Seokjin caught your eye over Minjee's head, his lips quirking into an amused smile at your daughter's enthusiasm. As Minjee paused for breath, he took the opportunity to greet you.

"There's my beautiful artist," he said, pulling you in for a quick kiss. "How's the masterpiece coming along?"

You laughed, shaking your head. "Hardly a masterpiece, but it's coming along. I got a bit carried away and lost track of time, I'm afraid. I haven't even started dinner yet."

"No worries," Seokjin said, already rolling up his sleeves. "I'll whip something up. You two can fill me in on your day while I cook."

As you settled at the kitchen island with Minjee, watching Seokjin move efficiently around the kitchen, you marveled at how much had changed in the past five years. True to his word, Seokjin had made a concerted effort to balance his work and home life better. He'd delegated more at the office, started coming home earlier most days, and had become much more involved in Minjee's homeschooling.

And you... well, you'd discovered a passion you never knew you had.

It had started innocently enough, with you joining Minjee for her art lessons as a way to encourage her creativity. But something about the feel of a paintbrush in your hand, the endless possibilities of a blank canvas, had awakened something in you.

What began as a casual hobby quickly grew into a full-blown passion. You'd taken online classes, joined local art groups, and slowly but surely, your skills had improved. The spare room had been transformed into your studio, and you found yourself spending more and more time there, losing yourself in the joy of creation.

Seokjin had been nothing but supportive, encouraging you to pursue this new interest with the same fervor he applied to everything in life. He'd even surprised you on your last anniversary with a set of professional-grade paints and brushes, along with a promise to watch Minjee anytime you wanted to attend a workshop or art retreat.

"Earth to Mom," Minjee's voice broke into your thoughts. "Dad asked if you wanted carrots in the stir fry."

You blinked, focusing on Seokjin's expectant face. "Oh! Yes, carrots would be great. Sorry, I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you two supporting my art journey."

Seokjin's expression softened. "We're the lucky ones," he said. "Watching you discover and nurture this talent has been amazing. Speaking of which..." He trailed off, a mischievous glint in his eye.

You raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, what?"

"Well," he said, turning back to the stove to hide his grin, "I may have done something. A surprise, of sorts."

Minjee perked up at this. "Ooh, what kind of surprise? Can I know too?"

Seokjin chuckled. "You already know, squirt. In fact, you helped me plan it."

Now you were really curious. "Okay, you two. Spill it. What's going on?"

Seokjin exchanged a look with Minjee before turning back to you. "I may have... submitted some of your paintings to that local art show you were too nervous to enter. And they may have... accepted them."

Your jaw dropped. "You what? Jin, I... those weren't ready! I'm not ready! I can't-"

"Yes, you can," Seokjin interrupted gently, coming around the island to take your hands in his. "Love, your work is beautiful. It deserves to be seen. And you deserve to be recognized for your talent."

Minjee nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Mom! Your paintings are awesome. Everyone's going to love them!"

You felt a mix of emotions swirling inside you – fear, excitement, gratitude, love. "I don't know what to say," you managed finally.

Seokjin pulled you into a hug. "Say you'll do it. Say you'll let the world see how amazing you are."

As you buried your face in his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent, you felt a surge of courage. This man, who had supported you through career changes, parenthood, and now this new artistic endeavor, believed in you completely. How could you not believe in yourself?

You pulled back, looking from Seokjin to Minjee and back again. "Okay," you said, your voice stronger now. "Okay, I'll do it."

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of preparation. You spent hours in your studio, touching up paintings and agonizing over which pieces to display. Seokjin and Minjee were your constant cheerleaders, offering encouragement and honest feedback in equal measure.

The night of the art show arrived all too quickly. As you stood in front of the mirror, adjusting your outfit for the hundredth time, you felt a familiar wave of nervousness wash over you.

"You look beautiful," Seokjin's voice came from the doorway. You turned to see him leaning against the frame, looking handsome in a suit, his eyes warm with pride and love.

"I'm terrified," you admitted, smoothing down your dress again.

He crossed the room to you, taking your hands in his. "I know. But you're also brave, and talented, and absolutely incredible. You've got this."

You took a deep breath, drawing strength from his unwavering faith in you. "Okay. Let's do this."

The art show was held in a converted warehouse space, the white walls lined with paintings and sculptures from local artists. Your pieces were displayed in a small corner, but to you, they might as well have been in the Louvre.

As people began to mill around, examining the artwork and sipping wine, you felt your nerves return full force. But then you felt a warm hand slip into yours – Seokjin, a steady presence at your side. On your other side, Minjee stood tall and proud, eagerly pointing out your paintings to anyone who would listen.

"And this one," she was saying to an elderly couple, "is inspired by our family camping trip last summer. See how Mom captured the way the sunlight filtered through the trees?"

You felt a lump form in your throat as you watched your daughter enthusiastically promote your work. She had grown so much, no longer the little girl who needed help with her math homework, but a confident young woman with a mind of her own.

As the evening wore on, you found yourself relaxing, even enjoying the conversations with other artists and art enthusiasts. People seemed genuinely interested in your work, asking about your techniques and inspiration.

Near the end of the night, a woman in a stylish blazer approached you, a business card in hand. "I run a small gallery downtown," she said, her eyes bright with interest. "I'd love to feature some of your work in our upcoming showcase of emerging artists. Would you be interested?"

You felt Seokjin's hand tighten around yours, a silent show of support. You took a deep breath, feeling a surge of confidence. "Yes," you heard yourself say. "Yes, I'd be very interested."

As the woman walked away, promising to be in touch, you turned to Seokjin, your eyes wide with disbelief and excitement. "Did that really just happen?"

He pulled you close, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "It really did. I'm so proud of you, love. You took a chance on yourself, and look where it's led."

As you stood there in his embrace, surrounded by your art and with Minjee beaming beside you, you felt a profound sense of gratitude wash over you. This journey – from career woman to stay-at-home mom to budding artist – hadn't always been easy. But with Seokjin by your side, supporting you every step of the way, you had found a path that felt truly yours.

"Thank you," you whispered, looking up into his eyes. "For believing in me. For encouraging me to follow this dream."

Seokjin's smile was soft and full of love. "Always," he said simply. "Your dreams are my dreams, remember?"

As you left the art show that night, your hand in Seokjin's and Minjee chattering excitedly about your potential gallery showcase, you felt a sense of excitement for what the future might hold. Whatever came next, you knew you'd face it together, as you always had.

-

*2 years ago*

The waiting room of the doctor's office was quiet, save for the soft ticking of the clock on the wall and the occasional rustle of papers as the receptionist worked at her desk. You sat rigid in your chair, your hand clasped tightly in Seokjin's, as you waited for your name to be called.

The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of tests and specialists, all stemming from some persistent symptoms you'd initially brushed off as just part of getting older. But Seokjin, ever attentive, had insisted you get checked out. Now, here you were, waiting for results that could potentially change everything.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kim?" a nurse called, appearing in the doorway with a clipboard.

You stood on shaky legs, Seokjin's arm immediately going around your waist to steady you. As you followed the nurse down the hallway, you felt a mix of fear and gratitude – fear for what you might learn, and gratitude for the man beside you, solid and unwavering in his support.

The doctor, a kind-faced woman in her fifties, greeted you with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Your heart sank, already anticipating bad news.

"We've got your test results back," she began, her voice gentle. "I'm afraid it's not what we were hoping for."

The next few minutes passed in a blur as the doctor explained your diagnosis – a chronic autoimmune condition that, while not life-threatening, would require significant lifestyle changes and ongoing treatment to manage.

You sat in stunned silence as she outlined treatment options and potential side effects. Through it all, Seokjin's hand remained firmly clasped in yours, his thumb tracing soothing circles on your skin.

"I know this is a lot to take in," the doctor said finally. "Do you have any questions?"

You opened your mouth to speak, but found you couldn't form words. Seokjin squeezed your hand gently before addressing the doctor.

"What can we do to help manage the symptoms?" he asked, his voice steady despite the concern etched on his face. "Are there dietary changes we should make? Exercise routines?"

As the doctor answered his questions, you marveled at Seokjin's ability to stay focused, to think practically even in the face of such daunting news. He asked about support groups, about the latest research, about how this might affect your art career.

By the time you left the office, laden with pamphlets and prescriptions, you felt overwhelmed but not alone. Seokjin's arm was around you as you walked to the car, his presence a comforting anchor in the storm of your thoughts.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly as you buckled your seatbelt.

You took a shaky breath. "Scared," you admitted. "Overwhelmed. I don't... I don't know how to process this."

Seokjin reached over to take your hand. "That's okay. We'll process it together, one day at a time. We've faced challenges before, and we'll face this one too."

As you drove home, Seokjin outlined a plan of action – researching the best specialists, looking into natural remedies to complement your prescribed treatment, adjusting your diet. His calm, methodical approach helped soothe your frayed nerves.

"What about my art?" you asked suddenly, a new wave of worry washing over you. "What if the medications affect my ability to paint?"

Seokjin glanced at you, his eyes full of determination. "Then we'll find new ways for you to express your creativity. Maybe we'll explore digital art, or sculpture, or any other medium that works for you. Your talent isn't confined to just one form, love."

His unwavering faith in you brought tears to your eyes. "What did I do to deserve you?" you whispered.

He brought your joined hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to your knuckles. "You're you. That's more than enough."

The next few months were challenging as you adjusted to your new reality. There were good days and bad days, days when the medications left you too fatigued to get out of bed, and days when you felt almost normal.

Through it all, Seokjin was your rock. He took time off work to accompany you to doctor's appointments, researched recipes for anti-inflammatory meals, and even learned how to give you injections when your hands were too shaky to do it yourself.

Minjee, now in her last year of high school, stepped up in ways that made your heart swell with pride. She took on more chores around the house without being asked, and spent hours researching your condition, often presenting you and Seokjin with the latest studies over dinner.

One evening, about six months after your diagnosis, you were sitting in your studio, staring at a blank canvas. Your hands ached too much to hold a brush, and frustration burned in your chest.

Seokjin found you there, tears of frustration streaking your cheeks. Without a word, he sat beside you, pulling you into his arms.

"I can't do it," you sobbed into his shirt. "I can't paint. What if I never can again?"

He held you tighter, his chin resting on top of your head. "Then we'll find another way," he said softly. "Your art isn't just what you create with your hands, love. It's how you see the world, how you interpret beauty and emotion. That hasn't changed."

You pulled back to look at him, wiping your eyes. "How are you always so positive?"

His smile was tender as he brushed a strand of hair from your face. "Because I have faith in you. In us. We've weathered storms before, and we'll weather this one too."

Inspired by his words, you began to explore new forms of art. On days when your hands cooperated, you painted. On days when they didn't, you experimented with digital art, or dictated vivid descriptions of the images in your mind for Seokjin or Minjee to sketch.

Slowly but surely, you found a new rhythm. Your art evolved, taking on new depths as you channeled your experiences into your work. The local gallery that had shown interest in your pieces before your diagnosis reached out again, this time proposing a solo exhibition.

"Resilience," you decided to call it. A showcase of your journey, from your early landscapes to your latest mixed-media pieces that incorporated digital elements and traditional painting.

The night of the exhibition opening, you stood in the gallery, surrounded by your work. Seokjin was by your side, as always, his arm around your waist, a proud smile on his face.

"You did it," he whispered, pressing a kiss to your temple.

You leaned into him, feeling a surge of love and gratitude. "We did it," you corrected. "I couldn't have done any of this without you."

As you mingled with the guests, accepting congratulations and discussing your pieces, you caught sight of Minjee across the room. She was animatedly explaining one of your paintings to a group of her friends, her face alight with pride. Your heart swelled at the sight of your daughter, now a young woman on the cusp of starting college, so confident and passionate.

Later that night, as you and Seokjin were getting ready for bed, he pulled you into his arms, his eyes shining with emotion.

"Do you remember," he said softly, "twenty years ago, when we first got married? If someone had told us then about all the ups and downs we'd face, all the challenges and triumphs, do you think we would have believed them?"

You thought about it for a moment, then shook your head with a smile. "Probably not. But I wouldn't change a single moment of it."

Seokjin's arms tightened around you. "Neither would I. Every step of this journey has just made me love you more."

As you drifted off to sleep that night, wrapped in Seokjin's embrace, you felt a profound sense of peace. Life hadn't always been easy, but with Seokjin by your side, you had faced every challenge head-on and come out stronger for it.

- Back to the Present

The warm afternoon sun filtering through the curtains brought you back to the present moment. Across from you, Minjee was still poised with her tablet, a look of awe on her face as she finished jotting down notes from your trip down memory lane.

"Wow, Mom," she said, her voice soft with emotion. "I knew you and Dad had a special relationship, but hearing about it like this... it's incredible."

You smiled, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "Your father is an incredible man. We've had our ups and downs, like any couple, but he's always been my rock, my biggest supporter."

Minjee nodded, her eyes shining. "I hope I find someone who loves me even half as much as Dad loves you."

"You will, sweetheart," you assured her. "Just remember, love isn't just about the big romantic gestures. It's about the everyday moments, the small kindnesses, the willingness to stand by each other through thick and thin."

Just then, you heard the front door open, followed by Seokjin's familiar voice calling out, "I'm home!"

Moments later, he appeared in the doorway of the living room, his salt-and-pepper hair slightly tousled from the wind outside. Despite the lines that time had etched around his eyes and mouth, his smile was as bright and warm as ever.

"How are my favorite girls?" he asked, crossing the room to press a kiss to the top of your head before ruffling Minjee's hair affectionately.

"We're good, Dad," Minjee said, batting his hand away with a laugh. "Mom's been telling me all about your love story for my project. It's pretty amazing stuff."

Seokjin's eyes met yours, a lifetime of shared memories passing between you in that single glance. "Well," he said, his voice warm with affection, "when you're married to the most amazing woman in the world, it's hard not to have an amazing story."

You felt a blush creep up your cheeks, marveling at how, even after all these years, Seokjin could still make your heart flutter like a lovestruck teenager.

"Alright, you two," Minjee groaned, though her smile betrayed her feigned disgust. "Save the mushy stuff for when I'm not around."

You all laughed, the sound filling the room with warmth and joy. As Seokjin settled onto the couch beside you, his arm automatically going around your shoulders, you leaned into his familiar embrace.

Twenty years of marriage. Twenty years of love, laughter, tears, challenges, and triumphs. As you sat there, surrounded by the two people you loved most in the world, you felt a profound sense of gratitude wash over you.

Life hadn't always been easy. There had been moments of doubt, of fear, of frustration. But through it all, Seokjin had been there, his love a constant beacon guiding you home. Together, you had built a life filled with love, creativity, and resilience.

You turned to look at Seokjin, finding his eyes already on you, filled with the same love and adoration you'd seen on your wedding day two decades ago. Without words, you both leaned in, sharing a soft, tender kiss.

"Ugh, guys," Minjee's playful complaint brought you back to the present. "I said save it for later!"

You and Seokjin broke apart, laughing. As you settled back against his side, his arm tightening around you, you couldn't help but smile. This was your life – imperfect, challenging at times, but filled with more love than you had ever dreamed possible.

And as for the future? Well, with Seokjin by your side and Minjee blazing her own trail, you couldn't wait to see what the next twenty years would bring.

[pondering-gales-left-orb]

i will not accept shane spouse room slander anymore im sick of it

I'm so mad at everyone who is mad at Shane's spouse room and i cant keep silent about it anymore

let me start by saying yes Shane was my first ever spouse in SDV and no i was not thinking i could fix him i was just impressed by his progress and self improvement so i had my character marry him

then i went online to see what are people saying about him and i was SHOCKED everyone was so mean to him and were absolutely wronggggggggggg about him

this man does improve himself he absolutely is better after marriage and everyone that's mischaracterizing that because of his spouse room is a coward sorry i don't make the rules

facts: Shane goes to therapy and starts getting his alcoholism under control by eliminating the source of his pain which is wasting his life away at joja and doing something he loves which is raise blue chickens THAT HE MADE MIGHT I ADD HE INVENTED A NEW BREED OF CHICKENS BTW. that last point alone pisses me of so hard because people so often over look it! he is just as smart as Maru just as creative as Eliot and just as ambitious as Sam, let me repeat myself HE INVENTED A NEW BREED OF CHICKEN WHILE HE WAS DEPRESSED AND SUFFERING OF ALCOHOLISM.... recognize his brilliance please

so that means people saying he falls back into his old habits because he has a six pack in his room is wrong, imo he stops being an alcoholic and goes back to having drinking be a hobby he does while gaming or hanging out with friends at the bar THAT'S THE POINT UR SUPPOSED TO GET FROM HIS HEART EVENTS

yes his room has mud tracks but consider this this man's WHOLE JOB is to RAISE CHICKENS IN A COOP !!!!! chickens who again he literally invented their breed who track mud shit and drop feed on the floor of the coop he is in all day!!! OF FUCKING COURSE HES GONNA HAVE MUD ON HIS SHOES!!

he works all day for his blue chickens and then just wants to come in and relax playing a video game and drinking a beer if he was a horrible dirty alcoholic like people claim he is he would track mud ALL OVER THE HOUSE AND DIRTY UP ALL THE HOUSE but no its just his tiny hobby room

you as a farmer also work all day on chores and after you are done you also just wanna do something fun to relax and guess what YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE HOUSE EVERY ROOM IN THE HOUSE TO MAKE INTO YOUR HOBBY ROOM some of you fill the house with kegs because you are making it your thing hell one of my farmers who was a witch had an entire room that's just crystals potions and a fucking cauldron , in my Shane save i had a room LINED with fish tanks that was my farmers Hobby, do you think Shane gets mad that i had 4 to 6 fish tanks running all day with puffer fishes and some legendary fishes stinking up the house?? NO because he gets his hobby room and the farmer gets their hobby room everyone keeps to their space period.

i think everyone needs to understand that having a messy hobby room is not a bad thing and that Shane and the other spouses have a right to their own room to look however they want and it doesn't have to match the house

everyone also needs to look at Shane in a better light please I'm begging you to let characters have small flaws and not be squeaky clean perfect

Shane sought help he is helping himself and trying to be better but that doesn't mean he doesn't get to indulge in some guilty pleasures he is human and is aloud to be one even while still in recovery! the difference now is that he HAS CONTROL OVER ALCOHOL AND GAMING CONSUMPTION AND IS NOT SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL LIKE BEFORE he has job he loves a family he takes care of and he makes sure he doesn't dirty up his entire house but gives himself a break in his ONE room and doesn't stop himself form having fun doing the things he enjoys without over indulging or falling into bad habits.

Edit: i know in the end the drinks are non alcoholic as confirmed by him and i mentioned beer and drinks cause i know there is non alcoholic Versions of them som.. but as i said im adressing the MISSCHARACTERIZATION of shane by the shane haters who didn't go through his heart events hence me saying "you are supposed to learn all this from his heart events" cause they dont go through them :D

Anyway,

in conclusion SHANE IS GOOD SPOUSE, a good man and an inventor in his own right. yall just need to be gentle to him in your judgment cause man is he trying his earnest and that needs to be recognized. i mean look at him look at this healthy man <3

[suniix]

perfect match | (botw) link x reader

synopsis | you find a rock that perfectly matches link’s eye color

word count | 2.2k

note | saw this trend on tiktok and thought it was adorable :((

UPDATE my amazing moot rain made like an angsty continuation to this AND YOU SHOULD LIKE TOTALLY GO CHECK IT OUT!!

Summer had hit Hyrule, hard.

Of course, the heat was not as bad as it was on Death Mountain, but it was damn near close. Fanning yourself was proving to do nothing, but you liked to think it helped just a little bit.

Link walked not too far ahead of you, seemingly unaffected by the heat. Despite keeping a steady pace you could see sweat beginning to drip down his neck. He was feeling the heat too.

“Link,” you called out, jogging a bit to catch up to him. “Why don’t we take a break for a bit? This heat is killing me.”

He paused, contemplating your words. Sensing his hesitation you leaned into him to look at the sheikah slate in his hands. “Look!” You pointed at the map. “There’s a river nearby! We can rest there for the rest of the day then head out at first light!”

You knew you won him over when he sighed. Giggling, you gently tugged him to follow you. “Come on! The river awaits us!”

Link can’t help but laugh at your excitement, allowing himself to be pulled along by you. The sound of running water is quickly heard as the two of you make your way past the trees, revealing the river.

You quickly dropped your backpack and Link did the same, squatting down to look for ingredients for tonight’s dinner. “Craving anything specific tonight?” He asked.

“Mm, not really. I’m fine with anything you cook! It always comes out amazing.” You replied, clumsily taking off your shoes before running off to the water.

Link is shocked for a moment but plays it off by laughing. He never got used to you complimenting his cooking, no matter how many times you told him. He’d gladly cook you any meal if you wished it.

Nearing the river you noticed the water was crystal clear enough to see a couple of tiny fish swimming by. You could also see various small stones littering the riverbed, painful for your feet but it was a small price to pay to cool off.

Cautiously dipping your toes in the water you nearly scream at the cold feeling. Although it was cold you gladly welcomed it. You take a few steps, slightly wincing at the feeling of sharp rocks digging into your feet. You were about ankle-deep when you heard Link clear his throat from behind you. Turning to look at him you see him standing a few feet away from you, quiver filled with arrows and a bow in hand. “I’m gonna go hunt, we don’t have much and I doubt you wanna eat mushroom skewers again.”

You made a disgusted face. “You’re right, as much as I love your cooking, if I have to eat one more mushroom I think I’ll vomit, no offense!”

Link merely laughs, shoulders shaking slightly as he does so. “None taken, I won’t be long.” He begins to walk away from your temporary camp.

“Stay safe!”

For a moment you think he’s too far to hear you, but to your surprise, he turns around and gives you a small wave. It’s a small gesture, but it’s enough to make you feel butterflies.

Once he’s out of sight you continue to walk into the river, bending down to roll up your pants so they wouldn’t get too wet. You’re about knee-deep when you stop, looking up to admire the scenery around you.

The branches from the trees extend about halfway across the river, if you walk any further you’d be in the sun. Despite the branches being long beams of sunlight manage to peak past the leaves and create patches of sunlight that reflect off the water. You look down, feeling the water rush past your legs. Beneath the surface, something catches your eye. Reaching down into the water you pull out a dark blue rock that shines once it catches the light.

Suddenly, an idea hits you.

To say Link was surprised was an understatement.

He knew you were going to cool off in the river while he was out, but he didn’t expect to come back and see you fully drenched from head to toe while digging around in the river looking for something.

When you notice him you’re quick to stand, greeting him with a giant smile. “Oh, you’re here! Welcome back Link! Did you catch anything good?”

Link dropped his quiver and bow and walked towards you. “What happened?”

“I stepped on a big rock that wasn’t sturdy so I ended up slipping.” You shrug. “You should get in! I promise the water feels amazing!”

Before Link has the chance to respond you’re quick to splash him, a giant grin making its way onto your face when you see his pants had gotten soaked. He smirks before quickly kicking off his boots. “It’s on!”

He quickly ran into the river and chaos ensued. The two of you splashed around for a couple of minutes before you noticed the day was nearing its end. Knowing there was no way the two of you would be able to dry off properly in the dark, you both walked out of the river.

You get a fire started as Link rummages through his backpack for a towel. Once he finds it he walks over to you and crouches, placing the towel over your head and ruffling your hair. You can’t help but laugh at the action. “You don’t need to do that you know, I can do it myself.”

“I want to do it.”

His response is quick, which catches you off guard. You look down, feeling your cheeks and ears begin to heat up. If Link notices (he does) he doesn’t comment on it.

He leans down to catch your eyes, intentionally leaning in closer so you can’t escape his gaze. “You’re shaking, are you cold?”

It’s then that you notice a teasing smirk on his face. You punch his shoulder and he dramatically grabs it. “Ouch!” He pretends to cry out in pain.

“Stop teasing! Aren’t you supposed to be cooking?” You quickly try to change the subject.

“Yes yes, I’m on it. Are you ok with meat skewers?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” You say and stretch your legs by the fire. You place the towel over your shoulders and wrap it around yourself. Link was right, you are cold.

As Link throws ingredients onto the fire you fish around in your pocket, momentarily panicking when you don’t feel it. When you find it you breathe out a sigh of relief.

“Hey, did you lose something today?” Link asks while placing the cooked food on a plate.

“Mm? No, why do you ask?”

“Earlier in the river, when I came back it looked like you were looking for something.”

“Oh! I was actually looking for something for you!”

Link raises an eyebrow. “Me?”

You nod your head enthusiastically. “Hold out your hand.” He looks at you confused for a second before doing what you asked. You pull out what is in your pocket and place it in his palm.

Link immediately feels the wet and rough texture of the item. When you pull away he sees a blue rock in his palm.

“Tada! I found a rock that’s the same shade as your eyes!”

Link’s eyes widen upon seeing the small stone. “This is what you were looking for while I was gone? The whole time?” He questioned.

You sheepishly rubbed the back of your neck, thinking he was mad at you for wasting your time looking for a rock. “Well, yeah, but if you don’t like it that’s fine I just thought—”

“No!” Link quickly cut off your rambling. He clears his throat and you swear you see a hint of blush on his cheeks. He holds the rock close to his heart and looks at you, eyes overflowing with an adoration you thought only existed in fairytales.

“I love it, thank you. I’ll cherish it forever.” His tone was serious, you knew he wasn’t lying.

You quickly look away in embarrassment and grab the bowl of food he placed down. “You’re welcome..” You mumble, eyes refusing to leave the bowl.

He only chuckles before the two of you eat in a comfortable silence.

You wake up to the sounds of splashing.

Groaning, you slowly sit up while attempting to rub the sleep out of your eyes. “Ugh.. Link?..” You call out, expecting him to respond.

When he doesn’t you look around and see his sleeping bag is empty and the fire has long been put out. “Link?” You call out again, this time a little worried when you don’t immediately spot him.

The sound of a yelp followed by a giant splash is heard and you immediately head to the river, sword in hand. You half expected to see him fighting a bokoblin or some other sort of enemy, but when you spotted him he was nearly fully submerged in the river. The only thing peeking out was his head, and judging by the look on his face he had taken a nasty fall.

You immediately run into the river, not caring if your shoes or pants got wet. “Are you ok?” You ask, holding out a hand for him to take. He nods and accepts your hand, allowing you to pull him up. You couldn’t see before, but now you can see he was completely shirtless. You clear your throat and quickly pretend to inspect him for any injuries. “What happened?”

“I stepped on a rock and.. ended up slipping..” He sighed, keeping a hand on his lower back.

You hold back a giggle, but Link spots your (very obvious) smile and pouts. “It’s not funny..” He grumbles while you walk him out of the river and back to camp. “It’s kind of funny..” You snicker.

He rolls his eyes and playfully pushes you away while you laugh. “What were you even doing in the river? If you craved fish you could’ve woken me up and I would’ve gotten some for us.” You asked while handing him a towel.

Link accepts it and wraps it around his body. “I wanted to get you this.” He says, fishing something from out of his pocket and holding his hand out for you to take it.

Hesitantly, you accept what’s in his hand and gasp when you see a rock. The color was scarily accurate to your eye color, with patterns swirling beautifully all over the rock. You wonder how long it took for him to find it. “Link, you didn’t need to!—”

“I wanted to.” He says while turning away, pretending to look for something in his bag so you wouldn’t see the very obvious blush on his cheeks.

You smile, holding the rock close to your heart. You felt warm inside, almost like holding the rock close to you was causing the feeling, but you knew better. Link always made you feel this way by doing the simplest of things, but for some reason, this gift had a bigger impact.

Walking over to him, you lean on his back and wrap your arms around his neck. “Thank you, Link.”

He turns to look over his shoulder, seeing you smiling against his back. If it meant seeing that look on your face again he’d find you a million rocks just like the one he’d given you. Anything to see you smile like that again. Chuckling he fully turns around with a flint in hand, not even attempting to hide his blush now. “Don’t mention it, now, how about you catch us some of those fish?”

Extra (because I had I cute thought last minute)

“Hey, you still have the rock I gave you?” Link asked, turning to look at you from over his shoulder.

“Of course I do! Why?”

He held out his hand and made a grabby hand motion, wordlessly asking you to hand it over. Confused, you pull out the rock from your pocket and hand it to him. He gently takes it from your hand and turns around so you don’t see what he’s about to do.

You try peaking over his shoulder. “Link, what’re you doing—”

“Don’t look, I’m almost done.”

Still confused, you take a step back and let him do whatever it is he’s doing. After a few seconds, he looks over his shoulder. “Close your eyes.”

You do as told and close your eyes, feeling him get closer to you. You feel something go over your head and your heart begins to beat faster at the thought of what it could be. “Alright, open them.” Link tells you.

Your hand immediately reaches to touch your chest and your previous thought is proven correct when you look down and see. The rock he had given you was now wrapped in thin rope, being held together at the top by a small knot and the rope continued upward around your neck. It had turned it into a necklace.

“Look, now we’re matching.” He grinned, showing you his own necklace.

Having no words, you could only stare at him in awe. He laughed at your reaction, tugging you forward so the two of you could continue your journey together.

thank you for reading till the end! reblogs are greatly appreciated :D

masterlist

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

@steddieangstyaugust Day 14 - Wordy Wednesday: Lake

i’m challenging myself to keep all these at either 127 or 1,270 words each, see day one for more of an explanation!

The last time Eddie visits his Uncle Wayne, he meets a mermaid.

He’d gone under the water to fish up a bright coral pink rock he’d spotted from above, and happened to glance up, looking out into the lake from under the surface, only to meet a pale face dotted with what looked like freckles.

Inhaling the clear lake water, sputtering as he stands, the pale face joins him above the surface.

“He–” another cough, “Hello…?” he greets, questioningly.

The face only studies him further, looking him over from head to toe. 

Eddie squats back down into the water, it’s much colder above the surface now that he’s used to the water’s chilly temperature.

A bright shimmering blue tail skims past his knee.

“Wow! You’re a mermaid!” he says, astonished, finally noticing the rest of the boy’s freckled torso just under the crystal clear water. “I’m Eddie, what’s your name?”

“Eee–” the boy frowns, “Eeadding?”

Eddie points to his chest, “Ed-dee.”

“Edddeee.”

“Yeah! I’m Eddie,” he points to himself again, “You are…?” points to the mermaid (merboy?)

“Ssst–” his face scrunches, he squeals some sort of noise under his breath, “SteeEEE–” He cuts himself off again, shrinking from the pained look on Eddie’s face.

“Sorry, that was just loud.. Is it Steeee…” Eddie wracks his brain, “Fin?” He completes the only name that comes to mind, wincing at ‘fin’ being the only syllable he possibly could’ve imagined while in the presence of a literal finned person.

Maybe Stefin giggles, lifting his tailfins out of the water.

Eddie grins back, “Stee-fin?”

Even More Possibly Stefin nods, a sharp-toothed grin stretching from ear to ear.

“Well Stefin, wanna help me look for rocks?”

Together, they scour the shallows of the water behind Wayne’s cabin for hours

They fill the whole grocery bag Eddie’d been toting around with him by time Wayne calls for him at sundown.

“I’m leaving for home tomorrow,” he tells Stefin, not knowing that would be the last time he’d ever see his friend, telling the beautiful creature “I’ll see you next year though! We come back at least once every summer, promise.”

The merboy had smiled so brilliantly at him, the freckles Eddie had just then realized were tiny blue scales shining in the evening sun. He didn’t want to leave.

But he had to. Eddie left.

Elizabeth got sick.

Al got arrested. 

And in the time between the state of Tennessee gaining custody of him and being placed with Uncle Wayne permanently, Wayne sold his little homestead, settling in a two bedroom trailer in the heart of Indiana.

He understands it all now, of course, Wayne making the decision to move where he knew he’d have consistent work year-round was a necessity, but that first week, an already confused Eddie had asked after only a couple days in the trailer when they’d be going home to the lake.

“I don’t live there anymore Teddy. Live here now, in Indiana.”

“But what about the cabin?”

“Sold it, kiddo. Bought this place instead.”

Eddie’s eyes welled up for what felt like the zillionth time in a month. “But what about the stove? What about the bonfires? What about all the rocks I haven’t found?” What about Stefin? He thought to himself.

“Now son–kiddo, s’alright! We can always plan a trip to the UP if y’wanna.”

“Back to the cabin?” Eddie had asked, hopeful.

Wayne shook his head, “Probably camp at McLain instead.”

“That’s on Lake Soupier?”

Wayne snorts, “Yah bud, s’on Superior.”

Eddie took a moment to consider it, then nodded resolutely. “Okay Uncle Wayne.”

They never went back up to Michigan, let alone all the way up to the UP.

The first summer in Indiana was the only time Eddie asked.

“Sorry kiddo, can’t swing it this year. Maybe next time.” Wayne had said, and Eddie watched.

The whole rest of summer, into the fall, especially in the winter, the red-stamped envelopes would stack, then disappear whenever they would go into what Wayne liked to call ‘broke mode’.

Clearance aisle canned goods, store-brand everything, sandwiches packed into brown paper bags with little else.

Eddie grew up, failed his senior year once, twice, managing things the third, and leaving Hawkins for Chicago, hoping to make it big somewhere, somehow.

He manages to, but not in the way he originally thought, falling into club ownership after the man he’d been working for passed, leaving his business to Eddie.

Wayne gets sick when Eddie’s only 28; he drives down to Hawkins and stays with him about a month before he’s gone.

Eddie goes back to Chicago one Uncle short, goes back to work.

A week after Wayne is cremated, a notification pops up in his inbox. An alert he doesn’t remember setting.

Eddie grins, “You sneaky bastard.”

Wayne’s cabin and surrounding acreage have come up for sale.

It’s not even a thought, there’s no decision to be made. Eddie offers over asking and gets the keys handed to him on his 29th birthday.

He’s still a part owner of his club, gets a check every month that pays the mortgage, but his new day to day consists of fixing the cabin, wandering in the woods, and strolling along the shallows of Lake Superior, looking for rocks.

One day, while walking north along the shore, he stumbles across a hidden little alcove.

The rock face juts in from the shoreline, behind a trickling waterfall. It’s not huge by any means, but it looks like someone’s already came by and carved the sand here away, making a knee-high pool that connects the rocky face of the shore with the lake.

He skirts around the little pool, walking along a narrow strip of sand to the sparkling waterfall.

A shocked scream is yanked from his throat as soon as he peers into the alcove properly though, because there, doing a very astute impression of a dead fuckin’ body, is a merman, leant casually back against the wall of the cave Eddie’d just approached from, snoozing away.

The creature whips its head around at Eddie’s yell, teeth bared and a hissing screech slithering out from between his lips.

“Holy Shit! You’re a—”

The merman stops hissing, “Eddie?”

Eddie blinks at him. “Jesus H. Christ.. Stefin?” The blue tail, the shimmering freckle-like scales, the still horribly beautiful face. “You’re real.”

“You’re back— real?” Stefin asks, incredulous, “You didn’t think I was real?”

“I was a kid with an astounding sense of imagination, sue me.”

Stefin rolls his eyes, “Figures why you never came back to see me.”

Eddie blinks at him again, “What? No! No, I couldn’t! My mom— my dad– Wayne— It’s a long story, okay?”

Stefin harrumphs, sitting back against the stone wall. 

“I still can’t believe this, I always thought I’d imagined you.”

“Well you didn’t.”

“Yeahh, I can see that now, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Wha— nevermind, So, how’ve you been?”

Stefin’s head lolls around, he had to’ve just rolled his eyes. He stands up, “Why do you care? You’ll probably just leave again.”

 “No, I bought the house my uncl—” Hang on, what?

Stefin shoves past Eddie to hop down onto the sand, avoiding landing on his feet in the water.

“You’re walking.”

“Amazing observation skills.”

“You’re naked.” And super hot, holy shit. Eddie averts his eyes politely.

“Again, very astute.” He grabs a bundle of cloth, pulling on a pair of shorts.

“How— Can I take you to dinner?”

“Why.” He pulls a shirt on over his head.

“To explain properly. And also because I missed you.”

Stefin turns, looks him over. His gaze softens minutely. “Sure. I’d like that.”

MY FIRST MER!FIC!! HALLELUJAH!!

also, this kinda got away from me, so it's really only light angst 😅

see the collection on ao3!

[cherry-blossom-qf]

Just in the nick of time! I'm done with this weeks Skytober 2024 Catch Up! My wrist is hurting and my brain is a bit fried! So I'll make this quick!

Prompt 9 "Earth": Flashwing! Because I couldn't draw my actual favorite earth elemental, Bash, so I went with my second favorite. Gave her extra crystals on her shoulders and cheeks for that extra shine~

Prompt 10 "Color Variant": Nitro Kript King! Because this one of the color variants actually own! Nothing really has changed cuz I couldn't think of any changes. Sorry Nitro KK! :/

Prompt 11 "Species": Gillmen! Because I love the silly little fish people, and I'm still pissed that we never got to hear their horrible singing voices. LIKE COME ON!! I WANNA KNOW HOW BAD IT ACTUALLY IS WITH MY OWN TWO EARS!! DONT BAIT ME LIKE THIS TOYS FOR BOB!! PLEASE!! I didn't know what exactly to draw for this prompt, so I did a little kiddy doodle that would definitely be on the fridge.

Prompt 12 "Air": Blades! Because I wish I had him! I want the scottish knight dragon! GIVE ME! The only change I gave to Blades was a bit of dark blue eyeliner, cuz he looks like the type of guy that would put on eyeliner.

Prompt 13 "Swap Force": Night Shift! Another Skylander I wish I had! Night Shift is so cool, maaaaan. He's just a boxing vampire grandpa. Gave him golden ear piercing on one of his ears cuz it makes him look more badass!

Prompt 14 "Mini/Sidekick": Spry! The only one I own along with two Mini Jinis. Gave this little guy paw pads and little rosie cheeks cuz all minis deserve rosie cheeks! THEY ARE SO CUTE SKJDKFJFKF!!

Prompt 15 "Magic": Star Strike and Skylander Magolor! BECAUSE YOU KNOW I HAD TO INVOLVE MY SILLY AU INTO THIS SHIT EVENTUALLY!!! Magolor cannot escape my brain nor this blog. In this AU Magolor and Star Strike have a sibling dynamic going on between them, and they are both from the same element (until the time skip happens), so I just knew I had to make this prompt special just for them! And just like with Enigma, I also had a full redesign for Star Strike, so I used that design for this prompt!

Hope y'all enjoy all this! I'm gonna go take some ibuprofen for my wrist!

[hellinistical]

A little too warm and a little too vulnerable

WC: 614

Warnings: Afab reader.

There were no romantic candles. No roses. There wasn’t even music playing in the background.

Granted, even if either of you had time to plan it, it would have gotten in the way and would have been removed anyway.

***

The water was barely warm if you could even call it that- not that you’d noticed or cared; you’d been in the water for too long at this point, your fingers pruned from the time you’d been in the tub, Rafayel between your legs.

Blooms of purples, reds, and blues adorned both of your skins, your thumb smoothing over a fresh one you placed on Rafayel’s collarbone.

His necklace was cool against your skin, starkly contrasting to the water. His hair, wet, tickled your chin where his head rested on your chest.

Arms around your waist, he laid into your body.

Iridescent scales littered his body randomly. They shimmered blue under the moonlight streaming in from the window.

How long have you been sitting here?

Doesn't matter.

Rafayel’s tail was far too big for the tub; it draped over the porcelain edge of it and rested on the floor.

His breathing was heavy as if he had just run a marathon, but really, he was just hot.

Too hot.

“Rafayel, leaning into me isn't going to make your fever any better.”

“I know.”

“Why don't we get up? We can dry you down, let you cool down till your legs come back-”

“No. I'm comfortable here.”

“Clearly.”

He sighs, planting a quick kiss above your nipple. His index draws invisible lines on your skin, tracing the curves and dips.

“That's a new necklace. Where'd you get it?”

The silver chain wrapped around his neck was indeed new, and on it rested his wedding band.

“Not new, I had it for a while- didn't wanna accidentally lose my ring or get paint on it.”

You hummed, and it was quiet again.

His tail smacks the floor occasionally. You put water on it.

Rafayel looks up suddenly, pushing himself up a little till he's eyes level with you.

“You know you’re important to me, right?”

“Hm? Of course. Why?”

He relaxes a little. “I dunno…”

He avoids your gaze, and you grab his face, making him look at you.

Your lips form a small ‘o’ at what was revealed.

There's tears in his eyes. You watched one form, the droplet building up in his waterline, rolling over his lash line, crystalizing. A pearl drop falls into the tub with a quiet splash.

You both watch it, your gaze returning sooner than his.

“When Lemurians fall in love with someone... All our senses are committed to perceive them without question.” it comes out quiet. You strains to hear it.

“Would you still like me…no matter who I become?”

He grabs your chin, not giving you a chance to answer before he presses into you, his lips pressing against yours desperately. You pull away to catch your breath but Rafayel dips in again.

It’s only till he pulls away, a string of spit connecting your lips, do you react.

Your curious look turns into a frown, and you flick his forehead.

“He-ow! What was that for?”

“Idiot, what do you think it was for? You think anyone would willingly get their bathroom floor wet?”

“No…”

“Question me again like that and you’re sharing your fish’s bowl.”

You grab the towel from the bar, wrapping it around your body as you gets out of the tub. His eyes follow your form, his tongue darting out, licking his lips. Rafayel brings a hand up, wiping his brow as he lays back down in the tub, the water sloshing around him.

Damn.