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emperordinozenmon · 2 months ago

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The Farmer’s Daughter

I came to the countryside to escape all the distractions and finally write my third novel, but instead, I found love—the biggest distraction of all. I arrived in the small town with nothing but my Foil SP Omnimon card Switch, earphones, phone, laptop, relevant chargers, and enough clothes to last me until I finished. The hostel I booked was a recently converted farm run by a family still figuring things out. That was fine; as long as I didn’t have to deal with a bunch of other people, I’d be good.

Or so I thought.

The moment I stepped out of the cab, I was greeted by a young woman in pigtails and overalls, with an adorable smile that practically lit up the countryside. My heart immediately whispered, “Marry this girl now!” My brain, being slightly more practical, suggested, “Maybe at least say hello first.”

I adjusted my bag, approached her, and said, “Hi, I have a reservation. It should be under Austin.”

She tilted her head slightly, her smile widening in a way that made my pulse race. “Austin… let’s see.” She opened a slightly battered logbook, her fingers skimming down the page. “Ah, there you are!” Her English was smooth, but her charming accent made it sound just a bit melodic. She tore a key off a hook and handed it to me.

“Thank you, Mrs…?” I trailed off, leaning in slightly, hoping to catch her name.

“Oh, I’m not married!” she said quickly, a faint pink coloring her cheeks.

“My name is Son Seung Wan but call me Wendy. I’m the main hostess here—and the daughter of the owner.”

“Well, color me impressed. I get the VIP treatment?” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

She laughed, the sound light and unrestrained. “Well, you’re one of our very first customers, so it only seems fair to make you feel special.” “You’re doing a pretty good job so far,” I said, unable to stop the grin spreading across my face.

Her eyes met mine for a beat longer than necessary, and for a moment, it felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of us. Then she blinked and straightened, brushing a loose strand of hair back. “Oh, wait before you go—” She grabbed a scrap of paper, jotted something down, and handed it to me.

Curious, I glanced at the note. It was her number, along with a quick doodle of a smiley face.

“In case you need anything,” she said, her tone casual, but her lips curved in a way that hinted at mischief.

I met her gaze again, this time letting a wolfish smile creep onto my face. “Anything at all, huh?”

She rolled her eyes playfully, but there was no mistaking the slight blush on her cheeks. “Just don’t lose it, okay?”

“Not a chance,” I said, slipping the note carefully into my pocket. As I walked to my room, I realized I might not get much writing done here after all.

On my first morning at the farm, I woke up before dawn. The timezone difference still had me in its grip, but I didn’t mind. By breakfast, I had already managed to crank out four chapters—a personal best. What finally stopped me wasn’t writer’s block but the loud, insistent grumbling of my stomach.

Unable to ignore it any longer, I ventured outside in search of food. The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of hay and earth. As I rounded the barn, I spotted Wendy. She was busy moving bales of hay, her pigtails bouncing slightly with each effort. Dressed in her overalls and boots, she waved when she saw me, flashing that same adorable smile that had disarmed me yesterday.

My heart gave an uncharacteristic flutter.

I walked over without thinking, the words tumbling out of my mouth before my brain could catch up. “Hey, you need some help, pretty lady?”

Wendy’s cheeks flushed a soft pink, but she quickly covered it with a smirk. “Pretty lady, huh? That’s one way to get on my good side.”

I grinned. “It’s a start, isn’t it?”

She laughed lightly, then cocked her head. “I don’t know if a big city boy like you can handle it, though. This is real work, not whatever you call exercise up there wherever you're from.”

I shrugged, leaning casually against the barn door. “Can’t hurt to try.” She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Alright, big guy. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

What I’d signed up for turned out to be far more than I expected. First, I helped her lug bales of hay across the barnyard, each one heavier than it looked. Wendy kept glancing at me, clearly waiting for me to give up, but I stubbornly matched her pace.

Next, we fed the animals—cows, chickens, and goats. At one point, a particularly ambitious goat tried to climb into the feed bucket I was holding, nearly knocking me over. Wendy doubled over laughing. “Looks like he’s winning, city boy!”

I managed to shoo the goat away, brushing off my jeans. “That goat’s got nothing on me.”

She smirked, handing me another bucket. “We’ll see.” We moved on to the horses, running a few of them on the track. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing, but Wendy coached me through it, her voice teasing but encouraging. She seemed genuinely impressed that I was keeping up.

Two and a half hours later, we finally finished. I wiped the sweat from my brow, trying to catch my breath. Wendy leaned against the fence, her face flushed from exertion but glowing with satisfaction.

“I’m shocked you made it this far, big boy,” she said, crossing her arms.

“Guess that size is good for something.”

“Hey, I used to be a college rugby star for New Mexico,” I countered, puffing out my chest a little.

She chuckled, the sound light and melodic. “A rugby star, huh? Explains the broad shoulders. Still, I’m not sure how you went from that to typing away in front of a laptop all day.”

I smirked, leaning against the fence beside her. “Guess I like to keep people guessing. But what about you? All this hard work—you could probably give a rugby team a run for their money.” Wendy tilted her head, pretending to think. “Maybe. But then who would be here to babysit city boys like you?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Fair enough. So, what’s next? More hay? Another goat to wrestle?” Her stomach growled audibly, and she shot me a sheepish grin. “Actually,

I was thinking food. But since you seem so eager, maybe I should keep you working.”

“Oh, no, food sounds perfect,” I said quickly. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from eating, after all.”

She rolled her eyes, tugging lightly at my sleeve. “Alright, come on, then. Let’s get something to eat before your stomach scares the animals.” “Hey, that was only once!” I protested, falling into step beside her.

As we walked back toward the house, I realized I wasn’t just enjoying the work or the fresh air—I was enjoying her company. Every glance, every smile, every teasing comment felt electric, like the start of something I couldn’t quite define.

Judging by the way her eyes lingered on mine, she might just have felt it too.

We made our way back to the farmhouse, Wendy walking a step ahead of me. She moved with an effortless confidence, her pigtails swaying as she chatted about farm chores and the antics of the animals. I tried to focus on her words—really, I did—but my eyes kept betraying me.

Her overalls fit snugly, hinting at the full, hourglass figure beneath them. It wasn’t just her curves, though; there was something about her—the way she balanced strength with an undeniable softness as if the hard work hadn’t taken away her natural femininity.

“You’re awfully quiet back there,” she said suddenly, turning to glance over her shoulder. Her smile was playful, but her eyes were sharp. “Something on your mind?”

I froze, feeling like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Oh, uh, just thinking about breakfast.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, raising an eyebrow but not pressing further. Inside, the kitchen was cozy and smelled like freshly baked bread and eggs. Wendy moved to the counter, grabbing a loaf from a breadbox and setting out a jar of jam. She gestured for me to sit while she began to plate some scrambled eggs.

As she worked, my eyes flickered again to the curve of her waist and the way her overalls clung to her hips. I quickly looked away, but it was too late.

“Caught you,” she said, her voice sing-song as she turned, a plate in hand and a smirk on her lips.

“Caught me doing what?” I asked, feigning innocence as I reached for the plate.

“Oh, come on,” she said, setting it down in front of me. She leaned on the counter, her smirk fading slightly as she added, “You’ve been sneaking glances since we left the barn. I’m flattered, really… but also kinda surprised.”

“Surprised?” I asked, genuinely confused. She sat down across from me, resting her chin in her hand. “Yeah. Guys usually go for someone… smaller, you know? All my friends back in school were skinny, and it always felt like they got all the attention. Me? Not so much.”

Her tone was light, but there was a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes. She picked at the edge of her napkin, avoiding my gaze. “I guess it’s just weird hearing compliments like that. I mean, I like food too much to diet, and I’m obviously not built to be dainty.” She gestured at herself with a half-smile. “Most of the time, I’m fine with it. But sometimes…”

She trailed off, shrugging as if to brush the thought away, but I could tell it lingered.

I opened my mouth to respond and immediately panicked, trying to think of something that wasn’t cheesy or dumb. Don’t tell her she’s pretty. Don’t tell her she’s perfect. That’s what every guy says, and it’ll sound hollow. Instead, I took a deep breath and said, “I think… it’s less about what most guys like and more about what’s real. And you, Wendy, are… real. Not trying to be something you’re not. That’s what’s striking about you. You’re just… you.”

Her eyes softened, and she blinked at me as if trying to decide if I was serious. “Real, huh?”

“Yeah,” I said, leaning forward slightly. “And for the record, you pull off ‘real’ better than anyone I’ve ever met.”

She laughed, some of the tension slipping from her shoulders. “You’re dangerously close to cheesy territory there, city boy.”

I grinned, holding up my hands. “What can I say? You make it hard to avoid.”

She rolled her eyes, but the smile she gave me was warm and genuine.

“Alright, alright. Eat your breakfast before you try to sweep me off my feet with more compliments.”

I picked up my fork, but before I took a bite, I looked at her and said, “For the record, I wasn’t trying to sweep you off your feet. Just… being honest.”

Her cheeks turned pink again, and she quickly looked away, but I noticed the small smile lingering on her lips.

As we ate, I couldn’t stop stealing glances at her—and this time, she didn’t seem to mind.

After breakfast, Wendy followed me to my room. I didn’t mind her company—something about her presence felt energizing, even as I worked. I settled at the small desk by the window, my laptop glowing softly in the morning light.

She perched on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, leaning slightly forward as if trying to peek at my screen. I was laser-focused on pounding out another few chapters, but the occasional snicker from her side of the room was hard to ignore.

“What’s so funny?” I asked after the third one, still typing.

“Oh, nothing. You just look so serious, like you’re solving the mysteries of the universe,” she teased, her tone light and playful.

"I am solving the mysteries of the universe…at least for these characters,” I said, glancing at her with a mock frown before turning back to my laptop.

“Sure you are,” she said, barely containing her giggles. For a while, I worked in relative silence, her occasional fidgeting and soft hums the only sounds besides my typing. Then, after what must have been half an hour, she broke the quiet.

“So… what’s this book about? I can see bits and pieces from here, but I can’t get the full picture.”

I paused, leaning back in my chair and stretching. “It’s about a Paladin of Justice who falls in love with a beautiful succubus. It’s meant to be a romantic comedy, mostly.”

Wendy tilted her head, her expression caught between curiosity and disbelief. “A succubus and a paladin? Is the paladin evil?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Nope. They’re both good. Or at least, trying to be. They’re in legitimate love with each other, despite all the odds stacked against them.” Her eyes widened slightly, genuine surprise flickering across her face. “Legitimate love? Like… no trickery, no spells?”

“None,” I said firmly.

She sat back, letting the idea sink in before asking, “So how do they meet? How do they fall for each other?”

I smiled lightly. “Mostly by happenstance. Boy meets girl, falls head over heels, and girl… well, she just happens to be a succubus. They figure out life and love together, and comedy ensues.”

Her lips curled into a smile. “That’s definitely unconventional. Why write something like that?”

I shrugged, spinning my chair slightly to face her. “It’s a creative way for me to address unconventional love. You know, exploring themes like acceptance and understanding, but in a fun, silly way that doesn’t carry the baggage of something like an interracial couple or other real-world dynamics.”

Wendy’s gaze narrowed slightly, her expression shifting to one of intrigue. “So… you use fantasy to confront reality?”

I nodded, a little surprised by her insight. “Exactly. It gives me room to be playful and honest at the same time.” She grinned triumphantly, leaning forward. “See? I can be smart too.”

I frowned, not understanding her tone. “I never said you weren’t smart. Never even thought it.”

Her confident grin faltered, and her cheeks flushed. “Sorry. It’s just… most city boys think I’m a country bumpkin. You know, farm girl, overalls, chickens clucking in the background… even though I graduated top of my class.”

I shook my head, the idea of anyone underestimating her irritating me more than I cared to admit. “Well, I’m not most city boys.”

Her blush deepened, but a smile tugged at her lips. “I’m learning that,” she said softly, her voice almost shy.

For a moment, the air between us felt heavier and warmer. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt, and I found myself watching the movement, wondering if I’d said the right thing.

Before I could overthink it, I leaned forward slightly, resting my elbows on my knees. “For the record, I think you’re brilliant. And if anyone’s ever made you feel like you’re less than that, they were idiots.”

Her eyes flicked to mine, wide and startled, and for a heartbeat, she didn’t say anything. Then her lips curled into a slow, genuine smile. “You’re dangerous, you know that?”

“Dangerous how?” I asked, grinning.

“Dangerous because you say things like that and make me think you actually mean them,” she teased, but there was no hiding the warmth in her voice.

I turn to Wendy look her in her eyes and "I mean them,” I say simply, leaning back in my chair.

She laughed, the sound light and musical, and the tension melted away. “Alright, city boy. Keep working on your book. I’ll be here, judging your plot decisions silently.”

“Only silently?” I shot back.

“For now,” she said with a wink.

I finished another 3 chapters then we started the afternoon chores at the farm. I was a bit slower this time around but still managed to keep up with Wendy as she blitzed through them. She would often look back and smile at me

She'd occasionally ask, “Still alive city boy?” to which I respond “Yeah,” I felt bad though because my gaze would continually leer over her body and I had only just met her but I was already deeply infatuated with her Lunch at the farmhouse was as hearty and unpretentious as the setting itself: a steaming bowl of beef stew, fresh bread, and a crisp salad made from vegetables Wendy had likely picked herself. We sat across from each other at a small wooden table in the corner of the kitchen, sunlight filtering through the window and catching in her dark hair. The conversation flowed easily—Wendy had a knack for keeping things light and entertaining. She told me about the antics of the chickens that morning, gesturing animatedly, and I couldn’t help but smile at the way her eyes lit up when she spoke.

“Wait, you’ve never been chased by a rooster before?” she asked her tone equal parts mock disbelief and teasing.

“Not unless you count the time my high school mascot went rogue during homecoming,” I replied.

Wendy laughed, the sound like music before she stood abruptly. “Hold on. I forgot the chili paste. You’ve gotta try it—it’ll change your life.”

Before I could reply, she turned and walked toward the pantry. And just like that, I fell into a trance.

Her overalls clung to her in all the right places, accentuating the curve of her hips and the effortless sway of her walk. The straps framed her shoulders and the way her pigtails bobbed with every step felt almost hypnotic.

But it wasn’t just her figure—it was everything about her. The way she carried herself, confident and relaxed, without a shred of pretense. The way her voice softened when she talked about the farm, was full of pride and affection. The way she smiled like she knew exactly how to make the world a little brighter.

I was completely, hopelessly mesmerized.

“Enjoying the view?”

Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I blinked, realizing she was standing right in front of me, the jar of chili paste in her hand and a knowing smile tugging at her lips.

“I, uh…” I stammered, my ears burning.

Wendy tilted her head, her grin widening. “Don’t stop on my account. You looked like you were thinking something very important.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to recover. “Just… admiring the architectural integrity of your pantry. Very sturdy shelves.” She laughed, setting the jar down on the table. “Sure you were.” Sliding back into her seat, she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “So? What’s your verdict?”

“On… what?” I asked cautiously.

“On the shelves,” she teased, her smile turning sly.

Caught, I let out a sheepish laugh and met her gaze. “Fine. You got me. I was thinking about you.”

Her brow arched, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Oh? And what exactly were you thinking?”

I hesitated the words balancing on the edge of my tongue. I wanted to tell her everything: how I thought she was stunning, how her laugh felt like sunlight breaking through clouds, how her presence made me forget everything else. But that felt way too heavy for lunch.

Instead, I smirked and said, “I was thinking chili paste might not be the only thing here that could change my life.” Wendy blinked, surprised, before laughing softly. “Wow. A city boy’s got some lines after all.”

“Not just any lines,” I said, leaning slightly closer. “Good ones.” She chuckled again, shaking her head but not looking away. For a moment, the playful banter fell away, replaced by something quieter and deeper. Her smile softened, and she reached for the jar, opening it with a casual grace that made my heart beat faster.

“Alright, Romeo,” she said, breaking the spell as she handed me the jar.

“Let’s see if you can handle this chili paste without crying.”

“Oh, you underestimate me,” I replied, grinning as I took it. As we ate, the tension lingered in the air, warm and electric, and I knew one thing for certain: I was falling for her.

After spending a few quiet hours resting with Wendy, she left to talk with her dad, Mr. Son. I turned my focus back to my writing, managing to chip away at another chapter, but I couldn’t shake the lingering feeling of her warmth beside me or the playful lilt of her voice.

A sharp knock at the door jolted me out of my thoughts. When I opened it, Mr. Son stood there, his broad shoulders framed in the doorway. His expression was as weathered as the land he worked on, and his eyes carried a weight that made me stand a little straighter.

“Mind if I come in?” he asked, though it wasn’t really a question.

“Of course, sir,” I replied, stepping aside as he entered.

He scanned the room, his gaze lingering on the open laptop and scattered notes on the desk before settling on me. Crossing his arms, he fixed me with a steely look. “What are your intentions with my daughter?”

The question hit me like a hammer. I expected it, sure, but hearing it aloud—especially in that gravelly tone—made my throat tighten. I let out a slow sigh and met his gaze. “I have a crush on your daughter, sir,” I admitted plainly.

Mr. Son’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. “That’s not good enough. I don’t trust city folk, especially not with my daughter. You’ll need to do better than ‘I have a crush.’”

I inhaled deeply, choosing my words carefully. “Your daughter is… incredible, sir. She’s smart, funny, and kind. She’s confident even when she feels insecure, and she has this strength that’s just—” I paused, searching for the right words. “She’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner. I’d marry her in a heartbeat if I could, have a family with her, and spend my life making her as happy as she makes me. She’s my dream girl, sir.”

Mr. Son tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze studying me like a hawk sizing up its prey. “And what’s so special about her that makes her your ‘dream girl?’” he pressed.

I squared my shoulders, determined to answer honestly. “She’s beautiful, of course—anyone can see that. But it’s more than that. Wendy’s wit keeps me on my toes. Her caring nature makes me want to be better. And even with all the hard work she puts in here, she’s still soft—emotionally and physically—in a way that makes me feel grounded. She’s the kind of person who makes you want to fight for something worth keeping.” For a long moment, Mr. Son didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then he took a step closer, his presence towering despite my height advantage.

“You’re not like most city boys,” he said finally, his tone more curious than accusatory.

I nodded. “I try not to be.”

A flicker of something like amusement crossed his face, though it was gone as quickly as it came. “I’m not fully sold on you yet,” he admitted.

“But I’ll give you this—you don’t seem like you’d hurt her.”

“I wouldn’t,” I said firmly. “I couldn’t.”

He chuckled then, a low, gravelly sound that felt like the breaking of ice.

“Well, you’d better not. Because if you do, I’ll make sure everyone in town hears about it.”

“I believe you,” I replied with a small smile.

Satisfied, Mr. Son turned to leave but paused in the doorway. His tone softened slightly. “Wendy’s not like most girls. She’s been hurt before, and she’s always felt different from her friends because of how she looks. She needs someone who’ll see her for who she is and stick by her. Can you do that?”

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his words. “I will, sir. I’ll take care of her. I swear it.”

He studied me for another beat, then nodded. “Good. But don’t forget—you screw this up, and it’s not just Wendy you’ll have to answer to.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “Understood.”

As he stepped out, I couldn’t help but add, “You’ve got nothing to worry about, though. I have way more to lose if I ever hurt Wendy. People like me… the world loves to see us fail. But I won’t give it that satisfaction—not with her.”

Mr. Son turned back, his expression shifting to one of faint surprise. “That’s an interesting way of looking at things,” he murmured. After a pause, his lips curved into a small, almost imperceptible smile. “Alright then. Have fun with Wendy.”

With that, he closed the door behind him, leaving me standing in the quiet room, my heart pounding in my chest. I’d passed the test—for now. But more than that, I felt a renewed sense of determination. Wendy was worth every effort, and I wasn’t about to let her—or her father—down. As my heart stopped racing I was surprised to get a text from Wendy asking me if I wanted to go on a double date. The idea of a double date had clearly put Wendy in a good mood. When she mentioned it to me earlier, her smile was equal parts nervous and excited. “Joy wants me to go with her, but I’m not going unless you’re coming too,” she’d said, almost shyly.

How could I say no to that? She asked me in a pretty sun dress she had decided to wear with nice leather boots.

So now we were seated at a polished, cozy restaurant with Joy and her date, a clean-cut guy named Jae who seemed charming enough—at first. Wendy and I sat across from them, sharing appetizers and easy banter.

Joy was effortlessly sociable, and she clearly enjoyed teasing Wendy, poking fun at her for being “so domestic” with her farm duties. But the teasing was lighthearted, and Wendy took it in stride, rolling her eyes and laughing along.

I leaned over to her. “She seems like trouble.” Wendy grinned, whispering back, “You have no idea.” The date was going well—right up until Jae tilted his head, squinting at Wendy like he was trying to place her.

“Wait a second,” he said, his tone sharpening with recognition. “You’re Han Wendy, aren’t you? We went to high school together.” Wendy tensed slightly but managed a polite smile. “Oh, yeah. Jae, right?” “Yeah, that’s me.” He leaned back in his chair, his grin turning smug. “Wow, I didn’t recognize you at first. You’re, uh… still living out on the farm, huh?” Wendy’s smile faltered. “Yeah, I am.” Jae laughed, a little too loudly. “Guess some things never change. I mean, who else could it be? I remember everyone used to call you Cow—what was the other one? Heifer, right?” The table went silent.

Wendy’s cheeks flushed, and I could see her trying to keep her composure, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of hurt. Before she could say anything, something snapped inside me. My chest tightened, my jaw clenched, and the words came out before I even realized what I was saying—my usual measured tone replaced by a thick, unmistakable Texas drawl. “Now hold on there, partner,” I said, my voice low and deliberate. “You best watch what you’re sayin’.” Jae blinked, startled. “What?”

“You heard me,” I said, leaning forward slightly, my eyes locking onto his. “Ain’t no one gonna sit here and call my woman names like that. You got somethin’ to say to her, you say it with respect, or you don’t say it at all.” The accent was as thick as molasses, and for a moment, even I was surprised by the force of it. But it worked. Jae’s smug expression faltered, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“Jeez, man, I didn’t mean anything by it. Just a joke.”

“Well, it ain’t funny,” I shot back. “Wendy’s a better woman than you deserve to be sittin’ across from, and you’d do well to remember that.”

Jae muttered something under his breath, clearly not eager to push the issue further. Joy, wide-eyed, gave him a sharp elbow in the ribs. The rest of the meal passed with forced small talk, and when it was over, Wendy and I walked back to the car together in silence.

As soon as we were alone, she stopped, turning to face me. Her expression was unreadable at first, her dark eyes studying me intently. Finally, she broke into a smile, one that was equal parts amused and amazed. “My woman, huh?”

I scratched the back of my neck, feeling my cheeks heat. “It just… came out. I didn’t mean to make a scene or anything.”

“No,” she said quickly, her voice soft. “I mean… thank you. For standing up for me.”

I nodded, unsure of what to say, but then she took a step closer.

“You’re full of surprises, you know that?” she said, her tone playful but sincere. “Here I thought you were just some smart, sophisticated city boy. But turns out, there’s a little bit of a farm boy in you too.”

I chuckled nervously. “Grew up around a lot of cornfields. Guess some habits stick.”

Her smile deepened, and for a moment, she just looked at me, her gaze warm and filled with something I couldn’t quite name.

“I like it,” she said finally. “I like you.”

My breath caught, and before I could respond, she slipped her hand into mine, squeezing it gently.

“Come on,” she said, her voice light again. “Let’s get out of here before Joy tries to rope us into another one of her ‘fun ideas.’”

As we walked to the car, hand in hand, I couldn’t help but feel a new kind of certainty settle in my chest. Wendy wasn’t just someone I was falling for—she was someone I wanted to protect, cherish, and share every part of myself with, even the parts I thought I’d left behind.

And judging by the way her fingers laced with mine, I had a feeling she felt the same.

Here’s the revised and expanded version of the scene, where the narrator’s “Cornfed” side emerges and, with it, his comfort, affection for Wendy, and the eloquence of his pre-college self: The next morning, Wendy was knocking on my door bright and early.

“Up and at ’em, city boy!” she called. “We’ve got work to do!” Groaning, I dragged myself out of bed and opened the door. Wendy stood there, a hand on her hip and a teasing grin on her face, dressed in overalls and a straw hat.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” she said. “The chickens aren’t gonna feed themselves.”

I rubbed my eyes, giving her an exaggerated groan. “You’re way too cheerful for this early in the morning.”

She smirked. “Can’t help it. Gotta see if I can bring out more of that Cornfed Boy I saw last night. I know he’s in there somewhere.”

I rolled my eyes but grabbed my boots. “Alright, boss. Let’s see what you’ve got for me.”

At the chicken coop, Wendy handed me a basket and gestured toward the hens. “Alright, let’s see if you remember how to do this.”

I stepped inside, and the chickens clucked and fluttered nervously. A younger me might have hesitated, but something about being back on the farm—with Wendy watching expectantly—felt natural.

“Hush now, darlin’,” I murmured to a particularly noisy hen. “Ain’t no need for all that fussin’.”

Wendy straightened up, her grin widening. “Was that a little twang I just heard?”

I chuckled, crouching to collect the eggs. “You’re hearing things, Wendy. These chickens’ve got you spooked.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, leaning on the fence and crossing her arms. “City boy’s trying real hard to hide it, but it’s coming out.”

As I worked, I found myself relaxing more and more. The motions were familiar, and the weight of the basket in my hand felt like an old friend. By the time I handed the basket to Wendy, I wasn’t even thinking about hiding the accent that had crept into my voice.

“You’re pretty good at this,” she said. “Starting to think I’m not the only one who grew up around chickens.”

“Spent a few summers doin’ chores like this,” I admitted. “Dad wanted to keep me outta trouble, so he sent me to help out some neighbors. Learned a thing or two.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’re really Cornfed, huh?”

“Guess you’ll have to stick around to find out,” I replied with a sly grin. When it came time to muck out the stalls, Wendy handed me a pitchfork and leaned against the barn door.

“Alright, Mr. Cornfed,” she said, smirking. “Let’s see what you’ve got.” I didn’t even hesitate, rolling up my sleeves and setting to work. The smell wasn’t pleasant, but the rhythm of shoveling and tossing was oddly satisfying. As I worked, I found myself explaining the best way to handle stubborn spots and how to keep the bedding clean without wasting hay.

“You’re awfully good at this for a city boy,” Wendy teased.

I shrugged, leaning on the pitchfork for a moment. “It’s just about workin’ smarter, not harder. You gotta respect the process. Animals ain’t so different from people—give ’em a clean space, a little kindness, and they’ll take care of the rest.”

Her eyes softened, and she tilted her head. “You sound like you’ve been doing this your whole life.”

I smiled, my voice taking on a more thoughtful tone. “Maybe I forgot for a while, but it’s comin’ back to me. Feels… good, y’know? Like I’m findin’ a piece of myself I didn’t know I’d lost.”

She stared at me for a moment, her smile turning from teasing to something gentler. “I like this side of you,” she said softly. At lunchtime, we sat together on the porch, the sun warming our faces as we ate. Wendy had made sandwiches and sweet tea, and the simplicity of it all felt just right.

“You know,” I said, leaning back against the railing, “this is the kinda meal that sticks with you. Not just in your stomach but in your heart.” Wendy blinked at me, then laughed. “Wow. That was downright poetic.”

“Farm-work does that to a man,” I said, winking at her. She nudged me with her foot. “Alright, Shakespeare. What else you got?” I turned toward her, resting my arm on the railing. “I’ve got this,” I said, my voice softening. “You, sittin’ here in the sun, lookin’ like you belong to this place in a way most people never will. It’s beautiful, Wendy. You’re beautiful.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away, pretending to adjust her hat.

“You keep talking like that, and I might start believing you.”

“Good,” I said, my voice low but steady. “Because I mean every word.” By the time we got to the creek in the afternoon, I was more comfortable in my skin than I had been in years. Wendy led me to the water’s edge, kicking off her shoes and splashing into the shallows.

“You coming in, or are you too fancy for creek water now?” she teased.

I grinned, rolling up my pant legs and stepping in after her. “You forget,

I’m just a Cornfed boy at heart.”

She laughed, splashing me lightly. “Prove it!”

I splashed her back, and we spent the next few minutes chasing each other through the water, laughing and hollering like kids. At some point, I caught her by the hand and pulled her close, the cool water swirling around our legs as we caught our breath.

“Y’know,” I said, my voice dipping into a deeper drawl, “you’ve got a way of bringin’ out the best in me.”

Wendy tilted her head, her eyes shining. “Maybe because this is the best of you,” she said softly.

I smiled, brushing a strand of wet hair from her face. “Reckon you’re right.”

Her grin widened, and she leaned against my side as we waded to the bank to dry off. Sitting there together, the sun dipping low in the sky, I felt like I was finally whole again—and it was all because of her.

The next morning found me in the barn, fixin’ a loose latch on one of the horse stalls Wendy had mentioned yesterday. Sunlight spilled through the slats in the wood, catchin’ on the dust motes hangin’ lazy in the air. I was whistlin’ low and easy as I worked, pausin’ now and again to make sure the latch lined up just right.

“Didn’t expect to find you out here this early,” came a familiar voice from the barn door.

I straightened up and turned to see Mr. Son leanin’ against the frame, arms crossed, his gaze as steady and sharp as ever.

“Mornin’, sir,” I said, brushin’ my hands off on my jeans. “Latch was givin’ your horse some trouble, so I figured I’d see to it. Ain’t no sense lettin’ a small thing turn into a big problem.”

His eyebrows lifted, though he didn’t comment right away. Instead, he stepped inside, his boots scuffin’ softly against the wood. “You’ve been keepin’ yourself busy,” he remarked.

I nodded, settin’ the screwdriver aside. “Just tryin’ to pull my weight. Wendy’s been workin’ circles ’round me, so I figured I’d better start earnin’ my keep.”

He chuckled low, though his tone stayed cautious. “That so?” “Yessir,” I said, leanin’ a little against the stall door. “Place like this needs constant care, and I reckon there’s no better way to show I’m serious than to put in the work.”

Mr. Son studied me for a long moment, his eyes squintin’ like he was seein’ me for the first time. “You’re talkin’ different than you did a couple days ago,” he said finally.

I shrugged, a faint grin tuggin’ at my lips. “Guess bein’ here brings it out of me. I spent my summers on farms like this when I was younger. Dad thought it was important I learn how to work with my hands, so he sent me to help out local folks who needed it. This life kinda gets under your skin—it stays with you.”

His expression shifted slightly, though his arms stayed crossed. “Didn’t expect a city boy to know his way around a barn.”

“Well,” I said, straightenin’ up and leanin’ on the stall door, “city boy’s just the surface. Dad was a professor, and he believed in groundin’ his kids with hard work. Every summer, I’d wake up before dawn, shovel stalls, fix fences, harvest crops—whatever needed doin’. Taught me a lot about patience and pride in a job well done.”

His gaze softened, though he didn’t uncross his arms just yet. “That’s rare these days. Most young folks wouldn’t know the first thing about how to fix a fence, let alone stick with it.”

“Yessir,” I said with a small nod. “There’s somethin’ about seein’ the results of your work—somethin’ real, y’know? Even when I was back in the city, stuck at a desk or in a lecture hall, part of me always missed this. The smell of the earth, the ache in your muscles after a long day, the quiet satisfaction of buildin’ somethin’ with your own two hands.”

Mr. Son looked me over again, his eyes narrowing like he was weighin’ my words. “You’ve changed,” he said slowly.

“Maybe,” I replied, smilin’ a little. “Or maybe I’m just settlin’ back into the part of me I tried to leave behind.”

His chuckle was quieter this time, almost thoughtful. “When you first showed up, I figured you were one of those smooth-talking city types. Someone who’d sweet-talk my daughter and leave her with nothin’ but heartbreak.”

“I get why you’d think that,” I said, my voice steady. “But sir, Wendy’s more than just a pretty face to me. She’s…” I paused, searchin’ for the right words. “She’s the kind of woman who makes you wanna be better, just by bein’ around her. And I don’t take that lightly.”

Mr. Son’s shoulders relaxed a little, though his eyes stayed sharp. “You ain’t just talkin’, are you?”

“No, sir,” I said firmly. “I’ve got every intention of stickin’ around, so long as she’ll have me. And if that means puttin’ in the work, then I’ll do it. Whether it’s muckin’ stalls or mendin’ fences, I’m here for the long haul.” For a moment, he didn’t say anything, just looked at me like he was seein’ something he hadn’t expected. Finally, he nodded. “Well, I’ll be damned. Didn’t think I’d see the day a city boy walked into my barn and left actin’ like a college-educated cowboy.”

I chuckled, rubbin’ the back of my neck. “Life’s funny that way, I guess.” He stepped closer, clappin’ a hand on my shoulder. “You keep showin’ me this side of you, and I might just start callin’ you somethin’ other than city boy.”

“I’d like that,” I said with a grin.

As he turned toward the door, he glanced back. “And your writin’? How’s that comin’ along?”

“It’s goin’ great,” I said, my grin widenin’. “Almost halfway done now. Somethin’ about bein’ here… it clears my head. The words’ve been comin’ easier than they ever did back in the city.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That’s good. Just don’t forget where your priorities are.” “Yessir,” I said with a nod.

When he left, I leaned against the stall, feelin’ a quiet kind of satisfaction. The city had polished me up, sure, but bein’ here had reminded me of who I really was. And I wasn’t just writin’ a novel—I was rebuildin’ myself, piece by piece, with every nail I hammered and every word I wrote.

The morning sun was sittin’ high by the time Wendy finished her chores and wandered over to where I was perched on the porch, takin’ a breather with my notebook open in my lap. She was glowing, as she always seemed to be after a morning of wranglin’ chickens and tendin’ to the garden. Her hair was tucked up under her straw hat, a streak of dirt smudged on her cheek that only made her look more radiant.

“Whatcha workin’ on?” she asked, leanin’ against the porch railing and squintin’ down at the notebook like she could read it upside-down.

“Just hammerin’ out some details for the next chapter,” I said, smilin’ up at her. “Want a peek?”

Her face lit up like I’d offered her the keys to a candy shop. “You serious? I’d love to!”

I handed over the notebook, watchin’ as she plopped down on the porch swing beside me. She tucked one leg under herself, balanced the notebook on her knee, and began readin’ with an intensity that made me feel like a schoolboy waitin’ on a grade.

Her lips moved faintly as she read, and every so often, her eyes widened or her brow furrowed, her reactions tellin’ me more than words ever could. When she finally closed the notebook, she let out a breath and turned to me, her gaze so earnest it made my heart skip a beat. “This is really good,” she said, her voice soft but certain.

“You think so?” I asked, my voice comin’ out a little rougher than I intended.

“Yeah,” she said, noddin’ like she was tryin’ to convince me as much as herself. “I love your use of imagery. Like here”—she flipped back a page and pointed—“when you described the sunset as ‘a lazy cat stretchin’ across the horizon, all claws of pink and gold.’ That’s such a vivid, unexpected image, but it fits perfectly.”

I scratched the back of my neck, feelin’ heat creep up under my collar. “Well, uh, thanks.”

“And the foreshadowing!” she continued, her enthusiasm bubblin’ over. “It’s subtle, but it’s there, like breadcrumbs leadin’ the reader without them even realizin’ it. And your style—it seems simple at first, but the more I read, the more layers I see. It’s like a quilt, each piece tellin’ its own story but all stitched together into somethin’ whole.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “You sure do talk pretty, Wendy. Soundin’ downright college-educated there.”

She laughed, leanin’ back against the swing. “That’s because I am. I’ve got a doctorate in literary sciences and linguistics.” The notebook nearly slipped from my hands. “You’re pullin’ my leg.”

“Nope.” She beamed, sittin’ up straighter. “Defended my dissertation three years ago. I studied how storytelling shapes language development in children and how it’s tied to intelligence across cultures.” I let out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be. Here I was thinkin�� I was impressin’ you, and you’ve probably forgotten more about literature than I’ll ever know.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” she said, tappin’ my notebook with a playful smirk. “You’ve got talent. And it’s not just your imagery or style—it’s the way you understand people, their struggles and joys. That’s the kind of thing no amount of study can teach you.”

“Guess I had a good teacher, then,” I said, thinkin’ back to my dad and the way he’d always read to us as kids, his voice deep and steady, drawin’ me into worlds far beyond our little farm.

That comment must’ve sparked somethin’, because soon we were knee-deep in a conversation about the role of stories in human history. Wendy talked about how oral traditions preserved culture and passed down knowledge long before writin’ was a thing, and I chimed in about how even now, stories are how we make sense of a world that don’t always make sense on its own.

Her words were sharp and insightful, but there was a warmth to ’em, too, like she wasn’t just speakin’ from her head but from her heart. And the more we talked, the more I found myself leanin’ into a rhythm I hadn’t felt in years. My words slowed, pickin’ up a drawl I hadn’t noticed before, and my thoughts came together like rows of crops, neat and orderly, every idea growin’ from the one before it.

By the time we circled back to my novel, I realized the city boy I’d been tryin’ to be all these years had vanished like smoke on the wind. What was left was me—plain and simple. A man who loved the land, loved the work, and, if I was bein’ honest, was startin’ to think he might love the woman sittin’ beside him, too.

“You know,” I said, my voice lower and softer than it’d been in years, “I reckon I’ve learned more sittin’ here talkin’ to you than I ever did in a lecture hall.”

Wendy smiled, her eyes crinklin’ at the corners. “That’s sweet, but I think you’ve had it in you all along. You just needed the right person to bring it out.”

“Well,” I said, settlin’ back against the swing, “ain’t no one better for the job than you, darlin’.”

The word slipped out natural as breath, and when she looked at me, her eyes wide and her cheeks pink, I knew there wasn’t a lick of the city left in me. I was home, in every sense of the word.

The evening had settled into that perfect sweet spot where the sun had just dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky a soft lavender, with the warmth of the day still lingering in the air. Wendy and I were dressed a little nicer than usual for tonight’s double date, but still, nothing fancy. Wendy wore a simple sundress, her hair flowing freely in the warm breeze, and I had on a button-down shirt that was slightly wrinkled from the long day on the farm.

Joy and Arbor arrived shortly after we did, with Arbor flashing me a grin that told me he was fully aware of what he was about to witness. Arbor had always been an easy-going guy, someone I could always depend on during the roughest farm days, but I hadn’t seen him in a while since I’d been away at college. And now? Well, now I was feelin’ like a completely different man, for better or worse.

Wendy gave him a quick hug, and then we all sat down at a cozy corner booth at the little family-owned restaurant. The conversation started easy enough—Joy asking about the farm, Wendy laughing at some old memory I had of accidentally dropping a whole bucket of feed into the wrong stall, and Arbor sitting back with a knowing smile, looking from me to Wendy with a strange amusement.

At some point, Arbor’s eyes flicked over to me. He paused mid-sentence, setting his glass down. “You know, Austin,” he said, drawing out my name like he was testing it on his tongue, “it’s funny. I barely recognized you when I first walked in. I mean, you’re like… a whole new person.” I shot him a glance, raising an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He chuckled, leaning back in the booth, crossing his arms over his chest. “I used to know you as that city kid, always talkin’ about how you couldn’t wait to leave the farm and go back to the hustle and bustle of college life. And now look at you.” He gestured to my shirt, the way I was sitting—relaxed, comfortable, with a quiet confidence I hadn’t exactly had back in the day.

“Well, I did spend a few years learning how to blend in with the city folks,” I said with a chuckle, though the words didn’t quite fit right in my mouth anymore. “Guess I was hopin’ I could shake off the farm life a bit.” Arbor raised his eyebrows, giving me a look that said he knew better. “You sure you’ve shaken it off? I mean, not that I’m complainin’, but you’ve got a whole different energy now. You talk slower, sit straighter… and I swear to God, you even sound different. I can hear that Southern drawl comin’ out now. You’re startin’ to sound like a damn cowboy, Austin. Hell, you even look like one.”

I could feel my face heat up, and I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly, glancing over at Wendy. She was smiling at me with a gleam in her eyes, clearly enjoying the show. I leaned forward, catching Arbor’s gaze. “Guess the farm has a way of rubbin’ off on a fella. Guess I’m just more comfortable here. More at home, y’know?”

Arbor didn’t look surprised, but there was a touch of nostalgia in his eyes as he leaned forward. “Yeah, I get that. Used to be you’d complain about every single chore, but now you’re workin’ alongside it all, like it’s second nature to you. You’ve really found your place, huh?”

I let out a slow breath, glancing down at my hands. “Funny how things change when you’re not tryin’ to force ‘em. I didn’t expect to end up here, but here I am. Feels like I’ve found somethin’ that I’ve been missin’.”

Arbor studied me for a moment before nodding slowly. “You’re happier here, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” I said simply, my voice a little more sure of itself. “Guess I am.” Wendy, who had been quietly watching the exchange, leaned over to me, her voice soft but warm. “I think it’s more than just the farm, though. It’s who you’ve become. Who you really are.”

I felt a rush of something in my chest. She was right. It wasn’t just the farm. It was the way I’d come back to myself, to the boy I used to be, before all the city pressures and the desire to be something I wasn’t. This… this felt like the real me.

As the conversation moved on, I noticed that Arbor was glancing over at me every now and then, like he was piecing something together in his mind. Finally, he put his glass down, looked me dead in the eye, and said,

“I’ve been thinkin’ about it. You know, when we were workin’ together back in the day, I always saw you as a city kid tryin’ to find his way in the world. But now? Now you’re more grounded. More… at peace with yourself. Hell, I don’t know if it’s the farm, or Wendy, or just you finally growin’ up, but I gotta say… it’s a damn good change.”

Wendy smiled at the comment, but I could see something flicker behind her eyes—pride, maybe? Maybe even something deeper. Something between the two of us that I wasn’t ready to name yet, but I could feel it growin’ every time we spoke, every time we shared a quiet moment. I smiled back at Arbor. “Thanks, man. I guess it’s been a good ride so far.” Arbor winked. “Well, I’ll be damned, Austin. I think you’ve finally come home.”

The night had wound down, the warmth of the evening still hanging in the air as we walked back to the farm. The others had already gone, laughing and chatting as they made their way home, leaving Wendy and me alone under the deep velvet sky, the stars twinkling like diamonds above.

We walked side by side, the soft crunch of gravel beneath our boots the only sound, and yet, everything felt so loud—like the world was holding its breath. I couldn’t help but glance over at her every so often, her profile illuminated by the faint glow of the porch light up ahead.

There was something about the way she carried herself now. It wasn’t just her beauty—though God, she was beautiful—but the way she held the world around her like it was hers to nurture. It was the way she talked, the way she laughed, the way she loved this farm and everything it stood for. And it was the way she made me feel like I belonged here too.

We stopped just outside the door, and for a moment, everything went quiet. The door was just a few feet away, but neither of us moved. I felt her presence like a pull, like gravity, and I couldn’t look away from her.

“You know, you really have changed, Austin,” she said softly, her voice full of affection, her eyes warm as they met mine.

I shifted my weight, unsure how to respond to that, but before I could think of anything to say, she continued, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.

“I mean, I loved the city boy at first,” she started, eyes twinkling with mischief, “but now? Now I get to see my cowboy come alive. And it’s… honestly the best thing ever. I didn’t know it could feel this good, watching someone finally shed their old skin and become who they really are.”

I felt my heart skip a beat at her words. I could see it in her eyes, in the way she spoke about it, how proud she was of me—not just for the changes I’d made, but for being me. The me that was finally here, in the place I was meant to be.

Wendy took a step closer, and for a moment, I thought she might say something more, but instead, she grinned, her eyes sparkling with a playful glint.

“You know,” she started, voice dropping a little lower, “I think I’m gonna claim you, Austin.”

I blinked, caught off guard, and she raised an eyebrow at me. “Claim me?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow of my own, unsure of where she was going with this.

“Yeah,” she said with that same mischievous grin. “I mean, I might have to brand you, you know? Just to make sure everyone knows you belong to me.”

My mouth went dry. I laughed, trying to keep my cool, but there was something so serious in her expression that made me pause, my heart racing.

“You’re gonna brand me?” I asked, a grin spreading across my face despite the nervous flutter in my chest.

“Yep,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest with an air of finality. “I’ll get one of those hot irons and press it right on your arm—just a little mark, so you know, everyone knows you’re mine.”

I just stared at her, dumbfounded. My heart was pounding, and my throat felt a little dry.

She was so sure of it, her face beaming with joy, and I couldn’t help but be absolutely enthralled by her excitement. The way she spoke about it, the way she was so open, so confident in her love, it left me speechless.

“Wendy,” I murmured, unable to find the right words at first, but then, something shifted. Her energy was so infectious, so full of life, that I finally found my voice. “You… you make me feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

She laughed, her face lighting up at my response. “Well, that’s the point,” she said, her voice softening just slightly as she reached up to place a hand on my chest, feeling the steady beat of my heart. “I want you to feel like that. I want you to feel like you belong here, with me.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I reached for her, pulling her closer and pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. The way she fit into my arms, how easy it felt to hold her—it was like she was meant to be there. Like we were meant to be here, together.

“Wendy,” I said again, this time, my voice more steady, more sure. “I… I’ve never known anything like this before. You’ve made me realize so much, and I—” I stopped myself, then took a deep breath. “I love you. I love everything about you.”

She pulled back slightly, looking up at me with wide eyes, her lips parted in surprise. And then, a smile spread across her face, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears as she reached up, cupping my face in her hands. “I love you too, Austin,” she whispered, her voice full of emotion. “I never thought I’d find someone like you. Someone who would make me feel this way.”

For a long moment, we just stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the world outside fading away. There were no words left to say, because everything we needed to communicate had already been said in that one simple moment.

And then, with that same mischievous glint in her eye, she looked up at me again and said, “Now… about that brand?” I couldn’t help but laugh, my heart swelling with affection for this woman who had not only claimed my heart but had made me see the world in ways I never imagined.

“Guess I’ll just have to take you up on that,” I teased, grinning down at her. “But I’m pretty sure there’s nothin’ more permanent than the way you’ve already got me.”

And with that, she laughed, the sound filling the night air, and for the first time in my life, I realized just how right it felt to be exactly where I was—with her, in this moment, in this life we were building together. The night moved on after that, filled with lighthearted chatter, but my mind kept wanderin’ back to Arbor’s words. You’ve finally come home. And for the first time in a long while, I realized… he was right. This was home. With Wendy. With the farm. With everything that had come together. The world around us faded away, the only thing left in focus was Wendy in my arms. Her breath was steady, but I could feel her heart thumpin’ against my chest, beatin’ in time with my own. She pulled back just enough to look up at me, those eyes of hers piercin’ right through me like she could see deep down into my soul. I’d always prided myself on bein’ a man of steady hands and steady nerves, but now, standin’ here with her, I realized she could shake my whole world with just a look.

Her smile, soft but sure, sent a shiver through me. When she leaned in just a bit closer, pressin’ herself up against me, the air got thick, heavy with something that felt like it was pullin’ me deeper. My heart pounded, my breath caught. It wasn’t just the way she looked—it was the way she made me feel. She had a way of makin’ everything around her seem so real, so vivid, that it felt like nothin’ else mattered but the two of us. Her hand slid from my chest to my jaw, gently tracing the line of it like she had every right to be there. I was dizzy from the way she made me feel, lightheaded with the power of it. “You’re incredible, you know that?” she whispered, her voice low, warm, full of affection.

I had to swallow hard, tryin’ to keep my composure, but truth be told, she’d already knocked that all to hell. “I’m just a fella who loves you, Wendy,” I managed to get out, my voice rough from the weight of it all. Her grin stretched even wider, and damn if it didn’t make the world brighter. “Well, lucky for you, I love you back, cowboy,” she teased, but I could hear the sincerity in her voice, feelin’ it in my bones. No question in my mind now. We were in this together.

She must’ve felt the shift in me ‘cause her smile softened, her fingers threading through my hair like she wasn’t ever gonna let me go. I could feel the weight of her touch, the way it anchored me, and I wasn’t goin’ anywhere.

“Wendy…” I whispered her name like a prayer, my chest tight as I fought for air. “You… You make me feel like I’m alive, like I’m real.”

She pulled back just a hair, steadyin’ herself before meetin’ my gaze. “I am real, Austin,” she said, voice firm and steady, like she was claimin’ her place in the world, like she was tellin’ me and the whole damn world that she was here to stay. And that confidence, hell, it was somethin’ I’d never seen before. “And I’m not afraid of bein’ who I am. Not anymore. Not with you.”

Her words hit me like a damn freight train, and I felt the grip she had on me, both physically and emotionally, as strong as a rope lassoed tight ’round my heart. She held me with a strength I hadn’t known anyone could possess, the quiet power of a woman who knew exactly who she was and wasn’t afraid to show it. And damn, it made me fall harder for her.

Her hand moved from my chest to my face, her thumb tracing across my skin, and I couldn’t stop lookin’ at her. My gaze drank her in, savorin’ every curve, every line, every inch of her. She had me in the palm of her hand, and I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

“I’ve never been this sure about anything in my life,” she said softly, almost like a confession. “Not just about us, but about me. About everything.”

Her words, full of certainty, confidence, and self-assurance, made my chest swell. I didn’t know what it was about her, but she made me feel seen, like I wasn’t just some guy from the city tryin’ to make a life. I was somebody. I was hers. And she was mine.

I pulled her in closer, my hands cuppin’ her face like she was somethin’ too precious to let go of. “You’re incredible, Wendy. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone like you.”

She tilted her head, her eyes steady on me, that smile of hers not just a smile anymore but a damn promise. It was a promise that she was mine, and I was hers. And that made everything feel right in the world.

She leaned in, close enough now that I could feel her breath on my lips, whisperin’ soft as silk, “You’re mine, cowboy. All mine.” And in that moment, all the walls, all the doubts, the pieces of me that were still unsure—hell, they were gone. There wasn’t a single trace of that old life left. No more “city boy.” There was just me, the cowboy, standin’ here with her, and I was complete.

My heart raced, but this time, it was a good kind of fast. And as she held me tight, her confidence spillin’ into me like a steady stream, I couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest son of a gun in the world.

The soft glow of the evening sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm, golden hue over the room. Donny lay on his back on Wendy’s bed, his arm casually draped around her as she nestled into the crook of his shoulder. Her forehead grazed his jaw as she shifted to get more comfortable. The faint scent of her skin, a mix of something sweet and wild, lingered in the air between them.

Wendy sighed, her breath warm against his chest as she traced lazy circles on his stomach with her fingers. “You know, for all the chaos in our lives, moments like this make it feel… simple,” she murmured.

“Simple, huh?” Donny chuckled softly, his voice rumbling in his chest. “I don’t think anything about us is simple”

She smirked, glancing up at him with a playful glint in her eyes. “Okay, maybe not simple. But… I like that when I’m with you, everything else fades away,” she teased, giving them a gentle shake for emphasis.

My smile deepened as his hand slid down to her back, gently brushing my fingers against the small of her back just above her waist. She tensed for a moment, then relaxed, her body responding to my careful, affectionate touch. My fingertips traced the soft membrane of her back, moving slowly so as not to overwhelm her.

“You know, this is still new for me,” Wendy said softly, her voice betraying a mixture of vulnerability, contentedness, and curiosity. “I’m not used to… anyone touching me. Especially with them being so sensitive,”

“Does it hurt?” I asked, my voice gentle as my fingers continued their slow, calming strokes along her shoulder blades.

“No, it’s… actually kind of nice, too nice” she admitted, a small smile playing at her lips as she nestled closer to me.

My other hand found its way to her tummy, gently running along the length of it with the same care he’d shown her back. Wendy’s eyes fluttered closed as she melted further into my embrace, a soft sound of contentment escaping her lips.

“You always know how to make me feel safe,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

“That’s the plan,” I said with a smile, my touch never faltering as I pet her tummy and shoulders in slow, soothing patterns. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me now.”

Her eyes softened as she rested her cheek against my chest again, listening to the steady rhythm of my heartbeat. “Good. Because I can’t imagine going through all of this without you.” There was a vulnerability in her voice now, one she rarely let show. “You ground me, Austin. When I’m with you, I feel like I can handle whatever’s coming.”

I shifted, tightening my arm around her as I pulled her closer. “You’re stronger than you think, Wendy. You don’t need me to handle anything. But… I’ll be here anyway. Always.”

She smiled at that, a soft laugh escaping her lips. “That’s the thing. You always make me feel stronger. But I don’t want to be strong all the time. Sometimes I just want to be… here. With you. Like this.”

“I think I can live with that,” I said, my fingers continuing their gentle exploration of her body. “Besides, it’s not like I’m exactly looking for an excuse to be anywhere else.”

Wendy tilted her head up to look at me, her expression mischievous now. “Is that so? What if I told you I was going to turn into a giant succubus monster and you’d have to deal with all my dramatic mood swings forever?”

I raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a smirk. “Then I’d say bring it on.

I can handle your mood swings. I’ve already got a pretty good track record with you.”

She gave me a light smack on the chest, though there was no real force behind it. “Jerk.”

“Hey, you love it,” I teased, dipping my head to kiss her again, this time on the lips, lingering just a little longer.

Wendy grinned against my mouth, her hand sliding up to cup the side of my face. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

We lay there in silence for a while after that, the quiet between us comfortable and full of unspoken promises. The world outside felt far away, the weight of our lives reduced to nothing in the warmth of our shared space. Finally, Wendy broke the silence, her voice soft but steady. “No matter what happens… no matter who or what comes for us… I’ll always fight for you, Austin.”

I looked down at her, my heart swelling at the determination in her eyes. “And I’ll always be there, fighting right beside you. We’re in this together.” She smiled, that familiar spark of playful mischief returning to her gaze. “Good. Because I’m not letting you off the hook. Ever.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I murmured, my lips brushing hers once more as my hand found its way back to her cheeks, caressing them tenderly, sealing the quiet vow we both knew we'd keep for as long as it took—through every storm and shadow.

As we settled back into each other’s arms, the world could wait. For now, it was just us. As I continued to trace lines and trails around Wendy’s body

#kpop #K-pop fanfic #red velvet x reader #red velvet male reader #wendy fanfic #red velvet wendy #wendy fluff #wendy x male reader

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cripplecharacters · 2 months ago

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do you or any of your followers have tips for writing a character with tinnitus? like his common experiences. he has cybernetics that help with it but they do fail at times. I've sorta drawn on my experiences with auditory processing issues/spd, but I'd really appreciate knowing what experiences the two disabilities have in common and their differences

Hi!

Tinnitus is a common symptom/side effect of apd and hearing loss. In those cases it is usually triggered by auditory overstimulation, or when moving from a loud area to a very quiet one.

Tinnitus can also occur in people without any hearing problems. This is also generally triggered by sudden silence, but can also be more random.

For me as a HoH person it is mainly triggered by silence and listening to other sounds (like music) can help it go away. It's very distracting and I can't do much else until it stops. If I'm in the middle of doing something and it starts I am startled and suddenly put my hands over my ears (which doesn't help!)

Mod Rock

Hi, I'm not deaf/HoH and my tinnitus is, as Rock said, mostly triggered by silence. I only get it in one ear (always the same one) and for me, it's almost always a very high-pitched, sometimes kinda buzzing sound. In my case it ramps up and when it does start I sometimes think that maybe it's an electronic device making the sound rather than realizing it's the tinnitus (even though I probably should be able to tell it apart by this point, but here we are).

My tinnitus has always been very distracting to me - it's really hard to continue whatever I was doing while it's going on (hard to ignore a loud "eeeee" or static noise playing on one side of your head). I tend to put on some music or even just Loudly Hum to tune it out because it's annoying. It just comes and goes, both rather quickly.

I hope this helps!

mod Sasza

Hello, I have constant tinnitus and sensory processing disorder though am not HoH or deaf. For me, I barely notice my tinnitus until it's silent or if something, such as a headache, causes it to get louder (or at least sound like it gets louder.) I've had it for over a decade so I'm very used to it. Mine mostly takes the form of a high-pitched ringing, similar to ringing ears after a very loud noise, and whenever it is noticeable it annoys me more than anything. Whenever I do notice it, I, similar to what Sasza said, tend to put on headphones and listen to something until I forget about the tinnitus.

If you're going with cybernetics that help his tinnitus, I would recommend using something that lessens his tinnitus if he's got constant tinnitus like I do. There's no real-life way to even temporarily fully stop tinnitus if he has ear damage or a similar issue, but there are things we can do or treatments we can get to make it fade into the background. A cybernetic that helps his tinnitus would be best if it's something that lowers it to easier levels to deal with, not something that entirely erases it. I do like the idea of the cybernetics not always working- sometimes the treatment doesn't work for whatever reason on a particular day and when that happens, we have to deal with it, so I like that this also happens with him.

As for how it interacts with my sensory processing disorder, it really doesn't unless it's being particularly loud for whatever reason. When that happens, because my brain pays equal attention to both the tinnitus and whatever someone is saying, I may have trouble understanding what someone is saying. It might also block out certain sounds, such as light footfalls of someone coming up behind me, but really it's a fifty-fifty chance. It could be either my tinnitus causing me to not register the sound or it could be my sensory processing disorder picking up a different sound and deciding it's more important than whoever is behind me. Most of the time, having the two just feels like having anxiety and attention hyperactive deficit disorder. Both things are happening and it causes certain challenges, but they're two different things that don't usually interact or, if they do, I can't really tell which one is contributing what so now I'm annoyed with both of them.

Mod Aaron

#mod rock #mod sasza #mod aaron #tinnitus representation #anonymous

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paladin--strait · 22 days ago

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heyy i love your writing so much, i was hoping i could request comparing hand sizes with igor shesterkin. thank youu!!

goalie hands - igor shesterkin

it was one of those nights where sleep just wasn’t happening. the city outside was quiet for once, but i still couldn’t turn my brain off. igor and i were tangled up in his bed, sheets a mess, both of us wide awake, staring up at the ceiling.

“can’t sleep?” he asked, his voice low and soft, the familiar russian accent still there even in the dark.

“nope,” i mumbled, rolling onto my side to face him. his face was mostly shadow, but i could make out the outline of his jaw, his messy hair sticking up like it always did after a game. “you?”

“same,” he sighed, shifting a bit and pulling the covers higher. “too much…stuff going on in my head.”

i nodded. i could tell. he had that tiredness around his eyes, like he was thinking about the game earlier or something else. i didn’t push him to talk about it though. i knew when he wanted to, he would.

“hey,” i said after a minute, trying to distract myself. “random question.”

“yes, my love?” he replied with a grin in his voice.

i smile at the fondness of the little nickname before i answers, “do you think our hands are the same size?” it was a ridiculous question, but i couldn’t stop myself from asking it.

he was quiet for a second, like he wasn’t sure if i was joking or not. “our hands?” he repeated, half-laughing. “like, right now?”

“yeah, just… i don’t know. you’re a goalie. your hands have to be huge, right?” i said, raising one of my hands in the dark and kind of holding it up like i expected him to do something about it.

he laughed, turning his head to look at me. “we’re comparing hands at 3 in the morning?”

“why not?” i shrugged, a little embarrassed but still kind of amused by the whole idea. “i’m curious.”

“alright,” he said, shifting closer to me and extending his hand. his palm was massive, warm, and solid, way bigger than mine. i placed my hand in his, and it felt like a little kid’s hand getting swallowed up by his.

“whoa,” i said, honestly kind of surprised. “your hand is huge.”

he smirked. “well, i do stop pucks with it for a living.”

“must be all that goalie training...” i teased, not able to help myself. “my hand’s like…tiny in comparison.”

“it’s cute though,” he said, squeezing my hand lightly. “it’s the perfect size for me to hold.”

i could feel my face heat up a little, even though i tried to play it off. “i didn’t know you were into hands.” i joke, laughing softly.

he shrugged, laughing a little too. “i’m into whatever makes you happy.” then he paused for a second, his thumb brushing lightly over the back of my hand. “if comparing hands helps you sleep, i’ll do it.”

i smiled, that familiar flutter in my chest. it was silly, but it was like this small, perfect thing we were doing. sitting in the dark, holding hands, not really talking about anything important, just being together. sometimes that was enough.

“thanks, honey...” i whispered, my thumb running over his hand now, tracing the lines of his fingers.

“anytime.” he said with a smile, “but you’re gonna need to stop comparing my hands to yours or we’ll be up all night.”

i laughed softly, feeling the tension in my shoulders start to melt away. “fine. i’ll try. but just so you know…my hands are pretty good at holding yours, too.”

he grinned, a little chuckle escaping him. “yeah, i guess they are.”

the silence stretched between us again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. it was just the kind of quiet you get when you’re not trying to fill it with anything. we were both awake, but it didn’t matter. it was just us, the night, and the weird, wonderful little things that made us feel less alone in the world. and for once, that was enough.

#nhl #hockey #paladin's fics!#creds: paladin #igor shesterkin x reader #igor shesterkin #new york rangers lb #new york #new york rangers #rangers

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crazylittlejester · 2 months ago

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do u have. a playlist. for doing school things. because i need to drown out everything and none of my usual playlists are hitting the write vibes and so that focus is very start/stop (by which i mean my braid trails off and i end up on tiktok again)

i do!! (i say as if it’s a playlist- it’s the vibe that counts ig 😭)

i listen to Will Wood’s The New Normal! album on loop- continuously until i get my work done. I like it because the music is very complex in a satisfying way for my neurodivergent brain. It’s busy in a way that’s not distracting, it’s quieting to me (the regular The Normal Album also works, it’s… how do i put it… it’s the exact same songs just less complex…? the new versions of the songs just have a lil extra Spice to em. i know a specific mutual of mine will have a better way to explain alskksks but this is all my tired brain can accomplish at the moment in terms of explaining things)

not music but still helpful to me: Smosh reddit stories. I put that shit on in the back and suddenly i CAN write a presentation in an hour. The guy who reads them has a very very good voice to listen to for reading AND a good voice for background sound. It keeps me off tiktok because it occasionally has the shock factor my brain needs when i randomly tune in a little too hard and hear something BATSHIT and I’m like “damn- thats nuts-“ and then go back to my work within the minute

the ‘Jes needs to not have distracting thoughts right now’ special is Smosh reddit stories playing from the laptop speaker and The New Normal! playing in One earbud, and a fan on

alternatively zelda music very quietly and i just go sit in a different room and thats enough to let me power through

oh, and it helps to turn your notifs off on whatever device you’re using, because i know i see a notif and get distracted and then its just game over for me 😭

#im not a normal human being but hey i Can make the thoughts shut up ✨#jes ask

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mermaidsirennikita · 8 months ago

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ARC REVIEW: Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto

4.5/5. Releases 7/17/2024.

Heat Index: 8/10

Vibes: rivals to lovers, celebrity classical musicians (?), "I wanna fuck you so bad it makes me look stupid"

Gwen Jackson is a naturally gifted violinist, having been taught by shop owner Mabel. Graduating from playing for tips on the subway to being offered first chair in the Manhattan Pops orchestra means fulfilling a dream. Not so happy about it is cello player and musical prodigy Xander Thorne--who happens to be a member of a band Gwen was (is) a fan of. But she's a fan no longer, sensing Xander's resentment... and something else. As the two are inevitably drawn to each other's talent--among other things--they have to figure out whether their blossoming relationship is more important than their long term goals.

OOOOH, this one hit. As someone who doesn't know much about classical music (honestly, a big question of mine was: is the fandom around famous classical musicians this intense? Like, I believe that it is, I've just never experienced it) I was sucked in by the passion in the story and the way Julie Soto seamlessly blended Gwen and Xander's obsession with music into their growing fixation on each other. There's a delicious tension in the first half of the book, flitting between anger and irritation and kinship and desire. And once it bubbles over... whew.

I really enjoyed Forget Me Not. Not Another Love Song has made me a fan. I'm ready for whatever Julie Soto writes next, because this is what I want from a contemporary romance: a sense of reality heightened by drama (and angst), high heat, and FURIOUS passion. This is a good time.

Quick Takes:

--Dude. I may not be very knowledgeable about classical music, but I do know that it should be properly utilized as a Sexy Device in romance novels. (And to be real? In fiction, as a general rule.) This book may utilize classical music in the sexiest way possible. Like, often when I read early reviews going "the X scene!!! omg omg!!" I kind of expect to be let down. Not because the scenes are bad, but because they're so hyped.

The cello scene? In this novel? Lives up to the hype. Like, more on that later, but... It's not just about the physical things that happened when Gwen and Xander play. It's also about their focus one each other when they're supposed to be playing, the way she in particular drives him to distraction. I will say--the rivalry stuff lasts longer than the true resentment. It becomes pretty clear, pretty quickly that Gwen doesn't really hate Xander. And that Xander wants to fuck Gwen's brains out.

But uh, I was not upset about that development. I feel like a lot of authors try to pull off "seething sexual tension" and fail. This was an absolute win. I know in my heart that if I saw these two playing in real life, she would be desperately trying to pretend she didn't notice him; and he would be playing his ass off while ROCK. HARD.

--All that aside, I also think that this actually feels like two people in their early to mid twenties falling in love? Like, the finances are probably off, but you kind of have to handwave some capitalist hellscape stuff to set a contemporary romance novel in a big city in this day and age... But the way they act, the mistakes they make, the exuberance they both have for falling in love, the DUMB HORNY moments... it all read right to me.

I also appreciate that Xander, for all that he is a hot and talented dude by whom Gwen is intimidated at first (until she isn't) and with whom she is infatuated, still strikes me as a dude. Like, he's gifted and he's deep and he has mommy issues like crazy and manipulative entities in his life. But a lot of how he reacts to things--it may not be rational, but it is human, especially for someone who's really still figuring his life out. He's a mess! And that's okay! Sometimes he and Gwen don't make the right decisions in their relationship, but that doesn't mean the relationship is broken beyond repair.

--There's some really juicy familial and professional drama beyond the romance, and one thing I loved is that there isn't a clear "good side" or "bad side". Some people have their shitty moments because to be human is to be intermittently shitty, but not inherently, wholly bad; some people just choose to be shitty all the time, and they aren't on designated sides. There isn't a single perfect option when the choices are presented to our leads.

There's a lot of gray, basically. And I like living in the gray of a book.

--Julie Soto is setting up her own universe, and I'm seeing the places these characters could go. It's not just about setting up future books, though; it's also about creating a community for her leads.

The Sex:

UGH. This book was hot. Like, it's honestly a relief when I read a contemporary romance novel that's this sexy. Yes, there is the cello scene, and much "then I will sit here, consumed with lust until for the rest of the evening". But there is a lot more. I feel like this is one of the hotter tradpub contemporaries I've read in a while. They're all over each other, they're vocal, there is a scene in which things are done while people are on the phone...

I'll definitely be rereading some of those scenes.

In conclusion, Not Another Love Song is fun, swoonworthy, and passionate. It's exactly what you want an author's second novel to be--topping the first, while maintaining all the things you loved about it. I'm so excited to see what Julie does next.

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#romance novel blogging #romance novels #book recs #book reviews #books #arc reviews #netgalley

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plothooksinc · 2 months ago

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📄

NGL, nonnie, I saw this after four hours sleep and squinted at it and tried to zoom in because my sleepy brain honest to god thought it was some kind of weird inbox attachment...

...and then I remembered the WIP meme. Eventually.

📄What’s a WIP you never finished that you would like to go back and revisit?

The Legacy! (See, this being asked multiple times means I can talk about multiple WIPs.) My actual first entrance into published TMNT fic before I got distracted writing Underdark instead, and then everything else that followed. This is another fic with a lot of moving parts and it's a whole bunch darker than some of mine, because anyone who's reading it will note I'm racking up a body count of the Lost Season acolytes. You see, the Lost Season irritated me for a variety of reasons. For one, we went from four seasons of "ninjas in the shadows/outcasts" to "glowy markings DRAGONS WOO" and they were so fixated on telling a big epic story that... there weren't any real character moments in it for anyone? And everyone glowed and turned into dragons and there was a Tribunal etc, and with the passage of time I'm a bit more tolerant about it, but the fact remained that season 5 had such a different feel to 1-4, which I appreciated much more.

Anyway. Lost season also brought us demon!Shredder and a too trite wrap-up (Karai and Chaplin holding hands and walking off into the sunset? Really?) and also an interesting plot point left unaddressed that, despite all my disappointment with the season in general, niggled at me and said "what if".

And thus with great irony did I go "this is the worst season**. Imma write a whole epic following on from that THANKS BRAIN--" but at least I can have fun upping the stakes and playing with demons and necromantic rituals and possession and, yeah, murdering a bunch of otherwise harmless and likable NPCs for a good cause (everyone else's suffering). This one's fully outlined and involves overseas vacations, my favourite tropes, turtles dressing like Foot Elite and somehow getting away with it, and a Leo v Mikey cage match which I am going to give no context for. If I can get my brain going for this one it will be a lot of fun, and really, as per all my WIPs, I've made headway into a new chapter, so. Wish me luck. <

** was the worst season. I'll take a dozen Lost Seasons over whatever BTTS was.

Thank you! <3

WIP meme questions here.

#wip meme #anonytext

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tonya-the-chicken · 1 month ago

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How to reduce your phone/social media usage

I achieved it (добився успєшного успєха) and I will share my tips with you!

(this post is actually for @will-ruadh I just realized writing it all in notes would be wildly uncomfortable and unreadable)

1) Make a realistic goal

This step has substeps because to make a realistic goal you need to a) look in the mirror and assess where you are now. To do so, you should track your usage. There are programs to do that but your phone might have an in-built feature like mine. When I started I spent around 9 hours every day on my phone (and on some days I spent more). It would be also useful to note which apps you spend the most time on

Then, we move on to b) setting the goal. You might be the kind of person to be able to quit your addictions cold turkey but then stop reading this post, and go watch this video instead. It's quite motivational. If you are not that kind of person, expect small progress. I think my first goal was not going above my average (so, like, 9 hours a day was a limit I set for myself). When I achieved that, I reduced it by an hour (you can reduce it by half an hour or ten minutes, whatever). Now my limit is 5 hours and I rarely break it and when I do I quickly return back to it

2) Praise yourself for progress!

Different people are motivated by different things so this step might be kind of vague and will need some individual work. But I feel like the most important thing is praising yourself for any progress you make. We often learn to be down on ourselves and most of us are not motivated by that so why do it??? Be happy with your little steps. You can reward yourself in different ways if that helps. You might ask for external validation from your friends, whatever works for you. But don't forget that you are doing great! And do not look too far ahead - thinking that "ugh my goal is so small, I spent 9 hours on my phone when I should have spent 5" IS NOT GOOD. Look straight ahead towards your first little goal and when you get there, set another little goal and praise yourself when you achieve it!

Some say it is better to praise consistency rather than "streaks". If you exceed your limits 3 times a month, it's a better result than being consistent the whole month and then relapsing for 2 months. But you can reward yourself for streaks too if you find it fun

3) Don't be too hard on yourself

People might get overwhelmed by regret or other negative emotions. "Ugh, why do I spend so much time doom-scrolling, I am wasting my time" - NOT HELPFUL thinking. Believe it or not, there are objective reasons why you developed this habit. Believe it or not, it must be helpful for your brain somehow. For example, I spend much more time online when I am in stressful situations. Social media feel safe and it distracts me from harsh reality. You have to understand yourself and forgive yourself. Accept yourself to change yourself

And if you fail and fall back into your habit, don't be too mad at yourself (you can be mad at yourself a little though). It's natural that your brain wants to do what it always did instead of restricting itself. You won't always be 100% consistent and it's alright! Get back up and try again

4) Use technical support

This is the part where I advertise dumb apps to you. But first, explore your phone's built-in features! Here's what I did just without installing any additional software:

(now that I wrote until this point I realise I didn't write this in mind that laptop or computer usage might be the problem ugh I am stupid)

Set hours in the morning and the evening when social media apps are not available - this is very helpful if you scroll in bed

Set a limit for general phone usage, specific apps or categories

But then I realised I wanted more features so I went hunting for apps:

StayFree - it is available for Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, Linux and as a browser extension for Chrome, Safari and Mozilla. It has a lot of options, probably the most out of all the apps I saw. It's helpful if you need specific limits that your basic phone functionality can't provide. It can also block things like the Reels tab in your Instagram and YouTube shorts. It is pretty heavy, though, I need to wait a bit before it opens on my phone

ScreenZen - this app has some functions the former doesn't. I use it to make myself do a little breathing exercise before entering my social media app. It is annoying as heck but sometimes I think to myself "I don't need this right now" and close the app before opening it. I also make it limit my usage by 15 minutes timeframe so every 15 minutes I have to do the exercise again and rethink my choices

With using any apps like this there might be privacy concerns since they need a lot of access to your phone to be able to do what they do. Do your own research etc etc. Both apps are free

You can find other ways to help yourself spend less time. They may differ from one person to another

5) OPTIONAL. Read How We Change (And Ten Reasons Why We Don't) by Ross Ellenhorn

Not like it's going to particularly help but I found this book very healing and insightful when it comes to changing your behaviours and your habits. It is not a practical guide but it is written with love and might help you understand yourself better. It certainly influenced the way I look at some things. My viewpoint is heavily inspired by it, honestly, I feel like I have to give credit where it's due

The End

I can go into more detail on various ways how I do things, so if you have questions you may ask. But honestly, people are so different, what works for me might not be perfect for you. You have to be curious and creative, looking at yourself with an unclouded mind, seeing your internet addiction as a task you are solving rather than a personal failure. The more heavy feelings you attach to it, the harder it is to be unbothered (moisturized, in your lane). Look at your triggers, look at how you respond to different strategies, look at what works and what doesn't. Be curious about the way your mind works. Idk man I love you I want everyone to be happy and pleased with themselves. I am so unbelievably happy I do not scroll all day long. It was so bad and now it is better and it took me two years, I think, maybe more. I believe in you

#my success story #practical tips for mentally ill #i am less mentally ill

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marshmallowgoop · 9 days ago

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Hi, thanks for the reply to my ask on Honnōji Academy! (I feel kinda silly about my second ask, thinking you didn't wanna talk about Kill la Kill anymore xD, but thanks for clearing that up) I have another question on my mind, but I wanna build up to it by gushing about a track for a little.

Now, despite not having watched the show, I'm also familiar with the Kill la Kill's OST. Well, somewhat. I've heard a little of Before my body is dry (slapper) but I wanted to gush about Nui's theme.

I am in love with Nui's theme. It's honestly one of my favourite themes for a villain period. The continuous escalation, the malicious playfulness, the crescendos that can only be described as if psychotic glee took musical form. It brilliantly summarizes everything about Nui's character with sound alone.

That off my chest, what is your favourite OST out of everything you've watched? Bit of a loaded ask, so you don't have to list just one song/track - you can list multiple soundtracks if you like. Sorry if this sounds self-indulgent - I love gushing about OSTs sometimes (I listen to FFXIV tracks every day xD) and I'm always eager to hear more kickass music.

Aw, I really appreciated the care and consideration 🙏 And it's super sweet that there's still interest in my thoughts all these years later! Answering the ask got my meta brain going again, and that's definitely something I need more of these days. I miss it!

This is a fun question! I'm also a big fan of Hiroyuki Sawano's work (on Kill la Kill and elsewhere), and that's an absolutely beautiful, spot-on description of Nui's theme. One of my personal favorites from the OST (apart from the vocal songs and tracks using those melodies) is the first section of "Kiっ9=KELL," which I tried to write about way back, but describing music is hard.

And that actually reminds me—as this ask did—of a video essay about Frozen 2's music:

youtube

While of course largely focused on Frozen 2, The Sin Squad discusses the difficulties in judging music and considers film music as a whole, and one segment, starting at 14:29, particularly stuck out to me. In it, various similar-sounding tracks are played, and the viewer is asked to pick which one is from Frozen 2. After the game, The Sin Squad remarks:

It was easy enough to go, "Oh, I know another score with a wistful flute." But when I went to chop up Treasure Planet or How to Train Your Dragon or Ice Age or whatever, I could never find a solid nine-second stretch of “ubiquitous film music” without some kind of specific theme cropping up and giving the game away. I never realized how many films from my childhood feature such distinct musical themes until I tried and failed to mine them for parts.

And, yeah! The OSTs I'm most drawn to are certainly the ones with character and personality. I like Sawano's work, but I don't think it's interchangeable, and I don't think I'd mix up a Kill la Kill track with a Promare one, because each OST still has its own particular flavor.

Long tangent aside (sorry!), I think I might have to point to the first How to Train Your Dragon as having possibly my favorite OST of all time (it's got that flavor!). The music is actually what made me interested in watching the film at all (and is pretty much solely the reason I did watch it.) I love "Test Drive" and "This Is Berk" and really just so much of it; I made a John Powell Pandora radio station because I was such a fan.

I'm also a big fan of Yoko Shimomura's work on Kingdom Hearts! One track that really gets me in my bones is "Fate of the Unknown."

And with my current Detective Conan brainrot, I picked up an ultra-ridiculous Blu-ray of Movie 27 semi-recently and finally watched that film for the first time (English-language home release in 2026 maybe? Hoping!), and I was blown away by the music (something I sadly can't really say for a lot of Conan). The 44th track, "解けゆく隠し場所の謎" ("The Mystery of The Hidden Place is Solved"), was actually so beautiful that it was maybe distracting! But I also adored it to such an extent that I literally rewound the film after watching it and just played that part over and over, and I'd definitely take that over a score that's unmemorable. I really felt like M27's score had that personality to it that might be missing from a lot of film scores—the circus music for KID maybe exemplifies that best! That was a very new and different sound for him that was so fun!

I'll stop at one more to keep this from getting too much longer, but I also have a huge soft spot for the music of the early Sonic games. "Endless Mine" has an absolutely indescribable effect on me. There is just something about that song that activates something.

Not sure if I answered this right, but this was really fun! I also love OSTs (and love Final Fantasy tracks, too! VI, VII, IX...) and wish I knew how to write about music better. Thank you for the ask!!

#anonymous #replies #ramblings #long post #video #music #ahh this got me listening to some of my favorite tracks again gosh i love music <3 #thank you again for the ask! had a blast thinking about this!

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scoops404 · 10 months ago

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Taking a break from my Powerpoint Presentation (it's google slides but whatever) preparation to circle back to the thing @jestbee tagged me in - my fic graveyard

Before even looking, I don't think I have many. I can think of one big one, but we'll see if there are more when I open it up.

I organize mine by year, so here is 2022:

"5 times Dream called George baby accidentally + 1 time it was on purpose"

HAHAH i forgot about this. 2,500 words. I think I stopped writing it because it didn't feel like it was going anywhere and I got distracted by something else. I think this was right before I got sucked into writing Curse and Cure so my brain went entirely into that and forgot this one... oops

"Trans GNF fic" 11K - I really liked this one actually but I let a few trans friends read it to do a sensitivity beta and um it didn't really pass? they gave valid criticism and to fix it I would have had to kind of scrap most of it and I didn't really want to do that because my brain thought of another idea so I went and did that instead. This was going to be FWB cunnilingus fic very heavily pwp - so maybe it's for the best. I'd rather scrap it than write anything hurtful or offensive, so maybe in another universe ((also, this is the one I was thinking of that I never finished))

"Secret Santa 2022 Fic" 400 words. It never got off the ground because my giftee left the fandom and I wasn't really feeling it anyway (wrote Deep in Dream instead and won't apologize for that) but it was going to be very we-didn't-know-we-were-dating and closely canon compliant (but then i kinda did that with Just One Touch).

"2022 Halloween Exchange" (35 words lol) this also got canceled because it was around the time of the drituation, BUT -- my giftee was @extrasteps who I didn't know at the time when we were assigned, but is now very dear to me. But this was going to be soulmates, george as a witch/seer vibes gnf flying to orlando. george has visions and can see other people's soulmates but doesn't know he can't see his own so when he doesn't see Dream as his soulmate, he thinks they aren't soulmates until they meet and.... I wasn't quite sure where i was going with it but it would have kicked ass

Okay, I guess I have more than I remember...

"The Whether" 2,500 words - this one was going to be about dream's exploration of his sexuality and using George (with permission) as a safe space to explore that by flirting with him off-stream, etc. But like an explicit conversation is had about it where dream makes sure George is okay with that and then he just fake flirts his way into falling in love with George. Delves into physical -- George is like you keep questioning all this stuff, so just suck my dick if you want to try it. You know, because he's such a good friend. This one is absolutely Scoops bonkers crazy because Dream does a drodcast and like talks it out loud and realizes on the drodcast that he's actively in love with George. Peak comedy. I don't remember why I decided not to finish this one, might have been because someone I'm friends with was writing something similar and I didn't want to inadvertently copy so I put it on the back burner and then just forgot about it. in this era of Scoops, I can see that if I talked about this one, then people would have hyped me up and I would have ended up writing it fully probably.

2023:

"George's Pretty Privilege" 660 words. This was like one of those small things I had to write after finishing a big project i'd been working on for months (in this case, deep in dream) for something to be completely different. The idea was all the times George used and then realized his pretty privilege. I didn't finish this one because it was kinda boring and then something else caught my interest. Oh! We did a Spin The Wheel challenge and that made me write Shine Here To Us and that took all my attention away

That's it for 2023, besides a Merthur fic I've been working on forever so I don't consider that one "dead"

I don't even have 2021 on this laptop, but I know of at least one - Dream surprises George in line at a con while he's still faceless and pretends to be a fan. I almost uploaded that one.

Anyway, those are my dead and gone and not being resurrected fics. I hope you enjoyed. I got pretty good in 2023 of picking projects that I actually wanted to invest my time into and work to finish them. Taking that energy into 2024.

If you're a writer, feel free to do this as well!! And feel free to ask any questions you want about any of these ideas :D

#scoops writing

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slipping-through-my-fingertips · 10 months ago

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In My Head, I’m Yours

Epilogue: Wrapped Around Your Finger

Ao3

A/n: this was so fun to write, I’ll probably do more Percabeth fics in the future 🥰

2 years later

Delphi is back in the same bar where Annabeth first saw Percy. Unlike that night, no one can just walk in and expect to see them. There’s a line of fans waiting for the doors to open; all of whom got their tickets over 6 months ago. It’s completely sold out. Annabeth walked around the building to the stage door, knocked 3 times, until a bouncer appeared. He checked her pass before letting her in.

She found the dressing room easily as there were only two rooms back here. One of which she felt couldn’t really be called a bathroom, as it was most likely an old storage room now turned bathroom.

Annabeth knocked on the other door and Jason shouted come in.

“Annabeth!” Piper exclaimed, running over to hug her.

The two girls have become extremely close in the last year. Even though Piper had seen her only hours ago, she was hugging her like it had been months.

“Can you let go of my girlfriend now?” Percy asked.

Annabeth could see him over Piper’s shoulder but his comments only made Piper hold tighter.

“You hog her,” Piper said, “she’s mine tonight.”

Jason butted in and playfully pulled his girlfriend away from Annabeth, who was laughing at their antics. She was distracted enough by Piper jokingly trying to escape Jason’s hold on her in order to tattle Annabeth again that Annabeth didn’t realize how close Percy was to her. So when she was pulled into a kiss, it took a second before her lips caught up to her brain.

Kissing Percy never got old. His hands were on her exposed back pressing her closer to him. He was warm and smelled like the ocean. It was a new cologne Annabeth had gotten him for his birthday a few weeks ago. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers.

“You’re always mine,” he told her, low enough that it was just between them.

“As long as you’re always mine too,” she replied.

Watching Delphi perform also never got old. From backstage, it definitely had a different feeling than standing in the audience. Some nights, Annabeth likes to be by the bar again remembering the times she sat at the bar with Thalia and Leo, before she knew who Percy was, before she got to call him hers.

He was hers now. The way he smiled at her when he turned around to change instruments. Percy always made her feel like the show was just for her. Even with the bar packed wall to wall, he was still performing for an audience of one.

“We wrote this one a few years ago,” Percy introduced. “It’s about a relationship ending but also hoping it won’t.”

“Luckily for Percy, who released his negative nature into this song, he turned out to be very, very wrong,” Piper added.

“And to this day, she’s got him wrapped around her finger!” Jason said.

“Whatever, stop embarrassing me on stage in front of a live audience!” Percy exclaimed. “I love my girlfriend okay!”

The crowd cheered.

Delphi’s fans knew about Percy’s girlfriend but no one really knew her. Annabeth didn’t get recognized, not even at their gigs. Though she was almost always in attendance. Percy wasn’t that active on social media and Annabeth kept hers private.

She didn’t need him to shout it from the rooftops but whenever he talked about her on stage, her whole face got hot.

And it wasn’t as if they were hiding anything. She was the first person he sought when he came off of the stage. Percy included her in their post-show hugs, which at first Annabeth had found to be rather disgusting but she was learning to love them. He hummed her new songs and played new guitar riffs he was working on before sharing them with his bandmates.

Making all our plans in the Santa Cruz same that night

I thought I had you in my palm of my hand that night

First date

Open communication

Fall in love

Annabeth remembered the deal they made in the California sand.

Their first date hadn’t waited long. After they cleared the air, Percy had lifted her up and kissed her.

“Where are we going?” She asked, allowing herself to be led away from the ocean.

“We have a list to begin checking off,” he answered.

“Oh, do we?”

“I owe a beautiful girl a date.”

They found a 24-hour diner ordered strawberry and chocolate shakes and a plate of curly fries.

“What’s your favorite color?” Percy asked. “Mine’s blue.”

“Well obviously,” she said,

“I’m an open book.” He shrugged.

“I like green,” she replied, “seafoam green.”

“Yeah? Any reason in particular?”

He had a twinkle in his eyes that suggested he knew exactly why. But Annabeth was never one to make things easy for him.

She shook her head. “Nope.” Annabeth sipped her milkshake but she was smirking.

Percy grabbed her hand from across the table.

Going back to her hotel room—Percy was sharing one with his bandmates—and falling into bed together didn’t ruin the sweetness of their first date. In fact, it felt very them.

Screaming at the top of my lungs til my chest felt tight

I told myself that I’m never gonna be alright

You had me wrapped around my finger

Open communication was harder. Even with their chosen safe word, they had their fair share of fights. Their pasts caught up to them, their insecurities made themselves known. But neither of them used riptide.

It wasn’t always something life-alternating that they fought over. Sometimes it was over dirty dishes in the sink or using up all the hot water.

This fight wasn’t over something small. Eight months of calling themselves a couple and this was their biggest fight to date.

Annabeth couldn’t remember exactly how it started. She had come back from the firm, carrying a thousand things in her hands. The blueprints had already fallen twice on the way to her apartment.

Her phone was buzzing in her pocket and she was hoping to any god out there that it wasn’t her work mobile. If she had to stare at one more spreadsheet tonight, Annabeth was going to lose it.

Once inside the apartment, blissfully empty apartment, she dropped all of her things unceremoniously on the floor.

She got a shower and tried to scrub the awful day off of her.

Then the music started. Her terrible, no good, neighbors were playing some bass heavy music at a god awful volume. She was ready to yell at someone, anyone and they had it coming.

Annabeth was ready to march over there and pound on their door until they heard her but when she threw open her door her boyfriend was standing in front of her.

“Hey, I brought dinner,” he said.

She let out a breath. “Hi.”

“You forgot didn’t you?” Percy teased, “we made dinner plans.”

“I did forget, I’m sorry.”

He shrugged and led her inside.

Everything seemed fine. They ate and were watching a movie despite the music from next door. But her anger was sitting there under the surface waiting to explode.

Finally, after turning up the tv again Annabeth jumps up from the couch.

“That’s it!”

Percy grabbed her hand, pulling her back down onto the couch, “Hey, hey, what’s going on?”

They were facing each other now. Annabeth felt warm, literally hot with anger.

“I just had an awful day, I hate my neighbors, and I just want to scream at someone.”

“Tell me about your awful day,” he said, still holding her hand.

She shook her head. “I really don’t want to.”

“You shouldn’t keep it all bottled up, it’s not healthy.”

She knew that but Annabeth wasn’t in the mood for venting. She wanted a fight. Which is probably why she picked one with Percy.

“Percy, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Annabeth tried to keep her voice at a normal volume but he kept pushing.

“Stop! Just stop! You can’t solve all my problems.”

“Not if you don’t let me try.”

Annabeth knew she was yelling but Percy’s voice was steady still. She was almost thankful the music next door was so loud because it downed out their argument.

“I’m just so sick of it!”

“Of what?”

“Oh this! The bad days, the music, and just…”

It was like Percy knew what was coming. He was egging her on.

“Say it!” he dared.

“You! You’re suffocating.”

“Because you won’t talk to me!”

“All we do is talk!”

This went on for longer than Annabeth was proud of. It wasn’t until her eyes welled up with tears that she realized what was happening. She didn’t want to be fighting with her boyfriend.

What she wanted was to snuggle up on the couch and finish their movie.

So she said, “riptide.”

Immediately, Percy froze.

“I’m sorry,” she said, letting some tears escape. “I don’t want to fight. I didn’t mean it.”

He pulled her into his arms and whispered into her hair, “me too, me too.”

They ended up talking about Annabeth’s bad day at work. She complained for the umpteenth time about her neighbors. Percy had probably heard these same complaints from Thalia, Leo and her once a week if not more. She was facing Percy on the couch again, sitting crossed legged and eventually got all of her venting out of her system.

“I don’t think I can help with the work issues, but it sounds like everything will be fixed by Monday because you were just having an off day and everyone’s allowed to have those,” Percy said, “but I do have a solution to the neighbor problem.”

“Really because we’ve been thinking of issuing a formal complaint with the landlord. And I really don’t want it to come to that but we’ve talked to them before and nothing happened…” she rambled.

“I think you should move in with me,” Percy said.

“And the landlord doesn’t exactly like Leo, there was this incident when we first moved in and…wait what did you just say?”

Percy smirked, “Annabeth, will you move in with me?”

Annabeth opened her mouth but nothing came out.

“It doesn’t have to be my place either, we can look for somewhere together.”

She threw herself into his arms and kissed him. Annabeth’s hands wove themselves into his hair pushing his face closer to hers. Percy’s hands were trapped between their stomachs. Annabeth had total control over this kiss; she wrapped her legs around his waist pushing down on his crotch. He was groaning into her mouth so she shut him up by adding her tongue.

She wished she never had to breathe again so she could keep kissing him but she needed to breathe and so did he. Annabeth pressed their foreheads together and cupped his face in her hands.

“I am in love with you,” she told him. “Let’s start looking at places right now.”

“Can’t we finish the movie first?” He asked, but he was smiling at her enthusiasm. “Or maybe go upstairs and make out?”

“Just make out? Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?” She felt his forehead like he might be running a fever for suggesting such a thing.

“I am in love with you too by the way.”

Annabeth kissed him again.

They never got around to finishing their movie.

I’m wrapped around your finger

When the crowd started cheering for an encore, she knew Delphi couldn’t resist. She made her way backstage to the dressing room.

It was a small space. Annabeth definitely wished she would have designed this building because they were in need of some serious changes.

The dressing room consisted of pairs of tables with matching chairs against the left and right walls with rectangular mirrors hanging above them. These acted as vanities as the bands got ready.

The table Piper used still had her makeup spread out across it. Jason’s had a neatly stacked pile of clothes to change into while Percy’s had a phone charger and his wallet. Percy’s bag was hanging from the chair.

Annabeth’s purse was sitting on the small couch on the back wall of the room. She sat crossed legged at Percy’s table and charged her phone. By the time Delphi got off stage, Annabeth had been scrolling through posts about the show for the past 20 minutes.

greeneyes818: who’s seeing delphi tonite?

piedpiper: @greeneyes818 didnt you go to like the last 5 shows

greeneyes818: @piedpiper yes, and?

piedpiper: @greeneyes818 cu there

Most were about fellow fans meeting up but some stood out to her.

p3rcystan: if percy could stop being hot for like 5 seconds I think I could remember my name

Annabeth had to agree. She was so sucked into it that Percy’s arms around her made her jump. He rested his head on her right shoulder.

“Did you like the show?” He asked, not moving.

“Eh, not your best work.” She shrugged.

Percy quickly spun the chair around and kissed her.

“How about now?”

Annabeth chuckled and tried to stand but her boyfriend pushed her back into the seat.

“Answer me.”

Unfortunately for Annabeth, this side of Percy—the teasingly dominant side—only made her want him more.

“Alright listen,” Jason said, “if you’re gonna hook up backstage at least wait til we leave the room.”

That snapped them out of their daze. Only to find Jason standing with his arms crossed and Piper hiding a laugh behind her hands.

Percy shrugged, clearly not sorry at all.

“I have a hot girlfriend, sue me.”

Annabeth punched his shoulder.

“What?”

“Just hot?” she said.

“Hot, amazingly smart and gorgeous and she does this thing with her…”

Annabeth slapped a hand over his mouth, which only led to Percy licking her palm.

“You’re disgusting, I want to break up.”

At this point, Jason and Piper had packed up and left but Annabeth hadn’t noticed their absence. She didn’t have a chance to think it was strange they left before having a post-show hug.

Percy pouted. “You know you love me…” he sang.

She walked over to the couch to grab her purse. Suddenly, she realized how hungry she was. Leftover pizza at their apartment sounded insanely good right now.

“I might just have cold pizza when we get home because I am…” Annabeth never got to finish her thought before when she turned around Percy was kneeling and holding out a small blue box.

Her lip trembled. Annabeth never thought she was much of a crier but damn it this man in front of her made her feel things she didn’t know existed. And he wanted to marry her.

He wanted her to stay. Forever.

So she did.

#percabeth #Percabeth fanfic #Percabeth fanfiction #my fics

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kuu-stuff · 2 months ago

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26 November 2024

After taking a long break I'm finally getting slowly back to the grind. Since it's been a little while, I'm re-reading "This time I can share it with you" from the start and AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH This is always so embarrassing to read my own comics, it's the hardest part of my work process and usually I do it rarely, so when I'm facing it, all that goes in my head is "I can't believe I published thattt" and I end up having to read the same part 3 times because I keep being distracted by my embrassement.

Until now I pretty much drew it by following my notes, but now that I have a TON more notes, I need to start structuring it correctly, so I got a folder to sketch all my notes in order and come up with scenes to hold them. I wanted to finish my analysis of Silas first but I'm getting quite flustered at the idea as well. So I wrote key points and going out of that for now. I suppose that I will never be completely happy about my portrayal of him so I shouldn't sweat it like that... Well I hope you can enjoy it anyway, if you read that comic. ✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ I spent almost 3 full weeks doing nothing. I drew a few small things here and there but I haven't trained like I said I would... But my mind was really filled to the brim and I needed to think about something else for a little while. I hope that I will be able to get back to it at a good tempo like before. I don't want to spend too much time recovering from my break... I need to remember that what is important is the story, not the art.

I had the same issue for Contained. I tried to work on it for the past two weeks but I was so unhappy just sketching my first panels that I ended up just dropping it... I need to relax a little more about all that. I know that cool art is important but second guessing myself at every picture is what took me 6 years to finish 7 small chapters ... It's not like I'm writing Berserk... it's just a cringe fanfic at the end of the day. Same for "This time [...]" I just can't help but to put so much importance on it because it's pretty much the only thing I have and I want it to be perfect like if it's my only legacy. Technically it is, even if it's kind of pathetic to admit... But an unfinished story is way worse that a badly finished one.

✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

I don't know what's up with my brain. If it's the old age kicking in or if I spend too much time on Youtube, but I can't focus as well as before. I was so worried that I started to play that DS game to train your brain again. But at my surprise, my results were way better than they used to... So I don't understand... I even noticed writing letters in the wrong order, on keyboards and on paper. I feel like I just need to stay away from my pc more during the day but not only I'm bored to death faster than before, I notice every little noises from outside or from the fan or downstairs or whatever and it drives me crazy. But even just listening to music is enough to have the same effect of overfilling my brain to the point I can barely think. Sadly in this area there is no way to escape the noise of the road, people mowing all day long and random machines starting up randomly. There is no tranquility, and it's full of mosquitoes. Maybe that's the thing. Lack of silence. I know that I could get noise cancelling headphones and that's why I wear mine all the time, but I don't want this kind of silence. Like ... fake silence. I just want to feel like I'm at peace in this world. I want to keep hearing sounds of nature, maybe some human sounds, but not like this. Americans have it so bad and they don't even know it, tragic.

#journal

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karaonasi · 1 year ago

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BaxScar FanFic

Scarlett belongs to @minthe-drawings

And I wanted to write a little fanfic for them ❤️🤍🖤

Baxter’s POV

—-

The light was much too bright.

Still, it was too early.

Too early to deal with being awake.

Where…

I reached around, searching. Dammit. Did I just dream it was one of her too-rare visits?

I swear, these separations from her get harder and harder to take each time. I sighed and fell back into the sheets, feeling cold without her there. And lonely. Maybe…maybe she would be available to talk between clients--once I was awake enough to form complete sentences at least.

I had almost dozed again when I sat up in bed--way too fast, making my head spin. Was that? I layed back down. I could have sworn I heard someone in the kitchen. Then I heard it again. Clanking sounds definitely coming from the kitchen. This time I eased myself up more slowly, despite my excitement, making my way to the edge of the bed. I stood and felt my pajama top pull oddly. Oh…huh… somehow it was half undone. My fingers were usually quite dextrous. But in the morning hours they felt thick and clumsy. I realized I had to straighten my pants too, having twisted in my sleep. Memories of the night before brought a soft smile to my lips--my Scarlett’s softness, pressed against me, her legs tangled with mine, her long hair sometimes tickling my cheek… I’m not quite sure how long I stood there, only the coldness of the floor against my bare feet made me aware my mind had zoned out. Where were my slippers?

Zebra slippers finally found and on my feet, I shuffled into the common area of the apartment. I stopped, having just emerged from the hall when I saw her. Scarlett. MY Scarlett. There. In my home. What I desperately wanted to be OUR home. I think my original intent upon coming out of the bedroom had been to go directly to her but… I somehow found myself sitting sideways in my favorite blue chair, resting my head on my hands on the back of the chair…because I had to sit down. Maybe I had stopped breathing when I saw her. I don’t quite know. I just knew I had to sit down.

Her red head popped up from whatever she had been doing. And then she was coming my direction, her long bare legs striding slowly toward me, my fogged brain hearing music in my head and seeing a dance in her step. She was so graceful. Especially when she danced. As if she was made to be in my arms. My one true partner. On the dancefloor and off.

“Morning, Baby,” her lovely voice purred as I felt the press of her lips on the top of my head. I smiled up at her, wanting to bask in her brightness as if she were the sun. Then got distracted, looking down at my hands that suddenly had a warm coffee mug in them, blinking at the apparition perplexed. “You’re a bit more confused than usual, Sweetie,” and I heard her laughter, like windchimes to my ear.

I blinked again, trying to scrape together some semblance of coherence for her. “...well…yes…” I met her gaze, though my vision went double. No matter. I couldn’t complain about seeing twice the beautiful woman before me. “...two weddings this weekend…” I explained. She nodded then sat on the couch, holding her own mug. I hungrily memorized the sight of her. It had been too long, too many weeks. And neither pictures nor memories could quite hold a candle to the real sight of her. Her creamy skin adorned with a constellation of freckles, the softness of her--generous curves of chest and hips that felt even better than they looked, long shapely legs, and her beautiful face and piercing green eyes that seemed to light up for some unfathomable reason when she looked at me. Not that I would ever try to dissuade her from choosing me again. No, I would take my undeserved good fortune and treasure it until the end of time. Because…quite honestly, she was a goddess. A goddess that brought light, acceptance, happiness, healing and…love into my life for the first time in my life.

I suddenly realized that she was looking at me with an amused expression. “Goddess, huh?” her voice teased. I blinked at her. Did I say that aloud? I wracked my brain to come up with something witty to volley back at her. But my mind was simply too slow… I heard her laugh again and I felt my face heat just slightly. “If that is the case, then… Come. Here.” She pointed to the spot just before her. And though I wasn’t sure what game we were playing (or if I could keep up in my current state), I simply nodded and set down my mug before complying. “You’re a mess in the mornings, Pretty Boy,” she teased with obvious affection, and I watched as she undid and refastened my buttons that had somehow been mismatched.

“I know…” I was glad she was in a happy mood, even if it was at my expense. But the last thing I could do was complain as Scarlett’s slender hands led me onto the couch beside her. She guided my head to rest upon her, her arms circling around me. “...you are my entire world, Scarlett My Love…” I murmured before drifting off, feeling warm and loved and…safe… as only she had ever been able to do in my life.

#baxter ward #our life #baxscar #baxterPOV #I love her Scarlett so much. Kit says she’s family.#fan fiction of fan art haha

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fanficonly · 2 years ago

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Wenclair- "Mine" -Chapter 18

Here it is the final chapter of this fanfic. Thank you to everyone who read, liked, commented and reblogged. This has been one of my favourite stories to write!

I am also considering writing a sequel in the future ...let me know what you think?😋

----

"Wednesday" Enid breathed out in response, bracing herself for her next words, her hand freely tightening around Wednesday's cold but comforting hand.

She wasn't ready to let go.

Not just yet.

She was going to hold onto this feeling, hold onto her hand and hold onto Wednesday for as long as the Gods,or Wednesday herself, permitted it.

...

"I think we need to re-evaluate the terms of our current relationship" Wednesday spoke rather formally in order to detach herself from her unpredictable emotions. As if her heart didn't emit a spark for the first time in years that allowed it to finally beat at a regular pace just at the sight of Enid.

"Are you trying to say you actually want to be like... Dating?" Enid didn't think her smile could get any wider but low and behold it did as the word "Dating" crossed her lips cautiously.

"I wouldn't use such trivial terminology but yes I suppose I am" Wednesday agreed with Enid. She wasn't going to pretend in her own head that she wasn't aware of how abnormally attracted to the werewolf she was. This moment had been building for an immeasurable amount of time and if it hadn't of been for the many MANY distractions and imminent death scenarios maybe this would have happened sooner.

"You're so formal" Enid chuckled a little, still nervous at the closeness that she continued to experience from Wednesday.

"The action I just participated in was far from formal Enid" Wednesday said bluntly again but her lips betrayed her with a twitch at the very recent memory.

"So that wasn't a one off?' Enid asked again. She knew the kiss happening was an absolute miracle and her anxiety was practically bouncing off the walls of her brain with the idea that it was all just some sick anomaly caused by the trauma Wednesday had suffered... But of course this wasn't overthinking.

"Do I look like the kind of person who does something as a 'one off' Enid" Wednesday explained her tone laced with offense.

"No of course not" Enid shook her head, biting her lip nervously.

"Unless you would prefer it to be but judging by-" Wednesday began. She wasn't great at reading people when it came to emotional ordeals so she was ready to accept whatever Enid decided, no matter how painful. Of course she barely got the words out before the blonde almost violently yelled

"NO" the harsh word flew from her lips loudly "Sorry I-" she composed herself before trying again "Yes I feel like my confession of my undying l-the- well feelings for you and the whole mate thing was enough to make that clear" she answered, happy with her words.

"Extremely so" Wednesday droned out, almost bitter that she felt so much around the werewolf. It threw her off balance, it changed her, it made her... More human. How disturbing she thought to herself.

"Sooo..." Enid elongated the word waiting for Wednesday to finish for her.

"So?" Wednesday asked. She was painfully aware that she should not be the one to take control of this situation due to lack of experience and her own uneasiness around the topic so she couldn't help the little voice inside her that irritated at Enid

"You liked the kiss?" She asked hopefully.

Wednesday thought for a moment but to Enid it felt like a year. She was not able to deny her feelings for much longer and she definitely cant hide it now that she had let Enid violate the sanctity of her mouth.

"Surpringly the amount of physical contact and intimacy was ..." She started, giving herself another moment to find the right word "Acceptable" she decided. But in reality the kiss was exceptional to the Addams Girl and she couldn't help but long for their lips to be connected again. This wasn't something that the supposedly unemotional girl could just admit to though. She was already looking at her lovely, safe yet conflicting comfort zone in the rear view mirror of her mind, what else did the universe need from her?

"Wow, acceptable, I don't usually get that response when I kiss someone" Enid scrunched her eyebrows as if she was trying to figure out whether or not she had heard Wednesday right.

"I apologise I'm not well versed in ... Relationship terminology... Or relationships" Wednesday admitted a whisper of vulnerability floating in the air as she turned her head away from Enid's eyes.

"It's okay" Enid supported her, understandably and let her continue on.

"I'm finding it hard to put into words the way you just made me feel Enid. The fact I felt something other than my usual feelings of disdain and misery is disconcerting as is." She admitted, fighting the urge to be close with Enid once again. She buried the voices in her head violently and ignored their distant cries for Enid's touch.

"I get it Wednesday that's just you" she shrugged. "I accept that" Enid smiled but Wednesday was still faced away from her "Look at me" she reached out, hesitating for a second before lightly turning Wednesday's face towards her again.

After her initial shock at her shameless tolerance of her new love interest's touch, she blinked.

"So acceptable was the correct word" she piped up, a sense of pride in her aura.

"I'd use a stronger word but sure" Enid giggled again and Wednesday couldn't help but admire her ability to spin things positively, her lip almost jerking into a smile.

"Well tell me how you feel and I will agree or disagree" Wednesday negotiated, hoping this would help her understand. It wasn't the most romantic way to profess her love for Enid but she just wasn't able to figure out what to say without completely ruining everything.

"Sure that's one way to communicate" she laughed again but it trailed away in the wind when she zoned in on the raven haired girl, still sat staring at her expectantly.

Wednesday didn't speak just waited patiently for her to continue, trying to decipher the second new emotion Enid had extracted from deep within her. She felt unsteady, unsure, unwell almost but after she heard Enid's voice again everything in her silently settled.

"It felt Incredible" she shamelessly admitted. "Wednesday you are beautiful and I can't describe how much I want to be near you and just for you to let me kiss you like that I can imagine was hard but-" Enid's romantic monologue was interrupted by Wednesday's sharp voice.

"It wasn't hard - I actually want to do it again." She professed. NERVOUS. She was nervous. Her eyes grew wide after finally realising that second emotion she felt was anxiety. A foreign and unnatural feeling to the Raven. No wonder she felt so unstable. But she pushed forward with plenty of resistance and continued when she saw Enid's eyes light up.

"It was oddly exhilarating Enid, I think..." she hesitated, letting out a slow and shaky breath "I have the same feelings as you" she tightened her lips as the words left her mouth "It is...in all honesty... it is difficult to describe." Her eyes grew with realisation "To extraordinary to describe" she mumbled the dictionary definition, breaking eye contact for only a moment. "Indescribable" she whispered as she looked back at Enid, she noticed the range of emotions that seemed to fill out her features and Wednesday had to clear her throat discreetly before continuing

"Although I do not possess the equivalent primal animalistic force pushing me towards you that you experience with me so" she observed, battling with her own self. Enid's mouth fell open slowly while Wednesday spoke, feeling elated that this was finally happening.

Enid finally chose between the array of emotions she was feeling and teared up as she spoke "Wednesday I think you just explained it far better than acceptable." She smiled widely letting her eyes leak uncontrollably. Wednesday didn't find their emotional intimacy hard. She found it exhilarating?! She made Wednesday feel like that?! She had the SAME FEELINGS FOR HER?! Enid's whole body vibrated with happiness as she tried to figure out what to do next.

"Okay" Wednesday agreed, absentmindedly raising her hand and brushing her thumb across Enid's cheek to remove the acidic substance leaking from her eyes. "So how exactly do we proceed?" She asked bringing her hand back towards her own face.

"I-Im not sure I know what you mean?" Enid's mind went blank as she watched Wednesday raise her thumb to her lips and taste the tears that had left her eyes. Grazing her thumb slowly down her lips and subtly licking her lower lip to taste the drop of emotion that had been filtered through Enid's tear duct. Enid bit her own lip in an attempt to compose the many MANY unholy thoughts that invaded her mind at the sight of this.

Wednesday smirked down at the place where water used to reside on her hand and whispered to herself "Happy Tears Taste different to those of the tortured and tormented" she declared and Enid choked at the sentence, clearing her throat and attempting to find the good in what she had just heard. Weirdly enough a lot of dark thoughts about what Wednesday could be referring to were released into her brain but they were immediately disintegrated by the usual sunshine that swallowed her insides.

"That's..." She slowed her words "Educational" she spoke "Very scientific of you" she chuckled nervously, somewhat relieved that she had been snapped out of her amorous state.

Wednesday had not even realised she had muttered those words and to someone like her she thought she had just openly spoke romantically towards Enid so soon after their first kiss. However, she also observed that to Enid that was probably (Definitely) a rather sadistic sentence she had constructed and let slip from her inner demonic thoughts.

"It both amazes me and concerns me that you can so easily defend my morbid thoughts ...maybe that is also something I find-" she paused again unable to say the word but also unable to find a tolerable equivalent. So she gave up "attractive about you" she finished and nodded her head approvingly.

"Thanks!" Enid shrugged not finding it odd at all but instead just enjoying the balance they had fallen into over the last few months. She commended herself in her own head for staying civil rather than letting her brain turn to mush at the idea of Wednesday finding her attractive and openly telling her this.

"So you are my lover now?" Wednesday asked politely. Enid bit the inside of her cheeks to combat the laugh that threatened to erupt from within.

"You're so old fashioned." Enid couldn't help but giggle as she threw her head back slightly. "Yes I am your girlfriend now as long as that is something you also want" her words slowed as she move towards Wednesday, her eyes glazed in hopeless optimism.

"Cara Mia, I think I have made it clear that this is definitely something I desire ...have I not? " she questioned, contemplating ways she could force the wolf to understand. Calling her by a term of endearment she thought was a good start because Enid absolutely swooned.

"Well you know-I just-you're Wednesday Addams and honestly I have thought about this exact scenario in my head A LOT and the outcome was never this positive I'm kind of like totally freaking out Wednesday" Enid gave her an awkward smile while her body betrayed her, shaky with anxiety.

Wednesday wanted to take a large 900 pound weight and crush the anxiety that Enid felt but as this was an impossible occurrence she decided to swallowed back her pride, the feeling burning like venom in her trachea.

"Well how about this" she took a deep breath in and placed her hand on Enid's cheek delicately.

"Enid Sinclair, I ask your permission to court you, do you accept?" She asked, with a charming and alluring tone this time, staring at the blonde with a glint of hopefulness in her eyes.

She tried. She tried so hard to remain serious but after snapping out of her dazed condition she caved.

"I can honestly say that was an incredibly unique way of telling me you would like me to be your girlfriend" she burst into a fit of giggles laying back on the bed and Wednesday looked down at Enid with a small but genuine smile on her lips.

Once she had calmed down she noticed Wednesday's smile and beamed, sitting up right.

"Omg! Omg! You're smiling again!" She grabbed at Wednesday's wrists excitedly.

Wednesday scolded herself but also allowed herself a little bit of leeway considering the beautifully dramatic and adorable response this had elicited from Enid. She looked down at the wolf's hands and as if by some conditioned response, Enid quickly retracted her hands and spoke

"Oh sorry" looking away from Wednesday worriedly.

Wednesday furrowed her brow at the reaction. She knew why it had happened but accepting everything she felt for Enid had caused her to suddenly become hostile. She opened her mouth to scold the blonde but stopped and permitted herself a moment to think.

After what felt like an eternity Wednesday finally broke the silence causing Enid to snap her head back towards her.

"Be mine" she said quietly "Just ... Be mine Enid Sinclair and I will be yours" she pushed past all of her natural impulses and instead grabbed Enid's hands softly and pulled them back into her grasp. There was no need for Enid to feel like she couldn't touch Wednesday anymore surely.

Enid moved forward, her wolf's intrusive voice ringing in her ears. She wanted Wednesday, needed her. Needed to feel her lips again and be close to her once more. So she closed her eyes and captured the seer's lips with hers , softly kissing her again.

She smiled into the kiss, her hand creeping its way up the Seer's arm towards her shoulder, the other still tightly interlaced with Wednesday's hands

As she pulled back a low, possessive growl escaped her own lips through her fangs, and she noticed Wednesday's positive reaction to this. She moved her now clawed hand to the back of Wednesday's neck as she rested her forehead onto hers.

"Mine" she growled before settling into Wednesdays arms in a desperate hug, still awaiting her inevitable dream to end and for her to wake up in the woods somewhere unaware she had been dreaming.

But that didn't happen.

This was real.

Wednesday Addams was her mate and she accepted Enid Sinclair as hers.

"Yours" Wednesday whispered into the crook of Enid's neck, wrapping her arms securely around the werewolf, in an attempt to infuse their bodies together forever.

#wenclair #enid sinclair #wednesday #wednesday addams #wenclair fanfic #wednesday x enid #wenclair mine #wenclair chapter 18 #wenclair final chapter

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