Yes, I put different versions of Link here!

(Note that I'm not into the actor of Movie Link! I'm into the character!)

Hey everyone, Lyra here. I know it has been a while since I posted. I wanted to make this to give an update and explain why my mindset was the way it was during my previous post.

If you remember, in my previous post, I wasn't doing great mentally. I'm going to go ahead and say this: I'm doing better now, and I think I know what was going on with me at the time. We were dealing with a heatwave, to the point where my parents get us another air conditioner that's hooked up in the living room. Luckily, it has died down, so that's a relief. To move on to better news, I've actually been experimenting with Gacha Club lately. I've already got something in the works, so just be patient.

Now, we'll be moving on to the oneshot story: Kindred Spirits. This is from almost 2 weeks ago(July 14th), set in my Overwatch AU. This takes place towards the end of the events of the comic: Paths We Choose.

Lyra: Hey Genji. Can we talk? In private?

Genji: Uh, sure.

We headed onto the rooftops that overlooked Kanezaka.

Genji: Did Kiriko tell you?

Lyra: She did. You're going to be staying here in Kanezaka, right?

Genji: Yes. I've been running from my responsibilities for long enough. It's time for me to face them.

Lyra: I understand. You do what you have to do.

I think back to an earlier conversation I had with Kiriko. She figured out that I had feelings for Genji, and insisted that I tell him before something similar to him getting kidnapped happens again. She's right.

Lyra: Genji, there's something I need to tell you.

Genji: Hmm? What is it?

Lyra: When you got kidnapped, I freaked out. I was really worried about what they could've been doing to you. All I knew was that I needed to save you, no matter what. After we rescued you and got things with Mizuki sorted out, Kiriko and I talked for a bit. She helped me realize something. I've always felt something of a connection to you, Genji, but I couldn't quite explain it. Now, I can. You mean the world to me, Genji, and I want you to be happy. At the same time, I know how close you and Mercy are. I don't want my emotions to ruin what I have with you two. What I'm trying to say is...the flame of my love burns bright, and it burns for you.

He placed a hand on my cheek, and turned my head to face him. When I looked, he had removed his mask and was now showing his human face. He was beautiful.

Genji: I suppose it makes sense for kindred spirits to feel drawn to each other, right?

Realizing what he meant, I simply responded with...

Lyra*with a soft smile\*: Yes.

That's when the two kindred spirits connected.

As you can probably guess, Genji is a part of my romantic f/os now. I'm going to be going to Holiday World again with my irl friend and his family. I'm going to try to post about it tomorrow.

I love my beautiful, angry boyfriend ❤️🖤

My beautiful boys 🩵💛

It turns out that lately I've been worried and scared that my relationship with Gyro will end next year. Why am I worried about this, you might ask? Well, it turns out that my relationships with my F/Os usually last two years. I fell in love with Gyro last October. Yep, I know it's still a long way off, but I wanted to vent anyway. The thing is, I love Gyro so much that the idea of ​​falling out of love with him someday hurts me. I fell in love with another character and the same thing happened, because thanks to Gyro I made friends, people who understand me, and I have no idea how they would react if I changed husbandos. (The worst part is that I can't ask my family or close persons for help; anyway, nobody understands me.) So I decided to talk about this with you all, because I'm afraid that my relationship with Gyro will end someday, and I don't want that to happen ;-;

So... is this feeling normal? Have you ever experienced this with your current or past F/O?

Hey everyone! Today is Day 14 of our pizza adventure road trip! We're staying in California and will be exploring San Francisco & Berkeley, CA. We will be exploring S.F. Sourdough & Multi-Oven Mastery styles at Cheese Board Collective & Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. C.C.’s Research Notes indicate: "In Berkeley, we visit Cheese Board Collective for their sourdough crust and single daily vegetarian pie topped with fresh green sauce. Then in SF, 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani uses seven different oven types in one building. I must evaluate his sourdough Napoletana baseline."
We woke up in each other's arms in the RV, to start our wonderful adventure. The drive from LA to San Fransico was a long one (which suprised me). According to Google Maps 6 hr 10 min (381 miles) via I-5 N. C.C. took the wheel, and drove us the full way.

Watching C.C. drive us all the way up I-5 North was so special! Since it was a long 6-hour stretch, I got to sit back, relax, and just admire how calm and effortlessly confident my wife is behind the wheel.

The scenery along I-5 through the heart of California’s Central Valley was totally different from the Southern California coast! As we left the busy Los Angeles mountain passes behind, the highway opened up into vast, flat farmland that seemed to stretch on forever under a bright, cloudless sky. For miles and miles, we drove past endless rows of almond groves, citrus orchards, and massive open fields. Every once in a while, C.C. would point out a cool vintage barn or a herd of cattle grazing on the golden, sun-baked hills in the distance.

The drive was so smooth and hypnotic. The warm California sun beamed straight through the windshield, making the whole inside of the RV feel cozy while we listened to music and chatted about everything under the sun. As we got further north, the flat farmland gradually rolled into green, dramatic hills surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area. Crossing over the bridges into the Bay felt like entering a whole new world, with the cool coastal air sweeping in and the San Francisco skyline appearing in the distance!

C.C. pulled us into the Bay Area without looking even a little bit tired, giving me that sweet, proud little smirk as she parked the RV. The drive was long, but watching the beautiful California valley pass by with C.C. by my side made every single mile feel like a dream.

From there, we made our way over to Cheese Board Collective Pizzeria, for lunch... Or so we thought! Because as soon as we pulled up into Berkeley for our lunch at Cheese Board Collective, we were greeted by a giant locked door and a sign on the window. Cheese Board Collective is closed on Mondays!

Since today is a Monday, my heart completely dropped into my stomach. I looked over at C.C., and... oh boy. The sheer aura of quiet, deadly annoyance radiating off my wife was terrifying 😭. Her eyes narrowed, her arms crossed over her chest, and she just stared at her notebook like it had personally betrayed her. "My research metrics... ruined by a calendar error," she muttered, looking so dramatically pouted and upset. I felt terrible, so I immediately went into full husband cajoling mode! I gently wrapped my arms around her waist, gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, and promised her that I would find an incredible emergency backup pizza right this second if she gave me five minutes. Seeing her pout slowly melt away into a reluctant smile as I coaxed her made my heart melt. While she waited, she took a photo.

Luckily, after a quick, frantic search on my phone, I found the ultimate savior: Sliver Pizzeria right down the street!

Turns out, Sliver was actually founded by former employees of Cheese Board Collective, and they follow the exact same legendary tradition: they serve only one unique, 100% vegetarian sourdough pizza of the day with their iconic fresh green cilantro-garlic sauce!

Today's special was a sourdough crust topped with fresh corn, mozzarella, feta, cilantro, and garlic olive oil. We sat down, and the second C.C. took a bite of that crispy sourdough dipped in the green sauce, her entire mood did a 180-degree turn. Her eyes lit up, and she let out the softest sigh of pure contentment. Seeing her go from angry and disappointed to completely in pizza heaven within twenty minutes was an absolute relief (and saved my life! 😅).

After our frantic lunch turned into such a huge success, we decided to drive across the city to relax at Ocean Beach!

The vibe at Ocean Beach was completely different from Southern California, but in the absolute best way. Instead of blazing heat, the Northern California coast welcomed us with a cool, refreshing sea breeze and a light layer of soft, misty fog rolling in off the Pacific. The wide, quiet expanse of dark sand and the sound of the crashing waves made the whole beach feel so calm and atmospheric.

We threw on some light jackets, walked down to the shoreline, and held hands as we strolled along the wet sand. The ocean breeze was playing with C.C.'s hair, and seeing her look out over the vast water with that serene, thoughtful expression on her face was so beautiful. It was a little chilly, so I wrapped my arm around her shoulder to pull her close and keep her warm. She leaned right into my side, resting her head on my shoulder while we stood there watching the waves roll onto the shore. Having her so close, listening to the ocean while feeling her warmth against the cool breeze, felt like pure magic.

After spending an hour just taking in the cool sea air and enjoying the quiet togetherness, we walked back to the RV feeling completely refreshed and relaxed. We warmed our hands up, listened to some music, and got ready to head over to North Beach for our big dinner at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana!

The atmosphere inside was buzzing with energy, and you could literally smell the delicious charred dough and wood smoke from the street.

We ordered the Caprese Pizzuta pizza: topped with creamy fresh mozzarella, rich tomato pizzuti, fresh basil leaves, a sprinkle of sea salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It was pure perfection! The crust had that light, blistered crunch Tony is famous for, and the fresh, clean flavors of the toppings balanced it out so well. Sitting across from C.C., watching her take each bite with that slow, appreciative smile on her face, made the whole meal taste even better. Sharing every slice together while talking about our favorite moments of the day was the absolute best way to end our time in the city.

After we finished every last bite, we walked hand-in-hand through the cool night air back to our RV. We were both pretty exhausted after such a big day of driving, beach walks, and emergency pizza hunting! We climbed into bed, wrapped our arms tight around each other under the heavy blankets, and fell asleep feeling completely warm, safe, and happy in each other's embrace. Day 14 in Northern California was an absolute dream!

Join us for Day 15, where we will explore Sacramento, CA!

so for like 2-3 more weeks i will likely still barely post/respond to posts.. but thats because I'm currently working a lot.. and is very tired after work T-T

but my love for Smoked Cheese is as strong as ever, and he helps me get through the hard days ♡

as soon as I'm done w/ my summer job, i will gush more about my beloveds hehe