july13th2004
july13th2004
Tales of Symphonia: A Decade and Counting
4K posts
(Currently on semi-hiatus) On July 13th, 2004, North America received one of the greatest games to grace the GameCube and the gaming world... This blog will be all about one of my favorite games, Tales of Symphonia. Anything related to Tales of Symphonia will be posted here...
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july13th2004 · 1 day ago
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[9-12]
Artist: つみれ
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july13th2004 · 2 days ago
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Artist: つみれ
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july13th2004 · 8 days ago
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Kranna Day 2025 Mini Event Master Post
When: September 1st, 2025
How to Participate: Choose one or more of the prompts in the list below and create a fanwork (fanart, fanfiction, etc.) based on your chosen prompt(s).
Here's the list of prompts you can choose from:
-Affection
-Clocks/Time
-Casino
-Height Differences
-Flowers
-First Kiss
-Wedding/Proposal
-Hugs
-Always/Forever
-Locket
Please Note: This list of prompts is a combination of ones recycled from past Kranna Week events!
Rules: NSFW/R18 fanworks are allowed, but please remember to follow Tumblr’s posting guidelines and highlight any warnings or tag the post appropriately. External links are allowed if your fanwork cannot be posted on Tumblr for this reason. Mirror links are allowed if you also post your work on another site such as AO3 or Pixiv, for example. Fanworks must be of your own creation, no AI generated works will be allowed, even partially AI generated works. You may repost any of your past fanworks as long as they relate to one or more of the prompts listed above.
Most importantly, though, have fun!
Tags: #KrannaDay2025
#クラアンの日2025
Lastly, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Late works will be accepted until September 8th, 2025. Thank you, and I hope to see you all on September 1st for this mini event!
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july13th2004 · 9 days ago
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Artist: つみれ
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july13th2004 · 14 days ago
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Five years ago today, Tales of Asteria officially revealed Kratos' Wedding Tuxedo outfit!
So here's some screenshots I took a couple years ago a few weeks before the game was shut down (backgrounds are from two different characters from other Tales games) to celebrate that!
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july13th2004 · 15 days ago
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Artist: つみれ
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july13th2004 · 25 days ago
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Eternally Yours
Characters/Relationships: Kratos Aurion, Anna Irving, Kratos Aurion/Anna Irving, Kranna
Genre: Gen/Romance/Fluff
Rating: G
Warnings: Major Character Death
Word Count: 2169
Mirror Link: AO3 | Pixiv
Summary: When Kratos closes his eyes for the last time, he ends up on the side of the afterlife he never expected, nor felt that he fully deserved to end up on. Will he reunite with his beloved and dear wife, Anna, decades after her tragic death forced them apart far too soon? And how will they both react to seeing each other after all those years of being apart?
Author's Note: So today's the day! I've had the title of this fic in my head for about five years now, or around the time the art that this fic is heavily inspired by was posted on Twitter. And it wasn't until earlier this year that I finally came up with a concrete idea for this one, with the goal of posting it today, the 5th anniversary of this art being posted on Twitter. This fanart means so much to me, and I remember feeling emotional when I first saw it on this day five years ago, so I really hope I was able to write a story that conveys how much this art means to me.
I would highly encourage you to take a look at this art if you haven't yet! You can find it here, or if you don't want to or can't look at Twitter (which I completely understand, unfortunately), you can also look at it here.
Kratos trudged into his room, which was surrounded by stark and sterile white colored walls, wanting nothing more than to lie down and sleep for a while. He made his way slowly over to his bed, where his now old and wrinkly hands pulled back the stark white covers of his bed. After slowly crawling into his bed, he laid down on his back and pulled the covers up over him, his spiky silver and white hair splayed out on his pillow. Then he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, wearing a peaceful look on his face.
When he awoke sometime later, he found himself staring up at a wooden ceiling. He jolted upright and looked frantically around the room, immediately realizing that he was inside a cabin based on the view of his surroundings. The window to his right provided a direct view into the forest outside. He looked down at his hands and arms and immediately noticed they were no longer old and wrinkly. In addition to how his hands and arms appeared, he also noticed that he was wearing his lavender colored fingerless gloves and his indigo and white colored arm sleeves that extended from his biceps to his wrists.
He then looked at his spiky bangs, which were now auburn colored instead of silver and white. Was this just a dream? Or was this the afterlife? As he got out of bed, he recalled seeing a bright flash of light shortly after closing his eyes followed by darkness before he woke up. So perhaps this was the afterlife… Kratos quickly walked over to a tall standing mirror near the bedroom door to get a closer look at his appearance. His suspicions about this being the afterlife were further confirmed after looking at his appearance in the mirror.
He hadn't worn his mercenary attire in decades, and judging from his appearance in the mirror, that's exactly what he was wearing. Kratos sighed as he left the room, confused and bewildered as to whether this was just a dream or not. After ultimately leaving the cabin, in search of more proof and answers, he wandered through the forest until he saw a town off in the distance. The town appeared to look exactly like Luin, another detail that puzzled him, because he hadn't visited the town in decades, either.
When he arrived in town a short time later, he approached the nearest person, a man who seemed friendly enough to hopefully give him some answers. He talked with the man for a while, and his suspicions about this being the afterlife were officially confirmed. Kratos was also told the reason he ended up in the cabin nearby, because that's where his beloved wife would be. It now all made sense to him. Anna's hometown was Luin, so naturally, because she passed away long before him, she would end up near her hometown in the afterlife. The man also told Kratos that it was now all up to him to find and reunite with her.
Taking the man's suggestion of going back to the cabin and starting the search for her there, Kratos bid the man farewell and thanked him before he hurriedly left the town and ran back towards the cabin. When he arrived and went back inside, he started his search in the small closet inside the bedroom where he first opened his eyes earlier. The man in town told him that he would most likely find her deep inside what would appear to be a neverending closet. He made his way through all of the articles of clothing that were inside the closet, and quickly found himself surrounded by darkness again. Kratos pressed forward until he saw a light, followed by a vast, grey hued space.
He kept his forward stride as he fully entered the vast, empty space, surrounded by nothing but the color grey. His footsteps echoed off the floor as he continued on for a short while. Then something strange and surreal happened, he suddenly began to levitate a few feet up in the air, and an external, invisible force started to push and pull him forward. Kratos floated along slowly, and allowed this invisible force to carry him wherever it was going to take him.
This invisible force carried him along for a while, until another floating figure appeared in his line of sight. He floated closer, and immediately recognized the floating figure as none other than his wife. His mouth fell agape in shock at the sight of her. Kratos hadn't seen her in her human form since the moment before she was turned into an Exbelua…
He winced slightly at the painful memory as he floated around her. Anna's body was curled up in an almost defensive position. Her knees were fully bent and slightly raised, and her arms were pressed against her chest with her hands clasped together. Her outfit was almost completely intact, from her beige colored long sleeved shirt and pants to the brown colored belt she wore with those pants. The only article of clothing that wasn't completely intact was her beige colored poncho, which had various rips and tears along the hood and hem, plus a slightly large hole in the back. She wasn't wearing any shoes or socks, either, as her feet were completely exposed and bare. Kratos could only guess that this must have been her appearance in the moments before she passed away.
When he floated around to face her, he noticed that her eyes were still closed. Had she been in this vast, empty space this whole time? And had she been waiting for him this whole time, too? There was only one way to find out, and that was to get her to open her eyes so she would see that he was finally here, and that they were together again. His right arm wrapped around her underneath the hood on her poncho and pulled her closer to him. He then gently placed his left hand on the back of her head, closed his eyes and leaned in to plant a kiss against her hair.
“I'm here, my dear…” Kratos murmured against her hair. “You can open your eyes now, Anna. Please…”
She slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head up as he pulled back and opened his eyes again.
“Kratos?” Anna blinked, giving him a quizzical look.
It took her a moment for the realization that he was actually there to dawn on her, but when it did she let out a loud gasp and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
“Kratos! Oh, Kratos!” Anna exclaimed while hugging her husband. “Oh, honey, you're finally here!”
“Yes, my dear, I am…” Kratos stated as he returned his wife's embrace. “I apologize for making you wait for me for so long…”
The couple floated down to the floor a moment later and reluctantly released each other.
“Oh, Kratos…” Anna stated as she shook her head with tears in her eyes. “All that matters to me is that you lived a long and happy life. That is all that I wished for, regardless of how long I would have to wait. I am so happy that you're finally here with me, though!”
He cupped her face with both hands and wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs, then let out a sigh and gave her gentle, yet hesitant smile. “A part of me is still not sure if I deserve to be here with you, my dear.”
She reached up and cupped his face in return, all while giving him a soft, knowing smile. “Remember when I told you that we would always be together? I still believe that. And now that you're here, that means you've done enough to deserve to be here with me. That's all that matters now, Kratos.”
Kratos paused for a moment to ruminate on his wife's statement before he made one of his own in agreement with her. “I suppose you're right, my dear. We now have eternity to spend together.”
He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers, then gently cupped her cheek. “I'm eternally yours, my dear…”
Her eyes welled with tears again. “Oh, Kratos, I love you!”
“I love you too, Anna.” Kratos smiled sincerely, his thumbs lightly brushing her cheeks. “Now let's leave this place and go back to the cabin. We can talk more there, my dear.”
The couple kissed, and Anna couldn't help but sigh contentedly against Kratos' lips. Both had yearned for this moment ever since death had parted them far too soon. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened their kiss. When the two parted, Kratos took Anna's hand and led her towards the portal of darkness that would take them back to the cabin. They entered the cabin through the bedroom closet a short time later and Anna began to search for a pair of socks and boots.
After finding a pair of socks inside the dresser across from the bed, and a pair of boots near the door, she sat down at the side of the bed to put them on her feet. She then looked up at her husband, who was now standing in front of her.
“I should have mentioned this earlier, but since my death I've always been in that big, grey, and empty room, waiting for you to reunite with me, honey.” Anna commented before looking around the room and taking in more of her surroundings. “So I don't know anything about this cabin or where it is… Is this where you ended up after your death?”
He smiled softly and answered, “Yes, my dear, it is. When I opened my eyes earlier, I found myself in the bed you are now sitting on, trying to figure out where I was. I looked at my appearance in the mirror over there, and that's when I started to suspect that this might be the afterlife. I then went to the nearest town, which turned out to be Luin, in search of more answers. That's where I found a man who told me that this was the afterlife, and also how I would reunite with you.”
She gave him her full attention again at his mention of her hometown. “Oh, I see… So we're near Luin then. I wonder if that's because I arrived here first…”
Her expression turned thoughtful as Kratos gave her a soft, knowing smile.
“That's the conclusion I came to when I talked with the man in Luin, my dear.”
Anna clasped her hands together excitedly. “Oh, I'm so happy the afterlife seems to be similar to the living world! Let's go visit Luin and explore the world again as soon as we can, honey!”
Kratos sat down next to his wife at the side of the bed while still wearing his soft, knowing smile. “Well, my dear, we'll have plenty of time to explore and visit any town that you want.”
She wrapped her arms around one of his and laid her head down on his shoulder. “We have eternity now…”
His lips found her temple, where after kissing her there, he murmured, “Indeed, my dear, we have eternity…”
___________
The couple talked for hours, and Kratos told her all about his life after her death. The good, the bad, and the mundane. He told her that he reunited with their son, Lloyd, a little over a decade after her death. Anna didn't have much to talk about with her husband other than her wish to reunite with both Lloyd and her parents in the afterlife someday.
When the couple’s conversation ended, Kratos stood up and left the room for a moment. Anna stood up from the side of the bed a moment later and walked over to the window. She looked out at the forest and up at the sky, noticing the purple and pink hues that signaled the start of sunset. Kratos entered the bedroom again as she stared in awe at the scenery outside, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
“Maybe the passage of time here is the same as the living world, honey.” Anna commented after her husband kissed her on the cheek.
“Perhaps you're right, my dear, though we have no need for food, water, or sleep anymore.” He murmured in her ear.
She sighed contentedly, “Let's go to sleep later anyway, even if we don't need to. I want to fall asleep in your arms again, at least for tonight.”
Kratos kissed her cheek again. “All right, my dear, if that's what you want, I'll gladly oblige you.”
“Oh, and Kratos?”
“Yes, my dear?”
“I'm eternally yours, honey…”
“And I am yours, my dear…”
Anna moved and tilted her head up, and gave her husband an expectant look. He then leaned in and sealed their eternal promise with a kiss.
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july13th2004 · 28 days ago
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Kranna Day 2025 Mini Event Master Post
When: September 1st, 2025
How to Participate: Choose one or more of the prompts in the list below and create a fanwork (fanart, fanfiction, etc.) based on your chosen prompt(s).
Here's the list of prompts you can choose from:
-Affection
-Clocks/Time
-Casino
-Height Differences
-Flowers
-First Kiss
-Wedding/Proposal
-Hugs
-Always/Forever
-Locket
Please Note: This list of prompts is a combination of ones recycled from past Kranna Week events!
Rules: NSFW/R18 fanworks are allowed, but please remember to follow Tumblr’s posting guidelines and highlight any warnings or tag the post appropriately. External links are allowed if your fanwork cannot be posted on Tumblr for this reason. Mirror links are allowed if you also post your work on another site such as AO3 or Pixiv, for example. Fanworks must be of your own creation, no AI generated works will be allowed, even partially AI generated works. You may repost any of your past fanworks as long as they relate to one or more of the prompts listed above.
Most importantly, though, have fun!
Tags: #KrannaDay2025
#クラアンの日2025
Lastly, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Late works will be accepted until September 8th, 2025. Thank you, and I hope to see you all on September 1st for this mini event!
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july13th2004 · 1 month ago
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Kranna Day 2025 Mini Event Master Post
When: September 1st, 2025
How to Participate: Choose one or more of the prompts in the list below and create a fanwork (fanart, fanfiction, etc.) based on your chosen prompt(s).
Here's the list of prompts you can choose from:
-Affection
-Clocks/Time
-Casino
-Height Differences
-Flowers
-First Kiss
-Wedding/Proposal
-Hugs
-Always/Forever
-Locket
Please Note: This list of prompts is a combination of ones recycled from past Kranna Week events!
Rules: NSFW/R18 fanworks are allowed, but please remember to follow Tumblr’s posting guidelines and highlight any warnings or tag the post appropriately. External links are allowed if your fanwork cannot be posted on Tumblr for this reason. Mirror links are allowed if you also post your work on another site such as AO3 or Pixiv, for example. Fanworks must be of your own creation, no AI generated works will be allowed, even partially AI generated works. You may repost any of your past fanworks as long as they relate to one or more of the prompts listed above.
Most importantly, though, have fun!
Tags: #KrannaDay2025
#クラアンの日2025
Lastly, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Late works will be accepted until September 8th, 2025. Thank you, and I hope to see you all on September 1st for this mini event!
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july13th2004 · 1 month ago
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Artist: 星寄
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july13th2004 · 1 month ago
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Kranna Day 2025 Mini Event Master Post
When: September 1st, 2025
How to Participate: Choose one or more of the prompts in the list below and create a fanwork (fanart, fanfiction, etc.) based on your chosen prompt(s).
Here's the list of prompts you can choose from:
-Affection
-Clocks/Time
-Casino
-Height Differences
-Flowers
-First Kiss
-Wedding/Proposal
-Hugs
-Always/Forever
-Locket
Please Note: This list of prompts is a combination of ones recycled from past Kranna Week events!
Rules: NSFW/R18 fanworks are allowed, but please remember to follow Tumblr’s posting guidelines and highlight any warnings or tag the post appropriately. External links are allowed if your fanwork cannot be posted on Tumblr for this reason. Mirror links are allowed if you also post your work on another site such as AO3 or Pixiv, for example. Fanworks must be of your own creation, no AI generated works will be allowed, even partially AI generated works. You may repost any of your past fanworks as long as they relate to one or more of the prompts listed above.
Most importantly, though, have fun!
Tags: #KrannaDay2025
#クラアンの日2025
Lastly, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Late works will be accepted until September 8th, 2025. Thank you, and I hope to see you all on September 1st for this mini event!
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july13th2004 · 1 month ago
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Wings
Children's Day
Mother's Day
Artist: つみれ
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july13th2004 · 1 month ago
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i commissioned @dvrtrblhr to paint my bae and look how pretty 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 thank you so much again!!!
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july13th2004 · 2 months ago
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this month's true ref draw this pose on bsky was way too obvious to pass up so here is kratos aurion just standing there, menacingly
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july13th2004 · 2 months ago
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Last night I found this chibigurumi maker while looking at a post on Bluesky, so of course I needed to see if I could make a Kratos one!
First two I made last night, and the rest I made earlier today. Which one is your favorite?
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july13th2004 · 2 months ago
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i miss him
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july13th2004 · 3 months ago
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You and Me, Always
Characters/Relationships: Kratos Aurion, Anna Irving, Kratos/Anna, Kranna
Genre: Romance/Fluff
Rating: T
Warnings: Implied/Referenced Smut
Word Count: 2979
Mirror Link: AO3 | Pixiv
Summary: Kratos and Anna celebrate Anna's 40th birthday, and the 20th anniversary of their first date in Altamira, with the inclusion of a song they heard on their first date.
Author's Note: Okay, so some of you might be asking yourselves why I always (with the exception of two years ago, and that fic will be posted later this month) post a new fic on April 9th. Well this year I can tell you why (and some of you are probably going to think I'm very weird after telling you, but I'm going to do it anyway)! Exactly twenty years ago today Kranna became my OTP! Now why and how would I remember something like that all these years later? That's a good question! So, during my first playthrough of Symphonia, I played anywhere between 10-12 hours a day on the weekends. On this day twenty years ago, I played through both the Big Reveal scene and also Kratos’ Flanoir scene. Those two pivotal scenes are part of the reason why Kranna is my OTP. The second part is because of the song I heard on the radio after I was done playing for the day. That song being ‘You and Me’ by Lifehouse (this song's lyrics are incorporated into this fic, so quick disclaimer, I don't own this song or its lyrics). After hearing that song and thinking about those two scenes I just played through in the game, something just clicked with me, and I've been a huge fan of this ship ever since. So, that's the reason why I've tried to post a fic on this day every year since I first started publicly posting my fics about five years ago, because today is basically my own personal Kranna Day.
Kratos slowly opened his eyes to the sight of his wife still asleep, her expression peaceful as she slept on her side facing him. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her close, but he knew that would only wake her, and he didn't want that, especially on this day of all days. Today was not only Anna's birthday, but also the twentieth anniversary of their first date, and Kratos wanted her to sleep in for as long as she wanted to.
The currently shirtless man shifted himself onto his back and let out a contented sigh. He stared up at the ornately detailed ceiling of their luxurious hotel suite, and began to let his thoughts wander. His thoughts flipped through his plans for the day, then other moments throughout their relationship, until they landed on that fateful morning of their first date.
_________
Anna met Kratos at the local café in Palmacosta at around nine in the morning. At first, she was perplexed about why her childhood friend, whom she had harbored feelings for since she was about fifteen, had finally decided to ask her out on a date not only on her birthday, but also at the café she currently worked at to help pay her college tuition and other expenses. She ultimately figured that there must've been a sweet reason for why he chose her birthday for their first date, and she had high hopes that there would be many more dates to come after this one.
Kratos paid for both of their coffees and breakfast sandwiches, then she followed behind him as they made their way towards the only empty table in the café, which was situated in the back corner adjacent to two floor to ceiling sized windows. After the two sat down across from each other with their respective coffees and sandwiches, Anna could immediately tell that Kratos was somewhat nervous, so she decided to be the first to break the comfortable silence between them.
“I’m not sure why you decided to ask me out a few weeks ago for a coffee date on my birthday, but I'm really happy you did, Kratos!” Anna commented happily, a faint blush permeating her cheeks as she gave him a small smile.
She took a few bites of her breakfast sandwich and a few sips of her coffee while she waited for him to respond. He did the same while he formulated a response, his eyes looking around somewhat nervously at all of the other people in the café either sitting near them or walking past them.
“I wanted it to be special for you… For us, if we end up together…” Kratos responded once his gaze landed back on hers.
_________
The two finished their sandwiches and coffees and talked for almost an hour, catching each other up on how their studies were going, along with finally confessing all of those feelings they both had been harboring for each other for years now, out loud. Kratos was about to respond to something Anna had just said, when the speaker above their table began to play a popular song on the radio.
‘What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time’
“Oh, I really like this song…” Anna commented, the faint blush returning to her cheeks, “It's quite the popular song at the moment…”
Kratos hadn't heard the song before, as he wasn't really one to listen to the radio or pay attention to what songs were currently popular or not. He knew that was something that Anna was into though, and so he fell silent and listened intently to more of the song and lyrics.
‘'Cause it's you and me
and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you’
The chorus of the song drew him in, and he continued to listen intently while watching her as she looked at all of the other people sitting at the tables near them in the still crowded café.
‘All of the things that I want to say
just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here’
The second verse of the song described almost perfectly how he had felt about the woman sitting across from him not just now, but since he was a teen. Anna sheepishly glanced at him as she tucked both sides of her medium brown colored, bob length hair behind her ears while the chorus played again. When the song entered the bridge, Kratos nearly froze in his seat.
‘There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right’
The lyrics of the bridge perfectly described how he felt about her in this moment. He tuned out the noise and view of the crowded café as he focused his gaze on her while the rest of the song played.
_________
Kratos blinked a few times as he returned to the present, the memory of that fateful first date abruptly fading from his current thoughts. He smiled to himself while his thoughts wandered again to the moments that happened in the months after their first date; from their first kiss at the end of that first date, to his surprise proposal at the beginning of September that year, just before his twenty-first birthday. The summer after that first date included many more dates, along with him working two jobs, one at a gym, and the other as a student tutor, so he could afford to buy a simple engagement ring for her, and a more expensive MP3 player and a set of speakers to hook it up to. That summer also included the moment they both said those three potent words to each other.
Kratos recalled playing that same song he heard during their first date while he proposed to her that September, and was the reason why he wanted a new MP3 player and speakers. From the moment he heard that song, he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Next, he recalled their wedding day the following April, just a few days after Anna's twenty-first birthday. They were married in a small ceremony in front of their parents and their close mutual friends, Yuan, Martel, and her younger brother, Mithos. Kratos made sure that their first date song was played during the ceremony, too.
His thoughts were then interrupted by the sound of his wife waking up.
“Mmm… Good morning, Kratos…” Anna yawned while she moved closer to her husband.
“Ah, good morning, my dear…” Kratos greeted as he turned his head toward her. “And happy birthday, too…”
She snuggled up against his chest, where she gave him a quick peck, “Thank you, honey! It's also the anniversary of our first date…”
He wrapped his arms around her, then leaned in and kissed the top of her head. “I know, my dear. I was just thinking about that moment while waiting for you to wake up.”
“Oh? And how long have you been up, then?” Anna asked as she brought her head up to look at him.
“About an hour, my dear.” Kratos replied with a small smile, “I didn't want to wake you…”
“Well I'm sure you have a few plans for us today, so let's get ready for the day and head down and have breakfast before the buffet closes, honey!”
He nodded and gave her a knowing smile before she threw the covers off of her and quickly got out of bed. Kratos followed shortly after her and the couple each took a shower, then got dressed for the day. The pair then headed down the elevator near their suite to the dining room where a buffet style breakfast was being served. After breakfast, the couple then headed outside and walked along the beach while holding hands.
“Hmm… I thought there would be more people on the beach here in Altamira this time of the year.” Kratos commented after noticing how few people there were around them on the beach.
Anna gently squeezed his hand, “I think spring break is over for most colleges by now, so that's probably why, honey.”
He nodded in agreement and gave her a small smile.
“Plus, I know how much you hate crowds, so you should be happy there's so few people around.” She gently teased.
Kratos could only smirk in response, and gave her hand a soft squeeze while they continued to slowly walk along the beach.
_________
“Have we visited the beach here in Altamira before with all eight of our kids, honey?” Anna asked about a half hour later, as the couple headed towards the boardwalk. “I can't seem to remember…”
“We haven't yet with our youngest three, my dear.” Kratos replied, turning his head toward her. “We’ve only been on vacation here with Lloyd, the older twins, along with Alisha and Felix.”
“Oh, so we haven't been here with Alex and the twin girls yet…” She added as the pair stopped in front of a restaurant along the boardwalk. “We'll just have to visit with the entire family sometime this summer then, honey.”
Kratos nodded and gave her a soft smile. “We'll have to start planning for that when we get home next week, my dear. Lloyd will be eighteen in August, so this could be our last family vacation with all eight of the kids.”
Anna sighed, “Yeah, I know, honey. I can't believe that he's going to graduate from highschool soon.”
_________
The pair decided to grab a couple of cold sandwiches and sodas from a shop farther down along the boardwalk for lunch, which they ate and drank along the way back to their hotel. Once back at the hotel, they headed back to their suite, where Anna decided to sit down in one of the two plush, powered recliners and read a new book she had purchased just before their vacation. Kratos decided to sit on the plush couch next to her and watch a baseball game on the 75” 4K TV with the volume on low.
“Hey, honey? What time is our reservation for dinner tonight?” Anna asked a short while later.
“At five-thirty, my dear…” Kratos answered, turning his head away from the game to look at her.
“Oh good, because I'll need some time to get ready. I really wanted to try soaking in the hot tub today.” She added while shifting her gaze back to the book in her hands.
“Have at it, my dear…” He commented, giving her a small smile before turning his gaze back to the game on the TV.
_________
At around four, Anna quickly lowered her legs down and stood up from the recliner. She placed her book down on the recliner and made her way back to the bedroom to retrieve her dress that she was going to wear for dinner, then made her way over to the bathroom with the hot tub inside. While she was soaking in the hot tub, Kratos finished watching the baseball game before turning off the TV and headed back into the bedroom to get ready for dinner. He hurriedly changed out of his navy colored polo shirt and grey dress shorts, and into his white dress shirt, black dress slacks, and black suit jacket. Then he put on a thin black tie and combed his hair back a little. After putting on his black dress shoes, he headed out of the bedroom and back into the living room area of their suite, where he waited for his wife to exit the other bathroom.
When Anna exited the bathroom about fifteen minutes later, Kratos couldn't help but let his mouth fall open at the sight of her. She had changed out of her pale blue blouse and khaki capris she had worn earlier, and into a flowy red dress that she paired with matching colored flats. He was left speechless as she walked toward him.
“Well, shall we go now, honey?” Anna asked rhetorically, grinning up at her flustered husband. “We don't want to be late!”
“Ah, um… Yes, let's go, my dear…” Kratos spoke softly, his cheeks now wearing a faint pink blush.
The couple linked arms and exited their suite together. They took the elevator again down to the lobby and headed towards the hotel's restaurant.
_________
The pair had a lovely dinner to celebrate both Anna's birthday and the twentieth anniversary of their first date. They both shared an appetizer of grilled scallops and freshly made sushi. For the main course, Anna ordered the catch of the day with a side of seasonal vegetables, while Kratos ordered the seared tuna with caesar salad on the side. Anna ordered a glass of the restaurant's finest Merlot to go with her meal, while Kratos ordered a highball glass of the restaurant's finest whiskey. When they were finished with the main course, they ended the celebratory dinner by sharing a slice of strawberry cheesecake.
_________
The couple arrived back at their suite at around 8pm, and Kratos immediately leaned down and kissed her the moment after shutting the door behind them.
“It's been a wonderful day, hasn't it, honey.” Anna commented cheerfully after her husband kissed her again.
“Indeed, my dear, it has.” Kratos added, looking down at her with a small smile, his arms now wrapped around her waist.
“And I assume we're not going to call it a night just yet, right?” She suggested, looking up at him expectantly.
He then released her from his gentle hold. “You would be correct, my dear. …I'll be right back.”
Anna watched her husband hurriedly jog towards their bedroom. He returned from the bedroom about thirty seconds later with a small Bluetooth speaker in his hand. She met up with him at the table behind the couch in the living room, where he set the speaker down. Kratos then took his phone out of his front pocket and set it down next to the speaker. After tapping a few times on his phone’s screen, he turned back to her and silently offered her his hand, which she immediately took just as the small speaker started to play an all too familiar melody.
The couple then began to dance to the same song that they heard on their first date. Kratos had both arms wrapped around her waist, holding her close. Anna gently gripped his shoulders with both hands as he led the silent dance. They danced cheek to cheek for the entire duration of the song.
The pair parted when the song ended, and Kratos turned to tap a few more times on his phone to turn off the music, before turning back to her.
“You and me, my dear, always…” He stated, giving her a soft smile that he only reserved for her.
Her eyes began to well up with tears that threatened to fall, but thankfully didn't. “Yes, honey, always…”
Kratos wrapped his arms around her again, then leaned down and softly kissed her.
_________
Anna snuggled up against her husband's bare chest the moment he rolled off of her and on to his back. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, his lips immediately finding the top of her head. Both let out contented, satisfied sighs, and Kratos couldn't help but gently rub her back.
“Ah, I think today might've taken the top spot for best birthday gifts you've given to me, honey.” Anna commented sleepily.
Kratos chuckled a little. “What was in the top spot before today, my dear?”
“When you gave me my first kiss after our first date when you dropped me off at my apartment.” She replied before letting out a yawn.
“I see, then what was your favorite moment today?” He asked after planting another kiss on top of her head.
“Mmm… When we danced to our first date song earlier. It also reminded me of our wedding day too, because I know we also played that song during our wedding ceremony.” Anna responded before letting out a sleepy sigh.
“I've probably told you this many times before, but from the moment I heard that song on our first date, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, my dear.” Kratos commented before hugging her tightly again.
He heard her softly gasp, and for a moment he thought she was going to cry. Instead, she tilted her head up and met his gaze.
“I know you have, honey, but I always love hearing you say it.” She spoke while giving him a soft smile. “And I too, knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you after our first date.”
Kratos then leaned in and softly kissed her. Anna sat up a little to give him better access to her lips.
“I love you, my dear… Always.” He murmured after they parted from each other.
She touched her forehead to his and gently cupped his face with both hands. “I love you, too, Kratos. Always.”
_________
Anna laid back down on her husband's chest a short time later and let out a yawn.
“Good night, my dear, and happy birthday again. Sleep well.” Kratos murmured before drifting off to sleep.
“Good night, honey. It was such a wonderful day. Thank you so much for making this day special for me, for us. I hope you had a wonderful day, too. Sleep well. I love you.” Anna whispered just before falling asleep a few minutes after her husband, safe and secure in his arms.
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