#Second raffle surprise: A part 2!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Mo Ran fails to master the art of pspsps (continuation of this)

(For @airagorncharda)

#poorly drawn erha #erha #2ha #the husky and his white cat shizun #chu wanning #mo ran #Second raffle surprise: A part 2! #...I meant it when I said a lot of people asked for chu wanning #Small disclaimer that I don't know much about about erha but...if this man is supposed to be cat coded then I understand enough. #I bet he gets sleepy in the middle of the day and needs lots of naps. #Likes affection but if you're the wrong person or engaging at the wrong time: GOOD LUCK. #Guy who everyone is a little bit obsessed with being the focus of his attention. #Mo Ran gives me 'plays with cats like they are dogs and is always covered in scratches because of it' vibes #No idea if any of these are right at all. #It was important for me to give Mo Ran big eyebrows (per the husky title). That is a hill I'll die on.

[whattheflipbro888]

Dont Say Anything

House md x reader

warnings- self harm, scars, house being an ass, not edited

a loud knock sounded throughout your small apartment. You look to the door in a panic only being in a tank top and shorts as you had been painting the walls with a fresh coat of paint.

“Who is it?” You yell.

“it’s me” house responds, seemingly already bored with having to stand at the door for more than two seconds after knocking.

You go to the door unlocking it and only opening a slight bit- just enough to put your head through.

“Can it wait two seconds I want to throw on better cloths” you rush out- already uncomfortable with being so exposed.

“Its a case and no it can’t wait, im a cripple and your making me stand” he states being louder at the end of the sentence ensuring your neighbors heard.

“Ok- but don’t say anything” you mumble out quickly before opening the door so he can walk through.

He does and slams the file down on the small coffee table planted in-front of your couch. He flips through it finding the things he needs before beginning to raffle of symptoms.

“Shortness of breath, drowsiness, confusion and headaches” house lists off.

You stand there awkwardly knowing house hasn’t looked up and you hoped he wouldn’t .

“…you know the answer already.” You state

“Yes I do but I need a bit out of the office and I’m keeping you on your toes on your off days”

as he looks up you freeze and close your eyes. Hoping he didn’t say anything like you had asked. That is if he even heard you say it.

“holy shit!” house says loudly

the shiny pale reds and whites glimmer in the sun coming in through your window. More scares than he had ever seen- your shoulders, arms, legs, hips, even parts of your back that he could only slightly see from the way you were turned. You stood in silence for a few seconds before he started again.

“I knew it happened and that it was there but Jesus Crist.” He mutters

you cover the delicate skin with your hands- shielding them from him. You turn around without saying anything- headed to your bedroom to get a longer sleeve shirt and pants. He quickly follows

“I’m not judging or anything it’s just- I didn’t know It was that bad” he stammers out

you don’t stop your movements and continue walking to your room. Tears threaten to fall as they cloud your vision. House walks right behind you- his cane making small thumps of the ground as he tries to console you even in his harsh and rude manner.

“Really I’m not judging-…I’m just” he stops for a moment.

“surprised” he finishes.

Soon after you both sit in siglence and eventually he stops making attempts to ask and leave shortly after. The next day he asked Cuddy about it and she said not to bring it up as she knew it wasn’t her right to talk about it

…………………….

my first Drabble! I got a lil lazy at the end so if y’all want pt 2 with more let me know and if you have any suggestions or things ya want me to right abt let me know!!! -May

#house md #house x reader #awareness

[feelingofcontent]

Video Breakdown: THE FINAL GOOGLE FEUD

For @childofphivorce​ who won this breakdown from the @phandomgives​ fanworks raffle as part of Dan’s birthday fundraiser! Thanks for donating and for choosing one of my favorite DAPG videos! 😄

Date video was published: 08/22/2018 (X)

Welcome to perhaps the most chaotic of all DAPG videos. 😜 It was filmed in early August during Interactive Introverts, in a hotel room in Vancouver before they started the Australia leg of the tour. It was also filmed the same day as DIL CLONES A SIM which was the video posted before this one. (Also chaotic, and the source of my most meaningless DNP theory).

They left Vancouver on August 16 (1, 2), so this video was posted once they were already in Australia, the same day as one of their shows in Brisbane. (Can we talk about what else they posted from Australia? That month was extremely…something 1, 2).

This was the fourth (and ‘final,’ obviously 😅) of their videos playing Google Feud. ‘Excitement mixed with terror’ indeed.

0:00 - it is immediately wild. the synchronized leaning. Phil’s huge staring eyes. could they be sitting any closer. the single bed in background…

0:10 - Phil giggle! they really put a lot of editing effects into this one

0:16 - Phil’s hair is so messy!

0:20 - Dan with the “live your truth”

0:23 - “you get up to a lot when you’re not tweeting” Phil, WHAT?! 😳

0:35 - 30+ seconds into the video and they haven’t started the game but Dan’s discussing politics…seems about right

0:44 - does that…happen a lot Phil? 😅

1:02 - they are so into this conversation with each other. also significantly more eye contact than most videos

1:09 - ah there we go, lmao. I love Phil’s wide natural smile

1:23 - Phil is really not blinking…the slow head turn as he looks back at Dan. also Phil’s always sitting up straight and Dan hunching a little so Dan’s always looking slightly up at him

1:32 - nice transition to promo there. love Dan making Phil name them and trying to catch him out for not knowing

1:46 - behind the scenes searching and conversations…a lot of that in this one

1:59 - Phil thinking of something camera-appropriate to say but just went in a weird!Phil direction because he can’t help it

2:22 - Phil having a speaking struggle

2:29 - but they will not tell us the final score or who wins…guessing this might have been forgotten after the upcoming pizza break 😂

2:33 - Dan…what are you doing with your hand off camera there

2:38 - cutie! Phil is wearing one of his new merch shirts, we had just recently been released (1, 2). nice promo there boys; I’m sure everyone was able to understand that

2:47 - HOW are they always on the exact same page

2:52 - what a start to the actual game…Phil immediately and excitedly with “nipple” and Dan with “Prince Albert”...sure

2:59 - Phil is SO MAD 🤣 and Dan is immediately mocking

3:10 - “my mind goes to the dirty place” …well no shit, lol

3:15 - “ladydoor” Dan, NO

3:18 - Phil with the references. they are sitting so close they’re literally touching this entire video

3:38 - Dan does not believe this for one second and Phil is so confident about it.

3:44 - the implied ‘this guy’

3:52 - again, Dan with the touching/pushing partially off camera. surprised this video didn’t have WAY more jump cuts

4:01 - again, Phil with the extreme confidence that he’s correct. what a conversation

4:13 - love Phil somehow figuring out exactly what Dan’s talking about

4:22 - “you don’t even know what culture means” 😂 roast him Phil

4:24 - Phil is immediately excited at the words “game show”

4:26 - “my secret ideas folder”...Dan pointing at himself; Phil’s lip bite…I don’t think I want to know what else is in that folder actually 😳

4:38 - ah yes, the start of Dan guessing “dog” for many questions straight

4:39 - does Phil say “owls”?! what? I’ve never heard that before when watching this!

4:50 - surprised Phil is the one to answer with his phone anxiety

4:54 - I love the teasing and Phil’s lack of ability to keep a straight face

5:01 - jump cut and Phil’s still grinning about that “burn” 😅

5:03 - “I don’t have legs” I LOVE him

5:05 - this is some INTENSE rock-paper-scissors. god I love that they left this whole bit in

5:20 - mukbang mention! was this the initial idea or had Phil already been thinking about it for a while at this point?

5:23 - I am 100% on the side of that noise here is an ass-slap. I know people say it’s the chair, but I simply choose to believe otherwise 😊

5:25 - every video should have a pizza intermission, apparently

5:39 - they did not discuss it. love that they can’t remember and don’t care

5:43 - the prompts they got in this one really just add to the whole vibe 😂 I love Phil always looking at Dan right away to see his reaction

5:48 - love Dan basically asking if they’re just giving up at this point

5:58 - “men can be milked” …Dan is losing his will to live

6:12 - Phil being right about “man”...he should really trust the first thing that comes to his mind! 

6:21 - this video is really an insight into Phil’s brain

6:28 - minds on two different things there…

6:42 - Phil would have been so mad if Dan had gotten it right by stealing his thought. that song is from 2005.

6:53 - bread-face-Dan smile

7:01 - Phil looks so sad! 🥺 love Dan turning it around into audience compliments

7:12 - “you keep saying dog” …no kidding!

7:13 - their reaction to this one kills me 🤣 it truly makes no sense. the “carrot” bit runs through my head at least a couple times a week

7:31 - Dan is so right about the hand thing!

7:45 - this one should have been in ‘why I was a weird kid’ at some point!

7:52 - “cop out when you get to the neck...same” what does that mean Dan

8:08 - the dog guessing finally paid off! Dan is so pleased with himself and Phil cannot believe it

8:18 - oh, maybe Phil still is keeping track of the scores! they just hadn’t gotten one right in ages

8:50 - now Phil is questioning everything he thinks of

9:00 - Phil with his angry hands-behind-his-head

9:12 - really want to know what conversation got cut out where Phil suggested “tampon”!

9:17 - shingles should not get an eyebrow waggle…why

9:23 - old Dan video reference there!

9:35 - now Dan’s turn to tell a likely untrue story about a potentially non-existent aunt, lol. “a barbeque of jesters” what is happening in Phil’s brain

9:43 - WHAT was that jump cut that comes back in with Dan laughing and shaking his head and another ‘this guy’ gesture

9:51 - Dan ‘valley girl’/Becky/Jessica voice! he has fully given up at this point

10:02 - and then I love the contrast with Phil giving one actual serious answer in the whole video and getting it right 😂 and Dan’s cackle!

10:20 - they really have stopped discussing the answers much at this point

10:26 - Phil’s long-standing hatred of cheese! why he thought that would be a common search though, I don’t know…more hands on head!

10:36 - that’s what makes the video amazing actually

10:47 - Dan is so insistent on knowing who it is! like that bit in one of the Stereo shows where he HAD to know who Phil was talking about

10:56 - the dabbing was such a thing! surprised they didn’t accidentally smack each other doing that

11:06 - “why do they call it spoons” oh Phil 🤣 I don’t remember where, but I saw someone say that this isn’t as ridiculous as Dan’s making it seem! Phil was probably referring to the UK chain Wetherspoons, which is usually just referred to as “Spoons”

11:14 - Phil leaning fully into Dan’s space. and then having to get him back for the teasing!

11:26 - love Dan being so upset about Phil skipping past this even though they’ve hardly been discussing the answer at all anyway

11:29 - Phil trying to keep Dan from getting loud seems like a losing battle…though he seems a bit more distracted than upset

12:09 - there was 100% about to be a nose boop here, why did they cut it? 🥺

12:15 - the parallels of their guesses with “tall”-”tol” and “endangered”-“rare”!

12:31 - more valley girl! love the implication from Phil that this is something Dan has been doing all day/”today”

12:39 - another bit that runs through my head far too often

12:46 - Phil upping the stakes! the dramatic sound effect is great

13:10 - and now he is immediately regretting throwing that gauntlet down

13:18 - Dan is enjoying Phil’s struggle. and making throw-away guesses so Phil can’t try again 😅 (or just trying to end the video as quickly as possible at this point)

13:26 - Phil doing a bit of the voice too here…mimicking Dan!

13:40 - oh Phil…love when he’s so amused by his own thoughts

13:52 - I really can’t believe the game did that when it didn’t even accept “nipple” rather than “nipples” earlier

13:59 - I guess we know who wins after that, even without them saying

14:13 - Phil had to pick up Lion to use as a stress ball!

14:27 - “blood”...what is Phil’s brain. Dan cackle! I love it

14:45 - Dan just trying to be done and do the endscreen as Phil is speechless in the background 😂

14:52 - of COURSE he pulls out all-or-nothing! how could he not

15:07 - but for once Dan telling him no!

15:21 - “I’ll lick…” lick WHAT Phil?! and then he looks around the room for something!

15:24 - love the sad music

15:32 - Dan finding a way to defend Phil/blame someone else

15:39 - Phil is not listening just…looking 👀

15:45 - love the endscreen bubbles - “danisnotacarrot” and “noallornothingphil” heehee

15:52 - Dan has far too much energy for the end of this video

WHAT were they thinking when they edited and posted this?! I mean...it is a lot. They must have looked at the footage and then decided to just really lean into it with the edit as well. And I love it. During the Cambridge WAD preshow, Dan was asked if they were high during filming. 😂 A very common theory, but at least during the 2018ish era Dan always seemed pretty ‘meh’ about weed, so I tend to believe that they were just really really tired and horny. 🤐 Or I could see maybe a bit drunk.

We were living on DAPG content (and tour insta stories and Rize 😅 live shows I suppose)—the last main channel video was What Dan and Phil Text Each Other from mid-July, and there wouldn’t be another until the mukbang video in October after the tour ended. The next DAPG video was Dumber Ways To Die, filmed in Sydney, Australia after the (in)famous ‘or perhaps in Sydney’ live show. This was truly prime glass closet era and I think the DAPG videos they filmed during II are some of their best.

#dan and phil #dnp #dapg #KD thoughts #video breakdown #phandomgives #THE FINAL GOOGLE FEUD #long post

[pendarling]

1̲0̲ ̲A̲c̲a̲d̲e̲m̲i̲c̲ ̲R̲i̲v̲a̲l̲s̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲L̲o̲v̲e̲r̲s̲ ̲P̲r̲o̲m̲p̲t̲s̲ 💜💖💜

Part 2

After arguing about a historical subject and wanting to prove the other wrong, Character A takes Character B to the library in search of a certain book that’s harder to find unless you’re in the furthest part of the library. Which just so happens to be the perfect place to passionately make out in the most hair-pulling, clothes-gripping, lip-biting, dizzying and heavy breathing way.

Character B was sick and missed a lesson or two. Embarrassed, they ask their rival for help on catching up. Character A refuses to help them unless they can give them something small in return. Character A keeps it a secret until after they’re done studying but Character B thinks it’s something suggestive so they keep fixing their hair/make-up/clothes. After about an hour, Character A only asks for their pen and the disappointment in their face is obvious enough to earn some teasing from the other.

Character A has always been second place to Character B in all but one subject. So when Character C starts taking away their place they lose some passion. Character B refuses to see their rival go down in a fight and starts becoming their biggest supporter. How do they show how much they care about them? Enough to kiss them so deeply they forget why they should be worried about Character C in the first place.

Character B is sick but doesn’t want to miss a single lesson. Their negligence becomes apparent when they start to lose focus and sleep in class. Character A loves the upper hand, but for some reason it doesn’t feel as good as they think and out of “annoyance”they scold Character B for coming in sick and force them to let Character A nurse them back to health. Character B is too weak to come up with a snide remark and deny, so they agree and start to show their softer side which only makes caring for them harder for Character A who can’t. Stop. This. BEATING in… their… chest.

Character A and B have always been at each other’s throats since the day they met. While Character A thinks of their relationship as friendly banter and cute teasing, Character B legitimately believes they hate them. So when Character A invites them to study at a nice cafe together they’re confused.

It’s 💕Valentines Day💕 and the school is having a candy raffle. Someone would buy a candy for another person to help raise money for any project. Character A and B hate each other but are in different classes, so imagine the surprise Character A feels when a group of students handing out the candies call out Character A’s name and loudly say it’s from Character B.

ADDITIONALLY after being teased in class for it they decide as revenge to buy 2 candies for Character B and let one of the classmates tell them loudly that they’d like to see them privately later. It’s the most heartstopping next-level teasing that makes Character B turn redder than a ripe tomato. PLUS meeting Character A privately only ended with them being mocked.

Character A is bullied everywhere they go, at home, work, and at school. The only place they can feel safe enough to be their competitive self, is in class with their rival, Character B. Oblivious to their psychological, emotional and physical issues, Character B taunts them a bit too much which makes them breakdown crying. It looks like it’s time for Character A to admit they aren’t doing so well and Character B’s perspective of them to change.

Character B hates the cold, and finds it difficult to study properly when they’re freezing. So Character A, frustrated by their lack of focus during another one of their study sessions together, lends them their sweater. But now they look cute with their clothes on have become a distraction instead.

Character A starts to get awfully close to Character C. Out of jealousy, Character B starts to aggressively flirt back and put aside their differences… for now. Character A catches on and while they’re alone pulls them by their belt/collar into the most… knee-weakening kiss of their LIFE. >>“I’ve only got eyes for you my love”<<❤️

~~~

MASTERLIST

#fluff prompt #cute prompts #writing prompt #rivals to lovers #academic rivals to lovers #imagine your otp #otp prompts #jealousy prompts

[writingmaidenwarrior]

Sin Eaters Part 2

You will find Part 1 over here

I made a WIP Blog over at @sin-eaters-wip

Tagging @cljordan-imperium

Warnings: mentions of conditioning/brainwashing, mentions of non-consensual sex

Some time later she found the time to escape to one of the verandas for some fresh air. Even with the doors and windows open at this nice warm night the ballroom felt too warm and stuffed after a short time.

“I thought I would find you here”, Eshfyrr stated softly.

He stepped next to her with a glass of water in his hands.

“Yeah, this gives me a headache, in more than one way.”

Talindra pointed behind her back and got a solemn nod in return.

“So, he told you, too.”

“You mean the bugs that bring funny pollen?”

Eshfyrr looked at her confused but noticed her glance behind him. Acting like he would help her with her hair he stepped behind her and looked in the direction she had glanced before only to sigh a moment later. The ballroom itself wasn’t surveilled but the outside clearly was and Talindra didn’t know if Wynthan didn’t know or if he forgot to tell her.

“Yeah, the bugs with the pollen. Lucky me I don’t have hay fever, but I remember you have a history, don’t you?”

“Nothing a good dose of the right meds won’t solve. Would be bad if hay fever would stop me from kicking some monster ass.”

“Feeling better?”

He analyzed her up and down to check if there was more, she wasn’t saying for now, but she just smiled and nudged him by his shoulder.

“Yeah, let’s get back inside before our new partners start a search party.”

“That would be fun”, Eshfyrr snickered diabolical, “I have the feeling Ylvante would be that kind overly careful.”

“You got the careful one, and I the mischievous one. Sounds like a good match.”

“If Kylantha now got a sarcastic one we are doomed.”

Laughing they reentered the ballroom and immediately checked for cameras, but the words of the horned ones got proved right again.

“How are you handling the new information?”, Eshfyrr asked in a low voice.

“You mean the higher ups seeing me as some breeding machine for new warriors and trying to turn the horned ones into rapists? Remember the incident at the Red Coal Pass?”

“Very vividly.”

“Multiply this. That’s what I like to do with the higher ups now.”

A side glance to his horned one Ylvante and Eshfyrr got a dead serious expression.

“I think I can speak for him as well when I say, you can count us in if you want to go up to have a word your way.”

With a thankful smile Talindra kissed Eshfyrr’s cheek and patted it afterwards.

“Thank you, Esh. We hopefully never need this.”

For some reason she never understood she felt like she needed to protect him, despite them both being the same age. He rolled his eyes at her but left with a smirk.

“Do I need to be jealous?”, Wynthan’s voiced sounded off behind her with an amused undertone.

A small smile on her face, Talindra turned around ready to play a little with him.

“What if?”

“I might question the raffle.”

“Feeling a bit put aside?”, she teased.

Her gaze found Kylantha and went to move over but Wynthan simply moved a step in her way. It wasn’t even a real threat or anything strict but the plain way he did it made Talindra stop right away.

“I am maybe a bit overprotective; I admit.”

“There is a silent but”, she pressed.

He slightly furrowed his brows, just enough for her to notice.

“Have you eaten anything yet?”

For a split second she was confused about the change of topics but saw his eyes flicker to the small area close to the buffet.

“Oh, the whole thing really makes me forget it.”

Talindra turned to the buffet in a way it hopefully looked to bystanders like he caught her from swaying because she hadn’t eaten yet. It was known among her comrades she had the habit to not eat when nervous, so this would be no surprise to anyone. Wynthan guided her to the side of the buffet, away from prying eyes and curious ears, hurried away to get some snacks and sat down with her again.

“What was that about?”, Talindra inquired the moment she picked the first pastry up.

“While you went out on the balcony I talked with the others. Something is different between us.”

“Fill me in.”

He picked one of the pastries and started to deconstruct it slowly for eating. It took a lot from Talindra to not giggle at the scene since it somehow made him look like a little kid.

“I didn’t tell the whole truth why I knew you were around the other day. I saw you because there was a strange sensation like a … pull? … towards the area where you stood.”

“We thought you saw us but weren’t sure”, she replied thoughtful, “But what is it about this pull?”

He shrugged and stuffed the last of his pastry in his mouth. Their gazes went back into the ballroom where everyone else was talking and dancing.

“No one knows. I thought it had to do with the fact how we got picked as pairs, but the others don’t have this sensation with their human partners. It is like …”

“… you instinctively trust me for no reason?”

Wnythan’s head jolted up, his eyes trained on her he leaned forward.

“How do you know?”

Her gaze flickered aside to check if they were still alone and leaned in a little.

“It’s the same with me. I can’t explain it.”

“That’s why you played with me?”

“Nope”, she made a funny face, “That was because I could. You don’t need to be jealous of Eshfyrr, we had been through a lot, and he is like a brother to me.”

A soft snicker escaped Wynthan as he shook his head.

“Two peas in a pod, aren’t we?”

“Looks like this. But one more thing.”

“That would be?”

“Did you know the outside is bugged?”

The worried face and sudden jerk of Wynthan’s head to the next veranda was all she needed to know.

“They never were. How did you notice?”

“Strange reflection when I went outside for some fresh air.”

“We need to tell the others.”

“Eshfyrr knows already because he came outside to check on me. I take Kylantha, I wanted to talk to her anyway. We need to be fast before anyone spills something outside that would put the higher ups on our lead.”

Something like a proud smile appeared on Wynthan’s face before he nodded and hurried to the next pair of Sin Eaters. With a little more ease Talindra made her way to Kylantha and the female horned one by her side.

“Hey Ky, I see you are already deep in conversation”, she greeted with a wide smile.

“Just the one I was talking about”, Kylantha joked and stretched out and arm to her, “Deiwryll, this is Talindra, the bane of every commanding officer and savior of every warrior underneath her.”

“You are exaggerating.”

Trying not to get flustered, Talindra took a sip of her water she carried around since Eshfyrr handed it to her.

“I heard about the Red Coal Pass incident”, Deiwryll stated, “As far as my understanding is, without you half of the dispatched warriors would be dead or wounded now.”

“Unfortunately, my commanding officer thought differently until we were back for the debriefing, and he got a lecture about the safety of everyone. If less people with their own mind were around this would have ended worse.”

Deiwryll nodded solemnly and gave Talindra a moment to study her. She was small for a horned one, just a hand width taller than her but her horns were impressive and the scars on her exposed skin told a story of her not holding back.

Almost simultaneously all three made a step closer to each other.

“What’s the deal, Tal?”

“Outside is bugged.”

“That’s new”, Deiwryll stated without any reaction.

“Noticed by accident but it prevented Eshfyrr from spilling it all on a veranda. There is a chance there are more cameras around than we know.”

“Wynthan already gave you the full picture?”

The way Deiwryll looked at her gave Talindra a weird feeling.

“As good as the situation allows. The bugs, the leader’s idea about combat partner, how you got trained.”

Kylantha and Deiwryll exchanged telling looks. There was clearly an information missing from Talindra’s knowledge.

“What?”

“We got a timeframe”, Deiwryll stated softly, “Six months. Officially to get used to each other but in reality, for us to get the human partners become our submissives.”

“Interesting. Tell the others about the outside bugs.”

With a smile Talindra left them. She took a small round around the ballroom and found another comrade she could warn. The sheer number of people made it a difficult task to find the targets to inform, especially with a third of the guest towering over her with at least a foot of height on her. She decided she did all she could and went to the bathrooms.

As she came back through the long hallway to the ballroom Wynthan caught her.

“Here you are.”

“Missed me?”, she joked but her smile faded the moment she saw his thoughtful expression.

“Deiwryll told me she told you about the timeframe. I wanted to check on you.”

Carefully to not trip over her dress, Talindra stepped aside to the window and looked up to see if there were any bugs. He snickered about her and shook his head.

“Don’t worry. No surveillance here. You, ok?”

“You are strangely worried about me, Wynthan.”

His expression changed to an aloof smile, and he joined her at the window.

“You better learn it now. I am a softie. Can’t tell how many times I ended up in ‘extra training` because I couldn’t follow the cruel orders. Before you ask, it was a nice term for punishment to break you until you do what they want.”

“You got punished for refusing to get brainwashed?”

“Yeah. The others were better with playing along for their safety. We always do, that’s how we survive but some things just …”

The way he trailed off Talindra got a bad feeling about what kind of so-called training it was he refused.

“Wynthan?”

“Mhmm?”

“Deiwryll said the higher ups twisted idea of us pairs being romantic partners means the horned partner becomes the dominant one.”

A heavy sigh and a nod.

“You know we somehow need to make this work if we want to fly under the radar and not draw any attention to us.”

The sarcastic laugh said everything and was how she felt deep down as well.

“And how does my smart little stalker think we can achieve this?”

His gaze pierced into her with the dimmed light illuminating his face in way it appeared even more haunted but also helpless.

“We have six months to figure it out. And lucky you, my sex drive is pretty high.”

The confused blinking on his side made her laugh.

“Don’t be so weird out. Is it so strange to you for a woman to have one?”

“No, but you surprised me by stating it that directly.”

“You better get used to it.”

A cheeky grin on her face, Talindra patted his cheek and went back to the ballroom. The need for something stronger than water arose in her and all those revelations of the last hours made her want to drown the evening in as much alcohol she could stomach. Fuck the hangover the next day.

#writblr #writing #wynne writes #sin eaters #part 2 #fantasy #adult audience #sin eaters wip

[darchildre]

A Costume Piece, part 1

In which Raffles and Bunny plan to steal some purple diamonds and Bunny learns more about the art and craft of burglary.

Thing 1:

...never had I seen him so excited before. Had he been following Rosenthall's example? [ie, drinking] His coming to my rooms at midnight, merely to tell me about his dinner, was in itself enough to excuse a suspicion which was certainly at variance with my knowledge of A. J. Raffles.

Bunny. My sweet boy. There are two possibilities for why Raffles is in your rooms at midnight, both of them are criminal, and only one of them can E W Hornung write about explicitly.

(I should cut Bunny some slack here - this is only his second entry into crime qua burglary, after all.)

And Raffles leaned towards me with a sly, slow smile that made the hidden meaning of his visit only too plain to me at last.

Okay, no, I can see why Bunny is confused. He hasn't yet realized that stealing jewelry from people is one of Raffles' biggest kinks.

Thing 2: Bunny wrote an article about the jewel robbery that he himself helped commit, oh my god, amazing. I missed that detail on my last read through and now all I want is an au where Bunny becomes an established crime reporter, like Peter Parker taking pictures of Spider-man.

Thing 3:

"My dear fellow, I would rob St. Paul's Cathedral if I could, but I could no more scoop a till when the shopwalker wasn't looking than I could bag the apples out of an old woman's basket. Even that little business last month was a sordid affair, but it was necessary, and I think its strategy redeemed it to some extent. Now there's some credit, and more sport, in going where they boast they're on their guard against you. The Bank of England, for example, is the ideal crib; but that would need half a dozen of us with years to give to the job; and meanwhile Reuben Rosenthall is high enough game for you and me. We know he's armed. We know how Billy Purvis can fight.It'll be no soft thing, I grant you. But what of that, my good Bunny—what of that? A man's reach must exceed his grasp, dear boy, or what the dickens is a heaven for?" "I would rather we didn't exceed ours just yet," I answered laughing, for his spirit was irresistible, and the plan was growing upon me, despite my qualms.

A) This whole speech and the bit before it where Raffles talks about himself as an artist is adorable and I love it and I love him so much. He's so excited and so clearly deliberately being charming and showing off to appeal to Bunny and it's so cute.

B) And it works - Bunny also clearly thinks he is adorable and and charming and ridiculous. It's sad that he loses his enthusiasm as soon as Raffles leaves - Bunny would be having a lot more fun all 'round if he didn't think so much.

Thing 4:

With all his charming frankness, there was in Raffles a vein of capricious reserve which was perceptible enough to be very irritating. He had the instinctive secretiveness of the inveterate criminal.

This is going to be Bunny's chief complaint about Raffles for the rest of time. There are lots of potential reasons for it: Bunny is right and Raffles doesn't trust him fully (likely); Raffles is a control freak who needs to be in charge of all the details of their crimes (yuuup); Raffles likes impressing and surprising Bunny more than basically anything else in the world (absolute truth); etc. In the specific case wherein Raffles doesn't tell Bunny the details of how he disposed of the results of their first robbery, I wonder if there's a desire to keep Bunny away from the grubbier aspects of what they're doing, like fencing things and interacting with other criminals, so as not to scare him off (or make Raffles seem grubby through the interaction). Bunny's only along for the "fun" parts of the robbery - this may also be part of not wanting him to be part of casing Rosenthall's house, which is probably mostly quite boring. (But also the control freak thing.)

Of course, this always backfires, because Bunny doesn't know the reasons why he shouldn't involve himself. Oh my god, just have an actual conversation!

Thing 5: Disguises! Oh how I love the goofy disguises! I especially love the little detail of Raffles "he who would only smoke one brand of cigarette!" switching tobaccos for verisimilitude.

#letters from bunny #raffles #a costume piece

[dragonmom-art]

One thing that has been helping me to go through the rough times lately is raffles. Raffling some of my Amigurumi pieces made me understand the importance of keep creating and most of all, made me see who's actually by my side supporting my work and my dream.

So today I'll show you the raffles I did until now and I'mma be updating you guys about my future raffles as well in this blog. Let's go!👍

This pretty dollie was the first raffle I've ever made. She has a bittersweet story behind her.

A client came to me commissioning this big doll and I made her as she requested. But in the end the client refused to pay the price the doll was worth. It was supposed to be my biggest commission back then and I got very disappointed. The dollie lived in my Amigurumi cupboard for about 2 years since then.

That's when my mom came with the idea to raffle the dollie for Children's Day (a popular holiday here in Brazil) and I saw the opportunity to not only make some money out of the doll but also make a kid happy on their day. So me and my mom prepared everything and mom started selling the raffle numbers at her workplace. To my surprise it was a BLAST and all the numbers were sold in basically 2 days! I must confess that I'm lucky that mom has a lot of good friends that knows me and my work and support me there, but still I was impressed on how quickly the raffle numbers sold out.

I got very satisfied with the results. I earned more than double of the money the doll was worth and now she belongs to a very special little girl.🥰

I got so overwhelmed by how quickly and easy everything went and mostly how kind people were to me with their support that I decided to gift all the raffle buyers a little thank you favor, these cute heart keychains. And that was a jackpot idea, 'cause I got lots of commissions for these keychains after I distributed them.

The second item I raffled was this Schnauzer doggie. I posted it's story here earlier so go check it out if you missed. Long story short, it was another frustrated sale that I decided to raffle on Christmas, since I couldn't prepare anything specifically for that date and, again to my immense luck, people were asking for a raffle. Again another stuck piece that I raffled for twice it's price.

The winner was a dog lover that was thrilled with the prize, which made me very happy.

Unfortunately I didn't had time to make thank you favors this time, but I made sure to let everyone who's have joined the raffle know how grateful I was and still am for their support. ❤️

And last, but not least, here's my latest raffle. I don't know why, but I wanted to make some handbags sooo bad! My first idea was to raffle 2 bags separately to make more money and offer to my friends outside mom's workplace. But my plans were frustrated by a case of yarn incompatibility, so I had to stick with one handbag only. Then mum suggested me to make a Snoopy doll to complement and bring more attention to the raffle since many or her fellow coworkers are fans of the little puppy. So I made it and it was again a huge success, the numbers sold out in a few days as well.

My favorite part was acknowledging that the winner was actually super confident of winning and it was a pleasant surprise when I sorted her number out of many others. I'll never underestimate confidence again. 😂

As favors this time I sorted these lovely owl key holders amongst all the raffle buyers. They all loved the idea and I am very happy with another successfull raffle round. 🥰

One thing that caught my attention is that, in a way, every raffle prize went to the right person and that inspires me to keep doing what I do. I hope this streak never ends.🙏🍀

The patterns I used for the raffles are:

"Boneca Bianca" by Amanita Crochet (PT-BR)

"Chaveiro de coração em crochê fácil e rápido!!" by Geovana Amigurumi SZ (PT-BR)

"Amigurumi Dog With Fur" by Projectarian

"Bolsa de crochê Arco-iris" by Cristina Luriko (PT-BR)

"Snoopy amigurumi" by Queiroz Ateliê (PT-BR)

The owls were inspired by "tutorial crochet keychain owl | owl crochet for beginner" by knitted with azi

#grandmaggedon #dragon mom made this #amigurumi doll #crochet #amigurumi #handmade #amigurumi artist #cute #cute amigurumi #fanart #amigurumi animals #kawaii amigurumi #crochet bag #crochet keychain #snoopy #schnauzer dog #doll #owl #key holder #raffle #storytime #craftblr #crochetblr #Amanita Crochet #projectarian #cristina luriko #Queiroz ateliê #knitted with azi #Geovana Amigurumi sz #dragon mom

[amiramorozova]

The destined ones (Werewolf AU) pt. 2

Warning: Smut Pairing: Alpha! Aleksander Morozova/General Kirigan x Amira Silina

I dozed off at some point till I heard the sound of the room door coming open. My eyes came open as I felt the bed change as I knew whoever he was..he was on the bed. The mask made it kind of hard to see as I felt him leaning in close as if he was taking in my scent..

Do the higher ups know? I thought

I felt him adjust as he seemed to tell I was tense..I was scared to say the least. I mean a mask and I couldn't see who was over me.. "I've never.." I said before they would start anything. I noticed whoever he was he didn't say anything which was holding mystery on its own. On scent though, I knew for one thing...it wasn't my brother!

Aleksander's pov

I was present for the raffle to know exactly who got who, but what the girls didn't know is we picked the names that were folded from a bag. A few loyal Grisha volunteered to do this and myself since I was their Alpha..but we were not told what their names were. Another element of the raffle just the rooms which were numbered and color coated.

Being Alpha I got to choose the order and I walked over last after everyone else picked and when I picked I handed it directly to my loyal heartrenders to take care of. Fedyor and Ivan both looked for me without saying much but the look on their faces was surprised. "We can't tell you who but we can tell you she's a virgin..and a loner." Ivan said

A virgin and loner.. I thought

When night time came I wondered who the heck this girl was as I walked to the room seeing it was in the tidemaker halls. As I opened the door seeing her laying there I caught her scent..it was so unfamiliar and I knew all the scents in 2nd army!

Going over as I removed my kefta, placing it over a chair in her room I walked over as I climbed on the bed. She must have dozed as I noticed she was alert but the rules were the rules as I took in her scent...something about her was different. Ivan tried to say this girl didn't have a wolf but..I could smell it. When I moved to look at her form before I decided what to do next she spoke "I've never.." She said as I knew she hadn't...Fedyor and Ivan both told me.

I couldn't exactly talk to her, most of the girls knew my voice so I just had to use my inner wolf to adjust my voice ever so slightly. "You'll be taken care of..properly" I said as I saw her shiver. I knew most would to an Alpha's wolf voice but I could sense some defiance in her.

Defiance..I wonder... I thought

I ever so slowly lifted the gown from her figuring she didn't have much being gentle as I removed my own clothes. I'd participated in this before for my own amusement but this..this was different. Not only was I going to indulge for the needs of an Alpha but this girl..she'd be my mate..though when I thought about the Raffle I almost thought I sensed shadow guiding my hand to the paper.

Amira's pov

Part of me wanted to rip off the mask to know who the heck was undressing me..but that would break the rules as I felt so nervous. Did not help with the mask keeping things dark but then who else do you go to when you're chosen for higher up.

My inner wolf, the one I'd been gifted with the sun side, was starting to get defiant but also hesitant.

Alpha? I thought

There were a few Alpha higher ups..but still it was odd..and for a few moments I wasn't sure what to do but then I felt him kiss my neck which was a warning sign he'd be about to start. Within seconds I felt him teasing me as I gasped and he chuckled a little. I felt my face feel hot knowing someone was touching me where no one had before.

Next was what I figured as I felt something slid within as I gasped but then he started to kiss me. I kissed him just to distract myself as I felt him start to move within. It was when he added to it that I realized it was his fingers as I closed my eyes knowing he'd want to own me.

I was glad that he took the time to prepare me for what was coming as it started to feel good having his fingers even though he added a third before I felt him slip out. I didn't want to seem desperate but I was a virgin with no experience...then I felt him adjust as he kissed me again and I kissed him back knowing that this was odd. I'd not even kissed anyone till tonight and yet here I was..it was like everything was a package deal.

The pain that shot through me though when he thrusted inside was not what I expected at all..it hurt. He'd stopped moving but he kept kissing me or he'd kiss my neck anything to get me to calm down. When I was ready he started at a slow pace as he took care of me but..Alphas are not slow for long so as time went on he got rougher. I moaned at the feeling as I met his thrusts.

I felt so good with what was happening even though the circumstances were not ideal but this was it. My life had pretty much been decided for me..yet I thought I felt my light activate when the pain happened.

Aleksander's pov

Preparing her was the generous thing I could do for one who'd never done this before..her smell was intoxicating..so after preparing her was the next part. The mating part and every night she'd be mine. She'd never know it was me till the day we were to wed. As I lined up, there were a few ways to go about this..easy or all at once..neither way was going to be easy for her so I did the one I thought would be easier for her to adjust to.

Once inside her I heard her gasp but light surrounded us in the moments she had to adjust. I was in shock...this girl, she had kept quite a secret.

Sun summoner..but also a tidemaker? I thought

I was amused now as I started to kiss her to help her calm down as she returned the kiss. She seemed to be responding well as I felt her calm down and then started the pace. I knew deep down this girl, she was a loner cause she had hid herself from everyone as I started to get rougher with her as she moaned. I realized quickly she was enjoying herself after the pain subsided and her light was gone.

Well the odds this happened are one in never but I'll accept this..mating a Sun Summoner and taking the girl as my wife..the next full moon. I may just track down her wolf.. I thought

I growled at the thought as I kept the pace going and felt her close sooner than I'd like..I'd have to work on that but she was new. "You're mine." I said with the wolf voice as I moved even faster to keep her just on that edge but just cause this was her first I'd be..considerate. So when she finished, I heard her moan as I bit down on her neck to leave my mark to mark her and then soon finished myself.

I stayed within her for a little while longer to take in her scent..it was intoxicating still. "I'll be back tomorrow night." I said still using my wolf voice so she didn't know it was me before I slipped out and got myself dressed. Her own identity was a mystery to me as I was supposed to know all my soldiers..but I didn't really know her. So who did?

TagList: @lifeisingrey​,  @houseoftoomanyfandoms​, @mizelophsun11​, @budugu​ ,   @wheresthesunshinesblog  

#The Destined ones #Alpha Aleksander #Amira Silina #Blackwolf #Whitewolf #shadow and bone #fanfic #shadow and bone fanfiction #Amira Silina x Aleksander Morozova #shadow summoner #sunsummoner #tidemaker #original story #ben barnes #werewolf #Grishaverse

[wewerecore]

The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour - 012 08/03/23 Defy TV 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST Filmed at the Good Time Theatre at Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania

SEGMENT ONE (EIGHT MINUTES):

- Sudu Upadhyay opened the show speaking on the Dorney Park special premiere screening last night of Meg 2: The Trench from visionary director Ben Wheatley, and that today on The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour, we not only have our own Trench as his trial series continues, but also our own megalodon, "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko. Larry says that last week he drew Starfish Charlie and the rest of those bottom feeders to the surface and will soon be depositing them on a garbage barge where they belong. Sudu agreed that might happen soon, but not today, as Kerry Morton, Starboy Charlie, and Marcus Mathers are preparing for a Trios Kingdom qualifying match this Saturday in Scranton and will not be appearing today. Zbyszko has talked to the staff at Dorney Park and will be alerted if any of them come through the turnstiles. Sudu stated that only Brogan Finlay and Ricky Morton are in the building today for their match against MV Young and Bryan Keith. Larry adds that Kylie Paige is also in the building, Sudu mentions Kylie’s claim not to have had any contact with Morton or his followers, including her own sister, which draws an eye roll from Zbyszko.

- The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour opening aired set to "Black Swan Lake" by Janko Nilovic.

- Raychell Rose accompanied The Alien Rocket to the ring, her first assigned client as she works toward fulfilling the requirements to obtain her official Pennsylvania Pro-Wrestling Manager License.

Fuego Del Sol vs. The Alien Rocket (with Raychell Rose) Fuego Del Sol defeated The Alien Rocket with the tornado DDT. (3:45)

- Cameras followed Raychell Rose and Rocket to the back as she tried to discuss strategy with him, the camera briefly focused on Kylie Paige talking to "The Bounty Hunter" Bryan Keith backstage.

SEGMENT TWO (EIGHT MINUTES):

Trench Trial Series - Match 2 Trench vs. MAO MAO defeated Trench with the shooting star press. (3:30)

- From the CORE news desk, it's Daphne Oz with the Coal Region Roundup.

- Daphne previewed The Risky Raffle this Saturday night taking place as part of the West Scranton Little League Carnival. She announced that in addition to Lio Rush, Flamita, and Francesco Akira, she can now confirm that Titus Alexander will be making his CORE return this Saturday night.

- Daphne reminded the audience that the members of the winning Risky Raffle teams will enter an over the top rope battle royal and the winner of that was to receive a surprise reward. Well, she can now disclose that surprise as the winner of the Risky Royal will receive a shot at New Japan's STRONG Openweight Championship when they face champion Eddie Kingston on August 21st at part of the Pittston Tomato Festival.

- To close out the Risky Raffle preview, as was mentioned earlier in the broadcast Kerry Morton, Starboy Charlie, and Marcus Mathers will be participating in a Trios Kingdom 2023 qualifying match as they take on members of the Young Dumb N Broke faction; Charlie Tiger, Ellis Taylor, and Griffin McCoy.

- Daphne Oz said it was time to reveal the final two trios receiving an automatic bid into Trios Kingdom 2023. First, from the CMLL promotion is the Los Cancerberos del Infierno trio of Cancerbero, Luciferno, and Virus. And second, joining us from the STARDOM office and representing Donna del Mondo - Giulia, Maika, and Thekla will participate in Trios Kingdom.

- Closing out the segment, Daphne announced that in addition to the qualifying match this weekend, next week on Defy TV we will have another Trios Kingdom qualifying match that is sure to be a high flying affair as from CMLL the Los Magnificos trio of Adrenalina, Explosivo, and Fantastico will face off against The Air Show of Jah'Zel, Razerwyng, and Mach10.

SEGMENT THREE (NINE MINUTES):

MV Young and "The Bounty Hunter" Bryan Keith vs. Brogan Finlay and Ricky Morton Brogan Finlay and Ricky Morton defeated MV Young and "The Bounty Hunter" Bryan Keith with a top rope elbowdrop from Finlay on MV. (4:01)

- "The Bounty Hunter" Bryan Keith allowed MV Young to begin the match and abandoned him when he went for the tag. MV Young was defeated by Finlay and Morton and the two continued their attack after the match. When confronted by Larry Zbyszko, The Bounty Hunter did the universal sign for money with his fingers, implying that his services were purchased by someone in the Kerry Morton camp. Despite their match later in the broadcast - Shaw Mason, Tim Bosby, and Hunter Holdcraft ran down and chased off Finlay and Morton. Shaw Mason got on the microphone and reminded Finlay that he forced Brogan to tap out to the ankle lock back in Wilkes-Barre and he'd be happy to do it again next week on Defy TV!

- We cut to the private dressing room of The Family Tree where Afa Jr. asks their advisor Smart Guy Tod Gordon why he has not scheduled them for any matches since they qualified for Trios Kingdom. Smart Guy informed Afa that Journey Fatu approached him about wanting the group to stay healthy before Trios Kingdom. Afa Jr. demanded to know why Journey did not come to his Tribal Elder with these concerns. Afa questioned Journey's commitment; perhaps he's planning to leave The Family Tree to team with Zilla Fatu rather than his partner Sean Maluta. Journey denied this and appreciated his Tribal Elder even before Afa demanded he do so. Maluta and Tod Gordon also appreciated their Tribal Elder and swore their loyalty to The Family Tree.

SEGMENT FOUR (TEN MINUTES):

Utami Hayashishita vs. Giant Baba Yaga (with UltraMantis Black) Giant Baba Yaga defeated Utami Hayashishita with the running neckbreaker. (9:09)

- Utami Hayashishita offered to shake hands with Giant Baba Yaga after the match, and while Baba did not do that, Baba did place an American Rebel cigar in Utami's hand as perhaps the ultimate sign of respect.

SEGMENT FIVE (EIGHT MINUTES):

Trios Kingdom 2023 Qualifying Match folkstyle (Shaw Mason, Tim Bosby, and Hunter Holdcraft) vs. The Practice (Dr. Redacted, Dr. Cornwallis, and Dr. Daniel C. Rockingham) folkstyle defeated The Practice via submission with the ankle lock from Mason on Rockingham. (6:55)

SEGMENT SIX (TWO MINUTES):

- Sudu Upadhyay signed off for the week with a quick preview of The Risky Raffle, next week's episode, and thanked the sponsor Meg 2: The Trench in theaters tonight from visionary director Ben Wheatley. Throughout this Zbyszko could be heard talking to the production truck on his headset asking for them to pull the footage of Bryan Keith talking to Kylie Paige.

Next Week On The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour The Trench Trial Series continues. Brogan Finlay vs. Shaw Mason Trios Kingdom 2023 Qualifying Match: Los Magnificos (Adrenalina, Explosivo, and Fantastico) vs. The Air Show (Jah'Zel, Razerwyng, and Mach10)

Upcoming Shows:

CORE Pro #118 Breaking Training: The Risky Raffle 08/05/23 West Scranton Little League Carnival - Scranton, Pennsylvania

01. Trench Trial Series - Match 3: Trench vs. ???

02. Trios Kingdom 2023 Qualifying Match: Kerry Morton, Starboy Charlie, and Marcus Mathers vs. Young Dumb N Broke (Charlie Tiger, Ellis Taylor, and Griffin McCoy) The Risky Raffle Featuring: Lio Rush, Flamita, Francesco Akira, Titus Alexander, and more!

CORE returns to the Good Time Theatre at Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania! 08/06/23 Television taping for The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour as seen on Defy TV.

CORE Pro #119 Burning The Tomato Worms 08/21/23 Pittston Tomato Festival - Pittston, Pennsylvania NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship Match: Eddie Kingston (Champion) vs. The Winner of the Risky Raffle

CORE Pro #120 Trios Kingdom 2023 - Night One 09/01/23 Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania Featuring: The Calling (AKIRA, Rickey Shane Page, and Delirious) with Raven The 37KAMIINA (MAO, Yuki Ueno, and Toi Kojima) Jake Something, Vincent Nothing, and Giant Baba Yaga with UltraMantis Black Team JTO (Ren Ayabe, Fire Katsumi, and Akira Juumonji) Black Generation International (Kaito Ishida, Flamita, and Yutani) The Production (Derek Dillinger, Magnum CK, and Ziggy Haim) Just 5 Guys (TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) Big Mouth LOUD (Katsuyori Shibata, Kazunari Murakami, and Manabu Hara) The Family Tree (Afa Jr., Sean Maluta, and Journey Fatu) Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Maika, and Thekla) Los Cancerberos del Infierno (Cancerbero, Luciferno, and Virus) folkstyle (Shaw Mason, Tim Bosby, and Hunter Holdcraft)

CORE Pro #121 Trios Kingdom 2023 - Night Two 09/02/23 Charles Chrin Community Center - Easton, Pennsylvania

CORE Pro #122 Trios Kingdom 2023 - Night Three 09/03/23 Martz Hall - Pottsville, Pennsylvania

CORE returns to the Good Time Theatre at Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania! 09/04/23 Television taping for The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour as seen on Defy TV.

[conflictandscotchblog]

If You Giggle at ‘Uranus’, Read On...

Author’s Note: This is not a spoiler alert, this is more like ‘if you don’t like what I say next, do not read further.’

I want to emphasis, the following is childish, immature, and equates to the lowest form of comedy, and the jokes are about word-play and euphemism about body parts.

Here’s something everyone knows – men will always be twelve-year-old boys when it comes to stupid humor. Below are two examples, one long, and one quick and to the point.

#1

What follows is an actual conversation between a friend of mine, who was going through a divorce, and myself in a car ride back from somewhere in New Jersey.

For context, his soon-to-be-ex-wife at the time lived in Bangor, Pennsylvania.

Friend: I have to go see (insert his ex-wife’s name here) and I need to get to Bangor by four.

Me: (surprised) What?

Friend: I have to go down to Bangor by four.

Me: (perplexed) What happens if you don’t get to Bangor by four?

Friend: Well, then my father goes down to Bangor…

Me: (slight pause) Wow, you have a very generous divorce…

#2

If you giggle when anyone says “Uranus” keep reading…

One more caveat about this piece: it may all come down to ‘well, you had to be there’.

But, if you keep reading, that's on you.

Love trivia, always have, especially movie and television. It’s the benefit of having watched every old movie, and television rerun, in my lifetime. Of course, there is no real benefit to having this knowledge, except for bar trivia contests.

Fortunately for me, I’m part of a group that attends one such bar contest every Monday night. Not to brag, but we are pretty good at it and, of the three games each Monday, we win at least one and place in another.

It helps that between the five (sometimes six) of us, we have over three-hundred-years of collective knowledge.

We have a reserved booth, right off one end of the bar by the entrance. Some nights, depending who sits near that section of the bar, we have an interesting night.

Like the night a drunk shouted out each answer so the entire bar knew how smart it was. When I asked him to stop, his wife (I assumed) took five minutes (she was drunk) to extradite herself from the bar stool to apologize for her husband’s actions as he had too much to drink (truly a match made in heaven).

Or the time an older gentleman (The Professor, as I call him), a know-it-all who spoke non-stop to a young man and woman as he explained to them every question during the game. God bless this couple, all they wanted who to do was stop in for a drink and not learn the history of the world, one question at a time.

Then there was last week.

Two older women sat at the corner of the bar. I mean no disrespect when I say ‘older’ because I’m ‘older’, just trying to set the stage.

Between the second and third game, raffle tickets were distributed to each team, one to each member. There is a raffle and gifts are distributed. On this particular night, one of those ‘older’ women at the bar won a prize. It was nice, a fire pit packaged in a box, a box about three feet by three feet.

It was a nice prize for these raffles, normally the gifts were t-shirts or key chains or anything found in the bar’s storage room, so this prize was unusual.

Put that knowledge in your pocket, you will need it later.

The final game was played, and we won. When it was over, most people begin to leave. The older woman at the bar, the one who won the fire pit, gets off her bar stool and laments to the general crowd, “We didn’t win any games tonight.”

That’s when one of my friends at our table, with all the sincerity in the world to boast this woman’s spirits since her team didn’t win any games, shouted out for all to hear:

“Well,” he said, “at least you have a nice box.”

As the words left his mouth, he realized the double entendre he released into the air.

The rest of us at the table froze, and didn’t know where to look. With my back to the woman, my head dropped forward as I smothered my laugh.

I don’t think the woman heard, but I didn’t stick around to find out. Usually, when the game ends, I’m the first one out the door (long ride home).

That didn’t help, though.

I laughed on my ride home, and the next morning, and randomly throughout the next few days. Hell, I’m smiling while I write this. Also, whenever the word ‘box’ pops up in casual conversation now, I need to look away.

All in all, it was an interesting night.

It was good to be twelve-years-old again.

#bar #trivia #box #humor

[emiratesviisa]

Things to do in Dubai in January 2023

The winter season, from November to April, is the ideal time to visit Dubai.

The Dubai Shopping Festival, which brings the city to life, has made it vibrant and full of light. Not the one who enjoys shopping? When the weather is nice, you may relax on the beach or have a beautiful brunch outside!

We have a list prepared for you after you get your emirates visa for Pakistan citizens whether you are visiting Dubai on vacation or simply for a brief layover. The top 10 activities to do in Dubai in January 2023 are listed below! Apply emirates visa for Pakistan nationals immediately to enjoy all the things to do in Dubai.

1. Take a City Tour or the Old Dubai Walking Tour

Dubai has developed into a bustling metropolis and the most well-liked travel destination in the Middle East.

Because it likes to have the finest of everything, the megacity has earned the moniker "land of superlatives."

Every day, the capital of the Emirate of Dubai sets a new benchmark for excellence for the rest of the globe, from infrastructure to way of life.

The city's humble beginnings as a small fishing community keep Dubai grounded and are in stark contrast to the level of development it has attained.

A Dubai city tour is the finest way to see everything the city has to offer.

Who doesn't adore high-rise structures, culture, and skyscrapers? We make sure to give you a taste of both sides of Dubai on our city tour, which combines all of these elements.

You might be zipping through the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, in the skies one second, and then taking a traditional Abra ride through Dubai's busy waterways the next.

To obtain a sense of the city's past, you must visit the thriving spice and gold souks.

Every day at 10 am and 4 pm through January | Private tours can begin whenever is most convenient Old Dubai Heritage and Souks Walking Tour

Our most well-known and popular tour is the Old Dubai Heritage and Souks Walking Tour.

It happens in Dubai's oldest district, Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, formerly Bastakiya.

Dubai is renowned for its gloss and elegance, but before the oil discoveries or the tourism boom, the city was considerably different. Back then, fishermen, divers, and Bedouins lived in Dubai.

We will cross the creek on the Abra boat and stop at the Coffee Museum, Dubai Museum, Spice Souk, and Gold Souk on this tour.

The Creek, which originally divided the city into Deira and Bur Dubai, is the historical center of Dubai.

Before the 1963 building of Al Maktoum Bridge, Dubai's first bridge, the only method to travel between the two sides was on a flimsy tiny wooden boat known as an abra. It's still without a doubt the most enjoyable (and inexpensive) way to travel.

For individuals who want to reserve a deluxe tour for themselves, we offer this tour daily as both public and private excursions.

The ideal way to explore this area of the city is to take our Old Dubai Walking Tour!

2. Enjoy the Fireworks

Dubai is a popular destination on New Year's Eve, and the United Arab Emirates celebrates New Year's Day as a national holiday.

It is not surprising that tourists from the surrounding nations and the rest of the world begin to arrive given the incredible fireworks displays and the opportunity to take part in some of the lavish New Year's celebrations in Dubai for free.

For a week following New Year's Day, fireworks displays are held in the evening in various locations throughout the city, including Palm Jumeirah, JBR Walk, Al Seef, and La Mer.

For a week following New Year's Day, fireworks displays are held in the evening in various locations throughout the city, including Palm Jumeirah, JBR Walk, Al Seef, and La Mer.

The Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment, a division of the Dubai Department of Tourism, organizes DSF every year as a one-month-long event.

Shops give discounts on various goods throughout the celebration. There are daily prize draws and raffles where you can win things like gold and vehicles.

Additionally, the malls typically keep extended hours, giving you plenty of time to shop until you drop!

Like every other celebration in Dubai, DSF is observed with fanfare and display. This suggests there are other activities outside buying that might satisfy your spirit.

In addition to shopping, there is a tonne of events, fireworks, film festivals, and music performances that you can attend here.

4. Take the Dhow Cruise or a Yacht

On a classic Arabic boat, enjoy a calm evening filled with fun and entertainment.

An upbeat Dhow Cruise is known for its Tanura dancers and their vibrant outfits.

The evening buffet on dhow cruises typically consists of three courses. Drifting through the creek while seeing the vibrant reflections of Dubai's stunningly lit cityscape on the water is a truly spectacular experience.

Since there are many photo opportunities, be sure to pack your camera. It's the ideal remedy for the hectic pace of the city.

We advise taking a yacht from the Dubai Marina area if you'd prefer a more private experience.

Navigate to Bluewaters Island through the Dubai Marina, then proceed to the Dubai Eye.

On the breakfast and lunch tours, you will pass the Atlantis as well as the renowned Jumeirah Beach and the Palm. You can choose to have breakfast on a yacht instead.

You have lots of chances to take Instagram-worthy pictures or cool off in the ocean!

5. Visit the Global Village

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) in Dubai is where you can find Global Village Dubai.

The first family-friendly cultural, retail, and entertainment destination in the area is Global Village, a multicultural festival park. It brings together the cultures of 90 different nations in one location.

The Global Village has a certain magic. The Global Village, which combines a market and a theme park, has pavilions with exhibits from nearby and far-off nations where guests may purchase local delicacies and handicrafts.

In just a few hours, visitors to this festival site can travel the globe and experience various cultures.

The pavilions, which are modeled after famous buildings or regional buildings, invite visitors to meander from London's Big Ben to Italy's leaning tower of Pisa.

Travel back in time to Ancient Egypt or take pictures against the lovely Taj Mahal backdrop.

The brilliant lights and vivacious atmosphere created by parades and all kinds of events, from fire-breathing street displays to star-studded concerts, will captivate both children and adults.

The biggest funfair in the area also offers a tonne of exciting rides and activities for even more enjoyment.

Watch out for Globo, the mascot of Global Village, as he travels the world with Scaredy Bat and other characters.

For all the outdoor entertainment this season, go to Global Village.

6. Dubai Desert Classic

The Majlis Course of Emirates Golf Club hosts the Dubai Desert Classic, an annual European Tour golf event.

It was the first European Tour tournament to be held in the Arabian Peninsula when it was launched in 1989, but it is currently one of six.

Legendary golfers like Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els, and Tiger Woods have won this "Major of the Middle East."

The 35th edition of the competition will take place in January, and there are more events scheduled both on and off the course than ever before.

This competition, which will undoubtedly feature the best golfers in the world, is a must-see for all golf enthusiasts.

7. Enjoy a Musical night at the Dubai Opera

The Dubai Opera, although having just recently opened its doors in 2016, has swiftly emerged as one of the city's most prized cultural gems.

Operatic performances, ice shows, ballet dances, symphonic productions, illusionist acts, musicals, and more have all been presented in the 1900-seat performing arts facility.

At the box office of the Dubai Opera, you can purchase tickets in person. The Box Office is open every day from 10 am to 9 pm and is situated on the Opera Plaza on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard. There are three main seating areas: Stalls, Royal Circle, and Grand Circle. Because prices can vary greatly, pay particular attention to the seating designation. You can enjoy all these after getting your emirates visa for Pakistan passport holders.

#emirates visa for Pakistan citizens #apply emirates visa for Pakistan nationals #emirates visa for Pakistan passport holders #emirates visa uk #emirates visit visa #emirates visa online #emirates air visa services #emirates visa application

[astaroth1357]

Hello I really love your writing. I’m glad that you decided to open requests for a bit. I have a personal headcanon that the boys are a lot nicer to MC then they are to everyone else. Could you do a headcanon of the boys being out with MC and they are talking with MC happily. Then a lesser demon sees them with MC and says that the seven brothers have gone weak and they aren’t scared of them anymore. Thank you again!!! 😖 (Also the way you write Levi is great)

Aww thank you!! Levi's kind of my favorite character (if that hasn't become painfully obvious) so I try to write him well, you know? This one was a little hard for me to write because I just have a hard time imagining Asmo and Beel as something intimidating to the masses, but I tried my best! I hope you like it!

Lesser Demons Think the Brothers have "Gone Soft…"

Lucifer

If anybody had something to lose by acting sweet on a lowly human, it was Lucifer. His entire image was built on the back of power and intimidation, so really who didn't see this coming?

He knew there were whispers… Mostly in the RAD hallways. Students would see him with the MC and gossip amongst themselves… 

"Did you see them together again in the courtyard?"

"How did some random human even score a pact with him??"

"And I used to seriously look up to him, too…"

He'd always silence their chitchat with a well placed glare, but this was a symptom of something more… troubling. A decay of his social image if you will.

Perhaps it speaks to how well and truly enamored he was with the MC that this proud creature didn't just dump them the second he started looking bad, but still… a part of him really couldn't stand for this...

So maybe it was a blessing in disguise when he finally got an excuse to establish his superiority yet again!

He and the MC were walking the halls of RAD after school hours and they had just made an amusing joke at the expense of of his brothers. Unfortunately, Lucifer collided into a lesser demon student while he was laughing…

On most occasions, he would have expected someone of such station to pay him deference then offer an apology - they had just ran into Lucifer after all - but the student just scoffed at him!

Lesser Demon: "Oi! Watch where you're going, Lucifer! Or were you too busy sucking up to that human to notice?"

This… was maybe not the best response to have (if the "Oh shit" look on the MC's face was any indication) but for as annoyed as Lucifer was, he was also somewhat delighted.

Finally, he had the perfect messenger for just how cruel he could still be!

Lucifer: "MC, feel free to go home without me for now and tell my brothers to save my dinner for later…" *starts pulling out his favorite rope with a cold, but pleased, smile on his face* "I have a feeling I'll be home late tonight..."

The MC left him and his unfortunate victim to their fate and Lucifer later came home in the night with his uniform in a bad need of cleaning...

A new body decorated the RAD entrance hall the next morning - swinging from the ceiling and making an awful mess on the floor - but still alive enough give a very important message to the rest of the students:

"Lucifer hasn't changed a bit…"

Mammon

So, not even lesser demons see Mammon as some kind of high-ranking badass… 

Just to be clear, he is, but it’s hard for him to come off that way when he's begging for his next Grimm... Then enter MC into the picture and he somehow lost even MORE cred.

"There goes poor Mammon… Did you hear he got tricked into a pact?"

"Just look at him nipping at the human's heels! How pathetic is that??"

"Well that's Mammon for you… What a shit excuse for a demon."

Like Lucifer, Mammon wasn’t immune to the whispers, but unlike his brother he was able to push them mostly out of his mind. People look down on him? Yeah, what else is new?

To be honest, he didn’t really feel the need to prove anything to a bunch of lesser demon losers… But insulting his MC takes things a step too far.

He and the MC were out at the Devil's Coast, "enjoying" some of the haunted house attractions and generally having a good time…ish. 

Any time they managed to make it out of one, the MC would have to peel Mammon off their back and hold him to assure him they were back to safety (a process he seemed to like enough to repeat the horror that precedes it).

It was during one of these calm down sessions that the two were accosted by a couple of snickering lesser demons, clearly looking for a fight…

Lesser Demon 1: "Hey look! There's the 'Great' Mammon and his little master!"

Lesser Demon 2: "Guess the master fits the demon… Of course someone like Mammon couldn't even score a pact with Solomon and gets stuck with the weakling!"

Lesser Demon 1: "Well how's the babysitting going, Mams? I bet you can't wait for them to kill over, can ya?"

Lesser Demon 2: "Careful! With his luck, they'll probably get eaten by the end of next week! Haha!!"

Now… an important thing to know about Mammon is that you can fling all the mud and stones you'd like at him… but never at his MC. That's just asking for a bruising...

Mammon: *smiling like usual, but his eyes are practically burning with rage...* "Yo, MC… I'm gettin' a little hungry. Can ya go find us a snack over there? I'll meet ya in a bit…"

MC: "Mammon, are you-?"

Mammon: "Don’t worry 'bout me, babe." *takes his glasses off and flashes a fanged grin* "This is'a piece of cake."

And indeed, it wasn't difficult at all. No matter how fast those demons ran, they could never out speed Mammon and he was looking to give more than a warning…

The MC didn't know what he did while they were waiting in line, but they heard the sounds of pleading go silent before Mammon turned back up with a nice bruise on his cheek. Oh, how they fretted and dotted on him…

Meanwhile, the haunted houses just earned themselves a couple new mannequins!… when rigor sets in anyway.

Leviathan 

Levi has a… mixed reputation in the Devildom to start with. People who only know him for his titles usually expect him to be some kind of sea-hardened badass. Those who meet him are… well let's say less than impressed.

This isn't anything new to Levi. It does take a blow to his confidence sometimes but even still most people aren't dumb enough to say something to his face… most people.

Unfortunately, "most people" have been getting bolder after seeing him with MC - because Demon Lord forbid Leviathan actually look happy for a change…

He and the MC were out and about for once. There was a raffle for exclusive merch at Anidaemon and he brought them along to boost his chances. They were grinning and chatting about anime but well…

The human couldn’t hear this, but he could - sensitive demon ears and all that. There were a couple guys who were tailing him… heckling him just loud enough that he was CERTAIN they knew he could hear them...

Lesser Demon 1: "Is that seriously Leviathan hanging out with a human? Isn’t he an Admiral??"

Lesser Demon 2: "Ha! The whole family's turned into simps, are you that surprised?"

Lesser Demon 1: "Wonder what the human's giving them that's got them all brainwashed…"

Lesser Demon 2: "Well... I've got an idea." 😏

If there were ever a reason for bile to fill his throat, it was now. He might be a shut-in, but those guys were the real creeps…

To be honest, Levi isn't one for public confrontation. Even with how gross and disrespectful those demons were being, he would have let it slide if they had just left it at that… but no…

He and the MC were browsing the ani-music racks in the store when those idiots popped up again. They hovered a while until they MC suddenly left his side to go find a store clerk.

When he saw the other demons move their direction, he naturally put himself between them and the would-be harassers. It was a little telling that despite his ticked off expression, the demons just laughed in his face!

Lesser Demon 2: "Hey look, the puppy's come out to protect its owner! How cute!"

Lesser Demon 1: "I can't believe you're that predictable, Levi… Do you really think we'd be scared of you?"

Well. That settled it.

When the MC came back, they found that Levi had moved from the music racks to the merch tables near the bathrooms. They didn't think anything of it… but...

One body was paralyzed by his venom and stuffed head first in a toilet while the other getting strangled by his tail just underneath the tablecloth… Meanwhile, Levi was cheerfully rambling about the raffle like nothing was happening at all.

Maybe they should have been a little more scared of the shut-in...

Satan

This may actually be a case where the rumors have a point… The MC has made Satan "soft."

Well, if "soft" means actually in control of himself, anyway. 

Satan would probably call their effect on him both a blessing and a curse. Though he loved finally having a handle on his inner rage, it flew in the face of a lot of his public image… and people were starting to notice….

"Do you think there's something off about Satan…?"

"I saw the human step on his toes earlier and he didn't even flinch…! The old Satan would have torn them apart!!"

"He's gotten way too nice all of sudden… Wrath shouldn't be nice."

Was it a little frustrating? Certainly. Especially for someone as image conscious as him. But for as calm as he was now, Satan wasn’t any less cruel and he'd be more than happy to remind others of that fact….

His chance came when he and the MC were together having just left the local art gallery. The two were exchanging a healthy dialogue about a curious sculpture they saw on display when a latte suddenly went soaring through the air and ended up all over Satan's sweater… The culprit was plain to see, being the only other demon on the road that night.

Whether the act was intentional or not, the correct course of action would have been to apologize immediately and beg for mercy forgiveness… but all the demon did was laugh in his face…

Maybe he thought that since Satan had mellowed out and his human was right beside him that he'd be lenient… Oh no. Not gonna happen.

Satan's fist slammed into the guy's mouth with the force of a jetliner and knocked him over two benches before his back bent over a lamppost… To say it was a KO move would be an understatement.

He probably could have done a whole lot worse to the guy while he was down, but you know… the MC being there and "self-control" and what not…

The demon survived (barely) and only had to spend a few months in the hospital, if anything he got off light.

Not a soul would gloss over Satan's temper again and really he preferred it that way.

Asmodeus 

Well, to be fair not a lot of people thought that Asmo was tough to start with… but that's also his intention.

"Scary" is the opposite of "cute" and he prefers to be "cute" at all times! 😊

Buuut that doesn’t mean this scorpion is without a stinger. He CAN be quite brutal when he wants to be, you just have to push him that far and trashing his looks is a good way to start.

Asmo was out with the MC getting his hair done for the week at his favorite salon. They weren't the only people there that day, obviously. There were other customers - one being a lesser demon classmate of theirs - though neither he nor the MC thought much of him at the time...

Well… It was supposed to be a prank. Probably something the guy intended to use for social media clout. While the staff was too busy to notice, he snuck by and replaced Asmo's preferred conditioner with pink hair dye…

Asmo. Was. Furious. And honestly, the dude could have gotten away with it if he hadn't been laughing and recording the whole thing!

When Asmo's ire naturally fell onto him, he hardly looked fazed!

Lesser Demon: "Ah, please! You won't do shit to me with the human still around! You don't want to look any uglier to them do ya?"

Asmo: *freezes, but still furiously eyeing every sharp instrument within arm’s reach* "MC? Darling?"

MC: "Got it..."

Perhaps the prankster should have kept his mouth shut, because suddenly the MC needed to take a looong bathroom break…

They didn't come back out until they heard the sounds of screeching and broken glass finally die down and then they stepped back into a warzone… Broken mirrors and items seemingly flung everywhere in a fit of rage! The guy (and his phone) now nowhere to be seen…

The salon comped Asmo for the botched hair job and touch up… and then billed Lucifer for the property damage (which he got an earful about later). On the bright side though, Asmo actually looks pretty great with pink hair! Silver-linings. 🙂

Beelzebub 

… The concept of Beel "going soft" is almost an oxymoron. He IS soft, but his personality was never what made him intimidating to start with.

Behind all his kindness, Beel packs more firepower than at least 4 for his siblings combined and most people remember that fact. Hell, the guy looks like he could lift a semi and he probably would if he ever tried. 

However, that doesn’t save him from being underestimated completely... Especially when an upstart or two thinks he's too nice to actually start a fight...

He and the MC were coming back from the grocery store with the usual armfuls of sacks when the MC accidentally walked into a lesser demon on the street. Since their arms were full, several items spilled out from the bags and onto the ground…

The MC was quick to apologize to the demon and try to get down to clean the mess, but the asshole just kept walking… and Beel really didn't like that.

Beel: "Hey! Aren't you going to say, 'Sorry?'"

The lesser demon hardly looked over his shoulder to respond.

Lesser Demon: "Why should I? That's your human. Take care of them yourself."

Well it didn't take long for some of Beel's bags to hit the floor so he could lift the demon up by the back of the neck properly. When he turned the guy to face him, he made sure to bring his face reeaal close so he could hear him growl...

Beel: "Apologize. Or I'll eat you."

And like that, the asshole's mood went from "Do it yourself," to "Yessir Mr. Beelzebub, sir!" right quick!

The MC didn't have to carry a single bag another step and Beel got to keep his free hand so he could link it with theirs!... all while Beel kept mushing their new pack-mule forward like a sled dog back to the House. Thanks, Beel! 😊

Belphegor 

Kind of similar to Asmo, Belphie prefers to come off as unassuming on most days. But don't let his, "I'm a harmless sleepy boy" shtick fool you. He will cut a bitch if he's so motivated...

Thankfully for the world, he's generally not motivated. But that can be changed under the right circumstances...

Belphie and the MC were on yet another date to the botanical gardens. It's a peaceful place, though the MC can never go alone because of the frankly concerning amount of flesh-eating plants… Pretty, but also deadly, you know?

The two of them were walking to another rest spot when Belphie heard whispering from a demon behind them, seemingly on his phone…

Lesser Demon: “Yeah, I can see them right now…”

Lesser Demon: “I know right? It's so lame that these guys are in charge of us… They can't even say no to a dumb human!”

Lesser Demon: “What do you mean keep my voice down? Dude, it's fine! This is Belphegor we're talking about, the hell is he going to do if he hears me?”

… Huh.

The answer to the man's question was a simple one. Flash into his demon form for just a moment and whip out his tail... It only took a quick swipe to make him trip and fall right into the foliage. The man-eating… carnivorous… hungry… foliage….

Belphie was back to normal by the time the jerk let out his first scream and the MC almost stopped to see what had happened.

MC: "What the-oh my God!! Should we help-??”

Belphie: *puts his hands on their shoulders to keep them moving, not even glancing back* “Someone else will take care of it. Let's see the roses.”

Even when the desperate cries for help became distant, it took all Belphie had to stifle a smile…

Sometimes, you've got to love irony. 🤷‍♀️😏

#obey me #obey me shall we date #shall-we-date-obey-me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me headcanons #obey me requests

[dreamerstreamer]

Lucky in Love

Pairing: poly!Dream Team x gn!reader

Summary: [Soulmate!AU] It’s one thing to meet your soulmate in a lottery, and another to have more than just one. But when you end up winning Dream’s Minecraft Manhunt raffle, you find your world turning upside down in ways you least expect.

Word Count: 9.9k

A/N: behold, my first commissioned story! this story has been altered from it’s original form so everyone can read it, but the majority of the plot and writing remain the same. i had a lot of fun writing it, and i hope you all like it! <3

You stumbled into your bedroom with a yelp, your thumb flying across your phone screen to the home button and pressing gently. With a gleam, the time flashed back at you, and your eyes shot wide open.

You were going to be late.

Leaning forward on one leg, you pushed the door behind you shut with your foot, bouncing forward as soon as you heard it click shut. Your eyes swept across the room, your gaze catching on a swath of black cloth sitting at the foot of your bed. With a quirk of your lips, you tugged the shirt off the mattress before turning on your heel. Darting to the other side of the room, you easily settled back into your desk chair and let the shirt drop onto your thighs.

Grabbing your mouse, you moved your cursor to the YouTube bookmark at the top of your screen, your computer screen instantaneously flooding with light. You scrolled over to the left side of your screen, your mouse hovering over a familiar green icon before clicking, a new box popping into view.

Stream starting in 60... 59... 58... 57...

You felt your lungs tighten within your rib cage, your toes curling ever so slightly into the floor. It had been a nerve-wracking month of waiting and pacing, crossing each day off the calendar with an anxious grin. You almost couldn’t believe that the day had finally arrived. Letting out one last breath, you leaned forward, the t-shirt feeling heavy in your lap.

3... 2... 1...

All of a sudden, the screen went dark. Your reflection stared back at you from the dim screen, your excited eyes peering back at yourself with a curious glint. Reaching up, you brush an unkempt lock of hair away from your forehead, just in time for two familiar faces and a lime green icon to appear.

The Dream Team.

“Hey, guys!” Dream said, his voice sounding like a breath of fresh air. “How are you all doing?”

A flurry of hearts flew across the live chat screen, the lines moving by so quickly that you couldn’t tell when one message ended and another started. Practically bouncing in your seat, you couldn’t help the smile that skittered across your cheeks.

“Good,” you whispered aloud to yourself in the quiet of your room. You knew that they couldn’t hear you when you talked like that, that they wouldn’t know you had even replied at all, but it made their streams feel a little more lively nonetheless.

After a brief pause, Dream’s voice filtered through the air once more, just as bright and eager as it was earlier. “Good? I hope the answer is good.”

Your breath hitched in your throat, your heart flipping in your chest as your fingers curled into the shirt in your lap. That sort of thing happened sometimes: a streamer would say something and your verbal response almost made it feel like they were actually holding a conversation, like they were actually with you right now. These sorts of things were always a coincidence, but when everything in your world was connected by fate, sometimes you let yourself be a little hopeful, let yourself imagine that maybe it wasn’t dumb luck—that maybe it actually meant something.

Hell, maybe it meant you could be soulmates.

Soulmates were a tricky thing to think about, really, even if everyone knew they existed and that one day, they would meet theirs. No one could pinpoint when exactly soulmates came to be, but no one rejected their presence either way. It wasn’t like they wanted to, anyways. To have a person who was perfect for you linked to you by the universe—it was no wonder people were more than pleased to discover they weren’t just some old lover’s tale.

But even then, some were skeptics. How would you really know when you had found your soulmate? What if you missed them by accident? For you at least, you already knew what it would feel like. You couldn’t count just how many times you had asked your mother that very question, but you could practically rattle off her words by heart.

“You’ll know exactly when it happens, I promise, sweetie,” she would murmur, stroking your head with a gentle hum and soft eyes. “When you first touch, it feels like... like you’ve been struck by lightning, and you’ll be tingly all over. Something inside you just sort of clicks when you look at them, and you’ll just—you’ll feel it right here.” She tapped her finger over your heart, a wistful expression settling across her face. “It’s... it’s magical, and you’ll never forget that feeling—not for the rest of your life.”

The smile that would tug on your mother’s lips made you all the more hopeful, a heavy yearning settling deep into the crevices of your heart as the years went by. Even now, as you sat watching Sapnap and George bicker with each other while Dream chimed in with a snarky remark, you felt that same fleeting hope rising up in your chest, warm and soft.

Maybe—just maybe—they might be your soulmates.

Not that they actually were, of course. You knew better than to get your hopes too high.

But as you watched Sapnap’s lean a little closer to his camera and listened to George’s breathy laugh, you felt your heart swell the tiniest bit.

Connected by fate or not, these boys were special to you, even if you had never met.

Sapnap blinked as his eyes darted across his monitor, raising his eyebrows with surprise as he let out a short whistle. “Oh, wow, we’re pulling... holy crap—over seven hundred thousand viewers, right now.” You could vaguely hear the scrolling of his mouse, his lips twitching. “Everyone sounds so excited in chat, too.”

George’s eyebrow quirked. “I mean, of course they are. Manhunts are loads of fun—who wouldn’t want to be a part of them?”

Sapnap’s face split into a teasing grin, and he leaned back in his chair. “Ooh, you sure sound cocky, George.”

George blinked once, then scowled. “Wha—shut up, it’s true! Why else would there be so many people here?”

A devilish gleam flickered across Sapnap’s gaze. “To see your pretty face, maybe.”

George’s frown deepened, his eyebrows knitting together into a glower. “Sapnap, you—”

“Look, look,” he cried, wagging his finger at his monitor, “even chat agrees!” His lips curled up into a smirk, mischievous and amused all at once. “You’re not gonna say chat is wrong, are you, Gogy?”

You could have sworn a hint of rose flushed across George’s cheeks as he averted his gaze from his camera, his voice coming out softer than before. “W-Well, I—”

“Boys, boys,” Dream suddenly cut in, George’s words trailing off in an instant. Despite the firmness of his words, there was an amused lilt to his tone, the smile evident in his voice. “You’re both pretty, alright, but can we please move on? I bet everyone’s dying to know who won.”

George opened his mouth, then let out a sigh, shaking his head with a hint of a smile gracing his lips. “You know what, Dream’s right. Let’s move on.”

Sapnap snickered on his side of the screen, still grinning widely. “You just can’t handle the truth.”

George groaned, deadpanning into the camera. “We are not starting this, again.”

Sapnap smiled, but didn’t get to speak before Dream cut him off. “You’re right,” he said, sounding a tad more hurried than before, “we’re not, because I’ve got the results, right here.”

You suddenly sat up, your heart stuttering. That same spark of hope fluttered up between your lungs, and you found yourself shuffling your chair forward, squinting in anticipation. Curiosity quivered around the edges of your mind, a certain eagerness pawing at your side as you watched a white pop-up fill the stream.

Everybody had an equal chance of winning—you knew that. That everyone may include you, but it also included every other person who bought one of those shirts. It didn’t take a genius to know that you weren't going to win. After all, not everything was guaranteed like having a soulmate was.

“And,” Dream began, dramatic and slow, “our winner is...”

You squeezed your hands, clasping your palms together with a feeling you couldn’t quite name.

“...shirt number 267815!”

You blinked, your brows furrowing together. That number sounded... oddly familiar. Your eyes flickered down to the shirt in your lap, the white tag peeking back up at you.

It couldn’t be.

All of a sudden, Dream’s voice rang through the air once more, sounding even clearer than ever before.

“Oh, and the name connected to the shirt is... [Y/N]!”

Your heart came to a screeching halt in your chest, your eyes shooting wide open as your jaw dropped.

I... won?

You gaped at your screen, only half-registering the sight of Sapnap and George clapping. The chat had become a blur of words you couldn’t bring yourself to read, your vision growing hazy and unfocused with shock. I must look crazy right now, you thought to yourself distantly, rubbing at your face. This can’t be real.

George’s gaze locked directly onto the camera, and for a second, it almost felt like he was speaking directly to you. “Congratulations, [Y/N]!” He wrinkled his nose with an apologetic smile. “I hope I’m saying that, right. If I’m wrong, please tell me.”

Sapnap chuckled, shooting him a devious grin. “Knowing George, he’s probably wrong.”

Your lips twitched at the frown that flitted across George’s face before Dream took over again. “Ignore them—they’re being dumb.” Before either of them could protest, he quickly added, “Anyways, welcome to Minecraft Manhunt! We’re looking forward to meeting you. We’ll send you an email soon, and you can give us some more info there.”

You nodded at your monitor, your lips still parted in surprise. “We’ll be ending the stream now,” Dream continued, “but thanks so much for everyone else who participated. Your love and support mean the world to us!”

You could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke, and it sent a rush of warmth shooting down your spine. “[Y/N],” he murmured, suddenly sounding soft, “we’ll see you soon.”

As George and Sapnap waved one last time at their cameras with excited grins, you swallowed. Your heart rattled in your chest as the screen faded back to black, and you found yourself sitting face-to-face with your reflection once more.

You were right—you looked just as dumbfounded as you felt.

Slowly, you closed your mouth, lowering your gaze to the shirt in your lap. The axe that was laid out across your thighs somehow seemed brighter than it did before, almost as if someone had painted over it with a newer, shinier layer of white.

Lifting the shirt to your chest, you felt a wide grin tug at your lips—wider than any grin you had ever smiled before.

Maybe you were luckier than you thought.

Your finger hovered over the left button of your mouse, your breaths coming out shaky and short as they pumped through your lungs. The Discord call already had three icons waiting for you, and all you had to do was click to join them.

Breathe, [Y/N]. You’re only about to talk to three of your favourite content creators on the planet. It’ll be easy.

You paused, listening to the sound of your heartbeat thumping in your ears.

Oh, who am I kidding? I’m not fooling anyone.

A groan rose in the back of your throat, and you hung your head in your hands for a long moment. “C’mon,” you whispered to yourself. “You can’t keep them waiting forever.”

You sucked on the inside of your cheek, then lifted your head, nodding once, then twice. Yes, okay—calm. I can be calm. Your finger twitched. Let’s do this.

Your hand reached back for your mouse, the cool plastic melding against your skin as your cursor hovered back over the call. Squeezing your eyes shut for just a second, you let your finger press down, a familiar ping echoing through your headphones. There was a beat of silence. Then, someone spoke.

“Hi! Hello!”

You jumped at that sound of Dream’s voice, your heart skipping a beat as you quickly reoriented yourself again. “H-Hi, there,” you said as calmly as you could muster.

“It’s nice to meet you, [Y/N]! I’m Dream.” There was a slight pause, then he added hesitantly, “Did I say that right, by the way? Your name, I mean.”

Your lips curled up into a smile, and you felt the tension seep out of your shoulders. “Yes, you got it right.”

You could almost imagine him grinning to himself triumphantly. “Perfect.”

A new voice suddenly jumped in, just as eager as Dream’s. “Don’t steal the spotlight already, Dream,” Sapnap whined, his icon flashing green. “There’s three of us, not just you.” Ignoring Dream’s quiet apology, he quickly moved on. “I’m Sapnap—it’s great to have you here.”

“And I’m George,” another voice added, his prominent accent sounding like honey in your ears.

Every ounce of anxiety you had been feeling earlier felt so far away now, their voices carrying your worries off over the horizon. “It’s nice to meet you all, too. My name’s [Y/N], but you already know who I am, don’t you?”

“Well,” George said, drawing out the vowel, “we may know a few things about you, but we don’t really know who you are—that’s something we want to hear from you.”

Sapnap made a noise of confirmation, his mouth moving at lightning speed as he suddenly began to fire off question after question. “Yeah, like, what’s your favourite flower? Or season? Which one of us do you think is the most handsome? Ooh, what about—”

“Woah, woah,” Dream cut in, wheezing ever so slightly, “one thing at a time, to start. Let them breathe, at least!”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the hints of laughter tinting his voice. “It’s okay!” you said, your lips splitting into a crooked grin. “Although I don’t know if I can answer those questions.”

George let out a confused noise. “No? Why not?”

You hummed, swinging your legs around your chair. “Like for my favourite flower, I think they’re all really pretty and look nice, in their own little ways. Same thing for seasons.” You chuckled. “I’m too indecisive to pick just one.”

“But who do you think is the most handsome out of the three of us?” Sapnap prodded, excitement seeping into his tone. “It’s definitely me, right? Come on.”

“Hey,” George suddenly quipped, rushing through his words, “no flirting yet! We only just met!”

There was a brief second of silence. “I mean, isn’t that technically the best time to start flirting?”

“Sapnap.”

“Fine,” Sapnap sighed. You could practically hear him roll his eyes. “Friends first, flirting later.” You were about to breathe a sigh of relief when he added, “Carry on, though. I still want to hear your answer.”

Chewing on your lip, you stiffened, drumming your fingers against the side of your keyboard. “I’m telling you,” you sighed after a long moment, “I really don’t think I can pick. As a matter of fact,” you pointed out, raising a finger. “I don’t even know what one of you looks like.”

Now, it was Dream’s turn to speak up. “Then, talk about attractiveness, in general. It doesn’t just have to be about looks.”

You froze, your posture going rigid. Attractiveness in general…?

How could you possibly encapsulate their attractiveness just like that? Dream was so incredibly clever, and you loved to hear him talk about his passions. George was smarter than he let on, and you could see it in the way he coded their videos, working relentlessly to make them work. Sapnap was beyond affectionate, and just hearing him share his affection with those around him made your stomach melt. They were just handing you a recipe for disaster with a question like this, you knew it.

“This question is impossible,” you blurted, a gentle panic seeping into your tone. Narrowing your eyes, you leaned closer to your mic, adding with a teasing lilt, “Are you trying to torture me?”

“Maybe we are, maybe we aren’t,” Dream hummed, chuckling at the small whine that escaped your lips. “Either way, it’s cute to hear you struggle.”

Your breath suddenly hitched in your throat, but Sapnap was quick to leap forward. “Hey, what did we say about no flirting?”

Another beat of silence. “Killjoy.”

“Okay, moving on from that,” George said, quickly diverting topics, “how are you feeling, [Y/N]? Are you looking forward to the manhunt?”

You looked back at the call, your eyes locking onto the three Discord icons sitting next to your own. “Yes,” you admitted, “but I’m also very, very nervous.”

“Nervous?” Dream repeated slowly.

“Nervous,” you said again, “but a good kind of nervous.” You opened your mouth, then closed it. “Actually, I think excited is a better word to use. You guys always just seem like you have so much fun when you’re around each other, and I’m just...” You waved your hands in front of yourself, feeling your heart beat faster and faster while your face grew hot once more. “I’m just really excited to film with you all and play Minecraft together.”

Silence washed over the call, and your cheeks felt like they were about to burn right off your face. “Sorry,” you mumbled embarrassedly. “That—that probably sounds really dumb.”

“It doesn’t,” Sapnap said suddenly, making your gaze grow wide, “not at all.”

“Yeah,” George added with a joyful hum. “I dunno about those two, but I’m also excited to play with you, [Y/N].”

Dream guffawed, a scoff escaping his lips. “What do you mean you don’t know about us? Of course we’re excited! [Y/N] is great!”

You nearly fell out of your chair. “H-Huh?”

Dream’s voice was suddenly soft again, both parts soothing and cheerful all at once. “We might have only known each other for a little while, but I’m telling you, we’re beyond happy to have you here, and we want you to have a good time, too.”

“Oh, a thousand percent,” George said straight-facedly into his mic. “I’d trade you for both of these nerds in a heartbeat.”

Just like that, Sapnap was yelling as you heard Dream smack his desk. “George, what?! How could you say that?”

Giggling, you sank into your desk chair with a relieved smile, pressing a hand over your eager heart. “Thank you,” you murmured, only hoping they could hear the sincerity in your words. “I hope I don’t let you guys down.”

Their raucous bickering suddenly died down at the softness in your tone, and three voices spoke at the same time—each one sounding more honest than the last.

“You could never.”

You leaned forward in your desk chair, your eyes glued to your screen as you watched Dream’s avatar stand as still as a rock, frozen and entirely unmoving. Your finger hovered over your W key, waiting for the perfect moment to strike as your tongue darted out to flick over your bottom lip.

Manhunts may be stressful, but you were more than ready to tackle this one headfirst.

It happened so quickly that you nearly missed it. In one moment, Dream was standing in front of you, stock still as you stared him down. In the next, he was darting off in the opposite direction, already a whopping ten blocks away.

Sapnap’s voice shot through your headset like a bullet as he shouted, “After him!”

He didn’t need to say it again before the group was already dashing across the grassy field, boosting each other forward every other block. You clicked frantically at George’s backside, your lips twitching in glee as he shot the slightest bit closer to Dream. With each passing second, they ran further and further, Dream lying just a few steps out of reach. All of a sudden, he leapt off the side of a cliff, vanishing from sight in an instant. Coming to a screeching halt atop the hill, you watched as Bad peered over the forest, Sapnap and George hot on his heels.

“Where’d he go?” George muttered, confusion clouding his voice.

You shifted your mouse left and right as your gaze darted across your screen, scanning every pixel for even the tiniest hint of neon green. Just then, a gasp flew from your lips, and you caught Sapnap jolting in your direction at the sound.

“Look!” you cried, clicking to point over at the greenery. “He’s on the right—on top of the trees!”

Without missing a beat, everyone was leaping off the hill and barreling across the trees, ignoring their fall damage as they jumped over small gaps. “What is he,” George grumbled under his breath, “a monkey?”

You let out a tiny giggle at the genuine annoyance in his tone, but didn’t stop chasing after Dream’s running figure. Suddenly, he just barely missed his jump, bouncing twice on the same leaf block. He had only stalled for a brief second, but that was more than enough time for you to spam click your mouse. In a flash, Dream was tumbling off the tree, with you trailing right after him.

“I hit him off!” you shouted in glee, elation making every one of your syllables soar in your throat. “He’s on the ground.”

“Nice one, [Y/N]!” Sapnap chuckled with delight. “Now, don’t let him get away!”

The praise made the triumphant feeling that had unfurled beneath your ribs spread even farther under your skin, warming you from head to toe. Pushing forward, you nodded and slammed your thumb down on your space bar.

You had no plans of letting him escape.

You pulled your water bottle from your lips with a gasp, quickly screwing the cap back on before setting it down on your desk. Wiping your mouth with the back of your hand, you turned back to your monitor, your gaze focused on the anvil a few blocks away. To your left sat the portal, and to your right was a wall of obsidian.

You were four hours into filming now, but you still weren't tired. How could you be, when you were so close to the end?

Clicking on the anvil, you dragged the diamond axe in your inventory into the first slot before reaching for the enchanted book sitting just beside it. Forty-two levels—you would need forty-two levels to enchant your axe with Sharpness IV.

You glanced down at the space above your hotbar and grinned.

Luckily for you, you had forty-three.

Clicking once more, clanging echoed through your ears, and you placed your newly enchanted axe in your hotbar with a proud smile. It was an absolute pain having to kill as many mobs and loot as many desert temples as you did, but for this, it was absolutely worth it. Now, it was time for the rest of the plan.

“I have no idea how you came up with this,” George said earnestly, his character facing yours, “but I love it.”

You grinned, opening up your inventory and removing your amour. “I just got really, really lucky.”

Grabbing an invisibility potion, you suddenly paused, a hint of uneasiness sinking in your gut. If Dream noticed any particles, you would be dead in an instant, and your plan would be blown to smithereens. You would have to move quickly to make it work—almost ridiculously quickly.

Swallowing, you opened your mouth. “Do you guys think we can really pull this thing off?”

Sapnap let out an easygoing chuckle, your shoulders relaxing in an instant. “Oh, I know we can.”

Letting Sapnap’s confidence run through you, you held down your mouse’s right key, downing the invisibility potion in one go before turning to rush out of the portal room. Through your headphones, you heard Dream let out an inquisitive hum, curiosity flickering through his tone. “Just what are you guys up to?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy?” Sapnap fired back without missing a beat, his voice swimming with mischief.

While George let out a wheeze and you giggled at Sapnap’s sharp quip, Dream sighed, muttering, “So much for asking.”

Huffing out one last quiet laugh, the smile fell from your face, your eyes narrowing as your expression grew serious. You moved ever so carefully through the stronghold, weaving in and out of the labyrinthine halls like a snake on the hunt. Your gaze darted back and forth between the compass in your hotbar and your screen. With each sharp swing of the compass hand, you held your breath, turning until it was pointed forward again. You had been searching for a few minutes when suddenly, you spotted it.

A glimpse of green.

Dressed head to toe in enchanted iron armour, Dream’s avatar stood in front of a wall of furnaces, smelting away as he turned from one to the next. On the same wall was a crafting table and a chest. He was planning something, you just knew it, but you didn’t have the time to question what. After all, he was facing the wall opposite from you, completely unaware of your presence.

This was the perfect chance, and you weren’t going to waste it worrying.

Creeping forward, you stopped only when you stood just a single block away from him, switching from your empty hand to the enchanted diamond axe in your hotbar. With Sharpness IV, it would only take three critical hits for you to take him down.

For a second, all was still.

Then, you were pressing down on your space bar and clicking your mouse a half second later, watching with bated breath as Dream’s avatar twitched from your attack. One.

He had barely managed to turn around before you had already landed another hit on him. Two.

By the time he had pulled out his own axe and began scanning the seemingly empty air in front of him, you were slamming your finger down one last time. Three.

With a shout, Dream dropped dead before you, his inventory exploding into a mess on the floor at your feet. You blinked once. Twice.

Then, the call burst into a mess of screams and shouts.

Dream’s yell rang through your ears as George and Sapnap hooted in delight, Bad and Antfrost following with their own victory cheers. “What the heck?!” he cried, shock filling his every word. “[Y/N], was that you? Oh my god, where did you even come from?”

Practically gasping for breath, you nearly collapsed on top of your keyboard, the adrenaline slowly wearing off as you smiled triumphantly to yourself. “[Y/N], you did it!” Sapnap shouted, just as loud as before. “You—you just—holy crap!”

“I was so stressed,” you breathed, sagging against the back of your chair with a breathless laugh. “You have no idea.”

“You were awesome, so awesome,” George managed between giggles, his own voice sounding giddy and positively overjoyed. “I knew you could do it.”

Your cheeks half-felt like they were about to start hurting from how hard you were smiling, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care as Dream’s tired laugh filled your ears.

“Congratulations, [Y/N],” he murmured fondly. “You won.”

Just a week and a half later, you couldn’t believe your eyes as you scrolled through the comments section of the new video.

[y/n] was so funny omg

They made this manhunt feel so much more special

Their chemistry as a group was so good wtf!!!??!

please bring [y/n] back I am in LOVE

[Y/N] SUPREMACY

With each new comment you scrolled past, you felt your heart swell more and more in your chest with a mixture of joy and pride. You didn’t expect people to respond so positively to the video—to you.

You had barely made even a dent in the hordes of comments about you when a Discord notification popped up on your laptop screen. In a flash, you were pulling up Discord, quickly clicking on the appropriately named group chat, [Y/N] KILLED DREAM!!

Sapnap: hey

Sapnap: hey

Sapnap: hey did you read the comments

[Y/N]: i did! people were so positive!!

[Y/N]: i wasn’t expecting it

George: You weren’t?

You furrowed your brows, reading George’s question twice before typing once again.

[Y/N]: of course not??? i’m just some person

[Y/N]: you guys are the dream team

George: Don’t put yourself down like that

Sapnap: yeah everyone liked the video because they liked you

Dream: well then

Dream: how do you feel about coming back to film again?

You stared at your screen in awe, something hopeful and weightless rising in the expanse of your chest. Filming another video? With them?

You didn’t even have to think before your fingers were typing out a response.

[Y/N]: i would love to

Peals of laughter tumbled from your lips as you rolled over on your bed, your phone perched beside your head on your pillow. A split second later, a loud whine echoed from your phone speaker, and you found yourself laughing even harder, your lungs gasping harder and harder for breath with each giggle that was pulled from your throat.

Never in your wildest dreams would you have guessed that you would be here.

It had been nearly a year since the fateful day that brought you and the Dream Team together and a little over ten months since you had first filmed together. Now, three videos and countless streams later, you were closer than ever before, cracking jokes and pushing each other’s buttons like you had known each other their whole lives—maybe even longer than that. It took some prodding, but you even called Dream by his real name, now. As much as you liked the name Dream, Clay sounded much nicer, in your opinion. Texting daily was practically a sacred ritual now, and you couldn’t remember the last time you didn’t get spammed by their texts at least four times a week. Even now, as you lay on your bed with your phone connected to Discord at your side, you were chatting with them, grinning as wide as ever. It was a comfortably pleasant lull you had fallen into, the four of you—one that you wouldn’t mind spending the rest of your life sinking into.

It was comfortable indeed, but even as complete as you felt now, you felt like there was something missing—like there was a hollow cavern in your chest just waiting to be filled.

Yet another shout suddenly pulled you out of your thoughts, the noise sounding even more astounded than it had before. “How was I supposed to know that that was Russia?”

The sheer amount of shock in George’s voice immediately made you burst into another fit of giggles, throwing your head back. “There was Russian on the sign!” you managed between breaths. “It was so obvious!”

He sputtered at the sound of your laughter, sounding absolutely appalled by your reaction. “You can’t just expect me to be able to read Russian!”

You grinned, your voice dropping the tiniest fraction. “You act as if you don’t know how to say a few things in Russian.”

There was a moment of silence. Then, Sapnap whistled. “Touché, [Y/N]. You’ve got him there.”

While George groaned, surely smacking his palm into his forehead, Clay spoke up with a teasing hum. “You should play some GeoGuessr with us more often. You’re way better at this than George.”

“This is bullying,” came a distant complaint from George, his voice coming out muffled through his mic.

“It’s the truth,” you corrected with a cheeky grin. “You cannot deny that.”

There came a snort, followed by Sapnap’s gentle laugh. “Look at you, [Y/N], being so mean all of a sudden.”

You smiled lopsidedly, trying to push back the shiver that ran down your spine at the way his low voice made your insides melt. “You know you guys love it.”

“We do.” Clay’s voice almost sounded far away, muffled and hazy. “We really, really do.”

Your heart leapt into your throat as a soft silence washed over the four of you, your chuckles dying down and fading into the quietness of your bedroom. Sighing deeply, you picked at your nail, silently begging your heart to calm down again. It was right then when George softly piped up.

“Hey, [Y/N],” he said quietly. When you let out a small noise, he continued. “We… you would call us close to you, right?”

You laughed at the hesitancy in his tone. For a second, he almost sounded shy, and it sent butterflies fluttering through your stomach. “Do you even have to ask? We’ve been friends for months—of course we are!”

You could make out the faint sound of shuffling from Clay’s end, his icon flashing green. “Are—” He coughed. “Does that mean we’re close enough to ask you a… somewhat private question?”

You raised an eyebrow at his tone, your curiosity piquing. “Go for it,” you said gently, letting your eyelids flutter comfortably shut.

“Have you met your soulmate yet?”

In an instant, your eyes shot wide open again, and you lay frozen in your bed. In all the time you had known each other, not once had you brought up the topic of soulmates. It was almost as though you had simply skirted around it, too shy to press on about. But right now, with the topic lying right in front of your face, you couldn’t just avoid the topic.

Your fingers twitched as your mouth fell open. “N-No,” you stammered, the butterflies in your stomach going oddly still. “I, um, I haven’t. Have any of you?”

There was a pause. “No, none of us.”

You thought for a moment, your heart mulling over those four little words. Then, you exhaled and let your shoulders relax against the mattress, your nails curling into your palm. “I’m sure you guys have nothing to worry about,” you murmured almost hazily. “There are probably thousands and thousands of people who would love to be any one of your soulmates.” You chuckled, but it tasted bittersweet on your tongue. “Heck, there’s probably at least half a million fans who would be dying to take my place, right now.”

On the other end of the line, you were met with silence, but it was fleeting. “What about you?” Clay suddenly asked.

You blinked, your palm going slack. “Me?”

“You,” Clay affirmed, sounding more serious than before. “If you were one of our soulmates, how would you feel?”

The words left your lips before you could stop them. “Happy,” you blurted, suddenly feeling breathless. “So, so happy. I—”

You suddenly slapped your hand over your mouth, cutting yourself off with wide eyes. Realization struck you like a lightning bolt, and you could feel your blood run cold in your neck. I did not just say that.

“What—” George stopped. Then, a second later, he continued. “Which one of us would you want it to be? To be your soulmate?”

With trembling fingers, you moved your hand away from your mouth, your voice coming out small. “Are you asking me who I like most?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

You almost felt your heart drop, bolting upright until you were sitting atop your sheets. Wrapping your hand around your phone, you balanced it on your lap, uncertainty springing up in your gut.

Who... I like most?

Dream, George, and Sapnap. Sapnap, Dream, and George.

To think that just a year ago, you had never spoken to them—had only ever known them as three strangers through a screen. Yet here you were now, their voices soft against your ear and your heart aching at the sound of their laughter. They made you smile beyond belief, and you wouldn’t miss a call with them for the world, even if it was three in the morning and you were dead asleep. Although you had spent time with each of them individually, just as friends did, you loved spending time with all three of them together far more, and you didn’t want to imagine having them any other way.

George, Sapnap, and Dream.

Who did you like most?

You swallowed, then opened your mouth. “I,” you choked out, “I don’t—I wouldn’t—”

You stopped, your heart pounding like a drum between your lungs. You could feel them waiting for you, as patient and caring as ever. The thought made you want to curl up into a ball and cry. Screwing your eyes shut, you sucked in a deep breath and whispered.

“I don’t think I could ever pick just one of you.”

The silence that filled the air as you closed your mouth was tense. A million unspoken words ricocheted off the insides of your mind, your heart racing within the confines of your chest. The air suddenly felt too hot, and you kicked the covers off your legs, curling your knees closer to your chest and resting your burning cheeks on top of them.

“Maybe this is a sudden thing to say,” Sapnap whispered abruptly, his words coming out slurred as he broke the silence, “but I really, really want to know what you look like right now, [Y/N].”

You felt your arms go limp around your legs. “Me, too,” George added, thoughtful and faint. “I bet you’re beautiful.”

Resisting the urge to bury your face in your hands, you ran your finger along the edge of your phone screen, the glass pressing against your hot skin. “I—um,” you began shakily, “you’ll see when we meet, okay? This way, two of us can stay a mystery.”

Clay’s soft chuckle rippled through your bedroom once more, bouncing off the walls and making your chest ache even more. “Alright.”

You felt your chest constrict with heat, feeling like you were almost about to burst at the seams from the way they were speaking. “W-Well,” you laughed, trying not to sound as panicked as you felt, “on that note, I think I’m gonna go to sleep now.” You opened your mouth to continue when a yawn cut you off, eliciting a string of laughs from your phone speaker. “I’m feeling pretty tired.”

“Sweet dreams, [Y/N],” George murmured tenderly. “Talk to you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” you confirmed with your heart battering against your ribs. “Goodnight!”

Reaching over, you pressed your thumb over your phone screen, exiting the call just as swiftly as you had joined. That had been hours ago now, and while you were tired, you couldn’t shake the churning sensation in the pit of your stomach—twisting and turning as you laid back on your bed. You slipped your phone onto your nightstand, plugging it in in a forlorn haze before lying back once more. Staring up at the lonesome ceiling, you frowned, your heart suddenly feeling like an anchor in your chest.

Without even an inch of doubt, you knew: you liked them—all three of them.

And it was going to be the end of you.

Having a crush was a dangerous thing in a world full of soulmates, especially if they were online—even more so if you had multiple. You could only ever find out if someone was your soulmate if you met them in person, and you had heard far too many stories of couples meeting in person, only to learn that they weren’t fated to be. Combining that with multiple soulmate bonds slimmed the chances even further. Multiple soulmate bonds weren’t exactly unheard of, but they were rare. You had never met anyone who had one, and you doubted that you would be the first you’d know to have one.

You suddenly felt it—that familiar spark of hope you felt all those months ago when you sat at your desk chair with a shirt on your lap. The hope that drew you to them now was the very same hope that connected you in the first place. Your heart leapt, lapping up every last droplet like a man dying of thirst, yet with each new spark that rained down in your chest, the thought clawing at the back of your mind loomed larger and larger.

Just what exactly were the chances all four of you would be soulmates? It had to be next to nothing if it wasn’t zero already.

This wasn’t like the manhunt raffle—lady luck could only be so generous.

Rolling onto your side, you felt something deep inside you reach its hands up and wrap around your lungs, squeezing as tightly as it could. The ache that shot through your insides stung like a hot coal, but you knew there was nothing you could do to soothe its hungry flames. Unshed tears pricked the back of your eyelids like silver needles, and you squeezed your eyes shut, choking back a muffled whine. Your bedroom suddenly felt too big, your bed too empty.

Hope could be beautiful, but it could also destroy you from the inside out.

“Do not leave the call.”

Clay’s chuckle sent a frown skittering across your face, and you let out a small whine as you leaned forward in your desk chair. “Aww,” he crooned, teasing and light, “are you jealous, Georgie?”

“N-No, what?” George sputtered, and you could almost envision the way his cheeks would flush a pretty shade of baby pink. “Just—just don’t hang up.”

“I’m telling you,” Sapnap laughed with a sly lilt, his voice sounding a little more distant than Clay’s, “he’s jealous.” You vaguely could make out the sound of his signal light from inside his car, a muffled car horn echoing from outside. “Or at least if he isn’t, [Y/N] is.”

At that, you whipped your head up, blinking wide as you shot a glare at Sapnap’s Discord icon on the side of your monitor screen. “Well, [Y/N]?” Clay drawled, a flicker of mischief dancing in his tone. “What do you have to say about that?”

You curled your fingers into your hands, a small pout settling onto your features as heat shot across your face. “I—I am!” you said, your voice coming out a fraction louder than you intended. When the other line went quiet, you shuffled back in your seat, your cheeks burning even hotter. “I am jealous, okay? It’s... it’s just not fair that you two get to meet before we do.”

There was a brief moment of silence. You were being childish, you knew, but at least you were being honest. Suddenly, Clay spoke. “We know, sweetheart,” he said gently, not at all realizing how your heart skipped a beat at the pet name. “But you’ll be able to meet us soon. Just wait a bit longer, okay? I’ll buy you both plane tickets if I have to.”

You pouted with a dejected whimper, your finger drawing small circles onto the side of your desk. “Okay.”

“Don’t sound so sad,” Sapnap chuckled with a soothing coo. “As soon as we can get you two over here, we will.”

You let out a sigh, swinging your chair from side to side with a frown. Was it so wrong of you to want to meet them so badly, to want to see them and hug them? Part of you didn’t even care if you were all soulmates at this point—you just wanted to hear them laugh in person. You wanted to make them smile. Was that really so much to ask for?

“I see him!” Clay suddenly shouted. Your head shot up faster than a bullet, and you heard the sound of a front door opening and slamming shut. “Oh, Sapnap.”

“Oh, Dream,” Sapnap called mockingly, his smile shining through in his voice. There was the sound of the car engine stopping, then a car door swinging open. “Holy crap, you’re way taller than I expected.”

You chuckled at the surprise in Sapnap’s voice, hearing George laugh along with you. “Jeez,” Clay muttered, his voice overlapping ever so slightly with the mic on Sapnap’s phone. “It’s so weird actually seeing you in person, oh my go—”

All of a sudden, Clay went silent, cutting himself off with a strangled noise of surprise. On Sapnap’s end, there was a muffled choking sound, then nothing. In a flash, you were upright, your eyes wide and your hand flying to your mouse.

“Sapnap?” George called, his tone soaked with worry. “Clay? Are you two alright?”

There came a gasp, and you could make out the sound of Sapnap struggling to search for words. “You’re—Clay’s my—”

Just like that, it clicked, like a switch had been flipped inside you. You felt something in your chest deflate, and you opened your mouth.

“Soulmates,” you whispered so quietly that you would have missed it yourself, had you not been the one to say it. “You two are soulmates, aren’t you?”

George fell silent. “I think so,” Clay mumbled, his tone coming out as if he were in a daze. “I’ve never felt anything like that before in my life—it definitely feels like what everyone says, you know? Just, really warm, and.... and...” He trailed off, ending with an enamoured sigh. “Yeah.”

Your mouth felt as though it had been sewn shut, like you wouldn’t have been able to force the words from your lips even if you tried. “How did we not know after all these years?” Sapnap giggled, his voice swimming in a mixture of disbelief and affection.

“We’ve never met in person up until now,” Clay mused, his sentence rising at the end. “This is the first time we’ve ever seen each other, let alone touched.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Sapnap murmured back wistfully. The call suddenly went quiet, and a deep, disappointed quiet fell over the four of you. Not a word was said as the harsh reality slowly settled into your hearts.

Clay and Sapnap were soulmates.

Only Clay and Sapnap.

“I’m happy for you two!” George suddenly shouted, startling you in your chair. He sounded oddly chipper—too chipper. “I wish—” He suddenly choked, pausing for a moment to catch his breath again. “I wish I was already friends with my soulmate. Meeting new people is hard.”

“Who knows?” Clay chuckled. His words were teasing, but even they couldn’t mask how crestfallen he sounded. “Maybe [Y/N] is yours.”

“Yeah,” Sapnap hummed in agreement, the hopefulness in his voice sounding just as forced as his soulmate’s. “You hear that, [Y/N]? Maybe you and Gogy were meant to be.”

Your vision was hazy and unfocused, your gaze focused on the window in your room. In the corner of the glass was a small spider web, just barely the size of your palm. You watched with blurry eyes as a fly caught in the sticky web beat its wings in desperation, struggling helplessly as a spider crawled out from behind the windowsill. You distantly wondered how trapped that fly felt—if it knew that there was no point in hoping for anything better, now.

Turning away from the window, you focused your gaze down at yourself, down at the black shirt you were wearing. A clean white axe stared back up at you, and you felt a bittersweet smile stretch across your face as you uttered a single word.

“Maybe.”

A loud beep echoed from the ceiling speakers, and you jumped at the sound. All around you, people were bustling in and out of gates, towing luggage behind them as they rushed down the crowded pathways and between loitering groups of people. You whipped your head this way and that at the sight, your head spinning with all the new sights and sounds.

It was still hard to believe that just a few months prior, you wouldn’t have been able to step foot in an airport like this.

To see people move from one place to the next, seeing loved ones and meeting new people for the first time was almost exhilarating, especially after all that had happened with the world. You liked it, and you certainly hoped that it was here to stay.

You had just started walking down the main path when you felt your phone ring in your pocket. Fishing it out, your face lit up at the caller ID, and you picked up without waiting another second, pressing the cool glass to your ear with a smile. “Hi, George.”

“Hey!” he greeted with a cheerful tone. “Did you get here safely?”

Rocking back and forth on your heels, you curled your fingers a little tighter around the handle of your suitcase with a hum. “Yep.”

“Good.” You could hear the smile in his voice, and it sent a familiar tingle of warmth bouncing down your spine. “How are you feeling?”

You paused, your steps faltering for a brief second as you pondered. “Nervous,” you said after a moment or two, “but a good kind of nervous.”

“A good kind of nervous?” he repeated with a fond tone. “I think I know the word you’re looking for.”

Your lips curled up at his words, your mind flashing back to a distant day from long, long ago. “Yes, George, I’m excited.”

The laugh that fell from his lips sounded like pure music to your ears, and you caught yourself thinking that you wouldn’t mind drowning in the sound. “Me, too.” As you wove between a few sectioned off groups, George added gently, “You know where to meet us, right?”

You nodded with a small noise of confirmation, making a sharp turn down yet another long hallway. “Yeah—I’m pretty sure Clay and Sap are already waiting for us.”

George snorted, both affectionate and teasing at once. “Oh, I know they are. I’ll see you there?”

You grinned, bobbing your head along to the beat of your suitcase wheels rolling across the polished tiled floors. “For sure. See you there!”

Lowering your phone from your ear, you pressed your thumb against the screen before letting it drop into your pocket once more. A sigh escaped your lips as you let the ache you had been suppressing tumble loose, throbbing and gnawing away at the shaky shards of your heart.

How long had they known that Clay and Sapnap were soulmates, now? Five months? Six? You weren’t sure if you could even bring yourself to keep count, anymore. It hurt too much to think about. You were happy for them, you really were. But the selfish part inside you still longed for their touch, even if they wouldn’t ever truly be yours. It wasn’t that you didn’t like George, but you meant what you said—you couldn’t pick just one, and you wanted all of them, as greedy as it was.

Shaking your head, you pushed forward, your gaze darting up to the navigational sign hanging from the ceiling. No matter how painful it may be, you weren’t going to let your own heart get in the way of how amazing today was going to be. You were meeting your favourite people in the world today, and nothing was going to take that away from you.

Not even heartbreak.

Glancing briefly over at a map on the wall, you huffed as you dragged your suitcase up a set of stairs and through the corridor, chewing on the inside of your lip. George’s gate was on the opposite side of the airport from yours, and Clay and Sapnap were waiting in the middle for the two of you. His flight had arrived a bit before yours, so you knew you were just going to have to find all three of them together.

After another few minutes of walking, you found yourself walking into the central dome of the airport, the glass ceiling filtering natural light into the room as you wheeled your luggage in. Your lips parting in awe at the sight, you swept your gaze across the busy room, scanning over every head you could find. You had only been looking for a few moments when a head of dark sepia hair caught your attention. Narrowing your eyes, you shuffled forward carefully. Then, your lips split into a triumphant grin.

There they were.

In a heartbeat, you felt your insides melt at the sight. Sapnap and George looked as handsome as ever, their lips curled up into dazzling smiles as they spoke, and Clay—oh, Clay. This was the first time you would ever be seeing each other’s faces, but you didn’t have to see him to know that he was pretty. With tousled golden locks and emerald green eyes that flashed like gemstones, he was everything you could have asked for and more.

Chatting casually with one another, all three of them were dressed in comfortable clothes, and you wanted to fling yourself at them and bury yourself into their warm touch. Sucking in a deep breath, you marched toward them, slinking around so that you were facing their backs. Hugs could come later—right now, it was time for a surprise.

Treading slowly and carefully, you only stopped when you stood a foot behind them, the giddiness rising in your chest as you finally opened your mouth.

“Sapnap was right. You are tall.”

The three of them immediately whirled at the sound of your voice, their eyes as wide as saucers as their gazes locked on yours. The grin on your face only grew wider as you watched their faces light up in unison, like a set of stars coming together in the night sky.

“[Y/N],” they said at the same time, blinking wildly as you sent them a small wave.

You laughed. “Here I a—”

“We were right, too,” Clay suddenly blurted, bending over slightly. “You are beautiful.”

Your cheeks flushed with bubbling heat, and you felt your heart leap in your chest. “I—ah, um,” you stammered, taking a step back. “You look good too, Clay.”

Sapnap took a step forward, reaching his hand out toward you with a soft smile. “So, we finally meet,” he hummed, a brilliant gleam flashing across his eye. “Does this mean I get to hug you, now?”

You grinned, and with a giggle, you were leaping forward, your suitcase wobbling behind you as you let go. The moment you felt warm arms wrap around your backside, you felt yourself relax.

Then, your skin suddenly felt like it was on fire.

Warmth surged up your spine like a rippling flame, your eyes shooting wide open as you gasped, your fingers curling into the soft fabric of Sapnap’s shirt. In an instant, you were stumbling back, clutching at the space over your heart. You could feel it going absolutely haywire in your chest, pounding like never before. Your entire body felt as light as a feather, and your mind felt strangely hazy.

Impossible—it had to be.

“Sap,” you choked out, your eyes locking onto his own wide ones, “you—”

“George, Clay,” he suddenly said, reaching a hand out toward the two boys, “get over here. Right now.”

The two of them had been standing stock still just a few steps away, their jaws dropped and faces contorted with surprise as they watched you and Sapnap tremble across from one another. Swallowing, George took the first shaky step forward, reaching his hand toward yours. The moment your fingers brushed, the same tingling warmth crashed over you like a wave, and you let out a soft noise, happiness blooming in your throat like a blossom in spring. You watched with earnest eyes as George’s expression mirrored yours, his rosy lips parted in surprise as his fingers latched onto yours. The hope you had locked away months ago came pouring out of your glowing heart like a waterfall, overwhelming every inch of your senses.

“It’s not just us,” you whispered, your voice brimming with nebulous hope. “It’s George, too.”

George lifted his head, his breath hitched as he turned. “That just means...”

All three of your gazes landed on Clay, who was still frozen in place, stock still with shock. Your eyes darted to Sapnap’s, then George’s. You nodded in unison, and without saying a word, you stepped forward. You slipped your hand into Sapnap’s, your heart trembling with adoration at how big and warm his palm was against your own. Sharing one last glance with one another, you nodded. Just like that, you were slipping your hand into Clay’s, George following suit while Sapnap grabbed his.

In a heartbeat, everything felt perfect.

The empty cracks in your heart no longer felt as wide as they once did, instead flooding with burning warmth and something that felt like love. Your head spun with dizzying affection, and you felt your vision grow watery, but for an entirely different reason, now.

God, you loved them, you loved them, you loved them.

At your side, Sapnap’s hand shook in yours, surprise lacing his every word. “I can’t believe it.”

“A four-way soulmate bond,” George breathed, his own mouth twitching up into a lovestruck grin. “I—I never thought we’d have one. I mean, I always hoped but—”

Suddenly, Clay spoke up, his voice hoarse but full of sincerity. “W-Woah, are you crying? What’s wrong?”

In a flash, their eyes were on you, who had let go of Clay’s hand to press your palm against your eye. “N-Nothing’s wrong,” you said, your voice shaking with overwhelming emotion. “I’m just—I’m so happy.” A quiet sniffle bubbled up in your throat, but it didn’t stop the smile from tugging at your lips. “I liked you all so much and I was so scared that only George was going to be my soulmate, because you’re all so important to me, and I couldn’t just give you guys up like that.”

“[Y/N],” Clay choked out, his own voice starting to wobble, “stop, please. You’re going to make me cry.”

Laughing, you leaned against him, soaking into the warmth of his body as his arm instinctively wrapped around you. “Just—just cry with me, okay? We can all cry together.”

You didn’t need to say it twice. Not even a split second later, and you felt two more pairs of arms snake up around you, a nose burying itself into your hair as a cheek pressed against yours. “It looks like you won more than just one lottery then, huh?” Sapnap mumbled from above you, his chest rumbling against your back.

“Yeah,” George chuckled, his fingers lovingly rubbing small circles against your arm. “First the manhunt, now this. Just how lucky can one person be?”

You smiled, rubbing your head against Clay’s shoulder with a loving hum. “I don’t know what the universe was thinking,” you murmured, your eyelids fluttering shut as you gently rocked back and forth together, “but I’m glad I won. You three are the best prize I could have ever asked for.”

You felt a pair of lips press a soft kiss to the top of your head, your heart sighing in your chest. “I love you,” someone whispered, too softly for you to tell who it was.

All around you, the bustling airport kept moving, full of life and bursting with energy as the crowds flowed around you like a river. The world was still moving, the planet still turning beneath your feet as you embraced one another, warm and safe in each other’s arms. But in that moment, none of that mattered. A dazzling spark danced along the crevice of your heart, bright and warm and oh-so full of hope as you opened your mouth to whisper back.

“I love you all, too.”

#commission #mcyt x reader #dreamwastaken x reader #sapnap x reader #georgenotfound x reader #mcyt #mcyt x you #mcyt x y/n #dream smp x reader #dream smp x you #dream smp x y/n #dreamwastaken x you #georgenotfound x y/n #sapnap x you #sapnap x y/n #dream team x you #dream team x y/n #dreamwastaken fanfic #sapnap fanfic #georgenotfound fanfic #georgenotfound fanfiction #dream x reader #dream x you #dreamwastaken imagine #sapnap imagine #georgenotfound imagine #dream team imagines #dreamwastaken scenario #georgenotfound scenario #sapnap scenario

[only-johnny-deppp]

Johnny Depp’s Riddle Challenge on Discord:

Along Johnny’s A.M.A Sessions on his Never Fear Truth Discord server, audio recording can also be listened on the Riddles channel, where Johnny would ask some riddles made from himself for his followers to decypher and win a NFT.

> About the Riddles:

On February 20, 2022 it was announced in one of the Never Fear Truth channels of the community on Discord, called “Riddles” that over the next three days during, they were going to release 7 riddles made from Johnny himself.

The rules were simple: 

1) The users should solve all of them correctly to have a chance to win a surprise prize. 2) where the first 50 full sets of correct answers would win an awesome prize. 3) The answer of each riddle should be sent in another site, the Dyno Discord Bot. Each original post had a different link to send the answers, 7 in total.

4) The users should sent ONLY ONE ANSWER, otherwise was going to be disqualified from the game.

 The first Riddle was posted on the same day (February 20, 2022), as an audio mp3, but many people using smartphone couldn’t listen, so on the next day (February 21, 2022), the format was changed and Johnny’s first riddle was uploaded again as a video MP4 with transcript to make easier and better for everyone to listen and understand. As announced before, two Riddles were going to be shared on the next days, and the second was released later that day, followed by two on February 22 and 23. 

On February 24, it announced that within minutes the first 50 people answered all of Riddles correctly and out of them, only one person was chosen after a raffle, and the winner was the user @DiskyX , who won a Never Fear Truth NFT.

Along the announcement of the winner, it was also shared all the correct answers of the Riddles, which interestingly matches with parts of Johnny’s life during the last years.

 Ps. For those who are not on Discord, the audios was reposted by followers on YouTube, and Twitter and I will also upload all of them here, along Johnny’s AMA Sessions.

#Johnny Depp #Never Fear Truth #NFT Collection #Johnny Depp's Riddles #Special Challenge #Audio Messages #Special Audios #February 2022

[frostsinth]

The Secret We Keep - Pt. 6

Part 1|2|3|4|5  - MasterList -

Here’s part 6! Fresh off the press! And I just wanted to say that one of my followers commented on the last installment asking if maybe Hans’ had gotten Maddie a dog like she had mentioned. And I was just sadly thinking to myself “Oh, honey... no...” But don’t worry. Hans is a giver. Just... maybe not in the traditional sense. :D

Absolute love and overwhelming gratitude to everyone for your support and appreciation of my works! I’ve almost hit 400 followers! At 500, I’ll have to do some sort of special reward for you guys, though I haven’t decided what yet. Maybe a ficlet raffle/giveaway? A free sketch of whatever you want? Let me know if you guys have any ideas!

Check out my MasterList above for more stories, or to BuyMeACoffee! As always, feel free to shoot me a DM or ask if you have any questions or thoughts. I love hearing back from you guys!

He woke with the first light of the dawn, blinking sleep from his eyes and drawing in a slow, deep breath. The small room was washed in soft, faded greys as the light slipped in through the closed hole in the roof. Dark, slate blue eyes considered it critically, his lip curling into something that seemed almost like profound disapproval for the ramshackle skylight.

But then those eyes fell on her, sleeping beside him. Her arms curled up, her hands resting lightly next to her cheek. Instantly, he felt himself becoming mollified. She fit neatly against his torso; with her legs tucked up, he could curl his body almost completely around her. He found he liked that. Being able to cocoon her with his own flesh. Gods knew she needed all the shelter and protection he could offer. To him, it was a wonder she had survived this long on her own.

Slowly, and surprisingly quietly despite his huge frame, the big orc slid out of the bed. Though perhaps ‘bed’ was the wrong word now. A soft nest, made from the wreckage. He glanced about the mess guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck. She shifted in her sleep, and he froze, wondering if she was waking. But after a breath, she lay still again.

Good. Let her sleep. Just a little longer at least. 

Hanste’kosh donned his stockings and boots quietly, then retrieved his discarded tunic and gathered his armor into a pile. Heat licked at the back of his neck as he moved, the disbursement of his gear reminding him vividly of the previous night. His eyes flicked back to the remnants of the bed, and its sole occupant. Part of him longed to rejoin her; to wake her with a warm kiss, to pull her into his arms and run his mouth across every inch of her. Until he had every curve, freckle, and scar committed to memory. He brushed the desire aside with a soft grunt, and silently slipped out the door. He had work to do.

In the yard, he dumped the armor on a stump, pulling his tunic over his head and adjusting it across his torso. It seemed like he was just in time as well, for there was a soft groan coming from the ruined stables at the opposite side of the yard.

Stretching his broad shoulders and square jaw with a pop to shake out the last of his sleep, Hanste’kosh stomped over. At the sound, a large green head popped up. At first, the big orc stiffened, but a moment later he recognized his second and relaxed his readied fists.

Bar’tok gave him a smirk, and the larger orc saw his eyes flicker over to the door of the house. But when his eyes returned and found the deep scowl waiting for him, Bar’tok wisely chose not to comment on his boss’s evening.

“Just got here, figured he’d be coming to soon.” He explained softly, then delivered a swift kick to the heap on the ground beside him. “Though you should really get some better security set up here, Boss.”

Hanste’kosh responded with a rumbling growl as the heap in question groaned, moaning and rolling onto his back. His hands were bound tightly in front of him with rough, fraying rope and large bruises and welts speckled his body like spots on a dalmatian. The man was large by human standards, with lean muscles and a chiseled jaw. But compared to the orcs? The tanned skinned human might as well have been a child.

The larger, darker skinned orc gave a grunt, grabbing the man’s binds and effortlessly dragging him across the ground. Over to the old metal hooks generally used to hoist beasts up to drain blood from their carcasses. With one flex of his arm, he lifted the man off the dirt, hooking him between the cords on his hands to leave his toes dangling uselessly just above the ground. The man looked around wildly, panicking and struggling against his binds briefly as he came fully into the conscious world once more. His eyes settled on the cooking spit nearby, then the various skewers and other sharp implements. His lips tightened nervously. Probably wondering if orcs really did enjoy munching on human flesh.

“Have a good night then, Bhalt? Did sleeping in the mug jog your memory?” Asked Bar’tok cheerily, coming over to lean on the old wooden post next to him. When the man turned his head to look at him, he grinned at him around his broken tusk. “Think you might have something to share now?”

The man rolled his bruised jaw, then spat at the ground in front of him. “Fuck off.”

Hanste’kosh’s fist cracked like stone against his cheek, and the man stifled his pained cry as he slowly pivoted in a circle. The orcs waited patiently for his momentum to slowly spin him back around, his feet still dangling. The human glared at each of them, but there was something different in his face than the night before. Hanste’kosh’s brow twitched. He recognized defeat when he saw it.

Bar’tok did as well, and grabbed the man’s shoulder, giving him a none-too-gentle shake. “Where is she?”

“... I don’t know.” The man mumbled. He visibly shook at Hanste’kosh answering growl, flinching deeper into his shoulders. “B-but I know where she’s going! I know where she’ll be!”

The younger orc grinned, smacking the man’s wounded shoulder with the back of his hand. Bhalt winced in pain, but it just made the orc’s grin wider.

“There now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Placing his hands on his knees, the orc leveled himself with the human. “You’re also going to tell us what she looks like, right? After all, we haven’t had the pleasure.” He winked. “Yet.”

The man snorted, but his gaze flicked fearfully to the larger of the two orcs. For his part, Hanste’kosh only had to scowl deeper to have the man rushing to spill his guts.

“She’s a half-elf!” He gasped, scrambling and struggling against his binds as if he could possibly maneuver himself further away. “Bright red hair. Scar over the left side of her nose. Can’t miss her.”

Hanste’kosh grunted, and the human winced. Uncertain if the behemoth of an orc was pleased, angry, or just some senseless beast making a random noise. The uncertainty left him quivering in his boots. But Bar’tok smacked him on the back, painfully spurning his injuries.

“Excellent!” He turned to his larger companion. “Whatcha think, Boss? I’ll get the boys ready. Should we take the lout with us?”

“N-no! No no no…I’m done, I’m out!” Stammered the human, his voice growing louder. “You said you’d let me go!” Bar’tok raised a hand as if to calm him, but the man’s voice only grew in volume. “If I told you what you wanted to know, you said-”

This time, Hanste’kosh’s fist connected squarely with the man’s temple. He spun like a top by his wrists and his head lolled back as he went limp again. Bar’tok sighed, considering the unconscious human, rubbing at his jaw with one large hand.

“Really Boss?” He grumbled softly, “Now we gotta wait for him to wake up again-”

The larger orc’s deep growl signaled him to silence as the soft creak of the front door filtered across the yard to them.

....

Having found myself alone when I woke, I followed the sound of the muffled voices toward the yard. A frown settled on my lips as I slowly pushed open the front door, nervously pulling my shawl tighter around my shoulders.

“Hans?” I called softly as I moved.

I saw Hans moving quickly, turning to face me directly and tucking one hand behind his back. There was another orc with him, and after a moment I recognized him from the previous evening. At the sound of my voice, they slammed their shoulders together. Effectively creating a strange wall of orc at the side of my yard. A huge barrier of green flesh and toned muscle, though I couldn’t imagine why.

The smaller orc grinned sheepishly at me as Hans gave a deep, rumbling grunt in his traditional reply. I felt my face flush slightly at the sight of the other orc, but brushed my hair back out of my face and tried to look as if he hadn’t just caught me rolling out of bed. Which of course, he had.

“Good morning, ma’am!” He called with an almost false cheeriness.

I gave him a shy smile, fiddling with the handle of the door. “Um,... Good morning,” I glanced over at Hans, “...Are you here for Hans?”

I hesitated when I looked at him, and my frown returned. He seemed… different. He shuffled his feet under my gaze, and his brow seemed more scrunched than usual. My head cocked to the side as I considered this.

“H-Hans?” Echoed the other orc, looking over at his companion in surprise at the name. Hans shot him a warning look that could have seared skin, and he quickly cleared his throat. “Oh. OH! You mean the Boss? Ah… No, I was.. .we were just…”

My mind raced at his response. If he wasn’t here for him, perhaps we could have more time then. A little hope tickled at my chest at the thought, and I stepped further out into the yard. Suddenly eager to extend the interaction, for any excuse to spend longer with Hans. Even with additional company. 

“I’m sorry, I’m being rude. I’m Madara; I never caught your name.”

His sheepish grin returned, and he started to move forward with his hand extended. “The name’s Bar’tok-” 

His introduction ended in a grunt as Hans elbowed him sharply in the ribs. Quickly, he straightened, flattening his shoulder back against his larger companion’s. As if he had stupidly forgotten something important. I raised an eyebrow at this, even more curious. I wondered if it was perhaps some sort of orc custom, or sign of respect. Though I had never seen such a thing before. Not that I was any kind of expert on orcs. It briefly occurred to me that it might have something to do with my new budding relationship with the larger orc, and swallowed nervously at the thought.

“You work for Hans?” I gave him a polite smile, my gaze flickering over to Hans, who gave a deep grunt at my scrutiny.

Bar’tok reached up with his free hand, rubbing the back of his neck. “I.. yeah.. I do.”

“Seems like he keeps you busy.” I offered conversationally in the face of the awkwardness that seemed to be stretching.

A soft laugh escaped the smaller orc’s mouth, but a look from Hans quickly had him clearing his throat again and shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“You could say that.”

Before I could press more questions to the talkative orc, I caught sight of the rusty chain of my butcher’s hook behind them, swaying slightly. As if it was currently burdened by a load. I frowned again, and I thought I saw them stiffen as my eyes moved to it. Though it could have been my imagination. They seemed to be making a point not to check where I was looking.

“Are you using my equipment?” I asked, my voice peppered with surprise. I hadn’t left a carcass there overnight, that much I knew.

Both orcs exchanged a look. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have said they looked panicked. Though I couldn’t place why. Suspicion began to creep into me at that point, and I placed my hands on my hips.

“What? Ah, no-”

“I can see it swinging. What’s going on?”

Bar’tok did glance over his shoulder then, and I saw Hans shoot him a dark, warning look. My frown deepened a little more. The larger orc rubbed at his beard with one big hand, grunting a deflection.

“It’s… We were just… ah, We just put...um..” Bar’tok looked desperately at his boss, wringing his big hands before him.

“Meat.” Growled Hans, speaking up for the first time, his deep voice heavy and booming in the quiet morning air.

I considered him again, my eyebrows raising slightly. He held my gaze, but I thought I saw his flat expression falter briefly.

“Meat?”

Bar’tok quickly latched on. “Yes! Yes, we, well, we had a good... hunt, and thought you wouldn’t mind us using your equipment to clean the kill-”

“Oh, well,... I would have preferred you ask first. But no harm done I guess,” I started to move across the yard to them, “Would you like some help?” I chuckled lightly. “I do have some skill-”

“NO!” Bar’tok practically shouted.

I jerked to a halt at that. The pair had pressed even tighter together, almost staggering from the pressure passed between their shoulders. My eyes widened slightly, and my mouth must have dropped open in surprise. Hans’ scowl deepened, and he shoved Bar’tok so forcefully the orc struggled to keep his feet. There was obvious discomfort between them. It almost looked like Hans was displeased to have to share shoulder space with the smaller orc. But then, why touch him at all if that was the case?

“That is, I mean… We’ve... finished.” The younger orc explained. One of my eyebrows raised again. “But my apologies!” He added quickly as I opened my mouth to inquire into exactly what he meant, “I am keeping the Boss from you too long and I am certain he’d much prefer your company to mine!”

The larger orc jerked as if he had been slapped. I felt my face flush bright red at the implication, sending all other thoughts flying from my head instantly. Hans shot the orc a look that had him shrinking back a step and holding up his hands as if ready to block any blows that might be thrown his way. With his thick lip twitching, Hans looked like he was considering doing just that.

I gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. “So I suppose that means he can stay for breakfast?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light. Hoping that Hans’ reaction was more out of embarrassment than distaste for the idea of spending more time with me.

His slate blue eyes flashed over to me, and I thought I saw his face darken a few shades. His lip seemed to quiver, and the huge orc seemed more at a loss for words than normal. I smiled shyly, dropping my eyes and wrapping my arms about myself. I saw them glancing at each other out of the corner of my eye. His affirmative grunt a few moments later had my little smile growing.

I glanced over at Bar’tok. “Would you like some breakfast as well?” I offered sincerely.

Part of me hoped he would agree. I certainly had a fair number of questions, and the smaller orc seemed to have a hard time keeping secrets. Or at least was more talkative than Hans. A big grin split his face, and he opened his mouth. But then he caught sight of the dark look settling on the thunderstruck brow of his boss. Instead, he cleared his throat, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“Ah, no, thank you for the offer ma’am,” He replied sheepishly, “But I’m afraid I have… prior engagements.”

I nodded forgivingly. “Of course. Next time, then.”

I waited, but neither moved an inch. I blinked a few times, surprised. The pair exchanged a look, shoulders still locked together. Bar’tok shuffled his feet awkwardly and Hans glanced down at the ground.

“I’ll… I’ll go get it started then?” I posed the statement as a question, and left it hanging in the air between us.

A slightly relieved look seemed to settle over Hans’ large features. He nodded, giving one his deep, affirmative growls. I hesitated, but turned back to return to my kitchen. I paused with one hand on the doorframe, glancing over my shoulder at them. Still joined together, bodies tense.

“... It was nice to formally meet you, Bar’tok.” I told him, giving him a smile.

He grinned back, dipping his head politely. “Absolute pleasure, ma’am. Until next time.”

I nodded back, then turned, dipping into the house. I grabbed a log and went over to the stove, stoking up the fire and grabbing my little tin pot. At the larder I found plenty of eggs, strips of raw bacon, and some butter, which I quickly put into the pan. A few moments later, the butter was sizzling and I laid the strips of bacon across the metal.

In the yard, I could almost make out the soft murmurs of conversation through the opened doorway behind me. I thought about moving closer to try to better hear what the two were saying (or more, what Bar’tok was saying, as I couldn’t imagine Hans was much of a talker in any sense). But I decided after a moment I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. A rock of unease settled in the pit of my stomach, and my frown creased at the corners of my eyes. Shortly after, I heard the chain distinctly rattling, and it sent a chill down my spine.

I started at the soft sound of boots approaching, but let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding at the familiar scrape of Hans’ broad shoulders against the doorframe. I forced myself to relax, and took a deep, steadying breath.

When I glanced over my shoulder, the big orc seemed to be watching me. I felt my cheeks flush again, and turned back to what I was doing. Honestly, I was beginning to think my face would become permanently stained red if I kept blushing so much. I swallowed nervously, using a long two pronged fork to poke at the bacon.

I heard his boots moving across the dirt floor again, and the hairs at the back of my neck rose as his heat filled the air behind me. The bacon spat grease about, and I carefully flipped the pieces over. I could almost taste his own hesitation, and my tongue felt dry in my mouth as I tried to sort through my racing thoughts.

“... You slept well?” Came his deep, booming voice by my ear.

I jumped a little, then smiled at my own foolishness. I turned, looking at him over my shoulder again. His brow was a little furrowed, and his thick lower lip seemed a bit more turned out than normal. When I turned, his slate blue eyes anxiously studied my face. They lit on my lips, taking in my small smile, and his whole face softened again.

I gave him a shy nod, dropping my eyes but looking up at him through my lashes. “Yeah.. I did actually.”

His rumbling approval vibrated in the air between us. Bashful, I turned back to the bacon, pulling it off the heat and adding a few more strips to the hot grease in the pan. He was so close, I could hear his lips move as he opened, then closed his mouth. The orc softly cleared his throat, and I heard the scratch of his hand through his beard as he rubbed at his face.

I noticed his movement out of the corner of my eye, and so didn’t jump as he brushed his fingertips over my hip. My blood rushed in my ears, and I suddenly found myself unable to think straight. I snuck a peek down at his hand, saw it hesitantly line up with my hip. Slowly, haltingly, he rested his big palm on top.

I let out a fluttering breath, feeling his other hand slowly snake onto my opposite side. My hand shook as I flipped the new strips of bacon, but as he eased himself a little closer, I couldn’t help leaning back against his firm chest. His next rumbling chuff felt nice against my shoulders, and I felt him slowly bend closer, curling his frame around me.

The heat of his body against mine had my legs weak, and I completely lost all semblance of coherent thought. Especially as I felt his breath next to my ear, and the soft huff as he drew in air through his nose. I could almost picture his nostrils flaring, and it brought to mind the image of him laying across from me in the bed. Breathing in my scent. Chest bare, lips close enough to kiss…

“... It’s burning.” He muttered, his voice sending a shiver down my spine.

I blinked stupidly. “Wh-what?” A bit of grease splattered out of the pan, hissing loudly, and I jumped. “Oh, crap!”

I quickly fished the last of the bacon strips out of the pan, setting them on a waiting plate. I thought I heard something like a soft, rolling chuckle from behind me. My face burned hotter than the grease, and I fumbled a bit of butter into the pan trying to distract myself. I put it to the side of the heat, reaching for the eggs. I had to bend to scoop up a few from where I had left them, and felt my bottom press into his hips as I did. His hands tightened on my hips, and I nearly dropped the eggs as I heard him growl softly.

As I straightened, he slid his huge arm around my waist. Pulling me a little tighter against his body. It took all my willpower not to become distracted as I moved to crack the eggs against the pot and whisk them together. Especially as he shifted, burning his big face into the side of my neck. My pulse ricocheted, and I felt a bit dizzy. I had to lean heavily against him to keep my balance, and my breath came in shallow little spells as he ran his lips along my skin. I felt his tusks at my throat, and nearly dropped the fork. My eyes fluttered as I felt his hot tongue roll out, tasting the flesh of my neck, tracing down to my collarbone.

I placed my free hand on top of his huge arm about my waist, trying to ground myself. The smell of the eggs filled my nose, bringing me back to the present. I stirred them into fluffy chunks slowly as I enjoyed the feeling of his lips running over my skin.

“Well, breakfast is ready,” I told him distractedly, my voice breathy, “...But it seems you’ve found a taste for something else.”

My words made him jerk in surprise, straightening quite suddenly. I heard a loud THUD and spun, eyes wide. I found Hans rubbing his head, face a few shades darker once more, and a small scowl forming on his lips. He shot an accusatory look at the low beam over the stove top.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry!” I exclaimed, moving the pot off the flame and turning back to him. “I.. I keep doing that, I’m sorry,” I reached up, cupping my palms against his bearded jaw, “I-I didn’t mean to… ah,” I laughed haltingly, blushing fiercely, “Next time I’ll.. I’ll just let you… you know, do whatever you want to me... Oh-” His  eyes widened slightly and his complexion seemed to be darkening by the minute “-Oh that’s not… Um…”

I groaned, dropping my face into my hands in embarrassment. I had ruined it. Again. He had been so bold, so forward. Had taken such initiative and I was enjoying it and then I had to open my big mouth. Just when he had started to get comfortable with touching me. How could I be so-

I jumped a little as his fingers slid over my shoulder, his big palm completely engulfing it. I spread my own fingers, sneaking a peek at him between them. His face was still flushed, but his features were soft. His other hand came up, tucking beneath my chin. Thumb resting on my lip. Tilting my head up to face him. I let my hands drop, wrapping them hesitantly around his wrist at my chin. I thought I saw the corners of his mouth twitch upward, and my attention darted down to his thick lips quickly before returning to meet his dark, slate blue eyes.

“...Whatever I want?” He echoed in a murmur, and my knees quivered at the husky baritone of his voice.

I smiled, blushing again, starting to look away shyly. I saw his tongue trace over his lip, and he cleared his throat lightly, stepping back in. Closing the gap between us once more. He kept me from turning away completely, steering me by my chin, maneuvering me back into place.

I closed my eyes as he bent down to kiss me. As our lips folded together, I felt the tension in my muscles ease, and I melted into him. Tender, delicate, careful. All words I would use to describe the way he moved his mouth against mine. How could I ever believe this man was capable of anything but the abject gentleness with how he treated me? I felt my worries slip away, knowing that whatever I didn’t know about him… it couldn’t be that bad. Not with the way he kissed me.

He didn’t rush the kiss, nor seem to have any other thoughts on his mind. I lingered in the moment, letting myself float away, lost in his scent and taste. The sensation of his warm lips running against mine. The feeling of his chest rising and falling beneath my hand. The way his tusks scraped ever so slightly against my cheekbones.

Eventually, I pulled back, sighing against his mouth as I did. He ran his big thumb along the edge of my jaw, looking down at me through hooded eyes.

“Good?” He asked softly, and I was still too far gone to have the ability to form words. So I just smiled.

“Are you still hungry?” I murmured back finally, smoothing my palm over his neck muscles, running my hand up the back. His eyes grey hot, and I bit my cheek to hide my smile. “... I meant for breakfast.”

He responded with a low growl, curling down as if to kiss me again. He stopped short, letting the tip of his nose brush mine instead. My smile grew, and I drew a circle with my fingertips on the back of his neck. He nodded slowly, then straightened, dropping his hands from my body with a reluctant huff.

I brought the plates and food over to the table, supplementing the eggs and bacon with some bread as well as cheese from the larder. As I set the last of it at the table, I rested my hands on my hips, considering the big orc sitting at the bench opposite.

“Gods, I never noticed how small this place was before,” I told him apologetically when he looked up at me with a quizzical look, “I suppose it was always big enough for just me, but now, it seems tiny.”

Hans gave a grunt that sounded almost amused, and I smiled as he picked up some bacon. Sitting on the opposite bench, I plucked the piece of bacon from his fingers and took a bite of it myself. He raised one brow, and his lips twitched as I smirked at him. But otherwise he did nothing at my teasing, picking up another as well as a piece of cheese.

I scraped some eggs onto a piece of bread, thinking quietly to myself as I chewed. “You know, I heard from the villagers the day before yesterday that old man Hinson is thinking about selling the tavern.” I jerked my head at the back wall, indicating the adjoining building.

The big orc’s chewing slowed, and he seemed to be considering me carefully with his slate blue eyes. Swallowing, he reached for another piece of bacon.

“You want it?”

I shrugged, turning the idea over in my head. “It might be nice to have a bigger place… especially if… you know… you wanted to come around more often…” I dropped off, quickly stuffing some egg into my mouth to avoid having to say anymore words.

I felt his rumble of approval, and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He watched me, his eyes warm, and I almost shook beneath his gaze.

I waved my hand in the air, swallowing the mouthful I had been chewing. “But it hardly matters. Hinson would never sell to me. Some old family grudge, I guess.” I picked up a piece of cheese, popping it into my mouth. “And if he found out I was interested, he’d be sure to make it cost more than I could ever hope to afford.”

Hans’ growl shook the table, and when I looked back over at him, he was scowling. His brow dark, his lips pursed. I smiled, picking up a strip of bacon and holding it out to him. His big eyes glanced at it, then back at me. His lips twitched into that softer shape I liked, and he leaned forward, taking the offered piece with his teeth. It made me laugh, and my smile nearly split my face as he worked the piece of bacon to the inside of his cheek, chewing slowly. He caught my hand in his as I started to retract. His lips found my fingertips, and he licked the bacon grease of the ends. My breath hitched in my throat.

“... I don’t suppose you can stay?” I asked softly, running my thumb over his lips.

He gave a great, heavy sigh, pulling my hand closer to his face across the table. Rubbing my knuckles against his cheek, then along his tusk. I could see the regretfulness in his face, and didn’t need an answer further than that. I felt disappointment curl in my gut, but swallowed it with another bite of egg and bread. Letting him play with my hand in his. If this was the time I had with him, then I would enjoy it. Rather than waste it wishing I had more.

We finished the food hand in hand, and he brushed his booted foot against my ankle under the table as well. I made some light conversation, but mostly we just relished the companionable silence. Weighted by the fact that we both knew it would end sooner than either of us wanted.

As the plates emptied, I glanced over to the heap of furs and straw in the corner that had once been a bed.

“So, should I be hiring a carpenter today?” I teased, nodding to the pile.

He didn’t look over, grunting. I thought I saw a flush wash across his face, but it was quickly dispelled. Thumbing my wrist, he smacked his lips in pleasure as he swallowed his last bite.

“I’ll build you a new one.” He assured me.

“If you’re busy, I don’t mind-” He growled deeply, and my lips twitched in my effort to keep from smiling. When he glanced over at me through his dark lashes, my control slipped. “Save me from the stubbornness of orcs.” I breathed, grinning. Without any real weight behind the words, it sounded more tender than scolding.

His responding rumble vibrated against his lips as he skimmed them over my wrist. I felt like I was floating, sitting on a cloud and looking at the world far below. But the lingering look of remorse at the corners of his eyes reminded me that he would be leaving soon. I tried to remind myself of all the things I had to do that day. I would be too busy myself to spend all day in bed with a big, gentle orc. Even if that’s all I really wanted to do.

Finally, the plates were empty, and there wasn’t much else to keep us lingering at the table as we were. But neither of us quite wanted to admit it. As it would mean parting ways for the day. He rubbed his big thumb back and forth over my knuckles, his brow scrunched. The sun had fully risen by now, and neither of us could completely deny its existence anymore.

He rose, slowly, reluctantly letting my hand slip from his. I followed after him, out the door into the yard. I leaned against the house with my arms crossed as he slowly began to strap on his armor.

“... Will I see you again later?” I asked quietly, glancing down at my bare feet in the dirt.

He gave a deep grunt, but I wasn’t sure if it sounded affirmative or negative. Perhaps because he wasn’t sure. I lifted my gaze as he came over, armor buckled up. My breath caught in my throat as he leaned one arm against the side of the house, bending closer to me. Surrounding me with his bulk. His eyes ran over my face, as if committing it to memory. I did the same, studying the way the morning light shone off his dark green skin, the way his tusks moved as he shifted his jaw, the shape of his hair as it fell in thick locks around his square face.

He moved in for a kiss, and I stretched up on my tiptoes to meet him. It was slow; lingering and tender. I missed it the instant it ended, and he hesitated with his mouth just a hair’s width away from mine. Then he kissed me again, and I reached up to wrap my arms around his thick neck. He gave a rolling sigh, feeding it between our mouths, lamenting the need to part once more and putting it off as long as he could.

Finally, he did lean back. As he straightened to his full height, my hands naturally slid down, unable to reach around him anymore. I let my palms linger on his armored chest, looking up at him forlornly.

“...Sunset.” He promised me, his rich voice soft as a whisper but no less powerful.

I nodded my understanding, and he cupped my cheek in his huge palm. I pressed into it, closing my eyes. I heard him sigh again, then give a determined grunt. Pulling his hand back slowly, he reluctantly turned and headed out the gate. I watched until he closed it behind him, leaning back against the wall with a heavy sigh of my own.

...

Bar’tok was around the outside wall, and straightened up as his boss approached. His greeting shrank quickly at the dark, angry look shot his way. He knew better than to try and skirt the pending conversation, but still winced visibly. He could only hope the little butcher girl had left him in a good mood. That way his retribution for Bar’tok’s earlier disrespect might not be quite so hefty.

Hanste’kosh considered his second, scowl deepening. Then turned, leading the way around to the other side of the building. The smaller orc started in surprise, then raced to follow after.

“Everything alright, Boss?” He dared ask.

He was answered by a deep, rumbling growl that rippled through the early morning air like thunder. 

“We’ve got a quick stop to make.” He snarled, stopping briefly outside the tavern door before shoving it open.

...

UPDATE : Part seven HERE

#orc #orc boyfriend #orc lover #monster romance #monster lover #monster boyfriend #the secret we keep #oc #update #terato #exophilia #awkward lovers #secondhand embarrassment #slow burn #like seriously slow burn

[thegoodomensdumpster]

Finally !!! The raffle I promised months ago is here. As you can see above, there are three prizes. Each of them has a theme : Roccoco, 20’s and 60’s. Together, the three themes are supposed to show an evolution of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship through dancing, as well as portraying my headcanons regarding their gender identities and abilities to shapeshift. More about that on the individual pieces ( links in reblog ). Also, I can promise you that every image is actually better irl, it’s just that... I have poor lighting and disgusting photo quality on my phone lol. Under the cut, you may find more informations about each prize, as well as all the rules I’ve set for this raffle (it’s quite long but exhaustive, if you’re serious about participating, please read them first). The most important to know are these: - to participate, you only need to follow my blog ( @thegoodomensdumpster​ ) and like this post - reblogs won’t count as participation but are appreciated - if you’re a minor, ask your parents about participating first please - the participations will only be counted from the moment this post is online up until Sunday 1st of March 2020, 8 pm GMT. After that, it’ll be too late to participate. 

- The Roccoco prize contains :

. one original sketch of the Roccoco picture ( pencil ), A4 . one original inked drawing of the Roccoco picture ( India ink and golden paint ), A4 . one print of the Roccoco picture, digital drawing, color, A5 . one print of the 20’s picture, digital drawing, color, A5 . one print of the 60’s picture, digital drawing, color, A5

- The 20’s prize contains :

. one original sketch of the 20’s picture ( pencil ), A4 . one original inked drawing of the 20’s picture ( India ink and golden paint ), A4 . one print of the Roccoco picture, digital drawing, color, A5 . one print of the 20’s picture, digital drawing, color, A5 . one print of the 60’s picture, digital drawing, color, A5

- The 60’s prize contains :

. one original sketch of the 60’s picture ( pencil ), A4 . one original inked drawing of the 60’s picture ( India ink and golden paint ), A4 . one print of the Roccoco picture, digital drawing, color, A5 . one print of the 20’s picture, digital drawing, color, A5 . one print of the 60’s picture, digital drawing, color, A5

- There will be three winners. They will be chosen as follow : . Like this post, and be a follower of @thegoodomensdumpster. These are the only conditions to enter the raffle. Really. . ( Reblogs are appreciated to spread the word to people who might be interested, but won’t be counted as entries for the raffle. ) . ( This is not a condition I can check on, but I’m asking you not to enter the raffle if you don’t actually like my art and just want free stuff. That would be quite ridiculous and a bit sad. For me. ) . Three winners will be randomly chosen. . Winner 1 : The first person drawn as a winner will have the right to pick their favorite prize between the Roccoco prize, the 20’s prize and the 60’s prize, as well as a bonus print that shall remain a surprise for now :) . Winner 2 : The second person drawn as a winner will get to pick between the two remaining prizes. . Winner 3 : The third person drawn as a winner will win the last remaing prize.

. I will announce when the winners have been drawn, but will contact you in private to discuss your prize with you and get authorization to say publicly that you were the winner. .Make sure your PMs ( ask box or the chat options ) are available in your settings, these will be my only ways to contact you, and if I can’t do it fast enough… Well. You won’t be counted as a winner anymore. .From the moment I’ve first tried to contact you, you’ll have two days to give me an answer before being considered a forfait. . As a follow up : if, for whatever reason, I can’t keep one of the winners as a winner, another name will be drawn to replace them and the previous winners will get to be one rank higher. For instance, let’s say Winner 1 forfaits. Winner 2 becomes Winner 1, Winner 3 becomes Winner 2, and the newly drawn person becomes Winner 3. - About the shipping of the prizes : . Unless there is a terrible terrible surprise with the cost of the shipping – which I’m already expecting to be rather high -  I am willing to ship worldwide. . If there is, unfortunately, a problem with the shipping cost, I will contact the winner and we will try to find an arrangement. They will, at the very least, get a high ref JPG / PDF version of all the pics ready to be printed so as to not be empty handed. If shipping proves impossible for one destination, another winner will be drawn to get a chance to grab the prize. ( Previous winners will get asked if they would exchange their prizes first. ) . All winners will actually get those high ref files in case the delivery gets lost during transport. If such a thing was to happen, I will very likely not be able to ship anything else again, as this is going to get too expensive otherwise. . Because, yes, everything will come out of my own pocket. Which is one of the reasons I’m really asking people to only take part in this raffle if they genuinely like my art. I am willing to cover some shipping costs myself if I know my drawings will make the person who receives them happy, but it will be very sour to put so much time, energy and money to get them to someone who doesn’t really care.

- How long will the raffle last ? From the moment this post is made public to the following date :Sunday 1rst of March 2020, 8 pm GMT. Any likes given after that won’t count. - By entering this raffle, you are ok submitting to me informations such as : . your mail address . your email address . your name, or a way to identify you correctly on the shipping parcel . your age - If you are a minor, ask your parents about entering the raffle first. I am not going to go check in depth whether or not you are a minor or an adult, but I don’t wan’t minors getting in trouble receiving a strange package their parents weren’t aware of, or giving away their mail and email addresses to strangers on the internet. Granted you will get some info about me in return, but still. Take care, kids. - As you can see, the pictures represent overtly queer characters, so please, make sure you can receive these items in an LGBT friendly environnement.

- That being said : this raffle is 100 % SFW.

This raffle is very much a one time only thing !!! I think you can say from the load of text above that this was not light organization, and it’s actually costing me money, so I’m not going to be able to do that everytime I would actually like to. But Good Omens has made me very happy, and I wanted to share some of the happiness it brought me with you guys. This raffle has been a project I’ve had for quite a while, so I hope you’ll like it as well :) You can search #yihaGOraffle to make sure you are not missing any post regarding the raffle.

I think that’s all there is to know about the rules and everything. Let the raffle begin !

#yihaGOraffle #raffle #good omens #fanart #my stuff