#“so you know how in the '60s everyone had flip phones?”

[tam--lin]

Yesterday I got some of my kids (mostly eight-year-olds, for reference) to help me brainstorm themes that I can plan weekly activities around. Some of the keepers included:

WWE week

future week

survival week

"old school" week

Some that I declined to add to the schedule included:

"boy girl" week, where you max out your gender

Great Depression week

World War II week

[mydr3aminvi0let]

i wear a lot of skirts and pink and whatnot as my style has developed with me & my personality but when one of those age regression girlies latch onto me....i do not like that

[blubary]

Little Hope was originally supposed to be set in the early 2000s

(This totally is not an excuse for me to share a new AU with everyone…I swear.)

When the game first came out, me and @sargeantsarmy remember the cop talking about the crash and saying the people were newlyweds but I actually have no way of backing that up. I just VIVIDLY remember him saying it.

Eric and Rachel got married in 2001, 2 years before House of Ashes takes place. 2001 is also the same year they got in the crash in Little Hope. And if the cop did actually say “newlyweds” it would make sense that it was Eric and Rachel. But I couldn't find anything where he said that.

Also, Anthony does not at ALL look like he's in his late sixties. I mean, yes, it could just be because they didn't have someone who looked closer to that age, or Anthony just aged REALLY well. In 2020 Anthony would be 67 and he definitely does not look it. If it took place in 2001, Anthony would be 48, which I find to be much more believable than him being over 60.

Lastly, there is one piece of dialogue that kind of ties it all together in my opinion. It happens when Andrew and John are making their way to the police station and Andrew talks to John. I can't remember the exact conversation but I do remember that Andrew is being playful and tells John to “get with us millennials.” This made no sense to me…At first, I thought it could've just been Andrew making a joke, but that felt unlikely. However, if it took place in 2001, then both Andrew and Daniel, would’ve been millennials. (I’m ignoring the fact that Taylor would be Gen X and John and Angela would be Boomers…)

While Daniel and Taylor are walking to the bar, Taylor asks about Daniel saying that they could be dead.

This was the conversation they had:

Daniel: “I saw some cable show about how your brain keeps going after you- you know…”

Taylor: “You die?”

Daniel: “Forget about it, what they said didn't really stack up.”

Not a lot of Gen Z watch cable anyway because of social media. There is always the fact that he could have watched dit on something else or actually just watched the cable show, but it just seems a little specific.

But oh my god, I just love the idea of these guys having flip phones. I mean, come on, that would be awesome.

I feel like John would’ve been so afraid of Y2K which is so funny to me. Andrew was only scared because everyone else was scared. He didn't actually think the world was going to end. Angela and Taylor didn't believe in that shit. Daniel didn't think about it hard enough so he was a little scared, but eventually accepted his fate.

[magicalqueennightmare]

Sins & Amends Chapter 46

Billy Russo x Female Reader (60 part story)

This follows pre- the punisher into the storyline of daredevil, punisher season 1 and beyond

This is NOT Canon Billy. This is decent human being Billy left with bad options over worse decisions

This was also posted to A03 under: WaywardGaPeach. That account and this one is the only place you'll see me post this. If you see it on any other platform/account know it's not me.

Chapter Summary/Warnings: Billy meets his babygirl

You woke up to the sound of Adi calling you across the baby monitor "Mommy" you cracked a smile and hit the button to talk back to her "I'm coming babygirl. Sit tight"

You threw the blanket off your legs and headed for her room. Your stomach flipped when you thought about what day it was. Good or bad Billy would know about Adi before another night fell. Not to mention that the mere thought of seeing him after two years made your skin feel like it was on fire.

When you walked into her room she grinned up at you from where she stood at the side of the crib "Mommy! I'm hungry" you laughed and held your hands out "Well let's see what we can do about that" 

-----------------

A little while later you had Adi dressed and sitting in her highchair. She was munching on Cheerios and pieces of banana while you sat across from her drinking a cup of coffee and picking at a bagel. 

Your appetite hadn't been the best the last few days but you knew it was simply nerves so you forced the bagel down and smiled when Adi held out a Cheerio "eat mommy" you smiled and showed her your empty plate "Mommy did eat now it's time for Adi to eat"

Your phone chimed from the counter so you after you washed your plate and grabbed another cup of coffee you checked to see it was Karen telling you what time she'd be over to pick up Adi. "That was Aunt Karen. She's excited to spend the day with you!" You told Adi who grinned at the mention of Karen and once again you were struck with just how much of Billy showed in her because that was his smile. 

You shook your head to clear your thoughts about Billy and what was to come. You were going to focus on Adi and housework until time came for Karen to pick her up then you could have a nuclear meltdown before he actually arrived. Right on cue Adi held up her bowl "Mommy done!" 

In a couple hours time you managed to get all of yours and Adi's laundry done and put away, played with her stuffed animals and rewatched the lion king for the thousandth time.

Adi was playing in her room so you walked out her room and turned the lion king off then picked up her discarded toys and put them away. You still had a little while before Karen would be there to get her. 

You were cleaning up the kitchen when you heard a knock at the door and checked the time. Karen was a little early but then again it seemed everyone in your life suddenly got more punctual when time with Adi was offered. "ONE SECOND!" you hollered and walked around the corner to the door.

When you opened the door your heart nearly stopped. It wasn't Karen standing on the other side but a very nervous looking Billy.

His hair had grown out a lot since the last time you saw him and he'd put his weight back on and filled out again. The green sweater he wore looked soft to the touch and hugged his shoulders perfectly. Mixed with the black jeans and boots he almost looked like he used to. 

Billy walked out the gate of the prison and stopped when he felt the sun on his face. After everything he'd done he never dreamed of being a free man again. His memories were still fuzzy at times, a puzzle that still had to be shoved together but after months worth of testing and evaluations he'd been deemed stable to be released under the deal Murdock and Nelson had made with Homeland.

Murdock was an entire new mystery. Billy remembered things involving him and you he'd rather forget but he wasn't the type to look a gift horse in the mouth either.

Why everyone was helping him and not just leaving him to rot was beyond him. "Billy?" He glanced up to see Sam Stein standing beside a black suv parked directly across from the prison. His last memory of Sam was stopping one of the men he'd been working with from putting a bullet in his brain yet the man smiled when he saw him "Curtis had an emergency pop up so he asked if I could pick you up and bring you back to the city" "Sounds good to me" Billy replied with a tense smile and walked across to the passenger side of the suv.

------------------

The closer he got back to the city the more nervous Billy felt. Every sin he ever committed was waiting for him. He had to face Frank, his part in the deaths of Maria, Lisa and Frank Jr and everything he'd done to you. 

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat thinking about the last time he saw you. The tears in your eyes as you kissed him one last time and told him you'd never stop loving him. Seeing you walk out the door while he waited for Sergeant Mahoney to take him in. 

After the pain he'd caused you still loved him. He'd broke out that hospital with no other destination but you in sight. He knew you'd give him answers and you had. You'd held him when you both cried then the moment you'd kissed him he hadn't wanted to leave when you so willingly let him touch you, hadn't turned away from him but instead made love to him one last time he had never deserved you. That was why he'd blocked you at every turn. He'd sent one letter by Curtis telling you to move on. 

When Frank started coming with Curtis to visit he'd ask about you and something about the way they both would act told him there was more to the story than they let on but you were healthy and happy. That's what counted. By some miracle you told Curtis that you would see him when he got out but now that it was just a few miles and a little over an hour away he still wasn't sure what to say to you.

---------------------

"Billy?" He woke with a start to Sam tapping his shoulder. "Sorry man but we're back" Billy sat up straighter in his seat and realized Sam had brought him to your apartment instead of Curtis'. "I thought I was gonna meet up with Curt first" he felt a twinge of panic from the thought of showing up at your door unannounced.

Sam smiled "I called him. He's on his way. I can wait with you until he gets here if you want?" Stein was a decent enough guy but he didn't feel like being babysat at the moment. "No I'll head in. Maybe the people in the lobby won't call the law on me" he meant it as a joke but it still was a worry of his even after all this time. "You got your ID don't ya?" Sam asked and Billy nodded "It's in my hip pocket" "Then you're fine. I know she wants to see you" 

"Your mouth to God's ears" Billy muttered before thanking Sam for the ride then climbing out the suv. Either this would go really well or really bad. Either way he'd get to see you.

-------------------

He was glad you'd never moved. Out of everyone you'd planted your roots years ago and through everything you'd stayed.

A few people glanced his way as he walked to the elevator but no one flinched which surprised him to a certain degree. Then again it was New York. Considering aliens had come down and wrecked half of Manhattan he wasn't anything too terrifying.

-------------------

When the elevator opened on your floor his feet felt a lot heavier than they had moments before but he forced them to move. If you could be willing to see him he could be man enough to face you.

He stopped in front of your door and took a deep breath before knocking. "ONE SECOND!" You hollered and he felt his heart speed up just hearing your voice.

A moment later the door opened and there you were. Your eyes widened when you realized it was him. "Billy" just hearing his name on your lips made a smile slip onto his face "Hey Y/N" 

Your hair was shorter than the last time he saw you and he was fairly certain that was one of Frank's old shirts you were wearing over jeans that had long since seen better days but he'd never seen anything more beautiful. You blinked a few times then stepped to the side "Come on in" 

He could tell how nervous you were. Hell he knew you better than he knew himself even after all this time. "How have you been?" He asked wanting to kick himself for such a stupid question. Before you could answer "Mommy!" rang through the air.

--------------

Both of your heads whipped towards your spare bedroom and he could see the guilt in your eyes when you said "God this isn't how I wanted you to find out" you disappeared into the bedroom and he felt his entire world shift.

You were a mother..god you had moved on and had a baby with someone. He'd always dreamt of having a family with you now because of decisions he'd made everything had slipped through his fingers. Who was her father? 

He glanced around and started to notice the photos lining the walls. He didn't get close enough to see the child's face but there were photos of you and her, her with Frank, Curtis, Karen and god there was one that was obviously a birthday with her covered in pink icing and everyone around her. There standing next to you was Murdock. Jesus you'd had a baby with his lawyer, the very man that he'd driven you into the arms of.

---------------------

You walked back out the room with your daughter in your arms and her head laid over on your shoulder. You were rubbing her back and speaking soothingly to her. His heart ached at seeing the small smile on your face. You were a mother. It suited you well. You were happy.

"I'm gonna go" he needed to get out of here. He needed room to breathe. God he never should've came here. When he spoke your daughter turned to face him and his heart stopped. She had your nose but everything else was his. The dark brown eyes that looked nearly black, the carved cheekbones, even her smile looked exactly like his.

She looked back at you with an excited grin "Daddy?" You nodded and he saw tears prickling your eyes and felt his own threatening to spill out. "Yeah baby that's daddy" you finally said your eyes never leaving his.

When she held her arms out to him he took her without a second thought. "Daddy!" She giggled burying her little face in his neck as she hugged him tight. 

He'd never felt anything like the emotions running through him in that moment. She was his. You and him had a daughter. You'd gotten pregnant that night and despite every reason not to you'd kept her and was now letting him meet her. God he loved her instantly and didn't even know her name. 

You felt your heart threatening to beat out your chest at seeing Billy and Adi together. You finally took a breath and said "Baby why don't you go grab Coco to show daddy?" she nodded "Ok" and wiggled down out of his arms. He watched her toddle off then looked back at you "What's her name?" 

"Addison Elizabeth Russo..we all call her Adi" you met his eyes with a watery smile. "Were you ever going to tell me we have a daughter?" His voice was barely above a whisper and you had to swallow twice before you could answer "Billy you straight out refused to see me. You didn't even want to talk on the phone. How was I supposed to tell you? Through Curtis or Foggy?"

"I didn't want you tied up with me the rest of your life but this..her..Adi..our daughter changes everything. If I would've known. God she's what fourteen months old?" Seeing Billy of all people fighting to keep from crying was twisting your heart in a vice. You'd known this would be an emotional day but god you hadn't wanted him to find out like this.

"Yeah. I found out when at ten weeks. Billy I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you before you met her. Ease you into it. I just didn't want to put any more guilt on you for leaving a child without a father then when the deal came up I didn't want you hearing it from anyone but me" 

He looked towards her room then shook his head "No, dammit. Don't don't apologize to me. It's my fault I missed it. After everything I've done. I don't deserve an apology. I just have no idea how something so innocent came from me"

"I need to apologize. I'm the reason Curt and Frank and hell even the Homeland agents never said a word about her. I asked them not to. We all hid her from you" it felt like a weight was lifted saying the words.

He shook his head again and you briefly wondered if this was too much on him but when his eyes met yours again he shrugged one shoulder "I can't blame any of you. I cut you off and told you not to come or write. As for Frank and Curt they were protecting you which I'd never fault them for even if it was from me"

"Billy I know you'd never hurt me or Adi. I never said I needed to be protected from you" you felt a bit defensive and was once again wishing Karen had showed up earlier. "But apparently you felt like the two of you needed to be protected from me because every time I spoke to them the word pregnant never once came up"

He had his hands curled up at his side not so much in fists but like he was trying to keep them from shaking. You knew because you had crossed your arms to stop your hands from shaking "You let me go. When I tried to still have some sort of bridge between us you lit the match!" 

It was a fight to keep your voice down for both of you. He dropped his head "Because I thought the rest of my life would be behind bars. I never would've dreamed this deal would happen" you crossed the couple feet to stand directly in front of him before saying "Like I knew this deal would happen? Believe me this isn't how I thought my life would turn out. When I dreamed of a future with you, of kids it wasn't under these circumstances yet here we are. I made sure from the moment she was old enough she knew who you were and that you loved her. Billy this isn't how we planned it but we have a baby girl that was formed from love and if you want to be a part of her life I'm offering the chance"

You felt the tears sliding down your cheeks and saw any fight leave Billy "Sweetheart I am so sorry" before anything else could be said Adi was running between the two of you grabbing Billy's hand shoving Coco into it. You turned your head to the side so she couldn't see you'd been crying then said "Baby why don't you show Daddy your room" 

------------------

The moment the two of them were out of sight you leaned over on the counter and buried your face in your hands to try to stow the tears.

You heard your phone and started to ignore it until you realized it was Curtis' ringtone so you grabbed it. "Curt why didn't you call?" You asked a lot harsher than you meant and heard him draw a breath "Y/N I'm so sorry. Signals got crossed and Sam ended up picking Billy up. I'm judging by your voice it didn't go well?" 

"It's still going. Karen hadn't picked her up so he got shoved head first into fatherhood" he cursed under his breath then said "Do I need to come over?" "No. Not right now anyways. I'll call if you do" another beat passed before he said "At least the bandaid is off" "Yeah that's a plus" 

You hung up with him about the time an alert came through from Karen saying she was getting off the elevator and you laughed at the irony. 

You walked to the door and opened it to wait.

Karen walked off the elevator smiling but it fell the moment she saw your face "What's wrong?" "Oh Sam picked him up instead of Curt so he's currently being given a tour of Adi's room"

"Oh honey. I'm so sorry I wasn't earlier! I can still take her? Let the two of you talk without little ears?" She offered and while you wanted a chance to talk to him alone it felt wrong ripping the two apart when they'd just met. You shook your head "She doesn't have long before her nap. We can talk then"

She smiled and pulled you into a hug "It'll be ok. Call if you need me or Curtis. We're close by" you nodded with a watery laugh "I don't know what I'd do without you Page" she winked and said "You'll never have to find out. Now I'm gonna go wrangle Frank for lunch. I want updates ok?" 

You nodded "of course" and watched until she got to the elevator. She winked at you once more than stepped on. 

----------------

You shut the door behind yourself and heard Adi's footsteps headed back your way and braced yourself. She came around the corner pulling Billy. He looked exactly how you felt but you both plastered smiles on for her "Mommy Lions?" You laughed "Sure baby" she pulled Billy to the couch and sat him down then came back after you.

She slid between the two of you and giggled when the movie started. She barely made it twenty minutes in before she was out. You glanced over at Billy and he was already watching you "Let me put her down" you whispered and he nodded.

When you stood to pick her up your hand brushed his arm and you felt him stiffen slightly then relax before you moved your hand away. You laid her on your shoulder and half smiled "Be right back" 

You laid Adi in her bed and left Coco in the corner close enough she could find her then grabbed the monitors and walked back into the living room. 

Billy was walking around looking at your collection of photos that lined the wall "You kept photos of me" he all but whispered so you nodded "Why wouldn't I? You're her father"

He turned towards you and ran a hand over his head "This is a lot. I mean I remember hurting you so much through everything with Rawlins but there's still blanks. I came here because honestly I wanted to see if you moved on. Not a day went by I didn't think about you. My therapist in there, Doctor Michael Victors...he wanted me to call you. Said if you were still so present in the mess that is my brain you should be involved"

"Why didn't you?" You asked quietly and he blinked a few times and shrugged "I wanted you to have a chance at a normal life. I never would've thought you got pregnant that night" 

"Neither did I" you were trying to joke but it came out in nearly a sigh.

He ran a hand over his face again before finally asking "Elizabeth after Maria?" You nodded. You wanted to ask more about his TBI and treatment so far but didn't want to push so you waited on him to talk. The next question threw you off when it was "Why are you letting me see her? You could've thrown me out"

"She's your daughter Billy. You deserve to see her. She deserves to know you" you tried to figure out what he was feeling but he had so many emotions playing across his face it was hard to pin point one. "No I don't deserve to see her. What I've done. Y/N if you're gonna change your mind I need to know now. She's perfect and I never knew I could love someone this much this fast. I need to know if you're gonna realize I don't deserve her and cut me out before I can know her"

You took a deep breath and tentatively grabbed his hand and saw him relax slightly. You knew enough about anxiety to know in some people touch helped to ground them and to a certain degree on some things especially like this Billy's TBI would cause anxiety. 

Once his attention was fully on you and he was back mostly calm you said "Billy I'm not going to change my mind. I know what you've done. Didn't change how I feel. She never would've been here if it did. None of us can change the past but Adi? She's the future and that little girl deserves everyone who loves her in her life. You're doing better. The doctors and Homeland wouldn't have agreed to this deal if you weren't and Frank damn sure wouldn't have if he didn't see a big change. Now what's been broken won't fix over night but I always heard anything worth having is worth the effort"

For the first time since he came to your door Billy gave you that patent Russo smile that Adi had just so happened to have inherited and said "I'll do anything to prove myself to you" you squeezed his hand you were still holding and said "Healing takes time but I feel like maybe we're all getting a second chance in a way" 

He nodded and dropped your hand "Frank still barely looks at me. I can't blame him especially now but Y/N I promise you I'm gonna try to be the father Adi deserves" "That's all I ask of you" you said with a small smile and heard your phone ringing "That's Curt" 

Billy arched an eyebrow and that movement was so familiar it made your heart flip. "He checking up on me or you?" "Both probably" you answered before grabbing the phone. 

"Hey Curt" "Hey Y/N I'm headed up. Is it ok?" You glanced back at Billy who was looking over the photos from Adi's first birthday you'd hung up and said "Yeah c'mon. The door's unlocked"

You knew this was the first of many rough days with Billy being out. You weren't even close to thinking about the two of you in any terms outside of being Adi's parents but you did still love him.  He had a long road ahead. He had to prove himself to Homeland, keep up his therapy, try to rebuild a friendship with Frank and Curtis and now had to learn about being a father. It was a lot to handle and you hoped he could make good on his promise and maybe one day things might be better for all of you.

You hung up with Curtis and walked over to where he was looking at the photo of Adi covered in pink icing "You can take that one if you" he turned around and looked a little surprised "Are you sure?" You laughed and motioned around the room "I've got plenty of her. You need one for your place" you took the photo off the wall and held it out to him. He took it gingerly and smiled "Thank you Y/N" "You're welcome" you replied then heard a knock on the door right before it opened and Curtis walked in. 

He looked from you to Billy then finally said "So you met her?" Billy slowly pulled his eyes away from you then smiled "She's amazing Curt" Curtis grinned "That she is brother. And she should be yet another reason to keep on the straight and narrow" Billy glanced back at you then said "Oh believe me Curt. I plan to do everything right this time"

@intothesoul

@weallhaveadestiny

[thesaleswhisperer]

Dre Baldwin on The Sales Podcast

Professional Sales Tips you'll learn today on The Sales Podcast ...

Former professional basketball player

Zig when others zag, which means sending personalized outreach

Do what doesn’t scale

“What is my competition not willing do that I will?”

He’s been making content since 2005

He has a process for researching ideal prospects

Send link to assistant to research

Assistant finds pertinent information and adds it to the CRM

He then makes the video intro

He’ll make 5-6 each day

Do enough that you can handle the replies

Related episodes and posts

Find The Best CRM For Your Team and Budget

Start Your Free 12 Weeks To Peak™

He was always a salesperson at heart but didn’t really realize it

He has a business degree and responded to a bulletin board post “make money”

It was an MLM and after a couple of meetings he learned how to disrupt the negative assumptions about making money, which his college professors never mentioned

He got into personal development

He started selling training products to basketball players who found him on YouTube

He only played one year of high school basketball then D3 basketball and made it to the pros, so people started finding him online for his mindset content

It took a while for him to realize that not everyone thought like he did

He stopped playing ball in 2015 and wanted to get into the professional speaking business

He applied to some TED talks and got accepted

Then he started writing books

Build your own audience and master DTC, direct-to-consumer

His mom was an educator who got her college degree when he was in college

He was not “found” by the pros

When he graduated college in 2004 he worked at Foot Locker store then Bally Total Fitness

He went to an exposure camp for basketball players: you pay to play for two days with 200 other players

Then he cold-called basketball agents, which was a flip in the script

He called about 60 agents and reached 20 and sent them a VHS tape that he recorded and one agent said he’d represent him in late 2005 and got him a job in Lithuania

He was blogging and sharing his videos on YouTube

He got his experience writing then other players had questions on how to play overseas

By 2009, he started thinking about how to leverage this into a business

2015 was his last season and he played with a different team every year

Not a fan of the news

Don’t follow or associate with the negative people

Find your lane in which you can succeed

Principles—never change, Strategies, Tactics—can change daily

Your mandate as an entrepreneur is to make money, which should remain very clear

If you don’t like running ads, don’t run them. Hire someone and keep your eye on them.

You can do this with any aspect of your life.

You can create content like podcasts

Become findable

Collaborate

Be consistent

When it comes to hiring staff, give them the “brief” that needs to be clear and detailed. You need to know what you want.

If you’re an expert, I believe you should be able to produce the results and explain it to me, so here’s $100; go make it happen and explain it to me

He’s not a fan of agencies…they are looking for their next client

Are you—or do you want to be—a top 2% performer? Join his program.

Mindset and strategic tools

His first coaching client was back in 2015 via Periscope

Around 2020, when speaking gigs dried up, he pivoted to more in-house stuff

Sales Growth Tools Mentioned In The Sales Podcast

Have Me Take a Look at Your Business Processes

Get This $19 CRM

Get 10% The Best Beef You’ll Ever Put In Your Mouth

Send Drunk Emails: ...that get opened and get you paid!

Phone Burner: work the phone like a machine so you can be a human when you connect.

GUEST INFO:

Visit Dre Baldwin’s Site: Work On Your Game University

Dre Baldwin Instagram

Connect With Dre Baldwin on LinkedIn

Follow Dre Baldwin on X Twitter

Follow Dre Baldwin on Facebook

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

YouTube

SUPPORT & CONNECT: Check out the sponsors above; it’s the best way to support this podcast

Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheWes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/saleswhisperer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/saleswhisperer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesaleswhisperer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesaleswhisperer

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thesaleswhispererwes

Check out The Sales Podcast's latest episode

[david-krupp]

In Which I Talk About Respect

My political ideal is democracy. Let every man be respected as an individual and no man idolized. ~Albert Einstein, Mein Weltbild (My World-View)

Have you ever really thought about how we respect others?  Or more specifically, what we respect?  Or how our art reflects what we think should be respected? I mean, we often have children’s media that says that the good person, the just and fair person, that one wins respect.  Adult media commonly shows the beautiful, slim woman and the brawnier, physically capable man as ideals to respect.  The rich among those of the world commonly gain respect.  Or is that it at all?  Is that on it’s head? We can say with some degree of surety that those who rarely if ever get respect are the poor.  Be it in media or real life, the destitute commonly get the shortest shrift. Be they those on the street struggling to survive, or the “working poor” who are one sick day away from becoming homeless, to the folks just drudging through week to week on the wings of hopeful paycheck-to-paycheck balancing, these folks aren’t respected.  Who else?  Well, garbagemen.  Fast food workers (if your degree doesn’t work out you can always flip hamburgers).  Retail workers (you have to listen to me, I’m the customer.). Government workers of basically any stripe (we’ll get back to this later). This really should feel wrong, and hell, there’s a constant stream of “this is wrong” comments, though it usually slide into the apathetic, “well, this is just how the world works”. As if the ability to change or influence society is beyond our reach.  And why are they not respected?  Well, because their job is “needed”, so they’re just expected to do it, or they see the person as an eyesore in regard to their monetary value.  Imagine if everyone who complained about a homeless person in a “why do I have to see them” kind of way were forced to live like a homeless person?  What if every angry customer had to work in that retail job, or that office, governmental or otherwise, where they answer the phone to a string of berating comments coming in from the other side?  What would people who insult “burger flippers” do if they always had to make their own food? But then, this goes even further.  We love our movie stars.  Our directors.  Or video game makers, novelists, musicians, and all the other artists.  But what are the common detractors saying?  They want to know what they did to “make that much”, or we assume that they all “make a ton”?  Money.  We assume that every writer, actor, musician, et al are rolling in dough.  The video game industry is multi-billion dollar, why do I have to pay 60 dollars for a game?  The crazy thing is, that money commonly goes out to other places, or lines a few scant pockets right at the tippy top.  And that’s any industry that makes entertainment or artistic materials.  Most of the artists aren’t honestly getting their due.  And the folks who are making the millions to act?  They might get a few million, and then what happens when they burn out?  Or a spouse dies and they’re the single parent, and they have to choose between kids or career (like the “common” person)?  Every actor isn’t getting paid those millions.  Every sports guy isn’t being paid those millions.  For the love of everything, writers are not Richard Castle, who is fiction.  But it does make for very good envy material.  Which is why, I suspect, that the most common articles written when it comes to money are about how to keep it, how to get it, and who is making more than you.  Envy, it seems, ranks higher than respect.  We breed envy in the poorer amongst us through our disrespect of them, alongside those “here’s how to save money for X” articles that always start with “don’t spend for that 5 dollar cup of coffee” when they either aren’t and can’t, or it’s literally the only indulgence they allow themselves in their otherwise belt-tightened lives. And yes, 5 times 365 is about 2000 dollars, but why is the suggestion “eliminate the one thing in life that makes you smile for the chance to have a fraction of your pay maybe available at the end of a year’s time”?

[kennexara]

I posted 2,482 times in 2022

68 posts created (3%)

2,414 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name

@13wyvern7

@akumastrife

@renecdote

@funnytwittertweets

I tagged 1,936 of my posts in 2022

Only 22% of my posts had no tags

#queue - 1,703 posts

#spn - 180 posts

#cats - 151 posts

#cobra kai - 108 posts

#laughing - 105 posts

#video - 87 posts

#star wars - 60 posts

#ignore me - 59 posts

#asdfjk; - 58 posts

#love it - 57 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#and some points for never understanding why hp and hunger games were the big ya series with all the merch when percy jackson was right there

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

like i can appreciate what they’re going for with the mexico roadtrip looking to be just johnny and robby.

however i still think it would be hilarious if sam also went to mexico with miguel so daniel invites himself to what was going to be johnny’s lone wolf expedition. and johnny goes along with it because it means daniel gives him yet another car. and then robby asks if he can come and johnny says yes because he gets that it’s a test of if he actually cares or not, but also because they all quickly realize robby knows more spanish than johnny and daniel combined. 

except. like. they haven’t even left reseda yet and robby’s already debating jumping out of the car into incoming traffic because of johnny and daniel doing that thing where they flip between being scarily in sync to trying to karate kick the other in a moving vehicle.

so robby decides he gets to invite a friend and they agree because, like, they know most of his friends, right? probably? it’s not like he’d invite kyler or something. so they pull up and daniel and johnny are doing the daniel and johnny thing and so don’t notice tory getting in the backseat until she makes some snide comment about them flirting. 

it shuts them up for like 30 seconds but it’s the quietest 30 seconds robby’s had since he agreed to this trip. it might’ve been longer but then daniel’s phone rings. it’s the dealership, they got a call from the local jail for him. well, for johnny, since johnny still hasn’t replaced his phone. it’s kreese asking for bail money. johnny and daniel are like hell no on principle. except tory leverages what she knows about terry rigging the tournament to get them to pay bail. 

and like, kreese has nothing better going on, he might as well tag along. in fact, it becomes part of his plan. if he can convince johnny and daniel he’s their ally by helping out with this, they can all work together to take down terry. 

so it’s a roadtrip of the 5 people with the weirdest relationships to each other. 6 actually, nobody thought to pack luggage which means nobody checked the trunk. an few hours into the trip when they’ve stopped for gas anthony pops out of the trunk because his nintendo switch died and he’s also hungry. 

at some point everyone’s phones get lost and they spend the entire trip convinced everything is falling apart back in LA, when in fact chozen is teaching the kids how to do karate without becoming unhinged. one week in and he’s already everyone’s favorite sensei. also amanda has signed up all of the kids for therapy. 

6 notes - Posted August 16, 2022

#4

i am not immune to wanting to see old men kick the shit out of each other

8 notes - Posted February 4, 2022

#3

the valley is alive with the sound of- *teenagers punching each other, grown men roundhouse kicking each other* karate??? With dojos we haven’t seen in thirty four years??

8 notes - Posted August 26, 2022

#2

one of my favorite things things in mass effect is when the 'charm’ dialogue choice is basically just shepard yelling WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU at various heads of governments

9 notes - Posted December 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

men will just teach karate to teenagers instead of going to therapy

44 notes - Posted August 18, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[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.”

[porchlightfairy]

You Put A Spell On Me (Ch. 3)(Discontinued)

a/n: A little shorter than the others. still hope you enjoy

Chapters: 1 2 3 4

Chapter 3

The rest of the week was strange for Ophelia. Her locker was clean of any marks; no one seemed to bother her either, and nobody mocked her clothes or hair. Everyone seemed to avoid her altogether. Not that she didn’t mind it, it was still strange. Another weird thing she noticed was Steve Harrington seemed to act strangely towards her.

He would say hello to her with a smile and wave. He left notes in her locker and waited outside their classrooms so they could walk in together. He would stare shamelessly, compliment her handwriting, and would compliment how she looked.

Friday, during lunch, Ophelia sits on the stairs behind the school eating her lunch she packed from home. “That looks good.” A voice makes her jump out of her skin. She turns around to see Steve behind her with a smile on her face. He leans against the railing of the stairs. “What are you doing here?” She mumbles as she finishes the food in her mouth.

“I wanted to see you.” He smiles, “You look good today.”

Ophelia lets out an awkward laugh as she gets bashful. She tucks her knees into her chest, “Thank you.” She wasn’t even wearing anything special. A shapeless dress her mother left behind. Most of her clothes were once her mothers from the 60s after she was born. And her hair wasn’t even done today, she just put water in it before she left.

“Doing anything fun this weekend?” He asks. Ophelia furrows her brows, taken aback by what he said. He couldn’t be for real. No way was he serious. This must be some kind of practical joke. She tilts her head and lets out a dry laugh, “You’re joking, right?”

Steve’s smile fades, “No. If you’re busy that’s fine.” Ophelia tilts her head, “It was just last week you and Tommy were calling me witch bitch. Remember? Or how about on Sunday when you stuff my drink?”

“Right.” He shuffles his feet, “I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have done that. I can get you a new one .”

“You can’t. It was a gift from outta state. Probably one of a kind.” She packs up her lunch, “I don’t know why you are acting like this now, it’s not doing you any favors. If you’re going to try to get close to me for some prank it’s not going to work.” She jabs a finger into his chest, “You’re the biggest asshole I’ve ever met.” She brushes past him and back into the building.

Ophelia comes home after school and looks into the kitchen for a snack. She finds a note on the fridge that reads, “Going to Chicago for a work thing be back on Monday, -Dad.” She sighs and sets down the note before opening up the fridge and grabbing the pitcher of strawberry lemonade. She made it from scratch. Ophelia and her mom used to cook together in the kitchen and make drinks. Her mom always said a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Ophelia didn’t care about boys when she said that, all she cared about was how good the food and drinks tasted.

When she gets her drink she looks through her school bag and feels the glass bottle the love potion was in. She flips around her hand a few times feeling sad about how empty it was. She flips it one last time, her thumb moves across the words and smears them. “What the hell?” She whispers. She rubs over it again. One by one, word by word, the final warning disappears. It was put on by somebody else. Ophelia grumbles in frustration then goes to the phone in the kitchen and dials her grandmother’s number.

 After a few rings, her grandmother answers, “Hello?” Ophelia takes a breath, “Hi grandma.”

“Well, hello Ophelia, how are you?”

“I’m good. I got your letter last week.”

“That’s good. Did you enjoy the gift?”

She sighs, “Unfortunately not. Some boy drank it before I had the chance to put it away. But I shouldn’t be so concerned right? The label said it wasn’t real.” She waited for a response.

There was a pause before another response, “He didn’t look at you did he?”

“Why would that matter? It’s not real, right?” She stares at the bottle, “He was staring right at me.”

“Ophelia…the potion was real.”

Ophelia closes her eyes, starting to seethe with anger, “Are you kidding me? You told me it wasn’t. You put a fake label on it! I thought you were supposed to keep this stuff away from me!”

“I know darling, I’m sorry I lied. I thought it would be good for you to have in your room. I made it myself. Your mom would never let me put things around the house. I thought it would be nice for you to have a little something. Like a good omen.” Her grandmother explains.

Ophelia grumbles before taking another breath, “I really didn’t need a good omen like a love potion, grandma.”

“Ophelia, I know you’ve been having a hard time since your mother passed. I just thought you needed a little loving.” 

Ophelia couldn’t stay mad at her grandmother, even if she wanted to. Her intentions were true and thoughtful and Ophelia was happy about that. “Thank you grandma but now I have a boy in love with me, which I didn’t want.”

“There is a potion to reverse it but you have to make it.” Her grandmother explains, “Get a pen and paper and I will tell you the ingredients and how to make it.”

Ophelia grabs a pen and a recipe card from the junk drawer and begins to write down the ingredients her grandmother listed off to her:

Lemon juice

Cranberry juice

Wild gooseberries

Fresh cut oranges and limes

Crushed butterfly wings

Frog mucus

Wild yellow carnations

Genuine tears from the lovesick

And the words, “I don’t love you.”

The ingredients are supposed to simulate heartbreak. Ophelia looks over the ingredients, “Are you sure all this stuff is going to work?”

“It should.” She says, “Some of the ingredients will be harder to get than others but if you want to do this sweetheart you have to get them all for the antidote to work.”

After the phone call, Ophelia continues to stare at the ingredient list, “genuine tears of the lovesick.” She purses her lip. Exhausted by the thoughts in her head she heads to bed for the night.

Saturday, Ophelia goes out to collect some of the ingredients from the grocery store. She turns down one aisle and another cart collides with hers. “Sorry about that.” She hears a voice. Steve’s head peeks from behind the shelves with an apologetic smile. “Oh hey, Ophelia.”

“Hi Steve,” She smiles and moves her cart past his cart. She looks inside and sees all the things in his cart, there was nothing but junk food in his cart. “Whatcha making?” Steve asks, she snaps her head up. Steve was looking into her cart as well. There were all the fruits and juices, “Um, a fruit punch. Grandma’s recipe.” Not the truth yet not a lie. “Having a party? Or just restocking the pantry?”

“Uh, actually my parents are out of town and left me some cash and an empty kitchen.” He laughs awkwardly, “Guess you can tell I’m not good at grocery shopping on my own.”

Ophelia laughs and nods, “I can’t imagine surviving off of twinkies and ho-hos.” She picks up the boxes of snacks and puts them back on the shelves, “I’ll tell you what, I show you the way around a canned food aisle and where the milk and eggs are and you pay for my fruit punch.”

Steve’s face brightens up, “Deal.” Ophelia then moves her items to his cart and pushes Steve out of the way so she controls the cart. She goes through the aisles grabbing items for Steve and explaining how to cook them and what things could be paired together. He listens to every word grabbing items she points to. His eyes never left Ophelia as she spoke. Multiple times, she caught them moving from her eyes to her lips. She could barely contain her embarrassment. She felt a smile pull at the corners of her mouth.  “I hope you don’t need me to show you how to cook too.”

“I would really appreciate that.” Steve stops in front of the cart. “Only if you want to of course.” Ophelia bites her lip. Just a day ago she would have declined. She would have blown up in his face, pretended to curse him, and spit on his shoe. But at this moment, staring at the lovesick boy in front of her, who had unknowingly drunk a love potion, she opens her mouth and says, “Yes.”

[rebelwrites]

From This Moment || Part Four

Jax Teller x Reader

Summary: Neither Y/N or Jax wanted to go back to reality, enjoying the life in the bubble they had created. Life was simple right now but something always got in the way of their happiness.

Warnings: none

From This Moment Masterlist

60 notes unlock the next part 🖤

Jax was blown away by your comment, he knew he wanted you to have his crow but with how fast everything had happened he wasn’t going to mention it just yet. He thought his heart was going to explode, the thought of you adding his crow to your tattoo made his stomach flip.

“Just when I thought I couldn’t love you any more than I did already,” Jax breathed, linking his fingers with yours. “You go and say something like that.”

“Well, I am your wife now,” you giggled, poking your tongue out at him. “So when we get home, I will speak to Happy and see what he can do to incorporate the crow with what I have already.”

“Now, eyes back on the road before you kill us both before I get to see my crow on your skin,” he chuckled, kissing the top of your hand. “And put your food down, I am starving.”

Rolling your eyes at him, you pulled your hand from his, letting it rest on the gear stick smirking as you dropped a gear. The car responded as the revs changed. Jax smirked as he watched the concentration on your face as you tried to battle the torque steer, it was something that he had been meaning to help you sort. He had already ordered better engine mounts but neither of you had time to get the car up on the ramps. But he mentally told himself once you were back home he would steal the car and get it sorted for you.

The scenery changed as you sped through the streets, not seeing another car pass in the time you were driving. This was the life, it was quiet, peaceful and tranquil. Something you didn’t want to give up. As you were driving you let your thoughts wander, it was so nice not to have the drama of the club following you like a bad smell. It had been so long since you had seen Jax without the protection of the well worn leather that sat on his shoulders, or the gun or knife that rested on his waistband. You knew he was proud to have the Reaper hanging off his back but you also knew the weight and the price it carried.

Parking the Audi in the parking lot, you turned to Jax who was scowling at his phone as he furiously swiped away some of the texts that had come through. “It’s like they can’t fucking cope without me,” he grumbled, running his hand over his face. “I can’t even get away for a bit without them blowing up my phone.”

“Shit hit the fan again?” You sighed, resting your hand on his knee, squeezing gently.

“Actually, it’s Mom,” he said, rolling his eyes as he locked his phone, letting it drop into his lap. “She’s losing her goddamn mind because we aren’t home yet.”

“Ring her if you need to,” you whispered.

“Nah, she will be fine, I will call her later,” Jax nodded, looking up at you. “I want to enjoy a nice breakfast with my wife, with no interruptions.”

“That I can do,” you giggled, as you unclipped your seat belt. “Now let's go get some food.”

The diner was small and quaint, there were only about six booths in the place. The deep cherry red couches were a bright contrast from the white tables. A smile played on your face as you looked around at all the records on the walls, the family pictures scattered around gave the place a homely feel.

Jax sat across from you, the sleeves of his hoodie pushed up revealing his forearm tattoo. Reaching over you ran your fingers across his skin tracing the ink. Your mind drifting to JT. Did he see this when he was alive? Did he know at some point you and Jax would end up together? That man treated you like his own daughter, smiling at the memory of him you looked up at Jax, knowing that his father would be proud of the man he had become. “We need a game plan,” you hummed, “As much as I want us to stay in this little bubble of ours, we need to think about how we are going to tell everyone we got married.”

“Yeah, you have got a point, Darlin’.” Jax nodded, he knew you guys needed to be smart about this. He knew that it would cause an uproar, especially with his Mom.

You were just about to speak as his phone started violently vibrating on the table, both of you glancing at the caller ID, sighing when you saw who it was. “You better answer that babe, she is just going to keep calling.”

Hitting answer, he pulled the phone to his ear, rolling his eyes at the sound of his Mother’s voice coming down the phone. “Mom, just chill out okay, Look I know I said it was just a week trip but things changed. Well, sorry, I didn’t think I needed to tell you,” he breathed, balling his fist up against the table. Instantly you placed your hand over his, squeezing, reminding him you were there. “God Dammit, Mom, the club is fine without me, no, I do not want to know what is going on. I came away for a reason but, don't worry, we will be back home for the family meal. Yes, both of us will be there,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Mom, I don’t wanna hear it. Bye, Mom.”

You could feel the annoyance radiating from him, you didn’t even have to ask, the look on his face said everything. “Guess your Mom is going to be our first obstacle, I think she needs to be told first, then we tell the club.” You hummed, brushing your fingers over the top of Jax’s hand. “How do you think the club will handle it?” Suddenly feeling nervous about the club’s reaction more so than Gemma’s.

“Darlin’, the club fucking loves you,” Jax smiled, looking up at you as he tucked his phone into the pocket in his hoodie. “They see you as one of their own anyway. Plus you spend most of your time around them anyway. So I think they would just be happy to have a decent excuse to party.”

A small laugh escaped your lips, he was speaking the truth. The club didn’t need a reason to party but it made them feel better when there was.

“So we're going to tell your Mom at the meal?” you asked, smiling sweetly at the waitress who had placed down a large stack of pancakes between the two of you. After thanking her you turned back to Jax.

“Yeah, I think that might be best. She more than likely won’t kick off with everyone around,” he nodded, running his fingers over your rings, smiling softly. “But I do not want you to take these off, I do not want to hide the fact you are my wife. And if people see them before Mom knows, then so be it.”

“Even if we didn’t wear our rings, I think the matching finger tattoos will give the game away,” you said, running your finger over the tattoo.

“Only time will tell, Darlin’.”

Glancing back at the trolley you shook your head as Jax nodded at it. You knew what he wanted, he wanted you to get in the cart, he didn’t have to say anything. This was something that you guys had done multiple times when you had to get groceries for the club. Resulting in getting kicked out of many supermarkets.

“I am not doing that again,” you laughed, as you started tossing things into the cart. “Last time I climbed into one of these I got stuck and we had to get the fire department out to cut me out.”

“I still don’t know how you managed to get stuck.” He laughed, leaning his forearms on the handle as he came to a stop at the toiletries aisle tossing random products into the cart. Products you didn’t even know the name or or what they did.

“I swear you have more products than me Teller.” You hummed, slapping his ass making him scowl at you. You thought that now he had short hair he wouldn’t need all the products but you weren't going to question it.

“Gotta look fresh Baby.” He winked, continuing to pick random items up, giving them the once over before dumping them into the trolley.

Rolling your eyes at him, you knew that when you got a place of your own there would need to be a lot of space in the bathroom for all of Jax’s beauty products. Along with a garage big enough to house your car, his bike and no doubt a project car seen as Jax had mentioned he would love to have a project to work on during his downtime.

“I saw that,” he whispered, wrapping his arm around your shoulders pulling you close to him.

“You were meant to,” you giggled looking down at the items that you had collected so far, breathing out a laugh. There was nothing that held any nutritional value. It was all snacks, sweet treats and candy. Jax definitely didn’t need any more sugar, he was like a hyperactive little puppy ninety percent of the time. “We need more than just junk food, just saying.” You hummed, raising your brow at him.

“Wait, you are telling me you actually cook?” Jax gasped, pulling his fist to his mouth. “Yet whenever I am around it is either takeout or cereal. No option for a home cooked meal. I am offended.”

“Piss off, asshole!” You pouted, crouching down to reach the bottom shelf grabbing a bag of pasta. “It isn’t that I can’t cook,” you paused for a second. “It’s just I prefer not to, especially when it comes to cooking for one. Plus all you know how to do is cook something in the microwave and even then you still gave me food poisoning that one time.”

“Well, you are now cooking for two, Darlin’,” He winked, biting his bottom lip. “And hey, I said I was sorry about that.”

Once again you rolled your eyes, as you Jax started tossing more shit into the cart. You had no idea if you would even eat all of the food he was tossing in. But at least it wasn’t perishable items, meaning you could take whatever you didn’t eat back home or even to the clubhouse. Maybe it would sweeten the shock of you and Jax coming home married.

Once again a wave of emotions hit you as you realized this would be your life now. Grocery shopping on a regular basis with a giant man child.

“Hey, what's with all these tears?” Jax asked, instantly pulling you into his arms as he saw a few tears roll down your cheeks. His arms wrapped tight around you as you nuzzled your face into his chest.

“Just,” you whimpered, slowly looking up at him. “I keep getting hit by a wave of emotion when I realize we are actually married and this is our life now. Now more pain, no more sadness, just living my best life with my best friend.”

“Oh Darlin’,” Jax whispered, kissing the top of your head. “There is no need to start crying in the middle of the grocery store. Getting me all worried and shit.”

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, as he wiped away your tears.

“Come on, let's get some proper food and you can treat me tonight to your wonderful cooking.”

Jax watched as you started tossing actual food products into the cart, through the whole trip he had a confused look on his face. He had no clue what you were going to make him, it was like his brain was staring at the ingredients like they were foreign to him.

The shopping cart was practically overflowing with food as Jax pushed it back to the Audi. The next problem was getting all of the bags into the car, knowing full well they would have to go onto the back seat. But Jax was mesmerized the moment you took his hoodie off, tossing it onto the passenger seat. The colours of your tattoo standing out against the white vest top you were wearing. The thought of his crow being added to the roses and gun made his heart melt.

He always found it funny that you absolutely hated roses yet you proudly wore them on your shoulder. But deep down he knew that part of the reason was because he designed it. It also got him thinking, he wanted to add something onto his hip tattoo now you were getting his crow. He wasn’t quite sure what the addition would be yet but knew the perfect idea would present itself when the time was right.

PREVIOUS PART || NEXT PART

60 notes to unlock the next part 🖤

@chibsytelford @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @pumpkin-spice-hate @talicat713 @band--psycho @little-diable @jomariekirby @i-love-scott-mccall @pascal-reyes @fourthwallhateclub @withmyteeth @rosieposie0624 @choochoo284 @meteora-fc @beeroses @princess76179 @darklydeliciousdesires @corrigan-eko @stephv213 @krswrites @sassymoxley @sixshooter665 @thexhostess @innerpaperexpertcloud @mgkobsessed @vhideaway1012 @stillbreathin @louisianalady @mandabrammer2021 @scarletmeii @glimmerglittergirl @delightfulheroshoeflap @thoughtfullyfurryangel @trooper2002 @a-bang-for-your-bucky @greatgardendeancookie

[gingercauldron]

Quiet Brilliance (Spencer Reid x BAU! Reader)

A/N: Here is my offering to the Criminal Minds fandom. Also this is my first time really writing fanfic? Just really wanted to have Spencer impressed by the reader and fall in love with them. So I hope you enjoy!! This is totally not an excuse to somehow make random stuff I’ve read about relevant in BAU cases lol

Pairing: Spencer Reid x BAU! Reader

Synopsis: Spencer notices how intelligent you really are, as well as how shy you are about it. He can’t stop thinking about you, your brilliance, and how much he just wants to hold you.

Warnings: None really, just fluff, and normal Criminal Minds content

Wordcount: 1.9k

No one in the BAU seemed to give you enough credit.

Not that it was their intention, of course, but Dr. Spencer Reid could not help but notice all of the times that your quiet brilliance went by as unremarkable. He might have had an eidetic memory, carrying a labyrinthine of facts and figures in his head - but you knew things that even he had not come across. He could tell that you were a researcher, that you would explore through files for knowledge because you wanted to.

When Spencer would pull a fact or statistic out of the air, you would be listening raptly. On several occasions you would scribble something down afterwards, and it made Spencer’s heart swell. This was how he first became so attuned to you when you joined the team. After that, he made sure to observe you.

He noticed that you would duck your head into files of each case, going through detail after detail with a furrowed brow. You would write in a frantic scrawl on post-it notes as a cue to do further research.

The most endearing part of it all, was that you would do the same thing even if there wasn’t a case. You would carry a tome with you, with the tails of post-it flaps coming out the side, each one crowded with writing. You were smart, Spencer learned, and he wondered why it wasn’t seen as big of an asset as it truly was to the team.

At first he could pretend that his interest was merely for the good of the team, learning more about you and what you were capable of. Obviously you were hired for a reason, likely your careful observations and sharp psychological profiling — but there was so much more. Spencer was finding it harder to pretend that this interest was not at all motivated by the affection that was developing for you.

He had three PhDs and was the so-called “resident genius,” but he wondered if you could give him a run for his money. The thing was, because you were quiet and private, he didn’t know — and that in itself was exciting.

On one case where you were observing the body at the scene, a particularly strange case where the jaw of the victim had swelled with tumors, you quickly told everyone to back up.

“What is it?” Hotch asked.

“It looks like possible radiation poisoning because of how localized the tumors are — like the unsub had the victim consume radium.” You said. “I could be wrong, of course. We could check her teeth.”

“Teeth?” Morgan asked.

Spencer quickly replied. “Radium has properties that make it glow in the dark, it was used as a novelty for that reason well into the 1970’s before restrictions were placed on it, actually. If the victim had been ingesting radium it is possible her teeth might glow. In 1938 a case was settled where a group factory workers sued their employment because they had been encouraged to lick paintbrushes covered in radium in the course of their work, resulting in massive tumours around the neck and jaw.”

“And the factory workers had tumours like this?” Hotch asked. He was asking Spencer now, not you.

“Remarkably similar.” Spencer replied.

Spencer glanced at you, but it didn’t seem to bother you that he had jumped in. In fact, the only that seemed to be upsetting to you was the fact that the unsub was on the loose.

“I’ll call some radiologists in.” Hotch said, already lifting the phone to his ear.

It turned out, that you were right. It was in fact radium, and you made sure that the team was safe by telling them to keep their distance from the body. The radiation levels on the body were dangerous.

On the plane home from that case Spencer had sat beside you, and he couldn’t stop thinking about your astute observation. You smiled up at him when he settled next to you, looking back down at the book in your lap.

“Hey, Y/N?”

You looked back up at him. “Yeah, Spencer?”

“That was a good catch with the radium.”

“Oh, that. Thank you.” You beamed. “But you would have caught it if I hadn’t.”

Would he? With all of the gruesome things he had seen they all morphed together, he wasn’t sure that he would have jumped to radium, of all things, as quickly as you had. That he would have been as cautious in avoiding the body to investigate if you hadn’t said something.

“I mean it. It was good catch. It was pretty brilliant, actually.”

“Thanks, Spence.” You said softly.

He knew he should let you get back to your book that was covered in post-it notes, but there was a thought that kept nagging at him. “Y/N?” He said again.

“Yeah?”

“Did it — did I overstep when you were telling the team about the radiation? Because if I did—”

“No, I got to stop you there. You helped. I’d rather not have the attention.”

He furrowed his brow, but didn’t say anything more, letting you return to your book.

After that it seemed that the rest of the team was starting to pick up on your fierce intelligence, too. It was hard to ignore the books you carried with you, but Spencer thought it would have been impossible to not notice you. Not just because you were utterly beautiful, but because everything about your mind was captivating.

Morgan remarked on it when you found a pattern in the artwork of a string of victims’ homes. The artwork looked nothing alike, but you picked it up.

“This painting.” You said, pointing at it. “It’s German expressionist.”

“Okay?” Morgan said.

“It could be nothing, but the last victim had a print of German artwork in their home — it was from the dada movement — but they’re both from the same time period. The other two victims had books on the Bauhaus — an influential German design school that operated between the first and second world wars.” You explained. “I wouldn’t have said anything, but the average joe wouldn’t have German post-World War One art. All of our victims are interested in the same time period for art — seems like too much of a coincidence.”

Morgan stared at you.

“What?” You asked sheepishly.

“Did Reid just possess you for a moment there? How’d you know all that?”

You shrugged and changed the subject. “I’ll call Garcia and see if she can connect the victims through local art groups or galleries.”

Morgan stared at you as you walked off, phoning Garcia. Spencer came up beside him and squinted at the painting on the wall.

“I think I know how the victims might be connected.” Spencer said to Morgan, analyzing the painting.

“The art?”

Spencer looked at Morgan in surprise. “You know about German art?”

Morgan snorted and shook his head. He gestured to you. “Y/N is calling up Garcia right now. Can’t imagine how she knew anything about it.”

Spencer furrowed his brow. “I knew it, though.”

“Exactly.” Morgan patted Spencer’s shoulder and left to talk to Hotch.

You put the phone down and turned noticing Spencer looking at you. You smiled when you saw him. He loved the way you smiled at him, as if he was the only other person in the entire world. He felt his heart rate increase and new, scientifically speaking, that he was completely infatuated with you.

“Garcia found a connection.” You told him.

You said nothing to him of the connections you had made first, but it made him appreciate the fact that he knew all the more. You downplayed your accomplishments. He wanted nothing more than to be by your side so that he could learn about every one of them.

Rossi noticed during a case, when Spencer was reading one of the unsub’s journals. Flipping through the book quickly and absorbing the information.

“Hard to believe the kid can read that fast sometimes.” Rossi said to you. “He reads 20,000 words per minute.”

“It’s over 60 times the norm. He’s pretty amazing.” You said back.

“The norm?”

You nodded. “Yeah, average adult reads between 200 to 300 words per minute, he reads around 333 words per second.”

“You some kind of whiz kid, too?” Rossi asked.

You scoffed. “Hardly. I just read a lot.”

“So does Reid.”

“You know what I mean.” And with that you left Rossi, effectively stopping the conversation.

Spencer smiled, having overheard you two. Whether you wanted to or not, you would slip little bits of information that show just how much you were thinking. You couldn’t hide your mind completely, and Spencer couldn’t stop thinking about what conversations would ensue in just spending a day with you alone.

Your voice saying he’s pretty amazing kept playing in his head and he could feel his face flush. Did you know how that sounded? You thought he, of all people, was amazing - not his brain, or his skills, but him. Did you mean it to sound like that?

Rossi turned to Spencer. “You know your face is red.” He said.

Spencer stared at Rossi, but he couldn’t make his mouth form any words. A grin spread across Rossi’s face, reading Spencer like a book.

“It’s okay Doctor, I won’t tell anyone.” Rossi said, and got back to his own work.

The rest of the day Spencer could hardly focus on anything, constantly aware of where you were in the bullpen - or distracted when you left the bullpen to see Garcia because that meant you were gone. He tried to keep his head down and look at evidence, but you were so close and you thought that he was pretty amazing, and it was nearly impossible to think about anything else. By the time he felt satisfied enough with the work he had done that day to maybe pack up it was already dark out.

Spencer saw you reading at your desk in the bullpen. Everyone had gone home already, but you were there scribbling notes down. When Spencer neared your desk he saw the book, a book he had been reading two days ago.

You looked up and smiled at him in surprise, with those dazzling eyes of yours. You pushed your hair behind your ear and all that Spencer could think about was what it would feel like to touch.

“Hi, Spence.” You said. “What’s up?”

Spencer swallowed, and his world came to a standstill. The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. “I think I love you.” His eyes suddenly went wide when he realized what he had said.

He turned around on his heel and rushed towards the door. He could hear your chair scratch against the floor and you called out.

“Spencer!”

He stilled, his hand on the door. He wanted to run, to get as far away and hopefully have you forget about it and not lose your friendship. He never wanted to disappoint you or make you uncomfortable, but he couldn’t turn his back on you either. He turned his head slowly, afraid to see your face.

You didn’t look angry. You had a small shy smile on your face.

“I think I love you, too.”

He dropped his hand from the door. “You do?”

You nodded. “I do.”

He laughed, feeling giddy. “I can’t stop thinking about you.” He confessed. “About your kindness and your brilliance, and just, you. I just — can I kiss you?”

“Why, Dr. Spencer Reid, I would like nothing more.”

That was all he needed before he was across the room, holding your face in his hands and kissing you. Spencer, with his eidetic memory, could not remember having ever been so happy.

[ubertf]

Transition of Power

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, scanning over the tiny bumps, cracks, spots in my skin. No one tells you, when you're young, that perfect skin doesn't last forever. And no one tells you that you start to look like your dad. I knew, someday, I wouldn't recognize this person. And that's what scared me more than anything.

I found myself brushing my teeth, slowly moving through the hazy morning like a dream. Pushing down the fear that just seemed to grow stronger each day. The age. The crime. It seemed that every day, this world inched a bit closer to hell. Just last night, a gang had taken a US representative hostage, fending off all the military's attempts to rescue him. They made demands; I forget what for. Money, probably. No one knew where he was now. Elections in his district were being planned. Everyone was scared.

It's those god damn superheroes. It's all their fault. I remembered, one was affiliated with this gang. Ever since that comet started dropping dust into the atmosphere and people started changing there hasn't been a single day of sanity.

My phone buzzed. Michael. The senator.

He wasn't a handsome man, in most senses. Michael was in his 60's. Stocky build, the kind of man that may have played football in high school and maybe a couple club sports in college but hadn't run a mile since he still had a full hairline. It wasn't his physical prowess that I loved. It was his power. Any time I flip him over, caress his ass cheeks, start getting ready to breed him, I sap his power. One of a hundred people in the country who decides how we get to live life. And here I am, holding him down, on top of him, calling him my bitch and my little slut. I loved it. It felt like nothing else in the world.

There's a car outside. get in

It wasn't like him to be this curt, but maybe he's feeling more dom today. I could work with that. I finished getting ready and walked outside. A black car with tinted windows had pulled up. I grinned. What did he have planned for me.

-

In the car, Michael looked straight at me. "I need you to trust me. Turn your phone off."

"What's going on?"

"Superman is gone."

"What do you mean?"

"He's gone. He's dead. We've lost a major national asset. Without someone like him, we have no control over these crazy super-powered folks. We need someone who's unstoppable, like he is. Was."

I blinked. "He died?"

"I can't explain much now. But yes. It was an outlandish plot by a terror cell in Virginia and it worked. This happened approximately 8 minutes ago. Not many people know about this."

"Oh wow."

Jesus. I was shocked. I'd read so much about Superman. Even seen him once or twice. He was the one who did it all. Took down missiles, stopped terrorists around the world. He was so utterly dominant over anyone else who had superpowers. He had it all.

"That's why you're here."

"What do you mean?"

"We need control. We simply cannot lose an asset like that."

I remained silent.

"You're taking his place."

I laughed. "No I'm not. What the hell do you mean?"

"We're almost there," he said, looking agitated as his phone buzzed over and over again. "Long story short. We've been working on... an experiment. The government has recovered some of the dust that was dropped from the comet. The comet that started all this. And we have a basic idea of how it works. We think we know how to do it. We want to give it to you."

The grin slid off my face. "Wha.. What do you mean?"

"We have no idea what will happen. But we need Superman back. But think of the responsibility. Can you handle it? Can you become Superman?" he demanded. "Not many people can."

"I can do it, I guess?" I said, confused. This seemed like a joke. "How?"

"Don't worry about it. Do you consent?"

I breathed deeply. "Sure."

-

I was escorted into a building, down dark staircases, through door after door and cement hallways. Behind me, Michael was on the phone. "He's an associate. He's ex-military. He went to Princeton. I don't know what else you expect me to find, on such short notice. He will be more that what we need. Just give me the god damn authorization."

We approached a small, dimly lit room. In the middle, a makeshift glass box. Almost like a coffin.

"Michael." I asked. "Are you sure about this?" I felt like I was in a dream. This was so utterly beyond what I could comprehend. I was clouded by doubt but there was a tiny glimmer of radiant hope. Was I about to get superpowers?

"Get in," he commanded. I gave him a side-eye, and walked to the glass box. It felt cheaply made. Was it plexiglass? I opened the top up and climbed inside, laying down.

"Start it," he commanded the only other person in the room. "I have authorization from the President." He showed the person his phone. I started to breath quickly. I wasn't a fan of confined spaces.

And suddenly, golden glitter clouded around me, coming from somewhere beneath the box. It was so bright and warm. Like a summer breeze. I closed my eyes and let myself breathe it in. And then it started to happen. My transformation

It was sudden. It's like a wave of relief washing over you, but it's more. Warmth. A slight strain. My body grew. I opened my eyes, saw my arms grow larger, legs stretch out. I felt growth everywhere on my body. My six pack solidified. My ass grew larger, more powerful. It was flowing all over my body. And damn, it felt good.

After what only felt like a few seconds, I emerged. Michael handed me a costume. "Strip," he said. I hadn't noticed until I tried pulling my underwear off, but my cock had grown significantly longer as well. It was too good to be true, and a wide smile crossed my face.

I stood naked in front of the man. He looked me up and down, sighing, before handing me a costume. "His backup. It should take a few more seconds before you feel powers coming in." I struggled to squeeze into the costume, muscles bulging against the tight spandex. It was comfortable, easy to move in.

"You will report directly to the president," Michael said. I began to float. It was otherworldly. Euphoria rushed through me as I realized my power. "You will listen to everything I have to say." I floated in the air, laughing as I spun, gazing through the walls of this compound. I grabbed the glass box, smashed it in half. Smashed the controls. Michael started yelling, screaming. The tech ran out.

"No one else," I said. "No one else can become as powerful as me." I grabbed Michael, and flew him up into the air. I rocketed through the compound, smashing through floor after floor. I was high above Washington, Michael in my grip. He was screaming. "Destroy it all. Or I will destroy you. No more superheroes. I am the first and the last one. Okay?" He nodded, shaking in fear from the height. I quickly flew back to the ground and set him down before taking off, landing on a nearby roof. This city was mine. This country. this world. All this power, and the old Superman had listened to the government. I wouldn't make the same mistake. My muscles flexed under my tight costume as I looked over my domain. I am the government now. Things would never be the same.

[magicalqueennightmare]

Sins & Amends Chapter 52

Billy Russo x Female Reader (60 part story)

This follows pre- the punisher into the storyline of daredevil, punisher season 1 and beyond

This is NOT Canon Billy. This is decent human being Billy left with bad options over worse decisions

This was also posted to A03 under: WaywardGaPeach. That account and this one is the only place you'll see me post this. If you see it on any other platform/account know it's not me.

Chapter Summary/Warnings: Tragedy strikes your family yet again

The next morning you had just finished getting dressed and walked into the living room moments before Karen knocked on your door. She'd come by to wait for Sarah to come get Adi so you could head in to work. You opened the door on the way by "Good morning Karen" you greeted and she smiled "Good morning. How was yesterday?" you handed her your phone while you finished gathering everything you needed "Flip through the photos"

 She was still smiling when you walked back into the room and held your phone back out to you "Got to say the three of you look just so right together in that photo" you shrugged one shoulder trying to hide the smile that had worked it's way onto your face  "I'll get off around ten possibly eleven so I'll see you in the morning? Shit I told Billy he could come by your place for dinner and so he could see Adi is that ok?"

She nodded "Of course. He's welcome any time" you let the smile that had been trying to slip onto your face "Good oh and make sure you tell Frank that Billy is coming to walk me home so he doesn't have to worry"

You had turned to grab your jacket when Karen muttered "Oh empty apartment. Adi at my place" you felt the tips of your ears turn red before saying "Get your mind out the gutter Page" "Hell why not? You both love each other and want to be together!" She laughed and you shook your head.

"Were you always like this or did I corrupt you?"

"Honestly? I'd say about sixty forty" she replied and you raised an eyebrow "In which direction?" She held up the coffee she'd bought you and said "I'll tell you come tomorrow morning" you took the coffee from her with a playful glare then smiled "Have a good day at work Miss Page and kiss Adi for me when she wakes up" "Will do and you have a good day too" 

Around lunch time you were helping Grant and Jason roll up hoses and heard Jessie greeting Adi and Sarah. You stood up right before Adi launched herself into your arms laughing. "Hey babygirl. What are you and aunt Sarah up to?"

Sarah walked in behind her carrying a few takeout bags "The guys are stuck in a planning meeting so Billy called to see if we wanted to deliver your lunch" your eyes widened at the amount of food "He sent enough for the entire house" she looked over it then said "I think that was kind of his point" you waved Jessie over "Wanna take this inside? Apparently Billy bought everyone lunch" 

You turned back to Adi "Wanna say hey to everyone while you're here?" She nodded so you carried her inside and held the door open for Sarah to follow you both in.

-----------------

Once lunch was over you carried Adi back out to the van and strapped her in "Now be good for aunt Sarah. Daddy's going to come eat dinner with you, uncle Frank and aunt Karen then I'll see you in the morning ok?" She nodded "Ok. Love you mommy" "Love you more lil bit" you told her then kissed her forehead.

You walked back into the bays about the time a call rang out for an ambulance to respond to an elderly woman having chest pains. Alice sighed "At least they waited until Adi left right?"

----------------

While you were doing inventory of the rig and Alice was finishing up any reports you got a text from Billy "When are you getting off love?" So you texted back "About twenty minutes" you hadn't even laid the phone down when it went off again "I'll be waiting right outside" you smiled and texted back "Just come in! Everyone knows you"

A few minutes later you heard Ash holler "Y/N Billy's here!" You peeked out the back door of the ambulance and smiled when you saw him talking to Jason and Hunter. He caught your eye and winked before turning his attention back to them.

By the time you were through with inventory Billy was standing at the back of the ambulance when you climbed out and narrowly avoided running right into his chest "Shit. I'm sorry Billy" you said as he reached out to steady you "It's ok sweetheart" he had that damn smirk and you couldn't help but feel your heart speed up just slightly when you met his eyes "Um I've gotta tell Ash and Riley a few things then I'll grab my stuff and we can go" "Take your time" he replied and you had to talk yourself out of kissing him while you stood in the middle of the bay surrounded by your co-workers.

"Are you sure I can't drop you two off?" Alice offered and you shook your head before checking the time "Didn't Kenzie get off an hour ago? And she's waiting on you?" "In a warm office building" Alice responded with a laugh but you shook your head "We'll be fine"

Billy smiled and said "Yeah thanks for the offer Alice..by the way do you like your car? We're going in a couple days to get Y/N one finally" Alice cut her eyes at you with a mischievous grin then said "Yes I do actually. Although I think a four door option is better for a family car" 

You stuck your tongue out at her just in enough time for Billy to see. He looked between you and her for a moment clearly wondering what he'd missed before shaking his head "Nope. I know by now not to ask" then reached out for your bag "Want me to carry that?" You let him take it then both of you wished Alice a good night before she climbed into her car to leave and both of you started walking in the direction of your apartment.

-------------

 You didn't realize how close you were walking to Billy until your hand brushed his. You remembered Karen's words from earlier in the day so you laced your fingers with his which caused a pleased smile to appear on his face before he gave your hand a light squeeze.

You weren't far from your apartment when he stopped suddenly so you turned to face him "Billy? Something wrong?" He shook his head then used your intertwined hands to pull you flush against him "I haven't got to kiss you all day and it's really bothering me" 

You leaned in to meet his lips halfway but froze right before you touched when you heard someone call your name. Billy turned to look but your entire body had tensed at the voice even before you spotted Alex Moore walking up the sidewalk towards you.

------------

"Alex" your voice was barely above a whisper. Mahoney was supposed to tell you if he got out. Frank was going to kill him this time. Hell Dinah and Sam were gonna kill Mahoney. "Y/N who is he?" Billy whispered, moving to block your body with his own. 

"He attacked me and Alice right after I came off of maternity leave" you answered, eyes never leaving Alex. "You took years of my life bitch" Alex nearly growled then the next few seconds happened in a blur. You didn't even see the gun when Alex pointed it towards you but Billy saw the flash of metal and reacted by shoving you backwards and rushing Alex before the shot ever rang out.

You barely had time to register what happened next. The scent of gunpowder and the metallic scent of blood clung to your nose and throat. Billy had tackled Alex to the ground and they were struggling over the gun. Another shot rang out right before Billy managed to pull a knife from somewhere and plunge it into Alex's neck.

------------

The sounds of the shots drew the attention of a bouncer and a few patrons from a bar on the corner who quickly ran out to see what was happening. "Call the cops!" You hollered as Billy got to his feet. He was supporting his weight against the wall as he scanned you for any visible injuries "Are you ok Y/N?" You nodded and he half smiled before his legs went out from under him.

You caught him and helped him ease down to the sidewalk. You pulled your hand back and realized it was bloody so you tore his shirt open to see a gunshot directly in the center of his stomach. Blood was gushing out the wound. "Oh god" you couldn't even allow yourself the panic you felt "GET ME A GOD DAMN AMBULANCE HERE TOO AND ONE OF YOU COME HELP ME" you screamed at the men who were simply standing around.

The bouncer threw the phone to one of the other men then came to your side "What do you need?" You jerked your head back towards where your bag had fell "Get my med bag" you looked down at Billy whose dark eyes had never left yours "Hey stay with me Billy ok? Just keep those eyes open for me" 

He nodded then winced "Fuck I forgot how bad getting shot hurts" by that time the bouncer had gotten your bag so you were grabbing everything you needed out of it and checking for an exit wound.

When you didn't find one you knew the bullet was still inside so you had to keep him as still as possible to minimize the damage. "Yeah so I've been told" you felt your voice tremble as you spoke. Your hands were moving simply from years of training. It was muscle memory more than anything at that point because you felt like your world was falling apart.

Billy's hand came up to brush your hair out your face weakly and you could feel the warm smear of blood his fingers had left behind "God I don't want to miss any more with you and Adi" you had to grab the bouncers hands to use to hold pressure once you'd packed the wound because your hands were shaking too bad "do it like this and do not fucking move" you ordered and he nodded.

You slid up to Billy's head to check his pulse and felt it getting weaker by the second. "Billy you're not gonna miss anything with us. She needs you. Baby I need you. I love you, please just stay with me until the ambulance gets here"

A weak version of that damn smile that always made you stumble your words slipped onto his face "Did you just say you love me?" You nodded and felt tears slipping down your face "Yes Billy I fucking love you soo much" his eyes tried to close so you shook him "God dammit stay with me Billy. Do it for me. Do it for Adi. Just keep your fucking eyes open" 

He opened his eyes partly then said "Baby you know I'd do anything for you two" "Then fucking stay alive. Be here with us. Marry me. Be there the day our daughter graduates high school, when she gets married. You're the only man I've ever loved and I want to spend the rest of my life with you so please just hold on..listen to my voice please" he laughed weakly and you felt your heart stop when some blood came out his mouth "Did you just propose to me?" 

"Yes I did so now you got to stay here. You've got me and Adi to fight for. We need you" he smiled and said "Can you kiss me?" You leaned down to place a gentle kiss to his lips and saw your tears mixing with his own "I love you Y/N. You and Adi are the best thing that's ever happened to me"

His pulse started slowing and his eyes fluttered shut. "BILLY? BILLY?" you moved your hand down to his chest and shook him harshly when he didn't react you felt and couldn't find his pulse. "No..not after everything. I'm not losing you" you choked out, moving to start compressions and begging anyone listening to not take him from you and Adi. 

You were on the verge of breaking from the mere thought of losing him when you heard the ambulance pull up "Y/N?" You recognized Riley's voice and hollered "BILLY'S BEEN SHOT. HE'S LOST A LOT OF BLOOD AND I JUST LOST HIS PULSE"

@intothesoul

@weallhaveadestiny

[charspnp]

Hey can I request a really fluffy Karl imagine? Where they’ve been friends for ages and realise they like each other or something

- anonymous

not a kissing booth

「 karl jacobs x g/n!reader 」

a/n: i feel like i didn't really fulfill the request fully djddjf but i hope you like it! :)

masterlist

saying goodbye always was and always will be the hardest part of moving. it doesn't matter if you're moving a mile away or a thousand miles away, having to say goodbye to someone you love is borderline unbearable.

but... saying bye to karl was... different… why? well, who knows, really. maybe it was because you've known each other your whole life? or maybe it's because you spend pretty much every day together talking and talking but never running out of things to talk about?

or, perhaps, the reason saying bye to karl was so different is because you were in love with him. 

the hug you shared wasn't like any other hug you'd shared with the man. it was tight, comforting, a silent plea to stay in touch, to call or text him every day (as if you weren't going to already). then the very insistent, repeated, spoken plea to call or text him every day came and, for some reason, that's when you couldn't hold back your tears any longer.

as soon as he saw the first tear fall, karl grabbed your face softly and wiped it away.

"no, no, no, don't cry," he spoke softly, "don't-don't cry cause we're not saying goodbye, okay? we're-we're gonna talk every day, alright? every single day, i don't care what time it is for me cause i'll pick up, i'll answer. always. okay?" though he was asking for you not to cry, he started tearing up himself. he nodded to you, asking for an affirmation that you knew he would always be there. you nodded back and put your hands softly on his, leaning into is touch. you nodded once again, confirmation to yourself that he would be there. 

from behind the two of you, your mother honked the car horn to signal that you had to go. glancing back at the car then back to your best friend, you let go of his hands and wrapped them around his middle tightly. he returned the sentiment just as affectionately. 

"call me when you get there, okay?"

"okay."

"hey," he pulled away but still kept you close, "i love you, okay? and-and i'll miss you."

yes, goodbyes are hard, but the two of you kept your promise. although, it wasn't too hard when the both of you became streamers and played together 24/7. you and karl just had small names in the community before karl got picked up by mr beast and dream with his server. after the dream smp blew up, so did karl. any other person would've felt left in the dust or forgotten, but with you it was quite the opposite. you were happy for karl, ecstatic that he grew to fame and had so many loyal fans.

every time karl asked if you wanted to be on the smp, you declined, though, no matter how badly you wanted to accept. it was because of those loyal fans that you always declined. you were scared that they would psychoanalyze you and your behavior and find out about your crush on karl. yup. it's a stupid thought, but valid at the same time. you don't know when you started having this crush, whether it started when you two were in grade school or if it was recent, but it's the and you hate it. you hate having to hide your feelings from your best friend and lying to him when he asked for the reason as to why you didn't want to join the smp.

"but whyyyy," karl whined, hoping you would give a different reason as to not stream with him (or maybe even finally agree).

"because! that's a lot of eyes on me, karl. it's scary." liar.

"dude, you're a streamer, you have eyes on you anyways! you can't say you never thought you'd get over 1k viewers at a time."

"yes i can! because i never thought my best friend would get so famous so fast and suddenly have, like, over 60, or even 100k viewers at a time!"

"c'mon, just- please? please play on the smp with me? stream with me- for me?" he begged with his stupid, cute puppy dog eyes you can never say no to. bastard.

you huffed, "fine- fine! i'll play on the dream smp with you."

karl's face lit and as he bounced around his room, yelling, "yes! yes! finally!" 

you chuckled and shook your head at him, "yeah, yeah."

karl stopped hopping around and leaned down to his mic to speak, "when can you play?"

"just, whenever."

"tomorrow?" he grinned widely, excitement noticeable in his eyes even from across the country.

"t-tomorrow?" you weren't expecting it to be that early, but still, you couldn't let down karl. "s-sure. yeah, tomorrow's fine. what time?"

"3pm, my time." though he had calmed himself for the most part, you could still see him jittering and fidgeting with excitement.

"o-okay. sounds good," you spoke warily. changing the subject, the two of you continued talking all night.

when the next day came, you were immediately reminded of what was to come later that day when karl sent you your daily good morning text. reading through the small message, you ran a hand through your hair and sighed, turning to your pillow to just lay there. though it wasn't until the afternoon, you were already stressing how it would go.

after about 10 minutes of just lying there in bed, you responded to karl with your own good morning text then turned off your phone. running your hands down your face, you got up out of bed to start the day.

"how ya feelin?" karl asked, seeing how much you were fidgeting.

"nervous," you responded truthfully. karl already had his 'starting soon' screen up and you were yet to even begin yours. "i don't want them to hate me, y'know."

"dude, they're not gonna hate you, i promise. even if they don't like you, they'll see how much i love you and they'll learn to accept it."

you blushed at his words, knowing he didn't have a clue as to what they did to you. "y-yeah. yeah, i hope."

finally starting your stream with your own 'starting soon' screen, you tweeted out that you're gonna be playing on the dream smp, and almost immediately your viewership was more than it ever has been. taking a deep breath, you waited until karl turned on the facecam to his stream.

"hi! hello, everyone!" karl began, "welcome! welcome to the stream!"

while he made small talk with his stream, you changed your screen from 'starting soon' to your facecam. you deafened yourself on discord and began welcoming your stream as well. you explained what was happening and what you were gonna be doing when karl started spamming "UNDEAFEN" in your chat. you chuckled before undeafening, only to hear karl making a monotone "aaaahhhhhh" sound. you called his name a couple times and when he didn't stop, you turned on your funny mic to get his attention.

"KARL!" you yelled, the audio coming out distorted as all hell. he finally acknowledged you by breaking character and laughing. "let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

about an hour and a half and a whole lotta laughter later, karl took you over to a large red building in the shape of a heart. glancing at your chat, all you saw was "DON'T GO IN" but you just laughed it off.

"okay, y/n, this is not a kissing booth," karl explained.

"not a kissing booth?" 

"yes, definitely-definitely not a kissing booth. now wait-wait here," he instructed you before his character moved around the side of the building. you gave your camera a questioning look as you waited for whatever karl told you to wait for. as you were looking up at the building, you saw karl's character go inside the pink, glass heart. your jaw dropped at the adorable sight.

"karl! that's so cute!" you said as you crouched at his character.

"thank you," he giggled wildly (what you didn't know was that he was blushing profusely). "now," he exited the heart and came back around to you, "come in here."

he walked into the building and you followed, taking a quick moment to read the signs on the outside. you stood on the inside of the kissing booth, the crafting tables on the ground making you laugh quietly.

karl flipped a lever on one side of the room, "okay, so these are called the levers of consent. it takes two parties to consent, so mine is already down. if you consent, flip your lever."

you shook your head, but agreed anyways, "okay, i consent." you flipped the lever and suddenly the whole room went dark. you looked over to karl's character, only to see him crouching, slowly making his way over to you. you crouched back at him so you were eye level to him. your characters were close to touching before you got close to your mic and said, "are we about to kiss right now?"

his character stopped crouching as he started laughing wildly again, his giggles high pitched and absolutely adorable. our face split into a grin at the sound and your chat spammed your guys' ship name they came up with as well as "SIMP" which, in their defense, was very accurate.

deciding to mess with him a little, you looked karl's character in the eyes before saying, "karl, i'd say the s-word and get banned for you."

his giggles started up again, becoming high pitched and muffled as he covered his face. "no, no, stop, y/n please."

you giggled at him before pressing your character against his and making an over exaggerated "mwah!" sound.

to be expected, yours and karl's ship name was trending #1 on twitter with thousands of supporters.

[teenwolffan-with-nolife]

Mistakes

Word Count: 1,713

Characters: Derek Hale, Scott McCall, Stiles Stilinski, Reader, OC Characters

Pairings: Eventual Derek Hale x Reader

Warnings: ANGST, Derek being an asshole, TW: drugs, overdose, death

A/N: this will have mulitple parts, either 2 or 3, so nothing too long lol

Masterlist

“I don’t care! Keep looking!” Derek paced around the loft, while Stiles and Scott sat on the couch, bounding their legs nervously. Allison, Lydia, and Isaac were out with Argent, all looking for you. 

“People don’t just disappear,” Stiles shook his head.

“Yeah, no shit,” Derek replied.

“Okay, just think. What did she do all day? Did she go anywhere o-or something? Has anyone seen her all day?” Scott asked.

“She was with you guys last. Her phone’s right here,” Derek held up your phone, before exhaling harshly.

“Maybe it’s time to tell your dad, Stiles. He can help us,” Scott suggested.

“Maybe I should, yeah,” Stiles got out his phone, before hearing the loft doors open. 

The three of them froze, looking at the door cautiously as you stood in front of them. 

“What’s going on?” you frowned slightly.

“What’s going… What’s going on!?! Everyone has been looking for you for the whole day! Where the hell were you?” Derek yelled at you.

“I was on a hunt, I-I forgot my phone, I meant to text you-” you started.

“Stiles, Scott, get out. Now,” Derek clenched his jaw as he kept his glare on you.

The two boys nervously stumbled out of the loft, not wanting to leave you alone with Derek.

“Did you not think it was important to let someone know where you were?’ his voice was calm, but the anger was still evident in his face.

You hated when he would act like this. Ignore you for 40 percent of the time, yell at you for 60. You had grown tired of it.

“I forgot,” your voice was low.

“We wasted the entire day looking for you,” he crossed his arms.

“And I never told you to look for me. If you’re just gonna get mad at me, then I’d like to go now,” you replied.

“You’re unbelievable, you know that? If I had it my way, you wouldn’t be in the pack. You’re less important than Stiles,” you always felt hurt by his words, yet never showed any emotions.

“Yeah, I’m unbelievably useless, as you keep reminding me,” you sighed.

“I don’t understand why you can’t just…” you cut him off, before running your fingers through your hair.

“Why I can’t just listen? Why I can’t just stop being useless? I’m a fucking mistake and you keep reminding me every single second you get. Don’t you think I know by now? If I could change, I would. You refuse to give me the bite and so does Scott. I’d leave Beacon Hills if I could, leave instead of forcing you all to live with the burden of knowing me,” you were already exhausted from your day, and Derek pushing your buttons didn’t help one bit.

“I never said that,” he started.

“You don’t have to. I see the way you look at me, I see the way you all look at me. I have nothing more to say to you, Derek, so if you don’t mind, I’m going home,” he stayed silent while you walked out of the loft. You felt a tear fall down your face before wiping it away, heading back home.

---

“Mom, I’m home,” you placed your bags aside as you pulled off your jacket.

You walked up the stairs, kissing your younger brother’s forehead.

“How’s Mom?” you asked him.

“She said she was feeling better but I don’t believe her,” he replied.

“Thanks for being a strong kid and looking after her while I was gone,” you gave him a small smile before patting his back.

“Go eat your dinner, I’m gonna go check up on Mom,” you said, before making your way up to her room.

“Mom?” she was sitting up in her bed, holding a cigarette in her hand.

“Mom! You can’t have those!” you yanked it out of her hand, throwing it aside. 

“Why not? I feel fine,” you could see dark bags under her eyes, while her skin was visibly paler than earlier that day.

“Did you take something?” you asked.

“What do you mean?” she shook her head.

“I’m talking about drugs, Mom! Did you take any drugs?!” you yelled.

“That’s none of your business,” she crossed her arms.

“Except it is. Do you not remember what happened last week?” you scoffed.

“Last week was a mistake, it’s different now,” you shook your head, remembering her near overdose.

“No, it’s not. You need to get clean, Mom. For yourself, for Sam. Are you forgetting who found your body in the bathroom?” you ran your fingers through your hair as you sighed, thinking of your brother

“Sam should have left with his father,” your mom scoffed.

You felt chills go down your spine, at the mention of your dad.

“Well, Dad’s gone, and he’s an asshole. Mom, please. I need you to start taking care of yourself. I already dropped out of college and I can barely keep us afloat,” you begged her.

“You only started college a month ago,” your mom frowned.

“Yeah, I know. But our family is more important. When we’re stable, I’ll start college again. But in order to do that, you need to promise me, no more drugs,” you said.

Your mom nodded her head before you wrapped your arms around her. You could hear her snoring within a few minutes while you chuckled softly, slowly putting her back in bed before flipping off her lights.

You frowned, feeling your neck and arm bugging you from the hunt, before you rubbed your eyes, yawning.

“(Y/N/N)... I need some help with my homework,” you heard your brother’s voice as you held in a groan.

“Sure, kiddo, Come on,” you led him to your room, before closing the door, making sure not to awake your mother.

---

“Scott, you’re joking,” you exclaimed.

“We called partners like 20 minutes ago! You weren’t here and no one picked Derek,” Scott groaned.

“Yeah, and for good reason. I don’t understand why I can’t be by myself,” you shook your head.

“Because it’s dangerous,” Scott said.

“It’s a vampire!” you exclaimed.

“Exactly!” Scott replied.

You squeezed your fists before exhaling sharply. 

“Fine, where’s the douche-bag?” you sighed before Derek walked to you, rolling his eyes.

“Well, let’s go then.”

---

You rolled your eyes, visibly bored as you and Derek sat in silence. The two of you sat in the car, waiting for any suspicious activity while you watched people walk in and out of the restaurant.

You turned on the radio, before Derek pushed your hand away, turning it off. You glared at him, before taking out your phone.

“Get off your phone,” he said.

“I’m bored,” you replied.

“And we’re on a stakeout mission. Get off your phone,” he said.

You turned it off, before hearing it ring. He glared at you, while you gave him a look, checking your texts.

You felt your chest aching as unbuckled your seatbelt.

“I have to go,” you said quickly.

“What? Why? (Y/N), you can’t leave me-” he started.

“I’m sorry, I really have to go,” you could feel tears rushing from your eyes as you pushed out of the car before he grabbed your wrist.

You pulled away from him, running off into the night.

---

Your brother sat in a chair at the hospital, bouncing his leg nervously.

“Sam,” his head shot up as you called his name.

He ran to your arms, burying his head into your chest.

“I-It wasn’t… It wasn’t an accident this time,” he cried out.

“What happened?” you bent down to his level, putting your hands on his shoulder.

“W-We were watching… We were watching a movie, a-and then she got up, a-and… she didn't come back,” your brother stumbled with his words, holding in his cries.

“Shh, it’s okay. It's okay,” you wrapped your arms around him tightly, before shutting your eyes tightly.

She was getting better, it has been a week since your conversation with her, and she was trying so hard.

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N),” you heard the doctor as he walked towards you.

“I’m so sorry…” their words drifted off as you bit your lip, tears rushing down your face as you held onto your brother tightly, holding in your cries as you shut your eyes tightly.

She was gone. She died.

---

You held onto your brother as the two of you made your way back to your house, biting back a sob.

“H-Here… I need you to… How about you go to y-your room?” you said.

He nodded before walking upstairs. Your body began to visibly shake, while you cried, holding in your sobs so he wouldn't hear you.

You leaned against the table, breathing shakily as more and more tears escaped from your eyes.

You heard loud knocking, banging at the front door as you wiped your face, before opening it.

You were met with Derek’s angered face as he gripped your arms tightly.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” he yelled.

“I-I,” you stuttered.

“No! Shut up! The vamp killed three people before I could do anything! Do you have any idea how big of a mistake you made?! Why did you leave?! What was so important that it couldn't wait till later?!” he yelled.

“I’m sorry,” you started.

“You little…What is wrong with you?!” he yelled.

You pushed him away from you, as you clenched your jaw. He only walked closer to you, before you swing your fist, punching him in the jaw, only angering him more.

His eyes glew red as he pushed you against the wall. You could see his claws coming out of his hand, digging into your arm.

“Derek…” your voice broke.

“(Y/N)?!” you heard Sam crying loudly, standing by the stairs.

Derek’s class retracted, his face softening.

“Who the hell is that?” Derek asked.

“Get the hell away from me! You want me out so bad?! You got your fucking wish! Leave!” you screamed at him.

You punched him back, kicking him out of your house before locking the door behind you.

You fell to the ground, sobs erupting from you while Sam ran to you, burying his head in your lap.

“I-It’s gonna be okay,” you cried softly, running your fingers through his hair.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

[mermaidsirennikita]

i don't get what exactly she's trying to accomplish? is she gonna promote the movie at all or will she keep using dune part 2 as a excuse? even though timothee (who is definitely needed more on set) is doing promo for bones & all. sure social media is on her side for now but she's already getting dragged. her saying that women fighting on and off camera is inspiring when she supports jd is peak white feminism.

THE SANDWORM HIMSELF IS OUT TO PROMOTE

Lol the thing is that as much as I don't like Timothee as an actor and find the fascination with him to be, I don't know, maybe a harbinger of the end times, he does seem to be professional, so like. Yeah. He would make it work for his schedule even if he did have to shoot Dune, because the movie he's promoting is a genuine contender for critical darlinghood from a director he has a good collaborative relationship with, who is a name. If not for this haze of venom and drama, I think DWD probably would've had a different critical reaction. Not glowing; but probably polarizing, around that 60% mark where some people are into it and some people go "bro, too much". The way things are promoted do matter, especially in today's world, where so many film critics are less about authentic critique and more about creating a meme or an otherwise viral moment.

And I think that what Timothee and the other young up and comers get, which apparently Florence doesn't, is that their fates and fame... it's not sealed. You don't get to have these types of shenanigans without a care over whether or not someone will cast you before you've got an Oscar in the bag ideally, and a good number of vehicles centered primarily around you for good measure. Julia Roberts could do Aloe Vera and still be America's Sweetheart, in part yes because of the lack of virality at that time, but also because... Nobody cared, she was so solidified by then. Florence's come up is very recent. Midsommar and Little Women were a few years ago. She still hasn't won an Oscar (yet). She took a legit year off, and there was a whole pandemic where the movies weren't a huge priority right after her breakout. There are girls waiting in the wings. Again I say, Zendaya would NEVER--and Zendaya cannot, because she's not white, even though she's much more bankable and tried than Florence.

I'll also add... This is one of two movies that WB pushed to release this year due to their financial troubles, and it's not gonna do what they want now. It's gonna fall on Olivia, but like, the movie industry is misogynistic and they're gonna blame the other woman too. I promise.

I don't know if she's gonna promote this more than she already has, but damn, I genuinely hope there is absolutely nothing that people who aren't happy with her at the moment can leak about her, because.... If I was Olivia Wilde and I had some incriminating texts or vids or whatever to share... Then the smart thing would be to see how the movie is turning out with critics, and strike back after. I'm not saying she should, at all. But....... I don't know. I just don't think this was a good long term move for Florence, and I've gotta think that part of it occurred because she's so online. And the more you're online as a celebrity, the more room there is for skeletons to come out. Everyone should be like Chris Pine with his flip phone.