#shuffle array function

[mistydeyes]

Hello! I love your page layout!! May I send in a request for Platonic Headcanons with TF-141 and Los Vaqueros with a hacker reader? (Like SilverWolf In Honkai star Rail) Reader is part of a group of 4 deadly people including their self and act as their hacker. They’re notorious for breaking into many government and military systems and are an enemy to TF-141 and Los Vaqueros. With reader having a bounty of 51 billion but still having the lowest bounty compared to others in their group!

I’d be interested in their reactions to reader!

(Take your time tho!)

ahh thank you so much for sending this in! I've been in a bit of a writer's block so this brought me back :)

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summary: When your file crosses the 141's desk, they find themselves hunting after you and your notorious group.

pairing: Task Force 141, Los Vaqueros x platonic!reader

warnings: swearing, mentions of weapons/violence

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When your file first crossed Laswell's desk and she passed it over to the team, they were surprised at its sheer size

From hacking the US government to disabling NATO comms, it was clear you had become an enemy of every government across the globe

The US even tried to make a deal with you and offered a high-paying job in the NSA in return for a detailed account of how you hacked into their systems

You returned the job offer with a hack that left their website non-functional for weeks

"Impressive one you have here, Laswell," Price commented as he flipped through your file

"They call them 'Oblivion' and the use of 1's and 0's is a nice touch" she quipped before briefing them on your team's current location

That's how they ended up back in Mexico and crossed paths again with the Los Vaqueros

"Fuck it's so hot here," you said as you fanned yourself with a makeshift paper fan

The leader of the group, Phantom, rolled his eyes as he continued to clean your array of weapons and tools

"Not my fault we got tracked down to that oil rig in the Pacific," he replied through gritted teeth and you threw a stray stack of files toward him

"Told you, that wasn't my fault," you angrily responded, "the Australians tracked down someone's unprotected IP"

You shot a glance toward the single individual who was the source of all your forged documents and consistent flow of funds

As the group divulged into chaos at your singular comment, you were distracted by the blinding light and ringing from a flash bang through the window

"Get down!" you could hear a loud baritone voice boom as you blinked rapidly amongst the rubble of your work

As you looked around at your surrounding teammates in various states of disarray, you could see the vague outline of an attack team making their way through the destroyed door

"Fuck me," you swore as you grabbed a weapon and your laptop- two vital necessities

You scrambled to your feet and found yourself crouching behind a sturdy kitchen counter 

"Isn't there supposed to be four of them?" you could hear a distinct British accent, probably from Manchester, comment

You silently swore at yourself as you attempted to shuffle away towards the back exit

"Oblivion, we know you're here," another voice replied as you could hear cuffs being slapped onto your team accompanied by their pained and disoriented groans 

You put your ear to the counter, hearing the vibrations of their heavy footsteps on the home's wooden floor as you turned the safety off your weapon

"Come out now and we'll lessen that bounty on you," the same voice chided, "what is it 51 billion US now?"

As you held your breath, you could hear them slowly making their way through the home. By your estimates, there were about 6 of them, give or take

Your mind raced with different scenarios as you heard one of them walk into the kitchen

You pushed yourself into the corner and with a stroke of luck you noticed them inspect the cupboard

"I got you, you Brit," you whispered as you wrapped your arms around their neck and held a gun to their head

"Don't say a word and follow me," you instructed as they struggled against your grip

Strength was never your best feature but it helped you to overpower the soldier, the name "Garrick" printed on his vest

As you walked to the main area, you immediately felt all eyes and guns pointed at you

"I wouldn't shoot if I were you," you said calmly, "wouldn't want anything to happen to your Sergeant"

"We don't negotiate with terrorists," an older man spoke, by the way he was directing the team, you assumed he was their captain

"I'm more of a gray hat hacker regardless," you smirked, "steal from the rich and give back to the poor."

"How noble of you," another sarcastically replied as you stood in the tense atmosphere

"Regardless, you'll let me walk out of here and maybe we can have the pleasure of this another time," you remarked as you cocked the gun in your hand

"And if we don't?" the Captain asked as he raised an eyebrow at you

You smiled as you wiped away the dust from your face and stared back at him

"My bounty is going to be higher than the rest of them," was the last thing you said before releasing the sergeant and lodging a non-fatal bullet in his shoulder

As the entire room delved into chaos, you made a hasty escape and hopped on your motorbike outside

"Thanks for everything, Phantom," you whispered before riding off into the sunset with the hopes of running into that mysterious group with better circumstances

[wishcamper]

Nessian Week Day 5 - Behind Closed Doors

I meant to write a sexy, Casino Royale-esque poker scene but it somehow ended up as Cassian fangirling over his wife for 3k words so uh. Here you go.

Read here or on ao3!

High Stakes

A/N: This prompt really made me want to play with the idea of layers of intimacy in long-term relationships because a) I don’t think we have enough representations of healthy, fulfilling, functional monogamy and b) I‘ve always thought there was beautiful potential for Nessian to know and understand each other to the point where they can see all the layers of the other person, and be able to hold space for the other’s complexity. I’d just really like to believe that’s possible. So I hope that comes across. 

I’m exploring some of these same ideas in ACOVAV, my ongoing ACOSF fix-it. Questions around the character’s experiences and my own, like: what does it look like to build tension in a story and depth in a relationship without miscommunication or people treating each other badly? What if it’s two people trying their best to get close while also wrestling with their own individual shit in very real, understandable ways? What exists at that intersection between me and us? Something interesting, I think.

If that interests you too, you can read that fic on ao3 :)

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“Mr. Archeron.”

“Marlowe. How’s she looking tonight?”

Two males stood before the door of a long-vacant tavern, sweating slightly in the night air thick and lush as it only was in summer, Velaris bursting with vitality after dark. The cobblestone streets were full of revelers who passed by without a second glance, ignorant that beyond the hidden entrance lay a world where fortunes were won and lost, where the honor of courts rose and fell at the discretion of a female known only in whispers as the Queen of Cards.

A female who just happened to be Cassian’s wife.

“A strong start,” Marlowe said as he ushered Cassian into the candlelit basement, flickering shadows belying the bustling street above. “The High Lord from Autumn has cheek, though.” 

“Yeah, Eris gets like that when he’s losing.”

They shook hands and Cassian made his way down the dim hallway, the sounds of chatter and shuffling and clinking coins drifting toward him. He could hear Eris braying high above the others, Rhys’ smooth voice giving back just as good. When he reached the arched entrance to the playing room, everyone had their backs to him except Nesta, who glanced up from her three-card hand and smiled. 

She always faced the door during games, ready to protect her players’ privacy in case someone got past Marlowe, though it had the unintended effect of giving him a moment to take her in uninterrupted. Her gown was midnight blue tonight, long sleeves in tiers of iridescent silk like a dragonfly’s wings, hair cascading over one shoulder studded with opals that turned fiery in the faelights.

A glittering queen holding court. And damn if Cassian didn’t want to go to his knees before her, still, after all this time.

“Can we get on with it or do I need to send you two to time out?” she asked the still-squabbling High Lords without missing a beat, tossing her cards in and signaling to the silver clad dealer to begin the next round before. She threw in her ante next, silver bracelets chiming at her wrist with the movement.

With some grumblings the players turned to their hands, and Cassian edged along the wall to where Emerie sat at a high table on her own, grazing on the arrayed refreshments and accounting her winnings in a worn ledger. 

“I was up and didn’t want to push my luck,” the female whispered when he nodded in greeting, giving him a sly smile. Cassian smiled back - Emerie always came out on top. He suspected Nesta was subtly losing to her friend on purpose after the female refused to let her fund an expansion of her shop. And he suspected Emerie knew it, too, but both were too proud to say it aloud. She licked the tip of her pencil and made another note. “Plus, it’s fun to watch your mate knock a few High Lords down a peg.”

“Sometimes I wonder if that’s the real game,” he confessed, and Emerie grinned smugly, wings ruffling with delight.

They observed the game in silence for a moment, allowing Cassian time to survey the other players in attendance tonight. There was an endless rotating cast of characters at Nesta’s now-famous monthly games, the invitation so coveted they’d had all manner of bribes delivered to the House of Wind by very confused messengers. Thankfully all gifts were now rerouted to a third-party location, after a lesser lord of Summer sent a dozen peacocks they’d chased about the House for hours.

There were seven of them tonight as usual, including Emerie, all faces he recognized buried in their cards around the half-moon table. Granted, it helped that nearly half the players were his wife, her best friend, and Rhys, whose pile of coin looked so pitifully low Cassian couldn’t help but smirk when he caught his brother’s eye.

“We should raise the blind,” Rhys interjected. “What's the point of playing if you’re eschewing risk?”

It still surprised Cassian sometimes that Rhys kept coming back despite showing no taste for gambling in the past. But he supposed Rhys had always been weirdly competitive with Nesta, and even though they’d buried the hatchet long ago Nesta still loved winning her brother-in-law’s money fair and square. Which she did without fail, hand over fist, with a silent pact between them not to tell Feyre.

Neither of her sisters knew, by design he suspected, and Mor was off in Montesere ‘finding herself’ again, whatever that meant. Azriel had a brief, brilliant run before his competitiveness got the best of him and he was banned for brawling at the table, one of the only standing rules. Emerie and Eris were regulars, and he’d seen the others in attendance before: broad-shouldered Megrin Stonecutter of the Velaris maester’s guild and Nuan of Dawn, who perched cross-legged in her chair, a pair of elaborate spectacles whirring on her round face

Opposite Nesta tonight sat the High Lord of Day, still radiant despite having foregone his usual golden adornments. Helion looked nonplussed by his own losing streak as Cassian watched him toss his cards face down in front of him, leaving only Rhys, Eris, and Nesta still alive in the hand.

“I fold. You all are vicious. Are you not joining us, Cass?”

“And add one more body to the slaughter? No thanks.” He’d never had much interest, content to watch Nesta splatter egos against the wall.

Megrin grunted in agreement and slid her cards to the dealer past the large pile of gold in the center. “I’m out, too. Clearly someone knows something I don’t.”

“It’s yours to call, Eris,” Rhys said breezily. “Unless you’re waiting to ask your father’s ghost for permission.”

Cassian snorted, making eye contact with Rhys again, who shot him a shit-eating grin as Eris covered his mouth with a stiff hand, brow furrowed. 

To everyone’s surprise, Beron Vanserra had been felled two years prior by an ordinary fever. No one in Autumn nor elsewhere could make sense of it - it was as if one day the hands of hel simply reached up and snatched him back into the earth. So a court that had once been destined for a bloody coup passed the crown peacefully, which was a good thing all around, though Rhys loved painting Eris as a cowardly dawdler whose target put himself in an early grave just to end the waiting.

The Autumn lord sneered at the insult, still waffling. “Some of us prefer to think about our actions, Rhysand, instead of barrelling forward with whatever scheme will inflate our self-importance the most. Stealing things from other courts, for example, books, brides -“

Nesta glanced over at Cassian then, crossing and uncrossing her fingers where they lay against her cheek, and he had to stifle the laugh that bubbled forth at the private joke, just for him. It was her signal that sexual tension was present in the room, sometimes to indicate she wanted to leave whatever function they were at, sometimes so they could share a roll of their eyes. In this case he knew she meant the squabbling lords, as many a late night they’d mused that Eris and Rhys could get past their rivalry if they just had sex about it. 

“As much as I enjoy seeing Rhysand’s self-importance punctured,” Nesta drawled when the latter opened his mouth to retort. “You can’t delay your bet with old, petty scores. We’re all rather bored with it. If you’re going to cheat, at least use some imagination.” 

She sipped at her glass of pomegranate juice, a frequent gift of affection from Helion and a nod to the other rule: no alcohol. 

Rhys’ expression flashed briefly with betrayal, but he schooled it quickly, knowing better than to give himself away. But Cassian knew Nesta’s smoky eyes clocked it before they turned to Eris. 

“I remember you once tempting me with an invitation to Autumn, to see how a High Lord plays. Is this what you had in mind?” She gestured to the modest pile of gold in front of him. “I rather think I made the right decision, don’t you?”

Emerie chuckled beside him, and Cassian felt a thrill low in his stomach to see Nesta so self-possessed, lit from within. After everything they’d been through with the Trove, with their families, a part of him wondered if he’d ever see her ferocity again, if the sharp point of that viper’s tongue would smooth over for good. 

She’d become very soft for about a decade after the Blood Rite, and they’d taken long walks through the Illyrian Steppes and the Myrmidons, swam in streams and lakes and the oceans of Summer, watched the bees drift lazily from flower to flower in Elain’s gardens in Day. It was as if she’d needed to come completely to rest before deciding what to do next. And the solitude seemed to give her a sense of clarity, but he’d been glad as fuck to be an exception to that rule, to witness the private puzzlings and support her in finding purpose in her life.

They’d only just returned to Velaris the previous spring, when the threads of family and duty pulled them home at last. Their time away was intimate and lovely, some of the best years of his life, yet Cassian enjoyed seeing Nesta confident out in the world again. The poker game had been the first of many things to draw her out, and he couldn’t wait to see what she’d surprise him with next, his strong, clever, deadly little wife.

Eris grumbled and tossed a few coins in the middle. “Happy now? Or would you prefer to seduce it out of me?”

Cassian watched her swallow the barb, which would’ve sent her into survival mode in the past and now rolled off her with barely a ripple. Leashed his own instincts to leap across the room and tackle Eris to the ground, because Nesta wouldn’t hesitate to kick him out for breaking the rules too, mate or no, and he’d miss his favorite show.

“Your luck doesn’t extend that far tonight,” she said demurely, and Cassian knew the smug prick was too stupid to see her coiling up to strike when the time was right. Nesta won the hand a moment later to groans all around, her Winter flush beating Rhys’ three pixies and Eris’ two pair, nymphs and kelpies.

“I propose a wager," Nesta declared as the next hand was dealt, her voice velvety and inviting. "The victor of the evening wins one favor of their choosing...” Eyes lit up around the table, anticipation deepening. “...from my husband.”

They all turned toward Cassian where he was leaning against the wall with an amused grin now, and he raised an eyebrow at his mate. Her eyes flashed silver where she stared back at him, and he felt her send a soothing wave down the bond, assuring him of her intent. Inviting him into the ruse. Cassian made a show of looking chagrined, shuffling his feet as he looked down.

Rhys was the first to respond, smirking. “I’ll take that bet.” 

Cassian knew he was incensed at the idea of losing, wrongly fancying himself more clever than his sister-in-law. Nesta knew it, too, and that arrogance made him play more recklessly.

“Count me out,” said Helion, winking. “You’re pretty, Cass, but my minister of finance will have my head if I lose any more.”

“Ah, why not?” Nuan flushed, uncomfortable with the attention now drawn her way, and chuckled nervously. “Not sure what use I’d have for you, dear, but who knows what worth it may hold!”

Megrin pursed her lips, sizing him up. “He has a strong enough back I suppose. I’ve been meaning to rearrange my forge.”

“Any favor of my choosing?” Eris mused, and Cassian felt the Autumn lord’s gaze roving over his body and then Nesta’s, possessive and hungry. The years hadn’t changed everything. Nesta answered with nothing but a feline smile.

The next few rounds passed in a blur of bluffs and bold plays. Nesta remained composed even on the hands she lost, an almost bored air to the way she watched the males bluster and crow. Eris' anger grew while Rhys shot daggers with his glare at her every win, turning each hand into an unnecessary battle of wills that made him play sloppy. Nuan ducked out when it became clear the prize wasn’t hers, and Megrin hung on for a while longer, bluffing her way through until her luck ran dry, to Cassian’s relief. 

One by one, Nesta outplayed them, her composure never faltering as she watched her opponents fume, each loss reigniting their fervor to win.

At last the players were down to the final hand, and the air in the hidden basement crackled with anticipation. The dealer laid down the community cards as bets went around: a wyvern, a lord, a lady, and a cave troll. Each still in signaled for new cards, Nesta tapping once against the table, her face revealing nothing. Cassian could feel his chest tighten as they sized each other up before Rhys pushed all his chips into the pot with a confident smirk.

"All in."

Unfazed, Nesta called his bet, gesturing idly at her pile for the dealer to sweep into the center with his crook. That left only Eris to decide his own fate, as well as Cassian’s.

He puzzled for a long while with his head in his hands before he finally spoke, low and deliberate. "I’ll call."

Coins cascaded into the center, a shower of gold. Then the final card was revealed—another lady. All coins in the center, it felt like everyone held their breath as the three remaining players revealed their hands. 

Rhys set down two lords, the grin spreading across his face triumphant and sure, the poor bastard. Eris only clucked his tongue and revealed his full house, ladies full of wyverns, smug despite achieving it on the last draw.

But Cassian knew it wasn’t over yet. He turned to where his wife was toying with the edge of her hand, and he’d seen that pose too many times not to recognize it at once: You Have Just Royally Fucked Yourself. Silver rolled over Nesta’s eyes, and with prim efficiency she laid down the three remaining trolls in the deck, one after another.

The room erupted, Eris upending his chair as he leapt to his feet, Rhys shouting about cheating and Helion tipping his head back to let loose a peal of laughter soon joined by Emerie and Nuan’s, by Megrin’s groan. Cassian couldn’t help the dopey grin that spread across his face, how at home Nesta looked in the sea of chaos when she winked at him, calmly piling her coins into neat stacks.

Once everyone had regained their heads they all passed a lovely hour in conversation, the air hazy from the cigarettes Nesta usually smoked with Lucien at their gossip sessions disguised as afternoon tea. Rhys departed first, claiming a return to his fatherly duties, though they all knew he was off to beg Feyre’s sympathies while he licked his wounds for reasons he’d never confess. Emerie left with a tight hug and a promise to have them up to Windhaven soon to see her new expansion, and Eris gave Nesta a begrudging bow before Helion swooped in and kissed her on the cheek. He did the same to Cassian, and they heard his warm voice echoing down the corridor, giving Eris shit all the way up the stairs.

Alone now, Cassian came up behind where Nesta was tucking a handful of coins in a pouch for Marlowe, looped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. She batted at him but he felt her lean backwards all the same, cracking the door to that soft place within, that only her loved ones were allowed to enter. He knew she liked the affection, even if part of her still hated to admit it, if she only wanted it when it was just them.

“Wicked woman,” he teased, and he felt her smile against his cheek, the press of her nails into his forearm. “Were you seriously going to let Eris have his way with me?”

Nesta turned in his arms and he took her in close up for the first time all day, having left her snoring softly that morning when he departed for Windhaven. He warmed to see her face still relaxed and open, the ease in her posture. 

“If he won, sure.”

Cassian snorted. “I don’t know if that’s a testament to your confidence or your willingness to torture me.”

The candlelight flickered silver around them for a moment and he drew her close once more, breathing deep the vanilla and jasmine scent of her hair, the lingering smokiness. Nesta linked her hands behind his back and squeezed him hard, impatient.

“Can’t it be both? Now take me home, Lady Death is tired.”

“Is that your favor for winning, sweetheart?”

“No,” she said, eyes dancing and devious when he pulled back. “I’ve much bigger plans for you.”

And oh, she did.

They ended the night in Cassian’s favorite way, with him sprawled atop her, head pillowed on her chest, her long fingers working through the snarls in his hair he’d earned in their pleasure. The House dimmed the lights in the bedchamber that was once his, the door now warded to both their hands. Hands that bore twin golden rings and tattoos of an eight-pointed star, tokens of their promises, both his and hers.

“Goodnight, I love you.”

Nesta’s voice was thick and fuzzy, and he felt a quiet contentment on her end of the bond. It was rare for her to inhabit it in public as much as she had tonight, and Cassian remembered when her end of the bridge between them had been locked tight, impenetrable. He’d made a fool of himself trying to break through early in their love, using brute force to smash past her defenses, leaving her exposed. 

But now he knew the secret that should’ve been obvious, that he only had to knock.

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

She smiled with her eyes closed and pursed her lips, kissing the air before sleep dragged her under.

[zzoomacroom]

Rain Is Coming Down, but the Clouds Will Surely Pass (Chapter 5)

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Dreamling, Retired Dream, Multi-chapter, Mpreg, Fluff, Smut, Angst

(Start from chapter 1 here)

Rating: Explicit

Chapters: 5/12 (~6700 words)

Relationships: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling

Additional tags: Retired Dream, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Trans Dream, Fluff, Smut, Angst

✨✨✨✨✨

Chapter 5: 26 Weeks

Today they have a rendezvous with Death.

Hob goes through his mental checklist: he’s put the kettle on and washed the nice cups—the ones for company—and the apple crumble he nabbed from the pub is warming in the oven. He fiddles with the charcuterie board he’s cobbled together, rearranging the cheeses, grapes, and little dishes of olives for the dozenth time this afternoon. He stands back to survey his work, then checks his watch. Almost time. It’ll have to do.

He’s got nothing to be nervous about, really. He’s always happy to see his sister-in-law, despite his aversion to her function, and he knows there’s no need to try and impress her (not that he’s put together a particularly impressive spread, although he hopes it comes across at least somewhat classy). Whatever news or offers she may have regarding their child’s mortality, she’ll let them know regardless of which cup her tea is served in. Even so, his stomach has been roiling all day, and he suspects the prickles of sweat on the back of his neck can’t be blamed on the fact that he’s got the oven on in this suffocating August heat.

He triple-checks that he flicked the kettle on and wipes his damp palms on a tea towel before making his way down the hall. He breathes a sigh of relief at the immediate drop in temperature as he steps into their newly air-conditioned bedroom, where he’s greeted with the sight of his husband frowning at the full-length mirror and fussing with the hem of his shirt. Hob meets his eyes in the reflection as he settles behind him, pressing a kiss to his temple.

Morpheus is wearing all black today, he notices. Hob isn’t sure what to make of that, or if there’s anything to make of it at all. It’s not his old uniform of skinny jeans, dramatic coat, and Doc Martens, but he still cuts a striking figure in his soft black joggers and flowy tunic accented with abstract splashes of gold and silver.

“Hey there, handsome,” Hob smiles. “All set?”

(Continue reading below or on ao3)

Morpheus gulps and nods. “Yes. I believe so.”

He’s looking more than a bit peaky, and under any other circumstances Hob would suggest they cancel their plans, even at the risk of suffering the wrathful pout Morpheus would no doubt inflict upon him for daring to presume any weakness in his constitution. But this is important, and they’ve already put it off long enough. This will be Morpheus’ first time seeing his sister since last Christmas; Death keeps a very busy schedule, and Morpheus has been reluctant to call on her for reasons that Hob mostly understands, though he may not fully agree with all of them.

“It’s going to be fine, love. I know it will,” Hob says, stroking and cradling his husband’s belly in an attempt to reassure them both. “Whatever happens, we’re in this together, eh?”

Morpheus nods again, sighs resolutely, and shuffles to the chest of drawers where he keeps his makeshift “gallery,” which consists of an ornate antique jewelry box filled with an array of trinkets they picked up at a flea market. The whole thing is adorable, in Hob’s opinion. There’s a tiny leather-bound notebook, a silver ankh pendant, a tarnished gold heart-shaped locket that neither of them ever managed to open, a single earring with a stylized fish hook, and a large glass marble swirled with a psychedelic rainbow of clashing day-glo colors. No need for Dream’s sigil (where would they even find anything like it?) as Morpheus is a natural lucid dreamer and could easily contact Daniel if he ever needed to. Not that he often calls on any of them, but Hob knows that he feels more secure having the option.

Morpheus removes the ankh from the box and sets it on top of the chest of drawers, staring intently at it as he drums his fingers on the wooden surface. Not quite ready then, evidently. Hob stills his restless fingers by taking his hand—he’s shaking, poor darling—and wrapping him in a hug, gently rocking them from side to side.

He may try to hide it, but it’s obvious to Hob that Morpheus is a nervous wreck. His morning sickness has lasted well into the afternoon, and he’s been hovering restlessly around the flat all day—fidgeting, tidying this and rearranging that, checking his hair every ten minutes, and so on. He’s afraid. Hob empathizes; they’re finally getting an answer to the question that’s been hanging over them for months. What if it’s not the answer they want to hear?

But besides that, Morpheus is apparently worried that Death will scold him or generally disapprove of his recent life choices. It’s quite sweet, really, the way he holds his sister in such high esteem. And it’s understandable; Death is absolutely lovely—when he finally met her for the first time, Hob had been pleasantly surprised to find that he liked her right away. Even more shockingly, she liked him too, despite all the things he’s said about her over the years. He’d felt like a right tit apologizing for calling her stupid, but she’d only laughed and told him he had been forgiven the moment he made her brother smile.

So Hob doesn’t quite share his husband’s fear; he can’t imagine that Death will be anything but happy for them. Morpheus firmly believes he’s done some great wrong just by living his bloody life—the same life his sister enthusiastically bestowed on him specifically so he could finally live after countless lonely, miserable eons of being slowly crushed under the weight of his duties. It’s like—what’s that thing his students are always saying? Like he’s trying to get a good grade in being human, something that’s both normal to want and possible to achieve.

It doesn’t matter whether or not Morpheus’ fear is rational, though. Either way, it’s clearly eating him up inside; he’s so tense, the muscles in his back taut and rigid, unwilling to be soothed as Hob runs his hands up and down his spine. “I can’t do this,” he mumbles into Hob’s neck.

“Oh, sweetheart. You can. I know you can,” Hob whispers, bringing one hand up to the back of his head and caressing his silken hair. “My strong, brave, beautiful husband. You’ve got this, dove.”

Hob pulls back just enough to give Morpheus the most encouraging smile he can muster, although it’s probably not all that convincing. Even if he’s not anticipating a dressing-down from Death, Hob can’t help but be a bit wary of her. As much as he likes Death the Person, his distaste for Death the Actual Thing is so deeply ingrained as to be instinctual, and he’s always a little on edge before her visits. And then there’s that thought he’s been trying in vain to bury for the past four months, clawing its way to the surface once more.

What if the baby is mortal? What if they have to bury another child someday?

Well. They’ll find out, won’t they? Better to rip the band-aid off now. Hob presses himself against his husband and breathes deeply, encouraging him to do the same. “Breathe with me, love. That’s it. I’ve got you, darling. Whatever happens, I’ve got you.”

Morpheus heaves a shuddering breath before extricating himself from Hob’s embrace and picking up the ankh again. “Sister,” he murmurs, his lips barely moving. “I hold your sigil—”

His invocation is interrupted by a deafening whoosh of wind followed by a flurry of wings, like a bevy of doves startled into sudden flight.

“I’m here!” a cheery voice calls out from the sitting room.

Morpheus gives Hob a pleading look, and Hob strokes his trembling shoulders with sweaty palms. “I’ve got you,” he repeats, leaning in to kiss the deep furrow between his husband’s brows.

There’s a noise from behind them—a faint huff of laughter followed by a tiny “aww.” Hob turns to see a kind face surrounded by a profusion of sable curls peeking through the bedroom door.

“Will you lovebirds get out here?” Death grins, sighing in mock exasperation. “As adorable as this is, I’m afraid I haven’t got much time to spare.”

Hob feels his neck flushing with embarrassment, and Morpheus looks like a deer caught in the headlights after having just sucked on a lemon. He opens his mouth to rejoin, but before he can speak, a shrill beep sounds from down the hall.

“Ah. That’ll be the crumble,” Hob says sheepishly. “I’ll just go and fix the tea while you two get settled, yeah?” He squeezes his husband’s arm apologetically before heading towards the kitchen. On his way out the door, he ducks to give his sister-in-law a friendly peck on the cheek. “Good to see you again, love. How’ve you been?”

“A bit worried about my brother,” she replies. “But I see that he’s in good hands.” She turns to Morpheus, beaming as she takes his hands in her own and surveys him up and down. “Look at you! I hardly recognize you, little brother,” she coos. “You look so…”

“Pregnant?” Morpheus deadpans.

“Alive!” she laughs, putting an arm around his back and herding him towards the sitting room. “Human! You look great, Morpheus. You really do.” Morpheus scoffs, but does not hold back the small, pleased smile that creeps onto his face as he lets his sister drag him to the sofa.

Most of Hob's worry drains away at Death's enthusiastic reaction, bleeding out of him like the inky clouds seeping into steaming water as he makes the tea. He hopes his husband is feeling the same. Morpheus rarely talks about it, but Hob knows he still feels awful about Orpheus, and about Daniel and Lyta, and a thousand other things. And he thinks his sister is going to tell him he’s wrong for starting a new family after all that. Hob gets it, he really does. He often wonders what Eleanor and Robyn would say if they could see him now. Would they be hurt that he’s “replacing” them? Would they hate him? And what would they say about all the other cruel, horrific, unforgivable things he’s done? Someone like him probably shouldn’t have a family at all…

He exhales heavily, shaking his head as he loads up a tray with their tea and nibbles. Now is not the time to go down that road.

He walks into the sitting room just in time to see Death giving her brother a playful punch to the arm before pulling him in for a hug. “...No, you idiot! Of course I’m happy for you! And it’s obvious you’re happy, so stop moping, will you?” she huffs, clutching his narrow shoulders tightly.

“Thank you, my sister,” Morpheus mutters bashfully. “As usual, your words are a balm to my conscience.”

Hob can only stand in the doorway, grinning and shrieking internally at how cute they are. His anxiety dissipates further at seeing his husband so obviously relieved; just as he suspected, Morpheus had no need to worry about any judgment on Death’s part. Hob is so caught up in witnessing this rare display of Endless sibling affection that he momentarily forgets the reason for his sister-in-law’s visit and the very real possibility that she may have bad news for them.

He ambles over to the sofa, only spilling a few drops of tea as he sets the tray on the coffee table. “Tea and a bite to eat, if anyone’s interested,” Hob announces, furtively scanning the room to be sure he didn’t miss any of Morpheus’ risqué artwork when he tidied up earlier. Fortunately, the only paintings visible are perfectly inoffensive sunsets and still lifes, and Hob feels slightly more at ease as he nestles into his husband’s side. He doesn’t fail to notice the way Morpheus melts into him, the knots in his shoulders unwinding as Hob slings his arm around him.

“Thank you, Hob. This looks lovely,” Death says, taking her tea and a generous portion of the crumble. “So,” she continues after taking a bite, glancing between them with a ‘let’s get down to brass tacks’ expression on her face. Right, this is it, Hob thinks, tightening his grip on his husband’s shoulder. “Are you having a baby shower?”

“Er…” Hob begins, just as Morpheus splutters and nearly chokes on his tea. Not what either of them expected her to say, evidently. “We hadn’t planned on it,” he says dimly, looking at his husband and finding him equally nonplussed.

“But you have to have one!” Death insists. “It’s been ages since you’ve seen the rest of the family, and they’re all excited about their new niece or nephew. Del’s been beside herself. Literally; you know how she gets. And everyone in the Dreaming—”

“Sister,” Morpheus interrupts, rolling his eyes in amusement, “I do not think that will be necessary.”

“It’s sweet, but we really don’t need any more baby stuff,” Hob chimes in, hoping to rescue his husband from the mortifying ordeal of spending time with family. While it sounds like quite a nice idea to Hob, he knows Morpheus has been less keen than ever on socializing lately (which is saying something; it’s getting to be concerning, really). “Suze—er, friend of ours, think you met her at the Christmas party—anyway, she’s given us loads of things her grandkids have outgrown. We’ve already got more than we know what to do with.”

“Nonsense,” Death asserts. “I’ll talk to Lucienne about it. I’d throw it in my realm, but it doesn’t exactly have the right atmosphere for a baby shower, you know? I’m sure Daniel won’t mind us having a little get-together in the Dreaming.”

“I don’t suppose I have any say in this,” Morpheus says wearily.

“Nope!” his sister replies brightly.

“Very well,” Morpheus grumbles, looking resigned as he nibbles a morsel of Gouda. “As long as you promise it will indeed be only a ‘little get-together.’”

“Of course! Just the family and inner circle; forty, fifty people tops.”

Morpheus groans dramatically and throws his head back against the cushions, and Hob can’t hold back his snort of laughter. It’s absurdly endearing, the way they act like a pair of perfectly normal human siblings; anyone else witnessing this conversation would never guess that one’s an all-powerful cosmic being and the other used to be just as cosmic and all-powerful.

“Well, I think it sounds wonderful. Thanks, D,” Hob says, earning him a betrayed glare from his husband. Hob shrugs and smiles ruefully at him. It would do Morpheus good to get out of the flat, although if the party’s in the Dreaming they technically won’t be leaving their bed—which, come to think of it, might actually convince him to go along with it. And it would be rude to reject the offer, especially when their child’s future might be hanging in the balance. Speaking of which, Hob is eager to get that conversation over with, but he’s not sure how exactly he should broach the subject. “So, er…”

“You want to know if the baby will be denied my gift,” Death says gently.

Morpheus stiffens in Hob’s embrace. Hob gulps. “Yeah, well, we’ve er. Been wondering, is all. Will—I mean, should the baby be immortal? Don’t imagine there’s much precedent for this sort of thing, is there?” he chuckles, tugging nervously at his ear.

“You’d be surprised,” she smirks. “How about this: the baby will grow up normally, the same as any other human child, and they’ll have my protection until they’re old enough to decide what they want. Then it will be up to them whether or not they want to live forever. They’ll get the same deal I’ve given the two of you unless they choose otherwise. And they may choose to be mortal; you’ll have to be prepared for that possibility.”

Hob lets out a shaky breath. Right. That seems fair. Death’s offer is simultaneously a load off his mind and a whole new source of worry. He can’t imagine any child of his would choose not to live forever, but he supposes it would only be right to give them the option. And at least now they can take solace in the fact that they know what to expect.

Hob takes his husband’s hand and meets his eyes, raising his eyebrows in silent query. Morpheus responds with a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. All good, then.

“Thank you, sister. That is a generous offer, and a great comfort,” he pronounces.

“Yeah, that’s—that’s really good to hear,” Hob agrees. “Thank you, Death. Er, I don’t know how we can repay you, but—”

“Don’t be silly,” Death interjects with a wave of her hand. “You’re family. You don’t owe me anything. So. Now that that’s taken care of, tell me, how are you handling prenatal care? Have you been going to Eileithyia again?”

“Yes,” Morpheus says shortly, suddenly taciturn once more. He pops an olive into his mouth, apparently unwilling to elaborate further. It’s still an understandably sore subject, which Death is well aware of, and Hob feels a flash of mild irritation with his sister-in-law for bringing it up.

“She’s been coming to us, actually. Can’t beat the convenience,” Hob chimes in, awkwardly attempting to lighten the mood.

“Good. I’m glad to hear it,” Death replies. “She’s the best there is—on Earth, anyway—and it’s good that you’re mending fences.”

Morpheus scowls at that but doesn’t dispute her words, and Hob squeezes his hand in a silent show of support. He’s glad, too, that his husband just happened to know the ideal person to help them with their medical dilemma, even if they weren’t on the best of terms to start with. Because of course he knows the actual Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery, and of course there was bad blood between them.

“What do you mean we can’t ask her? She sounds perfect.”

For weeks now, Hob has been agonizing over finding a doctor with a halfway-decent bedside manner who can treat Morpheus and the baby under the radar without asking too many questions. Morpheus hasn’t been much help; if he had his way, they’d avoid that whole mess altogether and he’d lock himself in the bedroom to give birth alone, like a stray cat. So Hob has had his work cut out for him.

And now his husband is presenting him with the answer to all their problems, yet he’s saying they can’t go to her. There’s a story here, Hob’s sure of it, but he’s a little afraid to hear it. “What happened, dove?” he asks softly.

Morpheus sighs—a heavy, creaking thing like an ancient tree toppling over. “She delivered Orpheus,” he murmurs, so quietly that Hob can scarcely hear him over the muffled din of the crowd downstairs. “She is a lady-in-waiting to the Kindly Ones. And a sister of Calliope.”

Ah. Hob can see how that would complicate things. Still, he’s been racking his brain trying to come up with a better solution and consistently coming up blank. “I understand, darling, but are you sure—”

"There is more,” Morpheus interrupts, staring down at his lap. “She—I… sent a dream to her. A portent of things to come. Her son was to be offered up as a champion in battle. Sosipolis—the child—he… he was only a babe, still at his mother’s breast. I…” he trails off, his voice rough.

“Oh, love,” Hob whispers, taking his husband’s hand and intertwining their fingers.

“It was not my wish for him to die. You must understand,” Morpheus pleads, still not meeting Hob’s eyes, “visions of the future are on the border between dreams and Destiny. I was, in essence, only an unwitting messenger—less than that; I was… merely the paper on which the message was written. Nevertheless…”

“Sweetheart,” Hob says, bringing his hand to his husband’s chin and lifting it to look him in the eye, “I know I’m biased, but this sounds like another one of those stories where you blame yourself for something that wasn’t your fault. Like you said, you were only the messenger. Besides, she chose to do what the dream told her, so it sounds like that was on her.”

“She is a servant of the Fates. She would be a fool to ignore Destiny.”

“Well, then maybe she ought to have taken it up with him,” Hob replies, a bit more harshly than he’d intended. He’s only met Destiny once, and he didn’t much care for him. No sense of humor whatsoever on that one, and he apparently has a history of letting Morpheus take the blame for things that have little to do with him.

“Even so. I… could have been kinder to her.” Morpheus sighs and shakes his head. “When the battle began, the child was transformed into an enormous serpent, and the invaders fled in fear. The serpent survived, but… it was no longer Sosipolis. Not in any way that mattered. Eileithyia came to me then, grief-stricken and enraged. I took no responsibility for my part in her tragedy. Even the boon I offered her was a paltry consolation; I told her to kill the serpent, and her son’s soul would live on in the Dreaming. He would remain a child, and she would never again see him in the Waking World. It was not in my power to offer her more.”

Recognition dawns on Hob as he listens to Morpheus’ tale. He vaguely recalls reading this story in some mythology textbook or other—the bit about the boy turning into a serpent rings a bell, anyway—although at the time, of course, he’d had no idea of his then-stranger-now-husband’s role in the whole thing. It’s always a bit mind-boggling to hear about all the legends, historical events, and even celestial phenomena he’s been involved in, especially when Morpheus talks about them like they happened down the road last Tuesday. Hob is never quite sure what to say, and now is no different.

“Er, that… that just sounds like a tough situation all around, love. And it sounds like you tried to make the best of it; hell, I’d have taken you up on the offer if I were her,” Hob says, rubbing his thumb over his husband’s bony knuckles.

“She did not share your sentiments. She was insulted by the proposition, and she… she told me that she hoped I would know the same pain one day.” Morpheus sniffs and smirks bitterly, his lower lip trembling. “I suppose she ultimately got her wish. In her grief, she eventually killed the serpent. She took some comfort in the dreams of her son, but it was not the same. He was not as he should have been. He should have lived, he…” his voice wobbles as he trails off, and Hob finds himself blinking back tears as he pulls him close, stroking up and down his back.

It doesn’t take a genius to see the parallels to Orpheus, and to Daniel. Hob thinks of Robyn, of the daughter who died before she could ever live, of the child he left behind and never knew. A tangled thread of grief and regret that winds through both of their lives, the same story cropping up again and again… It can’t go that way this time. He won’t let it.

“I’m so sorry, dove. You’re right, things didn’t turn out the way they should’ve. But you did your best. And I understand why you don’t want to ask her for help. We’ll find someone else, I promise.”

In the end, the best candidate Hob managed to find had been a veterinarian with a discreet side practice treating human patients. When he had brought it up to Morpheus, well… if looks could kill and Hob could die, he’d have been reduced to a pile of ash on the spot. He’d almost made a joke about the vet being perfect for his angry cat of a husband, but he didn’t fancy sleeping on the sofa for the next century, so he’d kept his mouth shut.

“I suppose,” Morpheus had conceded through gritted teeth, “I would be willing to speak to Eileithyia. If there is truly no better option.”

Contacting the goddess turned out to be fairly straightforward. Morpheus called on her in much the same way he would call one of his siblings, while holding a talisman that Hob didn’t recognize from the gallery—a small stone figurine that looked a bit like the Venus of Willendorf, apparently the same one he used when he was pregnant with Orpheus. Hob had found it touching that he’d kept it all this time, although Morpheus admitted he hadn’t actually held onto it and had retrieved it from his own dreams with some help from Lucienne. To Hob’s credit, he had only been slightly mystified at this pronouncement and made a mental note to remember that trick the next time he loses his keys.

Eileithyia—who now runs a small private practice in Thessaloniki for people going through difficult pregnancies—had graciously responded to Morpheus’ call and agreed to meet with them at the pub that weekend.

“I’m nervous. Are you nervous?” Hob asks, his leg bouncing involuntarily beneath the table. Not their usual table, but a booth in the back where they will, in theory, have a modicum of privacy.

“For the third time, yes,” Morpheus sighs beside him.

“Sorry, I’m just—”

“Don’t say nervous,” Morpheus snaps. He looks perfectly composed, his shoulders straight and his face that familiar old mask of aloof neutrality that had taken Hob centuries to crack, but Hob knows his husband would rather be literally anywhere else right now (including Hell, probably).

“Sorry,” Hob mutters, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Morpheus gently bumps Hob’s shoulder with his own, and Hob smiles and knocks their knees together in reply.

They sit there in silence for a few long, tense minutes. Hob sips his beer while Morpheus barely touches his lemonade. Hob has never been a particularly introspective bloke, but he’s been making a sincere effort to be better about that, which is exactly why he’s now frantically trying to calculate how he should behave around the literal goddess they’ll be meeting. What’s the right combination of deference, gratitude, and affected nonchalance to avoid embarrassing his husband and himself? He ought to be used to this sort of thing by now, but the giddy thrill of meeting divine beings in pubs never really wears off.

Before he can overthink it any further, a woman slides into the seat across from them. She’s beautiful, in a surprisingly down-to-earth way, and looks casually sophisticated in her long white blouse and loose-cut trousers. She looks like any other middle-aged woman, so much so that Hob is about to politely inform her that they’re actually saving that seat, when—

“Eileithyia,” Morpheus says. “Thank you for coming.”

“Oneiros,” she responds with a curt nod. “You look well.”

“Robert Gadling—er, call me Hob. We really appreciate you coming all this way,” Hob interjects, reaching his hand out before wondering, a split second too late, if Greek gods shake hands or if he looks like an arsehole right now. Fortunately, Eileithyia grasps his hand across the table and shakes it firmly while giving him an appraising look.

“A pleasure to meet you, Hob Gadling. You are the father, I presume?” she asks. Her voice is low and pleasantly accented, with an authoritative and decidedly maternal tone to it.

“Guilty as charged, ma’am,” Hob replies with an awkward laugh.

Suze appears and takes the goddess’ drink order (black coffee), cheerfully oblivious to the fact that she’s speaking to a millennia-old deity, and once she’s gone Eileithyia leans back in her seat, folding her arms on the table. She seems a very no-nonsense sort of person, with shrewd hazel eyes and salt-and-pepper hair swept back into an elegant bun. Nevertheless, her stern gaze is softened by laugh lines, and she actually reminds Hob a bit of his own mother, what little he remembers of her. Formidable, but kind.

Right now, she appears to be waiting for one of them to say something. She doesn’t exactly look happy to be here, but the fact that she was willing to come all the way from Greece must be a good sign, right? Even if she did magically teleport.

Hob clears his throat to begin making awkward small talk, but Morpheus speaks first. “Eileithyia. I… owe you an apology. I am. Sorry,” he says haltingly, like the words are being wrenched from him against his will.

Eileithyia raises her eyebrows. “I have never known you to apologize to anyone. It seems Calliope spoke truly. You have changed, Oneiros.”

Morpheus blanches at the mention of his ex-wife, but he nods and cracks a wry half-smile. “Indeed. I have experienced several significant changes as of late.”

Eileithyia’s face softens as her eyes drift down to Morpheus’ midsection, just barely beginning to swell, and Hob can’t hold back the proud grin that blooms on his face. It’s true—Morpheus has changed, for the better in Hob’s opinion. And he knows very well how hard it is for his husband to apologize; the man’s held grudges for billions of years, so this is big.

“Very well. Apology accepted,” the goddess declares. “In truth, I forgave you long ago. Besides,” she adds gently, “my feud was with Dream of the Endless, and you are no longer that.”

Morpheus’ shoulders sag, in relief or regret or maybe both. “I— thank you. That means… a great deal,” he murmurs.

“So, will you be able to help us, then?” Hob asks.

Eileithyia takes a long sip of coffee before answering. “My abilities are much diminished. There are fewer and fewer worshipers; my shrines have fallen into ruin. However, as long as there are those who pray for a safe pregnancy, I retain some of my power.” Hob nods as she speaks, as if this is a perfectly normal conversation, one that he fully understands and that doesn’t sound like a passage from Homer. “Regardless,” she shrugs, “I am also a certified midwife. I doubt there will be much need for divine intervention.”

“Well, even so, you’ve got at least one new acolyte,” Hob chuckles. “I’ll be lighting a candle every day, or… making an offering? Er, how does this work, exactly?”

“I also take cash,” she says, smiling for the first time since her arrival. “But only in euros. None of your funny English money.”

Hob bursts into surprised laughter. “Yeah, alright, we can do that,” he says, shaking his head in bemusement.

“You are sixteen and a half weeks along,” the goddess says, turning to Morpheus. “We’ll start with visits every four weeks. I will come to you; I imagine that will be simpler than you coming to Thessaloniki. You can accommodate a home birth?”

“I—Yes. That… that would be ideal,” Morpheus replies, looking rather nonplussed.

“Good. We will increase to bi-monthly visits in the third trimester. Possibly once a week if there are any complications, though I don’t sense anything now.” Eileithyia looks Morpheus up and down, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “It’s not twins. Do you want to know the sex?”

Hob gapes at her. “You can tell all that just from looking? And you say your powers are diminished?” The goddess simply smirks and shrugs in reply.

“We would prefer not to know the sex,” Morpheus says, and Hob nods in agreement. “Thank you, Eileithyia. Truly. I… I was not sure you would be willing to speak to me again.”

“I would not turn down an expecting parent in need,” Eileithyia assures him. “I am glad you called for me.”

“I’ve got to say, this is all just fantastic news. We’ve been tearing our hair out trying to find a doctor, so we’re really grateful for your help. What a relief, eh darling?” Hob beams, putting an arm around his husband’s shoulders.

Eileithyia surveys the both of them, her expression thawing into something tender and wistful. “Your man cares deeply for you, Oneiros. I am happy for you.”

Morpheus smiles—a full, broad smile that shows his teeth and lights up his whole face. “Yes,” he replies softly, tilting his head to face Hob. “He is a good man. I am lucky to have him.”

“Well, I don’t know about all that,” Hob splutters, his face heating as he tugs at his ear with his free hand. “I’m the lucky one.”

They hammer out the finer details of the agreement, and Hob can feel his husband relaxing further with each question that’s answered. Apparently fathers are not typically welcome at appointments—something about sacred mysteries and arcane knowledge or some such—which Hob isn’t thrilled about, but they at least manage to talk Eileithyia into letting him be present at the birth.

After they’ve discussed and planned and finished their drinks, a muffled chime sounds from somewhere nearby. The goddess pulls a mobile phone from her pocket and frowns at it. “Ah. A patient is going into labor. I must be going.”

The two men thank her again and say their goodbyes, and as she turns to leave Morpheus calls out to her. “Eileithyia, I… If you speak to Calliope before I do, would you… give her my regards?”

Eileithyia nods and smiles warmly at him before vanishing into the crowd.

So everything worked out brilliantly after all, and Hob couldn’t be prouder of Morpheus for burying that two-thousand-year-old hatchet.

“Yeah, Eileithyia’s been a life-saver,” Hob says, nodding in agreement with his sister-in-law. “If it weren’t for her, we would’ve had to go with one of my, er… underground contacts. And they’re all either glorified drug dealers or so-called ‘doctors’ with questionable credentials whose usual gigs involve extracting bullets from mobsters. And of course anything through the NHS is out of the question.”

“Of course. Can’t have your secret getting out,” Death winks.

“Too right,” Hob agrees before downing the last of his tea. It’s a relief talking to someone who understands. “Only it’s a bit frustrating; not like we can tell any of our friends the real reason we’ve got a midwife making house calls instead of going to an obstetrician like normal people living in the 21st century. Suze keeps trying to talk us out of having a home birth. I think now she thinks we’re just artsy-granola-hippie types. What was it she was asking you the other day, darling?”

“She was impressing upon me the importance of vaccinating the baby,” Morpheus replies. “And reminding me that there is no shame in getting an epidural,” he adds with an endearingly perplexed frown, which only deepens as Death hides a snicker behind her teacup.

“And she’s certainly not wrong!” Hob says. “Still, better that we’ll be dealing with all that in the comfort of our own home. Speaking of the birth, wasn’t there something you wanted to ask your sister, dove?”

A tinge of pink appears on Morpheus’ cheekbones as Death leans forward, glancing between them expectantly. “Ah. Yes, I…” Morpheus begins, stumbling over his words. “Sister. Would you… be there? When the baby arrives?”

“It would be my honor, little brother,” she replies, her eyes shining. “Technically I’m present for every birth, but it’s lovely to be invited.” Morpheus nods, looking a little choked up himself, which naturally makes Hob’s eyes water too. “By the way,” Death continues, “are you planning on introducing the little one to mum and dad?”

Morpheus lets out a derisive bark of laughter. “No. No, I think not.”

“Probably for the best,” Death grins, shaking her head. “Oh, that reminds me, I was talking to Despair not too long ago, and she was saying…”

Hob quickly loses the thread of the conversation as the siblings discuss things that probably happened billions of years ago to people he’s never heard of. He simply watches the movements of his husband’s face, his brow gradually unfurrowing and his eyes creasing with laughter as he listens to his sister’s tales. He’s just so bloody beautiful, so extraordinary. Hob still can’t believe he’s his. He can’t believe he’s sitting here, in his flat, having tea with the former anthropomorphic personification of dreams and the current anthropomorphic personification of death, and they’re talking about literal stars that they know, and their midwife is a goddess, as is his husband’s ex, and…

And what is Hob, compared to all that? Just some bloke who became immortal by accident and knocked up someone so far out of his league they’re not even playing the same sport. The baby is going to be an incredible person, though. Hob is already sure of that. And then he’ll have two extraordinary people in his life, and he’ll still just be some doofus with nothing to offer.

His spiraling rumination is cut short as the two siblings erupt into laughter. Hob laughs along, even though he didn’t hear whatever was so funny. Still, it brings a genuine smile to his face to see Morpheus enjoying himself and looking so relaxed.

“Well,” Death sighs, stretching as she rises from her chair, “I’d better be on my way. Got another appointment nearby.”

“Oh! Wait, you’ve got to see the nursery before you leave,” Hob says, standing up with a groan and extending a hand to help Morpheus to his feet. “Mo’s mural is looking spectacular.”

“Next time. I promise,” she beams, pulling both men in for a hug. “It’s been wonderful to see you, brother. And you, Hob. I’m so happy for you both, really.”

“Thank you, my sister. For everything,” Morpheus murmurs.

Death kisses his temple and whispers something that draws a smile from Morpheus, then turns to Hob. “Take good care of him, Hob,” she says softly.

“I will,” Hob promises, nodding fervently. “Always.”

And then, with a blinding flash of blue light and a fluttering of wings, she’s gone.

Morpheus collapses back into the sofa cushions like his strings have been cut. He looks exhausted. Hob is right there with him. He settles back down beside his husband, gathering him into his lap as he begins to knead out the remaining tension in his shoulders. “Proud of you, love,” he whispers. “And hey, great news from your sister, eh? One less thing to stress about.”

“Mmm,” Morpheus purrs in agreement as he luxuriates in Hob’s touch. “Although I am not looking forward to this ‘baby shower’ of hers.”

“Party pooper,” Hob chuckles, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. “It won’t be too bad. I’ll set an alarm, wake you up if it gets too painful.”

“I will hold you to that,” Morpheus replies.

“How are you feeling, darling? Time for a nap, do you think?”

Morpheus considers this as Hob continues to work out the knots in his neck. “No,” he says finally, “I feel. Restless. And I am craving chips.”

“Why don’t we head downstairs for a bite, then? Probably do us both good to get out and work off this leftover adrenaline.”

Hob is half expecting Morpheus to insist on staying here while Hob goes and fetches him some chips (a frequent occurrence in the Gadling household), but to his surprise, his husband nods. “Yes. I think I would like that,” Morpheus says, moving to stand up.

“Brilliant!” Hob exclaims, with a bit more gusto than he’d intended, as he hauls them both to their feet. He can’t help it; getting his husband to leave the flat feels like almost as big a victory as the positive news they’ve just received. “Shall we?” He holds his arm out in an exaggerated show of gentlemanliness, and Morpheus takes it with a roll of his eyes that belies the adoring grin on his face.

Hob has a spring in his step as they make their way down to the pub, arm in arm. There’s nothing, he thinks, that could spoil his good mood right now.

Well. Almost nothing.

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Thanks for reading! Reblogs, as well as kudos and comments on ao3 are always appreciated! 💗💗💗

[mychlapci]

Now I know horny egg posting is just horny egg posting.... but it got me thinking about the logistics hdjhshd. How much of a problem does it cause in the army when the dang SIC and their two front liners are all full of eggs. What the heck part of the army is functioning then

Maybe Ratchet makes them take the eggs out. At LEAST for battle. They cannot be running around like that and they really can't afford to have so many soldiers unfit for duty

Ratchet would have them laying on his medical berth, a soft basket to catch the eggs, as he coaxes the eggs out of them

Prowl would do it on his front. He's agreeable to this- he understands he has his duties, but he doesn't want to look Ratchet in the optics for this. He supports himself on his knees and elbows, doorwings quivering as the medic's fingers scissor in his valve. The stimulation helps, he was told. The lubrication and his calipers and systems clenching should help his body be ready to push the eggs out. Ratchet spreads his fingers and Prowl let's out an embarrassed gasp as he bucks his hips.

"Come on. Push. I can feel you aren't pushing," comes the deadpan order from the medic as digits spread Prowl's valve open a little more. Prowl wordlessly nods and does as he's told. It was so easy to unload his eggs into his twins. He can do it. He clenches his gestation tank and shudders as he feels the first egg push its way out. Oh they feel bigger now than when they went in. He knows his sensor panels are shaking, he can hear them rattling, as he whimpers and feels the egg stretch him... and then pop out into Ratchet's waiting servos.

"My scans show a few more. Keep going." He does keep pushing, the next egg coming out with a pleasured gasp. The eggs push against all his sensors as they come out. Lubricant runs down his thighs and drips onto the berth. He can feel the slick beneath him as he shuffles himself on his knees. As the last egg pushes its way out, it's finally too much and Prowl loses himself in the throes of an overload, crying out before collapsing into his own puddle of slick. He vaguely registers Ratchet patting him on the small of his back as his fans whir and he tries to calm down

Sideswipe, on the other hand, needs a little more coaxing to part with his eggs. You know how he is. He thinks he can take deceptions down with his tank full of eggs. No biggie. Ratchet has to force him to sit down and yells at him to spread his legs. Now, please.

Sideswipe sits with his legs spread wide and panel open, letting Ratchet play with him. Ratchet grumbles and pinches the red twin's anterior node until the bot starts squirming and he sees lubrication start to leak from his valve. Then, with his other servo, digits enter the wet valve and wiggle.

Sideswipe whines and leans back, supporting himself on his servos now, but keeps his optics trained on the medic working on his valve. He likes the way Ratchet looks so serious about it, all his attention on Sideswipe's needy array.

Ratchet knows how to coax eggs out of a mech. It's not difficult if the patient doesn't resist. He continues the stimulation, feeling the callipers flutter around his digits, before he crooks his digits and massages. He lets himself smirk as Sideswipe moans and throws his head back. Almost there.

The servo busying with Sideswipe's node moves to the twin's lower torso, gently pushing down, massaging. With a few more crooks of his digits and a little more pressure on Sideswipes front, the twin groans and Ratchet feels it, an egg being pushed out and hitting his digits in Sideswipes valve

"Good mech," he coos softly as he guides the egg out of Sideswipe's shuddering frame. Now just a few more to go

Sunstreaker is the worst. He didn't even want the eggs. Or so he says. But damn you to the pit and back if you want to take his eggs. He's so defensive about it. The moment Ratchet tells him the eggs need to come out his look goes so cold. How dare Ratchet demand his eggs

Ratchet grumbles and pinches the bridge of his nose. Of course at least one twin was going to make his job hell.

"I'm not taking your eggs. I will just be incubating them for a while whilst you go on that mission tomorrow," Ratchet growls through gritted denta and Sunstreaker glares back at him.

It ends up being a little scuffle. Just a little brawl, if you will. Ratchet has to pin Sunstreaker to the ground, on his front, as he scrambles to gain access to Sunstreaker's modesty panels. (Honestly the only reason Ratchet can get Sunstreaker pinned is because he's not fighting as hard as he says he is. Internally he's already agreed. Ratchet knows this. But that damn pride of his has to make this a fight before he lets the medic have his way)

Sunstreaker roars as Ratchet plugs into his medical port and overrides protocols to have his modesty plating snap open. Another command has his gestation tank activate and slick start leaking from his valve

If Sunstreaker really wanted Ratchet off him, those firewalls would have been way harder to bypass. Ratchet would laugh, but he's too busy for that right now. He makes quick work of shoving his digits into Sunstreaker's wet valve, spreading him wide and preparing to receive the eggs that he instructs to be pushed out

Through the cable that now connects them both, Ratchet can feel himself inside Sunstreaker. It feels good. The twin pretends to fight but he's shaking in pleasure rather than rage. The first egg is squeezed out of that sopping wet valve and Ratchet groans with the twin, the feeling of that stretch and then sudden emptiness echoes from Sunstreakers frame into his own

The squelching is obscene as he pushes his digits in again. He can feel lubricant collecting behind his own plating as Sunstreaker pants below him. They're both going to be a mess after this. But, hey, that's part of the job

hgrhgh Yeag. Ratchet needs to collect the eggs from the front liners, I mean, they’ll get hurt, that is a fact, and no matter how skilled they are, and they can’t risk hurting the eggs... since they’ve decided to reproduce, they better be responsible!

mhmm I can imagine Sideswipe looking for his brother and finding him curled up on the floor of the medbay with Ratchet, a pile of eggs between Sunny’s legs as they both shake and gasp...

But the real fun comes when the incubation doesn’t hold anymore and it’s time to put the eggs back in. Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Prowl get put on maternity leave so they can carry to term. Hell, throw Ratchet into the mix - the eggs are pretty big, splitting the weight between the four of them is advised!

[sketchysphinx]

I swear, sometimes I feel like my IQ is negative. Was struggling for hours writing code that plays random noises, it had an array filled with sound nodes and the idea was to shuffle it and play the first thing, but it refused to work in any way and when I gave up and decided to check the internet for the answers, IT TOLD ME I'M AS DUMB AS MACARONI AND GODOT HAS A BUILT-IN FUNCTION FOR THIS CALLED AudioStreamRandomizer. I could just add one single sound node, turn this function on and add all kinds of sounds I wanted to randomly play, it even has PRIORITY index on each of sounds. All you need is to write The node's name and add .play() in the end.

Example:

//$ShitAssBassBoosted.play()

And it will play the random sound.

Don't be like me, be a smart person, check up the documentation and tutorials before doing anything.

[sleepingdeath-light]

male s/o hcs ; poly barnaby & wally

requested by ; anonymous (11/05/23)

fandom(s) ; welcome home

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; barnaby b beagle, wally darling

outline ; “Can I get Barnaby x reader x Wally hcs? Preferably with male reader but gender neutral works too”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

the three of you are best friends first and boyfriends second — always ready to prank and play but at the same time more than willing to smother each other with attention and affection

barnaby is a massive hugger and loves being able to curl around you and wally, keeping you warm and safe whilst he snores away — arms wrapped around you and face buried between you

kissing barnaby on the nose will make his tail wag whilst he gets this lovesick look on his face — like full on puppy love

wally isn’t the most experienced with physical affection (hugging and especially kissing) so the two of you end up doing a lot of teaching — which he appreciates even if it flusters him at times

you and wally get randomly picked up a lot, with him just hanging limply and complacently in barnaby’s arms whilst you struggle and laugh and try to free yourself from his strong grip

barnaby is the type of boyfriend to give you and wally very peculiar pet names — addressing wally with plays on his last name and you with an array of inside jokes that leave you both endeared and amused

there is an ongoing prank war going on between you and barnaby — and whilst wally doesn’t get involved in his own right he will occasional lend his help to both sides, doing supply runs and offering verbal encouragement throughout

you and barnaby are wally’s main muses and he paints the two of you often in various ways: still life, abstract, together, separate, etc.

and, likewise, the two of you are his biggest cheerleaders always there to keep his spirits high and bombard him with praise for his work

barnaby is a morning person and it takes very little time for him to get ready — wally, meanwhile, is not a morning person and has a whole routine that he needs to go through in order to feel like a person again

so you’ll usually all eat breakfast together before wally shuffles upstairs and drowns the entire floor with hairspray whilst he tries to make himself presentable — all while you and your beloved prankster clean up and go through the rest of your own morning routines

wally refers to you both as ‘my partners’, ‘my better thirds’ and other such titles when out and about — using your individual names if someone asks about barnaby or yourself specifically

barnaby, meanwhile, calls you both things like ‘boyfriends’ and ‘future husbands’ and ‘the pack’ interchangeably and when asked about you or wally specifically will use a silly nickname (e.g. ‘oh apples? he’s doing well’ or ‘yeah, tiny just got around to starting this project he’s been putting off forever…’)

you all have matching coffee/tea mugs — well, had, barnaby dropped his a while ago and now they all just sit in the cupboard as decorations (fixed but not exactly functional)

frequent mishaps occur around the house with your personal favourites being: wally, still not having bothered to do up his hair, absentmindedly taking a massive swig from his paint water cup, and barnaby trying to get onto his unicycle and falling straight off on his face with a very unceremonious ‘umph’ sound (he was fine but it was so out of nowhere that you couldn’t help but laugh)

the three of you go on double dates with frank and eddie and you have a joking rivalry about who the cutest boyfriends are — you all secretly concede that it’s them but you don’t go down without a fight

barnaby gives the best piggy back rides — which makes butterfly catching so much more chaotic and fun whenever all of the neighbourhood is able to get together

the amount of squeaky toys you have laying around the house is quite frankly maddening (enough for wally to make a pretty decent sculpture out of a few worn out ones without making too much of a dent in the collection) though barnaby does his best to clean up after himself

the three of you have agreed to either completely hyphenate your names or just take wally’s last name when you formally marry because you all like how it sounds

ms beagle loves you all so much and spoils all of her boys equally — always talking about how happy you both make her son whilst poor barnaby is left flustered and hiding behind his paws

[deusvervemakesgames]

Project RBH Devlog 0012

Hm. Turns out that temporary stat changes are slightly more complicated than I thought they would be I’m sure I’ll figure it out—it’s probably as easy as having a constant I can reference and then using a variable to adjust it from within the status effect—but it’s not there yet. Since the code for the status effects runs every frame, if I get the formulas wrong I’ll absolutely nuke the target’s stats into the dirt, which isn’t ideal.

After last week’s success with the Burn status I quickly threw together the Bleed status effect, a stronger version of Burn. This status is special in that it’s exclusive to Critical Hits, providing more payoffs to that playstyle.

Speaking of the Critical Hit system, I adjusted that code to make it a bit more robust, and to allow it to interact with the rest of the damage code, allowing me to create other payoffs that trigger when you land a critical hit, for example, the bleed status, or healing the player.

Around this time I encountered a bizarre glitch that crashed the game if I shot a destructible crate, something that isn’t currently in any builds but that I implemented ages ago. At the time I couldn’t figure out what was causing it, but I ended up fixing it later incidentally while fixing another game crashing problem.

With no idea what’s causing the crate problem I continued working on the upgrades that I’d been working on already, the ones I mentioned a moment ago: healing on Crits and inflicting Bleed on Crits. I also added the upgrades that allow you to actually inflict Burn status, as well as an upgrade that increases your chances of inflicting a Status Effect.

Around this point I remembered/discovered that due to the fact that my bullets and explosions share a damage code, explosions now crash the game because they lack about 90% of the functionality that bullets have now. Fixing this was simple but took me a bit longer than I’d like. All I did was add a few conditional statements that made sure the relevant variables existed before trying to call them. For some reason this also fixed the crate problem.

I am now, however, faced with a problem. Certain upgrades are only meant to be acquired once, such as the added Burn status. You can’t add that twice. I thought I already had a way around this, but I don’t actually think it will work the way I want it to. The way that I shuffle the upgrades is by storing them all inside of an array which I can then randomize into a temporary copy of the array, allowing me to use a reference to the original array, ensuring they do the thing they’re supposed to do. I think that the solution I was already planning on using will still work, but in a slightly more roundabout way.

Much like how I store the name, description, and effect of each upgrade as a variable so I can reference them later when the player gets them, I intend on having a variable that checks how many times the player can get any one upgrade, and then go through the array and remove any that can no longer be chosen. If I remove them from the main array, their positions will shift and the variable references won’t work, but I should be able to remove them from the temporary array that shuffles them all.

We’re almost at the end of June now; this is the last DevLog before July, which means sometime this week I’ll have the next build posted and the next What We Can Learn article.

No rest for the wicked.

Until next Devlog!

-DeusVerve

Special thanks to my Tier 3 Patrons, Haelerin and Christos Kempf!

Support me on Patreon

[deathl1es]

@prkh | LIKED FOR A STARTER

Eve Riley staggered through the dust-choked streets, her tattered dress flapping around her skeletal frame. The wasteland had not been kind to her, but she wore the scars of survival with a kind of grim pride. Her skin, mottled with decay and patches of scar tissue, told a story of countless encounters with the harsh realities of this world. Her eyes, however, retained a sharp glint—a remnant of the fierce spirit that had kept her alive for so long.

The sign above the door was barely legible, but Eve had learned to navigate by intuition and the scraps of old-world knowledge she’d picked up along the way. She pushed open the door, which creaked on rusty hinges, and stepped inside.

The interior was cluttered with a haphazard array of weaponry and armor. Dusty shelves groaned under the weight of ancient rifles, barely functional pistols, and an assortment of improvised gadgets.

Eve shuffled forward, her steps deliberate but unhurried. She knew she was an unusual sight but she had come for a reason. “I need something reliable,” she rasped, her voice carrying a tone of determination that belied her appearance. “Something that can still hold up in a fight.”

Eve glanced around, taking in the assortment of weapons. “Raider attacks have been getting worse,” she explained. “I need something that can keep me alive a little longer. Maybe a good rifle, something with range and power.”

[ashif544]

What Makes a Makeup Box the Best Storage Solution for Your Cosmetics?

When it comes to beauty storage, finding the right solution for your makeup can be both a challenge and a rewarding experience. A well-organised makeup box is not only practical, but it can also make your beauty routine more enjoyable. Whether you're a minimalist who only uses a few essentials or someone with an extensive collection, a makeup box offers a stylish and functional way to keep your cosmetics neatly stored and easy to access. In this blog, we will explore what makes a makeup box the best storage solution for your cosmetics, touching on key features, benefits, and tips to find the perfect one for your needs.

The Importance of Organising Your Makeup Collection

An organised makeup collection makes it easier to find your products, prevents damage, and ensures you make the most of your beauty investments. Without proper organisation, makeup products can get damaged, split, or lost in the shuffle. A makeup box provides designated spaces for everything, ensuring your products stay secure and easily accessible. From foundations to eyeliners, a well-organised system allows you to keep everything in its rightful place.

A makeup box can also reduce clutter on your vanity or bathroom, essential for maintaining a clean and functional space. Whether you have a small collection or an extensive array of beauty products, organising your makeup ensures that each item is safe and ready to use at a moment's notice. The time saved from not digging through drawers or making up bags is invaluable in a busy beauty routine.

Why Choose a Makeup Box Over a Makeup Bag?

While makeup bags are convenient for storing cosmetics on the go, a makeup box offers several advantages regarding long-term storage and organisation. A makeup bag is typically soft and flexible, which can lead to your makeup shifting or getting damaged. On the other hand, a makeup box is generally more structured, offering compartments that keep each item in place. This organisation helps with easier access to your products and provides better protection from spills and breakage.

A makeup box also tends to be larger and more spacious than a makeup bag, making it easier to store multiple products without cramming them into a small space. If you have a larger collection, a makeup box with various tiers and adjustable compartments can accommodate numerous products, from powders to brushes. This ensures that your makeup remains organised, accessible, and protected.

The Design and Functionality of a Makeup Box

A makeup box's design and functionality are key features that set it apart from other storage solutions. Many makeup boxes come with dividers, trays, and compartments that allow you to organise your products in a sensible way. For example, you might want a separate section for skincare products, another for lipsticks, and a third for brushes. This level of organisation is not readily achievable with a makeup.

Another necessary functionality is portability. Many makeup boxes are designed with handles, making them easy to carry. Some even come with locking mechanisms for added security, ensuring that your makeup stays safely in place during travel or transport. The design of a makeup box looks sleek and offers practicality for anyone who needs to keep their beauty products organised and accessible.

How a Makeup Box Protects Your Cosmetics

Cosmetics can be delicate, and proper storage is essential to protect your investments. A makeup box offers better protection than a makeup bag because its rugged exterior shields your products from impact. A beauty box made from durable materials, such as acrylic, metal, or reinforced fabric, can prevent your makeup from being crushed or damaged. Additionally, compartments in a makeup box can keep your products from rubbing together or being exposed to harsh elements, such as heat or moisture, which can degrade the quality of your cosmetics over time.

A makeup box helps prevent the dreaded spillage of liquids like foundation or skincare products. With a makeup box with secure closures, your liquid products remain contained, eliminating the worry of accidental spills that could ruin your makeup or other products. In addition, a beauty box with padded or cushioned sections can protect more fragile items, such as compact powders, blushes, and eyeshadows, ensuring they stay intact and in good condition.

Types of Makeup Boxes for Different Needs

Not all makeup boxes are created equal; choosing the right one depends on your specific needs and preferences. For those with a smaller makeup collection, a makeup box with a simple design and a few compartments might be enough. A multi-tiered makeup box might be the best option for those with an extensive collection. These boxes often have removable trays or drawers, allowing easy access to small and large products.

There are also beauty boxes specifically designed for travel. These compact boxes are ideal for carrying just the essentials without taking up too much luggage space. A small makeup box can fit neatly into a carry-on bag, ensuring your makeup is safely stored during travels. Larger makeup boxes are better suited for home use, offering plenty of room to organise your entire beauty collection in one place.

Aesthetic Appeal: Makeup Boxes as Decorative Pieces

Aside from functionality, a makeup box can be a decorative piece in your vanity or bathroom. Many beauty boxes come in chic, stylish designs, adding an elegant touch to your space. Every taste has a style, whether a sleek black acrylic box, a colourful fabric-lined case, or a vintage-inspired wooden box. A well-designed makeup box keeps your cosmetics organised and enhances the overall look and feel of your vanity area.

The aesthetic appeal of a makeup box makes it a practical yet stylish addition to your beauty setup. For example, clear acrylic makeup boxes offer a minimalist, modern look that can complement any décor, while fabric-lined boxes with soft pastel colours add a touch of elegance. Whichever style you choose, a beauty box can enhance the visual appeal of your beauty space while keeping everything neat.

How a Makeup Box Helps You Streamline Your Routine

Organising your makeup in a makeup box streamlines your daily routine, making it faster and more efficient. With clearly defined compartments for each product, you won’t waste time searching for what you need. Whether reaching for your favourite lipstick or looking for your eyeliner, everything will be right where you left it. A makeup box's simplicity and organisation can significantly reduce the time it takes to get ready.

A makeup box promotes a sense of order, making your beauty routine more enjoyable. Instead of rummaging through a disorganised bag or cluttered vanity, you can quickly access everything you need. This organised approach makes it easier to maintain a consistent routine and ensures you’re never without essential beauty products.

Beauty Boxes for Professional Use

For makeup artists or anyone who needs to store a large amount of makeup, beauty boxes designed for professionals offer advanced organisation and durability. These makeup boxes are larger and more robust, featuring multiple tiers, drawers, and compartments to hold everything from brushes to makeup palettes. Many professional-grade makeup boxes also have wheels and telescoping handles, making them easily transportable from one location to another.

A professional makeup box is ideal for bringing their entire makeup collection to different events, such as weddings or photoshoots. With plenty of space and a durable design, these boxes ensure that makeup artists can organise and protect their products while travelling to various gigs. The robust construction of professional beauty boxes guarantees your products stay safe, even in transit.

Customisable Makeup Boxes for Personalised Storage

Customisation is a key advantage when choosing a makeup box. Many beauty boxes come with adjustable dividers, allowing you to tailor the storage to fit your needs. Whether you have large makeup palettes or tiny lipsticks, a customisable makeup box will enable you to organise your products in a way that suits your routine. The ability to adjust the compartments ensures that every product has its place, preventing it from getting lost or damaged.

Customisable make up bags are handy for people with various makeup products, from foundation bottles to makeup tools like brushes and sponges. By rearrangeing the compartments, you can create the perfect storage solution for your specific collection. This level of flexibility is hard to achieve with a standard makeup bag, making makeup boxes the superior choice for long-term storage.

The Durability of Makeup Boxes

A significant factor to consider when choosing a makeup box is durability. High-quality beauty boxes are designed to withstand daily use, travel, and occasional bumps or falls. Many makeup boxes are made from sturdy materials such as acrylic, wood, or reinforced fabric that provide long-lasting protection for your cosmetics. The durability of a makeup box ensures that your beauty products stay safe, secure, and organised for years.

Some makeup boxes feature reinforced corners, secure clasps, and soft inner linings to protect delicate products like compact powders or glass bottles for added protection. When you invest in a durable makeup box, you can be confident that your cosmetics will remain intact and in excellent condition, no matter how much use they get.

Eco-Friendly Beauty Boxes

If you’re environmentally conscious, consider choosing an eco-friendly beauty box made from sustainable materials. Many makeup boxes are now available in eco-friendly options, such as recycled plastic, biodegradable materials, or bamboo. These beauty boxes help reduce environmental impact and offer a unique, natural look that can enhance your vanity space.

Opting for an eco-friendly makeup box keeps your cosmetics organised while contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle. Many brands now offer stylish, functional beauty storage solutions made from environmentally friendly materials, so you can choose a makeup box that aligns with your values without sacrificing quality or design.

Final Thought

A makeup box is the ultimate storage solution for anyone looking to keep their beauty products organised, protected, and easily accessible. Whether you're a makeup enthusiast with an extensive collection or someone who needs a compact and portable solution, a beauty box provides the perfect combination of style, function, and security. From customisable compartments to durable construction, makeup boxes offer numerous benefits that streamline your beauty routine and elevate your space.

Consider your collection size, preferred style, and specific organisational needs when selecting a makeup box. With so many options available, there’s sure to be a makeup box that suits your lifestyle. Investing in a high-quality beauty box ensures that your makeup remains safe, organised, and ready to use, whether at home or on the go.

[fertilefoothills]

Online Casino Trends in 2025: What Players Can Expect Next

In the last two decades, the international gaming industry has seen a seismic change, mainly pushed by the rise of online casinos. Once limited by flashy buildings and smoky gaming halls, casino gaming has been digitized, globalized, and enhanced for the present day player. In 2025, online casinos are more than simply electronic types of these brick-and-mortar counterparts — they signify a great environment of entertainment, technology, and financial innovation. As an incredible number of players sign in everyday from their smartphones, tablets, and desktops, it's visible that the appeal of online casinos moves much beyond the rotate of a roulette wheel or the shuffle of a virtual deck of cards.

Among the major factors for this flourishing popularity is accessibility. On line casinos are open 24/7 and offered to anyone with a device and an internet connection. This ease of entry enables participants to risk from the ease of the homes, while commuting, or even during lunch breaks. No further do fanatics need to travel long ranges or gown officially to enjoy in a common games. From basic table games like blackjack and poker to immersive slot products and revolutionary stay dealer activities, on the web platforms give you a detailed suite of choices that competitor — and often exceed — physical casinos in range and convenience.

In addition to availability, technological development plays a crucial position in the web casino revolution. With high-definition artwork, real-time multiplayer processes, and AI-powered gambling algorithms, the digital gambling experience has be much more immersive than ever. Characteristics such as live streaming with qualified merchants, VR-based casino surroundings, and personalized gameplay options cater to a wide range of person preferences. More over, online casinos today use advanced safety practices, including SSL encryption and blockchain proof, to ensure secure and fair gaming environments. That focus on security has helped get the trust of people who may have after been skeptical of gambling online.

Another compelling part of on line casinos may be the huge array of promotional offers. From pleasant bonuses and no-deposit loans to commitment programs and seasonal tournaments, tools fiercely compete to entice and maintain players. These bonuses provide players more price for his or her income and often produce online gambling more inviting than conventional casinos, where such rewards are generally reserved for high rollers. But, it's essential for players to see the fine printing, particularly concerning wagering demands, which could often make these offers more restricted than they initially appear.

The economic makeup of on the web casinos also have developed significantly. Participants is now able to make deposits and withdrawals using old-fashioned banking practices, e-wallets, and even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. That flexibility not merely accommodates global readers but in addition aligns with modern fintech trends. Many systems offer immediate remains and faster withdrawal processes, a pleasant function that handles one of many long-standing frustrations associated with online gambling.

As online casinos keep on to develop, they're also experiencing increasing scrutiny from regulators. Governments and accreditation bodies are going up initiatives to make certain fair enjoy, responsible gaming, and data protection. This regulatory evolution is essential for the industry's reliability and long-term sustainability. Overall, on the nagapoker live chat have redefined gaming for the digital age, blending amusement, technology, and finance into an engaging and usually lucrative pastime for millions over the globe.

[musicvalla]

The Best Ways to Personalize Your Spotify Experience

Spotify has revolutionized music streaming, offering a vast array of tools to ensure every listener enjoys a personalized experience. But did you know there’s much more you can do beyond simply creating playlists or liking songs? From fine-tuning your profile to exploring your unique listening trends, Spotify is designed to reflect your musical tastes like never before.

In this guide, we’ll explore how you can personalize your Spotify account to make it truly yours. Whether it’s discovering the Spotify top artists for me or learning how to edit Spotify profile, you’ll uncover tips that will enhance your experience. We’ll also cover the latest Spotify news to help you stay updated, as well as insights into integrating Spotify with smart devices, like learning how to link Spotify with Alexa.

Let’s dive in and make your Spotify experience as unique as you are!

1. Curate Your Spotify Profile for Maximum Impact

One of the simplest ways to personalize Spotify is by customizing your profile. Your profile is more than just a username—it’s your digital musical identity. To edit Spotify profile, simply navigate to the settings menu. Here, you can upload a profile picture, write a bio, and even link your social accounts to share your playlists with friends. Updating your profile ensures it reflects your personality and makes connecting with others more engaging.

Customizing playlists is another great way to showcase your taste. You can give playlists creative names, add cover art, and even write descriptions for each list. These small touches transform your account into a reflection of your music journey.

2. Discover Your Top Artists and Trends

Have you ever wondered, “What are the Spotify top artists for me?” With Spotify’s Wrapped and other personalized tools, you can easily find out. Every year, Spotify provides an in-depth review of your listening habits, revealing your top artists, songs, and genres. These insights not only make your listening experience fun but also help you discover similar artists you might enjoy.

For a year-round view of your trends, explore Spotify’s "Made for You" section. This includes curated playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar, which use your listening habits to suggest new songs and artists tailored to your preferences.

3. Stay Updated with the Latest Spotify Features and News

Spotify constantly evolves to enhance user experience. Staying informed about Spotify news ensures you’re aware of the latest updates and features. For example, Spotify recently introduced AI-powered DJs that use machine learning to curate playlists in real-time. Other updates include group listening sessions and expanded lyric features.

You can also follow Spotify’s blog or social media channels to learn about artist collaborations, exclusive releases, and innovative tools. These updates keep your experience fresh and exciting while ensuring you don’t miss out on new functionalities.

4. Use Smart Playlists for Better Organization

Spotify allows you to organize your music library with Smart Playlists, which automatically update based on criteria you set. This can include recently liked songs, frequently played tracks, or specific genres. These playlists are perfect for those who want a hands-free way to manage their music.

Additionally, Spotify’s collaborative playlist feature allows you to share your playlists with friends and let them contribute. This is especially useful for parties, road trips, or simply discovering new music through your social circle.

5. Integrate Spotify with Your Smart Home Devices

Did you know you can link Spotify with Alexa to control your music hands-free? With this feature, you can play specific songs, shuffle playlists, or ask Alexa to recommend tracks—all with simple voice commands.

To set this up, connect your Spotify account to your Alexa app. Once linked, you can control playback through any Alexa-enabled device, making it easy to enjoy music throughout your home. This integration isn’t limited to Alexa; Spotify also works seamlessly with other smart devices like Google Home and Apple CarPlay, ensuring your music is always accessible.

6. Explore Personalized Playlists and Radio Stations

Spotify’s algorithms are designed to deliver highly personalized content. Beyond discovering the Spotify top artists for me, you can dive into features like artist-specific radio stations or mood-based playlists. For example, if you love a particular artist, Spotify can generate a radio station with similar songs and genres.

Additionally, mood-based playlists like “Chill Vibes” or “Focus” adapt to your daily activities, making it easy to find music that matches your current mindset. These playlists are continually updated to ensure you’re always listening to fresh tracks.

7. Embrace Cross-Platform Listening

Spotify offers seamless cross-platform compatibility, making it easy to switch between devices. Whether you’re listening on your phone, laptop, or smart speaker, Spotify keeps track of your current session, allowing you to pick up where you left off. This feature is particularly useful when transitioning between activities, like commuting and working out.

By integrating Spotify with other platforms, you also unlock additional features. For instance, linking Spotify with Alexa ensures smooth playback, while connecting it to apps like Shazam allows you to save identified tracks directly to your library.

Conclusion Spotify provides endless opportunities to create a music experience tailored just for you. From customizing your profile to exploring Spotify news and discovering your top artists, the platform is designed to cater to your preferences. Smart device integrations and personalized playlists further enhance this experience, ensuring your favorite music is always just a click—or voice command—away.

Personalizing your Spotify account not only makes it more enjoyable but also transforms it into a reflection of your unique musical journey. So why wait? Start exploring these features today and elevate your music streaming game.

[tpointtech12]

The Ultimate Guide to Java Collection

Java libraries are indispensable tools that streamline development by providing pre-written code for common tasks. "The Ultimate Guide to Java Libraries" explores a myriad of libraries that enhance Java programming, from handling data structures to implementing complex algorithms.

A key feature covered is collections in Java, which offer efficient ways to manage groups of objects, improving code efficiency and readability.

TpointTech is a valuable resource for developers seeking in-depth tutorials and examples on using these libraries effectively. Leveraging these libraries can significantly reduce development time and improve application performance.

Overview of Java Collections

The Java Collections Framework includes interfaces, implementations, and algorithms. The core interfaces include Collection, List, Set, Queue, and Map, each serving different purposes.

Collection Interface: 

The root interface of the framework, representing a group of objects known as elements. It is extended by List, Set, and Queue interfaces.

List Interface: 

An ordered collection that allows duplicate elements. Common implementations are ArrayList, LinkedList, and Vector. Lists are ideal when you need to access elements by their index.

ArrayList: Resizable array implementation, offering constant-time positional access but slower for insertion and deletion.

LinkedList: Doubly-linked list implementation, providing efficient insertion and deletion but slower access time.

Vector: Synchronized version of ArrayList, rarely used due to performance overhead.

Set Interface: 

A collection that does not allow duplicate elements. It models mathematical sets and provides implementations like HashSet, LinkedHashSet, and TreeSet.

HashSet: Uses a hash table for storage, offering constant-time performance for basic operations.

LinkedHashSet: Maintains insertion order, slightly slower than HashSet.

TreeSet: Implements the SortedSet interface, ensuring elements are in ascending order, based on their natural ordering or a specified comparator.

Queue Interface: 

Designed for holding elements prior to processing, typically ordered in a FIFO (first-in-first-out) manner. Common implementations include LinkedList, PriorityQueue, and ArrayDeque.

PriorityQueue: Elements are ordered according to their natural ordering or a provided comparator, useful for creating priority-based tasks.

ArrayDeque: Resizable-array implementation of the Deque interface, providing efficient insertion and deletion from both ends.

Map Interface: 

Represents a collection of key-value pairs, where each key maps to one value. Popular implementations are HashMap, LinkedHashMap, and TreeMap.

HashMap: Provides constant-time performance for basic operations, assuming a good hash function.

LinkedHashMap: Maintains a doubly-linked list of its entries, preserving the order of insertion.

TreeMap: Implements the SortedMap interface, ensuring keys are in ascending order.

Advantages of Java Collections Framework

Reduces Programming Effort: With a set of ready-made data structures and algorithms, JCF eliminates the need for developers to implement complex data structures from scratch.

Increases Program Speed and Quality: Standardized interfaces and optimized implementations ensure high performance and reliability.

Interoperability: Collections can be easily passed across APIs, reducing the complexity of integration.

Ease of Maintenance: Well-documented and widely-used classes make it easier for developers to maintain and enhance code.

Common Algorithms in JCF

Java Collections Framework includes various algorithms to perform routine tasks, such as sorting, searching, and shuffling. These algorithms are static methods in the Collections utility class.

Sorting: Collections.sort(List list), sorts the specified list into ascending order.

Shuffling: Collections.shuffle(List list), randomly permutes the elements in the list.

Searching: Collections.binarySearch(List> list, T key), performs binary search on a sorted list.

Conclusion

The Java Collections Framework is indispensable for any Java developer. It offers a standardized and efficient way to manage groups of objects, making code more robust and maintainable.

By leveraging the various interfaces and implementations, such as lists, sets, queues, and maps, developers can handle data structures effectively.

Understanding collections in Java, as detailed on resources like TpointTech, is crucial for building high-performance applications. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, mastering Java collections will significantly enhance your programming capabilities.

[wordscapes-cheatz]

Wordscapes: A Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Word Puzzle Game

Wordscapes is a captivating word puzzle game that challenges players to fill crossword grids using given letters. By selecting the right letters to form meaningful words, players unlock new levels that progressively enhance their cognitive abilities, ultimately aiding in better decision-making in real life. The game's design, featuring beautiful background scenery, provides a serene and focused environment for players as they navigate through numerous levels.

How to Play Wordscapes

Starting a Level:

Each level begins with a crossword grid where some words are pre-filled, and others are missing.

Below the grid, you'll find a circle containing a set of specific letters.

Forming Words:

Swipe your finger across the letters in the circle to form words.

Correctly formed words will automatically fill the corresponding positions on the grid.

Successfully filling a word directs you to the next word formation task.

Using Hints:

If you get stuck, the game offers various hints to assist you:

Fireworks: Reveal several random letters.

Lightbulb: Generates a random letter on the board.

Bullseye: Allows you to choose where a letter will be revealed.

Hints can be purchased with in-game coins or earned by watching ads.

Shuffling Letters:

You can shuffle the letters as many times as needed to see different patterns and discover new word possibilities.

Tips and Tricks for Mastering Wordscapes

Complete the Levels:

Start with the shorter words first. This strategy helps in gaining momentum and makes solving longer words easier.

Shuffle the Letters:

Regularly use the shuffle function to rearrange the letters and discover new word patterns.

Iteration:

Experiment with different letter combinations and consider plural forms or different tenses (e.g., adding "s", "es", or "ing") to fill in longer blanks.

Use Cheats and Answers:

For particularly challenging levels, you can find Wordscapes cheats and answers online to help you progress.

Earn Coins:

Save your coins for the most difficult levels.

Earn coins by participating in daily challenges or watching ads.

Playing Wordscapes on PC

While Wordscapes is primarily a mobile game, it can also be played on a PC via Facebook. Visit the Wordscapes Facebook page and click on the play button to enjoy the game on a larger screen.

Levels and Progression

Wordscapes offers thousands of levels, providing endless fun and challenge. Initial levels are simpler, but as you progress, the puzzles become more complex, especially in the master levels.

Conclusion

Wordscapes is a delightful and mentally stimulating game that blends word puzzles with strategic challenges, offering endless entertainment. Its vast array of levels, beautiful scenery, and cognitive benefits make it a favorite choice among word game enthusiasts worldwide. Whether you're looking to improve your cognitive skills or simply enjoy relaxing gameplay, Wordscapes provides the perfect combination of both.

[markeduke]

Sip in Style with Customized Home Goods Personalized Coffee Bar Essentials

Your coffee station is a sanctuary in the world of warm mornings and caffeinated rituals; it’s more than just a place to brew. Personalized, handcrafted coffee bar accessories and signs from Customized Home Goods will elevate this holy area. Cup holders, boards, coffee stands, mug racks, mug trees, and customisable signs are just a few of the options available to you to customize your morning ritual and make it uniquely you.

Picture this: as you shuffle into the kitchen, half-awake, the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans gently nudges you to life. But it’s not just the smell that invigorates you; it’s the sight of your meticulously curated coffee station, complete with personalized touches that make it uniquely yours. This is the magic that Customized Home Goods brings to your home.

Envision a coffee cart adorned with custom-engraved boards, displaying your favorite coffee beans and syrups in style. Nestled beside it, a set of elegant coffee mug holders, each bearing the name of its rightful owner, adds a touch of organization and charm. Above, a beautifully crafted coffee bar sign proudly declares the essence of your caffeine haven, whether it’s a witty phrase that brings a smile to your face or a heartfelt message that warms your soul.

But the customization doesn’t stop there. Customized Home Goods offers an array of signs that can be tailored to suit your taste. Whether you prefer a rustic wooden sign with a heartfelt quote or a modern acrylic board adorned with sleek typography, there’s something to complement every aesthetic. From witty sayings to intricate designs, these signs add character to your coffee nook and serve as a constant reminder of the little moments that bring you joy.

And let’s not forget the gifting potential! With customizable options available, these coffee bar accessories make for thoughtful and memorable presents for the coffee aficionados in your life. Whether it’s a housewarming gift for a friend or a birthday surprise for a loved one, a personalized coffee bar sign or holder is sure to bring a smile to their face.

Whether you’re seeking inspiration for new coffee bar ideas or looking to enhance your existing setup, Customized Home Goods has everything you need to elevate your space. With a keen eye for design and a commitment to quality craftsmanship, their products are more than just coffee bar accessories—they’re statements of style and individuality.

One of the best parts? Customized Home Goods ships across the country, so you can spread the joy of personalized coffee station décor far and wide. No matter where your loved ones reside, they can experience the delight of a custom-engraved coffee bar accessory delivered right to their doorstep.

In a world where coffee runs are more than just a caffeine fix—they’re moments of solace and connection—your coffee station deserves to be more than just functional. It deserves to be a reflection of you; a space that brings you comfort and joy every time you visit. With Customized Home Goods, you can elevate your coffee experience from mundane to magical, one personalized touch at a time. So why settle for a standard coffee setup when you can create a haven that’s uniquely yours?

[Related site1] [Related site2]

[lastfry]

Top 30+ Spark Interview Questions

Apache Spark, the lightning-fast open-source computation platform, has become a cornerstone in big data technology. Developed by Matei Zaharia at UC Berkeley's AMPLab in 2009, Spark gained prominence within the Apache Foundation from 2014 onward. This article aims to equip you with the essential knowledge needed to succeed in Apache Spark interviews, covering key concepts, features, and critical questions.

Understanding Apache Spark: The Basics

Before delving into interview questions, let's revisit the fundamental features of Apache Spark:

1. Support for Multiple Programming Languages:

Java, Python, R, and Scala are the supported programming languages for writing Spark code.

High-level APIs in these languages facilitate seamless interaction with Spark.

2. Lazy Evaluation:

Spark employs lazy evaluation, delaying computation until absolutely necessary.

3. Machine Learning (MLlib):

MLlib, Spark's machine learning component, eliminates the need for separate engines for processing and machine learning.

4. Real-Time Computation:

Spark excels in real-time computation due to its in-memory cluster computing, minimizing latency.

5. Speed:

Up to 100 times faster than Hadoop MapReduce, Spark achieves this speed through controlled partitioning.

6. Hadoop Integration:

Smooth connectivity with Hadoop, acting as a potential replacement for MapReduce functions.

Top 30+ Interview Questions: Explained

Question 1: Key Features of Apache Spark

Apache Spark supports multiple programming languages, lazy evaluation, machine learning, multiple format support, real-time computation, speed, and seamless Hadoop integration.

Question 2: Advantages Over Hadoop MapReduce

Enhanced speed, multitasking, reduced disk-dependency, and support for iterative computation.

Question 3: Resilient Distributed Dataset (RDD)

RDD is a fault-tolerant collection of operational elements distributed and immutable in memory.

Question 4: Functions of Spark Core

Spark Core acts as the base engine for large-scale parallel and distributed data processing, including job distribution, monitoring, and memory management.

Question 5: Components of Spark Ecosystem

Spark Ecosystem comprises GraphX, MLlib, Spark Core, Spark Streaming, and Spark SQL.

Question 6: API for Implementing Graphs in Spark

GraphX is the API for implementing graphs and graph-parallel computing in Spark.

Question 7: Implementing SQL in Spark

Spark SQL modules integrate relational processing with Spark's functional programming API, supporting SQL and HiveQL.

Question 8: Parquet File

Parquet is a columnar format supporting read and write operations in Spark SQL.

Question 9: Using Spark with Hadoop

Spark can run on top of HDFS, leveraging Hadoop's distributed replicated storage for batch and real-time processing.

Question 10: Cluster Managers in Spark

Apache Mesos, Standalone, and YARN are cluster managers in Spark.

Question 11: Using Spark with Cassandra Databases

Spark Cassandra Connector allows Spark to access and analyze data in Cassandra databases.

Question 12: Worker Node

A worker node is a node capable of running code in a cluster, assigned tasks by the master node.

Question 13: Sparse Vector in Spark

A sparse vector stores non-zero entries using parallel arrays for indices and values.

Question 14: Connecting Spark with Apache Mesos

Configure Spark to connect with Mesos, place the Spark binary package in an accessible location, and set the appropriate configuration.

Question 15: Minimizing Data Transfers in Spark

Minimize data transfers by avoiding shuffles, using accumulators, and broadcast variables.

Question 16: Broadcast Variables in Spark

Broadcast variables store read-only cached versions of variables on each machine, reducing the need for shipping copies with tasks.

Question 17: DStream in Spark

DStream, or Discretized Stream, is the basic abstraction in Spark Streaming, representing a continuous stream of data.

Question 18: Checkpoints in Spark

Checkpoints in Spark allow programs to run continuously and recover from failures unrelated to application logic.

Question 19: Levels of Persistence in Spark

Spark offers various persistence levels for storing RDDs on disk, memory, or a combination of both.

Question 20: Limitations of Apache Spark

Limitations include the lack of a built-in file management system, higher latency, and no support for true real-time data stream processing.

Question 21: Defining Apache Spark

Apache Spark is an easy-to-use, highly flexible, and fast processing framework supporting cyclic data flow and in-memory computing.

Question 22: Purpose of Spark Engine

The Spark Engine schedules, monitors, and distributes data applications across the cluster.

Question 23: Partitions in Apache Spark

Partitions in Apache Spark split data logically for more efficient and smaller divisions, aiding in faster data processing.

Question 24: Operations of RDD

RDD operations include transformations and actions.

Question 25: Transformations in Spark

Transformations are functions applied to RDDs, creating new RDDs. Examples include Map() and filter().

Question 26: Map() Function

The Map() function repeats over every line in an RDD, splitting them into a new RDD.

Question 27: Filter() Function

The filter() function creates a new RDD by selecting elements from an existing RDD based on a specified function.

Question 28: Actions in Spark

Actions bring back data from an RDD to the local machine, including functions like reduce() and take().

Question 29: Difference Between reduce() and take()

reduce() repeatedly applies a function until only one value is left, while take() retrieves all values from an RDD to the local node.

Question 30: Coalesce() and Repartition() in MapReduce

Coalesce() and repartition() modify the number of partitions in an RDD, with Coalesce() being part of repartition().

Question 31: YARN in Spark

YARN acts as a central resource management platform, providing scalable operations across the cluster.

Question 32: PageRank in Spark

PageRank in Spark is an algorithm in GraphX measuring the importance of each vertex in a graph.

Question 33: Sliding Window in Spark

A Sliding Window in Spark specifies each batch of Spark streaming to be processed, setting batch intervals and processing several batches.

Question 34: Benefits of Sliding Window Operations

Sliding Window operations control data packet transfer, combine RDDs within a specific window, and support windowed computations.

Question 35: RDD Lineage

RDD Lineage is the process of reconstructing lost data partitions, aiding in data recovery.

Question 36: Spark Driver

Spark Driver is the program running on the master node, declaring transformations and actions on data RDDs.

Question 37: Supported File Systems in Spark

Spark supports Amazon S3, HDFS, and Local File System as file systems.

If you like to read more about it please visit

https://analyticsjobs.in/question/what-is-apache-spark/

[internationalrealestatenews]

[ad_1] Maximizing Your Area: Inventive Residence Group Concepts In right this moment's fast-paced world, individuals usually discover themselves struggling to maintain their houses organized and clutter-free. With restricted area and a endless array of belongings, it may be a frightening job to take care of a tidy residing area. Nevertheless, with some artistic pondering and good organizing options, you may flip your own home into an organized haven. Listed here are some modern concepts that can assist you maximize your area and create a clutter-free setting. Make the most of Wall Area: When flooring area is restricted, it is time to suppose vertically. Partitions provide ample alternatives for storage and group. Set up floating cabinets to show books, vegetation, or ornamental gadgets. Add hooks or a pegboard to hold gadgets like coats, luggage, and even kitchen utensils. Use a magnetic strip to carry steel instruments or gadgets like knives within the kitchen. By using your partitions, you unlock precious flooring area whereas including a trendy contact to your own home. Spend money on Multi-functional Furnishings: Furnishings that doubles as storage is a good way to maximise restricted area. Search for beds with built-in drawers or ottomans that may also be used as a seating possibility or to retailer additional blankets. Espresso tables with hidden compartments or baskets can maintain distant controls, magazines, and different small gadgets organized and out of sight. With multi-functional furnishings, you may have trendy items that serve a number of functions, serving to you retain your area tidy. Below Mattress Storage: The area beneath your mattress is usually underutilized, however it may be a treasure trove of extra storage. Spend money on under-bed storage containers or slide baskets to maximise this space. You possibly can retailer out-of-season clothes, additional linens, sneakers, and even vacation decorations. By utilizing this often-overlooked space, you may unlock area in your closets and maintain your belongings simply accessible. Create a Command Middle: A command middle is a delegated area the place you may maintain monitor of vital paperwork, schedules, and different necessities. Take into account establishing a small desk or utilizing a wall-mounted organizer in a handy location, such because the kitchen or entryway. Use adhesive labels to maintain the whole lot so as, and embrace a bulletin board or chalkboard to jot down reminders or show vital notes. This designated area will make it easier to keep organized and stop vital papers from getting misplaced within the shuffle. Intelligent Kitchen Storage: The kitchen is usually probably the most difficult areas to maintain organized, with quite a few utensils, pots, and pans cluttering up your counter tops and cupboards. Profit from your kitchen area by putting in a pegboard on the wall to hold pots, pans, and different necessities. Use drawer dividers to maintain utensils and small gadgets neatly organized. Dangle a shoe organizer on the again of your pantry or cupboard doorways to retailer spices, kitchen instruments, or cleansing provides. By implementing these easy storage options, you may maximize your kitchen area and make cooking a breeze. Implementing these artistic residence group concepts will remodel your residing area into an organized and clutter-free haven. By using wall area, investing in multi-functional furnishings, and discovering modern storage options like under-bed storage or a command middle, you may maximize your area and maintain your belongings neatly saved and simply accessible. Bear in mind, a well-organized residence will not be solely visually interesting but additionally promotes a way of peace and tranquility. So, get artistic and begin decluttering right this moment! [ad_2]