#£5.65

[hozion]

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Omniscience

"The things I once imagined would be my greatest achievements were only the first steps toward a future I can only begin to fathom." —Jace Beleren

Artist: Jason Chan TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

[saviourkingslut]

bought and consumed my first and only starbucks™ pumpkin spice latte. distinctly overrated. but at least i can say ive experienced it now

[chukys-mouthguard]

A Shot at Love: Welcome to the Mansion

5.65 words

meet the 12 eligible bachelors

It’s time, for the premier of ‘A Shot at Love: An NHL Dating Show AU’ ! The 12 lucky bachelors arrive at the mansion to meet our lovely bachelorette Y/N!

Who will impress? Who will receive the coveted first rose? It’s all up to the viewers in this one of a kind interactive au series!

Voting is only open for 24 hours, so be sure to cast your vote for who should get the first rose!

note: if you want to be added to the tag list for this series, please comment or send me an ask! :)

A deep sigh left your lips as you looked yourself over once more in the mirror, palms smoothing over your dress before nervously messing with your hair.

In just a few minutes you’d be introduced to twelve NHL players that were going to be competing for a chance at forever with you. The idea was one you sure would never come to fruition when first pitched to you, and when you found out the players of the league would be voting for the twelve eligible bachelors, you were surely convinced the concept would die.

But as the twelve players were determined and had all accepted their spots on the show, you were realizing this funny concept had turned into your reality.

“Y/n, are you ready to get this show started?”

The voice of Paul Bissonnette interrupting your thoughts as you turned to find him and Ryan Whitney, the hosts of the show, both waiting patiently for you before heading out to the front of the mansion to welcome the mystery men.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

A soft chuckle left your lips as you could feel your palms growing sweatier as you headed for the door. The limo transporting the men now visible in the distance as it drove down the long winding driveway.

“Pink Whitney to calm your nerves?”

Ryan pulled 3 mini bottles of the pink lemonade flavored vodka from his suit pocket, Biz quickly taking one and cracking it open.

“Are you guys gonna constantly plug your vodka during this show?”

“You bet your ass we are!”

Biz and Whit tapped their bottles together before throwing them back, you rolling your eyes before joining them in taking the shot.

“Alright, we are gonna go give the boys a warm welcome, then it’ll be show time!”

Nodding your head you watched as the two hosts headed down to meet the limousine, each of them climbing inside to welcome the mystery men. Your nerves at a high as you tried to imagine who would’ve actually accepted a spot on this show, quickly running through every team in the league trying to picture who would come out of the limo. Surely no stars were putting themselves on a dating show, your expectations assuming them to be lesser known guys who maybe didn’t have some superstar image to uphold.

“Holy shit Whit, look at these fucking beauties we got in here!”

Whit quickly smacked his co-host as the group seated around the limo laughed. “Biz watch the mouth! This is national television, you’re gonna get us fired before we even make it to the rose ceremony.”

Biz covered his mouth in embarrassment before mouthing an I’m sorry to the camera.

“Alright boys, so you’re all here because the players voted you all as the worst in the league when it comes to dating and the ladies. So congratulations!”

The limo erupted in laugher and some half hearted cheers. “Y/n’s waiting for you all. She’s a little nervous, but excited. And she’s a drop dead smoke show, so it’s you all who should be nervous!”

Biz went to climb from the limo, time for the grand reveal, but Whit stopped him. “Biz, I think they all could use a little liquid courage don’t you think?”

Whit pulled a bag full of Pink Whitney bottles seemingly from out of nowhere, tossing one to each of the men. “This portion of the show is sponsored by Pink Whitney, the official drink of ‘A Shot at Love.’ Cheers boys!”

As you headed to the bottom of the staircase out front of the mansion, hearing the boys all saying cheers with their shots in the limo, you rolled your eyes.

“Those two are seriously gonna plug that drink every chance they get.”

Biz and Whit reappeared and headed your way, signaling that it was finally time to meet the men that would be competing for a shot at love with you. Your mind racing as you wondered what their opinions of you would be. Would they like you? Would they think you were attractive? Certainly being professional athletes they’ve had plenty of women throwing themselves at them.

“Y/n, it’s time. Should we bring out the first gentleman?”

A simple nod was all you could muster as you patiently waited for the door of the limo to open and Biz or Whit to call their name, wondering who you might see emerging from behind it.

“From the New Jersey Devils…Nico Hischier.”

Nico stepped out of the limo, his smile immediately settling your nerves. A hand running through his hair to ensure it sat perfectly as he buttoned his suit jacket before he walked towards you.

If this was how the night would start, you couldn’t imagine who else was hiding in the limo.

Your heart racing as Nico now stood in front of you, politely taking your hand and kissing it. A true gentleman.

“Hi y/n, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Hi Nico, likewise, even though I had no clue you would be here.”

The blush on your cheeks had to be visible at this point as you couldn’t stop smiling. His accent sounded like music to your ears as he spoke.

“Though I have no clue what to expect out of this experience, I’m excited to get to know you,and for you to get to know me. At the end of this hopefully we are jetting off to Switzerland together.”

“I mean that would definitely be a pretty great ending in my eyes!”

“Well we could leave now? Screw this show?”

Nico playfully pulled your hand to run, but stopped as he laughed, making you melt right there.

“I don’t wanna take up more of your time, I’ll let you meet the rest of the guys. But I promise they won’t be as great as me.”

Nico shot you a wink before heading up the stairs and into the mansion, your smile now permanently on your face.

“So? What did you think of that fine piece of Swiss chocolate?”

A cackle left your mouth at Biz’s drunken commentary, shaking your head as Whit moved to knock on the door of limo to signal the next man to reveal himself.

“You guys are drunk and we’ve only met one guy, oh my lord.”

You were surely in for a wild night, and this was only the beginning.

“From the Philadelphia Flyers, Jamie Drysdale.”

“Hi y/n, it’s nice to meet you. You, you look beautiful.”

“Thank you Jamie, it’s lovely to meet you. How’s your shoulder doing?”

Jamie was shocked at your question, surely he didn’t expect you to be familiar enough with him to know he’d injured the same shoulder two seasons in a row. Laughing a bit as he playfully rubbed it.

“It’s good, better than ever. I’ll never turn down a good shoulder rub though.”

“Maybe if you’re lucky we can do that later for your one on one time?”

“Sounds like a plan to me, I’ll head inside and find a good spot for a massage.”

Jamie flashed a smile before heading inside, Biz looking towards the car to see who was next. A soft chuckle leaving his lips as he gave you a thumbs up, as if to say it’s a good one.

“From the New York Rangers, Matt Rempe.”

Your eyes went wide as the Rangers rookie emerged from the limo. You’d seen him on tv and knew he was tall, but seeing him in person made that crystal clear.

“Hi.”

A soft chuckle leaving your lips as you could sense his nerves and the awkwardness emanating from him.

“Hi, um, I’m sure you get this all the time but, you’re even taller in person.”

“Yeah, I hear that sometimes. Does that mean you’ve watched me on tv?”

“I might have a few times, but don’t think that’s gonna give you any type of advantage here!”

He smiled wide as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m just happy to be a part of this with a pretty girl like you, I’m not expecting any special treatment.”

“As long as you don’t start any fights here okay?”

He shot you a devilish grin as he headed up the stairs.

“No promises.”

“Hey, how many shots have you boys had over there?”

You shouted across the drive, noticing the two men getting the giggles. Most likely laughing at something stupid, telling you they were well on their way to being drunk.

“We might as well have just brought a whole bottle out here. These mini bottles aren’t cutting it.”

Shaking your head you smoothed your hands over the front of your dress, readying yourself for the next mystery man to emerge.

“You guys aren’t gonna make it to reveal number six at this rate.”

“From the Seattle Kraken, Vince Dunn.”

The moment Vince stepped out of the limo he’d immediately caught your eye, noticing his style differing from the first few guys. No suit for Vince as he wore a short sleeve shirt that was tastefully showing off the outline of his chest and arm muscles thanks to it being a little on the tighter side. Pairing that with some solid colored chino pants, and some slip on vans.

“Am I a little underdressed or something?”

He playfully joked as he walked up to you, giving you a hug before taking the time to look you up and down. A smile on his face as he held your hand.

“If this is your style, then never worry about being underdressed. I think you look great!”

“Suits are great and all, but my mind is always focused on when I can just throw on my sweats and be comfy.”

“Trust me I’ve been thinking about that the entire time I’ve been standing here, I especially can’t wait for the moment I can take my bra off.”

You and Vince laughed as he made his way towards the staircase to head inside and join the growing group.

“Oh me too, taking my bra off is the best part of my day for sure!”

“From the Vegas Golden Knights, I fucking love this kid-“

“Biz watch the goddamn mouth!”

“Oh fu-I mean, fudge. Jacky Eichs!”

Jack emerged from the limo laughing at the two drunk hosts, both of them giving him a little cheer as he made his way to you, giving you a hug before he introduced himself.

“Hi y/n, I’m Jack. And if we are gonna be together at the end of this, I think it’s important I be honest with you right from the start.”

“Okay, I love honesty.”

He sighed, as if to suggest it was something tough for him to say, making you nervous as this was only night one and you weren’t expecting any drama this soon.

“My, my real name isn’t Jack, it’s John. Woo, that feels good to get off my chest!”

Rolling your eyes you let out a sigh of relief, playfully smacking him on the chest as he laughed. “I thought you were gonna say something off the wall crazy Jack, I mean, John?”

“You can call me Jack, I just didn’t want any secrets on day one, big or small you know?”

He headed up the stairs as Biz and Whit are still shocked they never knew his real name was John, chirping him until he’d finally shut the door to the house behind him.

“Fuc-fudge me Biz what are we on six now? I mean I can’t even see who is coming out of the limos anymore.”

“God forbid you say the wrong name Whit, better put on the glasses for the next one.”

“From the New York Islanders, Mat Barzal.”

If your heart could stop beating, but somehow you’d still be standing and breathing, it had just happened. The minute he’d stepped from the limo you were confused as to how he’d ended up here. Mat was one of the hottest guys in the league, but he did have a bit of a reputation. So how they got him to agree to something as crazy as this, you’d never know.

“Y/n, nice to meet you, I’m Mat.”

“I know, I’ve seen you on tv once or twice, so I know a thing or two.”

“Uh oh, good things or bad things?”

His smirk shot you right through the heart and you could barely focus on speaking. Aspiring how good he looked in his dress pants as loose fitting button up, following Vince in the more casual style of dress.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and find out?”

He shot you a wink before heading inside, your heart rate not slowing down as you urged Biz to hurry up with the next man.

“From the Anaheim Ducks, Gouda!”

“Huh?”

You looked at the two hosts confused as Whit shook his head at Biz, taking the Pink Whitney bottle from his hands as he quickly corrected his partner.

“Jesus Christ, please ignore his drunk ass for the rest of the night, it’s Trevor Zegras.”

The smiley boy emerged from the limo, running a hand through his hair as he approached you. Wrapping you in a tight hug as he seemed to exude confidence.

“Hi y/n, so nice to meet you.”

“You as well, is it Trevor or Gouda?”

He threw his head back laughing as he shrugged. “Whatever you wanna call me, I’m here for it. Trevor, Gouda, maybe your boyfriend by the time things are done here. I’m fine with any of those options!”

“Confident, okay, I like it . Well, I’ll stick with Trevor for right now, don’t wanna get ahead of ourselves.”

Shooting him a wink you bid him farewell as the next man was already emerging from the limo.

“From the Vancouver Canucks, Quinn Hughes.”

To say you were shocked was an understatement. Quinn was known to you as a bit more reserved, often quiet. And quite frankly, he was the last person you expected to be on a dating show.

“You seem a bit surprised, were you expecting Jack to come out of that limo?”

He shyly laughed as he gave you a hug. Quickly shaking your head you tried to erase any thoughts from his mind that you weren’t thrilled to see him.

“No no! Not at all, you just don’t strike me as the dating show type.”

“Well I guess there’s a lot you need to learn about me. For one, reality dating shows are actually a guilty pleasure of mine. And two, maybe I’m not afraid to admit that t I might need some help in the dating department. So here I am.”

“I guess you could say I need some help too and that’s why I’m standing here. But I’m very happy that you’re here too Quinn!”

“How many more guys are there holy shi-shoot?”

Biz headed to the limo, peeking his head inside to count the remaining guys.

“Can we speed run these last guys? Like oh my gosh.”

“Imagine standing on cobblestone in heels this whole time Biz!”

“Exactly! Speed round, hello?? Whit, help me out here!” Whit shook his head as he continued with the script, not wanting to add to the list of reasons he and Biz would be on the chopping block after this episode airs. Most of those reasons being the accidental f bombs and high alcohol content.

“From the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews.”

If you had to rank the players you were most familiar with, Auston would have been towards the top of the list. Though you knew of him for the fact that Toronto wasn’t known for doing too hot in the playoffs the last few years, though you’d never say that to him.

“Hey y/n, how are you?”

He wrapped you in a hug with a smile plastered in his face, unsure if it was him or the Pink Whitney shots that had you blushing.

“Hi Auston, nice to meet you. Loving the outfit, different from the other guys. Which is good, helps you stand out for sure.”

He playfully showed off his outfit, which was more street style than formal attire. But it was true to Auston, which you appreciated him taking the chance to just be himself and show that.

“Figured it was best to show up true to me. Glad you like it. I’m hoping that here I can bring home the win, unlike my track record on the ice.”

“Viewers, he said it, not me!”

You pointed to the camera, staring it down playfully as you laughed, Auston backing you up that it was his words and not yours.

“God bless, final 3 boys, then we’re done.”

“Biz they still have the opportunity for some one on one time, we aren’t done after this.”

“Jesus….pass me another shot.”

“From the Montreal Canadiens, Cole Caufield.”

The smile on Cole’s face never left from the time he exited the limo to when he hugged you. Kindly greeting you as he introduced himself.

“Y/n, ask him what his nickname is.”

Cole immediately shook his head at Biz butting into the meeting, “we really don’t need to do that. Maybe we can reveal that if I make it past tonight.”

Despite Cole’s pleading to ignore Biz, you couldn’t help but be intrigued. “Is it really that bad?”

Cole sighed as he rubbed his neck, debating on whether or not he wanted to tell you. “I’d rather leave you guessing for now, it’s not bad, just, not television appropriate let’s say.”

Your eyes went wide as your mind raced as to what the nickname could be, but letting it slide as you could sense Cole’s nervousness.

“Maybe later you can tell me without these two hanging around.”

Cole smiled as he headed inside, hearing him mumble “fuck I need a shot after that” on his way up the stairs, making you chuckle to yourself.

“I don’t know who let this kid in because he’s not even old enough to drink Pink Whitney, the official sponsor of ‘A Shot at Love’. But he’s here so I guess we just have to deal with it. Get this boy an apple juice, from the New Jersey Devils, Luke Hughes.”

The idea of 2 Hughes brothers’ being included in this show was not one that crossed your mind, but if it had, Luke would definitely have not been the other brother you expected to see step out of that limo.

He shyly made his way over, a soft smile on his face as he hugged you. You couldn’t help but smile, trying your best to make him feel less nervous or anxious.

“Hi Luke, very nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. I’m sure you weren’t expecting this to become Hughes’ bowl, minus Jack of course. But he’s not that great anyways, so you’re not missing much.”

The two of you laughed at his brotherly jabs, appreciating how he’d seemed to relax a bit once he made you laugh.

“Well things definitely just got interesting with 2 Hughes’ brothers in the house, I’d say cheers to the idea of you both making it to the end, but the boys said you’re not 21.”

Like shrugged off the comment, not paying much attention to that fact. “Trust me, it’ll come in handy for me when all these other guys are hungover trying to compete in some sort of physical challenge!”

You were thankful that you’d reached the last guy to appear from the limo, desperately needing to not be standing on cobblestone in your heels.

“And finally, thank the lord, from the Utah Hockey Club. That’s so fucking weird to say oh my god, John Marino.”

John appeared from the limo, laughing at Whit’s comments on his new team, and if you were honest you’d not paid much attention to him prior to him being traded. But as he walked over to you, with a smile on his face as he ran a hand through his loose curls, you were mad for not paying attention sooner.

“Hey y/n, how are you?”

“I’m good, feet hurt a little from standing for so long, but I’m surviving. What about you? Last guy having to sit in that limo all night.”

John shrugged it off, “it was worth my butt falling asleep 4 times if it meant I got to walk out here and see you.”

Playfully holding a hand to your forehead as you pretended to become faint, John laughed.

“Well it’s true! You look beautiful, and I’d wait in the car for another 4 hours if I had to. But, I’ll wrap this up so we can get inside and you can get your feet off this cobblestone. Lovely to meet you, and I’ll see you in there.”

John pulled you in for a hug before heading up the stairs, Biz and Whit joining you as the three of you followed suit. Ready to welcome all of the guys as a group.

As you headed inside, the competition was now seeming like it was going to be more difficult than you’d imagined. Thinking of all of the guys that were inside waiting. All of the handsome, funny, talented athletes, full of personality. How the hell were you going to eliminate any of them tonight?

Entering the room the men had all been waiting in, you took a deep breath. Facing them all together made you nervous as they surely had been sizing each other up from the moment they’d all settled in. All of them smiling once they saw you walk in, a few whistles and cheers coming from the group while you found your place in front of them.

“Okay, well, we’ve made it this far! I can’t speak for Biz and Whit because I think they are one shot away from passing out on us. But, I just wanted to thank you all for being a part of this crazy journey. I find it hard to believe that the twelve of you would voluntarily put yourself through something like this, for me. And for a shot at love. I’m so excited to learn about each of you for who you are off the ice, because that comes first to me. I’m not paying attention to who in this group scores the most goals, who plays on the best team. I’m here looking to find my person, and I’m excited to know that one of you will be that guy.”

The guys cheered as your lovely hosts were passing around more Pink Whitney shots, as if they’d hadn’t had enough tonight already.

“Can you two even handle another shot?”

“Are you kidding? Pink Whitney is the official sponsor of ‘A Shot at Love’, and the best pink lemonade flavored vodka on the market. Of course we can handle another shot! Plus, we made the damn thing!”

Rolling your eyes you accepted the shot from Biz, the group holding their shots up as you proposed a toast.

“Well, I can guarantee with hosts like these there will never be a dull moment around here. Cheers to ’A Shot at Love’! Sorry Luke…promise we will get you something non-alcoholic for next week so you can still feel included.”

Everyone tossed back their shots, then placed the empty bottles on the table. Immediately the competition had begun as it was a race to who was going to ask you for some time alone first.

Jack Eichel appeared at your side, taking your hand as he asked if the two of you could talk, the other guys immediately groaning at his eagerness to steal you away.

The two of you found a spot in one of the side rooms, taking a seat on the sofa with a sigh as Jack laughed.

“Tough night so far?”

Shaking your head, you smiled as you weren’t trying to come across tired or anything with the night so far. “No no, just, nice to sit down! Heels on cobblestone do not mix.”

“Well if beauty is pain, you must be in agony because you look gorgeous tonight.”

Blushing at his words you couldn’t help but smile, softly biting at your lip the way the compliment just effortlessly rolled off his tongue.

“You’re a pretty smooth talker Mr. Eichel. How’s the night been for you? Probably weird seeing all these guys under one rough and you’re all competing in a different way than usual.”

He nodded his head as he chuckled, “you could definitely say that. It’s weird seeing some of the guys, only because they seem a bit out of place in my opinion. Like I know we were voted here by guys in the league, but some of these guys, I mean Luke Hughes? He’s 20, how much dating experience does that kid have? I just think it’s a little unfair to him that he found himself thrown into this you know?”

Nodding your head you were unsure what Jack’s intentions were with this conversation. It seems odd that he’d take his first opportunity to chat with you to talk about who he believes should and shouldn’t be in the house.

“Well, hey, he’s here right? So, either he will make the best of it and find love for himself. Or he won’t. But, I think that’s for him to worry about Jack, not you, you know?”

The conversation with Jack continued on, thankfully moving away from the focus on what guys were voted in the house, but soon enough you’d be interrupted by another man trying to steal your attention.

“Knock knock, times up Eichs.”

Jack looked over his shoulder to see Auston and he reluctantly got up, playfully whining that time went by too quick. Bidding you goodbye as he exited and allowed Auston to take a seat next to you.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

You could feel your smile had doubled in size from the moment Auston walked in. Something about him just gave you butterflies, and you almost felt embarrassed for how excited you were to see him.

“How are you?”

He took your hand in his as he watched you attentively, waiting for your response as you laughed. “I mean, it probably sounds wrong to say, but I’ve got 12 pretty amazing guys all in one house because they want to date me. That’s a pretty nice feeling I’d say?”

Auston laughed with you as he sipped his drink, nodding in agreement.

“I mean, I think we’d all be crazy not to be here, and any one of us would be lucky to walk away with you after this.”

Though all the guys had made a point to say that, you could hear the sincerity in Austin’s voice, he meant it.

“I guess I just wonder how some of you ended up here, or why. I feel like you all should be in relationships and unavailable, how do some of the league's best stars get voted here by their peers?”

He shrugged as he sighed, “because that’s just it, we’re stars, so we should have a girl on our arm. And there’s countless girls we could have on our arms. But, they aren’t there for the right reasons, because of who we are. I can’t speak for any of those guys, so I’m simply speaking for myself. I’m not here for a check, some screen time to promote myself, I’m here because I genuinely think you could be the girl I’ve been missing.”

You felt your heart practically melt at his words, something you’d only ever dreamed of hearing someone say to you.

“I can’t tell you how amazing that makes me feel, hearing you say that. Truly.”

He held your hand tighter as he could see you trying not to get emotional.

“I’ve been through my fair share of rough relationships, being used or played by guys. And, it’s not fun. Thinking you’ve found someone that loves you for you, and it turns out to just be a game to them. But I can hear in your voice how sincere you are, and you mean what you say. And that really just warms my heart. So thank you.”

“Well I’m happy to be the one to say those words to you. And I hope you really do trust me when I say, you’re going to find someone here. Whether it’s me, which I hope it is, or another one of these guys, you’ll find your person. I promise you that.”

Conversations continued throughout the night, some more awkward than others. Particularly with the younger guys like Matt Rempe and Luke Hughes. Both of them taking awhile to open up, but as soon as they did another guy was coming to take their place.

Jamie made a point to ask if you were serious about his shoulder massage, to which you told him if he won the date with you next week you’d promise to give him one.

Trevor and Cole were probably the most talkative out of any of the guys, both full of energy and constantly cracking jokes. Which you appreciated since you knew you needed to find a guy that could make you laugh, that was non-negotiable.

You were sure that Nico was thankful when Quinn came to interrupt the two of you. You’d been talking Nico’s ear off asking him about Switzerland, his taste in music, anything you could think of to get to know him better in the short amount of time. But little did you know he found it adorable, loving how sincerely interested you were in learning about where he’s from, and his interests. He wished he didn’t have to let anyone else have their time with you because he could’ve talked for hours.

Quinn noticed you were a bit talked out when he walked in, but he didn’t mind. Taking the league in telling you about himself, making a point to talk about his love for his family and how important they were to him. He expressed that his past relationship struggles weren’t exactly his fault, as he wanted to be sure the girl he chose to be with would love his family and vice versa. He was a picky sort of guy, but he wasn’t the type to waste anyone’s time when he knew what he wanted, and you appreciated that. Hearing him talk about his family and the love he had for them, it warmed your heart because you could only hope that you’d be the girl Quinn chose to meet his family one day.

As the night was winding down, with only a few guys left to talk to, you found yourself realizing that also meant an elimination was just around the corner.

“How the hell am I gonna do this?”

Questioning yourself as you paced the floor, your thoughts the only noise in the room, you tried to imagine who you would eliminate. But it seemed almost impossible to choose, they were all so amazing. Sure some conversations weren’t the best, but no one had given you a reason to say goodbye to them so soon. Not to mention you still needed to decide who would get the first rose of the night.

“Ugh!”

Letting out a groan you plopped back onto the couch in a huff, resting your head in your hands. The pressure of things weighing heavily on you as you tried to calm your nerves.

“Is now a bad time?”

Looking up you saw John poking his head in the room, a playful smile on his face as he waited for your invitation to join you.

“Now is actually a great time, please.”

A slight laugh came from you as John found a place on the couch, studying your expression and sensing how stressed you were. Before you could say anything more he pulled you into his chest, one hand rubbing your back while the other rested in your hair. You felt yourself melt in his embrace, that hug not what you’d expected, but everything you needed. John could feel you relax the moment his arms wrapped around you, a smile on his lips knowing such a small action could bring you so much comfort.

“Thank you, I, I really needed that.”

A soft blush on your cheeks as you pulled away, tucking some hair behind your ear as he smiled down at you.

“It’s okay to be stressed. This is a crazy experience, probably more for you than the rest of us. But, a crazy experience nonetheless.”

John’s hand rested on your thigh as his thumb traced circles over the fabric of your dress, simply enjoying being there with you in that moment and not needing to have conversation or ask you tons of questions that could add to your stress.

“Y/n, we’ve got 5 minutes before first rose.”

Biz popped his head in to give you the warning, a soft smile on your lips as you thanked him. Looking at John with a sigh, you apologized.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get time to really talk, I was busy being stressed.”

He wrapped you in a hug once more before heading off to rejoin the group. “Don’t apologize, I think we spent our time exactly how you needed it. And I’m happy to have helped in any way that I could’ve.”

Entering the room to see all of the guys once again, you could feel your heart beating out of your chest. Their eyes on you as you stood before them holding the first rose of the night. All of them were hopeful that their name would be called, knowing it would be a boost in confidence for them heading into next week.

As you scanned the room, you took a deep breath, a smile on your face as his name sat on your tongue, eager to shout it out and see his reaction. But you kept your composure, as you finally called his name.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil: Fires impact 11.39 mi hectares this year

From January to August 2024, fires in Brazil have ravaged 11.39 million hectares, according to the Mapbiomas Fire Monitor data released on Thursday (Sep. 12). Of this total, 5.65 million hectares were burned in August alone, accounting for 49 percent of the year's total.

In the first eight months of the year, fires spread mainly in areas of native vegetation, which accounted for 70 percent of the total burned area. The countryside was the most affected area, representing 24.7 percent of the total. Savannahs, forest formations, and flooded fields were also heavily impacted, accounting for 17.9 percent, 16.4 percent, and 9.5 percent of the burned area, respectively. Pastures were affected as well, comprising 21.1 percent of the total area burned.

During this period, the states of Mato Grosso, Roraima, and Pará were the hardest hit, accounting for over half (52%) of the total burned area. These three Amazonian states experienced the most significant impact, with fires consuming 5.4 million hectares of the biome in the first eight months of 2024.

Continue reading.

[talonabraxas]

Female Andromedans are 7 to 8 feet tall and the male Andromedans are 7 to 10 feet tall (some are 12 feet tall); Andromedans, regardless of sex, can weigh up to 450 to 600 pounds. Despite their heavier weights, their body types are very elongated and lanky.

Andromedan women are renown for being the most beautiful in the Galaxy, as they are known for their alluring energies and their shapely figures.

Female Andromedans Talon Abraxas

The Lyran refugees ended up in settling in two solar systems in the Andromeda constellation. We know them as "star 42" and "star 44". Star 42 is Zenetae, which is now their star system. Star 44 is Tishtae. Star 42 has 27 planets around the binary stars.

Star 44 has nine planets, but all of the planets are equal to or greater than the size of Jupiter. The planets in these star systems were all terraformed to accommodate the new Lyran inhabitants.

[crayolacolor]

trying to sell my art!! ( finally )

HI GUYS!! so... i have a few of my 5x7 canvas panel paintings up for sale on ko-fi. they're all pretty simple, but i've built up a pretty good backlog of them and thought i'd try putting a few up for sale!!

they're $15.00 + $5.65 for shipping on the first one, but if you buy multiple at the same time you'll only have to pay shipping on one. i'm currently only shipping to the united states for simplicity !!

the link is HERE --- > https://ko-fi.com/s/f9720fff8e

and i've attached the preview images at the bottom !!

[cyberverse--reblogger]

Size chart for (some) Cyberverse characters!

(Note: The size and conversions into feet will be done below, typed out for convenience.)

So I was scrolling around on Seibertron's discussion threads about cyberverse (somebody was trying to bring some political figures in the conversation and I was so confused) to try and ignore my real-life responsibilities and I stumbled upon this post!

It's a (probably) official size chart for certain characters from cyberverse! I posted another version of the screenshot below. Also, here is the original video from where the size chart came from, and it is also in a playlist, including other videos about this cyberverse magazine.

Note: I suggest you click on the picture or open it in a new tab, as tumblr murdered the quality pretty badly. I also suggest you all to watch the video, because my computer is kinda crappy, and idk if taking a screenshot murdered the quality.

HEIGHT AND CONVERSION INTO IMPERIAL SYSTEM:

This is by the order from left to right, top to bottom. Please note that this isn't exact, as I'm just trying my best with eyeballing the heights, and I'm using google conversion to change this in the imperial system, and I'm also rounding the numbers to only two decimal places. Also, the poses they're doing are really weird (seriously, what are you doing, Acid Storm?), but I'm assuming that wherever their heads end is how tall whoever put this chart together wanted them to be, and they didn't have access to any official art that had everyone standing straight.

By the way, please don't chew me a new butt if I'm off by around 0.10 meters or something. I'm trying my best here, and I don't really want to break out the rulers and grid and do math to find their exact height. I'm just doing this for fun :]

AUTOBOTS/TOP ROW: Bumblebee: 4.75 meters, equivalent to 15.58 feet. Optimus Prime: 5.75 meters, equivalent to 18.86 feet. Windblade: 4.75 meters, equivalent to 15.58 feet. Grimlock: 6 meters, equivalent to 19.69 feet (nice). Hot Rod: 5.25 meters, equivalent to 17.22 feet. Wheeljack: 5.50 meters, equivalent to 18.04 feet. Blurr: 5.50 meters, equivalent to 18.04 feet. Ratchet: 5.65 meters, equivalent to 18.54 feet.

DECEPTICONS/BOTTOM ROW: Megatron: 6.25 meters, equivalent to 20.50 feet. Starscream: 5.10 meters, equivalent to 16.73 feet. Shockwave: 5.75 meters, equivalent to 18.86 feet. Thundercracker: 4.65 meters, equivalent to 15.26 feet. Shadow Striker: 5.65 meters, equivalent to 18.54 feet. Acid Storm: 4.65 meters, equivalent to 15.26 feet. Soundwave: 5.65 meters, equivalent to 18.54 feet. Slipstream: 4.65 meters, equivalent to 15.26 feet.

Below the cut is some stuff that I found interesting, like the average of heights, orders from shortest to tallest, surprises I had, and other thoughts. Take a look!

AVERAGE HEIGHTS OF AUTOBOTS: 5.39 meters, equivalent to 17.69 feet (nice).

AVERAGE HEIGHTS OF DECEPTICONS: 5.29 meters, equivalent to 17.37 feet.

AVERAGE HEIGHTS OF BOTS WITH LAND-BASED ALT-MODES (there were 11 of them in total; 7 Autobots, 4 Decepticons): 5.61 meters, equivalent to 18.40 feet.

AVERAGE HEIGHTS OF BOTS WITH AERIAL-BASED ALT-MODES (there were 5 of them in total; 1 Autobot, 4 Decepticons): 4.76 meters, equivalent to 15.62 feet.

-----

Height re-order; Tallest to shortest, all bots: 1. Megatron (6.25 m // 20.50 ft) 2. Grimlock (6 m // 19.69 ft) 3. Optimus Prime and Shockwave (Both 5.75 m // 18.86 ft) 4. Ratchet, Shadow Striker, and Soundwave (All 5.65 m // 18.54 ft) 5. Blurr and Wheeljack (Both 5.50 m // 18.04 ft) 6. Hot Rod (5.25 m // 17.22 ft) 7. Starscream (5.10 m // 16.73 ft) 8. Bumblebee and Windblade (Both 4.75 m // 15.58 ft) 9. Acid Storm, Slipstream, and Thundercracker (All 4.65 m // 15.26 ft)

Height re-order; Tallest to shortest, Autobots only: 1. Grimlock (6 m // 19.69 ft) 2. Optimus Prime (5.75 m // 18.54 ft) 3. Ratchet (5.65 m // 18.54 ft) 4. Blurr and Wheeljack (Both 5.50 m // 18.04 ft) 5. Hot Rod (5.25 m // 17.22 ft) 6. Bumblebee and Windblade (Both 4.75 m // 15.58 ft)

Height re-order; Tallest to shortest, Decepticons only: 1. Megatron (6.25 m // 20.50 ft) 2. Shockwave (5.75 m // 18.86 ft) 3. Shadow Striker, and Soundwave (Both 5.65 m // 18.54 ft) 4. Starscream (5.10 m // 16.73 ft) 5. Acid Storm, Slipstream, and Thundercracker (All 4.65 m // 15.26 ft)

-----

This whole list was pretty interesting, although I do feel like the animators weren't all that faithful to this (heck, I don't think they had this, and were just told general guidelines to follow to make each character a certain height.) Also, I'd have thought the seekers (and Windblade) would have been taller than most of the other bots that have land-based alt-modes, like Bumblebee or Hot Rod. I guess not in this continuity.

Considering that the other bots that are the same height as Shadow Striker or taller are either SUVs, tanks, large trucks, dinosaurs, etc, while Shadow Striker is just a sports car is pretty interesting.

I also like to imagine that the only reason why Starscream is taller than the other seekers listed is because he made some sort of mod (maybe something that has to do to his rockets at his heel/foot?)

It's too bad that there doesn't seem to be anything with the rest of the s1 characters (Because I swear there were more Autobots first shown in background scenes during season one, but I could be wrong), and it really is too bad that we don't have anything for the season 2, 3, and the movie specials.

Still, I hope you all found this post as interesting as I did!

[miss-sagemoon]

Precision Poll (1/3)

You are asked to rate something on a scale of 1-10, you are actively disinterested in whats being rated...

[hozion]

[acommonloon]

Earlier today I met up with friends to drink a beer that reminded me of earlier days. Earlier good days and today was a good day. Later I stopped for groceries and as I got out of the truck I saw a woman walking towards me.

She was wearing a loose dress and her hair was covered with a scarf. Her brows were dark her skin tanned, I thought she might be mid to late twenties. She held a piece of cardboard low against her chest. Based on world events, I thought she might be collecting support for Palestinians. I waited. “Excuse me sir” her voice was soft and I detected no accent. She unfolded the cardboard.

I glanced at it but only saw the words mother, hungry, children before I looked back at her eyes.

I was transported instantly to Strasbourg France, 2018. We were at the Christmas market there, it was near dusk and raining and one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever beheld. The medieval town square filled with lighted booths the towering church looming over it. We were cueing to get into the church when my son said, “Oh dad, there will be gypsy beggars up here. Don’t give them anything. It’s a scam.”

When the gnarled old woman shuffled up to me and handed me what I thought at first was a brochure, but was a tattered written plea for alms, I smiled and gave her whatever loose Euros I had in my pocket. My son snorted but I didn’t care. Didn’t care if it was a scam. It was small change.

In Chicago once I was approached by a young black woman who asked if she could have $5.65. I was surprised and asked why she asked for that specific amount. She pointed at the McDonalds I’d not noticed and said she could get a certain meal for that amount. I’d no idea if she was sincere but I laughed and gave her the cash I had on me which wasn’t enough. I shrugged and she thanked me in a perfunctory manner. It still makes me smile.

Anyway, I grew up just shy of really poor. My mom brandished a form of pride I recognize now as her shield to ward off shame. She was ashamed by her…our financial circumstance and she returned the near constant assistance she got from my dad’s mom with as much resentment as appreciation. She never failed to criticize welfare families even though we would have been them too without the help of my grandmother and others.

Some of that shame couldn’t help but rub off on me yet I was far more influenced by my grandmother than my mother. Seeing the grace with which she shared her own minimal resources with us, made me want to be like her. lol one last sidetrack.

I was 12 when my paternal grandfather died. By all accounts, he was a mean old man. Decades later a stranger said to me, upon finding out who my grandmother was, “There was never a finer woman than your grandmother.” Then he said, “She never deserved Alec.” Referring to my grandfather. Alec was a nasty man with rarely a good word to say about anyone. Except me. He called me little shitass and I knew he loved me.

When he died, he had a healthy bank account but also $4000 cash was found in a roll in the tackle box he kept in his truck. I heard my parents talk about this. One evening a few days after his funeral, my parents, my two sisters, both younger than me, and I were up at grandma’s. I’d been staying there anyway so she wasn’t alone.

My grandmother said, I want you to go into the dining room and in the drawer of the sideboard you’ll find where Alec kept all the wallets he got for Christmas presents and he never used.

I said I didn’t want a wallet. She said, “Go on, he would have wanted you to have one.”

I spent so much time in that little house on the Blue River, I knew where the wallets were. I pulled open the drawer and picked up the first wallet from the pile. It fell open in my hands and it was full of cash! A lot of cash.

I carried it into the living room to my grandma’s chair and held it out to her. She took it and looked up at me and said, “Where did you find this?”

“It was on top.” I said.

She said, “That can’t be. All your uncles and even cousins have been in there to get a wallet.”

She burst into tears. Her hand shook as she handed me a fifty. She pulled out more money and gave it to my parents who were also in a state of shock. Then still crying she said, I can take that trip to the Holy Land!

Her tears were of joy and though all I did was carry the wallet to her, I felt like I had done something for my grandma to make her happy. That feeling was a heady drug.

So. I fully recognize when I give someone something, I’m doing it for me.

It isn’t transactional. If they don’t appreciate it I don’t mind. Also, I recognize a gift can cause distress. I’m mindful not everyone feels gratitude at being given a gift. I learned that lesson…anyway

Today, in the Meijer parking lot, I looked down at the woman and smiled. “I’m going to give you some money.” I said as I reached into my pocket. “Where are you from?”

Romania

I laughed at that. Thinking of my son and Strasbourg.

I said, “Okay, I wonder if you are scamming me.”

Sorry, I don’t speak good English.

Right. I handed her a five and said, “Have a good day.”

I didn’t wait to see her reaction. On the way into the store my phone chimed with a text.

It was my son.

I typed, Hey guess whatI just did!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Mira Lazine for Erin In The Morning:

[Note: This edition of Erin In The Morning is brought to you by Mira Lazine, who is guest writing for Erin In The Morning after the passing of Erin’s mother. Mira Lazine is a freelance journalist covering LGBTQ+ issues, politics, and science.] On Thursday, Jo Maugham - director of the United Kingdom legal advocacy organization The Good Law Project - wrote a detailed thread on X/Twitter in which he alleges that there has been a substantial increase in the number of suicides for young trans people on the National Health Service (NHS) waitlist, and that the NHS has been suppressing the evidence. Maugham says that this occurred after the infamous 2020 Bell v. Tavistock ruling that restricted care for those under 16. While this ruling has since been overturned, the damage from it is still being felt today.

Maugham, who first announced some of these claims in a Good Law Project fundraiser opposing the British puberty blocker ban, says that he spoke with two whistleblowers. “I have seen their staff IDs and each has provided me with some internal Tavistock documents. There is no doubt they are who they say they are.”  The first whistleblower reportedly said that prior to the 2020 Bell ruling, only one young trans person died from suicide in seven years and that since the ruling, there have been sixteen deaths. This data is reported to come from an anonymous doctor referred to as “Named Doctor for Safeguarding Children.”

He then goes on to say that the whistleblower tried to alert higher ups about this, including a director at the Tavistock gender clinic and Dr. Hillary Cass. Cass is the primary person behind the infamous Cass Review, a systematic review that has led to the temporary prohibition of puberty blockers for transgender youth in Great Britain. Details related to the whistleblower’s concerns aren’t apparent within the Review, suggesting that Cass ignored concerns as the Review was being drafted. Cass, who has no professional history working with transgender young people, collaborated with people who had ties to SPLC-designated hate groups like Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine. During the writing of the Review, she met with Ron DeSantis-appointed members of the Florida medical board.

Maugham reached out to Tavistock and Cass for comment. Tavistock did not respond, while Cass referred Maugham to paragraph 5.65 in the Review, where she offhandedly discusses these suicides while underplaying the link between the NHS, Gender Identity Service (GIDS), and these deaths. Additionally, Cass fails to mention the total number of suicides in the Review from either before Bell or after. The second whistleblower claims to be able to substantiate the claims made by both the first whistleblower and the “Named Doctor for Safeguarding Children.” They claim that staff planned an open letter in response to these allegations, and that Tavistock retaliated and threatened them with disciplinary action before suppressing the material. Maugham then substantiates the allegations made by both whistleblowers by revealing meeting minutes that show Tavistock staff members were well aware of these deaths. He points out that this ignores attempted suicides and does not necessarily capture all deaths. Additionally, he shows additional notes that suggest that some data was deliberately left out of Freedom of Information Act requests.

[...] An investigation from The Guardian two years ago reveals that there are systemic failures in the United Kingdom’s mental health service which is attributable to many suicides, including some for transgender youth. Considering that several adults also died due to suicide while on waitlists, and that the majority of people on waitlists for gender affirming care have been there for more than 18 weeks, it’s possible that there are additional suicides unaccounted for This investigation, alongside the allegations made by Maugham, opens up substantial questions about how seriously medical professionals treat suicides of transgender youth. If Maugham’s allegations prove true, one of the country’s biggest medical scandals in history may unfold.

Mira Lazine writes in Erin Reed’s Erin In The Morning Substack about how the NHS in the UK covered up suicides of trans youths, especially after the Bell v. Tavistock ruling. The Cass Review ignored the impacts of suicide of trans youths as result of the post-Bell climate.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil's Pará state follows through on COP28 pledge to restore native vegetation

The Amazonian state of Pará, in Brazil’s North, has officially released an ecological restoration plan to counteract deforestation, having pledged to do so during last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.

The so-called “Plan for the Recovery of Native Vegetation in Pará” includes the bold target of restoring 5.65 million hectares of degraded forest by 2030 — an area almost three times the size of the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

The Brazilian federal government under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called for zero Amazon deforestation by 2030.

For any plan to curb Amazon deforestation or revitalize degraded areas, the state of Pará will be central. Since 2006, the state has been the source of the most deforestation in the so-called Legal Amazon. Of the ten municipalities with the most deforestation in 2023, six are found in Pará.

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[beaniemod]

1982 Union Toy dog plush

$9 + $5.65 shipping

[crayolacolor]

5x7 paintings still for sale on ko-fi !!

hello hello!! i'm back to self promote again!

i still have six of my 5x7 canvas panel paintings up for sale on my ko-fi shop! ( one of the original six was sold a few days ago, but i replaced it with another one! )

details are below:

$15 each, with a $5.65 shipping charge.

if you buy two or more at the same time, you only pay shipping for one!! shipping is free on the rest of them.

only shipping within the US for the time being!! this may change at a later date!!

SHOP LINK --- > https://ko-fi.com/s/f9720fff8e

and the paintings i have listed are pictured below!!:

(just as a small note, the ballerina one is mixed media!! the silhouette was drawn on paper first, then cut out and glued on + varnished over.)

[d3votional]

PAID SPELLWORK

Want a spell, but don't have the tools or experience? Ask a practiced witch!

ABOUT ME: I've been practicing for seven years and have a special interest in divination. Below are the types of spellwork I offer for cheap. Send me a message for inquiry/more information. View my other paid divination readings here.

MONEY

Abundance Spell - $5.55

Abundance Candle - $5.55

Abundance Jar Spell - $13.31

To Receive Money - $23.32

Attracting Extra Money - $4.44

Money Charm - $21.12

HEALTH

Happiness - $3.33

Physical Health - $5.55

Candle Healing Spell - $13.31

PROTECTION

To Reverse Negativity or Hexes - $7.77

To Break the Hold Someone Has Over You - $9.89

For Increased Privacy - $5.55

LOVE

To End Heartbreak - $8.68

To Attract Great Love - $30.03

For Added Commitment - $3.33

To Attract a New Friend - $4.44

To Bring Romantic Love to You - $5.55

To Obtain Love from a Specific Person - $5.55

To Forget About an Ex-Lover - $6.76

To Get Rid of an Unwanted Admirer - $5.55

BINDING

"Chill Out" Binding - $3.43

LUCK

Good Luck -

End Bad Luck -

HEXES

To Face One's Actions - $7.77

Simple Jar Curse - $17.71

Your Hatred is Your Own - $7.77

OTHER

To Increase Productivity - $7.87

Lawful Justice - $21.12

To Clear Writer’s Block - $6.76

To Ease Anxiety - $11.11

To Find the Truth - $4.44

Diagnosis of the Evil Eye - $1.11

Removal of the Evil Eye - $5.65