#bucket tooth layer

[skele-bunny]

There's still some time of Halloween left sooo here it's something

What are the ghouls favorite Halloween candy?

Long time no see friend i hope you are doing okay.

-🎃

Hi pumpkin!!! I'm so happy to see you!!! Hmmm, candies, candies

Dewdrop, LOVES pixie sticks, fun dip, and mints actually! He's not huge on sugar, but does enjoy those specifically as it's something small and makes him happy!

Aether, he generally prefers things like twizzlers or gummy candies. Life savers! Enjoys the chew and loves trading his other candy for the gummies. (Yes even the Krabby patty candies)

Mountain, chocolate! He's always had a tooth for it, even down to cocoa itself. Kitkats, crunch bars, and Hershey's are his favorites. Doesn't like Hershey kisses or Reese's tho :0

Swiss, likes sours and sweets! Sour patch kids, gummy worms, Skittles, war heads, that genre! His favorite is when he was given a new flavor of jawbreaker that was sour on all the layers and he was occupied for HOURS

Rain, enjoys nerds the most. He likes the crunch and different flavors at once. Lollipops of any flavor are also a big hit with them!

Phantom, will eat just about anything EXCEPT the sour candies. Those go to Swiss. He's started getting a specific liking for whoppers and strawberry flavored candies

Sunshine, granny candies 1000% everyone gives theirs to her bc it's the only thing she'll eat. Caramels, honeys, strawberry creams, AND the coffee. Taffy is also a second best choice!

Aurora, is also a fun dip lover but she also loves the gum-type. Not gummy! Gum! Hubba bubba, knock outs, chew, just munching away blowing bubbles in her own world

Cirrus, is a mixture of chocolates and lollipops! She's the kinda lady to lean over and sneak out Mountain's Hershey kisses before he's able to offer it to anyone else LMAO

Cumulus, give her anything cherry flavored and she'll kiss ya. Cherry pops, big cherry candies, cherry sours, cherry chews, and yes! Even cherry twizzlers.

Some bonus ones:

Bluebell/Cowbell: Actually doesn't... Like candies. He likes sweets, yes! Candies usually don't hit it for her besides the occasional ones, usually leaves his bucket out for Phil.

Phil/Special: He doesn't like candy. (He will eat literally anything and have the tummy ache for HOURS and claim it's worth it before crashing from the sugar. Has a taste for the mini-pack gummy bears.)

Alpha: Likes hot candies! Cinnamons, cherry chews, and even when people give out mini chip bags he'll ask for the spicy Doritos or Cheetos.

[happy-beeeps]

Hi love! Could I request a Rex X reader where reader can’t sleep so he stays and talks with her?

Hi lovie!!! Tysm for the request! It makes me so happy to answer these especially when they're about Rex. I actually struggle with insomnia so this is like a very real occurrence for me, so I hope you love it!! Also the way i'm posting this at night aw it's like a bedtime story this has so many layers

Bed Time

pairing: Rex x jedi!reader

Summary: You have a hard time finding sleep, so Rex finds you instead

Warnings: None, this is tooth rotting fluff for my sleepy girlies (gn)

WC: 1.2k

* * *

You’re a monster when you’re low on sleep, according to everyone in the Jedi Council and most of the GAR. For being a Jedi, you’d think you’d be well equipped to handle low sleep, but to you, sleep is currency. There’s a running gag of all the places you’ve dozed off when trying to catch up on lost hours (the current favorites being Master Yoda’s council chair, at Kix’s med station, and inside the youngling’s training room.) You’re bristle and groggy when you’re low on energy, and everyone jokes of the time Anakin had proposed one of his haphazard “plans,” and you had looked at him, eyes sullen, and placed a hand over his mouth. “I’m going to need you to stop talking.” You grumbled.

He got over it. Eventually.

This lack of sleep is how you find yourself here, padding through the jungles of Felucia in nothing but your sleep shorts and tunic. When sleep struggles to find you, you’ve found it best to seek a quiet spot away from your bed and do something, anything, to calm your mind. Meditate, read, once you have even scrubbed the entirety of the 501st’s gear. So now, you settle on a quiet spot overlooking a valley, out of sight from where you’ve all made camp, but not too far that you’re in any inherent danger. It’s hard to focus here, the air is thick and soupy and you swear if you swung your arms down fast enough you’d catch water droplets on them. Still, the quiet hum of wildlife around you allows you to ground yourself in the moment, to pretend you’re not at war. It’s calm, peaceful even. Of course, until the peace is corrupted by the crunch of footfall, and you spin around to face the intruder, though your gaze softens as it lands on him.

Rex walks in through the bushes, holding a canteen and a scrap of fabric in one hand, and his bucket in another. He’s dressed only on the bottom, opting to just wear his blacks across his broad chest. “Fancy seeing you here,” he smirks, then moves to settle next to you, offering you the canteen of crisp water.

You graciously accept it, drinking as much as you can muster in one breath, hoping to replace everything you’ve just sweated out. “Gods, you’re perfect.”

“You know, some might even say I was made for you.”

You roll your eyes at the quip, sending your shoulders gently into his. He takes the movement as an invitation to open his arm, and you happily settle your weight on his chest, your head resting in the crook of his neck.

“What are you doing here,” he murmurs against your hair, and you make a movement that resembles a shrug.

“Dunno. Couldn’t sleep, I guess.”

He laughs, and you can feel the rumble down your spine, “Right, so we’ll be paying for that in the morning.”

You look up at his smirk and stick out your tongue at him, and he responds by pressing a warm kiss on the back of your cheek near your ear, swinging his arms around you to hold you firmly across your chest. “How can I make it better?”

“Master Yoda would say by leaving me alone,” you joke, and you know he gets your jest, as he only holds you tighter. “Can we just talk? I don’t know why I’m so unsettled right now.”

“Of course, about what?”

You shrug again and nudge your feet outwards, kicking Rex’s helmet as you move. “What are your marks for again? Tell me about them.”

“Those?” he gestures his head towards the helmet, “For missions I’ve successfully completed. Course, I’ve had to start counting by fives.”

Your eyes land on the newest cluster scrawled on his forehead and you count seven dashes. 35 battles won. You don’t know why that fact impresses you, considering you’ve been at probably half of them at least, not to mention the other missions you’ve completed. Then again, everything Rex does impresses you.

“You ever think about what you’d do without it all, the war, the missions? When it’s all over?”

He hums, pulling you in closer, “Nah, not much use in it. I’m not meant to know anything but war.”

You swat at his chest, “Don’t say that, you know I don’t like it." There’s a blissful silence that falls around the two of you after that. Not quite enough for you to get sleepy, but enough for you to melt into his arms a little bit more, to meditate a touch and use his breathing as an anchor. After a few minutes of this, you start up again. “I know what I’d do.”

“Oh really, General? I’m all ears.”

“First, I think I’d rescue this one dashingly handsome clone captain I worked with, if he’d have me,”

“He would, always, but go on,” and he trails kisses up and down the back of your neck, wherever he can reach.

“Then I think I’d settle on a system somewhere warm, with a beach maybe.”

“Like Naboo?”

“Sure, we can go to Naboo. Then, I think I’d be a teacher.”

“Like a Jedi Master?”

“Yeah, I guess. I’d teach all the kids in our town and then I’d come home to my captain.”

“I’m sure he’d be very happy to see you.” And he is. Rex pulls your chin in for a kiss, not fueled by lust or urgency, but a slow, easy kiss that’s meant to put you at ease. “Do you mean it?” he asks, eyes searching yours for any deception.

You yawn. “When it comes to you, always.”

He grips you tighter, and sleep threatens to overtake you now. “Mesh’la,” he murmurs, running his fingers up and down the sides of your arms, sprouting chill bumps in his wake. “Put this on.” And he passes you the black fabric resting beside him.

You unfurl it and open it to reveal one of his black undershirts. “Rex,”

“I just washed it, it’s clean. It’s designed to wick sweat so it’ll keep you cool,” he nuzzles his head in the crook of your neck now, “sides, it’ll be like I’m sleeping with ‘ya.”

“Won’t that look suspicious? What if Anakin says something-”

“I can guarantee you that he won’t.”

You do as you're told, and settle into the warmth of his chest once more, surrounded by him and his scent. You must drift off in a matter of minutes, and Rex scoops you up carefully, holding you with both arms and carefully bending down to pick up your lightsaber. He walks the short distance back to camp, and meets a smirking General Skywalker at the flap of your tent. The Jedi puts his hand up before Rex can say anything, “Whatcha got there?” he smirks, opening the flap for Rex to place you at your bedroll, you still fast asleep. He ducks back out to face Anakin, who just gives him a knowing look before placing a hand on his shoulder. “Goodnight, you two.”

Rex rolls his eyes but grins at his General, before turning back to face your tent. “Goodnight cyarika.” He murmurs, the sound quick and fleeting, floating away on the warm, Felucian air.

[cyberneticlagomorph]

first prev

The stream continues and what follows is a blur of colors and activity.

Cousin Liam pulls the group this way and that, up the museum's spiral and back down again in a seemingly random arrangement as he talks the entire time.

Liam ducks into an incredibly small tunnel halfway up the wall, its entrance no bigger than a quarter. He just sort of... stops being a solid person, and becomes something much more malleable and strange as he filters into the hole in the wall like smoke through a pipe. Liam is gone for several seconds before the wall hole starts to widen like parting jaws.

Liam is pulling on the entrance, stretching it open until its wide enough to walk through. He waves excitedly towards Jack and the camera.

"Well c'mon, before the museum gets shy and tries to close it up again." He's grinning, like a kid that's found something so cool he's dropped everything just to come show you. "Technically I'm not supposed to show off exhibits before they hatch, but i found this one last week and it's too good not to."

The new doorway trembles a little, as if uncertain about the new visitors seeing what's beyond it just yet.

"...the museum just hatches exhibits?" Says one of the kids, probably Zeb.

"Well, yes," Says Liam, rubbing his palms together until a ball of light forms and starts to float away and illuminate the space. "I'm sure your house hatches new rooms when you need them, the museum does the same."

The un-hatched exhibit is... it simply IS...

The walls are striped with rainbows of soil horizons, a myriad of impossible colors in dense layers that do and do not make sense in ways that are really hard to describe.

There's a wall dedicated to Wonderland, showing the layers from grass to bedrock interspersed with rocks and fossils, dense tea deposits, and pottery sherds. The fossils here are made of ceramic that gets more and more ornate the farther down you go, under layers of volcanic rock are the shapes of strange birds and proto fae forever preserved in blue and white china swirls.

On Candyland's wall is a some sort of dinosaur skeleton made from butterscotch candy, speckled with lint, old coins, and long white hairs like it's been rolling around at the bottom of Nana's purse since it died. The dinosaur itself is strange... its no recognizable earthly species, and seems to be some sort of early draconic ancestor.

There's more and more on every wall, a slice taken from every country and continent, more fossils and figures hewn from materials more strange than the last.

There are little dig pits full of cool rocks, and tiny fossils surrounding a mining sluice. There are child sized mining helmets, shovels, picks, buckets and brushes for people to excavate their own finds and take them home.

Even Liam looks amazed as he pokes around in one of the dig pits and comes back with a porcelain tooth of some kind. He lets out a long low whistle, "I knew the museum had something big planned but I didn't expect it to be anything like this."

"Are... are we allowed to dig around in here or should we leave? You did say this exhibit wasn't ready." Jack says, watching Egg try to bury one of her siblings in a pit.

Liam shrugs, "I wouldn't, not at least until we can find a curator to take care of it first."

"Oh, should be leave then?" Jack rescues her children from their live burial and confines Egg to a stroller. Egg hisses about it and tries to pull a knife.

Liam Shrugs again, tossing the tooth her found back into the pit, "Yeah probably, do want y'all getting in trouble on my account."

The group turns to see a figure standing in the new doorway, several feet taller than the average human. Vaguely humanoid but only vaguely, more like a shape with eyes than an actual person with a face.

Liam freezes, an uneasy smile curving its way across his face as his ears flick back, "H-hey boss, fancy meeting you here..."

The shape tilts its head to one side and squints in a way that seems to say 'I work here, why wouldn't you see me where I work?'

"y-yeah about that, this is my cousin Prince Jack and her family, I just wanted to show them around the museum and we got a little distracted... honest!" His hands go up like he's trying to calm a startled animal

The figure looks around, stretching out some sort of limb so it can touch one of the dirt walls in a way that is remarkably tender. It looks back at Liam and tilts its head in a different direction 'This exhibit is unfinished and unmanned, please come back later' its big blank eyes say before it grows a hand in order to snap its fingers.

Everything seems to blink out of exisitence for just a moment, and the group find themselves standing outside of a different exhibit that's a little crowded with people. The sign over the door reads 'The Golden Age of Draking'.

Jack looks at the sign and then at Liam, "What was that?"

"Oh, that was my boss, the Curator, they're like a... projection of the museum itself? Kind of like a limb, and kind of like its soul? But they're also their own person, it's all very complicated." Liam makes several waving hand gestures to show his confusion about the whole thing. "I should really get back to work, but if you guys need anything just shout ok?"

Liam turns back into a signpost, with feet this time, and scampers off in no particular direction before anyone can say anything else.

[epostravel]

Why Do You Need to Visit Greece in Your Lifetime?

Greece, with its enchanting landscapes, ancient ruins, and vibrant culture, stands as a destination that beckons travelers from around the globe. Exploring Greece is not merely a journey; it's an experience that imprints on the soul. Below, we delve into the myriad reasons why a visit to Greece is an essential part of any travel enthusiast’s bucket list.

Ancient History and Archaeological Wonders

Greece is a treasure trove of historical sites and archaeological marvels that tell the stories of ancient civilizations. The Acropolis of Athens, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an emblem of classical spirit and civilization. Walking through the Parthenon and the Temple of Hephaestus, visitors are transported back to the age of Greek philosophers and democracy.

Delphi, once considered the center of the world in ancient Greek mythology, offers breathtaking ruins set against a backdrop of stunning mountains. The site, home to the famous Oracle of Delphi, was a major religious sanctuary dedicated to Apollo. Similarly, the ruins of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, invite visitors to imagine the ancient athletes who competed there.

Stunning Islands and Beaches

The Greek Islands are legendary for their beauty, each offering unique landscapes and experiences. Santorini, with its iconic white-washed buildings and blue-domed churches perched on cliffs, provides breathtaking sunsets and luxury accommodations. Mykonos is famous for its vibrant nightlife, charming old town, and beautiful beaches.

Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, is a haven for those seeking a blend of stunning beaches, ancient ruins like the Minoan Palace of Knossos, and diverse landscapes from lush valleys to dramatic mountains. Rhodes, with its medieval Old Town and pristine beaches, is another gem waiting to be explored.

Delicious Cuisine

Greek cuisine is a delightful exploration of flavors, textures, and aromas. The Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, fresh vegetables, and lean proteins, is not only delicious but also one of the healthiest diets in the world. Visitors must indulge in classic dishes such as moussaka, a savory layered casserole, souvlaki, skewers of marinated meat, and spanakopita, a spinach and feta pastry.

Seafood lovers will find Greece to be a paradise with an abundance of fresh fish, octopus, and calamari. Greek desserts, such as baklava and loukoumades, satisfy any sweet tooth with their rich flavors and honeyed sweetness.

Rich Cultural Traditions

Greece’s cultural heritage is vibrantly alive in its festivals, music, and dance. Traditional music played on instruments like the bouzouki, sets the stage for spirited folk dances that are an integral part of Greek celebrations. Visitors can partake in local festivals, especially the numerous Saint's Day festivals that feature processions, music, dancing, and feasting.

Greek Orthodox Easter is particularly notable, with its processions, midnight services, and communal meals that offer a deep dive into the country's religious traditions and community spirit.

Breathtaking Natural Scenery

Beyond its historical and cultural riches, Greece boasts an array of natural wonders. The Meteora Monasteries, perched atop towering rock pillars, offer a surreal and awe-inspiring view of both human and natural artistry. Mount Olympus, the mythical home of the Greek gods, is a popular destination for hikers and nature enthusiasts.

The Vikos Gorge in Epirus is one of the deepest gorges in the world, providing challenging hiking trails and stunning views. For a more serene experience, the Pindus Mountains offer lush forests, rivers, and picturesque villages.

Warm Hospitality

Greek hospitality, or “philoxenia,” is legendary. Greeks are known for their friendliness and willingness to go above and beyond to make visitors feel welcome. This warm hospitality enhances the travel experience, making every visitor feel like a part of the local community.

Vibrant Cities

Greece’s cities blend ancient history with modern vibrancy. Athens, the capital, is a bustling metropolis where ancient landmarks like the Acropolis coexist with contemporary art galleries, chic cafes, and bustling markets. Thessaloniki, known for its lively cultural scene, offers a mix of Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern influences, with a vibrant nightlife and rich culinary traditions.

Adventure and Outdoor Activities

For adventure seekers, Greece offers a plethora of outdoor activities. The crystal-clear waters around the Greek islands are perfect for snorkeling, diving, and sailing. The diverse landscapes are ideal for hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing. During the winter months, the mountainous regions even offer opportunities for skiing and snowboarding.

Shopping and Local Crafts

Shopping in Greece is a delight, with a wide array of local crafts and products. Handcrafted jewelry, pottery, and textiles are popular souvenirs. Markets and small shops often offer unique items that reflect the rich cultural heritage of the region. Greek olive oil, honey, and wines make excellent gifts and allow visitors to take a taste of Greece home with them.

FAQS

What is the best time to visit Greece?

The best time to visit Greece is during the spring (April to June) and fall (September to October) when the weather is pleasant and the tourist crowds are thinner. Summer (July and August) can be very hot and crowded, especially on the popular islands.

Do I need a visa to travel to Greece?

Visa requirements for Greece depend on your nationality. Citizens of the EU, US, Canada, Australia, and many other countries can enter Greece without a visa for short stays (up to 90 days). It’s always best to check the latest visa requirements before traveling.

Is Greece a safe destination for tourists?

Greece is generally considered a safe destination for tourists. Petty crime, such as pickpocketing, can occur in crowded areas, but violent crime is rare. It’s advisable to take standard precautions, such as keeping an eye on your belongings and avoiding isolated areas at night.

What are the must-see islands in Greece?

Greece has over 6,000 islands, but some of the most popular and must-see ones include Santorini, with its iconic sunsets and caldera views; Mykonos, known for its vibrant nightlife and beautiful beaches; Crete, which offers a rich history and diverse landscapes; and Rhodes, famous for its medieval old town and sunny weather.

Conclusion

A visit to Greece is more than just a vacation; it's an immersive journey through history, culture, and natural beauty. Whether you are exploring ancient ruins, lounging on a pristine beach, savoring delectable cuisine, or engaging with the warm and hospitable locals, Greece offers an unparalleled travel experience that enriches the soul and ignites the imagination.

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[arabella-au]

From Mezze to Desserts: Must-Try Lebanese Dishes in Sydney's Restaurants

Sydney is home to a thriving Lebanese community, and its culinary landscape reflects Lebanon's rich and diverse flavours. Lebanese cuisine is known for its bold and aromatic dishes, featuring a variety of spices, fresh ingredients, and unique flavours. 

Whether you're a long-time fan of Lebanese food or new to this delectable cuisine, exploring the must-try dishes in Sydney's Lebanese restaurants is a culinary adventure worth embarking on. Here are some standout dishes that should be on your foodie bucket list.

Mezze Platter

Every Lebanese meal is complete with a mezze platter. It's a delightful assortment of small, flavorful dishes perfect for sharing. From creamy hummus and smoky baba ganoush to tangy tabbouleh and crispy falafel, a mezze platter offers a compelling introduction to Lebanese flavours. Enjoy it with freshly baked bread, such as pita or Lebanese flatbread.

Shawarma

Shawarma is a beloved Lebanese street food that has gained popularity worldwide. Tender strips of marinated meat, usually chicken or lamb, are slowly roasted on a vertical spit, producing juicy and flavorful meat. The shawarma is typically served on warm pita bread and garnished with tahini sauce, pickles, and fresh herbs. It's a satisfying and comforting dish that will leave you craving more.

Kibbeh

Kibbeh is a classic Lebanese dish with ground meat, bulgur wheat, and various spices. The mixture is shaped into patties or balls and baked, fried, or stuffed with a filling. The result is a delicious combination of textures and flavours. Whether you try the baked version (kibbeh bil sanieh) or the fried version (kibbeh mchakal), you'll have a savoury and satisfying experience.

Moutabbal

Moutabbal, or eggplant dip, is a creamy and smoky delight. Charred eggplant is mixed with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil to create a flavorful dip that pairs perfectly with bread or vegetables. The rich and earthy flavours of moutabbal make it a must-try dish for any Lebanese food enthusiast.

Kafta

Kafta is a popular Lebanese dish from ground meat, usually lamb or beef, mixed with spices, onions, and herbs. The mixture is shaped into elongated patties or skewered and grilled to perfection. Served with rice or flatbread and accompanied by a refreshing yogurt sauce, kafta is a delicious and hearty dish showcasing Lebanese cuisine's essence.

Baklava

For those with a sweet tooth, baklava is a must-try Lebanese dessert. Layers of flaky filo pastry are filled with nuts, such as pistachios or walnuts, and sweetened with honey or syrup. The result is a rich and indulgent treat that combines crunch, sweetness, and nuttiness in every bite. Pair it with a cup of traditional Lebanese coffee for a truly satisfying experience.

Sydney Lebanese restaurants offer abundant flavours and dishes that captivate your taste buds. From the vibrant and diverse mezze platters to the indulgent and satisfying desserts, Lebanese cuisine in Sydney has something for everyone. So, gather your friends and family, explore the city's Lebanese food scene, and embark on a culinary journey filled with delectable flavours and unforgettable dishes.

[hopeonmyphone]

J-hope fulfils another fantasy with his J. Cole collab ‘On The Street’

Backstage at Lollapalooza 2022, J-hope gasps in excitement, his face lit up with pure joy. It’s the day before his history-making set at Lolla, where he will become the first South Korean artist to headline a main stage at a US festival – but first, he has another fantasy to make reality. Stood outside one of the nondescript white trailers backstage, he giddily leans into an embrace with J. Cole, whom he’s meeting for the first time, and tells the rapper in a reverent tone: “You’re my muse.”

Seven months later, the BTS star is ticking off another bucket list item, adding to the slew of achievements he’s racked up since the K-pop group announced they were focusing more on individual projects last June. After his acclaimed debut solo album ‘Jack In The Box’, that triumphant festival performance, a handful of award wins, fashion week dominance and a documentary about his latest chapter, his new single ‘On The Street’ sees him teaming up with Cole, one of his favourite artists of all time.

It might be a dream come true for J-hope, but the single is bittersweet; it arrives just as he’s preparing to enlist for his mandatory military service, turning it into a farewell, if only for now. On ‘Jack In The Box’, he dug deep into darkness and showed there’s more than meets the eye than his sunny, upbeat personality. This track, though, puts a pin in his journey so far by returning to the optimism evoked by his stage name. “Every time I walk / Every time I run / Every time I move / As always, for us,” he half-sings, directing his words to BTS��� fanbase, ARMY.

‘On The Street’ comes as the pause button is pressed on J-hope’s brilliant first run of solo activities, and it’s more relaxed and looser than the album that preceded it. Here, there’s little to prove; it feels like J-hope’s only concern here is leaving things on a high and showing gratitude for those who have supported him along the way. “For the path I’m on to become one of hope, I give my all,” he promises over a strummed guitar melody that runs parallel to the track’s central whistle and subtle layers of scratching and twinkling instrumentation. “Even my walk was made of your love and your faith / To repay you even from afar, just like a butterfly.”

The street in the song’s title both nods to where J-hope has come from – prior to becoming a Big Hit trainee, he was part of a street dance team – and serves as a metaphor for life itself: a journey that charts its way on the map as it unfolds, sometimes straight, sometimes winding or turning back on itself. As J-hope directs us to “go on hopefully, wherever you walk”, he shares his determination to fill his own road with life: “In these streets imbued with someone’s breath / I leave my soul and my eternity / Everywhere (I’ll be).”

If J-hope’s path on the song is direct and sure, J.Cole’s is more meandering, as he twists and turns his way from uncertainty and adversity to a similar point of purpose and resolve. “Fought tooth and a nail / Just to prevail ‘mongst the ruthless,” he begins his searing feature. Later, he hints at questions about his future in the rap game (“As the moon jumps over the cow / I contemplate if I should wait to hand over the crown / Or stick around for a bit longer”). As it turns out, the fiercely driven Cole doesn’t have much of a choice in that quandary: “I got a strange type of hunger / The more I eat, the more it gets stronger,” he explains, repeating those last five words with a quiet ferocity.

Throughout his career, Cole has been something of a feature slayer, famous for his ability to bring a momentary Midas touch to any track. His turn on ‘On The Street’ is both his latest example of that and also something more – perhaps why the release isn’t billed as “featuring” but “with” J. Cole. He takes the undertones of emotion in the song’s whistling melody and electrifies them effortlessly in an approach that complements his collaborator well – J-hope the light to Cole’s shade – but there remains a small, nagging desire to see J-hope use his muse’s energy to make his own parts really sizzle.

For the most part, though, ‘On The Street’ caps this leg of J-hope’s voyage on a bright note – one where he can proudly look back on as he prepares to move forward. When he returns post-military, he’ll be coming back to strong foundations ready for him to build even more exciting new blocks on.

Source: NME

[cursedvessels]

Indigo looks at her in a bit of surprise when she mentions bringing hot dogs. "That sounds...messy," they point out with a light laugh. The tip of their tongue brushes their upper teeth when she mentions m&ms in popcorn and then they shake their head. "Gimme." A hand reaches over to take a few of the candy-coated chocolates to be added to a few pieces of popcorn which are immediately tossed into his mouth.

Despite how insane Leo might look to some people, there's no judgement on Indigo's face. If anything, xe's just curious. The way she ate sweets was unlike anything xe'd seen of any other humans. Besides, xe sort of liked that she had a sweet tooth. Meant xe got to try more things xe'd never had--find new snacks to love.

"That...is life changing," he agrees as the m&ms melt on his tongue and coat the popcorn he's crunching on in a fine layer of candied chocolate. "What if we just..." He reaches over to take a packet of m&ms and then holds it up over the popcorn, brows lifting in suggestion, waiting for her approval before pouring the m&ms over the popcorn and letting them mix into the bucket.

He blinks up at the screen again as a few people wander in, lower lip jutting out slightly in a pout as his brows furrow at Leo's comment. "Really?" He didn't really get out much, but if there was anything he liked to do out of the house it was go to the movies. Still, even he only went every once in a blue moon, whenever they were showing something he really liked, which wasn't often given his sort of niche tastes.

A glance shot down to Leo when she props her head on his shoulder, but his gaze immediately averts back to the screen. Xe swallows and lets xyr head rest against hers after a moment. There's a silent debate going on in xyr head of whether or not xe should wrap an arm around her, pull her closer, but xe decides against it if only because xe's far too shy to do that in a public place--even if it's dark and no one is around. He falls quiet as the lights dim and the movie starts, though sitting there so comfortably with her warmth pressed into his side is making it hard for him to keep his eyes open already.

“I could have snuck a couple hot dogs in, I guess.” A quick little shrug of her shoulders as she goes digging into the popcorn. “Oh, have you ever had m&ms in your popcorn? It’s insane. So good.”

Leo looks crazy with the way she’s digging into the popcorn and candy. Like a little kid that’s been set free in a sugar factory with no adult around to stop them. It was always her biggest downfall – the reason her parents had to hide sweets from her. She’d eat them until she got sick. Which seemed very likely to happen given the amount of food she’d brought.

“I guess it wouldn’t. I’m already locked in.” As some of the louder advertisements play, she jumps and closes her eyes. Seemed they were having trouble getting the volume right up in the box. “I don’t actually think I’ve been to the movies in… years.” A sip of coke.

She turns her head to watch a few more people shuffle in but they sit far away (luckily). Leo settles right back down against Indy with her head propped against xyr shoulder as she watches an ad for plumbing play, giggling at some dumb joke they tell.

[nbsjget]

Bucket Teeth Shell Layers

Bucket Teeth Shell Layers

Bucket teeth shell layers The shape and structure of the cast of different layers of shell, there will be differences. For example, with elongatedslot casting Kong Huo need to do two or three times the surface layer; the general casting two times to do the backing layer is enough, and the relatively large castingsmay require three or more layers. Cost of shell castings per kilogram is about 5.9…

[riddle-me-ri]

Please please can I get a sick fic with farrell ozzie I wanna either have him take care of me or take care of him myself 😭

A/N: awww of course you can sweetie! Honestly, I think we could all use a little of daddy ozzie to take care of us, no? Plus he’s a lot more fun to write when he’s spoiling you guys ♥️

Word Count: 1.4 k…I dunno how it got that long holy shit

Reevesverse/Farrell Penguin Taking Care of Sick Reader:

"Sweetheart, I know you don't want to, but you gotta stay in bed." 

"Ozziieee" You whined. "I'm fine! My nose is just a little stuffy." 

"Doll, you're congested. You have a fever of 104. And your voice sounds like it's going through a cheese grater."

"Why is it so cold in here, Ozzie?" You tried to wrap yourself closer in the layers of sheets and the comforter. Trying to seal in any warmth they provided.

"And you have the chills." Oswald sighed.

You groaned. You laid back down on the California King-sized bed and buried your head back into the pillow. 

Oz was sitting on a chair set by your side of the bed. He wore a pair of boxers, a silk mauve-colored robe, and slippers. He came up beside you and tucked the sheets underneath you. He hasn't left your side since you woke up feeling like absolute garbage. Just a wastebasket of mucus, pressure, chills, and muscle pains.

"Will you please stay put? I'm gonna go grab you a few things."

Oswald sat up from his chair but you stopped him by grabbing his wrist. 

"Oz…I-I can get it." You wheeled before going to a coughing fit. 

Oz patted your back as you grabbed a tissue on the bedside table and hacked into it. 

"Yeah, nah. Not a chance, doll. Let me take care of you." 

"But-"

He stood up from his chair. "No buts. You're sick and need to rest, baby. And besides-" Oz pushed some strands of sweat damped hair away from your forehead and he kissed the middle of it. "-You know as well as I do, how much I love taking care of you."

Well, you can't argue with that can you? You sighed dreamily, you could have sworn that you finally felt your body start to warm up.

You hummed softly. "Well, you got me there.."

Oswald chuckled, his gold tooth glinting in the warm table lamp light. "I'll be right back, I promise." 

You really didn’t think you could get up if you actually wanted to.

You just didn’t want Oz to leave. Your chills made you feel like you were stuck in a bucket of ice in a freezer and Oswald was the furnace that would eventually melt away the ice to freedom. 

Thinking of him coming back and huddling you up in his warm protective embrace made you slowly lull yourself to sleep. 

Oswald came back in with a small silver tray in hand. He prepped a bowl of soup, glass of water, and some medicine. He slowly trekked his way back over to the side of the bed. Oz noticed you softly breathing through your mouth, your nose far too stuffed and congested to let air in or out. 

He chuckled softly as he set the tray down on your bedside table. He really didn’t want to wake you, but you had to take some medicine. 

Oswald placed the tips of his calloused fingers along the start of your scalp and carefully combed his fingers through your hair and along the top of your scalp. He repeated the motion to slowly coax you into waking up. 

Your eyes started to move under your closed eyelids. The soft, easy strokes caused a tingling sensation along your scalp and for once your head wasn’t absolutely throbbing and about to crack open at the slightest bit or pressure. 

Hesitantly, you blinked your eyes open and were instantly rewarded with Oz softly smiling down at you. You grinned giddily, quickly slamming your eyes closed, and continue relishing in his ministrations. 

“Sweetheart, you gotta eat something and take some medicine.” He said in a hushed tone, despite trying to refrain you from dozing off. 

You groaned. “But it feels good…”

Oz chuckled softly. “I’ll make you a deal, honey. One I know you can’t refuse. You eat something, take this medicine and drink some water…and ol’ Ozzie will get back in bed with you and I’ll stroke your head until you fall back asleep. Hm?”

“Mm hm..” You nodded, albeit your eyes were still closed. 

“Sound like a deal, doll?” He slowly removed his hand away from your scalp and you could’ve cried. 

You huffed but eventually sat up in bed. 

“That’s it…I promise it’ll be worth it.” 

He placed the tray on your lap and you couldn’t stop the soft gasp that left you. “Oh, Ozzie…you’re a life saver. Thank you, I hate you had to do all this…” The gesture truly made your heart swell.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, Y/N. It’s like I keep telling you, I take care of you because I want to.”

“Because you love me.” You cooed knowing that was the answer. 

“Now, you’re getting it.” He grinned. 

You started to finally eat and drink, when you felt you had enough in your belly you swallowed the pills. Oz kept an eye on you just to ensure there wasn’t anything else you may need. 

*RING RING*

“Ahh...shit..” Oz cursed under his breath. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart.” He got up from his seat and gave you a swift peck on your cheek. You started measly chewing the saltine cracker you soaked into your soup. 

You were silently praying he didn’t have to go to to the club. However you also knew just how much of a role he played, he couldn’t be out of commission too long or too much or the whole system gets backlogged. 

Oswald walked into the bedroom’s private bathroom, but still left the door slightly cracked open.

“Listen, can’t you just deal with it? Have one of the twins take care of it!” 

You could hear some parts of the conversation. You stopped chewing so you could listen in.

“I’m not comin’ in, today. Just…goddamn am I the only one with a functioning brain in that whole building?...No you weren’t supposed to answer that…” Oz groaned. 

“If there’s any emergencies, call me. But like I said, I’m not comin’ in…yeah? What about The Batman? Tell him I ain’t there, he’ll have to find his vengeance elsewhere…”

You could hear Oswald wipe his face in exhaustion and annoyance. “Ya done? Yeah, yeah I’m fine, but my baby’s sick and I’m taking care of them…what? No! My significant other you dense…ugh. Just…call if there’s any emergencies, yeah? But I’m out.” 

You heard him hang up, and you quickly resumed eating as if you totally weren’t eavesdropping. You looked up over at him when he walked back out into the bedroom. 

“Is everything okay, Ozzie?” You asked softly. 

“Of course, sweetheart. You don’t worry about anything, except for getting better, okay?” He took a glance down at the tray and chuckled. 

“What?” You asked.

“And you said you didn’t need anything…”

You looked down at the empty bowl, empty glass, and the missing pills. You bit your lip. “I may have fibbed a tiny bit.” 

Oz snickered. “Uh huh, that’s what we’ll call it.” He went over to your side of the bed and picked up the tray from your lap. 

“I could’ve set it down…” You mumbled.

“Y/N…”

“I know, I know…you’re just taking care of me.” You smiled in sweet defeat. 

“Now, Oswald…” You announced sternly.

Oz perked his eyebrow at you, not sure where the seriousness came from. 

“...it’s your time to fulfill your part of the bargain.” You crossed your arms, before defiantly flipping back the covers on the other side of you and patting the bed. 

That caused Oswald to chortle in delight. He began slowly making his way to his side of the bed, almost like he was reluctant. 

“Ozzieee…I’ll be better by the time you get here!” 

“Kinda the idea..” he mumbled under his breath, jokingly. He was interrupted in his journey by a small pillow you threw at him. 

“Hey!” 

“Hay is for horses and cuddles are penguins, get your ass in bed.” You snickered, already feeling a little better. 

“Can’t argue with that.” He hopped back into bed and before he could even get comfortable under the covers–you immediately buried yourself into his side. 

“Whoa gorgeous, gimme a second..”

“No.” You stated. You grabbed the wrist of his hand and placed it on your head. 

Your head bounced along with his chest as he let out a hearty laugh at your antics, but true to his word he began stroking your scalp like he did earlier. 

Between the loving strokes, the steady beat of his heart, and his natural warmth engulfing you in a sweet homely confection. You found yourself able to fall asleep instantly. 

As your breathing evened out, Oz could tell you were finally resting. He adjusted himself accordingly, turning on his side so both arms can be around you. He placed his chin on the top of your head, but not before kissing it as his hands resumed his massages. 

“You’ll be better in no time, sweetheart.”

[lucy-sky]

Lucy! For your milestone celebration, might I ask for a kiss drabble?! It is such a cute idea! 💕 If I may ask for Din with the place in the rain and the reason being a first date?

Surprise (Din Djarin x Reader)

1143 words (once again turned out a bit longer than a normal drabble - I just can’t resist writing flashbacks and backstories); tooth-rotting fluff, partners/friends to lovers; gender neutral reader.

AO3 link

A/N: I’M SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! :’))

REQUESTS CLOSED!

”So… Where exactly are we going?” you ask curiously, leaning against Din’s shoulder. Coordinates on the display don’t tell you anything. Pretty unusual of Din to hide something from you like that - you and him work together for almost a year, and your relationship grew from two rivaling bounty hunters into close friends who can trust each other with your lives.

Yes, you used to be… not very fond of each other, mildly speaking. But one day when the job went wrong, he was there to save you. That’s the way Din Djarin is - he can be grumpy, but never indifferent. So when you learnt that Razor Crest was destroyed, you offered him your ship and your company. It took a while to start really getting along, but in the end you both admitted that being partners is way more profitable than competing with each other for another bounty. It also turned out you have quite a lot in common: both lost parents at a rather young age, but not too young to forget how it happened; both pretty much used to being on your own.

“Din?”

“You’ll see,” he mutters. Maker, what’s going on? Why is he so mysterious today?

“Is that a date?” you say teasingly, but instantly regret it, because even through the helmet and the layers of coarse fabric and bescar you can feel him tensing.

“Sorry uh… I was just kidding. I mean it’s just that you left Grogu at Peli’s tonight, so I… Nevermind, just-”

“It’s a surprise,” he cuts you off.

“Oh.”

“Your birthday’s today, right?” Din suddenly asks. You blink at him, caught completely unawares.

“Wait, what?... You... you remembered?..”

*

You only mentioned your upcoming birthday once and it was during an argument. Din insisted that the job was too dangerous, so you should stay on board the ship and wait for him there. You had a different opinion.

“Look, Mando. It’s cute that you’re trying to protect me, but I think I have a right to decide for myself. I’m not a kid. Just so you know, I’m turning ___ years old in exactly three months! And don’t forget that I actually used to work alone before I met you!”

“Yeah, right. And got yourself in trouble,” he cocked his head, and you could clearly hear a chuckle in his voice, even through the modulator.

“Oh really? As if you’ve never been in trouble, bucket head!” you raised your eyebrows, putting your hands on your hips. Din let out a deep sigh.

“Okay. Fair enough,” he admitted. “Fine. Let’s do it together.”

*

“I always remember important things,” Din replies, still focused on piloting the ship. You feel your cheeks heating up.

“Yeah, but… It’s not important, really,” you mumble. “I haven’t celebrated it for ages, so…”

“Maybe it’s time to start,” he shrugs, finally turning his head in your direction. You don’t even know what to say. It’s so absolutely unexpected, and it makes your heart swell in your chest - a feeling you've never known before.

“We’re almost there,” Din announces, breaking the silence. “Prepare for landing.”

You obey quietly, taking your seat behind him and fastening the belt. You’re still flustered, but smiling to yourself.

A few minutes later you step out of the ship. The air is warm, filled with scents of unknown flowers, and you think you’ve never seen this much green in your entire life.

“You like your surprise?” Din asks, and you beam at him.

“I love it.”

Together you take a little walk before settling down on top of the hill. The sky already started turning light pink, the sun painting the tops of the trees with warm light.

“This planet is famous for its most beautiful sunsets in the galaxy,” Din tells you as you admire the view.

“That’s why you took me here?”

“Yeah, but also… Also there are no people around, so…” he pauses for a moment, “so I can do this.”

You watch his hands reaching the helmet and nearly hold your breath. Din's taking off his helmet, and somehow it's something so intimate, even though it's not the first time - you already saw his face once.

*

He was injured, unconscious, and you panicked. You’ve never been so scared of losing someone before. Probably because you didn’t really allow yourself to get too close with anyone. Without thinking, you removed the helmet to fix the wound on Din’s head before it was too late. Only when he woke up, and you saw his bewildered expression, you realized what you’ve done and your heart sank at the terrible thought.

“What if he never forgives me?..”

But to your surprise and relief Din didn’t seem angry or upset with you. He quietly explained that actually… He wasn’t a Mandalorian any longer, and technically there was nothing wrong about taking off the helmet for him. Not anymore.

“I’d still prefer other people not to know it though.”

His voice sounded unusually soft and somehow oddly vulnerable without the modulator.

“It’s uh… easier like that… You know. ”

“I understand,” you nodded, handing him the helmet. The smile on his face was incredibly gentle before he put it back on.

*

It happened a little more than a month ago. And now you’re looking at his bare face again, and every feature is so dear to you. Those big brown eyes looking at you with unspeakable tenderness; messy curls and patchy beard; lips that curl in a soft and shy smile. For the second time today you’re lost for words as his hand reaches your face, tentatively tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Please,” you breathe out.

It’s a chaste kiss at first, a soft brush of his lips against yours, so sweet but not nearly enough. You open up to him, fingers carding through the soft curls on the back of his head, and Din gladly accepts your invitation, darting his tongue forward to meet yours. A quiet hum escaping him is the sweetest sound you’ve heard.

“So I was right then… It’s a date,” you murmur against his mouth, making him chuckle softly.

“I think it is,” he confirms, kissing you again.

You’re completely lost in each other and don’t even notice the first drops of rain on your skin until it hits with full force.

“Dank farrik!” Din curses as you yelp in surprise.

“What the… Where did it come from?..” you shiver, scooting closer to his frame. “I mean… there wasn’t a single cloud like a minute ago!..”

“Well of course it had to happen exactly when I’m not wearing a helmet for once,” Din states, rolling his eyes, and you snort a laugh.

“You know what? I actually don’t mind the rain.”

“Yeah,” his fingers grasp your chin, gently tilting your face, his eyes deep and sparkling. “Me neither.”

Thank you for reading!!

No pressure tags: @munsonownsmyass & @afangirlshideaway

1500 Milestone Celebration Drabbles Masterlist  

[just-a-small-obsession]

The Flower Shop Owner

CHAPTER TWO

This morning was different from the rest, the bed was still gathering warmth from both Victor and I's bodies. Looking at him I can see his posture lacking, the angry scars stare back at me, I inch my way closer to him and wrap my arms around his naked waist. "Good morning" mumbling into his abs as he places one of his hands onto the top of my hair that is disheveled from the night before. A moment like this was something we treasured as well, being in each other's arms in the early morning. Victor takes some time to look at his small blackberry but in seconds places it down on the small table next to our bed. "You're still in bed," asking, as I release him and sit up just like he is, "haven't gotten anything from the boss so I'm not on the clock." I start to pick up the clothes that I lost last night and make my way to the master bath. "Well since you're not on the clock, keep me company in the shower," I say in a teasing manner as I look back at him. Showering with Victor was rare since he would be up and ready way before I open my eyes for the day, either way, it felt nice.

Victor had a system to his clothing, he cleaned his own clothes and he folded his own as well. He kept his shirts crisp and clean in individual sections in the dresser and he neatly folded his pants in the closet in a small tower, granted victor's fashion was limited to one outfit and only wearing neutral colors. He still seemed to catch my attention with the simplest colors and outfits. I, on the other hand, loved the fashion of Gotham to the point of buying some overpriced pieces and not wearing them once. I want to wait for the perfect moment to bring it out for victor and the world to see. Our morning today was slower than others, after dressing we each went to the kitchen and made a small breakfast that would wake us up. Sweets were always in our home, from sugary cereal to the freshest baked goods. They never stay for long since Victor has a major sweet tooth. Hot tea seemed to wake me up in the morning, the warmth of a mug of green tea filled the drained battery that is my body. A ritual that we have before we leave the apartment was us grabbing our wedding rings and putting them on together. I would put it on my finger and Victor would have to hide his by turning it into a necklace of sorts, it hides well thanks to the layers of black clothing.

Leaving and in a short, while entering the shop Victor seems eager to work. "Can I cut those?" as a reference to cutting the stems of flowers for bouquets, that job was to him the best for the reason of using shears to cut them. "a lot of discount one huh?" "Yeah a guy came in here yesterday and bought one, and they are the cheapest ones here." "You get the top-of-the-line flowers so, of course, they're going to be a pretty penny," he says as he helps to lift buckets to hold the bouquets. A loud sound came from Victor's area, the tune Funky Town played, Answering it his face become stone-like showing no emotions. "got to go the boss has a job for me." putting his blackberry back in his blazer pocket he walks over to me and gives me a loving kiss on the lips. "I'll be sure to call if it lasts longer than planned." "Okay, be safe out there rockstar." and with that victor leaves the shop and waves me goodbye through the front window.

Crime in this area was a normal occurrence, carjackings, muggings, and robberies were the top crimes in this part of Gotham. With this property being pretty much Falcone property not that many people try to rob me or anything. So having two men from the GCPD in here was strange. I instantly recognize one of the men, he was the one who bought a discount bouquet from me. "You're miss y/n yes?" The man said. "Yes, I am, is something the matter?" "Miss I'm afraid to inform you that you are under arrest for conspiracy." His scruffy partner told me as the clean-cut one proceeds to handcuff me. "What! I don't understand! Please you're making a mistake." I continue to plead with the men but my voice reached only deaf ears it seemed.

The way the silver handcuffs rubbed my wrists was uncomfortable. I was placed in a chair that I assumed was the officer's desk chair. His scruffy partner was seated at his desk in front of me. "Don't I get a phone call?" A sigh was heard "you have the right I guess." Pushing the black phone my way he returned to the paper he was reading. I quickly enter Victor's number, it only took two rings before he answered with a questioning tone. "Vic?" I whispered into the phone but not in a way to make it look suspicious. " angel? Why are you calling me on a different number, what's going on?" I hear his voice rise and his breathing was sharp. "I'm at the GCPD, I don't know why I'm here, they arrested me, Vic, please come get me." I could sense that my voice was shaking, my eyes had a burning sensation as if I was going to start crying. "Don't worry, I'm coming for you." The call ended.

It didn't take long for the air in the room to turn cold and thick. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout the station, the silence was almost painful to endure. Looking over the ledge, Victor with a gun in hand and flared nostrils makes eye contact with me. I leap up from the chair holding my cuffed hands to my chest. "What the hell!" The shag dog man stands up as well and calls out for this partner. A standoff seemed to commence as Victor states down the officer in front of us. "What is it this time Zsasz?" I turn my head to Victor, I try to walk to him but embarrassingly trip over my own two feet and proceed to force me to land on the floor. My perspective on Victor's clean shoes let me see the motion of him turning and helping me back upright. "You have what's mine, Jim." With that, he brings out his gun once again and shoots up at the ceiling. "Everyone out!" Like a school of fish, the light diverse crew of officers left the station swiftly.

Returning upright I clunch Victor's black blazer jacket, the two detectives staring in confusion at the interaction between Victor and me. "Zsasz, what are you doing here?" the man that was freshly named Jim spoke to Victor with a confident voice. "I'm here for her" "I don't know your relationship with her but, she is under investigation so I can let that happen." "Investigation? For what?" releasing my hands for Victor I take a step to them. "Your name is y/n l/n right." Silence came, I fidget with my fingers "well actually, my name changed in the last couple of years." "You changed your name? yeah that doesn't look suspicious at all." his older counterpart says as he seems to grab a tan file folder. He opens it to revile a small photo of myself with my record attached to it. "That's you!" pointing at the file in question. "Have you got the updated version of my file though sir?" Sucking his teeth he grabs that file once again and looks through it, turning a page he let out a large deep sigh. "Jim, come look at this." "What the?" "My last name changed to Zsasz two years ago."

"Oh god please let it be that your his long-lost sister or something!"

"She's my wife."

"Shit."

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

To be Continued ➡

[adminbryantsaki]

Alpha! Werewolf! Aizawa x Female! Luna! Reader.

(A/N: I am here again with the Bnharem’s collab! This theme is sex worker. I hope you enjoy this version of everyone’s favorite sleepy teacher, Aizawa.)

(A Luna is an alpha that can conceive. A luna has a harder time at conceiving and is more submissive if in a relationship with an alpha. Lunas have ruts and heats. These ruts are not as aggressive as an Alphas and the heats are not as aggressive as an omega’s either the heat or the rut is when the Luna is more fertile. Lunas can be marked and give marks to both Alphas and Omegas.)

Word count 8,535.

Rating: 18+, minors dni

TW: Omegaverse, Breeding, Werewolf, cum inflation, strip club, pregnancy.

If this isn’t your cup of tea, blend of spices, or brew of coffee, then move along.

Read the other stories here

It was late at night. You and your friend were walking home late after a party. The both of you had a bit too much to drink. An ad from the strip club caught the attention of your friend.

“Oooh! An ad for some sexy alpha men. Isn’t your heat rather close, Y/N?” You friend said a bit too loudly as they waved the ad in your face. You took the paper and stuffed it into your purse.

“Enough, F/N. Do you wish to get us followed?” You hissed and pushed your friend to your apartment building making it inside the complex before guiding your drunk friend up the stairs to the door of your apartment. Your friend had passed out on the way up so you had to prop her up while you fumbled for the key to your apartment. You let out a noise of relief when you finally found your key and unlocked the door to your apartment. You set your friend on the floor so you could grab a bucket for the morning. You dragged them to your small couch and pulled them onto the item of furniture. You pulled a blanket over them and went to your bedroom to change out of your own clothes. You sighed in relief when you took your bra off and chucked it onto the corner where your laundry basket was. You pulled off the scent blocking patches from the delicate skin of your neck and put them back into their packaging. You grabbed the small container of lotion you had and rubbed the serum into your skin. You hummed and got changed into your pjs. You looked over at your purse and saw the ad peeking out. You sighed and pulled the piece of paper out of the confines of your purse and stared at it.

‘Are you lonely? In need of a mate? Then pick from one of these fine Alphas courtesy of The Underground. Bring this ad for entry.’ The top line of the ad read. You looked down at the selection of alphas presented on the page. None of them really caught your interest. A few did look good but not what you would actually want as a mate. As you looked down the ad, you noticed all the typical over muscular apex alphas. One of them scared you with the flaming red hair and another weirded you out by having features similar to that of a killer whale. Your eyes settled on a dark-haired man that looked sleep deprived. He had a pair of wolf ears and slight stubble on his jawline. You couldn’t stop staring at the man. You read his description and found out that he was a werewolf. That you didn’t mind. He would be like a kind of guard dog along with being your mate. The idea of having an alpha werewolf as your mate made you blush hard. You set the ad down, crawled under your covers and drifted off to sleep.

 §§§§§

The next morning you woke up to the sounds of your friend puking into the bucket. You sighed and pulled yourself up from your bed. Your senses seemed on overload. You checked your phone to see if your heat had started. It hadn’t yet. You let out a sigh of relief and got up to help your friend. You walked into the living room and saw your friend who was a beta so if your heat had started, they wouldn’t be affected by your scent. You sat next to them and held their hair back as they puked into the bucket. You rubbed your friend’s back as your mind wandered back to the ad you had perused the night before. You blushed a bit as you thought of the alpha werewolf. You shook it out of your head as you stood up to find a common cure that some distant relative of yours had told you would cure a hangover in a moment. You found it and put some into a mug to brew as a kind of tea for your friend. You turned your electric kettle on to boil some water. You stared off into space as the water boiled. The thought of what that alpha would look like up close and personal occupied your thoughts. Would he be completely covered in fur? Or only have the ears and tail? You also took note of the muscles that he had that were shown of him in the advertisement. You felt your face heat up as the kettle clicked off and you were taken from your mental fantasy to pour the water into the mug and carry the vessel to your hungover friend.

“Here you go.” You said quietly in a gentle and caring tone. Your friend groaned and looked up at you then at the mug.

“What is that?” They asked.

“Something that will help with your head. Trust me. It will be bitter but it will help.” You said as they received the mug from you and took a sip. Their face soured which made you chuckle.

“I gotta get changed and go to work. You can stay here for as long as you need until your hangover goes away.” You told your friend.

“Thank you. I’ll just finish this and go home. Thank you though.” They responded. You let them be as you went to go shower to get ready for the day.

Your friend was still on the couch by the time you had gotten out of the shower.

“Did you look over the ad, Y/n?” They called out. You glanced over at the paper that was laying on your nightstand.

“Yeah! I did. You might even be interested in some of them if you looked at it yourself.” You responded as your pulled on your shirt. You picked up the ad and walked out to the living room where your friend seemed a lot better than before.

“Here. Look at it. There’s a couple red heads and blondes that you might like.” You told them as you handed them the page.

“If you say so.” They said as they browsed the ad. You went back into your room to finish dressing yourself. You came out a few minutes later all dressed except for your shoes. You wanted to eat some food before you headed out the door. You grabbed a microwave breakfast burrito, unwrapped it, and put it into the microwave to heat up.

“Oooh! Some of the boys on here are kinda cute! We should go this Friday!” Your friend called to you from their seat on your couch.

“If you want to, I’m game for it… I do want a mate this time around.” You said as you stopped the microwave and pulled out your hot breakfast.

“Interesting. You know I can still help you if you want me to.” Your friend offered.

“I know… but I don’t wanna inconvenience you. You have an omega that you’ve had your eye on for a while. You should go for them. I’m not saying that you aren’t bad at what you do. I just prefer an alpha as a permanent mate.” You told you friend.

“I understand. There’s something about alphas that is just irresistible. I might hook up with one before I settle down with the omega. One of the beefy red heads looks interesting.” Your friend said as they eyed the ad again.

“Thank you. I’m glad we’re still on good terms.” You spoke. Your friend nodded and gathered their things and left with you as you went to work.  

 §§§§§

Friday came sooner than you thought. You were getting all dressed up in your clubbing outfit. You were putting on your shapewear to slim down your hips, thighs, butt, and stomach. You slid on a simple black dress and went to go do your hair and makeup before your friend came to pick you up. You took your time applying the makeup to your face. Just enough to enhance your already natural beauty. You then curled your hair to have simple waves to accentuate your face. You just finished applying the final layer of hairspray when you heard knocking at your door.

“Just a moment! I will be right there!” You called from your bathroom. You adjusted your hair once more before walking to your door and opening it a bit to see who it was. It was your friend who was also dressed up. You closed the door again and unlocked it to let your friend in. They stepped in and closed the door behind them. You went to your room to grab your purse and the ad as you needed the page to enter the establishment. You pulled your shoes on then went to join your friend.

“You ready to finally get yourself an Alpha mate?” They asked. You smiled and nodded. They hooked arms with you and headed off to the club.

The pair of you turned the corner of the block that the club was in. You followed your friend down the alley where what seemed to be the bouncer was standing outside the door. He had silvery hair and what looked to be a permanent scowl on his face. The bouncer had a small tooth poking out from his bottom lip. His gaze looked over at the two of you.

“You two got the entrance requirement?” The bouncer asked. You nodded and reached inside your purse for the ad. The bouncer took the ad and looked at it.

“Alright. The both of you are in. Have fun you two.” The beefy man told the both of you and held the door open for the both of you. You entered and took in the environment of the neon lights, sensual music that came from the DJ in the corner, the smell of lust mixed with a heavy combination of several heat and rut scents clinging to the smog laden air made you feel dizzy; your head buzzing. You held onto your friend as the two of you were stopped by a dark blue haired woman with a low- cut dress and a high slit in her skirt that showed her fishnet stockings. The scent that came from her made your body feel heavy and your eyelids grow heavy.

“Hello, I am the owner of this fine establishment, you may call me Midnight. How may I help the both of you?” The woman introduced herself.

“My friend here is looking for an Alpha. I myself wish to hook up with one of your Alphas as well but not permanently.” Your friend spoke for the both of you since your head was clouded with taking in all the new sounds, smells, and sights that had invaded your senses. Your eyes wandered over your surroundings as you took the new environment in. You saw the Alphas that were shown in the advertisement. Along with some other faces that weren’t shown. You saw the other guy that had caught your interest in the back corner behind his turntables, monitoring speaker, and mixer. You scanned the room to see if you could find the werewolf that had piqued your interest and caused a fire to light in the lower part of your stomach. You searched the room in anticipation to see his face and take in his scent. You couldn’t seem to find him among all the other alphas there in the main room. Your mind went to the worse case and thought that he already had a customer for the evening. This idea saddened you a bit and you stared at the ground.

“That is excellent. I will need for you to write down your secondary gender to help with our ratings. After you have done that, feel free to look through our selection of Alphas and other dynamics.” Midnight requested of the two of you. You looked up and the both of you write down your specific dynamics. The both of you then handed your cards to the woman. Midnight looked over what the two of you had written and when she read yours, her eyebrow raised. She gave a book of the still available workers to your friend and she told you to go wait in the bar for her. You did as you were told and went to the bar.

The host that was seating people asked you if you were waiting for anyone. You said that Midnight had told you to come here and they guided you to a back corner seat and had you sit there. They took your order and went off to make your drink. You looked over to where your friend was being guided by Midnight to the tall, beefy redhead with flames all over his body. You chuckled to yourself as your friend had picked out the same red head that they were gushing about earlier that week.  You watched as Midnight introduced your friend to the red head and he stood up to his full height and introduced himself. You watched as someone delivered your drink to you the sheer size of the man and how he dwarfed your friend. Midnight left the two be and headed in your direction. You watched the man lead your friend into a private room. Midnight slipped into the seat across from you with her own drink.

“We don’t usually get Lunas coming here looking for an Alpha. They usually want Omegas. What brings you here, Y/N? Other than an Alpha to help you with your heat?” She asked as she sipped her drink.

“I want a mate. I want a partner to keep me company and to treat me right and not like some creature that is only meant to take care of the house and bend over when they want to rut into me then expect me to raise his litter on my own.” You told her. She smiled at you.

“I know exactly the Alpha for you.” She said and stood up. She held out her arm for you. You stood up and took her arm so she could guide your head riddled brain up the spiral staircase and to the quieter part of the apartments of the club.

“Who is this Alpha you are taking me to?” You asked as the environment and mood changed to one that caused a chill to run down your spine. You could smell a difference in the air as the scent changed from citrusy, warm, and spicy to cool, crisp, and relaxing. The scent was similar to that of waking up in a log cabin deep in the woods just after a night where the snow fell hard the night before and your partner had made a fresh pot of coffee and had brought you a cup. You hummed and closed your eyes to take in his scent. Midnight paused with you to let you take in the new scent. You opened your eyes and looked to her.

“What else do I need to know about him?” You asked as you had let his scent envelop you.

“He’s a werewolf, sweetheart.” The woman told you. Your eyes widened and you tensed up.

“Relax, he won’t bite you, much.” She told you as she stood by the door. You walked over to the door and stood in front of it.  

“The both of you will have to establish a safe word.  He won’t mate with you until you give him consent. He is actually quite the gentleman once you get to know him. Shouta will take care of you and your heat, he has been looking for a mate himself for a while now. You could possibly be the lucky one.” Midnight said as she opened the door for you. You took a deep breath and stepped inside the room. You looked around the room to take in your surroundings and look for your Alpha. He was nowhere to be seen. You heard the door close and lock behind you and a presence that set the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

“So, what did you come here for? Just another omega who can’t handle their heat? How pathetic.” You heard a deep, gravelly voice rumble from behind you. You turned around to face him even though you could barely see his form from where you stood in the dim lighting of his apartment. The man stood before you shirtless and wearing a rather tight pair of sweatpants that showed his already erect member. You panted a bit and spoke up.

“I’m not some typical needy omega!  I am a Luna that is looking for a mate. The owner of this establishment thought that you and I would be a good match up.” You told him in a slightly raised tone. He pushed off the wall that he was leaning on and looked at you from the shadows. He slowly walked to you and held your jaw in his hand.

“You think you’re so tough because of your dynamic, huh? Still pathetic. Why would Midnight pair you with me?” He asked as a strong wave scent of rain-soaked pine filled your nostrils and knocked you onto your butt. He smirked and walked over to his nest.  

“Tell me why I should even consider taking you as a mate.” He said as he laid down and watched you.

“I don’t just want a one-night fling, I want a permanent partner. One that will care for me and treat me like a human being and not just some breeder to crank out litters.” You told him. This caught his interest and made him look at you.

“Come here then, Little Luna.” He told you and made room for you in his nest. You obeyed and did as you were told and sat outside the nest. The werewolf looked at you and flicked his fluffy ebony tail at you. Shouta watched your chest rise and fall with your labored breaths as your heat slowly invaded your body, making you get hot and needy. You were doing your best to keep your scent to yourself. You huffed as your neck felt sore as you wanted to let your scent loose and fill the room with your heat scent. Shouta noticed the frown knitted into your brow. He leaned forward and whispered into your ear.

“Let it out, kitten, I want to smell you. No other alphas will come in here. They know not to mess with me.” He told you.  He hovered over your neck where you could feel his warm breath on your sensitive skin. You finally released your scent and the werewolf took it all in. He buried his nose into your neck and growled in your ear which made your heat become more wet with slick. The werewolf wanted to sink his teeth into your neck and make you his and his alone. He pulled away and sat back in his nest and stared at you.

“Why don’t you come in here with me, kitten?” He purred and encouraged you to come into his nest that seemed to be lined with a sleeping bag. You climbed in and melted into the soft fabric that was the inside of the sleeping bag. The man put a hand on your back and hummed as he rubbed your back.

“How long have you been holding your scent in? Your doctor should’ve told you that’s dangerous.” Shouta told you as he rubbed your back and looked down at your heat-ridden form.

“About a week.” You said just loud enough so he could hear you. He sighed and laid down next to you.

“Do you feel better now?” He asked as he stroked your cheek. You nodded and looked at him.

“Tell me your name, Little Luna. You probably know mine already from the ad.” He said as he stroked your hair out of your face.

“Yours is Shouta Aizawa. Mines Y/N.” You told him. The werewolf smirked and propped himself up on an elbow.

“Such a pretty name.” Shouta spoke. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of him. Everything about him drove you crazy as you resisted the urge to take him as your mate and get it over with.

“I know you said that you don’t want to just be some, thing to be bred but I know you’re in heat just by how strong your scent is. I’m willing to be your mate. Midnight was right. You are perfect for me. As for your heat though, you have no idea how much I want to fill you with my seed over and over until your womb is heavy with my litter.”  The werewolf confessed as his voice began to hint with that lust filled tone that you had heard from previous alphas that had courted you in the past. You began to stare at the wall.

“Hey. Eyes back down here, Y/N. I know that you don’t want to be an incubator 24/7. I don’t expect that. But I know that you want me to claim you right here and now and stuff that wet hole of yours full of my seed? How does that sound, Little Luna?” He asked as he kept eye contact with you. You were blushing redder than a beet when you looked at him. You nodded in agreement and he proceeded to move onto his hands and knees. He hovered over you and was so close that you wanted to pull him into a deep and passionate kiss but you stopped yourself.

“Before we begin, what should our safe word be?” He asked as he moved close to your neck and wanted to bite a deep bruise on the tender flesh of your skin.

“How does moonlight sound?” You suggested as his scent flooded your senses.

“A little tacky but it will do.” Shouta chuckled as he hovered closer to your neck.

“I’m guessing you don’t have a permanent mate by the lack of a mark on your neck.” He said as he put a gentle kiss on your collar bone. You held back a moan and spoke.  

“No, I haven’t. Please, just mark me already.” You practically begged for him.

“Then tell me what you want me to do to you, Little Luna~.” He said as he put another kiss down on your chest right above your breasts. Shouta pulled away and looked up at you.

“Go on and tell me.” He encouraged you. You sat up and looked him in the eyes.

“I want to have your litter so badly. Please. I beg of you, fill me with your seed. Fuck me until I’m sore and can’t move anymore. I want you to be mine and mine alone, Shouta.” You told him as you cupped his face and gave him a genuine pleading look. You looked so cute to him as he looked back into your eyes and saw the honesty in what you had said.

“If we are gonna do this then you should know that there is no going back. Once we are mated, then we are mated for life.” He told you as he ran a hand up your thigh. You looked back at him and nodded. The thought of a werewolf as your mate made you push out more slick that now coated your thighs. The werewolf smirked and kissed you before moving to your neck. He kissed and licked the area around the area he was gonna mark you with to put you on edge. You huffed and whimpered out as you wanted his knot to fill your empty hole. Shouta looked to you when you let out a whimper.

“Should we call you kitten instead of little Luna?” He teased you. You huffed and moved to turn away from him.

“Where do you think you’re going, kitten? We need to get you out of that pesky dress of yours~.” He told you and helped you sit up. He undid the zipper on your dress then slid the straps of your dress off your shoulders. He leaned to your left side and bit down on your soft flesh and sucked a pretty bruise into your neck before leaving.

“You’re mine now. Mine and mine alone, Kitten.” He told you before kissing all over your neck and licking blood from the mark. He pulled away from you slowly and kissed your cheek.

“Yes. I’m yours, Alpha.” You responded. He smiled and kissed you. He pulled the rest of your dress off your body and chucked the garment to the far corner of the room. You looked sadly at the discarded garment as you worried that you wouldn’t get it back.

“Don’t worry, kitten. You’ll get it back when we’re done.” His eyes flicked down to your waist as he noticed the shapewear on you and smirked.

“What makes you need to wear something like this?” He asked as he ran a thumb over the band that lay just below your chest. He looked up at you to see you blush and look away from him. He gripped your face and made you look at him.  

“What’s wrong? You can tell me.” He asked.

“I wear the shapewear because my lower half is too big.” You told him. He moved down to rest his head on your stomach.

“I want to see.” He told you as he looked up at you with his deep brown eyes and you melted. You stood up with his help and slowly pulled the constricting fabric down off your body until you were only standing there in your underwear and bra. His eyes widened and he leaned back.

“I don’t see anything wrong with your body.” He said as he pulled you down into his lap and against his warm and partially fuzzy chest. He looked down at you.

“Look at me, kitten.” He told you in the same commanding tone as earlier. You obeyed and looked up at him. He held a crooked finger under your chin as he looked at you in the eyes.

“You are beautiful just the way you are. There is nothing I would change. But I do have to say, I do appreciate your thick ass.” He told you with a smirk. You blushed and hid your face in the crook of his neck to take in his scent. He chuckled and slid his hands down to grip your butt. He grinned and slid a hand up your back to caress your hair and take in the scent of your shampoo. He hummed and kissed your head. He slid his hand back down to your butt.

“You’re so soft, I like it.” He told you as he let his fingers sink into the soft flesh of your hips. He guided you to lay down in the nest and look up at him.

“Remind me again what you wanted from me?” He asked as he looked down at you and gave you kisses all over your neck and torso.

“I want your litter. I want it so badly.” You reminded him. He nudged your legs to spread them open so he could lay down between your legs and rested his head on your stomach.

“Just how badly do you want this?” He asked as he traced patterns on your side. You huffed as you were growing impatient as you felt your heat grow more and more unbearable as you snuck a hand down to give yourself some release.  

“What do you think you’re doing? Did you think you could sneak a hand down there and fuck yourself when you clearly came here to get claimed, fucked, and bred full of a litter? I don’t think so.” He scolded you gently. He then arose from the nest and went to another part of his room to retrieve something that you couldn’t see. You rolled over onto your stomach and watched him come back with a long piece of grey fabric. You blushed as he stared down at you with the fabric looped in his hand.

” For being such a naughty kitten, you are going to get your wrists bound.” He said as he knelt down and bound your wrists together. He didn’t pull tightly, just loosely bound them so you couldn’t move them easily then put your arms above your head. He then climbed back into the nest and hovered over your body, situating your wrists so you couldn’t move them. You stared at his bare chest and gulped down the lump of anticipation that had formed in your throat. Once your wrists were secured in the wall of the nest, he looked at you and smirked. He spread your legs back open and slid between them. He folded your legs up so they almost touched your chest. You blushed harder as he stared at your slick hole. He moved down to kiss and nip at the soft flesh of your thick thighs.

“So soft and cuddly. I could use your thighs as a pillow for when I take a nap.” Shouta said as he pressed his cheek to your thigh and kissed it.  He kissed his way down to your entrance and attached his mouth to your hole and began to kiss and suck the slick off your lower area. You moaned out, shut your eyes closed, moved your hips against his mouth. He looked up at you and smacked your butt.

“Look at me, kitten. Keep eye contact with me the whole time.” He told you and made eye contact with you. He growled against your folds which made you squirm in his grip.  He chuckled and sucked you more. You leaked more slick and he swallowed every drop you would give him. You felt your head buzzing as he gave you so much stimulation that you could barely handle it. Shouta pulled away to grab the bottle of lube he had stored around the outside edges of the nest. He applied some to your hole and shifted up to put you into a mating press. He pulled his sweats down a bit and pulled his massive cock out to apply some lube and slide his member into you gently so you could adjust to his size. You moaned and desperately moved your hips to give yourself some friction. But the werewolf wouldn’t have it. He growled and spanked your supple ass again. He gripped your hips and held them in place.

“Did you want to do all the work? I can get you a dildo instead.” He said as he began to pull out. You whined and shook your head no. He pushed his girth back inside and made you wait a little longer.

“Don’t be impatient or I’ll get you kicked out, you got that?” He told you in a firm tone. You nodded.

“I’ll behave. I will. Just please breed me!” You cried out. He smirked and began to thrust slowly in and out of you. You moaned and gripped the blanket above you as his knot stretched you so nicely. He quickened his pace and sucked a mark onto your thigh. This caused you to moan out and let your scent pour out from your glands to fill the room. Shouta took in your scent which made him drive deeper into you.  

“I’m gonna fill you up good, kitten. Make you so full that cum drips out of your hole~.” He told you as he pounded into you. You nodded in agreement. You had waited so long to carry a litter. You were happy that you finally would be able to after so long. You were in pure bliss as your werewolf mate pound your dripping hole. He grunted in your ear as he whispered things into your ear that made the knot in your lower stomach grow bigger until it was threatening to snap. You whimpered and told him you were close. He nodded and the both of you released. He pulled out and got you some water. He held your head up and made sure you drank. When you were finished with the water, he looked at you.

“Do you need anything else before we go another round, little Luna?” He asked of you while he had a smirk on his face. You were still blushing hard and shook your head no.

You wanted to be leaving here with a stomach rounded out from being stuffed with cum and having your hole dripping with his seed. He lined up with your hole before sliding in. He looked to you to make sure you were ok before thrusting. He gave you his knot this time to give you a higher chance of getting pregnant. You had released sooner than you thought you would. You could feel the hot spray of his seed in your womb as he released. He didn’t pull out and instead he kissed you again as he began to thrust more as he was determined to give you his litter. About an hour or so passed before the both of you were spent and he finally pulled out, put his member back in his pants, and laid next to you. He turned to face you and intertwined his fingers with yours. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked at your cum-filled stomach and put a hand on it as he kissed your head.  

“Go use the bathroom love. Is there anything else you want?” He asked as you sat up and discovered just how sore your hole was.

“C-can you help me to the bathroom? My legs feel like jelly.” You asked him. He nodded and stood up. He picked you up bridal style and carried you to the bathroom. He set you on the toilet and left you to do your business and he went through his drawers and pulled out one of his shirts and pulled out a pair of fresh underwear provided by Midnight for the customers.  He walked back to the bathroom door, knocked a couple times and opened the door a bit.

“You can wear these for now.” He said as he handed the clothes to you and closed the door again. You got changed and finished using the bathroom. You called for him to come in. Shouta was waiting there so he could scoop you up in his arms and carry you back to the nest. You held onto him and he held you close. While you were in the bathroom, he had added a couple pillows, a heating pad, and some more water bottles to the nest and the surrounding area. He then set you down in the nest and sat outside the nest looking in on you.

“T-Thank you, Shouta.” You said as you put the heating pad on your lower back.

“I’d do anything for you.” He told you as he kissed your head and wagged his tail a bit.  

“Can you get some food for us? I’m hungry.” You told him. He nodded and got back up again.

“What do you want?” He asked.

“I’d like F/F.” You requested. He nodded and pulled a shirt on before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. This left you to get comfortable in the nest and doze off a bit before he came back. Your mate soon returned with your favorite food and something for himself to eat. He set your food in the nest next to you before he leaned in and brushed a few strands of hair from your face. He kissed your forehead which made you scrunch your face a bit and wake up.

“Have a nice nap, kitten?” He asked as you noticed the bag with your favorite food inside.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep but I was so tired after we mated.” You told him while eating your food.

“I did you put you through the ringer earlier. You can stay until morning. Now that I have a mate, I need to move out. I want to stay loyal to you. Even more so if you’re gonna have a litter.” He said as he ate his food.  

“I have a small apartment that we can share.” You told him. He smiled a bit.

“I don’t have much. Just what’s here in this room.” He responded.

“I can help you pack up tomorrow. I live down the block.” You said smiling.  

“We can have some of the other guys help carry my stuff to your apartment.” He told you. You nodded and smiled. Shouta took the to-go containers and put it outside his room. He then walked back to where you were in the nest and laid next to you.  

“Thank you.” You told him. The look on Shouta’s face was that of a puppy wanting to climb into bed with you. You smiled and put your fingers into his ebony locks and stroked one of his wolf ears that poked out of his head.

“Get in here. Just be careful, I’m still sore down there.” You told him. His face lit up and he climbed into the nest and laid behind you. He wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you gently into his embrace. You couldn’t be happier than you were right now. You had a mate and a very large possibility of a litter on the way. Shouta had his hand over your swollen stomach and was kissing your neck and ear. He was happy too.

“Thank you for being my mate, kitten. I’m happy you asked me to be your alpha. I will help you through each and every heat that you have if you’ll let me.” He told you and slid a hand up your shirt. You blushed and pressed into him.  He smirked and cuddled you.  

“You just rest now. You’re gonna be growing a litter here soon, Kitten.” He told you. You closed your eyes and dozed off in his arms. He kept you close all through the night as there were others going to their rooms with people that had come in earlier that evening. You woke up a little bit and flipped over so you were facing Shouta. You nuzzled into his chest and he woke up too.

“What’s wrong kitten?” He asked quietly.

“Others are making noise.” You responded as you blinked up at him.

“That’s normal here.” He chuckled. You blushed and hid your face. He looked down at you.

“I have an idea. Why don’t you come under my shirt to keep you warm? How does that sound?” Shouta suggested. You liked the idea and with his help he lifted the hem of his shirt and slid under his shirt. You hummed and nuzzled his chest. He stroked the back of your head as you pressed your face into his chest and dozed back to sleep. He pulled the sleeping bag around you two and zipped it up before he fell back asleep.

 Morning came and you woke up sleepily. You looked up to see Shouta looking down at your sleeping form.

“Morning kitten, did you sleep ok?” He asked.

“Yeah. After I got under your shirt, I zonked out quickly.” You said giggling.

“Do you want breakfast?” He asked.

“Are you allowed to do that still? Even now that I’m your mate?” You asked as you didn’t want him to get in trouble.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll tell Midnight what happened last night and she will have some of the other guys come up when we’re ready to go.” He reassured you as he unzipped the sleeping bag. You whined as you didn’t want to leave the warmth that he gave you.

“You can cuddle me more once we’re settled in your apartment, ok kitten?” He said looking down at you then helping you leave his shirt which was now stretched out. He stood up and let you be wrapped up in the sleeping bag. He knelt down and kissed your head before he left to get food. He stopped at the door.

“What do you want?” He asked.

“Pancakes with chocolate chips?” You asked cutely.

“Anything for you, kitten.” He told you before leaving. You rolled over and snuggled back into the sleeping bag to rest your eyes more before you had to get up. A few minutes later, Shouta came up with some pancakes for the both of you.

“Hey, sleepyhead. Wake up. Your breakfast is here.” He told you teasingly and licked your cheek. You opened your eyes.

“All I see is you~.” You said while blushing hard.  

“Do you want me for breakfast too, kitten?” He asked as he leaned closer to you and kissed you. He lured you out of the sleeping bag and into the cold air.

“I know you don’t like the cold but the warm and fluffy pancakes that are dripping with syrup and waiting to be devoured by a rather ravenous kitten~.” He mused as he teased you with the pancake. You reached over to take a bite but he pulled it just out of reach. You whined and retreated back into the nest. He tore off a bit of the fluffy breakfast item and held it in his mouth. He made a come here gesture with his finger and you obeyed and he prodded your mouth with the pancake which you gladly ate from his mouth and then kissed him. You hummed and climbed into his lap. He tore off another piece and fed you bit by bit until the first pancake was gone. There was two more in one of the containers. He looked at the pancakes then at you.

“We have some time before Midnight kicks the customers out. Why don’t we have some fun~.” He told you as a sly smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. You smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Where do you want me?” You asked.

“Lay down for me, Y/N.” He instructed of you. You laid down and looked kept eye contact with him. He smirked and pushed the shirt up past your stomach.

“Still so pretty~. “He told you. He reached over to one of the pancakes and ripped it in half. He then tore up each of the halves into smaller pieces and trailed them up your legs. He took the extra maple syrup and trailed it up and down your legs. He sat back and admired the pretty picture in front of him. You blushed hard and nodded to give him approval to start. He laid down and started at your ankles. He licked the syrup that had dripped down and almost onto the floor. He sucked a bit and licked up to the piece of pancake and he ate it before kissing your shin. He licked up to the knee and ate the piece of pancake that was there before going up to the rest of the chunks of pancake that were on your thigh. He reached your hip and sucked a mark into the soft flesh of your hip before moving back down, starting at the ankle of your other leg. Shouta copied the same process with your other leg until he was panting over your lower area.

“Now, for my meal~.” He hummed and went down on you.

He had finished just as there was banging on his door.

“Hey Shouta! You gotta wrap it up in there. Midnight wants the customers out in ten!” A loud voice called from the other side of the door. Shouta groaned and pulled away from you.

“Go put a pair of my shorts on and follow me. I’ll carry you down to Midnight and tell her that you’re my mate.” He said as he helped you up to your feet and helped you to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of black shorts and helped you into them.

“There you go. Do you think you can walk?” He asked you. You shook you head no and he picked you up to wrap your legs around his waist.  He kissed your cheek and carried you down to the main room which looked completely different than how it was the night before. You peeked out from under your hair and saw some of the others. You searched for your friend that should’ve been next to the fiery red head. He saw you and spoke.

“I sent your friend home when we were done. They should be fine.” He said and you relaxed. Shouta sat down with you in his lap next to a long-haired blonde that had the same voice as earlier. You recognized him as the DJ from last night. You hid your face in the crook of your mate’s neck as Midnight approached them all. She sat down and addressed them about what happened last night and reminded them some of the rules. Shouta held you tightly as she reminded the group about having the customers leaving before morning. Midnight’s eyes darted to Shouta and she smiled.

“I see that you finally found yourself a mate. You remember the terms that we decided on, right?” She asked. He nodded.

“I need help with moving my stuff into Y/N’s apartment down the street.” He asked.  A couple of the beefier men including the orca looking guy pitched in to help.

“When we’re done here the boys can help you.” Midnight said. A few of the other alphas in the room congratulated you and Shouta.  You blushed and hid your face in Shouta’s chest.

“I’m gonna go back up and get my stuff sorted.” Shouta told the group as he stood up and went back to his room.  He set you down in the nest before going about his room and sorting the small amount he had.  The loud blonde came up with some empty boxes and helped his friend pack his clothes and bedding. He walked back over to the nest and checked in on you a few times before he had to take the nest apart and leave you with the sleeping bag. When everything was packed, Shouta’s friend went down and came back with the bouncer from the night before and a new person that also had blonde hair. They helped carry the boxes and a couple pieces of furniture downstairs and out of the establishment. Shouta carried you in his sleeping bag after the other men. You led them to your apartment down the street and helped them inside. You instructed them where to put the boxes and furniture. They left soon after, leaving the two of you alone. He set you down on your bed and kissed you.

“Your place looks nice. I’ll go unpack. You rest, kitten.” He said as he kissed your head and left the room to go unpack. He dragged a box into your room where his dresser was and sorted the clothes back into the drawers as you slept. He wanted to stay close to you even now. He felt like he had to protect you. He could sense that you were pregnant even though you didn’t believe him. He finished sorting his clothes and went to the box of his bedding and made a nest around you. He slid in and held you close to his chest. He dozed off, now feeling safe in his new home and next to his new mate that he loved so dearly.  

Two weeks went by and you adjusted to your new life with your mate. You didn’t feel top notch though. You had nausea and fatigue. You didn’t want to move from the nest as the slightest movement would make you want to run to the bathroom and puke out your guts. You had developed the oddest cravings. One of your cravings was pickle juice as a brine for raw meat that you were craving. You also couldn’t seem to get enough pineapple juice, Gatorade, and milk. The smell of fish made you want to puke. Shouta was willing to get up at early hours when you would wake him when you had an intense craving for whatever you were craving that week. One afternoon, You, were sitting on the couch and devouring a tray of chicken nuggets with mac and cheese as Shouta came over and sat down next to you.

“Hey, Y/N? I wanna talk to you about something.” He told you.

“What is it?” You asked as you ate.  He looked at you with concern and spoke.

“Remember about two weeks ago when we met?” He asked you. You blushed and nodded.

“I think with all your recent cravings and nausea, I believe you’re pregnant.” He said smiling a bit.

“You really think so?” You asked as you finished your ramen and set the plate on the coffee table.

“Yes, I do. I went out and got a pregnancy test when I got the ice cream you requested.” He told you.

“Ok. Where is it?” You asked.

“On the bathroom counter.” He told you. You got up with some help and went to the bathroom to take the test. Shouta stood as well and took your plate into the kitchen to wash it. You came out a few minutes later and showed him the positive test. He picked you up and held you close. The both of you were happy and excited. Shouta kissed you and knelt down to your stomach that was showing the slightest bit.  He kissed your stomach and hugged you.

“Thank you, Y/n. I am very happy. You have helped me with that. I love you so much.” He told you and kissed you again.

“I will go set up a doctor’s appointment for later this week.” You spoke. He nodded and told you that he wanted to go with you to the appointments.  You set up an appointment and he made a special dinner for the both of you to celebrate. He pulled you close when you had finished setting up the appointment and held you close to his chest.

“C’mon. I made us dinner.” He said and led you to the bedroom where a pizza was laid out on the bed. He had redone the nest and climbed in. He helped you in and he shared a pizza with you. The two of you spent the rest of the evening dreaming of the future and what it would hold for the both of you.

 The end.

[irradiatedsnakes]

Hey dude! Someone in a discord server found a bird skull and foot (they think it's an eider duck), and was wondering how to go about cleaning them. Do you have any tips?

ohhh, very cool!! absolutely i do, here's a copypaste of a writeup i did over discord messages a billion years ago for a friend:

firstly: the book vulture culture 101 is spectacular and a comprehensive resource on like, all of this stuff. the ebook's like $10usd. however heres how i go from whole animal or raw skull to bright n shiny clean skulls:

-if your specimen is whole/still has skin and fur, skinning them will save you a lot of time and hassle. takes less time to decompose, and you won't have huge globs of fur in the way (keratin takes much longer to decompose than flesh!)

-if your specimen is now skinned but has all of its meats, you can speed up the process somewhat by.. i cant remeber the word, but basically cutting the big chunks of flesh (like the cheek area) away from the bone. this i totally optional though i almost never do it myself, it just lower the volume of meat that needs to decompose

-now ok. youve got your bones with flesh on them, or maybe you found some nature-cleaned bones that still have some bits and bobs on em. if it's the latter, you might just be able to soak it for a day or two and then pull off any remaining dried bits with tweezers or your fingers (or needlenose pliers. much stronger) and then go onto whitening, but if there's still a substantial amount of flesh:

-find a container with a lid that is big enough to comfortably hold your specimen. i use a storage bin, but depending on how small your specimen is you can use, like, a tupperware container.

-find a space outside where a smell isn't gonna be a big deal. even with a closed lid, there'll usually be a few feet radius that radiate some death rot smell. also, might wanna see if you can keep it protected in some way, especially if you have turkey vultures or other smell-hunting vultures (or other scent-hunting carrion eaters) around. ive had vultures try to break into my bins multiple times! a good sturdy closing lid keeps em out though

-place your specimen into the container, and fill it up with water. you can fill it up enough to cover the specimen entirely, but also, if you have a particularly fleshy specimen you can make the water go up almost all the way to the top, and then leave the lid off your bin for a couple hours (if you know nothing will snatch your specimen! might wanna like, babysit it) to allow flies to lay eggs. maggots will speed up the process a bunch! but either way, place the lid on your container and put it in the safe place. oh! and preferably, you want it somewhere warm, like in the sun.

-now you just wait! this method, maceration, takes a long time! but it produces the best quality bones. now, this step will vary on time based on how much you have to decompose and how hot it is (and whether you have maggot help or not), but heat's the biggest deciding factor. this process works by decomposer bacteria eating up all the flesh, and they work best in the heat! if you're doing this in late fall or winter, prepare to wait til summer arrives for any process. if you're in the height of summer, it might only take two weeks! but either way, youre gonna leave this out for weeks.

-basically depending on the heat, check it when you think its done. you'll know its done by the lack of flesh. the bone might still look dirty- they often become stained weird colors in this part. it's no big deal, it'll go away in the next step. also, teeth will fall out now, because theres little no no soft tissue keeping them in place. thats fine, just keep track of them! pay very close attention to when you pour out the water. incisors are so easy to lose. (also the rotwater is great fertilizer!)

-ok! so it's a couple months later and you have a fleshless skull (or whatever other bones) but it's very stinky and not clean. firstly youre gonna wanna give it a rinse (outside. don't bring this into your home yet. it smells like rot) very carefully, as not to lose any teeth.

-you want another container big enough for your specimen, now. can be the same container if you clean it out very well, but i prefer to have dedicated rot buckets. you may need to degrease your specimen, or you can move straight to whitening.

-how do you know if you need to degrease? fatty substances in the flesh can be present in the bone, as grease. this will discolor certain parts of the bone (or rarely, all of it) and make those areas look yellowed and sort of oily. if it's just a spot or two and the discoloration doesn't bother you, you don't have to remove it. but if it's a substantial amount it's gonna make the bone look dirty, and in high amounts can also stink. not a rot stink, it's not nearly that bad, but a sort of musty smell.

-grease in the bone is most common in especially fatty animals. anything domestic is likely to have grease, as are very fatty animals like raccoons (raccoons have SO much fat. i skinned one once and its like, ridiculously big layer of fat under their skin.). ive personally had grease problems with coyotes and felines.

-to degrease, you need that container again, and some dish soap! preferably the clear stuff, you don't want to end up staining the specimen. put your specimen in the container and fill it up with water so its covered, and pour some dish soap in there. swish it round so its all mixed in, and put the container back in the warm spot. this process is also heat dependent!

-now you wait again. every two or so weeks, check, and maybe change out the water and soap. your judgement as to when its done. basically you just want those greasy spots gone when the specimens dry!

-next up is WHITENING! this is where you START if you have an already fleshless specimen! all you need for this one is hydrogen peroxide, the 3% stuff you can get cheap at any drug or grocery store. ive found that due to pandemic reasons the peroxide supply at a lot of places has been depleted, but it's mmmostly better by now. you still might have some trouble finding it.

-put your specimen in the container and fill with peroxide enough to cover it. it'll probably start fizzing! the peroxide reacts with organic bits like microscopic amounts of grease in the bone and like, cleans it out. leave it in for a few days to a week, then check.

-if it's still too yellow for your tastes, change out the peroxide and leave it in for another few days. (note, the bone will be more yellow when it's wet- it gets whiter as it dries) if it's white to your liking, take it out, and leave it on a paper towel to dry.

-once dry, you can glue your teeth back in. i use hot glue most of the time, because its very forgiving and easy to undo, but note that if you ever plan on putting the specimen into water again like to degrease it in the future, you might wanna use something like superglue instead. just be...very cautious of mistakes. once i put in my otter's canine tooth backwards. like, tip in the socket, root facing outwards. always do a test fit right before you put the glue on, so you know youve got the angle right so you can put it in right, before the glue dries. also, you only need a TINY bit of glue per tooth.

plus bird feet, depending on how fatty/fleshy they are, can also be dried by posing them and burying them in borax for a while! i do that to preserve chicken feet without skeletonizing them.

i would also ask them to make sure that their collection of this bird is legal- im pretty sure in places where the migratory bird treaty act applies (usa, canada, mexico, japan, and russia) eiders are protected, and as such owning their parts is illegal and can carry a very hefty fine. should be fine in europe, though, to my knowledge. eiders have a huuuge range :P

[xbunnybunz]

Chocolate Confession [Link x Reader]

Summary: You decide to repay the Legendary Hero of Hyrule with a box of chocolates, and he repays you with something else entirely.

Genre: Fluff

Date: June 19, 2014

-----

If you had learned one thing about Link after all these years of traveling with him, it was that he had an gargantuan sweet tooth.

You had paid close attention to the young man as you both strolled through Castle Town. (And it definitely was not because you liked him!) You would watch as his gaze restlessly touched over everything in sight, examining all of the wares for sale with tireless curiosity. Even though he so-eagerly drank in his surroundings, he never stopped to admire anything up close. It was almost as if nothing meant enough for the busy hero to stop him in his tracks... Well, except for one thing.

Whenever you passed by a candy shop or a vendor selling sweets, Link's cerulean eyes would sparkle like aquamarine jewels, glistening with both awe and lust for the treat. Like a child, his facial expressions would shift to convey his desires. For a split second that others would never notice, Link's breath would catch in his throat, his feet failing to move for a minuscule of time.

Although any other normal person wouldn't have been able to pick up these subtle clues, you noticed the blond's small hints and knew what Link's body language meant.

He was infatuated with sugary snacks.

However, there was a small problem with his sweet tooth; the problem being that he was a traveling hero- which meant he didn't have the time to settle down and get a job. That wasn't the only issue here. The blond hero also had to take care of you, his loyal sidekick, as well as his horse, Epona. With these two factors in mind, it was quite obvious that there were never extra rupees to spare.

In the past few months, however, you managed to snag a job at the renowned Lon Lon Ranch. You had gotten the idea to work at the ranch after you heard the townspeople of Castle Town speak about it. Epona had long run out of carrots and Link had decided that it was time to restock on his beloved horse's treats. Both of you had gone shopping in the marketplace, seeking out carrots for Epona when you overheard two men discussing how much they yearned for a bottle of fresh, ice-cold Lon Lon milk.

While Link was busy paying for the carrots, you rushed over to the men and asked them what "Lon Lon Milk" was.

They had initially laughed at you for not knowing what the famous Lon Lon milk was, but once they realized you were serious, they pulled you aside and explained to you in thorough detail about what the delicious drink was, disbelief in their eyes.

”I can’t believe you’ve never heard of Lon Lon Milk before!” One said, blinking back tears. “What a poor child!”

The other man slapped the back of his friend’s head, but looked close to crying himself. ”Aw, be quiet you idiot! You’re attracting attention!”

Apparently, the milk was a product of Lon Lon Ranch- which was famous for it's scrumptious milk and creamy butter.

Intrigued, you asked about the job opportunities there. The men simply pat you on the back and told you that if you asked Malon, the ranch-owner's friendly daughter, you would be guaranteed a job there.

The following night, while Link and Epona slept, you sneaked away to Lon Lon Ranch, using the directions the men in Castle Town had given you. Luckily for you, you had arrived right before Lon Lon Ranch closed for the night. A girl about the same age as you was huffing and puffing, working on pushing the gates closed, but once she saw you, she gave you a warm smile and asked you how she could be of assistance.

The girl, you assumed, was Malon. You were determined to get the money to repay your friend.

'Link deserves something special for everything he's done for me.' You argued in your mind, still hesitant to take the job. It would require you to sneak away from Link each night and work at the ranch, sacrificing your resting time- which was something you valued more than gold. You shook off those thoughts with a scowl. 'He's always taken care of me and helped me in all ways possible- sometimes even saving me from monsters! He deserves this, at least.'

In the most polite manner possible, you asked her if you could work here for a while. “I need certain amount of money to buy a gift for a friend.” You explained, twiddling your fingers. “I want to buy the perfect present for one of my dearest friends- one that was always there for me. That’s why I need this job, so please, could I work here?”

With that reason, Malon immediately gave you the job.

"I think that you're a wonderful friend." She praised, taking you inside the ranch. "I'm sure your friend will love the present she gets!"

"’She?’ Oh, my friend isn't a girl." You clarified, chuckling quietly.

There was a moment of brief silence after that.

Malon had slowed her footsteps and turned her head slightly, sending you a knowing, yet mischievous look over her shoulder.

"Oh? Is that so?"

You stared at her, dumbfounded, before you finally realized what she was implying. A thin layer of pink dusted your cheeks as you quickly tried to rebut her assumptions.

"W-what?" You stuttered, "Like I said, we're only friends..."

It was Malon’s turn to chuckle as she wached you falter over your words and turn a fiery scarlet color. The auburn-haired girl turned away from you, humming when the cow stables came into view.

"Ah, this is where you'll be working!" She smiled, gesturing to the sleeping cows. "Don't worry, it's not a hard job. All you have to do is milk them enough to get three buckets of milk a night- and you're done!"

You thanked her and accepted the bucket happily, glad that your job didn't require you to lift heavy boxes or shovel horse poo.

And thus, for a month and a half, you managed to creep away from the sleeping hero and his chestnut-colored horse, spending two to three hours in the ranch before returning to sleep for a couple of hours. Finally, after all your hard labor, you had saved enough money to buy Link what he yearned for this whole time- chocolates.

This morning, you were ecstatic to hear that the Hero of Time wanted to head to the marketplace to pick up his repaired shield. You had just enough money to buy the chocolates that he craved.

As he groomed Epona with gentle hands, he addressed you. "I'll be visiting Castle Town sometime in the afternoon," he said, turning to face you. "The repairmen should be done fixing my shield; I'll pick it up today. You can come with me, if you want?"

Soft blue eyes turned to take in the sight of your kneeling form, rolling up your sleeping mat with utmost care.

Your reaction was nothing short of excitement. Your head snapped up, startling the blue-eyed boy in front of you. "Yes!" You shrieked immediately, your eyes wide with delight.

A moment of silence passed between the two of you before you realized what you did, and you blushed, embarrassed.

Link sent you a questioning glance, and you felt your cheeks turn pink. "Er, I mean-" You quickly added, trying to redeem yourself, "-I mean, I'd love to go! I've been wanting to buy something there for a while now."

Link smiled at you, lips turning up into a playful grin. "That sounds great! It's always a lot more interesting when you come to Castle Town with me."

You hastily turned around and pretended to fold up your sleeping mat, hiding your reddened cheeks. "S-sure..." You stammered, feeling a bit foolish for the effects that the blond-haired, sapphire-eyed boy had on you.

It was true that you had developed a tiny amount of feelings for Link, but you tried your best to suppress them. Of course, he would never like you. You knew that in the competition for the hero's heart, you were already beat. Princess Zelda- possibly the most beautiful and talented girl you've ever encountered, had you down in the long run. What madman would pick girl like you over a princess?

You sighed quietly under your breath, folding your sleeping mat in half and strapping it onto Epona. The horse huffed out of it's nose lightly, as if it knew what you were thinking. (She was probably just protesting against carrying the extra weight, but it was a comforting thought anyway.) You pet her white muzzle, running your fingers gingerly over her mane. "Friends." You muttered under your breath, watching as the graceful horse pressed it's nose into your hands. You take a deep breath, eyes darting over to the teenage boy that stood a little ways from you. "Just friends..."

Soon after you and Link had finished strapping your sleeping gear onto Epona, you both took off to the marketplace. As both you and Link walked, there was a comfortable silence between the two of you. You chuckled, remembering how awkward you were around the hero the first time you traveled with him. Blue eyes met yours, and you offered a lopsided smile. "What were you laughing about?" Link asked, sending you a curious look. You looked up at the sky, tilting your head slightly to catch a breeze. "Nothing, just some old memories." He didn't get a chance to ask what they were about, because you had already arrived at the drawbridge to Castle Town.

Soldiers greeted the both of you as you walked in, you nodded at them before closing your eyes, soaking in the sounds of civilization and life. Traveling with Link often meant being secluded from other folk, and although you loved his company, it got lonely quite quickly.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when Link began to speak to you. "We'll meet up in Central Plaza after we've both found what we want, alright? If you need anything, I'll be in the Gear Shop right next to the Hyrule bakery." You nodded, your eyes already glued to the fancy store across from the Gear Shop. Even from where you were standing, you could already see the sweets inside of the store, beckoning you to go in.

As soon as Link departed, you hightailed to the shop, admiring the treats through the window first. The shop put it's best chocolate on display. A variety of chocolates laid in front of your shining eyes, tempting you to hurry up and buy them. The display of dark chocolate swirls, caramel drops and pure white chocolate made your mouth water- you were standing there for so long that people were beginning to give you funny looks, so you decided to walk inside the shop.

No words could describe the smells that had wafted over your olfactory senses as you stepped into the store. For a second, you felt as if you had gone to heaven and back; because it seemed humanely impossible for smells so wondrous to be on Earth.

"Hello?" You heard a voice call, and suddenly, you noticed that there was a hand waving in front of your eyes. "Darling, are you quite alright?" You looked to see the owner of the arm, a woman that was dressed affluently and twice your age stood in front of you, looking worried.

"O-oh no! I'm fine!" You reassured the lady, peering at the boxes of chocolates that lined the shelves. "I'm just amazed at all the chocolate here, that's all."

The woman laughed heartily, placing a hand on your shoulder. "Oh dearie, chocolate seems to be a gift from the gods above, doesn't it? Everything about it seems perfect!" She gestured to the merchandise around her, adding in a hushed voice, "Sometimes I think I love this place more than my husband- don't tell him that, though! Ohoho!"

You diverted your eyes and peered behind the counter, seeing a burly man twirling his mustache, analyzing the boxes of chocolate across from him- that, you concluded, was probably this woman's husband.

"Anyway, dear, was there anything you needed?" The woman asked. You scratched the back of your neck, offering a nervous smile. "Yes, I came to buy this specific box of chocolates. I've had my eyes on it for quite a while now, and I'd really appreciate it if I could buy those."

You still remembered the box that Link had eyed a couple of times while you passed by this shop, it used to be in the window display, but now, alarmingly, it was gone. The top of the box was transparent and allowed you to see the contents lining the inside. You remembered the features of all the alluring chocolates, there were even carvings on the chocolate! Each tiny swirl and flower engraved in the thick, creamy treat looked as if a professional carver had worked their magic on it.

"Oh, that would be no problem! Pray tell, how did the box look like?" The woman asked, clapping her hands once in enthusiasm.

"The cover of the box was transparent, and the chocolates inside looked like they were created by a woodcarver." You recalled, placing a finger on your chin. "There were also multiple colors- it was very pretty."

The woman seemed to be in deep thought for a second, thinking about the description you had given her. You heard her mutter a couple words under her breath before she suddenly sprung into a frenzy. "Oh no!" She cried, hands flying to her face dramatically, "I do, indeed, think we sold that box of chocolates last week!" Your eyebrows furrowed, and you felt a twinge in your heart. Link really seemed to like those chocolates... And you had worked so hard to get them, too.

Suddenly, a gruff voice is heard from the counter. "Millie, I think we have one of 'em boxes left in the back."

Both you and the woman look up at the man behind the counter, still twirling his mustache. He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the storage room, and your face filled with surprise; the woman's full of glee.

"Oh, sweetie! I knew that I was right to marry you! You're even sweeter than one-hundred chocolates combined! I knew I could rely on you to be organized with the merchandise!" As the woman bounced her way to the storage room, she leaned over and pecked the mustached man on the cheek, and look of satisfaction washed over his features, chuckling. "Right back at ya Millie."

In moments, the box of chocolate you had seen Link admire so many times was placed in front of you on the counter. The man told you the price, and as you were basically emptying out all your life savings onto the table, he gave you a sly look and questioned "Would the person you're giving this to like this wrapped?"

You were about to answer when Millie interrupted you, a shocked expression on her face. "These expensive chocolates are for someone else?" She began fanning herself, as if it were the most incredulous thing she's ever heard. "Tell me it is not so! Look at you, all your rupees have gone into this box of chocolates- and it is not even for you? Give me the joy to hear that it is your most precious receiving this gift!"

Your face reddens, and you can only look down at the shining marble floors, unable to find words to speak. For your "most precious?" Well... You wouldn't go that far, right?

The man behind the counter sighed, "Ay, Millie, it must be. Look at her face!" He turned to you, and small smile on his lips. "Tell you what, I'll wrap this for you for free- just to make up for all the drama we put you through."

You nodded meekly, your face still burning red.

It didn't take long for the man to finish wrapping the box. When you saw the material they had used to enclose the box, you almost cried.

"This is silk!" You said in awe, feeling the expensive fabric under your fingertips. You traced the golden-hued ribbon with wonder. "...I cannot thank you enough!"

The couple only smiled at you and thanked you for your purchase, urging you to run along and give your present to your lucky "friend."

You carefully placed the beautifully wrapped present in your bag and decided that you'd give the chocolates to Link sometime later, since he would probably be busy checking out his shield after you met up with him.

You spotted the golden-haired boy immediately after leaving the chocolate shop. Calling his name and waving to get his attention, you both reunited and made your way back to Epona, who was waiting for you both in the middle of Hyrule Field.

You stopped walking as soon as Epona came into sight, coughing lightly to get Link's attention. His cerulean eyes turned to you, a pinch of concern shining through. "Is there something wrong, ______?"

You diverted your eyes and slowly pulled out the present, holding it out to him.

"T-this is a thank-you-present for looking after me all the time..."

You watched his reactions out of the corner of your eyes, seeing his face go through an array of emotions. First, he seemed stunned, then puzzled, then finally, grateful.

You turned your head toward Link, lips trembling slightly from the oddness of the situation. His eyes locked with yours, something you've never seen before brewing in his blue orbs. "_-_______... You shouldn't have..." Link muttered, pressing the package closer to his chest. "Where did you get the rupees to afford this?"

You bit back a shiver upon seeing his expression, a blush threatening to spill crimson all over your face. "Well, it doesn't matter as long as you like it!" You choked out, quite rattled at the situation. The words came out a bit sharper than you had intended, but Link didn't seem to take them to heart.

The Hero of Time gave you a gracious smile before carefully pulling at the golden ribbon, admiring the silk fabric.

“Wow…” He whispered in awe, eyes darting up to your ever-reddening face. “This is amazing.” You gulped, trying to steady your heartbeat.

Once he had finally unwrapped the gift, a soft look of surprise touched upon his handsome features, his eyebrows arching up in disbelief and the corners of his mouth pulling northward. You watched as he blinked several times, just to make sure he was not being deceived. His eyes took in every elaborate detail on the chocolates through the clear texture on the front of the box in amazement.

Once you decided that he liked the chocolates, you looked away, your face feeling like it was lit aflame.

"_______... How did you...?" Link spoke your name like it was a sacred prayer. You could feel his eyes back on you, however, you refused to meet his gaze.

"I saw you admiring them in Castle Town," you tried to explain, the temperature on your cheeks increasing steadily. "...And I thought that maybe you'd like them."

You decided to sneak a glance at Link; and you regretted doing so immediately. His eyes were so full of admiration and love that you felt as if you would faint if you looked into them for a second longer. In a flash, he held you in a tight embrace, pressing his body flush against yours.

"I love it, _____. Thank you so much."

You could barely react to his sudden act of affection, and although you wanted this embarrassment to end, you never wanted Link to let you out of his loving grasp. Gingerly, you wrapped your arms around his torso, returning the hug gently.

It seemed like only seconds had passed before he pulled away suddenly, leaving you feeling vacant and also a little neglected. As soon as you saw him open the box of chocolates, however, you watched him with renewed interest.

Link observed every piece of chocolate in the box, appreciating the time and effort put into each individual candy. After what felt like an eternity, he picked up a chocolate in the shape of a rose, small flecks of bright red dotting the edges. You watched keenly as his slender fingers turned the chocolate over, taking in all the details on the petals; before raising it up to his barely parted, slightly chapped lips, enveloping half of the sweet in his mouth...

Your head snapped to the side violently, a dark blush igniting in your cheeks. That was so... Hot... You suppressed a shudder, reminding yourself to contain your thoughts.

While you were battling with your inner turmoil, you had not noticed Link's sneaky expression as he glanced at you. Unknown to you, Link had seen your reaction to him eating the chocolate, and soon, an idea formed in his mind.

Of course, he had an itching feeling that you had liked him before, but he had never acted out on it because he was unsure. Now, however, it was quite obvious that you had more than just a little "thing" for him- and you'd be thrilled to find out that the feeling was mutual.

With that in mind, he purred your name, not unlike a way a cat would, and you clenched your jaw, trying not to look at him. "W-what?" You asked, peering out of the corner of your eye when you didn't receive an answer.

Your eyes widened slightly when you realized that Link was sauntering closer to you, and you attempted to gain space immediately. "Uhm, Link, what are you-Woah-!" You fell backward, landing on your backside rather painfully.

‘Way to go.’ You thought, swallowing thickly as you looked up at Link. Aquamarine eyes watched your every movement and didn't miss a beat. Without hesitation, Link kneeled between your splayed legs, placing his unoccupied hand on the floor beside you. The blond leaned in close, his eyes holding an emotion that almost looked like untamed hunger.

You were too stunned to speak, feeling his hot breath cascade over your lips.

"Why don’t you try some?" He asked, his voice low and airy. He held out the half-eaten chocolate to your flushed face, watching in satisfaction as red blossomed even further down your face. "It's delicious." He smiled, his eyelids lowering seductively. “…And if it’s not, we can try the others in the box, what do you say…?” You were frozen at his words, unable to speak yourself. Instead, you took notice of how long his golden eyelashes were. You felt a gossamer touch on your own lashes, and you swore that they were touching yours.

Link leaned into your body, holding the chocolate rose against your trembling lips, tempting you to open your mouth. Your mind was dizzy with embarrassment. You could feel the chocolate pressing against your mouth, as well as the small grooves and saliva that Link had left behind when he had eaten it. The scent of the chocolate wafted up to your nose, and you felt like you were being put under a heated spell.

You were entranced as you looked into his aqua-eyes, opening your mouth just enough for him to slip the chocolate in. Link gave you a small smile, pressing the sweet into your mouth with a satisfied look.

Your taste-buds set off fireworks in your mouth. The chocolate slowly melted in your mouth, the taste of bitter dark chocolate mixed with foreign spices gave the treat a dark, but tangy flavor.

Your eyes never left Link's as you savored the chocolate, his half-lidded eyes nearly causing you to melt yourself. You were unable to suppress a shudder when he shot you a sultry look, darting his tongue out to lick his lips.

You watched, hypnotized as the hero raised his hand up to his lips, lapping at the chocolate that had melted on the tips of his fingers.

“Link…?” You whimpered, watching him with clouded eyes. You blinked as he pressed a finger to your lips, silencing you. Slowly, his hand slithered behind your head, tangling into your hair.

All the while, the blond moved closer to your face, gauging your facial expressions. You shook in anticipation, almost leaning toward him as well. When Link was finally a few centimeters away from your lips, he watched you lowered your eyelids slowly, following in suit, his eyes slipped shut as well.

Gently, he pressed his lips against yours, your mouths molding together perfectly.

After a while, he pulls back and placing his forehead on yours, looking content. "I love you, so much..." He hums, opening his eyes.

You let out a shaky sigh, still flustered, but at the same time, thankful. Your mind began to wander, wondering how a box of chocolate had resulted in this.

"I love you too, Link."

[ilkkawhat]

"How long have you had this planned?" "Since the moment I fell in love with you."

(For MacDalton)

[two things: one, this is like the first time I've written them in over three months so I apologize if I'm a bit rusty and two: I just straight up invented a new music venue for the sake of plot. I hope you enjoy Nade!!!]

If there’s one thing Jack’s learned in all of his years of knowing Angus Macgyver, it’s that for certain anniversaries; be it birthdays, deathdays, randomly constituted holidays mostly created on Jack’s behalf such as Bruce Willis’ birthday or the day Die Hard premiered in theaters, it’s that Mac is very...picky when it comes to his sentiments.

He loves a good party, sure, but doesn’t necessarily enjoy birthdays—at least his own, because he still always puts forth effort for others’ to ensure they have a good time.

He believes in Santa Claus, with what he thinks is irrefutable scientific proof, but doesn't believe in the other innocent childish entities such as the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny, agreeing with Jack that the Tooth Fairy is nothing more than a unwanted home invader in the form of a lying parent and the Easter Bunny is just downright made to terrify children with mall photos.

Hell, he at times even downplays the importance of Cairo Day, willing to work instead of lazing around the deck with a six pack and bags of takeout delivered by Jack himself—and while there really was an emergency this time around that left both of them bruised and battered and shaken with the sight of a gutshot Bozer, it ended up being the perfectly bided time for something he’s had planned for, well...for a long while, now.

That, and he’ll be able to kill two birds with one stone, embarking on a road trip to find a long lost father that he already knew Jack would join him on before he even said a single word, and in turn take Jack on a trip he never quite expected to have. One without any hiccups, not even an improvisation. Perfectly planned and tailored to the man he both owes his life to, and wants to devote his life to.

He asks Jack to take a pit stop on their cross-country road trip—immediately dispelling Jack’s insistence of hitting up the casinos in Vegas with teasing argument that he’d lose all of their money for food and gas no matter how many times Jack explains that he knows the “system,” but once their banter fades back into the comfortable silence, he directs Jack past the state of Nevada and into the southerner’s own home state—the Lonestar state.

“Texas? You really think Daddy Mac might be hiding in a hole in Texas?”

Mac shrugs coyly and Jack grins.

“Don’t matter anyhow, been wantin’ to take you back down here anyway. Mama’s missed having a scrawny kid to cook for,” Jack teases with a wink.

“Well good, cause we gotta swing by your casa and pick somethin’ up real quick,” Mac puts on a faithful imitation of the Texan’s accent, and Jack beams.

“Going native, huh, hoss? What do we gotta pick up?”

“Your guitar.”

“My guitar?” Jack’s eyes narrow behind the large yellow lens of his aviators and gives up trying to ask why because Mac keeps his lips sealed.

They just keep driving instead, down a long country road with the appropriate tunes to accompany this feeling; Mac’s hair flowing in the wind, Jack casually driving with one hand on the wheel and the other on Mac’s knee, a wide grin on both of their faces as they watch the sun set and the beautiful unseen stars in the sky rise out to greet them.

And a robot in the backseat, but he’s smart enough to know when to stay quiet and just enjoy the moment.

They make it to Jack’s home, an intended short visit turns into almost an entire day and while Mac is never the one to make excuses to leave, he tries to come up with as many as he can to make it to their destination on time.

Fortunately, he also got Mama Dalton and Jack’s sister in on it too, which does make it just a little easier and Mac promises that they’ll come back on the way home after nearly having to drag Jack out of the beloved ranch home.

He won’t be so grumpy once he sees what I got planned, Mac has to remind himself, because his light layer of deception does hurt him as much as it hurts Jack.

Another reason he wasn’t a fan of the “surprise” element of having a birthday. There’s an almost malicious level of teasing to making sure the birthday boy or girl doesn’t suspect a thing.

But he knows Jack, and knows he has to be suspecting something, evident by his sudden bitterness in their usually laid back banter.

“You’re just getting tired of driving is all,” Mac tries to reason with him.

“Me? I ain’t tired. You’re the one who’s tired, want me to tuck you in the back?” Jack sneers.

“How am I supposed to give you directions then?”

“I got Spanky back there—”

“Sparky.”

“Whatever. And where is it that we’re going anyway, Mac?”

“Up there,” Mac smiles when he sees the building in the distance, the GPS on his phone indicating they’re only mere minutes away.

“Wuh—No. No!” Jack gapes and Mac burst out in glee. “What are we doing at the Armadillo II?”

The Armadillo II, being a freshly renovated bar and music hall was built as an homage to the Amradillo World Headquarters, which Jack often talked about having gone to as a young kid, wishing it had lasted longer before being turned into an office building—something he often compared to the transition of childhood to adulthood itself.

“Beer and music, what else would you do?”

“Yeah, but I mean, how does this relate to…”

“It doesn’t. It’s just for you. For us,” Mac grips Jack’s hand and gently kisses him on the cheek. “Making up for Cairo Day.”

“Aw, gee, Mac,” Jack’s eyes are glistening, his teeth shining under the bright moonlight in the brightest smile. “You shouldn’t have!”

They’re greeted by a bouncer who holds up a hand to Jack’s chest as he was ready to strut his way in.

“Tickets,” the bouncer grunts.

“Ah, damn, don’t have ‘em on me, but I know the owner—” Jack starts to ramble, ready to sneak their way in but surprisingly, Mac has two ticket stubs.

“Where’d you get those?”

“From my pocket,” Mac says simply and pushes Jack into the building.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the concert will begin in fifteen minutes, please fill you drinks and take your seats!”

“Concert, what concert?” Jack shouts as he takes in the room, taking the chair closest to the door at the table that Mac directs them to.

“See that banner?” Mac nods up to the stage.

Willie Nelson.

Jack knew of course, that Willie Nelson would occasionally come out for a concert or two, usually to fundraise for his acts of activism—and even if he couldn’t attend he’d always try to send some money for the cause, but never, and he really means never in his right mind did he ever think this would happen.

“I love you, Mac,” Jack breathes, and the concert begins.

A few songs in, Willie slows down to a gentle strum on his guitar, and the lights dim to match an intimate, romantic atmosphere.

“Now, this next song is called ‘A Song for You,’ although, it is my honor to make a slight alteration to the title for one of our country’s greatest unsung heroes. A guy with a name that sounds like it’d be on the menu at Carl’s Junior came up to me on the street the other day—”

The crowd laughs at the name joke, and so does Mac but Jack’s jaw is hung open, no sound coming out which makes Mac laugh even harder because he knows it’s all coming together.

“He told me his story, their story and well, now it’s my turn to tell y’all that story too. This here is a song for you, Jack Dalton.”

“No. Fucking. Way!” Jack breathlessly gasps, his fingers shaking, his eyes watery and red. Mac puts his hand on Jack’s knee, and Jack sandwiches it with his own. It’s not until the song is over that he’s able to speak again, wiping the tears from his eyes as the crowd applauds.

“When the hell didja manage to talk to Willie Nelson?”

“On my way back from Siberia. Made a pit stop.”

“And now, it’s my greatest pleasure to welcome onto the stage, the man himself—”

“Mac…” Jack starts slapping, clawing at Mac is if to bring him back to life because this sure as hell feels like he’s died and gone to heaven—though he knows, and Mac knows, that will never happen.

Jack Dalton will never die.

And even if he did, he’d never go into that light without Mac by his side, and because of that, because they’re alive, they both feel unstoppable, almost youthfully immortal in that sense—if they were going to die, they would have kicked the bucket by now, surely.

“Come on up here, Jack!” Willie calls and Jack just cannot believe it, especially not when that same bouncer comes up behind him holding his own guitar that he had stashed away in the back of his GTO.

“How long have you been planning this?” Jack asks wildly as he rises from his seat.

“Since the moment I fell in love with you,” Mac replies, and rises with him, sending him to the stage after a good luck kiss. “Which was basically when you played Willie Nelson every day in the Sandbox.”

[darkeninganon]

Look, more Gream (Ghost Dream). No warnings this time, just Puffy and Gream. :)

Ranboo stood in the doorway, staring into the- in his opinion- ugly green room. His beloved particles danced around, whispering warnings and doubts about the ghost that occupied the room. Ranboo did his best to ignore them, but they seemed to know more than even he did, just like...

Ranboo sighed, thinking about his enderwalk state. He had wanted answers, and now he'll likely never get them. Unless he took the risk and performed the ritual. He really didn't want to do that. Perhaps he should go back to asking himself about it.

"Hey Ranboo, you good?"

The half enderman shrieked, tail puffing up as his pupils expanded. He froze for a moment, gaze slowly sliding to Gream, who was leaning back in equal surprise. The ghost had gotten less skittish and fearful of the three teens, no longer apologizing for the slightest infraction. "Fine. Just... thinking." Ranboo supplied, slowly relaxing once her finished speaking. "Do you have plans... for today I mean? I've been here long enough, Phil and Techno are going to get worried at this point."

Gream shook his head. After his scare with the Warden, he wasn't too keen on going out and being found.

Ranboo sighed, "alright. Just... try not to melt anything, okay? Spruce is getting hard to find."

"Right. Sorry." Gream watched as the half enderman nodded and left, disappearing into the massive mansion. As much as he wanted to explore the little country Tubbo had set up, he couldn't find the energy to do so. Still...

Gream wandered the halls, making his way to the basement with a pick-axe before he started digging. Snowchester still didn't have a nether portal, and even if he didn't set it up, he could at least gather the supplies. Mostly obsidian. And diamonds. He needed to learn to be self-sufficient for when they finally caught the man with the gold tooth and locked him away.

Locked him away where though?

Gream jolted, laughing loudly. "I'll get stuff for a prison! Oh, that's going to take so much netherite! Yeah! Layers of water, lava, obsidian, and netherite, and no way to get out!" He stopped, humming in thought. "But, the food will have to be good... cakes? No... Maybe steaks, carrots, soup... not potatoes though. Ew." He'd never say anything, but he really, really hated potatoes. He smiled, happy that he came up with an idea for what to do with those people, locking them away and not having it end in bloodshed.

The prison would have to be massive, and it would also need a courtyard for exercise and sun. It would also need plenty of clocks; keeping someone locked up without any idea of how much time was passing was just too cruel. He should know. Gream stopped. Why should he know what that was like... how long had he been missing? Was it months? Or was it years? Perhaps it was only weeks. Gream shook his head. He couldn't dwell on the past.

He stopped digging, letting out a squeak of surprise as he came to a cave system. His surprise was quickly replaced with glee. This was the perfect place to find coal, ores, lava, and so many other things! Gream took off down the cavern, bouncing on his toes as he scoured the walls, ceiling, and floor for various materials.

Gream stopped dead in his tracks as he came to a wall of lava. Lava falling into a deep lake of more glowing lava. Something about the curtain of melted rock made him... he didn't like it, at all. He wanted it gone, but also not. Gream shook his head, walking around the flowing magma, careful not to touch it. Finally reaching the far end of the pool, Gream realized he forgot a water bucket. Of course he forgot something so simple. With a sigh, the ghost headed back out the cave, climbing the tunnel he created and heading towards the villager trading hall. He'd trade for iron, there were enough emeralds in the chest; he had found it with the help of Ranboo after the Warden had visited. He stopped, spying Michael playing dully with a chicken. A literal, living, breathing chicken. Gream stared, the little pigling looked... sad in a way. Gream ran to the villagers, plan forgoteen, instead grabbing wood and sticks from them. He immediately ran to a clear area, setting up the materials as he took a moment. He had no idea how to built a table, but by the church of prime, he was going to try!

It took probably an hour of Gream contorting himself to finally get one of the four needed legs finally attached to the table. As prime as his witness he was never building another table ever again. A snorting giggle distracted him, turning, he saw Michael standing in the doorway. "Laugh all you want. I'm building this so you have something to play with other than that chicken of yours." The piglin giggled again as Gream set about trying to attache another table leg, finding it much more difficult than the first. His fight with the table stopped as he heard a noise. Did the front door just open?

He was about to call out when whoever had entered beat him to it.

"Michael? Where are you buddy?"

A woman was in the house. Was she friendly? Sure Ranboo and Tubbo wouldn't allow her to know about Michael if she was bad, right? But... Ranboo was pretending to be friends with the Warden, who was working for the man with the gold tooth. So, maybe she was actually allied with the man with the gold tooth.

Clacking hooves on wood knocked Gream out of his own thought. He sent a look to Michael, pressing a finger to his lips, begging the piglin to stay quiet. Gream then ran, ducking into one of the many random closets in the house, leaving the door open just a crack, watching as a sheep-woman came into the room, a little female piglin following close behind.

"Oh, there you are! Where're your dads?"

Michael stared at the woman, silent for a moment. "'Boo went to the other house, 'Bo is out with Uncle!"

"Oh, well that's..." She trailed off, seeing the partially-built table  and tools left out. "If both of your dads are out, who's building this?" She pointed to the project, thoroughly confused.

"Green!" Michael chirped happily, looking to where the ghost was hiding. Gream shook his head, praying the woman didn't look over and see him.

The sheep woman stared at the little piglin boy, face contorting as her confusion grew. "Uhhh... who's Green?"

"He's a ghost! He lives with us now." Gream could have screamed.

"Uh huh... Do Tubbo and Ranboo know about him?"

"Yep! Uncle brought him over. 'Boo doesn't like him too much though."

"And why's that?" She asked, kneeling down to be eye level with the child.

"He likes the color green. His room is green! 'Boo thinks it's ugly."

The woman smiled, ruffling the little fuzz on the piglin's head. "Aw! Well, he can't control what colors people like. Anyways, what's he building here?"

"I dunno. He said it was so I could play with something other than Cluckers." As if by magic, the chicken whose name had been spoken came running, stopping once it reached Michael's side. Immediately Michael began bothering the chicken, the little piglin girl joining in.

The woman huffed out a laugh, standing back up. "Well, how about I help this... Green person, huh? Any idea what he needs?"

"Nope."

"Alright." The woman sighed, looking around. She huffed slightly. "He could have at least left some notes or something... uh... alright, I'm going to get glass and some stuff, alright?" The two piglins nodded, still playing with Michael's pet. The woman turned, leaving the room. Gream stared at the doorway, glancing at the two distracted children before darting out and following her. He kept far enough away that he was sure she wouldn't notice him following her, but so that he could keep an eye on her and see where she was going.

He followed her down the stairs and out of the house. Why was he even doing this? Sure, he had some plans today, but this was much more fun... for some reason. Part of him wished he had a trident, he felt like that would make this whole game even more fun. So caught up in his own thoughts, Gream failed to notice the woman had turned around, freezing as she stared at him.

She then took off at speed he would have thought impossible of someone wearing netherite. He followed, struggling to keep up with her as she jumped into the tunnel and sped off. He didn't have a trident, or any gear to help him, so he had to run across the top. He gave the prison a wide berth, thankful for when the woman finally turned away from the foreboding building to follow a wood path. The prime path, if he recalled correctly.

He continued to follow her, skidding to a halt and ducking behind a sign as she stopped and spun around to face him. He knew she could still see him, but that wasn't the point. It was the principal of the game. What game? He didn't know, but he was having fun. And surely she was as well, since she hadn't yet attacked him.

She stared, head tilting. It was like she couldn't fathom what he was doing. She spun around and took off again, Gream running after her, jumping down the stairs to make sure he didn't lose her. She was so determined to lose him. But, that was part of the fun, right? She did her best to lose him, and he did his best to make sure that didn't happen.

She stopped again at the community house, this time he just ducked to hide by the doorway, peering around the corner at her. She still looked confused. He was somewhat confused too; he'd never thought about chasing someone like this before, but something about her just filled his brain with the need to play with game. She ran to the community portal, leaving him to stand there until she faded from the overworld.

He followed her through, taking a moment to look around. She had gotten a decent head start, or, at least, she would have if he hadn't looked up and seen her looking down at him. It took him another moment or two to find the stairs, running up them to catch her just going up a ladder, higher above. He followed, finding himself on the roof of the nether. Weird.

"How are you out?"

Gream spun, finding the woman standing not far off. She was facing him, axe drawn and pointed. "I... What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Dream." She looked furious, but... scared and sad? Why was she shaking so much?

"Sorry... I thought..."

"You thought what?! You could just... Just go back to things being like they used to?!"

"I don't... I'm not..."

"What, Dream?! What is going on here?!"

"It's... isn't it just a game?"

"A... game?" Her rage seemed to grow at this.

"Me following you."

She stopped, as if turned to stone right then and there. Her face morphed into one of shock, like she hadn't expected him to say that. "I... You think this is about... You think... Dream, what's going on?"

Gream shrugged. "I was bored... I wanted to build a table for Michael, but then you came by, and I was still bored, so I decided to follow you. That sounds really dumb..."

"No! Uh... But, how are you out?"

"Out of the house? I walked. You saw-"

"No, I mean..." She was quiet now, looking at him closer. He squirmed under her harsh gaze, her strange eyes scrutinizing him. She paced around him, holding the axe close. Like most people on this server, she was decked out in fully enchanted netherite. Somehow though, he felt... calm? Like he didn't need to fear her or worry about her using those weapons against him. "you... Are you dead?"

Gream shrugged. "Yeah, guess so. Why?"

Her hand flew to her mouth, covering it as she gasped loudly. Tears slowly fell from her eyes. "No... who... how?"

Gream tilted his head. Why did she care? "I'm... sorry but... who are you?"

The woman coughed, barely holding back a sob. "I'm... I'm Puffy... Mama Puffy... You're..."

A memory came to his mind in that moment:

He stared down at her, kneeling on top of the blackstone tower. He needed help building those stupid walls, but... by Prime, he wasn't about to ask anyone for help. Puffy though, she was sweet and loved to help. Maybe if he asked for obsidian she'll give him a lot... She was talking to her flock though... something about a "duckling". Wait, why was she looking at him? Oh...

Gream hugged Puffy, letting out a cry of joy. "Puffy!" He was faintly aware of the yelp she let out, surprised by the sudden gesture.

"Uh...You... you remembered?" Her voice cracked, finally caving and openly sobbing as she hugged him back.

"I remember following you... I needed obsidian and thought you could help..." He failed to notice the way she cringed, glancing away from him. He held her shoulders, pushing her away until the she was at arm's length. "Why did I need to build walls? It had something to do with the man with the gold tooth, right?"

Once again her face contorted into confusion. "What? No, it... it was because..." She trailed off, staring back at him. "Have... you seen the L'Manburg pit?"

"Yeah, pretty messed up whoever did that, right?"

She was silent, staring at him for a long time. A sullen smile crossed her face, "Uh, yeah. That... It was. You were going to build walls around L'Manbug... to keep it safe..."

"From the man-"

"Yes. From the man with the gold tooth." She sighed, slowly patting his head. He nuzzled into her touch, smiling beneath his mask. "Why... You know, let's get back to this at another time, alright? We... we have a table to build, after all."

"Right!" Gream jumped away from Puffy, running to set up a boat. He missed the way Puffy frowned, pulling out her communicator and sending a message to Tommy:

You whispered to Tommyinnit: We need to talk.