#it has been a WILD day and it's only 1pm

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

what da heck

[garoujo]

✩ ˛˚ . NAGI SEISHIRO ; — nagi’s never been one who cared about running late before, so why does he now?

ஜ ˖ ࣪࿐ྂ warnings! none, fluff, early date scenario. ♡ ˖ ࣪࿐ྂ note! these random writing ideas are haunting me istg! why is my brain suddenly trying to work again :< back w my baby <3

nagi seishiro has never unnecessarily ran for anything in his life

call him a slacker, lazy.. he never felt the need to exceed more energy than required — always looking for ways to get him out of everything that he found bothersome.

so why is he running now? casting glances at the screen of his phone between strides because he said he’d meet you at 1pm and he’s got 3 minutes but he’s 5 minutes away. he can remember the way your smile twitched at the sides and the little, subtle glow your eyes held when you asked if he’d like to visit a new cafe with you and he shrugged his shoulders with his ‘kay. hes thankful that the messy mop of snowy hair that falls over his features helped to hide the way the tips of his ears flushed that day.

but why’s he remembering that now? what a pain.

nagi huffs as he slows at the crossing, panting softly before he’s tapping his phone screen again. he’s almost there but he’s sweating hard.. he could really go a bath, maybe he would’ve worn something a little lighter than his usual oversized clothes if he knew he was going to be running through the streets.

the crossing turns green & nagi’s off again, another few blocks—a few heavy breathes and it’s like a relief when he’s turns the corner to see you’re still there. still waiting.

“nagi?” you question suddenly as his tall figure shuffles its way towards you, his hair is more disheveled than usual and you think it’s amusing how suddenly wobbly he looks—urging you to reach to steady him as he catches his breath.

“ah, sorry..” nagi’s words are breathless as he finds himself leaning his weight onto you, just enough for him to balance himself before he takes another deep breath. “i think i’m gonna die.”

although you’re still curious.. and concerned, he could’ve been running from some mob or wild animal for all you know. “are you okay, what the hell?”

“nah, i kinda fell asleep.” nagi manages and you really try to hold in the giggle you can feel bubble through your throat. but you still let a grin twitch at your lips as he gives you a sleepy look.

“you’re only 2 minutes late.”

“ehhhh, really? so bothersome.” that’s when you really laugh as you feel him drape more of his weight on top of you, self-consciously you think.. but maybe it’s because he can just pass off the pinker flush of his skin right now to exhaustion but also a little embarrassment.

“oh, uh. i brought you this.“ nagi speaks again after a few more moments, reaching in to rummage around in his hoodie pocket before he’s pulling out a crumbled little package and placing it softly into your palms.

“a vitamin jelly?” you ask earnestly and there’s something charming about the way he shrugs before sending you a starry-eyed look then suddenly looks away when you meet it with your own.

“uh.. yeah, i thought you’d be hungry i guess. the store was busy so it was a hassle.”

“are you hungry?” it’s an honest question and you can see nagi humming it over in his mind for a few moments before he’s shrugging again, “a little. i’m sweaty, wanna take another nap now.”

although you think he seems a little perkier now as you let yourself grab onto the hem of his sweatshirt, urging him to follow behind you as you send him a pretty smile from over your shoulder that makes him burn.

“it was probably all the running, big guy. let’s get you some food.”

“hey, i just didn’t wanna make you wait.”

nagi thinks it was worth it though because you’re beautiful when you’re caught somewhere between a smile and a laugh— still holding onto the vitamin jelly he brought you and everytime his hand brushes against yours he can feel the urge to intertwine it with his own.

“are you sure you weren’t just excited to see me?” that really gets to him because he swears the rate of his heartbeat spikes like he just ran around tokyo twice, it’s unfamiliar—he’s not used to stuff like this. how’s he supposed to act? what does this even mean?

“don’t tease me, ‘ts no fair. ‘m too sleepy to fight back now. wanna carry me?” nagi drawls out lazily and he’s a little surprised when you actually laugh. another brush of his hand against yours as you walk and he thinks that maybe he’ll let it linger with the next one.

“no, but i can buy you lunch.”

“hm, ‘kay.”

© 2023 GAROUJO. please do not copy any of my layouts or writing and translate or repost onto any other sites.

[zangtang]

Everything can change at any point!

Create images here: https://www.bing.com/images/create?FORM=GENILP before i say anything else though: not following someone else's prompts means you'll likely find some wild and unexpected things yourself. If you follow my prompts like they're laws, you will only ever get results like mine. There are people doing much cooler, weirder things. Don't get restricted by this.

the site was VERY BROKEN for the last 6 days, you haven't been banned. You get 15 boosts a day which usually override any current downtime, but the popup thinks you get 25 a week, which is an indicator of how busted and poorly planned they were for this flood of users. It's not too hard to create illegal results, and there's millions of users, so it's very unlikely a human is ever looking at your results. Unless you're doing really spectacularly terrible things, of course. If you get the warning as soon as you enter your prompt, change the most controversial aspects of your prompt immediately, as repeats of this will get you suspended for increasingly long times. It is possible to make alt accounts with throwaway emails though. It's unconfirmed but it appears that US residents get priority access during US times, and UK residents can only reliably make things from 7am to 1pm for example. Weekend access is a crapshoot. I don't personally pay for ChatGPT so I can't say anything about the alleged priority access you get there, but even that can be slow and restricted during the worst times (I assume this will the their priority to fix though). There are many conflicting reports about whether it's more censored or not. Reports is a very fancy way of saying reddit comments.

Everything I superstitiously guess about prompts:

you can be very descriptive and write in natural english, or you can be very brief. both methods work, I suspect both versions do different things. repetition and restating the same thing in other ways also seems to emphasise (possibly.) Prompts can be quite chaotic and contradictory - you can describe a lot of things happening and it may surprise you, so have fun with weirdness! some words are "heavy" against the automated filters, and can be safe in one prompt and unsafe in another. think of it like buckaroo, the AI is trying to find meaning in your prompt and it will sometimes combine things and get mad about it. be aware of politics and words that may be used in erotic senses, and switch those up.

this is the format I use the most because i am super lazy and unimaginative. items in [ ] are optional and can be anything, and I don't know how the word order matters - in old Midjourney it mattered quite a bit according to guides, but now they're all pushing to parse natural english I'm not so sure:

[number of] [body type] [age] [nationality] [male noun or job] wearing [clothes], with a [size, shape] belly, [hair description], [pose], [location, time of day, weather, lighting, era], [facial expression or attitude], [actions]

The number of guys can be vague like "several." Also placing a number here will generally result in all men being fat. To add a second, very different person (even women! imagine the power), simply describe that in plain english later in the prompt. Try adding "with friends" or something and seeing what happens.

Mentioning body type is separate from mentioning that he has a large stomach because "fat man" alone doesn't make him very fat. also, the body type prompt will dictate his physical build underneath the belly - this allows you to make mpreg very easily, for example. Mentioning his belly separately also seems to be a key part in making clothes not cover it up. However, DallE has clearly gotten much better at this for some clothes, but not all of them. Formalwear is improving, though tactical vests no longer do the cute thing they used to do, and football shirts still ride up reliably. Nationality can be weird, and you can use it to exploit stereotypes, or it can be an eye-opening view of stereotypes from countries you barely know about - want to know what differentiates an Angolan man from a Kenyan man? Probably don't trust AI results! I suspect some countries are controversial due to current politics, and I suspect some are controversial due to fetishy stereotyping. However, if for example "English man" got censored, consider going for capital cities or famous regions, eg "London man." Maybe look up sports teams from that country. I'm a big fan of the "Italian-American" prompt but lately it's gotten quite a few results blocked, so I'd switch to "New Jersey," maybe even "New Jersey Italian."

"Handsome" may slim your results down, or even break the prompt entirely. Consider making your men footballers or rugby players, mention trendy haircuts, or using out of date synonyms to get round it. AI isn't all that likely to give you especially ugly results anyway, particularly if you specify ages under 40. It doesn't get the hair precisely right, but even a generic prompt like "short thick hair" can help. Giving your character a job may dictate what he'll wear, but you might want to specify what clothes you want anyway. Don't mention either if you hope he'll turn out naked. Certain jobs are tricky to use, as AI strains to be as unpolitical as possible - it doesn't want you doing politicians and it sometimes seems to refuse anything that might make the police or military look bad. However, it will accept "wearing a [colour] uniform/pilot shirt" very happily, because it's duuuuumb.

Mention trousers, footwear or even just feet if your results keep zooming in too much. (It'll also zoom in if you mention too much about his face, I think.) Side view appears to make certain prompts fatter, but will often mean he's looking away - you can add "Looking at camera" if you want that. Metallic and plastic clothes can have very fun and weird results, especially if you change the location to a night setting in the rain. Gladiator costumes will reduce his clothes to a few leather straps.

"Flex pose" and "strong pose" will get butch bodybuilder poses (it will also buff up the muscle mass) and "battling strong winds" gets very superhero poses. At least when I was trying these out, I found I couldn't actually get proper bodybuilder poses or mention of superheroes past the censor, but it's been a few weeks so who knows what it's up to now. Give them all a go!

Casual poses and actions can liven things up a little if you just want portraits but don't want it to repeatedly be the same thing facing you directly. Getting out of a car, climbing stairs, leaning against things, adjusting his clothes or putting on a coat, all these kinds of things work. Smoking or drinking does quite a lot. "Tired" or "Exhausted" changes his attitude a lot too, your leans get leaned into more.

Contact words can be a little difficult, so consider ways to exploit using soft contact, or be very wordy and detailed about it so it's not misinterpreting you. "Patting him on the back" is a fairly safe phrase, but DallE isn't intelligent, so it will allow the contact but it will struggle to be precise, especially when the bodies are fat or not positioned in a way they can reach the back - the result of this is that there will be a lot of belly pats. Prodding in the stomach, pointing at the stomach, these both work, but I think DallE is vague about stomach=torso and you may want "pointing at his belt" to give a lower focus. Admiring can direct attention and vibes, whispering will draw their heads closer and make them interact somewhat. Embracing and hugging work but is very heavy for the censor, "hugging on his shoulder/belly" seems safer for some reason. Shaking, grabbing, "examining/concerned about his belly" can work. Bizarrely, squeezing past another man in a narrow corridor/doorway/cupboard works if you want a LOT of contact. And if you want unpredictable contact, fighting can work.

For more dynamic safe contact, try sporting actions. Baseball slides, football tackles, that kind of thing. It's hard to get them to lie flat and the AI seems to resist allowing heads to touch the ground, but "lying in a hammock" works pretty well, and sometimes specifying what the head is touching works. pretty much every minor prompt variation and scenario I've ever used:

"falling onto a broken chair/breaking an object with his weight" "washing windows" "with waiters helping him up" "with friends bringing him food" "falling over another man" "outside of a skyscraper washing windows, harness for safety, hoisted" "hyper-obese man wearing denim dungarees with an enormous inflated belly, drinking from a hose" ("blowing into a hose" gets better expressions for that IMO) "stuck in a broken narrow red british phonebooth with another man, bursting out with his enormous belly, black trousers" "bent over eating at a pie eating contest wearing a dirty white tank top with an enormous round belly and his face hidden buried in messy pie" "sitting on a throne next to a very fat 35 year old spanish monarch" "lying on his back the floor, enjoying a banquet, side view, tired expression" "very fat 35 year old handsome british man wearing tracksuit and gold chain with a hugely distended beerbelly, man with a massive round stomach, washing his car in a carpark at night side view" "at water park, stuck in a water slide" "before and after weightloss picture, in the left he is X and in the right he is Y" "with a large round belly spilled over eating at a banquet with an enormous round belly, bronzed, with waiters helping him up/being prodded with a fork" "washing dishes and leaning over his belly on a freestanding enamel pedestal basin" "climbing and leaning against a stepladder to change a lightbulb on the ceiling [with friend holding the stepladder steady]" "side view, photo of two 40 year old beefy handsome fat italian-american rugby player with a hugely distended round belly, resting hand on his chest, wearing a tracksuit with a gigantic round sagging stomach, gold chain, raining, whispering in a car park at night, leaning/hugging on shoulder, tired, stern expression looking at camera, smoking a cigarette" "side view photo of two strong 40 year old handsome samoan rugby player with a hugely distended round beerbelly, chest hair, wearing a white formal shirt and black suit, hugging on his belly, proud expectant father, boyfriends outside a busy pub at night, stern, looking at camera, raining" "two fat los angeles rams handsome footballers wearing white pilot shirt and plain tie and black trousers pushing through a narrow saloon door with their enormously distended beerbellies, stern" "photo of very fat 30 year old hunk rugby player with enormously distended belly, carrying his belly in a wheelbarrow" "very fat 35 year old man wearing white pilot shirt with an enormous round belly, tough man with a very large beerbelly, too fat for small broken airplane seat sitting on another man, fat belly spilling over armrest and pressing against over man, black trousers, slightly concerned, suave" "being carried on the back of a flatbed truck" can turn them into horrific lardvalanches but you don't get much control over it

original characters do not steal prompts: "30 year old man who looks like he's the main character from the game Uncharted with an enormous distended round beerbelly, with one hand on a bar in a pub, nathan" This is sometimes surprisingly effective, but most often it'll simply draw vibes from the IP mentioned, so you can use it to get specific settings at least

Try spelling the names wrong or reversing the name order - sometimes it'll even accept names sprinkled throughout the prompt. Repeating the name may increase its effect (it might also not!) Also it's speculated that placing the celebrity fraud in a place or situation they would normally be found in helps. That said, I could only get a Robert Downey Jr if I made him dress as a gladiator. So maybe weirdness and ingenuity are your strengths. see also https://www.tumblr.com/baron-bear/731903035856584704/what-do-you-use-for-your-ai-stuff

[faefarm]

Attention Fae Friends!

An important update has arrived! We want to make sure your experience in Azoria is as smooth as possible, so we’re sending out an update for all Fae Friends on September 21, 2023 at 1PM PT / 8PM UTC. Please read more for full details on what you can expect from our newest patch.

Nintendo Switch

Fixed an issue where having "<" in your username could cause dialogue to loop during quest dialog, on Switch. (This update previously deployed to the PC version in update 1.3.2)

Improved an issue where character face detail could appear lower quality than intended on Switch.

PC

Fixed an issue causing the Cozy Cabin Variety Pack (pre-purchase bonus) to not be correctly granted in the Epic Games Store version.

Fixed an issue where some crafting stations would open directly to the queue when using a controller on PC, or playing on Steam Deck.

Allowed Q, W, A, S, and D keys to be used in custom keybindings to better support players using non-QWERTY keyboards.

Created a new input binding for a few special inputs such as Reclaim and the Coziness overlay, to allow them being remapped on PC. (By default it is bound to “G”)

Improved behavior of Almanac unlock popups so that buttons behind them can still be clicked on PC.

Fixed an issue where long quest entries could not be scrolled using the mouse wheel on PC.

Fixed an issue where right-clicking on the right side of the Almanac screen did not consistently take you back a screen, when using a mouse on PC.

Improved the profanity filter on PC to allow some more common names, such as Sam or Brad.

All Platforms

GAMEPLAY AND PROGRESSION:

Fixed an issue where players could not reliably accept shipping contracts. Please note that it is intended that you can only complete one contract from each choice of three, and will need to wait for them to refresh (every two weeks) to accept a new one.

Fixed an issue where players could permanently lose their ability to double jump if they manually unequipped their wings before using Character Customization via a Mirror, or before a wedding. Please note that it is intended behavior that double jump is only available while you have a set of wings actively equipped (and it should now correctly function that way).

Fixed an issue where casting your fishing rod or using watering can special abilities could be blocked while wearing the Cozy, Logger, and Autumn hats.

Fixed an issue where the name you set for your farm during Chapter 1 was not saved correctly.

Fixed a state where you could be left without an active quest if you completed Chapter 2, then left to a multiplayer session before completing the day.

Updated the requirements for the side quest “Versatile Vortex” to only require clearing 10 clouds of mist, to avoid player confusion.

Fixed an unusable version of the Berry Cordial being rewarded from Potion Making job quest 2.

Fixed an issue where Animal Care job quest 1 could not be completed if a chickoo had been bred before activating it.

Fixed an issue where friendship or relationship quests could take more items from your inventory than they were requiring.

Fixed an issue where the celebration animation did not play when unlocking the second and third farms.

WORLD AND ITEMS:

Fixed an issue that was blocking some nuts, greens, and mushrooms from regrowing after season changes.

Updated the names of a number of forage items to include "Wild" to make clearer that they are not grown.

Updated the name of the spring greens from "Arugula" to "Wild Spring Greens", based on player feedback.

Fixed an issue that was causing Hives to generate an unusable item "Medium Honeycomb" when placed near flowers.

Updated the name of "Small Honeycomb" to just "Honeycomb".

MULTIPLAYER AND ONLINE:

Improved the behavior on joining a multiplayer session as a client, so you will now automatically receive the correct staff and wings directly, based on the world’s progression, without having to manually claim them from the mailbox.

Fixed a crash that could occur for a client of a multiplayer session when the host put their device to sleep.

Fixed a crash that could occur when resuming the game after your device had been in sleep mode for a few hours, having previously been in a multiplayer session.

Fixed an issue that could block access to online features when resuming the game after your device had been in sleep mode for a few hours.

Fixed an issue where progress was inconsistently saved when a client left a multiplayer session.

Fixed an issue where the side quest "Wave of Emotion" could not be completed by clients in a multiplayer session.

Fixed an issue where Magic job quest 5 could not be completed by clients in a multiplayer session.

Fixed an issue where the wayshrine in dungeons could disappear after using it to teleport to a new floor, when playing as a client in a multiplayer session.

Fixed an issue where switches or other progression items in dungeons could be already uncovered when arriving on a new floor.

Fixed an issue where eating or drinking audio was played to all players in a multiplayer session.

Fixed an issue where the voice option chosen by clients in a multiplayer session was not correctly played to the host.

INTERFACE:

Fixed an issue where quest accept/redeem banners could stop displaying after playing through levels of a dungeon.

Fixed an issue where the new season banner could get stuck on the screen.

Fixed an issue where the new season banner would not appear if an animal was born on the same day.

Fixed an issue friendship and relationship quests were incorrectly showing the completion dialog when accepting them.

Fixed an issue where upgrading a tool would result in duplicate Almanac unlock popups.

Fixed an issue where the alphabetical sort order in the Storage screen was reversed.

Fixed duplicate UI elements that could appear when using the Randomize option was used while viewing the Voice tab of the Character Customization screen.

Fixed an issue that could cause an unintended screen to appear when leaving Character Customization at the Mirror.

Fixed an issue that stopped the animal interaction options from appearing after using one of them, until you moved away from and returned to an animal.

Made the expiry timer on limited-time quests more visible in the Quest Log.

Removed two unintended invalid entries that could appear in the More Info view in the Almanac.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Fixed a missing section, and other miscellaneous fixes, in the Credits.

Fixed a number of typos in English.

Fixed a number of minor reported localization issues across languages.

Thank You

Thank you all to the amazing people who submitted bug reports and were able to help us pinpoint these issues! If you spot any issues, please update us via our Discord or through our main support page.

You can also join us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Tumblr  to share your experience with us in Azoria. 

We can’t wait to see you all in-game!

Sincerely,

The Fae Farm Team

[atalanta133]

the context behind this post as requested by @omnisvirlupussicfiatdraco, and the story of how I binged 54* episodes of Doctor Who in 48 hours.

this all started around three weeks ago. My English class started a new unit about critical reviews, with the end goal of writing our own review of some experience we would have in the upcoming weeks. Having just started watching Classic Who, I decided that I wanted to write my review on “The Tenth Planet”, as I figured it would be fun to write about such an important part of my favorite show. Just three minor problems:

I was only on the last serial of season one

“the Tenth Planet” is the second serial of season 4

I wanted to skip as few episodes as possible

this meant I had to watch both seasons 2 and 3 in less than three weeks while also dealing with school, general life, and American Thanksgiving, when I wouldn’t have a chance to watch much for about 4 days because I was in Michigan. Skip to last week, where burnout from school combined with not getting a good chance to recharge from Thanksgiving means I don’t feel like doing much of anything at all other than laying in bed hoping I’m absorbed into my mattress. Come Thursday night, I’m halfway through the final serial of season two and haven’t even started season three.

At this point I’m too far in and too stubborn to give up. Come Tuesday I WOULD be writing about that Regeneration scene one way or another. I did the math, and I had four days to watch 54 episodes (not counting “The Tenth Planet” itself). I had to Lock. In. At English class on Friday I went up to my teacher and told her of my plan. “You know you don’t have to do that” she said. “Yes, I do.” I responded.

Friday night. Night of the first day. 84 hours Remain. I got home at three thirty. I spent the next five hours finishing the last two episodes of season two and beginning the first serial of season three. By the end of the day I had managed to watch three total episodes. Not good enough.

Saturday. Dawn of the Second Day. 72 Hours Remain. Wake up at 9am, start episode 3 of “Galaxy 4” and don’t stop for anything other than the Wild Life Finale, then it’s straight back into the TARDIS. I knock out “Galaxy 4” and the “Myth Makers” by 1pm. I decided to skip “Mission into the Unknown” because it’s only one episode and doesn’t even have the main cast at all. I say goodbye to Vicki (take a moment to cry cuz I miss Vicki), and turn my attention to the 12 part monster of a serial, and my biggest challenge of my endeavor; “The Daleks Master Plan.”

I watched 11 episodes. In. Six. Hours. I skipped episode 7 because it’s literally doesn’t progress the plot and I can feel myself dying inside. I decided right there that I needed to rein it in on Sunday. I had something else I had to do for a couple hours anyways. I was not going to watch another 22 episodes even if I tried.

Sunday. Dawn of the Third Day. 48 hours remain. For my own sanity, I skipped “The Massacre” and “The Celestial Toymaker” because I didn’t want to come out of this never wanting to watch another episode of this show again when the Fifteenth Doctor (my favorite) was coming back for Christmas in just a few weeks. I’m also sorta skimming through “The Savages” but still watching because that’s when Steven leaves. I manage to crawl halfway through the final serial of season three when I decide that I had to call it there and skip the last two episodes as well as all of “The Smugglers” because if I had to read any more scrolling text on top of telesnaps I would jump into my computer screen like a Super Mario 64 painting an ask a Dalek to exterminate me.

and now, it’s Monday evening. 8 Hours Remain. I’m starting “The Tenth Planet” right now. This has been quite the experience, but thankfully it hasn’t diminished my love for this show. I can’t say I’ll repeat this, or that I enjoyed all of it, but I will say that I’m excited to watch arguably one of the most important serials in the 61 years of this franchise. And though I’m sad to see William Hartnell and One go, I look forward to watching Patrick Troughton and Two take up the mantle. Now if you excuse me, I’ll be in Antarctica saying hello to my favorite Doctor Who monster.

bonus hand reveal

[brewyork]

Your Annual NYC Guide to Celebrating Oktoberfest

The days are getting shorter and after sunset, it’s hoodie weather, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to celebrate the seasonal tradition of drinking copious amounts of German-style beer to coincide with the start of Oktoberfest in Munich.

For a little history: Oktoberfest began in 1810 as a celebration of the wedding of King Ludwig I to his bride Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The celebration grew as time went on, and has been held 187 times, with occasional cancellations due to war and disease — in fact, this is the first edition since 2019 due to Covid-19. It has grown into a two and a half week party that brings over six million people to Munich each year.

But wait, it’s September. Why do they call it Oktoberfest? Well, it was originally celebrated in October, but the Germans were practical about things: the weather in better in September, and their beer — usually brewed in July and August — is fresher, too.

So, from September 21st to October 6th in Munich, millions of gallons of beer will be consumed in seventeen huge tents dedicated to the mainstays of German brewing: Spaten, Hofbräu, Augustiner, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Hacker-Pschorr each have several tents, where they serve up a Maß, a one-liter glass of their beer, for around $16 US. Only beer brewed in Munich can be served at the event, and it’s mostly Märzen and its paler cousin Festbier that you’d be drinking there.

Anyway, if you can’t make it to Munich this year, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate Oktoberfest here at home in New York. So, here’s a rundown of some of the ways our local bars and breweries are observing the event:

Strong Rope Brewery’s Strongtoberfest returns next Friday, September 13th. Starting at 2pm and lasting well into the evening, their Red Hook location will celebrate the arrival of fall with live music, pretzels and sausages, a stein hoisting contest, a stein sale, and Oktoberfest beers from Strong Rope and twelve more local breweries. It’s a free, pay-as-you-go event.

Saturday the 14th is the return of Wild East Brewing Oktoberfest at their taproom in Gowanus. Starting at 2pm, they’ll throw a party with wood-fired traditional German food, special beer releases, guest taps, a stein hoisting contest, and live German music.

Greenpoint Beer and Ale Co. also hosts their Oktoberfest party on Saturday, September 14th. Hope for good weather for a celebration on their rooftop, featuring their annual Marzen release and a stein-holding competition.

Save the date of Saturday, September 21st for Grimm Artisanal Ales’ Oktoberfest shindig at their brewery in Williamsburg. Details are still forthcoming, but last year’s celebration had lovely steins, special food, and a lineup of several house-made German-style beers.

If you prefer to celebrate in Queens on September 21st, Singlecut Beersmiths will host their Oktoberfest party at their three locations across the state, including their taproom in Astoria, featuring the release of Inexplicable Use of Umlaut, their annual Marzen that’s best suited for drinking out of a stein.

Loreley, a longtime German beer stalwart on the Lower East Side, will host their Oktoberfest celebration every day from September 12th through October 31st. Food and drink specials, steins of beer, Saturday keg tappings at 1pm, and Sunday pig roasts at 3pm are all part of the lineup, and there’s no cover to get into the fun.

Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Williamsburg hosts three consecutive day-long Saturday celebrations on September 21st, 28th and October 5th, offering loads of German beer, a live brass band, mug holding competitions, and a ceremonial keg tapping at 6pm each Saturday.

Both locations of Black Forest Brooklyn will celebrate Oktoberfest starting September 21st and running every weekend through October 26th. It’s the eleventh year of their party, which includes proper German decor, an oompah band, food and drink specials, a mug-holding competition, and a costume contest (don your best lederhosen). Tickets for both their Cobble Hill and Fort Greene locations are $15, and there’s an add-on package for three hours of unlimited beer.

Brooklyn Brewery hosts its Oktoberfest party on Wednesday, September 25th in their tasting room at 7pm. They’ll be serving up beers over live music, a stein holding contest, and an Oktoberfest food menu provided by their neighbors at Mables BBQ. Admission is free, the stein holding contest is $15.

Longtime East Village German spot Zum Schneider still lives on in spirit each year with their Oktoberfest celebration, Munich in Brooklyn in East Williamsburg, which is back at 3 Dollar Bill for a third year. Drink beer under the tent, with tickets available from September 26th through October 6th. It’s arguably one of the most traditional celebrations in the city, with traditional music, beer in liter steins, German food, and a boisterous atmosphere under the tent. Tickets are required and can be purchased in advance.

And while there probably won’t be as much lederhosen being donned at the NYC Brewers Guild’s Blocktoberfest, it’s worth mentioning it’s happening on September 29th from 1-5:30pm. The fall celebration of New York City beer (and fundraiser for the guild) happens indoors at Brooklyn Brewery’s taproom this year, featuring pours from many of the city’s best brewers. Tickets are on sale now.

[bike42]

Saturday July 20

Feldtman Lake 8.8 miles official map, 9.5 actual miles according to my Apple Watch (45’ average). 7 and 1/4 hours total time, 513 ft elevation gain

With the sunrise came the sound of a bird with a beautiful trill, then the sound of zippers and whispers from our fellow adventurers.

Everyone got up and packed up their tents, then we worked through a few stove mishaps as we prepared hot water for coffee / tea and Oatmeal (I thought the gang would be hungry and made 10 servings but we tossed half of it!). We cleaned up breakfast and hiked the short distance back to Windigo, where we tossed our trash, bought a little more fuel for the stove, and used the bathrooms to brush our teeth and enjoy the last toilet flush until Tuesday afternoon.

We headed out at 9am. We heard/saw the seaplane come in and take off from Windigo, but we didn’t actually see much of the lake today. After we left Windigo, we saw only one guy hiking all day - out for a day hike to an observation point.

I packed very few clothes - one pair of “Shants,” pants where the legs zip off into shorts. It wasn’t about an hour until I decided to zip the legs off. I kept my long sleeve shirt on, mainly for coverage from mosquitoes.

The trail was really nice for about the first three miles, but lots of roots and rocks - that, and our heavy packs made for a slow pace with lots of break.

We encountered the young man up here doing trail maintenance for a summer job and chatted with him for awhile. He said they should have a crew of 4 people, but staffing apparently is tough here too! He also told us they make him haul the clippings way off the trail, so it’s slow going for him too. The trail he’d maintained so far was fantastic, but at the end of the day now, we’re beginning to realize just how much hasn’t been maintained!

It was a nice morning with thin clouds, actually warmer than I though it’s be! We heard rumbling thunder all morning, but couldn’t see any weather heading our way (couldn’t see much sky either though!). We mentioned it to the young man doing trail maintenance and he told us that Thunder Bay (Ontario) has a rock feature that makes the sound of thunder echo out onto the lake - so cool! I’d never heard of that before, but we sure experienced it today! Makes sense that it’d be named for that.

The rest of today’s trail was intermittently rough (as we were warned). In the sunshine, thick patches of thimbleberry occluded the trail, sometimes as high as your head! Then we’d head into the forest, and that would be better for a bit. The last several miles, Cow Parsnips was mixed into the thimbleberries - a cause for concern because like Wild Parsnips, supposedly the leaves contain an oil that if it gets on your skin, the sun will cause it to burn (phytophotodermatitus). I learned that it’s true with Wild Parsnips, and I guess in a few days I’ll know about Cow Parsnips as I sure rubbed against a lot of it today!

Mosquitoes were prevalent today, but spray pretty much kept them at bay. I didn’t want to spray around my eyes and my face, but I have a hat that says it’s made of “Insect Shield” and that worked pretty well, other than it sometimes felt too hot to wear a hat! Only Dan broke out his mosquito head net for awhile - the rest of us doused in DEET and that worked well.

When we hit 6 miles, it was 1pm (EST) and we stopped for lunch. Tam brought single serving tuna or salmon, we mixed them with mayo and spread it on sandwich rounds, topped with fresh cucumber slices. Also a treat to have something fresh while on the trail! We followed that by devouring a package of Fig Newtons, and I had some warm tea to rinse it all down.

After lunch, the misery factor increased to about a 7: hot, buggy, overgrown trail (with rocks and roots that you couldn’t see), we didn’t exactly know how much further we had to go, and aches from 4+ hours with a 40 lb pack! The group got quiet and we trudged along. I kept my mind occupied by singing camp songs to myself (“we are the U Nah Li Girls, Ugh!”).

We finally arrived at the Lake Feldtman Campsites, and chose one of the two gorgeous group sites with a nice breeze, shade and access to the lake. The water near the shore was a little silty, so Kent waded out to get clearer water for our purification process - two steps: filtration with a gravity filter, pour the water into 1L Nalgene bottles, then swirl with the UV light for 90 seconds. We set up an assembly line and quickly refilled all of our hydration bladders for tomorrow and all of the Nalgenes we had in camp.

I changed into my swimsuit top and went for a quick dip in my shorts and undies (1 pair of 2 that I brought). I would have swum longer, but the young lady at check in told us about leeches in Lake Feldtman and I was freaked out about that (Kent confirmed he saw one on his last water trip).

I changed into my dry clothes, which double as my jammies: yoga pants, tank top and lightweight hoodie. It would have been easy to fall asleep in the tent, but I forced myself to get up and help coordinate dinner.

Tonight we had a yummy Chicken Cashew Curry with Rice, and collectively we finished eight servings. We followed that with a chocolate bar and a few sips of bourbon from our flask. We were just cleaning up the dinner dishes when Dan whisper-yelled that there was a moose in the opening where Gary had almost pitched his tent. We all ran to get a glimpse - he was frighteningly huge!! He munched on tree and then silently ambled off - so cool!

I brushed my teeth and braved one more walk to the pit toilet, then settled into the tent about 8pm to write and read. Jeff was outside, and I soon heard him “whisper-yell” from the lake: “bring a camera!” I ran down there barefoot - just in time to see the moose enter the water. He waded out until he must have been swimming (I know they’re good swimmers - I think that’s how they originally got out here). He repeated dunked his head and then would come up as munch the weeds. What an awesome site - completely worth the agony of the hike to have an experience like this! We seem to be the only humans for miles around, submersed in this vast and amazing wilderness. If we hear wolves tonight, it’ll complete our Isle Royale experience!!

By the way, my toe was about the ONLY thing that didn’t hurt today!

[emptyingthebucket]

Day 59. Mile 4125. Big Bend.

We are on our way to Big Bend. I'm so excited I could spit. There is no highway to Big Bend, just smalll roads. we decide to drive to MArathon and then go south on 385 to enter the park on the north side instead of the west side. AFter more hours than Barry prefers we finally get to the entrance.

I'm not really sure where the campground is, but I've been told not to use GPS; it will take you to some remote place. "Don't go on any dirt road." So the crazy thing is at home i was able to see exactly where the campground is. however, while driving, the campground mysteriously moves around the park. welcome to the Twilight Zone! We stop at the first ranger station. It is closed.

There is a map on the wall. The campground is not indicated. This is crazy!

Today is the eclipse. We think it starts at 1pm. That is in about an hour. The day seems not bright enough, so I ask Barry to pull over. I look up to the sun with my too-expensive paper eclipse glasses. Sure enough, the eclipse is happening.

The drive seems to take forever. The scenery is getting better by the mile.

We arrive at the only ranger station that is open. The eclipse is nearly over. How did we miscalculate so badly?

The rangers have reassured us of where we are going. We are still very far from camp. Did we reserve at the NP camp or the independent, vendor operated camp? I guess we'll find out when we get there.

We come upon wildlife. Wild horses. They are beautiful and graceful.

A tunnel is unexpected!

We are reserved in the vendor run campground. The guy waiting on us was on some kind of hallucinogen. He made no sense. "May we wash our windshield?", we ask. "No, well, yes." "How is that?", we ask. "You can wash it as long as nothing hits the ground. Well I don't care if something hits the ground. I won't report you. So wash all you want. The rangers don't want anything falling on the ground. So yes, wash your windshield." We decide not to wash the bugs off the windshield.

The "Camp", if that's what you want to call it, is a parking lot, Divided into spacious sites. Each site has water, electric and sewer hock-ups. We are only here for 2 nites. We are here to see the certified dark sky! I want to see the Milky-Way.

[icicledream-archive]

animal crossing population growing has most of my favorite animal crossing songs. mostly due to nostalgia probably but u can't deny that they're good. check out animal crossing population growing 1pm. sound of the summer.

[lcvespells]

＊▵ ▰ ♔ kim bora/sua. genderfluid. they/them. did you see the new tenant on the 20th floor, on the CITY side of the building? LILITH KWON is a 26 year old MODEL AND MAKE-UP ARTIST, originally hailing from LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. with a net worth of ₩6.2B, it’s no wonder they secured an apartment at noeul gardens! being so MOTIVATED is probably what made them so notable, but if they aren’t careful, garden party will pick up on how UPROARIOUS they are. if that dreaded magazine ever finds out that THEY BRIDED THE RIGHT PEOPLE SO THAT THEIR ARREST RECORD WOULD DISAPPEAR, the gossip will write itself…

hi friends!!! i’m bunny. they/them. cst & 21+! i’ll mostly be around later in the night due to working from 1pm-9:30! here is my hot mess express lilith aka lil! if you want plots feel free to hmu i am down for mostly anything! i’ll try to add some most wanted connections for lil under the cut too! so excited to write with you all! :)  ( have been out of tumblr rp for so long i forgot how to make the text small :’) ) 

Lilith was born Kwon Areum on a cool fall day in middle of October, a day before Halloween. Lilith grew up with their parents and a older bother, Doyoung.

Being the youngest and the only girl in the family, Lilith had a lot weighing on them due to their fathers strict parenting and him wanting Lilith to get the best education possible. Lilith was enrolled in one of the best private schools on the west coast, an all girl’s boarding school not too far from where Lilith grew up in LA. Needless to say, Lilith hated it. They tried real hard to make their parents happy, but Lilith had always been a bit rebellious, which was what landed them in the boarding school in the first place.

Lilith remained at the boarding school until they were fourteen and it was then that their father was offered a job in Korea. Although, Lilith despised the boarding school, they had managed to make close friends that they were able to cause trouble and give the teachers hell with. They were able to find themselves, somewhat coming to terms with their sexuality, but it was until later that Lilith also discovered their gender identity.

The move to Korea was rough, it was much more strict and Lilith found themselves almost beneath a microscope with all eyes on them, waiting for their moment to mess up. I mean, it made sense to most around Lilith. Their family only moved to Korea to take over their family’s technology business which was quite popular and well liked all over several Asian countries. Lilith, still hated that they expected to be ~perfect~. 

It was no wonder that as soon as Lilith turned nineteen they were able to make their own decisions. They started getting into modeling, right after leaving home which helped boost Lilith’s platform as a make-up artist. They were able to afford an apartment with a friend they’d met through their modeling agency, and Lilith finally felt like they were becoming their own person. They haven’t spoken much to their family, mostly because their parents don’t agree with Lilith wild lifestyle of partying, drinking, and active drug use, as well as their new identity, as Lilith Kwon. Now they are working as a model for several clothing brands and a make-up artist for numerous idols.

When it comes to personality, Lil is a firecracker. Lil knows how to have fun! Definitely the life of the party. They are as fake as they come. Will smile in your face then stab you in the back.

Lil has gotten into legal trouble a few times. When they’re under the influence they tend to get loud and reckless and cause public disturbances, especially since they were still heavily involved with the party scene.

Really just hurting inside and wants someone see them for who they are and not for who they want Lil to be.

give me friends Lil met modeling, celebs that Lil has worked with.. Party buddies! Fwbs! Exes! Exes! Exes! -- we also love a good frenemies plot!!!

[uroborosymphony]

The fox and the human.

FT @AWORIDWITHOUT

DECEMBER 2022  ⬩  1PM  ⬩  DAY 11 

The night has been peaceful and warm. I do, more and more, like cotton sheets to sleep in. Along the fifteen days of my time in these walls, waking up to breakfast left down the table has been a pleasure, too. I'm a very hungry creature after all. Perhaps I shouldn't eat these eggs with my bare hands as it always leads to a such a mess I am completely unable to clean but everything is just too delicious for me not to devour.

It has been over half a century since I haven't come back in the city, these times of re adaptation became foreign to me yet amusing, the bipeds manage to surprise me every time I get to evolve within them. The scenaries have changed, the nature has stepped down for the concrete to grow stronger in shapes of higher and higher buildings - and the humans themselves have turned, colder. I do miss the wild however, my forest in the early summer, the grass on my skin, the sun in my tails, the fauna breathing by my side hiding in my hair, the hunt in the heart of the afternoon. It's only a matter of seasons before the warm days grace earth again.

I was lying down my stomach in the comfort of the sofa, going through one of these illustrated manuscripts that caught my eye in that dusty bookshelf, my exposed legs; crossed and linked above my lower back, slowly untangling, as I turn the pages. I was laughing at the tales I was reading about. Bipeds are funny. I''ve always been fascinated by their art which I could see has evolved in the past fifty years. Yet the core of their story telling remained. A core that was different from the one in the tales being told in the forest, one I couldn't fully grasp but that I could feel. I was starting to understand him, the human who let me into his home. In the days I was spending here, through the little treasures I was discovering in his small habitat, I was getting to know him. I followed the man home on a night, in silence, in the shadows - it's only when he woke up to my presence the day after that he was wondering what happened to me and why I was there, asleep on the floor of his living room. I simply needed a roof and a meal. He would keep on believing I was lost or hurt, which I decided not to deny. He is good hearted. I do have the nose for that, after rounds and rounds, years and years of finding shelters for myself, I knew which homes to break into, I knew which souls would never let another one in the cold.

Now, I couldn't possibly eat his liver, could I.

[peakyxtommy]

Kidnapped - Thomas Shelby x Fem!Reader

Summary: Tommy Shelby and his wife are going to have their first baby in a week. She gets kidnapped due to Tommy’s business dealings. He has to find her and their unborn baby in time. (Requested By: @babylooneytoonz​) 

WC: 3.6K

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Mild Violence 

A/N: Sorry this took me so long to complete. Thank you so much for your patience, greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy this and I really enjoyed writing this!! 

It was starting to get colder in Birmingham, as December was almost here with Christmas right around the corner. You had one week left until it was time to give birth to the growing baby in your stomach. You couldn’t have been happier for the arrival of your first born son. When you found out the news you were excited and a little nervous to tell Tommy, unsure of what his reaction was going to be. After the initial shock of the words left your mouth, he was just as happy as you to have his baby. He drove you just as wild as you drove him during these past almost nine months. 

You put up with his over-protectiveness of always having someone travel with you where you went, having to let the maids help more than usual, and helping him deal with his doubts about becoming a father. Always reminding him of how much you trusted him and how he cared his best but showed it differently than others. He dealt with your morning sickness, cravings, mood swings of where you’d get angry with him over small things, sad over things that were normal or didn’t make you cry before, and your changing body which he always made sure you felt loved and comfortable in whatever you were wearing. He was sweet, supportive, and helpful as much as he could be through the whole pregnancy. 

Today was no different as you found yourself getting a little fussy and annoyed with how cleaned and prepared everything was becoming for the arrival of the baby. Being stuck in the house the past few days because of the snow didn’t help. You finally convinced your husband of two years to let you come to the betting shop with him. 

“Can you please help me put my shoes on Tom?” You sigh as you walk into your husband’s office. He zips up his bag as you come closer to the large mahogany desk. His blue eyes meet yours with a small grin.

“Who said you were leaving the house?” He gives you a serious look as you roll your eyes at his mocking.

“I said I am leaving this house before I burn it to the ground. If you don’t let me out, you will be burning to the ground with it.” You tease playfully, swatting him on the chest, as he pulls the chair out for you to take a seat as he begins doing up the laces. 

“Who knew I married an arsonist.” He plays along, as you stand to leave, swatting you on your bum as you make your way to the front door. 

As soon as you arrive at the office after greeting everyone and talking to the women for a little bit, you take a seat in the rocking chair, he got just for you and your growing bump. You curl up under the huge blue blanket and begin to finish reading a baby book your mother got you as he writes letters that need to be sent. It’s only a little after 1pm when your baby starts kicking around and your stomach begins to growl. 

“Tommy we’re hungry.” You speak, removing the blanket from your body. You stand folding and hanging it on the back of the chair, making your way to your husband's chair. 

“You’re hungry, how can I be of assistance.” He moves his papers to the side as you take a seat upon the desk with his assistance. His warm hands find your growing bump and begin rubbing small circles enjoying the feeling of knowing he was going to see his son soon. He could feel the love growing in his heart as the day got closer. 

“I think we want fish and chips again for the 100th time.” You laugh as you knew Tom was tired of having this meal but would indulge you sometimes but often more than not would just get a sandwich. 

“Alright, I’ll call it in. Maybe we’ll stop at the sweets shop on the way back.” His blue eyes pierce into your eyes. You couldn’t be any happier than you were to be with him. In these moments he was yours and yours only, wrapped in a little world. If only it could stay this way forever.

It’s only a short while longer until it’s time to pick up the meal. As soon as you are ready to leave with Tom, a blinder man walks in with a worried expression. 

“Tommy, there’s an emergency, you’re needed on the phone.” He nods helping you off the desk, before picking up the phone. As soon as the call ends, he explains, he's needed at one of the docks. There’s an issue with the police. He wasn’t sure if he was going to go, but decided to. 

“Sorry love, but I should be back in an hour tops.” His warm lips press into the skin on your forehead. It says all that you both need at the moment. He tells his men to go with you and make sure to get you back safely. 

If only life could be that simple for Thomas Shelby. 

-

You enter the car with Kyle, your usual driver and one of the young blinders James that Tommy recently hired. You enjoyed both their company and trusted them with your life. As you begin the drive to the restaurant you don’t notice the car tailing slowly behind you all. 

The first stop goes fine without any complications. You ask to drive to the sweet shop to pick up some treats for yourselves and the office. You go inside and talk with Dolares who owns the bakery. Picking out the sweets, when all of a sudden you hear loud gunshots outside the shop, followed by screaming on the inside of the shop. All the commotion goes quiet as you’re met with two tall guys in black hats with a golden symbol on top with guns. 

“Give Us, (Y/N) Shelby, Now!” The first guy screams waving his gun in the air.

“And nobody gets hurt!” His accomplice screams after James begins to draw his gun to take a shot. The gunshot goes off. It ends with James on the floor clutching his arm, yelling out in agony. 

“I’ll go with you! Please don’t hurt anyone else.” You plead feeling the adrenaline rush through your body with fear to your core. The guy on the right, takes your arm tightly in his, tugging you along with him, as his gun points into the crowd of scared civilians watching in horror as the first guy opens the door. They shove you into a car and blindfold you, making their getaway. 

-

The event takes longer than anticipated. By the time he gets back to the office he finds himself to be actually hungry and ready to rest for a moment in your presence before completing the never ending mountain of work on his desk. As soon as he opens the door to the shop, he can tell something is wrong. He could feel the tension as he entered the room. The workers were silent and no one was looking him in the eyes. Arthur calls him into the office, shutting the door behind them, as he walks inside to see his brothers, cousin, Polly and only one of the men he sent with him. He double scans the room noticing your missing but thinking maybe you were in the loo. 

“What’s wrong with all of you? Like like the lot of you, have seen a fucking bloody ghost.” He speaks noticing the straight faces of his family and nervousness of his younger brothers.

“Tell him Arthur!” Polly huffs, staring at the eldest Shelby brother who approached in front of his brother. 

“Listen Tom…” Arthur begins but his brother’s impatience gets the best of him.

“Just spit it out will you!” He shouts, thrashing his hands in the air.

“They took (Y/N) and the baby.” He responds and Tommy feels his blood run cold. He feels sick in the pit of his stomach and body is overcome with emotion as his head falls into his brother’s shoulder screaming out your name, as Arthur pats his shoulder, calling out reassurances to try to get him to calm down. It takes a few minutes for him to get a small grip on himself, trying not to let his mind travel to the worse case scenario. 

“What do we know so far? Where are the men I sent with her?” He asks, fishing out a smoke from his pocket. 

“James was with her when the accident occurred. He got shot in the arm, so we sent him to get patched up. He’ll be fine, but he said the men were older. Kyle said, they must have been following them for a while, before they even left.” Arthur continues to tell the information. 

“Well let's start searching the area and calling around. We’ve wasted enough time. We need to find her, she’s due any day now.” He speaks in a calm tone and claps his hands as every gets up to get to work on finding you.  

All he knew as he began his search for you was that he needed to find you and fast. He wouldn’t forgive or be able to live with himself if something happened to you and let alone his unborn son. It would be the day hell froze over and Thomas Shelby couldn’t handle going to Hell, not just yet. 

-

You hear the car go down a gravel road before making a sharp stop. You hear the doors open and slam shut, before you are forcibly grabbed to be ushered out the car and into a cold building. You can smell the makings of bread and liquor before you behind a room with a musky smell to it. Your capturer finally lets you go and releases the blindfold from your eyes. You take in the small space of the red brick walls and bags of flour on one side of the room. The room is almost completely dark except for a small light shining from the window from the inside of the building. 

“This is where you’ll stay if your husband ever comes to find you. The guy from the scene speaks in a dark tone, shutting and locking the bolt behind him. There you begin to take steps around the small room, the adrenaline finally leaving your body as you are able to calm down for a moment. It doesn’t take away the fear, making it become more prevalent than before. Your mind worries about James, the baby, and Tommy. You start to take deep breaths to soothe yourself and decide to talk to the baby in your stomach to take your mind off it all. 

“Hey little guy it’s mummy. I just wanted to let you know everything is going to be okay. Mummy is going to protect us while we’re here in this new place. Your daddy is out looking for us, I'm sure of it. He’s going to find us, I promise. All I need you to do, is to stay inside just until daddy comes and finds us. We love you.” You pace around the small dingy room, crying, as your fingers rub your stomach, while trying to get your mind off the situation at hand. 

You didn’t want to put too much stress on your body on top of this already stressful situation. It didn’t help that your baby was supposed to be coming literally any day and now you were far away from his father and family. You hoped Tommy would find you both before you went into labor because you didn’t think you could manage going through it alone, let alone in a dangerous situation as this was. As you sat down against a bag of flour, you closed your eyes to sleep, feeling your son give a small kick, giving you peace. 

-

It was two days later and Tommy was actually closer to finding out where you were. He sent calls down to the docks, Camden town, and city of London to spread the word that you were missing and to be on the lookout. He barely slept more than five hours each night, due to Polly harassing him. Telling him that he would be no good to you tired and out of sorts. Each night he could barely fall asleep with fear gripping his heart about you and wondering if you were okay. Waking up in a cold sweat of him never finding you or finding dead somewhere. 

“We know who took her! We have an address.” John speaks running into his office, as he just arrived to try to think over who wanted to target him.

“Who? Where is she?!” 

“It’s the Malone brothers, they wanted to get revenge on you for that deal. The ones with the guns and the booze. 17 Crown St London, there’s warehouses nearby.” John reads before handing his older brother the piece of paper in his hand, who began staring at it as his last resort. 

“Let’s go give them an even better deal and show them they don’t mess with Thomas Shelby.” He rages as his brother follows, meeting the others in the car as they drive off fast to London. 

-

You had been stuck in this room for two days and felt yourself getting weaker and weaker. All they gave you was small cups of water and a few scraps of bread. You wondered if Tommy was any closer to finding you or if you were going to be kept here forever. You still trusted he was going to find you, but you just hoped he would get there soon, because you couldn’t survive much longer in this condition, especially with the strain of the baby. 

-

“Start looking in all the warehouses and when you find them, save them for me.” He orders as he and the blinders began causing chaos. He and Arthur start checking warehouses together. Once they reach the third, they enter quietly. Walking down the long dark hall following the light at the end. When they get there they see the Malone brothers laughing together.

“Oi boys, sorry to crash the party, but we have some business to handle.” Arthur shoots his gun into the air. 

“Took you long enough to find us.” The eldest Craig, responds as they draw their weapons.

“Think you’ve been in the game too long, that you’re losing your touch.” Darrel, the other man snares. 

“Where’s my wife?!” Thomas close points the gun right in his face. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know. How are you sure we didn’t kill her?” He responds condescendingly, spitting. 

“If she was dead, you wouldn’t be breathing as long as you have.” He takes the the first punch

while Arthur takes the other. Both giving them a pounding and throwing firsts in his face repeatedly. He takes the blade slicing his eyes, blood splattering everywhere. He takes a moment to catch his breath, the adrenaline spurring him on his search to find you. He goes around the corner going down a corridor and he hears banging on a door half way through on the left. He looks at the bolt  taking a second to figure it out, before of twisting the huge bolt, to find you screaming for help. 

“Tommy!” Your voice cries out to him as he takes you into his arms. You can smell the stench of blood on him, but glad to be with him. 

“I’m here love, I’m Here. I’ve got you.” He holds you close to his chest for a second longer before deciding to move you out. He lifts you into his arms holding you tight to his chest, instructing you to close your eyes. Not wanting you to see the messy scene inside the building, as just hearing it was traumatizing enough. You were used to him coming home covered in blood and bruises. You never really had to hear or see physically the chaos caused, more than a good right hook. 

As soon as you get into the car safely. He wipes his face and  has as much blood as possible. Holding you into his side as you drove back home in a silence, that left the air warm. 

-

Once home, Frances and Mary greet you at the door. The doctor is on the couch waiting for you to be checked out. He gives you a clean bill of health and tells you the baby is healthy, which makes you both breathe a sigh of relief. Tommy helps you up the stairs and gives you both a hot shower. He lotions your body and dresses you in the warmest pajamas you have. He asks Mary to bring you some soup and tea for dinner knowing you had to be hungry. You just sit in silence trying to soak your safety net back in. 

Tommy just sits at the side of the bed in a chair, not sure what to say, having too much on his mind that the word vomit was ready to come out but he was holding it in. Waiting for you to make the move to release your emotions. It happens right after you finish your dinner, Frances comes saying he’s wanted on the phone. You can feel your heart drop, not wanting him to leave the room. To be out of your sight. You needed him, you needed his comfort.

“Please don’t get the phone. Stay.” You plead quietly, he tells her to take a message, rushing over to you as the dam breaks and you begin soaking his shoulder with warm tears. Tears of many emotions. 

“Shh..Shh. I'm not going anywhere love. I’m going to stay right here. Talk to me.” He pleads fingers rubbing your back in comforting circles.

“I was so scared. I knew you would come rescue us, I told him you would. You did but I can’t stop wondering if you didn’t or if you got hurt saving us.” Your fingers clutch him tightly, hiding your face in the crook of his neck.

“I was scared too, but I made you a promise on the day we started dating and when we wed, that i’ll always protect you. I’ll always save you from danger and rescue you. You’re my wife and I love you too much to think of what life would be like without you. We’re having a baby, and it’s my job to protect him. I’m sorry I got you both in that situation.”  He wipes the remainder of your tears away with the pad of his thumbs, looking into your eyes with fondness.

“You’re forgiven. I love you so much Tommy.” You pull his face to meet your to kiss the man that had your heart forever. 

“Please tell me you weren’t too hard on James. I didn’t want any bloodshed and I couldn't stop thinking about if that was our kid. I know they’re supposed to be dangerous, but I didn't want anyone to get hurt.” You speak after a few minutes of silence, the young lad making its way back to your thoughts. You  knew he trusted your judgment and trusted you even in that situation. 

You were one to hold your own and all his men respected you. When you meant business they followed your orders. With the young peaky men they respected you as much as they admired you. You got along with Finn, Michael, Isaiah, and James. They followed your orders but you would also spoil them sometimes with sweets or buying them lunch when at the office which would earn you a scolding from Tommy sometimes. That they’re meant to help and be tough, but you treated them like the growing men (boys) they were. They appreciated it secretly. 

“He’s good love, at home resting so he can get back to the gang.” He squeezes your hand in his. It’s just quiet a moment, just you two admiring the other after being away from the other. 

“Let’s get some rest, doll.” He pecks your lips, before tucking you in one your side of the bed as you turn to face his side. He slips in coming as close as possible with your bump between the two of you. You fall asleep with the comfort of your husband and quietness of your home. 

- 

It was the next morning when you awoke to aching back and cramps in your abdomen. The baby was moving around profusely in your stomach, as you decided to slip out of bed to pace around the room. Tom laid in bed with a peaceful expression on his face, snoring lightly as you stood watching the sun come up through the blinds. Having the window open just a small crack from fresh air to help alleviate the symptoms you were feeling. It’s only an hour later when you hear Tom stir, due to the creaking of the bed, the weight of his body shifting upward. His knuckles rub the sleep out of his eyes, before grabbing his glasses, off his nightstand, eyes finally coming in contact with yours. 

“What are you doing out of bed love?” His voice rasps, as you make your way toward him. 

“Couldn’t sleep, the little one in there might be ready to make his appearance.” You smile down at him, watching his expression match yours, as he entagles your fingers together. 

“I’ll keep Pol on speed dial. For now, let’s have some breakfast, as we wait.” You nod, pulling him along downstairs to eat. 

It was only after breakfast, did your water break when you were making your way to the living room.

-

Twelve hours later after a long time waiting, screaming, and then pushing all with Tommy and Polly by your side was your son, finally in your arms. He was no bigger than half a foot tall and looked adorable already even in his first minutes on the outside world. You were sitting up holding him in your arms admiring him with Tommy who was full of joy. 

“I can’t believe we made this.” He whispers, pressing a kiss against your temple. 

“Neither can I. He’s ours and I couldn't imagine doing life without you by our side.” You speak as the door creaks open, revealing the Shelby clan.

“Everyone meet Liam Michael Shelby.” Tommy says proudly holding his son in his arms as the family gathers around to take turns holding him. All congratulating you both and talking about how cute he was already. 

Tommy knew in that moment how truly lucky he was to be experiencing this moment. Although fear still gripped his heart, he knew, he would forever protect you and his son, no matter the trouble that came along.

-

Taglist:

@captivatedbycillianmurphy​

[chayacat]

Devil’s Sweet Star (43)

Fandom: Dead by Daylight

Ghostface x Female Reader  

Rated M for Violence, Language and Smut  

***

A lot of things happened last night, a lot of revelation especially, the whole thing having been concluded by a... wild night. You could feel aches everywhere, it must be said that you did not go slowly, you and Jed... I mean Danny. It will take you some time to accept this reality. All this time, this dear Jed, this boy who seemed shy, adorable and very concerned about the others, was actually the one who at night, was going to commit murders, but also come to see you, under the name of Ghostface.  It will take you time, but you will still have to adapt quickly. Because only one misstep and Only God knows what Danny will do to you.

You were still in bed together. You felt aches and pains along your body, and it's no wonder, with the beast sleeping next to you. He was wilder than when he was Jed. much wilder. He was turned towards you, his hair scattered all over his pillow, his face peaceful. You gently release a strand of hair from his face which made him react. And without having time to realize it, you find yourself glued to him, his arms blocking you like a child who hugs his teddy bear tightly. Luckily, you're not working today. But you still want to get up. You try to get out of your way but all you get is Danny's grunts and a slightly tighter embrace.

“Hmmm... stop moving.” Said Danny grumbling a little.

“You are slightly crushing me against you. And I want to get up.” you respond.  

“Why? You don't work today, if I remember correctly.”

“Yeah, but I can’t stay in bed all day. Come on Danny...”

Danny grumbled again, letting you get up before complaining even more when he heard his phone ring. He got up, before taking the latter and looking at who dared to disturb him so early. It was his boss Mr Hembrook. You could notice that a twisted smile appeared on his face, as if he already knew why his boss was calling him. And in a sense... you also have your little idea about it.  

“Hello? In 20min? Yes of course Sir why?... Are you serious? Yes, yes, I go there right now. Okay, he's going to be happy to see me... You too sir. Good bye.” said Danny before hanging up the phone and looking at you with a wide smile.  

“What did he want?” you ask even if you already knew the answer.  

“Wilhelm is at Hoggins' villa... they have just found his body. And my boss wants me to go there to get some information. And help Wilhelm if possible.”

“I suspected it a little. You must be proud, all this time you made everyone believe that it was Hoggins who killed McKellan and made up everything to make it look like a Ghostface murder... and there... You literally turned everyone's brain upside down.”

“That's what it's like to be me. I have had plenty of time to improve since my first murder. I made mistakes, adapted my modus operandi according to the situation, and I created my own signature. I confess that I didn't really like attributing MY McKellan's murder to Hoggins, but I had to draw attention to him. In addition, this moron brought me everything I wanted on a silver platter.”

“You mean everything you found on Hoggins was true?” you replied surprised.  

“Honey, I am a criminal, but I am a journalist first and foremost. Everything I found and showed you on Hoggins is true. I can't really have fun falsifying documents that need to be published in the newspaper. Otherwise, my boss will suspect something. No one fools him so easily.” He responds before getting up and head to the wardrobe to pick up clean clothes.

“In this case I come with you.”

“Oh? Do you want to see in what state I left this bastard? You know that curiosity is an ugly flaw... but if you insist, I'm not going to say no. And that way you can reassure yourself about his death.”

You both have breakfast quickly; you get dressed and Danny took his bag that contained his journalist's belongings. You could see in his office another bag, surely the one in which he put his Ghostface’s outfit and others. You leave the apartment to get into Danny's van, setting off for Hoggins' house. It's going to be weird to go back there for a murder, when that's where the reception was held. An unforgettable evening. During the ride, you discussed everything and nothing as if it were one of your usual days. Once he arrived in front of the hoggins' house, Danny parked, turned off the engine and took your arm before you went down.

“Remember what was said last night. For everyone, I am Jed. So, no missteps, otherwise... I would be obliged to make you assimilate them... in a less diplomatic way. Oh, and try to pretend you don't know anything. Let us avoid drawing attention to ourselves.” He said before letting you go.  

You leave the vehicle and join Wilhelm in Hoggins' office where his corpse is. When you arrive in the room, a vision of horror, and a desire to vomit, took you. You turn your head by refraining from vomiting, indeed, we can say that Hoggins is dead. Danny has accomplished his little revenge with perfection. The latter was talking with Wilhelm explaining the reasons for your presence. After all, in the eyes of the law, you are a civilian, and civilians do not have to be at the crime scene.

“Are you okay Miss? If you want to vomit, you have the toilet which is just the room after from the left. Anyway, the owner of the house is no longer able to do or say anything against you.” Said Wilhelm looking at you.  

“Yes... Thank you.” you simply respond.

“Well... we can say that he was more than creative this time. I knew he had imagination but here, it's too much for me.” Said Danny.  

“The worst thing is that this bastard leaves a little note. He was the one who killed McKellan! he used Hoggins as a scapegoat. Goddamnit !” replied Wilhelm, hitting the wall next to him.  

“It cannot be said that Hoggins was a saint... there was quite a bit of evidence against him too. I think that Ghostface knew this and that he used it. This guy is always spying on his victims...”

“This is not wrong Olsen... this is not wrong. In the meantime, I thought I could end McKellan's murder, and in the end, not only it’s not the case, but I also find myself with Hoggins' murder on my hands! I'm going to smash that dirty little asshole if I catch him!”

You see Danny making a discreet but sneaky smile behind Wilhelm, something you shake your head slightly at. He had done this not only to take revenge, but also to make fun of Wilhelm. You wanted to hit him on the shoulder, but it would be useless. what is done... is done. And then, like Danny told you earlier, it's better to avoid attention on both of you.

“He literally crucified him. And turn that cross over to make him a demon. It’s really twisted. Maybe a follower of religion? One of these... Satanists? In a sense it would not surprise me. Given all the blood he sheds.” said Wilhelm.  

“Maybe... or maybe not. That's the problem with Ghostface, he knows everything about everyone, but nobody knows anything about him.” said Danny.  

“I find it strange ... he seems to appreciate you well Miss. Because all those who tried to harm you are dead.” Replied Wilhelm, looking at you.  

You look at the two men, not knowing what to answer. Danny made you understand that you had to quickly find an excuse or something to say. Otherwise, suspicions will arise on you. It was inevitable and real, Danny killed everyone who got too close to you and threatened you. Think pickle brains, think!  

“Great...as if McKellan and Hoggins hadn't been so... horrible, I had to attract the most twisted murderer in the city.” you respond, faking an annoying face.  

“All we have to do now is know why. it's not like you've been living here for a long time, and Ghostface had started his murders long before you arrived. But here, it seems that he is tired of attacking small fish, he wants to catch the bigger ones.” said Wilhelm looking at the reverse cross.

“Go find out what big fish he's going to attack next time... Me... You... or the mayor.” said Danny, taking notes.  

Wilhelm and Danny exchanged a look that meant everything. A cold settled in the room. Don’t forget that these two men do not get along at the base... If you didn't understand why with "Jed", now that you know the reality of things, with Danny, it didn't surprise you in the end. Still, be as close to the one who wants to capture you... you really have to be twisted to play so much with fire. Both took notes, observations of the crime scene, and recorded hypotheses about what might have happened.

It was demoralizing to see how Danny was making fun of Wilhelm, knowing himself that he’s the perpetrator of this murder. He knew how to lie, that's for sure. You were sure that he convinced himself of his own lies. After a few hours, you and Danny end up leaving the scene, Danny "promising" to notify the inspector if he ever had any information. On the way back, you look at Danny pouting like a child unhappy that he didn't have an ice cream.

“What?” Danny finally said.  

“You should be given the medal for the best liar in the world. And the best actor too. You act as if nothing had happened and you provoke the inspector without thinking that there will be no consequences or that he will not suspect you by saying this.” you respond.

“Ha ha I know Honey I know. I was born with this talent as an actor. It's innate in me. And the same can be said of you.”

“Except that compared to you it doesn't make me happy to lie to people. And I pray that no one will ever discover the truth.”

“Oh, you can. Because if it happens... I'd know where it came from.” replied Danny.  

You take a lunch break to eat, as usual, at the park and then around 1pm, you quickly stop at the newspaper, while Danny aka "Jed" or "Jeddy" according to Mattew, reports to his boss. It was fun to see the locals where Danny was working, you were the first "civilian" to go inside, at least to go up to the office. Usually, when you deliver the cakes for the newspaper, it’s the security guards who take care of receiving the packages.

Mr. Hembrook greeted you warmly it was the first time he smiled like this. From what Danny told you, he wasn't the type to joke about, he was someone very serious about his job. But, outside, no one knows how he is. After a few hours of discussion about the article to be published on Hoggins, a discussion in which you took part, you both leave the Roseville Gazette’s building and get back in the van.

“So? What do we do now?” you ask.  

“Well normally tonight I had planned to... find a new victim. Or start this article. But you see, I don't want to. I want to spend a quiet evening, without work, without murder, just you and me. So... What would you say about a short trip to Zanesville just you and me? there are many more things to do than here.” Danny said with a bright smile.  

“Oh, you're doing a rebellious teenage crisis again? the one who only wants to have fun and nothing else?”  

“Ha ha. Really funny. I may have been a model student, but I knew how to have fun. Okay, so? it's yes or no, Miss Rainbow...” replied Danny chuckling.

“Hey! You promised me to not call me that.” you respond, hitting him in the arm.  

“Correction, JED promised you to not call you that anymore. Not me. So?”

“...Fine. But promise me to tell anyone about that.” you said sighing before laughing.  

Danny restarted the van and set off for Zanesville. The road was made in music, and even being himself, Danny still had the same musical tastes than when he was Jed. Indeed, Zanesville has more to offer in terms of entertainment than Roseville. A big city has everything, but it will never replace the tranquillity of a peaceful small town. You looked through the window at the various shops, restaurants, libraries, and even the arcades! there were also shops that sold CDs and films. Basically, there was everything, in addition to grocery stores and small supermarkets.

“Ready to have fun?” asks Danny.  

“Ready!” You respond smiling.  

I hope for you that you know how to hold out until late... very late. Because there, with Danny... you're not ready to go to bed anytime soon. Oh no you're going to be awake all night. Let the party begin!

Until your body lets you go.  

***

(I think I'm at my... 6/7 run of Road 96 and I still never get tired of it! the good thing about this game is that each road is unique, even if we know the different answers we can give, we can create multiple situations that can lead either to our arrest, our death, or our freedom. It's a game with a gripping story and also very endearing characters. Well, I must admit that Zoe now... as soon as I see her, I want to kick her in the head. She's not a bad character, and I know she doesn't do it voluntarily, but she always puts us in danger every time we meet her. And after a while it's just irritating. I hope you’ll like this chapter like the other ones! Well, it's time for my brain to rest! Have a great weekend to you all!  See ya! )

[greencomfort]

Walking Journal 25th July 2021

Before heading out on my walk, I had to choose between my 4x30 binoculars and 5×16 monocular. It turns out the number at the start indicates its magnification power, so I went with the monocular! When I left at 1pm we had lots of pretty cummulus clouds; sunny weather. As I walked to the nature reserve, I noticed a guy with some impressive curly hair, and some hanging baskets of flowers that the council put up. There’s a bridge over the train station that has a nice view of some grassy hills in the distance.

Usually when I walk I'm listening to a podcast, but not today, and I was able to hear bugs chirping in a bush of wildflowers. outside the reserve I saw some raspberries, I didn't have anything to carry them in, maybe I could forage next time. Throughout my walk I identified 18 wildflowers with the help of my Collins Gem mini book:

Creeping buttercup

Winter cress

Thyme leaved sandwort

Meadow cranesbill (beautiful, one of my favourites)

Indian Basalm (took me a while to find this in my book!)

Red and white clovers

Tufted vetch

Meadowsweet

Great willowherb

Wild roses

Yellow Pimpernel (little stars!)

Hedge Bindweed

Heath speedwell

Ragwort

Creeping thistle

Common knapweed

Field sow-thistle

Mystery white flower?? 5th photo. (edit: it’s just common hogweed lol. they burn your skin! beware!!)

Then I sat on a wooden bench in a playing field and read a bit of Tristan Gooley’s “The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs”. Fun fact from that book: the visible roots that trees have is called the root collar, and they grow in the direction of the harshest wind, which in the UK is the South-West. I went to an area by the river, there’s a side path that has a very steep hill with some tree roots acting as steps, I wanted to go down but as I felt unwell, that’ll have to be an adventure for another day haha. While getting intentionally more lost in the woods, I saw more raspberries and (what I assume to be) a sparrowhawk flying above me! Monocular did come in handy! 

Further down the river there was a section where I could get close enough to the water to see hundreds of tiny! Little! Fishies! It’s hard to guess what they were, they didn’t seem any bigger than my fingers, perhaps some kind of minnow. Then there was the section filled with bushy shrubs close to some houses, and two red deer hopped around, I couldn’t see them well because of the foliage but man it was so cool to be that close. In the grass nearby there were shallow trenches snaking through the ground, so I wonder if there used to be a stream that went through this part. 

I passed through a field filled with willowherbs (first pic) and it was heavenly, it led to an area next to a bridge, and I guess there had been work planned for a sewage system, metal caked in rust littered the area. At this point I made my way out of the nature reserve, through a half familiar neighbourhood where a baby jackdaw cawed at its parent by the road and I pulled some sticky willows off my socks haha. I didn’t see many birds the whole time, I heard them of course but only saw the usual pigeons, seagulls, and eurasian magpies. By this time it was 4pm, and some altostratus clouds had formed: might get some rain, and my tiredness caught up to me so I headed home. 

Things spotted today: 20+ white butterflies, 2 red deer, a sparrowhawk, fish, 18 wildflowers, raspberries. Let me know if you enjoyed reading this little journal, I’ve decided walking is my main hobby and I’d like to inspire people to take a closer look while they’re out and about :)

[schnoogles]

pterolycus: the winged wolf written for the @jonsa-halloween event! Day 4: Monsters/Quotes Read on Ao3

“The Northern girl. Winterfell’s daughter. We heard she killed the king with a spell, and afterward changed into a wolf with big leathery wings like a bat, and flew out a tower window.” What if Sansa did have the magic to change into a wolf with big bat-like leathery wings? But set in a modern au! In this modern with magic au, there’s a secret coven of teenage witches that Sansa and Margaery are a part of, and they get into all kinds of fun ;) After knowing him for so long and dating him, Sansa has told Jon everything about her being a witch. It’s just a good time folks 😂

Present time, Monday, 8am

Sansa was gathering her books from her locker. It was a Monday morning and she was tired and exhausted but school doesn’t care about that. She had a long weekend. Did she regret it though? Absolutely not. Once she had everything she needed, she closed her locker door and flinched back in surprise. Leaning up against the other side was none other than Jon Snow.

Sansa held a hand to her heart. She was a little jumpy this morning. “Seven Hells, Jon!” 

The boy in question just smirked at her. “Hi, honey.” 

She rolled her eyes and walked past him. Jon, not ready to go to class yet, followed.

“You know, I heard the most interesting rumor earlier,” he said, casually throwing an arm over her shoulders, “Have you heard it? It was about a certain ex boyfriend of yours. Joffrey Baratheon.” Ah yes. Joffrey Baratheon. The boy and his family had moved up North just last year and Sansa was immediately smitten by his pretty words. Unfortunately for her, she found out the hard way what a complete ass he was. “Ring any bells?”

If Jon wasn’t looking so intently at her, he wouldn’t have seen the corner of Sansa’s mouth twitch. “Can’t say that I have. What rumors would that be?” 

“Apparently, after the party Saturday night, he showed up at his house at nearly five in the morning the next day and was completely incoherent. And practically naked. Started screaming like a banshee and saying things like ‘It was a flying wolf-bat!’ and ‘She turned into a monster!’ It caused such the commotion that the whole block woke up. He was spazzing so hard that-”

Sansa tsked at Jon. “You know how I feel about that word Jon.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, that was ableist of me.”

“Thank you.”

“Anyways, so he was… acting really paranoid, right? Kept looking around as if something would pop up and eat him.” Jon smiled as he continued, “and he wouldn’t let Cersei bring him inside the house, insisting that they take him to the police. ‘Hello yes I would like to make a report: a monster attacked me and took my clothes!’ Can you imagine how that would go?” At this point, Jon couldn’t stop chuckling. If asked, Sansa would say that his laughter was contagious and that’s why she smiled. It’s not like she was there to see the half-naked Joffrey running off.

The night before, Sunday, 2am

Jon gave his girlfriend one more long lasting kiss. “Do you have to do it tonight?” he mumbled into her mouth. Sansa giggled.

“Yes, Jon. And it’s already the hour of the wolf, I should’ve gone back ages ago.” As she made to move out from under him, he grabbed at her waist and snuggled closer.

“Yes yes, your witching hour approaches,” Jon sighed. Then he looked at her mischievously. “One more time? Aren’t orgasms supposed to enhance your powers or something?”

At that, Sansa couldn’t help but laugh. “Stranger take me, I’m not going to be performing sex magic!”

“Oh, no?” Jon began trailing kisses down her neck, each one slower and softer than the last. “That’s too bad.”

Sansa sighed at his ministrations. “Yup. Just your standard shifting spell. And… I should… really… I should really go soon. Margie will be waiting.” Despite her words, she made no move to stop Jon’s attentions on her. In fact, she seemed to hold on to him tighter. When Jon’s mouth continued moving lower and lower, she gave in. “Maybe one more won’t hurt.”

“One more. For the road.” He started kissing and sucking in all the right places. 

Sansa huffed a laugh. “Yeah. For the road.” She started to moan, her body was being filled with a different kind of magic just then.

Three days ago, Friday, 1pm

“Sansa, Margaery is here!” Sansa opened an eye. She was hoping she just imagined her mother calling her, but she heard another shout for her name. With a groan, she blew out the candles and went to see what Margaery Tyrell wanted. Sansa had a very strange friendship with the girl. When Joffrey broke up with her last year, Sansa was secretly happy. That didn’t stop the sting that she felt when she found out Margaery started dating him a few weeks later though. But that was neither here nor there. She broke up with him for his younger, kinder brother, Tommen.

“Hey Marge,” she greeted her friend. She took one good look at the brunette’s appearance and frowned. Something was wrong. 

Margaery gave her a small smile and asked, “Hey Sans, can we talk?” Sansa nodded and gestured for her to follow up the stairs. When they walked in her bedroom, Sansa swore. She forgot to clean up. 

“Oh! Did I interrupt?” Margaery smirked at her.

 “Just some new incantations I was trying out. You know. So what’s up buttercup?”

Margaery hesitated. She wouldn’t look Sansa in the eye and kept wringing her hands, like she just realized being here was a bad idea. Despite their history, Sansa still cared for her friend. “Margie? What happened?”

“I’m sorry,” Margaery sniffled, “I’m sorry I dated Joff. I know it was a shitty thing to do and I don’t think I ever properly apol-”

“Whoa, Margaery,” Sansa raised her hands, as if she were presenting herself as non threatening to the other girl. “That was ages ago. Thought we were passed that.” Sansa smiled then. “And honestly it was kind of the best thing that happened to me.”

“Yeah,” Margaery nodded, “You and Jon are so lucky to have each other.” 

Sansa tilted her head, “So are you and Tommen. Unless…?”

“No! No, we’re still very much happy. It’s just…” she trailed off, not sure how to explain. But Sansa knew what she was trying to say.

“It’s just hard when your current boyfriend is brothers with your ex?”

Margaery laughed in a self-deprecated manner, “I sure know how to pick them, right?”

“Hey. Tommen’s good for you.” With that reassurance out of the way, Sansa asked, “So that can’t be why you came here though. What happened?”

“Right. Well I ran into Joff when I was over at Tommen’s. Surprised it took so long really, it was bound to happen.”

“Damn. Did he say something?”

“He said lots of somethings,” her jaw clenched at the memory of what happened. “I believe the words ‘slut’ and ‘easy’ were in the mix.”

“Fucking hell.”

“Yeah.” Margaery scoffed, “Then he asked if I was going for Renly next seeing as Loras and I always share everything.” She looked up at Sansa. “You told me he was a monster and I didn’t listen. You’re really the only one who would understand and I needed someone to talk about this with.”

“I’ll do you one better,” Sansa raised her hand and a book came flying to it. “How bout we teach the little shit a thing or two about what real monsters look like?”

The night before, Sunday 4am

Sansa climbed through the window to Jon’s room. The one he conveniently left open for her. She thought he’d be asleep, but he wasn’t. “Oh? Back so soon already? How’d it go?” She undressed and got under the blankets and snuggled with him. 

“It went rather well if I do say so myself.” Sansa was smug. “You know how I’ve been practicing my shapeshifting?”

Jon lifted a brow in interest. “Yeah. Did you finally nail it down?”

“Nope! But it was a blessing in disguise. I couldn’t manage to concentrate properly so I ended up as a wolf with bat wings,” she laughed, “It was utterly terrifying if I’m being honest.” 

She went on to explain to Jon how they had managed to trick Joffrey into thinking he would be meeting Marge for a secret rendezvous. How Margaery had been manipulating the plants in her garden to snag at his clothes. How, because of Joff’s fear of wolves, the original plan was for her to change into one and scare him senseless. She told him how Joffrey started to get impatient and called for “the slut to come out” and how Sansa saw red. Her lack of focus caused her to briefly shift back and she panicked and tried to turn back into a wolf, only her concentration was off and she sprouted bat wings. The confusion of what she did made her freak out just a bit and so she spread her wings out and let out a ferocious growl, all the while facing Joffrey, who then wet his pants. By the end of her recap, Jon was in tears.

“Mother have mercy he peed his pants? How fucking embarrassing.”

Present time, Monday, 8am

“Hey guys,” Margaery greeted, “Wild rumors today, right?”

The three of them shared knowing looks.

“You know Sansa, I was thinking, and I’m pretty sure I figured out why you-” she leaned in and lowered her voice, “-shifted back and to a monster so fast.” Margaery straightened her back and smirked at them. When Sansa gave her a questioning look, she continued, “Did you know orgasms don’t just enhance the magic for sex rituals? They’re very good for all sorts of magics. The release of chemicals and hormones in a female, you know?” With one last knowing look, she left the two of them and continued on her way. 

“A monster, hmm?” Jon teased.

“Oh shut up. Go to class Jon.”

Before he left though, Jon leaned in and he whispered in her ear, “I think I like that idea. My girl’s a monster in the streets and I’ll be the monster in the sheets.” With a final wink, he walked away, leaving a very breathless Sansa standing in the halls. 

Oh, she’ll show him a monster in the sheets.

[thethousandyearwitch]

The Show Must Go On! Chap. 7

- A Youtuber AU you didn’t want and didn’t need -

Hisoka Morrow, italian Makeup Youtuber, enjoys his life in the comfort and occasional drama of his profession. But nothing brings more drama into his life than the eldest son of the Zoldyck fashion magazine empire.

Meanwhile, aspiring australian Twitch Streamer Gon Freecs forms a special bond to a Speedrunner commonly going by "Kil".

Chapter 7 “Montero” out now!

AO3 Link

What could be worse than taking care of a teenage boy who is developing a steady video game addiction?

There was a loud bang coming from the room above the kitchen, followed by laughter and cackling. The boys were in Gons room and tried their hardest to set up the sleeping cod. They refused help, naturally, convinced that they are just as capable, confidence heightened by being in each other’s presence, hyping each other up, and the consumption of their own body weight in burgers.

Another bang. A shriek. More laughter. Mito sighed so deeply that she feared a piece of her soul might have left her.

Taking care of TWO teenage boys who are developing a steady video game addiction.

Her phone vibrated with a new message. Gon had sent her a selfie of himself and Killua on the cot, which seemed to be standing securely. The boys were flexing their arm muscles (or lack thereof) with proud looks on their faces, and the only caption was “#success”. Well, at least they are having fun.

.

.

.

Bellissimo<3: Good morning. I am going to pick you up at 1pm, be dressed by then, and pack your bag for tonight’s show. We are going for a brief detour.

Hisoka stretched out on his bed and squinted at the too-bright phone screen. It was 10 in the morning, though the rooms curtains were drawn shut tightly as a defence against harsh sunlight. A lazy smile spread on his lips.

Hisoka: Are we finally running away together to get married in Las Vegas? I thought you’d never ask~~❤️

Bellisssimo<3: I am trying to reward you for not getting arrested last night.

Bellissimo<3: Do not make me regret this.

Hisoka: I should avoid getting arrested more often ❤️

Bellissimo<3: 1pm Hisoka. See you then.

Hisoka let his phone drop back into pillow-mountain. This was certainly an interesting surprise, and an opportunity that the make up artist wasn’t going to waste. Getting One-on-One time with the Zoldyck was something precious and rare to him. Because Illumi was a rarity himself. In a world of increasingly bland and repetitive personalities, especially in his field of work, Illumi presented a challenge of raw potential. Cold and calculated to the masses, an obedient dog to his family, a revolutionary in his work. Hisoka knew that he must be hiding so much more, and the more walls he encountered with the man, the more he wanted to tear them down with his bare hands. Hisoka hated calling whatever this was a ‘Crush’. Sure, he was affectionate towards the other man, and at this point he couldn’t deny the pleasant twist of his heart whenever they touched. But he didn’t yearn for lazy Sundays in bed together, didn’t want the peaceful domesticity that seemed to be inherited in being a ‘couple’.

What do I want?

Hisoka pulled himself out of bed, and made his way to the shower, determined to abandon this pesky train of thought. There was no point in pondering the unlikely. Though… Illumi had been indulging him. And he was going to indulge him again this day. Maybe he wasn’t the only one getting soft, even if neither would ever admit it. The thought brought another satisfied smirk to his lips as he massaged his favourite shampoo into his scalp.

He wondered how Illumis family would react, hypothetically, if they were to end up a couple. The eldest son of the Zoldycks, not just gay, but in a relationship with a makeup artist who is famous for starting drama whenever possible. They certainly would be a more feared and adored couple than if Illumi were to marry some busty heiress who hooks up with her tennis coach when he’s away.

Silva Zoldyck would drop dead right on the spot if Hisoka would ask him if he should call him dad, he was sure.

He stepped out of the steamy shower and mustered his refreshed face in the mirror. Maybe that’s all he wanted. To form something with Illumi that would be even more powerful than the Zoldyck empire, to make everyone else envy/fear/adore them. They had the capacity and the ability to do so, no doubt.

Or maybe he just wanted to have something he wasn’t supposed to have.

Hisoka shrugged to himself, before he went over his usual beauty routine. Today could prove very interesting.

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12:45 pm, Hisoka leaned on his kitchen island, absentmindedly scrolled through social media to beat time. Illumi wasn’t going to be late, but he’s never been early either.

He decided to go with a casual look, fitted beige khakis, with an oxford blue button up, sleeves rolled up just above his elbows, debated with himself on how far unbuttoned would be appropriate-yet-slutty (Top 3 Buttons unbuttoned, was the conclusion). Under his eyes, rested on his cheekbones, he had painted his signature star and teardrop, eyebrows plucked to perfection, and after 10 tries he managed to get a satisfying cat eye done. It was perfectly normal to want to look like hell on wheels while meeting with your friend-partner-associate-crush-insertsatisfactoryterm.

The afternoons were always the worst time to check social media, the calm before the posting-storm that comes during the evening and night. Hisoka had already reached posts that were done last night, a few screenshots taken here and there for future reference and roasting purposes.

Almost fed up with endless scrolling, suddenly it appeared. Hisoka had followed a twitch streamer on twitter recently, some kid who was definitely going to screw up in some point of his career (they always do, when the fame gets to their heads), and didn’t want to miss that mess. “Foxbeargaming”, what the fuck is even a foxbear, he had thought.

He had seen the brat before, in his profile picture and clips of his streams. But that wasn’t the problem with the newly posted selfie.

The problem was that he also recognized the second brat in it. Remembered the way Illumi boasted about his talented little brother, the same wild hair and blue eyes as he showed him a picture of the kid. Killua Zoldyck is currently in the middle of nowhere Australia, and his family most likely doesn’t know about it.

Oh, this will be delicious.

Hisokas day had been upgraded from surprisingly interesting to extremely entertaining if everything were to go smoothly. Immediately revealing to Illumi before their date that his little brother is out in the desert trying to tame himself a boyfriend wouldn’t do either of them good. Let it simmer, let it fester, keep Illumi away from his phone the rest of the day.

Lost in his scheming, he just barely noticed that the clock hit 1pm. He grabbed his bag from the floor and stuffed his phone into his back pocket before he headed out the door.

Hisoka wasn’t sure what he expected, yet he was taken aback by the sight in front of him as he exited the apartment complex.

Illumi leaned leisurely against a black sports car, as if that were his only purpose in life. His sleek hair was tied into a neat ponytail, eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Hisoka let his eyes take in every detail of him. Peridot green jeans, fashionably washed out, paired with a simple grey polo shirt, the collar popped open just enough to reveal more neck than usual.

“Are you waiting on an invitation?” Illumi didn’t sound as agitated as he probably intended, giving Hisoka only more reason to push his luck.

“I was thinking about whether I want to pounce on you now or later.” He approached the other man, who in turn straightened up his posture in defence. But instead of any hostile movements, Hisoka simply took Illumis hand, and bought it to his lips for a caste kiss. “But I’d rather not spoil our date this early.”

Illumi pulled his hand away, though maybe with a second’s hesitation. “Not happening, also not a date. Get in the car before I change my mind.”

The car was equipped with fabric seats, which Hisoka was grateful for in the Italian heat. “Maybe I should film one of those Vlogs today, what do you think of the title ‘Partner takes me away for secret date’?”

“What about ‘Multimillionaire kicked me out of a speeding car’?”

“Touché.” Now Hisoka was sure that his companion had to be in a good mood, despite what he’d claim, he’d never go along with his jokes if he were feeling neutral-to-pissed otherwise. He rolled his shoulders back into the seat comfortably, golden eyes fixated on the way that Illumis elegant pale hands wrapped around the steering wheel. “I didn’t know you can drive, considering you always have someone to do it for you.”

“I prefer it over flying, and I still consider myself a better driver than half of our staff.”

“I’m sure you’re great at handling stick shift as well.”

“Of co-“Illumi pressed his lips together in sudden annoyance, he most definitely had caught onto Hisokas smirk as he waited for an answer. “That is repulsive.” That prompted the makeup artist to break out into self-satisfied snickering.

“No clue what you’re talking about, Tesoro.” This earned him an eye roll, and silence as the car made its way through mostly empty streets. Hisokas eyes fell onto Illumis phone that rested on the console of the car. “Ah, I’m sure mister multimillionaire has Spotify Premium, right? Let me turn on some music.”

“Use your own phone.”

“I ran out of data volume. Are you that afraid I’ll discover your disastrous music taste?” His teasing smirk was met with another, more defeated eyeroll and a sigh.

“Don’t play anything trashy. The passcode is 0707.” After a questioning silence, he added “It’s Killuas birthday.”

Hisoka replied with an appreciative purr, before he started scrolling through the others music library. No personal playlists, not even a profile picture attached to his account. He was almost offended at the man’s lack of care for something as deeply personal as ones Spotify account, something that surely could tell a lot about a person. “Tchaikovsky? I’m not sure if I am impressed or utterly bored. Oh-“ His eyes stopped on a familiar album cover. “Maybe you’re not a lost cause after all, dear.”

A button press later, and the familiar opening sounds to Tame Impalas “Currents” played. The faintest trace of a smile curled on Illumis lips, barely noticeable, but Hisoka wanted to burn it into his mind anyway. Never mind that he took the brief distraction to turn the others phone onto silent mode. No unnecessary distractions.

It took the rest of the album until Illumi pulled the car into the exit towards the nature reserve near Lago di Bracciano, the last notes of “New Person, Same old Mistakes” dying together with the engine as they parked.

Hisoka stretched at the warm sunlight that caressed his skin when he exited the vehicle. Birds sang happily in the trees that lined the path around the large lake, and the only other person in sight was an elderly woman walking a small white dog. As the second car door shut close, he turned around with a pleased smile that showed off his shining teeth. “I never took you for the kind to take afternoon strolls.”

His friend-or-whatever set a relaxed pace onto the path and looked out onto the deep blue water. “I can’t sit around the hotel room the entire day, can I? And Rome is crawling with sweaty tourists and noisy journalists.”

“So you wanted to get some quality time outside?” Hisoka absentmindedly ran his tongue over his own sharp incisors.

“Correct.” Illumi didn’t seem to notice, or at least ignored, the predatory gesture.

“With me.”

He missed a beat before a simple, “It seemed appropriate.”.

This earned him an appreciative purr, before the men walked in silence along the large lake. Italy still wouldn’t reach its heights of temperatures this time of year, but any breeze was still a welcomed change from the rising humidity and sting of the sun. Hisoka wondered how much the others pale skin would change if he’d expose himself for a bit longer to the sun, if he’d immediately burn up in red, or if he’d start to tan, even just the faintest bit. He’d definitely look more alive, less like a puppet on invisible strings.

They continued to walk in a comfortable silence next to each other, took in the different sounds and sights of nature and the others presence, until eventually they reached the border of one of the shore towns. Beautiful stone buildings climbed the side of a smaller hill, only interrupted by greenery sprouting up between them. The main path was lined with flower shops, cafes, and Gelateria, whose smells mixed into a pleasant sweetness in the air. But one store in particular stood out. It wasn’t super flashy, it could have been found in any city and any street, but Hisoka knew this one from memory.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the others hand, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

“Excuse me-“ Before he could free his hand, Hisoka intertwined their fingers and pulled him closer.

“Let me treat you to something as well, I promise you won’t regret it,amore.” As his flaming eyes were met with a wrinkled nose, the sunshades Illumi were as not-telling as his eyes, he added “If you do regret it, I’ll gladly let you drown me right here.”

There was hesitation as the other mans wrist twitched against his hold. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

The absence of a struggle was still taken as accepting whatever had gotten him so excited, and thus Illumi was quickly pulled and seated outside the small café. Hisokas attitude had changed from a lazy yet scheming happiness, to pure, unfiltered excitement. It became almost impossible for him to sit still, he rapidly tapped his fingernails against the small glass table, until a waitress (in her mid-40s, he assumed) stepped out. She handed the men a small, leather bound menu, though both were immediately snatched by Hisoka and held back towards her.

“Non sarà necessario. Ordineremo la Cheesecake alla fragola. Grazie.”

“Certamente.” The woman replied with a smile, before she retreated into the shop.

“Cheesecake?” Illumi asked with a raised eyebrow, he had taken off his sunglasses by now and placed them on the table.

Hisoka tutted, “Not any Cheesecake, dear, it is the best Cheesecake you will ever have. I will have it at my wedding, funeral, and every occasion in between that.”

“I take it you’ve been here before.”

“When I had just moved to Rieti, I’d come here almost every weekend, though I unfortunately stopped when weekends became workdays as well.” He considered carefully how much more he was willing to share about that time of his life with the other, though the decision was taken off him as the waitress approached with two plates, each adorned with a generous slice of cheesecake, topped with strawberry slices and strawberry jam dripping off it.

His jaw clenched in anticipation as he watched Illumi take the first bite of the cake, reminiscent of all the rituals he’d do for him whenever he visited. It felt degrading to admit that he wanted to impress and gain the approval of the Zoldyck, but not degrading enough to stop the attention seeking behaviour.

A bite. Some careful chewing. Averted eyes because Hisoka was staringbut he did not care. He swallowed.

Illumi didn’t look at him as he spoke, seemingly engrossed in studying the décor of the shop. But his eyes betrayed him, Hisoka swore he saw something within the dark orbs glisten and flash to life. He didn’t know people could smile only with their eyes, but Illumi continued to be different in the most intoxicating way. “It’s… really good.”

Hisoka tried hard not to pick up his train of thought from the morning, tried not to think about what he wanted from Illumi or a relationship, and he especially tried not to think about the growing urge to leap across the table at that very moment to kiss him until their lips were sore. Instead, he started to eat his own cake, and failed to supress his sharpened smile.

They ate mostly in silence, safe for Hisokas muffled crazed snickering, and ordered espresso to chase down the thick cake.

“Hey, let’s play a game. What is wrong with that woman over there?” Hisoka pointed at a blonde who rested against a railing near the lake.

Illumi seemed to consider for a second whether he even wanted to play a weird game like that, before he stopped mid espresso-sip. “Ah. Those red heels are obviously spray-painted on.”

“Bingo~! It’s super obvious, right? You can still see the black shine through.”

“I’m more concerned about the uneven stitching on her shirt. Either she did that herself, or she has gotten scammed.”

Somehow that conversation triggered them to analyse the fashion choices of every stranger they encountered on their way back to the car with increasingly devilish tones. Illumi Zoldyck was a surprisingly good gossiper, and Hisoka filed that fact into the growing corner of his brain that he reserved just for him.

In the car, Illumi informed him they would just head to his hotel room to get dressed for the show, and then head there together. Any attempt at a joke about spending hotel-room-time wisely was, expectedly, cut off.

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Illumi had never focused on the road this much in his entire life. He tried to be grateful that they had managed to get ready for the show in his hotel room without any major incidents, but now Hisoka was seated next to him again, wearing the suit he made for him. He looked good, annoyingly so. Naturally, Illumi wouldn’t grant him the satisfaction of telling him that though. He had indulged the man plenty enough for that day already and was holding back from chastising himself for it.

Last night had made him soft, Illumi decided. A brief waver of confidence and self-preservation that made him want to spend one-on-one time with Hisoka, in what may have resembled friendship to an outsider.

But his head was clearer now, cleansed from whatever foolishness had overcome him – the image of his mother recovering from a coughing fit and regaining her composure crept itself into his mind. Unrelated, he thought, though cleared his throat regardless.

“Machi says the crowd tonight is dreadful. Do you think she is just saying that to keep me from going~?” Hisoka tapped his long nails against the screen of his phone. Machi was a model they both have worked with in the past, though she was no where close to a breakthrough. A pretty face, objectively spoken, though smaller than most models, and the personality of royalty about to be executed. Do they always text each other?

“She’s there as well today?” He tried not to sound bitter. He didn’t have a reason to be bitter.

“Mhm, she’s modelling for a friend of hers it seems, though all the examples she sent me looked like someone with a priest-kink designed them, so it doesn’t hurt as much that she didn’t hire me as her artist.”

A moment of silence. “I see.” Illumi was not going to indulge Hisoka even more by inquiring about the nature of his relationship to the woman. It did not concern him; it wasn’t relevant to him or his work.

“Illumi?” Hisoka leaned over in his seat, golden eyes piercing into the side of his face.

“Yes, Hisoka?” Just now he noticed that he had been clenching his jaw uncomfortably.

“Are you jealous of Machi?” He didn’t need to look to know that Hisoka was smiling from one ear to the other, voice dripping with joy. He wasn’t going to look at Hisoka.

“You are insane. Why would I be jealous of her? I pity the girl, still having to work as a favour for acquaintances.”

Predatory eyes continued to drill into him, and a dangerous purr escaped the man, “Is that so?”.

“Yes, don’t be ridiculous.” They pulled into the valet line.

“Then you surely won’t mind that she’ll meet us in the entrance hall, wonderful!”

Illumi shouldn’t mind. It should be perfectly fine that instead of spending the evening alone with Hisoka, a good-looking young woman with an unclear relationship to him would meet them. He definitely couldn’t be jealous; it would be irrational and yet-

He threw the keys to the car at the valet and grabbed the number-marker without a word. His face wouldn’t give it away to others, that he was practically fuming, but Hisoka seemed to take pleasure in the subtle way that Illumis facial features tightened. “I heard jealousy can give you wrinkles~” Hisoka whispered cheekily as they approached the venue entrance, rows of reporters and interviewers lined at the sides, even more so than at the opening day before.

“You must have a lot of experience with that.” He hissed in reply and straightened his posture as they passed the crowd, mostly reporters who desperately tried to take pictures of attendees. Pictures, Interviews, all loathsome cries for attention that Illumi has always tried to avoid as much as possible without damaging the families reputation. He looked down the carpeted entrance and spotted the young woman known as Machi Komacine, clothed in a painfully tight black dress adorned with rosaries draped around her waist like belts, her messy pink hair pulled into a high ponytail. Her posture signalled boredom, but her eyes screamed murder.

Illumi was not a man who easily feared anyone, especially not a woman who stands at 5’2 proud; But he also was not necessarily thrilled to approach her. As he tried to hiss something in Hisokas direction again, something about not having much time to chat with their acquaintance due to meeting a client, he noticed: The other man had stayed behind, and was now busy posing for numerous cameras. Their eyes met, and with a mischievous grin, Hisoka held his hand out to beckon Illumi closer. For Pictures. Together.

Take pictures with Hisoka together in a public appearance that will most definitely set the gears of the rumour mill in motion; Or approach Machi alone and run the risk of uncomfortable conversation about our respective relationships to Hisoka?

He looked back at Machi, whose eyes met his instantly with a raised eyebrow. Fucking Hell-

Illumi made his way back to Hisoka, casually disregarded the hand that was held out to him and positioned himself as practiced – left arm leisurely to the side, right arm three quarters across his front. Not too strict, but not too relaxed either. In contrast, Hisoka had his left hand in the pocket of his suit, his right hand rested on Illumis shoulder as if were the most natural thing in the world. Journalists started to yell even more for their attention now, asking pesky questions that he tried to ignore, telling them to stand closer to each other, the likes. He kept the façade of his neutral face through the blinding flashes intact, even as Hisoka snaked his arms from his shoulder around his waist. “Do you wish for a public execution?”

“It looks better for the pictures~”

Illumi brushed a few strands of hairs behind his shoulder and used the motion to glance back to where Machi was waiting, her steady gaze on the two of them. “It’s rude to let her wait.”

“How considerate you are!” Hisoka snickered. “I know you aren’t jealous, caro, but I’d still like to reassure you of something.”

“And what’s that?”

“Machi and I look for, how should I say, very different things in a partner.” He tugged at Illumi waist and pulled him closer. “She’s looking for women and I am not.”

“Oh.” Illumi continued to look at the reporters cooing for their attention, as he tried not to think of the warm hand on his waist that felt searing hot and- Wait.

“OH.” He turned in Hisokas hold to properly look at him, who in turned grinned like the cat that ate the canary, then he looked back to Machi, and suddenly he felt stupid, which he didn’t experience a lot.

“Feeling relieved, even though you definitely weren’t jealous?”

“I think they got enough pictures.”

Illumi heard Hisokas snickering trail behind him as he made his way down the entrance. Machis eyes met his again, hands steady on her hips. Up closer now, he could observe the details of her dress, white seams stitched into crucifixes that crept up the sides, and the number “3” painted on every bead of the rosaries. It was cleanly executed, but Illumi was confident in the superiority of his own work.

“Miss Komacine.” He extended his hand to her, which she shook half-heartedly.

“Illumi. I’d like to get to business talk right away, so I don’t have to look at this clown longer than necessary.”

“Business talk?”

The young woman lit a cigarette for herself and shot a glare to Hisoka. “I assume you didn’t tell him I wanted to speak with him?” This granted her only a shrug and a smile from the man. “Fine, whatever. Illumi, I want to model for your next line, it would proof beneficial for both of us.”

“I don’t deal in women’s fashion. Furthermore, I do not see how I’d gain benefits from having you work for me.” Finally, a topic he felt comfortable to speak about, even it was only to criticize the woman for her awful attempt at business.

“I don’t mind wearing a suit, you should be at least competent enough to make smaller sizes, right?” She stepped closer to push a sharp index finger against his chest. “And about those benefits; Having me model for you would give me more exposure from a mainstream crowd, and thus exposure for my group. You would gain exposure to a wider audience of underground fashion-following, that isn’t influenced by your family’s name, meaning you could manifest a name for yourself. Unless you prefer being ‘a Zoldyck’ forever.”

The nerve. The audacity. Illumi considered just calling her a presumptuous cunt and leaving with his pride intact, but Machi looked like the kind of woman who knew how to slice car tires and break-wires.

A manicured hand curled around his shoulder, and Hisoka pushed himself between Machi and him. “What could be better than this; My two favourite people in this world, getting along, talking friendly business. Unfortunately, dear Machi, there’s some people inside that are dying to meet us tonight, so we’ll catch you later~”

Before he could object, Illumi was pushed through the entrance of the venue. The large runway was occupied by a high-end brand that premiered their women’s gala collection, mood-lighting engulfed the rest of the room, rhythmic beats of low music drowned out most of the talking crowd.

“Be a darling and just let her offer simmer a little. Machi can be very scary when she’s mad, and not in the way I enjoy.” Hisoka purred closer to his ear.

“Did you know she was going to ask?”

“What if I did?”

A waiter offered them drinks on a tray, and Illumi leisurely grabbed a glass of champagne.

“What does that even mean, ‘a Zoldyck’, as if it is something bad.”

“Don’t wreck your pretty head over it, you know how women are.” Hisoka laughed, and Illumi wasn’t sure how serious he meant that, considering that personally he had no idea how women are, and after newest revelations, neither did Hisoka.

But through the course of the night, Illumi couldn’t get it out of his head. He pretended not to notice how people approached Hisoka, addressed him by his name, first or full name, and talked with him about the content he has created, complimented on his most recent videos and looks. And he pretended not to notice how people approached him, addressed him only by his last name, and asked about the family business. “Mr. Zoldyck, are you going to write an article about this line?” “Mr. Zoldyck, about the next issue-“ “Mr. Zoldyck, tell my greetings to your father.”

No word about his own collection he had premiered. No one even uttered his first name.

He was ‘a Zoldyck’. Nothing more, nothing less.

“If looks could kill, we’d be ankle deep in a blood bath by now.” Hisoka snaked an arm around Illumis waist again and rested his hand on the tip of his hip. The designer took a long sip of the bitter champagne, casually slapped away the offending hand, and kept his dark eyes fixed on the crowd. “Still pouting because Machi was being a bully?”

“I am not pouting.”

“And you weren’t jealous either, got it~”

An eye roll, followed by “I have a headache, what’s the time anyway?” Illumi tried to reach for his phone in his pocket, though before he could grab it, Hisoka took hold of his wrist. They locked eyes, and even in the dim lighting of the venue, Illumi saw something wild glisten in those amber eyes. “Let’s leave, together, to my place.”

“Very subtle, Hisoka. I am not going to-”

“Indulge me, Tesoro, I want to show you something.” Determined to blame it on the repulsive atmosphere that had build itself up at the fashion show, Illumi let himself be swept away by Hisoka for the second time that day. The thought of getting away from noisy reporters and cockroaches of the industry who only knew him as the eldest Zoldyck.- former Heir to the empire, was pleasant enough, yet he also didn’t have to be alone and actively think about his reputation, name, and being a ‘lapdog’, technically a win-win situation.

The drive back to the apartment was oddly quiet, despite Hisokas prior excitement. The car tore through the dark night primarily in silence, only accented by the ‘The Velvet Underground’ album they agreed on after scrolling through Hisokas bizarre Spotify library. It definitely wasn’t the kind of music he was used to from the home he was raised in, didn’t fit between the classical music his mother used to play before her headaches made it impossible and the obscene noise music that Killua would play to trigger the same headaches.

“Could you check my messages for me?”

Hisoka hummed in response and grabbed the phone, manicured nails tapping on the screen, before dropping it unceremoniously back into the cup-holders. “Batteries dead.”

“That can’t be, I charged it before I went out this morning, the battery is supposed to hold for a minimum of 72 hours when idle.”

“Your dainty British batteries sometimes give out under Italian heat, invest in better engineering, and charge it at my place for now.”

“…This will better be worth the trouble.”

The streets of Rieti were expectantly empty, and Illumi parked the car right in front of the apartment (Was it a legal parking spot? Unlikely. But parking fines barely matter when seemingly half the world knows your families name.)

The stairs, the door, the entrance, Illumi knew all of these things about Hisokas apartment. “What is there to show me?”

“Patience. Come here~” Hisoka opened the doors to the balcony, white drapes gently tossed in the fresh breeze. The Zoldyck followed- with sceptical hesitation, but followed nonetheless.

He rested his hands on the railing, eyes turned sky-wards, a few strands of hair upset by the wind.

“If you took me here to just look at the stars, I’m not sure which one of us is the bigger fool.”

“Right, if we wanted to look at soon-to-be dead stars, we could have stayed at the show. But we’re not here for them. They are insignificant, always there to look at until one day they vanish and are forgotten. The real star of the show is over there.” He pointed a long nail at the night sky, and Illumi tried to follow where it pointed.

“The moon? Really?”

“Close, but also mundane and boring. Here- “Before Illumi could react, the strange man had placed their heads next to each other and started to correct Illumis position with a pointed yet gentle grip on his chin. “Look straight ahead.”

Just a little bit off to the left of the moon shone a star brighter than anything else, for a moment Illumi felt ridiculous for missing it.

“It’s Venus. Among all these long dead stars, she’s ever present, stands out the most, and is a rare sight to behold.”

“You took me away from the show to gaze at other planets?” Illumi turned towards the other man, suddenly all too aware of how close they were standing once again.

“I took you away from the show because no one there is capable of understanding your true potential. The way everyone there only sees you as an extension of your family is so infuriating, that it makes me want to ruin all their hopeless little dreams right in front their pitiful faces.” With a swift movement Hisoka had pinned the designer against the railing of the balcony. “You could crush all these people under your heel and make them beg for forgiveness. And there’s nothing I’d rather see than that.”

“I don’t need to make anyone beg, if I want something, I get it. It’s always been like that.” A cold thumb traced the line of his sharp chin, followed by a dark chuckle, and all of a sudden Illumi felt fatigued, all air leaving his lungs. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembers his mother recalling symptoms like that. It’s a sickness, nothing more nothing less.

“You get it because you’re a pretty show dog held on a short leash by your family.”

Fucking lapdog. The weight on his chest feels like it could crush his organs any second.

“I’m not asking you to bite the hand that feeds you. But I’d give everything to see what you could do if you were free of restraints.”

Feeling like he needed to hold onto anything, Illumi grabbed onto the back of the other man’s head, fingers buried in wild hair. “And why would you care so much? If you’re just trying to rile me up, there’s ways that don’t make me want to throw you off the balcony and watch your mangled body struggle for life.”

“It’s because you fascinate me, Illumi. You’re my Venus in a sea of dying stars. I want to observe you in all your glory as you outshine everyone else, in your full potential.”

“Who says I won’t crush you as well?” His fingers grasped harder on a few strands of hair. Everything in his body felt wrong, the way his skin was freezing all over, but searing hot wherever he made contact with the other man, the suffocating weight on his chest increased by the second, and in the back of his mind something about sickness echoes again.

They locked eyes, and just then Illumi noticed how close they truly were, Hisokas hot breath falling onto his lips.

And he should have pushed him away.

Should have slapped him, insulted him like the sorry maggot he was.

But he felt weak and sick and so cold, and Hisoka radiated pure heat.

Their lips met, softer than expected of either of them, and Illumi wondered if this is what it feels like to be saved from drowning.

A pleasant warmth seeped into his body, and his lungs felt weightless, like he could breathe for the first time in his life.

Hisoka kissed like each touch might be the last, and Illumi let himself be guided as he wanted, eventually wrapping his arms around the others neck, eager to steal as much of this intoxicating heat as possible.

The man kissed along his jawline, stopping just barely below his ear. “Stay here tonight, cuore mio.”

And Illumi placed a kiss to his temple, as gentle as a man who was never been taught gentleness with people could manage. “Let’s go inside.”