WELCOME TO SHADOW SOULMATES, THE WORLD RENOWNED FRIENDSHIP SIMULATOR! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOUR ARRIVAL! I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SEND YOU MESSAGES FOR AGES NOW. YOU KNOW THOSE TIMES THAT YOU FELT LIKE YOU FORGOT SOMETHING? OR WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU HEARD SOMEONE CALLING YOUR NAME?
[["I guess?..."]]
YOU HEARD ME! YOU WERE BEING ADMIRED! YOU ARE THE FINEST BACHELOR (gender neutral) OF HUMAN-KIND! OUR LITTLE CREATURES WERE PRACTICALLY LINING UP TO GET YOUR ATTENTION! I DON'T THINK YOU'VE SEEN THEM AROUND...
SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE SCARY. POOR FELLOWS. I THINK THEY'RE QUITE ENDEARING, ACTUALLY! TO EACH THEIR OWN.
[["okay..."]]
ENOUGH CHATTING FROM YOU. LET ME BRING THEM OVER HERE!!!!
HEEEEEEEERE THEEEEEY AAAAAAAAARE!!!!!!
[[Meet Tracy]]You hear creaks come from above your head and long spindly fingers reach out from the ceiling above you. bright blue eyes pop out and gaze at you lovingly.
then another pair of eyes.
then another.
then.. wait? how many eyes does this thing have?????
[[Make loving eye contact with tracy.]]<img src= https://i.imgur.com/1odd02E.jpeg, width=50%>
GOD. ISN'T SHE A STUNNER.
"hiya, darlin'. i've been dyin' to meet ya. You've really caught my eye, well, at least a few of em..."
She giggles, tearing up a bit. She uses one of her monsterously long fingers to wipe one of her eyes. Seriously, why are there so many of them?
You took expectantly back at the shadow soulmates host.
YOU READY TO MEET ANOTHER???
HERE'S MACKY!!!!!
[[You turn your head towards the sounds of some rustling.]]
You see something green quickly pass you, feeling only wind as they sprint by. The speedy green thing hops up and perches on a desk that magically appeared in front of you. He looks at you with so much hope in his eyes. His fur rustles in the wind.
(how is it windy, we're indoors?)
<img src=https://i.imgur.com/4YXMAUT.png, width=50%"
He blinks his cute (...you guess he's cute) beady eyes at you and tilts his head.
"Hi, there!!! I'm Macky!!! I've been SO excited to meet you!!!!"
It's almost endearing. He's like a little kid. You almost want to hug the little guy.
He stares at you.
...You turn to look at the show host.
[["There's one more right?"]]Almost on queue, a large shadow approaces the door way. You hear a deep sigh. you have never heard anyone sound more dejected in their life.
A deep voice bellows.
"I'm here. Are they here yet, or I swear-"
Their irritated tone gets cut off as soon as they reach the doorway and spot you. They looked pissed off before, but suddenly, their expression changed. They look almost... flustered?
"...hi."
<img src=https://i.imgur.com/wimMqm9.png, width=50%>
The announcer bellows: HOW ODD. HE'S USUALLY SUCH AN ASSHOLE. THIS IS NURGOTH. HE CAN BE MEAN SOMETIMES...MOST TIMES. BUT HE'S A SOFTY AT HIS CORE.
There's something interesting about this man. Maybe it's how tall his is. Or how he smells like freshly baked muffins. Or his horns. Who knows.
[[WELL!]]You look back at the show host.
IT IS NOW TIME TO MAKE YOUR DECISION.
WHO DO YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW? WHO'S FIRST IMPRESSION IMPRESSED YOU THE MOST??????
[[Meet Tracy.]]
[[Meet Macky.]]
[[Meet Nurgoth]]"Oh, darlin', I knew you'd choose me. I could just tell."
There is something about this woman. She is so...tantalizing. You don't really know how to make eye contact with her, though. The multiple sets of eyes thing makes it kind of hard.
"Munchkin," She starts, climing out of the ceiling tiles gracefully. She hops down, standing next to you. She's at least 6'6. It's kind of cool. "let's go somewhere. I want to get to know you better."
She offers you her knobby hands. Her nails are gorgeous.
[[You take her hand.]]
[[You look at her hand awkwardly and just begin to walk.]]"oh no way!! you want to hang out with me!! this is the best day of my life!!! this is going to be SO fun!!! Come on, come on!!!"
He bounces off of the desk and begins to hop away. Is he a frog? He's furry. this doesn't make much logistical sense. Then again, he's a shadow demon. No one makes a set of rules, i guess.
You sprint after him. You haven't done cardio in so long.
[[You catch up with him, severely out of breath.]]He widens his eyes.
"You want to hang out with me? Fine. Let's go then."
This creature quickly turns away and begins to walk. You stand there for a moment.
"Are you coming or not?"
[[You follow him.]]You walk alongside Nurgoth for a bit, both of you not saying a word. He stares straight forward, not looking your way at all. He seemed so excited before, yet now he's not giving you anything to work with anymore. Maybe you made a mistake choosing him? The other two seemed so excited, yet Nurgoth seemed interesting. Maybe you were mistaken.
Shoot, maybe you should get out of your head. You just met the guy. Monster? Who knows what this guy even is.
[[You decide to break the silence. ]]
YEAH. THAT WAS ME. SORRY. I WAS TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION. I AM GLAD I FINALLY CAUGHT YOU! HORRAY!
WELL. THAT ASIDE.
...let's get serious for a moment.
DO YOU EVER FEEL ALONE? EVER WISH YOU HAD A COMPANION BY YOUR SIDE? WELL FEAR NO LONGER, YOU WERE ACTUALLY NEVER ALONE IN THE FIRST PLACE! EVERYWHERE YOU GO, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY BEING FOLLOWED. WATCHED.
ADMIRED?
[["Wait, what?"]]WELL, I'M SURE YOU'RE DYING TO MEET THEM! THEY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU! ALL THREE OF OUR FRIENDS HERE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING YOU FOR MONTHS. THEY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU. THEY WATCH YOUR EVERY MOVE. THEY THINK YOU'RE JUST THE CUTEST THING! THEY WATCH YOU DO YOUR WORK, WATCH YOU WALK TO CLASS, EVEN WATCH YOU SLEEP SOMETIMES! ISN'T THAT SO WHOLESOME!
THEY JUST STAND THERE.
AND WATCH YOU SLEEP.
I THINK THAT'D BE BORING, FRANKLY.
BUT THEY DON'T! THEY JUST LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!
[["uh..."]]"So uh.... tell me about yourself?"
"Name's Nurgoth."
"...Cool. what does that mean?"
"Not sure."
You shove your hands into your coat pockets and continue walking forward. Where are you guys even going?
"I'm sorry." He says, still looking forward.
"What for?"
"People call me glum. I'm kind of difficult. I'm not giving you much to work with, I guess."
[["No, that's fine. Don't worry... If you don't want to talk, you don't have to."]]
[[You kind of are difficult, honestly.]]"No, no... I do want to. I'm sorry. I'll try. Well, I guess I'll show you a bit more about me. Come on, we're nearly there."
Basically on cue, you both turn the corner and reach a dark opening. In the middle of the clearing sat... an oven?
[["What is this?"]]
He laughs, "I suppose you're right. I'll try not to be. I'm happy you chose me, you know. You seem interesting. Don't know how. Just interesting."
"I'll take it."
"Not sure what to talk about, honestly."
"Do you have any hobbies?"
"It's kind of embarassing."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see. We're nearly there. "
Basically on cue, you both turn the corner and reach a dark opening. In the middle of the clearing sat... an oven?
[["What is this?"]]"I like to bake."
"I honestly wouldn't have guessed it. That hobby is so..."
"Nice? Welcoming? Fun?"
"I guess that's what I was insinuating. I'm sorry."
"No, you're right. I like to bake, though. I think its fun. Big dessert fan."
"What do you like to make the most?"
"........"
"You can say it you know."
He turns away from you and walks towards the oven. He opens the creaky door and pulls out a tray. A sweet smell fills the air. It's...
[["Banana bread?]]
[["Funfetti cake?"]]"God, of course. with chocolate chips too. So moist."
"That word sucks."
"I'm sorry."
You break out laughing, this is so odd. He starts to laugh too, the oddness of your interaction settling in for both of you. He runs his hands through his... horns.
[[He pauses.]]He scoffs. "What do you take me for? This is only the finest tiramisu."
You look at the ground. That is so embarassing. Why would you say that. This is the worst.
You continue to spiral.
"...Yes, it's funfetti. I like the sprinkles."
He pauses for a moment and sets the tray down. He turns to look at you expectantly. A sparkle shines in his eyes, though his face still seemed incredibly pissed off.
"Would you... like to try a piece?"
You smile gently. He seems so excited to give you a piece.
"Sure, i'd love some."
His face lights up and he smiles at you. He whips out one of his many hands (you just noticed that he has at least five. weird.) and pulls out a knife (where did he even get that from?). He cuts you a hefty slice before serving himself a small one.
He hands it to you and looks at you expectantly.
[[You take a bite. You nearly gasp. It's so good.]]
[[You take a bite. You nearly throw up. It's the worst thing you've ever tasted in your life.]]"This.... it's amazing. Oh my god"
He laughs, blushing a bit. Well, his red skin seemed a bit more red all of a sudden. You assume he's blushing, but you can't really tell. It's so dark.
"Thank you. I really appreciate it. It's a family recipe."
"It's really good! You're so talented!" You tell him, exasperated before taking another bite. And another. And you scarf down the rest. Oh my god you cant stop eating it oh my god
He looks at you for a bit. The expression on his face changes as he looks at your mouth.
You feel self consious.
He pulls out one of his hands and reaches it towards you.
[[He wipes your mouth gently with a finger]]He breaks out laughing.
"I said i liked to bake, not that I was good at it. I'm quite literally a shadow demon, what did you expect. we don't really have to eat. I just kind of like throwing things together and shoving it into this little oven."
"...I guess that makes sense. But why in the world would you make me eat it."
"I'm sick and twisted. Plus, I thought it'd be funny."
"...It's kind of funny."
He walks over behind the oven and pulls out something in a wrapper. He passes it to you.
[[You take it and look at what's in your hands.]]<img src="https://i.imgur.com/bLL9AXq.png", width=50%>
"Sorry...it's just...there was some frosting..."
You laugh.
"It's okay, thank you. I uh... got carried away for a bit."
He looks relieved that you didn't mind. He takes a seat, and gestures for you to sit beside him. He looks at you intently. "Well, tell me about yourself. The show host kind of exaggerated a bit. I didn't want to disrespect you. I saw you around but didn't want to pry too much. The other two... well. They were kind of weird. But I do want to hear more about you, honestly."
That is so sweet.
[[You tell him about yourself for a bit.]] As you both chat, you feel incredibly comfortable opening up to him. He tells you a bit more about his past, and though he was initially guarded, he started to open up too.
He's charming. You're having a great time. You both pause for a bit and stare at eachother. You get lost in his eyes. He leans in....
[[...]]THE END. <3He pauses for a moment and sets the tray down. He turns to look at you expectantly. A sparkle shines in his eyes, though his face still seemed incredibly pissed off.
"Would you... like to try a piece?"
You smile gently. He seems so excited to give you a piece.
"Sure, i'd love some."
His face lights up and he smiles at you. He whips out one of his many hands (you just noticed that he has at least five. weird.) and pulls out a knife (where did he even get that from?). He cuts you a hefty slice before serving himself a small one.
He hands it to you and looks at you expectantly.
[[You take a bite. You nearly gasp. It's so good.]]
[[You take a bite. You nearly throw up. It's the worst thing you've ever tasted in your life.]]It's...
"An oatmeal creme pie? I love these!"
He laughs gently. "I know."
Oh yeah. This guy watches you for a living.
He looks at you for a bit. The expression on his face changes as he looks at your mouth.
You feel self consious.
He pulls out one of his hands and reaches it towards you.
[[He wipes your mouth gently with a finger]]She batters her lovely eyes at you and smiles.
"Let's go darlin'. I have something to show you."
She begins to saunter down the path, leading you down a row of trees. The scenery is gorgeous.
She pauses and turns your way.
"What do ya want to know about me, suga?"
"..oh. I don't really know! Anything, i guess."
"The name's Tracy. Short for O'Treasaigh. It's irish. I love guiness and potatoes and other irish things. I am very irish."
You just realize that though she was speaking like a southern grandmother before, she was doing so with an irish accent the entire time. You love irish accents. You swoon.
[[She notices]]She giggles. "That's fair. You only just met me. You're reasonable. I like that."
She begins to saunter down the path, leading you down a row of trees. The scenery is gorgeous.
She pauses and turns your way.
"What do ya want to know about me, suga?"
"..oh. I don't really know! Anything, i guess."
"The name's Tracy. Short for O'Treasaigh. It's irish. I love guiness and potatoes and other irish things. I am very irish."
You just realize that though she was speaking like a southern grandmother before, she was doing so with an irish accent the entire time. You love irish accents. You swoon.
[[She notices]]"Fan of the accent, are ya. Thank you. developed it myself, ya know."
She continues to walk and you both reach a dark clearing. In the middle sat some sort of pole with a switch. With one of her scarily long, bony fingers, she presses the switch.
A light hum fills the air and all of a sudden, the trees around you light up with christmas lights.
She turns and begins to walk back towards you, her many, many eyes lit up under the christmas lights.
"you look dashin', darlin."
You blush.
"Thank you..."
"I really like these lights. I am a big fan of nature. Always have been. I think the way trees look when they're lit up is amazing."
I mean, i guess. that's only midly kind of true. weird thing to say.
You smile. "Yeah, that's super true. That's not a weird thing to say."
[[She interlocks your fingers together. ]]You feel like you're going to throw up. The little green gremilin of a child hops in front of you, tossing a water bottle your way.
"You're such a good sport! i knew I'd like you!! Okay, okay, okay!! So I figure I should tell you about me!!"
You laugh, this little guy is sweet.
"I'm macky! i love to hop around and play on my ipad. big ipad fan. its such a great invention. i love playing silly little games on my silly little tablet. Here, let's watch something!!"
He whips an ipad out of... a pouch? He has a pouch? Is he a marsupial? This makes less sense.
He giggles and pulls out youtube. He pulls up the snoop dog youtube channel.
[[You love this channel.]]
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/HoGvbv8.png", width=50%>
You both sway to snoop dog's amazing voice. Macky kicks his feet in the air. You love this kid.
"I love you, bestie!!!" Macky screams to the sky.
"I love you too, bestie." You laugh.
[[...]]<img src="https://i.imgur.com/WwX6kR7.png", width=50%>
Justin bieber's misletoe begins to play.
You didn't even know there were speakers.
She batters her eyes at you. She leans in.
[[...]]