Random Oneshots

Countdown (001) - Ally & Mark

Just a quick note before we start: This is based on the prompt on Tumblr from forever ago about having a countdown on your wrist that ticks down to the moment you meet your soul mate. I am aware that other stories with the same concept already exist, but this is my take on it. Okay then. Enjoy the story.

Ally POV

I could still remember the day when I asked my parents what the numbers on my wrist meant. All I could tell back then was that the numbers were counting down to something. And all the other kids in my school had lower numbers than I did, or hadn't even started yet.

They told me it counted down to the day that I would meet 'the one'. The person I was meant to spend the rest of my days with. Which I said was such a stupid idea. How could the world know who I was meant to spend my life with? What if I wanted to choose someone else? What if the other person wanted to choose someone else? What if he picked his nose before touching his food? What if he was a slob?

How could I love someone who went against things that I found a basic human requirement?

Back then my number read over twenty years. And I'd learned to barely notice as the numbers ticked down over the last two decades. But today...today it had me nervous. Excited, sure, but nervous. The numbers glowed red the moment it read '23:59:59'. Less than a day to that moment. That was yesterday afternoon.

Now it read less than five hours. So I was going to meet this person at VidCon? I thought to myself. I did the math. This was going to be during my meet and greet. Maybe they'd be in the line? Or maybe I'd bump into them on the way from the bathroom? There were so many possibilities. And now I couldn't think of anything else but my number.

"Excuse me...Ally? Ally MuddyOrbs?" someone called out to me. I turned around and saw a girl dressed up as Willow Warfstache. "I couldn't help but notice your countdown timer and I just had to come over and give you a hug. Congratulations!" She stepped closer to wrap me in an embrace. "I'm sorry. Seeing people with the red timers always has me so excited. Because I might be able to witness Fate do its thing."

I chuckled. "Thanks. It is pretty exciting, isn't it?" I decided I'd slip on a coat or something to hide my timer. I didn't want to draw any more attention. But I'd do it after I parted ways with the Willow cosplayer.

"This is amazing. My two favorite YouTubers are about to meet their soul mates. Fate's working really hard today." Two? I looked at her, confused. "Ohh. You haven't heard yet? Some people saw Markiplier walking around with a red timer as well. Everyone's talking about it, trying to figure out his schedule and who it's going to be. But he covered up his timer before anyone could really see the numbers. But still though. It's really exciting."

My eyes widened. Considering the possibility of his number reading the same as my arm. Impossible. It had to be someone else. "Yup. Real exciting," I mumbled. Dammit. Now I had hopes.

"Hey, who knows? It might even be you. That crack ship might actually happen," she commented, laughing. Crack ship? "Holy...you weren't kidding when you said you didn't look into the community posts that much, did you?" I shook my head. "There's this...ship...that kinda sorta ships you two together." What the Christ on a crutch? "It's real cute. We call it Muddyplier." Goddamn, the internet was a weird fucking place. "If that's the case, today's going to be especially epic. How exciting!" She started jumping where she stood.

"It's probably not, though," I said with a laugh. "The universe can't be that kind to me." Pretty sure that that ship started when I admitted on one of my videos that I had a screaming crush on Mark in the first place. No need to play coy with my doubts, and my hopes. She chuckled along with me, and I have her a small hug. "Thank you. Here's something. I think I'm going to meet my someone during my Meet and Greet, so that's exciting..."