floodlightsandpaintedskies

[dreammeiser]

I just wanted to say HOW MUCH I love your art, the colors and designs are so beautiful I'm so YIPEEEE I found your account!

Wow, I got a yippee?! Oh my goodness, thank you so much! You are too too sweet! I hope you feel at home with my art! :o3 Please have this Teddy sketch in appreciation~

[academicdisasterfic]

omg a chance to request rooney words 👀 how about a tidbit about harry trying to confess his feelings for draco and draco just completely misunderstanding (funny or angsty, you decide!)

Well. This may be more than a tidbit. Harry trying to confess feelings, you say???? Let me just add jealous Draco, a dog, and lots of alcohol to create a completely unhinged 2k story for you!!!!!

Despite me being wholly unable to follow the assignment, I hope you enjoy Bee, and thanks for being the best.

this is also on ao3

...

‘Harry has wanted a dog for a really long time,’ Cormac explained in his nasally, horrible little voice. In an act of great restraint, Draco did not punch him, and instead shot back the rest of his drink.

It was a Friday night, and Friday nights meant the Curse-Breakers all went out to the Leaky Cauldron together. To Draco’s complete dismay, these nights were optional in theory but mandatory in reality if you wanted to get anywhere as a failed former Death Eater. So he sat there, got horrendously drunk with his boring as fuck colleagues, and tried not to think about how Cormac was practically molesting Harry underneath the table.

To be fair, Harry looked fucking delicious in his white button up and tight jeans. He was just the right side of buff, with broad shoulders and veiny forearms and an arse that haunted Draco’s dreams. Draco ordered another Firewhiskey.

‘Yeah, well,’ Harry sighed, ‘I dunno, dogs need a lot of attention, right? And I’ve been travelling so much the past few years…’

‘Mmm,’ Cormac said, making aggressive eye contact and nodding. ‘But you’re staying in England now?’

‘Yeah,’ Harry grinned, ‘it’s great. Nice to be able to see my mates and Teddy a bit more, you know?’

‘It’s so difficult being away from your loved ones all the time,’ Cormac said, batting his eyelashes. His skin was quite oily, Draco thought. And his hairline was already receding. He’d been more attractive in school. He’d been more attractive when he was chasing after Hermione Granger and not Draco’s future husband.

‘Yeah, I guess,’ Harry shrugged, completely and infuriatingly oblivious. ‘But yeah, maybe now I’ll get a dog. No idea where to get one or how to train them or anything, mind you.’

‘Perhaps you’d need the right person to help you. I just adore dogs, and I am such a good teacher,’ Cormac purred, and Draco was at his fucking limit. He stood up, realised he was nowhere near drunk enough, and went to the bar.

‘Draco?’ Harry called out. Draco pretended not to hear and waved his bag of Galleons at the bartender.

‘How much for the whole bottle?’

Sometime later, Draco found himself on Harry Potter’s doorstep, holding a squirming canine of dubious breed that he had rescued from the local pound.

“Rescued”, because “broken into a barricaded facility, stolen the cutest dog he could find, and Obliviated a police officer on the way out” was a bit of a mouthful.

Draco rang the doorbell and turned sternly to the tiny dog, swaying a little.

‘Listen,’ he hissed, ‘be as cute as possible. This is a test for both of us.’ The puppy bit his finger. Draco narrowed his eyes.

The door opened and Harry Potter was there, yawning and fucking shirtless and in grey trackpants that left very little to the imagination.

It suddenly hit Draco, in a moment of clarity, that he was extremely drunk, holding a puppy, at two in the morning, on Harry Potter’s doorstep. Harry’s eyes widened.

‘Draco? Is that...a dog?’

‘Um.’ Draco’s tongue felt very thick and very heavy. There was no way out of this now. He held out the puppy. ‘I found this.’

‘You found...a dog.’

‘Yes.’ Draco’s inebriated mind searched for a not-fucking-insane explanation. ‘Ermmm...just was walking home...and found this dog. Just by the side of the road, you know. And...you said you wanted a dog and all, so I was like, Harry! The Saviour of all beings, including dogs. It’s fate! It’s destiny! And so I am here, presenting you with your new companion, man’s best friend, the most loyal being of them all.’ Draco always got a little poetic when drunk. He tried to rein it in. ‘Erm, here you go.’ He deposited the small creature in Harry’s arms.

‘Hang on.’ Harry looked at the dog, who licked his nose. ‘So...I have a dog now?’

‘Um. Yes. So you don’t need to go and find one. Particularly not with Cormac. What a shame! Anyway, I must go now, enjoy your new pal!’ Draco ran down the steps, round the corner, and threw up into the nearest bush.

…

When Draco woke up the next morning, he had exactly three thoughts: one, he was dying; two, he was never drinking again; and three, there was a slight possibility that while drunk, he had stolen a dog and gifted it to Harry Potter in the early hours of the morning.

Draco moaned and shoved his face back into the pillow.

Of course, a braver man may have gone to Harry’s house, apologised for being so fucking unhinged, and then offered to take back the dog. Draco did not do that. Draco lay in bed for the entirety of Saturday, ordered Chinese food, and watched Supernanny.

On Sunday, he was woken up by the sound of his door chiming. Grumbling, he padded into his living room, unlocked the entry wards, and was faced with a bright-eyed Harry Potter and his illegally acquired puppy in a new red collar and leash. A large truck passed by behind them and Draco briefly considered throwing himself in front of it.

‘Hi,’ Harry said, grinning. ‘I just wanted to…’

‘Oh, fucking Merlin and Morgana.’ Draco pushed his palms into his eye sockets. ‘Potter, I am so, so sorry.’

‘Don’t be! I mean, it was a bit of a surprise at all - being that it was two in the morning and you were quite drunk - but it’s really fine. Wally and I are already best friends.’ The dog gave Harry an enthusiastic lick in assent.

Draco sighed and looked at him. ‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah. Happy accidents, I guess?’

Yes. Accident. Definitely an accident.

‘Okay well, I’m pleased, although I am dreadfully sorry and--’

‘Don’t be!’ Harry inhaled deeply. ‘You see, I was thinking about what Cormac said on Friday, about how hard it’s been being away for the past few years and how I really want to settle down here, now. Like, being around the people I love, and doing things like getting a dog, and putting down roots. And being brave.’

Draco swallowed. ‘Brave how?’

‘Brave like...telling the person I like that I like them.’ Draco’s heart fucking soared. ‘Letting someone close.’ Harry stepped closer, inhaling, about to say more, and then out of nowhere--

‘Harry? Are you quite done?’ Cormac appeared from behind Harry, sauntering down Draco’s front lawn, and Draco’s entire stomach dropped. Of course. Of course. Of course Harry was talking about Cormac, not him. ‘Hello, Draco, heard you freaked out a bit with this one-’ he flicked Wally’s ear ‘-but awfully good luck Harry had me, you see, my aunt bred Crups, so I’m quite familiar with canines and have been teaching Harry all there is to know.’

‘Right. Well. That’s great.’ Draco gritted his teeth. ‘I’m so glad he has you.’

‘Me too.’ Cormac threw an arm around Harry’s shoulder. ‘Walk, Harry? We need to practise Wally’s leash training.’

‘Erm, yeah, sure Cormac, I was just--’

‘It’s fine,’ Draco cut him off, and Harry gazed at him with wide green eyes. God fucking damn those eyes. ‘I get it. I’m really happy for you two.’ He slammed the door shut.

…

Did Draco briefly consider quitting his job and leaving Britain permanently? Yes. Did he book a Portkey to South America, just in case? Yes. Was he incredibly brave and did he go into work on Monday anyway? Yes.

‘Draco: one. Cowardice: zero,’ he muttered to himself as he Flooed into the Ministry.

Fortunately, Draco had finished quite a large job the previous week, and was able to hide behind a mound of paperwork for most of the morning. Unfortunately, the goddamn Boy-Who-Could-Leave-Fuck-All-Alone came to find him.

‘Hey, Draco.’ Harry’s voice jolted Draco out of his paperwork trance and he cursed this stupid open plan office. ‘Can we talk?’ Harry slid into the chair opposite him without waiting for an answer.

‘Certainly,’ Draco said, settling his features into something neutral. ‘I’m just quite busy, so--’

‘I think you got the wrong end of the stick yesterday,’ Harry said. Boy, did I ever, Draco thought.

‘It’s really fine, Potter, no need to check on me.’

‘No, but--’

‘It’s wonderful that you have someone to help with Wally, and Cormac is a very--’ Draco searched for a positive adjective ‘--determined person. I’m sure he’ll make you very happy.’

‘Draco, listen.’ Harry looked genuinely exasperated. ‘I don’t - fuck, I want someone who is kind, and doesn’t throw themselves at me, and who I wouldn’t embarrassed to take home to my friends, you know?’

Fucking ouch.

‘Well,’ Draco said stiffly, ‘that’s all fair enough, I suppose. It’s not like I’m in lo--look, what happened on Friday was truly embarrassing, and perhaps, yes, I thought yesterday...but it doesn’t matter, and I wouldn’t say I’ve thrown myself at you, and perhaps, yes, Wally was less than properly acquired, but I just thought--I will leave you alone now, alright?’ Draco went to get up with a vague plan of cry-in-an-empty-bathroom, but Harry let out a groan and grabbed his arm.

‘For someone so fucking smart, Draco, you really are an idiot.’ Draco let out a yelp of indignation before Harry took hold of his other arm, tugged him in, and kissed him in the middle of their office.

Oh, thought Draco.

…

Draco loved Friday nights.

Perhaps it was because Harry always came to pick him up from his desk, usually with a very excited Wally in tow, and they all went to the pub together. Perhaps it was because Harry had started inviting his friends, who all seemed to just accept Draco now. Perhaps it was because Harry let his hand rest on Draco’s thigh while he chatted with Ron or Dean or whoever was there, with Wally squirming beneath their legs.

Perhaps it was because Cormac watched all of this happening with a sullen glare that felt an awful lot like victory.

‘I cannot believe he’s still pulling the same shit,’ Hermione sighed, as Cormac left the pub with a busty intern in tow, shooting Harry and Draco’s table a pointed look. ‘He’s just as bad as he was in school.’

‘Hmm.’ Draco tried not to be smug and failed as he gave Cormac an exaggerated wave. Hermione laughed.

‘So glad we got stuck with you instead, even if you’re slightly insane.’

Draco mock gasped. ‘Lies and slander, Granger.’

‘Oh yeah? Tell us how you really acquired Wally.’

Draco smirked and leant down to give the mutt an ear scratch. Wally’s coat had grown out into black curls and he was getting bigger every day. He nestled further into Draco’s shins, and Draco looked up to see Harry smiling softly at him.

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Draco murmured, as Harry placed a kiss on his temple. ‘I was very drunk, you know. Maybe one day I’ll remember.’

Read on Ao3

[churbo]

hi here's a jojo sketch dump ill explain thoughts and tidbits underneath the keep reading ^_^

hiii sorry for no jojo i was doing this + real life stuff + oc stuff + L + ratio

first one is just dinopants doodles in like a modern (?) au i guess for summer uhhhh thats.... it i just like dinopants i think theyre funny...

second is a Caesar piece idea i had. thats really it there aint much beyond it lol probably wont be finishing it tho i dont really like da composition plus perspective is a bitch!!!!!!!!!!

third is older jonaerina because im soft and squishy like mashed potate.... you cannot convince me that jonathan would not grow facial hair to SOME degree if he got to be old okay it just... fucking makes sense think about it.... hes a teddy bear.... just add the facial hair and crap and BOOM.... grandpaified .....

fourth is ? jolymes ???? mermaid.? thing? idk i drew jolyne first and her face was wonky so i just made her into sorta of like a mermaid thingy ? and then drew hermes. I drew foof last minute to add in space theyre just chillin'

Moving onto one of the more doodley things, fifth is just. primarily anasui for some reason? I drew the right one first, didn't like it, googled anasui, and then tried to redraw that picture and it didnt work. so then i drew foof to just do something else and then they looked cute so i drew anasui as well and yeah... yeah ^_^

okay finally the obligatory golden wind doodles... i drew girono dying his hair bc i was waiting for the color to set in mine and it was my first time bleaching my hair as well soooo gotta do it to a character i like too! Nara dying his hair was just a little after thought. Completely forgot he dyed his hair before sooooo it doesnt make too much sense by accident. Fugo and Abbacchio brushing his hair is a VERY big hc i have of them bonding bc. white haired bitches ride and die together. Abba brushes fugo's hair to relax and just sorta. tap out while fugo reads a book and enjoys the physical closeness and just. general enjoyment of being groomed lol. Tangly ass hair though so abba has to like man grip the brush and gets bitchy about it. Finally its just Bruno trying to read a sign saying hot dogs theres no other context

if u read this i luv u mwah ur epic

[to-a-merrier-world]

TEDDY HI okay I think I'm late but I would love to hear about DC Spiderman, love and other ways to die (the jay one at the end), aaaaaand Zuko accidental baby acquisition!!

LYSS! hi! lol

ok, so, DC Spider-man is, essentially, what it says on the tin--an AU where the powers of the multiverse that be decide to stick a Peter Parker into a DC universe, and things go a little differently for him. He still gets bit when he’s 15 and his uncle still gets shot, but Ben doesn’t die--instead, he goes into a coma for a few months. During that time, Peter takes on his Spider-man persona to deal with his guilt (and the fact he doesn’t know if his uncle will die or not). Eventually, Ben recovers, but Peter continues to be Spider-man. Ben and May find out a year later, and while things are tense for a while, they eventually accept it and help him out (such as with his webshooters).

Anyways, the beginning of the fic partially follows some points of the “Justice League: War” movie. Peter ends up meeting Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern when they go crashing through New York fighting each other. At the time, Peter is 18 and a senior in high school. I also get a huge kick out of Bruce being younger than people expect, so he’s only 22. Here’s a lil excerpt I wrote:

“Spider-Man, don’t fight him,” the man in black growled.

He glanced back at him and saw he’d climbed back to his feet. He was holding a weird, glowing box that basically screamed ‘Danger, Will Robinson!’ But the man himself didn’t set Peter’s sense’s off.

He was in a get up similar to Superman’s, but in all black and with a mask that covered half his face. The mask had little points on top and he had an emblem on the front that looked like a… 

Oh, Peter thought, eyes widening behind his mask. 

The Batman.

Well, that saves me a trip to Jersey, he thought. And then—holy shit, the Batman knows about Spider-Man!!

and another, cause i think these are funny lol:

“Well?” Superman asked. His question was clearly addressed to Batman, but he was glaring daggers at Lantern.

Yeesh, Peter thought. If looks could kill… Wait. Superman has heat vision. His looks could actually kill! How does that even work, anyway? Does he just stare really hard, or is it like flipping a swi—Wait, stop, I need to pay attention, Batman’s talking.

��—antern and I chased it into the sewers. It exploded before we could find out anything, leaving this box behind. We deduced that both the creature and the box were likely of extraterrestrial origin. We agreed to reach out to you,” Batman gestured towards Superman, “to find out anything you knew, and tracked you here.”

“Because he’s an alien?” Peter asked, cocking his head.

“Uh, obviously?” Lantern replied. “Who else is going to know anything about aliens?”

Peter ignored him, carrying on with his line of thought.

“Is that, like, speciesism? Or racism towards aliens? Cause, I mean, I don’t know a lot about non-humans, but I feel like they probably don’t all know each other.”

Superman snorted, and when Peter looked, he was definitely suppressing a smile. Probably.

anyways, the fic is an elaborate excuse to force a friendship between Spider-Man and Batman (and Superman) and would basically follow them through the years (and possibly lead to romance between them? i hadn’t decided lol). Oh, and last 2 tidbits before i move on: Peter is trans, cause why the fuck not, and i was also seriously considering titling this “Spidey and the Bats” to only be read like the Elton John song “Bennie and the Jets”.

ok, on to the Ajin!Jason Todd AU

so, idk what you know abt ajin, so i’ll explain a bit. Ajin: Demi-Human is a manga/anime about Ajin, people who possess extreme regenerative abilities that trigger upon death or mortal injury, allowing them to completely recover from their wounds in a matter of seconds to such an exceptional extent that not only can missing limbs be restored, but Ajin can fully regenerate after being turned into literal meat patties. Additionally, Ajin can create "black ghosts", which are highly dangerous combat-oriented entities that are invisible to normal humans and only visible to other Ajin.

I tweak the idea, somewhat, because in this AU, the amount of time it takes you to come back can vary--especially the first time you regenerate. It gets faster the more times you do it, but it starts off slower. Jason is an Ajin, so when he dies by the Joker’s hand, he later regenerates--only, he does so much slower and more incomplete than other Ajin. His body is restored to how it was prior to dying, but somehow his mind got locked inside his black ghost. He ends up wandering around Crime Alley with his black ghost trailing him until another Ajin stumbles across him.

This new Ajin, Kay, realizes something’s wrong with Jason and tries to help by... “resetting” him aka killing him again. It ends up working, but it doesn’t exactly engender feelings of friendship between him and Jason. Kay is pretty weird, though, and doesn’t seem to mind Jason not trusting or liking him, and despite killing him like it was nothing, is actually a kind person. He’s also determined to explain Ajin to him and ensure the kid understands the potential danger he’s in (he’s very vague about it, though, cause Kay has Secrets lol).

Anyways, it turns into this whole superheroes (mostly the Bats) vs the government vs rogue Ajin, and Jason ends up thrown into the middle of it all. The beginning of the fic deals more with Jason and his family’s grief/guilt/trauma and Kay sorta just hangs out until shit starts hitting the fan and he’s forced to reveal some things about himself :3c

OKAY on to the last one, Zuko Accidental Baby Acquisition AU!

this one starts off write after Zuko Alone when Zuko is leaving that town where he met the little boy. He ends up coming across another town, but this one has been destroyed by the Fire Nation--it’s a literal battle ground. There are the bodies of Earth Kingdom soldiers and civilians left to rot in the sun with only the broken weapons and armor of Fire Nation soldiers to explain what happened here. Zuko is horrified and wants to leave, but he’s starving, so he has to go into the town to try to find something to eat.

The fires from the battle are still burning low when he starts searching the town, and eventually he hears the cry of a baby. he runs to investigate without thinking and comes across a woman with her eyes closed and so severely burned Zuko automatically assumes she’s dead. In her arms is a crying baby, red-faced and distressed, but otherwise looking unharmed. Zuko approaches and as he reaches for the baby, unsure what the hell he’s even doing, the woman opens her eyes. She can barely speak, but she asks Zuko to take her son--Kyo--and to bring him somewhere safe. Zuko agrees without thinking, wanting the woman to pass on with some amount of peace.

The woman dies and Zuko is now left with a baby. The story goes on with Zuko seriously struggling to care for a baby, not to mention his inner turmoil and the trauma of seeing that town and watching the woman die from burn wounds. Zuko, like in canon, follows Azula’s tracks, but because of Kyo he’s slower and ends up arriving just as Azula shoots Iroh. This time, while Zuko wants to say no to Katara’s offer of help, he’s stuck b/c he can’t care for Iroh AND Kyo, so he ends up accepting her help. 

Which is also when the Gaang find out that Zuko, somehow, now has a baby. Katara also helps look the baby over, and it’s basically a really weird time for all parties. Eventually, the Gaang help Zuko, Iroh, and Kyo get settled in an abandoned house to recover, Aang insisting on leaving blankets and food behind (mostly for Kyo and Iroh’s benefit).

Anyways, the story goes on and Zuko, who had planned to just leave the baby at an orphanage in Ba Sing Se, ends up wanting to keep Kyo (he gets attached and feels responsible for him, and can’t just let him go). Things, obviously, go differently with a baby involved, and Zuko doesn’t end up betraying the Gaang/Iroh like he does in canon because of Kyo.

but yeah, that’s it lol, sorry this is so long, i got carried away

[cherishedteddie]

Oh oh oh, hello!

First post, first post, first post. 

I’m returning to tumblr in an effort to destress. My original blog was super important to me, so I won’t be deleting it (or sharing it, thank you for understanding!) The archive is just massive and holds a ton of weird and dumb old posts. I basically grew up on this site, and now that I’m older I have a lot less free time to short it all out. ( Managing that blog and taking down a ton of posts is going to be my passion project I’ll be quietly working on when I can spare some time. )

For now, welcome! This is a personal blog. I’m gonna share tidbits of what goes on in my noggin, as well as art I make and reblogs of things that I see around that I find joy in. 

Text posts I personally create are gonna be tagged as teddie talks, get it, like ted talks. Ha, I’m so funny. /nsrs

Things I reblog will just be tagged as what it is and reblog, incase you use some sort of blocker.

Art is gonna be teddiedoodles

My amateur photography will be teddiecaptured

Annnd that’s about it. Hoping to get lots of cool moots cos I would love to carve out a little friendly and positive community!

[heartlikearchive]

ANALYSIS OF BETTY’S BEDROOM (inspired by @exceptorange​)!

THE POSTERS & WALL ART: For the life of me I could not figure out who that random chick in the biggest post is. I thought it may be Kristen Stewart at first, and maybe the CW just didn’t have the rights to advertise it? Until I figure that out for sure, we’re just gonna say it’s a twilight poster and Betty is team Jacob #bye. (Funny bc in the older comics they had Edward and Jacob be in the comics, but I remember they changed the names, though idr to what. So it could be plausible that that’s meant to be a twilight knock off!!)  The other posters in her room are all either nature-y artwork, posters for music festivals (maybe Polly dragged her along? or maybe Kevin, even?) and two randon-ass looking YA messes under the faux-twilight poster. Which makes sense because, like me, hopeless romantic Betty probably also loves YA.  In my opinion, Betty’s missing the Taylor Swift poster highkey. You know homegirl loves Tswizzle. You Belong With Me? That shit’s her jam. Don’t even get her started on Teardrops On My Guitar. 

THE MIRROR & THE VANITY: From what I can see of Betty’s vanity, she has a cute little thing where she hangs up her necklaces, earrings and rings; a few bottles of nailpolish out (bright red is a gamechanger... maybe she borrowed it from polly? maybe she bought it on a whim?); perfumes, probably of the light and floral variety; and more pictures than she probably knows what to do with. What I’m getting from that last part too is that Betty loves keeping hold of memories. I imagine she could really be into scrapbooking? Or maybe some of the pictures she pops into her diary if they’re like, polaroids or something. 

The same goes for the full length mirror. It has even more pictures! Betty definitely has a picture-taking addiction. But maybe it stems from someone in her family having a shitton of photos and a bunch of albums that Betty loved going through? 

THE DECOR: Betty’s room is very feminine, and not in an everything-is-pink type of way, more like... 50′s Barbie’s Dream House sorta way?? What you can see from the decor and furniture is that she has mauve/lacy curtains, floral wallpaper (with a blue base running around the lower half of the room) and all the furniture is white. As someone who also has antique-y white furniture, I think this shows like, a victorian-esque femininity. It’s almost like, princessy/has a royal-ish vibe to it.  I like that the room really appears lived in because you can it’s neat and clean, but not too neat??  A big motif I caught was that a lot of Betty’s accents have to do with love. She has the block letters up on the wall, as well boxes and signs that say LOVE too! Talk about a hopeless romantic, am I right?? Then you’ve got yourself the fairy lights which add a taste of innocence and an ethereal glow to the room. Maybe she got the fairy lights when she was fourteen and obsessed with supernatural ya (it would certainly explain that damn twilight-ish poster I still can’t figure out). Little cute tidbits I noticed are that she has a stainless steel alarm clock by her bedside, all her lights have dangling fringe with (fake) crystals on them, she has a cute little divider where she keeps a nail file/pens/highlighters/etc. on her dresser, and the shelf by her bed houses picture frames, collectible bobbles (personal hc of mine) and a heart-shaped frame with several smaller pictures which I bet have her family members in it, probably.  Essentially, as expected, Betty’s room is girly without being overpowering. The main colors I could pick out are turquoise, baby pink, white, and yellow. Like I said, very victorian/50s, etc. It’s very Betty in that it’s vanilla and strawberry, classic af. Im just surprised I don’t see any teddy bears around... My guess is they’re hidden somewhere. I bet my bottom dollar that Archie one her it in a faire! That is all! 

TO BE UPDATED AS MORE RESEARCH/HCS/SCENES ARISE! (last updated: 18th February) 

[bestonamusementparkrides]

A Story About The Ferris Wheel

She watched him... a solitary figure hastening toward the empty field area below, where the gaudy carnival had settled for a few weeks on the outskirts of town. Seldom had she seen him walk with such energy, and with such direct purpose.

Her chatty neighbor had been right, although her whispered words had been uttered more as a friendly taunt, a murmur from Iago to the unsuspecting Othello. A hint... a terrible possibility... that her own lover, her true friend... was seeing someone he had known intimately, long before meeting her. The eager gossip who had offered this damning tidbit called the girl "Debbie". Yes, she remembered... in conversation recently with him, the name had been very innocently mentioned; he had "bumped into her at the grocery store... how plump she had become... yes, people do change... why, it must be at least nine years since I last saw her... and then, it was nothing more than having lunch at her place, a little conversation, not much more... oh well... " and that was all he had said.

And now, here she was, actually following him... spying on him, however embarrassed she might feel as she traced the much-worn path which led through the empty lot and down the rock-strewn bank to the field below... where the brilliant lights and bawdy carnival music drifted up to her, tantalizing and cruel at the same moment.

"I have no business doing this!" she muttered to herself. Certainly he had merely decided to innocently wander the noisy maze of cables and crowds as they played at games of chance... hoping to win a brightly stuffed toy for a lady love, to show as a badge of one's resourcefulness and devotion. In all fairness, hadn't she always been fascinated by just such a scene... always the child, eager for the stimulating sounds and excitement of a carnival night? Perhaps, even now, he planned to test his skill, in order to surprise and delight her with his winnings... when he next came to visit with her.

And yet, she sensed a distraction that displaced this optimistic possibility. Above the entire kaleidoscope of vivid colors and activity there loomed the impressive form of the Ferris wheel, gigantic in its proportions... intimidating, in her perception. For she had always been frightened of the great wheel, with its brightly colored seats that swung precariously back and forth, threatening to catch you unaware and tip you out into the dark and empty sky.

As a child, her sister and friends had teased her by forcing the seat to shake and roll... to such an extent that they themselves had lost control, and had come dangerously close to actually hurtling them all into the black void of a summer night. It had been a terrifying time, and had somehow remained indelible in her memory. How angry she had been with their inane giggling... and how horribly panic-stricken, all at one.

Not ordinarily a woman to be easily frightened, as a child or even now, in her middle years... this one experience still served to remind her of an urgent need to avoid even the fascinating sight of the wheel itself... which perversely resulted in her being drawn closer to it. She was the unsuspecting moth being drawn to the impending doom of the alluring yellow glow of a bulb.

So intent was her attention on the great circle which now so overwhelmed her, as she stood at the edge of the carnival grounds... that she had momentarily forgotten about the man whom she had been following, and had lost sight of him. Yet, she knew with a certainty that he was there, and she also knew why he was there... Debbie!

Her cheeks flushed with a dry red blotch that burned to the touch. This involuntary reaction revealed the rage which was slowly smoldering within her. On the surface, she was a calm woman who seemed able to handle uncomfortable situations rather well, ordinarily. But this intense reddening always betrayed the truth; her inner reactions were still most aware when she was either being cheated or dealt with in a dishonorable manner... though she might not have said anything directly to that effect. It was her inner wisdom's silent declaration, nonetheless: "I do not like what you are doing to me. You're not fooling me. I am quite aware of your deceit!"

And even now, as she scanned the revolving scene around her, cheeks raging still... her attention was drawn to the booth where tickets were being purchased for the ride on the giant wheel. Several people had already lined up at the wooden gate, talking and laughing in their eagerness to select a colorful wooden carriage. Just as the gate was opened by a burly attendant, and the first couple chose a blue enclosure, followed by two giggling teenaged girls in a bright yellow one... she saw him!

How absurd... this man she knew so well, who was afraid of so many things. Afraid... it had been the word he had often used, when she had first met him on a country road almost five years ago, when their romance had first begun. He had been afraid of... dark clouds, wind in the pine trees, the narrow mountain paths they once had hiked, a winding steep road that descended from 6500 feet to the sea level of the desert below. So many things had frightened him, and he had avoided them all his life, until meeting her. And... because she was daring and loved to explore, she had gently coaxed him to but taste of these small adventures, to realize that there was little or no danger, under ordinary circumstances. With each achievement, it seemed that he was pleased with himself, and would say to her, "Aren't you proud of me!" Eventually, he'd begun to congratulate himself for having accomplished so many new and untried ventures... never considering the fact that it was her insistent and patient encouragement that had given him the confidence to experience these once-dreaded deeds.

But she had been proud of him, and had also enjoyed his companionship. Until she had met him, these excursions had always been of a solitary nature and... though she was content enough in her own company... it was much nicer to share the experience with someone you cared for. Someone you thought had cared for you... And yet, from the very start... she had always felt guilty for the nagging thought which occasionally surfaced in her mind: His attention is not genuine! You are one of many in a line of women whom he has "loved" and given his considerate attention to. Oh yes, perhaps he has been with you longer than the others... but then, perhaps you had been more patient and attentive to his needs than others were... before they too had recognized his questionable and acquisitive motives, and had thus thought it wise to sever their attachment to him.

How many times had you, also, declared your suspicions, and insisted that he never see you again? Each time, he had softened, and exerted an even greater tenderness, with flowers and intimate declarations which overshadowed any "foolish suspicions" on your part.

Yes, well... she wouldn't have been the first woman in the history of man's world, to such succumb to the loving attentions of a... young and devoted companion.

There he was! Bold as could be about to settle into a red seat, swinging languidly as the wheel rotated slowly, bit by bit, to enclose each eager patron within its alluring embrace. Smiling, energetic, more gay than he had ever seemed before... his seat companion was a large pink teddy bear, obviously won, or given to him... by an admirer who worked now at the carnival! Hadn't he also once mentioned that Debbie had worked small jobs as a night cashier, when he had been seeing her and would pick her up after she had finished work? And might she not be here now, selling tickets or managing one of the many tantalizing games of chance?

Of course! Debbie had given the teddy bear to him! That's funny. Only a day or so ago, he had also mentioned speaking on the phone with a "couple" he had given a dog to... and the woman had called the dog "Teddy Bear".

Several times over the past years, he had chosen dogs from the pound, dogs with "potential"; after having trained them as pups, he was no longer interested in keeping them as adult dogs. Sometimes he had earned a few dollars, by advertising them to "good homes"... or had just given them away.

He had been reticent, initially, to speak of his life before having met her, and had... in fact... kept his personal life quite a secret from her. But, as he gained confidence in her, and trusted her loyalty and devotion, he had offered small bits and pieces of his life and thoughts, until she had fashioned a better understanding of him as an individual.

"H'mm... Teddy Bear... ". It had seemed an unlikely thing, that this married woman should call him on the phone, nine years later, to say that she and her husband were moving to another ranch in a neighboring town, and that they still had the dog he had given to them. Their beloved "Teddy Bear"... in case he wanted to visit, and see the dog. He had seemed very pleased that the woman had called, and confident that the relating of this incident would not even mean anything to his current sweetheart, as she had listened to the ridiculous tale of the telephone call, just a few days ago.

Too many coincidental points, not to notice. And here he was... at the carnival, hugging the teddy bear like an innocent child, anticipating the ride on the giant Ferris wheel, as though he had never been afraid of anything, ever before. If she had even suggested that the two of them might attend the carnival, and share such a fearsome ride, he would have laughed and said "Oh no, that's not for me... you go on, if you want to."

But she had related to him, during one of their many conversations about their respective childhood fears and experiences... the frightening incident with her sister on the Ferris wheel. He remembered everything... when he wanted to. His mental file was filled with such items of memorabilia. He knew of her singular fear of riding on a Ferris wheel... which, even now, paralyzed her with dread and intense misgiving.

For she was even now being subtly drawn into the line, as she watched his handsome features glowing with excitement and animation. The attendant waited passively, as she was swept along beside a father and little girl, to share a black and silver bench; but she had no ticket!

It didn't seem to matter. Perhaps the attendant assumed that she was the mother of the little girl. Had the man given a ticket for her?

While these thoughts raced darkly through her confusion, the guard rail was dropped across her lap, and she felt the wheel beginning to move again, as the ground disappeared from below her feet, and slowly... inexorably... begin to rise out and above the crowded scene below. So far! So high!

Her face tightened with fear. What was she doing there?! How had she been so lured... to voluntarily place herself in such a terrifying position?

And why was that little girl squirming around so much! Wasn't her father aware of the jiggling the child's movements were creating? Between them, the girl fidgeted and wiggled, chuckling to herself all the while. A pretty little blonde girl, nonetheless... in fact, a beautiful child. Her father ignored it all, completely oblivious to the terror glowing in the reddening cheeks of the woman whose gray knuckles clung tightly to the safety rail before her, the only thing which protected her.

From what?! Why should she need protection? Silly woman! And her hands relaxed their steely grasp. Perhaps if she put an arm gently across the child's shoulders, the little girl would quiet down and cease that insufferable squirming. Perhaps the child was understandably aroused by this... her first ride on the giant ferris wheel more ferris wheels can be found from http://bestonamusementparkrides.com/ferris-wheels-for-sale/.

About seven or eight, the youngster seemed completely unafraid... much apart from her own obvious and foolish fear. Now the wriggling child turned, and grinned up at her... such a disarming and lovely countenance, and that smile... those deep dark eyes set within the frame of lightly fluffing honey colored hair... such a stunning contrast! Those sparkling eyes, looking up at her with such amusement, so familiar somehow, so much like... And suddenly, the child began to pull at the hands which once again grasped the safety rail across their laps. What is she doing?! "Stop that!!" she wanted to scream, looking in desperate exasperation at the father, who only turned his head and smiled absently, then resumed his gaze out over the carnival grounds.

At the same moment, she was aware that the continuous revolutions of the wheel had stopped... and they were left hanging, gently swaying, in the top position high above everyone else. She could still hear the music, more faintly now, from far below. The carnival had disappeared from her view, so intent had she been with her inner dread, and the undisciplined gyrations of the little girl.

Was she trying to hold my hands in hers, for companionship, or was she... actually trying to prevent me from holding on?!

For now, the child twisted to and fro, back and forth on the bench, knocking heavily into her own body crouching tightly in the corner of the seat... the father completely disinterested in the child's efforts. The bench, in turn, began to sway as furiously as her body motions, and she could not regain her grasp on the rail. Wasn't anyone aware of what was happening? Is my fear so foolishly exaggerated... that I actually believed this innocent child is intent on my total discomfort? Has my perception of everyone become so twisted out of proportion... that I dreamed up a scenario of suspicion about my own loved one, and actually am mad enough to suspect a mere child of trying to harm me? Why didn't I just stay home tonight, instead of feeling restless and walking through town... until being surprised at sight of him, the one I so unwisely followed? Why?!?

As her thoughts banged confusedly against each other, in those tangled and terrifying moments, the child abruptly stopped... and lunged against her own leaning body... grinning... as she herself uttered a terrible cry of surprise... and tumbled from her seat into the depths of the night.

"Why, Teddy Bear darling... are you all right?" As the crowd gathered around the twisted figure of the woman sprawled like a broken old doll across the cables... a pretty blonde mother hugged a smiling child to her soft bosom, and comforted her; for this had been an experience most children would have been devastated by.

Standing nearby, among the many spectators... a handsome dark-eyed young man stood smiling at the blonde mother and child... as their eyes met in familiar, and tender, recognition.

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